SimmedUp Magazine Issue 12 - August 2021 by SUPinmedia

Message From The Editor

SulSul Readers, Welcome to August edition of SimmedUp Magazine, Thank you for making it this far with us. Talking about this far, we are so excited to announce our fantastic September BIRTHDAY edition. We are hitting that big milestone of one whole year of simming and writing for our readers, and what a ride it has been indeed. This month we have amazing cover art created by Ad Oculus on Tumblr and who also featured in our FanArt section in issue 11, still available to download on our website. We also have Arnie from SimsPlus talking Movies, Alicia Keys, Modding and Farmland.

Directors: SimSimmerly - Sami SueSimming - Sue Managing Editor: SimSimmerly - Sami Deputy Editors: Laar.Studio - Maria Lead Graphic Designer: Laar.Studio - Maria Deputy Graphics Design: Sulzisim Events Manager: Simoleonerita - Grace Mod Manager: SueSimming - Sue Admin: TheSimmingSpoonie - Faith

Devon Bumpkin pops in for a quick chat with K8Simsley who did completely fangirl on this one, sorry K8 but I had to tell! And then we also have Michael Modish amazing builder and creator of the sims eye shadow palette. We also announce our EXCLUSIVE monthly merch limited edition designs (yes that was a mouthful) for you. So snap them up whilst you can as these will be gone forever on the 1st of each month. We also bring you all our usual articles from the community that inspire and astound such as Machinima with Serendiptia, Simtography, Making a simmer and we have laar.studio aka Maria here with a Light in the Sims 4 tutorial in Tips & Tricks. No matter what you’re doing in this summer of Sims we hope that you enjoy this issue. Please do show your love and support by sharing our magazine with all your simming friends and tagging us #SupMag in all your posts across social media. Until Next Time

Simmedup@gmail.com

SimSimmerly x

8 Non Bob News: Cottage Living Reviewed

16 Tips & Tricks: Adding Light & Life to your screenshots

22 MachinimaLife: Invisible by Serendiptia

28 Director of Pixels: The Mom Cave Top Tips

30 Introducing: Gaiena Sims

34 Cooking Sims Style: Drinks for the Summer

40 Arnie Sims Plus Talks Movies & Farmland

52 CC Spotlight: Relaxing Patio CC Finds with KawaiiFoxita

58 Off Topic: Tropico6 reviewed

64 Titan Architects: Michael Modish Chats with Laar.Studio

72 FanArt: Adore Amelia

86 Retro Corner:

The Sims 1 Summer Vacation

91 Devon Bumpkin Chats with K8Simsley

98 YourSims Sims submitted by the community

100 Build A Better Life Grief a Tutorial

107 Shop Exclusive Brand New & Limited

108 Simspiration Sims Build Challenges

112 The Rose Chronicles: Prologue

116 Simtography Mermaids Cove

120 Making A Simmer SunnySimsie

126 Facebook Showcase Hanboo

132 Mod Review We will have Fairies! 136 Meet The Gamechangers AnchesenamonSim

140 Simscopes

Whats ahead for you?

142 Just For Fun Guess The Cas

144 Whats Up Community Stuff

150 Meet The Team

http://flamehairedblogger.blogspot.com/

NonBob News The latest update is in - make sure to check out www.EA.com for the full information. Update 7/27/2021 PC: 1.77.146.1030 / Mac: 1.77.131.1230 Console: Version 1.45

Please visit the EA website for the FULL LIST, here is just a small snippet. “Hello Simmers! This update resolves issues from our last game update. Thanks again for your patience and feedback. We appreciate it. -SimGuruRusskii Bug Fixes Before telling you about the bug fixes we made in this update, I wanted to mention that in the last patch notes there was a slight mistake when referring to the improvements for Gallery and downloading a lot made with the bb.moveobjects cheat. For players, it actually means that you don't need to manually activate the cheat prior to placing a lot from the Gallery for the objects to be exactly where the creator put them. Sorry for the confusion! Oh! And if you are worried about Trophies and/or Achievements, this improvement doesn’t hinder either.

BRAND NEW AND HERE TO CELEBRATE CC, POSE AND MOD CREATORS ACROSS THE WORLD. SUPSTYLE MAGAZINE IS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD, AND READ FOR FREE ON OUR WEBSITE WWW.SIMMEDUP.CO.UK THIS MONTH WE CELEBRATE JOLIEBEAN

Consoles For Simmers on PlayStation, Cottage Living now appears among the Expansion Packs in the “Packs” section of the Main Menu. We also reinstated Cats & Dogs there as it had wandered off as well.

COUNTRY LIFE IS THE LIFE FOR ME! A PACK OVRVIEW BY K8 SIMSLEY

It feels like forever ago that EA announced the release of the newest expansion pack, but the day has finally arrived… Welcome to Henford-on-Bagley! This quaint country town is the latest addition to The Sims 4 franchise and arguably one of the most anticipated packs of all time. Featuring highly requested farming-style gameplay, Country Living was an instant hit within the community, and it does not disappoint. Join Simmed Up Magazine as we explore this enchanting new world and review the endless possibilities that it has to offer.

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More than a month ago, Harold the Llama introduced Sims players to a beautiful new world in the Cottage Living expansion pack trailer.Since the glorious day when the new expansion pack was revealed, Simmers everywhere have been eagerly anticipating their arrival to Henford on Bagley. The ability to own llamas, chickens, and even cows has had fans swirling with excitement. Outside of farming (which, by the way, is a lot of work), there are plenty of other things to do in this small country town and plenty of people to meet. Besides the obvious additions of farm animals and wildlife, like foxes and bunnies this new expansion takes gameplay to a whole new level. The Sims team has added new interactions for children that includes the ability to help adults prepare meals, tend the garden, and care for livestock. When an adult Sim is selected, you can click on the stove and choose to "cook with…." You then select the child Sim and the meal you wish to prepare. Children will help your Sim create the meal by completing an autonomous task, such as kneading dough. Cooking in Country Living can be a little different than it usually is in the game if you utitlize the lot challenges, and select the simple living lot trait. With this trait on the lot, to create any meal, you must have the ingredients on hand. Milk, eggs, bread, flour, and sugar are all available at the local grocery stalls or by placing an order for grocery delivery.

Grocery delivery allows Sims access to required items quickly and conveniently. So if you do not want to wait for chickens to lay eggs (which they do around 6 a.m. each morning), you can either travel and buy the items yourself or arrange for them to be delivered to your door. Grocery delivery is a fantastic feature that makes farm life a little bit easier.

Henford on Bagley. The rural, British-inspired world of Henford on Bagley is a stunning array of rolling hillsides and magnificent farmland. Broken up into three d i s t i n c t neighborhoods, Henford on Bagley has 12 lots for your Sims to enjoy country life. Finchwick: A tight-knit community lined with small shops where your Sims can 'window Shop,' Finchwick holds a weekly fair and market where you can purchase goods or enter your livestock into contests. Finchwick is the heart and soul of Henford on Bagley, and there is plenty to see and do in this area. Old New Henford: This area of Henford is known for its lush estates, rolling hills, and extensive community garden. Home to a variety of wildlife, Old New Hendford is rich with love and history.

The Bramblewood: A wooded area that sits on the outskirts of town, Bramblewood has a storybook feel

that locals love and visitors are sure to enjoy. This area is filled with wildlife, and many of the world's wild animals can be found happily scurrying here. Wildlife, such as wild birds, bunnies, and foxes, can be found freely roaming the world, and while you cannot keep them as pets, you can place a home on your lot for them and befriend them through a variety of new interactions. Bramblewood includes many places to explore and even houses a swimmable lake for your Sims to enjoy.

Once you finally find the person with the package, you are told to deliver it to the mayor. If you are like me and did not pay attention, it can take time to find the Mayor of Henford (it is Lavina Chopra, by the way).

Running Circles A common practice in Henford on Bagley, you are encouraged (continuously) to help neighbors with errands. At some point in your gameplay, you will receive a message from a local explaining that help may be needed around town, and you are encouraged to lend a hand if you can. It seems that many of the NPC's in this pack are programmed to repeat this message of encouragement endlessly and will often respond to anything that you say with the same message telling you to help out the locals. The only problem with the helpful neighbor system is that you are given very vague instructions. For example, one task asks that you 'retrieve the package from… someone,' but it does not tell you who. Thus, you must go around for this task and talk to everyone within reach asking for the parcel.

Completing errands provides you with rewards. Eggs, milk, meat, and wool are standard gifts for a job well done. The tasks vary in nature but can quickly help you acquire some exciting items for your inventory to keep or sell for profit.

The Fun and Excitement of Farming Ah, farm life. The one thing that everyone in the community can agree on, at least most of the time. Henford on Bagley brought with it the ability to own livestock, and Sims fans everywhere rejoiced with glee. Although Cottage Living is not technically a farming pack, it does have many fantastic farming features for players to enjoy. From livestock to gardening, the

option to build the perfect country life comes easily in this pack. As mentioned earlier, your Sims can become the proud owner of some livestock and essentially create a hobby farm that you can enjoy. Sims can purchase and raise chickens, cows, or llamas with this pack, and they are all so darn cute! Sims need to care for the animals, or you may get a notification that they are thinking of leaving due to inadequate care. Animals must be fed regularly, and their homes must be kept clean. To clean their accommodations, you click on the items and select 'clean coop' or 'clean shed.' You must also take time to socialize with your livestock. Happy animals produce better products. Chickens live in the chicken coops, which you can purchase from the build buy catalog and place on your lot. Each chicken coop can hold up to 8 chickens or roosters, and these chickens will provide you with a regular supply of eggs. You can assign specific chickens to each coop, and you must have both hens and roosters assigned to the same enclosure if you want to receive hatchable eggs. Hatachable eggs are placed in the coop to incubate until they are ready to hatch. Once an egg is ready to be hatched, you will receive a notification and can help the chick hatch, or you can wait for it to hatch on its own. Baby hens and baby roosters are adorable, and you can socialize with them and shower them with love as you watch them grow. Cows and llamas live in animal sheds. These large enclosures can also be purchased from the build buy menu and placed on your lot. These animals are contained in the area around their shed, but you can socialize with them there.

In Cottage Living, Cows will provide your Sims with milk or meat if you are heartless and llamas will give you wool. The milk you receive from your cows will be used in cooking and baking, or you can drink it when you are thirsty. Once again, different treats will lead cows to produce various types of milk. You can also sell the milk you

have collected to the shops in town when you have more than you need or your Sims needs extra cash. Llamas have a purpose in Cottage Living as well. Llamas produce wool that can be used to create items with the new crossstitch activity. Sims of all ages can complete various crossstitching items, and the things you make can be sold at the local shops in town. Sims can stitch from patterns available in the game, with more and more unlocking as the skill increases. Sims can eventually cross-stitch f r o m reference as their skill increases. Stitch from reference works much as it does in the painting skill. W h i l e receiving milk, wool, or eggs is a lot of fun, your animals must be happy if you hope to obtain these i t e m s . Thankfully, there are a variety of animal treats that you can buy or create in the game that can improve your animal's mood, increase their social skills, or help you create these unique items. Each of the animal treats will affect your animals in different ways. Friendly treats, for example, will help you increase the connection you have with your livestock. On the other hand, Golden treats will make the animal gold and provide you with higher quality items, such as gold eggs or golden milk. Golden animals that produce golden items are a sought-after commodity in the

game, and these items can sell for quite a lot of Simoleans.

A Budding Beauty Gardening is a central theme of the Cottage Living expansion pack, and we are here for it. Growing produce can both save you Simoleans and help you make Simoleans as well. You can plant many items by placing them on the garden bed and choosing 'plant' from the interaction menu. However, many of the items in this pack require you to purchase seeds from the local shops in Fenwick. You can also access various kinds of fertilizer that will help you grow bigger, better produce. Giant produce can be entered into a contest at the weekly fair for a chance at winning a prize. If your Sim (or their entry) wins, you

are given some cash and a ribbon that you can proudly display to visitors.

Enjoy The Country Life! While it can be a bit overwhelming at first, you will soon discover your deep love for all things farming with the Cottage Living pack. Everything, from the fantastic new gardening items, the build buy décor, the adorable new farm animals, and the stunning landscape of Henford on Bagley, make this pack worth every penny. EA’s new expansion pack, Cottage Living, has captured our hearts, and we have decided that country life truly is the life for us! Sul Sul.

So, you’ve found a gorgeous picture of a house on the internet (probably Pinterest), you got extremely inspired – you rush to open The Sims as your head floods with ideas how to make that picture into a Sims build. It turns out perfect! Just like you imagined in your head, even better! You pause for a moment absorbing the beauty, looking at from different angles and distances, already envisioning how gorgeous the screenshots will be! Tab… C… C… C. Ah the satisfaction! Done! You minimise your game and navigate to the screenshots folder, to admire the photos you just made and feel extremely proud of yourself! You open the folder, and... hmm… something is missing. That WOW factor you just recently experienced

in-game is just no longer there? Yes! That’s it! The sun! The sun is missing! Well… no need to despair, there is a quick and easy fix that you can apply to get your photos of the gorgeous house shining! Phew… This is a tutorial of using Photoshop (I have chosen this software as it is most well-known and because I have it installed, a similar effect can be achieved with other software such as GIMP by using a similar technique and principles), to create a sun and sun rays in screenshots taken from the Sims 4.

This is what we want to achieve:

Before

After

Step 1 is to open the desired screenshot in photoshop, bare in mind that to achieve a realistic result your photo needs to have a place for the sun e.g. a window with some sky showing. I am going to use the image of the chair with a panoramic view as it just is really asking for some nice morning rays to shine through the windows. This is what you should see (figure 1):

Awesome, now you should see another pop up, on top, or next to it which is shown Figure 3

Figure 1

Now to begin, navigate to the most bottom-right corner of the photoshop screen, under your layers panel and click on the black & white circle icon (create new fill or adjustment layer) from the options that pop up choose Gradient (figure 2).

in Figure 4. Now from top to bottom. You see a list of presets, below that you see Name: Color to Transparent – if not, change it to this, this will change to Custom as we change other parameters but just to make sure nothing is interfering. Below that you should see Gradient Type: Solid, we will change this to Noise and now your image will resemble something like what you see behind the pop-up in Figure 4.

Figure 2

Now a gradient fill box should pop up and your photo should now be covered with a (probably) linear black to transparent gradient. This is what we want, all good. Now you need to click on the gradient itself in the pop-up box, that looks like a drop-down. Don’t click the little arrow but double click inside the gradient preview (Figure 3).

Figure 4

Now Roughness, drag it to be 100%, change the Color Model (below the colourful stripy preview) to HSB, now drag the S value’s little white arrow from right to left, completely reducing saturation. In the Options section next to the Color Model tick the box Add Transparency (Figure 5).

Figure 5

You can also play around with the Randomise button to see various layouts of the lines across the screen. They will be randomly grouped creating different bundles of light randomly distributed, when you are happy with what you are seeing click OK. Now we are back to the smaller pop-up which is shown in Figure 3 – let’s change Figures 6 & 7

the Style of the gradient from Linear to Angle. See what you did there? It is slowly starting to look like what we want it to. Without exiting the Gradient Fill pop-up (you can move it out of your way if you like), click and drag the middle of the gradient into a position where you want the sun to be (Figure 6-7). Once you are happy with the position of your soon-tobe sun, click OK. We are done with creating the sun shape. Now we just need to tweak it a little so it looks more sunlike. In the Layers panel, find our newly created adjustment layer (probably called Gradient Fill 1), right click on the name of the layer, which is the text itself and convert the layer to a Smart Object (Figure 8). If everything is Figure 8 done correctly your adjustment layer should now have the Smart Object icon and look like in Figure 9. We’re doing good! Almost there I promise, not long to go. Hang in there. Let’s make the rays more natural now. Staying in the Layers panel, change the Normal mode to

Screen while Gradient Fill 1 layer is selected (see Figure 9). In the top tab section, find the Filter tab – navigate to Blur – Gaussian Blur (see Figure 10). A Gaussian Blur pop-up should appear (Figure 11) and here you can play around with the radius of the rays, the higher the radius the more diluted the rays will be, the lower the radius – the sharper the rays are – this is completely up-to your preference. I went for a radius of 6 in my image. Once you are happy with the ways the rays look, click OK. That’s it! We have the rays! Now is the fun part – painting over the image to remove the rays from areas where there is shadow and logically would not make sense to have rays there, again this completely depends on your image so I suggest

Figure 10

circle-in-a-box icon, with the rays layer selected, click that icon. Now, choose the brush tool, adjusting the size as you go, make sure that the colours of the brush are all fully black (see Figure 12). So start painting over your image! This is what I have done (see Figure 13) you can also play around with the opacity of the layer to achieve a desired result. Now all we need to do is add the actual sun, right? What do you think we need to do? If you guessed it, well done! We need a Gradient, but this time not an Angle but Radial (a circle), again click the black &

Figu

re 11

removing the rays from places behind the furniture or behind the objects onto which the rays fall, for example in my image I need to remove the rays from the left side of the photo (another room) completely, behind the chair, between the chair and the side table and a small area behind the books on the shelf – the more attention you give this the more realistic your screenshot will look.

Figure 9

To remove the rays we need to add a Layer Mask to our rays layer. Back to the bottom-right corner of the screen, next to the black & white circle is a

Figure 12

Figure 13

while circle icon at the bottom-right of the screen, choose Gradient, click the gradient preview to change its colour from black to a yellowy white colour (white in the middle, yellow going outwards) – this is also up to you

depending of what time of day you took your screenshot, try to match the colour of the sun to the colours of the environment in your screenshot (See Figure 14).

Figure 14

Scale the size of your sun to the needed size by using the percentage scale option in the Gradient Fill pop-up (Figure 14). Now all you have to do is drag the sun in position, which is the place from where your sun rays are emitting from and you are done!

Now that wasn’t so hard now was it? AND you have a room filled with beautiful sun rays! Some extra tips: you can now select the image layer, go into the Filter tab – Camera Raw Filter and edit your photo even more such as adjust sharpness, contrast and more! Happy editing!

Director:TheMomCave

Serendipitia is a Sims 4 machinimas creator along with, let's plays/and vlog creator. With such amazing content we just had to feature Tia and heres what The Mom Cave discovered. The Mom Cave: Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed this month. I have been following your gorgeous machinima, Invisible and looking forward to hearing more about this incredible project. Tia: Thanks so much, I am thrilled to be talking to you! The Mom Cave: To get us started, I of course have to ask about your Sims experience. How long have you been playing, and what got you started? Tia: You know, it’s funny because before The Sims 4, I had actually only played The Sims 1, if you can believe that? When I was growing up, it was almost like virtual barbie dolls to me, so obviously I loved it! But then going into adolescence, I kind of dropped off The Sims franchise for a while and played different things. Then in 2014, The Sims 4 came out right when I had just upgraded my PC. So I thought, “Yeah, why not

Let’s give The Sims 4 a go!” I really just appreciated it for what it is, a gorgeous simulation game. I have been playing it ever since. When there was controversy with features being missing during the game’s release, I barely noticed anything, except that it was obviously miles ahead of The Sims 1. The Mom Cave: I have a similar

experience, in that I only played Sims 1 with my kids ages ago. Gaming was not even on my radar until I became an emptynester and stumbled on some videos about the 100 Baby Challenge. My daughter-in-law had played TS4 and encouraged me to buy it. I love the game, even with its imperfections.

and with voice actors like a TV show?” That is when I made my first voice over machinima series called Serenville.

So, you bought a game and loved it. What got you started as a machinimator? Tia: When I joined YouTube, I was primarily a Let's Player. One day, I thought it would be a fun idea to do a Sims 4 Let’s Play because of all the crazy stuff Sims can get up to when you are not looking and oh boy was I right! In that series, I made my friends and me as characters, and then the chaos ensued! One of the characters, whenever he got the chance to, would just randomly wear a speedo all the time for no reason! I made the rest of them sit around the table with him and scold him as a sort of Speedo Intervention, it was hilarious! There was another time where one of the characters drowned by accident and it really took me by surprise. I found myself getting attached to that sim I had been playing with for so long. This is when I got the idea to add a cinematic element to the series by inserting scripted events and music. I will be honest; I didn’t even know what a machinima was at the time. I was just having fun. When that Let’s Play series ended, I thought to myself, “Hold on, what if I did this again, but with an actual story

The Mom Cave: You started by experiencing the chaotic stories that develop while playing The Sims and turned it into storytelling. I love that! Making machinima is a lot of work and takes a lot of dedication and hours and hours of time. What is it about creating them that keeps you going? Tia: It is just something I am very passionate about. There is no way I would be able to sit at my desk for hours at a time if this wasn’t the case. Invisible really is a passion project for me because I have put so many of my own personal experiences into the series. It is a way for me to tackle topics that I feel need to be talked about more. These include topics like addiction, parental issues, homophobia and mental health. Aside from the story, it really helps that I work with such an incredibly talented cast. There’s 25 voice actors in total and they’re very

enthusiastic about the series. It really shows when they join me for the Invisible post-episode podcasts. Hearing them get excited about their characters and where the story is going helps motivate me so much. The Mom Cave: I have recently started working with voice machinima and have thoroughly enjoyed working with the voice acting community. I feel they are a whole group of creatives that need special recognition.

many potential Neon candidates, it has given me a lot of room and flexibility to develop the other 14 characters in detention with her too. There are a few personal experiences that sparked the idea for the series and then some inspiration from shows like Life is Strange, Love Simon, Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, The Breakfast Club, 13 Reasons Why etc.

Tell me more about Invisible. What is it about, and what sparked the idea? Tia: Invisible follows a High School student, Hannah Park. After her best friends abandon her, she develops extreme social anxiety. Because of this, she hides away in her bedroom and joins an anonymous chat room for the school. She meets another student user, who goes by the username Neon_Moon. Neon’s warm presence helps her come out of her shell, after Neon admits to having feelings for her. Neon then gives her advice to go out of her comfort zone but she finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, landing herself in afterschool detention with three other cliques, The Sabers, The Sirens and The Drama Club. She later finds out that Neon_Moon is in detention with her but has no idea who they could be from the cliques. The series is about her trying to figure this out, whilst also tackling her own challenges. Because there are so

The Mom Cave: What I appreciate the most about your series is the way you balance fiction with real-life experiences that many of us have had. What characters do you identify with and why? Tia: I would like to think there’s a little piece of my personality tucked away into all the characters, but I think the ones I relate to most are Hannah, Tia, Brandon and Kyle. High School was such a difficult time for me personally. It felt like a juggling act trying to balance keeping up my grades, problems at home and also figuring out who/ what I wanted to become. There can be so much unnecessary pressure in high school but my hope is that viewers will realise from watching my series that you

don’t have to get it right all the time. In fact, you’re probably going to stumble and make a lot of mistakes on the way, but the most important lesson to learn is that the only time you truly fail is when you don’t try at all. The Mom Cave: It is no secret that I am big on The Growth Mindset Theory, and you certainly seem to have that in your approach to life! If you were to give a new machinimator three pieces of advice, what would those things be? Tia: Network with the community. Making machinimas is a very lonely and time-consuming process. Sometimes just hearing your friends’ encouragement really helps give you that spark again to keep you going. Practice your camera work. There are many helpful tutorials online. What also helped me was experimenting with the parameters and playing around with the camera to understand its limitations. It may take months, or even years. Try not to be disheartened when you see others releasing episodes and you’re still working on yours. The point is that your content is YOURS and there is no one else that can do it like you do. So just relax, have fun and take as much time as you need. The Mom Cave: Wonderful advice Tia! What are your go-to mods or tools that you cannot create without? • TwistedMexi’s T.O.O.L Mod

• Weerbesu’s UI Cheats Extension • Andrews Studio’s Pose Player The Mom Cave: I want to shift gears a bit here and talk about how, although enjoyable, creating content (machinima especially) can be very energy intensive. You posted a video called, “Let’s Talk with Tia | Taking a Break.” Tell me about the moment you realized you needed to take some time to recharge. What did that feel like for you, and how did you overcome it? Tia: It’s so easy to get swept up with social media. It can feel as though if you’re not creating or taking part, then you’re not going to be seen at all, and perhaps you will be forgotten. Much like anything, too much of something is a bad thing. There is a correlation between increased online activity and issues such as depression, anxiety, OCD etc. I was experiencing many of these and I thought it was very important to take a step back for one month for my own self-preservation. Being back online, I now try to limit my time and only check in when I feel I want to not because I need to. The Mom Cave: We can feel enslaved to it all if we let ourselves. I have certainly found myself feeling this numerous times. It is so important to step away and gain new insight and experience real life outside of social media and creating content. What do you think the most important thing is for content creators to remember in order to keep this work sustainable?

Tia: There is a huge difference between passion and obsession. It’s important to not let your hobbies consume your life, because you will miss out on a lot of opportunities. Your real world will feel like it’s just getting smaller and smaller. If you do notice it’s starting to affect your mental and/or physical health, please take a break. Your health is number one. Plus, when you are feeling good in yourself, it will show in your content. Because after all, if it’s not fun then what’s the point?

directors, animators, voice actors etc. If you’re looking for a friendly space to chat, ask questions and get help then please feel free to join. Even if you’re a viewer who likes machinimas, anyone is welcome of course! https:// discord.gg/Fqqrzy24sF The Mom Cave: I have had to streamline the servers I am on and have returned to yours because I appreciate the very positive and supportive atmosphere. I highly recommend it

The Mom Cave: If the readers remember nothing else, I hope they remember that last sentence. If it is not fun, then what is the point? I couldn't agree more.

Thank you again to Tia for taking the time to share. Be sure to head over and check her and out on all of her socials:

What else about you, creating machinima or your channel do you want to share?

Youtube - https:// www.youtube.com/serendipitia

Tia: A few months ago, I created a Sims Machinima discord server for

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ serendipitia_

aladdin-the-simmer on Tumblr

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Director of Pixels Love By Coincidence Series– A Collaboration by Peachy’s Place and IzzyM Games: When love is involved, is it really a coincidence? LBC is a tale of three couples whose stories start with an intersection between theirs and their friends’ lives. This has led to everlasting love, with a few bumps and a lot of fun along the way. Desiree Morales is a beautiful mother, divorcee and restaurateur who meets handsome widower, retired policeman and part time private investigator Lincoln Bennett. Their connection is often disrupted by her overprotective son. Landon has been in love with Daphne from afar for over two years, and just when he almost had the nerve to approach her, she becomes involved with someone else. Michael and Sherri were oil and water from the start, but underneath it all a burning desire is there. However, this is disrupted when Michael becomes consumed with guilt of love and loss. Genre: Romance Rating: Mature due to some sexual situations Style: Subtitled series Language: English Watch the playlists here: Season 1: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq5P6PLt6AELKtq0rudzbPpJjos-gg3ZW Season 2: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq5P6PLt6AELKtq0rudzbPpJjos-gg3ZW

Connect with IzzyM Games and Peachy’s Place Here: IzzyM Games YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Kgcm9cWchBDE-EUKJRmrQ Twitter: https://twitter.com/FeliciaProbst

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izzymgames Patreon: www.patreon.com/IzzMGames TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@izzymgames Peachys Place YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeachysPlace Twitter: https://twitter.com/chocolatepeach8 Blog: peachyssims.blogspot.com Sims Wiki Page: peachysplace.fandom.com

Introducing: GaienaSims This month is all about summer. We all dream about going to the beach and just having some fun. But this year is a lot different. We are in a pandemic. So, the Sims decided to bring the fun to us... sort of. They brought it in the form of SummerSessions. GaienaSims is a french Simmer who is just starting out as a content creator, but one would never know that she is just starting out with the look of her builds. She is quite active on her social media. Her Instagram and Twitter showcases some of her amazing builds. Her youtube channel has just under 100 subscribers. I don’t know why she does not have any more. Her builds are amazing and very detailed. On her Youtube she does a lot of speedbuilds and she also does tours where she showcases her builds in a very cinematic way. She also participates in quite a few fun

challenges like shell challenges and collabs, if you can count those as challenges. Even though most of her videos are in french, they do have subtitles provided by the automated youtube feature so you can easily follow along. Some of her screenshots are breathtaking like the one she took of Bella Goth at the Summer Sessions. She is always willing to assist, so you can ask her any questions you may have. Follow her on all of her social media. I promise that you won't regret it.

Shake-Up Summer with Granny Nothing says summer quite like a cocktail and the king of cocktails has to be the Pina Colada. The moment the smell of coconut hits you, you get transported to a warm white beach with turquoise bleu water and large palm trees to give you just enough shade for a nap. As a good Granny that wants all the little kiddos included in the fun, we added a recipe without the kick so the whole family can enjoy delicious cocktails on a hot summer day, no matter where you are.

Instructions In a blender, combine the crushed pineapple, coconut cream, light rum, and ice. Blend until the mixture is smooth and then pour it into a poco grande glass. Garnish with a skewered pineapple wedge and cherry and serve.

Ingredients • 3 teaspoons crushed pineapple • 3 teaspoons coconut cream • 3 ounces light rum • Ice • Pineapple wedge for garnish • Cherry for garnish

Piña Colada

Nonalcoholic Piña Colada Ingredients • ½ cup frozen pineapple chunks • ½ cup coconut milk • ¼ cup pineapple juice • 2 scoops vanilla ice cream • Pineapple wedge for garnish • Cherry for garnish

Instructions

The Granny Got Skills

In a blender, combine the frozen pineapple, coconut milk, pineapple juice, and vanilla ice cream. Blend thoroughly and pour the mixture into a poco grande glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry and serve .

Have You Got

t The Moves?

SIXAM CC

Arnie In the beginning there came Will Wright and now we have Arnie from SimsPlus. When it comes to content creators Arnie has got to be ranked up there amongst the best. Not only are his Mods well thought out, they are amazing in graphics and interaction. Arnie is proving what CAN be done in the Sims previously said was impossible IS POSSIBLE and we at SimmedUp had the honour of speaking with him about Life, Modding and Movies. Hi Arnie, and thanks so much for agreeing to do this interview. We wanted to start by asking, Where are you from, and how did you discover the Sims? 1Hey SimmedUp Magazine! Thank you for the invitation to this interview! It’s a pleasure to chat about the Sims today. My name is Arnie, I grew up in France and moved to Mauritius Island where I’ve been living for years now! I discovered the Sims when I was a kid, a friend of mine was playing it on her Windows 2000 PC back in the time ahah! And I thought « this is so cool! You can do what you want in this game!!! ». So I bought a Sims 2 CD I found at a flea market a few months later and I have been playing every single Sims game since then! I think it had a huge impact on my life, allowing endless creativity and storytelling, which became my job when I reached Adulthood.

SIMS PLUS

And what an amazing job to have! What or who inspired you to become a Modder? Was it difficult to learn at first? Who was your ‘go-to’ Modder to help you learn? I lost my job at the beginning of the pandemic, and it was a great way for me to finally have some free time to finally start learning new things, like how code works... that I wanted to learn for years! It was not hard because I didn’t realise I was learning! I just started small with tiny mods, and came to the idea of creating a mod pack a few months later, combining my passions! It was a great time. One of the people that inspired me the most is the amazing modder TwistedMexi, especially the upcoming Project Raven of his!

2020/21 has been difficult for so many, how have you been coping during the lockdown, and has been stuck at home, given you more time to work on your mods? I

actually

had

good

time

lock-down, slowing down on the crazy life we all live, a time to focus on others, reach out to the ones you didn’t have the time to, and learning new stuff (modding!) I tried not to focus too much on the bad things that were (and are still) happening all around the world. I am very sensitive and these things have a big impact on me. Plus I had the chance to be in lock-down with my close friend and roommate, and she is the most wonderful person to share moments with. Everyone is talking about your ‘Farmland Mod, not only will this Mod enable you to grow your own crops, you can have a multitude of animals from Horses to chickens as well as getting your very own tractor license’ what inspired you to create this mod? And what other wonderful things can our Sims do in your mod? Thank you for the kind words! The idea came from my Patreon

supporters actually! I had a poll last year with a few ideas for mod packs and farming was WAY up in the poll! Plus I grew up in the french countryside, surrounded by cows and chickens, and it felt like going back to my childhood sometimes while creating it. There is also in this mod pack an open world where you can go to the supermarket or at the horse ranch without a loading screen! But my favourite part is the story mode. The story of George and Adele came really early to me. Inspired by the relationship in the movie Up, I wanted to tell the story of this caring elder, when he met Adele and how they grew up and old together, like flowers blossoming in a field. Their story is the story of all the living beings on earth. Growing up, growing old, and returning to the earth, like animals, plants, or us. Farms are in my opinion such lively places, where all beings share the same space, and it felt so right to talk about life… in the Sims!

Community is very important to us too, When I watched the Trailer for Farmland, I honestly had tears in my eyes, you have a wonderful gift for story telling to go along with your modding skills. You have created some amazing Mods from BrookHeights to Farmland, What other surprises do you have in store for the community, and are there any ‘sneak previews or hints you can give us? Well, I can tell you I have a very long list of things I would love to do! It’s hard to choose! I wish there were 100 hours each day for me to do it all! But I can tell you the next one is a smaller Mod Pack about technology, inspired by Apple. More about this soon… Now that sounds super exciting and we cannot wait to see what you come up with. When you first started creating mods, there were a lot of negative people who tried to say you were not really making anything at all. How does it feel to finally show everyone what can be created in the Sims, and what would you say to the people who doubted you? I didn’t know there were « a lot » of them… It doesn’t really matter what people think anyway. I’m creating things for the pleasure to create but also especially because it feels so good to know a creation of yours can bring thousands of people hours of gameplay, of joy, and just knowing these people are feeling emotions playing it, all around the world, it feels like sharing a piece of life. And I am very grateful for that. What a wonderful job to have! With how fantastic your creations are, even one ‘doubter’ is a lot to us! So tell us how long did your farmland, and Brookheights mods take to create?

They both took at least 6 months to create! I think I lost count for Farmland though since it might be closer to 8 months… It felt like weeks though! When I was working heavily on the development I couldn’t see the days go by! I looked at a calendar instead of a clock while working ahah. Asking my self « WAIT? Are we in *insert month* yet? » We can imagine you must have to be super focused to be able to do all of this on your own and stay motivated, I also get lost when creating magazines, but I know your work is so much harder than mine! You’re also a very creative person and a little bird tells us that you work in Film Production and you have a film you have been working on coming out real soon. Can you tell us what that is? Is anyone famous involved?

Ahah you are right I have been working in the Film Industry for years and one of my projects from 2020 is about to come out! I was working on the latest Alicia Keys’ movie called « Resort To Love » that was shot entirely in my country, Mauritius! It’s a rom-com about a girl who sings at her ex-fiancé’s wedding! That was such a fun film to shoot! It will be out on Netflix Worldwide on July 29th! Watch out! Alicia Keys WOW! You must be so chuffed to have your name associated with movies like this! are there any big film projects you wish you had been able to work on? Of course! All of my favourite movies! Jokes aside, I can’t wait to be able to direct my own feature film one day… I am also very interested in new technologies and think I could go towards making a VR movie or even something more experimental! I love to experiment!! I guess only the future will tell us what I’ll come up with…

A VR movie, sounds very interesting we are watching you very closelyl Arnie, we can see big things ahead for you. We all know The Sims team do an amazing job, and have been bringing us a steady supply of Packs and entertainment with the Summer of Sims. If you could choose just one thing for the Sims team to work on, what would it be and why? I would love to get an official create a world tool, but I don’t think it’s ever coming for TS4. Most simmers are feeling like they belong to a favourite type of gameplay (CAS, Build/Buy, or Live Mode). But I think we forgot « World » players in TS4. Back in the Sims 3, I would spend most of my time designing worlds in the CAW Tool or even in-game! That was my favourite type of gameplay and it no longer exists in this iteration of the game. So I learned how to mod them, but I really wish there was a feature like this in the next generation of the Sims! What tops tips can you give to others out there that would like to

create mods, but don’t know where to start? Start small! Try tiny things! Lots of them! And you will learn along the way without even realising it! There are also hundreds of good tutorials on how to start anything in modding! Then, once you get to know the code, you can explore, try new things, experiment! After all your hard work with BrookHeights and Farmland you have taken a well-deserved rest to catch up on some sleep. If you could take a break anywhere in the world where would it be and why? I am finally taking a real break for a week with my partner! We are going to a Theatre Festival on the french Riviera! And this is the place I choose to be in the world! I am so happy and grateful to be able to share moments with my relatives in these times we’re living. The best place is next to them, wherever they are in the world. Well we hope you both have an amazing time, get plenty of rest and we really cannot wait to see what astounding creations you have coming for us next. Again I just want to say thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview with us Arnie, your support means the world to us. Thank you interview! I remembering telling them! kindness!

so much for this had a great time these memories and Thank you for your

Take care! Sending love to the team

Did you know You can download All our backissues From our website Visit www.simmedup.co.uk And grab any copy You want Today. 50

Summer is finally here & to celebrate I wanted to share with you some of my favourite outdoor custom content. If you’re looking to create luxury spaces for your Sims to enjoy garden parties or a place to have a romantic evening dinner then look no further. Enjoy the sunshine friends!

Estrella Living Room Pillow Severinka @ The Sims Resource

Taywell Chair Chicket @ The Sims Resource

Bauhaus Collection Table The Kalino @ kalino-thesims.tumblr.com

OAK HOUSE teapot Pierisim @ patreon.com/pierisim

Classic Bike Sandy @ sims4.roundthesims3.com

Chlorophyll Roses SIMcredible @ The Sims Resource

Misa Daybed, Pillows & Blanket Pinkbox AnYe @ patreon.com/Pinkboxdesign

Thilium Patio Umbrella Wondymoon @ The Sims Resource

AnYe Garden Lounge Lantern Pinkbox AnYe @ patreon.com/Pinkboxdesign

Kalium Panel Wondymoon @ The Sims Resource

AnYe Sunset Coffee Table & Decor Pinkbox AnYe @ patreon.com/Pinkboxdesign

AnYe Sunset Bag Pinkbox AnYe @ patreon.com/Pinkboxdesign AnYe Coffee Shop Planter Pinkbox AnYe @ patreon.com/Pinkboxdesign

Medwei Deco Surfboards Sundays @ patreon.com/sundays_sims

AnYe Sunset Pillows Pinkbox AnYe @ patreon.com/Pinkboxdesign

Naturalis Office Plant SIMcredible @ The Sims Resource

French Country Wine Set Cowbuild @ cowbuild.tumblr.com Avon Dining Chair Ung999 @ The Sims Resource

Connect Throw Pillow Nynaeve @ NynaeveDesign.com

Thuja Place Setting Wondymoon @ Wondymoon.com

Paolo Dining Table Chicklet @ The Sims Resource

Athea Dining Candle Severinka @ The Sims Resource

Shara Patio Umbrella Nyaneve @ The Sims Resource

Dreamy Outdoor Plant SIXAMcc @ patreon.com/sixamcc

Artz Line Couch & Chaise SIXAMcc @ patreon.com/sixamcc

Homestead Branch Jar Kerrigan House Design @ patreon.com/kerriganhousedesigns

Shara Kentia Palm Nynaeve @ NynaeveDesign.com

Dreamy Outdoor Lounger SIXAMcc @ patreon.com/sixamcc

To find out more about KawaiiFoxita visit kawaiifoxita.com

Tropico6 Review By The Simming Spoonie

It’s summer for the northern hemisphere, and Tropico 6 is as summery as it gets! You play as El Presidente, a customisable male or female character leading a banana republic. There is a great tutorial, missions, and a sandbox mode for those who just wish to get in the game and start building. The missions are fabulous, there is so much humour in this franchise and Sims lovers take note, we have llama’s here too :) There are three difficulty levels for the story mission, easy, medium and hard. I generally play on Medium, but hardcore simulation players insist that the only way to play the game is on hard. I’m going to show you parts of the tutorial for this review, so you get an idea of what the game is all about.

We start off with a montage of stunning Caribbean vista’s, and a man’s voice talking softly.

know this type of screen very well, these cards are how the game communicates with you.

This is Penultimo, fans of previous games will know him as El Presidente’s loyal, if somewhat bumbling, assistant. The first mission takes place in the past when Penultimo first meets our beloved Presidente. Penultimo will guide through the entirety of the missions, sometimes more successfully than others ;)

And yes, you really can choose the style of gameplay you want, use your armies and spies to rule as a dictator, or indulge the happiness of your people and be their most benevolent leader. This screenshot shows the metrics that you need to keep an eye on

throughout your playthrough. Of course, depending on what type of Presidente you are will determine how these metrics affect your republic.

The next important tab is devoted to the economy. A very broad overview on this first page, but you can drill down to an incredibly detailed level, which is great for those who love to micro-manage their republics to the nth degree

Let’s look at politics next, these are the default factions that are present in the game and they all think that their needs are the most important. Sound familiar? Some of the choices you will be forced to make throughout the game's story missions will mean that certain factions will

come to be very unhappy with you. But you can deal with that right?

The storyline missions guide you through four different eras, colonial, world wars, cold war and modern times. Each era has different edicts you can invoke that can have dramatic effects on your population and how they see their most benevolent (or not so benevolent) leader. As you progress through these eras, the types of buildings available to you change as well. Your plantations become hydroponic, these are much more compact, improve production output and job happiness.

You can get to see a little of how your play style will affect the factions standings with you with the

Food for the People edict. Oh, and the longer you have these edicts active the greater these beneficial (or detrimental) effects will be.

Did I mention that the humour in this game is amazing? I did? Well, I’ll say it again. These are the thoughts from one of the builders.

I’m going to take you into more of the nitty-gritty of gameplay. How does one make money in a banana republic? With agriculture and industry! When you start out in the Colonial era, there really isn’t much available to you in the way of industry, but you can grow crops and raise animals. Crops available to you are things like cotton, banana’s, corn tobacco and some others, which can be grown in areas with the correct soil conditions. These will not only help make you money on exports but will also help feed your people. Animals you can raise include cows, pigs and did someone say llamas?

I’m going to stop here, I hope I’ve given you just a glimpse into how awesome I think this game is and if you have the graphics power, how amazing it can look. If you are looking for an in-depth strategy Sim with a lot of laughs and hilarity, then look no further than Tropico 6.

Yes, long before Cottage Living was even an inkling in SimGuruNinja’s eye, you could shear llama’s in Tropico to use their wool to make textiles here in your summer paradise. There are also overlays galore, with information to help you place your mines, oil wells, crops and yes, even your llamas also have a favourite type of pasture, queens that they are.

Builder, Streamer

& Content Creator

107

TITAN ARCHITECT Chats Sims, therapy and Modern Building With Maria Thank you again for the opportunity to get to know a little more about the person behind the Michael Modish brand. To begin with, please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your hobbies, interests or anything you would like to share with the community which cannot be seen from your social media accounts or website (something special behind the scenes?). Some of my earlier followers would be able to tell you that I am a bit of a plant Dad. I am obsessed with indoor plants, gardening, and the idea of sustainable living. I find therapy in being in my garden and spending most weekends trying to relax at home. My professional career as a Medical Scientist comes with a lot of stress and long hours, so playing The Sims and being amongst my plant babies are a huge part of my own therapy. Your Instagram account features predominantly modern to ultramodern builds, I have also noticed

you like working with squares as your main to-go shape for your builds, whether rooms, buildings, or decoration. Where do you get the inspiration and how did you define your go-to style? I find that squares are such easy, convenient, and symmetrical shapes to work with. My mind can get so cluttered and busy, so seeing simple, minimal, clean, and symmetrical shapes and lines in architecture really appeals to my eyes and influences my design aesthetic. I love the idea of having minimal visual distractions, bringing focus back to the relationships of the people living in a space, being in the moment and only possessing items that bring you the most joy and happiness.

“I think the game really did save my life”

There are many simmers who have simstagram accounts where they post their builds, sims or anything sims related, yet very few have actually developed their page into a brand. What prompted you to develop your own brand, have you or do you study branding and design or anything related that inspired you to create a brand around the Sims game? Honestly, I wanted to go in the direction of a more branded account for the reasons of being identifiable, being unique and engaging people in a way that creates excitement, interest, and a sense of community. I have never studied branding or design, but I have found creating logos and products in my spare time to be a lot of fun, so it is something I have invested some time into researching and exploring. Are there any benefits and if so, what are they, in having a clearly defined brand? What advice would you give to simmers who also want to create a brand for their simstagrams but just do not know

to start? For me, the only benefit I have found is that it has given me something fun to do, something new to learn and motivated me to step outside my comfort zones. My advice to creators looking at going in the direction of a brand would be to start it with the intention of having fun, but do not expect to make money, gain lots of followers or for everything you try to put out into the community to be a hit. I would start with a good memorable name, a unique logo that tells people who you are, and to work on building relationships within the community by showing support and kindness to your fellow Simmers. In addition to being a content creator, you also have a website where you put up for sale the Michael Modish x Sims merch. What inspired you in the beginning to start your own merch line? I wanted to have my own unique identity within the community and having merch attached to the name of Michael Modish seemed to give

me a way of projecting an image and having a presence in a sea of amazing content creators. My merch is not there for me to make money, it is there to say this is me, this is where to find me, and this is the community you are a part of when you follow me. My merch started with a strong Sims influence behind it, but I am breaking free of that attachment slowly and have merch that is more unique to my identity as Michael Modish and the community I am making, the MODSQUAD. Could you tell us about your experience in managing a merch store, where do you get the ideas of your designs or products to sell? world, what is the price you are Are your products research based – going to sell it at, will people pay that looking to find what simmers want price, what is your profit if any and do you ultimately have the time and or is there a different approach? money to invest. The Sims originally It has been a fun, interesting, gave me ideas and designs for disappointing, and eye-opening products, but you must be careful not experience managing a merch store. to copy their branding if going down Unfortunately, ideas for products the path of Sim-inspired products, have to be limited to practicality and hence my products have been feasibility, and by that I mean how finetuned and undergone many hard is it to make, who is going to changes to become a more separate make it, what will it cost to make, how identity/brand. The best advice I much does it cost to ship around the could give someone wanting to start

their own merch/products is to make a website using a provider like Squarespace and integrate a merch company like Printful to design, fulfil, AND ship your products. It is a good, cheap and easy starting point I believe. Your Michael Modish eyeshadow palette with the Sims colour tints was a huge hit and has sold out in no time, are you looking to make more permanent product lines in the future or would you like to mix things up as you go along? I was inspired by the creativity and expression in creating builds In The Sims to come up with a product that gave people their own way of expressing themselves, and I thought what better way than to dabble in the world of cosmetics. So, I made an eyeshadow palette with colours that reminded me of The Sims, shades of vibrant blues and greens. Funnily, I had no idea that only weeks prior to my palette launching The Sims and MAC cosmetics collaborated and created a Sims palette, which kind of flopped to my benefit as it did not have a single shade of blue and green, shockingly. So, I think my palette gave people what they missed out on. I created the company Modish Beauty Co. to assist in identifying the product as a cosmetic item but found it too hard to try to juggle two brands at the same time, so there are no planned product launches for the foreseeable future under that company and production for the eyeshadow palette has stopped, with some hidden stock occasionally popping up for people to grab. At the moment I don’t have any products I feel are permanent, I like change and experimenting, so definitely watch this space.

Now Michael, enough about business! Let's talk a little about Sims, how did you first come to know about the game and what part of it was most appealing to you? Are there any other games you play, if so what are they? I was first introduced to the game at a friend’s house when I was a child. I could not believe such a game existed; it was so intriguing and unique. As someone who never fit in well at school, never had a lot of friends and experienced a lot of bullying, The Sims gave me the escapism and creativity I needed to survive my earlier years. Without being dramatic, I think the game really did save my life. I play other games like Cities: Skylines (a city builder game) and ARK: Survival (you get to ride Dinosaurs!) and used to post about them on my account, but never get enough time to invest in them properly like I do The Sims. I would like to become more of a diversified Gamer rather than a strict Simmer, and I think the community will see a massive change in what I post towards the end of 2021. You are very talented in interior design and architecture, are you looking to pursue a career in this field in real life? When did you find out about your talents and more generally, what are your dreams for the future? Becoming an architect has always seemed like a logical career path for me, but it never eventuated, I went down the path of Medicine and Science instead. I have too many commitments for the foreseeable future to make a life-changing career jump, so for now those dreams are on-hold, but not forgotten. My

Becoming an architect has always seemed like a logical career path for me, but it never eventuated, I went down the path of Medicine and Science instead. I have too many commitments for the foreseeable future to make a life-changing career jump, so for now those dreams are on-hold, but not forgotten. My talents are attributed to my many, many years of playing The Sims. People say, “How are you so talented?” and I think well I would be worried if I was not half-decent at the game after all these years of playing. I have always been highly creative and good at Art and Design, so I think those skills along with playing the game for so long has really helped me to become the creator I am today. Finally, is there anything else you would like to tell our readers and the sims community? Any exciting new products you are thinking about launching soon? As always, have fun and be kind. Never be afraid to send me a DM with a question or if you just want to have a chat, I love to chat. No imminent product launches are planned, but you will be seeing some big changes this year, so be on the lookout. Thank you to my current and future MODSQUAD family, you are amazing! And of course, thank you to @laar.studio for the interview with SimmedUp, you’re the best!

www.michaelmodish.com/

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Fa nA rt

Adore Amelia Hello, for this month’s fan art we are featuring the very talented Rachie, artist, writer and creator behind the Alibi For A Miracle series on Tumblr!

Izzy: Hi Rachie! Thank you so much for agreeing to this feature! Would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself? Rachie: My name is Rachel, I am 27 and my pronouns are she/her. I am an introverted girl who loves true crime documentaries. Not super original, I know! I am currently living with my sister and our amazing senior dog, Missy, in my home country of Canada! I am relatively new to simblr, I was searching for a creative outlet to help me with my mental health and as soon as I realized how active the community of simmers on Tumblr was, I happily joined in! I have made some awesome connections in the community and I have also really enjoyed being creative with editing and writing my story, Alibi for a Miracle, starring the “muse” of my blog, Amelia Izzy: Speaking of your story! We absolutely fell in love with it, and I think it's safe to say everyone adores Amelia! But for those that aren't as familiar would you mind telling them a bit about your story? Rachie: AFAM (Alibi for a Miracle) is essentially about the idea that you can cut and run from your own entrenched identity, but that it'll always find you again in the end. Izzy: Right! That's truly amazing, I personally have been following this story pretty much from the start, so I'm very curious to know what inspired your story? Rachie: I was thinking about the idea of “escaping” a lot during the height of the pandemic, as I am sure many of us

were. I also reflected a lot about the first half of my twenties and how much I struggled to find identity and often relied upon the people around me to define me. I think Amelia really struggles to understand herself or where she fits, and I can really relate to that. Izzy: I agree, I think that is definitely something a lot of people can identify with. Would you say your artistic inspiration follows that same vein, or what would you say your artistic inspiration is? Rachie: As cliche as it is, my biggest inspiration is my own life. I can easily draw from personal experiences in all of my creative endeavors. Even my own “fantasies” can inspire me to create something. Izzy: I do have to say, your writing is truly inspired and comes across so professional. Have you ever done anything like this in the past, or is this your first project? Rachie: I have in the past, yes. I have been a part of a few fandoms throughout my teens and twenties that have become avenues for similar expression to what I am currently doing on simblr. My primary passion is actually video editing, but unfortunately, I haven’t had the resources to get back into that. Izzy: And what made you decide to use the sims in your storytelling? Rachie: I got the Sims 4 games last year during the pandemic and within five months, the game lost its appeal to me because of the amount of glitching I was experiencing. I still had an affinity

for my sims, though. So I thought that instead of just abandoning the game and my sims that I love, I would join simblr and focus on a story. I decided that the youngest daughter of the household I was playing at the time, would be the main character/muse for my simblr. And that’s how I chose Amelia! Izzy: What an incredible idea! I know a lot of simmers experience burnout to some extent! While we're on that topic, how long have you been playing The Sims? Rachie: I played the sims when it first came out. I was seven years old! Then The Sims 2 came out and I was just in love with that game and played it for many, many years. No offence to The Sims 3 community but I just couldn’t get into it! The sims don’t look like sims to me. But I do own almost every Sims 3 game lol maybe it’s worth another go? Izzy: Perhaps! I think that could be quite interesting for your followers to hear your opinions! Anyway, I would like to know, what is your favorite Sims 4 pack thus far? Rachie: Parenthood! It’s a must-have. I have never played TS4 without it but I cannot imagine the game without it. It’s essential, in my opinion, and therefore my favorite! Izzy: I think I would have to agree with you on that one, haha. Well, thank you again so much for doing this feature with us! Do you have any parting words for our readers? Rachie: I would like to thank you so much for featuring me and I would love it if you would check out my story, Alibi for a Miracle on my simblr, it would mean the world! Thank you Very special thanks to Rachie! Make sure you follow and check them out on their Tumblr; Adore Amelia (http:// adoreamelia.tumblr.com). This has been Izzy, for SimmedUp Magazine, thank you so much for reading my article, don't forget to like and share this issue, and I'll see you all next month!

TOP MACHINIMA TIPS DIRECTED BY

THE MOM CAVE

Step 1: Pause your game (very important) and Click on your target Sim.

Step 3: Select “Sim Commands” then “Teleport Commands”

Step 2: Select MC Command Center

Step 4: Select “Teleport Lot [a Sim on the lot] or World [Any Sim] Sim to This Sim”

Step 5: Select the Sim to Teleport.

Tip: If your target sim has a relationship, selecting the relationship category will make them pop up faster. Step 6: Click on the clothing of the first Sim and select “Pose by Pack.”

IMPORTANT TIP: YOU KEEP YOUR GAME PAUSED IN-BETWEEN EACH ACTION, ONLY UNPAUSING IT TO RUN THE ANIMATION. OTHERWISE, YOUR SIMS

Step 7: Select a still pose (not an animation) I use this one by JoanneBernice

Step 8: Now select the animation you are using. This one is by Rowan Jasper.

Step 9: Repeat with second Sim (or each Sim in the animation) You Should see two actions in their queue.

WILL NOT SYNC UP

Step 10: Select Play Normal Speed until they snap into the still pose.

Step 11: Pause the game again (important) and cancel the first pose for each Sim

Step 12: Select Play Normal Speed to start the animation. Your Sims should be perfectly in sync with one-another!

If something happens and you have to start over, pause your game, shift click on each Sim and select “Reset Sim.” They will snap back into the first position. ∙ This does not work well in furniture. You have to use T.O.O.L. to move them, which I will cover in next month’s issue. ∙ You can download MC Command Center here: https://deaderpool-mccc.com/#/ ∙ Check out Rowan Jasper’s “Forehead Kiss” animation, made special for my series The Curse, here: https://youtu.be/Gdd8c81qUNA ∙ Check out “Sims in Distress Pose Pack” by JoanneBernice Here: https://joannebernice.tumblr.com

RETRO CORNER CORNER

COVERING YOUR OLD FAVOURITES FROMThTHE SIMSfranchise! FRANCHISE! Covering your o ld SCHOOL schoolfavou rites e Sims vi o from Coerng yourold schoolfavouritesfrm

Revisiting a Summer Vacation in The Sims 1 Oddly, writing and researching for this article has thrown me back to the Summer of ’06. As a child, I spent most of my summer mornings researching the best expansion packs to add to The Sims on PC. I read every review on Amazon and every gaming guide on IGN, unwittingly doing more research into what these expansion packs had to offer and whether my Windows 95 could tolerate such expansion packs than I did on my projects in school. Even on a sunny holiday in Cornwall, I was taking visual inspiration from hotels and holiday apartments and envisioning myself building such lots in the game. I wanted cafes, hotels, apartments, resorts, cottages, you name it. I was preparing for the day I could recreate such masterpieces in game. Ironically, I’m writing this after returning from a restful break of my own, and slap-bang in the middle of an unbearable heatwave. Here in the UK, we don’t cope well with the heat, if at all. Traditionally we moan, battle blistering sunburn, engage in a war with pollen, become too intoxicated in beer gardens, and debate

whether it’s worth i n s t a l l i n g appropriate air conditioning for the 2 to 3 weeks we actually experience a brief Summer every year. Released in 2002, The Sims Vacation (or On Holiday for us European Simmers) was the first expansion pack to introduce holidays to The Sims franchise. Whilst in previous games such as The Sims Bustin’ Out we could visit lots that were located in coastal areas, such as Malcolm’s Mansion and Casa Caliente, but we couldn’t build hotels or holiday resorts in Free Play. I tried it, but was unsuccessful in my endeavours. However, the ability to build hotels, camps, and other vacation resorts were provided in The Sims Vacation as demonstrated through the sub-neighbourhood; Vacation Island. This Island has three areas in which Sims are able to take a round trip and experience a holiday in three different climates; Snow, Forest, and Beach. Each

Map of Vacation Island; Forest & Beach Areas

climate has three basic lots, differentiating in functionality. The largest lot is either a hotel or a resort allowing Sims to fulfill all needs, a lot allowing the option of overnight stay whilst focusing on some new activities added to the expansion pack, and finally a community lot with basic objects to fulfill a Sims’ basic needs; bladder, hunger, fun, comfort etc. Depending on the area, activities are also added to these lots. In the centre of the map is the Forest areas with three lots; Bear Essentials Lodge, Ranger's Ranch Campground, Wren's Fens National Park. These make for a great camping experience. Bear Essentials Lodge at has four ensuite cabins, one of which contains a TykeNite kids' bed. The main building has a dinging hall, two buffet tables, and sells postcards and gift souvenirs. This resort contains numerous outdoor activities ranging from fishing, archery, volleyball, and a water-balloon fort. For day trips only, Wren's Fens National Park has the basics to fulfill the simple

needs. It also has a singular tent, complete with camp chairs, picnic areas, and a fire pit. To the South is Palazzo Palms Hotel, Sunset Beach, and Reclaimed Public Beach. The largest lot on Vacation Island, located at 48 Lagoon Moon Road is the Palazzo Palms Hotel, providing Sims with everything to ensure a relaxing holiday experience. It has a pool, hot tub, and carnival activities outside. This hotel has more than four ensuite double rooms, shower rooms, toilet blocks, and a dining hall with buffet tables in the lobby. There is a gift shop next to the lobby which sells postcards, children’s clothing and souvenirs. If a day trip is desired, Sims can visit community lot, Reclaimed Beach at 46 Lagoon Moon Road. This lot mostly has fun activities such as carnival games, volleyball courts, and a fishing pier. For some unbeknownst reason, the developers thought it would be a good idea to include the tragic clown painting in almost every hotel room of the Palazzo Palms Hotel and Bear Essentials Lodge

A game of Volleyball

a metal The Arcade at Palazzo Palms hotel Renting detector

Perhaps this was a deliberate tactic to ensure that Simmers would keep their Sims happy as it was a vacation after all. Even as a child, I would go in and remove every last blooming painting of the Tragic Clown I could find because of my mild phobia to such pantomime modern-day entertainers. There is nothing more tragic (pun intended) to find a clown following your Sim around and being subjected to dramatic outbursts on a holiday.

and vice versa. Different designs/skins can be purchased via a boutique or a gift shop, located in the resort lots.

Each area of Vacation Island has their own mascot. These are non-playable characters (NPCs) that appear on all lots to interact with children. These include; Marky Sharky for Beach Lots, Archie Archer for Forest Lots, and Betty Yeti for Snowy Lots. The novelty of watching these mascots entertaining To go on vacation a Sim Vacation Island Shuttle children and participating must call for the Vacation in different holidayIsland Shuttle which iconically themed activities wears off eventually resembles a 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser. and they become a general nuisance to This all-round trip costs $500, most Simmers. They also like to but once Sims are on the island, breach privacy and turn up at further trips across the island the most inappropriate of cost nothing. places at the most inappropriate of times. Upon arrival, Sims will automatically change into Vacation provides the player appropriate clothing for the with a selection of new objects area and remain in this clothing for community lots that can be throughout. However, if purchased in build/buy mode. inappropriate outfits are worn in These include a; Fishing Pier, different climates, this will Archery Range, and Carnival significantly impact the Sims’s Marky Sharky games with a prize stall. These comfort. For example, if a Sim provide the foundations for an wore a snowsuit on a beach lot, assortment of new fun holiday-

Rent a tent for $79 per night

Archery

themed activities to . A rental shack is required for Sims to have full access to these activities. Such rentables include: • Sandcastle Kit - Can be rented for $35. The higher the Sims’ creativity skill, the better the sandcastle. Only available in Beach areas. • Volleyball - Can be rented for $30 (ouch). It’s also lovely to see very early 3D dynamics start to develop in the game. In addition, a volleyball court can be purchased for $120 in build/buy mode. • Bow and Arrow - This is to be used with the Archery Range. The higher the Sims’s body skill, the more accurate the shots. Prize tokens can be awarded depending on the accuracy of the shot. • Metal Detector - Simoleons and holiday souvenirs can be found using the metal detector. • Fishing Pole - Fishing Piers are found on Bear Essentials Lodge, Ranger's Ranch Campground, Sunset Beach and Reclaimed Public Beach. Holiday souvenirs can be found whilst fishing. No skills are required to boost chances of a better catch; these are entirely random. Autonomous children can also use a fishing pole.

Fishing at Bear Essentials

• Sili-Camp Tent Site - Finally for 79 simoleons a night, Sims can rent a tent and can host up to eight Sims. This provides Sims with energy. Rental expires at 11am, a similar process to hotel rooms, so Sims will need to check out before this time. Sims can purchase and send postcards to friends back at home via the mailbox on vacation lots. In addition, Sims can purchase vacation souvenirs from stands and place them on a souvenir shelf or in a souvenir cabinet. Ultimately, The Sims Vacation adds a new dimension to the game. It's the first expansion pack to include holidays, and the only pack where Sims could stay outside of Sim Lane/Old Town overnight. It was also the first pack to introduce three different climates in one sub-neighborhood. It Is fleshed out with so many individual activities making a different holiday experience every time. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed revisiting one of my favourite expansion packs as it feels so nostalgic. As always, stay awesome, stay safe and have a wonderful Summer! Melissa x

Devon Bumpkin Devon Bumpkin is quickly becoming a household name in the Sims community. A full-time content creator, and a fantastic builder, Devon Bumpkin (or Aden as he is known to friends) played a significant role in the creation of EA’s newest expansion pack, Cottage Living! We sat down with Devon to talk about what life was like growing up in a small British town, discussed the pull of the big city. Lights, and got some inside info on the EA build restrictions that this small town Bumpkin boy had to work with.

You are a full-time content creator. What did you do before you decided to take this leap? It still feels so weird knowing I am a full-time content creator! But yes, I am! I was a hair stylist for 20 years before I decided to take the leap.

What inspired you to make content creation your full-time job? It’s something that has always been a dream to me, but something I didn’t feel I’d ever be able to achieve realistically. But then 2020 happened, I couldn’t work, so I poured all of my free time into my YouTube channel and things really took off from there! What were the most significant obstacles involved in this choice? For me, it was the fact I had to leave a job of 20 years that I was financially comfortable in. YouTube was the big unknown in this regard. It wasn’t an easy decision, but the COVID situation weirdly helped me take the final leap into full time content creation. You create some amazing content, both on YouTube and on Twitch. Recently, you were called upon to build in the

newest expansion pack, “Cottage Living,” can you tell us about that experience? (What did you create, were you nervous, what was it like, etc.) Thank you! It was a dream to build something for a Sims expansion pack and it finally came true! I built The Watson family farm which is the 64x64 lot and also The Gnome’s Arms pub in the village area. I was totally nervous about creating these, especially the 64x64 lot, without MoveObjects and with EA limitations to building, but I had so much fun with the process and learning about how the devs work on packs. You have a fantastic community that supports and adores you. How do you maintain such an accepting community? My community is amazing and I thank the Universe for them every day. I don’t really have an answer on how to maintain an accepting community. My community is full of people from all walks of life, we don’t stand for any kind of bigotry as a whole as It’s a huge LGBTQIA+ safe space and for anyone that feels a little “different” from the masses out there. What advice would you give other creators that want their community to be as accepting as yours? Just be kind! It’s that simple. The right

people will find your content and follow suit. Also, be yourself. No airs and graces, just unfiltered you. There is something liberating about not having to be a persona or rely on fancy editing skills to make content enjoyable. I never wanted that for my channel, I just wanted my videos to feel like you are sat with a friend, playing a computer game. Okay let’s get to the stuff that everyone wants to know. What was it like to work with EA on the new pack, Cottage Living? It was amazing. The dev team are some of the loveliest people you could meet. They trusted your vision and gave you completely free reign to create whatever you wanted! What were your thoughts when you first got the call to help? I had no idea what it was about until we were in the Zoom call going over everything. I had my suspicions when I knew the rest of the creators asked were British though. I thought, this has to be something British themed and I was right ha-ha What did you build for the pack and what was your inspiration?

I built The Watson Family Farm and The Gnome’s Arms pub. I got my inspiration from everything around me as I live near the countryside in Devon. Plus, I mainly build British looking builds in The Sims, so it wasn’t too hard to get the inspiration for these particular ones. Can you share a bit about the types of restrictions that you were given? Ah yes, the dreaded restrictions. Firstly, no MoveObjects to be used, no ALT placement, no Debug, no live edit objects… It was daunting to say the least, as I am so used to using these for building.

We want to know what small-town life is like for you? I’ve only ever lived in cities. But being from Plymouth in Devon, you have the countryside and seaside on your doorstep. You can drive a mile out of the city in either direction and be met with the most beautiful countryside or a quick walk and be met with the seaside . Devon has some of the most beautiful countryside and seaside areas you will ever see and I visit them often! How long have you lived in Devon? and What do you do for fun? What was the most challenging part of building with EA’s restrictions? I like to heavily detail my builds. But there are many restrictions on the amount of objects you can use. So this was the most challenging part, but also the fact we weren’t allowed to use MoveObjects, which is an integral part of my building technique. I hate that it’s looked upon as a “cheat” when in all fairness, it makes the outcome of your builds 100 times better in my opinion.

I’ve lived in Devon most of my life, I did live in Brighton and London for a few years, but I needed to get back to a quieter way of life. For fun, I love hiking and camping and try to get outside as much as possible, no matter the weather. Devon and Cornwall are very outdoorsy places to live, so it’s perfect. Do you enjoy country living or do you ever crave city life?

What part of this new pack do you find most exciting (besides your beautiful builds, of course)? For me, it’s the world. It’s so nice to see a British looking world in the game. Some people may argue we had this with Windenburg or Britechester. But to me Windenburg had a more Germanic influence. Britchester did feel in some ways British, but I think there was a Dutch influence there with the architecture etc. So seeing Henford-on-Bagley resemble the places I know in everyday life was amazing.

I get the best of both worlds. Living in Plymouth, it never really feels like you are living in a city, even though it is. I am desperate to move to Cornwall though, that place has always had my heart and it’s only become stronger as I’ve gotten older. I plan to move there within the next decade, but at the moment I know Devon is the place I need to be for now. What was life like for you growing up? I had an amazing childhood. I was the youngest of 3 by quite a few years (I was

a surprise for my parents ha-ha) We lived near the countryside and woodlands, so I was always out doing something. Also, my grandparents lived in a cliff top chalet in Cornwall where I spent a lot of my time too. This is where my love of Cornwall comes from, that place has complete magic to it. Imagine that the Sims servers have experienced a fatal crash and you are forced to choose only one of each type of pack, what does your gameplay look like?

To be honest. I’m not that much of a gameplayer myself in the Live Mode aspect. I am a builder through and through, so it would be any of the packs that have my favourite build mode items in them and I love too many packs to name them for different reasons and styles of building.

them that allow me to build in differing styles, so I could practically name all of them for different reasons. But these are my main choices when building. I could for sure live without My First Pet Stuff and Nifty Knitting though, I really do not like the aesthetics of either of them ha-ha

Which packs could you not live without, and which are you fine letting go of?

You have created some stunning pieces in the Sims, where do you find the inspiration for your builds?

I could not live without Get Together, Get To Work, Eco Lifestyle, Snowy Escape, Seasons etc! All the packs have objects in

Thank you! I tend to get inspiration from the world around me in Devon and places I have visited in other parts of the UK. But if I needed a source, Pinterest is my go to, or YouTube! What is next for you? What should our readers watch for? I have a new series in the pipeline where I’m filming places around me in Devon and Cornwall and then I’ll be recreating them in The Sims 4. I have my camera and my vdrone, so hopefully I can get some great shots of my local area to do this. I’ve always had an interest in film and cinematography, so hopefully this will allow me to learn my own way of doing it by taking my community along for the ride! It’s still in very early stages, but hopefully within the next couple months you’ll see the outcome!

Follow Devon Bumpkin: YouTube : www.youtube.com/c/DevonBumpkin/ Twitch : www.twitch.tv/devonbumpkin Twitter : twitter.com/DevonBumpkin Instagram : www.instagram.com/devonbumpkin/

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Grief: A Tutorial Part 2 Indulging Your Grief

Step 2: Your Tools

In this second part of this three-part series, I want to talk about something that I have used with clients to help them feel more balanced in their grief experience. When we experience grief, especially early grief, it can feel like we are drowning in a sea of emotions. Sometimes it feels like we can’t stop crying. It seems like, at every turn, that huge lump in our throat explodes into uncontrolled sobs. It can feel like we no longer have control over our own life. We can feel like we no longer recognize who we are.

The Grief Indulgence requires a few things. Best if they are actual tangible things, and not digital. You’ll want everything to be able to fit in the box.

On the other side of this experience, is when we know that the tears are there. We feel the emotions building, but we simply do not want to release them. We can feel like if we start crying we’ll never stop. What happens when we do this, however, is the energy builds to the point that it releases at the most inopportune time. It’s kind of like when we shake a bottle of soda enough, and something pops the top off, and it explodes A Grief Indulgence is a way to “train” our

Gather

You’ll need: A Decorative Box A Kitchen Timer (like an old school egg timer) Something To Write With A Journal or Pad of Paper A few small memory items, things that feel a little hard to see because of the memories associated with them. Tissues

Step 3: Make A List of Things You Enjoy

Make a list of distractions, or things you enjoy. This can be playing The Sims (obviously), taking a bubble bath, going for a walk, gardening, knitting, or any other activity that you enjoy and that distracts you.

Step 4: Give Your Grief Its Time

brains to respond to these very unfamiliar emotions. It gives us an opportunity to balance “living and grieving,” or being able to experience life while also experiencing grief. Step 1: Imagine Close your eyes and imagine your grief as a creature, or animal. This creature has a lot of energy. I imagine mine as a Tasmanian Devil, kind of like the cartoons,

Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted. • Set your timer for 15-20 minutes • Take five slow calm breaths • Sit with one of the memory items Here is the scary part - let the creature out of the cage. During this time, your creature gets free reign. I promise, if you start crying, you will stop. It’s going to hurt, but should not be overwhelming. If this happens, it’s ok to stop, or only set your timer for 5-10 minutes. Let the

emotions run free. Use the paper and pen to write down what you’re feeling. If you feel like you need to give your emotions a nudge (they’re there, but feel stuck), start an I Remember List, writing down 1-5 things (often more) you remember about what or who you have lost.

IIt’s ok to take a break and not take that grief box out for a time. It’s ok to keep your “creature” in it’s container. What is important is to be sure you also let it out.

If at any point your grief becomes overwhelming, or if you have thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, please be sure to get help right away. In the US, you can call the National Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255. In the UK call 999 or 222.

Step 5: Put Your Grief “Away” Put everything back in the box and tell your “creature” to go back in the cage. Use your relaxation breathing to calm. Remind yourself that you just did something really hard and really important. Pick something from your Activity List to distract yourself away from your grief. Repeating this two to three times per week at first can help you diffuse some of your grief energy. If that feels overwhelming, start with one or two. This is your experience, your process Why this works is, the more we allow emotions to do their work, the more we heal. Lastly, remember to take a grief break. When you get to a point in your grief where you’re tired, it’s ok to rest.

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Other hotline numbers can be found here: http://www.suicide.org/internationalsuicide-hotlines.html Grief is the process of learning how to love someone, or something, absent when we are used to them being present. If this is you, and you are hurting, please reach out for support. If you have questions, you can send them to me confidentially here https:// forms.gle/iT4Jwu4Kpu8iK64T6 I wish you peace. I wish you comfort as you remember. Be well.

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Sims Building Challenges that Inspire Creativity! K8 Simsley

� House must be open on the front or back like a dollhouse. � The house must be at least 5-7 tiles deep. � Must look like a real house

Solid Color Challenge: A challenge from Sims Online, you are to build a house using only one color! Choose your favorite color or spin a wheel and let fate decide. Fill the home with items that only come in that color. No purple fridge? Then you go without it. This challenge was created by GoldenSimmer and is so much fun!

Dollhouse Challenge: Every little girl dreamed of life in a dollhouse. Inside those 3 walls was pure perfection. Create this in the Sims by building a house that is completely open on one side. I could not find who created this challenge originally, but it has been done again and again by almost every Simmer you can think of… Rules: � Create a home that has multiple levels. � Doors must be on the sides of each room.

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Rules: � One color per build. Choose a color before starting by deciding on your own or spinning a color wheel. � No items of other colors allowed. � No changing your color once you begin. � Items that are multi-colored must be predominantly your main color. � Must be a house. � Mailboxes can be placed despite their color.

Rules: � Use ONLY Base Game and Get to Work. � Must Include a telescope. � Should have a UFO on the lot. � Needs to be ‘outta this world.’ Eco Challenge Think Green! In this challenge you are to build an eco-friendly family home for at least 4 Sims.

10K Starter: The 10K starter is a great way to push the limits with your builds. The goal of this challenge is to create a fully functional starter home that costs less than 10K. Rules: � The entire lot must stay below 10K � Must have at least 1 bedroom. � Must include a functional bathroom, kitchen, and bed. Outta this World Challenge: Create a unique home for an alien who has decided to stick around on earth for a while.

Rules: � Must contain some eco-friendly items (appliances, solar panels, water collection system, etc.) � Must be built in Evergreen Harbor or Willow Creek (for those without the eco lifestyle pack) � Must be on a lot that is 30x20. � Must have a garden to grow food. Seasonal Townhouse Challenge: To complete this challenge, download the #SeasonalTHshell by MisstoryPlays and decorate each townhouse as a different season. (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter). Rules: � Each house should be designed to match a different season. � Keep the seasons in order but begin with any season you want. � Landscaping can be used to separate the yards and should match the season and style of the home. � There is no budget restriction on this challenge.

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Ugly House Challenge:

Sims can sometimes be too perfect. Spice things up by building the ugliest house possible. This challenge, which has been done all over the internet, is sure to get you out of your comfort zone. Rules: � Build an awful looking house. � Use at least 10 different colors on the outside of the house. � Don’t build a box but use weird shapes instead. � Use sad looking plants and trees in the garden. � Debug and game cheats allowed but NO CC � No budget.

The Other Side of Newcrest Challenge: I created this challenge myself because The Sims is far too perfect for my liking. Life is messey and dramatic. We don’t all live in perfect houses or have perfect lives. For this challenge you are to turn Newcrest into a Ghetto! A run down house, a sleazy trailer park, or a pawn shop should line the streets of Newcrest. Create a world that is less than ideal. If you try this challenge post your creations using #GhettoNewcrest. Rules: � � � � � �

Choose any spot in Newcrest and create a lot that is far from ideal. Lots can be residential or community lots. The build MUST be run-down and look ‘ghetto’ You CAN use debug, game cheats, or T.O.O.L but NO CC The more ghetto the lot the better Upload to the gallery using #GhettoNewcrest

sheabuttyr.tumblr.com

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BOOK ONE PROLOGUE By StassiJSims4

A LONG TIME AGO, IN A LAND FAR FROM HERE, WAS A WORLD WHERE MAGIC WAS REAL.

EVERYTHING WAS PROSPEROUS! UNTIL ONE DAY, THE KING OF DARKNESS WANTED MORE.

IN THIS WORLD YOU WERE A LIGHT DEMON OR A DARK DEMON.

AFTER YEARS OF FIGHTING, DIANA HAD ENOUGH, SHE LEFT HER FAMILY CASTLE AND SOUGHT ASYLUM AT ROSE CASTLE. AS SOON AS WILLIAM SAW DIANA, HE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER.

IT WASN’T TOO LONG AFTER THEY GOT MARRIED.

SEE IN THIS WORLD IT WAS TABOO FOR A LIGHT DEMON AND DARK DEMON TO BE WED. BUT THEY DIDN’T CARE. SOON AFTER THEIR WEDDING DIANA WAS PREGNANT. THEY LEARNED THAT THEIR CHILD WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD. THE CHILD WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY OF LIFE AND DEATH, AND THEY WOULD BE THE MOST POWERFUL DEMON IN THE WORLD. THIS NEWS SPREAD TO THE KING OF DARKNESS AND HE

DURING THE RED MOON DIANA WENT INTO LABOUR. DIANA KNEW ALEXA WOULD NEVER BE SAFE HERE, SO SHE ASKED WILLIAMS MOTHER TO TAKE HER AND HIDE HR FROM DAMON. DIANA TOOK OFF HER HEART NECKLACE, GAVE IT TO ALEXA AND WHISPERED TO HER ALEXA MY PRINCESS YOU ARE OUR ONLY HOPE.” AS DIANA PASSED HER DAUGHTER TO THE QUEEN, SHE LOOKED AT HER AND SAID “PLEASE PROTECT HER” THE QUEEN LOOKED AT HER AND NODDED, AND THEN DISSAPEARED.

MONTH’S WENT ON WHERE DIANA AND WILLIAM WENT INTO HIDING TO PROTECT THEIR UNBORN CHILD.

WILLIAM DID HIS BEST TO STOP DAMON, BUT HE WASN’T STRONG ENOUGH.

CHAPTER 1 COMING IN OUR BIRTHDAY ISSUE ON SEPTEMBER 1ST 113

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With Minraed This month we’ll enjoy some summer fun down at Mermaid’s Cove in Sulani while learning about a technique of perspective in photography known as POV or point of view where you see the scene as the Sim sees it.

Perspective is how we see the world around us or how we view things. Filmmakers and photographers can use tricks to create a specific perspective or feel by manipulating camera angles and other aspects of a scene. The POV technique is used to connect you to the character, to see through their eyes and ideally to become more attached to the experience that the character is enacting.

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First Person Camera shft+tab key He whispered in the language of the sea and his dolphin companion arose to greet him.

Looking up at the sun’s morning warmth made him smile as it glistened and shimmered in the waterfall. Tiny frogs tickled his toes as he wandered into the shallow pool at the base of the waterfall.

The rush and chill of the water was exhilarating. This morning ritual, waking in the beautiful islands of Sulani, and living among others of his kind was like a dream. He now knew that this life as a mermaid was not the curse that he had always believed it to be.

It is possible to capture POV with the camera in TAB mode alone; however, when using the first person camera (shft+tab keys) you will discover some unique views as if the camera were replacing the head of your Sim. You should be aware that in first person mode the movements of the camera can make some of you feel dizzy or a bit of a sense of vertigo. It was particularly noticeable when the sim is a Merperson swimming all around playfully. As always you will want to be patient and curious as you explore what your sim sees from their point of view and see what kind of unique shots you can create using this method.

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With his cooler loaded full of ice cold hydrating beverages he was ready for a day of fun at the beach.

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The unidentified Sim Merperson here who let me use his head for my camera is Hudson Nautica by jordons243 in the gallery. I hope you enjoy this technique and discover more fun ways to capture your Sims’ stories. Share your POV photos with us. Tag #SUPsimtography and #simmedupmag You can find me on Simstagram @minraed and on Twitter as @MinraedArzhel More photos and credits for the Sims that were party guests on my blog www.simaginarium.com

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Making a Her Instagram is full of beautiful builds. Her youtube is just as pleasing. Her name is SunnySimsie. I got to know her a bit better. SulziSim: Tell us more about who SunnySimsie is. My name is Lisa, I'm 24 years old and I'm from Germany. I live here together with my boyfriend in an apartment, and am doing 3-year schooling to work in a medical lab afterwards. I'm really enjoying it! Beside Sims it's something I'm really passionate about. Most of my freetime I'm playing the Sims, but sometimes I like to draw or do some crafts as well. SulziSim: When did you start playing The Sims? I think when I was 6 or 7 my

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a Simmer siblings got me into the game. Back then I was always excited to come home from school and play The Sims! I guess this hasn't changed at all hahah. I haven't played Sims 2 for a long time, but I was really into the Sims CastAway. A friend of mine had a PS2 where we spent many afternoons playing. Some years later my brother got me into The Sims 3, and there I also started with building. I still remember how I watched YouTube videos where someone built a house and I went step by step to rebuild the whole house. I think with the Sims 4 I only started like 3-4 years ago, but ever since then I can't stop building stuff because I love the build mode from that game! SulziSim: On your YouTube channel, you have a lot of building videos. What got you into building and not as much of gameplay?

Whenever I try to do some gameplay, I always get bored after a couple of hours. I think that's super sad, because there is so much to do in life mode, but I just always drift into building again. Maybe I just need to start a challenge where I have some goals! SulziSim: What is your favorite building style to do? I love cottages and tiny homes! I really enjoy making my builds as cute and cozy as possible. Micro homes are always a really nice challenge which are a lot of fun for me! SulziSim: You do participate in some challenges here and there, what is your favorite challenge to do in the Sims?

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I like to do room challenges, because they are not so big and don't take up that much time. They can be really inspiring, for example if you're only allowed to use a certain amount of packs or specific items. Sometimes I join shell challenges as well, but only if the shell is not that large. SulziSim: You also use reshade when building. Can you tell the readers more about it and if you recommend using reshade? I absolutely adore reshade! It's some kind of “filter“ that is above your game to improve the colors and shadows, it can also give some additional blur effects in the background. You can set everything how you'd like it and I think playing sims with the reshade on makes everything look so much nicer! So I definitely recommend it, but sadly your computer needs to be able to handle this. Last year I was playing on a crappy laptop and the reshade made everything unplayable because it got so

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laggy, so I had to uninstall it again. SulziSim: You have very recently started

streaming on Twitch. How has that experience been so far?

I've only streamed two times so far, but I had so much fun! It's super nice to have some company while building and being able to connect with my community more. SulziSim: Your Instagram and Youtube looks very cohesive. Do you think that it is important that one's social status looks nice? They both look cohesive, because I upload the same stuff to both accounts. I think it definitely helps with growing, when you have social media platforms which are aesthetically pleasing. So for me, it's really important! SulziSim: Do you have any other tips for our readers on how to grow their YouTube channel or social media platforms? Just be yourself and have fun with what you're doing. Uploading constantly definitely helps, even though this can be quite stressful sometimes. And supporting each other is also super important!

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Showcase HanBoo Hannah always has such a sunny disposition whenever she posts in Facebook groups. She has been tirelessly working away at rebuilding Willow Creek as a modern, green utopia and I have to say she’s done such a fabulous job! She has also recently taken the incredibly brave step of starting a YouTube channel.

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Let’s start off with an overview of the amazing work she has done at recreating Willow Creek This place just looks so vibrant and green, she has painstakingly created not only Eco-friendly homes for your Sims, but also green community spaces as well. I have to say I adore the park she created for the Magnolia Blossom Park lot.

Her use of space and pathing here is just wonderful. I adore the outdoor eating area with the coffee cart, this is definitely a place I could see my own Sims hanging out. And did you notice this little kids and toddler play area? How darling.

There is also plenty here to keep your adult Sims busy as well, with the addition of this cute little makerspace. Here are a couple more shots of some of the areas that I really love in this community lot, the bike racks, the power plant (get it? Power and plants? No, I’ll just go sit quietly in the corner then ) and that adorable coffee shop space.

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She has moved onto Oasis Springs now and this gorgeous little restaurant caught my eye. It looks positively stunning at night, but it looks great during the day as well. There is an outdoor dining area. Indoor seating Even the busboy and hostess areas look inviting. All in all, Hannah is doing a great job. I look forward to seeing what she creates next! You can find Hannah on the gallery as Hanboo93, YouTube as Hanboo 93.

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Written By The Simming Spoonie

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By SueSimming

Let’s Get Wingsical with The Fairy Mod Whether you want to be Tinkerbelle or the Fairy Godmother we all love the whimsical world of fairies but just like in real life, fairies are very elusive in The Sims 4. Many hoped that with the release of Cottage Living, we would finally get fairies added to our games but after nearly seven year it doesn’t seem like we will be getting fairies any time soon. Luckily, we have a strong modding community to fill the gaps. The Fairies vs Witches by SpinningPlumbobs mod pack adds these winged creatures to your game for free. To my surprise, your Sim can look like a fairy before becoming one. I was very pleased to find the outfit and wings already available in CAS and the wings are amazing.

Just don’t try and put any shoes on your fairy or the outfit will create an ugly black stripe above the knees. The wings also look great in game too.

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Once in the game, it’s time to begin our fairy journey. Go to buy mode and look for The Giving Fairy statue. Everything that comes with this mod pack has its own little wings icon just in case you are worried it might get lost in all your costume content. I would advise placing the statue on a community lot instead of your home lot so all Sims can have access to it.

After placing the statue, your Sim can examine it and a pop-up will let you know that the statue is m i s s i n g something and suggests your Sim looks for a gemstone or flower to add. After adding the missing item, your Sim can then admire the statue and…well, this part I don’t want to give away. It’s a very beautiful surprise that you should discover for yourself. All I will say is that you need a very high relationship with the Ethereal Guardian before your Sim can ask to become a fairy so brush up on those social skills. When your Sim completes the task and gets to make their wish, they will be transformed into a fairy. If you didn’t give your Sim wings in CAS, they will not immediately receive their wings. Don’t panic, you can click on your Sim and select the option.

Much like becoming a witch, your fairy will have to practice magic and hit the books to advance. You’ll also notice that their plumbob has changed

Your fairy can now hover, fly around and even do backflips. The animation is so cute that I made my poor fairy do backflips over and over until I felt dizzy.

Your fairy will need to get the Fairy handbook from the Ethereal Guardian. The book is very similar to the spellcaster book menu.

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There are new spells for your fairy to learn and again I’m not going to give too much away here, just that the doppelgänger spell led me to create as many copies of my Sims as I could for no good reason. I had so much fun watching them all run around and shower in the rain as they all had the erratic trait. As your fairy’s experience increases, you’ll be able to click on the statue again and choose a perk and do more spells. Your fairy will also be able to draw power from different sources that influence the success rate, strength, outcome, and overall effect of certain spells and how easy or fast it is to learn them, as well as unlock interactions that are unavailable to other sims. Some of the things you can draw power from is technology, the sun, the moon, fire and other elements. It took me a couple of playthroughs before I realized this and my favourite at this point is the nature fairy as it makes gardening and herbalism much easier. This mod is called Fairies vs Witches so your Sim can become a witch too but I only chose to focus on the fairies seeing as we already have witches. However, I can say that this mod actually makes me want to play with witches again. Overall, this mod is really well thought-out and put together. From the descriptions in the popups to the smooth animations this mod pack is everything I wanted. SpinningPlumbob did an amazing job with this and I would highly recommend ALL his mods. https://www.patreon.com/spinningplumbobs Now I know for some of you it might be frustrating not to be given more in-depth details about the mod before playing it so here is a link to the walkthrough. Mod Walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/ w a t c h ? v = P _gqp5xqiw&t=1209s The Sim used in the pictures can be found in the gallery Origin ID: SueSimming Household name: Wingsical

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MEET THE GAMECHANGERS

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We have all heard of The GamChangers who review The Sims and are an ntegral part of the simming community, but WHO ARE they? In our new monthly feature you will get to meet a different GC each month and find out exactly who they are and what they do. This month we are featuring AnchesenamonSim and the interview is by The Simming Spoonie. How did you become a Game-Changer? A few years ago they were looking for simmers who were primarily builders and I was asked to fill out a form listing my ten favourite buildings. Apparently they liked my buildings and I was invited into the programme. The first time I was given early access was with The Sims 4 Island Living. Who inspired you to apply for the GameChanger programme? I think Lisa (Lisabee) told me to apply, but it might also have been Brenna (Brennachan). I don’t quite remember, but Lisa and Brenna have always been very enthusiastic about my builds and they always have my back. What are your favourite and least favourite parts of the Game-Changer programme?

but if I could keep only one I think it would be Cottage Living, even though I haven’t even played it yet, but I love England and especially the Cotswolds. So this upcoming new pack is right up my alley. It looks awesome! My sims are also always into gardening, probably because I can’t manage to keep a plant alive in real life, so I make sure my sims all have green thumbs. I mean, isn’t that one of the points of playing the game? Making your Sims live the life you actually want or being good at things you stink at? If you had to get rid of just one pack, which one would it be and why? That fitness one, because I hardly every use it and I hate fitness in real life. Do you prefer building, CAS creation or gameplay? Or something else entirely? I used to be primarily a builder, but since I started creating videos for my YouTube channel I’ve started playing the game more and more. Now I actually love all three aspects of the game, but if I’d have to choose one, it would still be building. Where do you find the inspiration for your creations?

My favourite part is talking to other game changers and being able to ask SimGurus questions. It’s a lovely little community within the big sims community. My least favourite part is that the programme sometimes makes me feel very insecure, because I am actually just small fish amongst some really big ones in a massive pond and being a small fish can be a bit scary at times

I find inspiration everywhere. I can be driving around in my car, see a window on a house and get inspired to build a house in the sims. Or I get inspired watching TV or a movie, or just by looking at photos on Pinterest. Other builders also inspire me.

How does being a Game-Changer fit into your everyday life?

Twitter, because I don’t like Facebook.

It fits in perfectly! I’m self employed and can plan my time whatever way I want, so whenever there’s a new pack, I can plan my work around creating buildings and videos. If you could choose just one pack to keep, which one would it be and why? Well, I’m lucky to get to keep all the packs,

What is your favourite social media platform for all things Sims and why?

Who is your favourite SimGuru and why? I don’t have a favourite SimGuru. All the SimGurus are very creative and passionate about the game. Some of them are more visible on social media than others, but that doesn’t make me like them more or the quiet ones less. I like them all, because they all help

create my favourite game. The SimGurus are not perfect, nor is the game, but I honestly believe that the SimGurus want to make it the best game possible and for that I am grateful. Where can readers find and follow you? They can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch (although it’s been a while since I last streamed!) and YouTube. Twitter: https://twitter.com/ AnchesenamonSim Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ AnchesenamonSims Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ anchesenamonsims YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UC2JpwDtrn-i36VghO4hMDIQ And thank you so much for interviewing me!! :D

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Aquarius - Never let your guard down around anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable, no matter what anyone tells you. Trust your own instincts as they will always lead you right.

A r i e s - Happiness has not eluded you this month, it is right there in front of your face, it’s surprising you didn’t notice until, well now. Take this chance you

won’t regret it.

Gemini

If everyone tells you that your wrong, how does that figure to you that you are indeed right? Sometimes we have to admit when we are wrong and hold both hands up. Time for your realization maybe?

L e o - The past is catching up with you and you finally have no where to run. Lay down your claws, roll over and allow your soft underbelly to be exposed. Facing your past is thee only way to let go and move on.

L i b ra - Feel the vibrations around you, everything is coming to fruition, hold on tight and keep your head down. Reach for the stars because they are there for the taking.

Sagittarius - What the F Sagittarius? Stop right now, take a deep breath and really think about that ‘jump’ before you do it. Is it viable, really? Look twitch maybe three times to be sure.

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Pisces - The cat is out of the bag, and who cares? You have been in better places than where you are right now, but have you ever been happier or wiser? This is your moment, use it.

Taurus - Having days which make you smile is the best feeling in the world right? Well why not start your day with a smile for a whole month? This I promise will turn August into gold and September holds so many opportunities for you.

Cancer - If you must, you must. But just remember the consequences of promises made and then broken for reasons you're not willing to explain. Not everyone believes you.

Virgo - Virgo you do get the brunt of things sometimes,

but isn’t it time you started being just a little stronger? If you start to take the lead, honestly people will follow. Have faith in yourself.

Scorpio - Social gatherings are a must this month Scorpio. Get back out there and show the world your winning smile. It will bring many opportunities for you.

Capricorn - Don’t stop being you this month. Even when you feel like you are about to snap, remember you are unique, and in that effect perfect. That is all.

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August Build Challenge #10KSunnySup

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THE 10K CHALLENGE #10KSunnySup We want to see you build a SUNROOM for no more than 10K CAN IT BE DONE? RULES.: • Must have the following as a minimum • 1 chair • 1 side table • A gnome (yes we must be able to see the gnome) • 1 hanging plant (no nifty knitting - think bb.moveobjects.on) • Yes you can use testingcheats on, BB.Moveobjectson, & DEBUG items. • NO: CC • ANY PACKS • Tag us #SupMag & #10KSunnySup We will be sharing our TOP THREE BUILDS in our magazine each month, so make sure yours is submitted by: 25th August at midnight. Don’t like sharing on social media? NOT A PROBLEM email your images to simmedup@gmail.com with #10KSUNNYSUP in the subject bar by the closing date. Don’t forget to share our #10kSunnySup posts across social media, so we have some real community fun with this one!

GUESS THE CAS

Created By Yolimi

Gerb Woof Em/ COME HERE Rushe/ RUSH

Le La La Cula/ Said when a need is low Arbo Gwinchey/ BY THE WAY 107

Here we will be advertising your challenges, competitions, premieres and streams. If you would like to have yours added, let us know by contacting: SimmedUp@gmail.com With ‘Whats On’ in the subject bar. SOFYTHESIM ON INSTAGRAM THE COMBINATION CHALLENGE I’M SO EXCITED TO SHARE MY SECOND CHALLENGE WITH YOU GUYS! THIS TIME I WANT TO SEE HOW YOU’D COMBINE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PACKS. UPLOAD TO THE GALLERY AND INSTAGRAM* USING #STSCOMBINATIONCHALLENGE BEFORE AUGUST 31. HTTPS://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/SOFYTHESIM/

Fantasims on Twitter I CREATED 3 SHELL CHALLENGES for the new CottageLiving pack - different sizes you can choose from! NO RULES! do what you want! (except noCC), use #fantashell, DUE AUGUST 31st! will do periodic tour videos CHECK OUT VIDEO: https://youtube.com/ watch?v=YV806NQRi80

@zefrineTTV on Twitter RULES: -Any lot size -Do not touch existing walls, floorplans can be added -Do not change walls to spandrels, half walls or fences -Build must heavily feature the colors black and pink -Decks/Balconies allowed -Any wall height -No CC https://twitter.com/zefrineTTV

JIGSAW SCAVENGER CHALLENGE RULES IN THE GRAPHIC. CREATED BY CURTISSHMURTIS ON TWITCH HTTPS://WWW.TWITCH.TV/CURTISSHMURTIS

@Its_Trose on Twitter House with gardenLooking for a #shellchallenge on #TheSims4 to do? Hibiscus#TroseTreehouse2 live

now

Cherry blossom Gallery ID: ItssTrose Blossom Tours are going to be held on stream on Monday the 9th August http://twitch.tv/Its_Trose

MEET TH LaarStudio/ Maria

SimSimmerly

The Flaming Plumbob

Minraed

SueSimming

SphereArcana You

K8Simsley

Ivana

Grace

SulziSim

Granny Ruth

HE TEAM Extra Time Media

MaddyCatts

KawaiiFoxita

The Simming Spoonie

StassieJSims

You

Who will join us next?

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On Twitter

hellfrozeover on Tumblr 152

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SupStyle Magazine Created to Celebrate CC, Pose And Mod creators Issue 1 Available to DOWNLOAD NOW Featuring The most Amazing Joliebean

Cover Art by vdshakh_sims

SimmedUp Magazine Issue 12 - August 2021

Articles inside

Simscopes

Meet The Gamechangers

Mod Review

Making A Simmer

Devon Bumpkin

MachinimaLife

Titan Architects: Michael Modish

FanArt

Arnie Sims Plus