Avoiding (ultimately) “cookie cutter” Sims…
Anyone else find their many, many Sims end up much the same as each other? I’m not taking in looks (though to a certain extent that can happen too) but the way they can end up living and reacting t...
Forum Discussion
I'm not one to give game playing advice as my main focus is always world obsessively perfect save file/world building and because of this I have chronic restartitis.
However, as I download almost everything (with the exception of pre made makeovers, which I choose to do myself sometimes, all my sims and builds are downloaded from the gallery), I often find real inspiration in the builds and families I download in terms of storytelling.
Here's a recent example: I downloaded a messy apartment that PlumbobKingdom built using the basement kit heavily. I also had a three person family waiting in the wings that I'd downloaded. They have a Jewish surname, and the woman's traits include materialistic, so it gave me a fun idea for a story: this apartment has been passed down generation to generation since the family left Eastern Europe many years ago. They have it on permanent rent control, but the wife, who is married into the family, REALLY wants to move to a standalone property upstate (in my game, Upstate is Copperdale). The father is really attached to the apartment and has hoarded a bunch of keepsakes throughout the years. This has led to a lot of conflict and squabbling even though deep down the family loves each other.
Basically what I'm saying is that sometimes giving up some agency by downloading lots or families can act as inspiration or story prompts. Some very talented simmers that focus on CAS even have built in stories in their family descriptions that are full of drama. You can use that description as a starting point. You can go even further by downloading really dramatic save files. I plan to do this myself, I just am waiting for my two favorite save file builders to be "done" with their files.
However, as I download almost everything (with the exception of pre made makeovers, which I choose to do myself sometimes, all my sims and builds are downloaded from the gallery), I often find real inspiration in the builds and families I download in terms of storytelling.
Here's a recent example: I downloaded a messy apartment that PlumbobKingdom built using the basement kit heavily. I also had a three person family waiting in the wings that I'd downloaded. They have a Jewish surname, and the woman's traits include materialistic, so it gave me a fun idea for a story: this apartment has been passed down generation to generation since the family left Eastern Europe many years ago. They have it on permanent rent control, but the wife, who is married into the family, REALLY wants to move to a standalone property upstate (in my game, Upstate is Copperdale). The father is really attached to the apartment and has hoarded a bunch of keepsakes throughout the years. This has led to a lot of conflict and squabbling even though deep down the family loves each other.
Basically what I'm saying is that sometimes giving up some agency by downloading lots or families can act as inspiration or story prompts. Some very talented simmers that focus on CAS even have built in stories in their family descriptions that are full of drama. You can use that description as a starting point. You can go even further by downloading really dramatic save files. I plan to do this myself, I just am waiting for my two favorite save file builders to be "done" with their files.
