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Burning Questions from Today’s Game
NRowe
Posts: 7,898 Member
1) Can a Sim reasonably/realistically be well mannered and responsible, but distinctly lacking (low) in empathy?
2) How long are Elders generally alive in that life stage before they die of natural causes?
Bob and Eliza are about to get old. I don’t mind them being retired and enjoying their golden years, hopefully with a grandchild or two, but I am not sure I want to lose them. I’ve never gotten to generation three before and I’ve never had Sims die of old age.
3) How can I max out/master the Parenting skill?
Bob is currently on level 8.5
2) How long are Elders generally alive in that life stage before they die of natural causes?
Bob and Eliza are about to get old. I don’t mind them being retired and enjoying their golden years, hopefully with a grandchild or two, but I am not sure I want to lose them. I’ve never gotten to generation three before and I’ve never had Sims die of old age.
3) How can I max out/master the Parenting skill?
Bob is currently on level 8.5
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Comments
Just have the parent continue to do parenting things with/for the child and/or teen. Such as helping them with homework, teaching them manners, etc. The parenting skill bar should keep going up every time you do such, until eventually you reach level Ten. At least, I'm PRETTY sure that's how it generally works!
Just keep doing parenting things, discipline and encourage a lot, lots of loving hugs and there are some parenting options on the pc that can boost the skill too.
Do you know if the parenting forums still work at top skill levels?
And 25 days or so would be pretty cool. I had a feeling it might be a week or week and a half for some reason.
You can have a sim who is responsible and well mannered, but low in empathy. Just use the mean interaction like yelling and fighting. Trolling the forums works really well.
Like you @NRowe I have never got to the 3rd gen or had a sim die of old age (I actually haven't had a sim die yet) in ts4. It's what comes of constantly restarting (for me, anyway).
Don't the parenting skill books get you all the way to the top? I haven't had a sim that high in parenting either.
Don't skill books only take you to lvl 9 so you have to actually do the skill to master it?
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I've never actually had a sim read any higher level books as they always do the thing they want to level up in actively.
As to raise parenting, have your sim interact with kids, teach them manners and discipline as well praise. I usually get parenting to level 10 when my sim had 3 kids finally reach their teens and are ready for when they have grandchildren.
Are Insenstive (low empathy) Sims really that bad and anti-social?
Sad if it’s ten days for Elder.
Frankly I don't know yet... this is the Sims so well I doubt it. I just like it for character building. This is what they say the trait they give can do later..
Insensitive Trait - Punishment for Low Empathy
Insensitive Sims are able to Question other Sims' negative emotions. They can also Instigate other Sims. Insensitive Sims will have a higher chance of failing socially when talking to Sims with bad emotions.
I play my sim the way I want them to be so if I want them to be antisocial I make them antisocial. I also am doing this with sims with an evil trait so although they don't come off as antisocial they get very happy when sims are suffering around them. I'd like to have an interaction to instigate other sims and the ability to question emotions it will make them seem more detached to me.
You can gain parenting skill by researching parenting on the computer. I don't think the parenting forum does much, but the research option works. Also, you can have another Sim give parenting tips (it's an option in the 'friendly' interactions) - they get a nice boost from that. One of my Sims maxed out her parenting with research and her mother's parenting tips before she had any kids to raise.
I think some of the skill books will take you all the way, and some don't. (I think you can get a 'ten' in Logic from skill books alone.) Last night, I had my Sim go on a baking frenzy (throwing away everything after she made it, since all that food would make the family fat) to max out the skill - she could only get to '9' with the books.
1) To be honest, yes and no. Sims with good manners can do the polite introduction and express gratidude to the sims they're visiting, but the insensitive trait will make them mean and they won't get along with other sims at all when they are in the negative emotions. But it's different with responsible. Responsible sims will work hard at work, complete their daily work task at work, and get chance cards that usually have only positive results. Insensitive trait won't matter here.
2) From my research and observations, elder stage lasts:
on short: 5 days.
on normal: 10 days.
on long: 40 days.
However, Seasons patch changed it so sims can have their birthday up to 3 days earlier or away the usual lifespan.
Active trait and long lived traits matter. This doesn't affect aging bar, but does push elder's death far away.
Hovering over the aging bar shows how many days has your sim lived. This actually shows how many days have sim lived (so it increases even when the aging is off) and does not affect the gameplay.
You can change the aging settings in the gameplay options. I keep it on only for active households, so the grandparent who live in another household won't die by old age randomly. You can also get the Potion of Youth from the rewards store. It costs 1,500 satisfaction points, but when you buy one, I recommend making a one square room, putting the potion in there, and then saving the room to your library. That way you can get the Potion of Youth for free next time.
3) You can read a parenting book until he gets to level 9. Then skill books cannot help your sim to reach level 10. You can then research parenting or browse parenting forums. What I have found useful is giving parenting tips. You can have other sim give Bob parenting tips two times, talk about other things for some time and then do it again. Do that and your sim will be able to do the Super Efficient Baby Care on his future grandchildren.
Other players say they are constantly mean. It doesn't mean that they don't want to talk to other sims (so they aren't anti-social).
The main features of insensitive traits are that sims won't understand other sim's emotions and won't understand that being mean actually makes other sims angry. They can also question other sims' emotions and instigate other sims to make them sad, angry, or tense. They also have harder time to socialize with other sims, but it is possible to build friendships or romances with insensitive sims. It is possible, but harder than usual.
You can change the aging settings in the gameplay options. For this, go to the menu (upper right corner, three dots), click on options, and choose gameplay. There you can set the lifespan lenght and turn it on or off for either played sims or unplayed sims (you can do both). With played sims, you can make only the active household age.
@EgonVM particularly, you obviously put a lot into your thoughtful and helpful reply.
I’ll look out for that Parenting Tips interaction.
I will consider the character traits and definately feel free to give Responsible and Insensitive. Might still throw in Good Manners but not really use the polite introduction... mm.
And I’d forgotten the potion of youth so I may resort to that, in the end.
Why couldn't you just sell them through the sim's inventory instead?