Monday, October 12, 2009
With Bella being pregnant again, she decided to take the relationship matters into her own hands. She gave Max an ultimatum - marry her, or leave!! Yikes! Being brought up in a fairly old fashioned way, Bella didn't believe in kids before marriage but had let the first birth slide as she was terrified of Max leaving her at the time. Now, things were different, she wasn't afraid to go at it alone should be chose to run. Two pregnancies and a 3rd child on the way, it was time for Max to step up and do the right thing, or she'd find another man who could.
Thankfully Max is just as smitten with Bella as she is with him. I don't know why Max insists on still seeing Melani if he's so in love with Bella, but at least he's doing the right thing here. That, or he's doing what ever is necessary to keep her.
Now remember yesterday's blog showed Max having the wish to propose to Bella, and yet the video shows it the other way round? I didn't manage to get a screenshot for some odd reason (I'm sure I took one), but Bella also had the wish come up to ask Max for his hand in marriage. I figured this might be a bit more believable coming from her - how many of us would have trusted Max had he been the one doing the asking?
Even though Bella was already pregnant for the wedding, I had thought ahead enough to pre-plan her outfit, so she was able to wear a proper wedding gown. I'm still disappointed that poor Emily had to get married in a simple summer dress because you can't "plan outfits" when already pregnant. But you can change into one... so I just made sure Bella already had her wedding dress ready and waiting. I couldn't watch a sim as pretty as her get married in her house clothes.
And what a beautiful bride she made!!
Stunning!
I decided to have a simple home wedding as the twins were still just babies and they would either be left behind, or left on the ground! Neither of which was an acceptable option for me. They were just as much part of the family as Bella and Max and deserved to be present at the wedding, even if it was just in the Nursery. This is where I'd LOVE to have swings or bouncers in game as they could have been out with everyone else.
Max and Bella also have a big enough house to make a wedding there a possibility - a bonus side effect of the house being designed around lots of parties for Max.
Like all weddings, there were nerves and I will admit to watching Max like a hawk as I was really worried he might do a runner. He doesn't exactly depict the pillar of stability here does he?
Then again, neither does Bella... I just put it down to all nerves and hoped the wedding went without a hitch. It was an uncomfortable start to the day which wasn't helping my nerves any.
I'm still disappointed there is absolutely nothing special about a wedding - no cut scene, no ability to really "walk down the isle" etc. I realise Bella's dad is no longer with us, but perhaps Michael (her brother) could have given her away or something a bit more wedding like? Instead, they all just loitered around until rings were exchanged...
I have to give props to Max for not answering his phone. The whole time it was ringing I was waiting for him to answer it, and waiting for it to be Melani or something equally bad. Then again, she's not called Max at all since Eric had a go at him, nor has Max really had any new wishes come up to see her so who knows what's going on there.
The wedding went without a hitch, and without a wedding cake which is another pet peeve of mine. I mean c'mon EA - you KNOW this game is played by a majority female and gay audience, you KNOW we want to have dream weddings and you can't even give us a wedding cake? Poor form...
Still, cake or no cake, Max and Bella are now husband and wife. Because Bella asked Max, all surnames changed to "Bachelor" which bugged me as I didn't even have the option to choose which surname would be used, but I'll live with it. I could go down to town hall and change them all to Amillion which was Max's surname, but meh... not that worried lol.
Here's to a happy marriage!! *chink*
Friday, September 4, 2009
Browse The Store now!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
I'm not sure if it's a current bug or an intentional mismatch on EA's behalf, but the sims you're playing, and the town folk you're not, age at different rates. While I have Max's lifespan set to epic, the other sims in town still run on normal time. Which means they're becoming elders while Max is still a young adult. Or worse, as I am currently experiencing, they're all dying!!
My last post was about Max trying to serenade Ayesha right? A nice young Ayesha - clearly young by the 'hipster' jeans she's wearing. Granted these images were taken a little while ago for me (I found them while clearing out Max's folder of images on my laptop), but we're not talking months here. If I can still remember what I was doing, then it's recent enough. Unfortunately... they were long enough for Ayesha to no longer be a possible pursuit for Max.
I was shocked when I saw this as I didn't even realise she was an elder! I hadn't seen her around for a while, but it quickly occurred to me that if she'd aged into her white haired, grandma clothes of retirement, I probably just didn't recognise her. I mean after all, this is Michelle Roberts now, another one of Max's romantic interests:
Michelle walked out of the theatre while Max was inside and my eyes just about bugged out of my head. I blogged just this past Sunday about Max's new lady friend, and in there managed to capture a shot of Michelle. That was only two days ago! And now she's an elder?
*Sudden thought* I better go check on the Melani in this town, she's probably sporting the fashionable white hair as well now...
What made Ayesha's death more confusing however, is this moodlet that Max received as soon as Ayesha died.
That moodlet clearly states "From Witnessing Death". Um... Max was in the middle of a concert at the time. OMG what if his rock n roll moves and deafening guitar solo's caused poor Ayesha's ticker to give out?! What if... Max killed her?! I mean obviously he didn't whack her over the head with his guitar, but still, if he wasn't having a concert she might have seen another day or two...
Poor Max has been so traumatised by this death he keeps bursting into tears every three feet. I think a lot of it might be guilt that he had not actually caught up with Ayesha for a while now. He's been throwing a lot of parties recently what with all his free time, but he's been purposely not inviting Ayesha as there's been... other female interests there and he was avoiding confrontation. And now, it's too late.
Max felt it best to at least go and pay his respects after the concert was over. Even thought it was 11pm at night, he would brave the trauma of the graveyard to do the right thing. I was secretly hoping he might run into her ghost there and be able to see her one last time. Unfortunately, not only was Ayesha not there, I couldn't locate her gravestone either. I remembered when poor Emily Waters lost half her family that it took her a couple of days to get down and plant the headstone, so I assume Ayesha's family (if she has any) might not be down there burying her the same night she died.
I really wish the game would take more initiative for me and invite Max to the funeral... I'd really like him to go and pay his respects to any remaining relatives. Sadly, I can't see that happening. I am a little upset I didn't get to see her die (that sounds WAY worse than how I mean it to sound). Previously when a Sim has passed in close proximity to Max, my screen has moved to where it's happening and I've watched. I thought given it was a romantic interest I might of got shown at least. I could have grieved a little myself lol.
Although we didn't see Ayesha at the Graveyard, we did meet this lovely little girl.
It made me a little sad to see a child ghost. I guess even sims can die of all ages. What was really interesting though was watching her walk around and the droplets of water coming off her. I guess that means she drowned? How sad...
The one good thing that came out of it was the happy smiley face beside Max's face in her thought bubble. Maybe the dead still get a kick out of meeting a celebrity...?
Max and her chatted for bit - mostly Max telling funny stories. I wonder if he felt similar to me at seeing the ghost of a child and wanted to cheer her up a bit?
The only other interesting thing we saw up there was the four headstones of the Landgrab family. I've not had any interactions with them on Max, so haven't been paying attention to what they are doing either. From the looks of it though, they've been dying...
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The good thing about not having to work a 9 - 5 job is you get a whole lotta free time. There's no need to make sure you're in bed on time for the following days work, which proves very useful in experiencing new things...
Max couldn't sleep last night as he's so used to the work routine of being at the theatre till all hours of the morning. Deciding he needed to burn off some energy, he went for a bit of a run. Given it was the middle of the night, I thought it might be a good time to have him run the long windy roads on the outskirts of town. No cars would be driving them (hopefully), and it would give him some fresh open air to clear his head.
Somehow, he ended up at the towns cemetery. Since Max has the Daredevil trait (we've all seen his wish to play with fire...), I figured he'd be brave enough to stick his head inside one of the catacombs there. I didn't even know you could go inside until I read it somewhere recently. And after I did, I couldn't wait for an excuse to try it out.
Frustratingly it's simply another rabbit hole building and you don't actually to get to see inside. Max just entered and I stared at the door way like a freaked out blond girl waiting the stupid male to come back out. It felt like one of those B Grade horror movies - "No Max, don't go in there... alone. The Zombies will get you...... Max?... Max are you there?"
I'm just SO glad my hubby was in the bedroom watching a movie. Because if he had of put his hand on my shoulder at that very moment, I would have woken the next door neighbours.
As I listened to the sounds of chains clanking, ghosts wooooo'ing (well how would you describe the sound ghosts make?) and the general scary sounds of a cemetery, I got an option pop up asking me if Max would like turn left or right. I thought that was kinda cool. I chose left and really wished I could of been seeing what he was. For something like that, EA could really turn things up a notch game wise by providing more movie scenes. They can make them to promote their expansions and game right? Surely they could give us a once off movie scene of my Sim creeping through the darkness.
Eventually, Max returned.
Hrm, he doesn't look so good does he? I was a bit confused by his blackened skin and lack of clothes. The hair I understood - everyones hair stands straight up when they get a fright. But I don't remember my clothes self combusting out of sheer terror. So either he managed to find some fire inside and tried to fulfill his fire bug wish on his own (doubtful), or there's a really nasty mummy in there who's carrying a torch.
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!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Max currently starts work at 3pm. I don't know why the car pool pick him up at 2pm, an entire hour earlier when it takes less than 15 minutes for Max to walk to work. As he's an up and coming rock start, I've started making him walk to central park and play a few hours guitar before work. Then, I've been walking him to work from abou 2:45pm onwards.
Today I wasn't paying attention (damn twitter lol), and realised there was only 5 minutes left to get to work on time. No problem, he's on one side of the park, work (theatre) is on the other. So I click the 'go to work' button and what happens? A freaking taxi pulls up!!
That's right, a taxi took him from one side of the park to the other. HELLO??? Just walk through the park?!
EA might be lazy and want to catch a cab, but c'mon. That's rediculous. Let's start teaching some 'saving the earth' techniques and make our sims walk to work!
What do you think of the current system to purchase additional Sims content via their sims store. Real life money for in game objects. It's not a new system, games have been doing it for a while now (second life? There.com, etc). But I'm a bit surprised at the prices personally... once I use my free store points, I certainly won't be purchasing any more.
There's currently a Petition for lowering Store Prices. that is now up to some 20 pages. Have you signed it? Do you think the store is too expensive?
Personally I will be trying find as much free content to download.