4 minute read
Making a Simmer
In this issue of SimmedUp, we talk to EmilyBlueJaye who is an amazing builder and currently busy with a legacy challenge. We find out how she started playing the sims and what her holiday plans are.
SulziSim: Tell us more about who EmilyBlueJaye is.
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Emily: Hi there. I’m Emily. She/Her. Wife, Mother of 2 kiddos, lover of dogs/cats/tarantulas, Minnesotamade, Bi/Pan, silent disability, musician, artist, self-care positive, radical acceptance practitioner. I’m pretty chill and open-minded.
SulziSim: How did you discover The Sims?
Emily: When they were younger, I was looking for a game to get my 2 kiddos familiar with using the computer when I came across The Sims Makin’
Making a Simmer
Magic while shopping online. Little did I know The Sims Franchise would become a passion of mine as well as theirs. It’s something we all bond over still to this day.
SulziSim: On your YouTube channel, you post a lot of speed builds. Do you prefer building over gameplay?
Emily: How do I say this? I got into The Sims because I enjoy the gameplay and could get lost for days. As an avid player of TS2 and TS3, I am not as completely absorbed by the gameplay in TS4 generally. TS4 has such amazing, intuitive build tools that I am more inspired to build than play.
Emily: I really enjoy all kinds of build styles but naturally, tend toward Fantasy and/or Modern style builds. TwistedMexi’s TOOL was a gamechanger for fantasy-style builds especially and I couldn’t build without it anymore.
SulziSim: You are currently busy with the decades’ challenge over on your twitch channel. How is that going along?
Emily: We’ve made it to 1896 so far. HA! I only stream Saturday and Sunday so it’s fairly slow going since four sim days
equal a year. A legacy challenge at heart, The Decade’s Challenge has sims living the way people really did throughout history, typically beginning in 1890 and progressing as far as you’d like, often until the present day. Currently, we’re focused on off-the-grid living, simple living lot trait, no indoor plumbing, managing farm animals, and raising the children of course. It’s a lot of fun! And of course, I can’t wait to remodel the house to add more amenities in the next decade. Indoor toilet!
SulziSim: What is your favorite Sims challenge to participate in?
Emily: Rags To Riches is my ultimate favorite. There’s something so satisfying about starting with absolutely nothing and struggling to eventually end up in a luxurious mansion. (I always add one of the fortune aspirations to complete.) I’m very excited about the new scenarios feature, one of which offers a new way to play this particular challenge. I can’t wait to see how scenarios evolve!
SulziSim: What is your favorite thing about the Sims community?
Emily: My favorite thing about the sims community is how welcoming and inclusive it is. I have witnessed so much support for each other on various social media, whether it be helping someone reach a specific goal, sharing each other’s builds/ CAS creations, to supporting each other’s live streams. I feel so fortunate to be a part of such a genuine group of people - we can all nerd out on Sims and no one blinks an eye.
SulziSim: You are known for making builds without any cc. Any tips for other creatives that want to use their imagination to create stunning builds without any cc?
Emily: Sometimes I resort to creating custom-looking objects with MOO and TwistedMexi’s TOOL mod to achieve a creative vision I may have. It is really important to me that anyone be able to use my builds
whether they are on PC or console so I always make sure it’s free of custom content. I look to a lot of sources for inspiration: Pinterest, Instagram, DeviantArt, TV/movies, magazines, as well as other builders of course! I recommend keeping an open mind. You never know where you may find inspiration for a build! (See my insect-inspired “mutant motor” build.)
SulziSim: Lastly, it's the holidays. What are your favorite things about the holidays? Do you have any holiday plans?
Emily: The holidays are very nostalgic for me. Growing up, we had a LARGE family gathering annually with all the aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. to celebrate Christmas. We would have a large dinner followed by so many choices of goodies for dessert! Everyone would get to choose a Christmas song we would sing as a group. If it wasn’t too snowy or cold, sometimes we would go caroling. Then FINALLY the opening of gifts. These days the group is much smaller, but my siblings and myself along with our families still gather at my mom’s for a family meal, activities and gift exchanges. Last year, we didn’t gather at all due to the pandemic. That was really hard on me because I felt so isolated and missed our traditions. I’m so grateful we’re all vaccinated this year and will be celebrating together again. Wishing you all a safe and Happy Holidays!
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