Jack Kim: Sophomore Year

We're STILL in Desiderata Valley, now at the largest dorm at uni. The dorm has 14 rooms, and seven of them are currently occupied by playable students, all of them sophomores: Sam Thomas, Jimmy Phoenix, Erik Swain, Ty Bubbler, Toby Scott and Jared Starchild. The student we're here for this year is the young man who looks as if he's suffering cold hands: Jack Kim, who was made playable not all that long ago (just like Toby Scott). 

When Jack moved in, he had not a single skill point and nothing in his inventory. He is a Family Sim who wants to marry off six children.

Sam, her boyfriend Ty and Jimmy share a table in the cafeteria, with Sam talking across the room to another table.

It's Toby Scott and Erik Swain there. 

I have bought better beds for everyone; their combined grants mean the students are actually rather well off. Jack still looks as if he's very tired the next morning, though. 

Ty and Sam fell in love autonomously during their Freshman Year; now they move from crush to red-hearts love. 

Jack is not the first but not the last, either, to send in his Paper this Term.

He celebrates with a dance session and does not seem to be bothered by one of the NPC students tickling him under the arm :-D

He is now friends with Erik Swain. 

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After everyone has finished their papers, Jack calls a group taxi to the Student Union. They meet a few other students there, have something to eat and play the odd computer game before it is time to head back to the dorm.

The next morning, Jack finds it is snowing again.

A fire breaks out in the cafeteria, quickly extinguished out by the sprinkler. 

Jack goes to sweep the pavement clean of snow on his own accord. (Of course what he really did here was raking leaves, but it looks like it, doesn't it?)

If you want drama, just go to the cafeteria! When it's not a fire, it's a fight...

...and this time, the Llama wins.

Once again, everyone in the group passes their mid-year exam with A+ results, names on the Dean's List and the full grants.

As usual, it's skilling time for everyone before they can get started on their Term Papers. 

"Phew! That was hard work," Jack thinks when he has finished his.

Erik Swain gets into a fight with one of the NPC dormies. There has been a lot of agression going on at this dorm - I can't remember ever having seen so many fights with a group of students before. 

And again, if it's not fighting, it's a fire! 

"What?! The dorm cook has done it AGAIN?" Yes, Jack, he has. Fortunately, Jack managed to grab a bowl of the chili that was not burnt.

When he's not studying, he's dancing. Here, Jack is showing off the amazing flexibility of his hips... 

...and what must be one of my favourite dance moves :-D

Meanwhile, Toby Scott has been kind enough to mop the cafeteria floor, still wet from the sprinkler that was set off by the cook's latest fire.

The next morning, Jared Starchild (whose room is next to Jack's) pops over to tell him about the great new CD he has heard about - knowing how our Jack loves dancing.

Toby is forever Sam's victim, and I have no idea what triggered the animosity between these two. 

Sam wins.

Spring has sprung, and when Jack returns from class, he notices the overgrown shrubs and weeds at the dorm entrance. He sets to work straight away on his own initiative. 

Just as he is talking on the phone to improve a friendship with one of the other playable students, the campus coach shows up.

And dutifully, Jack works out for a while; not that he really needs it. 

To my surprise, Sam shows the wish to apologize to Toby. Sadly, it does not make a difference - a minute later, they are having another poke-and-slap fest.

But still, everyone finishes their Sophomore Year at A+ grades and with their names on the Dean's List. 

The constant fighting got on my nerves, honestly! But I was focusing on Jack and rarely intervening when Sam and Toby or Erik and one of the NPC students were fighting. Jack has not made a single step towards his lifetime want yet, but now that it's spring, he really wants to flirt, have a date and fall in love. He'll have to wait until next time I play this dorm - same as a certain Professor Heather Smith, who I have Jimmy Phoenix trying to befriend.

The Kim Family - Week 1

In my game, the "Nuclear Nest" is placed in Desiderata Valley, between the Kiddie Care Castle and the Von Dough Gallery. It is, as you all know, home to the Kim family. There aren't any pre-made pictures for them, but their Maxis-written background story goes: "As actors on a television series set in the 24th century, the Kims' house was filled with space-inspired furniture and two out of this world pets named Gabby and Cheech. As time moved forward, their audience realized that the actual future didn’t quite look like the future onscreen. The show was cancelled and the Kims moved on to live a normal lifestyle. Will they be able to fully leave their atomic history behind? Or is there still a star amongst them?"

The layout of this 1950s "futuristic" styled house makes for good gameplay: Entering by the front door, one stands in a generous hall with a stair case. Off to the left is the kitchen with dining area. In the top left corner is Justin's bedroom. Next are a separate bath/shower and toilet, The top right corner contains an exercise machine as well as a scratching post and litter box for the cat. A windowless TV room with two fireplaces follows, and a small sitting room with a book shelf completes this floor. 

Outdoors are a bar (visible in the previous picture), a jaccuzzi and a futuristic dog house. The garden has many flower beds, a few trees and a box hedge in front of the house. Upstairs is only Cynthia and Robert's bedroom. With 10,000 Simoleons in their bank account, the family do not have any immediate financial worries. 

Justin is the youngest family member, an only child. His bio reads: "Justin used to have recurring nightmares that he would become yet another has-been child star. Now that he's been dropped from the spotlight, will his nightmares come true or can he replace the fading flicker with a new dream?" 

His father, Robert, " longs for the simpler days when a wholesome joke and some cute science fiction was enough to keep an audience happy. He personally prefers the clean atomic future from the show and loves to surround himself in the style" according to Maxis. He is a Fortune Sim who sees himself as future Captain Hero - maybe his role in the TV series was something like that. 

Cynthia we've already met as Tara Kat's friend. She "is looking forward to finally living in a house with working appliances and running water instead of a plywood backdrop. Most of all, she can't wait to get a real maid instead of a robotic prop that never actually cleans up!", Maxis writes. Her aspiration is Popularity, and her lifetime want to be a General may have something to do with her former role in the series as well - who knows! 

Cheech is their cat. You can see him underneath the artwork showing both family pets - by the looks of it, this could well be memorabilia from the TV series, them having been part of the show as well.

Gabby is the dog recognisable in the painting. 

Welcoming the Kims to Desiderata Valley are Cyd Roseland and Nawwaf Lewis, a recent move-in himself, as well as John Mole (not pictured). The dog seen in front is Tiffany, a stray that was not really invited in but decided to join the party. 

Justin tells his Mum everything about his first day at the school. "Geography was really interesting, even though it was all about Earth and nothing about the planets we used to travel to in the show," he explains. 

When their son is in bed and the guests have left, husband and wife make sure they have at least a cooking skill point each - now they are not living on set anymore, they will have to make their own meals. 

Early on Tuesday morning, I spot Cheech sitting on the patio bar - I knew cats can sit on kitchen counters, but didn't think they would sit on a bar, too! (Strictly speaking, Cheech is on the counter; the bar is set between two.) 

Something else I have never noticed: The poles supporting the patio roof have little shelves, and Maxis have placed flower vases on them. 

At six, Justin gets up, still a little bleary-eyed.

In the afternoon, Cynthia meets and greets Camryn Lee. "Hello! My son has just returned from school, and I am about to fix us a meal; care to join us?" Camryn cares. 

Until the meal is ready, Justin plays in the back garden with Cheech.

"You know, the Strangetown version of me became best friends with General Grunt and moved in..." she explains over their grilled cheese sandwiches. She's right, and therefore I am not going to have Cynthia pursue their friendship to the point of moving her in here as well.

Robert, who had found a job that same morning and started out as Patrol Officer, returns late in the evening with a promotion to Desk Sergeant.

Justin and his Dad come home at the same time on Wednesday, Justin with his first A+ and Robert with a promotion to Vice Squad.

Later, Justin meets and greets Jordan Lee (a future candidate to be sent to uni and eventually become a resident of Desiderata Valley)... 

...and ends the day by playing with a model of the rocket they used in the TV series to travel from planet to planet. 

Cynthia invites family friend Peter Ottomas over for lunch on Friday, and since Ginger Newson just happened to walk by when he arrived, she is asked to join them. "I can't believe I am eating grilled cheese sandwiches with Cynthia Kim, the lady I've known from TV all my childhood!" Ginger thinks.

Robert returns from work with a colleague (who is sent home immediately) and a promotion: Meet Detective Kim!

Justin watches TV with Ginger after he's finished his homework and explains to the orphaned girl how his parents are his two best friends for life. 

Robert now has the fingerprint scanner available to him and acquires the necessary cleaning skill points in no time.

Robert is off to work on Saturday morning, but his wife and son have all the time in the world for a leisurely breakfast and then a game of chess. 

Justin has been promised a trip to the park if he helps a bit around the house, and soon after he has finished raking the leaves (don't worry - he did not have to do all of those heaps visible, just the one!), his Dad comes home.

A taxi drops them off at Greaves Greener Gardens, a beautiful park where many Sims have come today to take advantage of what could well be one of the last fine autumn afternoons. 

It gets dark early this time of year, and for Justin, it is quite the adventure to have hot dogs grilled by his Mum right there at the park, in the dark! 

Unfortunately, I become aware too late of Cynthia being "greeted" (= robbed) by the Unsavoury Charlatan. With 100 Simoleons less in her pocked than when she arrived, Cynthia sprints to the phone booth to report the incident, but of course she won't get a refund. 

It is still dark when Justin wakes up on Sunday morning. His Dad is already up and about, and as he spots him walking past his window, he notices that it has started to snow.

A couple of hours later, Desiderata Valley looks very picturesque under its thick blanket of snow. 

Robert returns from work with a promotion to Lieutenant. 

He finds his wife having a nap, but for good reason:

She wanted to be well rested for the Headmaster's visit. After a successful tour of the house and a batch of her tasty burgers, all looks good - but schmoozing is REALLY hard! Every time I have Robert or Cynthia try this interaction, the result is negative, until finally, finally (with only a few minutes to spare) Robert succeeds in connecting with Mr. Leong, and Justin gets into Private School. 

I guess the Headmaster was playing "hard to get" so that the Kims would not think their son gets into his fine institution based on their TV fame. 

Cynthia has been looking for a job in the Military every day, but to no avail so far. Hopefully, she'll be lucky next time I play this household. I liked Robert's kind gentle nature and the inter-family relationships as well as how they were looking at making friends whenever they could, and it will be fun playing Justin as a teenager.