Legacy families and my hopeless future as a Simmer...

[Pielord]

It's not that I'm bored of Sims... it's just that I need goals and well wishes/career paths/etc. aren't enough after they're exhausted by specially made Sims to try aspects of the game out. I would really appreciate some info on how people play the game generally. For example- whether or not people just make a unique family in a new game, play a little and then switch households in that same game so as to fill the town with known Sims or whatever. Sorry if I'm not making any sense but from what I've read from everyone I'm Just Not Caught In The Whole Atmosphere. My main aim in this topic, though, is to figure out how to play legacies, I've tried...and it isn't pretty the way it ends up lol. I am an ambrosia fanatic and end up with a full household, or even, if I let them die I end up with no-one because I don't bother with relationships. I tend to favor logic, gardening, fishing, handiness and cooking in almost all my Sims too....so I mess up traits. And I also ALWAYS end up making my Sims rich, one way or another (usually martial arts and tiberium combo), ruining the game play within days of in-game time.
So as a conclusion, I am being utterly boring in-game and fast running out of creativity which I probably get from playing the older Sims 1 and 2 too much. HELP!!        

(P.S- I'm not new here, I posted ages ago and then left because I lost my internet connection for what seemed like forever... but I would love to get caught up in all this!)

(P.P.S- I have been playing for awhile so I'm not a COMPLETE newb, however I come pretty close)

(P.P.P.S- Sorry for all the PS's)

(P.P.P.P.S- before I get sued, YES I stole the whole PS thing from Spud)                                                                              

[Asleep]

I'm having the exact same problem, Pielord! I've got some suggestions for what you could do...

*Make two Sims, a male and a female, without giving them any relationships other that housemate. Empty out a premade town or use an empty one from the exchange, and place that household in every house and empty lot in the town. Start playing as one of the copies, and in a few days, you'll see how cool it gets.

*Try to recreate your favorite book character/scenarios.

*Play a challenge from the forum. Those look really interesting, and I doubt you'll get bored.

*Invent and try out a new challenge. It might even be chose by the moderators to be a official challenge!

*Use the Random Sim button in CAS and play as the first one you get.

*HAVE FUN! The Sims is a game designed for people to have fun playing it!

If this isn't what you meant, sorry, but I still think you can use these.  

[RunAmokSims]

I tend to play towns instead of just one family.

I turn off the aging and I create Sims (or a Sim) and set out with a goal for them.  If I get bored or get a different idea I create a new household in the same town. Eventually I have a town full of my created Sims and their children. I also go into town edit and plop down  Sims I've played in the past that I've stored in my library. Eventually I turn the aging back on and see what happens.

My current game has a different purpose though. I'm making different inventor families so I can have children from the past (from the time machine) in the medieval costumes so I can eventually populate a castle.

[Pielord]

WOW thanks! Fast replies here!

Simstar those ideas sound awesome! I'll start with the male and female one as a legacy ASAP.

I still need to get ambitions, is it kewl? Sounds really fun, especially inventing. (Like the idea with turning aging off -never thought of it)

[Happytime]

Hey Lord Pie! 

I loved seeing your post, because I've had issues (on and off) with the Sims3 for a while. I've certainly not hit the "fun" stride I enjoyed with the Sims1 nor the Sim2 ... but I'm giving the game plenty of play-time and taking a break when I need to.

The Sims3 is really a completely different game than the Sims1 or 2 were, play-wise. I know, I know, you've heard that before (EA made it a major component of the roll-out, a while back, while stressing, "it's part of the Sims Franchise! Number One PC game EVAH!), but the simple fact you can grab (and play) a large number of the families / other Sims you see in game changes the whole play experience ... in ways everyone's still working through.

I think I really got the "jist" of your post: it's not overwhelmingly difficult for a skilled, dedicated player to rapidly "game the game" to the point a Sim (or family of Sims) is forever-young, vastly-wealthy, and well-loved by everyone they see in the "neighborhood" (hehe, Sim2 reference there ...), I mean town, TOWN! And at that point, *yawn* ... where is the "challenge" in playing?

I've had trouble with "Legacies" too. By Generation 3 or so the Sim's rich, super-popular, skilled, etc. At that point, it's just a matter of crossing your toes and hoping the game doesn't corrupt your family / town before you get to generation 10.

That's one reason I've enjoyed Carl's Guide so much. It's fun to research and figure out what's going on with the skills / jobs / abilities, figuring out "Transmutation" or "Nectar Recipes" or "What's the Quickest, Fastest Way to make a Billion Simoleons?"

I applaud your efforts to see how other folks are playing the game, and what maintains and keeps their interest. Just playing using a different "style" will help you see the game (and the way you tend to play it) in a new light. And since the Sims3 is very different from prior incarnations of the game, I think you'll discover stuff you weren't expecting.

Simstar3 had some great ideas, and RunAmokSims' idea of playing the TOWN versus a "family" or "one bunch of Sims" shows how much the game has changed.

I'd definitely try and get a copy of Ambitions. I've only played an inventor thus far, but some of the game mechanics (the big-picture stuff they sometimes roll-out / upgrade / change with Expansion Packs) improves the game (for me, at least). The ability to move and edit TOWN lots alone I think is worth the price of the Expansion (it's like in the Sims2 ... University Life was worth a buy just because it introduced the "Young Adult" life stage and the INVENTORY ... any other simmers remember when Sims didn't have an inventory? hehe).

Sorry for the length of this post, but you really "hit a nerve" with this question. I hope my comments help (since I just realized I've not typed out any helpful ideas in my response!  ).

  -- Happytime

[Asleep]

I still need to get ambitions, is it kewl? Sounds really fun, especially inventing. (Like the idea with turning aging off -never thought of it)

Ambitions is pretty fun. Not really what all the videos and promo features chalked it up to be, but it's still pretty cool.

[MomOfMany]

I second the challenges on the forum here. Metro is awesome at keeping them challenging and fun at the same time and I am sure there will be plenty that will take you to a new level of game play!

[RunAmokSims]

Ambitions is pretty fun. Not really what all the videos and promo features chalked it up to be, but it's still pretty cool.

In response to what you said and what Happytime said.

Do you think that sometimes we expect too much? I mean we get bombarded with teaser trailers,there is so much talk for months in advance and somehow it never is quite as good as it appears to be?

[Saltypaws]

I put a link that might actually help.  I should go ahead and merge them together, but you should find some more interesting things to do.

http://www.carls-sims-3-forum.com/index.php/topic,1356.20.html

[Pam]

You can find the information on the 2010 Tournament and Challenges by clicking here.  We're having a blast with all the challenges and I highly recommend you check them out.

We also have a thread going about how to successfully manage a Legacy Challenge, which may be of interest.

You can browse through the Ambitions Board to find out anything you need to know about the 2nd expansion pack.  There's also a nice thread about the new one coming October 26 called Late Night.

[Pielord]

Thank you so much guys! I already love it here, haha.

And HappyTime, thanks a million! It's incredible to get a long, fun post based on exactly what i was talking about. (I'm so glad it's not just me lol) I will take everything you said to heart and try super hard to get sims 3 ambitions AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
Challenges sound very interesting and I have been keeping track of you guys doing them, the lifetime happiness and nectar ones were spectacular btw Metro, but I have yet to try them out or think up my own. Now that I know how many ppl find them awesome I'll try out a few older ones and get more involved. (I'm SO excited now!)

Pam, you're a superstar, thank you for the links---lifesavers. Just what I was looking for. I didn't know that legacies worked with heirs......that might have been my big problem, trying to keep the family together hehe.

Thanks so much, guys! I am unbelievably "psyched" right now to play Sims 3 in all these new and exciting ways...it's like seeing EA's creation in a new light, you know, when the curtain draws and this silky voice goes "Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" rofl.

Um is there a moderator here? there's something wrong with the date setting on the forum, it says "July 01" while it's actually "August 01".

[Pam]

Um is there a moderator here? there's something wrong with the date setting on the forum, it says "July 01" while it's actually "August 01".

Where do you see this?

[Pielord]

OMG. It's gone! I could....I could swear I saw it.... at the top of the last post on the previous page. I even checked some other threads. I'm sorry, but I swear I'm not doing some elaborate practical joke. Could it be a temporary glitch on my side???

Sorry I took so long to reply. Reading the legacy challenge thing, looks awe inspiring I must admit (A LOT of rules, lol).

[MasterSiwel]

It's not that I'm bored of Sims... it's just that I need goals and well wishes/career paths/etc. aren't enough after they're exhausted by specially made Sims to try aspects of the game out. I would really appreciate some info on how people play the game generally

Think of the sims as a big toy box and a toy making bench. EA has given you a box full of toys to play around with and also gave you a workbench as a bonus so that you could have fun. The whole point of the sims the is to play with it, which is why I regard sandbox games (like the Sims) being "True Games". That is however my opinion and I am only giving you my outake on the situation.

I kinda posted a little late but I just wanted to give everyone my take on the situation. Probably messed up.

[Pielord]

Interesting look on Sims....I like it! Although I am inclined to be more of a strategy gamer (such as command and conquer, etc. also EA, lol) but the sims and games like it, spore for eg, are the exception. I see what you mean by sandbox.