I see them without any problems. I will try to re-attach them and see if it solves the problem. Is it working now?

@ Yvelotic2001 - yes! I can see them in the post now

Edit: Karen, I see your got your pics to show up, yay! I'm totally digging the red/black,white unit and especially the yellow/purple one that's my fave complimentary color scheme <3

Thank you

That moment when you're almost done taking pictures and then you realize you forgot curtains on random windows in more than one apartment. Anyone else have those moments? Anyone else nearly breakdown when faced with the dilemma to retake pictures and make a new-new final version of the lot or to leave things alone? I guess it's just as well, though, because in my old pictures I had testing cheats on and I hate when I leave that in my pictures. Anywho, this round is finally done! Phones checked, alarms checked, trash, dishwasher and curtains, have all been checked. No more fiddling with snap objects and quarter tile placement, no more looking at other entries and going, "oo, why didn't I do something like that?" Yup, here it is, better late than never:

Round 3: Simply Country

A little inspired by all the previous entries with a house turned into an apartment complex, my round 3 is meant to be a country manor in Riverblossom Hills turned into apartments for recent grads. I was going for a plantation style look--I guess ya'll can let me know if I achieved that. The parking lot is decorative; invisible driveways can be added later to match up with the parking spots and cars can be placed before move in to allow residents to drive.



I kept it to two floors for playability--I tend to get sick of high rises after a while--though there is a dummy floor to give the building proper height between the columns and the roof. The complex features public space on both floors with a tv lounge, gym, poker table, computers, and the grand piano left behind from when the old owners moved out/abandoned the place. There's space for an atm and laundry to be added later (replace the arcade machine on the ground floor with the atm and place a washer & dryer where the ! signs are on the second floor). Outside, there's a hot tub, a grill and tables for those all important Saturday parties, a bar, and chess. Since there's a dishwasher placed out there (so the public spaces don't get too messy or take too long to clean up), all residencies also have a dishwasher.



Units on the ground floor, A and B, have two bedrooms and 1 bathroom while units on the 2nd floor, C and D, have 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. I thought that seemed a little boring, however, and so designed the apartments with specific sims in mind--the students of La Fiesta Tech. I didn't have time for staging pictures, but I planned for all the students (I think I got all of them, anyway) to have a space to live after graduation & story behind moving there. All units have at least one phone (should be visible in the pictures), a burglar alarm, a trash cute, a dishwasher (so they don't go wandering outside to use the one out there), and a fire alarm (above the fridge).









And I think that's it. Hopefully I didn't go over pictures! And please excuse any typos; I'm super tired right now.

so far the pics are showing up for everyone now :3

oh crud, I keep making studio or loft units that could've been perfect for round 2 when I need to make big complexes this round hahaha oh gee what to do

I've just had a message from Gummilutt to say she is still having major computer issues. She apologises for her absence and will be back as soon as possible.

Round 3 is now officially closed.

@Treehawk
@HugeLunatic

Round 3 has closed are you still going to get an entry in or have I missed it?

I sent a message to Gummilutt but I suppose they haven't received it yet since the computer problems are continuing. Due to health problems I'm not going to have a round 3 entry. Thanks.

Yeah she is experiencing quite bad computer problems but hopes to have them sorted soon. I managed to get a message through to her. So sorry that you are dropping out

Is there an official time countdown status or are the due dates for judging on round 3 and round 4 submissions in limbo until further notice?

Judging should be happening now. Gummi said she would contact the judges and ask them to judge. Please submit your Round 4 entries and I will link them until Gummi can get online properly to do it herself

When is round 4 due then?

Round 4 deadline is 27 August 12mn London time unless Gummi changes it

Any word on Gummi?

I'm really lacking motivation on this last round. I'm 'apartmented' out. It's like furnishing six houses each time with Maxi's ugly objects and I'm tired of it. Hopefully, I can find some inspiration soon.

I can definitely relate to that. I haven't even started the last round, I'm so tired! I've been dreading it a little because 1. I don't have a clear shape in mind and 2. Like you mentioned, with all the units, decorating gets a little tedious. My round 2 had 11 units though, and you wouldn't believe how sick of that place I was by the end, trying to come up with unique furnishing in every apartment.

All I can say is that when you have a large number of apartments to design, first you should gather/write down/note all the design ideas you want to do and try. Then, spread them out, one per unit if necessary, instead of cramming everything into one unit. Like, apartment A's nook is a meditation spot and apartment B has the tinkering garage, and apartment C's got the great view of the lake, so the deck is perfect for entertaining, etc., etc. This way, instead of putting all the cool things in one unit, forcing you to come up with new ideas, every unit has one or two special/unique spot(s).

And finally, when all else fails, remember hobbies and aspiration. Ask yourself who is living in the apartment? A fortune, knowledge, family, romance, popularity, pleasure, or grilled cheese sim(s)? What type of furniture might they need/want because of their aspiration? And what do they like to do? Check out the hobbies and interest lists (or read some sim bios, especially if they're premades). I also find it easier to decorate if I have an idea of the sims living there and the stories behind them.

Round 4, Big Complex
 

11 E. Ocean St.

With three one-bedroom, three two-bedroom, and two three-bedroom units and reasonable rents, this is a typical Nova Colonia complex for young marrieds and working-class families. Landscaping in the common areas is colorful and well-kept, but plays second fiddle to the playground, where children and adults alike can socialize and enjoy themselves in good weather.

And now, on with the required shots!


Common Area Pics:



Note that I only used four common area pictures. This frees me up to use floor plan shots of each of the units I didn't move people into.
I trust that it's not too confusing to have two Traveller families in the complex. My game suddenly started loading the BV stealth hood into Nova Colonia, and kept on doing it. It's solved now and I figured they could help me with playtesting. So if the inhabitants of 1B and 1D look familiar - now you know why.

First Floor:


2nd Floor


Anybody who counts better than me and notices that I still don't have the right number of pictures, please speak up! The attachments are still acting wonky so I gave up trying to caption them. You'll just have to open the spoilers if you want to see me editorialize.

Thanks to Gummilutt for hosting, the judges for judging, and my fellow competitors for creating such beautiful lots in such a labor-intensive genre. May no more computer disasters strike any of us.

Hey everyone. I'm really sorry for vanishing. After posting round 3 scores I went to bed and when I woke up the next day my computer was dead. Still not entirely clear on what happened. To make it even worse I was running my usual monthly full hd backup at the time and at first it seemed it had fried both the internal hd and my backup drive so seemed I'd lost all of my data once again. It's been a never-ending session of troubleshooting one problem after another.

Thank you very much Karen for helping, I really appreciate it. Haven't had room in my brain for more stuff over the last couple of weeks. August 27th is correct, though may be changed depending on judges and how far along the judging they are. I will check in with them and let you guys know.

I know there's some round 3 score things to be fixed, I will go over thread and pms and fix the things that need fixing.

If you've got inbox access - I've got scores

I'm glad your back! I know how devastating PC problems can be. If it's not all sorted now, hopefully it will be soon. Good luck to you


ETA: You mean fixing R2 scores right? R3 is the one we are/just finished judging now, and haven't been posted yet.

Does anyone know of any really, really obscure things that could make the lot not want to change to an apartment one? Because I have a build, all units have one exit (wih the regular, unique seperator door) in and out, all walls are closed but yet it doesn't let me change lot type claiming there's an invalid apartment. I did manage to change it after just like, removing all the doors to the patios (which are self contained to the unit) and putting the doors back in but then ONE single unit, which I cannot for the life of me figure out why, was considered public space. Since I couldn't find any gaps or second doors, I was wondering if anyone ever had any obscure things that ever prevented it from changing?

Okay well I think I found it! The issue was I had a big patio in one unit that could be accessed through two different bedrooms so the game doesn't like that the outside area, though still only accesible to the residents in one overall unit, can be accessed through two doors. One outside area should have one door, basically.

Thanks to help of Peni and Phantom, it was determined custom doors from pre-AL that weren't updated can cause this issue.

@Charmful, I don't know; the game seems to just be completely arbitrary with zoning issues sometimes. Is the patio area enclosed? Because the second floor of my round 3 (pictures should still be further up this page) has two doors, one in each bedroom, to a patio/balcony area.

Maybe it was the type of door?

Sorry replied to the hail on my PMs, but I will try exchanging doors because I was using custom ones. I do see what you mean in your pics above so perhaps it is a fault of the custom door.

I bet that's it. If you get a door or an archway that were made prior to AL and never updated, the apartment code is confused by them.

Ahhhh, I bet my dollar that's the issue too. If I recall they were older custom doors. Thanks for sussing this out with me! :D

Yay so glad to see Gummi back! Hands back the keys to the thread

My Art Deco skyscraper has 14 stories, but I can't fit 6 units in it... The penthouse alone will take the top 5! I guess I'll go back to the drawing board. But I will keep my build so far for future completion.

So I've talked to the judges and we'll need to extend judging round a little bit longer. With all the stuff that's happened I had completely forgotten I need to do host bonus which means I need a couple of days to finish. Ellu has had a family tragedy and is behind because of this, which I'm sure all of us understand. Golden also needs a little more time.

How do you guys feel? Do you want round 4 end to also be moved forward so you have one week between scores and end of round, or do you feel you've got judges opinions pinned down by now?

It's probably fair to extend the submission deadline if judges dealines are also extended. Some may use the con/crit on their final submission.

Have gone over posts and updated scores that needed to be updated for round 2. Added 5 points back to stitching on Cat's behalf, and half a point to phantom from Golden. If I missed any please let me know.



One floor plan shot of every floor of your structure. Structure in singular. If you choose to do separate buildings that is a design choice, and it's up to you to figure out how to show your buildings to the judges in the allotted screenshots. That's why there's an additional 8 shots, so that you have a few extra to use for whatever unexpected design you might decide to do. I will clarify the guidelines so it's more obvious.

--------

I see some of you are low on motivation. Keep in mind the unique furnishing is one point. If you feel it's draining you too much then just make them identical. In the end that one point you lose is a whole lot less than if you don't finish at all

Ah, okay! Knew I missed something somewhere--thanks gummilutt. I'm for extending the deadline, too, if only because I know I used some feedback to change how I did things in later submissions.

most beautiful words I've heard today

Did you see what ya'll inspired me to do? (pssst - go check out the downloads page)
Whaddyathink?

I was just thinking that! There have been lots of cool apartment builds lately.

@CatherineTCJD - how lofty! (*wink wink* *pun pun*) My fave unit is the blue one, love the set up and scheme.

*groan* LOL!
Thanks! I like the red one best... I haven't made the family for that one yet. Actually, none of the family units are purposefully occupied yet - they're all filled with single townies - they must like cheap rent too!

The orange one is my favourite

I can only mash the 'funny' button once, Karen but, that deserved a few more! LOL!


Hey!!! ETA: Would anyone know how to help BloodravenD over on my SUD Apartment upload? I don't know what else to say to try and help her - but, some of you have way more experience at building/playing apartments than I do. Thanks!

Any news on when the round 3 scores will be up?

I still haven't made my round 4 entry, no sir!

Any news on the scores @gummilutt?

Round 4
 

Ok, well, September is fast approaching and I have a busy month ahead so I wanted to get this out of the way (for better or worse!)

I present Cliffside (cos it happens to be near a cliff), an apartment building of 6 units, pool, gym, rooftop bar, etc. All units have smoke alarm, trash chutes and phones. Only two phones are in shot. Most of the others are on walls. Again, I have not used burglar alarms, although I probably should have put at least one on the ground floor (too late now). The postbox is in the corridor near the entrance. The rubbish bin is at the front left corner, screened off.



Required pics


More of the building:

The units:
Unit 1 designed for couple with young teenage boy.

Unit 2 intended for a couple of friends. (Unfortunately the cat wallpaper got cut out of shot )

Unit 3 for an older couple

Unit 4 for another couple

Unit 5

Unit 6 for recently divorced parent and teenage daughter

Sadly, I think some pictures on what might look like bare walls got cut out of shot (and not always visible on floor plan).

Just spoke to Gummi a few minutes ago...
Gummi is sick right now. I am not sure when scores will be up, but please extend just a bit more patience with her right now. Thank you. :lovestruc

ey no probs!
Wishing Gummi the best in health and luck!

also
since we're doing big complexes, here's a list of amenities I found that might help our lovely builders:
https://www.thespruce.com/what-are-...menities-155950

I am away now until Friday 31 August and my entry is not quite completed so I will post it on my return.

Round 4: Big Complex
 

Beach Breeze High Rise



Number of Units: 6

Apartments in this tall building boast great views, either of the town ("Dry-side") or the ocean ("Ocean-side"). There are 6 units total with two of them being penthouses. The units vary in layout from floor to floor with different households in mind. The layouts have similar elements such as abundant natural light through many clustered ceiling-to-floor windows as well as interior schemes of teal and bright green - colors to bring out the fresh and tropical feel of the location and surrounding elements of the ocean and lush terrain. This, combined with majority of neutral whites with black accenting on appliances and plumbing, makes for a distinct modern look to it as well.

Parts of the building have stone walls for structural reinforcement that create a harmony of material that keeps the interior design from being overly boring or too busy. From the front and back exterior, you can see the building looks to be split into thirds with white plaster, beige stone, and brown bamboo siding that extends into the outside, under-window flower beds. The feel of the building is luxurious and yet casual, expensive but relaxed. The building utilizes solar panels on the roof to lower energy and rent costs, and the climate provides ample sunlight!

Bathrooms for each unit carry either a bright blue or green theme in flooring tile that carries into the wall behind each sink. The shower areas are encased in a dark charcoal tile to match the dark accents of the plumbing. The dark color also contrasts nicely against the pop of bright color and white neutral of the remaining walls.



*Notes about pics:
1. I pushed the chairs in to show how they would look in a live-in space but pulled them out for play testing so they were usable.
2. I allocated 4 of the 8 'extra structure pics' to be used as 2 extra pictures each on the Penthouse units since they are larger. So Regular units have 4 images each but the pethouses use 6 total, leaving 4 for public spaces.

PUBLIC AREAS
The first floor of the building is entirely public space for the residents; there is an open gym with a variety of weight machines plus treadmills for cardio, a coffee station, billiard table, ample comfortable seating, two gender-neutral bathrooms for quick access to toilet or shower after a workout session or a coffee binge and an office area with a computer. The back of the building has a landscaped outdoor, but shaded social area, under a custom, intricate trellis-style roof for eating and drinking. The Landlord will grill on Saturdays and there's an in-house bar server available 24-hours to order drinks from and listen to any troubles one might have. Mailboxes and the bill drop is located out the front next to the garbage can in the small indenture of the building.

Mirrors are another decorative motif found throughout the building that create the illusion of more space; the public area makes use of them in the gym and on the walls in the billiards area.

All public floor areas contain a trash chute - this makes it so the Landlord can easily discard any unwanted and untouched old newspapers. Residents can also dump their trash here right outside their door when they take it out instead of trekking all the way down to the front of the building.

Access to each floor can be had either through taking the elevator or spiral stairwell.



-THE UNITS-



1A (Second Floor; Dry-side)
1 Bed/1 Bath
Cost: $1,916

This unit is a one bedroom apartment that is decorated with green walls and uses the larger kitchen layout. It's unique item is a dart board. The television is located against the stone wall along with the bookshelf. There is a decorative coffee table behind the sofa for sims to use to set items. The computer desk is near the kitchen against the inner wall. The patio activity is an art easel and it is decorated with the same flowers in alternating planter designs along with many canvases. Dining table seats 3; living room seats 3 (on a sofa)



1B (Second Floor; Ocean-side)
1 Bed/1 Bath
Cost: $1,890

This unit has two rooms, currently meant for a single sim in need of a study. It's decorated with teal walls and uses the smaller kitchen layout due to the bathroom's positioning. It's unique item is a violin, also contained within the study is a bookshelf and computer desk. The living area is smaller due to the space taken up by the study. The balcony is meant for relaxation, to take in the views and it contains a small fountain, seating, and planter decorations on the wall. Dining table seats 4; living room seats 3 (Sofa + Chair)



2A (Third Floor; Dry-side)
1 Bed/1 Bath
Cost: $1,885

This unit is a one bedroom apartment decorated with teal walls and using the smaller kitchen layout due to the positioning of the bathroom. It's unique item is the small fishtank. Clearly, the one who lives here is big into surfing culture evident by the various surfing/Tikki paraphanelia on the walls plus the tikki idol in their room. The desk and bookshelf are located against the stone wall. The Balcony activity is stargazing, and is also decorated with some outf=door plants. Dining table seats 2; living room seats 3 (sofa + chair)




2B (Third Floor; Ocean-side)
2 Bed/1 Bath
Cost: $1,892

This unit has two bedrooms, meant for a family with at least one adult and child. The interior walls are decorated in green and it uses the larger kitchen layout. The unique item is the toy box in the smaller room. There is a high interest in aviation by assumedly, the adult, in the apartment. The computer desk is located next to the kitchen and the bookshelf is located across from the entry. The dining area is on the balcony so they can get great views with their meals, and not worry about rain because there is cover above them. Dining table seats 3 and is on the balcony; living seats 3 (Sofa) and 1 reading chair aroudnd the corner.




3A Penthouse (Fourth/Fifth Floor; Dry-side)
2 Bed/2 Bath
Cost: $4,541

Because it is a penthouse apartment, it has more space, is more expensive and in this case, split into a lower and upper floor accessed by spiral stairs. The lower floor contains the kitchen, dining, a bathroom, bedroom, and access to the small balcony. The Small balacony activity is outdoor chess. There is a small entry way area containing a mirror, dresser, and a collection of indoor plants that drink in the sunlight from the cluster of ceiling-to-floor windows.

The kitchen appliances are all white accented instead of black and there is more counter space and these penthouse kitchens contain two breakfast bar seats; the penthouse kitchen also has a trash compactor. The lower floor is decorated in green walls while the upper uses teal walls.

The upper floor contains a living and recreation area with a stereo, juice station (it's unique item), flat screen television, sofa, glass coffee table and combined bookshelf, as well as a computer desk. There is also the upper floor bathroom which can be accessed through the main room or the connected bedroom. There is a distinctive canvas painting wall gallery across the back inner wall, which is meant to belong to the resident in the upper bedroom who has a high interest in art, their easel is on the same floor in front of the windows for prime views of the land.

Access to the large balcony is through the main room. The large balcony boasts an open fire place for cool ocean-aired nights, along with seating for up to 4 to chat around that fireplace and the majong table. There are also a variety of combined plants decorating this balcony.

Total dining seats 5; living room seats 3 three (sofa)




3B Penthouse (Fourth/Fifth Floor; Ocean-side)
3 Bed/2 Bath
Cost: $4,765

Because it is a penthouse apartment, it has more space, is more expensive and in this case, split into a lower and upper floor accessed by spiral stairs. The lower floor contains the kitchen, dining, and living area with access to the small balcony. The upper floor contains the bedrooms, a bathroom, a reading nook, and the large balcony that faces west and to the North, the ocean.

This unit has a lot of bamboo decor, the seating for the living area, the tall chairs, the dining table are all made of bamboo and it also has live stalks of the stuff decorating the living area and large balcony as well. The lower floor is decorated in teal walls while the upper uses green walls except teal for the child and teen bedroom.

It's unique item is the bird cage. The small balcony contains a meditation area complete with refreshing plants, mat, music stereo, and a calming waterfall fountain.

The bedroom above the small balcony is a child's bedroom with a single bed, desk, and dresser and a play area immediatley outside in front of the cluster of windows. Across from the child room is the teen room which contains a single bed, desk, dresser and painitng easel. This bedroom also has access to the large balcony through a single glass door.

The Adult bedroom connects to the upper floor bathroom and contains a double bed, dresser, and night stand. It also has access to the large balcony through a single glass door.

The large balcony contains the birdcage, a large telescope for stargazing, and a hammock for relaxation.

Total dining seats 7; living room seating for four (two loveseats)





-CUSTOM CONTENT-
Windows:
-Metro Window Set by Tiggy027 (all floors, interior walls)
-"Fallingwater" seamless window2-left by Prida (windows facing balconies)

Doors:
-Torrox Door - Double Glass by Moune999 (ground floor exit/entry)
-"Fallingwater" Modern door#1 by Prida (large balcony access doors)

Fencing:
-White stone building roof trim by Cyclonesue @ TSR (around stage flowers and for trellis roof)
-Modern Fence High (White) by lirunchik @ TSR (for balconies)
-Bumper Crop Redwood Fence 3t2 conversion by Amovitam (perimeter fence)

Note: Combined Vanilla Items (not cc!):
1A coffee table
1B TV/table, nightstand in corner with 'potted plant'
Lamp with fan in first four units' bedrooms.
Various plants and crafted vases:
Entry of 3A, Next to computer desk in 3B, Bedroom of 2B, etc
Various bookshelves turned around and used for backing or deco elements in 3A and 3B and 1B units

Round 3 scores

Let's just say it's not a good summer for me. Will most likely be somewhat absent again, need to go back to my city to see my doctor and figure out what to do about all this. Will have my laptop with me and if I can check in I will but don't have much room in my brain for much more than just getting through right now. But round 3 scores finally out, which means round 4 ends in exactly 7 days from when the most was made. I will add a timer to main post.

Will update main post score board when I can, too tired for it now will just end up breaking the formatting.

Oops forgot to delete extra screenshots from attachments after deleting from inline post.

Hey @gummilutt - just a 'heads up' - on Yvelotic200's scores, Judge 2's comments are in both judge 1 AND 2's spots. We are missing Judge 1's comments.

Sending you prayers, thoughts, vibes, and love {{{hugs}}} - I hope you feel better (and life treats you better too!) real soon! :lovestruc

@gummilutt Just confirming what Cat said. One of the two judges' comments were pasted over the wrong spot. Wishing you all the best. Health problems are terrible.

Glad to know I still have a week left. Much like gummi, I've had a terrible summer with my Crohn, and recent days have been quite scary. Luckily, analysis show that I'm apparently improving. I was really close to having to be operated. I hope from now on things will be better.

to defend meself, all units were tested by 4 sims+1 roomie and everything worked well - even the bathroom sharing uvu

just gotta use the right fences and they wouldnt be bothered seeing each other use the bathroom lmao

it's the bffs apartment! the bathrooms strenthen their friendships!! hahaha

thanks for the scores judges uvu

round 4 would be more...."generic"

Thanks Catherine, I've fixed the post and added Judge 1's comments correctly. And thanks for well wishes. I hope the universe listens, could do with a break. I'm sorry things have been rough for you too Yvelotic. Crohns is no fun at all :/

Wow, 3.5 for creativity. Harsh. And minus a point for playability for some reason. I give up.
I like the idea of jo's contest for people who have never come in the top three cos I never will, haha.

It feels a little weird to click the love button, so mental hugs @yavannatw! I do agree that 3.5 seems harsh. Personally, I see lots of creativity and unique design features, from the way you used diagonals, creating patios in the corner and how you laid out that dining table, to the way you laid out the apartments and how all the units connected together, with room for common space, to the way you used the back rows of the lot--normally dead space--to create a picturesque mini courtyard, perfect for storytellers. So, pat yourself on the back! Especially considering the other two judges gave you full points!

That said, I'm not really trying to pick apart the scores, rankings, and comments (because judging is hard!) or start a complaint rant (again, because judging is hard!); I'm just trying to say that everything is subjective. It's tough, but I'm learning not to take scores too literally.

I don't know what guidelines judges use for build contests, specifically, but generally, each judge is different--some are going to rank certain features higher or lower than others; they're going to notice different things about the same picture; they might even score differently, with one judge starting everyone at full marks and deducting points for each "missed opportunity" (I don't really want to say error in a build contest ) and another judge could start everyone at zero and give points for each outstanding feature. Numbers are subjective here, too. A "3" could potentially mean different things to different judges and each judge could also have varying ideas of what makes, or keeps an entry from, a 5. Finally, this is a contest and there does have to be a winner. Looking at the entries, I'd say that a lot of us are around the same skill level--which means that entries can be harder to rank and distinguish from each other. Sometimes, it could also mean that some entries will have to be rated a little lower to give other entries a higher score--some judges might score not only on how well a task/category was completed/achieved, but also score according to how well the task was done in relation to the other entries.

For example, never forget Michelle Kwan and how she was robbed of the silver medal for figure skating in 2002! Apparently, the internet doesn't seem to remember it this way, but my 13 year old self insists that this is how it happened. Anyway, it was time for everyone's last turns and, admittedly, Sarah Huges had the skate of her life, completing an impressive 7 triple jumps, a feat no one had ever done before. Clearly she deserved the gold medal as her skate program was the best. But she was behind in scores, having not done well on previous turns. In fact, I don't think anyone else even had a "clean" program that round, so many had fallen or made one mistake or the other. Kwan, who had had the lead, skated after Hughes and she too, made a mistake and fell during this last turn, and although her overall performance was deserving of second place (imho), she was scored very low on this last turn so that Hughes could come from behind and take first place. So, yeah, sometimes it's not really about you, per say, but the overall big picture. Which probably doesn't make you feel much better, now that I think about it, but I tried!

um~ question
why is my score on the table 73.5 when gummi's post https://modthesims.info/showthread....437#post5439437 is 77.5?

@kanzen, I don't think the R3 scores are in the table. I was going to post that a lot of the scores seem to be off, but then I realized the scores should be after the round--and those boxes are empty! Plus:

Yeah, we can't expect Gummi to do math when she's sick. It could set her back for days.

As for the remarks on mine - yes, I did mean to continue the exterior paving inside. It's not as common as it once was, and some of the places I've seen it done have, alas, been demolished, but it's a little trick for drawing people in that some businesses and apartments started to use when expanses of glass started being an architectural feature, and it's a very Nova Colonia thing to do. So are the masks as "gargoyles" (we have similar ones here in San Antonio, but they aren't painted), which I'm glad somebody liked. Pleased not to get dinged on the landscaping for once! I placed the outdoor lights with night toggled on to make sure the light was sufficient; but you don't want it too bright or you'll see more than you want to of what Spotlight Harry is doing in the hot tub with his guest du jour. How much light is necessary is another subjective thing.

Since the belted stucco in bright colors is something I established early in conceiving Nova Colonia as a distinctive trend in the architecture, I'll just have to accept that nobody but me likes it and swallow the points. As for my "mish-mash" decorating - I can't see it. Honestly. Those apartments look cohesive to me; far more cohesive than anyplace I've ever lived, let me tell you! I used collection folders and everything. So that's a basic difference of experience and outlook between me and one judge that I expect will hit me in the last round too, and oh, well. It's been fun, as well as work, and I've got some more variety in my apartments now, and that's all I was aiming for.

ah! I misread the table! thank you for the info Phantom

Judge 1 - Yes, I did forget the fire alarm, somehow. At least I can't see it in the floor plan, which I guess, even if it is hidden somewhere, isn't your fault for thinking it isn't there. I haven't actually checked the lot ingame for that, though. And yes, there are trash compactors on every level. That was actually one of the things I learned when building my entry for Round 2. Trash compactors on every level or prepare for never ending stomping from the landidiotlord.
Judge 2 - I understand that it makes sense to have the same, or very similar, floorplan in each unit. But since each unit is designed with different occupants in mind, the floorplan had to be different. The must visible case is the Eart Unit, being a 3 bedroomd apartment. Still, I think I did a fairly good job trying to keep floorplans similar. Except for the Earth Unit, for reasons stated above, the kitchen and bathroom are all in the same place. And the Sea and Light Units actually have the same floorplan. The Rose Unit only differs by not having the second bedroom (the one at the back of the unit) and having the other bedroom bigger instead, the rest of the layout is the same.
Judge 3 - 23.5 seems harsh for "Very iunique build, love the ouside look! Hudge lobby area with lots of seating. Only one bathroom , even in the 3 bedroom unit, maybe one half bath would of made the bathroom traffic easyer." I would appreciate it if you could take the time to explain better what you felt was good and what I could improve. Or, as Steven Keaton would say, "Can you... expand...? on that?"

EDIT: Judge 2. There isn't really any particular reason for the hedges other than being a design feature I wanted to have from the start. I love indoor plants and with the use of greenhouse walls, I felt llike hedges would be perfect to both give privacy and to pretty up the place.

As did I. The judges appear to have favorite contestants, and are also favoring specific build styles and style of playing.

@Yvelotic2001 , I apologize my lack of proper comments, it was not good time for me irl, I even talked with gummmi, if she wants take over as an emergency judge, but she was ill and I did not want to make her to do it.
But, I did looked my original notes to reply you (old fashioned pen and paper, and in my own language) , and seems that in sheet I have docked 0,5 point from you twice in playability.
Originally I ment to take 0,5 from deco ( I think the lobby/common area would of needed something else than so many chairs with lots of empty space) and 0,5 from playability (Only one toilet in group home).
I will ask gummi to give you the 0,5 back.

Thanks for explaining. I know real life gets bad way more times thank we all would like, so don't worry too much about that, I think we all understand Thank you for that extra .5

I'm a little confused by my score for 'creativity' here as according to the comment by Judge 1 they loved it! So why only 4 points?

The trash chutes on the ground floor are to simulate access points for the refuse collectors to collect from

I find the amount of images confusing. In my opinion it's easier to just have a grand total of images required. I added extra floorplan screenshots to aid the judges, didn't realise they were going to count in my total amount of screenshots allowed!

This is one reason (there are others, and this is not a major reason, but it is a reason .... personal issues have been the main one) why I've been leaning more toward non-judging challenges lately, such as going as a playalong in gdayar's contest and giving things a shot in SneakyWIngPhoenix's building challenge. I don't only enter lots ... I put them in my hoods and play the crap out of them for at least a couple of days before posting entries, so I KNOW they're playable. Really! I still play the ones that were docked, and they work fine. Creativity ... OK. I would give you that. But not playability!

There is little merit for me to make a lot where Sims stomp and stomp because after all the effort I go through I make these sonofaguns, I put them in my own game as is. That is my first consideration. If I don't want them or can't use them in there, why would I show them here, unless it's strictly a photography contest? (Those are somewhat different ... object arrangements are key.) When a judge docked me points for playability, I wanted to post several lengthy videos of my testing sessions, but even those might not prove my point.

I wish there was some way we could politely prove lots are playable, but I guess it would be difficult to do. Or am I missing the definition for contest purposes? The latter is very likely! It's not as if I've misunderstood stuff before. Anyway, yavannatw, I feel for you! And by the way, ALL apartments here have been great, and I do not envy the judges. It must be a tough job on their end, and I fully admit I'd make a lousy judge because unless a contestant made a lot so obviously bad that even a newbie Sims 2 player would cringe, I'd be giving too many fours and fives. So this is not a critique of judges.

As I said, they are scoring based on their own style of play. There is more than one way a lot can be playable, and discounting points because it is not your style of play isn't fair judging. Peni's lot had a comment that the decorating was a mish-mash, while I think it was all cohesive in style/colors. Quite nice considering it's all Maxis content.

I will write a long comment regarding this later today or tomorrow. I was saving it for the post-contest feedback, but since it was brought up, I will say it now. I totally agree with you, Lunie.

That was kinda what I was getting at with the 'don't read too much into the points' thing. Believe me, there have times I've been very disappointed by a score, in this contest and in another, and wanted to argue on my behalf or give up entirely. But again, I'm realizing that each entry, my own included, is not just about, and does not equate to, a literal score. And I know that that sounds weird, saying that contests are not about scores. Because of course they are. And yet, of course they're not.

Let's take the playability category, for example, since it's been brought up. To me it is not a black and white issue of is the lot playable--I don't want to speak for the judges, but if I was judging, I couldn't evaluate on that alone. Otherwise, yeah, everyone would get full marks and get the same scores. It's also about did you make the best use of space and materials--was there something that could've been done better to make the entry worth a 5, an outstanding, top rated entry, and how well the entry executed the contestant's vision, or how well the entry achieved the look/feel/aesthetic/etc. being attempted while keeping in mind sim and player needs.

So sure, an entry might be functional but if there was a better way to execute something, if there was another way to design something or make the entry go beyond functional, etc., it makes sense that a judge would call that out and make notes accordingly--essentially 'this was good, but, it could've been better, etc.' Plus again, we have to consider the other entries--not just how well something is to something else (as in if this entry is a 5, how do the others compare, etc.) but also the different difficulties attempted. Points might be weighted differently depending on the entry. So yeah, an entry might be good, but if another entry was good but attempted something a bit more complicated, I would expect that first entry to not be scored as high.

In this particular contest, after reading the judging comments, I can tell that all the judges have been taking great care not to pick on certain things/people or criticize too much; instead they have been using their comments to focus on mentioning the positive aspects of each build. I appreciate that, because we all share the same hobby and we all love this game and the contest is supposed to be about having fun, learning some new build tips, and maybe getting some new lots for our games. It just isn't really helpful as a contestant, because you're left wondering why your entry didn't score higher, if all the feedback is positive and I think that's what the general feeling seems to be right now. But I don't think anyone really wants true critiques, either. People always say they want honest feedback, but get very hurt when it's given and/or try to argue. No one wants a contest thread to devolve into that. So, this is why you have to read all of the comments, for all the entries; once you do that, you'll start to see what gets the top marks and what keeps entries from a 5 in each category.

I don't think it's just that the judges prefer a certain build style--I reserve those preferences as that extra distinction between 4.5 and 5, or maybe even 4 to 5. As for a preference for a certain style of play, maybe so, but then, we can only judge based on our own experiences, no? After reading the judges' comments from all the rounds, it's clear that they are looking at/for specific things--good use of space, good landscaping, clear aesthetics, and strong cohesion--and that they are giving the higher points to those entries that also have some unique design or "creative" elements, great attention to detail, and a clear vision of the type of residents that live in the build.

Finally, I'd like to point out that, unless the math was off somewhere, all of the entries for the last two rounds scored above 70 out of the possible 80 points. That means everyone got a B+ or higher. We'd all be on the honor roll. But we're not in school, we're in a ranked competition and there has to be a winner. As I said earlier, our levels of skill seem to be comparable and all of our entries have been really good. The competition is steep and fierce. Thus, we are going to feel the deductions more. Little "mistakes," nitpicks, and "missed opportunities" might hold more weight, and be more costly, in order to distinguish entries from each other. This doesn't mean we aren't doing great work--and we are--it just means that the judges feel someone else executed their vision a bit better.

*mash* *mash *mash* Well said, Phantomknight - I mashed the 'agree' 'helpful and 'love' buttons a gazillion times for that. Thank YOU!
(Especially the last paragraph - really well said!)

Yeah, I'm a back runner and I'm still getting nice high marks. Either the judges are being generous or we're all really good at this.

Must be the second. Yeah, that makes sense.

Phantomnight, THANK YOU for that post. Everything you said is true and I couldn't agree more. :lovestruc

ROUND 4: I can't remember what this round's called...
 

Okay! Round 4!

Shipping containers!



There are six units; the two front buildings and back right are each one apartment, the back left has three apartments stacked on top of each other (with the top apartment, 2c, being spread over two floors. Apartments 1, 2c, 3 and 4 all have private roof terraces, 2a and 2b have some personal items outside their front doors, but it's techinally common areas.

Apartments 1 and 2a are intended for single sims/couples. 2b is for a couple/single parent and a teenager. 2c is for a couple, child and toddler. 3 is for a couple, teen, two children and a toddler, and 4 is for a couple and toddler.

(Note to Gummi re lot size - I believe it's 5x4, but it had to be for this style to work, with the separate stacks of shipping containers. If you don't agree, I'll happily lose the point because I like it!)

I think I got the number of pictures right - 39 overall, which is 24 for the apartments + 8 structure shots (mostly repurposed for the bigger apartments) + 5 floor plans (4 levels, and ground level. I took more floor plan shots, but they came out of those allowed for apartments) + front, back and rent. I think that actually adds up to 40, and I only have 39, so that's okay!

Round 4

Garden Terraces: a family friendly apartment building

This building has 6 units, a common pool, playground, workout and wellness area, two patio areas (one for adults to socialize, one for hobbies), parking garage (2 units have garages and the rest is deco), a hangout area for teens and up, and a daycare/child's club area. There are also lots of garden areas and a few fountains, inside and out. There is a garbage chute beside the elevator on all floors.





Edited to include location of unit gabage cans/trash compactors.

Apt Mania Round 4



Not much to left to say; though I will add a bit of background info. This round was inspired by the 2009 Melrose Place reboot that apparently only I watched. Anywho, ever since then I wanted to make an apartment complex surrounded by a pool. While this isn't quite what I had in my head, I think it turned out well. Because of the inspiration, I ended up going for a southwest/hacienda type vibe, with lots of plants everywhere, and wouldn't you know it, that type of lot fits in perfectly in Veronaville! The original stucco color scheme did not, however, so the exterior was changed to Way Off White to match Veronaville's neighborhood theme but the interior, as well as the living and dining areas, remains stucco. I also went with an outer breezeway to fit the theme, and to prevent the courtyard from becoming too dark, I left the back corners open, pictured below in the Back picture. Finally, the arcade machine next to the mailbox is meant to be replaced with Monique's ATM.






Apologies in advance to judges; orientation of pictures may change as I chose the angles that best showed everything. With 10 units, I had to be extra conservative with pictures. However, pictures are in order and the attached pictures are labeled, as always. Also, when numbering units, the number is for the floor, the letter is the unit. As for the units themselves, I picture the apartment building as mostly for young professionals, or young adults still figuring out what they want to do, though one unit is staged for a young family. These sims like the building's variety of amenities and the opportunity for some kick-ass building parties. With the pool, big screen tv, poker table, and sauna all in public spaces, I expect sims to be rolling wants to be outdoors frequently. Oh, and the hanging lights over the island counters are meant to be deco and not used; the rest of the lighting should be sufficient.








ETA: Some text, update to picture, spelling

@Phantomknight I would recommend selecting the Design tool before taking pictures to remove the grid squares.

I suffered from creator's block while trying to decorate my lot, but I hope I can finish it today.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to be about a day late on my entry. I'm nearly done but not quite, and then I need to playtest, take photos etc. Really sorry about this. And I've really no good excuse, just poor time management on my part and like others I've been feeling really burnt out from all the decorating. The building is fine, I love building and that usually goes quick, but the decorating is such a slog. Still, I'm really excited to show you guys my entry though! It's pretty different from my usual builds and I think it's actually turned out quite well! I should be able to post it tomorrow around this time. And I don't mind losing points for being late, it's cool, I understand.

Oh my gosh, this I have no idea why I thought it was a good idea to do so many units again, but, oh, man, was it a mistake. It was such a chore yesterday and I only got done because I made myself sit down and do it all. It was basically kitchen, kitchen, kitchen, bathroom, bathroom, bathroom, bedroom, bedroom, bedroom etc. Definitely not. fun. The gemini in me wanted to stomp away and cry/rage so many times, . I knew I wouldn't have the energy for extensive playtesting either, so I told myself to forget the complicated, off grid, quarter tile placements and to just simplify as much as I can. It's a miracle I got done about midnight last night. I really tried to keep up the personality in each unit... but it was hard. I was definitely burned out when taking pictures and I don't even know if I got the best shots--everything all looks the same to me now and so boring.

Anyway, I definitely don't wanna see anymore shelves, bath towels, or seasons kitchen deco for a long, long while! So I feel ya and keep your spirits up!

Lol, right? I'm definitely going to need to put this game aside for a bit. Mercifully my round 4 is a modern build and thus less cluttered by design. Still it's a lot of pulling a million things out over and over to see what works with what, and what goes with what, and this wood doesn't match that wood, and would these people really put that out, and ack! I'm tired. The finish line is near though! I'll be happy to see it Thanks for the encouragement!

Oh whoops I'm late! I'll post it sometime before the end of the week.

Same here. I will finish the last two apartments now and post my entry sometime during the afternoon. Since I won't (again) be playtesting my lot, I stayed away from my usual love of cluttered spaces, of trying to fit as much in as little space as possible. These apartments are meant to be roomy and breezy. But more on that went I post it!

I still haven't done a thing hahaa geez ^^" I've been so busy with work idk if I can catch up
but good luck to everyone =D

Round 4 - The Vortex Tower
 

Enter the Vortex Tower! Located on a 3x3 lot, this 10-storey apartment building features 6 modern and comfortable apartments for the middle to upper class market, starting out at §3211 per week and with a Penthouse costing §7436 per week. These prices are a fair trade for what the Vortex Tower provides: roomy units, equipped with top-of-the-range appliances and electronics and decorated with stylish furniture, meeting fire and safety requirements; two elevators, as well as stairs in case of emergency; and large communal areas with a high-tech media room, a security office, a bar, a lounge and 4 bathrooms. We are sure you'll enjoy the urban life here at the Vortex.

The 6 units are named as follows:
- Unit A: second floor
- Unit B: third floor
- Unit C: fourth floor
- Unit D: fifth floor
- Unit Plus: sixth floor
- Penthouse: seventh, eighth and ninth floors

Units A, B, C, D and Plus have the same floorplan, but Unit Plus is more upscale than the other four and comes with a higher price tag. Hence the 'Plus' instead of 'E'. Nevertheless, each unit has its own unique decorations. The Penthouse is meant for upper class tenants and has visible luxury troughout, namely in the extensive marbled walls and floors in the kitchen and bathroom and in the overall decoration of the ensuite bathroom upstairs. Every unit is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment except for the Penthouse, which has 2 bathrooms instead. The Penthouse is also the only unit without a smoke alarm, instead having a sprinkler to avoid long climbs by the fire department.

Take a look at our promotional photographs to see everything the Vortex has to offer. Don't be left out. If the end of the world comes, you'll be safe in the Vortex.









And finally, our satisfied tenants left some feedback.
T. Christensen: "These apartments are great. They're spacious and comfy, perfect for my mother's recovery after her back surgery."
H. Jones: "I'm in this world to have fun. The Vortex Tower is a great party place!"
N. Prescott: "Whatthef#!@ever! My family owns this place! I will sue you if you don't leave me alone!"

I hope you like this lot. I had a lot of fun building it and it turned out just like I had envisioned it. But it sure was tiresome.

hot damn @yvelotic2001 I'm in love with this! :lovestruc

The Vertical Garden
 

Vertical Garden:
Lot Size: 2x2
Apartment Rent: Two-Bedroom - $3340-$3371

I decided to try something different from my usual builds and try my hand at a modern, "futuristic" building. This lot is directly inspired by a very real place called the Vertical Forest located in Milan, Italy. It was just such a cool look and concept that I needed to recreate it. Hopefully I've done it justice.

There are 6 units. Each apartment comes with two bedrooms, a combo kitchen/dining room, two bathrooms, a living room, four balconies(yes, four balconies, lol ) a fire alarm, phone and trash compactor. The fire alarms are above the fridge, the phones are in the kitchen/dining room on the wall(except unit 2, which is on a table in the same room), the trash compactors are in the counter next to the stove. There is a burglar alarm in the lobby.

The common areas feature a coffee bar and seating, a computer and reading area, and a rooftop lounge with a hottub and bar.

Notes:
- This lot is fully playtested.

- This lot REQUIRES a gardening mod; either one that allows tending inaccessible plants or one that removes the requirement entirely. I decided that the hit to playability points was worth it this time since it's the lush raised beds that really sell this look.

- The floorplans are all identical, but for each floor I rotated the floorplan counter-clockwise so I could have the location of the balconies vary on the exterior to allow for two and three floor gaps between balconies for the trees. The only difference between the units is the location of the front door.







And the apartments!

@Charmful I'm so glad you love it! I loved your build too, it reminded me of my own build for Round 3. I would love it if you were to upload it, they would look nicely next to each other. And I will steal your idea of using the back of bookcases for deco panelling for the future!

@Magnolia As usual, great build! It is definitely different than what you've showed us so far and I love it! I especially like the outside with all the overhangs and large vegetation. I've been meaning to build a "green" apartment myself for ages, you just gave me another incentive!

Now that we've got that mushy sh!t out of the way, I feel like stage diving! Let's thrash this place! Seriously though, I've inserted several references to a certain, let's call it, thing (as to not make it really easy to know what you're looking for) in my entry for this round - which, I think, is now at its final description. If you can find them all, I salute you. HINT: Two of those references are in this post.

P.S. I forgot to add solar panels to my build. I always do, not only because they provide a bit of rent relief, but because I'm an eco-friendly builder. But I guess with the hurry of trying to not go far past the deadline, I forgot to add them here. For such a high-tech place, solar panels would have made sense, but oh well.

@Yvelotic2001 - Wow, that is such an fantastic build layout. :lovestruc Love what you did with the decorating too - you made use of items I forgot were even in the game (looking at you H&M dressing curtain thingy). Well done!

@Magnolia - Such a unique build, and that use of landscaping is ingenious...love it! I can tell you really put some thought and lots of time into this build. Really great work! :lovestruc

@Magnolia your flooring work is superb!!!! i love all of the units! the colors are so harmonious

@Yvelotic2001 @PenelopeT @kanzen Thank you, you guys! I'm so glad you liked my lot!

And good job to everybody! You have all made some really beautiful and impressive builds throughout the rounds! Definitely cause for celebration, I think

I have messaged Gummi to see what's happening.

In other news: My entry is finished and I will be posting pics tomorrow as it is far too late to do that now!

I've fixed the scores that needed fixing. Yvelotic got an additional 0.5 points from judge 3, and three of you had your totals lowered 1 point as I had summed it up wrong. I'm sorry about that. First page table updated with round 3 scores and round 4 entries. Judges have received their score cards and judging timer is up.

It's been some next level stuff lately. My RA amped up the volume yet again and the new medication we started made my skin come off so been a lot to deal with. Will do my best to finish off contest as soon as possible after scores come in.

Wow, Gummi, you just cannot catch a break this year. If you have to delay posting scores to put your skin back on, then you do that. We can wait as long as you need us to.

It's by no means anybody's contest at this point, but the point spreads are such that the top three contenders could easily be in a photo finish. Magnolia does more original and striking stuff when she's burned out than I do when I'm fresh! It's an honor to trail this pack and I look forward to seeing some of these apartments in the Downloads.

ah it's such a bummer that I won't be able to finish this contest qAq there's too much workload lately

anyways ive learned a great deal from this contest and discovered new tricks in building and decorating thanks to the talent gathered in this place ^^

good luck everyone!!

Aw, thank you, you're so sweet! To be fair though nothing I've done is really original. Lol, I can copy something well enough, but coming up with something original out of nothing is definitely not one of my strengths. I'm honestly in awe of those of you who can do that!

@gummilutt Take it easy and don't worry about it. My mom has RA and I get how horrible that disease can be. Take care of yourself first, we can wait.

Clare Apartments
 

These are very late - sorry, time got away from me! The building was inspired by new job's Headquarters.

All apartments have phones and a trash chute. There is a communal swimming pool with a BBQ area and some seating around the back of the building.












@gummilutt please can you add me to the table

I am wondering how the judging is going?

What I see I have still 2 days to get it done. (based on the timer in first post) . Nearly there, sudden change at workhours is now atm causing some delay, but will be at time.

Dunno about others.

Going OK on my end with the judging. I'll have it done on time this time (knock on wood).

Haha, I know - "If you have time to upload a home, then your judging should be done", no? If it is any consolation, it took less then 10 minutes because that home has been done for months (including screenshots and it being zipped and all!) and I am a slacker when it comes to uploading. If that was in poor taste to upload something, my apologies. Life has been really heavy lately and I just needed something fun and easy to do.

How is the judging going, folks?

I think we're all done - Gummi is in the midst of moving, and has also been sick. I'm sure as soon as she gets a chance, she will post the final tallies.
This was an extremely close race - all ya'll brought your A-games to the very end. Congrats!

Will hopefully have scores posted today, or tomorrow at the latest. Had to bring forward moving so been going back and forth to pack up things and move to storage, and of course caught a cold right before so been yet another rough week.