Princess and the Pauper - WTF Edition
I apologize in advance as this turned out to be kind of long ...
So, a few months back I decided to revisit the Sims 3 and realized it had been so long since I had played that I did not even remember what I had been doing on my previous save. I decided to start a new game and do something a little different. After some pondering, I eventually decided to lead a double life by creating a pair of doppelgangers, switching back and forth from one to the other at the end of each week.
As such I created Miss Doppel Ganger and Miss Counter Part (So very original. I know). Besides their choice in outfits, the two were basically the same person. They looked the same, talked the same, had the same traits, likes, dislikes, ambitions, and even the same birth sign! Beyond their wardrobe, the only difference between them would be their lifestyle. Using cheats to start (afterwards, everything was very hands off), Doppel would lead a rich, extravagant lifestyle while Counter would lead a poor, simple life.
The two lived all the way across town from one another. Doppel lived in this upper class district where I built her a lovely mansion complete with just about anything she could need or want. Counter, on the other hand, was moved into the smallest, lackluster premade shack I could find. Since she liked music, I was kind enough to use what little money she had on a guitar as a sort of Welcome Home gift. Since I figured it would be something they both could achieve without too much in Doppel’s favor, I made Golden Tongue, Golden Fingers (Max Guitar and Charisma Skills) their lifetime wish. With Story Progression enabled and free will at its highest setting, I decided that I would interfere as little as possible. I was restricted to granting one wish a day to the sim I was currently watching over. Beyond that I could not touch them unless it was to push the story along. With that, the stage was set and I was ready to begin.
For my first couple weeks, things were actually pretty simple. The first week I spent with Doppel She pretty much was either playing the guitar or inviting herself over to the neighbor’s house. Since Counter was living in poverty, she had to actually work. Due to her focus on guitar playing, she started working at the local theater to make her way into the music career. Most of the time she comes home too exhausted to cook and just orders pizza. Last I leave her, she had just finished chatting with the delivery girl, proudly showing off her brand new television (albeit the cheapest one she could afford). As the clock strikes midnight, Sunday morning, I smile a little and exit out to once again return to the house of Miss Doppel Ganger for another week.
And that's when things started to get weird ...
When I flew over to the Ganger Mansion, I had been prepared for a few things. Perhaps Doppel doing another moonlight jam session in the courtyard, perhaps passed out on the couch, perhaps even just sleeping like an ordinary individual.
What I had NOT been expecting was a very angry Doppel screaming at a burglar right in the foyer while a fireman rushed past them to get to the kitchen and put out a massive fire. Alarms blaring from both the fire and the burglar, a police car drives up in time to see Doppel beating up the intruder. He yells at them to break it up and apprehends the suspect. As Doppel runs off to lament the charred remains of her dining room, the cop and the fireman have what I can only assume to be a very interesting chat as they don’t leave the property for another hour.
Okay, so that was strange ... but whatever. Doppel’s a rich person. It would make sense that she might attract the occasional robber, right? I mean, I don’t actually remember her even having an athletic skill, let alone a high enough level to win a fight. But hey! She does have state of the art exercise equipment. Not so weird ... right? But why is the neighbor so pissed off? About a day or two after the arsonist burglar incident, I invite over her neighbor only to realize their relationship bar is so low I can only expect that she either decided to beat him up too or has literally been insulting him the entire week I was with Counter.
I finish off the week with Doppel basically trying to at least get back on speaking terms with her neighbor buddy and jamming out in the courtyard.
When I return to Counter, things are remarkably normal compared to Doppel’s life. I switch over to find her hanging out on the couch watching TV with a familiar face. I later realize it’s the pizza delivery girl from before and that she’s actually become Counter’s best friend. In the following week she actually manages to get a promotion and hangs out with Delivery Girl some more. She even takes up playing guitar for tips in the park. When I last leave her, she’s heading to bed after a day of chilling out with Delivery Girl and some dude from work.
This time she’s in the lounge with her fiance. Well, that’s pretty nor-WAIT! SHE’S ENGAGED?! TO WHO?!?!?!
Yeah, remember that burglar? The one that broke into her house and she beat up to the point that the cop had to break up the fight? That one? I guess the two just somehow hit it off. Also, I don’t know if it is relevant or even related, but she seems to have gotten a new maid. What happened to the old one? Oh ... she ... she hates us now. Wait, why? Doppel, what have you been doing all this time?!?!
WHY IS YOUR FISHING SKILL HIGHER THAN YOUR GUITAR SKILL???
After a week where Doppel throws a nice bachelorette party with what few people don’t seem to hate her, she maxes out her guitar skill finally and spends time with her fiance. I am finally back with Counter.
Apparently Autumn, AKA Delivery Girl, and Counter have gotten quite close. The two are now in a romantic relationship and very happy. The first scene I see is of Counter playing a nice melody on her guitar while Autumn smiles and listens. The two exchange a little kiss before bidding each other good night. Autumn drives off and Counter gets ready for bed and to start another day. I notice that she’s gained a decent amount of money and start upgrading some of her appliances.
As the week goes by, Counter works her heart out to get that next promotion and starts really working on her charisma skill. One afternoon, Counter is playing hookie from work to hang out with Autumn at the beach. There really is not much to do there, but I figured it would be romantic and that I wanted to enjoy one last day before having to go back to dealing with Doppel’s craziness.
Doppel had other plans.
Up until that point, Doppel and Counter had yet to run into each other. At times I even forgot they existed in the same universe, let alone the same town. Then came the day I would come to know as the Beach Incident:
As Counter and Autumn jogged onto the beach, they came to behold what could only be described as pure chaos.
People were gathered round, panicking as the grill and bar burned while a firefighter came to put out the blaze. A strangely familiar looking man was rummaging through the garbage while this pregnant lady was picking a fight nearby. She tackled the nearest person, in this case a rather offended young man, and when he ran away she began laughing to herself before pulling the man out of the trash long enough to start yelling at him. After the fire was extinguished and the lady began walking toward us, I recognized who it was.
Doppel. The man digging in the trash? Her fiance!
Of all the ways for Counter to meet her estranged twin, here she stood in all her mental glory, surrounded by fire, knocked up by a dumpster diving burglar, and fist fighting anyone who looked at her wrong.
It was at this point that I became thoroughly convinced that Doppel is an evil clone or just plain became a full-blown psychopath and I'm almost entirely sure that her husband is an arsonist. After that, I quit while I was ahead and haven't really touched the save file. Since then, I like to believe that Counter and Autumn moved away to live a Doppel-free life.
TL;DR - I made a Prince(ss) and Pauper set of doppelgangers. The rich one went insane, took up 'beating the shit out of people' as a hobby, and married a kleptomaniac arsonist while I wasn't looking.
