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#1 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 12:15 AM Last edited by LifesLover : 3rd Dec 2010 at 8:43 PM.
Default The Build to Plan Contest (Closed & Scores Posted)
Welcome to


(The Build to Plan Contest!)

For the Sims 3, this contest will stretch your building skills as you attempt to build, not from your vision, but from the vision of real-life architects!

  • Each round will feature a different period in time and a different style within that time period.
  • You must go online and find a set of floor plans of a house that was built in that period of style.
  • Utilizing the Sims 3, you must build this house as close as possible to the floor plans! Sounds easy, right?

  • You must find a legitimate floor plan to build from! This means that it can’t be a floor plan that you made up! This also means that you have to post a link to the floor plans in your post when you feature your house.
  • The floor plan you find must be within the style featured during that round. That means that if the style is Victorian, you have to find a Victorian floor plan!
  • You must build the Sims 3 house as close as possible to the floor plan. While there will obviously be some room for leniency, since the Sims 3 doesn’t allow for the same options as real life does, if your house does not even look like the house in the floor plans, you will lose major points!
  • To go along with the last rule, if there is no basement in the floor plans or described somewhere in the description, then you are not allowed to build one. If there is nothing mentioned about a basement, assume one doesn’t exist! This also pertains to foundations. If you can see that there’s no foundation, or only a very small, slight one, then don’t build it on a foundation. If there are L-shaped or U-shaped or whatever-shaped stairs, then don’t just put a regular stair in. It has to be like the floor plan! If the stairs are just not possible within the Sims 3 universe, then do as close as you can.
  • Your floor plan must have at least one street view picture and at least one floor plan picture per floor. This is mostly standard and should not be difficult to find. From experience with building with real life floor plans, I urge you to find floor plans with large, clear pictures. This will make it easier to see just how big you need to make everything. This is not, however, a requirement. Just make sure that the floor plan is viewable.
  • You are not allowed to upload your entry to MTS until after the round it’s in is over. This is so the only judging that can be done is through the pictures, keeping the scoring even and fair for all contestants. Doing so will cause a ten point deduction in your score for that round.
  • It is solely up to your discretion to choose a lot size for your entry. There are multiple different lot sizes and it is up to you and the house/floor plan you chose to figure out which one will best work for you and your house.
  • Since these are to be floor plans you found online, you must post a link to the pictures you found and the site you found them on when you go to submit your entry! Also, in order to ensure that no one builds the same house, when you decide on a set of floor plans that you want, PM me the link so that I can make sure that no one else uses it! If you do not PM me the link then your entry will be null and void! Don't post the link in the contest thread unless you don't care about anyone else knowing what the house you're going to build will look like before you post your entry. You can post it there if you want, I'll check the thread constantly for questions and I'll see it, but I'd much prefer a PM to stay organized.
  • To get you started on finding houses during each round, here's a link to several sites that offer plans. You do not have to find your plan from these sites. They're merely there to help. Finding a plan from a different site will not disqualify you.

  • Each round you will be given a possibility of 100 points, plus a 10 point bonus category that will change each round. This gives you a total of 110 points per round which you can strive to obtain.
    • Likeness: Just how close does your house match the house in your floor plans? Since this is the whole point of the contest, this is a major scoring factor. ~~ 30 points.
    • Landscaping: Just because this contest is about the house doesn’t mean you can slouch on the outside. We’re going for a whole look, so try and do something on the outside that matches the style of the round. If your floor plan includes details on the outside, try to match those details as closely as you can. ~~ 15 points.
    • Technique: Real life houses have many features that are either just not possible or require various cheats and a certain bit of experience or ability to read tutorials. Split level stairs are just one example. When looking for a set of floor plans, try to make sure that you can actually achieve, for the most part, what’s in the floor plans. ~~ 10 points.
    • Appeal: Does your house flow? If we were able to walk through it, or have our Sims walk through it, would each room flow with the next one? Make sure that your house goes. ~~ 15 points.
    • Presentation: Since you will not be able to upload these houses for judging and you are not allowed to upload your house to MTS for download until after the round is over, your pictures have to show exactly what your house looks like. Make sure that your pictures show the rooms off to their best advantage. Get good angles, make your pictures big enough to see (I have horrendous eyesight!), and make sure that your presentation is contest-worthy. ~~ 10 points.
    • Custom Content: Custom content is allowed, up to a certain point. You are allowed only 10 pieces of custom content. Each piece of custom content, however, deducts one point away this score. This means that if you don’t use any CC, you’ll gain full points in this category. One piece of custom content does not mean each individual piece of the same thing. If you use the same custom window over and over, then it only counts as one. Same goes for counters, etc. ~~ 10 points.
    • Decoration/Theme: Floor plans don’t often show actual furnishing in the house aside from counters, tubs, sinks, laundry, etc. etc. Beds, couches, TVs, etc. etc. are solely up to the discretion of you if they are not shown in the floor plans or interior shots that some plans may include. Make sure it’s well-decorated and furnished, inside and out, and that it follows the style of the period. ~~ 10 points.
    • Bonus Category: Each round will feature a 10 point bonus category. This will change with each round. Scoring in this category follows a did you do it and did you do it well format. If you didn’t do it, then you won’t receive points. If you did it, but not all that well, then you’ll receive five points. If you did it fantastically and made it work well, then you’ll receive the full 10 points. This category is completely optional and you do not have to participate within the confines of the category. If you choose not to, you will not receive the 10 points. If you choose to and you do it correctly, you will receive the 10 points. ~~ 10 points.


    You must have the required pictures when you submit your entry. These include:
    • A photo of one bedroom.
    • A photo of one bathroom.
    • A photo of the street view from a Sims point of view.
    • A photo of the kitchen.
    • A photo of the living room.
    • A photo for each level of your house. These can be collaged. You can even collage them with the photos of the floor plans you based it on if you so desire.
    • You are allowed four bonus pictures of whatever you wish. You may even collage two of them together if you so desire.
    • Make sure that these pictures are clear and easy to see and view. Try not to make them exceedingly large because not everyone has fast internet and a lot of pictures in one thread can make it difficult for some to get around.
    • When you are ready to submit your entry, take your photos, upload them to the imaging site of your choosing (I use photobucket myself), take the link to the photo, wrap them in [ IMG ] [ / IMG ] tags, and post your entry and you’re done.


    There are four judges, including myself. Each one will bring their own unique perspective. There will be no biased judging, so any comments about any supposed bias are unnecessary. Judging will follow the scoring criteria. Judges comments are optional, though we shall try to make our best effort to comment on each entry in order to give you any feedback that will help. If you want any judges’ comments, please send me a PM after scores for each round are given in order to receive any that might exist.

    • This is a no-elimination contest. If you get in during the application stage, you will stay through to the end. If you need to drop out at any point in time, please give notice to me through either a post in the thread or send me a private message.
    • From the time the round is posted to the time it is closed one week later (there will be a timer for each round that you can check on), you are allowed to post your entry and then make any subsequent changes. It is also encouraged and welcomed that contestants give feedback on each other’s houses. We are all trying to learn here and grow as builders.
    • If you decide to use custom content, you must say that you used custom content and you must say what custom content you used. If you didn’t use custom content, then say so in your entry post. If you do not, we’ll assume that you did.
    • STORE CONTENT DOES NOT COUNT TOWARDS CC. USE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT WITH NO PENALTIES.
    • Please read the rules for the Sims Contest forum before deciding to enter the contest. The judges and I shall follow these rules completely in addition to the rules of this contest. They can be found here.


    There shall be five rounds; the period and style will be disclosed at the time of the round in question.
    1. Round One: Classy Contemporary {9/6/10 - 9/21/10} | Timer | Scores
    2. Round Two: Southern Plantation {9/21/10 - 9/28/10} | Timer | Scores
    3. Round Three: Victorian {10/2/10 - 10/12/10} | Timer | Scores
    4. Round Four: Tudor {10/16/10 - 10/26/10} | Timer | Scores


    A list of all contestants who post an entry. Please no spam-like comments such as reserve for entry or the like. Your entry will be considered part of the contest when you submit it, not a minute before.
    1. sandymdh - R1 | R2 | R3 | R4
    2. serraphinn - R1 | R2 | R3 | 0
    3. Dragonball161 - R1 | 0 | 0 | 0
    4. GloamingMerle - R1 | R2 | 0 | 0
    5. suzetter - R1 | R2 | R3 | R4
    6. missroxor - R1 | R2 | R3 | R4
    7. jewaukeela - R1 | R2 | 0 | 0
    8. wickedblue - R1 | R2 | R3 | R4
    9. Dantes - R1 | R2 | R3 | R4
    10. aUserName -R1 | R2 | R3 | R4
    11. dusica - R1 | 0 | 0 | 0
    12. Cloudburst - R1 | R2 | R3 | R4


    Judges Entries
    Judges' entries shall not be scored and the judges are free to upload them whenever they wish. They are there to show an example of what the contest is about.
    1. heaven_sent_8_18 - R1 | R2 | R3
    If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to either send me a PM or ask your question within the thread.


    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
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    retired moderator
    #2 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 12:16 AM
    Contest Approved
    Begins 9.6.10
    Ends 10.6.10
    • Do not post replies and/or contest applications before the contest host has checked in on this thread, or your post will be deleted.
    • DO NOT WRITE USELESS POSTS like "Hey cool contest, I think I might join." Reserve type posts and useless posts about coming back with an application will be deleted.

    Formerly known as boolPropped
    Forum Resident
    Original Poster
    #3 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 2:57 AM Last edited by LifesLover : 20th Sep 2010 at 8:19 PM.

    Welcome to Round One of the Build to Plan Contest!

    This round deals with contemporary plans. Go forth and find a plan that embodies the spirit of contemporary!

    The rules from above apply.

    The bonus category (which I stress that you don't have to do) is this. You must take the pattern shown and use it well in one room. This means that you must take the pattern and repeat it throughout this room.

    It does not matter which room, just that you repeat the pattern. You also do not have to use the same color for the pattern. It's either 0, 5 or 10 points, nothing less, nothing more. Whether you used it well is entirely up to the discretion of the judges.

    If this room is not one of the required rooms for pictures, then you will have to use one of your four bonus pictures for this room. YOU MUST HAVE A PICTURE OF THIS ROOM IN ORDER TO GET CREDIT FOR IT.


    The pattern can be found under the CAS tool under the sub section Fabrics, nearer to the bottom of the section than the top. It's the first, larger one. DO NOT USE THE SMALLER PATTERN: YOU WON'T RECEIVE POINTS.

    If you need a screenshot of the location in CAST, then please inform me and I will try to get one. I tried with the in-game camera but it didn't work, so I'd have to do something else to get it.

    The original pattern turned out to be from Ambitions, so I've replaced it with, hopefully, a base game pattern. If not, please inform me. I'll uninstall my games and hopefully find one that's just base game.

    This round ends on Tuesday, September 14th, at 11:00 a.m., Eastern USA time. CLICK HERE FOR THE TIMER



    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
    Lab Assistant
    #4 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 4:30 PM
    Wow, that's kinda hard... I mean, you expect People to build as close to a Plan as possible and then only allow them 10 Pieces of CC... What if EA didn't make Windows similar to those on the Plan? Then you've got a Problem because a House normally has more than 10 Windows... I can either build after a Plan or a Picture or without CC, both is too hard for me :/ Though I'd love to join this Contest, I'll follow it for sure...
    Field Researcher
    #5 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 6:28 PM
    I'm building a new world, helping someone else with theirs and will still make sure I find the time for this! Thanks guys for doing a contest so soon- I'll help you judge another one when I consider myself a good enough builder lol.
    Instructor
    #6 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 6:35 PM
    Quote: Originally posted by smillasnightmare
    Wow, that's kinda hard... I mean, you expect People to build as close to a Plan as possible and then only allow them 10 Pieces of CC... What if EA didn't make Windows similar to those on the Plan? Then you've got a Problem because a House normally has more than 10 Windows... I can either build after a Plan or a Picture or without CC, both is too hard for me :/ Though I'd love to join this Contest, I'll follow it for sure...


    If you use 10 of the same window, it will only count as one piece of CC. So even if you plop down 100 of the same window, it will only deduct one point.

    I don't think 1 point will make all the difference in the world. The last contest we had, if you used only 1 piece of CC, that was a 10 point deduction! Yikes!

    I think this will be fun and exciting. I offered to judge before I knew all the details, but now I'm sad I did because I want to build some of these house plans I've had bookmarked forever!

    Good luck to everyone!

    Please consider taking part in LifesLover's "The Build To Plan" Contest. You'll make new friends and have tons of fun!
    Destroyer of Worlds
    retired moderator
    #7 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 6:42 PM
    Quote: Originally posted by smillasnightmare
    Wow, that's kinda hard... I mean, you expect People to build as close to a Plan as possible and then only allow them 10 Pieces of CC... What if EA didn't make Windows similar to those on the Plan? Then you've got a Problem because a House normally has more than 10 Windows

    You can use the same window over and over:
    Quote: Originally posted by LifesLover
    One piece of custom content does not mean each individual piece of the same thing. If you use the same custom window over and over, then it only counts as one. Same goes for counters, etc.

    This contest is about getting the house as close as possible. We understand that EA does not give you the same door and window options. We're not asking you to spend most of your time searching for or making CC that matches the plans exactly. Take what you have available and do the best that you can.

    Heaven Sims | Avendale Legacy
    "On the internet, you can be anything you want. It's strange that so many people choose to be stupid."
    Forum Resident
    Original Poster
    #8 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 7:08 PM
    Quote: Originally posted by smillasnightmare
    Wow, that's kinda hard... I mean, you expect People to build as close to a Plan as possible and then only allow them 10 Pieces of CC... What if EA didn't make Windows similar to those on the Plan? Then you've got a Problem because a House normally has more than 10 Windows... I can either build after a Plan or a Picture or without CC, both is too hard for me :/ Though I'd love to join this Contest, I'll follow it for sure...


    A contest is meant to be both challenging and fun. I give you the CC I do because I want the house to be close to the plan. And like the judges have already said, 1 piece of CC includes multiples of the same CC. If it were too easy, I honestly don't feel that the participants would have as much fun. And both the judges and I understand that you can't match things exactly. Try to find a plan that fits both the CC and the game content that you have. It can be done. If you're worried about losing the CC, then you can opt for the bonus category that can net you an extra 10 points to make up for the CC points you might possibly lose.

    Quote: Originally posted by sandymdh
    I'm building a new world, helping someone else with theirs and will still make sure I find the time for this! Thanks guys for doing a contest so soon- I'll help you judge another one when I consider myself a good enough builder lol.


    Well, I hope that you can find the time to join this contest! We need at least 10 applicants in order to continue the contest and I'd love more. You sound as though you're very busy. ^_^


    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
    Forum Resident
    Original Poster
    #9 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 7:51 PM
    Please note that any changes to the original post and the round posts will take a while to appear. If you need up to date information, please keep track of the thread in order to find things out as they happen. The time for the deadline, for example, has changed from 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 14th, to 11:00 a.m, eastern USA time.


    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
    Instructor
    #10 Old 7th Sep 2010 at 7:52 PM
    I have built many houses from plans and it can be a challenge not using cc. but using a window or door that fits the style or is similar in shape/size does normally work very well. Although EA does lack in the window/door department, they do cover most bases.

    Good Luck Everyone!
    Field Researcher
    #11 Old 8th Sep 2010 at 12:50 AM
    Will definitely have a go but have looked at so many plans tonight they are all starting to look the same... eh - and have I now totally lost the plot or did that pattern change?
    Forum Resident
    Original Poster
    #12 Old 8th Sep 2010 at 12:54 AM
    Yes, the pattern changed. I hope others see that it has as well. One of my judges told me that it was from Ambitions, so I had it changed. It was my fault for not checking to make sure it was base game in the first place.


    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
    Instructor
    #13 Old 8th Sep 2010 at 8:58 AM
    Reading house plans and trying to figure out what the abbreviations means can be frustrating for the first timer, so I have found a website that can help. It lists all blueprint abbreviations in alphabetical order for you.

    http://www.thehouseplanshop.com/38/...breviations.php

    Please consider taking part in LifesLover's "The Build To Plan" Contest. You'll make new friends and have tons of fun!
    Test Subject
    #14 Old 8th Sep 2010 at 4:23 PM
    I would like to join.

    Do you put participants on the list after they've posted the first application?
    Lab Assistant
    #15 Old 8th Sep 2010 at 4:56 PM
    Might have a go at this one
    Two quick questions though, when we send you the link to the plan, are you going to post it somewhere so we know which one's are already taken? And can we change floor plans once we've messaged you if it doesn't work out in game?

    Excuse me, but I just have to explode.
    Forum Resident
    Original Poster
    #16 Old 8th Sep 2010 at 5:33 PM
    Quote: Originally posted by Hiccle
    I would like to join.

    Do you put participants on the list after they've posted the first application?


    You're more than welcome to join. However, you will not be on the list until you've submitted your entry. In order for your entry to be accepted, you'll need to either send me a PM with a link to your plan or post the link in this here thread.

    Quote: Originally posted by Cloudburst
    Might have a go at this one
    Two quick questions though, when we send you the link to the plan, are you going to post it somewhere so we know which one's are already taken? And can we change floor plans once we've messaged you if it doesn't work out in game?


    Well, I do have a list of the contestants and their plans (only have one at the moment). I can certainly put up the list and links to their plans so you'll know which ones are taken. But it depends on if enough people want that and don't care if people know what they're building before hand.

    Yes, you can change the floor plans as many times as you like so long as you have enough time to build it by the deadline and that the floor plan is not taken by someone else. Do try, however, to work as much with the floor plan you select before deciding that it's not doable and switch to a new one.


    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
    Field Researcher
    #17 Old 8th Sep 2010 at 6:17 PM
    I'm OK with people knowing which plan I chose - I have just built the shell. I realised some time in that I have probably picked one of the most annoying and tricky plans on the whole internet but I've started so I'll finish! The diagonal angles weren't the same as the Sims one and obviously the curved stairs were a no no but have done my best with a difficult plan. That's surely more fun than just copying something simple anyway. Have to say this idea of using plans is much harder than I'd thought!
    Forum Resident
    Original Poster
    #18 Old 8th Sep 2010 at 6:21 PM
    Wow, you're very quick. ^_^ Yes, building to a plan can be exceptionally difficult, and then you find that it just doesn't look very good when you're done. I hate it when that happens. I can't wait to see what you've come up with.

    Okay, I'll put up a list of the plans taken in the rounds post up above, not the original post. This is so that the original post doesn't get cluttered with multiple plans for each contestant as we go through the rounds.

    Thank you to everyone who's added the contest to their signature. Promoting this will help us get up to the 10 applicants we need to go forward with the contest. I'd love to have more, but we need at least 10.


    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
    The other one
    #19 Old 9th Sep 2010 at 5:10 AM Last edited by missroxor : 9th Sep 2010 at 5:24 AM.
    I waited patiently to see what you'd come up with and it was so worth the wait, I love this idea!I love building to plans so it's right up my alley but unfortunately I have house guests early to mid Oct and probably wouldn't get the time to work on this I might still build houses to your theme as and when I can just for fun though. Hope you get your 10, good luck

    Edit: I'm not 100% sure but I don't think that blue pattern is base game...I think it either came with ambitions or with the patch that came out around then....could be wrong though

    Urgh, it's so tempting to just enter and not give a damn about having to miss out on points for a round or two I might wait until closer to the deadline and then if you don't have enough people I could enter just to make up the numbers for the first few rounds

    Guys, rules are good! Rules help control the fun. ~ Monica E. Geller
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    #20 Old 9th Sep 2010 at 5:34 AM Last edited by LifesLover : 9th Sep 2010 at 5:48 AM.
    Honestly, it took longer to get the contest approved then it did to come up with it. ^_^ But I'm so glad that people are finding this an interesting idea. I really wanted the contest to be a success and I figured this would be a good way to get attention and interest. I'm sorry to hear that you can't compete, although I would certainly love to see anything that you come up with along the way of the contest. I've had many people ask for a chat thread and, unfortunately, I just don't think I'm allowed to do that, so there's no other thread to just post houses that aren't meant to be entries. But you're welcome to do so in this thread.

    Are you sure that the pattern is? Oh, fooie, guess that means I'm going to have to uninstall and find a base pattern to update with. Well, I'll uninstall and just check on the pattern and if it's not there, then I'll update it again. That's what I get for not doing it properly the first time. Okay, I uninstalled and re-installed on a different computer. The fabric was still there.

    However, just to be completely sure, how would you guys feel about downloading a custom pattern that I'll provide? That way, you'll have it, no matter what combination of games you've got.


    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
    The other one
    #21 Old 9th Sep 2010 at 5:42 AM
    No I'm not sure about the pattern at all, it might've been there the whole time and it took me this long to notice I mean I only just found out sims can be professional gardeners and I've had ambitions since it came out!

    Edit: At least once the application round is over you'll have an idea of what EP/SPs contestants have so you might be able to use other patterns Also, somebody told me that some patterns came with the ambitions patch so it might be that it didn't come with the actuall EP, just the patch

    Guys, rules are good! Rules help control the fun. ~ Monica E. Geller
    Forum Resident
    Original Poster
    #22 Old 9th Sep 2010 at 5:52 AM
    Yeah, I'm still discovering new patterns. I uninstalled all but the base game on a different computer, and the pattern was still there. It might've come in on the patch.

    Now, what I can do, is either leave it or make a custom pattern that everybody can download. I'd wanted to avoid that because I have a feeling that some people are leery about downloading something they might not even like or use on a regular basis. But this way there'd be no mistaking what the pattern is. And this is the only round that the bonus category will feature a pattern. The challenge will change with each round.


    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
    Lab Assistant
    #23 Old 9th Sep 2010 at 8:30 PM
    Forum Resident
    Original Poster
    #24 Old 9th Sep 2010 at 9:37 PM
    Okay, everything seems in order. I'll add your plan to the list. Thanks for participating!


    [you say you believe me but you don't deceive me]
    The other one
    #25 Old 10th Sep 2010 at 11:41 AM Last edited by missroxor : 10th Sep 2010 at 11:48 AM. Reason: Found out how to use windowed mode on wiki :)
    Quick quiery just in case I do get an entry in (apparently my guests don't arrive until 5th so I'd be cutting it fine and hoping there's no delays but should manage to join the contest): For the purposes of this round does contemporary and modern mean the same thing? I've found some nice houses that are listed under modern but not in contemporary though I don't know what the difference is, I thought they meant the same thing

    Anyway, I think I've decided on a plan just in tme for my printer to run out of ink so I can't actually work on it : http://www.theplancollection.com/ho...home-plan-25557

    Guys, rules are good! Rules help control the fun. ~ Monica E. Geller
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