Big mods or mini-mods

[Grump642]

Which do you prefer? I have played most of the real big mods, and most are very good. But I find that no matter how good they are, there is always something I want to change. Or just don't much like. So I usually use mini-mods to build and add on to what little I can do. I always start with my weapons, icons, traders, and textures( some thanks to EggChen). And try to build from there. Right now I'm using 9 mini-mods plus parts of ZRP. I'm reworking my respawn now. The one I was using was just a bit much. Couldn't go 10' without being attacked. Plus I am trying to get the SDK working on this new rig so I can try to make new muzzle flashes for my Desert Eagle. Darius's new sounds for it are great!

[ket]

Big mod. The only mod I like though is mine, simply because I can make everything "just so"

[EggChen]

Big mods are for players.... mini mods are for modders!!

Big mods, you just load up and play, mini mods you have to tweak, merge and balance with your existing game (which takes some amount of modding skill in SHOC).

I always start with mini mods, its one of the best ways to learn how to mod a game yourself, then tweak, change or even completely redo those mods. Example, there were many less generic NPC mods for SHOC, which I looked at and worked out how it was done.... then I did my own textures, hexed my own meshes, and made (what I feel) was an improved one with my rookie retextures. Before I sound too big headed, the reason I say it was improved, is no-one else ever did the NPC icons to match the NPCs.

I played Fatrap's Run and Gun mod for a bit, and though excellent, I had to tweak it to merge in my hud, particles, textures, etc. I had got used to those elements.

Another example was the Arsenal Mod, impressive, but didn't fit for me (mostly because they all used different run animations to vanilla).

The reason I mod games is to make them what I want, and no creator or team of creators working on a big mod will ever have the same vision of the game as I do.

So mini-mods all the way, more fun delving into them!!

[Grump642]

My thoughts exactly EggChen. That's how I learned what little I do know. Never messed with .ogf files tho. And since I built this new comp, I can't even get the SDK to run.

[Balious]

I always wanted to be a modder and actually make a mod for a game but as of yet i have yet to understand modding (i blame my brain). Modding is so complicated for me

Anyway i like them both. Big mod to change all the big things and is very good and a few mini mods to make it perfect for me.

[ket]

Big mods are for players.... mini mods are for modders!!

Big mods, you just load up and play, mini mods you have to tweak, merge and balance with your existing game (which takes some amount of modding skill in SHOC).

I always start with mini mods, its one of the best ways to learn how to mod a game yourself, then tweak, change or even completely redo those mods. Example, there were many less generic NPC mods for SHOC, which I looked at and worked out how it was done.... then I did my own textures, hexed my own meshes, and made (what I feel) was an improved one with my rookie retextures. Before I sound too big headed, the reason I say it was improved, is no-one else ever did the NPC icons to match the NPCs.

I played Fatrap's Run and Gun mod for a bit, and though excellent, I had to tweak it to merge in my hud, particles, textures, etc. I had got used to those elements.

Another example was the Arsenal Mod, impressive, but didn't fit for me (mostly because they all used different run animations to vanilla).

The reason I mod games is to make them what I want, and no creator or team of creators working on a big mod will ever have the same vision of the game as I do.

So mini-mods all the way, more fun delving into them!!

Thats not true. I can speak for those who make big mods. Theres a lot more work going on in files than any one solo modder can catch. Mini-mods are called such for a reason - their simple, little things to make the smaller aspects more enjoyable. I did not learn how to mod SoC by looking at mods, I learned a very different way. One day I just thought "I've had enough of this game looking and playing like a POS", Thus how the Ket Realism Mod was born (user.ltx extreme tweaks, tested and refined to absolute perfection). After that I went on to sort the weapons out, so I unpacked the DB files and modded the weapons so they were far more realistic.. from there I just kept seeing more and more and more of what was wrong in the game, remembering what stalker was supposed to be is how TK was born. TK will always follow the design path of what stalker was supposed to be like, and one day TK will make stalker the game it was supposed to be. Its already gone a good way, once you send me that all.spawn file( ) and I've made a few more changes, that will be it for TK 1.1. The biggest change of all will then start to happen - merging levels from CS into SoC, as well as storylines and custom storylines. Only then will TK turn stalker into what stalker was supposed to be.

[EggChen]

Yep, but your mod will be your vision of what Stalker was going to be, so its still mini-mods for me.

Like you delving into files threw up more and more things I wanted to change, but they will always be different things to what other people see...

OL had many new features, but many of which I did not feel fit the game, same with AMK. Which is one of the main reasons I have not been bothered with Clear Sky. It is basically the Dev's version of AMK, I was amazed how many scripts and configs bore AMK references when I unpacked CS.

I learnt many things looking at other mods, but then that knowledge (and thought processes) helped me learn many other things. Example, many people posted modded m_bandit and m_army ltx's even though the files were never referenced in vanilla, looking at inheritance in other files (like unique_items) and all.spawn I realised they could be used to give different types of NPC different characteristics.

You may fit into a category not in the original question

Mini-mods, Big Mods, or my own Big Mod!!

[Grump642]

Thats not true. I can speak for those who make big mods. Theres a lot more work going on in files than any one solo modder can catch. Mini-mods are called such for a reason - their simple, little things to make the smaller aspects more enjoyable. I did not learn how to mod SoC by looking at mods, I learned a very different way. One day I just thought "I've had enough of this game looking and playing like a POS", Thus how the Ket Realism Mod was born (user.ltx extreme tweaks, tested and refined to absolute perfection). After that I went on to sort the weapons out, so I unpacked the DB files and modded the weapons so they were far more realistic.. from there I just kept seeing more and more and more of what was wrong in the game, remembering what stalker was supposed to be is how TK was born. TK will always follow the design path of what stalker was supposed to be like, and one day TK will make stalker the game it was supposed to be. Its already gone a good way, once you send me that all.spawn file( ) and I've made a few more changes, that will be it for TK 1.1. The biggest change of all will then start to happen - merging levels from CS into SoC, as well as storylines and custom storylines. Only then will TK turn stalker into what stalker was supposed to be.

I look at mini-mods as changing individual aspects, not so much smaller aspects. Very little in my game is vanilla, and the biggest thing I used is parts of ZRP Mod.I think we all make changes to suit ourselves. Big mods are great for those who can't, or won't, do it themselves. Your mod, I will try it because it will be fun, is right for you. Mine, made up of what I do and a lot of mini-mods, is right for me.

[ket]

I haven't made TK so its "right" for me. Its been designed with what stalker was supposed to be from what all those early screenshots, betas, videos etc showed. So when playing TK people really do need to think "Hmm.. so this is what stalker was supposed to be", and not merely associate it with someone whos made stalker "cool", because thats not the case.

[busetibi]

Big mods are for players..

I dont think I've ever tried a mini mod, in fact I know I haven't
not having the expertise to mod games I'll leave it to the guys who know what they're doing.
I do know how to tweak a cfg and made binds but thats about it.
so..............
bigger the better

[Balious]

Big mods are for players..

I dont think I've ever tried a mini mod, in fact I know I haven't
not having the expertise to mod games I'll leave it to the guys who know what they're doing.
I do know how to tweak a cfg and made binds but thats about it.
so..............
bigger the better

Only thing that i know how to do is change the weight and a few relationship changes, change the starting items and how to make stalkers invulnerable.

Bigger mods are always great