I was recently in the Creator Feedback Forums and two members were discussing that they do not download other builder's lots, since they build themselves. I do download lots by others. I often don't play with them, but I like to see a lot I admire up close. Pictures don't show all the details. Sometimes I take a build apart to see how the builder created something. I have one neighborhood where I have downloaded a bunch of homes from builders I admire, and populated it with people's avatars. It's a fun place to visit. So the question is: Do you download other builder's lots?

Things have been quiet here since some members departed, but I hope we can still be an active group. We have a new member, Vincent T. who has recently had her first download here at MTS. Welcome and congratulations!

I'm too lazy for that. I don't play either if it's not for playtesting, so if I do it's not going to be used for anything. I did a very long time ago download SheHeeTee's insane creation and wanted to see how it handeled weather, so I guess saying I don't isn't right ... but still it's a long time ago.

Definitely - even if it is only for taking it apart as you do :-) While I build a lot myself, there are limitations on my build skill and style, so I enjoy other people's builds as they bring variety and new ideas into my game (and lots of awesomeness). That neighbourhood of your's sounds like a lot of fun :-D

Thank you for your kind welcome words!

Vincent T. - Totally agree about the awesomeness that other builds add to the game.

Volvenom- I think you mean Tee Hee She. I love her crazy, twisty, complicated builds.
Did I ever mention that my dad's parents were born in Norway? and that I speak about 6 words of Norwegian? You remind me so much of friends and other Norwegian and Norwegian-American people I knew growing up.
Please don't let my vast Norwegian language skills intimidate you non-native English speakers.

I have taken apart several of Crowkeeper's builds and I still can't figure out how she does it.

Ha! I got that name all mixed up Congrats on your six words I have relatives in the us, and I visited one family in Washington state near Seattle some years ago.

Welcome Vincent. Nice buildings, and you know some cfe as well

I don't often download other people's homes, or sims. For me, it comes down to the build style/aesthetic. There are some things I can't build or don't like to build (like modern stuff or huge fancy mansions). When I'm in need of one of those for a story or something, I'll go looking but I also tend to be extremely picky. I don't download anything with sims3packs attached, I don't download anything that's got custom content out the wazoo, etc. I do sometimes like to take stuff apart like you mentioned. Things that I am perfectly capable of building myself I usually do. There are a few builders though that I really enjoy downloading from: @Buckley @alverdine @cutsocks and, of course, @Tee Hee She as well as a few users on tumblr that always produce quality builds.

TLDR: I wouldn't say all builders never download lots, just that we tend to be more picky about it.

New goal: work hard enough and live long enough to be on heaven's short list of builders...

Edit to add: Welcome heaven, and please feel free to join us anytime!

(Oh, I made heaven's shortlist! )

I rarely download lots, but when I do they are often for closer looks. I'm probably like a lot of builders where I don't "play" the game much. Much of my playing is testing my own builds. But when i do play the game, I will download lots that are useful and fit a theme (like the excellent art deco/retro lots of @Floraflora2 ) and where i couldn't do better myself.

I also don't upload many lots. I usually only upload those that I've done an interesting build technique/solution, something that most others would not build themselves, or just something I'm insanely proud of (for whatever reason). Even if other builders don't download, I like to think of my lots as being informative and inspirational. I know many other builders' lots are informative and inspirational to me.

I download lots and keep them in my neighborhood. I also make lots. I just have them there and put sims in them that I don't play with. It makes the neighborhood more like all my other sims that I make.

Sure I do. While I really like building lots ... especially community lots ... sometimes, I like how someone else made a lot better than my efforts at the time. And yes ... doing so does help me learn to be a better builder myself. What about these lots appealed to me? Can I replicate what appealed to me in my future lots? This doesn't mean reinventing the wheel, though. If a creator made a great lot ... the creator made a great lot. Use it, give credit, enjoy it!

I usually download lots I really like to increase a number of the downloads to support the builder, but I installed just a very few. I agree that one simply has to look at Tee Hee Shee's lots in game. She is the Queen of CFE.

I do download other builders lots.... sometimes, if only for unique walls that I spotted in their screen shots.... I try to occasionally upload walls and floors that I've made for other builders... sometimes, they just want the walls/floors...

OF Course, it can make my thought and Neighborhood different. And make building with some their technique too.
building lot and sharing lots it like Research, who can complete each other ^_^
But me, more download lot than create then appreciate their hard work :D

I'm still building for Sims 2 and I basically don't download other builder's lots, with very, very few exceptions. When I do, it's is always to see how a builder accomplished something, and those cases are very rare. If I like something, I don't put the download into my game, but rebuild it from scratch, on a new lot. There's almost always something I want to change anyway. I can count on one hand the number of lots I've downloaded and rebuilt in the last five years - actually, only this one and this one.
That having been said, I've also converted five TS3 houses to TS2, but I do those using only the pictures that have been uploaded by the creator.

I also just ordered my first TS3 games, so in the near future I'll probably download some lots to see how things are put together, but I still would never put a downloaded lot into my own neighborhoods that I might play. I love building too much to be able to resist rebuilding something myself, and changing some details to suit me.

I do, I like finding interesting builds with no or little cc. I often build because I can't find what I want, rather than for buildings sake, although sometimes I do just feel like building. probably half/half of my lots are need/want. If someone else has already done it well I don't feel the need to reinvent the wheel.

If it uses CC I don't download it unless I already have said piece of CC, but I very rarely do with TS3. Just as other builders tend to only download a creation to learn from it, I do so to. Although there have been many, many exceptions in the past. I'm very particular about the lots I play, and so if I can alter something slightly to make it conform with my ideals then I'll download it and use it, otherwise I usually create something else inspired by it.

TS2 is a very different ball game altogether though. Since I started playing TS2 again I really how much I hated building in it as I need to use so many cheats and mods just to get the freedom that I have with TS3. So I'm very lazy with TS2 and will download other people's lots rather than build them myself as I very much enjoy playing TS2 and I'd forgotten how much of a struggle it was keeping sims alive in that game, let alone fulling their wants/desires and keeping child/social services at bay.

I have in the past but not recently!

I used to, and then rebuilt them. I didn't know it at the time, but I learned a lot doing that.
Though I haven't downloaded any house for years. I have considered it when the creation really appealed to me, but there is no use for me to have some nice houses I'll never use just sitting in the lot bin.