#i should probably make a separate folder for the ones ive used but whatever! whatever.

[possibly-a-table-or-just-gay]

merry crimas if you celebrate, happy regular day if not <3!!

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

[heysimhey]

Play The Sims 2 in The Sims 4!

I've been simming since 2000 beginning with The Sims 1. Of all the versions of the game, The Sims 2 version has always been my favorite mainly due to the character stories. Even when The Sims 3 came out, I still was tied to the characters and stories of version 2 and it never quite felt right. Then The Sims 4 came out and I was excited to see the Goths, but the story line was "wrong". My beloved characters were missing. I played for a few years and then went back to 2. I loved the stories of 2, but the game play and graphics of 4. What's a girl to do?

Create the Sims 2 character and stories in the Sims 4? Yeah, that actually works for me....and was a lot of work as well.

I didn't bring over the characters from every world in TS2. The reason being, I never really cared for any of the other characters from the neighborhoods like Belladonna Cove, Riverblossom Hills or Desiderata Valley. In fact, I can honestly say, I never even bothered playing Desiderata Valley. I had enough drama with the main three (Pleasantview, Strangetown and Veronaville....and Bluewater Village).

But wasn't it crazy that with every neighborhood, you got a separate and exactly the same Bluewater Village from scratch? So a different Malcom Landgraab everytime. The Malcom Landgraab from Strangetown didn't know the Pleasantview folks and vice versa. I always found that wacky, so I picked the ML from Pleasantview to play with and abandoned the other dopplegangers.

And why couldn't the Goths know the Smiths? Why couldn't the Pleasants have a barbecue with the Monty's? Why couldn't sims from one neighborhood have friendships/rivalries and romances with sims from another neighborhood? Well, now they can! Pleasantview, Strangetown (Strangerville), Veronaville and Bluewater Village are all open and connected in The Sims 4! I even threw in some goodies like the Newbies and Mashugas from The Sims 1 and that mean ole Mrs. Crumplebottom!

I tried my best to find original renditions of their homes from TS2. As you know, aspirations have changed a little bit, but I tried my darndest to stay true to their aspirations from TS2 with the help of other personality traits along the side. I have already played the neighborhoods to the point of where TS2 begins, with the proper relationships established, ghosts deceased (check out Olive Specter's lil' grim garden *shudder*) and everyone in their proper lots.

Original sims who came with TS4 are still around somewhere in the neighborhood bin. I evicted most of them to make room for my characters. Below are details for each neighborhood that I put together.

Huge shout-out to Midnite Tech for creating the package file that allows us to edit our World names.

The packs I have installed currently are: Get to Work, Get Together, City Living, Get Famous, Discover University, Strangerville, Dine Out, Movie Hangout Stuff, Vintage Glamour Stuff, Tiny Living Stuff and Holiday Celebration.

I wish I could say this is Base Game compatible, but unfortunately, you will need these packs in order to have the full experience. I will be purchasing the other packs as I choose in the future, but for right now, I'm good.

About Pleasantview (Willow Creek)

The Goths, Pleasants, Calientes, Dreamers and Brokes are here and are cued as best as possible to their TS2 initial situations. I also included Bob and Betty Newbie from TS1, whom we later found out were Brandi's parents. Their relationship is also reflected in this file. The notorious maid, Kaylynn Langerak is also residing in Pleasantview and is bound to cause some ruckus.

About Strangerville (Strangetown)

The Smiths, Grunts, Curiouses, Beakers and Specters are in full play with the appropriate ghosts haunting Olive's lot. Bella was definitely abducted by aliens (although we can't view all of their memories anymore) and dropped in Strangeville just the same as Strangetown's TS2. She has a story of her own. Thankfully, you can easily decide to reunite her with her family, or let her start a new life. Caution, the neighborhoods are connected, so she is bound to run into one of her relatives.

*For WHATEVER reason, the file would NOT let me change the name of Strangerville to Strangetown.  It may have something to do with the whole Strangerville story line.  But I have seen others edit this.  Ah well.*

About Veronaville (Windenburg)

The Capp, Monty and Summerdream families are here with the Monty/Capp feud still going strong. Romeo and Juliette are still in love. Awwwww. I almost never played this neighborhood, but it just wouldn't feel right if I didn't include them.

About Bluewater Village (Newcrest)

The Landgraab, Tinker, Ramirez, Jacquet and Delarosa characters came on over with their aspirations. J'Adore Bakery is owned by the Jacquets, but I didn't create the other businesses.

About Downtown (San Myshuno)

This is where you will find the notorious Mrs. Crumplebottom. She is content in her little house right smack dab where it is and you better stay off her lawn. I heard Malcom Landgraab III offered her a ton of money to move so he could build a new skyrise. She refused to sell and clobbered him with her purse. So he built around her. Malcom Landgraab IV is terrified of her due to the fact that he remembers the huge knot his father had to nurse all those years ago, so he continues his father's legacy of building around her. She ain't budging.

About Twikkii Springs (Oasis Springs)(Twikkii Island)

I named this Twikkii Springs instead of Twikkii Island because Oasis Springs isn't really an island, so it didn't make much sense. So I modified it to be Twikkii Springs. I used Zerbu's World Type Changes mod to make Oasis Springs a destination world. The Mashuga's currently run things here in their token pink octogon house. At least, in my head they do. You can play this however you want. You can get the mod here or don't use the mod and play it as is.

Honorable Mentions

Del Sol Valley

I left these named the same as we didn't really have a fame expansion for TS2. I was tempted to name it Studio Town like in TS1, but that just sounded too "Toon-Town"ish, so nah, pass. I like Del Sol Valley.

Magnolia Promenade

I totally tried to rename this to Uptown Bluewater, but the game said nope. So Magnolia Promenade it is. Maybe one day the powers that bEA will be nice and allow us to freely rename our worlds....or is that wishful thinking?

*************

Majority of the lots that you see here in these worlds, I downloaded from the gallery. I won't feel bad at all if you wanna change things up.

The custom maps that I used for my worlds, you will have to install them separately in order for your neighborhoods to look like my pictures above.  You can get the maps here.

*************

DID I MISS SOMETHING?? I tried my best to make this as close to the original TS2 version as possible, but the human in me probably forgot a detail or two. Let me know!

{HOW TO INSTALL}

1. Download my save file here. (SFS not working? Get it here instead.)

2. Then copy the file from your downloads folder into this path: my documents/electronic arts/the sims 4/saves | NOT your mods, tray folder or any other folder.

3. When you open the game, you should see the file The Sims 2 Reprise. :)

{TERMS OF USE}

Feel free to use this save file and have fun with your sims. If you make a video, please let me know. I totally would love to see how others play with this world. I would appreciate a shout out too!

I'm @HeySimHey on Twitter and Instagram and HeySimHey on Youtube. I'll be glad to hear from you!

[kumeko]

harley’s rehabilitation

Prompt: Bruce takes in Harley and helps her get a roof over her head for once

Character/Pairing: Harley, Bruce, Cassandra Cain, Selina

A/N: For the @dc-secret-santa for @tjada-sees-the-world-go-round. Sorry for the delay, hope you enjoy! (Harley is so hard to write, I hope I did her justice.). I’m basing this off BTAS for the most part, with a little comic mixed in. I’m in the process of writing up the Diana/Bruce prompt, so hopefully I’ll post that tomorrow.

Summary: It was strange, trying to be normal, trying to be good. Harley wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that, let alone having the Batman of all people help her.

...

...

...

...

i.                     A favour

“I need a favour,” Selina asked, perched on the edge of the roof. “I know my favours aren’t worth much, but still…”

 Batman glanced at her. She clutched her wrist uncertainly, biting her lip when he didn’t say anything. A nervous energy emitted from her and whatever she was asking, it was important to her. He approached her from behind, staring down at the city. Far below them, tiny headlights zoomed down the street. “What is it?”

 “Harley, she…” Selina took a deep breath, turning to him. “She wants to change.”

 “Does she?” Batman asked. When Selina glared at him, he clarified, “It’s a serious question.”

 “Right…she has tried before.” Selina sighed. “She’s serious this time. I know she is.”

 And how? He didn’t ask—while he wasn’t around for most of it, he had heard of Selina’s, Ivy’s, and Harley’s time together. ‘The Gotham Sirens’, as the underground jokingly called them. For a while, it had worked. Ivy kept off the streets, Harley kept away from Joker, and Selina…well, whatever she’d gained from it, she’d only smile mysteriously when questioned. Like he’d expect any other answer from her.

 And now, it seemed, despite their separation, it had done a world of good by convincing Harley to reform again. Maybe he should have more supervillains live together. Dick was always complaining about how boring reality shows were these days.

 “I did it,” Selina pressed, taking his silence for disagreement. “It took time, I slipped back, but I did it. She can do it too.”

 I’m having a bad day, Harley had declared once, one the verge of release from the Asylum.

 I had them too, he’d answered as he returned her pink dress and perhaps that was all it took. A single bad day. A single good hand. She hadn’t succeeded then but now could be different. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

 Grateful, Selina kissed his cheek. “Thanks!” When he gave her a flat stare, she grinned. “Can’t blame a cat for trying.”

ii.                   A warm bed

Harley Quinn jumped on her bed, testing the bed springs. There was a direct correlation between bounce height and how good a bed was. Science had proven that.

 Probably. She was completely bullshitting it but there was a kernel of truth in every lie. Or so she’d heard. Anyways, this bed was in great condition. Nothing sagged. There was no smell. Hell, there were actual springs inside and none of those cheap slinkies either. Batman didn’t mess around when he helped.

 And perhaps that was the strangest thing about this—not the ordinary neighbourhood or the smooth walls of her apartment, not the normal neighbours or even the cleanliness of her room. These were things she sort of expected when she decided to go ‘good’. The way she got them, though, was completely surprising. Harley Quinn was getting help from Batman. The Batman. What sort of strings did Catwoman pull?

 She’d always thought the pair were close, but maybbeeee…Harley pouted. They could have had girl talk all this time. Ivy was terrible at it, hating people, but Selina? Ahhh, so that was what her sly smile meant when Harley asked about any lovers.

 Well, Harley knew now. Next time they’d met, Selina wouldn’t slip out of dishing it out.

 She bounced one more time before flipping off the bed. Tumbling through the air, she landed almost perfectly. A 9.2, if she was honest. An Olympic contender. Heading to her window, she peered out at the peaceful town. Her street was dark and empty and quiet, so very quiet, nothing at all like the streets of Gotham. In the far distance, she could make out the silhouette of her old home city.

 Better to stay away from it all, Batman had explained after he drove her here. That and Don’t touch that were the only things she’d heard the entire ride.

 Crossing her arms, she leaned on her sill. There might be some truth in that. It was too easy to get sucked back into it in Gotham. Mister J would never let her get away, not for long. Harley knew that, she knew that all too well, each time she got out, like quicksand he dragged her back down.

 Better here, far from temptations reach. From Mister J and his poison, from Poison Ivy and her smile. He was too far gone to turn back and Ivy…she had rejected the choice entirely.

 At one time, Harley would have agreed with that. At one time, she did agree with that. What had she gained from that? Nothing. Nothing at all. All she had was loss. They wouldn’t love her the way she loved them, she could see that now. And if she didn’t have love, what was left for her?

 Harley stepped back and closed the blinds.

 iii.                 A resume

 “Please, take a seat.” The receptionist gestured at the waiting room.

 “Sure.” Harley gave her best Normal™ smile before scanning the fancy-ass glass room. The whole company felt too modern for such a small town. They were here for the tax breaks. The lower wages. And they called her the monster. At least she was honest about it.

 Picking a seat, she adjusted her glasses. God, it was strange wearing them again, she’d been wearing contacts for ages. Her reflection this morning was like looking at a ghost. Brushed back hair, glasses, a suit; it was so easy to look domesticated.

 To be honest, this freaked her out. Just a little. None of her skills in the past few years could help her here. Well, maybe the bullshitting, she was a grade A bullshitter, but beyond that...Harley sighed as she looked at her clear case folder. Inside was her resume, all neatly typed up.

 Batman had installed the latest devices in her temporary house—a laptop, a printer, a phone. He even included one of those fancy-smancy virtual assistants. Oracle, it called itself. Cute name for such as a useful tool. Before Harley could even consider destroying her computer, Oracle had found a template, hooked up her printer, and even found several sites to help write it up.

 “Harleen Quinzel?” The receptionist called out and Harley stood up quickly.

 “Here!”

 iv.                 A rejection

 “Were you raised in a barn?” Harley asked as she closed her door behind her. On the other end of the room, directly across from her, the Batman perched on the edge of her couch. Her non-ratty, non-smelly, barely-stained couch.

 Maybe she should serve him tea. And then take a photo of the great Batman, holding a tiny teacup, his pinky out. And send it to Selina, just to get a rise out of her.

 When he didn’t say anything, she added, “Jeez, would it kill you to lighten up?”

 “Probably not,” he answered, and was that a joke? A dry, bad one, but a joke nonetheless? Before she could follow up, he asked, “How is it?”

 “Let’s see, it’s been…a month?” Harley counted with her fingers, double checking. “A month. I made no moolah. I can’t take care of my babies like that.”

 “You are not taking care of those hyenas even if you made money.” Batman corrected and she pouted.

 “They’re my babies!”

 “Noted. I’ll cover your bills until you make enough.” Was he rich? Or did the JLA have some sort of ‘reform trust fund’? “How was job hunting?”

 “Gee, I wonder what responses you’d expect an ex-super criminal to get?” Harley asked, rolling her eyes as she laid down on the carpet. Stretching her arms above her, she waved her latest round of rejection letters. “I’m actually impressed by how many excuses I’ve heard—and I thought I was a great liar.”

 He took the letters without warning, flipping through them quickly.

 Surprised, she stared at him. “Ya know, reading someone’s letters a crime. I could get you thrown in jail.”

 His lips curved up, slightly, almost a laugh. If there was one thing Harley could take pride in, it was this: Batman had laughed at her jokes, not Mister J’s. Getting up, he headed to her window. “I’ll see what I can do. This is good effort so far.”

 And with that, he launched himself out of his window, without a bye or a see you later. Par the course. Did even his friends at the Justice League have to deal with this?

 “Good effort,” she muttered getting up. The thing people said to losers to make them feel better. Effort. When there was nothing else to compliment.

 Effort. She really shouldn’t like that word as much as she did.

v.                   A night

 Harley barely reacted when another presence landed on the roof next to her. Glancing to her side, she examined a girl dressed in black. There were obvious stitch marks in her batgirl outfit, making her look like a ragged doll.  “Are you all raised in barns?” Looking over her shoulder, she added, “No Nightwing or Robin this time?”

 “No.” Batgirl, or at least someone that looked like a Batgirl, shook her head, her accent thick and heavy. She paused before adding, “No to both questions.”

 Gah. Another serious one. At least Nightwing would play along sometimes. She leaned back on the rooftop, staring up at the night sky. “Say, do you have to be sneaky when you apply?”

 “Apply?” Batgirl asked, confused.

 “Apply to be a night terror.” When all she got was another blank look, she sighed and spoke plainly. “A ‘Batgirl’.”

 “No, but it helps.” Batgirl’s fingers automatically moved as she spoke, signing each word. Deaf? Mute? For someone else? “Why are you dressed like that?”

 “It makes great PJs.” Harley tugged at the edges of her villain costume, rubbing the sleeve against her cheek. “Do you know how much it cost to make this? I can’t just let it go to waste!”

 “I see,” she answered in a tone that clearly saw nothing.

 “I just like wearing it sometimes.” Harley shrugged. “Don’t you just do things cause you like ‘em?”

 Batgirl seemed to consider this for a few minutes before slowly nodding. “Recently, yes. Training.”

 “Training? Blech!” Harley grimaced. Boring, utterly boring. How was Batman raising them? Maybe Nightwing was a fluke? The rest of this batfamily seemed more serious by the generation. Still, they made the perfect straight man, if only she could get them into a comedy club with her.

 After a few minutes, Batgirl slowly said, “You can do this.”

 “Huh?” Harley pointed at herself. “You talking to me?”

 “There’s no one else here.” Batgirl cocked her head, double checking her surroundings. With a shrug, she turned back to Harley. “I was bad too, once.”

 “Oh?” Maybe the JLA really did have a reform trust fund. Though, if they expected her to join without some pay, they had another thing coming.

 “Yes.” Batgirl nodded again. “I was evil too. You can change.”

 It was strangely comforting.

 vi.                 Another attempt

“Alright.” Harley counted the coins in her bowl. $43.85 bucks. Not enough for rent, perhaps, but if she combined it with her waitress job, it could cover food at least. As nice as it was to have the goody two-shoes cover her bills, she need the independence. And less surveillance.

 “You’re funny!” A little girl shouted as she dropped another quarter into the bowl. $44.10 now. The girl skipped back to her mother, waving as she left.

 Honestly, busking wasn’t a bad gig at all. Maybe it didn’t pay as much as crime but it was almost as fun. Dressed as a clown, she performed acrobatic tricks in front of schools and train stations. Instead of screams, she got applause and cheers. And people said that you couldn’t transfer criminal skills.

 “Take that, Orange,” Harley muttered as she packed up. “‘Our company thinks your skills are not applicable to this position.’, my foot.”

 “It’s good to see you’re productive.”

 Harley stilled at the deep voice behind her. Peeking over her shoulders, she rubbed her eyes as she spotted the Batman. “Wait, are you even allowed to come out at day? Do you even exist in the day?”

 He didn’t dignify her questions with a response, instead holding out a letter. “For you?”

 “You a mailman now? And I thought I was down on my luck.” Taking it, she looked at the front and almost dropped it. “Bruce Wayne? What does he—”

 When she looked up, he was already gone. Puffing her cheeks, she shouted, “Why do you have worse manners than a villain!”

 vii.                A job

 “Why’re you’re still visiting me?” Harley asked when she opened her door only to find Batman once again perched on her couch. Maybe she should call him Birdman. “Bored?”

 “Think of it as post-care.” Another dry joke. He really did have a sense of humour, it was just hard to find.

 She dropped her bag on the floor and removed her coat. Despite the commute from the small town to her office, she’d kept the temporary apartment. Few tech, nice place, and best of all, empty roofs for her to leap around without worrying about some do-gooder or villain noticing. “So?”

 “Like the job?” he asked.

 “Does it matter?” When he stared at her, she relented. “Fiinnee. It’s good enough. I mean, no one really wants to be a psychiatrist to make ads, but whatever.” Rubbing her chin, she added, “Though, maybe I should have just kidnapped Bruce Wayne when he interviewed me. He’s rich, a single ransom and I’m living the high life.”

 “High life in jail, perhaps,” Batman added dryly.

 She wasn’t sure if he meant it as a joke or a threat. Probably the latter. It was hard to tell with this guy.  Brushing it off, she slowly stalked forward to him. “So, I was wondering…”

 “No.” Point blank, without room for argument.

 Harley bristled. “Hey! I didn’t even ask yet!”

 Batman gave her a blank stare. “Hyenas are not pets.”

 “They were my pets,” Harley mumbled, glowering at him. “My babies. I bet they miss me.” When he didn’t answer, she crowed, “I knew it! They do miss mama!”

 “…I’ll consider visitation rights,” he muttered.

 A start, perhaps. But Batman didn’t know exactly how persistent she was. Within the week, she’d have her babies.

[cow3survivor]

Ep. 6: “So Many Ways This Could Backfire” - Jennet

JENNET 

so the plan worked out great except jabari said that “now jake will know the truth” in front of daisy and the other tribemates🥺 i was hoping that i could pin this on lindsay so that once we merged i could lie about it and have lindsay be out next before the merge... this is truly sickening idk what to do

(a little later)

feeling really bad... is it my fault that jake forced me into a f3 with jabari who ive barely spoken with??? idk i feel like not only did i betray her but i betrayed a black woman and that makes me sick to my stomach.... hoping that i made the right choice and this propels me further in the game🥺 i honestly hated having to do that but maybe if ethan and sam have tribal connections left, when we merge, maybe we will be able to stick together and he’ll also help connect me

JESSICA

I GOT THE IDOL! It is good for 4 rounds and I still have my vote. And just in time as we are swapping into 3 tribes of 5 like I thought..... wow my psychic abilities! Jabari got voted out at tribal and I'm sad. I didn't know her but I think she was new to orgs and I really wanted to play with her! Plus she volunteered to do the tiebreaker for her tribe so I thought they'd keep her due to that. Time for a swap lets kick this game into gear!

JENNET

hoping jake isnt on the same tribe as daisy or lindsay

(a little later)

also hoping im on a tribe of winners so i never make it to tribal bc i DEFINITELY was/am the weakest link☠️

MIKEY

so. I FUCKING HATE THIS NEW TRIBE. THEY PICKING OFF ALL THE GOOD ORIGINAL CALUMMA MEMBERS AND MY GIRL JABARI LITERALLY JUST LEFT??? FUCK YOU JENNET. I KNOW THIS IS BECAUSE OF YOU! But anyways, its me and jake vs all OG (insert other tribes name) and i think I'm going next lool fuck ME. this is very sad indeed and idk im upset but ima try my mf hardest

JAKE

https://youtu.be/OzrGekDCG8I xoxo gossip girl

JENNET

jones and ethan on my tribe?? *blushes sm*

(a little later)

nervous about this tribe... ive pulled off three blindsides that ive helped orchestrate so if like if someone really wanted to look deeper into it.... they would be able to make a target out of me bc of it. definitely worried

(after cooking a fish)

this is basically an allstar team. everybody on here is a heavy hitter and that makes me worried bc if i wasnt the weakest link before, i definitely am now. wishing we had gotten rid of lindsay instead of jabari bc we just made another team stronger but it is what it is i guess

JONES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbTUvzatQrw

JESSICA

Today's song is "Ribs" by Lorde because I have played it on repeat all morning. Also I forget if I said for my last confessional but that song was "Sober", also by Lorde. Basically I love Lorde and my life is better because of it. This swap worked out super well for me! I really said in my host chat "Could I please be put on a tribe with Shane and Daisy?" and the hosts simply said "Okay". I have my final 3 back together and we also have Lindsay and Lovelis. Lindsay seems really cool so far and Lovelis and I have a good thing going so I feel very confident on this tribe. I really hope we do not lose because honestly? I don't want to vote out Lindsay at all. I like that she is active and she seems like someone who really is putting in effort whereas Lovelis, as much as I like him, just really hasn't been here. I would rather play this game with people who are more active so to me it's like.... Lindsay is absolutely not the obvious vote if we lose. Not even a bit! I'd love to do with her what I did with Mikey and make a separate f2 so that when we merge, she's someone who will keep the target off of me. I didn't tell my alliance about the idol because honestly I just don't anticipate using it at all. It expires so soon and I really only took it so that no one else would end up having it. Also.... I don't know, I didn't tell them right away because I was a bit busy at the moment we swapped and now it feels suspicious if I do tell them? Also who knows, maybe they would not find my story believable and think I have an idol up to final 5 which I just don't want! I'd rather throw the idol into the sea so it causes no problems. This immunity challenge is an interesting one. If I knew what was in the boxes, I would probably bet more, but I bet some of those boxes have bad things or nothing in them and I simply do not want that. If I had to guess, one has the other half to that idol, one probably has an idol clue, another maybe has extra idol searches.... maybe another has an idol nullifier? Or a vote peek? Really none of these are things that I need. They're all cool but I'd rather be immune thanks! As far as how I feel in the game, I really do want the Maples to be f3. I'd rather be at the end with my alliance and lose than flip and be there without them. Ummmm what other thoughts do I have.................... I think that might be it. My mind is empty but I'm still moving forward.

LINDSAY

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L5Nzch65XLD_njxnIxLKwqUs5vqXcYot/view?usp=drivesdk

JESSICA

Also if we lose this immunity....... I'll be mad because I bet 0 on everything and I am STAYING that way!

JENNET

feeling increasingly bad for voting out jabari /:: idk it doesnt sit right with me in the grand scheme of things. obviously its a game but the fact that i genuinely upset somebody to that extent is so sick. idec that we’re going to tribal, i want to be voted out

ETHAN

3 tribals in a row... I don't for a freaking second believe that Jones and Nicol "made a mistake" with their bidding. This feels like throwing, and if it is, it means that: 1. they feel comfortable enough with Jennet to have a majority 2. they feel comfortable enough with Pete to have a majority 3. it doesn't matter anyway, they now have 2 boxes and potentially an idol or two they could use Either way, this is a freaking sucky situation, and Pete is being super sketchy. People keep making bad play after bad play so honestly, it is hard for me because I keep assuming that they will be doing all of these things to throw the wool over my eyes when they actually aren't doing anything.

JENNET

im annoyed im frustrated and im angry... why were so many points used?

(a little later)

here i am... again... in the middle guys vs girls.... um this sucks bc like me ethan pete didnt use alot of points and nicole and jones did so thats like sucky bc initially i wanted pete gone but like now theres no reason for it to be him

(after soaking in the sun)

nicole says that pippa told her to wait to see whats in the box, so that could mean tribal or that could wait next round. or what if its a comeback power? i literally have no idea what to do

(after making a pillow out of leaves)

okay so the plan is, we get to tribal. me ethan and pete vote for nicole. jones and nicole vote for pete. nicole uses immunity on herself, pete goes home. there are so many ways this could backfire and honestly if it sends me home than im okay with that. i just hate going to tribal so many times in a row

MADISON

I AM FREE FROM MY BROOKESIA PRISON. Current tribe dynamic on Furcifer: me/Sammy have been on the same tribe this whole time, me/Sammy/Jake were just on swap Brookesia, and i know Sam from OG Brookesia so the only person i'm just now meeting is Mikey and that stresses me out so much less than if we had merged or something. My gut is telling me that the idol is long gone and searching might just get me annoyed before it gets me an idol. On the upside, i still have time to find one if it's it out there because i highly doubt I'll be in trouble anytime soon the way my tribe keeps winning everything. ALSO: i only said that i thought Calumma would lose because Shane was on that tribe and i just felt like he would go big or go home but that's an issue to address when our paths cross again. If our tribe ends up going to tribal sometime soon, i would hope it would be the obvious choice to vote Mikey seeing as how i know him the least but idk maybe thats wishful thinking i dont want it to come to that.

SAMMY

Mikey has my heart on this tribe....YUP I really just wanna keep all the fun ppl...im missing daisy:// umm I did not bid on a single thing and I kind of regret it but also??? At least I am safe from tribal...but damn I really should have bid huh? Anyways not much is going on...ready to start playing a more individual game tho hehe

SHANE

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-WUq5wfYK3Xb1Y-KNZptfyagwvSff4cd

NICOLE

I cannot believe I risked being voted out only to NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY NEXT IMMUNITY!!!!!!! what a round, I'm so sad. But I hope I stay.

DAISY

from f15 https://youtu.be/-_meWPNctO0

PETE

it’s literally... dude.. why can’t i just float to a merge whyyYYYYYYYYyyYyYyyyYyYy does it AAAALWAYS have to be so COMPLICATED like this is it this is the time im mufuckin ouutttiiieeeeeee that challenge was clearly thrown so like ✌🏼 it was fuuuun i hope y’all liked me enough to bring me back for whatever the next chameleon returnees thingy is uwu

(after being attacked by bees)

i know i’m paranoid and every tribal i feel sick to my stomach but nobody has talked to me today, except ethan about how fucked we are, it’s half an hour before tribal and no one really seems like they want to work with me. i still haven’t heard a name

TRIBAL COUNCIL

PETE EXIT INTERVIEW

[xadoheandterra]

Series: Semblance Title: Patriciate Fandom: Jak and Daxter Chapters: I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV | XV | XVI Characters: Jak, Daxter, Samos, Keira, Kid!Jak, Ashelin, Torn, Tess Tags: Worldbuilding, Accidentally King of Haven!Jak, hurt/comfort, things go wrong, things get better, things get worse again, slow build, slow burn, slow to update, cross posted, fantasy racism, canon divergence, been meaning to share this here Summary: “It’s yours,” Jak said softly. “Keep it…remember where you come from. At least one of us should remember….”

If Jak knew the consequences of that one, selfish choice…well, he’d probably have made the same decision either way.

And now for some (political) world building. Also introducing the story 'villain(s)'?

Count Nimat Veger stared down at the ground off in the distance with narrowed eyes and a frown across his lips. He tapped his fingers across the head of his cane, focus almost entirely upon the distant head of Ashelin Praxis. The entirety of the council and the ruling body of Haven rested just a floor below—they just finished an afternoon meal offered by the Praxis estate to apologize for the long delay. The council convened early in the morning and it seemed the young Praxis suffered from delay after delay for whatever reason she even called them for.

“Sir?” Veger slipped his gaze over to his young apprentice. The boy had come into his care following the death of his parents, slipped there at the behest of the Baron, and the only other remaining relative the child had young though said relative had been. Veger’d been quite happy to impart his knowledge onto such a noble lineage, and even now he found himself pleased with the results.

“Mr. Aksoy,” Veger murmured. “What do you think the young Praxis heiress is planning?”

Koray ran his fingers thoughtfully over the folders that he’d been instructed to hold onto thoughtfully. Bright golden eyes appeared pensive behind the spectacles that covered them, lips pressed thin.

“She wants to save her precious rebels,” Koray said carefully. “Especially ex-Commander Torn.”

“Mm, young love,” Veger mused faintly.

“Whatever Ashelin plans it most assuredly has something to do with them,” Koray continued. “She’s been protecting their involvement since before the invasion.”

“You think she knows the location of the rebellion’s mysterious ‘Shadow’ then?” Veger questioned, turning back to stare down at the ground below. He frowned when he saw three of the ‘Underground’ fighters each the palace steps.

“Most assuredly,” Koray agreed. His fingers tightened around the folders. “And that…Jak.”

“You think she’s protecting the abomination,” Veger mused.

Koray nodded, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear. “She must be. After all if he truly is….”

“It would be her best bet,” Veger agreed, carefully interjecting before Koray could finish the thought. It wouldn’t do to reveal their knowledge before the time was right. “She’ll want to use her precious Underground, don’t you agree?”

“Furthering her agenda?” Koray mused. “It does sound like Ashelin.”

Veger hummed and tracked the small rodent that rode upon one Underground member’s shoulder. It and Ashelin were obviously in some sort of heated conversation.

“What should we call them then?” Veger wondered aloud. “Something befitting their…perceived rebellion.”

“You mean something that Ashelin might propose to cement their trust in her,” Koray agreed. “They fancy themselves freedom fighters, don’t they?”

“Freedom League does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” Veger chuckled, and turned from the window. He had enough of an idea of what would happen now. It seemed all so simple in the end.

“Sir?” Koray turned to follow after Veger with a furrowed brow.

“Do distract Ashelin and her guest for me, will you?” Veger said with a wave of his hand. “I’ll go prepare the…council.”

Koray nodded sharply and strode off toward the elevator Ashelin would undoubtedly use; it sat separate from the main council elevators, once used by the House of Mar almost exclusively. When they were almost at opposite ends of the hall Veger paused, turned, and called out to Koray calmly. Koray glanced back, eyebrows arched.

“I know you might want to,” Veger said calmly, “but don’t antagonize Jak. We don’t want to share our hand too early, now do we?”

Koray nodded with his teeth ground together. Veger in the end was quite right—they wouldn’t do to antagonize Jak and show their hand this soon. Not when there was much more to be accomplished, and so little time to do it in. Veger smiled, utterly pleased, and continued on his way with a faint whistle. Yes, getting a hold of Koray at the age he had was simply the most wonderful thing he could have done. Now to prepare the council.

The wait for the elevator took far longer than Koray expected. If he didn’t know better, he might’ve believed that Ashelin rigged the darn thing to stop anyone else from going up in it. However, Koray took this very same elevator not even the day previous and it worked just fine then. Eventually the elevator began to tick back downward to Koray’s sigh of relief. He waited until it came to a rest upon his floor; for the door to open and reveal the people he knew to be inside.

Koray stood stiff, proper, but he couldn’t help the blank blinking that happened once the doors were opened. Ashelin he knew, prepared to greet even. Ex-Commander Torn stood recognizable by the brat dressed in clothes fit for a king. Even the little rodent—although Koray never received the pleasure of making the thing’s acquaintance, and he doubted pleasure even counted there—but upon where the rodent sat….

“Rahmi?” Koray almost stuttered, face slightly paler.

Ashelin glanced between Koray and the Underground soldier; Torn next to Jak scowled. Whether because one of his soldiers happened to be known to Koray, or for another reason entirely didn’t matter.

‘Rahmi’ opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. The tinny quality to her words almost magnified her bitterness as she spoke. “I am not Rahmi. Rahmi is dead.”

Koray shook his head. “There has been no report of—”

“My brother is dead, Aksoy,” she said sharply. Daxter threaded his fingers into her hair, a calming gesture normally used on Jak.

“Koray,” Ashelin interjected sharply. “What are you doing on this floor? Shouldn’t you be attending your Count?”

Koray visibly jerked, then bowed his head disconnectedly in a way that really showed he’d rather not provide Ashelin the courtesy.

“Ashelin,” Koray deferred politely. “Count Veger and I got separated earlier after the meal you so graciously provided. I was on my way to return, but the elevator….”

“Is private,” Ashelin uttered slowly. “This elevator also touches upon private floors.”

“I had not realized.” Koray’s smile betrayed his words. Jak twitched, an eye glance to Daxter, a slight curl to his lips. “May I join you?”

Torn spoke up, carefully, “It would be best if you took the elevator down the hall, the one meant for public floors.”

Koray raised an eyebrow at the sudden presumption of the ex-KG Commander, especially considering to even use the other elevator when on one of the private floors you needed to be capable of entering in either a code—or of gaining permission. The private elevator needed a code from the first floor only, and all other floors on it operated without—Veger explained everything quite clearly to him when he first entered the Palace back when he’d been remanded into the man’s care.

“I had not been made aware of your reinstatement,” Koray said lightly.

“You are not a member of the Council who dealt with matters of security,” Torn replied calmly. “Neither is Count Veger. I am not surprised you do not know.” With that Torn leaned past Jak, and Koray noted how the boy twitched nervously and said nothing throughout the entire exchange, and pressed the button to send the elevator back down.

For a minute Koray stared at the shut doors, a scowl on his lips. He quite hoped that his distraction worked well enough for Veger, and he detested the utterly rude behavior of the ex-Commander. He rather hoped that Veger’s plans would lead towards the ex-Commander’s final fall from grace. He never did have any respect for the noble houses.

Veger just barely finished speaking to maybe a third of the council chambers, whispering his ideas and thoughts on the events to unfold—laying the groundwork and the seeds to continue the status quo eventually—when Ashelin stepped into the room. The entire council chamber hushed. Ashelin glanced over them all, much like a queen glancing over her court, and in response everyone shifted back towards their own respective seats.

Veger’s spot resided just a bit to the left of House Praxis, something considered much of an honor these days—and even before, when Damas ruled the city, House Veger’s position held prestige for their alliance with House Praxis. He settled down into his seat primly and sought out any sign of Koray. Veger fought down a frown when he couldn’t find the boy, not even sneaking into the room like a naughty child.

With everyone seated Ashelin nodded once, and took in a deep breath.

“To this august body, councilmen, councilwoman, and noble houses alike I apologize for the delay,” Ashelin said formally. “My preparations have been assailed upon all fronts due to undiscovered machinations of my father. This is not an excuse!” Ashelin held up her hand to forestall any reply. “I should have anticipated these problems in light of what I called you here for, but I digress.”

Veger had to admire the girl. She stood tall, straight-backed, and more often than not with her hands clasped behind her at parade rest. Her father certainly trained her well, he noted.

“The matters which I have come to discuss with you here today are in hot debate already,” Ashelin continued. “We’ve come to no true arrangement in regards to the Underground resistance members—” she had to raise her voice at the slight murmuring that grew, “—which is part of the solution I am here to propose. You’ve heard from Commander Torn, myself, and several other key members of the Underground that they’ve fought for Haven. For what Haven used to be—before my father, before the Krimson Guard became the boogeyman that the everyday citizen fears. The Underground has claimed again and again that they fight under the banner of the House of Mar—and I come here to prove that today.”

Ashelin turned, and Veger watched with anticipation as the door slipped open and Mar—oh the precious child grown up to be such an abomination—stepped through that door. His head was held high, but Veger could easily calculate the levels of dark eco in his system vying just beneath the surface from the pallor of his skin. Oh he was surprised, a bit, at how Ashelin had chosen to dress the boy—he looked so much like Damas it was a bit of a punch to the gut. Mar had grown wonderfully, even with the dark eco treatments Praxis gave him. He stood regally, and Veger knew there had to be some coaching for that, somewhere. The boy he knew still acted as uncouth as ever—this Mar was a bit more graceful, a bit more like his father and grandfather both.

Behind Mar entered an Underground member, another surprise. She looked vaguely familiar—something about the russet color of her hair, perhaps, but the eyes were all wrong. They were a dull brown and not the fire-bright orange-gold he’d once seen in a similar face. Upon her shoulder sat the rodent—the best friend from a time long lost. Veger kept his face as neutral as possible despite whatever he felt. He listened to Ashelin’s undoubtedly wonderful explanation.

“I present to you, councilmen, councilwomen, and noble houses, Prince Jak of the House of Mar,” Ashelin said, and the whole room fell instantly silent. Mar—Jak—stepped up until he was even with Ashelin, and silently surveyed the room. “Prince Jak has worked with the Underground for a full year now, and before that was in the care of the Underground leader, the Shadow.”

“Where is the seal?”

Veger pinpointed the voice of elder matriarch Zoe who stood talk with her gray hair bound tightly into a bun. Her eclectic eyes practically glowed from beneath the rims of her glasses and she visibly seemed to vibrate. Veger pinched back a sigh at the interruption.

“Furthermore why you have you convened the whole council, and not just the sage lines as historically happens when succession is brought to bear?” Zoe continued sharply, gaze focused entirely upon Jak. “A mere likeness to the House of Mar does not denote an heir after all, as I’m sure you well know Heiress Praxis.”

Ashelin paled a bit, but Jak stepped forward. Veger couldn’t help but lean towards the spectacle before him, curious. He watched Jak bow—polite, actually deferring to the matriarch, interesting—and when the boy spoke well, Veger never did quite get the chance to hear his voice before.

“Matriarch Asul,” Jak said, and Veger found it delightful how Ashelin jerked in shock. Wasn’t the abomination just full of surprises? “Ashelin has convened the entire council because of the unusual circumstances surrounding this entire affair. I…lost the seal of my House as a small child.”

Veger paused, he had to visibly shake himself and he wasn’t the only one. The boy had done what?!

“It was some time after Samos took me under his wing,” Jak continued. “However Samos, Ashelin, Torn and myself have come up with a suitable way to prove to you my identity—aside from traversing the Trials as my ancestors before me, since no one but an heir to the House of Mar can be witnessed to such an event.”

“That and, well, been there, done that,” the rodent piped up. Jak rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Dax, thank you,” Jak huffed, and Veger saw a faint smile cross Zoe’s face. Interesting.

Ashelin took over from there, wrestling herself back under control. “Unfortunately this is where the delay has come in. My father had seen fit to remove all chances of proving an heir to the House of Mar.”

Shocked whispers wove throughout the room, and Veger had to stop himself from letting out a sharp curse. Dratted Praxis couldn’t even be bothered to display a fake!?

“Thankfully, over this past year, Jak and his friend Daxter located the Ruby Key, one of the few artifacts—”

“We know the Ruby Key,” Zoe interrupted. “Ashelin Praxis this august body has been waiting all day for this nonsense, pardon me when I say to get it on with. We’ll deal with the discovery of the Key, it’s history, and the results of this little show later.”

Ashelin swallowed. Veger swallowed. He hadn’t realized the old bat had a spine to her.

Without any further words Ashelin nodded to the rodent, who pulled over a bag and presented the Ruby Key. Veger could already tell that it was in fact the genuine article, and he felt his mouth go dry. The implications only just began to actually cross his mind—no seal, an actual artifact from Mar, a true-blooded heir—when Jak grasped the Key firmly and made the gem within swirl with eco. He then took it a step further and coaxed the eco out, a small bit of sweat on his brow told Veger exactly how hard this was for the boy, until his whole hand lit up bright red with it.

The entire council fell silent aside from Zoe, who smiled like a cat who got the crème. For a moment Veger swore she looked right at him as she dipped her head, and so followed the rest of the council—Veger himself forcing the deferential motion much to his distaste.

“Welcome, King Jak,” Zoe greeted calmly, “of the House of Mar.”

Shit.

​

[monarch-boo]

my experiences in model ripping methods (that retain rigging!) for some games i like

Quick notes: if you encounter a problem I might not be able to help, I just barely know what I’m doing myself. I haven’t personally encountered any issues with these methods that would totally halt my progress so I probably wouldn’t know. Because of that, any issues with any plugins mentioned should probably be taken up with the creator of the plugin if you can get ahold of them.

Dead Rising 1: you can find the already extracted Xbox 360 files online, and those .mod and .tex files can easily just be opened and exported to the desired formats using Noesis! You have to then put the model into blender or something and apply the textures yourself.

Dead Rising 2: well, technically Off The Record because the script only works for OTR, but they’re mostly all the same models, plus characters like Leon are still in the files of OTR despite not being used in it.

you need 3ds max and mario_kart64n’s OTR script, and texmod/umod.

What I do is I obtain all of the textures first and then i use the OTR script to import into 3ds max (literally just hit import and select the .big you want, then wait a bit). Then export it as the format you want, in the same folder that you put the textures. The textures are already applied to the model for you in my experience.

You can also find .bms scripts (you would need QuickBMS to use them) online that will extract .dds textures from the .tex (DR2/OTR .tex files don’t work in Noesis, before you ask). Just note that, in my experience, at least one texture will always wind up corrupted with these, so you would just have to retrieve some replacements using texmod/umod anyway.

GTA IV/EfLC: Dear god. This is not difficult by any means, it’s just a super long process with a lot of steps and porting between programs. You could probably use a different method to merge the duplicate bones together if you know how, this is just the only way I know:

Anyway, you need 3ds max, openiv, the openformats i/o script for 3ds max, and for my method you need blender and the mmd-tools and pymeshio scripts (i feel like mmd-tools is better for importing and pymeshio is better for exporting, that’s why i recommend both), and PMX editor (i highly recommend an english version such as this one).

Take the “ofio” and “startup” folders you got with openformats i/o and paste them into your Program Files\Autodesk\[whatever your 3ds max version is; I use 2019]\scripts.

Now in OpenIV, find the model you want, right click on the .wdd of it, and click “Export to openFormats (.odd)”. At really any point in time you want during this whole ripping process you can also go double click the .wtd of that same model, hit the “export all textures” button, and choose the format you want (i recommend .png or .dds, png would probably be best) then go save those where you want.

Now start up 3ds max and click the wrench tab, scroll down and there should be a whole bunch of import headers for openformats i/o! click “import single” under the .odd header, select the .odd you just extracted and wait a bit for it to fully load. once it’s done you can export it to the format that you want (something openable in blender either vanilla or via an addon).

Now i said the stuff about PMX editor because the model you just ripped is going to have tons and tons of duplicate bones. PMX editor is the easiest program i know of that you can use to merge bones. (Every duplicate bone potentially has SOMETHING weighed to it, so you can’t just delete the duplicates.)

Go import whatever you exported as from 3ds max into blender and then just export it straight to pmx (important: when you import it into blender don’t touch it. for some reason if you select/deselect/resize/move anything before you export it to pmx, it puts every single bone into the center, at least with pymeshio’s exporter. haven’t tried mmd_tools’s exporter because the option is often greyed out and i don’t really know why)

now open said pmx up in PMX editor, go to the bone tab, and now go and remove the extra numbers from the duplicate bones (scroll down and there’s a ton with some number in parentheses tacked onto the end of the name, just remove the number and parentheses). if you double click on the end of the name it should highlight just the number in parentheses. just note though that a model of a person might have way over 1000 bones, so this may take like 20 minutes to get through every bone. it’s a long tedious process but it’s the easiest method i currently know of so just be patient, it’s worth it if you want the already-rigged models as badly as i do lol. once you have them all renamed scroll through the list to double check that you didn’t miss any, now go into Edit>Bone>merge bones with similar names (look for E > B > M if you don’t have an english version) and wait a bit for that to process (a window pops up at some point that i forgot off the top of my head what it says, but it’s not a bad thing, just hit ok)

now you should be able to save the pmx and import it back into blender. it will have merged all of the pieces of the model into one but that’s ok, right click the model (not the armature) to select it and then go into edit mode (Tab), make sure the whole thing is selected (highlighted yellow), and hit P, then click “By material”. Now go back into object mode (Tab again) and everything should be separated again. Now from here you have to apply the textures yourself.

[hevensowner-blog]

Publishing some sort of Proposal Without Losing Head

Publishing a good sized proposal can sound an absurdly Herculean process. Conceptualizing, writing, updating, formatting, and producing a 1, 500-page page with 120 artwork? In 30 days to weeks? Doesn't seem probable. But it happens on a regular basis.

And there's that rub. Proposal stores (the publishing people, often embedded with large corporations, that manage a lot of these monster productions) are generally notorious for functioning staff and subcontractors ragged within a 20-hour-a-day race to create and deliver these documents before its due. The long a long time, the rate with burnout, and the amount of disorder in a lot of these environments are well-known.

As a proposal editor< along with the editorial manager with Computer Sciences Businesses (CSC) proposal submission group for several years, I oversaw that publication of good sized, complex, high-quality plans under extremely limited deadlines. But my company and I were able to avoid the standard angst because people cultivated a a certain number of, organized production natural environment. You can practice it, too.

Along using my lessons figured out, here's advice to get a saner process from all very reputable proposal experts in the flooring buisingess: from CSC, Rhonda Wright, senior citizen manager, and Ginny Furth, idea coordinator; from Booz Allen Hamilton, Margo Goldman, senior citizen associate, and Carolyn Quinn, link; and from SM&A, idea consultant Rachael Neenan.

Rhonda Wright tells, “Proposal publishing can be an art. It ought to be, when you're offered five days to create 1, 000 internet pages. " As using any art, what you study from the masters ought to be practiced and then adapted to fit your own needs.

Select a project sponsor

Want a recipes for disaster? Go lean and bring about one freelance publisher to proofread ones proposal. Then assume that they can format ones proposal, make coffees, and-oh, yeah-organize ones production schedule together with workflow. An astonishing amount of companies operate in exactly this manner.

A better process? Assign a concentrated project coordinator to help oversee your output schedule and e-book process end to separate. Having someone manage the important points of production lets the top honchos like proposal managers consentrate on their core duty: developing a successful proposal strategy. Therefore lets your output staff edit, pattern, and format that document without distraction.

Really, your coordinator ought to be a trained idea specialist who has learned the intricacies of RFP (request for proposal) that will manage a output workforce of 10 to help 30. At minimum amount, he or she ought to be highly organized, accommodating, and accustomed to help working under taut deadlines.

In add-on, Margo Goldman tells, coordinators “have to get the right personality. They need really need a certain power, a certain assertiveness. Right after they say 'no, ' people essential info that they necessarily mean it. " Carolyn Quinn highlights that a sponsor “also must be ready to stay calm with tense situations. inch Or as Rachael Neenan guides it, “No matter how difficult the case, you can do not ever blow your collection. Staying professional can be so important, because everybody else on the team reacts back. " In many other words, if ones proposal coordinator will lose it, your whole staff might lose it, way too.

Add key staff members

In addition for a project coordinator, you would like two other experts: an editor and then a desktop publisher. The proposal editor will establish a style page (sometimes called that “wall of truth") for any proposal and update the document again. The desktop publisher will establish a style-based template for any proposal (usually with Microsoft Word), framework text, and assimilate numerous files inside one. The computer's desktop publisher, who ought to be skilled in artwork software, will also generate the figures applied to the proposal.

If your primary proposal is with substantial size (say, across 100 pages), these leads will likewise oversee the succeed of other writers and desktop publishers assigned to your effort. Because the leads carry a great deal responsibility, it doesn't pay for to force-fit someone in the job who's not necessarily fully qualified. Consistent with Wright, “Your leads ought to be true experts who figure out what they're doing. Using people which aren't publishing professionals are often very costly-and can really jeopardize the idea. "

By the best way, you don't imagine your proposal ought to be edited? Maybe not necessarily, if you tend not to mind your clientele reading that hunan resources and then a pubic key infrastructure are component of your solution.

Schedule production in more detail

A production arrange should work backward in the proposal deadline together with incorporate time with regard to writing and studying, designing the proposal cover along with the template for the written text pages, formatting and having the copy, idea editing and proofreading, possessing author and idea manager reviews, conducting one more quality check, together with printing, assembling, boxing, together with delivering the idea.

It's tempting to forgo organizing a schedule since “schedules always slide. " But that's how come you need an individual, and why building your garden shed coordinator should place out every meanwhile deadline that's had to get from project set out to completion. When a lot of these deadlines slip, you'll indeed ought to reconfigure your arrange. But you'll know clearly where you are supposedly and what still ought to be done to connect with your final contract.

What to do once your schedule is drifting out of hand, but the higher-ups don't appear to care? Remind them in the dollars being wasted by way of the extra hours wasted. “If somebody decides in the eleventh hour to swap the proposal's web template, " Wright tells, “a coordinator may well explain that making a really change will require a certain number of hours-at a particular number of dollars each hour. When the companies do the math concepts, chances are they'll drop the concept. "

Hold standup staff members meetings

Getting your team together for only 10 minutes every day and 10 minutes inside afternoon can save you hours of sacrificed effort that proceeds from misunderstanding priorities and job specifications. The reason for a standup? To help assess progress with interim deadlines, assign priorities during the day, answer questions, and adjust ones schedule as needed so that the project remains to normal. The project sponsor should lead that meeting, and just about all key production staff members should attend.

Mind you, a “standup" assembly means just that-everyone should fully stand up. Keeping people on the feet nearly ensures that meetings continue to be short and concentrated.

Use progress-tracking fire wood

Your proposal is usually 800 pages longer, is being authored by 23 authors, and it is currently divided inside 140 separate Ms Word files. Pick where Section II. 13. M. iv is?

If you happen to religiously maintain some sort of tracking log, you certainly will. Your log should list just about every piece of that document, including that cover, spine, together with back cover; that tabs and event tables of contents; the resume cover letter; every text department, broken out just by volume, section, together with subsection; and just about all supplemental material, which include appendices and contraptions. Your log ought to track the progress of each one piece through each step in the publishing cycle, which include writing, editing, format, author reviews, together with quality checks.

Wright says that will she expects the woman's project coordinators “to fully understand the status of each one single piece on the proposal during every minute in the production cycle. " Her coordinators' progress logs allow them to take some action.

One of the excess benefits of this product, says CSC's Ginny Furth, is it's far standardized and suited for all the department's plans. “I can give off a project I'm taking care of to any many other coordinator who's been trained in the way, " says Furth. “They can continue the project flowing in the evening, so I do not have to be at the office round the clock. "

Control workflow together with versions

Your editor comes with spent six a long time polishing the executive summary in the event the proposal manager happily hands you his rewrite in the file. Guess precisely what? You've just sacrificed version control.

And avoid these unhappy seconds, you need a pc for moving files in the production process and being sure that only one people is handling a file each time. Your system is often as simple as placing each a component the proposal within a manila folder not allowing people to figure on a section unless they also have that very folder facing them. Or you may load your files into an electric document-sharing system enjoy Microsoft SharePoint, which allows merely one person to “check out" and use a file each time.

“One of things that can really does one in on some sort of proposal is if you happen to lose version regulate, " says Quinn. “When authors give us a file to figure on, we advise them, 'That's it, it's our file today, we own the idea, don't do whatever else to it. ' We help it become very clear with control over a file each time. "

Schedule some sort of relief shift

It's not actually unusual for Goldman to help schedule freelance editors to get started on a good sized project at 6: 00 k. m. on some sort of Friday or 9: 00 some sort of. m. on some sort of Sunday. As shortly as she spots that work might flow outside usual business hours, she rings in place her freelance staff members and books a 2nd shift.

“The way that will we've avoided burnout over time is that we now have an extensive merchant network, " Goldman tells. “We use a whole lot of temporary support, each of those for editing together with for design. We think of yourself as very careful regarding the hours that most people work, and we really increase and add staff members to spell people right after they need it. inch

Incorporating a minute shift into ones production schedule enables more work to remain done on the day while preventing the lowered return and increased errors which come from working ones production staff 12 and 15 hours on a daily basis for weeks at a time. It also helps maintain your most fundamental professionals fresh and focused right after they are practical.

“I am a giant proponent of that life-work balance, inch says CSC's Wright. “We have individuals who worked for a us a long time and who likewise have spouses and little ones. People like that aren't visiting stick around when we aren't flexible with the schedules. We ask our staff to travel out on a limb for individuals, and we ought to be willing to do the identical for them. inch

Proposal groups that will don't operate this way are known since “body shops, " and people regularly place multimillion dollar deals inside hands of output staff fueled only by the few cups of coffee and some hours of sleeping. Lots of places practice it. But that doesn't help it become any less hazardous.

Know when to speak about no

Quality can be a goal, but the deadline is a supreme goal. Proposals submitted to the us government minutes late get famously been rejected-leaving that submitter with tons of paper and a huge number of dollars with publishing costs off the drain. “Publishing a proposal is not really like publishing some sort of novel, " tells CSC's Ginny Furth. “It's not visiting be read more and more through generations. " Each time a deadline is in danger, she says, “I am not necessarily above pulling a folder using somebody's hands. inch

Goldman says, “Carolyn together with I are top-notch writers, but we are extremely practical most people. We know when to allow to go, and at the final of a job, we will not work with the trivial. inch

Last-minute changes for a proposal should become only if people address RFP concurrence issues or resolve errors which were egregious enough to threaten the offer. In other key phrases, should production be organized to insert some sort of missing serial comma? Virtually no. To fix some sort of typeface smaller as compared to that allowed by way of the RFP or a misspelling inside client's name? Without a doubt.

Leave ample time period for printing

Take into account that the final measure of publishing-printing, putting together, and boxing some sort of deliverable-always takes longer than you hope. SM&A's Neenan says considered one of her pet peeves is usually that “everyone feels that printing amazingly happens in a few minutes. Even individuals who been in that proposal business with regard to 15 years consistently underestimate plenty of time that's required. " To get a large proposal, Neenan recommends creating a full day in the schedule dedicated just to printing together with prepping a page for delivery. And by the full day, she means the standard business day-“not with 5: 00 k. m. one morning until 5: 00 some sort of. m. the following. "

Enjoy precisely what you've created

As soon as you finally have the proper staff on your team along with the right procedures available, working on a proposal may actually be a entertainment. “The proposal environment can be so collaborative, " tells Furth. “There's a really sense of teamwork together with, over time, you feel a close friends and family. "

“Sometimes, you do not even have to help talk through precisely what you're doing, " says Goldman in the proposal environment. “It's like being relating to the best of that military teams-everyone just knows where to start. "

Creating a proposal shop such as the one Goldman teaches takes time, but it's more than worth it. Your proposals might run more properly, fewer people might scream at people, and both you and unfortunately your staff will like a saner standard of living. Publishing a panic-free idea isn't easy, but it can also be done. Follow the most effective practices outlined these, and you'll possess a great chance of putting your following large proposal to help bed on time-without losing an excessive amount sleep yourself.