Episode 9 - Blogging Your Sims

Announcing Quick Tips

Pick a Service.
Blogger www.blogger.com That's what we discuss
Freewebs http://members.freewebs.com/
Word Press http://wordpress.org/

Why Blog?
Track progress of your challenge.
Keeps you going with your challenge.

Taking Photos
-In Game Camera
-Print Screen Button to do simple screen captures. Open a photo editing program and paste.
-SnagIt http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.asp?CMP=KgoogleStm -$39.95 has free trial
---www.jennthesimmer.com for a tutorial on using Snag It
Camera Mod to get a close up http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=97642
Hit Tab to remove the game controls. Hit it again to bring it back.

Find your sims photos
-If you use Snag It they are in your SnagIt Catalog
-If you use the In Game Camera they are in My Document/EA Games/Sims 2/Neighborhoods/ N0___/Storytelling

Managing Your Photos
Sort Photos
Edit Photos
-Paint Shop Pro - used by Wen $79.99
- Photoshop - used by Rachel $649.99
- Photoshop Elements used by Lynn $99.99
- SnagIt - $39.95
Label Photos
Rename your photos -Download the File Renamer freeware program from here http://www.webxpace.net/software/software.shtml
Upload your photos for your blog
- Photobucket www.photobucket.com
- Use the Flock browser available from Photobucket to easily upload photos and place them in your blog

Tips
-Find the voice for the entry
-Don't be afraid to use your photos out of order
-A Table of Contents page is helpful to your readers. Simply edit the date of your posts so it is always the most recent.
-It can be helpful to blog the lot right after you play it.
-Try blogging a short challenge first

Styles
-Follow a storyline
-Commenting on the photos
-Talking to your sims
-Talking about your sims



General Chat discussion links
this is funny http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOW86C7x8oU
http://groups.msn.com/TheSims2Database/7moviemakeressentials.msnw has a thing about different cheats to help movie makers and such
http://www.insimenator.net/showthread.php?t=9544

Episode 8 - Toddler Mania

Episode 8
The ToddlerMania Challenge by TreyNutz2

WARNING: This challenge is not for the faint of heart, those who hate micro-management, or those looking for a ‘relaxing’ time playing TS2.
GOAL: Raise 7 toddlers to children while racking up as many points as possible, and minimizing penalties. (It’s only 4 sim days, you can do it).
HOW TO PLAY:
1. Create a family of 7 toddlers and 1 adult parent. Choose the aspiration and personalities that you think will help you the most.
2. Move the family into any large lot.
3. Use the ‘motherlode’ cheat to make your family fabulously wealthy.
4. (Optional) Save, exit, and package the lot to a file so you can easily start from scratch should you need/want to.
5. Build the best ‘Toddler-Rearing Institute’ you can. Optimize the entire house to raising 7 toddlers. Use every trick you can think of (or research on the BBS) to assist you. The only limitation: you can have a maximum of 14 training potties.
6. Save (I recommend packaging the lot again too).
7. Play the game, raising all 7 toddlers to childhood.
8. The challenge ends when the last toddler ages to a child. Pause the game, and total up your points.
RULES:
1. You may not turn aging off.
2. Your adult may not get a job.
3. You may use any money cheat at any time.
4. You may save the game, rework your house, and/or reload after bad events as many times as you want.
5. The moveobjects cheat is allowed only for bugged items. You generally may not move sims with this cheat (I will allow a -5 penality if you do). If your sims get stuck in a jam, chaulk it up to bad house design, rework your house, and try again.
6. You can use the ME_Energizer Painting, available at modthesims2.com.
7. You may not use any other cheats or hacked objects.
8. You may not sell ‘full’ training potties in buy mode and purchase new ‘empty’ ones.
9. You may not use the ‘Leave World’ option to replenish your sim’s needs. (I don’t know if this works for toddlers anyways.)
10. Aspiration rewards are fair game, if you earn them.
11. If the social worker takes any kids, or your parent dies – you lose. Either reload or start over. Dying nannies are ok (but you can’t use a cheat to kill them).
12. You may sell/replace any items needing repair.
SCORING:
1. +3 points for each toddler skill (potty, walk, talk) each toddler learns (max 63 pts)
2. +3 points for each toddler that grows up well (determined by the memories of the parent)
3. +1/2 point for each skill point earned by all toddlers
4. +3 points for each toddler that ages to child in platinum (stacks with growing up well)
5. -2 points for each use of the Energizer painting
6. -2 points each time you hire a nanny
7. +1 point each time a nanny pees herself
8. -5 points each time your parent passes out from exhaustion
9. -5 points for each visit from the Sim Therapist
10. -1 point for each baby bottle you delete from buy mode
11. -5 points if you use moveobjects to move any sim for any reason
ADVANCED SCORING (OPTIONAL):
1. -1 point for each toddler that passes out on the floor
2. -1 point for each diaper changed
3. -1 point for each social worker warning message you get
COMMENTS:
The foundation of this challenge is house design. A well designed ‘Toddler-Rearing Institute’ will make things much easier. To get a good score, you will need to decide what penalties you are willing to take, in order to be able to score points. You will have to strategize. Your score may well be in the negative until the very end. Search the BBS for tips on rearing twin toddlers for some really good ideas, and think carefully about everything you know about sim traffic congestion, toddler behavior, nanny quirks, etc.
ABOUT THE PAINTING:
The Energizer Painting maximizes needs when you have a sim ‘Think of.’ I wanted to provide a way for people to play without having to deal with the nannies. There are other ways to maximize needs. I like this one because it won’t work on toddlers. If you prefer an alternate method, I will allow it, but only if you follow the spirit of the rule: only the parent may use it, and -2 each time you max out the parent’s needs. Whatever you decide, you may not tinker the any sim’s aspiration level, or aspiration score.
I played the basic idea out once then thought up the rules and scoring. I haven't replayed it to get a score yet. The first time, I had to start over 2x redesigning the house. I also got so frustrated with the nannies, I started using the painting. I will play this again myself and post my score by Monday night.
Please post your scores on this thread. Also include at least one tip that helped you out. I'll start out with 2 tips. Tip: putting the toilets in sunken or raised floors nicely prevents toddlers from playing in the toilet. Also, make each toddler a different skin color to help you find the one you want. I didn't try to optimize toddler personality when I played, so I don't know how this might affect the game. I WAS able to get each toddler potty trained, but that was all.
Took me about 2-3 hours to do the whole thing. Good luck.
A couple interesting notes from reading through the post on the BBS.
-I'll have to say no to the toddler blanket. Being able to send the toddler to sleep directly, instead of needing the parent or nanny to put them in the crib, would make the challenge too easy. Plus the energy rating of the blanket is lower than the crib, which I think would mean that toddlers will sleep longer. Which would also make the challenge a bit easier. For this challenge, you need to use the cribs.
- Counting the number of diapers is purely optional (the whole Advanced Scoring is optional). If I posted it again, I'd leave that part out. This challenge is hard enough without it. The scoring wasn't entirely play-tested before I posted. I HAD played the basic concept though.

Some Links to People's Attempts
Rachel's Attempt 2 (1st blog on it)
Rachel's Attempt 3
Wen's Attempt
Ruby's Attempt
Tiffany's Attempt
Twoyys4Me Attempt
Galena's Attempt
Laura's Attempt
Ginevra's Attempt 1
Ginevra's Attempt 2
Ginevra's Attempt 3

http://www.simposieum.net/