One of the most revealing exercises for me has been to start physically writing my latest family's story and publishing it on my blog. It's helped me get to know the characters and bring life into a family story that otherwise would be much less interesting. It makes me want to play to continue the story. I'd wanted to do this for a long time, but I didn't really realize the effect it would have on enriching the game experience.
There's a couple other aspects to the writing that I integrate to make it more interesting (for me and everyone else!). I dislike Legacy-style stories that are "Here's a poor founder. Gets married. Kids. Grow Up. Rinse & Repeat." That's no fun. I want to just take what I can get and run with it, leaving it up to the characters to really generate plot lines. I began with a family goal: We want the ugliest Sim after 10 generations. That goal isn't really strong on it's own, though it may be funny, but with writing, it really provides a starting point for the characters to run with. They have to hunt for ugly spouses, plan how to get more ugly a few generations down the line -- And there's been some really weird plot points to come out of this quest so far!
Last bit to make it more interesting is that I tend to let the characters go on free will - I randomize traits, randomize ambitions (unless there's one that is a perfect fit for personality type), and let them interact without much help from me. This can cause all sorts of drama if you get mean, erratic, or hot-headed Sims and makes for a more character-driven experience. They create most of the action, not me.
I'm only getting through Generation 4 and already I'm like, "NO! We CAN'T be halfway done already!" Lol.
Last bit to make it more interesting is that I tend to let the characters go on free will - I randomize traits, randomize ambitions (unless there's one that is a perfect fit for personality type), and let them interact without much help from me. This can cause all sorts of drama if you get mean, erratic, or hot-headed Sims and makes for a more character-driven experience. They create most of the action, not me.
That's what I like to do as well. The hands-off approach helps me cause otherwise I get just clones of the same type of sim. for ten generations.
Benton-Meshram (Amy Benton)
Putnam (Tanvi something I forgot her last name she was an NPC that I really liked and she married Jonas Putnam)
Sims-Hawkins (Meredith Sims)
Brink (Edwin Brink)
Sweet (Ciera Sweet)
Their kids survived and had their own kids which I have dubbed generation #2
I'm pretty sure that each surname is accounted for.
Anyway the importance of this post is that how I play my legacy is based on a few base rules that I use to add some challenge and also some variety. I also mix it up and add in other Sims to play that I don't track in the same way. The Avila Family is a newer family I'm not tracking. They were just a fun side story that helps mix it up.
Going forward unfortunately the Meshram family is ending with Marisol. She is a vampire and she is unflirty and her best friend is the ghost she befriended in college. I like the idea that she doesn't need a partner and she can just be friend with someone. Her parents were a gay couple and she was adopted. Due to randomization of traits, skills, and career she became; self absorbed, evil and unflirty. She went to Britechester and her chosen career was Fisherman. She is actually my very first vampire I created in the game and she is awesome to play.
Going forward random dice rolls will help decide if the remaining families continue on and have kids or not. Which is interesting to me.
TL:DR - I made some families, I track their progress, I use some guidelines and randomization to spice things up. I also make side families I don't track to take a break from the legacy but are also a part of the story in away. Happy Simming! 😋💚😅
I'm giving it a go on the Short lifespan. It's tough because of course there is so much less time to gain skills or rise high in a career, and money will generate more slowly, but at the same time I'm not going to be waiting forever for the kids to grow up The other benefit is that I won't get a fancy house so quickly so I am less likely to get bored.
I wouldn't play on Short lifespan all the time but it's definitely fun for an experiment.
I've played the same family for over two years with aging off so it's still the same generation but I age them up as feels appropriate. Two of the kids have finally reached young adult age and I've now turned aging on with a very long custom age setting. I know the kids so well and am invested in all of them but I know which two I'll be following into the next generation and continuing to play.
Have a long term plan. Imagine yourself as a separate entity in Sims world and make aspirations for yourself. "I want one of my sims to do this that and that" and on and on. This should help. If you play vampires then use a simple vampire as "you" and make aspirations for them. Use in-game aspirations as milestones for your own. It's difficult, but I have a save that lasted me for 3 real life years. I still have it, in fact.
Comments
There's a couple other aspects to the writing that I integrate to make it more interesting (for me and everyone else!). I dislike Legacy-style stories that are "Here's a poor founder. Gets married. Kids. Grow Up. Rinse & Repeat." That's no fun. I want to just take what I can get and run with it, leaving it up to the characters to really generate plot lines. I began with a family goal: We want the ugliest Sim after 10 generations. That goal isn't really strong on it's own, though it may be funny, but with writing, it really provides a starting point for the characters to run with. They have to hunt for ugly spouses, plan how to get more ugly a few generations down the line -- And there's been some really weird plot points to come out of this quest so far!
Last bit to make it more interesting is that I tend to let the characters go on free will - I randomize traits, randomize ambitions (unless there's one that is a perfect fit for personality type), and let them interact without much help from me. This can cause all sorts of drama if you get mean, erratic, or hot-headed Sims and makes for a more character-driven experience. They create most of the action, not me.
I'm only getting through Generation 4 and already I'm like, "NO! We CAN'T be halfway done already!" Lol.
Instagram: eternidad.sim.stories.
That's what I like to do as well. The hands-off approach helps me cause otherwise I get just clones of the same type of sim. for ten generations.
This is how my legacy is going so far.
My Five founding families of Willow Creek:
Benton-Meshram (Amy Benton)
Putnam (Tanvi something I forgot her last name she was an NPC that I really liked and she married Jonas Putnam)
Sims-Hawkins (Meredith Sims)
Brink (Edwin Brink)
Sweet (Ciera Sweet)
Their kids survived and had their own kids which I have dubbed generation #2
I'm pretty sure that each surname is accounted for.
Anyway the importance of this post is that how I play my legacy is based on a few base rules that I use to add some challenge and also some variety. I also mix it up and add in other Sims to play that I don't track in the same way. The Avila Family is a newer family I'm not tracking. They were just a fun side story that helps mix it up.
Going forward unfortunately the Meshram family is ending with Marisol. She is a vampire and she is unflirty and her best friend is the ghost she befriended in college. I like the idea that she doesn't need a partner and she can just be friend with someone. Her parents were a gay couple and she was adopted. Due to randomization of traits, skills, and career she became; self absorbed, evil and unflirty. She went to Britechester and her chosen career was Fisherman. She is actually my very first vampire I created in the game and she is awesome to play.
Going forward random dice rolls will help decide if the remaining families continue on and have kids or not. Which is interesting to me.
TL:DR - I made some families, I track their progress, I use some guidelines and randomization to spice things up. I also make side families I don't track to take a break from the legacy but are also a part of the story in away. Happy Simming! 😋💚😅
I wouldn't play on Short lifespan all the time but it's definitely fun for an experiment.
"I want one of my sims to do this that and that" and on and on. This should help. If you play vampires then use a simple vampire as "you" and make aspirations for them. Use in-game aspirations as milestones for your own. It's difficult, but I have a save that lasted me for 3 real life years. I still have it, in fact.