The Diary of World-Builder - Cypress Lakes

[Swirl-Girl]

WOO! Go, Chuckles! I'm so happy for you that the end is in sight. I'll be downloading a couple of your lots most definitely.

[Chuckles_82]

Thanks Swirl-Girl, ladybug, bubbles and Saltpastillen!

I did some more play-testing today, and I'm sad to say it's almost boring when I don't find much that I want to change or fix. I should be happy with that! I did finally find a solution to my problem with the stage for the private venue. The proprietor kept having route-fail tantrums, even though nothing was wrong with it. In the end I took it off the platform, and put it flat on the floor. It works just fine now. As far as I can tell, that was my very last route-fail problem (apart from horses... don't get me started on horses...)

I also have to say WOW I keep some crap on my computer. I will be cleaning it up after Cypress Lakes is done. However, some of that 'crap' has just come in very handy. Basically I don't delete any backup files that CAW makes, and I make many saves along the way. I am currently up to "4.5". That's not including the world's original title before I named it shortly after starting. I had forgotten that it was initially "Sunrise Beach". I was on the hunt for a clean global layer to splice in, without having to make a new one - that's too much work with hex editing that I have no idea how to do. I got down as far as "Cypress Lakes 1", but that still had just under 100 objects in the global layer. Less that 1/20th of what I have now, but still not perfect. So I organised the folder by date, and found the other one just under it, and checked it out. Still not perfect. But wait, there are BACKUP files! Yay! A clean one!

[Swirl-Girl]

Uh, huh. Well, congratulations! For, something.

[Magz from Oz]

So Chuckles, does this mean that you're almost ready to launch it?  I've been watching this development with awe at your talent and tenacity.  Seriously hoping to play this beautiful world soon. 

[Chuckles_82]

Thank you Swirl-Girl and Magz I am getting close to launching it. I'm waiting on a patch for CAW and a patch for the rabbitholes. There are still things to be done, but the building has taken the longest. I have to finish cleaning up the world, make the sims (I made a couple that I'm play-testing with), give them their skills, careers, relationships and inventories, and then play-test a bit more.

[shaunta]

So exciting Chuckles! I have never watched a world being built and I'm so excited to download your world once the Patches come through.

[Chuckles_82]

I did another test export - because testing things that have been updated and edited is pointless. I am pleased to say, that when I swap out the global layer for a clean one, there are NO script error reports from error trap! Marvelous! I found just two small things so far that I must have not saved at some point that persist in bugging me, but other than that, going well!

Unfortunately, however, tuning the petpool _XML does not work if I add it to the .world file. I don't know if there will be a way around that. It may be necessary to turn horses off if they cause any lag. There will still be two horses as part of families (provided they port ok now), but I have two lots built especially for horses. The wild horses and neighbourhood pet adoption horses are the ones causing issues, because they insist on spawning on the smallest lots. I'm looking into it, but haven't heard anything in a couple of days now at MTS.

[bubbles]

I'm so glad that the world received the thumbs up from error trap! You must be over the moon! It's a shame the horses are playing up, but I'm sure you'll find a fix soon enough.

[ladybug53]

Wow Chuckles , this has been a huge project . It sounds like you're almost done . I really hope the last bits of checking go well for you . Anxious to see your world all together . Good luck on today's chores ! 

[Gogowars329]

It's taken nearly a year to get to this point and such a great year it's been! I honestly can't wait to play in Cypress Lakes!

[Chuckles_82]

I've done lots more play-testing - though as per my usual style I don't usually get past the second generation. Once again my excuse is more lot fixes. And fine-tuning my spawners. I have ticked off every minor pet, so I'm happy with my spawners (at least until IP messes it all up and I have to redo them...) in that department.

However some things I did notice - Kite spawners no longer work, because their spawn hour is from 12 midnight to 7am - while butterflies are turned off. So I've replaced that with 2 epic ones. I removed one of the low spawners, because two was simply way too many at the rate that they spawn.

Additionally, I've moved all the spawners off the lots, and a few that were a little close moved further away from the edges of lots. Large birds that spawn on lots cannot be caught by sims or cats, and so I'm assuming, reduce the new spawns until they are gone, thus limiting your chances of getting something else you might be waiting for.

Well, off to re-export and test the results some more

[ladybug53]

Good luck on all your testing Chuckles ! I hope everything work out the way you want them too . 

[Wiry]

I've been stalking this thread almost since the day I joined, and I am veeerrry happy you're this close to completion.
Cypress Lakes seems like a wonderful town, and should the Moon go badly, might just be paid a visit by a certain Sim 

[saltpastillen]

Didn't know that about large birds and lots, though it makes sense since a lot of the time large birds only have the watch interaction in my games.

Can't wait to see more of the finished result.

[Chuckles_82]

Yay! Just got IP and MS stuff today. Cypress Lakes will be finished soon. So long as CAW has also been updated, There'll be some more building happening very soon! I nearly didn't buy them - to start with I didn't want to - I get buyers remorse before I even buy it. Then, when we had just about finished shopping, I had non-buyers remorse. So I sent hubby back in to get them!