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Mad Poster
#51 Old 20th Jun 2015 at 7:58 PM
Lol I was just about to ask about Round 2. Can't wait to get started

The Receptacle still lives!
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Test Subject
#52 Old 20th Jun 2015 at 9:21 PM Last edited by elphaba2 : 21st Jun 2015 at 1:59 AM.
Eeee, I'm excited. Taking pictures for Round 2 now. :D

Edit: I have a question about the object thing. Does the object have to be present in the story? Like, can the object be something that is discussed, and the absence of said object is what has an impact on the story? I'm thinking of having a character lose something important, and because of that there are devastating consequences (for that particular character, anyway). But if that's not quite what you were thinking I'll come up with something else.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#53 Old 21st Jun 2015 at 11:47 AM
@elphaba2: There's nothing in the rules that says it has to be shown or be physically present. A quest/search for an object would work just well as an object weapon we don't see that is being built/used against our heroes. As long as it's important and impacts the story it'll work.

Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
Lab Assistant
#54 Old 24th Jun 2015 at 10:06 PM
I have a question. My story is fantasy, but can I mix a little bit of sience fiction?

Play my sims 3 version of The Princess Challenge

Currently playing The Dynasty Challenge
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#55 Old 28th Jun 2015 at 1:32 AM
@Letcupcake: There's nothing wrong with having other genres in your story as long as it's clear that it is primarily a fantasy.

Scores and Comments will be up sometime between now and tomorrow. Sooner rather than later since I've got everything almost ready.

Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#56 Old 28th Jun 2015 at 5:59 AM
Round 1 Scores!!!!
ROUND 1 SCORES

Below you’ll find your final scores. In the spoilers is the averaged score rounded to the nearest decimal of each of the main criterion and the judges comments which are mixed up so they aren’t in any order. (If you add these points up they will not equal your final score as they are rounded up averages. Please see the Scores Breakdown for raw points.) For a breakdown of the raw points from the judges plus averages, click here for the score sheet: Scores Breakdown

Please note that while the scores on the spreadsheet are listed as per the contestant list, the judges have again been mixed so they do not reflect the list on the first post.
If you have any issues, questions or concerns with your scores or feedback, please PM me. Do Not Contact the Judges! You do not know which judge did what so speak with me privately.


Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
Lab Assistant
#57 Old 29th Jun 2015 at 1:05 AM Last edited by Letcupcake : 29th Jun 2015 at 1:39 AM.
I'm crushed. I'm the worst of ALL genres. I got 4 points less than the second worst. And 12 points less than the second worst of my genre.
I don't want to keep writing 65% its really bad

Play my sims 3 version of The Princess Challenge

Currently playing The Dynasty Challenge
Destroyer of Worlds
retired moderator
#58 Old 29th Jun 2015 at 3:56 AM
No, don't feel that way. Look at the comments and the places where you lost points and see how you can improve on that. For example, you scored low in the character section: because of the situation Nova was in, it was hard to get to know her which cost points in that section. See about how you can improve her as a character. Look at each section of judging in the first post of the contest: they all have questions that we (the judges) are looking at when we read through the stories. Ask yourself if you answered those questions based only on what you wrote. Not what you know as the author. If not, evaluate how you can answer those questions and stick to your story.

Don't give up though! We have to find out what happens.

Heaven Sims | Avendale Legacy
"On the internet, you can be anything you want. It's strange that so many people choose to be stupid."
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#59 Old 29th Jun 2015 at 10:14 PM
@Letcupcake: Please take heaven's advice! Don't give up. There's nothing wrong with your beginning if you were blogging the story as you'd have lots of space to slowly develop the plot and characters. In this contest, however, you need to develop the conflict quickly. Judges must score based on the criteria in the post. If you look at the SCORING section, you'll see that character and conflict need to be developed clearly enough that they can identify those points based off of what you actually wrote. Based off the entire story everything might meet the requirements 100%, but judges are scoring chapter by chapter. Start thinking in terms of chapters. Does my chapter have all the criteria in it? Where and how can I bring those out more? If you're still unsure if you've gotten those things across clearly in your writing, ask a friend to read it with the criteria. Another set of eyes that you trust will not only see what you may have missed, but might have ideas on details that would help. Focusing on improving one area for round 2 is a great idea. You may have started off with a 65, but you don't have to stay there. If you keep going and follow the advice/comments, you'll improve. Who knows what your final score will be?! You'll never know what you're capable of if you give up.

Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
Test Subject
#60 Old 30th Jun 2015 at 12:20 AM
Story Title: It's all in the eyes
Genre: Fantasy
Round Element: Crystal heart shaped necklace
Word/Picture Count: 1320 words/13 pictures
Synopsis & Recap: Strange men with even stranger eyes have broken into Kris' home and claimed she is one of them. The question is, one of who...or what?
Site Helper
#61 Old 1st Jul 2015 at 6:45 AM
Letcupcake: I'm adding my voice to the choir here. Please don't quit. I used to enter every contest that I could. Most of the time I was where you are now. (It still floors me when I'm NOT 10 points in last place after the first round.) But you have a good story going; it just started more slowly than it could have. You've got advice on how to improve, and you could easily pull ahead. Relax, and have fun with the story. I've been in several contests where the main reason I did as well as I did was because I kept going and real life hit the other contestants hard enough to make them drop out or miss a round. (Although winning third prize in a contest that had gotten down to 3 participants still has me giggling about it.)
4 points is easy to make up. Bonuses are worth 5, and they are optional. If someone doesn't include a bonus, and you do, you've gotten a few points that they didn't bother with. Round 1 is not the end. You CAN do this. Double check to be sure that you are following all the rules, plan to add every bonus that is offered, listen to the judges comments and try to improve based on them, and work on fixing your lowest-scoring category in each round, and I would be astonished if you were still in last place by the end of the contest. Please don't quit just because you didn't do well in the first round. The contest is a LOT closer than it feels to you right now. (And I want to finish reading your story.)

I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
Lab Assistant
#62 Old 1st Jul 2015 at 10:58 AM Last edited by sionelle : 8th Jul 2015 at 10:00 PM. Reason: added bonus info
STORY TITLE: Erosion
GENRE: Sci--Fi
WORD/PICTURE COUNT: 2,354 / 25
ROUND ELEMENT: Blue Datapad

SYNOPSIS AND RECAP: The Fourth Caerulean Commonwealth is a counterintelligence state built on slave labor and dominated by the government spy organization known as OrdSec. Tack Krannert runs a shipyard and mining colony on Timbok II, a planet inhabited by green-skinned locals. In an effort to stay in the good graces of the totalitarian government, he's taken on military contracts, sparking an argument with his anti-government second-in-command, Igna Kamiwix. Tack doesn't know that his aristocratic wife Patima is the leader of a resistance cell, she doesn't know that OrdSec knows the head of the cell is named Krannert, and OrdSec doesn't know that the Krannert in question is not the obvious choice, Tack.

The resistance is meeting in the mines this very night...



Site Helper
#63 Old 1st Jul 2015 at 5:04 PM
I almost forgot the reason I came here last night. I have one mostly black picture with a dark green dragon tail from Esmeralda's ridable dragon on a tipsy OMSP. I have another picture with Nathaniel hiding in the shadows at the side of the screen and, thanks to the game mechanic where putting one light in a basement makes the whole place darker, he's doing a wonderful job of hiding. Even after I brightened it so that he actually showed up as more than a couple of orange dots, 90% of the picture is solid black.

Would it be permitted to use the huge black area at the left side of the picture with Nathaniel to crop in the portion of the other picture that shows the dragon tail which is also mostly dark so I can turn two boring black pictures into a more interesting one? Or should I just skip that scene altogether?

I've attached my edited photo. I promise that in the original screenshots everything to the right of the dragon tail is more dark brown rock, and everything to the left of Nathaniel is more black.
Screenshots

I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
Lab Assistant
#64 Old 1st Jul 2015 at 5:18 PM
Thanks to everyone's support. I just don't think I can take another rejection again, but... I'll .... try?
T^T

Play my sims 3 version of The Princess Challenge

Currently playing The Dynasty Challenge
Lab Assistant
#65 Old 1st Jul 2015 at 6:39 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Ghost sdoj
I almost forgot the reason I came here last night. I have one mostly black picture with a dark green dragon tail from Esmeralda's ridable dragon on a tipsy OMSP. I have another picture with Nathaniel hiding in the shadows at the side of the screen and, thanks to the game mechanic where putting one light in a basement makes the whole place darker, he's doing a wonderful job of hiding. Even after I brightened it so that he actually showed up as more than a couple of orange dots, 90% of the picture is solid black.


Ghost, I had similar issues in some of the very dark scenes in my screenshots. I spent a lof of time fiddling with buydebug lights to illuminate things so they showed up properly in the shots (I mean, a lot of fiddling. In the one shot where they are walking into the maintenance room, there are about 8 buydebug lights, four ground level outdoor lights and three Showtime stage lights. Each one was indivisdually tweaked for intensity and color.) If you think like a movie director with the lighting, you can probably get the effect you're looking for. The overhead spotlights from Town Life or Late Night are also awesome helpers for this kind of thing.

But on the other hand, it's probably a lot easier to mash 'em up in Photoshop if allowed. If not, you may want to try some of the above.
Site Helper
#66 Old 1st Jul 2015 at 8:45 PM
Thank you, but I've got something weird going on in my game. It often refuses to save. If I've used any cheat mode at all, it won't save even after the cheat is turned off. If I've used CAST (which I use a lot of) it refuses to save. If I've added any debug objects, it refuses to save. If I put my contest family into a lot, it refuses to save (probably because most of them have CASTed clothing? Or maybe one or more of them is glitched?) And I seem to have to build the entire lot all over again every time I take a picture because I can't even go to Edit Town to put it in the bin. Regular screenshots are still darker than they should be, so I have to use the in-game camera and often crash to desktop after the picture is saved to the screenshot folder. And it sometimes, but not always, happens when all CC is removed. It's happening more often now that the weather is hotter, so I'm guessing there is a heat issue going on as well. I'm not going to try re-staging either of those pictures because it was too much work for a picture that ended up kind of dull anyway, and that particular lot ceased to exist 4 days ago. If my mashup isn't allowed I just need to get 8 more pictures instead of 7. I figure that if I can get one usable picture a day, it's manageable. But I don't have the time or inclination to do the rest of the Game Problem FAQ right now. Last time I had to go through everything it took me 3 months to track down the problem(s.) I would rather not have to ask for a 3-month extension, especially if my problem turns out to be hardware related...

And after this contest I'm not playing any more Sims for at least 6 months.

I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#67 Old 1st Jul 2015 at 10:53 PM
@Ghost sdoj: Yikes! You are a champ to keep doing this contest with all those issues. Selfishly, I do want to know what happens and am glad your continuing despite it all. As far as the picture goes. Putting two pictures together is against the rules, however, it falls under "Presentation" and each judge decides if something is a violation, whether or not to count off for it, and how much to take off. At most, one picture might cost you 1 point, but it could be less or nothing at all. It depends on how big or little an issue the judge thinks it is. So, it's up to you to risk it or not.

Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
Site Helper
#68 Old 2nd Jul 2015 at 8:34 PM
OK, if I have too much trouble getting picture number 12, I'll use it. Otherwise, it's just another experimental outtake. But I managed three pictures last night, so I hope I won't need it.

I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
Mad Poster
#69 Old 8th Jul 2015 at 3:26 AM
Sooo between working extra hours to go to my friend's wedding and....going to the wedding. I may need a bit more time for my entry. Is it okay if mine is late?

The Receptacle still lives!
Site Helper
#70 Old 8th Jul 2015 at 4:16 AM
Story Title: Between Two Worlds
Genre: Fantasy
Word/Picture Count: 2500 words; 12 pictures
Round Element: newspaper
Synopsis & Recap: In a world ruled by a necromancer who uses the undead as his enforcers, Amara discovers that she is destined to bring change, whether she wants to or not. Now the Lord Emperor is forcing the issue, and her life is on the line.






I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#71 Old 8th Jul 2015 at 7:46 PM
Quote: Originally posted by lil bag2
Sooo between working extra hours to go to my friend's wedding and....going to the wedding. I may need a bit more time for my entry. Is it okay if mine is late?

Your entry can be late up to 3 days for -3 points a day or you can request an one time extension without penalty. If you need an extension please PM me with a request and how many extra days you will need (must be within the judging period, no more than 4-5 days so judges have time to read/score).

Memory Games A Sims 3 Thriller Mystery
Lab Assistant
#72 Old 9th Jul 2015 at 7:15 AM Last edited by Freelala : 9th Jul 2015 at 7:34 AM.
Title: Avalanche
Genre: Science Fiction
Word/Picture Count: 2497 / 23
Round Element Object: S.A.R.A.
Synopsis: The Jovians came to Earth to escape slavery and genocide; instead, they found a more subtle form of both waiting inside their gilded cage. When tension between the humans and descendents of the refugees is higher than ever, a chance encounter between two wanted criminals championing the Jovian cause will have repercussions far beyond what either side could have imagined.
Recap: On a train heading north, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, Shinobu Sato encountered Gael de Garmo and recognized him as one of those she was sworn to protect. While the mercenaries pursuing them were no match for her blade, things go from bad to worse when one of Shinobu's allies claims Gael is more than what he seems.




"Passion makes no accommodation for self-preservation."
Lab Assistant
#73 Old 9th Jul 2015 at 7:11 PM
Does anyone knows how to get creative again? I've been writing my story, but I just got blocked! I can't write anymore, and it's due tommorrow and I haven't finished my story or taken the pictures. Help ;(

Play my sims 3 version of The Princess Challenge

Currently playing The Dynasty Challenge
Test Subject
#74 Old 9th Jul 2015 at 10:19 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Letcupcake
Does anyone knows how to get creative again? I've been writing my story, but I just got blocked! I can't write anymore, and it's due tommorrow and I haven't finished my story or taken the pictures. Help ;(


Try finding background music that would fit the theme of your story, and then let the movie that is your story play in your head while you listen to it. It's something I sometimes do. You have a nice story going on, by the by.
Test Subject
#75 Old 9th Jul 2015 at 11:53 PM
Oi vey, my entry may be a day late. Or very close to late. It's taking longer than I thought to write one scene and I'm not sure it'll be done in time. Sorry. T_T
 
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