The Boon OWBC

Chapter 1: Cheese, Please!

Hi, I’m Sam! And welcome to my new OWBC!

This time, I’m playing for points! The game bonuses I’ve chosen are Base Game, Seasons and Apartment Life, and I’ve taken on tons of mini challenges – Boolprop Naming Scheme, CowforBrain’s Ghost Hunt, One Bad Apple, Quad Pod, Family Scrapbook - and the super mini-challenge Monster Mash.

And because I like making my life hard, I’ve added some personal challenges – the Middle of Nowhere handicap, all graves must be kept on the lot, romantic partners can only be moved in if they have two or more bolts and one member of the bloodline must collect ALL of the vacation mementos.

So where is all of this magic going to take place? Why, in Secret’s Corner, a lovingly made terrain.

And why am I showing you the SC4 screenshot instead of a nice neighbourhood shot? Well, my graphics aren’t so crispy, and the neighbourhood actually looks a lot worse that it is.

What? You want to see what it looks like in TS2?

Not quite as spectacular, is it?

I also forgot that the neighbourhoods flip for some reason when converted from SC4 to TS2. Ah well.

I quite like it!

And in Secret’s Corner, we find our founder, becoming a grilled cheese sim.

Oh? You wanted to see her face?

…Are you sure?

Lucinda: *contented sigh* Cheeeeeese!

Meet Lucinda Boon, a cheese-loving cyclops. With family as a back-up goal. So this will be a generation of far too much cheese and more babies than we can afford.

Which will be fabulous, of course!

She’s your typical Aries, as well.

And here is a tiny little yellow house where Lucinda will be raising her brood.

Yes, it’s yellow because cheese is yellow. I was obviously feeling very inspired at the time.

And here’s the incredibly inspirational floor plan. Still all in yellow.

Did I mention I’m adding to the ruleset, as a personal challenge? You see, there’s this handicap called the Middle of Nowhere, and after the first day, the player is only allowed to place two item from build mode, and two items from buy mode. This will mean the house will progress slowly.

Hopefully, the Boons will have a nice house by the end of the challenge, but I’m not promising anything.

The only exception to the rule, is the placing of flamingos and gnomes. Those are to be added to, or replaced, as required. Though hopefully I won’t have to replace the gnome.

By the way, I’ve opted to name the gnome “Gnomeo”. Mostly so that if he’s stolen, I can be all “Wherefore art thou Gnomeo?”

I wish I could take credit for the name Gnomeo, but I stole it shamelessly from a children’s film I’ve never actually seen.

Gnomeo had barely been on the lot for two sim hours before an attempt at kidnapping was made.

Luckily, Jihoon Hsu never actually took the gnome – must have decided there were too many people around.

Lucinda decided she didn’t really like any of these weirdos on her lawn, even after Maria, the woman in green, had offered her a job.

Lucinda wanted to spend her days as a carefree artist of grilled cheese, not in an office!

Luckily for Lucinda, a matchmaker dropped by to welcome her to Secret’s Corner, and that was going to make for an interesting afternoon.

But only after Lucinda had emptied her bank account out into the matchmaker’s hand.

Thank plumbbob Lucinda only had a small house, otherwise the matchmaker would have been thoroughly disappointed with Lucinda’s offering.

And so the matchmaker calls up some mysterious demons from the underworld to summon a bad date for Lucinda. You know how these things go.

What is interesting is Lucinda’s features. I made the male version of Lucinda a long time ago, and I’m pretty sure the offspring were…unique looking, shall we say.

This will definitely be interesting!

Presenting Amin Bear, a man who refuses to be bound by the law.

I introduced my own rule with romance, too. No spouses may be moved in, unless the relationship is two or more bolts. That’s not to say Lucinda can’t choose to breed with them.

Best of luck, Amin.

Well, they don’t do too badly. They like each other, at least.

It’s only one bolt, though. I paid for much higher than just one bolt – dammit, matchmaker! I feel cheated.

Also, Jihoon and Maria in the background, obsessed with the flamingos.

Jihoon: I’ll stand them all up again, and then we’ll knock them all back down.

Maria: This is kind of boring. Want to steal the gnome?

Jihoon: No! The flamingos need more kicks!

Ugh, this neighbourhood is full of thieves.

Lucinda: She’s terrible at her job! *giggle*

Don’t be so harsh, guys! She brought you together!

I’m pretty sure these two have decided they want to be together, regardless of the restrictions placed upon them.

But just in case, I will be sending Lucinda on a quick spouse hunt at some point.

Maria: Heck, no! What kinda girl do you think I am?

Jihoon clearly felt like he was missing out on all the loving.

Hooray! He’s back to defend the flamingos another day!

Gnomeo: I hate my life.

The next day, Lucinda’s two items from build mode are these garden patches. We’re not going to get a plantsim if we don’t get farming!

And yes, Jihoon and Amin have been there all night.

Amin: Are you nearly done yet?!

Lucinda: Almost! I swear, it’ll be the best portrait of you, ever.

Later that day, Lucinda headed out to check out the local man candy. Apparently, there wasn’t much.

Zero boltage for everyone in the room, except Ethan, the guy in the orange jacket, and that was only one bolt. And they didn’t hit it off, because Lucinda tried to flirt too soon.

I guess that means Amin’s the man, as Lucinda has already taken a liking to him.

I’m still not moving him in.

But as long as he’s around, he may as well contribute to the future of Lucinda’s challenge.

Get on it, I want the first generation before the end of this update!

Guys, guys, guys! We’re about to witness something I had NEVER seen in game before – the act of conjuring grilled cheese!

I don’t play that many cheese sims, and likewise, forget to spend their lifetime bonus type stuff. So I have never actually seen this before.

Lucinda: Success!

It was definitely worth the wait. And also, this conjuring cheese trick becomes one of the most important ways of keeping Lucinda alive when pregnant.

All hail the cheese!

The only issue with the cyclops eye is that is really glitchy sometimes. This is the most play-testing I’ve done with my cyclops sim, though.

Also, yes, she is about to go get Gnomeo again.

Lucinda: Oof. Seems I’m growing a cheese baby. I need to exercise more!

Hooray for progress! And I did end up nicknaming the bump ‘cheese baby’ the entire time I was playing the pregnancy.

It’s time for the autumn party!

With a whole TWO guests! Everyone else would rather not bother, it seems.

Lucinda’s only other friend in the world is her wing-man, the gypsy matchmaker.

Gypsy: Damn, these are delicious!

Good thing I’m not playing the Beyond Cheesy bonus.

But hey, the important thing about parties is not the amount of guests you have, but the amount of FUN you have!

And if you don’t think a matchmaker and a burglar make good dance partners, then you’re wrong.

Some time later, Lucinda’s baby developed its own orbit.

Lucinda: I look just like Saturn!

…I’m pretty sure that joke has been made thousands of times.

Lucinda: Oh Amin! You’re just in time!

Amin: In time for what?

Lucinda: This!

Call me old fashioned, but I wanted Amin there for the birth of the baby he won’t be raising because he’s a member of an immortal townie pool.

Lucinda: Amin! Leave Gnomeo alone and come meet your daughter!

Amin: Ugh, fine.

Gnomeo luckily survived this round with the neighbourhood of thieves.

Amin: Hooray! I helped make that!

Lucinda: Let’s name her Bianca!

Look! She has two eyes! Let’s see how long that lasts – I have a feeling Lucinda’s eye will be pretty dominant.

Amin: Look! I’m autonomously being a good dad! Can I move in now?

Not a chance.

Well, that one day of babyhood sure passed quickly! I’m pretty sure nothing really interesting happened.

I can’t wait to see what little Bianca looks like!

Bianca has one eye. Well, she will do when she ages a little bit – for now it’s almost one eye. I’ve not actually bred Lucinda before, but it’s not unexpected for different glitches throughout life.

Bianca also got her dad’s mouth.

Another snap of the little monster – she definitely descends from Lucinda!

Bianca is an Aries, with a personality of 10/9/2/3/3.

Outside, by the tent – because there isn’t enough room in the house yet for a bed and a crib – Lucinda realises she’s expected again.

Lucinda: This calls for celebration cheese!

Bianca’s pretty cute, actually. Not quite prettacy material, but I like her.

With the Middle of Nowhere handicap, it’s really hard to build a house big enough for all of the stuff I want to shove in it, and so, we end up with a bizarre garden of household items.

And a neighbourhood watching you bathe your kids, which is a little odd.

See, this is the entirety of the bathroom.

Four tiles, two taken up by the shower and the toilet. And I’m pretty sure Lucinda sucks at cleaning , because that toilet is always gross and overflowing.

And Bianca is always playing in it, as she has no toys – I have to prioritise what the family needs with the Middle of Nowhere handicap!

Yay! Another bump towards progress!

…I need to think of some ‘O’ names I haven’t used in my previous OWBC attempts.

Bianca: Dada!

Amin: Well don’t you take after your mother? Come here, sweetie.

I love how Amin takes care of his offspring

The whole reason Amin was over the house was because his second child was due, but he disappeared before the sproglet made it into the world.

Guess he had a long night of thieving ahead of him or something. He can come visit when he’s less busy.

Presenting generation one’s bad apple, Orca!

…yes I know. It was 1am when the name box popped up, and I’d only prepared a boy’s name. So Orca got the first ‘O’ word that popped into my head that sounded girly enough to be her name.

After Orca’s arrival, it was time for the winter party, with the usual two guests.

Amin: Gypsy! You took the last bag of crisps!

Gypsy: *burp* Sorry.

Coincidentally, the winter party was also Bianca’s birthday.

Or did I plan that? You’ll never know! Mwhahaha!

I have no idea whether I planned it or not

The eyes are slowly merging into one cyclops eye. I think I’ll call it Cyclops Syndrome – the gradual change from human to cyclops.

Anyway, Bianca’s great.

Bianca: Mummy, why is there a stranger in our lawn tub?

Lucinda: Because, little one, it’s impolite to decline visitors things that they need.

Camryn here just happened to be walking past during party time. How was I to know she just wanted to use the tub?

Lucinda: Orca needs her nappy changing. Also, Amin, I’m pregnant again.

Amin: How can you tell?

Lucinda: Just ask the toilet bowl. It’s all the evidence you need.

That night, I thought of a way to make Amin part of the family…

Amin: Falalala, going for a swim in a two-tile pool!

He can become part of the Ghost Hunt. That way, he won’t be kicking around for eternity while his kids age. And I’ll get points!

I do feel a little bad about it.

So THAT’S what Amin was hiding underneath his criminal cap!

Lucinda: Orca! What is wrong?

The bad apple just wants to get started on throwing tantrums early on, right?

Or maybe she senses that her father is in a ladder-less pool. Who knows.

Bianca: Mum, why does Dad get to go swimming? I want to go swimming.

Lucinda: No, you don’t. Now sing happy birthday to Orca.

Bianca: Fiiiiine.

How cute is she? And she grew up into Bianca’s old dress, which is pretty cool too – it’s like hand-me-downs!

As Orca is the bad apple, I can’t click on her to tell you her stats. We’ll just have to guess about her personality for the rest of her childhood.

And yes, I am going to put a picture of a whale on all of Orca’s birthday slides.

Orca definitely has her mother’s nose – the concave is there so that the eyes can be squished together afterall. That might be Lucinda’s mouth as well.

We’ll have to wait and see.

Amin: I’ve just realised there’s no ladder on this pool!

Okay, now I feel REALLY guilty.

SAM, REALLY. IT’S BAD ENOUGH WHEN YOU KILL SIMS BY ACCIDENT, BUT NOW YOU’RE KILLING THEM ON PURPOSE, TOO?

It’s because I like your company very much, Death.

DON’T TRY THAT ONE ON ME. THERE’S A WOMAN IN STRANGETOWN SINGING THE SAME TUNE.

YOU DO REALISE HOW MUCH EXTRA PAPERWORK THIS IS, RIGHT?

I’m playing for points, Death. I need this. Can you handle a little extra work.

DO I HAVE A CHOICE?

Not really. I tend to do what I want.

FINE. HERE’S YOUR FIRST GRAVE. NOW YOU CAN DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES IN THIS REALM.

Funnily enough, the family took Amin’s death fairly well. We’ll see how they cope when he starts haunting, though…

That’s it for this time, but before we go, a word from my simself.

“Hey you! Yes, you! How would you like to throw your simself into this madness? Enjoy the madness of the Boolprop Clubhouse, when it’s opened? Possibly marry into the family?”

“Feel free to drop me a link – the more the merrier!”

See you next time!