Pinstar's new Apocalypse challenge

[Pinstar]

In need of some clarification here:

1. There's no rule that home lot must be timesynced with campus lots, is there?  I'm about to send a YA off to college - do I have to play his home lot while he's at college?

2. I've lifted military, medicine, law and culinary restrictions so far.  While at uni, my YA would be able to go to a community lot that has a fridge, a caffeinating station (espresso machine + dishwasher) and a bathroom.  What about going to a comm lot at uni that has a cook - can he do that, or does that count as hiring a service under the business restriction?

3. The rules state that before the Science restriction is lifted, I am only allowed to purchase one computer.  Does this mean he needs to take the family computer to university with him?

4. Will future generations of YAs be able to go to the lot I build for this sim to live on* while he's on campus?  Or does every generation of YAs need to move into an empty lot?

5. Only future spouses can be moved in, and they must be townies or NPCs.  Presumably this means I can move in a townie teen, skill them up, then marry them to the heir when they're adult?

* he won't actually be living there ... he'll be spending most (if not all) of his time at the community lot.

1. You don't need to time sync College and home. Just remember which generation the Sim(s) in college belong to, and keep in mind the 1 spouse per generation rule still applies to them.

2. You can eat food made by a cook on a Uni lot without unlocking business. Business prohibits you from hiring service sims, but if they're there already you didn't hire them.

3. You can only have 1 computer on the lot. You may purchase a 2nd computer for the college lot... however you must leave it there when the sims graduate.

4. YAs from the same family can combine onto the same lot. No other sims may move into this college lot. ONLY sims from the family can combine into it. Future spouses are still prohibited from joining the lot as they were with the founder.

5. The moment you move a townie teen into college they become a player-sim... and thus they cannot join the family.




Regarding school. The school-at-home object would fall under the 'mods that give an unfair advantage over those who don't have it'.

In the next update, I'll be putting up some more flavor text explaining why the school system is operational.

[PlayLives]

Regarding school. The school-at-home object would fall under the 'mods that give an unfair advantage over those who don't have it'.

In the next update, I'll be putting up some more flavor text explaining why the school system is operational.

Okay, thanks for the clarification. If this were to really happen I wouldn't send my kids to school, but hey, maybe the government has to keep tabs on any new people born into the society and this is the way to do it or something. 

[rohina]

Pinstar, I'm assuming TwoJeffs Casual Romance would be a legal hack, as long as I turned on "always try for baby" until I unlock medical. Is that correct?

[Treehugger]

I have only just found this thread...

Pinstar, I really wish you had shared your ruling on businesses at Uni over at the BBS.

I started the challenge earlier on in the week and my founder sim started some businesses while she was at Uni.  Not only that but the businesses are a integral part of the story.

My founder sim was a knowledge sim who had a LTW of maxing out all her skills (and a rather curious interest in money for a knowledge sim.)  She decided to study biology and after working on her skills she headed downtown looking for eligible bachelors...  she had a rather keen interest in finding out what everybody did for a living.  She eventually became engaged to a medical researcher.  Her first two years were divided between socialising downtown; meeting people and dating her fiancee and Uni where she studied, worked on her skills and made more firiends (some of whom had some interesting secrets).  She rarely slept, her aspiration points were spent on thinking caps and energisers, once she dipped into the green or she didn't have enough aspiration point to buy another thinking cap or energiser it was time to go downtown and have another date with Leonid her fiancee.

Halfway during her University career she discovered a mutant strain of snapdragons  that some rather interesting therapeutic properties and developed a biotech idea that would greatly benefit simkind. She pitched this to some leading businessmen.  Nobody was interested and she decided that if anybody was going to make her ideas fly it had to be her.  She needed to learn some business skills and since she didn't want to change her major (there was still stuff she needed to learn in biology) she decided to open her own business downtown.  Her business was moderately successful and she earned some awards that allowed her to improve the lot like adding a hottub.

Then her lot got crumplebottomed. She decided to sell up to get alway from the old bat and bought a lot outside town in a location she called Sanctury (as in sanctury from Mrs Crumplebotton).  (The lot was in a subhood that's a lush duplicate of main hood, since the poo hadn't hit the fan yet)  She decided to buy a large 5x5 lot envisionaging that eventually it will the home of her biotech industry. Meanwhile she built a store on it.  Store had some interesting architectural features in it. 
Note the location of the stairs and small rooms and the distance between the two. Again the business was moderately successful and she earned gold badges in sales, cash register and restocking and then took up floristry where she eventually found a way of encorporating the mutant snapdragons into floral bouquets.  Again she divided her time between working at the store (and dating Leonid) and studying and skilling back at Uni.

She maxed out all her skills (thereby reaching permaplat status) and graduated summa cum laude.  There was a superbowl game on TV but she was tired and decided that she wanted to get an early night instead (she was tired of the energiser up all night thing).  She went to bed dreaming of the glorious future ahead of her...

She was wakened by an almighty explosions, the nearby nuclear reactor had exploded.  She ended up in a red cross camp dressed in someone else's discards contemplating her tattered future.  She could join the stream of refugees fleeing from the area but that would mean the end of dream of her Biotech dream.  She had some savings in the bank but a lot of her money had been tied up in her business and that had been trashed by a horde of zombies.  If she stayed ...

She had the chance and the skill to make a difference.  She had a vision of making the desert bloom again...

She went back to the site of her business to see what she could salvage; the building had been trashed but there was enough on the site to create a usable dwelling that would comply with the mayor's strange new ordinance and have room for a car.
(showing the ground level, I placed a new 5x5 lot in the equivalent location in the main hood and built the house from scratch; putting it in the same location and keeping some of the architectural features of the original store)

It's now about 20 days into the challenge, she eventually found a job in the natural science track and reached the top.  She married her fiancee Leonid and they have a son Joshua (who shall be a mighty man of valour!).  Leonid has all the skills required to become a chief of staff and should get that promotion the next time he goes to work.  She is pregnant with her second child

Having reached this point I find that there's been a ruling made against businesses at Uni that we weren't informed of at the BBS and that is not found in the rules for the challenge on your own site.

I think the idea that visiting business lots at Uni creates a time distortion rather silly.  Visiting any community lot creates a time distortion that can be exploited by the player.  Remember also that the founder can only study and increase their skills on a Uni lot.

My thoughts on this are:

1 Any business is going to be trashed at the time of the disaster.  So any business owned by founder at the time of the disaster should be disposed off.  For example they could be sold back to the community and familyfunds used to deduct the profit from the sale, it could be sold to a townie at discounted price (maybe the cost of the bare land and a few extra K because there are probably usable building materials that could be salvaged) or SimPE could be used to delete the lot.

2 To stop business lot being sold just before the disaster if a founder has bought a business lot at uni she/he can't sell it while at Uni, the lot has to be trashed.  If the business is sold the founder must have a business that is of greater or equal value in her/his possession at the time of the disaster.

3 To stop expoiltation of what is known in Prosperity Challenge circles as the Open Venue Loophole (If you have a sim mediate on venue that they own you can basically walk away and leave the game running on it's own for a while and come back to a big profit)  the founder must be actively played while at the lot.

Does that sound fair?  If it does I need to deduct some money from the household with familyfunds.

I really don't want to go through the uni slog again.

[Kyna]

More questions ...

Current generation is male heir (and his wife) + younger sister.

The sister is at college.  I understand from an earlier post that if she moves back to the familly home from college she is eligible to lift a restriction, but if she sets up her own home she can't lift any restrictions.

1. What if she moves back home from college, lifts a restriction, and THEN moves out?  Does the lifted restriction still apply?  If she has to remain in the home for the rest of her life I don't mind, even if she is too playful to meditate.  The family has a cowplant now.

2. If she returns from college to the family home and stays there, and then produces children (with or without marrying) then can her children born in the family home lift any restrictions?  None of them will be the heir - her older brother and his wife will be providing the heir.

3. Going back to an earlier, unrelated question.  You said that a townie teen sent to college becomes playable, and therefore becomes ineligible to lift any restrictions.  What if I move in a townie teen with the intention of marrying the heir, skill them up, and never send them to college.  Can I do this?  The teen wouldn't be leaving the lot to go off to college and would fit the criteria of "The ONLY Sims that may be moved into the Legacy family are Sims that will directly contribute to the birth of the next generation".

4. Related to question 3.  Does the spouse have to be married to lift a restriction?  In an earlier generation my sim proposed to and then moved in his college girlfriend.  But I forgot to marry them straight away, they didn't wed until after she'd lifted her restriction and was pregnant.

5. Another totally unrelated question.  And this one is a bit nitpicky and silly, I guess.  "No sim in the household may sleep outdoors".  Does this include a sim passing out?

[Pinstar]

If you already did a Uni business, then keep going with the challenge. Because it's not yet on the offical site, you don't need to call it a broken rule. The site should be updated today.
It's just easier to say "no businesses in Uni"

If you are keen on opening a business early, then have an early generation unlock the business restriction.


1. Once a restriction is lifted, it is permanently lifted. She can come home from college, lift a restriction then move out and you would be fine.
2. None of her children could lift restrictions. Only one sim per generation can be an heir, and only their children can unlock restrictions. The heir's sibilings can also unlock restrictions, but their children cannot.

One exception (and I'll post this on the offical site) Alien babies can always lift a restriction, regardless of who produced them. (must be pregnancy by abduction)

3. The moment a sim becomes playable, even if you don't play them, they become a player-sim

4. They need not marry. Just keep in mind they must be that generation's one spouse to lift a restriction.

5. If they pass out wake them up and you'll be fine.
The rule serves both a flavor text and balance purpose. It prevents people from making "furniture on the ground" houses, and any sim sleeping outdoors would most likely die of exposure.

[Treehugger]

In the standard Maxian game, there's no advantage to earning money at Uni, yes? When you leave, you lose it and pick up the 20k handout... unless I've forgotten something (I avoid Uni generally).

I've been playing challenges of one sort or another almost since the game came and most of my sims are sent to college so I am very used to playing uni under challenge conditions.

In a standard unhacked Maxian game the returning sim will get either 20K or the household funds divided by the number of playble sims in the household whichever figure is highest.

For example four sims are sent to Uni together and by the end they have 48K in household funds. 
for the first sim to return home the second figure is 12k (48k/4) so he/she is given 20k.
for the second sim the figure is 16k (48K/3) so he/she is given the 20K
for third sim the figure is 24k (48/2) so she/he is given the 24k which is deducted from the household funds
For the remaining sim there is 24K in the household and she/he takes all of it

It's very possible for the founder sim to bring back more than 20k with a bit of hard work and planning.

[Treehugger]

If you already did a Uni business, then keep going with the challenge. Because it's not yet on the offical site, you don't need to call it a broken rule. The site should be updated today.
It's just easier to say "no businesses in Uni"

If you are keen on opening a business early, then have an early generation unlock the business restriction.

Glad to here I can keep going as it now 36 days into the challenge and Joshua has been joined by David, Jonathon, Daniel, Matthew and Nathan (Janet my founder had a bottle of elixer, a smartmilk dispenser and her diploma in her backpack when she graduated.)  Unless I feed either Janet or Leonid to the cowplant the next restriction to be unlocked has to be military.  Joshua maxed out his body, charisma and mechanical skills and is now in the recruit training corps.  He will moved out once he lifts that restriction and so will the others once they lift a restriction.  The last boy left will be introduced to Robin Shaikh an acquaintance of their mother who just happens be a business tycoon... (I made a careful note of the occupations of all the guys Janet met but it's all gone out the window because she had all boys! - grrr)

I still think that being allowed a business at Uni on the proviso that it is destroyed once the disaster happens is more in keeping with flavor of the challenge.  Money doesn't really help with a lot of the restrictions, you are still restricted to 8x8 house, still have to pay protection money (and to reduce that the less you spend on objects the better), still can't move any heavy furniture and so on...

[rohina]

(I made a careful note of the occupations of all the guys Janet met but it's all gone out the window because she had all boys! - grrr)

Are you sure one of them isn't gay? 

[TreyNutz]

Are the items brought back by the founder still subject to restrictions?  Earlier on this thread someone mentioned bringing a bathtub from Uni, but the medical restriction prohibits use of tubs and showers.  Elsewhere people seem to agree that snapdragons brought from college can't be used because of the Natural Science restriction.  What's the consensus?

[rohina]

I don't think there is one. I mean, according to Pinstar, you can bring back and use an aspiration reward as long as your sim earned the points, but aspiration rewards are restricted. I've also seen comments that you could bring the flower arranging bench, but not use it until you unlock Natural Science. So I am confused.

[songsmith]

I think you could bring back snapdragons but not use them until Natural Science is unlocked. I brought back expensive items that I could use: double bed and computer or else a fridge. Depends on whether your sim maxed creativity while in college.

I want to know if there's a hack that randomly assigns toddler hair so I don't get stuck with the stupid boy fuzzy head, the girl pixie or animal heads. Animal heads would almost be better since apparently the fuzzy head is maintained throughout a sim's life.  I admit it. I'm shallow.

[rohina]

You're a custom hair addict, you mean. 

[TreyNutz]

Well double beds aren't restricted, and computers are only limited to having one.  My question was about bringing back items in order to circumvent a restriction - like the bathtub, or a guitar, or a fire alarm.  Pinstar did make founder exceptions with aspiration rewards and personal electronics, but these can't be used by other sims.  I'm wondering about the other stuff.  Unless I hear otherwise, I'm going to assume restricted items can't be used if brought back.  Which means that unless you think the family is going to be dirt poor when the medical restriction is lifted, there's no point in bringing back a bathtub (or whatever).

[songsmith]

You're a custom hair addict, you mean. 

Yes, I Songsmith am a custom hair addict and have been a custom hair addict for 2 years. Have some coffee!

I don't care if it just randomizes Maxis-made hair. That would be in keeping with the spirit of the challenge. I just can't stand the same haircut through all life stages! *G* At least, that's what seems to happen with the fuzzy and pixie cuts.

[Treehugger]

(I made a careful note of the occupations of all the guys Janet met but it's all gone out the window because she had all boys! - grrr)

Are you sure one of them isn't gay? 

Joined spouses can't contribute to the next generation.  If anyone was gay they would have to be one of the ones moved out so he could find true love.  I'm keeping the male high flyers for Janet's granddaughters.

[Kyna]

I don't mind the male hair as much as the female hair.  I really loathe the female pixie hair.  That hair is the reason I downloaded toddler hairs ages ago - so I NEVER have to see it on my playables.  The first three born into my challenge were males, but now there's a female born into the family I'm seriously lifting the show biz restriction earlier than I planned to just to be able to change the hair.  I was going to leave that one until near the end.

[neriana]

When I play this, I'm going to cheat on hair. I'm not going to allow myself to choose it, but I will roll a number and pick that number hair, even if it looks really bad on the Sim. That way everyone won't look exactly alike. There's only so much I can put up with aesthetically .

[songsmith]

I might do that, too. I'll even stick to Maxis hair. *sighs*

I can stand the toddlers, but I cannot stand seeing the same hairstyle for a sim's lifetime!

[BastDawn]

Yes, I Songsmith am a custom hair addict and have been a custom hair addict for 2 years. Have some coffee!

I don't care if it just randomizes Maxis-made hair. That would be in keeping with the spirit of the challenge. I just can't stand the same haircut through all life stages! *G* At least, that's what seems to happen with the fuzzy and pixie cuts.

So make your CAS starter sim with hair from the custom bin instead of "normal" hair.  That's why I've always preferred the less awesome unbinned hair -- my toddlers are less funny looking, as they always inherit their parents' hairstyles.  In this case you will only get decent-looking toddlers half the time -- only from the gender of your created sim -- but it's still an improvement.

...but if you don't like having the same style all the time, I guess Show Biz is going to have to be a priority for you.     I'll probably do that one last, personally.

[sudaki]

I've got one -- must a Sim's urnstone remain where s/he dropped it even if it's blocking something like the toilet or fridge? I don't mind sharing the house with ghosts, but having them in the middle of the floor in everyone's way is silly. Couldn't they manage to drag the body over in a corner?

Or is the point that I should be building pens for my elders to die in? 

Any does anyone know of any good post-apocalyptian custom content? Particularly some burned and grungy outfits. I want my Sims to look like they're suffering. 

[Treehugger]

I don't mind the male hair as much as the female hair.  I really loathe the female pixie hair.  That hair is the reason I downloaded toddler hairs ages ago - so I NEVER have to see it on my playables.  The first three born into my challenge were males, but now there's a female born into the family I'm seriously lifting the show biz restriction earlier than I planned to just to be able to change the hair.  I was going to leave that one until near the end.

One way around that would have been to create a female founder with custom hair (look for one that has it for toddlers to elders).  All of her daughters will have the custom hair and half of their daughters will have the custom hair.

  But then again if your game is as contrary as mine she'll have all boys and her heir will have all girls - all with the pixie cut....

[Treehugger]

I have a question, can you move out the founder/heir if they have a) lifted a restriction and b) produced the next heir old to take over the house? (assuming of course the military restriction has been lifted.

[Kyna]

I've got one -- must a Sim's urnstone remain where s/he dropped it even if it's blocking something like the toilet or fridge? I don't mind sharing the house with ghosts, but having them in the middle of the floor in everyone's way is silly. Couldn't they manage to drag the body over in a corner?

Or is the point that I should be building pens for my elders to die in? 

I've been sending my elders off to meditate in a corner of the lot on their last day.  I have a collection of gravestones there now.  The rules state that graves can't be moved, and that "you may not place any items outside of this 8x8 area".  Since I'm not placing the graves there, I figure it's within the rules.  So far all but one sim have been serious enough to meditate.  Sadly the parents of that one sim were too playful to encourage her to be serious enough to meditate ... but she's not an heir, so I'll be moving her out once she's lifted her restriction.

One way around that would have been to create a female founder with custom hair (look for one that has it for toddlers to elders).  All of her daughters will have the custom hair and half of their daughters will have the custom hair.

The problem with that is that I prefer custom hairs that have been correctly colour-binned, which means that the kids get the standard Maxis hair.  I think I might just randomly select a Maxis hair upon transition to childhood, and not change it again.  There's only a limited selection at childhood anyway, so it's still a restriction.  Who would have thought that custom hair would count as a hack that gives an advantage in a challenge?

[songsmith]

Kyna, I'm with you. I only use the CC hair that is correctly binned because I like to see how the genetics play out. Toddler hair assignment has always seemed to be an obvious game annoyance/flaw. When you create a sim using the random dice, it doesn't just pick one hair style. If you have CC binned hair, it even selects from those. So why can't the darn game select the different types of toddler hair. It's dumb.

And, no, I am NOT going for Show Business just to get hair. But I think if I limit myself to one choice of a Maxis style that that's in the spirit of the restriction.

I wondered about an urnstone blocking an important piece of furniture, as well. I plan on unlocking Politics in the 2nd generation, so it really won't be a problem. I foresee loads of trouble with several people all trying to have beds in an 8x8 house no matter how many levels I have!