Revision as of 13:57, 8 August 2009

This page was last modified 08 August 2009

Sims 3 Sims

Introduction

Made a pretty pixel dollie that you just HAVE to share? Please read the following guidelines carefully so you know what we expect for uploading your sims to MTS.

Quality

This is by far the most important factor in sim uploads, but also the hardest to quantify.

For sims based on real people or characters

Sims must bear an immediately recognizable likeness to the celebrity or character. While we understand that it's difficult to make a good likeness in TS3, that's a limitation that you have to accept if you're going to make sims - and if you can't get a really good likeness, you might want to try a different celebrity or character. Please use the Creator Feedback forum for help on getting your likeness closer.

For "other" sims not based on a real person or character

Please understand that our standards for what constitutes a unique face are quite high - if it looks like a face you could get just hitting "randomize face" a few times in Create a Sim, it's not really unique. Please make an effort to create truly unique sims that not just anyone could make with a little fiddling. We know this is hard, but really, what's the point in someone downloading a sim they could just make themselves? If you need help, ask in the Creator Feedback forum for advice with tweaking your sim.

We understand the sometimes maddening limit of facial options in the game and the tendency for a generic "sameness" quality in the faces. However, we only host sims for download which represent a genuine effort to make a unique, interesting face sculpt, beyond the regular look of TS3 sims, with all of the features (not just one or two) contributing to a unique overall look.

Your sim should have distinctive features that helps them stand out from the crowd, a special something that makes people want to download them that couldn't be easily reproduced.

And no, making a blue/green/red sim and calling it "fantasy" doesn't count as unique. Nor does making a freakishly weird sim just for weirdness sake.

Screenshots

People want to see what they're downloading! Your screenshots sell your upload - if people don't like the look of your screenshots, they're not going to download - and if your screenshots are too bad, you won't get your upload approved.

Required Screenshots

We require certain screenshots for sim uploads - if you do not include these screenshots, your sim(s) will not be approved!

Note: All pictures of sims are required to be taken in game and not in Create A Sim.

Face Closeup

A collage of 4 different face closeups with fairly neutral expressions.

At least one face closeup of the sim wearing a neutral expression. This means no giant smiles, frowns, etc. - just a basic "mugshot"

Full Body Shot

A good full-body shot of a sim, from head to toe, in a basic standing pose.

At least one full body shot from head to toe. Please try for a basic pose - walking, standing, etc., rather than something that doesn't show the full body very well.

Comparison Picture

A collage of three comparison shots - showing the real person's features in a neutral expression.

Additionally, if you are uploading a celebrity or character sim - any sim that is based on a real person or character, we also require at least one comparison picture of the real person or character. Choose a picture that shows the person's features well (in a neutral expression is best), and isn't too small.

Please note we will not accept comparison pictures that are "split pics" - that is, half sim's face, half real face, split down the middle.

Screenshot Basics

You need to make sure you have nice big, clear pictures that show off what you've made. They can't be too blurry or pixellated, and you need to know how to use the game's camera controls properly, so make sure you review the information on that link thoroughly before continuing. Do not use the in-game camera (using the C key) to take your pictures!

Tip:

For instructions on:

• Taking large, clear pictures (bigger than the game will allow)
• Changing your in-game settings for best graphics quality
• Camera controls

See: Screenshot Basics

Big Enough

Your pics should be large enough to see the detail of what you've made.

Tips:

MTS allows images up to 1280x1024 pixels and 195 kilobytes so you should be able to upload nice big pictures. See the information above under "Screenshot Basics" for info on taking larger pics than the game will normally allow.

Don't take small pics and just make them larger in your graphics program - this just gives you a blurry pic that's bigger in dimensions with no additional detail.

No Over-Photoshopping

While it can be tempting to get artistic with your screenshots in Photoshop, please don't. Screenshots need to be just as things look in the game, with no extra filtering such as contrast, sharpen, blur, saturation, etc. Also, please don't too crazy when it comes to adding text - make sure your text is in blank areas of the picture or covers an absolute minimum of your creation. Remember, you're showing off what you've made for the game, not your skill in Photoshopping your pics.

Enough Light

Please don't take your screenshots at night during a power outage - screenshots inside with lights on look best.

Distance

Please take your screenshots so that your sim fills the screen, not zoomed out too far or zoomed in too close.

Angle

When taking your pics, drop down to a low level with the camera, so that you are taking your pictures basically from a sim's perspective. Many beginners make the mistake of taking pictures from high above, from the normal perspective one would have as a player, which really doesn't show off your creation very well.

Uploading

Once you have your creation made and screenshots taken, you need to make sure you have all the fiddly bits in order when uploading.

SIM File Only

When you save your sim in-game, please use the button to save your sim to the bin and then upload the .sim file which is created in your My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\SavedSims folder - NOT the .sims3pack created in Exports when you "share sim".

Why? The .sim file is about half the size, and can just be tossed into SavedSims when people download it rather than having to double-click and run the launcher to install.

ZIP or RAR

You will need to put your .sim file(s) into a RAR or ZIP file to upload here. Please see here for instructions on doing so. Please do not include both a ZIP and RAR with the same contents - just choose one.

Please do not double-compress your files - you should not have a ZIP inside a ZIP or a RAR inside a RAR. This does not compress the files any more and just makes an extra step for downloaders.

Upload in Sets

If you have created several items in a set, or similar items in the same sort of theme at the same time, please upload these together in a single set, all on one thread (instead of all separately, one by one, on different threads). This is easier for everyone: on our upload moderators, as they only have one thread to review rather than several... on you, as submitting a single thread is much quicker and easier than several... and on downloaders, as they can get everything they want all in one place rather than having to hunt around.

Good Title

You'll need a good title for your upload – something descriptive, like "Elegant Redhaired Beauty" or "David - Rugged Manly Man" work well for a title. "My first upload!!!" or "sim by simmer121!!!" is not.

Good Description

You'll need to write up a little basic description of what your upload is... you don't have to get too fancy, but you do need to write something to get people interested.

For instance, "This lovely lady is a sharp wit and gets herself into trouble all the time, with a temper that matches her fiery hair," is a good description.

"This is my first upload! I don't know what to say here. My English is not good" is NOT a good description.

Additional Stuff

• If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask in Creator Issues.

• If you're not sure whether your sim is ready for uploading, use the Creator Feedback Forum to get feedback on it.