DID- We Got “The Stuff”…Now What Do We Do?

In this installment of “Designing in Downtime” (DID), I want to go over some of the “stuff” we won during the recent Flanders Family Reunion update.  Not so much the “stuff,” but where you put it.

I know…if any of you are older than 50, “where should I stash my stuff” takes on a whole other meaning.  And of course, ironically, some of the “stuff” from this update was actually related to “stuff” that used to be, or perhaps still is (depending on how you look at it) illegal.

But, that hasn’t stopped EA and the writers from offering it up…most of it almost free (gotta get ’em hooked with a freebie…then they’ll pay).

Let’s take a look on some design ideas that utilize some of the best stuff, as well as some stuff that has been in my game in Cletus’s domain for years and years.

Where did I put my stuff?
But, before we dive into the “Where” a it pertains to the “stuff,” I want to reprint just a couple more lines to establish that Springfield, Oregon is THE REAL Springfield…again…supported by the writers.

It’s the fuzz! Scatter!
Whoah, whoah. You can’t sell that stuff in Springfield!
 Why not? It’s perfectly legal in this state, you know.
It is? What state is this again?
One where people have been using “herbal spinach” medicinally for years, man.
All I know is, as an officer sworn to uphold the law… I guess I should probably find out what the law is.

Don’t make me go back and show you the links to the years that all of the other Springfield Pretenders legalized medical, and then recreational pot. Springfield, Oregon, was the first…and shall always be #1 in the hearts of Simpsons fans and wacky weed lovers everywhere!

OK…back to “the stuff” we got in the update.  While I LOVED the dialogue associated with the update, including the Premium character dialogue (which I’ll cover more in my Filler on Friday), I have to say that the offerings for this mini-update were kinda random.

There would have been SO much promise if they had just stayed with the cannabis theme.  But, noooooooooooo….they veered off into a random, seemingly unrelated character (, and a couple of out of place buildings.

Case in point…Brunella Pommelhorst. She is related to the Flanders how?  I know…the writers did their best to tie it together…but, come on. It’s like EA and the writers were just looking at Safi’s lists…and saying “Oh…hey…we haven’t done her yet!”  At least they put her in the Mystery Box, so there was some separation.

I felt the same with the Left Mazon building.  I was kinda torn as to where to add it, but just put it with my other “bad ideas for businesses” section…including the lame version of Comic-Con.

And there was only one place for me to put the weirdly out of place “Humbleton” store.  I carved out a spot near the carnival booths, because the cheap “made in China” china and ceramic figurines, really belong where the rest of the suckers shop.

I had some spare land, being saved with water as a placeholder.  And no real decoration, except for some concrete in front…didn’t add much to my Item Limits. (which still haven’t been increased.

EAsiest of all, was where to place my “Family Reunion” and “Lettuce Cart.”  For me, this kind of gathering, and wares needed to be where the most music fans hung out, in the party/carnival section of my homage to “Woodstock 1999” near the airport. They fit right in…

And finally, a couple of you asked for a clearer, larger picture of my “grow operation” at the “Spuckler Family Farm and Moonshine Distillery.” Happy to oblige.

I did this design years ago, when Item Limits were unimaginable! 

What I like about these early designs is the lushness of the greenery, trees, and shrubs…which makes the Spuckler’s place look remote…even though it;s fairly close to a number of other recreational outlets.

For me, the little details really make the design…but a lot of the fun is in the original buildings.  I love the “wind-chimes” and some of the details in the stills.

Pulling back a bit…and you can see all of the forested areas, the “Fever Cabin” and the flowers that make up my “Peeing Man” aerial sculpture.  I used a ton of the old propane tanks from the original “junk” that used to come with every chunk of land (remember when they used to do that?).

The bottom line, as always, is that there is no wrong or write way to design…especially if you have enough land and Item in your limit cache, available.

I think the dialogue was the best part of this update…but there were some fun elements.   How did YOU use your “Flanders Family Reunion” items?  Inquiring Tappers want to know!