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Local Color - Legacy Challenge
mightysprite
Posts: 5,889 Member
Hi all,
I'd been looking for a challenge like this, and couldn't find one, so I started playtesting this. I'm not finished the challenge, but I'm far enough along to have made some good revisions, and think it is really fun! The game changes a lot every generation, and feels new and fresh each time.
I hope some of you will try this too, feel free to post here!
The purpose of this challenge is to explore different possibilities for gameplay by restricting travel and making life in each world a little bit more special.
Setup
- Choose your starting world carefully: You will only be able to travel within your world and to the two adjacent worlds, until the next generation. (See the next post for list of worlds)
- Create a household of any number and ages. Use the color of your starting world as the main color of their outfits.
- Move into a lot in your starting world. Use the color of that world as the main color of the home's decor.
Life in Your Home World
- Each world has a local tradition. At least one member of your household must participate in this tradition three times a week or more.
- At least one member of your household must develop a best friend or romantic interest who lives in your home world.
- Not every world has every job opportunity. Sims may choose a career only from the list belonging to their home world or the two adjacent worlds.
- Travel only within your home world or the two adjacent worlds.
- You are encouraged to modify the worlds to your liking at any time by building, downloading from the gallery, customizing which sims live near you.
- There are no restrictions on money, aging, or cheats.
Other Sims' Travel and Where They Live
- You may cause other sims to travel only to worlds where they live, or one of the two adjacent worlds. That includes inviting them over, traveling with them, accepting an invitation to travel with them, inviting them as a guest to a party, bringing them home from school or work.
- You may not cause Not In World sims, who do not live in a lot, to travel anywhere.
- When other sims appear as walkbys, door-knocks, invite themselves as houseguests, or on a public lot, those are random events and need not be restricted.
- You may allow or disallow Neighborhood Stories to move households at random as you like, but you may not move households manually, except:
- Any sim from any world may join your household, or be joined to another household, once.
- Any sim or sims may leave a multi-sim household to move out on their own into any world, or move into another household in any world, or to become a new Not In World household, once.
- Any Not In World household may be moved into any world, once.
- Any household may be downloaded from the gallery into any world, once.
- Households may be moved around within the same world at any time.
- A household may be evicted into Not In World status at any time. But if you evict them, you may not move them into a lot later.
Travel Day
- At the beginning of the game, choose one holiday or life event (such as weddings or graduations) to be the event that everyone you know is willing to travel long distances to attend. On this travel day, anyone from any world can be invited to join you either at your home or at another destination in any world.
Inheritance
- The first baby or infant born or adopted into the household becomes the heir. Combining households with a household that already has a baby or infant counts as adoption. Older children may join the household at any time but they cannot be the heir.
- After the heir becomes a young adult, the next baby or infant to join the household becomes the next heir.
- The heir does not need to be the child of the previous heir. For example, if the current heir lives with a friend or sibling, and the friend or sibling has the first baby after the previous heir's young adult birthday, that baby becomes the next heir.
- If you are playing with aging off/manual aging, you must live in your current world for at least 3 sim-weeks before aging up the next heir to young adult.
Moving
- When the heir has their young adult birthday, the household moves to one of the two adjacent worlds. Choose your direction of travel carefully. Once you have moved, you must continue moving in the same direction every generation-- you can't go back and move to a world where the household has already lived.
- Add the new world's color to your home and outfits.
- The rules for travel, travel with other sims, career, relationships, and local tradition now apply to the new world.
Heirlooms and Ancestor Portraits
- Keep one object that was acquired in the previous home world. This should be an object you found, made, received as a gift, earned as a reward, or bought through gameplay, not a purchase from build mode. This object becomes the Heirloom from that world. It must be on display somewhere in the household's home for the duration of the challenge.
- Display a photograph or painting of your founding household and every generation's heir in your home.
Vacation
- The household may take one vacation per generation, of up to a week, to any world, with any other sims they want. While they are there, they may only travel within the world where they are vacationing. They should take home one Heirloom the first time they vacation in a vacation-only world.
You win when you come full circle: you have lived in every residential world in your game for a generation, you have vacationed in every vacation-only world in your game, and you hold one Heirloom from every world.
You lose if your heir dies before a new heir is born/adopted, and you haven't lived in every world yet.
If you have Seasons:
If you have University:
If you have High School Years, Get to Work, or other packs with jobs that occur at a destination lot:
If you have Glimmerstones, Werewolf tunnel entrances, or other means of magical travel:
Finally... if tweaking these rules in any way would make the challenge more fun for you, please feel free to do so of course
I'd been looking for a challenge like this, and couldn't find one, so I started playtesting this. I'm not finished the challenge, but I'm far enough along to have made some good revisions, and think it is really fun! The game changes a lot every generation, and feels new and fresh each time.
I hope some of you will try this too, feel free to post here!
The purpose of this challenge is to explore different possibilities for gameplay by restricting travel and making life in each world a little bit more special.
Setup
- Choose your starting world carefully: You will only be able to travel within your world and to the two adjacent worlds, until the next generation. (See the next post for list of worlds)
- Create a household of any number and ages. Use the color of your starting world as the main color of their outfits.
- Move into a lot in your starting world. Use the color of that world as the main color of the home's decor.
Life in Your Home World
- Each world has a local tradition. At least one member of your household must participate in this tradition three times a week or more.
- At least one member of your household must develop a best friend or romantic interest who lives in your home world.
- Not every world has every job opportunity. Sims may choose a career only from the list belonging to their home world or the two adjacent worlds.
- Travel only within your home world or the two adjacent worlds.
- You are encouraged to modify the worlds to your liking at any time by building, downloading from the gallery, customizing which sims live near you.
- There are no restrictions on money, aging, or cheats.
Other Sims' Travel and Where They Live
- You may cause other sims to travel only to worlds where they live, or one of the two adjacent worlds. That includes inviting them over, traveling with them, accepting an invitation to travel with them, inviting them as a guest to a party, bringing them home from school or work.
- You may not cause Not In World sims, who do not live in a lot, to travel anywhere.
- When other sims appear as walkbys, door-knocks, invite themselves as houseguests, or on a public lot, those are random events and need not be restricted.
- You may allow or disallow Neighborhood Stories to move households at random as you like, but you may not move households manually, except:
- Any sim from any world may join your household, or be joined to another household, once.
- Any sim or sims may leave a multi-sim household to move out on their own into any world, or move into another household in any world, or to become a new Not In World household, once.
- Any Not In World household may be moved into any world, once.
- Any household may be downloaded from the gallery into any world, once.
- Households may be moved around within the same world at any time.
- A household may be evicted into Not In World status at any time. But if you evict them, you may not move them into a lot later.
Travel Day
- At the beginning of the game, choose one holiday or life event (such as weddings or graduations) to be the event that everyone you know is willing to travel long distances to attend. On this travel day, anyone from any world can be invited to join you either at your home or at another destination in any world.
Inheritance
- The first baby or infant born or adopted into the household becomes the heir. Combining households with a household that already has a baby or infant counts as adoption. Older children may join the household at any time but they cannot be the heir.
- After the heir becomes a young adult, the next baby or infant to join the household becomes the next heir.
- The heir does not need to be the child of the previous heir. For example, if the current heir lives with a friend or sibling, and the friend or sibling has the first baby after the previous heir's young adult birthday, that baby becomes the next heir.
- If you are playing with aging off/manual aging, you must live in your current world for at least 3 sim-weeks before aging up the next heir to young adult.
Moving
- When the heir has their young adult birthday, the household moves to one of the two adjacent worlds. Choose your direction of travel carefully. Once you have moved, you must continue moving in the same direction every generation-- you can't go back and move to a world where the household has already lived.
- Add the new world's color to your home and outfits.
- The rules for travel, travel with other sims, career, relationships, and local tradition now apply to the new world.
Heirlooms and Ancestor Portraits
- Keep one object that was acquired in the previous home world. This should be an object you found, made, received as a gift, earned as a reward, or bought through gameplay, not a purchase from build mode. This object becomes the Heirloom from that world. It must be on display somewhere in the household's home for the duration of the challenge.
- Display a photograph or painting of your founding household and every generation's heir in your home.
Vacation
- The household may take one vacation per generation, of up to a week, to any world, with any other sims they want. While they are there, they may only travel within the world where they are vacationing. They should take home one Heirloom the first time they vacation in a vacation-only world.
You win when you come full circle: you have lived in every residential world in your game for a generation, you have vacationed in every vacation-only world in your game, and you hold one Heirloom from every world.
You lose if your heir dies before a new heir is born/adopted, and you haven't lived in every world yet.
If you have Seasons:
- After the first move to a new world, create an annual holiday with the traditions: Appreciate an Object, Tell Stories. Appreciate all your heirlooms from previous worlds and view all your pictures of founders and heirs on this day. On this day, you may invite friends and family from any and all worlds to come and visit you, in addition to the Travel Day you chose at the beginning.
If you have University:
- Any sim in the household may attend university on campus or from home.
- If the heir is to attend university right after aging up to young adult, move the household to their new world first, then enroll the heir in university.
- If the heir is to attend university as a teen, leave the home household where they are. When the heir becomes a young adult, the household should move to their next world, even if the heir isn't living with them during university.
- If attending on campus, you should participate at least twice a week in the local tradition from the world where you lived as a teen. You may add your university's colors to your decor and outfits if you wish. You may only participate in careers allowed in Britechester.
- Upon leaving university, the heir must rejoin their household at least long enough to get back all heirlooms and ancestor portraits. You may then split the household if you wish to continue with the heir on their own, or keep them together.
- Non-heirs leaving university may move back home or move to any world they wish, once.
- Students enrolling in consecutive terms may go home for the weekend, stay in their family home over the weekend using the Always Welcome reward trait, bring fellow Britechester residents along if they wish, and may travel within their family's world or adjacent worlds (not back and forth to Britechester) until their weekend visit is over.
- If the heir is to attend university right after aging up to young adult, move the household to their new world first, then enroll the heir in university.
- If the heir is to attend university as a teen, leave the home household where they are. When the heir becomes a young adult, the household should move to their next world, even if the heir isn't living with them during university.
- If attending on campus, you should participate at least twice a week in the local tradition from the world where you lived as a teen. You may add your university's colors to your decor and outfits if you wish. You may only participate in careers allowed in Britechester.
- Upon leaving university, the heir must rejoin their household at least long enough to get back all heirlooms and ancestor portraits. You may then split the household if you wish to continue with the heir on their own, or keep them together.
- Non-heirs leaving university may move back home or move to any world they wish, once.
- Students enrolling in consecutive terms may go home for the weekend, stay in their family home over the weekend using the Always Welcome reward trait, bring fellow Britechester residents along if they wish, and may travel within their family's world or adjacent worlds (not back and forth to Britechester) until their weekend visit is over.
If you have High School Years, Get to Work, or other packs with jobs that occur at a destination lot:
- You may travel to the special lots for high school or for your job, provided that your job is an available career choice in the world you live in currently.
- For jobs that have you choose a gig location, such as Paranormal Investigator or Interior Decorator, you must choose a gig in your home world or adjacent worlds if there is one available. If not, you may simulate "traveling for work" by taking a gig in another location but then not taking any other gigs for 3 days to simulate the travel time.
- When high school or your job requires you to travel to a specific lot, like during a detective investigation or the high school auditorium, you can do that but you cannot visit other lots in that world while there. High school students may only attend sleepovers, pre- and post-prom parties, etc. if they occur in worlds you're currently allowed to visit.
- "College parties" count as being in either Britechester or Copperdale, your choice.
- You can have a baby at the hospital anytime (except for Glimmerbrook if using the optional challenge).
- For jobs that have you choose a gig location, such as Paranormal Investigator or Interior Decorator, you must choose a gig in your home world or adjacent worlds if there is one available. If not, you may simulate "traveling for work" by taking a gig in another location but then not taking any other gigs for 3 days to simulate the travel time.
- When high school or your job requires you to travel to a specific lot, like during a detective investigation or the high school auditorium, you can do that but you cannot visit other lots in that world while there. High school students may only attend sleepovers, pre- and post-prom parties, etc. if they occur in worlds you're currently allowed to visit.
- "College parties" count as being in either Britechester or Copperdale, your choice.
- You can have a baby at the hospital anytime (except for Glimmerbrook if using the optional challenge).
If you have Glimmerstones, Werewolf tunnel entrances, or other means of magical travel:
- You may use those objects to visit those worlds as desired. You must use the object, not the Travel menu or M key.
- While there, you may travel to other lots within those worlds (not the adjacent worlds) by clicking "Visit..." on the lot, but when your visit is finished, you must return directly to your home world.
- While there, you may travel to other lots within those worlds (not the adjacent worlds) by clicking "Visit..." on the lot, but when your visit is finished, you must return directly to your home world.
Finally... if tweaking these rules in any way would make the challenge more fun for you, please feel free to do so of course
Post edited by mightysprite on
7
Comments
The worlds are adjacent to one another in this order.
- If you don't have one of these worlds installed in your game, then the worlds next to it take its place. For example, I don't have Sulani, so for me Glimmerbrook and Tartosa are adjacent to each other.
- If you install a pack that includes a new world while you're playing the challenge, you can choose whether to insert it between two worlds you haven't lived in yet, or to ignore it.
- If you imagine the geography differently in your game, go ahead and change the order around... before you start playing
Optional challenges are provided for some worlds.
Optional challenge for builders: Some worlds have a prize community lot. Create the given type of community lot to make social life in that world more special.
Willow Creek
Local tradition: Live music (either attending or performing)
Careers: Athlete, Culinary, Entertainer, Secret Agent, Tech Guru, Detective, Doctor, Politician, Gardener, Education, Law, Salaryperson, Veterinarian, All part-time jobs, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Brown
Optional challenge: People care a lot about fitness here. Sims must stay physically fit (using any means you wish).
Optional build: An Arts Center or Museum that can double as a concert venue and wedding/party venue
Newcrest
Local tradition: Grilling food away from your home lot
Careers: Athlete, Culinary, Entertainer, Detective, Doctor, Education, Law, Civil Designer, Veterinarian, All part-time jobs except Diver and Lifeguard, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Maroon
Optional challenge: People don't care much about art here. Paintings cannot be sold, unless taken to an adjacent world to be sold in the portable art gallery object or an owned retail lot in one of those worlds
Optional build: A great place for kids to play in all kinds of weather
San Myshuno
Local tradition: Bothering the neighbors
Careers: Every job is available except Astronaut, Scientist, Gardener, Military, Conservationist, Diver, Fisherman and Lifeguard
Color: Light blue
Optional challenge: Only enter your home lot to sleep, to bathe, for baby care, and for holiday activities. All other activities must be done at other lots or in neighborhood terrain.
Magnolia Promenade
Local tradition: Retail shopping
Careers: Business, Culinary, All freelance careers, Style Influencer, Critic, Social Media, Engineer, Civil Designer, Salaryperson, Interior Decorator, All part-time jobs except Lifeguard, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Peach
Copperdale
Local tradition: Posting to social media
Careers: Business, All freelance careers, Style Influencer, Social Media, All part-time jobs, Owning a retail lot
Color: Copper
Optional challenge: All teens in the household must attend active high school at least three days a week each.
Del Sol Valley
Local tradition: Taking selfies
Careers: Business, All freelance careers, Style Influencer, Writer, Scientist, Politician, Social Media, Paranormal Investigator, Interior Decorator, all part-time jobs, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Dark blue
Strangerville
Local tradition: Talking to plants
Careers: Astronaut, Athlete, Freelance Writer, Freelance Crafter, Writer, Scientist, Actor, Military, Engineer, Paranormal Investigator, Babysitter, Barista, Fast Food, Manual Laborer, Retail, Owning a retail lot
Color: Purple
Optional challenge: The internet hasn't reached residences here yet. Sims can only use their phones to call (including calling for a delivery or service) and text and play games, computers only to write and practice programming and play games. Online activities must be done from a community lot that has its own computers.
Optional build: People here can be a little paranoid about partying in the open. Create a bar, club or other party venue that's entirely underground.
Chestnut Ridge
Local tradition: Complimenting people on their hats
(Compliment Outfit to a sim who is wearing a hat)
Careers: Military, Criminal, Detective, Education, Law, Paranormal Investigator, Scientist, Astronaut, Engineer, Painter, Writer, All part-time and freelance careers except Diver and Lifeguard, Veterinarian, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Chestnut
Optional challenge: Have your home serve as either a bar or a barn-dance venue for the community, by any gameplay means you choose.
Oasis Springs
Local tradition: Infidelity
Careers: Astronaut, Business, Criminal, Entertainer, Freelance Programmer, Style Influencer, Scientist, Actor, Military, Engineer, Civil Designer, Paranormal Investigator, Babysitter, Barista, Fast Food, Manual Laborer, Retail, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Sand
Optional challenge: People here don't read much. Writers living here may not sell books for publication. They may sell books only at a retail store or sales table in one of the adjacent worlds (not in Oasis Springs).
Optional build: Downtown bar scene. Create four different bars in the downtown area at bottom left.
San Sequoia
Local tradition: Tabletop games (puzzles, Simbles, cards, Don't Wake the Llama etc)
Careers: All careers are available except Diver and Conservationist
Color: Silver
Optional challenge: Have houseguests for as close to 100% of the time as possible, without violating the travel rules.
Evergreen Harbor
Local tradition: Dumpster diving
Careers: Astronaut, Entertainer, All freelance careers, Style Influencer, Writer, Scientist, Gardener, Military, Civil Designer, Paranormal Investigator, Veterinarian, Babysitter, Manual Laborer, Retail, Fisherman, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Light green
Optional challenge: After you create your initial home here, you cannot buy anything new from the build/buy menu.
Moonwood Mill
Local tradition: Swimming
Careers: Astronaut, Freelance Artist, Freelance Writer, Painter, Secret Agent, Writer, Gardener, Civil Designer, Veterinarian, Paranormal Investigator, Babysitter, Manual Laborer, Diver, Fisherman, Lifeguard
Color: Dark green
Optional challenge: Werewolves are depleting the local meat supply. All households living here must eat vegetarian, unless there is a werewolf in the household.
Forgotten Hollow
Local tradition: Staying up all night and sleeping during the day
Careers: Freelance Artist, Freelance Writer, Freelance Fashion Photographer, Painter, Secret Agent, Writer, Conservationist, Paranormal Investigator, Babysitter, Manual Laborer, Fisherman
Color: Black
Optional challenge: It's pretty dark here. Sims cannot garden.
Optional build: A house of worship, movie theatre or wedding venue with pipe organ
Glimmerbrook
Local tradition: Cooking in cauldrons
Careers: Culinary, Freelance Artist, Freelance Writer, Freelance Crafter, Painter, Secret Agent, Gardener, Conservationist, Paranormal Investigator, Babysitter, Manual Laborer, Fisherman
Color: Lavender
Optional build: Spellcasters could really use a place to have fun. Create a magical Lounge or Nightclub.
Optional challenge: There's something in the water... normal medical care doesn't seem to work for residents of Glimmerbrook. Babies must be born at home, and you may not order medicine.
Sulani
Local tradition: Kava parties
Careers: Culinary, Painter, Secret Agent, Gardener, Conservationist, Babysitter, Manual Laborer, Retail, Diver, Fisherman, Lifeguard, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Orange
Optional challenge: The helicopter to adjacent worlds only operates on Fridays and Sundays. These are the only days when you can get off the island.
Tomarang
Local tradition: Visiting neighbors
Careers: All careers are available except Astronaut and Military
Color: Yellow-green
Optional challenge: Survive for a generation without ever directing a sim to clean anything (including hiring a maid or Bonehilda)
Optional building challenge: A place for the residents of Tomarang to remember their deceased loved ones
Tartosa
Local tradition: Singing in public (or Comedy if you don't have singing in your game)
Careers: Criminal, Culinary, Secret Agent, Critic, Conservationist, Law, Interior Decorator, All part-time jobs, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Pink
Optional challenge: Tartosa culture is too relaxed for anyone to concentrate on work tasks at home. No working from home while living here. (You can keep a work-from-home career if you always either go into the office or take PTO.)
Optional build: a fancy restaurant (or a fancy bar or lounge with food available, if you don't have Dine Out)
Windenburg
Local tradition: Group dances
Careers: All jobs are available except Astronaut, Military, and Paranormal Investigator
Color: Yellow
Optional build: A library that houses the world's finest literature... and has a hidden secret area for an event, club, or nefarious activity of your choice
Britechester
Local tradition: Keg parties
Careers: Athlete, Business, Criminal, Entertainer, All freelance careers, Style Influencer, Tech Guru, Writer, Scientist, Detective, Doctor, Critic, Politician, Social Media, Gardener, Education, Engineer, Law, Salaryperson, Veterinarian, All part-time jobs, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Gray, plus the colors of the university you attend, if you wish
Optional build: Students need a place to work off all those calories from dorm food. Create a gym that appeals to college students.
Henford-on-Bagley
Local tradition: Giving canned goods as gifts
Careers: Athlete, Criminal, All freelance careers, Writer, Gardener, Conservationist, Education, Veterinarian, Babysitter, Manual Laborer, Diver, Fisherman
Color: Gold
Optional challenge: Own at least one livestock animal
Brindleton Bay
Local tradition: Fishing
Careers: Culinary, Freelance Artist, Freelance Programmer, Freelance Writer, Scientist, Doctor, Detective, Gardener, Education, Engineer, Salaryperson, Veterinarian, All part-time jobs, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: White
Optional challenge: Own a dog who can't be trusted on its own at home. Anytime the whole household is out, the dog has to come along.
Mt. Komorebi
Local tradition: Drinking tea
Careers: Athlete, Business, Culinary, All freelance careers, Secret Agent, Style Influencer, Tech Guru, Detective, Politician, Social Media, Education, Engineer, Law, Civil Designer, Salaryperson, Interior Decorator, Babysitter, Barista, Manual Laborer, Fisherman, Streamer, Simfluencer, Owning a retail lot or restaurant
Color: Red
Optional challenge: It's rude to refuse invitations here. You must accept all invitations that you receive from other sims for festivals, dates, visits etc. as long as both you and the sim inviting you are allowed to travel to the destination.
Mt. Komorebi is adjacent to Willow Creek.
(it's pronounced Strawn)
We're starting out in Brindleton Bay, where the local tradition is fishing, and the local color is white.
The adjacent worlds we can travel to are Henford-on-Bagley and Mt. Komorebi.
Our Travel Day is going to be Harvestfest.
I downloaded two families from the gallery to be neighbors.
Lucy is an aspiring basketball player. She's working her way up from the bottom as a water carrier in the Athlete career. She is Active, Cheerful, and Romantic.
Michael wants to stay home and write. He is Gloomy, a Dog Lover, and Romantic. He's also the one who likes fishing. They can't afford a computer yet (I know I could use cheats, but I prefer not to, at least at this point) so he is writing at the Deadgrass Discoveries museum.
Celebrities from around the world go there just to be ignored by him.
Here's my Brindleton Bay setup.
For Hound's Head, I downloaded from the gallery an old church that's been converted into a park. It would make a nice wedding venue too. This feels very New England to me.
I also downloaded a gym that has a pool. Lucy needs a gym.
I renovated Ragdoll Refurb to be a nightclub.
I placed one of my own builds as a family restaurant.
And I put a dumpster and werewolf tunnels behind the bathroom in the dog park, for funsies.
I wasn't sure if I would do the optional challenge for Brindleton Bay, but then we met Delilah, so I guess we are
It's easier than I thought to bring Delilah everywhere that Michael and Lucy go together
Doesn't mean she stays out of trouble.
Michael is the kind of writer who doubts himself a lot and is sometimes lost in gloom and has trouble actually producing much writing. Delilah distracts him too, but maybe that's good for him in the long run
This game is at risk of getting stuck in an endless loop of cute-guy-and-pup photos, send help
Michael michaeling
Lucy lucying
Family familying
And before long, little Portia came along
Here she is as a toddler
I hope I get to read some of yours too
Delilah is adorable. I won't mind an endless loop of cute guy and pup photos.
Fishing alone is the most peaceful
But fishing with a dog and toddler is much more adorable.
Please only open this spoiler tag if you wish to see several more adorable pictures of Portia in the sand.
I know fishing is a basic part of the game but I had just not gotten into it much, until this challenge. It's very peaceful getting Michael out there by the ocean. I don't know if I'd ever play TS4 *for* the fishing, but it is kind of cool seeing the different kinds of fish that come up. And of course using different bait which unlocks a much wider range of fish. And they can eat the fish too. This starter family is quite fond of the recipes that cost 0 simoleons if you have a fish or two as ingredients.
Portia's home is fairly bare-bones still, but the beach all around her is her playground, and when her parents are busy the dog is a great playmate. She's having a fine time as a Brindleton kid. Lucy can work as an athlete either in Henford or in Komorebi, Michael can write anywhere, and they have several nice places to go out to, locally.
The most challenging part of the challenge right now is developing the local relationship. It can be either a best friend or a romantic relationship, but it has to be with a sim in another household in the same world. We met the neighbors at the Welcome Wagon but they haven't come over as much as usual. Who is coming over? Hector Laurent. He met Michael at the museum, they became friends, and now he is doing that thing that your first friend always does in a new game and coming over ALL THE TIME. I guess when you're living on family money you can take a lot of plane trips. This is okay because Hector lives in Tartosa so Michael can't go to him. But, now Hector and Michael are best friends. So a local best friend for Michael is out. Lucy works enough hours that she hasn't had much chance to develop friendships yet, Portia hasn't been around for very long, and neither Lucy nor Michael want a romantic relationship with anyone besides each other. I like those interesting neighbors I downloaded, so I'm trying to get Lucy more connected to them, but it hasn't clicked yet.
Meanwhile, Lucy is pregnant again. You can play basketball while pregnant! I did not know this.
Sometimes Portia is helpful
Sometimes life is tiring
Beautiful women from around the world continue to come to the museum to be ignored by Michael
Lucy got promoted! She doesn't love pompoms and dancing, but she'll work hard in hopes of that day when she catches the coach's eye and makes the switch to really playing ball.
Welcome, Meg!
I decided we'd go drop in on some of the neighbors. Thanks to Neighborhood Stories, Brindleton Bay now has a bumper crop of kids. Did I mention Tayen Irving is family-oriented? Tayen Irving is family-oriented.
That's her teen son, not a romantic partner, so presumably these kids are all adopted, thus probably not werewolves. (Did I mention Tayen is a werewolf? Tayen is a werewolf.)
Portia seems to get along very well with little Cassiel Irving! Maybe Portia will solve my local relationship challenge after all.
Me too, Michael. Me too.
She only won a Participation award. And a sack of flour. But they got to take home the pie. So that was cool.
Portia continues to have fun exploring the neighborhood. Someone left tools in the local wild plants, it seems.
Now she's a child! She is a Slob, and cisgender. Her friend Cassiel aged up either on the same day or the day before.
While they were at the fair, Michael bought some morel mushrooms from the shop. He's decided to do a little garden with the kids. Toddler Meg is very interested.
It's hard getting all members of the family to sleep where they are supposed to at the same time
Hmm, why was Michael not delighted to hear news of the next baby?
Oh well, the next morning his attitude had improved
Lucy was often very uncomfortable this time around. I thought she might be carrying twins
Not too uncomfortable for pregnant basketball though
Or to spend time with Meg while Meg is still the youngest.
Little Saskia arrived! Not twins after all.
This is Portia's opinion of her new sibling
Portia and Cassiel like hanging out at the park. The sunsets are nice for cloudgazing.
And they're best friends! Relationship goal achieved. Portia's doing good on her Social Butterfly aspiration too.
I knew things would get weird soon enough. How did we get here?
Well, first Lucy got promoted...
Professional athlete! Now we can finally play some ball!!!
Look at that smile. And the, well, soccer cleats. Just ignore those.
Unfortunately she's now afraid that her job will be a dead end. Why, Lucy? You don't like your manager? You have trauma from your days as a dance captain? You are starting to notice the financial underpinnings of professional sports and it's making you doubt the whole enterprise? Anyhow, she now must look deep inside herself before practically every day of work and ask herself why she was motivated to do this in the first place.
Meg aged up to child. Here she is talking to Portia's friend Cassiel.
Portia likes fishing too
Portia and Cassiel get up to mischief at school, and make even more friends.
While Lucy was out at a game, Michael, who was going stir-crazy at home, was happy to take the family to the Festival of Snow at Mt. Komorebi. Notice, since we're playing the optional challenge, Delilah the dog had to come too. Oh yeah, and notice little Saskia is now a toddler
Sledding with Saskia!
Portia met Rory.
Rory, who is annoying you more right now, Portia or Yamachan?
"Hey, watch this! Blblblbl!"
"I should have stayed home in Moonwood Mill."
And then... Winterfest
A workout machine for Lucy
The penguin TV, which is not as good quality as their original TV, but they could then sell the original TV and get a deskblock computer for Michael. Now he can write at home.
Unfortunately, Winterfest was the last day of Delilah's life. So before Father Winter could get there, a different kind of wintry breeze blew through the house
Everyone was very sad to lose Delilah.
But unexpectedly, Death had a gift for Meg.
I mean, a gift in addition to the gift of depriving her of her pet.
It's... a voidcritter.
Well, it's one of the creepier voidcritters.
The Festival of Light was their first festival without Delilah. Lucy joined them after the game.
Life goes on.
Merry Christmas!
Well, happy holidays to you too!
Glad you are both enjoying it
The Strachans' house is gradually starting to look less bare.
I forget if I mentioned that fish over the fireplace. That is a treefish, the first truly odd specimen Michael caught. It will be our Heirloom from Brindleton Bay, to keep on display as a memento of that world for the rest of the legacy.
We're also keeping a broken fossil that Delilah inexplicably brought home one day.
Here's the kids' playroom. The kids all share a bedroom, and they don't really have a dining room since they eat in the kitchen, but they do have a nice playroom. I feel like that's fitting for this family.
Oh, and then there's Delilah, who couldn't stay away for long. She found her way back to her beloved family.
I wish you could play fetch with ghost dogs! But you can't. Maybe being incorporeal makes that too difficult.
Portia became a teen
Portia's best friend Cassiel Irving aged up too.
Cassiel's mother Tayen decided it was time to teach her daughter about her family's werewolf heritage. Portia tagged along. As did Cassiel's big brother Irven.
They found their way through the tunnels. (Per the challenge rules, we have to walk through the tunnels to go to Moonwood Mill)
They tried the local cream soda. I really don't know what Emilia Ernest said to earn that stink-eye from Cassiel.
They met Jacob and Kristopher Volkov, who had a pack of werewolves who tried to live in harmony with regular people and with the earth. They were called the Moonwood Collective. Tayen admired them but wasn't a member.
Portia admired the fact that they even stacked their firewood in a beautiful manner.
The warmth between the Moonwood Collective members was a lovely thing
Kristopher seemed to be a wise and understanding soul.
It was a whole other way of living. They didn't have much but they had everything they needed. Portia and Cassiel thought about it a lot.
The next day was Saskia's birthday
Finally, no more toddlers!
Michael enjoyed writing in the peace and quiet.
The Strachans' are really a large family already, and everyone seems very different from the others as well. And poor Delilah, pets lifespans can be quite realistic (relatively to sims lifespans) but, when playing, it always seems so short to me...
@DaniRose2143 idk but it seems like you might have some 'monsters' in your new story after all
@HermioneSims yes it is very sad! we did adopt Delilah as an adult, not a puppy or a young adult, so we missed out on some of the possible time there.
It's an aging building with some nice conveniences nonetheless
I imagine their sports to be basketball and hockey.
Well, as close to hockey as we can get.
Portia thinks her teacher, Mr. Kumar, is pretty cool. He's got some very manly stubble and he isn't afraid to wear a cute red ribbon around his braid.
(Not that she finds him attractive. She doesn't find anyone attractive in that way. She just thinks it sets a good example.)
The girl in the front with the blue braids is pretty cool too. Her name is Christy Bheeda.
I checked in the household manager. Christy is definitely the kid that the Bheedas had at the beginning of the game. Jesminder starts the game pregnant, so there always is a Bheeda kid early on. I've seen a few.
No shade on Adeline Bheeda from my San Myshuno game, or any of the others, but Christy might be my favorite Bheeda kid. I just love her look. I swear I have not done a thing to modify her, not even clothing.
Anyhow, Christy and Portia are getting along great.
Even if sometimes Portia tries Christy's patience.
"How much longer?..."
Maira Watson. In every game so far, you age up to teen without hair. Why, Maira Watson?
Maira Watson, I'm sorry I mocked your hair. What on earth happened to you in the bathroom??
After school, Portia often slips through the tunnels to Moonwood Mill. She's learning what she can.
Lucy is getting to learn a bit about werewolves, too, from hanging out in the gym with her pal Jenna Akiyama. She and Lou Howell chatted easily about fitness. She's trying to keep an open mind. This seems important to her daughter.
Meg is a teen! In addition to being a Bookworm, she is Gloomy, like her dad. Now did Grim have any influence on that? hmm
Meg is mostly straight and somewhat demisexual. Her aspiration is Soulmate.
She's met someone. This is Roderick Goth. Thanks, Neighborhood Stories.
Since Brindleton Bay and Willow Creek are both adjacent to Mt. Komorebi, Mt. Komorebi is where Meg and Roderick can hang out.
Roderick is Unflirty, but that's okay, Meg is happy with getting to know each other and moving slowly.
Lucy was finally getting to know her neighbor Valentina Parrott well and enjoying their friendship, and then Valentina moved away! I didn't know that if your friend moves away via Neighborhood Stories, they give you a call to tell you. I didn't get a screenshot but it was a very sweet message, something like "I'm moving away, but we can still keep in touch by phone!" Aw that is extra true in this challenge
Michael and Lucy enjoyed a night out at The Gears, the nightclub I turned the Ragdoll Refurb into
It was all good until an angry-looking werewolf came in
Are you still having a good time?
Maybe let's try to get to know him?
Michael made an effort...
Portia had some dancing to do too that night because prom was on! Christy Bheeda had asked her to go (as friends)
But first, this Admired Icon needs to post a book review online. It's about the werewolf book she read the other day.
An invite to a getting-ready party... at Cassiel Irving's house in Brindleton Bay! Portia can go!
Oh. Cassiel's werewolf brother is looking mighty furious this afternoon.
Werewolves are cool, but it's not so cool how nervous they make everyone when they get like this.
Is that a werewolf problem?
Or a human problem?
Portia and Cassiel didn't let these worries stop them from getting ready and looking their best. That's Piper Delgato and Nanami Ito behind Portia and Cassiel.
Prom was packed with people, exactly Portia's speed
Wow, teen slow dancing can be awkward and distant sometimes.
Christy found someone to dance with, a bit more elegantly
And she won prom queen! Yay Christy! Truly, it would have been a crime if anyone else won.
Portia couldn't attend the after-party, so she organized one of her own. Just the Brindleton Bay and Mt. Komorebi kids. It was definitely way more fun than any other party that might have been happening that night.
Sounds... prickly.
Being the dad of multiple teenage girls has its moments. Like when all the boys come running into the house to make demands of his daughters at inopportune times.
Happy birthday Michael! He got the Iceproof reward trait since he spent all that time fishing on Brindleton Bay's chilly shoreline.
If there were a Teen-Boy-Proof reward trait, he would have got that one.
At least Saskia is still little. She is doing the creative aspiration
And skiing on Mt. Komorebi whenever the family can get there!
This is Saskia's best friend Cassie Akiyama. I didn't get a great picture but she has such a cute little face. Neighborhood Stories is doing well in this save so far.
Meg might be gloomy, but a lazy morning in pajamas and Mom's gourmet cooking for breakfast will put a smile on her face.
Meg's date to the prom is Roderick Goth. As friends. Aw look at that face. Unflirty boy arranged to go to the prom with Meg as friends, but it seems like there's something a bit disappointed about his eyes there...
I got what I wanted, and it feels very safe, but...
Meg's bestie so far is Tasha Parrott. The Parrotts moved away, but they can still see each other at school. Tasha is kind of childish and goes around with big rubber boots and doesn't mind showing her unusual amount of chest hair. Meg thinks she's terrific. Actually, Meg kind of has little crushes on both Tasha and Roderick.
One day, Portia was feeling particularly fed up with high school and exclaimed out loud, "What am I doing here?"
"If you feel that way, why don't you just graduate early?" asked Christy.
"I might just do that," said Portia.
One selfie to commemorate the last day of high school.
And one very productive meeting with the principal.
Portia is free!
Now what does she want to do with herself?
She doesn't really want to go to college... or get a job... but there are so many things out there in the world to explore! And maybe hobbies. She could try woodworking. Or fishing like Dad.
Or maybe just hanging out at the ski shop with Cassiel?
Anyhow, no more high school, that's the important part right now!
Meg isn't done with high school. She has important things to do here still.
She doesn't want to get tossed out into the big scary world just yet.
Portia's short term project: practicing her cooking of grilled cheese so that she can make it really well at Saskia's birthday party tomorrow.
Saskia finished her short term project with Mom's help!
And Meg will always have at least one understanding ear.
At least someone has it all figured out.
My hope is that some elements of the challenge will be quite hard and restrictive, or at least cause players to explore things in the game they normally wouldn't, while other elements are quite easy and unscripted. Like there being no restrictions on money, aging, or cheats, and no requirements about aspirations.
I'm curious to hear from others who try the challenge ( @BlueSeaWaves ?) how the difficulty feels to them.
They are there often. Maybe it's the fact that the park has werewolf tunnels, plus the fact that Portia has werewolf friends?
Portia went through the tunnels and stopped by the Volkovs' house, and met an even cuter doggy. This is Nugget.
Portia spent a pleasant afternoon with the Volkovs, including Nugget and little Caitlin Volkov. They talked about the Moonwood Collective.
Portia shared about her family too
and expressed how much she respects and values their communal way of living
Kristopher welcomed her as a Friend of the Pack.
Portia was excited to contribute some tasty cooked treats to the collective! Or maybe she'd make something? Or fish? Anyhow, speaking of cooking, today was Saskia's birthday party and the Itos had offered to host it.
This was good for two reasons:
1. the Itos had an amazing house
2. If they were at the Itos' house then they didn't have to worry about Nanami Ito swiping any items from their own home. She does have a problem with that.
Mom put candles on the white-and-black cake. Everything was perfect and then--
Cassiel's brother Irven arrived, looking a little furious.
"Are you okay?" Portia asked.
"I'm trying-- maybe if I had something to eat--" said Irven.
Meanwhile, out back, Meg and Roderick had sought out some privacy and were getting to know each other better.
"Hi Irven! Watch me blow out my candles!" enthused Saskia, giving him a big hug.
She blew out her candles
And then Irven lost control.
The guests screamed and scattered.
Portia watched them go. She wasn't afraid, but she felt sad to see how afraid they were. Irven really looked dangerous tearing after them, but he was probably just as scared as they were.
This wolf stuff could really ruin a good party if you weren't careful.
Portia thought that probably Kristopher could help Irven learn some more control. That kind of thing was important to Kristopher. But Portia wasn't sure how to help that happen, or if it was her place. These packs seemed to have rather specific hierarchies. And she was just a teenager after all.
I love the look Saskia aged up with. I pretty much never use this hairstyle, since it looks clunky in CAS, but in-game I was surprised at how much I like it.
Saskia likes gardening and all things plant-related, and taking pictures of the Brindleton Bay scenery.
Aw Tasha. Thanks. Meg feels a little tiny twinge of sadness reading that, cause she kinda has a crush on you too, but thanks. You're a good friend.
Aw Lucy. It's not your fault the Fear of Dead-End Job is bugged right now. You worked hard to get where you are, and deep down, you love the game.
The "cause players to explore things in the game they normally wouldn't" part sounds like the most interesting to me, sometimes without anything pushing you to try new aspects in the game it's very easy to enter a very repetitive play-routine. Also with my legacy, after a while I decided to change the neighbourhood more or less once every generation to make the story less boring.
As for the progression of your story in the last posts instead, that's a lot of teen drama (and werewolves drama too, that could be scary!)