Family names and related posts

Monday, 10 August 2015

The Grunt-Monty Household: Week 7

Click here if you want to (re-)read Week 6.

The Grunt-Monty household still resides in the Veronaville-style residence I think suits them so well. It is, of course, one of the original Maxis-made houses from the lots & houses catalogue.
Antonio Monty (right) is 78 and has been on Permanent Platinum for three "years" - he became Celebrity Chef at the ripe age of 73. His sort-of son-in-law, Buck Grunt, is also on Permanent Platinum. He wanted to become Mayor of New Maximiliania and reached that goal already 25 "years" before turning into an Elder. I don't control these two other than making them greet other New Maximilianians walking by. 
I called Buck Antonio's "sort-of" son in law, because he is not married - not even engaged - to Beatrice, Antonio's daughter. The two of them are three-bolt-lovers and have been for a long time (since uni, I think), but neither of them has ever rolled the want to get married. Beatrice started out with the LTW of being Rock God but changed her mind inexplicably last round, when she suddenly decided she wants to become Hall of Famer. Her current job is that of MVP.
Her twin brother Benedick also still lives here. Like his sister and his father, he changed his LTW without me doing anything. Instead of wanting to have 20 best pet friends, he is now an aspiring Captain Hero, currently a SWAT leader.
Last but not least, we have Buck's half-Alien son Graham here. The teenage boy has NOT changed his LTW - he still wants to own 5 top-level businesses.
Monday is off to an interesting start when, just as the school bus for Graham and the athlets' bus for Beatrice pull up in front of the house, a Gypsy Lady appears and leaves a magic lamp for the family. It is not needed right now and put away in Benedick's bedroom.
Buck is unlucky with a chance card and gets fired. Well... he prefers the term "retired on mutual agreement".
But those who know him well can tell it affects him a lot. Nevertheless, he has reached his original LTW and remains on PP.
When Beatrice comes home, her good news make up for Buck's bad luck: She is now a Superstar.
Guests for the day are Pleasant Serva and Sarah Love (a colleague of Benedick's). They admire the artful display of paintings, plaques and photos in Antonio's bedroom.
On Tuesday morning, Antonio is the first to get up.
It's a day to celebrate, and Beatrice serves cheesecake fresh from her inventory.
The reason for the celebration? Buck is now an Elder! Strangely enough, it took him until 4:28 am for his age-transition... instead of at 6.00 pm the day before, as was expected.
Antonio is one of those good Sims who clean and tidy without anyone telling them to. In this case, I am not even all that happy about it - his son Benedick needs cleaning skill points for his career, and I'd actually like him to do all the cleaning in the house.
Graham does his homework as quickly as possible, because he then wants to go to...
...work at his shop, Graham's Greenery (formerly Inner Child Toys & Gifts).
To appear more respectable to his customers, who are all much older than the teenager, he dons his school uniform for working at the shop. (He decided that on his own - when he left the house, he was wearing jeans and t-shirt.) The shop is now at rank 6.
Late in the evening, Antonio returns from work. No colleague gets off the car with him, but he is not alone...
"It's about time, I think," Antonio says with a nostalgic sigh as he accepts his final cocktail. "I really want to see my dear wife again, it's been too long!" Antonio was 80.
Beatrice grieving her father. Little does she know that... no, wait, I'm not going to tell you yet.
On Wednesday, Hermia Capp comes to offer her condolences. The Capps and the Montys have always seen themselves as founders, and followed the events in each family closely.
Benedick has been promoted to Police Chief (still in his SWAT leader uniform here).
Graham manages to raise his shop to rank 7 and makes his Silver Badge for Restocking.
The sun has not yet risen on Thursday morning when Beatrice goes jogging.
Cousin Mercutio and his wife Sharla (Ottomas) have also heard of Antonio's death and come visiting to be there for the family.
B'Elanna Beaker, one of Graham's many half siblings, gets off the school bus with him today.
Cousins Benedick and Mercutio talk about science.
Graham's shop reaches rank 8 when he makes a sale to Björn Beaker. The lady with the red t-shirt is Ellen Freshe (nee Frost).
Friday is Benedick's day off, and he makes use of it by working on the skills needed for his next promotion.
Autumn has begun, and Beatrice and Buck are glad to have a fireplace in their bedroom on this chilly morning.
When everyone is either at work or school, Buck is happy to greet Jules Cleveland and Pablo Picaso.
Today, Meike Riley comes home from school with Graham.
Beatrice was promoted to Assistant Coach today and is accompanied by colleage Jonah Powers.
Today, Buck goes to support his son at the shop. Before the first customers arrive, he takes a little rest on the bench out on the front porch, while Graham makes sure the shop is in perfect condition.
It is Saturday, and Beatrice is not Assistant Coach anymore, but Coach.
Friends and family are invited to celebrate all those promotions. Daisy Jacquet, Romeo Monty, Cedric Cooke, Lilith Ottomas, Mercutio and Sharla Ottomas are there.
Jill Indie and Shaun Singles (son of Nervous Subject and Erin Singles) have also come over. It is a lively party, just the way I like it.
Nevertheless, Buck and Graham head to the shop to open up for the evening, and the business reaches Rank 9.
On Sunday morning, Graham indulges in some computer games. He's worked very hard both at school and at his shop every day, and it is time to let him relax a bit and be a kid.
Benedick works on his cleaning skill and is suprised to find out that the hand-made plate on the wall was once touched by a Ninja. I wonder where and when that happened!
Graham hopes to raise his first business to Rank 10 and goes to the shop later that day. He does not reach Rank 10, but makes his Gold Cash Register badge - it took him an incredible 63 transactions since his Silver Badge!!
Back home, the Grunts have come over for a family visit. Buck is happy that all is well now between him and his father, General Buzz Grunt; it wasn't always so.
Tank, Buck's older brother who married Hermia Capp, talks to Benedick.
Friend Delila O'Feefe was invited as well. She is the first to spot that some sparks from the fire place in the living room have fallen onto the rug and set it on fire.
Soon, everybody comes running to the scene.
The flames leap over across the settee and to the games table and chairs. Ripp Grunt, Buck's and Tank's brother, watches as helplessly as everybody else.
Benedick is the first to die...
...followed by Buck and Graham.
The fire is only satisfied when Beatrice is the only one left. (The party was still running - and funnily enough, the mood meter still showed "good time"!)
What a dramatic end to a week that was looking so promising! Of course I know what I am risking every time I have a Sim light the fire in a fire place, or burn a pile of leaves... but it is a risk I am prepared to take.

Will Beatrice stay in the much-too-large house all on her own? Is she going to find love again (there are several 3-bolt-men among her acquaintances), and how long until she'll reach her LTW?

17 comments:

  1. oh goodness that was a shock. Sad to lose those lives and now Beatrice will never be with Buck again. (In my megahood they were married and had 2 sets of twins!).

    As you said you know the risks and it is a way to keep the population down.
    I really like the house and décor but I suppose it will be very large for just one Sim. Who knows what will happen before the round is over though!

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  2. Also what a shame for Graham when he was doing so well with his business! :(

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    1. Yeah... I was actually looking forward to seeing Graham's first business reach top level on Sunday evening, but it was not to be...
      Indeed, the round is not over yet (not by a long way!), and many things can happen for Beatrice :-)

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  3. i thought something was going to happen when you left that sentence short, and the lit fireplace. Bye bye sim. I have had two deaths in my megahood one by fire and the other a drowning.

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    1. It was too tempting when I wrote thus update, I simply had to hint at things to come... You all know me too well ;-) So farm no Sim in my game has drowned. That can only happen when ladders from pools are removed, right? And that wozld of course mean intervention from my part, something I rarely do in matters of life and death...

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  4. Like peachy123uk, I also figured the fireplace would figure in...that's what happens when you put a rug in front of it! Speaking of burning leaves, do you never recycle them? I get the feeling you enjoy the occasional exciting fire, but I usually compost or recycle the leaves.

    I have to say, I really enjoy what you do with portraits and photography in this game. I have always sort of ignored the photos that Sims take themselves, but I like so much how you decorate with them that I've started doing the same! The sim I played yesterday has the big fancy camera from being an artist, so now I have some nice larger ones too.

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    1. Sometimes a neat Sim (or a gardener) will decide on recycling leaves without me telling them to, and occasionally, I have allowed them to compost when they had a vegetable garden. But mostly, it is burning.

      Oh, I'm glad my use of photos etc. inspires you to use them, too! Now that you have mentioned the big camera, I think I want to use that one as well. Makes for more variety.

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    2. One problem I'm finding with the big camera is that it seems to offer a variety of photo options, but they either don't seem to work, or all look the same. The only variety feature that seems to work is Portrait (vertical) vs. Landscape (horizontal). Wonder if it's just an issue with my game. Let me know how it goes for you!

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    3. Good to know, I'll certainly pay attention to that when I'll get to use the big camera in my game, and will let you know how it worked out for me.

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  5. I really do enjoy your stories. I have been reading for some time now. I feel like I know everyone. This one had me on the edge of my seat. I plan to do something with story telling one of these days. I dont know how you do it but Im glad you do!

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    1. Thank you, Anonymous! I am glad you like my stories... sometimes I think they are a bit too report-like, not much emotion in them, just keeping a protocol of what's been happening in the game...

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  6. So sad. I wanted to see how far Graham got with his businesses.

    I sell most of my fire places. I lost a dear sim very early in my simming life due to a random house fire. I don't think I've ever gotten over it. I may need to become braver. I did let Alexander Goth light their fireplace but only because he rolled the want. I worried the entire time it was lit. I am a wuss.

    Oh, and technically you can have a drowning even if you have a ladder in the pool. It is rare in TS2 but it does happen if a really tired sim goes swimming. I had a nanny drown once in a pool with a ladder. Luckily the parents came home the same time Grim stopped by so my kiddies weren't taken.

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    1. That fire early on in your simming life obviously was rather traumatic for you. Although I like some Sims more than other, and sometimes wish a Sim hadn't died, all things considered it is (like I said before) a risk I willingly take every time I have a Sim light a fire, be it in the house or in the yard. So far, the stack of logs that Sims can use to roast marshmallows or tell stories etc. has never caused a fire in my game.
      Interesting bit about the drowning. Not that I am planning to try it, but if it should happen so in my game, I wouldn't intervene.

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    2. I think it might also be possible if you have too many Sims in a pool with only one ladder, if a Sim had low enough stats to drown quickly. I sometimes watch half a dozen sims all try to exit a pool at the same time during a party, and it takes forever. Sometimes I intervene and direct several of them to swim to the other side of the pool just to get everyone out one at a time.

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    3. There aren't that many households in New Max owning a pool, and if they do, they don't use it all that often. Therefore, although I have many times observed the dreaded "toilet jam" at parties, I don't think I've ever had a pool jam the way you describe it. Could be worth a try, though ;-)

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  7. Hi again! I was anonymous yesterday because i couldnt remember my password. Got that fixed so I was wondering... how did you get started? just jump right in? I started a blog with the intent to do just what you do as I already kind of do it in my gamplay... but should I have an outline or just go with it and see what unfolds. I am a big fan of yours and a few others - there are so many styles of writing.sorry if this is too long.

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    1. Welcome back :-) Don't worry about a comment being long - the longer, the better!
      I started in 2008, setting up the 'hood from scratch. The stories were originally all written in-game, in storytelling mode, and uploaded to what used to be the official Sims2 websites from EA/Maxis. When that shut down, I transfered as many as I could on to here, but the first two rounds for most families are lost forever.
      You can read more about how I started and what I actually do here in the "about" section on this blog.
      It will be great to read what you do in your game, so I am looking forward to your blog!

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Whether you play The Sims 2 yourself or not, it would be great hearing from you. As I will reply to comments regularly, please remember to come back if you have asked a question.