MMO: Desiderata Valley

[nepheris]

Ever since the first time I made over Desiderata Valley (which was for my first Megahood), I've been playing it as a tropical hood. Desiderata Valley originally has this completely uninspiring hood layout, and the whole 'valley inbetween the mountains on the edge of a lake/sea' thing has been done way too often. I was also missing a semi-tropical  hood. Plenty of temperate climates, a desert (Strangetown) and mountain/pine forest (Riverblossom Hills), but no palm trees!

One extra thing I did for Desiderata Valley was go into all the houses and give them the same off-white stucco job and red roofing.The effect is more Tuscan than tropical, but I like it anyway :)







I really like the lagoon effect that the bay now has.

Comments

[silivrin.livejournal.com]

Wow... just wow!
Your Desiderata Valley looks fantastic!

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much :)

[krolowa-francji.livejournal.com]

Oh, this looks awesome :o I don't usually pay much attention to the neighbourhood screen, but now I kinda wish I had something as pretty in my game.

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I actually like neighbourhood decorating best of all the things you can do with TS2 :)

[galialady.livejournal.com]

I love your idea of a tropical Desiderata since your first magahood! (and I'm trying to do the same thing with mine :P)

nepheris, can I ask you how did you manage to put that lovely water color? Thank you!

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

The water colour thing is a deco object that came with BV, I believe. It's in your effects tab, and has 'no pic' written instead of a thumbnail. Just place it so it's just below the waterline, looks very nice, like a coral reef :)

[galialady.livejournal.com]

Thank you nepheris :) I thought you used some kind of new object or replacement because I tried the BV deco once and it didn't work :/ No matter how I put it, the coral color does not appear on my Desiderata sea...

Thank you anyway! I will try some more times :P

[meetme2theriver.livejournal.com]

I love your DV. It's the best. So much more interesting than the pseudo-Pleasantview look it had before.

I'll totally use your lagoon replacement if you post it.

Also, that's Numenor's waterfall deco, right? For some reason, it wouldn't work in my game! D: I mean, I could place it, but the water didn't appear... It was just a rock. Is there some trick to placing it?

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) I'll probably post the decorated hoods sometime next week.

Those are indeed Numenor's objects. It does matter how you place them, as if you place them backwards they'll spray into the mountainside instead of the right way around. I've also found that they don't start spraying immediately. It can take a while before they kick into action, and I haven't found anything that will force them to start. Switching neighborhoods and going in and out of houses occasionally work, but I think it's just a matter of patience, mostly.

[meetme2theriver.livejournal.com]

Oh, okay, it's good to know it wasn't just me having trouble with it! I'll have to try it out again and see if I can get it to work. Thanks. :)

[niloublue.livejournal.com]

It looks great, way better than the original Maxis version!
I love the colour of the water and the fact that you gave all the houses the same stucco and red roofs. It actually reminds me of Tuscany (which is the place where a live, hehe!) :D

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Oooh tuscany, it must be wonderful to live there :) I've always wanted to visit ^^

[imawsume.livejournal.com]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's lovely! As are all your other 'hood makeovers! But I like this one the best for some reason haha!

>.> Do you mind me asking what hack/mod you use to make your waters and skies look so...awesome??

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much! :) I only use nimi4's sky objects (she's on LJ, check her out). The water reflects the sky, making it look much more realistic.

[chickadeelee.livejournal.com]

That looks wonderful! I really like the tropical theme that you've given this hood. I've never made over any of the pre-made hoods, but I do know how this hood seems to be pretty boring. But you've totally made it new! How did you get the lagoon effect for the lake/sea? I've never seen that before and it's really neat!

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! I do agree, Desiderata Valley is *very* boring out of the box... I'm glad you like the tropical version :)
The water colour thing is a deco object that came with BV, I believe. It's in your effects tab, and has 'no pic' written instead of a thumbnail. Just place it so it's just below the waterline.

[juliejaz1.livejournal.com]

I don't seem to see that particular deco thing that changes the water coloring. *puzzled*

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

Well, do you have BV? As it came with that EP as far as I know.

[juliejaz1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have BV. I have all expansions and stuff packs. I just don't seem to see the water coloring object thing - that is just really odd. *still puzzled*

[pnkpnthr334.livejournal.com]

Another amazing makeover! I'd have to say that this one is my favorite too. Turning DV into a tropical hood adds a lot of character to the hood.

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

Thanks :D I do like it as well, now I can actually *do* something with the hood as it has a theme.

[sidgwick.livejournal.com]

I've been loving all your megahood makeovers but this one is truly stunning. It also really fits with the whole hobby theme of the place. It has some of the same feel as southern California where we've got the whole sea, palms, red roofs, and white stucco thing going on.

[nepheris.livejournal.com]

Haha I hadn't thought of the whole 'hobby' theme of the hood yet, but you're right, it does fit well :) Thank you!

[olivethegreat.livejournal.com]

I think it looks awesome. The lagoon effect really does look good.