I like the Maxis stuff, but I sometimes wonder if it would keep some people from reading the story. Of course, that doesn't make me worry enough to actually use cc skins. I don't think that a cartoon doll with a real person painted over it looks any more real, and some of the facial animations looks really weird to me with the cc. It's a personal preference, I guess, but I'd rather see sims look like sims.

It isn't? What if things evolved from a friendship into something more? Doesn't that happen all the time? I know what you mean, though, since I'm sure that you're referring to something more casual (this is Ripp, afterall), and any dealings with a friend's ex could bring problems with it, couldn't it?