Sims 3 aMAYzing Gift Exchange ~ DONE :)

Important Dates
Please add to your calendar!!!

Sign Ups: Sunday, March 31 to Saturday, April 13 ending at 11 pm (EST).
Late Buddy Letters will not be accepted!

Buddy Names: Each Buddy name will be sent via private message and should arrive by 11 pm (EST) on Sunday, April 14.

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 Tuesday, April 16.
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 Tuesday, April 30.
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 Tuesday, May 14.
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, May 19 through Thursday, May 23.
If you are unable to gift during this time, let me know ASAP!
April 15th edit: Dates changed from May 20 through 24 due to a schedule conflict on my end.

Buddy Letter

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 skill 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!)


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.
Sims 3 Happy Holidays Gift Exchange


Don’t worry. Have FUN!
Your Buddy will <3 what you make for them!

Frequently Asked Questions:

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 that also works: 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 that 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.

Closed
Open!

I think I have it correct!

Username: BreeMiles

Link to your Sims 3 My Page: https://mypage.thesims3.com/mypage/BreeMiles

I have installed the following Expansion Packs: All

I have installed the following Stuff Packs: All

I own the following Store Content: All, (there is a few clothing items I don’t own, nothing to worry about though)

I own the following EA-made Worlds: All

Some of my favorite colors are: Creams, with browns, & pastels

I really don’t like this color: None

I love to use items from this set: I think it's called the Bayside set, I love the kitchen counters

I prefer to play in this EA-made World: I love most all the worlds, but Sunset Valley and Sunlite Tides are my most fav’d

I enjoy playing in this custom world (please include link): Legacy Island III, by Rflong7 & Ruthless_kk’s Everything Island 2

I enjoy this style of build the most: (Examples: Craftsman, Victorian, Modern) I enjoy all styles of homes! Farm houses & suburban homes are my favorite I think!

I really don’t want this in my game: Can’t think of anything

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’m a fan of medium sized lots, but if it’s bigger then no worries my computer will handle it!

I want/don’t want berry sims: I’m not a big fan of the vampires or werewolves!

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!) Vampires and Werewolves are my least favorite

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!) Love cats, dogs and horses! I forget to take care of the critters most of the time so they may or may not make it! But I love them all! (Birds best of all)

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) Not necessary but you can if you want, it’s entirely up to you!

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!) Not Really

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!) I love sims that cook and garden, they are my favorite and brings back many memories of my first time playing Sims 3!

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.) Mostly cars, but I like bikes and the bike racks I try to put both in most of my builds if they have one then I put the other! But its entirely up to the buddy!

Other: (Describe here anything that you’d really like that might or might not have been previously mentioned!). I wouldn’t mind a large dining area where my sims could have plenty of room to host parties and family gatherings!

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 ~

GLAD you can be a Buddy again, @BreeMiles
Your builds are amazing!!

Happy to see you hosting another one m'dear! I really enjoyed the last one! <3

Looking forward to participating this time around. I'll have to come back later to formally join because I don't have time right this minute to write a letter. B)

Username: ciane

Link to your Sims 3 My Page: https://mypage.thesims3.com/mypage/ciane

I have installed the following Expansion Packs: all

I have installed the following Stuff Packs: all

I own the following Store Content: all build/buy objects not part of bonuses nor branded content and all CAS items that are part of sets. (I do own some of the other, just not all.)

I own the following EA-made Worlds: all

Some of my favorite colors are: blue green to blue violet with soft crèmes and white

I really don’t like this color: greenish yellow is my least favorite

I love to use items from this set: the Bauhaus windows and mid-century kitchen clutter

I prefer to play in this EA-made World: I love all the worlds and try to rotate play among them.

I enjoy playing in this custom world (please include link): The only custom worlds I’ve “played” are empty ones that I build in.

I enjoy this style of build the most:I really do enjoy modern the most as I love taking something ordinary and giving it a twist.

I really don’t want this in my game: I don't like big lots or sims with lots of cc as they can cause lag.

I would or would not like lots in the following sizes: I am a HUGE fan of TINY lots! Larger lots make my game lag. So, if you’d like to challenge yourself with a 10x10 build, I’d love to play it! Anything that is just two stories on a 30x40 or smaller lot is fine.

I don’t want berry sims: I play normal guy/girl next-door looking Sims.

I don’t want occult sims: I play normal guy/girl next-door Sims, though occasionally I’ll play a genie or witch. I am NOT a fan of vampires, though I do like how fast they skill!

I don’t want pets in the household: One cat or dog in the family is enough for me. Too many pets is more challenging.

Do you want your sims and/or pets skilled up for you? Yes, but if not, I'll still play them! If so, how much? A couple of points to show you liked playing the Sim(s) means I will enjoy playing them too.

Are there certain skills you want skilled because you really like having them ready when you start with a new sim or household? A cooking point means they can gain skill as they watch the cooking channel. An athletic point means they can jog. A charisma point means they’ll build charisma as they chat with others. So, those are usually the first skills I work on.

Are there particular skill items that you really like having in a build? Every Sim is different, so is every build. Put in what you’d like for the Sim(s) you imagine living there.

How do your sims travel around town? Mine usually jog. (Mention your preference and whether you want a parking spot or two, garage, bike racks, stable, broom stand.) I do like room for a parking spot so I can have a vehicle to teach a teen to drive.

Other: I love reading a Sim story with nice pictures. Present your Sim or build with a little back story to match the pictures and I’ll love it. And, I usually include a driveway; but not necessarily a car. :wink:

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.