Donut Team Developer Platform Information (20 May 2016)

DEVELOPERS,

I am Jake Andreøli, the lead web developer here at Donut Team. Today I'd like to talk to you about our latest project we're working on bringing to mod developers, the Donut Team Developer Platform. Originally we announced this initiative on the finale of the Trick or Treat 2015 event. We anticipated to have it out before the end of 2015, however due to complications, we have now reached May 2016 and are just now feeling comfortable discussing the system.

It's an ambitious project that will let Simpsons: Hit & Run mod developers share their works on a Steam-like platform. This platform includes a product page that you will be able to customise to showcase your mod.

I feel questions are the easiest way to convey the information we have for you today.

Will everyone be able to submit mods, including smaller mods?
Yes! Everyone who has applied and been accepted into the program will have full access to sharing their works. Once they have submitted their mod, we will review it and then publish it the following day of our review.

Will this platform show mods based on popularity, or recent date, or neither? (hipporeno)
All three actually! Our current developer build of the platform shows things based on popularity of the application's analytics, if it has been recently updated or submitted to the store, and we also show random ones to engage a user.

How will the developer application process work? (hipporeno)
I covered some of this below (See "Who has to apply?" and "What are the requirements for applying?"), though I'll give you the run down:
1. You sign into your Donut Team account and visit the developer panel. After doing so, you submit the information required to start your application. You then wait until accepted.
2. Once accepted, you then can start by clicking "Create application" or you can start a team. You then fill out information about your application, and then whenever you're ready, you submit it.
3. Donut Team will review the information and mod you send us, and if we think it's ready for distribution, we'll queue your mod to be published. Our store listing will be updated every day at 11am (UTC-5).
4. If we do not think it's ready for distribution, we'll message you the details of what went wrong and why it failed our requirements. This can be from the mod was crashing, to a violation of our terms, or a simple fix like your title had a spelling mistake.

Who has to apply?
Everyone working through the Developer Platform will have to apply. This includes Donut Team staff. Before allowing any developer on our platform, we will need you to apply. Applying is simple, simply confirm some information with us and we'll process your application.

What are the requirements for applying?
All applicants must be Donut Team members for at least thirty (30) days. Your participation in the community and the way you treat other members will also be evauluated. After applying, the review process may take up to seven (7) business days. If you have any questions before applying, we ask you ask them on our forum. All developers must abide the following rules and guidelines. These rules are subject to change at anytime. Developers will be notified of these changes and will be asked to accept them or otherwise have their products removed.

1. All developers must be at least thirteen (13) years of age.
2. All developers agree to having a functional product ready before submitting to the Donut Team store.
3. All developers agree not to submit the following using the Donut Team Developer Platform:
3a. Someone else's product, unless you have specific authorisation to do so;
3b. Pornography, inappropriate or offensive content, warez or leaked content;
3c. Software viruses, or any computer code, files, or programs designed to interrupt, destroy, or limit the functionality of any computer software, hardware or telecommunication equipment;
3d. Threats of violence, even as a joke;
3e. Copyrighted material such as assets or intellectual property without permission from the owner;
4. All developers are liable for the content that they share on the Donut Team Developer Platform. If a copyright holder requests the removal of your content, Donut Team will follow the order and forward details to appeal the removal to the developer. Multiple offences will revoke your access to the Donut Team Developer Platform.
5. All developers are restricted from earning any payment for their item on this store. This includes currency, donations, and any other compensation.
6. All developers understand that all products submitted through the Donut Team Developer Platform will be verified before release to the general public. This means that you will need to submit your product days before a scheduled release to meet your deadline. For more information and guidelines, please contact Donut Team.
7. All developers understand that their product must meet a certain expectation on how well it functions and its usability. Donut Team will work with developers to ensure their product meets our standards if necessary.
8. All developers are subject to Donut Team's Terms of Service.

Am I restricted from sharing my mod elsewhere?
Absolutely not, you are free to share it on any website.

There has to be a catch, what is it?
There's no catch.

What are the file size limits?
50 MiB per download at launch. Applications above this size will not be allowed. You also note that you will be uploading the LMLM file, not a zipped version of it. If the community feels this is a really restricting limit, we will look into fixing this. Large scale mod developers that we "trust" may have elevated privileges. We'll discuss those at a later time with you in private if necessary.

What's a team?
Donut Team knows best that projects can be made as a team. So we're working on a feature that will let developers share projects under a developer. This will be ready when the Developer Platform launches.

Can I share a bundle of mods?
Yes. Though, we're not going to allow you to upload one mod that contains a bundle. A mod developer must submit multiple mods and then use our built in "Create bundle" feature. This will allow you players to pick and choose what they want, while also letting you distribute all mods as a complete package.

Can I share add-ons for my mod?
Mods that you create specifically as an add-on for your mod are allowed as long as properly added to your original mod as "DLC". We'll explain how to do this in the future.

Can I earn money for this?
No. As stated in the Developer Platform agreement, you may not earn compensation for your mod projects.

When does the Developer Platform launch?
We will be launching it along with the brand new website. We are currently not ready to share a date for launch. We will have more information regarding this soon and we're also debating on a beta.

Awesome!

Thanks for answering my questions Jake!

cheers,

hipporeno