I like to 'tell' stories when I play. So, I create a family that I'm already invested in, for one reason or another, and tell their story. That way, depending on what needs to happen, I can set certain goals to attain as I go along. Right now, I have a rotation save that has my ancestors in it. Two separate households for now, where the eldest of each will get married. I started anew, and aged them down to child. Starting with teen, as I had in the past, made it difficult to instill those values in them by the time they were ready to age up. So, I restarted again. I need both John and Sarah Jane to get As in school and to achieve those values, as it pretty much matches up with who they really were. They lived in the 18th century and while girls weren't normally taught to do much more than be able to keep the books for their husband's business ventures, Sarah Jane was said to have had an 'unusual' education. She could read and write. The two married very young. And not just the South's young. He was only sixteen. So, you see, he has to be an 'over-achiever' in my game to portray him correctly, besides rather mature for his age.
