I was once among the misguided souls that believed a world with parasitic flora was an evil place to live. But I've learned: don't bother solving the mystery. Strangerville's charm is--who would have thought?--its strangeness.One time I started a casual save in Strangerville: it was a bunch of vampires living in a creepy abandoned cathedral in Shady Acres. Their story had zero to do with solving the Strangerville mystery. But seeing those purple pods all over the ground, I felt compelled to start the daunting task of destroying the mother and cleaning up the world. I wished for a way to cheat the mystery away. But I was wrong. I just needed to change my perspective on Strangerville.The pods are not an inconvenience: they are just part of the land. Being temporarily possessed is just a small side effect to moving to Strangerville. It's charming.I know when you get deeper into the mystery (visit lab, open door, collect spores) the environmental problems outside escalate. But if you do nothing doesn't everything just kind of stay at the original level of strangeness? Like, sure there's intelligence officers sneaking around, there's a hoarde of casually possessed people. But the plant life doesn't take over, and the strange weather doesn't start to swirl... unless your meddling sim is actively investigating the source of the problem.So I say, move your suburban family into Strangerville. Accept or ignore the strangeness if you choose. But don't bother changing it. As SimGuruSalo said: "ŦĦ€ ΜØŦĦ€Ř ҜŇØŴŞ ΔŁŁ ĐØ ŇØŦ Ř€ŞIŞŦ Ħ€Ř" Charming.

I like Strangerville. Nothing pushes you to solve its mystery. In fact, many generations of your sim's dynasty can live there without dealing with the Mother. If you don't dig into Strangerville strangeness, it will remain just a small town in the middle of nowhere with unusual type of flora.

I have only played Strangerville once, so in my other games it remains strange... but for a different reason: I find the town design utterly boring and uninspired, so I never go there or live there.(It doesn't help that I feel the same about the mystery gameplay itself as well).

I've solved it twice and always put it back on level 1 strangeness, because like you, I really think it gives the town a lot of charm. And I had a good laugh when the Strangerville CIA came to confiscate my fridge because it had apparently been contaminated :joy:Anywho, it's just a really nice world to play in when you're in the mood for something a little more grungy and odd, and just not your typically bright TS4 setting - but also not Vampire dark. Just strange.

I have so many saves... some include Strangerville or just the possession element of it as part of the sims stories. Some saves I haven't even visited Strangerville in. Some saves my sims live or visit there but don't even start the aspiration. I don't have any inclination to remove the pods in those saves. I like the weirdness ... and I agree that's it's charm.Even the few possessed sims that make it out of their area (in any save) don't bug me. I only see them outside of their area between 1 and 4 am (their possession time) at festivals and restaurants .. so for me at least I seldom see them. I really need to try magic on them when I do... hmm.Just what I need .. another new save to explore a new idea...I do really love this pack. I hope they make more like it.

@Hermitgirl That's something I'm curious about. I haven't heard anything, and wasn't really expecting much pack compatibility between Strangerville and Realm of Magic, but it would be awesome if a Spellcaster could use magic to swipe through the lab entrance... (not sure if teleporting would work, but I'd take it too). This reminds me of American Horror Story: Apocalypse.

Strangerville: meant to stay strange

Daermor
6 years ago
I like Strangerville. Nothing pushes you to solve its mystery. In fact, many generations of your sim's dynasty can live there without dealing with the Mother. If you don't dig into Strangerville strangeness, it will remain just a small town in the middle of nowhere with unusual type of flora.
Beardedgeek72
New Spectator
6 years ago
I have only played Strangerville once, so in my other games it remains strange... but for a different reason: I find the town design utterly boring and uninspired, so I never go there or live there.

(It doesn't help that I feel the same about the mystery gameplay itself as well).
Joanne_Snow
Rising Traveler
6 years ago
I've solved it twice and always put it back on level 1 strangeness, because like you, I really think it gives the town a lot of charm. And I had a good laugh when the Strangerville CIA came to confiscate my fridge because it had apparently been contaminated :joy:

Anywho, it's just a really nice world to play in when you're in the mood for something a little more grungy and odd, and just not your typically bright TS4 setting - but also not Vampire dark. Just strange.
Hermitgirl
New Spectator
6 years ago
I have so many saves... some include Strangerville or just the possession element of it as part of the sims stories. Some saves I haven't even visited Strangerville in. Some saves my sims live or visit there but don't even start the aspiration. I don't have any inclination to remove the pods in those saves. I like the weirdness ... and I agree that's it's charm.

Even the few possessed sims that make it out of their area (in any save) don't bug me. I only see them outside of their area between 1 and 4 am (their possession time) at festivals and restaurants .. so for me at least I seldom see them. I really need to try magic on them when I do... hmm.
Just what I need .. another new save to explore a new idea...

I do really love this pack. I hope they make more like it.
jadonbakes
New Spectator
6 years ago
@Hermitgirl That's something I'm curious about. I haven't heard anything, and wasn't really expecting much pack compatibility between Strangerville and Realm of Magic, but it would be awesome if a Spellcaster could use magic to swipe through the lab entrance... (not sure if teleporting would work, but I'd take it too). This reminds me of American Horror Story: Apocalypse.
RouenSims
Seasoned Traveler
6 years ago
My main save centers around Strangerville post-mystery, but I love the idea of having a save with low-level strangeness! I think another new save will soon be coming into my life!
rostsit
Rising Rookie
6 years ago
^Nothing works on "her"
elliebreton
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
I would love to keep it on maximum strangeness because the atmosphere and sound effects are awesome. The only thing that puts me off doing that is the bathroom vines really get on your nerves after a while.
OldeSimsFan
New Traveler
6 years ago
"jadonbakes;c-17258344" wrote:
@Hermitgirl That's something I'm curious about. I haven't heard anything, and wasn't really expecting much pack compatibility between Strangerville and Realm of Magic, but it would be awesome if a Spellcaster could use magic to swipe through the lab entrance... (not sure if teleporting would work, but I'd take it too). This reminds me of American Horror Story: Apocalypse.

I once tried having a vampire get through the door in bat mode. It worked, but I quickly discovered: the interesting places down there to go to are not available since my sim didn't unlock the door per the programming, the spores in the hallways did a nasty number on my sim. Note to me: don't open the door until you have your legion of the appropriate friends and equipment sources in place to keep the mess time as short as posssible. Another handy thing is to immediately take the fruit out of the fridge after one of the welcomers puts it in there before the simstapo shows up. That gives you 4-5 of them for free.
atreya33
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
When I first played the strangerville I was happy to have a normal town to use after solving the story. But to be honest I realised I miss the strangeness. Without it the town is a bit bland.

I wish I could set the visual style of strangeness without having to deal with the possessed sims. I think I now prefer the first stage over the clean town.