now playing… TS3 Pets
It's been such a long time since I've written anything that I'm struggling about what to write, here, before the cut. Guess I just plunge in.
Haven't played in a long while due, in part, to an extremely dodgy dvd drive. Thanks to EA for Origin: I registered my copy and was able to digitally download and circumvent the drive. I'll gloss over how many hours it took as I'm really pleased to be able to play again. Also had problems, previously, with the game crashing, problems that seem to have disappeared (touch wood) - wonder if it is all down to the drive?
Wanted to share some pictures from my first encounter with The Sims 3 Pets expansion pack but my laptop only has an Intel 965 chipset so the graphics will not be the prettiest so probably best only to look if you're really interested in the ep and won’t mind my ramblings…
The little guys, in Create-a-Household (CAH) are really quite cute. Quite liking the slightly cross-eyed look.
Longer hair, though, is not rendering too well in-game. I've already turned the graphics up to medium, may need to see if I can turn them up higher as this effect is slightly eye-watering.
Oh but, gosh, the interactions are cute. Loving the tummy rub.
In this first save file, there was also a horse. I have great hopes for him making it as a racehorse, if I can stop him playing with his ball.
The deer are incredibly springy. Playing is distracting at first as you keep getting glimpses of unusual things and have to go investigate.
In fact, play seems overwhelming at first, it's probably just me but there were so many things that I wanted to see and try out, that I didn't really know which to do first. I had planned to add a cat and a large dog to this first (animal lover) family but ended up creating an additional three families - a cat lover, a dog lover and a horse lover.
Yes, Hilda does look a little peculiar (should that be purrculiar?) Incidentally, that pale thing is a button on the settee (I’m using one of the pre-made houses) and not some sort of strange deformity.
Possibly more so (purrculiar, that is) from this angle, where the funny long fur issue kicks in again. I think I need to adopt a short-haired kitty next.
The adoption is straightforward; you can adopt from a neighbour by visiting their house and choosing a kitten (or puppy) or contact the adoption centre and choose from a range of cats, kittens, foals, horses, dogs and puppies.
Loving the many interactions available to your sim and their pet: from sitting on laps to waking their owner up.
Liking the hunting skills though the presentation of the caught creature to the owner looks a little icky... that long, mottled tail thing sticking out of Hilda’s mouth is actually a turtle. The squirrel was an earlier catch that had just escaped.
The squirrel is adorable. Just wait till you see it in the rodent cage and get a chance to cuddle it for yourself.
I've caught my cats 'playing in the toilet' too. I've also caught my cats using it for its true purpose (they didn't play in it again, after - or at least, I don’t think so.) I know that the TS2 cats would do this - use toilet as litter tray - not sure yet if TS3 cats will too, or whether they just play and drink out of it.
Sadly, wasn't able to capture or adopt this.
Onto the dog lover. Again, there're problems with the long fur but I love the way her ears flap up and down as she runs.
I'm not loving her eyes though. I don't really care for the white and bloodshot bits. These showed too, to a lesser extent, on the cat. I'll be upping the graphics again later, to see if it makes a difference, and hoping that the game will still be playable.
Brings back memories. My current setter is not fond of playing tug-a-war, although the previous one loved to play. Current setter, Tilly does like squeaky toys though.
The dogs’ ability to find rocks, gems and metals is quite a money spinner. Simdog Tilly has just reached the stage where she can discover collectibles on the map, disappointingly Realdog Tilly can’t do that however Realdog Tilly is daft and gorgeous and I wouldn’t change her for the world. (Realdog Tilly likes sitting on laps - why is it always the big dogs that do? - I must remember to check whether or not large Simdogs will sit on laps.)
So cute (ignoring the fingers going through the ears and concentrating on the little dog gazing adoring upwards.)
This is where I've left off playing. Once she'd got over thoughts of eating the smaller dog, they got along very well and the option for romantic interactions has just appeared on the menu. Looks like an opportunity for the patter of many tiny feet in the future.... I may have to delay playing the horse lover household ;)
Graphical issues aside, I'm enjoying Pets and, even when the initial novelty has worn off, I feel that it will enrich the game play or, at least, it will for me.