I don’t always advertise the need for help from volunteers for the mod, so some people who might want to volunteer are unsure how to go about it or what is needed to do so. This will hopefully help with some of the questions and make it easier.

1.) Where do I apply?

The easiest route is to apply on the SuperStates Mod Discord Server[discordapp.com]. I am on this all the time both at home and at work, so you can get a fairly quick response once I see it.

The second easiest route is by contacting me on Steam, my profile should be open and I do accept messages and I will answer them as soon as I can. Steam on my phone doesn’t always notify me of pending messages but I do check when I am at home.

Other ways would be through reddit or email but at this point if you’re reading this, the other two are far faster and I generally don’t throw my email address around too much (attracts spam) but its keoniphoenix...@...yahoo.com.

2.) What do I need to know to be a volunteer?

You need to understand how modding in EU4 or any other Paradox game works, practically all Paradox Development Studio games share the same underlying system and many of the principles are shared between them. Writing events is pretty much the one skill I’m in the most need for, but I’ll take almost anybody who can demonstrate they know how to code anything in the game.

I use to be able to teach modding but my work schedule prevents that and it is simply not something I can just get back into, however the EU4 Wiki’s modding pages[eu4.paradoxwikis.com] has loads of useful information on how to get started on understanding the code used in creating mods. Much of it is very simple but it gets complicated when you try to write events. I learned by experimenting and learning by myself, so its not impossible to be self-taught and best route to learn is to start on something simple like adding a new mission or decision or even adding a new country. These things require learning how to use the various forms of code to get it to work without risking overloading or getting into advance things like event chains.

3.) Is there anything I need to be a volunteer?

Yes. You must have a Steam Account.
You must have Europa Universalis IV in your Steam Library and I must be able to verify that. Sharing the games through Steam is currently acceptable as long as the person sharing the game is the actual owner and not the person receiving the shared game. This is strictly enforced for the protection of the mod. I don’t gamble with my reputation as a modder by allowing or condoning infringing on Paradox by acquiring the game through unauthorized means.

You must have Dropbox to receiving the mod files and to upload them. Also a Trello account is necessary. Trello is a project management service and you can either use it on your webbrowser or use the Windows 10 app. Trello allows us to keep track of things that need to be done for the mod. The SuperStates Mod Trello Board[trello.com] is open to the public to view.

Other things might be required, for instance a modeler or graphic artist will need their respective software.

I use LibreOffice for many files I create in support of the mod, for instance a list of provinces is kept for purposes of tracking them and allowing me to assign them their proper values. Its not required to have the software as one can use Google Docs or any other compatible software, but if anything is sent in a Microsoft Office format it will likely be converted into LibreOffice format.

4.) Is there anything I need to do once I’m a volunteer?

Generally if you volunteer for a specific task, I ask of you to at least follow through. I can’t police everybody all the time and generally take a hands off approach but if you suddenly stop communicating for a long period of time, you can be dropped from the mod team without notice and all your unfinished input with be discarded. Its happened many times before and it will happen many times into the future, so understand that communication is the key.

I take a very negative stance against people who join the team just so they can play the mod in its development verison. Those who are only on the team to play and not contribute are usually removed as soon as possible and are banned outright.

5.) Can I add other mods to this mod?

You can if you ask me first and we as a team have permission from that other mod team, we can accommodate it as long as it is not in conflict with what I envision for the mod.

6.) Can I use this mod in another mod?

That question is technically answered elsewhere where I grant permission to use the mod by other people, however if you’re on more than one mod team and you’re borrowing between the SuperStates Mod and other the mod, then I might ask you to stop if I think its not in the interest of SuperStates Mod.

The only requirement for using the mod in other projects is to credit the mod and its teammembers and that the name “SuperStates Mod” is exclusive to projects managed by myself.

7.) Can I port SuperStates Mod to [Another Paradox Game]?

Yes and I am laying the ground work for both a Victoria II version and a Hearts of Iron IV version and I am accepting volunteers for both.

8.) How old do I have to be?

You have to be at least 13 due to US Federal Law to use the services of Steam and other website like Trello and Dropbox. However there’s no restrictions if you are 13 to be on the mod team.

9.) Do I have to live in the US or North America to be on the team?
No. However being outside of North America causes timezone issues that can be difficult to overcome.

10.) I don’t like [some one] on the Team, can you kick them off for me?

No. And having an attitude like that is grounds for removal from the team. Personal conflicts are not tolerated between volunteers.