How Do You Play Vampires?

I had one male vampire that fell in love with a mermaid. She did not want to leave the sea so he was racing to develop a vampire cure so that they could live in the sun together.

A vampire child was born into a “human” family. The parents broke up when she was a child. Every other week she lives in Sulani with her dad and every other with her mom in Windenburg. She plans to move to the Forgotten Hollow when she ages up. None of her parents really prioritized her needs.

I like having a vampire create a family with a sim that is not a vampire. Then I make the kids in CAS with the sim of having one vampire child and then one or two like the other parent. Sims know who their grand-parent is but after that there is no family tree connection. At that point I usually let them retire from the world. Drink a vampire cure and celebrate birthdays at a accelerated speed so that they die of old age while there still is someone in the household who knows who they are.

I have a mod that made vampire attacks happen again. Sometimes I make scary vampires that can frighten my regular sims.

Vampires are nice to have on a rotation. Then you get a break every now and then. I also mod them to age up until adults when they stop. I just got tired of YA’s and let the vampires become really well kept adults instead.

I play 2 rivaling clans - the Trad and the Modern. The latter try to live like humans not feeding from sims.
Every 15 years each clan leader elect one member to join the battle, where two vampires go through a specific routine including spar(?), and the loser will be sacrificed to the Sun on the last day of the 15 year feast. It's a way for the leader to get rid of ant problem member, but also a way for me to kill of a vamp, as they live forever unless I help.

Count Vlad IV of Hollow is still leading the Traditional clan, and at the upcoming battle I believe he might turn in his eldest son, who refused to be faithful to the trad stuff, but rather wants to be a happy, colorful and responsible vampire. The leader of the Modern clan is Sophus Gorgel (aka Lord Wolfsbane), who originally grew up as a lord of the very well known House of Ross (they hold the dukedom of Rossie, which Hollow is a party of).

There's more, like residents paying house rent by offering plasma. But that's another story :)

I play my own vampires somewhat similarly to how they're portrayed in Andrzej Sapkowski's stories (the ones in which Geralt of Rivia became famous). In my backstory there was no "conjunction of the spheres" to explain how vampires came to exist as an entirely different species alongside humans (and other races/species), but I've left myself some open-ended references to some sort of arrival in the far, far distant past.

In my version of their history vampires were probably originally extraterrestrials, but not of the Sixam sort, and I've deliberately left that part of their history vague in case I want to expand upon it at some later time. I don't have as many vampire types as Sapkowski's stories do (which are a wide variety between the grotesque and monstrous lower forms and the beautiful and brilliant highest form), but I do have a couple of varieties that are often indistinguishable between each other in terms of appearance. There are the Progenitors (the originals and descendants of the original bloodlines) and the Offspring, who are created by something more akin to genetic manipulation/mutation than magic, but of course it looks like magic in the game itself (in the form of giving and receiving plasma in order have the necessary genetic material). The way it looks is only ceremonial in my universe. ;) Vlad himself isn't considered a progenitor in my universe, but rather one of the earlier Offspring.

Similarly to the vampires created by Mr. Sapkowski, my vampires aren't really afraid of or damaged by sunlight, but most prefer to keep mostly to themselves (they consider other species generally less worthy than themselves, but they reserve outright hatred for directly perceived insults or injury), so many of them don't go about during the day. They don't consume plasma for sustenance as often as the game wants them to, because they consider it a delicacy, something to be more rare and treasured than many vampire tales tend to depict vampire hunger/thirst. In terms of gamplay, I have to "play pretend" a good bit with all that, but I've found it mostly easy to ignore the game's way of doing things. And when my vampires eventually gain the perks that let them truly be the plasma connoisseurs most of them strive to someday become, it becomes even easier to mingle with other species whenever they want such amusements.

That's not to say there aren't some that deviate from the ultimate goal of becoming the pinnacle of their cultural ideals. There certainly are. Some purposely play up the "rumor mill" version of vampires that were made up over the span of time since they first arrived. For some, that's their game. :lol:

My vamps are pretty domesticated, and I tend to play mixed families, so my vamps usually just do many of the normal things that normal sims would do—with some exceptions like working more/going out more at night time, biting their lovers or spouses (or random folks, if they’re not picky) for blood, and training their powers, etc. :smile:

I plan to level up some vamps so they can walk in the sun, but I tend to get a bit lazy on the leveling front, lol.

I love my vamps. I have a story of three immortal sisters that drive my game play. 1 Sister is a witch - she runs a magic school. 1 sister is a mermaid and as such the mother of all mermaids. 1 is a vamp. In my game she is and the mother of all vampires and vamp queen.

I play my own version of the Vampire Family Legacy. Vamps “can’t” have kids in my game. Ultimately she is growing her vampire clans. She has a human sim that lives in the clan as her personal plasma source. The human sim acts as a way to “mark the generations that pass.” She can only turn 1 sim at a time. That new sim has to reach level 3 vamp/Prime before she can turn the next one. She trains them all up. They have to master certain powers before they go. Only certain sims are bestowed the ability to turn others. They all work on 1 skill at a time and work to master it before moving on.

I do have some in the clan on permanent hibernation depending on what I’m focusing on. I play a lot with interpersonal drama.

Once she has 3 vamps at prime status they can move out and start their own clan in a town outside Forgotten Hollow. She gets cranky and punishes vamps who haven’t been approved to turn someone - there have been a few sunlight deaths.

I’ve had sims run off to be good vamps that she’s hunted endlessly. Others that are werewolf sympathisers which she feuds. Other vamps that I’ve made really evil. Drinking the town dry, putting sims in prisons in the basement to feed on. She goes and fights them. If she wins… they come back to the main clan house…. And are subjected to the sun.

"elanorbreton;d-1000710" wrote:
They don't seem very vampire-y, apart from the drinking of blood.

I think that's your issue. It boils down to "what is a vampire?" To some, they are just people, different in their own ways. To others they are demigods, myths, boogeymen.

The other question is "what is a vampire when they aren't a vampire?" This relates to the in-between times of "vampiric activity". How would you play a normal family? Now what does vampirism add that could spice each aspect up?

• Does one parent love to cook? Well perhaps they throw parties regularly so that they and their partner can find potential recurrent victims.
  
• Perhaps one or both parents use their abilities on their children in order to parent more effectively (Command, Deprive Needs, etc).
  
• Perhaps both parents have completed the 'Serial Romantic' aspiration, and "date night" includes unsuspecting mortals they "play with" to spice up their long, long, long love life.
  
• Perhaps a "family outing" includes lessons on proper "dining", and using the children as bait.
  
• If they can't go out in the daytime, simply flip your playstyle's timetable to nighttime adventures, and have them hibernate the day away.
  

Vampires are, at heart, just mortals, save for the lack of a deadline in life and a myriad of abilities at their disposal. Take that and run with it. In fact, they live so long, you could effectively play them as their own generations (living different lives over time, just to do whatever comes to mind).

If it's still not working for you, I've a few ideas you could incorporate into family gameplay, allowing you to have fun with the parents, whilst getting to know vampirism more in-depth and awaiting the children's coming-of-age.

Edit: I realised I hadn't answered the "how do you play" question.

Aside from varying vampire types (to switch up the gameplay), I play them as people whose concepts of morality (slowly but surely) begin to wane. What happens when time is no longer a marathon with a finish line? What happens when mortals begin to fall all around you? What happens when you can simply take what you want, with no-one the wiser? What happens when "forever" isn't just a word spoken by the lovesick or those in despair? What happens when greatness becomes just a hobby?

It's a fun thought experiment, and even more fun to play.

No clue about the "Parched" moodlet. Never had that happen to a vampire child before.

"elanorbreton;c-18134729" wrote:
That's great, thanks @Cinebar

I probably didn't explain very well. I already know about the powers etc, what I am interested in is how people actually play their vampires. I mean, they don't need to cook, they don't need to sleep - they have a lot of time on their hands...

Oh, I thought you were asking why they aren't very vampy when you asked if there was anything more about them to see, play. I must of misunderstood and why I gave you the link to show you they can be very vampy if particular things are chosen and they don't have to stay inside if the right perk is chosen etc. I'm sorry I thought you were asking why they are dull.

I have four saves where I play a lot with vampires. Two are stories I'm writing as SimLit as well.

Kassandra - Teen vampire who did not know she was a vampire until she lost control and drank from her best friend. At the urging of her aunt (who is a vampire-human liaison in Forgotten Hollow) she moved to stay with her and is now starting school at a vampire high school (I made my own school, and use Triplis "teens and children quit school" mod and the club system to have a playable school).

Reuben - 400+ year old vampire police detective with a troubled past and personal connections to an even older vampire who is currently a bit of a high society mob boss. He also has an alien roommate he's having trouble getting along with, human apartment neighbors he's also having trouble getting along with, and he secretly also works as a private detective at night (which will get him in trouble at his police job if it's found out).

Victor (aka Mr. R) - He lives in a haunted house, and he occasionally does gig work as a paranormal investigator. There is a human man who is boarding with him that he isn't telling all his secrets too...

Damico - My very first vampire sim. He is an artist who paints and does night-time photography. He's engaged to a human. Currently, I am playing that in order to marry his human fiance, he has get approval from all the senior vampires and the leader of the vampire coven. Not all of them totally approve of the idea of him marrying a human. Also his fiance's best friend doesn't like him. And (pending my purchase of the Werewoves pack) might be a werewolf.

Edit to add a further thought - I think vampires are the most fun to play with when you do a little "world building" in your own head regarding how vampires are seen in that world. Are they completely out in the open members of society? Are they hidden and thought a myth by humans? Are they feared because their blood drinking? Are they admired and respected because of their long lives and acquired wisdom? Do they live among humans? Do they have their own secluded communities and rules? etc. More story ideas may occur if you give them a context to happen in.

No need to be sorry, lovely @Cinebar they have been pretty dull for me so far...

I made a vampire club now though (gtw club system) and this seems to be the only way I can get other vampires to turn up at my vampire nexus lot. They all do vampire stuff there, which is cool. And a lot more humans are turning up there too, to have a bite from.

Love your ideas @KyreRoen

I admit often make my vampires hibernate because in a family it can get tiring to look after their thirst (and not everyone want to order those drinks from a computer). Not much of playing, but very vampire like. My vampires are currently centering in Windenburg. In the old town I have the free love NAP, I pretend it's a charm vampires placed there. There is an old castle where the head vampire lives, I plan to start a vampire council club with him. There's another vampire club too at the old cathedral where the vampires play instruments and sims can make blood donations (voluntary or involuntary). I have a couple of good vampires, but the rest of them prefer to drink from sims. I also recently started a vampire coven next to that castle I mentioned. My understanding is that vampires grouping together easily lose their humanity so I'll probably play it out like that. Overall it's very hard for me to play immortal sims because I eventually like my sims to die. The plans with them are very long term which is why they make good side characters to host institutional buildings. I have Lilith Vatore looking after my elderly home and I feel it's a handy arrangement for everyone.

Edit: I didn't want it to sound like they would be losing their humanity as gameplay mechanics, it's just something I picked up from True Blood.

Edit 2: Forgot my vampires are also infertile! They need to master the herbalism skill and create fertility potion to get a child. One of my vampires had a baby before this rule though, but the lot was on the ley-line, so potentially that can also overcome the infertility.