k2m1too wrote:
Hi Zoo! This is an excellent tip for builders. I NEVER build without a sim on the premises. It is so much better to play test as you go than wait until the very end. Also, having a sim with skills can come in really handy. I finally got a sim to level 10 in photography and it opens up a whole new avenue for wall art - just remember NOT to put them in the digital frames or they won't transfer. The same with having a painter sim.
As far as assigning traits, you can easily change them out as needed by using "testingcheatsenabled true" and shift clicking on the active sim. You should get an option to change the current sim's traits.
Also, you don't necessarily need to cheat up your reward points to get SOME of the reward objects. The hover bed is available in buydebug, as is the teleporter and several others.
Oh, and one other good reason to have a sim on site is so you can take photos in live mode using cameraman mode.
And finally, I have the sim cancel newspaper delivery first thing so I don't have to deal with newspapers littering the place.
K2M1TOO: I agree with everything you just said, thanks for adding this useful information to my thread!
I knew about the photographs, but not the digital frame being a bad idea. I kept meaning to play test that to see if it would work, but now I don't have to! :D
I always cancel the newpaper immediately and always set the needs to static immediately. Those two things and turning off Auto-Roof (which is evil) are the first things I do when I put a Tester Sim on the lot and get ready to build.
You bring up a good point about Cameraman Mode and about some of the Lifetime Rewards being in buyDebug.
I mentioned having your Tester Sim get the Collection Helper Lifetime Reward, but it's probably worth a mention here that having a Tester Sim who has gathered enough gemstones and had them cut in enough ways to be able to have all the different cuts available is very advantageous if you plan to have a treasure room or tomb on the lot you build. And it's fun to just have cut gems displayed on tables and stuff, too. That is why I think the Collection Helper Lifetime Reward is a good one to have.
There are lots of things like that that I didn't mention. Like how having a Tester Sim who can make all the Improved Widgets is essential if you want a cool inventer's workshop or if you build a Steampunk house or if you just want to tuck a few neat knicknacks around the house you built.
Thanks very much for sharing your insights with us, I learned something new, too!
