The Kids of Straud Mansion: a family-based story/challenge
I know lots of people are stuck inside with their kids now, so I wanted to devise a challenge that could be played as a family and enjoyed by kids, too. It requires the Vampires expansion pack and base game only. I'm going to be trying it out and I'll report back how it goes. :) I'm also writing the directions assuming readers having a passing familiarity with how The Sims works, but maybe aren't that experienced yet, since I know some people are picking up the game for the first time now, too.
The challenge starts with our stereotypical evil vampire, Vladislaus Staud, who--as we all know--is a whole lot of fun to mess around with.
Two adorable and resourceful kids are about to completely take over the Straud mansion.
In this challenge, vampires are kind of like bears. Except while bears are adorable woodland creatures that sleep during the winter, vampires are not adorable, and they hibernate all summer long. Spring's just starting, as it happens in our story, and Straud is thinking of turning in a bit early this year.
According to the Sims' website, Vlad has a cousin named Arthur Climate. Arthur feels like Straud is missing something in his life. But what?
...
Ah, yes, that's it! A family! Arthur calls up the adoption agency, impersonating his cousin, and tells them Straud would like to adopt one...no. Two children!
When the kids arrive, Vlad is quite perplexed, but he welcomes them, and then goes into the basement for the start of his hibernation, assuming the confused little ones will find their way home eventually.
Now the children are looking at a huge mansion with the one adult who was supposed to supervise them snoozing indefinitely in the basement. What will they do now?
The answer is whatever they want!
Your goal: Give your kids the best life possible with Straud hibernating through the whole thing. You can hire services, throw a party, make a mess, whatever sounds like a good time.
To begin:
1. Start a new game. (If you've got Seasons installed, select Spring.)
2. Say, "No, thanks" to story mode and just randomize the traits, name, and aspiration of the Sim in create mode and move them in wherever. This isn't who we're playing with. ;)
3. Once you've got your randomized Sim in a house, hit F5 to go to Manage Worlds. We're going to go to Forgotten Hollow!
4. Select the Straud Mansion. Enter build mode and add a computer to the desk in the bedroom upstairs. (I'd personally add some bookshelves, too, as Straud has surprisingly few for a giant mansion, but that's me.)
5. Have Straud go up to the computer, select "Household," and adopt two children.
7. After the kids arrive, from the upper left corner, you may want to select "Off-The-Grid" trait for the lot to avoid bills. The lights, water, and stove will still mostly work, but the computer and any new electronics won't be usable. It's up to you.
8. Send Straud to the coffin in the basement and select "Hibernate."
The rules:
1. Kids are only allowed to blow out candles on a birthday cake (and thus age up into teens) when they've completed one of their Childhood Aspirations AND their grades are at least a B.
2. Kids can build and sell stuff in the mansion as much as they like. They may also change the lot traits and their aspirations anytime.
3. The kids are allowed to move Straud's coffin. They may take it to a family retail lot, a new house, or on vacation. Simply edit the lot, add a coffin, and have Straud hibernate the moment he arrives.
4. Straud can only be taken out of hibernation to:
a) Make a cake (if there is no butler or bakery for the kids to get one from)
b) Pay the bills
c) Flee a fire
d) Tend to his needs if they've gone into the red.
e) Move to a different coffin.
Once there is at least one teen in the house, Straud can no longer make a cake or pay the bills (he sleeps more soundly as summer goes on.)
5. You may purchase items with anyone's satisfaction points, including Straud's.
6. You can use the kaching cheat if you're really stuck, but not the motherlode cheat. The point is to have fun but have a little bit of a challenge, too.
7. You may set the seasons to any length and aging to any speed, including turning it off altogether.
Winning Conditions: You've won the challenge when both teens have: Gotten As in school, acquired at least 5,000 satisfaction points over their lifetime, and reached level 10 in at least one skill. Age them into young adults and send them on their way, leaving Straud still snoozing and wondering what happened. Bonus points if you can do this before summer reaches its end.
And if you don't win the challenge (or you need to bend the rules a little to win?) That's okay, too. The point is, you watched some kid Sims cause lots of chaos and had a good time doing it. :)
UPDATE: If anyone would like to follow my family's chaotic journey through this challenge, I've started chronically it as an ongoing story below...
Part 1: The Arrival
The challenge starts with our stereotypical evil vampire, Vladislaus Staud, who--as we all know--is a whole lot of fun to mess around with.
Two adorable and resourceful kids are about to completely take over the Straud mansion.
In this challenge, vampires are kind of like bears. Except while bears are adorable woodland creatures that sleep during the winter, vampires are not adorable, and they hibernate all summer long. Spring's just starting, as it happens in our story, and Straud is thinking of turning in a bit early this year.
According to the Sims' website, Vlad has a cousin named Arthur Climate. Arthur feels like Straud is missing something in his life. But what?
...
Ah, yes, that's it! A family! Arthur calls up the adoption agency, impersonating his cousin, and tells them Straud would like to adopt one...no. Two children!
When the kids arrive, Vlad is quite perplexed, but he welcomes them, and then goes into the basement for the start of his hibernation, assuming the confused little ones will find their way home eventually.
Now the children are looking at a huge mansion with the one adult who was supposed to supervise them snoozing indefinitely in the basement. What will they do now?
The answer is whatever they want!
Your goal: Give your kids the best life possible with Straud hibernating through the whole thing. You can hire services, throw a party, make a mess, whatever sounds like a good time.
To begin:
1. Start a new game. (If you've got Seasons installed, select Spring.)
2. Say, "No, thanks" to story mode and just randomize the traits, name, and aspiration of the Sim in create mode and move them in wherever. This isn't who we're playing with. ;)
3. Once you've got your randomized Sim in a house, hit F5 to go to Manage Worlds. We're going to go to Forgotten Hollow!
4. Select the Straud Mansion. Enter build mode and add a computer to the desk in the bedroom upstairs. (I'd personally add some bookshelves, too, as Straud has surprisingly few for a giant mansion, but that's me.)
5. Have Straud go up to the computer, select "Household," and adopt two children.
7. After the kids arrive, from the upper left corner, you may want to select "Off-The-Grid" trait for the lot to avoid bills. The lights, water, and stove will still mostly work, but the computer and any new electronics won't be usable. It's up to you.
8. Send Straud to the coffin in the basement and select "Hibernate."
The rules:
1. Kids are only allowed to blow out candles on a birthday cake (and thus age up into teens) when they've completed one of their Childhood Aspirations AND their grades are at least a B.
2. Kids can build and sell stuff in the mansion as much as they like. They may also change the lot traits and their aspirations anytime.
3. The kids are allowed to move Straud's coffin. They may take it to a family retail lot, a new house, or on vacation. Simply edit the lot, add a coffin, and have Straud hibernate the moment he arrives.
4. Straud can only be taken out of hibernation to:
a) Make a cake (if there is no butler or bakery for the kids to get one from)
b) Pay the bills
c) Flee a fire
d) Tend to his needs if they've gone into the red.
e) Move to a different coffin.
Once there is at least one teen in the house, Straud can no longer make a cake or pay the bills (he sleeps more soundly as summer goes on.)
5. You may purchase items with anyone's satisfaction points, including Straud's.
6. You can use the kaching cheat if you're really stuck, but not the motherlode cheat. The point is to have fun but have a little bit of a challenge, too.
7. You may set the seasons to any length and aging to any speed, including turning it off altogether.
Winning Conditions: You've won the challenge when both teens have: Gotten As in school, acquired at least 5,000 satisfaction points over their lifetime, and reached level 10 in at least one skill. Age them into young adults and send them on their way, leaving Straud still snoozing and wondering what happened. Bonus points if you can do this before summer reaches its end.
And if you don't win the challenge (or you need to bend the rules a little to win?) That's okay, too. The point is, you watched some kid Sims cause lots of chaos and had a good time doing it. :)
UPDATE: If anyone would like to follow my family's chaotic journey through this challenge, I've started chronically it as an ongoing story below...
Part 1: The Arrival
