Update 3/15 - Adopting children must be done at newborn stage, rather than infant. Also you are allowed to create a baby using 'science' if that's your wish.
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Let me just start by saying that I am NOT the originator of this challenge. As far as I can tell that honor goes to someone called Simslia. So far that I've seen, no one has yet adapted the rules to fit the TS4 game so I thought I'd take a stab at it. If you do play by these rules, feel free to post links of your challenges, I'd love to see how they go!
GETTING STARTED
Create a YA sim, give them whatever looks, traits and aspiration you’d like. Some like to play with the Erratic trait rule, I personally do not. If you do, then one of the traits given to your founding Torch Holder MUST be Erratic. They can be 'human' sims, aliens, mermaids, vampires, spellcasters or werewolves, your choice!
You will be playing on NORMAL lifespan.
Move your TH onto a lot. There is no restriction on which lot that can be. Build them a house, import a house from the gallery or let them live on the lawn for a while – whichever play-style you prefer is fine. This should be done with the standard 20,000 starting simoleons. Whatever you have left after purchasing property and house, that's your starting funds. If at any time you move in a single sim that brings an extra 20,000 simoleons into the household, it is PREFERRED that you use the money cheat to delete that (because it's kind've cheating for the 100,000 simoleons point gain, but I'm not going to enforce that one strictly). You may freely choose 3 lot traits for your home lot, but once chosen they cannot be changed. So pick wisely!
Find a spouse/baby-maker (human, alien, mermaid, vampire, spellcaster, werewolf). This can be anyone your sim can manage to woo; townies, premades, even sims you've placed into the neighborhood yourself just for this purpose. They must be asked to move in or married IN-GAME however, not placed into the household via Manage Households. Other than that, everybody's free game.
Once you've acquired your mate, have some kiddos. Adoption is fine, but they must be adopted as newborns. You are also allowed to create a child via 'science' as well. Adopted children and test-tube babies can be considered for the next Torch Holder.
When you receive the notification that it is a sim's birthday, you are allowed to age them up via birthday cake (see Free Actions below).
Now let them live their lives and try your best not to reach through the computer screen and strangle them as they commence to peeing themselves/passing out all over the place.
THE GOAL
The ultimate goal is to survive 10 generations of sims while only controlling one sim at a time, and keeping score throughout.
Each Torch-Holder must have at least two children. You don’t HAVE to get married, but doing so increases the chance for more points (and more failures). If playing with the Erratic trait rule then each child MUST be given the Erratic trait at some point. Otherwise all traits and aspirations should be randomized via the dice button and/or 3rd party randomizer.
Throughout the challenge, only ONE sim may be controlled by you, and that’s your current Torch Holder. All other sims must live on complete autonomy, to live (or fail) as they will. Obviously this means that sim autonomy should be turned on in your game settings at all times. When the child you’ve chosen as heir reaches YA, the ‘torch’ is passed to them and they become your controllable sim. Your former TH enters the mystical land of autonomy and you are never allowed to control them again. (Note - there are some Free Action exceptions to this rule, see below for details).
Once a child reaches YA and they are not your heir, they must be moved out of the household.
HARD MODE
If you'd like to take the challenge one step higher in difficulty then these rules should also be followed;
You are not allowed to utilize the 'Hand of God' (aka click-dragging items such as dirty dishes or inventory items). Anything in the game must be managed or manipulated by the sims themselves, either your TH or a life-stage free action of a NTH.
You are not--at any time or circumstance--allowed to hire a Nanny, Repairman, Gardener, Pizza Delivery, Maid or Butler.
You are not--at any time or circumstance--allowed to direct NTHs for modes via portraits during work, school or off the lot.
SCORING
The following is an updated scorecard, modified for changes in TS4 as opposed to its predecessors.
Self Wetting : -5
Pass Out : -5
Failing School : -5
Negative Traits Earned by NTHs : -5**
Accidental Deaths : -10
Fires : -10
Social Worker Visit : -15
Single Birth : +5
Twins : +10
Triplets : +15
Any sim in the household completing an Aspiration Milestone (Child, Teen and Adult): +5
Any sim in the household completing a full Aspiration (Child, Teen and Adult) : +10
All toddler Skills at level 3 : +5
Skills (Child and Adult) maxed by NTH family members : +10
Children (Child and Teen) earning an A in school : +5
Positive Traits Earned by NTHs : +5**
Happy Toddler Trait Earned : +5
Top-Notch Toddler Trait Earned : +10
NTH sims reaching the top of a career (Teen and YA/A/E) : +10
NTH sims passing University classes with a grade of C or higher : +5
NTH sims passing University classes with A+ : +10
NTH sims graduating University with A+ in all classes : +15
Randomizing every trait and aspiration for an entire generation : +10
Not using spares' Satisfaction Reward points for an entire generation : +10
Every 100,000 simoleons earned* : +20
Immortalizing the Torch-Holder : +5 [This can be done in a number of ways. Write a biography (writing skill level 10), paint a painting from reference of the sim at 8+ painting skill, or take a picture with a 5+ photography skill in the Torch-Holder's honor. Done to remember your THs on through the generations. ]
*You can calculate total simoleons earned in 2 different ways. 1 - go to build mode, click on the info box and add the lot's total value to the family's simoleons on hand. OR 2 - go to your achievements and check the Rosebud achievement, which tracks how many simoleons have been earned over-all in that save file.
**These are in reference to the new earned traits from the Parenthood game pack. Negative traits are Bad Manners, Uncontrolled Emotions, Insensitive, Argumentative and Irresponsible. Positive traits are Good Manners, Emotional Control, Compassionate, Mediator and Responsible. If no traits are earned, then no points are awarded or taken away.
FREE ACTIONS
Every sim in the household has one free action per age category. (PLEASE NOTE : this is an EXTRA free action that can be ANYTHING in the game. This does not mean you can only use one of the following free actions per age-category. The actions listed below are ALWAYS allowed to be done whenever and however many times you need to).
You may choose to "Claim" a bed with every sim ONCE to assign specific beds to specific sims. This can only be done once. After that, they're on their own.
You may choose to quit job/retire for any sim you don't want working, and are allowed to assign sims to specific careers as needed.
You may choose to "Change Into..." out of sleepwear, (because I get tired of seeing them in their underwear/PJs ALL DAY).
If you have an alien sim, you may choose to change into and out of their Human Sim Disguise freely.
You may change tones while at work/school as needed. Whether or not they actually attend or leave early is up to the sims themselves.
You may choose to take vacation days or family leave for NTHs via the phone.
You may Choose an Umbrella from the umbrella stand, if purchased.
When you get the notification for infants that it's their birthday, you are to select the bassinet (with your Torch Holder) to age them up. When all other sims' age bars reach 0, you are allowed to click on a birthday cake to age them up OR click the cake with your TH and choose to 'Age Up...' (select sim). Baking the actual cake and adding candles is up to your TH however.
You may choose to take a Pregnancy Test with NTH female spouses to determine if there is a pregnancy.
Once a NTH spouse goes into labor, you are allowed to choose to go to the hospital and may then 'Check-In' at the front desk. All other actions at the hospital must be autonomous. If at home, you must wait for the labor to end naturally (the timer to run down on its own).
You are allowed to purchase and drink ONE youth elixir per sim, per lifetime. (HOWEVER, doing this with a NTH spare will negate the +10 points for not using AP in that generation).
EDIT 4/5/20 - Just went through the list again. If your blog has gone 3+ months without an update, it's been moved to the Hiatus list (which is now way longer than the currents lol, oh well). If you update in the future and I don't notice, give me a shout and I'll move you back! Happy Simming!
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Are you interested in an ISBI challenge, but want to see how it works first before diving in? Or maybe you just want a laugh (because, c'mon, sims passing out and peeing themselves NEVER gets old). Then look no further! The following are some links to current Sims 4 ISBI challenge blogs! If you have a challenge posted and would like to add to the list, just leave a comment with the link included! Thanks so much to @MVWdeZT for providing the starting stones!
@mangakagirl - In the former challenges you'd paint a portrait of the TH, but since you can't do that (yet, hopefully it gets added in later), I decided to give the option of writing a book. I think I'm going to expand on this rule like Pinstar did the regular legacy. You can either write a Biography (available at Writing skill level 10), compose a song (instrument skill level 8+) or write and refine a comedy routine (comedy skill 8+) to 'immortalize' the Torch Holder. And if you do that, you get +5 points toward your overall score.
@simbody872 - That's me, lol. I usually play EXTREMELY controlling, I micro-manage every aspect of their lives. So it's fun (and incredibly stressful lol) for me to play an ISBI every once in a while. In TS3 it showed me a whole host of interactions and animations that I never saw, because I was always making them do stuff. I hope it will prove to be as much of an eye-opener in TS4 as well.
Can't believe how gorgeous their house is! Wow! Oops-- wrong thread for this! I'll post it elsewhere. [awkward conversation moodlet--why did CathyTea say that?] Ok.. back on topic. Thanks for sharing the ISBI rules! I might be brave enough some day...
I'm also big on micro-managing my sims, so this would be extremely difficult for me, but it could be a fun change of pace when I finish my Legacy (or if I take a break from it at some point). I think that I might gain the Insane trait in the process, but it would definitely be interesting! :smiley:
@MVWdeZT - Excellent questions! See, this is why it's BETA. Lolol.
Normal lifespan. It would be up to you to keep aging on or off for the rest of the town, and to expand on that you're more than welcome to marry anybody in the town (even people you put there yourself). But they have to be moved in/married in the game, not just plopped in there through manage households.
The pregnancy test . . . I'll allow it. Technically the sim is still pregnant and you'll figure it out eventually even without taking the test, but the wait could become annoying. :P Tyvm for asking this stuff!
grrrrrr do any children do homework autonomously? Mine won't, and the TH has no option to help with homework unless the kids is working on it. I miss TS3 where at least 90% of the time did their homework without being told to. He has 9 days until a teen and his grade is already drifting near a D Other than that my sims are so far taking ok care of themselves. The TH is busy repairing the plumbing and tending the garden, looking for collectables, she doesn't have time for a real job yet. Maybe when all the babies become children. Gen 2 so far is 3 kids, a single boy, child age, and a set of twin girls, my first in the whole game so far!
@simbody872 - Daww. I know that children DO do their homework autonomously (sometimes), my Gieke kids have tried when I want them to work on skills instead. Some kiddos just wanna watch the world burn . . . Congrats on the twins though!!
@Lynnwood, another question -- do we have to wait for babies, children, and teens to age up on their own? Or can the TH bake a birthday cake for them or age up the baby when you get the notification that they'll have a birthday soon?
Similarly, I've heard that labor can sometimes last as long as 4 days (not just pregnancy, labor). At what point can a pregnant NTH click on the bassinette and give birth? (Although I suppose that could be her free action.)
Sorry -- I saw you answered the first question already.
@MVWdeZT - Hmm . . . I think I'll allow the "Go to Hospital" or click on the bassinet to "Give Birth" as a free action as well. I don't want a 4-day labor. O_o
Tyvm for coming up with these questions, lolol. It's always the little things you forget/miss.
Do people usually do the story-telling/blogging with these kinds of challenges as well? On the one hand, I bet there could be some pretty funny bits. On the other hand, there may be long gaps between those funny bits.
The Geek Shall Inherit: The Merrigan Family Legacy Challenge -- Visit us on Tumblr.
Origin ID: Tairgire
@Roane - I published my TS3 ISBI, and there were a lot of crazy, kooky bits. There can be long periods of randomness, but for the most part I rarely found myself without something interesting to document.
@Megg87 - Lol! I myself am a bit nervous for the TS4 version, it seems to me they die easier (with the emotional deaths). I can say though that in the TS3 run I did, 5 generations and the only death I had was from old age. :P
The twins are finally children, whew didn't think I would make it through, let alone my TH! But we both made it through the baby stage. My TH has the big family aspiration, one of her wishes is to be the parent of a child with 5 friends O.o not sure if I can do that one. I guess it's time the kids head to the park and see if they can make any friends. She also needs to adopt one child, need to have another look at the rules before I let her.
@capturedmuse - Woo! That would be awesome! If you do, be sure to link it, I'd love to watch. :P (and that's not nearly as creepy as it sounds . . .)
@simbody872 - Aww yay! Glad you survived the baby stage! Yeah, a lot of these aspirations are going to be TOUGH to complete in an ISBI. Good luck though! As far as adoption goes, you're more than welcome to adopt but they must be adopted as infants. Keep me posted!
Comments
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Are you interested in an ISBI challenge, but want to see how it works first before diving in? Or maybe you just want a laugh (because, c'mon, sims passing out and peeing themselves NEVER gets old). Then look no further! The following are some links to current Sims 4 ISBI challenge blogs! If you have a challenge posted and would like to add to the list, just leave a comment with the link included! Thanks so much to @MVWdeZT for providing the starting stones!
ISBI Score Sheet (spreedsheet) created by @dethdukk
CURRENT CHALLENGES
Dim Sims in the City
The Sutherland ISBI
The Wilde ISBI Alphabetacy
Full Moon On the Rise : An ISBI
Livin a Simmin Life
The Otts Alphabetacy/ISBI
King of Fools
The Deepwater ISBI
Tidell Family ISBI
Carlimact ISBI
The Ombré ISBI
The Sim.pleton ISBI
Grimm Id.iots
ON HIATUS
Goth-Sanity 2.0
MeggleSims ISBI
The Terrano Legacy
Koehler's Kraziness
Plum It! An ISBI Challenge
The Loony Lunas
Thomas The Trainwrecks ISBI
The Nawatt ISBI
Out of Control
Reagan ISBI
Crazy Town
Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places
Say Hello To The Staples!
The Crocker Family ISBI
A Madden(ing) Legacy
Shadami's ISBI Stories
I'm Surrounded by (Artificial) Intelligence
Jewell Legacy - ISBI
ISBI Let's Play
Whimsical Id.iots - An ISBI Whimsy
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
What are you meaning with this one Book Immortalizing Torch-Holder : +5
A Prettacy Challenge It Ain't Easy Being Green
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
Dragon Name: Hywicoes | House: Ravenclaw | Wand: Dogwood, Unicorn hair 11 ¼" , Suprisingly Swishy
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
Also, would it be all right to include getting a pregnancy test in the free actions since we don't have chimes?
Normal lifespan. It would be up to you to keep aging on or off for the rest of the town, and to expand on that you're more than welcome to marry anybody in the town (even people you put there yourself). But they have to be moved in/married in the game, not just plopped in there through manage households.
The pregnancy test . . . I'll allow it. Technically the sim is still pregnant and you'll figure it out eventually even without taking the test, but the wait could become annoying. :P Tyvm for asking this stuff!
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
A Prettacy Challenge It Ain't Easy Being Green
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
Similarly, I've heard that labor can sometimes last as long as 4 days (not just pregnancy, labor). At what point can a pregnant NTH click on the bassinette and give birth? (Although I suppose that could be her free action.)
Sorry -- I saw you answered the first question already.
Tyvm for coming up with these questions, lolol. It's always the little things you forget/miss.
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
Origin ID: Tairgire
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
House: Hufflepuff | Wand: Ebony wood w/a unicorn hair core, 9 ¾"
Origin ID: meggles87 | twitter | simblr
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84
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A Prettacy Challenge It Ain't Easy Being Green
@simbody872 - Aww yay! Glad you survived the baby stage! Yeah, a lot of these aspirations are going to be TOUGH to complete in an ISBI. Good luck though! As far as adoption goes, you're more than welcome to adopt but they must be adopted as infants.
The Gieke Legacy ‡ Wishing Upon a Star 2.0 ‡ Operation : Pollinate Newcrest
ORIGIN ID - Lynnwood84