How and where do you get excellent support from people who can mod Don't Starve?

[XirmiX]

Recently I've been not doing so great on my mod creation. Everyone is always busy and half the time so have been I until I got ill. It's really sad to see that none is there to help in making mods with which the developers and the players would be proud of. Everyone has such small time that most mods that actually get completed are small "patches" which people download to make their way of gameplay smoother (I don't use them much thought). It is sad to see that none has any skill or much interrest in developing it or most importantly any time for it. Even when there are holidays a lot of people seem to not care about helping out on big mod projects. My mod project is mostly with hidden informatikn, as I only want to hand it out to those who agree to help, as it would take away the excitement for the public about the features of the mod for everyone.

But to be honest there is one main objective which the mod would provide, so I guess I should tell that: while playing in DS if you get everything done and have a good strategy of dealing with the stuff that you might encounter the further gameplay becomes pointless. You start to play on another playthrough but then start to wonder what's the point. DS while is a very good game with its artstyle, ideas, content etc. Has no main objective in far end. This is what I really want to achieve with the mod: to make the survival into something more objective so that you don't try to survive with your hopes down and doing the same thing in a cruel DS world, but get yourself ready to find a way out.

Some people thought it is pointless to eveb try to develop this. Looking at how people make the small mods these days I think it's just that none really wants to help out, however if enough people did help out the mod would be developing non-stop. There is no point in putting stuff in Kleilist. People barely even visit mods topic now. It's all about DST now while there isn't much to debate. I'm going to have an interview on the college I want to get into and as well as grades I need to show them what I have done for gaming in the past, cause that's what I want to do. But if I can't even get this going then what am I supposed to do? Tell them that I couldn't do this or finish this because none was willing enough to help me and give me the right support to develop it? It's really sad that none's taking any interrest in big mod projects. I have no clue where I could find people experienced enough with enough free time to help me out develop one of the biggest DS mods ever developed. It's really a shame.

[Rincevvind]

>Everyone has such small time that most mods that actually get completed are small "patches"

wrong, there at least two examples - Up and Away and hero-in-the-dark

>my mod project is mostly with hidden informatikn, as I only want to hand it out to those who agree to help

This is your problem. Probably people don't want to aggree to work on something that they didn't know and maybe they are not like idea at all.

>Has no main objective in far end.

But its have : Get Maxwell at last world and take his place. World where you appearing before entering gate is just for training/fun.

>People barely even visit mods topic now. It's all about DST now while there isn't much to debate.

Ask for something specific, with code parts where you failed or don't understand - people can help you.

And tbh, modders make something for their own fun mostly, not to get some attention.

>I have no clue where I could find people

- Write about your ideas, so modders can decide to join you.

- Start doing something by yourself, show it and get others attention on your project. Maybe someone wish to help.

[Renamon]

well to be frank, some modders have projects going, also dst is in beta allowing for some of us to fiddle with the new game.

[IvanX]

Agreed. Would be nice to have some kind of a chat, where people who have done mods before would answer questions and share their knowledge between each other. I'm pretty sure there would be a lot of people like that, who would just be a bit undermotivated in making yet another mod, so they would just sit in that 'chat' and help others.

 

I've had a question of my own. I was making a mod that messes with alchemy engine, making it "active" not only when player is nearby, but also when it was assigned to a project. But i couldn't find a bit of code where alchemy engine activates and deactivates if a player is nearby.

[Mobbstar]

What? You want a not-so-small allow-for-awesome mod? Then I've got an ace somewhere in the vault.zip, give me some hours to fix everything up!

 

*insert inspirational genial music*

[XirmiX]

well to be frank, some modders have projects going, also dst is in beta allowing for some of us to fiddle with the new game.

Well, exactly. They have their thing going because they're all grown up and have all the skills to get into modding, but I can barely understand what a piece of code does! I'm trying to find people like them to help me out, but I do not know where to look. That is what I'm looking for here.

 

 

What? You want a not-so-small allow-for-awesome mod? Then I've got an ace somewhere in the vault.zip, give me some hours to fix everything up!

 

*insert inspirational genial music*

 

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not...

[XirmiX]

>wrong, there at least two examples - Up and Away and hero-in-the-dark

Well, I am looking for people like them. I already asked to collaborate with the main developer of Up and Away, but as far as he's concerned he just wants to finish U&A and that's it. Don't want to be prejudice here, but I assumed the same was going to be with the hero in the dark mod's main developer.

 

>This is your problem. Probably people don't want to aggree to work on something that they didn't know and maybe they are not like idea at all.

I didn't explain it clearly enough, sorry: What I meant is that I give some info about the mod publicly so if anyone gets interrested they would post me a PM and then I would explain them details more fully about the mod. I just wanted to make stuff as hidden as Klei themselves do.

>But its have : Get Maxwell at last world and take his place. World where you appearing before entering gate is just for training/fun.

It's hard for me to respond to this. Sure there is adventure mode, but somehow it doesn't really make it feel like the end of the game, does it? ... It's hard for me to explain, so lets just leave that there...

>Ask for something specific, with code parts where you failed or don't understand - people can help you.
And tbh, modders make something for their own fun mostly, not to get some attention.

Asking for specific stuff will take a lot of posts/topics if I want to get this thing going anywhere on my own or with a few people helping out and it's really not going help much. It is easier to work with a lot of people, each having a specific part of the program to work on/specific type of thing to work on (programming, texture art, animation etc.) and then everyone putting their stuff together to see if it all works together. I myself can do some of the texture work and, quite good animations but I am bad at programming, which makes my mod not to work at all unless someone does the programming for me. Getting some attention isn't what I'm looking for. I'm willing to make a good mod for people to enjoy and to feel like it's something like Klei themselves had done. Entertainment here is my goal.

- Write about your ideas, so modders can decide to join you.
- Start doing something by yourself, show it and get others attention on your project. Maybe someone wish to help.

Good point. Here's stuff me and some others have done (The mod's about 1% complete tbh):

 

Pinehog animations and textures: https://www.dropbox.com/s/cd5j1diw24ouqsr/Pinehog.zip?dl=0

A sample set piece which will be included in the mod: https://www.dropbox.com/s/i1768be5nkbas39/deaddapperguy.zip?dl=0

Textures of items Nail and Screw which will be used for a lot of recipes in the game with the mod activated: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9lgxh88qfqsf83z/nail%20%26%20screw.zip?dl=0

Standard texture of a Meerfox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/waof73v969v4ebp/Meerfox.rar?dl=0

Textures of the apple tree: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sfal4rp98qqvkhg/Apple%20tree%20textures.zip?dl=0

Textures of the Sandstone: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hjl6qadyykg6bcc/Sandstone%20textures.zip?dl=0

[Rincevvind]

Well, usually i see there 2 categories of modders : one is good at coding, second - at art. If you want to be in first one - you have to study Lua and game source. Try to understand how its work at all by following functions calls. At first time its very hard. But lua itself is very simple language (well simplex can write something which blows brain ). Its not C++ or even Assembler.

I am pretty understood coders of big projects. First of all its still not finished, and secondly, they want to have time to play on things that they made . Also they able just to dislike your work. People is different and they are like different things. Maybe your ideas is suitable for exiting projects and you join to it?

I am not even tryed yet to do any art, and i am know that i am bad on it. I can do only simple things in gimp.

So i can't say anything on your art. But you still doesn't tell about you idea. What exactly you want to do? Just more recipes?

[DeathDisciple]

 or even Assembler.

 

 

Meh, no fun since CISC arch is dead. Bring back M68k... poetry.

 

[Heavenfall]

You want to gather people for a larger mod but you don't want to talk about what it is? Surely you can see the problem with that.

[Mobbstar]

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not...

 

Excuse me, I am not sarcastic. You reminded me of an experiment which I picked up again, and since you doubt any mods ever get done, I will finish it and disprove you with a proper argument. Have a teaser!

[XirmiX]

You want to gather people for a larger mod but you don't want to talk about what it is? Surely you can see the problem with that.

No, you misunderstood. I have given enough info already all over the place. If someone gets interrested more I'd send them a lot more info through PM or they would ask me.

 

Also, I am already learning Python and I'm even struggling on that. Minik435 tried to explain to me certain things and I barely understood it. It's just that I'm slow in programming, which is why if I start to program something on my own it'll probably take ages. Literally. That's why I need support.

[Heavenfall]

No, you misunderstood. I have given enough info already all over the place. If someone gets interrested more I'd send them a lot more info through PM or they would ask me.

 

If you want people to show interest they shouldn't have go to looking for you. Why don't you make a topic in this forum about your specific plans?

[XirmiX]

If you want people to show interest they shouldn't have go to looking for you. Why don't you make a topic in this forum about your specific plans?

Like an announcement topic of the mod?

[chromiumboy]

Like an announcement topic of the mod?

 

Sure, that's what I like to do for my big projects (shameless self promotion for my latest one, which converts DS into a turn based RPG: http://forums.kleientertainment.com/topic/44082-in-development-a-turn-based-rpg-modification-of-dont-starve/). U&A and HitD did this too for their projects as well. It let's you gauge people's interest and you can bounce ideas of your readers. And some ideas just might be really difficult or time consuming to implement. By explaining what you are attempting to do in a public post you'll reach a much broader audience and you are more likely to get advice or help from experienced coders. Placing any barriers between your idea and other people will dramatically lower offers of assistance. Even if you go public, you still might not get any offers of assistance. That's just how things go. DS has been officially released for over a year now and was in beta long before that. People do move on to new things after a while.

 

Now some non-specific coding advice: if you want to be good at coding you really have to get into it. When trying to implement something ask yourself: what is the closest thing to what I want to achieve, that is already in Don't Starve? Then start digging through the code. Use notepad ++ or something similar so you can search for key words or phrase in the code across multiple files. Did another mod implement something new that you want to be able to do as well? Dig through their code, see how they did it. Just remember to give a shout out to them. And remember it's going to take a while. I've been modding DS for well over a year now, and I'm still learning new things about how this game works, from Klei and from other people.

[simplex]

well simplex can write something which blows brain

That's why they call me the brain blower... I hope.

 

Meh, no fun since CISC arch is dead. Bring back M68k... poetry.

Shh, you're dating yourself.

[Rincevvind]

Meh, no fun since CISC arch is dead. Bring back M68k... poetry.

Last time i have fun with tasm for 8086. No hipster's pusha/popa. Put each register on stack by a hand, be a man! Well its was good expirience, after it you see things like Neo in matrix . I still remember some mashine codes, like my favorite - NOP = 90h. Never forget.

But when "Hello word" for Windows takes about 3 pages of code you start thinking that better to learn something else

[DeathDisciple]

Last time i have fun with tasm for 8086. No hipster's pusha/popa. Put each register on stack by a hand, be a man! Well its was good expirience, after it you see things like Neo in matrix . I still remember some mashine codes, like my favorite - NOP = 90h. Never forget.

 

 

Haha indeed, the most useful code ever