About Cheating

We're not playing against each other, so cheating is really down to personal preference. I'm an unapologetic cheater, because I'm more about advancing my sims' stories, then playing by the rules. Besides some cheats, like resetsim & some of the build/buy cheats are more like fixes or workarounds to game issues & annoyances than actual cheating.

I cheat for households that I don't play, but never on the ones I actively play. I would have no problems doing it, I've just never felt the need. The game doesn't feel challenging to me even when I don't use the cheats. I'm guilty of abusing exploits here and there but I consider that to be revenge for all the bugs that get in my way.

I cheat all the time, or, I see it as shortcuts instead of cheating. I don't do many challenges but run a diverse and nuanced community, I need to cheat to set things right. Periodically I will play regularly within my little universe, but if I'm say playing a certain meeting between two sims, I won't let full bladder or low hygiene ruin it all, so I mostly cheat on needs. When it comes to money I have a different economy, which is more based on their status than their day to day income. A household is permitted to spend whatever money they like within their "status level". Also might cheat on relations to make romantic interests grow quicker, but normally not so much.

The biggest thing I cheat are the aspirations. The final tier of some aspirations were getting so tedious to complete that it was ruining the game for me.

So I made a rule that I will always permit myself to cheat the final tier of any aspiration, though I can complete it if I want.

"Nindigo;d-954338" wrote:
Whether or not to is something, I think, that divides us players. Personally, I find the statement on this page interesting. And yeah, I do cheat, because I don't seek a challenge from my Sims game. Just relaxation and my kind of fun :)

"Cheating is a big part of the game. Not only is it easy to access, but it’s even something we kinda, sorta, actually encourage." - EA

Yes, I think it allows players to play the game the way they want to play the game. I had Rollercoaster Tycoon when it first came out, and maybe I just wasn't internet-savvy enough (and in any case, I was on dial-up in those days, with a per-minute charge, so I had to be careful with my online time), but I couldn't find cheats to allow me to just build. I didn't want to run a park, just build it, but I'd run out of money. Klepaucius was my best friend in The Sims - at the time, I was a struggling YA and I had no desire to juggle finances in a game.

Personally, I never cheat motives or skills - those are the challenges I enjoy, but some people have other goals, and don't want to stop to feed their Sims. And I know that many people do like to limit their Sims' money to what they can earn. It's always been a sandbox game - it's up to the player to find the play style that works for him or her.

"invisiblgirl;c-16918137" wrote:
Personally, I never cheat motives or skills - those are the challenges I enjoy, but some people have other goals, and don't want to stop to feed their Sims. And I know that many people do like to limit their Sims' money to what they can earn. It's always been a sandbox game - it's up to the player to find the play style that works for him or her.

I think that's probably why sticking to cheating the last tiers of the aspirations works for me. I get annoyed by taking care of my Sims' needs, too, but with the extra aspiration points, getting the reward traits that get rid of their needs is actually a feasible goal.

When it comes to competitive games, cheating for me is a big no no. However, when it comes to the Sims, ALL THE CHEATS. Except the Move Object cheat.

I use cheats to help me tell stories, this why I like the mod that allows me to easily adjust skills, money, relationships and needs, without having to type in the cheat. Sometimes I use cheats to make my Sims’ life WORSE rather than better ?

I like that this is not a competitive game, so we can just do our own thing and not worry about it.

I've always felt the word "cheat" was inaccurate for The Sims franchise. Google's definition of cheat:

cheat
/CHēt/Submit
verb
1.
act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.
"she always cheats at cards"

It doesn't really apply to The Sims as it's a life simulation with no set rules and no way to win or lose. There's nothing dishonest or unfair about using the developer's codes to play the way we want.

If I were participating in a challenge, I wouldn't use them, but I rarely do challenges. With my play style, I do use the "cheats" when I play.

I don't consider it 'cheating' because it doesn't help you win, it is a game you are playing for yourself so there is no winner or loser so who are you 'cheating'. They should be called advantages, why not take any and all advantages you can. On of my personal challenges is to use as few 'cheats' as possible.