Dear Readers and Friends: You are all weirdos

[strangetomato]

Gentle readers and fellow Strangetown-lovers,

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you're all weirdos. Wait, don't leave yet... I have proof, from the official Sims 2 site:

Isn't that wild? I would never have expected Strangetown to be the least favourite hood in any poll. I guess us weirdos just congregate on livejournal. But seriously... it was beaten by Desiderata Valley?! WTF? That hood is just a pile of turd with no personality at all, from what I can see. (Sorry, I'm feeling rather honest right now. *snicker*) I love you, FT, but your hood sucks.

*waves Strangetown flag*

*goes off to design a Stragetown flag* Now THAT would be nerdy...

Comments

[muslemura.livejournal.com]

*waves weirdo flag proudly*

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not surprised on my own behalf either. *snicker* I've been flying that flag for a long time.

[dancinginsecret.livejournal.com]

Is there a "Strangetown Pride" community? Because there totally should be. :-D

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

You're completely right! Why didn't I think of that before? There should totally be a community where we can geek out about Strangetown all day. I mean, I already have this journal, but maybe something even nerdier is in order. :P

[ikichi.livejournal.com]

WHAT?! I wonder if it's because it's so small? I can't believe it's dead last, ESPECIALLY with how many Strangetown stories I read. o_o

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it left me scratching my head too. Based on storytelling activity, I would have expected it to be at least 2nd (since I'm not surprised about Pleasantview at all).

I guess nobody loves it except the storytellers. They just don't get the awesome storytelling potential.

[hidden-kitten.livejournal.com]

Er, but you did get that off the BBS, right?

I love Pleasantview, though, so I shouldn't talk ;)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I did. I would still have expected the results to be different. Can the BBS be that different from the livejournal community?

I love Pleasantview too. I'm not completely monogamous with Strangetown. ;)

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

The few, the proud. :D

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Don't forget "the strong". We make a lot of noise for what is supposedly such a small group. :)

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

I NEED A STRANGETOWN FLAG SO BADLY!!!

LOL.

I only play in Strangetown. I left to go to a custom hood once to play a Legacy, but even THAT was set in Viper Canyon and was very near to Strangetown (and several Strangetown clones showed up in the legacy)

I really don't like Pleasantview, and Veronaville has been deleted from my game since the beginning. I keep thinking one day I'll play them, but I just... can't! I've tried, really I have. The last time I had to do a complete reinstall (when my hard drive blew) I did go into Veronaville and peeked into all the houses before I shrugged and headed back to the sand. (What is UP with that Summerdream house anyway? And they think Strangetown is wierd??? Yeah, I know... the whole Shakespeare thing is cute, but honestly. If I did play in Veronaville the first thing I'd do is make Romeo gay and turn Juliet into a ho for hire. I'm just sayin!)

Anyway, I love Strangetown. It took me forever to find other people that do, though... so maybe the polls aren't that far off. Which is sad.

If anyone designs a Strangetown flag, LET ME KNOW. I wonder if we can base it off the New Mexico flag (you know, because of Roswell and all of that) with a simple red and yellow design, but put some kind of alien thing on it too? Maybe make it a yellow background with a alien ship in the middle? *giggles*

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I don't know. If I design a flag, I think I will have crossed some sort of permanent and irreversible line into obsession. I'd be one step away from writing Strangetown on envelopes as my return address. :P

I'm not saying I wouldn't do it... but still.

I find the concept of having trouble finding people who loved Strangetown a little odd. I stumbled onto livejournal before I even realized I loved Strangetown, started reading some great stories by Simantics, and got swallowed up. They next thing I knew, I turned around, and pixel_and_bean and madame_ugly were there, mixing up gin and tonics and welcoming me to Strangetown. (Have you ever noticed that they're ALWAYS in the welcoming committee?)

Well, those events may have been slightly exaggerated to make the story more interesting. *snicker* The point is, I had no trouble finding my way here. It was like falling down a rabbit hole.

[telephonication.livejournal.com]

Well, before reading Strangetown, Here We Come, it was my least favorite neighborhood. Not because the stories were uninteresting, but just because. I didn't even find the stories in the other hoods more interesting, or at all interesting in comparison. I'm guessing the people who took the poll are just unaware. Educate them!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

That's so nice of you to say. *smiles* I'm glad to have won you over. That's one more for the team.

Yes, we will have to recruit more Strangetowners... Get out there and testify.

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

I think storytelling wise, Strangetown is the best, but just random play wise, I'm not totally surprised it's last. I didn't really like it at all until I read the stories on here. So, I figure most people are like me.

There totally should be a strangetown comm, and you could be the mod! :) I could whip up a nice little flag, with maybe a spaceship on a desert backdrop, and some simlish on it......hmmm. I could really get into this......... :P

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Even just playing, there are a lot of good reasons to choose Strangetown. You have instant alien abductions and babies, tonnes of different ghosts, a large number of reward objects already present, and Ripp Grunt (okay, that last reason doesn't really apply to everyone, but I felt compelled to include it). Ripp Grunt, people! Don't give me that Don Lothario bullshit.

Okay, I take that back. I actually love Don too, in a very different way.

I have played Pleasantview quite a bit. More than Strangetown, really. But I LOVE Strangetown. I fell for that hood in a way that I never could for P'view or any of the other hoods. It's just ~special~.

(I feel really silly right now. Can you tell?)

I could be mod? :D That's like telling me I could be the Queen of Strangetown. No, I'm not worthy...

It seems like something people could get into. Maybe we do need some sort of Strangetown comm, or, like someone mentioned, just a comm devoted to love of Maxis characters in general. This isn't a bad idea. And we could have a flag design contest. Why not? Start brainstorming ideas... now.

[amaryssobellus.livejournal.com]

I can not believe that Strangetown would come up dead last. I demand a recount! I mean I don't have any active ST sories but there's SO many people that do.

[dragancaor.livejournal.com]

Create the comm & make the first challenge designing the flag.
Simple >.<

I cant believe Desiderata beat it. The only thing that 'hood has going for it is the beach. I've played all the 'hoods except Riverblossom, & Strangetown is hands-down still my favourite. [shifty eyes] To the point where I currently have 3 different copies of it that I swap in & out of the neighbourhoods folder depending on which family story I'm wanting to play (4 including the maxis packed story version that I have). Pathetic? Perhaps. Worth it? Definitely.

[meetme2theriver.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, that's great. Beaten by Desiderata Valley. Ugh. No, that hood definitely does have the least personality from what I've seen so far, but we are giving it a shot in our MegaHood. I used to be partial to Pleasantview, but your story has made me equally excited about Strangetown. :) I still can't get into Veronaville very much, but I'm giving that a shot as well now. Riverblossom Hills has potential too.

[xel-squirgle-ox.livejournal.com]

Well, of course all of us STRANGEtown lovers are weirdos! Seriously though, it seems like the people who like Strangetown the best are rabid fans... Not like that's a bad thing. ;)
I've barely played the other towns. Like others said, I've tried but I just find most of the characters there boring. I actually think that Desiderata Valley is probably second on my list though. But that's mainly because of all the beautifully ugly sims, Natasha Una, John Mole, and the pervy old man Louis Aspir that Marina INSISTS on filling her wants list with interactions for. I think the problem with the two newer towns, Riverblossom Hills and Desiderata Valley, is that they spend so much time just showing off the new things that came with their respective EPs.
Pleasantview has always turned me off, mostly because everything seems too normal, despite all of the soap opera-like story lines that people can come up with. And Veronaville is just not original enough for me. When I first started playing the sims, the first thing I wanted to look for was the aliens. So I went to Strangetown and never looked back. There's just so many possibilities for stories there also. With Pleasantview and Veronaville, the stories were already planned out so much and a lot of people do the same things with them. Strangetown, with it's unfamiliar characters just gives people much more opprotunities to play with them story-wise. I guess many people on the community you got that from aren't storytellers. Otherwise, I'm sure that the poll results would have been the total opposite.

I totally agree about an LJ Strangetown community! We should totally resurrect that old My_Strangetown one or make a new one! I will definitely be a part of it. Hell, I could even be a maintainer I love that place so much.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll actually respond to your comment, but first... LOL!

I LOVE your icon. :P

Maybe you are, Ripp, maybe you are...

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Beaten by Fox Piss Hollow and Desi. . .whatever Valley?

That's not right at all. Those are both sad EP added hoods. They shouldn't have even been in the poll at all (what if you don't have them? Isn't that unfair to you?)

Aside from that, I'm not surprised that those frequenting the BBS voted the way they did (for the "big three"). Think about it. Pleasantview is like every teeny bopper soap opera show you've ever seen. All angsty teens and horny parents. It could be a show on the WB. (*snort* Pleasantview 90210!)

And Veronaville is Shakespeare and. . .to be quite frank. . .look at the median age on the BBS. I'd wager it's quite young. And we all know, youngsters today don't read at all, let alone Shakespeare (oh, I forgot, they read Harry Potter--pfft).

That leaves Strangetown. Again, I point to the median age argument for this point. The pop culture obsessed youngsters aren't going to go anywhere near a neighborhood that houses such FUG sims. I mean, look at the Curious brothers? EWWWW, gross! And the icky ELDER PT. . .eeww, old and fug. Kill it with fire! *snort*

So, there you have it.

Makes perfect sense.

[themhooligans.livejournal.com]

Pardon, Madame, but I believe your bile is showing.

And I a-gree.

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

Need to say it doesn't surprise me as much!

May it because strangetown followers tend to somehow gather around and come together, maybe it doesn't fell like it, but generally talking is not a really popular hood.

I'm all go for a flag and wave it proudly! on shirts (looks at simself avi) and cars and a bandanna on the head too rofl

Cheers ... u weirdos! :P
:D

[mjo5oh.livejournal.com]

WTF? I think the people who voted on that must be the weirdos. I HATEEEEE Maxis hoods, and Strangetown is the only one I could play and enjoy.

Pleasantview is BOOORIIINNNGGGGGGGG!

[sofieamalien.livejournal.com]

http://sofieamalien.livejournal.com/

Just letting you know that I actually posted something on my own LJ..

And how would a Strange Town Flag look like? Dessert orangy with a alien head?

[silentsteel.livejournal.com]

What the fudge? Desiderata Valley is only good for scalping the houses! (seriously, those houses have nice layouts)

[simsbarbie.livejournal.com]

Personally...

I love Pleasantview's characters. I think Darren is hot. Nina's the slut, and Dina is mean, Morty is kinda hot too after I made him over. Cass is cool....Lothario is hot. lol I had a Phantom of the Art's story going on here a few years ago before i lost it.

Riverblossom is kinda dumb and boring.

Desiredata is a dud. But the female with the pottery wheeel and sewing machine seems to be a cool character to play.

Veronaville is what I play the most. Romeo is hot. Puck is too. I rarely play the Shakespearian peeps...I have a legacy going on at the moment and my sims are definitely weird. (Lots of aliens, vampires, plant folk or whatever in this city)

Strange town has some well developed characters. I rarely play this town, maybe because I live in Arizona and it's all the same, including UFO sitings. LOL But Jonny, Ripp, LAzlo, and Loki are hot sim dudes.

Strange have you played the PSP strangetown? It is so fun. The Strangerhood videos were fun to watch as well.

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

Are you kidding me?

Desiderata Valley, the neighborhood that's been out for just a couple of months, won against Strangetown, that's been around since the Base Game came out?!

Man! I thought that longevity (aka time to get to know the sims and their stories) would give Strangetown a huge advantage over Riverblossom Hills and DV. I admit I've barely played in those two neighborhoods, so I don't know their sims pretty well (except for the Ottomas).

I'll admit I used to play with Pleasantview all the time (and that's the reason I started a legacy with a Broke sim as a founder) and barely noticed Strangetown (that was my sister's neighborhood). But when I began my Legacy, I decided to move Beau to another place to make things interesting, and Strangetown won against Riverblossom just because it was a desert town (aka different). A couple months before I even discovered your story, I was already in love with its characters ^^.

I think Strangetown is looked down because it's populated by "nerds" (the Curious Brothers), "freaks" (the Beaker family and Nervous Subject) and ZOMG UGLY ALIEEEENS (PT Smith, Johnny and Pascal's spawn). Perhaps some of the storylines are too "strange" (pun intended) for some people, like male pregnancy (I have one sister who doesn't like looking at pregnant Pascal walk around the place, she says it's too odd for her), woo hoo with the Grim Reaper and the torture evidence of Nervous story. I think the "most normal" family is the Grunts, but they are "fug" too :P.

Dude, if you open a community I'd love to read it! I almost joined My Pleasantview and My Strangetown, but they were pretty dead.

Perhaps a community for Maxis character's love?

[xel-squirgle-ox.livejournal.com]

OOH!!! That's an even better idea there, I think! Having it be for all the Maxis characters would definitely make it more open for everybody, and it would probably be more active. :D

[saunasims.livejournal.com]

No no no. Hold up.
We were beaten by VERONAVILLE? Frickin' boring Romeo & Juliet? Whaaaaaa? *headsplodey*

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to give Desiderata Valley a chance right now. I agree that it doesn't have much personality, but there's potential.

I guess LJers are going to have to go to EA's site and change the stats a bit- unless the poll is finished already.

EDIT: I decided to try DV, since I'd never played it before. That's all. My faves are PV and ST, although until recently, playing Strangetown always caused my game to crash. Best houses come from VV. Sorry about all the abbreviations. I'm feeling lazy today.

[simantics.livejournal.com]

Bahahaha, Pleasantview? Really? Strangetown got beat out by the Sims equivalent of Desperate Gossip Hill 90210. Oookay then. I don't even have Free Time, so Desiduhwhatevah. Reedonk. I thought everyone loved Strangetown seeing as how so many LJ stories center on it, but LJ is not the center of the Sims universe, I suppose. Alack and woe.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's scary. I JUST typed your name in the comment above, and your comment appeared here. What are the odds? I feel like you have magical powers now. (Do you?)

You're missing nothing with Desiderata Valley (I spelled that wrong THREE times when I posted this - LOL). I'll have to give the characters a chance, but the setting is like a lame-o Bluewater Village. Like much, much lamer.

I know. You mean there's a world outside of LJ? I used to be out there, I know, but it's so hard to actually recall what it looks like...

[treesahquiche.livejournal.com]

I can't believe there's not more love for Veronaville ... :(

I mean, Strangetown is awesome, but for strictly playing purposes only, it's my second favorite neighborhood. The Elizabethan English enthusiast in me just enjoys infesting the little Shakespeare village with Marlowe a little too much.

For Sim stories, though, Strangetown definitely rocks a lot more than the other neighborhoods. :D

[ownsimscorner.livejournal.com]

Count me in as having a large soft spot for Veronaville, as well. The DNA is a mess, there`s not enough families and the Shakespeare theme seems to make most players reject it - but the characters have depth.

I love the messed up family dynamics that go on with the Capps - it`s a bit subtle but they`re right there with the Grunts and Pleasants as Maxis`s most dysfunctional family. And, there`s Kent Capp - he`s actually solely attracted to guys in any unplayed version of the hood. Sure, they talk about Pascal and Nervous all the time but Kent is the only pre-made gay sim. ;)

[ownsimscorner.livejournal.com]

Desi Valley is a bore, it`s the worst pre made hood ever created so far. Shame it has about two or three genuinely interesting characters among all the lameness (Una and that Mole guy come to mind).

I agree with what others said, most (young-ish) voters tend to go for "prettiness" and they`re just bothered by the aliens and the icky mpreg and all those weird, weird sims. Maybe they`ll grow out of it?

[abbycat900.livejournal.com]

Strangetown is so awesome. It defines awesome. -nods-
One of my legacies is in Strangetown. Sadly now it lags alot, though :( But I got adorable children out of Pascal!