Matrix Games Forums

One of the problems I had in putting together the Minimal Mod (see below) was trying to make sense of all the other mods. For example, a comment like "changed the 12.7 MG to more historical values and then the armament for Ki-43 to 2x12.7 MG and updated the 5th Ftr Sentai to use these, also moved them to Kompong Som" [&:] would be a tad difficult to track down (though not impossible).

I propose that all modders also write in the Device/Aircraft/Location numbers after each item that they mod.

For example "Added 40mm Cannon Ho-301 (Device 225), cannon used in the late war Ki-44-II Hei Tojo (Aircraft 074)".

This way it is a lot easier for everyone to track what's going on.

There are great advantages to documenting. The biggest is that the forum generates a great deal of feedback to the modder. In turn, feedback results in a better product. The cost is time: it takes several times as long to document. You want to take ten years, try to implement your proposal for a project of this scope. I generated 30,000 words of documentation on just Japanese planes - and in the end it failed to persuade at least one person too many - for work done on a subject I was not even proposing be done: I wanted to correct ship values (a much safer thing to attempt). Changing the armor on a turret (because all Japanese turrets on cruisers are 25 mm - except the strance case of UNarmored Katori - where it has 50mm!) is safe - no code issues there. Dealing with the undefined, and probably undefinable, aircraft engine scheme - that is hard - and dangerous. I managed to impress a professional mathmetician and programmer - and to document it all to a standard higher than ever was used before or since - but you will search in vein for any sense that that level of documentation was used - or understood - much less desired. And let me say unless it is VERY valuable to someone, it is not worth multiplying your time by 400% to do it.

ORIGINAL: el cid again

There are great advantages to documenting. The biggest is that the forum generates a great deal of feedback to the modder. In turn, feedback results in a better product. The cost is time: it takes several times as long to document. You want to take ten years, try to implement your proposal for a project of this scope.

[snip]

it is not worth multiplying your time by 400% to do it.

You misunderstood me. I was not asking for proper documentation, nor is my aim to convince people of anything. I just thought that I would mention the fact that something as easy as listing the slot numbers of things that have changed in a mod can make all our collective modding experience easier. I should think that this would not "multiply my time by 400%".