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[Putnam]

See, but how much? It's kind of a common thought for me. What exactly do modders deserve as compensation?

[Araph]

I think modders deserve compensation, but it is ridiculous that they get so little of it.

I agree on both counts. However, I do think that, once you've reached the skill level it takes to make a living off of reasonably priced mods (in an imaginary world where there is no 75% cut), you could probably branch out into creating original works and not have to worry about price-gouging at all. The ridiculous percentage taken off is stupid, but there's a pretty obvious alternative to trying to get by on mods alone.

Modder's deserve donations. Modding should not be a way to make money.

I don't know if it should be distinctly not a way to make money. They're producing content, but they're gonna have to deal with a market of people who are used to free additional content (that is, a very angry market). There's no moral obligation to make mods free; it's only a matter of 'is it worth it'. I'm guessing it's mostly not gonna be worth it.

I do completely agree with the point about donations, though. It's still a way to get money (an inefficient one, but even so) and it won't piss off all of the modder's followers. From both an 'I want it that way' perspective and an 'it seems like a logical idea' perspective, I agree.

[Vendayn]

I'll be putting up my mod to be paid. To be honest, partly cause I'm poor as hell and want a new computer.

Partly also just because I want to see how much people are paying for this crap (my mod is actually good, but wtf rofl)

And also because wet and cold guy has supposedly made over 300 dollars already with wet and cold+i needs

300 dollars

yup I'm in

[Baffler]

Actually, a sort of "suggested donation" type setup could be created, with the modder putting up both a paid and free version. Preferably identical, but not necessarily so I guess. That'd be at their discretion of course, but it's an idea.

[Putnam]

That's not much money... at all.

Here's a success story. Gula's a modder for Cities: Skylines and makes a good amount of money through donations, upwards of 28 dollars an hour doing that.

He also used to work for Maxis, so maybe he's an exceptional case.

[Eagleon]

Modder's deserve donations. Modding should not be a way to make money. In fact, I'm pretty sure most nodders complete mods as works of passion. That passion deserves to be noted and rewarded, but frankly 5 dollars for every follower, house, or armor set is preposterous! If you wanna charge me an extra 5 bucks for a new region with new everything sure.

I think the concern for me is that the original IP may not want people making cash off of their work. On the other hand, Bethesda is pretty much the model of a company that thrives off of community generated content while still making things people want to buy, so if they can come to some agreement with the community, I'm actually all for modders taking a slice of the pie. It's a lot of work making a mod, it's a lot more work making something people want to pay for. I'd definitely get back into modding again if it wasn't taking time away from not starving to death. Downloading Skyrim and workshop again to maybe make some cinematic music packery for the horde.

[Araph]

Actually, a sort of "suggested donation" type setup could be created, with the modder putting up both a paid and free version. Preferably identical, but not necessarily so I guess. That'd be at their discretion of course, but it's an idea.

I think there's a pay-what-you-want option. For popular mods, that definitely seems like the best choice.

[Putnam]

I think "0 or more" is the best possible option for this kind of thing.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

I've been PC gaming since I was a little kid, and as I see it, modding is a proud tradition. Modding has always been a free endeavor. An endeavor that both modders and players enjoyed doing and playing. Take, for example, the Mount & Musket mod for M&B. Both the modders and players enjoyed the mod immensely with incredible dialogue between the two sides and considerable support in the form of hosting by the modders. It was eventually turned in to DLC, but only once it was significantly different from the base game, and frankly it continued with its success only because it was so wildly popular and the fact the nodders made the DLC significantly better. To top that all off, there WAS STILL considerable discontent about the change.

[da_nang]

I think "0 or more" is the best possible option for this kind of thing.

I can get behind that. Just like it is on the Nexus, right? At least then, the community won't be split by a paywall.

[Zangi]

Legality?  I'm pretty sure that Bethesda had to have greenlit the whole pay for mod in steam thing in the first place.  There would be no questions of legality in this case, except when random people try to make stuff from Intellectual Properties like 40k and trying to sell it.  Which I'm going to reasonably assume will be taken down when IP owners make their noises, well valid noises anyways.

I think the main issue here(in my opinion) is the actual cuts each party is taking from the pie.  I reckon we can just leave it to the modders to individually decide if they want to try to be capitalists or not.  It is after-all their time and effort.

[Graknorke]

as I see it, modding is a proud tradition. Modding has always been a free endeavor. An endeavor that both modders and players enjoyed doing and playing.

This is pretty much how I see it too. The whole enthusiast dynamic totally changes once you're outright charging people for mods.

[NullForceOmega]

Okay, I'm going to put this here then step out, and not come back.  I really think this may be the most idiotic move in the whole history of gaming, I am sorry if this offends anyone, but modders are in no way shape or form members of the game development industry, have no right to renumeration, and Valve capitalizing on this is purely predatory and definitely not OK.  I don't object to modders asking for donations, but modding is not a damned career, it is a hobby, and the way you turn this particular hobby into a career is by developing your own game and IP, not making derivative works.

Again, I'm sorry if I offend anyone with this, but this whole thing is flat-out wrong.

[Teneb]

I think "0 or more" is the best possible option for this kind of thing.

I can get behind that. Just like it is on the Nexus, right? At least then, the community won't be split by a paywall.

This is by far the best model. Can't pay, or don't want to? No problem. But want to help the modder? Pay as much as you want.

[Felius]

I've said before and will say it again: This idea is stupid for so many reasons it's bloody insane. From legal copyright issues for content, assets and dependencies used in the mod, specially in more complex mods, to the ridiculous backslash Steam is already getting for it, it's bloody insane.

Not to mention that this might mean that Bethesda, Zenimax or Steam can't shut down people monetizing Skyrim mods anymore, since they themselves created the precedent for it. If someone else, like any reasonable person, do agree that 75% is bloody ridiculous and start an alternative mod selling service that gives the modder a much bigger cut, I now have my doubts they'd have solid legal grounds to stop them.