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Spotlight On – Claire Ursine July 1, 2010

Posted by simgnome in Sunset Valley.
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Claire Ursine

Sunset Valley is the original Neighborhood which came with the Sims 3.  I spotlight some of the familes in the EA neighborhoods in case you might have missed out on them or just wanted to learn more about the neighbors.

 I know I mentioned Claire before in one of my gnomish stories as she was the first sim I lived with in Sunset Valley but I’m going to go into a bit more depth with her now to give her a full spotlight.

 Claire lives in a 2 bedroom 2 bath home across from the beach, which is great considering her passion for fishing.  The stocky lass is fresh from a break up with her neighbor and ex-boyfriend Jared Frio.  She’s expected a wee one but doesn’t seem to be aware of it at first. 

 Claire is an adult (16 days away from being an elder) and has been described as a bit of a loner.  She loves the outdoors and has special talent as an angler.  She is a firey lass with a hot temper and things have a tendency to just disappear around her…accidently of course.

She works as a Get Away Driver in the Criminal Career (lvl 4) and it is her wish to eventually become a Master Thief.   You could help Jared and Claire get back together again.  It would take some work as neither one of them seem to want that to happen but it is possible.   Recently in my part of Sunset Valley, she ran into a Egyptian tourist while fishing and they eventually married…he just so happened to be an Angler too.  She also pairs well with the Clavell lad and his parents are anxious to have him leave the house.  Really…Really…they are. 

Claire's Beach House

 Claire has high fishing skill (7) and needs more Athletic skill for her next promotion (3 points out of 7 needed) so she will want to work on that first but has time with her 6 days of Maternity leave coming up.  She can workout at her TV a long time using good pacing, while resting with sore muscles…she can read or go fishing. She does enjoy a jog along the beach in the mornings and has found some interestings rocks while doing so.  Do check the bushes across the road for butterflies.

She does have some interest in gardening to grow her own bait mostly and since she needs to watch her simoleans carefully..I suggested just a bit of garden larceny to get her off to a good start.  Gnomes can be quite sneaky as well as wise…you see.  I sent her off to harvest the trees at the beach across the road as the limes were in season.  Her ex boy-friend’s garden next door and the Goffi garden down the street.  The Goffi garden alone yielded her 2 flamefruit and misc produce.  She sold the flame fruit to buy some fishing books.  Kept a lettuce and apple for planting ( Nice Quality), the peppers and garlic for use as fertilizer and bought a grape and tomato from the grocery for planting.  All that harvesting, planting and fertilizing yielded her a small garden – one apple tree and one each lettuce, tomato and grape plants plus a bit of skill (2 points).

Her bills run about 200 simoleans so you can plan ahead, as money is a bit tight for her at first but once she is back to work she does quite well. If you got her Athletic skill up while she’s on maternity leave, she is promoted quickly and that does help out quite a bit. 

If you like fishing as gnomes do, she can be a fun girl to be around.  With a slight makeover at the stylist she’s not a bad looking lass either.  We got her out of that knitted Canadian toque she was wearing and into a bit more stylish leather fishing hat.  A dye job to darken just a wee bit her firey orange hair to a deep red and a leather vest rather than that quilted one she was wearing that did nothing for her at all…at all. (See below) Do pay her a visit!

Fishing Claire after a Makeover

World Adventures Nectar Making Recipes June 30, 2010

Posted by simgnome in Gardening & Nectar.
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With the World Adventures expansion for Sims 3 arrived Nectar Making aka Wine Making.  Making a list of some recipes I have learned so far from observing from the shadows behind the machines. Will update with more as I find them.

Amazing Quality –

Andre’s Apple Renoit – 5 Red Apples & 5 Green Renoit Grapes

Joy Farms Apple Cherimola Blan- 6 Cherimola Blan Grapes and 4 Red Apples

Sweet Bella – 7 Red Apples, 2 Purple Grapes and 1 Watermelon

Jolina Jumble – 5 Purple Grapes, 2 Watermelons, 2 Limes and 1 Apple

Great Quality-

Grape Tingle – 9 Purple Grapes and 1 Lime

Jamie’s Apple-Grape Nectar – 7 Apples and 3 Purple Grapes

Normal Quality –

Mike’s Hard Limeaide – 10 Limes might be better with lemons if we had them? But hey…Mike liked it but then Mikey likes everything.

Spotlight On – Jon Lessen June 28, 2010

Posted by simgnome in Riverview.
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Jon Lesson with Constance Shelley

Jon Lessen lives in Riverview (the neighborhood you can download from the Sims 3 EA website after you register your Sims 3 game.) His luxious manion is between the Shallow family and Dr. Wilson, what neighbors those are!  I stayed for awhile in his guesthouse till a spook scared me off…who knew the place was haunted?  Yet while there I did learn some things about the musician known as Jon Lessen.

I rode to the grocery store with him in one of his four cars, eventually I talked him into selling off two of the cars in his collection that he rarely drove as their maintenance was costing a pretty simolean.  Yet now..where was I?  Yes…Yes..that’s it.  Jon and I were are the grocery store and we were stopped right outside the front door.  A woman in a tan trench coat was questioning him.  I hoped not about the extra fruit hidden in my hat, oops now you know why gnomes wear such big hats…yes that’s it.  Anyway the woman soon smiled and asked for an autograph then yes an interview as she was a member of the press.  Well…you know how musicians love attention from the media yet something about this one was special to Jon.

The very next day, he asked her over to the house and after dinner and a seranade they were in love.  How touching…well it wasn’t quite THAT touching to a gnome anyway.  Soon they were married and she moved in.  A trip to a stylist later…I could then see what Jon saw in Constance.  I guess his Artistic talent gave him better eyes to see hidden beauty when he stumbled across it or maybe it was because they are both hopeless romantics?  Something like that…

Jon’s mansion has a very open floor plan with rooms much bigger than he really needs and gaudy decor but that can be changed with some use of the style changer tool in buy mode and changing the floor plan as needed.  One glaring flaw is the kitchen sink needs to be moved next to the stove or the sims will wash their dishes in the bathroom sink, as it is closer to the dining room than the kitchen sink is. The huge pool is dramatic and great for entertaining.  The stage is…so very Rock Star…but let’s get to the details.

Jon is 16 days away from being an elder.  Has the Great Kisser, Virtuoso, Hopeless Romantic, Charismatic and Artistic traits.  He starts with one point of Charisma and 7 points in Guitar skill with the first Charisma book in his inventory but I would recommend talking to other sims to increase his charisma, as he will need to meet more friends as what musician doesn’t?  He works as a Lead Guitarist (8) in the Music Career which is only 3 days a week.  Doing Performances at the theater are a must and he can make pretty good tips playing at his favorite spot which is at Three Bridges Park in front of the theater.  The remains of his past mentor are in the guard house on a table in an urn, if you don’t like a haunt then you will wish to remove them straight away.  Otherwise it can be an interesting ghost unless you are an apple stealing gnome.  You can stock the small pond in front of the house with fish if you have 10 of the same fish in your inventory and choose “stock pond” option.

Jon Doing What He Does Best

Oh and ladies…just a tip for you…the way to Jon’s heart isn’t with apples but with Tri-Tip Steak but you can attract many a gnome with a shiny apple.

Spotlight – Wan-Goddard June 28, 2010

Posted by simgnome in Sunset Valley.
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Wan-Goddard Family

Sunset Valley is the original Neighborhood which came with the Sims 3.  I spotlight some of the familes in the EA neighborhoods in case you might have missed out on them or just wanted to learn more about the neighbors. 

Now..Now…where do we start with these two lovers?  Hank and Pauline are two heartbreaker sims that are engaged and have settled into a 1 bedroom bungalow across from the beach thus where their troubles began.  (You will often notice story progression has fun with these two breaking up and getting back together again, sometimes having children together….sometimes not…and being linked romantically with lots of different sims.)

Pauline is a Musician who loves to party, spend time at the beach and chasing any man that so much as gives her a glance. Note: Pauline has very beautiful children but is nearly impossible to marry. Seems she is very much against marriage.

Hank is a Traffic Cop when he isn’t chasing bikinis at the beach.  See these two do have things in common…the beach and chasing members of the opposite sex but is that enough to make this upcoming marriage work?  This gnome doubts that. 

Their home has a prime location and a beautiful vista. Conviently located across from the beach it is great for fishing and doing some beach combing before or after work.  It’s not a  really big house but that exercise room could become an extra bedroom if needed and you could add a basement underneath if you needed more space for hobbies and storage.  The upstairs porch could easily become yet another room if enclosed. 

Both Hank and Pauline are friends of Jamie Jolina and Pauline is also a friend of Morgana Wolff.  Hank often spent much time at his friend Jamie’s house, innocently comparing apples and tomatoes I bet. *winks*  Both have guitars in their inventory and Hank also has the first Charisma book.   Right off the bat, Hank needs to work on his logic skill and Pauline her music.  There isn’t a chess table on the property so that should be your first investment. ( I had a shower installed next.)

Two Heartbreaker sims together like this could be a nightmare or a dream come true if you are into dramatic settings.  This gnome found the comings and goings at all hours of the night too hard to get my beauty rest and the yelling and fights that came along with it much too loud.   I did so love the kitchen at this house so bright and cheering…almost decorated to gnomish tastes…almost. 

Wan - Goddard Bungalow

Writing for Fun and Profits June 28, 2010

Posted by simgnome in Skills.
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Writing A Novel

So you want to be a writer? It is a great way for sims to either suppliment their incomes or bring in some serious cash without leaving the comfort of home.  Very good skill for a sim that is responsible in their household for child care as you can write while keeping an eye on several children.  You can also write books while on vacation and enjoy the royalties back at home for weeks to pay for your next vacation.  Also a useful sideline hobby for sims in the journalism career.  Elder sims often take well to writing in their declining years.  Write a novel while off on maturity leave from your sim job!

To get started you need a computer or access to one to start with at the Library in your sims neighborhood.  The Business Building offers a writing course for 400 simoleans that will get you one skill point of writing skill.  Click on the computer and choose writing from the menu.  Even sim children can start writing books on weekends or after school.  You will want to keep your writing sim’s moods good during writing to help factor towards writing hits and best sellers for maximum profits.  Moodlets can help keep your sim happy while writing like the ones gained from wearing fresh laundry, eating a good meal or from having their favorite music playing in the room. Light that fireplace and make sure that writing room is well decorated. Use what is available to you.

Clicking on the writing skill beside your skill points on the skill tab gives more information on the challenges this skill has to offer and which types of books you are currently able to write.  Longer books take more time to write but are worth more generally and are more likely to be hits or best sellers.  With the Ambitions expansion, you can sell your finished books, which are mailed to you the next day at the consignment shop or keep them in the house or pass on to future generations as a legacy.  Reading any books also helps give a bonus to writing skill.

Spend some Lifetime wish points towards Acclaimed Author to give your sim a boost to writing the more profitable books for more royalties.

Useful traits for writers to have are :  Bookworm, Perfectionist, and Artistic.  Sims that enjoy writing have some of these traits:  Loner – a goods skill to work on while being alone, Helpless Romantic – They love to write Romance novels and can do so earlier than other sims, Couch Potatoes – Like the sitting around all day part of writing, Hates Outdoors – Can write indoors if they love outdoors you can set up a lap top at a table outdoors to write, and Computer Whiz – loves using a computer to write on.

Challenges –

Speed Writer makes your Sim write books faster. This is accomplished once you’ve made 30,000 money in royalties. Keep writing high per-page value books.

Prolific Author is completed at 20 books written. Your Sim will write more hits and best sellers overall. Try to write four books of each type of low-page count book. Unlocking children’s books by having level 3 writing skill and level 4 painting would help as they are fast books to write.

Specialist Writer is unlocked once you’ve made five books in one particular genre. It boosts the likelihood of hits and best sellers in that genre.

With the Ambitions Expansion you can even register at the court house to be a self-employed writer now.  Happy writing!  Tootle Loo!

Spotlight On – Dudley Racket June 28, 2010

Posted by simgnome in Twinbrook.
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Dudley Racket

Twinbrook is the new Neighborhood which came with the Ambitions Expansion for Sims 3.  I spotlight some of the familes in the EA neighborhoods in case you might have missed out on them or just wanted to learn more about the neighbors.

Dudley Racket was the good sheep of the Racket Crime Family in Twinbrook and thus that explains why he is the enemy of all the Rackets.  I encountered him the first day out at his mailbox and being curious as is a gnomes nature and not yet having another home in the dismal swamp that is Twinbrook…I decided to stay with him awhile.

Dudley is handy, good, perceptive, easily empressed, and clumsy.  He has but 7 days of adulthood left before he becomes an elder so time is priceless unless you turn back his age with a cheat.  He’s single and no likely prospects as in no real close female friends even or really any friends to speak of.  He’s in the law enforcement career but only at level 2 so you might want to switch him now to the Private Investigator profession which with his Perceptive trait, he would really excel at and with his advancing age would be less physically demanding for his portly figure.

Dudley’s Shack

His home is but a 1 bedroom swamp shack across the road from the Drudges. However, there is a fine fishing spot behind his house, all his kitchen chairs match and he has a great view from his front porch he can enjoy while doing laundry or playing chess. (His only skill is 2 points of logic) The porch is rather deluxe by Twinbrook standards with it glassed in to keep out the unrelenting hoards of swamp insects. Dudley’s pride and joy is his brown Vorn truck.  There is some building space left in the lot and you could improve his home by either building a basement, shed or 2nd story.  A picnic table and grill sit under a tree near a small pond in his front yard.

 

Dudley is in serious need of a love life, friends and some skills.  Note: Story Progression often matches him up with Milly.  He has met only the Bayless family and Goodwin Goode since moving to Twinbrook.  If you are looking to transform a loner’s life while he still has one or just try out the Private Investigator career, Dudley might not be a bad bet.  Some interesting dynamics with his former family the Racket’s I’m sure as Dudley furthers his career.  He might yet get a chance at some payback.  Not an apple to be found anywhere closeby so this gnome is moving on!

Part – Time Jobs Not Just For the Brokes Anymore June 28, 2010

Posted by simgnome in Game Tips.
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DJ Sim

Part – Time Jobs aren’t just for the Broke Family anymore!  You see with the Ambitions expansion this catagory of jobs is actually much more useful than it used to be.  Some examples of good opportunites to take a part-time job rather than a full – time one are :  1)  Skilling up a CAS Sim and making friends with ageing off.  2) Providing a regular abet small pay check to pay the bills while your sim does things like child care, painting, gardening, inventing, photography, writing till their skills are advanced enough to make a decent living then of course let that part – time job go then.  Or you can also keep it while your income continues to roll in from other sources.

Another good example of this is Mr. Greenwood in Twinton ( The neighborhood that comes with the Ambitions Expansion), he is a stay-at-home Dad while his wife persues a Political career.  He’s employed at the grocery store part-time, working while his wife is normally home then to care for their children.   The rest of the time he works on his expanding garden and whatever other skills you wish him to work on. 

Currently in my game, he’s collecting royalty checks from a few books he has written besides and likes to skip off to go fishing & collecting sometimes while the kids are in school. His wife is now Mayor and brings in a tidy paycheck but Mr. Greenwood does help out.  He even brings extra produce with him to work to sell back to the store after work making the Grocery Store a very efficent and logical place for him to work.