Family names and related posts

Friday, 6 March 2020

TS4: The Spencer-Kim-Lewis Family, Week 2

Click here if you want to (re-)read the 1st week with this family. 

Now, almost exactly 5 years in real life later, we are back because of the Lewis part of the family, as this is the next name on my alphabetical list of Sims' surnames.

Who lives here? 
Eric Lewis (front) and his father-in-law Dennis Kim...

...Eric's mother Vivian Lewis...

...Eric's wife Alice Spencer-Kim (are they married? in that case, wouldn't her surname be Kim-Lewis?)...

...as well as Eric and Alice's daughters Olivia...

...and Ophelia. Ophelia was born in-game, hence the baby crib in the picture with Alice. Back in 2015, TS4 had not yet a toddler stage; babies turned into children without anything in between. Olivia is the older sister, she was already a child when the game started.

Now that I have introduced everyone briefly, let's start the week.
Early this Monday morning, Olivia wakes up from noises under her bed. What's going on?

Her sister has heard it, too: There is a monster under the bed!

The girls are scared, but Ophelia bravely tries to talk to the monster. It does not work this time; instead, they run to their parents to have them spray the monster. (Later this week, Olivia manages to talk to the monster. Maybe they will become friends over time?)

Later that day, Eric and Alice are invited to a party by Travis Scott, whose household we have played not that long ago. The choice of outfits is their own, by the way.

Travis' housemates are all there, gathering in Travis' room around the stereo: Summer Holiday and Summer Frost are dancing, while Liberty Lee is playing at the computer.

And look who has been hired for the catering: Bella Goth!

On Tuesday morning, Vivian is the first one up and collects last night's dirty dishes from various tables all over the ground floor.

When the girls return from school, she makes sure that they have something to eat before starting on their homework.

Both Vivian and Dennis help their granddaughters with their homework.

Eric plants some seeds found in his inventory in the small walled garden on Wednesday morning.

It turns out to be yet another beautiful day, as can be seen from the large upstairs windows where Alice's easel is positioned. She is forever painting, and has become very good at it.

Another event worth of note is Giulianna Riley's move-in. Maybe you remember that she was a townie; I made another Sim befriend her so that she could move in and become a playable, but her first stop was a very small house. The Spencer-Kim-Lewis family have plenty of room, and so it is decided that she joins them as a friend of Vivian's.

It is Thursday morning when we find Giulianna happily getting up after her first night in her new, rather posh home.

Dennis is less happy when he wakes up - he needs to go to the toilet VERY urgently.

Olivia is at her drawing table. Like her mother, she loves to draw and paint.

Ophelia is more interested in playing chess. Here she is with a boy from her class who came home from school with the girls.

Vivian is just talking to Tucker Brumfield, a family friend, when...

...a sudden weakness overcomes her and she sinks to the floor.

She closes her eyes. Tired, so tired..

Then, I see the Grim Reaper (called "Sould Reaper" here) for the first time in TS4. He sticks around a while after Vivian's remains have turned into an urn, and can even be talked to. 
I have not found out yet whether like in TS2, we can have a cemetery in this game. Does any of you know?

Eric is visibly very sad on Friday morning, and so is the rest of the family. Vivian will not be forgotten quickly.

Later, he repairs the tap in the kitchen while Giulianna mops the floor where the tap has spilled.

Young Alexander Goth comes visiting on his own accord. Eric and Alice politely invite him in. I wonder how he knows them; maybe through the girls? But they are so much younger than he is.

Alice later helps Ophelia with her homework. The day is once again so nice and sunny that she can sit outside on the patio.

Sometimes, meals are taken up standing, at other times, everyone finds a seat. I have not yet worked out how the Sims decide where to sit (or not to sit at all) in this game.

Ophelia loves it when her Dad plays chess with her.

Early on Saturday morning, the monster under the bed scares the girls once more. Only spraying helps this time.

No spraying helps against the Grim Reaper, though. Who has he come for today?

It is Dennis, Alice's father. Giulianna is the one to find him.

The day passes in a dark blue haze for everyone. Eric is not quite as affected this time; maybe he was not all that close with his father-in-law.

But Alice can only paint sad paintings for a while.

Eric reads to Ophelia, which makes her reach another milestone.

It is Sunday and the last day of the week here. Alice has been wanting to look at paintings at a museum, and so the whole family travel there.

While Alice admires the paintings inside, the others remain in the museum's garden. Eric meets Travis Scott, whose party the couple attended at the start of the week.

The day (and the week) ends with a picnic just across the road from the museum. Everyone is in their Sunday best, and the family feel they can be happy again after their beloved parents and grandparents have passed away.

It took me AGES to complete this week, as there was so much going on all the time. But I enjoyed playing this household, and we'll be back here again this round - first for Giulianna Riley and then for Alice Spencer-Kim.

5 comments:

  1. It's fascinating to read as I haven't played TS4 since it came out. The monsters under the bed made me laugh, is that random or does something have to happen to make it appear?
    I don't know much about the deaths in TS4, it's interesting about the 'sad' paintings, I'm sure that reflects in life too. :)

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    1. As far as I have seen, the monsters under the bed appear only under children's beds. In that family, the monster took turns, showing up one night under Olivia's bed, the next under Ophelia. Sometimes one of the girls was able to talk to it, but mostly they panicked and ran to wake their parents and then all other adults in the house, until someone sprayed the monster or it disappeared on its own.
      Funny bit: When you have an adult as the active Sim, he will be able to spray the monster, but he won't see it. Only children can see it - a bit like in real life, too!

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  2. Liebe Meks, du kannt einen Friedhof gestalten, du kennzeichnest diesen als Park. Dann kann jemand mit der Urne oder Grabstein im Inventar diesen dort abstellen. Liebe Grüße :)

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    1. Ah, gut zu wissen, vielen Dank! Das heißt, ich brauche ein leeres Grundstück, gehe im Baumodus rein und kennzeichne es als Park? Ich habe bei TS4 noch kaum Erfahrung mit Grundstücken und (Häuser-)Bauen, deshalb frage ich.

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    2. Genau so. Widget hat es bei einer Kapelle so gemacht und ich habe das dort mal mit dem Grabstein ausprobiert, das klappt :)

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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.