[Misc] Patch news, Work news (Law&Disorder, PlumbBuddy x ModHound)

Hello everyone and thanks for being here! You make my continued work on my mods possible and I am grateful to you! :)

PATCH STUFF

For those who missed it, my mods are compatible with all the latest EA patches.

On mini patches, it's kind of 'assume things are fine if you hear nothing': I don't usually make a patreon new post UNLESS I had to make updates - BUT the "status" on the Mod index and on Mod Hound gets updated, and the Discord announcement channel features a non-pinging announcement.

So in case of doubt regarding the patch status of my mods, checking the Index post here or my creator page on Mod Hound lists it up, just mentioning it if you need it in the future! :)

Now, onto what's going on creation-wise:

A - "INTEGRATIONS between PLUMBBUDDY program and my MOD HOUND platform.

PlumbBuddy is a desktop program designed to help players keep their mods folder healthy. With the integrations worked on lately between it and Mod Hound, users of PlumbBuddy will be able to request Mod Hound scans directly from the PlumbBuddy program, and see the results there.

This is a first step in the friendship between these two platforms, and I am grateful to the PlumbBuddy team (and most of all to CodeBleu for his patience). I am proud to be part of this process. It is all to improve YOUR experience using mods and maintaining your mod folder.

B - "LAW AND DISORDER":

That monstrosity is still in ongoing development. There are endless things to change / add / fix / solve (the latest problem is the authorities like to freeze in place instead of finishing arrests, so that whole part of the process is held up and half of it unchecked yet, to give you an example).
If you sense a hint of discouragement there, you're not making it up. But, FEAR NOT :)

This 'oh my god this is a never-ending hell-task' stage happens in the process of every mod I make. That's the point where I summon the Trusty Lists of Checkboxes - ie, when what still needs smoothed out or added gets listed all together, and I go through it one box at a time until we are ready for showtime.

So the list is long this time, so the weight of the years on this project doesn't help - that still doesn't change the facts: one box at a time, the list gets defeated.

I REALLY want the prototype up and ready this month.
Note the word use - Want (not promise) and Prototype (not 'full shine release' - though if that happened too it would of course be even better). Point is, this mod will be Testing Hell, and so for its first foray into the light, it likely won't be in complete form. So people who test can do so in 'units' so to speak. I've done this before, and it helps develop a more stable and more fun mod.
But once again no worries - these testing stages never last awfully long. Usually between 1 to 10 days.

My biggest difficulty with this project -- beyond the constant start-and-stop caused by other mods, EA patches, etc -- has been DECISIONS. It is a sad admission to make but it holds truth.
Usually, I have a design idea and stick with it throughout, more or less. Here, I have changed approaches around a great many times, and this is at the core of why this project has been such trouble for me and such slow-coming for you.
I am TERRIFIED of everyone's expectations on this one, and I want to make a fun "product", but considering the wait that's been on it, there's no way it will be fun enough to match, and so I'm second-guessing everything, tangling up the process.

Well, it's time to focus on wrapping up this taco, not changing the ingredients. I foresee more turns will be taken, but for now I just want to bring something out to you and am not taking any more turns. Just trying to leave space for future changes on certain elements where I'm unsure it'll be fun as currently approached. Your feedback will guide the process, down the line.

___

That was a lot of rambling but I just wanted to give you a bit more of an 'in' to how things go. I hope to make a proper WIP post with images soon. If the Sim authorities remember to behave, that will be one step closer. One box at a time, ehe.

Thank you and

Happy May!