Art Deco DLC made by Shroomblaze!

[boformer 3,169]

It looks like Paradox is working together with asset creators:

 

15 buildings for $5, and @Shroomblaze gets a share of the revenue.

Screenshots: https://www.paradoxplaza.com/cities-skylines-content-creator-pack-art-deco

 

[Mr_Maison 2,426]

I'm so happy for him.

[Matthias King 348]

Interesting.

[Darf 1,439]

I would've expected buildingpacks like this from the start of the game and especially when they made the euro dlc. It's an easy way for Paradox to make money. I hope we get some more packs like this in the future.

I'm kind of interested on what demands they had (style choice, polycount etc.)

[Kaschperl 92]

This is good news! Actually this was the more interesting part of the Natural Disasters reveal talk to me, now I know what it was about. Well, there seem to be some overly colourful buildings in there again, but it's not as bad as the other vanilla buildings as it looks so far. I'll keep myself updated!

[Avanya 2,605]

I'm not terribly into the art deco style myself, but this is great news! Hoping this turns out well for both Paradox and Shroomblaze - it could be a great way to give creators some love and add more building styles to the game. Like Darf I'm also curious about how much freedom Shroomblaze has had, we at least know he got to pick the theme, which is great. I only hope there'd be a way to do something similar for the modders - I for one wouldn't enjoy the game this much without them!

[Judazzz 1,936]

How awesome is that!
If I look at the screenshots (admittedly taken in the asset editor), the textures seem quite low-res (uni-colored facades and roof materials) and the models quite simple to me compared to Shroom's Workshop assets, but it is a lovely set of buildings nonetheless! Hopefully this works out well for him (and Paradox), and equally hopefully this is just the first of many more themed mini-DLC's to come.

[Tim The Terrible 586]

I agree with @Judazzz. Great models, but the overall look and lack of props (maybe they aren't included in the screenshots) makes me think he was limited to a tris and texture limit. I love his workshop assets, but I have pass on this set, as I do not think this is his 'true' work, nor his skills put to use.

I am happy for him, and I like the way Paradox tries to connect with modders, and I can't wait what the next DLC is going to be (and from who)!

I also suspect the DLC's will only be assets and not mods, which I can understand.

[Lost Gecko 481]

I guess these buildings have to conform to vanilla buildings standards, which are relatively basic on the whole. Of course I also wished they were a bit more detailed but it is understandable and to be expected. Not a too big fan of art deco either but I'm happy with the system. I would love an art nouveau DLC (but of course it's not very practical to model with all the curves and details)!

[mutton noir 170]

Interesting development. Look forward to seeing how modders included in the project will cope working to a tight brief, No doubt this latest development will not please everyone! From the examples shown from this 1st pack the assets appear generic and cartoon like. There are many excellent superbly realistic and detailed assets available for free on the workshop- just how popular will paid packs be? Whatever the outcome. Good to see the skills creativity and expertise of modders being officially recognised

[Avanya 2,605]

5 hours ago, Judazzz said:

How awesome is that!
If I look at the screenshots (admittedly taken in the asset editor), the textures seem quite low-res (uni-colored facades and roof materials) and the models quite simple to me compared to Shroom's Workshop assets, but it is a lovely set of buildings nonetheless! 

I was thinking that too at first, but then I looked up his two art deco hotels and they seem to follow the same style. Could be the look he's going for with them all. Some good normal maps can also help give the textures more life, which those screenshots wouldn't show. Hopefully we'll get some ingame screenshots later that show them off better.  

[Judazzz 1,936]

Yes, I'm not going to pass judgement until I've seen them in-game - they sure look great even in the editor!

[gfvsims 169]

I really hope this is the first of many such DLC packs. There are so many talented people in this community and it would be lovely for you all to get this sort of recognition (and a bit of money for all the time and hard work you put in).

[Judazzz 1,936]

3 hours ago, gfv1974 said:

I really hope this is the first of many such DLC packs. There are so many talented people in this community and it would be lovely for you all to get this sort of recognition (and a bit of money for all the time and hard work you put in).

I like the idea, but I think Paradox should be careful with this, because imo. it has the potential to be a slippery slope downwards: imagine we have 15 such packs being released within the next 6 or 12 months, it may cause serious DLC fatigue among players (as well as empty wallets), which in the long run will be counter-productive. Additionally, it may lead non-affiliated modelers that only maintain their Workshop to become frustrated, jealous or feeling unappreciated, which could in a worst-case scenario compromise the Workshop itself ("Why bother creating content if I don't get anything in return, whereas a selected few are partnering with Paradox and receiving compensation?")

Don't get me wrong, I really dig the idea of modelers being given the chance to earn some extra income for their hard work (they deserve it!), but I think the effects have to be considered very carefully - it can be a goldmine that is beneficial to everyone involved, but it can also be pretty detrimental to the community...

[Darf 1,439]

Hmm, well for some people 15 buildings might not seem like a lot. But it's a huge time investment from a modders perspective. There's some small buildings in there, but that's easily 2-3 months full time work.  Not everybody has that time. And there's not that many people for the workshop who produce real quality assets.  There's not a lot of modders left who can do both.

[watercitymadero 804]

Well, Its optional.

[Avanya 2,605]

Considering the time it takes to create assets I wonder what the effects of modders being absent from the community while working on them can have. Looking at Shroomblaze's latest releases he posted a few a month, which fits with the time we haven't seen anything from him and the amount of assets in the pack. The workshop could become pretty dead for periods of time if more modders are working on packs like this at the same time. Will be interesting to see how this works out and love the fact Paradox is doing something to reward modders for their work.  

[Matthias King 348]

I wonder if that's where Zed disappeared to.

[Bolduck91 54]

20 minutes ago, Matthias King said:

I wonder if that's where Zed disappeared to.

Oh sh*t !! You're right ! 

[Judazzz 1,936]

3 hours ago, Darf said:

Hmm, well for some people 15 buildings might not seem like a lot. But it's a huge time investment from a modders perspective. There's some small buildings in there, but that's easily 2-3 months full time work.  Not everybody has that time. And there's not that many people for the workshop who produce real quality assets.  There's not a lot of modders left who can do both.

I hope my comment didn't come across as not appreciating the time and effort invested in creating a comprehensive set of assets (although you guys almost make it look easy, given the speed in which some of you churn out the most amazing stuff  ), because that wasn't my intention. I'm just a bit worried about what the consequences may be for the Workshop if this monetizing of modeler's efforts is really going to take off (because let's be honest, what is Paradox's part in this, other than - possibly - laying out some ground rules and combining Shroom's assets into one DLC package?) Because no matter how it's presented, in the end it's just that: a publisher trying to cash in on the efforts of the community (something I'm not sure yet how to gauge: on the one hand it's great to see modders being acknowledged and - perhaps even more important - rewarded for their efforts, on the other hand the blurring of lines between commercial enterprise and community and the potential impact on the one thing that is basically keeping this game alive - the Workshop - just doesn't sit too well with me...)
I hope it will be the best of both, seeing new quality stuff appear in the Workshop as well as occasional community-generated content DLC's, but I guess only time will tell us how this will work out. Let's just say that previous efforts were a bit of a mixed bag at best...

[gfvsims 169]

You make some good points, @Judazzz. I guess we'll have to see how it all plays out. In the meantime, I'm eagerly looking forward to the new Art Deco buildings.

[boformer 3,169]

They added a few ugly night/strong-shadow screenshots to this page: https://www.paradoxplaza.com/cities-skylines-content-creator-pack-art-deco

I was hoping for a bigger pack of buildings, a complete building style for 5-20€:

• About 130 buildings for a low-density-style (residential and commercial, all levels)
• About 160 buildings for a high-density style (residential, commercial and office, all levels)
• About 40 buildings for a complete industrial style (without specialisations, all levels)

That's something that is hard to do for a single modder, especially without payment.

The big difference between workshop assets and DLCs is that CO can pack them into a single Unity package that loads within a 1-3 seconds.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

@Judazzz: The workshop won't go away. No good content by decent creators will go away. Some creators may throw pissy fits and take down all their uploads from the workshop but Skye has already backed them all up and they could easily go back up onto the workshop if a charitable creator were to edit the assets (open them up in a 3D program, changing geometry, such as culling a few faces that won't be seen, add missing essentials such as LOD's, textures/maps, ploppable RICO settings, and change names of everything). However, many creators will continue uploading new, unique content.

[Avanya 2,605]

@Judazzz You're not alone in your worries - will be interesting to see how it works out and hopefully it will have a positive impact on the game. Honestly I'd prefer an integrated donation option in Steam - stuff is still free, but it's much easier to donate (don't have to leave steam) - but that would mean changes to Steam and we can't even seem to get the workshop better organized, so I'm not holding out hope for that.  

As for larger style packs teaming up would be the way to go - Darf's, Feindbild's and Prosper's fit well together, so it's possible with a bit of coordination. But teaming up also means finding several interested in working on the same style who also have the time. From a loading perspective perhaps some free DLC bundles could help here, if Paradox would be interested in no-profit ones. Themes like Feindbild's Brooklyn would make sense bundled like that.

[Judazzz 1,936]

@OcramsRzr - I'm not talking about people removing their content (although that is a possibility I hadn't considered yet: if that happens, for me at least it means that that content won't be available any longer, as I respect [not the same as me agreeing with] the creator's decision and won't use re-uploads by those who don't own the rights or haven't asked for permission), but about the flow of new content to the Workshop. I can understand that some modelers may feel left out if they see others getting rewarded for their efforts. For me personally, creating mods (I can't model) is just a pass-time, a way to experiment with new things (Unity was something completely new for me), and to add a few things to the game that I personally missed and give something back to the community that had given me so much through the Workshop, and I don't accept any donations or compensation for it (people enjoying my stuff is rewarding enough). But for some it may be a way to earn a little extra income (the background of our modders and modelers is extremely diverse), and they may view this development with different, more wary eyes.

But like I said before, all we can do is wait and see - initiatives like this have both tanked and become very successful, so I guess we'll find out soon enough...

Oh, and just in case my remarks sound overly sour: despite my reservations about this development, I'm really happy for Shroomblaze/Matt to be pioneering this for C:SL novel way of content creation, and I really hope it works out well for him. There are several creators that deserve to be recognized (and rewarded) for their hard work, and he is most definitely one of them!

[Ocram's Razr 964]

9 minutes ago, Judazzz said:

... won't use re-uploads by those who don't own the rights or haven't asked for permission ...

...the flow of new content to the Workshop. I can understand that some modelers may feel left out if they see others getting rewarded for their efforts...

...But for some it may be a way to earn a little extra income (the background of our modders and modelers is extremely diverse), and they may view this development with different, more wary eyes...

...But like I said before, all we can do is wait and see - initiatives like this have both tanked and become very successful, so I guess we'll find out soon enough...

Hopefully the charitable modders will be able to significantly change the assets enough to pass off the creations as their own. They might change things more than those who modify Google warehouse models and those rarely credit the original author and no one ever complains about that.

Patreon exists and the flow of (as measured in volume of new uploads to) the Workshop will not change noticeably (compared to seasonal fluctuations)

If these wary eyes can make models that are optimized enough not to raise required specs and can create decent LODs under 100 triangles (under 200 for big assets, under 400 for exceptional uniques), they might be able to follow in Shroomblaze's footsteps, or raise money on Patreon.

Whether this DLC model is successful or not, free workshop content will continue to be released.

 

If I seem bitter, sour, spiteful, or callous, it is because I have no time for temper tantrums nor any sympathy (or even pity) for those who throw them.

[Judazzz 1,936]

But what gamer is willing to cough up money an endless list of community-based DLC's being released, when the same content used to be free before? What if a lot of modelers get a change to release their own asset pack in collaboration with Paradox (it will be the most talented ones, obviously), which means the best content will only be available after whipping out the credit card? Don't you think that may potentially be extremely detrimental to the Workshop, and thus the future of the game itself? Because the good uploaders will be 'snatched up' by Paradox, their content disappearing behind a pay wall, while the Warehouse re-uploaders will be the ones filling the Workshop. Doesn't sound like a desirable situation to me.

However, for the time being this is pure speculation (my crystal ball unfortunately broke down last week), and I don't know the motivations of the modelers (I reckon some do out purely as a hobby, others may want to try to make a little money on the side), so I'm going to leave it as this (I gotta jet anyway), and just wait and see....  

[Avanya 2,605]

11 minutes ago, OcramsRzr said:

Hopefully the charitable modders will be able to significantly change the assets enough to pass off the creations as their own. They might change things more than those who modify Google warehouse models and those rarely credit the original author and no one ever complains about that.

That will never be okay in my book. Passing off someone elses creation without permission or credit is stealing and I can't see it have a positive effect on the community. I for one wouldn't continue creating things if that was the norm on the workshop - I don't spend hours creating things to see someone else spend a few minutes and pass it off as their work. If you don't understand what's wrong with doing something like that, I at least hope you can understand others disagreeing and the impact on the community.

You're right that free content will continue to be released, but the quality and quantity of it could very well be affected by this. From a creator perspective why should I spend my time creating things for free if I can get paid for it?  If I stopped releasing assets now I could build up a nice large package of industrial buildings for a DLC (I've got no plans to do this), which would mean very little new industrial stuff on the workshop since there aren't many making those. Look at when Shroomblaze last released something and now imagine if a few of the most active modellers stopped releasing assets. Yeah, you'd still have stuff come up, but how much of what comes up every week do you really sub to and how much is just "meh"?

Hopefully this initiative will bring something positive to the game and community, but completely dismissing the concerns raised isn't really helpful. If done wrong this could end up hurting the community and the game.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Reverse engineering of abandonware (software with no support and no profits, impossible to access through proper channels) without monetary gain is as similar to stealing as sidewalk chalk drawing is to vandalism. Children drawing on the sidewalk aren't prosecuted like criminals smashing the windows of city hall. OpenTTD was reverse engineered from Transport Tycoon Deluxe. Many worskhop assets are cleaned up Google warehouse models. Politicians play copyrighted music at rallies even if the artists disagree. Webcomics often trace copyrighted images for use in backgrounds (derivative art).

 

I condemn theft but support redistribution of abandonware, especially with improvement and support. Seeing as Dirk wrote an article about SC3000 going onto Abandonia, there is no valid argument against modders making improvements to workshop assets previously taken down by the "original" author (which might be derivative work itself).

[gfvsims 169]

I think it could work like this: all the really good creators get a chance to make one pack of DLC (maybe this could be a monthly release schedule), which they then make money off everytime it sells. They could then go back to creating for free/donations (how it is now). That way those who can't (or don't want to) pay don't miss out completely, and the creators still get a bit of income. I'm not sure if this is how Paradox intend it to be, but personally, I think this would make sense. (And yes, I am a bit of an idealist! )