I typically use them when I need to build up friendships and relationships for households I will not be playing with. This is handy because if I'm playing whatever age group, I make sure they have at least 14 friends. Same for my toddlers, they need to have the max number for toddler parties.
I use the money cheat a lot, wither to giveth or taketh away, and motive cheats as sparingly as I can. I don't see cheats as actual cheating, since they're part of the game, so I use them to make things more fun, not to make them "easier."
It depends on the story I'm telling. In every day gameplay, no, aside from.the occasional boost to energy to fix sleeping schedules or go to a night club. Never anything too broken.
I usually try not to use cheats since I like having my Sims earn their money and stuff on their own, but sometimes I will cheat. Resetting my Sims if they get stuck somewhere is the main cheat I use. I will mess with other cheats once in a while though. For example, I recently used a cheat to make my Sim get abducted by aliens since I couldn't get it to happen normally. Cheats make the game fun sometimes for me, but other times it's just as fun to not use them!
Depends, when I'm buying my sims a new house or placing townies I always use freerealestate, but in actual gameplay I prefer to have my sims earn money and I don't have mccc as I don't want to be able to cheat their needs up because that ruins the enjoyment for me. Sometimes I will use the money cheat to give my sims less money though (like if they suddenly get a lot of money from something and I don't want them to be rich yet)
I have a strict rule of no game play cheats, so no money cheating unless it's to remove money and no cheating needs. I don't even like to use the cheat rewards from the reward store in my game.
I do use build mode cheats and also I did cheat to remove the mess that Eco Lifestyle unleashed upon my game with N.A.P's.
I started out that way, too, with Sims2. I did, however, use the rewards in that game, because your Sim still had to earn it. But, I was in full agreement that if you had to cheat to keep your Sims' needs up, it's best to stop playing for that day. I decided it was generally my fault. LOL I have since changed.
Sims3 dumbed things down so far, and the game was basically unstable even on a gaming rig, that I ended up using mods. That opened the door to another style of gameplay for me. I'm no longer afraid to have 'help' if you will.
Sims4 the needs drain so quickly and so dramatically that I decided it best to cheat Erik's needs all the way up before he performs on stage, lest he wet himself in front of his fans. Yeah, that would go over well. LOL
But, even though I no longer play the way you describe, I respect your values. Play the way it makes you happy. That's why we play these silly games, no? To relax, unwind and have some fun for a change, controlling that which we can?
I don't use money cheats but sometimes I'll use cheat needs. 90% of the time when I do use cheat needs it's on a toddler because somehow those buggers will be dead sleepy and hungry and I don't even know how to deal with that. >.< Sometimes I'll do it on others though if something crazy happens and I wouldn't fulfill their needs.
I put in other for the answer, because I used money cheats all the time in Sims 2, and in Sims 3 when I played them. For Sims 4, one save file is exclusively used with money cheats, because I wanted my big families to have big houses. My other save files I don't use money cheats for, and I remember from previous games, you can have a family, and create a sim to move in later on, which will often bring in the much needed money without painting or knitting.
I don't use cheats for my other saves, because I want to get the trophies, and see how long it takes my families to be able to move into the nicer houses. I also do download houses from the gallery as well, so that helps with moving big families into affordable houses.
All. The. Time. for needs. And without regret. If they're in the middle of writing a book or making a program and their bladder gets low, I cheat it up and tell myself they just ran to the bathroom and then resumed their work right away.
They take forever to get ready and don't get to eat breakfast before school? Cheat it, and they grabbed a granola bar on their way out the door.
Fun is low because they've been doing something the game doesn't think is fun, but I think should be? Cheat it.
They took until 2 am to finish whatever I wanted them working on and they've got to be at work at 7am? Cheat it.
Since I discovered UI cheats, I've been in story heaven.
Despite my flippant response, I don't actually cheat needs regularly. Just when the game's little glitches, or just the fact that Sims take proportionally forever to get things done, get in the way.
I rarely use Money cheats, (I did for the last time I took them to Journey to Batuu because they should be able to "convert" simoleans to Credits. I did subtract a few more Simoleans from their household funds than I added Credits) and almost never use skill cheats unless I'm setting up a specific storyline.
I cheat to take away funds for my Rags to Riches Sims, use all the build mode cheats, use cheats for my tester Sims needs when a new pack comes out, use freerealestate to house my own NPC Sims I won't be actively playing, reset when they're stuck, for story purposes in an alternate save, but never in the 'official' challenge save, etc. But I have never and will never cheat to progress any of my played Sims or for their needs, ever. I enjoy their struggles, it makes it much more satisfying when they do succeed in their little pixel lives that way.
During Construction and shooting story screenshots cheating is ESSENTIAL. During actual gameplay I cheat only is absolutely necessary to solve a problem unsolvable otherwise.
I cheat their needs all the time, as well as cheating away a lot of the silly moods/buffs. The needs drop way too quickly to be considered realistic, as far as I'm concerned.
Nobody's "social need" drops that quickly in real life... I'm pretty sure most of us can go a handful of hours in a day without having to talk to someone else before we get to a point that we can't function anymore. Or having a sim get "tense" constantly to the point that they won't or can't do anything else. I find a lot of these moodlets to be irritatingly over-the-top dramatic more times than not (especially the "tense" one), so I use the UI Cheats mod to get rid of them as soon as they pop up.
I don't want to spend my entire gameplay time constantly having to refill my sims' needs or waiting for some silly 'drama queen' moods/buffs to finally go away. I want my sims to spend their time doing other things like painting a picture, or swimming, or fishing, or writing a book, or cooking a gourmet meal, or gardening, or tending to their bees/bugs, or going on a hike, or climbing a mountain, or training their pet, or reading to their children, or fulfilling their aspiration goals, etc etc and so on and so forth. You get the idea.
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"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." ~ Mark Twain
Mostly resetsim when someone gets stuck. Sometimes, I use testing cheats to get some landscaping from buydebug or to enter full CAS to apply CC bodyhair and/or other details when a sim reaches teen/YA. I don't use money cheat or anything that would work as a shortcut, as the game is easy enough asi it is.
It totally depends on the gameplay goal. Builds - for sure! - MOO and all of the bb.s are my besties. I hate when they shrug at me as though I took away their Sims 1 pool ladder. Gameplay - not usually - FreeRealEstate 'cause I build houses before placing Sims. I totally agree that reading or computer use before work shifts to fulfill goals shouldn't drain needs as drastically as it does. Shout out to Make Happy! Transporting makes the transition from Sims 3 easier. Sharing is NOT caring, especially when you're living out of a dumpster! Screenshots - uh huh Challenges - yuppers! - Too easy to get to Riches if you ain't starting at Rags.
I never use money cheats, but cas.fulleditmode is a cheat I couldn't live without. Lots of my sims have room mates for extra income and some of their outfits just bother me. I hate that goofy walk and male sims wearing makeup so I "fix" them.
I also use build cheats and when I want my sims to have certain neighbours I use the FreeRealestate on cheat.
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I typically use them when I need to build up friendships and relationships for households I will not be playing with. This is handy because if I'm playing whatever age group, I make sure they have at least 14 friends. Same for my toddlers, they need to have the max number for toddler parties.
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I started out that way, too, with Sims2. I did, however, use the rewards in that game, because your Sim still had to earn it. But, I was in full agreement that if you had to cheat to keep your Sims' needs up, it's best to stop playing for that day. I decided it was generally my fault. LOL I have since changed.
Sims3 dumbed things down so far, and the game was basically unstable even on a gaming rig, that I ended up using mods. That opened the door to another style of gameplay for me. I'm no longer afraid to have 'help' if you will.
Sims4 the needs drain so quickly and so dramatically that I decided it best to cheat Erik's needs all the way up before he performs on stage, lest he wet himself in front of his fans. Yeah, that would go over well. LOL
But, even though I no longer play the way you describe, I respect your values. Play the way it makes you happy. That's why we play these silly games, no? To relax, unwind and have some fun for a change, controlling that which we can?
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I don't use cheats for my other saves, because I want to get the trophies, and see how long it takes my families to be able to move into the nicer houses. I also do download houses from the gallery as well, so that helps with moving big families into affordable houses.
They take forever to get ready and don't get to eat breakfast before school? Cheat it, and they grabbed a granola bar on their way out the door.
Fun is low because they've been doing something the game doesn't think is fun, but I think should be? Cheat it.
They took until 2 am to finish whatever I wanted them working on and they've got to be at work at 7am? Cheat it.
Since I discovered UI cheats, I've been in story heaven.
Despite my flippant response, I don't actually cheat needs regularly. Just when the game's little glitches, or just the fact that Sims take proportionally forever to get things done, get in the way.
I rarely use Money cheats, (I did for the last time I took them to Journey to Batuu because they should be able to "convert" simoleans to Credits. I did subtract a few more Simoleans from their household funds than I added Credits) and almost never use skill cheats unless I'm setting up a specific storyline.
its hard to explain but i mostly just use it for things that I couldn't do minus cheats
but not really all that much to make game "easier" for that would just be boring to me
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Nobody's "social need" drops that quickly in real life... I'm pretty sure most of us can go a handful of hours in a day without having to talk to someone else before we get to a point that we can't function anymore. Or having a sim get "tense" constantly to the point that they won't or can't do anything else. I find a lot of these moodlets to be irritatingly over-the-top dramatic more times than not (especially the "tense" one), so I use the UI Cheats mod to get rid of them as soon as they pop up.
I don't want to spend my entire gameplay time constantly having to refill my sims' needs or waiting for some silly 'drama queen' moods/buffs to finally go away. I want my sims to spend their time doing other things like painting a picture, or swimming, or fishing, or writing a book, or cooking a gourmet meal, or gardening, or tending to their bees/bugs, or going on a hike, or climbing a mountain, or training their pet, or reading to their children, or fulfilling their aspiration goals, etc etc and so on and so forth. You get the idea.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." ~ Mark Twain
I also like wandering the hills.
Builds - for sure! - MOO and all of the bb.s are my besties. I hate when they shrug at me as though I took away their Sims 1 pool ladder.
Gameplay - not usually - FreeRealEstate 'cause I build houses before placing Sims. I totally agree that reading or computer use before work shifts to fulfill goals shouldn't drain needs as drastically as it does. Shout out to Make Happy! Transporting makes the transition from Sims 3 easier. Sharing is NOT caring, especially when you're living out of a dumpster!
Screenshots - uh huh
Challenges - yuppers! - Too easy to get to Riches if you ain't starting at Rags.
I also use build cheats and when I want my sims to have certain neighbours I use the FreeRealestate on cheat.