I just browsed through this threading, reading bits here and there and looking at all the photos. Your neighborhoods are fabulous! The neighborhood decor you've used is beautiful. My neighborhood is so sparse (it's only been up and running since December), and I tend to choose flat terrain because I get frustrated when mountains get in the way of maneuvering the game. I'm going to rethink the terrain choice when I start up a second neighborhood.

Your Sims look great. The moles, glasses and freckles make them look so unique.

BTW, I'm so happy that you were able to resurrect a more recent version of your Sims game!

Thanks SImelissa, the hood and it's denizens been in progress for a long time. As long as you don't get bored or it doesn't implode you could have a hood of longevity as well for your own! I love face masks because they do add a variety for uniqueness. I decided which sims have hereditary freckles or moles and apply them as their children grow, usually at toddler stage when I can change appearance. I agree, mountains can be frustrating when trying to select a lot way off yonder on the map. But then again sometimes I hide some sims back there I don't want to play anymore, lol.

Your 'hood is amazing. I love all the backstories and details your sims have, and how you explain game glitches. I'm glad you managed to get your files back, it would have been devastating to lose so much progress. I hope my 'hood is still standing in 9 years' time!

Thank you HH22! There's a lot of weird glitches I have to explain away unfortunately. At least another family who has someone with amnesia and another family with a missing daughter. But before I get into more families, here's something that happened in my most recent play session.

I was playing a branch of the Wellington family where the only 'true' Wellington in the family is little Janine. As mentioned in the Wellington Clan post, her mother married into the family, her father died of old age when she was a baby and Adela is her half sister from a different father, not married to her mother so she takes on the Wellington name though has no true genetics from it.

Their mother took her and Adela to the state park on the weekend on her day off, where they had a good time. Even a Good witch visited and graced the park with sparkling light. Otherwise, during the week, Janine is expected to watch over her sister and do chores while her mother is at work and help out around the house. The nanny comes over to make sure there's no mischief in the meantime.

The girls at the State Park


Janine was stoked because she got all her chores done, including raking all the autumn leaves and invited her friend, Roderick Kapitha over. However something went down between the Nanny and Roderick's mother, probably an insult was thrown around. Adela didn't care, she just stayed off to the side and kept up her jump rope counts but Roderick was very upset that the nanny was bullying his mother and they promptly went home. Too bad, Janine. WOMP WOMP.

Janine doing the chores


The nanny is clearly bullying Mrs. Kapitha in the background


Roderick is a rightful crybaby about it.

Good update Charmful, I enjoyed it.

Janine and Adela seem to be doing ok. Does Roderick Kapitha have a suitable Astrological Sign such that he might be a good match for Janine or Adela? When I am playing I always pay attention to such things, which is why I am asking about it. lol

Hmm I am not sure. I almost never pay attention to the astrological signs for anything since they are automatically set in the confines of the personality points, at least in CAS. Both of them are 2nd gen born sims in the game too so I didn't even get to dictate their personalities directly. Chemistry bolts are what I do pay attention to when they are old enough to have them; I think chemistry might be in part driven by the astrological sign? Is there in in-game sims astrological sign compatibility chart?

A major part of the Chemistry Calculation in the game is driven by Sign and other parts are Aspiration and Turn-ons/Turn-offs.
Cyjon does a good detailed job of explaining Chemistry starting on this page. http://www.cyjon.net/node/86

There is no in game sims astrological sign compatibility chart, but I found a FAQ that someone wrote that is quite good.
Reposting: because
Arrghh I forgot to attach the text file that I am trying to share.

Thanks for that lordtyger! I read through cyjon's pages about attraction and will download what you tired to share when I get home. Then I will check the zodiac signs for these kids and see if there's any kind of future, that is if they end up liking opposite genders when they reach puberty.

Janine ended up growing to a teen while Roderick is still a kid so I'll hold off on calculating their chemistry, however I did get to read through that file you attached, lordtyger, thank you



Speaking of chemistry Mira Cosgrove and Jimmy Calhoun are a three-bolter kind of relationship despite his amnesia. I guess it's easy to fall back in love with someone you had loved before. It was time for their respective families to start seeing the benefits of making their kids hang out all the time when they were young. Jimmy, as stated before, was living with his parents to sort of rehabilitate his memory. He went on a date with Mira and maybe a memory of her floated into him while they sang karaoke , because they did that a lot on college.


Jimmy-re-popped the question as they had been engaged before his amnesia but Mira was happy to accept once again. He moved in with her and they started planning a tasteful back patio wedding. Usually Cosgroves get married in the orchard at the Cosgrove Villa but Mira wanted it in the city.



Finally the day arrives!

Nice Charmful, very nice. I liked Mira and Jimmy's wedding and everything. Great pictures.

Thanks so much, lordtyger. I really do love taking sim pics so I'm glad it's showing for you and the readers! So below is the follow up on the newlyweds' honeymoon at Twikkii.

It's an all-expenses paid trip to tropical paradise courtesy of Mira's parents, because the Cosgroves have money to throw around like that (10K Simpoleons). However, their ulterior motive in funding this trip was to make it so Mira and Jimmy would be in the best mood ever and hopefully start getting to work on providing them grandchildren.



First Day was sunny and warm, they went swimming in the ocean, shopping, sunbathing, built sandcastles and had a romantic lunch on the Boardwalk.



Second day it was overcast though no tropical storms touched down. The couple visited South End Beach to check out the pirate ship. Mira had visited when she was a little girl on a family vacation and found a doubloon which she had given to Jimmy, her best friend when she returned. He didn't remember her giving it to him, though knows he has one and thought it was neat they were there together so many years later. Mira found a shell necklace in the sand and wore it all day. Jimmy found a captain's log when he plundered the captain's cabin. They looked out toward the ocean and Jimmy promised not to push Mira overboard but didn't promise not to try, which caused her to startle and then aggressively make out with him. Later, he ascended to the crow's nest and after dinner they laid on the beach to stargaze.



Third day was the last day and they took breakfast in their pajamas on their ocean-view hotel balcony. They could get used to living in such luxury. After breakfast they went to the White Sands Hot springs but it proved a bit too hot to be in them. So Jimmy hunkered down in a hammock to read a book while Mira received a massage.



Four months later...

Looks like the Parents Plan worked out wonderfully, heh.

Wow you take wonderful pictures, I try to take good ones myself and yours really impress me.

I ought to try doing a Honey Moon Trip to one of the Vacation Locations, I never have though. Do you choose the Vacation before the Wedding then? Is it that simple?

Indeed, soon enough the Cosgroves and Calhouns who concocted this plan of having their children hook up will have shared grandchildren.

Pictures took me awhile to figure out over the years, my beginning ones are atrocious. First I realized the using in-game cameras (c button) was rubbish for quality and the pics were too small, so when I was on a mac I would just use the keyboard shortcut for screenshots that would save to my desktop in higher resolution. When I moved over to the PC, I added sims 2 to my STEAM game library and use that program's interface for collecting screenshots. Then from there, I learned about keyboard shortcuts in tab mode how much angles could make pics more engaging and if you want tips you can read my semi-tutorial on how to get good shots and other tips here . Then the final step was adding a mod to get rid of the red pause button, downloading Poseboxes, OMSPs, and learning how to use the freeze clock for pictures, and also some post-processing to sometimes get that depth of field look where the background is blurry and the foreground is clear.

Since you have Bon Voyage, you should throw a wedding party and then immediately after inviting guests, book a 'honeymoon' at the vacay spot of your choice. Then once, the party is over, the taxi will arrive and your newlyweds will go to it. You may be able to do it right before the wedding party too, as long as the one calling is 'engaged' status.

If you wanted to do an unofficial honeymoon, you can always just book a vacation after the wedding party and call it a honeymoon.

There's also the option of a destination wedding, where they don't throw a party and instead jet off to one of the vacation spots and just do the 'propose>get married' option without all the fanfare.

Oh and life pro tip: Don't have your bride and group be in any casual groups by the time the party is over because I found this out with Jimmy and Mira. They arrived at the hotel with ALL their family (parents and siblings) members tagging along and it was because I had invited them over as casual groups for the wedding party but didn't end them. So I had to end the casual group and then use sim blender to clear off all the extra family members. I would chalk that mistake up to Mira and Jimmy just being super nice and trying to share their honeymoon with their families but then her mother put her foot down and made everyone go home after a few hours in order to create peace and quiet for operation: grandchildren. Haha!

I do like the way your game is going.

I think I will try to do a Honey Moon trip to the Island or maybe the Far East one or the Mountain one even. I should have fun with it.

Hah well I started out using the in game camera too and then I rather recently switched to using Command-Shift-3 or Command-Shift-4, I just recently found the tab key thing and I noticed that it removes the control interface thing or what ever it is called. I have not got to where I know how to move the camera around very well when using tab yet though. I am sort of working on it and I think I do OK with my Pictures normally. I doubt that the Pose Boxes work with Macs though.

I went and looked at your tutorial about Picture Taking with the Key Board and I copied the Picture you included so that I can refer to it and memorize it eventually. Thanks for mentioning your tutorial and including the link.

I could switch to a PC, but I just don't feel like it. I don't care about AL or FT or their features that I don't have. Much the same with the SPs I don't have. I am not motivated to make things for the Sims 2 like objects or hair or clothes, I do know how to program, but I am not motivated to create MODs. I suppose I would use SimPE if it was available for Macs, but the chance to use SimPE is not enough for me to want to use a PC or run Windows on my Mac. Been using Macs since 1987, and OS X since 2011, and just not motivated to switch even if I do love to play the Sims 2. Didn't like Sims 3 much at all and I did give it a try, not going to ever bother with Sims 4 or any other that EAgames might release.

Twikkii honeymoons are the most common but I do love me some rugged camping honeymoons too in the game! Also it gives them time to stock up on fish to cook later when they get home, and the nice thing about those vacations is they don't subtract time from your sims' overall lifespan - it's like pause mode on aging.

So from experience, I can tell you you can get great pics even on Mac. I played sims 2 up until 2012 on that operating system and never had a PC till my fiancee (now husband, obviously) built me one and gave me all the sims 2 games, so I couldn't say no! You are right that using the command + Shift + 4 will get you better quality, and bigger pics. Removing the user interface while taking images is also nice because it's not distracting. If you use regular arrow keys or the w=forward, s=backward, d=right, a=left keys you can manuever around and also you your mouse to direct the camera simultaenously. It can be tricky on a trackpad; but I always used a desktop with a mouse which made it easier. Poseboxes, like the simblender are just hacked objects that work in-game no matter what OS you are running the game on, but take time to get used to using. The no-red pause border mod also works on macs. You don't have to have any expansions for them either. I would advise to just keep playing with it until you find what you like

But yeah, being on mac you are unfortunately barred from installing any package editor like SimPE or even Clean Installer but if you ever fancy to do recolors on existing clothing, hair, or accessories meshes then bodyshop works on mac (it's free and shipped with the game) and all you would need is a photo-editing program which they have those for macs too.

Do you have a link for the no-red pause border mod? I will make a point to look for Pose boxes that I might like since you note that they work on Macs.
I use an iMac with a trackball and I have an extended key board. I do like to take pictures and improving them a bit is something I would like. I have something called GraphicConverter for my Graphics App, I use this to work on my Screen Shots for example, also I do have an old version of Photoshop on my Ancient Mac.

I really doubt that I would ever care to create anything for the Sims 2, just not motivated to do it. I do like what CC I have found, however I think I have enough and I pretty much have quit downloading new content. Unless it was something like a Working Slot Machine or some other gambling equipment, then I would make a Casino in the game.

Back to Your Game for a bit. You are one of ones that I like the most, another one is the one by Amura.

Anyway back to the game!

I'm still on this whole Newlywed Calhoun kick so more Jimmy And Mira snapshots incoming.

Jimmy hasn't found a job yet. He passed the bar and is ready to be the lawyer he always wanted to be but no firms are hiring. Not even his respected regional court judge of a mother can give him an in at this time. So after Jimmy checks the job postings, he usually cleans house, prepares meals for Mira in bulk since she's with child and always hungry, he does his daily crossword too. Mira is on maternity leave from her architect office job, so they are living off her paid time off. Though, neither are too worried about money to take care of the incoming baby since Mira's parents are loaded and will drop thousands on their first grandchild if asked to do so.

Jimmy likes to fish too, and surprisingly Mira isn't adverse to such dishes in her state as long as they are thoroughly cooked of course.


But even this thoroughly cooked, she still will gag. Jimmy makes note to watch the cooking channel next time to see if he can learn an easier meal than stuffed rainbow trout.


Mira ends up taking over the kitchen and makes some simple mac n' cheese.


Since he is unemployed, Jimmy also spends afternoons in the backyard pool. He likes how they live in the middle of Scandalica City so he looks up at skyscrapers while floating on his back.

He can sometimes get his buddies to go workout with him at the recreation center and shoot hoops. Skyler Greystone is a dude-bro Jimmy was acquaintances with at the fraternity and he has a pregnant wife too. They can bro-bond over that.


In the meantime, Mira makes use of her maternity leave to paint. She had her hubster move her materials to the outer deck where it's sunny and relaxing.


The other perk of living downtown is that the enormous public library is a block away, and Jimmy can go there to brush up on his cooking skills, and even read about parenting. By the look of it, it confuses him.

I love your Newlywed Calhoun kick so more Jimmy And Mira snapshots are good. I particularly liked the one with Jimmy and the Stuffed Rainbow Trout.

I always like taking pics of sims preparing various foods. I'm always amazed about the little details in the game like the ingredients for each meal. Anyhow, this may be the last set of pics of the newlyweds for awhile since they are caught up on my loose rotation of play.

The nursery is done, all it needs is the newborn now.


Jimmy again, fails to find any openings in any law firms around the city so goes about his morning crossword and ponders if he just be a stay at home father at the rate he's going. It would save on nanny expenses in the long run anyhow.


He relinquishes his seat for Mira to conk out in. She can't seem to stay awake more than a few hours.

Aww, lovely baby Bryce! He looks a lot like his dad, I think. :lovestruc

Great pictures, @Charmful !

baby Bryce does look good, the parents look like they are doing well also. Well I hope that Dad find the job he is looking for soon.

I don't recall if you said you play custom careers or not. I play with several, so I use the job board.

Great pictures as usual @Charmful

@lordtyger9

I don't use custom careers. I've been dipping my toe into CC and mods over the years but the last two things that I have yet to mod in my game are careers and foods-those are still vanilla.

I have 32 foods, a lot of them are deserts. I thought they were worth adding so I did.

Ah I have 17 custom careers not counting a few just for Pets,. FT introduced five new careers including dance, entertainment, intelligence, oceanography and architecture and I don't have those of course. So I have a net 12 more than you do. I think some of them are very cool. They give me a bit more variety.

Phew, it's been a hot moment since I updated this. August was an entirely busy month for me, so simsing was at a yearly low. But I finally have some updates for Kashmire. I will introduce more of my families - I've been chipping away taking pics of them and writing up their long, involved histories so hopefully I will have more of those soon. For now I have a mini update about the Kashmire Election, which is a construct I'm playing around with for narrative purposes in general play and as a background plot in my current sims story.


You've been introduced to Lawrence Orbinson, the current mayor of Kashmire. He's done a decent job with Kashmire; he introduced a recycling initiative to clean up Scandalica City when he first took office, he is a centrist sim overall and the public seems to trust him. There was a bill that he signed that didn't go over too well with Kashmire's business development head honchos. There was a section of land in Isla Del Kashmire many were hoping to develop into a new commercial district but Mayor Orbinson agreed it should be protected, because the land was home to a rare species of squirrel--and signed the land off under jurisdiction of the regional park service.

Ever since then, his two best friends from college have turned on him personally and professionally. Pryce Cosgrove, is a well-known business man in the region, and he was gunning for that land. Now he has to resort to beg existing business owners in the middle of the island to sell so he can see his redevelopment project through.

Elm Calhoun is a judge but his ambitions won't stop him from betraying his old friendship with Lawrence, ever since Pryce approached him and asked him if he would be interested in running against Orbinson in the upcoming Election. The campaign has been long and it took a quite a few negative ads against Lawrence but Elm is pulling ahead in the polls, and with Cosgrove as Calhoun's financial backer, for once Lawrence looks to be grasping at straws for political allies. He's even turned to the newly arrived Ambassador of Takemizu for political aid. People really seem to like the government health care plan Elm keeps spouting about in his interviews but Lawrence knows that Elm would never go through with it if elected, especially if he's just going to be Cosgrove's puppet.



"Why vote for another peg in the Orbisnon political dynasty--" Elm's confident tenor is overheard while some archive footage of Milo Orbinson plays on the television screen. It's a scene of chaos, of course, to dredge up the reminders of the days when syndicates ruled the cities. If anyone ever paid attention they would know that the syndicates were eradicated under Lawrence's father's tenure as Mayor. "--when you could have a fresh new take in government?"

The screen pans down and the viewer sees Elm's red hair, and if observed closely one could see he is going grey. Finally Elm's face is in full view with a smirk of his regular arrogance, but for some reason people see him as a charismatic defender of justice, especially as he rattles off his qualifications, including his long standing judgeship over Kashmire. It ends with Calhoun saluting the viewers and his slogan of "Kashmire's Finest"



His opponent's slogan makes Lawrence snap out angrily every time in his head "Kashmire's finest what? Asshole?"

It didn't used to be this way. When they were young men in the Greek Society at Sim State they were the best of bros. Both political science majors--they had a love for debating, socializing, bragging, and most of all, winning. Elm didn't have the connections to propel him into a successful political career right out of university like Lawrence did, so Elm did his time working up the ranks. Elm is a professional schmoozer, and his slimy caliber of charm made up for his lack of notoriety in Kashmire's circle of politicians. Elm probably resented Lawrence on some level but would never make it so obvious. He needed to keep his friend close, and make the best use out of Lawrence's position. Elm was an often invited guest to the Orbinson estate for dinners and was always on the short list of invitees to the mayor's ball, harvest gala, or other social events that the regional government held. Lawrence and Elm even had children that went to school together. So it was no wonder why Lawrence felt a deep sense of betrayal when Elm announced that we was running against him in the next election.


The other night, Lawrence and his wife, Noelle decided to check out the new outdoor dinner theater in town. It was a lovely affair, the food was delicious, and the show was dramatic. It was a great time to take a break from campaigning and forget about the stress for Lawrence. Noelle was beautiful as always, he really lucked out snagging a gal like her. She held out her hand and he meet hers, squeezing it with affection.




However, it wasn't to last because his opponent was also eating dinner there that night. Noelle suggested Lawrence just ignore the man but the standing mayor was livid that just by showing his face, Calhoun had ruined his evening. He marched over to give his former friend of piece of his mind.



Elm, quick-witted as ever, turned the scene to his advantage--and called the mayor's character into question. "Look everyone, I was minding my own business and the mayor comes over and heckles me!"



A crowd began to gather and Lawrence got a bit nervous as he saw them start to agree with the point Elm was making. Embarrassed, Lawrence quickly left the area to some hurtful ''boo-ing' but not without a glare at Elm--Kashmire's finest douchebag.

Noelle followed until Lawrence halted in front of the entrance to the amphitheater. She was upset that he had made a scene when he should have just taken her advice. He really loves her, but could have done with less of the 'I-told-you-so' attitude. He was distracted by Calhoun's campaign poster that he saw tacked up on the public wall. It looked ugly and out of place on the stone wall of the magnificent space and it was annoying how fast Calhoun got it up on there since the place just opened. Noelle finally stopped chiding him and beckoned him to follow her leave.



He did, but not before he ripped down the poster to put it where it belongs. He hasn't lost all hope yet; he will do whatever it takes to win this election and be mayor for eight more seasons!

@Charmful
We Might have had to wait a bit for your update about the Kashmire Election, but it was well worth it.

Reading about Mayor Lawrence Orbison, Pryce Cosgrove and Judge Elm Calhoun was great, I love how you framed the story. The posters were great and I loved the pictures.