Challenge Creator: Pasting Text & Crediting Creators
Hey folks!
I usually don't use Patreon posts for general communication, so I apologize for the notification ping. However, I need to reach out to everyone currently using the Challenge Creator.
Pasting Text into Challenge Creator
I’ve noticed many of you are pasting text from external sources without clearing the formatting first. This often breaks the Challenge. While I have updated the Challenge Creator to help strip unnecessary data, it isn't 100% reliable.
Please remember: Use the internal formatting tools within the Challenge Creator. These are specifically designed to work with The Sims 4.
I have had to reject several submissions because they weren't properly playtested and contained errors. If you are submitting to the Challenge Gallery, please ensure your Challenge looks and loads correctly in your own game first.
Formatting Examples
Here are examples of how external formatting (like text from Word or Google Docs) can break your file:
Case 1: Inherited Metadata
Black font: Unnecessary, as the default "undefined" color is designed to match the in-game UI.
Tabs/Indentation: Extra tabulation before lists will look misaligned in-game.
Tables: Pasting a table will often cause the entire Rules section to disappear in-game.
Case 2: "Garbage" Data
Even simple lines of text can embed hidden formatting code. When exported, this "garbage" data is written into the file, causing visual glitches and broken text.
⚠️ Always use plain text when pasting.
The "Creator" Section
I want to clarify how to handle the Creator label. I recently received two "Very Veggie Legacy" submissions both credited to "lilsimsie."
The "Creator" field is intended for the person who actually built the Challenge file using the tool. Crediting a popular creator like lilsimsie here implies she generated the file herself. To avoid confusion and ensure you aren't misrepresenting someone else's work, please:
List yourself as the Creator of the file.
Mention the original idea/inspiration (e.g., "Based on a challenge by lilsimsie") in the Premise section.
Thank you for the warm reception of my Challenge Tracker Challenge Tracker and for all the Challenges you're submitting to the Challenge Gallery. I'm extremely grateful for your support and for what we're building together.
Comments (13)
Oops! 😬I submitted the Skylines challenge to the gallery last week under the creators name. I resubmitted it today. I've also condensed it a little more as it's a long challenge. Sorry, and thanks!
Hi I wanted to submit my own challenge that someone else already uploaded. Once I choose the challenge file is there a submission button? I’m not sure if I am submitting it or if it’s being cut off by the early access portion on the bottom of the website!
Hey there! There should be a button to submit the Challenge after you select the file. If you can’t see it, it might be being cut off due to the screen size.
will this go free?
Are you able to have more than one challenge? I do rotational game play and have a few challenges
He said on Twitter he wants to implement that at some point but right now you can only have one in game at a time, you won’t lose your progress as far as I remember
That might be a silly question >.< Is Challenge Creator exclusive to Early Access, or will we be able to use it when it becomes public?
Yes, it’s exclusive to Early Access and will be available to the public once the mod is released publicly as well.
Okay great cause this is how I did it phew. If I wanna submit it, is it necessary to list all the required packs in each goal.. because I initially just typed it all out for my own use so I skipped that part.
I would say yes, you should. Since you’re submitting your challenge for others to play, it should be easy for them to understand which packs are required for the full experience.
Oop, not me getting called out for the topping part lol. But thank you for letting me know, because I was so confused about how it would work in-game for sure.
Haha, sorry! I realized at some point that there is no way for me to reach back to creators, so that's something I'll need to work on for the Challenge Gallery. Your challenge was actually a great example of how external tools can mess up the data. Finding these unpredicted issues in submitted challenges has really helped me refine the tool further.
So smart :)