Thoughts on modding...
Jul. 29th, 2008 01:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deathpixieNote: These are purely my personal thoughts on modding an RPG. They are by no means reflective of the RPG I'm in or the mod team's official position and should in no way be taken as such.
So, having been a mod now for a year and a bit (started February 2007), and having the subject come up, I've been thinking about the sorts of things modding entails. This is a combination of personal experience, what I've gleaned from the experience of others, both good and bad, and hopefully a dash of common sense.
A lot of people see modding as some kind of prestige thing, an indication of popularity within a game. Which, when you look at what mod teams do, isn't really applicable. Modding is a pretty anonymous job, when you get down to it - decisions are made by the group, not you as an individual, most of the time the mod account is used to post things so you don't know who did what... And when you come down to it, if a mod team is doing a good job, you won't hear people praising them - it's accepted they're doing what they were elected to do and as such there's no need to point it out. What you do get pointed out, is when you make mistakes. Which will happen, because mods are human, they get distracted, they get frustrated, they miss things.
That's what modding is not. What it is covers a range of things. Mods administrate the game, they are the keepers of Continuity, they go through plots and character applications to ensure that there's nothing there that's going to explode down the track (or at least, not too badly!). They maintain the various pages and comms, advertise, answer questions, mediate disputes. They are required to keep their perspective as much as possible, to not get embroiled in screaming arguments with players, to be objective and fair, no matter what or who comes up on the list. It's wearing a number of different hats and always having to be sure you know which one you've got on. It's seeing a plot come through and not reacting straight away "how can my character be involved in this?" because modship isn't a fast-track to being involved in plots. It's being diplomatic when in the face of absurdity, and working out the right language to use when you have to say 'no'. It's dealing with a lot with little thanks, and less recognition and wanting to, because you want the best for the game you're in. It's developing a thick skin, because no matter what you decide, someone's going to take issue with it, and it's standing up for what you think and not just going along with the flow. It's thinking outside the box and it's taking the best interests of everyone in the game to heart.
I don't profess to be the world's best mod. I make mistakes, I have issues with that thick skin thing, I get frustrated with the restrictions. But it is rewarding. Seeing the game running smoothly, with the number of players we have, seeing new characters doing well, seeing plots you approved giving people enjoyment... that's the reward.
Just something to think about.
So, having been a mod now for a year and a bit (started February 2007), and having the subject come up, I've been thinking about the sorts of things modding entails. This is a combination of personal experience, what I've gleaned from the experience of others, both good and bad, and hopefully a dash of common sense.
A lot of people see modding as some kind of prestige thing, an indication of popularity within a game. Which, when you look at what mod teams do, isn't really applicable. Modding is a pretty anonymous job, when you get down to it - decisions are made by the group, not you as an individual, most of the time the mod account is used to post things so you don't know who did what... And when you come down to it, if a mod team is doing a good job, you won't hear people praising them - it's accepted they're doing what they were elected to do and as such there's no need to point it out. What you do get pointed out, is when you make mistakes. Which will happen, because mods are human, they get distracted, they get frustrated, they miss things.
That's what modding is not. What it is covers a range of things. Mods administrate the game, they are the keepers of Continuity, they go through plots and character applications to ensure that there's nothing there that's going to explode down the track (or at least, not too badly!). They maintain the various pages and comms, advertise, answer questions, mediate disputes. They are required to keep their perspective as much as possible, to not get embroiled in screaming arguments with players, to be objective and fair, no matter what or who comes up on the list. It's wearing a number of different hats and always having to be sure you know which one you've got on. It's seeing a plot come through and not reacting straight away "how can my character be involved in this?" because modship isn't a fast-track to being involved in plots. It's being diplomatic when in the face of absurdity, and working out the right language to use when you have to say 'no'. It's dealing with a lot with little thanks, and less recognition and wanting to, because you want the best for the game you're in. It's developing a thick skin, because no matter what you decide, someone's going to take issue with it, and it's standing up for what you think and not just going along with the flow. It's thinking outside the box and it's taking the best interests of everyone in the game to heart.
I don't profess to be the world's best mod. I make mistakes, I have issues with that thick skin thing, I get frustrated with the restrictions. But it is rewarding. Seeing the game running smoothly, with the number of players we have, seeing new characters doing well, seeing plots you approved giving people enjoyment... that's the reward.
Just something to think about.
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no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 06:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 06:34 pm (UTC)I think it may be partially the responsibility I avoid, because dude, I work for a non-profit...
no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 07:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 08:56 pm (UTC)But yeah, your personal opinion definitely shouldn't be the driving factor in decisions. What is balanced, fair and in the best interests of the game should be.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 09:09 pm (UTC)