A new, stable and user-friendly item editor for BG / BGII

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Sorry for reviving this ancient topic and if it's against the Rules i'm really sorry for it, but one of the first GOOGLE matches is this topic and thought I might be of some help.

Based on a discussion at SP I've opened a poll on my own blog to decide if a programmer/webdeveloper (that would be myself) should dedicate his time to make the first STABLE USER-FRIENDLY itemeditor for BG / BGII. Couldn't open the poll here as I'm not sure it's against the rules (it's related to, so to speak, money).

 

You realise you could have just posted that in the thread you linked? There are 181 results from the SP forums alone, you didn't have to raise a 5 year old thread, all searches through the forum show the newest topics first, I remember CS cropping up a few times over the years.

The site you mention in your blog has members pay to view the site and access the downloads. (There's a long backstory to the reasons and evolution of it, but you can seek that elsewhere )

As for paying for the production of a modding tool, while an interesting concept, I would not. I mod in my free time and as pretty much any modder will attest to, it takes a back seat to most 'real life demands' as the current modding community has evolved in the ten years plus of the BG series a lot of modders have their own methods and quirks that make coding easier and more efficient to them. Different tools will have different user demands and requirements of function. Most tools that have sites set up for donation will recieve most donations after a stable, effective release. A lot of tools/mods have gone under mid development or after a beta because "that will do" kicks in from the developer, this would have to be a project of interest, not one of potential payout.

(Rules are linked in the grey box at the top of the page btw and the mods are really good at responding to questions as well if you're really unsure.)

 

Real life's more important for all of us I guess than IE modding/playing, and income's important for many. I'm eager to make this tool but also wanna some cash for the time/knowledge devoted.

My idea is that there may be some means between the two extremes (abandoning Baldur scene vs. 'professional' modder if exists at all). Some people seem refuse paying me even a single penny out of principel, my point is that every player just spends $5 and with 200 itemmaker fans that's more than $900 after PayPall fees! Don't need them paying in advance, just for progress... like putting milestones for donations.

Too bad my blog isn't known much and thus too few votes... On Bioware & other forums you always see "cromwell smithy", "item editor?" topics now and then... it reflects there IS demand...

Would be so good to get somme promotion for this initiation... just for voting. I'd even give some percent, say 5, from income to sites who help me promote the poll and it ends in positive result... That is, some income from people who're satisfied...

There could be milestones like (read the explanation carefully, the first impression might be misleading):
1. start (pre-alpha example version): $0
2. initial working version with quite good wizard: $300
3. first version with complete working item wizard, WeiDU generator support: $600
4. advanced version, full wizard, WeiDU generator, item locator, fan requests: ...
...
So when a milestone's reached, I start working on the NEXT version and when finished, I release it. E.g. I immediately would start working on V2, and release it (regardless of donations) when finished; but would only START working on V3 when the V2 sum ($300) is reached. So the community would always get the current version for FREE, just I wouldn't continue as long as the milestone goal isn't reached. Sounds fair to me.