Paying for Mods?

[XabbaRus]

What do you guys think? There are many good mods for many games ie Pacific Aces
GWX for SHIII SCX for SC and LWAMI for DW.

These are free or you make a little contribution to server costs, well I think you had to for one of the SHII mods but Neal put his own money into it.

However I was looking around some forums and a mod such as Full Canvas Jacket is $28. Now maybe I am being stupid butcharging for a mod, even one that is wide reaching seems a bit off if all that was done was make new models and tweka stuff WITHIN the game structure.

What would happen if LWAMI suddenly cost money.

I think it stinks a little bit. Just curious what others think.

[fatty]

I've never paid for one but I have no problem with people doing it. It's the author's work and he has the decision to charge for it or not. If it's a good mod then the community will support it, otherwise the author will make no money.

[SUBMAN1]

I've only paid for a couple mods in my whole life - and that was to support this board. I refuse to pay someone for like a set of high res tiles in Falcon for example. It was community effort and it should be a community reward.

I saw the Grey Wolves Mod (named something else of course, but it was GWX!) on the shelve in a software store yesterday and they were charging $15 for it!!! I couldn't believe it. So half the time, if you're paying for it, its probably someone skimming off the top anyway.

-S

[Penelope_Grey]

Hmm, I think charging for mods is quite a dodgy business really and could lead to quite a few question marks being raised.

Personally I wouldn't pay for a mod, not even one as good and as well thought out as GWX (thumbs up to the team), and no, its not because I am unemployed and permanently skint LOL its because if I download and pay for MOD X. How do I know I will like it? IF I decide, well, I don't like this at all, how do I get a refund? Will I get one?

How will the author know I have done the honourable thing and deleted the mod from my PC totally?

Its quite a complicated thing really. At the end of the day, if the maker of the MOD does not charge for it, but shares it willingly then everybody can benefit. Besides, if some charge for mods, how do you know that with a bit of effort searching the web that you will not find the same thing or something virutally identical for free?

Some shops don't allow for returns on PC games sold, which puts me off buying games from shops anymore, most of my games I buy off the internet. Because at least there is a return and refund policy on most of the major trading websites. If I could afford it I would make donations to mod makers. But seriously, every penny (no pun intended there) counts for me.

[bigboywooly]

Dont think I would ever pay for a mod
A contribution to D\L ( the way Neal did it ) is fine as it helps keep subsim on the net

Speaking as someone who spends hours tinkering with SHIII for GWX its done for the love of the game not for money

But then everyone doesnt think that way

[TteFAboB]

For a mod to be worth anything higher than server maintenance to me it needs to be quite a big thing. I don't find HiTiles to be worth it and that's relatively cheap. A mod that added a high-quality A-10 to Falcon 4, with a fully-functional 3D cockpit plus the 2D cockpit, with adjusted flight dynamics and avionics, proper HUD symbology and an extensive payload, including possible ammo that could've been used in the hypothetical scenario, among other bells and whistles, I would pay 28$ for. And only because I'd be desperate and have no alternative as I'd still find it to be worth a little less, say 10$.

EDIT: Hear that modders? Give me an A-10 add-on for Falcon 4. Forget about 28$, I'll pay 100$ for it. Come on, any pickers? Go mod it!

[STEED]

No one should charge for any kind of mod as you may have a legal issue on your hands from the very people who bought you the game as your profiteering from there work.

I would never dream of charging for my IX Skins, I do them in my own time and enjoy doing them. It's nice to here from the folks here what they think of them.

[The Avon Lady]

This has been discussed numerous times in the past. Think Seawolves, though that involved other problems.

In addition, often a software company will not allow fees to be charged for derivatives of its works.

So let the market and the attornies decide.

[aaken]

normally to put a fee on a mod, which meant modifying or tweaking a commercial product like a game or any other software, is illegal, at least as far as my lawyer told me. Asking a contribution for the site could be different though

[Onkel Neal]

I've paid for quite a few shareware apps (Cliptrakker, PicView, Putty, WS_FTP Pro, EditPlus2, Mach5, Ad Aware, PSP) and mods (Full Canvas Jacket, Desert Combat, Battlefield Pirates). Free mods and apps are great, I'm all for them, but I'm actually happy to show my appreciation for the time and work put into these products.

In the case of Subsim's Bonus Mods like Pacific Aces and the SH2 Hi Res kit, they have been paying the server, contest, and general expenses this website runs for over 3 years. Without them, things around here would be very different. The costs of keeping a website like Subsim going are considerable. Thanks to all who have donated.

[XabbaRus]

That's what I'm talking about.

Avon this is separate from the Seawolves thing, that focused on taking without permission and then selling.

It's like the add ons for IL-2 which seem to me giant mission packs with a bunch of new skins. Yet they charge money for it.

Hmmm, I think I might sell my 3d models NOT...

[bradclark1]

If a mod is good I'll pay for it. If someone has put there work into it and wants some money for it alls well and good. Only you can decide if it's worth it or not and you vote with your wallet.

[Skybird]

Authors decision, and customer's decision to pay if payment is obligatory, or voluntary. No big deal. What I do not like is if some bastard collects some mods, burns them onto CD and sell them, earning all the income, whereas the original authors don't see a penny and never were asked. That is robbery. Robbers deserve a spanking.

[Bertgang]

I'm happy to have mods for free, but nobody is forced to make me this kind of gift.
A little payment for something nice isn't a so big problem.

[kiwi_2005]

I would pay as long as it was his/hers mod, not someone elses!