Local Calendars - Free Download

July 2022: Downloading from this blogger post no longer works, so please head over to a new page listing all my TS4  custom content. All free. DOWNLOADS

(TS4) When we got Seasons, I was a bit disappointed that we got no calendars. I mean, if calendars would suit just one theme, it would be seasons. We already got a calendar with Get To Work, and another with Cats & Dogs, but that isn't enough when all households focus on weather and seasons. What about those not dedicated to pets or sims in uniforms?

So, I made my own calendars. They even got a local flare as they show pictures from each of my worlds - seven total! I tried to find general motives avoiding sims and building that are not in every version of that world. There are 4 alternatives per calendar, and with a color code per season it's easy to see if a family should switch to another season view (by using the design tool in buy mode).

I did not plan to share them quite yet, but hey - it's nearly New Year!

To use one or many - simply click on the link and save the package file in your game's Mods folder. These are 7 files, and you will save only those you want in your game. Cats & Dogs pack required.

Willow Creek

University Discoveries

[TS4 - picture thread] So, I've now enjoyed the Discover University pack for a couple weeks, and I'm still having lots of fun with it. I've focused on setting back time to graduate some of my older locals, who I imagine got a degree when hey were younger. It's been fun making them younger and dressing them up like students, especially hash business matrons like Corinne Dougham and Claudia Tangerin, who are some of the lead characters in my video series As Sims Go By (ASGB). I could of course have pretended they all got a degree and then cheated their career level, but I prefer the real thing! And - I wanted their graduation photo and diploma for their office walls :)

This is a picture thread, but I'll squeeze in some info, too. Who they are and some of the tricks I learned.

I did not count, but I probably graduated 20 locals so far, all taking place in the "past". Although graduation photos of the first lucky are black and white, I'll keep all pictures in this post unedited color wise.

Foxbury Commons - modified

[TS4 Discover University] Many of the lots that come with a new expansion pack are spacious and not directly packed with content. I guess it's like that because it might trigger many of us to add and modify to our taste, after all there are so many ways to play this game. Another point is that Discover University naturally come with only base game content + what's new in this pack. Most of us have tons of content to choose from, i.e. why should not a Common have an office with objects from Get To Work?

Anyway, I found the Foxbury Commons too spacious. It still takes my sims forever to cross the floor, walk the stairs, and then cross the 2nd floor to get to the chosen computer, but with my smaller adjustments this lot now has more purposes for my gaming style.

Basically I locked in the right side area, and turned it into a sports room with a pool. And, in the opposite end I built a few walls to add a small class room and an office that can be used by my future Professors.

Region 12 NEWS - Year 221

My regional year 221 is complete, and here's the annual NEWS edition!

These clips are max 5 minutes long, and they contain standard rubrics like News, Finance, Showbiz, Job listings, and of course various family notes. The Y221 edition features Suzi "Sushi" Stench, Myra Gupta - and many more!

Hosts to tie it all together are Paulo Caliente (NEW!) and Antoinette Morck.



You might find a few how I play tips, and most news have more details in the community section/residents registry linked from top of this blog. There is also some info in my As Sims Go By video series.

Foxbury - a Quick Tour

I'm currently spending my days in Britechester where 4 sims study for their degrees as a test. I mentioned them in a previous post, but did I say they all study at Foxbury Institute? They stay in a residential home so they actually just vanish by their front door, but when they go out to socialize, they mostly go to Foxbury Common.

Here are 3 of the 4, Jill N. Potterfield, Corinne Dougham and Salvador Kessler - all in a younger version than you might have seen them before, as they all appear in my video series As Sims Go By. I simply set them back a life stage to get the education I imagine these sims have, and after graduation they will become their real age again. Magic! Oh, if you wonder why the 4th sim is not pictured - he is taking this photo; Malcolm Landgraab.

Britechester - here I come!

So, my Region 12 community now has access to University of Britechester and Foxbury Institute! I'm enjoying it very much so far, but have hardly explored anything. It takes longer than I thought to get through one term, and with a test household of 4 active sims with 3 classes each, it gets quite a handful! I'm dong a test run with some of my older sims who I imagine did get a university grade long ago. Can't wait to see that diploma on their office wall :)

So, today I'm simply sharing a few pictures from the new world, University of Britechester, to be specific. I find it picturesque, lush and inviting, with some of the old town vibe of Windenburg. There are so many small streets that I want to explore, but the active area is naturally limited. Still amazing to have a look around!

There are some small beaches, and it's possible to wade and swim!

As Sims Go By - new episode!

Here is this seasons 2nd episode! In my ongoing video series As Sims Go By you follow the ups and downs of Region 12's 5 Councilors and their families. Plus in this season you also get my take on the Villareal story! This new challenges are up for Fanny, Victor and Joanna. And you even get a mention of University, although I don't have that pack until next week - hopefully.

This season has only 5 episodes, each lasting about 16 minutes, so next chapter will be up during December.

If you are new to this series, it's recommended to watch season 1 (6 episodes), but you can hopefully enjoy this episode even if you start here.



Enjoy!

Unexpected Family News

Well, not totally unexpected, but still made me whisper a "oh no!".

I have a routine for whether my couples can and should try for a baby. When they do, I shortly will exit their house to move on to the next on my rotation list. So, I ever check whether they actually got pregnant. You know, there is a certain chance they did not.

I also use the household manager tool quite often when making my videos. And that might be how I discover that some baby was born.

Today I suddenly noticed that Antoinette Morck (you might have seen her as one of the Reg12 NEWS hosts?) and Salim Benali were blessed with their 2nd set of twins! :o They reside a very tiny apartment in San Myshuno, and there's absolutely no room for 2 more kids! I wonder if they will need to move to Oasis springs, where Antoinette grew up? They have little money, so they will need to go for something small, though...

On another not, also actress Penny Pizzazz and painter Vince Remeréz are pregnant! It's probably their 5th attempt, so I'm quite happy for them. Besides they are rich and even have a spacious bedrom waiting for the newborn baby.

How I Play - High School with no Mods

While everybody are busy with Discover University, I've been busy fine tuning my local school system with a focus on High Schools. My local teens can choose to switch to a private high school for their final 3 years, in order to specialize on specific skills. Teachers have the Mentor trait, and there are actual school builds where the learning takes place.

In this short video (6:20) you get some more details in the form of a TV-show. I might publish a blog post on this subject later on, especially if anyone is interested in a more thorough walk through.



I will probably get the Discover University EP, but RL is too hectic for exploring it in a while, so I'll catch up with that pack later on. When University becomes an option to my locals, having a better skill build from a private high school should definitely be a huge advantage :)

Free Will Show - New episode!

Couple weeks ago the show's 2nd season started, and today another episode is up! Only Charles, Brenda, Sonia and Ramona plus dog Emma are left in the house, and the serious fight over the first prize has begun! Who will win the house and become a Region 12 resident?

We'll have to wait a while to know the answer to that, because there won't be any winner until 3 of the contestants are either dead or kicked out. Aging is on, and so is free will...

In each episode you can vote on one event taking place in the next episode. Voting is open only 1 week from video release.

University EP coming soon

So, you might be waiting for the new Discover University EP? I sure want to learn more of the new features, and I'll probably grab this pack at some point.

EA is hosting a play through stream on Twitch right now, and here's a quick screen dump showing the map of the university world called Britechester. I'll post a link to a recap of the stream as soon as it becomes available.

Edit: The recap of 2 hours in game video can be watched on Twitch tv.

My Stock Market

Well, I don't really have a stock market to share, like I did for The Sims 2, but I do have many stock companies in my game, and I keep track on all details regarding ownership and their annual yield. So, I decided to share some of this...

I keep track on everything in a spreadsheet. Numbers are percent ownership that year. Grey/blue background is Top 3.

Residents of my Region 12 can establish a personal holding company, which I tend to do for showbiz people and those focusing a bit on investments, but in general the complexity of larger stock companies is more fun! I have a rule that when a company is worth more than §1.000.000 or has more than 5 owners, a set of rules must be followed.

Free Will Show - Day 7 - Season 2 opening!

Season 2 is here! Hopefully there will be a total of 8 episodes before end of January 2020. And remember, you are welcome to vote but voting is open only 1 week from each video release.

Only Charles, Brenda, Sonia and Ramona are left in the house, and there is no longer any scheduled kick out.

In this season there were made a few adjustments. Episode score will have an impact, as the unlucky one might still get kicked out! Also events list for the daily task was adjusted, and there are a few more activities that will give points. More info on the Youtube channel.

Enjoy!

Bon Voyage Retirement Home - Part 2 of 5

So, Tammy Oaksdale started her temporary job as the Manager of Bon Voyage Retirement Home. She knew it will be risky financially, but no matter how hard this job might get, she depends on finding lodgers. In this mini series (max 5 parts) you'll hopefully find a few tips for running your own retirement home. Also, if you like to download this build, check out part 1 :)

Now, let's hear it from Tammy Oaksdale:

- Hello again! After the rather busy yesterday, with guests and lots of stuff to prepare, I was actually hoping for a quiet day today. I still need to find time to practice on Gourmet cooking and flower arranging. But in the morning a familiar old woman was right there at the entrance.

As Sims Go By - here is Season 2

The wait is over, here is the first episode of my sope series' 2nd season! The episode is called "Separate Property" and both a lawyer and courtroom is introduced. They are in my game, and I see that I will use them in the future! You also get the introduction to my take on the Villareal story, and of course the everyday of my 5 Councilors. All 5 were re-elected for a new 5 years period, but there is a new Mayor...

This season has 5 episodes, each lasting about 16 minutes, the last to air late December this year.

If you are new to this series, it's recommended to watch season 1 (6 episodes), but you can hopefully enjoy this episode even if you start here.



Enjoy!

Region 12 NEWS - Year 220

Just completed year 220, and here's the annual NEWS edition!

These clips are max 5 minutes long, and they contain standard rubrics like News, Finance, Showbiz, Job listings, and of course various family notes. The Y220 edition features Judith Ward, Don Lothario, Charloman Dougham, Garvin Clump, Venessa Jeong - and many more!

Hosts to tie it all together are Chad P. Mox and Antoinette Morck.

You might find a few how I play tips, and there will also be some info connecting to my As Sims Go By video series:

Bon Voyage Retirement Home - Part 1 of 5

[Y220] Want to run a Retirement Home in your game? The first of two retirement homes just opened in my Region 12! In this post I'll let the fresh Manager give you a tour, as she also explains how the place is meant to be run and what her job will be. She just moved in to get it all started!

See bottom line if you want this lot!

Bon Voyage Retirement Home is aiming for wealthier elders. With a live-in Manager serving gourmet food, they are probably prepared to pay what it takes. The second retirement home will open in San Myshuno, but will have no such live-in management, and will aim for those with less Simoleons to spend.

As Sims Go By - Season 2 PROMO video

Just breaking the silence with a quick promo video to inform you that 2nd season of my video series As Sims Go By is coming up shortly! Real sims filmed on real locations in my game. You will recognize the 5 councilors from previous season, but the Mayor is brand new! This season also covers my take on the Villareal story!

This season has 5 episodes, each lasting about 16 minutes. The 5th episode will air before end of December. So - stay tuned! :)



First episode will air on October 8th.

Community Pages - Huge Update!

There's lots of new information added to the community pages of the Residents Registry! I intend to update the registry info only after every year completed in my game, and now I'm just 25% done with Year 220, but as this new info covers community aspects and not so much individual life line events, I ran one extra update.

So, what's new? Check each of the 5 sections and you will easily see where there is something of interest.

House of Lord de Sür-Blyth

In my Region 12 there are several high society households that I never told anyone about. I previously shared some info and pics on the Duke de Cavalier household residing Chateau Cavalier. Today I'll introduce you to the noble family running the Sür-Blyth Farm in Brindleton Bay.

(Y220) Still in Cavalier Cove of Brindleton Bay we find another noble family, de Sür-Blyth. They hail from a different region, far south, and the first to settle in Brindleton Bay (Y102) was Lord Edgar Otto de Sür-Blyth. He was a businessman and farmer, and he introduced agriculture to Brindleton Bay. Fishing remained the district's biggest industry, though. It was his extraordinary agricultural efforts combined with science that brought him and his descendants the noble status that they still benefit from.

As Sims go By - Season 2 starting soon!

Just to let you know that my video series As Sims Go By will be back later this month! Story is written, and first episode is currently in production. The base concept is the same, but there is also a new focus story outside the Council spanning all 5 episodes. Episodes will be reduced from 22 to 16 minutes.

What is Claudia Tangerin up to now...? In a few weeks you will find out!

I don't know yet if I'll take the time to create a video teaser, but I sure can post a picture! And there might be more pictures too, until release of episode 1 this September.

Community info

EDIT: Ai ai - the new Community section is up!

Hello! I'm out of town enjoying my Summer vacation part 2. It's raining most days, so I have been working on expanding my Residents Registry for TS4, and yay, it's getting cool!

All life events of my residents have been indexed in a way that makes it easy to display latest events regardless of sims and districts. So, there is now a web section for each of the 5 Council departments. There you can find the latest births, marriages, deaths, movings, police cases, job promotions and much more! In other words, a NEWS section!

It's of course a nifty tool for me organizing my Region 12, too. A lot more detailed than I was planning, actually.

This new section is not fully uploaded yet, but will be available on the Residents Registry in a couple days. On this blog you can access the Rehistry from top of front page, but there are also links in most recent articles.

Region 12 NEWS - Election Y220 Special

Every 5th year there is a huge Election in my Region 12. First the 18 Hood Contacts are found, then each district (=world) decides which 2 Hood Contacts shall be Nominees for the district's Councilor, and finally those 5 Councilors have a last round of votes to rank the new Council and decide the Mayor for the new 5 years period.

This video is 18 minutes. Host Chad P. Mox takes you through the Election Day with the typical voting charts, street reporters and artists in studio. And - I did not know the final result until it was recorded.



This is an extra long edtion. Normally these TV news videos are less than 5 minutes and are posted on end of each sim year (= RL monthly).

The Duke and Duchess de Cavalier

In my Region 12 there are several high society Houses that I never told anyone about previously. There's no King and Queen, but a Duke and Duchess in a castle is not bad, either!

Up there on old Hound's Head rises the Chateau Cavalier.

(Y220) House of Duke de Cavalier is currently the most prominent family of my entire game. They reside the large Chateau Cavalier located on the height previously called Hound's Head, Brindleton Bay's largest lot with a great view to the lighthouse. In addition they own two smaller lots (Dachshund's Creek and Hindquarter Hideaway). They have a Butler as well as a live-in Cook, occasionally also a live-in Governess.

Over the years they developed the most spectacular castle garden terraces and those few days when the garden is open to public visitors, it attracts garden enthusiasts and tourists from far and near. The bone shaped castle spans 2 full floors and has the rare 4-split tower. I will post more about both castle and garden later!

Region 12 NEWS - Year 219

Just completed year 219, and I'm celebrating by starting a new series regional TV-news that will air after each year as a summary. It's not meant to be technically perfect, and might be of greater interest to myself. Still, you might find some inspiration and might even recognize a face or two if you watched any of my earlier series.

These clips will normally be max 5 minutes long, and they will contain standard rubrics like News, Finance, Showbiz, Job listings, and of course various family notes. The first two hosts to tie it all together are Chad P. Mox and Antoinette Morck.

Here's the first edition:

Election Y220 - Hood Contact Candidates Announcement

In my Region 12 a huge election takes place every 5th year on Election Day (1st day of Spring). It's quite nerdy, I know, but it helps me building the community aspects which I love. The Y220 election is coming up shortly, and I'm super excited to find out who will be on the council for the next period. Will any of the current 5 councilors be replaced? I have no idea!

This is a rather complex event, starting one year earlier with the candidates signing up, and ending with Hood Contacts as well as 5 Councilors elected for the next 5 years period. For the current round, I'll post a few updates on the progress here on the blog, in case you want to try something similar in your game!

For rules and background, please see the article in the blog's brand new HOW I PLAY section.

Right now on last day of Winter, Election Day is only 1 simday away, and it's time to reveal the list of the 38 (!) Candidates! 18 of them will become Hood Contacts, and 2 of those will be Nominees for each district's Councilor, and get an office in my Council House. I don't know for sure who they will be - I'm so excited! Because I know who are running, it would be possible to calculate their approximate scores already, but factors might change overnight and the exact scores will not be set until noon on Election Day. So I have not really calculated anything - it will all be live on the local TV station!

Stay tuned for the Election Day TV-special (will air on my Youtube channel early August):
1 PM - 18 Hood Contacts to be announced
4 PM - 10 Nominees to be announced
7 PM - 5 Councilors (= Region 12 Council) to be announced
10 PM - Mayor to be announced

As Sims Go By - Episode 6 - The Fifth Owner (Season 1 closing)

Finally - the last episode of season 1 is now available on my Youtube channel!

It is called "The fifth owner", and although introducing private schools to my game is the Council's main focus, Siobhan has a different agenda these days. But, there is also lots of other stuff going on, threads to be spun in season 2, and even a surprise pregnancy!

I'd also like to hear which are your favorite character(s). In a short while I will write the entire season 2 (need to do it all in one go to stay in control of the mane story threads), and I have not yet decided whether some characters will leave the story and others will be more highlighted. What a pity if the only favorite character is removed! So, let me know who or what you want to stay in season 2, okay? :)

You know you are a sim when...

Just a few funny pictures from my screenshot folder.

You know you are a Sim when...

... your poop is half your own size.

The horror of creating a new family

Oh my, have I got blood on my hands!

Whenever I create a new family, I normally also create their ancestors. A young adult sim's parents and probably also a couple siblings. I do this in order to give the new arrival some background story, get a more or less random DNA passed down from parents to the sim I will keep. I also use an additional DNA string that I must handle manually, I want to get it all right. Temporarily bringing the entire family into the game also allows me to create a couple family portraits for the new household's photo wall.

But after those photos are framed on the wall for future generations to admire, those extra household members will no longer be needed. So, like the picture above suggests, it's slaughtering time! Ugh...

Jungle Adventure - Part 4 of 4 - The Celebrities

In this miniseries for the blog, you get reports from 4 sims with a different agenda in Selvadorada. First out was the Archaeologist (Fred Clump) followed by the Tour Guide (Brenda Kammin), and the typical Tourists (Adrian family). Here's the final chapter with the Celebrities, the Bailey/Moon family :)

- My fans might believe that a superstar like myself travels a lot to visit exciting destinations and sights all over SimNation. But no, truth is that my little family hardly get a chance to get anywhere unless they can come with me to a concert or celebrity gig. So, we gladly accepted to visit Selvadorada together for this publicity feature. Not because we got it all covered, because we could of course have paid this journey and more - with ease.

Well, we got ready. My wife Octavia and I had never visited the jungle before.

Video delay

My plan was to air episode 6 of my As Sims Go By video series in June. I worked very hard on reaching this, while my RL vacation rapidly got closer. I even delayed my departure with one day with hopes of completing this 6th episode which will also close the fiirst season.

But no. Sometimes RL vacations must have priority. Only 80% done with the episode I had to throw in the towel and leave my home. So, this episode will be released in July instead. No big deal, although I'd much prefer to start planning the 2nd season when returning back home.

Good thing is that I enjoy making this series so much that I'm pretty sure there will be a 2nd season starting in September.

On the picture you see one of the main characters, Fanny Silverbone, suddenly taking a big jump! I didn't see her this enthusiastic before, and as this jumping happened on free will, it was pure luck that I captured the right second. Her life certainly takes a big swing in episode 6, but there's also a lot more going on!

Patch goodies and detailed economy

[TS4] It's been busy days! I did not get the brand new Island Living expansion pack yet. Because my computer seems to allow max one more addition, I might actually skip this one in hope of a future farming pack. Or - I might add IL if we ever get hotels. Anyway, farming goes better with my existing game play than a tropical island, and my sims just recently got access to Selvadorada, anyway. I'm still exploring the Jungle Adventure and Spa Day game packs.

Any way, the latest patch did add a few temptations that I only partly checked out. The picture shows a testsim testing the new lounge chair. It comes in many colors, and best of all - it is portable. With this in the personal inventory your sim can relax anywhere, also outside community lots.

The Sims International Film Festival - Voting closing July 1st

Hello! Are you into Machinima? Or do you like watching films in general, perhaps even films featuring sims in particular?

The well established The Sims International Film Festival (SIFF) is currently running its 18th season, and you are welcome to watch all submitted entries, and also to vote on films and film posters and trailers. Films are split in numerous categories, and there should definitely be something good in there no matter what you like!

Jungle Adventure - Part 3 of 4 - The Tourists

In this miniseries for the blog, you get reports from 4 sims with a different agenda in Selvadorada. First out was the Archaeologist (Fred Clump) followed by the Tour Guide (Brenda Kammin), and the series ends with the Celebrities. Today you get the typical Tourists :)

The Adrian household counts 6 sims. Otto (64), Dina (59), son Flamenco (18) and the triplets Clara, Khloe and Tamara (13). This household lived in Oasis Springs for many years, but moved to Fashion District in San Myshuno some years ago. They are not very rich, and raising 4 kids doesn't come without hefty bills. Otto works in Culinary, and Dina makes Berry Jam and Tomato Sauce as a Canner. In Oasis Springs she was even involved with Politics, as a Hood Contact.

Well, now they decided to take a few days off, and ordered a family vacation in Selvadorada. Read Dina's report below:

The Free Will Show - Episode 6 (season closing)

Episode 6 is online! Will the fire spread? Who will be kicked out of the house?

At end of episode 6, which completes this first season, the lowest score sim will be kicked out! Who will it be? From season 2 there will be just 4 contenders and 1 dog in the house.

In episode 6 Ramona is Sim in Focus. Like in every episode Sim in Focus will pick 3 alternative actions/events to be voted by you, and the option getting most votes will be executed in the following episode. Vote by leaving a short comment under the video, or right here on the blog, one capital letter is enough! More info on the Youtube channel.

Voting is open for 7 days from release.

Enjoy!

Jungle Adventure - part 2 of 4 - Tour Guide Brenda Kammin

In this miniseries for the blog, you get reports from 4 sims with a different agenda in Selvadorada. First out was the Archaeologist (Fred Clump), and next will be the Tourist followed by the Celebrity. Today you get the Tour Guide :)

Brenda Kammin (68) lives in Willow Field, Gloomville with partner Mark Oaksdale and their two teen daughters Tilla and Lilly (16). Brenda worked as a Tour Guide for Way To Go Travels since many years, but it was just recently they started touring Selvadorada.

Read her report below:

Island Living - Bonus Video Clips

[TS4] Did you watch the Island Living presentation on Twitch of June 8th? Here are the bonus clips shown on the presentation, that are not included in the official trailer! I love watching them again and again to look for new details. I removed the talking, but the visuals are what you want, right?

This EP looks good, can't wait to find out more! Release for PC on June 21st 2019.


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You can watch Twitch on EA's channel again - lots ofg good info there!

Jungle Adventure - part 1 of 4 - Archaeologist Fred Clump

So, I finally added Jungle Adventure gamepack, and I love it! I had so many plans for this pack, but decided to wait for a next sale. Currently all TS4 packs are 40-50% off, you better go grab whatever you miss!

I prepared a miniseries for the blog, interviewing 4 sims with a different agenda in Selvadorada. First out is the Archaeologist, to be followed shortly by the Tour Guide, the Tourist and the Celebrity :)

I never saw a sim as happy as Fred while exploring the jungle of Selvadorada!

Fred Clump (30) is the youngest son of famous jazz singer Olivia Clump. Read his report from Selvadorada below:

As Days Go By - Year 218 - Picture Post

It's time for another update on my "As Days Go By". This is the picture thread series where each update covers one sim year, and here you will meet families that are not featured in the "As Sims Go By" video series.

I just completed year 218, and there's so much going on! I've also built a few more community venues, most of them will be featured in the video series. And - many new couples are about to have their first child, which is always exciting, of course :)

Let's start this 28 pictures tour in San Myshuno. I still find new aspects to like about living in city apartments. You might recall the painting artist Vince Remeréz, he was thrown out from his rented room with the von Kaching family. But no reason to worry, he is successful, he has got the money he wants, and now he even coupled up with actress Penny Pizzazz.

They resides a huge flat in Arts Quarter, and I really love this flat and don't quite understand how I never played this lot before!

Elections - Rules & schedule

In my Region 12 there is an election taking place on 1st day of Spring every 5th year. The election decides who the 5 councilors will be for the coming 5 years.

This is where the 5 Councilors work minimum 2 days every week.

Feel free to copy some of this if you want to try something similar. Also find several articles on the
Year 220 election on this blog and on my Youtube channel - tagged "How I Play".


The election runs like this:

How I Play (5) - Photo Backdrop

[TS4] Did you watch my old video showing how you can add new backdrops when using the Photo Studio (Get To Work)? Well, here are even more ideas to creative backdrops for your sims' unique photos. Although this video is based on Get To Work EP features, you can also use some of the tips with the cell phone.


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If you missed the old video, here it is!

As Sims Go By - Saving the Elderly Vote (ep5)

Episode 5 of my Machinima series "As Sims Go By" is up on my Youtube channel! It's finally time for Fanny to focus on retirement homes, and the new Fun Factory house is opening. But so much more is going on; a wedding, a pregnancy, and the investigation of a murder...

I'd love to have more feedback, so whether you like it or not, don't hesitate dropping me a note :) Is too much goin on? Are the scenes too short? Too many characters? Too long episodes? Let me know, it might make it easier for me to decide whether I shall start planning a season 2, or not.

The Free Will Show - Episode 5

Episode 5 is online! Will bills get paid? Will there be a fire? I think so!

After Don left they are currently 5 contenders, but at end of episode 6, which completes this first season, one more lowest score sim will be kicked out! Who will it be? From season 2 there will be just 4 contenders and 1 dog in the house.

In episode 5 Andrew is Sim in Focus. Like in every episode Sim in Focus will pick 3 alternative actions/events to be voted by you, and the option getting most votes will be executed the next morning around 8 AM. Vote by leaving a short comment under the video, one capital letter is enough! More info on the Youtube channel.

Voting is open for 7 days from release.

Enjoy!

How I Play (4) - Shopping Malls

A new episode is up, sharing how I play my game! This video is 6 minutes of a bried introduction to my shopping malls, followed by a tv-show where you meet my sims explaining and debating two of my shopping malls.

I'll shortly write more in detail, but basically you will need to set the lot category to support only one kind of feature. So, if your mall offers clothing, florist, café, gift store, photographer service, and a gaming arcade in the basement - you can't have them all to full effect. Which feature that will attract customers, will depend on the lot category. Say, if the lot is a café, the café section will thrive, while the other sections will be more like settings. If the lot is categorized as retail, the café will not be served unless your sim hires a barista, and eve if you do, the café will not attract customers because the lot is about retail.


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Check out the video for more, and check back for an article coming in May :)

Get To Know All My Sims!

It's finally on line, my Sims Residents Registry! You can easily look up any of my sims, alive or dead, and there might be a few familiar EA residents, as well. You will find info like their bio, personality, social status, DNA, skills, relations and much more.

The coolest thing about this registry, is that you can break down the lists by location, careers, aspirations, traits and lots more.

As Days Go By - Year 217 - Picture Post

Here is another picture heavy post from my ongoing The Sims 4 game! Lots of stuff is happening, join me on a brief trip around my worlds.

Starting in Gloomville (my Willow Creek). The von Kaching household is busy, and you might recall them from the As Sims Go By video series on my Youtube channel. Rose found that the fampuse painting artist, Vince Remeréz, who rents a room, had been painting Aili, the daughter of the house.

So, Vince was told to move out, although Rose knows it might harm her Gallery Ex-Po.

New Residents Index Coming Soon!

I'm doing it again! A full fleshed out Residents Index for all my sims of all my worlds!

On my old TS2 site I had a detailed and quite cool index of my residents, with info on their personality, careers, interests, lifeline and more. There was even a family tree making it easy to see their relations, and an easy way to switch to another sim's bio. You will find the old index here - some info seems to be broken, but click some links and you'll get the idea. Each sim even had their individual diary page!!!

For TS4 I will do it a bit more simple, like skipping the family tree. It's been too long since I programmed anything in Javascript, besides I play rather slowly so there wouldn't be that many generations to explore, anyway. I can't just transfer the old TS2 script, because TS4 sims have a different set of info that no longer match my old programming.

The main reason why I'm creating this index, is that in my community I often need a search tool to find certain sims. Say, who are single, YA and of a certain social class? Who works in the Business career and might be candidates for a new top job? Who would be candidates for a new council election? I do keep all the info in a spreadsheet, but it gets quite hard to find a group of sims based on specific data. I can scroll to find ideas, but not to see the bigger picture. Besides, it would be nice storing all residents' photos somewhere - and to share all this with you.

This new index might be up and running within a week, but it will probably take much longer to add all my residents - there are probably more than 250 of them including those who died already. I'll of course post again when it's due to take a look :)

A brand new Free Will Show episode!

Episode 4 is up! In the morning of their 4th day, Don must leave the house, and the remaining 5 contenders get a surprise regarding his negative score... He left them with no option to pay bills, so does it mean the water will be shut off? No power, no water, how nice is that in a house where everyone go by by free will? And how about the dog Emma who ran away... is she gone for good?

Today Sonia Smell is Sim in Focus. Like in every episode Sim in Focus will pick 3 alternative actions/events to be voted by you, and the option getting most votes will be executed the next morning. Vote by leaving a short comment under the video, one capial letter is enough! More info on the Youtube channel.

Voting is open for 7 days from release.

Enjoy!

As Sims Go By - The Colors of Showbiz (Episode 4)

Episode 4 of my Machinima series "As Sims Go By" is now airing on my Youtube channel! Fanny finally gets started farming, and Josue is unlucky as usual. And how about the mysterious group in that cellar, what are they up to this time? A little more romancing than usually, but also death...

I'd love to have more feedback, so whether you like it or not, don't hesitate dropping me a note :)

As Days Go By - Year 216 - Picture Thread

I intend to bring you a picture post every sim year to show what's going on in my game that counts 50 households. Right now I'm a bit behind with these picture posts, as playing the game and making the As Sims Go By series took all my time. It's currently year 218, so it's time to let you in on what happened in year 216. It's the year when fame was introduced, which still feels kinda new. Showbiz is also the main subject for the new ASGB episode that will air tomorrow!

The "As Days Go By" updates give you a chance to learn the small stories and destinies taking place outside the film series. Every now and then you might also find some ideas for your own game, but I'll not be very detailed in these posts. If you have any questions, feel free to comment, and I'll explain more thoroughly.

This time we'll stop by at each hood only once, meaning less jumping :)

Starting off with a general picture, although it's from Gloomy Garden of Gloomville. Each district (world) has built a tiny Speaker's Corner where locals can debate politics or simply state their view. On this picture the entire Region 12 Council is arguing :) The venue was adjusted afterwards. And yes, the council has a Group, making it easy to gather them, but it also helps when locking doors at the Council House.

The Free Will Show Ep3 - Who Will Leave?

So, there's finally a new episode from this show where 6 sims and 1 dog live in a house by free will. Previous episode gave a voting result and the event will be executed at 8 AM today. Don Trotter is Sim in Focus, and the sim with lowest score at end of episode, will be kicked out! Who will that be?

There is a new routine for the short list for voting. Sim in Focus no longer needs to have enough points to pay for the voting options. They will simply get a negative score if needed. But remember, another low score sim will be kicked out in episode 6!

Voting is open for 7 days from release.

Enjoy!

Penny, don't jump!

I normally spend weeks and months planning my videos, but the other day something weird and funny happened, and before I knew, I had filmed a very short video.

The first impression looks very dramatic, but then look inside - the truth is quite different :)



PS: More videos in production, "As Sims Go By" ep4, "Free Will Show" ep3 and a new "How I Play" will all be released during March!

The Free Will Show - Episode 2

Episode 2 of the Free Will Show is up! This time there is a voting - you can vote until Feb 22nd at 11:59 PM.

In this episode the 6 sims get into more chaos as all toilets break, Sonia gets sick, power gets shut off, Emma is starving, there's a lot of peeing selfs, AND there is a voting coming up!

As Sims Go By - Episode 3 is out!

3rd episode of my soap series is called "City Shopping Mall". The Region 12 council must pick one shopping mall to be San Myshuno's main mall. Of course, secret forces are doing their best to influence on their decission. There is also lots of other stuff going on in this 23 minutes long episode.

This series focuses on the 5 members of my Region 12 council. They all have some challenges both in politics and private. And the mysterious group, what is their mission?

In a few weeks there will also be a new film in my "How I Play" series, giving you a little more info on 2 of the shopping malls in my game.

If you did not already watch episode 1 & 2, I recommend you to do so before watching this new addition. Otherwise; Enjoy:

Free Will Show is on!

[The Sims 4] You can now watch the first episode of this series that will go on for months! 6 sims by free will in a house, given points for their daily tasks. Aging is on and last standing sim will win.

End of ep3 we will kick out the one with lowest score (if more than 5 sims in the house).
End of ep6 we will kick out the one with lowest score again (if more than 4 sims in the house).
The remaining 4 will fight it out until there is only 1 sim left in the house!!

Each day a new sim will be Sim in Focus, deciding a short list of 3 services/events to be voted on - and one service/event to be paid by said sim's points.

Episodes will last around 30 minutes. It's still allowed to jump to watch here and there, but in this main version there is a lot more going on than in previous editions.

Two videos in production

So, it's been quiet for a couple weeks both here on my blog and on my Youtube channel. I've been too busy recording and editing the upcoming videos, two will air late January.

3rd episode of As Sims Go By has taken me lots of time. Each episode is 22 minutes and many households and community lots are involved. With Getting Famous added to my game, the past weeks have been very busy. This episode is now in post production. Editing is done, and only a little sound and text flickering remains to be done. Will air in 9 days.

From Simmerville Studio in my game, where the very few locations that don't exist were shot. 

1st episode of the main Free Will Show, where 6 contestants will live on free will, collecting points from their everyday doings, and spending some points on certain services and other benefits that might turn up. In the real show there will be a lot more editing and extra than in the previous editions, but I really need to compromise in order to make it possible for me to handle a long running series with many episodes to come. This is now in production, and plan is to air in 4 days!

So, stay tuned :)

Get Famous: Notable Newcomer

I just grabbed the Get Famous EP on sale, waiting this long because I know I will not play celebrities. I prefer normal sim lives, or even community matters. But, isn't a fame system part of a community? I don't know yet if the system will work well outside the sims' Hollywood, but i will find out.

While I will mostly focus on my regular sims where of some might deserve a little fame - like painters, musicians, writers, critics, politicians and a few with more custom types of careers. For now I'm just taking a round allowing a few residents build their 1st star.

There is one resident who it feels natural to give a shot for the Plumbob Studios of Del Sol Valey; namely Penny Pizzazz. In my game Penny has been modeling for at least 10 years, so I don't mind her trying out some acting as well.

I want her to gain minimum 3 fame stars in the long run.

How I Play (3) - Farm Rights

A new episode is up, sharing tidbits from how I play my game! I used my Farm Right concept ever since TS2, but it's become less rigid - believe it or not :)

My "How I Play" vids have given a makeover. They now come in the format of a tv-show, mix of gaming tips and machinima, hopefully quick enough to be entertaining - in a nerdy way.

The Free Will Show - Here's The Contenders!

Happy New Year!

The final 2 contenders to the Free will Show has been chosen! A total of 6 six sims and 1 dog are now moving into the Free Will House that has been redecorated. They will roam freely on free will, collecting points on their everyday doings. After 3rd episode the first contender will be kicked out, after 6th episode one more will have to leave the house. The remaining 4 + dog will stay for as long as they are alive! The longest living sim will win the house and become a resident in my Region 12.

Sims on free will can't repair broken stuff, pay bills and a lot more. So, every day, one sim in focus (the plumbob sim) will be allowed to spend points on buying one service/directed action). There will also be a few more ways they will exchange points. But will an evil sim waste points on making everyday easier for the others? Occasionally viewers will be asked to help voting on these decisions.

Anyway, the Free Will Show airs in Jabnuary, and here's a quick introduction on the contenders: