Modding The Sims
This week I have been digging into Sims 2 modification, using SimPE and some fantastic tutorials over at ModTheSims2.com. I’m amazed at how easy it has been to learn object recoloring; makes me wonder why I waited so long to look into this.
My reasons for taking the time to learn this are probably the same as any Sims 2 machinimator’s would be: the desire to get things looking exactly as I envision. I’d already been doing some extensive custom texturing of walls, floors, and the occasional ceiling, and it’s then that I’d run into those situations where this or that window or door just doesn’t match quite right. I’m finding that in many cases, it’s much easier to just craft my own recolor of the object rather than search for it in the sea of existing content. Plus, I like the fact that by painting the walls and floors and various decorative objects with my own styles, I’m able to construct a one-of-a-kind set that hasn’t been precisely done anywhere else, ever.
I’m really excited to see this project start to come together. The opening minute or so of the piece is filmed, and I’m ready to film on a second set tonight, while finishing up the set for the next big shot. Part of what is so exciting is, I deliberately set out to craft a screenplay without regard to engine-specific capabilities or limitations, and only then did I start thinking about “Okay, so how the heck am I going to do this and that?” I’m convinced that this extra-engine planning phase is an essential component for us to “take it out of the game”… for lack of a better cliche. I confess, if I’d planned this video from within TS2, I’d not have dared to be nearly so ambitious with some of the shots; I’d have likely discarded the ideas saying, “Oh, you can’t do that in The Sims 2, so nevermind.” This way, I have challenged myself to think about the how-to in new “AnyMation” kinds of ways, and it is my hope that this will yield a more visually engaging film than if I had merely accepted the engine’s limitations and chosen to work solely within those confines.
My blogging is going to be a tad sporadic for the rest of this month while heavy production continues, but I plan to resume more regular exposition in February.
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Learning how to create custom content and hacks really helps with filming in Sims2 and you’re right, it’s not as hard as it first seems. I, myself, would like to get to the point of creating custom meshes that I can use for movies but with creating custom content and making movies, it’s hard to find the time (I can’t imagine how much harder it is for you with a child!). As for TS2 limitations, it makes me wonder if that will be its downfall- i.e. it’s getting tiring to see the same animations over and over again, especially in music videos…although some directors do manage to still wow me with their cinematography, composition and stories (but that pool is getting very small- or maybe it does seem smaller b/c the pool is ever increasing with not such..ehem…well, you know what I mean). I do have to say I prefer talkies b/c it adds a whole new dimension to movies irrespective of what’s happening on screen. I think coming of creative ways to overcome the limitations is definitely what the good filmmakers do, but then again, there is only so much you can do in the game.
Comment by Decorgal — January 15, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
That’s great news, Phil. You are so right about trying to work outside of the “game engine box”, so to speak. Finding workarounds for script challenges in your game engine should be a standard for serious machinima filmmakers. Now that you are able to re-color in Sims2, I’m so looking forward to seeing what unique sets you are going to come up with. Good luck on the project. Can’t wait to see your new work.
Comment by gToon — January 20, 2007 @ 12:32 pm