The Legacy Challenge for TS3

[Zazazu]

Nice Zazazu, what professions are they runnign with right now in your 1st generation?

Founder Adele Windsor is in Science, level 5. Mate Raphael Windsor is in Criminal, Evil Track, level 7. House worth is $47,701 and they have three girls: Nellie (child), Penny (twin toddler) and Julia (twin toddler). Raphael wanted more for awhile, but with two abandoned daughters and three in the house, I figure he has enough spawn.

The house structure is basically done excepting a few cosmetics, but only the living room is decorated. Everything else is function only. I typically end up with less than $100 in the bank each day as I work on it. They still don't have basics like a bookcase, a stove, or a dining table.

[MasterDinadan]

Having to random a trait without any rerolls is lame. Do badly and you end up with a random bad trait.  Do well and you end up with a random good trait.  Do great and you end up with... a random trait, good or bad...  If nothing else, we should at least get to random until something "good" comes up (just make a list of what qualifies as "good") or give us one or two chances to reroll.  I do LIKE random, but it doesn't make sense that you should be punished for doing great instead of merely doing well.

That's kind of the point. In TS2 Legacy, you had to roll for aspiration and personality was always randomized by the game. You get what you get and you deal with it. Otherwise, you end up with a bunch of super-similar sims over 10 generations.

I get that.  It's not the randomness that bothers me, it's the fact that doing "great" is actually worse than doing "okay" simply because of the way it picks.

If you do badly, the game picks a random bad trait for you.
If you do well, the game picks a random good trait for you.
If you do great, the game lets you pick a trait.  If you random it, you are just as likely to end up with a bad trait as a good one.

Do you see the problem here?  You are more likely to end up with a good trait by merely doing well as opposed to doing great.  I think it is stupid for being punished for doing well.  This would actually make sense if the scoring rules gave us some additional incentive to do great as opposed to simply doing well when raising the kids.  Sure, you may fulfill some honor roll wishes and such along the way, but it's probably better to just avoid the honor roll and let it pick a good trait for you so you don't have to random a trait.

Maybe put in a small bonus for actually being prompted to pick a trait, since that indicates that you were doing well.  The score bonus would make up for the fact that being prompted for a trait is more likely to result in a bad trait than simply having the game pick one for you.

[dragoaskani]

Having to random a trait without any rerolls is lame. Do badly and you end up with a random bad trait.  Do well and you end up with a random good trait.  Do great and you end up with... a random trait, good or bad...  If nothing else, we should at least get to random until something "good" comes up (just make a list of what qualifies as "good") or give us one or two chances to reroll.  I do LIKE random, but it doesn't make sense that you should be punished for doing great instead of merely doing well.

That's kind of the point. In TS2 Legacy, you had to roll for aspiration and personality was always randomized by the game. You get what you get and you deal with it. Otherwise, you end up with a bunch of super-similar sims over 10 generations.

I get that.  It's not the randomness that bothers me, it's the fact that doing "great" is actually worse than doing "okay" simply because of the way it picks.

If you do badly, the game picks a random bad trait for you.
If you do well, the game picks a random good trait for you.
If you do great, the game lets you pick a trait.  If you random it, you are just as likely to end up with a bad trait as a good one.

Do you see the problem here?  You are more likely to end up with a good trait by merely doing well as opposed to doing great.  I think it is stupid for being punished for doing well.  This would actually make sense if the scoring rules gave us some additional incentive to do great as opposed to simply doing well when raising the kids.  Sure, you may fulfill some honor roll wishes and such along the way, but it's probably better to just avoid the honor roll and let it pick a good trait for you so you don't have to random a trait.

Maybe put in a small bonus for actually being prompted to pick a trait, since that indicates that you were doing well.  The score bonus would make up for the fact that being prompted for a trait is more likely to result in a bad trait than simply having the game pick one for you.

I think you are missing the point of it just being a fun way to play the game, while giving the sandbox a bit of direction and goals...besides random kids means a more interesting experience then if you created your "wonder children" which isn't that more realistic in a way anyways? Afterall real parents have no say on the mentaility of their children. All they can do is influence them to the best of their ability and instill right, wrong, etc into their minds. Eventually letting them go out to the world, and hoping they do well, and don't become the next serial killer, drug dealer, etc etc.

[Chocolate Milk]

I think you are missing the point of it just being a fun way to play the game, while giving the sandbox a bit of direction and goals...besides random kids means a more interesting experience then if you created your "wonder children" which isn't that more realistic in a way anyways? Afterall real parents have no say on the mentaility of their children. All they can do is influence them to the best of their ability and instill right, wrong, etc into their minds. Eventually letting them go out to the world, and hoping they do well, and don't become the next serial killer, drug dealer, etc etc.

I'm not quite sure how what you say is really relevant, and I agree with MasterDinadan.

If the legacy challenge is supposed to be a "challenge", people shouldn't be given a greater reward for performing less well. Simple as that.

[Zazazu]

I'm not so sure that the game is making a qualitative choice on traits. The first kid I spawned in this family had both traits chosen for her, because the mom is a grump and of course there was never money for a spa visit. She got Friendly and Absent-Minded. Friendly isn't bad by any stretch. In the past, I had a baby with one randomized trait. The trait was Genius. And yes, the dialog was not the "great" one.

There are good points to most of the bad traits. Loners don't drain social and get buffs all the time from being alone, which especially helps when skilling. Insane sims can Talk to Self for fun & social, for which they even roll an easy want. Mean-spirited sims are easily kept happy if you just make them one enemy to treat as a punching bag. Grumpy is the only trait I have nothing good to say about.

[dragoaskani]

I'm not quite sure how what you say is really relevant, and I agree with MasterDinadan.

If the legacy challenge is supposed to be a "challenge", people shouldn't be given a greater reward for performing less well. Simple as that.

Relevant as in due to the type of game it is, there really isn't a need to min/max. This isn't WoW after all...

[MissKitty]

Relevant as in due to the type of game it is, there really isn't a need to min/max. This isn't WoW after all...

There should be some sort of 'Murphy's Law' about WoW. One certainly sees people use it a lot in completely irrelevant ways when talking about any game...

[J. M. Pescado]

Eh, there's about 5 traits that have any real mechanical effect. Amusingly, I pretty much have all of them. I am a real life min-maxer. Life is just a problem to be solved.

[Chocolate Milk]

I'm not so sure that the game is making a qualitative choice on traits.

For some reason I feel certainly sure that it does, but I'm finding it hard to find a reliable source for this... perhaps because I'm also trying to study at the same time, but perhaps I am wrong and just imagined it all. Can anyone confirm/deny the game making this choice? Because obviously if it doesn't, there's no issue.

Relevant as in due to the type of game it is, there really isn't a need to min/max. This isn't WoW after all...

If you take that angle, why do the legacy challenge at all? Surely there should be no need to maximise your household wealth, or to give points for portraits, or score... I mean, sure, I go nuts with my regular Sims, and I like playing legacy challenges with-extra-challenge, but I also think the basic challenge should be logical. It isn't logical to give incentives to play less well.

Zazazu does have a point that the 'bad' traits often aren't that bad, however. But if you're randomly choosing, something like good or artistic is a lot nicer than never-nude or clumsy, which you'll be more likely to end up with if the choice is purely random... *shrugs*

[Wusel]

Is it okay if my sim goes to the gym to take a shower, or to the park to grill or to the library to use a computer? Is this the meaning of "mooching"?

[Nikki]

Is it okay if my sim goes to the gym to take a shower, or to the park to grill or to the library to use a computer? Is this the meaning of "mooching"?

I was wondering a similar thing in terms of using the gym to shower. With my 1300 simoleans left, all I could buy was a bed, a chair, a toilet, a wall to place said toilet and a fridge. So I had my founder bathing at the gym, hope I don't have to start over because of that.

I've started a matriarchy and had my sim marry a guy who turned out to be the social worker. Only three traits unfortunately but he has the neat trait which I found to be more obsessive than the neurotic trait (nothing I do gets him to leave the bed alone). I think my legacy is going to be a little hard in generation one since she wants to be leader of the free world and he wants to raise 5 kids, luckily both have the family-oriented trait. So far just had a twin, I expect many a sleepless night in their shoe box house.

[caterpillar]

Is it okay if my sim goes to the gym to take a shower, or to the park to grill or to the library to use a computer? Is this the meaning of "mooching"?

Mooching is something Sims with the Mooch trait can do. They can ask other Sims to give them money or food.

[Wusel]

Thank you! I think I have never had or met a sim with that trait.

[ciane]

I thought it would be fun to have the klepto trait passed on, but not actively use it. (I had a klepto child who would suprise me now and then with things she picked up from various places on her own.) I added perfectionist and artistic to my founder in the hopes that some of the portraits will look okay. I also made her friendly so she could get to know others easily and lucky so that she will hopefully survive long enough to fulfill a LTW. With her artistic bend, she is trying to max both the painting and guitar skills.

She got a job in the music profession with Yuri Ivanov as her boss. She immediately called him on her cell to get better aquainted.


Then she went to the art gallery and found an easel there. So she set out painting. Then she wondered outside to get to know a few neighbors and got along well with a partner, Jon Lessen. When she got hungry, I directed her to an empty lot with a few apple trees. With almost a dozen apples in her inventory, she snacked and headed back to the gallery.

She never goes to her empty lot. She has pretty much moved into the art gallery. It actually has a full bath complete with tub. She naps on a very nice couch. She paints on the easel there and sells the cheap paintings. She bought a guitar, which she carries around in her inventory, and occassionally she actually has enough energy to play it for awhile.

[SimDebster]

No Ambrosia! Your sims may learn the recipe for Ambrosia, but may not cook or consume the dish.

I understand not wanting someone to consume the recipe, but I had a Sim that received an Opportunity requesting that she make ambrosia for someone else.  Why would this not be allowed?

[wendylady]

New to playing a Legacy game and have a few questions.

1. IF your sim is kelpto can they send stuff back in mail or do they have to keep it?

2. What happens if your female sims you have made as your founder seem to like females more then males, can she have kids by someone and not marry them or get a sperm doner and spawn a baby from her that way?

I think that it for now.

Wendy

[Zazazu]

I'm not so sure that the game is making a qualitative choice on traits.

For some reason I feel certainly sure that it does, but I'm finding it hard to find a reliable source for this... perhaps because I'm also trying to study at the same time, but perhaps I am wrong and just imagined it all. Can anyone confirm/deny the game making this choice? Because obviously if it doesn't, there's no issue.

Did you completely gloss over more than my first sentence? I specifically stated that my first born had both traits chosen for her by the game due to a low-score pregnancy, and that one of the traits assigned was Friendly. I also stated a past child with one trait assigned due to mediocre pregnancy, with that trait being Genius.

But if you're randomly choosing, something like good or artistic is a lot nicer than never-nude or clumsy, which you'll be more likely to end up with if the choice is purely random... *shrugs*

Yeah...unless you also have an evil sim in the house. Honestly, I don't get it. The point is to have random traits. That's part of the challenge. Don't like it? Don't do it. What are we all bitching about again?

[awrevell]

I am playing in Riverview and my founder has the LTW Celebrity Chef.  I decided to go with the Matriarchy rules, so I made a female founder and right now there isn't anything on her lot.  She eats at work and uses the facilities at the public pool for everything else.  She takes a few naps in the chaise lounges, uses the toilets and showers there, and for fun and social she swims with other residents when they show up.  For a humorous twist I used "disableclothingfilters on" when making her and she started with only two unique outfits.  She has the torn shirt and pants with no shoes for everyday and formal.  She also has a bra and panties with no shoes she uses for sleepwear, activewear and swimwear.   I figured she was on the street and "inherited" the lot with nothing on it... so she still lives on the street right now till she gets enough money to build a house there.

[dragoaskani]

Relevant as in due to the type of game it is, there really isn't a need to min/max. This isn't WoW after all...

There should be some sort of 'Murphy's Law' about WoW. One certainly sees people use it a lot in completely irrelevant ways when talking about any game...

wow just makes a easier comparison for Min/Maxing due to the 12 million players, most people identify with it easier. That being said I could have just as easily refered to D&D. If that somehow makes your hairs stand less on end.

[Grumblesnort]

It's interesting to see how differently people are starting out with their founders, and what they set as priorities on which to spend the initial $1300. I've noticed in many of the posts here that it's common for most of us to want to start out with some form of enclosed structure in which to put furniture. I actually tried that on my first attempt at giving my founder something to call home. After the 3x3 room for a bathroom was erected, I had no money to put the actual facilities and a door too. When I realized that all the amenities, save a proper bed, are available throughout town, I decided, instead, to go with this:



Turns out that made it far more challenging and fun. The canopy wasn't really even needed, but I liked the aesthetic effect for my story of a runaway carnie with dreams of rock stardom. For my own amusement, I added story-type rules, like restrictions on when she could go to the gym to shower. I reasoned that she couldn't possibly afford a gym membership (the place looks like the swanky type to require one) so she'd be sneaking in during the off-peak hours after dark. She just harvested crops from around town and ate them right out of her backpack, or went to the park and scarfed only the abandoned, half-eaten plates of food, in true hobo fashion. Eventually she ended up with her own 2x2 bathroom, because going all the way to the gym wasted a lot of time, and a small set of crops for food.



It wasn't until she got married that I bothered to stick the bed inside a structure, which even still contains only a fridge, one counter, and a sink. Everything else stays outside for now. They'll probably live rough until her husband gets a few more promotions or raises, seeing as she doesn't make much money as a roadie, and soon she'll be having babies.

[Zazazu]

This is the house, structurally done, for at least this generation. I'll need to add on a third bedroom once the heir starts spawning. The bottom floor is completely done, but the top floor still needs finishing. Of course, the yard is completely bare. But hey, they have a pool, which is high priority. The house colors are black, violet, and medium blue. Founder & spouse were violet and black, while the three girls were two blue and one violet.




Roofs? I just had a bed, one wall for the toilet, the toilet & shower for the longest time.

[jaccirocker]

I'm trying not to panic because my founder Ruby is 1 day away from turning to Adulthood and still doesn't have a partner. She/we wasted time on cultivating Beau Andrews only to find out that he is involved. I was more focused on her career and skill grinding to get to the top. She is constantly overworked and stressed, but it's good that she has the neurotic trait because if she freaks out most of her negative moodlets go away.

On the good front I finally got her a little cottage built and she finally made it to the Forensics track, got her a police cruiser and  a laptop.

[infamy]

I'm trying not to panic because my founder Ruby is 1 day away from turning to Adulthood and still doesn't have a partner. She/we wasted time on cultivating Beau Andrews only to find out that he is involved.

Break them up!

[rufio]

Or just get pregnant without marrying.

[Chocolate Milk]

Did you completely gloss over more than my first sentence? I specifically stated that my first born had both traits chosen for her by the game due to a low-score pregnancy, and that one of the traits assigned was Friendly. I also stated a past child with one trait assigned due to mediocre pregnancy, with that trait being Genius.

From the way I understood it, bad pregnancy = two completely random traits, average pregnancy = one randomly selected good trait, good pregnancy = no random traits. Again, I could be wrong, I'm just explaining why I didn't think your experience negated what I believed.

Will end the derail, anyway... my motherboard's broken, which sucks quite a bit, so all I can do is think/argue about the game, rather than play it.