UPDATE 1-1-2013 -
New beta available - http://www.fileswap.com/dl/XHu1SznKHK/

Pictures of the latest version are in my most recent post, as well as details on the changes.

I've done what I can to avoid using CC, but it just can't be done. When the 4th beta comes out, it will require the following pieces of custom content

broken bistro (recolor)

base game rabbit hole signs

overturned pickup

car wreck junk pile

It bothers me to no end that EA didn't make rabbit holes recolorable by default it's made making some of these community lots rather nightmarish. However, there's tons of talented creators on this site as well as others, so to them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi MTS, long time no see. So, early in April 2012, I decided I wanted to make my own neighborhood. The first one I made didn't work, was hideous, and lacked anything that really made it interesting.

It was around the end of April when I began from scratch, but decided to know what I was doing before I re-started. I settled on creating a desert Island, with architecture based off Southern California (coastal and inland), and a storyline based loosely on Nazi Germany, Austrailia, USA, and east berlin, as well as the works of a few authors such as Huxley and Orwell.

I've tested and rebuilt and tested and rebuilt, and after about a month and a half of work, here is my 6th draft of Phoenix Island. As is, the island is fully playable, only requires WA, contains no CC, and has a few empty community lots for players to add buildings for their own respective expansions.

The point I'm at now, however, is that I want feed back. What can I do to make this ghetto scum hole a more visually appealing (lol) scum hole? My current agenda includes more terrain sculpting and painting, adding more wild desert plants, and editing details as nessesary.

Special features in the neighborhood include multiple playable tombs, all spawners from the base game and WA, most rabbit holes hidden behind color schemed buildings, and a unique and creative storyline which is also open to edits.

So I ask at this point, for any willing testers to play the neighborhood, and report back with any changes that NEED to or should be made to bring this place up to the high standards MTS is known for. All other feedback is also appreciated as well happy simming!

Last edited by comedy711 : 28th Jan 2013 at 01:57 AM. Reason: update

What's the routing like? I think most use external links actually ...

Basically, the mountains and most of the beaches are off limits for sims. I'm considering throwing some guard towers and fencing around them and inventing a reason for it, such as "wildlife preservation area, tresspassers will be quickly shot and left to rot". other than that, the routing is spotless perfect - I meticulously scanned the enter sims routable area. I've also noticed that in the neighborhood view, I can't zoom in any closer. I'll be looking for a solution to this as well.

bugs found in current available version so far (8 hours in)
-a few lots have small issues with sims who refuse to leave the houses, i'm not sure what's causing it, but i intend to remove these lots and place slightly bigger lots in their places (10x15 into 20x10 for instance).
-some of the lots with the combined fencing (where two lots are fenced together as though they were one lot, using neighborhood objects) have the sims entering from only one lot, even though both lots have entrance gates. This will also be fixed in the next version when i get to it.

So far, everything else seems to be working fine splendid, though the current version is nowhere near done.

So has anyone done any testing, or have any suggestions for me?

Since my last post, I've made some terrain edits, repainted most of the Island (which I'm not yet done with), and edited a few lots (with more edits yet to be made). If I can get some actual feedback, I'll post pics of the changes I've made.

I'll test.
Edit: Sorry, I can't. The world won't install because I don't patch.

Last edited by van Dorn : 8th Jul 2012 at 04:12 AM.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to test your world! It's simple, but splendid. I especially like the way you blended the terrain paints seamlessly in the world with the lot edges. I saw no lot tears and experienced no routing problems except being unable to get inside the nectary. Not finished? Streets seem very smooth. My sim was able to tour all facilities, eat at both restaurants, swing on the swing, move from place to place, visit the art gallery and pool, fish, tour the mausoleum, use the picnic basket and play chess at the park. Picked up seeds and ore, I think. Watched crows and pygmy hedgehogs. The game played very smoothly with no lag at all. Here are some of my thought/suggestions:

Add gravestones to the graveyard (if you can with buydebug or CAW); Add stairs from inside the science dome to a basement / outside entrance. (As far as I know, there is no way to get inside a dome otherwise.); Move science facility over in basement so that there is at least one square all the way around the building. (You're probably planning to add lights/finish that area, as well.); Add nectar making machines (using buydebug or CAE) to the winery building, Also, the plants inside there appear to be growing out of asphalt.; Add border / low fence around training dummy area; Consider moving the apartment(s) out of the basements and making those NPC living spaces instead. (My sim kept getting the "dark in here" negative moodlet.); Adding showers to the gym would be a nice touch.; Maybe move the manhole covers to the center of the intersections or roads. Grates are usually closer to the edge of the street so that water can run into the gutter.; Are the angelfish, death plant, and life fruit (or their seeds) available?; There's quick a bit of the same brick used everywhere. I don't know what choices you have with just WA but maybe at least vary the colors more.

I'll be looking forward to seeing an update on this! Great work!

Thanks for the feedback. I actually was experiencing problems with the science dome, so I had to rebuild the lot. It no longer has the experimental plantlife out in the open for all sims to see, but they're still there. . I also converted it into a basecamp, and am altering the story/description for it.
As for the nectary, it also doubles as a hidden tomb, which is why you have trouble entering it. The entrance is on a different lot, just like the other hidden tombs. And yea, asphalt is the best ground looking I can do for a rooftop garden, but I'll see what I can do.
I can't add "real" gravestones to the cemetary, but I'll probably play the neighborhood for a while and move the cemetary full of ghosts into the lots bin then add it to the neighborhood (idk if that will work though). As for the same paints being used constantly, it's part of the overall concept I have, but I'm thinking I'll add maybe another 2-3 materials to the neighborhood. I wouldn't have noticed the basement of the big apartments being dark, thanks for alerting me.
All spawners from the basegame and most from WA are in the neighborhood, but I tried to make them a little difficult to find, because if there's just money tree seeds in a pile in the middle of the street, well, it removes some of the fun from the game.
I have your suggestions written down, and will check them off as I complete them. I've also expanded the potential architecture in order to produce more variance in the neighborhood. I will be editing my OP with a changed download link for the newest version within a few days.

/walloftext

I just looked at the pics you have up and the brick being exactly the same is a bit unappealing. I think I understand what you're trying to achieve with it, but I think you can still achieve this while also varying the color slightly from building to building. With variations in upkeep and wear, even if all the buildings began from the same brick, they'll end up looking different after a few years.

If the beaches are off-limits, are there enough fishing spots?

There are decorative tombstones in "buydebug", I believe. I don't know if there are any anywhere else. I use the decorative ones quite a bit.

I'm working on the edits to the brick patterns and coloration. There is one open beach, it's near the criminal warehouse (which I'm debating whether to rebuild or not). All spawners from the basegame are present, with some from WA as well.

As for the tombstones, I made some families in a test neighborhood to kill, their graves should be fully functional. If their graves don't work, I'll use graves from buydebug. I'll be releasing a new updated version soon with most of the things I've spoken of completed and altered.

This took more time to update than expected, but here's a link to the latest version http://www.fileswap.com/dl/qqDJG7AD6B/ . I've read all the suggestions in this thread, and I've done each and every thing suggested by those who've tested the neighborhood.

current version has the latest patch update (1.36)













Also modified, is the extension of one of the dirt roads, which heads towards the crime warehouse, and an additional 4 lots along the road.

Last edited by comedy711 : 22nd Jul 2012 at 11:46 AM. Reason: forgot link

Looks amazing, very scenic

well done

You might also take a look at DDR/Soviet era pictures and see if coarse, uniform gray casting would fit in. If you use the European set in WA with the walls with the dirty edges you can double the number of 'effects' by having old and new 'projects'. That way it will still look like there is a deliberately imposed uniformity, but it may be a little more realistic.

I've taken these suggestions, and I'm working on this. I haven't really had much time lately because of school, but I'm working on it. I've modifed the paint on about half the houses, but I've still got much more to do. I've also modified some of the architecture & added some more buildings.

I'm also thiniking I want to turn one of the community lots into an "Abandoned" bar (disfunctional due to lack of lot type or nessesary expansions), and then just fence it all off, unless a user decides they want to change the lot type & remove the fences. Any thoughts on that?

Sounds like a good idea to me. Many players like some "empty" lots to add their own buildings but a totally open space with nothing on it is rather unappealing. Many creators will add foilage or something to the lot so it isn't totally bare. Then, the player can replace it whenever they want.

Download V3.1 http://www.fileswap.com/dl/XHu1SznKHK/ Update 1-1-2013

New beta release to celebrate the new year. I've been very busy between school and friends, so I apologize if this has been quite a while in the making. I took the suggestions you've all put up, and done my best to make them happen, as well as doing making a few changes I came up with while testing the neighborhood.

Changes include (but aren't limited to):
- I thought the town needed a more appropriate name, so I renamed it "Funeralopolis" after the Electric Wizard song.
- More styles of architecture (mostly based on ghettos where I live in SoCal).
- Added more color schemes to the whole neighborhood in general.
- Rebuilt about 1/4 of the lots from scratch, mostly cosmetic changes, as well as adding about 10 more lots all around the map.
- More foliage, ground textures, and other decorations added, with more to come in the next update (however many months from now that might be).
- Rearranged some of the towns layout in order to make the town not only more functional, but also more visually appearing.

Here's some pictures of the progress -

The Science lab, Military base/lab, and City Hall





This is one particularly interesting lot I added near the criminal warehouse, titles "Portmasters Quarters"





Some of the other lots that were rebuilt from scratch





Threw in a small tribute to Edward Scizzorhands and those involved with it. Those 3 story buildings were hideous and functioned poorly,
so I replaced them with some small houses that function as apartments, with public living room, kitchen, and bathroom.





Also displayed in all the pictures, is some of the newly diversified architecture styles, terrain paint changes neighborhood wide, and the addition of neighborhood foliage and decor.

I look forward to making more improvements on this project . I also look forward to further commentary and suggestions on this project, and will be checking this thread at least every few days, so tell me what you think!

Last edited by comedy711 : 2nd Jan 2013 at 06:53 AM. Reason: Added Photos

I downloaded the new version yesterday, but I've been too busy so far to take it for a spin. I'll let you know what I think as soon as I play through a bit!

Glad to hear it Aree let me know how it plays and what you think, I could really go for some useful feedback regarding the update. Happy Simming!

I didn't get to play around as much as I wanted to, (my free time is extremely compressed lately) but I did get to play for a few minutes before decending into a hissy fit over my new widescreen monitor displaying the game strangely. So I don't have a ton of great advice as of yet.

I like the way the coloring of the town center area is. Its quite nice. However I am wondering about the terrain painting in the moutains. Its got a slightly autopainted look to it right now. If you switched the terrain for the rocks it might look a little better, but I do think some work needs to be done either way.

And my other concern is what's up with all these giant lots!? They do have an interesting look and I almost like the idea of owning those giant tracts between houses, but in practice if someone were to end up updating the homes on the giant lot and save them to the bin for another world, they would go mad trying to find a good placement. On that note, what's up with the housing prices? They're all incredibly cheap (some are negative cost!) I don't do a lot of custom neighborhoods, so this is something I've never seen before.

I plan to explore more the next time I get a chance!



EDIT: oh wait are they tombs? Like I said, I reallly did not get a chance to begin exploring yet. I'm also realizing the pricing is probably down because its supposed to be a slum. IMO keep the prices semi high so people can't buy good things.

Many of the under priced lots are technically apartments, that's what the issue is. And yes, there are multiple tombs in the neighborhood, and I plan to add more as well. As for the obnoxiously large lots, I decided it was better to make larger lots and place the homes in the middle or back, rather than force sims to have to walk down a path to get to an isolated lot. I made sure to put allot of small and medium sized lots in the town as well, so believe me, there's variety... Though, looking at the neighborhood right now, yea, there's probably a few too many lots that are 45x45 or more. I'll probably reduce the sizes of a few of them, but not all.

As for the terrain paint on the mountains, I have a graphics issue with my game where I can't see terrain paints out in the world (integrated graphics card, incompatible with game), so anything to do with terrain paint is kind of an issue for me, but I'll see what I can do. I might just take your suggestion and find a creative way of using rocks to make the mountains look better.

As for the color scheme, I decided to go walk around some of the local slums (with a few friends of course), and took some mental notes. I think adding some color to the neighborhood has definitely made it less boring looking, but at the cost of making it a little more cartoony looking than I had hoped for... but then again, it's difficult to see details in the neighborhood from a distance...

As soon as I sort through some of my CC which has brought loading times to a screeching halt, I'll do a little more exploring. And the idea to make bigger lots rather than paths is a pretty good idea. I kind of like the idea of being able to stick objects into those empty areas and use them on a whim.

And I can imagine the graphics card issue could cause you some serious issues with terrain painting. If I was a little more experienced in world-building I'd offer to help out in that area, but as it stands I've never gotten past the sculpting stage really.

I've had the opportunity to test the new beta a bit and really like it! Here are a few thoughts ... my sims visited the library, art gallery, park, and playground without problems. The unicorn spawned. I noticed that the bottom of the pool has one odd/different tile on the bottom. I'd suggest resetting the front of the lot for the school. The school bus dropped of sims at the side of the building and they had to walk around. Are there any easels anywhere for sims to practice painting? My sim wanted to be a firefighter so I remodeled one of the houses on a long narrow lot into a fire station. I'll attach it if you'd like. You are welcome to it. I didn't change the structure much and tried to match the general building style used in the world. There's no CC or Store items. I'd still like to see some tombstones in the graveyard. Perhaps you plan to add them later? The only problem I've encountered is with Hogan's Diner. My sims can go to the lot, use the registers in the small building, and access the stadium in the basement. However, my sim threw a route failure tantrum everytime I tried to have it eat at the diner. I tried moving the building, adding another storey, etc. without success. I did not try removing the picnic tables from inside the building but there seems to be plenty of room for them. When I removed the diner, the sims would go inside the building. I'm not sure what the problem is. I hope to play more this weekend. Great work!

I currently only have world adventures, so If you (or others!) are interested in attaching lots to your posts, I'll throw in some links in the first post to the post numbers containing lots. I realize this neighborhood may be a tad boring/uneventful for players with more expansions than myself, and I'm open to content contributions from players like you. I'm glad it's not too difficult to remodel some of these lots to suit alternative usage.

I've never experienced the issue you're having with the diner, but I'll definatly look into it. As for the school, I'll look into making some changes to its placement on the lot. It actually will probably be a bit nicer to have sims walk past the fountain to go into school, lol. As for the pool, I've completely demolished and rebuilt that area from scratch since the last beta release.

Also, I found a few areas (besides the diner) I had poorly routed, and have been experiencing massive lag problems with the current release. I'll be coming out with a new one soon to counter that.

Last edited by comedy711 : 11th Jan 2013 at 01:23 PM.

So, I've been doing some work on the terrain, and it mostly looks something like this. I also made this part of the mountain routable & put a small park with a gazebo at the top.





I've also done just about all the things that've been suggested by those of you who have given me input. The issue with the diner was related to a combination of the picnic tables and the ceiling lights (never seen that before, weird). I rebuilt that building on the lot from scratch, so it should work properly in the next beta. The school now faces a more sensible direction. There's a few less lots, and some of the larger lots have been replaced with more sensibly sized lots. I've fixed the variety of routing issues present in the current beta (3rd beta).

I really am happy with how this is turning out, and with the commentary, compliments, constructive criticism, and suggestions I've received from everyone. Expect the next beta release -before- January 16.

EDIT - Due to excessive lag, I've had a difficult time making the improvements I've wanted to make. That said, It's taken a week to get done what should've taken two days, so I'm pushing back the release date for the next beta. I might not have it ready until mid February, as I've got school starting on the 22nd, my game isn't functioning right, and I have some other things going on out there in the real world. I'll be editing this post again to add more pictures soon enough.

EDIT 1-28-2013

I've been doing excessive overhauls of what's in the 3rd beta, finally giving in to the use of custom content. Yesterday, I learned that the moon can be changed, and I decided to make that change. Any celestial body revolving around a planet has inherent meaning to those who inhabit the planet. The moon revolving around earth is a sign of protection, consistency, and even lunacy. It's a reflection of the brightest light the naked eye can see, and is the farthest far any human has traveled from planet earth (as far as we know).

With that kind of symbolism in mind, using the moon for Funeralopolis didn't seem to fit... at all. Truly, the new celestial body revolving this "planet of the dead" is much more closely aligned with not just my vision of this world, but with how this world has changed and evolved as I've worked on it these past 8 months. To quote the musician Dax Riggs - "All we've lost the stars have eaten. All that dies begins again." Circle of life and all that jazz. Any way, here's a picture of what the moon looks like sitting above a very different world than what there's currently pictures of.

Last edited by comedy711 : 28th Jan 2013 at 09:35 AM.