We can all agree that there are many things that could use a small overhaul like animations, tree models and foliage, inventory tweaks and such. What I am recommending is that a competition is held in which whoever makes the best overhaul by using their ideas and implementing in some preview code of the game their code can be reviewed and used in game. This way the community gets the QOL updates we have always wanted and Nelson doesn’t have to work as much. Please considerate it.
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I’m for this, but I don’t think Nelson will be. He’s already stated that he doesn’t want to become a manager instead of a developer.
Now, just in case Nelson actually does read this and likes it, here’s some ideas for how it could work:
Asset Competitions
Since we already have masterbundle overrides, people could just make new mods overriding the competition assets with the ones they want to submit. Could maybe add a new mod tag or something. Though, could also just have them put the challenge name in the title. After someone wins, they could just contact the winner to get the unity files or models to put it in the game.
Also, if this does happen, I hope one big rule is added:
Keep a Vanilla Theme
Or, at least, a low poly style. I’d say the curated maps’ styles would be good but jumping that far could make it look weird until everything is updated.
New Feature Competitions
No idea. There’s not much I can think of for this since not even modules can do much rn in terms of showcasing new features. It’d probably have to be a new system or just suggestions on the forums.
The asset one is much better imo since it’d mean that the vanilla game items and maps could be updated to not look 10 years old while allowing Nelson to not spend 200 updates going through it and updating the looks. There’s also already systems people could use to showcase submissions so there wouldn’t be much backend work besides for the actual ratings process (arguably the biggest reason why this won’t happen)
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Thank you both for your interest in helping improve the game!
In good related news: We’re aiming to have the tree models upgraded in time for the next update.
Nearer-term I think we’re going to experiment a bit more with contracting modders to collaborate on vanilla changes. I’m hoping this will be a good learning opportunity for accepting PRs to the base game, and to write documentation on making changes to the base game. Longer-term once the game’s eventually 
open-source we might be able to accept some community-submitted changes and/or I imagine there will be community forks of the game with big changes!
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👀
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It’s always interesting to hear your plans, I can picture ways this could ends up pretty nice !
I personally think that curated maps set a good example of how modders could contribute to the game, and having them contribute to the base game’s maps may bring some welcome refreshments as long as it stays Vanilla.
Something else I look forward in the further future would be just new assets added to the base game, I mentioned more than once face/hairstyle/beardstyle because we have had the same for nearly a decade without any new additions but it could also apply to some items, vehicles, objects and so on and I am sure many would love to get the chance to contribute, even as part of a contest, I know for a fact I would.
I agree, Curated maps are awesome and all but ones like Arid, Escalation and Buak just make the items too detailed for Unturned theme. I love that it is blockyness it has. A6 Polariss stuff is inbetween which is why I like it alot. It has some detail but not a huge amount.
Does this mean that mods will eventually be able to change large portions of the game? instead of just adding new items and such? Like add extra movement styles or change the player model entirly.