I’m having some weird graphics issues with my new computer, so until I get that figured out, I won’t have any pics to share with you guys. I’m sorry about that. A Sims blog is only as good as its pictures! And this one doesn’t have ANY. Heh. But I thought I’d let you know how Gnomesby is progressing anyway.
If you’re curious, read on…
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Terrain Blues
The main thing I’m working on right now is the neighborhood terrain. This is really tricky, because I want it to look a certain way and have certain elements involved. And I’m picky as heck. I’ve already scrapped two versions and am muddling around with a third. I plan on doing a full post featuring terrain tweaking once I get my graphics issues ironed out. *crosses fingers*
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The Great Brainstorm
Another thing I’m doing is brainstorming ideas for the town — its buildings, people, culture, and customs. I’ve done some research on town squares (I GOTTA have a town square! I’ve been in love with them since birth), main streets, and small towns in general, especially ones that I’ve visited.
Hitting the town web sites has yielded some great fuel for ideas. For example, one town I’ve driven through a dozen times — Westby, Wisconsin — is full of residents with Scandinavian roots (I often chuckle at the Uff-Da Mart as I drive past). One thing I discovered while browsing their web site is that they have a Syttende Mai festival every year to celebrate their Norwegian heritage. During the festival, they hide a small troll somewhere within the city limits. Clues are posted on each day of the festival until someone finds the troll and wins the $50 prize.
I thought this was a really cool idea and have decided that the residents of Gnomesby will have a contest to find a hidden gnome. Actually, that idea partially inspired the name of Gnomesby itself.
Which gives me something else to ponder. Is Gnomesby named after gnomes? Are there maybe some folk legends about gnomes living in the nearby woods? Or did the founder merely have Gnome as a surname? Perhaps it’s an old mystery that not even the inhabitants of Gnomesby have been able to solve…
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The List
I’ve started a list of other things I want to have in Gnomesby. None of these are set in stone, but it gives me stuff to work with.
Some ideas from my list:
- A year-round Christmas Shop/Village with sleigh rides in winter and “Christmas in July” party in the summer (possibly run by the Burrs)
- Knights & Kites – a toy shop with a medieval theme, where customers can watch the toys being built on-site (run by a family)
- Villa Park Orchards – an apple orchard run by an artists’ cooperative (the profits from the apples go towards paying for their house and studio — they will also sell art and other handmade items)
- Botanical Gardens & Floral Shop – a place to warm up during the cold Gnomesby winters and admire some tropical foliage, also a florists’ shop and greenhouse
- An old stone church/meeting house with a graveyard nearby — is now used as an Interfaith Chapel
- A campground in the woods on Lake Otter, with a beach lot for swimming and a pond for fishing
Anyway, that’s a sampling. Stuff pops into my noggin throughout the day, so I have a document I keep open at work for jotting it down. Gnomesby is beginning to take shape in my head, and it’s very exciting.
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Postcards from the Edge
And hey, have you guys seen Numenor & Mary Lou’s postcards set from MTS2? It’s awesome! I can’t wait to put these in my various businesses (they even have a Christmas set!).
More later!
Great start Jen! You’ve really put a lot of research and thought into Gnomesby! I can’t wait to see how you start building the town! I’ve always been in love with all your quaint and cozy building projects!
Wow. Ideas out the ying yang!
I’m sure it’s going to be BEAUTIFUL!
Ok, your project seems to be a huge thing ! I can’t wait to see your families and your town and everything !
I love the ideas you have! They are so unique!
Wow, that ‘find the troll’ sounds really fun! I wish I had something like going in my town…*considers moving to Westby* xD Ah, well, I bet the sims will have a great time doing that!
The Burrs might be running the Christmas shop? The Burrs! YAY! Bring on the…um…1930s? =P
Do you know what era you’re going to set Gnomesby in? The 1900s? Modern time? I can’t wait!
I hope your graphics problems get sorted out sometime soon! ^^
Great Start,, Cant wait
Hope you get your graphics sorted soon jen!!
xx
I love the Uff-Da Mart… that’s hilariously awesome. Having little holidays and events will definitely add to immersion. Even without pictures, this post was really informative. It’s fun to see the inner-workings of all this hood building!
Jen, you have some great ideas there! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Myself being Swedish I love the story about Westby.. hehe I have a Westby family in the hood of Windlebridge even..
“Syttende Mai” is indeed the biggest Norwegian holiday, their day of Independence (from Sweden, lol) as a matter of fact. They have festive marches and party all night long. Thing is my birthday is May 17, and Norwegians always say I have to come celebrate it with them..
I think your plans for Gnomesby sound great, and I share your love for Squares. They are a bit tricky to make in Sim Hoods, as the sims need some stuff to be happy, not found on every square, like a) toilets b) food c) entertainment. Sims dont just stroll, meet, chat, and stay happy.. You seldom see just grills on squares (IRL) for eating, more often stands with hot dogs or something like that. I like the new flapjack thingie from BV, that I use now on many community lots. I dont like that sims cant work in them (anonymous Local Chef blah) but sims in general like them and give good reviews and customer stars, if you have them on an owned business lot. I also dont like that the owner/employees cant use them for eating.. but besides that they are great and look great. I also wish we could customize the menu like with restaurants (then they would indeed serve hot dogs!).
So my squares do have public toilets – a must – a flapjack stand, and maybe a myshuno for entertainment. Some of them have market stands, thats very common here in Europe, but not on every square..
Sounds great! I can’t wait for the next update!
This all sounds so intricate Jen, congratulations! I really like Uff-Da Mart, it sounds so funny when I say it. But I love all the ideas that you are throwing around! A kite shop would be wicked awesome, and did I hear you mention the Burrs? :D I love the Burrs, I’m so glad they *might* come back in some way! the gnome hiding sounds so cool, I can’t wait to see what you decide! :D
Hey guys! Thanks so much for comments. I’m glad you’re liking my ideas so far. I’m really itching to start building stuff.
The ideas are really starting to flow in now — I’ve added a haunted motel, a frilly Victorian B&B, a gym/dojo, a health care center, and a retro diner to the list. I think all of those will be REALLY fun to build. Each project has its own flavor, which means I’ll have variety and hopefully not get bored. ;-)
Allie, the time period will be modern day, so the Burrs will be 10th gen or later. But I will be incorporating my love for older time periods into the town in other ways, like with the Victorian B&B, the retro diner, and the Knights & Kites toy shop. There’s just too much cool custom content out there — I gotta use it all! Heh.
Ingeli, thanks for that cool insight into Syttende Mai. How funny that it falls on your birthday. :-) I love your ideas for the town square, too. I’ve made a list of all the things I want in my town square, and it’s a very looong list…so it’s going to end up huge! Either that or I’ll split it up into two squares. But thanks for the tip about the flapjack stand — I haven’t played BV much yet, so I’ll have to check it out! Maybe we can request a nice modder to add some things to the menu? ;-p
Hi.
I like the sound of what you’re doing with your new hood. I hope the glithes go soon.
Keeo Simming!.
See ya.
I just started reading this and I had to stop and laugh when you mentioned “syttende mai” as I am Norwegian XP I know, I’m easily amused, but hey, do you know how rare it is to see the term “syttende mai” pop up on English sites? Anyhow though, it looks really interesting and I look forward to reading the rest of your entries and your entries to come :)
Anyhow, I’m sure some places in Norway have the “find the troll” thing, although I don’t -think- we have it in Oslo… Ah well, we’ve got other things to keep us occupied :) s