Pinstar's new Apocalypse challenge

[Bleached]

Pinstar made it pretty clear that any clever work-around of his rules was cheating because when he wrote the challenge, he changed the rules several times when people thought up ways to work around restrictions. So the question really is, do you want to play completely within the letter and spirit of the rules? Because in that case, your solution is not legal.

Okay, then. I think I'll go with the spirit of the rules thing... Besides, my sim has to work on bringing up her creativity, so she can eat dinner tonight. So no music.

[Kyna]

Looking at the rules that I printed out when this challenge was new, I see the following under Science:
"Sms may not purchase or use anything from the electronics category except for a single computer, a single phone, and a single boom-box (the $99 one)."

So, unless this rule was changed by rules for Pets or a later EP, they are allowed music from the start without needing a car to get around the Science restriction.

[Bleached]

Right. I'm an idiot.
< Needs to read things more carefully.

[simsfreq]

That's true. I tend to make them do other things for fun, anyway, like play chess, which gives them skill points as well, and logic is useful because it means they can build up to being able to meditate. The cheap stereo is only useful for getting body points and if they are non-platinum or non-green mood.

[Bleached]

Good point. I usually end up with my sims playing chess for hours on end, and the stereo sitting neglected in the corner. Another question, I didn't see anything in the rules about buying and selling dreamcatchers to get money. Is it legal or not?

[Aggie]

Good point. I usually end up with my sims playing chess for hours on end, and the stereo sitting neglected in the corner. Another question, I didn't see anything in the rules about buying and selling dreamcatchers to get money. Is it legal or not?

I think that's illegal due to the Art restrictions. Let me look.

ETA: Yup:

-No items from the "Wall hanging", "Sculpture" or "Rugs" tabs may be bought.

-You may not sell items via the buy or build tab. (You may still sell build mode items, such as walls and stairs)

[Giggy]

Good point. I usually end up with my sims playing chess for hours on end, and the stereo sitting neglected in the corner. Another question, I didn't see anything in the rules about buying and selling dreamcatchers to get money. Is it legal or not?

I think that's illegal due to the Art restrictions. Let me look.

ETA: Yup:

-No items from the "Wall hanging", "Sculpture" or "Rugs" tabs may be bought.

-You may not sell items via the buy or build tab. (You may still sell build mode items, such as walls and stairs)

The only time they aren't illegal is at the beginning of the challenge during Uni as no restrictions apply

[Callista]

Am just starting this challenge. I've got a college graduate Sim to torture... wish me luck! (Gonna need it.)

Question: I am bringing a couple of aspiration rewards home in my inventory, which you're allowed to do. What are the rules on bringing home things prohibited by the restrictions--say I wanted to bring home a fire alarm, for example? Keep, but not use, right?

[Kyna]

So long as you don't use the item before you are permitted to use it, you can bring it home and keep it in your inventory.  Although I don't think I'd bother wasting one of my three inventory spots on a fire alarm.  It's been a while since I played an Apocalypse challenge, but IIRC by the time you can use one, you can buy one.

[Callista]

Yeah, kind of figured that. It's all "you can't buy or use", so bringing it home to keep but not use would be legal. I thought fire alarm because I had such trouble with unskilled cooking in the Asylum challenge; but realistically, a founder with maxed Cooking skill shouldn't have a lot of trouble with fires, and by the time the founder dies, somebody else will have the skill you need.

I just wish I'd gotten a Founder with a max 7 skills LTW; that would have her in permaplatinum by now. She wants to reach the top of the medical career.... bleh.

Any way to tell the aspiration of somebody before you move them in or marry them? I guess you could ask them "what do you want" and deduce it from that; anything more direct?

[Zazazu]

Dating is the easiest. Won't give you LTW (the only way to is to cheat a bit and make them selectable).

[Callista]

Maybe I should pick another college grad for this... I haven't even scoped out the townies yet...

Nah, I'll mess it up the first time anyway. Finally got some time to myself (I'm helping a friend move, so NO free time, basically), so I'll start this one through the challenge today.

BTW, is it normal for slower computers not to be able to handle 8 Sims in a small lot with only a few items? I did fine with Asylum (8 sims on a simple lot) only because I was never able to turn the speed up past the slowest--watching for fires will do that. Uni loading times are murderous on my computer... I almost never play uni.

I might have to add an additional limitation to my own challenge--no more than 4 Sims on the lot at any given time--so I don't have to play the entire time on slow... Is that an 'unfair advantage'?

Expansion packs available: Nightlife, Pets, University. So no snapdragons or cheesecake... At least I have experience with uncontrolled sim elders. Thank you, Asylum.

[hedgekat]

What your computer can handle depends as much on amount of memory  and your video card as it does on processor speed.   I had a 6 year old computer and could run 12 or more sims on a medium lot with no difficulty.  It was an AMD 1800+ with 768MB Ram and a GeForce 4 video card.  Texture display was blurry but I rarely had lag when playing.  But then I normally play on slow when I have a large family since I am a heavy micromanager.   With only 256Mb Ram it was Very Slow.  Adding extra Ram helped tremendously.

[Mandapotpie]

Dating is the easiest

Yeah but you can really only do that with the founder while in college since you can't date until you unlock Show Business.

[Kyna]

Dating is the easiest

Yeah but you can really only do that with the founder while in college since you can't date until you unlock Show Business.

That's why you have your founder do a lot of dating while in college.  You can find out useful things about potential spouses for future generations - their career & level, their aspiration, etc.  Depending on which restrictions are lifted early, your founder may also be able to introduce the potential spouses to the first or second generation heir.  Plenty of dating while in college also helps with the startup cash, as your founder can sell the date rewards.

[KnowitallSim]

This challenge is hellish.

Someone should have made a mod that implemented all of the rules.

So hard to remember...

[Emma]

Dizzy made a hack that implemented all the Asylum rules, maybe he'd be interested in doing something for this challenge. Ask him, he's at the Laden Swallow.

[Zazazu]

This challenge is hellish.

Someone should have made a mod that implemented all of the rules.

So hard to remember...

Problem is, you'd have to have a hack to cover every possible EP combination.

[Jelenedra]

I'd be happy for one that auto-deducted funds for the Criminal restriction. I don't play the Sims to do maths! 

[Callista]

Regarding the criminal restriction--If you're using method 3, paying $150 times the number of weeks, and you don't have enough cash, what do you do? Do you have to switch to one of the other methods, or can you sell off items for the money? That should be prohibited by the Business restriction normally but I get the feeling that it's more realistic to give the mob your extra furniture than to say "I don't have enough"... Technically, using the sell-and-re-buy method you'd end up not having enough money to re-buy stuff... opinions? any official word?

[TheGreatGatsby]

Regarding the criminal restriction--If you're using method 3, paying $150 times the number of weeks, and you don't have enough cash, what do you do? Do you have to switch to one of the other methods, or can you sell off items for the money? That should be prohibited by the Business restriction normally but I get the feeling that it's more realistic to give the mob your extra furniture than to say "I don't have enough"... Technically, using the sell-and-re-buy method you'd end up not having enough money to re-buy stuff... opinions? any official word?

Yes, I believe you can sell furniture in this instance.  Since method 1 involves the selling and re-buying of furniture, I don't think it breaks the "Business" restrictions.

Let's see what the rules say:

If you do not have enough funds to pay the entire bill, you must use method #1

[Callista]

That was under method 2. But yeah, I can't very well refuse to pay the mob, so it's got to be something like that.

I'm doing something I'm not sure is legal--but is it permissible not to lift Hopelessness with your founder? I have an adult-start with a Pleasure sim founder and bad luck with jobs. She's female so she can have an heir without moving anyone in. I've just never seen it done before so I don't know if it's legal, but most people start in college...

[Mandapotpie]

Well, I don't see what point it would have. To lift hopelessness, you just have to reach the top of any career. So, unless you don't want your founder to unlock anything at all, what is the point?

[Zazazu]

Plus, part of strategy is finding a high-level careered mate to move in and unlock a second career.

[antechinus]

I'm doing something I'm not sure is legal--but is it permissible not to lift Hopelessness with your founder? I have an adult-start with a Pleasure sim founder and bad luck with jobs. She's female so she can have an heir without moving anyone in. I've just never seen it done before so I don't know if it's legal, but most people start in college...

Yes, it is legal. It will delay everything by a generation but you will have longer to skill up the child, and get them friends, thus improving their chances. You will also be stuck with a useless, senile elder on the lot eating food and taking up one of the places.

I have just completed the first stage of an adult start- unlocking hopelessness and adventure. I have played an adult start now about six or eight times. It relies on a high element of luck. This time I used a female knowledge sim. She took 5 days until adventurer came up. Adventurer or medical were my first two preferences for careers, so that was the first piece of luck. In the five days she made 8 friends by talking to almost every walkby. A game of snowball fight or water balloon gets them close to friends status, then talk-gossip or talk about hobby. I try to stop at about 60 -70 points as there is a greater chance of them visiting again. I also managed 5 body points, 4 mechanical and 2 charisma, so she could take advantage of promotions immediately.
Fortunately this time I didn't get any of the bad chance cards- I had a couple of games killed by them. If you get several demotions or fired there is not enough time left to get to the top of your career before senility sets in.
She reached the top of her career by day 27, chose the elixir as the career reward. Meanwhile she found a partner who is a GP. On the next Tuesday he moved in. This is as far as I have played. I am still trying to figure out a set of rules incorporating Free Time, as I don't think Pinstar is planning to update them.