nalewrimo Week 3 in review

I never managed to write a major update this week.  The aftermath of having the flu seems to have wiped me out more then when I had it.   At this point I might as well channel my efforts into a week 4 update!   So until then...

Knack Division: Week 2 (nalewrimo)

 

If you want the full emotional impact of Alfred being mysterious, I suggest you flip through the Tumblr week in review.  It's the moodlets that really get to me.

Also, holy smokes, I've taken a lot of pictures for nalewrimo.

30ish pictures under the cut!

writing tools

I’ve been using this tutorial about this program to make a mind map to help me plot out my legacy story (Miliner Project).

I’m sharing it, because someone might find it useful.

DOWNLOAD MIND MAP

Miliner Project: Escape from Angst, end

Lynx stood still as his errant daughter intermittently cried on his shoulder and punched him on the arm.  The air was still, temporarily.

After his arrival, Lynx had run out of knowing what to say.   In the presence of relief, and the absence of sarcasm, he was at a loss.   He had wanted to yell until the whole world fell apart, and there was no where left for his children to go, except the safety of home.  He'd wanted to cry until he was empty and his emotions had evaporated.   But he also knew that he couldn't do either, so he did nothing but turn to patience, and waited for the world to feel a little more familiar and for normalcy to resume.

Eventually, the two walked back into the hostel, abandoning the empty veranda for comfortable seating.   Even though there were only two Miliners present, they somehow managed to drag with them the presence of the whole clan - babies and children, laughter and spit up,  and cat, meowing and floating orange hair landing gently on clothes, and grandparents, garden and all.  Maebe had gone from sulking loner to protected tribe member, and the mother hens and curious knight errants gave her and her father a blessedly wide berth.

"Yeah." Lynx shuffled his feet on the jute carpet, while surveying the assembled tourists, adventurers, and get-a-way starlets.  "It was cruel and unusual to try to leave your family with no hint as to whether or not you were ok.  I can't think of a worse thing to put a parent through."

Miliner Project: Shock and Awe (mini update)

Previous
Next

Miliner Update: Maebe's Escape, part 2

Maebe stood near the training dummy, giving it the occasional tap with her foot.  It had been 2 weeks since she arrived, and the dummy never obeyed.  Her shoulders were slumped, her eyes turned away from the spectacular view.   When the wind blew her hair into her eyes, she blinked rapidly, her eyes watering.  She did not move the hair back to its usual place.

There were a few other sim fu hopefuls in the training area, but as they walked by she hunched her shoulders further.   One of the other neophytes achieved her white belt and paused to show it off, and as the others broke into a smattering of applause, Maebe slipped silently through the gate and down the path.

Twinbrook fix-er up-er

So.
The Miliners and I returned to Twinbrook and it was a lagging, glitchy hot mess.

I was really hoping I'd be able to survive Twinbrook for another generation or so before moving them to a new town, but...the lurching lag zombies got me.  So tragic.

In between working on the next update, I've been trying to update a new Twinbrook, so it could be pets ready.  If a split my time between updates and updating Twinbrook both projects are less likely to send me over the proverbial edge.

One of my biggest peeves about the town is that the rabbit holes take up so much space, leaving relatively little room for houses.   So, my plan is to take advantage of the multi-purpose rabbit holes and revamp the heck out of everything.  Plus, I really fancy the style of many of the Appaloosa Plains buildings, once the faux-rustic useless fences and things are stripped away.

I first used the new City Hall.   I added some landscaping and Gnubb (to try and explain that stupid crosswalk off to the side), tested it, and then deleted the military base and police station.  Good times.

I also finished the B&B revamp - lookit the widdle moggy/mongrel house!

Miliner Update: Maebe's Great Escape, Part I

 Click to read the previous (relevant) update

The air of Shang Simla was only warm compared to the chilled and metallic air of the rumbling airplane that had deposited Maebe, minus airfare and associated expenses, into the bustling airport.  The airport was almost a tourist town in its own right, and the only difference between there and home was the plastic knick-knacks being sold.  Even the fast food places were the same.

Instead of there being a hostel in one part of town, and extravagant hotels in another, all tourists were isolated way up on high ground, struggling students and rich jet-setters alike.  It was beautiful, and felt extravagant, and certainly kept people too tired to complain.  Just getting up the stairs could make anyone feel like a sim fu champion.

The breeze, which was now decidedly cool, carried the damp scents of the city-town up and around the hills.   Home, Twinbrook, smelled swampy and green - Shang Simla smelled damp and green.   It was a difference that very few people could appreciate.

Familiar insect noises cried and fluttered, like a heartbeat.   The wind rustled the bamboo leaves, sounding like someone had thrown the next chapter of their book to the breeze.  From a distance, a tinny stereo belted out a local favorite, all strings and wind instruments, and the music wafted up to the hostel along with the scent of something that was obviously fried and also, just as obviously, delicious.

Maebe hovered on the porch.   She sighed, and whispered softly, "If only I hadn't sold my guitar..."  Gently, with pizzicato steps, she let herself in, found a bed, and dreamed of the next day and the wisdom and peace she would find.

...goods store on a fine collection of pain relievers and bandages.  She took as many hot showers as the hot water tanks in the hostel would allow.  She took to pacing rather then sitting down.

Maebe had yet to hear from her parents.  The last text message she received, before shutting off her phone, was from her cousin.  Toni had wanted to know why Maebe had stopped answering.

Click to read the previous (relevant) update
Previous
Next

scones thanks, Ocelot protests

First of all, thank you so much for the kind words and encouraging comments.   The feedback on the cakes has been so nice that it is basically overwhelming.  But in a very good way!

As I've mentioned in passing before, I have some frayed cartilage in my wrist, which causes some discomfort.   For a long time now I've been scared of making it worse, and I refused to do many of the things I love.  But for various reasons I decided to just go ahead and draw and paint and get my confidence back up and do a whole heap of cakes - and right now I obviously feel like that worked out!

Now, I really don't know what to do, but go back to the regularly scheduled lunacy!  ♥

FIRST - read this:
http://thenoirnights.blogspot.com/2011/08/hidden-sights-chapter-12-whys-and.html 
(and then the comic below will make more sense)

Or not, but it's a fantastically done legacy and you may get hooked.  You have been warned!

But poor Ocelot, can't help but identify with the antagonist.  :(

Here's a true fact about orchids:
When they die their ghost hops on-line and orders several replacements.   Plus some other orchids that happened to be on sale.    It's true!  There's no escaping them!

Previous
Next

blast from the past Miliner picture

"I...don't get it?"

It's a wild Maebe!   And this is, apparently, where her aversion to romance started.  With homework?

Not only did she have the world's most pinch-able cheeks, but apparently back in the olden times life was more rugged and grainy.   The kids had to walk uphill, both ways, through a storm of poor image quality.

Update: Disqus seems to be overloaded, the site gave me 503 errors when I went to visit.   So, I don't think comments are working.   Ah, boo.  I've temporarily turned it off - I'll either be able to import any new comments, or I've totally lost a whole heap of really nice discussions.

Mini Miliner Comic: Twinbrook Squish

So is that why EA left out pumpkin plants, the best plant ever?

Previous
Next

Miliner Project: Mercurial Maebe

 

through the fruit trees and mystery bushes and overgrown lettuces and hid away from ears and eyes in 

Miliner Project: Prom is fun?

How about some Flashbacks this Friday? 3 mini Ocelot comics

Things to know:  I started working on the Miliner Project as a webcomic after gen 3 had already been born - but I love my legacy founder Ocelot.   So here he is, working on starting the legacy.  Go, Ocelot, go!

Also, I've switched to drawing the bubbles.   It is much faster, but looks worse.  Hopefully I will get better?   Because each bubble took 10 to 30 minutes to set up correctly, and it was adding up.

Previous
Next

mini comic: Trumblur Questions

And here is yet more proof that I'm woefully behind on comics.  Look, Aurata is even smiling in her sleep.  Maybe she will be happy again once she hits reaches her teens?  Hahaha.

P.S.  It's supposed to be a cat.

Previous
Next

Miliner event: Bombay finally emerges from her pupa

I finally opened up the Miliner project and let some aging happen. :)


It is Bombay's birthday!   She is Lynx and Alesha's daughter, and she has been in a pupa for several months now.

Her stats:

Genius, Grumpy
kids, crepes, sea foam

YAY

YAY!

...   smush

 I know Bombay, I know.   I made that face, too.   Darn you, EA! Oh well, I love Lynx and his mutant blond hair, and I will love Bombay.   At least until she hits YA and I can move her out of the house.


ALSO I have Alesha's sim file stripped of CC, if anyone would like her.   But without her CC she is very face 1, so she is easy to reproduce without the .sim file.

comic: Secret Codes Impede Clear Communication

Edit: Thank you for your patience, 3rd panel is now up.

 

Kelsey's sim-uterus WINS

Kelsey won the cousin vote.

I was the only one to vote for Toni :D  I love her hair!

Also, yesterday's page count was hilarious, mostly because yesterday was a bad day.   Today's is a less hilarious 670+.

Cousin Vote

I'm not exactly sure how to run this, so I apologize in advance.

So...the Miliners currently live in Twinbrook, which is bad enough without everyone ending up related to them.

Through marriage and divorce they already have a large number of relatives.

Anyway, so far there are three cousins (not counting foster children), two of them close to adulthood.

Which cousin should have success in love, and which 2 should remain single forever?

Kelsey Dreamheart (daughter of Alesha's brother)

Saul Knack (son of Lynx's sister)

Toni Knack (daughter of Lynx's sister)

1. Kelsey should have little worm babies
2. Saul should have little worm babies
3. Toni should have spawn
4. None of them should propagate - what were you thinking putting a legacy in Twinbrook?

I guess vote in the sidebar?  Until next Tuesday?  Uncertainty?

sim file: Lynx

Faux Haiku
Oh, Lynx, Gen 2 heir.   
Why oh why did the game give you blond hair?
We love you anyway.

I've had Lynx on the Exchange for a while now, and even though I can't say he's been a wildly successful download, probably due to my complete lack of street cred/any sort of credibility whatsoever, I do feel I need to mention that the Sims 3 Upload Image Changer has made a HUGE impact on download numbers.   It's really a little bit astounding.

Anyway.

This is Lynx.   He's a real sweetheart.  At the very least he will make your games more blond.

Excitable, Ambitious, Childish, Brave, Genius

Ghost Hunter 

 

Packaged with default hair, skin, and eyebrows.  Which was particularly easy because he uses default skin, hair, and eyebrows (he was born before I went crazy for CC).

To get him to look the same:

I use the default replacements listed here

He is wearing:

Vest & Goggles

Speakerhead

Patterns:

Victorian Pumpkins

Bats and a Hidden Moon

Candy  Corn

DOWNLOAD

Mediafire (.sim file)) | Exchange (.sims3pack)

Ocelot is in progress - my game crashed before I could get to fixing up his sim file.   Ain't that always the way?  Oh, EA...