The Ridarinn ISBI (Abandoned)

[dethdukk]

Hey all!  Welcome to the Ridarinn ISBI Challenge.  For anyone wondering, that stands for "I'm Surrounded By Idiots". 

The point of this particular challenge is to only control a single Sim (the torch holder, or TH) while still having other Sims lead productive lives, and dealing with the situations that occur because of it.  The rules (http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/786454/lynnwoods-isbi-challenge-rules-for-ts4-list-update-and-rules-update-2-2/p1) are pretty open.  They're based loosely off of the Legacy rules by Pinstar.  There's some ways to lose points, such as if sims pee themselves, pass out, if any social workers visit, etc.  Mostly though, it's intended as a fun and relaxing way to play.

The main way to gain points is to complete aspirations (on any sim) or max out skills (on Non-Torch Holders, NTH).  Having children, especially in Twins and Triplets also gives you additional points, and also is the one true challenge to the game.  I'm going to be using a couple custom rules, which are a modification of the general rules.  First off, normally you have to have 2 kids per generation, I'm going to be changing that to 3 kids per.  Also, I will be changing control of the TH to the heir when they turn into a Teen instead of when they turn young adult.

I'll be starting this Dynasty out with Richard Knethen (now Richard Ridarinn for clarity's sake) as my founder.  I always liked Richard quite a bit, he was a fun and interactive sim but he never really got a chance to shine in the Dynasty as he wasn't the Heir.  So after resetting his skills and aspirations, he's ready to see just how far he can develop within the span of his life before his kid takes over. 

So yeah, the main point of this story is just to have some fun!  I'll be keeping track of my points as I go, but really my goal is to relax from my Dynasty (so many sims to control, brain frying) and also to see just how far I can push a single Sim.  On that note, I hope you all enjoy the story!

[dethdukk]

Chapter One Part One

Richard?  Can you hear me?
Richard:  Ugh...  I feel like I spent all last night drinking...  Is that you watcher?
It is.  Do you remember what we talked about?
Richard:  You wanted me to start a Legacy right?  Or something like that...
Something like that.  A little different, but not in a way that will matter much to you.  Are you ready?
Richard:  I am.



Welcome to your new life, Richard Ridarinn.
Richard:  Thanks, I think.  Um... Where's the house?
Hah, he thinks he gets to start with a house.  You're in exactly the same position as your father when he started... only now I know what I'm doing.  Mostly.
Richard:  You are a true fount of confidence.



Well first things first... It's time to get to work on your aspirations.  We're going to start with the Fitness aspiration, so you're going to be doing a lot of exercising.
Richard:  Watcher, you know I don't like bulking up.  That was always Nicks thing... and Kens.
I know, I know...  You need to to finish the aspiration.  After that you can slim back down to whatever you prefer, but for now...  Hop to it.



Richard:  Hey there!  My names Richard, I just moved into town.
Moshe:  Hello Richard.  I'm Moshe, I'm a trainer here at the gym.  Can I help you at all?



Richard:  Actually, yes.  I'm looking to become as strong as I can be in the long run... for now, I just need to work out here it seems. 
Moshe:  Alright well, lets see.  First, we need to find out about where you are, strength wise.  Then we can really get started with a training program.  Start with some pushups.



Moshe:  Alright, 20's not bad at all.  You've got a good starting point anyways.  Lets move to the treadmill so I can see your running form.




Moshe:  Alright not bad...  Keep your feet straight when you're running though, if you keep angling them like that you're going to turn an ankle. 
Richard:  Ah right I remember that now...
Moshe:  What do you mean?
Richard:  I used to know all this but I seem to have forgotten most of it.  It's been a while.



Richard:  So you think I should start out with strawberries then?
Eliza:  Oh definitely.  Apple's are good too, but they take longer to grow, and take up more room too.  Strawberries are smaller, easier to splice onto later too.



Richard:  Thanks for all the advice, I'll keep it in mind.  Hopefully my Watcher has been paying attention.
Eliza:  Well even if you don't use it, I'm sure you'll be fine.  You seem like a smart guy.



He he he...
Richard:  What are you giggling about...



He looks like the Penguin...  You know, from Batman?  A monocle and a tailed coat and it would be perfect.... hahaha!
Richard:  Ha!  You're right, that's hilarious.  I think it's the nose.
Alright, hehe *wipes away tears* time to head home.  Go see if Moshe wants to join us.



Whoh, you bulked up FAST Moshe.
Moshe:  What do you mean, I've always looked like this.
Just yesterday you were like...  well like Richard.
Moshe:  You must be remembering wrong, I've been this way since I was about 21.
Hm... alright, if you say so.  I love the sweater by the way.




Richard:  Well, what do you think?
Moshe:  You're looking pretty good for a guy that just started yesterday!  Still got plenty of work before you're finished though.



Moshe:  I'm out of here for tonight though... I'll swing by after work tomorrow.




Form Richard, watch your form.  Straight arm, turn the shoulders and waist, punch with your whole body not the arm.
Richard:  I swear I used to know how to do this.
Yeah, and you used to know how to paint too.
Richard:  Wait, I don't know how to PAINT?
I'm sure you'll pick it up quickly.



Hello again Moshe.  Thanks for taking so much time to help Richard.
Moshe:  Not a problem.  It's nice finding someone else who's as enthusiastic about it as I am.
Richard:  Not enthusiastic, just dedicated...
Moshe:  When it comes to exercise, and many other things, they are one in the same.



Richard:  It just doesn't feel like I'm getting anywhere...  I still look and feel the same as when I started.
Moshe:  Hey kid, don't worry about it.  No one can bulk up in just 2 days, you'll get there.  You're doing great so far, just gotta stick with it.  You know what will cheer you up?  Lets order a pizza!
Richard:  Pizza?  That can't possibly be good for keeping your tone...
Moshe:  Who cares, you'll work it off in an hour anyways.  If you could cook I'd recommend steaks for the protein, but you're kind of useless at anything but exercise right now.
Richard:  *grumble lost all my skills mumble*  Watcher, would you mind putting in a pool?  I know we're low on funds, but it'll double as relaxation and a place to eat this pizza.
Hm...  sure, but a small one.




Richard:  Mmm... You definitely were right Moshe, this smells amazing.

[dethdukk]

Chapter One Part Two



Starting to get back into painting eh?
Richard:  Well since you were so kind as to put this easel in while I slept, why not?
Sounds good to me.  Just remember we still have to finish the Fitness aspiration.
Richard:  Yeah, Moshe's headed over here after he finishes work.






Well your work is definitely starting to show.  It's weird, you went to sleep and woke up fit... I wonder if that's a thing.
Richard:  Dunno, never really cared...
Looks like you took Eliza's advice to heart.
Richard:  Well truthfully it was Strawberries, Onions, or Apples, and I ate way too many apples at my fathers.  So many apples...






Man there's a ridiculous amount of grind going on here...  work out, work out more, water the plants, work out again...  exhausting.
Richard:  Oh please Watcher, you don't even do anything!
Hey, I have to sit here and Watch you!  Why do you think I'm called the Watcher, eh?  And I'll tell you, this is hard!
Richard:  Uh huh.  I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm busy lifting 200 pounds repeatedly.






Richard:  Moshe... I did it!
Moshe:  Congratulations kid!  You got done with that pretty fast actually.
Richard:  Well, I've still got a bit of Fitness to work on, but outside of that I'm all done.  I think I'll take a break and do something else for a while, this has been pretty hard.



Lets see...  Bar here...  Worktable here...  Chess Table... Sell some paintings and buy a fancy painting for environment...  oh jeez I forgot the Lazer Light Show, I'll just throw one of those in real quick...  Upgrade the bed... Upgrade the toilet and the bathtub... 
Richard:  You about done yet Watcher?
You hush, I'm doing work here.  Read your 3 books!



Working on the cooking aspiration?
Richard:  Nah, just hungry.



Moshe:  Hey Kid.  What have you been up to?
Richard:  Oh plenty!  I've mastered painting, and my gardens doing pretty well.  I'm working on my Writing now, I'm pretty close to finishing that too.
Moshe:  Well I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, but you might want to think about leaving your um... "house" sometime.
Richard:  Oh I will later.  I have a lot of work to do first though!  Don't worry, Watcher's going to get me a potion of youth before I get too much older.




More chess?
Richard:  If I have to grind skills out, I might as well have some fun while I'm at it, right?
Very true...  And on that note, I think your next grind should be on a guitar.





Richard:  This actually is a lot of fun.  I never got into instruments at my fathers.
You and your dad are both music lovers, but never got into the creation side I guess.  I know he always enjoyed playing the piano though.






Richard:  That's it Watcher.  Finished with my Renaissance Sim and Nerd Brain aspirations.
Good timing, because you're out of time.  I'll get you that Youth Potion, then it's time to move along to some more... social things.  You've done very well Richard.
Thanks Watcher.  It's been...  busy.


Alright, time for some:  Post-Story Story!

Alright, as you all may have noticed, there was very little story building in this one.  These 2 chapters actually cover about 20 days in-game, more or less.  For the first Young Adult stage, my only goal was to max out as many skills as possible (focusing on ones that can be mentored) and to get as many aspirations done as possible.

So, I suppose the next thing would be to post my results!  I've moved a bit beyond this point, so i don't know exactly what I had for Skills exactly, but I know that I had:  Fitness, Logic, Painting, Writing, Guitar all maxed.  Rocket Science is at 8, as is gardening.  Handiness I believe is at 9.  Mixology and cooking are both around 2-3.

As for aspirations:  Bodybuilder, Painter Extraordinaire, Bestselling Author, Renaissance Sim, and Nerd Brain are all done.  Musical Genius, Freelance Botanist, and Fabulously Wealthy are at Rank 4.  I've got a couple rank 1-2 scattered around, but nothing worth mentioning.

Last thing would be reward traits:  Gym Rat, Observant, Morning Sim, Night Owl, Marketable, Creative Visionary, Frugal, Steel Bladder, Connections, Great Kisser, Hardly Hungry, Never Weary, Savant, Mentor.

Overall, I started Richard second Young Adult stage with 160 points.  A pretty respectable start in my opinion.  I'm actually pretty pleased with where I ended up at the end of 20 days.

Now, as for strategy... Mostly my strategy was to max out my time spend skilling up.  A pretty straightforward strategy of course, but there's a couple of things I did that others might find handy to know about.  First off, I took Renaissance Sim as my starting aspiration.  I changed out of it immediately of course, but that allowed me to start with the "quick learner" bonus, which gives +8% experience while building skills.  Following that I got Gym Rat, as it's cheap and allows Sims to exercise for much longer periods of time. 

After that, I got both Night Owl and Morning Sim.  This bears a little bit of extra explanation, as these traits are pretty awesome when combined.  Night Owl gives a +1 happy moodlet from 8PM to 3 AM.  Morning Sim gives a +1 happy moodlet from 5 AM to 12:01PM.  In addition, while either moodlet is active, you get +25% skill experience.  So, if you work on skills from 8PM to 12:01PM, you'll get a 25% EXP boost the entire time, minus 2 hours.  Then you can sleep from 12:01PM to 7PM, take a shower and eat, then start over again.

Last important bit, I purchased Savant.  Savant is pretty awesome, it gives +25% EXP to skills permanently, so when combined with all the other bonuses I had, I was working with +58% skill EXP basically the entire time I was leveling them.  After that I just started picking up other handy traits, such as steel bladder, never weary, etc. 

[Playalot]

OooO It's going to be so interesting to see if your strategy is going to work.  Great skill building by the way! ... and yeah, that dude totally looked like the penguin LOL. It's really nice to see Richard in a different setting, he's a cool sim.   

[Nettlejuice]

I just about died when I saw Moche all bulked up! Great going with Richard so far 

[KTK10]

It is great to see Richard shine on his own. Fantastic skill building and really interesting strategy.. Good luck with your next steps 

[Shewolf13]

Yay!  Another deth story!  Definitely bookmarked.  And like I told Play with her Asylum challenge, these look like tons of fun, but I think I'd go mad only being able to control one Sim XD since I'm such a micromanager at times.  So you get some mad props!

[dethdukk]

Chapter Two, Part One

Hey Richard, thought I'd let you handle this one.  We've been through a lot since I last showed everyone what you've been up to.
Richard:  How long has it been?
Well, basically since you drank your Potion of Youth.  You'd just finished working on the rocket.
Richard:  Oh wow, that was a while ago...  Well, I suppose I'll try to remember everything that happened.



Richard:  Well lets see...  right after I got done drinking my potion of youth Moshe stopped by, invited me out to the park.  He said I should get out of the "house" and meet some new people.  Something about being cooped up too long and needing to re-adjust to being around others.



Richard:  I have to admit, it was pretty enjoyable being able to play chess against someone else for once.



Richard:  I saw Eliza while I was there too.  She looked like she was doing pretty well, but apparently her chess partner had been cheating.  I didn't stay at the park too long... I got to introduce myself to a bunch of Sims, but really I wanted to head out to the gym and see who I could meet there.  Apparently Moshe quit his job a while back too.



Richard:  When I got to the gym it was pretty full actually.  I got to meet some new people though.  Apparently Olivia is my neighbor, but I don't remember ever meeting her...  Maybe Moshe's right, and I've spent too much time on my own.



Richard:  I don't remember this kids name, but he was pretty sad when I met him.  I was able to cheer him up though, I felt pretty good about that. 



Richard:  While I was there I took some time to mentor everyone.  I can see why Moshe enjoyed it, it's nice being able to help people out.  Hm...  what next...
I believe this was the point at which Moshe invited you to his house.
Richard:  Ah right, of course.  He mentioned something about wanting to introduce me to his family.  Of course, he wasn't there when I showed up.



Richard:  His daughter was though.  I didn't even realize at the time that Moshe had vacated the house before I got there on purpose.  Not that I minded much.




Richard:  Robyn and I got along pretty well right from the start.  She told me about her dad, and how he got her into fitness when she was a kid.  Apparently she's been hearing about me since she was a teen, her dad always referred to me as "that smart kid who likes sleeping in fields".




Richard:  We went out on a couple of dates.  They went pretty well, if I remember correctly.  Truth to tell, I was smitten pretty much that first night... She took a little more convincing.




Richard:  But I think I did a pretty good job of that. 



Richard:  After about a week she was visiting my house pretty regularly.  I'd kind of fallen back into trying to work on my skills again, but it was really nice when she came over.  Provided a more than welcome distraction. 



Richard:  I have to admit, I may have rushed things a bit, but I knew, and still know, that she's the only one for me.



Richard:  She... wasn't quite ready to take it that far though.



Richard:  I was devastated.  Truthfully, all I wanted was to go hide in my bed and never talk to anyone again.  Robyn, well... she was understandably tense.



Richard:  Still, to her credit she didn't just storm out afterwards.  Actually, she stayed and we chatted all night basically.  I was feeling much better by the end of it.



Richard:  Just before she left again, she hugged me and told me that maybe if I had a house, she'd reconsider.



Richard:  Following that, my schedule consisted of doing a bit of exercise, then painting.  So much painting. 




Richard:  Robyn actually moved in with me about a week later.  She said she did it as a show of faith.  I was very glad she did. 




Richard:  Moshe came to visit a couple times after that.  I invited him to move in with us, he's getting pretty old now, and I'd be really sad if I didn't get to spend some time with him before he passed on. 



Richard:  Also, with all the time I was spending on painting and gardening, I had very little time to spend with Robyn.  With Moshe around, at least she'd have someone else to talk with while I worked.

[dethdukk]

Chapter Two, Part Two



Richard:  Exercising in the morning has become something of a routine for me and Robyn.  I don't want to get too buff, but I definitely like being in shape.



Richard:  Inviting Moshe to live with us was one of the better choices I've made in my life.  He's an amazing guy, more than I knew even when we were best friends.  He's a pleasure to be around.



Richard:  Robyn's been enjoying her time with him too, but that makes sense.  After all, they've been living together since before I met either of them.



Richard:  He's been a great comfort to me.  I have to say, it's hard painting for 24 hours straight.  I've started loosing track of the time...  I start painting, and when I finally stop it's already the next day, and I didn't even notice the time passing. 




Richard:  I've been working on my garden as well.  I've been doing some research, and apparently strawberries are actually a really good starting point for getting something called a "Cow Plant"...  I don't know what it is, but everything I've read online indicates that it's something I should strive for.  Not to mention I can sell the plants I make along the way for a bit more cash...  It seems like everything in my life is about cash right now.



Richard:  I went out an bought a pretty expensive TV recently.  Moshe and Robyn were both complaining that I didn't have one, and I didn't see any point in wasting money on a smaller TV when we had the spare cash.  I have to admit, if I had the free time I'd probably enjoy it...



Richard:  I'm trying out different avenues of cash flow now...  Making games was not the right choice.  I thought with as much time as I put into them, that I'd get a decent amount of cash back, but really... I was making less than some of my worst books made.  Back to painting...





Richard:  He and his daughter are still getting along really well.  I'm glad they like spending so much time together, it frees me up to do more profitable things.



Richard:  Even when I have time to talk with Robyn, it's usually while I'm busy with other work.  *sigh*...  I can't wait till I've finally earned enough to buy my new house.




Richard:  Even so, Moshe's been kind of side-tracked lately.  He seems easily distracted, even by stuff he's seen a million times.




Richard:  A bit of good news...  I finally got the cow plant.  I'm not sure what everyone's so excited about, it's just a flower that looks kind of like a cow.  Admittedly, the horns are... a little weird.




Richard:  Followed closely by very bad news...  Moshe passed away during the night.  I heard him call out, and rushed over.



Richard:  I begged for his life, just a few more days.  If I could have just a few more days, maybe I'd be able to get the house done in time for him to see the results of all the work I've done, all the work that's kept me from him and his daughter...



Richard:  But, well...  You know Grim.  As implacable and unrelenting as death itself. 



Richard:  In a strange bit of irony, the Cow Plant grew up right as he died.  I can see now why people enjoy it, it seems almost intelligent.  I've decided to name it Mr. Mooshe, in honor of my friend and mentor.



Richard:  Robyn hasn't been taking her fathers death well.  She's a very family-focused sim, and with Moshe gone, she doesn't really have any family left.  But, I have finally made the cash I need to build my house... and after that, maybe we can start a family of our own.






Post-Story Story

First things first, I need to give a BIG thanks to @Playalot .  She provided both the house (best house ever, I've been geekgasming over it for DAYS) and she also randomized the traits and did some touch-ups on Robyn.  You can see her stories, in which she has houses that are *almost* as awesome as mine, by clicking on these handy links:  Dynasty Legacy Asylum

Next on the list, holy crap, I'm finally done grinding.  Well not really, after all it is the sims...  but I can finally start into the more story-centric part of the game... having Nooboos!  I'm so excited!  I've never actually played a game where the kids were fully auto...  and actually, I've never played a game where I had more than 2 kids at a time, so this should be both fun, entertaining, irritating, and a learning experience!

Man, the money grind was real.  So for anyone out there, the fastest way to make money is definitely the gardening trick with blackberries.  The next fastest way is painting "small" paintings.  Abstract worked well for me, but I'm pretty sure surreal would work well too.  They work very well in conjunction (junction, whats your fuuunction...).

This brings both Robyn and Richard up to Adults... they both moved into the sparkleys as I was placing in the new house, actually, so it's most definitely time to get a move on. 

[dethdukk]

@Nettlejuice - Right?  He went from a skinny sim to HUGE overnight lol.

@Playalot - I certainly hope it works, it took enough time >.>  the grind is never-ending.

@KTK10 - It's nice to be able to take a Sim out of my dynasty and really go to town with them.  The dynasty is kind of limiting in what all you can accomplish, simply because you cant have overlapping anything...  which means that you can't have "The One Sim", heh. 

@Shewolf13 - Surprisingly, this is much more my style.  I'm definitely a micro-manager, but I'm also really bad at multi-tasking...  so being able to ignore the other sims and just focus on the one is almost a blessing.  The dynasty is more of a challenge to me than the ISBI, simply because I can't ignore the other sims in it.  I mean, I could... but my wiring won't let me heh.  In this one, I'm not allowed to control them, so it's a null issue!

[Playalot]

Wow, I'm in awe.  I can't believe that in one life stage you have set up your sim for the rest of the challenge. That's very cool! I'm so gutted that Grim didn't give Moshe a break. Man that sucks.

I'm excited for the next stage now, woo! Nooboos etc.  You better get playing because I don't want to have to wait too long to find out what happens! lol

[Nettlejuice]

Oh, the grinding is so annoying but the results are always a blessing. Robyn is gorgeous and @Playalot is an amazing builder 

[dethdukk]

Chapter Two, Part One



Richard:  Robyn seemed pretty impressed with the house.  At least, that's how I interpreted the resulting scream of joy and hug.



Richard:  Personally, I was pretty impressed with how well furnished it was.  According to the builder they based it off of another house, but added their own special touch.





Richard:  Now that I'm finally done with both my aspirations and making money to buy our home, I feel like I can finally relax.  Being able to really spend time with Robyn is something I've looked forward to for a long time now.




Richard:  I was worried that after so long without having really had the time to even talk with each other, that maybe I was being too forward right off the bat.



Richard:  But really, I didn't care...  I was willing to take my chances.





Richard:  I was, and am, very glad I did.





Richard:  I moved Mr. Mooshe into the backyard.  He's a playful thing, but I don't think he really understands how big he is.  I wouldn't feel right leaving him somewhere that another, perhaps less careful Sim could reach him.



Richard:  Robyn has been playing video games a lot recently.  I hope that she's just doing it because she enjoys it, and not to escape from her feelings left over from her fathers death.




Richard:  Still, we spend most of our time together.  A couple days ago, she sang me a song that she'd made for me.  I was rather surprised, I didn't know she could sing so well.





Richard:  I made us some cakes for our birthdays.  I'd sad to admit that I didn't really have anyone to invite over.  I've lost touch with most of the people I used to know, and apparently Robyn only has one friend, besides me.  Maybe that's something I'll have to work on.



Richard:  After we'd enjoyed some cake, I told Robyn to follow me and went for a jog.  Truthfully, I had some other plans too.



Richard:  When we got to the tree, I lead Robyn through the passage.  I'd only been here a couple times, but it's impossible to forget the path...



Richard:  She seemed suitably impressed.  I remember the first time I came here, all I could do was stand in wonder for hours...  This place seems almost magical. 



Richard:  Robyn recovered a little bit faster than I did.  The first thing she did was challenge me to a game of BlicBlock on our phones.  It seemed like an odd thing to do in the Glade, but I'm not one to back down from a challenge. 



Richard:  After I uh...  won our quick bout, we walked down to the lake together.  I recommended we take a quick swim, then change into something a little more formal.

[dethdukk]

Chapter Three, Part Two




Richard:  It was a good wedding.  I know there wasn't anyone else there, but I didn't really think there needed to be.  My only wish is that Moshe could have been there.





Richard:  Robyn looked so beautiful.  I think this is the first time I've ever seen her look a little shy.




Richard:  She did get over it pretty quickly though.





Richard:  We spend the night in the Glade, and got home early the next morning.  Robyn was pretty tired, so she went to bed while I took some time to snag some collectables, tend the garden, and feed Mr. Mooshe. 




Richard:  When I came inside, she had some pretty big news to share with me.  I have to admit, it took me by surprise.



Richard:  Still, I can't imagine being upset by the news.  I can't wait for my first kid to be born.  I know Robyn will make a wonderful mother, I just hope I can keep up with her!




Richard:  She got busy setting up the kids room pretty quickly.  When I pointed out that they wouldn't be able to use it for a while anyways, she just laughed and kept going.




Richard:  She's been spending time playing with the Cow Plant too.  I make sure that I'm the only one feeding it, I couldn't take it if an accident happened.  Still, it's pretty cute watching them mimic each other.





Richard:  She says she's been pretty nauseous lately, I guess that's part of being pregnant.  I've been working on learning the piano myself.




Richard:  I was kind of hoping I could distract her from the nausea and cramps her pregnancy has been causing her.



Richard:  She never said if it worked, but I think it did. 

Post-Story Story:

Well, this story has definitely slowed down, heh.  First two chapters covered 20 days each, chapter three covers maybe 2-3 days.  I kind of knew this would happen though.  It's much easier to form storyline when you're actually interacting with other Sims.

So Robyn is amazingly happy about being pregnant.  One of the actions that's "allowed" is to do the pregnancy test on a Sim.  As soon as she found out, she ran downstairs to tell Richard.  Poor gal tho, she's been sicker than any other Sim I've ever seen.  Most of them throw up once or twice and they're done, Robyn's been trying to beat everyone put together.

I've been having Richard work on his skills while Robyn sleeps/eats, and outside of that they spend most of their time together.  I really do enjoy these parts of the stories, maybe I'm just a romantic at heart but these parts of the stories are always my favorite. 

I've really been enjoying this style of writing, where you only get the thoughts of one Sim.  It seems very fitting to me, given the restrictions of the ISBI, and also it lets me use a different style than the one I use most of the time in my Dynasty.  Are there any preferences as to if I should keep using this way of writing?  Obviously I write this story mostly for my own enjoyment, but it's there for others to read as well and I'm always open to second (and third, and fourth) opinions.

[dethdukk]

@Playalot - I've still got a bit more to do.  Piano for one, Violin for another.  And of course, now I need to focus on getting aspirations done on both Richard and Robyn.  I feel like I've done pretty well though, and I'm looking forward to moving into a more relaxed style of play from here on out!

@Nettlejuice - Why thank you!  I actually designed Robyn myself (randomized till I found a Sim I thought looked pretty, then modified her face, hair, and body type) then passed her off to Play for some detail work and so I wouldn't know what her traits were.  I'm very happy that Play made this house for me.  It took a lot of work building up the cash for it, but it was most definitely worth it.  Just having the house makes my time spent in Sims so much more enjoyable.