I have a couple of mods that I make with Morrowind and Oblivion.
I have put thousands of hours into them and they are continuing mods I am working on since the day Morrowind and later Oblivion were released.
I created new landworlds and have added thousands of models and NPCs. Each NPC has routines and AIs to interact with each other. I have never had anyone play or even see my mods.
I’m a recluse who lives alone without friends or family so that’s why I can spend thousands of hours with my mods.
My enjoyment comes from having a mod where I’m just a traveler and spectator to the variety of what years of adding to my mods has come too.
I always find places and pathways, caves and dungeons and people and things going on that I had completely forgotten that I had created over the years. Not only that but my NPCs get into scraps and fights among themselves - even when I’m not around to see them. I never know what to expect when I “visit”.
I can spend hours sitting in a pub watching all the action. Sometimes a bar fight - fists only as I have only allowed a few NPCs (guards&hunters) to carry weapons - breaks out that can involve 20 or more characters getting knocked out running out the bar and have a dozen or more patrons chase him outside where even more people may get involved. No one dies just knocked unconscious… I love my NPCs and they may get knock down in a fight, ravaged by a bear, fall off a cliff or beaten by bandits but they always recover.
I carry no weapons and have no skills or powers so I am completely at the mercy of whatever forgotten dangers I have added over time.
I have dungeons and cave systems loaded with goodies - I love clutter and have thousands of items making every room, garden, store, pub and area completely different and unique.
Between the Morrowind and Oblivion I use about 60 gb of assets.
I am very new to Unreal Engine and am hoping I can get as into it as much as I do with M&O.
My point of posting this is to point out that (to me) making games is a million times more fun than playing them.
To any young person I say learn as much as you can about graphics, 3dmodeling, animation and play writing and all that goes with the digital future.
Knowledge + Energy = success.