TS3 is the only computer-based Sims game that I've ever played, but I have plenty of nostalgic moments associated with it nonetheless.
This song is among my favourites from Buy Mode (if anyone's interested, the official title as listed in the options menu is "Rainy Day Shopping Bliss"). I have memories of laughing with my sister as we hummed and sang along to this ridiculously happy tune. Now I'm far from home, studying in a university on a totally different continent, but each time this song comes up in my game, it makes me think of her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIJxlCA4tJs
It's not the things I feel nostalgic about, it's the families. There was a cat lady with several cats in a small house that I would rearrange so it would play better and a family living with dogs in a trailer.
Kat family: Gina has four cats and immediately adopts another when you play her. https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Kat_family
In Sims 2, it was still about the families for me and improving relationships and home. In Strangetown, particularly liked to redo the Curious house so it didn't go up, up, up; and I'd move in the Singles into a bunker that they could afford, but it needed to be rebuilt right away.
Here's a link to their wiki page. The image code is too long to post nicely here. https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/2_Cover_Up_Road
The Singles contained a couple aliens related to the Curious Brothers:
This is the home I always redid for them:
In Pleasantview, there was of course the Pleasants where the husband was set up to cheat with the maid and get caught by his wife; and their daughter Lily was about to fail school and run-away.
And Brandy Broke who lived in a trailer with her teen-age hood-wanna be, a toddler, and a baby on the way.
It was 2001, we bought our very first PC and I could pick two games to go with it. I didn't have a clue what to pick, but this game called 'Les Sims' (in French for some odd reason, I don't live in France) caught my eye so I picked that one among others. I don't remember what the others were, but 'Les Sims' I never forgot, even when I only played it once, for five hours straight, forgetting time. I loved it, but in the end the very oversensitive need bars began to annoy me and I suppose that's why I never played the game again (my daughter did, some years later).
-> The fact that I could really play with a little character and control her!
-> I also remember the burglar freaking me out and he visited a lot of nights because I couldn't afford an alarm.
Sims 3
It was December 2009 and my kids were making their wish lists for Saint Nicholas (a Dutch feast). My daughter announced that she'd heard at school the Sims franchise had come with a successor and everybody at school loved it. It had open world and this and that and I had no idea what she was talking about nor did I care. We just bought her the game. I did remember how addictive Les Sims had been however and after a couple of weeks I became curious, so she allowed me to try it on her computer. I created a sim, I built a house and I started playing for a bit. And never have quit since. She did after a while, so I became the addict and she just tried out every new pack I'd buy. And I bought them all.
The rest I'll put between spoiler marks, because pictures.
My first family:
(the first sim has become a granny here, I never took any pictures before that)
I wasn't exactly into house building back then. I just threw in big rooms (I didn't pay any attention to what it looked like outside) and had no idea how to use CASt.
Such a cosy living room ahem.
This was the very first house I built with some kind of plan (following a real life example I found on the internet):
I remember putting in three families in there and being disappointed there was no way to make them use their own apartments. This was long before roommates were introduced of course. After this building houses became another addiction (as did CASt).
I fell in love with the genetics instantly, though it wasn't always a succes
That's when I learned it's wise to do some testing first in CAS.
The first sim I played for a longer time (before that I'd constantly created new ones and start all over) was Victor, an adventurer.
(in bed here with Sun Young Kim)
Then in May 2010, I decided to try and stick to one family for a while, picking one kid to continue, and stay away from using cheats for a change. So I created Eva Potter and started. When I reached the second generation, I introduced a sim I had created a while ago, based on Kurt Cobain, and he became the patriarch of the family I'm playing to this very day.
Nostalgia is something dear that lies in the past and there are a lot of dear moments lying in the past for me concerning Sims 3. Not least this really amazing Dutch forum I joined August 2010, where I shared my 'The Continuing Story of The Kobaynes' and where I followed the stories of other Dutch and Belgian simmers. It became a very warm and dear community for me. They made Sims 3 an even more special experience than it already was and are an important part of the nostalgia for me. The site no longer exists and I don't share my stories anymore, but I'm still playing, enjoying and loving Sims 3.
When i first opened the game and heard the amazing theme song, I felt a joy I still can not relive with any other sims game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skM8PLJkx2Y
Then I came to choose a neighborhood and with all the townies pictures together with their stories and the video of the town, it was feeling SO intensely real. I already knew by then it was going to have endless options and combinations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1N7pC42rRU
(A little long, but worth to watch as you can see all the details in the opening screen and neighborhoods)
The best memory I have from this is when I choose the neighborhood pleasant view as my first neighborhood, then I got to make a family (I always start of with s single mom and a child/toddler). I choose this house and I was sure it was the best house, cause i really liked the long window.
It also really felt like I truly moved in there with the short film of them being dropped of by a taxi and entering the house to check out their new home. I loved how the walls and floors were just plain grey and how there was only a kitchen and bathroom. SO realistic!
I soon learned how cool and fluent the new animations were when my mother sim started to cook macaroni and cheese for her and her daughter as dinner!
It genuinely made me hungry to see the cooking animations, the steam coming off the pan and how a meal looked like a meal and not always the same old plate as in TS1. For the first time I could even choose meals which opened a whole new world of possibilities and meaning for me
TS2 memory 2:
Remember after one specific pack, a certain Mr. humble (who was a real person btw) would come at your door and drop of a gift which was a brand new computer. It saved my household a bunch of simoleons, cause I knew I did not have to buy a computer myself I was always waiting for the package. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdMimhxbUTI
Oh my gosh, where do I start. I loved the sims 1, I remember I was so sad when it wouldn't work on my computer anymore!!! Anyone who didn't do this to their sims is going to find this very weird. My sisters and I would put sims we didn't like in the pool and remove the ladder so they wouldn't get out! I realise now that's very, very mean but we still did it anyway lol. Sims 2 I don't remember a lot of for some reason. I do remember that I loved using motherlode and the money tree though :) Sims 3 is by far my favorite game, I love it so much! I love the open world and custom content. I love watching the townies doing the weirdest things too. They would make such strange faces and do some of the weirdest things. I loved the family aspect though! With annoying toddlers and imaginary friends! Ah, good times!
For some of us it is not nostalgia at all. We are still playing TS2 and 3, making new memories and sharing content with fellow simmers who also still enjoy the games. The assumption these games lie covered in dust and forgotten like old toy cars is a myth that needs busting. That said it is lovely as always to see people's favourite moments from their games
I no longer use Origin or My Page. You can find me on YouTube or Twitter as Bettyboop711000. You are welcome to contact me as I explore options for a PC sandbox life simulation game.
Wherever I am friends call me Betty
For some of us it is not nostalgia at all. We are still playing TS2 and 3, making new memories and sharing content with fellow simmers who also still enjoy the games. The assumption these games lie covered in dust and forgotten like old toy cars is a myth that needs busting. That said it is lovely as always to see people's favourite moments from their games
Absolutely true, but the memory of me first discovering the game and how it was when Sims 3 was still in development, the anticipation surrounding promised packs, the first time you tried them out, that is nostalgia of course. And that first year of playing, I’ll never get that feeling back. How everything was new and unbiased and pure and surprising for me (also because I couldn’t compare). For me it’s a strange mixture sometimes between playing and feeling nostalgic (like when I explore tombs I also explored with Victor, my very first adventurer) if that makes sense
For some of us it is not nostalgia at all. We are still playing TS2 and 3, making new memories and sharing content with fellow simmers who also still enjoy the games. The assumption these games lie covered in dust and forgotten like old toy cars is a myth that needs busting. That said it is lovely as always to see people's favourite moments from their games
Uhm no one said you can't still play these games, but for those who left them behind and like to remember those nostalgia moments, this is the thread to go to. I see no point in this comment to be honest.
TS1: I enjoyed all the EPs but my favorites where Superstar and Makin' Magic.
Superstar was the first EP that had active careers. It was awesome too because your sim can actually be a "triple threat" - a superstar that can act, sing and model! I wish they would bring those little mini games back. I didn't always get them right, but it was a lot of fun! I also loved the map it came with because it had a little of everything, some shopping, some relaxing, some entertainment, some dining. There was so much to do that I would try to keep my sims there for as long as they can before they pass out in deep sleep! I would love it if the devs did a Superstar version for TS5, only this time have the ability to live there. I like TS3's Showtime a lot but it would be neat to combine the best of both!
Makin' Magic was pure fun - my favorite things to do was the home stuff: baking, churning butter, tending the beehives. I found saving up for the homes to be very expensive though so I ended up just having my sims jump through the hole rather than living there.
Also another favorite memory - the Unleashed EP introduced me to a new style of music: Zydeco. Very fun and cheerful!
The Sims Unleashed - Zydeco Playlist
TS2: I absolutely love Open for Business and second best, Bon Voyage.
Open for Business had the best business mechanics although to be quite honest, I really love Ani's mod which combined the best of TS2 which the mechanics, with the ease of TS3. As much as I loved the mechanics of TS2 businesses, I didn't actually like that it went into too much management of staff. You couldn't stay open for very long because everyone gets exhausted and you to keep track to make sure that your employees get a break. Plus everyone actually had to level up in all the business skills: cash register, selling, stocking. That was a pain! TS3 business mechanics were lacking in the selling part, but I think they got the employee management right. It is much easier. Employees didn't need any breaks during their shifts. You can set shifts so you can have employees run your registers and keep your store open 24 hours if you wish. If they couldn't come in, a substitute would come in for the day. Plus there was no leveling up! So Ani combined the best of both in her Savvier Seller mod (and other mods she has very different types of selling).
Bon Voyage was also a lot of fun and you can see the elements of it that inspired TS3's World Adventures. I also really love the mechanics of building and running a hotel. It just seemed easier to do. I do prefer TS3's resort building much better, but management was kind of stressful because I also felt pressured because of the customer's feedback and trying to achieve 5-star status.
One of the things I don't like about TS2 though is that it is closed world and that you're slammed with multiple loading screens if you tend to want to play as many of the lots as possible, so what I normally do nowadays is put everything I love in one lot. I run a hotel by the beach that has a restaurant and take-out. It also has a dancing club and spa. It doesn't have the other stuff I love like bowling and rolling skating, or the Bon Voyage vacation places so in those cases, I grit my teeth and send my sims to other lots/places that have them. I just try not to do it too much.
I also don't like going on dates or group outings or throwing parties in TS2. I just never how to make them successful and there is the pressure to get it done right before the time runs down. There's also the constant trying to get your meter to remain in the gold or white level which I felt became such a chore after a while. I would love TS5 to be the best of both TS2 and TS3, but I hope they don't bring these features from TS2 over to TS5. I much preferred TS3 dates, group outings and throwing parties because I understood what to do better and was always able to make them successful. I also much prefer TS3 wishes and opportunities system because most of the time there was no pressure to rush. The only time I ever came across time requirements was for Assassin Career Opportunities - these are the actual assignments offered to asssassins. All the assignments give you only a few hours or days to accomplish them which make them exciting - especially when the target is hard to get to. But sometimes it can be emotionally upsetting. One of the assignments was that one of your co-workers (usually your closest friend) will turn out to be a traitor and your sim would have to bump them off. So there is the question of where your sim's loyalty lies - to the "family" or to your best friend? I decided to have her follow through and completed the assignment. She has the evil trait so I didn't think this would bother. But much to my surprise, she was crying for days she was so upset!
But I'm digressing! These are the only things that bothered me about TS2, but I LOVE EVERYTHING else about it! Combine that with TS3 and it's open world and easier wishes/opportunies mechanics, easier employee management, unpredictable events (better than TS2's chance cards!) and TS5 will be AMAZING.
TS3: I'm still playing it the most and I absolutely love this iteration more than any other! But the first time I played, I was just....WOW! I was so astonished with just the base game alone! There was so much to do! And what?!?? No loading screens?!?? I kept expecting to run into one (because I didn't bother reading reviews back then - that's how much I trusted EA at that time). My sims have never stayed home since then. I love shopping for groceries, going to clubs, parks or just exploring the ENTIRE world - with no loading screens. That last feature absolutely floored me! I loved traveling too or even jogging because of this feature and the worlds are so gorgeous, it's just breathtaking to just aim the camera up and take it all in as my sim travel or jog all over the place.
As much as I love TS2, it was very hard to come back to it from TS3.
Another thing that absolutely floored me was CASt. I thought it was awesome that TS2 gave you several options for each object, but OH MY GOSH, TS3 took it to the next level and virtually gave you unlimited options with their color wheel and the ability to create and choose different patterns. Seriously. This game is a creative person's dream! I absolutely love this feature. I love looking at other people's work on lots, clothing, hair and makeup, because we may all have these same items, but because they've injected their own choices in colors and patterns, it's like they came out with totally new items!
Another feature that absolutely WOW'd me was that you can edit the town and place lots nearly anywhere in the world and as many as you want that your computer can handle! The first time I learned this, my jaw dropped! I mean, you can place lots in TS2 as well but not to the level that you can in TS3. I also feel editing the town in TS3 is a lot easier than in TS2 - changing the lot type is much easier. When I discovered the edit town feature, I saw the possibilities! By that time, I had downloaded and explored Riverview. My first impression was that it was boring and went back to Sunset Valley. But when I learned about Edit Town and I changed things around, adding lots I liked, it became one of my favorite town. I also happened to get to know the townspeople and they are my favori
So these are my initial but awesome first impressions and memories of TS3! Keep in mind, I experienced all these wonderful discoveries playing JUST THE BASE GAME alone!
Honestly, EAxis, I don't trust you right now, but I won't ever stop being grateful to you for the most wonderful game you ever made, The Sims 3. You did a great job (that includes you too, Grant)!
Believe it or not I began with the Sims Social (the facebook game) and even though it is not even close to the Sims games, I found it very entertaining and I like the idea of being able to create rooms and outfits for my Sims... I was so exited when I got a snow chalet even though it was a generic build and I loved the branded products, the Magnum Icecream cooler was my favorite.. However, I really enjoy the Sims 3, I love building especially and one can play for hours on end without the limitations of a FB game..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neeXmBkvPIQ who can forget the 'bob song'?! When I found out that Mark Mothersbaugh, the man behind the Rugrats theme composed it, I was shocked.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwQ6jOVixxM beautiful music from Apartment Life, always strikes me as a bit melancholic, though. That 'reticulating splines one last time' honestly hurts.
And how about discovering boolProp testingCheatsEnabled true for the first time, testing every option and inadvertently wrecking your game in the process? I didn't learn about corruption and whatnot until 2014 when I got the Ultimate Collection. That was ten years of bad behaviour to unlearn.
I also remember how excited I was to get jewellery for the first time in Bon Voyage! Giving my sims piercings was way cool (still is).
I have no nostalgia for sims 3. Sims 2 however. oh I wish I had kept pictures from that game. I used to love designing clothes for my sims in the Sims 2 and seeing my sims wearing the things I made for them.
That is absolutely the thing I miss the most too!! Jeepers! I so wish they had it for Sims 4!
In TS1 I had a family with a barn and no animals to farm so I bought them the little rodent in a cage. The father got bit and then sick, I didn't know he would DIE! But he did! Then the rest of the family that wasn't kept away from him died as well. I still haven't gotten over it!!!
I love TS2 for so many reasons. Day 1 playing it "ohhhhhhhh lookie, you can stare up at the sky now....and so I directed my sim to go out and sit on the lawn and enjoy some skywatching. Meteor strike!!! That was THEE last time I ever let a sim do any of THAT...well..until my sim accidentally married the Drama Professor (I didn't KNOW that he loved EVERYONE! I thought he was just wildly attracted to my sim). I was doing everything I could to try to kill him! A meteor didn't get him, I locked him out of the house on the lawn and he starved to death.
After I installed TS2 Seasons, I was SOOOOO afraid to let my sims go outside....like at all! I did get over that but it took some time.
I miss my sims 2. I had to uninstall it to make space for sims 3, but I miss it soo much. I miss family interactions the most... and pg 13+ makeouts... now it's like pg 2.
I love the in-depth backstories for the premades from TS2 and the ability to customize the whole world. I also loved playing Story Mode on the console version and I miss little things like the Spin the Bottle game, pinching other Sims' butts, being able to play as a ghost, possess another Sim and make them do the funky chicken dance. I liked playing a violin challenge with the Grim Reaper to win my Sim's soul back. I loved TS2: Castaway on PS2 - being able to build my Sim's house and create their clothes from raw materials, exploring the islands and finding a way to survive.
I loved the customization tools from TS3. Being able to choose the exact colour and material I want a particular piece of furniture, wall or floor to be. Being able to play witches, mermaids, werewolves, Genies and fairies. I miss being able to swim in the ocean and being able to travel anywhere I want to go and being to follow my Sims everywhere. I miss being able to drive cars, having so many hobbies, careers and things to do. I miss all the worlds and I really liked the premades and their backstories. Heck, I miss EVERYTHING from previous games!
I think the TS1 music will forever bring out my greatest nostalgia.
I always put lots of extra made up stuff into my games, like back stories and community structures that are not really a part of the game, so many memories relate to details it would be hard to share.
Ah, I sometimes look back on my old Simmerville website which is still up but no longer updated. Each sim got a public diary on their teen birthday, I loved keeping track on households, family trees, top/bottom scores etc. Check out the HOOD section (but don't expect to find all the content on first try, )
When i started the sims 2 For ps2. I created Sims! I Didnt know about making house so... Is Not until 2019 Which i Got The first The sims for pc (The name is The sims life stories But In portuguese is Called The sims historias da vida)
wow do these bring back memories , I started with sims 1 and have loved them all. Wish I still had some of the old photos, but thanks for the memories, IT brought smiles to me, remembering all the good times with sims 1, 2 and 3, I still play sims 3. I still have sims 2, but gave my sims 1 to my granddaughter and now wish I still had it. I have them all on disk, except the ones that now you have to download, have the box but not the disk. Have fun with the sims it is a amazing game.
I miss my sims 2. I had to uninstall it to make space for sims 3, but I miss it soo much. I miss family interactions the most... and pg 13+ makeouts... now it's like pg 2.
Omg that trailer. It gives me the feels! I loved how TS3 had much interactions for teens and that true vibe to it. Throwing eggs, college, hang on the swings etc. I also loved the dress up chest for kids and how they could have these weird little games at the dinner table like 'play as king' or something. So funny! Everything is so realistic and had much debt.
I remember how I was also editing some little grey hairs into my sims that grew slowly into elders just like the trailer. And those elder spots on the face! Spot on!
(I didn't have many decent quality photos, but I'll be as concise as possible.)
Adding to the TS2 and TS3 pool here:
The chance of a satellite falling on your Sim when they were outside daydreaming was perfect, the fact that you could sell it afterwards kick-started my bank account more than once....I just realize how heartless that sounds, sheesh.
The innovative, quirky tech. Need a phone? Simply snag one out of that oddly blue horizontal looking contraption over there. Noice.
The Greek houses could be really fun. Especially those Pineapple Juicers and stealing another housemate's BF. :P
The University secret handshake. Yeah, it could get annoying if they did it every time, but it was nice to see when your Sim did a secret handshake with an old roomie.
Makin' simoleons with a band consisting of friends while trying to keep up grades in University...Even if my Simself wasn't rolling in dough, the animations alone were worth it.
The little 'pat on the back' Sims did. This was either after an exam or getting accepted into Uni, honestly can't remember.
Smart milk for toddlers.
Memories and the Zodiac system.
The 'Gomez Addams' arm kiss. Priceless.
Therapist that appeared after your Sim experienced Aspiration failure.
Getting a child into Private School. It used to feel so satisfying...
The Grunts! They were my favorite next to the Smiths and Goths.
I still think about the Specter-Grim Reaper-Nervous Subject connection now and then. *shudders*
Children running to mom/dad after they come home.
Parents pulling up in a actual driveway, or just listening to music/talking in the car.
Anyone remember that old music player (A.K.A Ipod) you kept in the inventory and they rocked out to?
Weighing the Pros and Cons should Cassandra marry Darrin versus wrecking her life with Don....or if Lilith inherited the house after Angela, David, and Mary-Sue conveniently died in a fire. Good times.
The limo that would appear after a wedding to take your sims on a honeymoon. That was just... wild when I first saw it, the relationship needed to be high as heck though, lol.
~
TS3:
Literally sitting on the ground, Laptop optional.
Moodlets.
Those little messages that you received after a good or bad date.
Home movies.
Slightly insulting a sim, not realizing they have a conflicting trait.
Ice skating together.
Karate time!
Faeries. Like an idiot I deleted a really sweet pic of my Fae/Werewolf couple. He, a stoic techie with a heart for his family. She, a perky but ambitious stylist. Together, a match made in heaven. I swear they had the cutest kids...but instead I found this from my old Black Widow challenge, at least the job title fits. I think it's time to fire up TS3 again in the foreseeable future.
Imaginary Friends. They could be a pain to get rid of, but if you actually waited until the transformation was complete, they were an easy way to bring up the social need/charisma skill. Along with being a friend/potential SO, of course. The kids had a chance to inherit their genes, which sometimes made for interesting family photos.
Snake Charming.
Wild Horses/Horses in general. Laggy little buggers who required a steep learning curve (for me at least), but I loved riding around town on one. Who needs a car? ;3
Scooters! Although, a 'Scooter brother' would make this pic 10x better...
Vacations and traipsing through underground tombs, despite being low on food and sleep, it wasn't going to stop my Sim from finding that pesky artifact. China and France were great, but Egypt was my favorite. Beating up mummies (or trying to get your Sim to turn into one) made collecting more fun.
Honestly, I love them all (Except TS1. I liked it, really, but every time I look at an old photo, a migraine suspiciously forms...) but TS2 and TS3 remain as placeholders of my fondest memories. They're pretty much they reason I enjoy other sandbox games.
Took this in 2014. Just one funny screenshot of my sim digging in.
Her name is Alma, I had her ordered a giant pizza (all for herself!) after she brunt her waffles.
Another reason that makes me feel so nostalgic of this particular picture is probably because it was taken during my so-called "pre-CC" era when I had absolutely zero CC installed and played an entirely vanilla sims game.
Comments
This song is among my favourites from Buy Mode (if anyone's interested, the official title as listed in the options menu is "Rainy Day Shopping Bliss"). I have memories of laughing with my sister as we hummed and sang along to this ridiculously happy tune. Now I'm far from home, studying in a university on a totally different continent, but each time this song comes up in my game, it makes me think of her.
TS4 Sims in TS3
Kat family: Gina has four cats and immediately adopts another when you play her.
https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Kat_family
Hicks family has three dogs and live in a run-down trailer:
https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Hick_family
In Sims 2, it was still about the families for me and improving relationships and home. In Strangetown, particularly liked to redo the Curious house so it didn't go up, up, up; and I'd move in the Singles into a bunker that they could afford, but it needed to be rebuilt right away.
Here's a link to their wiki page. The image code is too long to post nicely here.
https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/2_Cover_Up_Road
The Singles contained a couple aliens related to the Curious Brothers:
This is the home I always redid for them:
In Pleasantview, there was of course the Pleasants where the husband was set up to cheat with the maid and get caught by his wife; and their daughter Lily was about to fail school and run-away.
And Brandy Broke who lived in a trailer with her teen-age hood-wanna be, a toddler, and a baby on the way.
Store Install
Unlocked Stencils
random legacy
It was 2001, we bought our very first PC and I could pick two games to go with it. I didn't have a clue what to pick, but this game called 'Les Sims' (in French for some odd reason, I don't live in France) caught my eye so I picked that one among others. I don't remember what the others were, but 'Les Sims' I never forgot, even when I only played it once, for five hours straight, forgetting time. I loved it, but in the end the very oversensitive need bars began to annoy me and I suppose that's why I never played the game again (my daughter did, some years later).
Nostalgia:
-> The music!
-> The fact that I could really play with a little character and control her!
-> I also remember the burglar freaking me out and he visited a lot of nights because I couldn't afford an alarm.
Sims 3
It was December 2009 and my kids were making their wish lists for Saint Nicholas (a Dutch feast). My daughter announced that she'd heard at school the Sims franchise had come with a successor and everybody at school loved it. It had open world and this and that and I had no idea what she was talking about nor did I care. We just bought her the game. I did remember how addictive Les Sims had been however and after a couple of weeks I became curious, so she allowed me to try it on her computer. I created a sim, I built a house and I started playing for a bit. And never have quit since. She did after a while, so I became the addict and she just tried out every new pack I'd buy. And I bought them all.
The rest I'll put between spoiler marks, because pictures.
(the first sim has become a granny here, I never took any pictures before that)
I wasn't exactly into house building back then. I just threw in big rooms (I didn't pay any attention to what it looked like outside) and had no idea how to use CASt.
Such a cosy living room ahem.
This was the very first house I built with some kind of plan (following a real life example I found on the internet):
I remember putting in three families in there and being disappointed there was no way to make them use their own apartments. This was long before roommates were introduced of course. After this building houses became another addiction (as did CASt).
I fell in love with the genetics instantly, though it wasn't always a succes
That's when I learned it's wise to do some testing first in CAS.
The first sim I played for a longer time (before that I'd constantly created new ones and start all over) was Victor, an adventurer.
(in bed here with Sun Young Kim)
Then in May 2010, I decided to try and stick to one family for a while, picking one kid to continue, and stay away from using cheats for a change. So I created Eva Potter and started. When I reached the second generation, I introduced a sim I had created a while ago, based on Kurt Cobain, and he became the patriarch of the family I'm playing to this very day.
Nostalgia is something dear that lies in the past and there are a lot of dear moments lying in the past for me concerning Sims 3. Not least this really amazing Dutch forum I joined August 2010, where I shared my 'The Continuing Story of The Kobaynes' and where I followed the stories of other Dutch and Belgian simmers. It became a very warm and dear community for me. They made Sims 3 an even more special experience than it already was and are an important part of the nostalgia for me. The site no longer exists and I don't share my stories anymore, but I'm still playing, enjoying and loving Sims 3.
TS2 memory 1:
When i first opened the game and heard the amazing theme song, I felt a joy I still can not relive with any other sims game.
Then I came to choose a neighborhood and with all the townies pictures together with their stories and the video of the town, it was feeling SO intensely real. I already knew by then it was going to have endless options and combinations.
(A little long, but worth to watch as you can see all the details in the opening screen and neighborhoods)
The best memory I have from this is when I choose the neighborhood pleasant view as my first neighborhood, then I got to make a family (I always start of with s single mom and a child/toddler). I choose this house and I was sure it was the best house, cause i really liked the long window.
It also really felt like I truly moved in there with the short film of them being dropped of by a taxi and entering the house to check out their new home. I loved how the walls and floors were just plain grey and how there was only a kitchen and bathroom. SO realistic!
I soon learned how cool and fluent the new animations were when my mother sim started to cook macaroni and cheese for her and her daughter as dinner!
It genuinely made me hungry to see the cooking animations, the steam coming off the pan and how a meal looked like a meal and not always the same old plate as in TS1. For the first time I could even choose meals which opened a whole new world of possibilities and meaning for me
TS2 memory 2:
Remember after one specific pack, a certain Mr. humble (who was a real person btw) would come at your door and drop of a gift which was a brand new computer. It saved my household a bunch of simoleons, cause I knew I did not have to buy a computer myself
Wherever I am friends call me Betty
Sim enim est vita
TS1: I remember Claire the Bear digging through your trash. Also making a house where everyone had to swim everywhere.
TS2: Genetics! Favorite are when aliens would abduct your male sims and they could come back pregnant. Giggles. It's not normal but it's so funny.
TS3: Still am playing it. But I like when it snows, you can see the footprints in the snow.
Uhm no one said you can't still play these games, but for those who left them behind and like to remember those nostalgia moments, this is the thread to go to. I see no point in this comment to be honest.
Superstar was the first EP that had active careers. It was awesome too because your sim can actually be a "triple threat" - a superstar that can act, sing and model! I wish they would bring those little mini games back. I didn't always get them right, but it was a lot of fun! I also loved the map it came with because it had a little of everything, some shopping, some relaxing, some entertainment, some dining. There was so much to do that I would try to keep my sims there for as long as they can before they pass out in deep sleep! I would love it if the devs did a Superstar version for TS5, only this time have the ability to live there. I like TS3's Showtime a lot but it would be neat to combine the best of both!
Makin' Magic was pure fun - my favorite things to do was the home stuff: baking, churning butter, tending the beehives. I found saving up for the homes to be very expensive though so I ended up just having my sims jump through the hole rather than living there.
Also another favorite memory - the Unleashed EP introduced me to a new style of music: Zydeco. Very fun and cheerful!
TS2: I absolutely love Open for Business and second best, Bon Voyage.
Open for Business had the best business mechanics although to be quite honest, I really love Ani's mod which combined the best of TS2 which the mechanics, with the ease of TS3. As much as I loved the mechanics of TS2 businesses, I didn't actually like that it went into too much management of staff. You couldn't stay open for very long because everyone gets exhausted and you to keep track to make sure that your employees get a break. Plus everyone actually had to level up in all the business skills: cash register, selling, stocking. That was a pain! TS3 business mechanics were lacking in the selling part, but I think they got the employee management right. It is much easier. Employees didn't need any breaks during their shifts. You can set shifts so you can have employees run your registers and keep your store open 24 hours if you wish. If they couldn't come in, a substitute would come in for the day. Plus there was no leveling up! So Ani combined the best of both in her Savvier Seller mod (and other mods she has very different types of selling).
Bon Voyage was also a lot of fun and you can see the elements of it that inspired TS3's World Adventures. I also really love the mechanics of building and running a hotel. It just seemed easier to do. I do prefer TS3's resort building much better, but management was kind of stressful because I also felt pressured because of the customer's feedback and trying to achieve 5-star status.
One of the things I don't like about TS2 though is that it is closed world and that you're slammed with multiple loading screens if you tend to want to play as many of the lots as possible, so what I normally do nowadays is put everything I love in one lot. I run a hotel by the beach that has a restaurant and take-out. It also has a dancing club and spa. It doesn't have the other stuff I love like bowling and rolling skating, or the Bon Voyage vacation places so in those cases, I grit my teeth and send my sims to other lots/places that have them. I just try not to do it too much.
I also don't like going on dates or group outings or throwing parties in TS2. I just never how to make them successful and there is the pressure to get it done right before the time runs down. There's also the constant trying to get your meter to remain in the gold or white level which I felt became such a chore after a while. I would love TS5 to be the best of both TS2 and TS3, but I hope they don't bring these features from TS2 over to TS5. I much preferred TS3 dates, group outings and throwing parties because I understood what to do better and was always able to make them successful. I also much prefer TS3 wishes and opportunities system because most of the time there was no pressure to rush. The only time I ever came across time requirements was for Assassin Career Opportunities - these are the actual assignments offered to asssassins. All the assignments give you only a few hours or days to accomplish them which make them exciting - especially when the target is hard to get to. But sometimes it can be emotionally upsetting. One of the assignments was that one of your co-workers (usually your closest friend) will turn out to be a traitor and your sim would have to bump them off. So there is the question of where your sim's loyalty lies - to the "family" or to your best friend? I decided to have her follow through and completed the assignment. She has the evil trait so I didn't think this would bother. But much to my surprise, she was crying for days she was so upset!
But I'm digressing! These are the only things that bothered me about TS2, but I LOVE EVERYTHING else about it! Combine that with TS3 and it's open world and easier wishes/opportunies mechanics, easier employee management, unpredictable events (better than TS2's chance cards!) and TS5 will be AMAZING.
TS3: I'm still playing it the most and I absolutely love this iteration more than any other! But the first time I played, I was just....WOW! I was so astonished with just the base game alone! There was so much to do! And what?!?? No loading screens?!?? I kept expecting to run into one (because I didn't bother reading reviews back then - that's how much I trusted EA at that time). My sims have never stayed home since then. I love shopping for groceries, going to clubs, parks or just exploring the ENTIRE world - with no loading screens. That last feature absolutely floored me! I loved traveling too or even jogging because of this feature and the worlds are so gorgeous, it's just breathtaking to just aim the camera up and take it all in as my sim travel or jog all over the place.
As much as I love TS2, it was very hard to come back to it from TS3.
Another thing that absolutely floored me was CASt. I thought it was awesome that TS2 gave you several options for each object, but OH MY GOSH, TS3 took it to the next level and virtually gave you unlimited options with their color wheel and the ability to create and choose different patterns. Seriously. This game is a creative person's dream! I absolutely love this feature. I love looking at other people's work on lots, clothing, hair and makeup, because we may all have these same items, but because they've injected their own choices in colors and patterns, it's like they came out with totally new items!
Another feature that absolutely WOW'd me was that you can edit the town and place lots nearly anywhere in the world and as many as you want that your computer can handle! The first time I learned this, my jaw dropped! I mean, you can place lots in TS2 as well but not to the level that you can in TS3. I also feel editing the town in TS3 is a lot easier than in TS2 - changing the lot type is much easier. When I discovered the edit town feature, I saw the possibilities! By that time, I had downloaded and explored Riverview. My first impression was that it was boring and went back to Sunset Valley. But when I learned about Edit Town and I changed things around, adding lots I liked, it became one of my favorite town. I also happened to get to know the townspeople and they are my favori
So these are my initial but awesome first impressions and memories of TS3! Keep in mind, I experienced all these wonderful discoveries playing JUST THE BASE GAME alone!
Honestly, EAxis, I don't trust you right now, but I won't ever stop being grateful to you for the most wonderful game you ever made, The Sims 3. You did a great job (that includes you too, Grant)!
Reticulate those Splines
It's HARD to get them in a better mood.
Don't yell at me about it. O.o
Yes! Please get that skunk.
"Yes, Bella. Can I use the outhouse now?"
And how about discovering boolProp testingCheatsEnabled true for the first time, testing every option and inadvertently wrecking your game in the process? I didn't learn about corruption and whatnot until 2014 when I got the Ultimate Collection. That was ten years of bad behaviour to unlearn.
I also remember how excited I was to get jewellery for the first time in Bon Voyage! Giving my sims piercings was way cool (still is).
That is absolutely the thing I miss the most too!! Jeepers! I so wish they had it for Sims 4!
Gallery ID is ARIANNANEAL
I love TS2 for so many reasons. Day 1 playing it "ohhhhhhhh lookie, you can stare up at the sky now....and so I directed my sim to go out and sit on the lawn and enjoy some skywatching. Meteor strike!!! That was THEE last time I ever let a sim do any of THAT...well..until my sim accidentally married the Drama Professor (I didn't KNOW that he loved EVERYONE! I thought he was just wildly attracted to my sim). I was doing everything I could to try to kill him! A meteor didn't get him, I locked him out of the house on the lawn and he starved to death.
After I installed TS2 Seasons, I was SOOOOO afraid to let my sims go outside....like at all! I did get over that but it took some time.
Send me a friend request for Simport
And secret societies from University in 2! That was another thing that blew my mind. [/quote]
I've had TS2 University forever and I NEVER played that aspect. I was BUSY with OFB
Send me a friend request for Simport
Maybe generaetions trailer for ts3
I loved the customization tools from TS3. Being able to choose the exact colour and material I want a particular piece of furniture, wall or floor to be. Being able to play witches, mermaids, werewolves, Genies and fairies. I miss being able to swim in the ocean and being able to travel anywhere I want to go and being to follow my Sims everywhere. I miss being able to drive cars, having so many hobbies, careers and things to do. I miss all the worlds and I really liked the premades and their backstories. Heck, I miss EVERYTHING from previous games!
Check out my SimLit blog here: https://ageekylegacy.wordpress.com/
Follow me on Twitter @divanthesimmer
Follow me on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/divanthesimmer
Origin ID: divanthesimmer
I always put lots of extra made up stuff into my games, like back stories and community structures that are not really a part of the game, so many memories relate to details it would be hard to share.
Ah, I sometimes look back on my old Simmerville website which is still up but no longer updated. Each sim got a public diary on their teen birthday, I loved keeping track on households, family trees, top/bottom scores etc. Check out the HOOD section (but don't expect to find all the content on first try,
Omg that trailer. It gives me the feels! I loved how TS3 had much interactions for teens and that true vibe to it. Throwing eggs, college, hang on the swings etc. I also loved the dress up chest for kids and how they could have these weird little games at the dinner table like 'play as king' or something. So funny! Everything is so realistic and had much debt.
I remember how I was also editing some little grey hairs into my sims that grew slowly into elders just like the trailer. And those elder spots on the face! Spot on!
Adding to the TS2 and TS3 pool here:
The chance of a satellite falling on your Sim when they were outside daydreaming was perfect, the fact that you could sell it afterwards kick-started my bank account more than once....I just realize how heartless that sounds, sheesh.
The innovative, quirky tech. Need a phone? Simply snag one out of that oddly blue horizontal looking contraption over there. Noice.
The Greek houses could be really fun. Especially those Pineapple Juicers and stealing another housemate's BF. :P
The University secret handshake. Yeah, it could get annoying if they did it every time, but it was nice to see when your Sim did a secret handshake with an old roomie.
Makin' simoleons with a band consisting of friends while trying to keep up grades in University...Even if my Simself wasn't rolling in dough, the animations alone were worth it.
Children could static shock others.
The little 'pat on the back' Sims did. This was either after an exam or getting accepted into Uni, honestly can't remember.
Smart milk for toddlers.
Memories and the Zodiac system.
The 'Gomez Addams' arm kiss. Priceless.
Therapist that appeared after your Sim experienced Aspiration failure.
Getting a child into Private School. It used to feel so satisfying...
The Grunts! They were my favorite next to the Smiths and Goths.
I still think about the Specter-Grim Reaper-Nervous Subject connection now and then. *shudders*
Children running to mom/dad after they come home.
Parents pulling up in a actual driveway, or just listening to music/talking in the car.
Anyone remember that old music player (A.K.A Ipod) you kept in the inventory and they rocked out to?
Weighing the Pros and Cons should Cassandra marry Darrin versus wrecking her life with Don....or if Lilith inherited the house after Angela, David, and Mary-Sue conveniently died in a fire. Good times.
The limo that would appear after a wedding to take your sims on a honeymoon. That was just... wild when I first saw it, the relationship needed to be high as heck though, lol.
~
TS3:
Literally sitting on the ground, Laptop optional.
Moodlets.
Those little messages that you received after a good or bad date.
Home movies.
Slightly insulting a sim, not realizing they have a conflicting trait.
Ice skating together.
Karate time!
Faeries. Like an idiot I deleted a really sweet pic of my Fae/Werewolf couple. He, a stoic techie with a heart for his family. She, a perky but ambitious stylist. Together, a match made in heaven. I swear they had the cutest kids...but instead I found this from my old Black Widow challenge, at least the job title fits. I think it's time to fire up TS3 again in the foreseeable future.
Imaginary Friends. They could be a pain to get rid of, but if you actually waited until the transformation was complete, they were an easy way to bring up the social need/charisma skill. Along with being a friend/potential SO, of course. The kids had a chance to inherit their genes, which sometimes made for interesting family photos.
Snake Charming.
Wild Horses/Horses in general. Laggy little buggers who required a steep learning curve (for me at least), but I loved riding around town on one. Who needs a car? ;3
Scooters! Although, a 'Scooter brother' would make this pic 10x better...
Vacations and traipsing through underground tombs, despite being low on food and sleep, it wasn't going to stop my Sim from finding that pesky artifact. China and France were great, but Egypt was my favorite. Beating up mummies (or trying to get your Sim to turn into one) made collecting more fun.
Honestly, I love them all (Except TS1. I liked it, really, but every time I look at an old photo, a migraine suspiciously forms...) but TS2 and TS3 remain as placeholders of my fondest memories. They're pretty much they reason I enjoy other sandbox games.
Took this in 2014. Just one funny screenshot of my sim digging in.
Her name is Alma, I had her ordered a giant pizza (all for herself!) after she brunt her waffles.
Another reason that makes me feel so nostalgic of this particular picture is probably because it was taken during my so-called "pre-CC" era when I had absolutely zero CC installed and played an entirely vanilla sims game.
._.