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New Simmers, welcome! - Community’s tips & tricks to get started

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  • EuphorialQueenEuphorialQueen Posts: 6,224 Member
    edited April 2020
    What are the things you wished you had known when you were getting started with The Sims?
    Oh wow ... um ... hmmm...
    It started as a whim and grew into a passion.
    Those little mumbling sandbox people (Sims1 when Simlish was not quite perfected) caught my attention long ago.
    Watching them evolve has been an interesting journey. My 'boxy' house have improved a bit with practice but still cannot hold a candle to the genius creations on the gallery.
    My "Simlings" (beloved term for my Sim households) are either impish naughty gnomes or like The Golden Child. They can make me happy, surprised or frustrated but still bring me joy.

    Special message to new players:
    There is no wrong way to play. That is the beauty of this game,
    If you need ideas on what to do next choose an aspiration for your Sim and follow the steps to complete that aspiration or many aspirations.
    If you find something that is not quite how you think it should be there are always friendly people to ask here on the forums or at .

    Most importantly just have fun!

    When you are ready you may want to check out the challenge list.
    SIMS 4 CHALLENGE LIST (Updated October 16th, 2019) hosted by @Meeshelby
    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/906643/sims-4-challenge-list-updated-october-16th-2019/p1
  • EuphorialQueenEuphorialQueen Posts: 6,224 Member
    What I wish I knew and still wish it, is how to goshdarn bild houses. Like, I just can't wrap my head around it. I've seen all the youtube videos and downloaded and edited so many lots from the gallery, but I just can't build! Maybe it's just not for me.,I'll just have to stick to live mode and let others build houses for me :'(
    It will come if you give it time. Sims 4 introduced styled rooms that you can pick up and move them wherever you want.
    When I first got Sims 4 I would either move into homes already in the game or use the rooms to create a home of my own.
  • MarmaladeJadeMarmaladeJade Posts: 108 Member
    Samlish wrote: »
    This is an expansion/game pack tip since it involves hybrids, but one thing I wish I knew when I started out, please, I beg you, don't add hybrids to your game! Don't mix different occult types! I had a hybrid child once and she disappeared, so I had to age her up to a teenager in an old save file and she came back! If you have hybrids they can cause error codes and more! (From my experience :) )

    Happy simming! :blush:
    This is truth here. I'm lucky My hybrid is a kid but as much as I'd hate to have a young adult with a teen, I have to age that gyal up and remove her mermaid trait (she's an alien/mermaid hybrid that was from an honest to natural abduction).
  • delphydelphy Posts: 55 Member
    A great money maker if you have a gardening sim is once you find or make a bonsai berry replant them and once you collect berries from them once convert them to decorative (cost $25) and sell them for $210 each.
  • WaytoomanyUIDsWaytoomanyUIDs Posts: 844 Member
    A essential gameplay tip if you have a toddler in game. Sell the high chair and drag food from the to floor or table. Toddlers can pick it up from the floor or grab it off the table and eat it. Also if you have a gardener sim, toddlers can eat fresh fruit and veg you put in their inventory and they get a buff from it.

    The high chair animations are really cute, but it's a nightmare to use, as every adult in the house including guests will interrupt you trying to feed the toddler in it.
    Origin/Gallery ID: WaytoomanyUIDs
  • Pamela_Rachael84Pamela_Rachael84 Posts: 6 New Member
    Hi all super new to sims 4 and forum. Previously I posted about selling inventory in bulk from build mode since my sim died with lots of harvested food in inventory so I can’t sell bulk/stack from personal inventory.
    I play console any tips much appreciated thanks.
  • Arie03Arie03 Posts: 22 Member
    @Pamela_Rachael84 To answer your question regarding selling inventory items in build mode after a sim dies. As long as there is an active sim alive in the household on the same lot/household, you'll have access to the household inventory and you can sell the items. If not, the game should have ended and it takes you back to the main screen. Hopefully that should help your question.
  • MarmaladeJadeMarmaladeJade Posts: 108 Member
    If you are starting out with City Living, take advantage of the Romance and Spice festivals for harvestables. For the Spice Festivals, you can also pack lunch sacks of each of the free vendor foods they offer you, saving you money and allowing for an easier way to obtain that packs 27 hidden recipes. Of course, if you have the Dining Out pack as well, you can just download or build a restaurant and change the menu offering to include those 27 dishes as well.

    I do not recommend TS4's Seasons unless you have played the game for a while. It adds a layer of difficulty for gardeners and it's actually more difficult to keep your sim from witnessing the death of another sim who is too stupid to change into warmer clothing on their own.
  • Arie03Arie03 Posts: 22 Member
    Hey Simmers, So I actually have a few tips and tricks for game-play. This is for the individuals that use a laptop or lower end model computers for GP. I currently play on a laptop, its a HP & last years model. Its not a gaming laptop and wasn't built to handle gaming but it does seem to get the job done with a little fixing. My game, like most seems to lag quite a bit. It got to the point it became unbearable and I couldn't play with a complete 24 min. game-day going to waste due to lag.

    So I decided to do some Sim-cleaning, now my game runs a'lot more smoothly with less lag. Again this is for gamers that need to free up space for better game-play. First, I took my game saves off of onedrive and just used my computer for storage. Onedrive space capacity did my game no Justice. Next I took a look at my saves. I had used all 4 save slots for different various save points within my game and that alone contributed to a'lot of lag. I now, because of my LP compatibility; limit it to 1 save slot (multiply households).

    Next I realized I take a ton of screenshots (pictures) of my sim family. I had over 1200 pics in my save folder. That made my game lag as well, probably the most. Sooo, you guessed it, had to clean it up! I couldn't dare part ways with the photos, they're memories of my Sims existence. I invested in a external SD drive and transferred the photos and saves on to it. That was my very best investment as far as better GP. I was able to remove the excess saves and photos and store them is a safe place for later use. Clearing up that space improved my GP by far!

    I decided to take it a step further, I also done neighborhood cleans. I deleted/ culled :s excess sims (townies) I didn't play or interact with. My game generates the most random and mildly annoying townies Lol. I deleted some lots I never visit or have no interest in as well. Freeing up space and allowing more personalized customization of my worlds.

    I cleared the household inventories of my played sims of unnecessary items and furniture. You'd be surprised of whats stored there causing more data usage & potential lag, also increasing household bills. Now I periodically check inventories and items on my lots, clearing whats not needed or excess. Friendly tip *When moving a household to another lot/home don't "keep furniture" SELL! unless you plan on redecorating your new home with the same items. You'll literally have cabinets and light fixtures in your inventory, something that'll most likely be in the new house. Personal items that your sims can carry in their "live" inventory should be utilized for things you don't want to part with.

    This is just a few ideas for those of you that may struggle with some lag here & a little there :D. Its helped my poor laptop tremendously hopefully they can help some of you too. Thanks for reading! happy Simming! :).

    *Little side note sorry. Moving water, fountains, they constantly move/run on residential lots and may cause lag. It created lots for me so no constant movey things for me. Ok I'm done now :D
  • Pamela_Rachael84Pamela_Rachael84 Posts: 6 New Member
    > @Arie03 said:
    > @Pamela_Rachael84 To answer your question regarding selling inventory items in build mode after a sim dies. As long as there is an active sim alive in the household on the same lot/household, you'll have access to the household inventory and you can sell the items. If not, the game should have ended and it takes you back to the main screen. Hopefully that should help your question.

    Hi thanks for reply unfortunately the sim that dieds inventory did not go to any of the sims in household I checked them all individually but it did go to the household inventory in build mode.
    Is there a way a sim can access that inventory?
  • Nekia33painterNekia33painter Posts: 336 Member
    Hi new simmers! Here's a little tip for you. If you want the furniture and other items to remain in a build but you want the sim to move. First evict the sim from house. Other wise all of your well placed items for your build will be placed into your sim's inventory. And unless you saved the lot you'll have to put it all back.
  • EuphorialQueenEuphorialQueen Posts: 6,224 Member
    edited April 2020
    Hi new simmers! Here's a little tip for you. If you want the furniture and other items to remain in a build but you want the sim to move. First evict the sim from house. Other wise all of your well placed items for your build will be placed into your sim's inventory. And unless you saved the lot you'll have to put it all back.
    Move and sell furniture. That leaves the original furnishing at the old lot. Anything in household inventory goes with them to the new lot.
    Move and keep furniture puts all the furniture in household inventory.
    Just another something I learned along the way.

    @MarmaladeJade Seasons adds so many nice features I would recommend it.
    Turning off weather effects on Sims in the options menu is your friend.
    It allows the rain and snow but will not let Sims die of extreme heat or cold.

  • beadierturtlebeadierturtle Posts: 295 Member
    Welcome, new Simmer! You are about to embark on a grand adventure of which bards shall sing of for generations! Tales of triumph, tribulation, love and loss are all awaiting your mere word to dance to the song of your will. Or maybe they'll just fart a bunch on the couch while watching television and eating pizza.

    The point is, it's really up to you how things play out. It can be as meaningful or pointless as you wish, and there's no wrong or right way to play. You're going to make mistakes, and none will be anything that will ruin a game. It will go on or end only because you choose it to. There's a lot to learn, and it's a bit daunting at first, but there's really nothing scary in the darkness and you've all the time you need to get the hang of things.

    So, start slow. Turn off the aging and just take your time. First thing is get a job, any job, pick something appealing. Then, just go from there.

    I feel like I should say, "good luck", but you won't need it. Have fun. That's really the whole point of this game.
  • LucidLennyLucidLenny Posts: 180 Member
    Tip: If you don't want your sim to work at all, and you don't mind a small house with bills under $100, get a dog, train it to hunt and cut, melt and sell whatever gems, metals and rocks it brings back! :D You can make a good $300-$1500 on each good thing your dog finds at the cost of living a very simple lifestyle.

    Depends on you though. :') Using this for a heartbreaker challenge rn and planning to move in with the neighbors!
    Lenny | Sims 3 | Uni Student | Timezone: EDT (UTC -4) |My blood type is A- | 50% Anxiety 25% Angst 25% Awesome | I bleed for cute sims <3
  • LifeofthelovedLifeoftheloved Posts: 3 New Member
    A nice fresh start is starting out with a small house and then slowly going up to a big one! If you start too big you won't finish your house fast enough and waist all your simoleons!
  • MarmaladeJadeMarmaladeJade Posts: 108 Member
    @ EuphorialQueen Even when you turn off the weather, you are still subject to almost every plant having a definite seasonality. It's not something I'd recommend for unseasoned newbies until they get a feel for how they like the game and having the ability to have some of their ingredients available year round without relying on seed packets. I'm not totally against the pack- I just think it is better for more intermediate players. Also, I like playing with the temperature effects- how else can I kill a certain sim without having another sim do it? :tongue:

    Oh yea, for absolute newbies that just want a free home- "freerealestate on" is the best cheat ever. You don't even need testing cheats to be on to use it, If you really want to keep the cheating to a minimum while cheating.
  • pinot_grigiopinot_grigio Posts: 91 Member
    I think some other people have already mentioned this but the biggest tip would be to SAVE YOUR GAME frequently in the beginning, especially before Sims start cooking for the first time (as they might accidentally start a fire and die), or before you make any important life decisions as these cannot be undone.
    49886159581_8ebc2b57a8_h.jpg
  • SimRueSimRue Posts: 11 New Member
    > @WaytoomanyUIDs said:
    > A essential gameplay tip if you have a toddler in game. Sell the high chair and drag food from the to floor or table. Toddlers can pick it up from the floor or grab it off the table and eat it. Also if you have a gardener sim, toddlers can eat fresh fruit and veg you put in their inventory and they get a buff from it.
    >
    > The high chair animations are really cute, but it's a nightmare to use, as every adult in the house including guests will interrupt you trying to feed the toddler in it.

    I can SO relate to this. Highchairs just kill my time and my babies are always hungry!
  • AjaGioAjaGio Posts: 262 Member
    Karimac wrote: »
    I've just recently downloaded TS4 (like 5/6 days ago), I played TS3 many many moons ago.
    I'm finding that I spend most of my time building as I just love being creative (I've been watching a lot of youtube vids and have picked up some amazing tips).
    My problem is, I don't know how to be more inspired to live play as I end up getting overwhelmed with the amount of actions required, especially with more than one sim.

    I usually start with one sim at a time, I play my main person get all their skills maxed out and all before I move on with a new one in my game. I found it overwhelming trying to play a whole family at once. I always felt like I was neglecting my other sims cause I always ended up with a favorite :) I ended up moving the others out to the neigborhood homes and brought them together later. :)
  • SamlishSamlish Posts: 232 Member
    I heard from a wise person once, when building, imagine the little in game skill meter over your head as you build the house. They said it helps haha :smile:
  • TheWilliams95TheWilliams95 Posts: 20 Member
    > @EuphorialQueen said:
    > (Quote)
    > Oh wow ... um ... hmmm...
    > It started as a whim and grew into a passion.
    > Those little mumbling sandbox people (Sims1 when Simlish was not quite perfected) caught my attention long ago.
    > Watching them evolve has been an interesting journey. My 'boxy' house have improved a bit with practice but still cannot hold a candle to the genius creations on the gallery.
    > My "Simlings" (beloved term for my Sim households) are either impish naughty gnomes or like The Golden Child. They can make me happy, surprised or frustrated but still bring me joy.
    >
    > Special message to new players:
    > There is no wrong way to play. That is the beauty of this game,
    > If you need ideas on what to do next choose an aspiration for your Sim and follow the steps to complete that aspiration or many aspirations.
    > If you find something that is not quite how you think it should be there are always friendly people to ask here on the forums or at .
    >
    > Most importantly just have fun!
    >
    > When you are ready you may want to check out the challenge list.
    > SIMS 4 CHALLENGE LIST (Updated October 16th, 2019) hosted by @Meeshelby
    > https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/906643/sims-4-challenge-list-updated-october-16th-2019/p1

    thank yu i been looking for challenge to do
  • TheWilliams95TheWilliams95 Posts: 20 Member
    i have been play sims since the first and vi still learning some new stuff from just being on here
  • Elly_JonesElly_Jones Posts: 32 Member
    Does anyone know if you can landscape your own fishing pond on a residential lot in build mode?
  • Sharebear67Sharebear67 Posts: 26 Member
    @AjaGio I also play just one Sim at a time. I always have a favorite Sim out of her children. I usually get bored when the worlds Sims start to die and their homes don't autofill.
  • Sharebear67Sharebear67 Posts: 26 Member
    The one thing I learned along the way is if you want to get better at building then watch several members YouTube videos. I learned so much at what I was doing wrong and how to make my builds more realistic. Now my builds get a lot more likes than they ever have. I took old builds and doctered them up and reshared them.
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