Okay, so unless @AdamsEve1231 or @Skeilah won't be able to make it, I'll put the line at chapter 30. Anything that will be posted after that will be for next time.
These are the questions I have been gathering ever since we started this.
Discussion questions
General
1. What do you think of my storytelling?
2. What do you think of the overall story so far?
3. What do you think of my ability to portray relationships specifically? Do they feel authentic?
4. What do you think of my new blog? Any feedback?
In-depth (spoilers)
5. Do you think I portrayed Sofia’s addiction storyline well?
6. What is your favourite portrayed relationship, romantic or otherwise, in the story so far and why?
7. What is your least favourite portrayed relationship, romantic or otherwise, in the story so far and why?
8. What do you think of my portrayal of the Villareal family?
9. How would you interpret and describe Max as a character?
10. Who is your favourite character so far and why?
11. Who is your least favourite character and why?
12. Who would you want to see more of?
13. What is your favourite storyline and why?
14. What are your predictions for any of the ongoing (or future) storylines?
15. If you could give a piece of advice to one character, who would you choose and what would you say?
16. Do you have anything of your own to ask or add?
I like it! You have a way of letting us peek into your characters’ heads that is really endearing. Even Max, who I hate with a passion in-game, I can’t help but root for just a little. I’ve noticed that you don’t literally quote your sims, but rather tell us what they say through your narrative. It’s different from what I’m used to, but I like it. Plus, your pictures are always so colourful and bright!
2. What do you think of the overall story so far?
I like it! I do have to admit that I was a little confused at the beginning, as it felt that I was jumping into a story on its midway point. But you’ve been playing with the Villareals long before you began to write their lives down, right? It’s not strange that it felt that way at first. You’ve given us a good overview of who everyone was and how they were related after that, and I’m super invested now, especially in Hugo (as I’m sure you know from my comments XD)
3. What do you think of my ability to portray relationships specifically? Do they feel authentic?
They feel real, especially Hugo and Sofia’s. With a lot of stories, relationships are either perfect, always in the middle of drama, or constantly in jeopardy. But Hugo and Sofia’s relationship just feels so real to me, especially with her addiction and Hugo’s enabling, doormat-like behaviour. People go through these struggles in real life too, and that’s what makes me really invested in the both of them. You’ve done a really good job there.
The relationship between Luna and Alyson is like that, too. You have a way of using very few words to forge very realistic, likable characters.
4. What do you think of my new blog? Any feedback?
It’s great! You really put some work into it. I love the slice-of-life pictures at the top of every page. And adding the family tree is great for keeping track of who is who, as long as you’re not scared of spoilers. You may want to put the link to your blog in your signature, too – that way people clicking on it won’t have to make the detour of going through another thread first if they want to go directly to the blog.
Spoiler territory for those who have not caught up yet:
5. Do you think I portrayed Sofia’s addiction storyline well?
Yes. Her struggles and her complete apathy towards the rest of the world, including her fiancé, were very well done. I do think she got over her addiction very fast – but the other shoe may be waiting to drop on that one, depending on how her relationship with Luna goes. I have a sneaking suspicion that she’s fixating all of her attention on Luna as a sort of substitute.
6. What is your favourite portrayed relationship, romantic or otherwise, in the story so far and why?
Hugo and Sofia, as well as Hugo and Nelson. I’ve gushed about Hugo in the comments already, but he’s such a gentle giant, and you portray him in a way that makes me genuinely concerned for his well-being. I also love that you showed him slowly turning his life around after a certain point.
7. What is your least favourite portrayed relationship, romantic or otherwise, in the story so far and why?
Sofia and Luna. Not because it’s badly written, but because I think that Sofia is using Luna as a distraction from her addiction and if that’s true, then there’s going to be a massive fallout and I just want all of them to be happy and ARGH. I’m too invested XD I actually love reading their chapters and I can’t wait to see what happens!
8. What do you think of my portrayal of the Villareal family?
You took a premade EA family and turned them into realistic people with goals, flaws and history. I love what you’ve done with them. I’d actually love to see a sort of flashback to the earlier days, before you began to post chapters of them online. Lucy the golddigger snaring Jacques, Hugo proposing to Sofia, Luna with Alyson as a baby/toddler – moments like that. Of course, since that’s all in the past of the game, that’s a very tall order, if not impossible. xD
9. How would you interpret and describe Max as a character?
That neighbourhood bully who grew up without growing up. He’s still pulling pranks and being mean to people, but he doesn’t even have a place to live and is focusing on the wrong things. Then again, if he were to grow up, he’d probably turn into a major crime boss, so maybe it’s better he stay this way.
10. Who is your favourite character so far and why?
Hugo, which probably comes as no surprise. You’ve given him a very likable personality and believable flaws. He’s such a gentle giant, and I want him to be happy SO BAD.
11. Who is your least favourite character and why?
Neal, I think. I don’t dislike him (though he lost points by trying to steal money from his sister xD), but he doesn’t feel as fleshed out as Sofia, Hugo, Luna and Max. That’s only natural with a large cast of people, so don’t feel bad about it!
12. Who would you want to see more of?
Neal, for the above reason, and Jacqueline. I’d love a storyline where she slowly works through her insecurities and comes out a better person on the other end. But who knows where life will take her? I’m eager to find out, at any rate.
13. What is your favourite storyline and why?
Hugo and Sofia, branching out to Sofia + Luna and Hugo + Nelson. I feel like we’ve spent time with them the most, and they are the most well fleshed-out of all the storylines.
14. What are your predictions for any of the ongoing (or future) storylines?
I’m dreading what will happen to Sofia if something goes wrong with her Luna-infatuation. I may be completely misreading it, though, and they’ll continue to be happy together. I’m also expecting Max to royally mess life up for himself, but I can’t feel bad about that, because from the looks of it, he’s his own worst enemy. xD
15. If you could give a piece of advice to one character, who would you choose and what would you say?
Jacqueline, there are parts in the world where your body type is the epitome of beauty. You happen to live in one that think slim is the only way to go. If you genuinely don’t like your body, then train away, but don’t let others dictate what you should look like.
16. Do you have anything of your own to ask or add?
Yes!
What made you choose the Villareal family over anyone else in the neighbourhood?
What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had while playing them, present in the story or otherwise?
How long do you plan to follow the Villareals in their life struggles? Do you have an endpoint in mind, or do you plan to keep writing and just see where it takes you?
Why is Hugo such a cutie?!
Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
@_sims_Yimi I love that you're so invested. 🥰 Thank you! I wrote you a novel, here you go.
General
I like it! You have a way of letting us peek into your characters’ heads that is really endearing. Even Max, who I hate with a passion in-game, I can’t help but root for just a little. I’ve noticed that you don’t literally quote your sims, but rather tell us what they say through your narrative. It’s different from what I’m used to, but I like it. Plus, your pictures are always so colourful and bright!
Yes. I started writing this way because I posted my story in the 'What Happened In Your Game Today' thread. When I decided to actually make a full-on story out of it, I decided to continue writing my narrative this way. I am interesting in branching out into writing dialogue etc. but I think I might leave that for a future story. Although there are some scenes coming up where writing dialogue seems like the right way to go. Much to think about!
I like it! I do have to admit that I was a little confused at the beginning, as it felt that I was jumping into a story on its midway point. But you’ve been playing with the Villareals long before you began to write their lives down, right? It’s not strange that it felt that way at first. You’ve given us a good overview of who everyone was and how they were related after that, and I’m super invested now, especially in Hugo (as I’m sure you know from my comments XD)
I totally get why you felt that way. I didn't take a whole lot of pictures first and I only joined the forum midway through May. I hadn't even thought about capturing my journey with the Villareals until I joined the forum and realised other people did it. I'm glad you got invested into their story anyway. I'm trying my hardest to make it easily accessible through my narrative, the family tree and the cast page on the blog.
They feel real, especially Hugo and Sofia’s. With a lot of stories, relationships are either perfect, always in the middle of drama, or constantly in jeopardy. But Hugo and Sofia’s relationship just feels so real to me, especially with her addiction and Hugo’s enabling, doormat-like behaviour. People go through these struggles in real life too, and that’s what makes me really invested in the both of them. You’ve done a really good job there.
The relationship between Luna and Alyson is like that, too. You have a way of using very few words to forge very realistic, likable characters.
Thank you. It's good to hear they feel real. It's what I always strive for in my writing. I want my characters to feel like people you could encounter in real life. The format in which I'm writing it does make it harder to connect to the characters, because there is no dialogue but I think it gives you the room to imagine yourself what these characters would say and how they would say it based on the personality that comes through in the pictures and the description of their thoughts and behaviour.
It’s great! You really put some work into it. I love the slice-of-life pictures at the top of every page. And adding the family tree is great for keeping track of who is who, as long as you’re not scared of spoilers. You may want to put the link to your blog in your signature, too – that way people clicking on it won’t have to make the detour of going through another thread first if they want to go directly to the blog.
Great idea. I'll get right on that. It might scare people off if they end up on a forum thread. The family tree has barely any spoilers at this point, but there is a particular relationship dynamic after chapter 20 right now that will be 'spoiled' if you look at the lines thoroughly enough. Otherwise, there are no real spoilers right now.
In-depth
Yes. Her struggles and her complete apathy towards the rest of the world, including her fiancé, were very well done. I do think she got over her addiction very fast – but the other shoe may be waiting to drop on that one, depending on how her relationship with Luna goes. I have a sneaking suspicion that she’s fixating all of her attention on Luna as a sort of substitute.
It does seem that way, doesn't it? Don't worry. The addiction storyline hasn't been finished off yet. Sofia will keep struggling for some time to come. Overcoming your addiction doesn't work that easily and I try to keep that in still.
You took a premade EA family and turned them into realistic people with goals, flaws and history. I love what you’ve done with them. I’d actually love to see a sort of flashback to the earlier days, before you began to post chapters of them online. Lucy the golddigger snaring Jacques, Hugo proposing to Sofia, Luna with Alyson as a baby/toddler – moments like that. Of course, since that’s all in the past of the game, that’s a very tall order, if not impossible. xD
I don't have very many pictures from before I started. It sounds like a fun idea though. You did make me think of doing a flashback where you could see Luna, Hugo and Max's youth when their mom was still alive. It might be cool to see how events from their childhood shaped them and turned them into who they are now.
Neal, I think. I don’t dislike him (though he lost points by trying to steal money from his sister xD), but he doesn’t feel as fleshed out as Sofia, Hugo, Luna and Max. That’s only natural with a large cast of people, so don’t feel bad about it!
Oh, I don't feel bad about it. There's a reason he's not very fleshed out yet. I'm trying to get to a point in the story where he can grow up to a YA and his story can begin too but to get there I need to finish off some of my other storylines. Don't want to bring in too much stuff. You'll get to see a whole lot more of Neal.
Neal, for the above reason, and Jacqueline. I’d love a storyline where she slowly works through her insecurities and comes out a better person on the other end. But who knows where life will take her? I’m eager to find out, at any rate
More Jacqueline coming up as well. I have some screenshots ready to go for her but I'm slowly working my way there.
Hugo and Sofia, branching out to Sofia + Luna and Hugo + Nelson. I feel like we’ve spent time with them the most, and they are the most well fleshed-out of all the storylines.
Very true. There's a whole lot of Max coming up and for what I have planned for him, he'll be the most fleshed out one soon enough.
I’m dreading what will happen to Sofia if something goes wrong with her Luna-infatuation. I may be completely misreading it, though, and they’ll continue to be happy together. I’m also expecting Max to royally mess life up for himself, but I can’t feel bad about that, because from the looks of it, he’s his own worst enemy. xD
😈
Jacqueline, there are parts in the world where your body type is the epitome of beauty. You happen to live in one that think slim is the only way to go. If you genuinely don’t like your body, then train away, but don’t let others dictate what you should look like.
Beautiful advice and so, so true. I'll tell her, but I can't promise she will listen.
Yes!
What made you choose the Villareal family over anyone else in the neighbourhood?
What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had while playing them, present in the story or otherwise?
How long do you plan to follow the Villareals in their life struggles? Do you have an endpoint in mind, or do you plan to keep writing and just see where it takes you?
Why is Hugo such a cutie?!
Thanks for the questions and the elaborate answers. I loved reading them.
I actually chose the Villareal family for a pretty funny reason. I started playing with just Lucy (Amador at the time). She lived in a Needs TLC apartment in San Myshuno. She moved to the big city in the hopes of finding her zen (she's a health nut) and finding a rich husband who could give her a big mansion. So, naturally, I googled who the richest family in this iteration of The Sims was. Turns out, the Villareals were the richest people out there. I had no idea who they were. Lucy tried to meet Jacques but I could find him anywhere. I didn't want her to just turn up at their house for no reason, so she did some googling of her own, found out about the Villareals and met Luna at the gym. They became fast friends (even best friends) and that's how Lucy started coming over and seducing Jacques (which was no easy feat). He left his then husband for Lucy and they got married fast. Luna ended up hating Lucy for what she did to her. She had no clue she was trying to go through her to get to her dad and their relationship never became what it used to be.
Most memorable moments are the many deaths that happened off-screen. Jacques died of exhaustion once. I had no clue that he could die if he woohooed twice as an elder. I was trying to get Lucy pregnant with Jacques' baby when he suddenly dropped dead. I was super surprised but brought him back to life. He lived a little while longer but shortly after Neal was born, he died of laughter. I know. Another memorable moment was Hugo dying of anger. It was after the New Year's Eve chapter and he found out about a particular flirtation going on. I revived him as well. No dying today, Hugo. It did shock me quite a bit though. I hadn't even noticed him dying because I was paying attention to other sims upstairs and when I came downstairs, there was suddenly an urn and no Hugo to be seen.
I do have a particular end point in mind for the Villareal family saga. For now, the story will end when Hugo, Luna and Max (the OG's) are all elders, nearing the end of their life.
Hugo is definitely a cutie. It must be because of my makeover. 😉 No honestly, I immediately had an affinity for him when I saw him. His characters jumped off the screen for me. He just has that look about him.
GENERAL 1. What do you think of my storytelling?
I like the way you tell your story. It's short but always to the point and it's clear to understand. That's what I like.
2. What do you think of the overall story so far?
I must say: I had some difficulties in the very beginning. I had to puzzle out the characters and how everyone was connected with each other and that was a lot to take in at first. I even have a note somewhere where everything is puzzled out :P Besides that, once you get the hang of the characters, the story becomes way more fun to read. Maybe you could think about a prologue where you write the backstory? How everything started?
3. What do you think of my ability to portray relationships specifically? Do they feel authentic?
I like how everything and everyone is connected to each other and it sure is authentic. I have a secret love for Hugo (sorry next-door neighbor) so I'm following his story best, and I connect everything back to Hugo for some reason. I also like Max very much and I hope he'll end up on his feet eventually. There's happening so much in this family and I actually know that this could also happen in every family but just slightly different, you know what I mean? That's what makes it real, what makes me want read more, what makes me want to unfold this family. It's like... Almost too realistic for some families, but it's not.
4. What do you think of my new blog? Any feedback?
I already gave my thoughts about your new blog in your thread. I just love the simplicity I just wanted to say that again xD
I must say: I had some difficulties in the very beginning. I had to puzzle out the characters and how everyone was connected with each other and that was a lot to take in at first. I even have a note somewhere where everything is puzzled out :P Besides that, once you get the hang of the characters, the story becomes way more fun to read. Maybe you could think about a prologue where you write the backstory? How everything started?
A prologue might be hard since I don't have any pictures to put with that. I'd have to replay everything up until that point. If you look at the family tree on the blog, it should all be clear though. Basically everyone you see except Sofia and Nelson are Lucy's and Jacques' kids. Jacques is dead, Lucy isn't. So, the family tree in and of itself is explained. I do get it about the backstory. I don't know exactly how to write that in one clear post since it is so much information without any pictures. Thanks for the feedback anyway. I'll keep it in mind.
I like how everything and everyone is connected to each other and it sure is authentic. I have a secret love for Hugo (sorry next-door neighbor) so I'm following his story best, and I connect everything back to Hugo for some reason. I also like Max very much and I hope he'll end up on his feet eventually. There's happening so much in this family and I actually know that this could also happen in every family but just slightly different, you know what I mean? That's what makes it real, what makes me want read more, what makes me want to unfold this family. It's like... Almost too realistic for some families, but it's not.
It's good to hear you like Max. It's hard to like him very much right now, but you'll get to see some more good from him soon. He's a bit of a grumpy oddball, chanting the fact that he's evil everywhere but he does have a tiny heart somewhere deep down.
@Duvelina I'll try my hardest to catch up. I've got a really busy week with work and late shifts but I do have some extra time off this weekend for Independence Day here in the States.
@AdamsEve1231 That's okay! If you can't catch up you can still answer the questions for where you are. There are no real spoilers in the questions.
Great! Thanks! I'm trying to balance reading, writing, and gaming, plus other offline things. I now know where your profile pic is from. Read another chapter tonight. I'll try to read a little more, but I'm due in another online RPG very soon.
1. What do you think of my storytelling?
I really like it. I’ve read stories where narration tires me but in yours I’m always excited for the next word. I like how every sentence has purpose -- it keeps me engaged throughout. I also think it fits the structure of your story as you’ve many characters to portray and your writing count is on the smaller side. It’s great because you get to convey and portray all your characters’ personalities in such a succinct way that it’s easy for me to digest them even when you have so many characters! I think its great and if I ever try to feature a huge amount of characters I’ll be taking a leaflet from your book
2. What do you think of the overall story so far?
I’m loving the realism and detail in your story. I can imagine any one of those characters as a real life person. Their character changes, their storylines, their challenges are all really a slice of life. I also love the themes in your story. Family(Luna), ambition (Max & Hugo), intrapersonal(Sofia & Hugo), Body positivity (Jacqueline), Self-discovery(Neal & Alyson) and Love. Of course there are a lot more and these themes and characters overlap with each other so I’m really not doing your story any justice here. I also not only love your chosen themes, your portrayal of them is absolutely lovely. Your story has the right shade of bright and dark, growth and setbacks. It’s such a shame I’ve caught up completely because I love reading them all at once. And the reason is (see question 3)
3. What do you think of my ability to portray relationships specifically? Do they feel authentic?
Yes. The reason I can picture any one of these characters in my community/ as my neighbour is because their thoughts and actions are really what you’d expect from people in such circumstance. Some parts of your writing explores their experience with such depth that I am left wondering if perhaps you’ve been through their struggles and hence able to portray it so well. Especially some of the solutions/reprieve/progression that follows are filled with such wisdom and experience. The only relationships I’m not too sure about are the supporting cast because they’re not featured as much. But that’s how stories are. It’s impossible to focus on everyone. If no one plays support then there is no main.
4. What do you think of my new blog? Any feedback?
Your blog is lovely. I love how the colors compliment each other and sets the mood for the story. Even though you’ve put a TW that seems pretty dark, the colors portray your story for it truly is: It’s an uplifting story about the struggles of life, but the characters will tackle them and no one is left struggling on their own (unless they choose to). That’s how your colors speak to me as a reader/browser. I also love how simple, clear and easy to follow everything is. Your cast page is so in depth I love it! I’m a fan of star signs and I love how you even put starsign traits on there for my reference.
@mercuryfoam Thank you for your heartwarming comment. It honestly made my day. 😊
I really like it. I’ve read stories where narration tires me but in yours I’m always excited for the next word. I like how every sentence has purpose -- it keeps me engaged throughout. I also think it fits the structure of your story as you’ve many characters to portray and your writing count is on the smaller side. It’s great because you get to convey and portray all your characters’ personalities in such a succinct way that it’s easy for me to digest them even when you have so many characters! I think its great and if I ever try to feature a huge amount of characters I’ll be taking a leaflet from your book
You're so kind! I decided to go for a simpler writing style with this story purely at random, but I'm glad it doesn't take you out of the story but manages to engage you. In the future, I might try and experiment with different writing styles but it seems to work okay for this story.
I’m loving the realism and detail in your story. I can imagine any one of those characters as a real life person. Their character changes, their storylines, their challenges are all really a slice of life. I also love the themes in your story. Family(Luna), ambition (Max & Hugo), intrapersonal(Sofia & Hugo), Body positivity (Jacqueline), Self-discovery(Neal & Alyson) and Love. Of course there are a lot more and these themes and characters overlap with each other so I’m really not doing your story any justice here. I also not only love your chosen themes, your portrayal of them is absolutely lovely. Your story has the right shade of bright and dark, growth and setbacks. It’s such a shame I’ve caught up completely because I love reading them all at once. And the reason is (see question 3)
It's so good to hear that the characters and themes come across as realistic. I wasn't sure if I was doing it right, but so far it seems I'm doing something right! I updated once a day at first, but decided to cut back to once every two days. I do have enough content to keep going every day but I also don't want to overwhelm any (potential) readers with my constant updates. It's a precarious balance.
Yes. The reason I can picture any one of these characters in my community/ as my neighbour is because their thoughts and actions are really what you’d expect from people in such circumstance. Some parts of your writing explores their experience with such depth that I am left wondering if perhaps you’ve been through their struggles and hence able to portray it so well. Especially some of the solutions/reprieve/progression that follows are filled with such wisdom and experience. The only relationships I’m not too sure about are the supporting cast because they’re not featured as much. But that’s how stories are. It’s impossible to focus on everyone. If no one plays support then there is no main.
Wow, such a compliment. Thank you. I do draw from my own experiences in terms of feelings and how someone would react. Most of the events in the story I have never experienced much first hand. Sofia's storyline is somewhat based on something I experienced with an ex-boyfriend when I was a teenager, but it obviously wasn't as serious as Hugo's and Sofia's situation.
I do have some plans for Neal at least. Juliana I'm not so sure about yet. But Neal has a big future coming up!
Your blog is lovely. I love how the colors compliment each other and sets the mood for the story. Even though you’ve put a TW that seems pretty dark, the colors portray your story for it truly is: It’s an uplifting story about the struggles of life, but the characters will tackle them and no one is left struggling on their own (unless they choose to). That’s how your colors speak to me as a reader/browser. I also love how simple, clear and easy to follow everything is. Your cast page is so in depth I love it! I’m a fan of star signs and I love how you even put starsign traits on there for my reference.
Good to hear! I like it when people use trigger warnings. I don't have many triggers myself and can consider them spoilery at times, but I do think they're so important if it means I can prevent someone from reading something harmful. I also like assigning my sims star signs and see how well they fit with them as a person. Luna and Hugo are twins and have the same star sign, but I feel like the traits work out differently for both of them.
Okay, I’m having some struggles with my storyline in gen 2. I dont really want to give spoilers but I guess I have no choice really if I want to tell you all about the struggles. Do you want to hear about it or should I discuss the problem somewhere else?
I don't mind helping out. Maybe try and be as vague as possible? You can include it in spoiler tags here anyway. Anyone who doesn't want to be spoiled can skip over it.
By the way, I just heard I graduated and got my bachelor's! 🎉 On to a master's degree.
@Duvelina Oooh congratulations! That's really great what study did you graduate from? @Skeilah Sure! If there's spoilers that you don't want to spoil at all costs, you could try to use a similar but slightly different example, maybe. Is it the gameplay that's getting in the way, the writing, or the plot?
Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
Okay I'm gonna put it in the spoiler. I can't really be vague about it but I'll try :') If you don't want any spoilers, DONT READ IT!
So, I'm at this point where the next heir, a girl, became a teenager. As a kid, she had two boy friends. One is just as awkward as the girl (so like his dreamhusband for later, youknow?) and the other one basically knows about this challenge and just wants to marry her to stand in the spotlights. He's willing to fight VERY hard. I aged both of the guys together with the girl so the drama-series can go on, but now I'm like, not knowing what to do. Do I want the 'bad guy' to win (because yeah, he's pretty hot), or do I just want him to get in the way REAL BAD and let the true lover win? I don't knowwwwww because whatever I choose will affect the whole rest of the story.
Okay I'm gonna put it in the spoiler. I can't really be vague about it but I'll try :') If you don't want any spoilers, DONT READ IT!
So, I'm at this point where the next heir, a girl, became a teenager. As a kid, she had two boy friends. One is just as awkward as the girl (so like his dreamhusband for later, youknow?) and the other one basically knows about this challenge and just wants to marry her to stand in the spotlights. He's willing to fight VERY hard. I aged both of the guys together with the girl so the drama-series can go on, but now I'm like, not knowing what to do. Do I want the 'bad guy' to win (because yeah, he's pretty hot), or do I just want him to get in the way REAL BAD and let the true lover win? I don't knowwwwww because whatever I choose will affect the whole rest of the story.
Hmmm.. why not both? You could have her be swept off her feet by Mr. Opportunist, maybe even marry and have children with him. But if he’s only there for the spotlight, there’s going to be a point where playing second fiddle as a legacy heir’s spouse isn’t going to cut it. At which point Mr. Right could swoop in and put out the fires!
Or, you could make your current heir choose. Make it an experiment! Autonomy is a thing –make her go on a date with each of them, and see how they behave. The one with the best date score at the end, wins!
Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
Oeh, I actually like the date-idea, but I also like the idea where Mr. Spotlight wins at first but eventually Mr. Right wins. You can go in so many directions with this but I just don't know which one I want HAHAHA.
@Skeilah@_sims_Yimi Thank you! I did my bachelor's in law and I'm now going for a master's in the same field but I'll be able to specialize a lot more which is exciting. I didn't get any options or choices up until now, so I'm very happy I can finally choose what I actually want to study.
I like the date idea @_sims_Yimi had. Autonomy is your biggest help in this case. Do they actually have romance with her yet? If they don't you can force them to be in a conversation and see who's going to flirt first and how much etc.
@Skeilah You live in Belgium, right? Sounds like the school system works completely different there. In The Netherlands, if you have a bachelor, you can go for your master. The entry requirements might be different for some masters in terms of previous grades and such but the one I want doesn't have any additional requirements.
@Duvelina Yeah, it's super different :P I was only allowed to start a professional bachelor (you also have academic bachelors). Only people who have a diploma for an academic bachelor are allowed to go for their master. People with a professional bachelor need to follow a ciruit program, but I'm totally NOT in for that I could go for a BaNaBa (Bachelor after Bachelor) but I'm actually done after this. I needed 4 years to actually find what I wanted to do and when I graduate I will be close to turning 25 y/o. I'm not planning to be the forever student
@Skeilah Ah, interesting! I completely get your reasoning though. I turned 22 in March and after my master's, I'm so ready to finally get a job. No clue what I'll end up doing yet though. 😂
Comments
These are the questions I have been gathering ever since we started this.
Discussion questions
General
1. What do you think of my storytelling?
2. What do you think of the overall story so far?
3. What do you think of my ability to portray relationships specifically? Do they feel authentic?
4. What do you think of my new blog? Any feedback?
In-depth (spoilers)
6. What is your favourite portrayed relationship, romantic or otherwise, in the story so far and why?
7. What is your least favourite portrayed relationship, romantic or otherwise, in the story so far and why?
8. What do you think of my portrayal of the Villareal family?
9. How would you interpret and describe Max as a character?
10. Who is your favourite character so far and why?
11. Who is your least favourite character and why?
12. Who would you want to see more of?
13. What is your favourite storyline and why?
14. What are your predictions for any of the ongoing (or future) storylines?
15. If you could give a piece of advice to one character, who would you choose and what would you say?
16. Do you have anything of your own to ask or add?
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
I like it! You have a way of letting us peek into your characters’ heads that is really endearing. Even Max, who I hate with a passion in-game, I can’t help but root for just a little. I’ve noticed that you don’t literally quote your sims, but rather tell us what they say through your narrative. It’s different from what I’m used to, but I like it. Plus, your pictures are always so colourful and bright!
I like it! I do have to admit that I was a little confused at the beginning, as it felt that I was jumping into a story on its midway point. But you’ve been playing with the Villareals long before you began to write their lives down, right? It’s not strange that it felt that way at first. You’ve given us a good overview of who everyone was and how they were related after that, and I’m super invested now, especially in Hugo (as I’m sure you know from my comments XD)
They feel real, especially Hugo and Sofia’s. With a lot of stories, relationships are either perfect, always in the middle of drama, or constantly in jeopardy. But Hugo and Sofia’s relationship just feels so real to me, especially with her addiction and Hugo’s enabling, doormat-like behaviour. People go through these struggles in real life too, and that’s what makes me really invested in the both of them. You’ve done a really good job there.
The relationship between Luna and Alyson is like that, too. You have a way of using very few words to forge very realistic, likable characters.
It’s great! You really put some work into it. I love the slice-of-life pictures at the top of every page. And adding the family tree is great for keeping track of who is who, as long as you’re not scared of spoilers. You may want to put the link to your blog in your signature, too – that way people clicking on it won’t have to make the detour of going through another thread first if they want to go directly to the blog.
Spoiler territory for those who have not caught up yet:
Hugo and Sofia, as well as Hugo and Nelson. I’ve gushed about Hugo in the comments already, but he’s such a gentle giant, and you portray him in a way that makes me genuinely concerned for his well-being. I also love that you showed him slowly turning his life around after a certain point.
Sofia and Luna. Not because it’s badly written, but because I think that Sofia is using Luna as a distraction from her addiction and if that’s true, then there’s going to be a massive fallout and I just want all of them to be happy and ARGH. I’m too invested XD I actually love reading their chapters and I can’t wait to see what happens!
You took a premade EA family and turned them into realistic people with goals, flaws and history. I love what you’ve done with them. I’d actually love to see a sort of flashback to the earlier days, before you began to post chapters of them online. Lucy the golddigger snaring Jacques, Hugo proposing to Sofia, Luna with Alyson as a baby/toddler – moments like that. Of course, since that’s all in the past of the game, that’s a very tall order, if not impossible. xD
That neighbourhood bully who grew up without growing up. He’s still pulling pranks and being mean to people, but he doesn’t even have a place to live and is focusing on the wrong things. Then again, if he were to grow up, he’d probably turn into a major crime boss, so maybe it’s better he stay this way.
Hugo, which probably comes as no surprise. You’ve given him a very likable personality and believable flaws. He’s such a gentle giant, and I want him to be happy SO BAD.
Neal, I think. I don’t dislike him (though he lost points by trying to steal money from his sister xD), but he doesn’t feel as fleshed out as Sofia, Hugo, Luna and Max. That’s only natural with a large cast of people, so don’t feel bad about it!
Neal, for the above reason, and Jacqueline. I’d love a storyline where she slowly works through her insecurities and comes out a better person on the other end. But who knows where life will take her? I’m eager to find out, at any rate.
Hugo and Sofia, branching out to Sofia + Luna and Hugo + Nelson. I feel like we’ve spent time with them the most, and they are the most well fleshed-out of all the storylines.
I’m dreading what will happen to Sofia if something goes wrong with her Luna-infatuation. I may be completely misreading it, though, and they’ll continue to be happy together. I’m also expecting Max to royally mess life up for himself, but I can’t feel bad about that, because from the looks of it, he’s his own worst enemy. xD
Jacqueline, there are parts in the world where your body type is the epitome of beauty. You happen to live in one that think slim is the only way to go. If you genuinely don’t like your body, then train away, but don’t let others dictate what you should look like.
Yes!
What made you choose the Villareal family over anyone else in the neighbourhood?
What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had while playing them, present in the story or otherwise?
How long do you plan to follow the Villareals in their life struggles? Do you have an endpoint in mind, or do you plan to keep writing and just see where it takes you?
Why is Hugo such a cutie?!
General
Yes. I started writing this way because I posted my story in the 'What Happened In Your Game Today' thread. When I decided to actually make a full-on story out of it, I decided to continue writing my narrative this way. I am interesting in branching out into writing dialogue etc. but I think I might leave that for a future story. Although there are some scenes coming up where writing dialogue seems like the right way to go. Much to think about!
I totally get why you felt that way. I didn't take a whole lot of pictures first and I only joined the forum midway through May. I hadn't even thought about capturing my journey with the Villareals until I joined the forum and realised other people did it. I'm glad you got invested into their story anyway. I'm trying my hardest to make it easily accessible through my narrative, the family tree and the cast page on the blog.
Thank you. It's good to hear they feel real. It's what I always strive for in my writing. I want my characters to feel like people you could encounter in real life. The format in which I'm writing it does make it harder to connect to the characters, because there is no dialogue but I think it gives you the room to imagine yourself what these characters would say and how they would say it based on the personality that comes through in the pictures and the description of their thoughts and behaviour.
Great idea. I'll get right on that. It might scare people off if they end up on a forum thread. The family tree has barely any spoilers at this point, but there is a particular relationship dynamic after chapter 20 right now that will be 'spoiled' if you look at the lines thoroughly enough. Otherwise, there are no real spoilers right now.
In-depth
It does seem that way, doesn't it? Don't worry. The addiction storyline hasn't been finished off yet. Sofia will keep struggling for some time to come. Overcoming your addiction doesn't work that easily and I try to keep that in still.
I don't have very many pictures from before I started. It sounds like a fun idea though. You did make me think of doing a flashback where you could see Luna, Hugo and Max's youth when their mom was still alive. It might be cool to see how events from their childhood shaped them and turned them into who they are now.
Oh, I don't feel bad about it. There's a reason he's not very fleshed out yet. I'm trying to get to a point in the story where he can grow up to a YA and his story can begin too but to get there I need to finish off some of my other storylines. Don't want to bring in too much stuff. You'll get to see a whole lot more of Neal.
More Jacqueline coming up as well. I have some screenshots ready to go for her but I'm slowly working my way there.
Very true. There's a whole lot of Max coming up and for what I have planned for him, he'll be the most fleshed out one soon enough.
😈
Beautiful advice and so, so true. I'll tell her, but I can't promise she will listen.
Thanks for the questions and the elaborate answers. I loved reading them.
I actually chose the Villareal family for a pretty funny reason. I started playing with just Lucy (Amador at the time). She lived in a Needs TLC apartment in San Myshuno. She moved to the big city in the hopes of finding her zen (she's a health nut) and finding a rich husband who could give her a big mansion. So, naturally, I googled who the richest family in this iteration of The Sims was. Turns out, the Villareals were the richest people out there. I had no idea who they were. Lucy tried to meet Jacques but I could find him anywhere. I didn't want her to just turn up at their house for no reason, so she did some googling of her own, found out about the Villareals and met Luna at the gym. They became fast friends (even best friends) and that's how Lucy started coming over and seducing Jacques (which was no easy feat). He left his then husband for Lucy and they got married fast. Luna ended up hating Lucy for what she did to her. She had no clue she was trying to go through her to get to her dad and their relationship never became what it used to be.
Most memorable moments are the many deaths that happened off-screen. Jacques died of exhaustion once. I had no clue that he could die if he woohooed twice as an elder. I was trying to get Lucy pregnant with Jacques' baby when he suddenly dropped dead. I was super surprised but brought him back to life. He lived a little while longer but shortly after Neal was born, he died of laughter. I know. Another memorable moment was Hugo dying of anger. It was after the New Year's Eve chapter and he found out about a particular flirtation going on. I revived him as well. No dying today, Hugo. It did shock me quite a bit though. I hadn't even noticed him dying because I was paying attention to other sims upstairs and when I came downstairs, there was suddenly an urn and no Hugo to be seen.
I do have a particular end point in mind for the Villareal family saga. For now, the story will end when Hugo, Luna and Max (the OG's) are all elders, nearing the end of their life.
Hugo is definitely a cutie. It must be because of my makeover. 😉 No honestly, I immediately had an affinity for him when I saw him. His characters jumped off the screen for me. He just has that look about him.
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
1. What do you think of my storytelling?
I like the way you tell your story. It's short but always to the point and it's clear to understand. That's what I like.
2. What do you think of the overall story so far?
I must say: I had some difficulties in the very beginning. I had to puzzle out the characters and how everyone was connected with each other and that was a lot to take in at first. I even have a note somewhere where everything is puzzled out :P Besides that, once you get the hang of the characters, the story becomes way more fun to read. Maybe you could think about a prologue where you write the backstory? How everything started?
3. What do you think of my ability to portray relationships specifically? Do they feel authentic?
I like how everything and everyone is connected to each other and it sure is authentic. I have a secret love for Hugo (sorry next-door neighbor) so I'm following his story best, and I connect everything back to Hugo for some reason. I also like Max very much and I hope he'll end up on his feet eventually. There's happening so much in this family and I actually know that this could also happen in every family but just slightly different, you know what I mean? That's what makes it real, what makes me want read more, what makes me want to unfold this family. It's like... Almost too realistic for some families, but it's not.
4. What do you think of my new blog? Any feedback?
I already gave my thoughts about your new blog in your thread. I just love the simplicity
I'll answer the in-depth later this week
A prologue might be hard since I don't have any pictures to put with that. I'd have to replay everything up until that point. If you look at the family tree on the blog, it should all be clear though. Basically everyone you see except Sofia and Nelson are Lucy's and Jacques' kids. Jacques is dead, Lucy isn't. So, the family tree in and of itself is explained. I do get it about the backstory. I don't know exactly how to write that in one clear post since it is so much information without any pictures. Thanks for the feedback anyway. I'll keep it in mind.
It's good to hear you like Max. It's hard to like him very much right now, but you'll get to see some more good from him soon. He's a bit of a grumpy oddball, chanting the fact that he's evil everywhere but he does have a tiny heart somewhere deep down.
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
Find me elsewhere:
My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
My Worldbuilding Blog
Simblr
My Sims Pinterest
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
Great! Thanks! I'm trying to balance reading, writing, and gaming, plus other offline things. I now know where your profile pic is from.
Find me elsewhere:
My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
My Worldbuilding Blog
Simblr
My Sims Pinterest
Hihi! Answers to your General questions for now!
General
I really like it. I’ve read stories where narration tires me but in yours I’m always excited for the next word. I like how every sentence has purpose -- it keeps me engaged throughout. I also think it fits the structure of your story as you’ve many characters to portray and your writing count is on the smaller side. It’s great because you get to convey and portray all your characters’ personalities in such a succinct way that it’s easy for me to digest them even when you have so many characters! I think its great and if I ever try to feature a huge amount of characters I’ll be taking a leaflet from your book
2. What do you think of the overall story so far?
I’m loving the realism and detail in your story. I can imagine any one of those characters as a real life person. Their character changes, their storylines, their challenges are all really a slice of life. I also love the themes in your story. Family(Luna), ambition (Max & Hugo), intrapersonal(Sofia & Hugo), Body positivity (Jacqueline), Self-discovery(Neal & Alyson) and Love. Of course there are a lot more and these themes and characters overlap with each other so I’m really not doing your story any justice here. I also not only love your chosen themes, your portrayal of them is absolutely lovely. Your story has the right shade of bright and dark, growth and setbacks. It’s such a shame I’ve caught up completely because I love reading them all at once. And the reason is (see question 3)
3. What do you think of my ability to portray relationships specifically? Do they feel authentic?
Yes. The reason I can picture any one of these characters in my community/ as my neighbour is because their thoughts and actions are really what you’d expect from people in such circumstance. Some parts of your writing explores their experience with such depth that I am left wondering if perhaps you’ve been through their struggles and hence able to portray it so well. Especially some of the solutions/reprieve/progression that follows are filled with such wisdom and experience. The only relationships I’m not too sure about are the supporting cast because they’re not featured as much. But that’s how stories are. It’s impossible to focus on everyone. If no one plays support then there is no main.
4. What do you think of my new blog? Any feedback?
Your blog is lovely. I love how the colors compliment each other and sets the mood for the story. Even though you’ve put a TW that seems pretty dark, the colors portray your story for it truly is: It’s an uplifting story about the struggles of life, but the characters will tackle them and no one is left struggling on their own (unless they choose to). That’s how your colors speak to me as a reader/browser. I also love how simple, clear and easy to follow everything is. Your cast page is so in depth I love it! I’m a fan of star signs and I love how you even put starsign traits on there for my reference.
You're so kind! I decided to go for a simpler writing style with this story purely at random, but I'm glad it doesn't take you out of the story but manages to engage you. In the future, I might try and experiment with different writing styles but it seems to work okay for this story.
It's so good to hear that the characters and themes come across as realistic. I wasn't sure if I was doing it right, but so far it seems I'm doing something right! I updated once a day at first, but decided to cut back to once every two days. I do have enough content to keep going every day but I also don't want to overwhelm any (potential) readers with my constant updates. It's a precarious balance.
Wow, such a compliment. Thank you. I do draw from my own experiences in terms of feelings and how someone would react. Most of the events in the story I have never experienced much first hand. Sofia's storyline is somewhat based on something I experienced with an ex-boyfriend when I was a teenager, but it obviously wasn't as serious as Hugo's and Sofia's situation.
I do have some plans for Neal at least. Juliana I'm not so sure about yet. But Neal has a big future coming up!
Good to hear! I like it when people use trigger warnings. I don't have many triggers myself and can consider them spoilery at times, but I do think they're so important if it means I can prevent someone from reading something harmful. I also like assigning my sims star signs and see how well they fit with them as a person. Luna and Hugo are twins and have the same star sign, but I feel like the traits work out differently for both of them.
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
By the way, I just heard I graduated and got my bachelor's! 🎉 On to a master's degree.
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
@Skeilah Sure! If there's spoilers that you don't want to spoil at all costs, you could try to use a similar but slightly different example, maybe. Is it the gameplay that's getting in the way, the writing, or the plot?
Or, you could make your current heir choose. Make it an experiment! Autonomy is a thing –make her go on a date with each of them, and see how they behave. The one with the best date score at the end, wins!
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
Thank you for your thoughts!!
Find me elsewhere:
My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
My Worldbuilding Blog
Simblr
My Sims Pinterest
@Skeilah You live in Belgium, right? Sounds like the school system works completely different there. In The Netherlands, if you have a bachelor, you can go for your master. The entry requirements might be different for some masters in terms of previous grades and such but the one I want doesn't have any additional requirements.
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog