Why I Reupload Mods — My Side of the Story

Hello everyone!

I’ve been debating whether to write this post, but here I am. Today I want to talk about the BeamNG.drive forum and its repository. Let’s start from the very beginning.

Situation 1: A fix that wasn’t allowed into the repository

I made a fixed version of the Small Island map (the old one). Originally, this map was available for version 0.3.0, but Car Killer later ported it to a more recent version (0.15.x). In December 2025, I decided to update the textures on that map — I really like it. However, it turns out I’m not allowed to take a map made by the developers, update it, and submit it to the repository without explicit permission. I did everything to make it work on the then-new 0.38.x, and I clearly credited the original creators, marking it as a fixed version.

The update was rejected, and Car Killer wrote to me, saying I couldn’t just take and publish it without permission. But here’s the irony: Car Killer himself updated that very map to 0.15.x without any special permission. Where’s the logic?

In the end, I published the map on Modland and other independent sites.

Situation 2: Mod reuploads

Lately, I’ve been getting a ton of hate from unregistered users who camp on the forum 24/7 and cry every time their mods appear on Modland. This part is especially for you.

Let’s start with the obvious: apart from one‑click installation via the in‑game repository, what does the forum or repository offer? Nothing. It looks like a site straight out of the early 2000s — outdated interface, often confusing, tiny preview images, no ratings on the main page (see screenshots below).

Meanwhile, on Modland (and not only there), mod tiles are large and clear. You instantly know what you're downloading — a tuning mod, not some vague icon.

On top of that, people actually earn money here through reuploads. Here’s how it works: I download a mod from the repository, upload it to Modsfire, post the link, and when a user downloads it, they see ads — and I get a small share of the revenue. Isn’t that great?

But forum regulars think content should be either paid or freely downloadable directly from the forum. They forget that no one is going to sell real cars, maps, or tuning parts on the forum. Can you imagine Royal Renderings, Bubon2012, diey, Kenemation, Frix, and others appearing on the forum? Of course, forum fans will say that authors can use Modland or other platforms to communicate with players. Still, by gathering all mods in one place, we give players a choice: drive a BMW by Bubon, a McLaren by Frix, or grab a lore‑friendly car like the Ibishu King Gym.

Situation 3: The forum ban

About 90% of the angry comments under my posts come from the thread about the Gavril D15 — a paid mod that cost $3.5 and looks worse than the stock Gavril D.

This isn’t an excuse, just bare facts. The person who banned me (Fluffy Panda) never looked into the issue properly and just caved to pressure from forum elites. Every time I posted in that thread, I clearly stated that I don’t promote piracy or mod leaks, and I asked people not to go off‑topic. But you guys deliberately provoked me. I sent screenshots of the mod’s issues several times, hoping the author would notice and fix them in a future update — but for some reason, moderators kept deleting my screenshots while leaving off‑topic comments from other users untouched. Strange, isn’t it?

Situation 4: GoogleBurst

DaveBro, sorry, I just couldn’t resist making this a separate point 😂.

DaveBro claims that the GoogleBurst skin mod is his creation. Yet his mod uses the Google logo, which is protected by copyright (by his own admission). So he contradicts himself: he says it’s his mod, but the only thing in it — the logo — belongs to Google. Moreover, the mod was removed from the BeamNG forum, but it’s still up on Modland and other sites. If Google really had a problem, they would have filed a lawsuit against Modland or me by now (especially since Google officially suspended its operations in Russia).

So, dear offended forum enthusiasts, if you have any complaints about my reuploads, please take them to court!

Love and peace to all! ✌️

The text was translated using DeepSeek AI; errors are possible. Original in Russian: glas.su/s/JnUYU3