Thanks to Maxis, The Sims showed players they can spend their lives lounging on the computer, playing as people... doing things they should've been doing. Regardless, this massively-popular simulator helped players spend days designing the perfect Sims, building the best houses, and creating the best stories. Unfortunately, all this fun won't give players Psychology degrees, Interior Design experience, and Creative Writing credits. However, thanks to Sims Spark'd, players might use their ideas to win the $100,000.
In The Sims Spark'd, television contestants will need to follow a particular theme and build their creations within a time limit. However, The Sims fans at home can also join the competition to win. Players will be tasked to embark on various challenges that will test their creative abilities as builders and storytellers. Moreover, participants will have to submit work related to the theme across different categories - Stylist, Builder, and Storyteller. If players plan on submitting work on any of these categories, just how can they win?
10 Stylist: Look At Popular Design Trends
When Stylists decide on working on a concept, they don't necessarily have to start from scratch. Sometimes, they need the inspiration to get their creative juices flowing, and it's not a bad idea to look into popular design trends. In a way, a lot of these designs can serve as great inspiration for how certain items of clothing go and fit together.
Moreover, players should try to dissect the thought processes that go into these popular designs so they can start applying these principles to their Sims. That way, their styles become not just amazing but also authentic.
9 Stylist: Don't Over-Accessorize
Stylists might get extremely excited about the idea of being able to customize their Sims and show them to the world. Things also got interesting with the prohibition of custom mods, meaning Stylists need to get creative only with official releases from the game. As such, players might opt to oversaturate their creations with too many accessories. Unfortunately, that might also get too distracting.
In the context of games, players should be mindful of which skills serve the best uses for their characters. After all, players wouldn't want to fill their characters with random items that they won't use, right?
8 Stylist: Personality Should Shine
Creating clothing sets for Spark'd remember that clothes need to accentuate the personality of the wearer. As such, they should take the theme into account to make sure their clothing choices reflect the emotions of their characters perfectly. Clothing choice should determine many things about a character's life quickly.
This principle also explains some design choices made for characters. For instance, Final Fantasy villains often go through drafts to determine which outfit choices evoke certain personality quirks the best. Likewise, fashion is a huge factor that sets iconic villains such as Sephiroth and Kefka apart.
7 Builder: Deconstruct Popular Houses
One of the best ways Builders can get design inspirations for their homes is to look at famous homes they love. A ton of home design and architectural magazines often share their blueprints online. As such, players have easy access to designs they can deconstruct, analyze, and try to fit into their concept.
Interestingly, speedrunners might be doing this to some games already. After all, players need to have extensive knowledge of a level's internal workings to find the best way to traverse the said level. This may also explain the approach of Resident Evil speedrunners, as Resident Evil games also tend to follow a logical level design. Sans the underground mazes and labs, of course.
6 Builder: Note Basic Design Principles
It helps to start with the basics. Builders who want to make amazing houses for Spark'd should remember that interior designs often follow certain principles. For instance, lighter colors make rooms look bigger while darker colors make rooms smaller. This principle works in tandem with lighting, as windows and mirrors can help make rooms seem larger. These small details can greatly accentuate rooms and add realism to a Builder's creation.
Some things tend to go together. This principle also applies to most environmental setups. For instance, in Call of Duty: Warzone, players often prevail in the Battle Royale if they understand the way most houses are built. This logic explains how some players just instinctively know how to navigate buildings and structures in the map.
5 Builder: Experiment With Textures
For Builders working on a theme, textures may be able to put emphasis on certain rooms or objects within a target space. Thankfully, adding textures to homes can be very easy. Builders can start by adding rugs to large spaces at home or even adding greens such as grass. They can also play with patterns, choosing a consistent form to appear in some objects in the room (e.g., stripes on a pillow, and another accessory in the same visual space).
This principle works similarly with customization options in RPGs. For instance, Final Fantasy 14 may have appealed to a lot of players thanks to its rather in-depth character customization system. Little details others might not notice can still add a lot of "life" to a home. As such, Builders should consider experimenting with available textures, especially when emphasizing certain locations of the home.
4 Builder: Make It Practical, Livable
Players should try imagining their Sims houses as though they're going to use it in real life, or in another video game. When applied to this context, the maxim "it has to make sense" applies. For instance, in Hitman, Agent 47 can utilize the very furniture and elements in the mission area to eliminate his opponents.
Likewise, Builders should pay attention to how they construct their houses, especially in terms of practicality. Players who make the best-looking houses that aren't livable might not win the competition. As much as possible, houses should still be livable despite their grandeur.
3 Storyteller: Look Into Short Stories
Given the limited timeframe of Spark'd challenges, creators can't exactly submit full-length films. However, this doesn't mean they can't tell evocative stories in just a few minutes. In fact, a few minutes might all be what Storytellers need to create entertaining and inspiring stories with their Sims.
If participants are stuck, they can look into sidequests from popular games like Divinity Original Sin 2. In these games, side stories tend to be extremely short but also extremely thought-provoking. Storytellers looking for inspiration might also want to check out YouTube for short videos, as a lot of content creators make sketches and short stories to explore ideas.
2 Storyteller: Use References, Tug Heartstrings
Storytellers work with a limited timetable in The Sims Spark'd, so they need to make every second count. As such, their stories need to make an impact very early on. Interestingly, Storytellers can do this by incorporating references and emotional appeal into their dialogue.
In the case of games, it's these references - or Easter Eggs - that make them incredibly entertaining. These Easter Eggs give players a sense of "belonging" throughout their experience. For instance, Kingdom Hearts characters blurting out obscure Final Fantasy references make the game more entertaining for hardcore franchise fans.
If possible, try incorporating references and appeal to the emotions of your readers. This method also explains how some fans tend to appreciate a franchise more, especially when they notice details they've missed before.
1 Storyteller: Bring Things Full Circle
When Storytellers create stories, they need to ensure they bring things full circle. In writing, "bringing full circle" means ensuring all plot points become settled and the story becomes one cohesive unit. However, great stories - even those with follow-ups - should always ensure their stories get closure.
For instance, God of War became a phenomenal game as its story brought Kratos' narrative to a close. After all, franchise fans remember Kratos being an angry warrior hell-bent on killing Ares for fooling him into killing his family. And now, God of War challenges Kratos into becoming a father to Atreus. In the case of The Sims Spark'd, Storytellers need to remember that they're working with short stories. As such, their entries need to get to their point not just quickly, but also in a way that makes sense.