Animal Crossing vs. The Sims. You might've seen folks streaming it lately, or maybe you're playing it yourself.

You have an island. You make characters to populate it. They interact. You can suggest courses of action, but mostly they think of the stuff they're doing themselves.

The current population of my island is a mix of Hololive members, Umamusume characters, and random concepts who sprang from my whimsy, to wit (roughly in the order I added them):

- Me!
- All five members of HoloMyth.
- Gort (the robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still, except he dresses sort of like Mr. T)
- Stevazaak-350 (a grey alien who likes hats)
- Autofister GmbH
- Vodka
- Gold Ship
- Kureiji Ollie
- Kronii
- Mumei
- Bae
- Major Matt Mason (an astronaut who only ever wears a full space suit, has a face roughly based on Chris Hadfield, and walks like he's somehow in lunar gravity)

As you might imagine, there's plenty of silliness. If I can remember how to get screenshots off my Switch, maybe I'll share some of it.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

I'm not playing it (I don't even have a Switch), but via Koui's hololive highlight shorts, I'm seeing FWMC either play it or appear in it, maybe both.

>I'm not playing it (I don't even have a Switch), but via Koui's
>hololive highlight shorts, I'm seeing FWMC either play it or appear in
>it, maybe both.

They're not officially in it (there are no premade characters in the game), but you can make Miis of them, as you can of anybody else.

On my island, we've been joined by Clara, daughter of TakaMori, and Rowan, son of Ina and, uh, me. So far Autofister have not seen fit to reproduce, but if and when they do, boy howdy. I did not arrange either of these pairings, they just... happened. I named Clara, because that is (believe it or not) canon, but I let the game pick Rowan's name.

Also, Gort and Steve seem to have embarked on some kind of doomed romance arc. One gets convinced that the other has a crush, there's a confrontation, it doesn't work, and then it happens in the other direction. Rinse, repeat.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>On my island, we've been joined by Clara, daughter of TakaMori, and
>Rowan, son of Ina and, uh, me. So far Autofister have not seen fit to
>reproduce, but if and when they do, boy howdy.

Ah, I misremembered late at night. Autofister aren't married yet, it's AmeSame who haven't reproduced. Although they started talking about it earlier.

Similar to Animal Crossing, this game happens in real time, and things keep going on in the shadows when you're not playing (or, more realistically, get calculated and applied retroactively in the time since you were last on, but anyway). Sometime while I was away last night/this morning, Calli and Kronii managed to have a falling out so catastrophic that an attempt at reconciliation failed completely. When I checked in on Kronii after said failure, she opened the conversation with, "I don't want to see Calli ever again."

I picked the option urging her to think it over some more, and she replied with the most uncannily Kronii line ever selected by the underlying logic of a computer game:

"OK, I see what you're saying. But counterpoint: No."

It then remarked them from "still friends?" to "ex-friends". This is the first time I've seen this particular scenario play out. Calli was so crushed, I had to send her to Hawaii to get her morale back into positive numbers.

Also, new additions late last night: IRyS and, for no reason whatsoever, the Hulk. He looks the part, but I can't make him barechested or get him to talk like the proper Hulk, so I might recolor him grey and turn him into Joe Fixit instead.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>it's AmeSame who haven't reproduced. Although they started talking
>about it earlier.

It has happened. The offspring's name is Charlotte. She looks more like Ame but acts more like Gura, which is (IMO) perfect.

>It then remarked them from "still friends?" to "ex-friends". This is
>the first time I've seen this particular scenario play out. Calli was
>so crushed, I had to send her to Hawaii to get her morale back into
>positive numbers.

They made up! Spontaneously, even. It was very cute.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>It has happened. The offspring's name is Charlotte. She looks
>more like Ame but acts more like Gura, which is (IMO) perfect.

So you have a catfish running around?

>They made up! Spontaneously, even. It was very cute.

Kronii's mom was right, she's a total tsundere.

>>It has happened. The offspring's name is Charlotte. She looks
>>more like Ame but acts more like Gura, which is (IMO) perfect.
>
>So you have a catfish running around?

Pretty much, yeah.

>
>>They made up! Spontaneously, even. It was very cute.
>
>Kronii's mom was right,
>she's a total tsundere.

Yup. She and Calli have some kind of weird chemistry in this incarnation, too. They have since had another fight, which didn't re-break their friendship but did leave them both annoyed and in need of headpats.

In other news, I have added Oguri Cap... and Major Matt Mason instantly fell in love with her.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>Yup. She and Calli have some kind of weird chemistry in this
>incarnation, too. They have since had another fight, which didn't
>re-break their friendship but did leave them both annoyed and in need
>of headpats.

Is it wrong that I found myself thinking of Vodka and Scarlet?

>In other news, I have added Oguri Cap... and Major Matt Mason
>instantly fell in love with her.

If Cinderella Gray taught us anything, it's that everyone loves Ogurin.

>>In other news, I have added Oguri Cap... and Major Matt Mason
>>instantly fell in love with her.
>
>If Cinderella Gray taught us anything, it's that
>everyone loves Ogurin.

Tonight he recklessly confessed his love to her, despite the fact that they were still only passing acquaintances. Not surprisingly, given that she barely knew him, she turned him down. I had to send him on a space mission to calm him down (which I choose to parse as him coming out of retirement to soothe his wounded feelings).

On the other hand, Ollie performed a successful confession...

... to Gold Ship.

Which frankly I think should be canon now.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>I had to send him on a
>space mission to calm him down (which I choose to parse as him coming
>out of retirement to soothe his wounded feelings).

"Grizzled vet comes out of retirement for 'one last mission'"...yeah, that's never gone wrong before./s

>On the other hand, Ollie performed a successful confession...
>
>... to Gold Ship.
>
>Which frankly I think should be canon now.

Two living avatars of chaos hooking up together. We're doomed.

>>On the other hand, Ollie performed a successful confession...
>>
>>... to Gold Ship.
>>
>>Which frankly I think should be canon now.
>
>Two living avatars of chaos hooking up together. We're doomed.

They just got married.

The RNG picked Gryphon as their wedding singer, and he was apparently either totally out of ideas or feeling extremely sarcastic, because his lyrics referred to "the well-balanced Gold Ship" and "the oh-so-serious Ollie".

I think we all know what the next step is...

--G.
In other news, Kei has decided she's in love with Bae. At least they'd have an easy-to-remember ship name.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>They just got married.
>
>The RNG picked Gryphon as their wedding singer, and he was apparently
>either totally out of ideas or feeling extremely sarcastic,
>because his lyrics referred to "the well-balanced Gold Ship" and "the
>oh-so-serious Ollie".

Alcohol may have been (and very likely was) involved.

>I think we all know what the next step is...

Tried asking ChatGPT what you get if you mated an uma and a zombie, and it asked me if I needed professional help.

>In other news, Kei has decided she's in love with Bae.
>At least they'd have an easy-to-remember ship name.

The Lovely Angel?

Jokes about mating a zombie and an uma are old hat, you know. It's just flogging a dead horse.

...

I'll see myself out.

---
"She's old, she's lame, she's barren too, // "She's not worth feed or hay, // "But I'll give her this," - he blew smoke at me - // "She was something in her day." -- Garnet Rogers, Small Victory

FiMFiction.net: we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have standards.

we're not allowed to name this ship tesco lasagne, are we...

>Jokes about mating a zombie and an uma are old hat, you know. It's
>just flogging a dead horse.
>
>...
>
>I'll see myself out.

Oh, Traitor. Never change.

--
Jen Dantes - Darth Mephron
Haberdasher to Androids, Dark Lady of Sith Tech Support.
"This may not be a good idea, but it's the only one I have."

>Tried asking ChatGPT what you get if you mated an uma and a zombie,
>and it asked me if I needed professional help.

I think I would actually use a ChatGPT type system if they made a viciously sarcastic one

"This is probably a stupid question, but . . ."

>>They just got married.
>>
>>The RNG picked Gryphon as their wedding singer, and he was apparently
>>either totally out of ideas or feeling extremely sarcastic,
>>because his lyrics referred to "the well-balanced Gold Ship" and "the
>>oh-so-serious Ollie".
>
>Alcohol may have been (and very likely was) involved.

I guess the in-game me (Mii) might not be barred for life from partaking, but given the setting he lives in, he probably doesn't need chemical enhancements. I mean, he's married to Ina, what more could a man possibly need in this life?

Maybe I should have named the island "Halu" rather than "Avalon". or "Parasocial". Still, I didn't set that up, I just failed to prevent it. :)

>>In other news, Kei has decided she's in love with Bae.
>>At least they'd have an easy-to-remember ship name.
>
>The Lovely Angel?

I laugh, and at the same time I think, You know, we've already established in Manhunt that Kei and Yuri took occasional breaks from their team-up and worked with other people...

In other news, Ollie asked me to give her some clothes "you think Gold Ship would like to see me in."

I gave her a horse costume.

She liked it.

I fear that a zomlet cannot be far away now.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

I'm surprised you don't have any of the folks from Symphony in there.

>I'm surprised you don't have any of the folks from Symphony in there.

Well, the island can hold 70 Miis, so one of these days...

Also, I added Kei and Yuri yesterday.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>>I'm surprised you don't have any of the folks from Symphony in there.
>
>Well, the island can hold 70 Miis, so one of these days...
>
>Also, I added Kei and Yuri yesterday.

And the island is still there? You're doing really well.

--
Jen Dantes - Darth Mephron
Haberdasher to Androids, Dark Lady of Sith Tech Support.
"This may not be a good idea, but it's the only one I have."

>>>I'm surprised you don't have any of the folks from Symphony in there.
>>
>>Well, the island can hold 70 Miis, so one of these days...
>>
>>Also, I added Kei and Yuri yesterday.
>
>And the island is still there? You're doing really well.

They're off-duty. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

"Hold up... did I just get rejected in my own practice run?"

Doomed Romance is the theme of the island tonight. Bae is desperately trying to get IRyS to notice her and failing at every turn. Kei spends her time wishing Bae would look her way instead, to no avail. Twenty feet away, Joe Fixit wishes exactly the same thing about Kei. Rowan, son of Gryphon and Ina, silently yearns for the tender embrace of Kronii. Major Matt Mason harbors a fervent attachment to Oguri Cap, but is too cowardly to approach her. And Clara, daughter of Takamori, is roommates with Charlotte, daughter of AmeSame, but wishes they were more.

What am I going to do with these simulated people?!

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

I've often thought that Tomodachi Life should be renamed to Telenovela Simulator.

---
"She's old, she's lame, she's barren too, // "She's not worth feed or hay, // "But I'll give her this," - he blew smoke at me - // "She was something in her day." -- Garnet Rogers, Small Victory

FiMFiction.net: we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have standards.

>I've often thought that Tomodachi Life should be renamed to Telenovela
>Simulator.

You're not wrong.

--G.
although there's no murder
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>"Hold up... did I just get rejected in my own practice run?"
>
>Doomed Romance is the theme of the island tonight. Bae is desperately
>trying to get IRyS to notice her and failing at every turn. Kei
>spends her time wishing Bae would look her way instead, to no
>avail. Twenty feet away, Joe Fixit wishes exactly the same thing
>about Kei. Rowan, son of Gryphon and Ina, silently yearns for
>the tender embrace of Kronii. Major Matt Mason harbors a fervent
>attachment to Oguri Cap, but is too cowardly to approach her. And
>Clara, daughter of Takamori, is roommates with Charlotte, daughter of
>AmeSame, but wishes they were more.
>
>What am I going to do with these simulated people?!
>

Well, this isn't Rimworld, so "feed them a steady diet of fine meals, ambrosia, beer, and psychite tea to keep their mood up until the rejection depression passes" isn't an option.

Maybe get them to take up a hobby? :)

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

>>What am I going to do with these simulated people?!
>
>Well, this isn't Rimworld, so "feed them a steady diet of fine meals,
>ambrosia, beer, and psychite tea to keep their mood up until the
>rejection depression passes" isn't an option.

The equivalent in Tomolife is to send them on a package tour of one from a list of various available locales, including the continental US, Hawaii, various parts of Europe, and, uh... outer space? Sure, let's go with that. There are other ways to at least attempt to cheer up a depressed Mii, but the trips are guaranteed to work, as far as I can tell.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Gryph. Meet me at camera 3.

OK, look. You were the first Mii on the island. You're the narrator self-insert. You have the highest happiness level. You're happily married to your ideal woman with a grown child who's doing well.

But by all that is holy, if you don't quit being a pigheaded prick and make up with Calli within the next (checks watch) 15 hours, I will delete you.

Don't test me.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Like Joe, Steve, and Mutt, I just gotta know*: did you, in the event, have to pull that particular trigger?

* Not if you're really there and you really care, obviously; we all know you are and you do.

>Like Joe, Steve, and Mutt, I just gotta know*: did you, in the event,
>have to pull that particular trigger?

I decided to give him a little more time, recalling that it took Calli and Kronii a day or two to sort their shit out when this happened to them (and similarly with the two or three other times this has happened with other Miis). I might have to wait until one of them gets into trouble (hiccups, paralysis, etc.) and force the other to go to the rescue. I think that's how I patched up Gigi and Mumei.

I've never been on the scene to see one of these fights start; just happened upon the aftermath--or in once case the fight itself in progress. Major Matt got into a dust-up with Joe Fixit, and somehow came out intact. (I know it's because Joe doesn't really have the power of the Grey Hulk, but still. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Oh, god, it's all going wrong. Gryph still hasn't made up with Calli--her Ex-Friend status has changed from "Strained" to "Thinks About Often" to "Wants to Make Up" over the last few days, but his is still on "Strained", so he won't talk to her if I plop them near each other. I'm keeping him around for now because he has ties to so many other Miis on the island (including Calli's wife and child, with whom he remains "Ultra Friends"), and because Calli's changing status suggests that there MAY still be some small hope of a reconciliation, if he'll ever budge off of "Strained".

Meanwhile, Steve and Gort have had a massive falling-out, as have Joe and Vodka(???), and I started up when I got home from the shop today to find Gura and Rowan locked in battle. It's turning from Doomed Romance Island to the island from Mortal Kombat.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>I'm keeping him around for now because he has ties to so many
>other Miis on the island (including Calli's wife and child, with whom
>he remains "Ultra Friends"), and because Calli's changing status
>suggests that there MAY still be some small hope of a reconciliation,
>if he'll ever budge off of "Strained".

FFS, now they're BOTH on "Wants to make up", but still won't talk to each other (bringing them into proximity from either side generates a "can't approach because it would be awkward" message). What a pair of maroons.

Also, I signed on this morning to discover TWO simultaneous fights in progress and a number of other Miis sporting anger lines. It has somehow become Conflict Island around here.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>FFS, now they're BOTH on "Wants to make up", but still won't talk to
>each other (bringing them into proximity from either side generates a
>"can't approach because it would be awkward" message). What a pair of
>maroons.

oh hey, it's the Exile...
:p

>>FFS, now they're BOTH on "Wants to make up", but still won't talk to
>>each other (bringing them into proximity from either side generates a
>>"can't approach because it would be awkward" message). What a pair of
>>maroons.
>
>oh hey, it's the Exile...
>:p

It's starting to feel that way. Other pairs of Miis have had fights, failed to make up, moped around for a couple of days, and then made up, but these two remain estranged despite both wanting to get back together (platonically).

Oh, and their spouses remain best friends with each other and the opposite partners.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>Oh, and their spouses remain best friends with each other and
>the opposite partners.

In a deeply ridiculous development, this is no longer true. Ina and Kiara have now also had a catastrophic, and evidently unrelated, falling-out. (facepalm)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>In a deeply ridiculous development, this is no longer true. Ina and
>Kiara have now also had a catastrophic, and evidently
>unrelated, falling-out. (facepalm)

So basically you're filming a season of Love Island. /s

>FFS, now they're BOTH on "Wants to make up", but still won't talk to
>each other (bringing them into proximity from either side generates a
>"can't approach because it would be awkward" message). What a pair of
>maroons.

After spending the entire month of July like that, they finally made up tonight.

Mococo and Kate broke up, though. :/

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

This just in: Kaitlyn is now dating...

... Mococo?!

--G.
she's got good taste, if nothing else. gets it from her old man ;)
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.