And an update:
Current Status (November 2017)
- Individual households can be protected from culling.
- Cap options are 50, 100, 200 (recommended), and unlimited. NOTE: This seems to be a cap on how many households you can protect, not on culling entirely.
- The cap does not include dead Sims.
- Favoriting a household does not protect Sims in that household after they die; protecting a ghost requires that it be added back to the household. Dead Sims are moved to a new hidden household, and automatically unfavorited.
Previous Status (December 2016) - some/all of this may still be true
- The culling mechanism does not removed played or housed Sims.
- Unplayed, unhoused Sims are culled (removed) from the game when the total population reaches about 305.
- In addition, about 100 dead relatives stay visible in genealogy.
If the game removes Sims in these categories, please zip up your Saves folder and report in the Bugs category or EA Answers Headquarters:
- Any household living in a house or apartment
- Any "Not in World" household marked "Played"
For now, if you want no culling at all, I'd suggest still modding till all the details on the new system are in.
