#sims 4 articles

[aurorangen]

For how long will I have to live with this pain?

Transcript:

[Starting high school was a fresh start for me. I met new people and my best friends were by my side. I made lots of happy memories and forgot the bad things from primary school. It was all perfect when it began]

[That day, it started like any other day until I got to school. I was met with staring eyes and whispering voices. Talks about a missing person. Kingsley? Could he be related to Ashton Kingsley? 4 months have passed since the shed incident and we never talked about him at home. I hadn't thought about him in a while]

[Billy drove me home after school and I asked about the missing person case. The man was Dr Anton Boerescu and he showed me the newspaper, it was that doctor again. He kept quiet about my dad when he talked though. I was reading the article then looked up and saw an undercover police car parked on my house drive]

Police Officer: Payton Wilkinson, you are under arrest for the murder of Ashton Kingsley-

[My heart was racing and I was too stunned to speak. I couldn't understand what was happening. Billy tried to take control of the situation, demanding details as he recognised the officers from the other station]

[I wanted to run to my mum, but I was stopped and I froze at the sight. All I could see was her shaking while being handcuffed, crying and denying the accusations. I could hear Billy contacting his chief: he had no power]

Payton: [begging] Please! I would never do such a thing! Billy take care of Vincent! Make sure nothing-

[I was so scared: the police were arresting her for murder. I didn't know what to believe and started suspecting my own mother. The times she didn't seem like her usual self, if she was at work while I was at school, how much she despised him, why she has never mentioned his name. I fell to my knees. She couldn't have, could she?]

[saturngalore]

B.S.P.S

[Black Sim Princesses]

[nostalgiaclown]

BONEHILDA AND MANFRED?!

[tau1tvec]

quote/

The Sims is about to get even more competition. A new studio co-founded by Jake Solomon, the veteran game designer behind XCOM and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, will challenge Maxis’ enduring and dominant life simulation game series with a new, still-untitled game that focuses on “the drama of modern life.”

Joining Solomon at his new game company Midsummer Studios are co-founder Will Miller (also formerly of Firaxis) and ex-The Sims producer-director Grant Rodiek (aka “SimGuru Grant”). Rodiek was previously game director on Project Rene, Maxis’ in-development follow-up to The Sims 4. At least a half dozen other former Firaxis game developers who worked on the XCOM games and Marvel’s Midnight Suns are also now at Midsummer Studios.

“The best stories in games are written by the players,” Solomon said in a news release. “At Midsummer we’re making a life sim focused on the drama of modern life, where our players will write meaningful stories just by playing, and then share those stories with the world.”

/end quote

Article

[crownsofesha]

~ The Young Tsesarevna ~

Portrait painted by Ilya Hendrikov in 1807, when Tsarina Sofiya was 28 years old.

[vermutandherring]

Horse Ranch was, without exaggeration, one of the most anticipated additions to The Sims 4. Perhaps, if the previous game had not set such a high bar, expectations for the fourth would have been lower. Although it cannot be less, given the game's initially tarnished reputation. Nevertheless, Horse Ranch significantly raises the bar of the game from the first seconds. The developers expose themselves, proving that the closed world is just an excuse for their own laziness and unwillingness to do anything more than small worlds of the same type. It turns out that even in a limited space there is room for majestic and graceful horses, the appearance of which players have been waiting for almost a dozen years. I often go to extremes, saying on the one hand that subsequent games in the series have the right to repeat themselves. If they don't bring to the industry or even the franchise itself, there's nothing wrong with that as long as it's a good game in its own right. But Sims 4 is not the case. I have repeatedly pointed out that this particular game is a leech, which, nevertheless, we continue to play. This waiting game has gone on too long. But, as they say, patience is rewarded.

The horses in the Horse Ranch expansion pack have undergone a significant improvement compared to The Sims 3. They look really graceful, their faces are no longer obtuse and silly, and in general they look relatively realistic in the game's cartoonish graphics. In the 3d game, you will need a bunch of mods to make the horses closer to their living counterparts and get aesthetic pleasure from their appearance. In the 4th, they are really nice to watch. Especially in a bunch with well-developed animations.

I last played Sims 3 not so long ago, so the contrast in the movements of both the animal and the rider feels good. They no longer slide across the ground like logs, and the reins are not glued tightly to their necks. Now you see how your character literally sets the direction and the horse, leaning and bending to turn or jump, reacts to the control by realistically stomping its hooves.

The style of the game is also focused on the western type of horse riding inherent in American culture. I will not say that this is the best idea, given that many players think of the classical school when they hear the words "horse riding". I myself would prefer to see more classic elements. But it is worth considering that The Sims is originally an American story about the American dream, created by Americans. I think, against the background of numerous additions that represent various cultures of the world, it is worth leaving something for yourself. However, that doesn't excuse the fact that the game has too… No. TOO little horse equipment per se. 3 saddles, 2 bridles and several accessories, including two saddle pads. For the money the add-on costs, it should have featured some more unusual equipment. In addition, the story of Native American tribes is woven into the expansion, so why not develop this theme a little deeper, and add more historical and cultural artifacts?

The first minutes of the game are really fun. Everything seems completely new, you want to try so many things at the same time. But this euphoria quickly passes when you understand that all improvement ends in the appearance and animations. The new discipline – barrel racing – is not impressive at all. All you can do is run in circles around the barrels. That's all. When I say circles, I mean it literally. No eights, complex tricks or at least movement in the other direction. With show jumping, or rather what was left of it, it is even worse. Instead of a chain of obstacles that could be built into an entire arena in The Sims 3, you can practice with just one small obstacle that is as high as your character's knees. At first it is interesting to watch, but then it is so depressing that training horses turns into a mortal routine.

By the way, now your horses have as many as 4 skills. One develops the character of your pet and expands the number of interactions with it, the other 3 - endurance, jumping and agility - have almost no effect on anything. Gold medals at the first levels of competition difficulty are very easy, even if the horse's skills are minimal. And yes, all competitions are our 'favorite' and well-known rabbit holes, where you cannot even conditionally observe the development of the event. What is even more annoying is the fact that now there is practically no point in training. Unlike Sims 3, in the fourth game foals do not inherit skills from their parents, only character traits. If earlier you could breed a foal with almost 100% skills, train it quickly, win a few competitions and sell it for good money, now you have to suffer for a very long time with one horse to get at least something for it. For these reasons, I see no need to keep a mare and a stallion to develop a pedigree. It's too long, too unrewarding and terribly boring. Considering the lags, it is also dangerous for nerves.

What is undoubtedly pleasing against the background of all these endless minuses is the mobility of horses. They no longer stomp endlessly in place when you try to interact with them, they don't need a lot of space to perform actions, and most importantly, no more ugly stalls that take up too much space. Now you have a 3x3 bedding where your horse can sleep, but which you can do without. Fortunately, instead of large, clumsy barns, you can now build luxurious stables. Another plus is that several horses can use the feeder and waterer at the same time.

In addition, all lots have small paddocks nearby. And all areas of the town have barrels and obstacles, so you don't have to place them on your lot. It is enough to build a house and a stable when the training area is nearby. Thus, on the largest lots, you can arrange whole farms and ranches with a bunch of animals.

Speaking of animals, I can't say much about goats and sheep. Yes, they are cute. But like the rest of the livestock, they have a more decorative function, if you, like me, don't really like to dig around with all this craftable stuff. They are not always friendly, they can butt and do not want your attention. Given that we already have rabbits that can help you in the garden, I think goats and sheep could come up with more interesting roles. If you have too many decorative animals, then taking care of them is a nightmare. Fortunately, the ranch hand you can hire is great at their job. In addition to taking care of the animals, they tend the garden, can do things and take care of the animals from Cottage Living. However, sometimes there are weird lags where they idle instead of leaving the lot when the job is done, or quits without notification and you have to hire them again.

Overall I like the new expansion pack. It adds long-awaited new experiences to the routine of Sims' lives. But as with all add-ons for The Sims 4, Horse Ranch is fun right up until you've tried all the features of the set. A week later, I no longer feel a burning desire to return to my ranch, because I know that nothing new or interesting awaits me. Rather the opposite: endless bugs, simulation problems and sheep that hate me. Undoubtedly, if you are crazy about horses and Horse Ranch was a long-awaited addition for you, it is worth your attention. After all, where EA has screwed up, there will always be talented creators and their mods. If horses sound empty to you, I don't think Horse Ranch will be able to dilute your routine for long. In any case, this add-on is not worth its full price, and despite the good idea that players have been waiting for, it is another heartless DLC that openly encroaches on our wallets like never before.

I think at this point I like the scale of the game more, which the new expansion pack adds to the game, which makes its world feel less closed. My sims can sit in the pond while the horses walk in the pasture and the little goats sleep under their feet.

[kirkwallguy]

this is absolutely part of ea's marketing push for ts4 but it is NOT going to help the culture war people who think dav is going to be bad because of woke

[guinevere666]

''Forget The Hollow'' is coming to Willow Creek Open Air Theatre next week!!!

[are-they-all-sims]

(SimGossip Magazine Article)

Violet Talbert's Husband Cheating On Her?!

SimGossip has the scoop! An anonymous source has submitted some photographs that seem to indicate SimTuber and Simstagramer, Violet Talbert, has a husband who is unfaithful.

Caption: Violet rose to fame by blogging about her Christian lifestyle as a teenager. She gained followers who loved her advice about modest clothing and building a relationship with God. Over time she has gained almost 1M followers on Simstagram and posts regular updates on SimTube about her family. Photo taken from Simstagram @/godlychristianmama.

Violet has been with her husband, Aaron Talbert, for almost a decade now. The couple has three children and struggled with fertility after having their first daughter.

Caption: Violet and Aaron's wedding day. Photo taken from Simstagram.

Caption: Violet and Aaron's first pregnancy announcement. They currently have three children: Zofiya, Yvie, and Xandyr. Photo taken from Simstagram.

This alleged news, if proved to be true, would be devastating for the Simfluencer. A cheating husband is never a good look - especially for one that boasts about family values.

Here is one picture shared with SimGossip:

In the photo, Violet's husband seems to be kissing a woman with black hair. Violet's hair is brown and has been since her last Simsta post yesterday.

Who is this mysterious woman? One anonymous source alleges that it's Diana Carver - Violet's live-in nanny who also happens to be her cousin. The woman's face can't be seen from this image or the other ones submitted to SimGossip, but it doesn't look like Violet Talbert based on hair color and style.

SimGossip has reached out to Violet and Diana for comment and has yet to receive responses.

This story will be updated as information becomes available. Stay tuned.

Written by Lia Green and associates

[bethanylouiise]

The Best Sims 4 Challenges To Play in 2024

One of the greatest things about the Sims is how open-ended it is. There’s no end goal, no preset storyline, just endless gameplay limited only by your imagination.

But, sometimes, the well of imagination runs dry, and your Sims’ lives grow stale. I find the best way out of that rut is to start a new save and do something totally different. And the best way to come up with that “something totally different” when I’m out of ideas?

Challenges. Sims players have created hundreds of fanmade challenges over the years, focusing on various themes, settings, storylines, and gameplay styles. Whether you’re bored and looking for something new or want to up the difficulty and challenge yourself, these challenges are the way to go.

[awkwardnoob]

Anyone know what furniture the mini-goats/sheep need? They don't have a house tied to them like chickens or cows so I'm at a loss.

[toytulini]

wish the little listicles and articles reccomending google alternatives didnt like, mention ios. like no offense but do you think i dont know what an iphone is. you think im looking into google alternatives but i dont know that apple exists? you really think that? if i was going to buy a fucking apple product id already be doing that?

[l-1-z-a]

Maxis and EA: 2002–2007. An unemployed game programmer walks… | by Talin | Medium

[tavysboy]

just seen a peak at the character creator for veilguard and OH that is what i want to see most omg

[crownsofesha]

~ The Wikipedia Page of Tsarina Sofiya Feodorovna ~

A big thank you to @lucky-content for the wikipedia template. I don't know how I would do this without it.

HQ Wikipedia version here

HQ versions of the photos under the cut (and apart of the wikipedia article I wrote that got cut off, and its my favorite part)

"Sofiya and Empress Odetta of Islavaria were friends since the marriage of Empress Odetta to Emperor Alexander II. “Sofiya knew what she wanted and no matter how difficult or impossible it was in theory, she would get it suprising everyone,” Odetta wrote in her personal diary. Sofiya and the Empress were the start of the Six Queens Alliance, bringing in their own allies to this meeting. Sofiya and Odetta long time friends, even in their old age, despite their age difference of sixteen years. “Odetta, my dependable friend. She was always there to lift me up and support me in my work whenever I needed. She was strong, and wanted to be for her loved ones. Her legacy is strong and I look forward to seeing what comes in honor of her,” Sofiya wrote after the funeral of Odetta in c 1856."

[vermutandherring]

I read ‘Carmilla’ by Le Fanu and am already on my way to Stoker’s ‘Dracula’. Next, I want to make a short cycle of video games about vampires. By the way, it was the vampire game that introduced me to ‘Barry Lyndon’. Wanted to make sure what happened to the Prince Sebastian LaCroix in ‘Vampires the Masquerade – Bloodlines’ so I checked about other game ending. Wiki says that his character was drawn from Lord Bullingdon - one of the characters in Kubrick's drama. I was wondering if there was any parallel between these characters, so I watched the movie. In general, I don't really like movies and rarely watch them. However, Barry Lyndon is worth your attention if you like all things historical, with harpsichords, wide dresses and languid glances of ladies. Lady Honoria Lyndon will probably remain my favorite character for a long time. Just look at her big and sad eyes. Marisa Berenson (the actress) seems to have stepped out of Gainsborough's canvas. So I tried to recreate her in The Sims 4.

Film critic Roger Ebert recognized this film as one of the most beautiful films in history. The same Roger Ebert, who assured that games will never be art (being honest to the end, he later changed his opinion a little). If I recreate Lady Honoria in a game from a work that is art, is it still art or just a parody of it? In his article, Mr. Ebert goes to great lengths to prove why games are not cool. He gives his expert counterargument to every statement, and his tenacity makes you want to start jumping out of your pants to prove your point (even though he has already rested in peace and is unlikely to hear us). I also did it, especially when I was writing my diploma. But it is unlikely that we all will get anything constructive, because Mr. Ebert operates with the history of art and his huge professional experience. And we are just *pathetic players* playing our silly games, as in the first picture from his article.

At one time, trying to mentally argue with Roger Ebert led me to an existential crisis. And really, why is it important to me that games are recognized as art? Am I too passionate about the idea of something high and beautiful, or am I just looking for an excuse for why I play? Regardless, I'm sure whether you consider games to be an art form or not, if you're enjoying them, that's a good thing. You don't need an excuse to play, because if you're looking for an excuse to fence yourself off in your own eyes, maybe you have some serious problems, why you're replacing reality with games (for me it was depression that I had to treat).

I know it all sounds messy, but it's just a thought for the night. By the way, there is no connection between the characters of Prince LaCroix and Lord Bullingdon. Perhaps the fact is that both to some extent wanted to return what belonged to them. Fortunately or unfortunately, LaCroix failed to do so.

Game: The Sims 4

Screenshots credits: • The Queens of Persia at the Feet of Alexander Painting by @thejim07 • 1780s hair by @simsfromthepast • Necklace by @acanthus-sims • Dress by @regina-raven