To be an Environmental Manager or a Marine Biologists first that is a question.

[scoed]

Carl's new guide to the Conservationist Career.

https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/careers/islandliving/conservationist/

Thanks to a great person on the forums I will be getting the pack sooner rather than latter. I just learned to Carl's great guide above that each branch has it's own unique trait you earn. Marine Biologists receives Master of the Sea and Environmental Manager gets the Natural Speaker. Master of the Sea apparently helps with swimming and befriending merfolk and dolphins.  Natural Speaker boosts Charisma, getting more grants approved, and spreading environmental awareness.

Now addition to the trait Marine Biologist is something I wanted to do as a kid. It wasn't in the cards but I loved nature films especially marine ones. As a bonus Marine Biologists can make those films even if it a rabbit hole. So cool.

But just when you think Marine Biologist would be a lock because of childhood dreams and such, Environmental Managers adds fun play like pass policy referendums that effect the whole save game, new laws so to speak. Just think of the power of it all. Also They too can make films.

I am so torn what are your plans, skip the career, become a Marine Biologist first, become an Environmental Manager first or play a sim in both careers right from the start? I am so torn.

[Nindigo]

Hey, @scoed - my female Sim will be the environmental manager while Don will be a marine biologist. His husband to be is a merman, so he'll draw some inspiration there

[scoed]

Well I decided to go with the Marine Biologist branch as it was a childhood dream of mine. Sadly I noticed some conflict with that branch and my Sim being a mereman. Merpeople can't snorkel. Apparently it is a cultural thing. Well the career stay at home activities includes "surveying ocean wildlife". "Surveying ocean wildlife" is a snorkeling activity thus you can't do it making so you have to go to work or have a hard time advancing. In my opinion this was bad game design. Still loving the pack as a whole though.

[Nindigo]

@scoed I suppose the job could have been better adjusted to include merfolk culture. With enough feedback, the developers may still accommodate this.

[scoed]

It is worse than I thought, even if you go to work the bonus tak I was awarded was the dreaded "survey ocean wildlife", so I had to cure my sim of being a merman. I will have Harvey Dent work up to level ten in the Marine Biologist branch of the Conservationist Career then I will have to decide if he quits and becomes a merman again, or keep the career and abandon my first merman to being human forever. It is a real feel bad moment when I realized I had to chose between two major selling points of the expansion, or cheat in my first playthrough of the expansion.

[mousef]

It is worse than I thought, even if you go to work the bonus tak I was awarded was the dreaded "survey ocean wildlife", so I had to cure my sim of being a merman. I will have Harvey Dent work up to level ten in the Marine Biologist branch of the Conservationist Career then I will have to decide if he quits and becomes a merman again, or keep the career and abandon my first merman to being human forever. It is a real feel bad moment when I realized I had to chose between two major selling points of the expansion, or cheat in my first playthrough of the expansion.

The exact same scenario happened to me. Hopefully they will patch this, or a modder will come up with a fix soon enough.

[Joria]

Guess I'm going to miss this annoyance!  My "founder" is female human, engaged to a merman.  I had planned on him being the Marine biologist but guess it will be her.  Any glitches for mermaid/merman in the other career?

[scoed]

@Joria not really. They lack depth. But I haven't noticed any glitches. I don't think the marine biologist thing is a bug just really poor game design.

[TomasGrizzly]

I went the biologist path as I wanted a career that uses fitness and logic. The progress is maybe too fast and only the demands on Logic skill (I had fitness maxed before he reached adulthood) hold me back a bit the last few ranks. Not sure if the progress is so fast naturally or the responsible trait just buffs it so much I need just two work from "home" shifts for promotion (barring any skill requirements).

[Joria]

I'm struggling with the logic skill, (as usual, lol) although getting all my Sims buff is no problem.  Even the non-mermaid can swim like an Olympian.  I'm considering adding a telescope to help with logic.  Feels kind of cheaty though.

[TomasGrizzly]

I'm struggling with the logic skill, (as usual, lol) although getting all my Sims buff is no problem.  Even the non-mermaid can swim like an Olympian.  I'm considering adding a telescope to help with logic.  Feels kind of cheaty though.

Why cheaty? Gazing at the stars makes the most sense on a remote island, far from the lights of the city...
---
By the way, if you live on a lot with the "oceanic paradise" trait, 'interact with a dolphin' goal for the career will count for a dolphin you call on that lot, even if it's not on Mua Pelam (just tested).

[Joria]

I did not know that!  My first practice Sim lived on such an island AND called and played with a dolphin.  Now I know why it was so easy.

You're right, a telescope isn't really cheaty, but the entire game I've been playing to learn about different aspects is.  Right click on mail box, remove all needs kind of thing.  I am now playing a "for real", game with zero cheats, and trying to do a dynasty type play.  So far so good but the normal life span is probably going to get me in the end.  So used to long life and no needs!  (She already has her first live in merman/romantic interest and building up skills with him by day 2.)

[TomasGrizzly]

To be honest, normal lifespan is too short and long is too long for me so I eventually used a mod to make my own lifespan just between that. I was never a cheater (except for "resetsim") and the idea of playing without needs seems just... weird. What to do in the game if there are no needs to be met? For that reason, I've never bought the reward traits that lower or stop need decay and my sims sit on thousands of satisfaction points because there's almost nothing "normal" to use it on.

Either way, logic feels a bit grindy, that's true. Also, the pictures you sometimes get from the telescope are decent decorations.
Fitness has the upside you can use it to fill fun as well if you level it by swimming or by going for a jog with a dog.

[Joria]

To be honest, normal lifespan is too short and long is too long for me so I eventually used a mod to make my own lifespan just between that. I was never a cheater (except for "resetsim") and the idea of playing without needs seems just... weird. What to do in the game if there are no needs to be met? For that reason, I've never bought the reward traits that lower or stop need decay and my sims sit on thousands of satisfaction points because there's almost nothing "normal" to use it on.

Either way, logic feels a bit grindy, that's true. Also, the pictures you sometimes get from the telescope are decent decorations.
Fitness has the upside you can use it to fill fun as well if you level it by swimming or by going for a jog with a dog.

I never use the needs met cheat except when learning/exploring a new world.  What you do is use all that wonderful time to find out every little thing you can and actually get to enjoy some of skilling, so instead of it being a chore, which it so often is, you just kick back and watch them do their thing.  Watching a sim fish, can be so boring, BUT I actually watch it and let my imagination run wild, often dreaming up a story line as they catch one thing after another.  I wish I knew how to capture some of their thought bubbles as they are often very entertaining.  And speaking of boring, there is nothing worse than having a houseful of sims sleep.  Usually puts me to sleep as well, even on the fastest speed.  Unfortunately, it is a real factor of life so in a true, non-cheating game, I bite the bullet, get a snack while they snooze and carry on.

[Nindigo]

Well, I just learned that reaching the top of environmental management can be combined with the field of media production. I'm pleasantly surprised by this. It also means that reaching the top of this career is not the end of the excitement, but can actually be useful.