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columbia93's avatar
columbia93
Rising Novice
2 years ago

Custom Lifespans - Do you use & what numbers?

With the new lifespans & baby/toddler expansion, I'm redoing my custom lifespan. I've been using the cfg file in MCCC to make changes prior but considering trying it with MCCC in game.

But here's the thing...I play with way longer lifespans than what EA has & am wondering if anyone else does.

The biggest determinant for me is that I feel like there should be 4 seasons in a year and, oddly, EA doesn't let you adjust this down...so that means 28 Sim days in a year. So, being realistic puts my game at over 2000 Sim days! I've been playing it this way for a few years (didn't start playing TS4 until '19 Xmas!) and, since I take it slow, it hasn't really bothered me. I hadn't given it much thought until I saw the days adjusted, Normal, for the latest update, then I started feeling like I must be absolutely alone in this! And a little bit weird!

And now I'm looking at "Normal" and how much I should adjust it down. Which got me to wondering if anyone else adjust their lifespans & what/how they do it!

(BTW, is there a mod out there to adjust seasons to less than 7days?)

Hope to hear from some people - should be fun!
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  • wildirishbanshee's avatar
    wildirishbanshee
    New Novice
    2 years ago
    I don't really sync my lifespan with seasons, but I typically use a modified normal (about double) though right now my aging saves are on long. My seasons are 28 days and lunar cycle is 24 days. Why I can't have 28 day lunar cycles bugs me, but not horribly so.
  • moppy14w's avatar
    moppy14w
    Seasoned Newcomer
    2 years ago
    You're not alone. I'm asking a version of this very question in a post just today. I equate about one year 'real' life with one week in game. This is close to EA Normal lifespan but makes holidays and seasons a shambles.
    I'm thinking of slowing down but maybe not by four times. University, toddler lifespans and pregnancy length (which I mod...) to consider.
  • moppy14w's avatar
    moppy14w
    Seasoned Newcomer
    2 years ago
    Mulling over this again this morning (my time).
    Here is my spreadsheet with the numbers

    https://i.imgur.com/vuxCuPZ.png
  • moppy14w's avatar
    moppy14w
    Seasoned Newcomer
    2 years ago
    "columbia93;c-18252215" wrote:
    Good to know someone else is struggling with this oddity!.


    I'm glad if I've been of help and in turn, I too, am reassured that someone else struggles with this also!

  • carmineskies's avatar
    carmineskies
    Seasoned Rookie
    2 years ago
    I have mine set like this:
    Baby/Newborn = 3 days
    Toddler = 14 days (sometimes I have it at 21 but I find it drags too much)
    Child = 28
    Teen = 35
    YA = 63
    Adult = 70
    Elder = 42

    I plan to set infants at 7 days when MCCC updates for the public. Nothing makes sense with my 2 week seasons but oh well, LOL. It's that or I drive myself crazy with too long or too short agespans.

    If I find I'm getting bored with a sim's life stage I just hurry along the timer and do the same for their friends of the same age, and vice versa if I want more time.
  • Admiral8Q's avatar
    Admiral8Q
    New Spectator
    2 years ago

    It has been about 3 'in-game' years to get back to a played household. If normal vanilla long life was on instead of modded, they would be ghosts by now. If I had autonomous kids (reproduction) on, maybe 5 to 7 generations later after 3 "in-game" years?
    With the new "science babies" Could be an army of clones by now. :D
  • columbia93's avatar
    columbia93
    Rising Novice
    2 years ago
    I've popped in a somewhat "halvsies" with my "Normal" lifespan, using 14 as a year. My numbers are similar to yours, NRowe, although I've given 8 to Child and 8 to Teen (I have HS). I was trying for multiples of 4 so all 4 seasons repeat, except for Baby/Toddler, which I combined at 1 & 3. YA is 16 (20-36), A is then 20. As someone who is 63, I know for sure that I'm not an Elder, so may even adjust that a bit higher...LOL!

    I might try the 7 day year with my "Short" lifespan and see how that works out, especially playing with saves I'm looking to advance quicker. Good to know someone else is struggling with this oddity!

    ***BTW...I know that I need to adjust pregnancy but have yet to see if that adjust separately per lifespan or if I need to switch out cfgs depending on how I'm playing. I didn't know that I'd need to do that with University, though. Will have to run out and see what's going on there! Thx... :smile:
  • columbia93's avatar
    columbia93
    Rising Novice
    7 months ago

    "Carmine;c-18252241" wrote:
    I have mine set like this:
    Baby/Newborn = 3 days
    Toddler = 14 days (sometimes I have it at 21 but I find it drags too much)


    These 3 were hard. I wanted to like the Infant stage but turns out you can't do much with them. At least when they make it to Toddler, you can do more with teaching them to walk and talk, etc. I feel like the walking thing could have been given to the Infants because babies IRL actually start with standing/walking 6-9 months. Toddler seems more like an "already walking" age and when they learn to speak and can be potty trained. I don't mind toddler so much because you can send them to daycare. I think there's a mod for preschool, but I've not looked into it yet!

    I have child & teen the same because that's kind of the way it is IRL but am thinking about changing it so teens are longer, like you have!
  • columbia93's avatar
    columbia93
    Rising Novice
    7 months ago
    "NRowe;c-18250912" wrote:
    Mulling over this again this morning (my time).
    Here is my spreadsheet with the numbers

    https://i.imgur.com/vuxCuPZ.png


    I like your spreadsheet and may have to adapt it to my needs, LOL! I made a rough set of columns on scrap paper and have found it to be insufficient, especially as I'm going through every family in every NH in every save (you'll never believe how large that number is!) in order to reset ages to what I want at the span I selected. That way I can get a better "spread" so everyone has a playmate!

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