Modding in Space Engineers 2 - Steam Workshop

Raidfire shared this feedback 10 days ago
Completed

Keen Software House has recently revealed new details about Space Engineers 2, including the significant decision to drop Steam Workshop support in favor of exclusively using Mod.io for modding. This change has sparked widespread concern and dissatisfaction within the modding community, and it’s important to outline why the Steam Workshop has been essential for modders and why the removal of this platform could lead many to cease modding entirely.


The Importance of Steam Workshop

The Steam Workshop has been the backbone of modding for Space Engineers since its inception. It offers a seamless, user-friendly interface that is deeply integrated with the Steam platform. Here are the key reasons why modders are committed to the Steam Workshop:


Ease of Use:

  1. The Steam Workshop makes uploading, updating, and managing mods incredibly straightforward. Modders can publish their creations with minimal effort and provide updates quickly and efficiently.
  2. For players, subscribing to a mod through Steam automatically downloads and keeps it up to date, ensuring a hassle-free experience when adding mods to their worlds.

Integrated Functionality:


  1. Space Engineers’ current system allows players to directly access and add mods to their worlds through the in-game menu, thanks to the Steam Workshop integration. This level of convenience is unparalleled and has become a standard expectation for modders and players alike.


Community Ecosystem:


  1. The Steam Workshop fosters a vibrant community where modders can showcase their work, receive feedback, and collaborate with others. This ecosystem has been a critical factor in the thriving modding scene for Space Engineers.


Concerns with Mod.io

While Mod.io was introduced to enable mod support for console users, it has significant drawbacks that make it less appealing for the existing modding community:


Complexity and Limitations:


  1. Mod.io’s interface is less intuitive compared to the Steam Workshop, and its workflow often involves additional steps that can be cumbersome for modders.
  2. Many modders report frustration with Mod.io’s tools and lack of integration, which makes managing mods a more tedious and time-consuming process.

Lack of Choice:


  1. Previously, Mod.io was an optional platform for modders who wanted to share their work with console players. Forcing all modders to transition to Mod.io removes their ability to choose the platform that works best for them and their audience.

Community Disconnection:


  1. The Steam Workshop is home to an established and active modding community. Moving exclusively to Mod.io fragments this community, making it harder for modders and players to connect and collaborate.

Concerns with Monetization on Mod.io

Mod.io supports the monetization of modders’ content, which introduces several potential issues for the Space Engineers 2 community:


Shift in Motivation:

  1. In Space Engineers 1, modders create content purely out of passion for the game and the joy of creation. This altruistic motivation has fostered a thriving community that values collaboration and creativity over profit.
  2. Introducing monetization could shift the primary motivation for modders from creativity to financial gain. This change risks undermining the spirit of the community and could lead to less collaborative and more competitive dynamics among modders.

Financial Barriers for Users:


  1. Currently, all mods on the Steam Workshop for Space Engineers 1 are free to use. If monetization becomes prevalent on Mod.io, players may need to pay to access mods, creating a financial barrier that limits access to user-generated content.
  2. This change could alienate a significant portion of the player base, particularly those who cannot afford to spend extra money on mods or who are accustomed to the free modding ecosystem.

Quality vs. Profit:

  1. Monetization could incentivize quantity over quality, with some modders prioritizing profit-driven content over well-crafted and innovative creations. This shift could degrade the overall quality of mods available to the community.

Impact on Modding:

  1. The forced transition to Mod.io risks alienating the very community that has been instrumental in the success of Space Engineers. Many modders have expressed that they are unwilling to continue creating content under these new conditions. Here’s why:

Increased Frustration and Workload:

  1. The additional challenges posed by Mod.io discourage modders from investing their time and energy into creating content. The ease and efficiency provided by the Steam Workshop cannot be overstated in maintaining motivation and enthusiasm within the community.

Loss of a Proven System:

  1. Modders have spent years building their workflows around the Steam Workshop. Removing this option forces them to adapt to a system they view as inferior, with no guarantee of similar success or satisfaction.

A Plea to Keen Software House

We understand the desire to expand modding support to console players through Mod.io, but we urge Keen Software House to reconsider the decision to completely remove Steam Workshop support. Allowing both platforms to coexist would:


Preserve the established workflows and community dynamics that have made Space Engineers modding so successful.


Provide modders with the freedom to choose the platform that best suits their needs.


Ensure that the transition to Space Engineers 2 builds on the strong foundation laid by its predecessor, rather than alienating the community that has been instrumental to its success.


Modding has been a cornerstone of Space Engineers’ longevity and appeal. By maintaining support for the Steam Workshop alongside Mod.io, Keen Software House can ensure that this vibrant and creative community continues to thrive in Space Engineers 2.

Replies (11)

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The Steam Workshop is a very nice place to work. Easy to find mods, easy to manage them, no insane censors blocking works like cockpit. I know Keen wants to encourage more modders to upload mods for console but I dont think forcing Modio on everyone is the right way to do it. Its more likely to just drive away allot of modders.

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I'm only going to address a few points, since those are the ones that are misleading, inaccurate, or straight up wrong.


Ease of Use.

1. "The Steam Workshop makes uploading, updating, and managing mods incredibly straightforward. Modders can publish their creations with minimal effort and provide updates quickly and efficiently."

The Steam Workshop does not make uploading or updating mods straightforward. It in fact provides no tooling to do so. The provided/official way is to fire up SE, go to the Load Game Screen, in to the settings for a save, and then in to the mod list for that save. From there you have the ability to "publish" mods, but it is never made clear that it is also how you update them too.

This workflow isn't provided by Steam, Steam doesn't provide one. While there are community tools, they are just that... community made.

Additionally the Steam Workshop has odd and completely unexplained restrictions like the thumbnail size limit of 1MB. And the thumbnail itself is a part of how un-straightforward managing your steam mods are. You can't update the thumbnail through the workshop interface. Nope, its a part of the mod itself and needs to be changed via updating the *entire mod*. ie firing up SE, going in the load game screen, etc


Integrated Functionality:

1. "Space Engineers’ current system allows players to directly access and add mods to their worlds through the in-game menu, thanks to the Steam Workshop integration. This level of convenience is unparalleled and has become a standard expectation for modders and players alike."

You can do that with mod.io in SE. It's not a Steam Workshop thing. mod.io is a first class citizen within SE and has all the same features within the game. ie this entire point is moot.


Community Ecosystem:

1. "The Steam Workshop fosters a vibrant community where modders can showcase their work, receive feedback, and collaborate with others. This ecosystem has been a critical factor in the thriving modding scene for Space Engineers."

>fosters a vibrant community

Like where most of the big mods/frameworks have disabled comments on their pages, and require you join their Discord for help and feedback?

Or where many other games known for their modding and don't use the Steam Workshop have vibrant and thriving modding communities?


Lack of Choice:

1. Previously, Mod.io was an optional platform for modders who wanted to share their work with console players. Forcing all modders to transition to Mod.io removes their ability to choose the platform that works best for them and their audience.

You mean like SE with the Steam Workshop for the first.. how many years was it? well SE was out on Steam for seven years before the first console release, admittedly neither got mod/workshop support immediately. Which actually leads on to the next point: fragmentation.


Community Disconnection:

1. The Steam Workshop is home to an established and active modding community. Moving exclusively to Mod.io fragments this community, making it harder for modders and players to connect and collaborate.

We already have fragmentation because of the two workshops in SE. Pick one - lack of choice. Have two - fragmentation.

Choice in this kind of situation leads to fragmentation. I get arguing for one or the other, but these last two points (which are one after the other in your post) are diametrically opposed to each other.

Heck, this disconnection from Steam means that.. it's not tied to Steam. This will mean that Keen isn't.. tied to Steam, should they ever want to release SE2 on other platforms. Oh wait this happened with SE and they needed to add mod.io support for those other platforms. And this caused fragmentation.


I'm not even going to touch on monetization since it's a system that is entirely on Keen to implement, and they haven't said anything about it. Heck, they have barely said anything about mod.io at all and people are getting up in arms about it.

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Thank you for your detailed reply. I’d like to address your points to clarify why many of us in the modding community remain committed to the Steam Workshop and why we are concerned about transitioning exclusively to Mod.io.

Ease of Use:

  • While it's true that Steam Workshop integration in Space Engineers isn't perfect, the existing workflow has become familiar to many modders. You’re correct that the official method involves using the in-game menu to upload and update mods, which isn't ideal. However, community tools have evolved to fill these gaps and streamline the process. These tools, though unofficial, are widely adopted and demonstrate the modding community’s resilience and preference for the Steam ecosystem.
  • The issue with Mod.io isn't necessarily that it's harder to use, but that it introduces a completely new workflow that many experienced modders will have to adapt to. Transitioning to Mod.io disrupts well established practices and forces modders to rebuild workflows they’ve honed over years of using the Steam Workshop. The frustration isn’t just about change it’s about losing an ecosystem we’ve built around and integrated deeply into our modding practices.

Integrated Functionality:

  • Yes, Mod.io has functionality within the game, but it doesn't provide the same level of convenience and familiarity as the Steam Workshop for many PC modders. The Steam Workshop’s integration with Steam itself where users can easily browse, subscribe to mods, and see updates through the Steam client is a significant advantage. Mod.io lacks this external integration, which many users and modders find valuable for discovery and management.

Community Ecosystem:

  • The Steam Workshop’s ecosystem has indeed evolved over time. While some larger mods and frameworks direct users to Discord for feedback and support, this isn’t an inherent flaw of the Workshop but rather a choice by those creators. The Workshop still serves as a central hub for browsing, discovering, and initially interacting with mods.
  • Comparing Space Engineers to other games that don’t use Steam Workshop doesn’t negate the success that this community has had with it. Other games have their own ecosystems, but that doesn’t mean switching ecosystems is automatically better for Space Engineers.

Lack of Choice and Fragmentation:

  • The concern about choice leading to fragmentation is valid, but the context here matters. Previously, modders had the choice between Steam Workshop and Mod.io. Many opted to stick with the Workshop because it fit their needs and aligned with their workflows. By removing Steam Workshop, that choice is eliminated, and the transition becomes a forced one. This doesn’t solve fragmentation it forces consolidation at the cost of alienating modders who prefer the current system.
  • Moreover, the fragmentation argument applies more to the player base than the modding community. Modders will typically use the tools that align with their audience. Removing Steam Workshop could lead to some modders leaving altogether, thus reducing content availability for players. The result is fewer mods and potentially a diminished experience for users who are accustomed to the rich modding ecosystem Space Engineers currently enjoys.

Monetization:

  • While Keen hasn’t confirmed monetization for Mod.io, it remains a concern because Mod.io has the capability built into its platform. The worry isn’t baseless it’s a preemptive concern based on the platform’s features and potential directions. Monetization could shift the modding community’s focus from passion-driven creation to profit-driven competition, which risks undermining the collaborative and innovative spirit that has defined Space Engineers modding.
  • Additionally, introducing monetization could alienate players, who have become accustomed to free mods on the Steam Workshop. Charging for mods could introduce a financial barrier, reducing accessibility and fragmenting the player base between those who can afford mods and those who cannot.

Final Thoughts:

  • The frustration isn’t just about the shift to Mod.io it’s about the loss of an ecosystem that has worked well for many PC modders for years. The Steam Workshop isn’t without flaws, but it has been the foundation for a thriving modding community. Transitioning to Mod.io may be necessary for consoles, but forcing it as the sole option for PC modders feels like a step backward for those who have built their workflows and community around the Steam ecosystem.
  • Change is always challenging, but for a community as integral to the success of Space Engineers as its modders, it’s important that changes prioritize their needs and preferences. Keeping the Steam Workshop alongside Mod.io would allow Keen to expand modding support without alienating its core modding base. This would preserve the best of both worlds and ensure that the transition to Space Engineers 2 builds on the strong foundation of its predecessor.

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"The Steam Workshop does not make uploading or updating mods straightforward. It in fact provides no tooling to do so. The provided/official way is to fire up SE, go to the Load Game Screen, in to the settings for a save, and then in to the mod list for that save. From there you have the ability to "publish" mods, but it is never made clear that it is also how you update them too. This workflow isn't provided by Steam, Steam doesn't provide one. While there are community tools, they are just that... community made."

This will be no different than with Mod.IO on SE2, however, many community members already utilize tools to upload their mods to Steam without needing to open SE. While yes, these are community made, they DO exist. These are not restricted to the "Space Engineers" community, we can utilize tools from any source as Steam is a HUGE platform with various resources available to us. So yeah, sure, we can make new tools, but it seems like unnecessary effort when referring to a perfectly working system as is.


"Additionally the Steam Workshop has odd and completely unexplained restrictions like the thumbnail size limit of 1MB. And the thumbnail itself is a part of how un-straightforward managing your steam mods are. You can't update the thumbnail through the workshop interface. Nope, its a part of the mod itself and needs to be changed via updating the *entire mod*. ie firing up SE, going in the load game screen, etc"

Mod.io has similar odd and unexplained restrictions.. you're not getting away from weird issues.


"Like where most of the big mods/frameworks have disabled comments on their pages, and require you join their Discord for help and feedback?"

I feel like this is personal preference and not platform specific. I would personally prefer to refer a user to my dedicated communication platform rather than searching comments. Mod.io offers no benefits to Steam in this regard. Mod authors like to build up a community and often this leads to great collaborations. Being someone who is in multiple modder Discords, I prefer being able to go to one place to talk about ANYTHING a mod author does, over trying to find links and comment on ten different mod pages.


"You mean like SE with the Steam Workshop for the first.. how many years was it? well SE was out on Steam for seven years before the first console release, admittedly neither got mod/workshop support immediately."

This is kind of a moot point as well. Steam had workshop support *from nearly the beginning* and many modders built their home there. Some were forced to also use Mod.Io due to consoles, but I'd wager a majority of them wouldn't have chosen to if there was an option. On that same note, many modders have stated they simply have no intention of using Mod.Io, so if they do not add Steam support, they simply won't mod SE2.


"We already have fragmentation because of the two workshops in SE. Pick one - lack of choice. Have two - fragmentation. Choice in this kind of situation leads to fragmentation. I get arguing for one or the other, but these last two points (which are one after the other in your post) are diametrically opposed to each other."

The difference is I think the fragmentation would be even worse, with many stating they simply won't use Mod.io for various reasons. So instead of people using system a or system b, its simply "not modding" or "use system a." We've had workshop support for over a decade, people have built up followers and subscribers, forcing them to a new system doesn't make sense, Marek has already commented publicly that if people dislike the decision, they will talk about Steam support. It seems its just a choice at this point, and there's not a real strong reason for not doing it, if there is, they should make that clear to the playerbase..


"Heck, this disconnection from Steam means that.. it's not tied to Steam. This will mean that Keen isn't.. tied to Steam, should they ever want to release SE2 on other platforms. Oh wait this happened with SE and they needed to add mod.io support for those other platforms. And this caused fragmentation."

I think any "fragementation" in the mod world when referring to mod.io currently is because the console version of SE is severely limited compared to the PC version. This limit actually prohibits certain mods from being used, and the rule of thumb generally refers to "mod.io mods are good with consoles" so there's a lot of annoyance when a modder is asked to move their mod there, as it can't work on a console. Overall *using* Mod.Io is much clunkier, so there's a lot of uproar about it as it is.

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Easy of Use (New workflow):

That was always going to be the case with the new game. Even without Keen having stated that they are building a mod-hub on top of mod.io, it was never going to be the same process for SE2 that it was for SE. And any community tooling would need to be rebuilt regardless of where said mods were being hosted anyway. (This was something I should have brought up in my first post, but I hit send then realized my mouse had gotten away from my brain...). We don't even know if SE2 will need let alone want any new community tooling.

The existing workflow isn't a mod.io/SW thing anyway. It's entirely on Keen, Steam doesn't provide a workflow. I do however see an [Add Item] button on the SE mod.io page...

Integrated Functionality:

The discussion here was about the in-game features, for which mod.io has complete parity with the SW. Any other "integration" you have mentioned is entirely outside of SE. And you can subscribe to mod.io mods from their website anyway.

Community Ecosystem:

Your first point is entirely valid, and its something that can (and does) happen no matter where mods are posted.

The second point however... really just proves that it doesn't matter where the mods are. A new game provides a split regardless of where the mods are hosted. You will get existing modders sticking with the old game, moving to the new one, working with both or retiring. And you will get new modders for the new game. This is just one of those things that happens, and is independent of where the mods are.

Lack of Choice and Fragmentation:

This is really one of the more complex topics.

Previously modders had no choice. And then they had a choice, but there was this stigma that "mod.io is for consoles". Not to mention that most of the bigger modders for SE already existed (and had retired or abandoned their mods), and owned/played the game on Steam. Not to mention that console players had functionally no way of creating mods despite their ability to upload them to mod.io. A console player even made an enquire to Keen about this trying to get ahold of enough of the SE files to be able to make mods, and were told "no".

Many modders opted to stick to Steam Workshop for a couple of reasons

  • Double the support load being one of them (actually worse than that, since it was more difficult to get logs and debug information out of players using the consoles),
  • Many of the complex mods couldn't be used on consoles making them think that it was pointless to upload to mod.io. Though mod.io provided no such restrictions, and mods on mod.io being used by Steam players had none of the console restrictions. And some of the bigger/more popular mods that were capable of being ported to a server-only architecture were ported over, like MES.
  • Bad experiences. This could be any one of a number of things, from lackluster moderation from mod.io staff, a lack of features (many of the ones people complain about aren't even not-there anymore. and Cpt Jacks recent video isn't going to help this misinformation), to a lack of tooling.
  • hurr durr consoles bad. There isn't really anything to elaborate on here since many of the people who have this take about consoles don't actually have any reasons for it, they just don't like consoles, console players, anyone who ever thought about a console or looked in the direction of one when they were a kid and their friend had an n64 with this awesome "goldeneye" game.

Monetization:

While I agree that this could be a concern, with how SE mods/modding and multiplayer were architectured I don't see this being a big concern. At worst I could see it being like DLCs in SE, where you need to own it to use it. The even worse idea of you needing to own the mod to join a server that uses it I don't see being a thing. At it's best only the server/session owner needs to own it, and then anyone can use it. This is how a few games have done DLC/Expansion content. Alienation is definitely a concern if it does happen, but I reckon the scaremongering noisy people will make about it regardless of implementation will be worse than it actually is if it does happen.

Final Thoughts:

The loss of ecosystem is going to happen anyway. It's a new game, with new restrictions, new features, new opportunities, and this is all completely independent of where mods might be hosted. None of the tooling was going to work anyway, outside of some of the generic non-SE stuff.

Change was going to happen anyway, its a new game. If modding was exactly the same as in SE then I would be highly disappointed, Keen has had many years to figure out what works and doesn't work from SE in that regards, and improve on it. And would you believe that modding has been something they have mentioned from some of the earliest VRage3 posts?

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+1 from me

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It looks like it's workshop support or refund, your move keen... :(

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I largely agree with what has been said. I'd like to add an additional point of view - privacy.

Steam already has my personal data, which I'm forced to share to use the platform.

I do not want to have to use an additional site which will also require my personal data.

I currently do not use mod.io on SE1 and will definitely not use it on SE2.

So if there is no workshop support, I will not be purchasing SE2.

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As someone who published more than 100 mods/blueprints on both platforms I would say that I prefer mod.io

(oh and this is all my personal opinion and may differ from yours, that doesn't mean that only one opinion is right, as we have different experience with different options, so our views would be different)


Steam doesn't have straightforward workflow. Unfortunately, modio doesn't have it either. I really don't understand why they don't give us tools for CI/CD, but at least I can upload to steam via steamcmd, that's probably the only pros for me in it


There is no hidden limits (yes, I'm talking about you, NoMoreThan1000BytesThumb), much more convinient way to setup description (and not that bbcode hell - when you have 5-10 pictures on the page and no way to preview them - it's a pure pain), integrated mod support for the end user and better stats section, that I can (and do) use for scheduling updates.


Community Disconnection? Well check the Cities Skylines 2 with their integrated workshop - all popular modders just moved there. Or Arma Reforger. Same picture.


Monetization? Well yeah, some modders would show their greed, but at the same time I would prefer to have an option to make a high-quality AA-class (or even AAA if it will be profitable to me enough) mod that will pay for the all the free stuff I'm making (more money means I will have more free time for mods and thus I'll be able to make a better mods). And monetization doesn't exclude passion, instead it gives more room for creators to work with (and if you are chasing only money, you woudln't start modding anyway as it's mostly free as you know, plus they will create a better background for less greedy creators, you know)

Also, more innovative and well-crafted mods sells better (just like games or any other software)


Lack of Choice? Well let's see from another perspective - console players have lack of choice of mods, because some modders don't wanna port their mods only because it required from them to support two platforms. And speaking about two platforms - as someone who have to support them - I really would prefer one platform (even if it would be Steam) but Steam woudln't open their workshop for consoles


The additional challenges posed by Mod.io discourage modders from investing their time and energy into creating content - can you make an example and why exactly it's a challange? Because (as I see it) for new modders there is no difference (both platforms are new and non-intuitive) and for others - it's only 10-20 min to get used to differences? It's not that much different


Loss of a proven system - well, what would you do when steam will update their workshop as they did with store, library, achievements, etc? It would be different in one way or another. And you will adapt. So why not adapt to modio then?


But I understand your concerns, I have my own with modio (I can't use word "ammo" in changelog, can you imagine this?) including lack of moderation (I had multiple cases with stolen content, and at least one of them is still active, despite my reports) and missing out-of-game way to post updates (or I just don't know about it?)

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I agree with Hyper Text about the privacy part of this. Another is Linux (I know it won't be "officially" supported) via Proton, Steam Workshop in my experience is really Linux friendly (and Steam as a whole), while I had to disable modio in SE1. It is sad imo because I think SE2 could work amazing with Linux via Proton due to it simply being very modern but this whole modio thing really dampened my view of SE2. Overall I was going to pre-order this but now I would prefer if Steam Workshop support is confirmed before so. Thanks

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I know that this will probably fall on deaf ears, but I'll say my piece regardless. I've been playing Space Engineers since the very beginning. I was following it from the first announcement, bought it the moment it became available, and enjoyed watching it grow into the game it is today. The thing is, the game wouldn't be what it is today without the modding community. Hell, SE is where I first started learning to mod. I feel like the modding community has been the backbone of SE's longevity, and I also feel that dropping Workshop support is a bit of a slap to the face to many modders. There will be some that are fine with it, maybe even a couple that prefer it (I can't imagine why) but out of all the modding platforms I've worked with, mod.io has by far been the worst. Like, by an absolute mile. Their practices give me the willies, and I can't feel good supporting them, and by extension I can't support SE2 if it's going to be the only avenue for modding. This issue is very close to my heart, and I will continue watch and hope for change.

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Speaking as a modder, I currently maintain 2 different variants of a mod of mine mainly because the ease of having steam and mod io both allows me to do so without major impacts to the other version. I know keen has mentioned wanting to have everything in one place to eliminate a divide in the community, but the problem is this will not accomplish their goals as consoles can't use scripts natively. This means there is automatically an entire class of mods they can't use. If there is a script no matter how minor, consoles automatically can't use it.


For myself I created the Space Engineers 2125 Era Mod, which is supposed to be my interpretation of SE1's tech but taken somewhat into the game's future. As part of the mod I have some ship tools with greater ranges than vanilla to make things easier on myself and other folks. I also have a script that disables tool damage against players with a lore reason being that better safety systems exist by that time. Because of the presence of this script, this automatically means console players won't be able to use the steam variant even if they could access it. So to allow console players to use the mod, I have a separate variant of the mod up on mod io that does NOT include the script baseline, and I have the script as a separate download for server owners that want to use it. Now currently it's super easy for me to maintain 2 variants of this mod without issues. If I'm forced to use mod io exclusively this presents a massive problem for me and a hard choice that I really don't want to have to make.

Assuming I were to carry this mod or some version of it over into SE2, I have a hard choice to make if I were to be forced to mod io exclusively.

1: I can use the steam variant as the only supported version and have the script baked in. However this alienates any and all potential console subscribers I could pick up since they wouldn't be able to use it.

2: I can upload a second variant of the mod to mod io and have 2 versions of the mod on the same platform, one with the script and one without. However this risks people downloading the wrong variant and wonder why it's not working, thus more unnecessary headaches for myself.

3: I can discontinue the steam variant entirely and roll with mod io variant that doesn't have the script baked into the base mod. However this forces me to gimp the effectiveness of my ship tools out of the box and remove a core feature from them they've had since they were first made, unless people are willing to download a secondary mod purely for a script.


Another thing too with this is how mod io moronically restricts and censors certain words at time like "ammo" or "cam" or "camera" even though this is a game with weapons that use ammo and has cameras. And it's not always the same words it censors every time which makes it a guessing game when trying to enter descriptions or similar. Then there's the fact it can wipe out my summery every time I do a basic update to the mod and I have to repaste that in. There are some good points to mod io, but also alot of bad. Such as blatant theft of items I've seen plenty of times. Not to say steam doesn't have it too, but from what I've observed it takes the mod io bunch alot longer to deal with.

For myself it's not bothered me maintaining 2 versions of my mod because the 2 separate platforms has allowed me to do so easily enough. If not for this I would only support one version of the mod. With all due respect to Keen, forcing everything to mod io feels like it's being done purely to placate the console players which in turn feature harms the pc side of things, which is a bad move. I realize Keen doesn't want it to come off that way and has its reasons as to why it's considered the move to mod io, but this is one move that seriously needs to be reconsidered.

Lastly we come to the stability of the platforms with mod io being far less stable than steam is. There have been instances where I've tried to push out an update to fix an issue with my mod, yet I couldn't do so because I couldn't access it on mod io. The longest instance where I was unable to access my mod was a week and a half or roughly 10 straight days. If there is a critical error this means for 10 days people are having to eat a critical error all because I can't access the mod. This has never happened with steam. Steam isn't perfect, but there's alot less annoying restrictions there than there is with mod io.

If Keen values its modding community, they will reverse this decision to use mod io exclusively and let people have the choice to use steam OR mod io or both. Because there are alot of modders who simply will not port their stuff to mod io which leads to less mods in the community and less engagement overall, which harms SE2 before it's even out of the gate. Mods are one of the things that can fill the gap between official releases or be that tiny icing on the cake to make a game perfect for someone.

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We have good news to share: Space Engineers 2 will use Steam Workshop as its primary platform for user-generated content. This decision comes directly from listening to our community, particularly our content creators, who have expressed a strong preference for Steam Workshop.


https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1133870/view/527583567913419118


9751058d19123cc528fd8283d2517030

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Question. Based on the wording of the announcement this says Steam will be the primary platform, implying more than one platform to share stuff. Does this mean we'll be able to choose between Steam and/or mod io like we can now with SE1, or is going to be purely steam?


Much appreciated for this fantastic news and props to Keen for being willing to change course.

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I agree but this post is obviously written by ai and could be a couple paragraphs clear and concise.

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I was thinking that too as I read it. It has the ChatGPT formatting I've seen when trying to converse with it using a lot of information. Be that as it may, the post is still valid. Moving to Mod.io would alienate me, because I am stupid. I can follow instructions, and even have a modded setup for Elden Ring that work, but I would basically have to relearn how to do everything if I went more than a few weeks without fiddling with it.


The paragraph after the 3 bullet points in the first comment tells me that Mod.io is even more useless than I thought. I would always struggle to remember where the download button was so I could actually mod things. Apparently, it's even less intuitive for the mod poster. Also: Mods should not be money-gated. If you wanna get paid for your mods, go mod Roblox and make another soulless cash grab gacha game tycoon obby (FREE ROBUX!) like everyone else.

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