SimmedUp Magazine Issue 15 by SUPinmedia

Your Sims Fix Delivered

Issue 15 - November 2021

DrGluon Chats with StassiJsims4

ASMARA YouTube Sensation

Simoniona Titan Architect

NEW GAMING WEBSITE

Mods

For The Decades Also inside: Introducing Simbuilderemma - Your Sims - Simspiration - Fanart - Meet The GC’s MyloFarmer - The Rose Chronicles - Off Topic - Retro - Just For Fun & so much more!

has been busy too, growing and creating two new magazines, SUpStyle and Machinima Magazine, soon we’ll be under the umbrella of SupInMedia with a brandnew website that will have tons of new features.

one side of the world, people are bundled up against the cold and enjoying nights in under a blanket while on the other side, we are enjoying nights braaiing and we’re married to our swimming pools by day (if you’re lucky enough to have one). Granny Ruth has both side of the world cover with two fun and easy recipes this month. As the year races to its end and before the madness of the holiday season starts, it’s a good time to take stock of the year that’s passed and where we are now. So far, The Sims 4 has released more inclusive content, updated the game to improve existing packs and given us free stuff and there is no sign of The Sims team slowing down. Similar, our SimmedUp team

The Sims community has also grown with a lot of new players joining The Cult of Sims but as we grow as a magazine and a community, let’s not forget who we are as Simmers. When you step under that green plumbob, you step into a safe space where race, religion, gender, age, sexuality etc fall away and you are simply a Simmer. Our community might fight like cats and dogs with each other but come for one of use and you take us all on because we are a ride or die community. We are the weirdos, the goofs, the geeks, the outsiders, the ones the rest of the worlds doesn’t pay much attention to and we found each other and built a place where we can all grow and play. Speaking to the amazing Asmara this month, I was once again reminded why I love our Sims community and how much talent is out there. However, if you do want to let the real world into your game just a little bit, check out the mods from SimRealist and let your Sims hair down. Come back next month for another brrrrilliant issue. May your plumbob always be green Sue

CONTENTS 06 NON BOB NEWS 09 TIPS AND TRICKS

14 INTRODUCING

18 CC SPOTLIGHT 22 INTERVIEW WITH DRGLUON

28 COOKING SIMS STYLE 30 SUP SHOP 32 YOUR SIMS

34 FAN ART 42 TITAN ARCHITECT 46 OFF TOPIC

50 RETRO CORNER 56 INTERVIEW WITH ASMARA

64 MOD REVIEWS 68 SIMSPIRATION 74 MAKING A SIMMER

82 MEET THE GC’S 86 THE ROSE CHRONICLES COMIC

90 FB SHOWCASE 94 STORY TIME

WITH SPOONIE

98 JUST FOR FUN

100 SIMSCOPES 102 WHATS UP?

104 MEET OUR TEAM

This month, we are excited to bring you the LATEST NEWS about our all NEW GAMING WEBSITE - SupInMedia.com As many of you know we have strived to support TheSims gaming community since 2020 by joining in on those inportant conversations, sharing as many fantastic simmers out there as we can and promoting the community both over social media, our website and in our magazines. For a very long time I have dreamed about building a safe space for people like me, who have at times felt as if they are completely alone, don’t know where to go, or just need a place to ‘be’ and away from the everyday struggles of life, mental health, disability, family or whatever may be the thing you need to escape the most. This Year, we decided that we needed to find a way to help support the community we had been welcomed into with open arms, we came up with a billion ideas one being the ‘community lotto’ what a failure that was! Out of all of our ideas, we decided the best way we can GIVE BACK to you was by building a website where everyone would feel welcome, so if you play The Sims any generation to games like Skyrim and COD we welcome you all to join us at supinmedia.com. Not only have we created a website where you can chat in groups and forums both private and public, but you can shop via the community shop area where we are supporting those of you who create to help ends meet on the side. We want to help support small business created by gamers. We have also created the ALL NEW MACHINIMAX where you can watch Machinima from many creators around

the world. If you create machinima, send us your YouTube name and not only will we subscribe to support you, we will add your Machinima so anyone watching from our website ADDS to your watch time, we are genuine about supporting the community, can you say the same about some of the gaming websites you are on now? We have also included a Membership area, so those of you who wish to keep their interactions private, you can do this also and so much more from stream scheduling to sharing you passion for The Sims. We are also in the process of adding a special area where ANYONE who advertises with us will earn comission too, as we have said from the start, we do this to support you, gamers united together no matter who you are, where you are from or what you play. So join us from November 5th, as Guy Fawkes attempted to destroy parliament, we launch our website for beta testing in an attempt to bring gamers together and show the world, being different doesnt mean you cannot be a fully functioning member of society, being different just means we are on a different journey to you, welcome to our attempt at the big bang Gaming isn’t just a Hobby, It’s a Lifestyle Choice #SupGamersUnite To show our appreciation, we will be giving FREE membership to ALL our discord users and the first 50 people to sign up with us for our first year, which will be £2 a month. Join us on the 5th November at supinmedia.com

Beta Testing from November 5th Happy Bonfire Night!

9021-Hoes it is hard to put it into words… I guess the easiest way to describe it is a sitcom written by a person who just really loves internet humor, but just set in the Sims 4. We could be uncovering a murder mystery with Gwen one episode, going shopping with Tiffany and Emily the next, or just following Cody in his 9-5 grind. But the hilarity always ensues when things tend to always go horribly wrong, especially when you throw in the different egos of some of the most influential people in Del Sol Valley in the mix. It gets pretty crazy! 9021Hoes is premiering this November! Stay tuned!

Tips & Tricks Do you find yourself dreaming about building the perfect home in the Sims 4, only to find that 3 hours later you are scrapping something that resembles a painted cardboard box? You are not alone. Building in the Sims can be a frustrating and often overwhelming experience, but don’t toss that build just yet… SimmedUp has some killer tips to help you slay any Sims 4 build.

Pro Tip #1: Start Small. The biggest mistake that new builders make is creating a large home with too much space. Unless you are going for an ultra-modern, minimalist vibe your Sims space should be warm and cozy. The easiest way to achieve this is by building a small home with just enough space for your sims.

Quick Tip for Room Sizing: Create your spaces by thinking about the number of tiles that each item will use and factoring in room for routing. Alt placement will greatly help you when it comes to filling each space.

Quick Reference Room Size Guide: Living rooms should be around 6 tiles wide and 6 tiles deep. This allows enough space for a couch and side tables. Kitchens will vary n size but should be a minimum of 4 tiles long to fit necessary items. Bedrooms will also vary in size and shape. Be sure that your bedroom is at least 3 tiles wide for a single bed and 4-5 tiles for a double bed and leave room for any other items that you want to add. Bathrooms can be as small as 1 tile in size or can be much larger depending on your preferences. It is important to note that bathtubs need 3-4 tiles to properly function, and showers need 2-3 tiles.

Pro Tip #2: Learn to Roof Like a Boss. One of the most difficult aspects related to building in The Sims 4 is roofing. Creators everywhere have struggled to roof awkward shaped builds, and many homes have been scrapped out of frustration. Some Simmers have even called on EA to bring auto-roofs to The

Sims 4 purely due to their frustration with this tool. While roofing can be the catalyst for a nervous breakdown, it does not need to be. Below we share some of the best roofing tips from PugOwnedPlays, (known to many in the community as a roofing Goddess). She has an excellent tutorial on her YouTube Channel that will help you learn and understand how to roof any space in The Sims 4 and can provide you with some fun little ideas as well.

Pugs Top Tips for Roofing Any Build: � Create bump outs and skylights in your roof to add character and drama to your builds. � Roof Trim and Textures can help a build look more finished. � Create a Mansard roof by adding an empty room in the middle of the top floor and wrapping small sections of roofing around it. � Create skylights using glass roofing and knocking out the floor to cast light to the room below. � Try out the T.O.O.L mod if you have not already. This mod is a fantastic addition to your game if you love building. The best part of this mod is that using it in your builds does not flag them as having Custom Content on the gallery. � Press Shift + C to add more adjustment options to your roofing so you can manipulate your roof in more ways. 10

� The most important tip that PugOwnedPlays provides is the advice to “Practice.” Roofing takes time to master, and the only way to succeed is by trying! Check out PugOwnedPlays on YouTube for more interesting and helpful building tips, as well as some awesome videos of her amazing pet creations. PugOwnedPlays Roofing Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ING_OBYsLkw

Pro Tip #3: Wall heights, Half Walls, and Platforms. The build mode in Sims 4 is one of the

most in-depth aspects of the game and is still evolving even years after the original game release. Some of the more recent additions to build mode include platforms and the pond tool. However, half walls were also added after the original release and are an extremely useful component. While these tools have fueled some noteworthy builds, they can be used to add detail and drama to any build – no matter your skill level. Ideas for using half walls and platforms: � Use a half wall to separate the toilet from the rest of the bathroom. � Use half walls to create the perfect chimney. � Separate rooms using half walls and pillars. � Use platforms to create a split-level house. � Add a sunken living room with the help of platforms. � Create a fun kid’s room by placing

walls, staircases that can twist and turn provide builders with endless possibilities. Use ‘L-shaped’ stairs to save some space or ‘U-Shaped’ stairs to create drama. Experiment with this tool and see how it changes your builds and adds flavor to your family home.

Pro Tip #5: Focus on the Floor Plan First. A mistake that I made constantly when I first started building in The Sims was starting with the exterior of the home. While working form the outside in can work

�

the bed up on a platform or having a toddler-only play area that is raised up using platforms. Use platforms to create custom stairs on the exterior of your build.

(Note: Sims can walk up platforms that are raised one level but no higher). There are so many uses for wall heights, half walls, and platforms. Share your creations with us by tagging your posts with #ShowSUPYourBuilds on social media!

Pro Tip #4: Get Creative with Staircases. Not too long ago The Sims 4 gave builders the ability to create custom staircases by changing the shape of the stairs in the game. This tool has been a true gamechanger. Coupled with platforms and half

for many, it can also lead to some serious landscaping issues when you get to the floor plan and realize that you need to widen your house. A pro tip is to create the frame of the house first and focus on your floor plan before you begin to landscape. Getting the floor plan figured out before you start to place flowers and trees can save time and tears later. My Personal Pro Tip: Start by placing your staircase and map your floor plan around it. I tend to start with the upper level and work my way down because it is more difficult to create bedrooms and a bath upstairs then it is to form a living room, dining room, and kitchen.

Pro Tip #6: Understand the Power of Curb Appeal. Although you are starting with the interior of the home, it is essential that you do not neglect the exterior. Just like in the real world, curb appeal is vital to creating the perfect home in The Sims. In fact, curb appeal may be one of the most important aspects of building and is certainly the most difficult to master. Builds in the game tend to be about aesthetics – you want your house to look good in screenshots – functionality often comes second to looks in The Sims. In real life, windows are placed differently, and things are far from perfect. In The Sims, however, misplaced windows and odd shaped houses can ruin an entire build. Thankfully, build mode, coupled with debug, provides builders with plenty of ways to hide these flaws and make their house look fantastic. Pro Tips for Creating Curb Appeal: � Use paths and walkways to create some curb appeal. Paths can be made using flooring or terrain paint. � Choose the perfect colors for the exterior of your home. � Utilize debug to add plants or to line pathways with small bricks or stones. (Note: You can scale items using the [ and ] keys on your keyboard to make them smaller or larger). � Create designated areas on your lot and break up large empty spaces using objects, platforms, or fences. � Don’t be afraid to experiment with items that you would not normally use outdoors, after all in The Sims rain will not ruin your dining table or wash away that small decoration. � Keep the focus centered on the 12

build itself. While curb appeal is super important, it is meant to enhance a home, not distract from it. Pathways, plants, and objects should frame a house, drawing your eyes to the build itself.

Pro Tip #7: Choose a Specific Style. How many times have you planned to build a Victorian-style home and ended up filling it with modern contemporary items? I know that I have done this too many times to count. When trying to create the perfect home in The Sims 4, style is everything! Pick a style or choose a theme and stick to it as much as you can. Build mode allows you the option to sort items by style, which can be very handy if you are unsure of which items fit your theme. However, this sorting system is notoriously inaccurate so be sure to do some research and gather inspiration from outside sources such as Pinterest or Instagram. There is nothing worse than an ultra-modern house that is filled with country furniture or vice-versa. Quick Tip: Figure out your style goals and have some fun. Try to stay within the realm of what you are aiming to achieve and you shall succeed. Building in the Sims can be a frustrating experience but with these tips and a bit of practice you are sure to create a simtacular space. Dag Dag, K8 Simsley

Introducing: simsbuilderemma

We have another awesome Sims builder in the community. I have found this simmer on Twitter when scrolling through my feed. Simsbuilderemma builds amazing little cottage houses and modern interiors. She has just started her Youtube journey and has some Speedbuild videos up on her channel. Her Instagram is very cohesive and she uses reshade to enhance her builds. I still to this day have not downloaded or used reshade and I am very jealous about it. I need to get to it. She has done some collaborations with fellow simmers in the community where she built an amazing modern futuristic-looking house. Go and follow this amazing builder and content creator.

Follow simsbu Youtube, Twitter

uilderemma on r and Instagram!

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StassiJSims4: Tell me a little bit about yourself? DrGluon: I’m DrGluon, Sims streamer and content creator on Twitch and YouTube. You can find me at Twitch.tv/drgluon and YouTube.com/drgluon. I play an assortment of games but tend to focus heavily on The Sims. But that doesn’t mean I’m not up for trying out new games too! I think of myself as a storyteller and I like to weave comedy and fun into everything I do from my Let’s Plays to even my builds.

StassiJSims4: I read that you love board games? What are your favorite board games to play? DrGluon: I can always play the classics like Monopoly and Clue, but now that my kids are getting a bit older, I love to share with them my favorite games like Catan and Carcassone. My oldest daughter can beat me in a round of Ticket to Ride now too. My wife and I are playing Above and Below now and it’s a lot of fun.

StassiJSims4: You are a father of four kids? What has it been like for the past 18 months? I see you just got a new puppy named Molly. What is it like having a new doggo? DrGluon: The past 18 months have been challenging to figure out new schedules and things like that, but it’s also been fun to spend more time with the kids. Having a new puppy is great! She’s so soft and cuddly and likes to snuggle on my lap in between rounds of playing with our other dog Basil!

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StassiJSims4: After high school, you went on to complete an Arts degree in college? What Artist inspires you the most? DrGluon: Not anyone specifically, but I’ve always been inspired by classic cartoons, video game art, and children’s books.

StassiJSims4: Tell me about your 100 babies in 100 years LP? Also what years have been your favorite so far? DrGluon: This 100 baby challenge is inspired by WandaVision and TV sitcoms in general. The house is designed to look like a TV set you’d see in a production studio. We started in the ’50s, and with every new baby, we go up one year, which makes it a lot of fun and keeps it fresh since we redesign the house and our Mom every 10 years to match the new decade. It’s hard to pick a favorite year though each decade has been my favorite so far really

because it’s just so much fun to work from a bunch of references and change things up and create something new and interesting from the decades past. So since we’re in the 70’s right now I guess they’re my favorite! I’m really looking forward to the future years and seeing what we come up with then.

“ It was hard when they were voted out because they were just gone and it was weird not seeing them there anymore.”

StassiJSims4: Tell me about your Hotel

Challenge?

DrGluon: This is a fun one! In this challenge, I play as one Sim who runs this wacky hotel. The other seven guests are not controlled by me and I can’t control their actions and interactions. There are areas that are locked off from the guests, like the kitchen and other guest’s rooms, so it’s up to the Sim I control, named Basil, to prepare all of the meals and provide entertainment for the guests. Every night at midnight we calculate how much money we made based on the guest’s needs. The happier the guests are the more money we get. The sadder or more mad they are the less we make to the point that if they’re really unhappy they can ask for their money back.

people through the program! I love meeting new people and I can’t wait to meet more. StassiJSims4: I read that you first

considered streaming in 2012 but didn’t really know how to go about it at first. So, you started streaming on Twitch in February 2014. After one of your friends got into it and showed you the ropes. you fell in love with it and have been doing it ever since. What made you fall in love with Streaming? DrGluon: There are a lot of things I love about streaming, but for me, it all comes down to my community. They are all so amazing and welcoming, and supportive! There’s been some talk recently about how toxic Twitch can be, but my community is a ray of light and positivity and truly a place where we all fit in.

StassiJSims4: What was it like to be on

The Sims Spark'd?

DrGluon: It was challenging, but I really enjoyed creating and being with all of my friends on the show. It was hard when they were voted out because they were just gone and it was weird not seeing them there anymore. I am very happy that I was on the team that I was on and to be working with two really talented creators.

StassiJSims4: What is your favorite

game to stream?

DrGluon: The Sims, and really any game that involves creativity and gives me the chance to be a storyteller, like Minecraft and Animal Crossing.

StassiJSims4: You have been on Twitch

for a long time, what is the biggest change you have seen over the years? StassiJSims4: What is it like to be an EA

Game Changer?

DrGluon: I’ve met a lot of awesome

DrGluon: I’ve seen more diversity, which is great, but there’s still a long way to go.

StassiJSims4: What advice would you

give anyone who wants to start their own Twitch Channel?

DrGluon: There’s always the classic advice of being consistent, setting and sticking to a schedule, but the best advice I can give is just do it! Don’t worry about what equipment you have starting out, you can always change things up as you grow. Most importantly, have fun and be yourself. The biggest advice I can give anyone just starting out is that other people’s successes do not equal your own failures.

StassiJSims4: You have worked with so

many amazing simmers, who has been your favorite to work with, and why?

DrGluon: I’ve been so lucky to work with so many great Simmers! That’s a really tough question to answer. James Turner is my best friend, so I love creating with him.

StassiJSims4: Any sneak peek you

would like to share with us??

DrGluon: I’ve got some fun things planned for the holidays! You’ll have to tune in and see!

How to Find DrGluon twitch.tv/DrGluon youtube.com/Drgluon Twitter: DrGluon 26

Recipes for Both Hemispheres SimmedUp Magazine might be “based” in the UK but we are spread all over the world. This means that while some are sipping on pumpkin-spice lattes, others are looking for anything iced to cool down with. Finding recipes that can work as both a nice autumn and spring meal can be a bit daunting but just leave it to Granny to save the day. Whether you have a long coat and scarf on taking a stroll under yellow, red and brown coloured trees or watching the world around you explode with the colours of spring, one dish fits perfectly in both scenarios Fish and Chips. This month however, we’ll be doing this recipe a bit different just to keep things exciting and turn it into a pie.

Image Credit to BBC Good Food

Fish and Chips Pie

Ingredients Step 1 20m prep 40m cook 4 servings

• 500g frozen potato chips

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan force. Place the chips on a baking tray. Bake, turning halfway, for 15 minutes or until starting to brown.

straight-cut

• 30g unsalted butter • 1 leek, pale section only, thinly sliced • 50g (1/3 cup) plain flour • 500ml (2 cups) milk • 125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream

Step 2 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until the mixture bubbles. Remove from heat. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, until smooth. Stir in the cream. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Step 3

• 500g white fish fillets, cut into 3cm pieces

Add the fish to the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until just cooked through. Stir in the dill and season with salt and white pepper. Transfer to a 1.5L (6 cup) baking dish.

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra, to sprinkle (optional)

Step 4

• Pinch of ground white pepper

Arrange the chips over the fish mixture in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with extra dill and serve with lemon wedges and for a dash of spring, add a green salad on the side.

• Lemon wedges, to serve

Blueberry Pie Speaking of pies, you’ll need something sweet to go with your fish and chips. One Pie filling that can be found in a Autumn And spring is blue berries. Normally this pie would contain cinnamon And allspice, Spices that are considered “warm” spices that won’t pair so well with a Warm spring day. Granny also doesn’t see the point of wasting time indoors baking a pie when you can enjoy the last days Before winter hits or enjoy the flowers in springtime.

Image Credit to Handletheheat.com

Three-ingredient blueberry pie INGREDIENTS •

500g of fresh or frozen blueberries

•

4T brown sugar

•

500g good -quality puff pastry

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the berries in a pie dish and sprinkle over the brown sugar. Cover with the puff pastry and bake for 25 minutes. The berries will burst while baking, making their own sauce. Top your pie with cream and a dash of cinnamon for those enjoying autumn. For those enjoying spring, slap on some ice-Cream and fresh mint leaves.

SupShop All brand new merch is available to buy from our NEW WEBSITE SupInMedia.com From the 5th November 2021 www.simmedup.co.uk

107

Your Sims Showcased

Grace has been a Simmer since the first release of The Sims. She has always been fascinated in making Sims and loves experimenting with the game's gameplay. On her free time, she spends hours in CAS mode, making Sims and dressing them up. She also loves doing Simstagram role-play, and currently learning more about rendering Sims using Blender. Grace loves all things pink and all kinds of dog. Inasmuch as she would want to adopt 10 dogs, currently, she owns only 1 doggo, and loves him so dearly like her own son. She is also an eager beaver in learning new things. She also loves making new friends. You can reach her on Twitter @asgracecreates

from around the world.

SimSimmerly rarely shows her art work within The Sims community as she is always busy creating, talking with community members, spending time with her family, or walking the team mascot Lola the Chihuahua and making sure she is promoting everyone but herself, so when she shared these images with the team, we decided they should definitely be inside this months Your Sims and I am sure you agree, they are super cool! J o i n SimSimmerly on Twitter

for being a popular Pirate port back in the day (yes REAL pirates, totally not kidding,) and is the presumed birthplace of the infamous Pirate Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard! I’m a trained car mechanic and cars and bikes have been my passion since I was like 6yrs old or so, along with Staffies and Pit-bulls. Sadly, I do not currently share my home with a dog, but I DO share it with a very cuddly and often crazy cat called Silver Bullet who I also love greatly. Other things about me. Well, I like to collect Asian Ball Jointed Dolls, Nendoroids and 1/6th Action Figures and I pose and take photos of them and create stories with them too. I also

Hello hello! This is Izzy from the SimmedUp Magazine, this month we are featuring the fantastic PoisonedSimmer! Now our eagle-eyed readers may notice that they were a part of our monster mash Halloween bash mega feature last month! So, first things first! I would like to thank you very much for being a part of last month's feature and for coming back this month! Why don’t we start with you telling us a little bit about yourself? Aww well thank you! I was honestly ecstatic to be asked and to be a part of it. So doing so again brings me great joy. OK so um hi, I’m Rose, I’m 38 and I come from a not too small town in England, namely Bristol. A town which is well known

collect basically anything rose or skeleton related. I also really love video games, Photography, Writing and Mythology, especially Egyptian and Norse mythology. I’m heavily into Wicca and anything Witchcraft related, can’t get enough of either of those as well. And hmm finally the thing I always tell everyone about me is that anything Horror based, Gory, Creepy or Scary is a true love of mine. I genuinely watch about 1 horror/slasher movie a day or sometimes more. I won’t lie, I’m a little obsessed, especially if it involves zombies. So, there you go, everything you never wanted to know about me and a few things that maybe you did. :)

Now, I have to say a lot of your stuff is incredibly detailed! Do you mind me asking how long one piece usually takes you? Oh well that’s nice to hear, so thank you! I definitely try to work on the details a lot in my general photography and my sims stuff, it’s basically my favourite part. I think that’s why my sims images are usually so detailed, because I’m so used to photography in real life and capturing so many moments with it. But um honestly, the short answer is a long time! For both Sims in game pictures and also my blender renders. The real answer, if I’m building a room/lot/house/etc to use as a backdrop, that usually takes me about a day, sometimes two or rarely more. And despite how easy it should be, setting up the angle of the photo, the posing, making sure the lighting fits the look I’m going for can take me an hour or more. Or oftentimes even longer since I sometimes take the pics, decide I don’t like them and then completely redo the angles and things. Yes, I really am just that slow and overthink everything. But it’s still fun to me so oh well! As for my renders, well those usually take me about two days as well. Lighting is HARD for me in blender. Creating or editing the pose to fit a character or the general theme is even harder and setting up any possible backdrops, well I never know what to do for that so that also takes

time. Basically, it all takes me way longer than it should. I'm actually a very impatient person but I’m also stupidly stubborn so I keep at it until it works out the way I want or something close to it at least. That is definitely something I can agree on! The process takes a lot longer than most people are aware of for sure! I

know were all wondering, how do you come up with the inspiration for these pieces? Is it something you’re able to do off the cuff or are you more of a planner when it comes to your art? Honestly, there’s so many things. Scenes from the stories I have in my head that I want to depict. Images and photos I scroll past on tumblr or twitter or even just

movie or tv show I’ve seen or one of the millions of books and stories I’ve read. Sometimes it’s just a totally random thought that hits me and I try to go with it. I am definitely more of an off the cuff person when it comes to this and most things I do in my life. I’m impulsive and planning is just not one of my strong suits unfortunately. Sometimes there’s a VERY specific idea I want to create and that I will do a little planning on but mostly I still just have a vague idea and then I wing it and hope for the best. I just do whatever I need to as long as it helps me create the image or thought in my head really. As an artist myself I get overly curious about how people find their niche, so what would you say got you into the sims editing? Oh, storytelling for sure, but again also my real-life photography. I use the sims to create visual representations of a lot of the characters I have running around in my head and their stories I’ve thought up and I just wanted to be able to share my characters with others. Sadly, I do not have a single artistic bone in my body. In terms of 36

actually being able to draw the scenes and people in my head anyway. This is a different kind of artistic ability; it doesn’t involve me having to create from scratch with my own hands and a pen or pencil. It involves me shaping something that’s already partially there and having to push them and pull the shapes and parts around into the thing that I want to make. That’s why I’ve always loved the Sims, I can’t draw but I CAN create and sculpt to a degree and it gives me that freedom I’ve never been able to find no matter how much I try to learn drawing. And because of that I can create visual stories (which is what I really want to start doing) and make fun or interesting edits. There’s so much you can say with even a simple edit and it’s basically my favourite thing to do nowadays.

I couldn't put that better, that's the same reason I got into it as well, there's just so much room for creativity! Following that what would you say your signature for your art is? What makes your art yours? Hmm, um honestly? I have no idea! I know that’s the answer nobody ever wants to hear, but I have no clue what my signature is or would be. I don’t know that I really have one or, how to describe it, if I do. I have so many sims and they are all in various different styles. My editing varies too depending on the vibe or mood I’m going for so it’s hard to say. That said though, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think how to explain it and I guess the only thing I can say really is that it’s sort of Gutter Punk meets Witchy Goth meets Fantasy with a dollop of Everyday Modern thrown in. I really can’t think how to describe it any better than that. lol I think a lot of folks can identify with that, I think art really is all about just doing what you want and finding what you like! This doesn’t have to do with art, but I love to ask anyway. How long have you been playing The Sims? And what’s your favourite game? Oh, I’ve been playing since the first game. As in the absolute first game. Before even the first pack came out, just the original game. I was hooked from the very start and so far, haven’t stopped playing ever since. My fave though, hmmm that’s a tough one, there’s a lot that I love both about Sims 2 and 3 and all the details and things they both had in them. If I had to pick, despite the fact that I play only Sims 4 now and have done since it came out, the one I miss the most is probably Sims 3. The pack I miss the most though is Sims 2 Free-time. Tinkering and restoring the old car, that was my fave thing ever I think and I just miss it so much.

Well, I think that's about everything! I would like to thank you again for being such a great sport and for being a part of this! Also, I would like to thank our fantastic readers! Be sure to check out the lovely PoisonedSimmer on tumblr! (https:// poisonedsimmer.tumblr.com/) Don't forget to like and share this issue! I'll see you all next month!

Poisoned

Simmer

Neuschwanstein 2.0

Titan Architect Simoniona By TheSimmingSpoonie

We are super excited to share your builds with our readers, you are an inspiration to so many and your builds are astounding so we thought our readers would love to get to know this talented simmer a little better, can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to play The Sims. Simoniona: My name is Elke and I´m from Germany, near Stuttgart. In real life, I have my own martial arts school where I teach for years every day. It was pure coincidence that I started playing Sims, I was just looking for a new PC game back then. I have been playing Sims for many years. First Sims 3, I loved it, then Sims 4 since the release. In Sims 3 I rarely built and was therefore not very good at it. In the meantime, I only play Sims 4 and I am addicted to the build mode! Where did the inspiration for your gallery ID originate from? Simoniona: My ID Simoniona came about because I wanted a name that had something to do with Sims. All of the other names I tried back then were already taken.

If you had to describe yourself in three Sims traits, what would they be and why? Simoniona: Creative: Everything I do, I do in my own creative way. Active: Because of my job, I am always on the move and train every day. Good: I´m happy when I can make someone happy and it is my concern to make the world a little better. Anyway, I'll try.

Your builds are always so intricate and detailed, on average, how long does it take you to create one? Simoniona: When I build, I never pay attention to the time, building for me is pure relaxation! So I can only estimate how long I have been working on a project, but it can certainly be well over 100 hours that I spend with one lot. Which one took the longest? Simoniona: I think it was Hogwarts 2.0, Dalaran Wow, Versailles, Le Mont St. Michel, Neuschwanstein 2.0 and maybe Steampunk City.

Which is your favourite?

Simoniona: That's a difficult question, actually always the project I'm working on at the moment.

Edith Finch:

Casa Brutale Sulani:

Do you have a design and planning process for your huge designs? If so, can you tell us a little about it?

What are your favourite and least favourite things about building in The Sims 4?

Simoniona: When I start a huge project, I only build according to pictures, never according to floor plans, because they almost never match the possibilities in the build mode or the size of the lots available. I decide what the most important things about a building or a district that make it up or that are important for recognizing it. Then I set placeholders (wall squares...) on the lot, which I adjust until I like it. It is particularly important to me not only to reproduce the look, but also the feeling I have when I see a place or a building. It does not matter whether I have already visited it, know it or seen a film... myself. I only dealt with many of my topics when I started building! I love to tell a story with each lot and take the players with me on a journey to distant lands or to fantastic places.

Where do you find the inspiration for your creations? Simoniona: I like to recreate well-known real buildings, sights and locations from films, series and games. Even researching my projects can take many hours. I collect a lot of template images on the Internet that I want to recreate as closely as possible. Sometimes I also see new content in the building mode and spontaneously have an idea what I could do with it.

Simoniona: I love to experiment in build mode and develop new ideas with familiar content. My favorite construction phase is always the basic structure, the exterior decoration and the furnishing of special rooms. I least like standard rooms, for example, to meet the requirements for communal lots (toilets ...)

We all know that there is a huge modding and CC community out there, who often fill a much needed “gap”, can I ask why you choose not to use CC? Do you use any mods when you build? Which ones and which would you say is your “Must Have” Simoniona: Even if I think some things are great and I like to see what can be done with mods and CC, I never use mods and CC! I only build with the content and possibilities that the game offers me. That is precisely the attraction and the challenge for me when I build!

If you had to pick just one pack (EP/GP/SP) to use for a build alongside base game items, which one would it be and why? Simoniona: I would choose "Get Together" because my favorite lot (64 x 64) is located in Windenburg on the island!

Castle Combe, Wiltshire

Steam Flight:

Do you have any favourite items in the game that you find yourself using time and time again? Simoniona: I love the little things and details, the DEBUG contents of all packs (grass, stones, pieces of wood ...), the wall stains from StrangerVille, the wall cracks from the vampire pack. Actually everything that makes my lots look more realistic!

If you were limited to just one social media platform to share your creations, which would it be and why?

Image Above: The Truman Show: Image Below: Ginzan Onsen, Japan:

Simoniona: I´m mainly active on Facebook, where I can post as much as I like! Unfortunately, Twitter doesn't like me, because as soon as I make more than one post a day, I'm often banned even though I've never broken any rules.

Where can our readers find you?

Image below: London, Whitechapel 1888:

Simoniona: You can find Simoniona on Facebook, in the gallery (ID Simoniona) on Twitter and Facebook

Simoniona 45

OFFTOPIC WITH SPOONIE

BANISHED

Banished is a city-building/survival game developed by Shining Rock Software and released way back in 2014, it is however as playable today as it was then.

This game focuses on very careful management of resources and survival as an isolated society that you wish to grow. Why is your little settlement so isolated you may ask? Well, that’s because your little group of travellers have been exiled from their homes and decide to restart their lives in a new land, it is your job as the player to help them survive. Your villagers need three basics to survive, shelter, food and a way to keep warm. If you see a citizen with a yellow house icon over their head, that means that they do not have a home, a knife and fork mean that they are starving poor loves. To build one, you provide them with a footprint and the townsfolk must collect enough wood and stone to build it. To do this, you can select an area of land for them to remove

resources from, all townsfolk will help with this process. Once resources are removed, they need to be placed on a stockpile, which you create by shift-clicking on the area where you want to locate it. They will then place all stone, iron, logs and firewood here. Once the materials reach the stockpile people will move logs and stone to the areas you have designated for construction. As previously mentioned any of your townsfolk can cut down a tree to move materials from one place to another, some jobs will require specialised workers, for example, to construct new homes, you will need to assign builders.

This table gives you an idea of the types of specialised jobs available in this game, it’s quite a lot, isn’t it? I do love watching the structures take shape. There's something very satisfying about hearing the sawing of wood and the hammering of stone and watching buildings come together. Not only will your townsfolk require shelter, but they will also need food. There are a variety of ways in which this can be done, they can hunt, gather, fish, grow crops, orchards and even raise livestock. The next thing your citizens will need are roads, these help them to move more quickly around your settlement, which is much needed! Roads are prepared for use by the same builders that construct your building, so bear that in mind before you go around laying hundreds of miles of road and start wondering why none of your homes are being built. The game has an overview panel that helps you understand the status of your population, from here, you can see the number of stored construction materials, food, firewood, clothing and tools. You can also see the current population, the happiness of that population, their average health (displayed using the red hearts) and the current weather. The next thing to focus on is making sure that the townsfolk have enough firewood so that they do not freeze come winter. For this, you will need a woodcutter's hut, oh and a storage barn comes in handy too, as this can store larger amounts of wood, iron and steel and the such like, but it can also be used to store processed

goods such as food and firewood When you click on a building that is in the process of being constructed, you get this handy little information box that shows what has to be removed from the site before building can begin, how much of each resource is needed to complete construction and how long the building has left to complete. Once the woodcutter’s hut is built, you can set how much wood you want them to store as an upper limit, and as soon as you assign a worker to become a woodcutter they will move logs from stockpiles or barns and cut them into firewood, which the rest of your townsfolk will use to heat their homes. As your town grows, you can build more specialised buildings to help your townsfolk survive, such as blacksmiths, tailors, herbalists and foresters. All townsfolk who work need tools such as axes, hammers, saws etc, these tools do eventually wear out and need to be replaced, thankfully, you can build a blacksmith and they can make new tools. Tailors craft better clothing so that your townsfolk can stay outside longer during the winter months, this increases their productivity. A tailor can use leather or wool to make clothes, a combination of both make the best and warmest clothing. Herbalists collect herbs from the surrounding forest and help your townsfolk stay healthy. Your citizens require a variety of foods to stay in optimum health, such as meat, vegetables, fruits and grains. Herbs collected by your herbalists help to keep the townsfolk healthy if their diet is poor. These herbs usually only grow around old trees though, so bear this in mind before you build your herbalist's hut as they only collect herbs within a small radius of it. If your citizens are not healthy they are more prone to disease and this can be catastrophic in such an isolated area where every able body counts.

Foresters manage the forests in your village and not only clear trees to create logs, but they also plant new trees in an area around the building. You can enable and disable the planting of trees, so no new saplings will be planted when this feature is turned off. Foresters will also remove rock and ore that is within their work area to make room for more trees. Trading posts are a vital part of your town’s infrastructure as they allow the trade of resources, either selling excess production or acquiring new crop seeds, fruit seeds, livestock, food and many other items. The

table to the left shows just a few of the things that you might have in your inventory to barter with for goods that you need. This brings us nicely onto food. As discussed earlier, food is one of the most important resources for your village. Citizens can hunt, fish and gather to harvest food from the natural environment around them. Or, you can clear land to plant orchards, grow crops and raise livestock. To create fields or orchards, select the relevant food production tile from the menu and click and drag to create your field. The land will need to be cleared before workers plant seeds in the spring and then in the autumn, after planting if you click on the field, you can see the crop yield meter, it will show how mature the plants are and can be used as a gauge to determine how much food will be produced. The crops will automatically be harvested in autumn. This is also how orchards work To create a pasture, you first need to select a type of animal you wish to raise, sheep, chickens or cows. Again, you can purchase more animals from our friendly trader. Livestock is generally a great resource to farm as it also produces materials that can be used to help the

tailor create better clothes, such as leather from cattle and wool from sheep. Hunters are another way to find food, they will search the area around the hunter’s cabin to find wild game, deer can also be a source of leather. The last way to find food in this game is the gatherers, they will search the area around the building to find food that grows in the forest. This can be a great choice as the first type of food production in a town as it can provide a variety of foods quickly. As you progress into the game, you will also be able to create taverns that produce beer and make your citizens happy, quarries and mines to remove iron coal and stone from under the ground. Schoolhouses to help citizens become more productive, hospitals that can be used to heal diseases, town halls to record and store census data. Chapels, a place to meet and worship and a cemetery to prevent your citizens from becoming sad when their elders die. The soundtrack is soothing and adds to the medieval vibe that this game gives off. Banished is a very in-depth survival game that requires a tonne of strategy to enable you to create a flourishing new town in a very isolated area. You really need to pay attention to all of the metrics to ensure your townsfolk flourish instead of starving or freezing to death as inevitably happens when I play it. Thank you for reading this months Off Topic review by The Simming Spoonie.

If you have a game you would like to recommend for review, send us a message and your chosen game could be in one of our upcoming issues! Send your games for review to: simmedup@gmail.com with ‘Spoonie Review’ in the subject bar. Until next time keep on gaming.

Covering your old-school favorites from The Sims franchise

An Introduction to The Sims (PC) timeline by Ivana & Josef

he Sims game, when first introduced, has always been about playing with life, building, and storytelling. Players would not automatically think that there’s an established timeline and lore in these games. Many would just jump into creating their sims, playing with them, and creating their homes and lives. But, after hours of playing and observation on the games’ recurring premades and townies that have their own stories, the fans were instantly charmed and captivated by the rich lore and memorable sims of the franchise. The timeline was not told in a linear fashion. According to The Sims Wiki: “Generally speaking, the events of The Sims 3 occur the earliest in the inuniverse chronology of the series, followed by the events of The Sims and then The Sims 2. For example, Bob Newbie and Betty Simovitch appear as teenagers in The Sims 3, are married in The Sims, and have had a child and have died by The Sims 2. However, there are several instances (especially with The Sims 3) where events do not seem to agree with the in-universe chronology. There are several player theories which attempt to resolve these discrepancies,

as well as some canonical alternatives, such as time travel in The Sims 3: Into the Future. The Sims 4 does not follow the inuniverse chronology of the series, but does have some returning families, making it seem like an alternative universe.” The Bob & Betty Newbie story mentioned above is just one of the examples of lore in The Sims which established a timeline of events in the whole series. But, the chronology became a little bit confusing when EA released a lot of new worlds in The Sims 3 expansion packs and The Sims 3 store, in which some have returning premades from the previous games, but in different time periods of their lives. Couple that with inconsistencies and discrepancies in the stories and sims’ ages, personalities, and appearances due to developers’ oversight and lack of care for details, which I’ll get into later in a bit. One member of the Sims community, Josef (@josefbutwithanF) researched through the canon lore, despite the inconsistencies and discrepancies, and has made a comprehensive canonical and chronological order of The Sims 3 worlds, from earliest to the latest:

Twinbrook (The Sims 3: Ambitions)

Notzo Curious and Zo Whelohff, the grandparents of Jenny Smith, the Singles twins, and Curious brothers from Strangetown, are a toddler and child living with their families.

Starlight Shores (The Sims 3: Showtime)

Girbits Worthington bears a striking resemblance to Frances J. Worthington III from La Fiesta Tech in TS2, more than likely making him his grandfather, which is in line with the chronology of the games.

Sunset Valley (The Sims 3)

It's confirmed to be set 25 years before The Sims 1 and 50 years before The Sims 2. Bella Bachelor and Mortimer Goth are roughly 10 years old and the Altos have just recently moved to town (speculatively from Bridgeport).

Bridgeport (The Sims 3: Late Night)

All of the Big Bling household used to live in Twinbrook, according to their bio. Ebenezer Alto founded the town and Bert Alto used to live there, as did Nick, Vita, and Holly (speculatively).

Moonlight Falls (The Sims 3: Supernatural)

Frida Goth left her brother and his family in Sunset Valley, moved in with her uncle Simon and his wife Oliva, but the whole household died. Fricorith Tricou is buried in town, placing the world BEFORE Downtown in TS2, assuming his grave was relocated later. Oberon and Titania Summerdream are both townies in Moonlight Falls, but without their children, placing the world BEFORE Veronaville since fairies age differently than humans.

Riverview (The Sims 3 Store)

Bob and Betty Newbie (Simovitch) appear as teenagers with their parents, placing the world BEFORE Pleasantview Don Lothario’s bio mentions him being sent back in time and winding up in Riverview AFTER the events of Pleasantview.

Hidden Springs (The Sims 3 Store)

Nick Alto’s brother, Bert, moved to Hidden Springs from Bridgeport after suspiciously obtaining a large fortune. The Cho family is originally from Bridgeport and moved to Hidden Springs after Simon retired early.

Roaring Heights (The Sims 3 Store)

Monte Vista (The Sims 3 Store)

Consort (Thebe) and Contessa Capp are young adults living in Roaring Heights with their young children and Contessa is pregnant with Kent Capp.

Goopy GilsCarbo is a toddler living with his parents, placing the world BEFORE both Pleasantview and Barnacle Bay. Patrizio and Isabella Monty are living in town with their young children and pregnant with Claudio.

Aurora Skies (The Sims 3 Store)

11-

Isla Paradiso (The Sims 3: Island Paradise)

Loki and Erin Beaker are children with their parents, Bjorn and Gundrun. Magnus Mango runs the military in town BEFORE his cousin Maru Mango joined the military in Sunlit Tides.

Edward and Cara Dregg are ghosts “living” in Isla Paradiso and it’s implied that Edward’s love for travel will separate them, placing the world BEFORE The Sims 2.

Midnight Hollow (The Sims 3 Store)

Sunlit Tides (The Sims 3 Store)

Olive Specter is a young adult with her toddler son, Nervous Subject.

Daniel and Mary-Sue Pleasant are young adults on their honeymoon, placing the world AFTER Sunset Valley, SLIGHTLY BEFORE Dragon Valley, and BEFORE Pleasantview. Griffin Alto left the Alto family business and settled in Sunlit Tides. Maru Mango joined the military and sent his cousin Magnus a letter after.

Dragon Valley (The Sims 3 Store)

Lucky Palms (The Sims 3 Store)

John Burb and Jennifer Pleasant are young adults that are engaged and got stuck in Dragon Valley before their wedding, placing the world BEFORE Pleasantview and AFTER Sunlit Tides (Daniel and MarySue got married before them).

Darren Dreamer is a young single artist in town. Darleen Matlapin lives with her parents and hasn’t married Darren Dreamer yet, placing the world BEFORE Pleasantview.

Appaloosa Plains (The Sims 3: Pets)

Barnacle Bay (The Sims 3 Store)

Lunar Lakes (The Sims 3 Store)

Oasis Landing (The Sims 3: Into the Future)

The Parrots moved from Hawaii (implied to be Sunlit Tides) and have other family there.

The Caliente sisters live with their roommate, Luisa Libros. Their bios say “The Sims 2 sisters are back!” and reference Pleasantview, confirming the town is set AFTER Pleasantview.

There are descendants from almost every Sims 3 world living in Lunar Lakes, as the world was founded by space voyagers looking for another planet to colonize. Bella Goth is found dead and confirmed to be the same one from Pleasantview.

The world is set the farthest in the future out of all of the TS3 worlds and is still on Earth (SimNation). Atom and Ceres Beaker are the twin clone children of Loki Beaker. Planchette Specter was brought back from the dead and is the last of the Specter bloodline. This whole thread and all of the info in it is heavily based off of how long each age group lasts in game. For example, Loki Beaker is an adult in TS2 and Mortimer Goth is an elder, so Sunset Valley takes place before Aurora Skies by at least a few years. It was a lot of fun! - Josef

With this expanded lore of The Sims universe also comes some inconsistencies and discrepancies that many players have pointed out and criticized over the years. Below are just some of the more obvious errors and oversight:

Kaylynn Langerak’s age at the start of Sunset Valley is not in line with the established lore in Pleasantview from The Sims 2. In Sunset Valley, which supposed to have taken 50 years before Pleasantview, Kaylynn was a child and a bit older than Mortimer Goth and Bella Bachelor, while in Pleasantview, she is only an adult, working as a maid for the Pleasant family and maybe other households there, while Mortimer is already an elder. To make sense of this oversight, some players have theorized that maybe Sunset Valley Kaylynn is not the Pleasantview Kaylynn, but the mother of the latter; or, that Kaylynn has access to the elixir of life, thus still looking young by the time the Pleasantview events took place.

Skip Broke, being a child in Riverview, also does not make sense with the established The Sims 2 lore. In The Sims 2, he’s the late husband of Brandi Broke, the only daughter of Bob and Betty Newbie, and died as an adult in Pleasantview by drowning in the pool, shortly before the game starts. In The Sims 3: Riverview, he’s a child living with his family in the trailer park, while at the same time, Bob Newbie and Betty Simovitch were still teenagers. This means that Skip has a huge age gap with Brandi and maybe should’ve been already an elder in The Sims 2. Players also theorized that maybe he has access to the elixir of life, thus still staying young by the time the Pleasantview events took place. Another criticism in Riverview is Don Lothario’s lighter skintone compared to his more medium tan skintone in The Sims 2.

The personalities of Titania and Oberon Summerdream do not match the personalities of their TS2 counterparts, and they’re already

married in Moonlight Falls, while in The Sims 2 Veronaville, they’re not.

The returning Montys in Monte Vista were also criticized for having lighter skintones and their children being in wrong birth order. In The Sims 2, Antonio is older than Bianca, while in The Sims 3, Bianca became the eldest of the siblings, with her already being a child and Antonio still a toddler.

The Caliente sisters in Barnacle Bay were also criticized by having opposite personalities from their original TS2 counterparts. These are just some of the more obvious errors and oversight in development of these worlds and sims. But, in my opinion, these worlds and sims are still worth checking, and it can’t be denied that they expanded the existing lore of The Sims franchise with these towns’ and sims’ stories. Special thanks to Josef for sharing with us his list.

Ivana / BunnyBananaSims Tumblr: BunnyBananaSims Twitter: @bunnybananasims

Josef Twitter: @josefbutwithanF

Asmara

Featured as YouTube's ‘Gaming Creator on the rise’ Feb 2021 This month I was lucky enough to sit down with the amazing Asmara, a rising star in not only The Sims community but gaming community in general. Her bright smile and positive attitude, even when talking about serious topics like race, will keep you coming back for more. Her YouTube channel is one of the few that really shows you who the creator is. Fun, yet serious. Silly but with a lot of depth. Relaxing but thought provoking. This young creator will inspire you to change the world, one day at a time with a bright big smile on your face just like her.

Asmara: My YouTube channel is a love letter to my high-school self. At that age, I was very insecure about being. I was very quiet, complacent, and small. I felt that my existence was an inconvenience to others; I didn’t know how to take up space in the world. The many events of 2020, both personal and global, began to expose me to the benefits of tapping into the person I’ve always been and sharing her with the world. I guess you could say the year 2020 was the inspiration for creating “Asmara” by showing me what could be possible on the other side of fear. My channel reflects my personal journey of learning to accept this truth.

Sue: Who is Asmara?

Because of my own history of feeling invisible, every upload on my channel is designed with the intention to shed light on the voices, experiences, and perspectives of the marginalised, people who feel as if they’re on the outskirts of society. By sharing a variety of thoughtful and fun content, my mission is to inspire critical thinking, celebrate marginalised voices, and empower others to show up authentically in their own lives.

Asmara: Hello! My name is Asmara. I’m a 20year-old content creator as well as a fulltime college (or university) student. I honestly am always questioning what degree I’m even pursuing. It was Communications at the beginning. Now, it’s Business and Entrepreneurship, but ask me next week. It may be something different. Regardless, I have a passion for connecting with others in a meaningful way through storytelling. Over this past year, I’ve been primarily using YouTube as a platform to do so. Sue: Tell us about the name Asmara? Asmara: Short answer— Asmara is my middle name, and I always thought it sounded unique to use as an artist name. Long answer, which I’ll condense for the sake of this interview, is that I’m named after the capital of Eritrea and oral history suggests that the city got its origin from the influence of women who unified the warring tribes originally living in that area. I’m inspired by the strength and leadership of those Black women; that kind of impact is exactly what I hope to embody as an artist with my YouTube channel and online brand. Sue: What is Asmara about? What inspired you to create the Asmara channel?

Sue: How has The Sims impacted you as a content creator? Asmara: The Sims has impacted me tremendously as it relates to my channel. I created a two-part documentary about the franchise roughly a year ago, which gained an amount of traction I could’ve never anticipated. It was my first ever experience “going viral.” Shortly after the series blew up within the online Sims community, I was featured as “Gaming Creator on the Rise” on YouTube’s homepage. During this period, I went from 500 to 17,000 subscribers in one month, which was amazing and overwhelming all at the same time. But it was a bit two-fold because for starters, nobody prepares you for the shock of gaining a substantial number of

“As I’ve created more content, I’ve come to expect those types of comments whenever I men�on race or another sensi�ve topic in my videos”

followers that quickly. One day you have three comments on a video and the next day, there are hundreds. In the moment, there seems to be people left and right expressing their opinion about you and asking things of you. It literally and metaphorically feels like being under a spotlight. Humans aren’t built for that amount of attention to be put on us. Then there’s also this pressure of feeling like I must “keep up” with what brought that growth spurt to begin with, which in my case, was Sims content. That’s what I’m dealing with now is learning how to accept and manage what statistical performance I risk as I choose to focus on content that may not get the most views right now, but is inspiring, meaningful, and fun for me and my target audience. Sue: How has your love for storytelling expanded past The Sims franchise and into other games or other areas of your life? Asmara: I’ve always been a storyteller whether through writing or video, and The Sims was one of the first times I was introduced to the fact that video games could be used for storytelling. Some of my favourite games outside of Sims, are very story-rich, such as titles from Telltale Games, Square Enix, or Quantic Dream. I believe that great stories bring people together and connecting with others through this way is truly my passion! Sue: What was your goal when starting your channel and has that changed? Asmara: Like I said earlier, my mission with Asmara is to inspire critical thinking, elevate marginalised voices, and empower authenticity. Fortunately, that hasn’t changed! That goal is at the root of every video I decide to upload to the channel. Sue: You tackle some important issues on your channel. Have you ever gotten negative feedback about it and how do you handle it? Asmara: Fortunately, the majority of people who watch and seek out my content are kind, open-minded, and respectful, so my comments are predominately positive. I will say though, when I was featured as “Gaming Creator on the Rise” on YouTube’s

“I hope viewers walk away feeling validated, valued, or more powerful, knowledgeable or Courageous”

homepage back in February, there definitely was a swarm of trolls that came, which was jarring. They were mostly in the comments of my videos about race, gaslighting me and other Black people about how our experiences aren’t valid, essentially. As I’ve created more content, I’ve come to expect those types of comments whenever I mention race or another sensitive topic in my videos. There always has to be that one annoying person or else this wouldn’t be the internet. As to how I handle this foolery— I would be lying if I said disrespectful comments don’t affect me. I’m human and having people intentionally go out of their way to be mean-spirited to me or my community in any capacity is hurtful. But in those instances, I try to remind myself of this quote by Theodore Roosevelt about “the man in the arena.” I’m not going to include the excerpt here because it’s very long, but the idea behind this quote is that criticism should only hold weight to people who have your best interest in mind and have actually walked in your shoes before, not randoms on the side-lines who don’t have good intentions and don’t know what they’re talking about. Additionally,

Asmara: See, I wouldn’t consider myself a geek because I don’t feel like I carry as many “geeky” qualities or know as much about “geek culture,” as it’s stereotypically defined, but The Walking Dead game series is one of my all-time favourite video games, and I wanted to do something creative for Halloween, so that’s how the Clementine cosplay came to be! Sue: You are only 20 years old yet you come across as wise beyond your years. How are you so confident and strong?

receiving ignorant comments is also further proof to the reason my more serious content about race and other social issues needs to be addressed in the first place. Sue: How hard is it to find a balance between sharing fun and silly content and talking about more serious stuff? Asmara: Great question! Like any artist, I create my content based on what’s going on in my world or what inspires me at the time. In the beginning of my channel, I was heavily motivated by the various conversations people were having in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, which inspired my initial commentary videos about being Black in the online gaming space and how race intersects the gaming industry. My Sims 4 documentary was inspired by getting tired of seeing people argue about the franchise on Twitter (LOL). And my more light-hearted gaming content is born out of my genuine desire to have fun and enjoy those games.

Asmara: Thank you! The reality is that I don’t always feel confident or strong. It’s something that I have to consistently work on, but I will say this— I wanted to make authenticity a priority from the start of my channel. Authenticity, meaning matching my inward experience to my outward expression. I think this is especially important when it’s hard. That’s when authenticity is most needed. Standing in this truth manifests itself as confidence— doing the courageous thing, not because I always want to or because it’s easy, but because I feel like I have to. There’s too much to risk in that moment to choose fear over courage. I’m glad you can pick up on that in my content! Sue: You started your channel a year ago but at last count you’re nearly had 17 000 subscribers. Did you think your channel would grow that fast? Asmara: Definitely not. The rapid growth of my channel is certainly a combination of luck (preparation meets opportunity) and God’s grace. There’s no other way I can begin to comprehend what my channel has been through only over the course of a year! Sue: Can you actually make money creating YouTube content and what would your advice be to those who want to try their hand at it? Asmara: I’m glad you asked this question because I feel like people who aren’t creators think making money on YouTube is a lot easier than it actually is. My best piece of advice for emerging creators aspiring to monetise their YouTube content is to be patient and know that earning on YouTube

is not meritocratic. I’m going to be very transparent— I made the most amount of money from my channel so far from February to March, when my Sims 4 documentary was in it’s prime. After that period ended, I’m not making much of anything. A hundred USD every couple months. Countless creators have been vocal about the many problems and unreliability with monetisation on YouTube, and that could be a whole other conversation on its own, but I’m not going to lie. it is frustrating to spend hundreds upon thousands of hours into creating high quality content for my channel only to not know when or if I’ll ever be reimbursed for the time and resources I put in. (which is why I’m a huge believer in financially supporting my favourite creators through other means like merchandise, donations, or Patreon!) Not to sound cocky or entitled, but that’s just truth. In the beginning stages of building your own online media presence, you’re not going to be making much of anything or seeing desired results, so that’s why your mission or your purpose needs to be strong. As a creator, it’s also important to know that just because you may not be seeing the results you want right now, those statistics don’t dictate the value of you or your content. Platforms like YouTube are made for comparison, but comparison is the thief of joy. Sue: Besides playing games, what do you do for fun? Asmara: I am an introvert and a homebody, so I spend most of my free time being a hermit in my house, but I like to write and journal. I’m very introspective and I’m also an over thinker, so journaling has always been a good release for me. I also like to laugh. Watching ratchet reality TV or other content from people with very loud, boisterous personalities always brings me so much joy. Podcasts, live-streams, let’s plays, talk shows— I’m into it all haha. Sue: You can build your own PC and shared some tips with us on your channel. Do you consider yourself tech savvy and how did get into it?

Asmara: I’d consider myself to be more tech savvy than the average person. After having built my first PC, I definitely have a lot more knowledge about computers than I did before. I got thrown into the world of PC building to honestly fulfil a desire I’ve always had since I was younger to build my own computer, and I did a lot of in-person and online research to make that a reality! Sue: You seem to be a big The Sims 3 fan and people really enjoy you giving love to an older game. Would you consider doing a series about The Sims 2? Asmara: I’ve actually received a couple messages from people wanting me to play Sims 2 on the channel, and I have considered it. That will probably be a video I do at some point in the future. Sue: Talking about games, besides Minecraft and Life Is Strange what other games do you play or really liked playing? Asmara: I like any game that has a good story-line or an opportunity to be creative. Some of my favourites are Detroit: Become Human and anything by Telltale Games. Sue: What do your family and friends think about your growing channel, do they get it? Asmara: Those around me have overall been supportive. However, I don’t think it’s the responsibility of other people to always “get it” when it comes to living out your life. Speaking from personal experience, relying too heavily on external validation prevents you from listening to your own inner voice, divine guidance, and doing what feels right. Sue: What are some misconceptions people have of you? Asmara: I think a misconception some may have of me is that I’m some kind of race issues whisperer. I have talked about race on my channel because not only is it pertinent to my life and interests me, but not many people are willing to do the internal and external work to address such issues thoroughly. I do get those occasional DMs and comments of people asking my opinion about the racial climate of various topics, and I acknowledge that these messages usually come from a place

genuine curiosity, but I also wish that Black joy was recognised to the same extent of our trauma. What usually ends up happening, especially in this past year, is that Black creators, particularly Black women, gain popularity for being some kind of educator or perceived oracle, and that’s the box we get trapped into. But the reality is that I don’t always want to be your professor; a lot of the times, Black creators find themselves in these predicaments because like I said before, not many people are willing to do the work themselves, but I’ve come to realise there is just as much value in sharing content that is simply joyous. So, I think that can be a misconception some might have of me is that I only care to address serious, heavy topics and that I always want to talk about race and trauma, but doing so is emotionally taxing, and I want to value my everyday well being just as much as racial justice. Sue: What are some things you wish could be added to The Sims 3 & 4? Asmara: To be completely honest, I have not picked up The Sims in several months. I’ve been in a phase where I’m exploring different games, but since Sims 3 is more my thing, I’ll speak on that. Last time I played, I was honestly enjoying the game and its DLC for what it is. I cleaned out my mods folder so that I only have custom content I really like and minimal gameplay mods. I guess I don’t try to focus too much on what the game could’ve been and have instead shifted my focus to appreciating what it is. Sue: What is next for you, what future projects or collaborations can we look forward too?

Sue: What superpower would you have and what would be your superhero name? Asmara: I would want to have a power where I could implement common sense into people’s brains when they act a fool. I know that’s a very non-traditional response, but I feel like the world would be a better place if more people had common sense. Sue: What is your favourite season and movie to go with it? Asmara: Summer is my favourite season, and I honestly don’t watch many movies, so I don’t have a favourite summer-themed movie. Sue: In one of your videos, we see you with a book so as a bookworm I have to ask, what is your favourite book? Asmara: I mostly read non-fiction, memoirs, or realistic fiction, and so the two books that have drastically changed my life so far are “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas and “More Than Enough” by Elaine Welteroth. Sue: What do you hope people take away from watching your channel? Asmara: When people see the Asmara channel or any work by me, I hope viewers walk away feeling validated, valued, or more powerful—knowledgeable or courageous.

Find Asmara on YOUTUBE TWITTER TIKTOK

Asmara: I try not to speak on future projects too prematurely in case they fall through, but I will say— I am hoping to do some collaborations with friends I’ve met since being in this online space. I know for sure that I want to do more gameplay and light-hearted content as I’m working on cultivating more joy in my life. The video essays and other heavier commentary will come only as a result of genuine passion for them.

OUT NOW

Mods Written by SueSimming

SimRealist is a Mod Fund Community in which mods are created that add some realism to The Sims 4. I’ve been playing around with a few of their mods and after a month, I still don’t feel like I’ve gotten everything out of the mods that I could. The mods are just too in-depth that more time is needed to thoroughly explore them. I have Wicked Whims, MC Command Center, tons of LittleMsSam and Flerb just to name a few and SimRealist mods have been working like a dream with the other mods. Guys, having all the mods work this well is like saying all the countries in the whole world are at peace. It’s unimaginable but here we are, smooth sailing and no glitches. I’m not saying it will be the same for you as we all have a mod folder as unique as we are but, I can tell you SR mods has the least drama I’ve seen so far. Let’s take a look at the amazing mods this talented community has created.

Home & Land Co Ever looked at your Sim’s lawn and secretly wished it could be mowed? How about ironing clothes? Well, here is the mod you’ve been waiting for. This mod introduces mundane objects and activities into the Sims 4 that make Sim Life that much

more realistic. The animations are smooth and even if your Sim gets “stuck” with the lawnmower, the grass still gets cute. Be warned that your Sims will get a negative/ tense moodlet if you neglect to cut the grass. It can be a tad annoying but don’t we all feel that way about doing chores. It is SimREAList after all.

We all love old Grim but death in The Sims isn’t very realistic. I don’t need the gore or horror of death but rather the closure and peace a funeral brings. You see, I play my Sims for a long lifespan so when they pass on of old age (or a freak wall-around-a-pool accident) it’s actually sad and I want to give them a proper send off. That’s where Mortem comes in. Grim is gone, you won’t ever see him again. In his place will be a medical examiner and instead of an urn just popping up there will be a body bag to be taken away by the examiner. After a few days you’ll be notified that they have completed their investigation and you can now hold a funeral. The amazing Kate Emerald built a bunch of funeral homes (and they are gorgeous) where you can hold the funeral and once the

Elsa said “let it go” but the SimRealist team said “let it g r o w ” (your hair that is). Your Sims can now let their hair down or chop it off. The mod comes with default templates for short, medium and long stages but what makes it really cool is that you can design your own template with the hairstyles you like. Your Sims will get really tense followed by uncomfortableness if you don’t get their hair cut. I like to use the “slow” hair growth setting because the default one is just too fast and then you have Sims standing around scratching their heads like they have lice and

funeral is over, all your Sims attending will receive a positive moodlet replacing the sad moodlet. Be warned that any mod that alters death in any way will clash with Mortem. Another glitch you should know about is that sometimes when an NPC dies within the neighborhood around your house, the examiner will just stand around for ages until you reset the body bag. This is NOT a Mortem glitch but one you’ll find playing The Sims 4 vanilla so don’t panic and think you need to remove the mod.

dropping hair piles like cats every few days if you leave it on default. You can send your Sim to the salon to get a hair cut or colour their hair but the salon isn’t open on Sundays so make sure to plan ahead.

Here is the link to get all these great mods: https://simrealist.itch.io/simrealistmods If you are experiencing any issue with these mods, please head over to their Discord server channel: #simrealist-modsupport (https://discord.gg/W8Erfqu). Support them so they can keep improving and creating mods. Logos and some of the descriptions come from their site in case they look familiar. I highly recommend adding all these mods to your game, it really takes The Sims 4 to the next level and opens up so many fun story telling avenues.

WITH K8 SIMSLEY

Photo by Marco López on Unsplash

The Sims 4 has taken to kits and hit the ground running. The latest additions to the game have raised some questions and much controversy within the community, and many people are seen complaining about the price per item. However, it looks like kits are here to stay. So, we thought we would give you some insight into the inspiration for the Incheon Arrival kit by looking at fashion in the city of Seoul.

Seoul, South Korea. Seoul, which is the capital of South Korea, and the largest metropolis of the area, was the inspiration for one of the latest Sims 4 kits. With a population of almost 10 million people, Seoul is certainly the hub of this country. Within Seoul, you will find many amazing sites to explore, with the Incheon Airport being the entrance point to the outer parts of this interesting landscape. The Incheon Airport is located 48km from Seoul and is the main hub for travel in and out of the area. The largest airport in South Korea, Incheon is often thought of as the central point of Korean travel. Many passengers pass through the

halls of Incheon International airport each day, and because of this, airport fashion has sparked some keen interest within the global market.

A Korean Fashion Kit. With the rise of K-pop music came a fascination with Korean fashion. South Korea has become a leader in cultural movements and skincare over the last decade or so. Korean fashion in Seoul is heavily inspired by street-wear – hence the name of the other Sims 4 kit recently released. Within the culture, fashion takes front stage in one way or another, and trends are constantly evolving. Baggy

jeans and oversize dress shirts coupled with classic tailoring can be seen on almost every woman on the streets of Seoul, and style takes on a whole new meaning. In fact, many designers look to the streets of Seoul as well as the runways of Incheon for inspiration. According to the internet, the latest trends in Korean fashion include Neon, AllWhite, Baggy Jeans, Classic Tailoring, Long Shorts, and Chunky Sneakers. Many of these items are found in the Incheon Arrivals kit released by The Sims 4.

A Brief History of Korean Fashion. South Korean fashion began in the late 1800s when western styles and more traditional Korean looks began to merge. Before this point, the Korean hanbok was the typical fashion choice of residents. The hanbok (in South Korea) or Chosŏn-ot (in North Korea) are traditional Korean clothes. The term "hanbok" literally means "Korean clothing". Hanboks were everyday wear and more lavish versions of this clothing form were worn by the elite. However, with the arrival of westerners, and influence from Japanese culture, these more traditional styles began to evolve and fade by the late 1800s. By the early 20th century, Koreans started to adopt a more western approach to fashion, and a modernization approach was widely accepted throughout the land. This period saw drastic changes to Korean culture, not only within fashion but in social and work lifestyles as well. There began to be more opportunities for women within the workforce, and this meant that fashion needed to evolve as well. As in the west, the Second World War took its toll on the country, and shortages in fabric as well as wide-spread poverty meant that fashion was kept simple for a period. After the war, however, the Korean fashion movement gained momentum with new hairstyles and more intricate clothing popping up around the area almost daily. In 1957, Korea held its first fashion show featuring Nora Noh – the very first Korean fashion designer, and a creator of a brand that would later become well-known to many around the world.

What made Korea fashion unique was its focus on the use of natural materials and its economic approach. The government of the era had a ban on the importation and sale of products from other countries, which forced Korean residents to come up with creative ideas for fashion. This also sparked the start of the Korean makeup industry – an industry that is worldrenowned today and whose profits are in the billions. By the 1970s, Korean fashion had once again taken on a new form. The average consumer stepped into the role of the trendsetter and focus shifted from the runway to the street. Due to its harsh conservative government at the time, Korean youth used fashion as a symbol of resistance and protest.

with Jazzy Cho, TV host, content creator and Miss Korea USA 2016, to create the Incheon Arrivals kit for The Sims 4. Working with people like Cho ensured that the Sims stayed true to K-fashions foundations. In an interview about her work with EA, Cho explained that her travels as Miss Korea USA opened her eyes to Seoul’s distinct style, especially that of the Incheon Airport. The walkways of Incheon are much like the runways of Paris in many ways, dotted with beautiful people in beautiful clothes. Incheon style is about comfort, no one wants to sit on a plane for hours while wearing a pair of ultra-tight skinny jeans that pinch their thighs. Instead, the unique fashion found within this kit holds a variety of clothing that is both comfortable and stylish – just like the travelers boarding and departing the countless flights that come and go through this hub each day.

By the 1990s, K-pop entered the scene and put its long-standing stamp on fashion in the city. Lee Cinu was the first Korean designer to be showcased in Paris and all eyes turned to Korean fashion in the time that followed. Today, K-fashion (along with K-beauty products) are still at the forefront of the fashion industry. The inspiration for this niche industry has had a global reach and impacted all areas of the global market.

The Sims 4, Korean Style. Much like Korean BBQ, the fashion found in and around Korea is delicious. Rated as one of the busiest, one of the most technologically advanced, and one of the cleanest airports in the world, Incheon International Airport is an incredible introduction to the fascinating world of Korean fashion. The Sims 4 saw the rich, vibrant culture of Korea and decided to replicate it in the game. Unlike packs of the past, however, the Sims opted to work with Korean designers to ensure that the styles they put in the game were honored in a realistic and respectful way. The Sims has collaborated

From sweatpants and hoodies, to structured jackets and perfectly pressed pants suits, this kit holds the perfect look for any occasion. Kits like this give players an experience. These bite-sized envelopes of content provide players with the chance to experiment with different aspects of global culture that they may not have access to otherwise. These kits spark inspiration and game play through brief exposures to various cultures around the world – and Incheon was the latest focus.

The items in this pack, although sparse compared to some of the other kits, are stunning. The Incheon Arrivals Kit comes with 20 items that are both masculine and feminine in style, and work on Sims from teen to elder. This kit does not contain any items for children or toddlers, however. The vibe of this pack is meant to be comfortable, yet stylish – just as you are sure to see along the walkways of Incheon or the streets of Seoul. Inspired by K-pop brands and traditional South Korean clothing, these items are impressive in their design, despite minor flaws in texture and layering issues that are being reported. Chic looks with clean lines and detailed textures that are still comfortable to wear will have your Sims strutting their stuff as they walk the… runway? A variety of swatches allows you to tailor exactly the look you are aiming for no matter the occasion. One wellreceived aspect of this pack was the focus on masculine and feminine clothing options. The Incheon Arrivals kit has an equal number of masculine and feminine clothes as well as many unisex items. Although there have been a few texture issues pointed out within the community, the overall view of this kit has been positive. Despite this, people are still complaining about the cost. The $5 price tag tacked onto this 20-item kit appears to be a big bummer within the community. Regardless of opinions on the cost of the kit, most people are generally happy with the items that it contains and say that it is a good addition to their CAS. Fitting of Korean travel culture, your Sims will be able to look and feel amazing in these beautiful designs… Now if only we could get an actual mode of transportation in the game!

The Sims put ample research into the development of both the Incheon Arrivals and the Fashion Street kits, and it shows. Probably because of the blunders the team made with the Snowy Escape expansion pack, the Sims was careful to keep things within a realistic realm.

If fashion is your passion, be sure to check out SUP Style Magazine for more great stories on Sims fashion and beauty!

In this issue of SimmedUp, we are proud to talk to and present the work of a great Sims 4 Builder – MyloFarmer (as his handle on Instagram), many of you also know him as Daniel (his name outside of the Sims). Daniel, please tell us and the readers of SimmedUp about yourself. Who are you in real life? What do you do outside of the Sims? I was born and raised in Brazil. Graduated in digital arts. I have been working in advertising for the past 12 years as an Art Director and the company I am currently working at specializes in real estate advertising. So basically what I do for a living is helping companies sell houses. That can be helpful when trying to find inspiration for the game as I gather a lot of build references. Tell us a little about how your Sims journey has started, how did you discover this game and what got you into building?

I’ve been playing Sims since 2001. Back then it was a revolutionary concept for a game, like, “you can emulate real life in your computer!”. Everyone in my school would play it. We had a challenge of trying to marry Bella Goth, as it was really difficult to do. And even on Sims 1 I loved spending time creating the most insane houses, as limited as building tools were. I basically went from 1 to 3, I played Sims 2 very few times. In Sims 3 I would spend days and nights playing World Adventures, which is still my favourite EP to date. I loved that the gameplay was really deep, so building was kind of not my focus. My houses would be big, with little details, no clutter and would be just a space for my Sims to develop in their careers. But then I got Sims 4 for free on an Origin Deal and decided to give it a go. At first I

thought the gameplay was shallow and building was too difficult. But I started watching tutorials by Kate Emerald and learning how to do it. I found more pleasure in building and creating rather than playing the game. This happened during the pandemic, when I also became unemployed at the very beginning, so I had plenty of time, a creative mind and no regular outlet to do so. Your Instagram account is full of extremely creative and impressive builds that a lot of people are breaking their heads over with a question of “how”. What is your building approach, how do you decide what you will build and what elements in the game you need to create what you have in mind? Design thinking says “function before shape”, but I like to subvert that idea

and do shape before function. Of course, I also build regular homes with my own twist to it, but I like to explore different shapes and ideas, push the game limits beyond the line and see what I can come up with. That is not an easy process, there’s a lot of trial and error until you can achieve a certain goal. For instance, sometimes I lay every single object of a pack on a lot, catalog and debug, and rotate each one with tool mod to see what are my possibilities. Sometimes you discover some unusual items that can be used to create something new, sometimes that one object you were hoping was usable doesn’t change. So yes, it’s a learning process and then you have to remember what you can use. For instance, in Slanted Mansion I wanted to have walls rotated at 45 degrees but I didn’t want to use the Moschino dividers all over it, nor wood fences

which was the case of The Mothership. That happened on the day the “rotate around center” function was publicly released and it was a total game changer for us builders. Have you played or do you still play any game besides the Sims? If no, what makes the Sims your go to game? If yes, what attracts you most to exploring a new game? like object I had until I got the floors from Get Famous and was able to use them. Where do you get your inspiration for such unique designs? Sometimes from Pinterest, it seems to be popular among Simmers. But I like to do searches that are not what anyone would do. For example, I never searched “beautiful family house”, but I have searched “gravity defying shapes” and see where that would take me, as you can see in Cubist Cottage. At other times, I will have a shape in mind and will try my best to put into my build what was in my head, which is what I did in Pink Wave. And also there are times when I just want to get my TOOL game up to date, I am studying its possibilities and I end up creating a build by accident,

Lately what’s been attracting me in games is the ability of having a short time of gameplay, but of course beautiful graphics and an enticing storyline are also good factors. I wish I had more time to play other games lately. Most times when I want to play something quick I will put on Sonic Dash on my cell phone and play for 5-10 minutes. I do own a console, a vintage Sega Genesis, on which from time to time I get to play Sonic 2 or Streets of Rage. For people who are just starting out or want to become good builders in the Sims, what advice would you give them on how to improve their skills in building? (With mods and also without mods).

Get references, watch tutorials, try to build, talk to other simmers. Especially talk, do not be afraid because someone has thousands of followers and you have a personal profile on which you don’t even talk about The Sims. We’re living in the information era, we can all exchange experiences! No one becomes a highly skilled builder in one play. It takes time, not just playing, but also studying. And just like everything else in life, practice. The more you try, the more experience you will have. I learned by example, following tutorials step by step. I would look at someone’s build and ask “how did you do that?”. Then I started coming up with builds of my own, applying what I had technically learned to my own ideas. What are your plans for the future? Are you a student now? Where do you see yourself in a few years? Oh no, I’m not a student anymore. I wish I were 17 again! I want to keep developing and growing in my career, have a higher salary, have more independence professionally, and be able to save money for the future. Who knows, maybe travel abroad, visit places I haven’t been before.

What would be the few places you would go to if you could right now? Of course! I would love to visit Indonesia. It’s been on my go-to-list for over a decade! Also, Thailand and the Philippines. I’ve never been to Asia and these places look amazing from pictures I’ve seen and people I’ve met. I would love to visit African countries as well, such as Morocco, Egypt, Congo and many more. One day, maybe, I’ll be able to. Do you plan on taking your Sims work further? Such as creating a YouTube account or making CC and/or Mods? Creating CC and mods is not in my mind, I know how difficult it is to do so. But people have been asking me to start a YouTube channel on which I could upload speed builds or build tours. My building process is not exactly speed build friendly. Like I said, I tend to try a lot of things before I can get to the final result. But tours are definitely something I could do, I don’t know. Everything regarding videos is a maybe for now. What I have been slowly working on is reshade presets that enhance builds. So far there are four made available and I want to do some more.

Find Mylofarmer on Twitter Instagram Tumblr Origin ID: mylofarmer

MEET THE

GAMECHANGERS Vihisha 1. How did you become a GameChanger?

In 2018 I was given a "surprise" Press Release Copy (Early Release) of The Sims 4 City Living Expansion Pack by Amanda Drake (SimGuru Drake, The Sims 4 Community Manager at the time), and it was sometime shortly after that when I inquired about the EA Game Changer Program. I can't honestly tell you WHY in the world I was lucky enough to get into the program in the first place as I'm not what anyone would consider a "large" YouTuber or streamer, maybe it was The Drifter Challenge I created for The Sims 4 or maybe it was my excitement and passion for the game? Either way, I'm honored to be a part of the program and feel even more connected to this amazing franchise and the Simming community! 2. Who inspired you to apply for the Game-Changer programme? There wasn't anyone in particular that inspired me to apply...it was literally my own curiosity about the program and what it was all about. When it comes to The Sims, I'm always looking for the newest and latest thing out there and when I caught wind of the program, I knew it would be something I'd definitely have to look into.

3. What are your favourite and least favourite parts of the Game-Changer programme? My favorite part of the EA Game Changer program is being able to check out and play the newest content coming to The Sims before it's released to the public. It gives me the chance to delve into gameplay to try and sort out new/updated rules for The Drifter Challenge because I know that when the players get their hands on the new stuff, they will be able to continue playing their challenge save without worrying if the new content is "allowed" etc. I honestly don't have anything negative to say (I'm VERY rarely a negative person), I'm grateful for the opportunities that have been given and I hope to continue to be a part of this program for years to come.

4. How does being a Game-Changer fit into your everyday life? On a day to day basis, aside from some Sims related questions, not much has changed. When a new pack is coming

out, now that's another story! I've spent many sleepless nights and countless hours testing gameplay and modifying The Drifter Challenge rules around the newest content. From the minute I get early access until that embargo lifts, I'm glued to my computer, and as soon as the content goes public, the questions will start pouring in, so I have to be ready with answers. Pack launches are always chaotic and really exciting!

5. If you could choose just one pack to keep, which one would it be and why?

8. Where do you find the inspiration for your creations?

Hmmm...this is SUCH a tough choice! *after pondering for what felt like ages* I think I'd have to go with the Seasons Expansion Pack. I feel like it's one of the packs that truly impacts each world you play in. It adds a bit more realism with flower-filled springs, sweltering summers, leaf piles in the fall and snow drifts in the winter!

I look at a lot of real buildings/rooms/ people online and draw inspiration from there. Sometimes an idea or theme will just pop into my head and I run with it, but I usually have someone or something I'm referencing for ideas.

9. What is your favourite social media platform for all things Sims and why? 6. If you had to get rid of just one pack, which one would it be and why? Honestly, I'd keep all the packs! The ONLY content that I could do away with at this time is the Bust The Dust Kit. I was so excited when I first heard about it, but after playing with it ingame for three Sims days, I was so annoyed with it that I turned all dust effects off, and I've not enabled it again in ANY of my saves!

I'm a Twitter gal! It's where I came originally to get connected with the gurus and the Simming community. It's where I have the most fun interacting with others who share my passion for The Sims franchise!

10. Who is your favourite SimGuru and why? It seems shady to leave the others out and just pick one, but I'd say Dave Miotke (SimGuru Ninja) is definitely one

7. Do you prefer building, CAS creation or gameplay? Or something else entirely? I enjoy gameplay the most, with a side of storytelling. I tend to get frustrated when I build, and CAS can get tedious. I mostly enjoy either following my Sim(s) and writing their stories or playing challenges.

of my favorites! I love seeing Ninja's posts come across my feed! I feel he interacts the most with the online community as a whole and I'm pretty sure he is one of the only gurus that actually followed me back on Twitter.

11. Where can readers find and follow you? Definitely on Twitter @Vihisha

Here's a link to a post with additional social media links and my snail mail PO Box: Here's Where Else You Can Find Me @Blogspot http://vihishasimstuff.blogspot.com

@YouTube

@instagram

https://youtube.com/c/ VihishaTakNai

https://instagram.com/vihisha

@Twitch

@facebook

https://twitch.tv/vihisha

https://facebook.com/ amber.rumenapp

FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT MONTH

IN ISSUE 16

Anoxsanumoon is one of the loveliest Simmers I know on FB, she owns a couple of her own, hugely successful FB groups and admins for a load more! Always there with a kind comment, she is also a fantastic builder, so I thought I’d feature her work for this month’s Facebook showcase. Let’s start with one of her most recent creations, a stunning little coffee shop called Cool Beans (Image above). This gorgeous little café is so cute from the exterior, isn’t it, well, it gets better, because inside we are greeted with a tonne of Batuu furniture and the effect is stunning!

The tables and chairs in here blend perfectly with the white painted walls and that one wall which has is brick, don’t you think? I just love how she’s set up the shop front, so to speak. That pop of red with the coffee machine is just perfect with the rest of this all-white interior. And the signage above the kitchen hatch gives the place a touch of classic elegance. The kitchen is well set out and has

Last but not least there are also two darling little restrooms down a short corridor. I’m going to take a short interlude to let you in on a secret, Anox also creates wall art that you can use in your very own builds! These are two of my favourite sets, Disney Princesses and The Great Wave. Aren’t they amazing?

Anox also creates the occasional room, this farm kitchen is just darling! The description for this beauty is as follows “Kitchen created for a large farm house. 2 refrigerators one for the animal supplies and one for the sims. 2 stoves and 2 flat tops for holiday cooking. Washer and dryer.”

Right, back to the builds! This stunning

adobe-style creation is a shell that she

created for a superstar who is just becoming famous. Her landscaping here is totally on point, isn’t it? It totally blends with the building style don’t you think, I don’t know about anyone else, but I struggle to leave any plain grass areas, which she has done here perfectly! And that roof, that is a thing of beauty, I’m not going to go into too much detail with this one as it is a shell, but here are the overheads so that you can get an idea of how this place is laid out. So, if you are on the lookout for some a m a z i n g homes, then make sure you check out Anoxsanumoon, this is her ID on the gallery and @anoxsanumoon on Tiktok!

Storytime

With Spoonie

STAR DEW Chapter 3

The next morning Star is up bright and early and is delighted to find that one of her pea plants is ready to evolve into a “nice” plant! She has more peas, carrots and taro to harvest as well.

out with her garden! Deciding that she really must make an effort to get to know some of her neighbours, she heads off into town. That plus, she’s really hoping they might have some errands for her to run so that she can make a proper start on her garden. She hears birdsong and wonders if there is a flock of birds nearby that she could converse with. Sure enough, just by the stream, she finds an old wooden stump that a group of birds has made their home, she enjoys an hour or so of their company, after which she is surprised to be given a gift from them, her very own cross stitch pattern of a rabbit! Soon enough, she has amassed enough of a relationship with this flock that she feels certain that they consider her a friend, not only that, but the birds also offer to help Star

She starts off by introducing herself to Kim Goldbloom the grocery owner. Here she purchases a mushroom, in the hopes of cultivating it herself. Next, she heads into the pub to take Sara up on her kind offer of help. Sara explains that she has a package to give to one of the villagers, but she really can’t remember who it was for. Perhaps Star could ask around on her behalf and deliver it to the correct person. Star is less than thrilled at the prospect of having to chat to so many unknown villagers, but she’s here to make friends, right? So, she sets off and starts her search with some of the

groceries and collects all the orders. With all the orders in Kim explains that she now just needs a dozen white eggs to fulfil them. Star looks at her in horror, she can’t afford to buy them from the garden stall and she doesn’t have a hen coop. How on earth is she going to finish this errand? Seeing her expression, Kim offers some help, “If you need a hen coop, just complete the spring crop bundle of strawberries, green peas and mushrooms, you can then purchase one from the town hall.” people she already knows, such as Michael, the creature keeper. Alas, no luck there, or with the villagers that he is having a good old fashioned Henford heart to heart with. Star spies Derek next, but, no, he’s not expecting any packages either. Star heads over to the grocery stall and asks Kim, and she finally has some success, “Yes,” says Kim “I’ve been waiting for this cross stitch pattern for what feels like forever!” So, Star

finishes off her first-ever errand, the feeling of satisfaction is immense and the simoleons in her pocket don’t hurt either. “While you’re here…” Kim says, “You wouldn’t like to do me a favour, would you? I have some groceries to deliver and some orders to collect.” “Sure,” says Star, “I’d be happy to help.” So she sets off and delivers all the

“Oh, thank you so much!” Exclaims Star. Deciding to get to work on that straight away. She already purchased one mushroom to try and grow herself, she’ll just need a strawberry and she should be good to go. After this Star heads home to plant her newly purchased crops. And so Star’s day ends as it started, with her tending to her crops. And that believe it or not is Star’s third day here in Henford on Bagley. I think she is getting on quite well, don’t you?

TheSimmingSpoonie FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN ISSUE 16

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Guess The Cas Created By TheUrbanShark Find the answer And creator on The Gallery HERE

Le la la cula / Said when need is low Kabuna / Who Cares

Firby Nurbs / You Have Some Nerve Ribby Wibbs / Remember This 98

Sep 23 -Oct 22 October has been a hard month for many people, so the welcome relief of Novembers cool winds, brings time for reflection and change that will benefit your whole family. Be strong, Be patient but most of all, accept the honest and open offer of love and friendship being offered, it will lead to special moments.

Oct 23 - Nov 22 Nothing ever seems as it should be, but this month your eye is on the ball, or should I say BULL! People who try to pull the wool over your eyes this month will certainly be met with your studious mind and deep knowledge of where you are right now, people who try to take advantage be aware, Scorpio is on guard and fools will not be suffered lightly. Go get em. Nov 23 - Dec 21 Furry little beings with pure love and emotion in their eyes, I am talking about dogs, what is the beef this month? Dogs are loyal, they do as you ask, and always love you no matter what. Why are we talking about dogs? Because my dear, you need to realise a partner is just that a partner, and if you wanted a loyal and all serving companion you should have got a dog.

Dec 22 - Jan 20 Summertime and its gone, deep breath and release, I know you are not looking forward to the long winter approaching, but it is vital you get outside and make the most of what little sunshine you can get. Don’t spend another winter, alone and depressed, take action now, have you ever heard of SAD?Go google SAD lights and have a much happier winter. Jan 21 - Feb 18 Never think that things stay the same, because life is ever changing, it flows and ebbs like the tides. Your moment of change and flow is coming, you just need to have a little faith in yourself and those around you. When we say change, please don’t expect a million to drop through your door, but do expect to be little more financially happier this Christmas.

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Feb 19 - Mar 20 Never say goodbye, goodbye is always so final, and nothing is ever final, everything we do becomes a part of us, as well as everyone we meet, so when a loved one leaves, they are never really gone, they are and will forever be a part of you, your life and your memories. Know and celebrate a life that once was, and know they are always with you.

Mar 21 - Apr 20 You are not doing this, nope we wont allow it, are you just not fed up with hearing these words? You are your own person, your desires, your dreams, your life is your own, its time to stand up to the NO brigade and show them, you are more than capable of being your own person, if they were only willing to let you try. You are on the right path stay the course.

Apr 21 - May 20 Sleep, just a little bit more please. You are exhausted, not just from the everyday grind, but from your own thoughts too. Sometimes to let go, isn't about letting the other person win, its about not giving them the space to effect your life, which you are in control of. Let go and you will finally be able to rest easy again and get that good nights sleep at last.

May 21 - Jun 21 You try so hard but yet seem to fail at every turn, but when you look back it isn't a failure, it was a lesson leading you to where you are now. Your biggest challenge is to accept that lesson and move on, and this is something you have no motivation to do. Really ask yourself this question, honestly what would it take to motivate you? Now use it.

Jun 22 - Jul 22 The stars in the sky help us to imagine the many possibilities that are out there for us, for the universe, you are well connected to the universal energy, yet you choose to ignore the subtle messages that you are not and never will be alone. Listen to your heart and follow the guidance by instinct. Sometimes the gut does know more than the head.

Jul 23 - Aug 22 Roar away this month Leo you have earned the right to shout your excitement from the rooftops, not had any exciting news yet? Well erm, sorry to ruin the surprise but but the end of November you will have something huge to announce, enjoy it, realise in it and remember you heard it here first!

Aug 23 - Sep 22 You are not the belle of the ball, in fact you are just as equal to everyone else in this room, stop expecting the world to fall at your feet without actually putting in any effort, you know this to be true, and others are noting this about you too. Take the time to think of others this November, it will have a great impact on your life and social circle.

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To find more challeges why not check out the Red Bull website, where you can also find these challenges below: Looking for a challenge and cannot think of what to do? Then why not try one of these classic The Sims challenges and don’t forget to tag us #SupMag

a tent. Once you complete the goals for the prehistoric era, you can move on! Continue completing the goals for each era until you make it to modern times.

The History Challenge What it is: In the history challenge, players move their Sims through a series of linear eras. It's a fun challenge for those who like history and want to dress their Sims up in everything from cheetah-print loincloths to 1920s flapper dresses.

tiny amount of money and see if you can play in the same family for 10 generations. How to play: Create your Sim and place them on the empty lot with 10,000 simoleons.

The

This Sim must amass a

Make two Sims and put them in an empty world.

Legacy Challenge

Since these are your prehistoric Sims, they have to live by the rules of prehistoric times. That means hunting for food and living in

What it is: If you're looking for a super classic Sims challenge, then try out the legacy challenge. You start with a single Sim with only a

fortune and a family in order to continue into the next generation.

How to play:

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Continue game play for 10 generations without leaving the original family.

@PlayWithMaeTV Thanks to your generosity during our AbleGamers charity fundraiser, we unlocked the new shell challenge! Since our 100 Baby Mama is almost an elder, if you want to build her a retirement home, that would be lovely, but not required. Join Mae on TWITTER

Advertise your challenges With us. Simply Tag us #SUpMag or send them to simmedup@gmail.com WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED OUR SIMS KITS COMPETITION. ANSWER WAS 12 GNOMES; 12 INSIDE. WE ALSO ACCEPTED 13 IF YOU INCLUDED THE COVER

THE WINNERS ARE CATHARINASOPHIA SHANEIPH PLEASE CLAIM YOUR KITS BY EMAILING US AT SIMMEDUP@GMAIL.COM MORE COMPS COMING SOON

WINNERS WINNERS WINNERS

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MEET TH LaarStudio/ Maria

SimSimmerly

TheFlamingPlumbob

Ghostface2018xx

SueSimming

SphereArcana You

K8Simsley

Ivana

Grace

SulziSim

Granny Ruth

HE TEAM Extra Time You Media

TheSimmingSpoonie

MyCupofCC

KawaiiFoxita

StassiJSims4

You

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By MyCupOfCC

SimmedUp Magazine Issue 15

Articles inside

YOUR SIMS

INTERVIEW WITH DRGLUON

TIPS AND TRICKS