I would like to begin by challenging Schleiner’s idea that modders are parasites that “infiltrate a wealthier host game system,” and “life if its fine cheeses (Schleiner pg36).” In this analogy, in which modders are compared “hungry rats gnawing on cheese in a tac collector’s well-stocked kitchen(Schleiner pg36),” implies that somehow modders are feeding of the host, stealing that which the host game developer has to feed themselves. This could not be further from the truth, when a modder makes a mod, they are not taking cheese out of the basement, rather they are doing quite the opposite. The modder is taking the cheese that they have made and adding it to the basement of the “tax collector.” The content generated by modders is generally free and done out of love for the game they are modding. The modder is generating their own content for the game, and making it available to others who wish to enjoy the game more. Nothing is taken from the basement, rather something is added to improve the supply of cheese as it were. While yes, a modder may utilize the engine of the game to make the mod, this is more akin to a rat going into the house of the cheese maker to make his own cheese, which he then shares with the tax collector and all his friends, and at the same time the cheese he makes requires nothing from the cheese maker other then his cheese making machine. The rat is even kind enough to bring his own ingredients into the mix. No parasitism take place, and the end result is an addition to an already great game that could potentially bring in more players, or keep current players playing longer.
With that being said, a great example of a mod that would fit the example, even if the example is a poor one, would be Skyrim. Skyrim is one of, if not the most, modded game in history. So, it is an easy pick. One of the most popular mods for Skyrim is the Macho Man Randy Savage dragon mod. This mod replaces all of the dragons in the game with Macho Man Randy Savage, but not in the way you think. The mod stretches the Macho Man Randy Savage skin around the skeleton of the dragon, creating this grotesque, horrific monster that flies around, but still acts like a dragon. This mod only changes the look of the dragons and the sounds they make, while this may not change the gameplay much, it does change the players reaction and response to the dragon, from one of fear to laughter, or even a worst terror depending on the person.
It takes the seriousness right out of any situation, as while the other NPC’s will react normally to the dragon, the players reaction to the sudden appearance of the Macho Dragon can vary. It may cause the player to treat the dragon is less of a threat then it actually is, due to the amusing appearance of the dragon, and as a result the player may be punished with death. Some players may treat the horrific appearance of the Macho dragon with even more caution than a normal dragon, and run away rather the engaging in a fight they can win. As time goes on and player get used to the Macho dragon however, they will begin to engage the dragon in a similar way to a normal one.
Schleiner, A. (2018). Game Modding: Cross Over Mutations and Unwelcome Gifts. In The player’s power to change the game: Ludic mutation (p. 36). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
