Ever since I found out Sims 3 keeps track of days I've been interested in story telling with the day tracker. Just started a new save where my sim is writing books as a form of memories that are stamped with the in-game date. I'm probably going to have to build a large library eventually
@texxx78 You should see a button in the Universal Control Panel (UCP). It looks like a tiny photo album picture. You can't miss it. Click on that button. The game will take you into Cameraman mode, and you can focus the camera and take a picture. Once you have taken a picture, that picture will automatically go into the active Sim's photo album, and you can write a little title and description.
For me at least, I really dislike the built-in memories system, and I usually disable all memories. Instead of creating auto-memories, I just make custom memories/snapshots and fill up the scrapbooks that way.
Have finally found a way to tell TS4 stories in the TS2 way. It's more cumbersome as it involves an outside game display, but does the same job with the benefit of not needing the game to see/read the story. The basics are:
Set up a story folder per household
Play game and take your shots, keeping story elements in mind
After playing, move the shot files into the relevant folder(s)
rename files so you don't have the date-time issues that can't handle AM vs PM and change of year. I start with 001 and go from there
using your graphics programme (I use the provided Windows Paint for simplicity), add a blank space for captions and the text function for writing them. Voila! you have your stories.
This has revolutionized TS4 for me, moving it out of boring into usually fun.
I mostly take photos in whatever method the game allows, and the “story” is usually in my head as I take some general photos. I don’t share my stories much, though.
Personal website or blog (great for written stories)
I defs miss the old TS2 exchange with options to upload stories in the form of photo albums along with sims and lots. It also housed the forums. I'm old though!
Personal website or blog (great for written stories)
> @Simmingal said: > i store it in my head and separate screenshot folders until i come and type it up on forum post maybe > > though that becomes kind of complicated once you've been playing the story for long time and haven't wrote anything up :smile:
Haha it’s funny because the same thing happens to me with my blog. I usually take pics, edit, post them in my drafts/queue and write the way later. Sometimes I’m so ahead that I don’t even know what to caption the pictures anymore :D
As a writer, I find the TS2 albums indispensable for story telling. It transforms routine simming into what amounts to a graphic novel, something that can be explored, developed, and gone back to. Back in the days of the TS2 website those stories - text and pictures - could be shared with the greater simmer community. That part of the site amounted to an online writer's group where we shared and commented on one another's' work, possible because we had a concrete means of doing so. It turns a game into an art form.
I am with you on that one Oldseadogge.
I no longer make stories for the Sims. With the Sims 2 it was easy take a picture make an album and add your blog to it; upload to the Sims 2 forum where we could share our stories with the Sims 2 community.
I made many Sims 2 type tutorials for game playing but I feel the effort with the Sims 3 and the Sims 4 is not worth my time. It would distract from "fun" and not add to it.
Social media website, such as YouTube or Twitter or Facebook (great for written or video stories)
For the longest time I would just have stories for legacy's in my head and would normally make family trees for them. But recently I've been posting the story of my Legacy family on Instagram. I suppose it's not quite a written story, but it is the story of family throughout several generations. (so far 3 and a half)
Screenshots help me keep track of the stories I'm working on and think of follow-up stories. Writing what's going on in the family bio and keeping it up to date also helps.
A "screenshot storage" folder on my computer, outside of the Sims 4 folder to eliminate lag, broken out into subfolders for each save/story and sometimes more subfolders by household or by week if I'm planning to write the story down on the forum.
Sadly my Mac's Finder file manager and built-in Preview image viewing/editing app are far superior to Sims 4's screenshot manager. I need to be able to easily rename, batch delete, batch move, crop, reduce image size of a large group of images to aid in forum display, and move around subfolders quickly (or have a good tagging and search system if no subfolders). A shame because I actually like the built-in memory system on Sims 4 where sims can reminisce about certain memories, but it's too hard to find anything in that screenshot manager.
A "screenshot storage" folder on my computer, outside of the Sims 4 folder to eliminate lag, broken out into subfolders for each save/story and sometimes more subfolders by household or by week if I'm planning to write the story down on the forum.
Sadly my Mac's Finder file manager and built-in Preview image viewing/editing app are far superior to Sims 4's screenshot manager. I need to be able to easily rename, batch delete, batch move, crop, reduce image size of a large group of images to aid in forum display, and move around subfolders quickly (or have a good tagging and search system if no subfolders). A shame because I actually like the built-in memory system on Sims 4 where sims can reminisce about certain memories, but it's too hard to find anything in that screenshot manager.
i came up with something similar a few months back for my PC. It's as close to the TS2 style as I can get, complete with lots of caption space. The TS4 approach is just too limited and awkward. TS2 memory system still the best.
Pretty much all of my stories are in my head. I have no problem creating them in my mind but when it comes to getting them down in writing I draw blanks. Sometimes I get something down but inevitably I end up scrapping it. Maybe one day.
Yeah, all the stories are in my head. I would blog about them, but it's like being at a concert and watching it on your phone screen. You're just focusing on getting the evidence and not making the actual memory and enjoying the experience. It takes all the enjoyment away for me.
Personal website or blog (great for written stories)
I started out just taking screenshots while playing, picking the interesting ones and commenting/telling the story (The first few chapters of the Duchelli Legacy)
Then I started focusing on exploring some plot that had appeared by itself so I would set up specific situations because I certain screenshots. (Rest of Generation 1, beginning of Generation 2)
Then I began to plan out the plot beforehand, and getting my Sims into the situations I wanted screenshots of, often using poses. (Up until Chapter 23 or so)
Most recently, I am now writing out the entire blog post in text, summarising what screenshots I need, then going into game and posing what I need, taking waaaay too many screenshots and then picking out the best ones, while editing my text as needed.
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Because I can't; I keep all sigs turned off.
For me at least, I really dislike the built-in memories system, and I usually disable all memories. Instead of creating auto-memories, I just make custom memories/snapshots and fill up the scrapbooks that way.
though that becomes kind of complicated once you've been playing the story for long time and haven't wrote anything up
🏡 Gallery 📖 Stories 🌍 World Project 🥔 MOD/CC Free
Set up a story folder per household
Play game and take your shots, keeping story elements in mind
After playing, move the shot files into the relevant folder(s)
rename files so you don't have the date-time issues that can't handle AM vs PM and change of year. I start with 001 and go from there
using your graphics programme (I use the provided Windows Paint for simplicity), add a blank space for captions and the text function for writing them. Voila! you have your stories.
This has revolutionized TS4 for me, moving it out of boring into usually fun.
(She/her)
> i store it in my head and separate screenshot folders until i come and type it up on forum post maybe
>
> though that becomes kind of complicated once you've been playing the story for long time and haven't wrote anything up :smile:
Haha it’s funny because the same thing happens to me with my blog. I usually take pics, edit, post them in my drafts/queue and write the way later. Sometimes I’m so ahead that I don’t even know what to caption the pictures anymore :D
I am with you on that one Oldseadogge.
I no longer make stories for the Sims. With the Sims 2 it was easy take a picture make an album and add your blog to it; upload to the Sims 2 forum where we could share our stories with the Sims 2 community.
I made many Sims 2 type tutorials for game playing but I feel the effort with the Sims 3 and the Sims 4 is not worth my time. It would distract from "fun" and not add to it.
Blog: https://blxndes.blogspot.com
Sadly my Mac's Finder file manager and built-in Preview image viewing/editing app are far superior to Sims 4's screenshot manager. I need to be able to easily rename, batch delete, batch move, crop, reduce image size of a large group of images to aid in forum display, and move around subfolders quickly (or have a good tagging and search system if no subfolders). A shame because I actually like the built-in memory system on Sims 4 where sims can reminisce about certain memories, but it's too hard to find anything in that screenshot manager.
i came up with something similar a few months back for my PC. It's as close to the TS2 style as I can get, complete with lots of caption space. The TS4 approach is just too limited and awkward. TS2 memory system still the best.