8 Rookie Mistakes Every Video Game Modder Always Makes

5. Going Way Too Far

One of the most common objectives gamers have when they set out to make a mod is to increase the challenge of the base game; it€™s a way to allow veteran players to test their skills, take part in contests or simply spend more time playing something they love. Whether or not you€™re actively looking for ultra-difficult content, though, chances are high that you€™ll wind up playing maps or mods that are crazily difficult€ because the creator€™s the one doing the fine-tuning. As a modder, you€™re going to play your content far, far more than your audience ever will. That€™s true no matter how quickly you work; if you€™ve decided to mod something you€™re probably you€™re a pretty experienced player and as you run through your mod over and over again, fixing bugs and testing out ideas, you€™re going to be improving whether you realise it or not. Sooner or later, you€™re going to look at what you€™ve made and decide it feels too easy, or slower than you€™d like, and make more tweaks €“ add a couple more enemies, widen a gap €“ until it feels tough enough. A month later, you€™ll do it again. And the next. Judging the difficulty of your own work is incredibly difficult; your proficiency is a bias that€™s almost impossible to ignore, and it€™s why user testing is now a common practice in game development. If possible, try your in-progress mod out on your friends or the community. You€™ll end up with something you€™re convinced is way too easy, but at least your audience won€™t end up swearing at you.