Sims2: Bransfield household

Danica Bransfield attempts to repair the family computer, while her daughter Johanna looks for a job the old-fashioned way, in the newspaper.  Johanna's father John passed away from illness when she was quite young.  Danica has managed pretty well, opening a little store selling computers in the other half of their duplex home.

I used to be annoyed at things breaking in the game.  Computers, sinks, tubs, dishwashers, garbage disposals - all have their specific way of breaking.  Eventually I realized that it's a cheap way to develop a Sim's mechanical ability.  They can also 'tinker' with things that aren't broken, which also builds the skills.  Of course then the thing usually *does* break, and they get to practice some more.

Items in the game also depreciate, which blew me away when I realized it.  You furnish your house or buy whatever, and as your Sims use the items, they decrease in value.  It means that when you move your Sim out of their house and their possessions are sold automatically, they don't get as much back as they paid - which of course is entirely the way it *should* work, I'm just amazed it made it into the game.  Hence Danica's attempted repair of the computer here - you can't sell a broken computer and use the money to buy a new one, just like you can't in real life. 

But be careful!  Sims without high mechanical can get electrocuted fixing computers, sometimes things catch on fire, and attempting to fix a dishwasher with a puddle of water in front of it is just asking for a visit from the Reaper.