What is a tester family?It's a household (which often only contains a single sim) that you put on your lots as you build in order to help you test the lot as you go and to make it really easy to save.You can certainly build without a Sim and put one on the lot to playtest after the build is complete, but this method involves the cumbersome switching back and forth from the lot to Edit Town every single time you have to save. Very annoying and time consuming.Many people use a tester Sim, but just stick a newly created Sim on the lot and only turn on live mode to have the Sim make sure that a chair or an object is usable by a Sim. That's fine, but what if you could use your tester Sim to actually improve your builds?Read on to discover how to do that!

Very useful advice. I do use a tester Sim but it's usually just random who it happens to be. I've never really thought about the skills they have. I think the painting skill is definitely a good one to have as it gives more options for artwork. I always seem to use the same tings, so I'll think about that for the next time.

I love this thread! One question, what if you are making a community lot? If I change the lot type to add a sim to it, it removes the cash register and other objects. Is there a way around this?

Glenkarri wrote:Great tips here, thanks so much. I also have my Tester Sim financially independent with $99,999,999.00, who needs monetary worries. I must admit, I pulled in a very rich Sim from The Exchange, placed them in a home, then made a Sim that suited me, merged that Sim with the rich one then split up the Household, throwing the original money owner out, that left my Tester Sim with heaps of money, you then save that Tester Sim to your Library. When you get bored with that rich Tester Sim just create another the same way........I don't need Motherlode then and they can buy Community Lots so you can go in and take good pics etc. Let me know if you want me to upload a Financially Independent, (Filthy Rich) Sim :DI'm a big fan of the "Independently Wealthy" Sim as well! Did you know that there is another cheat that will allow you to set the exact number of Simoleons without having to do "motherlode" a million times? Use the "family funds" cheat.I will have to try this in-game to make sure this is right, but I think it is like this:familyFunds 1000000 Tester (Which should give the family named Tester 1000000 Simoleons in their account.)It may be that the amount and the family name should be switched. Like I said, I need to look at it in game.

When choosing (or creating) a Tester Family, keep in mind the type of build you are doing. If there will be features on the lot for adult Sims only, then there is no reason to have a child Sim or a pet in your Tester family. If you are building a lot for Sims and horses, then your Tester Family should have at least one Sim and one horse.The same Tester families can be used over and over again. It is actually very useful if certain of your tester Sim's skills are high so that you can have them produce things for use in your build, so using the same tester Sim over and over again makes it more likely that that Sim will have the skills that you need.I have one Sim that I have used for a very long time. I have more than one version of her (and the skills for the various versions in my library are not all exactly the same) because I have a version where she is alone in her household and a version of her with pets.Here are the steps to make a Tester Family:1. Go into Create a Sim and make your Sim family have the minimum number of Sims that will be required in order to test out whatever you will have that needs testing on your lot. The Sims can look any way that you want them to, but the choices of traits are important. You can actually use an existing household instead of creating one from scratch, just make sure that there are the minimum number of Sims needed and change their traits as in the next step.2. Artistic is a good trait to give your Sim so that he or she can paint and sketch and hang this artwork on the lot you are building (IMPORTANT: do not frame your Sim-created artwork if you plan to upload your lot as framed art will not appear in the upload). Handy is a good trait to give your Sim so that he or she can upgrade your appliances if desired. Bookworm is a good trait to have (at least in the beginning) so that your Sim can quickly learn skills from books.3. Choose any other traits based on the lot you will make. For example, if you are making a farm with a large garden, Green Thumb would be a good trait to give your Sim.4. This step is optional, but very useful. If you plan to do it, you will need to use the cheat “testingCheatsEnabled true” and you will need to use it on the MAIN menu (before going into your lot). Place the Sim on a lot. While in live mode, go to the right of the treasure chest icon (lifetime reward points panel) and CONTROL click beside it. If you are doing it in the right spot (and if you used the cheat as instructed) you should see the total of lifetime reward points jump by 500 with each Control click. Load up this Sim with enough points to purchase all the following: No Bills Ever, Collection Helper, Super Green Thumb, Fast Learner, Super Creative, and Fireproof Homestead. There are other really good lifetime rewards that you may eventually want (so you can add stuff like the Hover Bed to your lot), but you can always add more points with this trick later.

Here is Julianna Tester. She has helped me on many a build and even had a guest starring role as "the realtor" in my story about Mayfair. Juliana is level ten in artistic ability and handiness. Her inventory should be full of goodies if the upload worked as I hope, plus she has some very useful lifetime rewards.http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=5018210

For Builders: Tips on Creating Better Tester Families

58 Replies

SimsIslandheart
12 years ago
Thanks for posting this, ZooProfessor! I just finished reading this entire thread, and I've learned so much about creating Tester Sims! I created "test" Sims before to try out a lot or a specific style of gameplay, but I would just hit the Randomizer button and run with it.

I also never knew/thought about using a Tester for building! I think I'm going to go spend some time creating and skilling up a Tester using the tips here before I attempt my next build. :)

Thanks again!
zooprofessor
12 years ago
SimsIslandheart wrote:
Thanks for posting this, ZooProfessor! I just finished reading this entire thread, and I've learned so much about creating Tester Sims! I created "test" Sims before to try out a lot or a specific style of gameplay, but I would just hit the Randomizer button and run with it.

I also never knew/thought about using a Tester for building! I think I'm going to go spend some time creating and skilling up a Tester using the tips here before I attempt my next build. :)

Thanks again!

Hi! I'm so glad that this thread helped you! If you have any questions about Tester Sims please don't hesitate to post them. I started this thread some time ago and there are even MORE new fun skills in the game and some of them may be great for your Testers to have.

Zoo
Kadana
12 years ago
Finally found the time to start going over the course threads, reading course #1, and linked to here, and now I have a question before I start.

How do you remove your tester Sim/tester family from your freshly built home without losing all the stuff inside the home? Every time I have tried to move a Sim or family out of a house I get two options. 1. take all the furnishings with me. 2. Sell all the furnishings.

Granted, this has always been in normal game play, just when I wanted to relocate the Sim or family i was currently playing to a larger house for example, but if I am playing a Sim in the home as I build, I can't help but think it will be the same when I finish and want to remove the Sim. How do you get past this and leave the furnishings inside the home?
zooprofessor
12 years ago
Tychina wrote:
Finally found the time to start going over the course threads, reading course #1, and linked to here, and now I have a question before I start.

How do you remove your tester Sim/tester family from your freshly built home without losing all the stuff inside the home? Every time I have tried to move a Sim or family out of a house I get two options. 1. take all the furnishings with me. 2. Sell all the furnishings.

Granted, this has always been in normal game play, just when I wanted to relocate the Sim or family i was currently playing to a larger house for example, but if I am playing a Sim in the home as I build, I can't help but think it will be the same when I finish and want to remove the Sim. How do you get past this and leave the furnishings inside the home?

Hi, Tychina! Welcome to Zoo U!

Excellent question! Here is what you do:

1. When you are finished with your build, save your game. I highly recommend using the "Save As" command and saving the game at least twice with two different names. My own standard is generally three saves throughout the building process and I take turns with each of the save names each time I save (and save OFTEN). When I finish for that building session, I save once with each save name.

2. Go to Edit Town. It is going to ask you if you want to save, don't save there, just continue. There is a known issue with some people having crashes if they save there, PLUS you just saved before doing this.

3. Once in Edit Town, Click on Your Lot. A window will pop up and give you lots of options. I would edit the lot description before starting the upload process. If you have problems with the upload and have to do it all again (which happens more than anyone would like) this will save you a lot of re-typing. It will allow you a longer description than the upload for the Exchange will allow, so be a bit brief.

4. Save a copy of your Tester Sim to the Library from here as well. You can choose to save with or without the house. I often save one copy of my Sim with the lot and one without it. Sims shared to the Library lose all their relationships with the people still in town and it also breaks all the opportunities you have in progress, BUT all their skills and their inventories are preserved.

5. Along the bottom left edge of this window is an option to evict your Sim to the clipboard, do that. It will ask you if you want the Sim with or without their lot CHOOSE WITHOUT or you will do just what you're worried about and take all the stuff in the house with them.

6. Now Share your lot to the Launcher. After that you can add your Tester family back into the lot in your own game or just delete them off the clipboard. You have a copy of them in the Library so you won't have really lost them if you delete.

7. You can now exit your game. I generally do NOT save again, but that is up to you. It will ask you if you want to. When you open the Launcher again you should see your lot right there in the Upload area, ready to be uploaded to the Exchange.

Good Luck!

Zoo
Kadana
12 years ago
ahah thanks Zoo! I don't think I have ever used that clipboard area. I've read things where folks mention it here or there, but never really knew what they were talking about lol I typically don't play more then one family/household per game file/world, so when they move I just use their phones to move them, and never saw the clipboard thing.
zooprofessor
12 years ago
Tychina wrote:
ahah thanks Zoo! I don't think I have ever used that clipboard area. I've read things where folks mention it here or there, but never really knew what they were talking about lol I typically don't play more then one family/household per game file/world, so when they move I just use their phones to move them, and never saw the clipboard thing.

That makes sense because I think it breaks all the family's relationships with those in town if you send them to the clipboard to move them. You are absolutely correct to move them with the phone or the computer, BUT when you are using Testing Sims for building, the BUILD is the important thing and not the relationships for your Testing Sim.

Zoo
EmzyDalsvida
12 years ago
I think i may consider joining n on one of your zoo u courses, i use tester sims but i think a high level skilled sim would be awesome! For like paintings or photographs (from photography skill) would be good to have in a home to give it that touch of 'uniqueness' ....no.... that's not the word.... personality? I don't know, the word has disappeared from my brain xD I'm sure you know what i mean :D
zooprofessor
12 years ago
I highly favor Sim-done photos with the use of CAP patterns (there is a Zoo U class about this) because then you can give uniqueness and personality aplenty into your builds.

Imagine being able to put the poster from your favorite movie on your Sim's wall WITHOUT using any CC.

Zoo

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For Builders: Tips on Creating Better Tester Families

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