Any instant messenger program that everyone can agree on and that allows pictures and archives to be sent. My preference for work/hobby related has always been messenger, because it is buried within every windows machine somewhere.

I know you don't want something Morrowind specific - however you have asked for some ideas on pics to describe modding so here are some I found via google image search

http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2005/11/elder_scrolls_4_int/tes.jpg
http://media.moddb.com/cache/images/mods/1/17/16447/thumb_620x2000/screen1.png
http://www.3dm3.com/tutorials/softimage/intro_to_mod_tool/head.jpg
http://11k2.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/090120_lara-croft-naked1.jpg

Which I think pretty much sums up modding

I have another question that was brought up by one of my classmates that I never thought to ask. I'm sure its been asked before, I'm sure it will be asked again. Why do you mod? A rather simple question, but I can see why people who don't mod are confused as to why people would want to invest so much time and energy into something that usually has no "material" rewards. So, what kind of answers are there? Creative release? Looking to break into game development? Boredom? Any answers are greatly appreciated.

I was just thinking about that myself as I'm coming up to the 2 year mark working on a mod and felt sick that it's gone 12 months over expectations - then I think of what modding gave me over that period:

Learning new skills - some of which I have been able to translate into RL
Making new friends - something to be said about getting help on the forums
Satisfying an old desire to tell a story but being able to use an interactive medium to do so

I started modding because I had so much enjoyed using other's creations in my game and felt like I wanted to contribute back
Also Korana had left and I figured if I was going to have any new clothes in my game I'd have to do them myself

Sometimes it bothers me how much time I spend modding or even thinking about modding - but then I think what would I do instead - watch TV? Well I do interrupt modding for Castle

I suspect modding is some sort of OCD

have promised myself once Veloth's Child is finished I will quit modding as I will have achieved everything I can with the CS - of course the next hobby on my horizon is machinima so maybe a little scripting here and there will be required but nothing so time absorbing as this

Thanks for the response, Illuminiel. That is exactly what I was looking for. Also, thanks for the pictures you posted for the cover of my report. That one of Lara Croft brought back memories. I thought it was unusual that the diehard fans of the Tomb Raider franchise were extremely critical of the nvde mod. I thought all the [censored] wanted to see her nvde, but color me surprised when they basically eviscerated the modder for it.

Hmmm, why are they censoring f a n b o y s?

Does anyone have pictures of an area, room, person, etc where everything, or most of the things, in it is from modded content? As well as a picture of the same without modded content? I'd like to include something like that in my term project so that comparisons can be made. And a visual aid is always a plus when trying to explain some of the points I am trying to make. I don't have my game modded at all at the moment (my laptop has no graphics card and barely deals with vanilla Morrowind), otherwise I would do it myself.

Unsure if it is too late to offer anything - however below are a couple of shots I took of princess_stomper's Leyawiin Morrowind mod - which was based on the original Oblivion Concept art

http://chorrol.com/files/133/ob_concept03Ba.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/4890/leyawiin.jpg
http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/6480/leyawiin2.jpg

I personally think it is an excellent example of how modding can create interactive digital dioramas

Here's a couple of before and after from an old "guess the mod" competition. I think the first pair's more of an MGE demonstration than anything. Oh, and apologies for the different resolutions.

Caldera, http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Dragon_32/Morrowind/original1.jpg and http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Dragon_32/Morrowind/guess1.jpg
Caldera main street, http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Dragon_32/Morrowind/original2.jpg and http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Dragon_32/Morrowind/guess2.jpg

Thanks Dragon32. Those last two pics are exactly what I was looking for. The added content and new textures will make a good visual sample for modding results.

Oops, sorry Illuminiel, I didn't notice your response above Dragon32's. I think I will use the picture with the angled shot of the single island on my cover page. A little cropping and it will work perfectly. Thanks.

Git, SVN or any other code of source code/asset management system. I even use it just for myself, because of the ability to track and roll-back changes.



Creative release, experience in programming and looking to break into game development all play into it, but for me, the biggest thing is that the game doesn't do what I want. I want it to do things that it doesn't or can't, so I have to find a way to make it do that. I guess you could say not believing in impossible and not taking no for an answer are two big factors in why I still mod.

Questions:
1. How do you decide what kind of mod you will do either individually or as a member of a modding team?

I have been working on a place I've imagined for a long time, and am finally skilled enough to create in-game. Everything I do else-wise is a means to that goal. While I would love to work with a team, my vision is very specific - and most of the people I would consider have either moved on, or are too busy with their own projects.

2. What kind of information do you need when doing a mod?

Wow, that's a big question. Lots of things - everything from existing lore to biology, geology, physics, etc. Of course, I'm working on something a bit different from most mods. It's almost steam punk, but hewing very closely to existing and potential lore.

3. What kind of knowledge do you need when doing a mod?


Since I'm working on a landmass mod, pretty much knowledge of every aspect of modding. I'm developing that slowly, and as I need it. For example, I only recently learned how to create static animations that can be controlled with scripts. I was forced to learn this because I needed a model, and couldn't find anyone to make it for me. In fact, modding has forced me to learn a great many things


4. Where do you find this information?

Lots of places, depending on what I am doing. These forums, and ones like it (Great House Fliggerty, Canadian Ice & Howndog's, Emmas' Elder Scrolls, etc.) However, for some tools I have to go beyond the TES community, particularly for tools like Blender and Photoshop. Finally, there is my own innate curiosity, and stubbornness to not be bested by a tool.

5. How did you learn how to mod?

By doing it. As I encountered a challenge, I found ways around it. When I hit roadblocks I couldn't figure out on my own, I asked for help. If help didn't arrive, I pounded my head against the wall until I figured it out, and then mastered it.

6. How do you share information and ideas with other mod team members?

What team?

If I ever manage to build one, I'll let you know!

7. If someone is ‘mentoring’ you, or vice versa, how do you communicate with them to share information?

PM's and forum posts.

8. Do you find it helpful to know more than one aspect of modding, such as modeling?

Yes. For what I am doing, it is absolutely vital. I've had to learn everything from raising land in the CS to scripting and dialog to animating models in Blender and Nifskope. I don't count Photoshop, since I was proficient in it before I started modding, but I have learned a lot about texturing. As a 'one-man shop', I've had to learn (or will have to learn) practically every aspect of modding and modeling. (with a few specific exceptions - I doubt I will ever have the patience to mess with character/skeletal modeling)

That isn't to say I've mastered any of it - far from it. However, I'm forcing myself to get better.

9. How do you approach the work involved in making a mod, either alone or as a member of a team?

I tend to hover, and land. That is, when I start feeling restless, I will fly around and look for an unfinished area that strikes my fancy. While that may sound whimsical, it's actually my way of listening to that creative spark. If I have a lot of ideas for an area, that means it is time to switch focus, and run with it while it lasts. Of course, I've not actually released anything yet (though I have tons of sub-projects I could release as whole mods), but it's worked fairly well to prevent burnout.

10. Do certain parts of the mod have to be done before others?

It depends on the mod. For a simple retexture or tweak, not particularly. However, for large quest/land mass mods, yes. You have to establish a story, and then a framework that supports that story. Beyond that, the order really depends on the particulars. In my case, I'm working on the landscaping and interiors at the same time as I work on the NPC's, and letting the two play off of each other. Sometimes, an aspect of an NPC's home will work to polish an aspect of their story, and sometimes it works the other way around.

Although the actual plot is already written, the subtleties of its telling are being fine tuned by these characters.

11. Can you describe the normal processes you go through to create a mod?

Lots and lots of time spent in front of a PC.

Seriously, I'm all over the map. Sometimes I don't even open the mod itself, I write fiction that is related to the lore of the story as a way to help me focus the story. Other times, I get side-tracked learning a new tool or technique. Still other times, I get carried away with actually implementing the mod (writing dialog, landscaping, scripting, etc.)

It's a matter of doing what needs to be done.

Follow-up on why I mod

It's purely a creative release for me as well. In my day job, I design computer hardware and FPGA firmware. While there is certainly a creative aspect to that, and I relish the intellectual challenges in the field, I find it isn't satisfying entirely to my creative side.

I want to create something beautiful that I can walk around in and interact with. I've tried my hand with other game engines, particularly UnrealEd, but I never found any of those experiences as satisfying as with Morrowind. There is something unique about the game lore, environment, and abilities that seem to hit the spot for me.