Use buy mode plants. You could do a potted plant border like in some backyard pics I was looking at. See attached.

Btw, this is my inspiration board for this challenge, if anyone is interested: https://pin.it/kuzg4f3vbdjn73. I never shared a board before. I hope the link is ok...

Thanks for the clarification. I'll be ready to post pics later today.
Love that ideas board, phantom. I'm hoping I'll be more inspired for the next round.

Great board, thanks for sharing

Round one: row/townhouse apartments
 

Well I didn't think I would be the first!
This is not my best work but I lack time for this round. I made substantial changes to one of my existing apartment lots to save time, but I'm not sure it was a good idea. However, at least I got an entry in.

So, first, required pics

The left-hand side apartment is designed for a couple starting out. The two middle ones are for families and the one on the right hand side is for a couple and friend (or roommate). There are two two-bedroomed units and two (potentially) three-bedroomed units.

More pics on the structure/outside

Now inside the apartments:

I didn't show the second bedroom for the family apartments. One was for a young girl (apartment 2) and the other for a teenage boy (apartment 3). Nor did I show the 'hobby room' for the last apartment. The couple and their friend are into art and music (you can't see the paint brushes/deco stuff or synthesizer very well). All units have phones, smoke alarms, etc.

This looks like a really fun contest and I hope you all have loads of fun.

Would love to participate, but I absolutely loathe the game objects/walls/flooring textures and would seriously struggle with not being able to use object recolors/custom walls and flooring for such large builds.

I hear ya. I struggled to find stuff I actually liked didn't detest. I'm too used to using CC to get the look I want.

I wasn't too worried about the decor for this round at least, cuz I love the Ikea stuff pack. That, plus H&M stuff and some basic paints go a long way. What worries me is not including cc for the later rounds so that when I want to get creative and put in things like a laundry room or an atm, etc. is difficult to do so without cc. There are a few categories of cc that I would've liked to use to really complete some looks, but considering that there's no lot restrictions and that it's a little hard to go over budget, the lack of cc is what will make this contest a challenge, at least for me.

@gummilutt, if the judges don't mind, I really think more pictures per unit, at least, would be ideal. Four pictures might be enough for a studio or a small two bedroom, but for medium to larger apartments, judges might not get clear shots of bathrooms, offices, hallway layouts, or garage workshops, etc., and considering deco is a whole scoring category that makes me nervous. Depending on the lot set up, the extra shots might be needed for some common areas or outdoor spaces. Perhaps there could be an increased number of pictures per unit depending on how many rooms the apartment has?

And wow, first entry is up already! Good job @ yavannatw; I really liked the outdoor space, how you laid out the living room differently each time and of course, that black fence. :lovestruc

Bathrooms and garages are boring anyway. Being limited to four pics per unit for a max of five units forces us to take better pictures. If we inundate the judges with the full force of our awesomeness, their poor heads will explode.

Mine are finally all taken, with only one crash, but there's no way I'll be able to pick the 20 best/most representative tonight. Congrats on being first out the gate, yannatw!

If I'm lucky, I'll finish my build today. If not, I'm confident that tomorrow it will be done. Then I'll playtest and take pictures. And since we still have room for more contestants, I think I'll join.

Apartment Mania, here I come!

Hmm, bathrooms and garages can be boring, but then, so are bedrooms. Idk, I guess it's just personal preference and I'm the type that likes to see everything, or most of everything at least. I always hate when I'm watching shows on HGTV and they neglect to show the bathroom, laundry, mudroom, or spare bedrooms. Drives me nuts and messes with my sense of space. I guess some people think it's just bare walls and paint, but I'm sitting there wondering if the renovaters actually touched the other rooms, what kind of paint they used, how big is the closet, etc.

I guess I'll have to remember to get as close as possible in the layout shots.

almost done~ just gotta furnish the last unit and then take pics uvu
I also made my yard bigger cos hey---long term housing! gotta have a yard for a pet or a jacuzzi, bbq w/e

Why not be a play-along? No scores so doesn't matter that you don't meet the no cc-requirement

Have moved kanzen and Yvelotic to the contestant board. Glad to have you both

Nice work yavanna! I really like the exterior of your house, it's very pretty :lovestruc And very rowhouse-y!

I have asked judges how they feel, waiting to hear back. If they are okay with it I will consider raising picture limit, but only by a little if so. As Peni said, part of the challenge is having to choose what parts of your lot are the best and feature those in your pictures. But on the other hand I also want to see everything like Phantom said, so I will consider it

20 W. Mercado St., Nova Colonia
 

Nova Colonia, future downtown of my BACC, is a densely-populated metropolis with high property values and strong architectural traditions. Vibrantly-colored stucco and tile roofs are the norm on its well-lit streets, and public green space both preserves ancient relics of the alien race that vanished before the first Simlian ships arrived and supplements the limited or non-existent private yards available to city dwellers. Balconies and large windows are another common feature of apartments seeking to prevent claustrophobia in their tenants.


As you see, the featured townhomes are part of a larger development surrounding the fascinating alien monuments and public park known as El Jardin de las Cabezas Grandes. Los Townhomes de las Cabezas provide five flexible floorplans for middle-income families, couples, and singles who want a slightly upper-income address, without the hassle of yards, nosy landlords, and snooty neighbors. (And I'm about to get hosed on the landscaping points, but in my experience townhomes are inhabited primarily by people who never go out into the yard anyhow, so I'll take my licking and keep on ticking, because Authenticity is Important and I didn't want to build a new set of townhomes from scratch.)
Pictures under the spoilers are 800 x 600; attached pictures should appear in the original size (1024 x 768). I hope this compromise between maximum picture visibility and minimal page loading annoyance works out okay. I've also spoilered them in groups, so first up, front and back views:



Floor Plans. This is the best shot you'll get of many of the rooms, so I hope I homed in enough.


And finally, the best assortment of sim's-eye view pics I was able to take. Some of the spaces are a bit tight. I'm organizing them by room rather than by unit, but promise no more than 4 from any one. And I'm counting floorplans as part of the 4, since I used so many shots to take the front and back.

@gummilutt , before I spend too much time de-CCfying this lot, would you count this as rowhouses, since they're attached round the corner from each other?

It meets the technical requirements, but whether or not it meets the "spirit of the challenge" (requirement score category) is up to the judges. To me it does since I could imagine a townhouse somewhere looking like that

Is it okay to have this price for 4-6 sims?



Total max is 7 sims with the 7th being a baby or toddler. When that kid grows up, it's gonna be tight. Though it's highly possible to fit 8 sims in here if they use cc bunk-beds.
I tested the dining space and it can comfortably sit 8 if they don't mind some of the sims using barstools, or removing the islands and using a 3 tile table instead.

Round 1 Entry: Townhouse with Yard
 

Show Required Shots:
3 Units, each with

• 3 Bedrooms
• 3 Bathrooms (1 Shower in the garage, 2 on 3rd floor)
• 1 Powder Room
• 1 Office/Nursery/Flex Room
• Decent Pet Friendly Backyard
• Garden Sprinkler System
• Large Balcony
• Garage
• Trash Shute
• Alarms: Smoke Detector (hidden behind the vent hood), Burglar Alarm (first floor hallway)
• Good for 4 to 7 sims, 8 if player uses bunk beds.

Show Per Unit Shots:

Rent:

• Unit 1 - 6,085
• Unit 2 - 5,964
• Unit 3 - 6,197

When it comes to interior decoration, my entry will be very similar to yours, kanzen! I guess great minds think alike

@gummilutt - The play-along sounds perfect, so could you please add me to the list. Thank you for suggesting it!

Also, while I love Maxis objects (especially add-ons), I always have to give them new textures in order to use them.

@kanzen I like the modern look and angular shape of your roofs. I also like your use of fencing for exterior structure deco, very neat!

I've just finished my lot! Hooray! Now it's time to playtest it. I did my best to noise proof bedrooms, so I don't think I'll run into any problems there. I hope I haven't created an AI-unfriendly layout, though. Tomorrow I'll see.

i found it helpful to pull up a notepad or something to make any notes of what needs to change when you play test so you can apply to the original build (IF you plan to package the original for upload) I've found it very helpful for everything to adjusting chairs on quarter tile so they can be used by the playtest sims to reminding myself of some things I forgot on initial build like burglar alarms!

Peni and kanzen, those lots look wonderful and I would love to be able to download them! Also, Peni, it's LAS Cabezas.

Thank you; fixed it. I see I got it wrong once and right once, which looks like I was covering my bases. But it was a typo, I swear.

Totally understandable, given how we pronounce Los Angeles/etc. in English.

I look forward to yours then =)


They're good sunlight barriers and very stylish xD I had my blistering hot country in mind so all the shade is welcome in my book.


Thank you =) I'll try to upload them today or tomorrow.
I want to make an unfurnished version with uniform colors instead of red/blue/yellow so players can choose which unit they want freely without being limited to the furnishings/colors already there. Plus cheaper rent lmao

Did I read somewhere that under-stair storage units are allowed?

Not if they're CC. You could put stuff under the stairs as deco if you want to though.

Glad I play tested my lot. Found a couple of object placement faux pas that I was able to correct. I have tested one of the unit for noise, it passed with flying colours . Now let's see the other 3.

Round 1: Rowhouses
 

City Nests



Number of Units: 3

The City Nests are a row of town homes for lease located across from the City Hall in downtown Scandalica City. The facade of each unit contains brick and then a solid color plaster exterior marking the entrance on the second (Main) story. These are for long term living, fully furnished and decorated.

The bedrooms that share walls with other units are sound proofed by either a closet or items that muffle neighborly noises. Each Unit has a lower, main floor, and upper floor with differing layouts. Each unit also contains 2.5 baths, with a toilet on each level, phone connections on each level, and a private patio in the back accessed from the main floor. All Units are outfitted with sprinklers and security systems.


The row houses are owned and maintained by the same landlord, so there are some similarities found throughout each but each unit has it's own distinct aesthetic.
Please read below for more details on each of these units.

*Note about pics: I re-purposed 6 of the 8 'extra structural shots' Gummi allowed for unit pics on top of the 4 count so each unit contains 6. Also the chairs are pushed in to show how they would look when a sim is living there and I pulled them out so they would act normally for desks/tables in play testing afterward.




I hope you enjoyed the tour of the City Nests! I do plan on uploading this.

EDIT:
Ellu asked a very good question and I want to clarify for any other judges - but the stairs are not modular with the stage landing, they are a custom stairs objects called 'Sims 2 Half-Landing Stairs ' from Simlogical.

I've got apartment mania! I've never done a contest before but this seems like a great start since I love apartments. Quick question: are cc gates allowed as well? Thanks!

YAY! Welcome newcomer I can't wait to see what you build! Be sure you read everything carefully from the first post And, if you have any questions - don't hesitate to ask. We are a friendly bunch and enjoy helping each other.

As for CC gates - I would think yes. Because CC fences are allowed, and CC doors... and gates are just doors for fences.
BUT - the decision is up to the host/Gummi. So, until she chimes in, the answer is: ???

I spent last night play testing, and everything seems to work, but I noticed one oddity. I had a family rent a furnished apartment, and then visited the neighbours. In one unit, one of the neighbour's seats was missing and in another a bedroom was almost empty. However, when my testing family moved into those apartments, the furniture was there. I don't normally decorate apartments beyond bare essentials, so I've never seen that happen before. Is it normal? Could it be because a couple of the items on the lot had been placed with the quarter tile placement or moveobjects and overlapped? Other items placed that way did appear at neighbours' units, but all the missing objects were either placed with the quarter tile or were pieces of overlapping deco.

I haven't noticed that, but I can double check later and try to have one of my tenants visit their neighbor. I have plenty of items on quartertile.

I didn't even think to ask, but my first entry has CC gates to go with the black fence. (A Maxi's gate would look pretty stupid with non-matching CC fence.)

Sorry for the lack of replies for the past two days, I've been working night shifts and that leaves little to no time for anything but eating, sleeping and working. Haven't worked there since last summer so I'd forgotten just how intense it gets, will give you guys a heads up next time I have double shifts planned

Really fun to see the entries coming in! Always really cool to see the different directions people go from the same instructions. I hope many of you will consider uploading your creations



Nope! You've got backyards that you could shave off a couple of tiles from to bring the rent down under 6k, so unless you can motivate why the backyards have to be that size that counts as going over budget. The idea is for you guys to have to actually try and think about prize and only go above if you really need to for a specific reason, so either come up with a good reason (many Sims it not in itself a good reason, see my example in reply to Charmful on one of the earlier pages) or find a way to reduce rent



Will do! Glad you'll be tagging along in some manner



Welcome! Very fun that we have a couple of newcomers As for question, as Catherine already deduced the answer is yes. CC fence gates are allowed since they are doors for fences



Hasn't happened to me as far as I can remember, but I don't visit surrounding neighbors much as I find it's a bit buggy in general, so it could be I just don't do it enough to have come across it.

guess I'll be chopping off the backyard lmao

Since you are only very mildly over the limit I suspect one or two rows from the back will be enough

I have no idea is it normal but happened to me too

I trimmed the backyard and added a privacy treeline outside and a jogging track =))
now it's down to 5,600-ish max
that good? xD

Sounds great Just make sure you update pictures for the judges

Speaking of pictures, I have talked to all three judges and they are okay with an increase. So from round 2 you will be allowed to have 6 pictures per unit

That sounds like normal, vanilla behavior and nothing to do with how you placed the objects. I've noticed that neighbors rent apartments in much the same way playables rent unfinished apartments--not everything stays, only the essentials do. And even then, some stuff you might consider essential/permanent don't show up--that second counter in the bathroom, the double bed in the master, the computer at the desk, or the dishwasher, etc., can all come and go.

I finished my playtesting and I found I successfully noise proofed the bedrooms. Layout problems were corrected and everything seems to be working fine, so I think I am ready to set up my application. I will do that in a moment.

EDIT: Do we have to take pictures of every unit's rent or can we just take a picture of the minnimum and maximum rents shown from hood view. At least that's what other contestants have done so far.

Another quick question: Do Store items count as CC? Oh Baby, Cubic, etc? Thanks again! This is so fun!

@Yvelotic2001 - rent pictures can be the range from the neighborhood view, the only time Gummi required each rent's unit (composited) is if it goes more than the recommended price she laid out on her first post.

Noted! <3
I'll update it a little later...

From Round 2 on; this first one we still only get 4. I know, I misread it the first time, too, but that's an important clause.

We get four per unit but can re purpose any of the 8 'extra structure' shots for units per post #99

I have a few questions.


1. I'm a bit a bit confused by the change in picture limits for future rounds. In round 1, it looks to me like the maximum number of shots was based on 4 shots of up to five apartment units (4*5=20). In future rounds is the maximum based on 6 shots of up to four units (6*4=24)? With the final round having 6+ units, will all the 8 additional shots have to be used for the extra two apartments, or will showing only some apartments be OK, or will the maximum number of shots change again?

2. In rounds 2 and 3, can the units be detached?

3. Are we allowed to use career or aspiration rewards in the apartments?

Thank you.

Round 1: Rowhouse

This contest started just as I was building an inn/tavern for my new fantasy-medieval town, and I decided to expand the building and convert it to a four-plex. It then reminded me of a converted coach house I lived near as a child, so I expanded the building further to include garages - at some point the inn had been re-purposed. The newest renovation has resulted in an apartment building with four units, all have modern plumbing, electricity, telephones, fire and burglar alarms, and fireplaces. Bedrooms are fully sound-proofed, with units 1 and 4's rooms on adjoining walls being blocked by furniture, and the bedrooms in units 2 and 3 not sharing walls with neighbours. Despite that, unit 2 and 3 will get to experience the some of the joy of apartment neighbours in their living rooms, as the landings of their stairs are not sound-proof.

Most of the pictures were taken in build mode in my uninhabited Build neighbourhood - chairs are still out for these. A few images were taken in Live mode during another playtest in Veronaville as the camera mod I am using is more flexible in Live mode (letting me get far enough back for the full lot shots) and I wanted to show the functionality of item placement.

Required Shots:


I don't often add a lot of clutter to my lots, but I had a lot of fun playing with it on this lot. Each unit was decorated for a specific group of sims.
For the units, I used one additional shot per unit, so there are five pictures behind each unit's spoiler.






CC used includes the modular stairs linked above, Sunni's Justa Medieval Door and her matching apartment door default replacement, and leefish's expansions of the OpenMe doors and windows.

After sorting out the majority of my entry I have now changed the floorplan! Yikes!

Love everyone's submissions thus far!

Round 1 (play-along)

Even though anything sorta goes since I'm only doing the play-along, in wanting to keep with the spirit of the contest everything (save for the staircase, wall window holes, telephone, interior brick walls and flooring) in the apartments are either Maxis textures, add-on items linked to Maxis textures, unlocked game content, recolors/retextures of Maxis objects, or items from the Castaway and Lifestories bundles...which I still count as Maxis. Everything shown outside (cinder block walls, potted plants, lights, trees, shrubs, backyard decor and roof fencing) of the apartments are unedited Maxis items. Oh, and please ignore the lame apartment name...I struggled to come up with one.

Those are very nice @PenelopeT - I love that little circle cut outs! I wish we could use cabinets without it being counted as CC because they really add a lot to the kitchen feel IMO. I also love one tile desks because they save on space <3 Wish Maxis would have just provided that outright. Anyway, enough of me yearning after cc I can't use - great job on these <3

I have to stop being lazy and actually take the screenshots and submit my entry.
Very nice lot PenelopeT!

Charmful thank you, and I totally know what you mean about the add-on CC Maxis should have thought to include themselves - what would we do without our add-ons. Though, since I keep all add-ons and recolors that I'm interested in permanently keeping in the Bins folder (in the EA Program Files folder) not seeing those asterisks all over the place sort of makes me sometimes forget just how little the game offers up in the way of functional furniture and decor.

FYI, those window wall holes are by Linegud @ TSR. They come in a square one as well.

Edit: Thank you, Yvelotic2001. I saw your post after I'd already posted.

Round 1: Rowhouses



There a two apartments, joined together around the corner from each other. The left hand apartment is intended for a family of five - two parents, two children and a toddler, with the three kids sharing a bedroom. The right hand apartment is for a family of four - two parents, a teenage boy and a child aged girl.

Sorry for being absent for a while guys. Ended up not having internet when visiting my sister, and I'm too much of an old person to do forum stuff on my phone. Back home now and busy period is now over for this summer, so will be accessible from now on til contest ends



1. Not planning any further changes to number of pictures. While round 4 is more units as you said, it still has to be doable for judges and 24+8 is A LOT of pictures considering the required ones don't count towards that limit. I decided that 32 + required is enough to have a reasonable chance to get your point across, Learning to focus on the best parts of ones lot is part of learning too

2. Yes they can

3. Yes you may. Falls under the same category as SEP

Round 1 Entry
 

Well here's what I ended up with for round 1! 5 connected rowhouse apartments with private backyard gardens, loosely inspired by the rowhouses I saw when I lived in Grantham, England and by pictures of lovely NYC Brownstones. All apartments have smoke alarms in the kitchens and at least one telephone.

Rent ranges from $3,540 - $5,959. Lot size is 5x3.

Unit 1 (far left) costs $5,325 in rent. It's a bit fancy in design, and is meant for a child, a teen, their parents, and a grandparent. The basement is split into a Mother-In-Law Suite and a Pub-type area. The Mother-In-Law Suite has a kitchenette complete with minifridge, microwave, juicer, and sink, a bedroom area, and a bathroom. The pub has a couch, bar, and pool table. The ground floor contains a half-bath, kitchen, dining room, study (with piano, bookcase, and chess set), and living room (complete with pet fishy!). Upstairs are the teen and child rooms, a bath for the kids to share, and the master bed and bath. The backyard is a gardener's paradise with plenty of beautiful plants, a lovely pond, and several plots to grow vegetables in.

Unit 2 costs $3,540 in rent. It may not be the most fashionable apartment but it is a whole lot of fun! Meant for a couple with two children, a baby or toddler and a cat, there's plenty of room for a family of pleasure sims. The basement is home to a shared child room with adjoining bath, a nursery, and a master bedroom and bathroom. On the ground floor, an open floor plan means living room, kitchen, and dining room are all in one shared space. The front room of the ground floor is the creative area, with a toy-maker's bench, computer, bookshelf, and easel. The upstairs is divided into a kids playroom and a poker/ mahjong room complete with bar. Out in the backyard is a swingset, telescope, grill, and seating.

Unit 3 costs $5,541 in rent. The apartment was designed for a couple, three children, and a dog. Upstairs there's two rooms for children, one with two beds, a bathroom for the kids, and the master suite. The ground floor has a living room/ study and a kitchen/ dining room. In the basement there's a gym and sauna for your fitness sims to train in. There's also a "pub" with bar and poker table, an artist's corner with an easel and a pottery wheel, and a play zone for the kids. Out back is a slide, a romantic bench to snuggle on, a "sandbox" (sand terrain in a square, nothing fancy), and a doghouse.

Unit 4 costs $5,959 in rent and is for the biggest sim family. This apartment has space for 2 couples, a teen, a child, and a toddler - almost a full lot! The basement has the two master bed and bathrooms and a nook for a desk with computer and phone. On the ground floor is a roomy family room, a half bath, and a kitchen/ dining room. Upstairs, there's a teen room, kids room, and nursery plus a gameroom with two more computers, a big screen TV, and a video game console. The backyard is designed for entertaining and has a couch and loveseat, hot tub, and grill plus eating area. It looks beautiful lit up at night!

Unit 5 (far right) costs $5,154 in rent and is designed for a couple and two teens who love to rock!. Upstairs, the teens each have their own room and share a bathroom. There's also a master suite. On the ground floor is a living room/ study with an extra table for homework or extra dinner guests, a half bath, and a kitchen/ dining room. The basement is home to the practice room for the family band - there's guitar, bass, drums, synth, and vocals (all tested and accessible!) so the whole band can practice together. Outside the rehearsal space is an art nook, a couch, and a train set, as well as a vending machine for when rehearsals go long.

I had a lot of fun with this first round! Thanks for including me Pictures are only attached as I couldn't figure out how to do the spoiler tags, but they each have a description to help show which picture is what!

@Treehawk

simply do this:

[*spoiler]
Your text and stuff here

or here

o here


[*/spoiler]

WITHOUT the stars

Without the stars it will look like this:

Oh, thanks so much! I'll have pictures inline for the next round, then :3

oh dear! I almost forgot to update my entry haha~
I have 18 hours left ಥ_ಥ

I got really gung-ho on round 2 despite round 1 not being over yet; i do hope to see everyone's rowhouse entries though before it ends!

Round 1 - Lyons Park Townhomes
 

Whoo! It's been a crazy two weeks! Been really busy with real life and then everything with this lot took a lot longer then I expected, BUT it's finally finished! And real life should calm down by the end of next week. At least I hope so anyway!

I am super happy with how this lot turned out. I've tried to make townhomes before and always ended up frustrated with the facade and then ended up abandoning them halfway through. But this contest forced me to see it through to completion and I'm really glad for that. I can definitely see myself using these and I hope you guys like them too

About the lot/apartments:
The lot size for this apartment building is 3x1 and there are 4 townhomes. Each unit has 3 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths with one unit using the basement as a 4th bedroom. They also all have a kitchen, a combined living room/dining room, a 2nd floor office/misc area, a rooftop terrace and a full sized basement. Every unit has a phone(kitchen next to bathroom door), a smoke alarm(above refrigerator), and a burglar alarm(next to front door).

Notes:
- These lots have been fully playtested. Every object aside from minor deco was tested for accessibility. So the diagonally placed chairs work fine, all double beds are accessible from both sides, all couch spaces are usable, all dining chairs are good, etc. All tested.

- I unfortunately didn't initially plan to noiseproof any of the bedrooms as I had thought there just wasn't any lot space for that. Turns out most do have stuff in front of the walls and looking at it now I definitely could have rearranged a few more rooms to block the noise. But, unfortunately I just ran out of time. It is what it is, and it's only one point so I'm fine with it.

- The front bushes used to have a lovely edge fencing around them and nice little path lighting along the edging. It looked quite nice. However, I have removed it for this contest since for no discernible reason they hinder a sims ability to trim the bushes and a hack would be needed. But if I were to upload this I'd put them back as it just adds a nice finishing touch to the lot. It honestly makes my eye twitch to see them missing though. I mean, in a way, the trim inaccessible bushes mod is fixing the maxis edge fences.. right? So it's kind of a fence mod, right? Kind of, sort of, maybe? Please? No? Okay..

- The bushes around the back and sides of the lot are legit fences and totally not cheating. Bending maybe, slightly, but totally not cheating as per the stated rules..

- In several places I used the one and two tile wall shelves as a sort of vanilla OMSP to add deco on top of various furniture pieces. No mods were involved.

- I used 6 of the 8 additional shots to show off more rooms in the units.







Now, on to the apartments!

Wow. Just - wow! I thought I could wring a lot out of a 1x3 lot but compared to this I'm a piker.

That's a clever dodge with the shelves. I bet you see the rest of us doing that in future builds.

Ok! I will post my entry right after tonight's World Cup match ends, right on time for the end of the round. I playtested my lot and tweaked whatever needed to be tweaked in order for it not to have any playability problems.

Also, very nice lot, Magnolia. And on a 3x1 lot?!

Unfortunately, I will not meet the deadline. I'm currently at work and by the time I leave, I won't be able to get all of my pictures up on time. They're all on my home computer.(An extra door to a bathroom needed to be added. My poor sims....)

I may put them up just to be seen, but I won't be in time for the end of the round. Honestly, I'm just happy to see all the amazing townhouses!

Have updated score board with links to all entries. 2 hours left, hope to see the last few of you post soon

No worries AliaD85, since play-alongs aren't scored it's not as important that you post on time. Please do post, I'm sure we'd all love to see what you made Since there's only three play-alongs I'll comment on all of them even if they arrive late.

Mine is almost ready, just gotta take the images

I went to bed last night thinking for sure I missed the countdown! RL definitely hasn't slowed down like I thought it would, maybe after the 4th of July it will. pfffttt...

My apartments have the unique name of round 1. I based them off some in Mortensrud, Norway. I decided to make the whole building for families, with room for four in each unit.

Round 1 - Kalamath Townhouses
 

Kalamath Townhouses is a building comprising 4 different apartments suitable for long term housing. From the outside, it has a simple renovated industrial look. Inside, each of the 4 units caters to a different potential homeowner. Inspired by this rendering.
The lot provides exclusive parking for residents on the left side of the building and is fully solar powered, which cuts down about 1/4 of the weekly rents of our tenants. Also, during cold winter nights, residents will not have to worry about the cold as the building has heating.

Each apartment has been playtested. Bedrooms are noise-proof, but the rest is not, so you'll end up banging on the walls in silly places like the backyard two-tile walls . Every off-grid or 45-degree angle object has also been tested and are working. Cars don't show up while the lot is uninhabited, but they are there when Sims live there (as shown in one of the pictures).

Prices vary between 4.5K and 4.8K, which is within the advised limit. The lot is a 5x3, which I also believe is within the advised limits (at least it comes before 4x4 in the catalog). Additional information in the spoiler for each unit.








I think I haven't missed any important point. I realised I forgot to take the pictures with the lights on (why does the game have to turn them off everytime I place a lot from the bin into a hood?). However, since it's 10 minutes before the deadline, I won't be able to retake them in time. I still think the lot can be viewed nicely as every photo has been taken during the day.

(To the judge who hates orange: I think I might have overdone it, I apologise )

Round 1: Pleasant Vista Townhomes

I could give you details of all the drama with building this lot, the stupid errors I came across and the things I had to do to get the price down. I could also give you the backstory behind each of the units and the sims I had in mind for living there. I could even tell you the super creepy, super scary story about how I swore I saw a bartender at one of the bars while I was taking pictures. In a clean hood. With no cc. In build mode. With no residents moved in. But, as usual, I procrastinated and I don't have time to do any of those things! Whoops?

I will say, though, that the lot, if you didn't catch on from the name, is meant to be a new apartment lot for Pleasantview. (That's also the reason why the exterior paint color has changed, if anyone saw my in progress pictures. The Pleasantview Historical Society demanded I keep in line with their existing community lot color schemes. ) Anyway, better late than never, I always say, so here we go! (Is it just me, or is the countdown clock going up???)


















ETA: Editing because I forgot to mention that the lot is 5x4! Originally, every unit was meant to have a garage and sizable yard (my sims have to drive almost everywhere, so it's important for them to have a car. Gotta use that NL content, ya know?). But that was waaaaay over budget. It's been a while since I designed more than a half empty apartment and I didn't realize the prices get so crazy. Anyway, backyards were chopped and the space was used as public rec space instead. The front of the driveway was left in so that nice cc cars could be added for sims to use later (if you add cars before move in, sims can use them). The bigger lot size also allows for an amenities building, which was originally planned cuz sims are sims and need a place to barbecue! And to have resident shenanigans! Finally, there are 3 arcade machines in there because the one next to the end table is meant to be replaced with Monique's ATM. Phew! That should really be everything now.

Round 1
 

Round 1 Georgian Terraced Housing - UK



Please note: All the fire alarms are hidden behind the furniture!

Peni Griffin and Yvelotic2001 thank you so much! I love making the most of small lots. Hopefully they aren't considered too small!

I'm loving everyone's lots, so many different looks going on! Phantomknight and Karen Lorraine I like how you both came up with ways to hide the default doors away. Very clever! I love it!

@Karen Lorraine , are the stairs inside the units modular stairs with stage landing? or single staircase like Inges?

As if they are modular, that would mean huge issue with playability, I know @joandsarah77 would agree with me, learned that from Elsewhere, as if inside the units used modular stairs with staged landing WILL cause similar effect as floor dividers, all the upper floors are considered as common area.

EDIT : Asking the same from Magnolia also, but those look like single object staircase to me.

So many great apartments! Even if only a few of them get uploaded it'll be awesome.

Is there a mod or something that allows sims to watch a diagonal TV from a non-diagonal couch? That never seems to work in my game.

@kestrellyn - HERE

Good entries at the last hour everyone! looking sooooo gooood!

Yeah, mine are Inge's half landing stairs.

Edit: Though.. my garden bed on the roof of my 3rd unit does use one set of modular stairs up on to a stage. Would that be problematic? It seemed to be working correctly when I played the lot.

@kestrellyn
this one?
http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=462269

I only KNOW if the modular stairs from upper level to down with stage will have this thing, I have NO idea will the simply stairs from the stage do the same as a judge I have no idea so not gonna dock point for what I do not know myself :D

Thanks guys, yeah, that looks like just what I need!

Yes they're modular stairs. I've never had a problem with them and to be fair I didn't have time to playtest.

To answer the ping, @Kukamuukaanmuka @Karen Lorraine Modular stairs that are split by using a stage can have issues, the game views the stage as another room and it can break the upstairs in an apartment. When I build my gated community apartment lot all the upstairs turned into a public area, I had to remove the stage and make the stairs straight. I don't know that all modular stairs cause the issue but certainly, at least some do.

Lot's of great entries. :D

Modular stairs routing is better than the straight stairs. Is the issue with stages on apartment lots?

Edit: Ninja'd! It makes sense to me that the issue is the stages and has nothing to do with modular stairs.

Yes, I should of been more clearer, I am sorry I did indeed ment only if staged landing, straight modular stairs have always worked fine to me too

I can't change them as it would need a complete redo so they will have to stay for now.

I haven't experienced any problems with "stage" landings... I will not take off points for it
Maybe I have a mod that fixed the issue? Dunno *shrug*

I'm too exhausted to update my post before the round ends QUQ it's okay, I'll take the point deduction hahaha I'll just try to do better next time
sleep important--er.
good luck everyone! ^^

I misread the timer and thought mine needed to be in last night!

@Karen Lorraine

Either we all misread it or the deadline was postponed I can swear it ended last night for me too.

Phew thought I was going mad!

It did end last night, the counter just starts counting up after ending and the text changes slightly. It now says "Time since Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at 1:00:00 am".

More on the staging tool for those that don't know
 

The modular stairs are NOT the issue, the issue/quirk is with a staging tool. How you can test this is after you change the lot to apartment base and move a sim in, go to build/buy mode, can you move objects around like normal? Usually the staging tool breaks up the space and whatever is on the other side is not considered 'part of the apartment.' It's not that sims can't use the stuff on the other side of the staging tool, it's that they are stuck with all the items placed there and don't have the option nor freedom to exchange items or re-arrange furniture or even place new items they have acquired in those places that are considered public. So it just depends if the judges consider the limitation of not being able to place items or move items in these spaces within the apartments a drag on playability. Kitchens especially play differently when blocked off, not unplayable just...different (as I will go into detail in my second round entry about)

For example, the staging tool I used in my apartments as 'elevated' shelves in the red and grey unit lower levels - the items on those shelves, like the plants and sports trophies cannot be moved anymore by the sims that live there when I go into buy mode. They are stuck with that deco and they cannot place anything else on there as it's not part of their apartment. Also, you can tell what specific places went public after all the neighbors are moved in and you can still see items not 'shrouded by the fog of privacy' - see example but small, limited areas like this are innocuous. IMO, it gets to be a hassle of you have a sim move in and they want to change the nursery room into an office at some point but are stuck with a bunch of unusable baby toys/furniture if stairs that lead to it go through a staging tool.

Edit: I forgot to add that if a living area ends up being a public space in the neighbor's apartment, you will see them when the enter that area and hear whatever TV music they turn on, which can be annoying. It's not the same as the sound coming through your sim has to beat on a wall to stop, it's just constant and you as a player, can't control it.

Damn, I did not know that, and I've used the staging tool in my next build. How bizarre.

I didn't know either, which is kind of lame considering I am hosting an apartment contest haha. I've got several and never noticed any issues. Need to re-visit my apartment uploads, have two with stages and modular stairs on them *runs and hides*

I'm sorry about the timer confusion, I had missed there's a box you tick to make it stop counting. I have added judging and round 2 timers now, and this time they will stay at 0 once it's counted down Very glad to see that so many completed round 1, was worried when there were 5 left with only two hours to go but you guys really pulled through! It's been really interesting to see the different takes on the concept. I look forward to taking a closer look at all of the entries now they are finished.

Sorry to hear you forgot to update pictures kanzen. Good thing it's only one point

Thanks for explaining Charmful, I didn't know that and I build loads of apartments! I've probably never used the staging in them before.

After my first one, I've always used spiral staircases in all my apartments because I saw multiple people say that modular ones break apartments and in my first apartment building I was constantly having to use the enable build tools and move_objects to delete the straight object stairs, which were constantly getting stuck in-use tags and trapping people on the upper floors. I've never used the staging tool for making landings in my life. So now I know better; but all my apartments that I'm de-customizing for the contest already have spiral stairs incorporated in the design. It'll be useful to know later, though.

This is why I started doing this - to learn stuff.

Me too!!! I've finally actually started playing the game [in earnest this time] But, I haven't tried 'living' in an apartment yet - I think I'm gonna grab one of my uploaded apts - one with a possible stair/stage problem, and see what happens beyond play-testing a few days for routing issues.

Yes. Exactly .

Thank you Charmful for explanation, would of took me days to find correct words in english to do that

Also not going to dock points from the stage thingy for now I felt sorry I even mentioned the whole thing at the first place

Please don't! I am happy to know this information as I did not before.

I will playtest my lot and see what happens.