Aysarth, cool house and I'm impressed you could afford that fence. I tried but it took way too much cash. I liked that you also used that wallpaper in the gym

scottiedoag, you should totally upload your lots, especially the Rhodes one

@scottiedoag you now have 1 point returned for the phone from judge 1.

I will try to do up play along comments and link the score on the table today.

After reading the judge's comments, I am HOPING I remembered all the sticking points for my Rhodes house. But right now, I'm a half-day away from my game. I would like to note that this time, however, I remembered to put my grill back ON the patio. I just hope I didn't forget to move something else back.

I believe that Architecutral Designs is a popular site with lots of interesting houses. I like interesting houses. Whether my tastes are good-interesting or bad-interesting is another matter!

Great lots since I last got on!

I just wanted to say that I absolutely love how you blended the families in your story :D

Entry Round 4 - Evans - No CC

James had always been interested in only one thing - to be the very best, like no one ever was! Which is why, when he saw the Sim Olympics on TV as a child, he told his parents that one day, he would win the olympics. In any category, actually. He won quite a few competetions by now, and he is never gonna give up on his dream. He wants to live in a modern house, because how else do you determine personal success? Modern houses, though they might look plain, are the most expensive thing on the market!

This illness that's going around in this contest has even spread to my Sims! Stefan Rodney cam home from work on Wednesday with a cold. He sat and watched their §8K widescreen television till he was tired enough to sleep. Then he went to bed and slept. When he woke up, he continued to lie in bed, reading and daydreaming, until his wife Lucinda came home at 9 p.m. and grilled hot dog sausages for him. As she was cooking the hot dogs, he (autonomously) got up and had a nice hot bubble bath, and, at the end of the bubble bath, he felt much better! So the two of them happily ate their hot dogs together under the canopy beside the pool. For once it was just the two of them without any friends round. I think it's the first time in my game that one of my Sims has caught a cold. I've had an outbreak of 'flu once, and food poisoning a couple of times but never a cold. It wasn't too bad really -- I think I really quite like to mollycoddle my Sims when they're not well.

Anyway, now that Stefan is better, the Rodneys and I would like to wish everyone else who's been feeling under the weather a speedy recovery. The Rodneys would also like to invite you all round to a poolside barbecue with hot dogs and a fruit punch. There'll be a bar and a discotheque inside the house too. Justpetro, would you like to come and act as bartender?
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Thanks for your comments Jo!
I was quite amazed when girlie Chris got into the big Gothy bed with her sister Pat. Since the girls are obviously quite happy to share not only the room but the bed too, I'll probably let her move into Pat's room, when the younger boys, Martin and Thomas, are old enough to start school, and give her room to them. Pat can add a few girlie touches to her room to please her favourite sister (she only has one!), and we'll turn the existing nursery into a playroom for all the kids. I really do intend to play all these families long term, and see what sort of community spirit emerges as they get to interact and know each other better. Pat is starting to get regular invites to the Rodneys. They're not Goths, but they really seem to like her.

I wonder if this thread might be left open a little longer than usual so we can post on the continuing developments in the community after the contest proper is over? Are other people trying to play them as a cohesive community?

I'll try to get my Rodneys' house posted, but playing these families is such fun, and I'm easily distracted! Thanks for letting us create them Jo!

I'm starting to wonder how this illness is spreading over the internet. Must be a computer virus.

8 entries to go with a bit over 2 1/2 days left.

I hope those people will post their entries, it’d be a shame if so many contestants dropped out.

@joandsarah77
Quick question - Is it okay to use stage pieces under stairs if it's not touching the house? It just looks REALLY empty under my stairs because they extend out from the house by a tile or two. The stage would allow me to paint it the same color as the foundation, so it looks better. I hope that is worded correctly. Thanks for any help!

EDIT: Well a corner is touching like this >< but that's all. Just want to know before I take pics and post it.

I have a question too. For the Lamberts "Wants The parents want a play ground for the kids." Does this mean any specific equipment? Does it mean that tower thing? (which would be a little redundant with a treehouse, imo) I have a swing set and a sandbox, does that count?

Here are all the playground items from the game in Michelle's recolors: http://modthesims.info/d/562045. Personally, I would have used the centrifrun thing, since teens also use that.

Oh, I know what the items are, I just want to know if there's a minimum for the wants to be met I know the teens like it, but to me, it's not something you'd ever see at a house. Only public playgrounds. Same with the monkey bars. Now, the tower thing, swings, and slide, I can see at a house. I just don't have room (or budget) for all of it.

EDIT: Though if it's to be basegame friendly, swings should be all that's need, because the rest is all from AL. Well, and those toddler hippity hop things, but again, I feel like those are not something you'd see at a house.

If we’re at it, I have a question too – a good size fruit and veg garden is in the requirements for Rhodes, not wants, so that should mean one thing for everyone, but what exactly is good size? I have 12 plots and a fruit tree in my entry (and all the other required objects such as an easel), could I score less than 5 for requirements because I don’t have more fruit trees? Or is one of them just fine? They’re expensive (1200 each), but I decided they need to have at the very least one (I went for lemon as that seems more fitting for a desert hood than apple), but do they need more? There’s still time so if they are necessary I could edit my entry, but it’d be very hard to suddenly lower the price by 2400 to afford the two additional trees, especially given that the other required objects aren’t cheap either.

@Voeille, I didn't have any fruit trees, though I used cc garden plants and had strawberries and grapes, and I got full requirement points. And technically tomatoes are fruit...

I would interpret "playground" to mean a space where they can play outside with dedicated equipment. So something like swings and maybe a simulated sandpit as a minimum, a slide might be nice, but definitely not a whole set up like you'd find in a municipal playground.

Likewise I would interpret "fruit and veg garden" just to mean a space to grow edible plants, rather than a flower garden.

In my opinion one of those playground items should be sufficient; because it is a house (although we do tend to put playground equipment in gardens over here, to be honest, and many apartment complexes have them too).

I think a good size simply means that there should be a variety; I am not sure that there should be more than one fruit tree, or even has to be one, if there are plenty of veggie plots; so I think one lemon tree and 12 plots should be adequate, although I am, of course not, a judge

@Goldenbtrfly That's fine, it's only foundation that's not allowed.

@justJones play ground means at least a couple of outside play items, but preferably three. The type of objects that do not normally get brought inside. (so kick along toddler ride on toys don't count unless they run on a rail attached to the ground.) So swings, slide, large sandpit, large trampoline, round about, sew-saw, climbing structures meant for kids. Toddler hoppy thigs are fine because they are attached. I agree most houses would not have them. If I said base game friendly I was probably thinking sandpit made with game items and a swing or two.

Fruit and veg garden with 1-3 trees and some garden plots as would look okay for a couple to have. It's open for interpretation. I don't think 2 tomato plants suffice nor do they have to have enough for a market garden. Some room for variety. But a good range of cc plants without trees is okay, strawberries are fruit as are other berry bushes. Tomatoes are technically a fruit yes... but generally do come under the heading of 'vegetables'.

Ok, I have a swing set, with two swings, a sandbox and a tire swing on the treehouse, so that ought to be enough...hopefully, lol. Because I don't have any budget left :P

As I recall the swing is base game (the Pleasants have one, and there are some in a Pleasantview community lot). I'm pretty sure all the other Maxis playground equipment is Apartment Life. So, if I hadn't used CC for the Lamberts' house, I think the swing is the only piece of playground equipment I could have used. (I would never have thought of simulating a sandpit!)

Andrew, I have often made sandpits. Place down a floor tile border and fill the middle in with terrain sand. remove the tile and use a low border fence I use the cut log fence. (not sure what base game comes with) Place a toy or two into the sandpit.

Jones, that sounds fine.

Thanks, it’s reassuring to hear I don’t need to mess around to afford more trees

I do that too, but I also have the extracted BV sandpile, so I usually put that down in the sand so my kids can build sand castles too! It doesn't need to be packaged with the lot to work (like all maxis-made-buyable items), so I love using it.