Introduction

We've seen where sim babies come from. We've seen them turn into toddlers and learn to talk, walk and do what comes naturally. We've seen them grow up into children and seen them go to school. We've seen them become teenagers, choose their aspiration and even do some shopping. We already know that sims die of old age and seen one or more of them have an appointment with the Grim Reaper.

Now it's time to look at the longest age range of them all.

All Grown Up

Let's look at the Doug and Anne Jones to see how they are getting on.

When we first met them, they had Doug's mother staying with them, Ryan was a spotty teenager and Giselle wasn't even a romantic thought. Elizabeth has since died, Ryan has moved out and is now pursuing a successful career in sports and living with his partner.

Doug and Anne are not as young as when we met them. Without intereference, a sim will remain as an adult for 28 days. Personally, I think that is about right although I'm often doing what I can to give my sims an extra week and perhaps get that extra promotion or two.

Delaying Aging

No, we're not talking botox (Ed: buttocks?) injections or those different Gutter Rancour telepromotions on facial beauty treatments endorsed by aging TV stars that are "guaranteed" to zap your wrinkles and make you look 50 years younger.

That's a thought. Sim adults don't get wrinkles or worry lines, which is disappointing. If teens can get zits, it would be nice to see your adults get older in a similar way. An tweaking idea for a future EP, Maxis?



Anyway, back on track. Instead, we're talking the green water cooler which you've seen it in action before. Using the Elixir of Life at the right time, which is when your sim's Aspiration Meter is either gold or platinum, will give you an extra 3 days of life in that age range. Each of the elixir of life containers has 6 doses of the green juice, which is enough to give a sim another 18 days if taken all at once.

Doing What Adults Do

Adults can have woo-hoo and make babies. Teenagers can't do that. Not officially anyway. We've seen that Doug and Anne have no problem on that score. Ryan and Giselle are the results of that. Adults can also adopt. If social services think that the environment is suitable enough and that the "parents" can support a new addition, be it a baby, child or teenager, then the adoption will be approved.

Is that all to being an adult? Well, if it was, there wouldn't have been much to read and I wouldn't be having loads of fun with my adults.

Sim Economics

Adults are the breadwinners and makers of the serious money. With bills being delivered three times a week and threats of the repo man within a week, your sims need to get to work and make some money. Yes, other than Motherlode Kaching, there are alternatives to the carpool in order to make money but we will look at them in the next part of this review.

Anne has followed a career in medicine. She has been a nurse at SimCity General Hospital, was an intern and a resident at SimCity Memorial Hospital and is now a GP at the Regras Gorge Clinic. She has served her time as a nurse, as an intern and a resident at SimCity Memorial Hospital. She is seen here training a friend in the use of the TraumaTime "Incision Precision" Surgical Training Station (Ed: Try saying that after a few bottles of NBA).

Doug's political career is doing very well. He has been elected to Congress for Wright County, which covers SimCity and its suburbs. He was the candidate for the Simpublican Party. He is seen here delivering a speech to Congress with help from the Executive Office Concepts Bushmaster TelePrompter (Ed: They can't be meaning a certain "preznit" there. Can they?)

The more money you have, the more options and the more choices a family has. Either they could move out to a bigger house or they could expand the house they are in. In the case of the Jones family, they chose to expand.

Again, it would be a lot easier if a lot could be expanded as a family becomes more affluent. This is something I have seen in TSO and would like to see here in TS2. More tweaking in a future expansion, Maxis?

To Be The Best

... or worst. Your call. As well as gaining promotion and making friends, adults have 28 sim days to fulfill their wants and avoid their fears. The better your aspiration meter is when you progress to the next level, the better the start you will have for your twilight years.

Aspiration points can be spent in various ways. Throughout this review, we've seen how teens, adults and elders have spent their points to prolong their life or speed up their learning rate. One of the infamous green water-coolers is worth 10 money trees, which shows just some of the options available.

Growing Old Gracefully

With enough fulfillment of your sims wants and avoiding the realisation of their fears, they could buy more and more of the green water coolers to prolong their life as adults indefinitely. Another option would be to cheat and stop aging.

However, the time comes for your adults to become elders. They could hold a birthday party to do it, they could just choose to "grow up" or if they don't make a choice, it is ultimately made for them. If they have a job when they become an elder, they have the option to telephone work and retire or they can continue working.

Anne chose to retire. She receives a daily pension which is about 1/3 of her final salary.

Doug chose to continue working and through his continued skilling and successful networking, he was appointed as a judge, which proves that experience counts and old people can be promoted.. Doug has plenty of choices as to what to do with his life. He could continue until the Grim Reaper comes for him or he could try and cheat death by fulfilling his wants and taking the elixir of life to give him as long as he can get. Alternately, he could also retire from the bench and enjoy his twilight days as a man of leisure.

Where next for the Jones Family?

Although Giselle has a part-time job and wants to become a chef, Doug has persuaded her to go to University.

What will she major in?

Will she join a sorority?

Will she find love?

Will she get a job?

Will her dad ever become the mayor of SimCity?

This is where our story of the Jones family ends ... for now.

Coming Soon

In the next section of this review, we look in detail at all of the career paths and the reward objects that can be picked up along the way.

Written at 02:43 on Wednesday 29 September 2004 by Andy.