Just whining...

[strangetomato]

So I finally have a stretch of uninterrupted time to work on the story this evening, but the scenes I need to shoot are just too involved. I don't feel like doing it. I need to create sets and get the right clothing, etc., and it's just feeling like too much hassle. My brain feels like mush; I can't even figure out how to get the bunkbeds out of the Grand Trianon Collection (I could have sworn there used to be metal ones there, but I can't find them). This is a bad sign. Maybe I should work on some of the scenes that are more immediate. Where's my focus? It's gone. Brain = mush.

I wanted to use Gunmod's Radience Light System for one of the scenes, but I have to confess that the instructions for installing it just confused me and I think I'm chickening out. What if I can't take it back out? I guess I'll have to just leave the beautiful and dramatic sim photography to the people that are actually good at it and settle for being competent but unremarkable.

Verdict for today: massive fail all around. I might as well get out a raft and float down the street to pass the time instead (yeah, it's raining like crazy here). Whhheeeeee!

Comments

[abbycat900.livejournal.com]

That would be AWESOME. Floating down the street in a raft, that is. Unless you ran into a parked car, which really isn't fun...

Well, at least you're better than me! My brain seems to be mush most of the time. I never read instructions right, so I try to avoid downloading hacks like the one you mentioned. I don't get them at all ;_;

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm almost ready to try it. Hell, I could probably SWIM down the road at this point. I hope we don't get any flooding.

The light mod is scaring me because it involves multiple folders, unlike the camera mod, which was just one. That's so many more opportunities to break something.

I'm going to wait and come back to that scene when I can handle it, I think. For now, maybe I'll shoot a high society dinner party at Malcolm Landgraab's place. That sounds like something I could actually do right now.

[abbycat900.livejournal.com]

That sounds like so much fun... I wish it was raining that much here. Sadly, its not. Just a little. Probably not even enough for them to cancel my soccer practice, though I wish they would, now its just the disgusting after-rain type humid. But for now, I will just draw, and perhaps it will rain enough I can go swimming :P

Multiple folders? That would drive me insane. I'd be sure I was going to break something. I'm pretty good at breaking things.

Good luck! My game never wants to load Malcolm Landgraab's place. Crashed seven times before I could give the guy a makeover and quickly get off the lot. And then I realized I didn't even get a picture of him with his makeover! Back onto the lot, waited a LOOOOONG time because of supreme lag (that only his lot seems to have), got a couple pictures, and done. Finally.

[pearkiwi.livejournal.com]

Atavera is the one who has the metal bunk beds, I believe.

Today is indeed massive fail all around; right now I should be working on adding 8 months worth of data to my family's accounting books, but I just can't seem to step away from the internet. I blame the fact that it's Monday, and data entry is freakin' boring.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh, really... that would explian it, I guess. Thank you for that!

Yeah, it's Monday's fault. We will call it Failday.

I'm with you on the boredom of data entry. I can understand why you'd put that off. I'd procrastinate that like nobody's business.

[(Anonymous)]

I hope you'll keep the normal Light System because it's one of the reason I love your story. Everything is not shiny and too-realistic. You're one of the rare simmers who uses the real sims ! Please keep it simple and don't bother yourself with this Gunmod's thing. Your pictures are always so great, what the point improving what's already great ?

At least, that's my point of vue...

gab75

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks. That's nice of you to say. I think my shots are usually pretty solid from a compositional point of view, but I'd love to be able to do a little more to make them go beyond just straight shots of the game sometimes. I see a lot of lovely things that people do with all these mods and then tweaking or altering them in a photo editing program. You can just do so much more with it.

Mostly, I just have this one scene in mind, and it won't be the same if I just use the straight-up game to recreate it. It's a bit much to add the light mod for one scene, maybe, but it's more just the principle of getting that vision right. (But right now, I'm too lazy to bother, really, so I'll sit on it for a while.)

[(Anonymous)]

Well I don't know about everyone else but I never noticed the furniture. I doubt I'd notice if someones bed changed. If you can't find it you could always have somebody say they got a new bed. As far as lighting is concerned, you're pictures always seemed well lit and I don't fully understand what this thing would do. From the pictures it looks like it might make things darker. while that may be more realistic I'm not sure it's desirable. If you're going to give up on something, I think it would make more sense for it to be the mod and not the chapter or the scene. Thanks for all your hard work though.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I agree with you that people probably don't notice details like beds, but the bed sort of needs to fit with this scene. It's not a normal bedroom (in fact, it's not a bedroom at all). I did find the bunkbeds I was look for, thanks to pearkiwi, so that's not a problem anymore.

The thing with the lighting is that I really want this scene to be super dark, with just one spot of light in the centre of the room, as if it were streaming down into the room from a light shaft in the ceiling. The mod seems like it might give an effect similar to that.

I'm not going to give up on the scene, since I'm pretty keen on it, and it introduces a character that I quite like. I'll probably test out the scene without the mod first, and see if it's totally necessary. Adding and removing a mod for one scene does seem like a bit much.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

You only have one scene that you want the lighting mod for? I wonder if it's something that could be more or less replicated with the photo filters in Photoshop (the ones that are under Image>Adjustments).

I can so relate to the brain=mush and too much hassle. Just don't wind up like me... :p

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Music_simbol suggested something similar to me, using Photoshop, so I might try that. I'm going to see what I can get without adding the mod, and then decide. It is a lot of work for one scene, but you know how it is when you have a certain vision. I just see the scene in my head, and it needs to be dramatic like that.

Heh... I'm actually in a very similar place right now. I'm far from disinterested in the story, but I'm not as motivated as I once was. Hopefully, I'll get my groove back.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

*pats shoulder* Ahhh, don't you love when that happens? The whole "I have to do this scene for the story but I just don't WANT to".

That was my song for a good MONTH then all the sudden, I just wanted to do it. Like I couldn't WAIT to do it. And, despite my thoughts that it would be a huge pain in the butt, it was a fun shoot.

While I waited for the muse, I just effed around with other stuff in Peculiar. I'll use all of it eventually.

(hey, here's an idea, do the storytellers challenge *snicker* at least SOMEONE will)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh, right! The STT challenge. *snicker* We still have those?

That might be just what the doctor ordered.

I have a really bad case of simblock right now. I can't even just mess around and play with it because I get bored too quickly.

The writing oart is coming along nicely, but the photos are a dead loss. It's funny, because I usually work the other way, and take the pictures first.

So you're moving along nicely with Peculiar now? Any predictions for when we'll see an update?

[hannahspring.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, I had the same problem yesterday! I was working on my story but the stupid pictures were getting blurry again (*garr*)and I was just too discouraged by that. I was so into the story but this is getting me mad.

I guess we need to be in mood to create. So, I took a day off, maybe you should do that, too. :) Things will probably get easier tomorrow... or soon, lol.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sometimes it's just like that. I've been pretty unfocused lately. It's a little disappointing, since I thought I'd be eager to get back into it after my break, but it didn't really work out that way.

We really do need to be in the right mood to create (though I've also heard the opposite argument - that we should just get in there and do it, even if it's not working).

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

You have noooo idea how much I'm in the same boat as you. (Or maybe raft, I should say :P) I haven't touched my Assassin story since June. It's been over two months. I still think about the story, but I honestly have no motivation to doing it anymore. At least at the moment.

I'm pretty sure the reason I haven't gotten Gunmod's Light is because it looks complicated, just like you said. Competent and unremarakble? You? Are you kidding?!?!?! Stop putting yourself down. Anyone can make a pretty picture. It's the story and writing behind the picture that makes it worth something. :)

Taking a break could be a good idea. You ever just play the game just to play the game? I swear I only play sims I plan on posting about. It's nice to just play for the fun of it every once in awhile. :D

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's weird, isn't it? I'm still thinking about the story a lot, and writing it too, but getting into the game to set up scenes really drains me.

It's the same way when I try to just play the game lately. I've played it all before, you know? I've started challenges too, like the Poverty challenge, and it's sort of fun, but not what it could be. But maybe I'll get back into it. I should try Veronaville again. That seemed to be getting me interested in just playing.

It seems that there's a way to install and unistall the light mod with the Scriptorium, so that might make the process easier.

The competent and unremarkable thing was just referring to the images, and specifically just in relation to all the really beautiful, artistic things I've seen people do with sim photos. I don't think my photos are bad - I'd be lying if I said that. I'm just being a bit over-dramatic. Compositionally, I think they're usually pretty good. I'd just like to make some really great. You know what I mean?

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

I infected everyone with my apathy T_T

[vega-pleiades.livejournal.com]

To be honest, there's only one thing I liked about the Radiance Light System, and that was how it looked at dawn/dusk. *So* beautiful, and I would love it if it were possible to just have those changes without anything else. Radiance Light System makes it nearly impossible to play the game without a great deal of lighting, which is a HUGE hassle. Night is almost completely pitch black. It may be more "realistic" but it also makes building a huge hassle.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I've seen pictures of that. It does look very beautiful. I can just see that sort of atmosphere making sim photos look really great.

The pitch black thing is what appeals to me. I want a very dark room, so when the character steps into the light, it's a significant moment. It wouldn't be something I'd like to have all the time.

Did you find it difficult to remove the mod after you decided you no longer wanted it in your game? Did you use the scrptorium?

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

I would love it if it were possible to just have those changes without anything else

Well there is a new mod that does something similar. I have it in my game, and at 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, the lighting changes for an hour. It's at MTS2.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

Send some of your rain our way, would you? Drought = bad for crops. D:

I've had days like what you're having a lot. Well, nights. :D I'll make coffee... everyone will be in bed... I'll have the entire night of uninterrupted bliss stretched out before me, and I end up getting sleepy and can't focus. It's a bummer!

Those lighting hacks, like what Jaydee used in her new video, are three shades of awesome... but I know, just know I'd hate them in my own game. Just like the uber-realistic skins and eyes other people have. They look really good in other players' pictures and movies, but if I put them in my game I hate them. I'm sure any lighting mod would be the same way. *shrugs*

This was my day to fail at housework. It's TOM (time of month) for me and it's been awful ever since my tubal ligation (sorry if TMI) so usually the first couple of days I don't do much around the house but the bare necessities. Ugh.

Here's to all of us getting our focus back soon!

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

It's also raining like crazy over here. I just had to take a shower because I got soaked on the way back from a work meeting. And I'm also literally twitching because I had to drink four cups of strong coffee to stay away at said meeting. I have a lot of paperwork to do for both my job and graduate school process (all due this Friday) and just can't focus, so I'm not sleeping well. And I had a very tiring day at school, because the kid was cranky and it was nearly impossible to make him pay attention at class and...

Goodness, this is Failday indeed! *Twitches*

I've had the same issues as you with my story. I quickly get bored and distracted when I have to pose my sims for a "complicated" scene (I'm more a "take pics as I play" kind of "simmer"), and there have been entries that required constant posing from me. So annoying, but that's what I get for being such a freaking perfectionist.

But then there are days like yesterday when I'm eager to try a "complicated" idea as soon as I get it, no matter what. And somehow I get them done very quickly too! Too bad that's not as often as I wished.

I once installed that light mod, waaaay back before I even thought about making a story with my sims. I had just discovered MTS and was like a kid at a candy store trying out all the "OMG SHINY!" stuff in there. Maybe that's an useful mod for stories, but I hated it as a gamer. When I realized I was placing 6 windows and 10 lamps per room just to make the game bearable, I took it out forever.

I second the use of photoshop (I fail at filters, but I found a tutorial to get effects like this one, maybe it's similar to what you need?) or maybe ummm... you could place a couple invisible tiles in the roof to let the light down. I have no idea if that'd work, though.

Anyway, I hope you get back your inspiration! As I always say, you need to have fun and enjoy this above everything.

And I should shut up now because caffeine has made me verbose again :)

[a-gates.livejournal.com]

Perhaps rainy days makes for lazy days? We had rain here as well, which is quite shocking. It was one of those late summer thunderstorms which I absolutely love andjust makes me want to sit quietly and watch the afternoon pass me by. I also haven't been writing lately which just makes me feel shameful. LOl.

[meetme2theriver.livejournal.com]

Mondays suck. That said, I think your pictures are wonderful and not unremarkable at all. You don't NEED any light mods. You did awesomely even without the camera mod.