Author Topic: Building Contest Rules (Read 4857 times)

AriaGirl77 · « **on:** June 21, 2010, 07:59:23 PM »

For each contest a sim or group of sims will tell a story to explain what kind of house they are looking for. It will be your job to build them the home of their dreams! Each story and set of specifications will be provided with the rules of each individual contest.

The following rules will apply to every contest unless otherwise noted.

Procedure:

Once you have completed their home please upload it to the Sims 3 Exchange. For instructions on how to upload to the Sims 3 Exchange, click here. In the Lot Description on the Exchange you must mention that it is an entry for a building contest on Carl & Pam's Sims 3 Forum. Then return here to submit your entry. You may include up to 5 single images of your house. Please use the photobucket instructions for uploading images rather than the in-house image uploader. We'll be able to see the full size image with Photobucket (or another hosting service) where as the in-house service only provides thumbnails that have to be clicked. In addition, you must include the following information:

1. Name of your house
2. Link to your house on the Exchange
3. Lot size
4. Items used from The Sims 3 Store
5. Description of the house

Rules:

1. Players must go into Edit Town and build on a vacant lot, making sure the final value of the lot does not exceed the requirements of the contest before you exit Edit Town mode. Ignore any reduction in value once in live play mode that may be caused by depreciation.
2. No discussion is allowed on the submission thread until voting is complete. Any posts for anything other than submission of a house to be judged will be deleted.
3. The use of mods or third party custom content is strictly prohibited.
4. Expansion Pack items & free items from The Store are allowed. Please make note of any such items on the entry form.
5. The "moveobjects on" cheat is allowed, but no others.

Judging:

Contestants will have 1 month to submit entries. At that point, a poll will be posted and everyone will have the opportunity to vote on which 3 houses they think are best. Voting will be locked at the end of the voting period, after which the winner will be determined. Homes that do not meet the basic requirements outlined under Job Requirements will be automatically disqualified.

AriaGirl77 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2010, 08:03:24 PM »

If you have any questions at all, now's the time to ask! I will be traveling to attend a funeral June 23rd-29th and I'm not sure if I will have computer access while I'm gone. I will post the official contest thread on July 1st, and at that point you can get started on your marvelous creations.

Pam · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2010, 09:41:03 PM »

Thanks Aria! I made this post sticky so it will stay at the top of the board. Everyone should note that these are the general contest rules and that each individual contest will be subject to these rules, as well as the special rules for that particular contest.

pallyndrome · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2010, 11:21:17 PM »

Sounds good. Hope this doesn't sound like a stupid question, but how do you work out lot size?

Pam · « **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2010, 11:26:25 PM »

I imagine lot size will be part of the individual contest rules each month.

pallyndrome · « **Reply #5 on:** June 21, 2010, 11:40:26 PM »

No, I meant, is there a way to check lot size after you've finished building? Or do you have to remember what it was from when you placed the lot?

AriaGirl77 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 21, 2010, 11:49:41 PM »

I'm pretty sure that when you upload to the exchange it will tell the lot size. But it's simple enough to jot it down before you start building so that you know for sure.

samoht04 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 22, 2010, 01:56:51 AM »

When you go into Edit Town Mode and select your house/lot then it will show up in the same panel that opens as the upload one.

Twinmum · « **Reply #8 on:** June 22, 2010, 02:49:31 AM »

Just a question about the 5 screenshots. So they to be posted here - I'm guessing just the lot itself goes to the exchange. Also, do they have to be straight screenshots or can we merge 2 pics to be one.

like this

Guess I'm going to have to get used to the exchange as I've never used it before.

Norma

Pam · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2010, 04:12:41 AM »

I would say straight screenshots. Not everyone knows how to put an image inside another image and we want to keep it fair. Everyone will have five images of their house to post on the contest thread.

Schipperke · « **Reply #10 on:** June 22, 2010, 10:22:58 AM »

Quote from: Twinmum on June 22, 2010, 02:49:31 AM

Guess I'm going to have to get used to the exchange as I've never used it before.

Norma

I've never used the exchange either. Can someone explain how it works?

Archer0 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 22, 2010, 10:39:32 AM »

There's lots of guides on the web that explain this procedure. It's pretty simple. Here's a nice one I googled at the official Sims 3 website:

http://www.thesims3.com/contentDetail.html?contentId=28671

It came from this thread: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/205.page

The Creative Corner forum on the official site, has a plethora of information on building in general too. I found it invaluable when I started building. I am by no means even an amateur yet, just a newbie still.

Edit: Hopefully they get all the problems cleared up with the exchange before this contest starts. There's a sticky on the official Sims 3 forums as of 6/18 where they are recommending people NOT upload or download anything from the exchange.

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/217837.page

^Edit: 6/23 There's an update on the link right above this. Apparnently they are saying it's ok to upload and download again to the Exchange, but it's possible people may have downloaded a corrupt file that will slow down your game dramatically. Thanks to a forum poster, they have instructions listed on how to remove the file.

dannyr783 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 22, 2010, 11:25:53 AM »

Some things to consider...

Will moveobjects be allowed in the contest? Aslong as the stuff remains functional, it should be fine. If not on the inside, in my opinion, it should be allowed for landscaping, to combine flowers and stuff.

Will constrainelevation false be used?? I don't think it should be allowed, since it creates some ugly side-effects, and isn't entirely needed.

AriaGirl77 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 22, 2010, 11:59:56 AM »

Archer0 - Yes, I'm hoping they clear up the exchange issues before we start. If they're still having problems by then obviously we won't be using the exchange and will only vote based on screen shots, which is a bummer because I had planned to download every contestant's home to check it out for myself.

dannyr783 - I will allow moveobjects, but that is the only cheat allowed. I'll edit the rules to reflect that.

Pam · « **Reply #14 on:** June 22, 2010, 07:59:32 PM »

Aria,

We'll need our own step-by-step instructions on how to upload to the Exchange. Would you mind writing them? Then they will need to be attached as part of the rules for every contest. Thanks!

AriaGirl77 · « **Reply #15 on:** June 22, 2010, 11:31:03 PM »

I can certainly do that. I'll have it ready on July 1st.

howrseluver1999 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 26, 2010, 08:29:06 PM »

I am new to Carl and Pam's Sims 3 Forum, so I have a question to ask, do I have to join the building contest?

Pam · « **Reply #17 on:** June 26, 2010, 08:32:32 PM »

Quote from: howrseluver1999 on June 26, 2010, 08:29:06 PM

I am new to Carl and Pam's Sims 3 Forum, so I have a question to ask, do I have to join the building contest?

No, not at all. It's completely voluntary for those who wish to participate. Same with the challenge tournament. We're just trying to provide activities for our members who wish to be involved.

Joria · « **Reply #18 on:** June 27, 2010, 03:54:41 PM »

Is there a time frame/limit for this challenge? I'm working on Crazy 8's but am pretty sure I can also do the building. I"ve been dying to do one anyway. Just make my 8's Sims house the house, or is that not fair?

samoht04 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 27, 2010, 04:09:05 PM »

Quote from: Joria on June 27, 2010, 03:54:41 PM

Is there a time frame/limit for this challenge? I'm working on Crazy 8's but am pretty sure I can also do the building. I"ve been dying to do one anyway. Just make my 8's Sims house the house, or is that not fair?

The time frame is 2 weeks to build and 2 weeks to vote.

I see nothing wrong with that but you may have to build the house before moving the sim in to keep it fair, after uploading it and putting your entry on here then move your challenge sim in. There is no point in making these houses and then not having other sims move in to them. So basically as long as you build the house first, but make sure it meets the challenges requirements!

Pam · « **Reply #20 on:** June 27, 2010, 10:14:41 PM »

Quote from: Joria on June 27, 2010, 03:54:41 PM

Is there a time frame/limit for this challenge? I'm working on Crazy 8's but am pretty sure I can also do the building. I"ve been dying to do one anyway. Just make my 8's Sims house the house, or is that not fair?

Each building contest will have a specific set of requirements to be met and you'll have to build your house fresh to submit it to the contest for voting. What you do with the house after the contest is up to you and the restrictions for whatever challenge you're working on. The first Building Contest is due to start July 1, but AriaGirl is away for personal reasons and hasn't been able to post the rules. We may have to postpone the first contest until August 1 to allow her time to get everything ready and organized.

Joria · « **Reply #21 on:** July 01, 2010, 03:30:24 PM »

I already have at least 3 stories and houses in mind and have been jonesing to get going on this. I hope Aria is doing ok, so if she needs more time, hey, we can all wait awhile and just hone those ideas to perfection. Right? I can really see this contest as an ongoing thing. Meanwhile, there is no way I'm going to be higher than the last slot in that Crazy 8's challenge! I think I've already logged in more days than you did. Ah well, chalk it up to learning experience and head for the next challenge with a high heart.

Edit: Pam, I just happened to think. If we are not allowed any cheats except move objects, it's going to be very difficult to build the home of their dreams with the short amount of funds you start off with. I think motherlode should be allowed up to a certain cash amount to be determined by Aria or you, or it would have to be a starter home and nothing else or you will spend all your time trying to make money for the Sim(s) that are going to use it. It would mean, once again, making a new Sim, going through the process of setting up his/her cash reserve, and THEN building a house, and that could take more than a month to accomplish. Am I right or am I missing something? Or would you just take any random Sim and build in Edit Town mode?

Swede1992 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 01, 2010, 04:06:43 PM »

Yeah I agree with Joria; the familyfunds cheat would logically be my choice for fine-adjusting the economic level of the family (for other times when the money bar maybe is a little higher as well). Or are we supposed to build the house without a family in Edit Town and just watch the value meter?

samoht04 · « **Reply #23 on:** July 01, 2010, 04:09:22 PM »

The Idea was to build it within a budget of a single sim (for this challenge) So there would be no need for the money cheats unless it states that you will.

@Aria - Maybe you could upload the challenge sim to the exchange?

Twinmum · « **Reply #24 on:** July 01, 2010, 05:17:18 PM »

I wouldn't think we need the actual sim. I just assumed we go into edit town and build a house with no sim, just build within the 16,500 budget. Keeping within that budget is possible, it's no different to making a new sim and moving them in to a house with the standard starting funds.

Norma