Hi everyone! There are some spoilers here but I'm trying to be vague.I feel a bit crazy, because all the comments I keep seeing about Strangerville imply the playthrough was super easy and took a few hours. I've been playing for weeks and can't seem to finish, I find it hard.So basically I have been playing cheat free, so in saving up money to *buy* required items and all the pausing to take care of needs and the time required for work etc it's taking me some time - don't know if that's the case for others or not. Beyond that getting all the required ingredients has been brutally slow. When I finally accomplished that and all the vaccines were administered they turned down my offer to help (I got 1/3). No big deal they 'thanks for hanging out but I have to leave' and I planned to keep building relationship and ask again. However a sim day or two later after all needs addressed... I can't ask them to fight the mother, they aren't recently vaccinated. I want to scream at the idea of gathering ingredients again and making more and then trying again, especially with load times visiting the lab etc. I feel like an idiot that I'm not accomplishing what is so easy for everyone else, so I decided to look for help after scouring online and not finding others with my same issue (if I missed a similar post, apologies for the duplication).My questions are:1) Has anyone else had trouble completing the story?2) Does anyone know how *long* you have until the request help to fight option disappears?3) Does anyone know how to gather spores faster?4) Does anyone know a way to enter a cheat to get people to have the option to 'request help' if not recently vaccinated? (I'm so annoyed I'm abandoning my no cheats idea ha)Any other tips/tricks would be appreciated. Again, aware of how stupid I must sound, but figured worth a shot!Thanks in advance!

If you're okay with cheating, turn cheats on, and enter the cheat bb.showhiddenobjects. Then go into build mode, search "debug", scroll a bit, and you can buy vaccines.Otherwise, I would suggest moving a few sims in with you that you would like to fight with so you have them nearby when you're ready. Gather more materials than you need so if you run out of vaccines it will take less time to make them again.

Thank you @Chazzzy and @citysimmer for your speedy help!!!These are wonderful tips. I was either getting 0 or 1 spores previously. And my scanner had to recharge SO. MUCH. I'll try scanning there and cheating relationships. I like just buying the vaccine too. I too made the mistake of vaccinating randoms and not knowing you had to be close or I might have been more cautious in who I cured xDThank you both again for helping me save a shred of sanity this time around!

I have to confess that I cheated a bit and bought spores from the catalogue after using the BB.showhidden objects cheat. Then, after wasting loads of vaccine on sims who would not help me fight, I ended up buying vaccines too. I would have gone mad if I'd had to do it the hard way. At the time, I did not realise that you can only have a maximum of three sims to help you fight, so I wasted time and resources trying to build up a bigger team. Basically, all you need are three sims with whom your sim has a friendly relationship of 50% or more, vaccinate them, recruit them and take your team straight to the lab.Incidentally, something else I only found out the hard way, is that when you fight, you are supposed to direct how the fighting is done. I don't want to give too much away here, but don't just start the fight and hope for the best - that way you are likely to lose. My sims fought and lost four times, before I realised there was an option to direct their actions. Then they won easily.

"FKM100;c-17018210" wrote:Incidentally, something else I only found out the hard way, is that when you fight, you are supposed to direct how the fighting is done. I don't want to give too much away here, but don't just start the fight and hope for the best - that way you are likely to lose. My sims fought and lost four times, before I realised there was an option to direct their actions. Then they won easily.Also, make extra vaccines as you can throw them at the Mother and command teammates to throw vaccines at her as well, which does extra damage!

Strangerville Help? | EA Forums

Blu3Glasses
6 years ago
If you're okay with cheating, turn cheats on, and enter the cheat bb.showhiddenobjects. Then go into build mode, search "debug", scroll a bit, and you can buy vaccines.

Otherwise, I would suggest moving a few sims in with you that you would like to fight with so you have them nearby when you're ready. Gather more materials than you need so if you run out of vaccines it will take less time to make them again.
cozycorg
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
Thank you @Chazzzy and @citysimmer for your speedy help!!!

These are wonderful tips. I was either getting 0 or 1 spores previously. And my scanner had to recharge SO. MUCH. I'll try scanning there and cheating relationships. I like just buying the vaccine too.

I too made the mistake of vaccinating randoms and not knowing you had to be close or I might have been more cautious in who I cured xD

Thank you both again for helping me save a shred of sanity this time around!
cozycorg
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
Niiiiice, that helps too lol
FKM100
6 years ago
I have to confess that I cheated a bit and bought spores from the catalogue after using the BB.showhidden objects cheat. Then, after wasting loads of vaccine on sims who would not help me fight, I ended up buying vaccines too. I would have gone mad if I'd had to do it the hard way.

At the time, I did not realise that you can only have a maximum of three sims to help you fight, so I wasted time and resources trying to build up a bigger team. Basically, all you need are three sims with whom your sim has a friendly relationship of 50% or more, vaccinate them, recruit them and take your team straight to the lab.

Incidentally, something else I only found out the hard way, is that when you fight, you are supposed to direct how the fighting is done. I don't want to give too much away here, but don't just start the fight and hope for the best - that way you are likely to lose. My sims fought and lost four times, before I realised there was an option to direct their actions. Then they won easily.
RJCoyote13
6 years ago
"FKM100;c-17018210" wrote:

Incidentally, something else I only found out the hard way, is that when you fight, you are supposed to direct how the fighting is done. I don't want to give too much away here, but don't just start the fight and hope for the best - that way you are likely to lose. My sims fought and lost four times, before I realised there was an option to direct their actions. Then they won easily.

Also, make extra vaccines as you can throw them at the Mother and command teammates to throw vaccines at her as well, which does extra damage!
Hermitgirl
New Spectator
6 years ago
You've already been given the advise I would give. I just feel for you that you are frustrated at this point.
Just wanted to say aren't alone .... it took awhile for me to realize where to gather the spores most efficiently. It helps too if you go in with a preplayed sim that has charisma or athletic skills or just the money to buy some sims off (for the scanner).
I think they left some things for us to find out on our own and that's good.. but it's also good that we have so many others that can help.
I still haven't fought the mother myself and am glad for all the advise I've seen so I'll go in prepared when I decide to battle her.
Now go in and kick some butt!
cozycorg
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
Thanks everyone for the additional help! I tried to fight last night and did lose. Going to make extra vaccines to throw and try commanding instead of hoping for the best. It's helpful to know I'm not alone!!
Karababy52
New Spectator
6 years ago
You're not alone. My Hero and his team lost twice, then my Hero got eaten by the Mother once before they finally defeated her the third time. I went in totally blind having avoided spoilers so I didn't have a clue what to do. Got it figured out though. You've been given some great advice and I could elaborate on what's already been said, adding some things, but I'm sure you'll figure it out. It's no fun if you're given step-by-step instructions in my opinion. Good luck and have fun! :)
cozycorg
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
Update: I did it!! Failed three times then finally beat the mother! Woooo! Thanks all.
rureadytodream
5 years ago
Sorry to revive an old thread but this talks about finding a vaccine with the bb.showhiddenobjects and searching debug but I can't find it, is this still available and if so can someone print screen where abouts it is?