MEANT TO BE PIXELS

Hi everyone.

First, sorry for my English, I'm not a native speaker so redacting a long post might include mistakes 🫣

I think the last statement from the Sims 4 community managers was the last straw for me.

I won't expand on save corruptions issues. I know that this one huge issue with multiples causes and ways to manifest, so that's not an easy thing to solve. Knowing that they are at least working on it is good, but they already talked about that in the past, and we have no visibility on the resources invested in that part.

In the meantime, they continue to release packs upon packs and pile up more and more stuff on this game. We don't have to buy them, but still, it means they have resources to invest on working on new features, and that the complexity added to have more and more packs, features and combinations of that, means that their ability to test, find bugs and solve them is stretched thinner and thinner as time goes by.

Talking about QA, they explicitly said here that they are now unable to test their packs correctly with all the existing combinations of packs and devices existing, and that they rely on feedback from players to correct those issues. Even if that doesn't come as a surprise for me as a regular user of the Bug Report forums, they explicitly said that they expect players who paid their packs full-price to be the ones testing and finding issues. Instead of investing the proper resources to do it on their side.

Getting half-baked functionalities and less and less original ideas in packs is one thing, and that's subjective (some recent packs were good in my opinion, even if a little bit disappointing when you see how things work in reality - hello Businesses and Hobbies !). But being expected to face issues and report them when you play a new expansion, it's an early access, smaller game studios with less resources make you pay less for that, and it's explicitly said.

Having worked on QA and managed teams doing QA in context where the time and the resources are too little, I know that's a recipe for disaster. You can have a product that work on the surface, but in the back, it's grasping at straws, and any new feature you add is an additional risk of things breaking. The issue is not only about QA, it's about strategic decisions in terms or resources EA invests in QA.

Of course, all this work behind the scenes is not profitable compared to releasing new content in the short term. But in the long run, it can lead to more and more anger from the customers, a loss of confidence in the product and more and more work to be done to ensure the product is viable at a surface level for casual players.

We can see how it already affects the game now : for each new patch, it's like 20 issues solved, and 30 new issues happening. And they are weirder and weirder. For exemple, at the moment, sims in situation outfits come with a random hat. Looking at the scripts and the tuning myself, I wasn't able to understand what cause that, and what was changed. It's more and more complex.

It's like your own body, where multiple organs are connected and most of them are needed to make you live, that's a system. The game is a system, with multiple interconnected stuff that makes it function. If you make the system more and more complex and it's not robust initially, you have more and more risks to make it fail at some point.

I reported multiple issues in the Bug Report forums. One of my pet peeve is that we have no visibility on the process, we don't know how what we post here is reported to people solving the issues, how it's prioritized, and what's the deadline. I mean, I always take time to investigate an issue, look at the tunings and the scripts, but even when you provide all the infos on a silver platter and identify the root cause, like this one, it's not solved. It's there since B&H release.

I would rather them take a time to aknowledge all of that, and take a step back. Focus the effort on solving the existing issues for a while and not release new content. I know that's not the same teams that work on solving issues or creating features or content, but for exemple in the meantime, teams in charge of CAS content of build content could focus on updating base game content to make it up to current standards, add items (like the Spa Day refresh - we need the simple bed versions of all those double beds from last packs and more content for younger Sims in CAS), update existing worlds of adding new free worlds to represent other parts of the planet, and so on.

There is plenty of stuff to do in every aspect to improve the experience, especially if they plan on keeping the Sims 4 alive. I don't need new duplicate features (I don't need my Sim to learn Herbalism, Apothecary, and Potion Making as a Spellcaster that basically do the same thing) or having 5 new crop tops like for each pack. I want a game that is stable, fun to play, and knowing that if I encounter an issue and report it, it will be taken into account. That doesn't seem too much to ask from a company like EA that has enough resources and money to do it.

I stopped buying packs a long time ago, and I would love to see more and more people boycotting new packs, at least for a while. I feel like that's the only way to express the disappointment and be heard (and I guess the reason of this statement as the uproar is rising and a new roadmap is supposed to be released).

I hope more and more people will talk about it, and make this message be heard.

as someone who dls a lot of cc from a lot of places, i’ve had to take a LOT of precaution when it comes to safety online for those pesky short links that infect ur computer with random garbage. here are the extensions i personally use to bypass most shitty linkage

disclaimer: please don’t come to me and tell me im taking money from creators by using these extensions. if you want to click on adfly links, go ahead! this is just for the people who don’t. also, don’t take these links as a get out of jail free card for online safety. people are crafty. use common sense to avoid getting a virus. this will just lower your chances of getting a virus, or just save you some annoyance.

adblock plus- p much the most popular extension out there. i use it on all sites even outside of cc downloading. sadly a lot of sites are taking action against adblock, adding counters to their links, or even keeping you from accessing the site at all. it’s easy to disable the extension for single sites though, or you can just leave the site altogether. still, adblock is incredibly useful!

the rest of these extensions are for the google chrome webstore. im sure there are similar extensions for whatever browser you use though. just check your browser’s webstore and im sure you’ll find similar, or you could just switch to google chrome

ad(fly) skipper - bypasses adfly’s counter and takes you straight to your download

short.est skipper - same deal as the last one, and currently my most useful extension, since a lot of creators are using short.est instead of ad.fly lately. short.est is annoying because it has a lot of different redirect urls it can take you to with different domains, but the devs of the extension were good about blocking most, if not all, of the domains short.est uses so it’ll skip it no matter what.

tsr ad skipper - bypasses tsr’s countdown. it’s not necessarily a safety extension, just saves you time and keeps tsr from being more annoying than it has to be.

TSR Ad Skipper no longer works to my knowledge. The Website spits back a server error whenever I had it installed! I use this mix of Chrome Extensions and it covers just about everything.

AdBlock Plus - Basic web adblocker extension

UBlock Origin - Same as above

Adguard AdBlocker - Same as above

All those extensions block ads on TSR (and elsewhere), but there’s nothing currently I found that skips the countdown. At least now you can be safe while waiting for it. The rest of my extensions are for protection against Link shorteners and such. There’s no one extension that bypasses all the link shorteners that exist out there so I have a few that manage to catch everything but ouo.io and one other i can’t remember the name of.

adf.ky killer - skips over adfly and similar sites

AdSkipper - catches some of the things adf.ly killer can’t.

Skip Shorte.st ads - for some reason, the above two extensions never caught shortest links. So I downloaded this and now I can bypass them so -shrug-

Universal Bypass - This is a catch-all for any sneaky shit that isn’t covered above.

Link Redirect Trace - With this if a redirect is particularly stubborn from some greedy creator I can just open this extension and copy the direct link to the dl page. I use it a lot to find and provide the direct links to meshes from creators who use multiple redirect links. 

URL uncover - Similar deal to link redirect. I have both but honestly you could just use one. 

TSR freemium - VIP experience without VIP cost. Gives access to cart and all other vip features. Requires tampermonkey or similar. 

God fucking damnit 

This fucking virus is spreading like a wildfire right now

IF YOU SEE THIS. REBLOG.

Do not click the link without a script blocker! Do not click the link without a proper adblocker! Do not browse the web without Firefox!

You are allowed to like this pack 

You are allowed to buy it 

You are allowed to hype over it 

You are allowed not to like it 

You are allowed not to buy it 

You are allowed to not hype over it 

You are NOT allowed to hurt, harass or squash anyone if they have an opinion that differs from yours. 

Hey Everyone, It’s Shelly! I have a few things to get of my chest and I felt like this could be a good place to do so.

As many of you know or you may not, I made a petition last month calling for The Sims™ Team to fix the issue with the darker skin-tones in the game. I am making this post just to share my overall frustration with the franchise and as a creator as a whole. 

The Sims 4™ has been out since 2014. In that time we have had many patches and updates to the base game and yet after 6 (going on 7) years we still have YET to fix the skin-tone issue that we have had from the start. It is so hard to find accurate representation in this game. Sad to say this doesn’t just happen in The Sims™. The gaming community as a whole puts black and brown characters on the back burner and when it comes to character creation they will have a plethora of options for paler characters but then they will throw in one token black hair and call it a day. If these gaming companies truly care about inclusivity then they should be taking the steps to SHOW it. It really upsets me that The Sims™, in particular prides itself of creativity and diversity but have yet to live up to their beliefs fully. 

This next part isn’t a callout or me “coming” for anyone, but I have to make this example to show you all what I mean. 

Xmiramira is a prominent figure in the gaming community, she is a wonderful black gamer who has been playing sims for years. Mira called The Sims™ out for their lack of skin-tones several years ago and even went out of her way to make more skin-tones and colors for us black and brown players called the Melanin Pack. She did this in 2016 and here we are in 2020 and the base game colors have still not improved. Recently another YouTuber (who is great in her own right) made the request to have the ability to nickname cowplants. This feature wasn’t necessarily needed but yet in the latest patch to the game we now have the ability to do so.The only reason I am mentioning this is to point out how the The Sims™ Team doesn’t prioritize the things that players are asking for. It is just really sad to see that a game that so many of us love not have the representation that we need. 

As a black creators we have to work twice as hard to get half as far. Even me as a black custom content creator, I don’t get as much recognition as my peers and to be honest, the black and p.o.c creators are some of the best in this community. This isn’t saying that our white peers aren’t great, but all I am saying is that you can see that there is a clear divide.

I hope that one day we can see a change. We shouldn’t have to rely on CC and Petitions to get the game that we deserve. If you all are looking for more skin-tones I made a list in one of my previous post. Here is a LINK for those interested.

the police force has been corrupt since long before you and i were born. people don’t become cops to protect and serve, they become cops to feel strong and to use their strength against others. you are falling for propaganda if you believe that white men kneeling a la colin kaepernick mean the cops you see firing rubber bullets and batoning people are the exception to the rule. 

tear gas

background

tear gas is not a gas, it’s a kind of powder that clings to ur skin and clothing. it affects ur eyes and ur respiratory system. tear gas cans have different levels of toxicity, and the ones used against civilians are the lowest, but u should never trust a cop with ur safety

countries might have different policies about it, but common (rarely followed) protocols include: 

tear gas canister must be shot at the air, not directly at civilians

police must announce they will gas the place before shooting a can

lethality

people with respiratory problems should be thoroughly careful as death may ocur in a matter of hours exposed to it

others with no problems might experience fainting

have in mind the long lasting effects of this chemical weapon have not been registered yet

protection

thick face mask (the type made from a paper-like material) for a short period of exposure or low toxicity

proper gas masks with mixed filter against organic vapours and acid gases + particles

goggles (like ski masks or to go swimming)

if the gas mask doesn’t cover your entire face/doesn’t have a proper grip, u need to wear a bandana or a piece of clothing under it

do NOT use vinegar

do NOT wear makeup, creams or sunscreen as it worsens the effect on ur eyes

treatment & prevention

cheap: mixture of 90% water + 10% baking soda, apply on the nose, rinse ur mouth with it, pour it on the eyes (closed) and wait a little while before blinking repeatedly

 effective & cheap: boil a pot of water with laurel leaves (the kind u use to cook) until water turns brown. apply on nose, rinse mouth, pour on closed eyes and blink repeatedly. more effective as preventive measure (soak a piece of clothing and hold it against ur mouth/nose or tie it around ur head)

other: maalox antiacid

u can bite on a lemon for the effects to go away, but it would only last once ur away from the gas

do NOT run or get agitated, walk fast and watch where ur going. be calm, be mindful of others suffering the effects of the gas around u. help each other. contain each other

sneeze, cough, spit and blink as much as necessary until u’ve recovered

aftercare

tear gas clings to ur skin and ur clothes, so try to get the least amount of skin exposed. do NOT touch ur face (eyes, mouth, nose) with ur hands or ur clothes after u’ve been exposed, as the particles of the chemical will once again hurt u

u can wash ur clothes with baking soda, but the chemical might still remain (so dont take that forever 21 dress to a protest)

do NOT shower with hot water, as it re-activates the chemical. u dont have to use ice cold water but regulate the temperature carefully

neutralization

baking soda + water mixture in a big (6lt) reusable water bottle (some people add shampoo). u must wear heavy face protection and wielding gloves to manipulate the tear gas canister, grabbing it quickly from the floor and then cover the bottle as fast as u can once u put the can inside. it takes a few minutes to put off.

important: keep the canister, dont throw it away. when u’ve gotten to safety take a picture of the labels and information on the can, as it details the toxicity and precautions. make sure to check the protocols in ur country and report any misconduct.

not recommended: if u do not have the proper equipment to handle a tear gas canister, throw or kick the can against the police who shot it. watch them suffer. absolutely not recommended i do not support this u should never :-)

pepper spray

background

pepper spray isnt a gas either, the particles get under ur skin and stay there for a very long period of time. it obstructs ur respiratory system and blinds u for hours. if u see a cop walking around with a long canister in their hand, do please please get away and warn others.

lethality

death has been registered on asthmatic people

no long lasting effects as far as i know

protection

there’s nothing that can really prevent the effects of a pepper spray attack. it will cling to whatever u have on though, so the more covered u are the less particles will reach ur skin.

milk: magnesium milk is more recommended (u can buy it in a drugstore) but regular milk might work as well. it can lower the effects of pepper spray but it wont stop it. it relieves the effects after u’ve been attacked, but depending on how exposed u were. it leaves white stains on the skin and clothes.

aftercare

tear gas will worsen the effects, so if ur attacked with pepper spray u must get away immediately

if u are hit directly, in close proximity, u need to be taken to a hospital asap

it will burn ur skin and ur throat, u will feel hell on ur skin, but do not cry. remain calm. u need to know this will be over in a few hours and u will have no long lasting effects

the hospital may release u once u’ve recovered sight, but ur skin (especially ur hands, as u use and move them the most) will still hurt from time to time. sink the affected areas in a mixture of water and dish soap repeatedly and fast for 10-15 seconds

do NOT put any creams or lotions on

throw away the clothes and belongings contaminated with it, but be careful and mindful of the animals and homeless people who search for food in the trash, they dont deserve to suffer the effects of this weapon just because u are lousy

pellet shots

lethality

u will not die of a pellet shot wound, but if it lands on ur eyes u will be permanently blinded as the eye injury is irreversible

at the hospital they might have to give u vaccines

sometimes doctors are unable to remove the bullets and, depending on what it’s made of, u might suffer the effects of contamination

have in mind they can land anywhere, even ur face, and the removal is painful and excruciating

if ur shot in a non threatening part of ur body it will hurt like hELL, but u can still walk around just fine

protection

wearing jeans or windbreaker fabric will lower the speed of the shot, though it will still injure ur skin

anything from tin pieces to wood will stop the bullets. u can make a shield out of stop signs or cable satellites antennas

if u have a shield with u, it is ur responsability to stand in the front and protects other

for the eyes: safety glasses/goggles with ANSI z87.1 or z87+ standard are the easiest and cheapest to get, but military standard MIL-PRF-31013 is more effective. be sure to check the item actually qualifies legally for the standard

extra

water tank: throwing rocks at it only works if the door is open and u can aim at the cops inside. be careful since they might mix water with other chemicals (like caustic soda, which produces burns in the skin and vomit) and are more likely to use disposed water. depending on the type of tank it might actually hit u so hard u fly out of ur shoes, so be careful

laser pointer: u can use them to block cops’ vision, it will save lives

arrest: if u are being arrested and u are alone, or all the people u are with are being taken with u, yell ur full name so the people watching (probably recording) can have proof that u have been detained and ur family and friends can find out

this is specifically a call to action for fellow white people. if you’re white and you’re in any way able to, donate.

George Floyd’s memorial fund

Minnesota Freedom Fund: “We value a society that values its people, their freedom and recognizes their contribution to the greater good. A society that does not condition pretrial freedom on class or identity, that has ended mass incarceration, and that invests in restorative and transformative justice.”

Black Visions Collective, an org that strives to “shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota. We aim to center our work in healing and transformative justice principles, intentionally develop our organizations core DNA to ensure sustainability, and develop Minnesota’s emerging Black leadership to lead powerful campaigns.”

Reclaim the Block, which “organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety. We believe health, safety and resiliency exist without police of any kind. We organize around policies that strengthen community-led safety initiatives and reduce reliance on police departments.”

insp.

here you can find donation links, petitions, how to educate yourself, etc.

if you can afford to donate: official george floyd memorial fund here minnesota freedom fund here stephen lawrence charitable trust here the NAACP legal defense fund here black lives matter here

petitions you can sign: justice for george floyd here, here & here get the officers charged here reclaim the block — minneapolis here justice for breonna taylor here, here & here justice for ahmaud arbery here, here & here pass the georgia hate crime bill here **if you are international and aren’t able to sign, here are some zip codes to use: 90015 — los angeles, california  10001 — new york city, new york  75001 — dallas, texas 

text or call: text “JUSTICE” 688366 text “FLOYD” to 55156

get in contact with the district attorney and minneapolis mayor. leave a message demanding that 4 officers including derek chauvin (badge #1087) and tou thao (badge #7162) be arrested for the murder of george floyd.  minneapolis mayor’s office, jacob frey: (612) 673-2100 minneapolis district attorney, mike freeman: (612) 348-5550 OR [email protected] minneapolis PD emails: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] you can find the email template here

breonna taylor was murdered in her sleep by policemen (jonathan mattingly, brett hankison and myles cosgrove) who raided the wrong house and shot her 8 times. call the louisville mayor’s office and police department to demand that the police be fired and charged. louisville mayor’s office, greg fischer: (502) 574-2003 louisville metro police department: (502) 574-7111

undercover cop, jacob pedersen of the st. paul PD was seen smashing windows as the catalyst to many of the riots that occurred in minneapolis. email the st. paul PD and report his actions. st. paul PD email: [email protected] proof of smashing windows here proof it was pedersen here

want to learn more? i strongly recommend the book “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race” by reni eddo-lodge. you can find an extract here.