Update Post: Rough Roadmap

Hey fans, back with another update post! (I wrote a small tl;dr at the end. :P)

After chatting with some other modders for the past few days and lots of thinking, I've finally decided on the direction I'm going for my next few projects.

First off, my followers gift for 200 (soon to be 300!) will be a new mod as that was the popular vote on my poll (I forgot to post it here, sorry >_<). I've decided that it will be kind of a joke, but functional, add-on to the computer games menu and skill. I had this idea to create a Sims 4 game option, like how we have Sims Forever, and when you play it there's a random chance to receive negative or positive Fun motive changes. I thought this would be funny and interesting as a project, especially since there seems to be such a divide on whether or not the game is actually enjoyable, and this way sims can experience it with us. I also want to add 2 new interactions, Complain and Enthuse about Sims 4, based on the outcome. Plus, this allows people to play their simself even more accurately, hahaha! But in all seriousness, this will teach me new things and I think it's a fun idea, so keep your eye out for it!

Next is my biggest project I keep mentioning, animation and functional object conversions from TS3 and The Sims Medieval (TSM) (TS2 is not possible, unfortunately...But I do intend to create a sewing skill from scratch later anyways). I will be converting basic animations first to get the feel for it, learn what I need to, etc. and then I will be moving on to animations using basic objects (where I also learn object converting). Once I have the basics down and a few releases, I then go to my main focus for the upcoming months.

This main focus is a converted skill, Blacksmithing from TSM! Yes, much like Icemunmun's converted canning skill from TS3, I will be doing Blacksmithing with a focus on weapons and some other metal objects. I was asking about adding new forage items to the forage piles (specifically metal ores) and when I mentioned the blacksmithing idea it caught a few people's interest. It even caught Mal22's interest (creator of familiar injector) who offered to script the mod for me! While I would like to learn this on my own eventually, this is a huge help and will make the release of this much faster compared to stumbling around (as I'm still learning Python). Also, Icemunmun (who also liked my idea) is creating a metalworking skill so I hope to create a compatible version to maybe add some functionality, but we'll see! Anyways, the amount of interest it received helped me decide on making this be my first big project.

I will still work on other mods and animations (and whatever else, like tutorials), so don't worry about that! My Improved Mermaid Transformation mod is an example of something I'll keep working on, along with other requests I come across or if anything inspires me.

As for the blacksmithing project, my goal is to make this as detailed as possible. If it exists in TSM it's being ported over, and any ideas that I think will fit will also be added. I want to do custom interactions, buffs, skill books, allow the items to be sold for GTW, and maybe make a career (with an at home option), aspiration, and possibly trait. I haven't written up a layout on it yet but I hope to share the layout in other post(s) (don't want to make this post too much longer). Eventually, this skill will work with my other custom skills I plan to add, like the fighting skill where you use the weapons with accompanying stats. As you can see this project is massive and ambitious, but I'm extremely excited to do it! And to think this is just one of many skills I want to bring to the game. I've got a long journey ahead, but I'm happy to take it with you all!

Edit: After talking with some people on the Sims of History Discord server, I'm also now working on the base of my Arranged Marriage mod. Someone brought it up on the wishlist and I was like "I wrote that down a while ago!" and after lots of discussion it inspired me to work on it. I'm using MC4 and if I work on the basics instead of all my ideas for it, I should be done soon. I should still be on track for the roadmap, and still working on the follower's gift. ALSO! I will be finishing the Discord server over the next few days (or today?). I'll make an announcement later.

Tl;dr version (aka the rough roadmap):

• Followers 200-300 gift is a new computer game option based on Sims 4 with 2 new interactions (1-2 weeks, maybe less)
• Arranged Marriage Mod (same time frame as above)
• Convert basic animations from TSM/TS3 (a few weeks to learn multiple things)
• Convert animations that use objects (unknown weeks)
• Converting/making a new detailed skill: Blacksmithing (from TSM, unknown weeks/months)
• Throughout roadmap: Tutorials, animations/poses, mods, or CC that I am inspired to create

As usual, if you have any suggestions just post them below. Have an awesome day!