I've been playing one save file for over 4 years. That is a rotational save file, that included (at its start) - 4 generations. Great grandparents, grand parents, parents, and teen children. I played with aging off, and made "events" using Seasons expansion for their birthdays, which I would have every "sim year" so they would all get to experience "living" I would switch every 3 Sim days to another family. Each family, had their own home and extended family. This resulted in 6 families to start. Today its closer to 30.
Since that time, the great grandparents and the grandparents have died off. The teens are adults, with their own teen children about to head off to college, and the parents are now grandparents. In addition to the regular families, which I continue to switch from every 3-5 days. The families get together for holidays and birthdays, and the same "year" principal applies to the new children. I have also added many families to meet the need for friends of the growing children as well as the adults. These "friends" are used as future life partners, as well as friends to attend parties and outings.
I still play with aging off. I have also "fleshed out" the lifestyles now. So with the babies (they get aged up immediately) With the toddlers, they "appear" as young babies using mods for around a year to a whole sim year. This is done with baby hairs, and baby booties, bonnets, and onesies, and full outfits, which appear as something a younger baby would wear. I also have "smaller" toddler beds, which have "cribs" around them, and other baby related items for cc. This is usually only until they level up their movement skill though, once they start running, I typically raise their heights back up and dress them in more "traditional" toddler clothes, with longer hair, and less baby features. I also change their bed to a traditional toddler bed, delete "baby item" cc (like deco diapers and diaper bags and younger toys) - I also remove the diapers cc I have them wearing and put on their Pullup cc I made once they learn to use the potty on their own. This is also when the toddlers begin to eat the same food as everyone else. When they are "baby toddlers" they only eat food that is made from a mod which allows for baby plates, bottles, and mashed cereal, as well as the applesauce and peas from the game (more traditional baby foods for young toddlers) After they age into an older toddler, they can eat regular food and have sippy cups. This is also when I enroll my older toddlers in pre-school using mods.
After a year usually of "older" toddlerhood, I age that toddler up into a child. I use the height slider to make my children smaller, while dressing them in "younger" appearing children clothing. I make their bedrooms more "juvenile" using mods and themes for their bedroom with cc. They engage in "younger" child things, like playing outside on the swingset and watching custom movies. They also typically have unkempt hair, mismatching clothes and socks, just to give the illusion they are a young child. They might also join the scouting options or join an after school group using mods. I imagine this age of the child to be 7-9. I also change their appearance with mods for teeth and in game options (this applies to all the child age groups. Younger toddlers will have only a few teeth, which I gradually fill in over time using mods.
After about a year of this, I raise their height and use the "pre-teen" mod, to make them appear as pre-teens. This changes their body shape, and makes them appear older. I also change their hair and add makeup. They get clothing that appears "older" and also journals. I use mods to hold sleepovers and outings, and they also begin "dating" with mods. I use a cellphone restriction mod to restrict cellphone use, and this is also the time, the pre-teen gets access to their cellphone. I also update their rooms to appear "less childish" and more "grown up" but not" teen level grown. I have cc that looks "pre-teen" They can also join more after school activities using mods, as well as "tween reading materials" (mods) I usually give them braces at this time too.
Of course from here, I age them to teens, and they are also shrunk a little using a height slider, so they don't appear as adults. The same typical teen life follows. Including dates and school, as well as more after school activities, as well as college prep with University EP. Later bedtimes also follow and more advanced reading materials (mod) This is when they'll learn how to cook and start to gain lifeskills.
From there, its just typical young adult life.. sometimes they move out, sometimes they go to college. Usually they'll begin dating and trying to find a life partner, while working and figuring out what they want to do with their lives... until the cycle repeats and a new generation is born.
--- So basically, how I play with my rotational play, is LOTS of generations and families with full fleshed out lifestyles and LOTS of MODS.. LOL. I switch to a new house every 3-5 Sim days, and play with aging off. I did play with aging on for the first couple Sim years, and this was a VERY bad idea. All my older sims started dying off one after the other, and it resulted in deaths in homes that no one was there to witness. The graves were deleted, and the grieving family members had no place to pay their respects. (I've since added a graveyard lot using mods) and also elder sims get moved to a nursing home now, so the graves of the deceased no longer disappear if they are the last person living in the house. I also have funerals with mods as well. From birth to death, I've used the game (mostly mods) to completely experience every aspect of life and every life stage to the fullest for many generations. I don't have a goal in this, just to continue to give each sim their own life, experiences, and ambitions, and goals.
