@Treynutz Thanks for the world recommendation! I’ve read tons of great things about Rflong’s worlds (I’ve been eyeing Legacy Island III for awhile now), but have yet to try any of them. That one will hopefully make my entire Lunar Lakes experience longer and more enjoyable (beyond all the nifty ideas that have been bouncing around in my head since you taught me about the RH’s), once I do get it.
I do have a question about worlds though that I’m hoping you (or anyone else) can answer: Some worlds are only updated through specific expansions (for instance, Bellatrix only mentions EP’s up through Supernatural). Does this mean that they’re missing anything important/necessary, such as spawners or anything like that? I’m not sure how those types of things work, but I do know that the dumbest question is the one not asked. I’m currently seven EP’s behind and will probably still be learning new things come next Christmas.
Speaking of getting Lunar Lakes though, that day has moved vastly closer than I anticipated! I’m pretty durn excited!
Yes, Symb10sis has another long, rambling story to tell! This one’s a great Christmas story though that I hope is a worthy read for those who enjoy such things. After I wrote it up here though, I decided it’d probably be better to move it down below my reply to ciane, just to make this post more organized and easier to follow. It’s down after the break below! Short version if you're not interested in reading that much: I got SimPoints! My brain always thinks the whole story's always more fun though, then I wonder where my time goes :smiley: .
I could've gotten LL just now through MMAO, but decided to wait for a deal that didn't include multiple other expensive sets that I wasn't too keen on (though I could've splurged given my newfound wealth and the fact that it's Christmas - the universe could've been trying to give me a gift). Or maybe part of me is just hating myself because the junkie didn't get his fix. :'(
As an aside, it wasn’t until after this last post of yours that I realized how at-home your Sim avatar must feel in these worlds. :smile:
Thanks again!
@ciane Wow! Thanks for all the time and effort you put in to IP! That must have taken ages! Especially doing it twice!
It’s patently ridiculous that EA (with an entire team of people creating (and supposedly testing) these worlds and then charging for them) would release them in a state where someone such as yourself would have to go in and do all of that just to make them playable for the rest of us. I can understand a few blips here and there (like what you mentioned in Sunset Valley). This, however, is just unacceptable.
In fact, the reviews of the Island Paradise Expansion were so bad that I didn’t buy it this summer when it was $5. I didn’t read enough to realize that people were only talking about the world, not the rest of the features. I’d literally just gotten a new PC and started playing The Sim 3 again when that sale was finishing up, so I didn’t really know what I was buying. Once I did realize that, the sale had ended and I ended up paying ~$15 for it on a mini-sale a month or so later (when I probably should’ve just waited until this latest Steam sale).
Of course, now I’m utterly torn on whether to use yours or Ellacharmed’s version (I already plan on trying hers for the other worlds). It sounds as though (minus the CAW stuff you mentioned), you went a bit further than she did in trying to fix every possible issue. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
In regards to the rabbit-hole building you posted: Wow…just…wow! Seriously, that’s…just…wow. Sorry, I have no other word. I keep looking at it in total awe and wowness. I thought your other creation was awesome (and it is), but that’s just above and beyond. I mentioned my “Nifty ideas” up above to Treynutz, but none of them came anywhere close to that work of art. This may sound strange – it’s hard to put into words – but every time I look at it, I think “That shouldn’t look right, but it so does!” It’s so seamless! I don't wear a hat, but it's off to you anyway for coming up with that idea.
“Would you like a Stargate with your massage?” :smiley:
I can only imagine the possibilities of what could be done with those using the CaSTable RH mod(s) now.
Thanks again for your in-depth reply, all your hard work and dedication and for sharing!
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Symb10sis’ Great (and Rambling, as Always) Christmas Story!:
Following a physical therapy appointment last Wednesday, one of the receptionists handed me an envelope from my PT while I was waiting for my ride. He gives me Christmas cards every year (he’s been treating me for a little over 6 years now and is like a friend at this point). To my complete and utter amazement, I got home, opened it, and out fell $100! I was shocked! And grateful, of course! But, as appreciative as I am, I’m actually kinda upset too because he’d already left the building and is on vacation. I can’t even thank him until next year. The nerve of some people.
After doing some math, I realized that the $80 bundle wasn’t going to be quite enough to get everything I want, so being stupid (as I’m inclined to be and do), I decided to go all in Christmas Eve and bought myself the $160 SimPoint bundle. I suppose I could’ve bought the $80 and then the $40 one, but $40 more for around 9,000 more SimPoints seemed too good to pass up and guaranteed me enough points to complete my ultra-sinister master holiday plan here.
Not to brag, but I’m now the proud (and somewhat stunned) owner of 27,475 SimPoints (and have officially spent over $300 this year on a game I haven’t even opened in a week or so and haven’t really played in about two weeks). That’s after getting the best possible DD’s on Through the Spy Glass, Glitter and Glam Bedroom, CYSing Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes (65 SimPoints for most of it) and buying Le Cinema Plumbob for 915 SimPoints by completing the March 2013 Compilation yesterday. I don’t know if I got a good deal on that last one or not.
I’m officially down to needing three worlds, five “PC” venues (if I even want the Gothique Library, since I already own the Book o’ Spells; I’m also not too keen on the Gondola after seeing LGR’s review) and four (I think) small individual premium content items to complete my collection of everything that adds gameplay!
Now I just have to figure out the best way to go about spending. I know that – even with all of these points – I’ll never own the entire Store. It was never my goal and I’ve never really had the desire to – there’s so much CC out there that if I were to have everything I looked at from everywhere, my PC would probably explode and then I’d be very sad. I’d be left desperately scouring through the scorched wires, incinerated circuit boards and smoldering steel to find my poor Sims. They’d be way too small for any sort of resuscitation or medical care, plus they’d be at ground zero, so I think odds of survival would be pretty low.
I’m mainly interested in those worlds, the venues/PC and then quite a few of the sets which fit my aesthetic tastes and design ideas. Perhaps some people like the Hewnsman set, for example, but I don’t really care about it. Some of the clothes and hairstyles are great, but very few (if any) of the complete sets of those interest me at all (and I have so much amazing CC hair it’s ridiculous). CAS is already overflowing with so much stuff that CaSTing things (especially in Everyday tops) makes my game wig out for 10-15 seconds.
Thanks to Mr. TreyNutz, in a thread galaxy far, far away, I learned about and have the DD spreadsheets. However, figuring out which items/sets to buy first in order to get the best deals on other sets and then follow the timing of the “Cascades” is about as simple as I remember Calculus being. This is made even tougher considering that there are close to 1,000 DD’s that take months to cycle through. It’s overwhelming.
I feel like I need a Daily Deal Guru to come and stay with me for awhile, especially considering that many of the deals happen while I’m asleep. I’ve had to set alarms and climb out of bed just to get online, make a groggy purchase that saves me $10 and then crash again. That’s cruel of EA to do to anyone, let alone a disabled person.
Of course, there’s a part of me that just wants to go on an all-out shopping spree and buy everything I really want at full price (I could probably afford it right now), but as I noted above, I have a devious master Christmas plan that I’m working on here. I know that if I bide my time and keep going for the DD’s and MMAO’s, I’ll get more and it’ll all be much cheaper. I just hope that Lunar Lakes and Midnight Hollow Gold come up again soon on good MMAO's – I was offered a great deal on LL about two weeks ago right after I bought Lucky Palms Gold the same way, but passed on it because we hadn’t had this conversation yet and I didn’t know that I was going to get free money.
In the end, it seems like it’s going to take at least a couple of months to get everything I want by waiting for deals (and I know I’m going to mess up badly at times), but I’ve realized that by doing it this way, I’ll be able to complete the most diabolical, nefarious plan ever devised: I’ll be able to Gift away whatever’s left and pay forward my physical therapist’s awesome generosity. I’ll likely have thousands of SimPoints left over for this purpose when all is said and done. Take that, fellow Simmers. Some of you may be destined for the cruelest fate imaginable – free Store content.
Prior to her passing a few years ago, my mom and I always used to joke together that we’d “Celebrate Christmas in March.” I sincerely hope to be able to continue that tradition next year!
I’d wish you all something, but it’s not March yet. :smile:
Merry Simming to all and to all a good Sim!
