(Not) Looking for Collab. Partners (Anymore)

Someone on the forums recently made a point about the difficulty in modding alone.

So, for my next work, I'm looking for partners to collaborate with.

I'm looking for people who can help produce maps, art, sprites, and potentially ASM so as to make this upcoming mod the best it can be.

The mod is titled Aftermath, and it follows the story of Quote as he searches the collapsed island for survivors after the normal ending.

He will soon find a reincarnated Demon Crown and a mysterious foe from long ago... the one whose selfish actions set up the events leading up to the tragedy with the Red Flowers.

I have the story nearly fully planned out in my head, and I have some pretty great ideas for it as well, but it's an endeavor that would be too daunting to take up alone.

EDIT:

I think Kuro's offer will suffice. I will call on him for help with sprites, artwork, etc. I see no problem in this. Even if by some chance I find that I can no longer depend on him, it will not grievously damage the mod, since the amount of art/sprite work is far less when compared with how much was need for Heaven and Hell.

 

Hmmm... Sounds interesting. I could potentially help with sprites. Any particular art style you're aiming for?

 

Be careful, this is another trap that modders fall into. Having more people with different talents to help you is good, but when you have a handful of people, the project has a decent chance of fizzling out. I'm not saying don't do a collab, I'd just be careful how big you want to make this project.

 

Also nearly everyone severely underestimates the difficulty of delegating work to others and reviewing their output.

Brief advice is to keep your team to the minimum number of people necessary (ie: 2 usually does it) and be very, very careful to bring the right people on.

For anyone reading this, this is what I've taken away from putting together teams:
- Talent does not ensure that a team member will be productive or a good fit.
- Bringing on personal friends by virtue that they are friends rarely, if ever, ends well.
- Look for someone with proven work ethic and a track record of helping others. A history of nothing but one-man projects only shows that they are excellent at working by themselves.

 

Also nearly everyone severely underestimates the difficulty of delegating work to others and reviewing their output.

Brief advice is to keep your team to the minimum number of people necessary (ie: 2 usually does it) and be very, very careful to bring the right people on.

For anyone reading this, this is what I've taken away from putting together teams:
- Talent does not ensure that a team member will be productive or a good fit.
- Bringing on personal friends by virtue that they are friends rarely, if ever, ends well.
- Look for someone with proven work ethic and a track record of helping others. A history of nothing but one-man projects only shows that they are excellent at working by themselves.

Thank you for this advice. I will keep it in mind.

 

I mean, look at Jenka's Nightmare, widely heralded as one of the greatest mods created. It was a collaboration project.

It was? I thought it was all a solo effort by Shmitz until he dropped it, and then Doors and ZT picked it up (indivicually) without really consulting Shmitz.

 

It was? I thought it was all a solo effort by Shmitz until he dropped it, and then Doors and ZT picked it up (indivicually) without really consulting Shmitz.

The credits for every iteration I've seen say "ZarroTzu and Shmitz" so I'd presume it was a collaboration between the two.

 

It's not

 

The credits for every iteration I've seen say "ZarroTzu and Shmitz" so I'd presume it was a collaboration between the two.

As I said in my post, it was started by Shmitz but then Shmitz abandoned it (and left the forums), so ZT decided to finish it on his own, despite not having any part it its original creation. There was never any collaboration between the two, as far as I'm aware.

 

As I said in my post, it was started by Shmitz but then Shmitz abandoned it (and left the forums), so ZT decided to finish it on his own, despite not having any part it its original creation. There was never any collaboration between the two, as far as I'm aware.

Then why have I seen other version of Jenka's Nightmare that still say "ZarroTzu and Shmitz"?

EDIT:

Specifically, I've seen one crappy version made by some random guy that starts out "Smitz and ZarroTzu Present..."

Also, zxin's version starts the same way.

 

Then why have I seen other version of Jenka's Nightmare that still say "ZarroTzu and Shmitz"?

EDIT:

Specifically, I've seen one crappy version made by some random guy that starts out "Smitz and ZarroTzu Present..."

Also, zxin's version starts the same way.

Because it's crediting both of them??? Sure, it seems like it may be a collab due to the wording, but people have told you it's not several times; ergo, it's just to give credit to both of them, and they didn't work on it together.

That's not that hard to understand.

 

Because it's crediting both of them??? Sure, it seems like it may be a collab due to the wording, but people have told you it's not several times; ergo, it's just to give credit to both of them, and they didn't work on it together.

That's not that hard to understand.

Alright, no need to be rude. Let's end this discussion seeing as it has nothing to do with the topic. Now.

 

I'd offer to help out, but you don't really have much of a track record (good or bad), and I'm already a part of probably too many projects.

 

I would be happy to assist in consulting or really anything I suppose. like hate9 I don't have much of a track record but I have a decent amount of skills which I could use to assist you.
keep in mind I myself am also working on a project of my own that I would also like to dedicate time and effort to, but I can still take time to help you.

 

Alright, no need to be rude. Let's end this discussion seeing as it has nothing to do with the topic. Now.

Seems like it was pretty on-topic to me, since you listed it as an example of a successful collaboration project.

Interestingly enough, collab mod projects are the most likely to fail here, at least from what I've seen in the past 5 years or so. They never seem to be able to get past the planning stage, or even push out a demo.

 

Seems like it was pretty on-topic to me, since you listed it as an example of a successful collaboration project.

Interestingly enough, collab mod projects are the most likely to fail here, at least from what I've seen in the past 5 years or so. They never seem to be able to get past the planning stage, or even push out a demo.

Hmm... I think what I'm going for here is less "collaboration" and more, "I do the grunt work, you do the art because I suck at it."

 

You mean a collab?

 

As far as I'm aware, Doors and I are the only ones to have released multiple demos of a collab mod on the forums. Our mod is definitely the only one currently in development for sure. Given this experience, let me tell you: it doesn't work. You've really gotta find the perfect partner to pull it off. Most importantly, you will never get anywhere if you look for a partner before you start working. It wasn't until about a year into development that I joined Doors on his mod. If you need a specific thing done for you, ask someone. But don't expect anyone to take on a permanent position as your partner. It really just does not work at all.

 

As far as I'm aware, Doors and I are the only ones to have released multiple demos of a collab mod on the forums. Our mod is definitely the only one currently in development for sure. Given this experience, let me tell you: it doesn't work. You've really gotta find the perfect partner to pull it off. Most importantly, you will never get anywhere if you look for a partner before you start working. It wasn't until about a year into development that I joined Doors on his mod. If you need a specific thing done for you, ask someone. But don't expect anyone to take on a permanent position as your partner. It really just does not work at all.

The problem is how rude people are when you ask for anything around here, even with work to show for it.

And the people who do decide to try and help are not always the best at what they do, and then the same people who were rude before are rude again criticizing the artwork.

And I say this from experience.

 

Extending on what dunc said... I actually have seen it work first hand. However, it's so rare that it's hardly even worth considering, much less banking on.

I've never gone out searching for a partner and successfully found one. I had one come to me by sheer accident, and he's the only one that has ever worked out so far. There's a team I know (8 of them) that also pulled it off, but they are *quite literally* one in a million.

EDIT: to give some context, when I say "I never found one", I mean I searched for 7 years without success and went through roughly 80 people.