Can you make family's lifespans different when they're in the same neighborhood?

[Jenny-TS3]

Hi i haven't got the game yet but i just wanted to know - if i have a neighborhood, and a few families, can i make one family never aging and another one have normal lifespan? Or is it all the same? Thanks  

[Metropolis Man]

Hi Jenny, welcomes the forums. No, lifespan is a global game setting that affects all games in Sims 3. So, if your length is Normal for a certain family in a neighborhood, all townies age at that rate. If you go and save and exit that Normal length game to play a different neighborhood, then the new neighborhood will also be at Normal length unless you change it in Options.

[Jenny-TS3]

Ok - so if i have one neighborhood, it can be normal lifespan, then another neighborhood not aging? Bit confused lol Thanks

[Metropolis Man]

ok - so if i have one neighborhood, it can be normal lifespan, then another neighborhood not aging? bit confused lol thanks

No, aging is also a global setting. If you have aging on, then all Sims in all of your games will age.

[Schipperke]

ok - so if i have one neighborhood, it can be normal lifespan, then another neighborhood not aging? bit confused lol thanks

Adding to what Metro said, the only way to have different lifespans in different neighbourhoods is to be sure and remember to change the lifespan every time you play a different neighbourhood.

[Jenny-TS3]

Ok, thanks

[Happytime]

Jenny-TS3,

There is a bit of a "work-around" though if you are looking to just keep one family "immortal" ... Adult and Elder Sims can eat a "Life Fruit," and (while meeting their need for Hunger and looking pretty yummy) it also adds a "day" to their life.

I'm not sure if the Life Fruit works on Young Adult Sims, I've not tried it yet, but I suspect it would work on Teens too (I'll find out in a few minutes when I pop-in game).

It's a bit of a hassle, but you could play multiple families in the town, just ensuring you pop "back" to the family you are trying to keep Immortal and making them all sit down to a dinner of just a few Life Fruit from time-to-time.

Hope this helps. There's much more information on the various plants (and their effects, in-game) here in the guide (check out "Ambrosia" ... super-yummy!).

  -- Happytime

[Jenny-TS3]

Thanks everyone! Sorry if this is getting annoying, but just to confirm, Aging is universal between ALL save files under Username/Sims 3 - even completely different neighborhoods, worlds, save files etc - All the same? Thanks

[Happytime]

Hey again Jenny-TS3!

After firing up the Sims3 a few times, I can confirm ...

(on a basic, off-the shelf install of the The Sims3 / World Adventures / High-End Loft / Ambitions, including 505.2 MB of "The Store" items, a clean install install in that order, install date 8.06.2010, )

... that the "Aging" value a player applies on the options screen is Static (and will impact any games played or saved under that state).

Saved files inherit the values invoked by the settings dictated by the user, regardless of their saved location (given the conditions I stated above), each and every time the saved file is opened.

Hope this helps, and you manage to "get" the Sims3 soon! 

  -- Happytime

[Metropolis Man]

....just to confirm, Aging is universal between ALL save files under Username/Sims 3 - even completely different neighborhoods, worlds, save files etc - All the same? Thanks

@Jenny, you must have missed my comment above —

No, aging is also a global setting. If you have aging on, then all Sims in all of your games will age.

[Jenny-TS3]

Sorry Metro Man...but I'm very confusable...

[Pam]

Do you understand it now, Jenny?

[samoht04]

It took me a while to realize that if I had Long Setting in one game and that it crossed over into my Legacy, so I was playing Long for about a minute before I saw that Someone would age up in 6 days and not 3.

[Jenny-TS3]

Ahh I see thanks!