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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 12:00 AM
Default Where Do You Find Inspiration?
I was just thinking about how I find inspiration for my game, and was wondering if there was a place where the best places to find inspiration were collected together. I couldn't really find any threads or lists, so I thought I'd make one.

Where do you find inspiration for your gameplay? Favourite blogs? Any threads on this site?
As contribution, I would recommend The Jessa Channel. Her videos of her neighbourhoods are my biggest inspiration, they're so beautiful and well thought out. I also love how integrated they are, and how she interprets every sim's actions to fit into a story. :lovestruc

Leave your links below!
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 12:14 AM
Everywhere. If you're in the right mindset, a trip to the grocery store can inspire you.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#3 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 12:15 AM
From real life, to threads here that give me new ideas or sometimes Jessa's let's Play's. Usually I will pick up one or two ideas to add into what I have and I know I have given out ideas myself. Be they story or decorating or gameplay ideas.

My motivation levels started from something put out by lauria and someone else- but I took and changed it.
I've used the idea of mini challenges and again changed it.
I've use Zar's idea for making boxes out of the small draws, and someone's bedroom decorating video for beds up on stages.
Apple Valley and the Isle of Tyme are what inspired me to begin playing integrated.

As to links to these things, goodness. Some are gone and the threads would be scattered everywhere, so no idea on those. Certainly searching for keywords here might bring up some threads. There is my business and career thread in my siggy, I shared and got ideas from that. I keep hoping someone will bump it with something interesting but it appears people are scared too? I don't know.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#4 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 12:30 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Peni Griffin
Everywhere. If you're in the right mindset, a trip to the grocery store can inspire you.

I agree. I will often be in a shop looking around and think "I really like the layout in here, I bet it would look good in game." I also have folders full of irl pictures, because I like the style or layout or feeling of a building or outdoor area, and want to use them as inspiration.

Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah77
From real life, to threads here that give me new ideas or sometimes Jessa's let's Play's. Usually I will pick up one or two ideas to add into what I have and I know I have given out ideas myself.

I often do this too, the challenge section on this site is a great place to get ideas. I will often copy an idea that someone else has done and see how it works for my play style, making changes as I go.

Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah77
There is my business and career thread in my siggy, I shared and got ideas from that. I keep hoping someone will bump it with something interesting but it appears people are scared too? I don't know.

I love that thread, unfortunately I often forget to check it out again. Maybe that's the case for others too? I'd love to contribute to it at some point.
Forum Resident
#5 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 12:41 AM
I get a lot of inspiration from MTS and the TS2 community here! Sometimes I see a piece of cc or a mod and I think 'ah! That could be something!' and then the story emerges, or I'll read a thread where someone mentions something they do in their game and I'll be inspired to try it, or adapt it or even NOT do it in mine and see what happens. Other iterations of the sims - particularly 3 and 4 inspire me to try to recreate beautiful scenes or mod in gameplay. I also tend to hold on to my favourite sim characters, and while I may remake them 100 times (because I never back up anything and because I start over when I get fed up) I always have the same characters and their stories in mind when I play certain themes in my hoods. I'm into architecture, and the lots and houses section as well as the picture threads realllllly inspire me. First to try to build a lot, and then to work in how to play it! I also get interested in telling certain stories - like, how would I create a war between the silaxis aliens and the similatary? Why do witches and genies exist in my sim world? How can I make Olive's graveyard make sense? (Zombies don't exist in my hoods... I just can't do it lol) but that's all part of experimenting. I tend to get caught up playing my test hoods too because often what I'm testing is a concept, so I end up just getting carried away lol.
Alchemist
#6 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 12:51 AM
"inspiration" seems to be applicable when it is based on something else.
very little of my game/gameplay is applied to other things.
Mad Poster
#7 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 8:51 AM Last edited by AndrewGloria : 15th Aug 2018 at 10:51 AM. Reason: Added link to Jo's contest
I'm often inspired by my Sims themselves. They'll do something autonomously, and I'll develop it into a story. Like the autonomous first kiss between Veronaville townie Ralph Enriquez and ex-townie Jihoon LeTourneau (I don't have ACR). I took that as the inspiration to make them into a couple. (The relationship was just what Jihoon needed.)

A fight in the background between Nervous Subject and a townie in which Ripp Grunt didn't intervene, led me to think about how differently his father might have reacted, and this in turn led me to see General Buzz in a much more positive light. While his flaws as a parent and his prejudice against aliens are obvious for all to see, he's a man who loves order and who is strongly motivated by a sense of duty. He'd like his epitaph to be "He did his duty", and he'd be prepared to die doing it. I'm sure he would have intervened to protect the townie (a medical doctor named Joe Todd) from Nervous's repeated attacks. Now that I'm playing Strangetown again (thanks to Jo's contest), I'm motivated to develop General Buzz's role in trying to bring order to Strangetown. I may even see him as an unexpected ally in my wish to bring resolution to the conflict in the town. Joandsarah77's building contest has brought me inspiration in an unexpected direction: for the last round (I'm a "play-along") I'm making over that house opposite to the Grunts as a home for the Singles girls. and to me it seems self-evident that this is a former military building, previously part of the barracks. I have noticed that quite a few of my townies in Strangetown are in the military career, and I'm now minded to add a third building in that style, move the townie soldiers into it, and see if Buzz can mould them into a force to help pacify the town. I notice too that one of the townies also has the rank of General (he's called General Custer no less!), and this could lead to an interesting clash of personalities as they try to work together. Rebuilding that house as a barracks (which I take to be its original use) could also be an interesting exercise. And I hope this also all inspires me to finish the Singles house while the contest thread is still open. (Unfortunately I do tend to regard building as a necessary chore that has to be done before I can play!)

Finally I must mention how I was inspired by watching Andrew and Gloria in Veronaville in the first few hours I was playing. I was struck by the extraordinary closeness between them as they interacted with each other. Such a close bond between a teenage boy and his mother is very unusual, but it's not impossible, and it quickly led me to fall in love with both of them and with the game itself. :lovestruc

Unfortunately, with the exception of Jo's Strangetown makeover contest, this isn't the sort of inspiration I can provide links to!

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
Mad Poster
#8 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 12:52 PM
For me, the game is about characters. I do not want them to be gloriously beautiful or perfect or happy all the time - I want them to be complicated, difficult and involved in some conflict.

General Buzz is indeed an interesting sim, @AndrewGloria - and, after all, two out of his three sons adore him, so he has to have some good points. So when Jo said at the start of the contest that everyone has been abducted and ended up with amnesia, I could not help thinking: this is my chance. The general was right all along and the aliens came

I think Maxis made some very interesting characters myself and - with the exception of Peni and Widespot - not sure if anyone has actually succeeded in improving that aspect much.

Jo's previous building contest, for which she created some interesting families, also inspired me - I not only made the families, but added them to my game in a subhood which I named Jo's Village. Jo has come up with some interesting families : http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=592998.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#9 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 1:38 PM
Jo's Village.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#10 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 1:46 PM
Quote: Originally posted by mdsb759
"inspiration" seems to be applicable when it is based on something else.
very little of my game/gameplay is applied to other things.


That's not what it means. Inspiration is that spark of interest and creativity that urges you to do something, try something, make something, write something, explore something. It's a specific emotion, triggered by the interaction between your mind and - anything at all. Interior, exterior, whatever.

Inspiration is like love. It burns hot and fierce and overwhelming when new. Then, if it's real, it settles into a more low-key, continuous process of choice and action. There is a point in every creative work (and every game, and every love affair) when it feels as if the inspiration/love has all been used up and you're left with what is called, when writing a book, "the saggy middle." But if you want to keep playing, maintain the relationship, or finish the work, you can learn to induce inspiration again in the context of the existing situation and regain the joy you started with.

Or you can run off after a new inspiration and start over. Your choice.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Forum Resident
#11 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 5:07 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Peni Griffin
That's not what it means. Inspiration is that spark of interest and creativity that urges you to do something, try something, make something, write something, explore something. It's a specific emotion, triggered by the interaction between your mind and - anything at all. Interior, exterior, whatever.

Inspiration is like love. It burns hot and fierce and overwhelming when new. Then, if it's real, it settles into a more low-key, continuous process of choice and action. There is a point in every creative work (and every game, and every love affair) when it feels as if the inspiration/love has all been used up and you're left with what is called, when writing a book, "the saggy middle." But if you want to keep playing, maintain the relationship, or finish the work, you can learn to induce inspiration again in the context of the existing situation and regain the joy you started with.

Or you can run off after a new inspiration and start over. Your choice.


Thank you for this Peni - that's precisely how it feels! And mdsb, I take it it's my post that made you think that - and I can see why, but inspiration is more like switching on a light - the result is not always applicable to the source material. I've seen cars that made me want to try a poverty challenge, but modified to fit into integrated hood structure, and without points or tracking! I don't play challenges you see, but the idea of 'how does poverty work in an integrated hood? Is there public assistance? Are there mods that can make that happen?" is what comes from it. Seeing detailed, well-built lots inspires me to examine my own building style, to strive harder for proportion and logical layout because that's ultimately what I want in my lots. I'm building a junkyard right now, and was inspired to go crazy with details by looking at pictures of expensive manor houses. You never know!
Mad Poster
#12 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 5:16 PM
When I have time to brainstorm.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Link Ninja
#13 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 6:45 PM
For playing - inspiration comes from reading about other's ideas about interpretation, self-imposed rules, sims businesses, hood stories, sim biographies, even others' sim pictures - many constant forum threads like 'what's happening in your game' and 'what did you learn today' can become good springboards. Also, the sims themselves inspire me. Last night I was playing a sim and she lives alone with her dog. She came home late and could have gone to bed but she wanted to watch tv so I thought 'that's a good way to unwind' so I was inspired to make her change into her PJs, lounge on her sofa, and catch a re-run of a soccer game on the TV. It was simple but it was also nice to not have 4+ different sims to manage and I could focus on just that one.

For building/decorating - inspiration comes from many places IRL and other build pics that honestly make my jaw drop. Challenges or contests also spur on my desire to participate like currently I'm building apartments and having a creative blast doing so which benefits my hood as more places for sims to move into later. I like to collect inspiring TS2 deco/lot pics for inspiration and watch sims 2 decorating videos to see what kinds of fun things other people do. I also am spurred into building specific places for the sims stories in my head which I want to execute in pictures - I've constructed complete sets for a radio station, lecture hall, public library, SCIA headquarters, inside of a tour bus, etc to get settings for pics.

I too, find pieces of CC inspiring and it's so nice that so many years later we are still getting fun content to use for this game.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

Theorist
#14 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 7:13 PM
Seeing new items, thinking wow that is so cool that person made that item (especially if it changes or enhances the same old day to day play)...

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
Mad Poster
#15 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 9:25 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 15th Aug 2018 at 9:44 PM.
For the style in my game, I'm more a "throw it on the wall and see what sticks" kind of builder/decorator. I download stuff I like, and mix'n'match it so it turns into something I'm happy with. Same for building. I have a rough idea, play with some outlays, and eventually it comes together. Sometimes I get inspired by downloaded lots, maybe doing some renovation or redecoration. Most of the time I need a particular house or building for a story set, so I keep some and change the rest into what I need it to be. I prefer keeping the decorating simple, but "lived-in", so I do use clutter, enough to make the lot look like it's in use, but not so much it's intruding on how the sims move around (unless it's for a particular scene).

For storytelling and characters, I find inspiration for my game pretty much everywhere. People's blogs, books, magazines, real life, etc. But I'm more likely to mix'n'match there too, and rarely base sims off of one particular person or character, and if I borrow something from a story/magazine/series/etc. I make sure to do some twist and turns to make it my own, because there's no point in writing something that's already written.

For sims and their style, I usually look a bit on the age I want them to be, and their personality. Sometimes I just play around with whatever I've got in CAS or Bodyshop until I'm happy. I can sometimes be inspired by a hair or a piece of clothing that randomly pops up, and build a character from that.

I'll also play around with the character's favorite base colors, usually 2-3 per character. Some sims kinda just pick their own colors or style, because I keep putting them in maybe 2-3 colors all the time because I think those clothes fit them, or maybe they end up with a particular style that sticks with them.
Alchemist
#16 Old 15th Aug 2018 at 9:40 PM
my last post; meant "based on" instead of "applied to".
Test Subject
#17 Old 16th Aug 2018 at 1:21 PM
I usually get inspiration from people posting pics of their game on tumblr or here on MTS.
Sometimes I see a photo showing a certain style that I like and might get inspired to build something from, e.g.:
(1) darkestdawn's BACC Oceanside and her Pinterest boards
I also really like (2) theatticbox and the 1950s hood she made.
I add new ones continuously and they keep changing, but those two are the most recent.
Instructor
#18 Old 16th Aug 2018 at 7:02 PM
I love Darkestdawn's Hood. Read it all the time.
Forum Resident
#19 Old 18th Aug 2018 at 1:18 AM
Anything. I had a sim who just aged to teen was buying new clothes and realized I never use those gypsy or the Freetime artsy outfits and wondered how I would find an occasion in my game where they made sense for a sim. That, combined with a handful of sims who didn't really have a purpose and I wanted to find something for them.

Long story short, 1 week later, I have a cult living on a commune in one of my subhoods, and they all wear those weird bright clothes.
Mad Poster
#20 Old 18th Aug 2018 at 6:19 AM
I rely a lot on good old-fashioned Google Images searches for a lot of things... sometimes I'll get inspired to more-or-less copy a whole building exterior from a real-world or concept art image (like I did with my hospital lot), sometimes I'll just see an element that I like, and I'll pluck that out. (what's the line- "good artists borrow, great artists steal?" ) For interiors, I've also found that the concept art people put together for RPGs that you can find on sites like DeviantArt can be enormously helpful- for whatever reason, real-life interiors often don't translate over to TS2 as well as fictional interiors do...

Welcome to the Dark Side...
We lied about having cookies.
Field Researcher
#21 Old 22nd Aug 2018 at 5:26 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Peni Griffin
Everywhere. If you're in the right mindset, a trip to the grocery store can inspire you.

I agree 100%, tbh. As a cashier in an interesting part of town, I see all sorts of people every day and it's become a great source of inspiration.

I usually play around in Bodyshop with a podcast or a playlist on, and if I see a Sim I'm interested in, I end up developing them through figuring out their name, their characteristics, then eventually aspiration, hobbies, interests, skills, and personality points. Translating that into playable parameters is an excellent way to challenge oneself, especially if you want to recreate a character from a video game or w/e.

When it comes to building, I usually google floor plans and see what comes to mind when I build it, Developed Sims always have something that fits their tastes, and sometimes with other Sims, this is when I develop their tastes. I tend to build one nice house of each size and end up having Sims live in cookie cutter houses with unique landscaping and color schemes since I despise building so much.

My simblr
In the name of the Moon, i will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means YOU! ❤️
Scholar
#22 Old 22nd Aug 2018 at 8:28 AM
For houses, I get inspired by houses I drive/walk by. Some I just HAVE to build in the game!

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
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