Sims Nation Magazine: The #BlacktoSchool Issue by The Sims Nation Magazine

ISSUE 09 | SEPTEMBER 2021

FEATURING EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH It'sMeTroi, Error404Phillips, JTownHolla, TheRealMamaEagle , and MANY MORE!

IN THIS ISSUE WE ARE THE REVOLUTION COOKING WITH SASS: A Moment with ChefG

BUILD THE REVOLUTION 5

BETTER BUILD TIPS : With MaiaMakes

SIMS MOBILE TIPS & TRICKS: with TSMLhyn

SAFETY, SUNSHINE, AND SEX POSITIVITY: A Moment with JTownHolla

RED HOT REALISM: A Moment with Error404Phillips

DON’T HOLD BACK: A Moment with JayPlaysaLot

CULTURE CODE: A Moment with MuvaSimmer

VICTORIOUS BLACK EXCELLENCE: A Moment with IamVictorious

PASSION AND PURPOSE: A Moment with RealMamaEagle

LET THEM LEARN : The State of Education in Africa

DARK SIDE DARLING: A Moment with ItsMeTroi

THE JOY OF REVOLUTION

SIMS 3 VS. SIMS 4 : University Edition

THE REVOLUTION MIGHT BE TELEVISED MACHINIMA MAGIC: Peachy Place & E404

START THE REVOLUTION 71

HBCU PRIDE CROSSWORD

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR

RUNWAY REVOLUTION SHELLYBEE’S HBCU College Wear Lookbook

COLLEGE ORIENTATION: Sims Mobile LookBook by Irimiel

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OUR STAFF

ALAERYN EMLU'RATHIAN EDITOR IN CHIEF

SARAH N.

STAFF WRITER

SIMSLIFEFORJEN

MACHINIMA CONTRIBUTOR

IRIMIEL EMLU'RATHIAN

EXECUTIVE PUBLICATION AND GRAPHICS EDITOR

JACECHU

SHELLYBEE SIMS

CUSTOM CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR

DANIELLE SNOW

STAFF WRITER

ASSISTANT GRAPHICS EDITOR

ANADULTSIMMER

THEBLACKPLUMBOB

STAFF WRITER

TWITTER: @SIMSNATIONMAG 03 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

EDITOR'S LETTER I don’t want anyone to see “past” my color. To erase my color is to erase my history, to blot out the beauty that is both my trials and my triumph. I want you to see my color, to see me. Don’t deny my Blackness; celebrate it. The truth is this: although Black people in America have suffered and suffered enormously, our story did not start with slavery and it does not simply consist of our blood, sweat, and tears. Black history is also full of joy, full of defiance, full of the heart-pumping music of humanity that has permeated all of American history. Our story is full of love, full of creativity, and full of the awe-inspiring soul that unapologetically grips mainstream culture by the throat. Black people do not need saving.

The newcomer did not create the cracked foundation or the poor piping, but they must We need to celebrate and to be celebrated. We grapple with the house’s issues nonetheless. need others to see us, to see all of us, and to The work is never done with an old house. look the ugliness of systemic racism and broken The work is not done in America. American promises fully in the face. Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitzer-prize winning writer, Sims Nation Magazine highlights the beauty that famously describes America as an old house is Blackness. We celebrate our hair, our culture, newly purchased by a bright-eyed, new owner. our joy, our excellence, our unique spaces, our Although the buyer, eager to begin their new found families, and so much more. See us. lives as a fresh homeowner, may want to turn a Celebrate us. Welcome “Black to School.” blind eye to the “slightest welt in a corner of plaster in a spare bedroom,” they fail to attend Yours, to such issues at their own peril. That unattended “welt” can quickly become a A. Em “wave,” and a flooded basement will remain flooded whether the new homeowner wants to ALAERYN EMLU'RATHIAN see it or not. EDITOR IN CHIEF 04 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

COOKING WITH SASS A Moment with CallMeChefG

Before all else, CallMeChef G’s Discord and Twitch streams are a damn good time. Chef has managed, seemingly effortlessly, to build the authentic, tight-knit community of which many streamers dream. While she often streams The Sims, Chef G is a bonafide, certified chef with a Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Culinary Management; she embraces all things foodie in her Discord and while on stream, hosting “Meal prep Mondays,” cooking classes, uproarious community nights, and themed movie marathons. But there is even more to Chef than just her bubbly, welcoming personality; she is also unapologetically Black, unapologetically queer, and unflaggingly bold. She neither bends nor bows in the face of adversity. Her community is massively committed to her, vocally engaging in all group activities, and they have remained behind her even as Twitch hate raids have rocked and nearly uprooted communities of color across the popular platform. Chef herself has looked hate raiders in the face and refused to back down; her stream and community continue to stand the pressure cooker test of time with laughter and resilience. Sims Nation Magazine sat down with Chef G to hear her story, to collect her thoughts on the state of Twitch, and to explore the beauties of her incredible courage. 05 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: Chef, thank you so much for talking to Sims Nation Magazine! We are so excited to have you. You’ve just moved! How is life in the new place treating you? Chef: Life in Seattle is great! We're really enjoying the people here, and all of the awesome places to go and eat of course! I have family here so I'm happy I have some familiarity. Alaeryn: Your community was lucky enough to follow you and your wife across the country as you moved from one side of America to the other. Can you talk a little about that experience? Chef: It was so much fun! We got to see parts of the country we didn't even realize existed. We drove through Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois - where we stopped to see family before our long haul across the rest of the way. From there, we continued on to Minnesota, South Dakota - we got to see The Badlands and Mount Rushmore. Psyched surprised me with two nights in the hot springs in Montana. Wyoming was our last drive through before Washington. As Black women, we quickly realized though those sides of the country are bare in terms of city life; there were plenty of blatant signage we noticed while driving through- especially Mount Rushmore;

that aspect of the drive had us a little on edge but we stayed as safe as possible. We're avid travelers- or at least we were pre-pandemic. It's going to be so exciting to start up our travel podcast again and looking forward to sharing more details for other BIPOC travelers too! So as the Foodie Crew community, friends and family know, We were scammed by our movers and lost everything we owned. all except what we packed in our car. That was one of the most emotional moments of our journey. To be honest, it’s still pretty heartbreaking to think about. We're just taking it in as we can start over and build our home together; for that I'm excited! Alaeryn: It’s probably a little impossible to travel across this gigantic country without entertaining some thoughts about its history. How significant was this trip for you? Chef: It was important for us to see and acknowledge the history for sure, especially that of the indigenous/natives in this country. We stopped at a few museums and drove through quite a few reservations. What caught my attention the most was the condition the reservations were in. It pains me to see the results of such an ugly side of this country's history and how they have and still are treating our indigenous people. As I've said before, the signage and the difference between placement of people was very obvious and it's infuriating, to say the least.

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Alaeryn: Where are you from? How did your upbringing inform the way you experience games? Chef: I was born and raised in Chicago! I'm definitely a proud one in terms of my hometown. I know a lot of people like to use the term "Chi-raq", which, as just an FYI, we really hate that. I grew up on the southside- what we call "out south"- and I think the crime there definitely drove me to be inside more as a kid. I believe it was 2002 when we would go to a blockbuster every Friday as a family and me and my step brother were allowed two games each. I picked up Sims 1 for Playstation on a random Friday and he and I were hooked. When I found someone who loved them as much as me I was set! Sims 2 was the best to play with friends! I ventured out to many different games when I was young, but finding The Sims set my focus exclusively for a long time. I think now since the pandemic and [my streaming start], I’ve met some amazing people to play games with, so I am open to playing more variety offline. I also LOVE board games; this is a shared love my wife and I have. I, specifically, LOVE monopoly. I'm basically obsessed with the way in which you can alter the theme and gameplay without losing the integrity of the game itself. Before we moved, I had 16 different versions and one bookshelf version I hid to be fun with guests. Now I am building up my collection again and I currently have five!

I believe it was 2002 when we would go to a blockbuster every Friday as a family and me and my step brother were allowed two games each. I picked up Sims 1 for Playstation on a random Friday and he and I were hooked. When I found someone who loved them as much as me I was set! Sims 2 was the best to play with friends! I ventured out to many different games when I was young, but finding The Sims set my focus exclusively for a long time. I think now since the pandemic and [my streaming start], I’ve met some amazing people to play games with, so I am open to playing more variety offline. I also LOVE board games; this is a shared love my wife and I have. I, specifically, LOVE monopoly. I'm basically obsessed with the way in which you can alter the theme and gameplay without losing the integrity of the game itself. Before we moved, I had 16 different versions and one bookshelf version I hid to be fun with guests. Now I am building up my collection again and I currently have five!

Alaeryn: You studied the culinary arts in school. How was this for you? Did you always want to be a chef? Chef:I actually didn't! I wanted to be an author/journalist. My first degree would have been English and Communications, [but] when I got bored with that I switched to marketing management. What I DID always know is that I wanted to own a business in the food industry! My grandmother was the chef of the family, you know, like the "big mama.” She published a cookbook, and I inherited it. My goal is to utilize her recipes and share my heart and soul through her and the love I had for her. So, because I knew that for certain, I started my B.A.S in Culinary Management. It's more focused on business and hospitality. The culinary arts are good in the beginning but the rest of my studies are business-based. My program at The Art institute was amazing and I fell in love with the craft more than I ever thought I would or could. I have met some really awesome people and learned so much professionally. [I] even came out with a mentor and friend who is a restaurateur. Happy to have met everyone! Also, I'm happy to not be sitting at a desk either, haha! Alaeryn: Suppose one of our readers would like to follow in your footsteps. What advice would you give someone looking to transition into the culinary arts? What advice would you offer anyone looking to simply improve their own cooking skills?

For someone trying to improve their skills; research the best way: cooking shows, books, YT videos. What's more important than anything for anyone; be patient with yourself. That's something I had to learn a long time ago. In life overall, honestly. Which I still need to tell myself often! Alaeryn: This month, Sims Nation Magazine is highlighting the experiences of people of color, particularly in school. Tell us a little about your unique experience. Chef: High School for me was very unapologetically black, and I loved it. I'm grateful enough to say I never had any negative social experiences in school when it comes to my culture or race. Now COLLEGE... that is a whole different ballpark. In the culinary industry racism, sexism, and misogyny are really bad on all fronts there. Though I feel we're getting better, my last year in college I experienced some bullying from a group of students, specifically because of my race. Whatever the most aggressive version of micro-aggression... yeah, that was my experience. My colleagues (mostly the White ones) would argue it wasn't happening. I also experienced a chef instructor calling my curly hair nappy. He DEFINITELY didn't get away with that, but it can be a lot once you enter the workforce from there. Those experiences showed me early on what I was up against, but I was ready to shut it down. Every single time.

Chef:In terms of someone looking to go to culinary school, my best advice is keep your head down and read. Failure in the kitchen comes from not fully understanding fundamentals. A big part of being a chef is not HOW to do something, but more so the WHY we do it. Knowledge is power. Even I need to brush up on things from time to time. If you think a subject or method isn't important- study it harder. It always comes back around and you need it when you least expect it. 08 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: Let’s transition back to video games, particularly the Sims. Why Sims? What is it about the Sims experience that brings you joy? What other games do you love? Chef: Honestly, The Sims have always been a huge part of my life. I made my very first best friend through our love for Sims; my wife and I bond over the Sims on our off days. Even though it's a single player game, there’s just so much you can do to be creative. You can literally live vicariously however you want! For that I love the Sims and all the rewards it has provided to me since The Sims 1. I also love Dead by Daylight, GTA, Hit Man, and other single player games. Alaeryn: In your opinion, what can the Sims team do to improve their representation of people of color? Chef: Honestly, The Sims I feel are so very far behind representation for marginalized people. I think they can do more of retexturizing hair, hair options, better quality skins, more body presets, and definitely a greater selection of clothing that culturally represents BIPOC people. I believe overall, working with more Black content creators and selecting more people of color as Game Changers will make a huge difference. There needs to be more BIPOC individuals at the roundtable. Alaeryn: It has become difficult for queer people and people of color to navigate their safe spaces on Twitch lately; in what appears to be a massive targeted attack, ill-meaning internet trolls have filled unsuspecting Twitch streamers’ chats with racist vitriol, often several times in a row. You were attacked very recently. What can Twitch do better to protect its streamers? What can viewers do to help hold Twitch accountable? Chef: Recently, there was a Twitch blackout that greatly affected Twitch’s numbers. We have been hoping to get feedback from them on what they're planning to do about the hate raids and botting but to no avail, nothing.

It would be ideal if Twitch put more security measures in place around being able to create multiple accounts or potential botting activities. I'm sure it would require extensive monitoring and work on their end, but hey, at this point, given the plummet in numbers from the blackout, what's it all worth to be unresponsive? This problem won't go away and as a Black creator, I feel completely unsupported on a platform [to which I have been dedicated] for so long now. We've built community and invested time. If Twitch needs to create a team, then they need to CREATE A TEAM to do the work. Immediately. I understand that for some, including myself, Twitch streaming and content creation is a full time job. Multiple "protests" by way of streaming blackouts isn't ideal. But for those who are brave and will make the sacrifice for a change, it is amazing to witness and be a part of it. I believe there is power in numbers. If Twitch continues to see their numbers dropping, we can bring them out of hiding and demand real change on the platform. Alaeryn: Despite all of this, your community continues to be joyous and fun-loving. How do you continue to foster such a wonderful community in the face of adversity? Chef: It's really them! They are all so supportive and positive-minded. It's been a blessing to have such an amazing community who wouldn't dare have something like that get me or anyone else down. Because of The Foodie Crew, I can continue to be my authentic self and feel accepted and loved in the stream. It's all about the energy you put out as a streamer. It can be difficult to keep that energy in the midst of all that but if your community is already there with you, it is almost effortless. I don't want to let them down because they mean SO much to me; because of that, we keep pushing and keep the love alive! 09 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: What’s next for you? How do you see your brand and community growing in the future? Chef:Well, I have noticed there are VERY few Black Food & Drink streamers on Twitch. Even before the rise in hate raids and botting, that has always been a huge problem for me. I have friends outside the platform that shy away just because they don't feel as welcomed or supported as a Black F&D person. I am looking to change that. I want to put extra focus on my Black F&D peeps! Chef or no chef, if you love cooking and what you're doing, that's all that matters. I want to create a safe space for us to come together and not experience the toxic competitiveness that comes with the culinary industry on ANY level. I'm finding many avenues I want to tap into with my community and encourage more foodies of color to build community with me so we can have a safe, fun, toxic free space with the foods we love and understand. I have a few things in the works now of how we can make that happen and I'm excited for it! Alaeryn: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? Chef: All I can say is I have a HUGE announcement coming up very soon, so hop into the channel to get the details when the time comes. I also post my schedule and any huge life, community, or channel updates in my Discord-The Feast. I like to be transparent with them so I check in often, and my door is always open to chat! And last but not least, thank you so much for having me! It was passionate and fun to speak about so many different topics! Twitter: https://twitter.com/callmechefg Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/callmechefg

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SAFETY, SUNSHINE AND SEX POSITIVITY

A MOMENT WITH JTOWNHOLLA WORDS BY ALAERYN EMLU'RATHIAN PHOTOS BY JTOWNHOLLA

JTownHolla is the sort of streamer viewers immediately want to know. Her cool style and warm, very British demeanor is immediately welcoming and friendly, but there is far more to Jessica than what one may initially expect. Beautifully posed, inclusive, and kind, Jessica is also honest and open about her identity and sexual expression. She and her community do not shy away from crucial conversations or involved topics. In fact, Jessica openly discusses what some actively avoid in her streams, rendering time with her as instantly intimate. JTown feels like the sister you never had, open to talking about any and everything under the sun, only to offer a comforting cuppa after you’ve borne your soul to her. Viewers can often find Jessica playing Sims, Among Us, Overwatch, and many other games. Sims Nation Magazine sat down with Jessica to learn more about herself and her amazing community.

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Alaeryn: Jessica, it is such an honor to speak with you. Thank you for agreeing to an interview with Sims Nation Magazine. How has 2021 treated you?

on top of that I had pain in my hip, knee, and ankle joints. I was living off paracetamol just to get through the morning, and my doctor couldn't explain it.

Jess: Thank you for featuring me! I keep having to pinch myself as this doesn’t feel real at all! 2021 has been much better than 2020, I started streaming this February and it’s been such a positive experience. I ended 2020 feeling a little low and like I didn’t have something that brought me joy, but I can safely say I now have that in my stream and community.

It took some time, but eventually I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension and Scleroderma, which in short rendered me disabled – although it was only in recent years that I’ve become comfortable admitting that.

I fell in love with the Sims from its first ever release. I used to play it on my mum's old Mac computer and still have vivid memories of spamming “rosebud” and getting Cassandra Goth sent to military school! Then in my teen years I was able to live vicariously through my sims, dress them up in next to nothing and date the whole town - which I still do now! Alaeryn: Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? When did you fall in love with The Sims? Jess: I’ve been living in London for 3 years, and grew up just outside of it. I didn’t get into video games until my early teens, up until then I was into dancing and hanging out with my friends. Around the age of 13 I gradually noticed I was struggling with day-to-day activities. I used to walk for an hour to and from school, but as each day passed I noticed I was getting severely out of breath and couldn’t hold a conversation while walking;

As you can imagine, I could no longer keep up with my friends, as in my teens we walked everywhere in my town, and I didn’t have anyone who could drive me, so I missed out on a lot of social events. Luckily, this was when I found gaming, I’d make friends in online communities and when I couldn’t join my IRL friends somewhere, I’d hang out with my online friends. I’m really fortunate with the friends I’ve made, and I think this experience has made me even more comfortable with building a community, because I’ve always needed that.

Jess: My school experience was pretty good! My teachers were nice for the most part, but the moment I think that has stuck with me the most wasn't positive, sadly. I was one of only two Black girls in my year for most of my education, so I learnt the hard way how to navigate through mostly White spaces. I remember in my art classes constantly being told to “shut up” and that I “talked too much.” My White friends never got this reaction, if they were ever even called on at all. I could often be found cracking jokes with my friends, which I loved, but had to learn that some will try and dull your shine or find you too much which is OK, because there are others who will still love you for who you are.

Alaeryn: Sims Nation Magazine is focusing this month on the experiences of people of color, particularly in school. Tell us about a moment in school that you felt changed you as a person? Was there a teacher or teaching moment that you felt left a permanent mark on you and your personality?

12 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: I have to admit that, when I first joined one of your streams I was pleasantly surprised at how open and honest you are about literally everything. How do you find the courage to be so unapologetically authentic on screen?

From the first time the topic went a little X-rated, I discovered that people really enjoyed the sex-positive atmosphere, using it as an opportunity to share and learn cool things, which is all I’m doing – learning!

I received my first racist attack about five months into my streaming journey, and it caught me and my mods off guard, as the chat had reached a natural lull at that point. As much as I wanted to say something witty and brush it off, I annoyingly became upset – then got further Alaeryn: What was the most upset at myself for getting Jess: Thank you for saying that! I interesting conversation you’ve upset. I’m an angry crier, which tried to keep it very PG and ever had with your community? has always bugged me. child-friendly for my first few In hindsight, I am actually glad it weeks, as I was new and didn’t Jess: I think the biggest stand happened, as it reminded me want to get banned before I'd out conversation would be when that outside of my super safe even started. However, once I I came out as bisexual on Sims bubble, it’s still the realised you could set your stream. It opened up an in-depth internet. But more importantly, stream as 18+ all bets were off! discussion about sexuality and [it reminded me] that if I don’t I’ve really lucked out with the family perspective. One of the see crying as a weakness in people who find my streams; biggest takeaways for me was others, then I should grant they're just like my friends IRL that there were very few sad myself that same kindness. with how open we are and what stories of outings, so many in my we like to talk about. community shared that their family weren't actually surprised Alaeryn: Speaking of feeling and more relieved by them unsafe, Twitch has been rife with opening up. It feels great to hear prevalent hate-raids from users that as it gives me hope for my who are openly racist. Using the own outing and the future of newly inclusive tags to target outings for other Queer people of color and Queer individuals. communities, these trolls have attacked streamers repeatedly Alaeryn: You’re both Black and and mercilessly. Queer; how have you managed What can Twitch do to better to safely navigate a white male- protect streamers on their dominated industry so popular platforms? wonderfully? Have you ever had a moment when you felt unsafe? Jess: I’ve been hate-raided twice, and both times the same Jess: It’s definitely a tricky one account followed me a second and I did spend my first few before, despite being banned weeks scouring the live pages after the first hate raid. for Black and Queer streamers, Clearly there are big holes in as you can’t be sure how safe Twitch’s software that people you’ll feel in other spaces. I are exploiting. really lucked out and found the Other platforms find ways to most amazing Sims community block this, but Twitch is leaving [filled with] lots of Black women to us to manage ourselves which and Queer people who are is unprecedented. socially conscious and protective of their content. 13 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

We shouldn’t have to protest by not using Twitch in order to get their attention. I hope #ADayOffTwitch brings about real change and reminds them that our voice is more powerful than they realise. Alaeryn: Your streams and Discord are very honest; you don’t shy away from conversations that may be what people may consider a little ribald. Why is it so important to be open about sexuality, in your opinion? Have you had any viewers who tried to push back against your honest stance? Jess: I didn’t realise how sexpositive I was until I started receiving feedback from my community! This is how me and my friends talk, so again I always want to be just as open with my community. I enjoy sex and I enjoy talking about it! It’s also more than just naughty chat; there’s a wealth of knowledge to be gained from talking to 30+ people about their experiences and how they identify. I’ve [gotten] a huge education in such a short time, and for someone in a long-term relationship, I can live vicariously through my chat when they share a particularly filthy story! I’ve had very little push back on the sexual topics to be honest; my cursing made one viewer unfollow, but other than that people seem to enjoy the conversation!

Jess: My CAS style is more on the realistic side, I try to create a lot of celebrities and also viewers, so I’m really into getting the Sims looking as close to life as possible! My faves for skins are Slephora and ThisIsThem. Ebonix slays the hair game, and for clothes I love Kryptonita and idsims. Alaeryn: How about builds? What do you look for in a great build? Jess: I’m not much of a builder, but when I’m downloading from the gallery, I like something with a clear vision and lots of clutter! Also doesn't hurt if there's a stripper pole or two. Alaeryn: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? Jess: I'm still relatively new to streaming, but I do hope my stream can become a safe and inclusive space for people to be unashamedly themselves, as I have been blessed with this gift by my community already.

Alaeryn: Let’s talk more about Sims. What is your CAS style? Who are your custom content go-tos? How about mods?

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RED HOT

REALISM

A MOMENT WITH εяяσя404ρнιℓℓιρs

Error404Phillips is above all else, a bold and brilliant storyteller. Phillips is Black and Queer, an intersection of identity from which she does not shy away; in fact, she infuses and features Black and Queer Sims in all of her animations, representing us in all of our unique glory. Through her pristine animations, Phillips represents Sims who deeply love, passionately lust, and sexily seduce one another with breathless abandon. Though Phillips gained fame through her incredible animations for the infamous Wicked Whims mod, she has been a long-time machinima animator. She quickly became a staple of the Machinima community; for, Phillip’s animations are fluid, human, and mind-bogglingly precise.

In this seductive sequence, two people lie in a double bed together; one Sim rests on their side faced away from their lover, while the lover slumbers on their backs. Slowly, the lover awakens, blinks drowsily, scratches their belly, and then gazes up at the ceiling before shifting to looking lustily at the first Sim.

INTERVIEW BY ALAERYN EMLU'RATHIAN

There are many talented animators from which machinima creators can choose, but Phillips’s work is easily top-notch. She has a keen eye for what communicates emotional heat between two characters from their realistic facial expressions to their true-to-life romantic situations. For example, one of Phillip’s newest animations, titled “Hey, honey” is actually a masterful remake of her very first Sims 4 animation.

Before long, the lover shifts to embrace their companion, sliding their left palm against the Sim’s left thigh. The awakening Sim yawns and moans when caressed, furrowing their brow, and the lover gently lifts their leg to loop around the Sim’s waist. It’s a morning greeting that many lovers will recognize, a greeting that often leads to more passionate crack-ofdawn delights. All of Philips’s animations are thoughtful and perfectly planned. The stories that she manages to silently weave are heart-stopping and erotic, with a realistic accuracy that seems to transcend the game itself. Sims Nation Magazine connected with Phillips to discover the secret behind the genius. 15 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: Phillips! Thank you so much for agreeing to speak to Sims Nation Magazine! We’re such big fans of you. How’s life?

I got into The Sims when it first came out! Being that I had a natural talent for storytelling, The Sims to me was a great tool.

Phillips: First off, shout-out to all of you guys at Sims Nation Magazine! It’s such an honor to be featured. Life? Life is great.

Alaeryn: Who or what encouraged you to start making animations for the Sims, particularly Wicked Whims?

Alaeryn: Tell us about yourself! Where are you from?

Phillips: While making my series, Just JDT, I noticed the lack of romantic and sensual animations for Wicked Whims animations. It was depressing. I wanted my sex scenes to have more passion. You know, make it seem as if my Sims were feeling it. So instead of continuously complaining about the issue, I decided to teach myself how to animate. Therefore now, I could make them myself.

Phillips: I am from Atlanta, GA, USA. I'm a proud Veteran of the US Navy. I pride myself on being a very trustworthy person. I am very cultured. I can get along with just about any personality. Alaeryn: How would your biggest fan describe you? What are your greatest qualities that your biggest fan would brag to someone else about? Phillips: Innovative, relatable, and confident. Not cocky! But confident. Alaeryn: This month Sims Nation Magazine is highlighting the experiences of Black folks, especially in school. What was school like for you? Positive? Negative? Mixed? Phillips: It was mixed for me. I was always known for being one of the best Artists at any school I went to, which helped me out for college. I would say one of the most negative and honestly disrespectful; aspects of school for me was learning African American history. The majority of it was... is negative and insulting. There is absolutely no intention to help build pride and confidence in African Americans.

I started making my animations only for my series because I wanted it to be unique. Then I thought: Why not share them with others? Maybe that would encourage other animators to make more sensual, romantic, and storytelling animations. Now today, my animations have influenced so many others and you have an abundance of sensual, romantic, storytelling animations to choose from.

Alaeryn: What was your first video game? When did you get into The Sims? Phillips: The first video game that was intentionally bought for me was Pokemon: Gold Edition . 16 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: Let’s dig into your unique style. Your animations are so thoroughly realistic! Explain your animation process to us; how do you manage to make interactions between your Sims feel so real? Phillips: I've been told numerous times that it is hard to mesh any other animator's animations with mine because they are so smooth and realistic. My process starts off with me coming up with the idea. Animating it in my head first then taking it to Blender.

Alaeryn: What, in your opinion, is your greatest animation to date? Phillips: Really good question! I would have to say Its So Fuckin Deep Climax. Mainly because of the multiple transitions. It is the most complex animation to date. Alaeryn: You’ve now branched into creating animations for machinima! How has this been for you? Your already devoted fans must be thrilled! Phillips: Well, I've always been making animations for machinima but I decided to cross them over to Wicked Whims because I have so many ideas for many complex animations. The Pose Player mod is so limited. Making them with Wicked Whims allows me to add effects and work with multiple props.

I took three anatomy classes while in college so I understand how bones and muscles move in sync with each other. Also, having to draw reallife people doing different facial emotions, while they were in motion. Challenging, yes, but it helped me out in the long run. That's how I manage to have very realistic movements. Alaeryn: I can imagine that you pore over your work extensively to recreate the expressions, gestures, and smooth movements that demonstrate your style. Can you describe a problem you encountered while creating an animation and how you solved it? Phillips: When I run across a problem or a challenge, I overcome it by taking a break. Clearing my mind and coming back to it and rewatch the animation over, and over, and over again. While doing that I'm re-animating it in my head and when I come up with the solution, I'll stop the animation in the problem spot and apply it.

I love that I decided to do it. Multiple people have told me what a genius idea it was to start to use Wicked Whims as a tool to make my machinimas animations. Being the first to do this, I know the people who are inspired by me will take a shot at it also.

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Alaeryn: I personally love the way you feature Black and Queer Sims in your animation previews. Why, in your opinion, is it so important to represent queer people of color, even in games? Phillips: Oh, that's a must for me! Being Black and gay myself, it would feel as if I'm not being true to myself if I don't. I am unapologetically proud of being Black! So there is NO shame in showing my beautiful Black Sims in my previews. Me being one of the few Black Sims 4 animators, I make it mandatory to showcase my beautiful people in my previews. Especially for Wicked Whims because I'm the only Black animator so I have to represent.

Phillips: Don't let the stress get to you. [Don’t] let people who don't agree with what you're doing stop you. It's your talent at the end of the day so you make the decisions. Alaeryn: What’s next for you? Phillips: I am currently looking for a job in designing or animation. Whichever one catches me first that is where I will land. Alaeryn: Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

Alaeryn: What are your goals as a content creator? How do you know when a particular animation is high-quality and ready to be released?

Phillips: I am in awe of all of the support that I have gotten over the years. I never thought that four years ago I would be known as who I am today. Inspiring so many people and having many people follow my example is a very big compliment and has built up my selfconfidence. Thank you so much.

Phillips: In order for me to approve of an animation, it has to meet my standards. It has to be unique and unlike other animations. The facial expressions have to complement the movements to the T. I HAVE TO PERSONALLY WANT TO USE IT!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/error404phillips/p osts

Alaeryn: What or who inspires you? Do you have any real life inspirations for your animations?

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Error404Phillips

Phillips: People. People inspire me. I do a lot of people-watching. I study how people move and the simplest things they do, then I apply them to my animations. That is what gives my animations their unique feel. It's the small details like some just scratching their arm or leg. It adds character. Alaeryn: Let’s say the day has come when you have finally decided to hang it up as a content creator. What words of wisdom would you have for people who want to follow in your footsteps? 18 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

DON’T HOLD BACK A MOMENT WITH

JAYPLAYSALOT Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jayplaysalot Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayPlaysalot YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7B5x-5jz2QM3cHvTljGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flawed.masterpiece/

Jay is one of those Simmers who immediately feels like your best friend when you enter one of his streams. Highly personable with cool, collected energy, Jay is often found playing the Sims, engaging with his community in fun party games, or having a damn good time in Roblox. Jay is at once kind, comforting, and uproariously funny. Viewers who are looking for instant community and friendly vibes would do well to stop by one of Jay’s streams, for he is equally talented at creating the coziest of chill atmospheres and playful, energetic game nights that will leave one’s sides sore with laughter. Sims Nation Magazine connected with Jay to learn more about him, his streams, and his unique experience on Twitch. 19 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

I instantly fell in love with the game because I loved cars growing up and I loved the music in the game. I think growing up gaming really showed me that there are so many different ways to express yourself; escaping to a virtual world really helped with that. Alaeryn: Sims Nation Magazine is highlighting the experiences of Black folks this month, especially their experiences in school. How was school for you ? Do you remember a teacher who left an indelible impression on your life, whether it was for better or for worse?

Alaeryn: Jay! Thank you so much for agreeing to speak to Sims Nation Magazine! Your brand is on the rise, and we couldn’t be happier for you! How have you been? Jay: I have been doing really good, I am honestly so shocked and grateful for how quickly I have grown on Twitch and YouTube. I started streaming in February of this year so I’ve only been streaming for about seven months and seriously posting on my YouTube channel for two months! Alaeryn: Tell us about your earliest experience with video games. How do you think being a gamer has shaped you growing up? Jay: I remember playing video games at a very young age with my older cousin; I believe the very first game I played was Need For Speed Underground 2.

Jay: When I was in school I was honestly so ready to get out of school, but now that I’m older I really wish I would have embraced those years while I was in them. I was very shy in school up until high school; I think I finally came out of my shell when I was in the tenth to eleventh grade. My twelfth grade English teacher really helped bring me out of my shell; she would always want me to read out loud because she loved the way I spoke, which gave me a little boost of confidence, and I will never forget her. I am a gay black man that has always known my true sexuality, and I had a teacher in high school that really that really made me feel comfortable with me being me. She really made me feel “normal,” and I would always respect her for that. Alaeryn: I NEED to ask you about your hair. It is frigging stunning. What are your secrets? Jay: Thank you so much for the compliment about my hair. I honestly don’t have any secrets; I just keep my hair twisted most of the time, I sleep on silk pillowcases, and I sleep wearing a bonnet. Gotta keep this hair protected!

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Alaeryn: You love to tell stories with your Sims, who are often Sims of color. How do you find inspiration for your stories and Let's Plays?

Alaeryn: As a streamer, you have many interactions with a variety of different people; what is one interaction that really touched you?

Jay: I love my melanated Sims so much; my main inspiration for my Sims storylines is honestly things I’ve seen in real life, on tv, and social media. I really love bringing the Black experience to the Sims, especially since we have been so underrepresented for a very long time.

Jay: The interaction that touched me the most is when one of my followers started going out of their way to help me find different things to make my stream better and more professional looking, which helped me get my channel to where it is today. That person's name is Jinsuijae, and she also became my very first moderator! To this day she is still coming up with amazing ideas to incorporate into my streams. I had a giveaway when I hit my first 1000 followers and she came out of her own pocket to help me give back to my community.

Alaeryn: Some of my favorite streams of yours are the ones during which you quietly build and hold cozy conversations with your community. What have been your favorite builds? Can you say a few words about your unique build style? Jay: I’m so happy to see that you enjoy my building streams because I really enjoy those too. My favorite builds have honestly been my most recent builds that represent the lower class to middle class houses. They just feel the most realistic to me, and I really love realism in my Sims game. I often reference Grand Theft Auto 5 decor houses, and I just make them livable. I have always wanted a GTA and Sims mashup game, and until we get that, I’ll just have to make it in my own game! Alaeryn: What is one of the most interesting conversations that you’ve had during a stream? Jay: One of the most interesting conversations I’ve had during a stream was when we talked about how homeless people could easily be taken care of with all the abandoned buildings out there. They aren’t even allowed to eat food that is thrown out from restaurants after they close at night. Basically in America you're not seen as important unless you’re able to work and spend money. We also had a really deep conversation about the army and how they send people out to war to do horrible and traumatizing things only to be expected to just come back home and blend back in with society.

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Alaeryn: Lately, streamers of color and Queer streamers have both faced terrible, often repeated hate raids on stream. What do you think Twitch can do better when it comes to protecting streamers on this popular platform? Jay: As a Black and Gay man on Twitch, it is very disheartening to see that even now in 2021 people are so hateful to people like me. I’m not quite sure what Twitch can do to stop this problem, but they should probably start an investigation to see who is sending out all the hate raids and bots to get them banned from the platform indefinitely. I have experienced the hate in my streams a few times but it wasn’t in big quantities: it was maybe two to three people at a time coming in being ignorant. I just hope I never have to experience a huge one to where it really affects my stream.

Alaeryn: How has your experience been on Twitch? How do you carve out a space for yourself as a Black man in an arena largely dominated by White men? Jay: So far my experience on twitch has been very amazing, I was welcomed into the community with open arms immediately which really helped me feel comfortable on Twitch. The growth of my channel has really been amazing to me; I was hoping that I would grow fast but I definitely wasn’t expecting it. I carve out a space for myself by literally being my true self and people really seem to like that. I play my game the way I want to play my game. I literally play the Sims on stream the same way I play it on my own-- the only difference is I talk out loud when I play on stream.

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Alaeryn: What advice do you have for anyone looking to break into streaming? What has been difficult for you? What does success look like for you? Jay: The advice I have for anyone that wants to break into streaming is first don’t be scared to put yourself out there; there are so many people in this world and someone out there is bound to enjoy your personality just the way it is. Secondly I would have to say quality over quantity, meaning that you should really try to invest in a PC that is going to be able to run your games smoothly while you're streaming because no one wants to sit through a choppy, laggy stream. Now this does not mean get the most expensive camera and greenscreen and computer chair; your main focus should be on the PC itself, and you can get the other things over time. I didn’t have a face cam for the first couple months of streaming, but people still were there for my streams without it. You can start off the same way! The most difficult thing for me right now is forcing myself to end my streams because I have to get sleep for my full time job! That also plays into the next question which is, what does success look like to me? Streaming success to me will be the day that I’m able to end my stream simply because I’m too tired to continue and not because I have another job that I have to go to. Streaming full time is what success looks like to me because then I’ll be able to do what I love everyday of my life. I’m speaking that into existence everyday PERIODT. Alaeryn: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? Jay: The last thing I would like to say is, if you want to do anything don’t hold yourself back because of what other people may think or say about you; this is your life and you have to live it to make yourself happy, whether it’s in streaming or anything else you want to do with your life. 23 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

CULTURE CODE A MOMENT WITH

MUVASIMMER Without Black culture, much of popular culture would cease to exist. The way we speak, the way we dress, and the way we move has permeated what is often considered “mainstream culture” for decades. Ours is a culture of joy, defiance, and of truth. It is a culture that remains on the cutting edge of what is ferociously fashion forward. It is a culture of shared experience, of love, of triumph, of style, and of grit. It is this culture, this melaninated poetry, that is missing in games like The Sims. There is no one way to be Black, but the often pristine, buttonedup style that is The Sims, particularly in Create-aSim, leaves much to be desired. Black Simmers had to create their own content to truly see themselves in the SIms. We created rich brown skins, form-fitting urban fashions, unapologetic jewelry, intricate braids and locs, and mods that better captured what many Black folks recognized in their own lives.

MuvaSImmer is one of those mod-creators who deeply understands what makes the Black experience unique. She’s created traits and events that capture what is beautiful, what is sidesplittingly hilarious, and remarkably nostalgic about the Black experience. When a Simmer downloads MuvaSimmer’s “Urban Social Interactions Mod,” they will recognize many staples of urban Black culture folded into the mod. When Muva’s mods are installed, Sims adopt a fresh new Sim “slang,” attend cookouts, break out in the “Electric Slide,” and even tolerate “Bebe’s Kids.” Muva has created traits that allow Sims to become “Barbz” (Nicki Minaj super fans), “studs,” (African-American lesbians who “present” as masculine), “Fark bois,” and even an Uncle Ruckus. Muva herself is deeply prolific, updating her Patreon with new traits, builds, careers, Sims, custom tattoos, and events that all fit into some aspect of the Black experience very regularly. While Muva’s mods are not necessarily suited for those easily offended, Black Simmers who have long wished for a version of Sims 4 with an urban edge will enjoy what Muva offers. Sims Nation Magazine connected with MuvaSimmer to discuss her experience as a mod creator, as a Black Simmer, and as a brand central to the Black Simming experience. 24 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: Muva, thank you so much for agreeing to interview with Sims Nation Magazine! How is life treating you? Muva: Thank you so much for having me! Life has been a whirlwind! Especially with Hurricane Ida hitting my area pretty hard but overall, I can't complain. I'm thankful for life in general so a little hurricane won't stop me. That's for sure. Alaeryn: Where are you from? What was your unique Black experience growing up? Muva: I was born and raised in New Jersey. (BRICK CITY) I've always lived in the more-so urban areas, so it's safe to say - the quiet life is far from what I'm used to. Growing up, my life was probably similar to many other Black and Brown Simmers. I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy cookouts where a neighbor from down the street could walk up to you and get a burger. Block Parties were the best parties of the year and probably the one time everyone on my block would get along, share a beer, and dance. Plus, on a hot summer day, fire hydrants weren’t just for fires but also for kids to play in.

Muva: School was definitely a mixed experience for me, a little positive and negative. Throughout most of my childhood, I was bullied in school for being overweight so I didn't really have too many friends. Even when trying to make friends, I would get bullied for being too "nice or needy" so I just adapted to being by myself. I became very shy, quiet, and sensitive. It wasn't until I started high school that I really started coming out of my shell more, making friends, and trying to find new hobbies. My personality shifted drastically. I started playing softball, writing poetry and short stories, and even found a voice to speak up for myself.

There are also a lot of things from my childhood that I now realize I may have taken for granted then. Like being raised by my great-grandfather and hearing stories about his life back when his mother was a slave. Hearing the journey struggles of being first freed and making a life for themselves. Overall, that made me appreciate life at a very young age and realize how much we take for granted. Alaeryn: Sims Nation Magazine is highlighting the special experiences of Black folks, particularly in school. Describe your school experience to us. Was it positive? Negative? Mixed? Why?

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Alaeryn: You create “Urban” mods for the Sims, often folding in unique experiences that Black folks readily recognize - like the neighborhood cookout! I hollered when my Sims broke out in the Electric Slide! Where do you find inspiration for your additions to the Urban Sims Interactions Mod? Muva: I figured a lot of people would get a kick out of the Electric Slide reference. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Honestly, most of the ideas for the Urban Social Interaction Mod come from my experience and interests. As a Black woman from what most would consider "the hood", I can't really relate to The Sims the way I used to. My life isn't simply "vanilla,” so I needed to add a little seasoning to spice things up! Of course, not every second of my life is "raunchy," but with these additions to my game, it makes my simulation experience more relatable. Alaeryn: Why modding? How did you fall into modding for the Sims? Muva: When I first decided that I wanted to learn how to make mods, I realized that my game was lacking an urban feel to it. Yes, I have all of these custom hairs, nails, skins and clothes to make my Sims look like me but what else can they do? I started thinking, “How come there aren't any mods with slang?” and “Why aren’t there aren't mods with curses in it?” Even with all the added custom content, my game still felt slightly PG. It was really the simplest of things that made my game feel so un-relatable. Although I had [changed my game’s appearance] and added a few mods for violence, advanced woohoo, and drugs, my Sims were still living in this “Rated E for Everyone” world that I could no longer relate to as an adult from an urban area. So I wanted to create something that could help me feel like my Sims didn't always have to live their lives the "Sim" way. Let's add a little drama to it. Bless the mess, ya know? 26 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: I have to admit that I’ve adopted using your “Sim Slang” often in my real life; especially the word “Sigga” in place of… uh… more offensive terms. Have you ever encountered folks who push back against such Sim Slang? Muva: You wouldn't believe the complaints I've gotten about the Sim Slang I use. I've had some people reach out to tell me they find it offensive and others tell me it's "ghetto.” There have also been some complaints on non-Black sims using the term “Sigga'' in-game (which I can completely understand). I've never really taken offense to it either because I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Just because this is what I like in my game, does not mean you have to. Alaeryn: What are some other facets of the urban Black experience are you looking to incorporate into your mod? Muva: I've actually been working on incorporating more Black Owned Businesses as careers within my mod with features to work from home. I don't think there are many careers for The Sims 4 that allow your sims to actually stay home and work rather than leaving the lot. Or even bringing back careers we used to have like the paper boy or girl for instance. It'd be nice to have careers like this available for kids. Alaeryn: Why is it so important to represent these facets of the Black experience in Sims?

Alaeryn: What has been your favorite mod to create so far? Muva: Out of all the mods I've created, my favorite would have to be Urban Social Interactions Mod. Urban Social was the first social interaction mod I created to have random responses. It made me feel like the Sims had minds of their own and were able to respond however they saw fit. There was no more expecting my Sim to just respond or react the way I wanted them to. Now, my sims had every right to tell another sim to "Fark Off,” and I'd just have to go with it. Alaeryn: Shout-out your favorite creators! What custom content do you need in your game to help you recreate the Black experience? Muva: There are a lot of mods that add to my Simming experience in general but if we’re thinking specifically Black urbanized content, I'd have to say definitely the Woohoo N' Wellness mod by Lumpinoa. It definitely helps show the highs and lows of parenting to me. Basemental Drugs and Gangs because urbanized areas are constantly broken down by these two things. The Nail Slayer career & Knuck If You Buck mod by SayHeyyMsZoey. SIMMINMYBESTLIFE has some awesome urban content too from clutter items to poses and even mods. My personal must have is her Fat Snacks mod. I could honestly go on forever.

Muva: I feel like it's important to represent Black experiences within the Sims because the game is meant to simulate your lifestyle. It's hard to actually complete this if we don't have the option to simulate our lifestyles within the game. Not everyone can relate to the "simple" lifestyles that EA promotes within The Sims, including some children. We all have our struggles that we go through and it'd be nice to see those struggles within the game.

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Alaeryn: What’s next for you? Will you continue to create content for the Sims after Sims 5 drops? What are your hopes for the next iteration of this game? Muva: I'm actually going to school for coding in the fall. Seeing big modders like Turbodriver and Basemental has always inspired me to lean more into coding. Not only will learning it help me fully bring USM to life, but it'll also help me understand how to create mods for TS5 whenever it finally makes a debut. Who knows? There may be a USM for The Sims 5 in the future. Every time I think of The Sims 5, I get a little nervous. I have really high expectations for the next phase of The Sims. I mean, aside from graphics, we're missing more and more when it comes to content within our Sim game without mods. The Sims 2 was filled with much needed drama and The Sims 3 gave us an open world with endless options. And even though The Sims 4 brought our Sims to life with emotion, most of the content included in earlier versions of The Sims was stripped from TS4. With a lot of Simmers realizing this, I know the Gurus have to be under a lot of pressure to deliver BIG things for The Sim 5. I'm hoping for TS3 with TS4 graphics. Alaeryn: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? Muva: Believing in yourself is probably the most important lesson I can pass along. In all the years I've played The Sims, I would have never thought that I would be able to create mods for it. Before I was able to fully understand enough about modding to make a trait, I felt so stressed! I'd stare at my screen for hours and feel so discouraged if my trait didn't work properly when I tested it out. It happens but trust me. With a little faith in yourself & dedication, anything is possible. I believe in you.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/muvasimmer Twitter: https://twitter.com/MuvaSimmer13

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VICTORIOUS BLACK EXCELLENCE A MOMENT WITH IAMVICTORIOUS INTERVIEW BY ALAERYN EMLU'RATHIAN

When I'm looking for custom content, I'm looking for what I need to tell a very authentic story in my game and to add diversity where it's so badly needed. .. Twitch fans who adore cozy streams, soft-spoken experiences with chill gameplay and quiet vibes, will love IamVictorious01. Victorious is one of those streamers with a near effortless ASMR quality to his streams. His voice, like buttery silk, is the friendly, soothing companion that calms even the most frayed of nerves. Viewers can often find Victorious in Create-a-Sim, as he crafts gorgeous Sims of color and dresses them in immaculate custom content clothing. Sims Nation Magazine connected with Victorious to find out more about his life and his experiences as a Queer Black gamer.

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Alaeryn: Victorious, thank you for sitting down with Sims Nation Magazine! How are you feeling? How is life? Victorious: I'm doing well. Juggling life, a pandemic, kids, a full-time job, trying to drink water everyday, and being a Twitch streamer... you know, it's a regular Tuesday! Alaeryn: You recently went on a wonderful vacation with your partner. Tell us about that! Victorious: Yes, we went to beautiful St. Lucia for my lovely cousin's wedding. It was amazing and well worth the wait. My cousin and the rest of my family collaboratively planned her wedding. We are a very close knit family, so [we were all in starting from] the engagement announcement. St. Lucia was breathtakingly beautiful. I don't need much for a vacation either. Just a margarita and beach. Alaeryn: I personally love joining your streams for the always cozy vibes. You mainly play the Sims, but what other games do you like to play on or off stream? Victorious: The Sims 4 is definitely my comfort zone when it comes to streaming, but on my off time I like a number of games. Animal Crossing (my island is trash), Stardew valley, Pokemon Sword, and of course- as seen on stream- Just Dance!

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Alaeryn: What do you like to do outside of video games? Victorious: Outside of video games I'm still a big nerd. I'm a big Marvel universe guy. You can often find me reading or watching something about the MCU. I love to read. I'm currently reading The Children of Blood & Bone series. And I like just hanging out with my friends, drinking wine, and gossiping about trash tv. Alaeryn: You have amazing taste concerning custom content. What do you look for in custom content for your Sims? What is your CAS style? Victorious: I am a custom content addict so at first glance it may not make sense as to why I have half of the things I do in my mods folder, but when it comes down to it, I just like my game to reflect real life and tell real stories. When I'm looking for custom content, I'm looking for what I need to tell a very authentic story in my game and to add diversity where it's so badly needed. Alaeryn: You create such beautiful Sims of color! What is your secret, particularly when creating Black men? Victorious: I don't think I have a secret, but some may say I do have a type , especially when it comes to my male Sims. I really create Sims from the likeness of people that I know, like, or want to get to know. It's all about storytelling and it starts with CAS. So if I need a more urban, business savvy, or a regular person, my CAS experience usually reflects that. 31 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: Who are your go-to custom content creators? Victorious: My go-tos are Brandysims, Complex sims , Kikovanity, Kie Gross , Slephora, Rimmings, and of course the G.O.A.T Ebonix sims. If anyone is thinking about cc, start with these creators. Alaeryn: This month, Sims Nation Magazine is highlighting the experience of Black folks, particularly in school. Talk to us about your own experiences in school. Were they positive? Negative? Mixed? Victorious: Oh wow, where do I begin? I've had lots of ups and downs when it comes to education. It wasn't until after high school where I realized the strength in understanding and owning your own educational path. I will explain. Really understanding how you best learn is a GAME CHANGER! I believe many people struggle with school because they try to fit their learning style in the box traditionally taught in society. Owning your educational path is the other really important factor in succeeding in school. Owning whether college is for you or not, how many classes you can truly handle, and learning which school best fits your learning style- all these are essential in any school journey.

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Alaeryn: How can Twitch do better to serve the gaming community and keep streamers safe? Have you ever felt unsafe? Victorious: Twitch can do better by not telling the hate victims, “here are the tools-- figure it out.” Twitch can [improve their own] system [so] that hate bots, spam, and hate propaganda do not enter their platform. Alaeryn: Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers? Victorious: Check out the stream and look out for more content by Victorious. Thank you all for supporting and showing the world that there is still good in the world.

Twitch:

https://www.twitch.tv/iamvictorious01

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/iamvictorious01

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There are few streamers who exude the kind of cool confidence that Kei, known as “RealMamaEagle” on Twitch and various Social Media platforms, effortlessly oozes. Both a Twitch and Grinding Coffee Co partner, Kei has a strong and commanding presence that has earned her a massive, devoted community of fans. Kei is dedicated to truth, transparency, and directness -- her clear and assertive streamer-voice puts viewers at immediate ease, and while she plays a variety of games such as Mario Kart, Pokemon, and the occasional Sims.

Kei guides her community through important conversations about conflict resolution and mental health care. Kei balances motherhood with her incredible success as a content creator. She leads her community with a fierce, unapologetic dedication to Blackness, to her identity as a veteran, and her stance as an LGBTQ community supporter. Sims Nation Magazine connected with Kei to learn more about herself, her life, and her ideas about Black identity.

PASSION AND PURPOSE A MOMENT WITH

REALMAMAEAGLE

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Alaeryn: Kei, it is such an honor to speak with you! Thank you so much for agreeing to talk to Sims Nation Magazine! How excited are you for the return of football in September? Kei: I'm very excited for the return of football because it is my life. My dad raised me on it, and I've been a fan for over 20 years. It's a wonderful outlet and escape from the daily grind! Alaeryn: How’s life treating you in general? Kei: Life is throwing me curve-balls as of late, but I've been proud of my ability to push through. Balancing full time content creation with being a full time mother is a lot of work, and I'm also dealing with a big life change. Ultimately I have become stronger as a result of these challenges. Alaeryn: You’re a mom! That’s insane how you manage to balance motherhood with everything else that you do! How do you manage to keep it all going? Kei: I always remind myself that everything I do is because of my boys. I would be doing them a disservice if I didn't show them that it's never too late to chase dreams, and that goals are attainable. I've managed to stick to a schedule that allows me to spend enough time creating content, but also enough time bonding with them. Now that they're getting older they are being included in my content.

Alaeryn Are your boys back to in-person school? How are you feeling about that? Kei: My youngest son is three and isn't in school yet. My oldest turns five in October and missed the kindergarten deadline. I had a lot of apprehension about sending him to preschool during a pandemic because children are too young to get vaccinated. I made the personal decision to teach him at home this year and prepare him for next year. Alaeryn: Where are you from? Going back to football, what team are you rooting for this season? Kei: I was born in southern Jersey, but I've lived in northern Delaware my entire life. Northern Delaware is Philadelphia Eagles territory, and I've been a shameless longtime supporter. I have no expectations of them given that they've gone a bit younger, but that doesn't stop my excitement! Alaeryn: Why video games? What was the first video game you remember playing? Kei: Video games are a stress reliever, an escape from life, and there's nothing more satisfying to me than getting immersed in a game with great story progression. The very first game I remember playing was Duck Hunt for the Nintendo. After that, I became addicted. Mario and Zelda weren't too far behind for me.

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Alaeryn: When did you get started playing professionally in the gaming industry, and how did you carve out a space for you and your community? How did you find your “sea legs?”

I never thought I would be partnered, be someone that people look up to, and be told I've impacted others in a positive light. This is easily the greatest thing I've done for myself.

Kei: I started gaming professionally in 2019 when I started my Twitch account. Originally I branded my channel around just gaming, but I wasn't doing myself justice. I'm the most extroverted extrovert, and my strength is chatting. Going into my second year of streaming I decided to capitalize on that and create a space where people can discuss anything with no judgement.

Alaeryn: How do you look after your own mental health as a content creator? As a veteran?

Alaeryn: How did you foster such a wonderful, authentic, fully engaged community? What advice do you have for other content creators looking to build an authentic community? Kei: I gave my community my genuine self. I am the same person on my Twitch account that people see on social media, and that people would see if they met me in real life. My community is so engaged because nothing is off limits to converse about. Things that would be stigmatized to discuss out in the open are welcomed in my space. This gives people the chance to vent, to have an outlet. I would tell other creators that authenticity comes with following passions and interests. If people can tell you are passionate, they'll gravitate to you.

Kei: I think it's important not to overwork ourselves. In theory, content creation is a full time job. Even when you're not streaming you're working on branding, supporting, and planning. I have to remind myself that self care days matter, and that taking one full day away from content creation a week minimum is important. I also have to remind myself that regardless of numbers, I'm doing a great job and making an impact. I was a lucky veteran as I had another job to fall back on at the time, so I wasn't as impacted in that regard.

Alaeryn: You’ve built an unmistakable brand over the years; how has this journey been for you? Kei: The journey has been unbelievable. I started my journey as someone who had no goals, as someone who just wanted to casually play games.

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Alaeryn: This month, Sims Nation Magazine is highlighting the experiences of Black folks, particularly in school. Can you tell us a little about your own school experience? Kei: I'm not a college graduate so my school experience is from high school. I was the student that was friends with everyone and had a big love of the arts. Whether it was chorus, drama, art, etc, I was in it. It was my way of expressing myself during tough teenage years. Alaeryn: What is one moment that you had in school that you feel left an indelible mark on you? Did you have any memorable teachers or best friends? Kei: Although I didn't go on to pursue drama and acting, I would say that my drama teacher left an indelible mark on me. She gave me the courage to pursue my dreams and ultimately brought me out of my shell, and I'm indebted to her for that.

Alaeryn: Recently, Queer Twitch streamers and streamers of color have been subjected to horrendous, targeted hate raids. What can our readers do to best support Queer streamers and streamers of color? What can Twitch do to better support all gamers on their platform? Kei: I believe support should be genuine, first and foremost. Support Queer streamers and streamers of color because you genuinely love their content, not because they're being targeted. A great way of support is also to rally behind them as they fight to be protected, while not speaking for them or downplaying their experiences. Twitch can start by taking away unlimited account creation under one email, not allowing harmful usernames to be created, and banning harmful words altogether. Alaeryn: What words of wisdom do you have for people who may want to follow in your streamer footsteps? What is your unique recipe for success? Kei: Be yourself because people can tell what is genuine and what isn't. Find a niche. Every creator has an ability or quality that makes them stand out beyond just video games. Do not be afraid to test out different things, as experimenting can bring conclusive results and help a creator find direction. Taking risks is key! Alaeryn: What does success look like to you? Kei: Success is not measured by viewership, subscriptions, or money. Are you happy? Do you genuinely love the content you create? Do you impact others? Have you experienced personal growth as a result of your passion? If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, you are successful. 37 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

Alaeryn: What’s next for you? What projects are you working on now? Kei: At the moment I'm working on personalized stream coaching for members of my community. When I started out there were limited resources and I was given bad advice. I do not want others to get the bad advice I received. I'm also working behind the scenes to help make Twitch safe for marginalized creators, so stay tuned! Alaeryn: Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers? Kei: If you are passionate about anything in life, you have the ability to make [your dreams] happen. Find that passion, grab onto it, and never let it go. Never let anyone downplay what you want for yourself. Passion drives us to do incredible things. Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/realmamaeagle Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealMamaEagle

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DARK SIDE DARLING A MOMENT WITH ITSMETROI INTERVIEW BY ALAERYN EMLU'RATHIAN

Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsmeTroi Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/itsmetroi YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/itsmeTroi

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There are few names in the Simming community as readily recognizable as It’sMeTroi’s name. Twitch Ambassador, reigning queen of Sims 4 mod reviews, and gaming connoisseur, Troi is supreme in the Sims community. Her no nonsense yet fun-loving demeanor is instantly recognizable; she has reviewed and curated lists of the freshest Sims 4 mods for many years. As a result, her social media empire is mindbogglingly massive. Her hard work has earned her a following of 30,000 on Twitch, over 20,000 on Twitter, and a whopping 190,000 followers on YouTube. This bonafide gaming powerhouse has been incredibly vocal about what she believes Sims 4 lacks; she’s dedicated her YouTube channel to demonstrating the mods viewers need to render their games more realistic, more unpredictable, and more fun. “Mods” are fan-generated programs that modify the way The Sims runs. For example, the “Slice of Life” mod from KawaiiStacie enables real-life illnesses, realistic life events like losing a tooth or wrestling with acne, and even menstruation. Troi regularly covers this mod’s updates and many other community staples. From mods that give toddlers more realistic activities to mods that fill Sim lives with a boatload of ridiculous drama, Troi has reviewed nearly every mod under the sun. In fact, each month, she has a new list of mods for players to try out. Troi’s body of work is a towering thing of genius; she has become the go-to mod expert for the Sims community, and her Discord is also a resource of enormous proportions. Sims Nation Magazine connected with Troi to talk Twitch, Social Media, and her massive content creating empire.

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Alaeryn: Troi, I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to talk to Sims Nation Magazine. We're big fans of all that you do. How has life been? Troi: Life is life. It's moving pretty fast, actually. The year is almost over and it feels like I haven't done anything in 2021. Alaeryn: What is your first memory of gaming? When did you fall in love with it? When did you fall in love with The Sims? Troi: My first memory of gaming is either playing Spyro on the PS1 or Super Mario on the Nintendo 64. My mother bought both of them for me probably because she didn't want me messing up her consoles. I started [to love Sims] with The Sims 2 University. Back then, commercials for it would play on TV. I just had to go to college for some reason. I believed what happened in college in The Sims was what happened at University. I was so wrong. Alaeryn: When or who inspired you to take the plunge into content creation? Troi: Around the time I was about to graduate from University. Xmiramira. I randomly found one of her YouTube streams and was watching her play with mods that I didn't even know existed for TS4. She made it look so fun to stream so I wanted to try it. Alaeryn: Tell us about your work with Noir. How has that been for you? Troi: Noir is everything I want in a group focused on content creation and knowing your worth as a creator. I've learned a lot and shared a lot within the group.

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Alaeryn: This month, Sims Nation Magazine shines a light on the experiences of Black people, particularly in school. You majored in journalism and communications; how was that experience for you? Troi: That was about four years ago now. Sadly, I can barely remember, but those days in my college newsroom with my staff were the best days of my life. We spent a lot of our college hours together producing a weekly paper for the student body. Everything else, including classes, I can't remember anymore. I probably choose not to remember. Alaeryn: How about further back? What is your most vivid memory of elementary, middle, or high school that really left an impression on you? Troi: Sadly, I can't remember elementary or middle. But for high school, it would have to be concert band. One day I went into the band room and wanted to write out the main melody from the anime movie "Laputa: Castle in the Sky." My teacher let me sit at the piano during class and figure it out. Alaeryn: Let’s return to The Sims; you have been very vocal about the life aspects you feel the Sims sorely lacks. Can you talk a little bit about that? Troi: It's mainly in the gameplay. I've played with The Sims for many years. I've tried to play every installation of the game. I've also taken many "breaks" from The Sims. Where you just don't feel like playing for months at a time and then you randomly boot it up. That was before I discovered mods. Like a lot of Simmers, I'm sure, we mod The Sims 4 a lot because the gameplay is lacking. Of course, other Sim games for the PC allowed you to mod, too.

But The Sims 4 really needs to be modded. It's either to add in a feature that made sense to have and wasn't there, to fix an issue caused by an update, or just to expand a system that's already there. Yea, there are DLCs. But when you add up how much you spend on DLC, [you] shouldn't really have to mod out games the way we do with TS4. Alaeryn: What can Sims developers do to improve the Sims experience for all players? Troi: There is a lot. I've said a lot during my time as a creator on both my Twitch and YouTube channels. But for me, the packs need to give more in gameplay. I don't know if it's because I get super excited with new content-- "the shiny"-and after a week I'm like "meh." Sadly, I don't know much about the game development world. But I would love more worlds. Bigger worlds. And more things to do in those worlds along with packs having more cross features. I can't speak about this for a while. Alaeryn: There was much to do for several years about the sheer mishandling of Black Sims and Black issues in the Sims. The team has improved skin tones and are steadily improving the appearance of textured hairs in game, but what else can they do to help people of color represent themselves in The Sims? Troi: Steadily is the right term for that. I think if The Sims continues to partner with and consults with Black Simmers in the community, more can come out of it. And at a faster rate.

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Alaeryn: You’re a big fan of mods, and you curate a new list of mods every month. Some mods, like Arnie’s Farmlands, even moved you to tears. What are the mods you feel are almost essential to Sims 4 gameplay? What are the mods you never play without? Troi: It's funny, I recently did a mod video on this question. I'm going to name a few off that list. More CAS Columns/UI Cheats by Weerbesu. More Traits in CAS by thepancake1 and Mizoreyukii. Slice of Life by KawaiiStacie, Sims National Bank from Simrealist. Basemental Drugs by Basemental. WooHoo Wellness from Lumpinou. Alaeryn: Your presence on social media is astounding. What does success mean and look like to you? How do you see your brand evolving? Troi:Wow. I really feel like my social media could use some work. I don't really have a definition of success at the moment. I want to actually grow out of being known for just The Sims. I like a lot of different games. I would like to create content and have a community that loves seeing those games being played. I'm currently living it one day at a time with dreams of other endeavors. I'm just not ready to announce them yet.

Alaeryn: You are not only a Twitch partner, but a Twitch ambassador. What does that mean and how has this experience been for you? Troi: It's been something that I didn't expect. When I first started on Twitch, I didn't think I would reach the growth that I had at first. But I couldn't do that with my BooGang. They really are my number ones. Even when they irritate me by calling me "Dad." Alaeryn: Recently, streamers of color and queer gamers have borne the brunt of online harassment on Twitch. What can Twitch do better to protect their streamers and their communities? Troi: One of the first things would be better communication and more timely action. A lot of the issues we see now that have blown out, we've seen before. At this point, things really need to change. Alaeryn: Thank you again for your time. Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers? Troi: No. I'll see them on the dark side, later.

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THE SIMS 3 VS THE SIMS 4

UNIVERSITY EDITION WRITTEN BY JACECHU The Sims 4’s predecessor, The Sims 3, enjoyed a large fanbase and a decent lifetime of receiving new content and free updates. It is difficult not to compare and contrast features from both of the base games and their downloadable content counterparts, and University is no exception. In this particular article, we will be looking at the similarities and differences of Sims 3: University Life and Sims 4: Discover University. Both games offer scholarships, dorm rooms with roommates, and degree benefits, but the two DLCs also differ in how the university system functions (specifically how you get scholarships), how time progresses as you attend university (and where you can attend university), and how much your sim can benefit from their degree. While there are plenty of similarities - you’ll find IKEA inspired furniture and kegs/keg parties in both- there are some notable differences.

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SCHOLARSHIPS In both The Sims 3: University Life and The Sims 4: Discover University, your Sim can earn university scholarships based on their skills. This means Sims that you’ve played from a younger life stage, ones who enjoy many honed skills, will benefit the most from this feature. However, in The Sims 3, your Sim gets scholarships by taking an aptitude test that’s included in a university welcome kit, which also allows you to take a test to see your scholarship placement score. This test can give your Sim credits towards a degree just for having a certain skill. In The Sims 4: Discover University, Sims do not get a welcome kit delivered to them by a friendly Sim in a university mascot costume; instead, eligible Sims can simply use a computer to apply for both university and scholarships. Unlike in Sims 3, Sims 4 Sims do not earn credits towards a degree no matter how skilled they are. Highly skilled Sims simply increase their chances of acceptance towards a Distinguished Degree program, which will increase the job level the degree qualifies them for. No matter what the Sim’s skill level is, however, they will still have to earn 12 college credits. The exception to this rule is going back to university for a second degree, which means your Sim will need to earn only 8 credits.

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TIME PROGRESSION In The Sims 3: University Life, time will freeze if you attend university. This is because it’s a travel world; this mechanic is also used when you go on vacation in Sims 3: World Adventures. Your Sim will not age, and when your Sim (or Sims, if you take more than one) returns to their home world, no time will have passed there. Also, to access the world the university is in, your Sim must be attending university and may not bring any of their household with them unless that household member is attending university as well. In addition, you can only attend university from this world, so choosing to get a university degree will technically extend your Sim’s life, as all the time they spend in university doesn’t age them but still counts as far as skill and relationship building. In fact, you can go for multiple or even all degrees and have a VERY talented but very young Sim, even playing on “normal lifespan” settings, because living in the university world pauses aging. There are different housing options in Sims 3’s university world, and your Sim will still need a lot in a “home world” like Sunset Valley or Riverview, but your Sim must live in that world to earn a degree. In The Sims 4: Discover University, your Sim’s age will not freeze. While Discover University comes with its own world, your Sim does not have to live there to attend university - you are free to live wherever you want. Sims who choose to live in Britechester, the world that came with Discover University, will find a world that contains two university campuses. Yes, that’s correct - another major difference between Sims 3: University Life and Sims 4: Discover University is that it offers two rival universities: University of Britechester and Foxbury Institute. Sims 3: University Life only has one university, which isn’t really given a name. 46 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

DEGREE BENEFITS In The Sims 3: University Life, your Sim’s grades determine how much their degree actually benefits them. A “C” grade will qualify your Sim to start their chosen career at level 2, a “B” grade qualifies your Sim for level 3, and an “A” grade qualifies your Sim for level 4. However, simply earning a degree also gives your Sim an extra trait slot. Studious Sims can get a second extra trait slot if they participate in the social clubs as well. In Sims 4: Discover University, however, the degree system is a little bit deeper. As previously mentioned, Discover University offers two separate universities, and each university has its own specialty. Foxbury is largely a tech school, so your Sim will want to go there if they want a distinguished degree that focuses on computers or science. The University of Britechester focuses on the arts and humanties, so if your Sim wants a distinguished degree in the humanities, they will want to earn their degree there. Each university offers “distinguished degrees” in its speciality tracks. A distinguished degree in tandem with a good GPA also affects how much the degree will boost your Sim’s career. For example, a distinguished degree with a A+ GPA will let your Sim to go into Level eight of their chosen, applicable career, while a non distinguished A+ degree will allow your Sim to start at level 7 of that career. In both Sims 3: Discover University and Sims 4, both games attach several different jobs to their degrees, so the player enjoys any career options. For example, the Science and Medicine degree in The Sims 3: University Life gives your Sim, unsurprisingly, a boost in both the science and medicine careers. The Language and Literature degree from The Sims 4: Discover University gives your Sim a boost in both the author and lawyer careers. 47 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

CONCLUSION In conclusion, both DLC offer an expansion of the game’s career system, and a unique life experience for your Sim. Both DLCs have mechanics that feel very similar to one another as well. The largest and most notable differences between the two DLCs is Sims 3’s university DLC includes age freezing while The Sims 4’s university DLC includes two separate universities. Both DLCs do include similar styled furniture, similar Create a Sim assets, and the keg/keg party/keg stand features. However, the Sims 3 University Life and Sims 4 Discover University run their scholarship and housing systems differently, which makes both games feel different, even though both DLCs accomplish the same thing - allowing the player to give their Sims a university experience!

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HBCU CUSTOM CONTENT COLLEGE WEAR

LOOKBOOK

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COLLEGE

ORIENTATION

LOOKBOOK 55 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

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BETTER BUILD TIPS

WITH MAIA MAKES!

Q: How do you recreate a famous build?

1. GET THE PROPORTION RIGHT!

Use the characters in the movie as your guide. One Sim would be onr tile wide. You can use animals like cats and dogs for reference too. Furniture, doors, and windows in a scene also helps! Instead of building a room before furnishing, try furnishing first and then build the room around it.

2. BE RESOURCEFUL! Can't find the exact same object in a certain category? Try looking at others! A plant decor can be a roof piece, or a wall decoration can look like a window shutter. The key to finding the right object is looking at their texture and shape - don't be limited by the category they're sorted into! The TOOL mod would be super useful for this. 3. MAKE IT YOUR OWN! Any recreation won't come out exactly like the original. Don't be bummed by it! Take your own creative liberty and use it on the build, especially on the areas which are never shown in the original. Don't feel like you're being restrained by the reference photo. You're still the builder and you make the calls!

Have a build question for MaiaMakes? Tweet us at @SimsNationMagazine!

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ORIGINAL GHIBLI BUILD

MAIA’S BUILD

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TIPS & TRICKS WITH TSMLHYN TSMLhyn is an absolute juggernaut in the Sims Mobile build arena. Armed with wild creativity and the subtle art that is glitch building, TSMLhyn constructs eye-popping castles, grand mansions, cozy cabins, and perfect palaces with limited items. Learn Lhyn’s process in this handy Sims Mobile build series!

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MAIN IDEA AND SUPPORTING IDEAS

My builds usually consist of a main idea and a supporting idea. In this build the main idea is the waterfall; the river and house are the supporting ideas. I thought, “what if I built a waterfall?” I tried it out with blue columns and foliage. I thought, “This is good! What else can I build on the remaining space?” So I filled the remaining space with a river and cabin. Then, I tried the same idea on my eco retreat lot. This time, the supporting ideas are the wading pool and the beach area!

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This one, my main idea was the grand staircase with balcony and high ceiling feature.. The rest were supporting ideas. I spent just two days on that build because I was too excited to see the outcome! To create the illusion of a high ceiling, I built a mezzanine by floating marble end tables! I use the same items to build magnificent balconies too.

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PEACHY’S PLACE

ROMANCE AND HAPPY ENDINGS When did you start playing the Sims? Why storytelling? I didn’t start playing Sims until Sims 3, so by Sims 4 I was totally immersed in the Sims world. I do not have any IRL friends that play so it was always just me and my made-up world and the stories for the families I played with. I am an aspiring romance author, which is why my Sims stories are happy with just a little drama thrown in. I feel there is enough craziness, tragedy, and darkness in real life; my Sims world is my escape. Even in Sims 3, I made up backstories and connected my households either through friendships, or relationships. One day on YouTube I stumbled upon a couple of series that told Sims stories -- Homeless and Pregnant (by diamonnddx) and Teen Runaway (by Curious Simmer)-- and I was hooked. I remember binge watching those series and thought to myself-- I can do that. What projects can we enjoy from you?

In episode one of “A Model Romance'', Dana meets television star and model Xavier Morgan. He is nice and all but she is not about to get caught up with another pretty boy. He appears to be interested; will she give in? Xavier finds her attractive and the fact she is not fawning over him is really intriguing.

Peachy's Place: https://www.youtube.com/c/PeachysPlace A Model Romance: https://www.youtube.com/playlist? list=PLq5P6PLt6AEK-dKF92F2IwHew6ExnwQ8n Love by Coincidence (Izzy Mom Games Collab): https://www.youtube.com/playlist? list=PLq5P6PLt6AELKtq0rudzbPpJjos-gg3ZW Twitter: https://twitter.com/chocolatepeach8

I created my first machinima “Whispered Promises'' in August 2019. It ran for two seasons. Then, I started a soap opera, “For You I Will'', and then another series, “A Model Romance,” followed by a collaboration with a good friend, Love by Coincidence. My favorite story is whichever story I am working on at the time. I like having a little suspense, but one thing a viewer knows is when the story is done – there will be a happy ending.

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PEACHY’S PLACE

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εяяσя404ρнιℓℓιρs A CHAT WITH THE G.O.A.T

Tell us about yourself! A bit about me, Error404Phillips. I have been making machinimas for about four years now. That is how I introduced myself to the Sims community. I am a proud lesbian. I'm obsessed with storytelling. What was your first machinima? My first machinima was called “Just JDT'', which was based on my comic book that I have been working on for about ten years. With over hundred-plus pages, the comic made it easy for me to make my episodes. What is the most exciting part about filming machinimas? The most exciting part for me about filming machinimas is recording the sex scenes. Here is where animations come into play. The lack of romantic and sensual animations for Wicked Whims animations back in 17' was depressing. So instead of continuously complaining about the issue, I decided to teach myself how to animate so I could make them myself.

YT link: https://www.youtube.com/c/Error404Phillips Website: https://error404phillips.wixsite.com/error404p hillips Just JDT Machinima: https://error404phillips.wixsite.com/error404p hillips/blank-page-5 Adjusting Machinima: https://www.youtube.com/playlist? list=PLXacj4TBDr9dcShsbS9E1IOTFRcGW2tAd Twitter: https://twitter.com/animator_E404P Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/error404phillips

I started making my animations only for my series because I wanted it to be unique. Then I thought: Why not share them with others? Maybe that would encourage other animators to make more sensual and romantic animations. Today, my animations have influenced so many others and people have an abundance of sensual and romantic animations to choose from! I love everything about it. 69 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

εяяσя404ρнιℓℓιρs

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LET THEM LEARN: A LOOK INTO EDUCATION IN AFRICA Written by Sarah N. Photos and Build by Alaeryn Emlu'rathian

One thing that Americans can agree on is that we don’t have to worry about school in this country as much as other countries do. Is education in America perfect? No. As a matter of fact, the whole system could use a massive overhaul. But while college and beyond is no American guarantee, public school is mandatory in even the poorest parts of our nation. American children receive an education from the age of five until they are 17 or 18, for better or for worse. There is still blatant segregation in the United States and, often, BIPOC children do not receive the same opportunities as their white classmates. That said, even at its worst, kids in America do not face the same issues as kids in Africa.

Education is an important part of a child’s life, and it is one thing that I think is taken for granted in countries like the US. While our teachers are grossly underpaid in a lot of areas, we know that our children are going to go to school and learn. For this, we should count our blessings. This isn’t the story in several parts of Africa. There, children have the desire to learn, but lack the resources, the building, or even the teacher. In the sub-Saharan Africa region, over a fifth of kids age 6 to 11 are out of school, with a third of the 12 to 14 age group. Almost 60% of the 15 to 17 crowd aren’t in school. [continued on page 19]

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A big part of the reason for this is a shortage of teachers. Seven out of ten countries in the sub-Saharan region are facing an acute shortage of teachers, which is causing the teachers they DO have to face mass overcrowding in multi-grade classrooms. The biggest reason for this is that Africa has the fastest-growing school-age population globally. For example, for every 100 children of primary age and every 100 of secondary age in 2014, there will be 138 and 148 respectively in 2030, according to UIS. Even though there are very high unemployment rates in many of these African countries, teaching is not a job many want to pursue. This is because the salaries are low and oftentimes not regular. Many times, these teachers are teaching in overcrowded classrooms with little to no access to textbooks or even basic services like electricity. Women and girls are often under-educated in many parts of Africa. In the sub-Saharan region alone, 9 million girls between the ages of six and eleven will never go to school. 6 million of their mle counterparts will also never attend. 23% of girls do not attend primary school, and as they enter adolescence, that percentage of unenrolled girls rises to 36%. One recurrent factor in this is poverty. Given that these are some of the poorest countries in the world, it stands to reason that many children aren’t going to school for a multitude of reasons, the biggest being that they are sick or malnourished due to lack of food, lack of proper medical care, and lack of basic necessities such as clothing, water, personal hygiene products, etc.

We all take these things for granted here in America, where our poorest regions aren’t as bad off. School often guarantees them at least two meals a day through the week, especially if the child comes from a poor family. Many schools in areas with high poverty rates provide various services to help families. Transportation is often provided to and from school and schools, at the very least, have basic services like electricity and running water. There are so many ways to help raise awareness, as well as money, for these countries. One that passed with flying colors on Charity Navigator is The Borgen Project, a group that believes “that leaders of the most powerful nation on earth should be doing more to address global poverty.” They claim they are the innovative, national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of U.S. foreign policy. They not only focus on campaigning for education for everyone, but also providing food and electricity to these countries, specifically the sub-Saharan region. If you would like to learn more about The Borgan Project, please go to their website, https://borgenproject.org/. To see how you can get involved, check out their Get Involved page at https://borgenproject.org/get-involved-inthe-cause/. To donate to The Borgan Project, simply go to https://borgenproject.org/donate/. You can select how much you want to donate and if you’d like it to be a one time donation or recurring. Check out their site to see where your money is going and how you can be part of the change.

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W O R D S E A R C H

HOWARD SPELMAN MOREHOUSE SHAW XAVIER HAMPTON TUSKEGEE BENEDICT ALLEN FISK MORGAN DILLARD CHAFLIN LANGSTON SIMMONS

C H T B L A C K E M O R E H O U S E

T T E E E A G C A L I C T Y W J H K

U B S N L H E H C N V I P G X O A U

S E M E C O L A O Q U E E N W V W N

K A K D I W U F G A A K M J U V J W

E Y A I R A L L E N X S N O M M I S

G K I C R R T I H O U A Y D P I E I

E P R T L D I N B G S L N R B C L C

E J C C A E T V C R H A M P T O N B

X W P Q R O Y W U O C N E R S I T Y

K T L R U L G A E M C G R M R B Q O

L D I L L A R D R I E S A P E A G L

A W C U A A C K S O N T Q V H Q E M

W D P M N C E X P T C O N E E N E I

X A V I E R V V A M E N A M L E P S

76 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS MONDAY

TUESDAY

FREEPLAY: New! Maternity Pack 23

MOBILE: Wumples #64

FREEPLAY: -New! Influence Island S16: Maximalist Bedroom -New! SimChase S33: Fierce Fashion SIMS 4: Spa Day Refresh!

MOBILE: Wumples #63

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FREEPLAY: Paperboy Double Rewards

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

MOBILE: -The "Beatnik" TH + KIT -Summer Flash Yard Sale Pack

15 FREEPLAY: 16 MOBILE: 17 MOBILE: London Fashion Week Mi Cultura Viva en Mi New! Marvellously Free Pack Maximalist Live Event Pack re-run

22 MOBILE: Milan Fashion Week Pack re-run

28 FREEPLAY: 29 FREEPLAY: MOBILE: Player Favorite: Paperboy Double Paris Fashion Week 'Inner Child's Play" Rewards Pack re-run Quest

SUNDAY

MOBILE: New York Fashion Week Pack re-run

MOBILE: -Catwalk Fabulous STS re-run -Style Pop Studio Pack re-run FREEPLAY: New! SimChase S34: Autumn Action

77 | THE SIMS NATION MAGAZINE