The Island

[hazelnut]

Yes, this is the same story I started posting a few days ago and then took down: my computer crashed three times just building the set and then, a few minutes after I’d started to play, Error Trap flagged up 2200-plus errors in one go and everything came to a halt again (judging by the ones I looked at, all of errors involved the same Sim, one outside the active household).  At the next attempt, it was the contestants who kept glitching out – which meant they disappeared and then rematerialised on the edge of the lot, off the island, which rather spoilt the game.  At this point I gave up.

But I’m stubborn (and addicted to Sims, of course  ) – and I really liked the idea of trying a game where the Sims were all behaving autonomously while I sat back and watched.  After a day or two, I tried again, without Error Trap, and it seems to be holding together so far.


The Rules
The Contestants
A Dramatic Start
Week One
The First Elimination - and Fun Day
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six
Week Seven
Week Eight
Week Nine
Week Ten
Week Eleven: The Finale

[hazelnut]

The Rules

I’m mostly playing by Sportsfan’s Survival of the Fittest rules, although missing out the pre-merge stage – it’s a single island, with every Sim for him/herself, from the start.



I’m using mods to start with twelve Sims instead of eight.  Their traits are random but I did tweak the appearance of some to get more variety and their clothes aren’t random at all.  I split them into two groups of six and played each group for a single day before saving them to the library ready to begin the main game.  As well as having makeovers during that day, all of them attended a charisma class.

I found in testing that a single fruit or vegetable per Sim per day generally left them too hungry to do any skilling by the middle of the day, so a few extra fruits and vegetables (nowhere near enough for everyone) will be scattered around the island at midday on some days, entirely at my whim.  Herbs will also be included on occasion, just to add to the randomness.

I’m going to count progress in a skill level as well as the number of actual points in deciding each week’s winner of immunity.  If there’s no clear difference at noon on Friday when the skilling period ends, there will be a tie-break competition, related to that week’s skill.  This will take place on Friday afternoon/evening.

The loser will be voted off immediately after this and will leave the island once they’ve finished repairing and cleaning the bathroom facilities.  (Well, getting kicked off the island seems more like a reward than a punishment.  I like the idea of them getting their hands dirty first.)

Another addition: Saturday is Fun Day for the survivors.  Various entertainment items will appear on the island and there may also be extra food and/or drinks.  Since they’re Sims, this probably won’t make them feel worse when they go back to normal on Sunday…

Since I want the week’s most successful Sim to have more of a reward than simply staying on the island, there will be a ‘Head of Island’, as in the Head of House from AnnBeiFong’s Sims 3 version of Big Brother.  The Head of Island will be given the keys to the only building on the island and will enjoy relative comfort for a week.


The Set

The island is on the 64x64 lot behind the fishponds in Monte Vista.  I’d have preferred a real island but Island Paradise has made it far too easy to escape.



Sleeping facilities at the start consist of two groups of three tents, plus two sleeping bags.



There are two toilet cubicles and a single shower for the twelve Sims.  Let’s hope they’re not asked to do anything that will get them hot and sweaty  .





The Head of Island’s hut luxurious abode has a full bathroom, complete with rubber ducky and bubble bath, a comfortable bed, books and an armchair to read them in.  The kitchen has a coffee maker, a fridge for quick meals and a dishwasher for cleaning up afterwards.  Any plumbing or appliances that break will be replaced immediately.



The chest by the front door holds the food stores for the entire game.  Fortunately, Sims never seem to notice that sort of thing on their own .

[hazelnut]

The Contestants

The lucky twelve have been alphabetically named for my convenience.  No-one said this was real life – or even real-life reality TV .

Alan Archer



Angler/Hates the Outdoors/Hopeless Romantic/No Sense of Humour/Unflirty
LTW: Reach Max Influence with All Social Groups (!)
For a contradictory set of traits, I could hardly have done better if I’d tried.  He’s going to be interesting.

Betty-Belinda Brown



Childish/Family-Oriented/Handy/Insane/Unlucky
LTW: The Fairytale Finder
Betty-Belinda and her peacock-patterned wellies are ready to take on all comers.

Charlie Curzons



Adventurous/Animal Lover/Brave/Computer Whiz/Evil
LTW: Great Explorer
Charlie’s probably going to be disappointed that the desert island’s not quite as isolated as he’d been led to believe.

Dilys Davies



Daredevil/Light Sleeper/Loner/Slob/Unflirty
LTW: Professional Author
Quiet Dilys keeps herself very much to herself.  Will she be able to bond with the other inmates housemates?

Elaine Evans



Bookworm/Heavy Sleeper/Loves to Swim/Natural Cook/Vehicle Enthusiast
LTW: The Culinary Librarian
Elaine loves food and water.  Sadly, food’s in short supply and the water around the island’s unsafe for swimming…

She was the only one to show any independence during their day of pre-game training/refurbishment.  She somehow managed to sneak away from the salon when I took my eye off her and was discovered at home with her nose in a book.

The Hon. Freddie fforbes-Farquharson



Ambitious/Avant Garde/Cat Person/Loser/Snob
LTW: Living in the Lap of Luxury
There have been allegations that Freddie isn’t really as aristocratic as he claims – but really, would anyone else wear tweeds and a kilt to an occasion like this?

Gertrude Grissom



Good (ironically enough)/Kleptomaniac/Lucky/Photographer’s Eye/Shy
LTW: World-Class Gallery
Through an unfortunate accident of birth SimBin saves, poor Gertie bears a startling physical resemblance to a certain Sim Who Shall Not Be Named but would like to point out that she’s totally different in all important respects.

Herbert Hill



Charismatic/Friendly/Genius/Hates the Outdoors/Star Quality
LTW: Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous
Herbie claims to be really good with people – if only he’d get out and talk to them.
(I love that the nerdy-looking one rolled those traits.)

Isobel Irving



Absent-Minded/Disciplined/Grumpy/Loner/Schmoozer
LTW: Physical Perfection
What can you say about Isobel?  (Apart from having another odd set of traits.)  A clone of Ebony Wood I?  Proto-Goth?  Maybe.  Dark and brooding?  Probably – if only I had Supernatural installed.  We’ll just have to wait and see…

Jancis Jones



Coward/Frugal/Neat/Neurotic/Technophobe
LTW: Surrounded by Family
Sweet, hippyish Jancis is another SimBin clone.  She really ought to be eco-friendly but the random numbers didn’t roll that way.  A desert island sounds ideal for a technophobe – but how will a neat coward cope with primitive sanitation and limited lighting?

Ken Kanaka



Clumsy/Diva/Nurturing/Rebellious/Social Butterfly
LTW: Vocal Legend
Starstruck Ken thought he was entering for another reality TV show altogether…
(I thought rebellious and nurturing were conflicting traits.  Obviously the normal rules don’t apply when they’re all rolled at once.)

Lawrence Lewis



Athletic/Great Kisser/Inappropriate/Mean-Spirited/Perfectionist
LTW: Perfect Mind, Perfect Body
Hunky Lawrence hopes to win over the ladies in the audience with his ripped abs.  Whether the ladies (or men) on the island will also succumb is anybody’s guess…

[hazelnut]

A Dramatic Start

The contestants arrive on-set just after eight o’clock on Sunday morning and gaze across the strangely impassable stream to their new home.



And then, as if by magic, they are all transported across to the island.



Most walk around to inspect the facilities.



Herbert tells a ghost story.



And then Isobel wonders why it's getting dark in the middle of the morning.



Even for me, this is a record.  A meteor strike only two hours into a game?

And I promptly break the rules, sending them all running off to the far side of the island.



On the other hand, permanently eliminating contestants on the first morning isn’t really in the spirit of the rules either.  This isn’t the Hunger Games, after all .

It takes a surprisingly long time for the tell-tale shadow to appear.



Fortunately, no-one is nearby, because this happens immediately afterwards:





Left to themselves again, most of the Sims cope well with the fires...



…and soon everything is under control.



For once, the sale of the space rocks and scrap more than covers the cost of repairing the damage.  (It’s strange that the wooden wall survived the blast when the toilets were vaporised )

And finally, twenty minutes late, the first week’s skilling objects appear.

[Malley]

I think a dramatic start is an understatement for sure  .  Looking forward to the rest of the challenge, sans the meteors, of course.

[KRae]

Whoa, what a way to start! I'll be reading as I'm a real sucker for this sort of story.

[MarianT]

Great start! -- although not quite what you'd planned.

[hazelnut]

I think a dramatic start is an understatement for sure  .  Looking forward to the rest of the challenge, sans the meteors, of course.

Whoa, what a way to start! I'll be reading as I'm a real sucker for this sort of story.

Great start! -- although not quite what you'd planned.

No, not at all what I planned!  I knew that Sims living outdoors seem to attract meteors but having it happen right at the start is just ridiculous.  Funnily enough, one of the pre-game households had that pop-up message about the house having been hit by a meteor and would I like to deal with the mess?  (I turned down the opportunity.)  I hope this isn't going to become a theme  .

[hazelnut]

Week One: Athletic

Elaine and Isobel head straight for the climbing wall and become the first two to get athletic skill points, despite their struggles (I’m pretty sure they both selected ‘medium’ rather than ‘easy’).



Most of the others pick up frisbees and balls (and are soon gaining jock influence).



It’s been a tough first day and people start to drift off to the tents in the early evening.  They’re not happy campers.  By midnight, all the portraits have yellow backgrounds, apart from Dilys’.  Hers is orange.  Despite their bad moods, Alan and Betty stay up late, pillow-fighting.



The following morning, Isobel and the Honourable Frederick decide to give the poor pillows even more of a battering.



Others are getting on less well.



Much less well.



And they block access to the loos so effectively that Herbie has an embarrassing accident.


By Tuesday, most have at least one point in athletics and friendships are starting to form.



The bathroom area is the social hotspot, even though one toilet is now blocked and it doesn’t seem like the pleasantest place to be.



Finally, someone tries out the golf tee.



Maybe Isobel posting a course record triggers something, because golf becomes quite a popular activity from this point on.  Lawrence, who has been surprisingly slow to pick up the athletic skill, given that he’s the only one with the trait, has a go on the mechanical bull – and fails miserably.  Thanks, Lawrence.  Dilys needed cheering up: with her light sleeper and loner traits, she’s definitely the least happy of the bunch.




Wednesday: time to stir things up a bit.  I scatter some fruit and herbs around the island – including two sprigs of buzzberry, which boosts athletic skill gain.  Freddie immediately walks over and picks one up.



I think he’d have preferred fruit.  Obviously ignorant of the herb’s effects, he goes off to chat to various people.  Eventually, he does try a couple of golf swings but then decides he’s too tired and has an early night.

And as for the other buzzberry…




Friday morning dawns.



Jancis and Freddie get in one last game of frisbee...



…and Herbie gains his first athletic skill point at last.  Everyone now has at least one.  Now he’s tried it, Herbie has obviously decided there’s something to this exercise lark, because he manages to get a second point before the morning is over.

And midday arrives.  Time to stop skilling.  Who’s made the most progress?  And who is least popular?


Unsurprisingly, athletic Lawrence has done well after his slow start and is on a solid level 4 – but he’s not the winner.  Elaine is also at level 4 and has almost gained another point, so she's clearly ahead of him.  Already at level 5 (just) is Jancis – but the surprise winner is Dilys, who is more than halfway to level 6.  Yes, Dilys.  The light-sleeping loner who consistently had the lowest mood has somehow done a lot better than her happier housemates.  Maybe she spent extra time skilling to avoid having to socialise.

So Dilys becomes the first Head of Island and is safe from elimination.  With her own room and a comfy bed, she might even get a decent night’s sleep at last.

And now it’s time to vote.  Who will be first to be kicked off the island?

[hazelnut]

The First Elimination - and Fun Day

And so to the voting, starting with our newly-appointed Head of Island:

Dilys: “I hardly know any of them.  Can I abstain?  No?  OK then.  Lawrence.  I think he’s the one who’s woken me up most often.”

And then the others:

Alan: “Lawrence!  No question about it.”
Betty-Belinda: “Charlie, of course!  Oh, the one I like least?  In that case, Jancis.”
Charlie: “Ken.  He thinks he’s so wonderful: all that showing off and talking about himself.  What an idiot.”
Elaine: “It’s a tough decision but…  Gertrude, I think.”
The Hon. Freddie: “I’m sorry to say that I very much dislike that Ken fellow.  Yes, his beating me to a pulp probably does have more than a little to do with my decision.”
Gertrude: “I hate to speak badly of anybody but I have to say I haven't warmed to Lawrence.”
Herbert:  “Lawrence.  Probably.  I think.  Yes, I'll go for Lawrence.”
Isobel: “I barely know some of them but…  Ken.  He’s such a diva.”
Jancis: “I’m sorry but I’m not all that keen on Betty.  She’s strange.”
Ken: “Can I vote for three of them?  No?  OK, then.  Lawrence.”
Lawrence: “Ken.  And then Alan next week.  What do you mean, no advance voting?”


So that’s one vote each for Betty, Jancis and Gertrude, four for Ken and five for Lawrence.



And, while the others do nothing in particular, Lawrence is sent off to repair toilets and cancel papers (which I forgot to do at the beginning) before teleporting off the island, while Dilys settles into her new personal space.



At first glance, I thought that Ken would be voted off, despite his constant wishes to make friends with the others and the ‘All About Me’ moodlet he seems to have whenever I switch my attention to him.  Despite that fight by the loos, his relationships with Lawrence and Charlie are worse than with Freddie.  (He and Lawrence have a completely red relationship bar, although they’re still at ‘Disliked’ status rather than ‘Enemy’.)  Lawrence was unlucky, really.  His was the lowest relationship with Dilys and Herbert by the tiniest of margins.

With the exception of Betty-Belinda and Charlie, who have somehow become best friends behind my back, nobody has gone beyond a high ‘Acquaintance’ level yet.


I was planning a bonfire party for the first Fun Day but it seems a little tactless, given their fiery start . Instead, I’ve gone for water.  A swimming pool miraculously appeared overnight, together with a sauna (which works fine outdoors – well, this is The Sims), a hot tub and a massage table.  There’s also a picnic basket for extra food later in the day.


As soon as she’s awake, Jancis heads for the hot tub – and stays there for most of the day.  Charlie has a relaxing soak and Dilys, surprisingly, offers Alan a massage.



Everyone ignores the swimming pool until mid-morning, when Gertie belly-flops off one of the diving boards and starts a new fashion.





Dilys continues to forsake the delights of solitude in favour of the exciting new experiences on offer:



And, as the shadows start to lengthen, most of them are drawn to the picnic…





…although Dilys ignores it in favour of giving Alan another massage  ...



…and Gertrude and the Hon. Freddie spend the evening relaxing together in the hot tub.




I had a panic attack as evening fell: I thought another fire had started.



Fortunately, it turned out to be the setting sun lighting up the steam from the sauna.  Phew!



Incidentally, does anyone know how to remove Sims from an overstuffed household, other than by killing them?  The normal moving process and Edit Town won’t work because more than eight Sims are left in the house.  At the moment, Lawrence is still part of the household.  I keep sending him off to the fire station, where he should have everything he needs to survive, but he keeps coming back home and standing looking forlorn on the banks of the stream  .

[KRae]

Is there any way to merge him with another family? I'm assuming you already tried kicking him out via his cell phone.

[hazelnut]

Is there any way to merge him with another family?

I don't think so.  Any kind of normal move runs into the problem of more than eight Sims being left behind.

I'm assuming you already tried kicking him out via his cell phone.

Yes, I did.

I've just reached the end of the Week 2 skilling period in-game (this thing is so quick! ), so it looks as though it won't be all that long until I'm down to eight on the island anyway and can kick out several Sims together.

[LenaLJ]

I don't think so.  Any kind of normal move runs into the problem of more than eight Sims being left behind.

Yes, I did.

I've just reached the end of the Week 2 skilling period in-game (this thing is so quick! ), so it looks as though it won't be all that long until I'm down to eight on the island anyway and can kick out several Sims together.

Hazelnut, there is a way to do it with mods from nrass, cant remember the names for sure though.

[hazelnut]

Is there any way to merge him with another family? I'm assuming you already tried kicking him out via his cell phone.

Hazelnut, there is a way to do it with mods from nrass, cant remember the names for sure though.

Thanks, Lena.  You're both right, in fact.  I hadn't realised that Master Controller's 'Add Sim' could be used on any house, not just the active one.  Lawrence has now moved in with Gino Ferrari, who deserves better after being a dynasty slave for the Golds  .  At least they have their athleticism in common.

[hazelnut]

Week Two

Week two is relatively uneventful – and not just because of a lack of meteors.  It starts, of course, with chatting outside the toilets (and yes, one of them is blocked already)…



…and pillow-fighting by the tents.



Then the skilling objects appear…



… to be greeted with an overwhelming lack of interest.  After an hour or so, Betty wanders over to an easel, stares at it for a while and walks away again.



At last, a few people start using the equipment.  Charlie picks up a sketchpad and Isobel and Gertie sit down at drawing boards.



Elaine and Alan obviously prefer pillow fights to painting.



Honestly, I’ve never seen such an unartistic bunch of Sims.  I thought painting was supposed to be a fun activity.  This lot couldn’t care less.  It’s well into Monday before anyone picks up even a single skill point.  As in week one, it’s Isobel who gets the first one, although Gertie is only minutes behind her.



With the exception of Dilys, who is enjoying the benefits of being Head of Island, everyone is in a noticeably worse mood than in the first week, which may be why they’re making such slow progress on the skilling.



There’s a lot more socialising, though.



Betty and Charlie are still the only pair of best friends but quite a few friendships have formed and some have progressed to good friends.  Ken, though, is busy shooting himself in the foot.  He manages to upset Alan, who was close to being a friend at the end of week one, and insults practically everyone else.


As the end of the week approaches, Freddie takes a sudden interest in the drawing boards…



…and produces this sketch, which I don’t remember seeing before.



Jancis half-finishes a painting and gets her first point, while Betty-Belinda picks up a sketchpad and appears to be making good progress – until she decides she’s bored and wanders off to talk to herself instead.



When Friday lunchtime arrives, some of the easels are still unused and only Charlie’s managed to finish a painting.  Four of the contestants have failed to gain even a single skill point and the winner is the only one to have made it to level 3.

And the second Head of Island is…  Gertrude.

This week’s elimination is a foregone conclusion.  Dilys, who’s hardly spoken to anyone all week, hesitantly votes for the Hon. Freddie and Ken, after some thought, decides he currently hates Isobel the most.  Everyone else votes for Ken.


Slobby Dilys has made a complete mess of the Head of Island’s hut.



There are flies buzzing around everywhere – and she’s managed to break the shower during her last morning in residence.  If I get Ken to clear up this lot as well as fixing the broken toilets, Gertie won’t be moving in for hours.  So I make Dilys clean the loo and deal with the rest of the squalor myself.

Ken, I have to say, does a good job of the toilets.  Maybe he could have got through all of the cleaning in time.



He leaves the show in style, too, waving to his fans (assuming he has any) and blowing kisses as he finishes teleporting to the shore.



Meanwhile, back on the island, Gertie enjoys her new library.



Thanks to her comfortable bed, she’s the first up on Saturday and, still in her nightie, heads straight for the PlasmaPunch Gyroscopic Conductor.



It’s the star attraction of this Fun Day (along with the bar  )…



…but not everyone thinks it’s a good thing.  Technophobic Jancis manages to sabotage it and I have to buy a new one.



Gertie and Isobel have a go at karaoke and are, frankly, terrible.  They get a mixed reaction from the others.

]

Nobody uses the dancefloor (maybe it’s one of those things Sims can’t do autonomously?) but Dilys discovers the bubble bar during the evening and spends several hours blowing bubbles and hiccupping…



…while Gertie has a second go on the Gyroscopic Conductor – and falls off.



But you can’t beat good old-fashioned entertainment, at least according to Alan.  He ends the week as he started it – with a pillow fight.

[butterfly]

This looks like so much fun to do. I'll have to try it myself. I guess Lawrence's abs and Ken's social butterfly trait didn't turn out to be usefull.

[hazelnut]

This looks like so much fun to do. I'll have to try it myself. I guess Lawrence's abs and Ken's social butterfly trait didn't turn out to be usefull.

It is fun.  As a habitual micromanager, it's quite a change to be essentially a bystander - but I find I'm enjoying it so much that getting the screenshots for the last 4x4 chapter keeps getting sidelined in favour of seeing what the Islanders get up to .

And so far, no, their traits don't seem to be helping at all.

[Malley]

I agree this really does seem like a fun challenge! It has to be a nice change of pace to just kind of watch your sims be, well, sims and see what mischief they get into. May have to give this a shot at some point...

[Tiamet]

This is great, Hazelnut!  I love watching sims just being sims!

[strongsoylatte]

I haven't followed any stories here yet. I just happened to chance upon this post and I must say, I'm enjoying this a lot. I have a tendency to micromanage my sims too and tbh, it can get boring when everything goes as planned. This seems like so much fun. Can't wait to see what happens next.

[karlissa]

Wow this looks like a lot of fun to read and to play.

[hazelnut]

I agree this really does seem like a fun challenge! It has to be a nice change of pace to just kind of watch your sims be, well, sims and see what mischief they get into. May have to give this a shot at some point...

It really is a change of pace - especially after playing the 4x4 for most of the past year...

This is great, Hazelnut!  I love watching sims just being sims!

Thanks!  It's fun to play .

I haven't followed any stories here yet. I just happened to chance upon this post and I must say, I'm enjoying this a lot. I have a tendency to micromanage my sims too and tbh, it can get boring when everything goes as planned. This seems like so much fun. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Thanks.  Neither can I  .

Wow this looks like a lot of fun to read and to play.

It's certainly fun to play (and a considerable change from my normal Simming style).  I hope it's also fun to read .


Week 3: Logic

The beginning of week three could easily be mistaken for the same time the previous week.

Alan has a pillow fight…



…and everyone chats outside the already-failing toilets.



The arrival of the new skilling objects at midday makes little impression.



This week’s skill is logic: chess, dominoes and telescopes with the potentially dangerous chemistry benches held in reserve in case of a tie-break.  Dilys eventually strolls over to a chessboard…



…but is soon distracted.



As the week goes on, both chess and astronomy gain devotees.



It’s Jancis who takes an early lead this week.





Surprisingly, Herbie the genius doesn’t even sit down at a chessboard until Tuesday evening.



Jancis comfortably maintains her lead.



Somehow, Herbie’s still only halfway to his first point by Thursday morning, when Elaine challenges him to a chess match.



Jancis seems to lose interest in chess at about this point.  In fact, she doesn’t seem bothered about anything much – even putting off going to the loo until it’s too late…



…and by Friday, everyone seems to decide they have better things to do than learn logic.



Mostly, hitting each other with pillows.

By the end of this week’s skilling period, two Sims have progressed to level four of logic – but one is clearly in front.  (Which means that the chemistry benches stay in storage.)  After being in the lead for most of the week, Jancis is eventually overtaken by Elaine - and, again, the Sim with the appropriate trait doesn’t win.  In fact, genius Herbie doesn’t quite get his first point.  Betty and Alan also fail to score.

And so to the voting: Elaine, the new Head of Island, votes for Isobel to leave.  Alan votes Betty off.  Betty and Freddie nominate each other.  So do Charlie and Dilys.  Gertrude picks Charlie. And then Herbert, Isobel and Jancis all vote for Betty and the result is clear: Betty-Belinda goes out on the vote.





How long will Alan’s strategy of ignoring the skilling opportunities and pillow-fighting his way into friendship last, I wonder?  At this rate, he’s never going to be Head of Island but he’s also unlikely to be eliminated.

(And will Betty’s handy trait mean that the toilet repairs last longer this week?)




This Saturday’s fun objects are games machines, which mostly get ignored, with refreshments available from vending machines – which get completely ignored.

The basketball arcade game and foosball get some attention…





…and Dilys and Charlie try a couple of the other games…





…but, once again, pillow-fighting is the runaway hit leisure activity.  I don't know why I bother with all of this fancy stuff  .

[Malley]

I love Herbie's (? I think it was him...) bunny suit!  I was not expecting that one

[hazelnut]

I love Herbie's (? I think it was him...) bunny suit!  I was not expecting that one

Yes, Herbie has a bunny suit as pyjamas.  I'm cruel sometimes .


Week 4: Music

At last, there’s a skill that the contestants find appealing.  Four skills, in fact.







By the end of the first day, most have picked up at least one point and they’re starting to roll wishes to jam together.



Only two seem relatively uninterested: Alan, as usual, prefers socialising and Elaine is enjoying her new home.



As the week goes on, individual preferences begin to emerge.





Charlie and Freddie love playing guitars; Jancis and Dilys prefer bass and drums.  Isobel and Gertrude, who seem to have the greatest love of learning, try everything.

Funnily enough, Charlie and Dilys, who tried to vote each other off last week, spend hours jamming together…



…but then, Charlie jams with everyone, usually in his pyjamas.  He’s so involved with his music that whole days go by when he forgets to get dressed.





Of course, it wouldn’t be The Island without a few pillow fights.





Friday lunchtime arrives and it’s time to add up the scores.  I was slightly worried that having four skills this week would make the decision harder but, in fact, the scores are at least as spread out as usual.  For the third week in a row, Alan hasn’t scored a single point (in fact, I’m pretty sure he hasn’t even touched a musical instrument).  On the other hand, he has just reached level 7 of charisma, way ahead of anyone else.  Charlie’s devotion to the guitar has produced the highest level on a single instrument: he’s close to level 5.  The only one to have made progress on all four instruments is Isobel but some distance ahead of her is Gertrude, who is halfway through level 3 on both piano and bass and on a solid level 1 in guitar.

And so Gertrude becomes Head of Island for the second time and it’s voting time again.

With Betty’s departure, the last of the negative relationships have gone from the island.  Now it’s just a question of whom they like least, rather than dislike.

Gertrude and Elaine nominate Charlie for elimination.  Jancis and Alan vote for Isobel.  Herbie and Charlie both want to kick Gertrude out but she’s immune.  Instead, they vote for Freddie and Elaine, respectively.  Freddie, Dilys and Isobel all cast their votes for Elaine and settle it: Elaine becomes the first contestant to go straight from Head of Island to elimination.  Talking to her fellow contestants just couldn’t compete with books and bubble baths, and her relationships have slipped badly this week.




The fourth Fun Day is full of childish delights – although I wouldn’t personally fancy an ice cream at 5.23 a.m.



I’ve been playing this file without Seasons but switch it on for today.



The snow cone machine is certainly popular and most have a go at horseshoes but setting up the water balloon arena turns out to have been a complete waste of time.  On the other hand, I wish I’d gone for more than two swings.  Queuing up and moaning about not being able to get on to them is definitely the day’s favourite activity.





And so the Islanders move on to week five, which will be a little different from any of the previous ones.

[Tiamet]

Way to go, Gertie!  (I love her look)

[Malley]

Pillow fights are a must on this island  And congrats to Gertie on taking head of the island for the second time.

[hazelnut]

Way to go, Gertie!  (I love her look)

The formal dress and hairdo or the red eyes and missing nose?

Pillow fights are a must on this island  And congrats to Gertie on taking head of the island for the second time.

Pillow fights are absolutely essential to survival on a desert island, clearly  .


Week 5: Gardening

As it turn out, week 5 is very different.  Different from my expectations, that is.

It starts quietly enough, with everybody gathering by Gertrude’s hut at 8.30 on Sunday morning.  Fortunately, they’re all sticking to much the same hours and no-one has to have their sleep interrupted to keep their appointment.  As soon as the stragglers have changed out of their nightclothes, they’re teleported across to the shore.



Adventurous Charlie looks around their unexpectedly enlarged world.



The first of a fleet of taxis pulls up at the end of the road and Gertie gets in.



Their destination is Dr Simano’s Sanatarium, where they’ve all been enrolled in a gardening class.



As they emerge from the science centre, most seem more concerned with their need for food or a shower (or, in Gertie’s case, with finishing her book) than with horticultural pursuits.  However, they all dutifully roll wishes to garden (and to register as self-employed gardeners, which isn’t going to happen).



Back home, there’s some confusion when everyone decides they simply have to touch the mailbox for luck before crossing the stream.  While the others are milling around and complaining, Herbie and Jancis take the opportunity to become better acquainted (and, of course, to show how cool and relaxed they are  ).



Eventually, everyone is safely teleported back on to the island…



…and, shortly afterwards, this week’s skilling objects appear.  Unsurprisingly in view of the class, they’re plants.  Rather a lot of plants.  If they have any sense and are prepared to put in some work, they should be able to live quite comfortably this week.



Of course, this lot have already shown that sense isn’t their strong point.  My test Sims had no interest in plants until they’d unlocked the gardening skill but then they settled quite happily into weeding, watering and harvesting.  You can probably guess what the contestants do instead…



In fact, they find quite a lot of ways of not-gardening.  Social networking and charisma points are being racked up all over the place.



Meanwhile, the poor plants are dying.



On Tuesday morning, they’re still being ignored and I’m trying to work out whether there’s a way to provoke the Islanders into looking after them, when Isobel interrupts an important pillow fight.



“It’s getting dark again!”

Really?  Another one?!

This time, I decide I’m going to leave them to cope with the meteor on their own (although only after a quick save, in case of total annihilation).  The first signs aren’t promising.  Gertie looks up to see what Isobel’s going on about but a four-way pillow fight is just too exciting to be disturbed by a little thing like mortal danger.



Isobel, amazingly, has an attack of common sense and runs across the island at top speed.  Gertie and Jancis finally decide she might be on to a good thing and follow her.  Herbie and Alan just duck.  Yeah, that’ll make all the difference.



And the meteor hits.  It’s far more impressive than the previous one.  I have to zoom the camera out for what seems like forever to see anything other than a big white glare.



The Islanders start straggling back to admire the blast.  As you do  .





As the smoke clears, it appears that two tents are charred, a few plants have been disintegrated and the biggest idiots Herbie and Alan are singed but everyone has survived.



Then the fires start and so does the panic.  Oddly, cowardly Jancis appears to be finding the flames rather sweet.



Thank goodness for Dilys and her daredevil trait.  She runs up with her extinguisher and actually does something useful.



She and Charlie…  Hang on, where’s Charlie?  Did I somehow miss him getting fried?

No, Charlie is bravely having a shower and ignoring the mayhem.  Once he’s dressed, I make him phone the fire brigade.  Fires are starting up across the water and I’m not sure what will happen if they’re left to burn.  In contrast to my previous experience with the Monte Vistan firefighters, one turns up almost at once and starts tackling the blaze.



He’s soon joined by two colleagues.



They’re nearly as effective as Dilys.

Then, of course, they have a collective tantrum about being unable to cross the stream.  Presumably they wanted to tell the contestants off for their carelessness vis-à-vis meteors.



And what do you do to recover from a crisis?

[hazelnut]

Week 6 (continued)

As the week goes on, the gardening doesn’t.



Eventually, I cave in and make everyone water the nearest plant, in the hope that actually caring for an actual plant will trigger something.



In Jancis’ case, this means the one growing by the hut.



She hangs around there a lot, complaining about pathing issues.  I think she senses that there’s a washbasin inside: if only she could get in, she could waste hours washing her hands, cleaning her teeth and checking the taps.  As it is, she has to settle for freaking out at regular intervals.


On Thursday evening, Dilys makes a discovery.



Then the Honourable One finds another.



As does Gertie.



The following morning, two more appear.



Is this some sort of side-effect of the meteor strike or merely the infestation of dead gnomes that seems to be an occasional feature of Monte Vista?  The contestants don’t bother with such speculation.  Or with gardening.



At the end of this week’s skilling period, absolutely nobody has made any voluntary progress in gardening and I can’t think of any kind of eight-way tiebreaker that they wouldn’t just ignore.  Although I feel that Isobel really deserves some sort of compensation for being targeted by two meteors in the space of a month, the only fair solution seems to be to lock the hut and do without a Head of Island for the next week.

And so everyone is up for eviction.

Alan votes for Isobel, as does Jancis; Charlie nominates Freddie and Dilys agrees; Herbie thinks Gertie should go.  But with an astonishing lack of gratitude for her firefighting heroics, Gertie, Freddie and Isobel all choose Dilys.

After a long day complaining about having to fix the plumbing (and who can blame her?) Dilys teleports off the island.



Who will save them from the next meteor strike?  (But then, what are the chances of that happening again? )


Saturday dawns, heralding another Fun Day.  Again, I was planning a bonfire party: it should have been a few weeks since the last fire and they’d have all those herbs in their inventories to chuck on the fire, along with loads of fruit and veg to toast over a firepit.  Maybe I should just give up on that one…

Instead, they get bowling, shuffleboard and Gnubb, with a barista bar for snacks.



Gertie is keen to have a go at bowling…



…but finds it’s harder than she’d expected.



Jancis, on the other hand, thinks it’s dead easy.



Several of them acquire megaphones over the course of the day and damage a few friendships trying them out.



Maybe Jancis was protesting about dirty dishes.  The lack of access to washing-up facilities certainly seems to bother her.



And Herbie and Alan seem intent on getting through as many empty calories as possible before the bar disappears.



Of course, the organised activities have to compete with the Islanders’ preferred pastime.



It appears that Isobel is a sore loser.  Maybe it’s that grumpy trait.  Fortunately, a good gossip repairs their relationship and shy Gertie’s ‘Among Friends’ again.



As the final minutes tick over to midnight and the end of a surprising week, another gnome tombstone appears – as does an old friend.  Betty-Belinda, it seems, is missing the excitements of island life.



Well, she is insane.

[Malley]

All those poor gnomes, destroyed by the meteor...I think it is because of Monte Vista. I had three or four appear on my lot in my lifestates out of the blue.

I also loved the shot of Jancis admiring the flames. Awesome.

[karlissa]

Is the rebel influence hidden skill going to be next weeks thing

[strongsoylatte]

That was a fun week. They got nothing done but so many things happened!

[saltpastillen]

Oh the drama,  I really like this story:)

[hazelnut]

All those poor gnomes, destroyed by the meteor...I think it is because of Monte Vista. I had three or four appear on my lot in my lifestates out of the blue.

I also loved the shot of Jancis admiring the flames. Awesome.

Yes, I think it's probably a Monte Vista thing as well.  I don't remember the Golds acquiring any extra gnomes but my Household Skills family woke up one morning and found gnome tombstones everywhere.  I seem to remember reading somewhere that there are gnomes somewhere in town - probably in the art gallery.

Is the rebel influence hidden skill going to be next weeks thing

No, although hidden skills will count at a later stage.

That was a fun week. They got nothing done but so many things happened!

That's a very good way of putting it .

Oh the drama,  I really like this story:)

Thanks .  It's mad (and sometimes frustrating) but fun to play and write.

[Charlotte]

Just read through all six weeks and I am completely in love with this story and idea! It really makes me want to try my own "Reality TV" Challenge, although, being a micromanager, the thought of letting eight sims run wild makes me want to tear my hair out

[hazelnut]

Just read through all six weeks and I am completely in love with this story and idea! It really makes me want to try my own "Reality TV" Challenge, although, being a micromanager, the thought of letting eight sims run wild makes me want to tear my hair out

I'm a total micromanager as well .  I have to admit to yelling at the screen occasionally, when the idiots won't do what I'd like, and I certainly wouldn't want to play this kind of game as anything more than an occasional change of pace.  That said, it is interesting to play in a totally different style - and this is definitely one of my funniest Sims games .


Week 6: Martial Arts

Another Sunday, another set of skilling objects.



It turns out that I needn’t have bothered buying the contestants a training dummy each.

As so often, Isobel is the first to show an interest in the new stuff.



She quickly finds that the dummy fights back.



Then Charlie wanders over for a chat and interrupts her training.



Alan and Herbie don’t need martial arts to spar.



Conversation finished, Isobel gets back to fighting a wooden post (like an Egyptian?)…



…although her skirt’s really too tight for effective kicking.



By the end of the first day, she’s acquired a much more practical outfit.



This sets the pattern for the rest of the week.  Isobel trains for a few hours a day, while everyone else carries on with their usual pursuits full-time.





Freddie finds yet another gnome tombstone.



By mid-week, Isobel has moved on to board-breaking, which gives the others a new source of entertainment.  It’s looking less and less likely that anyone else will pick up even a single point – they’re far too busy being impressed by her.



Hopeless romantic Alan has been wishing for his first kiss and I think for a while that he’s going to get it – but it turns out that Jancis is just giving him a friendly hug.



He’s still the most popular Sim on the island, despite his tendency to bore people to death.



With so little happening this week, Friday lunchtime seems to roll around very quickly.  The Head of Island is a foregone conclusion:  Isobel’s up to level 5 and nobody else has even taken a swipe at a training dummy.

The voting is getting closer as the weeks go by.  Almost all of them are friends now; it’s getting hard to choose someone to vote off the island.  This week, there’s a tie for the first time.  Isobel votes for Gertrude; Jancis, Herbie and Charlie all pick the Hon. Freddie; with Isobel exempt, Alan goes for Charlie, as do Gertie and Freddie.  So that’s three votes each for Charlie and Freddie.

I give Isobel, as the new Head of Island and the only one to pick neither of them, the casting vote.  I hadn’t noticed until now but her relationship with Freddie is quite low: they’re barely acquaintances, while Charlie is an old and close friend.

So the Honourable Frederick will be next to leave the island – after he’s repaired the loos, that is.

It takes ages.  He keeps moaning and stopping work.  Apparently, fforbes-Farquharsons do NOT clean lavatories.  They have staff to do that sort of thing for them.  It’s almost completely dark by the time he teleports to the shore.




And so, on to another Fun Day.  This week, they have outdoorsy, athletic-y kinds of activities.  (And again, Seasons is temporarily switched on.)





I could have left Seasons off.  In fact, I wish I had.  The football goal turns out to be largely a waste of space.  Isobel (who else?) takes a couple of shots at the net but all of the others ignore it.  I realise after a while that it must be hotter than a couple of weeks ago. That time, I remembered to shift-click the ground but found that the temperature was already a comfortable 69°F.  (And why can you opt for °C elsewhere but not in the cheats?)  This time, it’s 92°F.  I quickly issue everyone with parasols…



…but it’s too late for (literally) white-skinned Gertie.  While the others have been getting tans, she’s now badly sunburnt.  And then this happens:



Fortunately, Charlie is nearby – and friends are clearly far more important than meteors.  He rushes over with an extinguisher.





Disaster averted.  Gertrude is charred but still alive.



Charlie puts up his parasol and goes over to talk to Jancis.



And Gertie, unfazed by her brush with death, has a go on the trampoline.

[Malley]

Way to go, Isobel!  A congrats to her from a fellow martial artist 

And also, nice work to Charlie for saving Gertrude!

[Lisa46]

I remember that I tried this project and I had that exact problem with the sims watching each other. It was worst when I did music, one sim started playing and then no one else would do anything.

[strongsoylatte]

Whoa. I didn't know they could catch flames from sunburn!

I'm glad pillow fighting isn't a challenge or everyone might be head of the island.

[Charlotte]

Laughed out loud at the shot of singed Gertie jumping on the trampoline

And also, way to go Isobel! I had the exact same problem with sims watching each other in my immortal dynasty, one of the spouses would be playing guitar and all of the sudden everyone was crowded around them instead of skilling!

[hazelnut]

Way to go, Isobel!  A congrats to her from a fellow martial artist 

You do martial arts?  Remind me not to annoy you  .

And also, nice work to Charlie for saving Gertrude!

He was very quick.  I told Gertrude to get in the shower as soon as the camera panned over but Charlie was already in action.

I remember that I tried this project and I had that exact problem with the sims watching each other. It was worst when I did music, one sim started playing and then no one else would do anything.

I was worried about that but it turned out not to be a problem.  They did watch each other occasionally but far preferred jamming.

Whoa. I didn't know they could catch flames from sunburn!

I knew it could happen but haven’t seen it in one of my games before – and I certainly didn’t expect anyone to catch fire so quickly.

I'm glad pillow fighting isn't a challenge or everyone might be head of the island.

I think Alan would have the edge there but, yes, it would be close .

Laughed out loud at the shot of singed Gertie jumping on the trampoline

It’s the obvious thing to do  .  Maybe her thought was that the shower would be there all week but the trampoline would disappear at midnight.

And also, way to go Isobel! I had the exact same problem with sims watching each other in my immortal dynasty, one of the spouses would be playing guitar and all of the sudden everyone was crowded around them instead of skilling!

It happened in my Immortal Dynasty, too.  Guitar was a free skill and five out of the eight immortals maxed the skill (three of them supermaxed – opportunities were much easier to come by back then).  Watching them play – usually under the stairs, for some weird reason – was a very popular activity.  I don’t remember it interfering with skilling particularly, probably because I was micro-managing the current heir  , but it certainly caused a lot of missed sleep for the immortals.  The chef and the thief often went to work exhausted.


Week 7: Sculpting

Week 7’s even less eventful than week 6.  Gertie, now fully recovered from Saturday’s mishap, is the first to try out the new objects.  (Given her wins in the painting and music weeks, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.)



Jancis and Charlie, who also did well in those weeks, soon join her.





The other three couldn’t care less about sculpting.



By the end of the week, the island is decorated with a grand total of five completed clay sculptures.  Charlie has started a wooden sculpture but then abandoned it; the other two haven’t tried anything other than clay.



Gertrude seems to have lost interest towards the end of the week and hasn’t quite made it to level 3.  Charlie is some way ahead of her but this week’s clear winner is Jancis, who has developed something of an enthusiasm for sculpting over the last couple of days and is close to level 5.

The voting is very close again.  Jancis and Alan both want to vote Isobel off; Isobel and Charlie want Gertie to go; Gertie and Herbert pick Charlie.  It’s a three-way tie.  So, on to second choices.  Again, Jancis and Alan agree: if they can’t get rid of Isobel, they’ll settle for Charlie.  Isobel, surprisingly, votes for Alan (I thought he was everyone’s best friend) – and the other three pick her.  Being Head of Island hasn’t worked out well for Isobel – she’s been indulging her loner trait by staying inside, reading, for most of the week and her relationships have deteriorated as a result.

So Isobel fixes the plumbing.



She keeps looking as though she’s about to throw up (and I don’t blame her – the loos really are in a revolting state) but she does a quick and efficient job.  Maybe she’s viewing it as a chance to learn a new skill.  Still gagging, she teleports off the island.




This week’s Fun Day is pub-themed.  Gertie gets to the pool table first and, rather ambitiously, tries a trick shot.



It doesn’t go well.



Jancis and Charlie head for the refreshments (in fact, they get through so many drinks during the day, it’s a wonder the plumbing is still holding up under the strain).



It’s a pleasant, sociable sort of day.  No sunburn, no fires; just pool, darts, drinks, snacks and chatting.





And also the odd pillow fight, of course, but I’m bored of taking screenshots of them  .

[saltpastillen]

Oh darts, I used to have my sims play that constantly when late night came out. I don't do it enough anymore. Maybe I shall try to get my sims intested in some of the more low tec ways to entertain themselves.

[hazelnut]

I keep finding things I've hardly used when looking for new Fun Day objects.   I think the Golds had a dartboard in the basement in Barnacle Bay but I've not played with it since.

[Malley]

Wow, a fun day with no meteors or fires?  That's a new one 

[hazelnut]

Wow, a fun day with no meteors or fires?  That's a new one 

Amazing, isn't it? 


Week 8: Riding

Week 8, surprisingly, is almost devoid of pillow fights, probably because this week’s visitors to the island can’t take part.  Credit the Sims with courtesy at least.

Visitors?



Yes, this week sees five new Sims join the Islanders (even though it looks like just one initially.)



Welcome, Viking, Womble, Xerxes, Yasmin and Zorro (not in that order, in fact: from left to right, the screenshot goes Y, V, X, Z, W).  The human Sims lose no time in scattering hay for their new companions.





Jancis is the first to get on a horse – but doesn’t seem too happy about it.



Gertie, in an astonishing act of selflessness, gives her apple – her only food for the day – to Viking.



I decide at this point to scatter extra rations around the island, regardless of the normal schedule, and Gertie, thankfully, picks up a lettuce.

Herbie is also bonding with the horses.



For a while, I think Alan is being as generous as Gertie – but then spot that he’s only feeding treats…



…and he even gets something back from the horses.  One of them has dug up a potato and Alan eats it, whole, unwashed and uncooked.  Ew!



As evening falls, Charlie becomes the second Islander to risk mounting a horse.



He doesn’t do much to advance his skill that evening, but is keen to try again on Monday morning…



…with limited success at first.



Alan, true to form, doesn’t risk riding but is busy making friends anyway.



Herbie also makes a slow start on equestrianism…



…but does eventually pluck up the courage to sit in the saddle, kitty slippers and all.  (I can’t help feeling that this isn’t terribly safe.)



The horses, like the human Sims, are a varied bunch.  I didn’t roll for random traits but did give them a mixture of good and bad ones.  Playful Womble is a particular delight…





…although the others have their moments.  Why is Xerxes thinking of fishing?



And is Yasmin really intent on murder?



(Apparently not – she veers off at the last moment and Charlie sleeps on undisturbed.)

Herbie and Xerxes get rather too involved at one point…



…but everything is sorted out amicably.


And so the end of the week arrives.  The new Head of Island really should be Zorro, who has reached level 4 in jumping and a solid 1 in racing.  Womble and Yasmin aren’t far behind.  But the rules say the winner has to be a human – and so Charlie becomes the first male Head of Island.

Again the voting is close but, with Charlie immune from eviction, Jancis is voted off by the narrowest of margins.  Out of curiosity, I see how the horses would have voted.  Three of them like Charlie the best.  Viking still loves Gertie (as he jolly well should) and Womble has bonded with Alan - pure cupboard love, I'm afraid.  Four out of the five horses would have voted Jancis off.



Despite being the first to get a skill point this week, Jancis has spent too much time enjoying her plumbing and cleaning up after everyone – even the blocked toilets are relatively inoffensive, for once.  Unsurprisingly, she makes short work of the repairs and cleaning (she may even be the first one to enjoy being evicted).  Nevertheless, she looks disconcerted to be teleported off the island.



The horses go with her – I’ve built Jancis a small house on a large, horse-friendly lot – but someone else also comes along for the ride.



(In fact, according to her action queue, Gertie was about to start jump training with Xerxes – the first time any of the human Sims has done anything other than sit on a horse’s back semi-passively.)  Xerxes, obviously realising that she shouldn’t be there, bucks her off…



…and Gertie is teleported back across the stream.

[hazelnut]

This week’s Fun Day is all about Winter Sports, largely because I’ve only just discovered that they’re available all year round and it seems too silly to pass up.  (I did remember to check the temperature, by the way: it’s pretty cool for summer but I still think that the ice would be melting in real life.)



Have-a-go Gertie is first out on the rink.



She doesn’t do badly but soon decides there are more exciting things on offer.





That dress is the obvious snowboarding outfit .



Despite the long skirt, she does remarkably well until her feet suddenly slide out from under her.





Ouch!



Undeterred, she climbs up to try again.



Eventually she goes back to skating, accompanied by Charlie, and then settles in for an early night.  Meanwhile, and rather surprisingly, someone else is climbing up to the top of the half-pipe.



I would never have pegged Herbie as a snowboarder.  At first, he does quite well…



…despite the odd effect on his bodily proportions…



..but then he crashes in quite a big way and decides that sleeping might be a better idea.

[Malley]

Congrats to Charlie on being the first guy to get head of the island. And Gertie's outfit is totally appropriate for snowboarding. It's what the cool sims wear

[strongsoylatte]

I went to another tab while waiting for the photos to load and when I came back, Jancis' eviction face was the first thing I saw and it startled me!

[hazelnut]

Congrats to Charlie on being the first guy to get head of the island. And Gertie's outfit is totally appropriate for snowboarding. It's what the cool sims wear

.  More freezing than cool, if you ask me.

I went to another tab while waiting for the photos to load and when I came back, Jancis' eviction face was the first thing I saw and it startled me!

I can see why.  Not a pretty sight .


Week 9: Cooking

At midday, a rather more built-in and substantial than usual set of skilling objects appears.



Because they always seem to default to making group servings, my test Sims picked up the cooking skill very slowly, so these fridges are there only as a source of ingredients and leftovers will be sold almost immediately.  Someone who’s very quick off the mark may be able to pick up a meal cooked by another Sim but basically they’re on their own.  Or they could live on raw fruit and veg as usual, of course.

Charlie, who’s feeling peckish, is the first to have a go at this week’s skill.



Gertrude isn’t far behind.



And, in the first small surprise of the week, Alan starts working on a skill other than charisma.



Herbie just wanders around gaping at all the new stuff.  You’d think he’d never seen a kitchen appliance before.  Oh wait, he hasn’t.

Charlie already seems to be messing up the Head of Island’s quarters.  Is this a hidden slob trait or don’t evil Sims care particularly about their surroundings?



On Monday morning, Herbie finally takes an interest in cooking, at least half a day behind anyone else.  Yesterday, he was the only one to help himself to a quick meal instead.



All of the others seem fascinated by the new skill.  Talking about food briefly overtakes pillow-fighting as the favoured interaction…



…and they’re definitely socialising as a group more than in previous weeks.




As the days pass, Charlie emerges as the keenest cook and Alan displays a previously unsuspected hidden neat trait.



Herbie and Gertie are expanding their repertoires.



And a mystery has arisen: after weeks of uncomplicated friendship, messages are suddenly popping up implying that someone would like to move their relationship on – that one about three being a crowd for romance and would you like to dial it down? appears two or three times.  I can’t see anything to indicate who the thwarted lovebirds are, although I suspect Herbie and Gertie.  At least, they have ‘attractive company’ moodlets almost constantly.


Charlie still hasn’t tidied his hut.




Friday morning: Gertie whips up one last batch of pancakes and Alan cleans the counters yet again.


 
It’s decision time again.  For once, Alan isn’t last in the skilling stakes – he’s halfway through level two and comfortably ahead of Herbie.  Gertie’s just slightly better but the winner is Charlie, who is about a third of the way through level four and becomes the first to successfully defend his title as Head of Island.

The voting produces this week’s next surprise.  I knew Charlie and Gertie weren’t the best of friends, despite his life-saving efforts, but their relationship this week is noticeably into the red.  She can’t vote for him, of course, but he unhesitatingly nominates her for eviction.  Gertie’s second choice is Alan, further evidence for the Gertie/Herbie ship.  Herbie and Alan vote for each other.  They used to be best friends: have I been missing a love triangle here?

And so, incredibly, Alan the Popular is voted off, just when he’s started to take an interest in learning skills.



Well, at least now he can get back in touch with all of his evicted friends.

[hazelnut]

Week 9 (continued)

Charlie’s dirty dishes are still piling up.



I keep a careful eye on Herbie and Gertie but they’re really not doing anything more than chatting.



And so to another Fun Day.  On an impulse, I go for the fiery stuff after all: if I’ve not planned it, nothing can go wrong, right?



Herbie tries out the firewalk pit.  I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to do that in bare feet, Herb.



Despite the socks, he makes it across safely.



Then Gertie tries.  In fact, she has several goes but keeps turning back with burnt soles.



Finally, after five or six attempts (her poor feet!) she manages to walk all the way across.



She joins the others at the bonfire…



…where Herbie’s been experimenting with chemistry…



..and channels her inner Voldemort for the first time.



She doesn’t seem too happy with the result – and, apparently, it’s Herbie’s fault, even though he’s nowhere nearby.



Night falls and the bonfire starts to look very inviting.



I’d bought some fireworks but they’ve been ignoring them all day.  Now I take a direct hand in the game and tell each of them to light one.



Herbie’s rocket’s reasonably impressive but Gertie’s firework just sputters, veers off into the grass and sets it alight.  Fortunately, Charlie’s on the case again.



Then his own firework does the same thing.  With both blazes extinguished, Charlie goes off for a well-earned bubble bath and the other two sit down at the frepit to toast marshmallows.



Gertie’s not very good at this, either.



She eats them anyway, even though the taste is clearly horrible.



Herbie crawls into the tent and Gertie decides to make one last attempt at firewalking.  Bad idea.



Charlie, fresh from his bath, runs to the rescue again.  I don’t know why he isn’t her best friend.  (Well, OK, there is the whole good vs. evil thing and the way he keeps sneaking up and scaring her – but he more than makes up for it in a crisis.)



Thankfully, Gertie decides enough is enough at this point and goes to bed.  I don’t think my nerves could take much more.

In case you’ve forgotten, our Gertrude has the lucky trait.  I think it’s malfunctioning.

[Charlotte]

Yes, I totally ship Herbie and Gertie. Gerbie, maybe?

Great chapter! The island's population is really dwindling. I believe there's three people left, Gertie, Herbie, and Charlie, correct?

[hazelnut]

Yes, I totally ship Herbie and Gertie. Gerbie, maybe?

Great chapter! The island's population is really dwindling. I believe there's three people left, Gertie, Herbie, and Charlie, correct?

Yes, you're right.  Only those three are left - which means it'll probably be just 'Gerbie'  next week, unless Charlie manages to win for the third week in a row.  (The rules say that the one with the lowest relationship with the winner gets kicked out at this stage.)

[Tiamet]

Come on, Gertie!

[Magpie2012]

I want Charlie to win!

[karlissa]

I'm team Gertie

[Malley]

I'm all for a Gertie and Herbie ship    They do seem like they get along extra well.

[hazelnut]

Come on, Gertie!

I want Charlie to win!

I'm team Gertie

I'm all for a Gertie and Herbie ship    They do seem like they get along extra well.

I couldn't possibly comment: I'm trying to stay impartial.  In fact, Isobel was probably my favourite, grumpy trait and all, although I've ended up liking most of them.


One small piece of news from last week that I somehow managed to miss when writing the chapter: Womble has had a foal.  I hope this is a sign that the horses are happy in their new home.




Week 10: Fishing

Week ten starts with a singed Gertie working on her Social Networking skill (i.e. watching videos and giggling to herself).



She still hasn’t got round to having a shower by the time they’re all teleported off the island again…



…and piling into taxis.  (And why don’t they share?  A taxi each is ridiculous.  I suppose it’s my fault for not telling them to ‘go here with’.  Just as well no-one’s eco-friendly.)



One at a time, they arrive at the diner/grocery store for a fishing class.  (And what has that taxi driver said to make Charlie look so suspicious?)



As with the gardening a few weeks ago, they don’t seem exactly overcome with enthusiasm for their new skill.



Soon they’re back home, looking vainly for this week’s objects.



Oh well.  Back to the chatting and pillow fights.

Many hours later, Gertie notices that the stream around the island looks a little different.  Maybe this morning’s lesson will come in handy after all.



Before long, she’s caught a fish, although it’s not exactly impressive.




Tuesday’s big event is Charlie cleaning up his dirty dishes at last – and breaking the dishwasher.  As if to compensate, the bathroom’s now in a horrible state.  I’m really itching to make him clean it.  (He eventually does this on his own but not until nearly the end of the week.)



It’s not a big week for skilling.  Herbie does manage to catch a couple of fish (standing inside a tree at night, so the screenshots are rubbish) and Gertie has several fits of enthusiasm.



Progress is slow, though.  They’d far rather stop and chat.  I wonder whether Alan, who has the angler trait, would have been keener?


On Wednesday, Jancis pops up with another ‘pet for adoption’ message.  Yasmin has now had a foal.  (As with Womble’s baby, I’ve completely forgotten its name.)




By Friday lunchtime, Gertrude has reached level 3,  Herbie has made some progress but still hasn’t made it to level 2 and Charlie’s not fished at all.  So Gertie becomes Head of Island for the third time and, inevitably, chooses to kick Charlie out.  They have repaired their relationship a little this week and the bar has moved from red to green but they’re still a long way from friendship.

Incidentally, if either of the others had won, Gertie would have been evicted.  Despite being attracted to her, Herbie likes Charlie more.



And so Charlie teleports across the stream.  As he turns to leave, he waves to Herbie (but I completely fail to get a screenshot ).


Since all of the skills that can be learnt from computers or TV have now been used in the contest, the final Fun Day is about all things technological.   I thought Herbie would head straight for the computer, since IT is one of his favourite topics of conversation, but instead he walks around contemplating his surroundings for an hour or two.



After a while, he sits down at the computer but, rather than playing chess, as I half-expected, he goes for the more exciting games.



Gertie’s been sitting in her armchair reading The Warlock of Palladia for the umpteenth time.  Now she wanders outside, still in her nightie, spots the new stuff and heads straight for the virtual reality goggles.



I think she likes them  .



But then she puts them carefully back down on the ground and goes indoors for a bubble bath instead.

Herbie eventually gets bored with computer games and switches on the TV instead.  An educational programme, perhaps?



No, it’s back to the games.

And, in the last half-hour of Fun Day, he too discovers the goggles.



Is he floating?



Yes, he certainly is.  He and I are both having great fun but the clock is ticking and I have to tell him to stop and take them off  .  Time for bed, Herbie.


Edit: Thousandth post!

[saltpastillen]

I wanna know who wins! And congrats to the 1000th post!

[KRae]

I am so enjoying this. It makes me want to try it.

[hazelnut]

I wanna know who wins! And congrats to the 1000th post!

So do I!  And thank you .

I am so enjoying this. It makes me want to try it.

It's a very different way of Simming (especially compared with dynasties).  It can be horribly frustrating at times (Come on, you idiots! Skill!!!) but it is fun if you can resign yourself to just sitting back and watching them get on with it.

(And, judging by past form, the whole thing should take you about five minutes .)

[Tiamet]

May the best Gertie win!

[Malley]

Herbie vs Gertie...what a great finale! And congrats to you on your thousandth post

I actually started my own version of this challenge to keep myself occupied while I'm couch bound from my surgery and my island was also hit by a meteor...I think it's something about this challenge that attracts meteors 

[strongsoylatte]

Finale is almost here! This is so exciting! I'm rooting for Gertie.

Also, I had to do a double take at this. I thought it was a two headed horse. 

[Lizzycakecool]

Love this! *BOOKMARKED*

[hazelnut]

May the best Gertie win!

 

Herbie vs Gertie...what a great finale! And congrats to you on your thousandth post

I actually started my own version of this challenge to keep myself occupied while I'm couch bound from my surgery and my island was also hit by a meteor...I think it's something about this challenge that attracts meteors 

Thank you .

You're recovering from surgery? That was how I started Simming in the first place.  Get well soon!

You too?   It really does seem to be a meteor magnet.

Finale is almost here! This is so exciting! I'm rooting for Gertie.

Also, I had to do a double take at this. I thought it was a two headed horse. 

Those horses are very fond of trying to occupy the same space.  They were doing it again when I went to look at the second foal but sorted themselves out after a while.

Love this! *BOOKMARKED*

Thanks .

[Charlotte]

Wow, the finale is already here! Can't wait... go, Gertie, go!

[hazelnut]

Wow, the finale is already here! Can't wait... go, Gertie, go!

Yes, it's here - right now, in fact.


Week 11: The Finale

The final week obviously has to be different from all of the earlier ones.  Sportsfan’s rules leave the details up to the individual player, so I decided right back at the beginning that this week they’d revisit all of the previous skills and that the winner would be the one with the highest total number of points (including in hidden skills).   About halfway through the game, I realised that I’d missed out science and was going to add a science station to this week’s objects  - but then I changed my mind.  With Charlie and Dilys both gone, I’m not letting them near anything dangerous .


While I’m waiting for midday, Gertie crawls into the one remaining tent and Herbie follows her.  Curious, I have a look at Herbie’s action queue.



Ooh!  The ship is sailing.

Nothing obvious happens, at least from the outside (but then, would it?)  I click on Gertie instead and discover that she’s reading.  ‘Cuddle’ is there in her queue but books come first, it seems  .  Eventually, Herbie gives up and crawls out again – and I discover that the skilling objects should have gone out half an hour ago.  Oops.

A quick pause later and they’re there, together with an old friend.



I think Zorro’s lifetime wish would be Renaissance Horse, if only horses were allowed to have LTWs.



Not only does he appear to want to learn chess but he’s clearly been practising his existing skills in his time away from the island.  Partway through the week, he becomes the only Sim in this game to complete a skill challenge.  Two, in fact: Endurance Equine and Long-Distance Runner.


Herbie’s tendency to gaze at new objects in amazement instead of using them appears to be catching…



…but eventually Herbie picks up the guitar, while Gertie gets reacquainted with Zorro.



Once he’s brushed and happy, she practises chess for a few hours.



(And this is a completely pointless screenshot, just because Monte Vista’s sunsets are pretty.)




Wednesday brings another call from Jancis.  Yasmin’s had twins this time.



Herbie suddenly decides to try out sculpting and is having a happy and productive time…



…until Gertie walks over and berates his ignorance.  (Dratted nerd influence!)



He gives as good as he gets but then tries a friendly hug (while still saying “you too”).



Unsurprisingly, this doesn’t go down well.



Herbie’s nothing if not persistent.  He follows Gertie over to the bathroom area, waits politely until she’s finished and then tries again.



Friendship repaired.  For now.


Gertie has clearly forgotten the essentials of equestrianism over the last two weeks:



In fact, both of them seem to be a little vague about horse care.  By midweek, Zorro is being followed by clouds of flies.



Finally, Herbie does something about the smell and the buzzing, much to Zorro’s relief.



And now that they’re friends, he puts in some serious riding practice…



…while Gertie strums away.



Thursday evening: less than a day to go.



Oh dear.

And then we’re into the final half-hour.  Time to try to gain a last desperate point or two?

Nope.



Herbie elects to work on his social networking and Gertie cleans the toilet.


So that’s it.  Twelve o’clock.  Time to add up the skill points.

Zorro’s at level six of jumping and nine of racing.  Oops, sorry, that doesn’t count.

Herbie:
Athletic 2
Bass 1
Charisma 7
Chess 4
Cooking 3
Fishing 1
Gardening 1
Guitar 3
Logic 3
Nerd influence 5
Sculpting 1
Social Networking 2

Total: 33


Gertie:
Athletic 5
Bass 3
Bowling 1
Charisma 5
Chess 3
Cooking 3
Darts 2
Firewalking 1
Fishing 3
Gardening 1
Gnubb 3
Guitar 3
Logic 2
Nerd influence 5
Painting 3
Piano 3
Pool 1
Riding 2
Sculpting 2
Social Networking 4
Trampoline 1

Total: 56


And so the champion of The Island is... (ridiculously elongated pause for dramatic effect)... Gertrude Grissom.


Herbie and Zorro teleport away…



…leaving Gertie sole owner of the island – and its newly-constructed bridge.



What will she choose to do with her new property, now that she’s free to do what she likes?



Who knows?

[Malley]

Congrats on the win, Gertie! I'm really not surprised that she won. Gertie was awesome

[Namaya]

I loved this project! I really want to try it myself with the group of sims that resemble my group of real life friends. I think it would be really funny to see how our simselfs would act in this kind of challenge :'D. This was a really fun read! I will be checking out your other stories as well .

[Charlotte]

Yay Gertie! Not exactly a surprising win, but certainly a satisfying one. I've been rooting for her since week one

Ooh, what a dramatic ending... can't wait to see what happens next!

[Lisa46]

Ger-tie! Ger-tie!

Will there be an epilogue of any kind?

[strongsoylatte]

Yay Gertie!

This was such a fun project to tune in to. Great job!

[saltpastillen]

Congrats Gertie!

[hazelnut]

Congrats on the win, Gertie! I'm really not surprised that she won. Gertie was awesome

No, I'm not surprised either.  Once Gertie was in the final, poor Herbie didn't stand a chance.

I loved this project! I really want to try it myself with the group of sims that resemble my group of real life friends. I think it would be really funny to see how our simselfs would act in this kind of challenge :'D. This was a really fun read! I will be checking out your other stories as well .

Thanks .  That sounds like an interesting idea.

The other stories are a bit more serious (and a lot longer - especially the 4x4, which kind of got away from me in the middle).

Yay Gertie! Not exactly a surprising win, but certainly a satisfying one. I've been rooting for her since week one

Ooh, what a dramatic ending... can't wait to see what happens next!

I think, with the way I'd set up the final week, Gertie or Isobel was the obvious winner - that is, if either of them got that far.  I'm still surprised Alan wasn't the runner-up, though.

I'm not sure about a 'next'.  I left it deliberately open-ended because I may go back to those Sims at some point but at the moment there are other things I want to do more.

Ger-tie! Ger-tie!

Will there be an epilogue of any kind?

She certainly had more than her share of supporters .

As I said to Charlotte above, there are no particular plans for an epilogue but I may go back to this game at some point and see what everyone does next, maybe using a story progression mod so that they can all get on with their lives.  They were an interesting bunch of Sims to play.

Yay Gertie!

This was such a fun project to tune in to. Great job!

Thank you .

Congrats Gertie!

She says thanks .

[Charlotte]

Ah, okay Well whatever you decide to do, this was an amazing story! I'm actually trying it out privately for myself, just for laughs.

[strongsoylatte]

I for one would like to see a reunion week like they do on reality shows. Just to see how everyone's doing after leaving the island. And maybe Herbie might have a chance to ask Gertie out. 

[Magpie2012]

Yeah a reunion sounds awesome!

[hazelnut]

Ah, okay Well whatever you decide to do, this was an amazing story! I'm actually trying it out privately for myself, just for laughs.

Have fun! 

I for one would like to see a reunion week like they do on reality shows. Just to see how everyone's doing after leaving the island. And maybe Herbie might have a chance to ask Gertie out. 

It may happen - but not for a while.  I wonder whether he would ask her out autonomously?  The cuddle in the tent that didn't quite happen was as near as anyone came to romance during the game.  Maybe if I dosed him up with cinnamon and juice...?

Yeah a reunion sounds awesome!

It's a possibility - but I'm not making any promises  .

[Lisa46]

What mods did you use?

[hazelnut]

Game Selector to pick the expansions used, Overwatch because I always use it in non-Dynasty games, Master Controller and Master Controller Cheats.  I can't remember whether I actually used the Cheats module but I was using the same game set-up as the interlude sections of the 4x4, where it certainly was needed to repair broken relationship links.

[Lisa46]

I'm surprised that it wasn't portrait panel. Thanks for telling me!

[hazelnut]

Oops, yes, you're right.  Also Portrait Panel  .

[Lisa46]

Oh, ok. For a second I thought I could dump portrait panel because it really hates my game, but no. Oh well!

[RainBeau]

I discovered this little gem through the link in your signature. What fun! I do like to see other Simmers take on reality TV. Gertrude amassed quite the hidden skill cache, didn't she? Having been Head of the Island (was it three times?) She certainly deserved the win.

[hazelnut]

Glad you enjoyed it .  I've been surprised by how popular this story is, considering that it was essentially just a little side-project to keep the Sims withdrawal at bay while I was waiting for my new computer.

[Nutella]

Congratulations on finishing.  I'm moving this to the completed stories board.

[hazelnut]

Thanks, Nutella .

[Katala]

I don't know if anyone has told you( I haven't finished yet) but you can change it to degrees Celsius in the options menu 

[hazelnut]

I don't know if anyone has told you( I haven't finished yet) but you can change it to degrees Celsius in the options menu 

You can change the temperatures for the game in general that way but if you go into testing cheats and shift-click on the ground to set the temperature, the only option is Fahrenheit.  I'm pretty good at converting but it's still irritating.

[Katala]

Now I feel embarrassed

[hazelnut]

Don't worry about it