Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.
What do you search for in the Gallery?
phantasmkiss
Posts: 1,520 Member
I've been reading the Things Builders Do that Annoy You thread and it got me thinking about something similar:
What do you search for in the Gallery? What kind of lots do you download the most?
Do you want starters that are prettier than the ones in-game? One that have enough space to stay in for generations? Are you looking for more variety for second homes? For legacies? Backdrops for machinima? Do you want a style or a theme that doesn't exist in the game?
What do you search for in the Gallery? What kind of lots do you download the most?
Do you want starters that are prettier than the ones in-game? One that have enough space to stay in for generations? Are you looking for more variety for second homes? For legacies? Backdrops for machinima? Do you want a style or a theme that doesn't exist in the game?
Tumblr | Sims 4 Gallery | Sims 3 Page
Baby Darling: My 100 Baby Challenge | Generation 1 | Donors 10 | Adult Children 8 | First Post | Most Recent
Give Me a Story, I'll Give You a Build | The Bunker Challenge | CowplantSports
Post edited by phantasmkiss on
4
Comments
Also I also try to find homes that don't require me to do a money cheat.
http://fanphoria.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/FanPhoria
The only time I've used the gallery was to randomize sims that I thought were interesting and edited them to use in my game.
I gotta a couple of sims out of it that I really liked. I like making my own sims too, but sampling from the gallery can give you some unique DNA to create sims you probably wouldn't normally make.
Also, looking pretty isn't enough for me. I need the build to be logical. I can't have those fake yachts or those nightclubs that look like giant boomboxes. They're awfully creative and looking at them is like looking at art, but I don't necessarily want to play in a piece of art.
(◡‿◡✿)
Tumblr | Sims 4 Gallery | Sims 3 Page
Baby Darling: My 100 Baby Challenge | Generation 1 | Donors 10 | Adult Children 8 | First Post | Most Recent
Give Me a Story, I'll Give You a Build | The Bunker Challenge | CowplantSports
In my old save I have primarly been downloading buildings for various purposes. I can't build to save my life so I am dependent upon the Gallery and the great talent that recide there. My searches are varied; from looking for that just perfect house for a certain household to looking for a type of house to fit a certain theme. For instance the other day I looked for a house for the Hallow Slough lot in Willow Creek (accross from the Goth house) that would fit with the kind of style that are already on the adjcent lots, Umbrage Manor and Parkshore.
New Crest is now filled with varied community lots along with one residential area. The residential area has a big apartment block and the rest of the lots have a modern looking houses to compliment that building.
I also went on a search and download spree for Oasis Springs that would fit with the Hacienda type houses that are found in Skyward Palms, where the Caliente household is located. I wanted more consistency for that world and found that kind of housing for the rest of the hoods in that world, even replaced housings in Parched Prospect and in the newbie area Bedrock Strait (but I left Zest's trailer though).
Then I have searched for some really nice restaurants, like a western type restaurant and an icecream parlour for Oasis and a restaurant that fits in with Willow Creek commercial district that I turned into a vegetable/vegan type bistro.
I also have downloaded buildings and even shells of buildings with the purpose of building upon and remodel to fit my purpose. That is how I found my BFF apartment building and my community center.
Soon I plan on finding a bowling ally that fits better within the Hacienda theme in Oasis as the one I already have found and placed next to the Rattlesnake Juice bar isn't suitable. If I can't find any suitable bowling alley I will download a Hacienda type house and remodel it into a bowling alley.
Also, one BR starter homes and bowling alleys.
I go with the looks first, it needs to look good in the world. Of course the layout has to be logical, but many other things I can fix myself. Sometimes I spend a lot of time removing extra clutter, lights under bushes etc. - but only if I really like the lot. I don't really like to redecorate, so the overall style has to please me. Generally I'm very picky about residential lots, but if I want a specific style that I can't make myself then I will give it a go.
Updated with Werewolf Diaries (1)
This. Also if I fancy bringing a new household into my game I'll select one from the gallery.
One thing I'm searching for now that I haven't found yet is a community build for the big lot on Windenburg Island, maybe a park or something that fits in with the area. I love that lot but don't want to plop a big house on it.
I build a lot in the game but when I don't build something and go to the gallery...
I normally play vampires and aliens. Vampires a little more than aliens and hardly ever humans. Everything I look for has to be Vampire Friendly. I don't do legacies personally. I don't do household of more than 4 or 5 usually and I don't normally have kids, babies and toddlers in the game. I usually use MCCC to cheat in funds right away and start them off in an empty lot and from there move them to their second home or if I like the area enough start building or find something unique in the gallery. I try to keep a similar architecture style in the areas they are in which I'll download a home or bar or other types of builds. I'll also download something I know would take me at least 3 weeks to build a similar style build (Gothic, Frank Evert Lloyd Wright, Art Neeuvo, Industrial, Art Deco, postmodern, etc.).
Once I find something I check to see if it's been play-tested and if it hasn't I brace myself and often download anyway, especially if I'm not finding much through my search and I haven't already ruled it out for some other reason. For instance the stop stealing hashtags tend to bug me, not because I plan on stealing but it's just dramatic to me so I rarely download those... I will but only if I'm not finding much.
I look for playable venues (especially restaurants) that aren't huge or MOO crowded.. because I like to see and find my sims easily also the bigger and more elaborate and stuffed the build is the more likely my game is to lag. Also related to that I try to keep an eye on the price also if it's crazy expensive it's probably not going in my game.. again it seems to create lag if there is just too much going on.
I also often look it up by the type of skills or character I want to make. So I might look up garden home or underground scienc lair.. or any other words that come to mind to help me find the build I want.
Personally I think the gallery is glutted with general starters... I search by price and build style at this point when looking for one.
When I do a remodel (since I'm not a good builder), I use the Night setting for time of day -- that way I can see how well the light covers the room and if I need to place extras or use a light that might cost more but gives better coverage.
For me, it depends on the situation. I've been remaking a few of my worlds just for fun, so with Oasis Springs I have an Eichler/MidCentury Modern neighborhood, and I found some beautiful Tuscan-inspired builds so the rich area up by Arid Ridge is now my Tuscan neighborhood (plus a beautiful spa that fits the area).
I also look for venues, especially restaurants since I can't get the hang of them. I do have one I made which is a remodel of the Rattlesnake Juice Bar (added the kitchen to a basement and built a set of stairs). Still need to playtest it and my Old Salt House Ice Arena; might do that in my next game session. I'll change the menu as needed -- I found one really nice restaurant that I placed in San Myshuno where the gym was (I've got a gym where Rooftop Treble was because I didn't really need three karaoke bars) and made the menu all the City Living recipes to make it easier for my Sims to find them -- and the outfits for the staff -- I downloaded a restaurant I placed in Granite Falls where the campground is/was; I have the cooks and waitstaff in explorer type outfits, and the hosts in bear costumes.
I have no objection to freerealestate if I'm placing households just for background purposes that I don't plan to play actively, but my own Sims I'd rather they earn their way. I usually start out single Sims in apartments in San Myshuno (sometimes as teens) then work their way up the ladder of success.
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
I try to put one restaurant in each world. I have the Sunny Side Diner in Willow Creek because it suits the "family" theme I get from that world. Oasis Springs has my La Cucina restaurant (servng Mexican and Selvadoradan foods) which replaced Hogan's Burger Bar (with Seasons it was a bit open to the elements). Newcrest has Chez Llama which is my formal restaurant with all the experimental dishes. Uptown Eats with all the CL recipes is in San Myshuno. Windenburg has The Diving Pelican seafood restaurant down on the docks. And the Salty Paws Saloon in Brindleton Bay is The Greenery with an all vegetarian menu for my veggie Sims.
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
I build a lot of regular, ordinary homes myself (smaller stuff), so I usually download those really big, elaborate lots that have tons of cool little design features, like 'Blekinge Sweden' and 'Old Japanese Village' (both by Simoniona), the Vampire Diaries house (by Xhexenia1), 'The Block' by Melcstro, and others - there are some truly amazing builds in the gallery. I love lots of details, and I know how much time (a LOT) it takes to build something like that.
I usually want families of two to five, but it's really hard to find a non-barbied family. So, I often have to resort to downloading singles and making a family out of them. If anyone has any suggestions of a simmer who does stuff like this normally, I'm all ears!
Keenow's Family Tree
Keenow's Builds
I also like to download all sorts of venues especially to fit in with a theme, this could be parks, pools, roller rink bars, bowling restaurants whatever works. I love building libraries but also download some. It’s nice in a long game to make fun and unusual maps and revamp them periodically. I created a WC and OS where all the lots had an eco theme from houses to cafes to gyms and parks all with other peoples builds and its really neat. Windenberg in that save is totally boho and the spice district in SM is really little India with a gorgeous restaurant and Festival of Lights park.
I download and use a lot of art in my builds.
I also download to admire and study builds that blow my mind. I really appreciate the creativity in the gallery and follow many fantastic builders so I want to download their stuff to support them.