Modding isn't quick...is it?

[joemama]

I thought I'd throw this out there...

How much time (from conception to completion) do you spend on:

1) creating a skin (original or fan, from base or from scratch)

2) creating a mesh (from scratch)

3) animating a mesh (from scratch)

4) scripting a single mission for an original mod (not including play/beta testing, and assuming all the characters and maps are done)
    play/beta testing a single mission for an original mod

5) making an original map

I spend about 30 hours on each map (8-10 days total, +/- 3 hrs a day).  Depending on the whole real life thing, that's about a 2-3 week turnaround for me.

*EDIT--at least half of this time is spent finding and tweaking textures.  If I'm only (or mostly) using in-game textures, it only takes 10-12 hours (3-4 days).*


Everybody can't answer everything, and this not a test of speed or question of quality vs. quantity, I'm just wondering how other people pace their work.  Ballpark figures are fine, I'm not asking for a flow-chart or anything like that :P.

I'm only asking because when I first started on the mod-side of this game (FF1, 3-4 years ago), I thought I was going to make this totally cool, epic, 30-mission mod....  Then I thought I was going to make a totally cool mesh....then a totally cool skin....etc. etc.  Within a month or two I was frustrated and gave up modding altogether.  It wasn't until I started modding the Star Wars Jedi Knight series (last year) that I came back to Freedom Force with more realistic goals.

Thanks in advance

JM

PS--big props to the contributors over the years.  If there weren't so many mods to play, I would not have kept up with Freedom Force long enough to get back into modding

[tommyboy]

1. If from scratch means from a base skin, 30minutes to 1 day, but usually a couple of hours (I rush it)
2. If from scratch means you have a male_basic (or whatever) premade, and a premade library of shapes and bits, 3 hours to three days. Without those, about a week to a month, assuming 5-10 hour days.
3. If from scratch means every single animation, about 1 to 6 hours per anim, multiplied by 20-30 animations in a keyframe set
4. Using EZscript (which I'm still learning), about half a day, but should get quicker as I learn. Using Python (which I still havent learned) 2-5 days.
5. In Max? Haven't ever finished one that worked. In the Editor? Never doe a wholly original one, but tweaking a premade one? One to eight hours depending on how many objects I add, but I tend to pick ones that are pretty close to what I want, and adjust the Mod to the Map, rather than vice versa.

[Lunarman]

1) 2/3 hours at least

2) never done it before, so I can't say

3) as above

4) 2 hours if you're not trying anything you've done before

5) 1 hour or so assuming there's no texturing

you missed out the biggest job though, Datting! Adding stuff to dat files and organizing folders is the longest bit of modding. I normally spend 4/5 hours on that.

[Previsionary]

1) When I skinned, I usually spent 1-4 hours on a single skin. However, I was never really that good, so...*envies syn, rev, ips, UE, AA, and other's superior skinning abilities.*

2) Meshes...human based/character based...a few days (yet i never released any. :P) Object meshes, depending on complexity, half hour- 2 hours.

3) Object meshes...half hour to a few hours depending on how many different designs i go through and what I'm aiming for.

4) Scripting...on good days, 10-30 minutes, on bad days, 15- 70 minutes. Of course it all depends on what I'm shooting for and how much pre-work I've done via FFEdit/Dialogue wise.

5) I've never really gotten into the mapping aspect because it doesnt really appeal to me. I'll just rely on those awesome map makers and tweek their work, within reason, to fit my needs. :P

[Epimethee]

1) creating a skin: Since I skin about once every two years, around 12-36 hours.

4) scripting a single mission for an original mod (not including play/beta testing, and assuming all the characters and maps are done): Again, little experience, but for the "simplistic quick botched plotless demo mod" I once did, it was a shore – getting cutscenes exactly as I wanted them was pure hell. I cannot not include testing, since it was at least 95% of the work, so I'd say between 15-50 hours. It felt easier learning how to script FFX than doing mods.

Conclusion 1: Slow and perfectionist together is a sad mix. :P

Conclusion 2: EZScript is A Good Thing(tm).

[Tomato]

I know this defeats the purpose of this thread (which I suspect it for modders) but having everyone post their times is interesting

1) Ends up taking a week or so, but the work is probably only about 6 hours. I get distracted relatively easily, and I'm incredibly lazy.

[joemama]

Thanks for the feedback.

Tomato:
No purpose here, just curious.  (And you're not easily distracted, you just have a diverse range of interests!)
I don't work on FF stuff every day, either.  I have to travel for work, so I usually only do FF stuff 3 (maybe 4) days a week, usually after jr. goes to bed.


I knew animations took a long but, jeez, Tommy, IPS, and the many others have my respect!

I guess I must have sucked at skinning!  It took me forever to get just one part of the skin the way I liked it.  Maybe I'm like Epimethee:

Slow and perfectionist together is a sad mix.

...

...naaah!  I just sucked at it


I have to admit that, as far as maps go, I obsess too much over finding/creating the perfect texture.  The last couple maps I've done have used in-game textures extensively and that has cut production time quite a bit.  Plus, I'm still learning, so I expect (hope) to get more efficient as I get more experience. 

JM


PS--
I hope this thread doesn't scare people away from modding!  Sure it's work....but it's FUN work!

[lugaru]

All I do is skin and it usually takes me an hour (and it shows!). Yeah, still there's people like c6 who run circles around me while putting out work that's 15 times better (it would be 60 times better but I cheat and use his base skins!).

[HumanTon]

I just make new maps using Irrational's objects. Even so, doing from-the-ground-up map like Castle Assault is probably 10 hours: placing every garbage can, manhole, lamp post, fire escape, etc. is very time consuming. Which is probably why it's been so long since I put out a new map.  :P

Maybe 2/3 of that time is testing and then going back and tweaking. It's easy to place a bunch of buildings and spawn markers and then discover the enemies do nothing but run into a corner when you play!

I also fool around with some things that some others do not, e.g. the lighting and, these days, EZScript markers.