The Sims Wiki:Custom content policy
The Custom content namespace on The Sims Wiki is used to document notable pieces of custom content created by The Sims community, such as lots, houses, Sims, neighborhoods, worlds, and mods. All pages on custom content must follow this policy.
NB: The Sims Wiki is not a file sharing or file hosting platform, and does not host any custom content. It only seeks to document and provide information on existing pieces of custom content.
Notability
- See also: The Sims Wiki:Notability Policy
There are hundreds of thousands of custom content available for The Sims series, ranging from simple clothes and furniture to houses and community lots, or even game changing mods and entire ready-to-play neighborhoods. Although The Sims Wiki contains a lot of information, it is not an indiscriminate collection of information, meaning that not everything goes. Custom content listed on the wiki needs to have attained a certain level of notability for inclusion.
Notability is usually decided on a case by case basis through community discussion and consensus building. There are a few basic guidelines as to what constitutes as a notable piece of custom content:
- It must be substantial. This can be hard to describe, but a general rule is that it needs to be more than something that can be thrown together in a few minutes. A few suggested guidelines for different pieces of custom content are listed below:
- Objects: Simple recolors of existing objects are not notable for inclusion. Similarly, most pieces of furniture also do not make the cut, since there is very little to write about even in terms of a well-made bed or dresser. Objects that include new interactions are almost always notable. We may also include extremely bizarre or radical objects too, such as J. M. Pescado's OMGWTFBBQ.
- Lots and houses: Lots need to contain a substantial amount of development or be themed after a notable place in real life. For example, a recreation of the Winchester Mystery House may be considered notable, while a recreation of the apartment you lived in when you were twenty-five may not.
- Mods and hacks: Mods and hacks that change one small aspect about the game, such as a non-notable typo or a very simple behavior change, are not considered notable enough for the wiki, unless such mods are very widely used and have significant implications. Mods and hacks that introduce significant new features are usually notable enough for inclusion.
- Neighborhoods and worlds: Neighborhoods and worlds need to be in some sense "complete"; that is, they must have enough lots for the neighborhood/world to be playable and enjoyable, and preferably they should already have some custom Sims living in there. The custom content namespace is specially tailored towards these custom neighborhoods and worlds, as they tend to require the most amount of work to produce. Neighborhoods and worlds that do not contain any lots or Sims are not notable. A neighborhood or world that contains lots but no Sims can still be considered notable if the neighborhood/world is otherwise complete.
- It needs to be publicly accessible. Notability is determined when it is notable in the public sphere. A piece of custom content that is notable within a private circle is not considered notable enough for The Sims Wiki. Additionally, custom content that is only shared via private or unlisted download links is not considered notable unless significantly documented elsewhere. In short, it should be evident that the custom content exists by doing an Internet search outside of The Sims Wiki.
Verifiability
Verifiability means that other users can look up the information provided on the wiki on other sources, such as another website. In the main article namespace where regular wiki articles reside, this is possible through people owning copies of The Sims and being able to verify that the information on the wiki matches what is found in-game. For custom content, this is possible through people downloading copies of the custom content to verify the information on the wiki is accurate.
As such, all custom content must be publicly accessible. A publicly accessible piece of custom content is one that is either:
- ...hosted on a proper custom content sharing site. These include The Exchange, Mod The Sims, The Sims Resource, among others. These websites list custom content in a user-friendly format, providing creators the ability to upload screenshots and write descriptions on the custom content, and will provide a download link that other users can use to obtain the custom content in question. Some websites may also offer additional social features such as the ability to message creators and leave comments.
- ...documented on the creator's website or blog. Creators that do this include J. M. Pescado, Cyjon, and AroundTheSims. The custom content can be hosted on a file hosting website such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or Sim File Share, and are linked to from the creator's website.
The Sims Wiki is not a hosting service for custom content that has not been uploaded or documented anywhere else. It is not a platform for creators to share their works for the first time; rather, it serves as an encyclopedia to report on information that is already published somewhere else. If you are a creator and want your creation to be featured on The Sims Wiki, at the very least it needs to be listed somewhere else first, such as a custom content sharing site, a forum for custom content, or your own website or blog.