My 20 Years Anniversary

I just realized it's been 20 - TWENTY! - years since my first The Sims web site was released in February 2002*! So to celebrate this amazing anniversary I invite you to dive into the past to explore bits of this journey.

My first site was for The Sims 1, and already back then I had a community focus with a council, experts on food and babies and much more. It was perhaps the first sims site out there that was "for sims, by sims". SUN, anyone? The site had guest writers from other games, and it turned out as a nice role playing universe.

The Butler Academy

Because several houses in my Region 12 (and beyond) have live-in servants, it's time to focus a bit on their traditional education. The classic courses were designed by the National Butler Academy, and is currently offered by the Butler Academy in San Myshuno, as well as Windenburg Business School in Windenburg *.

Serving a high nobility house is actually a highly rated profession (especially by the families who had this kind of work for generations). Teens can switch to a private high school at the age of 22. The Butler Academy has status as a High School and offers several Servant studies associated with an upper class finer house; Butler, Cook, Governess, Maid and Gardener (industrial farmers/gardeners will rather study at Landgraab Science Institute). Students will choose classes like «How to Serve and be Served», Handiness, Cooking, Gardening, Gourmet cooking, Parenting. There will be additional lighter classes as Mixology, Baking and Piano as well. Students must reach minimum 2-5 skill points in their chosen classes to get their diploma. Houses that hire might have additional skill requirements.

Updated Heading

Not really worth a blog post, but as Google/Blogger has some problems uploading a header without a blurry result, I had to post the image on the blog. It did not help a bit, so forgive me for leaving the blurry header as is, and I'll give it another try eventually.

It was on time the header got an update as it still thought it was 2014 with all TS3 graphics. You might recognize a few of the new faces, and you might even smile when you notice who is smelling the fart from that cow. The cow will be there for the Cottage Living release only, so the farting will not go on forever...

Your Noble Life - 4 - Elders to Afterlife

I've made my own set of rules to guide my nobility through life. Most rules regard heritage, economics and administration, although nobility naturally takes easier on this than real royals. Most of this can be used regardless of series (TS4, TS3, TS2). Here is the last of four guides based on a noble person's life stage.

Life goes on even if you decide to step back as an elder. Finally time to spend more time with your chosen one?

Not too serious, but not without a touch of importance either...

Your Noble Life - 3 - Young Adult to Adult

I've made my own set of rules to guide my nobility through life. Most rules regard heritage, economics and administration. Although nobility can take easier on this than real royals, there are certain obligations. Most of this can be used regardless of series (TS4, TS3, TS2). Here is the first of four guides based on a noble person's life stage - young adult to adult.

Jarret Ross and Ribra Lynn T. Ross, Duke and Duchess of Rossie.

Not too serious, but not without purpose and importance...

Your Noble Life - 2 - Teenagers

I've made my own set of rules to guide my nobility through life. Most rules regard houses, peerages, heritage, economics and administration, although nobility naturally takes easier on this than the real royals would. Most of this can be used regardless of series (TS4, TS3, TS2). Here is the second of four guides based on a noble person's life stage - teenager.

Students at Chateau Cavalier have their private class room for homework and studies.

Not too serious, but not completely without purpose, either...

Your Noble Life - 1 - Baby to Child

I've made my own set of rules to guide my nobility through life. Most rules regard heritage, economics and administration, although nobility naturally takes easier on this than real royals do. Most of this can be used regardless of series (TS4, TS3, TS2). Here is the first of four guides based on a noble person's life stage.

In your first year you will be more interested in that bottle of milk than your rank in the line of successors.

Not too serious, but not totally useless , either...

Nobility: Rank and Titles

 (Year 225) It's been a while since I introduced nobility to my Region 12. Historically, the first peers have been around since Year 2, and I know the detailed story of each house.

Nobility from several districts gathered at the wedding of Auphor Saxor, Baron of Verde. Left to right: Elvy (Rab-Saxor) Ross, Baroness of Shiningham. Bennet Ross, Baron of Shiningham. Ribra Lynn (Thebe) Ross, Duchess of Rossie. Jarret Ross, Duke of Rossie. Gloria (Roxenfox) Saxor, Duchess of Meadows. Victus Am. Saxor, Duke of Meadows. (Groom) Auphor Saxor, Baron of Verde. (Bride) Morgan (Fyres) Saxor, Baroness of Verde. Dominic Fyres, Lord von Dresden, of Deadgrass and von Haunt. Moira (Rattle) Fyres, Mrs Dominic Dresden. Miss Siobhan Fyres.

In this post I want to focus a bit more on how my nobility ranks, and their titles. There are four levels, royalty (they reside far away and I don't play them), high nobility, low nobility and noble titles (which often counts as low nobility). I did some RL research over the past year, and I was amazed by the complexity! I had to make my own routines, but there are still certain elements based n RL nobility.

My Stock Market

Did I ever write about my stock market?

Just a Region 12 overview, as I had no picture of the stocks ;)

In my TS2 game I had a living stock market and now I have this in TS4, too! I keep track on owners, results and a possible dividend. Back in TS2 the results were based on how successful the stores were run, but now I just use a dice to decide development. When a shareowner dies, heirs get a small or big part of those shares. Change in owner structure might cause sudden challenges or conflicts between family branches, actually beyond my planning.

Fame as a Tool

In my Region 12 there are numerous famous persons, but not all are Actors or Artists. Also Politicians, Priests and Nobility get some fame stars, as I use the fame system as a tool affecting much more than performing arts.

Baron Charlopold Demitris de Cavalier (32) has 2 fame stars thanks to his title. In a couple years he will become Duke,
which involves a 3rd star. His fame will not fade as long as he resides Chateau Cavalier.

Read on to see my guidelines.

New year and more projects

Happy new year! I've started 2020 with diving into my game's old history! I love story telling and history, and whenever I create something in my game I also like to know its origin. I want all my sims to have a background spanning many generations, even if those were never played out.

The past week I really dived deep, exploring the past of my Region 12. My year count is currently at Year 222, so I went right back to Year 0 - I imagine this was when the community transferred from TS1 to TS2 and time was no longer static. They started a new and needed to define a top level of society, to control community but also handle politics and wars. There was established an organization called the Royal Chamber, with the power to approve the best man for each peerage. Many families claimed a noble background from TS1, but brought no proofs. Hardly anything could be verified.

The Royal Chamber introduced the King of SimNation, Baltazar II of the De Froux family. This family had a Coat of arms already that could actually be verified, and left no doubt about high nobility (pictured). But for the rest?

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.

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!

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:

Give your Sims a custom Lottery

With Seasons EP there was introduced a world wide lottery, where your sims can participate to win great prizes. I've played 4 full years now, and never seen the lottery, and I know other simmers have not got this random calendar event, either.

So, if you want an alternative way to run your own lottery, read on!

Back in the days of The Sims 2, I ran the busy Simmerville Hood website. The site was packed with ideas for your sim community, including organizations and a few tools to add fun activities and calculations. One tool was the Lottery presented by the Grey Sims Organization. It's basically a small JavaScript making it easy to run your own local lottery. Your browser must allow JavaScript and popup windows, I think most browsers do these days.

Go to this page and enter details like lottery title, how many prizes, what each prize is, and then how many lots were sold. Then you will need to add names on those participating, or just a lot ID if you rather like to refer to some other listing you already have. Finally you will get a notice with a random winner of each of your prizes.

Do a test run with just a handful lots to learn how it works.

Sims must be charged manually, and prizes must be arranged manually as well. Using the "money" cheat will fix both. Prizes can of course be anything that you find a way to add to the winning household, money or a TV or a dinner for four sims at a nice restaurant? Think of something that might add to a story or the way you prefer to play. If giving each resident one lot each, you don't really need to charge them because they will all get the same. It's all up to you :)

Rewind: One Happy World Charity Show

[The Sims 2, 2008]  I found this recording in my archives, a pretty cool recording from a charity show arranged in my Simmerville Hood - long ago. I have forgotten the hostess' name, and most of the other featured sims' names, as well. But I still recall the magic.

It took days to get it all right, and there are so much that I would like to make different today. Did you ever record as show like this, and would you care sharing your link? Would love to watch it :)

Rewind The Sims 2: The Soap Box Show

Back in my TS2 days, I created many films and TV shows. Some clips even made it to commercials on my local TV station.

Today I found this 2007 clip in my old back-up files, the Soap Box Show! It was meant to be a series of short episodes where locals were given a chance to climb that stage (soap box) and speak freely about something that annoyed or bothered them.

In this first episode Mrs Tess Appleton is the main guest. Show also featured Nelly Wolmipot (not actually a Simmerville hood resident, as she lived in SimCity) and was hosted by April Briggon (daughter of the Home Sweet Home show hostess, Germine Briggon). Unfortunately I think this was the only episode ever recorded - enjoy! :)

Duration 1:33.

TS2 Rewind: Rebecka's Kissing School

Hello! I found a funny clip in my old files, Rebecka's Kissing School! It's a very short clip (1:25), it's just a silly glitch presented in a funny way :)

Rebecka (Goth) Mervil married Egoon Mervil, one of the two criminal sons of Simmerville Hood's wealthy Mervil family. This was actually my hood's evil couple. I still like to add a few evil characters to all my hoods and worlds.

TS2 Rewind: Simmerville in Concert

Back in my old TS2 game, there was a popular hangout called Lake Ellie's Cultural Retreat. When instruments and jamming was introduced, this location had the only stage in town. So, I brought many of the best known families to stage, for jam sessions that was recorded. It's now available on Simmerville's Youtube channel.

You might recognize VIP reporter Lisa Snakespear, webmistress Bimbo NL and baby expert Ursull Swims, just to name a few. Duration 4:26.

TS2 Rewind: Bubo by Bu Buh

Hello! I'm back from vacation, and had time to look through a few old TS2 films I made back in 2004-2006. Hey, that's pretty old stuff, more than 10 years!

Anyway, want to share one of my findings, the mysterious story about how my clairvoyant sim Molly MacAstral got her blue skinned alien son, Bubo. Molly existed even in my TS1 game, and she was one of a kind!

This movie (duration 4:18) is a bit, uhm, primitive, I didn't even bother to hide the plumbob. It still has something going :) I'll post more old findings to my Youtube channel shortly!