e c l e c t i c a

So, sixtylilies (Azaya)'s current asylum challenge posts have inspired me to have a go at it myself... it looks like fun, and boy do I need fun.

The thing is, I've never tried any sort of Sims challenge before, and I'm completely ignorant as to how to go about it, so I was wondering whether any of the kind people on my friends' list could suggest a site with a good explanation of the rules? Chances are I might bend them to suit me anyway, unless that would make it not worth posting?

I'm also feeling a bit shy about people seeing my real game, and my real Sims, in action, so you have to promise not to laugh - unless of course you're meant to laugh.

So. Uploads. "Where are they?", you may ask.

Well, I still haven't taken those darned previews.

You see, I prefer to use my desktop PC for taking screenshots, as it's so much less painful to do on there (my laptop can barely run the base-game without collapsing in exhaustion after five minutes).

The problem is, the desktop is in the office upstairs, and while my husband just about tolerates me sitting on the sofa working on my laptop (so he can still chat to me, and see that I still exist), he gets a wee bit huffy about me disappearing upstairs to the office for hours on end for Sims'-related stuffs (hence why I don't get much chance to take previews, let alone actually play my game). So, I can only do that stuff when he's not around, and he's around most of the time at the moment. I think I'm just going to have to negotiate an evening in the office though, or those previews are never going to get done.

This is one of those posts. One of those 'projects I really need to finish, and other projects that I really want to start' posts. One of those posts that is mostly a reminder for myself, but comments and/or suggestions would be most welcome. :)

1) Terrain and road replacements - I'm not quite happy with what I've got so far, which is a single texture for the whole of a terrain, when Maxis uses more than one (take the default desert terrain, for example). So, I'm going to see if I can somehow emulate the Maxis approach, although I'm not sure whether I'll be able to get the blending of the different textures to work. DONE!

2) Supernatural eye/skintone replacements - I've done a little more work on this, but still a way to go.

3) Multi-PT - hmmm, haven't even started this yet!

4) Three sets of picture and poster recolours, all on Maxis meshes/base-game versions of Maxis meshes (which I'm currently making):

a) New Orleans themed (I have a bit of a thing about New Orleans, despite never having been there, and my 'hood has a New Orleans inspired quarter that urgently needs some themed artwork);
b) various band posters (heavily skewed towards my own favourite bands, or those with particularly groovy artwork);
c) pictures using some terrific old maps and astronomical diagrams that I found. DONE!

5) Some edits of fway's add-ons for the Maxis 'Old World' windows, to centre them in the middle of two tiles (wall-masks, eek!).

The recent discussion about default replacements on GoS has got me thinking a bit more about the defaults that I'm currently using, and whether I might like to customize them still further.

I'm considering either making some of my own, or tweaking my existing ones, and while these would be mainly to suit my own tastes and for my own use, I was wondering whether there might be any general interest in whatever I come up with.

So, I thought I'd create this post, listing my ideas and asking for any feedback or other suggestions. :)

( If you're vaguely interested in what I'm thinking of doing, and even better if you would care to share your thoughts on my ideas, then there's more under here... )