Difference between revisions of "MTS2:Creator Guidelines/Full Neighborhoods"
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==Quality== | ==Quality== | ||
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− | {| class=" | + | {| class="nicetable" style="width:100%" |
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− | + | *'''Use Blank Templates:''' All neighbourhoods must be built using blank templates. Before you start building your neighborhood, you need to install clean and empty neighborhood templates. Once your neighborhood is created and you start the game, check the character folder in your new neighborhood. This should be empty. If you choose to include sims, you may do so after, but the blank templates are a requirement. Most of the templates are available for download by meetmetotheriver so do a google search for them. | |
− | + | **[http://modthesims.info/showpost.php?p=3322897&postcount=11 Create Empty Neighborhood] | |
− | + | **[http://modthesims.info/t/420196 Clean Subhood Tutorial] | |
− | + | If you're having trouble finding working links for the recommended mods from the 'Clean Custom Neighborhood' tutorial, please see: [https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Game_guide:Creating_a_clean_neighborhood (Sims Wikia)Clean Custom Neighborhood] | |
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− | + | *'''Playable:'''. Make sure you have some flat buildable areas and a practical road grid. | |
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− | + | *'''Realistic:''' Getting creative with your terrain sculpting is fine, but remember to strive for realism. | |
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− | + | *'''Decorations:''' Your decorating should add to the overall beauty and theme of your neighborhood, with good choices and placement of items - neither too many nor too few. Try to keep your decorations to a particular style - use trees and flowers that make sense for the type of region you're building. Giving your neighborhood a particular unique flavour and style makes it more charming and realistic than just using one of everything, or a random pyramid because it'd look cool. | |
− | + | Tip: Sims cannot really be removed from a neighborhood once added, so it's a good idea to keep a backup of your neighborhood before adding sims. It would be a shame not to be able to share your neighborhood here if the sims do not meet the guidelines, but everything else does. | |
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− | + | ==Screenshots== | |
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+ | {| class="nicetable" style="width:100%" | ||
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− | + | ! style="text-align:left" | Required screenshots | |
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− | + | '''For all worlds''', you must have: | |
+ | * '''at least ONE picture from high above your world, showing the whole thing'''. If you can't fit it all in one shot, you can take several different shots as long as it's obvious you've shown everything. You can label the overview pictures with text if you want - just make sure it doesn't cover up too much. | ||
+ | * '''at least FOUR other pictures''' of some of the views people will see in your world. This should be nice scenic views, taken from a lower angle (a sim's eye view, or a low player's eye view). You can of course take more pictures to show off all the pretty sights. | ||
− | + | '''If you have built lots for your world''' as part of a full map, you will also need to have: | |
+ | * A '''front picture showing the whole lot''' for at least 5 residential and 5 community lots (if you have less than 5 of either type, you can just show however many you have). You may choose which lots you show, but we suggest you choose lots that are representative of the overall style of the world. We have this requirement so both MTS staff and people who may download your world can see that your lots are good quality. You may also include additional pictures like floorplans, backside picture, comparison picture if a lot is based on a real life building. But those are completely optional! | ||
− | + | '''If you have made sims for your world''', you will also need to have: | |
+ | * A '''close-up picture of the sim's face''', from the front, with the sim wearing a neutral face expression (like a mugshot) - not smiling, laughing, etc., for at least 5 different sims. You may choose which 5 sims, but as with lots, we suggest you choose ones that are representative of your creator style and quality. This is so MTS staff and downloaders can see that your sims are good quality. You may, of course, include other pictures like a full-body picture, posing pictures, whatever, to show off your sim how you like, but please make sure to include at least the above. For sims based on a person or character, you can include a comparison picture of the real person, ideally similar to the close-up picture of your sim. | ||
− | + | {{Guidelines-ScreenshotsBigClearEtc}} | |
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+ | ! style="text-align:left" | Additional screenshots | ||
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+ | You may wish to take optional extra pictures to show off your world. Additional pictures are good! Show people all kinds of interesting stuff, all the little details you've put in. | ||
+ | |} | ||
+ | {{Guidelines-Screenshots-Tips}} | ||
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<br style="clear:both" /> | <br style="clear:both" /> | ||
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− | + | ==Information== | |
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− | + | {{Template:Guidelines-InfoFiles-TitleDescription}} | |
+ | {| class="nicetable" style="width:100%" | ||
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+ | ! style="text-align:left" | Lots | ||
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− | + | You will need to provide some basic information on the lots included in your neighborhood: | |
− | + | * '''Number:''' Total number of lots, and lot sizes and quantity of each (example: 50 total lots - 25 of 20x20, 15 of 40x40, 10 60x60) | |
− | * ''' | + | * '''Community Lots:''' None / All / Some (list) |
− | * ''' | + | * '''Residential:''' Number of residential lots, and lot sizes and quantity of each (as above). |
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− | ! style="text-align:left" | | + | ! style="text-align:left" | Custom Content |
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− | + | If you have used any custom items in your world, you MUST provide full links and credit for ALL items used in the world. This means any custom build items, objects, patterns, or content used on any included sims must be linked and credited. | |
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+ | Make sure to state whether or not the content is included or not (as downloaders need to know if they need to download it all separately or not). If you do include content, it must be okay with that content's creator. Please check their policies. If they don't have a policy, or their site is permanently offline, you can assume it's okay. | ||
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− | {| class=" | + | ==Files== |
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+ | {| class="nicetable" style="width:100%" | ||
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− | ! style="text-align:left" | | + | ! style="text-align:left" | Lots |
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Once you have your creation made and screenshots taken, you need to make sure you have all the fiddly bits in order. | Once you have your creation made and screenshots taken, you need to make sure you have all the fiddly bits in order. | ||
− | + | *'''Unique Neighborhood Number:''' One of the most important things is to make sure that your neighborhood has a unique number. If two neighborhoods have the same number, one of them will not appear in the user's game. MTS has created a [http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=MTS2:Creator_Guidelines/Neighborhood_Numbers_Repository Neighborhood Number Repository] so you can be sure that your neighborhood does not conflict with any existing neighborhoods. If/when your neighborhood is approved, your number will be added to the list to protect you from future neighborhoods clashing. After creating your neighborhood, it will likely have a very low number. You will need to rename all of the neighborhood files and folders to your new number. This can either be done by hand, or with a bulk renaming tool. In your upload you will have to also have to list your number. | |
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− | One of the most important things is to make sure that your neighborhood has a unique number. If two neighborhoods have the same number, one of them will not appear in the user's game. MTS has created a [http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=MTS2:Creator_Guidelines/Neighborhood_Numbers_Repository Neighborhood Number Repository] so you can be sure that your neighborhood does not conflict with any existing neighborhoods. If/when your neighborhood is approved, your number will be added to the list to protect you from future neighborhoods clashing. After creating your neighborhood, it will likely have a very low number. You will need to rename all of the neighborhood files and folders to your new number. This can either be done by hand, or with a bulk renaming tool. In your upload you will have to also have to list your number. | + | |
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{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-ZipRar7z}} | {{Guidelines-InfoFiles-ZipRar7z}} | ||
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{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-EPRequired}} | {{Guidelines-InfoFiles-EPRequired}} | ||
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+ | {| class="nicetable" style="width:100%" | ||
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− | ! style="text-align:left" | Split | + | ! style="text-align:left" | Split Archives |
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− | For a complex neighborhood, it's | + | For a complex neighborhood, it's possible that your upload will be over the 50 mb file limit that we have at MTS. You will need to upload your creation in parts. To do this, you will need an archive program like [http://www.rarlabs.com WinRAR] that can compress a file but split it into multiple pieces. |
To create a split RAR/ZIP: | To create a split RAR/ZIP: | ||
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When it's done, you will have one or more RAR files, ready to upload. | When it's done, you will have one or more RAR files, ready to upload. | ||
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− | + | Include Install Instructions. Because a split archive is not something our downloaders usually deal with, you will need to include instructions on how to put them back together. You may use this text, or write your own. | |
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<blockquote>Download all the files. Remove the MTS_Creator_(numbers) from their names and you should be left with Hoodname.part1.rar and Hoodname.part2.rar and so forth. Unrar them together, to do this, highlight all the files together and open them at the same time in WinRar. Then place the resulting folder into your Neighborhoods folder. Place any CC into the Downloads folder.</blockquote> | <blockquote>Download all the files. Remove the MTS_Creator_(numbers) from their names and you should be left with Hoodname.part1.rar and Hoodname.part2.rar and so forth. Unrar them together, to do this, highlight all the files together and open them at the same time in WinRar. Then place the resulting folder into your Neighborhoods folder. Place any CC into the Downloads folder.</blockquote> | ||
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− | == | + | ==Other== |
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+ | {{Guidelines-NotAllowed}} | ||
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+ | ==Helpful Links== | ||
If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask in [http://www.modthesims.info/forumdisplay.php?f=492 Creator Issues]. | If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask in [http://www.modthesims.info/forumdisplay.php?f=492 Creator Issues]. |
Latest revision as of 14:49, 10 October 2020
Contents |
[edit] Full Neighborhoods
Have you made a new neighborhood in game and want to share it? This guide will walk you through every step of what we require on MTS. After you've read through this entire article, you may start the upload process, which is a bit different for TS2 Neighborhoods. The correct way to upload a TS2 Hood is through our Creator Issues forum. There you will be able to start a thread and add in as many comment posts as you need to include the lots and their images. After you have completed your thread, create another thread in the same forum asking for your neighborhood (with a link to it) to be moved to Moderation.
[edit] Quality
If you're having trouble finding working links for the recommended mods from the 'Clean Custom Neighborhood' tutorial, please see: (Sims Wikia)Clean Custom Neighborhood
Tip: Sims cannot really be removed from a neighborhood once added, so it's a good idea to keep a backup of your neighborhood before adding sims. It would be a shame not to be able to share your neighborhood here if the sims do not meet the guidelines, but everything else does. |
[edit] Screenshots
Required screenshots |
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For all worlds, you must have:
If you have built lots for your world as part of a full map, you will also need to have:
If you have made sims for your world, you will also need to have:
Keep the following in mind for your screenshots, especially the required ones:
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Additional screenshots |
You may wish to take optional extra pictures to show off your world. Additional pictures are good! Show people all kinds of interesting stuff, all the little details you've put in. |
Screenshot tips |
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Camera Controls:
Take some time to just play around with the camera. It can take a while to get used to the camera controls, and even once you are experienced in their use, it may be challenging to get the shot you want with the constraints on the controls. If you haven't taken many sim pictures before, here is a list of camera controls:
Using Print Screen: If you have enough RAM to run Photoshop or another graphics editing program at the same time as TS2/TS3, you may want to take screenshots yourself, without the use of a program to store them for you. To do that, simply press the Print Screen or PrntScn key on your keyboard - it's usually off toward the right, over the arrow keys, above Insert and Delete. This will copy your current screen to your Windows clipboard, as if you had selected and copied it as an image. Then open any graphics editing program, create a new document the size of your monitor's resolution, and paste into that document. Your screenshot should appear in the document.
There are many programs available, free and pay, that will take screenshots for you by using a hotkey, and save them to a folder - just like The Sims 2 with the C key, but with options for much better quality settings. A quick Google search for 'free screenshot program' will also bring up many other options, which may have other features that are of interest to you.
Many simmers struggle with getting their images to be clear, crisp and under the maximum file size while keeping the image size larger than 800px by 600px. After getting your images from the in game camera or using a print screen program you will need to resize them and compress them into a jpeg image. Many graphics programs have a built in optimizing feature. Here are a few common ones: |
[edit] Information
Title & Description |
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Give your upload a descriptive title and write a text description for your upload, describing what you're uploading. Your title and description must be in English or provide an English translation. If you are not a native English speaker, using Google Translate is okay. You can also ask for help writing your description in the Creator Feedback Forum. |
Lots |
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You will need to provide some basic information on the lots included in your neighborhood:
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Custom Content |
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If you have used any custom items in your world, you MUST provide full links and credit for ALL items used in the world. This means any custom build items, objects, patterns, or content used on any included sims must be linked and credited. Make sure to state whether or not the content is included or not (as downloaders need to know if they need to download it all separately or not). If you do include content, it must be okay with that content's creator. Please check their policies. If they don't have a policy, or their site is permanently offline, you can assume it's okay. |
[edit] Files
Lots |
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Once you have your creation made and screenshots taken, you need to make sure you have all the fiddly bits in order.
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Zip, Rar, or 7z |
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To upload your file(s) to MTS, you will need to compress them into an archive file, which makes them smaller and allows you to include many files in one download. The archive file formats we currently accept are .zip, .rar, and .7z.
For instructions on compressing your files into an archive, please see: Creator Guidelines: Creating Archive Files.
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Expansion Packs or Stuff Packs required? |
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Particular items may be added with expansion or stuff packs, and depending on how your creation is made and the item you based it on, your creation may not work for users who do not own that expansion/stuff pack. You need to be sure of which packs are necessary for the items you have made. If users don't have the EP, your stuff may not work! If you are unsure of whether or not your creation will require an expansion or stuff pack, you can ask about it in the appropriate Create forum (under the Create menu on MTS) before uploading.
Make sure you only mark the EPs/SPs required that your upload actually needs! Don't just mark them all! For specifics, please read: MTS2:Creator_Guidelines/Compatibility |
Split Archives |
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For a complex neighborhood, it's possible that your upload will be over the 50 mb file limit that we have at MTS. You will need to upload your creation in parts. To do this, you will need an archive program like WinRAR that can compress a file but split it into multiple pieces. To create a split RAR/ZIP: 1. Find the sims3pack file for the world you have created. When it's done, you will have one or more RAR files, ready to upload. Include Install Instructions. Because a split archive is not something our downloaders usually deal with, you will need to include instructions on how to put them back together. You may use this text, or write your own. Download all the files. Remove the MTS_Creator_(numbers) from their names and you should be left with Hoodname.part1.rar and Hoodname.part2.rar and so forth. Unrar them together, to do this, highlight all the files together and open them at the same time in WinRar. Then place the resulting folder into your Neighborhoods folder. Place any CC into the Downloads folder. |
[edit] Other
Uploads not allowed on MTS | ||||
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These items are not allowed on MTS in any category.
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[edit] Helpful Links
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 neighborhood is ready for uploading, use the Creator Feedback Forum to get feedback on it.