I picked up the updated version early yesterday and have transferred my sims to it. I sometimes pack friends together in a house so they keep their relationships. Or I use Nraas Supercomputer to re-link relationships. Though right now I'm running mod free at the moment.
I noticed some differences but nothing too obvious right off. Honestly I got too busy into building. From my first round in Saskan I decided there were some things I wanted to do differently this time. I took the remote further off lots that Regina was talking about and turned them into community lots with tiny fishing holes that are themed based for each region--Egypt, French, China. I put in spawners specific to each region for some bugs and gems, too. But each of these fishing holes is based off of an empty log cabin lot up in the mountain. I backed up the lot, bulldozed it, and built the pond. That way I could keep the landscape of th lot consistent with the whole feel of the island, even when I relocate copies of the pond to other parts of it. Once the ponds are relocated, I reshape them a bit so each looks different from the original it was cloned from.
From my time spent in Anju Falls I learned how to cram a lot of things into tiny lots. From looking at Coconut Island I learned how it is possible to build some extensive underground community areas under the fishing holes, since the ponds take up so much of the surface. Not that the lots you made are tiny, but I'm saying with ponds even on a 30x30 lot I can still pack a lot of stuff by building underground. Like putting in fishtanks so each fishing hole can have a community aquarium using the HELS fishtanks. Donate your catch of the day before you leave! (Got that idea from Sunshine Daydream's public aquarium). I can even disguise the buildings and make them blend into the nature scene by painting every component with patterns that simulate the color and texture of the grass.
If you give a Sim the Margaret Vaguester sports car you'll be able traverse the island at breakneck speeds so distance isn't an issue for any reclusive millionaires.
But generally I like to use the Kenspa scooters to get around the island. Long drives are beautiful on the scooter. That's why I opted to put community destinations in some of the remote lots, so on a day when my Sim isn't busy, I can just take a scenic drive out to the remote parts and still have plenty to do and lots of breathing room.
Oh and I saw the airport terminal's interior for the first time! Cool idea! I turned one of the restrooms into non-gender specific and turned the other one into showers so my athletic sims can jog to it from nearby lots and take a shower when they get there. It's just such a useful and clever building!
I built a shed on one of the cabin lots and stocked it with tents and shower in a spray and some other WA goodies that I found via the BuyDeBug cheat. I'm slowly doing that for some other houses so my families can start off with access to these items.
Oh and for that cabin for which I made a shed--well I also sneaked in a "still" (nectar machine). I can see rock star Jon Lessen distilling some nectar for his friends and roadies!
I am in the process of turning one of my family farms on the 60x60 lot next to the mountain into a nectary and public farm that all sims can harvest from. I just don't know if the plants will remain perfect quality if I re zone it to residential. I still have to look that one up or just try it and see what happens. I'll build a "bed and breakfast" out of the existing house (which already has the nectar machines and layout for a nectary in the basement). I also set up some tents on the lot and it can be a sort of camp. Oh well I'll figure it out.
Sorry to bore you with the details. I just thought I'd pop in and let you know how much crazy fun I'm having with SH. I play this world and Anju Falls full time now and that's pretty much it. I still enjoy testing other worlds but these are the two I "live" in and must spend some time in each day, because...well, I don't know. I just do.
Oh I still have a 50's theme going on with some parts of it. It's not extensive--it's more along the lines of flavor, not a full theme. I find I stink at sticking to themes.
EDIT: GOOD GRIEF, I apologize, I had no idea my post was so long. Typing in Quick Reply I had no option to preview it. Ghastly! I had actually taken a break in my post to make lunch for my daughter and myself. Had no idea the words added up! I'm editing to shorten!
