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How do we determine Maxis Faves?

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  • fidlertenfidlerten Posts: 7,615 Member
    edited June 2018
    @Xinqun I don't have a lot of followers either. I don't spend that much time building up a base of fans on here because I have a lot of other things I have to do, like go to work everyday.

    I do have about eight Maxis Fave, which I appreciate every single one of them.

    I think what's important for those who do not have a large base of fans, is to promote your work the best you can but also support the work of other builders who deserve recognition. The way to do that is through the thread:

    UPDATED Best Lot Creations Ever - recommendations for Maxis Tab

    I haven't done that much myself lately as I've just returned to building recently. I was off on a stint playing Mass Effect 1, 2 & 3.

    I do know that Maxis does pay attention to that thread and often fave lots recommended on there. However, they do have certain things that they look for in a build and I'm sure they playtest each lot before faving it to be sure there aren't major problems.

    Being popular might help somewhat but it certainly is not the only criteria to getting Maxis to fave a lot.
    Signature%2005-29-17_zpsti5fd2z4.png
  • XinqunXinqun Posts: 612 Member
    @fidlerten Exactly, the point is that it's not popularity per se that gets you a fave--it's the resulting visibility that increases your chances. And obviously there are other factors involved.

    It's worth noting that it's considered gauche to recommend one's own build on the Best Lot Creations thread. If everyone did that, then checking the thread would be no different from checking the gallery--it would defeat the purpose. But there again and there especially, other builders can't recommend your work if they've never seen your work, and that is why you promote it.
  • fidlertenfidlerten Posts: 7,615 Member
    edited June 2018
    @Xinqun, the way to promote one's work is obviously through one's own thread. Of course I did with my last house but then I got one response, which was from @rosemow, who is always faithful to compliment everyone's work; a precious person to have on these forums.

    I can show my work all I want but I cannot make anyone take the time to even take a look unless they want to.

    It's a hit and miss kind of situation. Some of my best lots go unnoticed and some of the lots I don't think are all that great get noticed sometimes.

    I cannot even try to figure out what goes on in the mind of the gurus whose responsibility it is to choose to playtest what lots and then choose which ones to accept or reject for whatever reasons. They're probably all different in what they like or don't like though I'm sure some rules do apply as far as if there are problems when playtesting.

    For me, I suppose nowadays I build what I enjoy building, hope for a Maxis Fave and if it doesn't come, then I still enjoyed building it. The Maxis Fave is just some ice cream with the chocolate cake I already got to eat after the satisfaction of finishing a lot. B)

    Also, good luck with your latest build; White Elephant. I see someone did recommend it for a Maxis Fave. <3
    Signature%2005-29-17_zpsti5fd2z4.png
  • XinqunXinqun Posts: 612 Member
    Hit and miss is right! And ... what? What? Oooh!
  • TheDismalSimmerTheDismalSimmer Posts: 656 Member
    edited June 2018
    Contests definitely help with favs I've noticed: things like Quality Control and the Build 'n Share. That, and of course, nominations on the rec thread. I think it's nice to see some of the newer creators get favs lately, since those can really help jump start someone's gallery.

    Not sure about personal showcases though, but I'd imagine there are just too many for Maxis to have any practical method of keeping track at this point. I think being active on the forums matters more than follower count honestly, since a lot of people on the gallery rarely visit the forums, much less make posts on the recommendations thread.
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  • asap24asap24 Posts: 48 Member
    Ive shared so many lots/room/households in a vain attempt to get a maxis like. After years of creating, I finally have turned to the forums to attempt to increase my odds. I have 586 shared items and 23k downloads on the gallery, and am grateful for everyone of them , but I just don't want to share on social media.....
  • seanman199seanman199 Posts: 32 Member
    Good thing to know.
  • AlwaysAskingAlwaysAsking Posts: 1,403 Member
    asap24 wrote: »
    Ive shared so many lots/room/households in a vain attempt to get a maxis like. After years of creating, I finally have turned to the forums to attempt to increase my odds. I have 586 shared items and 23k downloads on the gallery, and am grateful for everyone of them , but I just don't want to share on social media.....

    Are you not comfortable posting anywhere?
    Why don't you like to share your stuff on social media?

    I'm just wondering, not judging. I haven't shared anything I've made here either. Or anywhere else for that matter. I mean, besides the gallery
    SqxdF0m.png

    Gallery ID is ARIANNANEAL
  • SheriGRSheriGR Posts: 795 Member
    edited December 2018
    Hello everyone!

    Lots
    This is where things get tricky. We know a lot of you use the MOO cheat (and we LOVE the amazing things you create with it) but not all users are aware of this cheat. So when we check the lots we do so without enabling cheats.
    • Are there any floating, missing, or resized objects?
    • When panning around the lot do you notice any flickering?
    • When going room by room do you notice if there are any objects flickering that used MOO to place them there?
    • Does the lot have custom content? (If so it will automatically be rejected as it is not official Maxis created content.)
    This is helpful to now, thank you @SimGuruDrake ! I have a few questions. I spend a lot of time on my builds and testing to make sure everything functions properly. Having said that, and with your list in mind:
    • I never use Mods or CC
    • I have been resizing items (trees sometimes, rugs, plants, paintings, etc. - basically 'decoration' items and decoration plants and never an item that the sim interacts with and I always make sure that there is no interference caused by the item with the correct placement of the room/lot/home. So do all of these re-sizing actions make my build not eligible for a Maxis Fave?
    • I see flickering sometimes (tiny areas) where absolutely no resizing or any other dynamic has gone on, yet there are tiny flickers of spacings with light here and there at seams. No MOO or other reason. Is that still a red flag?
    • I've seen the images people make where they bring in content and photograph it to make a wall hanging/photo. I've considered creating some of these at some point as it would be fun to be able to add some to builds. I was told this is not CC. Do you consider this CC?
    Thank you so much, as knowing these things is helpful to me.

    Addendum... I think I just got part of these questions answered, as my room just got a Maxis Fave and it did include the enlargements of some rugs & decorative flowers... so I'm guessing perhaps it depends on what you are enlarging, and maybe if it is an item the sims interact with (which would cause issues in gameplay)? Anyway, that is a huge relief for me! (And I am very thankful and happy, of course! :) )
    Post edited by SheriGR on
    Sims 4 Gallery
    EA ID: SheriGR
    TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SheriGr
    "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." ― Micah 6:8
  • jeswainston65jeswainston65 Posts: 530 Member
    No point in posting my builds to the forums anymore. Doesn't increase my visibility one bit. I did a couple of really really creative, awesome builds, if I do say so myself, and so far, very few people have even noticed. Yet I see other builds that are just the same old, same old stuff. I mean, I don't begrudge anyone getting favourited by Maxis, but it just seems that a lot of really great builders get ignored. And I'm talking about other than myself ... anyway. So I don't bother to post my builds anymore. I just create and if people that like my stuff download it or favourite it...awesome...I'm not getting noticed and I'm not playing the politics game lol. I just enjoy building!
    I am only limited by my imagination.

    I. AM. A. UNICORN!
  • jeswainston65jeswainston65 Posts: 530 Member
    asap24 wrote: »
    Ive shared so many lots/room/households in a vain attempt to get a maxis like. After years of creating, I finally have turned to the forums to attempt to increase my odds. I have 586 shared items and 23k downloads on the gallery, and am grateful for everyone of them , but I just don't want to share on social media.....

    I know what you mean. I'm guessing the majority of people don't even know my builds exist, despite my posting it on Social Media, and so they don't care and nobody notices my builds. I mean, I recreated the freaking Hotel California (from the song, you know) and only a handful of people even cared. So, after spending hours and hours on that to make it right and look great and with no custom content, and only with the base game to work with, and to have little to nobody notice or care, well, why bother. I still upload to the gallery, I do have a small following lol. They like my builds anyway. More power to those who get noticed and get faves from Maxis!
    I am only limited by my imagination.

    I. AM. A. UNICORN!
  • cryskcrysk Posts: 657 Member
    asap24 wrote: »
    Ive shared so many lots/room/households in a vain attempt to get a maxis like. After years of creating, I finally have turned to the forums to attempt to increase my odds. I have 586 shared items and 23k downloads on the gallery, and am grateful for everyone of them , but I just don't want to share on social media.....

    I know what you mean. I'm guessing the majority of people don't even know my builds exist, despite my posting it on Social Media, and so they don't care and nobody notices my builds. I mean, I recreated the freaking Hotel California (from the song, you know) and only a handful of people even cared. So, after spending hours and hours on that to make it right and look great and with no custom content, and only with the base game to work with, and to have little to nobody notice or care, well, why bother. I still upload to the gallery, I do have a small following lol. They like my builds anyway. More power to those who get noticed and get faves from Maxis!

    I went to your Gallery to take a look at the builds there.
    First thing I noticed is that they look boring from the front. Only the "Santas Summer House" and "New Arid Ridge" look intresting. My suggestion to you is to make the front look more impressive, lots of people judge a built just by looking at the first picture. And trust me the gallery doesn't make good ones.
    Your "Hotel California" for example would look alot better if you had turned it around before uploading, so that the fountain and the palms would be on the gallery picture. Same goes for "Cafe Cafe", why have the side on the gallery picture instead of the front? "Riverview Wedding" would look a lot better during day time, or maybe during dusk/dawn, the pictures are so dark that you can hardly see the details.
    Same with "Square House Square", the front is simply to dark to see properly and here instead of just those low hedges place something higher that goes up the wall. Or use a different wall paint to give the house more character.


    Then I went to check your forum posts.
    There you basically just posted the Gallery pictures. My assumption is that you share those on other social media as well.
    Take your own screenshots. Show off what makes your built unique, show us the great details.

    Don't get me wrong, your builds do look good, but the front is seriously not intresting enough to make me click on it to see more of it. And I think I'm not the only one thinking like that.

    One last thing, why do you build? Do you build because you want to be noticed or because you have fun building.
    If it's the first then you need to improve your presentation, if it's the later then stop caring, you will still have fun building.

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  • SheriGRSheriGR Posts: 795 Member
    edited December 2018
    ..........
    Post edited by SheriGR on
    Sims 4 Gallery
    EA ID: SheriGR
    TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SheriGr
    "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." ― Micah 6:8
  • jeswainston65jeswainston65 Posts: 530 Member
    Firstly, I build because I enjoy it, so I do care if others like my builds, but not as much as if it was the only thing.

    Secondly, your suggestions @crysk and @SheriGR are all well and good and I will consider them. That's all I'm going to say at this time as I'm a little 🐸🐸🐸🐸 off now. Frankly, I don't know if it's worth my time learning how to take better screenshots. It all has to do with how much it matters to me that I get downloads or favourited. But considering my current emotional state, I'll calm down first and then decide.

    Thank you for taking the time to give me constructive notes.

    Have a nice day.
    I am only limited by my imagination.

    I. AM. A. UNICORN!
  • SheriGRSheriGR Posts: 795 Member
    edited December 2018
    @jeswainston65 Thank you for taking the time to respond also. I know that a lot of time and passion can go into a good build, and sharing can be a dear and even vulnerable act. It's very rewarding when you can share something you have put yourself into with others, whether it is a build here or other type of creative work. I have no problem understanding what you're saying, and I hope you are able to regroup and find renewed commitment to your building, as you have some really great builds! (Plus the vast majority of them would not even have any use of a 'staging' adjustment anyway. I think I may have stuck my foot in my mouth with that one as I look over your listings....)

    Post edited by SheriGR on
    Sims 4 Gallery
    EA ID: SheriGR
    TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SheriGr
    "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." ― Micah 6:8
  • bokylie1bokylie1 Posts: 804 Member
    No point in posting my builds to the forums anymore. Doesn't increase my visibility one bit. I did a couple of really really creative, awesome builds, if I do say so myself, and so far, very few people have even noticed. Yet I see other builds that are just the same old, same old stuff. I mean, I don't begrudge anyone getting favourited by Maxis, but it just seems that a lot of really great builders get ignored. And I'm talking about other than myself ... anyway. So I don't bother to post my builds anymore. I just create and if people that like my stuff download it or favourite it...awesome...I'm not getting noticed and I'm not playing the politics game lol. I just enjoy building!

    I agree with you - there are many builds favourited by Maxis that are plain and aren't creative.

    Maxis Favourites are just another popularity contest. Unless you are popular and have a large following, you don't get noticed. I have given up on entering the so called "fair" competitions as they are also popularity contests. If one person doesn't like you, then they ensure that the judges score your builds very low.

    Build for you - that's all I do now. I will share things occasionally to allow me to play the game on a second pc, but that's about it.
    Forum and Origin ID: bokylie1


  • TheHarbinger_51TheHarbinger_51 Posts: 1,702 Member
    My goodness. I keep seeing the same complaints "my builds are so amazing, how come they aren noticed?" does anyone saying that not stop to hear how that sounds? :D Come on. Of course yours are the best to YOU, because you built them. To each their own. But lets not attack others creations over Maxis Faves. It's all subjective @fidlerten & @jeswainston65
  • TheHarbinger_51TheHarbinger_51 Posts: 1,702 Member
    bokylie1 wrote: »
    No point in posting my builds to the forums anymore. Doesn't increase my visibility one bit. I did a couple of really really creative, awesome builds, if I do say so myself, and so far, very few people have even noticed. Yet I see other builds that are just the same old, same old stuff. I mean, I don't begrudge anyone getting favourited by Maxis, but it just seems that a lot of really great builders get ignored. And I'm talking about other than myself ... anyway. So I don't bother to post my builds anymore. I just create and if people that like my stuff download it or favourite it...awesome...I'm not getting noticed and I'm not playing the politics game lol. I just enjoy building!

    I agree with you - there are many builds favourited by Maxis that are plain and aren't creative.

    Maxis Favourites are just another popularity contest. Unless you are popular and have a large following, you don't get noticed. I have given up on entering the so called "fair" competitions as they are also popularity contests. If one person doesn't like you, then they ensure that the judges score your builds very low.

    Build for you - that's all I do now. I will share things occasionally to allow me to play the game on a second pc, but that's about it.

    @bokylie1 Do you not see the irony, in you wanting others to appreciate/recognize your creations, while at the same time you put down things others put their work into?
  • brenleedeebrenleedee Posts: 427 Member
    edited January 2019
    changed my mind lol
  • TheHarbinger_51TheHarbinger_51 Posts: 1,702 Member
    edited January 2019
    brenleedee wrote: »
    changed my mind lol

    ??? @brenleedee
    Post edited by TheHarbinger_51 on
  • surlybadgersurlybadger Posts: 283 Member
    This is super handy to know! I was curious about what goes into the faving thing.
  • brenleedeebrenleedee Posts: 427 Member
    brenleedee wrote: »
    changed my mind lol

    ??? @brenleedee

    Sorry I was going to comment, but felt like maybe it was best if I didn't and I totally forgot about this thread and never get any type of notification if my name has been mentioned...wasn't ignoring you, just never knew you responded. ♥
  • brenleedeebrenleedee Posts: 427 Member
    Who do we address our build to on twitter? Which Guru? I put a build on there just to see if the sims community would notice it, and only one person, so I may not have hashtagged it correctly.

    I do see "a" builders designs on a gurus twitter, but only saw hers a few times and reddit.
  • jeswainston65jeswainston65 Posts: 530 Member
    I'm not going to argue about this. I can think of much more positive and productive things to do with my time, like build more. If you don't like my stuff, that's fine. Go build your own. Have a great day.
    I am only limited by my imagination.

    I. AM. A. UNICORN!
  • SheriGRSheriGR Posts: 795 Member
    edited January 2019
    @XannWhitefire I don't think they are saying that using MOO is a problem, I think the issue is more if the use of MOO causes any issues, like things behaving in a funky way or Sims becoming unable to use them. I use MOO now, but I always make sure that when I upload to the gallery everything will place if MOO is not active. It makes for a very tedious testing process. I test and re-test the placement of the lot and it something just won't work with adjustments and without MOO active on placing I remove the element/tweak. But... there are many builders that have many downloads that always add to their build description to activate Moo before placing. I'm not sure if this being 'required' disqualifies builds now or if that has changed? (I think I may start checking on the description when I see 'Maxis Faves' notifications for the day in my game...)
    Sims 4 Gallery
    EA ID: SheriGR
    TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SheriGr
    "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." ― Micah 6:8
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