When this section was created, the term modding referred to the creation of mods. These days, it has come to mean just using mods that others have created, and it is getting to the point where even that is too difficult for people, and they need collections.

So what replaces the term? What is the process of mod authoring called now? Most of the alternatives I have seen make it hard to separate us from the original game creators, and where do people like Virtuos fit in? Is Oblivion Remastered a mod or a new game?

I think in terms of mod users (like me) and mod creators (like you).

Oblivion Remastered is, in my mind, a little better than terms used for similar endeavors (Diablo II Resurrected, Baldur's Gate II Enhanced Edition). I don't think it's a new game or a mod - so 'remastered' seems to work.

I have no idea. I'm still new at this.



Virtuos is an actual studio, right? Anonymous writers at Wikipedia calls Virtuos a "video game development company". I just read about them the other day.

They're not a bunch of modders (mod-makers, whatever) who have organized as a team, they are a company just like Beth. They deal with taxes. They might be public on the market, and so on.



I don't know. Not a mod and not a new game. But it's also not just a remaster, right? More like a reboot.

Also, Bethesda worked in tandem with Virtuos, Virtuos did not do this on their own entirely. And I'm going to assume Beth had to work with Virtuos to some extent. Because Beth has access to all the hardcoded stuff.

So, for instance: is the A-bomb gone from Oblivion Remastered? We don't need to reset it anymore? From what I understand, no modder has been able to remove this entirely from the game. But Beth themselves could, right?

I just googled that: Is the A-bomb removed from Oblivion Remastered? and nothing recent came up. Everything I'm seeing are old Reddit threads and so on.

*Renee sits down and sips her caramel Frappuccino*

This is interesting. I am quite new to modding compared to most of you here (merely three years or so), but I was talking to someone who's been using mods for Oblivion when the game just came out, then had a hiatus of a decade and recently returned to gaming with mods. He was surprised to find the opposite. In his mind, the way he remembered it from the Naughties (the 00 decade, years 2000-2009), "modding" referred to the usage of mods, so he called himself a "modder" while he never made a single mod in his life. Now he was surprised to discover this title stripped from him, he is now being called "user". There is a distinction between "mod authors" = "modders" and "mod users" = <fill in your experience here>. Of course mod authors can also be mod users, and usually are, but the term "mod user" refers to someone using a mod of someone else's making.
Considering that Ghastley's understanding is the opposite, I think it is safe to say that everything is properly convoluted now!

Where's the OP?

Way, way back when I was young, I originally thought modder referred to those who created mods. I was just a gamer who used them. Gradually, very gradually, the term modder, I realized, began to be used more and more to also refer to mod users. It’s been awhile, but I still get confused at times when people talk about being a modder. Are you a creator or a user?

On the strength of three little mods I created for Morrrowind I call myself a modder, but really, I’m more of a mod collector.

Looks like the old guard here remembers when you had to make your own mods, so "modding" meant creating. If you got into it post-Nexus, then it would mean downloading and using. There is probably a new meaning that captures the ability to add a new mod to a downloaded collection.

I think some of the inconsistency with the term arises from the way mods don't just build on the base game, but other mods. It's not unusual for Unofficial xxx Patch to be a pre-requisite for a mod. And there are a number of frameworks for animation and asset distribution that also form a common layer that other mod creators use.

We may be past the point where simple terms like "modder" can have any precision.

Weird question to think about. I use mods, and occasionally make simple small mods, but I don’t condsider myself a “modder”. Maybe the distinction lies with actually making mods and then sharing them?

Oh nice! What's an example of a small mod you've made?

I’ve done a bunch of simple things. Starting with Morrowind years ago, I made a simple trade house on the little peninsula across from Arrille’s that sold goods from Solstheim. I also completely redecorated Hlormaren stronghold to my tastes to serve as a player home after clearing it out. Also did some smaller weapons tweaks. I don’t have a lot of experience outside Morrowind but I have dabbled in simple texture alterations for both Oblivion and Fallout 4.

Brenna wearing a black version of the quilted doublet
With some help from Subbie, I was able to make the doublet, skirt, and shoes into their own unique items using modified versions of the Bethesda originals. It was a decent amount of work, and I don’t remember much about the process beyond altering the textures.

Couldn’t find any pics from my work in Fallout 4 but it was really just simple palette swaps and such.