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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#1 Old 9th Nov 2019 at 11:26 PM
Default Suggestions to World Building
Not long ago I created my own world with the editing program, just to get used to the thing of making your own and have it progress over time. Though Į would like to gather input and insight from those that created their own, or at least utilized premade/downloadable/custom worlds at disposable to alter to their liking, that know a thing or two by experience and gained knowledge how to establish a well run or efficient world, in terms of routing, terrain horizon, ideas for commercial lots, lot planned layout, types of residents. Things a novice world builder should know, as well the insight on how your world are like and how they operate would give certaintly an inspiration

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 10th Nov 2019 at 2:01 AM
Not totally understanding your question. If you mean working in CAW there are tutorials to read and whole sections on CAW here and at other sites. If you are talking about editing existing worlds in game with lot additions, tree and rock placements, etc, there is not much that can be done in most worlds as many are done with many open areas as unroutable, so new lots cannot be placed there.
Top Secret Researcher
#3 Old 10th Nov 2019 at 8:13 AM
Maybe my guide is something for you: https://nornities.tumblr.com/post/1...a-guide-it-took It should give you a good idea where to start with CAW and world building to avoid some common mistakes. You can also always show your progress in the CAW section here and ask more specific questions.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#4 Old 10th Nov 2019 at 12:21 PM
By World Building, I meant the thought-creative procesas of setting a world by having it preplanned. I'm not looking for a tutorial how to use CAW (despite this thread being catehorize, because well frankly it's relevant and thus would be easier to find with such), but just like how I ask "how to build a house" while being well versed with the building tools off how to use them.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Mad Poster
#5 Old 10th Nov 2019 at 2:17 PM Last edited by AGuyCalledPi : 10th Nov 2019 at 2:41 PM.
Well if you want to create a world from scratch I would assume you have some ideas of what it's supposed to look like. Even if you're shit at drawing you can still sketch out some maps and then put it to some reference images you found on the internet. And then you might want to start asking yourself some questions about its theoretical history, function, purpose, maybe its demographics and economic situation. If you're in a larger city it might even have its own dish and be the birthplace of a famous cultural figure.

For me it's maybe a little easier because I picked a setting that already gave me some idead of which direction to go in, but "Bridgeport" is only loosely based on Bridgeport. I couldn't just depict a city if I didn't know what was where and why, even if my tools are very limited. So I've taken my time to figure out ways to represent it both in-game and in video. It won't be enough until everyone sees that city street full of taxicabs and believes it as fact. And sure, that may take a while since most of those taxicabs aren't actually there, but it'll be worth it.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Top Secret Researcher
#6 Old 10th Nov 2019 at 4:02 PM
There is no generic "plan". It all depends on the world you want to realise, and then you have to make a lot of decisions. It's always a decision between performance/playability and detail. You can't have both at maximum. But what makes sense for your world may not make sense for someone else's world. What gameplay do you want? A world for historic gameplay has different requirements than one for modern urban gameplay. Do you want to cater for a legacy? Or for a specific theme? Or just for photoshooting?

Do you want to learn new skills, making objects unique to your world? Or just a quick task? How realistic is it supposed to be or are you going for a Sims focused world? How much time do you want to spend? That's different for everyone.

The number of lots - the more, the laggier, the bigger - the laggier, the more detailed - the laggier. It's not a fixed number. What kind of lots - well, that depends highly on your world. Do you need careers? Which ones? Do you want to set your world up for mods like zerbu's career mods? Do you like to play with families and toddlers? Horses? Do you need lots of options for partying? Diving and water activites / house boats?

Do you want to use cc? Do you want to share the world? Routing - there are enough tutorials how to make good routing, so there is not much left to discuss. Distant Terrain - you can add it nor not, you can make your own or use EA or modify an existing one. There is not much to discuss either.

That's what I meant when I suggested to post with more specific questions.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#7 Old 10th Nov 2019 at 4:35 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Norn
What gameplay do you want? A world for historic gameplay has different requirements than one for modern urban gameplay. Do you want to cater for a legacy? Or for a specific theme? Or just for photoshooting?

Do you want to learn new skills, making objects unique to your world? Or just a quick task? How realistic is it supposed to be or are you going for a Sims focused world? How much time do you want to spend? That's different for everyone.

The number of lots - the more, the laggier, the bigger - the laggier, the more detailed - the laggier. It's not a fixed number. What kind of lots - well, that depends highly on your world. Do you need careers? Which ones? Do you want to set your world up for mods like zerbu's career mods? Do you like to play with families and toddlers? Horses? Do you need lots of options for partying? Diving and water activites / house boats?

Do you want to use cc? Do you want to share the world? Routing - there are enough tutorials how to make good routing, so there is not much left to discuss. Distant Terrain - you can add it nor not, you can make your own or use EA or modify an existing one. There is not much to discuss either.

That's what I meant when I suggested to post with more specific questions.

Just fun type of gameplay, modern. Legacy I suppose. Not for photoshooting.

All skills available for everyone would be ideal. Not sure what you mean about Quick task. Can it be both realistic and,(whatever that means) Sim centered?

Yes to all careers. And I may later make them zerbu. Yes to all.

I don't play with CC, but may share

Trivial stuff:
I do wish to keep simple in terms of terrain, aš I care more for gameplay. What logical progression would it be for the world, in terms of opening facilities, population growth and object/activity appearance (un locking them)?

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Top Secret Researcher
#8 Old 10th Nov 2019 at 8:54 PM
This is a basic, getting started type tutorial you might find helpful.
http://krrank.blogspot.com/p/caw-tutorial.html
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#9 Old 10th Nov 2019 at 9:23 PM
Probably should have included in OP, but anyone would like to share their story how they started to evolve their own-created or empty world?

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Mad Poster
#10 Old 11th Nov 2019 at 3:17 AM
Every world builder does it differently and in many cases each world differently. I just start and see if I like what I have to continue or not? You just have to start working with it and see what method works best for you. It is a lot of trial and error. There is no standard progression or order that must be followed.
Top Secret Researcher
#11 Old 11th Nov 2019 at 10:21 AM
I found an old world on an old website that I downloaded and then reworked it bit to my own taste. Been working on it off and on for about 2 years and I'm still tinkering with it.
I tried making a world from scratch and it is just too daunting. I never got very far before giving up. It just takes way too long. And I appreciate creators that allow you to change their creations to suit your likes/playstyle.
Top Secret Researcher
#12 Old 11th Nov 2019 at 10:51 AM
Maxis Match might be a better term for "sim focused". You can replace textures with photorealistic textures, you can add power lines, telephone booths, bus stops, parking spaces in the knowledge your sims won't ever use these things but they add a "realistic" touch to your world. Sim focused means, well, you know what is possible in the game and you concentrate on that without adding additional useless clutter just for the looks.

So, if you want to, make a list with lots you want (both gameplay wise/lot type and size), there are threads and pages with lot types and lot lists and lists with ideas for lots if you need inspiration. This will tell you how much space you need and which size your world needs. It will also tell you something about wich "areas" you will need. Equestrian centers and horse ranches usually are not downtown, same as nightclubs are rarely in rural areas. But it all depends on the world you want to make, everything is possible. It's your vision.

If you want to plan ahead, collect inspirational pictures for houses and landscapes. Draw a map. Plan a layout. Btw, this is all covered in my guide

What do you mean by "unlocking"? Everything will be there right from the start, unless you plan a build-a-town-challenge which regulates your gameplay. Also population growth, that depends heavily on your playstyle. Leave some lots empty so you can expand if you feel like it, build some small houses on larger lots so you can expand those, too. But that's all there is for the world building aspect. The main part of that is actually playing the game.

I started world building because I wanted to edit existing worlds to my liking, and then there were so many changes that I started again from scratch. I love landscaping.
Mad Poster
#13 Old 11th Nov 2019 at 2:18 PM
Maxis Match, Sim focused, low detail, you might even call it boring. Building a good world must be a skill by now because I've noticed the really popular ones all have some objective qualities. Most of them are more detailed than you'd expect from EA, yet don't compromise on playability and also don't have major CC demands.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#14 Old 11th Nov 2019 at 3:51 PM Last edited by SneakyWingPhoenix : 11th Nov 2019 at 4:19 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Norn
Maxis Match might be a better term for "sim focused". You can replace textures with photorealistic textures, you can add power lines, telephone booths, bus stops, parking spaces in the knowledge your sims won't ever use these things but they add a "realistic" touch to your world. Sim focused means, well, you know what is possible in the game and you concentrate on that without adding additional useless clutter just for the looks.

So, if you want to, make a list with lots you want (both gameplay wise/lot type and size), there are threads and pages with lot types and lot lists and lists with ideas for lots if you need inspiration. This will tell you how much space you need and which size your world needs. It will also tell you something about wich "areas" you will need. Equestrian centers and horse ranches usually are not downtown, same as nightclubs are rarely in rural areas. But it all depends on the world you want to make, everything is possible. It's your vision.

If you want to plan ahead, collect inspirational pictures for houses and landscapes. Draw a map. Plan a layout. Btw, this is all covered in my guide

What do you mean by "unlocking"? Everything will be there right from the start, unless you plan a build-a-town-challenge which regulates your gameplay. Also population growth, that depends heavily on your playstyle. Leave some lots empty so you can expand if you feel like it, build some small houses on larger lots so you can expand those, too. But that's all there is for the world building aspect. The main part of that is actually playing the game.

I started world building because I wanted to edit existing worlds to my liking, and then there were so many changes that I started again from scratch. I love landscaping.

Alright. Do perhaps know where/how I can find these type of threads. On google search is quite difficult to find these. Ideas I have currently thought of:
- A mall, that consist of six service RB rugs (stores, theater, spa and dining facilities), set as market and are run by WA registers.
- A hangout lot, that pretty much offers sports activities like that gnubb game and shuffle board.
- I thought If I ever get Showtime, I could combine a stage lot with a stadium.

I haven't really looked into build-a-town challenge, probably due to expecting progression being score based. I prefer things being score based, and I sort of thought of rational ways of conditions that could work accordingly;
- For instances, libraries shouldn't exist until a bookstore establish, which that gets only unlocked after the very first novel is made in the worlds.
- All lots have to be build after their own as some household's property.
- Things must have priority (city hall first, then junkyard perhaps,, emergency lots, then at the end parks / service lots) or be in line with the demographic's demand in gradual matter (more clubs or whatever if many sims fit the partying-personality portfolio, more parks if more outdoors lovers, etc.)
- Residential lots can only be build under permitted architecture designer's request. (Don't know if that implementation does work in practice, where you can build full houses in renovation mode)

P.S. Sorry for my bad english.
Mad Poster
#15 Old 11th Nov 2019 at 4:34 PM
One major thing is when you do a world do you have plans ever to share it? If so, IMO, there needs to be something special/unique about it. There have been probably thousands of worlds done by now so IMO if you have a theme to it that has not been done up to the rafters already it will be a world more players will want. If you are building solely for your own use then it does not matter.

If you want such structured gameplay, it might be easier and faster to redo Sunset Valley for example. CAW has a lite version. It takes months if not years to do at all decent worlds, so decide what is worth it to you to do.

If your main purpose in doing this is to do some sequential build plan, you may be able to do that with something out there already, or modify something, rather than starting totally from scratch.
Top Secret Researcher
#16 Old 11th Nov 2019 at 6:21 PM
Hm, if I search for "Sims 3 lot ideas" I get a whole bunch of hits... listing only a few ones:

https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Lot_assignment
http://modthesims.info/t/447036
https://imgur.com/e2mIZgf
https://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/...dittownlots.php
http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=607080
http://modthesims.info/t/390936

This one gives a nice overview over lot types and rabbitholes (and also plays a challenge where they have to build the town in game): http://sims3clc.blogspot.com/

What you describe really sounds more like a gameplay challenge, not so much like CAW work. You will have to consider that once you start playing in your world, it will be difficult to take it back into CAW and NOT risking to lose your saved gameplay progress. So my approach would be to think of the town how it should be in the end and then build it accordingly in CAW, i.e. placing roads and empty lots, decorating etc. Maybe with plenty additional empty lots to have room if new ideas pop up while plaiyng.
Then you can start playing, and build the lots with whatever progression you want. Have a look at the Challenges section here on MTS. The Banished challenge might be something for you, or another challenge that aims at town building.
Mad Poster
#17 Old 12th Nov 2019 at 1:25 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Norn

What you describe really sounds more like a gameplay challenge, not so much like CAW work. Have a look at the Challenges section here on MTS. The Banished challenge might be something for you, or another challenge that aims at town building.


That is how this is reading to me too. Building a new world may not be needed unless that is something that the poster wants to do. Any existing world can have the lots bulldozed and be rebuilt up lot by lot as wanted. And some folks have emptied some of the worlds already. A decision needs to be made whether to invest major time in creating a new world, or working on the design of a build plan that may be able to be started much sooner?
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