3. The Ranch.
In this thrilling yet safe episode: Phoebe wears a shirt, Nancy holds an umbrella, and Vivian takes a photo.
The picture above is the last we'll see of the 64-tile tiny home. Things have had to change because of rather sudden Emergence of a Child. I think when I started I imagined playing with one sim for a while. Including the horsie, there are now 4 sims. At time of writing, that number has increased. So much happens early on that I'll have to write up the next chapter fairly swiftly.
That same morning, Phoebe checked trends on Trendi, and bought two outfits of that trend. She listed them for $1m each. It was while talking to Fancy that the first request to buy came through. she sent off the outfit, and now she is set up like a proper Landgraab. It's not quite in the spirit of rags-to-riches, the game is laughably easy if you want it to be. But this is also me just wanting to learn the pack. We can move out a future generation to the 50x50 lot in the glorious desert area (very appropriate for a Landgraab) and I'll know what I'm doing, and maybe just stick to nectar making. Trendi is absolutely a cheat code. Both outfits sold, and after purchasing the house funds were $1.7m.
Reese is now an infant, and they need a few more things and a bit more space. The lot is not mine, it's "Italian Equestrian Ranch" by BlueTrueSkye on the gallery. I'm a big fan, it oozes the right ambiance. I'm also heavily editing it as I go, because while it has three nectar makers (never going to need three at once) it has no cellar to age the wine faster. The bay windows are walled off. The towers have no windows. So you can all pick up the original on the gallery, and I think everyone would play it differently and change it differently.
I don't like the bunkbeds there either. As you see, we've broken through one wall, but need to clear some vines one the outside and install some windows. An ongoing villa renovation!
Pansy came home from the art studio to find the house had slightly changed.
The short newborn stage meant Reese soon aged up to infant. Oh, it's worth saying Pansy hates children. She hated being pregnant. And is an adult with a midlife crisis.
Phoebe at the Spice Festival. It's a new save, and we haven't got these unlocked.
Her 5-star celebrity glow maybe gives her a slightly weird look, and that reminded me to try for those autonomous selfies. Phoebe's aspiration progress has carried over. She's at that point in the World Famous Celebrity aspiration that requires selfies, which is the one part the player has least control over. Arguably the most elusive bits of any aspiration. In the past I've had some luck with selfies at festivals, but she's been to two or maybe three, and nothing.
Back at the ranch...
... you can see the nearly fully stocked garden the house came with from the gallery. On some level this annoys me. It takes gameplay away from players who ought to get these plants themselves. It has both spinach and death flowers, though they are not growing outside because it's spring and they're out of season. I want to get started reviving ghosts, and there are alternatives to waiting that long.
1. Befriending Roberto Crinkletop and asking him about a nectar recipe can get you a bottle of Vitality Nectar. That's the simplest.
2. Next best is buying death flowers in the Magic Realm.
None of those options worked, but that's for later.
Fancy is very close to aging up to an adult, so Phoebe signed up for some $250 riding classes. I'm glad to see that's an option.
She reached level 9 riding and was 74% to level 10 after two classes. The Knights of the Hedge club bought the riding skill perk, and Phoebe is quite talented. So when she sat on a horse for the first time she maxed the skill. To the left of her hat, you can see long windows in the towers now.
To update on dear little Fancy, he's level 5 temperament. I suppose that's not bad.
The very best horses for skill gain will be intelligent, and be the foal of a champion horse. I looked forward to that. Fancy has no such bonuses, but has Character. Rescue horses are not easy, but that makes it more rewarding. Horse Ranch is very me. I like long-range goals. I like breeding in traits.
Another favourite item is the Unassuming Candy Jar.
Exhale. We've got a side table with 4 bizarre idols, and another in the lounge, but no candy jar yet. Phoebe is really considering being a ghost hunter to speed this up.
Knox on a horse:
Stables:
A visit to Guidry and Temperance:
Someone has uploaded them to the gallery. If you do any of the paranormal stuff, ghost hunting etc., they don't get duplicated. These sims have the special traits, the game knows that, and it's this Guidry and this Temperance that will appear. I put the house on Hallow Slough. It's lightly edited, so there is actually a back door through the kitchen and has a neater lounge.
Phoebe instantly befriended Temperance and discussed expanding the family.
No kids have resulted. I could switch to them and see if a science baby is an option. It should be, right? But there's no rush. They're ghosts!
Phoebe is at Movers & Shakers gym in Willow Creek. Upstairs, there's what really seems to be a bar area. I enjoy doing a mild base game only renovation to make it an actual bar. And it's my go-to place for fame selfies, and it worked brilliantly again! Don Gooseman is the barman.
Two selfies at the gym bar. The reason we came here was Reese's needs were bad, but Pansy was at work. Reese doesn't know Phoebe and she couldn't help him. So she just left him to daycare to go drinking. It sounds bad if I write it like that.
If there is one sombre picture to sum up most days, and it's Phoebe giving presents to spectres.
Her undiminished optimism, her steadfast hope carries her through this Great Trial. But I think she needs to sign up as a paranormal investigator. More spectres more often, plus rewards from the jobs, and we'll have candy jars in no time.
We've added a woodworking bench here, and Phoebe crafted a large planter. Also recycling is here (so useful for getting rid of items you don't need!), and a small basement was added -- behold the stairs -- so there's somewhere more optimal to age nectar.
Death flowers and spinach were moved to the planter. They're sheltered, but they'll grow. Death flowers take a while to grow though, so if I can find Roberto and get a free bottle of nectar, that's worth a shot. (I tested another save for 5 minutes. I moved a sim into the 50x50 Galloping Gulch log cabin, and Roberto was pretty much the first sim to show up with the welcome wagon. The sim got a bottle of vitality nectar within moments of starting out. It's that easy.) So Pansy and Phoebe need to explore town a bit and hopefully meet him.
Somehow, Reese felt loved by his mother who hates children -- exhibit A. Don't laugh!
... so Phoebe baked a cake to age him up. She still hasn't met Reese who lives in the same house, so she can't take care of him at all. It was all up to Pansy who was often painting. He is a top-notch infant.
That's Pansy + Jacques Villareal. I'm quite hopeful.
Fancy says goodnight.
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Next pulsating episode: a very dead, very surprising visitor shows up?!?! (So now we really need the nectar.) And Fancy the Horse goes Racing.
