How Do You Tell Stories?

I plan and write and let the Sims reenact what happened so I can take pictures of it :) .

I totally plan my stories. I even plan what my sims' offsprings will be like and do in their lives.

"Skeilah;c-17545008" wrote:

"Duvelina;c-17544927" wrote:
I can't really vote on this one, because I do both. I let my sims act on their own and interpret what they do but new ideas might spark from those actions and I execute those myself. So they do things naturally but I also plan some part of it. But I think everyone does storytelling differently. There's no one right way to go about it.

I can also agree on this one, but in the first place I just play my game and take shots of my sims when I see something I think I can write about. When I actually write the story with the pictures I made, I let my fantasy go free. Creating dialogues, emotions, a real story.

This is exactly what I do!

Both. I usually start with a scripted prologue to get a feel for my sims, then do gameplay and interpret that. Whenever a situation arrives where I feel I need another cutscene, I will stage one.

Though I'm generally a plantser, the story generally comes first.

I tend to know where I want things to go but I do leave some room for deviations from the story line from time to time.

Both, actually. In my recent story, it's definitely playing then interpreting but there are parts where I will have to plan the story.

A combination actually. I start planning the beginning but then over time things evolve naturally.

I like to have a general plan and play it out, but I’m not too specific with it until something happens in-game.
Then I have an entire concept.

Sim A will end up with Sim B, that’s what I imagine. Spice it up a little and move a jealous attractive fitness trainer next door to inspire a potential affair. But sometimes the Sims in my game are too strong and defy me by doing what they want (as they should.) I noticed Sim B always got up before work and would turn on the stereo, while Sim A made breakfast and honestly it’s just too cute that I didn’t want to break them up. I enjoy seeing what the sims are up to by themselves. Maybe it’s a harmless autonomous action like Evil Sim Enemy Number 1 sitting next to Attractive Fitness Trainer at the bar, but add a few glasses of ridgeports and simsmapolitans, and it becomes a partnership— an evil plot against Sim A and Sim B. ‘Cause maybe Sim A and Sim B are fabulously wealthy and are responsible for Evil Sim Enemy Number 1’s mother’s death. And maybe that’s how Evil Sim Enemy Number 1 became evil in the first place!

An entire storyline is formed simply because a sim sat next to another and hit it off with some drinks. That’s basically it.

Both really because I sometimes plan events and storylines, but more often just play and interpret what happens. I like it best when things happen somewhat simultaneusly. Game gives me ideas for the story and I go with it. For example I had a sim couple not living together but who I wanted to get married but wasn't sure how to proceed. The female sim then called the male sim and asked him to meet at a locale named Wedding Chapel and Barn which is a nightclub in my game. I took that as a hint that they should get engaged and elope on the spot.