Idea on pre-installed user created CC in PD

aidancheddar

aidancheddar

Active Member
Obviously custom content is coming to PD no matter what. One of the methods purposed and most likely going to be implanted is how EA-Land had it. Move said item to this folder, and craft into the game.

But what about items pre-installed in PD? At first, I thought spam build and buy but that was quickly ruled out, but, well, it's spam. So, no. Then I realized, why not build upon what New and Improved did? New and Improved, the only expansion to Sims Online, had going when it introduced crafting - not EA-Land. The idea would be to make all user created CC on the server uncommon items, but not rare, that needed to be crafted in order to have. Not only would this raise the value of the creator's original work but it would keep buy mode from getting cluttered.

Just throwing that out there.
 
Concerning custom content (especially ones with custom code, since they affect game balance) we should probably place restrictions upon what content we place in the base game, to avoid app store style clutter.

Objects should be Maxis quality (at least as good as the base game objects) in both visuals and functionality, and should be in the style of the original game. They should also not melt the game servers, so the code for all custom functional objects will need to be examined.

We should have a simple to use creative suite for editing objects ingame (potentially allow them to host "local servers" for multiplayer object testing) so that objects can easily be created and tested in the TSO environment. This should mimimize problems that could occur from just taking TS1 objects and leaving fixing them up for TSO to us, not to mention the existing ts1 tools aren't the best.
 
RHY3756547 said:
Objects should be Maxis quality (at least as good as the base game objects) in both visuals and functionality, and should be in the style of the original game. They should also not melt the game servers, so the code for all custom functional objects will need to be examined.
Click to expand...
The best way to do that would be have custom content sandboxed.
RHY3756547 said:
We should have a simple to use creative suite for editing objects ingame (potentially allow them to host "local servers" for multiplayer object testing) so that objects can easily be created and tested in the TSO environment. This should mimimize problems that could occur from just taking TS1 objects and leaving fixing them up for TSO to us, not to mention the existing ts1 tools aren't the best.
Click to expand...
Shouldn't be too hard to create to local session without even having to bootstrap the server. Just provide an option in the login to original neighbourhood using the TSO UI with the Betaville version of CAS and SAS. TS1's CAS was a pain to work with, anyway. For legacy objects, we can just make a simple conversation tool.

The TS1 neighbourhood can easily be provided as part of the installation now that we have pre-alpha.
 
Last edited:
Sandboxing custom content won't stop people making objects give them a million simoleons! We still need to examine all code in custom objects to make sure it doesn't do anything ridiculous, like delete everything and stuff.
 
RHY3756547 said:
Sandboxing custom content won't stop people making objects give them a million simoleons! We still need to examine all code in custom objects to make sure it doesn't do anything ridiculous, like delete everything and stuff.
Click to expand...
Woah, calm down. Just throwing out suggestions.
 
Afr0 said:
Technically, we wrote the VM, we could build in security features so it won't execute malicious code.
Click to expand...
Only problem with that is, where do we stop disabling features? Nearly all of the useful features of SimAntics are potentially dangerous, even with "safe" primitives you could queue an infinite number of interactions on all of the sims on the lot, flood the place entirely, stick the sim in an un-interrupt-able animation loop until they die etc.

Custom code will definitely need to be examined if we don't want to completely gimp the capabilities, but hopefully there won't be many submissions since SimAntics is so needlessly complicated and most of the players are Non-Programmers. (not that I don't want to make it easier! Powerful imaginative custom objects would greatly benefit gameplay)
 
Keep in mind, people in Betaville use to purposely set fire to themselves, I'm pretty sure they'll be fine flooding the lot. The best way to keep certain types of objects out would be to have a function sniffer; basically like an anti-virus that sniffs out so-and-so objects you don't want in the game. We can't secure down too much or it'll ruin the point of it being sandbox. My only biggest concern would be any objects that try to increase payout.
 
Last edited:
Even without code, unmoderated custom content could allow people to fill their houses with dicks, swastikas and whatever else they can think of... It'd be like second life 2.0! And like I said, even the most basic animate sim primitive or idling for a long time can freeze people in place, but might have a normal use (infinite animation loop for interactions that run until you cancel them (except you need to code the cancel case in!!), etc.) so we can't disable it without removing a lot of the power of SimAntics...
 
Thing about TSO versus SL is SL's language has a syntax, TSO's is bytecode; TSO also has no built-in object creator, SL does. Lastly we don't have to enable object uploads.
 
That's completely unrelated to what I said, but OK. We will have a built in object creator and enabling object uploads was the whole point of this thread, but I'm just saying it won't go well without a moderation system in place.
 
i agree with Rhys RE melting game servers. SimAntics as Maxis created it runs on both the client and server. It would be easy to make objects that bring the server to a grinding hault. Not necciserily malicious, they could just be badly written and not formally tested.

Re sandboxing you can protect some stuff but there's still a massive domain of attacks and mistakes that can occor outside of that :(
 
Personally I never liked custom content (player made, that is). In my opinion it makes the game unbalanced as a few people will be able to dominate. I do of course respect the artistic value of the stuff, but it simply disturbs the game's natural order, or so to speak.
 
miceiken said:
Personally I never liked custom content (player made, that is). In my opinion it makes the game unbalanced as a few people will be able to dominate. I do of course respect the artistic value of the stuff, but it simply disturbs the game's natural order, or so to speak.
Click to expand...
It will also mean people could, of course, replicate rare objects and scam people.
 
1. It's their fault they don't check description. Hell, it's even listed before you buy, I think.
2. I'm not sure what that work around would be, though. While I'm not familiar with the mechanics of the crafting table, I know that the amount effort, resources and money that goes into crafting any object far outweighs the effect that goes into a normal internet scam.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top