The Sims 3 Immortal Dynasty Challenge

[Metropolis Man]

Just to chime in here on missing portraits bug -- if keeping portraits on easels puts your mind at ease and prevents the bug, then simply use easels in the museum. There's nothing in the rules stating that paintings must be on the wall anyway.

[Odie]

I just want to add something about the dissapearing paintings and sculptures.

The best thing is probably what MoonsAreBlue said in the tread about invisible paintings:

The best thing to do is when your sim completes a painting, go to buy mode and put it in your family inventory. That way, if you place it on the wall and it disappears while is buy mode, you can still hit undo.

But if you're as unlucky as me and you have put all paintings in your painters inventory already, that doesn't work because you cannot move something from the personal inventory directly to the family inventory...

After some puzzling I found out that when you move the paintings to the inventory of another sim of that household, your problem is solved. Just drag the paintings one by one to the other sim and let go when you see the sim light up. From that other sims' inventory I was able to move all paintings to the wall and didn't loose any!
I think this is also possible for sculptures.

[cathyknits]

I'm pretty sure sculptures can only be moved in Buy mode.

[Deklitch]

I got a time machine, a camera and a book on photography from the consignment shop. I then sent Agnes (who had already done the portrait of founder) through said time machine to the past and then to the future. Nothing really exciting happened as far as things she brought back, she just brought back some Simoleons from the future. Then I sent my founder's husband (Connor Frio) through the time machine to the past. At this stage they didn't have a child. He returned with a child that was described as his 'son' and as my founder's 'step-son'. Does this mean I've failed this attempt, or because the was my founder's 'step-son' I can still go on with it? If the latter, I've got some interesting ideas I'm trying out.

Also, Connor invited his acquaintance Gobias Koffi over to meet Agnes. When he arrived, he wasn't a vampire (no pinkish/red colouring around his mugshot in the 'Relationships Panel'). Looking at him, he didn't have the tell tale vampire 'look' around his sim self. Through that night, all in the household began getting 'befriend a vampire' wishes. The next morning, he had spent the night there, he had acquired the vampire 'look' and the pink/red colouring around his mugshot. So, I told him to get out and never to return. Do things like that happen to others?

Dek

Dek

[fortheloveofcake]

Just to chime in here on missing portraits bug -- if keeping portraits on easels puts your mind at ease and prevents the bug, then simply use easels in the museum. There's nothing in the rules stating that paintings must be on the wall anyway.

I like the idea of a room full of portraits on easels for the museum. Is it possible to put a portrait back onto an easel once it has been taken off?

[Pam]

I got a time machine, a camera and a book on photography from the consignment shop. I then sent Agnes (who had already done the portrait of founder) through said time machine to the past and then to the future. Nothing really exciting happened as far as things she brought back, she just brought back some Simoleons from the future. Then I sent my founder's husband (Connor Frio) through the time machine to the past. At this stage they didn't have a child. He returned with a child that was described as his 'son' and as my founder's 'step-son'. Does this mean I've failed this attempt, or because the was my founder's 'step-son' I can still go on with it? If the latter, I've got some interesting ideas I'm trying out.

Also, Connor invited his acquaintance Gobias Koffi over to meet Agnes. When he arrived, he wasn't a vampire (no pinkish/red colouring around his mugshot in the 'Relationships Panel'). Looking at him, he didn't have the tell tale vampire 'look' around his sim self. Through that night, all in the household began getting 'befriend a vampire' wishes. The next morning, he had spent the night there, he had acquired the vampire 'look' and the pink/red colouring around his mugshot. So, I told him to get out and never to return. Do things like that happen to others?

Dek

Dek

From the rules on page 1:

Time Machine children are allowed, but obviously cannot be heirs.

As for Gobias turning into a vampire, it takes a couple of days for the actual change to occur.  He was probably turned before coming to visit your Sim's house and finished the transformation overnight.  It's not against the rules to have a vampire in the house, just that they cannot be part of the household.

I like the idea of a room full of portraits on easels for the museum. Is it possible to put a portrait back onto an easel once it has been taken off?

Yes.  You just click and drag it back to the easel.

[Deklitch]

Thanks for that, Pam. I read that in the rules. My concern was that as the time travel child happened prior to that generation's targeted immortal was born, it would affect the 'first born of the generation being the targeted immortal' rule. That then raises a question in my mind. With the Surrounded by Family LTW having adoptions counting towards the five children, would adopting four children as babies early on, waiting until they are teens or so and then giving birth to the 2nd immortal be in keeping with the rules of the challenge? I think it probably would because none of the first four has resulted from a pregnancy involving the founder from within the house.

Dek

[Pam]

Thanks for that, Pam. I read that in the rules. My concern was that as the time travel child happened prior to that generation's targeted immortal was born, it would affect the 'first born of the generation being the targeted immortal' rule. That then raises a question in my mind. With the Surrounded by Family LTW having adoptions counting towards the five children, would adopting four children as babies early on, waiting until they are teens or so and then giving birth to the 2nd immortal be in keeping with the rules of the challenge? I think it probably would because none of the first four has resulted from a pregnancy involving the founder from within the house.

Dek

The time travel child wouldn't interfere with the targeted heir.  It will still be the first born child of the parents, which the time machine child is not.

What you describe about adopting four children before giving birth to the 2nd generation heir is perfectly fine.  You're still within the rule that the heir is the firstborn child of the parents.  Adopted children don't count toward that at all.

[lvrugger]

Hmm, adopting the first four helpers, that would be a unique strategy. I may have to try that one after I finish the one I'm on.

[Xajjia]

At what points do you fail?  Maybe we can offer some suggestions to help you get past the problems.

Thank you for your reply and sorry for my belated response.  My problem was a mental block I have more than anything lol.  I think I have beaten it now and am on the fourth generation of my dynasty.  I chose Lucky Palms which is a delight to play. However I think I have run into a small snag with writing, is the writing profession (self-employed) usually a profession that takes a long time to level? I am worried I will not make it in time, my 4th gen Sim is an adult now and only on level 8 and it seems to take forever to write books even though he has the specialization and speed writer max benefits on the go.  I am hoping it is just the career as I know some of the careers take a long time to level up.  Any suggestions would be more than welcome  

Kind Regards

[cathyknits]

Writing can be tough, yeah. Travel might be a big help - I don't know if payments received for writing while traveling count, but a) you can boost your "books read" count, which increases your writing speed, b) without missing out on too much income, you can write a lot of short books (but no more than 4 per genre) to get your count up to 25 and unlock Masterpieces, which are incredibly profitable, and c) you can write 95% of a masterpiece on vacation and finish it at home. You don't need a vacation home to do this - if you have a laptop you can use it in the base camps or the markets.

[Joria]

I would like to try a dynasty in Lucky Palms but it does not have all the LN and ST venues.  There are several empty lots where most, but not all, of the venues for both EP's can be placed.  However, many of the venues, particularly the ones from LN, are totally incompatible with the ambience and beauty of Lucky Palms.  Since you have agreed to allow Union Cove to be treated as a viable town for challenges, could we not, with permission from the creators, save venues from Union Cove to be placed in towns such as Lucky Palms.  As you know, we builders of Union Cove were very careful and particular in following your criteria for what would be allowed in order to have this town be challenge worthy, so I'm hoping the venues built there would be allowable in other towns.  As an update, the Show Time venues have been placed in Union Cove and it just needs time for our CAW maestra, Anushka, to be able to add them to the files.  The places in question are:

Dive Bar                          Danefaith
Sports Bar                        Ausette
Dance Club                       Me
Fusion Lounge                   Me
Exclusive Lounge               Me
Live Venue                        Me  (how awesome would Pier Fun Oh Won be near a dried up lake?)
Private Venue                    Ausette
Big Venue                          EA Binder Clips
Poolside Club                      Danefaith
Horse Ranch  (not available from EA except for incomplete Pony one)
Coffee House                     Me
Laundromat                       Ausette
Fire Station                        Samoht
Local Watering Hole            Ausette
Disco Club                          Danefaith

Also, may we add the park venue to one of the parks?  There is not one actually completed but you can use the shells from buydebug along with the stage floor to set one up.  This is normally where beginning performers sign up in their career, not to mention have their first gigs.

[Ricalynn]

I would like to try a dynasty in Lucky Palms but it does not have all the LN and ST venues.  There are several empty lots where most, but not all, of the venues for both EP's can be placed.  However, many of the venues, particularly the ones from LN, are totally incompatible with the ambience and beauty of Lucky Palms.  Since you have agreed to allow Union Cove to be treated as a viable town for challenges, could we not, with permission from the creators, save venues from Union Cove to be placed in towns such as Lucky Palms.  As you know, we builders of Union Cove were very careful and particular in following your criteria for what would be allowed in order to have this town be challenge worthy, so I'm hoping the venues built there would be allowable in other towns.  As an update, the Show Time venues have been placed in Union Cove and it just needs time for our CAW maestra, Anushka, to be able to add them to the files.  The places in question are:

Dive Bar                          Danefaith
Sports Bar                        Ausette
Dance Club                       Me
Fusion Lounge                   Me
Exclusive Lounge               Me
Live Venue                        Me  (how awesome would Pier Fun Oh Won be near a dried up lake?)
Private Venue                    Ausette
Big Venue                          EA Binder Clips
Poolside Club                      Danefaith
Horse Ranch  (not available from EA except for incomplete Pony one)
Coffee House                     Me
Laundromat                       Ausette
Fire Station                        Samoht
Local Watering Hole            Ausette
Disco Club                          Danefaith

Also, may we add the park venue to one of the parks?  There is not one actually completed but you can use the shells from buydebug along with the stage floor to set one up.  This is normally where beginning performers sign up in their career, not to mention have their first gigs.

Using lots from Union Cove would actually go against one of the rules which is to use EA-created lots/buildings only.   It's for Metro to decide but really the lots from new EPs aren't required to finish a dynasty.   There are several lots that I have placed in worlds and then when I bought the lot, I was able to completely refurbish it the way I wanted it to look to match the town it was in.  It's not as easy to do this with Late Night buildings as they are bulky and huge but all the showtime lots can be redone.   The park that comes in the Bin is very easily remade to match Lucky Palms' atmosphere.

[Xajjia]

Writing can be tough, yeah. Travel might be a big help - I don't know if payments received for writing while traveling count, but a) you can boost your "books read" count, which increases your writing speed, b) without missing out on too much income, you can write a lot of short books (but no more than 4 per genre) to get your count up to 25 and unlock Masterpieces, which are incredibly profitable, and c) you can write 95% of a masterpiece on vacation and finish it at home. You don't need a vacation home to do this - if you have a laptop you can use it in the base camps or the markets.

Ahh that makes perfect sense.  My Sim has only read 25 books so if I up the books read it should be a sinch.  I have unlocked masterpieces already which is a huge bonus in income. Good call on the vacation as it does not technically take time away. I think I will do this   Thank you so much <3

[Pam]

Using lots from Union Cove would actually go against one of the rules which is to use EA-created lots/buildings only.   It's for Metro to decide but really the lots from new EPs aren't required to finish a dynasty.   There are several lots that I have placed in worlds and then when I bought the lot, I was able to completely refurbish it the way I wanted it to look to match the town it was in.  It's not as easy to do this with Late Night buildings as they are bulky and huge but all the showtime lots can be redone.   The park that comes in the Bin is very easily remade to match Lucky Palms' atmosphere.

I agree with Rica that it would go directly against one of the Dynasty rules.  It also seems like it would add more confusion to everything.  We don't like to make changes to the rules this late unless it's for something really important and I don't know if the appearance of EA buildings is a good enough reason.