As Days Go By - Changes for this blog

Changes coming to this blog! I always played The Sims in a complex community like way, regardless of series. Rotating households, building community structures that are not necessarily handled by the game itself, keeping track on more genetics than the game actually opens for, knowing exactly what sim is responsible for specific community matters. It took a while for TS4 to grab me, but even when playing stand alone stories, I normally end up keeping all my families within a common universe of time, rules and residents. They are all somehow connected.

With constantly more worlds added, my families did spread, and it's time for me to look into the larger community. I'm now re-introducing many of the community rules and assets fro my Simmerville hood back on TS1 and TS2.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 26 - Farm Rights

Olivia developed a close relation to the cat Sasha. They spent lots of time together and Olivia obviously didn't mind hugging a sick cat, either. Now, hopefully that red nose disease wouldn't be easily transfered to a sim?

Instead of going to school that morning, Olivia took Sasha to the Vet in Brindleton Bay.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 25 - Traits

After Abraham's death, there was always an empty dining chair. He looked at them from the framed photos, and Donna was expecting her father to walk back into the room at any time. But no - he was forever gone!

There was no tradition for graves in this region (Region 12), no cemeteries and only a very few families secretly kept the gravestone of their beloved relatives.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 24 - The Loss of Abraham

Now that Donna's sister Fiona finally moved out, there was less worries about household size. The family counted two elders, two young adults, two toddlers - and a cat.

Toddlers August and Olivia were quite easy going.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 23 - Sylvia's Birthday

Both Sylvia and Abraham were extremely lucky that their grandchild met the strict challenge requirements; black hair and green eyes. Perhaps a challenge like this would have been more fun with a wider genetic spread, making it harder to match the goal, but I doubt it would be possible to succeed if say there was a successful DNA match on 10th try. Donna and Gerald could easily have 10 kids, but the 10th kid would not be able to fulfill its tasks while Donna is still around.

Little Olivia was such a charming toddler!

The Five Units Challenge - Report 22 - The Unwanted Household Member

Well, you probably got it - the stray cat Sasha was the unwanted. Donna had nothing against animals, but she disliked strongly how her sister Fiona brought a stray into the household. Donna was the one in charge and expected to have been asked before anything like that happened.

- I did suggest for Fiona to move out, but I'm not sure she even started looking for her own place.
- Did you ask Sammy or Rudolph? They might have some available space, Sylvia suggested.
- Fiona loves San Myshuno, Abraham added.
But Donna had already checked with her brothers living in the city of San Myshuno. They needed their small flats for their own families.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 21 - Stray Cat Moving In

Life went on at the Clump residence. Donna was definitely pregnant again, while thinking a lot about life in general. Seeing her dad Abraham getting older, and waiting for her mom Sylvia to become elderly - it all happened so quickly - would there be time enough for herself to see her future grandchild reaching young adult stage, like this challenge required?

Donna loved to cook, but she was not yet very skilled. Both her dad and mom were constantly at the BBQ grill or kitchen stove, preparing another group meal. With plenty of leftovers around, Gerald would accuse her for not caring enough about environment, which in the end could harm his political career.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 20 - Fiona's Cat

But, no!!! Little August grew up to a toddler, and while his hair is black, his eyes are brown - not green. He sure is a charmer, and he would make for a good runner up. But Donna and Gerald should go for a second try. Sorry Donna, you might need to fill the house with more kids!

I never keep babies until they grow up by game, instead I'll age them up after 1 day. Then I'll keep a toddler for 4 days, until growing into a child and starting school. I find toddlers very cute, but it easily gets chaotic when all household members rush to the toddler to do stuff that might even interrupt with whatever some other sim is currently doing. So, toddlers are challenging not so much because of themselves needing attention, but because of parents, teen siblings or grandparent rushing to assist them by free will. The programming for this seems so wrong compared to previous sims series - a sim should not rush to a toddler who is already being helped by someone else. I just had to mention this... :)

At least Sylvia adored her new grandchild. August was her 3rd grandchild, because both Rudolph and Sammy got kids downtown. Rudolph got daughters Sybil and Carolina, while Sammy got daughter Sabrina.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 19 - Donna's Wedding

The day of the wedding was here! Donna wanted a formal arrangement, and so did her mom, Sylvia. I'm not really sure what Gerald, the groom, wanted.

The essentials were bought and placed in the garden. For a second I thought that one of the 5 garden units could actually be a permanent wedding plot, but no - there's no skill involved. Those units must be dedicated to skills, it's part of this challenge, after all.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 18 - Donna's Engagement

Pregnancy tests are exciting, especially when they announce that your sim is eating for two! Donna was proven pregnant, and in a way she was relieved, because it meant she was now on the ball, one step closer to having a baby with black hair and green eyes!

Of course, her main heir won't need to fit the bill 100%, but bringing on the right genes will make it a lot easier for the next generation.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 17 - Donna dating

Donna spent hours on painting, almost daily she painted various motives and tried to learn new techniques. She needs to max out her painting skill, just like dad Abraham did.

But Abraham worried a bit.

The Five Units Challenge - Report 16 - Donna Grows Up

Sorry for the long break - but now this story is back on track with many future updates already well prepared. Today is Donna's young adult birthday, and finally the next generation can get some focus!

Donna is 1st generation after the founders Sylvia and Abraham Clump, who already filled the first 2 garden units. Donna will fill the 3rd, and her main heir and main heir's child will complete those remaining 2 units.