Paid For Mods

Yea that is true. Sometimes you forget the fact that BeamNG's playerbase is very different from what it was a few years ago. I'm stuck in the mindset of what potential I see in beamNG, and my own vision of what a good mod is. But thanks to viral crash videos on YouTube I think it's true that the mod ideals have shifted for a large portion of the newer/younger player base.

I would also like to point out that there is no reason to blame Lucas for kicking off the paid mods trend. It's ultimately up to the BeamNG developers whether or not they want to allow paid mods on the site.

 

People say "if you don't like it, don't buy it" or "vote with your wallet" and stuff. However, there's a problem, is that the inrush of kids into the player base thanks to clickbait youtube videos. Even most of us vote with our wallet, plenty of kids will buy overpriced meshslap with their parents' wallet and help meshslapper thrive. Even if kids are not allowed to participate in this forum, they can still view this forum. Thus, paid meshslaps such as this should be removed from the forum ASAP.

 

I don't try to blame LBE, it is simply the most relevant paid mod I noticed, and also seemed to help as a catalyst for paid mods becoming more mainstream, he definitely wasn't the first nor will it be the last but it definitely helped make them more commonplace on at least this forum, and in my eyes blame is not the right word, since it implies that paid mods are any one persons fault, they are simply a biproduct of a lack of regulation, and as such there is no real blame to be placed upon any individual, to blame LBE for paid mods would be to blame McDonald's for being the reason you have to pay for food, its incorrect in every facet.

In my eyes, a good mod is still a 'good' mod from the 2015-2016 era, where mild spiking, tolerable models and missing textures on maps just existed and no one cared because why would you? it was free anyways, alot of newer players simply don't get that BeamNG mods where never supposed to be the 'golden standard' of vehicles in beamng, but that they where simply supposed to exist as a sort of tribute to some vehicle you held dear, and made with whatever slapstick quality you felt was needed. In a large part overdemanding players make modding miserable, and with consumerism in m eyes it will only get worse, but thats just me, and who knows, I could be wrong.

 

Sorry, I didn't mean you specifically. I was talking generally.

And yes, overdemanding players is definitely something that takes away motivation from modding sadly.

 

Oh don't worry I knew you wheren't trying to call me out I just really agreed that LBE gets alot more blame than he deserves and was just trying to highlight it

 

Quit whining. No one is putting a gun to your head to buy anything. Don't like it, don't buy it. Vote with your wallet.

 

Paid mods are not as much an issue as the quality of them

There are mods on the repo that I've seen that definitely deserve a "coffee"

But then you open the door & get those people who uses a stolen jbeam, makes a pretty screenshot then asks for $18 on a monthly patreon for something that you wouldn't even download if its free

 

Not too sound too harsh.... But people have been scamming kids for years on games. Does that make it right, no of course not. However most (not all) of the trash ones get called out and lose their patrons quickly with copywrite strikes. In closing when buying ANYTHING online you as the buyer have the responsibility to exercise due diligence. Do research, ask for jbeam and crash pictures. Be a smart consumer.

 

Opinion time: it does not matter if the mod is paid or not, its bound to get leaked because its literally software that isn't protected by anything. It takes one person to buy and reupload it, albeit it can and will be outdated. In theory one could make a repository mod that acts as a DRM in the form of a core mod, but that is pure speculation, quite frankly overcomplicated, and could be cracked if determined enough. Paid early access to a mod is already fine (least to the majority). Having a exclusive version behind a paywall (like the Raven R20) is fine. But buying a mod, Ill just leave counterpoints to that one post.

Now that BeamNG already has their supercar, the demand would drop (unless they want licensed or different style of supercar (that is not a Ferrari)) + mesh slapped scintilla mods would exists.

That is people voting with their wallet. The reason why LBE even has paid mods is quote: "I'm just trying this out to see if it's a somewhat decent source of income because yes, like everyone, I need money if I ever want to live independently". If they deem that LBE shouldn't be making a living from selling access to a mod then so be it but there's also people that will pay. Just not only for accessing the mod, but to help the creator, LBE. (and leak the mod but not the point) (Also note that this is only for the demonetization part. I do not support harassment and death threats, but criticism (about the product or the person who made it) is fine.

Assuming that everyone could and does have the means to pay for a mod, it would never become popular where anyone would turn down a free mod.

You are forgetting that 1, BeamNG is still in early access that is continually being worked on for years. 2, its not just cars with $24.99 USD, you get the game engine, maps to drive on, etc. 3, BeamNG has a team of devs, it would be impractical for a singular person to rival the quality of the devs.

There is a way to pay how much you feel like for a mod. That being "pay what you want" (which is not the same as free). Which is how any paid mod should be monetized. Unfortunately we don't live in that alternative timeline.

 

Firstly, BeamNG is DRM-free

Secondly, DRM is harmful.

 

Yes the game is DRM free, its only the paid mod that should have some sort of DRM if they really don't want their mod to be stolen

Secondly:

Context, it's a theory, not a suggestion

 

if you ask me, paid mods are just, kinda.






okish

 

Several points:
1- I know alot more comes with BeamNG than just the cars, in that calculation I was being generous since it is difficult to appraise the value of the game engine itself, and dividing due cost between maps and vehicles, if I where to calculate that in total, it would be like 50 cents per vehicle or something along those lines, likely even less if you include paying for game maintenance and game engine itself.

2- The demand likely won't drop for any supercar, in fact, it will simply grow. The scintilla drives horribly if you drive like a gung ho ape that mashes the throttle and has zero perception of speed, ie: children. They will drive it and be like "boo handles like dogwater i need a 'realistic' supercar" which will just make any paid supercar with "handles good" in the description that much more appealing, regardless of its quality. It will also make it easier to make these supercar meshslaps, just copy and paste scintilla code into your entire meshslap and done.

3- I think you misread demonization (the act of making someone seem evil, cruel, like a demon) as demonetization (like the thing that happens to youtubers)

4- It would entirely be impractical for one person to rival the quality of the entire BeamNG team, and yet, people still do it, like LBE with the picnic and even several others who make free mods.

I'm also not exactly for paid mods, I have not and will never buy one, but I do also agree compensation for modders is a good thing, although at the discretion of the consumer and not the mod maker themselves.

 

Why is this something to argue about? There is nothing wrong with wanting to make money from an original creation (meshslaps are not an original creation, iamthelaw105). You are not entitled to tens if not hundreds of some person's time.

 

the mod maker is also not entitled to make profit off of their creation so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Yes they are, because they poured hundreds of hours and a lot of effort into making a mod.

 

Donations to support a mod creator = Yes
Selling a virtual product at a fixed priced = ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

And???? Keep in mind beam itself also has fixed a price.

 

What's the difference between a virtual product and a physical product? It's only worth money if you can touch it? You pirated this game too?