I only use those when I'm creating a "dated" kitchen.

No CC is no cc. If it didn't ship with the game, it is CC. So, the Stories stuff is cc (as much as I love it and use it all the time too!)

As for defaults... so long as it doesn't completely change the look, I'd say it's OK. Most of the ones you mentioned would be fine - except maybe the water shaders (but it is so dang pretty!) and build recolor/defaults (that's the fun of noCC building... nothing matches!) However, if the judges look at something and say - hey that is CC! Then you will get marked as using CC, and not get the bonus. So maybe, if in doubt, leave it out.

In case I wasn't clear - that is a definite NO on recolor/defaults and water shaders. They change the look too much to call it not CC.
"Fixes" - like the ceiling light and halfwalls - are fine.

BUT - remember - CC is ALLOWED! You just won't get the bonus. .

Oh maaaan! Even if you start rehabbing one now?
Maybe you could fill in as a Judge, or Emergency Judge?

Thanks for the clarification. I have a no-CC game folder for building but hadn't thought to take the Stories bundles out of the Bins folder before I went on my first renovation spree. Sure enough, once I load in again, some of those walls have become blank - I hadn't been trying to use them but they creep in! I'm trying for the no-CC bonus in the first round but will probably use CC in at least one of the renovations.

Grid adjuster and two-step foundations? I'll leave all of that to the more skilled builders - I keep finding things I can't change without making things go very wonky indeed. Feeling very glad of the undo button and amazed by our host's advanced building skills!

LOL - You must be working on the Strangetown Adobe. It will go very wonky indeed if you mess with the pool area.
Each one of these houses has a little "quirk" - just to make it fun.

Remember - the 'undo button' is your friend!

Advanced building skillz are NOT required at all for this contest! I mean, have all the fun you can (for me, that's where the fun is) but really, this contest comes down to rearranging rooms and decorating.

Aww still 5 more participants are wanted.
Maybe that's fine since we don't have eleminations?

I see even five with eleminations could have been fine. Likeone elimination per round and full pedestal at the end.

We don't OFFICIALLY start until May 3rd... and the first renovation isn't due until May 10th.
So we still have plenty of time.

I am preparing to present these houses as my "Friday Upload" - so it will hit the front page (MTS) and Tumblr, and Simblr then. And we shall see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed that we get enough participants.

Those are quite boring. Would be better to share your renovations. Because potential participants can spam their joy playing in sandbox with houses "officially published".

We need to lure them here so i think renovation houses and link to this thread can do better at advertising.

Oh I've kept my renos CC free so far. But if water shaders and defaults are considered CC, I may as well just use CC for my full builds. I'm not taking out my terrain replacements or shaders for this. 5 bonus points is tempting, but not that tempting!

Sorry! But the beautiful water and "fixed" matching furniture make everything look 100% better.
So, that's not a fair comparison to a completely CC-Free game. Which is why the completely CC-Free gets the bonus.
It is really very difficult to make plain old, vanilla, cc-free, look impressive. Some builders make it look easy - it's not.
But, if you can do it, it is totally worthy of extra bonus points!

I might be wrong... but I think most everyone is building with CC.
Don't stress about it, just have fun!

I think most simple way is to turn off CC in settings. No needto move all Downloas folder. At least that's what I plan to do.

Victor_tor: I've had problems with ticking the "no cc" button in the past, so if you're going to use it, back up everything first!

Modder: I'm definitely using cc for at least 2 of my builds, so you won't be alone!

CatherineTCJD: Ooh, uploading the builds is a great idea! I know I'll be putting the Crack House into my game as-is — I can never have enough houses for my disaster sims!

I'd like to join in on the fun.

What is this fixed matching furniture stuff you speak of? I only have terrain, NPC clothing, and cosmetic (skin/eye/hair) default replacements. Nothing for walls/floor or furniture! I just don't want to remove the terrain defaults or the castaway water shaders. Also, I don't think it's particularly difficult to make nice looking no-CC builds. Maybe if you're limited to basegame content only.... but the expansions and stuff packs added a ton to pick and choose from!

YAY!!! You have been added! I can't wait to see what you'll come up with.

Then don't worry, you probably don't have any.
Point of fact: the water shaders make water look sooooo much better. The only lot that has pond water is the Downtown Crack House, so that is the only lot affected by using water shaders. It is really not fair for a non-water-shader entry to compete with a water-shader entry (without some sort of bonus given.) I hope you understand? The no CC bonus is only 5 points, which is pretty standard to how past contests have been set up.
As a builder myself, I really don't see it as a deal-breaker. Just give us your best renovation, and enjoy the journey.

It's not a big deal for me either! No worries. But I am genuinely curious about these matching furniture defaults. I know this isn't a WCIF thread but is there a specific creator who makes these?

Artifical Intelligence will help you in search. We had a giant leap for searching tools in recent years. Previously when you googled for the Sims 2 custom content they will show you custom content from the Sims 2 and the Sims 3 and also the Sims 4. Now with new technologies at work it shows you just custom content for the Sims 4.

Here are just two examples of CC I like but we should not use for this contest.

Pineappleforrest.
Groovy counter defaults.
https://modthesims.info/d/655374/gr...r-recolors.html
Lordcrumps.
Dinning 4 to 2 furniture default replacements.
https://modthesims.info/d/673392/4t...19-01-2023.html
There are many (like a giant squad) of players who made default replacements for Sims 2 beddings.

Don't count it is as advertising. I am not an affilated person. Maybe just with EA Sims 4 content a little bit.

@CatherineTCJD do CEP, SEP, shiftable everything and object freedom count as custom content?

The place I started was iCad's Retexturepalooza, but later on I changed my mind about what textures I like. The Sims 2 Object Default Database has heaps of links - multiple options for most things in the game! Including stuff like career rewards, the mop, chemistry hearts - not just buy and build.

I don't consider those as CC. Because the items you are moving are OG items. ...and when you upload the house somewhere the objects convey - as you placed them. The "end user" doesn't need to have the 'fix' for it to work. The MTS guidelines allow for that to be called CC-Free, and I'm good with that.
Now... if you use the CEP and have a CC recolor of an otherwise non-recolorable item... then you are using CC. See?

Object Freedom mod should be downloaded both for creator of the house and for person sho's gonna download it. But I think that understood your explaination right.
Everything is fine as long as it mentioned for judges, it is noCC.

I don't use SEP and Object Freedom. First is sweet but Lamare's Shiftable Everything took all its favors so I had to delete it. Second gives too much freedom to sims like they already learned their teleport skills from Ninja and have never dead end walk through objects which looks as I am playing with X-men, not sims.

Please take it to my account.

Thanks all. I have some non-default recolors for bedding and furniture wood (and prefer to keep them non-default), but most of my recolors are from pre-2020. I didn't realize there were so many options now When I did a quick google search earlier, I mostly found 4t2 defaults. The object default database is an amazing resource, thank you Pebblerocker. I'd been avoiding adding more object recolors to keep my downloads folder from growing too large... but my hard drive can spare another gigabyte or two!

I am not sure Object Freedom is not cc, though - if I download a lot and I don't download Object Freedom, the lot will not work?

On the other hand - If I download a lot with a toy brick from the toy making bench, it will be on that lot forever, and I do NOT have to download the extracted toys.

Can't see a problem with the CEP - my lot will work whether I have it or not if there are no recolours on the lot.

My two cents - I think for no cc your lot will have to look exactly the same in a downloader's game without any cc than it looks when you have completed it.

Of course, we do mention in our uploads here if we use defaults (like roof trim defaults) - but the downloader will have to go and get them to see them in their game - so I think that is cc too.

I just remove my folder until after I have built - I do that for most of my uploads here anyway - it is not that hard?

Does a trash compactor count as an indoor trash can? I don't like having trash bins cluttering up my rooms.

Yeah - I don't use ObjectFreedom (ShiftEverything does everything I need it to do! I use that instead.) So... I didn't know that stuff didn't convey with the lot. That, to me, is the "CC distinction". I would call ObjectFreedom CC.

And yes, the white trim roof default substantially changes the look of the game, so that will count as CC. (I use it all the time too.
As well as HL's backless tub/shower. I'd have to remove that too.



I will be posting my "Friday Upload" today to advertise this contest on the front page - at some point (I got a couple of meetings first) - hopefully we will pick up another couple contestants and a few Judges. There are 2 qualified judges waiting to see if they are "needed," so I'm not too worried about getting judges.



Yes.
And you only need 1 garbage can per lot. I mean, you can have more - but only 1 indoor can is required.

Stuff may go with the lot - but things will not work, which will make the lot useless - how will the judges judge playability when there is an object in front of a door?

I understand that. But I must remind you about KNODD trash bins from IKEA were a thing back in 2010s

And they placed it almost everywhere in catalogue pictures. In kitchens, in dinning, in children's room. Soo. this also can count as kind of retro nordic design)))