Please understand that my intent when publishing lots of individual mod pages isn't to spam the Nexus. There is no way to publish a page but have it hidden from the front page of search results. I am trying to trickle out the pages slowly, but I have 40 to upload so if I upload 5-8 per day as I have been doing it is still going to take me most of a week to do it. Preparing all the materials for all the pages took me upwards of 80 hours over the last week, so believe me if there was a viable alternative I would have taken it. That isn't counting the time it took to prepare the optimized textures, testing etc.
Some people have accused me of click-baiting. I am using descriptive titles, it is not my fault some views truncate the titles, but it only takes a mouse over and you have a clear description too if you are using a tiled view.
Optional files isn't designed to handle 120+ current "optional" files and I will most likely have more than that soon enough.
Version numbers for optional files downloaded in NMM are set at the time of download based on the version number on the options page, bottom right of each file entry, or from what is in the FOMOD (I don't use Fomods for this project). When NMM does a version check it compares that number with the current version number of the mod as a whole. So for mods with lots of options such as Armorsmith, you get lots of triangle warnings even though you are up to date on all files. It causes me no end of frustration on multiple popular mods with lots of options.
Here is an example of what it is currently like using the main SWOP file and some older patches that are still "current" because I haven't retired them yet (the guns have their own pages).
Just imagine what a block of 20 or 30 seclected texture mods is going to look like... a wall of triangles with false warnings, and no idea when an actual warning is true.
It causes what I like to think of as "warning blindness" - half your mod version column ends up full of warning triangles for optional files which are actually up to date. As a mod author changing the version number on the page doesn't help the people who have already downloaded the files.
What NMM should do is compare filename downloaded to filename on server, and if you have the latest filename then the 2.1 optional file is still current, even if the main file is at 2.2. But it doesn't.
It kinda works for real optional files that change every time a primary file changes, such as some of the landscape/grass retexture projects that also offer upscales/downscales with every release, and it works for some option patches for guns that get updated frequently to reflect a current version.
Unfortunately it can't possibly work for my project.
Creating all these extra pages is a considerable investment in time, but eventually every single page will have it's own optional files, and maybe also optimized versions of retextures, thus multiplying out the amount of files considerably. It also has a negative marketing effect. If someone downloads an optional file, they can endorse the parent. In my case I only get endorsements on the main project if someone downloads the main project instead.
Ultimately I am thinking about the long-term usability for my users, whereas a few are thinking about the short term inconvenience for them of clicking a link to look at a second page. So much so they troll my comments on multiple mods.
Another thing, for people who have problems swapping weapons, i recommend the mod author or mod users convert the files to ba2 files. This solved 80% of my problems when swapping weapons.
Hello, I have noticed that this mod has a requirement for the Desert Eagle. I am just letting you know that I have updated that mod, so you might need to adjust your mod. Thanks!
can you tell me what the mods are that adds all the attachments to the DE? or is there a new updated version of the gun i just dont have? because i only have a normal extended magazine rather than the drum magazine >.> thanks!! (also, can you give a quick desc. for what this one does? like is this JUST the reduced textures? or does this hold more than that? because your description has photos with what may be content not supplied in the base mod)
The attachments and my other mod were mentioned in the description as well, with a link, as I knew if I used a screenshot with them in I would also have to provide a link on where to get them.
If you are also a fan of the Desert Eagle, don't forget to try out my Desert Eagle Silencer & Other mods. The DE rocks as a slow firing automatic, with silencer, drum mag and combat sights.
The main project page goes into full details regarding process though I also described the process a little on this page specific to the DE. I find with the DE the optimized textures are essential, especially with the non-engraved textures as they are all 2k even if the description says 1k. Even people with high end systems are noticing the loading improvement.
10 comments
Please understand that my intent when publishing lots of individual mod pages isn't to spam the Nexus. There is no way to publish a page but have it hidden from the front page of search results. I am trying to trickle out the pages slowly, but I have 40 to upload so if I upload 5-8 per day as I have been doing it is still going to take me most of a week to do it.
Preparing all the materials for all the pages took me upwards of 80 hours over the last week, so believe me if there was a viable alternative I would have taken it.
That isn't counting the time it took to prepare the optimized textures, testing etc.
Some people have accused me of click-baiting. I am using descriptive titles, it is not my fault some views truncate the titles, but it only takes a mouse over and you have a clear description too if you are using a tiled view.
Optional files isn't designed to handle 120+ current "optional" files and I will most likely have more than that soon enough.
Version numbers for optional files downloaded in NMM are set at the time of download based on the version number on the options page, bottom right of each file entry, or from what is in the FOMOD (I don't use Fomods for this project). When NMM does a version check it compares that number with the current version number of the mod as a whole.
So for mods with lots of options such as Armorsmith, you get lots of triangle warnings even though you are up to date on all files. It causes me no end of frustration on multiple popular mods with lots of options.
Here is an example of what it is currently like using the main SWOP file and some older patches that are still "current" because I haven't retired them yet (the guns have their own pages).
Just imagine what a block of 20 or 30 seclected texture mods is going to look like... a wall of triangles with false warnings, and no idea when an actual warning is true.
It causes what I like to think of as "warning blindness" - half your mod version column ends up full of warning triangles for optional files which are actually up to date. As a mod author changing the version number on the page doesn't help the people who have already downloaded the files.
What NMM should do is compare filename downloaded to filename on server, and if you have the latest filename then the 2.1 optional file is still current, even if the main file is at 2.2. But it doesn't.
It kinda works for real optional files that change every time a primary file changes, such as some of the landscape/grass retexture projects that also offer upscales/downscales with every release, and it works for some option patches for guns that get updated frequently to reflect a current version.
Unfortunately it can't possibly work for my project.
Creating all these extra pages is a considerable investment in time, but eventually every single page will have it's own optional files, and maybe also optimized versions of retextures, thus multiplying out the amount of files considerably.
It also has a negative marketing effect. If someone downloads an optional file, they can endorse the parent. In my case I only get endorsements on the main project if someone downloads the main project instead.
Ultimately I am thinking about the long-term usability for my users, whereas a few are thinking about the short term inconvenience for them of clicking a link to look at a second page.
So much so they troll my comments on multiple mods.
Any constructive comments regarding this I am happy to entertain in this dedicated forum post on the main SWOP mod page.
Any similar discussion here henceforth will be deleted and reported to moderators as per the terms of service.
The attachments and my other mod were mentioned in the description as well, with a link, as I knew if I used a screenshot with them in I would also have to provide a link on where to get them.
The main project page goes into full details regarding process though I also described the process a little on this page specific to the DE. I find with the DE the optimized textures are essential, especially with the non-engraved textures as they are all 2k even if the description says 1k.
Even people with high end systems are noticing the loading improvement.
Of the weapons you have endorsed I also have textures for the mk14 EBR and the crossbow.
Don't forget my DE Silencer & other mods too - the automatic receivers combined with this Gunplay perk tweak are a lot of fun
Thanks for letting me (and other readers) know and thanks for the endorsement