The Self Sufficient Sim: Working the field

The previous day was disconcerting. We found a woman talking to a tree and had the baffling revelation that Joe had somehow become a tourist attraction. Disappointingly there is no way to profit by Joe's new found fame. The garden is coming along nicely though with many shoots teasingly poking their tiny leaves from the ground. I went big and planted lots, thinking this was the best way to produce lots of vegetables for my fridge. However day five proves the error in my thinking when I realise it takes Joe seven hours simply to tend to the garden. Gardening is also hard work and Joe needs to stop twice in that time to take a shower. If we are going to have spectators crowding round our little plot of land Joe needs to look his best after all.

The good news is all the time outside is having a really positive effect on Joe's mood and he racks up the lifetime happiness points quickly. I keep flipping between the two routes to success, unsure of the best way to proceed. I could aim to keep Joe really happy, consistently, and fulfil his many wishes. Or go for broke and achieve Joe's lifetime goal of becoming an expert gardener no matter how desperate and miserable it makes him on the way. Now I know what people may be thinking. How are we to decide the best route without a visual representation of my previous success/failure? Put simply, you can't. But don't fear, I have produced a new graph so you can breath easy. 

Graphs just make everything better, fact.

Now when I saw this graph I was quite surprised. After the great fire of day four I thought Joe's bad mood would have really driven our projected score down. But all the time gardening has made major progress towards achieving the goal of beating Selina's lifetime happiness score. This is actually the first time I believe that I can succeed in this challenge. It is also the first time I genuinely feel that The Sims 3 allows you to be happy no matter your lifestyle choice. It is a strange moment! It's almost disappointing at how easy it has been to succeed thus far but I am impressed by the opportunities the game provides. Anyway, there is still time to fail.

I am very proud of this little garden.

The graph helps me to decide, based on mathematical evidence, that I am doing the right thing, even science agrees that I'm always right, and so I continue going for broke regardless. Me and Joe will create the perfect garden. We soon slip into a rhythm over the next few days, waking early, tending the plants, fishing for a little bit and going to bed. I also experiment with fertiliser to see which produces the best results as well as trying new baits too to try and catch increasingly rarer fish.

Joe's preferred method is to sneak up on the veg and
get them when they least expect it!

The days fly by and soon the plants are bursting with vegetables ready for harvest. I greedily set Joe to snatch everything up and decide, to really mix things up, he can go fishing to celebrate. When at the pond I make two discoveries. The first is that hidden behind some bushes is a small piece of meteorite, which apparently I can analyse, I stash it away for later. The second is that hidden behind some bushes are the two blokes who seem to always follow Joe about. Who are they? Where are they from? Where are they trying to read while standing in the dark? Every day this little town becomes weirder! Joe hurriedly sneaks away back to the safety of the house. 

I know your there! I know the score!
Don't pretend to read, it's dark!

Back on safe ground I discover some of Joe's produce over the last few days turns out to be of better quality than the rest. I plant the best and rip out the naff old plants. I'm hoping this will lead to increasing quality harvests. I'm trying to create perfect vegetables remember and so will do anything to achieve that! So don't judge me when I tell you that when I find the option to make Joe to talk to his plants I seriously consider forcing him to do it. Have we got to that point? The woman in the park flashes through my mind, I don't want Joe to be seen as crazy by his new neighbours. But maybe this is one way to create the perfect veg! I have a quick look around to make sure no-one is watching (I really do!) and instruct Joe to talk to his plants while I worry that I have just pushed Joe down a long slippery slope. Just as he reaches the climax of whatever story he is waffling about, the two blokes, Joe's patient spectators or surveillance team I don't know which yet, jog past the garden and hastily get into a cab like they can't get away fast enough from the crazy new guy... typical.

Crazy Joe = Happy Joe

Slightly saddened by Joe's exposure I update the graph to include the progress of the last few days. I find that despite looking crazy he's happy at least! Joe is doing really well, which means I have a bit of time to spare. Right, it's time to find out who those two guys really are...