For Builders: Tips on Creating Better Tester Families

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 :D

I'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

Tester sims. Hm, useful idea. When i build i just do it in edit town. I never thought of that!

XKidsInLoveX wrote:
Tester sims. Hm, useful idea. When i build i just do it in edit town. I never thought of that!

It is MUCH more convenient to save with a Sim on the lot. If you want to use my favorite Tester sim I just uploaded her. Scroll back up a post and I've added the link for her Exchange ad.

walkingstick wrote:
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.

Hi,WalkingStick, and thanks! I completely agree about running out of artwork. I have my Tester sim keep everything she paints, even if it isn't right for my current build. I use the same Sim, so maybe next time she'll have what I need in her inventory.

I also like handiness in my Tester. Not only is it nice to have a house with upgraded appliances, it is also a good way to playtest. Generally speaking, if a Sim can reach an appliance in order to upgrade it, that means that she could use it as well.

I'm about to make a Steampunk house in the near future and I just started making sure my Tester can make improved widgets when I need them by improving her inventing skill and having her make 250 widgets so that all future ones are "improved" and will move. It takes surprisingly little time because I have the needs turned off when I use a Sim like this, strictly as a tool to make better builds.

I'd never even considered using a sim to improve my builds like this. Very happy I took the time to read this post. Thanks for sharing Zoo! Will definately be making my own tester-sim ^^ Been wondering for a while how people get all those plants on their lots when building.. Never imagined they'd actually use a sim for that :') I'm a bit silly I suppose.. But yeah, thanks so much for sharing! =D

MariskaAmy wrote:
I'd never even considered using a sim to improve my builds like this. Very happy I took the time to read this post. Thanks for sharing Zoo! Will definately be making my own tester-sim ^^ Been wondering for a while how people get all those plants on their lots when building.. Never imagined they'd actually use a sim for that :') I'm a bit silly I suppose.. But yeah, thanks so much for sharing! =D

You are very welcome, MariskaAmy!

About the plants: do you know how to use buyDebug? THAT is the way to get a fully mature garden on your lot as you build. The only reason a Sim would be really useful here is if you want to make the garden have better quality plants in it. Mostly buyDebug gives you normal quality for everything. STILL awesome though! :D