Which factors determine the success and appreciation of a mod?
-
Hello, i created my account in Gta5-mods.com a year ago and, since the Angry Planes viruses polemic, uploading and editing mods became more restricting. It can take hours since you submit a mod and it gets approved. What i am trying to say is:
Before that, a user could upload some stuff in any cathegory and get a huge number of likes and downloads. Now things have changed; some mods have a lot of audience( Car models are the main ones), some others barely can reach 100 likes, even if the´re not lazy mods, like 5 minutes retextures, stuff like that..
...Of course small works can be overshadowed by projects with a lot of work behind but...
... I´ve created several environmental mods, requiring the replacement of timecyc.xml files instead of ReShade or SweetFX presets, and a lot of time can fly away while editing .xml files, taking carefully screenshots in game, choosing which ones are the best to showcase the effects, writing a description, checking that everything is Ok... ...but for some reason people don´t like that
. Users barely leave a comment...Can someone tell me what do i need to change in my way of making mods? What am i doing wrong? Give me some suggestions please...
PD: I use Snapmatic-style artistic screenshots to show my presets in game
, maybe that is the worm inside the apple? 
-
Do you have a link to any of your mods?
-
A lot less people seem to play GTA V now.
.oiv packages spoil people.
For visual projects, VisualV is the benchmark.
For vehicle models, there are a massive amount of those already.
For scripts, there's also a lot of scripts.
Also the audience you're trying to reach. For example I can imagine my Manual Transmission mod not being popular for people who prefer arcade gameplay, and there are even less people who have a steering wheel.
The approval thing hasn't changed anything as it now only takes hours before an upload is approved. Faster if they are updates with proper documentation.
-
@LanGonCer9807 All your Graphics mods have averages of 5/5, and i don't see why someone would complain about it.
There are hundreds of map editor mods uploaded here, most of them are just some props placed here and there, so people hate even when they see something like that. Same thing is happening to graphics mods. There are tons of them uploaded here. But people only stick with mods like visualV, Natural Vision, and the newly released Redux.
What I think you should do:- Use a cool name for your mods. You use the mod description as your mods' names.
- Use the best picture in your gallery for the main picture.
- Take screenshots with Rockstar Editor. You cannot really edit much with Snapmatic.
- Use at least MSAA 4× and DSR when taking screenshots.
- If you know how, go beyond editing the weather system. Change fire, explosion, tree, grass, and road textures, weapon damage etc.
- Focus on one big project. Don't create many graphics mods. Combine them into one.
- You need to spread the news. Start a new topic about your mod in the Releases & Works in Progress section, use YouTube to upload your videos.
- Use both .oiv and manual installation options.
Of course it's going to take weeks and months to create your own graphics mod.
Also, Grand Theft Auto V is a 2013 video game. I know, PC version came in 2015, but people usually move on to new games. There's nothing you can do about it. I'm a huge GTA fan, but I'm playing Forza Horizon 3 these days.
-
@Akila_Reigns Okay, i appreciate your suggestions, this is my response:
-
I actually try to use good and creative names for my mods, like this last one i created "Actung Baby"; the name of an album made by U2.
-
Also choose the best ones, in this case, i took a snapmatic of Chumash Pier in the morning.
-
Several of my screenshots were also captured with Rockstar Editor.
-
I will not use nothing but FXAA(fps drop would be too high)
-
Sorry, but environmental mods are my inspiration, for now.
-
If i release a lot of my work in a big one, it could be unsuccessful
like this last one, and my motivation to create more mods would decrease. -
Okay, i will open WIP threads and upload videos.
- I will also include .oiv installers, but my current modifications just require the replacement of 2 or 3 files.
-
-
There's a lot of factors that play into why some mods are more successful than others.
During my many years of modding - not just for Grand Theft Auto games - I've noticed that some of these are:-
Time - The first 10-12 hours can be crucial for your mod's success. There's a varying amount of people online at different hours.
During these first hours, your mod will be at the top of the category and be visible for anyone clicking it.
Therefor, the bigger the amount of people that are online during these hours, the more downloads you will get. -
Thumbnail - First impressions matter. Now, with more intriguing thumbnails, I'm not talking about clickbaity-half-naked-women stuff. I'm talking about something that makes your mod stand out more, and make people more interested in it.
For example; an in-game screenshot taken during nighttime makes it much more difficult to see what your mod is about. -
Title - Keep it short and simple, that gives a vivid description of what the mod is about.
A super long title with all lower-case letters is more likely to get overlooked. -
Interesting Content - Probably one of the most important factors - actually make sure that your content is interesting to the masses. This can be hard to figure out - and if you are good at it then you should perhaps consider a career in marketing - but mods that add nice new gameplay features and lots of new content will more likely do better than your average texture mod.
Like I said, these are various factors - that I've noticed during my years of modding - that have a direct connection to your mod's success.
-
-
Also - getting featured! Might be a reasonably big part of it.
That being said, how do you even get your mod (re)-featured?
-
Overall, a good mod will always sell itself. But let's assume it's an awesome mod and you just want quick exposure to get the ball rolling....
Perhaps send the mod (link), images and info to YouTube reviewers etc?
-
@GTATerminal Thank you for your suggestions, this are my answers to some of your points:
Thumbnail - I always try to choose the colorful or most deeply screenshots of my gallery, usually related with the title. Also, while creating a screen thumbnail, the font size can be too big and the text usually is displayed incorrectly in the website. I have to do a lot of corrections to the image until it looks fine, when my work was already submited.
Title - I thought it was the opposite, a very short title can also have negative effects in the mod appreciation, dont you think?
Interesting Content - None of my mods are related to ReShade/SweetFX/.OIV packages, just timecyc files replacement with 0 FPS losses.
I will look into that, but the results using ReShade would be different than editing .xml files.
-
@ikt Currently, i haven´t created any WIP threads to showcase previews of my works, is that what you mean?
-
-
Thumbnail - Oh, I definitely agree. The more colorful, the better, in my opinion.
I try to make my thumbnails looking as professional as possible. -
Title - Like I said, these are just varying factors I've noticed during my time of modding.
From what I've noticed, mods that have a short and concise title seem to always do better than a long one with all lower-case letters. -
Interesting Content - I get that. However, not all others do.
Your mod may be fantastic in the sense that it improves the visuals of the game with 0FPS loss.
However, most Grand Theft Auto players either don't care or don't understand. They're aware of ReShade and SweetFX from popular YouTubers, and then that's about it. And a mod's success is kind of dependent on them.
I'd say, don't be worried about the amount of downloads or likes that you get on your mod.
Those two factors doesn't determine whether your mod is good or bad. It just means that your mod is more appealing to another, and smaller, audience than the mainstream Grand Theft Auto modding audience.
-
-
@GTATerminal Try my mods and give me your opinion about them, please!
-
@ikt I wonder the same, updating mods can re-feature the number of visits a bit(because the file is re-uploaded and will be in latest mods again) But small projects always will be overshadowed by big ones with a lot of work in back like VisualV, VisionV, Natural Vision, QuantV, Awesomeskills.cfg,
Redux.
-
@LanGonCer9807 I've just had a look at your three mods properly now I'm back at my desk.
Although they look extremely well made, I don't see how they are solving a problem I've ever personally had before. As @GTATerminal said, I don't think they are bad mods, they just don't appeal to a very large 'market'. So i really wouldn't let it dishearten you from making more at all. Keep up the good work and eventually I'm sure there will be one that everyone wants!
-
@DazRave And what personal problem that you had was(or was not) fixed?
-
Bro, start doing it for yourself, not for others. I think then you will succeed.
-
@LanGonCer9807 - You asked so I shall answer...
All three mods are attempting to solve some sort of single graphical/imagery problem. None of which I'd really think are problems. Therefore as I said, I don't see how they are solving a problem I've ever personally had before.
However, I see the realism/full makeover mods and it does make me think "hmm, yeah, I might give that a try if it enhances my whole experience". I think someone else has already mentioned above actually, perhaps all three bundled together will be more appealing?
-
@LanGonCer9807 What do you feel determines whether your mod is successful or not? Is it the number of people that download it, or the fact that it achieves what you set out to create, in the best way possible? Do you need 100 people to comment to show that people appreciate it, or does just one suffice?
I can say with total honesty, I have no idea what the numbers are on my mod. I don't know how many downloads it has, I don't know how many likes it has... it doesn't really matter because that's not why I made it. One person requested it, I made it and if only that person downloaded it and liked it, it would have been enough.
The problem with any mod/game/application is that you are trying to get people to buy into your vision of something. So in the case of the Reshade mods, it seems to be a case of how much colour saturation do you want and how much you want the contrast crushed? With my mod it's about how little control over the camera are you willing to accept? With yours it's how much do the post-processing effects bother you? Those are niche mods that change the way the game looks. Car models don't do that, they fit in with the player's choice of how their game looks. They fit in with their choice of graphics mods and don't require any compromises on appearance to use.
If the numbers game is how you are measuring the success and appreciation, then you need to aim for a more mainstream mod type. Trawl the threads, read the comments, find a hole in the marketplace and target it based on the must have factor. But prepare to be making mods that you don't really want to make, because that's what following the trends requires. I know that from when I had to work on games that were just not my taste, it's not a very rewarding way to create things.
But if success is measured by your own valuation of your work, then continue to provide your creations to the niche market that appreciates it... no matter how small it is.
-
@DazRave GTA Realism by Mkeezay30 overhauls literally everything. You'd love it, even morose when later updates come out. He just found a bunch of ENB-type settings that are IN THE GAME FILES! He also looked through GTA IV's files for anything to bring back, a new physics system for everything, a weapon weight script, and is even making Realism Dispatch Enhanced more realistic than it's current beta is.
-
This post is deleted!
-
@LeeC2202 what did you say? Why did it get deleted?
-
@Think_Tank I deleted it because I realised that what I said was irrelevant and unnecessary. Sometimes I say stupid things, sometimes I realise that before people see it.
-
@LeeC2202 I can't find the chat button on my phone, so ill ask here: what do you think of https://forums.gta5-mods.com/topic/2371/misc-wip-nostalgic-world-environment/2
-
@Think_Tank The first picture got me slightly interested, the rest turned me off.
