@simscognito Get "free service" perks and hire a nanny, a maid, and a gardener, and Buttler if you have the stuff pack. They'll do every chore so your sims don't have to. They're basically your slaves.
@superkyle221 sometimes people may know about it, but it hasn't really registered until someone brings it up in a new context. Thanks for sharing this tip. I hadnt looked at clubs that way, even though I knew what you were talking about. Now I'm going to try this technique on a classroom chapter down the road. Again, thanks for the tip.
@simscognito Get "free service" perks and hire a nanny, a maid, and a gardener, and Buttler if you have the stuff pack. They'll do every chore so your sims don't have to. They're basically your slaves.
@elifdapeton yes I agree, life is much easier with the nanny, the maid, the Gardner and butler. I use them in my Royal Family. However, I have a lot of poorer families too, who can't afford them. For example, I had a family who could only afford a two bedroom apartment and they were a family of seven. For those of you who read my story, I'm talking about the original Hellewell (Sweglord) family. Yes, it was my choice to create a situation like this, but it does mean you can't spend money on extra help. However, @superkyle221 has given me an idea, with the clubs because they are free and so you can make free nanny services with them. Or, make the extended family and friends really helpful around the house with the club system. XD.
So, speaking of our themed conversations for today:
Anyone else have any cool game tips?
This is probably so obvious and everybody knows about it, but if you have Get Together, the clubs system is amazing for story purposes. You can have sims spend the night at your house, or you can spend the night at their house, and you can get sims you don't control to do what you want them to (in my alien adoption challenge it's how I've been getting my non-controllable characters to play musical instruments).
@simscognito Get "free service" perks and hire a nanny, a maid, and a gardener, and Buttler if you have the stuff pack. They'll do every chore so your sims don't have to. They're basically your slaves.
Very good idea, too!
My game tip, which I literally discovered yesterday, is a building tip, but it's great for screenshot purposes. And I'm sure you all knew but I feel like an idiot not knowing. I knew so many of the tips and tricks with S3.
I knew about the shift + [ or ] to make items bigger or smaller, which is great for decorating. I did NOT know about the ctrl + 9 or 0 to make items go up or down. (Ensure MOO is enabled. "bb.moveobjects on")
For example, in the picture below (of a very yummy warmly baked loaf of bread in my sim's kitchen), the red vase in the corner and the dresser (object on bottom right with the different box drawers) were both larger and only sat on the ground. Using the two codes above, I was able to put them in their spots. It has opened a whole new world in decorating.
(Side notes:
1. Some of the much bigger items have shadows that can be annoying when shrunken down, so beware of that.
2. Also, some items the sims can use. For instance, there is a world globe that sims can pour themselves a drink and some other things, I think. I used it as decor, which I loved, but unfortunately, my sim kept trying to pour himself a drink. It was super annoying, so I had to delete it. lol
@Bugsie2016 yes, you probably do. At least, that's how it works on Sims 3 I think. I used to do lots of object cheats on sims 3, but can't remember many of them now.
@simscognito When I raised the Glory quads in DMD, I had to make sure everything was within easy access (i.e. the nursery had cribs, toys, high chairs, bath/ changing table, trash can, and kid potties). Then I worked like crazy with one kid at a time to get them potty trained as soon as they were toddlers, then walking to make things as easy as possible. I also had a small bathroom I built off the nursery for kids/teens/adults.
Older siblings helped out a lot when Cora Mae needed a break, and I hired a butler to help with household stuff. I did make older kids do homework right away when they arrived home so they wouldn't fail at school and I had a mod that allowed for faster homework completion. I had an extra bed in the nursery, a mini fridge, and microwave in case whomever was watching the quads got hungry or sleepy.
Granted my Superbia/Glory family was wealthy so that helped with bills but during pregnancy you could spread out expenses as you plan for arrivals. I also enrolled older kids in one club or after school activity so as to increase their abilities (another mod) and to help with bills and experience, teens with good grades got jobs.
This was for TS3 so some of this might not transfer to TS4 but I thought I'd put in my two cents about raising large families. It was hard but rewarding. The hardest was keeping up the fun meter but I tried to indulge wishes every once in awhile.
So, I just checked and there isn't a writing tip day so i'll ask the same question I asked over in the reading circle i'm part of (the only i'm part of as I still need to catch up on everyone's stories!)
So, speaking of our themed conversations for today:
Anyone else have any cool game tips?
This is probably so obvious and everybody knows about it, but if you have Get Together, the clubs system is amazing for story purposes. You can have sims spend the night at your house, or you can spend the night at their house, and you can get sims you don't control to do what you want them to (in my alien adoption challenge it's how I've been getting my non-controllable characters to play musical instruments).
@simscognito Get "free service" perks and hire a nanny, a maid, and a gardener, and Buttler if you have the stuff pack. They'll do every chore so your sims don't have to. They're basically your slaves.
@elifdapeton@superkyle221 Nanny never works for me but I've been using the "free service" perks for free maids and gardeners. I don't have buttler either but I always use the slave-uhh-I mean the NPC to do everything with clubs. Especially with rally the troops perk that increase almost all your entire club member's moods.
One good NPCs to meet with is the mentor thingy which you met at the gym, you can just invite them over and have them mentor your sims in athletic skill without having to go to the gym.
I knew about the shift + [ or ] to make items bigger or smaller, which is great for decorating. I did NOT know about the ctrl + 9 or 0 to make items go up or down. (Ensure MOO is enabled. "bb.moveobjects on")
For example, in the picture below (of a very yummy warmly baked loaf of bread in my sim's kitchen), the red vase in the corner and the dresser (object on bottom right with the different box drawers) were both larger and only sat on the ground. Using the two codes above, I was able to put them in their spots. It has opened a whole new world in decorating.
@lovesstorms Too bad the ctrl+9 or 0 also moves the shadows of that object up which makes levitating an object look very weird.
@Bugsie2016 awesome question! I think it will have to be, if you are finding floors in your own writing, that means you are improving, which is a good thing because that means you're writing will always be better than you think.
So, speaking of our themed conversations for today:
Anyone else have any cool game tips?
This is probably so obvious and everybody knows about it, but if you have Get Together, the clubs system is amazing for story purposes. You can have sims spend the night at your house, or you can spend the night at their house, and you can get sims you don't control to do what you want them to (in my alien adoption challenge it's how I've been getting my non-controllable characters to play musical instruments).
@simscognito Get "free service" perks and hire a nanny, a maid, and a gardener, and Buttler if you have the stuff pack. They'll do every chore so your sims don't have to. They're basically your slaves.
@elifdapeton@superkyle221 Nanny never works for me but I've been using the "free service" perks for free maids and gardeners. I don't have buttler either but I always use the slave-uhh-I mean the NPC to do everything with clubs. Especially with rally the troops perk that increase almost all your moods.
One good NPCs to meet with is the mentor thingy which you met at the gym, you can just invite them over and have them mentor your sims in athletic skill without having to go to the gym.
I knew about the shift + [ or ] to make items bigger or smaller, which is great for decorating. I did NOT know about the ctrl + 9 or 0 to make items go up or down. (Ensure MOO is enabled. "bb.moveobjects on")
For example, in the picture below (of a very yummy warmly baked loaf of bread in my sim's kitchen), the red vase in the corner and the dresser (object on bottom right with the different box drawers) were both larger and only sat on the ground. Using the two codes above, I was able to put them in their spots. It has opened a whole new world in decorating.
@lovesstorms Too bad the ctrl+9 or 0 also moves the shadows of that object up which makes levitating an object look very weird.
So true. I did notice that with something else I wanted where the dresser is. Too bad a modder can't fix that. Or maybe they can an we haven't asked the right person. lol So, I tend to stay away from the much larger items as the shadows are worse. But depending on where you put it, it may not be as obvious or annoying.
Oh, and also, some items the sims can use. For instance, there is a world globe that sims can pour themselves a drink and some other things, I think. I used it as decor, which I loved, but unfortunately, my sim kept trying to pour himself a drink. It was super annoying, so I had to delete it. lol
So, I just checked and there isn't a writing tip day so i'll ask the same question I asked over in the reading circle i'm part of (the only i'm part of as I still need to catch up on everyone's stories!)
@Bugsie2016 awesome question! I think it will have to be, if you are finding floors in your own writing, that means you are improving, which is a good thing because that means you're writing will always be better than you think.
So, I just checked and there isn't a writing tip day so i'll ask the same question I asked over in the reading circle i'm part of (the only i'm part of as I still need to catch up on everyone's stories!)
What is your favourite writing tip?
@Bugsie2016 This came from a writing teacher I had
"Let the characters breathe" a lot of writers have such a focused view of where the story is going and who the characters are that they end up keeping a vice grip on everything rather than keeping an open mind and giving the characters room to grow and adapt as the story progresses.
In a similar vein it's also good to keep an open mind so you can recognize when something (even if it's one of your favorite ideas) just isn't working and needs to be cut or changed.
So, I just checked and there isn't a writing tip day so i'll ask the same question I asked over in the reading circle i'm part of (the only i'm part of as I still need to catch up on everyone's stories!)
What is your favourite writing tip?
@Bugsie2016 This came from a writing teacher I had
"Let the characters breathe" a lot of writers have such a focused view of where the story is going and who the characters are that they end up keeping a vice grip on everything rather than keeping an open mind and giving the characters room to grow and adapt as the story progresses.
In a similar vein it's also good to keep an open mind so you can recognize when something (even if it's one of your favorite ideas) just isn't working and needs to be cut or changed.
I do get this. I actually encountered both of these in one of my stories with a character. I had a way I was planning the character but when I got to that point, she had grown into someone different so I changed the story. Thanks @AuroraLockwood !
I don't really have any 'cause i'm the worst cheater! Going to go with what I think would make sense instead. Maybe hire a nanny for the small kids and let the teenagers sort everything out themselves. If you have CL then get one of the parents/adults a job they can work from home on if they have toddlers. No need for a nanny and you're making money!
So, speaking of our themed conversations for today:
Anyone else have any cool game tips?
This is probably so obvious and everybody knows about it, but if you have Get Together, the clubs system is amazing for story purposes. You can have sims spend the night at your house, or you can spend the night at their house, and you can get sims you don't control to do what you want them to (in my alien adoption challenge it's how I've been getting my non-controllable characters to play musical instruments).
@simscognito Get "free service" perks and hire a nanny, a maid, and a gardener, and Buttler if you have the stuff pack. They'll do every chore so your sims don't have to. They're basically your slaves.
@elifdapeton@superkyle221 Nanny never works for me but I've been using the "free service" perks for free maids and gardeners. I don't have buttler either but I always use the slave-uhh-I mean the NPC to do everything with clubs. Especially with rally the troops perk that increase almost all your entire club member's moods.
One good NPCs to meet with is the mentor thingy which you met at the gym, you can just invite them over and have them mentor your sims in athletic skill without having to go to the gym.
Nanny is actually the best service sims for me, they cook, taking care of your children, they teach your children and teen with homework and encouraging children sims when drawing on activity table, they even have enough skills that they can mentor even your adults in writing, painting, piano, violin, It's even better than butler.
So, I just checked and there isn't a writing tip day so i'll ask the same question I asked over in the reading circle i'm part of
What is your favourite writing tip?
Slightly related (you don't need to bother reading it , it's just about reading circles. )
I'm thinking of joining another reading circle. Serious question, Is there a rule or something against being in more than one reading circle?
@Bugsie2016 sorry missed the reading circle question the first time. There's no problem being in multiple. @CathyTea and I for example are both in multiple.
So, I just checked and there isn't a writing tip day so i'll ask the same question I asked over in the reading circle i'm part of
What is your favourite writing tip?
Slightly related (you don't need to bother reading it , it's just about reading circles. )
I'm thinking of joining another reading circle. Serious question, Is there a rule or something against being in more than one reading circle?
@Bugsie2016 sorry missed the reading circle question the first time. There's no problem being in multiple. @CathyTea and I for example are both in multiple.
It's fine. I edited it in afterwards because I didn't feel it needed it's own post. I may find another one to join.
Strictly for playing the game: make a club for your family members only. Include tasks like cooking and sleeping. Watch the points rack up and let your kids enjoy the benefits of all the club perks! Transfer leadership of the club to each heir so you don't have to re-earn the perks.
For simlit: LOVE @lovesstorms tip on item height with 9/0, I didn't know that one! Forced perspective can also create amazing screenshots.
In this first screenshot, I had the sims far in the background (about 15 squares from the car). At this time, I didn't know about the +/- thing!
In this second screenshot, I found out about the item resizing in order to have the car in the background instead.
How about you all? Do you have any tips for raising large families without cheats?
Pause often. My current generation of the Grace family is one of the largest I've ever dealt with, but it was a challenge I looked forward to. I utilize a fake club (from Get Together) to orchestrate things like play dates and of course the farm workers.
Take a break! I wouldn't call myself an impatient person...but I value making the most of my time. If I hit a road block, particularly in writing, I only give myself about 5 minutes of pondering before I have to walk away for a bit. Go for a walk, listen to music with no lyrics, or sleep on it. Let your mind think without distraction, as it were.
So many good discussions lately! Thanks for all your tips guys.
Comments
Peoples Legacy | Legacy Challenge Story. 18+
@elifdapeton
Brilliant! I had no idea.
Very good idea, too!
My game tip, which I literally discovered yesterday, is a building tip, but it's great for screenshot purposes. And I'm sure you all knew but I feel like an idiot not knowing. I knew so many of the tips and tricks with S3.
I knew about the shift + [ or ] to make items bigger or smaller, which is great for decorating. I did NOT know about the ctrl + 9 or 0 to make items go up or down. (Ensure MOO is enabled. "bb.moveobjects on")
For example, in the picture below (of a very yummy warmly baked loaf of bread in my sim's kitchen), the red vase in the corner and the dresser (object on bottom right with the different box drawers) were both larger and only sat on the ground. Using the two codes above, I was able to put them in their spots. It has opened a whole new world in decorating.
(Side notes:
1. Some of the much bigger items have shadows that can be annoying when shrunken down, so beware of that.
2. Also, some items the sims can use. For instance, there is a world globe that sims can pour themselves a drink and some other things, I think. I used it as decor, which I loved, but unfortunately, my sim kept trying to pour himself a drink. It was super annoying, so I had to delete it. lol
Seeking a Cure for PSC
From Lifehack.org - 20 Things About Highly Creative People
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Don't you have to enable moveobjects for it to work? It works like that in my experiences.
Yes, absolutely. I added that to my post for those who don't know that.
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Older siblings helped out a lot when Cora Mae needed a break, and I hired a butler to help with household stuff. I did make older kids do homework right away when they arrived home so they wouldn't fail at school and I had a mod that allowed for faster homework completion. I had an extra bed in the nursery, a mini fridge, and microwave in case whomever was watching the quads got hungry or sleepy.
Granted my Superbia/Glory family was wealthy so that helped with bills but during pregnancy you could spread out expenses as you plan for arrivals. I also enrolled older kids in one club or after school activity so as to increase their abilities (another mod) and to help with bills and experience, teens with good grades got jobs.
This was for TS3 so some of this might not transfer to TS4 but I thought I'd put in my two cents about raising large families. It was hard but rewarding. The hardest was keeping up the fun meter but I tried to indulge wishes every once in awhile.
Find me elsewhere:
My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
My Worldbuilding Blog
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You're very welcome!
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What is your favourite writing tip?
Slightly related (you don't need to bother reading it
write for you.
@elifdapeton @superkyle221 Nanny never works for me but I've been using the "free service" perks for free maids and gardeners. I don't have buttler either but I always use the slave-uhh-I mean the NPC to do everything with clubs. Especially with rally the troops perk that increase almost all your entire club member's moods.
One good NPCs to meet with is the mentor thingy which you met at the gym, you can just invite them over and have them mentor your sims in athletic skill without having to go to the gym.
@lovesstorms Too bad the ctrl+9 or 0 also moves the shadows of that object up which makes levitating an object look very weird.
Sims 4 Comic Legacy
So true. I did notice that with something else I wanted where the dresser is. Too bad a modder can't fix that.
Oh, and also, some items the sims can use. For instance, there is a world globe that sims can pour themselves a drink and some other things, I think. I used it as decor, which I loved, but unfortunately, my sim kept trying to pour himself a drink. It was super annoying, so I had to delete it. lol
Seeking a Cure for PSC
From Lifehack.org - 20 Things About Highly Creative People
Simblr
I agree with this!
Also a very valid point! Thanks @simscognito !
@Bugsie2016 This came from a writing teacher I had
"Let the characters breathe" a lot of writers have such a focused view of where the story is going and who the characters are that they end up keeping a vice grip on everything rather than keeping an open mind and giving the characters room to grow and adapt as the story progresses.
In a similar vein it's also good to keep an open mind so you can recognize when something (even if it's one of your favorite ideas) just isn't working and needs to be cut or changed.
I do get this. I actually encountered both of these in one of my stories with a character. I had a way I was planning the character but when I got to that point, she had grown into someone different so I changed the story.
How did I miss this? Oops, sorry @simscognito
I don't really have any 'cause i'm the worst cheater! Going to go with what I think would make sense instead. Maybe hire a nanny for the small kids and let the teenagers sort everything out themselves. If you have CL then get one of the parents/adults a job they can work from home on if they have toddlers. No need for a nanny and you're making money!
Nanny is actually the best service sims for me, they cook, taking care of your children, they teach your children and teen with homework and encouraging children sims when drawing on activity table, they even have enough skills that they can mentor even your adults in writing, painting, piano, violin, It's even better than butler.
Peoples Legacy | Legacy Challenge Story. 18+
Sims 4 Comic Legacy
I didn't know you could mentor in writing either. Interesting. So many things I need to test!
@Bugsie2016 sorry missed the reading circle question the first time. There's no problem being in multiple. @CathyTea and I for example are both in multiple.
It's fine. I edited it in afterwards because I didn't feel it needed it's own post. I may find another one to join.
Strictly for playing the game: make a club for your family members only. Include tasks like cooking and sleeping. Watch the points rack up and let your kids enjoy the benefits of all the club perks! Transfer leadership of the club to each heir so you don't have to re-earn the perks.
For simlit: LOVE @lovesstorms tip on item height with 9/0, I didn't know that one! Forced perspective can also create amazing screenshots.
In this first screenshot, I had the sims far in the background (about 15 squares from the car). At this time, I didn't know about the +/- thing!
Pause often. My current generation of the Grace family is one of the largest I've ever dealt with, but it was a challenge I looked forward to. I utilize a fake club (from Get Together) to orchestrate things like play dates and of course the farm workers.
Take a break! I wouldn't call myself an impatient person...but I value making the most of my time. If I hit a road block, particularly in writing, I only give myself about 5 minutes of pondering before I have to walk away for a bit. Go for a walk, listen to music with no lyrics, or sleep on it. Let your mind think without distraction, as it were.
So many good discussions lately! Thanks for all your tips guys.
My hubby causes chaos in How To Live With Grace - - Pine Point tells Miranda Cole's survival tale - - Criminals build legacies in Glassbolt Prison