The Political Asylum

Michele · Guest

To answer your question, Juana, I play both games. Just the other day, I uninstalled The Sims and reloaded my Sims 2 software. I have all the expansion packs for both games, except with the Sims 2, I don't have Open for Business... yet!

Makin' Magic was a lot of fun. I had a hell of a time ever beating that fairy in the Mushroom game! I think I did all of the magic spells in the book, but my favorite part was baking. I also loved gardening, though that wasn't Makin' Magic, I think that was the Pets upgrade.

The Sims 2 is amazing. Have you played it?

JuanaLaLoca · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 7:08 pm Post subject:

No, I haven't tried the Sims 2. I'm happy spending hours with the Sims, so I'm not anxious to get something else, although I imagine the graphics are probably better.

I like the mushroom game. What I do is pause it right after they light up, check out where they are, and then I use the 'Go Here' action to get her to run over to where a group are bunched together (although she doesn't always run, especially if it's nearby, but usually it gets her to run and get there quicker). I actually usually win that one. The one I hate is the clouds, because it takes so long to disperse them all, as they keep popping up (and people keep passing out). I haven't mastered the spell duel yet. I thought that was going to require the Sim to have accumulated various spells, but then I found that it has nothing to do with the spells in their inventory. I've done all the spells and charms. Some of them I don't really get, like Polar Attraction - I tried using that one before inviting someone over that usually wasn't very friendly, but it didn't help at all. I've had very few 'backfires', when something bad happens - I try to make sure that there are plenty of green bars before using them. There's one guy that I have to remember not to use spells on, though, because he always turns it around against the Sim I'm playing. I don't know why - I haven't had him make or use many spells. I tried baking, but all I could figure out to do was eat it - is there anything else it's good for? I had expected to be able to sell it. I've only tried gardening with grapes and elderberries. Someday I'll get around to vegetables - I want to see the rabbits (are there any other animals that come? I've only had the raccoon and the skunk. And of course Clare the bear!).

I played Superstar with one Sim, and he has so many awards that I had to build him a new room, and now that's pretty full. But he needs silver in all the categories, and gold in all but one. He has tons of bronzes and also those ones that Marilyn Monroe shows up to present. I like to have them go on vacation if I have some time to play. My favorite is the winter resort, because it seems like there's more to do - snowboarding, sliding, hot tub, etc. I like using the metal detector, although they rarely find anything worthwhile. I love the way they will even bring home the old boot and proudly put it in their cabinet! I thought I would like the Unleashed one better then I did. It is a bit frustrating not to be able to control the pet at all. However, it's great for getting the Social level up without having to invite anyone over or go anywhere - even if the Sim has no pets, they have plenty of opportunity to interact with the strays.

I just wish they had more options for furnishings with high scores. All my Sims eventually end up with the same stove, refrigerator, shower, toilet, bed, etc.

Goodbrit · Inmate of the Asylum Joined: 05 Nov 2006 Posts: 859

I got so sick of that game-there was this bloody neighbour who wouldnt leave my house-she stood in my garden all the time,so in the end i walled her into the corner, with walls, but no door or windows. I think my characters were confused as to why there was a brick box in their garden (little did they realise there was a stranger in there who had starved to death because she wouldnt leave my garden Twisted Evil

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Manchester, when death isnt enougth

JuanaLaLoca · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject:

Michele · Guest

JuanaLaLoca · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 8:29 pm Post subject:

(sigh)

Now I'm starting to want the Sims 2!!! Oh, well. I do still have plenty to work with in the first one. I'm not too interested in having them have a baby, but that's something I have yet to try out, for example. I have to admit to taking the easy way out, and preferring to deal with one Sim at a time!

I had read about the Guinea Pig disease, so I haven't ever bought any of them a Guinea Pig. Actually, I haven't tried out any of the smaller pets, like lizards or birds, either. I should get one of them for the Sim I've been playing with lately!

Coincidentally, after just 'talking' about the mushroom task, I sent her to Magic Town last night, hoping for some Glacial Glass, and both times I had her do a task, it was the mushrooms! She won both times, but no Glacial Glass. Crying or Very sad

She got Wizard's Eyelashes (which I do not need; she has a dozen now) and Clown Confetti.

Did you ever make anything other than grape or elderberry nectar? I see that both honey and toad sweat are valid ingredients, as well.

Michele · Guest

Goodbrit · Inmate of the Asylum Joined: 05 Nov 2006 Posts: 859

clearly you two li this kinda game where u micro manage an entire life, but u really should play some strategy games-if you think running a person is hard, try runing a country and building an empire-thats hard, but so enjoyable-try Victoria:empire under the sun

I managed to take over half the world with Britain, most of south ameirca with the Confederacy (we won the civil war with me in charge) and annexed china and Japan with Austra-Hungary

screenshots

http://pc.gamezone.com/gamesell/screens/s22422.htm
_________________
Manchester, when death isnt enougth

Michele · Guest

I haven't tried that game you mentioned, Victoria: Empire Under the Sun, but I do play other strategy games. Actually, I play A LOT! Just to name a few...

Civ 3
Black & White 2
Capitalism 2

JuanaLaLoca · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:52 pm Post subject:

Michele, did you ever have an iguana? I got one, and it ended up dying not that long afterwards. I don't understand why - I had her feed it often, and play with it every day. Maybe I overfed it - even zooming in as much as I could, I couldn't tell whether the bowl was full or empty, so I had her feed it every 1 to 2 days (I know the cat/dog bowls of food will last several days). Then, all of a sudden, I noticed an icon for it pop up in her activity queue, and found that it said 'Grieve'! Maybe they're supposed to die after a few weeks (I think that's about how long it lasted)? Oh, well!

Now I'm working with a Sim who needs 14 friends to get to the next level, and I hadn't played him in a while, so he was down to only 1! That's probably what I find hardest - accumulating large numbers of friends while maintaining them all at the same time. Thank goodness for the Smiley Face and Relationship Boost spells! I think he's the first one I've had on the Journalist track - he's a news anchor now, so I will see what the next rung up is! He's already making good money, over $900 a day.

Michele · Guest

I did have an iguana but I didn't keep it for very long. I don't remember why. Isn't there supposed to be something special that happens for the iguana? Did you ever notice that the box for Unleashed had a monkey on it. What monkey??

What a coincidence that you mention pets because I've been playing the pets part of my game a lot more lately, because two of my Sims have a "lifetime wish" to breed animals. I haven't succeeded yet in persuading my cats to get it on yet so no kittens so far.

As for the friends thing, I feel your pain! It's so frustrating. Plus, it makes the phone ring and ring and ring. I've found the best way to make it tolerable is to play several houses in a neighborhood and have them all be friends with each other. Also, it's good to have a housewife or househusband who sits at home and does nothing but entertain or talk on the phone.

Don't you just love seeing that limousine pull up!

JuanaLaLoca · Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:04 pm Post subject:

Hmm, I don't know if there's anything special about the iguana. I had just assumed that the small pets you could by in Old Town were just things you had to feed and play with to keep alive. And now you have me wondering about that monkey!!!

I have my Sim (whom I named John Lennon, BTW) up to 11 friends so far. Just three more to go! I like when they get up to the highest rung on their career path, becaue then they can relax and lose all of their friends and it doesn't matter. Their lives can be more interesting than just revolving around working on friends all the time. Of course, then after a while they get switched to another career path, and may have to start all over with the friends!

If the phone starts ringing around 4 PM I just ignore it. The message about losing a friend will pop up anyway, even if you don't answer it, so I don't bother wasting my Sim's time. Same with the warning call that comes an hour after their work start time, when they take the day off. I probably should make him a Clone Drone charm, so that he can stay home and make friends and still get credit and pay for going to work. But if I take the time to get the ingredients, he will probably lose a couple of friends.

At least with the expansion packs they can go places and meet more people. Before I installed any of the expansions, I had to keep creating more Sims and building more houses, just to have enough available neighbors to make career advancement possible!

An interesting thing happened the other day. John was in Magic Town, bartering with Vicki, when all of a sudden an icon popped up in his queue, that looked like a picture in a frame. When I put the mouse over it, it said "What the heck?" He then went over to look at a picture on the wall, looked at it, applauded, and went back to what he was doing. Unfortunately, the picture had its back to me so I didn't catch on in time to rotate and see what the heck was going on!

Michele · Guest

I wonder if it was a picture whose eyes moved? I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was in magic town.

The phone is a lot worse on Sims 2. Whereas on Sims 1 it would ring a few times before it stopped, on Sims 2 it might ring 20 times per phonecall. This goes on nonstop until 1am. It's also a very shrill sound. I usually either turn the volume off on the speaker or delete the phone. It just really grates. Of course, it would be a better idea to take them shopping for their own personal cellphones. The sound is much softer and the phone only rings for a specific person.

Do you usually play in free mode?

JuanaLaLoca · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:08 pm Post subject:

Hmmm, I see I never answered your last question. What is free mode - that they will do stuff on their own? I usually try to keep control over them, but if they finish something and I don't notice, they will eventually usually do something (usually eat). When I have them go on vacation, sometimes I just let them do what they want for a while, because I don't have any specific goals for them while they're there. Usually - sometimes I do want to have them play the arcades until they can redeem a prize.

I have a question, that's probably pretty basic. Do you know how to minimize the game or switch to the desktop while it's playing? Once I have it up, I can't get to anything else until I shut it down. If I could get back and forth, I might try the sound for a bit, so I can then shut it off. I just haven't wanted to have the sound on the whole time I'm playing, since I usually have the TV on at the same time.

Michele · Guest

Now I just realized I never responded to YOUR question. Yes, freemode is where you let your Sims do whatever they choose. It's something you can select in the settings tab. When I played the originial Sims, I used to turn the fridge around to face the wall because they kept making themselves something to eat. Sounds to me like you keep your Sims in constant freemode. I almost never do that. Coincidentally, I did tonight when they went to the tropical vacation destination.

To minimize the game I do one of two things -

Hit the Windows key on the keyboard, and then I select what program I want.
Or, keep your web browser (or notepad) open when you start the game. Then you can just do Alt + Tab.

I'm on my 6th generation of the eugenics project. Using FamilyTreeMaker, I've entered data on over 200 sims now! I have to use a genealogy program so I can prevent inbreeding. The Sims 2 only bars breeding between first cousins and closer. One rather funny trait is my H family tend to have absolutely huge noses. The women are by far the worse, as their noses are very big and crooked.

I love the Sims 2 message board... such a mixture of people, though mostly women.