Difference between revisions of "MTS2:Creator Guidelines/Majors"

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==Creator Guidelines - Majors==
 
==Creator Guidelines - Majors==
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__NOTOC__
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Creating a custom major is a relatively simple task, but that is not an excuse for lazy uploading. The following are the rules you need to follow when creating and uploading a major - follow them and you are almost guaranteed approval!
  
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The quality of uploads in this forum has come to staff attention, and while many files themselves are pretty much up to par, the upload posts in particular need desperate attention.
 
  
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==='''Creation requirements for all majors'''===
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===Creation Requirements===
  
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* Unless your major is specifically intended to overwrite a Maxis major, it ABSOLUTELY MUST have a registered custom GUID
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====Theme====
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* Description, Title, and Classes must be new, unique, and inventive. Make sure you check that you have hit "Clear All Languages" before you upload, or your file will not work properly with non-US English games!
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The subject matter of a custom major need not be within the realms of possibility. We have magic majors, hoodlum majors, majors on how to be a ninja... no sense of reality required. However, whatever theme you choose must ''make sense'' as a major.
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* If you use a custom icon, make it the right colour. You can clone the colour from the original icon using your eyedropper tool. For those with graphics knowledge, this is the RGB value: R:5 G:6 B:113
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* If you use BCONs to alter skill requirements, test them thoroughly before you upload. I know from personal experience what a mess these can create if you don't get them perfect!!
+
  
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Making majors based around games, films, books, TV shows or celebrities is very popular - but it has to be done carefully. People, and sims, go to university to learn how to be or do something. They don't go to university to learn ''about'' a TV show or a celebrity. Using a TV show or a game world as a base is fine, but a sim studying your major should have some chance of learning something they might actually care about.
  
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==='''Uploading Guidelines'''===
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The key is '''immersion''' - is anyone likely to create a sim who would want to follow this major? Someone has probably made a Buffy sim, they probably haven't made a sim who is Sarah Michelle Gellar's #1 fan. To illustrate, some acceptable and unacceptable class titles:
  
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The following information must be included in all Major upload posts:
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: [[Image:Tick.png]]
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: Avada Kedavra! And Other Phrases You Should Rarely Use
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: Advanced Mechanics: Smack It Wiv' Yer Spanner!
 +
: Why Stargate + Black Hole = Do not Want
  
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* Major title and description, and class names
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: [[Image:Cross.png]]
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* Whether or not it overwrites another major. If it does: you must state which major it overwrites. If it doesn't: you should provide the unique GUID used for your major
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: Dumbledore Dies on Page 596!
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* If you used BCONs to alter skill requirements, you should state which skills you focussed on
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: Is Paris Hilton Really Straight?
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* The icon used for the major: attaching it is sufficient, you don't need to include it in the post - although of course you may do so if you wish. If you created your icon in a program which uses lurid pink to show transparency, put it on a white background. Otherwise downloaders will see that horrific background colour and think "Ah... OK... I really don't want that in my game".
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: The Hidden Message of the Fast Food Rockers
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* The careers your major links to. This depends on the Maxis major you cloned from - you can find the major/career table on page 9 of your Uni manual.
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* It is a good idea to link to FrikaC's Majors Made Easier in your post.
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* Any other information you feel is necessary/useful.
+
  
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==='''Tagging'''===
 
  
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All new major threads will be checked by staff according to these criteria, as well as existing threads - which will be worked through periodically as time allows. I shall post in threads which do not comply with these rules, to provide suggestions for improvement. If they are not fixed within a week, or if we receive no indication that the creator is working on fixing things, they will be tagged. I am doing this simply to help improve the quality of the majors section. If I tag one of your threads and you disagree with my opinion, please tell me - either in the thread or via PM - I'm open to your opinions, bear in mind that I'm trying to improve the quality of downloads in this forum, in keeping with MTS2's famous high standards, I am NOT looking for a reason to delete your thread!!
+
====Other Bits and Bobs====
 +
* Description, title, and classes must be new, unique, and inventive. They must also be double-checked for spelling and grammar.
 +
*  '''Make sure''' to hit "Clear All Languages" before you upload, or your file will not work properly with non-US English games!
 +
* Unless your major is specifically intended to overwrite a Maxis major, it '''absolutely must''' have a registered custom GUID.
 +
* If you use BCONs to alter skill requirements, test them thoroughly before you upload. Incorrectly modified BCONs can cause game crashes, so '''test them'''.
 +
* Custom icons must comply with the guidelines laid out in [http://www.modthesims2.com/member/showthread.php?t=269957 this tutorial].
  
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==='''Other Notes'''===
 
  
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* If your thread is deleted while you are on holiday/otherwise indisposed, feel free to re-upload, and also to PM me to ask what was wrong with your original post.
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===Posting Requirements===
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* When you're looking for inspiration, check the Majors forum to see if your idea has been done before. There is nothing wrong with having, say, two Fashion majors - as long as they are different enough to both be worth downloading - perhaps a Post-modern fashion major and a 1960's one - what we don't need is two almost identical files!!
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You must include in your post:
 +
* Major title and description, and class names.
 +
* If the major overwrites a Maxis major, you must state which major it overwrites.
 +
* If you used BCONs to alter skill requirements, state which skills are focussed on.
 +
* The icon used for the major, as an attachment to the post. If you created your icon in a program which uses lurid pink to show transparency, put it on a white background; otherwise it just looks tacky.
 +
* It is a good idea to link to [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=107858 FrikaC's Majors Made Easier] in your post.
  
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==='''A message from [http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=138496 Whiterider]'''===
 
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I am a creator too, for a long time majors were the only things I created, and I was (as far as I know) the first person to break into and manipulate BCONs for Majors. Custom majors tend to be overlooked, but they can add some great variety to the game. I want as many fantastic downloads in this forum as possible!!  As such, if you need any help, ideas, or testing, feel free to [http://www.sims2wiki.info/wiki.php?title=User:Whiterider/Private_Messaging PM] me on site.
 
  
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==='''Credits'''===
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* '''Majors require University. They are not basegame compatible. They do not require Nightlife, Seasons, or anything else. Tick the University box, and that's it!'''
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Whiterider for the original article.
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===Extra Stuff===
 +
 
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For an example of a perfect upload post, see [http://www.modthesims2.com/member/showthread.php?t=100172 here].
 +
 
 +
If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask - in [http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=492 Creator Issues], or by [[User:Whiterider/Private_Messaging|PMing whiterider]].
 +
 
 +
[[Category:MTS2 Creator Guidelines]]

Revision as of 12:34, 24 May 2008

Creator Guidelines - Majors

Creating a custom major is a relatively simple task, but that is not an excuse for lazy uploading. The following are the rules you need to follow when creating and uploading a major - follow them and you are almost guaranteed approval!


Creation Requirements

Theme

The subject matter of a custom major need not be within the realms of possibility. We have magic majors, hoodlum majors, majors on how to be a ninja... no sense of reality required. However, whatever theme you choose must make sense as a major.

Making majors based around games, films, books, TV shows or celebrities is very popular - but it has to be done carefully. People, and sims, go to university to learn how to be or do something. They don't go to university to learn about a TV show or a celebrity. Using a TV show or a game world as a base is fine, but a sim studying your major should have some chance of learning something they might actually care about.

The key is immersion - is anyone likely to create a sim who would want to follow this major? Someone has probably made a Buffy sim, they probably haven't made a sim who is Sarah Michelle Gellar's #1 fan. To illustrate, some acceptable and unacceptable class titles:

Tick.png
Avada Kedavra! And Other Phrases You Should Rarely Use
Advanced Mechanics: Smack It Wiv' Yer Spanner!
Why Stargate + Black Hole = Do not Want
Cross.png
Dumbledore Dies on Page 596!
Is Paris Hilton Really Straight?
The Hidden Message of the Fast Food Rockers


Other Bits and Bobs

  • Description, title, and classes must be new, unique, and inventive. They must also be double-checked for spelling and grammar.
  • Make sure to hit "Clear All Languages" before you upload, or your file will not work properly with non-US English games!
  • Unless your major is specifically intended to overwrite a Maxis major, it absolutely must have a registered custom GUID.
  • If you use BCONs to alter skill requirements, test them thoroughly before you upload. Incorrectly modified BCONs can cause game crashes, so test them.
  • Custom icons must comply with the guidelines laid out in this tutorial.


Posting Requirements

You must include in your post:

  • Major title and description, and class names.
  • If the major overwrites a Maxis major, you must state which major it overwrites.
  • If you used BCONs to alter skill requirements, state which skills are focussed on.
  • The icon used for the major, as an attachment to the post. If you created your icon in a program which uses lurid pink to show transparency, put it on a white background; otherwise it just looks tacky.
  • It is a good idea to link to FrikaC's Majors Made Easier in your post.


  • Majors require University. They are not basegame compatible. They do not require Nightlife, Seasons, or anything else. Tick the University box, and that's it!


Extra Stuff

For an example of a perfect upload post, see here.

If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask - in Creator Issues, or by PMing whiterider.

Retrieved from "http://direct.simswiki.info/index.php?title=MTS2:Creator_Guidelines/Majors&oldid=23529"
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