I guess my biggest problem that I almost always play families, even when I start out with single sims. I've been trying to slow down a bit in that respect and let sims achieve something with regard to aspirations and their career before they produce kids but when it comes to legacy-style, I get sucked into the mentality of having them produce kids ASAP. I also get obsessed with aspirations and career goals a lot of the time so I may be missing out on a lot of the stuff that isn't "goal orientated."
First successful alien abduction, making my young groom preggars, along with this wife on their wedding night. She had a girl, and then several hours later, he gave birth to twins; a girl and a boy. Needed the boy as an heir. Then, of course there were subsequent abductions. Since the Dad/Mom didn't come back preggars, I wove that into my story that the aliens were just checking on the progress of the twins. Certainly, their father wasn't inclined to send them back.
That's amazing! I love it when random stuff like that happens (unless I am playing super realistic).
I have 4 legacies currently running simultaneously and that's what keeps me from getting bored. I play a different save each day or on the weekends when i have more time to play and i start getting bored with the currently family i just switch. 3 of my legacies have surpassed 10 generations. My newest one, just started generation 3.
Right now I'm thinking about ideas I could use as the starting point for a new save. I've played with magic and university a lot in the recent months so I should definitely pick something else. At the moment all I can think of is starting "off-the-grid" with a sim who lives off the land, with no modern tech, Maybe the sim can't read so they can't gain skills via bookcases either.
I play my multiple families legacy style, but not strictly by the rules and in different save files with max 2 rotations each. Have also made my own game themes for each world I play. So in 5 years the longest legacy is only 4 generations. Never bored playing this way.
I break one major rule - my family don't remain in the same house. I find it incredibly boring when my sims have all the money they could possibly need and a huge house. So every generation my heir gets kicked out at teen or YA and starts fresh with 0 money. The ancestral home still exists and once they have reached whatever goal I have for them and are ready to retire they may end up back in that household to stick around in game. I got the 25 generations achieve several months ago so I guess I get through them pretty fast.
I usually blog about it. Or write about during the time I took off from the blogs lol. I don't know why but having that written proof that I was going towards a goal kept me a lot more accountable. I knew that I shouldn't stop because people other than myself would know I'd thrown in the towel.
Also I threw really big weddings which kept it a lot of fun lolll
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I used to be the same, and could never get past gen 3 or 4. But I'm now on gen 23, and I can't imagine going back to anothe rway of playing, or even starting another save. I think the key is to mix it up a bit and not play by the actual 'rules' of the legacy challenge. The only rule I have is that my next heir is the first born child of the current sim. But they can move out to wherever they like, and I change between randomising traits and choosing my own, depending on how I feel. I've also found that keeping the aging on Normal helps things to feel quite flowy, in that I have enough time to enjoy my sim but by the time my new heir ages up to YA I take over and make that one my new main sim. (I have lengthened the age using MCCC since university, just so there's time for uni and a family, otherwise the parents kept dying when the new sims were children or teens.
I think the key for me, is to keep each new generation different, and let them be whatever I want. So, if I am getting bored and want something different I like to randomise everything, to turn them into a sim that I might never normally play (and it takes you to discover parts of the game that arent played very often), or sometimes I'll have an idea for a sim that I really want to play, so instead of starting a new save, I keep that idea for my next gen, and then create that sim. So although I have a legacy, each generation feels like a new save and a different game. One tip I would give you is to try and take a family photo of each generation, and save them somewhere - it's really fun to look back on your whole story and remember all of your sims and how they all fit together
I made it to gen 9 before I lost my save and I thought that went on forever (over two years) how did you get to gen 23? I'm mad impressed but omg how long did it take?
~Find Me On YouTube: My Channel~IG: katiesadie00~Twitter: katiesadie00~
Multiple Saves. I have a short attention span when it comes to families and I always have. Typically I move among 3-5 saves with different playstyles and families so that when I can't handle any more of one I can switch to another and continue their story. I tried rotational play within a save, but that doesn't work for me because I tend to get caught up in what I'm doing with a specific family and forget to go back and check on the first (who have moved on and up without me). So...I just make many saves so that they cannot move until I do.
Loving yourself is the most simple and complicated thing you can do for you.
@Mariefoxprice83 - Great thread! I'm doing my 2nd legacy challenge, and it's the original by Pinstar and I decided to do it with scoring on. I think all the tracking of stuff, bored me out, even though I did complete a lot of things in the game, which I probably would never have done (like collections). I made it to Gen 6 and just got tired. I haven't touched that Save since July and I'm just now ready to play it again. For me, I just let the game-drive each generation or I may pick a theme. I think in Gen 5, my heir was famous and I got to really explore the Get Famous pack and the acting career (I think it was new at the time). I try to keep each generation different. Gen 6 has been the most boring generation I've had (hence why I took a break). But the heir just died unexpectedly and I changed houses to Sulani, so getting my Gen 7 heir prepped (she's a teen) will be exciting. & there's been all these new packs out since I last played this legacy family....so it would be fun if one of my heirs married a spellcaster and they had spellcaster children. I may do a side story and send one of my spares to Uni!
Also, what I've done is lifted the rules a bit. I started the legacy challenge, rags to riches style so it's been fun to watch my legacy family's money grow. But having too much money makes things boring. I just got rid of most of my Sims money as I enjoy the money grind. & then the rule about staying in the same house for 10 generations.....I planned on that, as I built my own house....but my house glitched. My Gen 6 heir just died, so perfect timing for a change of scenery. I think I'll be finishing the challenge in a different world as I see fit, as I think changing houses/worlds keeps things interesting too. So in a nutshell, I do stick to most rules, but I bend the rules a bit too where it makes sense.
I know there are tons of legacy challenges out there that aren't so rule based and each generation has a theme already built into the challenge. Have you tried any of those (i.e. Not So Berry, etc)? What I've learned from doing this legacy challenge....is that I'm bound to get bored, regardless if there are rules or not. If I track generations, I get bored. If I just play and do my own thing (I like rotational play)....play how I want, no rules, no tracking of any kind whatsoever, I find that I enjoy that better & end up having a "legacy" family anyways, as I'll get pretty far. I do plan on finishing what I started with this legacy challenge since I'm heading into Gen 7 and so close to completion
I know there are tons of legacy challenges out there that aren't so rule based and each generation has a theme already built into the challenge. Have you tried any of those (i.e. Not So Berry, etc)? What I've learned from doing this legacy challenge....is that I'm bound to get bored, regardless if there are rules or not. If I track generations, I get bored. If I just play and do my own thing (I like rotational play)....play how I want, no rules, no tracking of any kind whatsoever, I find that I enjoy that better & end up having a "legacy" family anyways, as I'll get pretty far. I do plan on finishing what I started with this legacy challenge since I'm heading into Gen 7 and so close to completion
Maybe I'll look around at the challenges. The berry stuff doesn't appeal really but tech restrictions and stuff would.
I caved in and started a new save. I removed all sims and residential lots from the island in Windenburg and placed my new sim in the largest lot. Meet Robin Wood, an aspiring gardener and self-confessed loner who was stranded on the island after a shipwreck.
He is going to work on his woodworking so most of his furniture will be hand crafted, and his only income will come from whatever he can find on the island. So far he has found a few fossils. At the moment he just has a tent, a fire, a couple of tree stumps, and his woodworking station.
I'm only on generation2 (close to starting generation 3) but what really helps me to keep going is writing chapters about what happened. I sort of "talk" to the legacy sims in those chapters and the positive feedback makes me love to play the legacy and "document" it in those chapters
I'm only on generation2 (close to starting generation 3) but what really helps me to keep going is writing chapters about what happened. I sort of "talk" to the legacy sims in those chapters and the positive feedback makes me love to play the legacy and "document" it in those chapters
Yeah, that's something I might do in the future. Right now I need to save my creative energies for a different writing project though.
There's no one solution that will really solve the problem of boredom. I think all challenges get boring for a while at some point.
For me, I feel bored when there's nothing going on for some period of time. I'll usually take a break from it for some weeks at that point, and pick a temporary goal when I return (maxing a skill, touching up the garden, etc) until an important event triggers.
I don't do anything that would lengthen the time to get to the next life age, like going to university or going on vacation.
There's no one solution that will really solve the problem of boredom. I think all challenges get boring for a while at some point.
For me, I feel bored when there's nothing going on for some period of time. I'll usually take a break from it for some weeks at that point, and pick a temporary goal when I return (maxing a skill, touching up the garden, etc) until an important event triggers.
I don't do anything that would lengthen the time to get to the next life age, like going to university or going on vacation.
I have to admit that university can feel like a very long time, particularly if you turn aging off to prevent the sims from spending half their life studying.
An update on the Wood legacy. It's going well in certain ways, but not in others! Robin fell in love with Kalamainu'u and impregnated her. She moved in with him and they married. She managed to conceal her identity as a mermaid from him.
The couple had a son, Richard. Kalamainu'u got bitten by a spider and it seemed possible that she might die.
She got pregnant and survived, this time birthing a daughter, Roberta. By that point the family had a small garden and a 2 room hut.
The family thrived until the children were both toddlers.
Robin got poisoned and it was hoped he too would survive but sadly Grimmy came to claim him (and I was forced to break my self-imposed rule to play only the head of household and the heir, else the family cannot possibly survive!)
Kalamainu'u prayed that her husband would return to her.
Her prayers were answered (sort of!) Robin's ghost arrived to clean up the mess in the main room.
I also get obsessed with aspirations and career goals a lot of the time so I may be missing out on a lot of the stuff that isn't "goal orientated."
Boredom can happen either way. I'm currently on generation 7 of my legacy (in Sims 3). I don't think any of the family members have achieved their aspiration/lifetime want, and none of them of have had a career because I wanted to do a mermaid legacy and have the challenge be to support themselves with diving. In other words, my legacy is the very opposite of goal-oriented and I still get bored. I plan to have my gen 7 heir enter a traditional career because the endless challenge of keeping up with the bills has gotten more frustrating than fun.
If you don't want to take a long break, the best advice I have is switch up your style from time to time. If past generations have lived the same way, change the lifestyle for the new generation. Tear down the house and rebuild (I enjoy doing that) for a change of scenery if your legacy remains on the same lot. Or take a hands-off approach and see how your sims handle themselves. If no important event is happening soon, I'll sometimes let the game run in the background while I do other things so the uneventful days pass more quickly. My sims are bad at minding their needs, but they usually don't die when left to their own devices.
I find the trick to legacy is not to get caught up in it. Come up with a 'goal' and a story for each generation of sims. Also, DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES if that's the thing that's putting you off. As for the too much money problem... give gen. 2/3 and gen.7/8 heir the mansion baron aspiration. Other than that, don't be afraid to take a break. I have my legacy in a different save to my usual play, so I can go away for weeks and come back like nothing has happened when I'm ready to.
Edit: I'm on gen.3 now, so I can't really talk with much authority on any of this.
Everything happens faster so if you're bored, wait a sim year and it's a new life stage. For the Decades challenge I did every sims year was a decade. For my current Not-So-Berry one, because of the shortened life spans, my previous gen dies right about the time the next gen is turning into a young adult. So it just zooms by.
I'm doing the not so berry legacy rn and it helps me stay interested if I use the rules more like suggestions and I try not to get to caught up in the requirements of the gen and just build my sim off of the traits and upbringing they have. Ex.) Rose gen is only suppose to have one child so I'd thought it's be interesting if she was a teen mom, and then she had twins, which she made her mother raise while she was off doing everything else. I think it's more fun this way.
You could also try making up your own Legacy challenge with rules and stuff. I made one based off of the months of the year that I've been testing out and It's pretty fun.
I never played just a single household for 5 generations, but more like a full town through those generations, both in ts2, ts3 and ts4. I focus a lot on the community structure, having a working council, stock market, high class & low class etc. I find it more fun to play generations when their history is woven together with the community's history. But it's probably easier when I play rotationally, and I don't have very strict rules for what order I play them in so I can jump to the family I like. I just age them all up one night every year to have the same progression for them all. And I use a spreadsheet to keep track on stuff.
I use some "local traditions" for certain family things, too. Like how a child's name must carry on minimum one letter from 2 grandparents (rules are detailed, I'll skip them here), a child will normally have minimum 1 trait from each parent (with exceptions, skipping detailed rules), and I have a dna string on the side helping me to know if a sim needs glasses, have strong enough hair growth for long volumous hairstyles and beards/bodyhair etc, and the dna also tells me how smart they are, and even how their masc/fem sides balance. All in all it's super exciting when a new sim is born, they all get a unique basic that helps me decide their education and career, and clothing style even. I also have a more detailed money system than the game offers, with individual accounts, bank loans and deposits, etc. Kids will get their share of the parents fortune worth, not §20.000. If 1 child gets the house, s/he will need to take up a bank loan to pay out the sibling(s). It's also interesting to choose what child should take over the shares of the family company, etc.
Lots of stuff keeping me going, and most households are different, making for good variety.
Comments
That's amazing! I love it when random stuff like that happens (unless I am playing super realistic).
Also I threw really big weddings which kept it a lot of fun lolll
I made it to gen 9 before I lost my save and I thought that went on forever (over two years) how did you get to gen 23? I'm mad impressed but omg how long did it take?
Also, what I've done is lifted the rules a bit. I started the legacy challenge, rags to riches style so it's been fun to watch my legacy family's money grow. But having too much money makes things boring. I just got rid of most of my Sims money as I enjoy the money grind. & then the rule about staying in the same house for 10 generations.....I planned on that, as I built my own house....but my house glitched. My Gen 6 heir just died, so perfect timing for a change of scenery. I think I'll be finishing the challenge in a different world as I see fit, as I think changing houses/worlds keeps things interesting too. So in a nutshell, I do stick to most rules, but I bend the rules a bit too where it makes sense.
I know there are tons of legacy challenges out there that aren't so rule based and each generation has a theme already built into the challenge. Have you tried any of those (i.e. Not So Berry, etc)? What I've learned from doing this legacy challenge....is that I'm bound to get bored, regardless if there are rules or not. If I track generations, I get bored. If I just play and do my own thing (I like rotational play)....play how I want, no rules, no tracking of any kind whatsoever, I find that I enjoy that better & end up having a "legacy" family anyways, as I'll get pretty far. I do plan on finishing what I started with this legacy challenge since I'm heading into Gen 7 and so close to completion
Maybe I'll look around at the challenges.
Good luck with your legacy.
He is going to work on his woodworking so most of his furniture will be hand crafted, and his only income will come from whatever he can find on the island. So far he has found a few fossils. At the moment he just has a tent, a fire, a couple of tree stumps, and his woodworking station.
Will do. I am going to have to cave and buy him a bath or the outdoor shower because it's a pain forcing him to go to the Bluffs to wash every time.
Legacy Bachelor Challenge - casting
Yeah, that's something I might do in the future. Right now I need to save my creative energies for a different writing project though.
For me, I feel bored when there's nothing going on for some period of time. I'll usually take a break from it for some weeks at that point, and pick a temporary goal when I return (maxing a skill, touching up the garden, etc) until an important event triggers.
I don't do anything that would lengthen the time to get to the next life age, like going to university or going on vacation.
I have to admit that university can feel like a very long time, particularly if you turn aging off to prevent the sims from spending half their life studying.
The couple had a son, Richard. Kalamainu'u got bitten by a spider and it seemed possible that she might die.
She got pregnant and survived, this time birthing a daughter, Roberta. By that point the family had a small garden and a 2 room hut.
The family thrived until the children were both toddlers.
Robin got poisoned and it was hoped he too would survive but sadly Grimmy came to claim him (and I was forced to break my self-imposed rule to play only the head of household and the heir, else the family cannot possibly survive!)
Kalamainu'u prayed that her husband would return to her.
Her prayers were answered (sort of!) Robin's ghost arrived to clean up the mess in the main room.
If you don't want to take a long break, the best advice I have is switch up your style from time to time. If past generations have lived the same way, change the lifestyle for the new generation. Tear down the house and rebuild (I enjoy doing that) for a change of scenery if your legacy remains on the same lot. Or take a hands-off approach and see how your sims handle themselves. If no important event is happening soon, I'll sometimes let the game run in the background while I do other things so the uneventful days pass more quickly. My sims are bad at minding their needs, but they usually don't die when left to their own devices.
Edit: I'm on gen.3 now, so I can't really talk with much authority on any of this.
Shortened. Lifespans.
Everything happens faster so if you're bored, wait a sim year and it's a new life stage. For the Decades challenge I did every sims year was a decade. For my current Not-So-Berry one, because of the shortened life spans, my previous gen dies right about the time the next gen is turning into a young adult. So it just zooms by.
You could also try making up your own Legacy challenge with rules and stuff. I made one based off of the months of the year that I've been testing out and It's pretty fun.
I use some "local traditions" for certain family things, too. Like how a child's name must carry on minimum one letter from 2 grandparents (rules are detailed, I'll skip them here), a child will normally have minimum 1 trait from each parent (with exceptions, skipping detailed rules), and I have a dna string on the side helping me to know if a sim needs glasses, have strong enough hair growth for long volumous hairstyles and beards/bodyhair etc, and the dna also tells me how smart they are, and even how their masc/fem sides balance. All in all it's super exciting when a new sim is born, they all get a unique basic that helps me decide their education and career, and clothing style even. I also have a more detailed money system than the game offers, with individual accounts, bank loans and deposits, etc. Kids will get their share of the parents fortune worth, not §20.000. If 1 child gets the house, s/he will need to take up a bank loan to pay out the sibling(s). It's also interesting to choose what child should take over the shares of the family company, etc.
Lots of stuff keeping me going, and most households are different, making for good variety.