Screenshot of The Complete Home - Steampunk Revelation 

*Click the image and/or text to be taken to the Lot on The Exchange.

As I have never built a large Steampunk home before I thought it was a perfect time, so I could enter a contest hosted this month by AznSensei on this Forum  but I needed to research first so I could get a good feel to how it should look. Of course I have seen a few builds on the site before but I wanted mine to be different from everyone else's, so it would stand out and not be a copy. As the internet is a great place to find information and Pictures, so as usual Google Image search led me to some useful images to help me mainly with the furnishings and decorating but the buildings were harder to find. I came across game screenshots and artwork from the game 'Myst' and they were so unusual I decided to use them for my main inspiration.  Then I decided to build on 'Sunset Valley' this was my starting point, next to have a close look on Map View for a perfect plot to build on. Well I came across 'Crystal Springs' and saw all the Rocks and the small lake, instantly I could see the buildings fitting into that area, all thanks to the 'Myst' pictures. One of the drawings had very unusual trees with golden yellow leaves so I used new fantasy trees EA had given us recently.

Before I could start building I do some sketches myself as a guide how I want the buildings to look close to the rock and also to create my own patterns using the 'Create a Pattern Tool'. I made a large selection to use. On some of my builds I build the construction and then decorate the outer walls, doors, windows and landscape as well. But with this one I built the home and just changed the rock's colour a little here and there with light soil . Next I placed most of the objects on all the builds levels as I had taken my time in deciding where certain rooms would be, and checking with the notes on my sketch. The picture from Myst helped as the building out of the Three I chose for the main part of the home, had windows overlooking the water and would be a suitable livingroom with the kitchen/diner behind. I chose the beautiful large windows from the 'Vegas' set as they are a vintage style, also will give great views of the lake and building opposite. The two colours of metal I used were a silver and gold that I dulled down a little and these were then used on the railings, doors and spiral stairs for all the buildings. I used the same metals on the panels covering all of the buildings outer walls. As this was a Steampunk home I thought there must be water and pipes into the home and decided to make use of a small swimming pool under the main building. Round pipes were needed and the only way I know is to use the 'moveobjects on/off' code to take a fireplace flue apart in sections, then add those in the buildings bathrooms and kitchen for the effect of water being pumped through them. The pipes next to the pools edge I used two mini time machines from 'buydebug on/off' and 'Moo' to join them together as they look like working machines pumping the water up the pipes. The main workshop would be the building opposite and it needed to look like inventions were being used for the home. I added the two full sized time machines from 'buydebug' at the back of that building and used 'Moo' to push them half into the wall so the dials would show on the inside. Two solar windmills would give the impression of machines moving so they were also added to the machines on the outside. Then was the many hours/days I spent decorating and recolouring, adding a small harvest garden area with 'buydebug' plants and making the lake more attractive. I wanted space left for children to play and room for people to add items they may want for their sims. My next project that will be Steampunk themed is a 'Flying Home', it will be slightly Shiplike without sails but I am not telling you everything as it would spoil the surprise.

Hi all! My name is Theresa Chen and I'm a producer for TheSims3.com. Our team works hard every day to provide you with new features and ways to share and connect with others in our awesome Sims community!

I love it when people add me as a friend on TheSims3.com, especially when those friends leave me messages. We have so many awesome and helpful fans of The Sims™ 3 game. Seeing the profiles of those that add me as a friend reminds me of how many of you guys really support this fun and diverse game.

But what I find especially fun is when I find out the friends I know outside of TheSims3.com community happen to be avid players of The Sims 3 too! It’s great being able to connect with them about playing The Sims 3.

We at The Sims studios created a feature that will allow you to find friends through Facebook and ask them to join you on TheSims3.com. Here’s how it works: 

1. From the Community Page, in the left-side column, click the “Add Friends via Facebook” link. 
2. If you are not already logged in to Facebook, a login window will appear. Once logged in, a window with the message, “Be My Friend on TheSims3.com!” will appear with a textbox above.
3. Feel free to add your own personal message in the textbox and then click Share. This will make a post on your Facebook Wall asking your Facebook Friends to come visit you on TheSims3.com.

Give it a try! Did any of your Facebook friends surprise you by being The Sims 3 players too?

Hi Simmers!

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Graham Nardone, and I've been a producer on every expansion and stuff pack released for The Sims 3 so far. I’ve had the privilege of traveling across the globe to meet many members of our community. We've chatted and shared a few laughs, but most importantly I've had the honor of listening to what many of you have to say about The Sims.

As we enter 2012, I know it’s going to be a fantastic year for The Sims. From The Sims 3 Showtime Expansion pack and The Sims 3 Master Suite Stuff pack to unannounced projects currently in development, the teams within The Sims Studio have several great experiences for you this year.

Since the launch of The Sims 3 in 2009, the game experience has expanded considerably with robust expansion packs, stuff packs, new downloadable worlds and unique content offerings through The Sims 3 Store. As the game has grown, so has The Sims community across portals such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and of course all of you right here on TheSims3.com. As we branch out into these new areas, it continues to be a priority for us to gather feedback, engage with the community on the direction of the franchise and respond to questions.

For those of you who have been fans and active in the community spanning the years of The Sims, we thank you. We’re thrilled that people are so passionate about the games that you ask for past favorite features to return in new game experiences. Many fan requests have been incorporated into upcoming game releases and are being factored into future game developments. We’re also reaching out to new players by offering content with themes that we’ve never undertaken before. We’re committed to advancing the game and opening the experience for even more players in our global audience to enjoy. With the variety of content offered throughout The Sims games on the horizon, we’re certain that you’ll find something that speaks personally to you and the experiences you have with your Sims.

As a developer working on The Sims, I truly have one of the best jobs someone who loves video games could ask for. There are millions of The Sims players around the world, and knowing that fans eagerly anticipate each upcoming game we create helps drive us every day. While I’m always excited to discuss what the future holds, it’s just as important to have an open dialogue regarding the experiences you’re having with the games we’ve already released, and recognizing what we can do to improve your experience. Many of us on the team spend time reading the forums and social media channels and share your feedback with the larger development teams. We know the hot topics that are being discussed. It’s our responsibility as developers to not only recognize those topics, but to communicate with you about how we intend to address them.

To kick off more of this dialogue, we’ve included some of the frequently asked questions from the forums and have responses for you. We’ll continue to share new information and respond to your feedback here, so keep an eye out for future blogs and interviews.

From all of us at The Sims Studio, thank you for playing such a large part in the continued success of The Sims!

Graham Nardone

The Sims 3 Assistant Producer

Does The Sims community have a say?

We want you to know that we take all of your feedback very seriously. We read our forums, fan sites, Facebook posts, tweets and take all of that information into consideration when planning the development of games and content for The Sims games. Our goal is to provide fans of The Sims with the content and experiences they want and keep the variety fresh and affordable.

You’re able to produce so many packs a year, how can we be sure that each pack is getting the attention and content that it deserves?

We appreciate all of the loyal fans who go out on day one to buy our latest games or content releases, so we do our best to make sure we meet, and hopefully exceed, expectations. We are fortunate to have a very large team at The Sims Studio. While one group is working on one project, we have other product in development happening within other teams. This ensures that we are able to give you new content on a frequent basis. Since we have so many fans with so many interests, we’re constantly working with the community to decide what content we should develop next.

We also strive to create themes for new games and content updates that drive new, innovative gameplay and bring content that addresses feedback from The Sims community.

Are there any deals on The Sims 3 Store?

The Sims 3 Store provides new deals every day through its Daily Deals page. Each day there is a new offer, sometimes more than one. Players can save over 50% on some of the most popular items. Several of our expansion packs are great deals at the moment at The Sims 3 Store, so please check the site to see what’s offered in your territory.

The Sims 3 Store also provides free Avatar Backgrounds, Badges, and Stickers that players can use to customize their “MyPage” on Thesims3com. It also offers an array of free content and sets that any player can redeem, and use to customize their game in all-new ways. As well, The Sims 3 Store also provides a whole-new World, Riverview, free to all players who wish to redeem it. Just follow these links:

o   Free items can be found here: http://store.thesims3.com/setsProductListing.html?scategoryId=12858

o   Riverview page here: http://store.thesims3.com/customProductDetail.html?categoryId=12642&index=0&productId=OFB-SIM3:23468

Are the new connected features something the fans asked for?

We’re very proud of the options that we’ve been able to provide to better connect us to you and you to your friends within The Sims community. The Sims is a franchise that is based on player choice, and we give you the tools to play as you choose. While some of you may choose to enjoy your offline experience as you always have, some of you have asked to be able to play and share with your friends. Through these features, players have the opportunity to post their Sims’ successes, share gameplay techniques, create wish lists and send gifts, search for new friends and share memories through their in-game news feeds and beyond. Even if you choose not to play with your friends or post on in-game walls, you can still benefit from online connected features. Using these functions, we are able to notify you and provide you with new challenges and achievements that will be rolled out on a regular basis. Again, it’s there if you want it, but of course, it’s all up to you.