Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 11th Oct 2014 at 4:57 PM
Default A Break From The Usual Sim Day
I noticed that when I'm playing The Sims, my sims have an every day routine that just repeats itself. It's like I'm not getting everything from the game. They eat, sleep, go to work, shower, but they never have the time for just going to the park or something. They don't do any freetime activities unless they are improving a skill. So, I realized, there must be some activity other people's sims do regardless of their needs and job performance. For instance, when I reach elder status with my sims, I like to play Young & Beautiful on the radio and make the old couple dance slowly. It's like a scene from a movie. What do you do to take a break?
Advertisement
Scholar
#2 Old 11th Oct 2014 at 5:28 PM
Almost all my worlds have that group of friends that always get together at a cofee à la "Friends", you know? So I like to do that. They go to juice bars, or just hang in a cofeeshop. When I'm feeling less lazy I take them on vacations. Recently I took a couple of mine to Ziwa Bonde and took like 100 screenshots plus 30 photos on their cameras to hang around their house. :P
Alchemist
#3 Old 11th Oct 2014 at 6:03 PM Last edited by varpunen : 11th Oct 2014 at 6:28 PM.
I don't spent time satisfying my simmies needs; I just drag the bars up whenever I need to. It leaves a lot of free time for my simmies to do fun stuff. If I want them to cook and eat or go out to eat, then I leave the hunger bar as is. Same with the sleep bar. Other than work (and not always even that) my simmies have never had any solid routine, even when they're kids and teens (except for school, of course). They go out constantly, slow dance the night away, take vacations, sit in Paris style coffee house at night and watch the snow falling, etc. Just few days ago my simmies went to scuba diving (or more like ice diving) in the middle of the winter, at Christmas eve, and then spent the rest of the night in front of the fire, in the light of the christmas tree. For me, nothing could be more boring than doing the same thing everyday over and over again. There's so much more for them to do except just to eat, sleep and go to work.
Lab Assistant
#4 Old 11th Oct 2014 at 6:04 PM
I have trouble falling into this trap, too. I find it hard to just let them do whatever they want without accomplishing something. After they achieve their LTW I lighten up a little, or at least I try to, but it seems then I will have them learn a new skill or focus on that, or something.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#5 Old 11th Oct 2014 at 7:29 PM
When I first got the game I didn't drag the bars because I didn't know it was possible. The game was interesting. It didn't get boring but kind of hard so when I learned about the cheats, I was so thrilled but then the game soon lost the purpose. It became a bit boring so I don't cheat anymore unless I'm just building houses.
Scholar
#6 Old 11th Oct 2014 at 7:51 PM
As a virgo, though, sometimes I find it really relaxing to have a few days where they just follow a routine and live perfect, vanilla lives. But only for a few days. I always create a scenario where they have to get out of their routine. For an example, I have a doctor who's father has the unstable trait, and somedays it gets really difficult for him, and since his father is old, he needs to wake up in the middle of the night and drive him to the hospital.
Top Secret Researcher
#8 Old 11th Oct 2014 at 8:53 PM
Sometimes just something silly, like pushing each other on the swings even though we're not kids. (I got the idea once when I saw Gunther and Cornelia doing that, I thought it was so sweet for a normally grumpy couple.)
Instructor
#10 Old 11th Oct 2014 at 10:46 PM
I usually don't pay attention to their jobs or skills or I try to take it very lightly. Just forget that there's a "goal", they don't need the biggest mansion, the biggest pool, the most expensive cars, etc. Let them go outside and socialize. Most of my sims live in small houses, they're and the second or third level of their carreers but they have a lot of friends and i like to zoom in and see them interact, don't speed up the game(unless when sleeping)

Or you could try to change your sims lifespan to epic or long, so you don't feel rushed to complete the lifetime whish, take it easy.
Field Researcher
#11 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 12:15 AM
I find the Reletivity mod helps me avoid falling into the repetitive loop. I play with the speed at 60% almost and it gives me enough time to have them do something besides work and sleep. Every weekend I try and have them do something interesting too, go fishing with the kids, hit the beach, go collecting and have a picnic, go clubbing, etc.
Scholar
#12 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 12:38 AM
Honestly, after 14 years playing Sims, I got used on how the time works. Don't get me wrong, I use Relativity A LOT. I like to use it especially when I'm doing a fun activity, or when I go out to do late night activities. But on routinary affairs, I can handle them fine.
Top Secret Researcher
#13 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 3:19 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Garnier
I noticed that when I'm playing The Sims, my sims have an every day routine that just repeats itself. It's like I'm not getting everything from the game. They eat, sleep, go to work, shower, but they never have the time for just going to the park or something. They don't do any freetime activities unless they are improving a skill. So, I realized, there must be some activity other people's sims do regardless of their needs and job performance. For instance, when I reach elder status with my sims, I like to play Young & Beautiful on the radio and make the old couple dance slowly. It's like a scene from a movie. What do you do to take a break?

I took a big step back from the game and looked at it objectively to reappraise it in terms of not what I wanted it to be but rather in terms of what exactly did EA deliver. I realized that the game I wanted to play was not the game EA produced. I wanted a life simulator where sims have a home life and interesting interpersonal relationships among and between family members while taking care of the necessities of living and raising their families. Instead EA gave me an adventure game. So to break out of the rut I was in where I was trying to play families a la TS2, I decided to try playing the game "as is" rather than trying to shoe horn it into what I wanted. That meant not playing legacies of families. It meant not playing a life simulator.

I gave up on jobs because they take up too much time, especially with how borked up the time scale is in TS3. Instead my sims live a life of leisure. They don't have to worry about money, I just motherlode and feerealestate them into immediate wealth. They have plenty of free time to indulge whatever hobby or pleasure that suits me at the moment. They explore pretty much everything and anything without concerns for time management of financial restraint. Aging? Psssshah. They're young and beautiful for as long as I want them that way. And living the high life!

TS2 and TS3: Where adult sims potty train their toddlers.
TS4: Where adult sims make Angry Poops.

Which game is made for the juvenile minded?
#14 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 5:22 AM
I don't think needing to satisfy every Sim's need is really that important. Because in game TS3, time passes so quickly. As long as you keep up your creativity mind, the game doesn't need to fulfill every Sim's need to make it doesn't sound "cheating". The Sims 3 is sandbox game, not scripted game with storyline. Using cheats here is not wrong. Or simply makes the game feels to easy without effort. The cheat is supposedly intended to make our gameplay is can be in our control. 100% our gameplay, our freedom. It's simulation game, not a dash game like if you don't fulfill your Sim;s need then game over like that. We players create our own storyline. We can do whatever we want to the game. Using cheat testingcheatsenabled to drag Sim's need is one of those examples. Without this cheat, imagine your Sim wasting your time to eat, sleep. go to work, build skills all day without having spare time to do other relaxing activities or go outside home like our real-life activities we do in our spare time. It's like Sims 1 all over again or living in jail in their own house without having fun.

I don;t usually fulfill all Sim's need daily, I only fulfill the needs if the Sim really has time to do the needs. Other than that, I simply drag the needs bar. Then do the fun, crazy things they do following the storyline and personality I made for them without making my Sims interrupt my game: "I want to go to bathroom!! Please feed me!! I'm sleepy!! I'm tired!!!" red pop-up balloons.

I moved my downloads to Simblr thebleedingwoodland
My newer quality downloads on my blog The Bleeding Woodland
Lab Assistant
#15 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 6:05 AM
Reading this thread reminded me about how much fun I had when I first got this game, when I left aging off and spent my sim days watching drama unfold without caring about lifetime wishes or feeling bad about ignoring rolled wishes.

I haven't been able to play like that without feeling guilty or like I'm playing it "wrong" in a long time, which is silly for something that is supposed to be a sandbox game. I think I've been in the "challenge" mindset too long.

This has been a much-needed bit of perspective on making my games more fun, so thanks for posting it.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#16 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 10:41 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Cheezey
Reading this thread reminded me about how much fun I had when I first got this game, when I left aging off and spent my sim days watching drama unfold without caring about lifetime wishes or feeling bad about ignoring rolled wishes.

I haven't been able to play like that without feeling guilty or like I'm playing it "wrong" in a long time, which is silly for something that is supposed to be a sandbox game. I think I've been in the "challenge" mindset too long.

This has been a much-needed bit of perspective on making my games more fun, so thanks for posting it.


The same is with me. It's like I'm playing it wrong.
Instructor
#17 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 11:25 AM
Most of the time I have a story made up for my sims, but it never really starts untill the child(ren) are grown up. Meanwhile I just play vanilla/pudding/or some other dessert games. But lately I have started taking interest my sims actually making friends with they neighbours and inviting them over for a BBQ or a pool party. What I do with them depends on where they live. I usually play in Sunset Valley, but I "know" everyone there and where everything is, so there really is no excitement anymore.
Inventor
#19 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 11:47 AM
You know what I do at times like these? Double homicide and suicide with no note.

Quote:
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.


- poof gone -
Scholar
#21 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 4:33 PM Last edited by Moraelin : 12th Oct 2014 at 8:33 PM.
It seems to me like the duration sliders are there for a reason. And then there's life fruit. If you can't get enough time to get your skills up AND go to a bar now and then... give yourself more time. My current sim spent 17 WEEKS just on enjoying the uni, throwing parties in the custom sorority house, and woohooing everyone on the campus (well, obviously minus the couple of children and teenagers in that world.)

But then I play an immortal. Not that I needed the actual Immortal reward, other than for sun protection, mind you, since between the epic vampire life span and living on wine with life fruit... let's just say that when the sun engulfs the Earth in 5 billion years, she'd probably still be around anyway. So, yeah, I took my own advice and gave myself all the time in the world.
Theorist
#22 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 7:12 PM
As in TS2, I have several games I have going on. I have Legacy, Play and Challenges games. In Legacy I obviously just let my sims run amok and do what they have to do without much interference - which really drives me nuts being a control freak sim goddess. In my Play game, I have aging off, static needs and I micromanage my sims like crazy. Challenges game is kinda half and half. I have epic life and most times I make sure their needs are taken care of without making them static. This way they do get a lot of things done without the mundane stuff getting in the way.

Life is short, insecurity is a waste of time. ~Diane Von Furstenburg
You don't get out of life alive. ~Jimmy the Hand

♥ Receptacle Refugee ♥
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#23 Old 12th Oct 2014 at 7:53 PM
Since I feel bad using cheats in my game I found an easy solution. When my sims accumulate enough Lifetime happiness points, I purchase the genie lamp, use 2 wishes, travel to the future or a destination ( which resets the lamp), use 2 wishes there and come back home and use 2 wishes again. All of the wishes are fortune, so it's an easy way to earn
600000 simoleons without cheating. I also purchase the moodlet manager or the motive mobile and it's just like dragging the bars, only my consciousness( did I spell that correctly?) is clear.
Test Subject
#24 Old 13th Oct 2014 at 3:45 AM
Easy money without cheating is obtainable via alchemy as well. Over 2 million simoleons made overnight with a couple of bottles of Midas Touch and some very expensive sculptures.
Inventor
#25 Old 13th Oct 2014 at 2:20 PM
I enjoy this game most while my Sims are really poor and fighting to survive, but that doesn't last long. If your Sim gets a mate, poverty is over. If he remains single, it takes a little longer but at the end he'll be at least well off, if not rich. If you play a single parent with, say, five kids it will take longer still but with the same end result. (I tried it all.) Very few business simulators escaped this trap; the old Tropico was one - it added the whole political layer to the basic concept and that saved it. Such a layer is what all Sims games are lacking.


This was a typical situation from my current game - my Sims (parents with a daughter), who used to be poor for a while, are living in a shack while building a palace in the background. (Well, it's not a shack, obviously, but it sounds better this way.) - That was also fun while it lasted but by now, the palace is finished and the shack gone; my Sims built an even greater villa and then sold it because they really had no use for it. Now they own half of Riverview so even more money is rolling in. They do travel and the granddaughter will probably go to the university and they could go for all of Riverview, etc. - but what is the point? I have obviously reached the critical point.

And yes, I am a typical goal oriented player and I don't intend to change myself.
Page 1 of 2
Back to top