Speaking of opportunities, each opportunity has set levels at which it will be triggered. So for anyone struggling to get opportunities once they have reached level 10, it may well be that the rest of the opportunities were only available at lower levels. Also, some opportunities cannot be repeated.
My major tip that I posted in the challenge thread is: use the alchemy cabinet to store your ambrosia (for your founder)! It doesn't go bad in there, and the sims can't pull it out. Travelling is banned until gen 2 (so no WA chests), and if you don't want to travel at all due to bugs, then the alchemy cabinet is great!
My tips for Monte Vista:
- Use the lot at the end of the road next to the fishing lot - that one didn't get bugged on building, the one on the other side of town did.
- Use the GilsCarbo family: Carlotta is perfect for fishing, gardening and/or cooking, and an already completed LTW, Goopy can be skilled up to be a painter for later, and the Dad can just run around doing any extra things that need doing, like Alchemy, collecting, buying potions or cameras...
- Use Carlo Mancini for an immediate portrait, and a quick demise
- Use Gino Ferrari for the car, and better yet, the Minus 1 Kelvin Fridge by Friday night week 1, and yet more LTH points with another completed LTW
- Use Su Lin Chang for a sculptor. Have her invite her boss over, make them BFFs, then ask for a promotion. More instant LTH points and completed LTW, so you can give her midlife crisis and make her a sculptor/photographer.
The swiftgro station, the sunflower, along with the produce stand from the Al Fresco market do indeed make gardening a breeze. If you give a sim the gatherer trait, skill up by planting produce (then deleting it) in combination with the multitab, you can have perfect crops in the first couple of days, or the first day even, depending on your starting sim. Plus the sunlight gives a +40 mood boost if your sim keeps one in their inventory, and lasts about 18 hours, even if it only says 1hr on the moodlet.
Locking doors is a very good idea - I've given each member of my household their own little studio to do their thing, equipped with everything they need. If they are painting or sculpting, the door gets unlocked every now and then for someone to come in and clean, or to let them out to get in the motive mobile.
With the motive mobile, they don't actually have to stay in it for their motives to go up. They only need to get in it. If you cancel the action, the motives keep going up until they are full.
With lots of money to spend, you don't even necessarily have to have an alchemist, though it could be tiring if you have bad luck. You can buy out the potion store inventory like the normal consignment shop to get what you want. By the end of week four on my most recent attempt my sims had over 1.4 million simoleans. I don't feel compelled to spend it, however. I have to keep reminding myself that it is ok to spend it! Frugal by nature, I guess.
Also, selling lots of paintings that you have saved up helps to generate some pretty big wishes. Save your paintings, and then when you have a slot that isn't already occupied by something big, sell a few and then lock in the wish.
Sims also seem to get a wish to buy bonehilda every time they encounter a dirty toilet. That's 1500 happiness points right there! Worth not making it self-cleaning!