People say we shouldn't be able to mod QL, because a monopoly is better than competition. Obviously, the QL community isn't especially happy with id's version of QL. It is like living in a dictatorship... sure, there is unity, but no one is particularly happy except the people in power.

What about the practical application of modding, in terms of id software/zenimax business interests? With the ad-system, wouldn't more mods/more players be better for id? If people voluntarily, on their own coin, create QL mods, which then id profits from, why not allow them to do so? There wouldn't be any legal issues, as any modder would have to sign a contract foregoing all financial or legal rights to the content they create (or, some kind of profit-dividing system could be used; where modders receive a portion of the profits gained through their mods).

When considering the last point, wouldn't a system like the QL system, be perfect for a modding scene? It gives modders the ability to work from the point of a quality engine (so most of the work is already done). It gives them a portal, from which people can easily access their mods. It gives id/zenimax a share of the profits (they don't even have to do any work beyond the engine and website system), and gives modders the means of acquiring profits (so their work isn't purely pro-bono).

Lastly, wouldn't competition be good for QL competition? As strange as that sounds, competition means each participant must be better than their opponents. That means, ultimately, we get a better game. You see how awful baseq3 is compared to osp or cpma. And when it comes to dividing the community between dm and non-dm mods, well I just don't see the validity of that argument. People don't play qldm because they don't have a ql-alternative, they play it because they like dm. There are hundreds of alternatives to dm outside of ql (which they already play).

The best thing about QL is the system. The difference in gameplay and map-design from QL to Q3 is negligible, and people could argue in favor of either one. For some reason, id software is exceptional at designing engines and systems, but limited when it comes to gameplay. Modding solves that, especially when the modders have something to work for other than kudos. It is that combination of id's engines/systems and the community's modifications, that made the Quake community great. To keep the community great, and make it even greater, modding should be allowed, and in fact, further encouraged.