WTF is up with custom lots and their creators :P
Although I like to build my own lots, I like downloading others' lots too. I find I tend to do certain things a lot and it's cool to find a lot that has things I would never have thought to do (and then I can steal them bwahahah ;)) And even though I have a fairly decent computer, I am trying to keep my CC level steady and I am getting increasingly annoyed with the huge amount of CC that creators put in their lots.
Besides the issue of CC creator policies on distribution, frankly I don't want that much crap in my game. I don't want something I'll only use for that one lot. I don't want crappy walls or floors or tons of terrain paints clogging my download folder. I pretty much uncheck most or all CC in the Clean Installer in the lots I download before I install them, but then I end up with houses missing walls and floors and have to redecorate as soon as I move someone in. I flatly refuse to download anything that has a huge list of CC that's included in the lot. I don't care how pretty the house is, I can recreate that if I want. I'm not downloading a huge lot file with tons of stuff I don't want. I have come across so much stuff in the game that I am sure I didn't download...I'm sure lots of it came packaged with a house or something that I downloaded.
When I built for TSR, I was one of the first members of TSRAA (a group of creators allowing others to distribute their CC in lots uploaded to TSR). I was so excited to be able to use CC in lots I uploaded and filled up my building account's downloads folder. This was back around University/NL, so we didn't have a lot to work with then.
Now however, I've done a full 180. Anything I upload from now on will contain Maxis content only. If the downloader wants to use heaps of CC in their lot, they can add and replace to their hearts content. But I'm not going to weigh down their downloads folder. Plus, the smaller file size is friendlier to folks on slower computers and connections. Seriously, how painful must it be for someone on dial up to download a 7000 KB lot! Frankly, the quality of EAxis stuff has been pretty good in the last few EPs and stuff packs, and with all of those add-ons there is so much variety now I really don't feel I need CC to decorate a nice lot. The graphic artists they have are amazing, the graphics just blow me away sometimes. And it's a fun sort of challenge to try to stick to just what ships with the game :)
