Hi folks.

I would like to take a few moments to share some professional experience I have with you all. It translates well into modding work, is highly relevant, very easy and I think it's very important to talk about this because there are certain standards that are not being observed by many modders. This makes for frustrating work for others down the line.

So this thread is all about Credits Files.

When I was Production Managing film shoots, one of my responsibilities was to draft the credits list. It fell on me because I was the one who hired all these people in the first place. It's much the same for a scenario or mod maker. You are using the services and talents of others. There are three reasons why credits are important in films and all but one apply to modding. These are:



1) It is your chance to give credit and thanks for the great work of others, which you are using to make your own fine work seem finer still. In short, courtesy.



2) You are telling viewers/players who did what in your film/mod, so that they can go use those people again themselves.

This is the most important reason why credits files in your mods and scenarios should be taken more seriously imo. I spent 4 hours this afternoon looking for a unit in someone's scenario. It took me far too long. If a proper credits file had bene done up, that would have saved me.....oh.....about 3 hours 58 minutes.


3) It's a legal requirement.


So, with the first two points above in mind, I'd like to know what people make of the state of credits files as they stand at present? One modder over here is not convinced they are at a suitable level and that we are not doing fellow community members enough of a favour as they are presently.

Now I know modding is a hobby and I know it's not professional but I still feel like it's worth having this little rant. If only to make our hobby more enjoyable, more in touch with the available resources and a little more courteous.

I shall close by attached the credits file that I've drafted up for the release of The Rise and Fall of the Mughals v2, as an example. You'll see that there are some points which I haven't dealt with in there yet (I'll be doing them tonight or tmrw before release), that's because someone didn't put a proper credits file in their mod!!!

Thanks for reading. :)

I agree. Its just a lot of work.

credit most certainly ought to be doled out. no doubt.

there once was a time when i'd list the credits for each and every user created item in my scenarios. however, this task became more and more daunting as the customized lists grew longer. i now list them as a lump sum instead.

i think it's over-kill to draft an entire document for credits. a post or a portion of one in the scenario thread would suffice imho.

It annoys me alot when I see a cool unit in a scenario and I can't see who made it from the credits, so I'm forced to take Ram's side here.


Speaking of unit credits, it would be nice if creator's signed their units in some way, eg by including a tiny text file in the folder saying "made by aaglo, 19th Feb 2005, 23:12" or whatever. :) Would save me from wondering who made this cool unit I found on my harddrive. :crazyeye:

The unit I'm currently wondering who made it is the "Inti Champion" from the Native America mod ...

some do indeed create a text file within the unit folder.

i don't run into these problems though as i can probably recite who has made what, etc. iow, my unit library is in my head... :p

ADDIT: TLC, that may be a civ army unit you're wondering about

ADDIT: TLC, that may be a civ army unit you're wondering about
It's not on his list, and doesn't look like his style.

What it does look like is a variant of Kinboat's Inti Warrior, but it's not on his list either.

then you've done your due dilligence. what else can you do?

Nothing, except posting about it in this thread in the hopes someone will rec'nize it. :)

understood.

i wouldn't lose any sleep over it though.

I need to find who made the Howitzer. My Building credits are great as Ukas made almost all of the custom buildings, if not all of them.

This is definitely an equal responsibility between creator and user. Neither seem to pay enough attention, I think. (in general, of course.)

Very nice, but you misspelled my name. ;)

I agree with the credits being rather important in mod work.

I think most of my units are posted with this kind of file:

@aaglo: And I'm thankful for that. You'll note that the Acali is correctly credited in the Maya scen. :D

You'll not my ACW '05 dosen't have credits, yet.

(Turns out the "Inti Champion" was by utahjazz7.)

Very nice, but you misspelled my name. ;)I hope this won't be the only good thing that comes out of starting the thread :)

Aaglo: Yes, you're very good with your read me files. That's exactly the kind of info needed to make other modders' work easier.

El Justo: Man I can well agree with the view that you can take it too far. But I think we need to go a little further than we all are in general atm.

TLC: Stop saying that word dammit!! :mad: