S4MM now has Patreon

Hey everyone 👋,

Creating this Patreon page and this post took me quite a while. In the following, I want to transparently & honestly explain why, and what Patreon means for the Sims 4 Mod Manager.

In the Sims Modding Community, it is quite normal to have a Patreon page, and yet the Mod Manager had none. However, sometimes users asked me if there was an ad-free version or if there is a way to support the project/me directly. Until now, I always responded that it's planned but not ready yet.

This has now been the case for way over 2 years! And I’m still hesitant now. Why?

1. Money Changes Expectations (Consciously or Unconsciously)

My biggest fear has always been how money alters relationships & expectations. I can't shake the feeling that it's only okay to have bugs if it's free. Paid stuff needs to be perfect. And I simply can't guarantee this for the Mod Manager.

I do my best to test and find bugs in advance, but the project simply got too big for me to think of every edge case. I learned a lot over the last few years and the Mod Manager got more stable, but in the end, I'm just one guy developing it.

2. Providing Value without a Paywall

I have a core principle that I refuse to break: No essential features of the Mod Manager will ever be locked behind a paywall.

I absolutely hate tools that constantly bombard you with pop-ups saying "Upgrade to Premium to use Feature X." I want S4MM to be fully functional and accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation.

At the same time, if people choose to support me, I want to give something back to say thank you. Finding that balance is tough. How do I offer a "thank you" bonus without making free users feel left out? My solution is to keep rewards strictly cosmetic or minor... things like changing the accent color, minor helper tools, recognition (like Discord roles), or an extra channel. Walking this thin line between "free for all" and "value for supporters" is a challenge and stressful. (I'm open to ideas for Patreon benefits, in general or in the Mod Manager).

3. Putting a price on my work

I can only speak for myself, but I find it incredibly hard to put a price/value on my own work. Even though thousands of people across the world are using my program, I sometimes only see the issues and areas that need improving. And with this flawed look, it's hard to think of a price or accept money in general. But in the end, I just need to accept that the Patreon is completely optional.

To clarify, the Mod Manager will always remain free and support is totally optional. I'm also fortunate enough that I'm not at all dependent on Patreon.

Thanks for taking the time and reading my rambling.