Criteria for 'Featured Mod List' status

The general opinion of the Wabbajack project, post-decentralization, is that any well managed, well curated list should be valid for "featuring in the UI". This is a rather general and subjective statement, so instead of writing down the minimum requirements for a list to be accepted this is a list of known reasons why a list will be rejected.

Rejection Reasons

Pay-walled mods

No mods through Wabbajack should ever be paywalled. Free logins to patreon that then download files are allowed. Logins to 3rd party sites that have subscriptions are allowed, but a user should never be required to buy a non-game studio product to install a modlist. Downloadable content for the game is a fine requirement, a 3rd party paywalled mod is not. Please refer to the wabbajack monetization policy for more information.

Users not required to downgrade

Users must be able to install your list from the latest version from steam (or any other storefront that your list supports). We will not grant featured status to any list that requires users to manually downgrade to install the list. Wabbajack has built-in facilities to auto downgrade via the "Stock Game Folder" take advantage of this.

If the game updated while an author is busy with IRL obligations then we won't remove the featured status as long as the proper support for people to get the list running is provided or the author forces the list into maintenance mode until the next update.

Users shouldn't modify anything in their base game installation

On the note of downgrading, users should be able to install your list, regardless of any other modlist they have installed before or after your list. This is primarily because people are more likely than not to end up running multiple modlists, and possibly their own modded setup on these games, so keeping the game directory clean is important to avoid issues.

This is a strict requirement for the following games;

  • Skyrim Special Edition
  • Fallout 4
  • Starfield

For other and/or non-Bethesda games, it may not be possible to get them to function with MO2's VFS for game folder changes, so while it is still recommended, it is not required.

Custom patching required

For Bethesda games your list must have custom patching as required. Conflicts, issues, and bugs must be resolved as appropriate through patching. Merely running synthesis or any automated patching suite is insufficient.

Non-bethesda games are required to patch as appropriate and possible for the modlist.

Modlists must have "Open Permissions"

Your modlist must allow other users to fork, modify and re-upload your modlist as per the Wabbajack License. This does not mean that you have to support such modifications, and the forking user should rename the list.

User support required

Featured lists are required to provide technical support to users regarding the modlist without charging or paywalling. The modlist author must provide a place where users can report bugs, issues, and crashes where the user will recieve a reasonably timely response regarding their issue. Discord, or any other form of "live support," is not a requirement to be featured.

Modlist authors are not required to provide support regarding:

  • User specific hardware, software, or basic computer usage problems
  • Bugs, crashes, and issues present in the base game
  • Gameplay guidance
  • User's refusal to read provided instructions
  • Users that violate the rules of the modlist author's support server

If you fork a list, you must not advertise via their name unless given permission to do so

If you fork "Bill's Skyrim" you cannot name your list "Better Bill's Skyrim". Make your own name, make your own community, unless you ask the original author permission first.

Written guides require the original author's participation

We will not grant featured status to a wabbajack of a written guide without the original author being a member of the development team. Mere permission is not good enough. Forks can be granted featured status, but they must be separate from the original written guide.

Continuity of uptime and support

Your modlist must be present, functional, and available on the wabbjack UI as an unofficial list and supported for at least 30 days before it will be considered for featured status. You do not need to reach a specific number of downloads.

Do not opt-in to Donation Points on the nexus for files that are not generic to modding

If a file you put on the Nexus is only usable by Wabbajack (patches, auto-generated files, .wabbajack files, etc.) Do not opt-in to donation points on these files. This is at the request of the Nexus. Collections on Nexus Mods do not get donation points, we should play by the same rules. If a mod is generally useful to modders at large, feel free to opt-in.

When you think your list brings enough quality in the list itself, its documentation and the support provided then you can request a review of your list in the issues of the Requests & Reports repository by opening a new issue. There you will get open responses if we need any additional data about the list or replies to why the list can't be featured yet. We will not review lists for featured that do not request a review.

Reporting lists

In the Requests & Reports repository you can also, as the name implies, report modlists that are breaking the rules or that you think should get re-reviewed.