Bethesda Softworks - Creation Club @ PC Gamer

PC Gamer reports that some modders like Bethesda's new creation club:

Top Fallout 4 and Skyrim modders weigh in on Bethesda's Creation Club

How Bethesda's paid mods program differs from Steam's, and why three top modders like it.

The Creation Club was Bethesda’s most contentious E3 announcement. A follow-up to Valve’s failed paid mods program, the Creation Club will allow third-party developers, including modders, to create sanctioned add-on content for Fallout 4 and Skyrim: Special Edition. This content will be sold through in-game marketplaces for Creation Club Credits, which can be purchased via Steam.

The short version is that it’s paid mods. Bethesda insists that the Club isn’t paid mods, but it is. Crucially, it’s also a dramatically improved version of paid mods. Many questions remain unanswered, but we do know that Bethesda will screen applicants, curate Club content and optimize everything themselves to prevent conflict between mods. Club content must also be original, meaning existing mods won’t suddenly cost money. Perhaps most importantly, Bethesda says “there will still be plenty of free mods as well.”

Assuming Bethesda follows through on these rules, the Club could actually be a positive development for modding. It’s not perfect; as our own Chris Livingston wrote, Club content would be better off free, with the store itself acting as a way to promote the best mods and compensate talented modders. In any case, it is a rare opportunity for modders to profit off their passion.
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Thanks henriquejr!

More information.

Todd desperately trying to monetize modding so he can sit on his ass more As if radiant garbage and vegetation algorithms weren't enough. Bethesda is really butchering the art aspect of RPG design and making it automated industrial rubbish.

The article answered some doubts I had:

1) Existing mods will still be free;

2) As a corollary from the assertment above, total conversion mods (e.g. Enderal) will be free because they "(..) essentially build a new game out of an existing engine, so they wouldn’t mesh with existing Fallout 4 and Skyrim save files. To offer them via the Creation Club, Bethesda would have to sacrifice compatibility, which they’ve trumpeted from the get-go.";

3) Modders who don't choose to take part in the Creation Club can still make free mods, if they want to. In other words, it *seems* Bethesda won't mess, harm or sue modders who prefer to keep doing mods for free. Of course, regarding this topic, only time will tell how will Bethesda actually behave themselves.

But some serious doubts still persist, mainly, how modders will get paid.

Most of the comments seem positive. It will be interesting to see how well this works out.

I suspect it depends a bit on adoption rate. If the rate is high Bethesda will likely behave differently then if it is low.

My main criticism is that the approved mods appear very limited in scope. You can mod a new hat into the game (Oh boy!), but can't add a building to a town. You can add a new quest, maybe, but don't change the UI at all.

Add a new weapon, but be sure it's not cooler or more powerful than the existing weapons. No special effects etc.

Originally Posted by luj1
Bethesda is really butchering the art aspect of RPG design and making it automated industrial rubbish.

This! They make loads of money but their games become more and more mainstreamed and dumbed down. I didn't even look twice at Fallout 4 and I fear the worst for the next ES.

Let's hope CDPR holds up the flame and doesn't go down the same route with Cyberpunk.

The only certainty of this entire thing is that Bethesda is now charging gamers for mods that would have been free in the past. This is supposed to be ok because Bethesda is supposedly going to pay modders part of the fees that Bethesda collects.

But Bethesda has yet to say anything about how much Bethesda will pay the modders. Bethesda has only talked about Bethesda getting paid.

Please Bethesda, tell the public and the modders how much you plan to pay the miodders and how that amount compares to the amount Bethesda will collect for the modder's work.

Follow the money.

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wtf MMOgamer/phoneGamer?

An article from the site that shifted it's content to 80-90% about MMOs, site that crowned MGS5 bundled MMO scamware with GOTY instead of TW3, site that doesn't dare to call grinding as such but is trying to confuse the audience with statements like "theme park" and "immersive sim" that mean nothing, etc.
This is plain wrong:

The short version is that it’s paid mods. Bethesda insists that the Club isn’t paid mods, but it is.

If Beth likes someone's idea then they'll invest $ in the project, this project has so called milestones so they can track it's progress, and in return they'll offer it at some price.
While mods are being created without asking if Bethesda likes them and without set release date and definetly without Beth's $, Creation Club is outsourced DLC.

The process is different from modding - and this is not mods we're talking about here.
Bethesda is right, it's not mods and it's not paid mods either.
That's why mods, products Beth never invested a dime in, will remain free.

I didn't really have a strong opinion on this either way for various reasons. But this article did the opposite of its intended purpose and turned me against this idea because of this:

This content will be sold through in-game marketplaces for Creation Club Credits, which can be purchased via Steam.

I hate when any game adds real world stuff that lives inside the game. Major turn-off and just kills immersion. The game should be a completely self-contained little universe.

If the market place is something you reach at the main menu - that's fine. But if its like you go to Diamond City or the market in Whiterun and there is a vendor there selling mods - that is completely lame. If that's the plan I can only hope it is an optional download to use this feature. Otherwise it will suck. At least they aren't touching classic Skyrim.

Time to turn off updates on Steam and go offline to be on the safe side.

I run dual Steam folders, WGD. Things that I want to update go on drive H, things that don't need or I don't want updated go on drive F. Of course, you have to only launch the Steam client that you want, so I label them differently on my desktop…I have 3 or 4 games on H, like 7 Days to Die, which is still in development. The rest are on F and never get updates. I have my standard copy of Skyrim here and the Extended Edition on H.

You're overcomplicating things. Uninstall everything already and keep only 7dtd!