#gameplay storytelling

[pixeldistractions]

recreating gameplay from story:

So here’s a thing I do in the making of my story, and I’m curious to know if other sim storytellers also do this. Sometimes I will recreate the gameplay that should have happened from the story. It’s like the opposite of playing the gameplay first and writing a story about it after.

Phone conversations and poses don’t actually do anything in game for the sims. If I have a story that’s fully written before I ever touch the game, especially if it was one that had a lot of posed shots, it really bothers me if the relationships and gameplay don’t match. So I’ll recreate the gameplay so that my sims can have real arguments, or for romantic scenes, real interactions instead of posed ones, to build or destroy their relationships, or to gain any sentiments or skills they might have earned. Even if it breaks immersion for me a little, like with these two, to invite a sim to another world where they shouldn’t be.

It’s also immersion breaking for a sim to act like nothing happened between them, so there’s a good trade off I think.

Sometimes the sims give me back gold in their gameplay, and they really seem to understand the characters they’re playing, like good little actors. 😂

Yes, Colette, I know you’re stewing—I don’t know about “in peace” though.

And Jordan thinks he’s won this round, lol! Boy, your story is nowhere near done, don’t get ahead of yourself now!

Does anyone else give your story sims some gameplay so they can really live a little?

[circusjuney]

happy pride month from me and the little gay people in my computer <3 🏳‍🌈

[deathbypufferfish]

It's time to say goodbye, not only for Haru, but to gen 3! Thank you for coming along! On to the next generation!

[aaliyahnav]

"Step into the glamorous world of Janay's newest culinary endeavor, where the renowned 5-star celebrity chef unveils her latest masterpiece. Join Janay as she sets the stage for an unforgettable dining experience."

**Janay Closing the Restaurant for the Night:**

*As the last customers finish their meals and bid farewell, Janay moves gracefully around the restaurant, dimming the lights and tidying up tables. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingers in the air, mingling with the soft hum of conversation.*

**Janay:** (smiling warmly) Thank you all for dining with us tonight. We hope to see you again soon.

*With a flick of a switch, Janay turns off the "Open" sign, signaling that the restaurant is now closed for the night. She takes a moment to appreciate the cozy atmosphere, the familiar sounds of the kitchen winding down, and the comforting sense of accomplishment that comes with another successful day.*

**Janay:** (to herself) Another day done. It's been busy, but worth it.

*With a satisfied sigh, Janay locks the front door and flips the "Closed" sign, ready to unwind and recharge before another day of culinary delights and hospitality awaits.*

[rawliverandgoronspice]

I think what particularly annoys me with the "zelda was always gameplay before story" is that... it's not true? At least I don't think it's true in the way people mean it.

Zelda games were always kind of integrating story based on the standards of the time. When game stories were in game pamphlets, Zelda's stories was in the pamphlets. ALTTP tried to tell a pretty complicated stories with the limitations of the time. OoT was actively trying to tell an epic, cinematic tale packed with ambiance and expand what 3D could offer that 2D games struggled with. Majora's Mask is deeply character-driven in many, many ways. Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are both pretty concerned about their stories, down to the point that some people were bored by TP's cutscenes in particular. Skyward Sword, from what little I have played it, is very very invested in its characters and their journey (and 2D Zeldas have Link's Awakening, Minish Cap... None of them are visual novels, but they are concerned with emotional journeys, character arcs, mysteries about their own world...)

What is true is that the narrative wraps around the mechanics, and not the other way around. The mechanics drive themes, aesthetics, emotional beats and character journeys; and that's great. The world is a puzzle, and the world is delightfully absurd when it needs to be, full of heart when it calls for it, dark and oppressive when it suits the player experience.

That does not mean the games aren't invested in their stories. Even BotW has a pretty complicated story to tell about an entire world rather than one specific tale or legend --all of it at the service of the gameplay, which is exploration and mastery of your environment.

So. Yes, none of the Zelda games are million-words long visual novels that care deeply about consistency and nuance; but stories don't need consistency or deep lore to be meaningful and serve an emotional journey. Again: gameplay is story. The two cannot be so easily parsed from each other.

And Zelda as a franchise obviously care deeply about story, characters and setting (and still does right now --otherwise there wouldn't be a movie), even if it doesn't try to imitate prestige narrative-driven games, which is great and part of why I love this series so much. Doesn't mean it couldn't have done better in the past, it obviously could have, but I feel like pretending that nobody ever cared about story or character is just... false? It's a huge disservice to the devs too. Some of them obviously cared immensely.

The "gameplay above story", at least in the extent to which it is paraded today to defend TotK, mostly, is a really recent development. And I think it's one that deserves to receive some pushback.

[chateaunoirsims]

Summer in Martigues

I love them!

[kopimoss]

quitting her old investigative journalism career and dumping her vampire boyfriend- emery finally pursues her lifelong dream of being a novelist with her cat, Mudge...but something followed her 😬

[clefairytea]

Gaz is, ultimately, a nerdy preteen girl.

This one goes out to the other kids typing “phoenix x edgeworth” into deviantArt with the same level of secrecy and shame most people would associate with hiding a dead body.

Bonus:

[myrmica]

its so funny that all minute—the guy who once upon a time hoped to redeem zam—'s team has accomplished is getting him to consider giving up his remaining honor in order to match the level they're playing on ?

[fizzytoo]

amaya and karlee settle into chestnut ridge smoothly. karlee's living with amaya temporarily, choosing to staying close to her sibling while also figuring out her place in the world. just two kids miles away from their childhood in sulani…

[fallstaticexit]

Weekends also mean grinding at their stall at the rec center.

Meanwhile, Dom sneaks off the the local Thrift Tea for some overpriced vintage Tees and potential future bandmates.

Josie strolls in and Dom does her version of flirting which landed her a spot on the student council??? A win is a win?

Of course Mila is being a narc, bc anything goes when robux is on the line.

Another successful day with the Quinn's

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[pixeldistractions]

Would she potentially quit over this?

An essay reply for @kimmiessimmies from this post.

Sorry to make an essay out of this reply, but I couldn’t stop, and tumblr replies are limited, and now here we are. 🙃

So, if it was a one-off thing and Sharon didn’t press the matter any further, I think Stephanie would try to tell herself that she imagined it or misread Sharon’s intentions, and she would stuff it under the rug. She may always have a shadowy doubt cast over their working relationship, but she would probably stay for as long as it made sense to stay.

I have to keep in mind the character I’ve established for Stephanie already over many stories. She’s had probably more development than most of my sims. By now, I think it’s well established that she is meek and not the kind of woman who stands up for herself or makes a stink unless things got really bad. So things would have to get really bad first, then she would probably make a gentle excuse for why she needed to quit. She might say she wants to focus on her family, or to have another baby (even though she’s not really thinking about having another baby right now). And she would never bring up the topic again. She might convince Justin that they should move further away without telling him why. Even though he would be the person she most wanted to confide in, she couldn’t tell Justin because he would 100% make a huge stink on her behalf and she wouldn’t want that.

I also have to take into account that Sharon has been described by many of my characters as a beloved employer, very thoughtful and generous, and pillar of her community. So what is going on with her that she would cross this line with one of her highest ranking employees? And only two months after that esteemed employee married the love of her life at this property. Is Sharon that lonely? Does she need to start dating? Or is she obsessed? Does she regret not saying something to Stephanie before the wedding, just in case she might have had a chance? Are we writing a stalker story now? 😂

(Do you see the plot bunnies breeding like mad? This is how I end up writing five thousand stories all at once, and how my brain goes straight to mega drama! Stalker story, here we go, whee!!!)

Okay, so. In the end, it may just be that sims are sims and Wicked Whims is crazy, lol!

Also though, sims are sims sometimes and the way they consistently behave in game can be hard to ignore when you’re writing about them. If it becomes that much of a thing in gameplay, it taints all the ideas I had about them and their working relationship, seeing it happen over and over again, then it would probably have to carry over into the story and become a real thing.

TL;DR: So, would she quit? Only if things got really bad, which means we may be writing a stalker story.

This would be so far off in the timeline, but just for shits and giggles…

[lynzishell]

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[circusjuney]

*melts*

[greenplumbboblover]

Life is Sunniest in Sunset Valley - Chapter 9

[simsthetica]

coming soon...

High Tides in High Society All is fair in love and wealth… The idyllic Brindleton Bay coast is home to many of society’s elite—though the grass may not be greener as its sleepy seaside town facade harbors something far more sinful.

Original lot used is by @bojanastarcevic; I just tweaked it to reflect my person aesthetic and gameplay.

CC used for the exterior is by: @felixandresims, @sims4cars-breezemotors, @maxsus.