More Awesome Than You!

For my contest entry, I've decided to submit my "2x2 Colonial", which had started out as an experiment in budget family housing.  In essence, I wanted to see if I could fit a functional, traditional style suburban family house with basement and garage on only a 2x2 lot.

I've playtested this 3 bedroom house with a family of 4 (the target family size) and with a single vampire.  The only issue that I found was that sims prefer to enter the garage from outside rather than the inside entrance.  A bit unpleasant for the vampire with a day job, but otherwise no biggie.

For the contest, I've furnished the house for a family of 6 plus an infant or toddler.  At this family size, I think the place is starting to get a bit 'cozy', but should still work.  In keeping with my original budget housing concept, I mostly used cheap furniture.  The exceptions are refrigerator, stove, and beds.  For beds, I really don't like using beds with an energy rating less than 6 without a good reason.  For the stove, the gas stove gives a much better bang for the simolean than the cheap electric stove.  And I went up one step from bottom on the refrigerator too, because who wants to run to the grocery store every day?

Even furnished for a nearly full family, I've kept the basement mostly empty, so there's room to expand without any structural modifications.  And for further expandability, more living area can be added over the garage.

As for aesthetics, it's not the Taj Majal, but it's hardly an eyesore.  It should make a nice downtown suburbia dwelling.

(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/79/385479/usr_image_2.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/79/385479/usr_image_3.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/79/385479/usr_image_1.jpg)

The cost, furnished and landscaped as shown, is $53,402.  Stripped of plants and furniture, the purchase price drops to the low 20s. It may be possible to drop the price below 20K, with the removal of the driveway and wall textures, but I haven't tried yet.

I've uploaded this house to the Exchange. I guarantee it free of any hacks or custom content, via the simple expedient of removing my downloads folder before packaging :p

http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=385479 (http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=385479)
Uni and Nightlife are required.


Now then, last but definitely not least, the bribe.  See my reply below.

For my bribe, I'll offer for download some other lots I've made.

I'll start with a themed lot, my Secret Lair.

Just how many supervillians plot World Domination from a little suburban family house? None! They all have a secret lair.  And now your Criminal Mastermind can too!
From the outside, this 4x4 lot looks like a quaint little country cottage, but the cottage is just a facade hiding the entrance to a large underground complex.  The stairs in the cottage lead down to a security lobby, with public restrooms.  Behind the security desk is 3 doors. One door leads to a VIP lounge. A second door leads to the prison/interrogation area, the evil laboratory, and the minion barracks. The 3rd door leads to the World Domination Command Center, the Mastermind's private lounge, another entrance to the evil laboratory, and the Mastermind's lavish quarters. Hidden bunker living at it's finest ;)

(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/81/385481/usr_image_1.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/81/385481/usr_image_2.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/81/385481/usr_image_3.jpg)

If you have to ask the price, then you haven't taken over enough 3rd world countries yet to qualify (actually, its $231,794).

http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=385481 (http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=385481)


Next is a more modest themed home.

The theme for this 3x4 lot is that of an old military barracks that has been sold to the private sector, and converted into a residence.  Given that "military" and "aesthetics" hardly ever go together in the same sentence, the building is deliberately drab.  The 2-car garage is supposed to be a new addition, hence the different wall textures.  The end result is a huge, ugly, 8 bedroom house with 3 bathrooms, a full basement, and 2-car garage, for only $63,605 unfurnished.

(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/82/385482/usr_image_1.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/82/385482/usr_image_2.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/82/385482/usr_image_3.jpg)
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=385482 (http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=385482)


Last is a building I built specifically for an empty 3x5 area in Downtown.  "Abandoned Warehouse" is exactly that, an empty warehouse building with a loading dock.  Although I built it mostly for the neighborhood view, it would make for a nice OFB business, and it could easily be converted into a residence.  The loading dock area is 2 driveways with extensions, offering parking for up to 4 cars.

(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/83/385483/usr_image_1.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/83/385483/usr_image_2.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/83/385483/usr_image_3.jpg)
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=385483 (http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=385483)


Uni and Nightlife are required for these lots, but OFB is not.  Although I have OFB installed on my main computer, I did these lots, including my contest submission, on a laptop that has only Uni and NL installed.

I'm increasing my bribe, to include my new Downtown Smord-Smoogo Dealership  :D

(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/92/386592/usr_image_1.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/92/386592/usr_image_2.jpg)
(http://thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/lot/92/386592/usr_image_3.jpg)
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=386592 (http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/lot_detail.php?asset_id=386592)

3.0 for aesthetics.

Well, it's dingy, it's grimy, it's cramped, and it costs too much for what you get. The textures chosen make the garage-attachment warpage quite visible. Single block-staircase forms major traffic impediment. One and only baby crib IN THE FREAKING BEDROOM and thus profound annoyance to everyone there. Not to mention far from any other baby accessories or food. Potty located IN THE FREAKING BATHROOM, which causes more blockages, considering there are only two of them, one of which lacks a shower. Crappy stove. Obviously intended as some kind of budget dwelling, yet bothered to put expensive bar in odd place. At least there's nothing physically wrong that replacing the paint can't fix. Bribe quality and physical integrity of lot spares embarrassing defeat at hands of Kewian.

Bribe: 0.3
Functionality: 0.6
Scenarios: 0.7
Expand/Adapt: 0.2
Cost Effectiveness: 0.5
Physics: 8.0
Aesthetics: 3.0

Technical: 1.391
Total: 0.955

I'm not in last place! YAY!!

But grimy? Did you neglect to keep the bathrooms clean?  :P

Anyway, this is the 1st time I've had any of my lot work critiqued, so I'm happy the major problems are due to my piss-poor decorating skills rather than my construction work.

I was wondering, though, if you have any further insights concerning the cost effectiveness.  Even stripped of all furnature and plant life, the place did turn out more expensive than I anticipated.  Any ideas on why it costs as much as it does?

Edit: removed broken dancing banana

Cheops Law. Nothing is ever done on time and within budget.