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.

TS4: The Landgraab Family - Week 2

Click here for Week 1 with the Landgraabs in TS4.

So far, I have not moved around many (if any) Sims in TS4, and the Landgraabs are no exception; they are still in their ultra-modern mansion:

Also, the original set-up of the family has not changed since their first week. We have Geoffrey Landgraab, the Good Sim of this family, working in the Law Enforcement career...

...his wife Nancy, a materialistic lady with an evil streak (but very much in love with her husband, and also good friends with her son)...

...and of course their son Malcolm, who has inherited his mother's evil streak and is currently enjoying his time as a young adult with no obligations such as school, university of work interrupting is days of leisure.

On the Monday morning of their second week, the Landgraabs have breakfast together. 

Geoffrey is the first to leave for work today. He seems to be really looking forward to work.

Nancy greets Katrina Caliente, who interrupts her jogging for a brief chat.

Malcolm meets Ophelia Kim-Spencer-Lewis.

Later, he chats to Alexander Goth just as his Dad returns from work.

On Tuesday morning, one of the three toilets breaks. I have Nancy repair it; she has enough time on her hands, and since she wants to be fabulously wealthy, it is in her own interest to save the money otherwise spent for the repair service.

With both his parents out for work, Malcolm goes exploring the neighbourhood and finds several places where he can dig for crystals, time capsules and other such findings.

Cassandra Goth turns up on her own initiative. She is still a teenager, but that does not mean she and Malcolm can not be friends.

Here the two of them are taking their picture together - something the Sims in this game seem to like doing on their own accord.

Look who's here - Summer Holiday is always interested in making new friends or improve existing friendships.

It is Wednesday morning when Nancy, still in her work outfit from the night before, makes a garden salad. The cleaning up after her is left to her husband.

Finally, Malcolm gets a job - he needs to be in the Criminal Career like his mother in order to reach his lifetime want. He starts today as a "Tough Guy", while his Mum is now a "Minor Crimelord" (shouldn't that be Crimelady?).

Today, he also opens the three time capsules he has found so far this week.

All three contain MySims figures which are placed in one of the book shelves.

On Thursday morning, I have Malcolm empty the kitchen trash can into the wheelie bin outside the back door.

He then pepares Mac'n Cheese.

When Geoffrey returns from work, he finds one of the bathroom sinks needs repairing.

The same happens on Friday morning, this time with the kitchen sink, and it falls on Malcolm to repair it.

Geoffrey is a family oriented Sim whose milestones revolve around children. As his own son is already grown-up and he wishes to read to a child for two hours, I have him talk to Pierce Delgato (whose family we visited last August) when the little boy walks past the house.

And indeed, Malcolm manages to read to Pierce for an hour, and hopefully will complete this milestone before the week is over.

Summer Holiday is back; she knows Geoffrey already quite well and happily shares a meal with him.

Trolling the Forums is a good way to have Nancy and Malcolm indulge their need for mischievous actions without really hurting other Sims' feelings, and so I have Nancy do just that on Saturday morning.

Husband and wife share a sandwich... and a romantic moment.

There is all this workout equipment in Malcolm's room, and so I finally make him use it on Sunday morning.

The week ends with everyone having reached a few milestones, but nothing earth-shattering. Much time was spent working, and there are two decisions I should make next time I play here:
1) Get a household help (maid/cleaner/butler) for the family? I have not yet played any TS4 household who has help, I think, so it would be something new.
2) Change Geoffrey*s lifetime want, or have the couple have or adopt another child? Malcolm needs a child in order to reach his next set of milestones; Malcolm is too old for them (they have to do with homework and high school stuff).

What do you think?

TS4: The Kay Household - Week 2

Again, after almost 5 years in real life, we're back with this single household in TS4: June Kay.

Click here for the first week with June, if you want to refresh your memory - I definitely have to re-read all my previous TS4 weeks in order to remember what was going on!.

June lives here in this Oasis Springs house, the one originally assigned to her by Maxis. She is an aspiring Culinary Master (or something like that, comparable with the TS2 lifetime want of becoming Celebrity Chef) and currently works as an Assistant Dishwasher. Her bank account shows a balance of 3,049 Simoleons.

Right on the first day of this week, she is promoted to Head Dishwasher, earning a tiny bit more money (1 Simoleon more per hour!). Also, a bonus object is placed in her inventory, and I use it immediately: The kitchen counters you can see in this picture (before, they had blue fronts like the breakfast bar, which was actually prettier, but I suppose the bonus objects mean something to our Sims, so I shall use them.)

June spends the time between work and sunset in her back garden. She planted strawberries, daisies, sage and chrysanthemums during her first round, and the fresh berries and herbs are a welcome addition to her larder.

On Tuesday, she comes home from work with very low fun. Being a Head Dishwasher may not be the most fun-filled job in the world!

Good job then that Summer Holiday invites her to a party at the house she shares with her friends. Summer is June's best friend, by the way.

Maybe you remember that Travis Scott, one of Summer Holiday's housemates, threw a party when I last played there? Just like it was with his party, once again Bella Goth is the hired caterer, pictured here on the far left. Travis is also there (with his back to the camera), as is Summer Frost, the newcomer. Liberty Lee, the third of the original three housemates, is dancing away to the stereo in Travis' room, which is why she is not on this picture.
By the way, this is Summer Holiday's birthday party - I did not have any say in that, the game decided autonomously! She must be an adult now, as opposed to young adult.

Wednesday goes by totally uneventful: June gets up with just enough time to shower and have breakfast before going to work, and after work, has not much energy left for anything apart from a quick bite to eat and a few conversations with acquaintances.

On Thursday morning, I notice an astronaut walking by! I don't know whether he is playable or not; I am still not all that familiar with the Sims in this game.

June prunes her bonsai tree, which has been sadly neglected so far.

When she is home from work, Summer Holiday asks to come over. Is it just me or has she put on a little weight? Not that it matters, I am just wondering whether it is only my impression or real.

The two girlfriends spend a comfortable time chatting on the settee. Note the bonsai tree in the corner, it looks much better now, doesn't it!

On Friday, Summer comes over again, on her own initiative. If you remember, her aspiration is to become Friend of the World, so it is only natural that she does what she can to maintain her friendships.
Geoffrey Landgraab and Cassandra Goth were walking by, June made sure to invite them in, giving Summer a chance to befriend them, too.

Finally, the weekend is here, and June has more time for the things she enjoys! I send her out to greet Giulianna Riley; as far as I know, the two women have not met before.

I notice other Sims sitting on the benches dotted along the road. These two are not playables, I think, and I would not show them to you if it weren't for the very odd outfit of the lady on the left.

It is Sunday, and guess who's over at June's again! Summer even waters the plants, without anyone asking her to do this. See the tiled area behind Summer, at the left side of the picture? It is a rather big space behind June's house which I am not sure what to do with; it can not be planted on or I'd use it for the garden. Maybe I'll remove the tiles next round.

While Summer is busying herself with gardening, I send June to dig around in the vicinity. She finds time capsules and other things, but before I remember to open the capsules or take a closer look at her findings, the week is over; something to look forward to next round!

Before she heads back home, June meets and greets Mortimer Goth and Travis Scott, both wearing outfits I have not previously seen on them. The other Sim on the bench is a townie, I think.

This week was over quickly, as is usually the case with a single household. I regretted June not having more free time, but it is rather realistic that way, isn't it. She reached a milestone with making excellent meals, and had one promotion. There is no love interest on the horizon right now, but who knows what playing other Sims in the neighbourhood will bring.