A while ago I noticed that most of my sims had very similar facial features - the sliders are almost always in the same place; the only things that vary, really, are hair and eye color. And I see a lot of people who still have gorgeous sims, but they actually look different. Like, different mouth shapes, eye shapes, nose shapes, etc. And I'm just curious as to how you all achieve this. 'Cause I'm apparently not doing something right. XD

I've probably shown you this before, but this is pretty much what I do:

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/318538.page

But I do tend to get into patterns with liking a certain nose, eyes, or what not xD.

Yeah, I think I've seen that before. And that's how I start out, too - randomizing. But I still find myself moving the slider to the same spots each time.

I think it's hard to NOT do that because there's a 'base' of how you like your sims!

I think it really has to do with comfort level. You need to be able to do something that you would normally never do when making Sims. For example, if you usually give your Sims small noses that always look the same, try and use a different method. I think it's always a good idea to look at picture for inspiration or even other Sims that people have made. Sometimes giving a Sim a different ethnic background helps too.

That's true. And also very frustrating.

I use anthropological plates. Google Pontid, East Baltid, Faelid, Iranid etc. Also, I use alot of slider multipliers and hacks.

East Baltid with Pontid influence as an example.

buckosnort wrote:I think it really has to do with comfort level. You need to be able to do something that you would normally never do when making Sims. For example, if you usually give your Sims small noses that always look the same, try and use a different method. I think it's always a good idea to look at picture for inspiration or even other Sims that people have made. Sometimes giving a Sim a different ethnic background helps too.

I've looked at other sims that people have made and tried to copy certain features (the lips, for example), but a lot of the time I just can't seem to figure out how they got them to look that way. XD

@Eiszimmer - She's definitely unique looking! Though I don't know if I could do the anthropological thingamajiggie like you do, my brain might implode. What slider hacks/multiples do you use, exactly? I have some, but maybe not the right ones. xD

If I want a unique looking sim, I take a pre-made with extreme features and just take the edges off. I don't mean big slider changes ... just enough to make them easier on the eye. Then I switch their gender and see if anything needs to be altered (for offspring purposes) then go back and forth making changes as needed but only in the gender that I plan to keep. Changes made in the opposite gender can be too radical with even a small slider change.

Besides my Sims having different backgrounds, I'm always experimenting and pushing their look, not afraid to play with sliders. Plus I have a certain set of characters(about 20) I'm always remodeling esp. now since I have so much CC.....

Mikezumi wrote:If I want a unique looking sim, I take a pre-made with extreme features and just take the edges off. I don't mean big slider changes ... just enough to make them easier on the eye. Then I switch their gender and see if anything needs to be altered (for offspring purposes) then go back and forth making changes as needed but only in the gender that I plan to keep. Changes made in the opposite gender can be too radical with even a small slider change.

Ah, see, that's what always concerns me is the genetic aftermath. XD I want Generation X to be pretty, but their kids can't be horrendous. (I know that's horrible of me to say, but it's a game, so... IDC. ._.) I never thought of switching genders while altering them, though. That's a good idea, thanks.

@Lakross - I don't typically have any 'backgrounds' in mind, so maybe I should try that sometime.

I create unique sims by in game breeding.
Using sims that I don't typically use with different faces really makes the future offspring unique looking.
I actually found that the Twinbrook sims don't have such a bad genetic outlook as most people think.
I've had some really pretty sims come from there!

solar_midnite wrote:

buckosnort wrote:I think it really has to do with comfort level. You need to be able to do something that you would normally never do when making Sims. For example, if you usually give your Sims small noses that always look the same, try and use a different method. I think it's always a good idea to look at picture for inspiration or even other Sims that people have made. Sometimes giving a Sim a different ethnic background helps too.

I've looked at other sims that people have made and tried to copy certain features (the lips, for example), but a lot of the time I just can't seem to figure out how they got them to look that way. XD

I guess you just need to mess around in CAS to try and achieve a different looking Sim. Maybe use the Randomize Sim button and don't change their features too much Maybe that would work, but I have never done that before...

TokioAlyssa wrote:I create unique sims by in game breeding.
Using sims that I don't typically use with different faces really makes the future offspring unique looking.
I actually found that the Twinbrook sims don't have such a bad genetic outlook as most people think.
I've had some really pretty sims come from there!

Really?? Twinbrook??

Shocking. O_O

I haven't played Twinbrook much. Maybe two or three times when Ambitions came out, and then all the new EP's and SP's came out and I didn't know how to go about remodeling it, so I just went to SV. But maybe I'll see about moving some of the townies into a new game...

solar_midnite wrote: Ah, see, that's what always concerns me is the genetic aftermath. XD I want Generation X to be pretty, but their kids can't be horrendous. (I know that's horrible of me to say, but it's a game, so... IDC. ._.) I never thought of switching genders while altering them, though. That's a good idea, thanks.

The genetics aftermath is my ONLY concern