A surname we have certainly not encountered in any of the previous Sims games is Pancakes. In TS4, the Pancakes live in this pretty house (the larger of the two) in Willow Creek:
Here are the Pancakes, Bob and Eliza:
Bob wants to be a Master Chef and currently works as a Caterer. He has a gloomy streak and can be something of a slob and a loner. Eliza's aspiration is more materialistic; she dreams of being "Mansion Baron". At the moment, she does not have a job. She is a neat perfectionist. Sounds like a set-up that could be quite interesting!
On Monday, Eliza discovers the woodwork bench on the front balcony and decides to make a knifeblock for her hubby.
Nathan Snodgrass, whom we have already met as one of the Landgraabs' friends, comes visiting.
He is later followed by Bella Goth.
As a perfectionist, Eliza often shows the wish to make something of excellent quality, so I have her paint and craft a lot. Most of the time, though, the results are "good" and not excellent - she needs to build her skills some moe.
It is Tuesday morning, and Bob and Eliza have breakfast together.
A good way for Bob to advance his cooking skills is watching the cooking channel. So far, nearly everything I have seen on the telly in TS4 is something from TS3.
So that he can use some fresh produce for his meals, I have Bob harvest wild strawberries and onions in the near neigbhourhood.
Eliza wants to meet someone new and fulfills that wish by greeting Olivia Spencer-Kim-Lewis.
Yesterday it was his wife, today it is Mortimer Goth who pays the Pancakes a visit.
That evening, Eliza wants to "try for baby" with Bob. Her wish is granted :-)
On Wednesday, Maxwell Esparza is the first of several friends to knock on the Pancakes' front door in the course of the day.
Bob brews chamomile tea on his own accord.
Eliza has just taken a pregnancy test - guess what the result was!
Bob is full of love for his sweet wife.
On the upper floor of the house, there are two bedrooms. This one is not very nice, and the couple never use it. With Eliza expecting, I decide to turn it into a nursery.
Early on Thursday morning, Eliza wakes up very hungry. Good job there are nearly always some leftovers from the many excellent meals Bob keeps preparing.
Eliza's skills have improved since the beginning of the week, and she can now make a bar stool at her woodworking bench.
When Bob wakes up hours after his wife, he wants to make chocolate chip cookies.
He heads off to work in the evening. So far, his gloomy streak has showed a few times, but it wasn't difficult to lift his mood.
Friday morning sees a relaxed Bob hanging out with a townie friend on the front porch.
Meanwhile, Eliza is cleaning one of the two bathrooms upstairs. As a neat freak, she derives pleasure from that activity.
Her pregnancy is VERY obvious now. Different to TS2, in TS4 the ladies do not change into maternity wear. I don't remember what it was like in TS3, because I only ever played one pregnancy in that game.
Eliza's handiness comes in handy when the kitchen sink breaks.
It is Saturday morning, and husband and wife enjoy a cheerful breakfast together.
Eliza feels a lot less cheerful a bit later when she has bladder failure - the first time I witness this in TS4.
She has gone into labour...
...and shortly after 8.00 pm on that Saturday evening, little Paula Pancakes is born!
Her nursery has a green colour theme, since it seems to be Eliza's favourite colour. (There aren't any such things as favourite colours in the game, not like in TS3. I just pretend it is so, because of the green top Eliza is wearing.) The bunny painting is by Eliza - she painted it when she was in a playful mood.
Bob comes home to happy news, bringing some happy news on his own: He has been promoted to Mixologist.
Sunday is spent looking after baby Paula and fulfilling many wishes about each other for Eliza and Bob. Nothing remarkable happens that day.
This couple was much nicer to play than the Landgraabs. I really like them - they are cute together, and seem to make good parents for their daughter.
Four more households to go until it will be time for me to get back to New Maximiliania!
Just like the Goths are all about old money, the Landgraabs are about new money. It shows in their house:
You all know Malcolm Landgraab from The Sims 2. Here, he is still a teenager, living with his parents, Geoffrey and Nancy.
Geoffrey is what in TS2 we'd call a Family Sim, with the lifetime goal of "Successful Lineage". He works as Lead Detective. Although he loves his wife, she is not the only romantic interest in his relationship panels: There are also townies Adrienne Barth, Kendra Lowe, Lily Egan, Yasmin Wilkinson and another playable: Katrina Caliente.
Nancy is a Fortune Sim and strives to be Fabulously Wealthy. Interestingly, her career is at the opposite end of the legal spectrum: She currently works as a Minor Criminal. Apart from her husband, townie Vernon Fenton makes her heart beat faster.
Malcolm's aspiration is, sadly, to be Public Enemy. He is a High School Student. Malcolm has an evil streak which I try not to indulge too much during this week.
Monday goes by uneventfully. Nathan Snodgrass, a townie friend of the Landgraabs', comes visiting, but I forgot to take a picture.
Tuesday sees Nancy getting up late and having a lone lunch in the kitchen while her husband is at work and her son at school.
Like I said, I try not to give in to Malcolm's evil streak. In fact, he gets along very well with both his parents. Here, his Dad joins him in his room for a father-son chat on the bed.
On Wednesday morning, Malcolm is the first to get up.
Nancy makes tofu dogs.
On Thursday, once again she has much of the day to herself. Today, she watches telly.
Then she sits her son down after school and asks him about homework. Strangely enough, all week Malcolm doesn't have any homework in his inventory. This must be a bug; his parents wish to help him with his homework nearly every day, but there simply IS none.
Just before she has to leave for work, Nancy's mood changes to "confident" and she wishes to paint a "confident" painting (whatever that means!). The easel has always been on the top floor of the house, but this is the first time anyone uses it. The visiting friend is Eliza Pancakes.
It is Friday morning when Nancy and Geoffrey have a very relaxed breakfast in their living room - without getting dressed. Apparently, seeing Nancy in her sexy undies has an effect on her husband... he suddenly wishes to try for baby with her.
And of course I grant his wish. I don't know whether it worked, though, since the characterstic baby jingle we all know from TS2 does not exist in TS4 (at least I haven't heard it yet).
As if she knew her lover's marriage is getting better by the minute, Adrienne Barth comes visiting. Nancy has no idea that the lady sitting next to her husband is one of several romantic interests in his relationship panel. He never rolls any romantic wants for any of them, though; only for Nancy.
On Saturday, I decide to try how to play a party in TS4 for the first time. There are many options, such as whether to hire a bartender, caterer and entertainer or not - of course the Landgraabs have enough money to hire all three, plus buying a bar and a grand piano (a requirement for the entertainer). Next to decide is the guest list, and whether the party is to take place at home or elsewhere.
The Goths are invited as well as Eliza Pancake and another friend whose name I forgot. Soon, everybody gathers around the stereo. Who would have thought young Alexander has such cool moves (and cool sunglasses!).
The caterer is busily preparing all sorts of nice food for the guests.
The bartender prepares drinks, and the entertainer tinkles away on the grand piano. The Landgraabs are happy, and their guests are, too. Still, I do not manage to fulfill all "tasks", and the party ends as a medium success. As a reward, the Landgraabs now have a Charisma book in their family inventory.
New to TS4 is that things can also be put on bookshelves, for instance empty drinks glasses and plates.
Here is another example of the TS4-typical multitasking: A Sim can eat and play on his mobile at the same time.
On Sunday, for a change it is Geoffrey who wants to do something mischievious: he wishes to prank on his son. I have not tried this before and so I have him give Malcolm a "tranquilizing handshake" to see what will happen. This:
Don't worry, Malcolm simply sleeps on the floor for a while. When he gets up, he finds Cassandra waiting to be let in at the front door. Thus the week ends on a pleasant note.
I must admit I am not a fan of the Landgraabs. I like Geoffrey, but both Nancy and Malcolm want to do something mischievious or even downright evil far too often. Still, they have many friends and only a handful of enemies. Thankfully, in TS2, the adult Malcolm Landgraab is much nicer (or maybe he just turned out this way in my game)!
Oh no, not yet another single household...! Well, I'm afraid it is true. This house is next door to the BBF's (the three friends whose household this round started with), and it is home to one single Sim:
Babs L'Amour.
Babs is - surprise, surprise! - a Young Adult. If this was TS2, she'd be a Romance Sim. In TS4, she is a Serial Romantic.
On this Monday, she visits the park - not only because it is one of her short-term wishes, but also because she hopes to meet someone there to have a date with.
Nancy Landgraab, an unknown Townie, Deandre Bundy (we saw him at the Goths', I think) and Travis Scott soon form a little crowd of Sims chatting. Babs can't help noticing Deandre's well defined leg muscles.
Nonetheless, she decides to have her first date ever with Travis Scott. The date does go well enough for her to reach bronze status and get a book as a reward.
Babs starts Tuesday morning by reading her brand new book.
And look who turns up on his own initivaite - Deandre Bundy!
The two of them have a "Gold" date, first kiss included. Could Deandre be "The One" for Babs? Hard to say - one of her characteristics is that she is a non-committal Sim, so I am not sure how well a close relationship will work for her. She does want to have a boyfriend, though.
After Deandre leaves, Babs grills hot dogs at the park.
Just as she is about to go home, she meets Steve Fogel. I can't let her pass this opportunity: Steve is a Foodie Sim like her, and he is a playable single Sim...!
On Wednesday morning, Steve is invited over. In TS2, Sims will only accept an invitation to come over when they are already friends (or nearly there) with the inviting Sim. In TS4, it seems, not only do they come visiting much more often on their own accord, they also accept invitations very early on during the acquaintance stage.
The two of them get along very well.
So well indeed, that Steve does not hesitate one moment when Babs asks him to move in together.
Because Steve's place is bigger, they decide to live there from now on. As opposed to TS2, the week does not reset to Monday after a move. Together, Babs and Steve have now quite a substantial sum on their joined bank account - Babs brought the full 20k starter money with her.
On Thursday morning, Steve officially becomes Babs' boyfriend. Look how thrilled they both are!
Steve has had the wish to join the Entertainment career. In TS4, jobs can be chosen via the mobile phone each Sim automatically owns. It seems like all careers are always available all the time. The entry level seems to be depending on the skills a Sim has acquired so far.
Before Steve is going to start on his first day as Amateur Entertainer, he makes pancakes for breakfast for himself and his brand new girlfriend.
After he is gone, Babs' materialistic side (another one of her characteristics) kicks in: She wants a pool, and I build a tiny one in front of the house. The lot actually is very small; it ends close to the walls of the house on each side.
When Babs goes for a dip in her new pool, I get the first full view of the tattoos on her back.
Still in her bikini, she crosses the road when she spots Nancy Landgraab and Don Lothario there.
At night, Steve practises new comedy routines at the microphone I bought for him, fulfilling a wish of his. Babs seems to love all his jokes :-)
It is Friday, and Babs does some cleaning while Steve heads off to work.
Nancy Landgraab appears on her doorstep and is gladly invited in. We'll see a lot more of Nancy soon; her family is the next name on the alphabetical list.
The toilet breaks, and although there is enough money to have it simply replaced, I want Babs to spend her time doing something useful and make her repair it.
Steve has the weekend off and uses Saturday morning to write more comedy routines on the newly acquired computer.
Babs meets Vivian Lewis. I have "met" this elderly lady a few times now since starting this game, and every time, she was either enemies with the Sim I was playing or she was quickly bored with the conversation. Looks like playing her could be a bit of a challenge!
Back at the house, Babs' friend Susana Olivares (a Townie she was friends with from the start) comes visiting. Katrina Caliente just happens to walk by, but she is invited in as well.
On Sunday, Steve and Babs have breakfast together. Babs' mood is not the best, I'm afraid. Less than a week into her relationship with Steve, she feels smothered already and wishes to schedule a date and kiss someone else.
Someone like Travis Scott, for instance. He befriended Steve during his first week, if you remember; today, he has come visiting on his own accord.
Steve is in the next room, writing jokes on the computer (that's important if he wants to progress towards his lifetime want), and Babs shamelessly takes advantage of his inability to see through the wall and makes a move on Travis. Nothing "happens", though, and the young man leaves soon afterwards.
Poor Steve! He feels that Babs is the best that ever happened to him, but I'm afraid he'll be in for some severe heartache.
Well, this was an interesting week! Romance Sims (I still call them that, I am so used to this from TS2) certainly can be less boring to play than Sims that are merely career-focused. I do feel for Steve, but I also want Babs to achieve her goal. We'll see how things turn out for this unlikely couple.
We are more than half way through the list now. Only six more households to play - and then I'll see what I can do to revamp New Maximilia so that it'll be free of overlapping lots and weird graphic bugs!
