Our holiday season might be different this year but there are ways we can stay connected within Our Community.
Posting positive notes on player walls Sending cute links to images and gifs And … Participating in a Sims 3 homemade gift exchange
Sound interesting? SIMtastic!!! Please read on …
This is a SECRET EXCHANGE. Please do not reveal your Buddy before the gifting period opens.
Certain communication will only be done via private messages so each Buddy will need to check their Inbox on a regular basis.
Checklist: Be a Buddy! Use the Buddy Form Letter found in the 4th post. Chat & ask generic questionsin the thread. For specific questions concerning gifts & such, send me a PM. Follow the Rules (3rd post) & note the Important Dates (2nd post). During gifting time, compliment & click the “Recommend It” button. Above all, Have FUN!!!
BIG Hugs! Addy
NOTE: Nov 9th ~ ciane has graciously accepted and is now my assistant/helper extraordinaire!
Sign Ups: Sunday, October 18 to Tuesday, November 3 ending at 10 pm (EST). Late Buddy Letters will not be accepted!
Buddy Names: Each Buddy name will be sent via private message and should arrive by 10 pm (EST) on Wednesday, November 4.
ALL check-ins need to be done via the thread. Do not send a private message or post on my Sims 3 My Page wall.
Check-in ONE: Before or by the end of Saturday, November 7. This lets me know that you received your Buddy name. If you haven’t received a name and need it re-sent, please let me know ASAP!
Check-in TWO: Before or by the end of Sunday, November 15. This is just a general check-in to let me know that you’re doing okay.
If you need help with anything or foresee any problems, be sure to ask or mention this! General questions should be asked in the thread, but Buddy specific ones must be sent to me via private message.
Check-in THREE: Before or by the end of Sunday, November 29. Your gift should be almost ready to go at this time.
VERY Important!!!: If you miss one of the above check-ins without letting me know beforehand, you will receive a private message. If you do not respond by the date listed in the private message, you will be eliminated from this gift exchange and won’t receive a gift. The person who had you will be asked if they would like to gift the Buddy you were assigned. The only exception against elimination is letting me know ahead of time that you will miss a deadline.
GIFTING Time: Sunday, December 6 through Saturday, December 12. If you are unable to gift during this time, let me know ASAP!
Remember, this is a Sims 3 only gift exchange ~ NO Sims 4 gifts allowed.
The rules have been categorized in the hopes that they’ll be easier to read. Be sure to check each spoiler tag!
REQUIREMENT to join: Be able to upload to your studio. If you haven’t uploaded anything within the last 3 months, now is a good time to check and ensure that you can. Create a simple sim and/or build a basic house then upload for testing purposes.
M1. No custom content is allowed. All gifts will be custard checked, no exceptions. Please refer to the FAQs post on how to start a clean, no CC game.
M2. You must make at least one homemade gift for your Buddy. This is not something that is bought from the Sims 3 store.
M3. Gift Guideline: *If making one gift, BUILD something for your Buddy. *If making more than one (not required!), one gift must be a build, but the rest can be additional builds and/or sims and/or pets. *If making more than one gift (again, not required!), please look at rule G5.
M4. Buddy Letters are suggestions and not a checklist of what will be gifted (or received!) during gifting time.
Gifting Time!
G1. You must gift and be gifted.
G2. When a gift is being given, post a message in the thread. This message must include: Your Buddy’s name Gift number (very helpful to Buddy & host!) Link to the studio upload Screenshots showing off the gift.
G3. In the gift message, it’s best to put more than 5 screenshots inside a spoiler tag to prevent page jumping as pictures load and help with page loading times.
The way it works looks like this: pictures and accompanying text go here Remember to remove the spaces before and after each bracket!
G4. To keep things cozy, gifts will be given in this thread. Please do not make a separate gifting thread for your Buddy.
G5. Gifting lots of gifts might be nice, but it can be overwhelming to both Buddy and the person doing the custard-checking. Spread out your gifting fun because a few makes an impact, but a pile causes chaos & confusion for all concerned!! Example: House ~ Sim ~ Sim w/House (good!) House ~ Spa ~ Park (not good!)
G6. If you download or add a gift to your favorites list, please ‘Recommend It’.
G7. Everybody loves compliments! Gifts take time & effort so be sure to let Buddies know what caught your eye.
1. MUST use this form! It’s a guide to give your Buddy as much information as possible. Include any additional info you think would help them get to know your way of playing the game.
2. The more details, the better!!!
3. Your Sims 3 My Page helps me when Buddy pairings are being made, especially if I don’t know you very well. If you’d rather not put your link in the letter, please send me a PM with this information. Also … if your page is set to private, you need to send me a friend request or make your page public for the duration of the gift exchange.
4. Remember, this is a guide and not a step-by-step wishlist. You might or might not get something that is mentioned here.
As always, your Buddy is looking forward to creating something truly unique for you!
Buddy Letter form:
Username:
Link to your Sims 3 My Page: (read no. 3 listed above!)
I have installed the following Expansion Packs:
I have installed the following Stuff Packs:
I own the following Store Content:
I own the following EA-made Worlds:
Some of my favorite colors are:
I really don’t like this color:
I love to use items from this set:
I prefer to play in this EA-made World:
I enjoy playing in this custom world (please include link):
I enjoy this style of build the most: (Examples: Craftsman, Victorian, Modern)
I really don’t want this in my game:
I would or would not like lots in the following sizes: (If you’re a fan of tiny lots, then here is a great place to mention that! If larger lots make your game lag while loading them, mention it!)
I want/don’t want berry sims:
I want/don’t want occult sims: (Be sure to specifically list those that you are fine with or mention which ones you don’t want to see in your game!)
I want/don’t want pets in the household: (Like cats more than dogs? Prefer cute puppies to horses? Don’t want any critters? Mention it!)
Do you want your sims and/or pets skilled up for you? If so, how much? (Example: A couple of points, but not maxed out)
Are there certain skills you want skilled because you really like having them ready when you start with a new sim or household? (Example: A few points in Cooking would be nice so sims don’t burn the grilled cheese and can make more than a mean bowl of cereal!)
Are there particular skill items that you really like having in a build? (Example: I love having sims that can cook, garden, paint and write so having those skilling objects would be awe-sim!)
How do your sims travel around town? Taxi ... vehicle ... bicycle/scooter ... horse ... broom? (Mention your preference and whether you want a parking spot or two, garage, bike racks, stable, broom stand. Some sims prefer to put transportation in their inventory, if applicable.)
Other: (Describe here anything that you’d really like that might or might not have been previously mentioned!)
Here would be a good place to mention what you do NOT feel comfortable making. There are Simmers who don’t enjoy occult things … they shouldn’t have to create that for another or receive that type of gift in return. This is just one example off the top of my head and I’m sure there are other preferences I haven’t thought of. If you would rather send a private message to me with your answer, please feel free to do so.
This text is to certify that I have read ALL the posts and will follow the rules for participation as well as pay attention to important dates. ~ end of form ~
If you’re having trouble figuring out what to say in your letter, peek at the previous gift exchange for ideas. Summer Fest Gift Exchange
Don’t worry. Have FUN! Your Buddy will <3 what you make for them!
What is a homemade gift exchange? Each participant (Buddy) writes a letter mentioning things they would like or not like to have in their game ~ each Buddy then gets paired with another Buddy and secretly makes a gift or gifts for him/her (this can be a build, pet or sim) ~ during gifting time, the Buddies reveal themselves and share their gift for their special someone.
What is a homemade gift? Something that is created while in-game and not purchased from the Sims 3 store is a homemade gift. A residential or community lot counts. A sim or pet needs more than simply being created in CAS, they should be taken in-game and given a bit of personality. Giving them a few skill points and/or place things in their personal inventory are just a couple of suggestions you might want to consider.
How do I start a clean, no CC game? 1 Rename your “The Sims 3” folder to something else. I often use “The Sims 3 old”. 2 Start the game. Since it can’t find the folder, it will proceed to make a brand new one and that will be have the factory default settings. It doesn’t contain CC, mods or Sims 3 store content. 3 Exit the game. Your folder will have the new folder labeled “The Sims 3”. 4 Add whatever Sims 3 store content you’d like to use in the gift for your Buddy. 5 Unless you’re familiar with mods and whether they create custom content, it might be best to not use them.
MiaSkywalker has suggested another method that removes most of the CC from a game (CC can stick to a .sim file and will be transferrable through the Exchange).
Her method: 1 Remove or rename the mods folder. 2 Rename the extension of all .dbc files in the DCCache folder to something else, like XXX.dbc.backup (Note: .ebc is store content and .dbc is CC).
How do I post an image? Above the “Leave a Comment” box is a toolbar with formatting options. The one that looks like a picture is used to post an image. Move your mouse cursor over it and the message shows “Image”. Click on it and paste or type your image link location in the box. Image should be seen when “Preview” button is pressed.
An alternate method also works (thanks go to @ciane for reminding me about this!). You manually type paste-your-link-here without the spaces inside the brackets.
To make the image clickable: You manually type paste-your-image-link-here without the spaces inside the brackets.
How do I post a link? Above the “Leave a Comment” box is a toolbar with formatting options. The one that looks like two interlocking chains in a link is used to post a link. Move your mouse cursor over it and the message shows “Url”. Click on it and paste or type your url location in the box (TIP: remember to remove the text that automatically appears before entering your information!). Press the “ok” button. Link should be seen when “Preview” button is pressed.
An alternate method also works. You manually type paste-your-link-here without the spaces inside the brackets.
If you want the link title to be other than the link address, type in your changes to the wording that is located before without the spaces inside the brackets.
If typing this manually, it would look similar to this: type-whatever-you’d like-the-link-to-be-called without the spaces inside the brackets.
Is CAP custom content? Looking over previous gift exchanges, this little nugget was discovered. TnT_Terry wrote, “CAP is NOT considered CC at all (it's an EA/Sims 3 program), but will definitely show separately in custard. Most importantly, when using patterns on any lot/sim/object it is always best to link to every pattern used because they don't always transfer with upload.”
However, please note that there are Buddies who don’t want anything that shows up separately in custard so it is probably best not to include them.
I am interested in seeing all the creativity! This time around I shall just be an observer, cheerleader, and hopefully helpful source if anyone runs into any problems. (Mainly, my studio is full and I can upload anything else to it.)
