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Storm of the Century (Decades Challenge) *redo*

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RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
Heyo! Rawla here. I'm beginning a decades challenge. These are the Rules. Declaimer: I probably won't get far and my updates won't be entertaining. But the timeline method of taking notes I've seen and really like. So here goes my attempt.


S T A R T I N G O V E R
Introduction to new founders!

Luke & Josephine Storm

09-26-21_9-31-27_PM.png
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Comments

  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    1891: Mary gives birth to twins! Edward and Elizabeth
    Post edited by Rawla on
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    1892: The twins Edward and Elizabeth become toddlers.
    John found a Cow Plant Berry while fishing.
    John switched from Freelance Writer to the Law career.


    1893: Mary becomes pregnant and gives birth to a daughter! Emily
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  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    1894: John is promoted to File Clerk in the Law career.
    Emily becomes a toddler.
    Post edited by Rawla on
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    No timeline update with this post. Instead I thought to share a few pictures. One is the little farm they have going right now. The second is Edward and his youngest sister Emily playing near the pond. Edward's twin sister, Elizabeth, is inside enjoying mothers company. In fact if you have very good vision you can see her little strawberry blond head toddling from visiting the chickens back towards the house in the first picture.
    08-27-21_1-04-27_AM.png?width=1089&height=612

    08-27-21_3-14-27_PM.png?width=1089&height=612
    Post edited by Rawla on
  • Kellogg_J_KelloggKellogg_J_Kellogg Posts: 1,548 Member
    I do like to see screen caps in a decades challenge as I like to see the look of each era and how it changes. Good stuff.
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    I do like to see screen caps in a decades challenge as I like to see the look of each era and how it changes. Good stuff.

    Thank you! :smile:



    1895: Edward & Elizabeth become children.
    John gets promoted to Legal Secretary. (Level 3 and still only §22/hr)

    1896: Surprise! Jack is born. (Its good to have a 2nd son, just in case Edward doesn't live.)
    Post edited by Rawla on
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    1897: Jack becomes a toddler. Both parents are blond and yet he was born with black hair. A distant ancestor's genes perhaps?
    John begins to paint and is surprised that his paintings are selling so well. He considers quitting the law career but has not yet committed to do so. He worries about providing for his family. He will continue to paint and see if the sales continue doing well.
    Post edited by Rawla on
  • tinker_bellatinker_bella Posts: 64 Member
    Wait... I love this idea! I think I might try this... however I have a record for starting things and never finishing.
    Gallery - xXxXxbellaxXxXx (tedious to type - I know!)

    Feel free to ask for cc links <3

  • DaraviDaravi Posts: 1,135 Member
    edited August 2021
    Declaimer: I probably won't get far and my updates won't be entertaining.

    I thought exactly the same when I started mine, known as notorious new game starter and now I'm in 1974, seeing with sadness the end of the challenge on the horizon.

    Never say never, take the time you need, it's a long challenge anyway. :D

    I wish you good luck and much fun with this challenge and especially all the best with the deathrolls.
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    I've been sick. (cold season, ugh lol) Thanks for your comments! :smiley: I hope to play again soon.
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    Wait... I love this idea! I think I might try this... however I have a record for starting things and never finishing.

    Me too! Like now. lol I will be starting over. How typical of me. :blush: There are things I'd like to do different now that I've had a little taste of this challenge. I love it.
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    Daravi wrote: »
    Declaimer: I probably won't get far and my updates won't be entertaining.

    I thought exactly the same when I started mine, known as notorious new game starter and now I'm in 1974, seeing with sadness the end of the challenge on the horizon.

    Never say never, take the time you need, it's a long challenge anyway. :D

    I wish you good luck and much fun with this challenge and especially all the best with the deathrolls.


    1974? Woot! You are far, aren't you? When you finish, you'll just have to start again. :smiley: Thanks for the encouragement! I'll need it for I am starting over. lol
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    .
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    S T A R T I N G O V E R
    Introduction to new founders!




    Luke & Josephine Storm

    09-26-21_9-31-27_PM.png



    .
    Post edited by Rawla on
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    And so it begins...

    1890 - Moved just outside of a tiny country village to begin their family in a quaint, [hopefully peaceful] community.


    .
  • DaraviDaravi Posts: 1,135 Member
    edited September 2021
    Rawla wrote: »
    Daravi wrote: »
    Declaimer: I probably won't get far and my updates won't be entertaining.

    I thought exactly the same when I started mine, known as notorious new game starter and now I'm in 1974, seeing with sadness the end of the challenge on the horizon.

    Never say never, take the time you need, it's a long challenge anyway. :D

    I wish you good luck and much fun with this challenge and especially all the best with the deathrolls.


    1974? Woot! You are far, aren't you? When you finish, you'll just have to start again. :smiley: Thanks for the encouragement! I'll need it for I am starting over. lol

    Good luck with the restart, I'm waiting eagerly for updates :). Yes I plan to play it again, but next time I will do this with better preparations in houses, lots and sims for a better immersion.
    I've build so many houses during the gameplay and I made so many mistakes at the beginning, it has cost me a lot of time and it took at least until the 1920s until I've found my rhythm and when I finally gave in and started the downloads of tons of cc. As I said I didn't know if I will ever finish this challenge, but with the time the wish for a better restart grew also in me. But I'm going to wait with that until I'm finished with the first decade challenge and I will not post about it in the forum again (the screenshot folder has now over 5500 pictures from the current game). But the enjoy of the styles of the different decades makes it all worth in the end. For me this is not a challenge of counting point anyway, because I don't play the american version, but learning new things about the daily life in the past and how the things have changed during the decades that was exciting.
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    @Daravi Thanks! I have not jumped down the CC rabbit hole yet. lol Any tips you might have that you wish you'd known in the beginning? I am already in love with this fascinating challenge. Hopefully I can do it right this time. :smiley:



    @ Anyone: Have any tips you'd like to share for this challenge? I'd love to read them! :heart:


    ....................................

    1891 - Josephine is very pregnant and will give birth to their firstborn any moment gives birth to a son, Clayton! Luke is at Level 5 Fishing skill trying his hardest to catch that elusive cowplant berry. We'll keep trying! Funny thing is, he was meant to be a writer. lol

    09-27-21_12-21-37_AM.png?width=1089&height=612


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  • DaraviDaravi Posts: 1,135 Member
    edited September 2021
    My tips depends on how strong you will follow the rules? If you are going by the book, maybe then it is better to just ignore them.
    At first I would recommend mccc-mod. It makes things really easier to handle, no monster under the bed, humanize vampires, kids/teenager could quit schools and your townies don't die out, if you want. For me it was easier for the names changes. Also it's easier to kill the sims. Delete unused/unwanted townies regulary, before your game becomes unplayable or random sims are deleted.

    Which brings me to the death rolls, I used the death and wounded ratio for both world wars, because I was too attached to my sim (and I still miss him, even more when since he is dead) and didn't want him to die too early, he became a doctor and so I've lowered his chance to die. I found this version of death rolls better than the 50/50 rules. I had rolled in world war 2 for all the sims in the game, because my game is mostly settled in Germany, the rest was represented the world, the deathnumber were 1-6/20 for all considered germans who had to die when rolled one of these numbers. I nearly killed almost 100 sims through these 6 ingame years, that was the hardest part at all, but it felt more realistic. You can imagine how happy I was when the planned wife for my heir had a straight 20/20, no harms to her, but she had lost her mother.
    Maybe build a cemetry for your sims and engrave the year of death on the tombstone. It's very sentimental later, but it's nice to remember them.

    One thing you already do, is keep tracking the important datas. Maybe create a few background families for future husbands/wifes, and keep tracking them too. That was the very first thing I did in my game.

    The most important part is to remember that's your game, you rule. If you don't like a rule or don't want someone to die, then just ignore that rule and have fun. Beside these tips, I would say have a community lot, where your sims could met new people or gather with their friends. Avoid the dorms at the university dlc at all cost, you don't have any control about your fellow student there. I've tried and I'm still mad about the mechanics.

    Selvadora was fun to play, a truly adventure for the early decades and archeologist, as writer for the national geographic society for example. My founder weren't farmers, they had started their own business, which went bankrupt at the end of ww1 in due of the blockade. If the farmplay is too much hassle, you can follow a different path, the choice is yours.

    I think thats all for the beginning and probably more than you ever wanted to read. :D
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021
    @Daravi I loved your tips! Send more if you've got them. I wanted to mark your post as both insightful and awesome but could only select the one. :smiley:
    • mccc-mod has been a must in my game for a few years now. Its the only cc/mod I have currently.
    • The idea of putting year of death on tombstones and having a graveyard is a great idea!
    • "I used the death and wounded ratio for both world wars" = Please explain this a little more?
    • I started this family out with Luke being a fisherman. Josie (Josephine) has three oversized crops growing as a hobby but otherwise is caring for the home.

    Send more tips! I loved reading your information. Very helpful.

    ..............................

    1892 - After trying so many times Josephine is finally pregnant again and little Clayton is an angelic young toddler.



    09-27-21_1-05-57_PM.png09-27-21_5-24-28_PM.png
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  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021

    1892 (Late in Year) - Josephine gives birth to a second son, Jack.
    Luke reached level 7 in fishing skill and still did not find a cowplant berry. So when the spice festival came up, I sent him to pick that bush that gives one of those berries. He also harvested strawberries and carrots there and went straight home. Since festivals outside of the Cottage Living ones are not allowed during this time period.
    Post edited by Rawla on
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    edited September 2021

    1893 (Late in year)- Josephine is pregnant with their third child. This time they weren't trying but the moment must have been perfect. Jack becomes a charming toddler late in this year.


    09-27-21_5-43-47_PM.png09-27-21_9-21-17_PM.png
    Post edited by Rawla on
  • DaraviDaravi Posts: 1,135 Member
    edited September 2021
    Rawla wrote: »
    @Daravi I loved your tips! Send more if you've got them. I wanted to mark your post as both insightful and awesome but could only select the one. :smiley:
    • mccc-mod has been a must in my game for a few years now. Its the only cc/mod I have currently.
    • The idea of putting year of death on tombstones and having a graveyard is a great idea!
    • "I used the death and wounded ratio for both world wars" = Please explain this a little more?
    • I started this family out with Luke being a fisherman. Josie (Josephine) has three oversized crops growing as a hobby but otherwise is caring for the home.

    Send more tips! I loved reading your information. Very helpful.

    Okay I put the answer into the spoiler.
    I started this family out with Luke being a fisherman. Josie (Josephine) has three oversized crops growing as a hobby but otherwise is caring for the home.

    Yes I did almost the same. I've started with the 3 year military service, which was my first mistake, I've learnt in prussian times the men in the lower classes (which my sims belonged to) lived in barracks and they have to had some wealth to provide support to the future wife and to get the marriage license, which wasn't a thing in the most of time. The man was much older than the wife. Living together as a unmarried couple, was impossible and was considered as a crime and brought a bad reputation for the wife. My family lived in a run-down tenement, I did this because of the loud neighbors mechanic. But then they were forced to moved out becaue of a cholera pandamic, they were allowed to settle down on the coast, where he became a fisherman. Because of the danger of this job and low income, his wife has to sell things/produced items on the local market, because only the rich could afford an unemployed wife, every others familymember had to do a job for the family survival. He had quit the job as fisherman later. With the time they have earnt enough money for their own shop and he got an offer in the business career and so on.
    "I used the death and wounded ratio for both world wars" = Please explain this a little more?

    Okay, now it's getting a little bit complicated. I've heard about this method int the stephkaycee decadechallenge. It's based on how many soldiers (or civilians in ww2) have done their duty in the war and how many victims/soldier had fallen or were wounded. If the soldier is wounded, most of the time he can't work his old job anymore.

    For example on my german deathroll: In WW1 around 13 million people were called to duty, 2 million soldiers of them have been died. That's around 15% from total. 15% from a 20 dice is 3. You can google with roll d20, then you see a dice. That's meant until the number 3 everyone has died, when rolled one, two or three. Number 4 was chosen as prisioner of war and had an extra death roll 1-6, were number 1 meant death and 6 an immedately release, between that it meant the years of being a prisoner of war and can't return to the family (in ww2 it was a 12 dice, but I had no pow in my played family). From number 5 - 10 meant wounded, the larger the number the more minor the injuries.

    A negative trait has gotten everyone. So I've did the same calculation for ww2 where the death numbers were 1 - 6 and believe me, some families had only one survivor in due of unlucky rolls and those evil sims who should have died had so much luck and survived all. Sometimes I've spared a toddler, and put them in an orphanage. I hope I've explain it good enough. This deathroll method creates less drama than the 50/50 rule on a 6 side dice, where you can loose everybody. My main family has emigrated in the late 1920s. Name me coward, but for me it has worked, I didn't want to play the bad stuff at all.

    A year in my game is 8 days, I use the calender to track the years, meanwhile deleting all unwanted holidays. With the time I adjusted the age through mccc, I found out that women could age through a pregnancy through a setting change. In due of the long years I've adjust the average age. I find the deathrolls after 45 years of a simlife too early for my game, because people got older and celebrated their 70s birthday, Bismarck became 83 years old for example. I've checked about the average pension age, and most of the men lived about 1 year after their retirement with 67 years in 1890s. I think they are now around 76/77 years old until they die. I would recommend the who passed away mod from the modthesimswebsite, to told you who had died.

    As you can see the american rules didn't fit to me, so I changed much decade rules for myself but accept most of them as guideline. I took a while until I've gave this challenge a try but I don't regret it. I've found amizing youtubers and amazing websites through the research for names or history, or clothes;)
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    @Daravi That was awesome and I understood the portion about the wounded, death and pow. I might use that method too. Much better than 50/50 for sure. Thanks! Feel free to keep commenting about your own game choices and anything else you might think of to say. I find it fascinating.
  • DaraviDaravi Posts: 1,135 Member
    I won't capture your thread with my stories and game choices, it's your thread, your story, not mine. ;) I have my own thread in this forum section or the what's happened in your game-thread were I could explain everything if I want to or answer questions about my game. :)
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    Daravi wrote: »
    I won't capture your thread with my stories and game choices, it's your thread, your story, not mine. ;) I have my own thread in this forum section or the what's happened in your game-thread were I could explain everything if I want to or answer questions about my game. :)

    Feel free to send me a link. :smile:
  • RawlaRawla Posts: 7,495 Member
    Just in case anyone is interested, I've been using a site for popular names to get time-period appropriate names for the kids. You can find the link in the spoiler below.
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