This post is to introduce my new LP "The Survival Experiment" starting February 17, 2023 We will be following 8 sims as they are brought to this locked compound on a cursed lot and try to build a community starting with nothing and building it to have 8 houses, a community center and a park. No one is allowed to leave the lot and must earn money by computer, Plopsy or the mail slot. If any of the characters die they will need to create a new one. You can follow along here and on my YouTube channel here:
Well, the survivors have now been on their lot for one week. Since then, they have dumpster dove and found some other useful items, such as a stove, many couches, more showers and tubs, some beds, a few paintings, a radio, a tv, and some plants. Of course, they also found lots of dye, and upgrade parts, as well as some collectibles. Their best dumpster dive came on Thursday when they finally found a fridge.
In the meantime, Madelyn, the Spellcaster, was working on her Practical Magic skills and got the Delicioso spell, so was able to make meals out of thin air. That helped them eat more than marshmallows. With all the repairio spells she did on the lot, she also ranked up and got some gifts of a broom, a crystal, 3 apples, and a familiar. Her familiar is a fairy named Tonk. A cauldron was purchased for Madelyn so she could work on her alchemy skills. This was quite an expense for the survivors, but they felt it was a worthwhile purchase, especially since Madelyn had repaired so many charred items that were found.
Cole, the werewolf, transformed twice. Once, due to his fury being too high, and the other, during a full moon. The survivors had built him a small enclosure so no harm would come to him, or to them during his rampage. He scavaged a lot during this time and found some crystals and other items.
There was a volcanic eruption and their camp was hit with some flying rocks. When they cooled, they were able to extract some crystals from the rock. Thankfully, nothing was damaged, and only a few items needed to be repaired.
Most of the funds they earned came from simoleons found dumpster diving, selling some cross-stitch items and their initial photos on plopsy, and funds earned from hacking and plug-ins. The big simoleon-maker is from hacking. So, this was added as a club activity and all survivors were encouraged to increase their programming skills. The survivors discovered there are some other survivors "out there", and each survivor has posted on the pen pal board, and some have already asked for a postcard. (Note: This is to get the postcard collection)
https://i.postimg.cc/yY1p2cDN/blake-hacking.png
The garden is doing well, and Gary uses all the fish that is caught as fertilizer. He bought some magical seeds and some starter vegetables and planted those. Someone fished a bluebell, snapdragon, and a cowplant, and he has planted that in his garden, too. A bee box and a bug box were bought for the garden area, and gardening was added as a morning club activity when Gary needs help tending the garden.
They have caught a lot of frogs, and Sierra decided to start a frog breeding area. (Note: Basically I wanted to see if they could complete the frog collection, which I have never done before). Madelyn, as well, might need some of those frogs for her spells, and Fabian (the cook) said he knew a recipe for Boiling Frog Hot Pot, so he could use some frogs as well.
With all the items that were being collected and harvested, they decided that each survivor should be the "keeper" of some of these goods. Cole keeps all the upgrade and robot parts; Gary (the gardener) keeps all the fish; Fabian (the cook) keeps all the harvestables and honey and a few fish; Madelyn (Spellcaster) keeps all the crystals; and Sierra (Head of Survivor Club) keeps all the frogs. For now, Francesca is keeping all the flowers, Clarie is keeping all the beeswax, and Blake is keeping all of the dyes. A lot of the items they find are put out on tables on the lot.
With the simoleons they made, they were able to purchase some more skill items. Two easels, a woodworking table, and a soccer ball. Claire (the painter) got right to work on some paintings, and is doing well selling those on plopsy. She will also be writing some books on the computer. Blake made a few wood items on the woodworking table that are up for sale on plopsy. He also started making furniture and has made a planter box and a mirror.
On Sunday, they decided to have some fun and had a "Summer Madness Holiday", where they danced, told stories, sang, and just had some rest. Fabian even made a new dish from all the garden produce, Veggie Yakisoba. It was a fun day and everyone had a good time.
The survivors had thought they were doing rather well until some mystery bills came on Monday. Yes, they apparently owe $3,266 simoleons for land, water, and electricity to a family called the Landgraabs. And the thing is, they don't have enough simoleons to pay. The survivors were in shock. Who were these sims? What will happen now? Will a sim come along and evict them from their shelter? Where would they go? They decided to increase their hacking activity to get enough funds to pay the bills.
https://i.postimg.cc/9McR2FV2/bills-week-1.png
And, as if that wasn't enough, another disaster hit. The garden seems to have been hit with some type of disease, and all their plants, except a few fruit trees, have become lumps in the earth again. Gary wasn't sure what had happened, but since they had some reserve crops, Gary planted those right away.
The only thing that seemed to be thriving in the garden, was this rather strange plant that looked like a cow and seemed to be offering all the sims cake to eat. Should they eat the offering? Gary seemed rather sceptical about accepting this "gift". Wise choice, Gary.
With the garden in trouble, Fabian knew that he would not be able to make any meals with fresh produce. However, with all the fish they were catching, perhaps he could make some fish dishes. Well, he tried, and another fire erupts and the stove is charred. Thankfully, no one is hurt in the fire, and Madelyn comes to the rescue and does a repairio spell on the stove. It might be back to eating marshmallows for awhile.
The survivors were at a very low point now since their arrival, and most were in uncomfortable, tense moods. They continued with their daily tasks, and finally the funds starting coming in from hacking and making plug-ins, simoleons found dumpster diving, and photos and some cross-stitch items that sold on plopsy.
And then the thunderstorms started. Some of them ran around the lot screaming incoherently at each other. Blake tried to carry on and collect honey from the bees but ended up getting stung in the process.
They somehow managed to pay the bills, with the warning from these mystery Landgraab's that their power would be turned off if they didn't pay in 24 hours, but, thankfully that didn't happen. Since Cole had the best programming skills, he pretty much worked night and day on hacking, and plug-ins to get their funds up.
In the meantime, Francesca, who had maxed the fishing skill, was mentoring sims in the fishing skill. Pretty soon, Sierra maxed the fishing skill, and they both mentored others. Sierra also worked on frog breeding and was able to breed all the frogs, and received the Forlorn Frog Friend Reward from The SimValley Frog Fan & Appreciation Society. The complete collection remained on display in the garden.
Things started to pick up and on Thursday, the survivors started to look through the rubble near one of the buildings and discovered a wind turbine, solar panel, and a water filtration system and set them up in the garden.
https://i.postimg.cc/BbZFcRvD/solar-panel-etc.png
Since a lot of the sims were now competent in fishing, it was time to move on to some other skills. A recycler and fabricator were set up for Blake, who was the keeper of the dyes, and the first item he made was a bookshelf. Of course, the machine seemed to have a mind of its own, and Blake was covered with dye most of the time.
Three knitting baskets were bought, and the survivors took up knitting beanies. Francesca set up a small flower arranging table and attempted to make some floral arrangements to sell on plopsy. She was very enthusiastic...um...maybe a little too enthusiastic.
Madelyn continued to experiment on her cauldron and met the resident ghost who seemed to find her irresistible. Madelyn now has a bit of pink with Felix Psyched. And I do think that Felix might have a crush on her. (Note: This is something they did entirely on their own.)
But the best news of all is that over the weekend, they started to build a house for one of the survivors. They all drew straws to see who would be the lucky one to get the first house...and it turned out to be Francesca. (Note: I just used a randomizer to see who would get the first house.)
Funds at the end of Week 2: $6,669 simoleons
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(Note: Each house will have a bedroom, bathroom, and a combo living-kitchen area. There are still some items that it needs, such as a toilet, but the house is mostly finished. Each survivor is also able to choose a painting and potted plant from the ones that were found. The desk is being used as a dining table. The house has a rug and light made on the fabricator, and a mirror, shelf, and chair made on the workbench. All other items were found dumpster diving; except 3 lights which were purchased for the living room, bathroom, and outdoors. I just went into build mode and changed to the colors I wanted. The house measures 4 tiles wide x 12 tiles long and is decorated in green tones. They are working on their knitting skills to knit some rugs. I will probably go back and put on a porch roof for the house and add some flower boxes.)
Addendum: I edited the house a bit and added the front porch and changed the paint color.
https://i.postimg.cc/C1HSyyGm/1st-house-reno.png
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~ Milestones for the Survivors ~
- Sierra, Blake, Fabian, and Gary all maxed the Fishing Skill.
- Francesca maxed the Cross-Stitch skill (Level 5)
- Cole maxed the Programming Skill.
- Fabian maxed the Cooking Skill.
- Sierra completed the first collection - Frog Collection
- Francesca painted a Masterpiece (she kept it and it is hanging in her house).
- Claire, Sierra, and Francesca have all written and published books. This will now bring in some royalties.
- Cole is a Prime Werewolf, and has the Somber Howl to curb some of the fury he feels. He still transforms when there is a full moon.
- Madelyn is a Rank 6 Virtuoso Spellcaster, and has learned all the potions for Alchemy. There are some spells she still has to learn for Practical, Mischief, and Untamed Magic, but apparently, you can only learn those from the Sages.
@SoulGal7 Wow! Your survivors have accomplished a lot. Yay for the first house. I've been playing that if they complete a house one of the curses can be removed (random generator). I can't remember which one I removed though. Loved reading this part.
The bills came, which they were able to pay right away, and they had enough funds left-over to build a second house. This one went to Madelyn, the Spellcaster. Same size as the last house, but this one also has a glass roof overhang and a skylight. Decorated in black, grey, and blue.
(Note: I used a brick similar to the one on the ruined house that was in the corner. I moved the ruined house to give the new house more room so let's just say they salvaged some of that brick to build the house).
The thunderstorms continued and there were intermittent power interruptions. This affected their earnings from hacking and plug-ins, and also prevented them from writing books and checking for pen pal requests. So, they increased their activity in painting, cross-stitching, knitting, floral arranging, and woodworking. Sierra decided to knit by the firepit during a thunderstorm...definitely not a good choice.
Remember that cowplant that grew in their garden? Well, apparently, Gary didn't take his own advice and must have had a craving for cake, because he got eaten by the cowplant. (I missed this shot, darn it, but then saw that Gary had the drained by cowplant moodlet.) Yep, and Gary milked the cowplant for a happy essence. Well, there was nothing happy about being drained for 2 whole days because Gary was too uncomfortable to do anything. Thankfully, there were backup gardeners who could attend to the garden.
Oh, but wait, the cowplant strikes again, and this time it's Blake! (And this time I got a shot! lol). Blake has that drained moodlet and will be like this for 3 days? Three days? Oh, gee....that cowplant is going to go into storage soon if this keeps happening. And these sims just keep going over to the cowplant to play with it. Obviously, they are not getting enough fun and are risking their lives for fun and chocolate cake. (cover shot)
And there was an onslaught of bugs that seemed to hit the camp. Maybe rummaging through the rubble had disturbed them. But have you ever seen a spider this size before? Yikes!
The thunderstorms continued and most of the sims were scared and running around. And let's not forget the fires. Even though Fabian has maxed cooking, he still can't cook. In fact, he has trouble lighting a fire. Poor Fabian.
But he can dance...no music is playing, but that doesn't stop him. Yes, Fabian dances to his own beat...must have something to do with his erratic trait.
The week is done and they have earned $12,302 simoleons.
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~ Milestones for Survivors ~
- Gary maxed the Gardening Skill and completed the Freelance Botanist Aspiration (his original aspiration - I didn't aspiration switch while I was controlling them. I decided that Gary should work on the Lord of the Knits Aspiration next.) - Cole maxed the Handiness Skill (Yes! That means he can make wooden toilets now!) - Madelyn maxed the Fishing Skill - Francesca and Sierra maxed the Painting Skill - Fabian maxed the Dancing Skill - Claire and Sierra painted their first masterpieces. - Claire & Madelyn can now knit rugs (they haven't maxed the knitting skill yet, but this is a big milestone for decor).
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I took @artistju advice and decided that after they build a house, one of the "bad" lot traits would be removed. So, using a randomizer, Creepy Crawlies, and Quake Zone have now been removed.
Note: The lot was getting a bit crowded, so I got rid of the one ruined house with the steel piece on it (cost $3,200). In its place, I put two other ruined houses and a debug old car. I just did a money cheat to ensure that no simoleons were gained from the sale of the first building. The main area, the ruined library, was moved back, and the bathroom area was re-arranged. Because this is a 50 x 40 lot, some of the sims will share a house so that the lot isn't crowded with just all houses. The library structure will remain on the lot and that is the basis of the community center, as well as the pond, which will be the basis of the park. Here is how the lot looks with all the moves.
It is the last week of summer and the survivors are working on a community site plan. Gary's house was the next to be built. He wanted it to be near the garden and so a plan was made to gather materials from one of the ruined houses to build his house. Gary seemed happy with the plan; however, when Sierra saw the community site plan, she was worried that there was no space for her frog collection. Sierra was told that they couldn't keep a space for her frogs, so she would have to release them all. Sierra was heartbroken. Gary had overheard the conversation and thought about the site where his house was being built. With Cole's help, Gary took some measurements and then approached Sierra. Gary told her that she could keep her frog collection, but he had one stipulation...that she had to live with him and help him in the garden. You see, Sierra was the only sim who came over autonomously to help with the garden, and Gary realized that with the garden being expanded, he really needed some help. Sierra wasn't sure what to say. She was good friends with Gary but wasn't sure about this. The houses that had been built so far only had one bedroom...with one bed. Well, she could always sleep on the couch. And if it meant that she could keep her frog collection, she would do it. Sierra nodded and agreed, and Gary smiled at her and told her she wouldn't regret her decision.
It was a beautiful house with a garden beside it. Gary had created a water garden and painstakingly moved every frog to the garden area. There was even a table with two chairs outside. Gary explained that Sierra could release the frogs for a swim in the pond and then place them back in their homes again. When Sierra saw the garden and her frogs, she was speechless.
https://i.postimg.cc/1z5Vrzbp/the-frog-zone.png
https://i.postimg.cc/3NxhxnJG/the-side-garden.png
Gary brought her inside. The main floor held a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room area. On the left side, a ladder went to the next level. Thanks to Cole, they had one of the new toilets.
Heading upstairs, they arrived at the second floor, which was Gary's bedroom. A sliding door led to a balcony area. (Note: Lots of debug items were used on the balcony. They were fortunate to dumpster dive two chairs that matched.)
When they arrived, Sierra looked around and saw a painting she had painted hanging over a bed. Gary explained that this would be her room. Sierra couldn't believe it! She was going to have her own room. She turned to face Gary and gave him a hug and told Gary that she would help him tend the garden everyday.
When the survivors had gone rummaging for bricks for Gary and Sierra's house, they had found some chickens that had been living in the ruined house. They quickly caught them and built a chicken coup near the new house. Now they would be able to gather fresh eggs every morning.
In addition to Gary and Sierra's house, the pond area was given a bit of a facelift and was designated the park. Lights were strung up, and a bird feeder was set up. In the back of the area, a swing and a horseshoe pit were added for some fun. At the front, a chess table was placed near the pond. Over time, some more flowers would be planted.
Since Gary and Sierra were sharing a house, Francesca decided to ask Claire if she wanted to share her house. They were good friends and had similar tastes. Francesca figured that if they moved some furniture around, two beds could fit in the bedroom. And so, that is exactly what they did.
Cole also made a toilet for them to finish their bathroom, and an extra chair was added to the living room area. Claire knitted a carpet and a cute mailbox for the house. Draperies were also hung.
Outside, they placed a table with two chairs, Claire's easel, and kept Francesca's floral table. They moved the planter boxes with flowers to the side of the house. Their house is now complete.
Additions to Madelyn's house were a toilet made by Cole, a stove, an extra light, and some draperies. A dumpster dive table was added outside to place ingredients for her potions. (Note: The stone piece under the cauldron is debug). A small fish bowl was added to place an angelfish, a key ingredient in one of her potions. Madelyn also knitted some rugs and a mailbox cover. Her house is now complete.
The bills came and thankfully they had enough simoleons to cover it. Yikes! $5,663 simoleons. Probably all that furniture in their household inventory waiting to be placed.
https://i.postimg.cc/rmWvQ5db/bills-week-4.png
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The week started off with a sunny day and the survivors were happy that the storms were over...for now. Life continued for the survivors. Their power still was shaky and whenever they tried to use the computer, it would fizzle out after a few minutes.
True to her word, Sierra tended the garden everyday and got some expert advice from Gary. They spent an entire day moving the planter boxes around in preparation for a greenhouse that was going to be built before the cold weather hit.
Fabian had helped with the planter box moves as well, and spoke to Gary about an idea he had. Fabian wanted to create a little bar area. He and Blake had put together a still and Fabian wanted to test out some of his fizzing recipes. He thought that the area near Gary's pond area would be a nice place for survivors to relax, sample some fizz, and enjoy themselves. Claire, who had overheard the conversation, thought it was a good idea, and maybe they could also enjoy some music while they sipped the fizz. She had recently unearthed a violin in the rubble and was anxious to try it out.
The more they talked about it, the more excited they got, and soon, all the survivors were working together to build an open-air bar.
The Fizzy Maker depends on electricity, so it's a good thing that the power is holding out. Depending on when Fabian's fizz was ready, they would hold a party to celebrate. (Note: The bar, Fizzing station, and the Petite Eloquent Occasion Dance Floor are new skill items. I also purchased two outdoor lights for the tables. Everything else they had, and I just moved it into this area. The overhead lights are debug. There is an overhead glass roof protecting them, so I will probably add a sterero in here as well.)
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Meanwhile, Cole was very busy upgrading all the beds that had been placed in houses.
Madelyn was the newest cowplant victim, as she milks back her energized essence. She definitely needs this as she is so tired and uncomfortable. Two days of this for Madelyn.
Oh hello! Is there a budding romance developing between Claire and Cole? This was an autonomous action on Cole's part. I quickly checked Cole's romance bar, and sure enough, he and Claire have some pink together. But, apparently, he has romantic feelings towards Fabian as well.
I decided to check all the survivor's relationships, and discovered that Madelyn has two love interests. One, is Felix Psyched, and the other is Sierra. Maybe Sierra should have moved in with Madelyn instead. lol
@SoulGal7 It seems your survivors are developing a real little community. I love all the effort Gary went to to care for Sierra so she could keep her frogs. What a sweetheart <3.
It's the first day of Fall and what better day than to have the grand opening of the Little Fizzy Bar. Fabian's first batch is ready, and he loads a second batch with honey. Everyone is anxious to try his brew.
And Claire played her violin for everyone...um...badly...but no-one seemed to mind.
https://i.postimg.cc/W4x8f7Wj/party-time.png
In all, it was a great time, and the survivors thought this was a great addition to their community.
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An old generator was found and up-graded, and Cole discovered that they can produce biofuel from the insect hut. Maybe this will help with the power interruptions. (Note: It didn't, but it was worth a try).
Speaking of the cowplant, yes, another victim. This time it was Fabian. That cowplant is working its way through all the survivors. Well, the survivors had enough of this plant, and placed it in Cole's werewolf enclosure and locked the gate. Ha! Take that cowplant!
There were 3 survivors left who didn't have a house. After much discussion, it was decided that they would all share a house together. Cole had said he didn't really need a house because he could sleep under the stars, but the survivors insisted that he be housed in a shelter. There was only one problem. They also needed an enclosure for Cole when he transformed that could be locked. And so, after much thought, the survivors came up with a plan to have a front and back door for the house. The front area would be similar to the enclosure, where the fence gate and front door could be locked. The back door could be accessed by the other survivors when the front door was inaccessible due to Cole being in the enclosure. The house was a bit narrow, but had an interesting design and suited everyone rather well.
The Yellow House: Cole, Fabian and Blake's House
Photos were taken during a rainstorm. A tropical hut.
The front door and enclosure area for Cole to use when his fury is too much.
The main level living room. The carpets in the house were knitted by Claire and Madelyn. The octopus on the table was knitted by Gary, as well as a llama cactus decor item in Blake's room. All housewarming gifts. Paintings on the walls were painted by Fabian, Blake, and Cole.
The bathroom as well is tiny, and I actually purchased that off-the-grid wall shower from the uni pack. They have a lot of showers, but I needed that one to make this room work.
https://i.postimg.cc/6qnBL6nJ/bathroom-area.png
The door off of the kitchen leads to an overhead sheltered area with table and chairs. This is the back door, in case the front enclosure is being used as a containment area for Cole.
https://i.postimg.cc/y6rFxG3B/back-door-area.png
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Fabian's bedroom. Picture he painted is hung on the wall.
Blake's bedroom is a bit larger, but not by much. I had to switch out a single bed in Francesca's house, as the single bed that was left had no yellow swatches on it. It did have a green one, so worked perfectly in their house.
The balcony outside of Cole's room. Yes, I bought them a little pool. lol
https://i.postimg.cc/zXGpyWfZ/upper-balcony.png
Cole's open-air bedroom. Windows on both sides. I did purchase the werewolf painting, as I thought it would look good in the room. The "headboard" is made from fence pieces from Snowy Escape.
https://i.postimg.cc/vTRx7Jr6/coles-room.png
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And, they even built a little area for their cowplant. The problem was that they forgot to lock the gate, and, Sierra has that chocolate cake craving.
As it was already autumn, the next priority for the survivors was keeping the plants safe, as this was their main food supply, and it was decided that a greenhouse would be built. And, so salvaging some windows and building materials from the ruined houses, they built a large greenhouse. Gary decided that they should keep two of each plant, and perhaps they would find more seasonal plants to grow. They had also built a separate area for the trees and excess trees were left outside near The Yellow House.
https://i.postimg.cc/bNp7FRj2/the-greenhouse.png
Gary had been giving a lot of thought to space and constructed some vertical planters for the greenhouse as well. Cole and Blake were working on some self-watering planters, but it was in the test stage right now.
Sierra decided to add a whimsical scarecrow. Everything looked pretty good.
https://i.postimg.cc/t4fmy38k/the-tree-area.png
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Random lot trait removed is Off-the-Grid. I have never been so happy that they will have power again, although the bills will go up.
~ Milestones for the Survivors ~
- Sierra and Madelyn maxed the Dance Skill - Claire maxed the Painting Skill - Sierra maxed the Gardening skill - Francesca maxed the Violin Skill and can now craft violins on the woodworking table - Francesca maxed the Entrepreneur skill (Level 5) - Cole maxed the Fishing Skill - Fabian and Madelyn painted their first masterpieces.
