Online Presence - Revision history

Darkfire: Restructure, misc small rewrites

2021-04-08T15:05:38Z

Restructure, misc small rewrites

Darkfire: /* Learn to Take Criticism */ rewrite

2021-04-08T14:42:12Z

Learn to Take Criticism: rewrite

TiMan: /* Trailer */

2020-07-31T15:07:19Z

Trailer

TiMan at 20:54, 26 July 2020

2020-07-26T20:54:54Z

TiMan: /* Mod description is clearer */

2020-07-26T19:48:40Z

Mod description is clearer

TiMan: /* Rephrased some sentences to make them sound more neutral and less subjective */

2020-07-26T19:41:51Z

Rephrased some sentences to make them sound more neutral and less subjective

Darkfire: Created from the Modding page section

2020-07-26T15:21:32Z

Created from the Modding page section

New page

You will most likely start sharing your creations before the mod is published. Here are some things to keep in mind.

==Learn to Take Criticism==
{{todo|This still feels condescending. Find a way to write this in a brief and neutral manner.}}

When sharing your work online and with your team, criticism will be inevitable. If someone did not like what you made or suggested a better way to achieve something, there is no reason for you to get angry. Take constructive criticism to heart, and ignore (i.e. don't reply to) malicious comments. How to tell them apart? Good feedback will usually give you hints on what you have to improve. Bad feedback will only say that something is bad.

Taking suggestions from other people doesn't make you less of a person, quite the opposite.

Remember, no matter how harsh, criticism has the purpose of improving your work and its reception further down the line. '''Think about it like this:''' You can fix something and improve it now and for the whole mod, or face the same criticism when the mod gets published and after you have already committed to the mistake, making it harder to improve.

Unfortunately, lashing out against criticism is a wide-spread phenomenon. Keep in mind it will affect how others perceive you, especially if it happens in your development team (which will impede development).

==Mod pages==
Your mod page (be it on Steam, [https://www.moddb.com/ ModDB] or elsewhere) is the main place where people learn about your mod. A pretty page shows that you care about your mod and hints that the mod is created with care. And vice-versa - messy or bare-bones pages will discourage playes from downloading your mod. The next sections will give you some hints about making a nice online page for a mod.

{{idea|Create mod pages once you have a considerable part of your mod to show off and write about}}
===Catchphrase and title===

Like in usual game marketing, the first sentence people read about your mod is the most important. It should convey what's unique about your mod, why people should play it and catch attention. Same goes for the title.

===Logo===

This is an image which will often be the first thing people see about your mod. Make it interesting and unique; don't use generic fonts.

{{tip|Using the Amnesia font and/or white text on a black background is the most popular type of logo out there. While it is clean, functional and simple to make, it will blend in with other mods and tell players that your mod is similar to many others.}}

===Trailer===

If you have video editing skills, making a trailer will catch people's attention. Making a good trailer goes beyond the scope of this article, but here's some general advice:
*Show the most unique parts about your mod
*Avoid generic music
*Avoid overly bombast slogans (i.e. things you see in AAA game trailers)
*Other than that, trailers are less recognisable than e.g. logos. You can take heavy inspiration from other trailers.
*Use nice fonts
*If you have a logo, use it
*If you can't edit videos well, keep in mind that '''a bad trailer might do more harm than good'''.

===Screenshots===

This ties in to the previous section. Screenshots are (next to a trailer and a catchphrase) in the first 3 most important parts of advertising your mod.
Make sure to take screenshots with interesting elements and composition. Also be sure to [[CorrectingScreenshotGamma|correct them]] afterwards.

===Mod description===

If you managed to catch someone's attention with your logo, title and catchphrase, the next thing they will do is either see the trailer and screenshots or read the description (depending on the website). Regardless of that order, the description helps to convey any information which couldn't be put in the rest of mentioned techniques. This usually includes the story and certain gameplay features (in HPL usually you can't show them without spoilers, so it's better to describe them instead).

Here are some guidelines to make your description more interesting and encourage people to read it:
*Avoid walls of text at all cost. At the very least, divide them into paragraphs.
*Put your catchphrase somewhere on the top of the description.
*The shorter the description, the better. Avoid verbose language. That being said, don't cut information, and don't make it ''too'' short!
*'''Use formatting!''' Titles, bold text, etc. make the text simpler to read.
*'''Use lists!''' They also make the text much easier to read, and can greatly shorten the description.
*If it's possible, use HTML to make your page unique. Set a background image or colour, change the font colour, add shine to it, etc.

==Getting out there==

Once you have your mod page (or even better, multiple ones) set up, you can do much more to make your mod known. Share the page links on various services, for example along with your best screenshot. Publish updates to keep the attention of followers. And once your mod is published, maybe send it to some YouTubers?

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 You will most likely start sharing your creations before the mod is published. Here are some things to keep in mind.
 ==Learn to Take Criticism==
@@ Line 34: / Line 73: @@
 '''Further reading:''' [https://lifehacker.com/the-different-ways-people-handle-criticism-and-how-to-1679777243 The Different Ways People Handle Criticism (and How to Do It Better)]
 [[Category:Modding]]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 ==Learn to Take Criticism==
-When sharing your work online and with your team, you will eventually receive feedback, positive or negative. If someone did not like what you made, or suggested how to make it better, there is no reason to get upset. Take constructive criticism to heart, and ignore malicious comments (i.e. don't reply back). How to tell them apart? Good feedback will usually give you hints on what you have to improve. Bad feedback will only say that something is bad.
+When sharing your work online and with your team, you will inevitably receive feedback, positive or negative. Unfortunately, lashing out against criticism is a wide-spread phenomenon. Such behaviour will affect how others perceive you, both in a development team and in public. Furthermore, you won't improve if you always think you're right.
-Taking suggestions from other people doesn't make you less of a person, quite the opposite.
+Here are some things you can do to take criticism better.
-Remember - no matter how harsh, criticism has the purpose of improving your work and its reception further down the line. '''Think about it like this:''' You can fix something and improve it now and for the whole mod, or face the same criticism when the mod gets published and after you have already committed to the mistake, making it harder to improve.
+How to tell them apart? Good feedback will usually give you hints on what to improve. Bad feedback will only say that something is bad.
-Unfortunately, lashing out against criticism is a wide-spread phenomenon. Keep in mind it will affect how others perceive you, especially if it happens in your development team.
+===Separate the criticism from your person===
 ==Mod Pages==

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 *Avoid overly bombast slogans (i.e. things you see in AAA game trailers).
 *You can take heavy inspiration from other trailers.
 *If you have a logo, use it in your video.

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:54, 26 July 2020
Line 51:		Line 51:

	Once you have your mod page set up, try to reach it out to as much people as possible. Share the page links on social media, along with your best screenshot, and publish updates to keep the attention of followers.		Once you have your mod page set up, try to reach it out to as much people as possible. Share the page links on social media, along with your best screenshot, and publish updates to keep the attention of followers.
		+
		+	[[Category:Modding]]

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 ===Mod Description===
-Your mod page should describe precisely what the mod is about, but make sure to keep some of it a mystery. A brief description of the story is good, but avoid mentioning key events or anything else that might lead to a spoiler. Do not write long paragraphs that over-describe the features of your mod, it should be kept short as possible.
+Your mod page should describe precisely what the mod is about and what is the story generally about. A brief description of the story is good, but avoid mentioning key events or anything else that might lead to a spoiler. Do not write long paragraphs that over-describe the features of your mod, it should be kept short as possible.
 If you managed to catch someone's attention with your logo, title or catchphrase, the next thing they will do is either see the trailer and screenshots or read the description (depending on the website). Regardless of that order, the description helps to convey any information which couldn't be put in the rest of mentioned techniques. This usually includes the story and certain gameplay features (in HPL usually you can't show them without spoilers, so it's better to describe them instead).

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 ==Learn to Take Criticism==
-{{todo|This still feels condescending. Find a way to write this in a brief and neutral manner.}}
+When sharing your work online and with your team, you will eventually receive feedback, positive or negative. If someone did not like what you made, or suggested how to make it better, there is no reason to get upset. Take constructive criticism to heart, and ignore malicious comments (i.e. don't reply back). How to tell them apart? Good feedback will usually give you hints on what you have to improve. Bad feedback will only say that something is bad.
 Taking suggestions from other people doesn't make you less of a person, quite the opposite.
-Remember, no matter how harsh, criticism has the purpose of improving your work and its reception further down the line. '''Think about it like this:''' You can fix something and improve it now and for the whole mod, or face the same criticism when the mod gets published and after you have already committed to the mistake, making it harder to improve.
+Remember - no matter how harsh, criticism has the purpose of improving your work and its reception further down the line. '''Think about it like this:''' You can fix something and improve it now and for the whole mod, or face the same criticism when the mod gets published and after you have already committed to the mistake, making it harder to improve.
-{{idea|Create mod pages once you have a considerable part of your mod to show off and write about}}
+Unfortunately, lashing out against criticism is a wide-spread phenomenon. Keep in mind it will affect how others perceive you, especially if it happens in your development team.
-Like in usual game marketing, the first sentence people read about your mod is the most important. It should convey what's unique about your mod, why people should play it and catch attention. Same goes for the title.
+==Mod Pages==
 ===Logo===
-This is an image which will often be the first thing people see about your mod. Make it interesting and unique; don't use generic fonts.
+This is an image which will often be the first thing people see about your mod. Make it interesting and unique; try to search for a font that delivers the feeling of your mod. You should try and come up with a unique logo, don't automatically try to copy other logos or make a logo similar in style to the game logo.
-{{tip|Using the Amnesia font and/or white text on a black background is the most popular type of logo out there. While it is clean, functional and simple to make, it will blend in with other mods and tell players that your mod is similar to many others.}}
+===Trailer===
-===Trailer===
+If you have video editing skills, making a trailer will catch people's attention. Here are some general tips:
-If you have video editing skills, making a trailer will catch people's attention. Making a good trailer goes beyond the scope of this article, but here's some general advice:
+*Show the most interesting environments from your mod, but not all of them. Keep some as a secret.
-*Show the most unique parts about your mod
+*Avoid popular royalty-free music, it is easily recognized and perceived as cliche.
-*Avoid generic music
+*Avoid overly bombast slogans (i.e. things you see in AAA game trailers).
-*Avoid overly bombast slogans (i.e. things you see in AAA game trailers)
+*You can take heavy inspiration from other trailers.
-*Other than that, trailers are less recognisable than e.g. logos. You can take heavy inspiration from other trailers.
+*Use nice fonts. {{Clarify}}
-*Use nice fonts
+*If you have a logo, use it in your video.
 ===Screenshots===
-This ties in to the previous section. Screenshots are (next to a trailer and a catchphrase) in the first 3 most important parts of advertising your mod.
+Make sure to take screenshots with interesting elements and composition. Consider the [[wikipedia:Rule_of_thirds|Rule of Thirds]] when capturing screenshots, and be sure to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbU8FqTI-A4 correct them] afterwards.
-===Mod description===
+===Mod Description===
-If you managed to catch someone's attention with your logo, title and catchphrase, the next thing they will do is either see the trailer and screenshots or read the description (depending on the website). Regardless of that order, the description helps to convey any information which couldn't be put in the rest of mentioned techniques. This usually includes the story and certain gameplay features (in HPL usually you can't show them without spoilers, so it's better to describe them instead).
+Your mod page should describe precisely what the mod is about, but make sure to keep some of it a mystery. A brief description of the story is good, but avoid mentioning key events or anything else that might lead to a spoiler. Do not write long paragraphs that over-describe the features of your mod, it should be kept short as possible.
 Here are some guidelines to make your description more interesting and encourage people to read it:
-*Avoid walls of text at all cost. At the very least, divide them into paragraphs.
 *Put your catchphrase somewhere on the top of the description.
-*The shorter the description, the better. Avoid verbose language. That being said, don't cut information, and don't make it ''too'' short!
+*The shorter the description, the better. Avoid verbose language. That being said, don't cut important and relevant information.
-*'''Use formatting!''' Titles, bold text, etc. make the text simpler to read.
+*'''Use formatting!''' Titles, bold text, align to center, and so on. Make the text easier to read.
-*'''Use lists!''' They also make the text much easier to read, and can greatly shorten the description.
+*Use lists as well when describing the features of your mod. They also make the text much easier to read, and can greatly shorten the description.
-*If it's possible, use HTML to make your page unique. Set a background image or colour, change the font colour, add shine to it, etc.
+*If it's possible, use custom CSS to make your page unique. Set a background image, change the font colour, and add any effect which can grab attention.
-==Getting out there==
+==What's Next==
-Once you have your mod page (or even better, multiple ones) set up, you can do much more to make your mod known. Share the page links on various services, for example along with your best screenshot. Publish updates to keep the attention of followers. And once your mod is published, maybe send it to some YouTubers?
+Once you have your mod page set up, try to reach it out to as much people as possible. Share the page links on social media, along with your best screenshot, and publish updates to keep the attention of followers.