Some of us have already started to work on preparations for their mod-ideas, as I did also. What would be interesting (for me and maybe others?) is… how do you approach such a project?
Most people have started with design work in Qubicle. However, it is not visible what is going on behind the scenes. Two exceptions there might be. Obviously Tobias has started to work on some tools to support his future work and allow for easier animation of his Norse. GrimMethod has started to think about and create a tree with relationships between the professions.
Personally, what I have started with is a simple text-document which includes my ideas for the mod:
“Design Principles” (e.g. the mod should utilize existing assets and add complexity)
Key features of the mod
Overview of required and involved professions (incl. if I need a new one)
Overview of required and involved resources (incl. if they can be expected to be already in the game, like wood)
In a second step I have tried to translate this text-file into a chart which brings the professions and resources into relation. As a next step I try to go through the different components and e.g. design items where I do not expect them to be in the game.
My Roman mod is actual still in concept work.
This means that I’m looking for pictures in the internet as templates for my models. In most cases there are no really good pictures where I can say “This looks realistic” or there are no pictures at all so I have to look for some other sources to find a good solution for the mod.
Because this mod is my first mod ever I will make my mod not to different from the vanilla races so I have to wait how the developers decide in some cases.
Mainly I’m sitting at Qubicle and try to make new models and at the same time train with Qubicle.
After I will release my mod and I have more knowledge in LUA and some other languages I will extend my mod so the mod gets new content.
Now I’m waiting to get my Photoshop version from my friend so I can start working (learning) with Photoshop, too.
I’m also waiting for the Stonehearth version of Qubicle to export my models into an animation tool.
My mod plan is:
make as many models as possible in my free time
use Photoshop to create some nice pictures
start with using blender after the SH version of Qubicle released (and maybe switch to some other animation tools next year.
finally start programming.
So this is my “plan” behind my mod it is not perfect but functional
I understand that you see your mod as a new skin for the existing kingdoms. You will re-use the professions, animations, etc. and “just” add your look on top of that. For this, I think your approach with Qubicle and creating some designs for different classes is quite straight forward.
Also if you like to wait with other features for a later point in time… that makes sense to me. Probably I will also not fill up my mod(s) with all the features I can think of. But develop them over time (also to allow for finding and eliminating possible bugs).
Might be that this project becomes a bit more complex once you want to make the second step and touch some of the features like crafting or design your own profession.
I stumbled into doing the norse mod really, Just wanted to have a crack at qubicle and found it too much fun to stop.
So after making a bunch-o-stuff people began to refer to the scrapbook as a mod and well I couldn’t see an easy way to back out
So yeah my “method” is a notepad with scrawled Ideas mostly divided up along gameplay lines:
Mechanics for gods (Bless/Fate/Doom)
Mechanics for Sagas and Runestones
Endless iterations of building experiments (the horror)
Ideas for Norse specific battle styles
Musings on what the Norse progress tree should look like
And finally any idea my wife has (they are all good and I steal them
wholesale )
and a list of “physical” artifacts that can be norsified:
The Civs/Settlers/Chaps
The Enemy Factions
The Buildings
The Environment/Artifacts
Work on the animation tools is coming along nicely, if a little slowly (I am mainly doing the work on the weekends due to work commitments)
I will be making the tools available as soon as they are a bit more polished and the game specifics that the animations plug into are a bit more locked down (this is obviously to save my lazy bum from having to release too many versions ;))
as i tend to get overwhelmed with the details if i try to plan something large from the get go, i find it best (when trying my hand at modding) to start small, and incrementally build from there…
i’ll get something working as intended, and if it feels like the right fit, i’ll look for ways to expand on the basic idea… as ideas and options start to present themselves, the overall mod concept will usually end up scrawled on my graph paper (who doesnt have two or three pads of this stuff lying around, when an impromptu dungeon design pops into their head?), and from there it will continue to evolve until i cant stand looking at the content any longer…
My process is elegant and straight up dapper; what you do is you start with something small just a nugget of an idea (like a colored feather on a model) then you take that idea and run wildly into the night with it and turn it into a theme (Tribal). Slowly it becomes a part of you, like a paint brush becomes an extension of a painter, then it becomes your niche; from there you master it and stake your claim as the ruler (People try to avoid a similar theme you’re doing).
Then you will realize all you have is a theme and to make this theme something more it needs direction and a place (CLASSES, CULTURE, WORLD); but you were just making things randomly based around a nugget (FEATHERS AND BONES! MORE FEATHERS; MORE BONES). You didn’t have any direction or destination so you try and make one (Theme based classes); then you try and force your theme onto that road (Bonesmith gear as good as Blacksmith gear). You toss around ideas and concepts but it’s like trying to paint by throwing buckets against the wall; everything sticks but it looks hurl (Trying to make buildings! Right @TobiasSabathius ?! lol).
Finally a glimmer of hope arises and you finally have that eureka moment (IT’S ALL ABOUT INHERITANCE; LONG LIVE THE KIDS). Do not celebrate yet because that glimmer will soon be gone and with it fear, anger, hatred… the dark side emerges (WHY DO I HAVE 3 CRAFTERS THAT DO THE SAME THING? THIS GUY CAN’T BUILD METAL UNTIL WHAT GENERATION? THIS SYSTEM HAS TO GO… LONG LIVE THE KIDS!).
Soon you realize you can easily solve all your problems; just smash your head against your keyboard a few times and everything looks awesome again… at least to you.
Then they disappear and leave you high and dry and next thing you know your people have a Falcon infestation and some guy with a giant top hat, white skull face paint, a black suit, purple shirt, and a bowtie.
Design principles… well, I hope on using mostly all tools built into the game, but if thats not enough, I’d like to pick up a coder for help.
Key features? Bandits, of course! I want diverse and challenging groups of bandits. If you don’t keep a decent size town guard, they’ll show up and rob you blind. If you keep your roads unguarded, those trade caravans you desperately need might go missing. But I want this to be as fun as possible, not frustrating. My plan is to have the amount of x type of bandit spawning being based on the amount of x type of resource, weather they’ve stolen it or harvested it themselves. But I want them to also be intriguing, with a thick lore behind the various clans and lots of mini-stories that may be found as books or journals from slain bandits. Maybe why they’ve become bandits, or what its like being one.
Overview of professions… I assume you mean in game. If you meant like coders, artists, etc. then I would only need a coder if push comes to shove. In game, however, there would be a big variety of professions, with lots of attack classes, a few worker classes, and a good chunk of buildings.
Required resources is an easy one. Whatever you have, they want.
My mod may not be the most popular on these forums so far, but I hope to still make it an enjoyable experience for anyone who ends up downloading it in the end.
people began to refer to the scrapbook as a mod and well I couldn’t see an easy way to back out 
)