A New Legacy

I've started a new legacy and an accompanying blog (hosted on Wordpress).

My founder's name is Inigo Montoya, named not after the well-known character, but based on a certain beloved pet who may or may not be named after the aforementioned well-known movie character.

The legacy begins in 1790, and carries through history for the next ten generations. At least, that is the plan. The previous attempt at playing a legacy failed due to game corruption at the start of generation four. May this one have better luck.

Much of trying to mimic a historical legacy will be made possible with TSR custom content, as well as Sims 3 downloads, and some extensive building and creative framing on my part.

Follow the legacy as it unfolds on Wordpress at montoyalegacy.wordpress.com.

Major Error Leads to Interesting Times

I started up my usual game this weekend and got a "critical error" message strongly suggesting i restart the game. I clicked "ok" thinking the game would restart itself, but it simply continued with my current Sims on holiday in China as if there was no problem. So I carried on. My Sims picked up some essential items, responded to some opportunities, and returned home.

It wasn't until they arrived home that I experienced the real issue... somehow my holiday Sims had returned to an alternate universe in which they had never gone away. Their alternate universe counterparts were snug in their beds and full of hopes and dreams of travel and lacking any sort of exploration experience or loot. I was deeply horrified and chose that moment to re-start the game, but out of habit saved it first - probably shouldn't have!

I discovered my double set of Sims were a permanent error. So what else can one do but have some fun with the photo and video opportunities, at least until the problem is fixed... The two girls just look like identical twins having breakfast together and discussing their alternate experiences. I had more fun with Bud Tester (my real estate agent), who happens to be a perfectionist and therefore a little harder on himself than most people would be...

So I took advantage of the situation, and then planned on how to resolve it - obviously I wanted to keep the pair that had returned from China. I had the other two change their outfits and move out. It all seemed like a logical conclusion - I could keep playing, and at the same time observe how they might carry on with my "help". Or so I thought...

Once the move had been arranged, I sent Bud to collect his partnership earnings at the bookstore. The streets were deserted. Where was everyone? Then I noticed Bud talking to himself. And thought bubbles dragging along the ground. And cars passing in the streets without drivers. And bicycles riding by with ghost riders. My Sims returned from China to a place between worlds. It will never be the same again.

Luckily my other neighbourhoods are fine. Whew!

Moving on... to the Sims 3!

I've moved on to the Sims 3 (hooray!) since I last uploaded a new house to my site. Sims 3 builds are coming! But I wanted to make sure I was building good homes first, obviously. My current project is recreating Toronto - we'll see how that goes. I've built a real estate agent who shows off each house for me - and lives in a copy for awhile so that it can be tested for good living. I'm also playing with the build-a-world tool so that I can properly situate these long and narrow lots that are so typical of the city, and have fun laying out the long sloping lakeshore sandwiched between two gorgeous ravines.

I had been playing and building on my laptop which has been frustrating as it is not quite powerful enough for the new game engine. Now that I've installed the game on my more current desktop, that frustration should disipate, and the building should move ahead full speed. Watch for a new series of post-war bungalows and semi-detached Victorian Bay and Gables coming soon!

Meantime, here are some screen shots of some of the Sims that have been born since I started playing, and a couple of fun moments...

Pending Homes

I've uploaded my first (to TSR) five homes to the submission pile. The first has been approved, the rest are pending. I can't wait! I've added five lots from my Super-Modern neighbourhood: The Main flow Java Script 'N Sip, Hipster Park Corner, Casa Campo, Kernish House, and House in Hellschen.

I read yesterday that ghosts from other neighbourhoods can cause problems, so the Hipster Park may be put on hold - it's my primary memorial ground, and I didn't clear out the gravestands, not knowing...

Casa Campo's been approved, so look for it to be published soon, hopefully! It's a modern rustic cabin, lined with fine plywood interior siding and heated with a funky retro wood stove.

As this whole uploading/sharing of creations is new to me, I'd love some feedback about what people do with their lots before uploading - how much time you spend having Sims live in the lots, if you package them beforehand, then do a trial living situation, etc. Everything I've uploaded has been played in, so I know it's functional. But then once the Sim moves out they take all the furniture, etc - is there a way around that? Or is it necessary to build two copies of every starter lot? I like my homes to start with my kitchen and bath fixtures built already, like a real home.

The Modern Neighbourhood - A Short History

I should clarify that:

a) This is my first blog entry, and I don't know what I'm doing.

b) I started building this "Super Modern" neighbourhood about three years ago, and it's already onto its fourth generation. In other words, my short history may be somewhat longwinded.

The 'hood is built on the yin-yang model, and for some reason the jpg got lost in translation so that when I scroll through my neighbourhood menu, all I get is the wireframe view. I find this strangely apt.

I decided to generate a neighbourhood with buildings modelled after actual innovative homes that I've seen in books or magazines. I've set the seasons to have two summers and no winter to mimic California, even though many of the houses are based on European designs.

And then I moved in some families: the Skyrockets, The Hipsters, and a single guy named Innocente Seed. Here is where trouble started. Sim trouble, that is.

The Skyrockets were a young couple of Space Superheroes, Jim and Glenda, retired and ready to start a family. They actually had two sets of twins without any cheats! As a couple they did an excellent job populating the neighbourhood. Their family of seven included Randy and Candy, Lucas and Leila, and finally Baby, who, due to an unfortunate accident with a television set, died and came back as a zombie.

The Hipsters were a young family of three - Tyson and Rita and Rita's orphaned teenaged sister Rhona. Rhona moved into her own place after University, but then got into trouble when she had a baby with her Frat-boy crush Castor Nova, and it turned out he was unable to move in with her and raise their baby Jean-Castor. Tyson and Rita had their own wonder-kid Coleville, and would have lived happily ever-after if Rita hadn't been swept off her swollen feet in old-age by their dashing neighbour, Hall-of-Famer Innocente Seed.

Innocente's intention was to populate the neighbourhood by wooing all the passing women and luring them to his love shack. Unfortunately it turned out that he was unable to get them pregnant. Instead he put an effort into his sports career, and left his vast fortune to his last love Rita.

Jim and Glenda got the seven grandchildren they wished for, but died before those dreams were realized. Most of them were the offspring of eldest robot-making son Randy (talented enough to create the lovely Alice, but failed as a business tycoon) and his cheerleading girlfriend Calista Ng. Candy also married a University heartthrob- Glen, but only had one kid, Angel. Candy was too busy looking after zombie-brother Baby (it was her fault, after all) and a Sasquatch she and Glen had picked up camping one summer. Her other twin set brother and sister turned out to be home-wreckers. Brother Lucas stole merchant extraordinaire Lisa Ramirez away from her husband chico, and they had a great kid named Louis. Sister Leila married late, a green-thumbed guy named Peter and they had another set of twins. Leila apparently hadn't finished sowing wild oats yet because she had a third child by a new sexy neighbour Inigo Montoya whom she named Mars. Her twin daughters Terra and Nova witnessed everything, became permanently scarred and never forgave their mother.

Inigo Montoya only moved into the neighbourhood as it seemed bereft of anyone not named Skyrocket. This plight continues despite the introduction of the Champlains (Duke, his teenaged kids Amelie and Rene, and Grand-mere), the Izakos, and occassional strangers popping by. It has been a great lesson in genetics.