Why are we changing the system?
Our Donation Points system - introduced 6 years ago - uses a pool of money set aside by us each month (most recently ~$325,000) to reward mod authors for sharing their mods with the community. Authors earn Donation Points (DP) which they can exchange for free games, PayPal payments, donations to charity, and other rewards. This system currently uses unique downloads on mod pages to calculate the rewards and has remained unchanged since its inception.
In December 2023, we surveyed all active mod authors on the website to gather their opinions on the system (You might remember a slightly annoying full-page alert. Sorry about that!). Most of you said you were reasonably happy with the system but there were some key themes in what you didn't like about it which helped inform our decisions here.
As we see it, the overall impact of the Donation Points system has been a huge net positive for the modding community - with thousands of authors sharing in our success at Nexus Mods, on top of any donations they get directly from their fans.
It's not all blue skies and rainbows though. Over the years we've seen a steady culture change in the community which has seen many users alter how they release mods to maximise DP at the expense of the overall experience for the users of their content. While this might be good in the short term for the uploader, it's having a long-term detrimental effect on the community as a whole. Of the ~4,000 responses to our DP survey, this was by far the largest issue mod authors had with the system, and we agree.
We've classified these behaviours into a few key problem areas:
- Mod splitting - Breaking mods down into as many smaller parts as possible to post each part on a separate mod page where there is almost no reason to do so other than to maximise DP.
- Reposting updates - Creating a new mod page for each major (or minor) update to a mod. We understand that there are some legitimate concerns around the visibility of updated mod pages, but this is not a good solution. It's particularly bad for users who track your mod page to know when it has been updated.
- Mod list "stuffing" - Creating lots of small mods on separate pages and adding them to a mod list, meaning that each time the list is downloaded a significant amount of DP is generated. Generally, these files could all be on a single page (or bundled with the list) and represent almost no value to the game community outside of the mod list. This wasn't causing a major drain on DP going to other authors but we feel earning DP this way is simply not fair, appropriate or right and we want to stop it.
- Quid-pro-quo in mod lists - While less common, there were a few recorded instances of the curators of popular mod lists approaching mod authors and offering to include mods in the Collection/Wabbajack list/etc in exchange for a cut of the Donation Points from all the extra downloads it will generate. Similar to the above, this didn't have a huge impact on the overall DP pools but is not something that we feel is fair to others.
- Botnet farming - Using large numbers of throwaway accounts to generate a disproportionate amount of downloads on otherwise unpopular mods to generate more DP.
We hope you'll agree that none of these things benefit the community and that often these behaviours direct rewards away from other users who have not attempted to manipulate the system. It is not lost on us that this is very much a problem of our own making, which is what we are trying to rectify with these changes. We would also like to highlight that the users doing these things (usually) have no malicious intent and are within the rules of the current system - excluding the botnet issue, obviously.
As part of our efforts to combat these problems, we'll be updating the Donation Points system rules and changing how the system works to better reward users who make awesome content and share it in a great way for the community.
What is changing?
The most important change we're introducing is a new "under the hood" algorithm to calculate how Donation Points are allocated. Currently, we share how we work out mod author rewards each month but - while we generally prefer transparency - we feel that, in this case, showing our workings creates a rewards system that is easier to manipulate and encourages users to tailor their content to maximise Donation Points. With that in mind, we've decided to keep the details of the algorithm hidden going forward. We will also periodically tweak the formula to ensure the distribution remains fair and the most positive contributors to the community are being rewarded appropriately.
As a result of these changes, mod authors in the upper percentile of earners in the current system are likely to see a decrease in their Donation Points and many authors in the middle of the pack may see a small boost in what we give them. The metrics are different now so the exact variation will be unique from one user to the next. One thing we're confident in saying is that anyone who has been engaging in the behaviours we listed earlier will see a decrease in their overall earnings.
We won't be sharing the Donation Points monthly reports for the next few months, but these will return once we've completed the updates to the wallet section of the website required to display the new data.
Donation Points for January, February, and March 2024 will continue to use the old algorithm and you will receive the amounts shown in your Monthly Reports section. These will be added to your wallet in May, June, and July 2024 respectively (as normal).
The new algorithm applies to Donations Points earned from April 2024 onwards, with the first payout due in August 2024. Don't worry, there will be no change or delay to when the rewards hit your wallets.
We're also updating the Donation Points system rules to clarify what is considered abuse of the system and we'll be reaching out privately to the community members that this affects. Mod authors who don't play by the rules will risk having specific mods disqualified from earning points or, in extreme cases, their entire account may be disqualified from earning DP if our new guidelines and warnings are not followed.
What isn't changing?
We remain committed to donating as much as possible to mod authors each month. Our goal is to continue to increase the pool of funds as our site grows, allowing more authors to benefit from this system. We've already shared over $7.5 million in rewards since starting the scheme in 2018.
Since we changed how mod authors get free Premium, we're adding more game keys and exploring additional possibilities for funky extra rewards we can add to the store to let authors get even more our of their DP. If you've got some ideas, let us know on the forums or the feedback board.
We will continue to use the NET90 system - meaning your DP will be added to your wallet 90 days after the end of the month (for example, DP earned in January is calculated in February, then is added to your wallet in April).
How can I ensure I still get a good share of the DP?
Our advice for getting the most out of the new system can be simplified as saying "Make mods that are great for our community and we'll reward you". As authors, there shouldn't be any need to get bogged down in the mechanics of the system anymore. To give you an idea of the kind of behaviours we want to encourage though, here are some top tips:
- Create awesome mod pages - Provide users with a clear description of what your mod does, how to use it and what they can do if they have problems.
- Keep your mods updated - Users love it when they can quickly tell if your mod will work with their game version. Should you not have the time to update your mods, keep your fans informed by updating the mod page or sticky comments.
- Centralise your content - Don't make users browse through loads of mod pages to get to all your similar content. Consider batching together related content. You can still offer multiple individual files on a single page. This is particularly important for compatibility patches!
We know this isn't particularly specific, but that's the point.
I have more questions!
We understand this is a touchy subject and there are bound to be questions which aren't fully answered here. We've added a new Frequently Asked Questions page to cover these over the next few months as we prepare to roll out the new system.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or send a PM to one of our Community Managers if you'd rather talk to us privately.
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A moderator has closed this comment topic for the time beingWe've updated the FAQ to address the main concerns noted from the various places this has been discussed.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you're a mod author and have more questions or feedback, please join us on the Mod Author forums.
Can't wait for an alternative.
Also, 44% is not "almost double".
If this DP change will contribute to this goal, then so be it.
We are all users before anything else, so I guess user experience will always come first.
The fact ya'll aren't, is a giant red flag.
If you guys don't have to be transparent, then we shouldn't have to either when it comes to paid mods.
It should go both ways.
But oh well. As gamers we can't ever have anything nice. So how can I be surprised?
The discussion about it is pointless and so is the argument about missing loyality towards the Nexus and its owner. You bet someone dedicating a lot of passion, time and sharing effort ranging across multiple platforms, to the cause, probably doesn't do that out of disloyality. But that doesn't mean one refuses to accpet free money for nothing, if it literally gets throwen at them.
I said it once, I say it again. Money, or any other compensation in that regard, really shouldn't be the motivator to why we are doing this whole modding madness(both creating and using). The major reason for me is because I love playing games, and I love to fiddle them up to customize the experience. Nobody's perfect after all, not even big game companies. Luckily the Nexus provides decent service and a reliable place to backup my stuff.
If there's one thing this discussion shows then it's there are many reasons why to remove the DP, and there are only a few sane to keep it in place, if your intention really is to push and help the Nexus to stay alive/enable it for creating an even better user experience. Of course, you'd be doing that by giving up some personal benefit. How much discipline and consequence can you manage to bring up in that regard?
What we do want is a less abuseable System that treats those who actually care about their mods get treated fairly
But I can't deny that those systems also brought in many new mod authors willing to spend time to create something original and fun. Maybe their primary motivation is the DP system and money but as long as they don't try to game those systems and screw over other authors I mostly see benefits here.
I'm grateful for DP because it pays for subscriptions to some of the services/tools I use for modding, meaning modding itself doesn't have a net negative cost associated, which it might otherwise. If DP wasn't a thing, I'd either be burning cash monthly and simply wouldn't have or use the tools I do. I'd still mod as much as I do now without it, as it isn't an income, but it does allow me to mod without worrying about how much modding is costing me, and I hope others feel the same.
Additionally, I would guess Nexus also wants to remain competitive in the mod hosting market. Minecraft (Curseforge, Modrinth) and the Sims community have modder reward programs, for example, and it is quite possible that modders could have been drawn away in the future to a competing platform if it promised some sort of fiscal reward (in the absence of one by Nexus).
But you're wrong with the privilege part. Because if you feel having an actual job outside of The Nexus, to provide for my family and live a somewhat wealthy life, is a privilege, you might be doing something wrong when using the DP as foundation to provide your life.
Let's take it to a higher level "employer". Out of the many content creators on YT, how many of them are actually successful enough to provide for a decent life? Like really a sustainable wage that can provide enough money for the rest of your life? Is The Nexus sharing the same amount? Do you manage to generate 1 Billion downloads? Those few mod authors on The Nexus having reached stardom certainly don't base their life wage on DP share. It's a nice bonus and well appreciated, but you really shouldn't turn it into a professional job.
If I'm going professional and make enough money, then why keep doing the wrong thing for money instead of investing into my own company to create a game? And if I'm a game developer why not create the most perfect game I ever wanted? What do I need to spend time on The Nexus and fiddling with mods then?
As a mod author who spends literal months on my works, I hope that the new system will encourage me to do so more of the same.
Much luvv <3
You've released 18 mods in a single month (between Jan 24th and Feb 24th), and you have more of similar mod streaks before that for Hogwarts as well, come on xD
You do have some exceptionally good and unique mods though.
I mean, sure.. When I play a lot, I mod a lot. I'm not saying I dont have mods that took less time than others/were easy for me to make. Or that I dont have mods that are fairly similar in functionality. Only that, I hope the new system encourages modders like me, who are willing to spend a large amount of time on advanced systems, to do so more often.. As the way the system is atm certainly does encourage the release of mutliple smaller mods when possible..
But, compare my what, lets be generous and call it 60 mods in the past 2 years, to some other mod authors 3/4/500+ mods in the past 2/3 years... Clearly there is an issue with some folks putting the absolute minimal amount of work involved in 'creating a mod', or mass posting.. For whatever the reason might be; More DP, increased exposure, whatever other nonsense..
And yes, those people do put as little effort as possible, to get as much DP as possible. Everything for the money. If there was a way to force people to download more - they tried it and utilized it. Now they're very angry =D
@2077v2 I haven't shat on anyone but people who game the system for maximum DP and now are viciously seething at changes. I wonder how long till you part from modding forever. Probably after 3 months when new report comes in and you gained $10 instead of $1000+
As for me talking to Dekita, that's so weird that I "shat" at them, laughed in an obvious friendly manner, and made them a compliment. You're very bright 2077v2, very.
modlists authors arnt allowed to earn DP. but bodyslides presets are?? i found that unfair.
I also don't know if they're downloaded enough to be considered "gaming" the DP system either, though it could be argued some of those do fall into the 'mod splitting' rule.
Our concerns are about mod splitting and mod list "stuffing". In our opinion it is the best for the whole modding community to be able to choose every single part of your game. In an extreme case this means picking single textures. To prevent chaos when using this approach we recommend significantly expanding the collections and dividing them into several layers, e.g. texture collections that are part of another collection.
We actually wanted to make this happen within Fallout 4 modding. But this was before Bethesda broke it once again. Maybe we will come back to this; maybe not. Anyway, here is the full idea of smaller collections, which we call modules:
The Idea
Please note that these modules are to be regarded as suggestions for the modding community. So if you have any suggestions for improvement, you are welcome to make changes. However, we also ask anyone who does this to contact us so that we can discuss the changes and then implement them if necessary. It is a high priority of ours not to cause further chaos on NexusMods. If we find that the modules are not accepted by the community in any way, we will remove them sooner or later.
By splitting a collection into several smaller modules, we hope to achieve the following benefits:
The Structure
Each module title is made up as follows: [ID-LanguageCode] Module Name
The module name logically indicates which mods are included, e.g. "[07b-WW] Power Armor" only contains mods that deal with Power Armor.
The Modules
[00-WW] Base[00a-WW] Tools and Utilities
[00b-WW] Tweaks and (Bug) Fixes
[00c-WW] Controls
[01-WW] Visuals and Graphics[01a-WW] User Interface
[01b-WW] Weather and Lighting
[01c-WW] Animation
[01d-WW] Textures and Models
[01e-WW] Skins
[01f-WW] Gore
[01g-WW] PRP
[02-WW] Audio[02a-WW] Music
[02b-WW] Item Sounds
[02c-WW] Player Sounds
[02d-WW] Battle Sounds
[02e-WW] Voice
[03-WW] Evironment[03a-WW] Vaults and Settlements
[03b-WW] New Lands
[03c-WW] New Locations
[04-WW] Story[04a-WW] Dialogues
[04b-WW] Factions
[04c-WW] Quests
[04d-WW] Books
[05-WW] Gameplay[05a-WW] Immersion
[05b-WW] Perks
[05c-WW] Items
[05d-WW] Collectibles
[05e-WW] Video
[06-WW] Characters[06a-WW] Body
[06b-WW] Face
[06c-WW] Hair
[06d-WW] Companions
[06e-WW] Settlers
[06f-WW] Enemies
[06g-WW] Character Presets
[07-WW] Equipment[07a-WW] Clothing
[07b-WW] Power Armor
[07c-WW] Weapons
[07d-WW] Ammo
[08-WW] Crafting[08a-WW] Settlement Crafting
[08b-WW] Prefabs
[08c-WW] Furniture
[08d-WW] Resources
[08e-WW] Decorations
[08f-WW] Recipes
[09-WW] Miscellaneous[09a-WW] Patches
[09b-WW] Modders Resources
[09c-WW] Tutorials
[09d-WW] Saved Games
We really hope this message finds you all well and that we can make this reality for all games on NexusMods. Please, feel free to optimize our idea even further. We are not fully there yet!
But, yes, that's the idea. We want to perfect it and spread it across NexusMods. As stated above, this is not the case yet. We still see potential to optimize our approach. That's why we are sharing the idea here now instead of just publishing the collections ourself.
Edit: As far as we are concerned, there is no bad blood between Sephrajin and us. It just didn't work out. And we think it's absolutely legitimate not to feel the need to put any more work into a project like this.
Let's help NexusMods to become even greater. For all us.
Looking at your other comments, we think you should start with that first and stop writing negative comments.
We understand that it's easy to get carried away and see your dilemma. But that's exactly why we think it's important that you take the first step.
Nevertheless, this is a good idea. Thank you for the positive words!
We have every right to get pissy at Collectors for exploiting the Download Point system, because it's a closed ecosystem. If you make a patch to fix some minor conflict or to integrate mods, that's all well and good, but you don't deserve an equal amount of reward as the modders who created the mods you're piggybacking off of. I don't care that I get paid like $100 a month, I care that you're a parasite stealing my other $100.
The way the algorithm worked, and the worst offenders were well aware of this, is that it awards mods equally whether they're a patch or not. So for them it became a game of "how do I make a mod that takes the least effort, and sneak it into my collection", which is of course a patch. A lazy, low-effort patch that parasites off of the high-effort mods that people actually want.
I have some news for Collectors: Nobody cares about your collection. They want the mods that are in it. They don't care about you, they're here for us, not you.
Let's look at one of Exo's patches. This should be really impressive, right?
StoryWealth - Raider Overhaul Patch
"Mostly reverts some Leveled List changes and tunes back a lot of the changes to the armors to stay more in line with vanilla, while still
maintaining the vision. "
So you're telling me this patch doesn't even add anything, but REMOVES content from the mod? So it's not so much of a patch, but a mod that takes out content? And you're telling me it's worth the same amount of DP as the Raider Overhaul itself?
IMO patches should be ineligible to gain download points, period. Moderators can take a look at reported collections and see if they're gaming the system by categorizing patches incorrectly. All of the worst offenders here are creating patches, and none of them are giving a share of that to the original modders.
Better yet, make it so that if you make a patch, it must give 90% of that patch's DP to the modders whose works you supposedly care so much about.
Ban 'em all, I say!
And I agree that original mod deserve more do than the patch for it. In some cases I've actually forwarded DP from a patch to the original mod author of which I patched for.
Why isn't it opted in? You should opt it in and give 100% to the original modder.
Also, why only "some" cases? You have something against these modders? You should be giving 90% of your DP to the modders you're scalping off of.
At least pick a mod like his "Vault 28 - eXoPatch" that is opted in for DP, even though the base mod, "Vault 28 - The Absent Ghoul" has its permissions set for "You are not allowed to earn Donation Points for your mods if they use my assets". Does all the DP he generates for this patch go to the original author?
laughs
Btw, the mod page (author) logs never list changes to your DP settings. So, no, they can't see that you "didn't just switch it off".
That doesn't make any sense. There are many broken and abandoned mods on this site that are ONLY usable because of someone else's patch. Most patches make it so two or more mods play nice together, how do you divvy that DP up? If I make a patch it is useless without the original mod so it takes no DP away from the original. On top of that mods that require many patches like ANY mod requiring AWKCR will be massively rewarded for their outdated and abandoned files. I don't think you thought this through. It's a bad idea.
In your opinion, what counts as an "okay" page split and what doesn't? For example, in the SDV community, people may release a new mod that adds forage, followed later by a mod that adds recipes for that forage. Therefore, people who only want the forage can get that, and people who want both can install the two mods together. Does it fall under the issue you're trying to address above, or are we talking more about mods that add much smaller things across different pages?
A big part of our community tends to prefer to have mods split because they like to heavily curate what is included and manicure the interactions between their various mods to not have overlap between multiple sizable mods. I feel like page splitting is necessary in some cases, and may differ from one modding community to another, so some clarification on this would be wonderful!
Also, considering that the current Nexus search limits how mods show up in results doesn't help, I try extremely hard to provide my content in a way that's easy for folks to pick and choose what they want.
It's one thing if it's one additional file, but I have dozens that are optional add ons for a forage mod. They also are completely fine to download WITHOUT the original forage mod, so making them optional on the forage mod page would make users think they have to download one for the others.
To be honest after working for months on mod releases after Stardew updated to 1.6 this makes me anxious that I'm going to get penalized for trying to make things easier for my users.
It's refreshing to see a sensible, legimate concern about the change, instead of the "omg they changed a thing and i hate change and i refuse to understand how this is a good thing and Nexus is being abusive to mod authors help" garbage some people here are spewing.
But I would still say having one mod page and everything under optional files would be better for users, rather than browsing 30 mod pages for that one thing they want... Maybe host a poll to see which option the users would prefer?
It matters if somehow I'm now breaking the rules on Nexus
And I won't know for ...months...if I'm doing the wrong thing ? How is that helpful? I love making mods and now I'm basically going to be anxious for months because Nexus changed the rules and didn't tell me or anyone the details.
How will they determine what is legitimate modsplitting and what is divided up for the sake of convenience and clarity?
I also have always encouraged people who make 3rd party patches to either consolidate on a single page or to contribute them to either us or the other mod page the patch is for so that it's easier for users to find. Search for various pages is a pain, and we have our own nexus tag and it's still difficult having a bunch of random 3rd party patches scattered about.
We don't know how the algorithm is going to work but it might decrease the DP reward from the Atelier Goods mods you posted. To me they seem like parts of one mod posted in several mod pages.
Not dissing you or anything, just honest suggestions. Could they not be included in one FOMOD? If they can I would suggest in doing so. I would think one FOMOD is equally modular as posting it in multiple files and you wont confuse people by posting many files on one mod page. Having one file to download is also easier and more convenient.
Much of the description seem to be the same on the mod pages and what is unique should be able to fit well on one page with proper formatting.
When I open the mod page on your user-profile there is a wall of mods with almost the same names and thumbnails. You have a good name and thumbnail style for Atelier Goods but for me that is difficult to read.
I think it will be better in the long run as well. If you release the mods that way for a while, when users go to check your mods out there wont be so many pages they have to look through. It should also save you time not having to make so many mod pages.
stardew, I definitely prefer to have mods split. I'm usually looking for mods that make specific changes or fit specific themes without overwhelming the base game, and when a mod only has modularity at the file or config level it usually ends up with a vague title that's difficult to search for and often appears large enough to turn me away without looking into its configuration. I appreciate the "mini content pack" setup that a lot of mods have, including some of wildflour's (I downloaded a few of the hxw furniture mods).
Maybe stardew's community is just not the average modding community, but I know I'm not the only player who mods this way.
As a mod user, I'm much less inclined to download a mod that's split into umpteen parts. I'd rather find one that does the same thing but is configurable in-game.
As a mod author, I like to make my mods highly modular and all-in-one for user convenience. Admittedly in the past I did split them, but that was before GMCM. I'm not as much a fan of combining mods when things need to be touched at the file level. But with GMCM, I guess I don't see any reason not to use it to its fullest!
To each their own I suppose, and I didn't realize the search was that bad, so that part makes sense. I'd personally prefer less exposure than to have a ton of mods that do nearly the same thing, but I guess I understand.