Random

TS4 help – Reshade Pt 1.

Published on by iamraeleeh1 Comment

EDIT: As of Feb 8. 2019, I’ve had to completely rewrite this post since the preset I was using (and method of installation) has changed. Added to that I felt this post just needed simplifying. So I’ve taken much of the technical information previously included here and moved it over to the imaginatively named ReShade Pt 2.

Since I’ve just returned to the land of the Sims it comes as no surprise that I’m a recent convert to Reshade. I’d seen plenty of amazing pictures but thought it was too complicated, and unneccessary, for me. Then the other day I came across a preshade that made me finally decide to take the plunge. After a little testing I decided to write this info down because knowing me I’m likely to forget. And since I’m not as tech-savvy as I used to be, I figured dumbing it down would help me understand should I need to come back to it later. Maybe it might be of interest to someone else too.

So instead of this post being something between a review and a quasi-guide, I’m leaving the guide part for Pt 2 and focusing on the visual aesthetics here. If just if you’re like me and pretty new to it all, Reshade is a lighting modification and visual enhancer for your game. When I came across a preset called “Real Sims” (by Cul over at Lover’s Lab and Forced at MTS4) I just had to have it (NOTE: *The name Real Sims has since been changed to Movie Sims with a recent update, which adds new presets and includes the older ‘real’ presets). Now that I have spent a few days playing and testing it out, I’m going to rant my ass off about it all here.

Personally I’ve always hated the look of The Sims. To me the game itself just looks cartoonish. With the painted-on clothing and oversized objects it sometimes feels like a game built for kids, not teenagers, and certainly not for adults no matter how much adult CC I manage to cram in. As much as I tried to make the game look realistic, anything that deviated too much from the standard vanilla style just stood out. Highly detailed skins looked like they didn’t belong in the same game against simple and featureless backgrounds; visually it was too distracting. So reluctantly I forced myself to embrace Maxis Match. I’m one of those players that need things to match where possible or end up with some kind of psychotic eye-twitch! Then I came across the (then named) Real Sims preset and was completely taken in by the name. The pictures provided looked more realistic than the base game, even if they weren’t to the level of Unreal Engine 3D models (As much as I hold out hope for something like that for The Sims 5, its probably never going to happen). I had to try it out for myself. So I did.

(Left) Original game, (Right) with ReShade (Real Sims preset)

Straight off the bat, the cartoon look was muted. I won’t say gone completely, but certainly not as in-your-face as before. I didn’t even realise just how bright and childish the game looked until I took ReShade back out again. And the only reason I did that was to test my theories on the uninstallation process… I’m the kind of person that has to burn my hand on the stove just to find out for myself that it’s hot. And naturally with all that screwing around in my game files, I screwed up my game. BUT I didn’t lose anything – I would have been pissed as hell if I had, especially due to my own incompetence.

I think I’ve mentioned it elsewhere on the site, but it begs repeating anyway: Whether you download CC or run a completely mod-free game, REGULARLY create backups of your game (Mods, Saves, and Tray folders). That way if anything goes wrong in your game you won’t lose anything. I really wish I’d learned that lesson years ago, but it’s served me well ever since.

Anyway, I think the worst part about installing ReShade is the fact that I may have to start a new game yet again not all that long after starting the last. The difference between my old screenshots and the new ones is too extreme to ignore. I’m kind of bummed by that, but also pretty happy at the same time. I don’t think I’m going to feel quite so strange watching and writing about sex and death and torture all that other beautiful agony I love to inflict on my creations with such bright and colourful pictures. Finally things feel like they match, or at least better than they did before. So now I have to restrain the urge to install ALL the presets I like and risk having all my screeshots disconnect. Maybe I would have been better off not installing ReShade or Movie Sims in the first place, but I don’t regret it. Not yet anyway 😉

TS4 help – Custom image sharpness.

Published on by iamraeleeh1 Comment

Probably not the best place for it, but while I’m thinking about it I may as well add it here. Maybe someone might be curious enough to stumble across it and find it useful, who knows?

If you’re reading this I’ll assume you have some idea how to recolour an object using Sims 4 Studio (and if not send me a message and I might do a guide here, but there’s plenty on Google search already). This is a quick step-by-step guide on how to make blurry images appear just that much sharper. Feel free to skip if you already know. This is especially handy for those creating family photos to hang on their Sims walls using screenshots taken in-game. I’m sure there are other ways of doing it, but this is the method that works best for me.

Picture #1.
  1. Open S4S and load the object you wish to recolour. Export your texture (red arrow) to your desktop.
  2. Minimize S4S. Go to your desktop. Open your image (orange arrow) in MS Paint.
  3. Select all (CTRL+A). Resize image to DOUBLE it’s original size. In my example, I’m doing a recolour of the ‘Llamacorn Team photo’ which is 124×256 pixels. I resize it to 256×512 pixels. Then save. Close Paint.
  4. Open your (resized) image in Gimp (or other picture editing software).
  5. Add your recolour/image as you wish. In my example I placed an ultrasound image over the team picture. Save image. Close Gimp. (NOTE: If you are using Gimp you will have to ‘Export As’. Ensure file is .png not .xcf before closing Gimp).
  6. Return to S4S. Import your texture to test. Save as you normally would or continue making recolours*. Drop the .package file in your Mods folder. That’s it!

*If you are creating recolours for more than one colour swatch you will need to repeat the process/resize ALL before you begin recolouring. In my example, my frame is dark brown. Say I wanted to have my ultrasound picture in all 3 colour swatches just like the original object (see Picture #1), I would need to create swatches for those colours and repeat the steps above for each one. (TIP: creating visible layers to hide each recolour/image for one particular frame/swatch will save you time if you use Gimp).

Picture #2.

I know the images don’t align perfectly, but the above shows an example of the difference in clarity you’ll get by simply doubling the original texture size. I don’t know how big you can actually make it, I just know this method has worked for me. It’s simple and I hope that helps, but if you have any questions just ask. I’ll help if I can.

If you’re looking to create custom catalog thumbnails for your new clear recolours, check out this post here.

Good luck! 🙂

This War of Mine.

Published on by iamraeleeh
Simply one of the best (and most haunting) games ever made.

OMG. What. A. Game. I absolutely LOVE this. It’s raw. It’s depressing. It’s challenging. It leaves me with a cold pit in my stomach just thinking about it, and exhaling a huge sigh of relief when the game ends. But I love it because of that. It makes me feel, and I’m not talking the usual celebratory joy that comes with most standard games. That’s because TWOM isn’t your usual take on a war game. It doesn’t glorify or celebrate shooting and killing. Instead it tells the human story of those trying to survive; they are the human casualties caught in the conflict. Like the game says; Because in war, not everyone is a soldier.

I have the original release, plus the expansion called ‘The Little Ones’ that introduce children characters into the story. I bought this game maybe six months after it’s initial release having discovered it by accident one day on Steam. It’s not the usual genre I play, so I’m not surprised I missed it, but I was intrigued enough to give it a go. What convinced me was the majority of then overwhelmingly positive reviews, but also by the fact that it was influenced by real life survivor accounts of conflict and war. Added to that a percentage of sales were (and still are) being contributed to war-torn countries and affiliated charities; Everything about it spoke to my humanitarian core. I had to have it and give it a shot (pun intended. I know, I’m a horrible person that’s likely going to hell. But what else is new? *lol*)

Since it is so gut-wrenching at times, it’s not the kind of game you can play on repeat for weeks and months at a time – at least I couldn’t anyway. So I usually play for a while, run through a few scenarios to completion, and then put it back on the shelf and take an extended break from it. That’s also what makes it so tough; not only does the game make you (me) question what war must be like to endure from a civilian POV, but it also lingers once the game is over. It brings with it a degree of guilt that we as players can escape the horrors while in real life somewhere on the planet someone caught in similar scenario at that very moment can’t escape so easy. It’s tough. But it is a fantastic game. So much so that lately I’ve been in the mood to write a story of some sort based around it. Not sure how or what or why or even when, but such thoughts naturally make me want to install it all over again just for the, dare I say it, “fun” of it (yep, it’s the hell-express for me, I’m afraid).

So the point of this post isn’t really a game review. Anyone can find that with a simple Google search and make up their own minds, or simply go here to the official site. What I’m thinking is posting updates here if anything interesting or of note happens in my game. Again, as with much of this site the things I post are more for the sake of prosperity than anything else. So for now that’s my plan. This is one of those ‘watch this space’ things fueled by good intention and little planning. We’ll see how it goes anyway. And if by some chance someone happens to be reading this and IS curious about trying the game for yourself, all I can say is PLEASE DO! You won’t end war in the real world but you’ll help benefit someone else in need by buying it, and that’s got to be worthwhile, doesn’t it?

LifePlay.

Published on by iamraeleeh

NSFW/18+ CONTENT!

Okay, so since I’m a Sims fan I generally gravitate to anything Sims-esquey (is that even a word? Is now!), and if said thing has adult content included I am SO there! Hence in my travels I came across a life-simulator game called LifePlay.

The game is, as of writing this, still in development, and created solely by a one-man army who goes by the username Vinfamy. I came across this by accident one day at the Lover’s Lab forums and it looked promising. Naturally being a massive pervert I decided to download it and check it out. Several days later I still say that it has huge potential once the general bugs are ironed out.

Character creation and editing is easy – not just for your avatar but NPCs you’ve met too.

First off the bat, since it’s still in the development stages it’s not polished. The avatars are clunky and pretty dated (though this will be addressed in upcoming releases apparently). The clothing, shoes, hair and other accessories are very limited as you would expect. There’s not a great deal to do (yet!) but room to do it (once it’s incorporated of course). If you’re familiar with The Sims franchise it follows that familiar route; fill needs while playing out a virtual life however you wish to play it. One thing that LifePlay has that The Sims doesn’t is arousal as a need. That’s right; you need to get laid sometimes to keep your character happy – bonus!

There are sex options built in already with more to come, including the standard M/F, F/F, as well as group MMF, MMMF+, and scenes of a taboo nature that won’t be for everyone – and being a faithful test subject I tried them all! Will Wright (founder/creator of The Sims) would be rolling in his grave to see this… if he was dead, naturally. But it’s still something that’s always been lacking in The Sims and was omitted of course due to its teen rating. LifePlay goes where The Sims feared to tread, and while there’s a lot of similarities it’s not exactly a cheap knock-off. There’s many reasons but I’ll touch on a few below.

Unlike The Sims, you don’t “move” in your daily activities. I’m not sure if that’s even something that will be added later, who knows. All scenes available to you happen in front of a flat 2D image that serves as backdrop depending on the building you’re in. You click to interact on a place rather than an object. You can’t actually follow your avatar around every other minute of the day. Instead an icon of your avatar will move around the map of the city as you direct them. Clicking on a building brings up a dropdown menu on items to buy or things to do – and certain businesses open or close (meaning access is restricted) depending on the time of day or night you try to visit.

The world map is pretty basic but there’s over 170+ to choose from, using actual city maps.

Each place (and luck?) has the chance of triggering a scene you will get to “play”. By play I mean stand, select options from the dialog given to you, or have sex. Sex has it’s own drop down menu. Depending on the scene you also get some detailed sex ERP to read which can add a nice touch to the pixel grinding which is pretty… colorful in its descriptions. Sleeping, eating, watching TV, being creative, and anything else (including work) are all “rabbitholes” for now, meaning you don’t see any of the actions being performed. If a work scene is triggered you will see your avatar for the duration of the scene. And in your apartment (home) you do get to watch your avatar bathe. Either bathing or changing clothes can trigger scenes of being watched (if you live with another), or of course, sex. Other events can trigger randomly while you are at home or work, such as neighbors dropping by or a work-related scene, but for now there’s no interaction beyond standing and reading/selecting text (choices) or sex. One thing I thought was great was the subtle facial expressions when the “peeping tom” scene is triggered – I’m hoping to see more of that as the game progresses.

One massive plus is the fact that even now so early in development there are a huge amount of sliders (morphs) that change the shape of just about every inch of the avatar’s body – more than I think I have ever seen in any game before (but since I’m not a hardcore gamer I guess that’s a redundant statement somewhat. Either way it has a LOT – maybe 50+?) The skins needs work, but the fact we have genitals that we can modify without the need for CC is a great step up as far as I’m concerned. And that’s one more thing that makes LifePlay far different to The Sims; it’s mod friendly, and by that I mean you can modify as you go in game and not have to leave the game to make the changes stick. It’s a game-changer… literally!

As well as mods, the game can be tailored by the player to allow certain scenarios or turn them off altogether from within the game itself. For example you can allow rape (allow the option for an NPC to rape your avatar, and you get to see it happen and control the scenes until scene’s end or fastforward through), include or exclude incest, bestiality, and more. You can assign how many females or males you want populating your city, how many LGBT citizens, assign a specific body type for all your NPCs (so you can make a town of beefcakes or supermodels apparently), as well as allow sexual preferences to everyone including yourself. You can modify your stats as you play, for example: you want that neighbor you just met to be in love with you? Change the relationship numbers and BOOM! Instant attraction. Want 100% work performance? Change the numbers and it’s done. It’s EXTREMELY easy to modify, and that’s on purpose. It allows you to be a god in the way The Sims can’t unless you type in cheat codes or modify.

I don’t want to overhype or undersell the game as again its still in its infancy and by the creator’s own admission has a long way yet to go. It’s also a little confusing to start since there isn’t much information to really initiate you beyond some very basic tips in a separate text file (included in the download, in a Docs folder), so for now you learn as you go. But for all that I really did enjoy what there is to see and do (and the many perverted ways I could do it, to as many as I wanted to do it to). I can see myself losing a lot more hours in it should the game reach a stage of completion where it’s ready to be released. But it’s worth keeping an eye on anyway.

Check it out for yourself at Lover’s Lab here or on his Patreon page here.

(Links are NSFW/18+)

Featured

Randoms.

Published on by iamraeleeh

NSFW / 18+ CONTENT!

[ˈrandəm]

ADJECTIVE
‘made, done, or happening without method or conscious decision’.

Sounds about right.

Since this site is like my virtual melting pot (aka dumping ground), I figured I needed a place for the other crap… You know, the non-essential shit that doesn’t really fit in to any other category here. And just like that; Voilà! A page was born! (Nope, I’m not French, I just swear an awful lot – you have been warned *lol*) Not entirely sure what I’ll be putting here. Judging by the imaginative title, random stuff, apparently. Wonders will never cease.

Anyway, that’s about it for the intro post. *steps down off her soap box and skulks back into the shadows to the chrous of a thousand crickets*