Leaving TSR

Yes, it's true...well, partially...

I've been spending a lot of time over at Insimenator, and realize that it's not right to go there to chat/share pictures/download content, and then bounce back here to upload sets.

I won't forget that I got my start creating on TSR, but it's not the TSR that I remember, and I cannot honestly say that I appreciate contributing to a site that doesn't even give free days to creators anymore. If they feel this is best, then there's nothing I can do about it, but I've decided it's the end of the road here for me.

For anyone interested, I do have a sims 2 site of my own, Simphany.com. Clicking on the logo below will take you straight there:



Thanks to all who downloaded my creations here, thanks for all the comments (I haven't answered them all, but I will) and thanks to those who will stop by the site to download, or to say hello.

I'll still be here and there, downloading from my favorite creators, and commenting on/posting pictures, but that's about it.

Thanks again all, and goodbye.

Simphany Updates - Thursday 11-22-07

Happy Thanksgiving all!

I know I've said this before, but this time I'm certain...

Simphany.com will be fully operational before tomorrow morning. I had a few private issues to take care of last night and this morning, but I'm settled in front of the 'puter now, and I'm ready to get the site back into gear.

For those of you checking back here for updates, I'll post what sections of the site are ready for normal downloads.

Functional Downloads

Toddler Male Clothing
Toddler Female Clothing
Female Children's Clothing
Male Children's Clothing
Teen Female Clothing
Teen Male Clothing
YA/Adult Female Clothing
YA/Adult Male Clothing
Elderly Female Clothing
Elderly Male Clothing (nothing there yet)

All clothing meshes
All wall recolors
All floor recolors
All terrain recolors
All hair meshes
All eyebrow recolors
All eye recolors
All hair recolors!

There, I'm done--if there's anything I've forgotten (if you guys find something that's not downloading, or still spitting html at you, let me know!)

Thanks again for your patience, and enjoy your holiday weekend!

Zipping Files Over at Simphany.com -- Grrrrrr

OK, from what I now understand, as a "safety precaution" by this new freakin' server platform, pkg files (which are the sims 2 files, and which I have alllllll over my site) are no longer recognized, so (if you've been trying to download anything that was a pkg file on my site) you'll see that it's all a bunch of MIME and encryption mumbo-jumbo...

Been calling in for tech support throughout the day, and this is the best they could tell me (which was what I suspected), I have to zip these files in order for them to show up for download. I have to go through the entire freakin' site, and zip up these thousands of files...this is crazy.

Anyways, I've already started on the meshes, so in about an hour all the meshes will be downloadable again (I figure this is more important now than the individual clothing downloads, because other sites are linked up to these meshes that are vomitting scripts at them now) so give me a while, and it will all be sorted out.

This is the best way, I guess--it was bound to happen sooner or later that pkg wouldn't be recognized. Could be worse.

Sorry for the inconvenience to Simphany visitors, but it shouldn't take me too long, and now you can actually use Winzip (or whatever zipping program you use) to download, or extract multiple files...might be easier for you guys.

See you again soon.

Simphany.com Undergoing Changeover To A New Server

I'm re-uploading the site, trying to set up the new account, so bear with me while the site is down--hopefully, it should be up-and-running anywhere between tonight and tomorrow morning.

All My Answers In One Place

I must really love this game if I'm using one of my 15-min-breaks to write this, lmao.

When the first few emails came to me, I shrugged them off and gave a quick reply...

When even MORE emails (most repeating the same questions as the first few) came my way, I tried to be more elaborate.

Now, I'm getting a steady trickle that's lead me to believe that I need to basically answer these questions in as public a way as I feel comfortable (not a forum person, especially if it's pro or anti-paysite/freesite--I do not have the patience for bullying, mocking, insensitive words...it's a game everyone...I'm sure that EA Games is none too happy about what their "community" is doing to each other. Claiming that paysites are dividing the community and then proceeding to divide it even more with bullying?...I dunno...

I'm basically now under the impression that unless a sims site allows access to every nook and cranny, and asks bullies for permission on what they can and cannot do that you're subject to being picked on, which nullifies their crusade, and breaks a good cause/fight down to "if we don't like you, screw if you're not in our line of fire, we're attacking anyway." It's hard to respect that.

Ok, let me get this started, before I get back to this damned tradeshow presentation (TGIF).

#1: I'm a freesite now. Don't misunderstand it, don't twist it around, don't analyze it, don't overanalyze it, don't question it...it's clear, it's simple, it's concise...I'm a freesite now. Thank you very much for the donation button idea, but I do not need to go there. The site is now paid for, and that's all I wanted.

#2: I have absolutely no desire to take part in this "war" that's going on--this is not my battle. To put it quite clearly, battles--IMO, are defensive stances that you choose to spend your time partaking in--I'm preparing to return to classes, preparing for my company's tradeshow, preparing to take that crazy relaxing vacation that I need more than I can put into words, not to mention trying to fit time in for friends and family--some people have more time than I do, some people have just as little as I do, but feel this is their battle, and some people are loads more stressed for time than I am, but still choose to partake in this battle. I respect that, but I don't have the time/desire to join them.

#3: Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease stop sending me links to pirate sites, lol. Yes, I know some of you are kindly trying to make me aware of what they're saying about me/my site, but it's come down to this: They have stated in as many ways as possible that their mission, goal and aim is to free paysite downloads. They have firmly stood their ground on the issue of that being their mission, even though some from the group have decided to bully anyone they feel like bullying on any particular day--and no one is reprimanding their actions.

I had never heard of this paysite/freesite battle when I first opened my site, and rather than a representative from this group approaching me respectfully and speaking to me in polite tones, I got threatened. I have been playing the game from the first day it came out, and have been creating for it even BEFORE it was officially released--I am a member of many sims sites out there, find the joy of filesharing when people send me pics of recolors of my meshes, or of a creation of mine that they downloaded and put onto their sims, and I've taken the time to stroll around the community to make sure that I'm not recreating something someone else has, and that an idea I've come up with has not been done already (it doesn't interest me to spend days working on a mesh that's already out there). I've been respectful, and original, not to mention 100% involved in the game and uploads/downloads, so for any group of people to feel that I--above all others who do not contribute to the game, don't own the game, etc, deserve to be picked on, they're basically advertising themselves in their own ill limelight.

I thought it was interesting that this group claims that my creations are not to their liking, but sought to free them when the site was half pay. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't find it even MORE interesting that they're STILL picking on me, now that I'm a freesite. It's hard to state that their mission has nothing to do with bullying when that's what this is all pointing to. I have been quiet on the issue, I have shrugged the majority of it off, and have even made the site free, and they still feel the need to attack me...


#4: No, my site is not closing. It would have been closed already, if that were the case.

#5: I'm not quite understanding why there's a rumbling about no more free downloads being made on Simphany, because I've been adding a little to the site every few days, and it's all been to the free section. I've even added 2 new meshes (free), one for elder females, and one for young adult/adult females, but I guess people will see what they want to see, and believe what they want to believe, which leads me to #6...

#6: Ok, I'm sorry but this one made me laugh. It actually put a much-needed smile on my face this busy morning, when I found the link to the thread sitting in my site's mailbox: Conspiracy theories of secret sims organizations. LMMFAO! Omg, are you guys serious? You took a group of simmers that use the program as their classwork (and use screenshots to enter little contests here and there, make Youtube videos, etc), a small community of students, and made them into an area 54 parody.

Perfect example: When I first heard about this pirating site, I honestly thought it was a joke. I couldn't imagine people who paid so much for the game and all of its expansion packs wasting their time henpecking about paysites vs. freesites, but it opened my eyes to the fact that there does--indeed--exist different simming communities. To believe that sims2.com, or MTS2.com, or TSR, or any other well-known site is the alpha and omega of the sims--and that none other exist outside of it is pretty conceited.

Did anyone know that in some junior high/high schools, they have replaced the caretaking of eggs, or flour bags with the caretaking of sim infants, toddlers and kids? I thought that was so great (what a better way to show a kid how freakin' hard it is to handle a family than to control when they can allow their sims to age, disallow cheats, and give them surprise checkups during the term to see how their families are doing?), and wished it had been around when I was a kid in these classes.

I made a small annoucement of a group of students forming a simple private group that used the content they have a few people submitting here and there as their own (from what I understand, before this policy was put into place, a student had used several clothing recolors from a public sims site, uploaded their video to youtube, and got their azz chewed out for not giving credit for the content, and not asking permission to feature it, etc. The video was removed, and to ensure that there would be no repeat cases of people getting very sensitive and edgy about how/when/where their creations were to be used (which is the creator's choice, I believe, so in a way I can understand the creator's frustration) they just made their own little archive of downloads that the other students in the group can choose from.

There's no money being exchanged there, they're not recruiting an army, they're not in ranks with TSR from what I know, and their reason for not wanting a public link posted or a site name given pretty much goes without saying--if my teeny site is being picked on, and criticized...even though it is now free, can you imagine the hatemail, and bullcrap these site owners would have to go through everyday? Angry people claiming they have no right to have their own community (bull), threatening them just because there are no open memberships, etc. The only reason they would need to obtain permission from EA Games would be if they were planning on publically advertising the Sims 2 in a way that infringed on the copyright/EULA, which "having a private group that shares files amongst themselves" does not.

Am I their best creator? Oh please, lol. I make simple stuff, they have creators that kick my azz without even trying, but I do cater to children and toddlers, which none of the other creators in the group really do--in terms of clothing, they cater more to teens and YA/Adults. I just bring something new to the table, no biggie, and I'm really happy they even asked, let alone accepted me and my creations.

That's it! lol.

It's a simple little section of a simming community that chooses to keep their downloads amongst themselves, which I'm finding hard to believe has been turned into an alien conspiracy theory.


There are plenty of other private groups within the simming community (I can remember asking loads of people where they got the object/clothing/animations they previewed in a pic or video, and either being told that it was only available to select group/site members, or just getting no reply at all).

Personally, I think this battle grows funnier by the day, and am quite content to distance myself from it, and laugh at the snatches of info that float around the community.

I paid enough for these games and all their add-ons, excuse me if I choose to play it and have fun with it, rather than joining in on battles whose rules change to suit individual particpant's sides.

If you're against paysites, and are picking on freesites, then that's where the conspiracy lies, no? How do you justify that? It's bullying. I've made the site free, and you're still attacking? Hm...

Ok, I gotta go--my boss just asked me why I was typing and chuckling (this is too funny to me, I can't help it! The thought of these bullies being older than me is so unbelievable--come on, I have to laugh...)

I'll end off by saying:

#7: I'm only under one name on TSR, have no desire to create another, and only go by Simphany on the newer sites I'll join because of my site. I still submit to TSR here and there, and anyone who wasn't looking for secret theories would plainly see that. I'm being mocked for stating that TSR is no longer my main submission site? So, basically, I shouldnt be proud to announce that I've secured my own little corner to upload files for those who choose to use them? So now, not only do I have to ask permission on WHAT to put onto my site, I have to ask permission to section off parts of my site, and FINALLY ask permission to be proud that I'm spending my time making rather than fighting? Riiiiight. If you claim to be fighting a cause, make sure there are no catch 22's, because all it takes is one wrong step to take a worthy fight and turn it into a massacre.

and...

#8: Simphany in ranks with TSR? I'm not sure what that means...
Supposedly, these very same people claim that TSR is trying to make themselves a planet onto the sims, and is pulling artists from their own sites to join theirs...but now, the story conveniently changes to suit the new tale, of TSR funding my site. If you make up a theory, stick to it. TSR has never offered me money of any kind, and I am not leaving my site to run to anyone else's. I might not have billions of creations on Simphany, but I do love my uploads (as do the visitors who send me emails), and have fun making things, and learning new creative trades of the game.

And being that there's always been a few pictures of cats somewhere in the links to the threads I'm sent, I think the group will appreciate this one =)


glitter-graphics.com

Have a great weekend.

P.S. Any questions I'm emailed that have been answered here will get this blog link in response--it's just easier.

SIMPHANY.COM MEMBER DOWNLOADS NOW FREE!

Copying and pasting the explanation from the site itself below. Enjoy the member downloads, and keep in mind that if you recolor and link to them before the weekend of 7/21/07, their location will be moved to the Free Downloads section, and will not be the same.
____________________________________________________________________

Simphany.com is proud to announce that it will no longer be accepting Membership fees from the general public. As of 7/21/07, Simphany's current Member Section Downloads will be moved to the free section, and made available for free use to the public (do be sure to link back to the site though, and send pictures of your recolors! I love seeing them!)

The reason behind all of this starts, I guess, with the telling of a University based Sims 2 group that has offered to cover the domain costs the site requires, in return for exclusivity of member content. To put it quite simply, they want to make sure that no one else will have access to the files on my site, and a few other current and previous site owners that they've made the same agreement with--who now just submit creations directly to their site.

I declined the offer a year ago, when I was first asked to join (for one, I didn't know how to mesh yet, so I didn't think I'd be of much use to them...they assured me that recolors of meshes already hosted on their site would suffice, but I wanted my downloads to be available to the general public), but made a deal upon reconstruction of the site that once my site was "Self-proclaimed-Robin-Hooded" I guess you could say, lol, I'd make any and all Member Downloads that were current at the time available to the public, and from then on devote new meshes to the University site and forums.

I do not have permission to host their sitename here (or on my own site), but I hope to be able to give it out in the near future (it's an awesome idea they came up with). Please do not ask me for access to their downloads, I have already signed an agreement to make them exclusive to their use in exchange for hosting costs to the site.

Funny thing is that I was at my halfway mark with site costs, and planned on opening the Members Section to the public anyway once I had reached my goal of hosting costs for a year. Fate has a way of working out though, and I'm really happy and honored to have been asked to contribute to the University's Member Downloads section.

Although I cannot give out any information on their site name, the names of site owners--or even the Universities they are running their site from, I am able to give a little information about their goal, and what they do on my site (click the "Important Site Updates" button for further explanation).

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the members who helped to keep the site open. Enjoy the free Downloads everyone! And yes, I will keep the free section updated-- I promise! No more emails about that, please.

Where To Get The Sleeveless Princess Dress

There was a mesh on this site that I loved, and I believe it was made by Neptunesuzy--it was a sleevless, long-skirted dress for little girls. I made many recolors of that mesh, and always got a great reaction to it...and then it just up and disappeared one day. I've done numerous searches for it (mostly because I had my recolors of that mesh linking up to a non-existant url, and people were not too pleased about that).

Not too long afterwards, I decided to create my own sleeveless dress mesh...but the method I wanted to use (cutting the OFB dress off in the middle, and attaching it to the little girl's sleeveless top that comes with the base game) was harder than I thought it would be...mainly because there was a transparent gap in the middle, and no matter what I did--aligning normals, extended manual edits, etc., that gap still existed. Well, I finally figured out how to cure the problem last night, and have uploaded the sleeveless dress mesh onto my site. Not to worry, the mesh (and recolors) are free, and I have no problem with others recoloring, as long as they link back to it at Simphany.com

Here is the direct link to it: Simphany's Sleeveless Dress Mesh For Little Girls

I will be remaking the dress for toddler girls as well (both with and without puffy sleeves) so stay tuned =)

And to all you brand-new graduates out there...

Simphany Up-and-Running Again

To all who tried accessing the site for the past week, and sent me messages about when it would be back up again, I've reopened it as of yesterday afternoon.

Very sorry about the inconvenience, and for those subscribers who joined beforehand, I have sent you notices to inform that you have been given a free month of membership for the inconvenience.

I've changed the layout a bit, and also changed the member section (you can now preview each individual download).

The site is still being worked on, but for the most part, it's up-and-running rather nicely (double-checking on everything today, just to be sure that everything runs smoothly).

There are also free meshes being offered (two that I haven't featured here on TSR).

Any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to drop me a line.


Buried at PhotoCasket.com

Layout Changes On New Site

My neice, Destin�e loves the sims 2. She's going on 10, and I am proud to say (and almost NOT proud--she's addicted) that I introduced her to the game.

She loves it! She'll hold up a shirt or skirt she owns, and ask me to remake it, she's so cute.

When I told her that I was thinking of opening up a sims site, she was so excited. She wanted to be a part of it, so I told her that she could pick the site design (with me overwatching, of course, lol).

She wanted something that she could get creative with--something that she could change each month. I thought it was cute at first (she wanted to change the borders to yellow or orange for the summer months--they're purple now for Easter. She wanted to then change them to red/white/blue for late June, July) but I pointed out to her that the site was growing, and pretty soon, there will be too many pages for her to change colors on (and prompt me to change the cursors, scrollbars, etc).

I got about 2 hours of the silent treatment, and an angry glance every 5 minutes from the adorable face (that reminds me so much of my mother it's scary!) of my neice (did I mention the folded arms?) but after drawing her over, and promising that she'd get to snap shots of the clothing in-game, and pick the featured pictures for each section page, we made peace, and I came to a firm decision.

I'm changing the layout of my Simphany. It's not going to be a dramatic change, but the color will be stationary (something I don't have to change each month) and being that I'll be working on the layout alone, I don't have to worry about broken links, etc., because I'll be going through the new site with a fine toothed comb.

Hopefully, the new layout will be up and running this weekend. I'm just checking on the links for the main pages. For those who have visited, and left encouraging words, I thank you. There will be new content added to the site before the end of the week.

Have a wonderful second week of April, and thanks for stopping by!

SIMPHANY.COM!

My new sims site is called Simphany.com. Click Simphany to visit!

Sorry that it took me so long to get it up and running, but I wanted to be sure that I had enough material on the site before making a public announcement.

Just in case the clickable links don't work for you, the full address is www.simphany.com.

Keep in mind that content is still being added to the site everyday, so if you don't see something in the category that you'd like TODAY, you can always check back tomorrow or some other time soon, and you're sure to see an abundance of downloads available in your category.

Happy Easter All!