Sun Sims  


Please help us pay the bills.        

Go Back   Sun Sims Forums > Sun Sims Community > Stories
FAQ Donate Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 03-30-2008, 02:09 AM   #1
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default Tales of Happy Valley (Comments)


Comments



I was playing with the Tales of Happy Valley that I have been very slowly copying from their topic at the Hullabaloo and realized that, unless you have an old membership at the Hullabaloo, it is not possible to post comments about the story in either spot.

I don't know whether anyone has ever wanted to discuss the Tales of Happy Valley in the past year or so, but just in case, here's a spot where you can feel welcome to comment.
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2008, 02:26 AM   #2
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default

In fact, I'll start.

It's kind of fun to see how my style has changed since I started posting the Tales of Happy Valley almost exactly three years ago on March 28, 2005. It began with posts that were mostly just notes about what was happening in my game. A chapter typically had only one picture accompanied by a few sentences of text.

Then, as the plot and the characters developed, the chapters got longer and the images more plentiful. At the same time, the references to the game dwindled to near zero, with only the occasional answer to the frequently asked question, "How the heck did you get the game to do that?"

By the time the Tales had expanded in the saga of one Miss Anja Vanderspeigle*, I was using a dozen or more images in each episode and the chapters often as not spanned half a dozen episodes. Nowadays I invest a heck of a lot more time in what the characters are thinking and feeling, and in developing the plot as the story continues.




----------
*Sorry kids; Anja's story is, necessarly, posted on my adult site. Anja is a stripper by profession, you see; besides, I was getting tired of having to edit in censor snakes every time a lady left her shirt off. Since the story was originally posted on an adult site for the entertainment of an adult audience, it (not surprisingly) contains material that might not be appropriate for minors. That means you'll have to look elsewhere for your anatomy lessons. But hey, consider yourself lucky! Today you have the Internet! In my time, all we had was National Geographic!
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2008, 09:32 PM   #3
Hokieman
Solar Max
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 520
Default

Ok since you asked, , while you've referred to Narcissa's defeat and her subsequent recouperation in that little shack in the woods in Anja's story, what exactly happened at the battle at the bridge? Tales of Happy Valley left us with Lucy and the van going off the bridge and our super heros on the way, but how did it go down? It's sort of like a cliffhanger on TV at the end of the season and missing part 2 at the beginning of the next season.

Or did I miss something along the way?
Hokieman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2008, 09:44 PM   #4
Miros1
Goddess for Life
 
Miros1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NY State
Posts: 3,303
Default

Greg told it as a flashback in Anja's story. Lucy was rescued, the bridge sort of survived, and Narcissa was only wounded because the heroes were dealing with the first two.
Miros1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2008, 02:38 AM   #5
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default

Yeah. I've never completed that scene on camera but the basic events were revealed in Chapter 153 of Anja's story:


"We all felt it," Sheba said. "This was more than just a normal contact. You weren't just sending the way Codi Jo did; it felt like you were soaking up things right from My mind and I couldn't stop you!"

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean--"

"No need to apologize, dear. Not your fault, and we knew the job was dangerous when we took it."



"I felt like I was fighting for my soul!"


"Right, it's not your fault, Anja," Dallas said, "but it was scary! You were all over my head, forcing me to relive all the events of my life! I felt like I was fighting for my soul!"

"Yes, that's what it was like!" Sheba said. "Normally I take care of a new awakening because most of the time it's My children, but I was helpless this time! I had to call on Greg to shield you from the source!"

"And that wasn't easy," Greg said. "There was a massive time distortion. The only way I could get through was to completely surround you."

"Oh! That's what it was!" Anja said. "It felt like a really nice hug."

"That just what I envisioned, an all-encompassing embrace. The affection is genuine, dear one, but the embrace was desparation. I was fighting for my life. I haven't had to draw on so much power since the time I got killed at Boveena Bridge."



"I haven't had to draw on so much power since the time I got killed at Boveena Bridge."


Anja gasped. "You got killed?"

"Yes, but obviously I have no talent for staying dead," Greg said. "Narcissa got in a really good blast that we still don't understand and I was six ways dead, but with some help from Dallas as an anchor in this universe, my self in Baumdoubt re-created me here."

"Oh my! I had no idea--"

"Until then, neither did I!" Greg said. "The Gift is a mental power, and we still don't have a clue about where it comes from or the extent of what we can do with it."

Anja was surprised to see Sheba misting up. "Honey, please don't ever do that again!" She said. "It was terrifying!"

"Yeah, what Sheba said," Dallas said. "Don't die! If you do that again, I'll kill you!"

Greg chuckled. "I'll do my best! There's nothing like getting killed to hone your survival instincts!"


And then in chapter 160 there was quite a bit of elaboration while the characters were puzzling over Barry's elemental magic theory:



"If Barry's diagram is correct, Narcissa must be Fire."

"I don't think so," Greg said. "Remember what happened at Boveena Bridge? She drained me good and then while I was falling she hit me with that blast. If Barry's diagram is correct, then Narcissa must be Fire."

Barry nodded. "That would explain why the rest of us were able to draw enough power out of her that she had to run away."

"Yeah, she run away and came close to killing all of us while she was doing it!" Dallas added.

"Except Mom."

"He's right," Sheba said. "I could still steal back the power from her, and she couldn't do the same counter-strike against me."



"Maybe you could have gone after her if you hadn't flown after that package."

"Hey," Dallas said, "maybe you could have gone after her if you hadn't flown after that package instead!"

"My new shoes were in that package!"

Sheila gasped. "What? You let an evil supervillain get away just so you could rescue a pair of shoes? Hey, I'm blonde, too, but--"

Sheba laughed. "No, honey, even I would be willing to sacrifice a pair of shoes to capture Narcissa. All I knew at the time was that Lucy was screaming for someone to rescue the package. Greg was down. Barry was carrying Lucy. And Dallas--"

"Dallas flew straight into the bridge!" Dallas said.

"Yes, that."

"Hey, it was the first time I ever tried to fly at all! At least nowadays they don't have issue NOTAM's about me being a hazard to aviation!"



"I was the only one who could go after the package, so I did."

"Well..."

"They don't, do they?"

"Not formally, but Giles does redirect approach traffic to the air base. But really, the point is that at the time, all I knew was that the package was important to Lucy and it was headed toward the gorge. What's important to Lucy is important to Me and I was the only one who could go after it, so I did."

"So there was no one left to challenge Narcissa, and she escaped," Sheila said.

Sheba seemed petulant, but She agreed. "Yes, Narcissa got away."



"Narcissa must be fire."

"But we've learned something here!" Greg said. Even though the subject involved dark happenings, his characeristic enthusiasm was coming through. "Narcissa must be fire! It's the only thing that fits."

Anja had remained a silent observer all this time out of deference to the legendary superheroes, but suddenly it all came to her. She decided it was time to speak up.

"Yes, Narcissa is fire."

"Huh? Anja?"

"I remember! I was there! Or at least she was! She tried to draw power from the earth. She could feel it there, especially whatever you and Barry did that that bridge--"



"We fused the bridge into a single metal crystal."

"Dad's idea," Barry said. "We fused it into a single metal crystal from one end to the other." His pride was almost palpable.

Anja rewarded him by being amazed. "Making it the strongest structure on Earth."

"Yup!"

"Very lucrative contract," Greg added.

Anja laughed. "I imagine so! And because of that, Narcissa couldn't budge it even when she tried to draw energy directly from the sun. She's powerful, but not that powerful!"

She looked at Greg. "She found that she couldn't draw power from the structure," Anja continued, "but when you arrived, she could draw power through you! And from Barry! But when she tried to draw power from Mama Sheba--"

"I reversed the flow," Sheba said. "Forced her to break the contact."

"Then she took down Greg, but something hit her--"



"You tackled Narcissa?"

"I blind-sided her," Dallas said. "I had no idea what I was doing but at least I knew how to run into things!"

Sheila gasped. "What? You tackled Narcissa?"

"Nothing that elegant, really," Dallas said. "I think I smacked my shoulder right into her back."

"But... her power! I'm feeling what Anja is feeling, and Narcissa is scary!"

"I s'pose so, but I didn't know that at the time! Besides, she was attacking my husband! I don't care how powerful she is! I'd do it again!"

"She was hurt," Anja said. "Bad. She couldn't feel anything from the waist down. So she decided to run."



"You mean I got her?"

"You mean I got her?" Dallas asked. "She's crippled?"

"Um... was," Anja confirmed. "She's healed herself now. Well, almost."

And that is how Narcissa Sapphos came to be alone in her hideout deep in the mountains.


Oh, what has become of Naomi Sephrini?
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2008, 02:47 AM   #6
Hokieman
Solar Max
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 520
Default

Oops (looks sheepish) I forgot that part. Thanks.

(tries to hide behind potted plant)
Hokieman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2008, 12:28 PM   #7
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default

It was a good thing to ask! The main reason that I haven't done that all-important chapter is that it would take a heck of a lot of work to plan, shoot, and composite all the images needed. At the time I was beginning to wonder if I could even do that; and nowadays, I have the skill but not the will.

Nevertheless, it's good to have at least some resolution to the cliff-hanger! Perhaps I should bundle up those notes from Anja's story as l'envoi for the The Tales of Happy Valley.
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2008, 04:49 PM   #8
Sita
Solar Max
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: England
Posts: 371
Default

I must have missed the bit in Chapter 160 as well. I thought I had read EVERYTHING you had written but - thinks about when chapter 160 was posted - I think we were busy moving house and offline at that time. Bah.

Boveena Bridge had always been a mystery to me, thanks for the clarification Greg.
Sita is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2008, 06:03 PM   #9
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default

I really ought to have written out the next few chapters of The Tales, even if it was just text with no illustrations.

Hey, speaking of those bits from Anja's story, I might point out something else we learned during that dinner table discourse: It just could possibly be sort of maybe perhaps a little bit important to events in the year 2760 A.R. that Anja has access to all of Naomi's memories up to the point of her awakening, which just might have some bearing on all the stuff that has been happening in and around Happy Valley back in the year 2642 A.R., and that she only needs to be reminded of it to be able recall it.



Anja knows everything that Naomi knows.
Everything.


And in point of fact, once reminded of a thing, she remembers it better than the person whose memories she is using, as we saw when she remembered where Sheba left her underwear while they were preparing that meal.
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2008, 09:20 AM   #10
VampireSim
Mistress of Myth
 
VampireSim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: England
Posts: 37
Default

Hi. Greg, I was reading your Tales of Happy Valley, and I am up to the bit about the amazing dorm you built for She and Gregsim, and I was wondering if you still had it anywhere I could download for my Abnormal College students? It was called (if you dont rememeber)Manse Collegium.
I didnt know where to post this but I thought here would be the best place to ask you about it.
VampireSim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2008, 11:55 AM   #11
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default

Yup, this is as a good a place as any since it's part of the Tales of Happy Valley.

I took all my lots off line at the Hullabaloo because the game was packaging them with incredible amounts of custom content, even stuff that had never been on the lot. Eeek! Let's see if I can recover good ol' Manse Collegium.
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2008, 12:09 PM   #12
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default

Ta da! Here it is!

New Manse Collegium download topic on Sun Sims.


Halls of Higher Learning for Nouveau Riche Superheroes in Training
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?

Last edited by Greg : 06-17-2008 at 05:29 PM. Reason: Fixing the French.
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2008, 05:28 PM   #13
VampireSim
Mistress of Myth
 
VampireSim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: England
Posts: 37
Default

Aww Thanks Greg! I will treasure this lot forever! Woo!
VampireSim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-17-2008, 05:30 PM   #14
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default

You're welcome, VampireSim. I hope you have as much fun in that house as I did!
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2008, 07:16 AM   #15
Sita
Solar Max
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: England
Posts: 371
Default

mmm there was another dorm I remember you made, I couldn't play it then, but have a better puter - with a pool and games room and gym in the basement? and - er - ahem - DMA sims in the upstairs to provide services of all kinds.... that was a nice building too. Thanks for Manse, it's lovely.
Sita is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2008, 11:26 AM   #16
Miros1
Goddess for Life
 
Miros1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NY State
Posts: 3,303
Default

I remember Harrington House, which was very cool -- was made to sleep, the Sims had to go to a community lot for everything else, including writing their term papers!
__________________
A game that horrible Odessa-person introduced me to:
http://www.puzzlepirates.com/?affili...163251&lang=en
I'm spreading the addiction by corrupting all my friends (and attempting to make in-game money when they try the game).
Miros1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2008, 12:04 PM   #17
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default

If you locate the topic among the downloads on the Hullabaloo and post a link to the exact topic that has the one you're thinking of, it's lot easier than guess which one we're looking for; and of course much easier for me to find.

A dorm, eh? Let's see... That might be Harrington Hall or Parkview Dormitory or Raleigh Residence Hall.

I remember building that tiny dorm that had nothing but rooms to sleep in but if it's in the Downloads area, I must be overlooking it. I think I called it "Microdorm." But I'm not sure that I ever packaged it up as a download.
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2008, 12:13 PM   #18
Greg
Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint
 
Greg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,566
Default

Aha! I found the Microdorm. It's in the Harrington House topic.


Microdorm

It's not a download, but why bother? You can build it faster than you download and install it!
__________________
Who are all these people and what do they know?
Greg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2008, 03:24 PM   #19
Miros1
Goddess for Life
 
Miros1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NY State
Posts: 3,303
Default

"Harrington" sounds like Sita's description, except there's no upstairs for the DMA hookers!

I seem to be missing the Harrington dorm... so I'd like the lot if possilbe!
__________________
A game that horrible Odessa-person introduced me to:
http://www.puzzlepirates.com/?affili...163251&lang=en
I'm spreading the addiction by corrupting all my friends (and attempting to make in-game money when they try the game).
Miros1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-18-2008, 05:04 PM   #20
Sita
Solar Max
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: England
Posts: 371
Default

nooooo it was Raleigh!

But would like em all )
Sita is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 01:27 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
This site is not endorsed by or affiliated with Electronic Arts.
Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Game content and materials copyright by their respective creators. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright ©2007-2008 by Sun Sims.