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Metallifan & gmgar present: Port James - A Pacific Northwest inspired island. RELEASED!

PortJames181_zps2b1c3b74.jpg
DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE! GET IT FROM THE EXCHANGE, HERE:
http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=8276974

I'd like to offer a big thank you to gmgar. There's a reason why she's getting credit too. I always find that the best worlds are defined not just by appearance, but also inhabitants. While I worked away on the island and the lots, she toiled in CAS to build characters that would breathe the life and culture into the island and make it the diverse and vibrant place it was meant to be.

You can find all of her specially crafted Port James sims in her studio, here. I would highly recommend that you do not play this world without them in it:
http://www.thesims3.com/userExchange.html?selectedAsstType=all&persona=gmgar


Port James requires all EPs, the following SPs: HEL, FL, OL, TL, and MS. A list of employed store content is also shown under the "items" tab of the download. There is no CC in this world, it is 100% EA/Maxis assets.

And please, don't forget to share some postcards of your time in Port James!


Wow it's been a while since I've had to write one of these. Hopefully I still have my Mojo.

Anyway, first thing's first. If you haven't picked up Roaring Heights yet, do it. Despite it's flaws, it's a great world. If the development team had bothered to support the added lot types from the expansions, it would be perfect. That said, it's a far better city world than Bridgeport, and I can't recommend it enough.

I say this because my newest world includes many, many assets from Roaring Heights (Shiny...)

I present the early stages of my newest world project, Port James:

This image was taken early this morning. The downtown area will be split-level between the coastline and the plateau.
PortJames1_zps19ee24c2.png


And a... "Detailed"... Overlay showing approximate outlines of the finished layout of the city. Subject to change:
PortJames7_zps1cf6abdf.png

And lastly, the map as it is right now:
PortJames2_zps70de1430.png

I'll post a few pictures of individual buildings and interiors next update, when I have a bit more to show. As you can see, I still have a LOT of building left to do just in housing alone.

So, why the Pacific Northwest (And another island)?

I chose the theme because I absolutely love visiting Vancouver whenever I have the chance. If you've never been there, it's incredibly hard to describe. In a way, it's very similar to Portland or Seattle for you folks in America,and yet it has a completely different feeling to it. The amount of greenspace you find in the city is amazing, and the way old and new architecture fit so well together... But it's really all about the entire Pacific Northwest. There just isn't anywhere in the world quite like it, and it's a place I absolutely love.

Here in the Southern Interior of BC, we just don't have that kind of lush, almost overwhelming green. Everything is a very dry, arid brown (unless you go way up into the mountains). I wanted to capture that environment in this world, both the urban and rural aspects of it. That, and I love the new buildings RH added and wanted to build a better world than what they shipped with.

As for why I did another island... My main 'beef' with the CAW tool has been the same since day one: Company of Heroes did it better, and with a practically identical system.

The thing I loved about the CoH Worldbuilder was that as well as distance terrain, it allowed the user to set a playable area that was separate from the overall map area and it did it on a map size that was twice as large as CAW's largest map.

This completely removed the actual reliance on distance terrain and without leaving the "Chessboard" effect. In CAW, the only (Safe) way to get a distant terrain effect on a large map is by A) seriously reducing your actual playing area, or B) conforming your map and ground textures to the official distance terrain. I refuse to do either, and I lack the skills, tools, and knowledge to make custom distant terrain. Plus, this is set to be a CC-free world. That means no custom DT even if I could.

The other reason is that CAW seems to hate importing heightmaps. Or at least it hates it when -I- try to import heightmaps. It seems fine for some people, vengeful for others. I'm in column B. The main example of this was Santa Engracia. The heightmap I used as the basis was much larger than what the game generated from it, but I couldn't get it to import at full scale. If I tried another height map, it would duplicate the result twice in the same worldspace and I got two HUGE islands that I was absolutely NOT going to try to form into one map. I ended up saying 'Screw it' and started buiding.

With Port James, I hand crafted this map and am continuing to do so, with noticeably better results. The map is actually the right size. The mountains don't look all screwed up and don't require copious amounts of reshaping to make them presentable. THE FLAT AREAS ARE ACTUALLY FLAT! Because I'm good at what I do. Not anything remotely close to, say, Nilxis mind you. But still, good.

Lastly, I wanted to go CC-free with this map not so much out of personal preference, but for the people that aren't me. I love my custom rabbitholes. But done right, I can also appreciate the standard versions. No, it's not as good as being able to actually walk around inside your Sim's place of work, but they do make building a world much less of a chore. More importantly, CC-free means accessible to everyone as long as they have the corresponding expansions, stuffpacks, and store content. Santa Engracia was not accessible to those people that don't use CC. Port James will be, simply because it's easier for everyone. Less interesting, certainly. But easier to access.

Anyway, that's it! I hope you keep an eye on the project as I work through it. I'm always looking for ideas and inspiration as well, so don't hesitate to share. And even if you're not the visionary type, content creators always appreciate simple well wishes and encouragement on their project(s). Keeps us going knowing people are interested in what we're doing. Makes it less tedious.

You take care, Eh?

Comments

  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited January 2014
    Update time!

    First, this is probably going be my last update for aboot a week, as I'm off to Los Cabos on Wednesday, and I doubt I'll have too much time to work on the world more until I'm back.

    With all that out of the way, let's post some pictures!

    First up, I want to post the small walkthrough garden I made for the hospital. It really does a great job of standing out in contrast to the hospital. Probably the only rabbithole shot I'll take, but one I think is worth it.
    PortJames6_zps891b34c4.png


    Next up is an exterior shop of the consignment shop. I wanted part of town to sort of have that old colonial feeling, lots of re-purposed brick and wood buildings and the like. I love how this one came out, but I think I might give it a little colour instead of just the bare wood look.
    PortJames5_zps0e1a1337.png


    One of my favorites in the collection of heritage buildings is this dive bar, which I've named "Connolly's Irish Alehouse".
    PortJames4_zps7235fa27.png

    And interior (I had to take it at night, as the interior got too dark during the day):
    PortJames11_zps278fe429.png


    One of the two buildings I managed to get built today (Went icefishing instead. Sorry, Eh?) is also another of my favorites. This is the "Fortress Hill Rec Centre". It has a full swimming pool with sauna and two hot tubs, a gym, two lounges, a cafeteria with pool table, and a deck with integrated turf, sun chairs, and two chess tables.

    Exterior, Front:
    PortJames8_zpse021a2e2.png

    Interior, 1F:
    PortJames9_zps8ced4e73.png

    Interior, 2F:
    PortJames10_zpscdf2e304.png


    And lastly, I built a bowling alley, which I've titled "Fast-lane Bowling"

    Exterior:
    PortJames12_zps5498d6fd.png

    Interior:
    PortJames13_zps3b55d065.png


    And that's all for now! I'm planning on finishing Fortress Hill, the upper part of the city, and then powering though the rest of the terrain sculpting for the city and the back of the island so that I can fire the heightmap through a few levels of photoshop and get all my terrain painted up nicely in one go.

    Anyway, leave a comment, suggestion, whatever! And if I don't update again before Wednesday, then have a good final week of January and I'll see everyone again when I return!
  • DaethaqtDaethaqt Posts: 760 Member
    edited January 2014
    Wow.
  • Rflong7Rflong7 Posts: 36,584 Member
    edited January 2014
    Hi :D

    Your mountains look wonderful- really love the sculpting. The world looks great so far~ Good luck! :thumbup:
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited January 2014
    Hi, thanks for the comments of encouragement!

    Daethaqt: That's the reaction I'm aiming for! :P

    Rflong: Really appreciate the compliment! They took a few attempts before I settled on a shape I liked, but in the end the result is what inspired me to do a city on multiple levels. Kind of a San Francisco vibe in the end.

    Read-Only Update: I've started working on a row of brownstones (R lot next to Connolly's) and the art gallery (C lot across from Hospital). Exteriors have been built and the art gallery exterior is basically completely finished, save for a few things. Unlikely that I'll have them both finished by the time I leave tomorrow afternoon, but I would like to get a little more work in before I take off for the week. Guess we'll see.

    I'll occasionally keep an eye on the thread while I'm down there, so don't hesitate to make suggestions or share your thoughts on the world!
  • juncedajunceda Posts: 2,614 Member
    edited January 2014
    You´ve made a great work by now, I like your Hospital anexo it fits the RH perfectly and the dive bar is beautifull, keep up the good work!
    firma_zps7hsuhx2i.png

    I can play at last TS2 TS3 and TS4 So great that toddlers are here!!!
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited January 2014
    Hi Junceda! Thank you for the kind words! I have your world "Pretoria", and you did an absolutely fantastic job on your buildings, by the way.

    Also, I AM AWESOME.

    Managed to get one more update, with 3 pictures, before leaving.

    First up, a set of rowhouses. These are sort of a cross between brownstones and their stucco counterparts that are more common on the west coast.
    PortJames14_zpsac522185.png

    And second, the Port James Art Gallery. Distant shot:
    PortJames15_zpse6a08512.png

    And up close, for detail:
    PortJames16_zps430e5b8b.png

    TAKE THAT, DEADLINE! ...Okay, I may have cheated a bit. They're just exteriors, no proper interior work done yet. BUT STILL!

    Anyway, my update won't be until after January 31st. I'll still respond to comments, however! Enjoy, and have a good last week of January!
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    Hey folks, just a heads up that I'm back from Cabo and will be chipping away at the two previously posted lots over the next few days, and then I'll be moving into the low density residential neighborhood (where the school and rec centre are located)
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    Hello again, CAW forums! It's update time!

    First off, I'm sorry for two things.

    One: I've been horrendously sick the last week. I'll spare you all on details, but suffice to say it was the most horrible experience of my brief existence up to this point. As a result, I haven't been able to get as much finished as I'd have liked.

    Two: I could get no decent pictures of the interior of the art museum with that massive faux skyscraper piece on top. You'll just have to wait to visit it in-game. But it is finished.

    Now then, everyone remember this place from the last update?
    PortJames14_zpsac522185.png

    Well, it's done inside. It's now a 5Br 2.5Ba luxurious historical townhouse. Room to spare for the whole family!

    1F
    PortJames21_zpsf003fa1e.png

    2F
    PortJames22_zps56ed5c4b.png

    3F
    PortJames23_zpsc2a85d87.png


    I then moved on to start the low density housing by building this comfortable 5Br 3.5Ba updated family home. And yes, 2 car garage. Because why not? Still needs some landscaping in the front, but aside from that the house itself is finished.

    PortJames18_zpscb588988.png

    1F
    PortJames19_zps16bbf60b.png

    2F
    PortJames20_zps9e72151a.png


    And lastly, I present my current work-in-progress, this 2Br 2Ba duplex. It's only just an exterior and the floorplan layout. No furnishings yet, so I won't post any interior shots until it's finished.

    PortJames17_zps1377525b.png

    But there you go, a couple of nice properties to eyeball while I continue to whittle away at this.

    See you all next update!
  • alexspoom13alexspoom13 Posts: 7,439 Member
    edited February 2014
    It looks great so far. :D Roaring Heights included some beautiful objects so I'm thrilled to finally see a world that uses them. Will you be inluding any other Store content?
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    Hi Alex, those were my same thoughts on the RH content. As soon as I saw it all, I said "I have to make a world with this stuff."

    There will be some minor use of other store content, but I'm trying to avoid too much unnecessary extra stuff. I don't want people to have to go out and spend a small fortune on store items just so that they can play the world. Most of the stuff I'm using will be from the expansions or RH.
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    Suburban update!

    The first block is sitting at 4/6 lots built! I Know, right!? Of course, I still have a block of 8 lots and another with 6, but still!

    3 Sim-dwellings to display this time!

    First off, I finished the interior of this place:
    PortJames17_zps1377525b.png

    First floor:
    PortJames24_zpsc8b601e8.png

    Second floor:
    PortJames25_zpse1913c2a.png

    A small 2Br 2Ba duplex, but a good means of getting your foot in the door up on Fortress Hill. As all of the homes are going to be Upper-Class/Upper-Middle-Class properties, they'll be a little pricey for most Sims starting out, but won't take too long to move into.

    Next up, a spacious 5Br 2.5Ba family home:
    PortJames26_zps88f9f876.png

    First floor:
    PortJames27_zps08f0f578.png

    Second Floor:
    PortJames28_zps188a2dcc.png

    The last completed house on the list is this 4Br 2.5Ba home:
    PortJames29_zps59d7d64f.png

    First floor:
    PortJames30_zps5c0d3e53.png

    Second floor:
    PortJames31_zps069decb9.png

    And one of the two corner lots, this one's interior isn't finished, but it has been laid out fully. Exterior is done though, save for the landscaping. This one is going to be another 4Br 2.5Ba home with more of a "Late 70's" feel to it.
    PortJames32_zps3c7c8642.png

    Last but not least, an update of Port James' current progress. Or at least that of the Fortress Hill part of it.
    PortJames33_zps211ba228.png

    That's all for now! I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment!
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    Hi Lucy! I don't have an arcade -yet-, but I do plan to build a Scandia/Castle Fun Park/Chuck-E-Cheese sort of arcade centre in the lower city.

    Regarding expansion lots, I decided to build this world for exactly that reason actually :P I was quite disappointed by the fact that Roaring Heights just had no supported lots for users with expansions. It struck me as lazy, and I've decided to do something about it. So expect at least one type of every lot from every expansion.


    I'm pickin' up what you're putting down in regards to those faux tops :P I'm not sure why they weren't made to fade away, but they do dress buildings up nicely. Still, it can totally be a pain when one cuts right into your vision. But I'd rather put up with it than use the potentially routing-destructive CFE cheat.


    Happy to hear you like the rec centre! I'm in your boat on empty rooms. Roaring Heights was very infamous for this. I was surprised to visit the waterfront gym and discover that it a huge fitness room and only 3 or 4 exercise machines. That's not cool with me. So again, I did something aboot it.


    I've had to use moveobjects a couple times, but each case was due to some silly issues where a window prevented a staircase from going in, or a tree refused to allow itself to be placed on ground that it thought was uneven, despite my using the flattening tool. I did use it to place stacked stairs in the rowhouse I built but the rule of stacked stairs is that as long as they are aligned with the front of the lot, either going front to back or back to front, they're okay. I fully plan on testing this map before releasing it, and I swear by NRaas' Overwatch and MasterController utilities, so what I upload will have zero routing issues beyond those that are inherent to the game's pathfinding AI.


    And I would take a look at this link if you're interested in a N'Orleans/Bayoux themed world: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/674749.page

    And it is indeed finished. Download link should be up there.
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    It seems you did! :P I suppose it does look very arcade-ish. Not to worry, like I said there'll be a nice big arcade when I start working on the lower city.

    As for the queries, I'll answer the most important first, which EP you should grab:

    I would say start with IP. Pets really doesn't add much, aside from animals. Pet stores aren't necessary lots in order for your sims to own pets or buy pet items, and there isn't really anything that dog and cat parks do that a standard park lot won't. The only big factor with pets is the Equestrian Centre really. Horses were the key draw for the EP, so it makes sense. There will be an Equestrian Centre outside of Port James, probably in the small farming town that I'll be putting on the other side of the mountain. That way if you don't have the expansion, there won't be a big hole in the middle of the city because of the missing rabbithole.

    IP on the other hand will be pretty important. I'm planning on building a rustic themed resort, which you'll want to have access to. I'm also considering adding some dive lots, and Houseboats are always fun to have. The map doesn't have a whole lot of open water space on it, but enough that you have the option of houseboating if you so choose. Most of the content so far is from expansions other than those though, so until it's closer to completion, I really can't say which of the two the end result will lean more towards, but I'm going to warrant a guess and say probably IP.

    Then again, who knows? This world is rather immense, and so by the time it's actually finished, you may come to own both EPs :P


    Regarding populating the world, I would love to add a populated version in. The initial release will be done here on the Exchange, so it'll be unpopulated. This has the advantage of faster initial load times and fewer potential bugs. However, anyone willing to help with populating the world is more than welcome to offer their services. No one offered on Santa Engracia, but I think that may have been due to the use of CC in the Rabbithole Rugs.
    Post edited by Unknown User on
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    I getcha there. Though should you decide to splurge on a new system in order to enjoy this world and others in full in the future, get a desktop. That way, as long as the motherboard is still relevant, you're able to just toss in a new GPU and some more RAM, provided you have a large enough power supply. A more powerful processor can also help, but really if you get the first two covered that's usually good enough for a noticeable improvement. Few laptops are capable of upgrading the GPU (Or really much at all) and buying a new one can run you twice the cost of a decent gaming PC.

    Crap, my inner hardware techie is showing. Apologies :P

    If you ever want to try a world again in the future, let me know. If it's sculpting you can't stand, I'd be more than happy to create a map based off of whatever you send me from a scanned drawing, MS Paint, etc... and then email you back the .world file.

    I haven't downloaded NRaas' Porter program, but I've heard mostly good things. Again the issue of it being an unstable means of populating a world is still a thing, but that's primarily due to the fact that EA uses a different program to populate their worlds and for some reason they insist on being stingy about sharing.
  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    edited February 2014
    EA uses Maya and the Maya 3.4 world builder plug in to make all their Sims 3 worlds both ep and store worlds. EA is not giving us Maya - Go price it - never mind getting the degree to learn to use it. hehehe My middle son took the Maya in college and ran me well over 3600 dollars for the software with no plug ins. that was 8 years ago and the newer versions are even higher in price. But I understand World builder does not have the restrictions we have in CAW and is actually much easier to use. That info came from Sim Guru Smitty in an "Ask a Producer Anything" segment early last year. So go invest 5000 dollars and learn to use it - but seems a bit stiff a price just to add sims to a game to me.

    I have no clue what they are using for Sims 4.... yet.

    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.

    In dreams - I LIVE!
    In REALITY, I simply exist.....

  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    Well now, that makes sense. I spent some time (Read: Basically the entire semester) fiddling with a donated copy of Maya 1.0 back in my high school AV class in the early 2000's and it wasn't easy. Though I would think they'd have been able to put out a program that would allow you to place saved families in lots, and simply not play them. Make the family in the game proper, play them to a point you're happy with, save to bin, head into EIG, plop family in lot. Not as good as having access to dev programs, but close enough. Would likely be more stable than the Nraas utility, but I can make it work.

    But all that aside, nice to see you visit the thread Reg! I've downloaded some of your lots in the past and they're very well built. Kudos!
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    Hullo! Sorry for the delay in updates. It has been, and will continue to be, a little hectic around here for the next little while. I'm in the process of packing my things to move, and haven't had much time at all to really work on the world. But I have done -some- work!

    I finished that last house I posted. This one:
    PortJames32_zps3c7c8642.png

    I know I said I wanted to do a late 70's feel to it but having grown up in a house that was built in the early 70's (Including both flaming orange and baby puke green carpets O_o) I just could -not- allow myself to intentionally recreate an interior from such a horrifying time period. So I went with more of an updated interior look instead.

    PortJames34_zps85c4e945.png

    PortJames35_zps02f8813f.png


    I finished the block off with a mid-late 90's style blue stucco with a modern interior.

    PortJames36_zps59be703f.png

    PortJames37_zpse742b999.png

    PortJames38_zpsbfc9556e.png

    And lastly, I built a vampire hangout titled "The Red Velvet Lounge". I wanted to show it off all lit up at night, but for some reason TS3 screenshots always seem to come out 1.5x darker than the game itself. Frustrating, to be sure. If anyone finds the pictures too dark, let me know and I'll get some in the day sans-lighting.

    PortJames39_zps8cead7bc.png

    PortJames40_zps8b12c80f.png

    PortJames41_zps322a9660.png

    That's all for now, and probably the next little while. Doesn't mean I won't be stopping by to check the thread though!
    Post edited by Unknown User on
  • Sneakfeline0Sneakfeline0 Posts: 1,235 Member
    edited February 2014
    lucyvp86 wrote:
    I thought your bowling alley was an arcade?

    I can't wait to see your world. It sounds like you are putting a ton of thought into it. Are you going to ask for people to help you populate it?

    Oh one more thing, I have to choose to either have pets or IP installed. I can't have both so which would you say is more important for your world so it looks right?

    Unless I've missed something in the past few months, you will need all the expansion packs that the world creator has used. I have heard of some people being able to install a world without having possibly one of the expansions, but as far as I know they seem to run into trouble with freezing, etc. not too long after installing the world.

    Looking good Metallifan :wink:

  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited February 2014
    As I said though, it shouldn't be an issue. By the time the world is done, I'm sure she'll have procured both EPs :P

    And good to see you in one of my threads again Sneak! How are ya?
  • PoppedBubbleGuyPoppedBubbleGuy Posts: 177 Member
    edited March 2014
    So much class in these builds *swoons* keep up the good work.
    We were born sick, you heard them say it.-Hozier
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited March 2014
    Hi PBG! I don't think I've ever had my work cause anyone to swoon before, but I suppose there's a first for everything eh? Lol. But thank you for the show of support! Always makes big projects like these easier!
  • Sneakfeline0Sneakfeline0 Posts: 1,235 Member
    edited March 2014
    Oh yeah, she does say she has all or is going to get :oops: ...doing good Metallifan, currently working on a few things, real life is taking up a lot of my CAW time lately, but I guess it's better than not having a life, lol!

  • Barbie430Barbie430 Posts: 97 Member
    edited March 2014
    I about died when i saw the vampire hangout. Super cool looking! :roll: :oops:
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited March 2014
    Pun intended? :P

    Well, I've finally got my internet working again, and I'm mostly done unpacking. So I should be able to more or less resume steady work on the world!
  • MetallifanMetallifan Posts: 188 Member
    edited March 2014
    Hi folks. Firstoff, let me apologize for the lengthy delay in getting another update out. Life has been... Unkind as of late, and I haven't really been up to working on this project. I fired it up the other day however, and realized that I had forgotten how calming it was, and before I knew it I had 4 more houses and a graveyard built. These are those properties.

    First, this modern 4 Bedroom 2.5 Bathroom 2 storey home with in-ground pool:
    PortJames42_zps2638d533.png

    PortJames43_zps6a252181.png

    PortJames44_zps35e818c9.png


    In the middle of the block, two 90's style pastel stucco and brickwork homes. The first is a 5Br 2.5Ba with plenty of space.
    PortJames45_zps6cf01d59.png

    PortJames46_zps3c121438.png

    PortJames47_zps42fca35c.png

    The second is a 4Br 2.5Ba that I actually borrowed from my Kamloops project. Seeing how I doubt I'll ever finish it (First world, so much wrong with it...), I figured it would be nice to include some of the lots in this one.

    PortJames48_zps5b1a34ae.png

    PortJames49_zpsb2b890c7.png

    PortJames50_zps9fcba784.png

    And finally, another modern home to cap off this side of the block, a 4Br 2.5Ba with a spa tub!

    PortJames51_zpseaaae3b6.png

    PortJames52_zps4778b68b.png

    PortJames53_zps154f2dd7.png

    The last lot I built was the Crestview Acres cemetery. I left one side of the cemetery blank, as well as half of the animal section, as there's not much point in building a cemetery if there's no room to put your dead Sims, is there?
    PortJames54_zps582ac839.png

    Finally, an overview of everything so far.
    PortJames55_zps78a64adb.png

    That's it for now. Again, apologies for the delay in updates.
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