Mystic Stone Bay - Update 12/29/2019 New Screenshots & why is no 1 playing with my saved game? PG 2 «123...Next Go

Damienf519

Its a creepy beach town, that includes a saved game that includes witches, werewolves, fairies, vampires, simbots, and mermaids. In addition, the saved game file also includes dogs, cats, and horses, along with normal sims. The expansion packs that I used to produce the world are Ambitions, Pets, Generations, Supernatural, and Island Paradise. In addition, I used content from Dragon Valley, and Midnight Hollow, along with the Sims Killer Classics, and the chicken coop. I normally don't use premium content in my worlds, but I decided make an exception this time, because those two store worlds include so many objects that just perfectly fit the town's theme. I also wanted to include the dragon eggs, just because I really wanted dragons. It also includes house boats, as well as farms. Plus, you like legacy challenges? Cool! There is, not one, not two, not three, not four, but five legacy challenge lots in Mystic Stone Bay. In addition, even through the world itself doesn't use Seasons, I have released a separate festival lot, that you can download as well.

Update 12/21/2019 and Update 12/22/2019 and Update 12/24/2019

The Final version of the map and its corresponding saved game file is now available.

Mystic Stone Bay Map on the exchange
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9354079

Mystic Stone Bay Map ( Media Fire Link )
http://www.mediafire.com/file/rntzmu5pnz7apox/Mystic_Stone_Bay_Map.zip/file

Known Problems and solutions. There's an issue with the house boats and the hidden room markers, and this document tells you how to solve them. You shouldn't have to worry if you are playing with the saved game file that I created.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/g7rvgim88iyauua/Known_Problems_and_Solutions.rtf/file

Note no matter which one you download, you will still have to download my saved game file, if you want to play with the Sims I created for the world.

Mystic Stone Bay Story ( Saved Game File ) Now included the NPC graveyard ghosts and all the ghosts on each of the haunted lots
http://www.mediafire.com/file/qo0mbtpqxr6kxki/Mystic_Stone_Bay_Story.zip/file

List of all Households
http://www.mediafire.com/file/bx8x2apar2gmvnj/Mystic_Stone_Bay_Households.rtf/file

For those of you who have Seasons, here is the Festival Lot version of Farmstead Island Park
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9348288

And some extra households I created fro the map, keep in mind that these use content from additional expansion packs.
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9346170
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9346171
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9346172
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9346173
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9346174

Here's the official image for the map. What do you think of it?


I am going to try to upload some more up to date screenshots as well. In the meantime I would love to hear what you guys think of the final version of the map, each of the households I created for it, and if you are thinking about playing a Mystic Stone Bay Legacy Challenge. If so, which of the four legacy challenge lots will you choose? Also let me know if you create any Late Night or Showtime venues for this town!

Everything below this line is out of date

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Here we are looking out at the mainland from Farmstead Island, one of Mystic Stone Bay's subhoods, for lack of a better term


This is what I've finished so far of the mainland lots, including the downtown area. Hope you like shopping, because there are four different consignment shops there. Also take a look at the houses up high above sea level.


Here is the town's creepy library. Its filled with books, including multiple alchemy stations.


Here are a couple of the houses that I've already finished up close. I'm not planning on creating sims for these two homes, so you could move your sims in there, if you would like.


So what do you guys think so far?

Update 10/10/2019

It will still be awhile before the world is ready for beta testing, but I've made some massive improvements between now and when I first posted this on the forum. I also forgot to mention this, so I should mention it now. Mystic Stone Bay, also uses Riverview objects, but so long as you registered your copy of the Sims 3, that shouldn't be an issue. What might be an issue is that the Saved game file for Mystic Stone Bay is going to be pretty big, since I ended up creating more Sims for it than I thought I would. I am still going to create a couple more households, but I'm done with all of the Sims that will live on land.

You should notice a lot more trees now, as well as some new lots that I have created


Here's a more up close view of the area


I got rid of that extra road by the library that didn't serve much purpose, and added in an "abandoned apartment building" and a foot path leading to the Castle Shops. There are going to be a few other empty "abandoned buildings" downtown that you will be able to turn into venues that I didn't include, if you so desire. You could also replace one of the each of the two regular and potion consignment shops with something like the other bars from Late Night or the performance venues from Showtime. Not sure where you would put the studio if you would like to have an actor or actress living in Mystic Stone Bay. There are lots large enough for it, just not too many in an area where it would make sense to put it.


Plus I have made significant improvements to farmstead Island, which is were the festival lot is supposed to go. Its going to be a separate download, since I'm not using any Seasons content for the map. In addition there will probably be a few extra alien and plant Sims that I will create that will also not be part of the saved game file, but you will be able to download them separately as well, but not until sometime after we have started beta testing.


The area around the starter homes also looks a lot better now that I've added trees and bushes. Those Sims in screenshot are also going to be part of the official saved game file.


I haven't created any of the house boats yet, however, I have already place the dock lots. I just haven't edited them yet and added the actual docks, but I will before its time to release the map for beta testing. Hopefully that will be before Halloween, but I can't make any promises.

chojrak

It looks nice. I like diversity of terrain height. It makes interesting shelves. Grass paint is very intense, you might have problems with blending it with other terrain paints. Can't wait how it will looks with trees, rocks, and all that stuff. It looks good so far and has a lot of potential.

Patrice

Cool world! i would love to try my luck at creating a world, just don't know where to start

Damienf519

chojrak wrote: »

It looks nice. I like diversity of terrain height. It makes interesting shelves. Grass paint is very intense, you might have problems with blending it with other terrain paints. Can't wait how it will looks with trees, rocks, and all that stuff. It looks good so far and has a lot of potential.

Thanks. Glad you like what I've made so far. Its in the very early stages, so it should look much better as I improve it. You might already have gotten an idea of what the trees and other plants will be if you take a look at some of the lots. It doesn't blend as well with the flowers terrain paint, but I don't mind it standing out more, especially since I'm using that to get around the low number of plant types your suppose to put on a lot.

Damienf519

Patrice wrote: »

Cool world! i would love to try my luck at creating a world, just don't know where to start

Visit the official EA site here, and use Internet explorer to download Create A World.
https://www.thesims3.com/game/tools/world

I don't know if you'll run into the same issue, but Fire Fox wouldn't work for me when I tried to download it recently. After you download it, click on the file and than install it.

Damienf519

Update 10/10/2019 On the front page. Let me know what you think of the improvements and if any of you would like to play a legacy challenge in Mystic Stone Bay?

chojrak

I like this district - very town looking. I would only add more terrain paints, use less intense grass texture and blend it more a little bit, cause it looks kinda empty here with only grass under trees. I would suggest to add some mud and other grass textures to give it more natural look.

But generally the world is good looking. You doing good job

Edit: It's also better to post updates in new post. It's more convenient to look for updates at last posts.

Damienf519

chojrak wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm still working on it so I will probably make some changes. I like the terrain paint, so I probably won't change that to a lighter shade, but I might add some flowers terrain paint around the houses, since I don't want to make those houses much more expensive, since those are starter homes.

Speaking of changes, I've also already made a few improvements to the map that I will show off in the next update

Damienf519

Update 10/16/2019,
What the Town looks like now, some of the sims I created for Mystic Stone Bay, and an important question.

First let's checkout some of the Sims I created for this world.

I always thought the Sims 3 could use some cat sims. Technically It doesn't have any, but that didn't stop me from creating them. Don't worry, I didn't use any mods or CC, but I still managed to create what amounts to a custom life state, er, sort of. I'll explain later


Yes I created that mermaid for the world. Did I have to cheat to make him? Sure, but it was worth it. Note the mermaids in Mystic Stone bay lack the leg scales when walking around on land. I used cheat codes to get rid of them, because I really don't like the way they look, but you can use the unlock outfits code to get them back if you insist on it, since you can't alter their scale color without it.


I finally got around to creating the house boats, in addition as you may notice there are lot more trees on those mountains now, and I also improved the look of those mountains. I made them a lot more rugged looking. Unfortunately I might have to get rid of some of those tree to improve the frame rate, but I won't know until I've done some more play testing and finished creating all of the lots. Thankfully outside of the parks, two of the resorts, most of the ports, the dive lots and some extra empty houseboats, I've finished creating the vast majority of them.


Here's another boat near the downtown area


And off in the distance, you might notice another houseboat near those mansions. All the houseboats I created so far will have sims living in them in the saved game file, but any houseboats I create from this point on will start out empty. I think I might make the empty ones starter homes since they are always really small, and it would be nice for your sims to be able to start out on a houseboat.


Now here is the important question. If I'm unable to finish the map before October 21st, should I release the map unfinished and you guys could test out the beta even through it maybe missing certain things like functioning dive lots, or should I wait until I have finished building everything? Either way, the saved game file is going to include 45 households and slightly less than 160 sims, not counting the graveyard NPC ghosts which will not be included until the final saved game file. Also in the final saved game file, the Museum, The Library and the Beach will also be haunted by some NPC ghosts. This is not meant for really low end machines, but I think most computers will be able to handle this better than when the Sims 3 first came out. Now the question is, should I release the Beta on the 21st even if I'm not able to completely finish designing all of the lots? Keep in mind that you will be able to meet all of my Sims besides the NPC ghosts either way. However, if I have to finish everything, you may not be able to play with the map and all of my monstrous and non monstrous sims before Halloween.

Damienf519

Update 10/19/2019

I have a bit of bad news. There's no way that I'm going to be able to get enough of the map done by the 21st to release it for beta testing, so I'm delaying the release until the 24th now to give me a bit more time. I am almost there through. Sadly I had to get rid of some of plants to improve framerate, mostly the darker colored willow trees. It doesn't look as good without them, but it should make a difference when it comes to frame rate. Sorry about the delay. I just thought it would be better to let you guys know now before the 21st rolls around. Hopefully I won't have to delay it again, and you guys will be able to try out the world and my saved game file before Halloween. I really hope that you will be able to do that, because the world really does fit the theme. It definitely has a spooky / creepy vibe and the world is going to be populated with monsters.

Rflong7

Hi
I'm here to help you play test.

Damienf519

Rflong7 wrote: »

Hi
I'm here to help you play test.

Cool It should be ready on the 24th.

Damienf519

Update 10/24/2019

The first Beta for Mystic Stone Bay is now available for play testing. You can download the first Beta for the map, along with the saved game file. Keep in mind that this map is not designed for really low end machines. Sadly I still had to get rid of a lot of the plants, because I was desperate to improve the frame rate without having to get rid of any of my houses or Sims. If you're wondering why there are fewer trees on the map than in some of screenshots, that's why.

Also remember that you will need, Ambitions, Pets, Generations, Island Paradise, and Supernatural, along with the Sims Killer Classics, Dragon Valley, Midnight Hollow, and the Chicken Coop from the Sims 3 Store in order to play this. Most importantly you will need Island Paradise for the house boats. There are currently only four house boats on the map, I am still thinking about creating more, but I ran into a huge problem with them, so now I'm not sure that I should. Thankfully I was able to fix it in my saved game file. Keep in mind that the dive lots are not functional in this build, but they will be in later builds.

You can download everything you need here, including the saved game file. It includes 45 households and slightly less than 160 sims. Keep in mind as always, the NPC ghosts will not be included until the final saved game file is released.

( File deleted, this version of Mystic Stone Bay is no longer available, check later updates for the current version )

Before you start play testing the map, make sure you read the "Known Problems and Solutions" document, especially if you are thinking about starting a new game without the saved game file.

I hope you enjoy Mystic Stone Bay. Keep in mind it is still not finished, and I will make some improvements to it before the final release, including some aesthetic improvements, such as adding a few more scenery objects here and there. In addition the image I'm using for the map is just a place holder, not the final one. I will also edit the description, since I already noticed a mistake, and its so long that you can't even read the whole thing in game.

In the meantime, I would like to know what you guys think of the world and the Sims that I created, along with any problems you may encounter.

Also are any of you planning on adding the Late Night or Showtime lots?

Hidehi

WOW!!! You have done an amazing job @Damienf519

I've only had the chance to take a quick look but I'm rather impressed with your building skills and all those sims you have created

I picked Marcy Salt Waters as I have not played a mermaid before. I must admit I'm really glad that you have used the cheat of not having the scales showing on dry land ... I've actually had her go swimming to check that she really is a mermaid





By the way have you tried to blend some of your terrain paints and used the opacity and falloff sliders to make a more natural looking transition from one paint to another? ...
... but then on the other hand ... this is a supernatural world and nothing needs to necessarily resemble the real world anyway.

I will most definitely get back to Mystic Stone Bay as soon as I can

Damienf519

Thanks @Hidehi. I've actually come across at least a few builders that I think are way better than I am.

I'm not very good blending terrain paint however. Even when I use opacity it doesn't seem to work quite right for me. I'm not sure why. There's also at least four other household with mermaids. One of which I forgot to include for some reason. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next beta out soon and that one will include it

Damienf519

Update 10/26/2019

I just started working on the dive lots that will be included in the next Beta, and I wanted to show them off a bit, however, while I was play testing them, I came across something really cool. I encountered a mermaid that the game randomly generated. I knew he wasn't one of the ones that I created, because none ones I made, look anything like him. Also I did not create a mermaid named "Judson Barrera." I wasn't sure if the game would actually generate NPC mermaids for the Dive lots, but it does, which is really good news, since I won't have to make about a dozen other mermaids because the few that I created were barely enough. Also for story reasons, and to create a bit of a challenge, one of the six mermaids I did create is actually hydrophobic in spite of the fact that she's a mermaid.

Here is an image of my first dive lot, and the procedurally generated mermaid that I encountered. I have to say, I was really glad to see him. Means a lot less work for me


Here's another image of him, and the dive lot. ( Note that the other Sim is for testing purposes only and will not be include in a saved game file for the map )


I was however surprised and a bit disappointed to come across the same NPC mermaid on another one of my dive lots, instead of another one, but maybe if I keep playing long enough I will


The other bit of good news, is that Judson doesn't appear to take up a slot in any household that the game placed on the map.

As I final note, I know that my grass looks bad under the sea, but that problem with be fixed in the next version of the map that I will upload for beta testing. Its going to be sand when you guys are able to go there.

Rflong7

Hi
I played a bit in the world but not the save. The houseboats worked fine and were able to leave the docks and dock at a few places I tried (I tried 2 boats).
The hidden room markers worked fine (I have Late Night installed) so that wasn't a problem.

I also think you can try not only the opacity - way down to 10 - but also the falloff (which helps the terrain paints blend better).
Seems like it'll play very well. Good Luck!

Damienf519

Rflong7 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice @Rflong7 . I think I will try that later when I get the chance. That might help with the terrain blending.

I'm glad you were able to get the houseboats working. Were they there when the map first loaded, or did you have to reload them, like I seem to have to?

Also, by the way, did you have any issues with the resorts or have you not be able to visit any of those yet?

Rflong7

I didn't test the Resort but I will.

The boats were there.
They don't show connected in CAW but if you connect them in EIG then they should show up once you export the world (and go back into EIG).

Remember when terrain painting, EA uses 2 - 3 of the same type of Paints ( Beach Stone/Mountain rock/grasses/sand). There's the base and light/dark to help break up the tiling and give it more dimension. So, when choosing what to use, find a light/dark to go with it.

Damienf519

Rflong7 wrote: »

Sadly the boats were not there, at least not the livable part of the boat when I play my own map without the saved game file. I thought that if I waited awhile maybe they would automatically load in for me, but they didn't. Maybe there's a bug where that happens if you don't play the game with every single expansion pack activated. I don't know. At least the boats are working okay for you. I don't know why the houseboat lots won't load for me, unless I manually reload them at the start of a new game.

By the way, there are three resorts on the map. Two of which are supposed to be really high end, where the other one is so bare bones that it doesn't even include any VIP rooms, just a resort tower. Also the resort tower for one of them is hidden under ground since there isn't a single one that I felt really fit the hotel's theme.

Oh and as for the terrain paint, I'm not going to add any more except on perhaps some of the lots. I'm only using five terrain paints outside of the lots. The grass I created, along with four of the ones made by EA. Those are the light and dark sands, the generic rocks, and some dirt. I need to use the dirt in part because just plain rock for the cliffs looks awful if there aren't any dirt patches.

Rflong7

May I ask Why only 5 terrain paints? 8 per chunk is acceptable and easy on the game. I don't understand. Sorry.

Damienf519

Rflong7 wrote: »

I use at least three other terrain paints on most of the lots besides the starter homes, and I haven't really felt the need to use other terrain paints outside of the lots. I suppose I could use a lot more, but than I would have to pay very close attention to the different chunks

Hidehi

Hi , it's not really necessary to use more paints if you don't want to ... the result depends on how you use them!

You can use the EA rock paint and then add the dirt to make your cliffs not so uniform that's okay and looks better but you end up with some noticeable blobs of dirt with ragged edges ... if you move the opacity and the fallout sliders down to 10 or thereabouts you can achieve some fairly good blending even with just the dirt paint on rock. The effect is like when you paint with a crayon and use different pressure to make lighter and darker areas.



I'm not that great at terrain painting in CAW nor at explaining so I'm not sure if this can be of any use to you ... Rflong7 would definitely do a much better job

chojrak

The best way to use terrain paint and blend it well, is to make short clicks with very low opacity and fallout. Just like powdering nose or painting an impressionist painting.

In this video there is shown this method. I think most worlds creators make it this way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvVcs1uKoRg

It is time consuming for sure, but effects are really satisfying, when terrain is plentiful painted and well blended.

Damienf519

@Hidehi @chojrak

Thanks for the advice guys. I've already started fixing up the terrain painting and its already looking somewhat better. You'll see a difference in the next version of the map.

Damienf519

Update 10/31/2019

Even through I don't think many people will even notice this, I decided to upload the newest version of Mystic Stone Bay today, since its a Halloween themed world. So here is Mystic Stone Bay Beta version 2.0. You will finally get to checkout the dive lots. I also updated the "Known Issues" text document, because I've run into some problems involving the resorts and the dive lots. Both of which, I fixed in the save game file, thankfully, but you may still have to deal with if you start a new game. I made some improvements to the map, not just slightly improve the terrain paint, but also adding some scenery objects. I added some rocks, which sadly are not appearing as part of the map when I play it, but that might be because I don't have all the expansion packs activated and CAW doesn't always tell you what expansion pack each object is from. I will probably delete those rocks, since I just assumed that they were from the base game when I placed them around the map. I might replace them with something else, but I don't know what exactly that will be.

Here is newer version of the map along with its corresponding saved game file. This time around I should have included all the households, including the "Creature Feature Romance" one that I forgot to include with the last one.

( Deleted, go to page two for version 3.0 )

Hope you continue to enjoy the map, and oh yeah, Happy Halloween to you and your sims!