strangetomato | Strangetown extras: Family portraits, gardening, and reader participation + sims talk

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Strangetown extras: Family portraits, gardening, and reader participation + sims talk

I just wanted to share a couple of photos and do some sims gabbing about CC and the Kitchen and Bath Stuff Pack.

Have you seen these recolours of the Teen Style Stuff gym wear converted for adults by cloudlessnights on MTS2? I think they're really cute. Lots of nice colours and patterns, and it makes up for the lack of gym clothes in the game. I'm a pretty big fan of conversions like that in general, and migamoo also did some really great ones, including the clothing that Ripp wears right now in this story. Imagine that - a plain black button-up shirt! It seems like something you would take for granted, but I don't, considering how specialized a lot of CC is (and the Maxis stuff too, for that matter). Basics, people, we need basics.

Speaking of basics, the new Kitchen and Bath Stuff seems awesome to me. And it has clothes! Nice clothes. Argyle sweaters with jeans (Buck and Frances just heard that and looked over), and a nice sweater and leggings outfit. Yes, actually classic and nice, not trendy (I couldn't believe it either)! They've posted the item pics at the official site, if you haven't taken a look at them yet. It seems like a good SP to me. Lots of things that have already been done pretty well by Holy Simoly, but some new things too.

I only recently started using the hula mod, and I'm really liking it. Especially the still poses from the lot loading screens. I've always wondered how other people posed sims for photo shoots like that and now I know. I'm so behind sometimes. Anyway, I thought I'd share the results of my tinkering with the poses and moveobjects/snapobjectstogrid.

A little "family" portrait. Aren't they cute? Why limit myself to Sim Couple A & B, when I can pose three together!

You can see Ophelia's garden in the background too. She already has her gold talent badge, and Ripp and Johnny are both getting there too, just from occasionally helping her (the garden got so big that she really needs some help). Here they are in action:

Sure, guys. Why bother getting dressed first? Why not?

ETA: I also just noticed this new "Cottage Garden" loveseat on Holy Simoly. How perfect for Nervous' garden one day! :D The universe just seems to be aligning for me right now.

Also, is anyone interested in some reader participation related to the next chapter? No promises that it will end up in the story, but I'm opening the floor to anything that you would like to see come up in conversation at the dinner party with Johnny, Ophelia, Ripp, Stella and Jayne (within reason and character, of course). I have plenty of my own, but is there anything that you would like to see brought up? Just curious. Maybe I'm overlooking something good...

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I think a lot of people who read this story want to see Tank be gay! He strikes me as hetero, albeit inexperienced as we've now found out. A drunken kiss from Francis I can see happening, but I don't think it would swing Tank that way? Embarassing, yes, but not orientation-conversion in my mind.

The whole Tank/Frank issue makes me think of two things:
That one scene in American Beauty where the hardcore father kisses Kevin Spacey, and parts of Rescue Me where the Probie was getting bj's from his roommate, but since he was on the receiving end, it didn't make him gay.

Eeek!!! I'm totally interested in reader participation! You know I wish I could be IN THE STORY almost! ;) Well if they play any games, like (drunken)truth or dare, I'd love for Ripp to ask really outrageous things of the girls ;) and see Johnny get all jealous over Ophelia and Jayne. :D And anything that sort of suggests to the others that Stella and Ripp are more than just friends would be awesome...like Johnny trying to get Ripp back but having it backfire on him...like some sort of truth thing where Ripp reveals he knows more about alien biology than Johnny thinks :D. Anything that makes things awkward is always fun. :D <---evil grin :D Or maybe Ripp asks Jayne if she has a crush on anyone...stuff like that. :D

You're right on the mark with this comment. Johnny needs to 'fess up to at least one of them to get through it unscathed. There is no doubt about that. But which girl will he tell? That will make a difference would it. If you were Johnny, who would you tell?

Oh, there'll be some chaos. And not even just the expected stuff. It's taking a while to get this to come together. I want to post on Thursday, but we'll see. I'm hoping it doesn't end up being two chapters, but it might. I'm trying to concentrate on the dinner party half of the evening for now, so I can at least post that much.

I hear you! My mother is a nurse, and we are immune to disgusting topics, even at the table. It's just the way I am now, and I'm sure that I couldn't possibly be grossed out.

*snicker* That's good. But does Ripp want Johnny to know that he knows what Ripp thinks he knows? (Man, that was tricky!)

I agree. I'm definitely picking that one up when it comes out.

Yeah, the guys are cute, aren't they? They do everything in their pajamas (that counts as Ripp's pajama's because he autonomously sleeps in them). Until Ripp goes for one of his numerous baths, and then he changes. :P

Heheh. Well, I'm not going to promise that this will happen at the party, or even that this is exactly how the exchange with Frances and Tank will go, when it does happen. There will be something, though.

Okay okay, I thought of something I'd like to see at one point. Doesn't have to be this update, but...

I'd like to see Ripp be in a conversation with three other sims and have it not quite be going his way... (in a lighthearted sense of course)... and then have him say to each person, pointing at them in turn, "F- you, f- you, and f- you." and then get up and walk away. I just think that would be funny. Hee hee hee.

More coffee... I need more coffee.....

I agree. I read a lot of Tank/Frances support from readers, but I don't intend to let that be what decides the outcome (though I'm afraid of some of the hardcore fans of Frances/Tank... just a little). That's for Tank to decide, and I've given it some lengthy thought.

I don't think that any one experience can really convert your sexual orientation. It might bring about awareness of something that was already there, but you're right about that. There's nothing that Frances can do to "make" Tank gay, or even bisexual, if he isn't.

That American Beauty comparison seems fitting, since isn't that neighbour also a big military guy? Tank has all of that in his upbringing too. I don't know if I've seen Rescue me, but I've seen a scene like that in other movies or books or what have you. That one I disagree with. If you're getting head from a guy, I think that says definitely something about your sexuality. Sure, all mouths are the same, but it's still a man that you're touching, in the end. That's like the really old notion that only the "bottom" is gay in a gay male relationship. That's so clearly not the case.

*snort* He already did that, although not so calmly, at the dinner with his father, didn't he? ;)

I do already have a part at the sorority party where he says, "Fuck you both." Maybe I can reword it a little. Heheh.

Oh, have some of my coffee. I have gallons of it.

Well, I'm not saying he WILL, but it might be a possibility. ;)

Yeah, Stella seems the type, for sure, but she's still in college and I don't cheat for items like that, so she'd have to be in the career. Unfortunately, she won't ever get a place of her own after college to do so, since she doesn't intend to stay on Sim Earth.

Jayne's definitely odd enough to be cool with that though.

And yes, who doesn't like plants. Who doesn't like FLOWERS? *snort*

I'm somewhat of a completionist too, but I'm still giving Bon Voyage the cold shoulder, for now. I have pared my CC way back. I do have most of Holy Simoly's stuff in my game, and a number of recolours and conversions, like I mentioned, but I'm very selective outside of that. It's almost all Maxis or Maxis-like for me. It just suits the game for me. And it keeps things pared down, so my loading times aren't THAT outrageous (they can still be slow at times).

That's a really good point. Excellent, excellent point. And it does depend on how they approach it. Jayne and Stella are involved with each other sexually, and I think that has been pretty clear in the story, but they don't really see it as "a relationship", with Stella's mission being as it is. It might not come up, but will Johnny get the vibe from them?

Yeah, I love the hula mod. Especially using the poses for things other than what they really are supposed to be. :D

Wait, if you gave Lazlo green recessive, and the other two grey, where did the brown eyes come from exactly? That makes no sense, Maxis...

I'd like to see Jill with green skin. Maybe I'll check it out in CAS. I find it interesting in the story that she is this odd example of recessive genes somehow getting a foothold over the dominant alien ones. It makes her interesting.

It's okay, I can chat about sim clothes for ages! But maybe I need a life...

I have some of migamoo's unisex clothing for children, but I don't have that much. The children have a number of good options, and it's really not as important to me as the teens, young adults, and adults. I wish that more of the clothing was assigned for YAs too. It's annoying when it isn't.

I don't really get all the underwear sets for children that people create, though. When are the kids even in underwear? They sleep in pajamas, and they don't woohoo, so when do you ever seen the children's underwear? I just get a slightly creepy vibe from it, but that's probably just me being a bit extreme. I don't see any reason for me to be concerned with whether a little girl has boy cut underwear or not. I'll never see it anyway. I suppose that it might have storytelling uses, like going to the doctor, or something. It never occurred to me that I needed it.

I'm really thinking that it would be good to include (and well, I have already written) a scene where this comes up. But it might be different from what people expect. And not at dinner. ;) I have something that's somewhat "should I?", but I think I will...

That's her second gold badge. Both are flower and garden related. That's her thing. Johnny and Ripp have a lot more skill points than she does, but fewer badges (just bronze gardening for now). Johnny has almost maxed body, and Ripp maxed creativity ages ago, with the band. They both have high charisma too (and Ripp practices "romance" Heehee. He's good at what he does).

Heheh. :D Maybe I could put you in there in a supporting role.

I agree. Awkwardness is good, and we'll have plenty of that, don't worry. I can't see them playing truth or dare, though (Johnny would never agree to it, and I'm pretty sure that Ophelia, and even Ripp might balk at it). It would be very fun if they did.

There really might be a number of hints about Ripp and Stella though. ;)

Thank you. If Ripp still reminds you of your boyfriend, then I must be doing something right.

Oh no, I totally agree with you. I think that was the character's "reasoning" of it to his co-workers. He was gay, but was confused about whether he was gay or bisexual. I had meant to put qotes around that last part, but I don't have a paid account so no editing for me! (and I didn't feel like deleting, lol)

All these people wanting to know about the specifics of alien anatomy, Tank's sexuality, Johnny's romantic triangle etc clearly don't have their priorities straight. You're all forgetting the most important thing!

I, for one, want to see Ripp talk about his hair and if he's going to cut it/keep it/grow it. :D

Hmmm. Good point. Did I mention that I really like the way your mind works? Nice attention to superficial details! *grin* That's always good.

I just may address that issue briefly. That is something that can indeed be worked in quite easily, since I have been considering that very thing lately.

I just kinda see Johnny as thinking that the choice is all his. That if he decides he should marry Jayne then they will get married. Realistically that's probably true but maybe Johnny needs to feel that he's got some competition for Jayne. Of course he already feels as if he's competing for Phi with Ripp but I think that's a different situation he knows Ripp and Phi much better than he knows Stella and Jayne.

I have this crazy idea, why doesn't he just come clean to both? Ain't that just the most outrageous idea you've ever heard of? I know he's scared. Obviously his father put him in this awkward position, but he time does go on, so he will graduate one day, and eventually be expected to get married........at some point. Lord knows I love pushing things back, but this is one of those things that if left alone too long, will just knock him into his next life.

But let's say that I was Johnny at this point. First, I'd have to explain it to Phi. I'd owe her that much. I'd explain everything, that my father put me up to it, but that I had never said yes, only I'd think about it. After that, I'd have to talk to Jayne, and explain the results of talking to Phi. If Phi was still up for dating me, I'd tell Jayne that I was still thinking about, but once again, never told my dad I'd agree to it.

And then I'd continue to live walking on a thin tightrope until graduation, when life would kick me in the butt. Sounds like fun!

"not even just the expected stuff."
What the hell does that mean?!?! STOP WITH THE TEASING!!!!

Since I watched a contest at S2C about decorating rooms with JUST Maxis stuff and recolors. The rooms looked incredible! And the fact that my graphics card and RAM can handle them without lag makes it even better.

That stuff pack looks awesome too! Maxis/EA has really improved with their designs lately, so much that I ditched all my CC objects and just kept Maxis stuff and recolors (except for Holy Simoly). I'm not fond of the "minimalistic" or "modern" stuff that is quite popular among creators, it seems a bit cold to me.

I've also been downloading conversions or Maxis recolors for clothing, and I now prefer those too. I love Migamoo, Lemonbutter and Cloudlessnights stuff for that reason.

Anyway...

I guess everyone has already suggested most ideas I'd have for the dinner scene, since it's going to be an important moment for Johnny. I just hope none of them ends up hurt (although I know that's almost impossible).

I just wonder what Tank would think of Ripp's "relationship" with Stella (I don't recall if he's against aliens like Buzz or if he only hates Johnny).

And I loved the way you posed them with the Hula Mod. I thought you were using it since the beginning of the story! :)

I like a lot of migamoo's clothes, because she uses Maxis meshes and a lot of custom meshes out there make the waistes so extremely tiny(even though I'm guilty of having those in my game, I'll download anything, really. :P)

I really wish that there were more variety of YA clothes. I mean an adult body mesh isn't very different than a young adult body mesh, it's frustrating to have all these clothes and onyl a few of them work on young adults.

I always got such a creepy vibe from children underwear sets. I don't think that outgoing children sleep in their underwear, so I was always wondering "Why would I even need that?"

Hehe, I can't wait for that scene, I mean any scene with Ripp and Johnny is amazing, they're hilarious. I'm hoping for an

"OOPS! I didn't know you were in the shower, I was listening to my MP3 player real loud!"
"Just GET OUT, Ripp."
"*staaaaaaares*"

I love the band equipment, my sims in college max out their skills so quickly with it. I never thought practicing romance helped sims gain charisma, my sims always practice their speeches, and all those speeches got me to realize sims hate MANY things. :)

I was just wondering where you found the Hula Mod. I have searched all over and cant seem to locate it.

It's one of Squinge's hack, now located here in the Graveyard:

http://sims2graveyard.com/download.html

We seem to have much the same preference for CC. I'm a big fan of Holy Simoly too. It really just fits into the Maxis style, and it's so well done. I do like modern and minimalist things, but like everything, I only need so much of any one style, so I don't download much of the CC out there.

I love those conversions! I have a lot of the things that Cloudlessnight has converted. I forgot to mention Lemonbutter, but I should have. I use a lot of her H&M recolours.

Well, someone could end up hurt, but not necessarily. The two women that we're dealing with are both pretty tough in different ways. Oh wait - maybe Johnny is the one who gets hurt. *snicker* It might not be quite the dramafest that it could be (and maybe people are expecting), but there will be some.

Good point. Tank does have a lot of his father's opinions about aliens. That's only shown a little here and there (like his reluctance to agree to be allies with P.T. No.9). He has other issues with Johnny, but at the core, he really just doesn't like the aliens. That's where a lot of it began.

I'm very much a newcomer to the hula mod. I was using the "black box" for animations and facial expressions, and a lot of other things were just moveobjects. I have InSIm too, but that's about it. The hula mod is excellent. I can't see how I managed without some of the reactions in it now. It's been very helpful to me lately.

I like your scene, especially this part:

*staaaaaares*

You know that this just begs to actually happen. We'll see...

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Strangetown extras: Family portraits, gardening, and reader participation + sims talk

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Re: Jayne and Ripp have a little chat.

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