Metro's Haven—Yes You Can!

[SimBlip]

I appreciate your post, Rachel. And yours Ricalynn!
This is very much about semantics and fixed ideas.
Do we define a skilling object simply for the ability to teach a skill? Or do we have the largesse to count in objects that promote skilling all over? The keyword here is skilling.

[ratchie]

I appreciate your post, Rachel. And yours Ricalynn!
This is very much about semantics and fixed ideas.
Do we define a skilling object simply for the ability to teach a skill? Or do we have the largesse to count in objects that promote skilling all over? The keyword here is skilling.

To be honest it isn't me you have to convince,it is Metro and he is back tomorrow.

Rachel

[Ricalynn]

Until then there is really no reason to keep the conversation going.  We can all argue our points until we are blue but we may not hear from Metro until Thursday possible. 

I was just sharing the shared thought process of Metro, ratchie and myself.  This has been the stance always and it is what was repeated to many people in PMs over the course of this challenge. 

A skill object is an object that that when used gives skill points. You don't get any skill in an incense burner.

[ratchie]

I am going to lock this topic for the time being.

Rachel

[Metropolis Man]

Hey everyone I am back. Yeah Buydebug was to be used for skilling objects only, and just as Rica stated that means an object that actually gives skill points. An incense burner does not qualify.

So, I guess the big question is -- was anyone else unclear about this? Did anyone else break this rule?

The first buydebug buy was a Chinese incense holder to speed up her learning.

[CynKuy]

Are plants considered skilling objects? I didn't use buydebug to get them, just wondering for future reference.

[Ricalynn]

Plants are skilling objects.  Because harvesting them actually raises a skill or like for the French grapes that are needed for some of the nectar challenges.

[Vinyl]

So, I guess the big question is -- was anyone else unclear about this? Did anyone else break this rule?

Didn't break the rule, but I was unclear about it (I thought only the board breaker, training dummy, and nectar maker were allowed).  In future if possible a list of what is allowed would be awesome.  I'm assuming any PMs asking what items were allowed would have yielded the same answer, so the only strategy advantage would be having the list in the first place.

[Deklitch]

I didn't break the rule either, however

I too was confused by it. For example, I wondered if the things like the Sphinx, Pyramids and so on that you can photograph overseas (and get through buy debug) to raise your photography skill would count as well as the cameras for the purposes of buy debug items. However, I decided to play it safe and not get any of those sorts of items.

Items I did get through buy debug were the board breaker, training dummy and nectar maker.

If a list of the items that are considered to be skilling objects that can be gotten through buydebug were listed as part of the rules, that would then prevent people unwittingly breaking them, and would give people an even playing field.

[Makenziegma]

I also found this confusing. I sent a PM and was sent a response. However, it said and possibly one more item. The only way I may have broken the rules then is since I knew grapes were allowed I did buydebug the spawning foreign fish. I felt this was another item from overseas. Also, similar to the grapes in that they increased a skill only while fishing instead of gardening. I agree that it would be very nice to have a list up front. Especially for us newbies. I do have to say that I appreciate everyone's help.    I was just a little confused too.   

[Metropolis Man]

In light of the fact that several players have responded and were confused about what was an allowed skilling object to be purchased in Buydebug I am allowing SimBlip's score to stand. I want everyone to always come to the team and ask for any clarifications if you are confused about anything, and some of you did...so hats off to those of you that did that. But ultimately it's our job to make the rules crystal clear to avoid any confusion in the first place and we should have provided a list. Hindsight is always 20/20 hehe.

[rubywyld]

Shoot, so busy plucking away at Rica's version, figuring do the hard one first I totally lost track of dates and missed the finish date for Metro's.   

[Vesper]

I PMed to ask about spawners (because I wondered if a fish spawner could help the fishing skill) and was told no so I don't understand how grapes would be acceptable as an item. If fish don't count then how can plants? You don't need debugged grapes to work on nectar making nor gardening. It was supposed to be skilling objects not skill challenge objects.

However I am glad that scores have been allowed to remain as they are because it's correct that rules should be clear beforehand.

Anyway, what I did was:
*Created two vampires and a horse
*First thing sent Greta to university, stripped the uni house to make loads of cash (I worry this is dodgy but it's never been noted as against the rules so I did it) which gave her the Swimming in cash LTW and enough points to buy the immortal LTR
*Bought lots of brain enhancing machines six then sold them once used and bought six more. Greta then spent the rest of the day building charisma to ten with the machines then she researched alchemy until home time.
*Upon return Claus also cashed in his LTW points for Immortal and started on skills and household was put on static motives.
*I bought a nectar making machine with buy-debug but in the end didn't need to as by the time I used it I'd travelled
*When her social networking was high enough Greta used sim finder app to meet and befriend a technophobe, Jarrod, to join the house. I am aware of two technophobes living in Sunset Valley already but I considered befriending them too time-consuming as I'd need to locate them etc. (I have no idea where Erin Kennedy spent her time but it wasn't at home) Likewise getting someone else and changing traits would have taken longer and I'd have had to pay attention to their wishes which I wanted to avoid as needed to focus on the scorers
*Jarrod was made a witch; this helped with handiness challenges as he sabotaged ten TVs then ice-blasted ten toilets. He then read riding books in the library to get up to level ten so he could ride Horsey (imagination ran out a bit there) for the horse's skill challenges
*Agnes joined the house and was turned into a fairy. She bloomed loads of plants including all the different grape varieties fetched from France. I'd waited until Jarrod could meditate/ teleport to go there so he could get the rare grapes from the island but in the end he used a boat anyway
*Agnes and Jarrod worked on the garden (way more than was necessary it turned out; I had millions of grapes) until there was enough perfect plants and grapes for Claus to harvest for his challenges and work on nectar making

Other stuff I did that was successful and mistakes that should have been avoided could be used for the other challenge so won't mention them until that one finishes.

Really loved both challenges. Wish I'd got that final scuba diving point here though; no excuse just bad time management

[SimBlip]

Thank you for sharing, Vesper. I found this very interesting.

[Vesper]

Hi SimBlip, thanks for your comment. I'm really tempted to try again and see if I can get more challenges