Sims 101

First of all, I just noticed that my last post was my 100th post on Blogger. Meaning this is my 101st - yay! How about that! Pheeew, no wonder I felt a little blogged out. Anyway enough about that, today I'm going to give you a more intimate look into the world of Sims 2.

It'll mostly be screenshots with a little explanation because it gives a better overview of the game. One of my favorite things about Sims 2 is making the Sims. Dressing them up, doing their hair and eye colours and all that. It's fabulous and as an example I've done the Coven aka IDV, Dinah, Tim, T-Birdy and Dora.

All the screenshots can be clicked to make them bigger.

In the creating Sims section you can change almost everything to get it to look exactly how you want it.

Step 1 is where you do the general stuff such as name, thin/fat and skin tone, man/woman.

Step 2 is where you pick the general facial construction (which can later be molded into oblivion if desired)

Step 3 is where you change everything from hair, eyes, jawline and mouth to nose and forehead. You can have different hairstyles for different outfits.

Step 4 is where the look of the finished face is completed.

The diamond at the top is where you add jewellery, the pencil is where you add makeup such as blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow and lippy. The next one is full face makeup, if you want your sim to look like a clown, lion or some tribal person. Next is glasses, then eyebrows, then stubble and last mustaches are added/removed.

Step 5 is the outfits, where you add one outfit for each occasion. Everyday, formal, PJs, underoos, gym clothes, swimwear and outerwear. I'll get back to that.

Step 6 is personality. You decide what astrological sign your Sim will be either from just choosing Cancer or Virgo or deciding what trades your Sim must possess. You also pick your likes/dislikes (this is so high school - I love it!) and aspiration. There are 6 aspirations. Family, Romance, Pleasure, Fortune, Knowledge and popularity.

And that's that. You've created a Sim. This can take very long, or be done quickly depending on what you are looking for and if you can find it. Especially the outfits. If you don't have the outfit you want, you can go online to different sites and download new ones and upload them to the game. Or create your own with the Bodyshop that comes with the game. Endless fun right there!
Like I said earlier, I created the Coven and this is how they (you) ended up, starting with IDV

This is his everyday clothes. We've seen IDV wearing all kinds of orange shirts and while there was frightfully many orange shirts (4 I think) in the game this was the most decent one I could find. Now on with the next outfit.

I don't exactly know his preferences when it comes to formal wear and there was no orange outfits so I just picked something that was worthy of someone working in the government and still looking young and kool (even if he is way old). Let's see IDV in his underoos.

There, we didn't have any jockstraps or commando options so I opted for a gray pair from Calvin Klein.

Again, no jockstrap or commando option so I picked these. A little too modest I think but he could go pick up the mail in them (if his neighbours wore sunglasses mind).

Next up swimwear. Orange again, he likes that. This time Calvin Klein, no he can go to the pool and be sure to get noticed. Even in the dark.

Gym clothes, slightly orange tight top and loose fitting shorts from Nike. And finally....

Outerwear for when it gets cold (comes only with the Expansion Pack Seasons). This is something he can go gardening and go to Sainsburys (or was it ASDA?) as well as make snowangels in.

That's IDV done. Now on to Tim(Tams).

I went through so many looks for Tim, but I felt that although he is a sweetheart and all that he does want to project something a little harder and kooler. Plus he likes longsleeved shirts under T-shirts and I quite like what those jeans do for him. Another major factor was the shoes. A lot of the shoes in Sims 2, especially for the males are quite hideous. These aren't. They should make a shoe option so you could add the shoes you want to certain outfits.

For formal wear, something really classic yet different. Black, nice shoes and a vest.

As for underoos, naturally the tiniest Calvins we could find. The other ones were too kinky for him. Maybe I should have stuck IDV in those? I can't remember when I added them but clearly they are quite um, different.

The PJs very classic. Still displaying the manlyness of the Tim(Tams).

Gray Emporio Armani trunks with zipper details for the pool. Maybe not comfortable but certainly as rock'n'roll as trunks get.

The gym clothes are practical with some kool red shoes and a sweatband on the wrist. Now he can go running and have the entire Coven ooogling him.

For outerwear I was a little at a loss, but this is pretty decent. I would have wanted some kool jeans and an army jacket. Still this was what I could come up with. I need to go looking for more outerwear. That was Tim all done. Next!

Now Dinah the naughty librarian.

I didn't have a proper naughty librarian outfit, but this is cute for everyday wear. The question, is she wearing something under that jacket or isn't she. I can hear Tims brain already whirring and see the steam coming out of his ears. There were many, many cute outfits but without knowing a whole lot about Dinah this is what I thought would be appropriate.

Dinah all ready in her formal wear, checking if her date is here yet. Again loads of options to choose from but I found that they were too opulent or slutty for Dinah. Dinah may be naughty but she is a classy kind of naughty.

A lot of the underwear made her either look like she was fat or ready to work the streets so I almost gave her a bathrobe to be done with it. Then I found this floral number. It's kind of cute.

For PJs there were few options and I didn't want her to look like she was 60 so I picked this little number. Cute and sexy yet demure enough not to betray the cuteness that is Dinah.

For swimwear a regular one piece blue swimsuit. Keep the puppies in and feel confident and sexy.

Now gym clothes was tricky. Nothing was quite Dinah material so I ended up with this boring thing. Apologies.

In the outerwear the naughty librarian comes out again with the stylish coat, kicky boots and a black hose. Next up!

T-Birdy the aussie babe!

A no fuss dress light enough for those hot Australian summers, with cute shoes and jewellery. I didn't have the right frou-frou dress for everyday wear.

For formal wear I threw T-Birdy in this couture outfit from Chanel. I love it and it looks like she agrees by swinging her ponytail around - or did she spot Tim peeping at her through the window?

Since she's Australian I thought it was only natural to put her in Australian lingerie. This is a cute little LK number. The bows and pinkness looks good on her. Plus what you can't see, as it shouldn't become a peepshow is that it's quite revealing in the back. Either a thong (no, not a sandal) or g-string.

Her PJs are this strappy number. I like it.

This bikini for the pool.

This little pink two piece number for the gym. Notice the cute little pink shoes.

I realise my choice for outerwear is a little controversial. It doesn't have to be real fur though. It could be faux fur. I just thought it was cute and there was nothing frou frou. Sorry.

Next up is the fabulous Dora. I have to admit I know nothing about Dora, or very little about her. So this is much more off base than the other Coven members. I apologise.

Everyday wear.

Formal. Notice how that was the dress Marcia Cross (Bree on Desperate Housewives) wore last year, or the year before, to the Emmys.

Naughty underwear.

Cute pink little number.

White bikini. Bold choice.

Maybe this is a little too Britney for Dora?

The outerwear.

Now that we have the Coven outfitted we a group shot.

Smile!

The Coven moves into Pleasantview, they've got 40.000 Simileons (money) to buy a house or rent af flat (only with the Apartment Life Expansion Pack) and decorate it. When you only have a few Sims you only get 20.000. So they need to move into a house.

Welcome to your new home.

The house is almost empty when you move in. You can buy and sell anything that's already in there. Including the trees outside. Then buy beds, bathroom stuff, bookcases etc. You do that in the buy mode. Tim had difficulty believing that there was a red LACK in the game. Now he has proof.

Dinah, the naughty librarian is a good example on how the game works. You see the wants/fears and needs. The needs should always be green (as in, met) or yellow. Red is bad. The wants earns you amongst other things aspiration points which can be used to buy rewards.

The aspiration points are stored and you can buy certain things to make the life of your Sim much easier. Anything from money trees to love tubs and elixer of life. They all have different special benefits but you should only use them when your Sim has platinum mood. Otherwise it may backfire. You also accumulate lifetime aspiration points which can be used to get some of the things on the big square in the middle of the screen. Very difficult to explain if you haven't tried to play it.

The aspiration meter shows you how brillian you are. It also shows you the Lifetime want for the Sim. Dinah wants to become a Mad Scientist.

Under the needs tab (the Crystal icon) there are 4 other tabs. The second one is your list of friends. Then comes the job tab where you can also see your skill points (if you play chess you get logic skill points, if you exercise you get body skill points etc.). After that comes the Simology which is your biography. This is where you can find your memories, interests, the likes and dislikes you picked when you created the Sim etc. Finally the benefits tab where you find the aspiration points, your backpack which you can put anything into (not other Sims or Pets - if you have the Pets expansion pack) and career rewards.

That's pretty much it. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask me in the comments box. Also comments on the outfits etc. are appreciated.