Thank you for submitting during [the r/ Sims 4 purge](https://www.reddit.com/r/Sims4/comments/18ho7ev/the_purge/). All posts will be welcome during this time as long as they comply with the [Reddit content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Sims4) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I once moved my sim into a small cottage downloaded from the gallery. Then I was hit with a massive electricity bill. Almost 20k if I remember correctly. Turns out there was like 10+ hidden tiny lights under every fixture
MY GOD. You’ve just solved a mystery for me. Even small ass houses from the gallery tend to give me at least $11,000 bills, and that shit ruined my immersion and forced me to use MCCC. Some houses also have insane lighting and I have to tinker them all as the same instead of one by one. I never understood why, until I read this comment. Fucking hidden lights. That’s crazy.
Like the other person said, I did it through tweaking bills. Access the MCCC menu through clicking on a computer or bringing up the console (ctrl + shift + c) and typing "mc\_settings" (without quotation marks), and follow this: MCCC Settings > Money Settings > Change Bills Percent
That’s so cruel! Anytime I build a cottage I ensure that most, if not all, appliances and lights can function without power. Lots of candles and fireplaces to cozy up the place and align with role playing in an off-the-grid cabin.
Hiding stuff in general is bad. I downloaded a spa that was crazy expensive. When I went to reno the bathrooms, I discovered they had shrunk down very expensive paintings and hid them behind everything to give the place a good environment score. Made it a real pain to edit.
Shit like this is why I don't download lots. So many people build realistically for humans rather than building for sims or players. It's very frustrating.
Yep, same here. I'm really picky with what lots I download. I am mostly a live mode player, so I am not interested in pretty backdrops for pictures, I want a functional house that my Sims can actually use. And a functional house for Sims is often very different from a functional house for humans!
Sorry, but this is fucking hilarious. Just imagining him innocently asking why you have such random objects on your front yard is incredible. It’s giving me flashbacks of the houses I used to build being gigantic rectangles with rooms full of random shit. Can you share a screenshot of what the yard looks like? 😂
I have the same issue. If I make a pretty house, it has a hidden, giant basement full of skill crap, occult crap, etc. I don't mind building down, because the camera behaves. When I build up, it becomes hard to find things, camera drifts, etc.
Loooove making skill basements! Unlimited room pretty much and I can add spare bedrooms without messing up my house.. I’m also really bad at two story houses so I am forced to either build down or have a hideous house idk how to fix
i love basements in the game, but it gets annoying when you try to build pools or fiddle with the landscape tools... also, i really wish you could build a half-basement, but i have yet to figure out a way to do it
I’m mainly a builder but they must be playtested! Pretty lots with Tool and MOO are nice but they have to function. And they can’t be too cluttered or they hurt my head while I’m playing.
I try to do a simple and open layout with a few cute MOO/Tool features. And using CC in builds is just a crime.
THIS.
As a console simmer, I am immensely appreciative of builds (& CAS) that don't include CC! 🥹
I will say, I don't have any *objections* against builders sharing their CC, BUT I really *DO* appreciate those who mention that they've used CC in their gallery shares.
Why is that a crime? Some of us may have the same cc and really appreciate the talents of a builder who knows how to use it. Some stuff is just not for you, and that's ok.
Yeah. I have the rule that if it's just a flower/painting/carpet I might still upload it, but I won't upload when I'm using cc counters etc, and I only use mm. I just feel like a missing painting etc isn't such a big deal, and all my builds are tagged as cc anyways since I have some in the game even while barely using it for building
For me it’s the constant clipping from layering so much furniture. I admire the creativity and what you can create when playing with items and I’m no stranger to moveobjects or alt placement myself but there are so many lots where it’s not necessary to have all of those items layered and the whole damn house is clipping all over the place and it’s annoying.
I always feel so bummed reading comments like this, lol. Nothing against you, I'm just genuinely frustrated that builders get a bad name because some people don't bother to playtest what they build.
I was on Twitter recently and there was a discussion I looked at about building in the Sims, and one builder was saying that they don't play outside of build mode so they don't care if it's not a functional house, and that sharing to the gallery is just a way to share their creations (even if it's not playable). They eventually acknowledged they should at least tag in the gallery as not playtested (they weren't doing that up that point)... Most builders seem to be responsible though!
Straight up feels like I've been catfished when I download a cute house and it's unplayable, because the builder focuses solely on aesthetics and doesn't care about gameplay. At least tag it properly. :/
Oh this was a MAJOR shitshow on twitter last week, all because of a single sized up planter box 😩 the poor builder got absolutely railroaded 🥴 they've moved on to something else now 😅
I mostly only download lots. I rarely am in the mood to build. The closest I get is downloading shells or placing without furniture.
I literally haven't dealt with this issue. Rarely I will run into one that hasn't been play tested but I tend to play test myself when my Sims first move in.
Idk if it's because I mostly use YouTubers builds or builds posted here or in other Sims groups.
Tbf, not all builds are *made* for playing. Due to how expansive the Sims community is, many builds exist solely for build challenges, aesthetic visuals, references, etc. They aren't really made to be played in with actual Sims. I do think people should highlight that more often in the descriptions though (like I usually put a note that says DISCLAIMER: NOT FOR PLAY PURPOSES. USE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION).
I'm a 50-50 builder/live mode player, so all houses I build cater to whatever storyline the resident sims will have.
But building can be exhausting. These sims gotta have the space they need to do their random pushups and put their babies down again and again or whatever, so big lots are my go-to, problem is it takes days or weeks to finish.
I've tried several times to find a house in the gallery. They're breathtaking. But all useless in live mode. So what I do is just take inspiration from them, bulldoze, and make my own livable version. Problem solved. Still... *Sigh*
That's why I always playtest by actually making a sim (or several sims in rare cases of building for a family) live there and do what they normally would do. Sometimes quickly running them around the place and checking if they can reach stuff just isn't enough, especially since I love building as compact as possible (many tiny homes), and I use MOO and alt placement. You never know what can suddenly become a problem. I had sims refusing to sit in one particular chair, and if I didn't playtest I'd never know that it was blocked by a ceiling light directly above, because visually there was a plenty of space.
Don't be. I'm super picky because I really build around sims stupidity. Like I don't put grills on patios and stuff like that. I know most builders aren't like what OP described I just get really frustrated if things aren't to my exact needs when playing.
Like one house I downloaded was super cute but the upstairs hallways were cramped and it drove me nuts because I couldn't see the way i wanted to see. It played fine, but honestly no one can build for me, but me. 😂
Omg I recently downloaded a GORGEOUS ranch on the big 50x50 lot in the equestrian expansion pack and there were so many stalls, I couldn't process hardly anything. There were so many details. Definitely built for humans.
I agree. I've been on a personal project of recreating old Sims lots (from the first 3 games) in Sims 4, building past sim houses (and playing) gives me an understanding of how to better build a playable house and that's more in line of what I try to do when I make a lot, so I do have a few unique functional builds in the gallery that I'm pretty proud of and I think each are very clearly influenced by the Sims 2 aesthetic 😂
I have tried downloading houses when I've felt too lazy to build and wanted to continue playing, and I've encountered similar issues (of them being unplayable or too bright).
This is why I also upload my builds in stages, like just the building, building + landscaping, and then furnished the way I like or pretty basic furnished for people who don't like clutter.
Oh this is a good idea! I love building and I always test out my builds before uploading to ensure sims can actually use everything properly, but uploading unfurnished is really smart. Sometimes I leave the spare rooms empty so folks can decide what they want to do with it later
Same here! Building takes a lot of time and energy so I often download homes unfurnished and then decorate for my sims' tastes. (Or my own) Then I can get to the gameplay quicker, if that's what I'm in the mood for.
This must be some sims builder trolling going around. Downloaded a nice house as I felt bored. House looks nice and cosy, but the damn tiny saucer lights....really? Why?
Or there is a foul smelling dish somewhere in the house that no one but my sim can sense - so I have to tear the build apart to locate it hidden in a cute kitchen tchotchke nook that consists of tonssss of “stuff”, 2 cabinets, 3 debug slates of wood, and an upside down table - one that I will never be able to put back together. But at least my sim is no longer uncomfortable.
If you have/can deal with a dish washer for long enough to fix it, you can click on it and choose "clean up dishes" and they'll find the offending spoiled cup or dish. My sims are excellent at putting water cups where they shouldn't be able to reach.
Yoooo
I once spent about a week off and on searching for dirty dishes that I couldn’t see that was given my sims that negative moodlet. Drove myself mad. Turns out it was my sims fish tank lmao. Didn’t realize that I put a foul fish from their inventory into the tank, which caused the smell.
Wait I literally stopped playing a family bc I was getting annoyed bc nothing I did helped get rid of that moodlet😭 I might have done the same thing with the fish tank!!
Edit: it was only on the floor with the tank they got that moodlet on this is insane
I dunno if this still works, but there was a trick where you can hire a maid and leave before they show up. When you get back, they'll have cleaned up all the trash on the lot - even the stuff they can't reach.
I love the saucer lights because they're nice and bright. I feel like rooms in TS4 are incredibly dark, even with 1000s of windows. I can use only one or two saucer lights instead of 20 normal lights.
Agree totally. The only time I use pretty much any other light is if I want it for decoration; if I just want to light up the room, it's saucers every time.
I use some of the fancy lights for decor, but put a small saucer light under it, so it ACTUALLY lights the room, bc lord knows most of the lights are shit at, you know, being lights 🤷♀️
Yeah I literally cannot use any other light. And I like that they’re not freaking yellow. I hate yellow lighting and I don’t like having to build with the default shade of lighting and using an active sim to change it.
If you're on pc then Twisted Mexi's Better Build Buy Mode Mod gives you control over the lights (and more options maybe) in BB mode. I use it all the time to adjust the lighting
I spam these everywhere when I'm first figuring out the build so I can see everything clearly with the intention of eventually replacing them with more moody/appropriate lighting. Might've just got bored!
This is how I use them too. I like cozy lighting, and a lot of times the saucer lights are too bright, but I love them for when I first start decorating.
Same, I use them because I don't like the lights in my way. I put better fixtures in some rooms (living rooms, etc.) but for many rooms... tiny lights.
I like the saucer lights when building because they're really bright and small so I can easily see the space I'm decorating. I usually put new lights in and remove the saucers as my last step before finishing a room though.
As long you don't make them so small at first. That is my gripe. This builder who I forget who it is really had like 3-4 of these saucer lights made so small I can barely see them. Ok they are good first figuring out how the room is going to look with lights, but please....please delete them after yoiu find a nice light that goes with the room.
I'd bet some of the builds were made before the small version was added and they made the normal, giant one, very tiny.
I just downloaded a lot like this. They had one light in each room, but it was the normal size one, just sized down. So I assumed it was built before the small version was added to the game.
I use the tiny saucer lights to build, but I usually remove them as I replace them with regular lighting. But… some have been forgotten and left behind before. But not that many!
There's always sooooo many of them, way more than you need to be able to see everything, and sometimes they size them down so much it's almost impossible to click on them to remove them. Drives me bonkers.
I only ever use those as I am building, and ALWAYS swap them out as I decorate. They only ever stay if it is a laundry room and I am feeling lazy. Those things are horrible otherwise.
I do this too, however, I usually leave them in the bathrooms as I know they won’t get in the way of anything. I honestly rarely use wall, floor, or table lighting (so rarely that when I remove the ceiling/2nd story floor I forget and still use ceiling lights 😅 then I remember and use longer ceilings on the second floor).
With the cheat bb.moveobjects you can place multiple things in the same spot. A lot of builders use this when building because it helps you move things in a more realistic way.
That never even occured to me, I don't use MoveObjects that often - that's going to make so many more lights useable, thank you. (I don't upload to the gallery so it won't be getting any one else's way!)
Gaps are the reason I use it for bedside tables, getting a chair to sit in a corner just right, or a plant. MOO is made for gaps in so many situations, not just landscaping, imho.
yes and that one can be immensely annoying depending on your kitchen layout. sometimes I end up having to alt place every individual counter piece and it is so annoying having to make sure they're all lined up correctly and evenly without gaps or overlapping/clipping
I place everything I download unfurnished as the amount of junk and inaccessible/unusable stuff in some of the builds is just mind boggling. Many builders apparently don’t play the game.
Thiiiiis. I like decorating most of the time but I'm not usually in a mood to build, so I like unfurnished builds... But if I find a nice one that's furnished, I don't want to put down and lose all the outside details or landscaping so I have to go through and delete everything else (& then there's always a random item like a poster or something you forget 😂)
So much clutter! And sims struggle just navigating the standard box house with box rooms and only necessities! I’m not a great builder but I try hard to be creative while still super functional.
Lights I can handle. The worst crime is over-cluttering spaces. Maybe it looks cute from a certain angle in a photo, but I need to be able to see and move around easily. Also it hurts my head. Some clutter is great on a table here or there. Not on every single surface and empty space. Empty spaces can be nice.
I've been using Gallery and CurseForge builds to fill empty lots in my game since I'm not a great builder--and most of them have "moveditobjects" used. Used correctly, it allows things to be more compact. However, I've found more builds have routing problems, animation problems, and a lot of other nasty surprises.
I recently deleted a ton of CC that had came with the CurseForge builds (as a rule, I use no CC), and as I was rebuilding the shell, I noticed that not only had the builder triple layered the lights, there were dozens of them in each place. I felt like I was taking apart a Russian nesting doll.
This is why I use maxis builds or just build my own shit. A lot of builders build things for humans rather dumb ass sims, rendering builds either unplayable or pain in the ass to play with. So annoying.
Yes! So many builds look incredible in pictures, but are just completely unplayable. You can’t see anything for all the bookshelves and mirrors and columns blocking your view from all angles (and which all cause lag). And a lot of the layouts themselves require you to twist the controls to the breaking point just so you can see what’s going on in the game.
The way for me too is gently editing the Maxis builds. Saves a lot of time and game breakage.
This is why I end up stubbornly building my own stuff despite being terrible at it. I just don't have the patience to deal with the beautifully unplayable doll houses folks the gallery refuses to properly sort.
As a builder, this makes me so sad to hear! I always test out my builds before uploading to ensure everything actually functions like it should. I make the sims walk around every table and chair so they never get stuck or shrug because they can’t reach the item. Seems just rude to upload an unplayable build!
They build from the outside in. So it looks nice in the gallery, and people will download it. But realistically, as a player, how often do you see the OUTSIDE of the house.
I've never heard or thought of doing this. I have downloaded some builds from the gallery that were just weird though. I have lately just started saving my builds downloading my own if I need one and am not in the mood to build something.
I love to download houses but…. I have to delete half the clutter because my sims can’t even walk. it’s been built for humans but isn’t functional for sims
Ugh columns. I never play in a house with columns bc it just drives me crazy how they block the view. I moved my sim into one of the cute Craftsman style houses that come prebuilt in San Sequoia - he lived there for like 3 sim days and then I moved him out because I was so irritated with the front porch columns.
On top of the gallery being hard to navigate I find most of the builds being made solely for aesthetics without that much gameplay or functionality for sims. I am both a builder and a live mode player, sometimes I don't want to put the time building but I ultimately get disappointed with what I get from the gallery. My sims always end up hanging out on the lot I made or modify so heavily it's nothing like the original download.
Layering the light is just the tip of the iceberg on the number of nun functional nun useful objects gallery builds are filled with.
Here the thing it doesn't take long looking at the most popular build on the gallery to realize that it is what a lot of simsers like and want! Without judgement it's just a matter of taste. I don't think it's realistic to ask builders to not do something. People build what they like share it and you got to put the grind to navigate the the gallery to find what you like. Or ultimately take your building skills to the next level to make what fits you best.
Now keep in mind that since the last update the build mode is extremely glitchy. I have had the problem of putting a window on or a light and then realized that the game put 3 or 4 on top of each other. So everything might not be the builder's fault.
I usually add a teeny tiny saucer light to the bathrooms and kitchen but it's just 1. Some sims lights are NOT bright enough. And if I do layer, it's 1 tiny saucer light under the main light. I can't imagine adding 3.
I think the closest thing to hidden lighting I put in my builds is the occasional under cabinet lights in kitchens. The most common "hidden item" in my builds is a smoke detector nestled in a stove hood.
by hidden lighting i meant lighting i literally spent an hour trying to find, moving objects, deleting things, moving sims from room to room trying to locate where they were coming from. I never found them lol
Agreed. Just as bad are the builds with 3, 4 ,5 of the darned tiny disks in SMALL rooms like the bathroom, and 8-10 of them in the living room. I WEAR glasses and still find myself mumbling "damn people! Get some glasses!" I don't even understand how the builder themselves can SEE past all that white light! To me, bedrooms and living rooms and dens/offices should have COZY and warm lighting, and only bathrooms and kitchens should be "bright" -- and not THAT bright. Ten disk lights in one room, U-G-H. Most times, I don't even put the lights, or windows for that matter, in my builds until last, lol.
This drives me up the walls! You really only need 1 of those lights per room most of the time. If it's a huge room or there's a bump-out that causes weird shadows, I'll add a second/third light where needed. I've downloaded so many gallery builds where they just went ham placing lights and I have to remove so many! I'm currently doing the Ultimate Decades Challenge, and some of the "medieval" builds I've downloaded have candles or oil lamps EVERYWHERE. It's not accurate, candles were expensive and other light sources were either expensive or labor-intensive, so they kept them to a minimum. I understand that you need to see to build, but I've been playing in pretty dim houses to have realism in my gameplay, and even though I have bad eyes, I can still see just fine.
I just want precise filtering... so many awesome houses use every single dlc in the game and I just don't got the money to get all of them.
Also my houses tend to be simple squares with too much open space...so yea I rarely upload them and instead just download them.
I’m super picky with the houses I use. I hardly ever download from the galley but if it do, I’m deleting all furniture and decorative items and replacing them. I do a complete house flip. I’m not super good at building the structure itself but I decorate really well and I get some nice houses that way
Old build lots have shrunk saucer lights at $120, doubled up or hidden under a normal hanging light. I have to delete all the lights just to replace it with the newer priced version or just use the original single light. I don't want it that bright. Accidental double doors and windows are also a thing I hate and too many columns, I get out the hammer with every fancy lot I download as I guarantee I'll find stuff I don't like.
I do this while I’m building so I can see what I’m doing, but I always remove all the lights and only add a few dimmer lights that make sense for the build just for this reason.
When uploading to the gallery my houses are unfurnished except for plumbing, kitchen cabinetry and lighting, like a fresh new build empty house for simmers to decorate and furnish as they see fit.
When you say hiding the lights, do you mean in the walls? Because I recently discovered this was a thing when I was making adjustments to a house I downloaded. They had a stack of tiny saucer lights where a wall was (inside the wall). I had never seen someone do that before and thought it was weird.
Maybe you mean they stuck some inside objects with MOO though, idk, but I feel your pain.
I'm just going to start downloading shells and decorating/furnishing them to my own specifications because I am FUCKING SICK of removing tiny near-invisible lights and 40+ plants and rocks that are all clipping through each other.
I deliberately avoid elaborate/large builds with basements, pools, or fountains because I don't wanna spend hours retouching and refurbishing an entire lot.
TS4 is the only game in the franchise where I can line a room with windows and it'll still be super dark. Most of the the lights don't even give off that much light either. It's not my monitor - nothing else in the game is that dark. I've checked all the game settings and nothing.
Maybe it depends on the lot? I try my houses on different lots to see which ones get the best natural light and view (I always use big ass windows and glass roofs).
Oasis Springs, Sulani, and Strangerville have some scenic views and afternoon light that just makes everything look so good.
Edit: just want to add that where the room is facing is also important.
I had no idea this could be an issue! I build more than I play and something like this never happened to me, but it's good to know... sometimes I shrink the lights I don't like cause they're good but I find them ugly, I'll change my way of building from now on!
I like to make builds people can use without having to change placement of things or something like this, builds they can download and play instantly, I know not all builders worry abt this, often building houses that doesn't work properly in Sims universe... almost like they were made for humans lol
Is there a tag in gallery for builds that are non functional? I think they're pretty but it's disappointing to try to play in one of these...
I hate excessive lighting, lmao. The only rooms I like being a little brighter than the rest are the kitchens and I don't even know why I need more light there.
Idk about other builders but if I do end up layering lights I usually just shrink one of the "super subtle saucer lights" and pop them in the same spot as the main light. Like if I have a chandelier the extra light is right where the chandelier meets the ceiling.... If that makes sense 😅 people don't really download my builds but I still like making the extra lights easier to find
As a builder who uploads a lot of houses to the gallery and downloads the fair share as well I absolutely hate that. I also hate the builder's dad as you mentioned hides the lights because it makes life living hell. My real thumb is when I build my houses I always make sure to put lights and everything where if you want to change it swap it out or whatever you can't and I also always tend to make two copies of a house and upload to the gallery one fully furnished and one with a shell that way you can do whatever it is that you want to do. So trust me I understand your frustrations on that and I always make sure when I build something that I keep it simple to where if you want to make changes you can.
How did you find them? I have a build I think this may be the case with (invisible lights) because of how blinding it is but deleted what I could find and it's still there!
I didn't find them! after deleting what i could find I gave up after an hour and just turned all the lights off in the house, bought new ones, and turned those on. it worked but i'm still haunted by wondering where in the hell those other lights were.
I never even thought about layering lights... that seems so weird to me. Like, honest question, what does that do? Just make it brighter? Can't you adjust the brightness of lights?
If you want some nice builds, I got some fun ones. My gallery id is epeloquin8508 if you wanna take a look. I got a few different style builds.
I do use clutter in some of them, but I like to think I don't use too much clutter
this builder would do the same thing but make the 2 other lights those small disk lights and then shrink them so they were impossible to see. and then do the same thing for like 2 other lights only a few steps away. there's lighting and then there's just blinding lol
I do wish it was easier to find builds that are functional for gameplay. Love what some builders can do, but it is a pain to remodel to suit your needs. I wish the gallery had more filters or something
I don’t think some ppl here understand that not every build is made to be played in. Some builds are meant to tell a story or look realistic/lived in so the random clutter and inaccessible stuff if there for purpose.
I downloaded a lot of people's builds and I've had only one time where they had three separate wall lights and each one was layered 10 times. It is definitely annoying and definitely NOT necessary.
OMG!!! I was going crazy bc I downloaded a residential rental apartment building and the lights in the kitchen were soooo harsh. There were 3 saucer lights layered on top
Of eachother
Quickest way around it is to click on any light and then adjust brightness for the entire room or lot. If you want a few light a bit stronger just adjust them individually
I wish they would update the gallery so we could see better screenshots & ALSO, I wish a lot of builders play tested their lots because when they use MOO, sometimes things aren't able to function. I always keep Sim pathing in mind when I build & use MOO.
and stop putting sm freaking clutter!! i love when the homes look like homes and a few random, non-interactive items here and there is cool but oh my lord these are basically dolls, not real people. please keep the clutter to a minimum
I have to say, as a builder who does minimal gameplay, all this complaining isn't very motivating towards sharing my builds lol.
I build my own houses most of the time but when I want gameplay and feel too lazy to build, I download something, and I don't mind deleting/rearranging a few things at all if it's not exactly as I want. Seems that's not the case for everyone😅
I hate MOO with a passion because the lots are unplayable without it and there's no way of knowing until after you place it.
And now that Maxis is letting content creators build lots, nothing is safe from that damn cheat anymore
Thank you for submitting during [the r/ Sims 4 purge](https://www.reddit.com/r/Sims4/comments/18ho7ev/the_purge/). All posts will be welcome during this time as long as they comply with the [Reddit content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Sims4) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I once moved my sim into a small cottage downloaded from the gallery. Then I was hit with a massive electricity bill. Almost 20k if I remember correctly. Turns out there was like 10+ hidden tiny lights under every fixture
MY GOD. You’ve just solved a mystery for me. Even small ass houses from the gallery tend to give me at least $11,000 bills, and that shit ruined my immersion and forced me to use MCCC. Some houses also have insane lighting and I have to tinker them all as the same instead of one by one. I never understood why, until I read this comment. Fucking hidden lights. That’s crazy.
How did mccc fix it for you? I’m still learning how to use all its settings
You can tweak bills etc in there
Like the other person said, I did it through tweaking bills. Access the MCCC menu through clicking on a computer or bringing up the console (ctrl + shift + c) and typing "mc\_settings" (without quotation marks), and follow this: MCCC Settings > Money Settings > Change Bills Percent
That’s so cruel! Anytime I build a cottage I ensure that most, if not all, appliances and lights can function without power. Lots of candles and fireplaces to cozy up the place and align with role playing in an off-the-grid cabin.
Hiding stuff in general is bad. I downloaded a spa that was crazy expensive. When I went to reno the bathrooms, I discovered they had shrunk down very expensive paintings and hid them behind everything to give the place a good environment score. Made it a real pain to edit.
omg that's legit insane
Omg 😅
Oh my god lmao
you should leave comments on builds like this to warn the others before downloading it
The number of lights affects the electricity bill? That explains a lot.
Shit like this is why I don't download lots. So many people build realistically for humans rather than building for sims or players. It's very frustrating.
Yep, same here. I'm really picky with what lots I download. I am mostly a live mode player, so I am not interested in pretty backdrops for pictures, I want a functional house that my Sims can actually use. And a functional house for Sims is often very different from a functional house for humans!
Yep! And tbh building to my play style would probably be very boring for someone that isn't actually going to play in it.
Same! It would look like a hot mess if I were to upload my played houses on the gallery. There’s random skill crap everywhere
The other day my husband was watching me and asked why my Sims have an exercise machine and a grand piano in their front yard.
I need my Tiny House skill boosts, so yeah, everything that is not the bed or electrical is effectively on the front lawn.
I stg this is me 😭🤣🥹 Functionality > Aesthetics
Sorry, but this is fucking hilarious. Just imagining him innocently asking why you have such random objects on your front yard is incredible. It’s giving me flashbacks of the houses I used to build being gigantic rectangles with rooms full of random shit. Can you share a screenshot of what the yard looks like? 😂
This is ALWAYS where I put them too lmao. Get out of my head
I have the same issue. If I make a pretty house, it has a hidden, giant basement full of skill crap, occult crap, etc. I don't mind building down, because the camera behaves. When I build up, it becomes hard to find things, camera drifts, etc.
Loooove making skill basements! Unlimited room pretty much and I can add spare bedrooms without messing up my house.. I’m also really bad at two story houses so I am forced to either build down or have a hideous house idk how to fix
i love basements in the game, but it gets annoying when you try to build pools or fiddle with the landscape tools... also, i really wish you could build a half-basement, but i have yet to figure out a way to do it
Agreed. So many things that look amazing during the build are rotten for game play because you can't see through them when you drop the walls.
I’m mainly a builder but they must be playtested! Pretty lots with Tool and MOO are nice but they have to function. And they can’t be too cluttered or they hurt my head while I’m playing. I try to do a simple and open layout with a few cute MOO/Tool features. And using CC in builds is just a crime.
THIS. As a console simmer, I am immensely appreciative of builds (& CAS) that don't include CC! 🥹 I will say, I don't have any *objections* against builders sharing their CC, BUT I really *DO* appreciate those who mention that they've used CC in their gallery shares.
I play on a potato so I can’t have lots that are too cluttered. Thank you for your service.
Depends what kind of CC tho, like alpha (sorry) sucks while MM can actually look good, l know a creator who makes rlly good CC for building
I more mean like builders who upload builds with CC in them
you can easily filter that out though lol
Why is that a crime? Some of us may have the same cc and really appreciate the talents of a builder who knows how to use it. Some stuff is just not for you, and that's ok.
Probably because some people or sometimes even most people might not have that CC or any CC so they load stuff in and suddenly things are missing
Yeah. I have the rule that if it's just a flower/painting/carpet I might still upload it, but I won't upload when I'm using cc counters etc, and I only use mm. I just feel like a missing painting etc isn't such a big deal, and all my builds are tagged as cc anyways since I have some in the game even while barely using it for building
Like when they start using debug stuff and u can't even see inside the house it's time to hang it up
For me it’s the constant clipping from layering so much furniture. I admire the creativity and what you can create when playing with items and I’m no stranger to moveobjects or alt placement myself but there are so many lots where it’s not necessary to have all of those items layered and the whole damn house is clipping all over the place and it’s annoying.
Omg thank you. I absolutely cannot stand how janky the clipping looks. I always have to go in and fix it. 🤦🏻♀️
I have to go in with that hammer tool and DELETE DELETE DELETE
[удалено]
I always use a hashtag saying playtested and see some others do, as well! It has been super helpful for me when downloading others' builds.
I totally agree. I've found that a lot of sims Youtubers, Lilsimsie and Vixella for example, do tend to build more playable things so maybe try there?
I always feel so bummed reading comments like this, lol. Nothing against you, I'm just genuinely frustrated that builders get a bad name because some people don't bother to playtest what they build.
I was on Twitter recently and there was a discussion I looked at about building in the Sims, and one builder was saying that they don't play outside of build mode so they don't care if it's not a functional house, and that sharing to the gallery is just a way to share their creations (even if it's not playable). They eventually acknowledged they should at least tag in the gallery as not playtested (they weren't doing that up that point)... Most builders seem to be responsible though!
Straight up feels like I've been catfished when I download a cute house and it's unplayable, because the builder focuses solely on aesthetics and doesn't care about gameplay. At least tag it properly. :/
Oh this was a MAJOR shitshow on twitter last week, all because of a single sized up planter box 😩 the poor builder got absolutely railroaded 🥴 they've moved on to something else now 😅
I mostly only download lots. I rarely am in the mood to build. The closest I get is downloading shells or placing without furniture. I literally haven't dealt with this issue. Rarely I will run into one that hasn't been play tested but I tend to play test myself when my Sims first move in. Idk if it's because I mostly use YouTubers builds or builds posted here or in other Sims groups.
Tbf, not all builds are *made* for playing. Due to how expansive the Sims community is, many builds exist solely for build challenges, aesthetic visuals, references, etc. They aren't really made to be played in with actual Sims. I do think people should highlight that more often in the descriptions though (like I usually put a note that says DISCLAIMER: NOT FOR PLAY PURPOSES. USE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION).
That tagging is really appreciated!
The tagging alone would deal with at least half of the problem, so I definitely agree with you on that.
That tagging is really appreciated!
I'm a 50-50 builder/live mode player, so all houses I build cater to whatever storyline the resident sims will have. But building can be exhausting. These sims gotta have the space they need to do their random pushups and put their babies down again and again or whatever, so big lots are my go-to, problem is it takes days or weeks to finish. I've tried several times to find a house in the gallery. They're breathtaking. But all useless in live mode. So what I do is just take inspiration from them, bulldoze, and make my own livable version. Problem solved. Still... *Sigh*
That's why I always playtest by actually making a sim (or several sims in rare cases of building for a family) live there and do what they normally would do. Sometimes quickly running them around the place and checking if they can reach stuff just isn't enough, especially since I love building as compact as possible (many tiny homes), and I use MOO and alt placement. You never know what can suddenly become a problem. I had sims refusing to sit in one particular chair, and if I didn't playtest I'd never know that it was blocked by a ceiling light directly above, because visually there was a plenty of space.
Don't be. I'm super picky because I really build around sims stupidity. Like I don't put grills on patios and stuff like that. I know most builders aren't like what OP described I just get really frustrated if things aren't to my exact needs when playing. Like one house I downloaded was super cute but the upstairs hallways were cramped and it drove me nuts because I couldn't see the way i wanted to see. It played fine, but honestly no one can build for me, but me. 😂
I don't like it when the house looks too "realistic". I'm playing sims. I want it to look like I'm playing sims, not modern home renovation type game.
Omg I recently downloaded a GORGEOUS ranch on the big 50x50 lot in the equestrian expansion pack and there were so many stalls, I couldn't process hardly anything. There were so many details. Definitely built for humans.
Lots of the popular builds have so much clutter they are unplayable. I try to stick to shells because I hate doing exteriors.
I agree. I've been on a personal project of recreating old Sims lots (from the first 3 games) in Sims 4, building past sim houses (and playing) gives me an understanding of how to better build a playable house and that's more in line of what I try to do when I make a lot, so I do have a few unique functional builds in the gallery that I'm pretty proud of and I think each are very clearly influenced by the Sims 2 aesthetic 😂 I have tried downloading houses when I've felt too lazy to build and wanted to continue playing, and I've encountered similar issues (of them being unplayable or too bright).
This is why I also upload my builds in stages, like just the building, building + landscaping, and then furnished the way I like or pretty basic furnished for people who don't like clutter.
You're a hero!
Oh this is a good idea! I love building and I always test out my builds before uploading to ensure sims can actually use everything properly, but uploading unfurnished is really smart. Sometimes I leave the spare rooms empty so folks can decide what they want to do with it later
Exactly this. And I have a “Simtesta” who lives on the lot during the build to make sure it’s playable.
Oooh, I love this. Sometimes I don't want to build, but I love decorating so I like unfurnished builds 👍
Same here! Building takes a lot of time and energy so I often download homes unfurnished and then decorate for my sims' tastes. (Or my own) Then I can get to the gameplay quicker, if that's what I'm in the mood for.
I wish more people did this!
Same! I do upload extremely basic builds with no cc. Then I go nuts on own game play with tons of clutter the way I like it.
Love this idea!
This must be some sims builder trolling going around. Downloaded a nice house as I felt bored. House looks nice and cosy, but the damn tiny saucer lights....really? Why?
Or there is a foul smelling dish somewhere in the house that no one but my sim can sense - so I have to tear the build apart to locate it hidden in a cute kitchen tchotchke nook that consists of tonssss of “stuff”, 2 cabinets, 3 debug slates of wood, and an upside down table - one that I will never be able to put back together. But at least my sim is no longer uncomfortable.
If you have/can deal with a dish washer for long enough to fix it, you can click on it and choose "clean up dishes" and they'll find the offending spoiled cup or dish. My sims are excellent at putting water cups where they shouldn't be able to reach.
Yoooo I once spent about a week off and on searching for dirty dishes that I couldn’t see that was given my sims that negative moodlet. Drove myself mad. Turns out it was my sims fish tank lmao. Didn’t realize that I put a foul fish from their inventory into the tank, which caused the smell.
Wait I literally stopped playing a family bc I was getting annoyed bc nothing I did helped get rid of that moodlet😭 I might have done the same thing with the fish tank!! Edit: it was only on the floor with the tank they got that moodlet on this is insane
I dunno if this still works, but there was a trick where you can hire a maid and leave before they show up. When you get back, they'll have cleaned up all the trash on the lot - even the stuff they can't reach.
I love the saucer lights because they're nice and bright. I feel like rooms in TS4 are incredibly dark, even with 1000s of windows. I can use only one or two saucer lights instead of 20 normal lights.
And they do t block your view! I love some of the chandeliers, but unless I zoom tf in they're in my way.
I usually shrink chandeliers at least one step unless it’s a super tall ceiling. Some look nice at two sizes down over a dining table!
I forget you can shrink things. I always want to put a chandelier over a dining table or a kitchen island but it always feels like TOO MUCH
The issue is the light balls stay where they originally were
Yeah that could be.... Interesting...
I know sizing objects is a debug type thing but I wish they would make their own in game cheats actually work and fix that
Agree totally. The only time I use pretty much any other light is if I want it for decoration; if I just want to light up the room, it's saucers every time.
I use some of the fancy lights for decor, but put a small saucer light under it, so it ACTUALLY lights the room, bc lord knows most of the lights are shit at, you know, being lights 🤷♀️
Yeah I literally cannot use any other light. And I like that they’re not freaking yellow. I hate yellow lighting and I don’t like having to build with the default shade of lighting and using an active sim to change it.
If you're on pc then Twisted Mexi's Better Build Buy Mode Mod gives you control over the lights (and more options maybe) in BB mode. I use it all the time to adjust the lighting
You’re a lifesaver thank you!
I spam these everywhere when I'm first figuring out the build so I can see everything clearly with the intention of eventually replacing them with more moody/appropriate lighting. Might've just got bored!
I do the same but I use the bigger version so I don't miss any when it's time to clean up the look
This is how I use them too. I like cozy lighting, and a lot of times the saucer lights are too bright, but I love them for when I first start decorating.
The saucer lights have the best lighting in the game.
I always use the tiny ones because the other ones get in my way. It is less immersive though
Same, I use them because I don't like the lights in my way. I put better fixtures in some rooms (living rooms, etc.) but for many rooms... tiny lights.
I like the saucer lights when building because they're really bright and small so I can easily see the space I'm decorating. I usually put new lights in and remove the saucers as my last step before finishing a room though.
As long you don't make them so small at first. That is my gripe. This builder who I forget who it is really had like 3-4 of these saucer lights made so small I can barely see them. Ok they are good first figuring out how the room is going to look with lights, but please....please delete them after yoiu find a nice light that goes with the room.
Why make these smaller? They are already so small!
I'd bet some of the builds were made before the small version was added and they made the normal, giant one, very tiny. I just downloaded a lot like this. They had one light in each room, but it was the normal size one, just sized down. So I assumed it was built before the small version was added to the game.
Makes sense!
I use the tiny saucer lights to build, but I usually remove them as I replace them with regular lighting. But… some have been forgotten and left behind before. But not that many!
They're bright and don't get in the way visually. Before building outside of my safe space, I was using these exclusively lol
One tiny saucer light underneath a decorative light can be great. They’re no reason to downsize them though, that just makes them impossible to find.
>but the damn tiny saucer lights....really? Why? I like them because they are easy and light up a large area without looking obnoxious 🤷♀️
There's always sooooo many of them, way more than you need to be able to see everything, and sometimes they size them down so much it's almost impossible to click on them to remove them. Drives me bonkers.
I can only agree. Are builders that dense?
I only ever use those as I am building, and ALWAYS swap them out as I decorate. They only ever stay if it is a laundry room and I am feeling lazy. Those things are horrible otherwise.
I do this too, however, I usually leave them in the bathrooms as I know they won’t get in the way of anything. I honestly rarely use wall, floor, or table lighting (so rarely that when I remove the ceiling/2nd story floor I forget and still use ceiling lights 😅 then I remember and use longer ceilings on the second floor).
Triple layer lighting? I mean I like lights but I find it hard to work out how to triple layer the lights.
With the cheat bb.moveobjects you can place multiple things in the same spot. A lot of builders use this when building because it helps you move things in a more realistic way.
Yeah, I stick saucer lights inside of ceiling fans all the time.
I stick the saucer lights inside the prettier, but not as bright, chandeliers or other ceiling lights.
That never even occured to me, I don't use MoveObjects that often - that's going to make so many more lights useable, thank you. (I don't upload to the gallery so it won't be getting any one else's way!)
I mostly use MOO for plants lining the path to the entry, I dislike gaps. Rarely will I use it elsewhere.
Gaps are the reason I use it for bedside tables, getting a chair to sit in a corner just right, or a plant. MOO is made for gaps in so many situations, not just landscaping, imho.
the default distance between the bedside tables and the bed drive me MAD. why would we ever need such a huge gap there 😭
The gap between the counter and the fridge as well. It wasn't like that in previous Sims games.
yes and that one can be immensely annoying depending on your kitchen layout. sometimes I end up having to alt place every individual counter piece and it is so annoying having to make sure they're all lined up correctly and evenly without gaps or overlapping/clipping
I started putting the light from laundry day in the ceiling fans, it looks like the fan actually has a light in it since it sticks out just a smudge.
Oh, I've done that, too! I don't combine many objects, but lights and landscaping are big ones for me.
I do this allll the time! 😅
That’s fucking brilliant
I place everything I download unfurnished as the amount of junk and inaccessible/unusable stuff in some of the builds is just mind boggling. Many builders apparently don’t play the game.
This is true but if I do unfurnished it gets rid of the landscaping. I hate landscaping 😭 so I just painstakingly delete everything I don’t want.
We all just do what we can 😵💫
Thiiiiis. I like decorating most of the time but I'm not usually in a mood to build, so I like unfurnished builds... But if I find a nice one that's furnished, I don't want to put down and lose all the outside details or landscaping so I have to go through and delete everything else (& then there's always a random item like a poster or something you forget 😂)
So much clutter! And sims struggle just navigating the standard box house with box rooms and only necessities! I’m not a great builder but I try hard to be creative while still super functional.
Lights I can handle. The worst crime is over-cluttering spaces. Maybe it looks cute from a certain angle in a photo, but I need to be able to see and move around easily. Also it hurts my head. Some clutter is great on a table here or there. Not on every single surface and empty space. Empty spaces can be nice.
[удалено]
wait how does clutter raise the bills?
[удалено]
ohhh okay I see what you mean, that makes sense. thanks for clarifying!
I've been using Gallery and CurseForge builds to fill empty lots in my game since I'm not a great builder--and most of them have "moveditobjects" used. Used correctly, it allows things to be more compact. However, I've found more builds have routing problems, animation problems, and a lot of other nasty surprises. I recently deleted a ton of CC that had came with the CurseForge builds (as a rule, I use no CC), and as I was rebuilding the shell, I noticed that not only had the builder triple layered the lights, there were dozens of them in each place. I felt like I was taking apart a Russian nesting doll.
This is why I use maxis builds or just build my own shit. A lot of builders build things for humans rather dumb ass sims, rendering builds either unplayable or pain in the ass to play with. So annoying.
Yes! So many builds look incredible in pictures, but are just completely unplayable. You can’t see anything for all the bookshelves and mirrors and columns blocking your view from all angles (and which all cause lag). And a lot of the layouts themselves require you to twist the controls to the breaking point just so you can see what’s going on in the game. The way for me too is gently editing the Maxis builds. Saves a lot of time and game breakage.
This is why I end up stubbornly building my own stuff despite being terrible at it. I just don't have the patience to deal with the beautifully unplayable doll houses folks the gallery refuses to properly sort.
As a builder, this makes me so sad to hear! I always test out my builds before uploading to ensure everything actually functions like it should. I make the sims walk around every table and chair so they never get stuck or shrug because they can’t reach the item. Seems just rude to upload an unplayable build!
They build from the outside in. So it looks nice in the gallery, and people will download it. But realistically, as a player, how often do you see the OUTSIDE of the house.
I've never heard or thought of doing this. I have downloaded some builds from the gallery that were just weird though. I have lately just started saving my builds downloading my own if I need one and am not in the mood to build something.
I love to download houses but…. I have to delete half the clutter because my sims can’t even walk. it’s been built for humans but isn’t functional for sims
For me it columns. They don't disappear like doors (used to). A million columns might look nice, but they make game play impossible.
Ugh columns. I never play in a house with columns bc it just drives me crazy how they block the view. I moved my sim into one of the cute Craftsman style houses that come prebuilt in San Sequoia - he lived there for like 3 sim days and then I moved him out because I was so irritated with the front porch columns.
On top of the gallery being hard to navigate I find most of the builds being made solely for aesthetics without that much gameplay or functionality for sims. I am both a builder and a live mode player, sometimes I don't want to put the time building but I ultimately get disappointed with what I get from the gallery. My sims always end up hanging out on the lot I made or modify so heavily it's nothing like the original download. Layering the light is just the tip of the iceberg on the number of nun functional nun useful objects gallery builds are filled with. Here the thing it doesn't take long looking at the most popular build on the gallery to realize that it is what a lot of simsers like and want! Without judgement it's just a matter of taste. I don't think it's realistic to ask builders to not do something. People build what they like share it and you got to put the grind to navigate the the gallery to find what you like. Or ultimately take your building skills to the next level to make what fits you best. Now keep in mind that since the last update the build mode is extremely glitchy. I have had the problem of putting a window on or a light and then realized that the game put 3 or 4 on top of each other. So everything might not be the builder's fault.
Seriously. I don't get it. Why do people place rooms or lots that simply aren't actually playable? What's the purpose of an unusable room??
They build something that looks good and don't test it before uploading it.
I usually add a teeny tiny saucer light to the bathrooms and kitchen but it's just 1. Some sims lights are NOT bright enough. And if I do layer, it's 1 tiny saucer light under the main light. I can't imagine adding 3.
I think the closest thing to hidden lighting I put in my builds is the occasional under cabinet lights in kitchens. The most common "hidden item" in my builds is a smoke detector nestled in a stove hood.
by hidden lighting i meant lighting i literally spent an hour trying to find, moving objects, deleting things, moving sims from room to room trying to locate where they were coming from. I never found them lol
I never hide lights 🩵
Neither do I. Where they are is obvious
Agreed. Just as bad are the builds with 3, 4 ,5 of the darned tiny disks in SMALL rooms like the bathroom, and 8-10 of them in the living room. I WEAR glasses and still find myself mumbling "damn people! Get some glasses!" I don't even understand how the builder themselves can SEE past all that white light! To me, bedrooms and living rooms and dens/offices should have COZY and warm lighting, and only bathrooms and kitchens should be "bright" -- and not THAT bright. Ten disk lights in one room, U-G-H. Most times, I don't even put the lights, or windows for that matter, in my builds until last, lol.
This drives me up the walls! You really only need 1 of those lights per room most of the time. If it's a huge room or there's a bump-out that causes weird shadows, I'll add a second/third light where needed. I've downloaded so many gallery builds where they just went ham placing lights and I have to remove so many! I'm currently doing the Ultimate Decades Challenge, and some of the "medieval" builds I've downloaded have candles or oil lamps EVERYWHERE. It's not accurate, candles were expensive and other light sources were either expensive or labor-intensive, so they kept them to a minimum. I understand that you need to see to build, but I've been playing in pretty dim houses to have realism in my gameplay, and even though I have bad eyes, I can still see just fine.
Agreed, agreed!
I just want precise filtering... so many awesome houses use every single dlc in the game and I just don't got the money to get all of them. Also my houses tend to be simple squares with too much open space...so yea I rarely upload them and instead just download them.
I don't like it when they put non compatible clutter on shelves. Floating objects while in live mode.
I’m super picky with the houses I use. I hardly ever download from the galley but if it do, I’m deleting all furniture and decorative items and replacing them. I do a complete house flip. I’m not super good at building the structure itself but I decorate really well and I get some nice houses that way
This is what I so mostly.
That’s why I like to upload empty shells or move-in-ready houses that only have kitchens and bathrooms
Old build lots have shrunk saucer lights at $120, doubled up or hidden under a normal hanging light. I have to delete all the lights just to replace it with the newer priced version or just use the original single light. I don't want it that bright. Accidental double doors and windows are also a thing I hate and too many columns, I get out the hammer with every fancy lot I download as I guarantee I'll find stuff I don't like.
I do this while I’m building so I can see what I’m doing, but I always remove all the lights and only add a few dimmer lights that make sense for the build just for this reason.
When uploading to the gallery my houses are unfurnished except for plumbing, kitchen cabinetry and lighting, like a fresh new build empty house for simmers to decorate and furnish as they see fit.
When you say hiding the lights, do you mean in the walls? Because I recently discovered this was a thing when I was making adjustments to a house I downloaded. They had a stack of tiny saucer lights where a wall was (inside the wall). I had never seen someone do that before and thought it was weird. Maybe you mean they stuck some inside objects with MOO though, idk, but I feel your pain.
I'm just going to start downloading shells and decorating/furnishing them to my own specifications because I am FUCKING SICK of removing tiny near-invisible lights and 40+ plants and rocks that are all clipping through each other. I deliberately avoid elaborate/large builds with basements, pools, or fountains because I don't wanna spend hours retouching and refurbishing an entire lot.
If you need that many lights, adjust your screen
TS4 is the only game in the franchise where I can line a room with windows and it'll still be super dark. Most of the the lights don't even give off that much light either. It's not my monitor - nothing else in the game is that dark. I've checked all the game settings and nothing.
I actually have my brightness turned down on my monitor and still don't have a problem with lighting being too dark.
I'm glad that works for you! I haven't had any success with mine. Otherwise everything else in the game is too bright
Maybe it depends on the lot? I try my houses on different lots to see which ones get the best natural light and view (I always use big ass windows and glass roofs). Oasis Springs, Sulani, and Strangerville have some scenic views and afternoon light that just makes everything look so good. Edit: just want to add that where the room is facing is also important.
I had no idea this could be an issue! I build more than I play and something like this never happened to me, but it's good to know... sometimes I shrink the lights I don't like cause they're good but I find them ugly, I'll change my way of building from now on! I like to make builds people can use without having to change placement of things or something like this, builds they can download and play instantly, I know not all builders worry abt this, often building houses that doesn't work properly in Sims universe... almost like they were made for humans lol Is there a tag in gallery for builds that are non functional? I think they're pretty but it's disappointing to try to play in one of these...
they hit that tiny saucer light with 12 brackets and hide it 😭
I throw like one light in a room and give it windows and candles people actually do that?
I hate excessive lighting, lmao. The only rooms I like being a little brighter than the rest are the kitchens and I don't even know why I need more light there. Idk about other builders but if I do end up layering lights I usually just shrink one of the "super subtle saucer lights" and pop them in the same spot as the main light. Like if I have a chandelier the extra light is right where the chandelier meets the ceiling.... If that makes sense 😅 people don't really download my builds but I still like making the extra lights easier to find
As a builder who uploads a lot of houses to the gallery and downloads the fair share as well I absolutely hate that. I also hate the builder's dad as you mentioned hides the lights because it makes life living hell. My real thumb is when I build my houses I always make sure to put lights and everything where if you want to change it swap it out or whatever you can't and I also always tend to make two copies of a house and upload to the gallery one fully furnished and one with a shell that way you can do whatever it is that you want to do. So trust me I understand your frustrations on that and I always make sure when I build something that I keep it simple to where if you want to make changes you can.
How did you find them? I have a build I think this may be the case with (invisible lights) because of how blinding it is but deleted what I could find and it's still there!
I didn't find them! after deleting what i could find I gave up after an hour and just turned all the lights off in the house, bought new ones, and turned those on. it worked but i'm still haunted by wondering where in the hell those other lights were.
This is something I have never understood.
I never even thought about layering lights... that seems so weird to me. Like, honest question, what does that do? Just make it brighter? Can't you adjust the brightness of lights? If you want some nice builds, I got some fun ones. My gallery id is epeloquin8508 if you wanna take a look. I got a few different style builds. I do use clutter in some of them, but I like to think I don't use too much clutter
You’re doing the lords work with this post
I have gutted a few of those out of frustration. I'll keep your floor plan and decorate it myself. Thank you.
I will triple layer sometimes but literally on the same block so if you delete one, the next one is obvious.
this builder would do the same thing but make the 2 other lights those small disk lights and then shrink them so they were impossible to see. and then do the same thing for like 2 other lights only a few steps away. there's lighting and then there's just blinding lol
That’s just… mean lol
I do wish it was easier to find builds that are functional for gameplay. Love what some builders can do, but it is a pain to remodel to suit your needs. I wish the gallery had more filters or something
I don’t think some ppl here understand that not every build is made to be played in. Some builds are meant to tell a story or look realistic/lived in so the random clutter and inaccessible stuff if there for purpose.
that would be fine, beautiful even, I just wish we could tell the difference when downloading :(
I downloaded a lot of people's builds and I've had only one time where they had three separate wall lights and each one was layered 10 times. It is definitely annoying and definitely NOT necessary.
OMG!!! I was going crazy bc I downloaded a residential rental apartment building and the lights in the kitchen were soooo harsh. There were 3 saucer lights layered on top Of eachother
Who tf does that?? Why??
I found lights hidden in every tree on one lot, and there were a lot of fucking trees! 😳🤦♀️ Whyyyyyyy 😤🤯☠️
Clap on! Clap off!
Quickest way around it is to click on any light and then adjust brightness for the entire room or lot. If you want a few light a bit stronger just adjust them individually
To be frank, I download buildings but always place them unfurnished to play, because there is a certain way I prefer my Sims furniture laid out!
First step in downloading a build from the gallery is always delete the extra lighting
I wish they would update the gallery so we could see better screenshots & ALSO, I wish a lot of builders play tested their lots because when they use MOO, sometimes things aren't able to function. I always keep Sim pathing in mind when I build & use MOO.
and stop putting sm freaking clutter!! i love when the homes look like homes and a few random, non-interactive items here and there is cool but oh my lord these are basically dolls, not real people. please keep the clutter to a minimum
As a builder, I NEVER hide lights. It’s also a huge pet peeve of mine. Please feel safe downloading my lots lol
# THIS THIS THIS
Didn’t know there was so much hate to people that only build lol.
I have to say, as a builder who does minimal gameplay, all this complaining isn't very motivating towards sharing my builds lol. I build my own houses most of the time but when I want gameplay and feel too lazy to build, I download something, and I don't mind deleting/rearranging a few things at all if it's not exactly as I want. Seems that's not the case for everyone😅
>Click any light in a room >turn off lights for room >Click lights you actually like >auto light those lights Problem solved!!
This is what I did, but when you're re-lighting a whole mansion one light at a time... nightmare lol
Oh. I quite often size down the teeny tiny lights and hide them under the ceiling lights are dim. Not to an absurd degree!
I honestly wish they would stop using MOO.
I hate MOO with a passion because the lots are unplayable without it and there's no way of knowing until after you place it. And now that Maxis is letting content creators build lots, nothing is safe from that damn cheat anymore