SheriSim57...you really developed some nice community lots ...i have the idea for a Healthy Living shop..and that will be nice because i am doing the herbal skill with this play..i have never done it before so that should be interesting.
i am really impressed with how much effort you have put into having nice venues to go to..i do like having a lot with a pool for spring/summer..but you have some great ideas ..the laundry mat is good..i have not done that but how do you work around the lint trap thing do you have a sim who lives on the lot who upgrades?
I am going to keep this rotational play small i think because with the eventual two couples that i will have (they are all single right now..so i have four total sims) i can see how quickly you end up with lots of folks in a rotation with kids who grow up and find potential mates and start families.
Dakota 88.....But we all know the troubles with TS3: when you played a save for too long, it used to blow up and became unplayable, so I think I made 2nd generation once, but I never made it beyond that.
No kidding...The sims 3 ran relatively well for me..i had to take Island paradise out because that had routing issues for me but i had everything else and a good share of the store....but now when folks wish the sims 4 could be more developed with open worlds ..color wheel for customization...larger towns....story progression....It all sounds great but if you enjoy the sims community at all..you want a game that plays well for the majority of folks...Sims 3 never did..the forums was full of unhappy folks...i think for the number of folks i see in this thread running rotational plays for four years ..some have for six years! That is pretty darn good...i do think you have to get creative so your town has "life" but you can do that with a bit of effort...We don't all play the same this is true...but the majority of simmers enjoy family style play with a bit of drama mixed in...a town has to have gossip, right?
gothbunie....i have not used apartments in the sims4 series...does it take longer returning home because you are in an apartment? btw thanks for posting i enjoyed reading your input!
It doesn't. It's the same as with a normal home lot.
@babajayne I always forget about grafting, I think that would actually help me alot.
The thing is, I do not have a problem with designing the garden but the seasons mess me up as to when what is growing, I just hate it when I got empty spots during seasons cause the plants planted there are not growing, I guess grafting could help with that?
@wickichick so you split them up by seasons? does the garden still look good that way?
I don't really need to pay attention to the worth of the plants cause my gardening sim is not selling them, she uses them for herbalism, potions, cooking, juice fizzing and flower arrangements (she is the sim who's filling up my shops), but I like to have at least one of everything.
@RavenSpit On the first day of a new season, I move the out-of-season plants to the family inventory and take out any that I’ve stashed there for the current season. They maintain their quality. It only takes 2 days or so for them to regrow.
Grafting is great! I always want to grow everything, but I don’t necessarily want that amount of plants. It’s way too much produce anyway! After I’ve grafted something onto another plant, I often just delete it because I really don’t need it anymore.
@wickichick so you split them up by seasons? does the garden still look good that way?
I don't really need to pay attention to the worth of the plants cause my gardening sim is not selling them, she uses them for herbalism, potions, cooking, juice fizzing and flower arrangements (she is the sim who's filling up my shops), but I like to have at least one of everything.
RavanSpit...yes it does ...i put winter first because that garden is closest to the back porch...your garden can look as nice as you like..i set up my planters for the plants that fit into this season...then I put in dirt in the entire square and fence it off and i put a walk way in the center using a stone flooring....i usually do this on a 64x64 lot ..the garden is pretty big as you can imagine and there has to be room for the garden space and the house...you can add outdoor decor to each garden space ....can even put in some outdoor lights ...you could even landscape your garden space with pretty plants/trees/flowers and rocks...i need to set up a photo sight so i can put pictures in here again so much easier then trying to explain sometimes ..lol!
I'm a rotational player so this is my little take on the whole thing.
1. When you begin your play what rules do you abide by (if any)
I usually make little challenges and stuff for myself but I don't have rules as such for rotational play. I just found a style that I thought was practical and stuck with it. I play my main sim with household pretty much 3-4 days and then I create NPC-holidays with certain themes and play the rest of the save.
Really, holidays. Those are the best if there are many different households that you want to visit in one day. No one will miss work or school.
Death and dogs, classic! A holiday, so I can bounce around all the households I want to see that way. "You guys get a dog. Grandma here is going to get a flower-arrangement scented with deathflower, thank you all those sim-days". Some holidays I spend just one one household. Some holidays I visit 7 households with kids because I want to create clubs of children for my parks. Or perhaps vampires who come to the club to drink from the dancing sims. Anything goes on my NPC-days!
2. How many characters do you play and are they usually single..married...married with kids or are they direct family members (example ..mom dad and/or siblings
My main households pretty much always start out as a single sim. Then it can be the beginning of a legacy or just a fun challenge. Since I always rotate away to other households I can chose what I want to do on my NPC-days.
3. how long does this type of play hold your interest approximately? ( for example..a week...a month ...longer?)
Sims 4 is my first Sims-game and I joined at some point right after ghosts and swimmingpools were added. So... since then.
4. Do you usually use NewCrest so you can create your own town or do you have a favorite neighborhood and why?
NewsCrest is my least used map. Sulani is my favorite town but not all my stories takes place there.
5. Would you say there is any draw backs to rotational play and if yes then what would those draw backs be?
I tried to play strictly with one household but it just doesn't work for me. I guess drawbacks depends on each player and how they want to play.
6. other then using rotational play what type of simmer are you in game...for example ...do you prefer family related play....single sims over couples...do you prefer to begin as a teen in a family or something else.
Hm... I guess I prefer to change things up. Good times for my sims and bad times for my sims. A teen struggling to get by to a big happy family. There is usually a mersim or a spellcaster somwhere among the most played households. Vampires in my stories are often scary background characters.
Currently I play by the calendar. I have ageing off and play by my own timeline. So I usually rotate between birthdays or my custom made main holidays in the calendar.
First of all i just want to say that i've started playing in rotation a very few time ago. I've always played with only one family for generations. But im in love with rotational play!
1. When you begin your play what rules do you abide by (if any)
I'm playing with the premades. There are 50 of them. I've randomized 4 of them and im playing with those 4. I've chosen a theme/goal for each family and i allow for them to interact with each other the way they want. This has been making for some interelated stories that have amused me a lot. I play 4 families because i play with 4 weeks seasons, so each family gets to play one week in each season.
2. How many characters do you play and are they usually single..married...married with kids or are they direct family members (example ..mom dad and/or siblings
I've started the premade households as they are. So i had single, married, children... everything. But i do tend to make them start families... atm all of the households have at least 2 kids
3. how long does this type of play hold your interest approximately? ( for example..a week...a month ...longer?)
I'm playing for i think a month. As i said before it's my first time playing in rotation so i really don't know... what i do know is that i don't want to get back to a single household kind of play cause i would find it boring now (although i played for years like that). I intend to let generations roll and would love to still want to play this save for long enough to see how their kids are doing...
4. Do you usually use NewCrest so you can create your own town or do you have a favorite neighborhood and why?
I don't use Newcrest for a long time. What i did was start the premades in their starting home. Nowadays i think that no one is living there though. Some have moved to Glimmerbrook cause they are 'playing' with dark (or light) powers... others have moved to Willow Creek cause it fits their lifestyle. But the changes happened as the story started to be shaped by events. I haven't planned it.
5. Would you say there is any draw backs to rotational play and if yes then what would those draw backs be?
I haven't played enough to notice any major drawback as for now...
6. other then using rotational play what type of simmer are you in game...for example ...do you prefer family related play....single sims over couples...do you prefer to begin as a teen in a family or something else.
I prefer family play.
Silent Kitty...you would be correct regarding the holidays where working sims and families with school age children would be home all day... would help with rotational play..i really like how the holidays work in sims4. I like Sulani, i have a lovely home set up there...I will have a family move but leave all their furniture in their home and go to Sulani as a vacation and then move back to their main home..it is the only way to do it as a vacation destination since that isn't an option in game....I have started my first rotational play now but it is just getting started ..thanks for your input!
telmarina...hi there! your four seasonal weeks is brilliant ..excellent idea..i currently have my seasons set to two weeks...but i kinda like the idea of the four weeks. I enjoy family play as well ...I can see the benefits of rotational play not only in terms of variety but i am having things happen now that never would have ...so you are right it definitely can be not only a surprise to you but adds to the story in interesting ways. Thanks for your input!
honestly as a player i see no fun in rotating familys i find it more fun playing the same family just like i prefer to keep aging fully turn off in the game
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FriendlySimmer...hello there, I have only played with one family(until recently, i now have a rotational play just started) and i also turn aging off ...lol maybe because i have to conform to time limitations in real life haha but i did see in the forums where folks mentioned "rotational" play and as i read and saw what that meant it interested me a good deal...I have never felt as though the sims has one way to play ...that is what is so fun about the forums ..getting to see the diversity in the creativity one finds here. I so enjoy listening to the ways folks enjoy the sims.
This is going to be a long post. Sorry Oh boy do I rotate. I have one saved game that I continuously go back to despite repeatedly starting over with a new game. I've been playing this saved game for about...almost 3 years now and despite that, the population is still on its first generation. No one has aged except the babies to toddlers (playing on the longest life BTW). I have about 28+ families last I counted. Aging is set for current household only and my Sims have full autonomy. But they are not very smart so they get scolded/shouted at a lot.
1. When you begin your play what rules do you abide by (if any)
I did have sooo many rules when I started playing the Sims 20 years ago (the 1st game btw) but as I am getting older the rules have somewhat gone through the window but I do keep some: 1) One I am easing up on most of the time, is pausing religiously. It does gives me greater control but I have to admit that it doesn't give much spontaneity in my Sims so I have eased up and given my Sims more freedom. That has given me some interesting romances which I hadn't thought of before when my Sims decide to flirt autonomously and open up their pink relationship bar. And Hates. And deaths. 2) Storytelling. Not a rule per se but I can't play a household unless there is some story involved. I have both epics that will run through generations and even interlaces other households as well. Even spills into other 'hoods. I also have many small stories that touch only one or even 2-3 households only and most of my Sims don't even have elaborate backstories/past as for them its their future that matters. Without stories and backgrounds, my Sims are just pixelated moving parts that don't matter much to me. Just decorations to compliment well decorated/or not well decorated rooms. 3) I did end/start a household on a Monday/Tuesday at around 6:30am so everyone can go to school/work when applicable and each rotational got about 2-3 days or 1-2 weeks game play. Depending on how favored a household is. But since Seasons and University there have been changes. Now if I have university bound Sim in household or am playing in a dorm, the switch happens before 5pm on a friday (before said Sim(s) gets their grades at end of term). This way, nobody flounces out of school without my permission.
Another change is increased time in each household. Now each household gets a big part or a whole Sim year, or as long as I can stand it. That way I can be sure that each household get to experience each season at least once and because I am tired of current situation.
I WANT TO START AGING THEM! I am so ready for a change and see the teens I have now, age up and start their lives. So I am going to play each household until everyone, especially the younger generations are about to age up. 4) Population control. That means no more than 1-2 kids per household which on occasion I do break. I am a bit worried that my worlds will run out of space with all those Sims.
2. How many characters do you play and are they usually single..married...married with kids or are they direct family members (example ..mom dad and/or siblings
All kinds. From singles to a prospective generational families (no one has aged up yet, except toddlers so no grandparents yet or grown kids). I have as many as 8 Sim households to a one Sim in household. I also have apartment buildings (player made). One for instance has 4 apartments all occupied. I also have bunch of housemate households. For instance the Roomies household is still going strong with new members.
3. how long does this type of play hold your interest approximately? ( for example..a week...a month ...longer?)
If you mean game time it was as much as a 1-2 Sim weeks which was not really enough for my favorites so they sometimes got extended time of 1-2 more weeks. My least favorites got 2-3 Sim days, up to a week. Now of course they get more time.
For instance, the family I am in now, has gotten 1 week of spring, all summer and is ending the fall and coming into winter. I have to admit that even though they are one of my favorites, I am getting tired and am ready to change. In real time however, I really can't answer because I play sporadically even though I fire up the game each day (although I have been focusing on Sims 3 lately), I do pause the game a lot and do something else.
4. Do you usually use Newcrest so you can create your own town or do you have a favorite neighborhood and why?
My Newcrest is divided into three areas, shopping area with restaurants, café and a bus station. A residential area that is empty at the moment and the downtown area with the Newcrest community center, a Spa, the Municipal Pool and a café/laundromat/library. It is also the only neighbourhood in constant flux and redesign mode.
5. Would you say there is any draw backs to rotational play and if yes then what would those draw backs be?
Well...for me is the fact that my Sims have to age. I don't mind the aging but with the amount of households which granted is so not as many as some of you have. But considering that I am suffering from a bit of an anxiety and have an unhealthy dose of procrastination thing (which is doing nothing for my anxiety); means that, having to organise when and how to start the aging thing is going to be a bit of a roller-coaster ride for me. Metaphorically speaking of course (a weak metaphor as I have been on a roller-coaster ride and nothing is more terrifying). Another thing is keeping up with everyone. I have a now a huge doc file, sectioned into neighbourhood/street/household where I list everybody and what they are, their likes, traits, job, past, present and future, skills, romances (past and present) and much more.
6. other then using rotational play what type of simmer are you in game...for example ...do you prefer family related play....single sims over couples...do you prefer to begin as a teen in a family or something else.
I don't prefer one over the other but I can tell you that after playing a big household with more than one toddler/child I am SOOOOO ready to play a smaller household.
this is off topic but i have read some folks in this thread mention that they change a family from being "played" to a npc ..you can do that?
You can go into Manage Households and just unclick the heart icon on the family you want to change from "played" status to "unplayed"...hope that makes sense, if not I'll try to get a screenshot for you later
this is off topic but i have read some folks in this thread mention that they change a family from being "played" to a npc ..you can do that?
You can go into Manage Households and just unclick the heart icon on the family you want to change from "played" status to "unplayed"...hope that makes sense, if not I'll try to get a screenshot for you later
I don't recommend this. Families moved into "Other Household" category may get cull. If you still want to do this, you can try installing 'no cull' mod. Mccc mod have the 'no cull' option I think.
this is off topic but i have read some folks in this thread mention that they change a family from being "played" to a npc ..you can do that?
You can go into Manage Households and just unclick the heart icon on the family you want to change from "played" status to "unplayed"...hope that makes sense, if not I'll try to get a screenshot for you later
I don't recommend this. Families moved into "Other Household" category may get cull. If you still want to do this, you can try installing 'no cull' mod. Mccc mod have the 'no cull' option I think.
There is "played" and "unplayed". Then there is "Hearth-marked" and "Other Households".
These are two different systems. You can have a "Hearth-marked" household that is unplayed and still saved. Have no pics of it right now.
@Stina1701A Wow, I would be anxious to speed things along as well! If you were to do it all over again, would you start with fewer households? I started with 8 and even with that amount, it does take forever to age them up on long lifespan. But normal lifespan seems too short. Wish there was an option in between without using a mod. I suppose I could just use the birthday cake to age them up early in future generations.
Stina1701A ..I can understand the concern regarding memory etc thus the "run out of space" but the sim files must be different then in the past because in sims 3 you could save up to a reasonably long time but when it was getting "hefty" it would bog down and you would know it was time to wrap it up and start with something new. I would imagine however ...it is wise to decide how large your family should be and you can send some of your sims packing to keep your focus on the families you want..i am learning a lot from the folks that post in here.
I have already experienced a "surprise" and that was discovering that one of my single male sims really doesn't like the other single male sim i moved in to be a good friend...now that might be a ways off or maybe never because they really do not get along. But that is ok. Surprises was kinda what i wanted.
@Stina1701A Wow, I would be anxious to speed things along as well! If you were to do it all over again, would you start with fewer households? I started with 8 and even with that amount, it does take forever to age them up on long lifespan. But normal lifespan seems too short. Wish there was an option in between without using a mod. I suppose I could just use the birthday cake to age them up early in future generations.
I think that i am going to leave aging off....right now ..i only have four single sims because i am only just getting this started ..but I will do birthdays to age sims up ....it seems very doable ...i guess i will have to see how doable as i proceed. All of you have been doing this lots longer then i have!
Some great info and tips in this thread. @babajayne I never thought about placing the dormant plants in inventory. Gonna try that.
Thanks Simgirl1010....People are exceptionally kind to offer such in depth help in playing a certain way..it is good to see the forums is mostly kind in offering help and great ideas!
1) No rules and play with aging off. I have only 1 save but it is copied at different stages.
2) I don't know how many household I have. There are at least 2 families in each world. I create a new household whenever there is a new world or when new gameplay calls for it ( like building a tiny house did ).
3) Have played rotational since S2.
4) I use all worlds. My favorite worlds are Forgotten Hollow and Glimmerbrook.
5) No drawbacks
6) I usually start with Y.A.F., but not always. My favorite household is a vampire family of 5 ( the mom is the only non-vamp.) with 3 extra kids in 2 other households.
Comments
i am really impressed with how much effort you have put into having nice venues to go to..i do like having a lot with a pool for spring/summer..but you have some great ideas ..the laundry mat is good..i have not done that but how do you work around the lint trap thing do you have a sim who lives on the lot who upgrades?
I am going to keep this rotational play small i think because with the eventual two couples that i will have (they are all single right now..so i have four total sims) i can see how quickly you end up with lots of folks in a rotation with kids who grow up and find potential mates and start families.
No kidding...The sims 3 ran relatively well for me..i had to take Island paradise out because that had routing issues for me but i had everything else and a good share of the store....but now when folks wish the sims 4 could be more developed with open worlds ..color wheel for customization...larger towns....story progression....It all sounds great but if you enjoy the sims community at all..you want a game that plays well for the majority of folks...Sims 3 never did..the forums was full of unhappy folks...i think for the number of folks i see in this thread running rotational plays for four years ..some have for six years! That is pretty darn good...i do think you have to get creative so your town has "life" but you can do that with a bit of effort...We don't all play the same this is true...but the majority of simmers enjoy family style play with a bit of drama mixed in...a town has to have gossip, right?
It doesn't. It's the same as with a normal home lot.
The thing is, I do not have a problem with designing the garden but the seasons mess me up as to when what is growing, I just hate it when I got empty spots during seasons cause the plants planted there are not growing, I guess grafting could help with that?
@wickichick so you split them up by seasons? does the garden still look good that way?
I don't really need to pay attention to the worth of the plants cause my gardening sim is not selling them, she uses them for herbalism, potions, cooking, juice fizzing and flower arrangements (she is the sim who's filling up my shops), but I like to have at least one of everything.
Grafting is great! I always want to grow everything, but I don’t necessarily want that amount of plants. It’s way too much produce anyway! After I’ve grafted something onto another plant, I often just delete it because I really don’t need it anymore.
I don't really need to pay attention to the worth of the plants cause my gardening sim is not selling them, she uses them for herbalism, potions, cooking, juice fizzing and flower arrangements (she is the sim who's filling up my shops), but I like to have at least one of everything.
RavanSpit...yes it does ...i put winter first because that garden is closest to the back porch...your garden can look as nice as you like..i set up my planters for the plants that fit into this season...then I put in dirt in the entire square and fence it off and i put a walk way in the center using a stone flooring....i usually do this on a 64x64 lot ..the garden is pretty big as you can imagine and there has to be room for the garden space and the house...you can add outdoor decor to each garden space ....can even put in some outdoor lights ...you could even landscape your garden space with pretty plants/trees/flowers and rocks...i need to set up a photo sight so i can put pictures in here again so much easier then trying to explain sometimes ..lol!
I'm a rotational player so this is my little take on the whole thing.
1. When you begin your play what rules do you abide by (if any)
I usually make little challenges and stuff for myself but I don't have rules as such for rotational play. I just found a style that I thought was practical and stuck with it. I play my main sim with household pretty much 3-4 days and then I create NPC-holidays with certain themes and play the rest of the save.
Really, holidays. Those are the best if there are many different households that you want to visit in one day. No one will miss work or school.
Death and dogs, classic! A holiday, so I can bounce around all the households I want to see that way. "You guys get a dog. Grandma here is going to get a flower-arrangement scented with deathflower, thank you all those sim-days". Some holidays I spend just one one household. Some holidays I visit 7 households with kids because I want to create clubs of children for my parks. Or perhaps vampires who come to the club to drink from the dancing sims. Anything goes on my NPC-days!
2. How many characters do you play and are they usually single..married...married with kids or are they direct family members (example ..mom dad and/or siblings
My main households pretty much always start out as a single sim. Then it can be the beginning of a legacy or just a fun challenge. Since I always rotate away to other households I can chose what I want to do on my NPC-days.
3. how long does this type of play hold your interest approximately? ( for example..a week...a month ...longer?)
Sims 4 is my first Sims-game and I joined at some point right after ghosts and swimmingpools were added. So... since then.
4. Do you usually use NewCrest so you can create your own town or do you have a favorite neighborhood and why?
NewsCrest is my least used map. Sulani is my favorite town but not all my stories takes place there.
5. Would you say there is any draw backs to rotational play and if yes then what would those draw backs be?
I tried to play strictly with one household but it just doesn't work for me. I guess drawbacks depends on each player and how they want to play.
6. other then using rotational play what type of simmer are you in game...for example ...do you prefer family related play....single sims over couples...do you prefer to begin as a teen in a family or something else.
Hm... I guess I prefer to change things up. Good times for my sims and bad times for my sims. A teen struggling to get by to a big happy family. There is usually a mersim or a spellcaster somwhere among the most played households. Vampires in my stories are often scary background characters.
1. When you begin your play what rules do you abide by (if any)
I'm playing with the premades. There are 50 of them. I've randomized 4 of them and im playing with those 4. I've chosen a theme/goal for each family and i allow for them to interact with each other the way they want. This has been making for some interelated stories that have amused me a lot. I play 4 families because i play with 4 weeks seasons, so each family gets to play one week in each season.
2. How many characters do you play and are they usually single..married...married with kids or are they direct family members (example ..mom dad and/or siblings
I've started the premade households as they are. So i had single, married, children... everything. But i do tend to make them start families... atm all of the households have at least 2 kids
3. how long does this type of play hold your interest approximately? ( for example..a week...a month ...longer?)
I'm playing for i think a month. As i said before it's my first time playing in rotation so i really don't know... what i do know is that i don't want to get back to a single household kind of play cause i would find it boring now (although i played for years like that). I intend to let generations roll and would love to still want to play this save for long enough to see how their kids are doing...
4. Do you usually use NewCrest so you can create your own town or do you have a favorite neighborhood and why?
I don't use Newcrest for a long time. What i did was start the premades in their starting home. Nowadays i think that no one is living there though. Some have moved to Glimmerbrook cause they are 'playing' with dark (or light) powers... others have moved to Willow Creek cause it fits their lifestyle. But the changes happened as the story started to be shaped by events. I haven't planned it.
5. Would you say there is any draw backs to rotational play and if yes then what would those draw backs be?
I haven't played enough to notice any major drawback as for now...
6. other then using rotational play what type of simmer are you in game...for example ...do you prefer family related play....single sims over couples...do you prefer to begin as a teen in a family or something else.
I prefer family play.
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1923-2016 mamie
1. When you begin your play what rules do you abide by (if any)
I did have sooo many rules when I started playing the Sims 20 years ago (the 1st game btw) but as I am getting older the rules have somewhat gone through the window but I do keep some: 1) One I am easing up on most of the time, is pausing religiously. It does gives me greater control but I have to admit that it doesn't give much spontaneity in my Sims so I have eased up and given my Sims more freedom. That has given me some interesting romances which I hadn't thought of before when my Sims decide to flirt autonomously and open up their pink relationship bar. And Hates. And deaths.
2) Storytelling. Not a rule per se but I can't play a household unless there is some story involved. I have both epics that will run through generations and even interlaces other households as well. Even spills into other 'hoods. I also have many small stories that touch only one or even 2-3 households only and most of my Sims don't even have elaborate backstories/past as for them its their future that matters. Without stories and backgrounds, my Sims are just pixelated moving parts that don't matter much to me. Just decorations to compliment well decorated/or not well decorated rooms.
3) I did end/start a household on a Monday/Tuesday at around 6:30am so everyone can go to school/work when applicable and each rotational got about 2-3 days or 1-2 weeks game play. Depending on how favored a household is. But since Seasons and University there have been changes. Now if I have university bound Sim in household or am playing in a dorm, the switch happens before 5pm on a friday (before said Sim(s) gets their grades at end of term). This way, nobody flounces out of school without my permission.
Another change is increased time in each household. Now each household gets a big part or a whole Sim year, or as long as I can stand it. That way I can be sure that each household get to experience each season at least once and because I am tired of current situation.
I WANT TO START AGING THEM! I am so ready for a change and see the teens I have now, age up and start their lives. So I am going to play each household until everyone, especially the younger generations are about to age up. 4) Population control. That means no more than 1-2 kids per household which on occasion I do break. I am a bit worried that my worlds will run out of space with all those Sims.
2. How many characters do you play and are they usually single..married...married with kids or are they direct family members (example ..mom dad and/or siblings
All kinds. From singles to a prospective generational families (no one has aged up yet, except toddlers so no grandparents yet or grown kids). I have as many as 8 Sim households to a one Sim in household. I also have apartment buildings (player made). One for instance has 4 apartments all occupied. I also have bunch of housemate households. For instance the Roomies household is still going strong with new members.
3. how long does this type of play hold your interest approximately? ( for example..a week...a month ...longer?)
If you mean game time it was as much as a 1-2 Sim weeks which was not really enough for my favorites so they sometimes got extended time of 1-2 more weeks. My least favorites got 2-3 Sim days, up to a week. Now of course they get more time.
For instance, the family I am in now, has gotten 1 week of spring, all summer and is ending the fall and coming into winter. I have to admit that even though they are one of my favorites, I am getting tired and am ready to change. In real time however, I really can't answer because I play sporadically even though I fire up the game each day (although I have been focusing on Sims 3 lately), I do pause the game a lot and do something else.
4. Do you usually use Newcrest so you can create your own town or do you have a favorite neighborhood and why?
My Newcrest is divided into three areas, shopping area with restaurants, café and a bus station. A residential area that is empty at the moment and the downtown area with the Newcrest community center, a Spa, the Municipal Pool and a café/laundromat/library. It is also the only neighbourhood in constant flux and redesign mode.
5. Would you say there is any draw backs to rotational play and if yes then what would those draw backs be?
Well...for me is the fact that my Sims have to age. I don't mind the aging but with the amount of households which granted is so not as many as some of you have. But considering that I am suffering from a bit of an anxiety and have an unhealthy dose of procrastination thing (which is doing nothing for my anxiety); means that, having to organise when and how to start the aging thing is going to be a bit of a roller-coaster ride for me. Metaphorically speaking of course (a weak metaphor as I have been on a roller-coaster ride and nothing is more terrifying). Another thing is keeping up with everyone. I have a now a huge doc file, sectioned into neighbourhood/street/household where I list everybody and what they are, their likes, traits, job, past, present and future, skills, romances (past and present) and much more.
6. other then using rotational play what type of simmer are you in game...for example ...do you prefer family related play....single sims over couples...do you prefer to begin as a teen in a family or something else.
I don't prefer one over the other but I can tell you that after playing a big household with more than one toddler/child I am SOOOOO ready to play a smaller household.
You can go into Manage Households and just unclick the heart icon on the family you want to change from "played" status to "unplayed"...hope that makes sense, if not I'll try to get a screenshot for you later
I don't recommend this. Families moved into "Other Household" category may get cull. If you still want to do this, you can try installing 'no cull' mod. Mccc mod have the 'no cull' option I think.
There is "played" and "unplayed". Then there is "Hearth-marked" and "Other Households".
These are two different systems. You can have a "Hearth-marked" household that is unplayed and still saved. Have no pics of it right now.
I have already experienced a "surprise" and that was discovering that one of my single male sims really doesn't like the other single male sim i moved in to be a good friend...now that might be a ways off or maybe never because they really do not get along. But that is ok. Surprises was kinda what i wanted.
I think that i am going to leave aging off....right now ..i only have four single sims because i am only just getting this started ..but I will do birthdays to age sims up ....it seems very doable ...i guess i will have to see how doable as i proceed. All of you have been doing this lots longer then i have!
Thanks Simgirl1010....People are exceptionally kind to offer such in depth help in playing a certain way..it is good to see the forums is mostly kind in offering help and great ideas!
2) I don't know how many household I have. There are at least 2 families in each world. I create a new household whenever there is a new world or when new gameplay calls for it ( like building a tiny house did ).
3) Have played rotational since S2.
4) I use all worlds. My favorite worlds are Forgotten Hollow and Glimmerbrook.
5) No drawbacks
6) I usually start with Y.A.F., but not always. My favorite household is a vampire family of 5 ( the mom is the only non-vamp.) with 3 extra kids in 2 other households.