What Lifespan Do You Like to Play?

[Jonna]

Epic!  But I don't usually play any game file for very long.  I just like not having to worry about aging up.  I like keeping my young adults young.

[Pam]

I like to play on Normal lifespan.  It's plenty of time for me to do what I want with each Sim and allows the new generations to move up in a timely fashion.  I love multi-generational families.

[LlamaMama]

I like to play on Normal lifespan.  It's plenty of time for me to do what I want with each Sim and allows the new generations to move up in a timely fashion.  I love multi-generational families.

Maybe my problem was that I tried to have an artist for a founder, but spent half the day taxiing across town to the gym toilet/shower. With a rabbit-hole job, the toilet is there and bladder needs wouldn't slow down the career progress. I also need to adjust my play-style for a founder by not expecting her to skill up in gardening and fishing as an early food source, in addition to the career.

[Caitie]

I like to play on normal - short (I think that's what they call it, the 50 day lifespan).  I get bored easily, and I like the shorter lifespans because it helps move them along.  That being said, I almost always end up aging up almost every age early, with the exception of young adult and adult.  And, yes, that includes elder; "testingcheatsenabled true" + "Trigger Age Transition" = perfect way to get rid of an elder Sim that's getting boring, in a "natural" way.  I also like to do this with the original generation of my legacy; have the founding member move in with his/her parents, then quickly kill them off, so that even my founder has some family history.

[BlueJay91]

That just reminded me of a birthday party I threw for a child sim. The mom invited a friend of hers that was an elder and before the child could blow out the candles the elder dies and the the party clock ended and it was a failed party because nobody aged up. So, I don't throw many birthday parties LOL

I throw a lot of birthday parties (my first family had 4 people, then one married and had five kids), and once that did happen to me. So sad, because it also happened to my less Charismatic Sim's party. I think one of the children aged up in the span of time, but it still was "okay".

I'm actually opposite to the rest of you; although I normally play on "long" anyway, I especially do it for the younger years, except for babies. The toddler, child, and teen lifespans are way too short for me, especially when their skills are not developed enough while balancing school and sometimes work.

[bshag]

It depends on how attached to my sims I am.  I had one female sim that was the very first sim I made when I bought sims 3...just couldn't seem to let go.  That was on epic lifespan and I kept feeding her ambrosia.

Now I have become much better, less obsessed...it's set to long.  Normal isn't enough time to do anything.    

[namja23]

I like playing on normal, then doing a mad rush to learn Ambrosia.
I enjoy the early portions of Fishing/Gardening/Cooking/keeping up mood.
If I am playing a game where I am trying to accomplish a certain career path or whatnot, I tend to play on Epic.

[Sushi101]

I like normal lifespans because it keeps things moving along nicely and I don't really need a long time to achieve my goals for each sim, I'm usually done with everything around mid adulthood if I start out as Young Adult. I also like to get married, have kids, and then play with them as my older sims pass on. Then my kids will inherit my wealth, and in combination with their own they can start a life in a big beautiful mansion and retire early. Playing on normal also gives me time to try out all sorts of different LTWs and traits that I've never used before so I can experience a lot more of the games features in less time. Long lifespans just seem never-ending to me and I get bored long before I die.

[LlamaMama]

Long lifespans just seem never-ending to me and I get bored long before I die.

Hm, sounds philosophical when you say "I". 

[Zundar]

I play with aging off. I don't like seeing my sims die. I age babies after about a day, let toddlers learn to walk talk and potty then age them a day or two later, children become teens after a couple of weeks unless I plan to keep them children. Teens stay that way most of the time, but if I want to play a second generation I age them after a few weeks.

[Sushi101]

Hm, sounds philosophical when you say "I". 

That's how I think of it when I play. I play out little scenarios with my sims and make a little happy family, and then throw in a twist to create drama. It's like a mini soap opera and I'm the star! Haha, I just think it's interesting that way. 

[Kaori]

I love having babies and birthdays, so I play on Medium.  That way I can have plenty of kids without overstuffing the house.  It also makes fulfilling LTW's more challenging, which I like.

[cndneh]

Depends what kind of game I'm challenging myself to.  I usually play with normal, or with aging turned off.  However for challenges I of course play with long.  And for my latest self challenge - playing on short and trying to get my sims to achieve the LTW of "surrounded by family"   Poor mum is on the brink of turning elder and has only four children!   The short time span... is really really short!

When I play with aging off, I age the babies after a day or so, toddlers learn all skills (sometimes the ones associated with the xylophone (music) and blocks(logic)) then age them up.  Children age up when their friends at school age up, as does the teens (expecially if their boy/girl friend has turned into a young adult, I age them up, then hitch them up!).

[Pam]

@cndneh:  I wrote an article for Carl's Sims 3 Guide for the Surrounded by Family LTW.  Click here if you want to read it.  You might find some helpful tips.

[MomOfMany]

When I used to play just to play I would almost always use the normal lifespan because I like it the most. But lately all I ever play are challenges so I use what ever lifespan Metro says and if he leaves us with a choice I will use whichever I feel is better suited for the challenge for me. Eventually I will get back to just playing but right now I prefer the challenges for a goal to accomplish!