Family names and related posts

Saturday 7 February 2015

The Sims 4: The Landgraab Family - Week 1

Just like the Goths are all about old money, the Landgraabs are about new money. It shows in their house:

You all know Malcolm Landgraab from The Sims 2. Here, he is still a teenager, living with his parents, Geoffrey and Nancy. 

Geoffrey is what in TS2 we'd call a Family Sim, with the lifetime goal of "Successful Lineage". He works as Lead Detective. Although he loves his wife, she is not the only romantic interest in his relationship panels: There are also townies Adrienne Barth, Kendra Lowe, Lily Egan, Yasmin Wilkinson and another playable: Katrina Caliente.
Nancy is a Fortune Sim and strives to be Fabulously Wealthy. Interestingly, her career is at the opposite end of the legal spectrum: She currently works as a Minor Criminal. Apart from her husband, townie Vernon Fenton makes her heart beat faster.
Malcolm's aspiration is, sadly, to be Public Enemy. He is a High School Student. Malcolm has an evil streak which I try not to indulge too much during this week.

Monday goes by uneventfully. Nathan Snodgrass, a townie friend of the Landgraabs', comes visiting, but I forgot to take a picture. 

Tuesday sees Nancy getting up late and having a lone lunch in the kitchen while her husband is at work and her son at school.

Like I said, I try not to give in to Malcolm's evil streak. In fact, he gets along very well with both his parents. Here, his Dad joins him in his room for a father-son chat on the bed.

On Wednesday morning, Malcolm is the first to get up.

Nancy makes tofu dogs.

On Thursday, once again she has much of the day to herself. Today, she watches telly.

Then she sits her son down after school and asks him about homework. Strangely enough, all week Malcolm doesn't have any homework in his inventory. This must be a bug; his parents wish to help him with his homework nearly every day, but there simply IS none.

Just before she has to leave for work, Nancy's mood changes to "confident" and she wishes to paint a "confident" painting (whatever that means!). The easel has always been on the top floor of the house, but this is the first time anyone uses it. The visiting friend is Eliza Pancakes.

It is Friday morning when Nancy and Geoffrey have a very relaxed breakfast in their living room - without getting dressed. Apparently, seeing Nancy in her sexy undies has an effect on her husband... he suddenly wishes to try for baby with her.

And of course I grant his wish. I don't know whether it worked, though, since the characterstic baby jingle we all know from TS2 does not exist in TS4 (at least I haven't heard it yet).

As if she knew her lover's marriage is getting better by the minute, Adrienne Barth comes visiting. Nancy has no idea that the lady sitting next to her husband is one of several romantic interests in his relationship panel. He never rolls any romantic wants for any of them, though; only for Nancy.

On Saturday, I decide to try how to play a party in TS4 for the first time. There are many options, such as whether to hire a bartender, caterer and entertainer or not - of course the Landgraabs have enough money to hire all three, plus buying a bar and a grand piano (a requirement for the entertainer). Next to decide is the guest list, and whether the party is to take place at home or elsewhere. 
The Goths are invited as well as Eliza Pancake and another friend whose name I forgot. Soon, everybody gathers around the stereo. Who would have thought young Alexander has such cool moves (and cool sunglasses!).


The caterer is busily preparing all sorts of nice food for the guests.

The bartender prepares drinks, and the entertainer tinkles away on the grand piano. The Landgraabs are happy, and their guests are, too. Still, I do not manage to fulfill all "tasks", and the party ends as a medium success. As a reward, the Landgraabs now have a Charisma book in their family inventory.

New to TS4 is that things can also be put on bookshelves, for instance empty drinks glasses and plates.

Here is another example of the TS4-typical multitasking: A Sim can eat and play on his mobile at the same time.

On Sunday, for a change it is Geoffrey who wants to do something mischievious: he wishes to prank on his son. I have not tried this before and so I have him give Malcolm a "tranquilizing handshake" to see what will happen. This:

Don't worry, Malcolm simply sleeps on the floor for a while. When he gets up, he finds Cassandra waiting to be let in at the front door. Thus the week ends on a pleasant note.

I must admit I am not a fan of the Landgraabs. I like Geoffrey, but both Nancy and Malcolm want to do something mischievious or even downright evil far too often. Still, they have many friends and only a handful of enemies. Thankfully, in TS2, the adult Malcolm Landgraab is much nicer (or maybe he just turned out this way in my game)!

12 comments:

  1. What a great round! I've never played the Landgraab's in TS4 yet but I like the idea of them being evil. :D
    Malcolm as a youngster is fun, I do love the parties too and it looks like yours was in full swing.

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    1. Maybe I am too boring in my playing habits - I like my Sims live in harmony and don't want them to be evil to others :-)
      It will be interesting to find out whether Nancy is pregnant now or not. And I guess I'll have to move them to a different place, maybe that will fix Malcolm's homework bug. His grades keep going down because he never does any homework, but he can't when it's simply not there, can he!

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  2. I have played around with this family. I try not to think of Nancy and Malcolm as evil. I make them do most of their pranks and bad acts on wandering townies that I don't know. I think Malcolm actually has to make enemies for his LTW. Malcolm needs more kids for his. Can't remember much about Nancy. Not my favorite family to play but just remind yourself that it takes all kinds to make the world go round. Then just let them go for it. Or change their aspirations. You can change them at any time..although I never have yet.

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    1. I've done some of the same - having them pull pranks etc. on townies. Yes, Malcolm needs enemies for his LTW, but I am not keen on that. At the same time, I don't want to change any Sim's aspiration, either. So I'll just have to stick with the way they are. As you say, it takes all sorts!

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  3. It is nice to see the family previous backgrounds sometimes they work and don't i have always played Malcolm a little bit naughty, a little underhand but never really evil in ts2

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    1. To me, Malcolm in TS2 always appeared a bit on the lonely side; rich, but lonely and somewhat sad. He has been a doting father to his half-Alien twins Lilo and Lance in my game, and has married late. Not sure whether he choose the "right" wife for him, but we'll see how things go for him next time I get to his household in TS2.

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  4. I have been re-reading your ts4 blog, Malcolm's parent name in Ts2 are Margaret and Malcolm the third, I wonder why their changed their names.

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    1. Strange that, yes, but I must admit I never knew (nor checked) his parents' names in TS2...

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  5. You can buy homework by going onto the purchase books list, homework is sold for 1 simoleon on there. :)

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  6. Like you I don't like to play evil but I am not so attached to the Sim 4 as I am to Sims 2 therefore I try it, but with no success. :D Great chapter, I am looking forward to the next round :)

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    1. That'll be a while yet - I am not making much headway right now, as playing time is very limited for me these days. But TS4 is not going anywhere, it will be there for me when I'm ready :-)

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Whether you play The Sims 2 yourself or not, it would be great hearing from you. As I will reply to comments regularly, please remember to come back if you have asked a question.