Suggestions how to run a functioning spaceship in Sims 4?

What is the space port lot's function? What activities or objects will be there?

Well, I have been planing to build an aerospace center for a while now. I wrote down activities for the building which includes: building the rocket ships, using the observatory, reading rocket science books, writing on the topic of space, rockets, and extraterrestrial life; studying logic, working on research and debate skill, publishing research papers, contributing knowledge.

I also plan to build a separate lot for Robotics and Programming which includes activities for: using the robotics station, programming, logic, using woodworking bench.

These are all things that I think in some way could be finessed to get money out of them. Your E option, medical/science officer, might be broad and vague enough that you can split up science duties because as you said, there are a lot of science related skills and activities in TS4, in general.

What is the purpose of the spaceship? As in, what is their mission in space? Are they studying any potential life, i.e. plants? If so, you can have them do things like analyze plant samples, write books on the extraterrestrial life. Are they studying the geological qualities around them? If so, they can look for fossils, extract metals and crystals, refine crystals, analyze fossils.

It might be tricky if they can't stray far from the actual structure of the spaceship itself because of the world around the lot breaking the immersion, but I think some activities like writing, contributing knowledge, the debate (?) might be kind of generic enough for you to roleplay it as the work they're doing.

I kind of want to suggest having them build the rocket ship because then someone can go do missions in space and you'll get the pop-up adventures too. But that depends on how you build your spaceship.

I've never tried using the wormhole generator outside of the scientist career, but if it works, you could use this or the rocket ship to send out an Away Team on daily missions and bring back specimens. This might be a good role for your pilot or security officer.
If the wormhole generator does work you could try and send the captain on diplomatic missions to Sixam and meet with aliens.
If your captain is high enough in skills, he or she can mentor other sims, or even mentor robots, if you plan on including robotics?
You could also use clubs as a way for your crew to do activities together.
It might also be fun to have a mischievous sim. Perhaps a scientist who tests serums on others, or maybe a captain who uses the simray on the crew!

You could also do research at the computer. Have a debate/podium room for meetings

Use the phone as an intercom…… if it is possible to call people on the same lot, not sure that’s possible though.

You could set up more than one space ship and communicate with the other one.

You could have a science building with telescope and rocket ship, and go there as if you docked.

You could have a cantina/ bar set up as a docking port too, or restaurant cafe, etc.

You could use different cities as different worlds for exploration. You could wear an astronaut suit to explore….. have an astronaut suit set up in each clothing category for those going on missions to other planets.

You could even have community spaces set up to dock at. One a garden, another a market place, and another for makers.

I did something similar, a spaceship crashed on a Planet and the surviving gathered with the time. The captain had the military job, you can work from home like the gardener. The robotic engineer could also work from home, but some task are impossible to do, when the sims stuck on the lot. I kept cook/cleaner and gardener separated, because gardening will take some time. I think, I had a scientist too, but I didn't played it actively, she was officially on a field and research mission during that time, like the astronaut. I kept robotic and craftsman seperated, because there is always something to repair and upgrade. The bartender was also an entertainer/musician (no job). One crewmember (and inofficial soldier) was in the bodybuilder career, to train and teach the other sims, that they will survive the rough planet (Strangerville). Logic skill I have trained with the telescope, and that why I needed the scientist for the satellite dish, to prevent the abduction. The computer usage: there are many options, which kept a sim busy, programming is good for the flight lieutenant. The intelofficer could chat with other or search through the web.

This is a great idea. I tried to set up a scifi save myself once.

One suggestion is to use the fabricator from eco lifestyle (if you have that pack). I think it looks futuristic enough and if you sell what you create, it can be a way to make money?
I think the security officer and pilot could be able to go on away missions (rabbithole careers) to earn money. Another option are the freelance careers. You don't need to leave the lot and especially the programmer career sounds useful for the way you describe the pilot.

Buildings:
- Last time I created a space ship I was trying to place the sleeping pods from get Famous, but they require so much space, that I reverted back to beds. What do you plan to do.

About the crew:
- Are you going to give them uniforms?
- Will there be an alien or robot in your crew? I even used a mermaid once and pretended she was an alien from a water planet and needed to sleep in in a water tank (inside pool)

Oh, maybe you can do videos with the video production station and drones. Maybe the crew members record things and report them back to their station on their home planet.

There is heaps you could do I am sure!
On the money side of things I would just cheat the money really high …and figure as a space faring people money is superfluous.

People go to work and are motivated by reputation. Or first things first I would maybe send your starship crew to Sixam to collect alien plants and then grown them for money?

Engineer:
• build and maintain robots
• upgrade and repair objects on the ship as needed
• maintain eco living equipment such as water collectors etc if they work inside

Captain
• Study charisma all day
• Sit at a desk in the bridge and write ‘manuals’/‘guides’ all day
• use the video desk from get famous to “record” a log of the ships activities and edit them to send to earth?
• build their skills and knowledge in all areas/float around the ship to assist on an as needed basis

Medic/Scientist/Botanist
• utilise science objects from get to work and craft potions to assist those on the ship
• make remedies on the grill to heal aliments on the ship
• look after/maintain the garden
• utilise the telescope on an observation deck

Cook/Bartender
• cook food for all Sims
• tend the bar/chill out area.
• set the table
• clean up dishes

Security
• workout
• spar
• maybe work from home in the military career?

I think where you could have the most fun is by setting up a schedule.

All crew take turns monitoring the bridge - could make it fun if they don’t get enough sleep and are exhausted the next day.

Cook gets up at 4am to make food for breakfast and lunch, cleans and goes back to sleep at 12. Gets up at 4pm to make dinner cleans and then tends the bar/break out entertainment area. Sleeps 1am - 4am etc.

Everyone has to work out every 2nd day. Everyone has to help in the garden or in maintenance etc.

Have celebrations/holidays - days off are taken in turns - drama with romances or rivalries. People have free time where they can skill, or play musical instruments or read or create art.

What I think could be even more fun as it will be a small crew of 8 is to have everyone multi skilled and take it in turns to cook for everyone and then work on maintenance/upgrading the ship one day and then logging the adventure, hacking/programming the next (charting their course),

"TOLKIEN;d-991091" wrote:
So I wanted to try a "sci-fi" build by creating a spaceship using some really cool custom content I've seen for objects and clothing.

However as the spaceship will be more or less "self contained" ie they never leave it unless to visit a "spaceport" lot I'll eventually make - it made me wonder how i could actually "run it" and what sims will do all day.

First off they cannot have traditional "sims careers" since they will never leave the lot aka spaceship to "go to work".

Which made me wonder how they will make money to pay for stuff (bills or new objects say they acquire in space port). I realize i could simply money cheat my way out of bills BUT it raised the better question what sims DO on a spaceship all day?

So I'm looking for suggestions how to play a spaceship lot.

I picture a spaceship needing

a. captain (social needs?)
b. pilot (no idea what their purpose would be gameplay wise, sit in the bridge @ computer and "hack" all day?)
c. cook (cooks meals, gardener and bartender all in one?)
d. engineer (handy and crafting sim)
e. medical/science officer (lots of science activities in S4 luckily to keep them busy)
f. security officer (works out all day or spars?)

So thats my question - how do I make a functioning spaceship where sims have no official jobs but make money and stay busy all day in spaceship "roles" and what do I have the captain do all day? Walk around and talk to people in different ship areas to keep up social needs?

Thoughts and suggestions?

I like your idea. You could build your spaceship on several lots, as if they were different parts of the spaceship. This way you could have all kinds of lots, but all designed as if they are part of the spaceship. I would build it underground, so you don't see the vegetation and stuff around you when playing. I think some of the stuff that came with Journey to Batuu and Get Famous could help with building a spaceship.

The captain is in charge of the ship, navigation and communication. He should have high charisma, logic, programming, etc. He could keep the captain's log and write reports of what's going on in the galaxy. He could also write bestsellers on aliens, planets, and what not. :lol:
The pilots could go on rocket missions, plot courses (write mods or hacks, etc).
The engineer builds the different robots needed to run the ship and take care of electronic repairs. The extra robots are sold, he sources the spare parts, etc.
The biologist takes care of the green house, buys and sells produce and microscope prints, etc.
The cook cooks and occasionally acts as a bartender. He is in charge of recipes, fizzing and cleaning the kitchen.
The medical officer does science and administers medicine and massages. He can also act as a gym/wellness coach. Everybody goes to the gym and they need to keep in great shape.
The housekeeper takes care of laundry and cleaning, pays bills, and does plumbing repairs.
The security officer greets visitors, recruits room mates, opens mail, and flies drones to survey the area and make sure everything is all right. He is in charge of alien specimens and can arrest any intruders. He takes pictures of everything and everyone and does some security programming.

Your pilot would be the Helmsman and you could have them do dual duties. Think of Sulu in the original Star Trek. He was the Helmsman, but he was also a Botanist so he grew alien flowers. Create a deck with a Botany Lab and have your Helmsman work on plants, etc. Otherwise have him keep up on rocket science to fill his hours. We don't have a way for him to study the stars, but a Helmsman would know the stars since they have to navigate through them.

Let us know how it all works out. As for keeping your crew household flush with financial matters, use the money cheat. You can give them a set amount however often there is a need.

"mikamakimon;c-17916605" wrote:
I've never tried using the wormhole generator outside of the scientist career, but if it works, you could use this or the rocket ship to send out an Away Team on daily missions and bring back specimens. This might be a good role for your pilot or security officer.

Hmmm actually this would be a better idea for the OTHER idea I had which is a colony on some alien planet. Still self contained but made of "domes" like you see in movies like The Martian. I could picture it needing a landing/spacecraft and the wormhole generator would make a lot of sense too maybe to go "back to earth".

"NationalPokedex;c-17916557" wrote:
What is the space port lot's function? What activities or objects will be there?

What is the purpose of the spaceship? As in, what is their mission in space? Are they studying any potential life, i.e. plants? If so, you can have them do things like analyze plant samples, write books on the extraterrestrial life. Are they studying the geological qualities around them? If so, they can look for fossils, extract metals and crystals, refine crystals, analyze fossils.

I actually have a multiple spaceship designs drawn up with different purposes - some are more obvious like the largest one is actually a pleasure ship with the top 2 floors being for guests to stay in (1st for is like a cruiseship with entertainement, ect and 2nd is guest quarters)

and than I have deep space exploration designs similar to the ship from Event Horizon that will have an..."egg" comparment ala "Alien" at one point using stuff from strangerville. Basically that will be more horrorship as more sims become infected by the "virus" and it goes to the motherworld (mother alien lot I'll make for that)

I've even made a raider ship design that basically raids planets for people and items, than drops them off at a pirate space station (ironically the smallest ship).

Currently though my main ship design is a cargo ship OR a ship like a very small enterprise (in idea not shape) that has a small crew and travels great distances.

Per the space port - I picture 3 I'll build/lots. One is raiders station (basically bar, black market and really run down old looking) next is something ala cyberpunk/blader runner where many of the crew live and finally a science station.