Introducing ... Falconvale - a "Nothing is Free" Challenge!

The first challenge I'm going to attempt to blog/story-write about is my "Nothing is Free" challenge.  (Mod The Sims - The "Nothing Is Free" Challenge)  I started this on the Sunset Valley 2 world from Sims 3 Exchange.  The basic premise of the challenge is to build a city from nothing - a completely blank, unpopulated world.  I've already started the challenge, but I haven't gotten all that far.. so I only have a little catch-up to do on the story writing.

Loading

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

15 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Allie Mac
Guest
Allie Mac
February 19, 2017 12:55 AM

OMG!! I KNEW your banner looked familiar! Your blog was one of the very first I had ever read! I used to do the random legacy in sims 3 and found nothing is free on mod the Sims and read the ENTIRE thread (s) and the blogs for it. This little house has stuck in my head this whole time. I remember checking your site quite a few times hoping to find out how this little family ended up doing. That is just too cool! *huge hugs*

illusorythrall
Guest
illusorythrall
February 19, 2017 1:10 AM
Reply to  Allie Mac

Really?? That's great. I was so sad when that little Falconvale died. I've been so busy with Drifting I haven't been back to my "new" Nothing is Free called Castaway Shores.. but I definitely will be continuing it. I LOVE the Nothing is Free challenge. It was one of those challenges that just really stuck out to me in Sims 3. I even tried to make a version of it playable for Sims 4, but it was really tough going without a lot of the options Sims 3 had for buying the lots with your family. So I went back to Sims 3 for it. Until I found the Drifter Challenge, I mostly just puttered around in sims 4 with playing the game's townies. (Which is one reason I delete all of them in my drifter challenge - I've seen them all and would rather have newly spawned random sims.) That's too funny that you recognized the banner. I've had it forever.. obviously.. but it's one of the best sims 3 screenshots I took of the horses back in Falconvale NiF. I loved that little city so much I have never been able to delete it off my blog. Was really too bad that the bugs finally killed it.

Allie Mac
Guest
Allie Mac
February 19, 2017 1:19 AM
Reply to  illusorythrall

In fact, I just told my son how I remembered you posting on Mod the Sims that you love horses and that your banner was an actual screen shot. That's exactly what I did. I got TS4 and missed the Nothing is Free challenge. So I only played TS4 for about an hour total until I found the Drifter one. It's as close as NIF as you can get I think without being able to purchase community lots. Lately I've been feeling the pull of NIF again when I get bogged down by trying to deal with all of my massive screen shots. That tiny kitchen you built for this one just really Wow'd me. I never would have been able to make one that small and functional. It really made me want to attempt a tiny house.

illusorythrall
Guest
illusorythrall
February 19, 2017 1:27 AM
Reply to  Allie Mac

I've been so busy switching back and forth between my Drifter saves and my "Apartment Switch" challenge I'm writing. It's inspired by Drifter, and runs around building all the apartments in City Living expansion. I made sure it was okay with Vi before even starting to write the challenge, and she's been even talking about wanting to try it once the whole thing is out. I've discovered writing a challenge, however, is a lot more work than I initially thought, but it's ok.. I'm still having fun with it.

Tiny kitchens become a must on a budget, I've found. I'm getting even better at them with my Apartment Switch challenge, since you have to sometimes fit a useful kitchen into a really tight spot in the apartments.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed the similarities of Drifting to the NiF challenge. The spirit of the challenge is very similar.. trying to build something out of nothing and building it all yourself. Perhaps it's part of the reason I love Drifting so much!

Allie Mac
Guest
Allie Mac
February 19, 2017 1:36 AM
Reply to  illusorythrall

I agree (about the similarities between Drifting and NIF). I just wish we could own the commercial properties like we did in S3, but oh well. I definitely want to do you switch one. In fact I should do that when I'm itching to play but am too far ahead of my story. I'll be sure to let you know when I start it. 🙂

illusorythrall
Guest
illusorythrall
February 19, 2017 1:41 AM
Reply to  Allie Mac

That would be awesome! 🙂 I'll be staggering the release of the Switches (of which there are six) so I have time to do testing in between releases.. Probably about 1-2 weeks in between each. I've made the challenge be very much based on learning about the City Living expansion and building your own San Myshuno.. a lot like the Drifter is about building Oasis Springs and Willow Creek and learning new things about Sims 4.

Allie Mac
Guest
Allie Mac
February 19, 2017 1:43 AM
Reply to  illusorythrall

I haven't played with anything outside of our drifter world. The only thing I've seen of San Myshuno is a tiny bit during two different festivals. But I'm itching to see more than just an empty lot. I think mostly because I started all over, it's getting harder to stick with.

illusorythrall
Guest
illusorythrall
February 19, 2017 1:52 AM
Reply to  Allie Mac

You'd like the challenge, then. I've been learning all sorts of things about the new City Living content.. and there's a lot of it. Three new careers, working from home, a new aspiration.. and the apartments.. two new venue types. As I work on building the challenge, I keep learning more. It definitely passed up the Get to Work expansion for my favorite expansion so far.

I can understand the getting harder to stick with it when you're starting all over with the same houses. It'll be easier once you get up to the houses you haven't done before. I've been having a blast up in house 7.. it's so totally different from previous houses.. I have no idea where Vi came up with all these great ideas to keep us coming back.. but I'm looking forward to seeing where she goes from here!

While waiting for my new computer in January, I restarted my Drifter as well, this time into a story.. and I tell you, I don't know how you do it with your stories. They're so amazing and inspiring! I have trouble matching story and game play all the time. I'll get an idea for a story and then the game play that I need for it to work just doesn't happen. (That's what happened to my "Spectres of the Past" S3 NiF/Apocalypse.. I'm still trying to figure out how to get out of the writing hole I got that one into. Luckily I still have a viable save for it, so it's still playable, unlike Falconvale.)

Allie Mac
Guest
Allie Mac
February 19, 2017 2:14 AM
Reply to  illusorythrall

I definitely need to try it then!! As soon as my screenshot folder fills up, I'm going to do just that. 🙂 Charliimae's internet is down and Dusk is becoming a big part of this family, so I'm kinda in a holding pattern in the moment. Depending on what develops with him between now & when Dace takes over may change his story a lot. Lots of unknowns.
I can't wait to get to house 007!! I've seen the rules and am sooo anxious to play it (and to see what comes next). So I'm been forcing myself to keep my head down and get back up there as soon as possible.
It definitely makes it harder/slower to add a story to each house. And thank you for the compliments!! I can't tell you how much that means to me. Try just playing your game, then write your story after or as you go. That's what I do. I just play for about the first week or two in game taking tons of screenshots. Then take a writing back and go back and see what's in my folder. So far I've been able to piece everything together that way. I don't plan anything ahead of time. I have absolutely NOOO idea how Dace is going to be as an adult yet. And I had a real rough time figuring out Cassia. In fact if you look in my reading circle, you'll see where I was chatting with CathyTea about Cassia having absolutely NO personality.

illusorythrall
Guest
illusorythrall
February 19, 2017 2:24 AM
Reply to  Allie Mac

Well, she certainly found her personality. I love her and Jack's adventures. And me saying that your stories are inspiring is right on the money. Without your stories, I wouldn't have thought to try a Drifter story. I'm kind of slacking on it now with the work for the new challenge, but I plan to get back to it as soon as I have a spare moment. I really think you'll enjoy the Apartment Switch. It's got a very drifter feel to it, but with constantly moving around so nothing stays the same for long. I think it's fun.

I can't wait to meet Dace as he grows up. I think it's fun how you let each sim "speak" to you.

The way I write is usually stopping play as soon as I have enough screenshots, then write from what I've got. It's a lot harder for me to save up the screenshots for later, because I'll forget why I took one, or where the printscreen goes in the middle of the screenshots, or whatever. It definitely makes it so the game play drives where the story goes. Which is, in my opinion, the easiest way to do writing about Sims. Having the story before doing the game play is very hard... learned that one with Spectres of the Past.

Speaking of reading circles.. that's something I've never even thought to try. I'm not very brave at putting myself out there. I joined the stories feed by mastressalita, and made my own topic on the sims 3 part of the forum, but that's as far as I've gone. Joining the Drifter community has been so rewarding, though, that I might give some thought to finding a reading circle. Just wouldn't know how to go about it.

Allie Mac
Guest
Allie Mac
February 19, 2017 11:00 AM
Reply to  illusorythrall

I love how you have the printscreens in your chapters. I just take notes on that kinda stuff and put it in the stats at the end. I'm sure if I tried it your way, I'd miss more than half of the pics. 🙂

The reading circles are pretty cool, but can take up quite a bit of time. I lucked out and found one that's pretty casual and laid back. Mine is a game driven circle. There are only 4 of us active at the moment. I feel bad because half the time I'm way behind on reading their stories.

I had some questions for you about Switch and sent them in a PM in the forums.

illusorythrall
Guest
illusorythrall
February 19, 2017 3:22 PM
Reply to  Allie Mac

The printscreens are a lot of work, making sure they go in the "right" spots, but I like having a record of them. Sometimes the game screenshots just don't capture what you want, you know?

illusorythrall
Guest
illusorythrall
February 20, 2017 2:57 AM
Reply to  Allie Mac

Is your circle looking for a new member? I'm always interested in finding new stories to read..

Allie Mac
Guest
Allie Mac
February 20, 2017 8:53 AM
Reply to  illusorythrall

I just posted in my circle to find out if there is a spot open. I would ASSUME so, but can't really speak on their behalf. I'd love to have you join though!

illusorythrall
Guest
illusorythrall
February 20, 2017 9:01 AM
Reply to  Allie Mac

Well, thanks for asking. 🙂 I wouldn't want to jump right in without knowing it was okay first. It would be nice to have one where I know at least one person, though, you know? I still can't believe you were a follower way back when I had Falconvale going. That's just crazy coincidence.

Post Calendar

March 2012
S M T W T F S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

My Recent Twitter Posts

Discord

Site Stats

  • 483
  • 632
  • 187,469
  • 0
I am a 45 year old American wife, mother, and gamer. I’ve lived in the Midwest most of my life, and enjoy it for the changing seasons. My favorite movie is Labyrinth, my favorite game is Sims 4, and I have tattoos related to both. My favorite colors are purple, red, and green. When I’m not playing games (which is rare) I also enjoy reading and crafting. I’m also an animal lover, and have had many types of pets over the years. Currently, I have a dog named Cassie who is a Jack Russel / Beagle mix and three young fancy rats (all of whom are rescues). I run this Sims 4 Blog where I post screenshots and stories about the different challenges I play. Also here are the Sims 4 challenges I've written, and a place for me to store all the Sims 4 knowledge I've gotten over the years. I am also a Sims 4/variety streamer on Twitch for my mental health, fun, and to meet new people. I have also recently been accepted to the EA Creator Network, which is a dream come true! I look forward to meeting you!
More About me...
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram