The Island

[Malley]

Herbie vs Gertie...what a great finale! And congrats to you on your thousandth post

I actually started my own version of this challenge to keep myself occupied while I'm couch bound from my surgery and my island was also hit by a meteor...I think it's something about this challenge that attracts meteors 

[strongsoylatte]

Finale is almost here! This is so exciting! I'm rooting for Gertie.

Also, I had to do a double take at this. I thought it was a two headed horse. 

[Lizzycakecool]

Love this! *BOOKMARKED*

[hazelnut]

May the best Gertie win!

 

Herbie vs Gertie...what a great finale! And congrats to you on your thousandth post

I actually started my own version of this challenge to keep myself occupied while I'm couch bound from my surgery and my island was also hit by a meteor...I think it's something about this challenge that attracts meteors 

Thank you .

You're recovering from surgery? That was how I started Simming in the first place.  Get well soon!

You too?   It really does seem to be a meteor magnet.

Finale is almost here! This is so exciting! I'm rooting for Gertie.

Also, I had to do a double take at this. I thought it was a two headed horse. 

Those horses are very fond of trying to occupy the same space.  They were doing it again when I went to look at the second foal but sorted themselves out after a while.

Love this! *BOOKMARKED*

Thanks .

[Charlotte]

Wow, the finale is already here! Can't wait... go, Gertie, go!

[hazelnut]

Wow, the finale is already here! Can't wait... go, Gertie, go!

Yes, it's here - right now, in fact.


Week 11: The Finale

The final week obviously has to be different from all of the earlier ones.  Sportsfan’s rules leave the details up to the individual player, so I decided right back at the beginning that this week they’d revisit all of the previous skills and that the winner would be the one with the highest total number of points (including in hidden skills).   About halfway through the game, I realised that I’d missed out science and was going to add a science station to this week’s objects  - but then I changed my mind.  With Charlie and Dilys both gone, I’m not letting them near anything dangerous .


While I’m waiting for midday, Gertie crawls into the one remaining tent and Herbie follows her.  Curious, I have a look at Herbie’s action queue.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Ooh!  The ship is sailing.

Nothing obvious happens, at least from the outside (but then, would it?)  I click on Gertie instead and discover that she’s reading.  ‘Cuddle’ is there in her queue but books come first, it seems  .  Eventually, Herbie gives up and crawls out again – and I discover that the skilling objects should have gone out half an hour ago.  Oops.

A quick pause later and they’re there, together with an old friend.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

I think Zorro’s lifetime wish would be Renaissance Horse, if only horses were allowed to have LTWs.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Not only does he appear to want to learn chess but he’s clearly been practising his existing skills in his time away from the island.  Partway through the week, he becomes the only Sim in this game to complete a skill challenge.  Two, in fact: Endurance Equine and Long-Distance Runner.


Herbie’s tendency to gaze at new objects in amazement instead of using them appears to be catching…

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

…but eventually Herbie picks up the guitar, while Gertie gets reacquainted with Zorro.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Once he’s brushed and happy, she practises chess for a few hours.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

(And this is a completely pointless screenshot, just because Monte Vista’s sunsets are pretty.)

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]


Wednesday brings another call from Jancis.  Yasmin’s had twins this time.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Herbie suddenly decides to try out sculpting and is having a happy and productive time…

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

…until Gertie walks over and berates his ignorance.  (Dratted nerd influence!)

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

He gives as good as he gets but then tries a friendly hug (while still saying “you too”).

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Unsurprisingly, this doesn’t go down well.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Herbie’s nothing if not persistent.  He follows Gertie over to the bathroom area, waits politely until she’s finished and then tries again.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Friendship repaired.  For now.


Gertie has clearly forgotten the essentials of equestrianism over the last two weeks:

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

In fact, both of them seem to be a little vague about horse care.  By midweek, Zorro is being followed by clouds of flies.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Finally, Herbie does something about the smell and the buzzing, much to Zorro’s relief.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

And now that they’re friends, he puts in some serious riding practice…

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

…while Gertie strums away.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Thursday evening: less than a day to go.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Oh dear.

And then we’re into the final half-hour.  Time to try to gain a last desperate point or two?

Nope.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Herbie elects to work on his social networking and Gertie cleans the toilet.


So that’s it.  Twelve o’clock.  Time to add up the skill points.

Zorro’s at level six of jumping and nine of racing.  Oops, sorry, that doesn’t count.

Herbie:
Athletic 2
Bass 1
Charisma 7
Chess 4
Cooking 3
Fishing 1
Gardening 1
Guitar 3
Logic 3
Nerd influence 5
Sculpting 1
Social Networking 2

Total: 33


Gertie:
Athletic 5
Bass 3
Bowling 1
Charisma 5
Chess 3
Cooking 3
Darts 2
Firewalking 1
Fishing 3
Gardening 1
Gnubb 3
Guitar 3
Logic 2
Nerd influence 5
Painting 3
Piano 3
Pool 1
Riding 2
Sculpting 2
Social Networking 4
Trampoline 1

Total: 56


And so the champion of The Island is... (ridiculously elongated pause for dramatic effect)... Gertrude Grissom.


Herbie and Zorro teleport away…

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

…leaving Gertie sole owner of the island – and its newly-constructed bridge.

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

What will she choose to do with her new property, now that she’s free to do what she likes?

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Who knows?

[Malley]

Congrats on the win, Gertie! I'm really not surprised that she won. Gertie was awesome

[Namaya]

I loved this project! I really want to try it myself with the group of sims that resemble my group of real life friends. I think it would be really funny to see how our simselfs would act in this kind of challenge :'D. This was a really fun read! I will be checking out your other stories as well .

[Charlotte]

Yay Gertie! Not exactly a surprising win, but certainly a satisfying one. I've been rooting for her since week one

Ooh, what a dramatic ending... can't wait to see what happens next!

[Lisa46]

Ger-tie! Ger-tie!

Will there be an epilogue of any kind?

[strongsoylatte]

Yay Gertie!

This was such a fun project to tune in to. Great job!

[saltpastillen]

Congrats Gertie!

[hazelnut]

Congrats on the win, Gertie! I'm really not surprised that she won. Gertie was awesome

No, I'm not surprised either.  Once Gertie was in the final, poor Herbie didn't stand a chance.

I loved this project! I really want to try it myself with the group of sims that resemble my group of real life friends. I think it would be really funny to see how our simselfs would act in this kind of challenge :'D. This was a really fun read! I will be checking out your other stories as well .

Thanks .  That sounds like an interesting idea.

The other stories are a bit more serious (and a lot longer - especially the 4x4, which kind of got away from me in the middle).

Yay Gertie! Not exactly a surprising win, but certainly a satisfying one. I've been rooting for her since week one

Ooh, what a dramatic ending... can't wait to see what happens next!

I think, with the way I'd set up the final week, Gertie or Isobel was the obvious winner - that is, if either of them got that far.  I'm still surprised Alan wasn't the runner-up, though.

I'm not sure about a 'next'.  I left it deliberately open-ended because I may go back to those Sims at some point but at the moment there are other things I want to do more.

Ger-tie! Ger-tie!

Will there be an epilogue of any kind?

She certainly had more than her share of supporters .

As I said to Charlotte above, there are no particular plans for an epilogue but I may go back to this game at some point and see what everyone does next, maybe using a story progression mod so that they can all get on with their lives.  They were an interesting bunch of Sims to play.

Yay Gertie!

This was such a fun project to tune in to. Great job!

Thank you .

Congrats Gertie!

She says thanks .

[Charlotte]

Ah, okay Well whatever you decide to do, this was an amazing story! I'm actually trying it out privately for myself, just for laughs.

[strongsoylatte]

I for one would like to see a reunion week like they do on reality shows. Just to see how everyone's doing after leaving the island. And maybe Herbie might have a chance to ask Gertie out.