{===The Official Sims Board Community Thread: Platinum Edition===}

[heliumsky]

ah! t-top is back! I'm just passing through though, but I like seeing people I know posting.

Hey Shirley, about how often do they release expansions? They're actually able to keep up the profits with new packs every-however-many-months?

 

[ShirleyShine]

@T, good that things are going well with you. If you don't have much time to game, must mean you have good things going on in real life. Great.

Yeah! isn't it wonderful!
Hey, who knows about the profit, seeing as my Dearly Beloved purchases anything Sims that comes along for me, they make a ton of cash from him!
Not sure what the actual rate is, but so far this year I have had some 'Decades' stuff pack delivered, apparently I also have University Life and Island Paradise on pre order.
Also announced is some upcoming thing about Movies or something + something else I don't remember. I don't know if this is usual.
I'm also getting the new SimCity which releases on the same day as Uni.
All I can say is thank heavens I have a good rig with a ton of space and RAM, or there would be nowhere for my other games.

 

[heliumsky]

hmm... 4-5 a year then huh.

I have a SimCity 4 that I asked for as a gift... and still never opened. Well, I guess the good thing about old games... is that the old computer should be perfectly compatible with it!

Do they do a University one every time? I think I remember seeing those packs with Sims 2 in the past.

 

[ShirleyShine]

Good morning.
I think that because the fans always want what they have 'lost' by moving onto the next gen, they probably do it because it makes financial sense to make what they want.
I have come to realise that the Sims players are indeed varied. Not at all the demographic I assumed it to be when I started playing the Late Night band thing on the Sims which I had purchased for the kiddo.
The players base is huge, and a large percentage is made up of college students and adults. Seemingly, and logically a large percentage is made up of people with health issues, and then of course there are the youngsters.
A massive number of them play to simply create. The exchange attests to that.
I, for one, spend a fair amount of time attempting to recreate real life builds, regional accuracy etc.
Building is popular in games, --Mine Craft?
Then there are those that focus on creating little 'dolls' that are, a] beautiful, b] ugly, c] representations of known people etc.
Others recolor and change the clothing, both to make it more pleasing and fashionable or to conform to their taste.
Then there are the World builders using the free Create a World package, and the pattern makers using the free Create a Pattern tool.
Add to that the Modding community, and you get the idea.
There are also the ones who create custom content by fiddling with the Sims and objects themselves which often causes huge game breaking issues for people downloading and using bad C/content.
I have found it interesting to learn about all these things.
Should you create something you like, it is necessary to 'play - test' to see how it looks and works in game.
Other things follow from this.
If you are interested, I will explain more.

 

[heliumsky]

I don't play myself but I'm fascinated by the Sims world and its following.... I hope it's still around when I retire in a couple decades, haha. The modding/fiddling sounds like the most fun, it just sounds like an awesome 'science experiment', but in the virtual space. A lot of the fun for me in games is in the 'discovery' of things, and sometimes it's more fun to try it out yourself and see what happens, rather than look it up, especially if you have a theory already.

I knew about the house creations, but I didn't know that there were World builders. I didn't know there were so many creation options possible with the series, I remember having fun making things with MySims, but just can't imagine myself doing anything larger scale than a piece of furniture, it's just consume all my time! Which i guess is probably the point in Sims! Which then makes sense about the college students and health-issues-people being a large demographic.

hmm... I wonder if Minecraft is more or less addictive.... Sims looks nicer though, lol.

 

[ShirleyShine]

If anything, I'd go with Mine Craft. One of the reasons I only watched it being played. Have to admit when I start a build, time does seem to disappear on the Sims too.
I'm like you. I didn't know about 'walk through's' when I started playing Oblivion. I don't think I've ever used one for a game. I have taken some advice on things when I've been stuck though since I joined this community.
My idea of fun in games is also to 'discover'. Probably why I like the Bethesda open worlds so much. The main quest is usually the last thing I do.
I generally have over 200 hrs in the games before I even start it.
Sims I think has way more realism than most games. It amuses me to see so many gamer pull up their noses at the Sims and people who play - yet all the time they are wanting things/mods/game play calling for wives/husbands/children/crafting/etc in there games.
They want to build houses for themselves, decorate etc etc. Rather fun when you think about it.
What I like is being able to put my own music into the game files under custom music. You can then choose which music you want the game to play in build mode, and play your own music. The graphics are pretty good too.

 

[heliumsky]

Walkthroughs are for when you're stuck, or really don't want to miss things like weapons or collectible things. Otherwise, I'm usually just looking to get "through" RPGs nowadays rather than having time to replay and replay like when I was a kid. So I don't usually like side quests if there's a main line. But if there's a game that's nothing but quests, I kinda like that took, because it means that it's divided up into little bite-sized pieces that I can eat as much as I can in one sitting, and not have to worry about where I am.

.... How do you remember where you are in the main quest when you go after all the side quests? (That's when I need those walkthroughs!)

Both the expectedness of the realism and unexpectedness of consequences is the most fun of sim games. Like all the ways people accidentally kill their Sims I find hilarious. I always want to try new sim games, I think because there's always a 'new' thing I haven't tried. With regular games, the discovery and newness is in what you do, rather than the environment that you're put in.

 

[ShirleyShine]

Good morning.
Yes, the side quests are 'bite size' and I like that I get better at the skills while doing them.
I just don't start the main quest at all if possible, and of course make full use of in game journals.
That is a pretty good observation on the Sims.
Yes, you're right. It is those new things that keeps the Sims fresh.
I am endlessly curious about pretty much everything, so it is a given that I have -- and will continue to-- play all the careers, new ones as they come out.
I have two highly skilled Sims [both single, just can't get into the family thing] and they pretty much each have reached to top of every career.
It give me the chance to check out all the CAS options in the clothes, looks etc.
I do have two families that I update from time to time to use as sorted 'townies' in the game, so get to check out the other age group stuff.
I run all the games on maxed free will and must admit it is great fun to see how things play out.

 

[heliumsky]

hmm... I ought to start keeping a journal on my RPGs then. Usually I end up reading a walkthrough and trying to decide whether I'd done that section already.

You career-sims sound pretty interesting to watch... how their relationships fall apart would be pretty funny?

I just can't even imagine how a game like Sims would be programmed. There must be so many factors in the AI for the game, I guess the reason they release a new one is so that they can update the engine to include the new things that they think are necessary. What is different between Sims 2 & Sims 3? What kinds of things did they focus on adding?

 

[ShirleyShine]

Morning!
I wouldn't cope without a 'journal'. For instance, in Morrowind they sure do no hand holding, and you have to walk the whole world to open it up. No fast travelling to places you've been either, and though there are diff methods of transport, if you don't make a note of what takes you where, you'd never get anywhere at all! I have a whole page of destinations---take the Stilt Rider to X, then the boat to Y, then use the Guild transport to Z----

I hadn't thought of things that way, but yes, the new expansions do add many new interactions and skills and skill objects.
For example, the Ambitions expansion added Sculpting as a skill, and a sculpting station. As the doll progresses in the skill more objects are added that they are able to make. It is all very logical, they start with clay, then as they level up in the skill, Ice, Metal and Wood are added.
Skill challenges unlock certain bonuses, such as if 25 'Ice Sims' are sculpted, the ice sculptures never melt, and after sculpting 5 in each medium or something, all materials become free.
All skills have a set of skill challenges that if met, bring permanent bonuses to the dolls. They are all very logical and well thought out. In most cases surprisingly accurate in comparison to 'real life' I think.
The Tomb exploration in World adventures is pretty comprehensive in terms of challenges and bonuses too. Oddly, [I never would have thought I'd say this] some of them would give a lot of adventure games a good challenge in terms of puzzle difficulty.
Here again, following a 'quest line' as opposed to random tomb exploration has the advantage of skill bonuses that make it a little easier.
As in --- clearing X rubble piles makes the doll able to clear them faster- each thing has it's bonus.
Certain tombs are 'locked' and can only be opened by getting the 'quest' for them. It's pretty comprehensive.

The closest thing to combat is the Martial Art skill. At level 5 in the skill they are able to go to China and challenge people to ranked matches.
Once they become a Grand Master by reaching level 10 in the skill and level 5 in challenges anyone they train learns faster.
Meditating at a high level bring the ability to 'zeneport' and a high level in meditation makes that smoother and easier to achieve.
Rather useful in tomb hunting sometimes.

Watching [you don't control the action] two dolls at a high level in M/arts spar is like watching a dance. It is beautiful. You are clearly able to see how the points are awarded.
To make my games more interesting I have 'sorted' families I add to the 'hoods, and the doll I am playing is able to interact with them and spar etc. Once they are added as 'townies' they are of course no longer under your control, but if you have done a good job with them, they will have perks that ensure they have a 'steel bladder' and various other things that keep their needs under control and are a pleasure to have around.

I can't comment on base game to base game in terms of TS 2 and TS 3, as I have played neither without expansions.
With expansions, I would say that it has 'opened' the game up.
You have way more control and options in how you create and develop the dolls.
It is now possible to fine tune them to a frightening degree. Five traits were always a little limiting, and Uni Life has added two that are achievable.
One for reaching a high level in a social group, and one for achieving a Uni degree.
Most of the traits are 'gimmicks' and give only a minor boost to specific actions. [as in --- athletic, disciplined, will make M/arts challenges easier, but it is achievable without them]
A sensible choice that gives a wider balance and a well rounded doll would still be the way to go. They don't have to be 'natural cooks' to reach level 10 in cooking and turn out perfect meals.

The expansions and all the choices in terms of game play have made this a game I can spend hours in. I could not have imagined that when I sometimes played the Sims 2 Uni, or started playing the band gig thing in TS 3.

I would say that Base game, Ambitions, World Adventures, Late Night, Uni Life and Supernatural for the skill of alchemy and the objects are the ideal way to go with this game.
Pets is annoying as it involves strays and a lot of AI spawning which causes lag. Seasons, the same.
I uninstalled my Pets for that reason. although it now allows the choice of turning off most life states, you cannot turn off strays.
Otherwise you are able to control all the new things in game 'options'.

Wow! This turned into another Novel!

Hope it's interesting.

 

[ShirleyShine]

Double post.
Let me add, that I think the game pretty much offers some style of play to suit just about anyone. It is really not about playing some family, relationships etc. It really is a game that you can play to suit your taste.
The idea that it was about relationships alone is probably why I didn't think I would like it in the first place.

 

[ShirleyShine]

Good morning all!

 

[Argenthor1]

Double post.
Let me add, that I think the game pretty much offers some style of play to suit just about anyone. It is really not about playing some family, relationships etc. It really is a game that you can play to suit your taste.
The idea that it was about relationships alone is probably why I didn't think I would like it in the first place.

And it will be interesting to see what the Sims 4 adds to this! Or what it lacks at launch and needs filling up again with expansions

 

[ShirleyShine]

You called that one!!!
You are so right.
Without the expansions the game is dead boring. I don't think it would have got more than an hour from me otherwise.
As it is now, it gets a few hours a week in my game rotation.
Must add that my 'default mode' is still Fallout 3, so don't know what that says about me.
I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is that right from dev, the game was seemingly tended not to be taken too seriously.

Telling gamers, who in general have OCD at some level to be able to grind as much as we often have to, not to take something seriously is a bit of a joke.
The cool thing about this game is that good strategy and a creative mind set lets you turn out 'venues' that have things to help minimize this.
You are able to make 'small parks' with 'chests' and put the grind stuff in them for a new character's use.
It may seem like cheating, which of course is the fastest way to kill any interest in any game, but there is sure no fun in grinding, and with limited in game time, it does help move it along and keep it fun, still leaving loads of challenge.

 

[ShirleyShine]

Got that Dragon Valley world, but I think the thing that will get me playing again will be the Island Paradise expansion.
Going to like the game play and building options that will bring.

 

[kaicee-yo]

Gosh

 

[ShirleyShine]

Good morning.
well, Island Paradise was full of fun and did add as much as I thought it would.
Most fun? Wind surfing.
Scuba diving surprisingly successful in terms of immersion, water skiing pretty convincing and fun too.
No surfing, but surfing on a wave station came out from the store a while later.
The Mermaids looked pretty good, can't comment much on them as apart from Vamps, the other life states hold no appeal for me.
I reckon that the resorts must have given those who enjoy playing at 'business' a fairly successful way of doing that.
I did play the one that is available to your dolls free, and built it to 5 star status.
Choices and methods of getting it there were realistic and logical.

Since then, the Movie Stuff pack was added, it had two things I liked. A super car, similar to the Batman car, and a wooden outhouse that can be added to community lots so as not to have those NPC's having bladder accidents all over the place. Bonus: Like the all in one bathroom that came with Island Paradise, bonus is that they shower automatically when using the bathroom, so fewer smelly Sims around! Into the Future is due soon, [hopefully with the ability to have glass floors]
and a new Spooky world, Midnight Hollow was added. Very dark.
Due in the store in the next few days is a venue that seemingly will be a house inhabited by Grim.
Appeal there for me is a flaming bone guitar that looks like a ton of fun.
An odd hint about 'playing for your soul' came with the pic announcing and showing the guitar...sounds like fun.

My main attraction to the game remains the Late Night expansion, the music, and building.
That has not changed.

 

[kaicee-yo]

I only have the pets/vacation packs. They're decent. I'm still chasing that unicorn. Maybe one day...

 

[ShirleyShine]

Good morning!
It's pretty easy to see where that Unicorn is you know!
Once you have the Martial Arts skill maxed, and you've done the 150 hours of meditation you can do the 'peaceful transition'.
That means that you achieve the zeneport option very quickly.
Even if you've only achieved the zeneport ability it's still doable.
The unicorn appears at lots zoned 'fishing hole'. In Sunset Valley it usually appears at the Science Lab so not hard to get there.
You need to [always pause before using map view btw.] go to map view from time to time and you will see a rainbow 'column' reaching
up to the sky once the unicorn has spawned that night.
Then set out to get there, if you are too late each time, then the meditation skills come into play and use the zeneport to get there the next time.
Once you work out the time it happens in your game you will be able to plan for it.
It's pretty easy to become friends with the unicorn. 'Watching' a couple of time will soon allow you to 'feed a treat'.
It seems as if the unicorns are programmed to friend you easily as long as you don't just rush in and try to become friends without
watching first and building up some of those blue + signs.
I strongly recommend you get the Late Night EP, tons of fun game play with the clubs and music.
Bridgeport is still the only City world, and I like it very much.
I like Ambitions for the same reason, it adds a lot. Even when not doing the self employed careers, the world is pretty fun too, but most useful
is the Consignment Store. You get to buy some amazing shiz there, and gems and rocks you get there count in your collection stats.
Patching now that it all goes onto the base game is great, cause now with the patches the 'best' of the expansions puts great stuff on to the base game.
Like the diving boards, being able to build out onto the water, and tons of other fun stuff.
If I was limited in the number of expansions I could have it would be --Ambitions, World Adventures, Late Night.
There is enough there to make for a pretty playable game.

 

[kaicee-yo]

Oh yea I know where to fiiind the unicorn, I just never keep up playing with it and stuff to befriend it and make it live in my house thing.

Half the time I'm like "alright ya difficult horse, to hell with you!" and I carry on with my sim life.

 

[ShirleyShine]

Good morning!
Sorry! Thought you wanted to track it down.
Although I explored the options and tried the racing and the horse riding etc. and even adopted a wild horse for some
insane reason it offends me that anyone would want to 'own' or ride a Unicorn!
In Oblivion [Bethesda-Elder Scrolls] there is a wild unicorn. I have never taken it as a mount.

It is really easy to become friends with the unicorn. Pretty much if your Sims are fishing and they all arrive, eventually the unicorn just decides to BFF you out of the blue and comes over and gives you the Unicorn Blessing.
To have them join your household needs you to have adopted some wild horses though. also the number of horse/animal BFF's you have comes into play too I think.
I reckon you don't actually have to have a house full of Pets, pretty much think if you make friends with the animals and horses around town, and have adopted the requisite wild horse quota it would be really easy to add the Unicorn though.

 

[ShirleyShine]

Oh boy. Does NOBODY ever visit these sad lonely boards?

I must admit I've been negligent too, but TS3 is one of the games that gets some love from me.
I don't think much more than a week goes by without me putting in a few hours, and I do keep up with what they release for the game,
as well as purchase the goodies and worlds the Sims Store puts out.

Haven't tried out the latest Into the Future pack and game play as yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll get round to it.
It's just that there is still so much else in the game that I haven't finished playing around with and haven't got there yet.

 

[kaicee-yo]

Oh boy. Does NOBODY ever visit these sad lonely boards?

I must admit I've been negligent too, but TS3 is one of the games that gets some love from me.
I don't think much more than a week goes by without me putting in a few hours, and I do keep up with what they release for the game,
as well as purchase the goodies and worlds the Sims Store puts out.

Haven't tried out the latest Into the Future pack and game play as yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll get round to it.
It's just that there is still so much else in the game that I haven't finished playing around with and haven't got there yet.

Yea I'm afraid they are pretty dead these days

I get really annoyed at the sims store and things, I feel they should include that stuff in the game itself! I mean, Sims 1 games added a ton of stuff with each expansion! These days it's like "oh hey two new couches, a few paintings and a themed table!" I tend to get stuff off the uh, I dunno what it's called but I google "sims booty" and it's the first result. It's a bunch of stuff off different sites. Kind of a pain to look through, but pretty decent stuff!

 

[wulfpaw248]

hey.. so this is what 'planet the sims' boards are now? is hobbes still around, or mlek? I remember sugah left at one point.. edit: (heh, I seem to have lost all my post count, too)

 

[mariotunic]

Kaicee! Hello.

 

[wulfpaw248]

ah; thanks for the warm welcome back.. (I see they ditched my join date too, it was sometime in 04). Chris was in charge of this board then. Me, sugah, mlek and hobbes were moderators here, any of this ringing any bells, or..

 

[mariotunic]

Wulfpaw? Sorry man, I was posting at the Sims CT in 04 but I don't remember you.

 

[wulfpaw248]

ah, well...

 

[ShirleyShine]

Hello there.
Sad when they change things up and get it wrong.
It would be great if more of the people who were part of creating this come back and keep it alive.

 

[kaicee-wot]

Daaaang

 

[mariotunic]

Daaaang

Daaaaaaaang.

 

[ShirleyShine]

 

[kaicee-wot]

Daaaang

Daaaaaaaang.

Oy! A familiar face tho!

 

[mariotunic]

Daaaang

Daaaaaaaang.

Oy! A familiar face tho!

Yeah homegirl what's good!

 

[kaicee-wot]

Daaaaaaaang.

Oy! A familiar face tho!

Yeah homegirl what's good!

Lots of things! Chicken pesto sandwiches are at the top of the list today, however. How about yourself?!

 

[mariotunic]

Oy! A familiar face tho!

Yeah homegirl what's good!

Lots of things! Chicken pesto sandwiches are at the top of the list today, however. How about yourself?!

That sounds BOMB. It's microwave chicken bean & rice burrito for me right now.

I'ma bout to be in Nicaragua for a mission trip, yay! Then when I get back it's packing because I'm moving to Austin. It's a busy month, son.

 

[kaicee-wot]

Yeah homegirl what's good!

Lots of things! Chicken pesto sandwiches are at the top of the list today, however. How about yourself?!

That sounds BOMB. It's microwave chicken bean & rice burrito for me right now.

I'ma bout to be in Nicaragua for a mission trip, yay! Then when I get back it's packing because I'm moving to Austin. It's a busy month, son.

Oooh Austin is fun! I actually just barely got to visit there recently and went to 6th street and did the whole shebang. Nicaragua sounds exciting though! I'd love to go on trips like that. Currently I'm in a job that allows me to travel the US tho, so it's pretty cool too (at least to me haha!).

 

[mariotunic]

That is a good thing! We drove from California to Ohio, and now 10 years later Austin it is. I haven't been to 6th street, the shebang you tell of is a shemystery to me. I'll give some deets about the trip when I get back.

Unrelated - I hope I don't find the man who is stenching up the men's bathroom of the break room. I got out of there; the smell of A Thousand Asses in my nostrils. The insufferable amount of ass wafting through the air was almost too much. If I ever do meet him, he will recognize me by the fear and awe in my eyes.

 

[maxisguy]

Don't you guys know this thread is supposed to be dead.

 

[maxisguy]

EDIT - DREADED DOUBLE POST

 

[ShirleyShine]

as you can see this thread a scary way of peeping in from time to time.

 

[CUCKSLUG]

I didn't think I'd recognize any names but damn.

 

[devilsfeather]

Raising this thread from the dead with some infamous necromancy powers!

 

[mariotunic]

I GIVE YOU MY POWER