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Scholar
#3651 Old 4th Aug 2021 at 10:43 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Jathom95
What's really funny to me is I've had discussions with people irl about this. I prefer to make my nights as dark as possible in any game where I can change something to that extent. Equal parts realism and atmospheric quality. People who've watched me play before are always like "BuT HoW CaN YoU SEe AnYTHinG? IT's So DArK!"

And I'm like uh yeah, that's the point. Have you ever been outside before when there's not any streetlights or moonlight around? What do you see? Nothing, just pitch black darkness.


Depends where you're going, I suppose. I HAVE actually gone outside at night in a village in the middle of nowhere. Quite often, in fact. great grandma used to live in one such village you wouldn't even find on a map, and we used to spend every summer there. The thing is, even light from the windows carries quite a long way. Well, not enough to read a book, but more than enough to not bump into a tree. It's not nearly the same as going into the woods at night or something.

And then there are towns and suburbs, like what you have in the game -- plus, even rural maps tend to have lamps on street corners -- where actually the light level is downright filed under light pollution. You can't see most stars any more because of ambient light.

Hell, even at sea, the Japanese actually trained their sailors to spot ships and fight at night. For example, at the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, they actually spotted the Americans first without radar, around 11 PM. And were accurate enough to do quite a number on the superstructure of USS South Dakota, knocking out her electricity and putting her out of commission, as well as obliterate the US destroyer escorts. Meanwhile, they did fail to notice the USS Washington until it fired from about 4 nautical miles (pretty much point blank by battleship standards) into the battlecruiser Kirishima, sinking her. Which also tells you that the Americans weren't lit like a xmas tree.

Yes, energy per surface decreases with the square of the distance, but your eyes perceive the square root of that (source for example), and the pupil can dilate quite a lot, and the B/W cells in your eyes are actually fairly sensitive. Plus, what gets to your brain isn't even as much light levels, as the contrast between adjacent light receptors. The photosensitive neurons in your retina are connected to their neighbours and basically transmit the difference to the average of their neighbour.

The thing is, games are misleading about how far light is still usable. Even skipping past the fewer bits at the low end of the brightness, your pupil is less adapted to the exact level of dark on the screen, and more to the light level in your room. Which even if you turn off the light still has to deal with the light pollution from outside. Basically it's less of an issue of it being dark because you wouldn't actually see in that light level, and more just being dark compared to your room.

Of course, that all assumes that your eyes are still in perfect functioning condition. It's been my impression for a number of years that the most vocal defendants of everything being dark and blurry in games are just comparing to a view of RL that's skewed by their own bad eyesight.
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#3652 Old 4th Aug 2021 at 1:44 PM
^ Yes, I'm aware that probably isn't the case for everyone, everywhere. But it doesn't take away from the fact that the trend of making night as bright as day in many games is largely a decision made for the benefit of players. In reality, unless there's constant light pollution to contend with, night is still going to be darker than most games tend to portray.

You are correct though that it really depends on the situation.

You have been chosen. They will come soon.
Scholar
#3653 Old 4th Aug 2021 at 2:18 PM
Well, it's made for the benefit of the players, no doubt. But as I was saying, it's also compensating for the fact that your eyes are adapted to your room, not to the light level in Riverview.
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#3654 Old 4th Aug 2021 at 2:43 PM Last edited by Jathom95 : 4th Aug 2021 at 3:04 PM.
True. I suppose speaking strictly in a in-game sense then, I mostly like it for the aesthetic choice. Funnily enough, I hate any sort of effect like Depth of Field or Motion Blur that's viewed as "cinematic" nowadays in other games. All motion blur does is make me nauseous, and DoF, despite what some believe, is not how eye adaptation with your surroundings works.

You have been chosen. They will come soon.
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retired moderator
#3655 Old 4th Aug 2021 at 3:17 PM
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#3656 Old 4th Aug 2021 at 3:23 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simsample
I like the blue!


Well hey, if that's the case, then you do you!

You have been chosen. They will come soon.
Scholar
#3657 Old 4th Aug 2021 at 6:07 PM Last edited by Moraelin : 4th Aug 2021 at 7:42 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Jathom95
True. I suppose speaking strictly in a in-game sense then, I mostly like it for the aesthetic choice. Funnily enough, I hate any sort of effect like Depth of Field or Motion Blur that's viewed as "cinematic" nowadays in other games. All motion blur does is make me nauseous, and DoF, despite what some believe, is not how eye adaptation with your surroundings works.


Yeah, not sure how anyone ever thought that DOF is realistic. But then again I've had discussions about it way back on the Nexus chat, where people insisted that nope, ENB got it totally right, it's totally realistic that everything is blurry beyond 100 ft. Just told me they need glasses, really.

Though thankfully these days it's more toned down and usually reserved for cut scenes and such. Some 10 years ago they had to stick it everywhere and turn the knob to 11 just because they could. Just like with bloom and lens flares. (Another case of failing to understand physics or biology: you need more than one lens per camera to have lens flares.)
Scholar
#3658 Old 4th Aug 2021 at 6:48 PM
Meanwhile in our universe...

My sim decides to try being a lawyer for a change, and, as it turns out, the boss is none other than Don Lothario. I guess when they said if you need those guys to represent you, you're screwed, they REALLY meant it :p
Scholar
#3659 Old 4th Aug 2021 at 10:16 PM Last edited by Moraelin : 4th Aug 2021 at 10:26 PM.
Different family, the newly minted teenager throws a party for her classmates on Friday afternoon. No less than three adults just show up, none of which are either relatives of one of the teens, nor family friends of the host. In fact, the only non-adult that showed up uninvited is the kid brother of one of the guests, which is really fair enough. Otherwise, it's stuff like some Loser that Story Progression moved into a free 20x30 dump of a house at the edge of town, just decides to show up at a teen party and start dancing with teen girls and chatting them up. (And no, really, it's not just a slur. The guy did have the Loser trait:p)

What. The. Fuck.

In what universe is that even vaguely ok?

Unrelated, I remember that one of the parents still needs that "Comedian" challenge. So brace yourselves, kids, you're about to be brought up to speed on dad jokes :p
Scholar
#3660 Old 5th Aug 2021 at 7:51 AM
Meanwhile in our universe...

I dabble into the dark arts to return Bonehilda to life. (You know, delete the coffin, age, edit in CAS, make her a real sim.) Unfortunately, all the roommates trying to interact with her get a script error. I'm not sure what interaction they were trying to use. Maybe send her back to her (now non-existent) coffin? Actually, scratch that, this horny lot were probably trying to woohoo her.

After having to click away a couple dozen script errors, I decide that some eldritch arts like necromancy were not meant to be known by man. Sorry, Bonny, back into the ground you go. Kicking and screaming.

I guess I'll have to do with the normal butler and housekeeper, or would if the butler didn't keep trying to run away. Which she just did while I was busy playing Dr Frank N Stein with Bonny. Well, I still have the store grimmoire, so she's getting summoned right back.

Two days later, at the end of a party, by the time everyone else was leaving, the housekeeper too announces he's got to go home. So does a maid that I never hired, wasn't on my lot, and generally WTH. Oh no, you don't. Not as long as I have that grimmoire. You're not going anywhere.

Couple days later, BOTH the housekeeper and the butler apparently decide to elope together, because I find neither when I come home. Fail the summon half a dozen times too, so by now the neighbours must have thought I'm a warlock with Tourette's the way I was cursing. But finally back they get summoned, both of them.

Yeah, I'm thinking of renaming that lot to "Hotel California" :p
Scholar
#3661 Old 6th Aug 2021 at 11:54 AM
So I get a call from a friend that her horse gave birth and if I want to adopt a foal. Err... how about, no?

But... but... said friend lives in a tiny one-bedroom apartment on the third floor. So... err... how? WHY?
Scholar
#3662 Old 6th Aug 2021 at 7:50 PM
My sim Kazuo Saito, who is flirty with commitment issues and has the woohoo 5 sims in 5 place LTW, has found that ghost hunting is the perfect profession for him. Woo the lady ghost and then either convince her to move on or banish her. Either way he is free and clear.


Wren-der Simblr // Sim Art // Pictures // Downloads // Random Nonsensical Rambling
Scholar
#3663 Old 6th Aug 2021 at 10:24 PM Last edited by Moraelin : 6th Aug 2021 at 10:44 PM.
Meanwhile, in our universe...

So I do a bit of redecorating around the old crypt, and forget to lock the fancy new door to the wine cellar, so the roommates and butler don't get into it. A vampire's wine cellar. Yeah, it's turned into a bit of a bulimia party. You know, the kind where you watch the cake jump out of the girl.

Ok, I sort that out, let's go to France, since someone wants me to take 5 photos there. Should be easy. While I'm at it, let's check for adventures.

First one, someone wants a bottle of wine. Well, fine, I did bring along some 60 bottles of the finest 1919 Bloodbank Reserve. (I'm not an alcoholic, mind you. It's just... it's not safe to play with traps if you have jittery hands.) Have fun worshiping at the porcelain altar.

Second one, I don't remember if she wanted the wine first and the food to go with it second, or the other way around, but yeah, another two delivery quests. Well, sure, even with the crappy base camp stove, I can whip you up some excellent pancakes. Guess which fruit goes into them? Yeah, the only fruit a vampire would have brought along. I give her the whole group serving, 'cause I'm generous like that. Let the whole family have some fun.

Next, some other gal wants specifically 6 individual servings of some food for a party. Yep more pancakes with the kind of syrup you'd normally find in a transfusion bag. It doesn't take a group serving instead, so I leave two servings in the fridge at the base camp. Sure, the rest of the tourists can have some of that fun too. I'm generous like that.

She happens to be the worker at the cafe and I can't get to her because an idiot is in the doorway, apparently singing to the door. I guess socialized mental healthcare in France isn't all it's cracked up to be I serve some blood wine and enjoy a glass until he finishes, leave 3 glasses on the table for other patrons. I know, I know, I'm like generosity personified. Then I make a dash through the door while the singing idiot has moved to grab a glass.

Back at the base camp aaaand... another guy wants a bottle of wine. Frankly, I'm worried by now that I might have to cut my vacation short. I don't think the remaining bottles will last me the whole 15 days. Then I remember, duh, they have a winery, I can buy more. Crisis averted.

And another gal wants 3 individual servings of food. Yep, more bloody pancakes, and a whole 5 remaining servings go into the base fridge.

One of the tourists is me old pal Daisy 2.0 the plumbot (see, post 2297), and she comes and breaks the stove by siphoning it as soon as I'm done cooking. So now I feel even better about leaving pancakes in the fridge for the rest of the tourists :p

At this point I'm getting bored, but FINALLY I get something else than a food or wine delivery. I get to appease a ghost. Yay. Aaand it wants pomegranates. Gah, did I mention I only brought plasma fruits along? Fuck.
Scholar
#3664 Old 7th Aug 2021 at 10:45 PM
Back to the normal world, and things have taken an... ironic turn. Instead of the usual butler or housekeeper running away, I seem to have gained an extra maid, that I don't remember hiring. (Am I Ms Kobayashi??)

In fact probably a second housekeeper, since the female housekeepers use the maid outfit. I have no idea how that happened, since it's not possible to hire a second one over the phone.

Oh well. I just ignore it.

About a day or so later BOTH housekeepers announce that they have to leave, though my old housekeeper comes back after half an hour or so. (Dat moment when you realize that one lone modder doing it for free, actually coded their NPC better than EA could for a paid expansion...)

Then I notice that my dresser is gone. Hmm... I'm starting to suspect that that was someone just disguised as a maid :p
Field Researcher
#3665 Old 8th Aug 2021 at 12:09 AM
Playing TS3 again after taking TS4 for ride, I feel right at home .

Got a pop up (story progression) that my sim's uncle and aunt got into a big argument, so I zoomed into them. They were at the waterfall. They just got there along with my sim's mom, and I watched them pop down a picnic basket and they sat by the river and just chilled. Gotta love it when sim's outside my household actually have lives.



Screenshots
Mad Poster
#3666 Old 8th Aug 2021 at 4:02 AM Last edited by HarVee : 8th Aug 2021 at 9:48 AM.
For me I've been setting up Hylewood as a psuedo-medieval world. I only have one family at the moment, which is my main playing household. Falathen Nasrano and Eilonwen Adaith, a dark elf and sun elf respectively.

The town has 4 houses, a potion shop, consignment store, tavern, winery and guild hall. The guild hall is basically a military/police/town hall rabbit hole rug ordeal. I haven't decided what to do with the remaining lots. There is also a small shack with the criminal hideout rabbit hole rug and gypsy caravan.


Because the earth is standing still, and the truth becomes a lie
A choice profound is bittersweet, no one hears Cassandra Goth cry

Scholar
#3667 Old 9th Aug 2021 at 9:49 AM
Meanwhile, in our universe...

Relatively early in the day someone left some unfinished food on the stove. Instead of finishing cooking, the chef is busy wasting my ingredients by starting new dish after new dish and leaving them unfinished all over the counters. Meanwhile the housekeeper is busy disposing of them. The butler chips in by starting cooking too... and also leaving it unfinished on the counter.

The gardener arrives and heads straight for one of the kegs. Three hours later, he calls another gardener for help, as they do when it looks like too much work to finish alone. Obviously the help he needed was that there are two kegs, both updated to auto-refill, so obviously he's not finishing them by 6 PM. The second gardener promptly proceeds to help with the kegs.

There's exactly one pumpkin plant one of them needs to harvest, the rest have already been tended to by the gnome. ONE SINGLE FUCKING PLANT. If one of them could take a 5 minutes break from the kegs, that would be ALL the work for the day.

No such luck. By 6 PM, still none of them has even started walking towards that one plant.

One of them announces he's got to leave, and takes his pay for the day. Yeah, must have been hard work lifting all those beer mugs. Hell, he's been at it for 10 hours, so he's even put in overtime.

The second one sticks around, alternating between the kegs and chatting up the roommates. I try to shoo him a couple of times, he just goes back to the keg. Around midnight he and a roommate go upstairs to woohoo. In my bed.


*sigh*


Look, I'm not saying that Countess Bathory (the original Iron Maiden fangirl) murdering her servants and bathing in their blood was right, I'm just saying I'm starting to understand it. Okay? :p
Scholar
#3668 Old 11th Aug 2021 at 12:57 AM
One of the roommates arrives at home late in the afternoon, turns the lights off in the hallway and then goes and turns the wall stereo off. I turn it back on, she cheers enthusiastically, then goes and turns it right back off. Try turning it on one more time, same result.

I double check, nope, she's not Frugal or Insane. Also, the interaction shouldn't even be possible autonomously, so I'm not sure how. Also, she doesn't seem to have an imminent need to sleep or anything (though she does have a case of depleted magic), and the stereo isn't wired with the house anyway.

What. The. Hell.

Try one more time, she turns it back off.

Ok, I quit and reload. Same thing keeps happening. Reset her. That buys me a few minutes, then she's back at turning off the stereo.

At this point, I'm starting to think, "well, fuck her!" Obviously I'm not the only one, 'cause next thing I know, the butler drags her upstairs and woohoos her. After getting woohood silly, she loses all interest in lights and stereos. Gods bless the butler.

And that, kids, is why you hire professional help to solve your problems :p
Scholar
#3669 Old 13th Aug 2021 at 4:27 AM


Moon Valley is a roadless world and the quickest way of getting around (other than by Llama) is on horseback. So my story character, Lady Zenobia, will need a horse at some point. But the only place I could build a stable at Brelor Castle was in this corner, outside the moat, since the horse can't pass under the gate house arch, or cross the bridge to the inner part of the grounds without my making massive changes. I don't want to do that, I've already pulled several all nighters on it.

See that newspaper lying there? The paper girl used to drop it just outside the gate house, and poor Joshua the footman already had a long enough trek to fetch it. But now she's decided the best place is right outside the new stable. Hmm, the horse needs to keep up with current events does he?

Legend is history as we would like it to be. We pick through the dusts of time for what is worth keeping and, here and there, we occasionally find treasure.

Simblr: Elyndaworld *** Wordpress: Tales of Nantrelor
Scholar
#3670 Old 14th Aug 2021 at 9:37 PM
Seems to be a ghost party happening at the cemetery.
Looks kinda dead to me (badump bump bump)


Wren-der Simblr // Sim Art // Pictures // Downloads // Random Nonsensical Rambling
Top Secret Researcher
#3671 Old 15th Aug 2021 at 12:23 AM
I added the regular Twinbrook families to its gorgeous remake Derielle, which has more lots and generally has more of a downtown feel than Twinbrook. My photographer and his wife had a son and she is pregnant again. My legacy roll was not to teach the toddler skills but he has the family trait, so I don't think that's going to work. Still wondering how I'm going to deal with the husband from another world. I was thinking to break them up and then she can invite her other husband and they can move out. Still curious how that happened.
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#3672 Old 15th Aug 2021 at 6:25 AM
Joan Broke looks positively feral here xD I was messing around with the TS4 to 3 mess mod and it's been so fun!

aka fir3princ3ss
My Youtube Channel
Currently playing:
-Medieval Charter Challenge on The Sims 2
-Ye Olde Royal Kingdom Challenge on The Sims 3
Lab Assistant
#3673 Old 16th Aug 2021 at 7:47 AM Last edited by Affinity : 16th Aug 2021 at 11:13 AM.
Today, vampire Morrigan Hemlock burnt to death outside of Bridgeport's bookstore and spa. Several sims saw her burning, 2 of them being her own husband and daughter, and none of them gave a shit. There was also a busker playing guitar the entire time it was happening.

Because of this I also found out the "Resurrect (sim)" wish is a thing, which I think is really cool and it grants 10k lifetime happiness.

Edit: The wish keeps disappearing. First time it happened I thought I accidentally canceled it, so I went back to a save where the wish was still there, then it disappeared again. I went back to the save again and same thing happened. Wtf? I really wanted to fulfill that wish
Screenshots
Field Researcher
#3674 Old 18th Aug 2021 at 6:40 PM
I'm playing a chill game with my alphabetacy family, the Abiecs. We're on Generation D and I'm experimenting with a Long lifespan. I always adjust the ages so the child and teen life stages are more proportionate (child = ages 4 to 12 = 8 years; teen = ages 13 to 19 = 6 years.)



I only have four graves so far. It definitely feels like I should have more, but this is Gen A and B. The founders, Alexander and Zahra, were unfortunately lost while traveling from Lucky Palms to Sunset Valley.

We moved towns again (to a small island village, Fern Valley) but managed to keep the portraits and ghosts - we'd been in Sunset Valley for three generations and the save was getting a little bloated. Seem to have done a little time traveling because everyone on the family tree who got left in SV became younger, and some of the deceased showed as alive again.

At my firefighter's wedding, a guest spontaneously combusted. She did manage to put him out.



The Generation C heir, Casper, got abducted for the first time on Halloween coming home from a costume party.



Some other screenshots of my game attached.
Field Researcher
#3675 Old 19th Aug 2021 at 3:37 AM
Decorated my mystic's home . He lives with his cat and 2 child apprentices.
Screenshots
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