Contest Feedback, Suggestions and Ideas

[BellaClo]

First, Congrats to Lily and Tom for putting up those building contests and managing them. It's great!
And all my congratulations and deep bows to all the participants. Even if I haven't taken part in any contest so far (read procrastination specialist here ), I follow them closely and take huge pleasure in it. I'm amazed by all the ideas you put in your entries. And voting is always a hard time!

This is where comes my suggestion: I think it would be nice to request a list of specific screenshots.
1. Front view of the building (main facade), and the screenshot taken from the Sims point of view, so close to the way we see buildings in real life.

2. Maybe a rear or side facade of interest (same point of view).

3. Screenshots of the floor plans, so top views of all levels of interest in the building (basements and attics optional). I find it's always interesting to have an idea of how the different rooms are linked together, what are their sizes and so on.

And finally a suggestion to take those screenshots in Live mode, no more disturbing grid lines please!

[samoht04]

Good suggestions on the screenshots. I'm not so sure about making it a rule but more of a recommendation. Might put a rule about getting a screenshot of the front of the house or one that shows off the house from whichever angle is the focal point.

And finally a suggestion to take those screenshots in Live mode, no more disturbing grid lines please!

Just to make sure everyone is aware of this, you can do this. Although there is a rule against Live Mode that only counts for furnishing, building etc. you may only use Live Mode to take pictures after the Entry is complete. It is easier to do it in Live Mode thanks to an easier camera to move, rotate and the use of Tab Mode.

[Seabody]

And finally a suggestion to take those screenshots in Live mode, no more disturbing grid lines please!

To circumvent the grid lines, you can just go into Terrain Paints, select a random paint, and take a picture. It means that you don't get those grid lines - they are removed. All of them. If any are left, turning off Grid Mode (pressing G) usually works.

[Agneza]

I have an idea about the building contest. It's more for those who prefer to decorate. For example: we have one furnished room. Now, we have to recolor the forniture, chose patterns for wall, floor, etc. Only furniture in this room are allowed. Every contest have different furniture (in different style), what do you think ?

[KJSinclair]

I love the ideas about remodeling and redecorating and I feel that it would lend to getting more people to participate that aren't actually builders. I like the idea of all being given the same shell to decorate but I would like to elaborate on that.

It would be awesome to be given a shell and a max budget. The shell would have all the rooms allocated already and we would not be allowed to remove those. We would be allowed to add one room. We would be allowed to change the roof and all the landscaping and furnish it ourselves.

It would have stricter guidelines than before, for example, Single parent family with 1 male toddler and two girl teens.

I also like the idea of being told the favourite colors of the sims that would reside in the house and some traits. This way I feel it would level the playing field a little. We have some amazing builders and then we have people like me, I enjoy building very much but I wouldn't say that I am necessarily good at it lol. When the requirements are more rigid then it would take the awesome builders out of their comfort zone.

I hope that I didn't ramble too much lol

Kindest regards
KJ

[Ausette]

It would definitely be nice to see some Sim-specific contests along with the general ones, and renovation sounds like a great idea too! I just remembered something else I wanted to add: more range in allowed lot sizes. The Gothic Mansion struck me as a good example to follow because it included four different lot sizes to choose from, so if I ran out of space or money I could just move up or down a lot size respectively.

[iCastl]

How about taking the idea of remodeling but of 3 specific lots (starter homes in sunset valley for example) the point is to increase the lots value with certain requirements and restrictions...

I like seabody's idea of working with traits as well, so maybe if we combine them... Imagine upgrading the house of a technophobe sim or of a sim that can't stand art.

I basically like that idea: raising the value of starter homes based on their owner's traits and with different restrictions and requirements.

[KJSinclair]

I really love those ideas.

It then lends to a further possibility of having a building tournament with a ranking much like the game challenges that Metro does. It would take a little working but instead of it being a year long tournament it could be broken into quarters and the leading scorer at then end of that period gets to choose the next build. The year end score could mean that as their gift our challenge is to build them a house with their specific requirements. I think by making the building contest have a larger end goal it would attract people to take part more regularly.

I know that we should give our points to the building/buildings that closely match the requirements but sometimes I fall in love with a house that doesn't necessarily match the requirements best and give my points to that house. Therefore I think if it were possible to score a building in more than one category that it would give a better view of the true winning house, so we would give points in three areas, Shell, Decor and Landscaping and then out three points could be given to the builder that did the best in that area (in our opinion) then those three score categories could be combined to determine the winner of that challenge. It would also serve to give more than one winner to each competition. We have a winner the Shell, Decor and Landscaping and an overall winner. This would also pull into the World ranking in overall points.

Phew, too much thinking for my thinker lol

Kindest Regards
KJ

[iCastl]

I usually don't take part in building challenges because I've never been to fondof them, however, lately I'm really putting effort into making nice homes.

I like the idea of separating this contest from the others, it'd be nice to have maybe as an incentive, a number of sim point for the store as prize for the winner 

[Ausette]

[...] it'd be nice to have maybe as an incentive, a number of sim point for the store as prize for the winner 

That will almost certainly never happen, and for good reason. Our forum contests have never been about winning prizes, they're about having fun contributing to the community and maybe earning some glory along the way. Plus, samoht's fifteen years old, how is he supposed to pay for Simpoints every week?

As for a building tournament, I'm not sure if I really like the idea. The challenges are about tactics and skill, but the building contests are all about creativity. By making a tournament, all the "serious" builders would feel forced to participate every week even if they don't feel creative or inspired, and that would take a lot of joy out of the building. I don't think they're really big enough to justify elaborate judging categories, either. It's a nice idea, but I don't really think a building tournament would work in practice.

Dearie me, I sound grumpy today, don't I? Sorry guys, I'm normally not that scary! 

[KJSinclair]

I don't think it would be a good idea to give sim points away, someone would have to buy them in order to give them out and I for one would feel guilty that someone had done that.

I am sorry Ausette, I have to respectively disagree that building challenges are solely about creativity. Some of the builders here spend hours or even days interpreting the guidelines into a reality. It takes a certain amount of skill to produce some of the buildings that I have seen here, with all the 'cheats' and manipulation that is required. It also takes a great deal of thought and in some respects tactic to keep within a monetary boundary. It may not be as in depth as the game play challenges but it isn't just about creativity.

Kindest Regards
KJ

[samoht04]

The only reward is to be able to boast with the pride.  Besides when we started them the topic of a reward came up and it was decided that it could raw the wrong attention. Ausette was right, I'm hardly allowed SimPoints for my own personal use so i have no chance for buying them to give away.

[iCastl]

Hahaha sorry :p  didn't really know what the  situation we like, and really didn't think out  my idea either! Kinda mean to exploit some one else's pocket XD
Glory and boasting is  good to though

And I disagree as well with you Ausette, building is not just getting inspired and getting done with it. I think the main reason these challenges work out is because the builder wants are  not all at matter... He has to focus on what the rules establish and start from their. Not only this but like KJ said, there's alot of technical background to theses challenges.

And I see no reason why some be should feel forced  to participate... If they don't want to  in one round, then don't!
In the  other hand, I think many non builders would give it try.

(yeah I admit I read that in a very hostile tone in my mind haha.)

[Ausette]

Okay, fair enough. You're right about the amount of work involved in building, and I didn't mean to brush that to one side. What I meant was, it would be hard to build for a contest you didn't feel anything for, and not in a good way. I'm still not for the idea, but that's my own opinion and you're also free to have your own. 

[iCastl]

Yeah we can live with that