It's been slow going over the past 12 months, getting the hang of TS4's build tools. I felt pretty adept in TS3, but when I migrated last May, the learning curve reset to 0, and it was steep. I don't have a lot of start-to-finish builds of my own, yet, but I am coming along. So I figured I could start my share thread, of projects that met or exceeded my expectations.
My inspiration is nearly always the setting I am playing in. I don't drastically make over worlds. I adjust lots where my Sims live, and eventually I'll ne moved to add something.
Today's share, a National Park lot that I built for Sulani. I'd been looking at the Admiral's Wreckage, which was an interesting, even inspired, build, and realizing that in my own current IP saves, I would never, ever use it. And then I thought, "You know, unused, it's about the biggest hunk of junk on Mua Pel'am. You'd think they'd salvage it and clean up the site, as part of the conservancy effort."
And then I realized, my retired legacy Founders are richer than Midas at this point. Imagine they made funding available from the family foundation to clean up the site? If they were to consult, say, the Elder of Ohan'ali Town as to what should be done with the site, what might she want to see instead?
I had been taken with the large festival terrace in Ohan'ali Town, and with the tall (purely decorative) pagoda-like shrine up on a hill at one end. And looking at the Child of the Isles trait that Keala Hoapili has, I dug a bit, and found out that, yes, sacred terrace enclosures are a thing all across the South Pacific, though different cultures do them differently. One term for such enclosures is
mara'e. Alrighty, then!
Mara'e Tiki Mana is a National Park lot built on the site of the Admiral's Wreckage on Mua Pel'am. I had initially wanted to have it Off the Grid, but I dislike public lots without restrooms, and my initial shot at an OtG restroom wasn't really appealing. So I eliminated that Lot Trait, used the IP Community Lot restrooms placeable, and settled for Island Spirits as my Lot Trait. Aside from the temple terrace, there is a picnic area, a kalua cooking pit, a bonfire site, and a wedding arch.
I went more for "rule of cool" with what I could build with BB assets, rather than trying to closely model any specific Polynesian style - It's simply Sulanese. Play-tested over a number of Conservation trips, and one elopement. I love how it came out.
Comments
It is a very nice place for Sims to enjoy visiting
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/817478/hello-come-and-introduce-yourself
http://tinyurl.com/OneRoomOneWeek
http://tinyurl.com/rosemow
My Showcase thread https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/948861/rosemow-s-rooms-showcase
I am in love with the depth of design in Island Living, and the BB assets were inspiring to play with.
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
"The strongest stars have hearts of kyber," – Chirrut Îmwe
Kyber crystal, best known as the core element of lightsabers, is a rare mineral unique in its attunement to the Force, and it has been prized for this quality by many cultures across the Galaxy, from the Jedi and Sith, to the legendary healing temples of Mimban and Voss. Dai Bendu monks avoid taking a side in any conflict, maintaining strict neutrality, and prize kyber highly. This training temple is built to house an impressive collection of kyber which was saved from Imperial discovery and confiscation.
Although it was the Jedi who invented the lightsaber, neutrality need not be unarmed, and this temple serves as a dojo for lightsaber combat, hosting sparring matches and occasional challenges. Teaching, and sparring between Dai Bendu students, takes place under the auspices of this guardian statue presiding over the Ashla-Bogan altar. Challenges between outsiders, or against a Dai Bendu defender, take place on the temple's rooftop terrace, beneath its guardian spires.
But the Dai Bendu path is one of balance in all things: Opposition, yet harmony; competition, yet serenity. The body cannot progress except in harmony with the spirit. Cultivating that harmony is the real heart of the Dai Bendu way. The kyber temple therefore also maintains a meditation garden, for bodily training and mental discipline, around a pool of reflection housing one of the temple's most symmetrical kyber specimens.
Exertion leads to perspiration. Perspiration leads to uncleanliness. Uncleanliness leads to unwellness. The path of Disharmony this is. Drawing on Voss teachings, as well as the justly famous healing baths perfected on Ryloth, the Temple also uses kyber to infuse the therepeutic waters of its subterranean spa.
The Dai Bendu are not a profit-making order, however, and therefore the masseurs and masseuses employed are regrettebly not Twi'leks (who, when not constrained by terms of indenture, are canny about charging high wages) athough, when possible, they do go to Ryloth for training and certification. The Dai Bendu believe appropriate massage to be wholly beneficial, and do not endorse the dubious, aggrandizing claims of the Sith that "massage" shares the same root as the ancient Sith warrior-caste, "Massassi", and maintain that massage is by no means a dark side practice.
Herbal baths, including thermal baths and steam-baths are also supported. The relation of the Force to the lifecycle of perennial herbs, and of these to healing, is one of the Dai Bendu's deepest studies.
Thus, the healing arts are made literally foundational to the Temple mission. The baths lie in the underground vault, supporting the Sanctuary on the level of the meditation gardens, with the Terrace of Challenge amid the spires above.
Dai Bendu Kyber Temple is a Spa venue on a 40 x 30 lot. I do make use of Move Objects cheat extensively in this build - essential for some of the diagonal placements. Design is inspired by the architecture of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and aslo by the Sith Academy on Korriban in the Old Republic period, but is intended to reflect Light and Dark in balance. Available on my Gallery for download, link above.
It is a very special temple build
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/817478/hello-come-and-introduce-yourself
http://tinyurl.com/OneRoomOneWeek
http://tinyurl.com/rosemow
My Showcase thread https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/948861/rosemow-s-rooms-showcase
Yes - the challenge of this build was to take it a step past "the shape of the building" - which was the task I set out to try for. Finding a harmonious purpose for each area, in keeping with the notional purpose of the building, turned out to be the hard part. If all I want it to be is a place for lightsaber fights, I could omit the garden and basement. But I thought about various temples used by Force adepts in the Star Wars franchise, and just kind of went from there.
I am admittedly a big Star Wars fan - but a picky one. I actually prefer the Smuggler/Bounty-Hunter underworld side of the franchise to the Force users. My next build will be geared more toward that - a teen hangout treated as a regional shuttle depot and power station.
My Showcase Link
My Gallery Link