Skasimblog

As the Collen Legacy - reaching its Tenth Generation - came to a close, I had long abandoned the satellite families that had built up and been left to wait in perpetual lingo until I felt like returning to them.  Recently, I have been doing, however, exactly that.

The satellite families - as you can see from this page - are not few, but each has its own story to tell and develop.  They all deserve a second chance at seeing the light of day and living out their lives and beginning their own legacies, do they not?  As of late, just where those stories & lives might lead has been piquing my curiosity and so I have begun to revisit these families.

I began not quite at the top, with Perry Lillard, of the Third Generation, who lost the heir bid to older brother, Ian Lillard.  Perry, a Romance sim, moved to Scion City where he met and married Downtownie Emmy Kearney; whom I later learned was part of the Tricou-Downtownie-Children pool (six random Downtownies all mysteriously fathered by deceased sim, Jon Smith Tricou).  Perry and Emmy had a son, Holden Lillard.  Here the three sat ever-afterwards, waiting for me to play them once more.

It was many expansions ago that I first set up the little Lillard family, so their lives have been enriched since I picked them up again.  The couple had a second child, Heather Lillard, and Emmy is currently pregnant with their third.  Perry is working his way up the Journalism career (and seducing the city's female population), and Emmy - a Family sim - when not making babies, is in the Education field.

I'm quite excited about moving along each of these families, and wish I could play them all simultaneously!  It shall be interesting to see where they all go from here, and to see the Collen Legacy itself so very much expanded.  I'll be recounting all of it here for you, of course, so do stay tuned.

In my game, only Pleasantview (of Wright Parish) and its attached sub-neighborhoods and uni-neighborhoods retain their original names that came with the game and subsequent ep's. Every other core 'hood/parish is unique as are its attached 'hoods.

Every core 'hood/parish also has its own unique "history" (more like a backstory) and some follow a vague theme or concept when it comes to naming. Each parish seat has a mayor and every parish a parish keeper - who is responsible for genealogical and basic historical/record keeping for the entire parish. (I'll write out the histories of each in another post).

Here is a breakdown of all of my 'hoods/parishes and what they were originally. This should give you an even better idea of how things are set up in my game.

Remember, this is all in my head and in my game - it's just how I choose to play my The Sims 2 game and keep everything straight with the various ep's. This may not work for everyone, but I thought you'd enjoy - at least - reading about it. A trip inside this wacky mind of mine is never dull!

Strangetown

Strangetown, in my game, resides in my fictional Viridian Parish. Attached to the "parish seat" (core 'hood) of Strangetown are:

• The Barrens | a.k.a. Bluewater Village
• Tumbleweed Towne | a.k.a. Downtown

Viridian Parish has two colleges, which are:

• Desert Sands Community College | a.k.a. La Fiesta Tech
  
• Sui Generis University | a.ka. Sim State University

The current mayor of my Strangetown is Circe Beaker and the Parish Keeper for Viridian is Joel Smith, son of Pollination Technician #7 and Jenny (Curious) Smith.

Riverblossom Hills

Riverblossom Hills, in my game, resides in my fictional La Roche Parish. Attached to the "parish seat" (core 'hood) of Riverblossom Hills are:

• White Oak | a.k.a. Bluewater Village
• Cambelton | a.k.a. Downtown

La Roche Parish has three colleges, which are:

• Skasimlaki State University at Riverblossom Hills (SSU-R) | a.ka. Sim State University
• Huffington College | a.ka. Academie Le Tour
• Pegler-Kennedy Tech | a.ka. La Fiesta Tech

The current mayor of my Riverblossom Hills is Morty Roth and the Parish Keeper for La Roche is Betty Goldstein.

Desiderata Valley

Desiderata Valley, in my game, resides in my fictional Idlewild Parish. Attached to the "parish seat" (core 'hood) of Desiderata Valley are:

• Chretien Point | a.k.a. Bluewater Village
• Myrtlegrove | a blank "shopping district" 'hood
• Winesbridge | a.k.a. Downtown

Idlewild Parish has three colleges, which are:

• Winesbridge Community College | a.ka. Sim State University
• Ormond Nichols University | a.k.a. Academie Le Tour
• Maximillian Technical College | a.k.a. La Fiesta Tech

The current mayor of my Desiderata Valley is Blair Das, husband of Sharon Wirth and the Parish Keeper for Idlewild is Hannah Bell.

The rest are my custom 'hoods, listed in alphabetical order by parish.

Casper Cove

This custom 'hood was created as a built-in community (I created all NPCs and family lines before making it), after being inspired by Jade's alk Isle of Tyme. Not as talented or patient as Jade, however, I haven't done much with this parish since its creation, though I plan to come back to it one day.

Casper Cove, is a custom 'hood in my game, and resides in my fictional Brandywine Parish. Attached to the "parish seat" (core 'hood) of Casper Cove are:

• Hollswater | a.k.a. Bluewater Village
• Kingsbridge | a.k.a. Downtown

Brandywine Parish has one college, which is:

• Goodman University | a.k.a. Academie Le Tour

The current mayor of my Casper Cove is Arthur McNally and the Parish Keeper for Brandywine is Antonia Winter.

Danversport

I play all of my challenges (except for The Legacy Challenge, which has its own 'hood) here.

Danversport, is a custom 'hood in my game, and resides in my fictional Burgundy Parish. Attached to the "parish seat" (core 'hood) of Danversport are:

• Hunter Crossing | a.k.a. Bluewater Village
• Sage Hill | a blank "shopping district" 'hood
• Livingston | a.k.a. Downtown

Burgundy Parish has one college, which is:

• Hardin College | a.ka. Sim State University

The current mayor of my Danversport is Dorian Kauker, of the Alphabet Challenge and the Parish Keeper for Burgundy is zombie Calista Despret, also of the Alphabet Challenge.

Acadia

This 'hood was created as a nod to my Cajun heritage. All of the names - families, roads, buildings, and 'hoods - are Cajun French. Here is the note I include on Skasimlaki: Note: Evangeline Parish, it's 'hoods and Sims, are based on the Cajun culture and people of southern Louisiana, of which I am proudly a part. However, all areas and names are borne of my own mind and any similarities to real places or persons is purely coincidental.

Acadia, is a custom 'hood in my game, and resides in my fictional Evangeline Parish. Attached to the "parish seat" (core 'hood) of Acadia are:

• St. Amant | a blank "shopping district" 'hood
• Coteau Homes | a blank "shopping district" 'hood
• Nezpique | a.k.a. Bluewater Village
• Iberia | a.k.a. Downtown

Evangeline Parish has two colleges, which are:

• University of Acadia | a.k.a. Academie Le Tour
• Conti-Rivaudais Community College | a.k.a. Sim State University

The current mayor of my Acadia is Wilson Landry and the Parish Keeper for Evangeline is Helen Doucet.

Legacy Acres

This 'hood was created to house my Legacy Challenge families. It currently holds the entire, finished Collen Legacy family (see Elizabeth's Legacy), and the on-going Holland Legacy family (see Claude's Legacy - which is not complete) as well as both legacies' many satellite families.

Legacy Acres, is a custom 'hood in my game, and resides in my fictional Pinstar Parish. Attached to the "parish seat" (core 'hood) of Legacy Acres are:

• Kith Village | a blank "shopping district" 'hood
• Dowry | a blank "shopping district" 'hood
• Dynasty District | a.k.a. Bluewater Village
• Scion City | a.k.a. Downtown

Pinstar Parish has two colleges, which are:

• Heritage University | a.k.a. Academie Le Tour
• Kin Tech | a.k.a. La Fiesta Tech
  

The current mayor of my Legacy Acres is Curtis Cameron, of the Collen Legacy, and the Parish Keeper for Pinstar is Wendy Day, also of the Collen Legacy.

Magda-Crist County

This was my very first custom 'hood and still holds a special place in my heart. A few of the Sims here are also some of my favorites in my game.

Magda-Crist County, is a custom 'hood in my game, and resides in my fictional St. Baume Parish. Attached to the "parish seat" (core 'hood) of Magda-Crist County are:

• SarRose Village | a.k.a. Bluewater Village
• Cathar | a.k.a. Downtown

St. Baume Parish has one college, which is:

• St. John University | a.k.a. Sim State University

The current mayor of my Magda-Crist County is Kiley Baena and the Parish Keeper for St. Baume is Emelie Traver.

Dramatowne

This is a wild n' wacky 'hood I put together that I create Sim Stories in. The Sims here are nuts and the storylines even nuttier, but I have a blast playing it and seeing just how soap opera-ish I can make their lives. When naming everything, I kept my beloved city New Orleans in mind (in case you couldn't tell!)

Dramatowne, is a custom 'hood in my game, and resides in my fictional Vieux Carre Parish. Attached to the "parish seat" (core 'hood) of Dramatowne are:

• Bourbon Boroughs | a blank "shopping district" 'hood
• St. Ann's Quarter | a.k.a. Bluewater Village
• New Royal City | a.k.a. Downtown

Vieux Carre Parish has two colleges, which are:

• Orleans University | a.k.a. Academie Le Tour
• Laveau Liberal Arts College | a.k.a. Sim State University

The current mayor of my Dramatowne is Regan Mitchell and the Parish Keeper for Vieux Carre is Brooke Ervin.

There are many different family-types in The Sims 2, by my reckoning, and I've devised this way of separating them to make things easier on myself and for people coming to my site.

Obviously there was a need to differentiate between default game families that shipped with the game and CAS families. Well, there was for me - but I'm a bit Sims-neurotic.

I soon realized there were more than just the pre-made families and my custom families - there were also families that are pre-made yet are sitting in the neighborhood bin; not already set up and ready to go like families living in the 'hood are.

There is a difference. The default families already have a home and also have ancestries. Bin families do not have ancestries at all. Then there are families that live in ep-introduced 'hoods that are playable but also do not have ancestries.

I have separated them all this way:

Established Families

These are families that shipped with the game and are residing in a home with an on-going storyline and a family tree (ancestors). The Goths of Pleasantview and the Smiths of Strangetown are Established Families.

CAS Families

These are obviously families started from CAS (Create-A-Sim) Sims, your own custom-made Sims. Though they marry into Established Families, if the original Sim was a CAS Sim, they will (in my game) always be classified as a CAS Family.

Starter/Bin Families

These are families that came with the game but can be played in any 'hood as different people; some live in an ep-hood and others are simply binned . These families, often but not always, lack a family tree (ancestry). For example, Jane Stacks lives in a shared home on a uni-campus. You can have a Jane Stacks in every 'hood you play; just as you can have a Cyd Roseland (a Bin Sim who has a dog, Porthos) in every 'hood you play. These Sims are not Established Families - they are not unique to an original 'hood and they most often do not have ancestries.

And that's how I differentiate between the different types of families in my The Sims 2 game.

Originally, my Sims website was simply called My Sims (real original, eh?) and consisted only of my many families and their lineages. It was located on my main website, and had the address of mysims.skatoolaki.com.

However, as more ep's came out and more sub-neighborhoods were added to core neighborhoods, I devised a way to keep it all straight in my head and on my site. Each core neighborhood (Pleasantview, Strangetown, etc. and any custom ones) would be the "parish seat" (or "county seat", for everyone else in the nation) for a particular parish in the U.S. State of Skasimlaki (an obviously fictional state I dreamed up for this purpose). I've found this to be an excellent way to maintain core neighborhoods and their adjoining sub-neighborhoods.

The more I played around with the idea, the more fun it became. I decided that instead of writing hum-drum, normal "game guides", such information would be displayed on the website (which I purchased the skasimlaki.com domain name for) as government offices related to the info I needed to share. For example, Skasimlaki's Department of Education pages have information concerning elementary/high school for children and teens and a college guide, as well as some info on the good, old Headmaster. I created a Coroner's Office to keep up information on obits (which I write for all of my deceased Sims) and cemeteries (which I love creating - every parish has its own, unique and special burial grounds). The Office of Wildlife & Fisheries came about after the Seasons ep was released, and contains information on fishing (I will soon be adding a guide on that page on The Sims 2 "wildlife" - such animals as the skunk, penguin, wolf, Bigfoot, etc. that we see in the game). The Horticultural Society also was borne from the Seasons ep, and gives valuable information in guide-format about gardening. From the Bon Voyage ep, our Commission on Tourism was created, giving information about the three vacation destinations.

To include my old site information and my own Sim families (including the work I've done researching Maxis family ancestries), I dreamed up the Skasimlaki Society for Genealogical Research - which will send you to the old site's framed format and all of my Sim families, divided up by parish.

Every parish has a history and every neighborhood and sub-neighborhood in it is unique - to share this information, each parish has a page linked directly from the main site and there is also a Parish Government page listing all of the relevant parish elected officials.

The State of Skasimlaki has, currently, ten parishes (the latest addition being Idlewild Parish, which incorporates the new neighborhood of Desiderata Valley). They are, in alphabetical order:

• Brandywine Parish
• Burgundy Parish
• Evangeline Parish
• Idlewild Parish
• La Roche Parish
• Pinstar Parish
• St. Baume Parish
• Vieux Carre Parish
• Viridian Parish
• Wright Parish

All are custom parishes/neighborhoods except for Wright Parish which has Pleasantview as its parish seat; Viridian Parish, which has Strangetown as its parish seat; La Roche Parish, which has Riverblossom Hills as its parish seat; and Idlewild Parish, which has Desiderata Valley as its parish seat.

I have tons of fun coming up with names for parishes and their sub-neighborhoods - most follow a certain, quirky theme or have some relevance somehow. For example, "viridian" is a shade of green so it became the parish name for the area of Strangetown, which has many green-skinned inhabitants. Wright Parish is, naturally, named for The Sims creator, Will Wright - all sub-'hoods in Wright Parish remain the original names that shipped with the game or ep's. Pinstar Parish is the one that holds all of my legacy families and is named for the ingenious man that invented the infamous Legacy Challenge. Evangeline Parish is my Cajun-themed neighborhood, all family surnames and 'hood/street names are Cajun French in nature - a tribute to my own Cajun heritage.

As you can see, The Sims 2 allows my creativity to simply soar, and I have a lot of fun maintaining the site and coming up with fresh ideas on how to keep everything in order. You can learn some more from reading the main site's About page, but this all pretty well sums up how I do things.