Music

[Phyrie]

I can't figure out how to "Form a Band"!  I've found several people playing for tips, have joined in the jam with them, but the only option I see is "Form a Group" and that's not the same thing!  How do you get the Form a Band option?  I'm sure it's something simple, and obvious to someone who isn't me...

EDIT: I figured it out...  *sigh* I am an idiot.  You simply talk to the Sim.  The option just isn't on the first page that pops up, it's under the "Friendly" button.

[Pam]

Is everyone's Sim as cute as mine while playing bass?  It's the cutest thing since toddlers!

Lainy Plays Bass

[Saltypaws]

They seem like they are having a blast.  I love the facial expressions.  Have you had five sims play yet.  It is a hoot.  Only problem is, they play only the one song.  I know you can get the songbooks at the book store, but while they are playing together it is the same thing over and over.  I can't wait until they get higher up on their skills.  I bought all the instruments and had them start playing together, so they will pretty much advance together in skill.

[Metropolis Man]

Have you had five sims play yet.  It is a hoot.  Only problem is, they play only the one song.  I know you can get the songbooks at the book store, but while they are playing together it is the same thing over and over.  I can't wait until they get higher up on their skills.  I bought all the instruments and had them start playing together, so they will pretty much advance together in skill.

Only 4 Sims can be in a band. One thing I'm going to try is target band members to be high level Celebs who are in the Music career in Bridgeport. My drummer has gotten to know a few of these already. One's a Lyricist and one's a Pop Star and they're also high level Celebs! Wow. A big step up from Sunset Valley's Stiles McGraw who can never seem to advance past Talent Scout. I wonder if my strategy will have an impact on band success and gig payments.

[Glic2000]

One thing that always happens to me:  when my band plays a gig, they don't choose the right instruments.   For example, the sim with the Drums skill does not play the drums.  Does this matter?  I assumed their skills would affect how well the gig goes, but I'm not sure.  The music they play during the gig always sounds sort of crappy, but the game is telling me the gigs are successful.

[Metropolis Man]

One thing that always happens to me:  when my band plays a gig, they don't choose the right instruments.   For example, the sim with the Drums skill does not play the drums.  Does this matter?  I assumed their skills would affect how well the gig goes, but I'm not sure.  The music they play during the gig always sounds sort of crappy, but the game is telling me the gigs are successful.

Yeah, I wish the instruments were not already set up at the venue because one thing I'm trying to do is hand pick band members based on if they already have their own instrument in their inventory. Then, it's clear what skill they're working on. But, I can see why EA had to to have stuff already set up because otherwise you'd have players complaining of pathing issues.

[Schipperke]

My sim has one star celebrity status (how I don't know?  help?)  and the paparazzi are stalking me, kinda cool, can you do anything (like pose) with the paparazzi?

A paparazzi started showing up on the doorstep of my Dynasty household soon after the first household member got a star.  You can interact with the paparazzi but sometimes they'll just walk off suddenly for no apparent reason (maybe because your sim is boring?).  Once I had a paparazzi just vanish while my sim was talking to him.

[Pam]

We already have a thread for this discussion.  I'm merging the two threads. Please be careful that a topic hasn't already been started before anyone starts a second one.  Thanks.

[cndneh]

No wind instruments in the game? That's kind of a blah.

And why did they need a separate skill for bass? If you know guitar, then you know how to play bass. Bass is just the top three strings on a guitar tuned down, isn't it?

Oh...and has anyone got the hang of forming bands and getting gigs yet? I did form a band and my sim got the opportunity to play a gig...but I never saw one become available.

Wind instruments would have been great.. perhaps a trumpet to go with the 'Blues' option of music.   And calling a (double) bass and a guitar the same is like calling  a flute and an oboe the same.  Speaking as someone who once played the bass, there is no way I could have played the guitar 4 strings vs. 6 strings etc. now if you said (double) Bass and Cello... maybe.  Or Guitar and Bass (guitar) then maybe.  

(FYI - in band, we always called the instrument the Sims are playing a Double Bass)

[Saltypaws]

Only 4 Sims can be in a band.

I got five in mine and everytime I told them to play, they would wait on the other one, I had, piano, keyboard, bass, drums and guitar and they all had the interaction to jam with each other, but I guess you are talking about the actual band members, so I will quietly go over to my corner and learn how to read the posts better, lol.  Five playing though sounds pretty good, even if they don't all have very high skills.

[Metropolis Man]

I got five in mine and everytime I told them to play, they would wait on the other one, I had, piano, keyboard, bass, drums and guitar and they all had the interaction to jam with each other...

So after you had four members in your band you actually had the option to ask a 5th member to Join Band? What up with that?

[Saltypaws]

It was a jam session and you can have as many play as there are instruments.  I had six earlier, but for the most part, after the sixth one was added, it just blended in and you could not really tell he was playing, but it sure looked pretty cool.

[LlamaMama]

Is everyone's Sim as cute as mine while playing bass?  It's the cutest thing since toddlers!

Lainy Plays Bass

She's sure having fun! But I had no idea that playing bass required so much arm exercise. Just watching her made me tired.

[cndneh]

Don't know if anyone has seen the "play for Tips" option in the subway - anytime of night or day Sim can get a ton of cash.  I was in the subway after leaving a bar 3am and between 3:30am and 7am I made $675!   And that was from the early morning crowd. 7:30am - 11am I made $823... Did I mention this was a Monday morning?   Now I have read you could get mugged on the subway but that has yet to happen to me.


I'll let you know how much I lose if I do get mugged, but so far, more money for me than outside the theater!

[Glic2000]

Yeah I just discovered that!  That's like the most money my band has made in a long time.   I don't know why the gigs have dried up.   I haven't had one in many days. 

Does anyone know what factors affect the frequency of gigs you get?   Curiously, my band seemed to get more gigs when their Celebrity levels were LOWER, not higher.