Tag: mods

Countergaming Mods in Fallout 4

Given the nature of counterculture games, it can be difficult to find mods for “normal” games that encapsulate the essence of counterculture. This is because counterculture games subvert an original game’s framework and tone, which can lead to the original game being barely recognizable or even playable. Thankfully, not every counterculture mod is as hard to play as JODI’s Untitled. Although originally intended for counter-cinema, Peter Wollen’s theses can be applied to countergaming as well. In addition to providing specific characteristics of countergaming, Wollen’s theses open up the possibilities for what could be considered countergaming. This is seen in the description of countergaming as “foregrounding”, “reality”, and “unpleasure.” (Galloway 110) Based on these characteristics, a mod that breaks the fourth wall could be considered an example of countergaming. This is because fourth wall breaking is upfront (foregrounding), breaks immersion (unpleasure), and causes the player to face the fictitiousness of the game (reality).

There are a wide variety of mods that break the fourth wall. While there are some that are more complex, these are not as common or plentiful as those that simply replace or add un-immersive assets to games. Due to the intention of many of these mods being comical, often the replacement or addition is from a source with an opposite tone of the game. For example, the Buzz Lightyear paladin armor mod for post-apocalyptic open world game Fallout 4 is inspired by the titular character from the children’s film Toy Story.

There is also the mod that replaces the death sound with the iconic clip of Steve Carell’s character shouting “No” from the sitcom The Office.

Other mods are even more upfront about their breaking of the fourth wall, such as a t-shirt which openly references itself as a mod, or the one that proclaims it’s immersiveness despite not being so at all. There are also those that refer to real world individuals, such as the Nicolas Cage paintings mod (which has echoes of Velvet-Strike’s plastering of off-putting images). While these examples are not as grand as some of the more ambitious mods for Fallout 4, they still hold importance as representatives of countergaming culture.

Fallout 4 is available for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

“Buzz Lightyear Paladin Danse.”  Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/3579.

Galloway, Alexander R. “Countergaming.” Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture. University of Minnesota Press, 2006. PDF.

“The Most Immersive Shirts Ever.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/14989/.

“Nicolas Cage Paintings.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/1687.

“Peaceful Fatigues.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/14874.

“Steve Carell shouting NOO – Death sound replacer.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/2384.

Modders & Creators: Who’s the parasite?

The modding of the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim offers a unique opportunity to observe all three types of modding as described by Anne-Marie Schleiner. As described by Schleiner in “Game Modding: Cross-Over Mutation and Unwelcome Gifts”, modders have a parasitic relationship with game designers which comes in three forms. The first one, “noise in the system”, exists purely to disrupt the intended experience of a game. (36) We see this in Skyrim mods that radically change the tone of the game from serious to comical, like the much beloved dragon to Thomas the Tank engine conversion mod. While this is perhaps the most famous example, other mods take it even further, such as one that overhauls the game’s graphics to give it the feel of a Pixar movie. There are also plenty of examples of the second parasite type of “biological infiltration”, meaning a change of the core gameplay. (ibid) Over the years a plethora of mechanic mods of been created, ranging from role playing additions like more complex religions to converting combat to resemble that of Dark Souls. The third type of parasite is one which Schleiner describes as one which takes advantage of and feeds off the wealth of the game creators. In the case of Skyrim, however, there’s a twist.

In the years following its release, the relationship between Skyrim’s modders and creators fit Schleiner’s description to a T. Bethesda generously gifted modders the wealth of resources that is the Creation Kit. It was a typical example of “a symbiosis of reciprocal, circular, cultural gift-giving.” (37) With the resources shared by Bethesda, modders fixed un-addressed bugs, created new lands, and updated graphics, just to name a few. This lush modding community also lured in new players for years after the game’s initial release, extending its lifespan and popularity more than many other games. I myself first played and fell in love with Skyrim in 2018, 7 years after it’s original release. Modders found that they had turned the tables on their so-called parasitic relationship with the game’s creators. In 2017 Bethesda released the Creation Club, a collection of paid mods for Skyrim and Fallout 4. This marked a turning point. Now it is the creator who is obtaining wealth from the modders in the form of both inspiration and producers (several pieces of Creation Club content were made by well-known Skyrim modders). While this new development in the modder-creator relationship has come with some controversy, it’s was not totally unexpected. Mods have kept older games relevant and interesting to new and old audiences for decades. It was only a matter of time before creators attempted to reap the wealth they sowed by gifting modders the power to alter digital creations. 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is available on Steam and for Xbox and PlayStation.

Sources

“ASO – Artistic Skyrim Overhaul.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/81221.

Bethesda Creation Club, https://creationclub.bethesda.net/en.

Burger, Charles. “Skyrim: 12 Creation Club Mods That Are Worth It.” GameRant, Nov 2, 2021. https://gamerant.com/skyrim-creation-club-mods-worth-arent/.

“Dark Souls Combat System SE by TheDriedFinger.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/28567.

Evans, Liam. “Did Bethesda’s Creation Club Live Up to the Hype?” CBR.com, Jul 6, 2021. https://www.cbr.com/bethesda-creation-club-skyrim-fallout-controversial/.

“Locations – New.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/categories/89/.

“Models and Textures.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/categories/29/.

“Really Useful Dragons.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/48593/.

Schleiner, Anne-Marie. “Game Modding: Cross-Over Mutation and Unwelcome Gifts.” The Player’s Power to Change the Game. Amsterdam University Press, 2017.

“Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/266.

“Wintersun – Faiths of Skyrim.” Nexus Mods, https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/22506.

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