I am soooo happy I can't even describe it and I have to share. I'm in the same boat as sooo many of you guys - simmer for years and years and I lose my inspiration to play/get easily bored a lot.
I am usually pretty creative and can think up some good gameplay, storylines, challenges etc. But even still - it never lasts. I have so desperately tried sticking to a file and coming up with an idea I can actually stay with for awhile with no luck. And this rut has lasted for YEARS. literally 4 or 5 years now since the last time I've kept with a file for longer than maybe 10 gameplay hours.
Out of absolutely nowhere tonight, an idea popped into my head. I get little ideas randomly so as usual, I opened my notebook and scribbled the idea down and BOOM: I don't know what happened, but all the sudden all of these ideas started flowing. I filled out 4 notebook pages front and back and came up with such an exciting, brand new in depth storyline/family and then stayed up for 6 hours creating them and setting up the file/building. I still have more to go and I am so so so happy.
I haven't had this "flow" in FOREVER and it literally brought me to tears when I closed my laptop and felt that childlike giddiness of thinking "wow I can't WAIT until I can come back to this!!!"
I just wanted to share because I know the struggle is reeeeeal! Nonetheless I am always trying to share or read gameplay ideas. If I get time later maybe I will explain my in depth new file setup lol.
But most of all I want to share this and get some ideas flowing for anyone reading this who is also stuck. Share your ideas everyone!! What has gotten you out of your simming rough patch in the past?
The creative kind of fun is really good fun :) that's awesome.
I don't have any tips for how to find that kind of flow, I think when it happens it just happens.
I feel like, for a game, which isn't a job, it isn't something where we have a schedule or obligations to others, if it starts to feel like a rough patch or a grind or something, that's a good sign that it's time to take a break and do something else in some other part of our life for a while and come back when it seems like it will be fun. Computer games aren't worth stressing out over.
"mightysprite;c-18221666" wrote: The creative kind of fun is really good fun :) that's awesome.
I don't have any tips for how to find that kind of flow, I think when it happens it just happens.
I feel like, for a game, which isn't a job, it isn't something where we have a schedule or obligations to others, if it starts to feel like a rough patch or a grind or something, that's a good sign that it's time to take a break and do something else in some other part of our life for a while and come back when it seems like it will be fun. Computer games aren't worth stressing out over.
Totally agree! I have taken my fair share of breaks. Whether it's RL getting in the way or just burning out. I've just been so frustrated for the past 5ish years because whenever I come back feeling refreshed and excited, it wears so quickly. I really wondered if I would ever feel that same excitement again that I felt when I used to play years ago! I'm so happy it still exists!
Congratulations on your break-through. I'm a Writer and we call that rough patch where nothing comes, Writer's Block. You did yourself quite the favor by writing down the inspiration as it came to you. It's all about keeping that pump primed. If you ignore the idea, you're telling yourself, subconsciously, that you're not interested in even being creative. Your Creative Self just says, "well, fine, see if I give you anymore ideas." By writing it down you signaled just the opposite.
When I'm playing my game, if I get a little bored, (and let's face it, who doesn't every once in awhile?), I will start building, which is also a creative expression, even if I'm following someone else's blueprint. I'm always changing something up about the floor plan, mostly to feed my inspiration, but also to make it more Sim-friendly.
I will also seek a mod that might add a little extra something. Then I get all excited about trying it out, and I do hope nothing backfires on me. Or, I'll see out some cc to help augment the setting, if you will.
I'm very happy you found a way to rekindle your creative self and your desire to play again. But taking a break, for whatever reason, is natural when it comes to gaming. Real Life has been coming between me and playing for the past 18 months. And will continue until our new home is built and we move into the new place. But there have been times in the past when I have lost interest in playing that had nothing to do with not having enough spare time. That's when I turn to other games or finish craft projects that should have been taken care of months ago. I've been a Sims player for 20 years and during those years I have taken breaks because I felt there was nothing new the game had to offer. But the one thing I can say about that is there is always something new waiting to be found that will spark a renewed interest in playing again. Whenever I read a post like yours where a player is feeling stuck then finds that special something that makes the game feel new all over again, I can only say welcome back and send a hug. I hope you always find your way back because I can see from your post how much you love this game. <3
What's often kept me interested over the years is coming up with, and completing, challenges made between myself and two gaming friends. They can be anything from creative and/or humorous lot builds, to putting sims in interesting or absurd situations and documenting that. Each of us does have a few restrictions on what we will and won't accept in terms of challenges. (In my case I do not use mods or custom content at all, and I will not intentionally harm or kill sims.)
We also don't make challenges which ought to take more than a day or two to complete, though occasionally one of us will become inspired and get carried away with something.
This sounds totally wonderful!!! :) I love playing the game that way, notes and planning is a great part of it all.
There is a saying between Writers. You shall always end your session for the day without completing the final sentence. Thst way you will long back and when you return it will be much easier to find the flow where you left it. I think this can easilly be transferred to this game, especially when doing larger projects and a period with long sessions. Have fun!
Thank you all very much, and it's been so lovely to hear about your experiences, too! For those asking, I would love to share more about my personal file! Buckle up if you'd like to read it, because it's a long one!
To preface, I am a HUGE storytelling and family gameplay simmer. I love realism, challenges, and tons of detail! I do play with mods and CC that enhance my experiences, because I just personally enjoy it! I don't typically go into occults, but I have to mention I have always found RL witch lore to be so interesting! I don't know if anyone else here ever watched the Vampire Diaries show or the Originals spin off, but ever since I watched those, I always sort of loved the whole New Orleans vibes and reading up on history and folklore about witches.
Anywho, I've never merged these interests together. Sims has always strictly been families, generations, etc. It got redundant, I ran out of ideas and challenges and even drama (I'm a writer and I can usually come up with LOTS of drama, but after years of playing, I had used pretty much every idea I could think of!
So the other night when I had this breakthrough, something popped into my head about merging some "witchy stuff" with family gameplay. Maybe a grandmother who is a witch, and playing as one of her descendants, and from there, sooo many detailed ideas flowed! I came up with a whole family backstory, 3 generations, the main character (one of the 3rd generation YA's) to play as my main character. Tons of background details for my game setup as well! I'm actually still setting it all up and sooo excited to start actually playing the story.
It's a lot of imagination/"pretending" mixed with actual game setup and Sims features. I'm not even sure if I'm necessarily going to use any of the Sims occult stuff (spellcasters, etc)
Basically I have a grandmother sim who "grew up" in New Orleans from a family of witches. She has supernatural powers and can communicate with the other side. I'm planning to use the paranormal stuff in this pack, as well as a custom content paranormal career that I found! Basically, "Gramma" has spent her whole life mastering her practice. She lives in a woodsy, secluded home (Moonwood Mill), and her house is full of cool stuff. It's got an "old" vibe, with antiques, lots of candles, and lots of witchy stuff. It is a whole vibe! The sim herself (her name is Rowena) has a fantastic style. I had so much fun creating her. I will add photos later, but she's got long curly hair, and it's gone grayish but it used to be jet black. In my files, I also love to go "back in time" and take lots of family photos to display in my current sims homes for the realism and storytelling. Rowena has always been GORGEOUS and unique. I am just in love with this matriarch of the family!!!
One thing to add about Rowena - she grew up with delicious food surrounding her. I mean, if anyone knows anything about New Orleans I'm sure you know all about the cuisine! Rowena has always had a passion for cooking and even owns/runs her own restaurant (I have it on the docks location in Brindleton, because it gave me the best vibes in terms of the surroundings. I love the lights, the boards, the water nearby). I use a mod as well allowing her to work as the chef and her family to help out by working as servers and hosts. She is always cooking at home, too, and everytime her family visits, she's got delicious food on the stove! I imagine her house always smells absolutely delicious.
She has a daughter, her only child, named Mare (short for Marianna). She raised her to have a love of food and culture as well. Mare didn't take to the actual cooking but she has a TASTE for food and she always wanted to travel the world - selvadorada, sulani, everywhere in the Sims world! - to taste the cuisine and learn about the local lifestyles and cultures. She grew up to become a food critic who travels a ton. In terms of the supernatural powers, Mare has them, but chose not to fully embrace them. It wasn't her preference, and there's more reasons why deeper in the backstory.
Mare fell in love and had 3 daughters. Her husband, Ezra, was absolutely amazing. Rowena adored him as well, and he was an amazing husband and father. He died tragically, when the girls were young, and there's a looot of backstory there! Mare is currently remarried to a kind, gentle man who I loooove! His name is Jacob. The daughters love him too. Mare and Jacob live in Brindleton Bay.
The oldest daughter, Fleur (around age 26), is very similar to Mare. She lives a bit of a lavish lifestyle, and she is engaged to a model. She works in fashion. She, like her mother, also chose not to fully embrace the "family gift" for reasons explained in the backstory. For her, it mostly has to do with losing her father.
The youngest, Calliope (Cal or Callie for short), is very much a free spirit. She is eco-friendly, artistic, and works as a fashion photographer in a studio that she and Fleur own together. She is roomies with Vada (who I get to next) at the start of the file. She embraces her gift moderately, and looks up to her grandmother and her sister, Vada, for guidance as she is only about 19 and still learning how to control it.
The middle daughter, Vada, is the main character that I will play with. She is the daughter who fully embraced her gift. She is about 23, and graduated university with a psychology degree, unsure of exactly what she wants to do in terms of a career. She lived with Rowena for a year after university, and Rowena worked with her to learn how to control her gift, and she trained her. The two became extremely close during this time, and Vada began working in the (cc) paranormal career and moved into a city apartment with Callie. She also works as a bartender (i have a mod that allows me to work at any bar with her interactively) at a country club in Brindleton Bay.
I'm in the process of setting up the file with different things. The 3 girls were raised in a family home in Copperdale and the home is still there, even though they've moved out. Rowena and Mare lived in a trailer in Strangerville while Mare was growing up, and that is also still there! These buildings exist for the purpose of us visiting them and also for my "back in time" photos that I take for display at the start of the game.
I use a religion mod that has pretend religions, and there's one for occults so I am going to have them go to "church" every week and have lunch together - the whole extended family. I also have a grave for Ezra which they will visit and decorate for special occasions and holidays.
My hopes for Vada is to find love and have a family. I can't wait to play with infants when they come out. I will also be playing heavily with my usuals - holidays, vacations, weddings, events, parties...there is no limit to the imagination! I'm very excited and enjoying the setting up phase so much!
As always - I love hearing what you all are doing in your games! xoxo
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