Are New Townies Random?

[LlamaMama]

Let's use Sunset Valley as an example. The starting game has several familiar families. I'm playing a multigenerational family, so as time goes by I start to see new names (at least they're new to me). It seems that new families move into town, or at least new individuals who start families.

My question is, are the 2nd generation of townies (and beyond) the same across games? Will your town have the same selection families as mine does, after the 1st generation has become elder? Are the new families randomly generated and named, or are they created by the developers as a pool to draw from?

Also, regarding the starting families, do they have all the same traits across games? Is your Christopher Steel a Daredevil too?

[Swede1992]

I think the names come from a "pool [for the developers] to draw from", but I don't know about the sims themselves. I've had some really weird looking NPC's that made me think they're not made by real people. I could be wrong about that though.

[Schipperke]

Also, regarding the starting families, do they have all the same traits across games? Is your Christopher Steel a Daredevil too?

I'm pretty sure the starting characters are all the same across games.  The Prima guide gives traits of all or most of them, and Christopher's traits are listed there as Great Kisser, Angler, Natural Cook, Daredevil and Friendly.

[RunAmokSims]

I've had some really weird looking NPC's that made me think they're not made by real people. I could be wrong about that though.

That could be art imitating life.

[wildredchild]

The traits are not all the same all the time.  I had married a NPC into my legacy family and then the game crashed soon after.  I went back to before the NPC had joined the family and when I had her join the family again, she had at least 1 different trait then she had before.

[samoht04]

Some families die out or keep going, some random ones move in and carry on for a generation or two but that is it. Not sure which families still remain in my Legacy!

[LlamaMama]

I'm pretty sure the starting characters are all the same across games.  The Prima guide gives traits of all or most of them, and Christopher's traits are listed there as Great Kisser, Angler, Natural Cook, Daredevil and Friendly.

D'oh! The Prima Guide. Without an index, it's just a rabbit-hole of information to me.

[Pam]

The Townies are the ones who always start in the game, like the Goths, Landgraabs, Altos, etc.  They will have the same traits in every game for everyone.

NPCs, such as maids, pizza delivery, burglars, etc. that start with the game will be the same and have the same traits.  However, when new NPCs come into the game later, their traits can vary even with the same Sim.  I've also had my Sim marry an NPC, game crashed, then when I played that part again, the NPC had a different trait.  I believe he was a babysitter, so my Sim met him when he was a teen.  In the first version, he aged up and got the Family Oriented trait.  When I replayed it after the crash, he aged up and got the Evil trait.

As for the families who move to town after the start of the game, I think they're random.  I've never seen the same family or name twice as far as I can remember.

[samoht04]

I have had a family stay for two generations but that is about it, that was with the help of a Character though! 

[MasterSiwel]

The Townies are the ones who always start in the game, like the Goths, Landgraabs, Altos, etc.  They will have the same traits in every game for everyone.

Aren't Townies people that live "far" away? Like you can't "see their house" far away?

[Pam]

Aren't Townies people that live "far" away? Like you can't "see their house" far away?

For our purposes on this Forum, we call the regular people who always live in town "Townies."

[MomOfMany]

Don't townies that are toddlers at the start of the game also have various traits. Meaning when they age up don't they just get a random trait rather than get the same trait each time?

[Swede1992]

Don't townies that are toddlers at the start of the game also have various traits. Meaning when they age up don't they just get a random trait rather than get the same trait each time?

Yes, this is the same impression I've got!

[samoht04]

Wow, the Bachealor Family are still in my game! 5 Generations later, I consider that rare. 

[Saltypaws]

I think mine are on the third or fourth generation.  That is pretty neat though.