this is going to be a big plus for everyone, is everyone on drugs?
the argument i am seeing is people worrying that free mods will become a thing of the past and that is mute because existing modders who are happy to provide mods for free would continue to do so and I have seen posts by many of them stating this.
what this paid mod system brings is that we might actually start getting some sensational mods made by experienced professionals. from personal experience, i am not going to take time away from projects that pay hundreds of dollars per hour to write a game mod. but, if it was possible to actually make a living out of selling mods, i would quit my day job and put that 20 years of experience both in coding and 3D modelling into making very high quality mods instead (i'd be happy to just cover my living expenses in that case). in a commercial environment, other modders will also have to improve the quality of their mods to compete - it doesn't matter if your mod is free if the $5 alternative works much better.
so, whoever signs this petition is basically asking for less modders in the system producing lower quality mods ?! :huh: