As interesting as the stream of VONC's or the latest constitution efforts are, I'm shifting in a different direction and approaching a matter that seems to have been lost to the ages once more. Awards, specifically modder's awards. First we added them. Then we didn't use them. Then we gave them to gig, then we stopped using them. Then we wanted to use them a while back, but I don't see them used.
Now, personally, I'd like to use them, but I also like to use things that I find to be solid, and I find these awards to be not very solid.
These awards are
Legio 501st and the
Modding Service Award.
The former has a description repeated 3 times without change, at a very low minimum. If absolutely nothing comes of this proposal, lets at least make that less silly. But I keep that as a side note as I'd rather outright replace it.
The latter I believe doesn't serve a good enough purpose on its own between Opifex, Gold 501st and then what people would give Artifex for somewhere in the equation. It feels like fluff without an identifier. What I'd like to do is:
- Define between the levels
- Split between being workshop participation/making tutorials and mod creation itself, resulting in two lines of awards going between bronze, silver, and gold
- Remove the Modding Service Award and put its requirements into the above
This is where I call it a discussion, and not a proposal. I do not have names or graphics for the two lines of award. I only know the splits and standards to suggest.
First - Modmaking
Bronze - Release a submod, released mod, or multiple smaller mods that are judged to be 'decent' quality and had time put into them; distinctively not reposts or tiny efforts, but things that look like they had a good bit of time put into them despite being just a few things and perhaps by a lesser known user. Plus Ultra from the Medieval 2 section would earn this in my book.
Silver - Release a significant submod (an ex, SSHIP for Stainless Steel or MOS for Third Age), a mod with a hosted forum, or a solid collection of original smaller mods
Gold - Release multiple mods with hosted subforums, multiple significant submods, or create many smaller works that widely influence the respective game (ie, someone making tons of mods for Rome 2 even if those mods individually are all fairly small and aren't overhauls). Distinguished by the 'physical' results on the forum, while opifex strongly considers one's legacy alongside what they've done, and allows for more ambiguous awarding.
Second - Uh... the other thing
Bronze - Release a tutorial, tool or resource that is unique + positive in content and/or clarity, or spend (some period) helping people out in the community sections. Off the bat I leave this award open to be given to people who've released good stuff for vanilla - perhaps its name shouldn't be bound to modding and should instead note people who do things like create nice guides and resources despite not making mods themselves.
Silver - Release multiple of the above or have a particularly influential one-off project, and early stages of what I put in Gold.
Gold - Long record in the workshop, being a 'community asset' for
These are obviously not final descriptions, but an idea of where to set the bars. I'm mainly concerned with the overall viability of the two lines, their names, and their visuals for a more concise proposal, if the thoughts merit going that far.
If looking for someone to become Artifex, I place my bar at achieving one of the respective Silvers. Bronze retains its current unused function of rewarding up-and-coming users with something to encourage them to go further, or otherwise acknowledge a notable one-off. What this is should be defined on their profiles when the awards are given. Silver notes someone either making quite a bit or making a solid one-off, and gold is a recognition for a stronger record per the defined metrics before reaching Opifex. Artifex itself I believe should be a blend of legacy - someone has a record on the site of doing their thing and doing it well - and achievement, they do have something to show for their efforts. Someone earning silver should be a serious consideration for Artifex; someone earning bronze I believe should be encouraged to do more before getting there, but making this in any way a defined rule is not the scope of this discussion or a subsequent proposal.
The split is to acknowledge the fundamental difference between the act of being community outreach and the act of actually releasing content, which are ultimately different things with different skills. Some, of course, will overlap, perhaps strongly, but this should encourage people to see and be seen by merits on both. As far as award count, Gigantus is case in point that we're certainly not changing the practical volume on the profile of someone farming medals already. He has 2, this proposal would leave him with 2, and they would assuredly be max level anyways.
These would be awarded mainly to up and coming current modders and recursively to active users (ie, regiven to gig, and also given to anyone else who meets what become the final standards). Promising non-citizens may be identified from candidates of these awards, and the above is not to say I'd oppose simply because they ended up with bronze, either - especially not if in combination with other things.