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EDITOR’S WELCOME Summer is here—at last! We’re celebrating the new heat and happiness (unless you live in England) with a summer themed issue this time around. So grab your shades and some sun cream—there’s some hot houses in here! Sorry, terrible joke. We’re talking to DutchSims3Master about his builds and his new world in this issue. We’re also welcoming Will (or @WillSims64) onto the team as a builder for some of our summery creations. If you’re looking for a resort, a beach house or anything else, you’ll find it in this issue.
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TUTORIAL: CREATING A CUST 78 90
GEORGE B Editor
Editor’s Favourite
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I hope you’ll enjoy the issue!
Staff Build
ASK DAN
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Also, apologies for this issue being shorter than usual. I’ve had some personal battles to fight.
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TENTS
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ALMS 1 BY ALEX
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BY DUTCHSIMS3MASTER
TER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
WTREAVER (COVER CREATION)
ABOUT CONTACT US Twitter: @smagazineofcl Facebook: SMagazine YouTube: SMagazine Visit smagazineofficial.co.uk
ORLD: ALPINE COUNTY
LD BY RAY_SIMS
M STYLES 101
WAVE BY WILL
TOM NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE SIMS 2
STAFF Zeeanna - writer Miamii - writer
BY AYYUFF
Alex - writer
DESK OF GEORGE
Will - builder George B - editor-in-chief
Ask Dan
Dear Dan, My son moved away to university last month and we need to redecorate his room—I turn into a nervous wreck every time I walk past his door (I’m a softie, ok?). My wife needs a study to work in, but we need to keep the room available for when we have guests, or when we have my son back home during the holidays. I also don’t want to completely tear apart his room. I want to keep little things of his there so he knows we’ve not forgotten him, like his old teddy bear. Goodness knows why he left it here (he slept with it until he left!), I guess teddy bears aren’t cool any more.
- Distraught Dad
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BEFORE
Distraught Dad, Firstly, congratulations to your son for starting this new chapter in his life! These next few years will be some of the best in his life. Try not to worry, ok? We’ve taken his old room
and made it into a contemporary study for you and your wife, without completely obliterating his room. By using simple materials and things you can find in your local homewares store, we’ve managed to refurbish this room
well under budget—so you’ll only have to worry about student loans for now! We started by putting up a small divider, splitting the end wall into two—a side for a desk and a side for the end of a bed. We’ve - 05 -
Ask Dan
AFTER
POWER WORK This simple shelf works great as a sturdy desk, as long as you don’t mind sitting on a stool.
taken a simple shelf, and turned that into your wife’s desk. It’s sturdy and cheap, so you’ve got a win-win situation here. Your wife can keep her laptop up here, as well as her magazine collection (hopefully I’ll be up there!) and her new - 06 -
calendar we got her so she can co-ordinate all of her business dates. You told us she’s a very busy woman! As my parents kept reminding me when I went off to college, you’ll want to keep reminders of your son. We’ve put his favourite ted-
dy bear underneath the desk, as well as leaving all of his old concert posters up on the wall. His easel is still there, as well as his signed football! So your son has a place to sleep that isn’t the sofa when he comes to visit you,
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PLACE TO STAY There’s a comfy bed for your son and any guests to sleep in during their stay.
we’ve put a bed in as well. Down at the end of the bed, there’s a bookshelf with all of his old childhood books on, as well as some of your wife’s books too. We’ve put some of yours in too, so you’ve not been completely left out of this!
We’ve left the exposed brickwork of your son’s old room on one end of the room, but painted the rest of the room white. This brickwork acts as a ‘feature wall’, except it was much cheaper for us to install than painting it some bright
colour. Hopefully you’ll like what my team and I have done to your son’s old room. and he’ll enjoy his college years. All the best!
- Dan - 07 -
Ask Dan
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Ask Dan
NEED SOME HELP FROM DAN? E-MAIL HIM AT AS
The Sunset Valley Town Council asked us last month to help them turn an old farmhouse into a vibrant place for the town’s families and farmers to meet in. What better way to do that than with a Farmer’s Market? Situated on the - 10 -
top of a hill, the Market offers amazing views, which was something we took advantage of. We took the old farmhouse and gutted it, giving us a clean slate to work with. Visitors can take advantage of open gardens, and anyone can harvest
things so long as they plant some seeds of their own. Hopefully we’ll have a huge garden soon! Inside the farm house, guests can enjoy a small little tea room, which we’ve named the Ivy Tea Room, owing to the ivy climbing
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SKDAN@SMAGAZINEOFFICIAL.CO.UK the back wall of the farmhouse. Inside, not only can guests enjoy a warm cup of tea and a sandwich, but they can also produce their own jams using one of the two machines in the small kitchen for absolutely free. Inside
the
Competition
Marquee, guests can take part in a variety of activities, although we’ve got an eating contest up and running at the moment.. Outside again, and there’s a small market area just outside the farmhouse. Farmers can bring their stands
and produce every Thursday and Sunday to sell it, with no need for a permit or a stall fee. The Famer’s Market opens September 2, so get down there and meet Dan at the grand opening ceremony! - 11 -
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lot and words by Alex // layout by George
Built upon Isla Paradiso's oldest resort, Hobart's Hideaway, this perfect! With a wedding area on the beach fit for a king and que tion's finest chefs, you will easily enjoy your stay in style and co cake, with views out into the ocean and surrounding islands! In t sports in our - 12 -
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s fun and new tropical resort with Spa and Luxury rooms is truly een, to the fully equipped Gym and buffet cooked by only Simnaomfort! The large pool and swim up bar are also the icing on the the evening, enjoy live music in the exclusive upstairs bar or live r Sports bar! - 13 -
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WATCHING OVER The traditional lookout tower at the top gives the resort a traditional seaside vibe by keeping key elements of traditional maritime architecture.
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HOW NICE The use of baby blue and white together creates a laidback, light feel to the resort.
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KINDA CASUAL By keeping tables and chairs in small groups, it creates a casual vibe, and that’s what holidays are all about, after all!
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and layout by george
SIDETRACKED
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SECOND MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR
me time or another, ne has wondered t’s like to be up in the t with the pilots. It like an impossible nowadays; security ban people from going he cockpit (for good ) and it takes years of g to become a pilot. hat if that went out of ndow and you had the e to be in the pilot’s
called) is a fully-featured flight simulator, which is made for everyone from qualified pilots to people looking for something fun to try on a Sunday afternoon. Pick any aircraft, any route and any time of day, and off you go. It’s an accurate simulation of what it’s like in the cockpit, so it’s a good idea to try the tutorials first!
I first started playing this game years ago, but it ended soft Flight Simulator X up on my shelf collecting SX as it’s commonly dust. When I loaded it back
up, I was instantly hooked. The amount of detail is insane; you can even talk to air traffic control if you want to. There’s a burning passion to perfect everything—your take-offs, your landings (I have yet to grasp either). Or, if you want a more casual experience, hop into the cockpit and switch on autopilot, and admire the views. The amount of detail is amazing. I would be more than happy to recommend the game to anyone.
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Editor’s avourite
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FA po a to oc
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ANCY A DIP? This secluded ool and hot tub area make for perfect, tranquil alternative o swimming in the nearby cean.
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USE YOUR VIEW Placing some seating facing your amazing view is the best way to take advantage of it and bring out your lot’s beauty.
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dutchsims3master I’m the Dutch Sims 3 Master and I make Sims 3 videos on YouTube. My channel is mainly focused on building in the Sims 3, because that’s what I enjoy most about the game. The kinds of videos I upload are speed build house buildings, renovation, let’s builds, let’s create a world and the Sims 4 news videos.
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What do you love most about what you do? DS3M: What I like about what I do is that I get feedback to what I do. When I build a house, people tell me what they like about it and also what they don’t like about it. In this way, I’m able to make houses look better. Also I like the Sims community. There are so many simmers out there who support each other. I don’t know if I would continue making videos if the community aspect would be gone, because the community really keeps me going. They give me new ideas and inspiration. What inspired you to create your world, Tropicolor Island? DS3M: I got inspired to create my world when I heard that the Sims 3 team wasn’t going to make any new store worlds anymore. The release date of the Sims 4 felt very to be very far away and I wondered how I would be able to keep myself and my viewers interested in the Sims 3. I had already tried out the Create a world tool so now and then, but never this seriously. Tell us more about the creative process you had when creating your world. DS3M: I haven’t planned anything about the making of the world. One day I just started building, and that’s also how I continued. No blue prints, nothing. Just my inspiration. Sometimes I also got inspired of pictures of tropical places, and then I tried to add some aspects of it to the world. That’s the way I like to work in The Sims. I prefer not to plan my creations, because I know out of experience, that making blue prints for the Sims in the end doesn’t work out. - 34 -
I don’t know if I would continue making videos if the community aspect was gone, the community really keeps me going.
The only point about build mode [in The Sims 4] that concerns me is the fact that building houses may become TOO easy. I hope it will still be a challenge to build a good looking house.
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What are your plans for The Sims 4? DS3M: For the Sims 4, I’m planning to make awesome videos. I’ll continue doing speed builds and also Let’s Builds and depending on the abilities of the game, I might start another new Sims 4 series. I can promise you, that the Sims 4 video I’m going to make will be very enjoyable.
What do you think of The Sims 4? DS3M: I can’t wait for the game to come out. Every time I think about the fact that we’ll be able to play the new generation of the Sims in just a few weeks is amazing. Unlike some other people, I really like the cartoony look of the Sims 4. I think trying to make it look very realistic, would in the end, not make the game enjoyable to play. Also, with this cartoonish look, many more people will be able to play the game. Even on not very strong computers. The Sims 4 might not look realistic, but the gameplay will be very realistic, which is more important about a simulation game in my opinion. Also build mode looks great to me. The houses that we’ve seen so far look so detailed. Also I heard that the Sims 4 will have most items from any Sims game so far. Also the interface looks very clean and exactly like I’d make it. The only point about build mode that concerns me is the fact that building houses becomes TOO easy. I hope it will still be a challenge to build a good looking house.
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Interview
Tell us about your building styles and techniques. DS3M: This is a question that’s quite difficult to answer for myself. I try to make my houses look detailed, because I like that look, but at the same time I try to not make it look too detailed. I also think that the garden is a very important part of the house, that makes a house look 10 times better. What makes your houses unique?
DS3M: I think that what makes my houses unique is the fact that the leveling can sometimes be very complicated. Especially in my modern houses. Do you have any tips for aspiring builders in the game? DS3M: My main tips for builders who are struggling with building in the game are: Use different types of wall paintings. For example wood, stone and a color. That makes the house look much more detailed. Don’t use the same type of window for the entire house. Try to bring in some variation Use split leveling. It makes the house look much more advanced. -
Try to be creative with the roof of the house
Don’t give up too early. Sometimes I start building, but after like 20 minutes, I’m not inspired anymore. Then I stop building and actually I don’t want to finish the house anymore. Then some days later, I try to continue again, and then the house can in the end turn out to be one of my favorites. Thank you to DS3M for taking part! You should subscribe to him on YouTube and check out his content. - 38 -
The garden is a very important part of the house, it makes a house look ten times better.
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eights
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BREAK IT UP Sometimes splitting your kitchen up into smaller ‘zones’ can create a more open and flowing feel to it.
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POP! In houses with lots of windows, try to keep to a neutral palette for walls and floors, and then bring colour in with furniture and plants.
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NICE AND AIRY For areas such as gyms, high ceilings that are often two stories high create a nicer, more open atmosphere to work out in,
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Around The World
ALPINE COUNTY ‘Wow’ is the only word that comes into my head whenever I load up Alpine County, a simply beautiful, expansive world for your game. It’s huge, and has so many different gameplay options, but it might not run as well on lower-end computers. Alpine County is split up into clear sections—the city centre, a farming area, a spooky area, a high-class area, a gated community and
WESTERN077
even a beachside resort nestled away to the east of the town, yet the whole world flows and nothing seems out of place. Everything and more is here in this world. A huge shopping centre is just outside the city centre, and has all the gameplay options you could imagine. Your Sims can visit the Californian-styled shopping district by the pier and the waterfront, or even purchase a vacation
home around the beautiful lake up in the hills. The creator has taken the extra steps to make it more realistic, by not building out-of -this-world houses or community lots, but ones that would be perfectly functional in real life. I don’t think my Sims will be moving towns for a long time now, and Alpine County by Western077 is by far my favourite world for The Sims 3.
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KEEP IT COOL When building a summer house, use light colours like white, as they reflect heat, keeping the home cooler (if it was real).
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EXPOSED Exposed brickwork can bring a contemporary, clean or industrial feel to a room, depending on how you use it. Bricks make a good feature wall!
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PUT IT AWAY Humans lots of space to put thing away in, so why don’t you Sims?
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words and design by alex
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Build - 67 -
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CASt IT Take advantage of Create-a-Style before it’s gone—take different furniture and make it match to suit your needs!
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SH do lig lig br
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HINE, BABY Most rooms on’t just rely on ceiling ghting—put in some floor ghts or some table lamps to righten up your room!
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Tutorial
Creating a Ne
Creating a neighborhood (or world, for people that are more familiar with The Sims 3) is very, very simple in The Sims 2. No tool outside of the game, no routing paints, no terrain tools—it is much simpler than creating your own world in The Sims 3. And, with the free release of The Sims 2
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Ultimate Collection, more people a stroll down memory lane and Sims 2 again. Nothing beats cre neighborhood, which you can d lots and houses you’d like. You c self, or even just place down a p
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eighborhood
e than ever are taking d loading up The eating your own deck out with all the can build it all yourplethora of pre-
made lots in the Lots bin. Finally, to finish your world, hop into CAS and make your own families to live in your neighborhood! We’re going to show you the basics of neighborhood creation in this simple and quick tutorial. Pictured town: Port Whitewater
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Tutorial
The first step is to actually create your neighborhood.
Start by scrolling through the Main Menu options until you get to the final one, the neighborhood icon with a plus next to it. Click that, and press ‘yes’ on the dialogue that pops up.
Next, choose the terrain for your world. This is the shape of the land you’ll build on. Pick wisely, because it can’t be changed. The terrain also includes the roads.
Now, pick a name, description and terrain type for your world (tip: lush means it has grass). You cannot change the terrain type later, but you can change the name and description.
Now, wait for it to load! This will take a while, as it has to load content for all of the expansion packs—weather, magic, pets, etc.
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The only other real step is placing décor and lots to build in,
Upon loading, the game will shove the neighborhood story in your face. Here you can use your own screenshots to tell your town’s story. To get it back up, press F4.
F2 brings up the Lots panel. Here you can place premade lots, as well as empty lots. Lots can be placed anywhere, as long as they are alongside a road, and do not overlap another lot.
Empty lots can be found by clicking the icon at the bottom, an empty square. Beach lots have a palm tree icon in the square, and prebuilt apartments can be found in the category with a house and a star.
Neighborhood décor is found by pressing F3. There’s a whole load here, including skyscrapers, trees, landmarks and special effects, like clouds or a hot air balloon.
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LET THE LIGHT IN If you have the space, why not build a ‘sun room’ for your Sims? It provides the perfect place to chill out on a hot day.
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BIT O’ C real life rooms, s Sims? Ta décor se home up
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CLUTTER People in don’t have spotless so why should your ake a trip to the misc. ection and clutter your p a bit!
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AH, M Sim r of the mem the h
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MEMORIES Help your remember the best parts eir lives by keeping mentos on shelves around house.
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SPLASH OF COLOUR Wall murals, like the ones from Island Paradise, can help make a room seem more lively and exciting.
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Ever wondered how SMagazine happens? If not, read this anyway (we had a page to spare). It starts with the editor taking a trip to some Sims 3 CC sites. Each time he finds something, it’s into Microsoft Publisher to write an article about it. This is where everything goes down, be it the designing of the cover or the writing of the articles. He might take to Twitter to ask people what they want to see (follow us @smagazineofcl) and he then tends to find more ideas from there. Once the issue is finished, he checks everything, and then exports it into a .PDF using Microsoft Publisher. Then it’s to Issuu.com to upload the magazine, and then to literally every single social network to advertise the magazine. And, then, you get to read it...like you’re doing right now!
Copyright SMAGAZINE 2014 © Any copyrights mentioned throughout this publication are the property of their respective owners. ‘The Sims’, ‘The Sims 3’ and the respective brand assets are all the property of Electronic Arts and/or Maxis. SMAGAZINE is in no way endorsed or funded by Electronic Arts, Maxis or any other companies. This magazine is run not-for-profit and we do not collect any earnings. SMAGAZINE is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. This means that no derivative works may be made of this publication and commercial use of this work is not allowed. If you wish to find out more about our copyright policy or anything else to do with the magazine, please email the editor at smagazineofficial@gmail.com
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