Most of my favourite games are quite old. I still enjoy playing Doom, Half Life 2 and other games that have been around for a while. When thinking about this situation something else also comes to mind: Many modern games I own, I don't play that much, or at all.
Of course there are many reasons why some prefer older games over newer ones. Not everyone owns a powerful enough computer, or many might not have the money for upcoming AAA titles, but the main problem for me, is the lack of mod support.
Terms used in the modding scene
This paragraph is for people that either got interest for games recently and don't know too much about games, or people who have no idea about the modding scene and its terms. If you do know what mods are, you can also skip this part.
So, what is a mod exactly?
Mod is short for modification and those mods come in different types and sizes. Some are really insignificant and small, like changing the texture of an NPCs (Non Player Characters) face, while other mods change the game mechanics in its entirety.
Some rather popular mod categories are for example texture packs, game overhauls, map packs, custom items and ENBs. Texture packs, or 'reskins' aim to alter the games textures, game overhauls change game mechanics and add some too, to alter the gameplay. Map packs and custom items are a bit simpler than overhauls and they add user made maps and user made items respectively. ENBs alter the visuals of the game drastically by changing the lighting, adding depth of field and post processing effects and by changing miscellanious options.
An unmodded game is referred to as a ''vanilla game'' while a game which contains mods, is called a ''modded game''.
I hope this helped you clarify what a mod is. Now we can continue!
My experience with mods
I grew up playing a wide variety of games on different systems. I played titles like Jak and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank on my PS2, I experienced how exciting it is to play The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion and I enjoyed multiplayer matches with my friends in Team Fortress 2. I watched many videos about Oblivion back in the day, and stumbled across content I never saw in the game before. I never encountered Saurons armour in a dungeon before, and some magic spells didn't seem normal either, right then I discovered the Oblivion modding scene.
I grew very accustomed to downloading and trying out various mods that seem interesting to me. In the case of Fallout New Vegas for example, I installed mods to make gameplay more exciting and to improve performance (since Fallout New Vegas is rather buggy). In Team Fortress 2 I always played in community servers which feature user made content most of the time. Custom gamemodes, custom maps, custom textures, there is a lot of fun to be had with user made content when the vanilla experience becomes a bit boring.
The mods I enjoy the most, come from the Doom and Half Life community. Map packs and game overhauls are especially fun in the Half Life games and Doom since those games give the mod creators a lot of freedom and opportunities.
Artwork from the very popular mod ''Brutal Doom'' by Sergeant Mark IV, which you can download here
Why should we care about mods?
Mods extend the engagement in a game drastically. You can play the same game just so many times until it gets boring, mods are very good for changing things up, making the gameplay fresh again. The best example for modding certainly is Doom 1 and 2. Doom is still actively played today by a lively and loyal group of people and this is only possible due to the modding community. People show and share their creative modifications which many times include reskinned enemies, new weapons, maps and custom scripting.
Extending the time a game can be played, correlates to the value said game has. Some games, like Doom, are extremely simple and thus allow extensive modding, other games, like the Arma series, rely on modding in a way, since these games are giant sandboxes the player can use in their own way. Mods can also alter the feel of a game, there are comedic and funny ones, mods with visceral and challenging gameplay, but you can also get mods that can be genuinely scary and leave the player vulnerable to monsters.
Modding isn't only good for the player though, the creator has many advantages too. For one, the creator practices their skills while creating mods. What is also noteworthy, is that many modders have been hired by game development studios in the past. Especially Valve is known for enabling modders to earn money, with their creations which are then purchaseable from the Steam Marketplace and found in crates.
Modding today
Many games are released today which have mod support, but there is a noticeable trend seen in the industry today. Many studios do not want to enable or support modding for their games, in some cases it is understandable, in others it's not. The Doom reboot featured the SnapMap feature, which enabled users to create their own maps easily, but this feature cannot compare to full blown mod support. Most maps are mediocre or below average and they usually aren't on the same level of polish like the maps of the vanilla game are.
A trailer showcasing the SnapMap feature in the DOOM reboot
Valve also limits modding and supports it less and less in their multiplayer titles. Counter Strike Global Offensive for instance focuses more on the competetive side of the game. Valve also neglects community servers and modding tools for not only Global Offensive but also older titles more and more and it is very disappointing to notice this downward spiral, from a mod supportive studio.
What also most people dread in the modding community, is the idea of paid mods. Sadly, those are a thing. Valve and Bethesda tried to make a profit off of mods with the notorious Skyrim paid mods debacle, but Bethesda tried it again with the Creation Club and it is a terrible service. The mods you can buy for Fallout 4 and Skyrim are comparable or even worse than free mods you can get at Nexus Mods and are way overpriced for what they are.
Mods also were released and sold like a full fledged game would be. Some examples include Aperture Tag for Portal, TNT Evilution and Plutonia Experiment for Doom and the most recent example: Hunt Down the Freeman, which is a game that feels and literally is a Half Life 2 mod that uses various assets from many other modders and Source Engine games. Those examples, especially the mod Hunt Down the Freeman, left many in the community with a sour taste in their mouths.
A livestream in which I played through Hunt Down the Freeman in its entirety
Conclusion
Despite all the negative things I stated about mods today, I believe that modding will never go away. There are many creations by many different people out there that can entertain anyone for hours and in addition to that, this content is completely free. If you never played a mod before, or think about playing one right now, I encourage you to do so!
Tell me what your take on modding is, I am very interested to hear your view on it!
Websites were you can find great mods: