From the words of Roy - The IT Crowd

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

I've been getting increasingly frustrated after installing Pets. AFT save didn't give me any problems but WAG froze time and time again. Then the new save for Sammy also froze during the night.

The worst day of all - trying to load WAG. First try, Disc verification fail. Have to try again. Finally loaded save, when I went to save I had an error 12. What I should have done is restart, what I did was quit to menu and reload. That's when I had a crash to desktop. Next try, Disc verification fail. I think I played all of 5 minutes that night.

Add to this the general frustration of having although the blogs have more readers than ever, my blogs are also getting fewer comments.

While installing Skyrim on the virtual PC on this Mac, I was doing heaps of other updates and restarted both the virtual PC and finally did a few Mac updates and restarted it.

Low and behold, WAG is working. It's gone nearly a full day with no freezing and no problems saving (I'm saving ever few Sim hours.)

I don't tend to restart the Mac much. The manual says just put it to sleep when not in use and that's what I do. But if I start having problems again, I think turning it off and on again is now *way* up on my to try list.

And if you've never watched the IT Crowd, just do it. Too funny for words.

I am in mourning - Sims 2 site is gone

I think it actually happened some time ago but I wasn't paying attention. I am mourning for 2 things. The first is that I didn't get a chance to copy some of my material from the forums for reposting to the little Sims 2 blog I have. Damn. Nor do I have a spare copy of my Sims 2 bachelor challenge story.

But the main thing I mourn is that means that Candi's Uglacy is no more. That uglacy was the first legacy story I ever read and one of the funniest Sims stories around. Last time I had checked, Candi was still working on a Apocalypse challenge which was done in the same style. And it's all gone.

Cool new blogger feature

One of the updates to blogger is adding a 'lightbox' facility to all blogs. Basically, if you click a single image in a blog post, you get to scroll around all the images in that post in a separate window at a larger size. A nice way to concentrate on the images and easy to use.

Some of the recent changes to the blog interface are good, a few are annoying. Like some of the advanced settings aren't available - you have to go to the old interface to choose if you want people to type in the word verification or not. But this one is cool in my books.

Hi there people

It's been quiet and I've been missing all of you heaps.

Anybody still out there or am I by myself in Sims world these days?

PiB/Nicarra stories - not Sims related

A few of you will know by now, I've started digging out my old old old stories.

If you have some desire to read those stories, let me know. If I have your email, I'll add it to the Share list for each story. Those of you on Google+ are probably already in the right circle to get the story links.

Be warned, one thing is my first novel - which isn't going to be the greatest thing you ever read. Possibly not the worst but definitely not the best.

Also, will be doing NaNoWriMo this year and updates on that in November will be happening.

i'm almost back!

so after months and months of my computer being broken, it's FINALLY fixed!!! the good news is i have a better hard drive and have recently purchased generations... the bad news is that all my sims games are lost forever. no rojos, no katalina. but i'm kind of excited about starting fresh. i have yet to install the sims 3, because i literally have just taken my computer out of the box. but i already have a new town in the planning phases and within the next couple of days i should have my game up and running. it's going to be awhile before i officially post anything, because i don't know who my blog will be about, and i have a lot of setting up to do. i'm thinking about using twallan's mods instead of awesomemod, so if anyone has any tips on that or which of twallan's mods you like let me know! :)

New upload - the wedding chapel

For those that liked it

The wedding chapel is now up.

As was featured in Penny and Nick's wedding with a few modifications - like landscaping.

Twallan's Relativity and a new page for Sam

Twallan's Relativity mod has changed a lot in the most recent incarnation. You have far more options like having skilling rates set relative to age length. So your Sims might be able to skill up even if you do a speed legacy. :) I'm a bit overwhelmed by the changes, it was so ultra simple before.

And I wrote a new background page for Hi Mum, It's Sammy. It's just a page about his various spouses and their creators. At which point, I realised how much I adore Tomasi women. Cause they rule Sam's life - mostly. LOL

Some of the new generations stuff is so cool

So when your Sims asks a parent for the offspring's hand in marriage, you can get this.
Mind you, since they are engaged anyway, whether or not Em or Brad approves isn't really going to stop me from marrying them. But this is sweet.

I think I've blown the chance for Prom or graduation for Penny, Ronnie and Nick. Sorry kids.

Oh, and a new option (beyond Reminisce about the old days) for Vanessa on chatting to child aged Miriam was Pinch Cheeks. :)

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Parent blessing is +20 for 10 days. Wow!

Just ranting for the moment

I'm really really tired of number of 'new' challenges in the Story forum that are 'acy'

They aren't new, they are legacy challenge with a new rule or two. Back in Sims 2, you can find people doing Uglacy and Prettacy but no one claimed they were 'new' challenges. There was just a goal of breeding uglier or prettier Sims in each generation. And some of the current 'acy' things no one tried to pass as a 'new' challenge. As far as I can tell, rainbowacy wasn't called new, it's just about the colours coming into the family with each generation.

But now there is traitacy, wishacy, careeracy, houseacy, ad nauseam. Each one declared to be a new challenge - use the legacy rules plus... THAT'S NOT NEW!

ok, rant over. Feel much betterererer now. :)

My New Uploads

Ok, I know this is going to be a surprise but no Grants no Lemans.

Presenting
Cyclone Sword and his family, Trina, Nicole and Rock BTW - why Rock? Well, in one of Chrysame's blogs, Cyclone had a son called Brick. And that got my brain on the track that ended up at Rock Hudson (Don't ask, it is a very twisty track.)

And the Harkness family Jack and Ollie Mayweather Harkness. The twins Stuart and Lizette. The youngest Tyrone.

Give them a reccy if you get a chance.

SILC - reader choice poll one up

http://officialsilc.webs.com/readerschoicepolls.htm

Best short - how about that, I was beginning to doubt they were ever going to organize anything.

One thing that Sims 3 blogging is teaching me

Namely, I write light fluff. While I can write a few intense scenes, murder a few Sims, break the occasional heart - you know if it's my blog, it won't happen for long.

Guess I'm just a hopeless romantic at heart. :)

So I can envy Kaleeko and Amelia and their ability to keep writing intense - heart wrenching stuff. I just have to admit to myself, there is simply no way I'll ever write like that.

On the other hand, I also love reading light fluff so this is probably not the most surprising thing on the planet. We've recently started watching an old old tv series "Jeeves and Wooster", which makes me want to go back and read PG Wodehouse again. Light fluff at its best.

Real Sim Weddings (Sammy spoiler warning)

With arches and guests seating themselves and wedding cake

Makes PiB a happy camper.

Something for PiB & a note to Kaleeko

I just set up Riverview with some families that had happened in BB. I'm rotating to 10 families like back in the old days. One of the families I moved to RV was John Edward Grant, his wife Carolina North and their son Benny. They married and had Benny on their own. Now where Benny got those eyebrows from I have no idea. I just took him to CAS but the only thing I changed about him was his clothes.

Going back into school to sign up for after school class.

 Leaving School.

I have no idea how anyone could get along with Carolina but apparently John Edward found a way. They did that on their own.

Before going to CAS.



When I first entered the house.

While I'm here I will let you know that I am going to be okay according to the neurologist. I just have a brain that is very very old. *laughs* Shouldn't that mean I am very wise?
The ear problems are still improving; just very slowly.

Loving the stories.  I have fallen behind and am going to try to catch up.
To Kaleeko, I read your latest update and am seriously worried about Jeb's state of mind. I fear he may do something drastic and possibly to himself.

Need grown Grants?

Probably not but I just uploaded all 4 of Phillip and Vanessa's kids as young adults to the Exchange
http://www.thesims3.com/userExchange.html?persona=Nicarra60
Please note, I do not promise that all their outfits make sense. I didn't check. :)

And after Generations there will be

Pets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2qDluiIzys&feature=youtu.be



Including the much longed for horses, as well as cats and dogs.

Days 29 and 30 of the 30 day Sim challenge

Day 29 - The reason you started playing Sims in the beginning


I avoided Sims 1, heard that it was an addicting and a huge time sink.
Finally got Sims 2 and discovered that it really was addicting. I almost lost interest when I had only the base game but then I got Open for Business and that had just the elements I needed.

Day 30 - The reason you are still a Sims fan today

Sims as a story telling medium and

More than anything else, all of you. The people who comment/read/blog, who share Sims and our stories. I treasure each of you, your posts, your comments and the Sims you share.

Thank you especially Dee, Chrysame, Sue, Kaleeko, MJ, Cheezy, Raisin, Amelia, Felicia and all the lurkers on this blog.

Hello

I just wanted to drop in and tell you all how great the stories still are. They are just so awesome.
I haven't stopped reading. I have read every single one in my email.
@ Pib: The Shrimp had me worried there for awhile. Now I just hope he makes it out of Egypt in one piece.
Such an awesome job there PiB. I've read all, but that is the one that sticks with me right now.

@ Kaleeko: For some strange reason I always really liked Shark. It was rough seeing him lying there like that. What are we going to do with Travis? I hope he makes it out of Lisa's house in one piece. I know that had to be Lisa. Like mother like daughter. I may be wrong but don't think so. Officer Walker has to be Wyatt. It's the eyes.

Love you guys. Keep on writing in all your awesomeness. :)

Also - Welcome Amelia and housekeeping time

I don't think there was ever a welcome Amelia post. Drat. And a very belated Welcome to Amelia

Housekeeping time - is the blog list up to date?
I've just added Amelia's main blog - do you want the Maltese Llama listed yet?
I've added Felicia's blogs.
Any other blogs that need to be removed, added?
Any new widgets we must have?
If anyone want to pretty this up in any way, it's more than time for a makeover.

Welcome Felicia

Our newest contributor
Author of The Braxton Legacy
Venus does Riverview
Sugar and Spice - Fairytales your mother never told you

One of my favorite bits from the Braxton Legacy

 

That's the best way to start your kid's school day off. I know I always loved to come downstairs to find my father writing a romance novel in his underpants - I knew that the day could only be a success from there.

I cannot begin to imagine how many of my Sim kids found parents in their unmentionables first thing in the morning. Most of them survived though.

Day 27 and 28

Day 27 - The cheat you use most commonly and a cheat you rarely/never use



Cheat I most commonly use? Well, I do sometimes change the relationships/relationship bars to get Sims to interact the way I need them to for photos.

Cheats I never use - motherlode or whatever the Sims 3 equal is. My Sims are expected to earn every cent. I did a bit of money fiddling to transfer the pub costs from Phillip Grant to Stephen Grant. But in the end, they had the totals that they deserved, it wasn't to give them a free ride in life.

Day 28 - An expansion pack you wish EA would make

Still hoping for an equal of Open for Business. Or something else that adds a bit more challenge if you want to take it on. But I'll take what they make. :)

Days 24 to 26

Day 24 - A video you made yourself with Sims

Well, that's easy -



It's the only one that's anything like done. Not that it's brilliant, or even terribly well shot but it is a video.

Day 25 - Something that happens in Sims you wish happened in real life

A Sim can go from long hair to short hair to long hair and it's all theirs. Me, if my hair is ever cut short, it's going to be a lifetime to get it back.


Day 26 - Favorite place to download Sims custom content


Still don't do CC. Mostly because I fear the search for CC will turn into this vast time sink - you can spend a lot of time finding just the right hair, clothes, etc. I'd rather spend the time working on the writing, not searching for CC.

Day 23 - The most awesome Sims you’ve ever had without cheating

Gosh um, so tough. Would you believe Sam Grant? LOL

Ok, that statement is a cheat cause there have been a dozen Sammy clones. But the most awesome of all



Indiana Sam. Why is he the most awesome Sam clone of them all?
He and wife Rachel both topped careers.
They had a pile of money.
They had 5 children - including triplets who did well at every life stage at home.
Sam topped several skills; athletics, cooking, and charisma.
He had level 3 visas in all locations.
He lived to over 110 on normal life span.
He had well over 200,000 reward points before he died.

No Sim could ever want a better life or family then he had. All it adds up to awesome in my book.

Your plans for when Generations is released

Before I will install Generations

1. I need to have finished the current short story with Jerod
2. I need to have finished screenshots for my Sam Grant story for SILC - that won't need generations at all - it's going to be a short short. :)
3. I'll be waiting to hear that the main of Twallan's mods are ready - most of them are updated within a week anyway.

After that's all ready, I'll be ready to fling Sam into the Generations and see what he and I can get up to. Obviously, he'll need a mate cause Generations will need kiddies. :)

BTW - What town should I fling Sam into for point 2? SV, Riverview, Twinbrook, or Bridgeport? It's not important to the story but I can start prep work once a decision is made.

Day 22 - The most scandalous thing you’ve done with Sims

In Sims 3? While some people may feel that the resulting family of the first short story is a bit scandalous - my happy little menage a trois were a set of consenting adults who loved each other.
The second short story, a bachelor challenge with a bisexual lead and all the participants hitting on each other at parts might be considered a bit scandalous. But again, they were all consenting adults...
Other than that, I have murdered 6 Sims for a story - still no.

So in Sims 3 - nothing that really registers as scandalous - nothing like the wild and crazy times my Romance Sims had in Sims 2. In Sims 2, I had one Sim after 50 1st dates who would date *anyone*. Toward the end, she seduced the oldest son, his dad and finally the oldest sister in one family (the sister was easiest, she was a friend before) Most of my romance Sims had multiple lovers, quite a lot of them were bi, including Don Lothario.

But the worst household of all was

Ok, this doesn't look too weird does it? The two elderly 'gentlemen' are Ricky and Bill Cormier - Ricky is a Pleasantview teen and Bill (name changes across games) was a standard University student at Academie Le Tour. Both romance, both have many many lovers in town. Male and female.

Ricky's love child Rachel is on the right of the photo. She was left on their doorstep by her maternal granddad as a baby and raised by Ricky and Bill (both splendid parents). The dark haired guy is Theodore, Rachel's husband and father of the toddler Rachel is holding. When he first arrived, both Ricky and Bill kept throwing romantic wants about Theo but they eventually got the idea that he was off limits.

Still not too bad? Well, the other female is Katherine. She's actually a lesbian, but Bill seduced her and got her preggy. Mostly because Bill had been so sweet over such a long time and helped raise two generations of Ricky's bloodline. So Bill has both his spouse and his lover and a illegitimate child in one house.

Did Katherine mind? Not really. Girl had almost zero personality and the guys had been keeping their affections behind closed doors for years because Rachel hated seeing her dad with someone other than her mom (I did fix that eventually.) Katherine's son took after his dad in both personality (good) and looks (very interesting, Bill was a common target for uglacy players.). She did finally move out when her son went to college and settled with some random female she took a fancy too.

I really really need an excuse to do something like this again. THAT is a proper scandalous household.

Day 21 - Something that happened/could happen that made you quit without saving

Basically, just major glitches on the part of the game itself.

I've let Sims die. I've had romances that I didn't like. I have killed Sims that dared romance when I didn't approve :) They get bad jobs, they have kids when I didn't expect them. And I keep going.

Every once in a while, my game throws a glitch that makes me quit without saving. But they have been very rare. Like once Thomas should have died but the Reaper glitched on the lot. So I reset and Thomas lived another few days.

Day 20 -

Hmm, kind of lacking a day 20 - so what's one thing I love about Sims?

Genetics through the generations. It is one of the things I truly love, and one reason I try very very hard to keep the World Adventure game in the original hood. I put a lot of our/Exchange Sims in there. I know the bloodlines of a massive (not all!) number of the Sims roaming around.

I do still add from time to time. During Phillip's time, the Kanes moved in. During Penny's time, the Pesces have moved to town.

If I start rambling too much about Sims no one knows/cares about (I try to keep it to sibs and offspring those sibs of current narrator) just remind me that I am the *only* one who knows them. Thanks. :)

Day 19 - One thing you would change about the game

From my point of view, I'd love it if the game were more challenging to play. A few of the tombs are difficult, if you use the World Adventures. A few of the careers in Ambitions are difficult.

But for the every day stuff. A parent never has to fetch a bottle for a baby, no dirty diapers, no bathing the baby/toddler. The fridge never runs out of base food. A Sim never has to buy clothes or a cell phone. In Sims 2, my just aged to teens always got to celebrate by going to a shop and buying a phone and new clothes. I miss some of that.

Day 18 - The longest family tree

In Sims 2 - I was following three family lines and two of the three had reached gen 5 when I last played.

Family tree document

In Sims 3 - I'm still very slow and so have only reached gen 4 in one save
Sam + Rachel -> Indiana
Indiana + Judy -> Phillip
Phillip + Vanessa -> Penny

I have too many Sims projects to do any of them quickly. :D

Day 17 - Your favorite “special” Sim species

I am officially skipping Day 16. I don't have any background music playing when Simming. Couldn't do it for Sims 2 and never developed the habit with Sims 3.

So my favorite special Sim species

Sims 2 Witch/warlock. They had good and evil versions. Each had unique and potentially useful spells. They could make new objects and potions. It's really the only species that I had multiple individuals and no intention of reverting them.

Second would be the vampires. I've always had a soft spot for vampires and both Sims 2 vampires and Sims 3 have a few interesting features. Plus they don't sparkle in day (not fond of Twilight vampires, I'm old school with my blood suckers.)

Question of the Day - what do you prefer doing with your elders?

My personal preference is that one of their offspring  stay home (or move back home from University in Sims 2). The elders do all the house stuff that needs to be done; cook, clean, garden, babysit. The parents can continue in their careers or pursue a life dream and do the most important part of raising a toddler without having to stress. Multiple generation households means that you can be pretty sure that someone will care for the baby without you having to step in.

I basically never ever have elders living on their own. Nor do I kill them off before their time. It's a holdover from how I played Sims 2 - I rotated between all my households so every one of them had extended or multiple families in it so that I had fewer to play (it was still over 20 by the end). My preference was child move home with parent. If the parents already had one adult offspring living there, second preference was siblings and families living together. If I couldn't manage that, it was down to cousins or good friends from college. :)

I know that is pretty much the way you are supposed to handle a legacy - but that's not the reason I do it. I just like having my elders still being very active in the family.

So what do you do and why?

Day 15 - The Life Time Aspiration/wants/fears your Sims most commonly have

Most commonly it would be

Have 20 friends - because that's what Sam Grant was given when he was made and I've run a lot of clones at this point in time. I do sometimes alter his life want but usually not.

In my families, I try to mix it up. Phillip's children; Vincent - one Sim Band, Stephen - Master of Mixology, Penny - Master of Martial arts, Veronica - World renown Surgeon. Not one of these aspirations has been used in this family before.

Day 14 - Your favorite and least favorite stage of a Sim’s life

Least favorite - the cocoon aka baby. There is nothing interesting to do with a baby. You don't even have to go to the fridge to get a bottle and have a change table or sink around to bath them.  Parent whips out a bottle whenever it is needed and can instantly cleanly change the diaper. I miss having a Sim change diapers. I miss slobby Sims *fearing* to change diapers. In Sims 2, they feared it but they would do it for the sake of the baby.

Favorite - hmm, probably young adult. They are really establishing themselves in their work, finding or confirming their love, thinking about babies or maybe making some. It's a good life stage.

Day 12 and 13

Day 12 - The community lot you visit the most


This one I cannot answer. I have too many games in too many towns and too many different Sims. Literally, it depends on the town and the Sims involved.

Day 13 - Favorite piece of custom content/mod or the reason why you don’t have any


As everyone knows, I don't do CC. I love Twallan's MasterController to bits. I can't imagine playing without it.

Sorry guyyyys

Just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the delay in updating- I AM still writing, but I've been having issues with my game. Uninstalling didn't work, and it took me two entire days to do, but we've narrowed it down to a faulty mod. So bear with me, and I'll have a new post up as soon as possible. :)

Day Eleven - Favorite Sim Living in your Neighborhood that You Did Not Create

This was going to be easy cause there aren't many of the pre-made Sims that I really care about.
Then Kaleeko brought up an imported Sim - the lovely Marta Tomasi. And that changed the character of this entirely.

There are so many of my imported Sims that I love for one reason or another. Every male Sim abused in this Sammy story was added because they are special to me. I am particularly grateful to Chrysame, Dee, Sue_d_nim and Kaleeko for their Sims.

In the end, it comes down to two and I have a hard time picking between them.

One would be Rachel Thorpe from Sue_d_nim

Rachel is particular special for her partnership with Indiana Sam. They raised 5 children, including triplets, they both topped their careers and they are the founders of my favorite Grant clan. Rachel proved she truly was a great match for Sam when she won his heart a second time during his bachelor challenge.

The second special is

Kaleeko's Bradley Kane - as specially married to Emerald Greenwood Kane

Brad and Em were done to be neighbors in one of my stories in the hopes that we'd get at least one Kane/Grant marriage out of it. There may still be multiples...time will tell.

Brad and Em with the three kids are also background Sims in one other game and Brad with original family is in yet another. Obviously a Sim I hold dear.

---

Sue's favorite

Well, it turned out to be hard for me. I love so many of our sims. But upon reflection there's one that I truly adore. He never got much screen time, and he never did anything notable. Worse yet, he's not even one or ours! Blasphemy! I got him off the exchange. I'm talking about Ronnie Rausage from Slices of Life.

Poor old Ronnie. He's ill favored in almost every way. He's not classically handsome, he's tubby, he's shy and neurotic, he doesn't make friends easily. But he's ... completely lovable. He's cuddly and easy going and sweet and I want to hug him. I cheered when he finally got himself a girlfriend, even though he never took it any farther and didn't spend much time with her. He got the best looking guy in the neighboorhood to be best friends with him right off the bat, he got himself a responsible job, and when he's not having a panic attack he's very happy and takes care of his needs and wants pefectly well without me.

I thought of starting a game based around Ronnie, but I'm afraid his personality would be different, especially if I'm controlling him.

Day 10 - Your favorite celebrity as a Sim (made by you)

Ok, not one celebrity but basically every attempt I've made at celebrity Sims.


The first you have never seen in my game nor in my studio. I was trying to do Bill Bixby, an actor I adored from forever. I was never happy with how he looked so he never came out to play.

The second was from a forum request for a Doctor James Wilson from House. The Sim actually does look reasonably like the actor/character.

The last - John Barrowman - buoyed by my success with Wilson, I wanted a Jack Harkness. The actor looks pretty much the same out of character as he does in.

So it's all my celebrity Sims.

Question for the day - does anybody care?

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Sue's only acceptable celebritysim

I can't make sims that look like real people, so I don't try any more. Very often. But I did make one, Tyler Townsend, who purposely looks a little bit like Brendon Fraser.

Day 9 - Favorite and least favorite expansion pack or version of the game

Hmmm

Tough.

Least favorite, would probably be Seasons from Sims 2. The way they did weather mostly annoyed me. You had to keep a close eye on the kids playing in winter or the social worker might appear. You could lose a Sim to heat combustion during Summer.

Favourite - I'm not really sure I have one. Almost every EP brings new stuff to the table and some of it I really enjoy.

I wish there was an equivalent of Open for Business for Sims 3 cause I really loved the challenge of getting a good business going in Sims 2.

Blog recommendation

Generally, I'm very fond of all of Felicia's blogs


Sugar and Spice currently is very tiny with the 2 posts that make up the tale of Storm Black and the seven Tarts.

The Braxton legacy is simply a scream.

Read them now. Cause.

Day 8 - The most common reason your Sims die

Most common across all my stories is still death by age.

But in the Sammy stories, we've had

Drowning

Fire

Starved

Vampire bite

and more.

The moral of the story, if you want to live a long and happy Sim life - don't show up in a Sammy story.

Day 7 - Favorite interaction or facial expression of a Sim

No matter how often I see it. No matter which Sim it is.



I love male Sims tucking toddlers into bed. I've loved it since Malcolm Landgraab IV in Sims 2 did it the first time with his new step daughter. And I adore it still.

Awwww. So sweet.

Questions for the blog

I've just been setting all my blogs, including this one to use feedburner for the feeds. I have no idea if it will be the same, better or worse. If anyone has feedback, please let me know.

Would anyone have objections to me setting this blog to using adsense?

Day 6 - Something your Sims do that drives you crazy

Stand around complaining about hungry, sleepy or I can't walk there...when they have free will and can do what they like.

Get with it you, find some food yourself.

Day 5 - Your favorite EA object in the game

Hmm. Tough. I think mine is the basic laptop.

They can play, chat, write, and travel from the basic laptop. It is a very useful thing for them to carry everywhere.

Day 4 - The skill your Sim is most commonly learning

The first skill most of my Sims learn is charisma. I love when it doesn't take a century for them to get to know someone new.

Next is some sort of art. Might be a musical instrument, might be painting, might be sculpture or might be writing. :)

Three new sims

Well, I can't seem to get my head back into the game, but I did create two new sims. Make that three.  I wanted to post better pictures, but my game has started crashing on startup, so I can't take any. If you want to use them, feel free to change their names and personalities. The long haired girl's hair is cc, but I haven't played in so long I can't remember where I got it.

Upcoming story needs a villain

Volunteer yours today. Male or female. Any age above teen. No CC version preferred.

I will happily recycle Sims I've already downloaded but this story may or may not be a bit rough on the chosen villain. Who's game?

Day 3 - Your favorite neighborhood (EA, downloaded, or self-made)

Post away when you feel like it

Nicarra60/PiB

My actual favorite of all time was Bluewater Village in Sims 2. I loved that little extension to Pleasantview. I built homes and businesses there until I could find no more valid places to put new buildings. I built a lot more for Sims 2 - possibly because I wasn't trying to create content for so many blogs then. :)

In Sims 3, the only neighborhood I dislike is Bridgeport. Not much room for Sim families and too much emphasis on night life. I am a bit bored of Sunset Valley because I've done so much there. I like pirates so I'm fine with the residents of Barnacle Bay. Twinbrook has the punniest names for some Sims. Riverview is just fine.

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Kaleeko's Fave-or-it Town

More Rambly about it Here

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Amelia's Favorite 'Hood

I have a lot of favorite neighborhoods, to be honest. It varies by game. In Sims 2, I really liked Belladonna Cove and Bluewater Village. In Sims 3, however, I only have one favorite EA hood, and that's Twinbrook. I really like the country feel and the swamps and the gorgeous scenery. I've always liked small towns more than big ones, having grown up in a big city and moved to a small town myself. Riverview and Sunset Valley are rather plain, to me, and don't have a lot of "character." And don't even get me started on Bridgeport. As a concept, I love the idea of a big grimy city. But I hate how there's no room to put anything else you make in, not a lot of empty apartments to start with, etc. And the premade houses are fugly. 

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Sue D. Nim

I still like Sunset Valley. It feels more compact to me, so it's easier to get everyplace. And I love Central Park. My favorite of all is the expanded Sims 1 neighborhood from Unleashed, the one with the college professor's house. I used to load up that household and just sit there and watch those siamese cats for hours.

Day 2 - A house you built

Post your responses here or in the comments

Nicarra60's last house

The house was on an unused block in Twinbrook. Limitations of the build was that the house was for starter Sims, so we ran out of money pretty quickly.

The initial build from above

So we had two bedrooms, two baths, the minimum amount of kitchen stuff required. The walls were not painted and the stuff from bath 2 was sold pretty quickly so the Sims had some cash.

As time went on and the Sims started to earn money, the house was being renovated. The kitchen moved, got bigger with nicer items. They got a desk and some living room furniture. The walls inside and out were painted. And as families grow and change, I do renovate existing structures to meet their needs. I'd have to go back to that game if you want pics of how it is at this point in time. It would have to change again soon, one bedroom has to be converted to a nursery.

My best renovation work was on Mosquito Cove, a tiny little shack that a Sam Grant lived in. I forget which clone number it was but his children were Brooke and John Edward Grant (Art Flows Through). It was quite a cute little house when the family moved to Barnacle Bay.

Addition
I forgot about this one.

This was the nursery in the Goth household. Even though I don't play the family, (it's part of the SV Times blog) I couldn't stand the idea of poor little Seth being stuck here


And I spent a few minutes upgrading the room to

which could use more but was time well spent.

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The House Kaleeko Built

Click here for a tour!

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The Only House Amelia Will Ever Build

Click here to see the rest.

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Next up?

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Okay, I'll go next.

My favorite house is the first really decadent one I built in Sims 1, where I went wild with the money cheat and the cc - back when cc was free and gorgeous and made by really talented people. It was a huge, white colonial mansion with all the luxury I could cram into it.

But my favorite building of my own creation is still The Corner Pub. They've made it easier than ever for builders, especially builders of community lots, but I got a real sense of satisfaction out of getting around the limitations in the "olden days," when you had to figure out how to use cheats like moveobjects to create what you wanted, and force it to recognize a community lot that would attract lots of sims.

(click for a quick tour)

Day 1 - Yourself as a Sim with your traits/aspiration

Anyone attempting this can post their Sims here. :)

 People's challenges:

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Kaleeko's Day 1 Challenge

 

Click here for more details!

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Nicarra's Sim characteristics.

I'm not going to try and create a Simself. When you see my Sim celebs, you'll know why.

Traits:

Slob, Grumpy, Computer Whiz, Neurotic, Genius

Seasoned Traveler. - Given I've been in North America, South America (Brazil), Africa (South Africa), Europe (UK, Italy, Switzerland, and the Czech republic) I think I can say I've filled the basics of it. But there is a lot more to see out there.

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Sim!Amelia

Hurrr is my Sim!Me. Like PiB, I really don't make simselfs, but I decided to give it a try since none of you know what I look like and thus can't judge my skills toooo much ;) Click hurrrr for the rest of the details.

Traits: Bookworm, Clumsy, Excitable, Neurotic, Over-Emotional 

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Bookworm, couch potato, hopeless romantic, loner, over emotional.
Yep, that'd be me.

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Click the 'edit' button or leave a comment if you want to add yours!

The thirty day Sim Challenge

Day 1 - Yourself as a Sim with your traits/aspiration
Day 2 - A house you built
Day 3 - Your favorite neighborhood (EA, downloaded, or self-made)
Day 4 - The skill your Sim is most commonly learning
Day 5 - Your favorite EA object in the game
Day 6 - Something your Sims do that drives you crazy
Day 7 - Favorite interaction or facial expression of a Sim
Day 8 - The most common reason your Sims die
Day 9 - Favorite and least favorite expansion pack or version of the game
Day 10 - Your favorite celebrity as a Sim (made by you)
Day 11 - Favorite Sim living in the neighborhood that you didn’t create
Day 12 - The community lot you visit the most
Day 13 - Favorite piece of custom content/mod or the reason why you don’t have any
Day 14 - Your favorite and least favorite stage of a Sim’s life
Day 15 - The Life Time Aspiration/wants/fears your Sims most commonly have
Day 16 - A music clip/YouTube video of the background music you enjoy most
Day 17 - Your favorite “special” Sim species (Witches, Vampires, Aliens, Werewolves, Plant Sims, etc)
Day 18 - The longest family tree you ever had/the Sim you played with the most and why
Day 19 - One thing you would change about the game
Day 21 - Something that happened/could happen that made you quit without saving
Day 22 - The most scandalous thing you’ve done with Sims
Day 23 - The most awesome Sims you’ve ever had without cheating
Day 24 - A video you made yourself with Sims
Day 25 - Something that happens in Sims you wish happened in real life
Day 26 - Favorite place to download Sims custom content
Day 27 - The cheat you use most commonly and a cheat you rarely/never use
Day 28 - An expansion pack you wish EA would make
Day 29 - The reason you started playing Sims in the beginning
Day 30 - The reason you are still a Sims fan today

The Evil Laugh off - This is just for fun

And is exceptionally silly

It's the Evil Laugh off

Yes fans, today we bring you the evil laugh from three notorious evil Sims. Our benchmark Sim is
Mr Jebidiah Kane - Star of Kaleeko's brilliant Desperate Sims



Jeb is not entirely happy with the quality of the production - due to some weird noise happening during his laugh. The production staff says stiff bickies.

Contestant one is the evil Jerod 'Shrimp' Grant - Mr Grant originates from The World Adventures with The Grant Family blog but has had a guest appearance in Desperate Sims and in the Short Story blog



I fear that Shrimp fails to measure up here.

And contestant two is the evil Ted 'Ginger' Leman - Ted is a refugee from a never blogged game - son of Thomas Leman and Tamara Donnor which explains the hair (dad) and the nose (mom)



So does Ted make the grade as an evil doer? You, dear viewers, must decide.

Imploded Ego alert

Just to let people know. Due to currently smashed to bits ego - while the short story in progress is still going to finish - there's likely to be a serious lack of posts in anything else. Cause at the moment, it's hard for me to see that anyone cares therefore it's harder than hell for me to.

It doesn't help that the wet season has been seriously wet this year and it's been days since we've had a full day of clear weather. The downstairs has had water in it most of the time post Cyclone Yasi - our awning blow away and rain splashes in now. It is taking forever to get replacement awning.

Does anyone know Twallan's debugger animations?

If there is a resource that discusses which animation does what for Twallan's DebugEnabler? Sometimes I can guess which is which but it would be nice to have a better idea

Holy Canolie, Next Expansion, Batman!

Beware: Spoilers!

So, My Sims 3 Blog wrote a very interesting post that seems to have glimpsed some little tidbits lurking on the Sims 3 website, that reveal some rather interesting information about what may be the next Sims expansion!

Click here to read it: go, now!

Treehouses? Pranking teenagers? Mid life crises? Thank the flying spaghetti monster, it sounds like they're listening to the community's complaints about not having enough things for our Sims to do or to happen to them...

Still no word on whether or not there are weather/Season or pets in the future, but honestly, I'll take it as it comes at this point.

Still having problems

Our power supply was switched on sunday night. But if we try to switch power to all the circuits, the safety switch kicks in. The last circuit powers most of the outlets in the house. So we do have lights, ac, hot water and a stove. We don't have a fridge, clothes washer (and I need that so) and I can't run the computer yet.

At least it is more comfortable in the house. Electrician coming today to look at power.

Wish me luck

At the moment, we are two days away from what could be a truly massive cyclone/hurricane. It's pretty much headed straight for town and could really create havoc.

Maybe, that's the prediction. They expect the seriously damaging area to be hundreds of kilometers wide. These storms are unpredictable, who know if it will hit with that full potential.

We might be asked to evacuate tomorrow, I have to prepare tonight. My heart aches.

Has anyone seen Chrysame?

She seems to have dropped off my blogs. Which makes me a sad camper.

Comments are back on the official Sims 3 site

We even still have the old ones. I do hope they keep the feature, it is nice to be able to say hi to someone for once.

In other news, I uploaded three of the born in games from Sam's latest episode
Tania Kennedy (was Kane) parents - Kaleeko's Travis Kane and Dee's Cassidy Fail
Derrick Hawkins (was Hawke) parents - Chrysame's Hugo Hawke and KaiSim's Kacyn McPherson
Stephen Slayer (was Lee-Slayer) parents Dee's Ben Lee and EA games Elvira Slayer

Stephen, my handsome little vampire, is doing quite well on the exchange for one of my Sims. He's already been downloaded more than The Shrimp.

And For January It's...

More store sets, durh!

http://www.simprograms.com/27529/january-2011-%E2%80%93-new-sets-at-the-sims-3-store/

So, I've decided that this adequately meets my wish for more kid/toddler stuff, even if the only toddler stuff is some goofy hats, and it's all really just sleepwear. Then again, that's one thing that always annoyed me about the child stage--their pajamas were never all that flattering. Also, two more new child-age hairstyles! That always makes me happy.

Can't say I'm all that partial to the other two large sets, but that's okay, because once I con some money off my hubby I would much rather spend it on PJs and past stuff.

How do you guys feel about the new sets?