Monday, December 14, 2015

Prologue Part 1: A Normal Family


At the edge of the forest on the outskirts of Bridgeport, there is a house with seven gnomes in the front yard.

It's a seemingly normal house, complete with Christmas Decorations and a flower bed.

In the front hall hangs a portrait of a young girl with hair as black as night, lips as red as a rose, and skin white as snow.


Her name is Nieve Royal, and forty-years ago she was a seemingly normal girl--an orphan, who would not say from where she had come from, simply that she longed to start over.


Nieve had been beautiful and mysterious. She had nothing of value except for a red sapphire that she wore strapped around her neck with bits of black cord. To many of her friends and acquaintances, this jewel looked fake--like something you'd buy in a mall department store.

Only Nieve knew it's true value.


Nieve had married the comedian Johnny Ziest, who you may know of as Johnny Royal. By the end of his life, Johnny Royal had reached a level of fame that only a few comedians, such as George Carlin and Richard Pryer, had reached. Even after death, he haunted the home he helped Nieve build as a friendly and happy ghost.


Over forty-years, Nieve's frame grew rotund as she delivered seven children to Johnny.


Their eldest son, Conan, named for both Dr. Conan Doyle and Conan O'Brien, was the smart one. He went on to become an OBGYN doctor and currently works in the maternity ward at the Newcrest Hospital.


Dominic was artistic but bashful. He especially hated children, which made being the second of seven an ordeal for him. Dominic was eager to get out of the house the moment he became a Young Adult. he is a famous artist now, and also the one responsible for Johnny and Nieve's portraits.


As the first-born daughter, Ashlynn took on the responsibility of helping her mother around the house. She was very skilled in cooking and it brought her joy to keep everything nice and clean, but some days all the extra work really wore on her. She grew up a rather grumpy person.


Not only was Ashlynn a hard worker, she was a closet Perfectionist sim, who wanted to learn and achieve as much as possible, so she decided to vote her life to becoming a Renaissance Sim. There is nothing she can't do!


She was very much unlike her younger sister Emmeline. Emmeline spent her teen years sleeping, eating, and worrying about how she looked. She was no help to Ashlynn around the house and the two sisters found very little in common with one another.


Henry was the handsomest and the most successful of all the children, having become a star-athlete by the time he turned twenty-five. He went on to marry Viviana Landgraab, the daughter of Cassandra Goth and Malcolm Landgraab. Many people thought that Henry turned to athleticism because he had always been a sick child and wanted to do everything he could to become strong.


Cheerful and happy Louis took after Johnny the most, and also followed in his father's foot steps to become a famous comedian. He was a friend of everyone growing up, and was especially close to his little sister Janette.


Janette was the only one to inherit her mother's raven-black hair. She was a quiet goofball as a child, and because she was so overshadowed by her brothers and sisters, many of them disregarded her for being a little "dopey." It wasn't easy for her. Her father died when she was only seven-years-old and she found herself growing attached to her brother Louis. It was the only one who seemed to understand how she could simultaneously be so goofy and so melancholy.


Niece worked hard to encourage her youngest daughter, and helped Janette put all her conflicted emotions into writing. Janette published three best-sellers by the time she turned eighteen. Many people say that she is the most beautiful of the Royal sisters, but she has no interest in love. All she cares about are words and far off imaginary places.





Ashlynn was the perfect heir. She maxed both cooking and gourmet, as well as painting, before she even began looking for a husband.


Ashlynn had been betrothed to Camden Prince since they were both children. However, shortly after they graduated high school Camden jilted Ashlynn, telling her he was interested in someone else and that he wanted to remain 'just friends.'


Ashlynn had been devastated until she met Glen Brewer. He was the Police Chief for Newport back when Ashlynn worked as a detective for a few years. They both rolled the whim to get married on their first date. It was love at first sight.


Ashlynn encouraged Glen to pursue his dream of being a mixologist. A skill that Ashlynn herself was pretty nifty at (of course).



This is their love child, William. William doesn't seem to care too much that his parents aren't married, but he told Janette a few times (she's his favorite aunt) that he'd love to have a little brother to play with. William gets lonely in the large house because both his mother and father leave for work every day just as he comes home from school. He has been raised mostly by his aunt and grandmother.

He's a social butterfly, so he loves when family members stop by to say "hello." 


His cousin Camilla Landgraab (Henry's daughter) is his best friend. Apparently she's named after a great-great-great-great grandmother on the Goth side. Look at that smile though! She's all Henry. 


Yes, Nieve had lived a good life. She had been a successful violin player and the grower of the best Dragonfruit this side of Bridgeport. Her crops earned the family a fortune. She had seven children, six grandchildren, and had met and lived with the love of her life for forty-years.


But it wasn't a life a Princess was supposed to lead.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

An Introduction

Hello! My name is SolaraFey--just another simmer angry about not being able to make her SimSelf with a perfecting matching hair color.



The Sims has been there for me during every major milestone of my life. It was there as I navigated the stress of middle school, and then high school. It was there for me as I dealt with the stress of college, and then as I navigated my first real adult relationship. I have played it through two careers and well into graduate school.

Today I am in my late-twenties, and after sixteen years of play, I have never published a Sims story. I read them. I loved reading them! I would follow along with the challenges at home on The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. I considered publishing them, but I knew I'd never have the time to keep up with my gameplay and update the blog.

There is something different about The Sims 4. I had been stressed with graduate school, so i hadn't finally updated to The Sims 4 until September of this year, a whole year after the games release. While I have always loved The Sims, I have never been obsessed this before! Usually if I pay a game for this long on a daily basis, I get sick of it--I get burned out. The burn out isn't happening this time. I think it's because the game has become simplified and laptop friendly. It's easier for me to play for long periods of time without worrying about the game crashing on me. I play on a Macbook Air, so this particular version being so Mac friendly is huge for me.

So, to my point. Why I decided to start this blog.

A few weeks later I started a play-along Disney Princess Legacy. I like challenges like this one, the ones that force you to complete certain criteria every generation, because they force me to explore aspects of the game I may not previously play. Another amazing thing about The Sims 4 is how intuitive the Sims are. They are able to direct their own story.

A wonderful and beautiful story began to unfold among my Disney Princess family, the Royals (soon to be the Grimm Andersons). It was a story worth sharing.

I toyed with the idea of starting the challenge over for the sake of publication, but I was too attached to my Sims already. I wanted to tell their story. So I'm picking this challenge up at the start of Generation 3.

The first few chapters will be background, to get everyone caught up.

I hope everyone enjoys reading my story about a legacy of princesses desperate to win their throne back.

Thanks,

SolaraFey


Here are the Rules (Strikethrough Where Complete)

Generation 1: Snow White "I'm wishing for the one I love to find me today"
Founders have humble beginnings, so what's better than Snow White? To start, create Snow White. Storytellers may create her as a teenager and make her evil stepmother, but this is not a requirement. When Snow White becomes a young adult, this story begins.
- Must be female
- Must have 7 children (dwarfs)
- Each child must have one bad trait (e.g Gloomy)
- Each child must have the same baby daddy
- Each child must complete their Aspiration and/or get an A in school
- Snow may never answer the door to strangers or talk to elderly women


Generation 2: Cinderella "A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep"
Although you had six brothers and sisters, you always did the cooking and cleaning. Yet, somehow you loved it, as it transported you away from your chaotic home life. When Cinderella becomes a teenager, this story begins.
- Must have 'Neat' and 'Foodie' traits
- Must clean the house everyday and cook every meal
- May not marry until mother dies (This does not have to be of old age, but it may not be cheated)

- Have a maximum of 3 children


Generation 3: Tiana "The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work"
Your family has barely accomplished anything over the past two generations, and you're here to change that. This story begins when Tiana becomes a YA.
- Must have 'Ambitious' trait
- Father must die before end of YA
- Must have food Aspiration
- Must marry a Sim with green (This can be hair, eyes, skin etc)


Generation 4: Aurora "I walked with you once upon a dream"
Thanks to your mother's hard work, you have everything you always wanted in life, apart from love. Your father was overprotective of you, and rarely let you out of the house. This story begins when Aurora becomes a YA.
- Must have the 'Lazy' trait.
- May only have 3 or less friends. (Family can count if you wish)
- Must meet future spouse at night while parents are asleep
- Elope (you can run away if you wish)
- Have a maximum of 2 children - (twin girls are preferred if playing Anna or Elsa next)


Generation 5: Anna "We only have each other, it's just you and me"
Your sister locked you away and you never knew why. As toddlers, you were the best of friends but now all you have are dreams. When Anna is a child, this story begins.
- Lose all contact with your sister until YA
- Find love with a criminal
- Experience near death at the hands of your lover
- Find someone new after becoming BFFs with your sister
- Marry, have one child


Generation 6: Rapunzel "You were wrong about the world, and you were wrong about me"
Your mother never trusted you or the outside world. You never knew of her past, and never wanted to. All you ever got was solitude, but that didn't matter. When Rapunzel is a teenager this story begins
- Must have 'Loner' and 'Art Lover' traits
- Must reach at least level 8 painting before YA
- May only ever leave the house for school
- May never have friends until wedding
- Elope - you have no friends anyway, have kids


Generation 7: Belle "People think I'm odd, so I know how it feels to be different"
You always loved books and visited the library often. You never cared for looks, just beauty within. Everyone wanted you, but you turned them all down. You wanted to chose your own destiny. When Belle becomes a YA, this story begins.
- Must have 'Bookworm' trait
- Date at least 5 men
- Meet the man of your dreams - an ugly Sim
- Marry, have kids
- Your spouse becomes beautiful (Changed in CAS) after first born child


Generation 8: Mulan "Could it be, that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my family's heart"
Your parents always wanted you to bring fortune back to the family and marry someone of high status, but you didn't dream of love, you dreamed of glory. When Mulan becomes a YA this story begins
- Must have 'Active' trait
- Must join Astronaut career
- Fall in love with a co-worker once you reach the top of the career choice
- Marry, have kids


Generation 9: Jasmine "A whole new world, a hundred thousand things to see"
You hated being rich and living like a princess. You find comfort in Raja, but nowhere else. All your father wants is for you to marry rich, but you want a life without riches. When Jasmine becomes a teenager this story begins.
- Have a best friend (Raja)
- You cannot leave the house unless it is for school
- Must marry a poor street rat
- Lover must be in the criminal career
- Have a maximum of 4 children


Generation 10: Merida "If you had the chance to change your fate, would you?"
You always wondered why your mother gave up her riches for a poor boy. Your adventures lead you into trouble, and you were nearly always grounded. When Merida becomes a teenager this story begins.
- Have the 'Self Assured' trait
- Lose your siblings and mother in an unfortunate accident
- Seek out a way to change the past but fail
- You do not believe in love - never marry
- You believe you are cursed - never have children
- Grow up alone and regretful
(These last three conditions are only in place because it is the last generation. If you wish to continue afterwards then Merida may marry and have kids)


OPTIONAL GENERATIONS:


Generation: Ariel "Someday I'll be part of your world"
You've always loved the water and dreamed of becoming a mermaid. Sadly, this never came true but you did find the man of your dreams, and that was good enough. When Ariel becomes a teenager this story begins.
- Must have a 'Loves the Outdoors' trait
- Must own a pool and swim in it everyday
- Must marry a beautiful Sim with at least one trait the same as your own
- Have kids


Generation: Pocahontas "You think I'm an ignorant savage, you've been so many places, I guess it must be so."
You come from different worlds, yet the love of your life is forbidden by your family. When Pocahontas becomes a teenager this story begins.
-Fall in love with a "different" kind of Sim, (e.g a green or blue Sim)
-Marry that "different" kind of Sim.
-Run away and elope
-Have a maximum of 4 kids


Generation: Elsa "Yes I'm alone, but I'm alone and free"
Your parents always questioned where your powers came from. You were a quiet type after... the accident. All you wanted was to be alone, unable to harm anyone. When Elsa becomes a teenager, this story begins.
- Must have the 'Loner' trait
- Must not talk to siblings until YA
- Must be different in some way
- Run away as a teenager (Storytellers may have her sister find her and bring her home)
- Never marry and only have one child (it was an accident, you swear by it)


(If after any generation you wish to end the challenge, you may not have kids. It is entirely up to you. I go by the motto that it's your game, play how you want to play)
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