Author Topic: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose (Complete)  (Read 35918 times)

Offline oshizu

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #105 on: March 18, 2018, 02:30:43 PM »
I like Ahilac's new ponytail look though I confess I can't recall at which point she changed from her approximately-chin-length-hair look.

Oh, Alyssa, Transmitter of The Nose! I will miss you a lot, even though you were often out spying and seemed to feature in fewer screenshots.
How great that you are survived by such an endearing specimen of (what's the word I'm looking for?) "nosehood," Quentin!
Rest in peace. I'm glad you got to spend some time with your grandchildren.

The movie TV is huge and it's in a room with a bar. How can the family tear itself away from that room?

Offline Heart Foam

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #106 on: March 18, 2018, 04:18:38 PM »
@oshizu I really like that ponytail hairdo. I think it's a base game one that I had never used before now. Ahilac has a few outfits. I have since swapped the Cats & Dogs sweater because I feel like I'm overusing it. Allie had it too. Whether or not her hair really could be done in both ways is something I'm happy to leave to the magic of Sims.

... they can if the formal living room also has a big TV and a bar. :/

@FrancescaFiori Quite so, no overexertion! She had occasional romantic partners to keep her spirits up, but at this moment in time there wasn't anyone because they had also died. I once had the morbid idea of rocket woohoo to bring to a close the physical lives of Anissa and Antwan. To reduce house numbers. If that floor has Inspired you, that's great. A pattern of some sort is something I feel is necessary for big posh marble floors. It's not an option. A big room can look bare and unfinished otherwise.

As something of a teaser, and seen as you mentioned floor patterns... I think this one works really well. The house is just an empty shell. It's a build-mode mock up. I am terrified of the bills, and of the lag. It's actually a house I started building yonks ago, but abandoned because at the time there wasn't the circular roofs necessary to make the dome at the back work. And it felt cramped on the 50x50 Affluista Mansion lot. I am going to gradually build this, but I think it's impractical. Getting from one end to the other, and even getting out the door to the street, must be quite the Journey. We'll find out I guess! The Vlad's Nose house is unquestionably better. The big expanse of terrace needed breaking up, so... floor tile fun. 



Oh, and seeing as it was topical, I did marry Kelly and Quentin. When that post happens I'll say more, obviously. :)
 
It is a little thing of my own. I call it "Heart Foam". I shall not publish it. Farewell! Patience, Patience, farewell!

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Offline Heart Foam

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Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose - Part 29
« Reply #107 on: March 18, 2018, 05:25:54 PM »
Part 29.

Today's update is a sequence of fairly self-explanatory pictures. Mostly.

The very next thing to happen in the house after Alyssa's death, was Anissa's death.









And that is of course the same room and the same mirror she was reflected in many moons ago, in a romantic embrace with Don Lothario. The family, especially Ethan who can't stack umpteen positive moodlets, were very sad. This was the scene upstairs, moments later.



Lacy, luckily, only aged up to a toddler now, and unlike everyone else she had no sad moodlets at all. I know I can cure them easily. In the science room just across the hall there is a cloning machine and moodlet solvers, but no, not for Anissa. She was special, and they can mourn her.



Lacy stayed in that green & gold combo for much of toddlerhood. It wasn't tragically awful enough to warrant being changed.



Some flash cards with dad.

You can just about see the big tear Ethan is crying here. What with Anissa's death and the odd nightmare, or feeling abandoned, he seemed to be sad quite a lot, poor kid.



This is Ahilac heading out. This will require explanation as to why I bothered taking such a mundane picture.



It was her final day of being a teen. All 5 character traits are in range of a positive outcome... and then she went to school. Anissa, her adopted mother, was a Super Parent. When she was alive, I could always see the outcome of the character-strait chance cards Ahilac might get at school. Somehow, today was different (even though Antwan was level 10), and I had to choose blindly and I didn't choose well. Her Empathy fell out of range. And as a teenager, that's not super-easy to raise. But her age bar was already bubbling. So I pulled her out of school early. And now her Responsibility was out of range too. At least responsibility is easily fixed by doing homework, which got it back in range - but only just. It eats up precious time, however. Everyone else is at work, or school, or not in a bad mood. So I sent her volunteering, not sure she'd even make it out the front door before aging up. It was a very tense, unexpected drama. And since she was born I had planned on making an effort to get her all 5 traits.





Sucess! Relief. You can see she has Compassionate, and can also tell from the scroll bar it can't display all 5. 

So Ahilac and her many traits was destined for Social Media, PR branch because I want the FuzzRead articles in this room.



There's facebrick, neon lights, a painting of Vlad. It doesn't need to make sense. So Ahilac needed some Comedy skill, or Mischief.



While she's telling jokes, you can see her thinking "I'd rather do mischief". She's an alien. She can do stuff...





Quentin's nose is transfixed by the probe!

And finally, toddlers on the couch babbling nonsense. Ethan now recovered from Sadness.



-----

Next episode: Antwan feels lonely, Quentin's nose, and Ahilac gains a the skill...
It is a little thing of my own. I call it "Heart Foam". I shall not publish it. Farewell! Patience, Patience, farewell!

Exit Bunthorne.

Offline Playalot

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #108 on: March 18, 2018, 05:46:47 PM »
I've been silently following all your stories for so long now so I thought I'd just let you know that I'm a fan! The way you interweave the shenanigans of your sims with your builds is so organic in the best way possible. I like to think of myself as a builder for playing, I don't build for looks only, although I do try to make things look attractive, but game-play is my motivator so I see this approach in what you do and I appreciate and enjoy your stories, and can relate.
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Offline Heart Foam

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #109 on: March 19, 2018, 05:30:11 PM »
Oh thanks. That's very kind. You make things look very good very often. Yes, I happily embrace the madness of it all. And game mechanics nudge the player toward being efficient with moods and needs. I enjoy the challenge of it all. The gameplay is a priority in the house design as you've noticed. :) I want it to work as a Sims house first. There'll be some challenges to overcome in making that big mansion work optimally, and that problem solving is the fun of it. 
It is a little thing of my own. I call it "Heart Foam". I shall not publish it. Farewell! Patience, Patience, farewell!

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Offline Heart Foam

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Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose - Part 30
« Reply #110 on: March 20, 2018, 04:36:31 PM »
Part 30.

I'm a little surprised I have got so far without giving up, and yet more surprised anyone reads! Thank you. But... like... have your own Green sim! It's highly encouraged.

Chadwick, progeny of former inmate Ayaka, is also colourful.



Ahilac is in the Inspiration room writing. I think Chadwick aged to teen in the next day or so, but Ahilac is already a Young Adult. Not that age gaps are a problem that can't be solved, but this picture neatly demonstrates what the gap is.

Kelly is still on the fundraising trail. The final push to level 10 requires many donations.



Here, Evie Delgato is surprised by something Kelly said.

And then I sighed gently to myself at the thought of the Delgato family dying out and the house becoming empty. Antwan was single now...





So that's the usual protocol to be followed: a serum and deep conversations. Yes. To get his social meter up.

We had two toddlers at once for a short time, which is always fun. Quentin did most of the parenting because of Kelly's commitment to raising funds for The Cause.



When the children slept, Quentin seriously pursued his favourite hobby.



Ethan and Lacy with an autonomous toddler hug. Very cute.



I know the picture chops their legs off. But if I moved the camera back it would move outside the house and fall down a floor. And taking it from the other side meant not seeing their faces. These are the decisions The Sims forces on you!

Kelly was still fund raising. Here she fund raises one of the resident vampires that has been around since forever.





But Fatima Grim Reaper walks by to the distraction of both. The yellow vampire lady (yes, I have forgotten her name - I know you suspected as much and you're quite right) would love to ask Miss Grim Reaper why. I would too. She's got ice-cream earrings, cat ears, many colours. So long as she likes it! We hope Grim doesn't force the family to dress funny just because he can reap their souls.

Autonomous gazebo breakfast moment with Kelly and Ahilac.



Autonomous juice making by Ahilac. Yes. This is the moment the top right of the screen said "Ahilac has acquired the Mixology skill". And so it begins.



Quentin nose how to raise his son!



Kelly was, as usual, occupied chasing down anyone who passed by to manipulate them into giving away their life savings for The Cause.





Allie visited of her own volition. I was amazed she was still alive. She didn't live much longer though. I became aware of her death when one of the family got a call from a ghostly Allie for a night on the town. So that is the last picture I have of the first child in the save. Not that we'd seen much of her of late, so let's not get too cut up about it. There's a little green Lacy making a dart for some food.

Quentin blows out candles while Ahilac improves her charisma. A mirror is not the fastest way, but it's hassle free. The sole reason for that mirror is charisma. This room has the beautifully decorated moodlet, and most bedrooms and bathrooms don't, and this mirror doesn't inconvenience anyone else.



Quentin had long since reached the pinnacle of Concert Pianist-ing. And that was fine because it left him free to be a good parent to Ethan and Lacy. But when they got older, he looked for more danger and excitement than mixing drinks could bring him.



I was rather pleased to have some read-to-toddler done, knowing it would count towards Whiz Kid. I don't think Ethan got any, but Lacy did complete one of the two required hours.

The young man himself sparkles into a child!



He looks very pleased. His mother looks exasperated.

-----

Next amazing episode: Chadwick the Teen; the Elegant and Sensible random child outfit of Ethan; and CAS portraits (for important way-too-early-to-tell Nose Inspection)
It is a little thing of my own. I call it "Heart Foam". I shall not publish it. Farewell! Patience, Patience, farewell!

Exit Bunthorne.

Offline oshizu

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #111 on: March 20, 2018, 06:08:51 PM »
Before I forgot, I want to say that I love that shot of Quentin--hands clasped, knees quivering--transfixed by the sight of Ahilac's probe.
Dare I ask if that particular device is a nasal probe? No, I dare not!

I like the idea of Antwan eventually relocating to the Delgato house. Was that a Need Fixer or Rose Serum?
Wait, Evie's in her sportswear in Antwan's boudoir. So, Spark Drive? Oh mysteries!

How shocking that Quentin would take up mixology! That really came out of nowhere!
Love all the shots of Quentin with the toddlers and of course the Lacy/Ethan hug!
Looking forward to the next amazing episode!



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Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #112 on: March 21, 2018, 01:47:40 AM »
Oooh! I love the teaser. Especially the terrace tiles. Very nice, indeed! I'm very much looking forward to seeing that come to life.

Congratulations to Ahilac on becoming the ideal young adult! An embarrassment of traits! I really must get a green sim of my own one of these days. Loved her threatening Quentin's nose with the probe. And carrying on the family mixology tradition. Good for you, dear!

I am on the edge of my seat regarding the CAS portraits. Bring on the nose inspection! I am ready!

Offline Heart Foam

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Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose - Part 31
« Reply #113 on: March 22, 2018, 05:38:13 PM »
@oshizu I also dare not! It's nice to have some variation in pictures though, and Ahilac's probe gave us that... whatever it's for.

I'm afraid the plan was simply to get Evie pregnant and keep the Delgato name alive a bit longer. That was an Age-Away serum, just in case she was close to aging up. Now that you've mentioned it, moving him across is not a terrible plan. But I didn't ever have such grand plans because I really thought he'd be dead by now. That Long-Lived trait really does what it says. And very useful for Patriarchs / Matriarchs I'd think.

@FrancescaFiori Well, thank you. Um. It'll be an adventure. It was about $150k unfurnished. There's a lot of walls. And I'm still a bit befuddled as to where some rooms should go. Building and completing the house will be one of the goals.

Be ye calm, for ye shall have Photographic Representations of the youthful countenances of Master Ethan and Miss Lacy.

-----

Part 31.

Ethan immediately settles into being a Whiz Kid. Ayaka, who is well preserved, was volunteered to play chess. I think Ayaka has level 10 logic, so if that helps Ethan and doesn't erode his confidence, then good for him.



Ethan sadly had completed no hours of being read to by an adult. His toddler life was more informally structured. Mostly absent mother. Juiced father.



This is still his random age-up outfit. He's got his bright, extrovert, confident sleepwear on in the first picture. The above is his everyday wear. Or rather, it was. After completing those early goals, it was time to see what he looked like in CAS...




Quentin's eye colour and shape.

While he was there, Lacy, who had patiently romped around in her green and gold, got a toddler photo.



She has inherited her mother's, and grandmother's piercing blue eyes. Which is nice.

Here is Chadwick Suzuki, Ayaka's first son, as a teen.



I think I was so excited by this sighting of him that I didn't notice the narrow shoulders. There is another, clearer photo of him coming up.

Kelly finally secured all the donations she needed for the Cause and her last promotion. Yes, she talked a homeless man out of $1250. This is Frowned upon. Except for when you really just need to get the donations. My sims tend to not be mischievous or mean.



But I felt a little bad for him.

Incense fire! Hadn't had one of those in a while! Quentin's Nose! Ayaka! The Sim Ray made by Himlayan Salt!



Ethan got to do his 5 hours of playing an instrument on the Fancy Piano his dad stole from work. And finally, Quentin completed his musical aspiration in doing the tutoring. It's quite a time-consuming one.



Antwan asks his daughter if she'd like a drink. Just a small one. He never does this. Just a spur of the moment idea!



Eventually, drinks were drunk, and potties were cleaned, and dragons were rescued, and princesses were slain, and toddler Lacy had her birthday!





It completely thrills me that Lacy was put down there with only her head sticking above the table.

And we have another child!



And here the two kids try to play on the jungle gym while playful.



See, they're not skilling slaves! That's a happy childhood! Sure their fun was cancelled as soon as possible, but don't think about that! Live in the moment.

Lacy's childhood CAS picture.



Of course, away from this house is a 3rd sim, Augustin Suzuki, with a chance to inherit Vlad's nose. I really know as much about his facial anatomy as you do.

-----

Next challenging episode: a superfluity of children! Ahilac meets Chadwick! Quentin makes a change! 
It is a little thing of my own. I call it "Heart Foam". I shall not publish it. Farewell! Patience, Patience, farewell!

Exit Bunthorne.

Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #114 on: March 22, 2018, 06:51:50 PM »
That is a very sweet picture of Lacy's toddler head peeking over the table.
Well, I'm not giving up hope on the nose. Child noses always look sweet and teensy. I think Lacy's in particular has potential to grow to an impressive, Vladdish size.
I'm very glad that Ethan got his father's eyes, and that they're so evident in his child picture. Adorably tragic!
$150K unfurnished, you say? *whistles* That's quite an impressive estate, indeed. Well, if anyone is up to the challenge, it you!
The fabled meeting of Ahilac and Chadwick is coming up! What will they think of one another? I'm putting my money down on Love at First Sight. Fingers crossed.

Offline oshizu

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #115 on: March 22, 2018, 10:39:01 PM »
I always enjoy your dry wit, but this update cracked me up more than ever. I think my upstairs neighbor hates me now for all the loud cackling.
Those poor children and all the nasal scrutiny they must endure! Hahaha

Wow, $150K unfurnished? (Yes, I'm parroting FrancescaFiori but still, wow!)
Quote
And I'm still a bit befuddled as to where some rooms should go. Building and completing the house will be one of the goals.
I hope you don't mind my delight at your befuddlement (oh, that's actually a word?). It means that we the readers will get to be flies on the "many walls" as you unfuddle that massive house!
Yay!

Offline Heart Foam

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Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose - Part 32
« Reply #116 on: March 24, 2018, 04:57:12 PM »
@oshizu Clean nasal passages are important! I enjoyed writing that nonsense. :p

Well, at least 150k. It only had dividing walls on the lower floor, and even then I was painting in broad strokes. All the bedrooms are en suite, obviously, but I hadn't actually divided up the space and put doors in or anything.

@FrancescaFiori He's still a teen, so I hope it's not love at first sight. Though, that has given me the idea of finishing this save with that wedding (end on a happy note) and then move to the 17th century estate. I'm rather excited by that house, and I'm incorporating a few ideas I've seen elsewhere to make it look super posh. Chadwick and Ahilac, can be moved in to that world when strategically appropriate.

-----

Part 32.

So Quentin was stressed out as a pianist. All he could think about was the stash of Fancy Pianos at the theater. He yearned for them. He enjoyed the thrill of theft.*

*It's really bad though. Don't do it.



Ethan had the thought bubble about Quentin, and is doing that excited animation. He thinks his dad is a rock star or something. Hold that thought Ethan...

Lacy and Ethan (I'm sure he was about somewhere!) visit the park, of a weekend, to become Soial Butterflies.





And behold the abundance of children to simply use a tool for my own ends. It's not even a joke. It's totally what's happening here. Do these cheerful kids really expect an invite to play void critters? Ain't nobody got time for that. Often there's a shortage of children for the aspiration, which there wasn't this time. So that's something.

While the children were befriending, Kelly, hanging out at the bar (for the first time! she was only trying some drink her friend in the book club talked about!) was somewhat ignored and aged up.



We have at least got Ocular Proof. The sad moodlets from not having a birthday don't phase me too much. They're seldom the dominating mood.

Long days at the grand piano entertaining others are over. Star struck young Ethan now must deal with his father finding more entertainment for himself... as a Criminal. And unlawful citizens who blight our fair Society, need the mischief skill.



The first time you do the hand buzzer they laugh. I don't like raising the mischief skill with actions that - at least within the logic and universe of the Sims - offend other sims. Like... electrocuting your pretty wife is a bad move. I'd not do that.

Kelly also was redeployed. Instead of raising funds for others, she decided to raise funds for herself and has gone into the business career. There's a little bit of time pressure to get Quentin to the end of is career before becoming an elder. He hasn't had his life prolonged by giving birth, and is about a week into adulthood.

Group activities were changed to get the family to use some of the fun but neglected activities. Like mixing drinks.



Quentin, with some liquid courage (he doesn't drink either, this is a one-off) visits the wishing well in need of a promotion.





Success. And he has a drink to celebrate with. What foresight. It wasn't an instant promotion, but it did fill up his performance bar. Kelly also tried, but first time it emptied her performance bar which was a disappointing setback.

Ahilac stares at the ceiling, Part 1.



And the outfit that had the Cats & Dogs sweater got redesigned. That's usually a nice top to match with alien skin, because the orange or pink can take the edge off the eye searing skin tone.

So with the wedding ghost, and then the deaths of Alyssa and Anissa, there were once again too many gravestones. And this called for a visit to Ayaka and her family. It's getting quite weird to have such a graveyard at a residential property. And some sims are rather prone to mourning.



Another purpose of the visit was for Ahilac to meet Chadwick...



He's awful! That's surely not physically normal. But remember that picture, because one day out of the blue (many years from now, or tomorrow night) he'll look a bit different. In the background you can just about see Kelly in her business suit.

And then Miracle died.



Miracle Shaeffer. I think Antwan met her at the wedding, or some other event she was catering. He needed company. I didn't pay attention to her physical exhaustion, and yes, this is Death by Woohoo. It actually wasn't intended. Oh well. Antwan slept through it all. Did not even get a sad moodlet.



Kelly was rather emotional. Ahilac was too, only a different emotion. For a compassionate sim, she's remarkably emotionally detached.

Ahilac stares at the ceiling Part 2.



She's in a little world of her own. Quentin was still on a mission to raise his mischievousness (without hurting anyone's feelings). One of the oft used interaction is "instill with fake confidence". This is where the game reaches into Dickensian depths of psychological realism and social commentary. Because fake confidence works just as well as real confidence. It's a tiny detail that I really like.



So we come full circle to the other kid chatting with Quentin in the same room. He looks much less stressed. He has found his happy space as a Criminal.



And finally, Kelly has some luck with the wishing well.



Hey, it only makes up for the bad luck earlier but who's counting right? Not me. That wasn't 15k she just spent on nothing. It wasn't time with her children, it wasn't holidays to the basement that she lost. Or anything. No, I'm totally fine. I haven't kept any spreadsheets on the well. I didn't once call the well to do performance evaluation. It's nothing. She wished and she go her wish. Well... KINDA got her wish. It's not like the lousy well could find it in the depths of his bucket to actually give a promotion, oh no, but let's take positives. (Like every losing sports team.) I don't even remember the past 16 failed wishes. I don't remember what colour shirt Kelly had on at all. I live in the present.

-----

Next emotional installment: Kelly and Quentin stand in the garden, the first last teenager stands in the dining room, and Quentin stands next to a window!
It is a little thing of my own. I call it "Heart Foam". I shall not publish it. Farewell! Patience, Patience, farewell!

Exit Bunthorne.

Offline oshizu

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #117 on: March 24, 2018, 05:49:42 PM »
I don't know. Quentin just appears handsomer and handsomer with every update!
Is he going to go the Oracle or Boss route? Since he's being mischievous rather than mean.... *pauses to image Quentin in the Oracle outfit

Wow, Antwan! I laughed to see his Zzzzz's as his latest paramour kicked the bucket.
Ahilac and Kelly continue looking lovely.
I have no words for Chadwick's narrow shoulders. Nada. *sighs

Offline FrancescaFiori

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #118 on: March 24, 2018, 06:42:33 PM »
Oh, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at your monologue about the Wishing Well. Or ask to see your spreadsheets. I guess I'll just do as you suggest and try to live in the moment.

I am deeply put out at Quentin's computer blocking the view of His Nose, but there are many other nice shots of it in the chapter so I suppose I'll survive.

I like his polite and considerate way of going about raising his mischief skill. I've had the same conundrum, and I generally end up having my sims spread a lot of preposterous rumors. People don't seem to mind that too much.

I love Ahilac's jaunty pose as Miracle is reaped. She looks charming doing anything.

Offline Playalot

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Re: Sims Eugenics, or, Vlad's Nose
« Reply #119 on: March 24, 2018, 08:45:04 PM »
'Like... electrocuting your pretty wife is a bad move'; words of wisdom indeed! I too find myself trying to raise mischief without hurting anyones feelings, I'm sure I would get a quicker result if I didn't actually care! I'm sure my sims don't.
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