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    Played vs Unplayed

    A_MomA_Mom Posts: 868 Member
    in The Sims 4 General Discussion
    I just read in the Did You Know discussion that there’s an option to change whether a household is played or unplayed. I don’t play rotational in a save but I am creating a save file that I’ll use to start each new game and I’ve created a couple of households with potential love interests and friends that I won’t actively play but may bring into my household depending on what story I’m playing.

    Could someone advise me, should I mark them Played or Unplayed? What are the benefits or drawbacks of either? TIA

    Comments

    • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
      I don't think it matters very much except if you use MCC. You can change the settings for played and unplayed houses.
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    • FairyGodMotherFairyGodMother Posts: 7,406 Member
      I don't really play rotational anymore. I just make a new sim and mark the other unplayed.

      I noticed in my game that when I played rotational, I never saw my other sims when my sim was out (I figured it was the different traits I used for each of them). I thought they were hibernating, LOL. Now I mark them unplayed so they go on with their lives and see what they are like when they age up.

      You can leave them marked, and still choose to not age them up if they are marked as played. If unplayed, they will age unless you turn aging off for everyone.

      Of course, some mods you might use can change it either way you play.
    • RouensimsRouensims Posts: 4,858 Member
      My understanding is that unplayed characters may be autoculled.
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    • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
      FairyGodMother wrote: »
      I noticed in my game that when I played rotational, I never saw my other sims when my sim was out (I figured it was the different traits I used for each of them). I thought they were hibernating, LOL. Now I mark them unplayed so they go on with their lives and see what they are like when they age up.

      This isn't true for me though. I see my played households out and about all the time, so OP, do note that this might not be the case for you!
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    • FairyGodMotherFairyGodMother Posts: 7,406 Member
      Duvelina wrote: »
      FairyGodMother wrote: »
      I noticed in my game that when I played rotational, I never saw my other sims when my sim was out (I figured it was the different traits I used for each of them). I thought they were hibernating, LOL. Now I mark them unplayed so they go on with their lives and see what they are like when they age up.

      This isn't true for me though. I see my played households out and about all the time, so OP, do note that this might not be the case for you!

      Yeah, one time I had my sim actually go over to their house because I never saw them out. I realize it might not be the case for everyone, as everyone's game seems to be different when playing! Thanks for pointing this out, I should have noted that in my post!
    • Karababy52Karababy52 Posts: 5,952 Member
      Here are the differences I've noticed in my gameplay:

      Played

      1. Will not be culled
      2. Will age up unless you've chosen 'No' for auto aging played Sims
      3. Will have an urn on their home lot if they're housed when they die, or on another lot if they were not home at the time of death

      Unplayed

      1. Can be culled - unless put in the 'My Favorites' tab in Household Inventory and/or are housed
      2. Will not age unless you've checked the auto aging box for them
      3. Will not have an urn on their home lot if housed or anywhere else when they die unless your Sim is present to witness the death
    • Sigzy05Sigzy05 Posts: 19,406 Member
      Rouenpucelle wrote: »
      My understanding is that unplayed characters may be autoculled.

      I think "played" households also keep their relationships and career. Otherwise they'll keep bouncing through careers as the game needs NPC's to perform certain tasks.
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    • MinxMinx Posts: 1,221 Member
      edited May 2020
      @Karababy52 I've gone to unplayed houses that have had urns everywhere and my sim was not present. My sims seldom travel, but I find the urns all the time.

      As for the original post, I prefer my households I don't play to be unplayed. I do play rotationally and see my played seems out all the time... more than I'd really like.
    • Karababy52Karababy52 Posts: 5,952 Member
      @Minx Wow, you're really lucky, (or my game is glitched) I've never been able to find an urn anywhere for unplayed Sims that have died.
    • A_MomA_Mom Posts: 868 Member
      Thank you guys for all your replies. (Hey I'm a poet!) :D They've been very helpful.
    • BoergeAarg61BoergeAarg61 Posts: 955 Member
      A_Mom wrote: »
      Could someone advise me, should I mark them Played or Unplayed? What are the benefits or drawbacks of either? TIA

      I experienced on significant drawback from Unplayed. My Unplayed households simply vanished without a trace.
    • mustenimusteni Posts: 5,405 Member
      edited May 2020
      Rouenpucelle wrote: »
      My understanding is that unplayed characters may be autoculled.
      Used to be like that, but now it's favourited households that don't get culled. Not sure if being played matters anymore.

      For me the difference is mostly with who I want to age and when. If I want my sims to age when the "age unplayed households" box is ticked then I make them unplayed. If I want to take care of their aging on my own, then they're marked played. (I play with aging on for active household only.) I know there's some stuff that can happen with their careers etc. but I rarely see those things so they're not a deciding factor for me. I also feel like unplayed households get their relatioships culled more radically, but that thing is a pain anyway, so again not a huge difference.
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    • EgonVMEgonVM Posts: 4,935 Member
      edited May 2020
      Here are the differences between played and unplayed households
      • Their aging settings can be set differently.
      • Unplayed sims change their jobs to either be co-workers or fill in a service sim spot (maid, vendor etc). Played sims will never change their jobs on their own.
      • In university, unplayed sims will re-enroll on their own while played sims will wait for the player to re-enroll them.
      • Building in houses owned by unplayed sims will not spend their money. Instead you'll be in free build mode (infinite money, no household inventory) like when you are building in an unowned lot.
      • To make sure there are sims in the Realm of Magic, unplayed sims may be turned into spellcasters.
      • Only unplayed sims' houses and community lots can be crime scenes.
      • Unplayed sims' phone skin may get set to default.
      • Unplayed toddlers', children's, and teens' character values may go back to neutral (spot where they started off).
      • While unplayed sims won't lose skills, they may suddenly become a master in one when they become a service sim.
      • Unplayed sims will get more relationships culled.
      • If the game is forced to generate a new club (happens when you have less than 10 clubs in game), it will be filled with unplayed sims.
      • Many have mentioned culling. All sims who are in My Households section won't get culled. While all the played sims are in that section (putting them to other households will also make them unplayed), unplayed sims that you want to protect must be put there.

      The main benefit of unplayed households is that you can edit their house for free. The main drawback is that they change a lot without players help.
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    • leo3487leo3487 Posts: 4,062 Member
      Something nobody said:

      If you visit magic realm (Realm of Magic GP), unplayed sims are available to turn spellcasters
    • MindofyMindofy Posts: 313 Member
      edited May 2020
      Nevermind.
      Post edited by Mindofy on
    • EgonVMEgonVM Posts: 4,935 Member
      edited May 2020
      Mindofy wrote: »
      Unplayed sims not in world will be culled. Unplayed in house will not be culled. Aging effects unplayed when not playing them.

      Since the patch for Cats and Dogs, no, it doesn't. From then on, only that whether the household is in My household section (hearted) or not matters.
      leo3487 wrote: »
      Something nobody said:

      If you visit magic realm (Realm of Magic GP), unplayed sims are available to turn spellcasters

      Sorry for bursting your bubble, but...
      EgonVM wrote: »
      • To make sure there are sims in the Realm of Magic, unplayed sims may be turned into spellcasters.
      But it is true.
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    • MindofyMindofy Posts: 313 Member
      EgonVM wrote: »
      Mindofy wrote: »
      Unplayed sims not in world will be culled. Unplayed in house will not be culled. Aging effects unplayed when not playing them.

      Since the patch for Cats and Dogs, no, it doesn't. From then on, only that whether the household is in My household section (hearted) or not matters.
      leo3487 wrote: »
      Something nobody said:

      If you visit magic realm (Realm of Magic GP), unplayed sims are available to turn spellcasters

      Sorry for bursting your bubble, but...
      EgonVM wrote: »
      • To make sure there are sims in the Realm of Magic, unplayed sims may be turned into spellcasters.
      But it is true.

      I didn't know this. Thanks for the correction.
    • EgonVMEgonVM Posts: 4,935 Member
      @Mindofy Here's a thread that teaches about culling.
      https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/905991/culling-relationship-culling-decay-current-status/p1
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    • A_MomA_Mom Posts: 868 Member
      Thanks for all the information. You guys have been very helpful.
    • JennaPotterSimJennaPotterSim Posts: 4 New Member
      Can someone clarify the difference between unplayed/played and 'my household'/'other households' in terms of what will happen to those sims please? I've created a large group of sim characters, some who I want to stay in the jobs I've set them, others who I want to fill the service sim spots, and I don't want any of them (or their relationships) to be culled. I've only recently got the MCCC mod and I'm a little overwhelmed with what to do with the settings to sort this! Also does the 'total number of households' refer to the NPCs/other households as well, or just 'my households'? Sorry if this has already been covered.
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