Sims talk: Free Time

[strangetomato]

I really want to chat about the Free Time EP. I'm getting really excited about it, but I definitely won't be installing it until I see if there are any potential issues with it, and the first patch is released (since we all know that there will be one). So, if you don't mind some spoilers, let's chat.

I found this page, and it gives a lot of detail about the new features. I've already read about a lot of these things, but a couple of  "news to me" things did catch my eye. Especially this part:


Secondary Aspiration

One of the options that players will more enjoy will be for sure the possibility to choose a secondary aspiration. In this way our Sims will have an even more complex and realistic personality. To set a secondary aspiration you just need to click on Aspiration Benefits icon and choose the aspiration you like, Grilled Cheese aspiration included.


*squeals with delight*

Do you have any idea how excited I am by that? There are so many characters in Strangetown that should have this, in my mind. I love, love, LOVE how this will make them more complex. And it's a way to have them change over time, while not changing their basic aspiration (which I don't plan to do with the Maxis premades).

The new creature is a genie, like in Sims 1. This doesn't excite me all that much. He's not even playable, which seems unfair. Shouldn't he just be an NPC? And didn't they already do the wishing well? *sigh* I really wanted another playable creature with breedable genetic qualities! They just haven't been able to come close to doing anything as good the aliens, have they? Not even close.

Comments

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

Well I pre ordered mine with the Prima Guide from Amazon.com on the same day and they are both supposed to come today, although this morning per Amazon's website only the Prima Guide has shipped (humph) even though the delivery date for the game is still Feb 27th (shrugs).

I guess I'll find out soon, lol!

I'm going to install it right away! (WHEEE!) I don't have any story games going on and nothing it would kill me to lose, so maybe I'll be your guinea pig!

I love the secondary aspirations too! Makes so much more sense. I've often said my husband is a Knowledge/Romance. A faithful Romance, but a Romance all the same, thinking about woohoo every second. (Well we *do* have six kids, lol) and I'm Family/Knowledge. So I like that aspect of the EP.

I'm curious to see what secondary aspirations you all give to our favorite Maxis characters!! All I know for sure is Vid is going to be Knowledge/Family. Ripp will probably be Romance/Family for me (that ought to be interesting!)

I'm sure I'll be back...

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh, you're brave! Well, I hope it goes well for you. It really doesn't seem to have the same crazy bugs that BV had. *knocks on wood* I'd love to see some pics when you start playing with it.

Ripp really should be Romance/Family in my mind too, as fucked up as that may be (and well, the boy is not particularly well balanced). I see him as wanting that, deep down, but also fearing it (like in that dream he had). I wonder how the wants/fears of those two aspirations would interact?

I have some ideas for the other characters too, but I will have to give it all a nice long pondering, to see how I can make it best suit my story.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Now I'm interested to see how they work the existing sims. Will they just be assigned a random secondary want (like turn on/offs when Nightlife came out) and then give you a potion you can change it with?

I'd hate to get stuck with something that's all wrong (though that could lead to some fun).

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'll be interested in seeing how the handle that too.

My thoughts exactly - I would hate to get stuck with something I didn't want. There was some sim_rants post about people at the BBS whining about getting stuck with a certain predetermined hobby, but for a storyteller, that can be very annoying! I know I could ignore it, but the sim would probably talk about it all the time. I hope that InSIM will allow it to be altered, at least.

It will be fun for new characters being born to get random hobby interests, and I'll totally go with it, but I have pretty distinct ideas about the hobby interests of my existing characters, so I'm going to want to set them. Some are just obvious for me, like the Curious brothers liking science. And if my Buck likes Tinkering or Fitness, I'm gonna be pissed.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Worst case scenario, you MIGHT be able to reset a hobby via debug (aka boolprop).

It will be funny to see the random ones that set sims get (like how WRONG they are).

I hadn't thought about the conversation aspect. I wonder what kind of new conversation balloon pics there will be?

(I love the crab convo balloon in BV--but it's not enough to make me want that ep)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to the assigned hobbies as a source of comedy too. I won't stress over it (unless we really can't change them, but there has to be a way - there is for everything else.)

Hmmm, I WONDER how you would use that crab conversation bubble? *snort* The same way I would. It's up there with the pearl necklace icon.

New conversation balloons could be very interesting...

[muslemura.livejournal.com]

Just butting in (can't buy or install FT for a while *sadface*) to say that while the secondary asp will influence the wants, it won't affect the fears. Or so I've heard... Love the idea of a 2nd asp though - finally I'll be able to have the Knowledge/Pleasure combo I have in RL :)

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Please, once you get it installed and play around, share with scaredy cats like me who have to hear all the good and bad before I venture forth.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

GAH! Now Amazon is saying it won't ship until March 4th??? No way... methinks they just didn't have enough staff to unpack all the boxes and get all the pre-orders shipped on time and surely I'll get it before THEN. Geez.

Anyway I'm having hubby stop at our local Wal-Mart and see if its there on his way home from his farm meeting today. If it is, yay! If not, I suppose I'll just have to wait. Bummer.

At least I'm getting the guide today tho... so I'll be able to plan what I want to do with all of my simmies.

Like I said if it destroys my game in the big fiery ball from space, it's no biggie... because I don't have much going on. So I'll be happy to post all the good and bad if ya'll don't mind spoilers!

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

*snicker* You're like me. I love reading the whole Prima Guide before even getting the game (sometimes I even dogear pages, such a nerd I am).

I for one would love to see any and everything you want to show. The good, the bad, and *snicker* the ugly. I don't consider it spoilers. I consider it being an informed consumer.