CoffeeAssassin

As to GOS itself, all files have been secured and are in good hands. Still "running into many interesting and varied errors" while trying to update 😱🙈 but the main news is that things are moving.

Just a reminder I have pretty much nothing to do with any of this, I'm just the messenger but I'll certainly post as many updates as I can to keep everyone in the loop 😊

Simlish Font - Nootrasim (+Bold, Shadow, and Wire)

There are already some pretty rad sans-serif Simlish fonts out there, but, uh… here’s another?

Download and blabbing below!

Most people on here have way more experience with aesthetics and editing than I do, but I thought possibly that this might help people with a small guide on how I do my fire effects. Mine in my story have a slightly different effect than what I'm about to show you but that's because I use Paint Tool SAI to add glow, whereas this tutorial just uses GIMP to make things simpler and only require 1 editing program.

You will need: ReShade / GShade and ReLight (optional, but best results) (guide to ReLight here), GIMP image editing program. This program will assume you have basic knowledge of the GIMP program and the Scale, Rotate, Flip, Lasso / Free Select- and Airbrush tools.

Optional CC for fire effects: Natalia-Auditore Fire Wall, Fire Lights (warning for the burned witch body), Fire Spots, Fire on the Ground, Burning Alive, Fire Circle, Igor Magic FX Bracelet

This can be done without mods and CC.

I am using this GShade preset with RTGI turned off. This is the unedited image. (Check out the linked ReLight guide if necessary for the next step. I should have taken a better picture with more of the FX bracelet flames showing, but oh well, we're adding fire anyway.

First off, we use the first ReLight light to create a deep reddish-orange glow. Start from where the most 'concentrated' part of your fire will be. Ideally depending on the size of the fire, you want it to have quite a wide-casting glow, and you want it at an Intensity setting abouit 2/3rds up the slider bar.

Next, make a 2nd ReLight light and make it a lighter orange. This will be a more 'concentrated' glow that casts a brighter inner glow that's not quite as big as the reddish-orange one. This is going to be at a higher Intensity setting than the red-orange one.

With the third ReLight light, you can do a very 'concentrated' bright yellow glow right in the center of the fiery area, or if you have multiple points of fire, use the other 2 ReLight light slots to cast some more detailed lights. For example, I put a yellow-orange light right at the center of Owen's right hand for the fire on the other hand, which casts a stronger glow on his face.

Optionally, you can also use the Bloom shader for more of a powerful glowy look. Top pic is Without Bloom, Bottom pic is With Bloom.

This is the visualised positions of the lights from GShade as a sort of reference guide!

IF YOU DO NOT USE RELIGHT/RESHADE, then we can do something similar in GIMP.

So for the non-ReLight way to do it, we use 3 layers in GIMP set to Overlay mode - and we do the same as above, and use the Airbrush tool to draw in the glow, so each layer has a different opacity and colour of lighting to create the layers of fire glow. You will need to use more yellowish / mid-oranges rather than red-orange when doing it this way so it shows up better.

Now we edit in the fire effects. I recommend finding Creative Commons or similar license images that are free for everyone to use, sometimes with credit required and sometimes not. I no longer have recommended websites to share to look for free pictures as many are now saturated with AI slop which won't look good. I am using this photo from RonaldPlett on Pixabay, I use this one a lot for my story. Find an effect that has a transparent or black BG. Open it up in GIMP.

If you have a Black BG, go to Colours menu > Colour to Alpha, change the Colour to Black and then press OK, and it will remove the Black BG and leave just the transparent fire. Now, CTRL + C and Copy the fire and Paste it into the screenshot. Make sure it stays as a New Layer, don't merge it into the base image. You can use the Select Menu > None or Shift + CTRL + A to deselect.

So now you can use the Scale, Flip, and Rotate on the fire to get it into the position you need. If you need to use multiple of the same image on one screenshot, Flip and Rotate will help it look a bit more 'natural' and not copy-pasted if that makes sense.

On each fire image layer, go to Layer > Transparency > Add Alpha Channel and then Layer > Layer to Image Size. This will make the image boundary the size of the whole image, and will make sure it stays transparent around the fire image as you do this. In the Layers box that is usually at the bottom right corner of newer versions of GIMP, you'll see a Mode drop-down that says 'Normal'. Set it to 'Addition' and it'll create a glowy look that is more cohesive.

Trouble is, you can still see the completely-straight lines where the fire has cut off on the bottom of the .pngs. So to sort that, use the Eraser tool with a mid-to-low Force and Hardness and erase them so that it looks more natural.

OPTIONALLY: You can still do the Overlay Airbrush fire glow technique showed earlier to add some extra 'blending' to the fire lighting if you wish. I did this on my own version.

With that done, go to Image > Merge Visible Layers > don't change any settings then click Merge to make everything one layer. we're going to also add in an effect to mimic 'heat waves' and parts being obscured under the flames. For that we need the Lasso Tool, or Free Select as it's known on GIMP.

Make sure that Feather Edges is anywhere between about 35-50. This will 'blur' the edges of your selection, meaning the effect will blend nicely that we're about to use.

Select the area that is most central to the fire effect, so here it'll be most of the hand. Now, go to Filters > Noise > Slur. Click 'New Seed' for more randomness. Make sure 'Repeat' is quite high.

Do this for each fire image you have, and this is the end result:

EDIT: I used to use this tool for fun all the time as a teen, but you can also use the online drawing tool Flame Painter for fiery magic effects or any magic effects really.

Use Print Screen or the Snipping Tool, add it to your image as a new layer, cut off all of the UI stuff until all you have is the black square and the magic drawing, Colour to Alpha > get rid of the black colour then press OK and then you have magic effects! Yipee!

The news of what happened to GOS makes this a good time to mention, probably, something that I didn't mention earlier because of the hate I received when I scraped GOS.

🆗 Okay but custom venues in The Sims 4 might be one of the BEST ways to make your gameplay feel interesting 😭

We gathered some of our favorite creative venue ideas from boarding schools and movie studios to office gameplay and theater clubs 👀🎭They come with custom roles, schedules, and gameplay ideas that can completely change your legacy experience ✨

If your saves have been feeling repetitive lately… this might be your sign to try something new 🎬

Read the full article in our blog: READ HERE

🌱 Create your family tree with TheSimsTree

❓ Support

Ever look at simmers with aesthetic screenshots and cozy gameplay and wonder why your own game doesn’t feel the same? 🥲 Same here… ☝️ BUT we've got good new!

Sometimes you don’t need to completely change your game for it to feel more cute and alive. It’s often the small details that create that sense of comfort and “lived-in” atmosphere in The Sims 4 gameplay 💭

🌱 We’ve put together a few simple tips and mods that help add more charm to your game and create that cozy vibe!

Save this for later 💾 💬 What small details make your gameplay feel more cozy?

🌱 Create your family tree with TheSimsTree

❓ Support

I've always hated how the camera jumps up and down when playing tall and slim buildings. Turns out, it's really easy to fix! It’ll take you less than a minute. All the details under the cut.

PELICAN TOWN LEGACY CHALLENGE✨

Hiya! I've gone and designed a Stardew Valley inspired legacy challenge. 5 generations based on the 5 core skills in the game: 🐄⛏️🎣🗡🌳

Knowledge of Stardew not required 🫶

Important to note: this has not yet been playtested, and I've never designed a legacy challenge before, so it may be absolute chaos (that's kinda fun though, right? Right??)

BIG NEWS!

I've been working on a free resource website for Sims 4 CC creators called Resources4CC. It's a directory of 100% free tutorials, assets, and useful websites related to creating Sims 4 custom content of all kinds: maxis match, alpha, script mods, meshing, recolors, and more.

If you'll get use out of this site and want to help it grow, please reblog this post to spread the word :)

Over my years making CC, I've often ran into problems finding tutorials, graphics, and tools. People share them on forums, on Tumblr, on YouTube, and even their own websites! So I decided to start R4CC for fellow CC creators who would like a sortable list of free resources, all gathered onto one convenient site.

Note: All the entries link off to the original pages. Nothing but the occasional thumbnail image is hosted on R4CC.

On R4CC, you'll find:

TUTORIALS made by the community for creating CC of all varieties, as well as for using common programs.

ASSETS including patterns, color palettes, graphics, fonts and more.

WEBSITES full of their own tutorial and asset libraries, as well as inspiration for CC, help forums, game mods, and other community resources.

More info under the cut!

But first, a cry for help. This is a Herculean task, yes. I'm an ambitious fool. While I did my best to start the site off with plenty of resources (99 entries, to be exact), it's very incomplete! Do you know of something that could be a great fit for the site? Suggest it via the contact page! The form helps me stay organized and makes sure I won't miss anything, so please don't send recs thru Tumblr. Questions and other comments are encouraged!

Have you ever wondered why Bodyshop makes your PC work so hard?

BODYSHOP HAS NO FPS LIMIT

With limited frame rate, Bodyshop only puts a strain on PC when it loads CAS content. If your GPU fans go significantly faster the entire time you have Bodyshop open, then FPS is very likely way too high.

It's similar case for TS2 game - but FPS also depends on your system / PC /Laptop and the way you run TS2.

➤ To check FPS in the game, use a shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + S to bring up FPS HUD. FPS is displayed right in the upper left corner.

Tip: if FPS is changing too fast, take a few screenshots so you can read FPS from those

➤ If you set a limit to 60 FPS, that tells CPU/GPU to produce 60 game frames per second. This is the sensible number for TS2. Without FPS limit, your hardware is trying to put out frames as fast as it possibly can, heating up and using unnecessary amounts of energy.

The Sims 2 engine was not designed to run any higher than 100 FPS

➤ When you play The Sims 2 with TS2 RPC & borderless window, Windows Desktop Manager usually handles frame rates. Same for windowed TS2 Legacy edition. This is thanks to Vsync*, which forces desktop's default refresh rate on game window.

*In case of high-refresh gaming monitors / laptops, FPS limit imposed by Vsync may not be low enough for TS2.

HEYHEYHEY!!! ive discovered a fun way to make light leaks or any potential colorful lighting to add it in your edits the way y’all desire! ⋆˚🌈｡ (procreate or photoshop)

1. open a new layer, and select brushes, go look for the Luminance section and choose the Lightleak brush.

2. now set the brush Size to your liking, i like to set it BIG 30~70% & the Opacity to 100%.

3. now draw it all over the picture, go up and down, combine some different colors, rotate it or whatever just go CRAZYY, like this!

4. now the fun part hehe... open the light leaks layer and change the blending mode from Normal → to either (Vivid Light, Liner Light, or Color Dodge)

5. see? very colorful ദ്ദി◝ ⩊ ◜) .ᐟ now simply, just adjust it! (in the Adjustment panel to the left) what i always do:

play with the Motion Blur a bit to make it look smooth.

add a bit of Noise textures (optional)

lower the Opacity a bit and erase any unwanted parts.

EXTRA ★ you can use any brushes in-case you don't have the LightLeak one, just like here, i just used a regular Airbrush Blend brush and did the same process, easy!

...anddd YIPPEE!!! we are finished my people! hopefully this would be a nice little helping tip to anyone SHARKSSS!!!

THE SIMS 4 | Realistic Reshade Preset

The preset was made on the current version of ReShade, Version 6.7.3

You will need to install the correct shades in order for the preset to appear like mine.

Gameplay friendly

You will need: 

Standard effects

SweetFX by Ceejay.jk

Legacy standard effects

qUINT

📸 How to Install qUINT DOFDownload ZIP

Once downloaded, unzip the file.

Open the unzipped folder and copy all files into your ReShade Shaders folder. By default, this is usually here: C:\Program Files (x86)\ReShade\Shaders\ If there’s also a Textures folder inside qUINT, copy its contents to your ReShade Textures folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\ReShade\Textures\

📥 How to Download & Install the PresetDownload the preset file Go to where The Sims 4 is installed on your PC Usually this is: Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 4\Game\Bin\

🌿 Optional:

I also use the Softerhaze Sunblind lighting mod 🌸

But

Before you start screaming at cc makers that you can't find their newest stuff in game.

If a creator is updated to the hobbies and business patch you won't see any of their new cc in game. This is beyond any artists control and is a byproduct of something EA did when changing tattoo organization

EA has done this before when werewolfs and horse ranch came out.

Please for fucks sake do NOT scream at cc artists for updating.

CC makers don't have the option- but CC users who are on an older version of the game do.

You (cc users) can un-update the cc. you (cc users) can do it yourself. the world isn't going to wait for you- so if you're digging in your heels, you better damn do it yourself.

And I say this kindly, as someone who hasn't updated the game.

Here's a short tutorial for anyone with the disc-space for s4s and the stubbornness of a mule: this is how to un-update cc. I've done this each time there's been major cas-part changes, and yeah, it's a pain, but if you're desperate to use a particular item, but also can't update: here you go.

I did not expect my rambling to get as much notice as it did, and I found it lacking in certain help. So I went through as much different sizing as possible. Using aspect ratios and the general idea of what I use and what doesn't crunch. And this isn't to say you must these ratios. This is just taking the guess work out of it. (also do note, I am not an expert on this issue, so... take it with a grain of salt...)

I made PSD's if you want that sort of thing. It's below the cut.

Hey everyone I have created yettttt another legacy challenge but this time it’s cozy and relaxing vibes. No drama, no wheel, just some wholesome farming rags to riches! I just want to clarify you can start having a horse in each generation! if you decide not to it is also fine.

I apologize for the low quality on this one but if you decide to give this legacy a go please feel free to tag me at @melluhsims or #Roots&ReinsLegacy