Stuff I'd like to see

[Regina]

There are also a couple of 'pricey' little music makers at MTS2--both done by Gwillewyn (same as the dartboard).  One is the boombox and the other is the 'moderate' stereo.  If you use the Advanced Search and look for the user name you'll find them in a heartbeat.  I didn't investigate thoroughly, but I also saw he had some 'want fulfilling' paintings.

One thing to keep in mind with that homework thing is the parents only have to help each child with homework one time, then the benefits last the rest of their studying life.  I know it's kind of painful when there are several kids coming up one behind the other, but before long you develop a routine and it becomes very easy.  In fact, keeping your sims aspiration meter up basically depends on pretty much developing routines in their daily lives.

For me, family sims (even the stay-at-home variety) are fairly easy.  Once you get them into a routine you can keep them in either gold or platinum almost all the time.  They always want to make friends, and they like to gain skill points, although the higher skill points aren't hardly worth the measley 1,000 aspiration points awarded since it takes them so long to get them.  My sim-me likes to paint and has even rolled a want to sell a masterpiece (and yes, she's a family sim).

If you can manage to make sure your sim is still at gold aspiration by work time and they need a promotion, have them wear the Noodle Soother to work.  This maxxes their mood bars so a promotion is all but guaranteed.  You don't want them to wear it any time other than work, though, as their motives decay at a faster pace.  This can be a good thing, though, if normally they come home with a full social meter and you'd like to have them make a friend that day and would prefer their social meter be down somewhat.

Okay--I don't know how much of this made any sense!  I was lucky enough to get to sleep last night by 2 a.m. instead of 3, but then I woke up almost two hours earlier!  My sleep schedule's been a nightmare lately.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Family sims who reach high creativity nearly always get the Sell a Masterpiece want, and also very often the Write a Great Novel want too.  In one of my installations, Coral Oldie has already sold three or four novels and a dozen masterpieces - useful when they can only get elder jobs and have no pensions!  Since NL, Herb also helps family finances by playing poker with everyone who visits!

[J. M. Pescado]

I was just going to suggest the same thing Ancient Sim said.  I'll send the parent to stand by the homework and use the Procrastinate command in Macrotastics and then have the child ask for help.  Then use the Concentrate to keep the parent there until their finished.

Macro Do Homework will automatically seek out the nearest idling friendly adult and attempt to dragoon them into helping. And it isn't quite as susceptible to stompage.

[RainbowTigress]

Why doesn't it always work though?  Do they have to be on power idle or just simply not doing anything? 

[ZephyrZodiac]

I think so much depends on what the adult is doing!  I mean, it takes forever to get up from the chess table or to finish a game of kicky bag, but watching TV isn't so hard unless they are very low on fun and refuse to move!  I usually catch them when they either just got out of the shower or just put away a book!  And just make sure they don't decide to look out of the window!

[syberspunk]

I think we also have to remember that Pescado most likely plays with Free Will Off and Power Idle On. So his sims are effecient automatons that are probably idling, awaiting their next "command" rather than walking around, acting like idiots and choosing the "wrong" and therefore utterly stupid things to do.

Some of us actually prefer that the game simulate some kind of free will, even if that will is quite disagreeably stupid. And by disagreeable, I don't mean that I'm arguing against the fact that their actions are stupid, rather I am in agreeance with the notion that they are insufferably stupid, but despite this I would still want them to do things on their own instead of standing around idling. Besides, if they do something stupid that accidentally gets them killed, well then, it's their own fault and they deserved to die.

Ste

[simposiast]

I get sims to play red hands before 'help' interactions.  It's a good way to get them together in the right place and ensures they have enough fun to start.

[sintrinity]

Thanks for the hints on those expensive paintings and dart boards!  Worked like a charm. 

Also, I redownloaded the romance mod and got some weird results.  Everything worked fine for awhile but then I got a new computer with my tax refund *YAY* and completely reinstalled Sims so had brand-new neighborhoods.  I put my saved downloads folder back and restarted Pleasantview but now the romance mod seems to not be working for me anymore.

I started by combining the Oldies with the Pleasants then moved the Burbs close by.  The visitors to welcome them to the 'hood were both the Oldies and Darren.  The Oldies stood out in the yard and "fell out of love" so Coral got the shrink.  I didn't have any problems though till Herb came inside to eat but then stopped and started doing a jumpy thing like he was reseting and so did Coral who had walked inside.  I boolprop'ed, made Coral selectable and ended up just having to delete her cause she kept error'ing and I couldn't do anything with her.

When I exit'ed the game I checked the log files (not that I really know how to read them but I thought maybe a word would jump out at me ) and it looks like Coral was trying to serenade Herb but couldn't I guess.  I disabled the romance mod, went back to the house and made Coral selectable again to find that apparently their relationshp was not high enough for that social although she did get a few others available with Herb.  This time though they didn't jump or anything when I put her back unselectable (I guess she didn't try that again, dunno).

It is really strange that I had been playing in an established Pleasantview with no problems  prior to that so I find it hard to believe it is the mod but can't explain why it stopped when I took it out.
Maybe because their relationship was kinda iffy in the first place and I hadn't played them yet?
 

[ZephyrZodiac]

First off, I'm surprised you think coral and Herb's relationship is iffy!  They always seem to get on so well - attraction of opposites, I think!

Now, I don't have the romancemod installed, nor have I installed the new patch.  However, River Finn and Ruby Rogers just got married and threw a wedding party straight after moving in to their new house.  It was a completely empty custom hood, and the only other family living there is the Torres Family who shared a house with River and his sister at Uni. 

Now, while at Uni, River had an affair with Kane March (now Torres) who managed to fulfil his Woohoo with twenty different sims LTW while still at college, many after Aron Torres had graduated and moved to the neighbourhood.

Well, River invited 4 friends (all he was allowed) and included in the list were Aron who is a friend of both him and Ruby, his sister, her cousin and another mutual friend.  But, since Ruby is not friends with Kane, he didn't invite him.  However, the toasts were underway - no wedding yet - when kane appears at the front door.  By the time I could get River's attention away from the toasts, kane had gone to the back door, but this time River went to greet him - ran full tilt down the stairs and threw himself into  Kane's arms!  No response from Ruby, as she's involved in the toasting still.  Then I told River to propose marriage to Ruby, Kane is in the same room and just didn't take any notice of the nuptial embrace!  Now since he is 10 Outgoing, 10 Playful and only 1 Nice, he does appear to satisfy the requirements of the Romance mod (which was installed when I played him at Uni), but since I haven't yet put the mod back in, I can't see that that is what caused his lack of concern!

It's really odd - obviously he knew that Aron had gone to a wedding party and he was determined not to miss out on the fun!

[sintrinity]

Argh!  Well, I guess I should have been paying attention - I didn't see the new patch msg so that may explain it.  After I installed I automatically went to get the patch I knew was there but didn't even bother reading it.  Whoda thunk Maxis would make another patch with OFB coming out so soon??

Well, I can say that other than the romance mod and the Oldies that one time I am having no problems with any of my other downloads.  I have only played a few neighborhood days so far though so I guess I'll  just keep my eyes open.

[radiophonic]

Sim routing failure going up/down stairs - I always remodel all houses that have more than one floor to have two staircases because of this

Use modular stairs.

[RainbowTigress]

Sim routing failure going up/down stairs - I always remodel all houses that have more than one floor to have two staircases because of this

Use modular stairs.

Uh, you're a little late to the party, radio. 

[radiophonic]

Uh, you're a little late to the party, radio. 

The story of my life, rainbow. Do I at least get a loot bag on my way out?

[RainbowTigress]

Hmm, let me see...there might be some of Brynne's stale popcorn and flat cola left over that you are welcome to.

[Muisie]

Here's what makes me pull my hair out.  I send my sim to interact with a visitor.  Meanwhile the visitor has decided to go up the stairs.  By the time my sim is upstairs, the command has disappeared and needs to be given again.  Meanwhile the visitor has decided to go down the stairs.  Repeat.  Works very well with the nanny.

[ZephyrZodiac]

I've had them play follow-my-leader too!  Maybe a family door at the foot of the stairs?

[Muisie]

I've started using Call Over but if your sim is close to the stairs he may autonomously decide to be the leader in the stairgame.  In hindsight I should really try to have all the interesting objects on the same floor.    Or have a magnet by the front door.  That stupid bingo game and the swing are great magnets.

[RainbowTigress]

Oh, that stupid bingo game is banned in my game.  I saw it was on one of the downtown lots and immediately got rid of it.  The biggest problem is that it doesn't even work right half the time.  Sims are drawn to it like flies to honey, because it promises high fun, but they just stand there while their fun and other needs drain even more.

[agcons]

Is the bingo game "It's Myshuno!", or something like that?  It's useless, all right.  Quite a while back after my first graduation party bombed big-time, I thought I'd try this game to help avoid having another disaster.  Hah.  They stood there, stock still -- probably bored stiff -- and the party bombed again.  They enjoy that enormous fruit punch dispenser more.

[flowerchile]

I think the "Bubble" blower is a bigger hit with the Sims than any other party toy.  I'd like to see them have a well stocked %proof bar, who can party on juice?

[ZephyrZodiac]

DJS Sims has a "Less Annoying Myshuno".

[RainbowTigress]

I think the "Bubble" blower is a bigger hit with the Sims than any other party toy.  I'd like to see them have a well stocked %proof bar, who can party on juice?

Well, you know what they are really drinking.  Maxis had to call it "juice" and "fruit punch" to keep their teen rating.  Just like the "White Rabbit" bubble blower.  How obvious is that??

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, if you play mainly CAS sims and always give them eyes that you really like, then the kids will get the eyes of one of the parents.

[Sleepycat]

I'd like the eyes to be sorted like the hair, so that you could get a range of different shades, and not always the creepy clone eye.  I think I'm the only one who wants that, though.   

I'd like that too! and more skintones!  (so we can replace them with ones we like better of course)

[flowerchile]

I think the "Bubble" blower is a bigger hit with the Sims than any other party toy.  I'd like to see them have a well stocked %proof bar, who can party on juice?

Well, you know what they are really drinking.  Maxis had to call it "juice" and "fruit punch" to keep their teen rating.  Just like the "White Rabbit" bubble blower.  How obvious is that??

I'd feel happier if they would fall over, sing stupid songs, vomit and generally sleaze over everyone.  You know, just like in real life.