You can release much, much faster and more often than they can. You have another power over commercial developers. Something many people don't realize is that Team Fortress 1 had almost no new art for a year after it was first released.
Players will play a mod that has very little in the way of new content, but has really fun gameplay. They've got teams of artists with years of experience.
Most mods can't compete on a content level (maps, models, sounds, etc) with commercial products. Make your job easier by concentrating on this edge, and don't spend your time trying to compete in the areas that commercial products are strong in. This is your edge over commercial developers. You can try out truly new gameplay ideas that just might become the Next Big Thing. Commercial developers have to worry about appealing to retail, breaking even, and other nasty things, which is why most games are slight modifications on already proven gameplay. You have power commercial developers don't: You don't have to worry about the commercial viability of new gameplay styles. Does your mod offer something new to the players? Is what you offer enough to entice players who are busy playing other mods? Even if you can't answer this question, just thinking about it will probably help your mod. Think about what other mods are out there, and what they offer. If they're a modeler who's done 20 models, but they're all half-finished, you don't want them.Īs a mod author, the most useful question you can ask yourself is "Why should someone play my mod?" It's a hard question to answer truthfully, but if you can answer it well, you're on the right track. Make sure they've actually finished things. Don't hire anyone until you've seen examples of their work. You may not even need any new models, sounds, or maps.
But for your first version, you probably won't need more than one person for each area of your mod (code, sound, models, maps). Your first instinct might be to hire anyone who can code, or model, or make maps, and so on. When looking for team members, try to only hire people you absolutely cannot survive without. Counter-Strike's core team was one person. The more people you have, the more time spent managing them. Adding more people to the team doesn't mean more work will get done. If you're dealing with an on-line team, you can easily spend all your time managing it, and that means you won't be spending any time on making your mod. Managing a team of people is a full-time job, even when all the team resides in the same building. The guiding rule here is to keep it small.
Staxel’s voxel-based sandbox world lets you alter your surroundings however you like, and with a rich selection of in-game materials and an intuitive approach to modding, you can truly create your own unique world within the game.Lets start by looking at how to assemble a team. Working a farm on the outskirts of an unfamiliar village can get lonely, so why not invite your friends to hang out? Staxel was designed with multiplayer in mind from day one, so team up and get your buddies working those fields! You can share a farm with your friends or become neighbours in Staxel’s vast world. Don’t forget: take care of your farm, and your farm will take care of you! Share the Fun! Plant seeds, carefully tend to your crops, take care of your animals, and expand your farm. Starting out with a run-down, old home and farmland reclaimed by the wilderness, it’s up to you to turn the place around.
Put down your roots and settle into life as a newcomer to the village. When you’re not hanging out with your newfound friends or working on your farm, you could be pursuing a new hobby, completing one of many collections, spending your hard-earned money on precious seeds, or lending a hand and making your mark on the town! Nurture Your Farm Return the favour and help the village flourish!
While they may have their quirks, the other residents will help you get settled in. In Staxel, you’re tasked with restoring the farm to its former glory as the newest resident in a budding village. If you’re feeling social, you can even invite your friends over to share in the fun! Experience Village Life Build your farmhouse, help villagers, take to the wilds to fish or hunt for bugs, and grow a variety of crops in your backyard. Staxel is a creative farming and village life game with a cast of quirky characters.