Grow Your Own Hood Challenge

Welcome to the Grow Your Own Hood (GYOH) Challenge.

This challenge is designed to sit between the build a city challenge (BACC) and the medieval charter challenge (MCC), with many aspects of the Unlock an Uberhood challenge (UaU). I wanted a challenge with some of the challenging parts of the MCC and to use my own Social Class system, but wanted to start a fresh in a newly created world that grew over time.

Whilst the premise of a BACC was intriguing, the need for business and not using careers was not for me as someone who doesn't enjoy too many businesses, hence making up my own challenge and the Grow Your Own Hood Challenge was born. As I wanted this challenge to grow and unlock in chunked sections over time, the Unlock an Uberhood approach felt most appropriate.

This post will start with the set up of your own GYOH challenge, but if you want to see how to play it, please skip to the 'Stages in this Challenge' section.

Setting up

To set this hood up, load a new empty hood and let it generate townies and NPCs, alternatively you can make your own townies and NPCs whichever you would prefer.

The hood will be locked to certain career paths at the beginning and will be made up of 9 families in total to begin with, see the table below.

So family one will need a sim who is Mayor, level 10 in the politics career and no other sim can be the same level in that career within the hood. Family 2 needs a General level 10 in Military and so on so forth. The last family (technically number 9) are the farmers/grocers selling their produce and for me the only option of an owned business style of lot. Other sims in these families can be in any of the available careers (but only certain levels as stated further down this post).

You want roughly 40 sims overall within all 9 families. Roll (using a randomiser) between 1 and 8 for the families to see how many sims you get. I chose to roll 1-4 for the Law family and Medical family. Then roll between 5-8 for the Farmers to ensure variation.

Once you have the family numbers you can randomise what their ages/life stages will be. I roll 1-5, 1 being Toddler, 2 Child, all the way to 5 being Elder. I don't strictly stick to this as I got a family of 5 which was 1,2,1,1,5. This did not make sense to me to have an elder and 3 toddlers, so I changed it to make sense a little but still allow the variation that randomising created. When setting up these families you would need at least 1 adult/elder in each family made in CAS, and you also need at least 1 toddler or child in the entire hood, but the likely outcome is you will have many. Thanks to Chymea1024 on reddit for suggesting that clarification.

Now it is time to make the sims, do this anyway you want to whether it be random or pooklet, or using the premade faces. I personally chose a method similar to pooklet but more random and not as defined. I rolled 1-20 and did that many clicks at random in each face category, nose, eyes etc etc

Once the sims are made, have a plan for your hood, add the lots in (be creative with the street and lot names if you desire) then add in the families and start building their houses.
Here you can see my hood during this process and the rough set up I have for a 'town centre' style approach to my hood. 

Remember the point of this hood/challenge is to grow over time as the families and lot needs expand. Ensure you leave room for this to happen and some logical spaces for further family growth and community lot growth.

I placed the farmers and their farm lot further away from town because it would not make sense for a random farm in the middle of the town centre in later generations.

Because you are making this hood from scratch don't forget to add bios and stories to your sims and make their friendships and other relationships around town, otherwise the town will not feel like a community. Also some of these sims that are not the head of their career will need careers, below is a list of the careers and the levels the other adults can be in. For example the Mayor's wife in my hood is level 3 of the Medical career.

Once you have made the families to your liking time to make some community lots, I recommend a market lot, a cemetery, and a park to hang out at (or 2 like I did). Below you can see my starting point. Note the empty lot to the right of the hood is for my Dorms as I play University in the main hood. If you play University the traditional way, please attach whatever university you would like and carry on from there. University is available in this challenge from the beginning!

Stages in this Challenge

Now the basics are done and the town/sims set up you can play the challenge and grow your very own hood. Whilst business will be important later down the line, the point of this hood is to unlock all other careers, gain new families and to grow the hood from its humble beginnings into a thriving town.

The challenge expansions will go in ascending order from 1 to 5 and each expansion has certain requirements before you can move to it.

In this initially Base Game, you can expand the hood with up to 10 houses for sims to live in and an apartment block or 2. No strict rules really with this but adding 10 houses in and an apartment lot will help fuel the 'Growing' feel and give more space as your families expand.

1) The Grand Expansion

This expansion shows 'The Good, The Bad, and the Builder' in your hood.

This expansion gives you:

• Criminal Career
• Journalism Career
• Architecture Career
• 2 Sim owned businesses (can be community or home businesses)
• Sim owned Gym Lot (additional to the above 2 owned businesses) 
• Community Pool Lot
• Community Pub/Bar Lot
• 1 Newly created family (Architecture Level 7 Sim is head)
• Pets can now be added to the households
• Retirement Home lot can be built and used
• Up to 8 New Townies can be created/added into the Townie Pool
• Up to 10 New Residential lots can created/added and then used.

Requirement to unlock this expansion: A premade toddler (or child if no toddlers in hood) at the beginning of the game grows into an adult and raises their own child to become a teenager.

Finding reaching this requirement difficult? Why not try the 'Easy Mode Requirement'?

Easy Mode requirement to unlock this expansion: A premade toddler (or child if no toddlers in hood) at the beginning of the game grows into an adult and births their first child

Thanks to Chymea1024 on Reddit for this suggestion.

2) The Energetic Expansion

This expansion has a focus on body skill and fitness of your sims and gives you the following:

• Athletic Career
• Adventurer Career
• 3 Sim owned businesses (can be community or home businesses)
• Community Library Lot
• Community Coffee Shop/Small Bistro Lot

Requirements to unlock this expansion: 

• Sim owned Gym Opens
• The two newly opened Sim owned businesses reach Rank 5 (Not including the Gym)
• 5 Sims in town are 'Fit'

3) The Learning Expansion

Focused on studies and knowledge, this expansion opens up new knowledge and study in your growing town, giving you:

• Natural Scientist Career
• Oceanography Career
• Paranormal Career
• Intelligence Career
• 1 Sim owned business (can be community or home business)
• Community Art Museum Lot
• Community Arcade/Leisure Lot
• 1 Newly created family (Intelligence Level 6 Sim is head)

Requirements to unlock this expansion: 

• All University Degrees have been achieved/completed
• 1 Sim has maxed All Skills
• Community Library Opens
• 1 Sim reaches Level 10 in the Science Career

4) The Creative Expansion

In this penultimate expansion, creativity is key and this creative side of the sim brain gives you:

• Artist Career
• Culinary Career
• Music Career
• Gamer Career
• 1 Sim owned business (can be community or home business)
• Community Restaurant Lot

Requirements to unlock this expansion: 

• Community Art Museum Lot Opens
• Maximised Hobby Enthusiasm (Arts and Crafts, Music and Dance, Cuisine, Games) NOTE - Does not have to be one sim maximising all four.
• 1 Sim owned business must be selling car/robots
• Community Arcade/Leisure Lot Opens

5) The Glitzy Expansion

With this, the final expansion your sims want to taste the finer things in life and have extravagant entertainment available to them. This final expansion gives you:

• Entertainment Career
• Showbiz Career
• Dance career
• Slacker Career
• 1 Sim owned business (can be community or home business)
• Community Nightclub Lot

Requirements to unlock this expansion: 

• Number of Active Playable sims reaches 75
• 1 Sim reaches Level 10 Music Career
• 1 Sim owned business reaches Rank 10

From here, you can choose to head to an end point and make it up to your own play style. Perhaps you want a population number to be reached or you want to reach the top of every career, you decide!

Extra Points/Rules

A few other rules to add in, sims can move freely out and in. But there is no spare houses at the beginning of the challenge so a sim can only move out if they have the funds to do so. This is also an important aspect as growing the sim number from around 40 up to higher realms is a requirement for certain expansions but required to have a larger feeling town.

I run quite an intense tax system and so to add some extra challenge to this hood I only 'open' a community lot to be used by the town when at least 50% of it's cost has been paid using taxes. Of course that doesn't count the initial community lots as they exist at the beginning of the challenge, but for me need paying off by the town taxes.

Add and grow to the hood with hood deco as the hood grows. A nice way to do this is to add some new hood deco in every round. Initially you will have the same sims and families for a while before opening an expansion (likely 5+ rounds) so add some new hood deco in every round. I personally add a new house in every round as I know the lineages will grow into them eventually.

Additionally houses and apartments can be added when needed and when a family moves out to be in that house and you can manage how that works. I use no20KHandout and so sims have to earn the money to buy a house, but you do it whatever is fun for you.

Now this blog post has so far focused on how the play the challenge and how you would create your own hood to do so, but if you would like my hood to play it is already set up and ready to and can be found here:

Welcome to Gyoh Plains!

In this expanse, even the greatest things bloom from a small seed once planted. From Farmer to Politicians, everyone is here with one reason in mind to "Grow Your Own Hood".

Cartwright Family

Surrounded by 'the wall' and the bosom of his family, Robert makes every political decision in Gyoh Plains. But will a higher power cause him to make more drastic political changes?

Cadman Family

Eric and Gwen were blessed with a darling daughter, the most perfect daughter you could have asked for, and they formed the most perfect family. Then it was all ruined when little Gretle arrived...

Chamber Family

Sally agreed to come to Gyoh Plains not because it is a great job opportunity, but because of the new men she could encounter. Will she last in her current job long enough to get with the local hotties?

Darwin Family

The sciencey Darwins were a great family unit, then Marie's brother came in need of a place for him and his daughter to stay. But will they ever leave? Will all the children adjust to this eclectic living situation?

Chevalier Family

Outgoing Thierry is the town police. Along with Katriane they are raising their darling son to be the best sim he can. But with an odd streak showing, will their hard work all be turned on it's head?

Thatcher Family

As the leaders of education in the hood, the Thatchers know family values and key skills are vital to the growth of the economy of the future. But will their children become functional members of society now that their dads have revealed their true parentage of their deceased birth mother?

Cash Family

The Cash family are rich in potential, but each member of this family has a peculiar character flaw that makes them seem at arms length from the rest of the town.

Sana Family

The Sana Sisters are pretty and witty. Catalina wants to meet boys, Valentina wants to meet the elite, and Dolores is a miserable know-it-all. But now left at the helm, is Veronica ready to give up her own dreams for the sake of her siblings?

Bond Family

Having ran the farmstead for years, the Bond's are fuelling the town with food and the next generation. But when his father passes, will Walter really want to continue as just a farmer...

Each of these 9 families have their own storylines and 3t2 traits, LTW matching Lamare's 50LTWs and much much more detail. I included my very extensive spreadsheet with the hood to help you out. Note this spreadsheet includes a simple challenge tracker to know when you have unlocked each expansion. Find it on Sim File Share combined as 'Gyoh Plains.rar' here:

 http://simfileshare.net/folder/233324/

This hood comes with a custom set of townies by TheCuriousClockwork  and all credit goes to them for them, they can be found here:
https://modthesims.info/d/686770/curious-townie-pool-custom-and-default-replacement.html

I would love to hear from you about this challenge and if you played it!

Insert this into your Game and Insert the Sims into your life!

If you would like to contact me, please comment down below, or alternatively send me an email at insertthesims@gmail.com, I would love to hear your feedback.

Celebrating 20 years of Sims 2

As a celebration of 20 years of the Sims 2 I have been working on something a little retro.

20 years ago we left Old Town behind to play the Sims 2, now to celebrate we are going back to Old Town but in the Sims 2.

I have produced a modified version of Old town by marka93 titled 'Sims 1 Old Town in the Sims 2' (found using the link to my google drive below).

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1yylFVZNq1Y6rufYGNAiPO5EeRElA4Sgw

Marka's version of Old Town is an outstanding recreation and well designed and produced. The main changes I have made in my version are as follows:

• Added correct careers to sims
• Altered ages of some sims to fit the timeline better
• Edited sims looks to suit my outfits and given them 4t2 hair
• Edited Sims with nails and body hair etc.
• Added in the missing pets from the 'Unleashed' families
• Written family bios for all families with suggestions on their story so far.
• Created 39 NPCs from the Sims 1 (and other places...)
• Created 32 Townies from NPCs from the Sims 1 (and other places...)
• Created family relations for a few families (such as the Roomies)
• Added in a graveyard for the dead sims
• Altered some lots to match Mod aesthetics etc.

My download comes as a compressed file with my own spreadsheet set up for the town pre-populated ready for you to enjoy gameplay!

Most of the sims in the hood were well created and I just made some additions and corrected some ages and carers, adding in body hair and nails if you use them.

I use the better looking water mod by Voeille, and lots close to the river/sea or with ponds have a hidden pool tile to show off the better water (See the link to this mod below).

NOTE: I cleaned the hood as best I could with HoodChecker which just gave the usual memory and 'met ...' etc etc.

Premade Playables

All the well know premades are in town from the original Sims 1 hood and its' expansions so Cassandra Goth and Daniel Pleasant are children, will they make a cute couple when you play your version of the hood?

Some of my favourite missing playable that have never been seen again can now long long and strong lineages that survive for generations such as the Hicks, the Hatfields, and Claire Charming. All are ready to play with their traits, and looks and ages adjusted. Plus Marka93 recreated their house excellently with funky Sims 1 style dining and lack of enough bedrooms haha!

Townies

Many of the famous faces that wonder around in the Sims 1 without corresponding roles in the Sims 2 can be seen as townies. See Agnes Crumplebottom above, famous sister to Cornelia Goth. Meet my own familial links too; Chris Roomies has quite the extended family living in town. Plus can you spot the sims that are still here from when the town was Sunset Valley? Their children are also around! There are 39 Townies for you to play as with their own traits and if they needed it, their own names and some even have a family in the game!

There is no apartments in the hood, but you can add them in if you wish, however doing so will generate the social group sims to live there as neighbours and I have purposefully killed them all off, you're welcome! Here are a few mods to help with stopping them respawning:

https://modthesims.info/d/511564/no-townie-neighbours.html

At least one hack from MATY can be useful for this too - 'notownieregen'. But there are others you may find useful for helping with this too.

http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/ffs/al/hacks/

NPCs

All universal NPC sims are remaining for obvious reasons, but the maids and burglars will not be generated, thanks to my friend GrottyDotty for helping me with this, the NPCs are the ones you would find in the Sims 1 games. Above is Tanya Tydee, in the Sims 1 she was the lots cleaner known as 'Tidy Tanya' see her new look in game when she comes to clean that filthy toilet of yours!

Other famous Sims 1 NPC faces are around too.

Need a maid? Brigit is on hand!

Forgot to pay those bills? Bud will be coming to claim them!

Garden full of weeds? Gloria can be there today... or tomorrow at least!

Plus new NPC roles have been given to existing Sims 1 NPCs, and a few sneaky remaining Sunset Valley sims are around as your friendly (or not so friendly) NPCs.

If you don't want the Universal NPCs like Mrs. Crumplebottom, I recommend using the Visitor Controller and banning them from every lot so only my created NPCs and Townies appear.

You can find marka93's Old town original on MTS

https://modthesims.info/d/522506/old-town.html

Thank you for producing this, 10 years later still a beloved and enjoyable hood to play, all credit for making the world, playable sims and most lots goes to them and their own creditors.

You can find the Water Overhaul by Voeille on MTS
https://modthesims.info/d/587597/pond-amp-sea-water-overhaul.html

Add this in whether to celebrate with me or just because the Sims 1 played in the Sims 2 sounds epic!

Insert this into your Game and Insert the Sims into your life!

If you would like to contact me, please comment down below, or alternatively send me an email at insertthesims@gmail.com, I would love to hear your feedback.

Sims 2 Modern Social Class Challenge

Sometimes the Sims 2 can become a tad boring. Find the partner, get married/pregnant, make money, gain skills, grow up, and then repeat the cycle over and over again.
A way to make this feel less boring is to do 'Challenges' and whilst many exist, as someone who does not do challenges, often they feel a burden to prep for or work on an idea of a new hood and new sims. I wanted a challenge that would feel similar to the Victorian Social Class challenge and the Medieval Charter Challenge but with the well-known premades and the modern Sim world and no need for creating an entire world or lots of sims/families etc.. 

Hence the 'Modern Social Class Challenge' was born (in my head...).

Now whilst not a traditional challenge in the sense, because this can be seen as more of an 'Add-on' challenge to any existing world you are already playing really i.e. there is not end point, this is continuous within your own gameplay. But you could always set yourself an end point?

The challenge bases its' premise on there being 3 social classes, Upper, Middle, Lower. Whilst social classes are technically a thing of the past, they are still seen in practice in many places around the western world and further afield, and still discussed in the UK (my home nation).

Modern Social Class Challenge Main Rules

Whilst these rules are not definitive, they do make the challenge into exactly that, a challenge! You could adapt them to be more strict or less so to suit your play style.

Under these rules you need a few things in your hood to make it work. Mostly a large Grand Hall that can be where the Balls are hosted. Note in my head canon one of the rich elder female sims hosts the balls acting as a sort of 'Social Matriarch'. For the ball to work I make the Social Matriarch make a group (you will need the bigger groups Mod, allowing 20 Sims in a group) and eligible sims who are looking for a match aged Teen, Young Adult or Adult are able to be added to it. If you want to play with the boarding schools you will need LordCrumps' 3t2 Boarding Schools. II also suggest you work a tax system, both my tax system, my adapted boarding school system and my social class system and tracker can bee found on my blank spreadsheet which is downloadable from my shared google drive here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1yylFVZNq1Y6rufYGNAiPO5EeRElA4Sgw

Moving on Up

When a sim/family have met the household fund requirement to move up after a round/season, they are now that social status but on a sort of probation. To retain their social status, by the end of the next round/season the household must meet the household fund (HHF) requirement and all other requirements for that specific social class. As an 'Easy Mode' version of this challenge you could simply focus on whether their HHF meets the requirement and keep them in the social class that reflects their HHF. See details below:

Requirements to become Middle Class:

• HHF must be at £5,000 (Just this in 'Easy Mode')
• Lot Value of £50,000 minimum
• One Sim must be at Level 3 in their career (Retired Elder Counts)
• Adults have a net savings of £10,000 (Moniques Hacked Computer required)
• One child/teen is in Private school or one Adult Alumni of Private/Boarding School
• One Adult must be in a Middle class career track (Retired Elder Counts)
• (If the sim/household runs a business) Business Rank 5 must be reached

Requirements to become Upper Class:

• HHF must be at £15,000 (Just this in 'Easy Mode')
• Lot Value of £100,000 minimum
• One Sim must be at Level 5 in their career (Retired Elder Counts)
• Adults have a net savings of £50,000 (Monique's Hacked Computer required) NOTE: Investments would be allowed, such as holiday homes, or more of a Lot Value.
• All children are in Private school and teens are in Boarding school or 75% Adults Alumni of Private/Boarding School (if there are no children/teens in the household)
• 50% of Adults must have a degree
• Main Adult(s) must be in a Upper class career track (Retired Elder Counts)
• (If the sim/household runs a business) Business Rank 8 must be reached

Student/Roommate Mode

Sims living together in an owned or rented property can be different social classes. You would need to check two instances to deduce their social status.

1. Historical Social Status If a sim has living family of a certain social status they would remain that status for one round. On the second round the sim would remain that social class if they were friends with all members of their familial household. Lastly by the third round they must meet the 'Solo Social Status' outlined below. or drop to the social class their situation would dictate.
2. Solo Social Status The sim must have the correct career path (with a degree if necessary for their career level which is 3 for Middle Class and 5 for Upper Class). They also need to have the following individual net worth:
• For Middle Class the sim needs a net worth of £30,000
• For Upper Class the sim needs a net worth of £50,000

To calculate a sims individual net worth you use their proportion of the HHF and owned house/lot, their owned items in the house, whether these items be in their own room/space or communal, and any savings they have using Monique's hacked computer

I find that sims going to university always meet scenario 1 in this mode as I count their 4 year college degree (which I play short as 8 days) is completed in 1 round and thus they meet the first round social class stipulation. 

Let us see an example below to help with 'Solo Social Status' of this mode.
Three sims Stan, George, and Dave live together in an owned house. Their house/lot is worth £60,000 and their HHF is £9,000 (Lot Value and HHF will remain the same throughout this example). Stan has Upper Class parents in the Hood, George and Dave are new to the Hood

Round 1

Stan remains Upper class due to Historical Social Status.

George has a net worth of £23,000, a Physics Degree and a Career in Science (Lvl 4)
    Despite the correct degree and career path to be at least Middle class his net worth matters

So George is Lower Class.

Dave same as George has a net worth of £23,000 from a 3rd share of the HHF and Lot value, but he has £8,000 in savings using Monique's Hacked Computer and £2,000 value for his owned items, totally his net worth at £33,000. Dave has a Biology Degree and a Career in Oceanography (Lvl 6), making him Middle Class.

Round 2

Stan is friends with his family and thus remains Upper Class.

George has the £23,000 net worth from lot and HHF but now has £5,000 in savings and £7,000 value for his owned items, giving him a net worth of £35,000, Physics Degree and Science (Lvl 5) now makes him Middle Class.

Dave now has no savings, but owned item value of £5,000, making his net worth £28,000. So regardless of his job he is now Lower Class.

Round 3

Stan regardless of his previous standing can no longer rely on Historical Status. He has no career and no savings, but owned item value of £20,000 and a share of the lot and HHF value, totalling his net worth at £43,000. Despite his heritage being upper class, his worth being middle class, Stan is now Lower Class. His only way to retain his social status would be to move back in with his family or marry into an upper class family

George has the shared value of £23,000, his degree and career are the same, but his savings are now £15,000 and his owned items value is £15,000. This makes his net worth £53,000. George would now be Upper Class.

Dave has the same career and degree, and same share as before (£23,000). His owned items now have a value of £8,000 and he has savings of £4,000. Making Dave's net worth £35,000, so he moves back to being Middle Class.

Remember this mode only works for SOLO sims living in owned or rented properties as roommates. If the roommates live in a rented apartment they still need to meet the same requirements but would not have a owned property to share the value of.

Some families premade living together may be difficult to deduce who owns what item, such as the Singles in Strangetown, you would need to either ignore the owned items or make up a story for who those items belong to

For families who rent an apartment they also need to meet the same career/degree/HHF requirements but it would be all the apartment item's value added to their HHF to work out the family net worth. For example the Cleveland family from Belladonna Cove would have a net worth of over £50,000 with their HHF and owned items in the apartment added together, making them Upper Class (as they should be) at least for the first round...

Careers, Schools and Degrees for the Social Classes

Each social class has specific schooling, degree and careers they require to have their social status which can be seen on my spreadsheet or below:

Do you do something similar in your game? Have you had a go and have some improvements to the challenge?

Insert this into your Game and Insert the Sims into your life!

If you would like to contact me, please comment down below, or alternatively send me an email at insertthesims@gmail.com, I would love to hear your feedback.

Sims 2 Quirkiness Episode 1

My beloved Sims 2 is arguably the quirkiest game within the series and over a series of episodes here on my blog we will see some of the quirkiest  things that the game has to offer, from quirky lore, odd little titbits to things you can only truly do in the Sims 2.

This first episode will begin with a focus on...

Quirky Gameplay Features

Unusual Deaths and Ghosts

Whilst the first Sims game had deaths, it was in the Sims 2 that varying ghosts and many new deaths appeared. These unusual deaths add an element of unpredictability and dark humour to the Sims 2, making the gameplay experience more varied and fun for us, perhaps even the dark humoured amongst you would make it a mission to collect all the death types and ghosts.

Here is a list of what I feel are some of the weirdest deaths in the Sims 2:

• Death by Flies: If a Sim lets their house become extremely dirty, attracting a large number of flies, the flies can swarm and kill the Sim. The sims needs to work over piles of dirt or plates to make this happen at it's best.
• Death by Satellite: Sims can die from being struck by a falling satellite while stargazing through a telescope or even just lying on the ground looking at the sky, despite how rare this is, the satellite item that is left can fetch a tidy sum of Simoleans.
• Death by Cowplant: The Cowplant is a career reward object available in the game and can lure Sims with a tempting cake-like tongue. If a Sim attempts to eat the "cake," the Cowplant can devour them, drinking the milk after this gives some days of life back.
• Death by Fright: Sims can die from fright if they encounter a ghost, especially if they have a low aspiration score or are in a bad mood. Multiple frights can make this an easy death to occur.

Strange-Town Mysteries

The Sims 2 is rich with lore and mysteries that deepen the gameplay experience and engage players in uncovering the hidden stories within the game's neighbourhoods. They also allow us simmers to build our own lore and ideas about characters, history and future events for our sims. Here are my top five mysteries in The Sims 2 according to the lore in the game:

1. The Disappearance of Bella Goth: Bella Goth was a prominent character from the original The Sims, and mysteriously disappears before the events of The Sims 2. In the Sims 2, she is last seen in Strangetown, a desert neighbourhood known for its odd occurrences and whacky residents. Players are left to (and implored to) speculate about what happened to Bella, with theories ranging from alien abduction to foul play by other Sims.

2. The Caliente Sisters' Scheme?: Dina and Nina Caliente, two sisters with a mysterious past, arrive in Pleasantview the eve of Bella Goth's disappearance. Dina has a romantic interest in Mortimer Goth (Bella's husband), which leads to suspicions about their involvement in Bella's vanishing. The sisters' sudden interest in making relations around town and their relations with Mortimer and Don, as well as their connection to Bella add to the intrigue and lore of their scheme to rid Pleasantview of Bella Goth.

3. The Tragic Tale of Olive Specter: Olive Specter, a resident of Strangetown, has a backyard filled with graves, leading to speculation that she may be involved in the deaths of numerous Sims, perhaps even causing their deaths herself. But to what end? Why would she need to be surrounded by so much death? Her family tree and relationships suggest a dark history, and her son, Nervous Subject, is a test subject for the Beaker family, further adding to the mystery. And who is his father, really?

4. The Curious Experiments of the Beaker Family: The Beaker family in Strangetown, consists of married couple Loki and Circe Beaker and are known for their scientific experiments. They have Nervous Subject, Olive Specter's son, as a test subject. The nature of their experiments and their sinister behavior contribute to the town's overall eerie atmosphere as well as the sinister nature of the Beaker family

5. The Ghosts of the Tricou Family: The Tricou family, found in the Downtown neighborhood added with the Nightlife expansion pack, has a mysterious past. The entire family is deceased, and their graves can be found in the Gothier Green Lawns cemetery. Their mansion is filled with clues about their untimely deaths, and players can piece together their tragic story by interacting with their ghosts and exploring their home.

These mysteries add depth to the game, encouraging Simmers to explore, connect the dots, and uncover the hidden lore woven into the fabric of "The Sims 2" universe.

Weird and Wonderful Aspiration and Career Rewards

In the Sims 2, aspiration rewards and career rewards add a unique and often quirky element to the gameplay, allowing Sims to gain special abilities and items that can significantly affect their lives. Some of these when I play seem like a nice benefit, whilst others can feel extremely 'cheat-y' but can still be fun to use. Here are some of the most interesting and weird aspiration and career rewards in the game:

Aspiration Rewards

Aspiration rewards are special items that Sims can purchase using aspiration points, which they earn by fulfilling their wants and achieving lifetime goals. Here is a couple of the more unusual ones:

Elixir of Life:

• Effect: This green elixir can extend a Sim's life span when consumed. Each use can add extra days to a Sim's life, making it a valuable tool for prolonging the lives of your beloved Sims, even if it does real like cheating...
• Weirdness: It’s essentially a fountain of youth in a bottle, making it a bit of a fantasy element in an otherwise semi-realistic game.

SimVac:

• Effect: This device allows a Sim to drain skills and aspiration points from other Sims, effectively transferring them to the users
• Weirdness: It’s like a vacuum cleaner for skills and happiness, which is quite a peculiar and almost sinister concept.

Thinking Cap:

• Effect: When worn, this cap boosts the rate at which a Sim learns new skills.
• Weirdness: The appearance of the cap, resembling a stereotypical mad scientist's contraption, adds a fun and quirky element.

Smart Milk:

• Effect: Toddlers who drink this glowing milk learn skills much faster than normal. Sometimes depending on how the game is treating you, this smart milk can feel like a real saviour to the family, especially ingle parents or twin toddlers. Note, you can pair this with the 
• Weirdness: The concept of an enhanced learning drink for toddlers is a whimsical addition that feels a bit like something out of a sci-fi show where babies are glowing in space haha!

Career Rewards

Career rewards are special items that Sims earn by reaching certain levels in their careers. These items often provide unique benefits related to the Sim's job which will up skills amongst other thing. Here are some of the more unusual career rewards:

Cowplant:

• Effect: Officially called the Laganaphyllis Simnovorii, this carnivorous plant can lure Sims with a tempting cake-like tongue. If a Sim tries to eat the "cake," the Cowplant will devour them and produce a glass of milk that can extend the life of the Sim who drinks it.
• Weirdness: The Cowplant is both bizarre and morbid, adding a darkly humorous twist to the game.

Resurrect-O-Nomitron:

• Effect: The quality of the resurrection depends on the amount of money a Sim pays the Grim Reaper when using the Resurrect-O-Nomitron. If a small amount of money is paid, the resurrected Sim will return as a zombie. Paying a moderate amount might result in the Sim being resurrected with some negative side effects, such as reduced skills or personality changes. Paying a high amount ensures a successful and complete resurrection without any negative consequences.
• Weirdness: This phone is not only unpredictable if you do not know the values that bring sims back fully, but zombies with their slow shuffling and odd interactions can be fun and extremely weird to play.

Secret Locations

The Sims 2 features several secret lots that players can unlock and explore. These lots often contain unique interactions, items, and experiences that add depth and intrigue to the game. Here are the top 5 secret lots in "The Sims 2," ranked based on how interesting they are:

1. Takemizu Village (Pagoda in the Shadows)

   • Why It’s Interesting: Also part of the Bon Voyage expansion pack, the Pagoda in the Shadows offers a serene and culturally rich experience. It immerses Sims in a Far Eastern atmosphere, complete with traditional architecture and Zen gardens.
   • Unique Features: The Pagoda in the Shadows includes interactions with wise old locals who share ancient wisdom and stories. Sims can learn to teleport by mastering the art of Zen, adding a mystical element to their abilities. The serene, picturesque environment with bamboo forests and koi ponds makes it a visually unique and tranquil destination.

2. Wishing Well (Garden Club Reward)

   • Why It's Interesting: The Wishing Well is a reward for achieving a perfect garden and is not a lot but a unique object placed on your lot. Sims can make various wishes, such as for romance, wealth, or friends, and see these wishes come true in unpredictable ways. The element of chance and the potential for both positive and negative outcomes add a layer of excitement to the use of this object.
   • Unique Features: Diverse wish outcomes, element of chance, and direct impact on your Sims' lives.

3. Secret Society Lot (University)

   • Why It's Interesting: In the University expansion pack, Sims can join a secret society by being invited by members. The secret society lot includes a lavish mansion with exclusive objects and social interactions that are not available elsewhere. The allure of being part of a secret group and the perks that come with it make this lot particularly intriguing.
   • Unique Features: Exclusive social interactions, secret membership, and unique objects.

4. Twikkii Island (Mysterious Hut)

   • Why It’s Interesting: The Mysterious Hut is part of the Bon Voyage expansion pack. It's intriguing because it introduces an element of adventure and mystery to the otherwise routine lives of Sims.
   • Unique Features: This location offers a chance to meet a witch doctor, who can provide unique interactions and rewards. There is also a mini-quest involving fixing broken items in the hut, which can lead to special rewards like voodoo dolls. The island's tropical setting, complete with exotic flora and fauna, adds to its unique appeal.

5. Three Lakes (Hidden Burrow)

   • Why It’s Interesting: Found in the Bon Voyage expansion pack, the Hidden Burrow offers a woodsy, secluded retreat. It's a stark contrast to the urban or suburban environments that Sims usually inhabit.
   • Unique Features: This location is home to Bigfoot, a legendary creature that Sims can befriend and even invite to live with them. The Hidden Burrow is rich in rustic and natural aesthetics, featuring log cabins and forested trails, making it a perfect escape for Sims looking for a break from modern life.

These secret lots add depth and variety to the Sims 2, providing players with unique experiences and rewards that enhance the overall gameplay.

Pet Oddities

Owning pets came with the 'Sims 2: Pets' expansion pack which introduced a variety of quirky and odd behaviours and features that can surprise and amuse players about their furry friends. Here are ten odd things about owning pets or that pets do::

1. Pet Jobs:

   • Oddity: Pets can have careers, including Showbiz, Service, and Security. They can be promoted and earn money for the household. Fortune sims have a tendency to want these for their pets.
   • Why It's Odd: The idea of pets having structured careers and contributing financially is quite whimsical and unrealistic. It is actually a great way to make money as well, and pets are promoted using the commands they learn such as sit and speak.

2. Werewolf Pets:

   • Oddity: Sims can be turned into werewolves by befriending a leader of the pack, a special wolf with glowing yellow eyes. Pets can then interact with werewolf Sims in unique ways.
   • Why It's Odd: The supernatural element of werewolves interacting with regular pets adds a fantastical twist to pet ownership.

3. Pet Ghosts:

   • Oddity: When pets die, their ghosts can haunt the household, just like Sim ghosts. They can interact with living Sims and pets.
   • Why It's Odd: The concept of ghost pets adds a spooky, yet endearing, aspect to the game.

4. Learning Human Commands:

   • Oddity: Pets can be trained to perform a variety of tricks and obey commands, such as "Sit," "Speak," or even "Use the toilet."
   • Why It's Odd: The level of complexity in training pets to perform tricks, especially cats using human toilets, is both amusing and unusual.

5. Running Away:

   • Oddity: Pets can run away from home if their needs are neglected or they are unhappy. They may eventually return on their own or be found through a special search.
   • Why It's Odd: The emotional impact of a pet running away and the effort to get them back adds unexpected drama to the game.

6. Pet Jealousy:

   • Oddity: Pets can become jealous of new pets or even new Sims in the household. They may act out or become aggressive as a result.
   • Why It's Odd: The human-like emotion of jealousy in pets adds a layer of complexity to pet relationships.

7. Obedience Traits:

   • Oddity: Pets have traits that affect their behaviour, such as Pigpen, Doofus, or Finicky. These traits influence how they interact with their environment and owners.
   • Why It's Odd: The anthropomorphic traits give pets distinct personalities that can lead to humorous and unpredictable behaviours.

8. Pet Diaries:

   • Oddity: Sims can write pet diaries (technically just novels, but with the mod that expands novel covers found here and icons you could choose ideas around what their pet gets up to), chronicling their pets' lives and achievements. These diaries can be read and add a storytelling element to pet ownership. With this mod children can write novels.
   • Why It's Odd: The concept of writing detailed diaries about pets' lives adds a quirky and sentimental touch to the game.

9. Pet Romance:

   • Oddity: Pets can form romantic relationships with other pets. They can "Try for Puppies/Kittens" if they have a high relationship level.
   • Why It's Odd: The idea of pet romance and breeding adds a playful and slightly anthropomorphic element to their interactions.

10. Digging Up Treasure:

    • Oddity: Dogs can dig in the yard and using these half dug holes, sims occasionally unearth valuable items like bones, maps, or even rare collectibles.
    • Why It's Odd: The randomness and potential rewards from this behaviour add a fun and unexpected twist to having dogs in the household.

These oddities make owning pets in 'The Sims 2: Pets' a unique and entertaining experience, enhancing the game's charm and replayability.

What quirk things do you love about the Sims 2? I would love to hear about them.

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If you would like to contact me, please comment down below, or alternatively send me an email at insertthesims@gmail.com, I would love to hear your feedback.

Expansion Pack Retrospective

Which pack had the most influence on the gameplay and series as a whole?

Each Pack brought new gameplay, new ways to play the games and new experience for all players. My own Sims story begins in the middle of these expansions being released and so I will also be discussing their influence on my own gaming experience as well as what they added to the series and their influence on the series. Please remember this will be my opinion on their series influence and then my own gaming experience, if you have a different opinion that is great but I implore you to be respectful when sharing it.

Influence on the Sims Series

8th Place: Free Time 2008 

Free Time came with new sims, a new town and a big focus on hobbies. Despite hobbies being a fantastic addition, the Hobby System was somewhat incorporated into traits and skills, but mostly dropped in Sims 3 and 4. Both games had a lot of the features of sport and instruments but unless a trait specific or want/whim specific to it occurs, then that sim has no specific link to a certain hobby unless the players chooses to create it, putting Free Time sadly into last place.

7th Place: Pets 2006

This pack added in the fury friends into the game. Whilst yes you might be thinking but Sims 3 and Sim 4 added in pets using the same idea of expansion pack and you are right. But where Sims 3 did it better with expanded pets and gameplay for them, Sims 4 just added in Cats and Dog, meaning the influence started in Sims 1, that grew in Sim2 and subsequently Sims 3 with regards to Pets was dropped at Sims 4 (this may be an ongoing theme I suspect).

6th Place: Seasons 2007

Originally meant to be in the Sims 2 Base game, weather was an added feature in the Sims 2 and became an expansion from then on, whether due to need or greed, a pack just about weather has been popular, but when all is said and done it is just weather...

Yes additional deaths and what not were added in, but the Sims 2 at least gave us a great town and the first proper/true Plantsim in their version of weather expansions. So yes weather is a key element and has had a relatively mediocre influence on the series in that it always returns.

NOTE: I must praise the Sims 4 Calendar and Holiday system, it was a real refresh to a rather stale pack and concept by that point in the series.

5th Place: Open for Business 2006

Often heralded as the best expansion pack, looking at it for it's influence on the Sims series as a whole it falls in the middle of the pack. I think the simple answer to 'Why?' is because the Sims 2 did business owning the best and it never really got past this system. Yes Business owning came in Sims 3 and Sims 4, it has never surpassed Sims 2's system for business ownership. Additionally I must just mention the potential link between talent badges in the Sims 2 and the new skill system in Sims 3. Skills in Sims 2 were a little restricting and in the Sims 3 activities got their own Skill tree, which continues to this day in the Sims 4 with dozens of skill trees in existence.

4th Place: Bon Voyage 2007

Last one to not make it onto the podium is Bon Voyage. Vacations were introduced with the Sims 1 and continued to grow throughout the series. Both Sims 3 an then Sims 4 introduced numerous holiday destinations and worlds to 'vacation' within. I think as the series grew into one more based on socialising and 'showing off your experiences' (sadly something society has become) so did the need for Vacationing.

3rd Place: Apartment Life 2008

Bronze award goes to Apartment Life. Of course it is pretty clear what influence this had on the game, apartments. Apartments have been adored by the Sims community since they were introduced with this expansion. Sims 3 and Sims 4 have both taken them to differing places but kept the premise of apartments the same.

Another feature that came here was Witches. Witches like all occults got developed and deepened in subsequent Sims 3 and Sim 4 games, but here is where the life states initially flourished. Though it began in Sims Makin Magic, Witches were not defined nor did they have a proper life state of their own. In apartment life they were fleshed out with spells and charms etc.

Social class is one of the things I wish the Sims 2 had implemented well. I actually think because it felt non-existent that it was never properly introduced again into the series outside of the Sims 3 Neighbourhood view telling you about a sims wealth status and whether they were rich or poor and the interaction that came related to that (albeit they were few and far between).

The last thing this pack introduced was Reputation, this is in short how your playable sim is perceived by the other sims they interact with, i.e. good or bad. In the Sims 2 this lead to a huge variety of outcomes from cheaper rent, promotions, new friends, dates and much much more. Having a good or bad reputation really has huge impacts on your sims. But we are thinking of the impact on the series. This reputation led to the gossip that Sims 3 have when finding out someone cheated, and probably had some influence on traits such as good, evil, commitment issues and many more I presume.

2nd Place: Nightlife 2005

In a very close second comes the socialising and romance focussed pack, Nightlife.

Nightlife completely changed the social and romantic scene in the sims. Before Nightlife, Hot Date had focussed on romance, and House Party focused on partying. Now in Sims 2 Nightlife combined both of these expansions from the Sims 1, and took them further.

Downtown is of course a key to Nightlife with new places to go and meet people, new places to party, dance, drink and date. But in terms of game mechanic so much more was introduced with Nightlife. Other than the inevitable new clothes, hairs and items, cars were introduced here. This pack was the first time the series saw Vampire, which became a main stay staple life state/occult in the series from then on. When vampires appeared in the Sims 3 and then the Sims 4 they were expanded upon each time to make them even more enjoyable and still to this day remain one of most simmer's favourite occults.

With Vampires came the NPC Grand Vampires who can turn your sims, but other NPCs saw the return of the infamous Mrs. Crumplebottom (albeit she is a different woman to the last Miss Crumplebottom), Chef's returned here for the diners and restaurants this pack introduced, as did the DJ for all the parties you would be having in the nightclubs in Downtown. With an emphasis on dates, the Gypsy Matchmaker came into the game to allow you to find blind dates and romances at the end of a phone call or visit of her to your lot.

All of this fun around dating and socialising still exists (less deep but still the premise is there) in the series to date and has become the main point of the game since the days of the Sims 2's playful and somewhat family focus of the game.

I cannot end Nightlife without mentioning that Chemistry systems and Fury came into the game with Nightlife. Chemistry gave us turn ons and turn offs, which somewhat continued to exist in Sims 3 and Sims 4, Fury has some tenuous links to the moodlets and then emotions of Sims 3 and Sims 4. Oh and Grilled Cheese Aspirations.

1st Place: University 2005

I think it is hard to not see the influence that Sims 2 University had on the series. Firstly it had no predecessor like many of the packs before it did in the Sims 1 and so was a novel idea you could debate. As the first expansion it gave us a whole new life stage with Young Adult, which from this point on in the series was a completely new added in Life Age from here on out!

But there is more...

Universities expanded in Sims 3 because of this pack's success and how integral it was to the game. Sims 3 expanded the University options but also saw this pack's influence (sort of) on schooling with Sims 3 Generation Boarding Schools being seen as a 'prequel' to university study for the younger sims. Sims 4 also added in a University system that you could argue is greater than the Sims 2. Whilst the hood, sims, and overall addition in Discover University for the Sims 4 was not great (a running trend for the Sims 4), the University/Study gameplay is actually arguable the best in the series to date. Note that Sims 3 and Sims 2 still had better University packs than the Sims 4 overall.

Sims 2 University gave us the Influence system, which was not really seen again, whilst influence can be useful at times, it did open a realm of social interaction as well as the addition of secret societies, more social interactions from 'Hang out' to streaking. This pack brought new instruments, encouraged new friendships and relationships and gave use mobile phones and mp3 players. All of these became a staple in the series going forward. Even though these were never introduced like they were here, they all became a key element of base game, being included in Sims 3 and 4 base game as a MUST HAVE, but also Sims 3 traits even implied some of these features with Virtuoso wanting to do the new musical instrument skills, even down to the social aspect with Sims 4 have a much more social feel to it.

Lastly this pack as the first Sims 2 Expansion pack also brought new music, new objects, and new clothing themes setting the premise for what all future packs should bring. Sims 4 thinks only adding these bits in, now warrants an expansion pack, back in my Sims 2 days they were the additional perks that were added into an expansion pack as an extra bonus on top of amazing gameplay!

Influence on my own gameplay

Whilst the influence on the series is rather generic, but the influence on my gameplay is very specific to me and below you can see which expansion packs are the most important to my gameplay and therefore see which is my favourite technically.

This was actually rather easy for me, the packs in 7th and 8th place are my least favourite and often mostly feel useless for me, whilst 4th, 5th and 6th all add things I don't mind playing with but couldn't have them all the time. Also 5th and 6th was very close for me! Lastly 1st, 2nd, and 3rd all add key elements to my gameplay and my Sims 2 game cannot be played without!

8th Place: Bon Voyage 2007

This is the pack I play and use the least. Many of the outfits and even the replacements I have are rather niche in where they get used and despite my sims pining for a beach vacation I rarely send them because it is too much faff and it isn't enjoyable gameplay. So this pack is sadly completely unused for me...

7th Place: Pets 2006

Whilst I enjoy the concept of my sims having pets, I actually never really play with them. If my sims want them they can only have them if there spare pets in town. Even when they are in the household, they feel more like a burden, having to feed them and with dogs, bath them. I never choose to teach them any behaviours I spawn the learned behaviours objects and max them all because they are such as chore to train!

6th Place: Open for Business 2006

I have had a rather love-hate relationship with this pack. Sometimes I really enjoy businesses and other times they feel far too much effort for the few simoleons you make. The way I found to make them consistently fun was to give all business owners Gold Sales badges so they can 'Dazzle' customers to make sales. You might think this is 'cheat-y' but in my opinion if the customer has walked into the shop, is viewing a specific item for a while, they basically want to buy it so it is not cheating to forcibly sell it to them. Businesses could be for all sims, I would get bored too quickly, but those few sims it works for I am happy to have every few households, placing this expansion pack here.

5th Place: Apartment Life 2008

Apartments are a great way to get rid of random sims that feel like they still live at home but shouldn't, such as siblings to married couple who are starting families, think Sharon Mole or Kent Capp. Plus this game added witches, which I do enjoy, but moreover, the addition of social class or even the idea of it has made this pack fall around the midpoint for me.

4th Place: Nightlife 2005

Three things make this pack great in my eyes. Chemistry, Fury, and Social/Romance activities are all great aspects to the game. This pack for my gameplay bridges the previous packs that had some quirky features I liked, to the final three packs which are all staple and constant requirements in my gameplay. Whilst I love the chemistry system, I actually have a couple of mods to make it more realistic for me and less about star signs. In the UK Zodiac/Star signs do not mean nearly as much as they do to the US; most brits probably on average end up in a conversation about their star signs once or twice a year, and I wanted my chemistry system to reflect not needing a Star sign system. Fury is great for gameplay and game stories ideas. Social and Romantic activities such as outings and dates are fun additions and exciting when they crop up by chance in my games but I don't use them all that often on purpose.

3rd Place: Seasons 2007

Weather and seasons are key to my gameplay. I enjoy following the weather in real life (Can you tell I am British haha!) plus seasons are how I manage time and rounds within my game so it is key to my gameplay. Gardening in the sims is great too which came with this pack. Including this position and onwards, my game would feel lost without these packs...

2nd Place: University 2005

A lot of my sims end up going to university, it is a big aspect of not only the university/young adult sims, but has major connotations for my teen sims who may work towards university and true adults who (thanks to multiple mods) need their degrees for jobs and promotions etc.

May sound small but College Rock is also my favourite radio station which I always put on eventually during every day's playing I tend to do. 

1st Place: Free Time 2008

Do I need to say much more other than Hobbies. Ironically as a child/teen playing the sims I did not own this pack because I thought who wants to fill their time with hobbies? I wanted my sims to make babies and earn money. When I came back to playing the Sims 2 a few years ago and got Free Time, I was hooked on the hobby system and created my own system which is blogged about if you wan to go and read it. Additionally I was also hooked with how much fun following their hobbies was, when a sim feels stale or their needs and wants are sorted and they are in that 'boring phase', I can get them onto their hobby and see where it takes them.

I have a feeling my love for hobbies also stems from the fact they were lost with the trait system in Sims 3 unless there was a specific trait for that hobby; even though you don't need a trait which implies you are good at a hobby to actually enjoy it. Sims that enjoy mechanical stuff don't have to have the handy trait i.e. be good at mechanics to enjoy it. Should all music hobby sims have the virtuoso trait, I know many people who love to sing but can not do it in tune! Haha!

Then Sims 4 slimmed down the trait system and removed many useful deep and meaningful aspects to the game and the hobby system had been entirely lost, you now had to decide "this sim loves the piano". I am aware it has returned and have even played the Sims 4's version. In the Sims 2 the sim decided themselves whether they were a pianist and I adore this!

I would love to hear your opinion on this. Do you feel any of these packs are in very different places in your own gameplay style?

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If you would like to contact me, please comment down below, or alternatively send me an email at insertthesims@gmail.com, I would love to hear your feedback.