The Sims 3 Immortal Dynasty Challenge

[sdhoey]

Can the non immortals drink the young again potion from the chemistry table?

[Shirin]

•Generation's, Pet's & Supernatural's potions, elixirs and rewards that reverse/freeze/extend/shorten age are not allowed.

So unfortunately, no.

[Ricalynn]

The spirit of the challenge is to keep your elders alive while still working on new immortals.  If you use the Young Again potion, it's no longer elders and therefore much easier.    Yes they're scrawny and saggy but that's the challenge.

[sdhoey]

Call it memory loss.. Lol maybe I need the young again potion!

[KittyClaws]

Thanks, guys!     I can always use my potions on innocent bystanders instead.  Who wouldn't want to become a werewolf? XD I have noticed that since SN was released, it's a lot easier to keep friends alive till your current heir becomes immortal.  Yay for fairies.

That brings up another question, and the answer is probably no, but I'll ask for the sake of curiosity:  could an alchemist use potions to turn friends into long lived fairies so they don't die before immortality is available?  Like I said, "No", right?     Might be good to add that the the rules, if it's not, for newcomers to the challenge.

[Deklitch]

well, I think it would be allowed, provided they weren't going to ever become a member of your household. But I don't know

[Shirin]

That brings up another question, and the answer is probably no, but I'll ask for the sake of curiosity:  could an alchemist use potions to turn friends into long lived fairies so they don't die before immortality is available?  Like I said, "No", right?     Might be good to add that the the rules, if it's not, for newcomers to the challenge.

Well, here's my take on it, but it's ultimately up to Metro and Rica of course.

I don't see why not. I mean, one of the alchemy skill challenges does involve throwing elixirs at other people, and multiple Flask of Angry Bees might be cheap (and hilarious), but not very good for your friends long run. Especially since you aren't going to be moving them into the household.

[Siergiej]

I think I need not only practical, but theoretical ruling about Edit Town issue. Correct me where I'm wrong.

Edit Town usage is limited by the rules. But every other EP brings us new lots we'd rather have in our towns, and EA doesn't always bother with giving us proper library lots and enough empty lots for that matter. The main intention of a player should be to keep a town as close to its original version as possible (link). But, as far as it goes, we can use Edit Town without permission for following:

Placing empty lots wherever possible (link)
Changing empty lot assignment from residential to community (link)
Rezoning empty community lots to another community lot assignment (link)
Removing some empty lots for the sake of placing there empty lots of needed size (link)

Placing EA library & Store lots wherever possible (rules)
Removing automatically placed new lots (such as Fire Station after Ambitions or Supernatural Hangout after Supernatural) and placing them where we, not the game, want them (link)
Placing two or more lots of the same functionality (two Diners) in town, as long as they are from the library (link)
Saving Supernatural Rabbithole Lots into the library and treating them as library lots (link)
Placing pretty much whatever we want on purchased lots (rules)

We can't, however, without permission (and must have a good reason to):

Replace community lot with similar lot from another town (e.g. replacing Sports Stadium with Starlight Sports Stadium – there is a reason to do so, but we need permission) (link) (or can we?)
Overuse Edit Town ("close to original" principle)

We can not at all bulldoze or replace existing (non-empty) community and residential lots (except for particular cases of Metro's ruling, which are not to make a rule from). (link)

Am I right?

Also, couple of questions:
- should we do all the rezoning at the start of the game, or we can tweak it during the challenge?
- can we at some point rezone all empty residential lots to community assignment in advance? There aren't going to be any more residential lots in town.

[Ricalynn]

I think I need not only practical, but theoretical ruling about Edit Town issue. Correct me where I'm wrong.

Edit Town usage is limited by the rules. But every other EP brings us new lots we'd rather have in our towns, and EA doesn't always bother with giving us proper library lots and enough empty lots for that matter. The main intention of a player should be to keep a town as close to its original version as possible (link). But, as far as it goes, we can use Edit Town without permission for following:

Placing empty lots wherever possible (link)
Changing empty lot assignment from residential to community (link)
Rezoning empty community lots to another community lot assignment (link)
Removing some empty lots for the sake of placing there empty lots of needed size (link)

Placing EA library & Store lots wherever possible (rules)
Removing automatically placed new lots (such as Fire Station after Ambitions or Supernatural Hangout after Supernatural) and placing them where we, not the game, want them (link)
Placing two or more lots of the same functionality (two Diners) in town, as long as they are from the library (link)
Saving Supernatural Rabbithole Lots into the library and treating them as library lots (link)
Placing pretty much whatever we want on purchased lots (rules)

We can't, however, without permission (and must have a good reason to):

Replace community lot with similar lot from another town (e.g. replacing Sports Stadium with Starlight Sports Stadium – there is a reason to do so, but we need permission) (link) (or can we?)
Overuse Edit Town ("close to original" principle)

We can not at all bulldoze or replace existing (non-empty) community and residential lots (except for particular cases of Metro's ruling, which are not to make a rule from). (link)

Am I right?

Also, couple of questions:
- should we do all the rezoning at the start of the game, or we can tweak it during the challenge?
- can we at some point rezone all empty residential lots to community assignment in advance? There aren't going to be any more residential lots in town.

All rezoning & editing should be done at the start of the game.   You're only allowed to go back into Edit Town when new lots become available.   When you place your founder, you should have the town exactly as you need it to be for your strategy.

Remember that empty lots are the only ones allowed to be rezoned.  There are 9 lots in Moonlight Falls that are not empty lots.  They are in fact small parks and until you are told otherwise, they need to remain small parks.   You can tell if a lot is empty if it has the sideways diamond as a symbol or under the bench symbol. 

link This is what you need to follow when it comes to replacing community lots.   This is what Metro & I have both agreed upon and is the current ruling.

If you ever think you're about to do something and you're confused on it's allowance - you can always specifically ask if it's ok.   Just PM Metro & myself or post it here.   We want everything to be crystal clear for every player so that you can do the challenge and make it to the end.

[Siergiej]

Had to re-read it a couple of times, but now it seems to be clear for me. So, at the start of the game I can add, remove and rezone empty lots (these and these ), and place lots from EA library on them. Next time I can go back into Edit Town mode (on the same terms) only when new expansion brings brand new lots.
This I can do without asking, anything more complex -- I'd better ask. Right?

Thank you very much for answering!

[Ricalynn]

Had to re-read it a couple of times, but now it seems to be clear for me. So, at the start of the game I can add, remove and rezone empty lots (these and these ), and place lots from EA library on them. Next time I can go back into Edit Town mode (on the same terms) only when new expansion brings brand new lots.
This I can do without asking, anything more complex -- I'd better ask. Right?

Thank you very much for answering!

That's exactly right.    If you don't feel right about something or you think it gives an advantage - just ask and we'll let you know if it's ok or not.    Good luck!

[cathyknits]

Re: Throwing life-state-changing elixirs at other people.

My take on it would have been the opposite of Shirin's: taking giving makeovers as an example, you're allowed to do the stylist career, but not to use the stylist career to give yourself an advantage by lengthening the lifespans of your friends. If you have a friend who got a long-lived life state by Story Progression, that's something the game did and you can take advantage of it, even if what you do is seek out and befriend every fairy in town just to make sure your friends outlive you - but if you're going around intentionally lenthening people's lives it's another matter. So if you wanted to turn the whole town into witches, that would be okay, but intentionally turning your BFs into fairies so they don't die on you wouldn't - it's no different from serving them life fruit nectar every day.

I think Metro and Rica are going to need to make the call on this one, definitely.

[Ricalynn]

Actually, it's already covered in the rules if you think about it.   You're not allowed to do anything that would extend the life of anyone who is not an immortal (as in all requirements complete, had ambrosia already).   

• Generation's, Pet's & Supernatural's potions, elixirs and rewards that reverse/freeze/extend/shorten age are not allowed.

All the things that can be used to achieve the goal of making anyone else live longer have been banned or restricted.  Do I really need to just add the line "Making someone live longer is banned, Making someone die faster is banned"?  If I do, tell me now and I'll find a place to put it in big bold letters so it's perfectly understood.


Sorry I didn't respond to this earlier.  I had just woken up and meant to mention it when I was replying to Siergie. 

[Shirin]

I had understood that to be applicable to household members (spouses and spares) only.

Which now leads to my next question (purely due to ignorance of the profession): as I've never played a stylist, does makeovers to townies/npcs not extend their lives the way the potions and elixirs might? I do plan on doing a 2nd Dynasty at some point, and if that profession does extend the life, then I know to avoid it.

(I ask because I vaguely recall something about "stylist is ok, just don't makeover your own family because it resets the age bar.")

Thanks

[Ricalynn]

Cathyknits addressed the stylist career two posts up.  Being a stylist is allowable as we don't restrict careers,  it does in fact reset age bars so if you do it in your dynasty you are supposed to only do it on those that will not give you an advantage.  So don't do it on Best Friends or future spouses.

Quoted directly from rules: 

• 2. Getting a makeover. However, the Stylist career is not offlimits, so you're free to give makeovers to other non household Sims. Just be honest and avoid giving makeovers to any Sim where their longer life from the makeover would be a benefit to your Dynasty.