- Can I link to your site? Do you have any banners?
- Will you link to my site?
- What is the rating for "Worlds Apart?"
- When will you post the next chapter?
- How much time do you spend preparing/writing/taking photos for each update?
- What are your computer's specs? What graphics card do you use?
- What software do you use to edit your pictures?
- I really like [insert name]. Could you offer him/her for download?
- Where did you get that outfit/object/hair, etc.?
- How did you get your characters to make that facial expression/do that action/etc.?
Can I link to your site? Do you have any banners?
Of course you can link to my site; it would be an honor if you did. A text link is perfect, but if you want a banner then feel free to upload (to your own server) one of the following banners.
If anyone would like to donate a "Worlds Apart" banner, please contact me. I would love to add it here.
by Yasmin
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Will you link to my site?
Well, maybe… I'm very picky about which links I add because I only link to sites that I read regularly, and I usually add those links myself without someone first asking me. I also only like to add sites that have been around for awhile and that have proven the ability to update fairly regularly (I don't like to link to dead sites). However, if you think I'm missing out by not linking your site, then go ahead and email me your link [kara[at]atomicspacekitty.com (replace [at] with @)]. I can't promise that I'll link to you but I promise I'll consider it.
I'm sorry if this policy sounds rude or elitist—I don't mean it to be. I just like to keep my link section small so that 1) they don't overwhelm the main page and 2) so that I actually have time to read every site to which I'm linked. I guess you can say that the sites that I link to are my personal favorites.
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What is the rating for "Worlds Apart?"
In the past, I would say this site has been mostly Rated E (for everyone) with perhaps a little T (for Teen) territory explored (although I don't really think so). However, while "Worlds Apart" is Rated T it will definately be veering into M (for mature) territory now and then. So, if you're in that age group that isn't supposed to watch a Rated R movie you may want your parents to screen these stories before you read them.
I'm an adult though and I want to write stories that interest me, which means "Worlds Apart" will, from time to time, be including contextual violence, nudity, and (gasp!) sex. This does not mean the story is going to be a blood bath or hardcore in anyway but it will include adult people in adult situations. All posts that consist of such subject matter contain the following warning preceding the post: "This post is for mature audiences only as it contains extreme violence, nudity and/or sexual content."
The sad thing is I don't feel like I'd need to even broach this topic if I was only going to be including violence every now and then. But people seem to freak out about nude skin and loving acts between people. So…you've been warned.
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When will you post the next chapter?
When it's ready. Seriously, I don't know. I don't want to say that, for example, "I'll be posting every two weeks." If I'm then unable to stick to that schedule, you will be disappointed and I will be annoyed with myself for failing to meet a deadline. And that just starts a cycle of suckiness. So, to make sure that doesn't happen I can't give you a concrete answer. My story will be ready when it's ready.
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How much time do you spend preparing/writing/taking photos for each update?
In short: a lot of time.
More specifically, it depends on a few factors. Firstly, do I have to make any custom creations for the chapter (i.e. pictures, clothes, skins, etc.)? Secondly, do I need to make or decorate a particular set? Those two factors can add about a week to my schedule.
The writing of the script can take anywhere from a few days to a week (depending on if I’m feeling inspired or if I have to browbeat the story out of my brain). During the writing of the script, I also block out what pictures I will be taking so that when I go in game I know exactly what pictures I’ll need.
The picture taking itself can also take anywhere from a few days up to a week. Even though I know what photos I need before hand, I end up taking a lot of shots until I find the "right one."
Next—my favorite part—is the editing of the photos where I clean them up (i.e. brighten, clarify, etc.) and add special effects if needed. Again, this can take a few days to a week to get done. For example with Chapter 2, the editing of the pictures went very smoothly and I was able to finish them in three days.
So, it can take up to a month to prepare an update. But, it could also take less time. *shrug* That’s why I don’t have a specified release schedule.
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What are your computer's specs? What graphics card do you use?
Computer Specs: AMD Athlon XP 3000+, 2 GB RAM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GS w/ 256 MB memory (old); NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 w/ 896MB memory (new as of Summer 2009)
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What software do you use to edit your pictures?
Well, to begin with, let me tell you what software I use to take my pictures in the first place. After the first chapter (in which I struggled with the suckiness that is jpeg compression) I started taking full-sized screen shots in "bmp" format with Fraps and then reducing their size (1600×1200) down to 600×450. The pictures are much easier to work with in this way—they are cleaner (i.e. without jpeg artifacts, which bug the crap out of me).
I use two different graphics programs to edit my pictures: Paint Shop Pro X and Photoshop 7. I first use PSP to correct the color balance (I like my pictures with more of a green/blue [cool] tone) and to clarify the images. The rest of the editing I do in PS. My chapter headers are done soley in PS.
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I really like [insert name]. Could you offer him/her for download?
No, I'm sorry. I won't offer any of my characters that appear in my stories for download. Everything that I've made available for download can be found (oddly enough) in the Downloads section.
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Where did you get that outfit/object/hair, etc.?
I have a lot of downloads so it's really hard for me to remember where each specific item comes from; however, I have a fairly extensive list of the sites and creators from which or whom I've downloaded most of the content. You can try checking out the credits page…perhaps you can find what you're looking for there. At the very least, I'm sure you'll find even more stuff to download for your game!
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How did you get your characters to make that facial expression/do that action/etc.?
Oh, I use a lot of cheats/hacks.
If you've never used these before or want an example of what you can do with them, please check out the following tutorials (I highly recommend these, they're very helpful): Jaydee's Overlay tutorial, Using Animation Overlays Part 1 and Part 2 by goodbye_sun.
Here's a (more or less) complete list of the animation hacks that I use (probably an overkill as some have duplicate animations to others, but, hey, I like to be prepared):
Decorgal
Custom Modeling Poses Overlay Hack
Action Hack
Talk Overlay Hack
Sitting Talk/Conversation Hack
Standing Talk/Conversation Hack
Jixs
Dance Animation Hack
Idle Animations Hack
Prop Attachment Hack
Jaydee
OFB AnimBox
Nightlife AnimBox
Seasons AnimBox
Photo Poses AnimBox
University AnimBox
Aikea Guinea
Aikea's Animation Painting 1 (the green one)
Aikea's Animation Painting 2 (the grey one)
Sims 2 Graveyard (their creators are retired from simming) Thanks for the links, amalinaball!
Shaklin's WalkStyle + Facial Anim Changer
Squinge's Hula Dance and More (I don't really use this much anymore anyway as the other hacks I have basically replace this)
I also use the InSIMenator, which is an invaluble tool for tweaking various aspects of your game.
And last but not least, I use the following cheats (in-game, press "Ctrl-C" and then enter these into the box that pops up): boolprop allow45degreeangleofrotation true, boolprop snapobjectstogrid false, moveobjects on, showheadlines off, plumbbobtoggle off, slowmotion 4 (I usually use "4" to take pictures, but if I really want to slow things down to catch a particular picture then I may slow it down to "8").
Have fun playing around with these!
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