Taking my own advice
Those of you who follow sim_spirationmight remember my pep talk for this year’s SimStoCreMo. It was written from personal experience and, well I need to take that advice again, and to try to further add to my peace of mind, I need to write some things down.
I woke up this morning feeling completely and utterly overwhelmed by the rebuild and my next set of chapters. This isn’t a new feeling. I’ve been feeling like this since last summer at least, possibly before since I can’t remember not feeling like this to various degrees, only then I was feeling overwhelmed by only the chapters. Now I have all the work I need to do before I get to sorting out those chapters.
I feel like I’m drowning in all I need to do to get to the point where I can start having fun with it, like I was three years ago, when I was regularly participating in sim_spiration, and the ideas for my characters and story arcs came thick and fast.
I want to have fun with this again.
It’s not that it’s not fun per se, but that I have so much work to do at the moment, it feels like work and not a hobby. But I’m too far along to turn back now. I have to get this done. I’m over halfway through. I have to be over halfway through. If I’m not … Well that doesn’t bear thinking about. I doubt my natural stubbornness could help me then.
I’ve taken a break. I took a complete break from sims a few weeks ago and returned to looking at the game feeling completely refreshed and revitalised. It was excellent. I still feel like I want to make progress. I don’t feel like I did when I realised I was burnt out. The idea of opening the game doesn’t make me want to scream and run away at the moment. I’ve even made a little cc (little hah!) and now have 18 period appropriate betrothal/wedding rings, as well as the Maxis engagement ring all as BV jewellery. I also finished off project refit before my break.
I spent most the long weekend reading, and playing only a little. So a break has been well and truly taken, and now, even though I’m feeling overwhelmed, I just want to get on and get it finished.
I’ve also taken a look at what I’ve already achieved since November, which is a hell of a lot. All the foundation stuff is done. Both hoods are set up as clean templates and all lots I could put down, have been. All stats are in an easy to search and edit format. My age chart is all set up ready for the new hood. All cc I want at the start has been made (I’m being firm now and not making any more until I’m done). All townies have been made, I just need to give them stats when I put them in the new hoods. I’ve also nearly finished playing the rotation. Actually, I should probably do a small picspam for that.
I’ve done a lot. I still have a lot to do.
- Finish the rotation:
- Finish playing the halls.
- Play the Legacy Society.
- Back up N004.
- Put down the stay put shrub in the VPLs.
- Move out the girls of the VPLs.
- Package up the lot.
- Install the lot as a clean lot in a rubbish hood and make sure I can get into it.
- Repeat for the LS.
- If I can’t get into either lot, then I need to install an earlier version and paint new portraits.
- Add the VPLs and LS to N002 and N003.
- Back up N002 and N003.
- Make a list of stats and skills for the main sims.
- Add my simself to N002.
- Add the new townies a section at a time.
- Check what hacks I need in to make the BV tourists and locals function properly. I know I also need to make sure I have the hack in that allows for fewer tourists than the game is expecting.
- Generate and change the clothing on the NPCs.
- Once all townies are in back up N002.
- Repeat for N003.
- Add my sims to N002.
- Fix stats, skills, relationships etc.
- Paint any new portraits.
- Take pictures to use in making cc portraits.
- Make cc portraits.
- Fix ages and get the seasons to where they need to be to start the next rotation.
- Back up N002.
- Throw big party because it will be DONE!!!!!!
Ok, given all I’ve already done, that looks fairly manageable. The most time consuming thing will be adding the sims and towniefying everyone I think. And I have to do that twice. (I know I could perhaps let the game generate all new townies in N003, but I want the dummy hood to be as identical as possible to the real one, and if I’m making all these lovely townies, I want to show them off in the story and not just in picspam.
I then need to figure out the structure for the rest of chapter 24, but I am thinking of writing shorter parts, concentrating on one set of events in each chapter. So, Bethany’s wedding would be one part, Sarah Jane’s little story will be another, the lead up to the dance wold be another, or the stuff that’s going on at the university itself will be all one part. That sort of thing.
Ok, I’m feeling slightly better now. This is achievable. I can do this. I just need to do a bit at a time.