The Sims 3 Immortal Dynasty Challenge

[Metropolis Man]

With about a week and a half to go before aging up, James has completed all requirements for Ambrosia. 

I'm really impressed. I have a pretty definite feeling that Recipe man is going to be cutting it much closer than that.

[AriaGirl77]

Right. If your Founder maxes Athletic, then other immortals can also max Athletic, but not count it as their SuperMax skill.

Ok, I thought I was getting it, but now this confused me again.  Sorry about that!  So other immortals CAN max out the same skill, as long as NONE of them use it at their SuperMax skill, right?  So what if you have several sims who have maxed out the same skill, but no one has picked it as a SuperMax, does that mean that later heirs CAN use that skill as their SuperMax skill?  Or does it make that particular skill off limits because previous immortals have maxed it (although not SuperMax).

I know it's nit picky, but I guess this is the part of the challenge my brain keeps having trouble with. 

[Metropolis Man]

Ok, I thought I was getting it, but now this confused me again.  Sorry about that!  So other immortals CAN max out the same skill, as long as NONE of them use it at their SuperMax skill, right?  So what if you have several sims who have maxed out the same skill, but no one has picked it as a SuperMax, does that mean that later heirs CAN use that skill as their SuperMax skill?  Or does it make that particular skill off limits because previous immortals have maxed it (although not SuperMax).

I know it's nit picky, but I guess this is the part of the challenge my brain keeps having trouble with.  

It is a little confusing, so here we go again (with a smile, of course ). Okay, first let's forget about the SuperMax skill required for eating Ambrosia. Just get that out of your mind for a minute. Let's just look at maxing skills — any skills. All immortals can max any skill even if other immortals have maxed the same skill. But, now we need to bring the SuperMax restriction in. If an immortal has chosen skill Z as his SuperMax skill, then skill Z must never be maxed by another immortal. Others can push it to level 9, but they can't max it.

I'm going to grab a bite to eat and then lay out exactly what I will do with my own Dynasty and explain everything.

EDIT: Okay, here we go. Here's my plan for the Man Dynasty:

Founder: Maxed skills/Career—gardening; cooking; fishing; sculpting; painting, and photography/Gardener. SuperMax skill = probably gardening assuming I can finish the Omni plant op in time. Otherwise I may have to scramble and do the challenges of one of the other maxed skills.

Gen 2: guitar/Rock Star

Gen 3: logic/Medical

Gen 4: Nectar-making/business

Gen 5: Athletic/Pro Sports

Gen 6: Martial Arts/Martial Arts Master

Gen 7: Writing/Professional Author

Gen 8: Charisma/Leader of the Free World

------

So, the way I'm setting my own Dynasty up is a huge amount of work in the beginning that will make everything easier later on. Gen 2 and on really don't have much of a choice but to be one-trick ponies because of all the skills the Founder is going to max.

So, now that I've laid out my plans, here are some pop quiz questions for everyone. Now, I don't necessarily want everyone to post answers to these. But, if you can answer these questions, you clearly have a good grasp of the rules. If you're confused, speak up and I'll give you the correct answer and why.

1) Can the Founder max guitar?

2) Can Gen 8 max handiness?

3) What would happen if Gen 6 accidentally maxes Athletic while pursuing Martial Arts?

4) Which generation could not max inventing?

Good luck and don't forget to leave an apple on my desk.

[Schipperke]

1) Can the Founder max guitar?

2) Can Gen 8 max handiness?

3) What would happen if Gen 6 accidentally maxes Athletic while pursuing Martial Arts?

4) Which generation could not max inventing?

I know you don't want everyone to post answers, but I've always loved quizzes and can't resist.  So here are my answers:

1.  The founder can't max guitar because then Gen 2 wouldn't be able to do their SuperMax skill.

2.  Gen 8 can max handiness.  Actually, any and all Gens could max handiness as no-one has claimed it as a SuperMax skill.

3.  If Gen 6 accidentally mastered Athletics while working on Martial Arts, they will have to start over with another SuperMax skill.  Probably not a good idea to plan on having both Athletic and M.A. as SuperMaxes.

4.  Is this a trick question?  As far as I can tell, if no generation is doing Handiness as a SuperMax skill, any generation could max Inventing.

How did I do, teach?

[Metropolis Man]

I know you don't want everyone to post answers, but I've always loved quizzes and can't resist.  So here are my answers:

1.  The founder can't max guitar because then Gen 2 wouldn't be able to do their SuperMax skill.

2.  Gen 8 can max handiness.  Actually, any and all Gens could max handiness as no-one has claimed it as a SuperMax skill.

3.  If Gen 6 accidentally mastered Athletics while working on Martial Arts, they will have to start over with another SuperMax skill.  Probably not a good idea to plan on having both Athletic and M.A. as SuperMaxes.

4.  Is this a trick question?  As far as I can tell, if no generation is doing Handiness as a SuperMax skill, any generation could max Inventing.

How did I do, teach?

And your score is — 100%! I like that you explained yourself too. Your prize is you no longer need to ask me any more SuperMax questions for the duration of your Dynasty! Woot! 

[Schipperke]

Oh, good.  Actually, I've always felt the rules were very clear on the SuperMax issue, but sometimes I get confused reading other posters' interpretations of the rules.  But I sure wish it was possible to have both Athletics and Martial Arts as SuperMaxes.  There are some skills I just don't want to take on for SuperMax because I'm not sure I'll be able to do all the skill challenges.  But I do feel quite confident about Athletics and Martial Arts.  Oh, well.  It shouldn't all be easy, right?  That's why this is a Challenge, I guess.

[AriaGirl77]

So basically, you have to have a plan as to who will do what before you even get started, because it would be very easy to foul things up for future generations.  Ugh... this will be a major stretch for a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants gal like myself. 

I feel so conflicted now!  I really want to like this challenge, but it just seems like an awful lot of record keeping and preciseness.  I thought you were trying to make something simpler than the Legacy Challenge?  This seems to be interesting, but MUCH more challenging and spread-sheet demanding.  For the Legacy Challenge I keep maybe 1/2 page of notes.  For this challenge it seems like I'll need 1 page for EVERY sim I have.  Yikes! 

My mind has been whirring over this whole thing, but I'm starting to think that it's just gonna be too much for me.  Which is ok, I realize these challenges aren't for everyone.  I love a good challenge, but YIKES!

I will be watching people's stories with much interest.  But at this point I think I'm gonna sit back and watch rather than participate.

[LlamaMama]

Metro, what career is your martial artist going to max?

[Schipperke]

Your prize is you no longer need to ask me any more SuperMax questions for the duration of your Dynasty!

Aw, you know how I love to ask questions - what kind of prize is that?  Please sir, can I have one more question?  Please?

With your scenario, if Gen 5's SuperMax skill is Athletics, and Gen 6 accidentally maxes Athletics while working on Martial Arts, we know that Gen 6 has to scramble and find another SuperMax skill.  But what about Gen 5?  Do they also have to find a new SuperMax skill, since SuperMax skills are defined as skills not maximized by any other immortals?  What if Gen 5 is already Elder and has eaten Ambrosia?  

This is definitely my last question.  Well, until next time.  

[simfulicious]

He probably won't max Athletic while doing Martial Arts, unless he keeps doing Martial Arts after super maxing it.  I had a sim maxed in MA with all skill challenges done, except for the meditating one, and her athletic was around no more than 6 or 7.  And if your sim meditates, it raises MA, but not athletic.

[Schipperke]

He probably won't max Athletic while doing Martial Arts, unless he keeps doing Martial Arts after super maxing it.  I had a sim maxed in MA with all skill challenges done, except for the meditating one, and her athletic was around no more than 6 or 7.  And if your sim meditates, it raises MA, but not athletic.

Oh, thank you for sharing that.  This is indeed good news.  I really, really want a Martial Artist.  I think, just to be sure, I'll do the Martial Artist before the Athlete so if necessary the later Immortal can pick something other than Athletics.

[Kilwala]

I read all the pages late last night, and I'm sorry if I missed this or am doubling up a question, but after moving a spouse onto the dynasty lot, are we allowed to sell that spouse's possessions (if he/she has any in inventory)?  For example, I'm considering marrying Billy Caspian.  In a previous game of mine, he had a car in his inventory.  Would I be allowed to sell that to help with money early on?

Also, to double-check, repeating traits among immortals is okay, right?  

Hrm, I guess I had more questions than I thought...also to double-check, is Collecting considered one of the maxable/supermaxable skills?  For some reason I've never really thought of it as a legitimate skill since it's not really associated with much, but I guess it shows up in the skill journal and has its own skill challenges (though no careers or opportunities or lifetime wishes with it, I don't think)... Thanks, Schipperke!  I forgot it doesn't have levels to increase, silly me.

Oh, and one more question (sorry): you say special opportunities are allowed...does this include Adventures?  I'm guessing not, since there are so many different adventures and this would seem to make the unique six per immortal a lot easier to accomplish, but the Sims Wiki states, "An Adventure is an Opportunity that a Sim can have on vacation with The Sims 3: World Adventures in Shang Simla, Al Simhara or Champs Les Sims." so I wasn't sure.  I'm assuming you mean special opportunities to just be town cookoffs or eating contests or chess tournaments or similar, but I thought I'd get some clarification.

And last but not least, I guess I may as well have you double-check my (rough) Dynasty plan:
Immortal 1: Science career, Supermax Handiness
Immortal 2: Sculptor self-employed, Supermax Sculpting
Immortal 3: Painter (or possibly writer, as I plan for Illustrious Author ltw) self-employed, Supermax Painting
Immortal 4: Photographer self-employed, Supermax Photography
Immortal 5: Culinary career, Supermax Cooking
Immortal 6: Medical career, Supermax Logic
Immortal 7: Sports career, Supermax Martial Arts
Immortal 8: Music (Rock) career, Supermax Guitar

Leaving Fishing, Gardening, Writing, Charisma, Nectar-Making, Athletic, and Collecting skills available to be maxed (and skill challenges completed if I wish) for any immortal.  Have I got it right?

Sorry for the long post.  Thanks for your answers in advance

[LlamaMama]

He probably won't max Athletic while doing Martial Arts, unless he keeps doing Martial Arts after super maxing it.  I had a sim maxed in MA with all skill challenges done, except for the meditating one, and her athletic was around no more than 6 or 7.  And if your sim meditates, it raises MA, but not athletic.

Martial Arts is a fabulous skill to continue using past SuperMaxing. You get great wealth from breaking space rocks. That's why limiting athletics for a martial artists is pretty self-defeating.

[Schipperke]

Hi Kilwala, and welcome to the Forum!  I'm going to answer some of your questions - the ones I'm confident about - and Metro or someone else can address the rest.

1.  You can sell anything.  If your founder's spouse arrives with a good car, lucky you!

2.  Collecting is a skill but cannot be a SuperMax skill because it does not have levels.  Since it cannot be a SuperMax skill, any of your Immortals can get into collecting.

3.  I am fairly sure the Opportunities refers to the ones you get in your home community, but would appreciate Metro's response to that.

4.  I think your proposed plan looks great!  Good luck, and be sure to let us know how things are going.

5.  Edit:  There is no restriction on what traits you give your Immortals or repeating traits.

Edited again:  I just became a HERO!  Woohoo!  Break out the champagne - ah, nectar!

[Kilwala]

Ah, Llama, you make a good point!  I think I'd be okay with only one Immortal having MA though, as I plan to have all (or most of them, as many as I have time for before Ambrosia eating...of course I have all the time in the world after, haha) become authors and specialize in masterpieces for the big bucks.  I've had luck with that in past games

And Schipperke, I guess that is true about Collecting, the no levels   Shows you how often I actually mess with it in game, haha.  Thank you for your other answers, too

Thanks to both of you, and for the forum welcome.  I'm glad to be here, and I think this challenge will prove a lot of fun!