3 Things I Wish I Knew Three Years Ago

Now that I have almost completed the first round of Sunset Valley, I have learned a couple of things about Story Progression's inner workings and the game itself that I wish I had known when first started out.

1) I wish I had known about the Face One Virus. When I first started playing, I didn't know all of the townies were generated with the same face. I thought The Sims 3 behaved more like The Sims 2 which generated the townies from a set of templates. For more details about the Face One Virus, see my legacy blog entry where I explain it in more detail. Since I initially allowed the homeless to move in, I have a lot of townies running around with the same face. I am seriously considering annihilating them with Master Controller so that their genetics don't overrun the town.

You can prevent this situation by installing Twallan's Register Mod and configuring Story Progression to generate townies from your Sim bin. See Twallan's FAQ for more details about managing immigration.

2) I wish I had known I could limit the number of romantic interests a Sim can have. This didn't really become a problem until Generations. With the introduction of the Romantic Reputation system, Sims with multiple love interests have a difficult time maintaining a steady relationship. This is a big part of the reason why you see my Sims break up so often. Twallan's Story Progression Mod has a setting under the "Flirt" menu that specifies the number of romantic interests a Sim can have at a time. By default, it is set to zero, which means there is no limit to the number of romantic interests a Sim can have. I have now changed this setting to 1. I am hoping that will reduce the volatility in the Sims' relationships. I don't think it will help the current young adult/adult generation much, but I am hoping it will help the future generations.

3) I wish I had known the EA team was going to release so many darned neighborhoods. Ok, I put this one in for the lols, but seriously they have already released eleven neighborhoods and there is at least one more on the way (Moonlight Falls). Sheesh! It's going to be 2050 before I finish this thing. Hopefully, I live that long.

Round 1: Wolff 1 -- Llama Tail

Me:  Good morning, Morgana!

Morgana:  *nom* No time to talk. *nom, nom* I just got off work and now I have to go back an run a clinic. *nom, nom, nom*

Me: You Medical Sims are some of the hardest working Sims in town.

Morgana: I don't mind the long hours. It gets lonely in this big house with Thornton spending so much time at the office.

 

They crack me up with their medical gadgets. Lily and her husband got checked out.

I hear illness is coming back with Seasons. I wonder if sick Sims can go to Medical Sims for a cure.

Me: Aww...Clark (Sauer) Baker is having some fun with his stepson, Topher. How sweet!

Morgana: *wistfully* I know Thornton could be just as good of a father as Clark if he would only consider it.

ROFLMAO! Game, you rock! Of course it would be Molly French who contracted Llama Tail. Ok, that's not really fair to Molly. She's been rather tame in this save.

Me: Not a bad job, Morgana.

Morgana: I probably could have gotten to the sixth patient if Nick Alto hadn't scared her off.

Me: He probably got wind that you're working with Jennifer Martinez, rather than Vita, so he sabotaged you.

Morgana: Those Altos! They are so...so...so mean!

Me: Mean? You're a good Sim, so I guess that's the worst you could come up with.

Morgana: I am not good all of the time. Every now and then I can convince Thornton to take a skinny dip.

Me: Well, he is your husband and you're in your own private pool, so it's not that scandalous, Morgana. Anyway, keep it up, and you may get that baby after all. See you next round!

Ok, I have been struggling with this update for a month. Morgana and Thornton gave me nothing to work with. I am impressed that Morgana didn't go and get herself knocked up. I guess the Dislikes Children trait trumps the Family-Oriented trait.

Anyway, here are the SP UPDATES:

Shocker. *rolls my eyes*

Katrina doesn't strike me as the type to go around smashing Loveseats; she'd just set your whole place on fire.

What? Adam and Talia broke up? When did that happen? Dude, your (ex-)wife just gave birth to your triplets!

I approve.

That's what you get for a being a deadbeat mom. Araceli is one of Hank's baby mamas. And speaking of Hank...

Ok, ok, I know this is just Story Progression moving them to a bigger house, but I like to think of it as Hank and Pauline settling down with their family.

There is just one more update left and then we move on to Round 2!

Round 1: Williams 1 - Goin' Legit

There are only three lots left in Round 1! First up is the Williams family.

Me: Wow, Marley, you have a gorgeous view. That is a great spot to eat breakfast every morning.

Marley: It's ok.

Me: Ok? If I had that view I would never leave my house!

Marley: Don't get me wrong. The house is beautiful, and my family loves living here. I am feeling guilty about how I acquired it. You see, my wife and I were art thieves.

Me: Really? Apparently, you were good at it.

Marley: Yes, we were very good at it.

Marley: We were so good that we were able to put my wife through nursing school.

Marley: But our daughter, Malika, is getting older, and I don't want her realizing all she has came to her illegally. Also, my "boss" will be retired soon with Nick Alto coming to power. It's the perfect time to get out.

Me: Well, I can understand your reasoning, and of course I support a Sim who wants to earn an honest living. What are you going to do now?

 Marley: Excuse me for a minute, I hear the phone ringing.

Marley: Naw, Nick, I'm not interested in the job. I'm goin' legit, man...What? I don't care if you need me for this one last job. There will always be "one last job." I'm done...Come on, man, I've got a baby girl...I understand...you do what you gotta do. Can I at least think about it? Ok...yeah, we'll be in touch...no, you have a good day.

Me: That didn't sound too good.

Marley: He said he would expose me if I didn't do one last job for him.

Me: He's blackmailing you? Not surprised.

Marley: It's all good. He's giving me fodder for my new career.

Me: What new career?

 Marley: I'm going to write suspense novels about an art thief.

Me: Well, they do say to write what you know about. Good luck, and watch your back!

SP UPDATES:

Their house is pretty crowded with two adults, three toddlers, and only one bedroom.

Talia's roommate, Noemi, married Fiona's ex-husband and moved into a new home.

As for Talia, she had triplets (two girls and a boy) with her husband, Adam. I renamed the triplets, but the SP message didn't pick up on it. The triplets are actually named Julia, Lena, and Fabian.

Ooh...I bet Corny and Agnes are getting together to plan Agnes's wedding.

 Could these two be any more different? I don't expect this to last long.

Pablo's ex-wife has moved on to Casanova, Galen Hickey. I know I have said it before, but Katrina, Fiona, and Jennifer just can't stay away from the Casanovas and gigolos.

I don't find it a shame at all. This opens the door to a Pauline and Hank reunion!
***

Ok, so Marley and Aimee wanting to "go legit" was inspired by both of them starting off in the Criminal career, but wanting to switch to Writing and Medicine. Nick Alto did actually call Marley to discuss art, so  that's where I got the idea of them being art thieves.

Round 1: Wainwright 1 -- Skip to My Sue, My Darlin'

Me:  Good morning, Sue.

Susan: Well, it's about time.

Me: Yeah, I know it has taken me a while to get to you guys. I have been going through a rough time.

Susan: Please spare me your personal problems. Save that for your shrink. I meant it's about time  because you skipped us!

Me: *blushing* You are right, I did.

Susan: Didn't you learn your ABCs? Wainwright comes before Wan.

Me: I know, I know. I was so eager to get to Pauline's lot, that I accidentally skipped you guys. My apologies.

Susan: I know you have your pets, but you could at least treat the rest of us like we exist.

Me: You've made your point. I am going to slink off now and check on Boyd.

Me: Hey, Boyd! *gagging* That looks pretty tasty...eww. Gotta love you slobby sims!

Susan: Well if he would let me hire a maid, he wouldn't have to eat spoiled food. And if he would let me hire a repairman, I wouldn't have to fix this stupid toilet.

Boyd: Why pay someone good money to do something that we are fully capable of doing ourselves?

Susan: So you fix the toilet next time.

Boyd: I would, buttercup, if you wouldn't jump ahead and fix it first.

Susan: I asked you do it last month, dear, but you've been too busy watching your nature documentaries to fix it.

Me: Speaking of nature, I think you two need to get out and get some fresh air. How about a trip to the park?

Me:  It's busy as usual. Spencer and Irene Funke caught my eye because they were swinging in perfect unison.

 Me: I can't remember if these two are twins. I'll have to double-check the next time I play them.

Me:  I think they might want a new computer for Christmas.

Susan wants to be a Chess Legend, so she is building up her logic and chess skills by playing a match against Coby Frederick.

Coby: I can't believe I took a job working on Vita Alto's campaign. I might as well be working for Satan himself.

Coby: I shouldn't have said that out loud. She'll probably send one of her husband's thugs after me.

Boyd: This was a great idea. My hobbies and interests normally keep me indoors, but there is nothing like being one with nature and taming wild beasts.

Me: Wild beasts? You caught a minnow, not a shark, Grizzly Adams. Anyway, I will see you two next round.


SP UPDATES:

Fiona has adopted a dog. Hopefully, this male will stay loyal to her.

Aw, Jared and Connor are keeping the family bonds strong. I guess Jared was commiserating with his brother over his failed marriage.

Speaking of Connor's ex, Jamie is duking it out with Katrina over Casanova, Shelby Donner. I don't know why you two are fighting over Tamara's sloppy seconds.

 Gage decided to move out of the house that he was sharing with the other Townie boys.

Could it be that he is preparing a love nest for his bride-to-be? Congrats Agnes and Gage!

I Will Not Tolerate Trolls

I just got some devastating news today, and not ten minutes later, some jerk leaves a nasty comment on my blog. To the anonymous jerk, you must not read my posts because I clearly explained why I haven't been posting. You know there are more important things in life than publishing a blog. I am literally dealing with life and death issues, and I don't need some ungrateful troll.

To my supportive readers, I really appreciate you bearing with me through this time.

What's going on?

Fan X: Snarky, you haven't posted in ages! How come?

Me: The short answer: Because I don't feel like it.  The long answer: I've been dealing with a lot of stuff. There is the ongoing situation with my mom and busyness at work, but my maternal grandfather passed away unexpectedly. He was my last living grandparent. I have also been dealing with my own health issue that requires most of my time.

Fan X: Wow, you've got a lot on your plate. At least you are having fun playing the game.

Me: Not really. I haven't touched the game in about three weeks. I am very frustrated about the direction EA is taking this franchise. I am not happy about Katy Perry's Sweet Treats at all.  I don't like real-life brands being mixed with the game. It's just a quirk of mine. I have also heard rumors that EP7 is about magic, and I was hoping for weather. So, I just don't feel inspired to play the game right now.

Fan X: So you are abandoning The Sims community?

Me: No, I am still reading some great blogs by fellow simmers. There's Mao's Aperture Valley, HTRootbeer's Twinbrook Fields, Orangeplumbob's Different Rain. And there's still some TS2 favorites, like Carla's Sullivan Sims.

Fan X: When are you going to update your own blogs?

Me: The short answer: When I feel like it. The long answer: With my health issue, I need to focus on reducing my stress. I beat myself up a lot about not posting regularly, so I have to stop doing that. I make no promises as to when the blogs are going to be updated. The Lazlos probably will not be updated anytime soon. I did finish playing through Sunset Valley for my Mega Maxis blog, so I'll get those posts up eventually.

Fax X:  You like to play games for fun. What are you playing now since you are not playing Sims?

Me: I'm still enjoying Civilization V. It's nice to play a game without having to worry about taking screenshots and blogging. And there's something deeply satisfying about dropping a nuke on Montezuma after a bad day.

Round 1: Wan 1 - No Hanky Panky

Me: Hiya, Pauline. Boy, have I been waiting to get to your lot!

Pauline: There is a baby girl on my floor!

Me: I know.

Pauline: Okay, I admit I don't always pick up on the subtleties, but I am pretty sure I gave birth to a boy.

Me: You did. The baby girl is Hank's daughter, Anna. I have moved Hank, Anna, and Hank's son, Patrick in with you and Joshua.

Pauline: Wait a minute! You're interfering. That's a violation of the rules!

Me: All I did is move them in. I'm not doing anything else. If you two decide to get together it will be of your own accord.

Me: Besides, Hank's living arrangements were a little creepy. He was living with Jamie Frio, her ex-husband, and her new fiance.  There was too much hearbreaking going on in that house. It's not a good environment for the kids, and I rather Hank raise his own kids. That reminds me. How are you two doing towards your lifetime wishes?

Me: Not bad, Pauline. You're fifty percent of the way there, with no help from me. What's the deal with dating Pablo, though? He's the biggest gigolo in town.

Pauline: We're just having a little fun, that's all.

Me: Yeah, "a little fun" is what brought Joshua, Anna, and Patrick into the world in the first place.

Me: Hank is doing well on his own, too. Man, look at all those broken hearts left in his wake.

Pauline: Wait a minute! He's a ahead of me? How is that possible?

Me: Your pregnancy probably slowed you down.

Pauline: But I was only pregnant for three days.

Me: I've seen Hank move-in, knock up, and move-out in the same day. You being out of commission for three days is a huge advantage. Anyway, Pauline. You're being rude. Why don't you greet your new housemates?

Pauline: How have you been, Hank? I see you've still been working out. Your muscles are even bigger than what I remember. And you've been getting some sun, Your tan looks awesome.

Hank: Why, thanks, Pauline. I've been working out with Jack Bunch and Xander Clavell. It's not the same as when we used to go running on the beach together, but I'm seeing results.

Pauline: You sure are! Yeah, we had some pretty good workouts on the beach.

Hank: The cool-downs were even better.

Pauline: Yeah, those were good times, but they are in the past. We've both moved on. Hank, we need ground rules is you're going to live here. I know she wants us to get back together, but I'm with Pablo now.

Me: Oh, please, like that is really going to last. And let the record show that you two were flirting autonomously with each other just now. I had nothing to do with it.

Hank: Pauline, I'm seeing other people too. No big deal. We're both single parents and good friends. Let's just help each other out.

Pauline: *reluctantly* Ok, but no hanky panky!

Me: Hanky Panky? That would be an awesome couple name for you two!
 
Pauline: *glares*

Me:  What I meant to say is that I'm glad you two can be mature adults about this.

Pauline: I'm still not happy with you. It's not fair of you to torture us like this.

Me: Torture you? If I wanted to torture you, I'd have you throw a party... and invite all your love interests and exes....um... excuse me for a minute.

Me: You guys better get ready for your kids' birthday party!

It's triple birthday!

 Me: Happy birthday, Joshua! You look a lot like your mommy.

Anna's mom, Araceli Marcus, brings her to the cake.

And it appears Anna takes mostly after her mom, too.

But Patrick looks a bit like Hank. Patrick's mom, Kristine, is also a redhead, so he could have gotten his hair from her.

Me: Well you guys got through the party with no drama! I am impressed with all those love interests and exes running around that there wasn't a single fight.

Hank: Well, we were too busy trying to get the kids to their cakes to flirt with anyone.

Me: Good point. Anyway, you  guys make some pretty kids. I wouldn't mind seeing you make some together.

Pauline: Would you stop with that?

Me: Ok, ok, I'll be on my way now. Besides you've got three toddlers to skill up. Good luck with that!

Other SP Updates:

 Noemi and Zachariah got engaged in the last update, and now they are married.

LOL! Looks like Anne is trying to become a legitimate playable. Trust me, girl, Xander is not the way to go. Stiles McGraw is still available. I would forgive you, Anne, if you would get with him.

Harry and Sue broke up.

Probably because Harry is still a gigolo. Don't feel bad for Harry for long. He's already found another woman to take him in.

I've  given up on Jennifer. Some people are just addicted to toxic relationships.