#TS3 CC tips

[simlicious]

Some resources to understand DXT compression:

DXT Compression Explained

Why games use DDS

S3 Texture Compression Depending on the DirectX version, different DDS formats are supported. For DirectX 9, which Sims 3 uses, only the compressed formats ranging from DXT 1-5 are available. For Sims 3, mostly DXT1 (BC1), and DXT5 (BC3) are used, sometimes also DXT3 (BC2) if you do not need many transitional grey colors in the alpha. With DirectX 10 and 11, new and improved formats (BC4 to BC7) have been added that offer much better quality, but TS3 sadly cannot make use of them due to being a DirectX 9 game.

You can use different texture sizes in one project!

You can mix and match texture sizes, I tried that for clothing CC. For example, if you want to have a specular to create a shiny button or something like that, you can often get away with making it half the size of your multiplier. This is especially good if your multiplier is 2048px which is a lot (and should be avoided when possible), and to have smaller specular and mask files will help a lot to reduce the load on the memory. You can always try it out on a case-by-case basis if it works well or not. I usually have the normal map in the same size as the multiplier just because they often need that extra detail (this is for when you actually have detail in the normal map), but you can also experiment with making those smaller as well if you want.

Edit your UV maps!

IMO, one of the best skills a converter can learn is to edit UV maps. Look, we are playing The Sims 3 for a reason. If we want Sims 4 clothes that work like Sims 4 clothes, we could just play Sims 4. Sims 3 has this awesome pattern system, so let's try to properly support it because that is a huge strength of the game and such a wasted opportunity to not at least try to make the CC work with it as best as it can. This also means paying attention to potential UV stretching and disruptions of the pattern that can be fixed by rotating and stitching some UV pieces together.

To avoid having to use 2048px textures for those tiny squished Sims 4 UV maps, you can scale them up and then scale the textures up too. if they are just a little bigger there is usually not much quality loss, but you can also use an image upscaler like Gigapixel AI that will enhance the quality while making the texture bigger. I usually upscale the textures 2x or 4x and then reduce the size to what I need. This makes the textures appear nice and crisp.

Create original CC

Back when TS4 was not yet released, most people who wanted to make CC actually learned how to make meshes using different Sims 3 meshes and editing them and creating mashups known as frankenmeshes, then eventually meshed portions of it themselves or used Marvelous Designer to create the clothes. Blender has come a long way since then and it is packed full of super helpful features. And there are loads of tutorials for Blender now (15 years ago, you were lucky to find anything decent). Also, we can now use Sims 4's meshes along with Sims 3's meshes to create new mashup, and use Blender to customize everything from the base mesh itself to bones and morphs. The possibilities are endless. I really wish we had more original creators in our community. It is such a great feeling to make something that you dreamed up yourself. Maybe just try it?

Ask for help/share what you are struggling with

I've been known to help out whenever I can if you have specific questions about a project. If you feel like you cannot find the resources you need to learn or feel stuck, let the community know! Maybe someone knows a tutorial, or someone with knowledge can write one knowing there is a gap there. Since more experienced creators have not been in your shoes for a while, we may not know of all current beginner tutorials or if there is a lack of them. But if we know what areas need work, we may be able to help! And we can also help with specific issues. I recommend joining the TS3 Creator's Cave Discord to find resources, help, and advice.

Keep up with Software

Also, software changes and tutorials have to change too. It is still possible to mesh using the old ways, but a lot of tasks are easier with newer strategies. It is a good idea to keep yourself informed about tool updates and to go with the updates if possible to keep up with the newest developments. Especially Blender has added tons of new features these last few years and it is vastly different than a few years ago. A lot of changes are more convenient than sticking to the old ways in the long run!

tips for 4t3 converters/CAS clothing creators

3 main things:

non-recolorable presets

DDS. settings

Adult to Teen conversions

disclaimer: i'm not a CC expert, but these are things i've noticed and learned these last couple months converting cc. special thanks to thornowl and the other converters in the TS3 Creators Cave discord.

Non-recolorable presets:

we obviously know that ts4 lacks a CASt tool, so ts4 creators rely on recolors. In my conversions, I do include a couple of the item's recolors. these usually are patterns that CASt does not have.

one thing I've noticed more and more converters doing is putting such item recolors in the 'Overlay' tab in TSRW.

let me show you what that looks like for a non-recolorable preset:

it looks over-saturated, and almost crunchy. but there's another place you can import the recolor into: stencils.

stencils will be found at the bottom, under patterns. hit the plus sign next to stencils to open it.

opening it will show you this:

by default, it will be enabled as false. import your recolor into the texture tab as you would do for any other texture tab. make sure you tick the 'false' to 'true.' stencils override overlays, so if you want to use an overlay, enable stencils back to 'false.'

here's what the recolor imported into stencils looks like:

here's the two side by side:

see how different they are? let's see how they are in game:

click on the pictures to really see the difference in quality. since TS3 uses DDS. format, it compresses the texture, which results in the crunchy texture. importing the recolor into the overlay tab makes the DDS. compression more noticeable. it ultimately is up to you and whichever one you prefer, but do keep it in mind.

the overlay tab is good for small details that you want to maintain on all recolorable presets, like zippers, buttons, tags, etc. just look at EA clothes for reference, especially their shoes and male clothes.

another thing you can see from the images are the bumps on the mesh. doing normal maps can help you keep those same details on the recolorable presets without importing the recolors.

-----------------

DDS. settings:

something I also see and used to do myself is bloat package files with large file sizes, specifically normal and specular maps, as well as masks. the Sims 3 Tutorial Hub provides a link to plain maps, but the file sizes are unnecessarily big.

let's look at some of EA's maps in TSRW:

here's the specular from one of the basegame sweaters. notice the image size, DXT format, and compression size.

a lot of converters don't want the shine on regular clothes, so we use a plain, black specular map. but ask yourself, why do you need a 1024 x 1024 purely black specular map with no details?

let's try sizing it down:

notice the difference between the image and compression size. instead of bloating the package file, we can keep it down by using a 32x32 plain black specular map instead, since there aren't details we want from the specular map.

same goes for normal maps:

and masks (meant for 1 channel only):

now, notice how I underlined the info about DXT MipMaps. see how the normal map has a different number there compared to the specular map and mask.

the reason these textures use different DXT is because of the colors and alpha channel.

here's how my DDS. settings appear when saving:

DXT1 (no alpha): this keeps only the 3 color channels and has the strongest compression. it results in half the file size as DXT3/5. 3 channel masks should be saved with this, as they don't need an alpha channel.

DXT1 (1 bit alpha): this includes an alpha, but only black or white. it also results in half the file size as DXT3/5.

DXT3: this one is rarely used for TS3 textures. it really is only used for overlays. it compresses the same as DXT5, but may not be the best for images with smooth-blended alpha regions (Neely).

DXT5: multipliers and normal (bump) maps should only EVER be saved with this. it's best for colors but has a larger file size. this is why it's important to reduce the multiplier and normal map image size, especially if you don't make a normal map.

if you DO decide to do a specular and normal map, they should be regular image size, 1024x1024, and saved in the right format.

here is more information on which textures should use which compression.

-----------------

Adult to Teen Conversions:

the default for converters is obviously AF and AM. a lot of people want the items for teens too. I've seen several converters just enable it in TSRW:

please don't do this. it's honestly the lazy route. you can hardly ever get away this, specifically because of the body differences between adult and teen.

some major issues with this include gaps, seams, and unnatural body characteristics:

so please, either skip the teen mesh entirely or spend the time reshaping the mesh. @/sweetdevil-sims has a great tutorial on converting meshes from AF to TF here. the inevitable seams on TF meshes are also now fixed, thanks to @/thornowl with their new version of mesh toolkit.

@pis3update

---------------

here are reduced file sizes and corrected settings of the plain mask, specular, and normal:

download

Sources:

Neely, G. ‘Buckaroo’. Working with DDS/DXT Files. Available at: https://www.buckarooshangar.com/flightgear/tut_dds.html (Accessed: 28 May 2024).

[simlicious]

Let's show that TS3 core feature called Create-a-Style some love 💜

The CaSt feature is one of the most unique and defining features of the Sims 3. Let's use it to our advantage!

As a pattern creator, I am counting on the ability to recolor CC so that my patterns can be widely used. Making patterns is a pretty lonely road these days (it's more of an overgrown path, hardly anyone travels it anymore). While most likely not the only culprit, the rise of non-recolorable CC (read: patterns cannot be applied or look terrible) definitely plays a role in this development. I admit that I sometimes worry about my place among fellow creators, should this trend continue to gain momentum. Patterns are at the heart of the Sims 3 and there are only a few pattern creators left. It would be sad to see the numbers dwindle even more. It would mean that a lot of creative potential in our games will vanish. Inside the Sims 3, patterns are an important asset to make our creative visions come true, as they can completely transform the look of most objects (and clothes, accessories, walls, you name it). As part of a community, creators have the opportunity to lift each other up, and object/clothing creators can help fellow pattern creators feel valued by including a recolorable swatch (and tidying up that UV mask so they will look good, too 🤪). Furthermore, creators have the opportunity to work hand in hand to enhance the value/usability of their CC for all fellow simmers. So let's do this! If you are a CC creator and have not made your creations recolorable, but are interested in doing so, or in improving your skills, why don't we have a conversation about it? Let's get behind the mystery of recolorable CC. We can put our heads together as a community and share resources, tips, tutorials, and workflows to teach each other how to make RGB masks, edit multipliers, bake AO maps, and straighten those UVs. If you are an experienced creator and are open to sharing your process on how to make CC recolorable, or simply know some great tutorials, please feel free to share in the comments or reblog with info! Feel free to post your questions or concerns too so we may find common ground and appreciate each other's efforts.

Let's make a positive change together 🙏

[fefyla]

NEW BUILD!!!

TRAY FILE ON MY BLOG

[bellakenobi]

Meanwhile SFS doesn't have a bulk download option, you can use JDownloader2 for that!

Here's a tutorial:

downloading a bunch of files from sfs folder a bit more comfortably (on PC)

you know what i mean. when you see a sfs folder with many separate files and no full set archive, so you just sigh, click on a file, download it, go back, repeat with the next one, go back, try to recall which one you already downloaded and which you didn't... so i've come up with a little workaround that'll make it faster and a bit more comfortable! it's pretty 101, but my friend found my explanation useful, so maybe someone else needs it too.

there's this thing about SFS, that if you open the same page again in a certain period of time, i think it's a day or maybe a few hours, it won't open the page again, but instead it'll just automatically download its file. that's exactly the thing we'll be utilizing here. when you left click on a link with pressed ctrl, this link will be open in another (inactive) tab. so to "automatically" download files from this folder, just hold ctlr and click on each file you need twice.

on the first click, it'll open the inactive tab with it, on the second click, it'll just straight up download the file. when you download everything you need, just close all tabs it opened. not ideal, yes, but much faster and less annoying than having to manually open each page and click on the button. happy simming!

[bellakenobi]

Shining Nikki to TS3 - Devil's Whisper Shoes

My first successfull SN shoe conversion yayy!! These were on my WIP folder since last year april, and since now I have a bit more xp with shoes I decided to revisit it for Simblreen (but it also gave me a lot of headaches, oh well 🙄)

For TF-AF

Four variations, as you see in the picture above

Polycount: around 2.8k (tried to reduce it but there was so much I could do without messing the UV map)

Fully recolorable

Fully morphed, and should not conflict with morphed necklaces

Everyday, Formal, Outerwear, Career, Not valid for random

Pick and choose the ones you'll want! This time I wasn't able to link the textures because TSRW threw a fit when I tried to import the package with renumbered meshes, and I just accepted my defeat 😔

As usual, it has some weird shadows in CAS but looks fine in game

Download: SimFileShare | Mediafire | Simblr.cc

Credits: Mesh and texture by Paper Games.

Read my TOU here.

And I always forget it, but if you like my CC, please consider tipping me on Ko-fi 😊

[nectar-cellar]

4t3 Conversion: Male Hair 6 by Wistful Castle

The result of my adventure into converting a clay hair! I'm glad quite a few of you seem interested in clay hairs for TS3.

Details:

original here by @wistfulpoltergeist - literally such a huge fan of his sims and cc 🥺

custom thumbnail

for male sims, teen to elder

hair colour is controlled by a mix of the base colour and highlight colour; not affected by the root and tip colours

low polygon count: 1074 polygons, gameplay friendly

Download: simfileshare / mega

[sweetbeagaming]

How to install TS3 for the ✨chronically TS4✨

Getting back into TS3 posed a challenge for me as compared to TS4. It's a 10+ year old game and of course requires some extra TLC as compared to TS4. So I hope this guide will help y'all to get everything set up cleanly and smoothly! It took me three separate tries and if I can help the next person struggle less, then that's great. Happy simming!

You'll need a copy of TS3 and these resources:

The Sims 3 Performance & Bug Fix Guide 2023 by anime_boom

This lovely post from TS3 community extraordinaire @nectar-cellar

How Use CCMagic YouTube video by @florydaax

No Intro mod edited for 2023 (original by retired creator EllaCharmed) The original mod from Ella does not work for current patch 1.69. I fixed it in s3pe with the help of some commenters on MTS so that it does actually remove the intro. If the creator happens to see this and would like this modified version removed, let me know.

How to clear cache by Carl's Guide

Got everything pulled up? Great! You're ready to start.

1. Download a FRESHLY INSTALLED copy of TS3 to your computer. If you're able, I'd highly recommend having all the packs you're wanting to own already so you don't have to do all of this again. If you are redownloading the game for any reason (like me bc I was struggling lol), remove the existing TS3 folder in your documents and save it somewhere so you can keep all of your mods or worlds there. Back up any reshade stuff from the bin folder. Completely uninstall the game through the EA app/Steam. You may lose your saves and sims due to a change in script mods through this tutorial. This cannot be avoided, trust me I tried. But it's worth it for a smooth game.

2. Do a test launch so that the game generates a new TS3 Folder in your documents. DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT INSTALL ANY SIMS 3 PACKS THROUGH THE LAUNCHER! NO WORLDS, NO CLOTHES, NO HAIR COLORS, NOTHING. This will be very important later on when you merge your CC using CCMagic. If you need worlds or other CC there are alternative ways to obtain them.

3. CLEAR THE GENERATED CACHE

4. If you use EA and open to test anywhere between steps (which you shouldn't really need to after step 1 of the Bug Fix Guide) or after playing at any point, open up task manager and ensure that you end the tasks "EA" and "EA Background Services" before continuing. It doesn't really use much memory but I noticed that it caused stutters if it's open when launching using your shiny brand new Smooth Patch. It will look like this:

5. Begin following the steps in the Performance & Bug Fix guide. The first thing you'll do is set up your mods folder. Follow those steps exactly as they are in the guide, except use the No Intro mod I linked above instead of the one you get in that folder if you actually want the intro removed.

6. Continue to FOLLOW ALL REQUIRED STEPS IN THE GUIDE UNTIL YOU'RE DONE. I mean it, all of them one by one. Heck, if you're open/able to do the bonus and optional ones, I'd suggest doing those too.

7. Once you've completed that, go check out nectar-cellar's excellent post for tips and a fix to make the smooth patch to compatible with Master Controller. I will not be providing an edited version of this as LazyDutchess who created the Smooth Patch is still active and I want to respect their work.

8. If you've made it this far, you're doing great sweetie. Do another test launch through the patcher and if everything runs correctly it means you've done everything RIGHT. You're ready to start playing or downloading mods if you want! If you do start downloading mods merging them will 100% be a must do if you want to maintain any sanity. You can use CCMagic to do so. I linked that handy lil video above!

Keep in mind script mods, overrides, patterns, and CC counters should NEVER be merged. Always check the creator's notes, yada yada. And always clean up your cache on a regular basis. Have fun y'all!

[bioniczombie]

4t3: Simblreen Gift #02

These were technically all individual objects in TS4, but I added all the swatches to one object for TS3.

Compressed.

➨ Download ➨ Alt Download

Info:

6 swatches. Not recolorable.

Found Under Decor>Misc for $75.

My cc is always free, but if you would like to support my work, please consider leaving me a tip on ko-fi.

[thebramblewood]

this is in a similar vein to an ask you got recently but do you have any tips for those who are interested in sims 4 (or even other games like ts3 and ts2) storytelling? I write fanfiction but I think making sims 4 stories could be a fun venture. Anyway, thank you for your time! I love your stories so very much they're literally my hyperfixation!

Well, that makes two of us because it's literally my hyperfixation. I think I've shared bits of advice before, so some of this might sound familiar, but here are some things I think are important to remember (and I tried to be concise, I swear).

Write the story you want to write. Obviously, it's a great feeling when something takes off and people get invested. But if you pursue an idea only because you think Simblr will like it, you probably won't be inspired for long and it'll probably show. I've been very lucky with my story, but it didn't blow up overnight. Early on, I was thrilled to get double digit notes or one reblog or comment and was admittedly disappointed when I put a lot of effort into something and nobody seemed to notice. But I kept going because I was obsessed and wanted to see it through, and that's more true now than ever.

Start with low stakes and allow yourself to evolve. Before I was on Simblr, I made Sims stories with no poses or visual enhancements or fancy editing. I wrote them for myself, and I loved every minute of it, but they also gave me a solid foundation for the kind of storytelling I do now. Even after starting this blog, I eased myself into it. I learned how to use poses and Reshade, then moved on to more advanced editing techniques, then moved on to teaching myself to make poses and very basic CC. If you try to learn it all at once, you're more likely to give up because you're overwhelmed. Take your time and make peace with the fact that perfection isn't possible. Everyone's always learning!

Take advantage of the fact that Sims is a game. Even though I've been a creative writer for most of my life, I don't come up with fully-fleshed, elaborate Sims stories from scratch. It started off with my legacy and not wanting every generation to feel the same. I thought about gameplay I hadn't experienced yet and centered each generation's story around that. Even with HZID, I just wanted to make and play with vampires! That's it! Initially, I used a lot of gameplay to convey Helena's college experiences, and I still try to incorporate it when I can. It can really be a great base to spark your creativity if you don't know where to start.

Don't have a life outside your story. I'm joking. Kind of. I'm not a very social person and I don't like leaving my house if I don't have to. This leaves me with a lot of time for working on story things. Honestly, I could probably stand to work on it less. But for better or worse, I'm doing story-related things most nights and weekends, and even if I'm not doing anything, I'm thinking about it. It's probably mental illness, but we'll just call it passion. At the same time, it's also important to take breaks! If you're feeling burnt out, step away for a while. If you can't make yourself step away completely (raises hand), just edit the script or spin your blorbos around in CAS or something rather than going straight for posing a scene.

Follow and interact with other storytellers. This is probably the most important thing, and as someone who struggles with social anxiety it was the hardest for me to do. But I try to make a point of keeping up with other stories, commenting, and reblogging. Not only will the amazing talent of other writers inspire you, but you're building meaningful connections that make them more likely to want to interact with your story. There's no denying it feels amazing to watch your audience grow. But no one's going to see you if you don't make an effort to be seen, as scary as it can be. So try to be active in the community and support other storytellers the way you want to be supported!

[kosmokhaos]

Hi love! Your sims are GAWJUSSS. Literally breath taking. I’ve recently got back into playing ts3 and am loving it. I was wondering if you can recall the skin and/or makeup&accessories you used in Nyanaath’s makeover update here: https://www.tumblr.com/kosmokhaos/733942789751078912/i-feel-successful-now-cause-damn-ignore-the

I’ve been struggling so bad to find skins of high quality and detail that are darker hues, or eye/nose masks that don’t lose detail the deeper the shade gets. I saw that you gave a resource list of skins a few years back when Nyanaath looked a lil different, so i wasn’t sure if there was anything relatively new that you used or not. I see the pores and details in Nyanaath’s skin and am just dying to know how to get like you lmaoo

First of all, Hiii and thank you! 😁💕Happy new year! Prepare for a bit of rambling but I link to some stuff in the end.

I want to start off saying that most of my sim pics are edited to some degree, especially previous pics from the past. I'm trying to rely less on editing to make my sims looks nice, but of course there is only so much you can do in a sims game.

This is an example of what Nyanaath's skin looks like unedited. EA lighting sucks ass and looks patchy in Sims 3 on dark colored objects in general and unfortunately, sims are not excluded. I end up smoothing the discoloration and patchiness with editing 😭

Before vs After

Skins as dark as Nena's have to be made dark from the start because using a pale/light based skin and trying to use an in-game slider to darken it never turns out good in any game. Dark skin reflects light and shadows differently than light skin and needs its own already-dark base.

I will seriously consider trying to throw together a skinblend for male and female skins that are dark like this because I truly think there are none. BUUUUT LOL rambling aside I do have new recommendations for makeup and skin details since that post:

1. First up is @sourlemonsimblr for makeup. Especially for eyebrows and lipsticks! A lot of their lipsticks are insanely detailed and recolorable enough that they can fit most darker tones. Their skins are lovely too and they've even recently made a dark skin which I will💗Link Here💗. I haven't gotten a chance to play with it yet but they always have quality stuff. Take a stroll through their Downloads page because it's definitely worth it. 2. Next up for skin detail makeups is @smallsimmer. They have so many good nose makes and eye/lip details that can be recolored to use on your darker skinned sims! If you ever had a skin you really liked and wanted to switch up the nose, eyes or lips, their skin detail makeup will absolutely come in clutch. They even have a few converted for child and toddler sims (something ts3 is lacking in)💗Link Here💗 3. If you want some AF skins for darker sims that are readily available and detailed, I'd suggest @annoyinglydarkblaze I learned a lot about making skins from watching their journey into skin making a few years ago. Since they aren't as active anymore and their posts are a bit scattered I will link the skins I like best: 💗Here💗 💗Here💗 and 💗Here💗 4. My next pick for more masculine/male-centered CAS makeup and CC is @nectar-cellar Their cc has been helpful as I slowly update my male OCs. The Beards/detail makeup torso muscled-torso meshes and clothing are some of the best. 5. I also suggest @simtanico for sliders and their detail makeup. I have just about every slider they've created 😂They also make really well done maxis-match kinda styled clothes for male sims too.

I'm sure there are tons of other people I'm missing but its been a minute since I've been around simblr myself so I'll try to update this list as I go.

I'll also leave you with a little tip: Do NOT be afraid to use the opacity slider and layering with makeup on darker sims. Layering and opacity is your friend!

Happy Simming! 💗✨

[auroraeternal]

Corpse paint is a style of black and white makeup used mainly by black metal bands for concerts and band photos. The makeup is used to make the musicians appear inhuman, corpse-like, or demonic, and is perhaps "the most identifiable aspect of the black metal aesthetic." ©Wikipedia

It's supposed to be a stuff only for my personal use, but someone is asking about them in my WCIFs, so why not to share it. I'm not sure that this will against original creator TOU, just because they doesn't have any TOU and wasn`t active for years. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Info:

Credits: Dark Rituals, @aroundthesims (face mask texture).

Teen-elder, both genders.

What I've done: cleaned small unwanted pixels, filled empty space in the eyes, made whole texture generally more smooth.

Everything is recolorable now (2 channels for all face paints except Huul, it has 3rd channel for mouth, but it still barely recolorable), Separates have 1 channel.

Eyes separates in eyeshadow category, lips in lipstick and forehead cross are in blush. Separated all swatches except Huul (11) Satinae Ma (18-19) (they just not too interesting and was annoying to separate them :/) and King Diamond (14) (I found this after I extracted and partly edited all other paints and come back to the site for making post for cc finds.)

Known issues: some paints (especially the cross one) may look really wonky depending of the sim's facial features.

1k textures.

Package format, compressed (but file size is still big because of the amount of presets). Separates have merged package and pick and choose version.

Swatches:

Recommended downloads: Mask/Masque by ats3, Simply Kitsch`s Dark Stain Tattoo (I also made version with additional preset with only neck paint: here), Kat Bodypaint by @venusprincess-ts3 Bonus tip: If you want to use ats3 mask for your black metalhead/goth/alt/geisha/rococo sims makeup, but it overlapping over all eyeshadows/eyeliners, open them in s3pe, choose CASP resource, then press to "Grid" button, replace the numbers on OverlayPriority tab from whatever you have to 0x00000064 or 0x00000082.

DOWNLOAD | ALT (Mediafire) | SIMBLR.CC

@katsujiiccfinds @nightoccfinds @satellite-ccfinds @pis3update @kpccfinds @bloodys-s3ccfinds @ispys3cc @sssvitlanz

[olomaya]

Voidcritters (Afterschool Activities+)

18 August: This mod has been updated. Please refer to this post for more information before downloading.

6 May Update:

This is just a small update. Apparently the Store Tablet (which the Simtendo Twitch is cloned from) gets routinely purged from inactive Sims' inventory. So I updated it to stop it from happening. You just need to redownload the MAIN file to get this fix.

19 March Mod Fixes/Tweaks:

Mod should now run for players without Script Utility (thanks to the Anon for bringing this to my attention!)

Included a fix where Sims without cards asking others about their favorite voidcritters produced an error

Fixed an issue where the "Ask to Join Voidcritters Club" option was still available even after the target joins the club

Sims can now sit while playing Voidcritters Go! on their phone

Please also note that you need CCLoader in order for the custom comic books to show up.

This is a TS3 version of Voidcritters which came in one of the TS4 packs and the second in my Afterschool Activities+ series of mods. I haven’t actually played with Voidcritters in TS4 but I really liked the concept and the worldbuilding and effort they put into it. Technically anyone can play but I made it for children and teens in mind. Sims can collect, trade, train and battle Voidcritters cards and play with their friends at the Voidcritters club. I didn’t want to go through the trouble of converting that bulky battle station and was planning to put it on the computer but then saw ATS3 had created a Nintendo Switch system based off the Store tablet and that was perfect. 

For more information about the Voidcritters, you can read the handy guide here.

The card and packs are by me converted from TS4. The Switch is from Around the Sims 3 and is based on the Store tablet so you will need the tablet for the animations. Thanks as always to Sandy at https://aroundthesims.tumblr.com/ for her amazing cc and her generous use policy! Unfortunately I couldn’t figure out how to edit the video effect for gaming so it’s off completely and I just added some gaming sound to it. If anyone knows, please give me some tips!

I'm pretty happy with how this turned out except for the Read Stats interaction on the card. The card sticks through the Sim's hand. I tried for hours to fix it but alas, animation is not my forte. I was going to just remove it but it's the only place where I included the cute little descriptions for each Voidcritter so I'm leaving it in. Aside from the descriptions, all the information on each of your cards can be found either in the skill journal or by hovering over each card.

You need NRaas Career for the custom afterschool club, the Store tablet for the Twitch and Generations and University for other gameplay or animations.

Let me know if you have any issues! More details after the cut.

Download (8 files) here

How to Play

Voidcritter cards can be purchased in Entertainment/Hobbies&Skills or Kids Room/Toys. They come in packs: Starter Packs (§75) which have Common cards, Booster Packs (§90) which have Uncommon cards, and Battle Packs (§105) which have Rare cards. The cards you get are random each time you open a pack.

Common cards are §25 each, Uncommon are §45 each and Rare cards are §105. The values of the cards will depreciate over time but also can increase depending on their rarity and power level so you can sell them to make a some profit after training them up. 

You train up your Voidcritters on the “Simtendo Twitch” handheld (Electronics/Misc; §500) and then battle them against other Sims that also have Voidcritters which will boost the power level of your Voidcritters and your Voidcritter skill. 

Using the Twitch, you can battle with anyone who has a VC card online or anyone who has at least one card and a Twitch in person. Battles are decided based on the players’ VC skill, the power levels of the Voidcritters that are battling and if they have an elemental advantage (i.e. Water Voidcritters have an advantage over Fire ones).

You can also play a mobile version ("Voidcritters Go!") on your smartphone. However, this will only increase your VC skill. You can't battle with cards on it.

Voidcritter Skill

The Voidcritter Skill is for children and teens. There are 10 levels for this skill. Once you max out the skill, you will get a Limited Edition card.

There are two skill challenges: Battle Master and Top Trainer. A Battle Master is a Sim who has won 20 battles. They will earn extra battle points when in a battle.  A Top Trainer is a Sim who has at least 5 Voidcritters with 100 power level each. (I know the photo above says different because I took it before I made the change after realizing how difficult that challenge would be.) After achieving this challenge, you will be able to train your Voidcritters much faster.

Uncommon, Rare and Limited Edition cards are skill-gated meaning that you have to reach certain skill levels (4, 8 and 10, respectively) in order to train or battle with them.

Gameplay Interactions

Aside from buying cards, you can also trade cards with other VC players to fill out your collection or get rid of duplicate cards. You can also give cards away. If other Sims have cards, there are specific interactions that will appear like asking about their favorite Voidcritter. Children and teens can also beg their parents or grandparents for a Simtendo Twitch. If you have a bad relationship with someone and they have cards, you can beat them up and steal a card from them.

Voidcritters Club

Voidcritter enthusiasts can join the Voidcritters Club afterschool activity where they will gain VC and video gaming skill and can battle with other club members. There’s also a chance they may find a card while at the club. Sims can invite their friends to join the club as well.

Other Nerd Actions

Sims can read one of the 8 Voidcritter Comics you can purchase at the bookstore. There’s a 25% chance that you find a card in the comic book.

Finally, what is a proper nerd without some fanfic? I added the option for Sims with Level 5+ Voidcritter Skill and Level 1+ writing skill to write Voidcritter fanfiction. You can also read fanfic if someone else has written it and if you are the writer, you can read reviews of your fic. Playing Voidcritters and everything VC related also builds the Nerd Influence skill.

[drawing-way-outside-the-lines]

@tia-amorosa made a comment on a post of mine the other day: 'I like the way your sim's rooms are set up. What are the best places to look for such good stuff? 🙂(I know you don't like the wcif questions, but maybe you have a tip for me) 😊' First of, thank you very much, secondly, it's not that I don't like, it's that my Tumblr time is limited, and I don't want to spend it on doing WCIF. I don't even have time to read my two favorite stories. Last time I did a WCIF it took me hours, literally. Hours I could have spent on more productive things in life than finding cc links for a random stranger I haven't even talked with before. That's not to be mean, but it's a fact, I have so many other more important things going on in my life. Alas, I'm a sucker for helping people XD Anyway that was a lot of blah blah, to get to the good part huh? To answer your very polite question, here are some places I have gotten majority of the cc you saw in Willow's house, that you commented on. It is also some of the places I in general get most of my house cc from: 1. @martassimsbookcc 2. @hydrangeachainsaw 3. @venusprincess-ts3 4. @aroundthesims 5. @altogetherx 6. @kerriganhouse 7. @pis3update

I can also recommend: @murfeelee @lanaccfinds @katsujiiccfinds (really great for older stuff, and she has everything sorted in very neat categories if you click on navigation to the left)

[anamoon63]

Your TS3 gameplay really does inspire me to give that game another shot. Are there specific mods you use to make sure the game runs smoothly/is stable? What mods/cc are the best to use so the sims look good?

Hi, Marci! 😊

First of all, thank you very much for your ask. Knowing that my sims and/or my gameplay can inspire other simmers to play means a lot to me cause The Sims 3 is my favorite game in the whole Sims series. Plus, I love my sims, so this makes me twice as happy. 🤗💖

That said, it is my duty to warn you that The Sims 3 is not an easy game to maintain, it requires a lot of care and patience, even from the moment of its installation. You ask me what it takes to make it run smoothly and make it stable, well I'm no expert, but what helped me with that is all contained in this Steam post. I believe these tips you can follow even if you don't have your game on Steam. I followed all these steps when I reinstalled my game back in 2017-18, and I have never had a problem like lag or crashes since then.

It's thanks to the amazing person who wrote that post and to talented modders like @lazyduchess and Twallan (Nraas Mods), whose mods I consider indispensable, that I have been able to play The Sims 3 without problems for years now. I may have had a couple of crashes due to some wrong or corrupt cc, but that's on me because I download a lot of stuff. In those cases, it's a matter of locating the bad cc, taking it out, and that's it. The game runs great, even with a ton of mods installed. (I have a 9 GB mods folder, and I've had more than that at times, lol, but I try to keep in less than 10 GB always).

As for what mods and cc's to use to make the sims look good, well, that would depend on your taste, or as they say now, on the aesthetics of your game or your sims.

For what it's worth, I have always used Ephemera's E-WEAK skin as default. I also use some other Ephemera's like E-Skin Natural MIX, Asia and Fresh. I use some by Kurasoberina too.

I think Ephemera's site doesn't exist anymore, but the E-WEAK skins I use can be downloaded on MTS here. Kurasoberina TS3 skins you can find them here along with more of their fabulous content.

I'm sure there are other skins much newer, and super nice too, but these are the ones I use, cause they give my sims the look they are known for. 😊

Also I use Tifa N38 default eyes, as well as Buhudain's You Are Real body and face maps replacements to give some realism to my sims' skins/bodies. Neither Tifa's nor Buhudain's sites exist anymore, unfortunately, but you can still find Buhudain's archives on this SFS page. And those of Tifa in this other one in Mega. (I hope I am not doing wrong by sharing them, otherwise I will remove them).

There's also this stunning version of Buhudain's You are Real by @nectar-cellar named You are Hyperreal. :)

As for the rest, if I start listing all the other content I use such as hair, clothes and makeup I would never finish, I'd gladly share my whole mods folder, but I don't want to piss off the creators, or blow-up other players' computers, lol. I'm WCIF friendly, though, so feel free to ask for any specific content, of any type, CAS or Buy/Build, I got my custom content well documented, so I'll provide you with links to any of them.

For the time being, here is this link to my custom Content List on my Blogger. I have kept this list for many years, and I still use most of that content; it may be a little outdated of course, cause I have a lot of new stuff now, so my intention is to update the page soon when/if I have the time. Also, some of the links may not work anymore, if so just let me know and I'll fix them for you if I'm able.

I hope this answer has helped you. Sorry for taking so long to reply, but I wanted to make this post as detailed as possible. If you have any other questions about The Sims 3, I'll be here whenever you need me. Good luck and happy simming! 😉💗

[telekinetictrait]

i'm batty for you!!!!!

see originally i just made her because i wanted an excuse to use @vintagesimstress's 1896 twilight costume because i am in love with it. but then i also fell in love with the sim model. so, meet desdemona belocrist!!!

guys.... she's so cute.

as usual, cc links and creator tags under the cut!! if any wants her, shoot me an ask and i'll upload her (the first formal outfit and first party outfit would be whats uploaded) and list what you need to download separately!!

see my resources page for genetics not listed here!

non-genetics cas things for screenshots : p00dle's vyxated reflection recolor / vyxated's frontglo v2 rim cas lighting / samsstudio fangtastic model poses / willeekmer's model poses #7 (tsr download)

other genetics : ratboysims' eclipse skintones / gerbithats' nostrils and tip v1 bat nose / gerbithats' bat ears v4 / plantainboat's death flower brows / yooniesim's baby monster quartet teeth / cerberus-cc's vampirica eyes

hair : zombietrait's connor hair / horse ranch hair

makeup : myshunodistrict's basic eyeshadow and eyeliner / stretchskeleton's natural lipstick / needleworkreve's theda bara eyeshadow / realm of magic lipstick

accessories : shandir's bat necklace / bloodmooncc's immortal earrings / feyona's bat velvet choker (tsr download) / deathpoke1qa's nancy rosary / vampires gloves / base game gloves / nv-games' nails in gloves / feyona's little bat hoop earrings (tsr download) / base game tights / bluecravingcc's goth is rock garter tights / myfawnwysimblr's ts3 layered choker conversion / vintagesimstress's 1896 twilight headpiece and gloves / blahberry-pancake's night sky choker and earrings / base game sun hat / giulettasims' rimless bat glasses / oranostr's bat earrings (tsr download) / feyona's bat drop earrings

clothes : sforzcc's thistle dress / sifix's nyx gown (tsr download) / sandrinifeierabend's flavia dress / cookiemonsterssims' bat bra / base game pants / bramblefinch's bat sweater / pigeonhome's boxers / dissia's bat dress / vintagesimstress' 1896 twilight gown / saruin's batty lingerie / sforzcc's 1901 tee / realm of magic shorts / realm of magic set

shoes : dallasgirl79's ea mosh boots / simtone's oxford heels / cottage living lace-ups / kamiiri's peggy sneakers / jellypawss's bat slippers / vampires heeled boots / cottage living lace ups / dissia's bat slippers / pandelabs' bat wing boots / shakeproductions oh my goth! high heel boots

thank you to @p00dle @vyxated @willeekmer @samsstudio @ratboysims @gerbithats @plantainboat @yooniesim @cerberus-cc @tricoufamily @myshunodistrict @stretchskeleton @needleworkreve @shandir @bloodmooncc @feyona @deathpoke1qa @nv-games @bluecravingcc @myfawnwysimblr @vintagesimstress @blahberry-pancake @oranos @sforzcc @sifix @sandrinifeierabend @cookiemonsterrsims @bramblefinch @pigeonhome @dissiasims @saruin @dallasgirl79 @simtone @kamiiri @jellypawss @pandelabs and everyone not on tumblr!!!

[bellakenobi]

Shining Nikki to TS3 - Starlight Variations

Before anyone says "b-but there's already better hairs like this one!!", hear me out: this one also is a updo with braided roses and I just had to have it in TS3 😍

For female, teen - elder, not valid for random

EA highlights

Polycount: 26k lod0

Known issue: just a lil bit of transparency issues (it's even shown in the preview)

Download: Sim File Share | Mediafire

Credits: Mesh by Paper Games, texture by Paper Games and Pooklet, control by Anubis.

Read my TOU here.

And if you like my CC, please consider buying me a coffee 😊

More pics and control preview under the cut.

See? One more hair with roses!

Control preview. No tips this time.