7 years ago

Gameplay Tips that makes the game more fun/realistic/unpredictable?

Is there anything you do in your game that adds more drama and complexity or increases the depth of your gameplay? Is there any details that greatly improved your gameplay experience?

- You can include interactions, in-game features, and playstyles that you discovered.
- It's okay to mention mods but gameplay that is entirely dependent upon mods (like Road to Fame and Go to School) is not part of the discussion.

I will start with some of my own:

- Use interactions base on your sims' personalities, a.k.a. not always use what will definitely work. I have a sim that flirts with every hot single guy she meets when she barely knows them, but her roommate does the opposite. Her roommate only starts flirting with guys after they have a high friendship level, and she will use "confess attraction" as soon as it is available. They both get a lot of rejections, but I think that makes the game much more realistic, since I always find romance in game predictable before.

- If it doesn't work, it doesn't. This has become my principle, and my gameplay improves so much after I figured this out. Whether it's romance or friendship or business, if it fails, just let it fail and move on. I used to try to justify everything and try again and again but it always seems forced. Sometimes I even cheat to get my sims to be partners or friends with a particular sim, but now I just accept that they are just not compatible.

- Try not to care about money too much. At first, when I play with a household that has a very limited fund, all I care about is leveling up their career and skills. I choose to let them stay at home every night to finish their daily tasks, and let them find collectibles/paint for money. I've missed out so much. Now I just don't care about household funds anymore. Some sims are rich from day 1; some are pretty comfortable despite not making the cut for "rich" sims; some started off poor and are career-oriented, but I wouldn't miss out all the fun things just to level up their career; some sims will stay in poverty and be fine with that.

- If you have Get Together, you can "Ask about another sim" "talk up another sim" (make them friends) "hook up with another sim" "trash another sim" and "ask to break up with another sim." I love these features, as it will actually influence the relaltionships between your sims.

- In CAS, I have "rules" for how each sim would like to dress up (I usually just memorize those but if it is something important I might write it in household bio). Some elders hate any dress that is shorter than knee length (*Cough* Miss Crumplebottom...I'm talking about you...). Some girls will never wear any outfit that shows her cleavage, while some others love provocative clothing. Some sims don't have their ears pierced so they will never have any earrings. Also, inspired by the Paragons, I start to give my sims and their best friends matching bracelets/necklaces. Not every sim are into that idea, but some do.

tips

26 Replies

loubyloulou
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
If something weird/random/unexpected happens, I've learned to supress my inner control freak (mostly!) and roll with it. For example, in my legacy challenge that I've been playing since day one, my latest heir - a really cute little kid - decided autonomously to dry some laundry... I bet you can guess where this going... Yes, up in flames. With much gritting of teeth I managed to stop myself quitting without saving and play the storyline out despite feelings of guilt :#
alan650
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
"loubyloulou;c-16484767" wrote:
If something weird/random/unexpected happens, I've learned to supress my inner control freak (mostly!) and roll with it. For example, in my legacy challenge that I've been playing since day one, my latest heir - a really cute little kid - decided autonomously to dry some laundry... I bet you can guess where this going... Yes, up in flames. With much gritting of teeth I managed to stop myself quitting without saving and play the storyline out despite feelings of guilt :#

My sim child went up in flames yesterday because of the dryer too! However, his big sister managed to put him out before it was too late!!
EmmaVane
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
When it comes to wardrobes I tend to have each sim have a signature colour or 2, as well as a style (goth, nerdy, casual etc) and make all their outfits fit that. I usually choose their style based on personality/job etc.

Sims without the Collector aspiration might still collect something in particular (loves animals so collects frogs/fish/aliens/insects or is a hippy into collecting crystals), or different items that go together (collectables and buy mode items that have a matching theme, like cityscape paintings & city themed snowglobes, or map and globes etc. for the veteran traveller).

I let sims choose their own friends/enemies/lovers by letting them be autonomous (I do have extra autonomy mods in too) and following Whims.

I have a mod in that randomises traits on each birthday instead of showing the trait/aspiration picker (you could also do this with external randomisers though).

I lock 5 random skills for CAS-created sims when I first play them (YA/teen) and 5 more when they reach adult age. For born in game they get randomised and locked at toddler/teen/adult birthdays. I might unlock a locked skill in elderhood as a rediscovered hobby etc. (This requires mods). This ensures that all sims I play have different abilities and may have to consider career/hobby choices from a more limited pool of options etc.

(E.G. Sim A has cooking looked, but not baking, so they use that as their main form of sustanance. Sim B has logic locked, so putting them in the science career is a terrible idea, but you can still do it for the lols if you want.)
loubyloulou
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
@EmmaVane, what autonomy mods do you have?
Amandele
Seasoned Spectator
7 years ago
I have a mod who reduces the chances of getting pregnant when trying for baby and it made my storylines way more interesting!
The first time I used it, I was playing an adult couple and the wife wanted a successful lineage. I wanted her to be the perfect mother and raise a bunch of kids to become the rising stars of San Myshuno but it turned out she wouldn't get pregnant. She tried for almost 3 simweeks twice a day (luckily, my lifespan is set on long). In the end she did give birth to a little girl and let me tell you that baby has been the most loved simchild I ever had! Also the couple ended up adopted their second child which i usually never do.

I also like to follow the whims of my Sims to let them choose who they want to befriend.

Once I had a teen girl who I wanted to be shy. I couldn't choose between two boys to be her boyfriend and thought she wouldn't be the kind to seduce two persons at once. So I waited and eventually, one of the boys invited her on a date (even though they hadn't had any romantic interactions ever).

Also, I started to play with townies. Recently I started a save with Bob and Eliza Pancakes. I created their families (a widowed mother for Bob, 3 siblings, mother,father, nieces and nephews for Eliza). I randomized their traits and created a story out of it. It resulted in jealousy between sisters, family dinners turning to fights, argument about the will at Eliza's father's funeral and Bob convincing the husband of his sister-in-law (it's actually J Huntington, with whom he became best friend) to get a divorce...

I eventually realised the game could create a lot of drama itself without me working to make it happen. Since then, I enjoy it a lot more!
Perthelia
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
Whenever a fire starts, I sit back and watch it burn.
bmso85
7 years ago
"Simpatsyann;c-16484972" wrote:
Whenever a fire starts, I sit back and watch it burn.

Same here.
WrathfulAgony
7 years ago
I'm similar when it comes to wardrobes. I only choose clothing that makes sense for the style and character of the Sim. An intelligent, classy female Sim I have will never wear extremely provocative clothing. At best, she'll only show a very slight amount of cleavage and that's only in her own home.

My main male Sim will never wear shirts with deep V-necks. Not his thing in the slightest and his hair is always in dreadlocks.

"Simpatsyann;c-16484972" wrote:
Whenever a fire starts, I sit back and watch it burn.

Hah, a big fire started in my Sims home yesterday. Took me 10 RL minutes to put it out. I might do your idea, though.

"loubyloulou;c-16484767" wrote:
If something weird/random/unexpected happens, I've learned to supress my inner control freak (mostly!) and roll with it. For example, in my legacy challenge that I've been playing since day one, my latest heir - a really cute little kid - decided autonomously to dry some laundry... I bet you can guess where this going... Yes, up in flames. With much gritting of teeth I managed to stop myself quitting without saving and play the storyline out despite feelings of guilt :#

I may do this, except with pregnacies. Tired of taking care of toddlers. -.-
foussiremix
7 years ago
I let the autonomy do its work.
I have 8 sims in my household watching them interact without my interference is cool.
For some Reason, all of them hate Miko.
For example, some of them sit together in a group while there is that one lonely sim sitting somewhere.
EgonVM
Seasoned Ace
7 years ago
I use the "Imperfect Sim Rule". This means that every sim must have at least one negative trait. If all the personality traits are good, I just make sure at least one of the character value is in red when sim becomes a young adult. It makes the game more interesting.
Also, I make a graveyard (Generic) lot where I put the gravestones.
+I put the family portrait in the every house. The Sims Mobile values I guess...