#modular case

[deliandiver]

Friday night build

[bacchuschucklefuck]

I really like your space sweeper au? Do you have any ideas about stuff that you want the characters to do?

yeas I do

[eachuisge-cc]

do you happen to have any psds saved for the cat skins? i love how high quality yours are and would like to make my own custom patterns, i understand if not tho!

I will not be releasing the psds as they are, because they're large files and they are not set up in a way that would make them easy for someone else to use. They're also 100% painted from scratch and I'll admit to feeling kind of protective over them, since releasing a template for recolors pretty much immediately relinquishes any further control over what's done with them. I could see maybe releasing a template for personal use in the future but I'd need to think about how I'd want to go about that and reorganize the layers etc into something easier to parse.

[taperwolf]

A terribly designed Eurorack accessory!

This is intended to be a handheld gate/trigger generator — basically, a quick and dirty way to put a "high" signal (+4.5V) into any Eurorack CV or gate input. It's nearly the simplest possible way to do it, just running a 9V battery through a switch, then to a ÷2 voltage divider, and out to a jack. Hold the bottle with the jack on the bottom and your thumb over the button, plug in a cable, and gate away.

Now, if I had a battery holder for three AA or AAA batteries, I would have done it the simplest way. And if I needed a consistent voltage, this is the wrong way to do it; you'd really want to use a 5V regulator or maybe a zener diode. But I'm intending the output to go into Eurorack gate inputs, which are usually fine with anything above the CMOS level of 3.5V, so I don't need that level of complication.

In fact, I'm intending to use this specifically on a CMOS input, the "Reset" inputs of the MidCentury Modular "Dividers" module I recently built. The "Reset" input there on either counter will reset the count to the first step. But, if it's configured (with a jumper) to skip the gate-to-trigger conversion circuit, holding that gate high will also hang the counter, making it a sort of clock suspend; I want to manipulate that directly, so having a remote switch to hold for that will be fun.

[heatheniousmaterials]

One of the many casualties in capitalism's war against simple, elegant, modular, well-designed machines is accessibility

Replacing physical buttons and controls with touchscreens also means removing accessibility features. Physical buttons can be textured or have Braille and can be located by touch and don't need to be pressed with a bare finger. Touchscreens usually require precise taps and hand-eye coordination for the same task.

Many point-of-sale machines now are essentially just a smartphone with a card reader attached and the interface. The control layout can change at a moment's notice and there are no physical boundaries between buttons. With a keypad-style machine, the buttons are always in the same place and can be located by touch, especially since the middle button has a raised ridge on it.

Buttons can also be located by touch without activating them, which enables a "locate then press" style of interaction which is not possible on touchscreens, where even light touches will register as presses and the buttons must be located visually rather than by touch.

When elevator or door controls are replaced by touch screens, will existing accessibility features be preserved, or will some people no longer be able to use those controls?

Who is allowed to control the physical world, and who is making that decision?

[deathdealertactical]

Essential Range Day Gear: Be Ready with DDT Products

Range day is all about precision, preparation, and practice. Whether you’re a seasoned shooter or just starting out, having the right gear can make all the difference. A well-organized setup ensures that your time on the range is spent improving your skills—not scrambling for your equipment. At Death Dealer Tactical, we offer high-quality products to help you stay organized and ready for whatever…

[mebaelectric]

A Deep Insight about Moulded Case Circuit Breakers

There is a guardian in the complex world of electrical systems, where everything from the tiniest device to the biggest plant is powered by the unseen dance of electrons. The Moulded Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB) from Moulded Case Circuit Breaker Manufacturer, a staple of contemporary electrical engineering, is frequently disregarded yet vital to the security and effectiveness of electrical networks. 

The Protector's Anatomy: Inside an MCCB

The Frame provides insulation and structural strength by housing all the components.

The movable and stationary contacts in the contact system control whether electricity flows through them or not.

The MCCB's brain, the Tripping Unit, is furnished with magnetic and thermal sensors to identify overloads and short circuits.

The Operating Mechanism responds to tripping signals automatically and allows manual control (to open or stop the circuit).

The Arc Chutes ensure a quick and safe separation by putting out electrical sparks that arise while cutting high current flows.

This well-planned assembly guarantees that, in the event of an electrical malfunction, the MCCB from Modular Device Supplier will act quickly to safeguard the circuit, acting as a real protector of the electrical domain.

The Changing Function of MCCBs 

MCCBs have historically been primarily used to safeguard electrical circuits from overloads and short circuits, but as technology has advanced and electrical systems have become more complicated, so has their role. Modern MCCBs are essential to energy management plans because they maximize power usage and raise facility efficiency. The introduction of smart MCCBs, which include digital monitoring and communication features, has allowed them to provide previously unheard-of insight into the operation of electrical systems, allowing for predictive maintenance and reducing downtime.

Getting Around the Maze of Selection 

Rating at the Moment: Compare the maximum current that the circuit can handle under typical circumstances with the MCCB's rating.

Features of Tripping: Depending on the requirements of your circuit, choose between thermal, magnetic, or electronic tripping mechanisms.

Breaking Capacity: Verify that the MCCB is capable of handling the system's maximum possible short-circuit current.

Guidelines and Accreditations: Check that the MCCB and Modular Device China are certified for quality and safety and comply with applicable standards.

[recreationaldivorce]

i really wish grapheneos would support the fairphone, i understand why they don't but tbh there aren't any mobile OSes i trust as much. tbf im not awfully familiar with the other degoogled OSes & once this phone gives out i may have to do some research into degoogled OSes that are compatible with fairphones. or just give in and get the newest pixel for grapheneos, it has an 8 year warranty now anyway so it should last a lot longer than my current phone has lasted, but ofc that's really unideal idk

[felixandresims]

Hello again :),

It is finally finished, and I am so happy to receive all your replies to my WIP Post.

As I had shown you before, for this month, I was working on a Bedroom Set and created a walk-in wardrobe, too. This collection consists of 36 items.

I based The whole Soho Set around a loft apartment, and I was thinking of a bedroom that could be built into an open space. Of course, I wanted to create modern items, but there are slight retro and Art Deco hints, mainly through patterns and backdrops. I thought it was time to make new bedding; I got a bit bored of the Berlin and Fayun ones :D. you can combine it with a separate bed base and a headboard with plug details. For the 'Livin Rum', I created a wooden Eames chair; for this collection, I made the metal frame version and added a bedside table in a similar style.

As mentioned, I added a modular walk-in wardrobe with four shelves. I added 16 different garments, three luxury handbags inspired by Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, and Hermès. There are lots of customizing options. You can either place those items into the open space and cover them with mirror walls or against a wall.

This Set is on Early Access and will be released at the beginning of July. and you can find it here

A small gimmick: I bought a Cardboard VR Goggle because I created 3D images of my travels and tried the same stereoscopic technique with my sims interiors, and it worked; the sims look so so cute in actual 3D :D, in case you have VR glasses I wanted to share my Promo images in 3D too if you concentrate on the pictures you can also see them in 3D without goggles :)

This is the second to last iteration, and I will work on a Living collection for the coming month.

I hope you like the new items. Again, thank you so much for everything!!!

Lots of Love,

Felix xxx

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #20

May 24-31 2024

The EPA awards $900 million to school districts across the country to replace diesel fueled school buses with cleaner alternatives. The money will go to 530 school districts across nearly every state, DC, tribal community, and US territory. The funds will help replace 3,400 buses with cleaner alternatives, 92% of the new buses will be 100% green electric. This adds to the $3 billion the Biden administration has already spent to replace 8,500 school buses across 1,000 school districts in the last 2 years.

For the first time the federal government released guidelines for Voluntary Carbon Markets. Voluntary Carbon Markets are a system by which companies off set their carbon emissions by funding project to fight climate change like investing in wind or solar power. Critics have changed that companies are using them just for PR and their funding often goes to projects that would happen any ways thus not offsetting emissions. The new guidelines seek to insure integrity in the Carbon Markets and make sure they make a meaningful impact. It also pushes companies to address emissions first and use offsets only as a last resort.

The IRS announced it'll take its direct file program nationwide in 2025. In 2024 140,000 tax payers in 12 states used the direct file pilot program and the IRS now plans to bring it to all Americans next tax season. Right now the program is only for simple W-2 returns with no side income but the IRS has plans to expand it to more complex filings in the future. This is one of the many projects at the IRS being funded through President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.

The White House announced steps to boost nuclear energy in America. Nuclear power in the single largest green energy source in the country accounting for 19% of America's total energy. Boosting Nuclear energy is a key part of the Biden administration's strategy to reach a carbon free electricity sector by 2035. The administration has invested in bring the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan back on-line, and extending the life of Diablo Canyon in California. In addition the Military will be deploying new small modular nuclear reactors and microreactors to power its installations. The Administration is setting up a task force to help combat the delays and cost overruns that have often derailed new nuclear projects and the Administration is supporting two Gen III+ SMR demonstration projects to highlight the safety and efficiency of the next generation of nuclear power.

The Department of Agriculture announced $824 million in new funding to protect livestock health and combat H5N1. The funding will go toward early detection, vaccine research, and supporting farmers impacted. The USDA is also launching a nation wide Dairy Herd Status Pilot Program, hopefully this program will give us a live look at the health of America's dairy herd and help with early detection. The Biden Administration has reacted quickly and proactively to the early cases of H5N1 to make sure it doesn't spread to the human population and become another pandemic situation.

The White House announced a partnership with 21 states to help supercharge America's aging energy grid. Years of little to no investment in America's Infrastructure has left our energy grid lagging behind the 21st century tech. This partnership aims to squeeze all the energy we can out of our current system while we rush to update and modernize. Last month the administration announced a plan to lay 100,000 miles of new transmission lines over the next five years. The 21 states all with Democratic governors are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The Department of Transportation announced $343 million to update 8 of America's oldest and busiest transportation stations for disability accessibility. These include the MBTA's the Green Line's light-rail B and C branches in Boston,  Cleveland's Blue Line, New Orleans'  St. Charles Streetcar route, and projects in San Francisco and New York City and other locations

The Department of interior announced two projects for water in Western states. $179 million for drought resilience projects in California and Utah and $242 million for expanding water access in California, Colorado and Washington. The projects should help support drinking water for 6.4 million people every year.

HUD announced $150 million for affordable housing for tribal communities. This adds to the over $1 billion dollars for tribal housing announced earlier in the month. Neil Whitegull of the Ho-Chunk Nation said at the announcement "I know a lot of times as Native Americans we've been here and we've seen people that have said, ‘Oh yeah, we'd like to help Indians.’ And they take a picture and they go away. We never see it, But there's been a commitment here, with the increase in funding, grants, and this administration that is bringing their folks out. And there's a real commitment, I think, to Native American tribes that we've never seen before."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged $135 million to help Moldavia. Since the outbreak of Russia's war against neighboring Ukraine the US has given $774 million in aid to tiny Moldavia. Moldavia has long been dependent on Russian energy but thanks to US investment in the countries energy security Moldavia is breaking away from Russia and moving forward with EU membership.

The US and Guatemala launched the "Youth With Purpose” initiative. The initiative will be run through the Central America Service Corps, launched in 2022 by Vice President Harris the CASC is part of the Biden Administration's efforts to improve life in Central America. The Youth With Purpose program will train 25,000 young Guatemalans and connect with with service projects throughout the country.

Bonus: Today, May 31st 2024, is the last day of the Affordable Connectivity Program. The program helped 23 million Americans connect to the internet while saving them $30 to $75 dollars every month. Despite repeated calls from President Biden Republicans in Congress have refused to act to renew the program. The White House has worked with private companies to get them to agree to extend the savings to the end of 2024. The Biden Administration has invested $90 Billion high-speed internet investments. Such as $42.45 billion for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, $1 billion for the The Middle Mile program laying 12,000 miles of regional fiber networks, and distributed nearly 30,000 connected devices to students and communities, including more than 3,600 through the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

[deliandiver]

[nonsensical-pixels]

as anyone who knows me will know, my house is a zoo i am a sucker for small rodents, especially guinea pigs and hamsters. last year for my 17th birthday i shared these deco guinea pigs, so this year today, for my 18th, have the natural progression of that post: a 4t2 conversion of @kaisosims' rodents pack! 20 new, modular, decorative fur-baby items & accessories for your sims to adore 🥰

everything that could have fitted slots has slots; the hamster shelf, notably, has a grand total of 15! all of the cages are stackable, i.e.: you can put the animals (which are purely deco) in them, then stack them on top of any other surface--the given ones, or a counter, study table, etc.! more info can be found under the cut 👇

this set was originally supposed to be my... wow... 1000 followers and 17th birthday gift. but back then my cc skills honestly kinda sucked and the slots + transparency drove me to insanity. over a year, 1500 more followers, and a mental crisis later, here we are, with the final product of over 30 hours of hard work! 👏 in any case, thank you all so much for 2500 followers!

tysm to @skittlesplays for suggesting this set in the first place btw, you know me so well anna!! if you'd like to see my other, mechtasims pet set, which i converted in her honour, check out my 1000 followers gift weekend starting here.

DOWNLOAD: SFS | MF 🐹

credits go to @kaisosims for the original ts4 meshes & textures, they are so adorable! and of course to all of you, for sticking with me through another birthday 💖

DESCRIPTION

Originally by Kaisosims for TS4. Converted to The Sims 2 by nonsensical-pixels.

THINGS TO NOTE

Pretty much everything that can have a slot, has a slot!

All cages can be placed on other surfaces, like tables, counters, etc.; if you want to place an animal inside of them, do that first, THEN place them on the surface.

Everything is decorative; nothing is functional… yet.

Art pieces are in the Paintings category, surfaces like the Cage Stand are in Surfaces -> Misc, and everything else is in General -> Pets.

You may note that some items have drastically different polycounts from the TS4 originals; this is because TS4 automates the appearance of backfaces, but TS2 doesn't recognise them, so I had to add my own.

ITEMS INCLUDED

Art (28 polys) Cage Stand (398 polys) Cleaning Supplies (424 polys) Ferret (682 polys) Food (100 polys) Guinea Pig (484 polys) Guinea Pig Enclosure (4356 polys) Guinea Pig Enclosure Top (1008 polys) Hamster (520 polys) Hamster Cage (1758 polys) Hamster Table (308 polys) Rat (456 polys) Rat Cage (2140 polys) Small Cage (988 polys) Substrate (144 polys) Treats (1876 polys) Tube (640 polys) Wood Wall Art (380 polys) Zoom Pet (341 polys)

20 items total. Collection file included for added convenience!

much love from my lil piggies: bethany, ivory, emily, and alex!! they're getting new cages for my birthday, just like my sims' piggies 🐽

once again, thank you guys all so much for the support! i wish i could've added more to this gift but i guess this weekend's content will be compensation... 👀 if there are any issues that you find with this set, please don't be afraid to let me know! otherwise, i'll see you in the next one. happy simming, and when you download this, do keep in mind,

Love, ~ Ky 💓

[nectar-cellar]

Modern Kitchen Counters Default Replacement

I didn't like the huge curved handles on the "Real Flat" base game kitchen counters and cabinets.

I couldn't handle them... hehehe... 😂🤣😝🤪😂😆😁😂😂😂😋

So I've deleted them. 😐

They are gone now.

These files are default replacements.

What is replaced: the Real Flat counter, counter island, overhead cabinet, and double-sided cabinet. Including all the modular pieces. Including ALL LOD meshes.

Some issues to be aware of:

it's a bit glitchy, but most mesh/texture problems can be solved by painting them again or deleting & placing again

the texture quality is not the best, there are some artifacts when using plain colours

there is a texture seam on the upper part of the corner cabinet, it's a UV mapping problem by EA not me

The texture quality is not great so I strongly suggest putting patterns on them.

This was quite an ambitious project to figure out, so I really hope you enjoy the new look of this base game kitchen as much as I do!

BAD CC CAUSES ISSUES WHEN SAVING LOTS, DO NOT DOWNLOAD

Download: simfileshare / mega

Some notes I want to share for creators below in case helpful or interesting:

I had to default replace the multiplier and specular textures for every mesh I edited (to remove the handle prints).

I used s3oc to clone the objects without renumbering them, this became my default replacement package.

I used TSR Workshop to export/import the .wso meshes, and to compile my edited meshes into a non-DR package file. I used s3pe to export the MLOD and MODL resources from the non-DR package into the default replacement package via the "replace" function.

I edited the meshes in Milkshape (only deleting the handles) so I didn't have to change the slots or bones or other complicated stuff like that...

I hope this info is helpful in some way. There aren't a lot of default replacement objects/furniture out there. I don't really know what I'm doing but I learned some things from this project.

[id-element0]

The Permanent Fix For Counter Texture Glitch

A while ago I posted this tutorial for fixing the counter texture glitch. But it was not perfect and couldn't fix each and every cc counter out there.

I've finally found a fix for that too. Problem was corrupt TXTC resources that needed to be replaced. Now you can download every cc counter that comes in sims3pack and extract them into package and never have the annoying counter texture glitch ever again. Bad news is you have to do it all yourself. But don't worry! it's not that difficult and I've come with pictures.

What you'll need: s3pe, s3oc and texture tweaker 3 - and optionally Sims3Pack Multi Installer or s3ce. The download link for TT3 is in the 3rd post and there's a tutorial here. If you don't have them already, go download them. You can NOT use TSRW for this tutorial since TSRW itself is the problem. :)

First extract the package from the sims3pack using either Multi Installer/Extractor or s3ce. After you have your package file, open it up in s3pe. In my example, I'm using Gosik's New Vintage Kitchen Counter 1. Select the first OBJD resource in the resource list.

Also make sure you have Preview selected at the bottom of the program window in s3pe.

On the right side, you will see the preview of the resource in text. Scroll down until you see the InstanceName.

It's usually counterBaseModern but not always. This is the instance name of the object that this counter is cloned from. In modular objects like counters there are multiple objects. Four counters they are base, top and corner. Keep that in mind for now.

Take a note of or copy the instance name and open s3oc. First, Go to Settings -> Game Folders and make sure game folders are detected. If not, add them manually. You can also define your creator name under the Settings menu. Now, go to Tools -> Search.

Paste the instance name in the search bar; select Resource Name and hit Search.

You will have two results: counterBaseModern and CounterModernSuite. I suggest that you clone the suite because it's the modular object that contains all the parts of a counter: base, top and corner. If not, you have to clone every part individually which are counterBaseModern, counterTopModern and counterCornerModern.

Cloning the Suite makes the process a lot quicker so I'll continue from there. Click on the CounterModernSuite and hit Clone or Fix at the right side.

That will open the cloning interface. Make sure you UNCHECK the Renumber/rename internally. We do NOT want to renumber. Then hit Start.

It will ask where you want to save your new package and if you already have a creator name defined earlier it will add it to the package name. If not, it may or may not ask for your creator name. Honestly, I can't remember and I don't think it matters. Anyway, chose a folder - preferably a work folder you created earlier - and keep the name it suggests. It will inform you when it's done.

We cloned our package. Now we need to export the necessary TXTC resources from it. We need the Diffusemap TXTC resource for each part. Start another instance of s3pe and open the package file you've just created which should be something like this: creatorname_CounterModernSuite_someAlphaNumericals.

You'll notice that there are 6 TXTC resources in the resource list. Check the resource names and the Group IDs. You need the DiffuseMap for base, top and corner parts. Click on the resource, then right click and Export.

You can export them all at once or create a folder for each if you don't want to get confused. Notice that they all have different Group IDs and names. As we move to the next part keep that in mind.

After exporting, you can close this package. We'll go back to the package we want to fix, in this case, Gosik's New Vintage Kitchen Counter 1. Open the package again or switch to it if it's open in s3pe.

Select the first TXTC resource which is most likely is the DiffuseMap for the base part. Unfortunately, most cc doesn't have a _KEY resource so they don't have resource names. Group ID's come in handy here. For this counter suite Group IDs for parts are like this:

base -> 0x00045638; top -> 0x002794E0; corner -> 0x00D661FD3

But there are 2 TXTC resources for each Group ID. One of them is SpecMap which is not corrupted. The corrupted one will have a preview like this:

This is simply s3pe telling you it's having an 'Error reading the resource'. My interpretation: The resource is corrupted. So combine this with the right Group ID and right click on the resource and choose Replace. Do not use Import! You need to Replace the resource without changing its instance number. Choose the right resource you exported earlier. Again check the name and Group ID. it should be something like: S3_033A1435_00045638_A85033BB5A059932_counterBaseModernObjectRgbMask_Face_DiffuseMap%%+TXTC

This is for the base object. For top and corner parts, repeat the replacing step with the right resources.

After you replace all the corrupted resources, s3pe will no longer give an error reading those resources when you click on them. And neither will TT3. You will now save your package and close s3pe. A reminder: If the TXTC resources are not corrupted in CC package, skip all and continue as below.

After that you will open your package in TT3 and follow the tutorial here. But a brief rundown would be: select each 'Normal Object' one by one and switch to CASt presets tab after each selection. In this tab, all you have to do is uncheck and then recheck the box next to PatternA and hit Commit. Do it for every preset. Repeat it for every object in the package. Save. Close. Done. :)

For island counters, process is the same but with 4 parts. Base, EndW, EndE and Corner. Also this works for other modular objects like cabinets and sectional sofas.

One last clarification: If the object is cloned from another counter suite, the Group IDs that we used will be different. Also some CC will have Group IDs different from the main object it's cloned from. If that happens, you may need to have a leap of faith.

Usually the order from top to bottom is base, top, corner (counters) and base, endW, endE, corner (islands), starting with the first TXTC resource. So in theory, if you select the corrupt resources from top to bottom, you can replace with that order without the Group IDs.

That's it. I don't think anyone will bother with this. But If you have questions, ask away.

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 120 (Searching For Answers in Sulani)

cw: blood, death, violence (sounds terrible, I know...this tropical world is beautiful but this is not a cozy one, it's a detective one!)

The Sulani sun was warm, even for an overcast day in late winter. As Conrad approached George Brindleton's villa, a chill ran down his spine. George liked to dictate the terms of his communication with Brindleton PD, but he'd been far too quiet. The stunning modular villa overlooking the water seemed too quiet, too.

He approached the front door and knocked. The entire front room was open toward the endless sea, but Conrad couldn't see, or hear, any signs of life from inside.

"Yoo hoo! Hello, stranger. Are you a friend of Mr. and Mrs. Brindleton?"

Conrad turned back down the steps to greet two women who approached with friendly smiles. "Not exactly. Do you know where I could find the owner of this villa?"

"That'd be me," said the brunette. "Oliana Ngata. I rent it to George every winter, but my wife, Leila, and me, we were supposed to talk about him extending into spring and he never showed up at the tiki bar."

"Have you gone inside?"

"George tells us not to, and he pays us enough that we do what he says. But my son said there was a weird smell coming from the place when he walked home from school yesterday, and we're starting to get concerned. June usually comes around to talk to us every few days, but we haven't seen her either."

The blonde woman at her side rolled her eyes. "I don't know what she sees in that old man. He's always walking around barking orders. I can't stand the guy."

"Shhh," said the brunette. "He pays us well enough not to talk crap about him, Leila."

"My name's Conrad Gordon." He flashed his badge. "I'm a lieutenant at Brindleton PD back on the mainland. We've been trying to get George's cooperation about a body that turned up back home. But he went radio silent a few days ago, so we're risking him trying to sue the department to check up on him."

Leila laughed. "He makes friends everywhere, does he?"

"Could you let me inside?"

Oliana nodded, tailing him through the front door once she'd unlocked the airy vacation home. "Do you think something could have happened to them? - Oh my Watcher!"

She peeled back in fear and surprise at the sight of George Brindleton face down in a pool of his own blood. By the looks of the blood stains, he'd been dead a few days already. Looking around, Conrad saw no sign of June, but the staircase to the upstairs bedroom beckoned.

"Lieutenant Gordon, be careful," called Oliana with an anxious lilt. As Conrad stepped into the master suite, his face fell. June laid on her back on the bed, with a pool of blood forming on the hardwood floors beneath her.

Both George and his wife had been brutally murdered, and Conrad's heart sank. He really didn't need another murder case on his plate - least of all the murder of the most powerful man in town thousands of miles away from the place that bore his name.

Bloody footprints, large enough to be a man, headed toward the bathroom before disappearing, with no sign of forced entry or exit through the immaculate floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

He pulled out his phone to call it in, waiting for the arrival of local law enforcement. But they didn't take kindly to Conrad's chief pulling rank, demanding they let Brindleton PD handle the murder investigation.

"You think you mainland cops can come out here and tell us how to run the show on our own islands, and we're just supposed to stand back and let you?"

"It's not about the work," Conrad assured him. "It's the victim. He's been a person of interest to Brindleton PD for a long time - a lot longer than even I've been on the force."

The officer scowled but let Conrad do his job. He looked for evidence, but relied on landlords Oliana and her wife, Leila, for descriptions of the young waiter they knew as Javier Vargas. "He's a good kid, but we haven't seen him in as many days as the Brindletons. If he's not dead in there with them somewhere, I don't know what to think," mused Oliana.

"Why would George Brindleton call him Rafael? Does the name Rafael Bonilla mean anything to either of you?"

The women shrugged. "He wouldn't be the first person who's come to the islands to start a new life," said Oliana. "We're far enough away from everything, plenty of people find that appealing. We pay everyone in cash who works at our villas. They like it that way, and they like that we don't ask a lot of questions. But he's a good employee and we'd given him a key to the place since George liked to start drinking with the sunrise. He was a piece of work, but Javier always did his job without complaining."

"Do you know where I could find 'Javier'?"

The women shrugged again, but their son approached toward the end of the school day. "I think he's hiding in Princess Cordelia's ancient shipwreck near the volcano caves."

Oliana gasped. "Tane, where did you hear such a thing?"

"I didn't hear it. I saw him! Why do you want to find him?"

"I just want to ask him some questions."

"About what?"

"About being a waiter," Oliana cut in quickly, and Conrad didn't bother to correct her.

He turned to the young boy. "Do you know where I could find this abandoned shipwreck?"

He nodded. "Walk on the sandbar to the volcano. You'll see it near the beach. It's so far from the water because a storm blew it all the way inland when it crashed hundreds of years ago!"

Conrad left his number and promised to be in touch while the bodies were shipped to the morgue. He'd have to worry about the paperwork to get the Brindletons back to the Bay, but foremost in his mind was finding Rafa, once and for all.

He followed young Tane's directions and made it to the volcano caves after sunset. The dense jungle was dotted with worn dirt paths, but painted wooden signs led the way through the canopy. He found the caves and spotted the crooked mast of an old ship, half buried under the sand.

He spotted what looked like a front door on the part of the hull that stuck out of the sand and knocked.

"What the hell do you want?"

A gruff voice cut through the chirp of crickets in the nearby jungle, and Conrad turned. He hadn't seen Rafa Bonilla since he was a kid. Now this young man towered over him in height, deep-voiced with strong muscles, but Conrad knew it was the same boy. He had the same eyes.

"Rafa, it's me. Conrad Gordon."

"Yeah, I'll bet." The man sneered. "I saw you with a badge at the villa."

The young man threw a heavy punch before lunging at him, knocking him to the ground with brute force. "Rafa, it's really me," he choked out, as the man straddled his shoulders and blocked his airway. He struggled to breathe, but Rafa wouldn't let up no matter how hard he fought him.

Conrad's face grew hot as his throat closed, and the world around him faded to black. ->

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WCIF? George and June are posed with Akiyumi's Too Much and SamsSims' Sleep posepacks respectively. Conrad and Rafa's scuffle is from @rebouks Fite Me posepack, and the last shot of Conrad, unconscious, is from @yibsimchronicles' Fainted posepack. I love them all, and they really helped me get different shots I had in my head into the pixels, so thank you to all for sharing!

And I need to thank Cepzid for their police station uniform pack cc so I could stage the shots with Ximena in the last episode, and the shot with the officer here, since none of those scenes were triggered by actual gameplay. The clothes look great in game!

[tau1tvec]

Okay, I watched the trailer, and I’m gonna try to avoid echoing what’s already been said about the upcoming expansion in the YT trailer’s comments by instead explaining how EA rlly could’ve use this pack’s theme as an opportunity to garner good will, and also make more money, while pushing a more modular aspect to The Sims 4’s DLC structure.

Make Get to Work FREE. The pack is how old??? Nearly as old as the base game, and much like the base game it’s absolutely showing its age, both in style and gameplay, esp now this new pack is coming out. Giving it away for free would’ve given the Free 2 Playness of the BG a much needed revival, grown the player base, and just given a lotta ppl who still haven’t bought it probably bc it’s old as sin, a means to rejoice. Throw in a light refresh, like new objects for bonus good company points.

Make the new lot options Base Game. Mostly bc I’m sick of seeing what feels like BG content get put behind a paywall ( looking at you For Rent ), and being pushed as this huge selling point, when I rlly would’ve rather had some more of something else, like BANDS 😤. With GTW accessible to all players, it could’ve easily been implemented to BG, or I’d like to think it’d be easy for EA since I’ve seen at least two gr8 mods that have allowed you to run business outta your sims house since 4ever.

Bring back GamePacks. I’m probably weird, but I actually loved these little bitches, but I know EA probably loathed them bc gameplay, and a world, for only $20 🤨 ??? Though hear me out EA… 3 ( three ) GamePacks, all focusing on one aspect, in this case hobbies you can monetize, but that add 2 hobbies each, and play on different themes, like an art one, music one, and food one… ig ??? Idk, sims love food apparently. Either way, we would’ve gotten more skills, more CAS, and more Buy Build and gameplay, and EA would’ve made an extra twenty bucks off of completionists.

I’m still waiting to see what else could be in this pack, although a lot of what’s in it has already been detailed, and it ain’t a lot imo, but this has been happening a while now ( looking at you again For Rent ). I get that EA has to bring in money to keep the lights on, and that they might “allegedly” be in a tough position rn financially, but I’d also like to think they kinda put themselves there? Like how is it our responsibility as the fans to keep a company afloat that isn’t rlly doing enough to entice us to open our wallets, and instead look to other means to acquire it.