This has been a lot of fun to play this way. A bit more challenging than usual. I gave my sim traits that seemed appropriate and story-wise would kind of explain some of the rules I made to limit what I could and couldn't do (brave, commitment issues, good, loves the outdoors, and insane). Other than loves the outdoors, I stayed away from traits that might make sense, but would benefit him too much, like green thumb, angler, kleptomaniac, slob, etc.
The rules I have put on him. 1) Other than the first few things I gave him at the start, I can't buy anything out of build/buy mode. The biggest temptation I have had in breaking this rule has been getting him a couple of sprinklers to help water his plants, but I have resisted so far. 2) He can grow anything he finds, and can also grow from what he has harvested. I am not playing him as someone who can't get out of his horrible mess of homelessness, but as someone who is doing more of a Thoreau type move, that is, living simply and on purpose. 3) Good and insane traits I picked to role play some of my rules a bit. When he feels comfortable with his money, he is prompted to give away to charity. And he is a horder who is obsessed with collecting shiny objects. So any metals and gems he finds, he is allowed to cut (at the public machine at the elixer shop) but he must collect and save them all, no selling them. He is allowed to send metals off to be smelted, but again, no selling them at all. 4) I do allow him to sell harvestables at the consignment shop and stuff he finds while dumpster diving. So far this has been his meager living, but he is surviving. 5) I will let him buy food from the grocery store, but so far he hasn't done so at all. He just finished the first of the gardening opportunities and needs to get eggs and cheese to grow at some point. I am going to play for a while and see if he can figure out a way to get some without the store, but not sure they are available any other way with my rule of no buying anything in buy mode. 6) The only way he can acquire any furniture is through dumpster diving/rummaging. So far he has only found one thing that is useful that he has kept though. Most of the stuff he finds, he then turns around and gives away to people he meets to help him make friends. 7) I will let him sell flowers and animals he finds and donate insects to science. Most times though, he saves these for a rainy day and for what he sees as his future obligations.
I let him make elixers, but he can't sell them. And certainly midas touch is off the table, but he can't buy things in buy/build mode to touch and resell anyway. I have supernaturals turned off in story progression and I am not allowing him to use any elixers that will turn him or anyone into a supernatural either. 9) I let him use the gym and other public lots. I know others don't, but I have always seen the gym more as a YMCA instead of a real-world gym like Gold's or Bally's as the sims never pay for it. 10) No career or registering as self-employed. He stays unemployed. 11) I haven't decided about any of the lifetime happiness reward objects. Would be interested in what others think about allowing them or not. 12) No travel of any kind. Part of his mental health issues are a terrible fear of flying (and long, long loading screens.
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His lifetime wish is a bit of a test. I chose surrounded by family, but he isn't the one raising them. I read somewhere they will count, but not sure. If it doesn't work, he will have to spend his hard-earned lifetime happiness points to change his lifetime wish. His future obligations as he sees them are to befriend his kids once they are old enough for him to get them to move in with him. Then get his kids hitched and in a family way before he sells enough of his hordings of flowers, insects, etc, to have enough money to buy them a house and move them out into a somewhat established life. But his commitment issues keep him from having anyone live with him for too long. And who else would want his life anyway for long? This is where the challenge will certainly be for him. To make enough to do this for all five kids. I am also planning to do a bit of an immortal thing with him. Keeping him alive by eating life fruit so that he does the same thing for his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc when they reach young adulthood. I didn't quite get life fruit grown in time to keep him from his first age-up, but I am going to keep him from becoming an elder. Not the same immortal thing a lot of people here play, I know. Dumpster diving and making friends around town did push him high enough up the rebel ranks to get a new trait. I gave him gatherer as that seemed appropriate to have developed. As his meals are fresh produce and maybe the odd fish from the fire pit, this doesn't really give him any extra in food moodlets. Longer herb moodlets quicker but that is about it. The extra value for gems and metals won't really effect him either as I make him horde all of those.
Things I have noticed playing this way. 1) The insane trait is a lot of fun actually. Specially like how they never dress appropriately for the situation, which is
perfect for how someone living this way would have to do it. When I play normally, I hardly ever change them out of everyday wear except for sleeping, so it is cool to see all the outfits pop up. The "formal" outfit I gave him particularly cracks me up whenever I see him in it. 2) Lifetime happiness points are a
lot harder to earn for him playing this way. Lol. 3) Gardening takes a
lot longer when you have to water everything by hand. You actually start to wish for those morning rain storms that will give him the annoying soaked moodlet just because of all the gardening time he will save. 4) Once you get used to seeing the minor negative smelly moodlet there, it is kinda easy to just keep on ignoring his cleanliness needs. It is only -10. And I think this adds a lot of realism too. If someone is gardening for his next meal and dumpster diving to make ends meet, he isn't going to be as concerned with always being presentable. Seeing sims always reacting to him being smelly kind of cracks me up too. 5) Once he found the seed and grew peppermint, I love it. Saw it as pointless before, but the +25 moodlet is often a
huge deal for him. 6) Honey from the beehives at the elixer shop are basically the same thing. Now drinking that honey for the sweet moodlet is an important part of his day.
Alright, I have rambled enough, but just wanted to share how cool this idea has been for playing. Thank you to the people that first brought it up and also for the person that revived this thread a while back. Never would have thought to play a game this way and it has been refreshing.
