Strangetown extras: Wheezy the puppy

[strangetomato]

Remember Wheezy? He's Nervous Subject's puppy, and he's been stuck in a weird ageless state, like Peter Pan, refusing to grow up. I couldn't have him staying as a puppy in the story any longer, and I needed to show him in the next chapter, so I aged him up with InSIM.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, exactly. You can never tell with sim puppies and kittens. They all look the same.




I do know that poodle was probably the very last thing I expected.




It seems a little fancy for Nervous. Also, Wheezy is supposed to be a stray. But I suppose it does work on at least one level. Nervous would enjoy styling his hair, just like he did with the mohawk.

And clearly, Nervous loves the silly thing. I don't have the heart to switch him for a new dog now. I'll have to make it work.




And really, how could you not love this special little creature? He's so adorable.

Comments

[thelesserfaith.livejournal.com]

Aww , cute poodle.

I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but your story is scripted, right? Or do you just play the game and see how it goes? :p I know, ridiculous question, but I've always been curious.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Isn't he, though? After I got over the shock, I really took to him. *hugs*

That's a good question (and it doesn't make you an idiot at all). It's mostly scripted (maybe 70-80%), but a lot of it is script-as-you-go, if that makes any sense. I play the game and let things happen, which inspires the story, but I'm also thinking about how the characters would interact in ways that the game wouldn't ever do on its own, and I set up the scenes I need for that. I have a number of overarching plots that are roughly planned out (like the Nervous-Olive-Buzz-Beakers storyline, and the alien-military thing), but it's all pretty loose, and it changes as I play it out.

Most of the predetermined plots have changed considerably since I started, and many of them weren't even very defined to begin with. I still have a couple of "goals" in mind with certain characters, but the story develops organically, as I play along too. Things happen sooner than I planned, or the outcome of an exchange changes, and things like that (I'll finally be able to discuss some of those changes, once the events happen). I do pay attention to chemistry and LTWs, etc. A serendipitous game event, like a random heart-blowing that I didn't see coming, can (and has) changed the plot, but I'm not ruled entirely by it. Tank, for example, insistent on flirting with Ophelia, so I included that in the story, but knowing their characters, I knew it wouldn't develop into anything more than a crush.

Mostly, I just think about the characters that I've developed for each of them, and then view everything that happens in-game through that lens. Once I've thought the details of the character through, I let that lead the way. That's why I never really know where it's going. It's a lot of fun.

[thelesserfaith.livejournal.com]

Ahh, very cool. Thanks a lot for taking the time to explain. :)