The Sims 3 Immortal Dynasty Challenge

[Pam]

I guess what is confusing me is the maxed and supermaxed.  It seems (and I have no idea if I have this correct yet - this is like some sort of brain twister) that maxed and supermaxed makes no difference.  Once you hit level 10 it is off limits whether you do the challenges or not.  I don't understand that at all.  What is the point of supermaxed then?  Sorry, I am just not getting this.  I am a control freak with my Sims which is why I rarely see them do many things that others find in the game but I have had Sims max out skills that I never intended for them.  Some will like something and every  minute you are downtown or something they will skip what you told them to do and do their favorite thing. 

SuperMax is the skill chosen by the immortal to be the skill that qualifies for Ambrosia.  Each immortal will have one SuperMax skill that none of the other immortals can have maxed at all.  With 8 immortals, that means that 8 skills will be SuperMaxed, which makes them off limits for all the immortals except for their one that they choose for Ambrosia qualification.  You'll have to keep close tabs on all of your immortals to make sure that none of them accidently max out one of the SuperMaxed skills.

[Telsey]

I thought even the maxed skills couldn't be used by another immortal Sim.  I feel like I am in the twilight zone.  I just cannot understand this.  First I thought it was just the supermaxed skills that couldn't be duplicated but then someone said you can't duplicate even the maxed skills (reaching level 10, minus challenges) so is it both that you can't duplicate and why is there a distinction then? 

[wildredchild]

I hope to clear most, if not all, of the skill choice confusion up soon. I'm going to lay out exactly what I intend to do—at least give players a taste of the first 3 generations. I'll be very specific and leave no stone unturned. So, hopefully, that will help. I'll do that later today, but need to get to some house chores first.  

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EDIT: Okay, here’s my walkthrough for the first 3 generations. Whether or not I actually do this is up in the air, but for now it sounds like a solid plan:

My Founder is Moe Howard. Moe’s going to marry quickly as TheCub correctly pointed out—you can’t dawdle on getting the paintings done. So, Moe marrys and his wife will assume the responsibility of painting Moe’s portrait, and also doing the photo and ice sculpture. She’ll be quite busy.

As for Moe, now that I think about it, guitar is not the way to go. I’ll have Moe go the Science career route and that way the gardening and fishing necessary for making Ambrosia can be taken care of, plus he’ll have handiness to to repair things that break. So, his LTW will be the Creature Robot Cross Breeder and his wife will essentially be the cook and a self employed painter, sculptor, photographer.

Moe and whatever her name will be have one child, Shemp. Shemp’s the 2nd generation immortal. Moe will probably have maxed gardening, handiness and fishing, so all 3 skills will be off limits for Shemp’s supermax choice. It would make sense for Shemp to become a da Vinci because Moe’s wife won’t be around very long to handle the paintings, photos, and sculptures. So, Shemp will pursue painting, sculpting and inventing and his targeted supermax skill would be one of those. His career will be a self-employed profession. Shemp’s wife will need to get in on the act as far as painting, sculpting and photography because Shemp will need his own objects for the museum. But, once Shemp’s wife is gone, then Shemp will be able to handle all museum objects for all future immortals.

Shemp and his wife bring in the 3rd generation with Curly Howard. Woo woo woo woo. Curly needs to pick a LTW, career, and supermax skill all different from Moe and Shemp, so let’s just say....a Swimming in Cash LTW, a Ghost Hunter career, and a Logic supermax choice.

Death Fish and Life Fruit can be kept indefinitely in inventory without fear of them ever spoiling, but there's still the requirement of someone with a maxed cooking skill to make the Ambrosia. So, I may just have Moe assume that responsibility and be the Dynasty household cook.

It is a little confusing in the sense of how many ways you can approach this, but I hope this example at least clears up some of the skill/supermax choice confusion. The bottom line is you'll have 8 immortals which means 8 different supermax skills, 8 different careers (rabbit-hole or self employed profession is fine) and 8 different LTW. Just plan it out for yourself and that will avoid confusion down the road for you when you get to generation 5 or 6 and are wondering what your remaining immortals can choose from to fulfill their requirements.

I quoted this in case anyone missed it.  This explanation actually made all the right clicks in my head the best out of all given previously, including my own.

[Pam]

@Twinmum and Wildredchild:

I'm very sorry, but I removed both of your posts.  They conflicted with each other and I was afraid it would only cause more confusion for Telsey.  Plus, Metro is the best for explaining at this point.  Let's wait and let him help Telsey get settled.  Again, I'm sorry about removing them.  Please forgive. 

[samoht04]

So is this plan okay-ish?

Founder - Maxes Cooking and Reaches Lvl 10 Culinary.
Gen 2 - Maxes Sculpting and Reaches Lvl 10 Sculptor Career.
Gen 3 - Maxes Athletic and Becomes Lvl 10 Athlete.
Gen 4 - Maxes Writing and becomes Lvl 10 Writer.
Gen 5 - Maxes Charisma and Becomes Lvl 10 Politician.
Gen 6 - Maxes Inventing and Handiness and becomes Lvl 10 Inventor.
Gen 7 - Maxes Guitar and Reaches Lvl 10 Music.
Gen 8 - Maxes logic and reaches Lvl 10 Medical.

So is that plan following the rules?

And also a question which may/may not have been asked: 'Does each sim have to make their own Ambrosia or can one sim make it for them all?'

[Twinmum]

@Twinmum and Wildredchild:

I'm very sorry, but I removed both of your posts.  They conflicted with each other and I was afraid it would only cause more confusion for Telsey.  Plus, Metro is the best for explaining at this point.  Let's wait and let him help Telsey get settled.  Again, I'm sorry about removing them.  Please forgive. 

No worries Pam. I certainly didn't mean to confuse, but you are right, Metro is better at explaining

[templesmom]

So is this plan okay-ish?

Founder - Maxes Cooking and Reaches Lvl 10 Culinary.
Gen 2 - Maxes Sculpting and Reaches Lvl 10 Sculptor Career.
Gen 3 - Maxes Athletic and Becomes Lvl 10 Athlete.
Gen 4 - Maxes Writing and becomes Lvl 10 Writer.
Gen 5 - Maxes Charisma and Becomes Lvl 10 Politician.
Gen 6 - Maxes Inventing and Handiness and becomes Lvl 10 Inventor.
Gen 7 - Maxes Guitar and Reaches Lvl 10 Music.
Gen 8 - Maxes logic and reaches Lvl 10 Medical.

So is that plan following the rules?

And also a question which may/may not have been asked: 'Does each sim have to make their own Ambrosia or can one sim make it for them all?'

The way I understand is anyone can make it for them.

[Metropolis Man]

I guess what is confusing me is the maxed and supermaxed.  It seems (and I have no idea if I have this correct yet - this is like some sort of brain twister) that maxed and supermaxed makes no difference.

They are different. The supermax skill is the skill chosen by your immortal to qualify to eat Ambrosia AND place a deathflower in inventory (Pam and I agreed on this, everyone—I’ll be editing the rules shortly). As per the rules the skill chosen for eating Ambrosia must be maxed and must have all related skill challenges completed before eating Ambrosia. A maxed skill is simply one where you’ve hit level 10.

Multiple immortals can have the same maxed skill, but each immortal must have one unique supermax skill—the one that qualifies them to become immortal. The supermax skill cannot be a skill that has been (or will be) maxed by any other immortal.

Telsey, give a shout if you’re still unclear.

So is this plan okay-ish?

Founder - Maxes Cooking and Reaches Lvl 10 Culinary.
Gen 2 - Maxes Sculpting and Reaches Lvl 10 Sculptor Career.
Gen 3 - Maxes Athletic and Becomes Lvl 10 Athlete.
Gen 4 - Maxes Writing and becomes Lvl 10 Writer.
Gen 5 - Maxes Charisma and Becomes Lvl 10 Politician.
Gen 6 - Maxes Inventing and Handiness and becomes Lvl 10 Inventor.
Gen 7 - Maxes Guitar and Reaches Lvl 10 Music.
Gen 8 - Maxes logic and reaches Lvl 10 Medical.

So is that plan following the rules?

You’re good, samo.

And also a question which may/may not have been asked: 'Does each sim have to make their own Ambrosia or can one sim make it for them all?'

One Sim can make all of it. Yeah, I’m still pondering my own strategy and I think one good early possibility would be to have the spouse of the Founder go culinary career to get the uber fridge that never spoils food. That way they could make a large quantity of Ambrosia before they die and simply be done with suppling all future generations with a huge batch. The trick would be that the spouse would also need to get the painting, sculpting, and photography skills necessary for the Founder’s museum objects. I would foresee a couple of loooong vacations by this Sim to take care of maxing photography and cooking outside of home time and making the culinary career a bit more manageable.  

[Twinmum]

I would foresee a coule of loooong vacations by this Sim to take care of maxing photography and cooking outside of home time and making the culinary career a bit more manageable. 

If travel is banned till the second generation is young adult, does this leave much time. That's one thing I've never really taken much notice of - how long is each life stage. Someone want to enlighten me or at least point me somewhere that says?

Norma

[Metropolis Man]

Okay, everyone—the rules have officially been modified to now allow deathflowers for immortals. The placing of deathflowers in an immortal's personal inventory carry identical requirements as eating Ambrosia—you must fulfill the requirements to do so. The deathflower is simply there as a failsafe mechanism in case of a meteor or something unfortunate like that. Eating Ambrosia is still at the core of this challenge and the placement of the deathflower does not eliminate any immortal's need to make and eat Ambrosia to remain immortal.

I also mentioned the SuperMax skill and what it is since that term has been flying around a lot.

So, please reread through the rules. Thank you.

[Metropolis Man]

If travel is banned till the second generation is young adult, does this leave much time. That's one thing I've never really taken much notice of - how long is each life stage. Someone want to enlighten me or at least point me somewhere that says?

That's a very good point, Norma and to be honest I made my comment that you quoted without thinking about the travel restriction, so that would make it extra tough on the Founder's spouse to get all of the skilling done in town. A Normal lifespan is around 90 days, give or take. I know the Elder stage lasts approximately 14 days. I want to say that YA and Adult last on average 21 days each, but I'm not crystal on that one.

[Schipperke]

The rules require that each Immortal must complete 6 unique Opportunities before eating ambrosia.  My self-employed fisherman just isn't getting very many opportunities, and when he does they are usually unattainable given the travel restrictions (the one to deliver frogs keeps coming up).  I may have to have him take up other skills to try to trigger more opportunities, but my question is, if he attends a chess tournament in the park or an eating contest, can I count those as opportunities for him?  Please? 

[Metropolis Man]

The rules require that each Immortal must complete 6 unique Opportunities before eating ambrosia.  My self-employed fisherman just isn't getting very many opportunities, and when he does they are usually unattainable given the travel restrictions (the one to deliver frogs keeps coming up).  I may have to have him take up other skills to try to trigger more opportunities, but my question is, if he attends a chess tournament in the park or an eating contest, can I count those as opportunities for him?  Please? 

Begging works for me.  No, seriously, all opportunities count — skill, career, and the special ones like you mentioned.

[ClayMask]

I have questions about the 6 best friends.  Do they have to be your wannabeimmortal's best friends at the time of eating ambrosia, or best friends at any point?  If one dies, do you have to make another?

[Schipperke]

Begging works for me.  No, seriously, all opportunities count — skill, career, and the special ones like you mentioned.

Oh, that's great.  He hasn't a hope of winning a chess tournament, but that's what I'll have him do, just to get those opportunities.  And it's good to know that begging works.  I'll make a note of that for future reference.