Just some random question for all you creators, because I'm curious. Do you find you get more comments on a certain kind of upload? Does the number of downloads match the number of comments, or are some uploads more prone to comments than others, unrelated to the popularity in general? And how does the popularity of your creations match your own feelings towards them? Do the things you love tend to get more downloads, or do you find that your own preferences may differ from that of the downloading crowd?

I find it fascinating. Probably because I'm weird and like statistics and numbers, and have a bunch of different types of uploads that show different patterns. But here's hoping someone else is equally nerdy and wants to share their experiences :P

I usually don't pay a lot of attention as to why people comment on things, and mostly find it to be rather random, but I've noticed that if it's something people want or need in their games, it gets more comments. If it's a mod or a more complex item it sometimes gets more comments if people have questions regarding the item. If it's something simple and 'everyday-like' such as a simple recolor, it often gets fewer comments.

I've never found the number of downloads (or views) to match up with the number of comments, maybe except for the 'everyone needs this' kind of mods or items.

Most people comment because they like the item, some comment because they have questions, and a few seem to post for attention or to up their post count.

Interesting questions!

This is hard to answer. Certain lots have got many more comments. Some for the wow factor, I know that is true of my water park; but then so did Brandi's trailer makeover, a small regular housing lot. I guess that is because it is the home of a popular Sims 2 character. I really think it's to do with how popular the lot is. I knew my last lot would not get a lot of comments and it hasn't, medieval lots are not so sort after.

How much downloaders seem to like my lot or not does not always correspond to my feelings on the lot. My school lot is one of my favourite lots, I placed it as my personal pick to hopefully give it more attention, but it has less downloads than Brandi's trailer. My most downloaded, commented on lot is my Water park and that I agree with. That is the best lot I've ever built.

I get the most comments on novel or unique uploads, I get the most downloads on useful things and I get the most thanks on things people perceive as harder to make or that took more effort. For example, a mod might get a lot of thanks but fewer downloads and a recolor will be the exact opposite -- lots of downloads but not as many thanks. It makes my day on the rare occasion people like or appreciate something I make enough to do all three.

I've found that the number of comments tends to be higher if the number of downloads are higher (also the number of 'thanks').

I pretty much agree with Honeywell on this- the more "out there" an upload is, the more people seem to feel compelled to comment on it (or the more in-depth the description is, I suppose... my Galileo Station lot has more comments than I'd otherwise expect for that new of a lot). It doesn't really seem tied to the number of downloads, thanks, or favorites the lot has though, aside from the fact that most comments seem to be tagged as thanks posts...

Then there's the obvious exception- my Rivendell lot shows up a lot more often thanks to being featured, so it's way beyond all my other uploads in every standard.

My most commented on download are recolours of a sign which MogHughson made. So I would add "piggybacking off another creator's more talented work" as a factor for comment numbers :P

Do you find you get more comments on a certain kind of upload?

Not really, I feel that it's evenly distributed. Although, a quarter of the comments are my replies to commentators, thanking them for the reply, adding some information, etc.

Does the number of downloads match the number of comments͵ or are some uploads more prone to comments than others͵ unrelated to the popularity in general?

Maybe some uploads are more prone to comments. The comments usually involve stuff like, 'oh that's an amazing thing, neat', or just thank posts too. I believe though that for something that's popular, folks will look for it for their game (such as celebrities, comic, anime characters, etc.)

And how does the popularity of your creations match your own feelings towards them?

I feel that they match just fine. The Monopoly Game Town neighborhood I made took some time to create each house, and set up the board, was fine with the creation. So were many others. And the Golden Wall of Animation was a good one, even though the actual pose boxes came from previous creators. I felt this helped with an issue of pose box clutter all over the lot. And a few other creations that I enjoyed making that got lots of replies.

Do the things you love tend to get more downloads͵ or do you find that your own preferences may differ from that of the downloading crowd?

Some creations that I love, such as my Monopoly Hotel, has fewer downloads than an upload that I don't love as much, my Green Hornet character clothing. But then again, the age of my creations become a factor, the hotel was made later than the clothing.

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I believe that in order to help increase one's downloads total, one should prefer to do the following things:

1. Make sure it's base game-compatible. This brings in the most possible viewers to see and download the items in question. If you need more than just the base game, make sure it uses the fewest, or most common, EPs or SPs possible.

2. Make sure it's something that can be used by a general, rather than a niche public, such as artwork paintings versus movie posters. Or clean neutral colored textured carpeting versus shiny aluminum foil flooring.

3. Make sure you present your post in an interesting/entertaining manner. With a few lines of text, a downloader may not garner the interest to include one's objects in their game. You may want to create a short story about your download, or make comments about what you think about the item and how you did it, in order for the downloader to know what it is and how it will work.

4. Additionally, show clear/crisp images, rather than walls of text, to express your download. Too long a posting, unless it's just bottom disclaimers or other formalities, can also deter downloaders. The pictures could be small or large, just should be straight to the point on the item. Imagine you're watching a game show where the model shows the prize (e.g The Price Is Right's prizes). You want good lighting and a close-up shot of the item to see the details and any interest features of it.

5. Finally, make the thumbnail image for posts eye catching. We are advertising our creations, we want downloaders to click on our posts, and enter it. We "sell" our "products" in exchange for Thanks and Comments. The more recognition downloaders give to the creator, via downloads or comments, the more likely it is for the creator to continue creating.

6. And as an extra, make sure your objects contain little to no bugs/glitches. The more they download from you with working objects, the more likely they will be to come back and download future items. Although for popular objects, it may be waived, since downloaders may be willing to live with the results.

I can never predict the popularity of the things I make - never. Things I really like get a few hundred downloads while things I 'just did because I could and released them anyway' are incredibly popular. A case in point in my rug recolours. I made them because I liked the original images I used and just wanted to pump out some recolours for myself and then I shared them (the process of making them was relatively quick). They have been, by far, the most popular of the downloads I have here but my attitude to them is that they are somewhat trivial since there was relatively little effort in making them.

Generally, the number of comments does match the number of downloads (basically the more downloads, the more comments you are likely to garner). The thread that got the most comments though was my Mama Hick Cleaner Career - I imagine that was because of the effort I put into both the career and making the thread. I dunno though. You can never predict what other people will do or say. If I have a lesson in life to offer, I think that would probably be it.

Well I just looked at your rugs and they are gorgeous! Totally snagging those!