Ageing when not being played.

[CoolCafe]

Are a Sims family supposed to change when a particular family is not being played?

Shouldn't that family be exactly the same as the last time you saved it?

I started a legacy challenge family and all was going fine.

Another person has been using the computer for a few days playing The Sims. We are using the same Origin log in and she is playing in Willow Creek which is where my legacy family is.

I checked in on the legacy family today and the founder is dead (he was an adult when I saved the game). The primary spouse is an elder (she was also an adult) and the heir has married and left the house. I was aware that the other person did this marriage but I thought it would only affect the timeline of that family.

It seems to me that all families age if the game is being played no matter which house.
Is this how it is supposed to be? Confused

[MrsFlynn]

Yes, other sim families do age as you play your other game saves. Unless you have aging turned off in the options. No the family wouldn't be the same as you last saved them, due to having aging on.

If you are sharing a computer it may be worth turning off aging.

Here's a quote from Dellena and aging options below:

The only way to stop that if you have the families all in one game is to turning aging off entirely.  Otherwise, I'd have a separate game for each family so they don't age while you're not playing that game.  If you want the families to all be friends, then your only option is to turn aging off.

Aging Options

Click image to see larger view:



When you go into your saved game go to top right and the Options Menu>Game options>Gameplay tab.

There you will see the aging options:

Auto Age (Played Sims) with 3 choices in a drop down menu of:
No / Yes / Only Active Household

Auto Age (Unplayed Sims) with a check box.

If you want all the sims, including the ones you play, to not age up choose 'No' and make sure the check box next to Auto Age (Unplayed Sims) is unchecked.

If you want just your family you are currently playing to age up then click 'Only Active Household'.

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Reference Links:

Multiple personalized families
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,25425.0.html

[CoolCafe]

Ok. Thanks Mrs Flynn. It makes sense now.

[Sita]

Coming back to this - In Game Options, I don't see Auto Age at all. I have all EPs and SPs installed, maybe that affects it.
Normally I want all the Sims to age, I like the continuing feel of progress through the Hood.
But for one particular Sim I want her not to age. Is there a way to do this, apart from using Potions?

[RiotKitty]

I believe the only way to do that is to mark "Aging Off" for your played sims and age up manually. I think if you mark "yes" on aging for unplayed sims, all the NPCs will continue to get older. Then, if you move a family from played to unplayed, they should start getting older automatically.

It's a theory I've been meaning to test, but I haven't done it yet.

[Playalot]

Coming back to this - In Game Options, I don't see Auto Age at all. I have all EPs and SPs installed, maybe that affects it.
Normally I want all the Sims to age, I like the continuing feel of progress through the Hood.
But for one particular Sim I want her not to age. Is there a way to do this, apart from using Potions?

Options Menu> Game Options> Game Play. This is standard for all patched and up-to-date games. If you only want one sim to not age and this sim lives in a household with other sim who you want to age then yes, potions are the only way to control this sims age. If she lives alone then you simply have 'Auto age played sims" set to 'No'. See the Game Play tab image below.

Click image to see larger view: