I give up.
What's the secret to getting more downloads?
When I create a Sim and post it, it gets
1 download and
2 favorites. (Full disclosure: one of those favorites is me!)
When Maxis copies my Sim Story idea it gets
141,882 downloads and
763 favorites.
(YES, the bumble bee thing was mine, too.)
Comments
A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear
Time enjoyed is never time wasted
Sure. Thanks for replying.
The thing is . . . Maxis did promote my Sim, it still didn't get downloads.
I think if people just didn't like the Sim, they wouldn't have downloaded the Maxis version either.
Seems like there's more to it . . .
Character Witness Thread: There's A Story Behind Every Sim
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And I’m pretty sure he just liked the puns, and it’s not like he was going to Songs of Innocence your sims into people’s library or whatever.
Updated with Werewolf Diaries (1)
The Sim is a pre-made (with some adjustments), but they used a derivative story. There are more than a few Sims I made months ahead of them appearing as "Maxis made" Sims, including the ones in the banner on this page (and re-branded art). For example, my curvy, purple haired lesbian Sim . . .
And her girlfriend . . .
I know the resemblance for someone not close to the work isn't immediately obvious. But . . .
My under cover cop Sim + 1st hit for undercover cop on Google = banner Sim
At the same time, I posted a scarfed photographer . . . you get the idea. And if not, oh well. The point of this thread is not to discuss Maxis' appropriation of materials. I just want some tips on how to increase downloads.
There's obviously some interest in the Sims themselves, just not when I post them. How do others get noticed? Some people are able to get hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of downloads while other equally as good, or sometimes better work, goes ignored.
Character Witness Thread: There's A Story Behind Every Sim
Download these characters and more from The Gallery
Follow me on Twitter @greenXenSims
You're right. I noticed that, too. But, I'd like to find out about Sims since I'm into character creation. I think that there's more to it than luck to getting a large number of downloads, faved by Maxis, etc.
Character Witness Thread: There's A Story Behind Every Sim
Download these characters and more from The Gallery
Follow me on Twitter @greenXenSims
And I'm talking about really like a favorite on the Gallery. Not a tweet about it.
It also helps if you post your sims on reddit or twitter or something.
i must of put about 80 downloadable things up there and none of them got a look in by maxis, i don't advertise them anywhere. I have one lot i had built, the manning-keating manor, that i got about 100 downloads and 20 favorites without maxis support, but that was a while back. i have a few others similar to that in lots, and the most recent Firelli house got me about 40 downloads and a number of favorites.
In a sense i beat them without joining them, but clearly not interesting enough to get noticed. so how does one get maxis to like anything?
The one sim I made that got faved was a sim I sent for my friend's story challenge which she posted on this forum. So I guess the Maxis people read stories here?
https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/gallery/57740A5DF98A11E98A9AFCF935A43D40
And here's my fairy crew, which I posted a few months prior:
https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/gallery/4C2D7011B33B11E98D688BD3E38CA615
This was one of my favorite households, and I had a bunch a little details to make them look like they weren't quite human. I really felt like I did something different and got frustrated seeing something similar get the fav and all the downloads that came with it. But the thing is, it's all about taste. My crew definitely doesn't look as uniform, which can be a big appeal for a lot of people. Not to mention, tons of Simmers have done similar concepts in the past (a quick look through the gallery shows that), as original as it felt like I was being at the time.
It all comes down to personal preference, what Maxis happens to be looking for at the time (fairies made a lot more sense for an October fav than an August one), and just a bunch of luck. At the end of the day, I created the household for me, and I love playing with it, and whether it gets a few downloads or hundreds doesn't (or shouldn't, anyway) have any effect on my enjoyment. Besides, I still hold bragging rights as one of the few fairy-themed households that actually has a couple guys in it. I'm happy with that. And I might just download the Maxis-faved one, too. See how all these Sims get along.
Keep creating for you and make things you want to see in your game.
i created Sandra Matthews long before i posted a whole family around her on the "what did you do today?" thread, same with the Alderra's. It seems they don't look backwards either if that is also a valid point to make. Storytelling is not one of my strongest points.
Player: *instructs sim to prepare meal* "Then eat something, you little goofball!"
Sim: *starts cooking meal*
-5 seconds later-
Sim: *Stops cooking meal* "I'm so hungry!"
Player: *head hits desk*
This. I made a SIm that used only basegame items and it got 30x more downloads than one with multiple packs.
(◡‿◡✿)
This isn't true. I have almost 500 downloads and I haven't used a single custom pose.
Now, back to your question OP. Their really isn't much of a secret. But the longer you're on the gallery, and the more you post your builds on social media, it is true that you will get more downloads in the long run.
I think the Maxis staff are more likely to read in the Stories and Legacies portion, not the Gen Disc. I can't remember where the What Did You Do Today thread but I believe it's in the Gen Disc, right?
It is absolutely true. You might be the exception to the rule, but a quick scroll through the most popular downloads tells the story. While it might be possible to “succeed” without custom poses, it’s obvious that downloaders favour them and the odds of getting noticed therefore increase when they’re used.
My most downloaded lot is Slum in a City with 1146 downloads (that's so many to me)
I think that's because the building is rather niche and there's not that much competition when it comes to slums. Also perhaps because I made it soon after CL and it has that 30x30 lot size which is perfect for two San Myshuno lots. The downloads have been slowly accumulating. So maybe think of something a bit unusual that people might search for or make use of a less common lot size.
My second most popular build is Windenburg Vampire Castle with 231 downloads (notice the difference)
That one I built and uploaded right after vampires came out and it got most of the downloads back then. So focus on when a new pack is coming out and make something themed - this could also be a good advise for creating sims.
Updated with Werewolf Diaries (1)
yep, it's in gen discussions and frankly that thread should of been moved long ago into the creative corner, because it fits the very purpose of what is a creative endeavour.
The most I've gotten was like almost 200 downloads on a single lot. Oddly enough, I rarely get 'favorites', though. I also don't have the habit of using hashtags, so that's probably also why they're not getting as much attention as I would like them to. I've noticed that gallery items with hashtags are much more often downloaded and favorited than not.
Sims 1: Hot Date
Sims 2: Seasons
Sims 2: Happy Holiday Stuff
Sims 3: Seasons
Sims 3: 70's, 80's, & 90's Stuff
Sims 4: Seasons
Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff
Sims 4: Strangerville Game Pack