Discussion: Reflections on Maxis Sim Shipping

[strangetomato]

I think the thing that really stands out for me now that I'm seriously considering my Maxis character shipping preferences is how I do not see either Dirk/Lilith or Angela/Dustin working out in the end. I never really have. Well, actually, I did have an early notion, when I first started to sim in Pleasantview, that Angela WOULD marry Dustin and live a terribly dissatisfying life of semi-poverty (Broke-style), with a criminal husband and a yard full of scary domerman pincers. (Have I mentioned my active imagination? This was way before I had any concept of sim storytelling for others. Just myself.) But now I just see Angela moving on to greener pastures, leaving Dustin to find someone else (Ginger Newson being my favourite contender at this point, given her parallel to Brandi, which is a life he knows all too well.)

I can't ever stop seeing Dirk eventually cheating on Lilith with Angela, causing a huge rift there. In my game, he always, always cheats on her, in fact. Usually with Angela, but sometimes with someone else, and often without any input from me. I don't know if he ends up with Angela, or if he eventually reconciles with Lilith, but somehow that HAS to happen for me. Lilith is all over the place for me. She nearly always gets tangled up with Don Lothario at some point in my game (*lowers voice* sometimes even while still a teen... Oh Don, you're just... yeah), and then I just see her as this amazing free spirit who maybe stays single forever. You know those amazing old ladies who were movie stars or artists or musicians, who were lovers to many famous people over the years (mostly men, but there were some exceptions, if you believe the rumours), but always stayed true to themselves and didn't settle down? Yeah, that's how I see Lilith Pleasant.

Also, Tara Kat/Chester Gieke is the nerdiest couple EVER, by far. Geeky nerds trump bookish nerds any day of the week. (That's one of mine, by the way, from my uberhood. The red hair is a bonus, but they also remind me of my cousin and her husband in an uncanny way, right down to the cat lady-ness and the too geeky/socially awkward to live hardcore videogame geek factors. I am so sold on that pairing. I've seen its proven results in RL, people! XD)

So, I'm opening the floor to other shipping chit-chat here. Please try not engage in any full-on shipping brawls, but if you feel the need to pen an impromptu shipping manifesto, then who are we to stop you? :D Go on and share your insights, amusing pairing stories from your game, and so on.

Comments

[flambajamba.livejournal.com]

Even though I always want to keep Dirk with Lilith just because, it never works out...they just don't get along very well and are complete opposites. You know, the things that are cute and endearing when you are a teenager doesn't always translate well into functional adult. It's silly to be a rebel in your 30s...and I see Lilith as the eternal rebel and Dirk needs to have a normal family life. They only have one bolt for each other, so I'm going to try to find them their own personal 3 bolter. I have this thing...my Sims need to have 3 bolts for their potential marriage partner, or it bugs the shit out of me. I will marry a pair off with 2...but I need it to be 3 to be okay with it.

Angela and Dustin aren't going to make it. Angela is too much of a princess. They are going to grow apart. Dustin will make something out of himself, but he will always be rough around the edges and will never be able to please Angela. Yeah...they need to find someone else.

I always pair Alexander with someone made by me.

Only exception is Darren and Cassandra, but I NEED them to be together. Darren has 3 bolts for Brandi, but I really don't want them together. In my game I usually have Darren resurrect his wife after marrying Cassandra. He winds up having the amnesiac Darleen living in another town(usually Strangetown, everyone goes there to hide) and has started a family with her in addition to the family he has with Cassandra. I'm currently playing Pleasantview again for the 20th time, so I may not go that route. Cassandra deserves better.

I resurrected Skip Broke...my God, he was better off dead. I called myself trying to reunite a family...Skip is such a douche. ACR has him cheating with Nina and another romance Sim made by me. Brandi and Skip don't belong together at all. I foresee him having another mysterious pool ladder accident(Or, he'll just leave Brandi and go be a whore), and I'm going to find Brandi a real man.

Johnny has to be with Ophelia. They make adorable kids.

[autumnparanoia.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, you've just given me such a good idea for my game. Resurrect Darleen. She'd be a zombie, which would never be accepted in Pleasantview [in my game it's REALLY class-obsessed and pretty damn judgemental] so Darren moves to Strangetown with her! Dirk wouldn't want to move, because of Lillith and everything he has in Pleasantview, so he'd stay in the house, alone, and it would end up run down and broken because he'd have loads of parties there - what else would a teenager do? Especially a rebellious one, like Dirk is in my game - and Lillith would finally find an escape from her shitty home life so she'd move in with him... oh wow, this would be so awesome. Thank you for the unintentional inspiration!

[flambajamba.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! That's why I love discussions like this, I always walk away with ideas to try. :)