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**The Guide To Getting Your World Noticed**#Contributors get cookies!#
XxCookieDoughxX
Posts: 1,118 New Member
THE GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR WORLD NOTICED
Hiya, Cookie here. Now recently, I’ve been playing some beautiful worlds from all over the site that definitely deserve better recognition. All of the hard work you amazing creators put in should be rewarded with recc’s, downloads, comments, but some don’t seem to be getting it. My mission is to put that to an end!
This thread is dedicated to guiding first-time world builders on how to make simmers from across the globe enjoy and play your handy work. I’m even encouraging you guys to STOP being modest and start plugging your work! Advertisements of your worlds, and your worlds only, is accepted around here. Just try not to spam and make sure you follow the rules, and none of us mind.
TIP NO#1: Naming your world is, well, the most crucial part. Avoid starting displaying your work on a thread without a suitable name because just saying ‘the world without a name yet’ sounds just a teeny bit unprofessional. Of course if you’re really stuck the simming community definitely don’t mind lending a hand, plus naming competitions are so fun!
Anyway, make sure you stick to a name that is relevant. Unless you’re trying to be witty & ironic, calling an urban, grey metropolis Dandelion Fields is a little weird, and may throw people off of what their looking for.
Keep it nice and simple, and avoid difficult words and tricky spellings. Most of the advertisement you’ll get is online but some names are passed around through word and mouth; so don’t make it a mouthful!
And be CREATIVE, and ORIGINAL. Copying is outright wrong but if you stick with a safe name that a lot of people are likely to use, you world won’t pop out or fizz to the simmer like you want it to. Be brave, be unique, be quirky and take a lot of care and consideration to your world name.
TIP NO #2: Pictures, pictures, pictures! They are sooooo important! Snaps of your world are the element that will, obviously, sell to the simmer what you are offering. Without an awesome picture, no one, and I mean it, will bother to even have a go at downloading. Proceed to just take loads of your world and whittle it down to a few that should make it to your thread.
A great tutorial, all credit to ricmckinney, on using a web host to upload your pictures and stop them from breaking the page! http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/245580.page
Please try and stick to pictures posted on the forum. Yes, it’s a pain to do all of the coding, but people like me and folks with slow browsers can find it taxing to keep opening new windows to sites like flickr. Personal websites aren’t that bad, but again, a great picture is the first thing simmers want to see on your thread/exchange item.
Use a wide variety of pictures! Make sure you get in the full bird’s eye view of the map; it is what simmers need to see- a complete shot of what they are downloading. Of course, you’ll also have to involve important landmarks, unique features and the prettiest parts of your world. Shots of sunsets, fog, sparkling oceans, anything that unleashes your inner photographer’s eye, as an added extra is also always a winner. (Great graphics do help, but not all of us have them. Work with what you have and great photography makes everything comes out fine, even if you don’t have a higher-end graphics card.)
The way you layout your pictures through the thread should be considered. It’s hard, but I personally prefer all pictures to be available on the first post. Not all people do it, it is admittedly enough of a hassle posting them separately as you update, but I guess it’s my opinion that having most just ... there when you first look is more appealing. I’m not a huge fan of flicking through pages to find pictures.
I also recommend using your most beautiful picture of a good chunk of the world as a wonderful ‘title’ for your thread. You know, a huge logo to represent your world. If you don’t have anything fancy, such as Photoshop, get yourself on over to www.picnik.com! They have such a wonderful range of things to completely edit and enhance your photos. Not only with groovy text, but with effects, borders... it’s great. Some features are premium, but a lot is just free so I recommend this service. Of course, most web hosts do offer a certain amount of editing with text and touch-ups, too.
TIP NO#3: Description
Not of all of us are authors, but everyone has the ability to tell stories, we do it every day. Give your world a great description and brief words about the key and unique features. Don’t be afraid to pull out a thesaurus, either! Be sure to include words about the overall theme of your world- rural, urban, suburban, tropical, medieval? Most simmers browsing the CAW forum know what they want, so make it crisp and clear what your world offers.
If you want to go the extra mile to make a perfect pitch, include a short (or long if you’re a day-dreamer like me) history of your world, it really makes your work seem professional, interesting and as-cute-as-a-button. Simmers want to be immersed in the world, it’s rich past, and really get to know the citizens that live there. This really enriches the game play.
TIP NO #4:
!
TIP NO #5:
TIP NO #6:
Hiya, Cookie here. Now recently, I’ve been playing some beautiful worlds from all over the site that definitely deserve better recognition. All of the hard work you amazing creators put in should be rewarded with recc’s, downloads, comments, but some don’t seem to be getting it. My mission is to put that to an end!
This thread is dedicated to guiding first-time world builders on how to make simmers from across the globe enjoy and play your handy work. I’m even encouraging you guys to STOP being modest and start plugging your work! Advertisements of your worlds, and your worlds only, is accepted around here. Just try not to spam and make sure you follow the rules, and none of us mind.
P.S: This is not a guide helping you with the CAW Tool; it’s a guide for officially advertising what you have to offer. To help them download like virtual hot cakes, if you will.
TIP NO#1: Naming your world is, well, the most crucial part. Avoid starting displaying your work on a thread without a suitable name because just saying ‘the world without a name yet’ sounds just a teeny bit unprofessional. Of course if you’re really stuck the simming community definitely don’t mind lending a hand, plus naming competitions are so fun!
Anyway, make sure you stick to a name that is relevant. Unless you’re trying to be witty & ironic, calling an urban, grey metropolis Dandelion Fields is a little weird, and may throw people off of what their looking for.
Keep it nice and simple, and avoid difficult words and tricky spellings. Most of the advertisement you’ll get is online but some names are passed around through word and mouth; so don’t make it a mouthful!
And be CREATIVE, and ORIGINAL. Copying is outright wrong but if you stick with a safe name that a lot of people are likely to use, you world won’t pop out or fizz to the simmer like you want it to. Be brave, be unique, be quirky and take a lot of care and consideration to your world name.
TIP NO #2: Pictures, pictures, pictures! They are sooooo important! Snaps of your world are the element that will, obviously, sell to the simmer what you are offering. Without an awesome picture, no one, and I mean it, will bother to even have a go at downloading. Proceed to just take loads of your world and whittle it down to a few that should make it to your thread.
A great tutorial, all credit to ricmckinney, on using a web host to upload your pictures and stop them from breaking the page! http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/245580.page
Please try and stick to pictures posted on the forum. Yes, it’s a pain to do all of the coding, but people like me and folks with slow browsers can find it taxing to keep opening new windows to sites like flickr. Personal websites aren’t that bad, but again, a great picture is the first thing simmers want to see on your thread/exchange item.
Use a wide variety of pictures! Make sure you get in the full bird’s eye view of the map; it is what simmers need to see- a complete shot of what they are downloading. Of course, you’ll also have to involve important landmarks, unique features and the prettiest parts of your world. Shots of sunsets, fog, sparkling oceans, anything that unleashes your inner photographer’s eye, as an added extra is also always a winner. (Great graphics do help, but not all of us have them. Work with what you have and great photography makes everything comes out fine, even if you don’t have a higher-end graphics card.)
The way you layout your pictures through the thread should be considered. It’s hard, but I personally prefer all pictures to be available on the first post. Not all people do it, it is admittedly enough of a hassle posting them separately as you update, but I guess it’s my opinion that having most just ... there when you first look is more appealing. I’m not a huge fan of flicking through pages to find pictures.
I also recommend using your most beautiful picture of a good chunk of the world as a wonderful ‘title’ for your thread. You know, a huge logo to represent your world. If you don’t have anything fancy, such as Photoshop, get yourself on over to www.picnik.com! They have such a wonderful range of things to completely edit and enhance your photos. Not only with groovy text, but with effects, borders... it’s great. Some features are premium, but a lot is just free so I recommend this service. Of course, most web hosts do offer a certain amount of editing with text and touch-ups, too.
TIP NO#3: Description
Not of all of us are authors, but everyone has the ability to tell stories, we do it every day. Give your world a great description and brief words about the key and unique features. Don’t be afraid to pull out a thesaurus, either! Be sure to include words about the overall theme of your world- rural, urban, suburban, tropical, medieval? Most simmers browsing the CAW forum know what they want, so make it crisp and clear what your world offers.
If you want to go the extra mile to make a perfect pitch, include a short (or long if you’re a day-dreamer like me) history of your world, it really makes your work seem professional, interesting and as-cute-as-a-button. Simmers want to be immersed in the world, it’s rich past, and really get to know the citizens that live there. This really enriches the game play.
TIP NO #4:
Thanks auntielyndsauntielynds wrote:Another good way to get your world noticed is to get it on MS3B,(My Sims 3 Blog). Also, there are thousands of Simmers out there networking on facebook, and sharing their creations (I'm Auntie Lynds on fb, Friend Me!)
!TIP NO #5:
Great tips here from BSIRegina. Thanks a bunch! :thumbup:BSIRegina wrote:people should also be posting their worlds in the World Index. I keep a copy of that World Index at Custom Sims 3 and although lately I haven't had time to update but about every couple of weeks, it does get updated and gets many visitors. I also scrounge around various websites and include worlds that are hosted places other than the Exchange.
TIP NO #6:
gurra09 shares some great advice here. Ty!! :-)gurra09 wrote:I agree with Regina that marketing your custom worlds are good since I find a lot of stuff that way.
I usually go through this forum and other places once a month and even though I find lots of interesting worlds and projects from that I find even more by clicking links in people's signatures and such.
I myself usually post my world threads to several forums, and when it's done I always register it in the world index. Then I aswell always have a link to my latest world in my signature here and at other sims forums.
This guide is always growing! And, like some of your awesome WIP’s, it’s not quite finished. I’m working all the time to add and edit tips but I can’t do it without your help! If you would like to submit a tip, it’s very welcome! You’ll receive full credit, of course, and a HUGE chocolate chip cookie from me. It’s my goal to help all of the first time world creators out there.
Thanks so much, and feedback is welcome too. Good luck with your worlds everyone!
*coooookie*
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Comments
Thanks for posting this - I'm pretty sure lots of people will find it helpful
I'm going to link it up in the FAQ.
Another good way to get your world noticed is to get it on MS3B,(My Sims 3 Blog). Also, there are thousands of Simmers out there networking on facebook, and sharing their creations (I'm Auntie Lynds on fb, Friend Me!)
Edit:
Okay, I slotted you in under "Posting & Starting Threads, Info to get you started", way down at the bottom.
The Sims Creators' Consortium
It's an open group and I don't mind taking ANY simmer, so long as they want to talk about The Apocalypse Challenge
God Bless,
mik
Personally, I think that we already are bombarded with too much marketing.
@KayPapagei
@Auntielynds Yay, thankyou. I'm gonna put your tip up on the guide so here's a *cookie*
@tjstreak Yeah I see what you mean. I just thought it would be nice to help out those that want it, yannow? Thanks for the feedback!
The points you make are so true and efficient and I'm sure will come in handy.
TJ, you're just sour graping. When it comes to custom worlds, there's no such thing as too much marketing. Thanks to people marketing their worlds I've found some keepers. If my only source was the Exchange I'd still be looking.
Having said that, people should also be posting their worlds in the World Index. I keep a copy of that World Index at Custom Sims 3 and although lately I haven't had time to update but about every couple of weeks, it does get updated and gets many visitors. I also scrounge around various websites and include worlds that are hosted places other than the Exchange.
I usually go through this forum and other places once a month and even though I find lots of interesting worlds and projects from that I find even more by clicking links in people's signatures and such.
I myself usually post my world threads to several forums, and when it's done I always register it in the world index. Then I aswell always have a link to my latest world in my signature here and at other sims forums.