#whyeverr rambles

[whyeverr]

welp I just noticed it's september... guess I should probably call it quits on that "short" summer break, right? 😬

I have been slowly working on building up my queue while also doing a whole lot of not simming and will probably rip the bandaid off and unpause my queue tomorrow. I'm not ready but if I wait until I'm completely ready I'll never actually be ready, you know?

I had big plans to rework the format for my character and chapter intros and play with using tumblr polls to let y'all make some decisions for us, like who next is going to join New Promise or naming a llama. (Important stuff!) But then you forget what improvements you wanted to make and think better of locking yourself into any given plan — or just realize that the llama quite simply is named Queso. so I'm just going to do my best to keep it simple.

anyway this is just me rambling to say hi, I'm back. 💗 I hope summer has treated you well. I hope it's been easy — it often isn't, more often than not, but it should be. I'm excited to get back to Evergreen Harbor and see everybody again — and some new faces too.

[whyeverr]

I think we definitely missed our chance for it with Horse Ranch, but I would have loved a wide-open (wide, wide, wide open) rolling prairie world, with gravel roads and scattered farmhouses (all buildable lots, no deco buildings) few and far between, and ancient, gnarled burr oak trees nestled down along one lonely winding creek bed. there is something so hauntingly beautiful about being out in the open plains, alone save for a speck of an old gray barn falling in on itself on the horizon.

I may be the only person on earth to want this 😆

My strange longing for the prairie aside, I would love to see more lower economic status / working class depiction in future world(s). That’s something I love deeply about Willow Creek and Oasis Springs that I feel is lost with a lot of EP worlds: a starter lot that feels like truly just starting out, without being off grid completely. There are some amazing exceptions to this (the Spice Market in San Myshuno and Mirage Park in Del Sol Valley, my beloveds), but you cannot tell me that it’s actually possible to get a starter single family house in San Sequioa or Copperdale for less than a mil. (The only high school district in the game? The property tax alone!)

Perhaps an Appalachian-inspired semi-rural world with an occult / folklore pack theme? StrangerVille meets Copperdale meets Mothman? (just imagine if this is what we got instead of storybook fairies lmao)

📩 Simblr question of the day: What is your dream design for a world? What activities would it come with.

answer in whatever way is most comfortable for you and feel free to share this SQOTD around, make sure to use the hashtag SQOTD and tag me in separate posts ~ 💛

This question was contributed by an anon ~ Thank you for submitting multiple questions ~ (This is question 2 of 4 from this anon)

[thebramblewood]

📩 Simblr question of the day: You can answer one or both parts of this question! 1️⃣ Part one: If you make Story posts, what do you do for scenes? Do you build them yourself, do you download lots from the gallery or do you download them from someone online? 2️⃣ Part two: If you make Gameplay/Legacy posts, what do you do for a house? Do you build it yourself, download a home from the gallery or do you download them from someone online? Additionally, do you build onto that home or demolish it and rebuild the house when needed? (E.G When another child enters the picture or someone moves in) ❎ If you do none of those for either half, what do you do? Do you use someone else's save file? (WIndbrook by Folking, Willow Creek + Magnolia Promenade by Theneighborhoodsave, Silent Pines by Silentpinessave... etc)

( freely share this SQOTD around, anon or not, and use the hashtag " SQOTD " ~ 💛 )

Hello, friend! Thank you for the thought and time you put into these questions. I hope the new blog takes off. ❤️

For both story and gameplay purposes, the short answer is I will always choose to do as little building (and ideally decorating) as I can get away with. Building is not my forte at all. I find it dull and draining, and even if I have references I often just don't know where to start. Decorating can be draining for me too because it activates both my indecisiveness and my perfectionism, but I'll do it slightly more often, especially for my Sims' homes because I do like them to be personalized. If I'm making a few changes here and there to an already decorated space, it's not a big deal. If I know I'll have to decorate an entire build, it's definitely something I need to mentally prepare myself to commit to because it'll probably take at least a week. (More rambling and examples under the cut.)

The only full build I've done for my story so far has been this shop in Oasis Springs because I couldn't find anything that matched the vibe in my head. It was so structurally simple but took me forever.

Ulrike's apartment and Vatore Manor are both builds by @haledela that I fully redecorated. I love replacing residential lots in my worlds with their builds because they look so much nicer than the usual Maxis monstrosities.

Sometimes I'll just decorate one room if I need something specific for a scene. For example, I temporarily replaced part of UBrite Commons with this classroom. For the concert scene, I used another build by @haledela and just spruced it up a bit to get the stage area looking how I wanted.

I find most builds on Tumblr. I'll scour finds blogs, follow the builders I like most, and then bookmark anything interesting that comes across my dash. I find browsing the gallery overwhelming, so I only do it if I can't find anything here or need something in a pinch when I'm already in-game. The types of builds I love most are multipurpose lots that I can use for several scenes but make look like different places! For example, Helena and Ulrike's break-up and Helena and Lilith's first meeting take place on the same lot. I also used the same lot for the haunted house scene in the prologue and the Spooky Bowl! They're both by the very talented and creative @whyeverr, whose builds I've used countless times.

Some of my other favorite builders besides the two I've mentioned are @alerionjkeee, @bottsbotts, @beetlemp3, @ratboysims, and @sweetbeagaming! They all have really diverse and unique builds that I always get a lot of mileage out of when I use them!

[moudschegiebchn]

Caliente sisters makeover

I’ve decided to put Nina and Dina Caliente into my main save. Left are the sad totally-out-of-canon EAxis versions (Dina with an active trait, hellooo?), right my versions with different traits + aspirations. Nina's new traits: romantic / dance machine / adventurous Dina's new traits: outgoing / art lover / ambitious

ramblings under the cut

My versions are based on their Sims 2 versions. A combination of what you find in the wiki and whatever impressions I got over the years through simblr. Though my most recent and probably most formative one is by @vixsims Pleasantview with a twist story. Screw EAxis for putting zero effort into this and not sticking to any canon versions of the sisters. It’S aN AlTeRnAtE uNiVeRsE my ass. As if they didn’t pull the same thing with Sims 3. As far as Sims 4 exclusive canon goes I’m sticking with @whyeverr ’s Realm of Magic story. 😄

Anyway... although Nina has in Sims 2 the romance aspiration people tend to give her a family second which I think fits her quite well. Like she doesn’t settle down for a long time and likes to have fun, all in all pretty easy going. Until she meets the right sim or something happens and she leaves that behind to start a more “domestic” life. I was - and still am - toying with the idea of giving her the Soulmate aspiration but also the noncommittal trait, which could later on turn into family oriented. Though I gave her the dance machine trait because I strongly feel that Nina just loves to dance. And adventurous because it says these Sims seek out new and unique experiences and that fits her imo also very well. Come to think of it she’s not so different to my own sim Gwendolyn Calderwood. *hint hint hint*

As for Dina I really dislike the whole gold-digger thing. I’m torn if she should’ve the materialistic trait but I rather see her as someone who likes having money and the advantages that come with it but ultimately it’s not the most important thing to her. Which doesn’t mean she has no ambitions in life. For now I gave her the Successful Lineage aspiration. I see Dina as someone who does strive to reach a high - and preferably high paying - position in her job and, once she starts a family, wants her kids to make something out of their life’s too. I can really see her as this power mom later in life, rocking both her job and raising her children. Though for now she’s a bit more of a free spirit, having just reached young adulthood and all.

[whyeverr]

👀

Frankly shocked we are getting another EP this quarter (and obviously quite worried what that means for present and future bugs 🤦🏼‍♀️) but a Hot Date pack? I’m intrigued…

Wishlist (in no particular order):

Vibrating heart bed (for real this time)

Heart-shaped hot tub

New (and/or refreshed) romantic interactions

Astrology / romantic compatibility

Dating apps

Blind dates

A more robust system for non-romantic hookups than “woohoo partners” — one-night stands without a cheesy first kiss would be a great start

Polyamory support beyond the Player reward trait???

Another non-American / Eurocentric world? 🤞🏻

I would also love for this of all packs to somehow herald the return of cars with a taxi / rideshare system (Hot Date!) and maybe a lover’s lane car makeout / woohoo location but I know that’s a pipe dream. 😆

[whyeverr]

I cringed my way through yesterday’s livestream and I think I am finally officially on board for this pack (after being hyped at the initial leaks / roadmap, then disappointed by lackluster trailers). I don’t think we’re in for a lackluster pack, I think they’re just reallyreally bad at marketing / explaining this particular kind of EP.

if it seems like the main features of this pack are the dating app and costume box, that’s on them 🤦🏼‍♀️ but there’s so much more that I am (finally) getting excited to dig into, like:

likes and dislikes and turn ons and turn offs being two separate (but similar) systems — I love that this means a sim can be attracted to something that doesn’t align with their platonic interaction preferences, like “I hate that this is doing it for me” 🫣

the turn ons and turn offs system in general! most of* the must-haves seem to be there and the options will be really fun to build characters or gameplay around (the turned on by Broke but Affectionate Arts & Crafts Slacker sims to “Why do I keep dating these losers?” pipeline or the black widow challenge with the Wealthy turn on???)

the specificity of the romantic boundaries system (technically coming to Basegame but still shouting it out) as well as the option to have it change over time based on dialog in game

the MWS of it all makes me nervous not gonna lie but truly customizable dates, e.g. with everything from “be funny” to woohoo available for get to know you-type dates, holds a lot of potential for fresh gameplay in an event that hopefully happens more than once a generation in most people’s games

autonomous breakups and divorce (!!!)

Ciudad Enamorada being based on a single culture (and not an amalgamation of cultures like Jungle Adventure) and working with Mexican creators to build the lots

telenovelas and reality dating tv 🫶🏻

the return of the vibrating heart bed and the attention to detail that the vibration makes sims’ voices change

lips couch lips couch lips couch 🫦

bed canopies! can’t wait to play with all the combos and always nice to have a new way to make old items feel fresh (like the decor pillow item(s) have done with old couches!)

juliette balcony with a shelf slot for outdoor plaaaaants 🥹

all the little cultural decor pieces I can’t wait to get a closer look at

aaaand for balance, here are some things I’m a lil disappointed about:

I’ve complained about this before and it’s pretty trivial but every neighborhood, lot, etc having an easily translatable Spanish word or phrase as its name feels like really lazy / shallow / cartoony world-building

all this progress in separating woohoo from courtship but still needing to have a super cheesy sheepish first kiss before you can move any further physically 😑

no catfishing (but catfish costume?)

no eye color option as a turn on / turn off 🥲

sorry but the plain version of the woohoo blanket looks like dogshit

all the colorful stucco (?) buildings in the historic neighborhood look suuuuper flat which really emphasizes the empty shellness of it all

modern black vinyl windows in otherwise very traditional window casings — imo they pretty well ruined Horse Ranch build mode with this exact move (unless you like 🤢… modern farmhouses) and now they’ve gone and done it to another pack 😭 definitely not helping how flat the world looks either

[whyeverr]

Forgotten Grotto finally getting the recognition she deserves 😌

I’m already pretty keen on this pack even if not every piece hits the mark (the crystal tree is, err… a lot). This is what I wanted Realm of Magic to look and feel like—cozy witch vibes, charging crystals in the moonlight. 🥰🔮🌙

I am always excited to have a new hobby (especially crafting) and I think it’s even better that these are all made with the crystals and minerals we’ve been collecting since basegame vs yet another material collection. And it looks like we’re going to have CAS items buffing skill building now too…?

Also just as someone who took jewelry and metalworking courses in art school it’s so cool to see details like the hand saw on the wall of tools, the vise on the jeweler’s bench, the jeweler’s loupe, etc. 🥰

I’m sure there will be plenty of complaining (there always is!) and fully understand this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m really looking forward to it! 💗 and it’s out next Thursday already wtfffff

[whyeverr]

welp.

I’m already obsessed 🤷🏼‍♀️

[whyeverr]

It turns out I am very into yogurt. But less than enthused about this update. 

I think infants are adorable (creepy vanilla eyes and all) but found them to be surprisingly straightforward to care for...? Playing with my infant simself I was surprised to find that she can sit up already? And crawl? I thought they showed us in the stream how infants had to, y’know, learn how to do all this stuff...? 

And sure, I expected the official milestones system for recognizing these achievements to be locked behind the Growing Together paywall. And the infant carrier thing, okay... Baby showers, that’s fine, more of a newborn object baby thing, I guess... I was even willing to accept that the freaking changing table (despite them literally being made to match basegame assets) and playmat were pack exclusive.

But my god. Infant skills aren’t basegame? I knew it was bad news that the infant update and Growing Together EP release were so closely tied together. Were they seriously like, how much essential gameplay shit can we carve out of this life stage and how many free cute clutter objects do we need to crank out to pull off this bait and switch?

Because that’s what it feels like. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

[whyeverr]

[whyeverr]

simblreen is fast approaching and it occurs to me i could use a poll to find out what kind of builds to make for y’all instead of letting indecision paralyze me??? 👻

what a concept

[whyeverr]

I think I must be fully alone in this but I honestly hope we don’t get apartments in the new world? 🙈

I’d much rather have a residential neighborhood that actually feels dense with playable lots than a neighborhood like the ones in Evergreen Harbor where it’s one or two residential lots in a sea of deco houses and an apartment building off in the distance.

Also like. Toddlers and pets make apartment gameplay buggy enough. We really want to throw infants into that mix? We really want to teach our kids to ride a bike in the un-routable empty swaths of concrete outside our apartments? Raising kids should absolutely be compatible with apartments and but I personally do not see them as the best primary fit for this pack.

Now I would live die ascend to heaven and come back to life for a new townhouse / terrace house / semidetached / zero lot / whatever you call it lot type. That would work for the world and the gameplay coming with this pack.

[whyeverr]

Hello and happy holidays! 🥂✨ Over the past couple months of semi-hiatus I’ve had time to reflect on what’s next for me here—specifically, how I want to best enjoy my free time in this game and community—and I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what I want to do. 

Lots of rambling on that below the cut, but tl;dr you can expect me back with more build projects and new gameplay kicking off in 2023! 💗

I’ve had a few folks ask about what my next story will be after wrapping up La Boca Cerrada this fall, but tbh I don’t think I’ll actually tell another story quite like that ever again...? (A sigh of relief for some, surely!) I mean, never say never and all that, but for me, LBC has been a unique experience: a story I just couldn’t get out of my head, characters and scenes I couldn’t stop seeing play out in the Sims. There’s nothing like it simmering on the back burner. 

I’ve learned a ton from the experience: mods like TOOL and Pose Player, but also just like the completely absurd level of determination and stick-to-itiveness required to tell a long-form story start to finish via 2–4 posts per day over the course of literal years. It’s been a journey—one I'm proud and grateful to have taken with you—but not a path I'll be looking to revisit anytime soon.

So yeah! What comes next? Every pack release post Discover University I haven’t really explored past build mode. With the quality of some of the more recent releases that uhhhhh hasn't really been a big issue. 🥴 But I’ve been wanting for a long time now to play in Evergreen Harbor, so that’s exactly where I’m headed! I’ve been having fun for awhile now setting up a save there for my own spin on the Build a City Challenge, and while I have a few background details in mind, I'm going back to my gameplay-driven storytelling roots. Which—fingers crossed—should require a lot less planning and posing and other time-consuming stuff, hopefully leaving me with a better balance of time for build mode projects as well. Speaking of which... 👀

[whyeverr]

so like… what EA community lots should I renovate next?

🤔

[whyeverr]

it’s taken me longer than anticipated but I’ve finally queued all the posts for the next scene which I had to tackle all at once instead of my usual slightly more chaotic method due to important things and small details and puzzling inferences all taking place over one big conversation.

which is to say, new la boca cerrada posts are coming your way starting tomorrow! at least Maggie is excited…

[whyeverr]

I adore the book verison of Station Eleven, but I'm picky af when it comes to tv show/movie adaptations. I also don't have HBO Max, lol. But yeah, I'm not sure that I'd like it. I also really don't think that it would get half as much publicity (in fact they might not even have made it a show) if we weren't in the middle of a pandemic right now. So, yeah, idk how I'd feel about it. What do you think they did well and what not so well? (spoilers are fine) I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

I’m also a big fan of the book. 💗 I think, for the most part, the changes made to condense the story into 10 episodes have worked well while still ringing true to the book’s POV (though there are still 3 episodes to go). It’s also suuuper beautifully shot and styled.

I can’t speak on the publicity for the show (I must live under a rock, I didn’t know it was even being made until seeing it on the app), but I did happen to discover while perusing imdb for reference images that the series was already in development before the pandemic started. I find that so bizarre and interesting.

Regardless, of course, it’s now impossible to disconnect the story from our current lived reality. I first read it at the start of the pandemic, and half-joke about that being a huge mistake, but honestly, I think it helped more than it hurt. I love the same things about the show that I love about the book: the mix of anxiety and comfort, isolation and connection. That doesn’t mean it won’t be a miss for others! Take my rambles with a grain of salt. 💗