Main Apartment Switch Rules | Switch One Rules

The one thing I've noticed as I've play-tested along, is that there is a big difference between "Normal" and "Extreme" .. you wouldn't think so, but there is. Hard to explain. I think I like the easiness of normal, but the freedom to build in extreme. Guess I like both, then. LOL. Anyway. Here we go. Of note before we start, though... I'm going to do this all in one shot so I don't have to shoot a second cover photo. Yep. Laziness at it's best.

My Sim for this go-round is Joel Ritchie - Creative, Romantic, Cheerful and started with the "City Native" so he gets a bonus for being on his "home turf". The aspiration was switched once I got in game to the writing aspiration.

I started out talking up the ladies that I could find in the area - since there's no collectibles to start with usually. They'll spawn eventually. I found a couple of prospective partners, but was still holding out for possibly finding a better mate. Eventually I found Ulrike Faust - Perfectionist, Creative, Art Lover and working as a painter. When I saw her traits combined with her job I knew I was set. Befriended her and moved her in ASAP. Only level 2 in her career, but already a level 4 in painting. NICE! Bonus: I've never played her before so she's pretty much all new to me.

With her painting, him collecting (and selling paintings from the square when I remembered to), I soon had at least the basics. For me, the basics included a computer for Joel and an easel for Ulrike. Also: a bed, a cooler, and a shower/sink/toilet. Walls took another day or so.

He seems happy, at least.

It took another couple days to get married to her.. but that was okay. Lots of time was spent leveling Joel's writing skill. I got him to level three before writing a book - I've never seen a children's book that sold well from the early levels. I also made a strategic decision not to publish anything until I hit level five writing so I could sell to publisher instead of self-publishing. Another decision I keep re-thinking is not getting him a job. For now, he's doing his "work" from home.

Chatting with the Mrs. before she goes to work.

Last minute painting before popping the easel into household inventory as well as the inspiring wall art from her work. I'll trade them for a TV and the value will still be there. More pic spam: (I tried to make this apartment look different from the last attempts, but there's only so much you can do in this shell, in my opinion.)

And lastly: what it looks like without the easel and artwork: (Ulrike looks confused... haha)

Well, that was fast. Time to move!

Put down the wall by the balcony so they'd actually be living in a real room indoors. Added the door that looked like it best matched the windows I can't change. Then the initial furniture purchases. Again, I had enough to purchase the basics. Looks a bit like lawn living... but they'll be fine. It feels a bit like I'm living in a palace compared to the last dump - despite the fact that it's just as crappy an apartment.

The next day, after Ulrike's job, I send her off to the museum for her aspiration (looking at paintings at the museum). That doesn't take to long, so I send her back home, and put her back to painting.

A Masterpiece later, I have enough money to start painting/flooring. For some reason I felt the need to do that before buying new stuff or even walls. I went with a bright, cheerful paint job.. although I do change the second bedroom's flooring before I'm done.

More skilling and days at the job for Ulrike later, I am able to afford the rest of the walls, and some columns in the kitchen. I like the way it's turning out.

Both of them in the little "inspiration nook" in the hallway. Still quite a bit of work to do left on the apartment before we're done... but it's getting there.

"Hey honey? I'm pregnant!" .. "Already? Guess we better upgrade our apartment!" (Okay, so it's not the way the conversation went. But in the next day and a half I had everything needed for this apartment, blithely forgot to take screenshots and moved them to the next one.)

Had to go back to this apartment in build mode to get the pictures I forgot.. here's the walls cutaway.

..The deck

.. And walls up. It's incredibly hard to get pictures inside the apartment due to the size. (Perhaps why I abandoned the effort originally) .. So I gave up trying and just used these overall shots.

Well, that was fast.

A very pregnant and mostly unclothed Ulrike (I'm constantly telling her to put some clothes on.. LOL) standing outside their new lawn-living arrangement. I had a little bit of an idea of how to make this one differently, so I set the furniture out in their "correct" spots.

Here's the walls I finally built. The bathroom and the kitchen got their paint before I ran out of funds again.

Ulrike.. again half naked.. and introducing us to Athena. I think this will be their only nooboo, so I hope she's at least good looking. But then.. when are toddlers NOT adorable??

The little family. Trying to earn money so they can paint the walls.

Oohh. I see paint. In more ways than one!

Ulrike gets level 10 painting.

.. Just another day as a stay at home dad and writer.

Working on yet another book...

Wow.. his skills went by so quick! That home studio trait is really nice!

A shot of the hallway from the living room. You can see the kitchen to the left and the entry way at the far end.

The dining area.

Somehow the best shot I could get of the kitchen/dining area was through the window.

Master Bedroom.

Kid's room.. never used. I moved them when Athena was still a baby to see how moving with a baby worked.

Finished apartment. I like the way it turned out!

For some reason, halfway through this house, the "Home Studio" trait disappeared so I had to put it back. It's a nice one to have, though. I may have to add it to the next apartment.

Moved into the next apartment just in time. Meet Athena!

Lawn living quality in a great big apartment. Building the upper floor was one of my priorities, right after buying the very basics for each sim. I guess I could have splurged and gotten them "better" basics instead of building the upstairs, but I wanted to get an idea of where everything was going to go in the house. I specifically wanted it to look different from the way EA builds it, but keep the balcony overlooking the "Great View" windows.

Off to sleep little one. Daddy has some cleanup around the house to do, it seems.

The kitchen coming together. Yes, I've decided to do a purple/pink theme to the house. Why? To see if I can, of course!

Athena, the independent, teaching herself on the blocks in her newly-walled-in-room. No paint yet, but that will come.

The view from the studio. I had to put it in the same spot I stuck the office in my "normal" play-through just because the view is so awesome. The studio is open to the upstairs, though, and isn't walled off, so that's something new.

Time for bed again. Mommy takes a break from painting now that the apartment is starting to come together.

See? It's turning out really well. And looking like I'll have the house done WAY before Athena grows up. Having her earlier didn't seem to make much of a difference.

Play time with mommy on one of her days "off" of work.

More pics of the balcony down to the living room and studio. I really like the way the house turned out, even if the decor is rather "loud".

The upstairs. Nice and bright, and fits with the rest of the house. Wait 'til you see the way the kitchen/dining turned out!

Athena, playing on her own again. She seems to really like it.

While Mom and Dad work in the studio.

Awww.. nap time! Toddlers are so cute!

The kitchen.

Joel ages up.. on the same day as Athena is due to age up. Good thing you can re-use cake!

Go Athena!

Awww!

Athena's new "big girl" room. I used a lot of the kid's stuff pack for this, because it's still very new to me. And yes, I remembered the no monster lamp next to her bed!

The dining area, looking from the kitchen.

The repairs are never ending. I suppose I could just replace them.. but then what would poor Joel do all day?

Working on her Creative Aspiration

Mommy's birthday.

Time to put that violin down..

She finished the aspiration! Onto Whiz Kid.

Playing with mom for those chess games.

Since I've been over 40k in house value for a while now... I built a karaoke bar. Not a very good one, mind you.. but it's built. And I send Joel and Ulrike to check it out one night. (They're playing the LLama game back in the corner there...)

And look who's home with a weird outfit?

Grats on the A there, Athena...

..Which finishes up Whiz Kid. Now to do Rambunctious Scamp.

Practicing typing at her pink computer.

While mom and dad do what they do basically every day.. paint and write.

Looking from the studio towards the kitchen...

From front door past dining into the kitchen..

.. And from dining towards the living room.

The upstairs balcony outside the bedrooms.

Third aspiration complete.. and just in time, too.

Happy birthday, Athena!

What is up with the short haired girl teens in my game. Second one in a row!  Oh well, at least she's got decent clothes. 🙂

Yup, I couldn't handle the hair. Changed it to a ponytail to match the style of her clothes.

Sitting reading in the living room. Since she's got the nerd brain aspiration as a teenager, she had to read three books.. this is the second.

Then we have to upgrade something (or repair it) and nothing was broken for a change... so she upgrades a toilet. Which, contrary to EA saying it helps it break less.. it still breaks just as much afterwards.

Oh, Athena, that looks so dangerous. But she lives.

New table centerpiece to do the homework with.

Both Joel and Ulrike finish their aspirations.

And Athena gets an A.

More work on handiness. At about this point, I realize she won't be able to finish nerd brain aspiration, either.. but that's ok, I wanted quick learner on her anyway. (Can't own the rocket ship in an apartment. Don't worry. I tried.)

Might as well learn to cook now.. going to need it later. As with my normal play-through, I'm trying not to skill the things she'll need in the next Switch in this household, so as to make it a bit harder and more accurate for testing.

Such a colorful kitchen.. wonder who the cake's for?

Oh yeah, she got this, too. Must have been a good cake.

.. Dad. Poor Joel and the last of his adulthood.

Aches and pains await!

More learning to cook..

Man looking through these pictures, all I see is that a lot of things break in this house.

See?

And again.

Ulrike strutting..

Deservedly so. Nice job on the maxed career!

Also.. wow nice masterpiece. No wonder they're rich.

Joel's royalties check comes in. He gets that every day. And yes, that's how much cash they have on hand.

Ulrike's turn.

She doesn't seem pleased with the aging.

Before I show the final age-up... the final stats for everyone:

The house value:

And the final funds:

Hefty chunk of change there. The closest I've ever gotten in one generation to getting the Rosebud achievement. (Although it might have been a little closer on my house 6 drifter, if you count how much was spent on the house..)

Good bye to teenager-hood! She even made her own cake. What a good girl. See you in Switch Two, Athena!

Main Apartment Switch Rules | Switch One Rules
On to Switch Two