Sculpting Information - complete!

[Chuckles_82]

I've been reading the _xml files, and doing some extensive testing to try and work out the formula the game uses to determine the value of a sculpture. The site MTS kindly provides the formula for paintings, but I have yet to see anything for sculptures. So far, this is the information I have compiled:

- When the sculptor dies, $2500 is added to the value of a sculpture
- Sculptures appreciate at 2% of their starting value while the artist is alive
- Scultpures appreceiate at 4% of their starting value after the artist dies. Thanks to Ricalynn for sharing her results on this, so that I had something to compare with my challenge sculptures.
- Sculptures appreciate on the sculpting station, so if you start a sculpture before midnight, the starting value is the value that it has incompleted before midnight
- You can see a sculpture's value before it is finished by using MOO to move the block of material. Don't leave it moved though, because it cannot be deleted, even with TCE
- Each sculpture has it's own base minimum and maximum value
- Each sculpture increases in value by it's own unique amount each time you sculpt it - that is, the min and max value go up by a small amount (referred to in the code as overmax)
- The Urn of Franco has the greatest overmax of 6.025, with a base value of 175-230
- The overmax value for ice sims is 4 (for anyone doing a dynasty), and the base values are 200 (low quality); 350 (medium quality); and 600 (high quality)
- Each material adds it's own multiplier to the value of each statue
- Each material also has an overmax
- Master Sculpter adds a multiplier of 1.3
- Artisan Crafter LTR addds a multiplier of 1.25
- Each level has a bonus value added to the base value
- Masterpiece sculptures have a value between 1200 and 2500 added to the base value
- Brilliant Sculptures have a value between 400 and 650 added to the base value
- Sculptures don't start appreciating until you are level 5 - sculptures done at lower levels don't appreciate
- The level at which you start a sculpture is the level that counts - the value of the sculpture is determined when it is first started.
- Bonuses accrued from sculpting one material do not apply to other materials
- Bonuses accrued from sculpting one sculpture type do not apply to other sculpture types


Material Overmax Values

Clay	2
Wood	4
Metal	10
Ice	3
Ice Sim	4
Stone	15
Topiary	3

Medium Multipliers

Clay	0.4
Wood	0.9
Metal	2.2
Ice	1.4
Ice Sim	1.4
Stone	4
Topiary	1

Level Bonuses

0	20
1	20
2	35
3	50
4	60
5	90
6	105
7	125
8	200
9	270
10	300

The hard part is putting all this info into an equation in the right order. By starting with a sim sculpting one clay sculpture, then only that type of sculpture from then on, I can use the starting values of each of these sculptures to test possible equations to determine the value. The following formulae give the range of statue value:

Without the Artisan Crafter LTR and the Master Sculptor challenge completed, the formula is as follows:

Minimum Value =  Material Multiplier x (min base value + level bonus) + (n1 x medium overmax) + (n2 x sculpture overmax)
Maximum Value = Material Multiplier x (max base value + level bonus) + (n1 x medium overmax) + (n2 x sculpture overmax)

where 'n1' is the number of sculptures completed in a certain material, and 'n2' is the number of sculptures completed of a certain sculpture type.

So working with the sculpture "A Show of Force" (sculptureFloorGunShow in the SculptingData resource) in clay, my very first sculpture will have a value range of:

Base Value Range: 22-95
Specific Sculpture Overmax: 1.755

Min Value = 0.4 x (22+20) + (0 x 2) + (0 x 1.755)
Min Value = 16.8

Max Value = 0.4 x (95 + 20) + (0 x 2) + (0 x 1.755)
Max Value = 46

By the time I start my second sculpture my sim is skill level 2. My second sculpture will have a value range of:

Min Value = 0.4 x (22+35) + (1 x 2) + (1 x 1.755)
Min Value = 26.555

Max Value = 0.4 x (95 + 35) + (1 x 2) + (1 x 1.755)
Max Value = 55.755


If the sculpture is a masterpiece or brilliant sculpture, the formulae are as follows:


Minimum Value =  Material Multiplier x (min base value + level bonus) + (n1 x medium overmax) + (n2 x sculpture overmax) + Masterpiece/Brilliant minimum bonus
Maximum Value = Material Multiplier x (max base value + level bonus) + (n1 x medium overmax) + (n2 x sculpture overmax) + Masterpiece/Brilliant maximum bonus

When the Artisan Crafter LTR is added, the formulae are as follows:


Minimum Value =  Artisan Crafter LTR x [Material Multiplier x (min base value + level bonus) + (n1 x medium overmax) + (n2 x sculpture overmax)]
Maximum Value = Artisan Crafter LTR x [Material Multiplier x (max base value + level bonus) + (n1 x medium overmax) + (n2 x sculpture overmax)]

With both Artisan Crafter and Master Sculptor, the formulae are as follows:


Minimum Value = Artisan Crafter LTR x [Material Multiplier x Master Sculptor Multiplier x (min base value + level bonus) + (n1 x medium overmax) + (n2 x sculpture overmax)]
Maximum Value = Artisan Crafter LTR x [Material Multiplier x Master Sculptor Multiplier x (max base value + level bonus) + (n1 x medium overmax) + (n2 x sculpture overmax)]



I had some problems working out the final formula, and spent hours and hours doing my head in trying to work out the problem. I finally found it when going back to the code to see if I had missed some additional information. At some point, silly me had input the incorrect values for the base value range.


Edit: I have now completed the list of sculptures, and one of those has the same min and max values, so I will be able to test these equations on an exact number shortly.

[Ricalynn]

Thanks for this information, Chuckles!

I recently looked at this XML file myself and the one for painting which is very very bare.   As far as I can tell from my research is that almost all of mine go up only 2% or 3% no matter what the medium.  I've noticed this same number on my ice sculptures.  I also noticed a small increase to sculptures at certain thresholds of overall sculptures done.   However this information can't seem to be found anywhere in the gameplay file.

[Chuckles_82]

Is that 2% or 3% of the current value though? I'm counting the base value as the value once all multipliers and add-ons are removed. I'm still trying to work out a nice round number though. With so many figures it's hard to know in what order the game does things. For example, the overmax might be included in the brackets at the start of the equation, as might the quality bonus. I'm quite sure the death bonus is separate though. To try and establish a base value I'm working backwards, and trying several variations on each sculpture. It'll take a while.

[Ricalynn]

Is that 2% or 3% of the current value though? I'm counting the base value as the value once all multipliers and add-ons are removed. I'm still trying to work out a nice round number though. With so many figures it's hard to know in what order the game does things. For example, the overmax might be included in the brackets at the start of the equation, as might the quality bonus. I'm quite sure the death bonus is separate though. To try and establish a base value I'm working backwards, and trying several variations on each sculpture. It'll take a while.

I would think that the death bonus would be one of the last things to add because it's added after it's been sculpted.  Also it's probably had some appreciation at the point where the sculptor dies as well.   I think it's 2% for all sculptures but it bumps up to 3% for brilliant and masterpieces but I think it's of the base value not the current value.  I'm playing my dynasty at some point tonight so I'll check the prices of something and watch it over a couple of days to see how it does.  I'll make sure to let you know the results by tomorrow.

[Swirl-Girl]

Wow, this will be extremely useful, and once you have it sorted out Carl should add it to the guide.

[Chuckles_82]

Out of 60 sculptures, I have about 8 brilliant and 1 masterpiece to compare with - so not extensive testing for those, but by checking how much each appreciated, 2% holds true for brilliant and masterpieces aswell. I think they seem to go up more because their bonus is added to the base value before other multipliers are added.

[Ricalynn]

I think you're right and from what I can see it goes up 2% of the total value not the base value.  I checked with three pieces all done by different sims who are all dead and the same statue and each time it was closer to 2 percent of the total but it wasn't always exact meaning there may be some decimals stored in there somewhere.

[Chuckles_82]

Oh there are definitely decimals stored in there. But I think you're right - it is the starting value of the sculpture (the value you see if you use MOO when you first start the sculpture). If there are decimals involved, it will add the extra bits when they add up to a whole number. I've seen lower value sculptures appreciate at something like 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3 etc (per day).

[Pam]

Have you told Carl about this article, Chuckles?  Also, do you think there's a way to use only black font?  Maybe use other ways to make the different pieces stand out?

[Seabody]

Also, the Careful Crafter LTR (?) adds a multiplier of 1.25 to the value of sculptures and the Savvy Sculptor trait increases the speed of learning sculpting by 1.25 (multiplier).

[Chuckles_82]

I think careful crafter and artisan crafter are the same thing. But I'll add the speed thing - I had a bit of tunnel vision while I was researching, and it was primarily on value.

[Seabody]

Warning: Wall of Information ahead!

I have some information from the code. I PM'd Chuckles to ask if she was interested in it.

Just a note to anyone reading this, I am using a different source than Chuckles. My PC doesn't like me having two big programs open at once (eg Chrome and Sims) so I can't flick back and forth between programs to double check my information. Therefore some of my values may be a little different to Chuckles'.

There are two formula in the code, one called "Calculate Value of Sim Sculpture" and "Calculate Value of Sculpture". Without some testing (and possibly modding the game to remove a formula and see what changes), I can't say which does which. I do have doubts about the first though, although the name suggests it's of Sim Sculptures (ie Ice Sculptures or ones for Dynasties), I doubt it is, as one of the factors considered in the code is the material the sculpture is made of, which is rather odd when you consider that you can only make Ice Sculptures of Sims.

Regardless, here's the code for Sim Sculptures.

Code: [Select]

public float CalculateValueOfSimSculpture(SculptureComponent.SculptureMaterial material, out SculptingSkill.SculptureQuality quality, out SculptingSkill.SimSculptureQuality simQuality, bool forceLow)
{
simQuality = SculptingSkill.SimSculptureQuality.Low;
float num = SculptingSkill.kLowQualitySimSculptureValue;
if (!forceLow && RandomUtil.RandomChance01(SculptingSkill.kSimSculptureHighChance[this.SkillLevel]))
{
simQuality = SculptingSkill.SimSculptureQuality.High;
num = SculptingSkill.kHighQualitySimSculptureValue;
}
else
{
if (!forceLow && RandomUtil.RandomChance01(SculptingSkill.kSimSculptureMediumChance[this.SkillLevel]))
{
simQuality = SculptingSkill.SimSculptureQuality.Medium;
num = SculptingSkill.kMediumQualitySimSculptureValue;
}
}
num = this.BaseValueAndQuality(num, material, out quality, simQuality == 1);
return num + SculptingSkill.kSimSculptureOvermaxAmount * (float)this.mNumSimSculpturesMade;
}

To anyone not acquainted with the language the game is written in, this is all technobabble. But here's a breakdown of what we're talking about.
First of all, there are some variables we consider. We're pretty much saying "depending on the situation, we need this information". We need four things: Material, Quality, SimQuality, forceLow. Material and Quality are self explanatory (for quality, we mean Failure, Normal, Brilliant or Masterpiece). SimQuality can be one of three values, Low, Medium or High. ForceLow is pretty simple - if we tell the game this is true, then we would get pretty much the lowest possible value.

By default, the game tells the script that a sculpture will be low quality and the variable "num" (which is used later) is 100.
Next, we check for two things: Whether we are forced into having a low quality sculpture, and what a random chance is. The game does this by rolling a random number between 0 and 1 and comparing it to the predefined values for sculpting skill levels for high quality. These values are:
Level 0 (no skill): 0
Level 1: 0
Level 2: 0
Level 3: 0
Level 4: 0
Level 5: 0
Level 6: 0
Level 7: 0.2
Level 8: 0.3
Level 9: 0.4
Level 10: 0.6
If the skill level is greater than the number rolled, the value is true, otherwise, false. So take, for example, a Level 8 sculptor. Let's assume the game rolled 0.32 for the value. We check the Level 8 score - it's 0.3. Since 0.32 is greater than 0.3, the script returns false.
If the script does return false, the entire if branch is ignored and the game tests the other branch. So with our Level 8 sculptor, he won't be making a high quality sculpture.
However, if it returns true (and therefore, the Sim is making a High Quality sculpture), we set SimQuality to high and num to 500.

Otherwise, if the sim does not meet the threshold to make a high quality sculpture, we test them again - this time, for a medium quality sculpture. Same sort of values here:
Level 0 (no skill): 0
Level 1: 0
Level 2: 0
Level 3: 0
Level 4: 0
Level 5: 0
Level 6: 0.3
Level 7: 0.4
Level 8: 0.5
Level 9: 0.6
Level 10: 0.8
So if it is to be a medium quality sculpture, we set SimQuality to Medium and num to 200.

Now we get more complicated. We have the value of num, we have the material, we have the quality and we have the SimQuality. We feed it into the equation BaseValueAndQuality. Remember, this function looks like this:

Code: [Select]

num = this.BaseValueAndQuality(num, material, out quality, simQuality == 1);

simQuality == 1 will be true if the sculpture is High Quality, false otherwise. If it's true, the sculpture can be brilliant. BaseValueAndQuality is a fairly long function, so if you want to know what it is, PM me. Basically it figures out what the quality should be (Masterpiece, Brilliant, etc) and how much it should be worth as a base.

We then do this formula:

num + 2 * (Number of Sim Sculptures Made)

So, let's assume that we had made 30 Sim Sculptures and our value of num after all those permutations was 750. We would do 750 + 2 * 30, which is 810, and that's our final value. 

We do have another formula, CalculateValueOfSculpture, but I want to check that out a bit more before I try to explain it. It has things called Medators, which I'm not familiar with.

Hope this helps, and that it made sense.