Introduction:The Trade Off challenge borrows elements from other game-play challenges. It is a type of rotational challenge with members in the same household. It begins simply with two Sims that can only be controlled during assigned time frames. More on that later but first how about some background to get your creative storytelling juices flowing. Backstory:The letter was handwritten on stationary embossed with a strange logo. The envelope has only your name and the logo with no return address. Thinking it is just junk mail you toss it in the bin but then take it back out again when you realize the writing was vaguely familiar. Was it from someone you knew? Just what kind of prank were they trying to pull? "You have been selected for a special project." Yea ... sure. Not going to fall for that trick. As you glance back down at the letter a phrase catches your attention "... and a vast fortune awaits when the assigned tasks are completed". Hmm this could be worth investigating even if it is a fake. "Just wait til I find out which of my friends sent this" you say thinking out loud. You decide it could be worth a good laugh and quickly make note of the address and arrange transportation.Your story starts here:Who sent the letter? Was it an old friend or family member? Why was it sent to you ... for what purpose?There will be someone living on the same lot with you. Are you related, old colleagues or a previous romantic interest or perhaps an enemy from your past or a total stranger?

Setting up the challenge: The Household: ¥¥Spoiler (Highlight to read)Create a fresh household with Zero skills.Two Young Adult SimsCan be your own or from the gallery.Please give credit when using the creations of someone else.Appearance, aspirations and traits are up to you as long as are not to be compatible.**Must have at least one or more traits opposite the other. Example: One good or friendly the other mean or evil. Aliens and Vampires are allowed.Create a fresh household with Zero skills.Two Young Adult SimsCan be your own or from the gallery.Please give credit when using the creations of someone else.Appearance, aspirations and traits are up to you as long as are not to be compatible.**Must have at least one or more traits opposite the other. Example: One good or friendly the other mean or evil. Aliens and Vampires are allowed.You are encouraged to share your household using your own personal hashtag and hashtag #TS4TradeOff for this challenge.The Lot: ¥¥Neighborhood is up to you with a suggested 30x20 size lot.Two Sims will be living here BUT they are not sharing their space.Think of it as a duplex or two apartments.Each Sim will have their own living space with the same basic items. Entrance door locked to keep out the other Sim.The two households must share one common wall between them, with an optional door in between. If a door is placed, it may only be unlocked on SUNDAYS, and must remained "Locked to everyone" Monday-Saturday.*Optional shared kitchen. No shared wall with this option.Bathroom with toilet and tub or shower. A sink, fridge and at least one counter to prepare food. Stoves are optional to keep under budget but can be added later. Grills are okay but Sims tend to prepare food and not consume it so use with caution. If you have outdoor retreat you could use a cooler but no cooking skill is gained.Loveseat, sofa or bench for seating (or naps) and single bed for each. Bookcase, small stereo and/or TV for entertainment. These can also be added later to save on the lot budget.Lot Traits: Players choice.You are encouraged to share your starter or remodeled lots using your own personal hashtag and hashtag #TS4TradeOff for this challenge.**#TS4GetFamous Option: {not required} Place the Duck Security© SCR009E Super XL Smart Vault for each Sim to deposit and track their individual income. One vault per Sim will allow you to track income for each one living on the lot.Example of duplex to use in this challenge:Trade Off DuplexDuplex style with both sides outfitted two Sims to live independently. Original by #EQCreations #Duplex for #TS4TradeOff game-play challenge. Place on 30x20 to play the challenge. https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/gallery/2DCAD56828BA11E98E1B26975FCF53D6https://i.servimg.com/u/f77/15/53/35/04/trade_11.jpghttps://i.servimg.com/u/f77/15/53/35/04/trade_10.jpgOther Settings: ¥¥Aging is off for all Sims.Seasons is set at 14 days for each season. If you disable temperature effects on Sims you can still experience the weather without dying of extreme cold or heat.

Playing the challenge: ¥¥As previously mentioned your two Sims must have at least one or more traits opposite the other. Since the housemates have incompatible traits they may tend to sabotage each other. {evil grin}Move in day is on a Sunday. For the duration of the challenge this will be the only day both Sims can be controlled. They live on the same lot but not in a shared space. Seasons are set to 14 days to allow each Sim a full week of each season. It is also a way to track time spent playing. You may start on any Season of your choosing. If you do not have the Seasons pack you can use some other way to track the number of weeks played. =====Decide on the first Sunday who will be controlled that week. Every Monday will be the Trade Off day. Example: Spring Week 1 = Control Sim ASpring Week 2 = Control Sim BPlay this rotation thru at least eight Sim weeks. That will bring you back to the first day of your starting season and be a full Sim year. =====Goals and Achievements at end of Eight Weeks: ¥¥1) Each Sim to complete at least one Aspiration each.2) Reach Skill Level 10 of one or more skills each.3) Career Advancement - Highest level achieved.=====:star: Settings of 14 days for each season makes eight weeks a full year. This can be the end of the challenge or you can continue to play. Amended Rule: 09March2019Sims standing on sidewalk (glitch): Uncontrolled Sim may be directed to go inside after returning from work.Holidays: Adjust holiday activities to suit your gameplay style. Both Sims can be controlled during a holiday. *The uncontrolled Sim can be prompted to complete a holiday tradition. {No fair having multiple holidays just to control both Sims :lol: }- - - - -Thank you all for playing and commenting. :) - - - - -Need to change traits? #TS4TradeOffBeginAgain ReTrait Potionhttps://i77.servimg.com/u/f77/15/53/35/04/captur20.pnghttps://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/gallery/ECEB9BA6396211E9834E26975FCF53D6The Sim of your dreams is finally yours. But then you realize they have truly nightmarish traits ... UGH! Fret no more Polly's Potions and Beads Emporium to the rescue! Serve up this potion to give your new pal a brand new outlook on life. Shared by #EQCreations #ReTraiting #Potion

Credit: Big thank you to my friends for play testing and contributing ideas to this challenge. @Buttonsginger Darren Alexander aka ninhead1011Need to change traits? #TS4TradeOffBeginAgain ReTrait Potionhttps://i77.servimg.com/u/f77/15/53/35/04/captur20.pnghttps://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/pc/gallery/ECEB9BA6396211E9834E26975FCF53D6The Sim of your dreams is finally yours. But then you realize they have truly nightmarish traits ... UGH! Fret no more Polly's Potions and Beads Emporium to the rescue! Serve up this potion to give your new pal a brand new outlook on life. Shared by #EQCreations #ReTraiting #Potion

Yahh.. so okay.... I don't have an attention span to last for generations so this challenge will suit me. Thank you for working on it. I was following along on the 3 little sims thread when you mentioned this idea and I really liked this idea better.I'm going to restart my "challenge" .. I was only a week in so it's not a big deal. Going to put my sims in spoilers below. I made them not as look alikes to any actors, but loosely based on the Odd Couple (old tv show and movie). I have Felix Unger and Oscar Madison. Felix traits are neat, squeamish, and snob. Oscar is a slob, hothead and a bro. Felix will be an artist because there is a job I can follow there (and he can just go to work alone) and Oscar will be a writer and in that career. Here's some pictures because I love them already. I did redo them.. Felix was so fun to play dress up with.Spoiler (Highlight to read)Here is their house. I decided to go for the optional shared kitchen/dining. I actually think they are living quite luxuriously to start but playing for a short time it's really not all that easy. I did put the bookcase in the middle but don't think that's part of the rules so Oscar will get it since he needs to read books for his career in the begining.Spoiler (Highlight to read)I'll put them all up the gallery I have the same name there.. I think.. I've never uploaded anything before.I'm excited to start :).

This looks like *so* much fun! I'm still in the middle of three other games/stories though (EcoExistence, Not-So-Berry, and my pre-Murkland story). I'm just trying to decide if I can squeeze this one in too. :smiley: This game feeds my altoholism just a little too well I think! I might have to start doing rotational play for my worlds/saves so that I can get all these ideas out of my head and into pixels!

Trade Off - TS4 Game-play Challenge by EQCreations

AvrgCrusader
New Spectator
6 years ago
Getting ready to build my duplex when I had a brilliant idea to help my forgetful self remember whose week it is. I'm going to add a small decorative something - it won't be a boost to the environment so won't offer unfair advantage to played Sim - that will get moved each week. That way, when I see it, I'll remember whether it's Ophelia's or Felicia's week. :smile:
EuphorialQueen
Retired Hero
6 years ago
"Faoiltearna;c-16945663" wrote:
Getting ready to build my duplex when I had a brilliant idea to help my forgetful self remember whose week it is. I'm going to add a small decorative something - it won't be a boost to the environment so won't offer unfair advantage to played Sim - that will get moved each week. That way, when I see it, I'll remember whether it's Ophelia's or Felicia's week. :smile:

That is a great idea! I also try to save with the controlled Sim active. I like your idea better. :+1:
Hermitgirl
New Spectator
6 years ago
I'll see if I notice door locking issues with clubs later. I don't have clubs yet but trying to think ahead if something breaks in the sims area that I'm not playing. I guess it's not a cheat if it's an in game mechanic that we are using .. like a household club with repairing as something they do .. or other things for that matter.. hmm. I might post some updates here but frankly don't want to get obnoxious about it lol. I'm enjoying my play so far.

Just adding in my normal door locking without clubs is working fine.
Hermitgirl
New Spectator
6 years ago
Well I hit a week in .. I play slow. I'm on the shared Sunday and I like it. It's like a reward/change of pace thing. I developed my own little backstory for them that rolls in the challenge backstory. My favorite parts of the week was watching what Felix .. the uncontrolled sim was up too. I played the Oscar the slob because I wanted to build some good habits for him.. and also because he will be a writer and have never seen them do that autonomously so wanted to start him down that path at least.

Felix (the uncontrolled sim did mostly what I expected spray cleaned his room table and couch after getting home from work very often and watched tv. I couldn't get him an easel until Wednesday and he never painted autonomously until Sunday after I got him started in his painting skill. I started him painting and now he goes right for it. I might have to get him a few easels for his next uncontrolled time. He did do one other thing that I haven't seen happen all that much in the game. He went out and planted seeds that I put on the ground autonomously. It's a habit of mine to put down one of each seed type as I guess a way of collecting them until I feel like planting them and he decided he wanted them planted. He also cleaned up in the common/dining area..

I did get a lot done on Oscar leveled him in a few skills like cooking, handiness, logic and writing. I could have done more writing but wanted him to be able to handle other things too. He did self-publish 3 books with of course minimal return so far. He always came home from work farting and often angry or tense.

Anyway at the end of the first week they have just over 5k.. from frog breeding, jobs, collecting, harvesting, fishing and a little from book royalties. Oscar of course did the extra money making stuff (except on the first day).. Felix doesn't handle collecting or fishing well lol. So yeah glad I started with Oscar. I guess today will be the day I buy them stuff. Might make Sunday the purchase and renovation day for an added layer. They don't need a whole lot so I'll probably buy little and hoard as much money as possible to keep the bills low.. probably.
I did pick good ways for them both to make money with writing and painting so that won't be a problem shortly... I have gotten them to a status where they could be best friends but not sure I want to make that happen yet... and since I controlled Oscar there has been no major fights ... yet.

I'm going to assume I can take Felix's paintings the next time he's not being controlled and hang the finished ones on the walls to sell later...

I might make them a household club to encourage activities that change depending on what I think they need... like Oscar needs to read now for his job but I think soon he might need to write as his daily task and I could force that if I wanted. I think I might just watch him this week though without added control for funsies.
EuphorialQueen
Retired Hero
6 years ago
"Faoiltearna;c-16945802" wrote:
@EuphorialQueen - if we decide to install the vault, is it one per lot, or one per Sim?

One vault per Sim. I recently learned the vault does not combine funds. Whatever one Sim deposits belongs only to that Sim.
EuphorialQueen
Retired Hero
6 years ago
@Hermitgirl Woah! You are doing great. I use family clubs to boost skills. There should be an activity to practice writing. You may find that a useful activity but I don't think they write books. I know when I use programming there are a lot of those activities started and not finished.
AvrgCrusader
New Spectator
6 years ago
"EuphorialQueen;c-16945943" wrote:
"Faoiltearna;c-16945802" wrote:
@EuphorialQueen - if we decide to install the vault, is it one per lot, or one per Sim?

One vault per Sim. I recently learned the vault does not combine funds. Whatever one Sim deposits belongs only to that Sim.

So if that's the case, couldn't it be one vault per lot? If I'm reading what you wrote correctly, Marshall and Upton could both share a vault, with Marshall's funds being separate from Upton's funds, correct? I'm thinking of the extra space two vaults would take up.
EuphorialQueen
Retired Hero
6 years ago
When one Sim makes a deposit the vault belongs to that Sim only.
Marshall makes a deposit to his vault. The vault then belongs to Marshall and he is the only one with access to that vault.
Upton would not be able to add or withdraw from that vault.
AvrgCrusader
New Spectator
6 years ago
"EuphorialQueen;c-16946238" wrote:
When one Sim makes a deposit the vault belongs to that Sim only.
Marshall makes a deposit to his vault. The vault then belongs to Marshall and he is the only one with access to that vault.
Upton would not be able to add or withdraw from that vault.

Gotcha! Thanks for explaining to migraine brain. :smile: Now to get back to building, and see if I can revamp things to allow for two vaults. Hrm. :grimace:
loyabe
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
I started this challenge as i enjoy the short ones, had a couple of issues. Broken items and getting them repaired, easy enough for the controlled Sims side of the duplex but what about non controlled side. Have been lucky with the plumbing its only broke as i played that side, the stereos however keep breaking. Should stuff be ignored or repair man hired or repaired by Sim?

Illness, my Sims are constantly sick, controlled side gets the giggles every day, uncontrolled side is scratchy. I have already probably cheated here as made both drink medicine but its still coming back. Can i make them drink medicine or orange juice or should i just wait until Sunday and ignore uncontrolled side?