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Changes Coming to OldSunset - February!!
🕑 Added 2022-02-28 13:23:59 +0000 UTCGood morning citizens! As mayor, I have to admit that working on the February version of OldSunset was extremely CHALLENGING. Many changes are coming!
The main one is that I removed practically ALL objects that were part of the Store or were from third parties. This means that many windows, doors, or ornamental objects have been removed. I kept only custom authored content and essential mods to keep OldSunset looking like you know it (ie: lighting, shading, performance mods, etc).
To make this change virtually imperceptible, all 79 batches underwent fine texture and adaptation adjustments. All for the greater benefit: as you know, the less personalized content the better! Performance always thanks you.
I made this decision after experiencing minor bottlenecks in a live live on the map. Speaking of map, let's check out how downtown OldSunset is currently?
And this is where we touch on another change: OldSunset has undergone a geographic adaptation! This tweak was subtle, but it gave the map an even more familiar feel. You can see more details about this change in THIS post.
Following this, I felt that the texture maps did not reflect the uniqueness and visual highlight that OldSunset deserved. It was necessary to stylize even more. So I worked alongside World Machine, a tool that creates height and texture maps in a more realistic and coherent way. And here is the result:
When it brought these changes, the folks at Twitter were extremely divided, preferring the previous version. And I respect that, after all I spent over 10 hours tweaking to get the new look, and of course it still needs to be refined.
But this shift will be critical for the future. For one of the last steps will be to remove the excesses. And by excesses I mean: Removing any and all plants that are creating a sense of visual pollution on the map (ie excess information). Retexturing allows me to keep the plants but spread them out more naturally.
Again, I will continue to work over the next few months to adjust ALL the plants and bring them into the creases created in the middle of the mountains. So that this way we don't have any pine trees sprouting from rocks Hahah.
In the Gif above, it is more visible how this change brought a more pleasant visual aspect. Filling empty spaces and better spreading nature around the map.
But as you know, our monthly updates aren't just about visual aspects! OldSunset is getting at least 9 new batches. And in honor of the franchise's anniversary, some of them might be nostalgic. After all, the classic never goes out of style!
Several of these lots are decorative, but we have (as usual) lots with decorated interiors in this version. And since the majority vote was for More Urban Lots, of course that was our current focus.
In addition to the classics, we brought new buildings that harmonize with at least 3 districts that are being developed simultaneously throughout the updates.
But don't worry, I don't intend to show all the lots so as not to spoil the surprise! Get on the map and find out for yourself where they are! Will you find them all? Oh, and before I forget, some Sims were accidentally setting their homes on fire, so the city has ordered the construction of a Fire Department. You're welcome!
Important information before I forget: The Police Station, the hospital, the bandits' lair, and the bookstore are no longer open lots and have become Rabbit Holes. I spent some time reflecting on its features like open lots, and concluded that the gameplay would be repetitive, boring, and pointless. I mean, the police station would be like a gym, the hospital would be extremely similar to the laboratory (but we wouldn't be able to receive patients), while the bandits' lair and the bookstore would be very shallow. With these tweaks I was able to increase the performance in the central area of OldSunset which always caused a bigger Fps drop than I'm comfortable experiencing.
The lots are still there, but as of this update, no interior. I know this news may seem bad, but I believe it goes against what I'm looking for on the map. What's more, if you still want to play with these working lots, they are available in previous versions of the map, just transfer the lot from one save to another.
Right. If you thought that was all... Oh no, I still managed to find time in this very short month to take your OldSunset experience even further! Wait, don't you understand? I pored over 8 hours throughout the night to understand how the game's splash screen mods worked and reverse engineer it to create a (BEAUTIFUL) and custom splash screen! Take a look and then tell me what you think:
If all goes well, we'll turn The Sims 3 into the concept game I've always envisioned. Wish me luck! I think I managed to cover all the news coming to our world this month. Let me know in the comments what you think and what changes you'd still like to see coming over the next few months! I will be happy with your comment.
The map is now available for download HERE. A wonderful month of March to you all and again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your continued support here on Patreon or the Youtube Members Club. You make all this possible and make it possible to monetize a passion of more than 16 years. Thank you! <3
