Saturday, August 22, 2009
At first I was hesitant at having Grandpa sim around after Adrian's departure. Of course, I was happy to still have my live in babysitter, but the two aren't exactly the best of friends. Then again, death can change people, and it appears to be changing Grandpa.
Those are his current wishes. They all popped up around the same time (as he got out of bed), so I decided to take him up on his offer to help clean and dropped "be mean to Emily"and "yell at Emily". What a change huh?
And while I was replacing his wishes, he went and did this!
That's a plate of pancakes he cooked for breakfast. Not just pancakes for himself, but for Emily as well. Maybe he's decided to be nice after she lost her husband? Or maybe he just realised he's living arrangement may not be as safe with Adrian gone and he doesn't want to find out if the rumours about the food at the Aged Care home are true...
Friday, August 21, 2009
Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up and just feel like something big is going to happen? Might be good, might be bad, but you just have this feeling. I'd ask more specifically like, "have you ever woken up feeling like today was the day you were going to die?", but given the end result, I'm not sure many could actually answer that question. And well, if they could, I don't want them to...
Saturday morning in the Waters household started off just like any other. Emily had an opportunity to submit one of her cooking dishes to the local cook-off competition and was eager to take part. She couldn't cook much more than mac and cheese, but she had plans for some very special pancakes using the garden goodness growing right outside. It might be a simple dish, but she had big plans for it.
Plans that didn't exactly include setting fire to the kitchen. She wanted to make them kick... but not kick the bucket.
Notice the comment I put on there? What sort of Sim, I don't care how insane they are, carries a baby INTO a room that is already on fire and puts them on the floor so they can dance around like they have ants in their pants and scream? And the weird thing is, Grandpa Sim really loves the kids. He's always in with them cuddling and playing with them. So why he put them at risk I do not know.
I was temporarily tempted to just let the fire go until the fire department came and see what happened, but I wasn't quite ready to lose my entire family yet. Instead, I told Adrian and Grandpa to extinguish it, which they did... well, at least Adrian did. Grandpa Sim did enough effort to not cop any flak for it later and resumed his panicked screaming. Adrian gave it a few extra bursts to make sure...
The Fire lady arrived and basically went off at us for not being careful enough. I really can't see that many fires happening in town, I would have thought she might have been grateful for something to do. I probably interrupted her solitaire playing. $120 was paid in insurance which barely dented the $400 replacement cost for a new stove. But still, we were all alive and that's what counts right?
Emily decided one fire a day is more than enough and entered some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into the cook-off instead. Funny enough, they got rave reviews and she won some cash for them. Sweet. Since it was a weekend she didn't want to leave the boys home alone with the babies for too long so that was her only trip out for the day and she returned home immediately after.
Upon returning home, she noticed the TV unit was still broken and spat the dummy at Adrian, telling him to stop playing with his bloody apple trees and to fix it. Grandpa was constantly wanting to jump in and do it, and Emily was sick of pulling him away. Seriously, he had the wish come up like 5 times in the 24 hour period that it was broken, but who in their right mind lets an elderly man tinker with a TV?
With a grunt of a child told to do something they didn't want to, Adrian pulled out his spanner and began repairing it. And... well...
Bet he didn't expect that when stuck his spanner in there!!
Now, there's a few bits you need to take note of in that video. First is Grandpa Sim as he comes out right after it happens. Take a close look at the thought bubble over his head. It's not "omg my son is dead! Why? Whhhhyyyy?" No, it's "GAH! The TV is still broken dammit!" I mean c'mon, don't complain about that while your son's body is still smoking up the lounge room!!
And with no TV to keep him entertained, what's his next thought? That he's tired... But then again, at least he IS crying, for what ever the reason. Emily? She's just standing there. Maybe she's just in shock...
The next shocking moment comes around the middle (0.57 to be precise). Squint your eyes and take a look at the thought bubbles over both Grandpa and Emily's heads. You'll notice Emily's is red with a little upset smiley face. She's sad. But Grandpa Sim? His is not red and has a HAPPY smiley face!! What the?! Why is he happy? He's son just DIED for goodness sake!
I had a momentary thought that maybe he was happy he had Emily all to himself, but that just grossed me out so I pushed the thought waaaay out of my mind. Plus, Emily and Grandpa hate each other, so that blows that theory up anyway. Grandpa does turn from a happy dance to mourning, perhaps because he remembered Emily was there? Who knows.
After the 30 seconds of mourning however, life returns to normal. First off, listen closely as Emily walks away. Tell me that's not an "oh well" sound she makes? I mean, I know the man ended the marriage without so much as an explanation, but still, there are two children without a father now! Be upset about that.
Clearly she is in shock though, because the first thing she does is goes and makes Adrian's bed. Only nutso women who still aren't thinking straight do stuff like that. I know, I've seen it in movies all the time. Then again, it's what she does after that makes me question if she really is in shock or not - she plays computer games. Clearly distressed people play car racing games right?
Grandpa however, just goes to sleep.
Now it begs the question - what do I do with the family? Ironically, this has actually solved a lot of problems for me lol. First, as mentioned already - after Adrian got his promotion, he wanted to be demoted. He couldn't hack it. So much so, that he also had another wish pop up to be fired. This causes a problem because he is working in the industry that is his LIFE WISH. His wish was to cross-breed robots or something odd like that, and he was working towards that goal. Yet, he hated his job!! If I followed his wishes to be demoted then fired, how would he ever achieve his life wish? Who hates the job that is their dream job?!
Then there was the added problem of the current living arrangements. Emily made a few passes at Adrian recently to test her theory that he still had feelings for her. No, no he didn't. If the fire in the kitchen that morning wasn't hot enough for her, the flames in which she was shot down by Adrian most certainly were. He was SO not interested.
This brought on a dilemma. Emily didn't want to go through the rest of her live with no special sim by her side. She also wanted more kids, she wanted a companion, she wanted... happiness. She certainly didn't want to spend the rest of her life with a man that didn't love her and his dingbat father. But how could she meet another man, let alone bring him home if she was still living with her ex-husband? Then again, would Adrian even care? I mean, he didn't love Emily anymore, so maybe he wouldn't.
But what if he did? What if he cared so much he threw his hands up in the air, claimed he couldn't live like this anymore and moved out? Would Emily be stuck with his annoying father? She didn't want that, but then if Grandpa moved out with Adrian, she'd have to employ one of the town babysitters who were more useless than carpet fluff. The only reason she put up with his insane chatter and garbage rummaging was because he was free childcare while she was at work or out in town. He was a step up from the town babysitters, and he adored the children. He was always in there talking to them, cuddling them and making sure they were happy. Probably trying to convert them to his insane ways, but he was FREE...
Of course, Adrian's death solves all of my problems! Now, I don't have to worry about getting Adrian fired and then dealing with the aftermath of changing careers and then his life wish. I don't have to worry about meeting and consequently bringing another man sim home and the reaction that might or might not come from Adrian. And although I still have to live with the old fart, I don't lose my babysitter! Yay! lol...
Not quite what I expected to happen tonight. Funny enough, I was thinking not long before that, that the family was getting quite dull. Perhaps I should be more careful what I think from now on...?
Adrian (Waters Family) got an interesting promotion tonight...
Apparently the promotion was just a wee bit scary too...
Courtesy of simoperations.com:
EAUK's Community Representative Adroit, has published details on why pricing for the first The Sims 3 expansion pack is higher than those of its predecessor. It shows that, like the base game, exclusive content will be available to download free online.
Hi, the pricing is a little higher than The Sims 2 expansions for some of the following reasons:Apparently the expansion is listed as £29.99 some places (around $46 US), and is currently listed as £24.99 on amazon and play.com. Obviously we're still enough distance away from the expansion for ANY price to be officially released, so I wouldn't take sites like amazon as Gospel. But, given the statement provided by Adroit, I would expect the expansions to at least be $10 or more above Sims 2 expansions.
- World Adventures provides lots of additional gameplay and items, plus adds storyline elements by building on goal oriented gameplay from base game
- It offers $10 (£6) value of SimPoints to be spent on TS3 Store
- It offers access to an Explorer’s kit - 15 exclusive valuable items to be downloaded upon product registration
Give it is adding more to the game play in the form of quests and other mini games within the main game, I can see a difference in price. Although it's still "The Sims", number 3 is varying greatly in some areas from it's predecessors. But, if the price jack is based on the 'included' bonus of SimPoints to spent at the TS3 Store, then I can't agree with it. Personally I don't use the store, so they are no real use to me.
I like a lot of the items there, but I can't justify spending more real life money on each piece of furniture I need. For one, there will always be free items out there, we just have to give the designers some time to work out how to create them, and secondly, it's WAY too easy to spend $20, $50 or even more in the store when you buy bits and pieces here and there. For a franchise that will set you back $500* or more by the time you buy all the expansions along the way, do you really want to double that by buying constantly from the store?
* based very loosely on the price of TS2 + expacs...
Max got a promotion last night to Pop Icon! This makes him level 9 in his Music Career and almost at the top! Rock Stardom here I come...
Thursday, August 20, 2009
News is coming out all over the place with regards to the first expansion World Adventures. IGN got a first look at the newly-revealed The Sims 3: World Adventures to see the expansion pack strategy.
At the base camp is a job board that has adventures, which are beefed up versions of the opportunity missions you found in The Sims 3; the more complex adventures might consist of a dozen or more tasks chained together. Completion of these adventures unlocks more challenging adventures, raises your visa level, and so on. An example of these adventures might be exploring tombs, of which there are many in Egypt. These tombs might have diabolical traps that must be circumnavigated or be dealt with. For example, fire traps can be tackled by dousing your sim in water (say by jumping into a small pool) before entering them; the soaked nature of your clothes will protect you. Or you might need to move objects around to activate pressure plates in order to open a secret door. Your sims might dig in rubble for artifacts that can help unlock other doors. Or, you might find all the parts to a rare item and reassemble it, thus giving you a nice trophy for that shelf back home.Check out their full write up here.
Take a good look at those images. WHAT there tells you that's a happy game of catch? Nothing, that's what!
There is something seriously wrong with Melani. Apart from the fact she neglects her kids - she doesn't pay them any attention, doesn't cook for them (Seth has eaten left over birthday cake every morning this week), she doesn't even tuck them in at night. She even left baby Ricky inside when they were all going out for a family trip to the pool! Thank goodness that Grandma Audrey is around to look after them.
Seth has had a wish to play catch with Hal for a while now, but Hal never seems to be available. Every time I call him to come over and see his sons, he's either too busy, or, more recently, constantly "just on his way out" and can't come over. Melani suspects another woman. He's already proven to be unfaithful in the past - either unfaithful to Melani, or to another woman with Melani. Either way, he's somehow forgotten his parental responsibilities and is just too busy.
So, Melani thought she would play the roll of dad as well, since she clearly does mum with such skill, and help fulfill Seth's wish to play catch. I purchased a football and send them outside. And this is what I see...
Does that really look like that much fun? Did you see Melani's eye roll, "c'mon already" expression EVERY time Seth dropped the ball? And can you blame him for dropping it with some of those passes she was throwing? Was she trying to wind him, or just knock him unconscious?!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I witnessed what was happening. What kind of supportive mother is she? It's the kids FIRST game of catch, ever, and that's her response to his butter fingers? He may not have turned into the cutest kid on the block, but geez even I felt sorry for him in that moment.
oobna blonk...
Forbes.com posted an article today announcing The Sims 3 World Adventures to Feature Global Artists!
The Sims fans around the world will be rockin' out to new Simlish music in The Sims(TM) 3 World Adventures Expansion Pack* for the PC and Mac this fall. The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced that in The Sims 3 World Adventures, players will have their chance to get down, Simlish-style, to artists like GRAMMY award-winner Nelly Furtado, rising star Pixie Lott, German sensation Stefanie Heinzmann, breaking new rock band Matt & Kim, global indie dance rockers Young Punx, and more!Continue Reading...
When I decided to send the family to a community lot last night, I decided to send the entire family. Even Grandma Audrey got to get out of the house for a few hours, something she very rarely does due to my neglect (really, it's her own fault for being such a good babysitter hehe). This was my first time sending more than two sims out somewhere. So far, the biggest trips have been Audrey taking Seth to the book store to read him some books when he was a toddler.
But now, I got to figure out how to send a whole family out! Previously, trips to the book store were organised by Grandma Audrey picking up Seth, and then heading on down. If I didn't pick him up first, the trip was nothing more than wasted cab fare. To send out multiple Sims however, is quite easy.
For those like me who sometimes forget there is more to the Sims 3 than your own house lot, all you need to do is open up your map, select the community lot you wish to visit and select to "visit with..." When you do this, a window pops up and you simply left click on any of the family members you wish to head there with. For me, I selected everyone and off we went!
For some odd reason, Melani still has the Police car she acquired before changing careers. I would give it back, but I don't have enough money to purchase another car, and a family with children simply can not be without a car. Not even in everything's perfect Simland. I tried selling it to fund a new car, because I did kinda feel bad riding around in a marked cop car when I wasn't in fact a cop anymore, but you can't sell it. You get offered $0.
So anyway, after selecting the lot, Melani pulled out her squad car... from her inventory, damn she must have big pockets. And muscles to make superman wince. She loaded Seth into the passenger seat which I was surprised at given his age - in Australia it's illegal to have a child under 12 in the front of the car. After staring for a few minutes, I noticed we were still sitting there. What was going on?
Grandma Audrey had, thankfully, picked up Ricky (clearly Melani is a wonderful mother...), but she was stuck in the Nursery. Just standing there. I noticed in between the "get in the car" and "move" actions, there was an icon to put a toy away. I cancelled than and she got moving again. Sometimes the elderly just need a good shove right? (oooh, so wrong)
It was then that I noticed cancelling the action left the toy still in Audrey's hands.
I actually thought it was kinda cool that she could carry Ricky and still hold a toy. I don't know how many times I've scooped up my own toddler and her teddy, and her blanket, and bottle, and slippers and book and a mini play cow. LOL us mum's are very clever.
I also discovered why Seth was in the front seat too. When Grandma Audrey got into the backseat holding Ricky, it kinda made sense. Obviously a toddler sitting on an adults lap and a child couldn't all fit in the back seat (yeah right), but SOMEONE had to hold Ricky since EA don't offer baby seats in car. Which really, would be the safest thing to do. But then again, this is Simland, and I've yet to see or hear about a car crash yet.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Playing Melani tonight, I decided that it was time to take the family out for a day. It was a lovely sunny Saturday (shocker right? Sunny weather in The Sims?) and it would be the first trip out since the boys birthday parties. Which meant it would be the first time Seth could actually use the equipment at the park as opposed to playing in the toilet block and hissing at the sunlight...
Right as I finished getting everyone up, dressed, fed and yelled out the omg I'm a really am a mother phrase "Have you all gone to the toilet?!", Seth had a wish pop up to go swimming. Perfect! We'll make the family trip to the local pool.
Only, one problem. Melani resides in Riverview. Have you been to the ONLY pool in Riverview?
Maybe some Sims like swimming inside a warehouse, located in the middle of an industrial park, but personally I prefer my swimming pools outside, in fresh air, far from any potential chemical spills. I know, I know... I'm a fussy one aren't I?
So, I decided if they won't bring the pool to me... I will bring the pool to them! Time to start creating my first community lot. Now, before you all cock an eyebrow with an "is that it?" expression, I've built the BASICS to start with lol. The last thing I was in the mood for tonight was to spend the next 3 hours building. But dammit, I wanna swim!
So I've put in the bare minimum for now, and then, when I'm in the mood, I'll go back and make it all pretty and special. I have the idea in my head, I just can't be bothered haha.
Before I talk it up any more, I bring you the Riverside Pools!
Pretty huh? LOL.
Now, I need your help!! The pools need a cool name. And I want YOUR HELP to name it! So, give me your best pool name (post a comment) and I will chose one, name it, and then share the lot via the Sims 3 website once it's complete.
Completely random piece of info...
Tombstone size is purely dependent on lifetime happiness points. The game counts both spent and unspent points towards your total. You cannot edit the tombstone after your sim has died. They get what they get when they die.
NUMBERS AND TYPES OF TOMBSTONES:
- LESS THAN 75,000: small, flat, on the ground
- 75,000-150,000: small, standing
- 150,000+: large, standing
I was randomly link hoping earlier today and somehow came across this outfit for toddlers. I hate most of the current toddler clothes so this caught my eye. Then I noticed it was on the exchange and not the store (aka FREE!) so just had to download it. Thought I would share for all the other fellow todder clothes haters out there.
I've commented before that I suspect Adrian is not really coping with his decision to end the marriage with Emily. Last night I was reading the GameSpot's Exclusive First Look at the new World Adventures expansion pack (I link it again only because it was really really interesting and actually made me look forward for the expansion knowing the differences it's going to bring), and my eyes nearly bugged right out of my head when I noticed this:
That's Adrian and Emily in the same bed! I happened to glance over right as Emily was getting ready to crawl in, and of course noticed that there was already someone in there. Since Adrian ended the marriage, he's ALWAYS gone to the single bed in the other room. So what made him crawl into this one? Why all of a sudden, does he sleep in the old bed, and is obviously happy with Emily in there with him?
Of course, Emily had no problems at all with him there, she's been heart broken over him ever since the split. Poor woman - between random bursts of tears over the thought of Adrian, added to the sudden onset of raised fists, gritted teeth and grunting that happens any time she passes Adrian's father, I'm surprised her head hasn't exploded.
I'm REALLY curious to know what prompted tonight's co-sleeping however. Adrian was out on the town earlier in the evening, and I kept flicking over to his icon and saw he was chatting to different people through out the night. Maybe he just needed someone to talk to? Maybe someone made him realise ending the marriage was a mistake? Who knows...
I SO wish there were Therapists in The Sims though, marriage counsellors. Would be handy right about now...
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Sims are off on an adventure to famous destinations around the world! The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that The Sims 3 World Adventures, the first expansion pack* to the #1 best-selling PC and MAC game in June 2009**, The Sims 3, is in development and will ship to retailers worldwide the week of November 16, 2009.
It's good to know I'm not the only one who lives under a Rock - ToriiLee_sXe answered my tweet saying they too knew nothing of the Sims 3 first expansion. Of course, I forgot to ask if they even played the Sims, which would kinda be a big reason to not know about the expansion, but I'll assume they are if they are following a twitter account aptly titled "Sims_Fan"... I will also blame my 3 weeks of the flu as part of my lack of knowledge since I wasn't even really around the PC during that time. But, for those, like me, who haven't heard - EA have announced that the first expansion pack for The Sims 3 will be World Adventures!
The Adventure is Near…
Take your Sims on the adventure of their lives with The Sims 3 World Adventures. Guide your Sims to acclaimed fortune—or potential doom. Take your Sims to exotic destinations to hunt for hidden treasures. Uncover new skills, experience new personality traits and garner rewards, if your Sims succeed. Explore ancient tombs in the pyramids of Egypt, master martial arts in the Far East, and discover rich culture and famous landmarks of France. Adventure is on the horizon — what will your Sims discover?
From mastering martial arts in Shang Simla, China, discovering rich culture and famous landmarks on a romantic getaway to Champs Les Sims, France or exploring the depths of ancient tombs in Al Simhara, Egypt, players can take their Sims on a journey that will change their Sims' lives.
Players can accept challenges to search for secret treasures, learn new skills and chase down new personal opportunities, meet new Sims with unique personalities, share their culture and bring them home, discover new styles on their travels, and share everything they encounter on their adventures with the world through personal photographs, movies, and stories.
FEATURES
- Accept challenges, find treasures, discover what’s lurking in hidden caves and more.
- Explore famous landmarks in China, Egypt, and France.
- Learn new skills like photography and pursue new opportunities.
- Meet new Sims from exotic locations and share their cultures.
- Customize your Sims homes with new styles & artifacts from their adventures.
- Get $10 worth of free SimPoints for The Sims 3 Store, and additional online features to be announced.
"We're thrilled with the global success of The Sims 3 over these last few months and are looking forward to expanding on the gameplay experience with one of the most robust expansion packs to The Sims yet," said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims at EA. "Players will be able to take their Sims on the adventure of a lifetime and explore lands outside of Sunset Valley and Riverview, pursue thrilling new life destinies in locations around the world inspired by famous destinations, and immerse themselves in the open-ended gameplay where they'll discover new cities in China, France and Egypt and share new stories."
Players can take their Sims on new journeys to famous real-world inspired destinations around the globe for the first time ever and seek out new adventures. While exploring the landmarks of an exotic city, there is no telling what the Sims will find. From mastering martial arts in Shang Simla, China, discovering rich culture and famous landmarks on a romantic getaway to Champs Les Sims, France or exploring the depths of ancient tombs in Al Simhara, Egypt, players can take their Sims on a journey that will change their Sims' lives.
Players can accept challenges to search for secret treasures, learn new skills and chase down new personal opportunities, meet new Sims with unique personalities, share their culture and bring them home, discover new styles on their travels, and share everything they encounter on their adventures with the world through personal photographs, movies, and stories.
Additionally, players will receive 1,000 SimPoints to be used online in The Sims 3 Store*** for the PC/MAC versions of the game. Exclusive online content, available only for the expansion pack at launch, will be revealed soon.
The Sims 3 World Adventures will also be available for mobile phones, the iPhone™ and iPod touch® in early 2010 from EA Mobile™. These versions will have customised mobile gameplay features which will be revealed in the coming months. For information on carrier availability and pricing for all EA Mobile games, please visit www.eamobile.com.
For more information about The Sims 3 World Adventures or The Sims 3, please visit www.TheSims3.com. Developed by The Sims Studio, The Sims 3 World Adventures has not yet been rated by the OFLC. To download artwork, please visit www.info.ea.com.
IGN Q&A with Lyndsay Pearson (Source)
IGN: Is there a different philosophy to the expansions for The Sims 3 now that EA can distribute a lot of new content via The Sims 3 Store? It used to be you needed to buy an expansion or a content pack at retail to get new items. Does that mean that you need to focus on different areas for the expansion?
Lyndsay Pearson: We're putting so much clothing and content up on the Store each month that it's a great way to let players pick and choose the elements they would like to use in their game. The Sims 3 World Adventures will offer an entire, whole new experience, something we couldn't deliver through the Store. Our challenge really becomes--with multiple avenues to get items or content to customers--how do we make sure we don't start overlapping too much? The Store also has the flexibility to do bite sized chunks of crazy content if we want to. We would probably never offer a set of moon-base themed furniture in an expansion pack, but we could put it on the Store if it's something people would really enjoy. The Store offers an excellent complement and enhancement resource, but we still plan to have major innovations and systems delivered by the expansion pack. The Sims 3: World Adventures focuses on delivering those along with actual, real-world inspired locations--something we couldn't give players through any other means.
IGN: The press release mentions that exclusive online content will be available for the expansion at launch. Are these exclusive items eventually going to be offered to those who don't buy the expansion?
Lyndsay Pearson: Additional content and SimPoints to be used at the Store are great ways for us to give extra incentives to the players that are out in the forefront and buying the game. That said, we realize there is a lot of value to the things we can offer and we are evaluating how we ultimately make sure it gets out there for everyone to enjoy. Stay tuned for further information on online content.
IGN: The release also mentions that you'll be able to meet new characters in these new places. Will you be able to bring these characters back with you, or transfer them somehow?
Lyndsay Pearson: While visiting any of our new locations your Sims will be able to meet locals and explorers. Just like any Sim in their home town, they can make friends, fall in love or make enemies! After returning home Sims will be able to call these new, foreign friends and invite them to visit or chat to keep up relationships. You can even invite them over, get married, or move in. Maybe your culinary Sim has always longed to learn new French recipes and fall in love with a renowned French chef--that's a story you can tell now.
IGN: Last question. Each expansion for The Sims 2 introduced a new gameplay mechanic. Will there be a new gameplay mechanic in World Adventures? If so, what is it?
Lyndsay Pearson: The Sims 3: World Adventures offers a whole new way to play that we've never done in a Sims game before. We're utilizing the opportunity system introduced in The Sims 3 to take your sims through a whole variety of different adventures. You can start by talking to a local merchant who will send you off to find a keystone that unlocks the treasure chest to get into the secret chamber and so on. You aren't just picking up random tasks--you can follow and participate in a story. Each location offers different back stories and secrets to uncover. We're also working on a much more interactive exploration system in our tombs and catacombs. The player will need to solve puzzles to get from room to room--you can't just click in the treasure room and say "Go Here" anymore. Using your sims' skills, special items and figuring out a puzzle will be how to get through the multitude of areas we've set up for you to explore. The whole team is really excited about these new possibilities and what we can build with them. We look forward to sharing more information as we go along!
A simple guide for machinima artists that shows the different idle animations each trait triggers. Created By Umi.
Pretty cool!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Max just got promoted to Lead Guitarist! Rock on!
While Max was distracted by Ugly Melani, and trying to not to stare, Melani decided to broach the whole "let's take the next step" relationship killer - she asked Max to move in with her! Dun dun duuunnnn....
I did find it really cool that a Sim I don't control proposed the moving in. It's nice not to have to make all the decisions myself. But now I also have a new sympathy for men.
See, my vision for Max is to be a rock-star. I want him to live the life of a rock star. A REAL rock star!! Not one of today's new age, floppy haired, high pitched, baby faced teenage heart throbs. Max rocks hard, parties harder and is currently sleeping his way around town - YAARR!! \,,/
He's not the rock star that wants to settle down with just one woman and play happy families. And honestly, I don't want the responsibility of a little women (who looks like an old hag now anyway) that has 3 kids, two of which are newborn twins. Yes yes, I know, they're MY kids and I should be more careful if I don't want the responsilibity, but ... He's a rock star baby!
So, in that moment, when the game paused and the 'big question' is glaring at me in the face, I felt a sudden kinship with all the commitment phobic, never want to grow up men out there that are just "not ready" for something like that yet. I was a deer in headlines, muttering, uuh, uuh, um, like, um...
I didn't know what to say.
Max hadn't had any wish come up to move in with Melani - sleep with yes, multiple times, but move in? No, none of those wishes yet. And given his current 4 wishes involved 3 other women, I really didn't think it would be a wise move to accept. I did consider accepting it and then just continuing to live out the rock star life and see what happened from there, but he's not that much of a prick heh.
So, after an uncomfortable silence, with a knot of guilt in my stomach, I clicked the X. No, he did not want to move in.
My eyes were glued to the screen. I was bracing for a slap, a burst of tears or to be pushed in the pool (see previous blog post and take note of the background). But, nothing. A few moments of silence - no talking, no, nothing - and then Melani left. Naw, what a brace face she put on.
I really wish there were more interactions initiated by other Sims in town, I don't always want to be the one having to ask the questions or make the contact. I want Sims who just rock up at my front door for a visit, not just call once in a blue moon. And I kinda get annoyed at those messages that pop up reminding you that you have to maintain contact to keep a friendship and that your Sim and xxxx Sim are no longer friends. Well, we ALL have mobiles now right? And they work both ways right? Why am I the one that always has to call them?!
And if I remember correctly, when I was reading up on The Sims 3 before it was released, there was mention that you could bump into other Sims in town. But I'm not really seeing that either - not in the "oh my goodness, I haven't seen you for ages, let's grab a coffee" kinda way. My Sims talk to others in the park, but then they'll also pass right past their "friends" without so much as a wave. And I've yet to be asked if I'd like to have a coffee... nope, always me asking.
LOL, life is just so hard right...?
See how hard Max's life is... these are all his wishes at the moment. Notice the theme? All women! LOL!
