Die, Picnic Table, Die!

Didn't get enough of the big bang boom over the 4th of July weekend?  Or not an American, and holding out for your own country's Independence Day or fireworks-related holiday?  (Every country has at least one fireworks holiday!)  Well fire up your copy of The Sims 3, and let's blow some stuff up!


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I was pretty psyched to start the Ghost Hunting profession.  But like all the other career paths, I had kind of lost interest by the time I got to Level 8 or so.  The great thing about the new professions is that you get to play your Sim as they work.  The sucky thing about the new professions is that you have to play your Sim as they work!  It's a dilemma.


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Investigator is another new profession that came in with the Ambitions expansion pack.  My Investigator Sim is only at level 5 so far, but one thing I can say for sure: this profession will keep you (the player) hopping!


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Your New SimBot Is Here!

The Ambitions expansion pack introduces a new playable character, the SimBot.  There is some speculation that the SimBot is a precursor to Servo, the beloved robot from The Sims 2.  (The Sims 3 is technically a prequel to The Sims 2, and takes place about 50 years beforehand.)

There are two ways to get a SimBot.  If your Sim accumulates 40,000 Lifetime Happiness points, they can cash them in on the "My Best Friend" reward.  A SimBot will be sent out to your house, and will arrive by taxi.  Its gender and name will be pre-determined by the game.


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After some initial problems accumulating Mysterious Mr. Gnomes, I finally was able to pick up a few.  Hooray!  But then they started misbehaving and disappearing.  What's the deal?


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As I watched my Inventor Sim crank away at his workbench, I started wondering which items had the best ROI.  ROI stands for "Return On Investment," and it's a useful way to compare several different items to see which is most profitable.  


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Inventor is, like Ghost Hunter, a profession that comes with the Ambitions expansion pack.  This means that you are basically self-employed, although you have to register with the city.  The city apparently is also what evaluates your progress and grants you promotions, in case you were wondering how you get promoted when you're self-employed!


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This weekend I got into a surprisingly long and involved conversation with a Simming friend about what I meant by "good" or "bad" traits.  She hadn't thought about the traits beyond which ones she found funny.  Admittedly I tend to overthink this game from time to time.  (Not possible!)  But taking a high-level look at traits can give your overall gaming strategy a big boost.


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Ghost hunting is a profession in the Ambitions expansion pack.  As opposed to a career (where your Sim spends the entire shift in a rabbit hole) or a hobby (which can be lucrative, and which you can do on a freelance basis).  Confused yet?  I sure am!  But that's okay - let's stick to hunting ghosts!


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Ambitions has introduced a number of new traits, but so far I have only explored Eco-Friendly very far.   When I first saw it on the list I thought, "Neat!" Because I am eco-friendly, myself.  But after having played an Eco-Friendly Sim for a while, I am not as enamored of this trait.


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