Hi M3g7e,

I think meginmind is wondering how to set up a subneighbourhood, not what it is. I think meginmind has Bon Voyage ep, as meginmind has mentioned 'Twikki Island'.

As for me, I am in the process of making custom content and adding them to the neighbourhood. Right now I have built the Blysswithe Castle, which is based on Haddon Hall. It's going to have a kitchen, stables, a small family chapel, a throne room, a small garden, an indoor bathroom, and some bedrooms.

Wow, so much happened here XD I think I fell behind everyone else ... >.> But it's spring break, so I have time to recuperate ^^ (three weeks of Sims and blogging).
So ... new people ^^ Welcome here, glad to meet you all, hope you have fun with this challenge ^^ Don't forget to share with us your stories, photos, impressions, ideas ^^

Yesterday I had some more time and I started the 1620-1624 rotation, but there are more and more families in my neighbourhoods and I'm sure this one will take me longer than I expected >.> But ... I have fun playing and writing, so that won't be a problem (even if some of the families are more interesting than others...).
Well, the Valois family has a little problem.There are ... 5 girls (I think ... but I'm not sure ... they had so many children that I stopped counting after the tenth one) and there's no way they will have enough money to pay for the girls' dowries >.> So I'm considering sending one or two of them to the Convent and marrying only the prettiest ones.Madelon is already the oldest one and there hasn't been any suitor for her, so ... she'll be one of the two who'll be spending the rest of their life behind the Convent's walls.The other four girls are just too cute ... and I don't know who I will sacrifice, because there are two sets of twins who are simply living in each other's pockets >.> Well, Guiques and Eudon d'Albon (the two charming young men of promise, Guigues Levieux's boys from his first marriage) are old enough to get married, so ... the girls' father falls back on this).

I also finished playing this round with the Princess' household ^^ And I'll write a new chapter about what happened, because I came with a new idea and I'm sure everyone will love it ^^

Well, that's it for now ... Everyone ... keep playing and updating your websites =^.^=

Interesting neighbourhood, Lady Scarlet!

I especially like your idea of sending the less pretty girls to the convent, while the more pretty girls get married! But you know, if you want some sons, then all you have to do is save the game before the baby is born, and if the baby pops out as a baby boy, save the game again. That's what I'd do, if I want to make sure I have a certain number of sons and daughters.

Another deal is to adopt a son from the "social worker". In the story, you can just call the "social worker" a different, more fitting name, such as "Sister _____" or "Miss _____".

Well, I don't really want to adopt, because in Sims 2 I don't have the option to choose the gender of the baby (like Sims 3) and because I can get a baby who looks very different from his adoptive parents >.> I'll save the adoption option for later maybe >.> Because I just love combining genetics ^^

About that trick (saving the game before the baby is born and then reloading it).I heard about it some time ago, but until last week I didn't use it because I though that it's better to leave Mother Nature play its role ^^" But leaving everything that way made my game a little unbalanced (there is only 1 baby boy born for every 3.5 baby girls), so ... when it's really important (for a story) to have a baby boy I use it (already used it a couple of times for two of my families).

I'm glad that you like my idea about the Convent ^^ I really wanted to have some nuns but I didn't want to create new characters (I already have around 50 or so and a rotation takes me like two weeks) so ... I think I'll go with it and sacrifice some of the girls from this generation.

Well, gotta go ^^ I just finished playing with the Count Maximilian de Valois (the Princess' husband) and I can't wait to write two new chapters ^^

In case you have some townies in your neighbourhood, you may try to marry off your girls to the townies. On the other hand, if you don't have any townies in your neighbourhood, then you may create a new family from scratch, set the family down in the neighbourhood, kill the parents of the family, and wait for the children to be taken away by the social worker. Because the children are located in the adoption queue, you can have another family adopt the same children, and that's how you can control the genetics of those children! Create custom children just to be placed in the adoption queue!

That's a nice idea about the adopted children ^^ But I still can't come with a story about it ... something like a context (a reason why a family would adopt a child ... because that wasn't a common thing back in the 17th century >.> ).I'll think about it later.
And ... I don't want to marry townies because their genetics don't really match my other characters' ^^" I think I'll just create some new families ^^

The new chapter about the Princess is ready ^^ Hope you'll like it.Now I have to write the other one about her husband =^.^=

Maybe you can pretend that the parents are desperate for a son, and after so many tries and still no son, they are becoming very anxious about the prospect of bearing another child. The last thing they want is a daughter, so they decide on adoption. Suddenly, a little orphaned boy appears by random at the parents' doorway, and the parents ask him what is his name and origin. The boy answers, "I don't have a name; I have no origin." So, the parents assign the little boy a name and allow him to be a part of the family.

Plz check out my own website at my signature when you have time! I created it today!

EDIT: In my game I still need to figure out about the taxes. Since serfs are basically owned by the lord of the estate, serfs are not going to pay any taxes at all, because they are not even considered "full citizens". However, 80% of the money they collect will be sent to their lord. They only keep 20% of the collected money. Peasants will enter jobs, enter apprenticeships, and enter trades. They will pay 20% of what they earn in taxes. The Bourgeoisie will pay 25% of what they earn in taxes. The nobles and landed gentry owns land, so they receive their income from the year's harvest and enter jobs and they pay 15% in property taxes and 15% in income taxes. Clergy members and abbots and abbesses pay nothing in taxes: their buildings are all supported by the donations from kind benefactors.

I really like your site Anonymous I am getting excited for you to start posting stories, etc ... Also, your updated/revised nh plan looks awesome! I think I will definitely be using some of your ideas for the court system--I'll try them out and see what I think. Do you have any lots built for the courts? Something on the order of Chancery court would be great to have in game--if you build something perhaps you might upload it here.

Your tax ideas sound good, if not a bit draconian--your poor serfs! Wow--80% ... I wonder how it will ever be possible for any of them to buy their freedom and become freemen? Right now my peasants are probably the most heavily taxed, since they pay income taxes at 40% and they have to pay assets taxes every four seasons, on the first day of spring. I haven't tried any of the other tax structures out myself--maybe I will do things differently in one region to see how the others work, like heriot, for example.

Lady Scarlet,
I love the update on Princess Blanche. It is so haunting, what has happened to this family--with the loss of the twin the little girl looks so devastated. And what has happened to Maximilian?? I honestly wonder if Princess Blanche will miss him at all if he does not return--but who will be regent in his absence? I am waiting for his story!

Meanwhile, I am so sorry to keep everyone waiting so long for updates. I feel guilty. The truth is, I have been completely swamped with paper grading--even over break. Even so, I have added lots of character profiles and pics--everyone is welcome to come rummage through them. I have a story brewing that will involve several families, but the way my schedule is looking it will be a looong while before I get it written. I have been playing and picture taking, though, and I have bundles of shots ready for storytelling. No spoilers--but there will be intrigue and mystery afoot in Warwickshire.

Families with new profiles and pics--The Teverson Family, The Greene Family, The Marchand County School, The Vahan Family, and several individual sims, including Thomas Thorne and Robert de la Fleur. All of these people are intricately related in a tale. I will get updates loaded as I can get to them.

Actually, the serfs will only use the 20% of the money they collect on personal living expenses. Actually, the serfs and the lords are supposed to make a contract. The serfs work for their lord for one generation, and in the next generation they may opt for freedom. The lord, if he has a good impression on the family or sim and becomes best friends with the serf(s), can grant the serf(s) freedom. The rest, I am not done yet, let alone writing the stories. I'm going to have oodles and oodles of fun with this!

Anonymous I kind of like your idea.I may try to use (some) of it in a story.But I will definitely change it a little to fit into the context.Maybe in one of my next stories ... ^^ I still have to write the one about Maximilian (I have the photos, I just need to add the new chapter).
I find your taxing system very complex o.O I'm amazed that you can play like that (I don't even make my characters play taxes ^^" I always forget to calculate them so most of the time I ignore this aspect and consider the bills their taxes ^^" ).
I love your website and I can't wait to see the families and maybe read some of the stories ^^
Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas with us ^^

M3g7e, I'm glad to see you here again ^^ School keeps me busy too (here it the pre-spring-break weak and everything is so frantic XD We don't have classes anymore, but we have to be at school for six hours every day for out-of-school activities >.> Teachers and students run from class to class and place to place, bot knowing what to do >.> ) and I barely have time to play Sims and write on the blog ^^
I read your updates and I just love the new families you added.I'm glad you wrote about some serfs too ^^ I can't wait to read more about them and see some new stories ^.~
Oh and Maximilian isn't a regent, because Blanche is just a Princess (she can't rule the country because of the Agnatic succession from the Salic Law).He was just very (un)lucky to get married to the Princess and become a Duke.

Well, about my stories ... I'm happy you liked the new chapter about Blanche ^^
Isabelle isn't really devastated by the loss of her twin sister (even if ... thinking like this everything looks a little more dramatic ... ) but more like by the illness.I wanted something a little more interesting and sad for Blanche's family so I searched on the Internet and asked some teachers and I found that children who had malignant-type smallpox can have their nervous system also affected because of encephalitis.I don't want to go into explaining this (I'm not even sure if it's correct or not, but I just liked the idea itself) so ... yeah ... Isabelle is a little crazy ^^" Blanche and everyone else around her doesn't know this right now, but they will have to accept it later.She'll play a major role in her mother's life in a few years from now on.
About Maximilian ... I don't want to say too much, just that ... he's definitely not dead.You will find out more about him in the next chapter (which I'm writing right now).

EDIT later ^^
The chapter about Maximilian is ready ^^
http://dark-ages-stories.blogspot.c...20-1624_03.html

Hi everyone! I've just started this challenge. Not sure if I will blog about it yet, because I'm still more into the logistics than creating a story right now.

I have a toddler Queen, Belaset, who's Aunt is the Queen Regent, and an old Lord Chancellor. Their castle is filled to the brim with toddlers! The Queen's younger sister, cousin, and betrothed live there, as well, and they're all toddlers! She won't ever want for a friend... hopefully.

One of the fiefs has been nearly built, with a Duke ruling right now. So far, I have two merchant families, and three peasants, soon to be four! After I finish creating them, I am moving on to the serfs. I have a feeling their turns will be particularly hard to play!

Wow, Kirrie! I'm amazed that your royal family is full of toddlers. That must really keep you busy, as toddlers require a lot of attention. But don't worry. Once toddlers grow up into teenagers, everything's going to peace out.

I'm nearly dreading playing through their turn! But, once they get through that stage it will be totally worth it.

Currently, I'm playing each house I make one turn, starting at the Peasants and rotating to the bottom, then back to the top! Sort of forcing myself to ensure there is a solid ground for this economy. This is difficult, but so much fun! :D

I am thinking of making my Veronaville a challenge nh. Check it out here:
Click here to see my planning! I like Veronaville. It has the perfect setting for a English Renaissance/Shakespearean mood. I also like playing premades. I also think playing with only 4 families of Veronaville with help keep my attention span with the given families. So hopefully, this is going to be fun for me. Less thinking, more playing. The Google document allows comments but no edits, so feel free to leave a comment.

Hey Kirrie, welcomehere ^^ I can' t wait to read more about your game, even if you won' t writ stories ^^ Maybe we can share impressions and ideas ^.~ Have fun ^^

Well, even if it's spring break I still can't play this challenge because my laptop's out of order >.> And I think I won't be able to play for the next couple of weeks ... XD
So ... I'll just fiddle around on ModTheSims ...

I must add that JohnBrehaut1 has made an object that allows sims to commit suicide and murder! I think there is a very evil behaviour in the rules specifically stating "suicide" and "murder". You may never know when it may come in handy.

Click Here

I also think this smithy set by Phaenoh is very helpful too.

Check it out here: Click Here

That reminds me... maybe I should make a list of distinct medieval jobs that are possible to do in the Sims 2 game. Although the number of jobs during the Middle Ages are plentiful, some jobs during the time period may not be very malleable in that one can actually play it out. One job would be the medieval gong farmer. The gong farmer's job was to collect feces from medieval toilets. Now we all know that sims actually don't have feces, so perhaps owning public community pay toilets would work? In any case, I am going to start brainstorming for job ideas:

Gong Farmer: owning community pay toilets and selling toilets and toiletries
Atilliator or Bower: owning a community lot that sells crossbows, if not weapons in general
Bottler: owning a community lot that sells bottles
Chamberlain/Tax Collector: either a private servant for a nobleman's house or a public servant for administrating the royal budget, especially collecting revenues (taxes) and paying expenses

You can find a lot more here: http://www.medieval-life-and-times....dieval-jobs.htm

Not so much activity around here for the past few days ... maybe a week or so >.>
I got back my laptop ^^ Me is finally happy ^^

I played a little more and I think I'm half trough this rotation (1620-1624).I have lots of new ideas and I can't wait the next rounds ^^ One of my friends also had some ideas that she said I could use ^^
Well, I finally wrote a new chapter (sorry it took me so long) and this one takes place in the Convent (finally created one >.> ).

Also, Anonymous101, thank you for the links ^^ I had that sword in my game (can't remember when I downloaded it XD ), but I had no idea what to do with it ^^" Now I know ^^
I also like your ideas for the professions ^^ And thanks for the link with the jobs.I've been searching something like that for quite a while.

The new chapter ^^
http://dark-ages-stories.blogspot.c...20-1624_17.html

Awesome chapter Lady Scarlet I love that Marion is having a hard time adjusting, and doesn't give in--her resistance really makes her quite interesting. I think she will have quite a good story!

I have been playing and picture taking, but can't do much, if any writing until summer--now just 3-1/2 weeks away. (YAY!!!)

Then, I have a story brewing ...

Do you use the in-game camera or screenshot programme to take pictures? I like the in-game camera best, because I find it most efficient and productive and yield high-quality results. Not only that, I could tell stories right in the game, instantly. I try to play every weekend, though I may have to use that time up to do some studying and practising! Not to worry, though, since school would be out in six weeks.

Still have summer classes...

I am not really on working on Warwickshire anymore. I find that building an entire neighbourhood with subneighbourhoods and sims to live in is far too time-consuming and unproductive. I just want to play the game in live mode as soon as possible, so I am currently playing a building called The Globe Theatre, that I constructed in the game. It's based on Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and it features the imaginary Shakespeare family, which includes six members, one of which, a little boy, is Will Shakespeare.

Can't wait to begin posting stories about them!

I use FRAPs for screenshots and edit them in Paint. It is time consuming, but yields excellent results. The in-game camera does not have high enough resolution for uploading pics to websites, etc.

I use Fraps too ^^ (my brother made me use that months ago XD ), because I like the quality of the pictures ^^ I also edit them in PhotoScape and/or PhotoShop ^^

About Marion ... I don't really have a plan for her ... my friend gave me some ideas and I just have to think more about it.I would like to find her a husband, but it would be kind of complicated (her parents are too poor and her family is a little disgraced because of her brother's gesture >.> ).I am considering sending her as a lady-in-waiting for one of the Princesses, because she has an interesting character and I think she's just perfect for that kind of job ^^ I'm sure Marion would love that too.If only her parents would have enough money to buy her that job ... Well, maybe they will ^^ I'm sure I'll come up with something for her and maybe for her other two sisters too ^^
I have plans for Madelon also ^^ Not something very important, but she'll have a role to play in a future adventure story ...

M3g7e, I'm glad you liked the last chapter ^^ I also can't wait to read more of your stories.
School also keeps me busy, but fortunately, here it's still spring-break ^^

Lady Scarlet: I find your challenge very inspiring, especially the character-focused stories. :lovestruc *sigh* I wish I can jump into the challenge again and start over. Right now, I am playing Veronaville with the Shakespeare family and The Globe Theatre. Perhaps, someday in the future, I may allow the Shakespeare family to move out of the home and purchase The Globe Theatre as a community business, doing plays and selling clothes. Clothes will be purchased by playables and townies, who are "inspired" by The Globe Theatre's loveable characters. Then, when nearly everyone has a certain period costume in the 'hood, I may create a fictional queen to symbolise Queen Elizabeth I of England, or assign a ready-made playable as "Queen". At that point, I may pretend that Veronaville has transformed into a quaint seventeenth-century English village and begin playing the game Warwickshire-style.

Hey, did you know that bicipital aponeurosis was known as "thank god fascia" back in the 17th and 18th centuries or around that time (perhaps, the Middle Ages)? I learned that from Anatomy lecture and thought that an interesting historical fact. It makes me want to add a barber-surgeon into my Veronaville 'hood and perform some virtual bloodletting in the game. Still have to figure out how that will work, though. I think I can make a barber-surgeon enter the medical career and when he becomes a "General Practitioner", I could pretend that his medieval equivalent would be "Barber-Surgeon" in my head for story-telling purposes. For women, I could make them join the medical career and become nurses. I'll just pretend that my women sims in the medical career are really wet-nurses or child-nurses, because that would probably fit the theme of my 'hood.

Hi all, I've just started this challenge and although it's sometimes a little confusing (despite the fact I'm no even playing with all of the rules) I'm really enjoying playing the medieval aspect. So far I haven't really gotten too deeply into making stories, seeing as I've spent alot of my time building, but here are my families so far:

The Ashdowns: Lord and Lady Ashdown hardly married for love and it seems there'll be none of that in this marriage. After 8 fruitless years the Lord and Lady could barely stand the sight of each other and despite Lord Ahsdowns many tottering illegitimate children spattered throughout the neighborhood the Lady had not only born no Heir, but their marriage was childless. Finally in 1608 Lady Ahsdown realised she was with child and gave birth to a baby girl, Catherine. Unfortunately Lord Ashdown didn't really take the news well and their marriage is still in jeopardy.
The Blacketts: While Lord Blackett and his Lady relax into retirement, the new Lord and Lady of the manor have found themselves the task of producing an Heir - hardly a problem, as they could barely keep their hands off one another. However after the death of the families long running wet nurse, Yula, and Lord Seamus' sister Miss Jane, 2 miscarriages and a fire that destroyed half the house, the Blacketts year has not started well.
The Morrows: A simple workers wife Anna stays home most days tending her children. When plague hit in the winter of 1605 and she lost 3 bairns she was devastated. Her eldest son, James, still thrives.
The Godfreys: With the set up of their Salon, catering those who can't afford a Lady's maid, the Godfrey's should be rolling in it. Unfortunately business was slow on the uptake and in order to fund the families appetites during the winter of 1605, Merek has agreed to take on an apprentice - for a hefty sum...
The Falconers: When Charles and Marie married in 1592 nobody thought it would be happy one. Now 12 years and 5 children later, Charles' is devastated by the death of his wife in childbirth . As she cooked for the family business, he now finds himself with virtually no income, 5 hungry mouths to feed and nobody to nurse his newborn twin babes. Although of course to say his eye never wandered while he was married would be... well wrong. He'll surely find himself a wife soon.
The Coopers: The winter of 1605 was a hard one for the Coopers. The loss of 2 children and a husband to the plague struck Jane hard but luckily her eldest son, Henry, was old enough to care for the family. However so much death has turned him bitter and she worries that he will never find a wife.
The Webbs: At just 16 Matthew was left to care for his younger siblings with the sad demise of his parents. By the age of 21 he is now happily married, awaiting the birth of his first child, getting ready to pay a dowry to his first sisters husband, handing money out for apprenticeships for his brothers, and somehow, miraculously still managing to pay the tithe on the small garden out back.
The Taylors: A small farm, a small vegetable patch and a small butcher shop seem to be all John Taylor needs. Rising from the underbelly of society, John hopes to make a name for himself with his fine spiced meats to provide for his slowly growing family.

What a great beginning, Lily__XD! Your families sound so interesting and have great backstories! Looking forward to hearing more of your Warwickshire challenge stories. :D

Hi there,

I was wondering if anyone knew of a hack that makes it easier to transfer fish / produce then giving it to another sim through the gifting transaction. 148 tomatoes and each time having to click it and then click the arrow makes the process long.

What I have decided for my hood is that the peasants / serfs will sell their fish/produce to a merchant at 50% cut from retail price and that merchant will sell the fish/produce at a community lot for citizens who don't farm / fish to use to cook their meals at retail price. Currently I have the serfs / peasants going to the store at the end of the season in play and gifting it to the store owner. Then he pays by check their cut then they pay their taxes to the duke with the check. I also setup a convent for women and they learn how to cook and sew. They use the fish / produce to cook, then sell the dishes to a merchant so gentry/nobles can purchase the meals and stock their fridge. Same thing for clothing when the new families need to buy their children theme appropriate clothes. The convent also trains midwifes and receives payment for that.

The checks have really helped. Now just wishing there was a way to transfer stuff easily.