Premium Mods and Dedicated Servers

[Tiberius3223]

@Cedric @Dollie
Premium mods pose challenges for both modders and unofficial dedicated server owners. Currently, the requirement for every player to purchase premium mods used on a server inadvertently erects a paywall. Consequently, it discourages players from joining or staying on such servers, undermining community engagement. This scenario also adversely affects modders, as player reluctance to engage with premium mods dampens their exposure and potential sales. Moreover, players perceive this setup as excessive microtransactions.

In conversations with numerous modders, it's evident that none endorse the current model. There's uncertainty whether this issue stems from an oversight by Wildcard or a complication with Curseforge. However, a solution is imperative. Premium mods should adopt a model similar to Bob's Tales and other Ark DLC content, where only the server owner needs to purchase the mod, making it optional for players.

I seek clarification on this matter and have attached feedback from a respected modder, Garuga, for further insight.

Edited April 16 by Tiberius3223

[Lucina]

I completely agree. As someone who runs a dedicated server, I witnessed a significant decline in our server population immediately after implementing premium mods. The feedback from our players echoed the same sentiment. We had no choice but to remove the premium mods until the problem is resolved. Our player count dropped from over 200 active users to less than 15 after introducing premium mods. It's clear that installing premium mods isn't worthwhile until a solution is found.