More Awesome Than You!

Okay, so every other site has a building contest, so why not us? Only this contest, is not a contest of who can make a pretty, but functionally useless house. This contest...is about making an AWESOME house! It would also be quite nice if entry screenshots included a labelled summary of the architectural features you've incorporated that seem most awesome. And a summary of how your house should awesomely handle the various scenarios of the game, such as parties, headmasters, and othersuch.

Rules:
1. Any size of lot may be chosen, from large to small. However, not-choking-the-computer is part of technical merit.
2. There is no budget limitation. However, less is more!
3. Only Maxis and Awesome content may be used. They may be placed using hacked collections if necessary.

Scoring:
Houses will be evaluated based on how awesome they are, in terms of technical, logical, functional merit, as well as not looking like a total eyesore. Creating something that works well enough to be in my game, *AND* looks cool, is bonus. Important points should include adequate space for future expansion, coverage of all standard in-game situations, and, of course, room to hold and use all the relevant career and aspiration awards a sim-family may have or acquire in the future.

The top winners will receive a code for a free month's subscription to MATY, usable either to extend their (or someone else's!) subscription, or to addict a friend. The biggest losers will be made fun of.

Let's see some AWESOME houses!

Dammit, this would come up when I'm supposed to be working on my face templates (which should at least be Tubular if not Awesome). Time limit?

Time limit? Sorry, you missed the boat. :P
Kidding, I haven't a frickin' clue.

OH NOES I REALLY NEEDED THAT FREE SUBSCRIPTION

You guys build really fast!

How do we submit our entry? I'd like to have 2 subscriptions at the same time in case one gets worn out.

I haven't entirely decided, due to some uncertainty in collecting the submissions, but how does the end of June look?

That part hasn't been worked out yet. I'm trying to decide how to work that part.

I'll have my people contact your people.

Hmm, might have a think about this... have three days off over the coming weekend...

I'm quite keen on function, will usually take function over form, but also still like to combine the two if possible.

Well, obviously, combining the two produces the best results. Otherwise you get a Gali-style monstrocity that combines none of them.

Scoring, of course, will be conducted by examining your house, and seeing what changes I'd make to it to better accomodate a more awesome lifestyle. The less changes I have to make, the better your house scores for function.

I've had a minimilistic, modernistic style in mind for some time, might have a bash at that, it's not my usual style.

I've got a newspaper pic of a real house that uses roof angles to create interesting and tricky perspectives for the eye. I've been wondering whether it would work in the sims.

PS If you saw my RL house - it's definitely function over form!

No point in me entering this, I'd automatically come last.  I've never built a house in the game yet.  I can't even work out how to extend one if it has those deck things, because I can never delete them or add to them.  I also hate furnishing houses, it's incredibly boring.  I'm really only in it for the gameplay, I suppose.  Be interesting to see what others come up with, though.

Any rules regarding the number of occupants?

A swinging single's den would have no need for any headmaster inspection.  ;D

Figure that the building must be capable of accomodating anything, from 1-8 (or maybe even more!) sims. Accomodation for yet unplanned scenarios is a bonus.

Yes, count me in. This I can get into, definitely'

What about starter homes? Do they need to accomodate as many sims?

Yes, although your costs will be taken into consideration, as well as your potential for expansion. If you've built a low-cost, but dead-end, home, that will still count against you.

So can we do two versions of the home? For example, one as a starter house and another as an example of what the house can become once funds are available (with little change to the house).

If that's the case I have one of my template houses that works pretty well.

Please a definition is needed for us unawesome people: exactly what is considered "awesome content"?

Anything from this site, and only from this site. :)

What about ingelogical content, like the no-autonomy fridge?

I'll be submitting one of my designs ... it's time I was giving a good laughing at, I suppose.

Only Awesome and Maxian(OFB) content will be permitted, because otherwise when I download the house to look at it in-game to see how it measures up to your blueprints, the objects will be missing, and this does no good at all. If anyone's aware of the vagaries of the "not-expansion" pack and how those lots are formatted, and whether they're even readable, lemme know. For obvious reasons, I'm not equipped to read those if the formats are incompatible.

That's what I thought...darn. Maxis doesn't have any good, cheap privacy fencing......

I can tell you this, whatever it's worth: I have one custom object that was made with FFS installed and the one object is fine in my game, no problem.

I downloaded a lot by someone with FFS- it worked fine, but everything was replaced by other default furniture, etc in my game, and it looked ugly. Otherwise no problems if you only have OFB.

I've got a few ideas for this, so I might actually give this a shot.  I barely even use CC, so that part won't be a problem.

This could be interesting.  Though I am a poor builder I am tempted to give it a shot at the risk of being pointed and laughed at.

Must we place occupants in the house or you prefer an empty house?

And how do we send you the house we build  for evaluation?

I'm still working on how to collect the files. Empty houses much preferred.

Oooh I'm going to try this.  My houses are boring squares, but they function!  At least for me :)

I also have FFS but I don't think, as others said, that it's a problem.  It is known that all vaughje's suck, but maybe I'll blow yer socks off.  But try to keep them on, K?  Thanks.

Sounds interesting but I think I am almost incapable of building anything without loads of CC
Could be an interesting challenge for me though...hmm  we'll see.

Ooh this I might try :) I have virtually no CC anyway, so shouldn't be a problem. Did you say they had to be empty? Can we furnish for show then just put the unfurnished house for download?

No, the house should be furnished, so I can see how badly you place furniture. In fact, you should furnish with everything up to and including the Awesomeware. And then I will mock your silly Emma-house for its lack of bathrooms!

So they can have terlets?? :P

Does awesomeness includes stuff found in the peasantry section?

I'm interested.

I have one lot I'm particularly proud of. It has evolved such much over time because of Sims actually living in it. So, it should be pratical.

I'll just copy the layout tile by tile over to my 'Builder' hood.

Get ready for a bunch of 'noob' questions when it comes to sending it to you though.

If Pescado would like, reggikko can create an upload area on Reggikko.com (http://laverwinklesims.com/index.php) where folks can upload their entries.

 :P ;D

I've got one built, but haven't Sim-Tested it yet.  Supposedly it can hold an 8 sim loadout, 6 comfortably.  The only thing is that the Vomitorium/Vein/Hallway is about half the size of the house.

This is really interesting, and I even have a house built that is [probably] excellent for mocking. Absoluely no CC at all, and it even looks tasteful which given the sheer nastiness of Maxian decor is a bloody miracle.  :o I'm going to play it for a while and see whether it fills all the other criteria.

I'm in.  :)

As am I probably maybe.

If you don't you know what I'm gonna' get to go and do...  :P

Then I guess I'd better bloody do it haven't I? :P Cause there's no way you're doing that missy!

Are Maxis and MATY recolors allowed or just original colors?

I lack any recolors, so I will only see flashing blue.

I'm seriously considering taking part in this.  My interest in actually playing the game has taken a nosedive, but I've been having a blast building and decorating.   

So where can we upload?

From an unlikely contestant, here is the first entry  ;D

It doesn't have a name yet, so for now it will be called Theo's Lot:
(http://theos.chewbakkas.net/maty/snapshot_00000001_719126af.jpg)

Designed in a typical Mediterranean style (which is an excuse for not having to build roofs :D), this lot features a garage, four bedrooms, four bathrooms, lounge room and living/dining room.

In my experience, buildings with foundations take a noticeable performance hit. Therefore my lot has no foundations, which in its turn makes it easier to  build attached garages :)

This house only takes in consideration the pre-OFB scenarios, and having a home business is not practical in this lot, although it requires OFB.
As I clearly lack any garden/outside design skills, the three hours I took to make it were focused on the interior layout.

The downside is its price, around §93k even considering it has the cheapest beds (but, who sleeps anyway?)

Here's a collection of pictures (click on thumbnails to view the original image):

Ground/first floor:
(http://theos.chewbakkas.net/maty/thumbnail_00000001_1191270c.jpg) (http://theos.chewbakkas.net/maty/snapshot_00000001_1191270c.jpg)

The lounge room is currently being used as a study room for the kids. Computers are not included in the package, but one of the desks can be used for a computer. I strongly recommend using Inge's reservable desks for homework purposes.

Clearly the kitchen layout can still be improved; the goal is for a sim to take a straight path from the kitchen to the table in the patio outside. Currently sims will have to slalom their way through the dining area to accomplish this :P

The drinks bar placement is not perfect either, in other houses I have taken advantage of the bar chairs for extra TV viewing seats.  :-\
This feat is however accomplished with a clever (but standard by now) placement of the chess table.


First/second floor:
(http://theos.chewbakkas.net/maty/thumbnail_00000001_51912726.jpg) (http://theos.chewbakkas.net/maty/snapshot_00000001_51912726.jpg)

Nothing remarkable here; the point is to have the least used items upstairs. Still, there's plenty of outside space at this level which can be used for skill building objects, such as aspiration rewards.


The lot will be uploaded and linked to this post, once I master the complex science of lot packaging  :D

Edit: removed redundant images

No, don't liknk it here, I'll start a section for collection the contest submissions later. You may want to look at WHERE you're cutting corners in your sim-equipment, just for cost, though. Certain items suffer significant performance degradation that makes it just far too costly in the long-term to cut corners on.

At first I just bought the cheapest items, but it became a bit painful to watch, so I decided to raise the living conditions a bit.

I did spend a lot with the kitchen counters, and (ahem) some decorative items. But these are actually needed when making a tour of the house for the headmaster ::)

And let's not forget that it can house four adult sims, along with their income :§§§:

The only thing I might do for now is cutting some trees down ;D

Keep in mind that cost is also a greatly reduced factor if you've broken the barriers for "starting" homes. And even, or perhaps, ESPECIALLY, a starter home should NEVER cheap out on certain classes of item, particularly when they cause sim downtime at a point where you are hurt most by it.

I know you hate elaborating, but could you explain a little more about what you mean by these statements?

I think he means beds and stoves.  He's mentioned those before as not worth skimping on.

Would you rather have a starter home with examples of how it can be expanded, or a fully evolved home (with photodocumentaion of it's humble beginnings)?  

Well, seeing the fully evolved version is the better demonstration of your ultimate abilities, but a skillfully made starter home where the potential to expand is clear is also a good thing. Both approaches have their own merits.

If you've actually played the game well, you'd know what corners can be cut, and what corners will bite you in the ass where and when it hurts if you try it. Your choice of furnishing demonstrates your knowledge of this.

JM, I'm a visual person.  The suggestions you've given are a bit vague.  Could you post one of your lots as a example?

Functionality isn't a very visual thing - at least it's not for me.  If you understand how sims behave, you can control their behaviour indirectly through their environment.  From playing and building I have a long list of rules for where objects can go in relation to each other and which objects to avoid altogether. The challenge is to make that look natural.

The most important factor to me is what makes the player (i.e. me) happy, not looks or functionality on their own. There's no point building a lot that works efficiently for sims if I don't want to look at it, or if I can't see everything.

Everyone's list will be different but some of my rules are:

- build from one point of view to avoid scrolling
- houses are chosen by the exterior front view, but the inside back wall is the most important when playing
- real architects don't design houses for the neighbours to look through
- stairs, chimneys, columns, trees etc. at the back or side of your POV, so there's nothing behind them
- go easy on the shrubs and flowers
- if you don't want a sim to use a surface, put something on it
- kitchen units always face you, so you can see what's on the floor in front
- space by the main door must be completely flat, sims can't greet each other on slopes
- put the loo at the back of small bathrooms, to stop sims getting trapped at the back by a sim coming in
- swings, myshuno, and coffee machines are a waste of time
- sims don't need a tv
- check which side of the door the hinge is on, so sims don't have to walk round the opened door
- attics and basements are cheap to build and save you storing stuff on the lawn
- don't use modular stairs upstairs if you want to take pictures - the bottom of the stair will show on the floor below
- use cheap beds if you want sims to stay in bed longer
- if you're playing a lot for a long time, replace depreciated items
- have a good environment score near the carpool stop, night time as well
- put surfaces near skill builders for a thinking cap, or it'll go somewhere you don't want it
- don't forget the kitchen sink

That's all I can think of for now, but it's a long long list

The Holy Smokes have no tails. The black metal one has has only a support cage that can stack with others of its kind.

Use the Sleep Clock instead if you really want them to stay for a specific time. Losing 10% of your active time from using crappy beds is NOT a good deal.

Why bother? It'll just depreciate again. Depreciation has no effect on the object's function.

Platinum aspiration is the only thing that matters. Environment is meaningless. You're not going to get promoted except by pure random chance without plat, or, as distant second-best, a Noodlesoother.

Kitchen sinks are a luxury, not a necessity, if you have a dishwasher instead. Dishwashers can go undercounter instead of taking up a countertop, too.

Thanks, simposiast.   I'm assuming that JM is judging this contest so I wanted a better feel for what he was looking for.  I know what I want in a house.

Same here, nice hints :)

If you enter, I'll enter, and we can compete for last place.  I'm no good at building, either. :-P

I'd like to know how JM is going to judge it - by playing or by looking? It'll make a difference.  It's a nice of him to volunteer.


If a sim is in a positive mood when they leave the work meter goes up, and they get promoted when it's high enough. It doesn't seem to change while they are at work, unless you know different. Even a miniscule improvement to mood could get them promoted if it tips the balance. I'm not sure how the noodlesoother helps, I don't use it.  If it keeps mood static it won't matter if the environment by the carpool is dire. The area by the carpool is also where the headmaster lands, where homework is dropped, and quite likely where sims are greeted, romanced or proposed to, so if I can't afford much landscaping that's where it goes.

The kitchen sink is in there to stand for all the objects I forget.  I often forget to have somewhere to wash dishes, also dressers, mirrors and somewhere to put the trash.  I don't need dressers, nor do the sims, but I'm building for players.

"Could" is of no help in these cases, because you're looking for something good. Good events that COULD happen DON'T happen. You're thinking about BAD events, which most certainly happen if it's even remotely possible.

Noodlesoother is +50 mood. Platinum is +200 mood. All of these effects are simply far more powerful than anything you can get out of environment, cost much less, and actually work with some degree of consistency. Without these, don't count on a promotion. Period. Spray and pray is no way to meet a production schedule.

Headmaster doesn't give a rat's ass about the environment, unless you show it to him on a tour. Once again, the pernicious "yard myth" that pervades Headmasters, debunked thoroughly in the War Room.

Oops yes, sorry, got that wrong. I always make the mistake of thinking the universe is indifferent to me.  ;D

Good environment works even if your sim is nearly in aspiration failure, when noodlesoothers don't, and it works in the first few days when you have more money than aspiration points.


I usually am going to show it on a tour, otherwise I'd have to move him somewhere else before I start it.

Where do you spend your environment budget, if not at the front?

'sokay, in the first few days your sims don't have skills to bother with employment anyway. Your starting funds will awhile anyway.

The headmaster will relocate himself to the front door to be greeted, generally, as opposed to loitering by the street.

Generally, I spend the "environment budget" on making sure the critical furniture items are up to spec. Environment is for wussies.

you know i think i might have a go at this . but does it really have to be for 8 people , i only ever have a maxium of 4 people on a lot

I could enter the dorm house thing I made.  It comfortably housed thirteen college kids on College Rampage.    :D

It certainly should be capable of supporting at least 5-6 reasonably well, if not all the way up to 8, seeing as your typical 2 grandparents, 2 parents, and 1-2 kids is 6 right there, unless you always wait for the grandparents to bite it before allowing your sims to spawn.

er no i always more them out when they get married

That has the unfortunate effect of doubling your play costs, since now you have TWO families, one of which doesn't ever do anything interesting, yet still has to be kept in sync. You can do that, but eventually you realize that it creates a LOT of management bothers when the old ones die off and then you have to move someone back *IN* to make sure the house value is retained. And then there's that bother where you have to shuffle the files around to keep your furniture layout from being completely erased, etc., etc....way more bothersome than it's worth. So you wind up just keeping them together instead.

grandparents are great for taking care of the kids while the parents are at work.  Only problem is that since I added TJ's age duration hack, my elders don't hang around for very long!

That just means they don't hang around for very long as ELDERS, since the Jeffy duration thing is essentially robbing the elder duration to increase the adult duration.

who said anything about keeping them in sync ? i just leave the grandparents there till i get sick of them then i kill them off .

and incase anybody hasent noticed when you get to sucessful this game gets dull, so i start over again with the next generation ,

anyway point is i dont play a lot with more than 4 sims in it . so i wont be building a house that holds more ,  judge it as you will .,

OK, I've had a go. It's base game Maxis only, 92k ish furnished for eight sims - grandparents, parents, four children from baby to teen.

Edit: Links removed

Simposiast, I think you missed reading Pescado's instructions which stated:

So I did.. I'll updated my post.

I've made two houses so far trying to come up with something for this and I keep having two issues.

1) Wonky roofs.  (What was the cheat code again to change the slope of the roof... I don't want 50' tall roofs because they slope at 45 degrees)

2) No skill whatsoever at making a pretty exterior to the house.  It's all good til I put the windows on and then it just looks bleh. 


From a usability standard though, my houses rock...and the landscaping and interior design are fine...I just can't do "exterior" design. 

Le sigh.

'sokay, mine probably isn't any better. I just rely on the geometric method, figuring that I will place a window at certain specific intervals, like, say, every 3 spaces, or every 4 spaces, or 3 then 2, or whatever pattern manages to place everything down nicely and evenly.

Do we get any extra points if the exterior design causes you to ROLF?

[Oops.  I meant ROFL]

Oh, they're even...they just look Booooooooooring.

 * starrling points, laughs and then laughs to rolfing point

'scuse me.  I can make houses that make you rolf quite easily.   ;D

Damn, she fixed it! I was going to ask how a lot could cause Pescado to perform a deep muscle massage technique (http://skepdic.com/rolfing.html) intended to realign the emotions.

Double damn!  Rolfing has always been, to me, upchucking.  Rolfing/ralphing, etc.  My friends called me Rolf for a week a few years ago when I got so nervous before a performance of sorts that I spent the 5 min. beforehand puking in the ladies room.   :D

I thought ROLFing was doing a Rolf Harris by playing 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport' on a wobbleboard... :P

:D

ROLF   ROFL  RORO  RLFO

What was the question?   ::)   ;D

Bleh! I am still waiting for a spot to upload my house!

So Pescado...when does this contest start?  And how come this is in the Podium and not in Planet K 20X6?

I can't enter. I've got dialup. I've made some fairly awesome houses, functional and pretty and would like to enter, but.

Looking forward to seeing what others make, though.  :)

My house is Pescado ready and Sims approved.  ;D

Can we at least upload screenshots? I need some ideas to steal inspiration. Also I'd like to test the waters with a design that's been knocking around in my head.

You know, I drive myself crazy sometimes most of the time.  I want to build a house.  But it has to be a house I'll use.  Okay, first I need a neighborhood.  But it has to be new.  So I have to build one.  But I need a terrain.  So I build one.  Two.  Three.... keep going.  Okay, I give up.   :o

<-- needs meds or something.

The official rules draft and submissions section is now available in its own section in Planet K.