TS4: Betty Larson - Week 1

Betty Larson was a townie, but with the same surname as a playable household in TS2 (the Larson twins), she HAD to move in. You can read about that here.

Betty started out with the Caliente family, but their house proved too small for another house mate, and so she has found her own place in Willow Creek. After having spent most of her starter money for the modestly furnished house, she has 4,641 Simoleons left.

Here she is, wearing her work outfit - her job is that of a Professional Painter, which suits her fine; after all, she aims at becoming Painter Extraordinaire.

Did the estate agent selling the house to Betty place this bottle of champagne in the house to welcome the new owner? Let's pretend it was the agent's nice gesture.

We find Betty getting up on Monday morning after her first night's sleep in her new accomodation.

And just in time for the Welcome Wagon, consisting of Summer Holiday, Travis Scott and Cassidy Purdue (I think), all three playables.

 Betty's mismatched default outfit has to go. Doesn't this suit her much better?

After the three welcomers have left, she meets and greets Mortimer Goth and Olivia Spencer-Kim-Lewis.

Then, Travis Scott is back, and Dina Caliente pops in to see how her friend is getting on, living on her own. 

Betty ends her first day painting at her new easel, the (so far) only item she has added to the already existing furniture.

Work is stressful on Tuesday, and because she takes the wrong decision with a chance card, Betty returns home in a sad mood. As if on cue, Dina comes visiting and cheers her up.

By Wednesday, Betty completes another milestone when she starts a 3rd painting while inspired. Note that she has autonomously changed into her mismatched default outfit again.

Whenever possible, I have my Sims in TS4 greet other playables when they pass by, just like I do in TS2. Here, Geoffrey Landgraab is on one of his countless rounds of jogging in the neighbourhood. With all that running, I wonder how he still keeps his belly!

I use the wardrobe to change Betty's default outfit to this one; it was randomized but I like it much better. Note the MySims figure - Betty found it inside a time capsule she dug up at the start of the week.

It is Thursday morning, and Betty makes herself a cooked breakfast. The paintings on the wall are her own; she made one of them at level 2 of the painting skill and the other at level 3 - no difference.

Look who's visiting! Don Lothario, housemate of the Caliente family where Betty moved in originally...

...and Andre Da Silva. Betty invites both young men in, but nothing happens, in spite of the champagne bottle in the living room putting everyone in a flirty mood.

It is Friday, and Geoffrey is back, this time on a walk, just as Betty returns from work.

Don has come back as well. Maybe he was hoping to catch Betty without other visitors present? He looks a bit disappointed when Geoffrey does not seem to get the hint, and stays for a plate of fish tacos.

Saturday is Betty's day off. She did not have a very good day yesterday and woke up with the lowest fun level of the whole week. Watching a bit of morning TV while still in her PJs helps.

Later, her good friends Dina Caliente and a townie (Celia McCarth or something like that) join her to finish the leftover fish tacos.

Betty has to work on Sunday, but the museum is still open when she comes home. Her next milestone is to view or admire three paintings at a museum or gallery, so she travels there.

Brent Hecking is the only other visitor inside the museum, and Betty is happy to have a bit of an artsy talk with the as yet unknown neighbour.

Out in the museum's garden, I notice three children diligently doing homework together. Probably a school project! Unlike in TS2, in this game, children seem to be able to decide on doing homework on their own accord, even on community lots.

Across the road from the museum is a small picnic space by the river, with public grills. Betty meets Nancy Landgraab there; she has just made herself a burger, and the two ladies eat and chat.
It's getting dark, and Betty is tired; I send her home, where she goes to bed almost immediately.

I really liked playing Betty! Her week was a breeze - of course it helped that she was at work almost every day. Somehow, she still managed to find time for her friends and for painting. Also, she did all necessary household chores, even repairing the toilet at some stage. She is an extraordinarily pretty Sim, something I had not really noticed before - I was probably distracted by her ugly original outfit.

With spending very little money and working hard, she has 7,653 Simoleons in her account at the end of the week. Maybe a new, more comfortable bed and a bigger telly would be welcome. She held the job of Professional Painter when she became playable. For promotion, she needs logic skill and higher levels of painting skill; a cheesboard might be an idea.

Will she find a romantic interest - or will she be found as a romantic interest as I play the other households? This week, she has been focusing on her job and milestones.