Micropayments for maps on steam workshop would be a dream come true for me. I could see like �1 maps and �5 map packs being something I could get into. But that would be my budget and value on the quake modding scene.
I love the idea of micropayments much more than semi-premium.
I have the 360 version of Doom II for instance, there is a new episode bundled with that that IMO is worth �5-10 of anyones money. 

Just to be more precise, Valve community stuff is payment (for items) or donations (for maps) for an already completed product. It's not exactly the same thing as Kickstarter like patronage, which is what you're as suggesting here.

Both are fine in my opinion, but I think the distinction is important.

And yes please just make Dark Quake Souls and take my $60. 

"Because of tradition and implications for the future.

If you enjoy mapping and have a desire to create a map, then you can a find of working on it as a hobby in your spare time, even if that means it'll take longer to finish."

I think I fall in with negke on this. Do it if you want to do it - it's a hobby. Turning it into a job or something the community pays you to do feels wrong.

If you can't justify the time without getting paid, maybe it's not the hobby you're looking for.

(not a reflection on sock or the quality of his work, just speaking generally) 

I mean, how long until we get into people releasing teaser levels with an offer to create a full map/episode if they get enough donations? I don't like the precedent. 

I doubt it would influence others that much (with the small size of the community) but I feel the same about the hobby vs job thing. And that's what I probably did not say clear enough above. I would love to see someone try to fund a full (small) game as their full-time job! I would not be interested in funding someone's just-a-hobby, especially if I am used to getting it for free.

Someone suggested adding flattr or a similar micro-donation thing to Quaddicted, I once thought about Bitcoin (dunnnn). It did not seem worth the hassle and I think the small amount of money you would have to expect might actually be discouraging. Maybe Dogecoin (honestly, I find those fun)? :) 

I would not be interested in funding someone's just-a-hobby, especially if I am used to getting it for free.

I think that sums up the response to this idea, based on what I have heard so far. The Quake community is about free stuff and that is a good valid point. Not much more to be said, thread closed. 

But hey, if you feel the need to capitalize on your hobby, and you can find a bunch of brownnose fuckers to jerk you off in the process, go ahead, no skin of my phallus.

Otherwise it's not your hobby any more, it's your job.

.

. 

I should have rea the last post in the thread before I got my flamethrower out :) 

Paypal 'Donate' button on all of your pages. That would get volountary contributions from those above who like the idea :) 

1. i'd pay
2. why not just make something new from scratch dedicated to stygian theme on something like unity? i'd donate for sure ;) 

would join to help 

ITS standalone, ITS standalone, ITS standalone! Honestly, I love its (heh) concept and gameplay and think it might be a success. Maybe even as a free/floss game at a certain amount of money. Would be hard to make the monsters, but you have such a fucking talent and eye for style/atmosphere that I would have no doubt. Cloning and copying a game's style is legal and fine, so no possible ramifications(?) there.

On the other hand there is the now free and standalone The Dark Mod but I think it is quite different. ITS is more fast and reaction based. 

 

 

 

Speaking for myself at least, is that it's impossible to justify spending so much time on something that will never give a return.

It'd be great to be paid to make more Quake, it'd mean more and better content, with it being more high profile as a result.

This community is small, but the gaming community is massive and their reaction to things like ITS and Trenchbroom makes me think that it would be possible for mappers to produce and earn from it.

On the other hand, a Unity project from scratch for the indie market or a mobile app (too complex to be easily stolen yet still accessible) are other possibilities.

Final thought - many people map for Quake coming from a hobby background, while Sock comes from a professional one.

As elitist as it might sound, that's an important distinction. 

Speaking for myself at least, is that it's impossible to justify spending so much time on something that will never give a return.

I can only do it, in the case of TB, because I have a day job that pays decent, and a very understanding girlfriend. 

If you can get people to pony up the cash, then great ... do that. There's nothing stopping that from happening even if I don't like what that implies for the future.

I just think it sets a bad precedent where anyone with skill won't produce things for free anymore.

Why would they if they can get paid instead?

Well, because it's a fun hobby.

And we're back to square one and the snake eats itself. :) 

 

Speaking for myself at least, is that it's impossible to justify spending so much time on something that will never give a return.

No financial return, but it does give an individual/social one: the feeling of accomplishment, having crafted something, proven or improved a skill set, created unconditional product for people to enjoy and discuss. If that's not enough to justify the effort, well... 

"Speaking for myself at least, is that it's impossible to justify spending so much time on something that will never give a return."

I guess the counter question to that is, why are you expecting a hobby/fun thing you do on the side to generate a return? Isn't the return the act itself?

Maybe I'm thinking about this whole hobbyist thing wrong, I dunno. :) 

The distinction between hobby and work is $$$ so maybe it is unfair to try and make one the other.

If love to be able to carry on working in Quake, it's a comfortable place and everything is secure - I know how to do good work in it.

Unfortunately I don't earn enough in my day job to pay for everything I want to do, so have to use the skills - many of which I learned and refined from this awesome hobby - to make something which is financially viable. 

If authors got a bit of cash for all the hundreds of hours they spent perfecting something?

Maybe a donation format would be the better way to go, as someone suggested above. 

The thing is that you would never get a "fair" amount of money for the numbers of hours invested. So if you are not motivated without the money, I doubt the small amount you might with donations could help. Daz probably made a whopping 5� with youtube ads so far.

Community driven donations with a solid "hard" purpose and fixed outside target are much easier, see Quaddicted hosting or Daz' new gfx card. Here the money serves as means to infrastructure, not the motivator (although to me it feels so fantastic and I am sure Daz is glowing with community spirit as well). 

I really don't see the problem with wanting to make a living from doing something you enjoy, isn't it what everyone should be aiming for?

It's not easy though, that's for sure (and unfortunately for sock I doubt it's viable in such a small community), but saying that suddenly throwing money into the mix will degrade some holy hobbyist activity is a load of crap.