Steam Workshop Co-Authors need the ability to upload files!

We can now edit the steam description and image files, but a Co-Author can't upload or modify the files.

This means if the main author who uploaded the mod to the workshop is away, not active, was removed from the project for any reason, or is even dead -- we co-authors can't update the mod. We may be active maintaining the mod, active in the community solving bugs and coordinating ongoing development, but as far as uploading files, we can only tell people, "sorry, I can't actually upload anything new. Go visit our Github instead."

In my case, we've been working on a mod called Save Our Ship 2 for RimWorld, and our main author doesn't mod anymore. Maybe once in six or seven months if we're lucky, he'll be able to update the steam page. But if a critical update is needed as our mod interacts with other mods and base game updates & DLC -- it may be months, or a year, between updates.

This is obviously a significant challenge, and causes an undue burden on the community.

We're seeing steam files slip into a deprecated state far behind other solutions like github, ModDB, or the Nexus, where co-authors can upload files on the same listing. Maintaining our original mod upload, is the only way we can keep this mod operating safely. I can't run the risk of license issues with contributors, and steam policies regarding re-uploads, if the file is posted again on steam to a new workshop page that I control.

It would be of significant benefit to us, and our community, if I could upload files myself.

It would also benefit other mod devs. Mod Devs are a tiny tiny tiny minority of Steam Users -- yet we are still value creators, creating, maintaining, and releasing products for free. Anything which discourages that sacrifice by adding friction to the work, is making modding less fun.

Having fun is all we get paid for this service to the community.

At this point it stopped being fun for me a long time ago, and it's just a loathsome burden.

Quitting means letting the mod become abandonware, which isn't maintained vs base game updates, and is likely to just be maintained against the license terms by a third party. Which is not something I want to go through again, as we recently had to go about wrestling control of the mod out of the hands of a volunteer maintainer, who tried to become a dictator and weaponize DMCA against us. That was the last straw in making this mod just miserable to maintain, and I'd like to never have legal action be a risk on a modding project ever again.

To save my own sanity, letting go is very tempting, and if we have to go through this cycle of waiting months until some guy somewhere gets around to updating, as I explain that I can't do anything about it except refer steam users off site -- I just don't see myself doing this much longer. It's exhausting.

If co-authors could upload files, it would keep me working in this community and maintain the mod for years to come at my own expense.

But if it's just not fun, and I can't do anything about it, I'd rather not participate. Which won't hurt steam -- but it hurts the mod community, and reflects poorly on us.