Life in Christophe Harbour

Toni ha,ha, no, I didn't leave that message :) But I do love your story.

Yes, pc needed a new motherboard this time, and the graphics issue was fixed, thank goodness!! I'm slowly building my game families and neighborhoods again, phew!

Oh I'm so so pleased you got your puter sorted out!!!  

I know it's rough to have to start creating your hood aaaalll over again. Been there!  But you know, you can look at it as an opportunity to make it even better!  

As you start over, I'd highly recommend a read of THIS most useful article by Miros, on how to avoid common pitfalls that lead to game glitchiness.

I'd also like to highly recommend B.O.'s NO SIM LOADED mod, which on entering a lot, quietly zaps all sorts of problem-causing Maxis weirdness like, trashed Controllers, broken or expired Pregnancy Controllers, Lost Fishing Spots and stuck Move-outs, Fridge-tiles, kickybags and poo-bags; Attraction Markers, denied Rumours, Invisible Sims and Frozen Visitor Motives.

Go forth and conquer!

Toni Thanks! And thanks for those links! Very helpful!  

SandySimmer wrote:

Toni  Thanks! And thanks for those links! Very helpful!  

  

Lady T wrote:

I'd also like to highly recommend B.O.'s NO SIM LOADED mod, which on entering a lot, quietly zaps all sorts of problem-causing Maxis weirdness like, trashed Controllers, broken or expired Pregnancy Controllers, Lost Fishing Spots and stuck Move-outs, Fridge-tiles, kickybags and poo-bags; Attraction Markers, denied Rumours, Invisible Sims and Frozen Visitor Motives.

WOW!  

I've never heard of No Sim Loaded, Toni.

 

I just installed that today! So far so good, it did reset all of my families though lol...You know, like when you install a new EP. I usually "save" my families after they go to bed at night, out of habit really. But there was one family that I saved after they went to work and school and when I loaded them I got the pop up, Dad missed work and child missed school, they were standing in the hall all together lol

Interesting, Sandy. I'm glad not TOO much was lost with your family.

DO keep me posted as to what you think of the mod as you continue to play.
I am not one to put many hacks or mods in my game, but a mod that 'quietly zaps all sorts of problem-causing Maxis weirdness' DOES seem highly beneficial!

 

Sandy and Sugah, Mac has posted some feedback on this mods.  You'll find his take HERE.

Sandy, I don't recall the NoSimLoaded causing a reset when first installed.  I can't remember that far back.  But if it's happening each time, I think you may have some sort of conflict with something else.  Is it happening every time?

Toni No, just the first time I go to the family. When I go back to them after that everything is fine!

Awesome!

By the way....I also try to save when my simmies are sleeping and wake up time is approaching!  

I've noticed (at least once, anyway)  That the time of day when the day flips to the next might be affected. Usually it's always been in the middle of the night or in the early AM. With the current family I'm playing, it seems to happen in the middle of the afternoon.  I also try to save at night, but also save - just to be safe - when I have to suspend play for a while. (And sometimes Maikki's 'overnight'    doesn't match that of my sims family...  )

I tend to save my game after my Sim(s) have accomplished something I'd hate for them to lose or after I've been playing/decorating for awhile.
I've never thought to save at a certain time of day or night ... or when my Sims are cuttin' zzzzzs.   
Interesting!

I've finally finished tweaking my Spanish farmhouse and winery that I'll be offering here for this weekend's update (Nov 23rd) and was dying to give my thread dwellers a sneak peek.  

Whaddya think?

Looks like "vintage"  Toni at work!  (Of course, given the PG-13 orientation of the sims, the grapes are for "juice", right?  )

Yes, yes...for grape juice and jelly!  

But you know, there's no drinking age in most Caribbean countries, and it was 16 in Spain up until a handful of years ago, so.... 

So pleased you like what you've seen so far. I've been working on it for aaaages!  

ilikefishfood wrote:

Yes, yes...for grape juice and jelly!   

Could it be the kind of grape juice that "makes the nice lady all giggly" ???

mac wrote:

Could it be the kind of grape juice that "makes the nice lady all giggly" ???

 Yeeees..... 

The 'Grape' farm is now posted. You can check it out HERE.

Toni Do you have any plans to update the Harbour for your fans? Will there be a Book III?  

I still have quite a bit of Book II to share (not counting the chapters I have to re-post)...but I must say, the next gen is pretty interesting, and certainly worth of a Book III, so there's a good possibility!   

I hope you continue with your story whenever you get a moment. I'm missing it terribly!   

Keeping my fingers crossed for a continuation someday   

Oh my stars. I have no adequate words. You are an amazing storyteller, decorator, simmie creator -- you name it. I very much enjoyed reading Book 1, and have bookmarked where to find Book 2.

I'm almost ashamed to go back to my own game (when I get my computer back, that is).  My simmies' lives tend to be so perfect and boring most of the time.   My pictures are pathetic, my homes lacking in clutter.

I don't have the courage to go messing around with SimPE too much. You, on the other hand, are a wizard with it.

I may have a million questions for you at some point; where do you want 'em?   

Thank you soooo much ladies!   I love that there're folks out there still loving my wee tale.  I confess that I slowed down on writing about a year ago when I started being wooed by a certain member of this forum who was at the time half way across the world.  We spent aaalll of our spare time on Skype, and between that work, creating for Sugah's and of course, still squeezing in time to play....well, something had to give, and unfortunately it was writing and taking pictures.

However, the good news is that that certain someone moved all the way to the Caribbean to be with me, and we're now married!    

Being married to a fellow simmer by the way, is awesome!  We have our computers alongside each other in front of the living room couch, our coffee table is a foot rest and we sim happily with our kitty curled up next to us.  Bliss!   

As it happens, he's a big fan of the story too...and now that he's about to start working and we're settling into a comfortable married-people routine, I've committed to returning to story telling.  I actually have a few chapters already written in advance and some pictures taken, it's just to take a few more and then sort.  I take dozens for every one I use!

Also, a few months ago when a slew of sites in the community was hacked, my LJ was one that got hit...and the hacker deleted about 20 chapters of the 40+ I'd posted...so first I've got to repost.  Fortunately the chapters are all saved and the pictures uploaded to Photobucket already and all that, so it's really just a copy and paste exercise.  I'm working on a couple of lots for next weekend's contribution here at Sugah's, and then I'll spend a couple of evenings reposting.

Jean, you'd have already read those, but soon I'll get to the new stuff.

The good news is I'm still playing the families in the story (and their friends and relatives), and because I play in rotation so everything is in chronological order, I play very very slowly...so I'm not too much further ahead than where my posted story is.

I'll alert you guys when I start posting again.  In the meantime....  

Cher64, you've got me blushing like a teenager with your kind words.    

I'm sure your game is lovely   But whenever you're lookin' for addtitional tips, advice, 'how tos,' just bring ooooooon the questions!   You can post right here.  

I think sharing my story (as I mentioned, I do actually play these families) has actually made me a more meticulous decorator.  If you look at my piccies at the start of the tale, and how they look at the end you'll see I got more into clutter.

Aaaah Clutter....beautiful clutter, it is the key to realism in any game, if you're going for aesthetics.  A well placed pile of books, a TV remote, a cup of tea on a bedside table...are a huge part of fleshing out a simmie's character.  I also like to use some pieces that're recolored to look aged.  Again, it adds that touch of realism.  Look!  I'm doling ' out the tips already!   

By they way, there are now easier ways to make simmies related, and even give them memories than SimPe.  I kid you not!  What're you interested in doing?

Anyhow....time to start getting ready for work.  Ladies, I can't thank you enough for your generous words.  I feel all inspired again!

A teaser about my next project, due to be put up for offering here at Sugah's this month.

It is after all springtime in many parts of the world, and springtime means Spring Break. I figure this'll come in handy...

And just who might the J C Armstrong International Airport be named after???

Just as long as the Christoph Harbour flying experience is better than RL!