I'm playing a legacy, so new kinds get random traits. Sometimes they're awful, but it does force me to play with traits that I would normally never play with.
It's a cross between I usually have a story in mind and use traits that will further the plot, whatever it happens to be, I create the sims first (or sneak a quick peek at the toddlers in CAS) and then pick traits based on their looks and I'm playing a legacy family of some kind, and the kids "inherit" traits from their parents or grandparents for me.
I wouldn't say I choose traits that will further the stories but I do usually have their personalities in mind and I choose traits that sometimes (unbeknownst to me in my focus to make them how I envision them) don't help a sim's story along in the way I may want exactly. I think about what traits fit their personalities as I see them and I also consider what traits parents or grandparents have that will fit.
I have a bad habit of choosing the same traits over and over for my Sims... (namely Friendly, Loner and Genius)
unless I think of a Sim whom I want to have a specific personality... for example, for an Evil Stepmother archetype, I would choose: Dislikes Children, Snob, and Mean Spirited or Evil (and pick the other two depending on her career path).
My sims are well-oiled machines of productivity, so I select their traits to further their quests to master their chosen skills and reach the pinnacle of their professions.
I tend to use the Genius trait a lot with my sims. I think it helps them die less when left unattended. I also like Evil for the random cackling alone. One trait I can't stand is Mean Spirited. Mean Spirited sims are just butts and just put every sim around them in a bad mood.
My all time favorite has to be the Neurotic trait. I downloaded a sim with that trait from GOS, and I don't think I ever laughed so hard watching that sim go. So, now I find myself mixing that trait in with my own sims.
> @ameliaandcynthia said: > I have a bad habit of choosing the same traits over and over for my Sims... (namely Friendly, Loner and Genius) > > unless I think of a Sim whom I want to have a specific personality... for example, for an Evil Stepmother archetype, I would choose: Dislikes Children, Snob, and Mean Spirited or Evil (and pick the other two depending on her career path).
I tend to do the same exact thing. Since I almost exclusively play with families, I usually choose traits like Family Oriented, Charismatic, Friendly etc.. The rest of the traits also pertain to the career path. I realize now I rarely ever make a sim with negative traits lol
My sims are well-oiled machines of productivity, so I select their traits to further their quests to master their chosen skills and reach the pinnacle of their professions.
I like "Mean-Spirited" - they can kick tail in a fight. But they certainly take a toll on relationships.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
I just hit "randomize"... a few times, until I get something I can live with.
I randomize the traits a couple of times until they look alright, and then maybe change one or two if they don't fit with my way of playing (I don't play with aliens or supernaturals).
My sims are well-oiled machines of productivity, so I select their traits to further their quests to master their chosen skills and reach the pinnacle of their professions.
If I have a challenge or achievement in mind I normally choose traits that will make it easier to achieve that. Or ones that will make it quicker to earn money or jump up the employment ladder. Though sometimes I will just hit random to create randomness and fun.
If it's a sim I created in cas I usually have a plot/back story for them so their traits are mean to fit that or sometimes they should fit their LTW but I don't like to use all my slots on traits that help with skills, so when loable I try to pick a trait from every category.
As for sims that are born during gameplay, I hit randomize every birthday and roll with whatever trait was picked (I love it when I got "bad" traits ). If I happen to have a plan for the sim... say become an emperor of evil or a firefighter, then their last trait should be something that would help them with their Career/LTW.
I have installed the mod that enables all traits in all ages because I don't like having repeated traits among my families, I mean two sims sharing one trait it's fine... but it got boring rather quickly after two generations with mostly friendly artistic/outdoorsy sims 🙄 . With that being said I do get excited when one of my sims rolls a trait from their ancestors
My sims are well-oiled machines of productivity, so I select their traits to further their quests to master their chosen skills and reach the pinnacle of their professions.
Yes I am a boring simmer. But I've tried in the past to put a little "spice" in my sim by including a bad trait and I just didn't like the result at all. My favorite sims are well designed little "simbots", it seems (not actual simbots ). I have the most fun with them, too!
I tend to pick traits that aren't annoying. :D It really just depends on the Sim, but there are a few traits that I just won't use on a Sim that I am playing. Townies or extras don't concern me as much. I don't like meanies.
My sims are well-oiled machines of productivity, so I select their traits to further their quests to master their chosen skills and reach the pinnacle of their professions.
These comments are making me think I should start randomizing my sims' traits... within reason. (Some traits I just wouldn't be able to live with.) Thanks again, everyone, for voting and posting; it's a fun discussion. In fact, EA_David included this thread in his Friday Highlights yesterday, so TS3 once again has some representation.
I like "Mean-Spirited" - they can kick tail in a fight. But they certainly take a toll on relationships.
@Nikkei_Simmer Somehow this is not surprising at all. But perhaps your sims are merely imitating the invisible hand that rains death and destruction down upon them from above.
The sims are given personalities, whether they be ambitious professionals or social butterflies and the traits they get are based on what would offer best gameplay, power play or just mechanics. There are favourites of course: charisma, kind, artistic, bookworm, and the Brain Enhancer is very handy for changing in midgame by whim and fancy.
In one save the main sim worked her way to the presidential post and when there started to beget babies to fill all the highest work positions in an effort to take over the world in more ways than one. One of her children was excempted from that power principle and given all the traits that would mess up her simlife: insane, neurotic, clumsy, overemotional and loner, and I loved my sweet special sim very much. She actually handled things well, her relationship with her mom was close and her days were spent in the next door library I built for the family, in the children's department, playing and writing sci-fi and fantasy novels for her own enjoyment.
I do usually have a story in mind and may choose traits that will further the story, but more than that, especially for my favorite characters, I will choose traits for who that character really is. They may not always be the best for what that character has to do, but will rather fit that character and their personality. I have kept character profiles for sims since Sims 1, and some of these are characters from stories I wrote before The Sims. These might not always be positive traits, and if that character is an antagonist to a main character, they may have some bad ones.
Some characters may have an alter ego or slightly different version of themselves that may appear instead in a story. And sometimes the story itself will take precedence, and a character will be very different from how he usually is. For example, in one story a character who is very gentle and always very human, no matter what is going on around him or who he ends up with, grew up in a different situation than he normally does and was forced to become a vampire as a young man, so his traits are a little different. And the traits may differ a little depending on the setting (like whether or not a neighborhood has supernaturals or not, or the time frame), but once I create a character, they usually stay pretty true to themselves, even if I reuse them, or they and their household, in another story. It's pretty much character driven.
Rather than choosing traits strategically, I choose them because of the personality, but sometimes it works out advantageously anyway. A lot of my characters end up with musical or creative traits, and sometimes I find myself repeating traits a little much in favorite characters and I have to tweak them a little.
I usually have a story in mind and use traits that will further the plot, whatever it happens to be.
I once played a game where I assigned 3 traits according to their astrological sign the other 2 were assigned when they were babies before the astrological sign was known. One of those baby traits was the family trait and the other was random.
I usually have a story in mind and use traits that will further the plot, whatever it happens to be.
I either start with a story in mind - vagabond artist, shipwrecked, homeless teen - and build the sims to fit the story giving them traits to help/hinder as I see it. Or I decide I want to play a specific type of sim (usually based on someone I know) and put those traits together to see how it goes. Either way, I am in tight control. No randomness in my life.
I had to think about this, but usually I have some sort of life goal planned for my sims and I'll pick traits based around that. But I nearly always give one “negative” trait, and I say that tentatively because I love the negative traits! They add that little extra something to each individual character it keeps the game interesting!
Always remember you are braver than you think, stronger than you seem and smarter than you believe ~ Christopher Robin
I just hit "randomize"... a few times, until I get something I can live with.
I don't really...Know what I do...Anymore? It's been since early this year I've played sims to the point I had to choose traits for newborn sims, longer ago perhaps (I have a very good memory, I swear, but It's just a while ago I've actively played sims)
But, in my 'attempts' to start playing again and make a new sim, I randomize a bit until there is something that fits with the look of the sim and doens't have terrible traits that do nothing or are just plain annoying. There are some traits that literally only give you some 'be enthousiast about x' interactions, and those are just stupid and spacewasting.
I have to admit though, that through time, when I get to 'know' a sim a little better, I often change traits when I see them better fitting for that particular sim.
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I wouldn't say I choose traits that will further the stories but I do usually have their personalities in mind and I choose traits that sometimes (unbeknownst to me in my focus to make them how I envision them) don't help a sim's story along in the way I may want exactly. I think about what traits fit their personalities as I see them and I also consider what traits parents or grandparents have that will fit.
unless I think of a Sim whom I want to have a specific personality... for example, for an Evil Stepmother archetype, I would choose: Dislikes Children, Snob, and Mean Spirited or Evil (and pick the other two depending on her career path).
My all time favorite has to be the Neurotic trait. I downloaded a sim with that trait from GOS, and I don't think I ever laughed so hard watching that sim go. So, now I find myself mixing that trait in with my own sims.
> I have a bad habit of choosing the same traits over and over for my Sims... (namely Friendly, Loner and Genius)
>
> unless I think of a Sim whom I want to have a specific personality... for example, for an Evil Stepmother archetype, I would choose: Dislikes Children, Snob, and Mean Spirited or Evil (and pick the other two depending on her career path).
I tend to do the same exact thing. Since I almost exclusively play with families, I usually choose traits like Family Oriented, Charismatic, Friendly etc.. The rest of the traits also pertain to the career path. I realize now I rarely ever make a sim with negative traits lol
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
Though sometimes I will just hit random to create randomness and fun.
As for sims that are born during gameplay, I hit randomize every birthday and roll with whatever trait was picked (I love it when I got "bad" traits
I have installed the mod that enables all traits in all ages because I don't like having repeated traits among my families, I mean two sims sharing one trait it's fine... but it got boring rather quickly after two generations with mostly friendly artistic/outdoorsy sims 🙄 . With that being said I do get excited when one of my sims rolls a trait from their ancestors
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@Nikkei_Simmer Somehow this is not surprising at all. But perhaps your sims are merely imitating the invisible hand that rains death and destruction down upon them from above.
In one save the main sim worked her way to the presidential post and when there started to beget babies to fill all the highest work positions in an effort to take over the world in more ways than one. One of her children was excempted from that power principle and given all the traits that would mess up her simlife: insane, neurotic, clumsy, overemotional and loner, and I loved my sweet special sim very much. She actually handled things well, her relationship with her mom was close and her days were spent in the next door library I built for the family, in the children's department, playing and writing sci-fi and fantasy novels for her own enjoyment.
Some characters may have an alter ego or slightly different version of themselves that may appear instead in a story. And sometimes the story itself will take precedence, and a character will be very different from how he usually is. For example, in one story a character who is very gentle and always very human, no matter what is going on around him or who he ends up with, grew up in a different situation than he normally does and was forced to become a vampire as a young man, so his traits are a little different. And the traits may differ a little depending on the setting (like whether or not a neighborhood has supernaturals or not, or the time frame), but once I create a character, they usually stay pretty true to themselves, even if I reuse them, or they and their household, in another story. It's pretty much character driven.
Rather than choosing traits strategically, I choose them because of the personality, but sometimes it works out advantageously anyway. A lot of my characters end up with musical or creative traits, and sometimes I find myself repeating traits a little much in favorite characters and I have to tweak them a little.
I once played a game where I assigned 3 traits according to their astrological sign the other 2 were assigned when they were babies before the astrological sign was known. One of those baby traits was the family trait and the other was random.
One or two traits might be productivity or career-related, or reflective of the rest of their personality.
I almost voted option 2, but seldom pick "Family Oriented" or other stable relationship traits.
Then again, it can also vary by what I intend to do in a particular household.
the rest i just click randomize and roll with it
But, in my 'attempts' to start playing again and make a new sim, I randomize a bit until there is something that fits with the look of the sim and doens't have terrible traits that do nothing or are just plain annoying. There are some traits that literally only give you some 'be enthousiast about x' interactions, and those are just stupid and spacewasting.
I have to admit though, that through time, when I get to 'know' a sim a little better, I often change traits when I see them better fitting for that particular sim.
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