Excellent points from Phae. Very good advice.

One thing I find myself doing if I look at the other entries before I've finished mine, is second guessing myself too much. If I have something started and see someone else has something similar, I may change what I have to something I don't like as much, even though I know I had the idea before I saw someone else did too. I've learned that unless something just really isn't working out as you'd planned, you should go with your original plan, even if you see others are doing similar.

Also, Kanzen, these sort of foundation contests, or really a lot of build contest, do have budgets. 2 of the 4 build contests I've hosted had budgets. (Could have sworn Trading Spaces did too, but I checked and apparently not, lol. It should have though. The show did. Of course on the show they weren't starting with nothing but bare walls/floor, doors and windows )

So many good points! I can relate so much with those that feel things are not good enough. When I was building my lot I kept trying to think that if even one person liked it then that was good enough but it is hard to think that way when that little voice in your head tells you it is horrible.
That said though because of the cometition I taught myself how to use dummy levels for L shaped stairs using cfe something I had steered away from because it must be hard but I did it so thanks to @joandsarah77 for the chance to learn and try to improve. It seems to me that no matter whether you are first or last this competition will perhaps change the way we look at things or change the way we think about how to approach a build. No more autoroofs for me!
Scottiedoag
P.S. Am I the only one who feels like they are waiting for the guillotine to fall (in the nicest possible way) whilst waiting for the judging?

Exactly. One of the entries here was a building style I had hoped to use with a future family. I thought of it for this family after I submitted my entry, but before this person submitted theirs . I think it would fit a particular family's requirments should I get them on the dice roll/coin toss. (NOT the same type of building. The same architectural style. Colonial, Cape Cod, etc.)

O .... K ... should I go through with the style or change it over to a different one? If I go with the style I had considered, it might look like I'm copying the person. However, I'm not.

I've decided that if I get this family, I may still go through with it. My lot won't look exactly like the other contestant's because it will be a different foundation, decor, landscaping and there will be different room and family requirements. I'll make sure it won't look like the other person's in terms of color schemes, presentation and room layout. But certain building styles are popular, and Maxis has certain walls and design elements that might inspire people to do the same style. There is a great chance, for instance, that we'll now be seeing 10 modern houses, 3 cottages, five bungalows, two lots with pagoda roofs and a houseboat (though that may be difficult with the foundation and certain family requirements ... while you COULD put a bicycle shed and a garden on a houseboat, it may not be very feasible to do). It happens.

I'm not sure if it's a guillotine as much as a "can I do this with a random family"? feeling. I have decided to be realistic about the size of the lot and the requirements and house size of each family; hence a coin toss, rather than a dice roll with certain lot configurations ... depends on the lot we're going to get. I managed to make something I've been trying very hard to do with a certain family, and I HOPE I'll be able to replicate it if I get them. Good question! But I do have more than a few days ...

Gazania, you worry too much Just build it. If it fits on the foundation and into the budget

And it is quite possible to end up stone last in the first round and still get a third place overall. Trust me, I have done that. So no guillotines will fall, @scottiedoag.

I need the next round to keep me from buying even more LulaRoe.

You can tell we're all hovering, waiting to pounce on the foundation the moment Jo uploads it.

It will be 2 am here though, so you will probably download it before me So I will pounce first thing in the morning!

Hi

I might be quiet but I'm reading. I haven't seen any that look like beginners. I have my favorites, too.
I'm not comfortable here yet and I don't know anyone so I will hover more than comment. I am shy no matter what anyone says.

Anyway, I have looked at only one other family requirements because their name is familiar to me and I was curious to build it. I'm going to wait and see how the next goes to what I pick or see or whatever's set up for us to do. I'm really not sure how this goes for the next round.
I'll be at a class when the footprint goes live but I'm sure it'll be full of anticipation.

Thanks for your very helpful post, Phaenoh!

I thoroughly enjoyed looking at all your entries, all of them had something that was great about them, well done all of you! I'm looking forward to seeing what else you build in the next round

I'm the opposite! Which is extra challenging for contests. Which is why I like ones like this one that limits funds.

Morning everyone, are we ready?

...


Round 2 is posted!

According to the little thing at the bottom of the page , there are 10 of us actively watching this page waiting for the next round to drop....

YES, WE ARE READY!!!!

I hadn't seen any of the entries when I created my house and I'm glad to have been one of the first. I don't want to be influenced while building. I want to be challenged and learn along the way and then see the amazing results of others' creations and learn some more. I have no idea what my next house is going to look like. I need to see the foundation before choosing a family then get stuck in. As one of those beginners I am very nervous.

Just seen the foundation and scribbled a layout on a notepad, and immediately crossed it out, put a big question mark and said "Hmm".
I will have to think long and hard after work.

Yay, the round is up! Although, it's time for sleep in my time zone.

Wait, budget $35,000?
But, how do we know if future rounds are going to have bigger or smaller budget, bigger or smaller lot, bigger of smaller foundation...? What if we choose one family now, but one of the next rounds turns out to be a lot more suitable for them, and not really suitable for any of the others?

I guess we have to go by intuition..

Times like now, where I'd rather start this new build than cooking supper. I'll think about stuff while fish cooks....

That's part of the fun of contests.

MystAngel, you are right. Go with your gut. That's the challenge of these contests, you don't know

(Rolls Dice.)

Don't let me get .., don't let me get ...

Oh, crap. I got THAT family.

This should be good! Or bad.

...A tree house? They want a tree house. That item does not exist in this game...

Oh dear. Dice rolling is not the way I would handle a contest since its best to actualy plan, but have fun!

Rosebine, you can build one.

Thank you for believing in ME!

It's a wet, gloomy day here - perfect for planning the build rather than going to work.

Yeah, I guess you are are right, JustJones. I'm still new and adapting, so I'll listen to the more experienced.

Also, I think Jo already has a vision, at least general plan for all rounds, so I don't think she will provide base that can not offer more than one ideal possibility, both now and in the future.

Gazania, boy your instincts are fast.

Here is one of my lots with a tree house http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=513554 For those who don't understand how you can build one. You are also free to go download a cc one, only that will lose you the 5 bonus points.

If you are doing the larger family/fur baby family you can always build up.

Yes, Riekus13 is amazing! However, I find it much more of a challenge and more thrilling to build cc-free. This particular contest has that element and looks like it brought out the best in folks. I am playing along, but haven't learned the picture making part, so I can't share....yet. I'll learn and one of these days actually participate. Meanwhile, I'll hover, watch, learn and make a new town for my Sims.