ISSUE 12 • DEC 2021
WINTER CAS LOOKBOOKS FROM SHELLYBEME, JO_SE_OH, AND DAY SIMMER!
HUNDREDS OF LIVE, CURATED CC LINKS! HOT OR FLOP? : A MODERN MENSWEAR KIT REVIEW
FEATURING
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH TWISTED MEXI AND SATISIMS
IN THIS ISSUE WE ARE THE REVOLUTION
7
MAGNUM OPUS: A Moment with Twisted Mexi – Interview by Alaeryn Emlu'rathian
14
PATIENCE AND PRECISION: A Moment with SatiSims – Interview by Alaeryn Emlu'rathian
19
BUBBLY BEACON OF LIGHT: A Moment with Catharina Sims – Interview by Alaeryn Emlu'rathian
23
MADE WITH LOVE: A Moment with CallMeChefG – Interview by Alaeryn Emlu'rathian
BUILD THE REVOLUTION 27
HOLIDAY ROOM PICS [On the Gallery!]
37
BETTER BUILD TIPS with MaiaMakes
39
RED CHRISTMAS: Building with Cherrieee
IN THIS ISSUE 48
SIMS MOBILE TIPS&TRICKS with TSMLhyn
49
HIGH-CLASS HOLIDAY: A Christmas Custom Content Spread with Alaeryn
59
COMFORT & KWANZAA: A Holiday Build Spread
RUNWAY REVOLUTION 66
SHELLYBEE’S WINTER WEAR CENTERFOLD
68
DAY SIMMER’S WINTER WEAR LOOKBOOK
73
HOT OR FLOP? : A Modern Menswear Kit Review
75
JO_SE_OH’S WINTER WEAR LOOKBOOK
IN THIS ISSUE THE REVOLUTION MIGHT BE TELEVISED 81
CUDDLY COZY COUPLE POSES with SLFJ Productions
87
THE CLAN FINALE by Sarah N.
START THE REVOLUTION 90
#ABLEGAMERS
THE JOY OF REVOLUTION 91
HOLIDAY CROSSWORD
94
HOLIDAY SHELL CHALLENGES
95
DECEMBER CALENDAR
OUR STAFF.
EDITOR IN CHIEF : ALAERYN
EXECUTIVE PUBLICATION AND GRAPHICS EDITOR: IRIMIEL
ASSISTANT EDITOR : LIZZYUK
CHIEF CUSTOM CONTENT CURATOR: SHELLYBEE
MACHINIMA CONTRIBUTOR AND POSE CURATOR: SLFJ PRODUCTIONS
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: ANADULTSIMMER
CUSTOM CONTENT CURATOR: DAY SIMMER
CUSTOM CONTENT CURATOR: JO_SE_OH
STAFF WRITER: SARAH N.
STAFF WRITER: QUEENYAYT
CONSOLE BUILD CONTRIBUTOR: CHERRIEEE
SIMS MOBILE BUILD CONTRIBUTOR: TSMLHYN
https://linktr.ee/SimsNationMagazine
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of a Grinch.
This issue of Sims Nation Magazine aims to bring you the special joy inherent in the holidays. We
This time of year, which once felt so magical as a
explore the beauty of holiday decorating, cozy
child, easily slips into territory that is stressful at
winter wear, and rediscover the wonderland that is
best and damn depressing at worst. Despite my
winter with awe-inspiring builds. We hear from
love for darker days and cooler weather, I always
TwistedMexi, a giant of the Sms modding
find myself scrambling to find the perfect gifts for
community; SatiSims, an enormously creative
my loved ones, irritated by the influx of unabashed
fantasy builder, and many others as we celebrate
consumerism masquerading as good cheer, and
the beauty of the year’s end while looking forward
lamenting the loss of yet another year which failed
to a new beginning.
to live up to my great expectations. The past couple of years have been difficult for But this time of year does truly mean more than
many. Now, more than ever, we must hold fast to
what meets the eye. The holidays find us a little
what brings us joy and spread it as far and as wide
kinder as we give to both our loved ones and
as we can.
favorite charities. The days are darker, which gives more time to rest, reflect, and hunker down with
Happy Holidays,
our families. As we mull over the passing of another year, we can cherish the ones we love
A. Em
while remembering the ones we lost.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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WE ARE THE REVOLUTION
MAGNUM OPUS: A MOMENT WITH TWISTED MEXI INTERVIEW BY: ALAERYN EMLU'RATHIAN
The Sims 4 modding community is rich and robust. Full of talented programmers who correct EA script errors, add player-requested gameplay features, and enhance the features of the game which already exist, this community is often described as the backbone of the Sims 4 gaming experience. But even amongst this immensely talented crew, there are a handful of modders who have become not simply a mainstay of PC Simming but also a vital lifeline for Simmers who love the game and want to take their gameplay to new heights.
codes more readily, resize objects to mathematically accurate proportions, and far more. Builders have used this mod to create astounding new objects from ingame ones, dramatically modify lackluster builds, and even manipulate posed Sims. The Sims community, including its developers, are endlessly enamored with the T.O.O.L mod; for it unlocks not only the enormous potential of Sims 4’s expansive build feature but also the mind-boggling creativity of its players. And Twisted is in no way finished.
TwistedMexi is one of these momentous modders. Twisted is a Sims modding giant; his T.O.O.L Mod and Better BuildBuy Mod enhance a building system that was already top-notch. This brilliant mind managed to program a script mod by which builders swear, a mod which allows them to take tab-mode pictures in build mode, rotate in-game objects, expand the catalogue system for easier browsing, raise and lower items in more precise increments, make use of in-game cheat
Sims Nation Magazine sat down with TwistedMexi to peep at the person “behind the curtain,” to admire their layers of genius, and discuss what Mexi considers their magnum opus, the astounding Create-a-World Mod. Our interview reveals Mexi as a thoughtful, meticulous force who is deeply passionate about the incredible feats the building community manages with the mod.
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Alaeryn: Twisted! It’s such an honor to speak with you. Sims 4 builders swear by your meticulously crafted mods. T.O.O.L, BetterBuildBuy, and now your Create-a-World mod are undeniable staples of the Sims 4 mod community. Did you ever think you’d get here? Do you sleep? How is life treating you? TMex: Thanks for having me! I certainly do sleep haha, I always try to keep a balance between work and life, otherwise what's the point? I'm a pretty private person when it comes to my personal life but I'd say life is treating me pretty great, certainly can't complain! Alaeryn: Let’s start at the beginning - where did you grow up and what inspired you to begin programming? TMex: I grew up in the United States, in West Virginia, not to be confused with western Virginia. I credit the original Sims game and my struggle with getting it installed as the reason I became interested not necessarily with programming, but with computers in general. My interest in programming was just a natural progression of that. There's just something about being able to get a computer to do exactly what you imagined that's satisfying to me.
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Alaeryn: What is the mod creation process like for you? How do you manage to take care of yourself while managing such an important mod? TMex: I'm not really sure how to answer that. I just sort of decide I want to get the game to do something in particular, and I work at it until it does. In general I try to think of things that I believe could function better than they currently do, especially in build mode. As for self-care throughout it, I usually have set days for development, and the other days are for all the other things. I might pop into Discord or Twitter on any given day but actual development stays where it belongs. Alaeryn: How have you streamlined your creative process over time if at all? TMex: My creative process just consists of me making a list of what I want to do, and then checking it off once I figure it out in-game. If anyone figures out how to optimize that, I'm all ears haha. Sometimes I end up adding more features as I go, as I'll discover something new in the process of making one of the original items work.
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Alaeryn: T.O.O.L allows players to rotate objects 360 degrees, size objects up and down in more precise increments, and way more! What is the most creative thing you’ve seen players do with T.O.O.L? TMex: I don't think I could pick a single thing as the most creative, as TOOL can be used for many different forms of creativity, and I'd consider them all equal. I've seen players use TOOL as it was originally intended, where they take objects off the lot and add decor or functionality to the world surrounding it, but more frequently I see it used as a way to add finishing touches to a build, majorly modifying a build, or sometimes to sculpt an entirely new object from many existing objects. Others use it as a pose tool, to pull their sim exactly where they want when using a set pose. I'd say the most interesting thing I've seen done with it is when players "wrap" a functional object with TOOL'd items to make it look new, but keep the functionality of the original. Alaeryn: On that same note, BetterBuildBuy is similarly groundbreaking. It expands the build UI, organizes the debug menu, and even comes with freemoving camera in build mode! Can you walk us through your thought process as you wrote the script for this incredible, game-changing mod? TMex: Yeah so Better BuildBuy is actually required if players want to use TOOL in build mode, which I personally find much more efficient than using TOOL in live mode. I did this because I wanted TOOL to have minimal mod conflicts and be less likely to break frequently. Better BuildBuy can't be done without those fragile UI changes anyway, so I figured I'd add the build mode integration to that and let them work together. My thinking was pretty straight-forward for Better BuildBuy. I wanted to make the buildbuy mode better, and I saw several ways it was lacking. Better BuildBuy's magic isn't really in the scripting but in my knowledge of The Sims 4's resource system and tools I've built that generate the organized debug items for me.
WE ARE THE REVOLUTION
. I knew the debug items had technical names for devs to use, they just weren't used in the game, so I built an exporter that would read their names, add it to the game text, and heuristically categorize them based on the categories of similarly named objects. Any objects that can't be automatically categorized get sent to a list where I then go in and refine categorization rules to include them. As far as what makes it so useful in-game is that you can organize without them being marked as CC and it's fairly easy to use since it's integrated with the buildbuy UI. Alaeryn: What is the most frustrating aspect of mod creation? The most rewarding? TMex: They go hand-in-hand. When you have a great idea and spend hours, days, or sometimes months trying to make it work, that's frustrating. When you finally do get it to work though, that's the most rewarding feeling you can get. The public's reaction to your mod is always a close second though. Alaeryn: You’ve just released Create-a-World mod, which allows builders to build virtually anywhere in game. How on earth did you manage this incredible feat? What has community reaction been like? TMex: Well to be clear, because there has been a lot of confusion on this, Create-A-World is not "released" in the slightest. It's currently in a closed Alpha. That's not the one week early access "alpha" or "beta" players are used to from triple A game companies. This is a legitimate alpha, which means there's risks, bugs, and features that aren't working correctly or simply not there at all yet. Those who are participating in the alpha are actually giving me useful feedback that is then going into the mod to prepare it for release. There's a long way to go in that regard but I'm making progress constantly.
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Alaeryn: T.O.O.L allows players to rotate objects 360 degrees, size objects up and down in more precise increments, and way more! What is the most creative thing you’ve seen players do with T.O.O.L? TMex: I don't think I could pick a single thing as the most creative, as TOOL can be used for many different forms of creativity, and I'd consider them all equal. I've seen players use TOOL as it was originally intended, where they take objects off the lot and add decor or functionality to the world surrounding it, but more frequently I see it used as a way to add finishing touches to a build, majorly modifying a build, or sometimes to sculpt an entirely new object from many existing objects. Others use it as a pose tool, to pull their sim exactly where they want when using a set pose. I'd say the most interesting thing I've seen done with it is when players "wrap" a functional object with TOOL'd items to make it look new, but keep the functionality of the original. Alaeryn: On that same note, BetterBuildBuy is similarly groundbreaking. It expands the build UI, organizes the debug menu, and even comes with freemoving camera in build mode! Can you walk us through your thought process as you wrote the script for this incredible, game-changing mod? TMex: Yeah so Better BuildBuy is actually required if players want to use TOOL in build mode, which I personally find much more efficient than using TOOL in live mode. I did this because I wanted TOOL to have minimal mod conflicts and be less likely to break frequently. Better BuildBuy can't be done without those fragile UI changes anyway, so I figured I'd add the build mode integration to that and let them work together. My thinking was pretty straight-forward for Better BuildBuy. I wanted to make the buildbuy mode better, and I saw several ways it was lacking. Better BuildBuy's magic isn't really in the scripting but in my knowledge of The Sims 4's resource system and tools I've built that generate the organized debug items for me.
WE ARE THE REVOLUTION
. I knew the debug items had technical names for devs to use, they just weren't used in the game, so I built an exporter that would read their names, add it to the game text, and heuristically categorize them based on the categories of similarly named objects. Any objects that can't be automatically categorized get sent to a list where I then go in and refine categorization rules to include them. As far as what makes it so useful in-game is that you can organize without them being marked as CC and it's fairly easy to use since it's integrated with the buildbuy UI. Alaeryn: What is the most frustrating aspect of mod creation? The most rewarding? TMex: They go hand-in-hand. When you have a great idea and spend hours, days, or sometimes months trying to make it work, that's frustrating. When you finally do get it to work though, that's the most rewarding feeling you can get. The public's reaction to your mod is always a close second though. Alaeryn: You’ve just released Create-a-World mod, which allows builders to build virtually anywhere in game. How on earth did you manage this incredible feat? What has community reaction been like? TMex: Well to be clear, because there has been a lot of confusion on this, Create-A-World is not "released" in the slightest. It's currently in a closed Alpha. That's not the one week early access "alpha" or "beta" players are used to from triple A game companies. This is a legitimate alpha, which means there's risks, bugs, and features that aren't working correctly or simply not there at all yet. Those who are participating in the alpha are actually giving me useful feedback that is then going into the mod to prepare it for release. There's a long way to go in that regard but I'm making progress constantly. [...]
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I call Create-A-World my magnum opus, because I see years worth of improvements and extra features I can add even after release. The amount of moving parts to make this mod work is astronomical, which came with a challenge in its own right - how do I create a mod this complex in a way that won't severely break with every little patch? I believe I've built a pretty decent system where some of the mod files are generated using the player's own copy of the game, so it can update automatically when a patch hits. There's definitely plenty of room for improvement with that system but it's working pretty well in the Alpha so far. Overall reception has been great, certainly better than I've seen from any of my previous mods. I'd be lying if I said the feedback didn't feel a little underwhelming after two years of research and development, but I figure as the mod gets closer to completion, and finally public release, it will spread pretty quickly among the modding community. I'd love to see some cc creators out there start releasing world decor packs as the demand for it grows. I think once I can show off the template editor and get people's hands on it, that will help signal boost the mod as well. That's where the lot and terrain manipulation will be done. Alaeryn: This month, Sims Nation Magazine is highlighting the holidays! What are your plans for the holiday season? TMex: I'm more of a summer vacationer so my holiday plans are just the usual. Visit family and hopefully have a few extra delicious meals! Alaeryn: What’s next for you? How do you continue innovating a craft that you’ve nearly perfected over the years? TMex: I would say about every modder, or developer for that matter, worth their salt would agree with me when I say you never feel as if you've perfected it. You could be doing something a certain way for years and one day you just realize a new way that makes you question why you ever did it the other way in the first place.
BUILD THE REVOLUTION
Then one day you'll find yet another method that makes the one you had found seem just as ridiculous. There's something of an anxiety to it, where you're always curious if there's a better method. It's almost an intrusive thought sometimes where you'll be working on a mod but the thought will pop in, "What if I could just do this?." You then have to weigh whether it's worth it to possibly sidetrack yourself on what could potentially be a dead end, or just do it the way you know is tedious but works. I always try to save those for later if I can't pursue them immediately, and go back to it when I'm not pressing toward a particular release. [...]
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As for what's next for me, Create-A-World is my magnum opus as I mentioned. It's such an allencompassing mod that there will likely never be a shortage of ideas for it. Apartments, vacation worlds, better terrain tools, etc. In the immediate future, I'm working to stabilize the worldbuilder in the alpha, and bring the exporter online. I will also be bringing TS4CAW.com online as the official exchange for those worlds. When I do this, it will certainly bring my development into an era of gameplay-focused bugs that I'll need to work through as well. Once those are out of the way, then I'll be working on the template editor to bring the CAW ecosystem to completion. No guarantees but I'll most likely be creating that tool using Unreal Engine 5. For anyone who's wondering why I call it Create-A-World if you can't currently modify the actual terrain and lots, it's because I already have done so myself for proof of concept. The problem is I need to make that into a user-friendly tool everyone can use. So CAW has my main focus, but along the way I'll certainly be releasing updates for my existing mods and occasionally some new smaller mods. I just recently finished the "All Scenarios" mod, which removes all the time restrictions from EA's scenarios. That's not an alpha, but is in early access as a release candidate for patrons until it officially releases on December 7th, 2021. Many don't realize that a lot of features seen in TOOL or Better BuildBuy came from my Project Raven development, or what everyone now knows as Create-A-World. There will undoubtedly be more features I can pass down from CAW to those other mods of mine. All I can say is I'm not going anywhere, plenty of more updates to come, and I can't thank my patrons enough for making such things possible!
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PATIENCE AND PRECISION: A MOMENT WITH
SATISIMS
INTERVIEW BY: ALAERYN EMLU'RATHIAN
Building in the Sims has only grown more versatile with time. Will Wright, the mastermind behind The Sims franchise, initially created the legendary game after his own home burned down. Since the original Sims, build mode has become better, brighter, and more easily accessed by even the most novice of builders and decorators. This versatility, coupled with such groundbreaking build mods as TwistedMexi’s T.O.O.L mod, has birthed a generation of intensely talented Sims builders who have taken the art of Sims architecture and brought it to new heights. SatiSims is one of those incredible builders whose work is instantly recognizable. Specializing in all things fantastic, Sati manages to create intricate, jawdropping fantasy replicas and custom-made fantasy items using both the awesome power of T.O.O.L and her own boundless imagination. Sati sees function where the average person does not. Her unmatched eye for precision and near-angelic levels of patience have rendered her able to build unbelievable lots such as Hyrule castle from Legend of Zelda’s Breath of the Wild, Kilika Island from Final Fantasy X, and a slew of functional items from World of Warcraft and Genshin Impact. Sims Nation Magazine sat down with SatiSims to uncover her creative process and to get the T.O.O.L mod skinny. The result is an enormously fun interview that shows Sati as bubbly, thoughtful, gracious, and endlessly humble.
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Alaeryn: Oh my goodness, Sati! Thanks for sitting down with Sims Nation Magazine! We’re all such huge fans of your builds. How is life treating you? Any amazing holiday plans? Sati: Well Thank YOU for asking me for an interview! What you do for the Sims community is huge and just so amazing so I'm super honored to talk to you! Almost feels like a little pre-Christmas gift! To start answering your questions, I’m slowly getting the hang of how to make lemonade so i guess we’re good! Super looking forward to the Christmas days that i will spend at home with my parents! I hope you guys at Sims Nation Magazine are fine and healthy too and will be able to recharge some batteries over the holidays! Alaeryn: The Blooming Rooms kit recently dropped, and you are a dedicated plant parent! How do you feel about this kit? Sati: I love this Kit, really! I know kits are in general a controversial idea, but I feel like this was exactly what kits should be. We were lacking new indoor plants, small plants, hanging plants and we got all that so i'm super satisfied with it really. The textures and details are super cute and I have the exact same avocado propagation station in the kitchen that I finally know the purpose of - thanks to the kit. The Kit didn't exactly start it, but it pushed my plant addiction to a new height almost instantly... Now I'm starting to feel like I'm in a jungle... Whoops. Alaeryn: You are well-known for your intricate fantasy builds. When were you introduced to fantasy as a genre and what about it inspires you so thoroughly? Sati: Oof, that is a good question and one that I could probably use to narrate half of my life. While I visited medieval fairs with my dad, my aunt, uncle, and cousin almost every summer, it was really JRPG's– Japanese Roleplaying Games- that introduced me to the fantasy world in video games: Grandia on Playstation One and Final Fantasy X on the Playstation 2. [...]
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My dad had to make me Rikku's Weapons from plywood so i could roleplay properly with my friends. I think what inspired me so immensely about it was that it has no limits, nobody can tell you what's right or wrong with YOUR fantasy. And nowadays I feel the same about my builds; they don’t lack logic - it's magic. *sparkle hands* Alaeryn: Tell us about you! Where did you grow up and does your upbringing inspire your builds at all? Sati: And I guess that also halfway answers your next question. I grew up in a super rural area building treehouses and roleplaying fantasy games in the backyard, so I guess it's safe to say it definitely inspired what I do today! Alaeryn: You’re hands down one of the finest T.O.O.L experts in the Sims community. How has your experience with this mod changed the game for you? Sati: Oh! Well, thank you so very much! T.O.O.L. really has changed pretty much everything about my game. When I first started building in The Sims 4, I did that with a LOT of custom content, moved over to creating my own CC, and then went without CC completely. After T.O.O.L 's release, it didn't take long for me to realize that I could probably do similar things that I did when creating CC, just with the in-game items.And so my first T.O.O.L. Item was born! This really just kickstarted what came next, and now I'm over here rotating cutting boards into circular hallways! Alaeryn: Do you have any advice for builders who are new to T.O.O.L or BetterBuildBuy? How did you get so good at it? Sati: Okay, so my advice would be not to look at the insane T.O.O.L. stuff as references for its functions. T.O.O.L. is the most convenient tool in the game in my opinion; [it guarantees] no more floating plants on your landscaping and [allows you to] make that awning just slightly bigger. [...]
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[First] get familiar with its basic functions and you will soon realize all the power that it has, especially now that Twisted Mexi brought [T.O.O.L] into the build mode through BetterBuildBuy. So [using T.O.O.L] got even more convenient [in ways] I didn't even know I needed. I often see people saying they are intimidated by it, but there is no need to rush it, no need to know every single function, some of which I’ve never even used. Start using it for the small stuff like I mentioned earlier, and I promise you, you won't have to look for ideas on what to use it for - the ideas and opportunities will find you! As for Better BuildBuy - regardless of whether or not you want to use T.O.O.L– Better BuildBuy is making things just so much easier when working with debug and liveedit. 15/10 can recommend both! Alaeryn: Your builds are the stuff of legends. Your Hyrule castle, inspired by Legend of Zelda, is a jawdropping work of art. Describe your process when building something so intricate. Sati: Thank you so very much for your words about this monster! And that's really what it is, haha! To whoever's reading this: Please save your game before you download this lot and you do it at your own risk! Whenever I start building a replica, I start with gathering as much reference footage as I can. The best starting point is virtually walking around the model. I did this with most of my WoW replicas and also with Hateno and Hyrule Castle from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. For this one I realized I couldn't get all the angles by just paragliding from its peak, so I joined a modding discord for Breath of the Wild and found someone who gave me the 3D model of the restored castle - jackpot! From there, I really only had to translate what I saw to the game - mostly using T.O.O.L for that. I think you will find some more answers about the process in its speed speedbuild video.
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Alaeryn: Your builds are the stuff of legends. Your Hyrule castle, inspired by Legend of Zelda, is a jawdropping work of art. Describe your process when building something so intricate. Sati: Thank you so very much for your words about this monster! And that's really what it is, haha! To whoever's reading this: Please save your game before you download this lot and you do it at your own risk! Whenever I start building a replica, I start with gathering as much reference footage as I can. The best starting point is virtually walking around the model. I did this with most of my WoW replicas and also with Hateno and Hyrule Castle from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. For this one I realized I couldn't get all the angles by just paragliding from its peak, so I joined a modding discord for Breath of the Wild and found someone who gave me the 3D model of the restored castle - jackpot! From there, I really only had to translate what I saw to the game - mostly using T.O.O.L for that. I think you will find some more answers about the process in its speed speedbuild video. Alaeryn: What are your favorite creations to date? Sati: My favorite creations would be Hyrule castle, my medieval village, pretty much all the builds that I haven't uploaded yet and am still working on like Hobbitbrook, and Kilika for nostalgic reasons. There are a few candidates! I love and hate each build for its own reasons so it's hard to pinpoint Alaeryn: Excluding the perfection that is the TwistedMexi suite, what are your favorite mods to include in-game? Do you use CC at all? Sati: I don't really use any build CC but if i could recommend some more creators it would definitely be ArniePlus(formerly TheSimsPlus) for his super amazing gameplay and buildmode mods, NandoSims for his super cool custom worlds,
WE ARE THE REVOLUTION
and BakieGaming for all the great animal spawners and effects he liberated! Who doesn't need some Butterflies or more waterfalls? Alaeryn: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? Sati: Nothing to share in particular but at this point i want to throw out a big thank you to everyone who read through all of this! I might've digressed here and there, but I am super grateful for the opportunity from you. Thanks to Sims Nation Magazine! I really appreciate it! I'm wishing you all the most amazing holidays and may the best things come to you next year! Thank you so much for having me and reading!
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BUBBLY BEACON OF LIGHT A MOMENT WITH CATHARINA SIMS INTERVIEW BY: ALAERYN EMLU'RATHIAN
Catharina Sims is one of those community Simmers who is unabashedly, tirelessly committed to the Sims community at large. She is constantly involved in not only her own storytelling and Sim-creating pursuits, but also the creations of other Simmers. Her support and willingness to uplift other Simmers has long been a beacon of light in the community for years. Recently, Catharina became an EA Creator for The Sims FreePlay, a mobile version of the Sims and close cousin to earlier iterations of the franchise like Sims 2.
Quirky, robust, and full of both main and time-limited quests, the Sims Freeplay welcomed Catharina into its ranks of kind, knowledgeable, and dedicated EA Creators. Sims Nation Magazine connected with Catharina to discuss her history with the Sims, dig into her desires for the future of Sims FreePlay, and to converse about her plans for the upcoming holidays! Our conversation reveals Catharina to be kind, bubbly, and truly dedicated to the Sims community.
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Alaeryn: Catharina! I’m so excited to talk to you! You’ve been an incredible staple of both the mobile and PC Sims communities for a long time. How is life treating you? Catharina: Alaeryn! I'm so thrilled and flattered to be interviewed by you! Life is quite busy for me at the moment; I'm working a lot (I'm a freelancer in the healthcare field... need I say more?), but my involvement in the Sims Freeplay and Sims 4 communities is really helping me to unwind, relax, and escape the pattern of work-eat-sleep-repeat a bit. I might not have posted many Sims, builds, and stories lately, but I'm scrolling through Sims Twitter (and Insta) almost every break to replenish my energy. Alaeryn: Tell us about you! Where are you from? What brings you the most joy these days? Catharina: I'm from Europe, but I tend to keep my nationality vague as most people will associate it with either absolutely nothing or something incorrect (never something positive though, only negative associations.) And after about two decades on this planet I still am no teacher or mythbuster hehe. At work, silly questions from people and everyday conversations give me the chuckles I need to get through the day. My healthcare uniform doesn't mean I have to be serious all the time, especially near the end of my shift. I also love seeing people accomplish their goals, maybe even more than completing my own goals. And did I mention I find much joy in playing the Sims?
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Alaeryn: It’s the holiday season! How do you and your family celebrate the holidays? Catharina: I don't have a very big family (and I cut off contact with one side of my family) so usually the holidays are just me, my parents, and my grandparents. One of our Christmas traditions is making Heston Blumenthal's Perfect Roast Potatoes! My mom makes the potatoes, and I make homemade mayonnaise with different flavors like lemon zest, sun dried tomatoes, or nori. Feel free to hit me up with mayo inspiration! Maybe I can try out a new recipe sometime. Because of Covid, my grandparents likely won't visit this year so I won't have to make as much mayo as I had two years ago (thank goodness, I still have a sore arm from that!) Besides that, I also grew up with a lot of Jewish traditions, though I'm not Jewish. After the Jewish holidays- like Passover and Hanukkah- I enjoy going to a kosher supermarket to get some celebratory foods. I've known the owners for years, and they give the leftover kosher foods to people from the neighborhood and poorer people to build a bridge between the Jewish community and other communities. On the 31st of December, one of my family's traditions is to watch a movie (usually Lord of the Rings for the hundredth time!) with some snacks and champagne until it's about an hour and a half before the new year. That's when traditionally a comedian summarizes the past year on national tv. After that they always show the fireworks around the world (honorary mentions to Sydney, Australia, I love the fireworks in the harbor and it's on my bucket list to see them live) and then we count down from 10 to HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Alaeryn: Why the Sims? How did your interest in this juggernaut of a franchise begin? Catharina: Juggernaut? Gosh, I love that word! Anyways, my grandfather got me The Sims in 2000 because he believed social life and meetings and such would be in virtual spaces in the near future and he wanted me to be prepared for that. That hasn't really happened yet but hey, it got me into The Sims, didn’t it? I used to play The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 with my friends (we used to share a disk). Lil old me got scared of anything related to The Sims after getting crazy amounts of bluescreens after trying to play The Sims on my own. Looking back, my millionth-hand computer might've had to do something with that. When The Sims 4 was available for free two years ago, I decided to give the franchise another chance. I got into The Sims FreePlay because I was bored and I browsed the "new apps" category in the app store.It turned out to be the launch day of The Sims FreePlay and tadaa: it's 10 years later and here we are. Alaeryn: You recently became an EA Creator for Sims FreePlay! How excited are you? What surprises you most about the experience so far? Catharina: Oh gosh, let me try to describe. I was innocently eating dinner during my evening shift at work when I got The Message. I successfully resisted the urge to jump out of the window, do a screaming happy dance, run a lap or three around the building, jump back in and yeet some colleagues through the roof from happiness and pride. Instead I nearly choked on my coffee. So far I'm most surprised by how normal and human the devs and other creators are. For years I've looked up to them and felt a bit shy but they're all just so kind, loving and funny!
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Alaeryn: FreePlay is a robust mobile game on its own, but how do you hope it evolves in the future? Catharina: I hope the future brings us more cultural content (like the Moroccan events and Diwali event we had a while ago): growing up in a multicultural city I feel like diversity adds a lot of realism to the game. But diversity shouldn’t stop at Create-a-Sim and Build/Buy. I'd love to see a Christmas quest in a summery environment one day. Or a seasonal quest to save Passover. Or diverse foods and pastries to bake alongside some new plants.I also hope the game will focus more on "older" players by providing new hobbies, careers, and gameplay rather than new time-limited events. Alaeryn: Is there anything else you want our readers to know? Catharina: Yes! You can always DM me (I tend to check Twitter daily, but my insta dms are open as well) in case you have questions, suggestions, concerns or you just wanna chat or vent. Please do keep in mind I'm too lazy to Google translate everything so please stick to English. And be kind to Alaeryn and the team, they deserve nothing but praise and good vibes!
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MADE WITH
LOVE
A MOMENT WITH CALLMECHEFG INTERVIEW BY ALAERYN
I first met CallMeChefG when I popped randomly into one of her Sims streams on Twitch.Her highenergy, easy-going aura, and effortlessly funny community was exactly what I was looking for. But Chef is more than just a streamer she’s a community connoisseur, selfproclaimed foodie, and classically trained culinary artist. Both Chef’s streams and Discord are a ridiculously good time. Between watching movies and cooking delicious dishes together, Chef and her community thrive around a rich culture of food and drink. Sims Nation Magazine caught up with Chef again to talk about food and the holidays! Want to nail that holiday bird this year? Look no further than this interview.
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Alaeryn: Chef, we are so honored that you
Alaeryn: What has been your favorite dish
agreed to sit down with Sims Nation
to cook on-stream? I’m so upset I missed
Magazine again! We just had to have you
the deep-dish pizza stream!
back to talk all things food! Are you a fan of this time of year?
Chef: Oh man, yes! The recipe is in The Feast Discord if you would like it! My
Chef: I am! I don't have much family to turn
favorite dish to cook is honestly pasta from
to, but I can't resist all the festivities and
scratch and dumplings (also from scratch).
excitement I'm surrounded by during this
Those particularly are my longer streams
time, especially if I'm cooking for people!
because the task is so communal, versatile, and encourages conversation while doing tedious work. I think as a community, those
Alaeryn: Although many first got to know
are our favorite. We can bond and connect
you as a gamer, particularly as a Simmer,
through various conversation topics.
you’re actually quite the food and drink streamer on Twitch! Can you tell us more
Honestly, anything that requires tedious
about how that’s going?
work or detailed work with your hands encourages that. I suggest anyone to do
Chef: It's going amazing! So much of the
things like that in the kitchen for quality
channel has evolved and grown around food
time with loved ones.
and drink in the past few months, and I'm so grateful for the Foodie Crew community!
Alaeryn: You and your wife try to eat
We're growing so fast I can't keep up
plant-based meals fairly often, right? What
sometimes! We have adopted many new
are your go-to quick and easy vegan or
things in the channel. We now plan out next
vegetarian meals?
week’s menu as a community every Thursday, host cooking lessons in Discord,
Chef: Go to meals for lunch are power
hold recipe challenges, and share mystery
bowls. Especially prepping for a workout,
snack boxes!
they’re packed with plenty of nutrients when built right.
I do my best to teach and expose others to easy methods during streams. I’ve put a
We’ll actually be reverting back to a full
hyper focus on that now that I see viewers
fast the month of January so viewers will
heeding my words and showing up in
get a more in depth look at what that looks
Discord. I’ve also started posting my recipes
like. I also have something very special
from stream in Discord! That way if anyone
lined up for the new year as well. Currently
needs it, it’s available 24/7.
working on it!
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We also enjoy quick meals to snack mostly.
Chef: My best tips: I highly recommend
During our plant-based diets we do a lot of
brining your turkey at least 24-48 hours
snacking. It’s important! Our favorite
before and rinse it after. If you don’t rinse
dinner meal is a black bean burger. I add
it, you’re going to have a VERY salty turkey.
mushrooms to encourage the earthy, savory flavor in the background mixing with those
If you are frying your turkey, please please
spices. I also add a little secret ingredient
make sure it is completely thawed and
to add a big punch of umami you can’t get
drained. If you don’t, you can cause a fire
enough of!
and hurt yourself or damage your home.
Alaeryn: The season of eating is upon us!
Lastly, if it comes with a neck don’t throw it
What are your favorite recipes to prepare
away! All that yummy goodness can be used
for this time of year?
for your greens, cabbage, gumbo, or any other soup.
Chef: My favorite is chicken and dumplings. I have a recipe from my grandmother’s
If I have to give an elevator speech on
cookbook she published for our family.
cooking a turkey for the holidays, that
I hold it dear to my heart. It’s always
would definitely be it lol!
represented love and abundance of anything you’re trying to manifest.
Alaeryn: In 2021, many people are trying to be more health-conscious, especially when
Culturally, certain foods are considered a
it comes to consuming meat. What dishes
ritual. And for our household, we make sure
do you suggest for a healthy holiday meal,
those meals are made at every annual
if any?
milestone for us. Chef: Honestly, dressing or stuffing can be Generally, it’s my New Year’s Eve meal and
made healthy! If you like to run, you want
the recipe I use to bless my home and space
to keep the gluten in your dressing but it is
for another go around the sun.
very possible to make it vegetarian. There is a difference between dressing and stuffing,
Alaeryn: Millions of American homes will
but both can be without meat. I know some
be baking the holiday bird – turkey–during
people don’t see making greens without
this holiday season. What are your best
ham or some type of bone in their pot, but
tips for a moist turkey dish?
it isn’t necessary. [...]
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Along with your normal seasonings, you can
Alaeryn: Is there anything else you want to
add a ‘Montreal’ or steak seasoning to
share with eager home chefs?
replicate a good “meaty”, savory flavor… and don’t be shy with the garlic!
Chef: Be patient with yourself. Perfection takes time. Also, it doesn’t matter what it
Alaeryn: It’s been a wild year or two across
looks like in the beginning, as long as you
the globe but - what are you thankful for
put a lot of love (and a loving amount of
this year?
garlic) into your food, that’s what matters!
Chef: I’m thankful for my wife. She has been such a rock for me through everything that has happened to us this year. Being scammed by our movers when we transitioned across the country was a big challenge. It was not a small feat to travel from coast to coast, and it hasn’t been easy starting over (literally) from scratch. My wife has been my solid ground. We’ve supported each other through the grievances of losing our memories and everything we worked so hard for. To counter that, I’m grateful for health, love, and community. I’ve always known they’ve been there, but that event and everything following has shown me how incredibly blessed we are to have an abundance of those things to keep us strong and hopeful for better times. I’m forever grateful for the things we do have! That’s the important part.
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SIMS 4
HOLIDAY ROOM BUILDS FROM THE GALLERY + LIVE LINKS!
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CHRISTMAS LIVING ROOM BY : JENNY3003
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CHRISTMAS BY FIRE LIGHT LIVING ROOM BY : GARDENRECLUSE
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FREEZING CHRISTMAS LIVING ROOM BY : FINDJOO
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HANUKKAH LIVING ROOM BY : SRTANAVORSKI
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HANUKKAH DINING ROOM BY : MADERBATS
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I'LL BE HOME FOR HANUKKAH LIVING ROOM BY : AINSLEYFR
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MODERN KWANZAA DINING ROOM BY: GINGERLEMONTHYME
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SIMS 4 KWANZAA LIVING ROOM BY : HOLLYWOODSTL05
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THE TECH GURU LIVING ROOM KWANZAA EDITION BY : MELANIESCRIBBLES
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BETTER BUILD TIPS WITH MAIAMAKES December Decor Details Getting bored with the decor and clutter items in the Sims? Deck your halls with unconventional decoration ideas with just these in-game items from other build and buy catalogs! The TOOL mod would also be helpful in decorating with these items (and it definitely won't tag your builds as custom content!) 1. Lights The lights in the game come in different shapes and sizes so use that to your advantage. Floor lamps and wall lights can be used as ceiling lights or the other way around. Triangular table lamps and wall lights can be rotated by 72 degrees with the TOOL mod to make stars, perfect for your holiday builds! When these lights are turned off, the possibilities for them are endless - a statement piece in a room, a Christmas bauble, or even exterior detailing for your roof. 2. Surfaces The best tables to use as decor are the ones with so much detail. Some end tables have elaborate wood carvings or metal balusters that can serve as exterior details for towers or buildings. Side tables have interesting clutter details so you can turn them into a fireplace mantel or pair it up with cabinets and above-counter shelving. Meanwhile, other tables and counters have simple but textured back surfaces which you can use creatively for several things.
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3. Doors Unlike windows, doors can be rotated easily with the TOOL mod. You can even use stained glass doors and pretend they're stained glass windows. Doors can also be archways not connected to walls (just place the door first before building a wall!) However, like windows, they create that hole in the wall when you size them up or down so be careful when you place them close to a wall! 4. Statues and Miscellaneous Decorations They're not just fancy pieces and spaceconsuming decor! Use them wisely on build exteriors as wall moldings like these dividers from Cats and Dogs! 5. Shelves Last but not the least, shelves make great detail as wall moldings or storage nooks when sized up or rotated. But if you get really creative, you can size them up some more and use them on your exteriors too!
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RED CHRISTMAS Building with Cherrieee This time of year, Simmers have the holidays on the brain, and many are cheerfully decking the virtual halls with tinsel, garland, nutcrackers, and more to suit the season. But while some Simmers may resort to custom content to please their high polymer palettes, not all Simmers use or need to use CC in order to give their Sims the greatest holiday time ever. In fact, Cherrieee, a staple figure in the Sims console building community, manages to wow every time without cheats, without mods, and without custom content every time.
Lay eyes upon her “Red Christmas” below, which she decorated using only the following Sims packs: -Snowy Escape [EP] -Seasons [EP] -Paranormal [SP] -Tiny Living [SP] -BloomingRooms [Kit] -IndustrialLoft [Kit]
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SIMS MOBILE TIPS & TRICKS WITH TSMLHYN Creating a jaw-dropping build in The Sims Mobile can be challenge. The mobile game lacks the helpful build features that Sims 4 players gleefully enjoy: there is no “moveobjects on” cheat, no alt-key free placement, no basements, no mezzanines, no balconies, and far more. But creative builders like TSMLhyn manage to make beautiful builds, even for the holidays, using a combination of bold colors, inspiring furniture, a wealth of knowledge about current build glitches, and a passion for the details. Recreate TSMLhyn’s work in your own game or simply get inspired by her featured designs.
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HIGH-CLASS HOLIDAY A Build by Alaeryn
I’ve never been one for the reds and greens of the holiday season. Hell, I’m not even the biggest fan of this season in the first place. But I’d never say no to gathering with my loved ones, and, baby, when it comes to a holiday drink, I’mma have it. Feast your eyes on my custom content rendition of Christmas featuring many of my favorite creators like Severinka and Soloriya. These two pack a mighty pixel punch and deliver the kind of Christmas cheer even I can handle. Here’s to the best Christmas spirit of all. (Vodka. I’m talking about Vodka.)
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WANT YOUR BUILDS TO BE FEATURED IN AN ISSUE OF SIMS NATION MAGAZINE?
TAG US ON TWITTER! @SIMSNATIONMAG
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COMFORT IN KWANZAA A Build by Alaeryn
As far as holidays go, Kwanzaa is far more my style. Created in 1966 by Black Power figure Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is loosely based on West African harvest traditions. It is meant to reconnect African-Americans to the culture ripped from them during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Kwanzaa takes place between December 26th-January 1st, and it is a weeklong reflective celebration of seven core principles: -Umoja (Unity) -Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) -Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) -Ujamaa (Cooperative economics) -Nia (Purpose) -Kuumba (Creativity) -Imani (Faith)
Observers light one of seven candles each night during the week-long celebration and reflect on each of the aforementioned principles. Sometimes gifts are given, often handmade or academic in nature, and families gather to feast on prepared foods. My Kwanzaa build includes the traditional kinara, beautiful wooden furniture, inspired African cloth, meaningful artwork, and harvest fruits of the holiday.
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DAY SIMMER'S
WINTER WEAR LOOKBOOK
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MODERN MENSWEAR KIT: HOT OR FLOP? OPINION PIECE BY DAY SIMMER
The Sims 4 Modern Menswear kit is the 4th Create-A-Sim kit and 9th total kit introduced by The Sims team. It features five full body outfits, ten tops, six bottoms (including one skirt), and two pairs of shoes. It did not include any new accessories or hairs. The kit was a collaboration, with designer Stefan Cooke, to introduce “thought provoking, and accessible” looks to the game. You can view the items included on EA’s website. When The Sims team first announced this kit, I had such high hopes! I have always advocated for the team to focus more on masculine CAS items in games. Whenever a new pack is released, it always seems to lack clothing options for our male and masculine Sims in comparison to female and feminine sims. So when this kit was announced, I had my $5 USD in hand and ready to purchase! Then the team began releasing the PR images and my excitement decreased greatly. Personally, my issue was with the fact that this kit was labeled “Modern.” This led me to believe we would get CAS items for our everyday Sims. You know, the average look: some nice tshirts/tops, better fitting jeans, some stylish coat/hoodie outfits, etc. With the Sims team constantly improving the feminine CAS items and introducing items that are currently on trend with the average look, I expected this energy with the new kit. Instead we got a “luxury” brand. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with introducing these looks; however, it wasn’t in good taste to release this kit as a “modern” look when your audience has been asking for more masculine CAS items. Despite my initial disappointment with the kit, I went ahead with my purchase. I wanted to give it a chance before I tossed it into my “do not use” list. Surprisingly, there were a few pieces that I could see myself putting on my Sims.
The pack’s main feature were sweaters (including some with cut out patterns and sweater vests). While I believe we have plenty of sweaters in the game, some of the new looks and swatches were pretty good! You can view some of my sweater looks using the Modern Menswear kit below.
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After creating a few looks with the new tops and bottoms, I made up my mind that I was a fan of both the new sweater vests and the sweatpants, along with two other sweater tops. However, the full body outfits were not able to convince me to get on their side. I struggled picking something that I truly liked. Most of the looks should have come with the top and bottoms separated for more versatility in CAS. To my surprise, we were given a jacket/skirt combo that appears to have a doily around the neckline and an outfit that looks like the bottoms are from medieval times. These were my least favorite items in the pack. If the tops had come separately, I would have been a bigger fan. You can view some of the full body outfits that I used from the Modern Menswear kit.
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On a positive note, I know that these items can be very stylish on your Sims should you decide to purchase. I have the pleasure of following a few fashionable simmers over on Twitter that graced us with such amazing lookbooks featuring the new kit!
Aydan (@semplicesims) is a wonderful Simmer and creates some of the most beautiful Sims, so I was not surprised that he could come up with some great looks using the kit! He incorporated some of my personal favorite tops and the skirt into his looks.
Chance (@NukaSimmer) is another amazing simmer that does some amazing work on console! That means noCC and noMods! He shares his amazing style vision boards on his Twitter (his modern menswear vision board was ON POINT). He was able to incorporate other packs to create some great looks using the new kit!
CREDITS:
So in conclusion, I wasn’t a fan of this pack, but it isn’t “bad.” It’s just not something that I personally see my Sims wearing often or even at all. I know there are some people who absolutely love this pack and think the money is worth it, while others could live without it. This kit will definitely have a split audience and opinions ranging from positive to negative, as almost all the kits do. But I can say with confidence that I am very excited to see what custom content creators will do with this pack.
EA KIT and EA MMK https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims4/pc/store/mac-pc-download-addon-the-sims-4modern-menswear-kit MODERN MENSWEAR and MODERN 2 https://twitter.com/DaySimmer AYDAN https://twitter.com/semplicesims CHANCE https://twitter.com/NukaSimmer
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JO_SE_OH’S WINTER WEAR
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CUDDLY COZY
COUPLES POSES WITH SLFJ PRODUCTIONS
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Blaze put himself between Maren and Ehren, preventing Ehren from getting to the woman who he’d grown to love. “Ehren, you don’t have to do this!” Blaze said. Laughing, Ehren narrowed his eyes, glaring at Blaze. “Don’t have to? Probably not. But I’ve been dreaming of this moment since the little bitch got away.” Maren stood rooted to her spot by the couch. She was absolutely petrified of what Ehren was planning; she knew it wouldn’t be good. Her eyes darted from Blaze to Ehren to the door. Could she escape? “Don’t even think about it,” Ehren said, his gaze falling on Maren. “You’re not going anywhere!” Blaze felt Ehren shift his stance, preparing himself to pounce on Blaze. Ehren knew he had to eliminate Blaze before he could get to Maren. He would finish this tonight, finally killing Maren as he failed to so long ago. Jax finally realized who Maren was but told Ehren to let it go. He couldn’t let it go.
THE CLAN: FINAL CHAPTER
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She’d bested him, snuck away in the middle of the night to escape the same fate as her family. This was a job he was determined to finish. Besides, she knew too much. How could he let her live knowing she had extensive knowledge about vampires and the O’Reagan clan? Ehren was duty bound to protect the clan at all costs, something he was born into and trained to do his entire existence. Crouching low, Ehren got into a fighting stance. Blaze did the same, allowing his vampire form to come out to match Ehren’s. Looking at Maren out of the corner of his eye, Blaze said “Maren, hide.” Looking around, Maren wasn’t sure where to go. So she ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She didn’t know what would happen, but knowing that Blaze was there to protect her made her feel safe. He was bigger than Ehren, stronger. She felt confident he could take Ehren. As Blaze trained his gaze back on Ehren, he felt the air around him shift. Suddenly, he was on his back, staring at Ehren’s scarred face. He had his hands around Blaze’s throat, an ineffective move that reminded Blaze that Ehren was still much younger than he. Planting his feet on the ground, Blaze thrust his hips upward, shoving Ehren with his hands at the same time, sending him flying across the room and slamming into a wall. Flipping himself into standing position, Blaze turned and charged at Ehren, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him up over his head. “You WILL leave her alone!” Blaze roared, squeezing his hand around Ehren’s throat, nails digging in the sides. He was preparing to rip Ehren’s throat out when he kicked Blaze in the stomach, surprising him and causing his grip to loosen. Then Ehren brought his legs up and wrapped them around Blaze’s chest while pulling his head back to remove his neck from Blaze’s hand. Then he started pounding on Blaze’s face, punching him hard. Blaze’s nose cracked as Ehren’s fist connected to it.
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An animalistic scream pierced the air as Maren launched herself on Ehren’s back, pulling him from Blaze and causing him to land on top of her. Blaze fell to his knees, struggling to get his sight back after Ehren’s blow. His eyes were swollen, watering from the pain, blurring his sight. “You stupid little bitch!” Ehren said as he twisted around. Straddling Maren’s chest with his strong legs pinning her arms to her side, Ehren grabbed her head, turning it to expose her neck. Tilting his head back, Ehren laughed and roared, then bent down, sinking his fangs in her neck. “BLAZE!!” Maren screamed, searing pain causing tears to stream down her face. Whipping his head around, Blaze watched in horror as Ehren drank from Maren. Her legs were kicking, trying to buck him off to no avail. Standing, Blaze bellowed as he ran with vampiric speed to Maren’s side, his foot meeting Ehren’s stomach. His ribs cracked audibly. Ehren pulled his head back and howled, one arm coming up to cradle his torso, the other rearing back, then flying forward, punching Maren and knocking her out. Standing, Ehren turned toward Blaze just in time for a fist to connect to his jaw. Anger fueled Blaze’s adrenaline and he did a roundhouse kick, his foot connecting with Ehren’s sternum, knocking him down. Before Ehren could blink, Blaze was on top of him, pounding his fists into Ehren’s face. Ehren balled his fists up and shoved Blaze off him, reaching out and breaking the leg off a nearby table. Lifting the makeshift stake above his head, Ehren rammed it down, stabbing Blaze through the chest just above his heart. Standing, he stomped his foot into Blaze’s face, knocking him unconscious. Turning toward where he’d left Maren, Ehren was hellbent on killing her. To his surprise, she wasn’t where he’d left her.
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“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Ehren sneered. One eye was swollen shut, cutting off his vision to his left side. “Fine, if you won’t come out, then I’ll just have to take care of your little boyfriend first! Pity. I wanted him to watch me bleed you dry!” Ehren turned back to Blaze, not noticing the door creeping open from the storage closet behind him. As he raised his foot to smash into Blaze’s battered head, he felt a sharp, piercing pain at his neck. Turning, he saw Maren standing before him, blood dripping from the knife she held in her hand. He tried to speak, unable to as he started to choke on his own blood. As he lunged at her, Ehren’s eyes went wide as Maren plunged her knife into his heart. Turning her head, she whispered in his ear, “Not today…not ever!” Ehren’s lifeless body slid to the floor before erupting into a pile of ash. Maren stood above it, staring down as her chest heaved. Lifting her eyes, they fell on Blaze’s battered body. Dropping the knife, Maren ran to him. “Blaze…Blaze, sweetheart, wake up!” His baby blue eyes fluttered open. “Wha…what happened?” He asked, voice horse from the fighting. “I saved you,” Maren said. “Just like you saved me. Now, we are even.”
The End
THE REVOLUTION MIGHT BE TELEVISED
90 SIMS NATION MAGAZINE
START THE REVOLUTION
91 SIMS NATION MAGAZINE
THE JOY OF REVOLUTION
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THE JOY OF REVOLUTION
93 SIMS NATION MAGAZINE
THE JOY OF REVOLUTION
94 SIMS NATION MAGAZINE
THE JOY OF REVOLUTION
W O R D S E A R C H
CHRISTMAS SANTA REINDEER PRESENTS ELVES MENORAH SHAMASH HANUKKAH CANDLES EIGHT KWANZAA UMOJA UNITY CUP KARAMU IMANI HOLIDAY
W H T R E I N D E E R P L K L I X S
N N U L L M T C A L I K T F W M H C
X B N W V N A T I U E W M Z X A M H
E D I M E D K R O M M A D H W N A R
N X T S S S L S C O A N T A U I I I
S O Y D O E K E E J X Z S K V S F S
T E C I E L R L K A G A E K P R G T
N S U O L D I D B T R A V U B S E M
E O P I P N F N C J F T R N T O Q A
S W S S H A M A S H I R A A T N A S
E T E A U C A C R E D G H H G M T O
R D A I N I Q R H I Y U A N J S L L
P A E I G H T D H O L I D A Y K O N
W D P M N C E X P T A K N E L N E I
A A M E N O R A H O D K A R A M U V
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THE JOY OF REVOLUTION
DECEMBER 2021 CALENDAR OF EVENTS SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY 1
THURSDAY 2
FRIDAY 3
SATURDAY 4
Sims 4 Surviving the Holidays
5
6 Mobile
7 FreePlay
New! Hearty Holidays Sim Festival Sweet Holiday STS rerun
12
13
Mobile
New! 'A Christmas Warming" Seasonal Quest
19
12 Days of Wumples rerun
20 Mobile
9
10 FreePlay New! Paperboy Rewards x3
11
15
16
17 Mobile
18
Belle Hotel Live Event Mystery Box Keys x10
14
FreePlay
8
21
Sims 4
New! 14 Surprises for the Holidays Login Bonus
Sims Delivery Express
FreePlay New! Free Christmas Gifts
22
23
24
New! New Year's Dock and Roll TH + Kit
26
27
Player Favourite "Inner Child's Play' New Influence Island s21
28
29
Mobile
30
31 FreePlay
New! New Year's Dock and Roll TH + Kit
New! SimChase s36
Sims Mobile Paid Packs 12/06 New! Windows of the World pack 12/11 New! Winteresting Choices pack 12/20 New! A-hull of a Haul pack 12/20 Deck the Halls pack rerun 12/20 Stunning Santa pack rerun 12/26 New! Naut a Bad Look on You pack 12/31 New! You'll Love this Matcha pack
25 FreePlay
12/31 New! Hopeless Ramen-tic Kitchen Stuff pack 12/31 New! Sensei-tional Kitchenware pack
