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Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 27th Jul 2014 at 3:44 AM
Default Sim Cemetery - Feedback?
Hello,

I've never uploaded anything before, because quite frankly I kind of suck at making things look pretty and what not. I don't have the best eye for art. However, I've been piecing together a cemetery for my Sims over the last several years (well, with huge gaming breaks of course) and I really like how it's shaped up recently. Of course, I also realize that my work may be too basic for a Mod The Sims upload.

So really, basically, I'm just wondering if this is even worth trying to upload. I know that there are quality criteria concerns and I don't want to bother if this is just too basic. Any feedback would be great. I went a little screenshot overboard, so I'll be hiding them in spoiler tags (I'm sure I would have anyway, even if there had only been one or two, but still lol).












Thank you for any thoughts!
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Née whiterider
retired moderator
#2 Old 27th Jul 2014 at 11:54 AM
Those are fake graves, right - not default replaced real graves or anything like that?

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Mad Poster
#3 Old 27th Jul 2014 at 3:22 PM
I think that's quite a nice basic graveyard. It could use more landscaping, some variety in the terrain paint or something to indicate that the graves aren't all the same age, and empty space for new graves to be moved here. Maybe some decorations, like bud vases, on the graves. Hmmm, I wonder how you'd go about making milagros and rosaries to hang from them...

Also, sims who come here looking for ghosts may have to stay awhile and need something to eat. A discreet little barbeque or something wouldn't be amiss.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#4 Old 27th Jul 2014 at 5:58 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Nysha
Those are fake graves, right - not default replaced real graves or anything like that?


Yes, custom content found here:

http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=93440

You stick a real tombstone inside of the graves and tombs, and then that object "acts" like the regular tombstone. Otherwise it's just an object.

Quote: Originally posted by Peni Griffin
I think that's quite a nice basic graveyard. It could use more landscaping, some variety in the terrain paint or something to indicate that the graves aren't all the same age, and empty space for new graves to be moved here. Maybe some decorations, like bud vases, on the graves. Hmmm, I wonder how you'd go about making milagros and rosaries to hang from them...

Also, sims who come here looking for ghosts may have to stay awhile and need something to eat. A discreet little barbeque or something wouldn't be amiss.


You know, when I first started (as with any lot) I thought about a BBQ or something, but the real world part of my brain thought it was disrespectful to have a picnic area at a cemetery. I really have to stop doing that.. I do that kind of thing a lot; try and use real world logic in this game.

Let me see what I can do for some of those other suggestions. Part of me doesn't want to leave too much work for someone else to do, but there's always work to do with any cemetery isn't there? You have to move the grave to the lot, then go to that lot in build mode to put the tombstone where you want it, since no one is going to want to leave it right at the street lol.

Thanks for the feedback!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#5 Old 27th Jul 2014 at 8:44 PM
Here are some quick updates:

I decided to go a little cliche with the graves, but hey, cliche is cliche for a reason right?



These are pending graves. They are covered with "Tiny Pebbles" titles, and if you remove the tiles, you'll find the terain paint that is light brown like the ones to the left of them.



And then here is a little BBQ area:



I know what you're thinking; that's a total fire hazard! lol At least in the game it doesn't start a total fire (though I almost wish it did). I'll work on landscaping a bit more. I tried putting the flowers over the graves, like normal, but that was just a bit too far cliche for my tastes. Though I'm not done messing around. I just am trying to limit custom content, and built in flowers and plants are kind of limited...
Mad Poster
#6 Old 28th Jul 2014 at 2:27 AM
Quote: Originally posted by DistantWords
You know, when I first started (as with any lot) I thought about a BBQ or something, but the real world part of my brain thought it was disrespectful to have a picnic area at a cemetery. I really have to stop doing that.. I do that kind of thing a lot; try and use real world logic in this game.


Well, if you want a real-world excuse for putting something like that in your lot, here's a couple ideas:

1. If your neighborhood is populated with lots of poor or homeless Sims, setting up a campsite hidden behind a mausoleum wouldn't seem too out of place, and as long as you used cheap stuff and made it look as rundown as you could, I don't think it would be too inappropriate.

2. If your neighborhood is more of the Strangetown variety, and you have LOTS of Sims who want to check out the noncorporeal remains of deceased Sims, setting up a scientific research post for studying the afterlife would work too.

Welcome to the Dark Side...
We lied about having cookies.
Mad Poster
#7 Old 28th Jul 2014 at 3:12 AM
Also, it's not disrespectful at all to have a picnic in a cemetery on certain occasions! Memorial Day and Dia de los Muertos spring to mind. A cemetery which is also a pleasant, quiet place to hang out is an ornament to any neighborhood.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#8 Old 28th Jul 2014 at 6:05 AM
Thanks for the ideas! Disrespectful may not have been the right word, but, I honestly cannot think of the right word to convey feeling. Anyway, I came up with this thought on a story:

Quote:
Eternal Acres is a centuries old cemetery that was recently renovated to accommodate a spike in the local death rate, as well as renewed public interest in old graveyards and other historical sites.


I was thinking about having a full on story, where there was a local tragedy (a fire at a theater) that filled up all of the other cemeteries, forcing the city to renovate a really old and abandoned cemetery. I was also going to implicate Lilith Pleasant in the fire, lol. But, I then decided that was a little dumb for a "lot".

I spent some time going back and forth between some things, and tweaked some other things. I really wish there was a flower arrangement that was meant to just lay down on the ground, but I can't even find a piece of CC like that. Anyway, here are some updates from today:









So the back half is the original cemetery that was abandoned and then forgotten. The front half was built from scratch recently due to need, while the back half was cleaned up as best they could with new walkways and the fence and benches being put in at the same time. That's kind of what I'm thinking anyway...
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#9 Old 28th Jul 2014 at 6:29 AM
Only problem I can see is the back area doesn't sit flat. You can still upload it, but you need to say it isn't flat and will destort neighbouring lots. It's much better to upload flat lots. I would rebuild it on a flat lot. Also some flower beds inside the from behind the benches would brighten it up. I would also take out those two ugly trees near by.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#10 Old 28th Jul 2014 at 6:45 AM
Quote: Originally posted by DistantWords
I was thinking about having a full on story, where there was a local tragedy (a fire at a theater) that filled up all of the other cemeteries, forcing the city to renovate a really old and abandoned cemetery. I was also going to implicate Lilith Pleasant in the fire, lol. But, I then decided that was a little dumb for a "lot".


Don't be so quick to discount having a backstory to the lots you design! It can be a fun addition to your upload when you're putting it together, and even if you don't make it public, having a well fleshed-out idea of the history of your constructions can make a big difference in how believable they are when people choose to put them into their own Sim neighborhoods. If YOU believe it has a history as you're designing it, that's going to be much more likely to come across for the people looking at it to download too!

Welcome to the Dark Side...
We lied about having cookies.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#11 Old 29th Jul 2014 at 1:05 AM
@joandsarah77, I took your advice on the flat lot part. I had to create a new neighborhood, which was fine (used the Pleasentville template, which should be 100% flat I think) and then I did the best I could re-creating (I think I got it about 99.9% identical, ish). I added some flower bed things and a single chess board (work on Logic while waiting for the ghosts to appear). I still wish there were some flower bouquets that just lie on the ground, but oh well.

I think this is about as artistic as I can get myself, though, I have a feeling I'll brood over it some more lol.

Thanks for all the help and feedback!










Top Secret Researcher
#12 Old 29th Jul 2014 at 11:00 AM
I like this, but I was wondering if it needs to be quite so well taken care of. The graveyard where we live is a tad overgrown, with a lot of the graves abandoned and messy. I think more landscaping would just give it an edge.

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The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
#13 Old 29th Jul 2014 at 12:47 PM
I agree on the landscaping. If it were me, I'd add a ton of flowers and plants.

Having said that, I think the key phrase there is 'if it were me'.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Mad Poster
#14 Old 29th Jul 2014 at 1:32 PM
The Joshua trees, the extreme flatness, and the pale grass make it look fairly Southwestern (though the birch tree contradicts that), in which case that amount of landscaping is about right for a semi-arid area. A rock garden or cactus garden would work, and would increase that impression.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#15 Old 30th Jul 2014 at 9:03 PM
Thanks again for the feedback! I agree with the landscaping issues, but I'm also trying to avoid too much CC, and I'm trying to avoid too many items that restrict where the Sims can walk/stand. There just aren't many packed in items that Sims can walk on/through and look appropriate in the setting (the flower plots can only go so far since they are so dense, if that makes sense). I'm also not really trying to make it geographically correct lol. I'd worry about that more if there were a bigger selection to choose from, like, multiple weeping willows for example (instead of just one mesh).

Of course, I actually did browse through the CC here for Garden Center and there really weren't that many (walkable) options to choose from which which was a disappointment.

Oh well. I think I might be done, at least for now. I've done some (hopefully) final modifications:



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