21 minute read
Console: Version 1.56
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I could have ever imagined. And Then
Gameplay:
My sims had their personalities, and they interacted with me just as much as I did with them. If I told a lazy sim to clean, they would look RIGHT AT ME and ask, “Who me?”. I would, again, spend ample amounts of hours playing this game, exploring my creativity. The Sims 2 taught me to read in English. I learned how to navigate character inventories, time management, and, most importantly, to have fun with gaming!
Final Thoughts:
The Sims came out of nowhere and took my life by storm. I have and will forever be a massive fan. I have since gotten into The Sims 3, and I enjoy it just as much! I now have the means to play The Sims 1 and 2 Ultimate Collections with all expansion packs. It makes the game feel new to me. What I am trying to say is this. The base games are so good that apart from feeling left out a little, I didn’t NEED expansion packs to make the game fun because the game was already fun enough!
Social Media Links:
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Many thanks to the writer of SimmedUp Mag, SueSimming, for allowing me to share my Sims experience with you guys!
We cannot believe it has already been a year since we last featured RD.PTRA, who graced the pages of issue 9 in 2021. If you are a follower of RD, you will know his talents exceed those of us ordinary sim square house builders!
Everyday, we are blown away by The Sims creations that RD posts across his own Twitter and Instagram accounts. From Computer game build replicas to everyday scenarios, not forgetting his Cube World 2.0, and as Quoted by RD, "Move over flat earth society! It's time for the cube earth movement". Comments from his followers below with well deserved praise indeed, quotes such as 'Omg, just amazing' Paradise_Plumbobs, and 'Literally outside the box (heart face emoji) THIS, IS SO COOOL Maiamakesims, you really should check out his posts, I guarantee you will walk away, scratching your head in wonder, but also champing at the bit to get creating your builds, because RD is an inspiration to all.
But RDs talents do not stop there. If you are looking for a genuine simmer, who loves the game as much as we do, and is also a valuable part of the community, Because dare I say it, he is just such a nice guy! then you have found one in RD.
Not only is RD ready to share his talents with the community freely, his supportive comments, encouragement, and polite manner are something so many people could take note of and try to implement into their own lives. RD is a shining light and an example to us all, so we just had to give him complete creative control to build along our retro theme with no instructions. After all, with an imagination like he has, we already knew whatever he created would be 'amazing' and have just the 'right' attention to detail.
Here you can find the most creative 'Switchboard' build for our retro theme showing just what a complete genius and true Sims artist he is. We cannot thank him enough for his support and friendship with us all.
sgu highlight
Hey fellow Simmers, it's the simmingSpoonie here with another showcase. This time we are dipping into our talent pool, presenting you with the work of the members of our website Supinmedia.com, which means that you too could find your work proudly displayed in our gorgeous mag just by sharing your content with us!!
TracySim11 or you may well know her as Simmersed on YT, is our first ever SGU Highlight! This first build is the one that caught my eye when she shared pictures of it on the website, and look how completely darling this Bridal Boutique is!
The exterior fits perfectly in
Windenburg with the small clock tower that is just sooo adorable. The outside presentation of this lot with the car and bicycle out front makes it all feel so real.
Stepping inside, Tracy11's attention to detail continues. We start with the fashion side of things, and through the door on the left, the interior has everything that a bride or groom could need.
The little sales area, the clothes hung in the corner, the shoe area, in particular, caught my eye, especially with how she has used TOOL to angle those mirrors (You will have to forgive me for having no reflections, my graphics card hates The Sims at the moment). The busts you can see should be mannequins decked out in all their finery, but sadly DL’ing a lot with the mannequins will crash the game, so Tracy took the sad but needed decision to remove them before uploading. You can see how the mannequins are supposed to look in her video. Going up that glamorous staircase, you will find the actual dressing room, and let me tell you, it is just stunning!
The rest of the first floor is just as glamorous and elegant and includes a guest toilet. Next door is a bridal accessory and gift shop with an apartment on the first floor.
And now for something completely different! Messy Students Apartment is a glorious riot of colour and clutter.
This apartment has three bedrooms, and I love how Tracy decided to leave a blank space for the walls where doors are
supposed to go and just added those doors herself. This is such a great idea for making apartments as we can no longer drag the walls without making rooms (whose idea was that?) And that bathroom has just the right amount of filth. What do you think?
Last but by no means least, I am going to show you Tracy's Boho Cottage. The cottage is just amazingly well designed and decorated. The attention to detail with everything in this home is just fabulous, from the landscaping to the use of space and decor. Entering the front door, you step into a small hallway and are presented with a wide archway into the living area. The shared spaces are so charming with a touch of cosy that they never feel overwhelmed or cramped. The bedrooms and bathroom are much the same. I love the way Tracy has angled some of the doors within archways to give that illusion of an open doorway. Moving onto the rear garden, it is very colourful and luscious, with the addition of the craft room at the rear is inspired! You can find out more about TracySim11 (this is her gallery ID) by visiting her Twitter and Instagram accounts and by checking out her
YT Channel.
Kardofe’s Retro Reboot
If you are in need of some retro crafted CC fit for a perfect diner throwback, then look no further than this set by Kardofe on TSR. This set consists of twelve meshes, and is the first part of a beautiful mid-century kitchen with counters, wall units, and many decorative objects. With many colour options, and a lot of shiny steel which is very typical of the period. To add a bit of extra clutter, and build upon the base set that Kardofe has created, we also have clutter from; OhMySims Fruit/ice cream, SYB Manon cutlery, Felixandresims olive oil, MyCupOfCC kitchen scales, Pqsims4 Trident gum, Neiden Light Switches & Plug Sockets, Maman Candy Jars/Gateau, Solny breakfast set, Simcredible cuprack/straws, DomininationKid fruit tart and, AroundTheSims4 Washing up dish rack/ teatowels. More from Kardofe (not in this set) Doughnuts/cookware/cheeseburger/french fries.
Left: High stool, with backrest, inspired by 1950's diner stools, in seven colour options
Below: High table for use as an island, in five colour options
Beautiful retro design teapot, in six colour options
Shiny retro-style toaster, in seven colour options
Kettle in four colour options
Original Image credit to Kardofe, diner scene credit to SimSimmerly
Cutting board a rolling pin, and a muffin tin, decorative
Packet of flour, eggs, and a bowl of cake batter, in four colour choices Retro-style radio, works as a radio, in five colour options
Two glass milk bottles, just like the ones the Milkmen would leave on the doorstep every morning
Vegetable drainer, shiny metal, in four colour options
Cooking Sims Style
By Granny.R & AsGraceCreates
Leek Quiche Recipe from Taste of Home
link: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/leek-quiche/
Time: Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 40 min, makes '6' servings
Ingredients
1 sheet of refrigerated pie crust 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1 cup chopped leek (white portion only) 1/2 cup chopped baby portobello mushrooms 3 frozen fully cooked breakfast sausage links, thawed and chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 3/4 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese, divided 2 tablespoons chopped soft sun-dried tomato halves (not packed in oil) large eggs 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons sour cream 2-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Unroll crust into a 9-in. pie plate; flute edge. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and Preheat the oven to 400°. Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edges are golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 325°. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add leeks and mushrooms; cook and stir until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add sausage and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over the crust. Top with sausage mixture and tomatoes. Whisk eggs, cream, sour cream, thyme, salt, and pepper; pour over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning if necessary. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, top with additional fresh thyme.
IceMunMun Leek Quiche
Black Forest Gateau Recipe from Odlums
link: https://www.odlums.ie/recipes/black-forest-gateau/
Cook time: 20 to 30 minutes and makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
For the cake: 150g/5oz Odlums Self Raising Flour 200g/7oz Chocolate (good quality, at least 60% cocoa) 2 tablespoons Milk 200g/7oz Butter or Margarine, cut into pieces 200g/7oz Shamrock Golden Caster Sugar 3 large eggs, separated For filling & decoration 300ml/½pt Whipped Cream 50g/2oz Icing Sugar 1 tin of Black Cherries, strained (reserve liquid for syrup) 125g/4oz Chocolate, grated or curls For the syrup Reserved liquid from Black Cherries 125ml/4fl oz Kirsch
Directions
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Grease and baseline three 7" sandwich tins. Place the chocolate and milk in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir continuously until the chocolate has melted. Remove the bowl from the heat, beating in the butter/margarine, then the caster sugar. Beat in for 3-4 minutes by hand or use an electric beater. Fold in the flour and add the egg yolks one at a time. Stiffly beat the egg whites and fold them into the cake mixture. Divide the mixture evenly between the sandwich tins. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Turn onto a wire tray to cool.
To make syrup Pour the liquid from the tin of cherries into a measuring jug. Add enough water to come to 225ml/8fl oz. Pour into a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, and stir 'occasionally' until thickened. Stir in the kirsch.
To assemble cake Pour syrup over the three cakes. Save 12 black cherries and some of the whipped cream for decoration on the top of the cake. Gently sandwich each cake together with the remainder of the whipped cream, sweetened with icing sugar and black cherries. Decorate the top of the cake with grated chocolate or curls. Pipe the cream around the edge and place the cherries on top.
LittleBowBub Black Forest Gateau
Supinmedia.com
Supinmedia.com
Your Sims With Emmi Bouquet
The Sims has created a community that we have grown very proud of. The opportunity to create Sims and Builds allows the artist in us to get as creative as we wish. The edition of CC and Mods means anything can be made possible with your sims creations. This month we feature a super talent in EmmiBouquet. Not only are her sims elegant and beautiful, her art is also out of this world. Let us go ahead and find out, who is EmmiBouquet?
Let us talk a little about how 2022 has been going for you so far? Has 2022 flown by for you? Have you achieved everything you had planned so far, have you hit any curveballs, or has it mostly been a smooth ride?
Well, I did not have any big plans for this year I’m a pretty boring person, in the end, to be honest, hehe. Actually, I was supposed to get married in the summer of 2022. Sadly that got canceled in early 2021. Since we were going to have the wedding abroad and the global pandemic made the wedding preparations basically impossible. So far, the year has been quite rough for me. One of my family members had to go to the hospital around Christmas in 2021, and has been in ICU ever since. I have also traveled often between two countries to support my family and visit the hospital. It has been mentally draining, to say the least.
Do you have anything planned for the rest of the year? Is there anything you have not tried in your sims creations that you would love to try in the future?
There is a lot that I have yet to try when it comes to The Sims, but currently, I have had no inspiration to start doing something completely new. I have planned to develop and practice more of my 3D modeling and sculpting skills. I love doing Sims 3D renders in Blender!
Not many people may know that you are a Tattooist from Finland. Tell us a little bit about how you started tattooing, the best and worst bits of tattooing, and what living in Finland is like. Tell us something else people may not yet know about you and that you can share.
Tattooing was always something I wanted to try, many of my friends encouraged me to do so, but the final push in that direction came from my big brother. It started when the local tattoo artist had a talk with my cousin. He mentioned something about my work, and that tattooist months later talked again with my brother (everyone here knows each other somehow). That was around the time I was active on Instagram and started posting my own work there. He saw my drawings and sketches and then reached out. I was his apprentice a week later! I worked in two different tattoo shops when I lived in Finland, but when I moved to Norway, it became more like a hobby, especially when the first news about Covid 19 surfaced. Best and worst bits of tattooing, hmmm... If I really got into all the details, it would take me a whole day to write about both bits. For me, the best things about tattooing are when I finish a piece and see the happy faces of my clients, the whole process of doing the tattoo really. Especially when the design is something I like doing. This brings me to the bad bits. Designing a tattoo from start to finish can be tedious. It can be hard to find inspiration, especially if the theme is something I do not personally enjoy doing. Since the canvas is a living person, anything can happen during a session as skin varies from person to person. I never know how well the client has prepared, and I wonder, have they eaten enough? Are they in pain? Are they fully hydrated? Living in Finland and being Finnish is great. It is not all that different from living in Norway or Sweden, but I think the people here in Norway tend to be a bit jollier than in Finland. At times the Finnish people are described as gloomy, grumpy, and stubborn. I totally fall into that category. Something that people may not know about me? Hmm, I love reading fantasy books, I am a big fan of the Marvel movies and Backstreet Boys, but in real life, I can be an extremely shy person.
You have a beautiful Instagram account filled with both digital and traditional art. Your art is stunning, by the way. Did you do any training that helped you develop your artistic skills, or would you say you have more natural talent? You also have a lot of portraits. Are portraits your favorite thing to draw, and what advice would you give to people like me who can only draw really good stick people?
Thank you so much! No, I have not had any special education in art in general. For as long as I can remember, my favorite thing to do when I was a kid was drawing, really just any type of creative activity. When I was about 15 years old,
I stopped almost all my creative hobbies altogether, concentrating on being a rebellious teenager instead! When I turned 18, I slowly got back into drawing again, mainly just tattoo designs for friends, but that developed into a serious interest in learning portraits and human anatomy. When YouTube had been around for just a few years, I found great tutorials and process videos there which helped me. Portraits and faces are definitely my favorite thing to draw overall. My advice for those who want to move on from drawing stick figures (even 'really good' ones) would be to study the basics first. For example, to become good at portraits and drawing faces, learn the realistic proportions first. Study your favorite artists. Draw simply for yourself and take your time. Watch the process and speed painting videos on how other artists tackle the obstacles you are hitting. The internet really is your best friend.
The Sims. Now we get to the bit we know everyone wants to know about. How long have you been simming for? What was your first impression of The Sims? And how do you think The Sims has
grown/developed since its first release. I have been simming for 22 years now. My father bought the very first The Sims game in the series when it launched in 2000. My 12-year-old brain was blown away! I fell in love with the game immediately and played every chance I got to use our family computer. The franchise became very important to me, and my family and friends noticed it, so for Christmas and birthdays, I would get a new Sims game. Now I am the proud owner of every EP, SP, GP, and Kit of Sims 1, 2, 3, and 4. Personally, I see developments between the installments, both in graphics and gameplay. I have not played the old iterations of The Sims games since the sims 4 games release. I love the aesthetics of The Sims 4. I am so glad they decided to go for a more stylized cartoonish look because even today, I find the hyper-realistic game characters very cringeworthy. Something just does not look right to me. I find the mouth area so stiff somehow, and the individual hair strands always remind me of little twigs you can find in a crow's nest!
We already know you have a skill for Portraits. Is this linked at all with your The Sims creations? Do you think having an artistic talent (especially in tattooing where shading can be tricky) has an advantage in what the final copy of your sims looks like? What tips can you give to simmers who currently do not know where to start when editing their sims? Are there any programs you would recommend for beginner artists?
Oh yes. My passion and interest in portraits and digital arts, in general, was the number one reason I started to create edits. My first Sims edit was when I was going through a period where I had no inspiration to paint from scratch. Editing a screenshot from my favorite game was less taxing for my brain and, at the same time, every shooting. Of course, the knowledge I have about portrait painting I use in my edits, like how the lights and shadows fall in the planes of the human face. The game does not currently have the best environmental lighting and ambient occlusion. The objects can cast nice sharp shadows on surfaces when the sun in the game is brightest, but this does nothing to the Sim itself. For example, if you have a strong light source above your sims' heads, it will not cast any sharp shadows on your sims like it realistically should. So shadows are the first thing I add when I start to edit. That alone gives much more depth to the character. Nowadays, I work almost exclusively with my iPad Pro with the painting/drawing app that was made for iOS called Procreate. This is one of the most popular digital art software that you can have on your iPad and is great for both beginners and professionals. Procreate is easy to learn to use and affordable. I highly recommend it, especially if you already have a compatible iPad! Alternatively, I recommend ClipStudio Paint if you have a Windows PC or a sketch/ drawing pad. The software itself has a higher learning curve, but like Procreate, one-time purchase and inexpensive.
If EA created a wish list by sending out a survey to all The Sims players, which asked them what they wanted to be added to the game this year, what would you say? What is the element that is missing in the game for you?
Here is my really boring answer; I honestly have been genuinely happy with everything they have come up with. I never really had any demands or wishes about what I wanted or needed in the game. I just hope they keep things fun and goofy, how The Sims has always been.
