@hannahc1023 you're doing better than I am! I didn't get the rest of the pics posted last night and won't be home tonight to do it, but I'm determined to do it Thursday at last!!!
Thanks for the tips @MiaSkywalker
Unfortunately, I already do all those things... And I tried to open the previous save files, but for some reason, the game glitched out when I tried. I had a copy of most of my saves that seem to be ok, except for my new build save. I've tried anything I can find to try to salvage it, but no dice :
Not even an older save of it? Well, that bites. Or plums, which is what EA would have us say. I've had error 12s in some of my games over the past six months, but always going back a save or three lets me have a usable game.
I've never had a build save get corrupted. Those are usually too clean, because they don't have any inventory or other stuff saved up in NPCs.
The last time my game files got corrupted, I took advantage of it to create an empty Sims 3 folder with no CC, no mods, and no store content, that I copied to another hard drive as a backup. That is very useful when you have to build for someone else.
Btw, as it is, you're not going to be able to post links or images directly in your post, yet. You might make a few "good job!" type posts in other threads to get your count up by a few more.
It's a country/ranch style house with a small barn(ish) in the back for a horse. It's built on a 40x40 lot, which as I was putting the finishing touches on it I realized it was quite big... Sorry about that. I guess it gives a lot of space for the horse . It has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The master has its own bath, there's another in the downstairs, and the third is a sort of jack and jill bath between the other 2 bedrooms. One of the bedrooms I furnished as a kids' room, while the other seems more like a guest room to me at the moment. Downstairs, there's a fireplace in the living room, a formal dining room, and 2 porch areas for your sims to chill.
Here's an overhead view of the house:
Downstairs Rooms: Master Bed/Bath, 2nd Bath, Living Room, Laundry Room, Kitchen, and Dining Room
Upstairs Rooms: Kids' Room, Guest Room, 3rd Bath, "Media Area," and Office Space
@hannahc1023 Congrats on member status!! You will love being able to post pictures and links.
And speaking of pictures and links, I LOVE IT! It's well worth waiting for. I really like the overall size of the house and that barn is perfect! A horse will be quite happy there and has a ton of room to run around.
The interior are really nice, warm and comfy feeling. I'll have to have check out somethings I saw that I'm not familiar with like the big rug in the living room with the wheel pattern and the chaise lounge in the master bedroom, I've not seen those before, I think.
There is so much more to look at. I did spot the pet stuff on the second floor and the kids room looks like fun.
5 hearts for you!
I wonder if someone with custard could check this for me so I can download it, pretty please
LOL!! The rug with wheel pattern is actually a chandelier over the rug!!!
@hannahc1023 ~ Nice house! Lots of room for a family with a few pets the bookcases "framing" the fireplace and there being lots of windows to let the sun shine in as well as enjoy the views.
@hannahc1023 ~ Nice house! Lots of room for a family with a few pets the bookcases "framing" the fireplace and there being lots of windows to let the sun shine in as well as enjoy the views.
@hannahc1023 Congrats on member status!! You will love being able to post pictures and links.
And speaking of pictures and links, I LOVE IT! It's well worth waiting for. I really like the overall size of the house and that barn is perfect! A horse will be quite happy there and has a ton of room to run around.
The interior are really nice, warm and comfy feeling. I'll have to have check out somethings I saw that I'm not familiar with like the big rug in the living room with the wheel pattern and the chaise lounge in the master bedroom, I've not seen those before, I think.
There is so much more to look at. I did spot the pet stuff on the second floor and the kids room looks like fun.
5 hearts for you!
I wonder if someone with custard could check this for me so I can download it, pretty please
LOL!! The rug with wheel pattern is actually a chandelier over the rug!!!
So glad you like it! (sorry I forgot to check it for errant CC. Since I rarely use it I forget to check files, especially if I'm using a new TS3 folder)
@MiaSkywalker Unfortunately I am going to have to make myself a liar. Origin is insisting on updating before I can get into the game, only the update is going slower than ... a... very... slow thing. I'm not entirely sure the bar has actually moved in the last half hour. And it's bedtime - or close enough to it I won't have time to finish updating Origin then start up the game (which typically takes me anywhere from half an hour to an hour) and pull up the lot, take the final pictures, and get them uploaded.
I am truly sorry about this, and I swear next build won't take so long to get posted, it's just been a very hectic week on the home front. It's a good thing we were given a whole week interim to do these posts! Tomorrow! No bedtime, so I can get it done
- barring y'know power outages or internet failure or any other thing that is bound to come up next.
On the other hand, while waiting unreasonable times for updates, I *did* manage to register my Steam purchase keys with Origin. Will see this weekend if I can run them properly!
I am VERY glad that you were finally able to finish it, AND that you became a full member.
What a nice little house; it would fit very well in Riverview or Sunset Valley, as well as Apaloosa Plains.
@ADWilson: Actually, I had checked @Kgaff's build before she posted it. She had emailed it to me directly, and I checked it before she uploaded it.
I also wanted to warn everyone about downloading anything made by the user Shtinkels. I downloaded two of his lots a few days ago, and both of them show that he has the Arezzo counter that will infect anyone's game who installs it. By "infect", what I mean is that once that CC gets into your game, it uploads itself in EVERY lot you export, even though you might not use the counter in that lot. The person who made that counter fixed it pretty quickly, but it had gotten into enough games that it has never been entirely eradicated.
So, be warned, and if you download anything from the Exchange, make sure you check it with Custard, and make sure you do it while you're NOT actually playing (or the item will install immediately without giving you a chance to check the file first).
So I totally jinxed myself and it is only the sheer determination of not making myself a liar again that has won out. My photobucket decided to purge all my most recent folders - poof, gone! And then I had to reupload all my BuildnShare because they need them for tomorrow, so that had to happen ASAP. When that was done, I finally started getting all the final pictures for Ciane uploaded only to have about 30some pictures take me the last... oooh... 2 and a half hours? I have no idea if it was my internet doing it or photobucket having a hissy fit but I have been on the verge of SMASHING ALL THE THINGS for the last couple of hours
But the link to the pictures is now on the entry post.
So I totally jinxed myself and it is only the sheer determination of not making myself a liar again that has won out. My photobucket decided to purge all my most recent folders - poof, gone! And then I had to reupload all my BuildnShare because they need them for tomorrow, so that had to happen ASAP. When that was done, I finally started getting all the final pictures for Ciane uploaded only to have about 30some pictures take me the last... oooh... 2 and a half hours? I have no idea if it was my internet doing it or photobucket having a hissy fit but I have been on the verge of SMASHING ALL THE THINGS for the last couple of hours
Now that the first round is over, there are a few things I want to go over.
First of all, despite a few stumbling blocks, the first round went surprisingly well. Although I was able to pick @ADWilson's brain regarding the gift exchanges that have been run on the Gifting forum, this was a different thing, and there were inevitably going to be some rough spots. Occasionally she and I messaged each other privately with fears and frustrations, but the participants in this have been so patient and good-natured that most of these proved groundless. While there are some changes that I believe we will make to any future round robin exchanges, overall, all of you helped to make the first round go well.
The second round is going to start tomorrow, and while I would prefer that most of us begin our builds at that time, if you can't start right away, don't be alarmed. I would ask that you at least start at some point within the first week, and when you start, to let everyone know. In fact, posting images of the build as you begin it and go onward will give interest in what we're all doing. I know that some people, like @ciane, prefer to post their images on their own site and link it, and that's fine, although I would prefer to have the images posted directly into the thread if at all possible. Still, I am aware that places like photobucket and tinypic have their frustrations; I've encountered them myself on more than one occasion.
One thing we all need to remember is that these builds are not intended as surprises for the recipient. If you consider the build you are making as sort of a collaboration between yourself and your giftee, it can add more enjoyment of its own kind into the process. I understand that this is more likely to happen with builders like myself who have less confidence in our builds, and that more experienced builders, like ciane and @creativemetaphor, are more likely to have a better idea in mind from the beginning of what they want to do. Input into colors, specific skilling objects, furniture pieces and styles, all of those can be a collaboration, however, even with experienced builders. After all, maybe the recipient DOES want that Ultra Lounge couch in her Victorian build. While that may seem a little strange to the builder, well, it could be something interesting.
Do not hesitate to give advice to someone who you can see is in need of it. Sometimes a builder is unaware that a change could make something more interesting or attractive, and a little advice can be helpful. One example is when Ciane showed us how to make those basements; another is when Creative posted that wonderful link to the Victorian floor plans book; yet another is when Creative made the walk-in shower tutorial. Those are the kinds of things that are particularly useful to those of us with less experience, although even experienced builders can pick up new things as well. I have never hesitated to ask about something when I've seen someone create or do something that I'm puzzled about, and I've already learned a lot from each of you.
Now, to reiterate a few salient points from the first page of this thread:
If you have only 1-3 images, you can post them without spoilers; more than three, please put the images in spoilers.
Don't hesitate to ask your giftee for ideas of what to build for her, if you're at an impasse.
Don't hesitate to give suggestions to your builder, if you have them.
Don't hesitate to ask for help from anyone about something you're having difficulty with.
If you're a lurker, don't hesitate to offer suggestions as well! Just because you're not a participant in the building, doesn't mean you can't offer help if someone needs it.
If, on occasion, you want to post something else on the thread from another build you're doing - particularly if something in it is pertinent to something we discussed - feel free! Just be sure to put any images in spoilers, since otherwise they might be a distraction.
Now, have fun on your last day of our vacation, and I hope to see your builds beginning tomorrow.
Edit: Adding tags to @Kgaff and @hannahc1023 , so they don't miss this post.
Now, @creativemetaphor , on that note, what WOULD you like me to build for you? You love medieval style, and I love building medieval, so there's no problem there. However, you also said that you would prefer not residential lots, since you love making those yourself. (Same here! ^_^ ) So... if I make a commercial lot, what sort of thing would you like? I'm going to have a little bit of difficulty on the furnishings since I use so much from Pets normally, but I can focus on more of a fantasy feel, and use things from the Make a Wish set instead, assuming you have it. I was thinking perhaps I could make an inn (with a pub), or a particular kind of bar (pub, dive bar, high class lounge). Because you have WA, I could make a nectary, with perhaps a small garden with all the right plants. I was also originally thinking of a horse training lot, then I remembered you don't have Pets. Perhaps a Conservatory, with a lot of musical instruments? I'm not entirely sure how I would do that. Or a gym (training grounds) or a library (monastery), or a pool (if I can figure out how to make swimmable ponds).
In the past, I have made the following types of medieval commercial lots: A market, a bath house, a local watering hole, a butcher shop, a bakery, and a miller. (Although the last three were really residential lots.) All of those, however, use Pets extensively for the furnishings, particularly the windows, which means that they wouldn't be as usable for you. If you'd like, I could take one of those and make it over with just the EPs and SPs that you have. Or I could make something new from scratch.
OR... I could make you something completely different. In our private PMs we talked about doing a dragon's lair, as well as a hobbit hole, using Ciane's basement tutorial. While I have been working on a hobbit hole, I haven't quite finished it; I could finish that up and post it for you. Or, I could create a dragon's lair for you; I have some ideas for that, which would use the chimney smoke we were talking about in those PMs. That last could be very interesting, and I would certainly learn a lot from attempting to make it.
Edit: Oh! I forgot to ask: Do you want me to build in a specific world or on a particular sized lot? I don't know if you play on any standard worlds, or if you mostly play in custom worlds. I mostly play in Cotes D'Ambonnay, but I know that world has problems for people who don't have powerful computers. (And it really requires ALL EPs, SPs, and store items.) It's just that if you want it built in a particular world, I can use that world as my build world for you. Otherwise, I usually use a build world, because that will give the flattest and most even ground to work with.
@miaskywalker Welp, good news on the Pets front, both Pets and Generations were loaded last night and game seems to be running fine today!! Will update my letter but consider this official notice that you can decorate with Pets till your heart's content
As for builds, since I only just started in Dragon Valley and oh dear oh dear but all those commercial lots are so modern looking, I'd say pick one you want to replace and have a ball! The library, perhaps? That could use a good straight up medieval replacement. If you'd like to make a Hobbit hole community lot, that would probably make a fabulous restaurant! Or the dragon's lair could become the cemetery
Up to you and what you feel *you* would benefit from trying to build, but if you need me to specify I will.
@hannahc1023 And I believe you're next for me. What kind of build would you like to have me try? Any specific wants besides what was in your entry letter? I know @ciane just did a modern style build for you, do you want another modern house? A starter maybe? A modern style community lot? If you even have a very specific thing in mind, let me know!
@miaskywalker Welp, good news on the Pets front, both Pets and Generations were loaded last night and game seems to be running fine today!! Will update my letter but consider this official notice that you can decorate with Pets till your heart's content
As for builds, since I only just started in Dragon Valley and oh dear oh dear but all those commercial lots are so modern looking, I'd say pick one you want to replace and have a ball! The library, perhaps? That could use a good straight up medieval replacement. If you'd like to make a Hobbit hole community lot, that would probably make a fabulous restaurant! Or the dragon's lair could become the cemetery
Up to you and what you feel *you* would benefit from trying to build, but if you need me to specify I will.
Oh, do you have the game turn off auto-populating EP venues? If you don't, you're going to get tons of stupid modern lots, like the ones from Showtime, and they'll even overwrite your regular lots. I think that was one of the dumbest decisions they ever made; the lots exist in your bin, so you can place them if you want, but if EVERY world gets EVERY lot, then they all start looking exactly the same, and that defeats the purpose of the different worlds, right?
I posted a link to a mod I made earlier in the thread, that turns off that functionality. It edits the venues.xml, so if you're using another mod that modifies that XML file (such as one that might keep bars open longer), then it will conflict. (I need to make some changes into that for my own game. Sometimes I *want* a Sim to stay in a bar all night long! Who cares about realism? Not me! )
A library seems like a good idea. I can make it look sort of a like a Celtic monastery or something similar. I'll take a look at what their library looks like and where it's located, then do a full bulldoze-and-replace.
I'll post pictures as I go, so if you see any furniture you don't recognize, we can check if it's something from the store that you don't own yet. Do you own anything from Make a Wish? You don't have it in your entry letter, and I don't want to use anything you don't have.
Also, in keeping with the spirit of this thread I'd like to post some of the things I learned while building for @ciane
I did CFE *successfully* for the first time!
I learned you can put stairs from foundation to platforms and got reminded of using ALT when doing stairs for greater flexibility
I learned how to replace mailboxes properly
I also learned that I really like doing modern styles!
Alt when doing stairs! (smacks forehead) Man, that probably would have helped me last night, if I had remembered about it. I was having problems placing two staircases next to each other (one going up, one going down), and what do you want to bet that Alt might have fixed it?
I learned a bunch of things, too! While I didn't really use CFE in the build I made for ADWilson, I did make one of those CFE basement homes as a test build. It was a little hobbit hole, so the basement was the top floor, and the roof merged with the ground behind it.
I also used the stilts for the first time, which gives me a good idea of how I would make docks if I ever wanted to, or a house over the water on a beach.
I did some REAL landscaping; although it wasn't as elaborate as some I've seen, it's more than what I had ever done before!
I learned how to make a walk-in shower, even though I haven't actually made one yet.
I made that little pergola covered deck; while that wasn't anything huge, it's the first time I've ever made one. And that little bridge was interesting to do; now that I have an idea how to do stilts, it's an easier way to make a bridge than CFE. At least for me.
Hey @MiaSkywalker, It looks like I'm building for you next! What sort of build are you looking for? I looked at your entry, and you mentioned medieval homes with "storefronts," but I'm wondering what specifically. (Disclaimer: I'm not sure how well I'll be able to pull off a medieval build, but I can definitely give it a shot!)
@creativemetaphor Do you think it would be possible to make a 4 bedroom (+1 more for the butler) house for one of my more affluent sim families? I'm in serious need for a new one I'd also like a nice kitchen, a piano in the living room, a gym and 2 offices if possible. (any size lot) If that's too much, maybe you could make a smallish 2 bedroom "coastal" house instead
Hey @MiaSkywalker, It looks like I'm building for you next! What sort of build are you looking for? I looked at your entry, and you mentioned medieval homes with "storefronts," but I'm wondering what specifically. (Disclaimer: I'm not sure how well I'll be able to pull off a medieval build, but I can definitely give it a shot!)
Well, one easy thing to do to help get a medieval feel is to use the barn wallpapers from Pets, recolored with wood tones instead of the glaring red and white. If you use those, it helps a considerable amount in getting the Tudor/medieval feel. You can also use just the flat wall, CASted with rocks, stone, wood, thatch, or wattle and daub, particularly for "poorer" homes. If you use masonry, don't use the ones that look all uniform size, because in the middle ages, standardization didn't exist. Adding lots of ivy to the outside of a building will also help give a nice fantasy feel. There are some really good walls under "wall sets", "wood", "masonry", "rock", and "misc" that work well.
There are certain things - especially in the buydebug part of the game - that I almost always inevitably use in every build. The well, the butter churn, the hay cart, and those bags of food from WA, for instance. I've noticed that everyone uses a slightly different mix of things, and colors them slightly differently, which helps to add more variety to the game.
Before Kgaff began mine, she posted several images early in the thread to give her inspiration. If you google "fantasy homes" or "medieval floor plans" and then look at the images, you can get a lot of ideas. Not for details, necessarily, but just for ways that the layout might work, and the way the outside might look.
One thing that's at least somewhat important - to me, at least - is a lack of electronics. I don't like having televisions in medieval homes, although I might allow a small radio (like that little rock radio thing) to give my Sims some way to begin working out. Otoh, with the archery range, that's not necessary so much anymore.
Wood and rock tones help a LOT. CASt is your friend. Sometimes, to make something look medieval, simply CASting it in wood or rock is all you need. At other times... it isn't.
Was it you that was talking about making a puppet show with a TV using MOO? I can see putting something like that on a commercial lot, something like a faire or market. I'm not entirely sure I would put something like that in a home, unless it was a home for someone VERY wealthy. (And even then it would be questionable.)
There are some tricks to making something look REALLY medieval. One thing to consider is that as towns grew larger, they often grew upward; most shopkeepers lived right over their shops, and homes got taller as families grew. Also, servants generally lived in the homes of their masters, and farmers lived on their farms; most people didn't exactly commute to work. There would have been SOME of that; a fisherman or sailor wouldn't live on his boat, although he would live near the water.
One thing to keep in mind is that there's absolutely no reason to make a starter for me. I always use the free real estate cheat to place my Sims (even my townies), so you aren't stuck with a specific budget. I absolutely can never keep within a budget myself.
So, what I meant about homes with storefronts, is that you'd make a residential build, and the bottom floor would be sort of a public area. The family would actually live in the second and possibly third floor of the home. It would be a residential lot, but you wouldn't worry about privacy on the bottom floor. Many homes like this would be pretty small (10x10, 15x15), and wouldn't require landscaping, because they'd be all crowded together in a town. You might have a larger one that was more rural; if you want to include things like the cows and/or chickens, that would be more appropriate. Mostly those would probably be small farms, but not necessarily. (You could have a dairy seller, or a butcher, or something similar like that. I've done that myself.)
Probably the easiest for you to do, particularly since you've never made one before, would be to go for a small, town home, with a store of some sort on the bottom floor, and then a floor or two above that for the family to live in. Then don't worry about adding the cows or chickens or anything on that lot. Btw, I don't mean for it to be a WORKABLE store, with a cash register and everything. They didn't have cash registers back then, anyway. Just make it look like a place where something would be crafted or baked or made. People would have purchased directly from the crafter, when they came in to look at the goods.
Comments
I've never had a build save get corrupted. Those are usually too clean, because they don't have any inventory or other stuff saved up in NPCs.
The last time my game files got corrupted, I took advantage of it to create an empty Sims 3 folder with no CC, no mods, and no store content, that I copied to another hard drive as a backup. That is very useful when you have to build for someone else.
Btw, as it is, you're not going to be able to post links or images directly in your post, yet. You might make a few "good job!" type posts in other threads to get your count up by a few more.
The only kind of garden I can grow is a virtual one.
Dragons - must haz dragons!
Here's my build for @Kgaff!
It's a country/ranch style house with a small barn(ish) in the back for a horse. It's built on a 40x40 lot, which as I was putting the finishing touches on it I realized it was quite big... Sorry about that. I guess it gives a lot of space for the horse
Here's an overhead view of the house:
Upstairs Rooms: Kids' Room, Guest Room, 3rd Bath, "Media Area," and Office Space
Link to Lot: http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9059400
Link to Media: http://s61.photobucket.com/user/hannahc1023/slideshow/Round Robin Build Exchange/Build for Kgaff?sort=9
Hope you like!
And speaking of pictures and links, I LOVE IT! It's well worth waiting for. I really like the overall size of the house and that barn is perfect! A horse will be quite happy there and has a ton of room to run around.
The interior are really nice, warm and comfy feeling. I'll have to have check out somethings I saw that I'm not familiar with like the big rug in the living room with the wheel pattern and the chaise lounge in the master bedroom, I've not seen those before, I think.
There is so much more to look at. I did spot the pet stuff on the second floor and the kids room looks like fun.
5 hearts for you!
I wonder if someone with custard could check this for me so I can download it, pretty please
LOL!! The rug with wheel pattern is actually a chandelier over the rug!!!
@Kgaff ~ Custard checked, clean.
Sims 3 Blog: Have I Got A Story For You!
Sims 4 Blog: Addy Plays Sims 4
Thank you! (for checking it in Custard too, it totally slipped my mind
Thank you!
I am truly sorry about this, and I swear next build won't take so long to get posted, it's just been a very hectic week on the home front. It's a good thing we were given a whole week interim to do these posts! Tomorrow! No bedtime, so I can get it done
Store Install
Unlocked Stencils
random legacy
What a nice little house; it would fit very well in Riverview or Sunset Valley, as well as Apaloosa Plains.
@ADWilson: Actually, I had checked @Kgaff's build before she posted it. She had emailed it to me directly, and I checked it before she uploaded it.
I also wanted to warn everyone about downloading anything made by the user Shtinkels. I downloaded two of his lots a few days ago, and both of them show that he has the Arezzo counter that will infect anyone's game who installs it. By "infect", what I mean is that once that CC gets into your game, it uploads itself in EVERY lot you export, even though you might not use the counter in that lot. The person who made that counter fixed it pretty quickly, but it had gotten into enough games that it has never been entirely eradicated.
So, be warned, and if you download anything from the Exchange, make sure you check it with Custard, and make sure you do it while you're NOT actually playing (or the item will install immediately without giving you a chance to check the file first).
The only kind of garden I can grow is a virtual one.
Dragons - must haz dragons!
But the link to the pictures is now on the entry post.
aaand wrong post :c
here's the link to the post
Oh no!
First of all, despite a few stumbling blocks, the first round went surprisingly well. Although I was able to pick @ADWilson's brain regarding the gift exchanges that have been run on the Gifting forum, this was a different thing, and there were inevitably going to be some rough spots. Occasionally she and I messaged each other privately with fears and frustrations, but the participants in this have been so patient and good-natured that most of these proved groundless. While there are some changes that I believe we will make to any future round robin exchanges, overall, all of you helped to make the first round go well.
The second round is going to start tomorrow, and while I would prefer that most of us begin our builds at that time, if you can't start right away, don't be alarmed. I would ask that you at least start at some point within the first week, and when you start, to let everyone know. In fact, posting images of the build as you begin it and go onward will give interest in what we're all doing. I know that some people, like @ciane, prefer to post their images on their own site and link it, and that's fine, although I would prefer to have the images posted directly into the thread if at all possible. Still, I am aware that places like photobucket and tinypic have their frustrations; I've encountered them myself on more than one occasion.
One thing we all need to remember is that these builds are not intended as surprises for the recipient. If you consider the build you are making as sort of a collaboration between yourself and your giftee, it can add more enjoyment of its own kind into the process. I understand that this is more likely to happen with builders like myself who have less confidence in our builds, and that more experienced builders, like ciane and @creativemetaphor, are more likely to have a better idea in mind from the beginning of what they want to do. Input into colors, specific skilling objects, furniture pieces and styles, all of those can be a collaboration, however, even with experienced builders. After all, maybe the recipient DOES want that Ultra Lounge couch in her Victorian build. While that may seem a little strange to the builder, well, it could be something interesting.
Do not hesitate to give advice to someone who you can see is in need of it. Sometimes a builder is unaware that a change could make something more interesting or attractive, and a little advice can be helpful. One example is when Ciane showed us how to make those basements; another is when Creative posted that wonderful link to the Victorian floor plans book; yet another is when Creative made the walk-in shower tutorial. Those are the kinds of things that are particularly useful to those of us with less experience, although even experienced builders can pick up new things as well. I have never hesitated to ask about something when I've seen someone create or do something that I'm puzzled about, and I've already learned a lot from each of you.
Now, to reiterate a few salient points from the first page of this thread:
Now, have fun on your last day of our vacation, and I hope to see your builds beginning tomorrow.
Edit: Adding tags to @Kgaff and @hannahc1023 , so they don't miss this post.
The only kind of garden I can grow is a virtual one.
Dragons - must haz dragons!
In the past, I have made the following types of medieval commercial lots: A market, a bath house, a local watering hole, a butcher shop, a bakery, and a miller. (Although the last three were really residential lots.) All of those, however, use Pets extensively for the furnishings, particularly the windows, which means that they wouldn't be as usable for you. If you'd like, I could take one of those and make it over with just the EPs and SPs that you have. Or I could make something new from scratch.
OR... I could make you something completely different. In our private PMs we talked about doing a dragon's lair, as well as a hobbit hole, using Ciane's basement tutorial. While I have been working on a hobbit hole, I haven't quite finished it; I could finish that up and post it for you. Or, I could create a dragon's lair for you; I have some ideas for that, which would use the chimney smoke we were talking about in those PMs.
Edit: Oh! I forgot to ask: Do you want me to build in a specific world or on a particular sized lot? I don't know if you play on any standard worlds, or if you mostly play in custom worlds. I mostly play in Cotes D'Ambonnay, but I know that world has problems for people who don't have powerful computers. (And it really requires ALL EPs, SPs, and store items.) It's just that if you want it built in a particular world, I can use that world as my build world for you. Otherwise, I usually use a build world, because that will give the flattest and most even ground to work with.
The only kind of garden I can grow is a virtual one.
Dragons - must haz dragons!
As for builds, since I only just started in Dragon Valley and oh dear oh dear but all those commercial lots are so modern looking, I'd say pick one you want to replace and have a ball! The library, perhaps? That could use a good straight up medieval replacement. If you'd like to make a Hobbit hole community lot, that would probably make a fabulous restaurant! Or the dragon's lair could become the cemetery
Up to you and what you feel *you* would benefit from trying to build, but if you need me to specify I will.
I posted a link to a mod I made earlier in the thread, that turns off that functionality. It edits the venues.xml, so if you're using another mod that modifies that XML file (such as one that might keep bars open longer), then it will conflict. (I need to make some changes into that for my own game. Sometimes I *want* a Sim to stay in a bar all night long! Who cares about realism? Not me!
A library seems like a good idea. I can make it look sort of a like a Celtic monastery or something similar. I'll take a look at what their library looks like and where it's located, then do a full bulldoze-and-replace.
I'll post pictures as I go, so if you see any furniture you don't recognize, we can check if it's something from the store that you don't own yet. Do you own anything from Make a Wish? You don't have it in your entry letter, and I don't want to use anything you don't have.
The only kind of garden I can grow is a virtual one.
Dragons - must haz dragons!
I did CFE *successfully* for the first time!
I learned you can put stairs from foundation to platforms and got reminded of using ALT when doing stairs for greater flexibility
I learned how to replace mailboxes properly
I also learned that I really like doing modern styles!
I learned a bunch of things, too! While I didn't really use CFE in the build I made for ADWilson, I did make one of those CFE basement homes as a test build. It was a little hobbit hole, so the basement was the top floor, and the roof merged with the ground behind it.
I also used the stilts for the first time, which gives me a good idea of how I would make docks if I ever wanted to, or a house over the water on a beach.
I did some REAL landscaping; although it wasn't as elaborate as some I've seen, it's more than what I had ever done before!
I learned how to make a walk-in shower, even though I haven't actually made one yet.
I made that little pergola covered deck; while that wasn't anything huge, it's the first time I've ever made one. And that little bridge was interesting to do; now that I have an idea how to do stilts, it's an easier way to make a bridge than CFE. At least for me.
The only kind of garden I can grow is a virtual one.
Dragons - must haz dragons!
@creativemetaphor Do you think it would be possible to make a 4 bedroom (+1 more for the butler) house for one of my more affluent sim families? I'm in serious need for a new one
There are certain things - especially in the buydebug part of the game - that I almost always inevitably use in every build. The well, the butter churn, the hay cart, and those bags of food from WA, for instance. I've noticed that everyone uses a slightly different mix of things, and colors them slightly differently, which helps to add more variety to the game.
Before Kgaff began mine, she posted several images early in the thread to give her inspiration. If you google "fantasy homes" or "medieval floor plans" and then look at the images, you can get a lot of ideas. Not for details, necessarily, but just for ways that the layout might work, and the way the outside might look.
One thing that's at least somewhat important - to me, at least - is a lack of electronics. I don't like having televisions in medieval homes, although I might allow a small radio (like that little rock radio thing) to give my Sims some way to begin working out. Otoh, with the archery range, that's not necessary so much anymore.
Wood and rock tones help a LOT. CASt is your friend.
Was it you that was talking about making a puppet show with a TV using MOO? I can see putting something like that on a commercial lot, something like a faire or market. I'm not entirely sure I would put something like that in a home, unless it was a home for someone VERY wealthy. (And even then it would be questionable.)
There are some tricks to making something look REALLY medieval. One thing to consider is that as towns grew larger, they often grew upward; most shopkeepers lived right over their shops, and homes got taller as families grew. Also, servants generally lived in the homes of their masters, and farmers lived on their farms; most people didn't exactly commute to work. There would have been SOME of that; a fisherman or sailor wouldn't live on his boat, although he would live near the water.
One thing to keep in mind is that there's absolutely no reason to make a starter for me. I always use the free real estate cheat to place my Sims (even my townies), so you aren't stuck with a specific budget. I absolutely can never keep within a budget myself.
So, what I meant about homes with storefronts, is that you'd make a residential build, and the bottom floor would be sort of a public area. The family would actually live in the second and possibly third floor of the home. It would be a residential lot, but you wouldn't worry about privacy on the bottom floor. Many homes like this would be pretty small (10x10, 15x15), and wouldn't require landscaping, because they'd be all crowded together in a town. You might have a larger one that was more rural; if you want to include things like the cows and/or chickens, that would be more appropriate. Mostly those would probably be small farms, but not necessarily. (You could have a dairy seller, or a butcher, or something similar like that. I've done that myself.)
Probably the easiest for you to do, particularly since you've never made one before, would be to go for a small, town home, with a store of some sort on the bottom floor, and then a floor or two above that for the family to live in. Then don't worry about adding the cows or chickens or anything on that lot. Btw, I don't mean for it to be a WORKABLE store, with a cash register and everything. They didn't have cash registers back then, anyway. Just make it look like a place where something would be crafted or baked or made. People would have purchased directly from the crafter, when they came in to look at the goods.
The only kind of garden I can grow is a virtual one.
Dragons - must haz dragons!