I do both. I play with autonomy on and see where the game takes me. Which every once in a while it will throw something quirky in there and I just go with it. I then have a couple stories I play out. I use a word program and use pics from the game to fill in the story and write it as I play through.
I also do a generations challenge. I wrote a common stereotypical background for my founders. I also dont use any cheats, they start from scratch and the oldest rather boy or girl becomes the heir. With each generation comes an addition to their story. So my founders were the typical girl/boy next door story. They're eldest daughter became an adventurer and explored the Jungle becoming a famous archeologist kinda like a mix between Indiana Jones and Lara Croft. Her eldest son went on to join the military solving the mystery of Strangerville. His eldest daughter discovered magic in her teen years and is currently continuing her studies in magic and psychology at university. Her story is still unfolding.
Challenges might be a good way of getting a story going if you're having trouble coming up with one.
I have a series of steps I follow when playing a storytelling game.
1. Play normally, with a hands-off approach.
2. Take lots of screenshots during normal gameplay.
3. Piece the screenshots together into a story.
4. Add action and dialogue that pertains to the story.
I do stories a lot. One thing I will say - most of my character ideas come out in CAS, and that's where most of the story is formed for me, in my sims looks, traits and aspirations. If you're struggling for a story, go and make a few sims and have a play. Also, like people have said, try and (if you have an audience) not give the ending away for them. It helps you keep on track and allows for unbiased ideas to come from friends.
My stories tend to be Challenge driven. I am a builder and a challenge player. Often I will create families so that I can build to suit their needs or even their neighbourhoods.
This my first attempt at documenting a story. It is for the purpose of play testing my Smith v Jones best life challenge
i like a lot doing challenges! i think i am going to start a new one tomorrow... but i like doing strange things, not the tipical ones.
Not really a challenge, but I started my current save with a scientist sim in the hopes he would get abducted to fill my world with aliens. He had 7 alien children, now those children are grown and populating the world with half aliens. I've even had a couple of them abducted and come back pregnant.
My current game follows the events of the story I've been working on for half of a year. (Clock the banner if wish to read, PM me for a link to an uncensored version). This is a no way a continuation of the story, it's just a gameplay for sake of gameplay, but sims do follow their in-story behavior and personalities. Right now I'm looking forward to starting a shop and can't decide which one - electronics of vampiric (I've never tried to have a shop). If I'll get a few good ideas, I can certainly see myself adding a few more episodes to the story.
Obviously, in this case the whole save was created for the story, not the other way around. All based on the imagination, stubbornness and determination.
First thing you need to know is that Sims can be rather dull game, so don't expect it to be exciting 100% of the time.
Second - how will you approach story writing? Do you want to play the game, take screenshots and then create a story around that or is it the story first? This is very important because you will have completely different games depending on the answer.
Third - incorporate the world around your sim into the story. Life goes on.
Fourth - try to get as clear vision of what you trying to achieve as possible. If you don't have vision, then you will inevitably run into a snag and get bored. Basically, what do you want?
Fifth - if you're making something - don't speak to anyone about the plot if you can, because you will immediately lose all interest in continuing. Create first.
And finally, the big one - outside of a very very few mods, it will all be up to you. You have to keep the story alive and it can take a lot of time. Think about it - are you willing to actually do it? It's fun to imagine it all, but to actually make it? This can be VERY tedious.
No matter what you decide, I wish you the best
Yes, please add more episodes. I loved it so much.
I love doing stories! I would love to get to the point where I can share my stories here. I like to visualize my OCs, or build off of scenarios and situations, like how can my sims live in this restricted environment, or what would happen if a family had this dynamic, etc etc. and i really enjoy seeing what the little pixels on the screen will do xD the sims has such a dope algorithm and watching what the sims can do with a variety of my own input and imagination is fun! Like a fight breaks out between parents and then on their own, one of them goes to 'check toddler' or 'comfort' a sad child and I make my own assumptions based off that.
i have a huge list with all features (gameplay and special objects) that came with all the packs that i own. This list helps me build my storyline and don't forget anything that i have available in the game. It has helped me do more elaborate stories and actually use content that i constantly forgot about.
Hey, I know I'm late, but could you send me that list too?
For my stories, I like to put usually 2 parents and a child (though sometimes something else) on 3-speed autonomy for a sim week. I document their moves and then use that to figure out a story. My most recent is a toddler who I decided might run away as a teenager from her family to start a 'rags to riches' challlenge.
Comments
I also do a generations challenge. I wrote a common stereotypical background for my founders. I also dont use any cheats, they start from scratch and the oldest rather boy or girl becomes the heir. With each generation comes an addition to their story. So my founders were the typical girl/boy next door story. They're eldest daughter became an adventurer and explored the Jungle becoming a famous archeologist kinda like a mix between Indiana Jones and Lara Croft. Her eldest son went on to join the military solving the mystery of Strangerville. His eldest daughter discovered magic in her teen years and is currently continuing her studies in magic and psychology at university. Her story is still unfolding.
Challenges might be a good way of getting a story going if you're having trouble coming up with one.
1. Play normally, with a hands-off approach.
2. Take lots of screenshots during normal gameplay.
3. Piece the screenshots together into a story.
4. Add action and dialogue that pertains to the story.
This my first attempt at documenting a story. It is for the purpose of play testing my Smith v Jones best life challenge
Here is the challenge:
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/973502/smith-v-jones-best-life-challenge-smithvjoneschal#latest
Here the link to my play-through:
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/973504/smith-v-jones-best-life-challenge-smithvjoneschal-jojos-playthrough-weekly-family-journals#latest
I thinks it’s more documenting then story telling though.
Not really a challenge, but I started my current save with a scientist sim in the hopes he would get abducted to fill my world with aliens. He had 7 alien children, now those children are grown and populating the world with half aliens. I've even had a couple of them abducted and come back pregnant.
Yes, please add more episodes. I loved it so much.
Hey, I know I'm late, but could you send me that list too?