Archetectural Design Career - Top 12 Tips for anyone having trouble

TammyGrantSim · June 2010

You take it out of your family inventory from buy mode. hope that helps

Kamb64 · June 2010

I just want to thank the OP for this thread. I have been at a loss to explain my sims lukewarm reviews. I have learned a great many things from this thread that I am sure will no doubt help me to get big bonuses and amazing reviews from now on. Heres hoping!

tallcoolone · June 2010

gerbenlegacy wrote:

Have you tried the architectural designer LTW? My sim currently has it, but 100 perfect scores... Isn't that pretty much impossible? I've only done 2 renovations but neither of them wsa perfect, and my sim is already halfway through his young adult life stage...

I definately think they overshot this one!

Emoolatte23 · June 2010

I was renovating a house, and i put all the items that were listed in the box, but none got checked off. I tried several times with new furnature, adding a room, or putting more stuff in. Why won't it work?

kikigrl939 · June 2010

My sims just started this career and during their work hours they dont get any renovation offers. Whats wrong?!

Malery · June 2010

Hey Jvenn. Great post, I've found your tips useful!

I am still running into the clutter issue.

This assignment was called "man cave". It called for a tv, game system, bar, and a few lights. I added the desk and laptop because the client was a computer whiz. After the renovation I tested everything with my sim bot and didn't have any issues. I still got a terrible review because of clutter and inability to get to objects. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Malery

JVENN · June 2010

Hi Malery....Could you edit your picture to make it smaller - you have broken the page

I used to get this a lot - even in quite sparsely decorated rooms. Then someone suggested that you need to make sure that all of the green triangles face the right way...I now have no 'clutter' problems and the only reason I can find is that the windows have to be facing into the room!!!

In the room you have posted I would also move the couch to the right a bit and the the same for the TV and move the coffee table slightly over towards the couch??? Just some suggestions that might help

Solorius · June 2010

spartan1 wrote:

How to cheat extra money for the budget:
In renovation mode, go to your family inventory, making sure you have plenty of stuff in there. Paintings you did are good because you can see the value of the item. Grab an item, then put it straight back into the inventory. It will give you the value of the item as "extra" budget.

I found this by accident, grabbed my Hikon camera and put it back, suddenly I had an extra couple of thousand dollars to play with!

By doing this you're money get reduced by the amount you got in the budget because the game for some reason thinks you have taken something from the house meaning to steal it.

amywelshcastle · June 2010

I thought the 100 perfect renovations was a little high, too! Considering you can only do about 2 or 3 a day, if you're playing on a normal life span you're most likely going to be old and grey before you complete it, if you even can... unless you really know what you're doing.

My game's dead right now so I didn't play it very long - but my architect had the clutter and can't reach items issues constantly. I found the career really difficult! Especially when I done an exterior, my client said they couldn't reach any of the windows or doors when I only replaced what was there and it was the worst score possible. I'll try some of these tips for next time, though.

DarkShadowofFate · June 2010

I just want to add for those with the 100 great reviews lifetime wish what happened with my sim:

She didn't get any great reviews until she was an adult and around the 6 or 7th level of the career...I noticed what really helped was placing a statue or painting that she did in the remodel...and this was when she was past level five of those skills. You get paid more when adding these items too with a bonus so really there's no loss even if the painting was worth a thousand...in the long run it benefits. My sim never made it to 100 great reviews now...only 30, but she lived to be around a 100 (playing where the normal death age is 90) and her grave/urn was as if she had achieved her life wish (gold/obelisk)so it really wasn't as if she died unfulfilled. I'm sure if I had figured out with the painting/sculpture thing sooner and didn't force her to babysit so much as an elder she might have had a lot more great reviews...I'll have to try with another sim to reach that sometime.

TnnSco · June 2010

Thank you soooo much for posting this. I downloaded my game and don't know where to find the guide!! This has helped we alot. I have a question... I read that when the sims says " I can't live in this squalor" You have taken away something they need? I had to build a laundry room for this family and I just added a wall and then the items they requested. I don't think or can't remember what I took away!! Now what do I do?

spartan1 · June 2010

Solorius wrote:

spartan1 wrote:

How to cheat extra money for the budget:
In renovation mode, go to your family inventory, making sure you have plenty of stuff in there. Paintings you did are good because you can see the value of the item. Grab an item, then put it straight back into the inventory. It will give you the value of the item as "extra" budget.

I found this by accident, grabbed my Hikon camera and put it back, suddenly I had an extra couple of thousand dollars to play with!

By doing this you're money get reduced by the amount you got in the budget because the game for some reason thinks you have taken something from the house meaning to steal it.

You are right if you put the item in the house first, THEN put it back in the inventory it will do this.

But if you grab it then put it back into the inventory STRAIGHT AWAY without putting it down, it will work. I do it all the time.

JVENN · June 2010

TnnSco wrote:

Thank you soooo much for posting this. I downloaded my game and don't know where to find the guide!! This has helped we alot. I have a question... I read that when the sims says " I can't live in this squalor" You have taken away something they need? I had to build a laundry room for this family and I just added a wall and then the items they requested. I don't think or can't remember what I took away!! Now what do I do?

Hiya,

It isn't always that you took something out - they may not have had enough beds (or a fridge) in the first place...Do read through the whole thread and you will find some great tips

JVENN · July 2010

Thought this might be a useful summary:

The squalor message ocurs when the sims in the household don't have enough beds or a fridge...

This is a list of what the computer/game (and therefore the client) can and can't 'read':

What Matters:

Windows and Doors
Curtains & Rugs
Clutter - small items placed on tables and surfaces - some like it some don't and this appears to be random
Furniture
Art - sculptures, photos, painings and sketches
Decoration - only in so far as if it is or isn't decorated but NOT the colour, pattern or anything else.
MOST IMPORTANTLY - Beds and fridges (are there enough beds for the household and is there a fridge).
Environment score
Items used that correspond with client or household traits
Green Triangle - make sure items are placed with the triangle facing the right way and are accessible
Cost (although if using cc and the cost is low but environment score is high it's fine to use low cost/high environment score items)

What doesn't matter:

Room Size
How many Rooms (the game doesn't differentiate or 'see' rooms).
Colours used or general 'style'

Peppaharrison · July 2010

Do you think the more the better the score when it comes to art thing like paintings? Or is one enough?

JVENN · July 2010

If you are able to, for the maximum points, I would put in at least one each of the following:

A photograph of the client
A photograph of the town or town views
A Sketch done on the design board
A small painting
A Sculpture (Topiary is the quickest and cheapest to produce)

I have found that, early in the career your reviews will be a bit random - some Great, Some Good, Some lousy...

bshag4lv · July 2010

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but go to the consignment store and pick up little toys for kids' rooms, widgets to decorate any rooms. They really like the drinking llama, floating duck, etc. Most of the time this stuff is affordable.

Very excited...my decorator got her first great review @ lvl 9. :shock:

JVENN · July 2010

My sim architect started her own blog...so if anyone is interested in reading about renovations and looking at lots of before and after pictures of renovations. I'm doing Twinbrook at the moment so if you are doing this profession in Twinbrook and could do with some help...have a look at her blog...

http://isabeaud.blogspot.com/

JVENN · July 2010

bshag4lv wrote:

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but go to the consignment store and pick up little toys for kids' rooms, widgets to decorate any rooms. They really like the drinking llama, floating duck, etc. Most of the time this stuff is affordable.

Very excited...my decorator got her first great review @ lvl 9. :shock:

Congrats on the review - and thanks for the tip about toys - I missed this so will give it a try...

Thought I would post some before and after pics of one of my renovations:

This is Juan Darer's house in Twinbrook - makes me depressed just looking at it

I basically demolished the whole thing and rebuilt him a beautiful new house with a nice bit of landscaping and an extra bedroom.

This is his new kitchen - the before picture shows that he used to have just one room downatairs which served him as livingroom, diningroom and kitchen.

And this is how the exterior of the house ended up looking

I've started a Home Design Hotshots thread in Creative Corner...I'd love it if more of you would post pictures of your renovations...

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/0/225850.page#2785330

debra1970p · July 2010

Peppaharrison wrote:

Do you think the more the better the score when it comes to art thing like paintings? Or is one enough?

I've just been putting 2 handcrafted items per renovation- a photograph of the client and a painting and my sim has been getting perfects scores. He didn't start getting perfect scores until he hit level 7 of this career though.

JVENN · July 2010

debra1970p wrote:

Peppaharrison wrote:

Do you think the more the better the score when it comes to art thing like paintings? Or is one enough?

I've just been putting 2 handcrafted items per renovation- a photograph of the client and a painting and my sim has been getting perfects scores. He didn't start getting perfect scores until he hit level 7 of this career though.

Oh that's good to know...I sometimes go completely overboard!!!

BTW - there is a competition thread running for design I thought I would post it here to see if anyone else is interested in entering... http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/225874.page

Nikkione · July 2010

Some great tips here, thanks so much. Though I wonder if you or anyone could help with this, i have not had a single job for weeks now. When I first started the career I had loads of job offers, got to level 10 in no time at all. But now nothing at all, I know I can go out and speak to people for jobs but surely I should be getting the rest of the collection, so far I am just getting the same things again and again. I haven’t done 50% of the different types of renovations you can do. The things that changed from when I was getting jobs and then not getting jobs are as follows:

Turned on aging (i had originally had this turned off)

Got married

Had a baby

Moved home
I am getting so frustrated with this now, but I love the career and would like to achieve my LTW of 100 great reviews, on 11 atm.

JVENN · July 2010

I haven't had this problem myself but I have heard other people say that they stop getting job notifications...after moving.

I don't know of a solution, other than carrying on by soliciting work from your neighbours...or quitting the job and starting over

Neither of them are very good solutions...sorry

x_Kinomi_x · July 2010

I renovated someone's house and gave them a library but after it was finished and he showed it to her, she just left the house without saying a word or paying a penny!

What happened...

JVENN · July 2010

x_Kinomi_x wrote:

I renovated someone's house and gave them a library but after it was finished and he showed it to her, she just left the house without saying a word or paying a penny!
What happened...

I had that happen just once...I think it's just a glitch...I try and watch the top left corner of my screen to make sure that my sims actions are "Watch client evaluate renovation" and "Listen" (which is when the client gives feedback)...just occaisionally my sim will cancel the Listen action and start towards the computer (or pool or TV) so I pause and click on the client and do the "Tell client the renovation is complete" option...this starts the whole evaluation process again but usually works...I have sometimes had to do this 3 or 4 times though, so I suppose if I hadn't my sim would have just eventually gone home...

HTH

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Archetectural Design Career - Top 12 Tips for anyone having trouble

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