News from The Elder Scrolls Nexus

[b]Today we are talking to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com//users/6960827?tab=user+files]ElSopa[/url] - long-time member of the site, texture artist, and creator of "[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/78537]I can't believe it's not an ENB[/url]" as well as several SkyUI themes and widget designs.[/b]

[center][youtube]MA8w4yABPPQ[/youtube][/center][center]Note: features swearing/inappropriate language.[/center]
[b]BigBizkit: To start this off, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?[/b]

ElSopa: Well, first of all, I want to thank you guys for giving me this space, as you have given other super talented authors!

About myself, well it's kind of, let's say, complex?

Years ago I used to play this online game, and to make it as short as possible, some really troubled guy got obsessed with me and then I found that he even travelled to my neighbourhood to find me, it was really creepy. Some sort of dangerous stalker, since then I'm very very reluctant to talk about myself online, I hope you understand!

But I can say I'm a dentist and I live in Argentina (I found some people who think I'm a woman... sorry guys!).


[b]Your username translates to “The Soup”. How did you come up with this soup-erb username?[/b]

LMAO

When I was young (even younger than today!) I used to watch a TV show called "The Soup". In this online game I mentioned I had a different name in Spanish that sounds really controversial in English, so I changed it to "Soup". Many players were from Argentina and called me "Sopa", so that's the origin of my name. 

(I wonder why that question surprises me coming from someone called Bizkit).

[center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1567086818-1251225847.jpeg[/img][/center]
[center][quote][b][size=3][i]"Fun fact: I don't like soup."[/i][/size][/b]
[i][size=2]- ElSopa, modder named after a creamy, tasty liquid commonly known as "soup"[/size][/i][/quote][/center]
[b]What kind of mods do you make mostly? How would you describe them?
[/b]
90% of my modifications are textures, then there are replacers for icons and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/25417]my beloved SkyUI theme[/url] (it's not abandoned, stop asking :D ).

And how would I describe them? Hmmm, I try to add some spark of creativity when possible, for example, I remember a grindstone retexture I did, I added the mark of the foot to the wooden pedal, I guess it's reasonable after so much use.

[b]
You’ve been a member of the site for over six years now. What got you interested in modding initially and what was your modding journey like?[/b]

Oh, my first contribution was [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/38026]a SweetFX preset[/url], it's still there, it's not too nice tbh, but I tried my best to make it better, and after that, I did one called "[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/48554]I Can't Believe It's Not an ENB[/url]". I had a pretty weak PC and running ENBs was impossible for me, so I made this preset to be used in combination with [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/17802]Climates of Tamriel[/url] (a weather mod, for those who don't know) trying to make it look like an ENB. It got super popular and people loved it (even Gamwich praised it, I even embedded a screenshot of that to the description page haha). It's still being downloaded years after! After that, I made 3 more ICBINEs. And never had so much fun: for each one I made [url=https://youtu.be/bEAvPB-13Wg]a short animation of a guy having bad experiences with ENBs[/url] and moving to my preset. Watch the 3rd one, it's my favourite. Watching the YouTube views counter explode after each release was so satisfying  :)

After that, I realized I couldn't achieve anything better with the shader injectors and stopped for a while. I tried making one for Skyrim Special Edition but I never liked it - maybe there are better alternatives. Then I tried my luck with textures until today and I am still learning.


[b]How do you usually go about creating your mods/textures? What tools do you use and how did you learn to use them?
[/b]
Well, I find something that I think I could improve (at least for me) then I search for textures I like and that are royalty-free, that's important since I don't want to get banned.

About the tools I use: I love Paint.NET, it's super lightweight and you can add plugins for many things, I'm really used to that, I tried Photoshop once to warp some textures for a strider but never used it again. I use a program called Mindtex2 for some normals, it's a clone of Crazybump but way cheaper, and Materialize, which is better in my opinion. Then GIMP for giving the final touches on the normals, oh, and I am slowly learning Substance Painter and even more slowly I am learning Blender. That's basically it. I also use Adobe Flash for my icons and all the UI mods -  I was lucky because I got used to it from making animations, without that practice I doubt I would ever touch it, it's kinda tricky and weird.

Oh! and how did I learn to use them? Trial and error AND MOTIVATION (aka fun), I get frustrated really fast so I guess those programs are easy to use.

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[b]How much time passed between you realising that there are ants in Skyrim (yes, it’s a thing!) and you deciding to create [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/26715]a retexture for them[/url]? Could you even play the game without an HD ant retexture at this point?[/b]

Hahahaha, well to be fair, my ants retexture must be the 3rd on the site at least. There were others before me I realized later. Yeah I can forget about retextures in-game because I haven't even played the game lately, lol. when I'm sitting in front of the computer I'm making textures, or experimenting to learn more stuff (there are some atrocious experiments that I guess will never see the light of day).


[b]Have you ever collaborated with other modders on projects? What was the experience like?[/b]

Yeah! Now I can't remember exactly how it was, but thing is, I ended up making some icons for the unique weapons on iEquip (be sure to find them all, there are some cool easter eggs) - it was a great experience, Dunc (the author) was nice and often gave me raw meat, and he even allowed me to go outside the basement dungeon for a bit before resuming my work on the icons. I was also force-... I mean invited to watch all the seasons of Airwolf until I liked it (chained to the wall sadly). Hi Dunc!

I was contacted by the Beyond Skyrim team once, too, but I didn't feel I could contribute in a way that was fun to me, so I left.

Oh, also I helped some Spanish speaking guys with translations of their modpages, and other small things. And apparently my name will be added to an easter egg for a... uhm... certain Solitude mod.


[b]Do you have any favourite mods from other authors?[/b]

You know what, I could name the obvious more popular mods everyone already knows, but I'll take this opportunity for naming some talented mod authors that deserve at least a peek at their profiles:

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/470953]mnelson999[/url] is an incredibly talented guy, I used his Nexus Mod Monitor since the ICBINE days until lately when the site changed and made it obsolete, check his profile now!!!

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/1892037]MrNeverLost[/url], what a guy! He helped me a lot with stuff I didn't know about modding, and he is always so kind.

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/55773412?tab=user+files]RayMaster901[/url], he's new to texturing and learning fast!

Also, I want to thank [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/28794?tab=user+files]Schlangster[/url] for giving me permission to mod his incredible SkyUI!!!

There are others that I'm not mentioning because they are recognized widely, like: [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/34063535?tab=user+files]Dunc001[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/13953925?tab=user+files]Kojak747[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/3447031?tab=user+files]QueenieAngel[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/92893]Cuyima[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/39335975?tab=user+files]Rallyeator[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/52194591?tab=user+files]Winedave[/url], sorry if I forgot anyone!!!! Also, [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/11835658]Nazenn[/url]! he's super cool! and we're working on something amazing!


[b]What other hobbies do you have?[/b]

I love playing the guitar, singing, and keeping up to date with the UFO investigation scene (which is in a sad state lately). Oh and if there's anyone from Argentina (zona sur) playing instruments I want to form a band.


[b]Do you have any tips for people who are interested in getting into modding themselves?
[/b]
Find something you think you could do better or different, and forget about getting instant big results, start with something minimal and see it in-game, even if its some simple line on a texture or whatever. First time I edited a texture, when I saw it in-game, it was like drawing a moustache on Captain Picard's face. 

Ask for help, watch a lot of youtube tutorials.

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[b]Is there anything else you would like to say to our community?
[/b]
That it's great when you find good people and sad when you find the wrong people - focus on the good ones and have lots of fun!

And one last message for the people in Argentina please:

Aguante los Redondos, Soda, Avant Press, Spinetta y Charly papá!

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A big thank you to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com//users/6960827?tab=user+files]ElSopa[/url] for taking the time to respond to our questions. As always, if there are any mod authors or mod projects you'd like to hear about, don't hesitate to send a message to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31179975]Pickysaurus[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/64597]BigBizkit[/url].

Starting today, we're rolling out an opt-in beta version of the site that will feature a new header, footer and updated game tiles. The new layout features a minimal design that includes all the key features from the current version. If you are interested in taking it for a test drive, click the "Take a look" option in the banner at the top of the website (or [url=http://www.nexusmods.com/activate-beta-features?beta_code=1337k04l4]click here[/url]). 

[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1567077253-543275399.jpeg[/img]

Once you've given yourself some time to adjust to the new design, we'd love to hear your thoughts. You can leave feedback by clicking the link to the Google survey just below the new navigation. 


[size=4]Site Design Survey Results and Focus Groups[/size]

It's been a few months since we asked for your thoughts in our Site Design Survey and you've provided a load of excellent feedback for us to really sink our teeth into. Thank you! 

Overall the comments were positive. You told us some of the reasons you love Nexus Mods and gave constructive criticism on the things we could do better. Here are just a few statements pulled from the results:

[list]
[*]Only 43% of users said they visit Nexus Mods from a mobile device, with an average review of 6 out of 10. We'll be looking into the improvements and feature suggestions you sent in while working on our new designs for mobile.
[*]When searching the site, around a third of you say that you sometimes resort to using an external search engine rather than the one built into the website. We also noted some really good feedback as to where our current search can be improved. 
[*]A lot of you really miss Mod of the Month being prominently shown on game homepages. We'll be looking into bringing it back into the spotlight in future revisions.
[*]Many users have requested the ability to add more games to their favourites tab.
[*]Users have also requested a better way of keeping track of their favourite content. 
[/list]
We’re aware that there are other issues with the consistency of the site, and we will be working through these in the background. We have invested a lot of time talking to the users who were selected to join our initial focus groups about various ideas our design team had for changes to the site. We will be sending out invites to a few more of you over the coming days, so if you said you were interested in shaping the future of Nexus Mods, keep an eye on your PMs. 


[size=4]Introducing our new front end developer[/size]

For a long time, we've been unable to give the front end of the website the time and resources it deserves. This year we have made it a priority to improve this with the aim of delivering a much better experience across the entire site. This is no mean feat for a design project the size and importance of Nexus Mods and we wanted to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13966]hire someone[/url] to work very closely with our designer to implement new designs and functionality to bring the website to life. I am privileged to introduce the newest addition to the Nexus Mods team, [b]themagickoala[/b].

[quote]Hi, I'm Rory, aka themagickoala. I started at Nexus Mods in June as the new front end developer. Since then I've been hard at work on the redesign, starting with this new beta release. Some fun facts about me:

[list]
[*]I used to work in cybersecurity, but switched to web dev because I liked looking at the pretty pictures I made;
[*]I've also worked in predictive analysis and in the automotive tech industry;
[*]I eat JavaScript for breakfast as part of a healthy balanced diet;
[*]I am literally a koala.
[/list][/quote]
[size=4]What's next?[/size]

This is just the beginning of a much larger project. Our beta section will be running alongside the current Nexus Mods site. This will give us the opportunity to share new features and designs with you. When we are happy that we have developed the core features of the site, we will review all of your feedback and look at releasing beta. This will be announced well before the full release to ensure we have covered users feedback.

The next release will feature a new login and registration system. Once this goes live, users will be required to update their passwords. More news will be announced when we’re closer to releasing the feature.

What do you think of the new look? Let us know in the comments below.

This week we're talking with [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/users/46021252]FlashShifter[/url], creator of [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/3753]Stardew Valley Expanded[/url], a massive overhaul mod for the titular game.

[b]Thank you for joining us FlashShifter. To start off could you please tell us a little about yourself? 
[/b]
I’m glad to be here and grateful to have this opportunity for an interview! My name is Devin. I graduated from university a couple of years ago with a BA in accounting. Moved to Seattle with my girlfriend to seek out employment. I enjoy video games, art, piano, and modding!


[b]You've been a member of our community since 2017, how did you first find Nexus Mods? 
[/b]
I originally joined Nexus Mods for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/starwarsbattlefront22017]Star Wars Battlefront II mods[/url]. My little brother showed me Stardew Valley in 2017 and I played the heck out of it on the Nintendo Switch (over 200 hours). I wanted to experience more of the game, so I became active in the Stardew Valley modding community to enhance my experience.


[b]What would you say are your favourite games and what do you like about them?[/b]

Some of my favourite games are Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, LoZ: Breath of the Wild, Bloodborne, Super Smash Brothers, and Red Dead Redemption 2. I love games with exploration and a good story. I also enjoy fast-paced games too!

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[b]Stardew Valley Expanded is the biggest and most popular mod for Stardew Valley in the last 12 months, but for anyone who hasn't played it yet. Could you tell us about the mod? [/b]

Stardew Valley Expanded is the largest mod for the game. From the mod description

[quote]This mod features 17 new locations, 63 new character events, 3 new NPCs, over 500 location messages, reimagined maps and festivals (all maps), a huge remastered farm map, a new world map reflecting all changes, and many miscellaneous additions. [/quote]
I aim to add over 30 hours of brand-new content, expanding the universe ConcernedApe created.


[b]What inspired you to create mods for Stardew Valley?[/b] 

Modding for Stardew Valley requires very little to no coding knowledge, so it was easy for me to pick up and learn. There were many things I wanted to add to the game I enjoyed. The project was originally only supposed to incorporate some map edits, but it kept growing and growing. To this day, the mod is still expanding!


[b]Have you ever created mods for other games? [/b]

I have not. I am open to the idea in the future, but I am currently focusing on Stardew Valley.

[center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1303/images/3753/3753-1554699004-1117718845.gif[/img][/center]

[b]Are you the only one working on the mod or do you have a team of modders?[/b] 

I am the only developer for SVE and the creator. [url=https://twitter.com/mojav1a]Mojavia[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/41168370]HopeWasHere[/url] have helped me with the portrait art of the NPCs and new buildings. Other developers have added/tweaked their frameworks for SVE. Some people have assisted me in creating compatibility patches for other mods and streamlining installation. I also have used assets from other modders, acknowledged in the SVE credits section. But for the most part, I am the only person actively working on SVE and maintaining it.


[b]Many talented Stardew Valley mod authors have contributed assets and even entire mods to SDVE. What would you say are the challenges in bringing these all together?[/b] 

The toughest challenges I would say was asking for permission, ensuring proper credit was given, and tweaking/implementing these mods to mesh seamlessly together.


[b]If someone wanted to start making mods for Stardew Valley, what advice would you give them?[/b]

My first piece of advice is to ask yourself what you want to add and why you want to make it. The resources I used were primarily the [url=https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Modding:Index]modding wiki[/url], the map editor “[url=https://www.mapeditor.org/]Tiled[/url]”, the [url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CpDrw23peQiq-C7F2FjYOMePaYe0Rc9BwQsj3h6sjyo/edit#gid=239695361]Events Google Doc spreadsheet[/url], and the [url=https://discord.gg/stardewvalley]SDV Modding Discord[/url] for help.


[b]What other mods would you recommend when playing Stardew Valley?[/b]

I have a Mod Recommendations section on the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/3753]SVE page[/url] detailing what mods I recommend!


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[b]Do you have any future plans for your mods you'd like to share? [/b]

SVE is still growing! I have plans to add more unique locations, more NPCs, more events, new activities, new festivals, new sprites, and more! If anyone wants to help with portrait art and C# coding, I would love to have a chat with you!

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Follow [url=https://twitter.com/FlashShifter]@FlashShifter[/url] on Twitter to keep up to date on the development of his mods. You can also join in the Stardew Valley discussion on our [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/forum/3641-general-stardew-valley-discussion]forums[/url] and the Nexus Mods [url=https://discord.gg/nexusmods]Discord server[/url]!

A big thank you to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/46021252]FlashShifter[/url] for answering our questions. As always, if there's an author or mod project you'd like to know more about, send your suggestions to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/64597][b]BigBizkit[/b][/url] or [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31179975][b]Pickysaurus[/b][/url]. 

[b]Today we are talking to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/34063535?tab=user+files]dunc001[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/1892037?tab=user+files]MrNeverLost[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/5687342?tab=user+files]Fudgyduff[/url], the team behind [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/27008]iEquip[/url] - a very clever equipment management overhaul for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/97177]Skyrim[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/27008]Skyrim Special Edition[/url].[/b]
 
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/27008][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1565793261-453370779.jpeg[/img]
 [/url]
[b]BigBizkit: To start this off, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself and your modding journey thus far?[/b]

Dunc001: Hi, my name is Dunc (short for Duncan), I am 46 years old, Scottish, a husband, father, company director, and I have absolutely no formal programming training! Other than hacking Windows Mobile phone games back in the day to increase gold levels, Skyrim is the first and only game I have any experience modding. Until I made the switch from console I had no idea the PC modding scene even existed, and my mind was blown by the amount of content available. I ditched the XBox, switched to PC, and spent the next two years building ever more ridiculous load orders (I think I peaked at over 1600 mods at one point) and learning the ins and outs of the Creation Kit and xEdit.

Fudgyduff: Hi, my name's Ryan and I go by Fudgyduff on the Nexus. I got invested in the modding scene when I started working on the Special Edition port of [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/21085]QuickLoot[/url]. It's easily been the most challenging thing I've ever worked on as both a modder and a programmer. For some background, I went to college to learn how to program, primarily in C++, and SKSE plugin development has helped cement the theory I learned in my classes, as well as teach me a lot about the languages I never knew before.

MrNeverlost: Well, first off thanks for having me! My name is NeverLost, and I am a 22-year-old Norwegian university student. Few if any know me on the Nexus, as I have participated in exactly zero modding projects before. Probably for the best, as I am quite the clumsy guy :) (And Dunc can surely attest to that).

As for my modding journey, it probably started with Oblivion which I initially played on the PS3. I went a bit overboard with modding it initially, and it was not until the release of Skyrim that I tried my hand at making mods myself. 

I started with some simple xEdit patches, then moved on to the Creation Kit, and finally last year I tried my hand at papyrus scripting (Skyrim scripts). Later, I reached out to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/13953925?tab=user+files]Kojak747[/url] who at the time was asking for help with realizing LODs (Far distance objects) for the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/24587]Dev Aveza[/url] airship mod. He mentioned a guy to me called Dunc who he said could need some help with iEquip - and the rest is history!

 
[b]To those who are unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe the kind of mods you make?[/b]

Dunc001: I make what we would call “quality of life” mods, UI mods (obviously), and control mods.

Fudgyduff: I tend to make SKSE plugins.

MrNeverlost: I try to make mods that I need or want in my own game (In which my character is still level 2). I made [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/26122]Slick Sneaking[/url] because I wanted a way to play a sneaky character in my own game. I made branch animations for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/97215]Vurt's bent pines[/url] mod because he asked me to, and I figured a massive tree without moving branches is scandalous. I made the missing amethyst claw for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1394?tab=logs]John's Dragon Claws[/url] because I needed the complete package. And finally, I contributed to iEquip because I had the chance to - and let's not forget it's a kickass mod!

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 [b]Your recent mod that drew a lot of attention is [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/27008]iEquip[/url] - a mod that completely overhauls the way you manage your equipment in Skyrim and Skyrim Special Edition. How would you describe iEquip and what are its core features?[/b]

Dunc001: iEquip is intended as a way to move as much of the Inventory Menu equipment management as possible into the game HUD to cut down on the amount of stop/start/pause in gameplay. It allows you to cycle through left and right-hand items, shouts, powers, ammo, potions, consumables and poisons, and to apply poisons or recharge enchantments, all without leaving the game. It also has a wide range of advanced features designed to quickly equip something suitable for any given situation you might find yourself in, such as needing to quickly grab a ranged weapon or a shield/ward, or a light source, or a healing potion/spell, and so on.

 
[b]Is there a particular feature of iEquip that you are most proud of?[/b]

Dunc001: The things I am most proud of, and which took the longest to realise, are elements which most users probably won't pay much attention to! Things like the Edit Mode selected item highlighting, the Queue Management Menus, the Preselect Mode animations and the custom colours in the Edit Mode colour picker took more time than most of the gameplay features! There is so much of it that I am really happy with, but I guess my favourite single feature would have to be the poisoning system. I hope it makes poisoning a more viable gameplay option because with mods like Complete Alchemy & Cooking Overhaul, Smithing Oils and Tactless Toxins there are some really fun poisons out there that don't get nearly enough love because of the clunky vanilla poisoning system.

MrNeverLost: Most people probably won't notice it, but because the iEquip MCM is so large (we even broke some scripting limits), we had to figure out a new way to split the backend into smaller, more manageable pieces. So we did just that, and it turned out to help tremendously with keeping the ever-growing amount of options under control. It helps me keep my sanity, which is probably the best thing I can ask for!

 
[b]What was the inspiration for iEquip and what made you want to create it?[/b]

MrNeverlost: Dunc is probably better equipped to answer this than me, but personally I joined the project because I wanted to see a proper UI/Equipment mod released. One that can circumvent the problems that many other mods face dealing with Skyrim's many many quirks.

Dunc001: I have played a lot of mobile games with HUD inventory quick slots and action controls and I love that quick, unpaused access. SkyUI was the first mod I installed, and not long after I discovered [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/72238/?]Souls Quick Menu[/url]. Whilst I loved the idea of it, it just never worked perfectly for me and I wasn't that happy with the layout. I dabbled with a couple of bits of free software and managed to tweak it slightly, but realised that I was going to have to build my own mod if I wanted new functionality.  

I reached out to the Souls Quick Menu authors and they very kindly provided me with the original files, including the flash source, and I used that as the original inspiration (although it has all long since gone in the numerous rewrites). The other big source of motivation and energy to keep going with iEquip has come from my son who has provided constant encouragement, testing, and feature suggestions.

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[b]Another impressive mod of yours that works well together with iEquip is [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/27007]Gamepad Plus Plus[/url]. Can you give us an overview of what it does and talk a bit about the development process of both mods?[/b]

Dunc001: The original version of Gamepad++ was actually the first mod I published. It was designed to give gamepad players access to more hotkeys so they didn't have to rely on playing with both the gamepad and keyboard. It works by having the player set keyboard keys as mod hotkeys in all their other mod MCMs, then using SKSE's TapKey function to emulate those keyboard keypresses when actually pressing gamepad button combos. 

When I later started working on iEquip I had it planned from the outset to have all the iEquip controls available to gamepad players by utilising single/double/triple press, hold and combos. As this was obviously going to have an impact on Gamepad++, I realised that mod would also have to be completely rewritten to avoid conflicts, and that then allowed us to build in integration between the two mods so that the controls didn't overlap or risk triggering unwanted actions. 

The real genius behind the key handler code in both mods is MrNeverLost. The iEquip key handling code is so complex and he has done a brilliant job of making it all work seamlessly.  That made it very easy to simplify and transpose into the new version of Gamepad++ along with the new blocking code which each mod uses to avoid conflicting with each other.


[b]What kind of mods do you like to use in your own game and which mods would you say work well together with your own?[/b]

Fudgyduff: I'm a big fan of third-person gameplay, so I like 360 animations, head-tracking, and player voice sets. Unfortunately, a consequence of making mods for the game is that I don't spend a lot of time actually playing it, so I couldn't tell you what goes well with my mods.

MrNeverLost: I like to use a lot of gameplay overhauls like Ordinator and Apocalypse that spice the game up a bit. For graphic mods, I use a mix of what I find on the nexus and edits/fixes that I make myself.

Dunc001: Well first off, iEquip is designed to work with pretty much everything and has built-in provision for many of the more popular mods out there which add content that iEquip may end up displaying and handling. We have also included a very easy to use patch framework which allows users to identify mod-added items and spells so they adopt specific icons and behaviour as required.  

As far as my game goes I am absolutely useless at combat so I am much more interested in exploration and discovery as a result, so my big vice is quest/dungeon/new lands mods.  I love cities, towns and villages overhauls as well: so mods like [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/27816?tab=posts]Kojak's new Enhanced Solitude[/url] are mana from heaven for me. And I love a good companion, so I am really looking forward to getting to know [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/20035]Lucien[/url] and see the interactions with [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1461]Inigo[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/11278]Auri[/url] on my next playthrough.

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[b]What sort of mod from other creators do you find the most awe-inspiring? Are there any mods out there you find to be particularly impressive?
[/b]
Fudgyduff: [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/82725]Customizable UI Replacer[/url] is a mod that really blew me away when it came out. I'm a terrible artist so I'm jealous of people who can make nice looking UI mods.

MrNeverLost: Rather than the mods themselves, I find the creators inspiring. I've always looked up to the [url=http://skse.silverlock.org/]SKSE[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12604?tab=posts]SkyUI[/url] team for the amount of work they've put into their respective projects. Especially considering that their mods have pretty much become the backbone of every Skyrim mod list out there. It's really amazing that a mod can have such a big impact on a community.

Other creators I really like are [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/4995023?tab=user+files]Nukem[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/2025634?tab=user+files]Aers[/url], and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/5687342?tab=user+files]Ryan[/url]. They've all brought so much to the "modding table", and I am very grateful that they've decided to spend their time making modding Skyrim so much better.

Finally, my friends [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/13953925?tab=user+files]Kojak[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/6960827?tab=user+files]Elsopa[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/34063535?tab=user+files]Dunc[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/43673957?tab=about+me]Looland[/url] always bring a laugh to the table when It's needed.

Dunc001: It goes without saying that the SKSE and SkyUI teams deserve huge respect, but I am also constantly amazed by the work that people like [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/5687342?tab=user+files]Ryan[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/2148728?tab=user+files]powerofthree[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/9663214?tab=user+files]DavidJCobb[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/2025634?tab=user+files]aers[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/4995023?tab=user+files]Nukem[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/2964753]meh321[/url] have and continue to produce. The level of knowledge and skill they have just blows my mind. I also find it incredible what some authors are able to achieve without the use of SKSE, in particular, mods like [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/26627]Spellsiphon[/url] which released recently.  

And finally the content creators: those who spend their lives in the Creation Kit imagineering new lands and locations for the rest of us to enjoy. The huge modding teams are incredible and some of the upcoming content looks absolutely amazing, but I have to take my hat off to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/1819137?tab=user+files]razorkid[/url] - what he has managed to achieve largely on his own in [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/3008?tab=files]Beyond Reach[/url] is simply staggering.


[b]Are there any other games you like to mod? What are some other games you play regularly - if any?[/b]

Dunc001: I never have much time for playing, all my game time for the past two years has gone into building iEquip! I downloaded Kingdom Come Deliverance the day it came out and have yet to launch it, similarly about two years ago I installed Oblivion and Morrowind but I haven't opened them yet either! 

MrNeverLost: I really like the game Rimworld, and mod it infrequently. It's neat taking a break from Skyrim and looking at what the other modding communities out there are doing. Other than that, I just play whatever interesting RPG I can find.

Fudgyduff: I've tried modding other games, and you may come across some of my mods for them, but there's no other game on the market with the same community and modability that surrounds Bethesda games. When I try modding other games I always get frustrated that I can't do this or that, but when I mod Bethesda games using xSE, the only roadblocks I can't overcome are self-imposed ones. C++ is a very powerful language and I can leverage it to make mods that would be impossible in other games, or even in this game using native modding tools like Papyrus or the Creation Kit.

Recently I've been playing Tales of Berseria. I really like games with a good story and this one has amazing writing with really good voice acting.

 
[b]Do you have other hobbies outside of modding and gaming?[/b]

Dunc001: Being outdoors - I'm a mountain man at heart and I find something magical about being out in nature, particularly landscapes with scale (probably one of the reasons I like Skyrim so much as it reminds me of Scotland!).  When I can I like to get out on the mountain bike, and my wife and daughter have horses which are a huge part of our life and take up most weekends competing all over the country. I'm also a light aircraft pilot and although I haven't flown for a couple of years now I'm hoping to get some hours in again soon.

Fudgyduff: Programming is my hobby, so I really enjoy making mods for this game since they present interesting challenges that I get to solve using my reverse engineering/programming experience. It's a really nice hobby to have because when you finish coding something, you can compile it and get immediate results telling you whether it works or not.

MrNeverLost: I wish! I used to go mountain trekking before, something I want to start doing again in the future. Maybe when The Elder Scrolls 6 comes out? But for now, I am pretty occupied with uni, work and modding though :).
 
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[b]Last but not least: is there anything you would like to say to our community?[/b]

Fudgyduff: Don't be scared to try SKSE plugin development. If you've never done reverse engineering before, it can be very confusing to open up SKSE's solution and see 100's of class definitions with no comments on how to use them or what anything means, but I'm glad I tried it and didn't give up on learning how to do it. I've made some efforts to write some tutorials and wrappers for using SKSE's interfaces, and while I won't write your plugin for you, I'm willing to at least give some guidance on what to do - also, I like new challenges, so I might be interested in partnering up with other people to make cool new mods.

MrNeverLost: To all aspiring modders out there that struggle with motivation: take everything as a learning experience. Everybody gets discouraged from time to time, but there is no such thing as lost time. Sometimes I stop and wonder if I am wasting my time when modding, but I always feel better when I know I've learnt something new, or made something someone else will enjoy. Enjoy the small accomplishments, and don't focus too hard on the setbacks - that's the way to go in my opinion.

Dunc001: You're all awesome!  I have had so much help and support with iEquip and Gamepad++. I've asked endless questions and begged endless favours, and every single one of you I have reached out to has been so friendly and willing to help. iEquip really is a community mod, so many people have had input (directly or indirectly) and so much of it wouldn't have been possible or as polished as it is without that help.  Together great things can be achieved. So if you are just starting out on your modding journey and are wondering whether or not you can do it, yes you can. And we're all here to help you.

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A big thank you to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/34063535]dunc001[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/5687342?tab=user+files]Fudgyduff[/url], and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/1892037?tab=user+files]MrNeverLost[/url] for taking the time to respond to our questions. As always, if there are any mod authors or mod projects you'd like to hear about, don't hesitate to send a message to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31179975]Pickysaurus[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/64597]BigBizkit[/url].

Today's guest in our Mod Author interview series is [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/1733280]PrimeSonic[/url] - creator of a number of super useful feature mods for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica]Subnautica[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnauticabelowzero]Subnautica: Below Zero[/url].

[b]We'll start as we always do. For those who don't know you, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
[/b]
Hi there. I'm PrimeSonic and I've been using this name on the internet since the very early 2000s, back when "Web 2.0" was still in its infancy. I've been a modder on Nexus for just over a year now, although I joined long ago as simply a gamer looking for mods. My day job is in business software, which isn't remotely as sexy as video games, but it pays well and still scratches that "problem-solving itch" more often than not. I've been working as a professional software developer for about ten years now and I took my first steps into computer programming almost ten years before that. I'm a PC hardware enthusiast and you could call me a gamer in that games have always been an will be an important part of my life.

And since we're here to talk about my Subnautica mods, remember that all my mods are open source and publicly available on [url=https://github.com/PrimeSonic/PrimeSonicSubnauticaMods]GitHub[/url].


[b]Given your handle - PrimeSonic - you must be a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog. Which game would you say is the best in the franchise?
[/b]
The best Modern Sonic experience is still [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/71340/Sonic_Generations_Collection/]Sonic Generations[/url] (Get it on PC for mods). The best Classic Sonic experience is still somewhere between [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/584400/Sonic_Mania/]Mania[/url] or the [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=674578957]Sonic 3 & Knuckles Complete romhack[/url].


[b]How do you feel about the upcoming Sonic movie?
[/b]
As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't exist.

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[b]Could you tell us a little about your gaming history? 
[/b]
My earliest gaming happened on an NES at the babysitter's and whatever demos I could get on our 486 machine downloaded off AOL Kids. I've been a SEGA diehard since the early 90s but Nintendo has certainly had a special place in my heart too.

To list off the consoles I've personally owned myself: Genesis, Game Gear, Gameboy Color, Dreamcast, DS, Gamecube, Wii, 3DS, Wii U, Switch. But no matter what the generation of console, I always had games on my PC.
 
My fond gaming memories are plentiful. I could probably play Sonic 3 & Knuckles in my sleep after all the time I devoted to it. Even after years of exploring the world of Arcanum, I still managed to keep on discovering new things, long after I thought I knew the game in and out. I remember eagerly jumping on Sonic Generations when it released, rushing to buy a new and better graphics card so I could actually play it. I did a couple of tours of WoW with good friends back in the day. In the future, I will get to fondly remember FF14 as the MMO I played side by side with my wife.


[b]All of the mods you've shared with our community are from the Subnautica series. What was it about these games that inspired you to start modding them?
[/b]
It was one of those "right place, right time" things.

One of my favourite YouTube gamers ([url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/videos/660]MegaGWolf[/url]) was doing a Subnautica series and I was really liking what I was seeing. Once the game came out of Early Access and I tried it for myself, I was absolutely hooked for weeks following.

There were a respectable number of mods out at the time and used a fair number of them from the get-go. But it was the moment that I looked at some of the open-source mod code for myself that everything clicked. This was C#. I knew I could do this. Heck, I do stuff like this for a living. All at once I felt the rush of being able to apply my coding skills to something I was truly passionate about for the first time.
 

[b]Your newer mods include a suite of upgrades for the Cyclops Submarine. Could you talk us through some of them?[/b]

Yeah. Once I saw how big [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/101]MoreCyclopsUpgrades[/url] was getting, and just how much code reuse there was, I knew it was time to break it up and let people pick and choose the parts they want.

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/273]CyclopsSolarUpgrades[/url] - It's finally its own mod again!
This is somewhat of a spiritual successor to one of my earliest (and long deleted) mods: CyclopsSolarCharger. This mod adds an upgrade module for the Cyclops that works just like the Seamoth Solar Charger. Unlike the one on the Seamoth, you can add multiple copies of this upgrade module for added effect. Later on, it can be upgraded to a better version, just to give you something to work towards as you get into the later game.
 
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/277]CyclopsBioReactor[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/274]CyclopsNuclearUpgrades[/url] - I put these mods together as they were developed in collaboration with the guys of [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/users/66012691]FCStudios[/url].
I don't have any 3D modelling skill or experience. Heck, I can barely make any 2D sprites as it is. But these guys made such awesome work on their own I just knew we would be able to bring our skills together to make something awesome.

In both cases, the mods add a new type of reactor that you can build in the Cyclops: a smaller Bioreactor and a smaller Nuclear Reactor. Both will feed power into the Cyclops similar to how those reactors would work in a base. The extra cool thing is that these mods were designed to give players more late-game stuff to work towards. Each one of these mods also includes new upgrade modules that can be equipped to the Cyclops that will enhance all of the bio/nuclear reactors on board at once!
 
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/276]CyclopsAutoZapper[/url] - The newest entry (and with updates to come in the future).
This mod adds a new upgrade module that taps directly into a docked Seamoth's Electrical Defense System, overcharging it to fend off would-be aggressors. The cool thing is that it's completely automatic. If the Cyclops is under attack, it will engage. It's not really a mod I'd recommend for a player's first play-through, but for Subnautica veterans looking for a new tool to defend the Cyclops, this can make for a fun addition.
 
There's plenty more, so check out the Requirements tab and see just how many mods were improved, or entirely made possible, by [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/101]MoreCyclopsUpgrades[/url].

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[b]If you had to say which one of your mods you are most proud of, which would it be and why?
[/b]
That honour probably had to go to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/114]CustomCraft2[/url]. Not just because of how feature-rich it became over time or for how it opened up the door to many non-coders to make some of their own Subnautica Mods. No, the main reason I'm proud of it is because that was where I put my brain to the test and created my own C# serialization language from scratch, complete with its own parser.

I rarely get the chance to write code that complex, so to see it come together and prove to myself just what I was capable of was sheer joy. I'm just amazed that I was able to wrap my head around the problem in the first place considering that I had never done anything quite like that before.


[b]When you play Subnautica, which difficulty setting do you prefer? [/b][b]I've always played on Survival but never actually finished the story.
[/b]
You really should complete the story at least once. It really does bring everything to a close.

As for me, I very much enjoyed my first play-through on Freedom mode, since I was new to the whole survival genre of games and I really didn't want to stress myself over it. But on my second play-through, I understood just how rewarding it can be to play in Survival mode. There was a real sense of progression between having to catch my every meal in the early game to having a replenishing stockpile of food ready to feast on at any given time.

These days, when I actually play the game, I spend more time in Creative mode just enjoying the scenery or tinkering with a new base idea.


[b]What are your top 3 essential Subnautica mods?
[/b]
There's so many to pick from and I use so many myself, but if I had to pick just three that all players of all play style preferences should have:


[list]
[*][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/24]EasyCraft[/url] - Makes crafting fun again by taking away the tedium. Once you've used EasyCraft, you won't want to go back.
[*][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/12]SubnauticaMap[/url] - A well-balanced map feature that feels like a feature that could have been there all along. With the fog of war enabled, I feel it perfectly complements the game's exploration loop.
[*][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/207]Radial Tabs[/url] - Fixes the crafting trees so you don't have to worry about having too many crafting nodes. With how many crafting related mods there are, this mod here will guarantee that you never have to worry about crafting icons going off-screen.
[/list]

[b]What tools do you use when creating mods for Subnautica?
[/b]
It's important to remember that Subnautica wasn't created with a modding framework. So all the mods you see are, more or less, forms of code injection. Mods are made by adding to or replacing the original game code with the mod's code at runtime.
 
As for the tools to make this happen, I'll list the 2 most important ones.

[url=https://github.com/0xd4d/dnSpy/]dnSpy[/url] - Because Subnautica is developed in Unity, and Unity is developed in .NET, the DLL files themselves actually contain a surprising amount of meta-data, rather than just being binary blobs. On that note, dnSpy is a crucially important piece of software because what it does is read all that byte code and metadata and reassemble something that looks very close to the original source code. Sure, it's not a perfect recreation in that you lose some of the syntactic sugar, but it's enough for modders to be able to peek into the game's original code and see what we can do with it.
 
[url=https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/]Visual Studio[/url] - Looking at the original game code isn't very useful if you can't also write your own and for writing C# code, Microsoft's own Visual Studio arguably sets the bar for what all development tools should offer. I've been using the various versions of Visual Studio in my professional work since the old 2010 edition. It's still a fantastic development environment and, best of all for young coders, it can be free! I may use an Enterprise version of Visual Studio at work, but at home, the Community edition offers everything I could need.
 
Beyond these tools, everything else is in software libraries that make some aspects of modding Subnautica easier, or just outright possible in the first place. [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/subnautica/mods/152]You can find more details on all this in oldark1's Modding Tutorial[/url].
 

[b]If a modder wanted to get started making their own Subnautica mods, what advice would you give them?[/b]

Make sure you're comfortable working with C#, with object-oriented programming, and be ready to learn a few things about Unity along the way. I would also say that creating mods for Subnautica can arguably be harder than it was to write some parts of the game in the first place.

Remember, we are injecting and replacing code here. There are no files to play around with. No text to tweak.
The game doesn't officially support modding. The only modding framework that exists was created by the modding community. So be prepared to dive into some real challenges. You'll be faced with not just expressing your own ideas in your code but also with figuring out how to make them work around someone else's code.

But if you're ready to do all that, there is quite literally no limit to what you could do.

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[b]Have you ever thought about making mods for other games?[/b]

At this point, I know I could dive into modding any Unity-based game. Knowing what I know now, a lot more games just became "mod supported" for me, whether they were intended to be or not. 
But for right now, I still have Subnautica mods I want to create and others I want to improve. With the limited free time I have to do all that, it may be a while before I dive into modding for another game. It's certainly possible, but likely won't happen for a while.


[b]As a Mod Author do you check out other Mod Authors to either compare or learn from?[/b]

Absolutely and all the time.

I wouldn't have started making any mods in the first place if it hadn't been for the modders who came before me.
Their open-source code was an invaluable resource in getting me started. Even today, I'm always checking out what other modders are making. Maybe they've come up with a creative solution to a problem I never thought about or maybe they know Unity well enough to be able to do more with it.

Heck, some of the best mods I'm attributed to came from direct collaboration with other modders who shared their skills. Some mods of mine, in part or in whole, simply wouldn't have been possible without the tips and insights I got from other modders in the community.


[b]Are there any Mod Authors that you look up to or who inspire you?
[/b]
In the interest of time, I will pick one: The legendary [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/9322077]RandyKnapp[/url].

This was the guy whose works got me into modding in the first place and whose large collection of high-quality mods made me want to make more of them.


[b]To wrap things up, is there anything else you'd like to say to the community?[/b]

Never let anyone tell you that you're playing the game wrong.

Whether you use one mod over another or none at all, whatever makes the game most enjoyable to you is how you should be playing it.

[line]
A big thank you to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/1733280]PrimeSonic[/url] for taking the time to respond to our questions. As always, if there are any mod authors or mod projects you'd like to hear about, don't hesitate to send a message to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31179975]Pickysaurus[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/64597]BigBizkit[/url].

Today we are talking to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/12770808?tab=user+files]mathy79[/url] maker of [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/27622]Medieval Lanterns of Skyrim[/url] - which adds a lot of much-needed variety to the various holds in Skyrim - and other stunning visual improvement mods for Skyrim Special Edition.

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[b]BigBizkit: To start this off, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?[/b]

mathy79: Well, I am European, I’m in my 30s, and my everyday life includes math and science, some football on the weekends, and lately lots of 3D modelling.

[b]How would you describe the kind of mods that you make?
[/b]
I would describe them as visual enhancements as I am mostly doing new models and textures, replacing the old Bethesda stuff, adding some extra of my own. I am trying to give SSE a more realistic style and make it look a bit modern and polished.

[b]Your mods are mostly visual overhauls: what makes you gravitate towards making this sort of mod?[/b]

My passion for the last two years has been 3d modelling. I actually use, and sometimes abuse, Skyrim in order to somehow materialize my creativity into something that people would enjoy. I am trying to get better and learn more things daily and produce better models both regarding appearance and optimization. Low poly gaming modelling is a challenge that I actually adore and the existence of this amazing community provides a source of critique and feedback required for everything to evolve.

[b]What got you interested in modding in the first place and how did you initially go about creating your own mods?[/b]

Nothing impressive here really. I started by porting some mods by other people and doing some simple modifications on stuff made by other people. One thing led to another when I eventually got Blender on my desktop. It was love at first sight and from that point on it was only a matter of time. I spent a million hours trying to create some flora, trees, plants, and had no idea how difficult it would actually be. A year later, when I was done with the flora, I had already acquired a good amount of knowledge around gaming 3D modelling that enabled me to start doing more stuff.

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[b]What tools do you use to create your mods and how did you learn how to use them?[/b]

The vast majority of my work has been accomplished with Blender, paint.net and Bethesda's CK. I am still using Blender, but I am now capable of working with ZBrush, Maya, 3D-Coat, 3dsMax and Substance Painter. Of course, no mod would ever exist without the available scene tools NifSkope and xEdit.

I learned to use 3D related software by spending time with them. There is no other way really. Sure there are helpful tutorials out there, lots of them, but to be honest 3D modelling and gaming 3D modelling are two different things and the latter is way more demanding and time-consuming than the first.

[b]Do you have any favourite mods from other authors?[/b]

Yes, certainly, lots of them. I really enjoy the things those guys of the Cathedral Project are doing, especially [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/24791]their weather mod[/url]. The [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/844]realistic lighting overhaul[/url] is also one of my favorites, extremely well made and detailed work by those amazing dudes. I like [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/3373573?tab=user+files]DeserterX[/url]'s armor and clothing gems, [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/40714370?tab=user+files]Metalsaber[/url]'s NPC overhauls, [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/2531318?tab=user+files&BH=0]Frankfamily[/url]'s awesome armor and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/3165110?tab=user+files&BH=0]Johnskyrim[/url]'s cant-get-any-better-than-that 3D models. Lately, I very much adore those little creature mods by [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/20882614?tab=user+files]rougeshot[/url]. Those actually make a huge difference in visuals.

[b]Do you have any hobbies outside of modding and gaming?[/b]

The last 2 years I have been spending almost all my free time on 3D modelling. It’s addictive! I am currently addicted to it. Not sure if this will fade and go away at some point, but at the moment it’s literally eating my free time. I do enjoy watching and playing football with friends as much as swimming on Sundays. Sometimes I spend the whole night with an online chess group, but those times are getting fewer and fewer nowadays.

[center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1564580536-1576078930.png[/img] [img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1564580539-1436138753.jpeg[/img][/center]
[b]What about other games you like to play? Have you ever made mods for other games or would like to?[/b]

I’ve played chess online ever since I was a kid, I still do. Sid Meier's Civilization series has always been my favorite and I also used to spend some free time in the summer with Football Manager. I have never attempted to make any mods for other games, it’s only Skyrim for me. I have been involved with the Beyond Skyrim projects lately - not sure if this counts as 'other games'. I will certainly try to do some nice modding with them if I can.

[b]What would you recommend to users who would like to get involved with modding?[/b]

It’s addictive. Not because of the nature of modding itself, but mostly due to the way this community works. The whole process of making something, big or small, and have it instantly evaluated by so many people, this is addictive as hell. Within the depths of this community, there is infinite talent and wisdom hidden. I've met people in the scene that are so talented it’s hard to believe it. Thats in all aspects of modding, not just the visual part. To anyone that would be interested in getting involved with modding, I would only recommend being open to the people of the scene. It’s the community that will provide the motivation and knowledge at the same time. 

[b]Is there anything else you would like to say to our community?[/b]

What’s there more for me to say? I am proud of it. It’s not a common thing for a gaming-related community to keep up these standards. I will try to be part of the community for as long as possible.
[line]
Thanks a lot to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/12770808?tab=user+files]mathy79[/url] for taking the time to respond to our questions. As always if there are any mod authors or mod projects you'd like to hear about, don't hesitate to send a message to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31179975]Pickysaurus[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/64597]BigBizkit[/url].

Back towards the end of 2016 [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/12905]we began work[/url] on a new mod manager, Vortex, to replace the ageing Nexus Mod Manager. Unfortunately, we considered this change [url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Vortex_vs._Nexus_Mod_Manager]a necessary act[/url] considering the mess that NMM was (and still is) in.

When we first started work on Vortex we were very aware that, over the 6 years that we worked on Nexus Mod Manager, it remained in a state of permanent beta which reflected our lack of confidence in the software's ability to remain stable and provide a solid experience for all users. With Vortex, we set out to learn from our previous mistakes and today I am happy to announce that Vortex is officially out of beta and has reached a 1.0 release.

After over 18 months of work in private, we [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13411]released the alpha of Vortex[/url] in early 2018 followed by [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13816]a beta phase[/url] in late 2018. Today, Vortex leaves that beta phase entirely and hits an official 1.0 stable release, allowing users to mod 69 different games, up from the 28 games that the Vortex alpha launched with and the 27 that NMM supports.

In the 17 months it has taken us to go from our initial alpha to our 1.0 launch our Vortex developers have received over 58,000 feedback messages and bug reports. These reports were collated into 3,200 individual issues of which 3,000 of these issues have been addressed. 54 open bug reports remain, of which, not all of them are necessarily bugs and/or cannot be reproduced. In that time we have made 67 releases (almost 4 a month) that have contained bug fixes, performance improvements, UI and UX improvements, new game support and new functionality.

Since releasing the public alpha, many of you have tried or outright switched over to Vortex and your feedback and input has been invaluable in helping us improve Vortex and in making it more user-friendly along the way. It has truly been impressive to see the userbase for Vortex grow continuously over the course of these months and years.


[b]The numbers[/b]

Using figures from the past two months, two-thirds (66.02%) of all unique users hitting our API were using Vortex to mod their games. When we limit these requests to just Bethesda games that number goes down to a still highly respectable 62.61%. These figures will only relate to mod managers that actually access the API (MO2 and NMM versions released after May 2019). Even if we could include old versions of NMM and MO as well as "offline" mod managers like Wrye Bash, it's safe to say Vortex is by far the most used mod manager now for Bethesda games, which is something we're obviously very happy about!


[b]What does this 1.0 release mean?[/b]

Officially bringing Vortex out of beta means that we are confident that Vortex is now stable for almost everyone. We say almost everyone, as we simply cannot account for every single use-case and "interesting" setups that some users may have on their systems.

Our focus over the past 17 months has been on getting to this stage. Around about 80% of our time has been spent on bug fixes, speed improvements, refining our documentation and knowledge base for new users and improving useability, with only 20% of our time being spent on adding new functionality and features to the software.

1.0 marks a shift in how we delegate our time, the hope being that, now that the software is stable and we've dealt with as many bug fixes as we can find, we can now start to focus on "the fun stuff", which is adding new and exciting functionality. That's not to say that we won't be doing any more bug fixes, of course we will, but we're now confident we can spend more time adding features than bug fixing.


[b]I'm half way through a playthrough, should I switch to Vortex?[/b]

While we are happy that so many of you have embraced Vortex already, we would like to emphasise once more that we are not forcing anyone to make the switch. If you have a perfectly functioning load order and a stable modded game, then - by all means - stay with whatever mod management solution you are currently using. We'd recommend this to prevent causing any issues with your savegames.

If, however, you are starting a new mod setup, playthrough, or are setting up your games on a new computer, then it might be the perfect opportunity to give Vortex a try.

It is important to point out that Vortex is different from other mod managers. It is designed to move away from the need for extremely granular manipulation of your load order and towards an [url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/The_Vortex_approach_to_load_order_sorting]automated solution to load order management[/url]. While we realise that Vortex might require some relearning and/or shedding of old habits, we are confident that if you embrace it, it will help you manage your mod installation with less effort, as it has helped many users during the alpha and beta stage.

Feel free to browse our [url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Category:Vortex]knowledge base[/url] for tutorials and documentation to get you started.


[b]What’s on the horizon for Vortex after the full release?[/b]

While 1.0 is a major milestone, it certainly does not mean the end of the line for Vortex. The team is already working on various improvements and new features to be added in the not-too-distant future.


[b]Extensions management
[/b]
One of the key aspects of Vortex is that it is released as open-source under a GPL-3 license. That fact has enabled our community to write their own extensions for Vortex further expanding its functionality and scope. For example, 12 of the 69 game extensions there are for Vortex have been developed and contributed by members of our community. Thank you very much to every one of you!

As one of the upcoming features after 1.0, the team is working on a system that will enable users to browse and add extensions from within Vortex itself. The idea is to make it even easier for budding programmers to add to the functionality of Vortex, and for users of Vortex to more easily find and install these third-party extensions from within Vortex.

[b]Mod Packs
[/b]
The big one! As [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13961]we announced earlier this year[/url], mod packs - a much sought after feature in the community - will be the next major feature we will be working on. 

We're not currently ready to disclose how it will work but we can say that it will be intertwined with Vortex.

As we know full-well the various concerns you might have about mod packs, rest assured that we are prepared to do it in a way that is right for our community, and that is both convenient for users, but also fair towards mod authors whose contributions are the very lifeblood of our site and community.

[b]More game extensions
[/b]
We will continue to add more game support to Vortex at a steady pace for the foreseeable future and we're always happy to hear from users who want to help us in this endeavour.


While the 1.0 release will not be anything major for most of our Vortex users who keep their software up-to-date automatically, it marks a significant milestone for us here at Nexus Mods.

If you tried Vortex during the early alpha and beta stages and found it wasn't for you or that there was a bug you didn't like, try again, you might be surprised at how it has changed in that time.

Lastly, we want to thank everyone who has contributed to the development and improvement of Vortex; the users who have contributed to the code base, everyone who participated in the limited alpha, the open alpha and beta, the regulars in the Vortex forums and on Discord, as well as the Vortex dev team.


[b]Download Vortex 1.0.0:[/b]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/about/vortex/]https://www.nexusmods.com/about/vortex/[/url]

[b]Knowledge Base:[/b]
[url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Category:Vortex]https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Category:Vortex[/url]

[b]Importing mods from NMM:[/b]
[url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Importing_mods_from_NMM]https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Importing_mods_from_NMM[/url]

[b]Vortex Support Forums:[/b]
[url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/forum/4306-vortex-support/]https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/forum/4306-vortex-support/[/url]

[b]Documentation for developers:[/b]
[url=https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/vortex-api/wiki]https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/vortex-api/wiki[/url]

A [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/14053]few weeks ago[/url] we launched our Meme Mania community event where we asked you guys to come up with gaming and/or modding related, humorous memes and potentially win one of three game keys for a game of your choice on GOG.com! 

Many of you have submitted their memes and we had a blast looking through them all and picking our ten favourites. As a reminder: two of the three keys for a game of your choice on GOG.com go to two randomly chosen users from the jury selection, whereas one key goes to a randomly chosen user picked from everyone who has participated and submitted a valid entry.


[size=3][b]Jury Selection and Winners[/b][/size]

From all your submissions we picked the following users (and their entries) for the final selection: [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/images/16037]Feregorn[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/images/16031]kannam6[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/48956]Melodicry[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/images/46009]NewKeithMoon[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/739116]permad[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/images/172135]Rep Junior[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/738892]Sebngarde[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/garrysmod/images/56]Setoncio[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/152438/?force_view=1]TheNumbersMason[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/153475]Xilandro[/url].

And the two randomly chosen winners from the jury selection are...

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/152438/?force_view=1][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563791016-975130899.jpeg[/img][/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/users/71159323?tab=user+images&BH=0]TheNumbersMason[/url] - for his custom-animated gif (check out the animation by clicking the image) bringing Keanu Reeves from the Cyberpunk trailer to the world of Fallout 4. Very impressive! Congratulations!

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/153475][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563791014-207689202.jpeg[/img][/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/users/1417653?tab=user+images&BH=0]Xilandro[/url] - for, uh, well... an equally timeless and relevant meme highlighting the importance of bathwater. Congratulations to you!

And last but not least: randomly chosen from all participants...
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/737970][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563791330-1006019738.jpeg[/img][/url]
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/31819255?tab=user+images&BH=0]knightraider[/url] - Congratulations![size=3][b]


Community Selection[/b][/size]

[url=https://imgur.com/a/bKvYOTg]Check out the entire community selection with all contributions![/url]

A big thank you to everyone who has participated by submitting valid entries: 

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/users/990135?tab=user+images&BH=0]09jlardinois[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/users/749254?tab=user+images&BH=0]Alehazar[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/45079237?tab=user+images&BH=0]AndyK88[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/users/35622385?tab=user+images&BH=0]anewacc[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/users/18222069?tab=user+images&BH=0]Apzurv[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/users/59105931?tab=user+images&BH=0]CommunistDoge[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/users/8025151?tab=user+images&BH=0]Custom22[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/users/40039520?tab=user+images&BH=0]dbzsquirrel[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/stalkerclearsky/users/15488454?tab=user+images&BH=0]FattyJoker[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/users/297596?tab=user+images&BH=0]Feregorn[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/users/61907786?tab=user+images&BH=0]flyer3232[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/users/9866459?tab=user+images&BH=0]GrandMaster123[/url], 
[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/users/54982652?tab=user+images&BH=0]Infectedalloy[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/users/68905038?tab=user+images&BH=0]Jaccbudy[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/users/49260968?tab=user+images&BH=0]kannam6[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/users/57823536?tab=user+images&BH=0]KanyeWest4Prez2020[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/31819255?tab=user+images&BH=0]knightraider[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/users/25439469?tab=user+images&BH=0]Melodicry[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/3464391?tab=user+images&BH=0]michchall[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/users/19788949?tab=user+images&BH=0]MorrisonGamer[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout3/users/6974500?tab=user+images&BH=0]NewKeithMoon[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/52083166?tab=user+images&BH=0]permad[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/users/7103646?tab=user+images&BH=0]printerkop[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/users/207773?tab=user+images&BH=0]Rep Junior[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/batmanarkhamknight/users/25609639?tab=user+images&BH=0]rflores03[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/71473273?tab=user+images&BH=0]Rickel2Hero[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/47981558?tab=user+images&BH=0]Sebngarde[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/garrysmod/users/56540152?tab=user+images&BH=0]Setoncio[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/40874065?tab=user+images&BH=0]tccasnaova[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/users/3680978?tab=user+images&BH=0]templeofninpo[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/users/71159323?tab=user+images&BH=0]TheNumbersMason[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/users/68770683?tab=user+images&BH=0]TyOnNexus[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/users/1417653?tab=user+images&BH=0]Xilandro[/url]

I hope you all enjoyed this event and we are looking forward to seeing you back for the next one. Until then, happy modding!

Today we are talking to Abstract Era Entertainment and the team behind [url=https://www.secondsfromsilence.com/]Seconds from Silence[/url], an upcoming, moddable MMORPG due for release in 2020. Seconds from Silence will take you to a medieval fantasy world reminiscent of Skyrim and Witcher 3, paired with MMO mechanics, factions, race-relations, empire-building and managing, and more. As of today, the team is recruiting alpha testers, so if you are interested, feel free to read through the interview and apply to become a tester (see below). 

[center][youtube]iuE3DKWth6w[/youtube][b][/b][/center][b]
BigBizkit: Thanks for joining us today. To start this off, why don't you, David, introduce yourself and the team.
[/b]
David Wilson: My name is David Wilson and I am the Director of Marketing for Abstract Era Entertainment. Today I have with me our Lead Art Director, Jack Wayne, along with a member of our Character Creation Pillar who is well known as a mod developer in the Nexus community, who we will introduce a bit later in the interview. We here at Abstract Era Entertainment really appreciate the chance to tell your members about our title: Seconds from Silence. We’re sure they’re going to love it and they are specifically the type of gamers that we want to hear from during our ongoing development. Thank you for having us!
[center][/center][b]Could you tell us a bit about Seconds from Silence? What kind of game is it and what made you want to develop it in the first place?[/b]

David Wilson: Seconds from Silence is a moddable MMORPG being developed for PC and consoles. In Seconds from Silence players will embark upon their travels and decide what they want to be and what they want to do. Gameplay will simulate, but not be limited to, living a life in a medieval fantasy world where the laws of the land are governed by the players that own them. There are no specific roles that any player will be locked to but instead, players will decide what role they want to play within the world. Any player can choose to be a king or a commoner, mercenary or thief, adventurer or pirate, blacksmith or alchemist, vampire or vampire hunter, sorcerer or priest, trader or bandit, holy paladin or an assassin for hire… or whatever they want to be… that’s just to name a few. There will also be several epic storylines and endless adventures to embark upon.

We here at Abstract Era Entertainment believe that the best games are the ones that make you feel like you can make choices without limitation. Two good examples of this type of game model would be games like The Witcher 3 and Skyrim. These titles did have main storylines but they also gave players a sense of freedom. It is this sense to freedom that we wish to expand upon and take to the next level.

Take for example that in Skyrim, when you first step out of the cave, escaping the headsman’s axe and dragon’s attack at Helgen, there is this somewhat unexplainable feeling of awe and adventure that hits you. There were these chills that you got once you realized that you’ve really been set loose and were free to do whatever you wanted. To be able to choose to follow Hadvar, or Ralof, or neither of them! We loved that feeling of freedom of choice, to explore the unknown and dive headlong into an epic adventure, to do whatever you wanted to do and not be stuck into any linear storyline.

If that wasn’t great enough by itself, later, you discover that you can even create mods and share them with a community of passionate gamers on mod sites such as Nexus Mods to truly personalize the adventure. Now imagine being able to have that entire experience and much more, including mods, with your friends in an MMORPG. Our decision to develop Seconds from Silence wasn’t a decision at all; it was made as a result of that vision.

[center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563458840-144342882.png[/img][/center][b]
Without spoiling anything, what sort of setting and story are we to expect from the game? What were some of your inspirational sources?[/b]

Jack Wayne: Seconds from Silence is heavily inspired by Skyrim and The Witcher 3, however, we have taken care to ensure that gameplay is new and unique while maintaining a sort of familiarity for those who loved these aforementioned titles. You might consider Seconds from Silence as a hybrid of the two titles but developed in a manner such as to complement them rather than be a continuance or copy of either. If you enjoyed the gameplay of either of these titles then we are certain that you will feel right at home in Seconds from Silence.

The setting for Seconds from Silence occurs within a medieval fantasy world known primarily as the Shifting Continents. Players will set out to explore vast lands spanning several miles and even set to the high seas to explore strange new islands and even more continents. Daring adventurers will venture into the dark depths to bring light to caverns, dungeons and long since lost ancient civilizations hidden deep under the ground. Whether across the ocean, around a mountain or beyond the horizon, there will always be adventures and quests to undertake.

David Wilson: I’d like to add that as Seconds from Silence is non-linear, players will go wherever they want to go and do whatever they decide to do. For those interested in a great story, they can set out to investigate a rumor of what evil they heard of from the local folk. If conquest is their ambition then they can establish a kingdom, battle their aggressors and lay claim to their divine right to rule over the lands. If they are more nefarious in deeds and have an eye for riches and plunder then a thieves guild, bandit camp or pirate vessel will be more fitting for achieving their goals. Through interaction with one another and with the NPCs within the world of Seconds from Silence, the adventure is truly never-ending.

[b]What would you say are the core mechanics of Seconds from Silence? What sets it apart from other MMORPGs?[/b]

David Wilson: Gameplay in Seconds from Silence will allow players to build the world around them. Players will build many different types of structures from cabins up to and even including entire kingdoms. If you are a king and you own lands, you can build whatever you can defend on them. As a king, you can also allow other players to build their homes in your villages, cities and even allow other players to farm on your lands, provided they agree to pay the king’s tax of course. But beware as other players can also establish thieves guilds in your cities and rob your people of their goods as well as stir up trouble. Otherwise, they might put together a raiding party and attack your villages to take whatever they want. As such it’s important for kings to defend their lands and that is where the guard and King’s law systems come into gameplay.

One key factor that is an issue with most freeform games is that anyone you encounter tries to kill you without warning or reason. This type of kill or be killed environment that is often the typical result of poor planning is due to there not being any consequences for such actions. That is why we are designing Seconds from Silence with two key factors in mind: The first is that due to how progression works, players will value their character and they won’t want their character to die. The second factor is that the actions you take in Seconds from Silence will have consequences and players won’t break the King’s laws without first carefully considering how to escape the King’s justice.

We are also designing the game so that attacking a city or village will not be an easy thing that just one or a few random new players will be able to do, provided the city has proper defenses set in place, its people will be able to defend themselves. Players will be able to establish city guards when founding any new city or to request the ruling king set in place some of his Royal Guard to defend the city from any attacks (guards can be NPCs that you hire or require your subjects to provide). Players can also assign guards to patrol and protect the lands they reside on.

In Seconds from Silence, you will have guards and soldiers that you can assign to patrol your lands. If someone breaks a law and anyone sees it, they will report the lawbreaker to the guards, they will, in fact, RUN to do so. As soon as the guard is notified they will do a few different things based on what the captain of the guard or king has demanded them to do upon such a report. If they are unable to capture the lawbreaker then a bounty on the lawbreaker can be set as a reward for anyone who brings them to justice, dead or alive (or required to be alive or dead specifically, as these are also options). Once a bounty has been set on a player, anyone with the means to do so, through alchemy, magic or tracking skills (among other methods), can use these methods to find the lawbreaker.

We could go on for a long time discussing the many unique elements of gameplay within Seconds from Silence but one of the big ones is that there will be King’s Law and depending on the king, it will be feared and well respected. When traveling in Seconds from Silence, be sure to respect the laws of whoever owns the dust beneath your feet, lest you become part of it.

[center][url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563521050-1340809767.jpeg][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563521297-1368482503.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563521170-187510315.jpeg][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563521300-1741748206.jpeg[/img][/url][/center]
[b]Seconds from Silence will feature several different races and a friend-or-foe system based on race. Can you tell us a bit about the more obscure races and classes in the game such as Skin Walkers?[/b]

[quote]David Wilson: Just before he took our gold he swore he saw a mirror, but there was no mirror in that cabin… we killed Fredrick for his greed but then I saw him once more on the morrow… a Skinwalker had gotten the best of us! Oh, poor Fredrick, how will you ever forgive us now? - Anonymous[/quote]
Jack Wayne: The idea of the Skinwalker race came from Celtic, Irish and Native American lore of a mythical creature that could steal the appearance of those unlucky enough to cross their path. Skinwalkers are beings that take upon themselves the physical appearance of those they come into contact with. All a Skinwalker needs do is simply look upon another creature and by focusing on their prey they assume their form. A Skinwalker is considered a natural chameleon of sorts, however, it takes skill for a Skinwalker to take upon certain forms and maintain such foolery. It is wise to carry runes and also etch warding runes in place else you too become quite not yourself.

Pure blooded races are not the only options for players to choose from as they can also choose to be a mixture of two different races. In the world of Seconds from Silence, these half-bloods are known as Halflings. A Halfling could be either an Elvish Human or a Goblin Orc to point out a couple of examples. Racial enemies are typically incapable of producing off-spring and this - among other reasons within the lore behind each race - is why such creatures are considered abominations hunted and killed by all who become aware of their existence.

[b]In one of our earlier conversations, you pointed out that modding will play a big role in Seconds from Silence. What aspects of the game will people be able to mod and how? Do you plan on releasing mod tools?[/b]

David Wilson: It is our intention to make modding an entertaining and desirable activity in Seconds from Silence for anyone who wishes to truly personalize the whole experience. Knowledge of Unreal Engine will be helpful, however, it will not be necessary. Modders will be provided with the "SFS Modder Toolkit" to prepare their mods for integration in Seconds from Silence as well as for sharing on sites such as Nexus Mods. We are looking into setting it up so that modders will be able to use the Nexus Mods very own Vortex mod manager to install mods developed using the SFS Modder Toolkit. As we wish to promote modding in Seconds from Silence, the SFS Modder Toolkit will be easy to use and will have all the necessary functions for modders to develop mods compatible with Seconds from Silence.

We are developing Seconds from Silence to support three different general sections of modding:

Replacing skeletal aesthetics - This section covers the visual appearance of skeletal models as well as animations. Modders will be able to change how an existing skeletal model appears during gameplay. For example, they may develop a new model that replaces the "Leather Boots" model or a breastplate, etc. They will even be able to develop their own hairstyles and even replace the body model if they so choose. Modders will be limited to using existing skeletons within Seconds from Silence, however, this should not be an issue as there are different skeletons, each with their own hierarchies to choose from.

Replacing static aesthetics - This section covers the visual appearance of static models. As players will be able to build many different structures within the game, there will be walls, foundations, stairs, and so forth that Modders will be able to replace with their own models and textures. The SFS Modder Toolkit will allow Modders to import their custom asset and check the mod to make sure it meets the requirements of the asset they are replacing (this will be described in far more detail through the SFS Modder Toolkit documentation). Additionally, this section will allow modders to replace the visual appearance of existing weapons and shields, as these are considered moveable static meshes in Seconds from Silence.

Curation submission - This section covers assets that are submitted to our team to be provided as a new asset within the game. If a modder wishes to add an entirely new legendary sword within the game that other players can find and use or a completely new asset in general that is not a "replacer" of an existing asset, they would submit the asset through the SFS Modders Toolkit for review by our Curation Team. If the asset is approved then we will program the "asset slot" into the game, however, players must download the asset from a mod hosting site such as Nexus Mods and install it. Please understand that we will not host nor include the new asset in the default installation, however, we will add a slot for the asset to be installed.

[b]Regarding Abstract Era Entertainment as a studio, what can you tell us about your team and your various backgrounds in gaming and modding?
[/b]
David Wilson: Abstract Era Entertainment consists of people that not only enjoy working in the gaming industry but also enjoy playing whatever games they can get their hands on. Having just under 30 positions filled by highly devoted developers, we consider our team to be a fairly tightly-knit group. Developers working on Seconds from Silence oftentimes play games with one another and have worked together on past projects for other studios. Our studio may be small compared to some other indie studios, but we are always looking for talented additions to our Development Team and we intend to expand our team as often as development requires.

One key requirement during our hiring process is that any candidate that we consider must have a minimum of three years of experience having worked specifically on an MMORPG title. Our developers were also required to have a minimum of one year experience working within the Unreal Engine. Yet another matter that we consider a plus when adding any new member to our Development Team is that they have had past experience with developing mods for another game (like Skyrim), which did present some challenges. The majority of our developers have all had a love for modding the games that they play. It was, however, to our surprise, somewhat challenging for us to find developers that met our minimum requirements and also had experience not just using mods but also developing mods.

We were very excited when we were able to acquire a known modder in the Nexus Community who fit the bill for our team. Some of the members on the Nexus may be familiar with [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/3076419?tab=user+files]Nightasy[/url] as he has developed and shared mods on the Nexus Mod sites for several years now. Nightasy has worked in the gaming industry for over five-plus years, using a variety of different engines. Luckily for our team, Nightasy also has been able to connect us with other talented mod developers who he has worked with in the past. The input we have received from Nightasy with regards to the development of the SFS Modders Toolkit has been quite innovative and we consider him an invaluable member of our Character Creation Pillar.

[b]What was the process of going from modders and video game enthusiasts to developers like (for those among you where this would apply)? What lessons did you learn from modding that you are able to apply now?[/b]

Nightasy: It was actually modding Bethesda titles that made me want to work in the gaming industry in the first place. I didn’t even know mods existed prior to that and one day I was just browsing the web and came across a link to Nexus Mods. It straight up floored me, completely changed my gaming interests and I haven’t stopped modding ever since. For me, a game that can’t be modded just doesn’t quite keep my interests anymore. Heck, I’ll still pick playing FO4 and Skyrim to this very day over a game that can’t be modded.

I was so passionate about developing mods that at one point I even wanted to teach other people how to do it and made an entire video series about modding. I was nowhere near as educated as I am now but I loved modding so much that I just wanted to help other people learn how to mod. It wasn’t too long before I found myself developing mods as well as teaching people how to mod, far more than actually playing games. One day I just decided that since I spent all of my free time making mods for games that I might as well go to college and do it for a living. So I did the whole college scene and set myself to task to learn everything I could about game development and I haven’t looked back. It was the best decision I ever made.

Modding is a challenging task for anyone to undertake, especially since most games do not support it. It requires a lot of testing, a lot of dedication as well as a ton of trial and error (and a hex decoder or two along the way). It taught me that where there’s a will, there’s a way and it taught me how to go about solving problems. One of the most important things that I learned from modding is that I love it so much that I hope everyone will someday get to experience the joy of creating mods themselves. There’s a sort of accomplishment that you can’t get anywhere else when you hear from other community members on the Nexus that they love using your mods.

[center][url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563521806-163953238.jpeg][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563522839-485993843.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563521802-20231811.jpeg][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563522835-2025583883.jpeg[/img][/url][/center]
[b]How are you planning on coping with the balancing act between providing a fair and balanced MMORPG experience as well as the ability for players to freely mod their games?
[/b]
Jack Wayne: Rest assured that we have taken careful consideration during our development to ensure that mods will not provide any player with unfair advantages. Mods that are installed are visual only to the player that installs them. Player's will be able to request that other players also install the same mods so that they can see them in their game as well. Upon approving such a request, the mods will only replace the visual aesthetics on the original player’s lands and assets that the other player owns. The beauty of that is that this will allow players to create their very own unique culture and other players will be able to see it without having it affect their own lands. There are some restrictions in place for mods and we are taking measures to ensure that mods will not be capable of conflicting with fair gameplay.

David Wilson: To point out one example of what Jack is referring to is that we predict that certain concerns may arise in the community of people that will play as thieves or assassins. Asset materials (also referred to as “shaders”) have strict rules set in place to prevent mods from making your character glow on another person's client, there are also size restrictions and so forth. No worries, you will still be able to hide in the shadows. The SFS Modder Toolkit will provide a checklist for any asset that a modder wishes to customize. In order to export the mod from the SFS Modder Toolkit, the mod must meet those requirements. For example, if a wall doesn’t have a hole in the center of it, then the mod that replaces the wall can likewise, not have a hole in it.

Any new asset that is approved by our mod curators will be balanced within the game. The modder will be able to select from a list of defined options that will determine how the asset will be integrated once a player decides to install it. For example, if a modder releases a new legendary sword of old and this mod is approved, the modder will have to select whether this sword can be crafted at a forge or if the sword must be found within the world.

If the sword can be forged, the strength of the sword would be determined by what is required to craft the sword. The more resources the sword requires in order to create it, the more powerful it will be and so forth. If the modder selects that the weapon is unique then it will have a soul in Seconds from Silence.

If a player finds the sword in a dungeon and then another player finds another one of them in a buried treasure chest, one of the swords is considered a reincarnation of the first. As a reincarnated weapon it will begin to drain the first one anytime they are near one another until one of them is destroyed.

Jack Wayne: The modder will select an existing model to be used as the default appearance of the new asset. Any curated asset will need to be installed by a player in order for the player to see the modder's visual version of it.

David Wilson: We will also be providing a server kit for modders that wish to make game mechanic changes. The modder will be able to host their own server, make changes to game mechanics (such as damage multipliers, arrow traveling speed, running speeds, unique skill trees, etc.) though players will still need to have an active account with Abstract Era Entertainment. Additionally, any characters and assets that exist on that server will not be transferrable to the official servers.

[b]You mentioned that your development process is based on a “four pillar” approach. Could you elaborate on that?[/b]

David Wilson: The Four Pillars of development are as follows: Character Creation, Combat, Building, and Ruling.

Developing Seconds from Silence is no small task and contains a ton of unique and interesting things that players will be able to do. As there are so many different elements of gameplay in Seconds from Silence we divided them into what we refer to as “The Four Pillars” of development. Each Pillar Team is dedicated to completing that pillar’s elements of gameplay. This allows our team to stay organized as well as focus on their dedicated tasks. The Four Pillar approach also allows our team to separate the various elements of gameplay into unique pillar testing clients for individual feedback.

Jack Wayne: The Four Pillar approach is essential in our efforts to complete the overall game and ensure that every aspect of gameplay is provided with equal attention to detail during development. All aspects of gameplay within Seconds from Silence are divided into the Four Pillars and overseen by our most experienced developers. As such, we ensure that tasks are always completed and quality standards are well maintained within the art direction guidelines that have been set in place.

[b]Regarding one of the pillars “Character Creation” in particular, is there any way for people to help you guys out with testing?[/b]

David Wilson: We are glad that you ask that as a primary goal for our having reached out to the Nexus is to recruit alpha testers for each of the Four Pillars of development. Each pillar maintains its very own alpha testing client for alpha testers to test that specific pillar of gameplay. We have just launched our alpha testing sign up page for members interested in testing Seconds from Silence. Anyone that wishes to participate in alpha testing and in doing so assist our team with user feedback may take the following steps:


[list]
[*]Visit [url=https://www.secondsfromsilence.com/register/]www.secondsfromsilence.com/register/[/url] 
[*]Register an account. (The account you log into the site with is the same account you’ll use to log into the alpha testing client if you are selected for alpha testing).
[*]Visit [url=https://www.secondsfromsilence.com/four-pillar-testing/]www.secondsfromsilence.com/four-pillar-testing/[/url]
[*]Sign up to test in each pillar that you wish to be considered for testing!
[/list]
[i]Note: It is possible to be selected as a tester in multiple pillars at the same time.[/i]

Alpha testers will be randomly selected once enough members have signed up for consideration. Upon being selected as an alpha tester, you will be instructed via email on how to begin your participation in our testing process. It is important to note that all alpha testers will be required to agree to the terms and conditions for testing Seconds from Silence prior to downloading any alpha testing client.

Upon being selected as an alpha tester, in any pillar of development, you will be given access to download and login to the alpha testing client released for that pillar of development. As an alpha tester, you will continue to have access to that pillar’s testing client until all alpha testing has finalized and the game is ready to be launched. You will be able to not only play Seconds from Silence but also provide us with valuable feedback during development!

[center][url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563458525-869597026.jpeg][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1563458584-1403694385.jpeg[/img][/url][/center]
[b]Last but not least, is there anything else you would like to say to our community?[/b]

David Wilson: We here at Abstract Era Entertainment wish to thank all of you for your time and interest in our title, Seconds from Silence. As Seconds from Silence is officially being developed to support player modding, we highly value any feedback we can receive from the Nexus Mods community! Again, thank you and we hope many of you will join us in alpha testing for Seconds from Silence!

[line]
Thanks a lot to David, Jack, and Nightasy from Abstract Era Entertainment - the indie studio behind Seconds from Silence. As always if there are any mod authors or mod projects you'd like to hear about, don't hesitate to send a message to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31179975]Pickysaurus[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/64597]BigBizkit[/url].

We've noticed an increase in support tickets recently related to payments failing when attempting to purchase Supporter or Premium Membership on the site. This issue seems to have only affected a small subset of people who have purchased membership through Pay Pal, but it's important I get the word out so these users are not out of pocket or out of membership they legitimately paid for on the site.

The issue was caused by a communication error between Pay Pal's services and our services. We've put a fix in place and will be monitoring the situation closely over the coming weeks.

If you've purchased Supporter or Premium Membership from us over the past two weeks, please verify that your membership is working properly. Similarly, if your payment "failed" for whatever reason, and you tried to purchase the membership again, please double check to make sure you were not double charged. If you find any issues or anomalies related to your purchase do not hesitate to [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?app=nexus&module=support§ion=new]contact me[/url], providing any pertinent details, and I will get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. If you already sent in a support ticket over the weekend, I'll be taking a look at them right now.

Our paid memberships are extremely important to us and the continued existence of the sites, so please rest assured any issues will be looked into seriously, reimbursed where necessary and compensated accordingly.

We've been chatting with the team behind Blade & Sorcery about the official modding support included in update 6 of the game and are pleased to announce full Vortex support for Blade & Sorcery. 

To start modding the game with [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/about/vortex/]Vortex[/url], you'll need 0.18.11 or above and Blade & Sorcery 6.0 or above. Then you just need to click the "Download with Manager" or "Vortex" buttons found on the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery]mod pages[/url].

[center][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1561995385-995026695.jpeg[/img][/center]

Vortex allows you to easily install and uninstall your mods, create profiles for different mod combinations and quickly check for updates. We've put together a [url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Modding_Blade_%26_Sorcery_with_Vortex]guide on the Vortex wiki[/url]. If you're having problems getting started, you can also watch the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/bladeandsorcery/videos/1]tutorial video[/url] by [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/63592656]TheBaronReviews[/url], Blade & Sorcery's Community Manager. 

For mod authors who want to make their mods compatible with U6, you will need to use the [url=https://github.com/KospY/BasSDK]Blade & Sorcery SDK[/url] to repack the files. Please ensure you mod also includes a manifest.json file to make sure it can be loaded by the game and detected by Vortex. 

[center] [youtube]3-90-BE8uq8[/youtube] [youtube]2JtNUPs0bqs[/youtube][/center]
If you've not heard of Blade & Sorcery, it's a really cool VR hack and slash game created by former Fallout New Vegas modder, [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/337717]KospY[/url]. The game sees you take on waves of enemies using an assortment of weapons and magic powers. We've had a lot of fun with it in the Nexus Mods office while testing modding support and if you want to give it a try it's available on [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/629730/Blade_and_Sorcery/]Steam[/url], [url=https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/2472374902778951]Oculus[/url] and [url=https://www.viveport.com/apps/a0ef3810-169c-4b13-ab62-22168842a918/Blade_and_Sorcery/]Viveport[/url]. 

A big thank you to the Blade & Sorcery team for working with us on the mod support! 

Do you like memes? Do you like the idea of winning one of 3 GOG keys for a game of your choice? Then we have great news for you: submit a fresh modding and/or gaming related meme and one of the three game keys could be yours!

With our last [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13986]Community Screenshot Event[/url] having been a great success, we thought it’s time to run another enticing event, this time centred around humour and fun in the form of modding memes!

[b][size=3]Modding Memes[/size][/b]

What we mean by that is, essentially, images depicting modding and/or gaming related content garnished with a humorous caption. 

Here are a few examples of what we are looking for:

[center][url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1561628168-184118888.jpeg][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1561628609-1969476490.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1561628172-227586564.jpeg][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1561628612-744700389.jpeg[/img][/url][/center][center][url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/edit/?id=93729&game_id=110&step=media#lg=3&slide=94][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1561628172-46441003.png[/img][/url][/center]
These, however, are just examples and you are invited to get creative. You can use freely available tools such as [url=https://www.google.com/search?q=meme+generator&rlz=1C1GCEA_enGB796GB796&oq=meme+generator&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l2j0l3.1367j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8]meme generators[/url] or [url=https://imgur.com/memegen]imgur[/url] to create your memes from a template or from your own image (preferable).

[b]Please note[/b]: while we understand that there is a time and place for “edgy” or political memes, this event is not it. All submissions need to adhere to our site rules and be appropriate for all audiences. In other words: the memes would need to be something you could show to your grannies, little brothers, nieces etc.

[b][size=3]Prizes[/size][/b]

Our friends over at [url=https://www.gog.com/?pp=a120fe5cad51f0d0942d7c283478628047d6cfceA]GOG.com[/url] are running a "Created with Passion" sale (starting today 03:00pm CEST) with amazing discounts for loads of great DRM-free games and we got some pretty neat prizes from them to give away to you guys!

[center][url=https://www.gog.com/?pp=a120fe5cad51f0d0942d7c283478628047d6cfceA][img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1561977453-1086085678.jpeg[/img][/url][/center]
In total we will be giving away three game keys for [b]a game of your choice on GOG.com[/b] (excluding preorders). One key will go to a random participant, while two keys will be given away to two randomly drawn memesters from the jury selection consisting of 10 memes that our Nexus Mods jury will be choosing.

[center][img width=500,height=250]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1561919855-1079657691.png[/img] [img width=500,height=250]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1561919860-1250779917.png[/img][/center]
[b][size=3]Jury Selection[/size][/b]

Humour is, of course, very subjective, but we will try our best to judge based on the following criteria:

[list]
[*]Humour
[*]Creativity
[*]Aesthetic appeal
[/list]
Bonus points if...

[list]
[*]the meme is related to modding in particular
[*]the meme is showing off mods
[*]the meme is extra dank
[/list]
[b][size=3]How to enter the event[/size][/b]

[list=1]
[*]Create at least one meme i.e. an image or collage of images depicting (ingame) modding/gaming content with a humorous caption.
[*]Upload your meme to the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/images/add]public image share[/url] ([url=https://help.nexusmods.com/article/28-file-submission-guidelines]site rules[/url] apply). Please use the "Funny" category - where applicable.
[*]Fill out the event entry form here: [url=https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-kzBqgBfFldMqDCk-BD4Ocu30Cbtc91QgrZcu7Q6IRmKl3g/viewform]Click here to enter for a chance to win one of 3x Winner's Choice GOG keys.[/url]
[*]Make sure to provide your email, Nexus Mods username, and the URLs linking to your memes on the image share.
[/list]
If you do not fill out the Google Form, you are not eligible to win a prize!

The event will be running for [b]two weeks[/b] from today Monday, 1st July until Monday, [b]15th July 04:00 PM (GMT+1)[/b]. Make sure to submit your entries before the end of the event if you would like to participate. 

Please take note of the rules of participation as well as the general terms and conditions below.

With that all being said, we are all very much looking forward to seeing what memes you can come up with. Best of luck to all participants and feel free to share your thoughts and links to your memes in the comments below! If you would like to provide additional feedback, please post it in [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/7779713-meme-mania-feedback-thread/]this dedicated feedback thread[/url] so we can keep track of it.

Best of luck, all!

[b]Participants - Entries - Memes[/b]
[spoiler]
[list]
[*]Participants are required to submit at least one (1) meme (i.e. an image taken in-game with a humorous caption) relating to gaming and/or modding in order to enter the event and become eligible for winning a prize.
[*]Submitting several memes is possible, however, only one (1) meme per user will be featured in either the jury selection or the community selection.
[*]All entries must be submitted between Monday, 1st July 2019 and Monday, 15th July 2019 04:00 PM (GMT+1).
[*]Within the context of this competition, a “meme” shall be defined as an image or a collage of images paired with a humorous caption.
[*]Memes must be uploaded to the public image share, and participants need to fill out the contest entry Google Form.
[*]Memes may depict game and/or mod content in combination with a caption and/or another image (e.g. reaction shot etc.).
[*]You must be the copyright holder i.e. creator of the image or be otherwise authorised to distribute it.
[*]Images must not include artwork from other creators without explicit permission.
[*]Images may be edited with external tools (GIMP, Photoshop etc.), or “meme generators”.
[*]Images must not depict content that would not be permissible to be hosted on Nexus Mods e.g. armours that were illegally ripped from another game.
[*]Featured content must conform to our site rules (inappropriate content) and must not feature adult content such as nudity, swearing, sexualised content, extreme violence and gore.
[*]Entries must not be provocative, divisive, discriminatory, or abusive towards any real-world individual or group, nor relate to the topic of real-life politics, religion, gender identity, sexuality, or social class. 
[*]Entries found to be in violation of any of those rules and/or our general terms and policies will be disqualified.
[*]Disqualified entries will be removed from the final selection and any awarded associated prizes will be revoked.
[/list][/spoiler]

[b]Prizes - Jury Selection - Community Selection[/b]
[spoiler]
[list]
[*]In total, three (3) “Winner’s Choice”* GOG keys will be given away as prizes during the event.
* A GOG.com key of your choice valued at $60 (or currency equivalent) or less, excluding pre-orders.[*]One (1) Winner’s Choice GOG key will be given away randomly to one (1) user who submitted at least one meme as a valid entry, and who entered the draw via the Google Form.
[*]One meme per user will be displayed in a final news post concluding the event.
[*]Ten (10) memes total will be picked for the “jury selection” by a jury made up of site staff / the Nexus Mods team.
[*]Two (2) Winner’s Choice GOG keys will be awarded to two (2) randomly picked users represented in the jury selection.
[/list][/spoiler]

[b]General Terms and Conditions [/b][spoiler]
By submitting a competition entry, you are agreeing to be bound by these terms and conditions.


[list]
[*][b]Promoter name[/b]. Black Tree Gaming Limited incorporated in England and Wales with company number 06360077 of 10 Southernhay West, Exeter, EX1 1JG  (referred to throughout this terms as the “Promoter”, “we”, “us” and “our”).
[*][b]Deadline[/b]. All competition entries must be received by the Promoter by no later than the Closing Date displayed on the Google Form. All competition entries received after the Closing Date are automatically disqualified.
[*][b]How to Enter[/b]. You may enter through the Google Form by entering your email address (for contact purposes). You must complete this initial entry to be eligible to win. You do not have to pay to enter the competition, however, you are responsible for any phone or internet charges you may incur when entering. If you are unsure about these charges, you should contact your phone or internet operator before entering. Entries will not be acknowledged and we do not accept responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed or which we do not receive.
[*][b]Eligibility[/b]. You must be aged 18 or over at the time of entry in order to enter this competition. We may require you to provide proof that you are eligible to enter the competition. No purchase necessary. You must enter the competition yourself. Entries which are incomplete, removed, corrupt or ineligible will not be accepted. We reserve the right to verify any entries and winners and may refuse to award prizes and/or disqualify you if you make or attempt to make any entry to this competition which is in our reasonable opinion contrary to these terms and conditions or by its nature unfair to other entrants. This might include entries which are made by automated means, fraudulent, made in bulk, made on behalf of another person, or made by hacking, cheating or deception. You must comply with the laws that apply to you in the location that you access the competition from. If any laws applicable to you restrict or prohibit you from entering the competition, you must comply with those legal restrictions or, if applicable, refrain from entering the competition.
[*][b]Prize conditions[/b]. Prizes are subject to availability with no cash alternative. Prizes are not negotiable, exchangeable or transferable. The winner(s) will be contacted via Private Message on the Nexus Mods website or the email that you provided on the Google Form. You must claim your prize personally within 1 month of the Closing Date otherwise your claim will become invalid (you are solely responsible for this). The decision of the Promoter is final. We have the right to substitute any prize for an alternative prize of equal or greater value.
[*][b]Excluded participants and entries[/b]. Employees of the Promoters, its holding or subsidiary companies, its agents or suppliers or anyone else professionally connected with the competition, or members of their families or households. The Promoter will not admit entries which: are automatically created by a computer or bot or script or other automated technology, created in bulk, have been altered or forged or tampered with, are illegible or incomplete or which generally in Promoter’s reasonable opinion are inappropriate to admit.
[*][b]Selection of winners[/b]. The winner will be chosen at random. If you did not provide a valid email address when entering we will choose a new winner. If you did not complete the mandatory "Leave a comment" action, we will find a new winner.
[*][b]Ownership of competition entries and intellectual property rights[/b]. The Promoter does not claim any rights of ownership in your competition entry. The promoter is granted a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable license to use, display, publish, transmit, copy, edit, alter, store, re-format and sublicense the competition entry and any accompanying materials for its marketing or other commercial purposes.
[*][b]Data protection and publicity[/b]. If you are a winner of the competition, you agree that the Promoter may use your provided information to announce the winner of this competition and for any other reasonable and related promotional purposes without any payment to you. You represent that all of the information which you provide to us in connection with this competition shall be and shall remain complete and accurate. You represent that your entry will not contain anything (i) that is or could reasonably be viewed as harmful, harassing, defamatory, libellous, obscene or invasive of another’s privacy; or (ii) which you do not have a right to make available lawfully (including any material which infringes the rights of any other). By entering this competition, you agree that any personal information provided by you with the competition entry may be held and used only by the Promoter, its affiliates, its agents and suppliers to administer the competition.
[*][b]Limitation of liability[/b]. Insofar as is permitted by law, the Promoter, its agents or distributors will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate the winner(s) or runner(s)-up or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up the prize except where it is caused by the negligence of the Promoter, its agents or distributors or that of their employees. Your statutory rights are not affected. The Promoter will NOT accept responsibility for competition entries that are lost, mislaid, damaged or delayed in transit for any reason or in any way.
[*][b]Social media.[/b] You acknowledge that the competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Google, Facebook, or Twitter. You agree to release Google, Facebook, and Twitter from any responsibility to you in relation to the competition.
[*][b]General[/b]. (a) We may use the information which you provide in entering this competition to contact you for the purposes described in these terms and conditions. We will process and store your information in accordance with our privacy policy which can be found at: http://help.nexusmods.com/article/20-privacy-policy
[*](b) We may wish to transfer all or a part of our rights under these terms to someone else without obtaining your consent. You agree that we may do so provided that the transfer does not significantly disadvantage you. (c) If there is any reason to believe that there has been a breach of these terms and conditions, the Promoter may, at its sole discretion, reserve the right to exclude you from participating in the competition; (d) The Promoter reserves the right to hold void, suspend, cancel, or amend the competition where it becomes necessary to do so; and (e) These terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of England and the parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.
[*]For questions, Please contact support@nexusmods.com
[/list][/spoiler]

Last month marked the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/14022]launch of the fifth annual Morrowind May Modathon Modding Competition[/url] celebrating the 17th anniversary of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and we are happy to say that the event has been a great success with a whopping ~[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/?tags_yes%5B%5D=2594]230 new mods[/url] being uploaded by ~80 individual modders - veterans and newcomers alike!

To put this into perspective: not since 2004 have we seen this many mods being uploaded for Morrowind in a single month, proving once more that even 17 years after the game's initial release the Morrowind modding community is still going strong.

A huge "thank you" goes to all participating modders for their contributions! You can see a full list of all mod submissions [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/7602730-morrowind-may-modathon-month-2019-celebrating-17-years-of-morrowind/#entry70590293]in this post the event host darkelfguy wrote up[/url].

Congratulations to everyone who has earned themselves one or several of the various modding achievements or got picked as a random winner of one or multiple game keys!

Stay tuned for the jury picks for the top 3 winners of this year's Modathon, which will be announced sometime in July - once the secret jury has had enough time to thoroughly play through all the submissions.

With that being said: we hope to see you all again for next year's Modathon.

Until then, happy modding!

Summer is here and our friends over at [url=https://www.gog.com/?pp=a120fe5cad51f0d0942d7c283478628047d6cfceA]GOG.com[/url] are having their Summer Sale Festival. They've given us 100 keys for a bunch of awesome games to give away to our community. 

If you're looking for something new to keep your appetite for gaming sated until the new E3 titles are released, here's your chance to pick up a new game for the low, low price of free!

There are a few rules you should be aware of before entering. It's pretty basic, but if you get it wrong your entry will be disqualified and we'd hate for that to happen. To put your name in the hat to win you need to:


[list]
[*]Leave a comment on this article. You can say anything you want, why not tell us what your favourite mod is? (Site rules still apply.)
[*]Log into the Gleam widget with your Facebook or Email account. 
[*]Click the entry action that says "Leave a comment on Nexus Mods".
[*]Enter your full Nexus Mods username (check your spelling!)
[/list]
If you forget to comment or include an invalid username, you'll lose your chance to win.

We've also put together our [url=https://www.gog.com/partner/summer_nexusmods?pp=a120fe5cad51f0d0942d7c283478628047d6cfceA]Nexus Mods Summer Collection[/url] including some of our favourite moddable games available at GOG. 

Good luck, we'll be closing the competition on Monday and contacting the winners shortly after.

[size=5][url=https://gleam.io/dn6gu/gog-summer-sale-giveaway]Click here to enter for your chance to win 1 of 100 Game Codes from GOG.com[/url]
[/size]
[size=1][i](Entries close at 09:00 GMT on  Monday 10th June 2019 - all prizes must be redeemed before Monday 24th June or they will expire.)
[/i][/size]
Here's a complete list of games up for grabs:

[spoiler]
[list]
[*]AquaNox 2: Revelation
[*]Banner Saga
[*]Caesar 3
[*]Darksiders Warmastered Edition
[*]Day of the Tentacle Remastered
[*]Dreamfall The Longest Journey
[*]Dungeons 2
[*]Earthworm Jim 1 + 2
[*]Fahrenheit
[*]Freespace 2
[*]Gabriel Knight Sins of the Fathers
[*]Giants: Citizen Kabuto
[*]Grand Ages: Medieval
[*]Grim Fandango
[*]Homeworld Remastered
[*]Icewind Dale
[*]Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Collection
[*]Jazz Jackrabbit Collection
[*]Myst Masterpiece Edition
[*]Oxenfree
[*]Pharaoh + Cleopatra
[*]Planescape Torment
[*]Police Quest 1 + 2
[*]Psychonauts
[*]SpellForce 2 - Anniversary Edition
[*]Sudden Strike 2 Gold
[*]Sudden Strike 3
[*]Sudden Strike Gold
[*]Syberia
[*]Syberia 2
[*]Syberia 3
[*]System Shock: Enhanced Edition
[*]System Shock™ 2
[*]The 11th Hour
[*]The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
[*]The Guild Gold Edition
[*]The Longest Journey
[*]Torchlight
[*]Vampire Redemption[/spoiler]
[/list][size=1][i](Disclosure: We are a member of GOG.com's affiliate program. This means if you use any of the links in the article above to make a purchase from GOG.com, we get a very small cut. It's another way to help us keep the lights on and we're always happy to promote such a great company!)[/i][/size]

Good news for our [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/sekiro]Sekiro[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/residentevil22019]Resident Evil 2 (2019)[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/vampirebloodlines]Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/dawnofman]Dawn of Man[/url], and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/survivingmars]Surviving Mars[/url] communities!

As of version 0.18.5, [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/about/vortex/]our new mod manager Vortex[/url] now supports modding for all of the above games meaning you can use Vortex to mod 59 different games total.

Moreover, multi-variant mods - that’s mods that give you multiple options, such as different colours for armour replacers etc. - for many games, including the above (with the exception of Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines), can make use of [url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/How_to_create_mod_installers]mod installers[/url] when used together with Vortex.

In a nutshell, mod installers add a convenient menu to the mod installation that allows you to pick and choose the options you want. This is convenient for users, but also for mod authors because it means that you will only need to pack and maintain one file on your mod page, rather than providing, maintaining, and updating many different options.

Example: [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/sekiro/mods/244]Hat Pack for Sekiro by ZullieTheWitch[/url]
[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1558952970-541783997.jpeg[/img]
[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1558952973-1717051411.jpeg[/img]

Mod installers are a viable option for many different games: from most Bethesda games (The Elder Scrolls and Fallout) to Monster Hunter: World, Sekiro, or Resident Evil 2 (2019).

For anyone who is interested in making their own mod installers, we have written up [url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/How_to_create_mod_installers]a brief wiki article[/url] covering the creation process which is simplified thanks to a [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/6821/?tab=files&BH=0]community-made tool.[/url]

With that being said, feel free to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/about/vortex/]try out Vortex[/url], view [url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Category:Vortex]our documentation[/url], or ask any questions you might have in our [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/forum/4306-vortex-support/]Vortex Support Forums[/url] directly.

Happy modding!

Following the announcement [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13921]3 months ago[/url], today is the day we'll be turning off our legacy modding API. This system has been fully replaced by the new Nexus Mods API and is therefore redundant.

[b]What does this mean?
[/b]Any applications using this service will no longer be able to log in, retrieve mod information or handle downloads from our site. We've been working with the developers who maintain some of the most popular modding tools to help them make the transition to the new API, so many applications that were using this API have already been updated. 


[b]Why are we doing this?[/b]
The simple answer is that the legacy API was no longer fit for purpose and had become increasingly hard to develop on and maintain. We made changes last year to move the legacy API to https only which addressed a number of security issues, but the codebase is from an old version of the Nexus Mods website which made it difficult to keep secure without compromising usability.

Another important consideration is performance and scalability. The legacy API was designed primarily to be used by Nexus Mod Manager when our user base was significantly smaller. Other applications reverse engineered this API as time went on, but we never released any documentation for it. Continuing to use this system would eventually lead to significantly degraded performance for applications using the service. We've designed the new API with 3rd party developers in mind, making it much more accessible to integrate Nexus Mods functionality into their tools and games and we’ve built on a platform that we can scale easily going forward.


[b]Which applications does this effect?
[/b]Any application that is still using the old API, examples include:


[list]
[*]Nexus Mod Manager v0.65.11 and lower
[*]Mod Organiser 2 v2.1 and lower
[*]Mod Organizer 1
[/list]

[b]Does this mean I can't use my mod manager anymore?
[/b]No, your mod manager will still work for any functions that don't require a connection to Nexus Mods until you update to a compatible version. You will still be able to download mods manually and import them into the application.


[b]What will happen to Nexus Mod Manager?
[/b]Users with the last official release of Nexus Mod Manager (v0.65.2) will no longer be able to log in and will see an error message (below). We encourage these users to [url=https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Migrating_to_Vortex_from_another_Mod_Manager]transition to Vortex[/url] or update NMM to the latest [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/site/mods/4?tab=files]community-maintained version[/url].

[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/2295/images/26/26-1557756418-179188151.jpeg[/img]

[b]How can I update my app to use the new API?
[/b]We have [url=https://app.swaggerhub.com/apis-docs/NexusMods/nexus-mods_public_api_params_in_form_data/1.0#/]documentation for the new API[/url] available here. If you require additional support implementing the new API, please contact [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/site/users/64597]BigBizkit[/url] or [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31179975]Pickysaurus[/url].

It’s May and that means the annual [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/7602730-morrowind-may-modathon-month-2019-celebrating-17-years-of-morrowind/]Morrowind Modathon[/url] is back to celebrate the 17th anniversary of [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind]The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind[/url] - and this time around there are not only achievements waiting to be unlocked but also a huge number of[b] keys for AAA and indie games[/b] to be won! [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/6591631-morrowind-may-modathon-month-2018-celebrating-16-years-of-morrowind/]Last year's Modathon[/url] sparked the creation of [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/?BH=1&RH_ModList=nav:true,home:false,type:0,user_id:0,game_id:100,advfilt:true,include_adult:false,page_size:20,show_game_filter:false,open:true,tags_yes%5B%5D:2106]many new and exciting Morrowind mods[/url] and we are all looking forward to seeing what our community will come up with this year.

The event will be running for one month - from 1st May until 1st June 2019 - and everyone is invited to participate: simply publish a mod for Morrowind and mark it with the [b]Modathon 2019 tag[/b].

[center][img width=600,height=728]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/110/images/93729/93729-1556533024-1258680618.jpeg[/img][/center]
Every week, between two and three participating mod authors will be selected at random and awarded a game key for an AAA or indie game.

But that is not all, the grand prize of ~8 game keys (depending on a potential tie) will be awarded to the "Modathon mod of the month" which will be decided upon by a secret jury based on a number of criteria and even the two runners-up will be getting 3 and 5 game keys respectively.

All prizes are being given out by the Modathon host [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13682]darkelfguy[/url] who also runs the YouTube channel [url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTiULQ_bcPRu_jMTZ86WO7A]Morrowind Modding Showcases[/url]. Learn more about the event rules and prizes in the [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/7602730-morrowind-may-modathon-month-2019-celebrating-17-years-of-morrowind/]official announcement thread[/url].

Keep an eye on our social media channels ([url=https://www.facebook.com/nexussites/]Facebook[/url] and [url=https://twitter.com/NexusSites]Twitter[/url]) as well as the [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind]Morrowind mod section[/url] for updates and, of course, new, spectacular mods! 

With that being said, here’s the man himself with a few words to launch the Modathon madness:

[quote]For the fifth consecutive year, the Morrowind May Modathon Month Modding Competition, the biggest annual modding competition in The Elder Scrolls modding community, returns on May 1st! Celebrating Morrowind's 17th anniversary, this year's Modathon Modding Competition will run throughout the entire month of May, and participating Morrowind mods will have a chance to unlock sweet achievements, win prizes, and compete with their peers to become the Modding Champions of 2019!

Last year's Modathon became one of the biggest modding competitions in Elder Scrolls modding history, with 89 mods submitted by over 40 different modders, and this year is shaping up to be even greater! We have some 80 achievements for you to unlock, for everything from releasing a house mod, to building an epic dungeon, to overhauling and replacing the game's graphics, and of course we have a ton of hidden achievements for all sorts of themes, gameplay additions, and much more for you to discover! Unlock as many as you can and become a modding master!

Participation is simple, any Morrowind mod released in May can be entered into the competition, just remember to include a tagline "Part of the May Modathon Month" near the top of your mod's description, or use the Modathon 2019 tag to enter your mod as part of the competition. You'll be automatically entered to potentially win one of our weekly random-drawing prizes, and of course unlock achievements!

Mod your way to fame and glory in the biggest modding event of the year, and help celebrate one of the greatest games ever made! The best games never die, so get out there, have fun, and build a ton of mods to make this great game even better than ever before!

The competition runs from May 1st through to June 1st, and you can find out more about how to participate, along with a complete list of achievements, [url=https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/7602730-morrowind-may-modathon-month-2019-celebrating-17-years-of-morrowind/]over on the official announcement thread[/url]!

- [b]darkelfguy / Morrowind Modding Showcases[/b][/quote]
Best of luck to all participants and happy modding!

How do you feel about the design of the Nexus Mods website? Since our sites current design [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13353]went live in 2017[/url] we’ve been listening to all the feedback, both good and bad, we've received from the community. Armed with that and having now filled our UI/UX designer position at the Nexus Mods office, our designer has been tasked with going through the current site layout and looking for ways it can be improved. 

[img]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/images/2295/31179975-1555341825.png[/img]

We’ve spent some time looking at the analytics on our website, with a focus on the user's flow and how they navigate through the site. Although useful, this information can only tell us so much. To get a true measure of the user's experience on our site, we would like to give you the opportunity to tell us what you think about Nexus Mods. 

Initially, we’ll be focusing on the Nexus Mods homepage, navigation and mod pages. Starting out with a very short survey to gauge how our community feels about the experience we are currently offering. 

[line]
[b][size=4][url=https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHmbpYOUHcQ-UkCxkbSpS8rG72668pQWz3y4UGR9dVItlbdg/viewform]You can find the survey here.[/url][/size][/b]

The survey will run from [b]15th April 2019 to 26th April 2019[/b]. When giving your answers please try to be as constructive as possible. Honest feedback is welcome, but if you don't like something we'd love to know how you think it can be made better. 
[line]

At the end of the questions, you’ll notice we mention a Design Focus Group that will run a short time after the survey closes. Based on the responses we get from the community we’ll be hand-picking users across a wide demographic of site usage to participate in focused discussions about particular site features and functionality. 

Our hope is to cast a wide net to capture the opinions of all types of users including new users, veterans of the site (who went through the last redesign with us), mod authors, image/video share users and those who like to engage with others in the posts section or forums. 

It doesn’t stop there though. In the future, we may ask the community for more feedback on different parts of the site or invite additional users to our focus groups. Eventually, we plan to turn the designer’s creative eye to more areas of the site and Vortex. Make sure you pay attention to our site news for more on this over the coming months. 

Thank you for participating! 

A [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13986]few weeks ago[/url] we launched our first Screenshot Community Event giving everyone the opportunity to submit a screenshot for Skyrim, Skyrim SE, Enderal, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 depicting the event theme "Conflict and Struggle" and potentially win one of three prizes which would be awarded at random to three different participants.

The turnout has been great with hundreds of screenshots having been submitted and we, the Nexus Mods team, as well as our co-organisers [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/3060962?tab=user+images]Excellentium[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31439930?tab=user+images]napoleonofthestump[/url] have been stunned by all the amazing screenshots our community has come up with over the past weeks the event has run. We have since been hard at work looking through every single entry from each participant who filled out the entry form to pick our 15 favourites for the jury selection. Please note that while these are our 15 favourite shots, this event is more about having everyone participate and contribute - veterans and newcomers alike. That is why the three prizes (three £25 Steam Gift Cards) are awarded [b]randomly[/b] - two go to two randomly chosen artists from the jury selection, and one goes to a random participant from the event. 

You can find out who won the three individual prizes at the end of this news post.

[b][size=3]Jury Selection[/size][/b]

Naturally, judging a piece of art is a very subjective and difficult endeavour, so please keep in mind that these shots are not necessarily the "best" or "most beautiful" ones. I can speak for myself as well as our co-organisers that narrowing it down to 15 shots total was not an easy task, due to the amount of high-quality entries submitted. While we tried our best to be somewhat objective, in the end, it all lies in the eye of the beholder. You can read a short blurb about our reasoning for choosing a particular shot by clicking on the spoiler tag below a given image. With that being said, here are our 15 favourite shots in no particular order:[b] 

[/b][i]Note: All images can be viewed in their original resolution on the respective image page (click the hyperlink that says "full set").[/i]

[url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807580-1859344356.jpeg][img width=500,height=281]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807580-1859344356.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807566-1860175998.jpeg][img width=500,height=281]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807566-1860175998.jpeg[/img] [/url]
Left: submitted by VictoriaG - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/99614/?force_view=1]full set[/url] - Right: submitted by radbeetle - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145380/?force_view=1]full set[/url]
[spoiler]
Left
[quote]Sometimes the best way to face a conflict or a struggle is to use sheer brute force and then show any opponent who is boss! This shot is all about that and the dynamic movement of her kick and the raider going down makes it a fantastic action capture.

- Excellentium[/quote]
Right
[quote]You really don't need a bunch of fancy ENB effects, capital D Drama, SF genre tropes turned up to eleven, or sorta-but-not-quite photorealistic trappings to make an effective piece of digital art. This diptych tells its story perfectly effectively in a quiet, understated way that only adds to its power as a piece. The attention to detail here is worth noting: Observe the selective use of warm and cool color - especially in the lighting - the figure's mirrored pose, the unconventional angle of view, and the way that the background elements are framed and presented in soft - but still intelligible - focus. It takes artistic confidence to present such a subtle image in a public contest, confidence well earned.

- napoleonofthestump[/quote][/spoiler]

[url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807542-591147256.jpeg][img width=500,height=281]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807542-591147256.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807577-1351149687.jpeg][img width=500,height=281]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807577-1351149687.jpeg[/img] [/url]
Left: submitted by Bennzoor - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144783/?force_view=1]full set[/url] - Right: submitted by Simboker - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729273/?force_view=1]full set[/url]
[spoiler]
Left
[quote]I'm very fond of portraits that are able to portray an emotion or feeling without being too obvious about it. The glimpse of something in the corner of the eye, the glance of a memory or a reflection of what the character is facing at the moment. This is what I see in this man's face - a torn struggle within himself before a decision has to be made, or a situation needs to be solved.

- Excellentium[/quote]
Right
[quote]Thinking of conflict and struggle in the world of Skyrim the Civil War immediately comes to mind. This shot gives us a glimpse of what the Civil War could have been like in the game. What I particularly like about this shot is the composition with the relatively large group of soldiers marching off towards a thick fog wall - obfuscating the view and making it unclear what they are marching towards. Victory? Defeat? The shot leaves us wondering, and that is what makes it great.

- BigBizkit[/quote][/spoiler]

[url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807572-2042437407.jpeg][img width=500,height=281]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807572-2042437407.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807549-1886330349.jpeg][img width=500,height=281]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807549-1886330349.jpeg[/img] [/url]
Left: submitted by Reaper060389 - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144925/?force_view=1]full set[/url] - Right: submitted by defa23 - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729342]full set[/url]
[spoiler]
Left
[quote]The first time I saw this shot I immediately thought "Wow, this is wallpaper material! It skillfully depicts a high stakes, fast-paced, and very dynamic conflict. The blue of the laser guns gives a nice contrast to the overall brown-ish tone of the barren scenery. 

- BigBizkit[/quote]
Right
[quote]Naturally, dragons are at the heart and centre of every conflict in the world of Skyrim. This shot beautifully depicts that with five horse-mounted warriors charging off into battle against one massive, upscaled dragon, looming in the background and menacingly staring at the protagonists.

- BigBizkit[/quote][/spoiler]

[url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807602-1463883692.jpeg][img width=500,height=222]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807602-1463883692.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807607-1814453378.jpeg][img width=500,height=222]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807607-1814453378.jpeg[/img] [/url]
Left: submitted by EDCVBNM - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144568/?force_view=1]full set[/url] - Right: submitted by EDV120 - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144764/?force_view=1]full set[/url]
[spoiler]
Left
[quote]All good compositions require balance and consistency - even, perhaps especially, when the artist deliberately decides to create an unbalanced or inconsistent frame. Aspiring screen-archers could stand to learn a lot from the way this image has been framed. Strong diagonal lines predominate, clearly drawing the eye where the artist intends it to go. Notice the placement of background elements in relationship to foreground elements. The positions of the two central figures perfectly balance (follow the same angled diagonal along the raider's arm, the haft of the mutant's weapon, and the off-center dynamic lines that are created by their ever-so-slightly leaning, twisting poses). Quite a lot of mileage out of a subtle color palette. Very skillful use of depth-of-field and lens effects to emphasize, rather than distract from, the central image. 

- napoleonofthestump[/quote]
Right
[quote]There's a certain appeal to a series of delicately composed little images all together in one place. Compositions like this are a screen-shooter's Cornell Box (look it up, nerds). The bloom effects here are particularly well calibrated - grainy and full without that distracting 'blow-out' effect that heavy bloom often has. While I can't help but feel that the piece would have benefited from a more selective balance of spot color and neutral tones over the whole-image desaturated cool tones, the set is still much clearer to 'read' than it would be had all the colors been at normal saturation.

- napoleonofthestump[/quote][/spoiler]

[url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807632-438497472.jpeg][img width=340,height=383]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807632-438497472.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807639-1164911045.jpeg][img width=340,height=383]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807639-1164911045.jpeg[/img] [/url]
Left: submitted by Hawkscr1mer - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144604/?force_view=1]full set[/url] - Right: submitted by Irstina - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729544/?force_view=1]full set[/url]
[spoiler]
Left
[quote]Conflict (as popularly interpreted here) mostly involved two parties - in this case two personas within the same individual - so diptychs of one sort or another were pretty common for this event. This one stands out, again for the display of confidence in the artist's own aesthetic sensibilities. It helps that the face on display here was sculpted with care and attention to detail - the figure is certainly stylized, but that style is restrained and believable. A muted palette is again used to good effect, though perhaps a range of neutral tones would have distinguished figure from ground more noticeably than the wholesale desaturation and bleaching utilized here. Again, the relative subtlety of the piece struck me as unique, interesting, and worth coming back to look at another time.

- napoleonofthestump[/quote]
Right
[quote]A struggle is just as much about making hard decisions and even more so when there are great conflicts at hand. This burden falls on the shoulders of generals and commanders, but even those need an encouraging hand from someone loyal and reliable at difficult times. The great expression of concern and comfort in lieutenant Rikke as she tries to boost general Tullius at the wartable in this shot truly speaks to me.

- Excellentium[/quote][/spoiler]

[url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807614-1856245152.jpeg][img width=500,height=189]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807614-1856245152.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807618-175503159.jpeg][img width=500,height=189]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807618-175503159.jpeg[/img] [/url]
Left: submitted by Kazeii1 - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729787/?force_view=1]full set[/url] - Right: submitted by MagdalenaA - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144996/?force_view=1]full set[/url]
[spoiler]
Left
[quote]Out of all the contributions I've looked through today, and that's all of them, this one was the first I picked as a favorite. It simply describes the hard struggle against environment, predators, and the very survival with a remarkable sense. The cold has been bringing him to his knees for maybe hours, fingers and limbs going numb and frozen, the only warmth still around being that of his breath and the blood running through his veins... and that's something the wild animals of a harsh land are seeking out for prey - the conflict of survival, be it man, animal, or nature itself.

- Excellentium[/quote]
Right
[quote]I like the sense of grand scale that this image conveys. The depiction of a vast, inhuman, warlike architecture wholly at odds with nature and its forms conveys the feeling of 'Conflict' in a more deeply resonant manner than any number of simulated fisticuffs. These shapes are awful and dreadful - they inspire awe and dread - and the quality of the photography - dark, grainy, bottom-lit - picks this up and amplifies the feeling. You have to pay attention to this image to get something out of it, which is part of the reason I like it so much.

- napoleonofthestump[/quote][/spoiler]

[url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807555-1749630604.jpeg][img width=500,height=281]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807555-1749630604.jpeg[/img][/url] [url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807562-1388160493.jpeg][img width=500,height=281]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807562-1388160493.jpeg[/img] [/url]
Left: submitted by ImmotalIce - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42226]full set[/url] - Right: submitted by polingc - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/43086/?force_view=1]full set[/url]
[spoiler]
Left
[quote]The location for this shot with the eery, teal, glow is magical - whimsical even in a way - and thus the perfect stage for a clash between two masters of the arcane arts. The struggle of the two mages in the centre of the shot is the perfect depiction of conflict amidst beautiful and likewise intriguing scenery.

- BigBizkit[/quote]
Right
[quote]Struggle in the world of Skyrim can be about many things, and in this shot, we can observe the struggle of a character having lost a dear companion in battle. The pose really works to emphasise the despair and pain the character is feeling at the moment of realisation, conveying the emotions in a powerful way.

- BigBizkit[/quote][/spoiler]

[url=https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807591-1093667264.jpeg][img width=500,height=292]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/1704/images/24904/24904-1554807591-1093667264.jpeg[/img][/url]
submitted by Zenson - [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144576/?force_view=1]full set[/url]
[spoiler]
[quote]The panic is immediate in this shot and it makes the conflict feel close and real, the struggle as chaotic as it should be when stuck in a gunfight against uncertain odds. The pose is just as much a covering from stray bullets as it is a hiding from everything around the character at this very moment. He looks more scared than he probably should admit, and this makes the image even more interesting to me.

- Excellentium[/quote][/spoiler]

[b][size=3]Community Selection[/size]
[/b]
But that's not all - oh no! Almost 100 of you have submitted an entry - some of you submitted one shot of your choice - others entered entire sets into the event. The outpour of creativity has truly been astounding and, therefore, we would like to show off some of the work from every participant who entered the event by filling out the entry form:

[b][url=https://imgur.com/a/IftAbY6]Screenshot Community Event #1 - Conflict and Struggle - Community Selection[/url][/b]

You can view more from every artist via the respective category for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/categories/101/]Skyrim[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/categories/106/]Skyrim SE[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/enderal/images/categories/100/]Enderal[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/categories/105/]Fallout 4[/url], and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout76/images/categories/100/]Fallout 76[/url].

A big thank you to everyone who participated:

[url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144883]09jlardinois[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42434]Aeruni[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729118/?force_view=1]ajhardy[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42306]Antonio201220[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42917]Ariawyn[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729761]Asaforg[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42291]Ashfenril[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728587/?force_view=1]auburnsred[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/43137]Bakurai[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144783/?force_view=1]Bennzoor[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144566]Berkebile[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144704]blackie10[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145414]bostonmanatee[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42649]BrynTheWin[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144670/?force_view=1]chimichanga78[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729577]ChrisKley[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728592]Ciaran125[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145563/?force_view=1]Clanggedin[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145278]Conclamatus[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42770/?force_view=1]CorperationPop[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42521]CouchCaterpillar[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728866/?force_view=1]CrosszeriaEverblood[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728720]Custom22[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144733]Darqcrimson[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729342]defa23[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42617]deicide707[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144958]deltahalo241[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144872]Di3sIrae[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42321]drwolfjanie[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144568/?force_view=1]EDCVBNM[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144764/?force_view=1]EDV120[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145071]GGearZZ[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/enderal/images/46]Giebelfred[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729263]GodOfVengeance[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729428]gratifiedgoat[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729458]Grimus4[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145608/?force_view=1]guidethisonekalaheria[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144604/?force_view=1]Hawkscr1mer[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42226]ImmotalIce[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729544/?force_view=1]Irstina[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42307/?force_view=1]Jebbalon[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729065]kaeyll[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729787/?force_view=1]Kazeii1[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729160/?force_view=1]Klaxoid[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144637]kmcderm133[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729782]kynthiabarnes[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/enderal/images/45]lametrie[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42684]LethosThason[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728780]Liadys[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145184/?force_view=1]lidertz[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/43194]Lindaleff[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729406]Madrock7[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144996/?force_view=1]MagdalenaA[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/727535]Meguiddo[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728558/?force_view=1]mfeile1974[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/enderal/images/53]Moksha8088[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145605/?force_view=1]Musiclover542[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42971]mystichd[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144907/?force_view=1]navy5465[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729030]NeOniq[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145082]ninjakissa[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42986]nvmisfit[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42607]onread[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729067/?force_view=1]Organonmodell[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729149]papp263[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/43086/?force_view=1]polingc[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145380/?force_view=1]radbeetle[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729611]radcatfish[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728730]Rathanak00[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144925/?force_view=1]Reaper060389[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42231]Rohanthegreat8[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729755]Rune963[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145516]Rusey[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729207]sagittarius22[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42314]sevenpacer[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729273/?force_view=1]Simboker[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout76/images/626]slbrgt[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42600]SpiderAkiraC[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42532/?force_view=1]SpiderBob12[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144809]Stiffon[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145095]tanque007[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42383]TearOfTheStar[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144767/?force_view=1]teridactyl[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/729117/?force_view=1]TheGreatFalro[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/138737/?force_view=1]thorrulf[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/42621]Valor429[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/99614/?force_view=1]VictoriaG[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144753]wegas[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145567]WhitePigeon[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728680]xonedl[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144576/?force_view=1]Zenson[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/41601]ZMD78

[/url]Also thanks to everyone who contributed their shots to the event category, but did not enter the draw by filling out the entry form. In that regard: an honourable mention goes to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728844/?force_view=1]SomewhatWindy[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/728940]sa547[/url] whose shots have been duly noted!

[b]Last but not least - the three £25 Steam Gift Cards go to...[/b]

Two randomly chosen participants from the jury selection:
[spoiler]Congratulations to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/145380/?force_view=1]radbeetle[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144604/?force_view=1]Hawkscr1mer[/url]! Please check your PM box for a message from staff.[/spoiler]

One randomly chosen participant from the entire event:
[spoiler]Congratulations to [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/144670/?force_view=1]chimichanga78[/url]! Please check your PM box for a message from staff.[/spoiler]

I hope you all enjoyed the event and we are looking forward to seeing you back for the next one! Stay tuned and happy modding!

Two weeks ago, we [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/news/13986]launched our first Screenshot Community Event[/url] giving everyone the opportunity to submit a screenshot for Skyrim, Skyrim SE, Enderal, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 depicting the event theme "Conflict and Struggle" and potentially win one of three prizes.

[center][img width=500,height=250]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/images/110/64597-1552654489.png[/img] [img width=500,height=250]https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/images/110/64597-1552655460.png[/img][/center]
The turnout has been great and we are happy to say that dozens of screenarchers - newcomers and veterans alike - have entered the event. We all - that is the Nexus Mods team as well as our co-hosts for the event: [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/3060962]Excellentium[/url] and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/users/31439930]napoleonofthestump[/url] - have been blown away by the sheer outpour of creativity we have seen from our screenshot community over these past two weeks!

We thank you all for participating in the event and for your contributions - be it your entries or just encouraging comments and feedback in the image share.

Please note that as of [b]04:00 PM (GMT) today[/b], the contest entry form is now closed and that participants cannot edit their entries any longer.

During the next week, we will be picking 15 shots from 15 artists for the jury selection. Once that is done, keep your eyes peeled for a final news post concluding the event.

The three prizes will then be awarded at random: one £25 Steam Gift card will go to a random participant, two separate gift cards will be given to two different artists from the jury selection.

In the meantime, feel free to browse through the event related image category for [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/categories/101/]Skyrim[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/images/categories/106/]Skyrim SE[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/enderal/images/categories/100/]Enderal[/url], [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/images/categories/105/]Fallout 4[/url], and [url=https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout76/images/categories/100/]Fallout 76[/url] and take a look at all the amazing screenshots and sets created by the community.

Thank you all!