Forum Discussion

EmmaVane's avatar
EmmaVane
Seasoned Veteran
3 years ago

Lot Challenges/Lot Traits - How do you use yours?

So I'm currently setting up for a BACC style save to force myself to actually build up the worlds for once.

I decided to assign 2 lot challenges to each lot, on a world-by-world basis.

So far my plan is:


  • Willow Creek - Spooky/Cursed (based on New Orleans hauntings/voodoo)
  • Oasis Springs - Filthy/? (I figure all that sand/dust will get everywhere. Not sure what else to pick here, though)
  • Newcrest - Reduce & Recycle/Simple Living (this neighbourhood has fishing ponds/grills/edible plants and is a new development area so would likely encourage eco living)
  • Sulani - Volcanic Activity/OTG (they would have to make own power locally and the volcano could shoot lava bombs further than that one lot)
  • Forgotten Hollow - Spooky/Creepy Crawlies (it needs ghosts and bats & bugs seem appropriate with Vamps and Mosquito Traps)
  • Del Sol Valley - Quake Zone/Reduce & Recycle (Based on San Andreas fault and hippy California)
  • StrangerVille - Filthy/Gremlins (dust everywhere and vines/strange weather breaking plumbing/electronics)
  • Henford-on-Bagley - Wild Foxes/Simple Living (might change Wild Foxes to something else in the town, though)


Any other ideas? I might also adjust per zone in towns where the zones vary a lot from each other, such as in San Myshuno and Windenburg.

If you manually pick them... Do you guys pick lot challenges/traits this way? Do you base it on whatever you build/the sims that live there?

If you randomise... Do you use the one off randomiser in the UI? Do you randomise periodically either manually or with MCCCs function?
  • I use a mix of Who lives here and What do I need for my story.

    A family that values highspeed internet connection will always find a way to install that, although in zones where it would seem out of place (Forgotten Hollow comes to mind), they have to pay a one time fee. The game needs money sinks, and paying for lot traits (or for removing lot challenges) is a good one.

    Lot challenges also make for good timers. I don't want to roll a die every day in my fishing challenge to see whether Moby D. appears, so I gave the lot the Earthquake trait. When it triggers, that means Moby D. attacks. In the context of a BACC, the rule could be that after 3 earthquakes a positive lot trait will get unlocked, something like Good Soil, Geothermic Heat or Penny fairies.
    • iatioussimming85's avatar
      iatioussimming85
      Seasoned Novice

      Yes, like after a fire happens on a lot, especially in appropriate areas, like Selvadorada, or Del Sol Valley, some lots earn the Great Soil trait?

  • To me it doesn't make sense to assign lot challenges just based on world. Some things are annoying enough not to want them in my game on every lot. I do enjoy the simple living challenge and I think I now use it on most of my lots, if not all. For everything else, I just assign them based on what the lot is intended for, it's surroundings and it's owners, sometimes it helps with their traits, sometimes not, and some lot traits that help with skill building I use only on community lots to encourage my sims to get out of their houses.
  • I also tend to assign lot traits by whom will be living there. If there will be children (if not already) I assign the Child's Play Trait. If I have an aspiring Chef, the trait that would make skilling in this aspiration easier. Just for fun, I moved in a family in HoB to a lot that had the Wild Foxes Trait. I quickly learned to remove that one. I am currently playing a Rock Star, so I give his lot the Good Acoustics Trait. And so forth and so on.
  • I use world themes in different games and hoods but the closest I come to the stuff you are doing is with my Murkland save which is off the grid. Otherwise it's per lot for some of the grungy stuff.
  • Lucy_Henley's avatar
    Lucy_Henley
    Seasoned Novice
    I assign them based on the Sims living there, and their traits/jobs etc, so outgoing Sims who like to build their Charisma skill usually have the Convivial trait and so on. There are some I’ve never assigned and some I assign all the time.
  • EmmaVane's avatar
    EmmaVane
    Seasoned Veteran
    I plan to add extra ones for families living there too. I generally use Reduce & Recycle (waste overflows and attracts pests if not managed) and Simple Living for everyone, as well as the Homey trait if they don't have staff to cook/fix etc. I also use Filthy for Gardeners/Farmers/Slobs, Grody for Slobs and Spooky for older homes where sims likely died etc too.

    However, as I'm making all the worlds blank for this, I figured each world/zone could have a base-level status too.

    I can also cross-reference Lot Challenges with Lot Traits or terrain/build features. For example, a lot with Volcanic Activity has the potential for Geothermal Energy, but it wouldn't make sense somewhere else. Lots with ponds/lakes/moats/streams might have them because of a Natural Well, or a home with a lot of windows and no dense landscape might receive a lot of Natural Lighting.

    I'd rather make the Traits/Challenges fit the lots/area first, and have sims move in based on that as it seems a more cohesive and parallel-to-real-life way to do things. NAPs could then develop appropriately after based on those who move in there, further impacting who wants to live there.
  • I personally assign per lot according to the family who lives there, not per world.

    Because to me, not every single house is effected by the same thing.

    Like if a sim living in a house is a slob, then I would add the Filthy trait to lot.

    I would not assign that same trait to say the Landgraabs because obviously they are wealthy enough and would have hired help to keep the house in pristine condition.