I have been thinking of what I like to see in a modder. Excuse my poorly put together thoughts - but perhaps they will help any would-be modders think twice about the road they are about to embark upon...
* Willing to match their work to their enthusiasm and not give up or flag when the mood has passed
Perhaps a greater trend in the younger members of the modding community, but one that can really leave Mod Team leaders frustrated as trust is lost. I have seen more than one person leave a Mod because of the frustration caused by those who do very little and yet expect to stay on a team.
* Willingness to improve current skills and extend their skills to areas as the mod requires
Whilst all of us are useless at certain things and should go no where near them (!) I am confident everyone can develop at least 2 skills. Perhaps this would not apply to freelancers so much as team members.
* An ability to keep to deadlines and keep their word
Failure of team members to keep deadlines (or keep their word at all) is soul destroying for a mod. Don't do it! If it honestly cannot be done in the time agreed or set then let the team leaders know by what deadline it can be done.
* Be honest taking on commitments - say no rather than say yes and then not deliver
Saying yes may sound good, but if not based in reality the team is left waiting for the person to finish something when it could be being done by another. There is no time for waiting in a mod team.
* Be realistic about how much time they have available and what can be achieved
17 exams, moving home and PC likely to be confiscated by parents all in one month should be taken into account when making commitments ;) Don't let enthusiasm blind you!
* Be very well organized
Submitting disorganized work only heaps more workload on those correlating the work or more stress on the build co-ordinator which by the nature of that work must be one person. Work should also be reasonably tested before submission. Don't put everything at the Coding Manager's feet.
* Be willing to attend to the tedium of modding as well as the quick, visually appealing aspects
Well maintained Excel sheets, balance testing, lengthy coding - all these make up the glue of a good mod. This work will way outweigh the time of artists, modellers etc. in terms of time and tedium - do you fair share! Keep a good department!
* Be courteous by letting the team know when you will be away for an extended period of time
Mod teams will fall apart of members continually go AWOL. As a member of a mod team you have a responsibility to let the team know when you will be away. It is very disorientating for leaders of the team because they often cannot know where they stand until they contact the AWOL member and this
can affect the flow of the whole team's work.
* Visit the dev forums often and stay contactable
Take an interest in the Mod - it's why you joined! - or be honest and leave if you are no longer interested. A Mod team works much better when everyone is on the same page and knows what's going on. A good modder should
always be aware of where the Mod is going and the over all status of the Mod and its members.
* Use initiative and don't wait to be told to do everything
It's nigh on impossible for 1 or 2 people to list everything that needs doing in finite detail. Departments and sub-managers should "own" their area of responsibility and take the initiative. Not everything may be used that is done on initiative but it will move the mod along a lot quicker than waiting to be instructed in detail at every stage.
* Communicate effectively with the team or department you are in
Combined with the last point this will reduce the overlapping of work, or duplication. It is also critical that team morale be kept high on a mod. This is achieved through becoming friends and part of a team. Share the vision and work toward the same goal!
Feel free to add your own comments. Agree? Disagree?
