Architectural Design woes

[Elanorea]

Is it just me or is the architectural design lifetime wish the most tedious/time-consuming thing ever? My sim has already reached the top of the career, maxed out painting and got five service awards, yet she isn't even halfway to completing the wish (she's at around 30/100 I think).

The number is just ridiculous. You get around 10 jobs per week, so it'd take 10 weeks to complete (assuming you start getting great reviews right away, which is not very likely). It seems rather likely that on normal lifespan, your sim would die of old age before completing the wish unless you use something to prolong their life and/or spend all your free time hunting for customers to complete additional jobs.

Am I missing some trick to getting it done faster, or is it really this unreasonable?

[Austin0331]

I thought the number was ridicoulous, too. Maybe they should've did 50? I haven't even gotten ONE great review yet. So, I'm not even close at all. I'm at lvl 4 of Arch. job, and maxed my painting skill, too. I think cheating is the fastest way to go. You only get one or two jobs a day, but if you do testingcheatsenabled true and shift-click a neighbours' house, it will have the option to spawn a job, which would be faster, but also time-consuming.

[Sidheed]

Well after a certain level you can go door to door and offer your services just like a stylist can. So you are not limited by the 2 a day thing.

[Elanorea]

Yeah, I guess I was exaggerating a bit. I think my main issue is not the time it takes, but rather the fact that it's so god damn tedious. Sure, designing rooms is fun the first 20 times or so, but after you've seen all the possible renovations and renovated all the houses in the neighbourhood, it's just dull and repetitive. I'm gonna complete the lifetime wish soon, less than 10 to go, but after this I am never playing an architectural designer again.

[Srikandi]

Agreed -- that's just too many.

[DeadMetalSimmer]

Honestly I had my sims go to another job until I felt like picking up Architectural Design again. I thought it would be fun but I really don't like it.

I am like Austin0331 and had not gotten one good review. It got very boring after awhile.

[edejan]

All the new jobs are boring to my mind. They are too repetitive, too tedious and too slow. I'm going to try to get lifetime wants that don't involved a job...like swimming in cash and such. Then I can just have my sims practice magic and have fun killing other sims and stuff. ;b

[Srikandi]

I like it, but I don't have the patience to do nothing else for however long it takes to do that many jobs :/

I'm all for making LTWs harder to achieve, but they have to have a lil more diversity in em ;) I prefer the type that has several related requirements... do A, B, AND C... instead of just do A over and over and over ;)

[J. M. Pescado]

100 is basically an unreasonable number, yes, especially when you consider that the ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD doesn't actually have 100 lots. The value is probably contained in the XML somewhere.

[Austin0331]

100 is basically an unreasonable number, yes, especially when you consider that the ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD doesn't actually have 100 lots. The value is probably contained in the XML somewhere.Well then someone better find that file, edit it and post it as a new mod. I go out of my way to design a BEAUTIFUL and MODERN basement bar-room, and then get whined at and told "but you didn't spend the whole budget!" and not recieve any money even though I spent about half and hour on your stupid little beach house. And has anybody gotten the glitch where the requirements for the renovation don't show up in the little box in the corner?

[Elanorea]

In my experience getting a great score is nearly impossible in the lower levels of the career, but once you get to the top and max out your painting skill, you're practically guaranteed a great score as long as you include all required objects.

[Srikandi]

Well then someone better find that file, edit it and post it as a new mod.

Here ya go, Austin0331: http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorial:Sims_3_XML_Tuning_Modding

If you can figure out Notepad, you can do it.

Or does "someone" mean "someone else"? ;)

[SilentPsycho]

Well then someone better find that file, edit it and post it as a new mod. I go out of my way to design a BEAUTIFUL and MODERN basement bar-room, and then get whined at and told "but you didn't spend the whole budget!" and not recieve any money even though I spent about half and hour on your stupid little beach house. And has anybody gotten the glitch where the requirements for the renovation don't show up in the little box in the corner?

You also have to pay attention to traits. The person who whined about the budget has the Snob trait, and they like it when you spend every bit of money.

[Austin0331]

You also have to pay attention to traits. The person who whined about the budget has the Snob trait, and they like it when you spend every bit of money.Yes, but the stupid thing is that EVERY house I go to, the owners aren't there. So I can't discuss the renovation with them. And it's not just 4 houses, it's every one.

Or does "someone" mean "someone else"? ;)Oh, maybe it does. I'm not good with notepad. ;)

[Blaise Parker]

Oh, maybe it does. I'm not good with notepad. ;)

Bullshit. If you can use this forum, you can use Notepad. So click the link Srikandi gave you and quit expecting everyone else to do your learning and modding for you.

Saying "I am not good at Notepad" is like saying "I'm not good at turning my computer on, or finding the A on the keyboard." Notepad is as basic as ya get.

Now XML on the other hand...

[Austin0331]

Bullshit. If you can use this forum, you can use Notepad. So click the link Srikandi gave you and quit expecting everyone else to do your learning and modding for you.

Saying "I am not good at Notepad" is like saying "I'm not good at turning my computer on, or finding the A on the keyboard." Notepad is as basic as ya get.

Now XML on the other hand...Please notice the wink face. I was joking. Not knowing how to use notepad is like not knowing how to write. I have tried modding before, but got lost. And I wasn't expecting someone to do it. I really don't care about the wish. I'm not a lazy fatass who expects everyone to do something for me. I have lately been thinking about meshing, though. Sorry for sounding like a greedy smart-ass on the forums.

[systempain]

I'll try to find the XML in my spare time. This may well be my first mod!

[HarlequinnRomance]

Really...?I just gave my heir to my legacy that wish,not reading this first because I like surprises....but I think I might have to change it...glad he hasn't even gotten the job yet.

[Srikandi]

The reason folks are usually not home is because you're usually working during the hours when they are also working, alas.

However, you don't HAVE to do the renovation right away. You can talk to them in the evening and do the work the next day. With the Observant lifetime reward, you can learn traits very quickly.

On the whole mod question, btw -- I haven't looked at the XML myself to ensure that this IS in fact an XML mod. Could be something more complicated. Have no idea where LTWs are handled :)

[systempain]

On the whole mod question, btw -- I haven't looked at the XML myself to ensure that this IS in fact an XML mod. Could be something more complicated. Have no idea where LTWs are handled :)

It is definitely not in the XML. I spend the past hour or so looking for it. I'll keep trying and see if I can do it, but don't get your hopes up

[CleoSombra]

Well after a certain level you can go door to door and offer your services just like a stylist can. So you are not limited by the 2 a day thing.

Haha. Good luck.

Unless you're already friends with the clients and know all their traits, it's nearly impossible to get two great reviews a day by going door to door. You have to become good aquaintances before they except a job offer, then there's discussing the renovation to learn more of their traits, measuring the place, etc. The job spawner cuts down on a few hours of socialization.

[velocitygrass]

What I did to get to discuss renovations with customers is click "turn in renovation" and when they arrived on the lot cancel it and then do "Discuss Renovation" instead. Then if the interview turned up some additional relevant traits, I made some more adjustments, if not, I turned in the renovation.

I finally finished this wish in week 9 or so and immediately had my sim quit the job. I think the architecture profession is okay, but the lifetime wish is definitely too tedious considering that you don't even get more lifetime happiness points than a regular career or skill related LTW.

As I went through this and got frustrated, I looked for a way to tune this and managed to do it (though I still continued just to be able to check that LTW as done without cheating).

Notes and example for tuning the number of great reviews necessary to fulfill this LTW. (http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=412506)

[wndy26]

What level are you that you get the option to "Discuss Renovation"? I haven't yet seen that interaction as an option.

[Elanorea]

It's pretty high, maybe level 8 or so.

[Momodoll]

Speaking of architects, how do you 'take measurements' ? I haven't seen this option when playing before, but have seen it mentioned.

[Purity4]

Speaking of architects, how do you 'take measurements' ? I haven't seen this option when playing before, but have seen it mentioned.

Once you arrive on a site, you click the ground and select 'take measurements' from the pie list, once you're high enough in your profession level for this skill to be available.

[Srikandi]

It is definitely not in the XML. I spend the past hour or so looking for it. I'll keep trying and see if I can do it, but don't get your hopes up

Actually, it turns out it IS in the XML. VelocityGrass actually posted a sample mod for it in the Modding Discussion forum, in response to a question from Systempain. http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=412506

Perfect reviews is set to 40 in that example, but since VelocityGrass provided a complete explanation about where to find the LTW stuff, folks should be able to easily roll their own tuning based on the info there :)

[Momodoll]

Once you arrive on a site, you click the ground and select 'take measurements' from the pie list, once you're high enough in your profession level for this skill to be available.

Ah, thank you! I must have been getting bored before reaching a high enough level :)

[VoiceIHear]

Agreed, and for someone who plays on the short life span, such as myself, there just isn't enough time. Definitely very irritating. I may just play around that XML...

[severe_009]

This is the most frustrating job EVER!!!!!! My sim will almost die but he only has 5 reviews out of 40-50 job!
I spend 10-15 minutes renovating then after that my client will just say "I cannot live in this squalor! You have to give me enough to live with!" and i say WTF!? I did all you have asked and put sculptures and paint and everything and this is what I get!? It's so frustrating...

By the way I am at Lvl 9 of my job, Im tired spending time renovating home just to get not approved...

I wish client needs must be elaborated more to give the designer more clues no the simple Needs and Traits...

[coffeebreak]

Possibly stupid question, but has the folks having problems taken a picture of the renovation afterwards? That builds up the promotion bar. Another thing I did was buy more stuff than what was actually on their list (lower priced cc helps with purchasing the extra items). Also, sims can't really tell if the end result is esthetically pleasing so I buy stuff without bothering to match the colors, dump the items in the appropriate rooms, randomly redo the floor and walls, and call it a day. They were always pleased, my sim got extra money and good reviews. Only my first two jobs got a "well this is what I asked for but gee you still suck" response, only after I started buying extra stuff did they say "aw this is great". I never bothered having any kind of discussion with them.

But it was boring for me, which meant I stopped after several jobs so I have no idea if that would work for the higher levels. If I'm never going to play that house or family what do I care how their interiors are decorated? It takes all my free time just playing the families I do want. The investigative career is hilarious and I still have to throw the Goths into the Time Machine but they need their house redesigned and redecorated first. Maybe I can play them and have them call for a decorator? :)

[lummy]

My issue with this job is that one of the Jobs I got was from a baby! I couldn't finish it, because the baby can't talk or move!:(

[Srikandi]

LOL... bug, clearly, but a hilarious one! Did the baby want a nicer nursery?

[lummy]

It wanted an updated living room! But I don't think there was a nursery in the house, lol.

[hatosan]

You can take measurement when you have reached level 6 Decor Debutant. It will add additional points to your career advancement. But the job is tough, even until now, I was unable to complete my portfolio to full 100%. It just stop at 70% and it won't advance. But I do have a trick for Architectural Designers. After you have completed the job, what I did was put everything as is. As before is was renovated. Clean town, no lagging and no Error Code 12.

Good luck with the career.

Edit:
I stumped to 1 particular house in Twinbrook. That house is a living hell and one hell of workmanship from good ol' EA team, it will never satisfied ANY of the household no matter what I did: Big family, small family, single tenant. I will post the picture soon and let me know if you did encounter the same problem as mine.

[hatosan]

As I promised earlier, the "hell-house" in Twinbrook that has given enough problem and until now I can't solve it. Not sure what to do and it was still bugged me.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc188/hatosans/Sims%203/th_terrible_house01.jpg (http://s215.photobucket.com/albums/cc188/hatosans/Sims%203/?action=view&current=terrible_house01.jpg)
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc188/hatosans/Sims%203/th_terrible_house02.jpg (http://s215.photobucket.com/albums/cc188/hatosans/Sims%203/?action=view&current=terrible_house02.jpg)

[maz89]

I've encountered plenty of bugs in the profression. For one, sometimes after I complete a renovation, any photo I capture does not cause my file to get updated. Sometimes, I'm able to 'discuss Renovation' with Sims I can't renovate for, since the time expired and the job no longer appears in the panel.

There's another bug: if you take out custom art from the family inventory during renovation and you decide later to put it back, the budget increases by the amount of the painting (as if we are selling the painting by putting it back in the inventory).

Also, new jobs won't f-cking show. I have to go around asking people to remodel their homes. Though I suspect this might have something to do with the way Awesomemod runs.

[hatosan]

I've encountered plenty of bugs in the profression. For one, sometimes after I complete a renovation, any photo I capture does not cause my file to get updated. Sometimes, I'm able to 'discuss Renovation' with Sims I can't renovate for, since the time expired and the job no longer appears in the panel.

There's another bug: if you take out custom art from the family inventory during renovation and you decide later to put it back, the budget increases by the amount of the painting (as if we are selling the painting by putting it back in the inventory).

Also, new jobs won't f-cking show. I have to go around asking people to remodel their homes. Though I suspect this might have something to do with the way Awesomemod runs.

Yes definitely a bug thanks to EA policy. "..sometimes after I complete a renovation, any photo I capture does not cause my file to get updated." I had gone through more than 60 renovations (including after 6pm and weekends) and crashed my games again and again and got fed up but my portfolio is still 76 percent complete.

There's one trick: But you need to use a Mod, in my case I used Twallan's MasterController from TS3 Exchange. Quit the job from City Hall or use MasterController to quit and then register back at the City Hall. And when you got a job to perform, chances that you might get a new job that was never in the list before. Perhaps Awesome has the ability to quit the job too unless you wanna go through all the trouble to City Hall and quit the job?

About the painting, yes its a bug but surprisingly, Sims should get paid when using their own painting but not putting it back in the inventory. In this case, it happens and not just the painting but sculpting too.

the No 3 trick: You can actually ask around should you like to increase your job performance after 6.00 pm. Don't gamble working after 5.00pm, if not you will get more than 3 jobs the next day. Never perform a job and the end of the day on Friday (5th day), should you complete after 6pm you won't get paid because you can't tell to your client its done and I experienced that few times and got nothing.

I renovated a sims house up to 2.00 am in the morning, hahaha and my job experience increased. The average you can perform in a day is 2 while max of 3. The total in weekdays you can perform 10 jobs and the maximum of 14 (maybe more) and in weekends you can add additional 4-6 jobs. Normally I can perform between 14-20 jobs in a week. Do your math.

I don't think it was Awesome but it is EA. ;)

[maz89]

There's one trick: But you need to use a Mod, in my case I used Twallan's MasterController from TS3 Exchange. Quit the job from City Hall or use MasterController to quit and then register back at the City Hall. And when you got a job to perform, chances that you might get a new job that was never in the list before. Perhaps Awesome has the ability to quit the job too unless you wanna go through all the trouble to City Hall and quit the job?Well, I don't think it's going to take me very long to quit and re-join the profession. But I don't think it'll work, since I've already tried doing that.

About the painting, yes its a bug but surprisingly, Sims should get paid when using their own painting but not putting it back in the inventory. In this case, it happens and not just the painting but sculpting too. Oh rly? I was under the impression that the Sim would be using the custom art with no charge to the customer.

the No 3 trick: You can actually ask around should you like to increase your job performance after 6.00 pm. Don't gamble working after 5.00pm, if not you will get more than 3 jobs the next day. Never perform a job and the end of the day on Friday (5th day), should you complete after 6pm you won't get paid because you can't tell to your client its done and I experienced that few times and got nothing.

I renovated a sims house up to 2.00 am in the morning, hahaha and my job experience increased. The average you can perform in a day is 2 while max of 3. The total in weekdays you can perform 10 jobs and the maximum of 14 (maybe more) and in weekends you can add additional 4-6 jobs. Normally I can perform between 14-20 jobs in a week. Do your math. Thanks, I found these tips helpful. If only EA would remedy such glitches in their patches instead of merely working on new expansions packs. Those are a LOT of jobs you perform weekly. My problem is that I need to go and ask every person if I can remodel their home. NEVER has a job just appeared without me having asked for it, which really sucks. But as I've said before, this might be because of Awesomemod's rules. Maybe if I tried moving in random people into awful houses, they would call me with assignments...

[hatosan]

Oh rly? I was under the impression that the Sim would be using the custom art with no charge to the customer.

Yes, its true, no charges but I felt silly especially if your painting is worth more than 5K Simoleon a piece and the sculpting too. Is is worth it just to get additional job experience? Might as well I just sell it to Consignment Store.

Thanks, I found these tips helpful. If only EA would remedy such glitches in their patches instead of merely working on new expansions packs. Those are a LOT of jobs you perform weekly. My problem is that I need to go and ask every person if I can remodel their home. NEVER has a job just appeared without me having asked for it, which really sucks. But as I've said before, this might be because of Awesomemod's rules. Maybe if I tried moving in random people into awful houses, they would call me with assignments...

Here's a tip, you are in control, not the sims. So what you can do is just do your own filtering, who is your target and why? Did you know their traits well? Can they be satisfied once you had finished renovating their home? Could you deliver their needs within the budget? Would their house might give you enough headache and problems when getting specific jobs? Renovation is a time-consuming job because you are running against the time. You had to do interview which could help you most by knowing more about your client traits. Not to forget, you have to measure the house, even sometimes an object which is not relevant to the job. I don't know why I had to measure a stove although my job was supposed to renovate a bedroom!

One situation: I got a Pool job, problem was, there are no space to have a pool! hahaha! I was like, what the hell, how am I supposed to make it happen? So I studied the house carefully and devise a plan according to the budget. There's barely a space but I did managed to pull it off (moved the trash bins and the trees, had to do some terrain leveling) and add up some decorations and bla bla and I got a great review. Poor Shamus, his pool is as big as his car parking lot, but I managed to get it through.

Srikandi mentioned about sims traits could help a lot and I took her advise. Read as many posts about Architectural Designer and Renovation. And I posted few about bugs/tips during renovation, read that too. And read every Renovation/Architect Design thread from page 1. it could be useful.

Add=
You don't need to walk around town and approach every sims you had encountered. Just select by criteria and see if you know them well. Even a 2K worth of jobs is good enough for me.

Try getting 1 customer in weekends and see if you can cope up with the work or talk to a potential customer and influence them to get a renovation after 6pm during weekdays. Don't be greedy, because they won't go anywhere. Me? I'm just having fun watching them had to wait till 2am. And not to forget, run away and don't look back as soon as the client reviewed and got great review. :rofl:

[Rad]

This is the most frustrating job EVER!!!!!! My sim will almost die but he only has 5 reviews out of 40-50 job!
I spend 10-15 minutes renovating then after that my client will just say "I cannot live in this squalor! You have to give me enough to live with!" and i say WTF!? I did all you have asked and put sculptures and paint and everything and this is what I get!? It's so frustrating...


I have had this several times and can't figure out why - has anyone worked out what's happening (or, more likely, not happening) to make clients react this way?