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Field Researcher
#26 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 4:23 AM Last edited by ijustneedsomeeyes : 14th Oct 2013 at 4:26 AM. Reason: Second pageclaim, woot!
I love this website, hands down. If I had put my uploads on my sim blog, I won't have anybody be able to download my stuff. I would say that most of the downloaders got to MTS, because they know that MTS is one of the few Sims communities out there that are still active and there's a greatly reduced chance of anything you download here blowing up in your face, because there's always the comments section. I love the comments section in every download, lets me know about any issues that might arise beforehand. There is also so much variety here that I find out new things, like: children can do static shock pranks!

Another thing I like about MTS is the Achievements system, because it helps creators go beyond recoloring and explore more options and learn new things, encouraging them to develop into well-rounded creators overall.

As for the thank system, yeah, some people don't. Personally, I've made sure to go back to everything I downloaded and thank each and every creator whose creations I liked. But there will be people out there who just download and don't give a second thought afterwards, I was one of them for a long time, but eventually, I went back and started faving and thanking. So if they liked your creation, they will usually come back after a while and press the button.

The only complaint I would have is that while the Community section is a bustling mecca, the Object Repair Workshop is mostly Tumbleweed Town. Creators eventually find out for themselves what to do by browsing old threads for hints and Googling, but this causes unnecessarily long delays on getting new goodies to the website. However, this is mostly on the onus of the Creators themselves after they find the answers: I think for everybody whose problems were solved and posted on OW, they should go back and post their solutions, so that future creators aren't left to fumble in the dark or give up.

Well, those were my §2. (There is no $0.02 in game, guys.)

Also, page claim.
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Field Researcher
#27 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 4:27 AM
I would like there to be a "search by creators" option. Sometimes, I'm looking for something specific that I can't remember the name of, but I remember the creator, and i search for the creator, but the only things that come up are items with the creator's name in the title.

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Field Researcher
#28 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 5:24 AM
I'd like to see some sort of Top Ten/Twenty Most Downloaded Items, either as a whole or within individual categories. I like seeing what other people are downloading, and it would be a good way of getting to see stuff you might not otherwise think of looking for. For example, I mostly DL houses, and rarely anything else - seeing that a lot of people liked a certain dress, or modification or whatever, would encourage me to go check it out.
Mad Poster
#29 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 5:55 AM
I would think that it would be a great idea if a member has a 'preference' for which type of downloads they usually get-either Sims 2 or Sims 3. I don't know of many who mix the two up (although I'm sure that there are a few), I'm only for Sims 2, and having to pick the game I'm downloading for is a bit tiresome.
Perhaps in the member's listing of what games they've purchased, to set the preferences by the user and embedded so that when they log in, their viewing is only for the game they've listed in their profile.
Test Subject
#30 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 7:39 AM
I agree with the filters, quick download, and problems with sims 2 and 3 items showing up in searches. Quite often, when I click download along the top bar, and use the search there, it brings sims 2 up first, maybe having a search sims 2, or search sims 3 button instead of just search. I know running a site is expensive, but I like how Nexus has seperate download sites for Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout, The Witcher etc, rather than having it all on one site, it's just a suggestion though. And if this was to happen, have them linked in away that you use the same account, also like Nexus.
Pretty Space Pony
retired moderator
#31 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 7:58 AM Last edited by Klaartje68 : 14th Oct 2013 at 9:05 AM. Reason: Typo here, typo there, typo everywhere
FranH and Niketas, most of what you have suggested already exists If you go to your user control panel (top right) and choose edit options, you can select which game shows up on default. I have selected TS3 and when I search for something by using the option from the top navigation bar, it shows only TS3 downloads. Also, the top nav bar has separate options for TS2, TS3 and all downloads, so I don't really see how this causes 'extra' clicks if you only download for one of the games.
ETA: just tried this now, but if I chose the categories from the top nav bar, they also show only TS3 by default
The other one
#32 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 8:02 AM
As a downloader, I really love MTS. I don't use a lot of CC these days compared to some but probably about 60-80% is from here. I love:
  • Pics are always big and clear and show what's on offer - they have to be to pass moderation
  • CC links are nearly always complete and working links of everything included
  • Minimal CC - There isn't usually a shopping list of a million things whenever you want to download an item
  • Never need to DL pay CC to use a DL from here.

Things I would love to see changing:
  • Thanks - While I disagree with the quick DL button, perhaps a quick thanks button for each upload on the download overview page would be useful and remind people to thank? Maybe it only shows if you've downloaded that item? Or maybe it shows on all DLs but is red (for example) if you've downloaded but not thanked an item. I wish for this as a downloader to remind me to do it and as a creator to remind others to do it to me :p
  • Hrm... I'll need to think on this some more because I have nothing else yet.

Guys, rules are good! Rules help control the fun. ~ Monica E. Geller
dodgy builder
#33 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 8:52 AM
I must say about a quick download button is something I do NOT need. People have to read what it says on the front page of a download. I'm lazy myself, one thing I don't like doing is cleaning up stuff I didn't want in the first place. What I like about mts is the information about the download is very easy to see and read. I actually learn new things by reading information on the download. On other site's the information about the download is in a small window, difficult to see or it's in a language I don't understand. Sometimes I have to go searching for it because it doesn't say.
world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
Original Poster
#34 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 9:32 AM
Volvenom - ButtLaser's been changed back to Buzzler. Occasionally the mods have a bit of fun by changing each other's names to something ridiculous. I can see how that'd be confusing but is never intended as a permanent change (well, except in the case of Whiterider becoming Nysha, but that was an actual real name change, not a joke name like when she was Buttsbuttsbutts for a while).

I swear we are actual grown-ass adults, not a bunch of 12 year olds, but BUTTS ARE FUNNY DAMMIT.

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“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Panquecas, panquecas e mais panquecas.
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
#35 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 9:42 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Miss Puff
I'd really like to have a way to separate between favorites and things I've downloaded and things I want to download later, like a watch list. For things I've downloaded, I'd like to see the date I last downloaded it and the date that the post was last updated so I can easily see which mods I need to upgrade after a patch or which ones the mod author hasn't worked on in awhile and might have abandoned. Maybe whether or not it's a favorite can show on that same list, and only let you favorite something after you've downloaded it, or even only after a certain time has passed after you've downloaded it so you're encouraged to actually try the CC or mod in your game before deciding you like it. Seeing the last update time on the watch list would be good too, in case you don't want to download something until it's been updated.

Those are the first ideas that come to my mind, anyway!


The "My Downloads" view gives you basically what you want with regards what you've downloaded. Date you downloaded, date when it was last updated, and if you have thanked it.

Story books are full of fairy tales, of Kings and Queens, and the bluest skies.
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
#36 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 9:47 AM
Quote: Originally posted by ohgreatone22
I would like there to be a "search by creators" option. Sometimes, I'm looking for something specific that I can't remember the name of, but I remember the creator, and i search for the creator, but the only things that come up are items with the creator's name in the title.


This already exists. In the download filter box, there is option to search by creator name, which will list all of their uploads. Additionally, going to their profile and click the "All Downloads" button gets you the same thing.

Story books are full of fairy tales, of Kings and Queens, and the bluest skies.
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
#37 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 9:58 AM
Quote: Originally posted by DigitalSympathies

4) It would be tailored to a widescreen monitor (of course), but with an easy-to-use layout in muted but contrasting colours. Blue on blue is great and the colour blue promotes thought, discussion, and creativity. Green on blue is very hard for me to see. Black fonts would be used - not grey - and in bold when necessary. TBH, just give us back the old look! I still use it, but it was much easier to find things and when I click a link from elsewhere that leads me back here, it reverts to the new layout. I can use the new layout, but it feels to stylised and flimsy and not as robust and "gets the job done" as the old one. I prefer function over form any day, and MTS has always been that site.

5) A better picture viewer and possibly an integrated video viewer on the downloads page, similar to the "classic" one we have (which is not that old).

6) The option to have all pictures load as a page does, instead of when you scroll. I have very fast internet and it is a pain when pictures sometimes refuse to load halfway down the page, or I'm scrolling and the page jitters as new pictures load.

7) Forum-like comments on downloads would make helping people with bugs a lot easier. If somebody is having problems, 8 agree's is better than eight similar (and uninformative) posts about the same problem.

8) An integrated (and completely private) chat system if your friended felllow users were online, complete with formatting (similar to chatango).

9) The ability to sort out content by year in a search.


4) The site already does work well on a widescreen, and I'm not sure what you mean about green on blue? The site is blue on blue by default. But you can change the colours if you like, using the theme generator.

5) Whats wrong with the picture viewer? It takes up as much space as it needs and supports keyboard controls and is less in your face than the older one. Why do you talk about videos here, though?

6) I'm fairly sure that the new theme doesn't lazy load images. Only the old theme (classic) does.

7) Well, an agree may not be better if the 8 people are having different issues. How do you know which is actually the main issue if you only get one persons response?

8) Probably not going to happen anytime soon. Sorry.

9) I'm curious - how would that be helpful? When would it be useful to see only content uploaded in, say, 2010?

Story books are full of fairy tales, of Kings and Queens, and the bluest skies.
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#38 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 10:09 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Peterskywalker!
Not sure if this is already included, but what would be awesome is if there was a page where you could see recolors/modifications on modthsims that others made of the object you are about to download. For example if you want to download a piece of clothing, there would be a tab that would let you see recolors done by other people.
Click the 'Related Downloads' tab.

Quote: Originally posted by Peterskywalker!
Another cool feature if it isn't already here would be to have the ability to search for lots and houses that do not have custom content, or that always have custom content
In the filters on the downloads pages for lots, click Additional Parameters and then select No CC/Build CC only/BUild and Buy CC. We're working on redoing the filters so they're a bit more intuitive.

Quote: Originally posted by DigitalSympathies
5) A better picture viewer and possibly an integrated video viewer on the downloads page, similar to the "classic" one we have (which is not that old).
What d'you dislike about the bootstrap picture viewer? The youtube tag does work on forumview on bootstrap, but I haven't tried it on a download page - I'll try to remember to check that out.

Quote: Originally posted by DigitalSympathies
6) The option to have all pictures load as a page does, instead of when you scroll. I have very fast internet and it is a pain when pictures sometimes refuse to load halfway down the page, or I'm scrolling and the page jitters as new pictures load.

7) Forum-like comments on downloads would make helping people with bugs a lot easier. If somebody is having problems, 8 agree's is better than eight similar (and uninformative) posts about the same problem.
+1

Quote: Originally posted by DigitalSympathies
9) The ability to sort out content by year in a search.
Currently search results are sorted by year - does this not do what you want? Or are you wanting to exclude a particular year, say 2008, rather than wanting to not see all the pre-2007 stuff which has a much higher likelihood of being crap? :P

Quote: Originally posted by Volvenom
Buzzler had changed the nick to ButtLaser.
Not by choice, in fairness to him. :D

Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah
>It would also be nice if large uploads had the items contained in a folder. For example you download a file for a dress and it has 20 different recolour files.
D'you mean as opposed to creators uploading a separate .rar or .zip file for each item?

Quote: Originally posted by AlfredAskew
I also feel like preview pictures have gotten smaller recently. My eyes are kind of going though, so maybe that's just me.
We've actually increased the maximum size for preview pictures recently. However, we did that because we made the box for preview pictures bigger, and a lot of creators haven't noticed that, so we're getting more old-size preview pictures looking kind of awash in a sea of big empty box. Maybe that's why they seem smaller?

Quote: Originally posted by ohgreatone22
I would like there to be a "search by creators"
Click 'Show filters' on the search result page, and then enter the creator's name in the 'Search Creator Name' tab.

Quote: Originally posted by FranH
I would think that it would be a great idea if a member has a 'preference' for which type of downloads they usually get-either Sims 2 or Sims 3.
Go User Tools -> User Control Panel -> Edit Options. Fifth option down.


Those people who've posts I haven't responded to, I'm not ignoring you - the point of this thread is to get idea which we will marinade in due course . I did want to provide answers for people who are looking for something that already exists, though. If you're one of those people and you think the feature should be labelled differently or located somewhere else, please say so!

*Warns Delphy for triple-posting*

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Forum Resident
#39 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 10:17 AM
I've posted in the other thread as a creator, but I download a lot of stuff from MTS, so here I am posting here as well. My favorite part of the download aspect is that when I download a mod from MTS, I can generally easily tell which files the mod alters, when it was last updated, and which patch level(s) it's good for. For me, this is really important. I pay very close attention to what mods I put in my game. For my own mods, I always include this information even though I don't upload to MTS and I'm not required to. So, even though I've advocated for less stringent upload procedures/express uploads for experience creators, I want to stress that I do appreciate it that I can expect to get the information I need about mods from MTS.

My Mod Index | My Mods at Simlogical | My Blog: Nona's Sims | Fix Your Premium Content

Please do not PM me with questions about modding. Please post in an appropriate forum and PM me a link to the thread if you would like me to try and help.
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#40 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 11:29 AM
Lol Nona and I contrast in regard to my slapdash attitude to uploading at my own site. Her presentation is always professional while mine tends to be "here's a file I've thrown onto the server. take it or leave it. you can find out what it is when you've got it" hehe.

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#41 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 12:18 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Nysha
D'you mean as opposed to creators uploading a separate .rar or .zip file for each item?


Sometimes, especially with clothes, there might be a lot of separate files to download or other times it's just one file but inside the rar will be 10 recolours. When I download clothes from here I make a new folder, name it, extract in it and drag a large picture off the page into it.
Some creators on blogs upload a named folder inside their rar and it has all the recolours, sometimes a credit read me and a thumbnail picture. I love those creators and always say a silent thank you for making my busy morning a little easier. If I download clothes off here I know I will have to spend more time on doing that myself. The one good thing I will say is the creators name is on the file and I can check my downloads and work it out if I put it in without doing a properly named folder with picture. I guess I'm being a bit lazy but I really do appreciate it when I find that step is already done.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Scholar
#42 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 12:25 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Inge Jones
yeah an update watcher of some sort would be useful. You can subscribe to the thread but then you get alerted when anyone posts not just the author.

Yep, and also if people have based a recolor or edit on the download in that post, that they are alerted to a change as well. Would be nice.
- Creator fixes a mistake? You find out what it is, and can make your own edits.
- Creator deletes their file after exploding in diva-rage and the file is nowhere to be found? You get alerted and update your thread with an alternative download for the file you based it on.

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world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
Original Poster
#43 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 12:25 PM
I think that's more of a personal preference thing, joandsarah77... Because I personally can't stand when there's readmes and pics included and subfolders and stuff. I actually had Delphy make me a little program a while back that you could point it at a folder and it would collapse all the subfolders into the parent folder, and then I could just sort by file type and delete anything that wasn't a package or sims2pack.

my simblr (sometimes nsfw)

“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Panquecas, panquecas e mais panquecas.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#44 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 2:20 PM
Yes I've heard people say they prefer one way or the other so I know it's personal preference. Not that I'm asking for sub folders, just one folder.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Former Hamster
retired moderator
#45 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 2:44 PM
HP- that sounds like a mighty useful little program. Is that something that can be shared?
world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
Original Poster
#46 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 2:50 PM
It's a quick and dirty thing and I'd have to dig it out, but I'll ask him if he's willing to share.

my simblr (sometimes nsfw)

“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Panquecas, panquecas e mais panquecas.
Destroyer of Worlds
retired moderator
#47 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 4:34 PM
Quote: Originally posted by missroxor
As a downloader, I really love MTS. I don't use a lot of CC these days compared to some but probably about 60-80% is from here. I love:
  • Pics are always big and clear and show what's on offer - they have to be to pass moderation
  • CC links are nearly always complete and working links of everything included
  • Minimal CC - There isn't usually a shopping list of a million things whenever you want to download an item
  • Never need to DL pay CC to use a DL from here.


I love a lot a things about MTS and it's why I always check here first. I'll quote missroxor on her love list. Especially the CC links. It's one of my absolute favorite things about downloading from here vs other sites. No hide and seek with content used, no million WCIFs in the comments thread.

SEARCH: However, I do have to agree that the search function, in general, is not as handy as I'd like. A lot of times, I can't remember a creator's full name or it's got an extra symbol or space than I am aware of and the search function won't pull it up at all. Couple of examples: lisen801. I always forget if it's an 8 or a 6 or something like that. What I'd like is for search to give me a list of creators that might match or a "sorry, no one here by that name. Did you mean ____?" suggestion. Tee Hee Hee is another one. I KNOW his name. But he has spaces in his name and if you forget those spaces, MTS doesn't pull up ANY matches. Or if you use underscores instead of spaces. You get the idea. Search function overall could be greatly improved. In the past, I've wanted to find something I KNOW exists on the site but search either pulls up nothing or everything under the sun that might possibly be related to what I want. I have, in the past, Googled what I wanted and gone from there when it pulled up the link rather than wading through search here.

FILTERING: I'm not sure how this gets decided exactly but, at least in TS3, there is some strange disconnect that goes on in the Build/Buy categories. I typically filter by function rather than room since that's how I also do it in the game. But some things don't show up under function categories. Sometimes certain things only appear in the parent category instead of filtered down. Like fences: Build Mode with fences typed in search - 22 items and Miscellaneous - Fences and Gates - 7 items. I imagine part of that is due to needing to select one section when you upload, like armiel's build set is under Build Mode Sets, but it would be useful in the fences too. So maybe adding an option in the uploader to have your item show in whatever categories it's relevant in.

Heaven Sims | Avendale Legacy
"On the internet, you can be anything you want. It's strange that so many people choose to be stupid."
Scholar
#48 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 7:28 PM
One thing I'd like is a mass download button. Lots of times creators will have a recolor for some object and each recolor will be its own desperate file which leaves you downloading 20 separate files and deciding halfway through you don't really need recolors xyz but later regret not downloading them.

So basically for downloads with a considerable amount of downloadable files a "download all" button would be really nice.

Sirius Black: Escaped Azkaban, Outran Dementors, Outwitted Ministry, Killed by Drapery
Where I've been hiding...
Scholar
#49 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 11:03 PM
Quote: Originally posted by heaven
FILTERING: I'm not sure how this gets decided exactly but, at least in TS3, there is some strange disconnect that goes on in the Build/Buy categories. I typically filter by function rather than room since that's how I also do it in the game. But some things don't show up under function categories. Sometimes certain things only appear in the parent category instead of filtered down. Like fences: Build Mode with fences typed in search - 22 items and Miscellaneous - Fences and Gates - 7 items. I imagine part of that is due to needing to select one section when you upload, like armiel's build set is under Build Mode Sets, but it would be useful in the fences too. So maybe adding an option in the uploader to have your item show in whatever categories it's relevant in.


I forgot about the filtering! One thing that really annoys me is sometimes default replacement objects are in the mods section, but sometimes they're in the build or buy section! An example is height adjustment mods or ones that allow you to use CAST on objects you previously couldn't. I also agree with how sometimes things are only in 'dining room' section for example instead of the 'chair' or 'table' section.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
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Test Subject
#50 Old 14th Oct 2013 at 11:22 PM
Default File Type
I like being able to choose whether I download a simspack or a package. I would love to have the option to click on instead of being stuck with one or the other.
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