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Rhodalle's Roadless Worlds - Suggestions and Opinions Wanted
Rhodalle
Posts: 52 Member
All my worlds are mostly wilderness, with few or no roads. I do not use non-routable paint to keep sims on a "path." The worlds are fully open, so instead I use invisible sidewalks, doubling them up and foregoing intersections (because I hear that sims don't share sidewalks, which I haven't tested but as a precaution..) Sims seem to route fine so far on these. Furthermore, if you want huge areas to be fully explorable you need to lay out some plants or objects here and there to create routing geometry around. Otherwise paths won't be generated in big empty areas.
Before I make individual threads for each of these worlds I feel like I need to solidify them. I'm also not 100% sure when or if I will ever finish them, and might be willing to adopt them out to the right people. I am also open to suggestions for names.
These images show the progression of my learning how to use CAW. It's an ongoing process. Mostly I patch heightmaps from EA worlds together into new worlds, but I also use DEM data from Google.
I'm mainly using one of two plots for each, so keep the themes in mind if anyone wants to supply me with an idea or suggestion. The first is a fantasy setting where a college from present times is magically transported, late at night, to a magical alternate world. The handful of teachers and students at the college have to be integrated into this medieval society, and the native mages become obsessed with learning the sciences accessible to them and begin to apply these sciences to their magical inventions. This sort of explains modern amenities in a medieval world.
The second plot is set in a slightly barren but green alien world or future Earth being colonized. I intend it to be a huge map but have a very small community, basically a first wave of colonists testing the waters before more are sent along.
The heightmaps and world files I'm willing to email to people who ask, and agree to credit me if they share anything they make from it with the community
World 1: Finished but abandoned, probably riddled with issues. Just a practice really to test no roads, with no plot intended.
World 2: plot 1 or 2 - Virtually finished, but abandoned, needs recoloring and decorations.
World 3: Plot 1. A coastal but high above the equator zone. Mystical and rainforest-y. This was the last hand-painted world I've worked on.
World 4: Plot 1 is getting more finalized here than in last world. I like the setup for the castle on the hill. You can clearly see that I used bits of Monte Vista's heightmap for this, as well as others. I've gotten better at sculpting, planning and used Curves in Photoshop to do the terrain paint... so there's significant improvements. This world is still lacking some forests, like on the mountains, around the "elven" colony, etc. Also needs decorations, plants, spawners, more character. Email me for height map and terrain paint layers. If anyone wants to see me finishing this world, I might need lots of advice or help on buildings. I'm not so good with the habitation part. A reference that I think would be easy for most people to get and fits pretty good, is a Skyrim sort of setting. Primitive but efficient and magic dependent. Maybe steam-ish post apocalypse also.
World 5: I'm making this with plot 2 in mind. I really don't know what type of plants or decorations to use yet and actually kindof like the open and barrenness in this world. Could be a healing Earth in the distant future too. However, there definitely needs to be some interesting areas and something to fit the theme. Too bad I don't have "Into the Future." I'm excited by the results of using Wilbur to edit the heightmap. This is the first map I did that with and I need to submerge the calculated river paths and fix the plateau.
Other worlds that are on the sidelines...
This one is based on the Flathead Valley in Western MT where I live:
I didn't use the Photoshop coloring method for this one, though I think I will go back and redo it. I don't think I'll be rebuilding my hometown but making something tiny, frontier inspired with widely spaced homesteads. Big map, low population.
Same exact story as the previous world, also based on Washington and Montana landscapes. This one just has more texture, also before I was painting with Photoshop.
Feel free to ask questions, ask for heightmaps and terrain paints. I don't know if I'll be finishing these, and really really want to see an open and nonrestrictive roadless - or almost roadless map.
Before I make individual threads for each of these worlds I feel like I need to solidify them. I'm also not 100% sure when or if I will ever finish them, and might be willing to adopt them out to the right people. I am also open to suggestions for names.
These images show the progression of my learning how to use CAW. It's an ongoing process. Mostly I patch heightmaps from EA worlds together into new worlds, but I also use DEM data from Google.
I'm mainly using one of two plots for each, so keep the themes in mind if anyone wants to supply me with an idea or suggestion. The first is a fantasy setting where a college from present times is magically transported, late at night, to a magical alternate world. The handful of teachers and students at the college have to be integrated into this medieval society, and the native mages become obsessed with learning the sciences accessible to them and begin to apply these sciences to their magical inventions. This sort of explains modern amenities in a medieval world.
The second plot is set in a slightly barren but green alien world or future Earth being colonized. I intend it to be a huge map but have a very small community, basically a first wave of colonists testing the waters before more are sent along.
The heightmaps and world files I'm willing to email to people who ask, and agree to credit me if they share anything they make from it with the community
World 1: Finished but abandoned, probably riddled with issues. Just a practice really to test no roads, with no plot intended.
World 2: plot 1 or 2 - Virtually finished, but abandoned, needs recoloring and decorations.
World 3: Plot 1. A coastal but high above the equator zone. Mystical and rainforest-y. This was the last hand-painted world I've worked on.
World 4: Plot 1 is getting more finalized here than in last world. I like the setup for the castle on the hill. You can clearly see that I used bits of Monte Vista's heightmap for this, as well as others. I've gotten better at sculpting, planning and used Curves in Photoshop to do the terrain paint... so there's significant improvements. This world is still lacking some forests, like on the mountains, around the "elven" colony, etc. Also needs decorations, plants, spawners, more character. Email me for height map and terrain paint layers. If anyone wants to see me finishing this world, I might need lots of advice or help on buildings. I'm not so good with the habitation part. A reference that I think would be easy for most people to get and fits pretty good, is a Skyrim sort of setting. Primitive but efficient and magic dependent. Maybe steam-ish post apocalypse also.
World 5: I'm making this with plot 2 in mind. I really don't know what type of plants or decorations to use yet and actually kindof like the open and barrenness in this world. Could be a healing Earth in the distant future too. However, there definitely needs to be some interesting areas and something to fit the theme. Too bad I don't have "Into the Future." I'm excited by the results of using Wilbur to edit the heightmap. This is the first map I did that with and I need to submerge the calculated river paths and fix the plateau.
Other worlds that are on the sidelines...
This one is based on the Flathead Valley in Western MT where I live:
I didn't use the Photoshop coloring method for this one, though I think I will go back and redo it. I don't think I'll be rebuilding my hometown but making something tiny, frontier inspired with widely spaced homesteads. Big map, low population.
Same exact story as the previous world, also based on Washington and Montana landscapes. This one just has more texture, also before I was painting with Photoshop.
Feel free to ask questions, ask for heightmaps and terrain paints. I don't know if I'll be finishing these, and really really want to see an open and nonrestrictive roadless - or almost roadless map.
7
Comments
I build no road worlds. I've been testing versions of a "road less" world for over 2 years.
I've recently been considering a 2nd century Hadrian's wall world.
There are definitely things to take into account playing a "no roads" world.
Have you tried populating any of your worlds?
Sims are pretty silly critters & animals are game breakers.
With no roads or routing paint it's only a matter of time before things go pear shape
I've found you really need mods like Error Trap, Overwatch & Register to have a fighting chance of making these worlds function for any length of time.
I'd be happy to share any of my observations from running my "no road" worlds.
World 3 and the walled city are my faves!
I'm also interested in your observations of roadless worlds because I want to create a roadless world after I finish my current project. I actually created an African world with only sidewalks named Ziwa Bonde and more or less it worked well for me. The biggest problem was that I built two separate villages, each one with its rabbitholes, but some sims went to work to the other village instead of going to their own, so they spent the whole day to go from one village to the other. I guess that placing some LN subways could fix it but of course it would have been easier with only one village
I'm looking forward to your experiences!
I just love your world pictures. They look absolutely fabulous!
I made a few roadless worlds back in the beginning of CAW. I was informed it took too long to travel so I added roads and never made a large roadless world. . .I should have made two versions.
Glad to see there are more roadless and short road large worlds. Lovely ones, too. :thumbup:
*I just want to add- Sims share sidewalks now. Back in the beginning of Sims 3, they didn't and there was a lot of foot stomping.
Your input and opinions as to which worlds you like best was very helpful and it's inspired me to resign myself to finishing world's 3 and 4 before I move on to another one. I just really like to sculpt and paint terrain, heh heh... ^^ Guess I have to make an individual thread for world 4, which I think I'll focus on first.
Took me so long to compose my first post, I didn't realize how many times I offered the files, lol.
Ziwa Bonde was an instant download the minute I saw it. Your roadless world looked great and showed it could be done, so it was one of my main inspirations.
Haha, well it might not have been worth the headache making wilderness worlds in the early CAW days, and there's always future projects. I love the way you build your towns.. urban areas aren't my strong suit. ;D Oh and thanks for letting me know about the sidewalks! Guess I won't have to take the extra time doubling them up now, whew..
And while I'm working on my two worlds, I'm also more than happy to take map requests. Any existing heightmaps and basic layouts I can import into Wilbur and using various erosion cycles, I can quickly generate natural looking hills. A nice thing about Wilbur is it doesn't really cahnge the layout of the map at all, just affects surface texture and rain runoff areas. I also would be happy to use Photoshop to do some terrain paint layers, since I'm getting more comfortable with the process. Photo references will help me get closer to your vision. I may not respond right away depending on if I'm going through a busy spell, but I can generate those pretty quick for people who want to just get on with the building.
Love you
Road-less worlds are my favorite. I am currently searching for world to use as "Oz" or form someone who wants to build one and I would prefer it to be without roads.
I have never had too much trouble playing in road-less worlds so long as they are not too large. I use the subways for quick travel, disguised as train depots
:) Anyways, just following up on this thing to say I have a beta up on my new site for world 4, and I'm also sharing there the download links to the height and paint layer maps for my unfinished worlds. There will soon be simple instructions for how to plug them into your CAW, for those who haven't imported texture masks before. I also list the textures used and link you where to get them, so your world can have the same feel as what's pictured.
I'm shy, really awkward in the forum scene, and too lazy to put my stuff up on MTS, so I'll be in my dark little corner. But still making worlds and open to requets. (Finally about to buy World Machine, which is a far more refined terrain generator than Photoshp and Wilbur, and I'm eager to see what it's heightmaps look like in CAW.)
Happy Simming, everyone!
rhodalle.wix. com /simmerrho
(take out the spaces in the link)
UPDATE: @KarilynMonroe2
Interesting.. an Oz world would be a blast, honestly, just seems to fit the Sims, lol. I might be willing to take a crack at this. So many representations from which to draw inspiration, too.
I'll try to give you some feedback on Ulokea. I've actually helped create sims and lots for other worlds. Anything you would like to use from my studio is at your disposal. I use a lot of store content, but I don't have any CC in my sims or builds.
visit my blog @ tencentsims.tumblr.com !
> @17mars
You are welcome. :) I wonder how early/late in the warm season you came up here. One thing I can't really simulate in CAW is the dramatic color-changes of this valley as we go from spring to summer. So I tried to get a bit of both shades with the terrain paint, but it's a WIP.
> @17mars
Woopsie, thanks for taking the time to stress-test this world. I'll put these on my fix-list. I think I know what lot you were talking about. I think I realized the terrain looked too patchy, and put a rock there to break it up and just forgot to move or remove the lot, haha. The bridge by the island/henge is one I may not have checked over after making a few tweaks. I'll look at the routing around the henge too. Thanks so much for your feedback. :D
> @Clayworld
I have convinced myself that there will be an expansion for open worlds AND world creation for sims 4, heck, even an easier way to get custom plants and objects into the builder. As daft as this belief may be to have, I hold it, otherwise, I'll never make the switch. It stinks royally to be tempted by the fact that the sims themselves are so gorgeous and well animated in 4, imo. Bye bye uncanney valley! Still, I have sworn that I won't move on to 4 until they give us a new CAW. ;( What's the point of being God, if you can't be it in a world you made? That's what people love about that Minecraft game, and look at how successful it was despite blargh-awful box forms, lol. I get where EA thinks CAW was a dead end, when they can sell their own worlds, but they'd be missing a huge thing I can't assume they'd overlook: Gamers are creative too, and simmers especially, with god complexes who want immersion in their own fantasy world... Cute emotive pixel-people are not the only selling point.
Errh, sorry for the little rant... ;^^ Thank you so so much for offering to share your studio creations! I will have a look, and I'll PM you about anything I use, and seek your blessing for any tweaks I may make, if something were to end up in a future version of this, if that was what you were offering. :)
> @queueing
Thanks, I'm so glad you like them! I'm looking forward to your feedback and please, build away! And if there *are* any issues you come across that would hinder your ability to play in it I will fix them ASAP, so don't hesitate to express your thoughts.
I love this
visit my blog @ tencentsims.tumblr.com !