Create-A-World Status & FAQ

Good [time of day here] everyone!  Alright, so we've all seen the trailer. You might have seen me cover some questions on twitter. Now let's get some of those answers in a neat little list and talk details.

So a quick recap, I announced Project Raven two years ago. I know the updates were somewhat sparse, but it was mainly because I had to be careful about what I could show without leaking what it was. Why the codename? Because this project was something different from anything the sims community is used to. It involved a lot of reverse engineering/custom exports and I like to be very responsible with what I hype. The project needed to be 100% deserving of the CAW title first. I genuinely wasn't sure if I'd be able to complete the project as there were countless roadblocks ahead. I've revealed it now, 2 years in, because those roadblocks have all been cleared and I'm confident any remaining to-do's are well within my capabilities.

Also any patron that has been with me for awhile knows I always try to keep my early access periods at about a week or two maximum. I need to point out this is going to be much different because there is an important distinction between early access and alpha/beta access. Two differences actually,
  1. Early access is usually pretty bug-free. Alpha/Beta will most likely have quite a few bugs - especially in this case. I need your feedback as patrons to improve it before public release.

  2. Alpha & Beta access isn't just "early access" and can last for quite a long time, depending on how many issues or changes there are to work through. I do my best to never publicly release buggy mods.

One final note - things can and will definitely change along the way. Especially early on, you should treat the alpha as just a toy for fun and don't use it on any important saves. I will do my best to keep compatibility with worlds you make as we move along in CAW test versions, but please keep no expectations of it.

Now, onto the...

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: It took you 2 years to reach Alpha, is it going to take just as long to publicly release?
A: No. Majority of the 2 years were spent researching and seeing what was or wasn't possible. Laying the roadwork and tools that I would need to develop this as I would normally. We're there now.

Q: Why does this deserve the literal title of "Create A World" ?
A: This is the first CAW-focused mod that includes a true WorldBuilder mode and actually follows EA's world creation and UI process. There isn't any save trickery or overriding existing worlds involved. You will be dropping in a .world file and CAW will take it from there.

Q: The trailer only showed world object manipulation. Are we going to be able to move lots or change the world terrain?
A: Yes, the scope of this mod includes lot and terrain manipulation, and I already have working proof of concept on both fronts. However, the tool that will be used for that will be coming at a later date. I want it to be as user friendly as possible so lots of work ahead.

Q: Is CAW an in-game tool or separate app?
A: "yes" - CAW will be broken into two different sections. The alpha will only include the WorldBuilder portion initially , which is what you see in the trailer. WorldBuilder will be in-game. The other will be tentatively known as World Designer and will be a separate tool that focuses on actual terrain mesh and lot changes.

Q. Why is it broken into two parts?
A: I could have made it a separate tool entirely, but that raises barrier of entry and frankly causes a lot of unnecessary development on my part. This split system allows many people to still participate in world creation even if they aren't all comfortable with getting their hands dirty with world terrain. The idea is that those who are willing, can upload their templates for those who aren't to have more choices to build on.

Q. Why aren't we getting the World Designer in the Alpha launch?
A. The alpha is focused on the absolutely necessary core features, the world packaging process, and stability. There is undoubtedly many scenarios out there I haven't accounted for, and can't account for, until I get some actual players out there trying things and finding what isn't working. Worrying about the World Designer before we've created a stable base would be putting the cart before the horse.

Q. Is this Open World?
A. Kind of, but not really. True Open World does not and can not exist in the TS4 engine. CAW will be capable of the pseudo "open world" some are used to in TS4, due to the tools at the creator's disposal, but it's not the point of CAW.

Q. Are you going to add [various small features here]
A. TBD. Again, lets focus on stability and core functionality for now. The extras can always come after.

Q. Am I going to be able to share my worlds?
A: Absolutely, there is going to be an official exchange for you to share your worlds. Templates will also be sharable there once the World Designer is out. I'm going to try my best to have at least a rudimentary version of that up when the Alpha launches.

Q. Can I use CC in my world?
A. Yes, with some conditions involved. CAW will allow you to package CC into the world file but it will require permission from the CC creator if you didn't create the CC yourself. Without permission, you'll be able to instead list the links where players can obtain the CC. Keep in mind any CC you add means a possible dependency on the CC creator keeping their CC up to date.

Q. I don't want to create worlds, can I still download worlds others make?
A. No problem. There's going to be a lightweight "CAW Client" that will only include what's necessary to enjoy the worlds. Since this is basically a stripped down version of CAW, it will be one of the last things created before public release, since there's really no harm in just using the full mod while testing.

Q. Will the original worlds be left in tact?
A. Yes, the original worlds are left alone. When CAW is installed you'll have 3 world sections. EA worlds, your custom worlds, and "Create A World" which includes all of the templates. For now the only templates are EA's worlds. In the past we've seen world overrides that make Origin angry, and it often repairs your game unexpectedly, removing your custom world. This avoids that issue entirely.

Q. Do I need to know how to use TOOL to build worlds?
A. Nope! WorldBuilder is a whole separate mode from buildbuy and allows you to place objects in the world with ease.

Q. Does that mean TOOL is going away?  
A. Not at all, not everyone wants to build worlds and CAW/WorldBuilder is overkill for regular TOOL usage. TOOL is included in WorldBuilder though, for those who insist on being perfectionists with their object placement.

Q. Will TOOL be able to delete world objects now?
A. No. It's the complex architecture of CAW that allows for that, it's still well outside of the scope for TOOL. TOOL will be getting some pretty nice upgrades later on though. Stay tuned for those.

Q. What's the difference between Alpha, Beta, and RC? When will the Beta be available?
A. Traditionally speaking, an Alpha means features are still being added, while a beta is feature-complete but still being tested. However since I will be frequently adding features, I will use Alpha and Beta in the following way: Alpha means my confidence in a smooth play experience is low. Bugs should be expected, and they might be frequent. Beta means I'm fairly sure the mod is stable but there could still be some major bugs. Finally, the early access many are used to, Release Candidate, means that I believe it's bug-free and could potentially be the public version, but patrons still get to playtest first to report any remaining issues. The beta will become available when I've reached the necessary confidence level, so it depends on how smoothly the alpha goes.

Q. What tiers will have access to the Alpha?
A. I've thought about this for awhile. I want to be fair to all my patrons, but at the same time this has been a monumental project for me, nothing else I've done even remotely compares. I feel a $10 tier is fair. Once we reach beta status, $6 patrons will of course be included again. I will also be adding a $30 VIP tier that will earn you a Supporter spot on the CAW Credits widget. I'll be making a standalone public post about these tiers once they're added. Should be the next few days.