Service is its Own Reward (Default Replacement Oak Servos on Amaryll's Androgyne Mesh)

[hat_plays_sims]

Oh man I love Servos. Servos and Plantsims are easily my two favorite Supernaturals, probably because they make life so frickin' easy. However, in a Medieval-- or fantasy or fairy-tale-- game, you run into some... problems, with Servos.

Now, of course you can use my funky wooden puppets or Phaenoh's armored Servos or even Amaryll's androgynous Steampunk Servos. And they all indeed have their charms-- and I've used two of the three. See, what happened was, I made my own wooden Servos and just loved them all to bits... and then I volunteered to help Amaryll test her androgynous Servos.

Yeah. Wow.

I love them, in-game; they're incredibly graceful. I didn't like that they were metal-- I'd gotten attached to my wooden ones-- but I spent so much time just watching Serviette walk that I knew I was gonna have to keep the mesh around.

So I did.


"A good servant is a real godsend, but truly this is a rare bird in the land." -Martin Luther

Behold the Servo! It can do almost anything a Sim can do, and it never gets hungry, sick, uncomfortable, or smelly! Lovingly crafted of polished golden oak and inlaid with magic crystals and runes, these jointed wooden constructs are sure to be a great help to any house that can afford them.

Front and back. There are no separate formal outfits, unfortunately.



Have them entertain your guests, cook your meals, clean your home, work in your shop...



Work your magic, even.



The back of the head is very important. So are the eyes, really, but... well. The back of the head shows your Servo's gender via the Mars and Venus symbols. Witches have a pentacle set into the circle, werewolves a lunar cycle symbol, and vampires the Taurus horns added to the circle (which alchemically indicates modification through coagulation. Sounded about right). Serviette, then, is a female witch.



Which you can also tell by her blue eyes. The eyes are quartz crystal, and the color can tell you a great deal about your Servo's life state. Unaltered Servos have green eyes; witches have blue while Wizards have purple. Vampires have red and werewolves have yellow, though with slightly different shades for male and female.

Female Servos have a slight red stain to the lips and cheeks; males do not.



Sometimes this will happen. That little glowy ball does like to play peek-a-boo when Servos bend in certain directions.

But wait there's more!

Don't like your Servos to be quite so decorated? Think plain wood should be enough for anybody? Want to add your own mystic carvings?



No problem! Thoughtfully, a totally blank Servo is provided for those who like a more virginal look. Front and back.



Really, that's less risky than it looks.

Now, there is one small problem...



There's no deactivated mesh for Amaryll's Servos (although I live in hope that someone will create one someday), so your dormant Servos will look kind of... weird. There's no help for it, alas-- I don't mesh. Other people do! A fix exists, and you can grab the link at the end.



Serviette by day...



... And by night, where you can really tell she's got a high-gloss finish. The highly polished look I like on my Servos isn't everybody's cup of tea, but... I like it. However, I also like making people happy, so as a separate bonus to this default, I've uploaded a Servo Matte Package. Once installed, this little package makes any and all Servos in any and all life states flat matte instead of super shiny. Mine, Amaryll's, Phaenoh's, Gwill's, The Ninth Wave's, EAxis's, anybody's. Everybody's.



I've also uploaded two variations on the theme of catalog descriptions-- the first just changes the catalog text to what you see there. I didn't want my Medieval Sims making robots and I didn't want to have to change it every. Damn. Time they built a Servo. The second not only changes the catalog description but puts the deactivated Servo in your Buy Mode catalog under Electronics Misc, for six thousand Simoleons. Just in case you're not into that whole 'handcrafted' thing, or you have some mods to test. You can only use one of these at a time, so choose wisely.

... Okay, out of Servo pictures, on to the notes.

The Default Crap: These are Default Replacements, and as with black widow spiders and Immortals, there can be only one. Make sure you don't have any other Servo defaults in your game before using mine; doubling up on defaults may yield inconsistant results (last mod loaded wins).

The "Why are these files so big?" Crap: I love my crisp, clean oak textures. They're delicious. However, when shrunk down to 1024x1024 pixels, the woodgrain suddenly goes all crunchy. That's not so delicious. To fix this problem, the Servo body textures are at 2048x2048. I neither have nor intend to make a version with a reduced filesize; if you want to, be my guest. Everything has been compressorized, but the Servo files still weigh in around 10 MB each.

The Policy Crap: Use it for anything you want so long as no money changes hands. I have this intense problem with demanding money for default replacements and it's against Amaryll's policy anyway.

Credit is Not Crap: Gotta thank Amaryll for her mesh and Ephemera for the ball-jointed doll skin I butchered and everybody in the Garden of Shadows Show Off Your Creations thread for critique and suggestions. I also have to thank Lyn for making sure I had a working copy of Photoshop, Quaxi for SimPE, and Lord Darcy and HugeLunatic for being the source of all my formal TXMT knowledge.

Other Crap: Requires Open For Business. Requires Nightlife for Vampire state, Pets for Werewolf state, and Apartment Life for witch state. (They can also be Zombies which requires Uni, but there's no separate texture for that.) Witch life states will give you some trouble if you have Squinge's No Outfit Change on Alignment Change hack; in testing, Serviette got a normal fleshy head under her robot head. Not attractive. Either don't teach your Servos magic or skip that hack. Not included but heartily recommended (especially for those with Seasons as well as OFB) is Dolphin26's Waterproof Servos, because it's only funny the first time. You may also be interested in Paladin's Servo objects at Sim Wardrobe (under Sims 2/Objects/Robots), although they're not so Medieval-looking.

Yeah, okay, that's everything.

DOWNLOAD DECORATED SERVOS on Mediafire | DOWNLOAD DECORATED SERVOS on Sims File Share

DOWNLOAD BLANK SERVOS on Mediafire | DOWNLOAD BLANK SERVOS on Sims File Share
There can be only one, so choose wisely!
(Also, these are roughly 10Mb downloads, so be patient.)

DOWNLOAD AMARYLL'S ANDROGYNOUS SERVO MESH on Mediafire | DOWNLOAD AMARYLL'S ANDROGYNOUS SERVO MESH on Sims File Share
(Required for either Servo to work right)

DOWNLOAD SERVO MATTE PACKAGE on Mediafire | DOWNLOAD SERVO MATTE PACKAGE on Sims File Share

DOWNLOAD SERVO CATALOG DESCRIPTION on Mediafire | DOWNLOAD SERVO CATALOG DESCRIPTION on Sims File Share

DOWNLOAD HEAD AND BODY PSD FILES on Mediafire | DOWNLOAD HEAD AND BODY PSD FILES on Sims File Share
Because I know some people wanted my Servo textures as a proper skintone-- an endeavor I support, but I ain't doin' it. Also handy for alterations of my Servos or... whatever. This one is about 34Mb.

GAMBITSOBSESSION'S UNINITIALIZED SERVOS
Available on GoS for quite a few of the default replacement androgynous Servos out there, including mine! Not a direct link, but a link to the applicable thread.

Wanna help me feed my cats?

In case you feel like dropping me a buck or two, should you have a buck or two to spare. Donors get two things at the moment: a) a link to the Super Secret Cat Gallery, full of pictures of the cats you'll be feeding, updated sporadically when the cats do something photogenic and I'm fast enough on the trigger to catch it, and b) a link to the list of content I have done-but-not-screencapped, nearly done, partly done, or in the planning stages, and the option to suggest what ought to be in the next batch of things I focus on.

Comments

[ambient_ghoul]

Oh, man, I've been excited for these since I saw the preview on GOS. These are amazing! :D *bursts with excitement* @_@ Thank you so much!

[hat_plays_sims]

They're headed for the Creature Feature thread right this second, I just think in HTML easier than in BBS code. Thank you, you're welcome, and I'm thrilled you like them!

[morgaine2005.wordpress.com]

Brilliant and gorgeous!! Even though I like Ambrosius walking around in a suit of armor, I will be nabbing the catalog fix!

Thank you so much, Hat!

[hat_plays_sims]

The suit of armor probably suits Ambrosius better anyway. But thank you and you're welcome-- that's one of the reasons I made sure the catalog fix was a separate download.

[harpers_child]

these are really pretty. merci beaucoup beaucoup.

[hat_plays_sims]

Thank you and you're welcome! I hope you enjoy them in-game.

[aquilegia]

SO pretty. I think I have to resurrect my fairytale neighborhood after all, because these servos would be perfect for its aesthetic.

[hat_plays_sims]

Zounds, I can has aesthetic! Go me!

Thank you so much, I'm glad you like them. Getting the decorative runes to a point where they looked magically purposeful and yet not overdone was the tricky part.

[aquilegia]

They look great, not overdone at all! I really like how the gender symbol looks, too.

A thought on a replacement not-yet-activated servo: Perhaps someone who makes poseboxes would have the chops to pose the body mesh into the right shape. It might be worth requesting on GoS, as I know AlfredAskew has been tinkering with poseboxes and knows enough about anatomy not to make it look like Gumby.

[hat_plays_sims]

Oh, I had fun with the symbols. I shamelessly nicked the idea of stamping the back of the head from Amaryll (although I think I also may have suggested it to her in the first place-- it was a while ago), although finding a good symbol for 'vampire' that meshed with the general theme took some doing.

I might just do that, in a bit-- I just made a big ol' "Halp I cannot default meshes to save my life!" post in the Wishing Tree, and I'd feel silly making another one before the current one ends up in Granted Wishes. But that's a good idea, looking for someone who can build poses. I actually do have the uninitialized Servo extracted, zipped, and uploaded-- Amaryll wanted a look at it.

[oph3lia]

Ahh this looks great XD

I've been making some edits to amaryll's one for my 'normal' hood (different eye colours for different states, although I seem to have forgotten to hit commit on some of them lol; and made them silver) and I just really like the shape of them. Speaking of edits, I could probably add some formal meshes to this, if you have any ideas of what would look right on them.

[hat_plays_sims]

Thank you! I'm glad you like them.

If I knew what would look right on them, I'd totally tell you, I promise. For my own purposes, I'm tempted to say "A tunic!" but I don't know how much use the rest of the simming world would get out of that. (Besides, a tabard would probably be a better choice.) The shape of these is awesome, Amaryll deserves accolades out the wazoo for this mesh. It's so graceful.

[oph3lia]

Well there's separate meshes for male and female formal so they don't have to be wearing the same thing. I kinda want formal outfits for them myself but haven't got much idea of what; tunic sounds good, I'm not entirely sure what a medieval tabard looks like.

[fourth_moon]

ZOMG AWESOMENESS.

I don't believe it, this is just so perfect. The wood and the glowing eyes and I _love_ those symbols at the backs of their heads to pieces.

I had some thoughts of a golem look on servos a while ago but no chance I'd scrunge up the time to program that. Thanks so much for these!

(Now I'm biting my tongue to keep from swamping you with requests. Someone hit me, please.)

[hat_plays_sims]

I'm so glad you like them! I was happy with my first wooden servos, but the androgynous mesh was just too pretty to resist. All I did was change the textures-- the mesh is Amaryll's doing, and she did great with it!

(I haven't decided whether or not I take requests, but I'm always open to hearing about awesome ideas or brainstorming!)

**raves**

[fourth_moon]

Why, that's all the excuse I needed. Better take a deep breath.

I think that the easel would be the perfect basis for a warp-weighted loom. It looks roughtly similar because it stands upright like an easel and you work it standing in front of it. _And_ I know that someone already created such a loom as an object, but only decorative.

So now I'm haunted by longing dreams about that loom being imposed onto the basic easel, with the optics changed so that instead of a painting appearing step by step, it's fabric filling the frame.

I even wondered weither it would be possible to steal the routines from, say, hobby stuff like the flower table or the robot crafting table so that when you're finished, a roll of cloth turns up in your Sim's inventory which you can sell.

Well, I told you, deep breath and all that.

I can't help it, a warp-weighted loom would be beyond perfect because it fits into medieval times so well. They're classic, like spindles and the first spinning wheels. (Those without pedals).

If you feel like some more being swamped by wild ideas, don't hesitate to ask! ;)

Wheeeeee!

[fourth_moon]

I just saw your book replacements and I am so, so, _so_ in love. And after seeing some of the stuff over at the Garden of Shadows (NPC replacements! It honestly, literally made me squee out loud) I'm almost ashamed at chucking such a small amount into your tip jar, but sooner or later I'll find something else that sends me into a fit of joy and (very) small-scale generosity.

Is there a wish list for the Garden of Shadows? I skimmed over the start site but didn't find one.

Thanks so much for the pretty books! Including one with a celtic design. (Not exactly Book of Kells but I'm sure the style is the same.)

[meshys_sims]

Holy crap! More beautiful than I expected! Yup, I'm nabbing these ones, even though I LOVE your other wooden servo, this one is just so beautiful!

And I have to agree! At least one tunic-like outfit would be fantastic!

[hat_plays_sims]

If someone meshes it, I'll slap colors on it. And possibly make variations of it available as just clothing-- you don't need a ton of hacks to make Servos change their clothes, just the MATY clothing tool, so if someone did, say, an androgynous tunic mesh that could be used as formalwear, I could take the textures (or at least the heraldry, I don't think I saved double-sized versions of those textures) from my ZoeJ tunics and offer up outfits so that your Servo can be marked as belonging to any noble House in your 'hood...

[inkspottedtea.livejournal.com]

Question: Is this incompatible with Phaenoh's blacksmith crafting table (http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=399777)? I had originally downloaded her servo replacement + table, but when I saw this I got rid of the servo ... but I left the table in. In my game, Serviette looked like a wooden servo instead of the androgynous mesh ...

Am I missing a mesh? Can I not make wooden androgynous servos at the blacksmith table? Did I somehow download your wooden servos by mistake? D: if you can help me, I would appreciate it soso much <3

[hat_plays_sims]

... oh crap I forgot the meshes. I am an idiot. Give me ten minutes and I'll have that fixed-- in the meantime you can nab the meshes from Amaryll's Servos-- the mesh is a separate package and I swear I thought I made sure my folders had the mesh file in there before I even put the default read-me in there. *facepalms*

But yes, when I do things properly, they work just fine with Phaenoh's robot crafting station.

[(Anonymous)]

Absolutely stunning. The shininess is such a delight to watch. I can't stop looking at her, she's so beautiful. I wanted the super high gloss finish and she sure has it! I took some pictures to share with my forum buddies, but they just don't do her justice. You have to SEE it in game to really appreciate it. It's mesmerizing.

-Astral

[hat_plays_sims]

There is a ridiculous grace to this body shape in motion; Amaryll really nailed it. I prefer wooden Servos to metal or I'd still be using Amaryll's original textures because Servos are just SUCH a joy to watch on this mesh.

I'm so glad you like them-- this project has been one of my favorites. (And Amaryll has me all excited for proper formalwear meshes.)

[(Anonymous)]

They certainly are a feast for the eyes! I'm trying to think of excuses for more of my medieval sims to own Servos, lol. In fact, I might even start of a Servo community in my game. THAT would be pretty cool! Or maybe they could live in the gypsy camp, ha ha.

I'll need to thank Amaryll, as well, for making such a beautiful mesh.

I'm absolutely loving my medieval game. :D

-Astral

[(Anonymous)]

Yay! after years not playing, I've found you! Again!

Not remembering your name correctly, but remembering the sentence 'service is its own reward'

Thanks so much for still being here,
Digne