Revamp of Game Mods section

[Delphy]

Hi All,

As you all should know, occasionally we go through and look at various areas of the site that need refining or can be made more efficient. Our target today is the Game Modifications download section.

Currently this section has various forums like "Finished" "In Testing" and "Archive" which is very confusing for regular people who just want to search for a particular hack. How do they know whether it's In Testing or Finished?

To combat this problem, the structure will hereby look like this:

- - Game Modifications
- - - - Modding Tools
- - - - Global Mods
- - - - Object Mods
- - - - Config Mods
- - - - Careers
- - - - University Majors
- - - - Foods

There will be no In Testing, Finished, Archive in the main forum structure. What we are also doing is removing the EPs from the categories (since they are in the Thread / Download anyway as "Compatibility").

What we'd then do is to put the In Testing / Finished / Archive as a category of the forums - this way the thread starter themselves can choose the category similar to the way that somebody in Body Shop can change the age range, and downloaders - when viewing the forum - see everything but can still filter down into only Finished stuff without having to go up and down levels.

This system means the following changes for the uploaders:
- All threads in this section will have thier categories set to either In Testing or Finished or Old
- All threads MUST have the correct EP requirements (the icons), and:
- All threads MUST have the compatibility stated within the thread as to what it works with if it differs from specific EP requirements

At this time I would like to ask creators to double check they have the EP requirements selected properly on all thier uploads in the Game Mods section.

While this work is being carried out MTS2 will experience some downtime to allow the database changes to take effect, and to allow the staff to double check everything.

We hope that these changes will make browsing and usage of the Game Mods section easier, and to make it easier for uploaders and hack creators to easily change the status of thier mod. Suggestions and comments from hack creators about the new categories are welcome. :)

Regards
Delphy

[musiquefille]

that's fabulous. that makes MUCH more sense. Thanks Delphy for doing such a great job of being on top of things and making everything so clear for all of us! :)

[gonkski222]

Thank you so much! Now, hopefully, I won't have to go to the "requests" section and ask, "Does anyone know of a hack...."

[Delphy]

Work completed, but content creators need to double check thier EP requirements still. :)

[patul]

Sure it is a good idea ! It was boring to retrieve a game mod you saw some weeks ago in the dwld area
thanks delphy and all the MTS2 staff :)

[crocobaura]

Thank you Delphy! Will definitely come in handy when I'll finally get Pets EP. :)

[shotgun_mary]

huzzah! i hated the whole in-testing business its nice to know things are more easily organized now

[menother]

THANK you!!! The old way drove me nuts!

[Komodo Jo]

Hey Delphy, just to point something out but on your maintenance message, you have the word "because" spelt wrong. Just to let ya know.

[Delphy]

I always spell that wrong. :D

[flyingpigeon]

Sounds pretty awesome... thanks Delphy :)

[CtfG]

Great idea! And all that stuff happens while I'm off *laughs* I'm on my way now to go through all my uploads, but a question in front: will it be possible for modders to change the category from "In Testing" to "Finished" resp. "Archive"?

[Hardy boyz]

This is great.
Much easier to find.
Thankies.

//HB

[Delphy]

CtfG, yes as with all other forums, the thread creator can change the category themselves. (Which was one of the main reasons for this change)

[CtfG]

Delphy: GREAT!!!!! (pardon the shouting *g*)

[cwykes]

re Sedona - Is it a game mod? I put it there because you have to add files to the program folder rather than downloads, but it's actually a neighbourhood or collection of lots and sims. Feel free to move it. Also I've only posted the text file 'cos the whole thing is 20MB. Are you happy hosting it like that? I'd love it if you would take the whole thing! It's on an empty web page which is offputting, but I know nothing about webpages. No doubt I'll get there eventually.....

Sedona - the desert alternative to Bluewater is base game plus OFB as stated

Very much like the new layout - thankyou Delphy

[Kamus4547]

It always amazes me how you folks at MTS2 find ways to improve an already excellent site! Why don't you all run for President! :jest:

Thanks so much for being here.

Kat

[Eggs]

Yay! Now I can find the finished mods easily.

[Howabominable]

Thank you! This is a great change that will help me find mods easier :)

[Lgnd178]

Thanks alot it'll make it easier

[niol]

Yay... it's easier to find mods now... Merci...

How about a misc. section for those mods that won't fit into the present categories?
:)

[Eggs]

Every mod should fit in......

[PhantasyGurl]

cool! great work on such great site:)

[(Rhino)(m@n)255]

yes yes good work on the site i loved it ever before i was a member

[Avenged]

Thanks Delphy, this will make things much easier for members.

[nychic_emt]

Thank you for your streamlining, it will make it easier for all of us.. :-)

[fortyfeet]

bravo! i always found that section too confusing.

[Jersey Princess]

It'll be soooo much quicker now!
Plus I've always ignored the InTesting. ^^ REALLY annoying. Most mods are fine anyway.
Thank you!!!

[CelestialPrincess]

i got one question will you be deleting any outdated files like the several pages of the insimanator (sorry i spelt it wrong) it would probably save you some space on your website

[niol]

...
How about a misc. section for those mods that won't fit into the present categories? :)

Every mod should fit in......

When I said that, there's already been at least one sort of exceptions.

PS... I'm not here to start a quarrel (which I personally dislike a lot) or what but just a personal feedback on the topic.

[Delphy]

niol,

What mods do you see as not fitting into the present structure? I need examples and details of why you think it doesn't.

Thanks
Delphy

[niol]

1. recolour-mods: (a recolour and a mod at the same time..., not an object mod, a config mod or a global mod...)
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=179725
This recolour-mod itself has no graphical presentation or purpose on ANY host objects.
But, the presence of such material type and settings at the txmt of this recolour will make the host object to have the ability to activate the caustic animations of the pool-tiles and pool-wallpapers. The object itself has nothing to do with this mod or the animation activation but is just a vector instead. The effect of this mod will only affect the nearby pool-tiles and pool-wallpapers only, but not the whole lot or the whole game. If this recolour-mod is placed a few more grids away from the pool-tiles and pool-wallpapers, the caustic shader may still be activated, but the animation is not activated still. I can't explain why yet, or if any more other similar recolour-mods is possible. But, so far, this's how this instance works out.

2. Besides, I kinda believe sooner or later, custom material shaders will come to the light more. Yet, if a stand-alone one can be done, then they're not gonna be global mods but just additional mods to add material types, material effects and etc... to the game.

Still, I'll leave it open to other modding possibilities like lua and the layers.

Somehow, config mods are most likely global mods like the modded wall.txt or other modded scripts.

Thanks for all da priceless works... ! :anime:

[JuneFlowers]

This is a wonderful change! Thanks so much for making it! :D :gjob:

[Delphy]

niol,

Right now I don't think there is enough demand to have a seperate section for that kind of mod.

[niol]

Delphy,
That's alright... :D
Just listing some other possibilities...

Besides, that mod can already be posted as a part of collection download or set download.... no problem at all.. :)

[cwykes]

So is my alternative to Bluewater a game mod or not? It's a whole neigborhood of lots and sims, but you have to put it in the tsdata/res which is more mod like. If it is a mod, it's certainly miscellaneous! I'm gonna move it out of testing soon as there have been no problems reported. I did ask on the site matters bit of the forum - thread closed with no good answer. http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=192988