When simulation's lost its fun

[vovat]

I reinstalled The Sims and the first expansion pack on my computer last night, and played the game for a little while. It's still kind of fun, but it's very much just going through the motions at this point. There's really nothing new to do. I guess I still haven't really explored the last two expansion packs, but they didn't run very well on my computer. That was shortly before the hard disk crash, so maybe they wouldn't have as many problems now. Maybe I'll try reinstalling them, but as of now I'm thinking that can wait until the mysterious and possibly never-to-exist time known as When I Get A New Computer. Superstar really didn't strike me as that much fun anyway. It seemed to be too much work for very little reward. I'll probably still try making a Sim famous someday, though. Makin' Magic had more potential for fun, I think. I kind of long for the days when just playing the regular game was interesting and exciting. Then again, I remember not getting much else done back then. I've heard that The Sims 2 is coming out soon. I wonder what they've changed for that.

In other news, Camper Van Beethoven is scheduled to play at the TLA in September. At least, Pollstar says they're supposed to; the concert isn't listed on the band's own site. I guess I'll have to keep checking for information. I was hoping that a combination CVB/Cracker show would make it to Philadelphia, since I still haven't seen Cracker live, but CVB alone isn't too shabby. (Hmm, the letters "CVB" are right in a row on the keyboard. Never noticed that before.) If all goes as scheduled, this should be after their new album is released. It's annoying that so many shows I want to see are at the TLA, though. I guess that's because they're all too big for the Trocadero, but too small for the Electric Factory or Tower Theater. The Trocadero and Tower are close to public transportation, though, while the Electric Factory has relatively convenient parking areas. The TLA really isn't that close to anything. More convenient than the North Star Bar, I suppose, but still.

Today, I got e-mail notifications of really old replies to my livejournal comments. I'd seen them before, but I don't think I'd gotten the notifications through e-mail for those particular replies. Some kind of system glitch, I guess.

Comments

[onib.livejournal.com]

Cracker puts on a really good show, or at least they used to. I saw them back in 93 or so when their opening band was some group no one had ever heard of called The Counting Crows. I wasn't even very familiar with Cracker at the time, but one of my old friends was a big CVB fan and talked me into going to the show. I'm really glad he did - they were terrific.

[titletownie.livejournal.com]

I really didn't like Superstar.

Although we do have Vacation, Unleashed, and Superstar, I don't use them. I really love everything up to (and including) Hot Date, so that's about all I need.

I haven't played The Sims in a while and I don't intend to buy The Sims 2. Maybe I'll end up buying it, but I don't know right now...it doesn't look like anything especially special, or not in my opinion.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I like Unleashed a lot. House Party and Vacation are a little too narrow in their main focus, I think. After throwing a few parties and letting a few families go on vacation, those things lost their appeal. They're kind of complicated, and really don't have that much purpose in typical gameplay. I have a feeling Makin' Magic will turn out to be much the same way. Those expansion packs are probably worth it just for the additional items, though.

I have mixed feelings on Hot Date. I like the fact that there are new interactions, but it's much harder to make friends. That adds an element of challenge and makes things a little more realistic, but it also makes it tedious to make all the friends you need for a promotion or whatever. I rarely bring my Sims downtown, either. It bugs me that you can't save there, and it runs slowly on my computer.

[bethje.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Today I got two emails saying that you commented on my livejournal saying congratulations on me getting an A in my math class.

[titletownie.livejournal.com]

And that was 3 years ago.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Except neither of us HAD livejournals three years ago...

[onib.livejournal.com]

It's annoying that so many shows I want to see are at the TLA, though. I guess that's because they're all too big for the Trocadero, but too small for the Electric Factory or Tower Theater. The Trocadero and Tower are close to public transportation, though, while the Electric Factory has relatively convenient parking areas. The TLA really isn't that close to anything. More convenient than the North Star Bar, I suppose, but still.

I noticed that TMBG will be playing TLA at the end of September as well. Amazingly, I've never seen a show there. What's the venue like? I've driven past it, so I know where it is, but I was wondering if it's standing room only or if they have a loft and/or any seats at all.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

The TLA is smaller than the Electric Factory, but bigger than the Trocadero (based on the accounts of people who have been there, anyway; I've never seen a show there, and I seem to recall reading somewhere that it's actually BIGGER than the TLA, but I don't really believe that). It's usually standing room only on the floor in front of the stage, but there's a balcony with seats. I sat up there once while waiting for a concert to start, although I went down to the stage when it was actually beginning. The second time bethje and I saw Sloan at the TLA, they had chairs and tables down near the stage, but that was probably because the audience was small. They've never done that for a TMBG show before, and I doubt they ever would.

[onib.livejournal.com]

Our tickets just arrived for the TMBG show at the TLA. It'll be great to see them again. While looking over the tickets, I noticed that they came with seat numbers as well as listing it as general admission - interesting.


"We'd like to lay down a few ground rules first: no moshing, no slam dancing, and no riding the crowd. Because: it sucks, it's a bummer, and a total drag! Thank you very much and enjoy the show!"
-John F. (The Georgia Theater, Athens, GA 1993)