Ooh! I didn't even think of those! Do mean sims get more fun from kicking flamingoes than nice sims?

Oops, never mind. The roomie shot that one down. He claims it's too "redneck" for this particular challenge and we're debating whether or not a plastic flamingo counts as a graven image.

Anyway, I've been *trying* the swing, but they won't use it if they are totally in the red. And then there are obsessive visitors who won't leave it alone. When I play normally I go with the TV or radio as they seem to work the fastest, but they are off-limits in this challenge. (Hence, it being an actual challenge.)

I thought "admire" was meant to be a sexual action in the game. When I first got the game, I had one of my sims invite the headmaster over and was schmoozing poorly. I told her to admire and suddenly her son was crying and her husband was coming over to slap the headmaster! I cancelled that out, but looked at her memories and saw "Had an Affair with X." I don't know if this has changed since Uni, but I have avoided using that interaction ever since with an attached sim. (nless, of course, they are the only one home.) That's one of my favorite interactions to use when I'm trying to hook someone up though and haven't gotten to an acceptable kissing stage.

JM, I loved the tables you did on skill-gaining and the chance cards. So I have a special request--can we get something that explores the stat gain on Fun for all ages?

I am currently composing a new challenge and some of the requirements are making it near impossible to keep the kids happy enough to finish their homework. Hence, social worker visits because the kids are failing. I want to see if I'm just dumb and not using the best objects or actions to increase fun gain. I'm squeaking by on the teenagers (although the social worker doesn't care about them, so it's not a big deal), but the children are impossible! I hate the fun-sucking school and homework!

Real school was not as bad as Maxis makes it for the Sim kids.

The ex played in a country band (still does) and so back when I cared, I would go to every gig with him to watch. This was a big sacrifice on my part because I despise country music. I would have survived except the bassist's wife went to every show, too, and she loved to dance. I was forced on multiple occasions to line dance because she wanted a partner. I hate group dancing. All those years of having to Chicken Dance and Electric Slide as a child scarred me in ways I cannot describe.

There will be no group dancing for my sims. I forbid it. They are dronish enough.

I think she was going for the big noise more than a big score.


I never thought about it that way. Hmm. That must have been why we got to stay, too.

Ooh! Something I can do after I finish, Legacy, Prosperity and Email! Yay!

Of course, I'm only on Generation 2 of Legacy is still a child, Generation 2 of Prosperity is at toddler age, and Email is still in the Sim bin. I think play with my other sims too much. 

Good lord, you bowl like my best friend. Except she would get the heaviest ball and shotput with it. It would make a very, very large crack on the alleyway and then (hopefully) make it down to the end of the alley with minimal bouncing.

I have no idea why we never got thrown out. *Everyone* would stop and stare at us so it wasn't like no one noticed.

Of course you are more awesome than me, but then my game would be easier and therefore, less fun for me. 

Exactly! Then you are forced to control them! Or maybe I just enjoy doing things the hard way.

That's because you don't have total control if you use a macro. What if you want to change something mid-macro?

I'm an artsy type--I've got a design degree, but I can balance my checkbook, for what it's worth. I never did well in school with math/science subjects, but I think it's because I find things easier to understand when given a real-life context rather than a "Learn this cause it's in the lesson plan" explanation. The last time I remember enjoying science class was 3rd grade when our teacher did experiments all the time to explain things. I was lost in math once I got to Algebra 2. I never saw the point in doing math when you didn't know one of the numbers you needed to use. For example, 2 + a = b. Well, duh, it you add 2 to another number it will yield yet another number. Did we need to write out the obvious? I suppose I found that "higher" maths were just a waste of time so I stopped paying attention.

Personally, I think that the reason people play this game has less to do with interests and more to do with personality. I think everyone who plays this game is a control freak. Just like me.

Awesome! I'll be able to use pyrotechnics at the next frat party while the bands playing!

Very cool! I tried making my own neighborhood maps (as I have Sims City 4), but I had mucho problems doing it. Apparently, Sim City 4 insisted on corrupting mt DirectX drivers every time it started up, so I would have to reinstall them. Then it would crash after 20 minutes. Then Sims 2 started going wonky after installing Sim City 4, so decided Sim City could go away since I always sucked at playing it anyway.

So thank you for the awesome new neighborhood. This was the type of thing I was looking to make for myself.