It's just numbers

Date Posted: 24th Jun 2007 at 11:38 PM

On and off over my 2 years (yes, 2 years this month!) of creating for the game, I've gone though ups and downs looking at the numbers. I still never know what is really going to be the most popular, and sometimes things start off slowly and get more recognition over time.

I just passed 500,000 downloads - big number, and I noticed. I threw confetti and cake around the chatroom when it happened.

But the numbers are just that, numbers. Even the feature count is just numbers. Not to say I'm not glad that I have a 3 features, one of which is a big group project. It's nice to see download counts and thanks counts go up. It's nice to finally have a couple of features. (I had 50 uploads before my first feature)

But what's more important is the nice notes I got - and the experience I had making the objects. As I was just looking over my collection here on site, I remember - I remember working on my textures, trying to make things more realistic, getting tips from others, and learning new things in photoshop. I remember my excitement when lethe posted the banners and beds and I worked on recoloring them - the accomplishment of looking at the new whatever it is I made in game. I can still get the 'wow, cool *I* made that' feeling when I am viewing the finished item in game - because the transition from the flat graphic where I'm pushing pixels around to the finished item is huge. Every time someone recolors one of my meshes and makes them new again, I get a little fuzzy feeling. I also feel happy when I can help someone else get their own creations working, which is totally separate from anything on my downloads or thanks counts.

It's all in the sharing - of our knowledge, of our talents, and learning - that makes this fun and worthwhile.
Comments 13
It's Done!

Date Posted: 21st May 2007 at 4:36 AM

Well, what we were working on is done. It was the most incredible thing to be working together with the a very talented team of folks on The Dark Project.

Someone would build a lot or object - which would inspire someone else to make something, and so it went. The creativity of the group and energy was just fantastic. Every time there was a new post I'd be excited and wow'd by the creativity and attention to detail.

And then there were the skinners - Zoe, Liz, Enblith and Alex - who had already been texturing some of my meshes from the Magick Modders project... and whose work I admire. I went on a meshing frenzy and they went on a skinning frenzy! It was amazing to see my meshes brought to life -- they had more mesh ideas than we could possibly finish for this project, so you can be sure that you'll see more related stuff from us in the future

A lot of work, but with such results. I was lucky to be part of it.
:lovestruc
Comments 0
Meshy Meshy

Date Posted: 1st Apr 2007 at 11:06 PM

Working on meshes.... having fun.

And the more I'm doing, the more I have got to say that Unimesh totally rocks my socks. The improvements Wes has made to it over this past year turn it from something that started out excellent into something that supports pretty much anything we'd like to do. And the fact that Mete has been able to work with him to make changes to Milkshape and improve the whole package is just brilliant.
Comments 2
Payday! Yeah!

Date Posted: 1st Apr 2007 at 11:22 AM

FINALLY we've turned this site around, and will get something for all of our hard work. I'm very excited about our new MTSExchange.

With our new funding we can now let folks post anything they want - no more listening to folks whine and whine about how their stuff got rejected. And my new salary means I can cut back on other work and just devote myself to the site. This is so great.

---
Yes, this was part of the April 1 joke. And the *cough* amazing *cough* 'exchange' downloads were created by the staff and award winning modders of the site. So if it made your eyeballs fall out - now you know that we _can_ make bad content, lol.
Comments 3
Where Would I be Without MTS2?

Date Posted: 9th Jan 2007 at 6:56 AM

Lately many discussions have revolved around paysites, poser meshes, members giving, revamping the tutorial areas, the wiki, etc, and I asked myself "Where would I be without MTS2"

I'm staff and several times a day I pop onto the site and answer questions in 'Create'. My first thought was “I wouldn't be staff, I'd have TIME to... do more of my own sim projects.” But then I stopped short - because without MTS2, I wouldn't have the skills I have now.

Some history, so you can understand. I am a computer geek and into graphics. I illustrate for a kid's educational site (for pay). I began modding with Sims 1, but I was afraid - yes AFRAID - of meshes. I saw the amazing sim stuff created by MJ at http://www.simarillion.com/ and said "I could NEVER do that". I did some skinning and made objects (they're graphics in Sims 1) and remained terrified of meshing, even with my semi-technical background.

Then my teen buys Sims 2, finds MTS2, and soon I'm checking out the site. I find a cute doll, and make recolors for it - and get introduced to the community - the doll didn't recolor properly. Numenor fixed it for me, and thus my first download was on site, with encouraging feedback. I began reading the object/meshing forums, and kept recoloring. I felt part of the community, and joined the Magick Modders fall 2005 to make some medieval clothing.

We needed some new body meshes for that project, especially a long girl's dress. Over a year ago our tools to edit body meshes were limited, and no one had created a long girl's dress mesh that animated well _and_ didn't have hem shadows. I was determined to have a long gown, and started learning to mesh, exploring what each set of tools could do at the time... read every post I could find on the topic, and finally I made a girl’s gown. By then MTS2 was my home, and when I was asked to join the staff in Dec 2005, my answer was an excited "Yes!"

The accomplishment I'm proud of this past year is moving the bodyshop meshing area out of the objects area, and creating the infocenter so that the tidbits of info could be brought together into a more findable format. It's not perfect, and I will work more on the documentation for the area.

But the biggest thing - I went from being _afraid_ of meshing, to helping others learn how to mesh some of the most complex meshes in the game (with the bone assignment and animation issues). All that in less than 2 years. I still have a lot to learn, and hope I can continue to do so, along with helping others along their own modding path.

Thank you Delphy. Thank you all the people who pour over code late into the night to bring us the free tools to mod with. Thanks to the staff and members who are so giving (if I list names this post will go forever!) Finally, thank goodness for this totally free site that anyone can join and experience and get hooked on, and maybe get daring and try their wings. Who knows what we might learn next. :lovestruc
Comments 3
New Profile Pages

Date Posted: 24th Dec 2006 at 1:53 AM

and other cool stuff. I'm really pleased with how they came together. Hope you like them too. And go get the pets bodyshop patch at Maxis if you have pets! Not gotten much done on other projects, been a bit busy.

Have a great holiday and the best for the new year
Comments 0
Top Secret Mission

Date Posted: 30th Nov 2006 at 11:38 AM

I won't be around much for the next few days, off on a top secret mission. I'll let you all know about it later

Comments 1
Changes YEAH!

Date Posted: 19th Aug 2006 at 11:03 PM

I am excited about the changes we've just implemented to the site, some of them we've been discussing for some time now, but finally it is all pulled together!

Been busy with the Unimesh Tutorials and helping Vashti get the Gimp Skinning tutorials on site, hopefully I'll be able to finish up some new creations soon, I have 3 projects partially completed sitting here!
Comments 3
Anything worth doing...

Date Posted: 25th Jul 2006 at 2:46 AM

is worth... working at it.

Yup, a small philosophical post. I spend a lot of time in the Create forums - lately mostly in Bodyshop-Meshing and Skinning.

I came across these two quotes, both attributed to Albert Einstein:
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.

Our society seems to more and more be sliding into the 'quick and no effort' realm of things. To the point that some schools have said marking mistakes on student's papers with red will give them a bad self-image. Indeed, failing without eventual success would be tough on the self-esteem, but getting okay grades w/o trying is just as damaging.

Not everyone will be a rocket scientist, or an Einstein - but more would reach their potential if they knew that working hard (and getting help when needed) is key to success. The feeling after working HARD/mastering a challenge and doing well - that is the thing that builds self esteem and confidence.

Sims? Ah yeah, Sims.... so it's a pet peeve of mine (and some of the rest of the staff too!) when people come to the site and expect... personal hand-holding -- they don't want to read, try the tutorials, or even start over. They seem to want us to look over their shoulders - which we can't - and have a hard time describing what they did or giving screenshots.

It's frustrating when people don't actually DO the tutorials but want to jump 5 levels ahead first thing, don't read the faqs or other info, or think we're hiding the 'easy' way, and assume that we experts must be able to whip out things super-fast - not that hours, days, and sometimes months go into our projects.

Now I honestly love giving help to anyone who is trying to figure out their stuff, who has been working on it. I am thrilled when they read the faqs/infocenter and do the tutorials and then have questions. When they come back and say 'I got it working, see!" I am happy for them, and proud for them and the accomplishment. It's those people, and their eventual success that keeps me going. Doesn't hurt when they hit the 'thanks' button either

here's to hard work and fantastic new stuff for our games
Comments 2
About Me

Date Posted: 18th Jun 2006 at 8:08 AM

I'm on staff. Sometimes I issue warnings to folks not following forum rules. Most of the time I answer questions or write tutorials. I'm glad to be staff on such a supportive and creative site

Interests? Sims, Lord of the Rings, Medieval, Kids

I’m into body/hair/accessory meshing. I spend my time in the skinning and body-meshing areas, and try and answer questions while still learning. I also do much of the maintenance of the Bodyshop-Meshing FAQ/InfoCenter. I do welcome PMs with suggestions for the area, and people can post info and I'll move it to the right place

I barely get to play The Sims 2 except when testing meshes. I can't answer gameplay questions. Meshing/skinning questions should be asked on the forums, where many can share their knowledge.

I also have a Sims 1 Site here
Comments 4
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