I downloaded the SimCity Societies demo the other day to see what it was all about. I read reviews that said it’s not anything like SimCity and SimCity fans would be disappointed. One review also said it was too easy, but I disagree! It was too hard to make a profit and keep the budget balanced, because the building upkeep was so much more than the profit you made from workers. Maybe the demo was made harder than the game, or maybe I just need to learn more about the gameplay. I heard there are some patches available, so maybe they make it easier! If so, I think it would be fun to play to create a city that looks the way you want, whether it has fun, creative buildings or dirty industrial and manufacturing buildings. Even so it probably won’t be as addictive as SimCity 4 because it’s so simplified and has less to manage. I think I may wait until the price drops before I buy it.
OFB Underpaid Employee won’t come in to Work – How to Fire or Change Wage?
I have just one employee in my hair salon business (Open For Business expansion), and she won’t come in to work because she’s underpaid. She says something about not coming in if she’s not paid enough. I have a feeling she’ll stay in the list of employees until I either increase her pay or fire her. But I think the only way to do that would be to increase the relationship with her and invite her over, then maybe the options to fire or manage wage will be available. I went back to the business a few times and I think it happened each time. But suddenly one of the times I went back to the business and called her in, she came in to work! So I immediately changed her wage and I think we’re good now.
Google Lively – Trouble loading rooms
I installed Google Lively today and gave it a try: http://www.lively.com/ I selected a popular room and choose an avatar, then hid the avatar pane when it wouldn’t go away. But then I didn’t see any other tool bar buttons (to change wardrobe or create room) and I didn’t see myself or other people! The help center wasn’t very helpful, I tried both Firefox and IE 7. (I have Windows Vista). Javascript was enabled, but I decided to try enabling other options as well. In IE Security Tab, Custom Level, under Miscellaneous, I enabled the ‘scripting of IE Web browser control’ and ‘allow websites to open windows without address or status bars’. I think that was it. I closed the dialogs, refreshed the page, and suddenly I could see the toolbar and black shapes for people start to load up! Although it’s a little slow loading up, it may be fun.
Fitness Activities for Children’s Enthusiasm
Since children can’t use any of the exercise machines, which activities can they do to increase enthusiasm in fitness? I know adults can “offer lessons to..” children using the punching bag (reward from Athletic career). I found that children swimming in a pool build up their body skill and fitness enthusiasm. Children can use the Ballet bar to build body skill, but it increases the music and dance enthusiasm rather than fitness. They can’t work out using the tv either. Are there any other fitness activities for children?
Moving in Greek House Lowers Performance Meter
I had one of my students move in to a Greek house (in La Fiesta Tech) she was a member of. Her performance meter was lowered as if she had to build up 2 more skills, but the skill level that was highlighted had already been filled. There is no way to expand the 
performance meter, so I have a feeling she’s going to be on academic probation at the end of the quarter! When I moved her back in a dorm or a non-greek house, the meter was back to fully expanded. I tried moving her to the greek house two different ways: using the phone, and having one of the existing members invite her to move in. Both resulted in the erroneous performance meter as seen to the right. She originally was a math major, and I switched to Drama since it needed 3 body skill points while she only had 2. But after she gained a body skill point, the meter didn’t move.
Her dad is part alien, and I used a cheat to get her mom to have green skin. So maybe that is causing the problem. If she goes on probation, I guess I’ll try moving the whole family to a different lot to see if that helps. I guess I can try inviting her sister to join the Greek house to see if it happens to her too.
Starting Career Level after Graduating College
Sims who graduate college will not only have access to 4 other careers, but be able to start the older careers at a higher level since they’ve had time to develop their skills. I think the specific level a Sim is able to start at depends on the skill level of relevant skills. For example, if a sim has level 2 creativity, 3 mechanical, and 2 charisma after graduating, they can start at the 4th level of the Musician career. They’ll need to increase some skills in order to be promoted. It’s probably also dependent on the number of friends he/she has.
My problem recently was: How do I start at the very beginning level of the graduate-level careers, when I’ve had to build up the skills in college and I’m likely to skip over the first level? I have recorded the hours and skills needed for each career, and needed to get the first few levels of the Show Business and Paranormal careers. But most of my graduated students already had a few skill points of charisma and body. I’ve also recorded which skills are needed for each college major, so I picked one that only requires one charisma. When the time came, I never got the charisma skill point, and luckily it wasn’t a requirement the next semester! So I now know the hours of the 1st level of Show Business, and I still need to get the Paranormal. See the list of all Sims 2 Career Levels (up to FreeTime), along with their hours and skills here:Â http://www.leakybagel.com/products/all_careers.php
How to Become a Plant Sim
I created my first Plant Sim today with one of the pre-made sims in Freetime, Julien Cooke. He has a mustache and goatee, but wears a green skirt and leotards I guess. See picture below.
| To achieve plantsimism, I planted 13 fruit trees and sprayed them whenever they needed it. I began in the middle of the summer and he became a plant sim in the middle of autumn. It didn’t seem like he had sprayed that much, but as I understand, Sims become plant sims when they spray for bugs a certain number of times. He earned a bronze Gardening talent badge while tending the trees, and when he became a Plant Sim it must have jumped to a Gold badge! Now he can talk to the trees (which need it since most were sick). Since Julien’s hobby is cooking, I’ll have him cook with all the fruit that he’s grown! |  |
Effects of Fruit and Vegetable Juice
Not only is it fun to grow your own fruit and vegetables and use them to make healthy meals and juices, but each of the juices has a special effect! Here’s the list:
- Apple Juice: 3 apples; faster homework
- Beauty Cocktail: 2 oranges, 2 cucumbers; love potion
- Eggplant Juice: 2 eggplants; random skill point
- Lemonade: 6 lemons; cools Sims down
- Orange Juice: 6 oranges; cures cold
- Orangeade: 4 oranges, 2 lemons; random badge
- Pepper Punch: 2 pepper, 1 pole bean, 1 apple; energy boost
- Pureed Boot: 1 boot; sim acts nutty
- Strawberry Juice: 3 strawberries; less furious
- Strawberry Lemonade: 2 lemons, 2 strawberries; platinum mood
- Tomato Juice: 6 tomatoes; warms Sims up
- Vegetable Cocktail: 1 tomato, 1 cucumber, 1 pepper, 1 pole bean; build skills faster
Source: CompSimGames.About.com
I would assume tasty and mouthwatering fruits and vegetables have a greater effect than bland ones. When you have produce in your inventory, click on the Juicer or Fridge to stock. You can also remove produce from each appliance.
Model Train Set Catches On Fire!
Warning! Put a smoke alarm or sprinkler system near your Round and Round Model Train set! When it catches on fire, a sim is usually right next to it operating it, and so the Sim will also catch on fire! The amount of flames that it produces is so large, any Sims that come by to investigate may also catch on fire. I didn’t notice it when the fire first started, so I was a little late in calling the Fire department. Several sims had very low energy, hygiene and bladder, but luckily no one died.
Plants will not grow or appear
I built a greenhouse with several fertilized garden plots, and installed some sprinklers and tiny borders/divides to put lights in. The plants would do find in some plots, but in several the plants were not growing at all! The weeds would pop up, and hovering over would indicate they were healthy, but no leaves would show. After several days of waiting with nothing, I composted and tried again, but with no luck, until I removed the sprinklers, divides, and lights that were nearby and on the same square of land. I only found one forum topic on the subject, which just advised to check any hacks or custom content you may have installed. But since they started appearing after I removed the objects nearby, I don’t think custom content is the problem. And I don’t have any hacks (or cheats activated).