Dragging My Feet

[orikes]

This next Pseudo update is really taking a lot out of me. I thought after the quick two updates in February, I'd be able to keep up with things. Apparently not.

Part of the problem is that I wrote myself into a bit of a corner. It was a completely voluntary corner, but at the same time, it's frustrating. I've been planning this update since Bon Voyage came out last year. The idea's been percolating in my head, growing and getting bigger all the time. Now that it's time to actually execute it, oof.

Don't get me wrong, I like doing the plotty scenes amidst the regular game play and stuff my sims throw at me, but to do them right it takes work. The animation hacks are both a blessing and a curse. With them, I can get so many more things than what I could otherwise. But they're all designed so haphazardly it's nearly impossible to find exactly what I'm looking for when I need it.

On top of that, there are the other technical difficulties. I needed some sims to pass out on a secret vacation lot. Did you know that sims CAN'T pass out on secret vacation lots? I certainly didn't. I bottomed out their energy bars, and all they did was just bitch about how tired they were. Eventually I threw my hands up in disgust and closed the game down. I figured out a way to work around that little issue, but it's still frustrating.

Then today I wasn't able to find a specific sim in the teleporter. I'm 99.9% certain all the vacation townies have the same names across neighborhoods, but this guy was nowhere to be found when I needed him. So, I had to go into CAS and recreate him. This is AFTER I also had to send the Pleasantview bigfoot to the facelift machine. Did you know that Bigfeet have different faces? I certainly didn't. The Terra Lostundo Bigfoot had the squishy frog nose face of Brandon Lillard. Pleasantview's Bigfoot had the exact same aspiration and LTW, but had Ben Long's face. GAH!

Either way, I did make some progress today. I ended up stopping because I wasn't quite sure how to proceed with the rest of the scene, but I got some good pictures.



Can I reiterate that I adore Shelby? She's what most would consider an 'ugly' sim, but sometimes she just throws me the most beautiful faces. I can't wait to see what her and Elijah give me as kids. Soon...

Of course, after this update, I have to work on Miranda's BC. And that's got some plotty to it too. *sigh* :}

Comments

[smoothiesims.livejournal.com]

Shelby is made of the utmost adorableness.

I really want to see that update but I totally understand the planning a plotline being easier than executing it. So good luck with it and it'll be great whenever you put it out. <3

[fireflowersims.livejournal.com]

*sigh* It's nice knowing I'm not the only one having plot problems. I'm kind of sick of dealing with the one I came up with, which is part of why I'm delaying updating my legacy. (The other part being sheer laziness, of course.) But good luck getting yours done!

[orikes13.livejournal.com]

Plot really can be a catch22 when it comes to sim stories. Especially if you also like to actually PLAY the game.

Once I'm through this one, I've only got one more major plot thing planned, but that's going to be all home neighborhood stuff and pretty significant to the overarching storyline. I'm a little worried about coordinating it, especially since I'm really itching to just play and see them all have babies and have those babies grow up.

Either way.. You're not alone. :)

[orikes13.livejournal.com]

I actually made a decent amount of progress this afternoon. In fact, I got 'into the zone' and lost track of time. I was almost late for work. :}

Either way, I've got two more scenes to shoot in the fake neighborhood, then it's a couple of staged scenes in the real neighborhood. Then I should be ready to write.

It's definitely going to be a double update (or two updates), though. I currently have at least 200 slides that I NEED to include.

[swhedonberry.livejournal.com]

I think that plot is the most complicated part of doing a non-observational legacy. My update is taking me for frackin' ever, too. Like you, I have had the next couple of updates in my head (in some form) for a while and the execution of plot is making things take forever.

I send happy simming thoughts your way and look forward to the great plot dragon being conquered, stuffed, and mounted on your castle wall for all of us to see!!

On a completely different note, I think that Shelby's one of the prettier facial structures in sim world and that picture is GORGEOUS!!

[ahrubyblue.livejournal.com]

Count me in as another who thinks Shelby's pretty and that picture is beautiful.

Plotty, plotty, plotty. I'm never content to work on the plotty bits I've got right in front of me. I always want to be doing the next thing. Lol, and I don't see my legacy as being half as plotastic as yours. I guess I'm just impatient.

At any rate, I'm really looking forward to your next update and I was happy to read (both here and at boolprop) that you're getting close.

[ndainye.livejournal.com]

That's such an awesome picture of Shelby, but I would never count her as an 'ugly' sim no matter.

I'm glad you're getting close to updating, I think part of the plot bit is that when you are filming plot you already know what's going to happen (mostly) so it's just something you feel you need to do beyond being time consuming in the setting up. When you're just playing there's almost always something surprising or unexpected happening which helps keep you interested. Or that's the way it seems to me, which is why I can rarely stay interested in doing long plots.

[penguingirl03.livejournal.com]

Totally understand the plot frustration and just wanting to play. That is how I ended up three whole updates behind because I didn't feel like writing so I just played. I inevitably end up wishing I had more pictures later and then having to fudge around to make things work. Part of the delay on the next Penguino update (aside from a broken computer) has been trying to figure out how to start up Jenny's storyline with her kids. I have a rough idea based on the next generation's theme but I'm not really sure how to execute it. It's not nearly as well formed in my mind as Captain and Cara's plot line was. It's hard to not have someone to sit down with and run through the plot as well.

I'm excited to see your next update(s) though and I'm always impressed with the amount of work you put into telling your story. That shot of Shelby (who is a pretty sim as far as I am concerned) looks amazing and I can't wait to see the context in which it was taken. :-)