Harold Tours the Countryside [ Edited ]

[EA_Lanna]

Llama Tell You ‘bout Cottage Living

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@Henford-on-Bagley wrote:

I'm in Henford-on-Bagley!

Sul Sul… Is this how it goes? No matter. Hey there, it’s me, Harold the Llama, and before you go about wondering how a llama like myself managed to prepare a blog, I'll have you know these nails have been trimmed to perfection to reveal the capable keyboard connoisseur that I am. But my motor skills are not what this is about! It's about my charming home of Henford-on-Bagley.

Sim legends of old say that Henford-on-Bagley was created from the perfect mingling of earth and water… but I'm pretty sure some Sims loved the nearby Cordelia Falls and that the River Bagley runs through it in all of its glory. Hmmm, majestic.

Anywho, in order to get to know more about this charming village, we will have to visit all of its neighbourhoods. Our first stop is Finchwick, where the action happens!... Sort of… in a manner of speaking. Finchwick prides itself as a historically bustling and tight-knit community.

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Loving Bagley's way with words?! You can read much more about Bagley's Countrylife adventure in his blog post!

If this is all moosic to your ears, that’s great news! Even better, if you purchase the pack by September 2, you also get the bonus Gnome on the Go Digital Content** seen above! Ride around town on the Scenic Commuting Bicycle, decorate your garden with the "Onward" The Adventurous Gnome sculpture, and brighten your yard with Bramblewood's DeLIGHTful Tree.

Preorder The Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion Pack now to start playing immediately when it launches on July 22 at 10:00 a.m. PT for Mac/PC on Origin and Steam, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5.

Don’t hit the hay just yet, either. Summer of Sims has a few more rabbits to pull out of its hat before Cottage Living arrives, so milk it for all its worth!

Start getting ideas for your cozy cottage life on the Forums; catch up with us on Twitter and Instagram; like us on Facebook; and subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also sign up for The Sims 4 newsletter to get all the news as soon as it’s announced.

*REQUIRES THE SIMS 4 (SOLD SEPARATELY) AND ALL GAME UPDATES. FOR PC, SEE MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PACK.

**CONDITIONS & RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/packs/expansion-packs/the-sims-4-cottage-living FOR DETAILS.

[DonroaAkashu]

I have never understood the llama joke in the sims, I guess you would have to have played it from the first iteration, since it does seem like a repeated joke, taking its point from that fact.

[PugLove888]

@DonroaAkashu , yes from the original Sims you would sometimes call a friend or acquaintance and they might decline your offer to do something because they were too busy and needed to feed their llama.🤣 (There might have been other llama-related jokes or items in TS1, but I don't remember).  In TS2's University EP , your mascot would be a llama (the rivals would be a cow) and the mascots would often visit the dorms.  There was also a cheer that ended in "Gerbitz! Gerbitz! Vooooooooh Gerbitz!" which meant "Llamas! Llamas! Goooooooo Llamas!" 🥰 So there was always a connection with the Sims and llamas! 🦙 

[DonroaAkashu]

Ah, thank you, that explains it! Then I would shyly and in a whispering tone say that it seems a shameful milking of a joke not belonging to the current game producer, and perhaps something they would need to shelf, since the marketing for this last iteration makes it clear that they don't direct it to an old audience, both in terms of sim's history and age.

[PugLove888]

@DonroaAkashu , I would not call it a shameful milking of a joke.  It is part of the Sims and people like it.  Just like plumb bobs and Bella Goth -- should they get rid of her as well since she was created under a different game producer, or that younger players might consider her an old character? 
I've seen other games get rid of beloved characters or themed items and it ends up having a backlash,  Take the Animal Crossing series.  They got rid of several characters in Animal Crossing New Horizons that older versions of the game had, and people were upset !  They also got rid of a lot of older furniture and people were sad, especially that they got rid of the  Froggy Chair! 

Since I've never heard of anyone disliking the llamas (though I'm sure there are some people out there who do), I think it is a fun icon to the game! 🦙 Most people respond in a positive manner to the llamas, so it only makes sense to have llama themed items in the game! 🥰

[DonroaAkashu]

@PugLove888 Yeah, I think some players like it, and others don't. To me, since I haven't played the sims series long enough, the joke which is based on repetition is just repetitious; and I am too old to find a llama with glasses interesting. I am not interested in Bella Goth either, I never did like that series it hints of. And removing is not the same as letting lie. And if it is one thing to be said about what simmers think, it is that they will complain about everything. :D I'm glad you like them! I would wish for a humour based on actual substance and agenda, and not just copying what others have said in the beginning of time.

[PugLove888]

@DonroaAkashu , I don't think it is just a joke.  It is an icon of the Sims much like the plumb bob.  To me it seems very fitting! If they abandoned the llamas in favor of something else, there would be a disconnect.   The sunglasses aren't part of the llama theme in the game ... this was just introduced with this pack. The glasses aren't necessary as they aren't part of the llama theming.  I think the glasses are just a way to highlight that you can dress up the animals in this pack.  I don't see this as copying since it is part of the Sims and not part of some other game franchise, or something that was got from a movie or tv show.  

Yes, people will complain about everything because it is impossible to please everyone.😅  But the llama theme is one of the few things that I've seen that almost no one complains about. 🙂

[DonroaAkashu]

Well, most of the things in the game is presented with silliness, and the line to being a joke is in the definition, so with me, and you. Your example of Bella Goth is quite good, because the game is not overridden with her, it's just a premade household, and there is a book I think, called Where is Bella (or perhaps that was in TS3); but her presence is not forced upon the player, and premades can be ignored.

The llama theme is milked, and too present in the game, and if the joke is not understood or thought to be funny in the first place, it is just a llama figuring on build items I would rather not have a silly animal head on, for example. To me, not actually being a fan of the series just a player, there is no need for an icon, and focusing too much on supposed legacy makes the legacy thin indeed, if it is to be just this. I am sorry if you are upset by my opinion though!

[PugLove888]

@DonroaAkashu , everyone is entitled to their opinion.😉  You can always ignore any clothing items or objects that feature llamas. 
But I think that players, in part,  might be somewhat responsible for the llama being added to the game in Cottage Living.  A few years ago when discussing a farming pack, several people mentioned llamas (either alongside sheep, or in place of sheep) as the animal that we could get wool for in the game, if we ever got a farming pack. Those that weren't thinking of it, said they loved the idea!  That is not to say that the Sim Gurus wouldn't have come up with the idea on their own, but since many of us did specifically ask for llamas on the farm, that could only reinforce the developers that this was a good idea! 😂 So many of us players are partly to blame, at least indirectly! 😅

[DonroaAkashu]

Thank you, I do think I am entitled to my opinion, and to post it here too!

And, yes, I do ignore the items referring to llamas and rabbits and whatnot. I just don't want the theme to ruin anymore objects that could be pretty and useful.
Ah, I wonder, did they post in The Sims Forum