OldSunset hybrid creation process

Good morning people! I'm passing by to share an update on the OldSunset build process! I'm happy to announce that development from now on will be hybrid. Which means that there will likely be few changes to the map structure, but several improvements to the identity of the houses.

Earlier this month we brought the world the revamped and improved The Sims 3 beta skins and eyes. Of course this got me excited to start working on OldSunset's inhabitants!

Let's talk a little about this...

The Sims 3 offers fantastic promises when it comes to genealogy. But its made silly mistakes and plot holes. What is disappointing! For example: In Michael Bachelor's biography, the game shares that he is a popular Sim at school. But when we enter the relationships tab, all we see is that his only friend is Mortimer! Insane.

Worse than that is checking out stories about how parents were present/influential in the lives of certain Sims and when resurrecting the ghosts, realizing that their relationship was set to 0. And not because of game limitations (since I tested for make sure the ghosts would come back with memories, relationships and other details that were added throughout their lives), but due to lack of attention from the development team. This is the kind of thing I want to AVOID in OldSunset.

The story for me is a decisive factor. And there needs to be coherence between what is said and what is seen. Therefore, history is a living entity in OldSunset! We will tell stories through:

-Sims Biography
-Their memories
-From their homes
-Their habits
-Their relationships

And also through several mysterious tombs scattered throughout OldSunset.

In other words, we are going to create a giant puzzle that can be experienced daily in the routine of its inhabitants.

The Sims 3 has unique storytelling tools, all we need to do is creatively rearrange them, and then the game will be as responsive as The Sims 2.

I know it sounds like a huge promise, but like everything in OldSunset, this is one part that will make all the difference and I'm going to take my time to stitch the timeline together as coherently as possible. That's because, a parallel universe is not necessary for us to have the Sims we love in a single world. It just takes a little effort and assertiveness.

What does a hybrid process mean?

Simple. As I create Sims, I will be editing several lots to give them the personality, history, depth, and characteristics of their residents. A brief example is the home of Milton and Enriqueta Bachelor. They may not have an original story in Sunset Valley, but they will in OldSunset.

Initial release (Subject to change): "Milton was never an easy person and Enriqueta knew that when she decided to ask him to marry her. What she didn't know is how difficult it would be, to compete with his work. That's because he's almost always changing jobs. With the imminent pregnancy, will Milton change his posture or continue with his old habits? Will one child be enough to keep this couple together until the end?"

In addition, your home will feature paintings and also portrait frames recounting some of these Sims' lifetime memories.

In this example, Simis Bachelor is already a young adult as seen on the wall. Buildings from now on will take into account:

-Sims favorite color
-Year they were inhabited
-Financial condition

For the latter, a curious fact: Almost nothing in the first generation of Bachelor house matches. Furniture, curtains, everything is second hand. Purchased from used furniture stores. Because Milton built the house little by little and acquired things over time. Despite everything, Enriqueta is careful and has the ability to keep everything looking young. Which answers why the house is, after all, beautiful and conveys a comfortable atmosphere.

How everything will be shared from now on is still a bit hazy for me. Because I'm creating the same Sims in several different age groups to be able to tell their stories. For example, there is an adult and elderly version of Milton. Same for Simis Bachelor (which also has a baby version). So I'm deciding whether to continue providing map updates as usual or separately add the ability to download Sims. If you have any suggestions, I'm open.

Despite the lack of clarity in this part, I am working tirelessly to make this process as short as possible within the required complexity. Hope you enjoyed the news so far. If you liked the idea, I invite you to become a supporter and I already leave my thanks to everyone who supports the project. Your support is critical to allowing me to continue to innovate creatively and exploring new horizons in The Sims 3.