The Sims 3 Immortal Dynasty Challenge

[Pam]

Yes, NPC means Non-Playable Character.  However, there's a difference between an NPC and a townie (like your neighbor).  A townie can actually be played if you go into Edit Town and change households or choose to play an existing household at the start of a new game.  An NPC is one of the service industry Sims (maid, firefighter, babysitter, social worker, etc.) that doesn't have a household and cannot be played unless you bring that Sim into your household either by marriage or asking to move in.  So, here on this Forum, a townie is like Gunther Goth, Agnes Crumplebottom, Emma Hatch, etc. who actually do live in the town. 

I hope this is helpful. 

[Metropolis Man]

Aren't all Sims who aren't one you made NPC Sims?  Or is there a difference between Sims who do services, like the maid, paper boy, etc. and your next door neighbor ?

Everyone has different definitions/standards and labels for these things. My own labels: all of the stock families in a town — the Goths, Landgraabs, Altos, etc — I call townies. Everyone else — firefighters, maids, pizza, police, etc — I call NPCs.

[Pam]

We're trying to be consistent on this Forum with the way both Metro and I use the terms. 

[Schipperke]

Everyone has different definitions/standards and labels for these things. My own labels: all of the stock families in a town — the Goths, Landgraabs, Altos, etc — I call townies. Everyone else — firefighters, maids, pizza, police, etc — I call NPCs.

When my sim meets another child at school - as in this instance - and the game progression has reached the point where I no longer know all the families in town, how can I tell if that child is an NPC and hence to be avoided because of possible aging abnormalities?

[Pam]

When my sim meets another child at school - as in this instance - and the game progression has reached the point where I no longer know all the families in town, how can I tell if that child is an NPC and hence to be avoided because of possible aging abnormalities?

One good way is to read the newspaper daily.  It will tell you who moves to town, so you'll know the last names of the families.  You can also go to Map View and see if there's a house for your child's friend.  Many times, the game will just tell you in the relationship panel that the Sim is a babysitter or paper delivery boy/girl.  Also, watch for the paperboy/girl and note his/her name.  And if the child/teen has siblings in the same school, chances are that it's not an NPC, but a regular family in town.

[Schipperke]

One good way is to read the newspaper daily.  It will tell you who moves to town, so you'll know the last names of the families. 

Looks like I better un-cancel the newspaper because at this point in my Dynasty there aren't many familiar names around town any more.  Thanks, Pam.

[Pam]

Looks like I better un-cancel the newspaper because at this point in my Dynasty there aren't many familiar names around town any more.  Thanks, Pam.

Yeah, I stopped cancelling it once I realized how useful it is. 

[Lenka]

Few days ago I joined the Dynasty challenge after reading this topic entirely (I know, I'm a bit weird sometimes ) After the first attempt where I bought a wrong lot and the second one where my save file was bugged I'm on my third dynasty attempt and this time everything runs smooth (toc toc toc...). My founder Keeya Naiser Amara married Christopher Steel.

I encountered a same "problem" as somebody (I don't remember exactly who ) few pages ago. Keeya gave birth to twins. Fialka and Violette are adorable but I hope this is a last time that I have twins in my dynasty Maybe it has something to do with Keeya's family oriented trait?

[LlamaMama]

As follow-up to the discussion about npc's, yesterday my sim just married a babysitter she knew in high school. He became YA before she did, so the moment she became YA she invited him over, and used her wiles on him to marry her. I just now checked: she's just turned YA and he's 17 days from elder. But wow, he had such tempting traits! Only his LTW is impossible, Possession is 9/10 (Twinbrook), and he's got little time left. I've learned my lesson. She'd better get her traveling time in before he croaks!

And Pam thanks for explaining that it's not all babysitters or service sims, just the ones who don't live in the neighborhood. Now I'll know how to do a better background check .

[Schipperke]

I encountered a same "problem" as somebody (I don't remember exactly who ) few pages ago. Keeya gave birth to twins. Fialka and Violette are adorable but I hope this is a last time that I have twins in my dynasty Maybe it has something to do with Keeya's family oriented trait?

Lenka, I was the one who posted about unwanted twins a few pages back.  And the twins' mother also had the family oriented trait.  I wonder if there's a pattern here.  Perhaps it would be best to avoid spouses with that trait, especially later in the game when twins could be a major problem.

[Metropolis Man]

Lenka, I was the one who posted about unwanted twins a few pages back.  And the twins' mother also had the family oriented trait.  I wonder if there's a pattern here.  Perhaps it would be best to avoid spouses with that trait, especially later in the game when twins could be a major problem.

I find that highly unlikely. If there was any connection between the Family-Oriented trait and chance of twins/triplets, you would think there's some mention of that fact somewhere on the 'net. But, there's not. I'm not saying it doesn't exist. But, you'd think someone would have tested that theory out long ago. All I know is that Family-Oriented Sims skill their toddlers quicker and attend to their needs quicker. Aside from that — Pam probably knows more details — I really doubt FO has any impact on the chance of multiples.

[january_embers]

I'm not actually playing my Dynasty for scoring or anything, just for the fun, but I've come across a couple of questions that I can't find the answers to:

1) Once an immortal maxes out their career and reaches elder, can they retire? Or do they have to fill all ambrosia requirements before retiring? Or are they supposed to keep working forever?

2) What is the difference between a sim listed as a "Best Friend" and one listed as an "Old Friend"? Sometimes, it looks like the relationship bar is higher on some of the old friends than on some of the best friends - is it just a measure of how long they've been friends? I am terrible at the socializing part, so I am buying all my immortals the Long Distance Friend LTR, but I'm noticing that some Best Friends change to Old Friends anyway, so I don't *think* it's a decay.

3) Do you count "Best Friend" status when it's achieved, or do they have to have 6 unique best friends at the same time (say, if one of the best friends dies, do you have to start over with a new person)? Also - if another immortal becomes best friends with a sim already credited to a prior immortal, does that friend just not count for the younger sim or does that friend not count for either of them?

[wildredchild]

I'm not actually playing my Dynasty for scoring or anything, just for the fun, but I've come across a couple of questions that I can't find the answers to:

1) Once an immortal maxes out their career and reaches elder, can they retire? Or do they have to fill all ambrosia requirements before retiring? Or are they supposed to keep working forever?

2) What is the difference between a sim listed as a "Best Friend" and one listed as an "Old Friend"? Sometimes, it looks like the relationship bar is higher on some of the old friends than on some of the best friends - is it just a measure of how long they've been friends? I am terrible at the socializing part, so I am buying all my immortals the Long Distance Friend LTR, but I'm noticing that some Best Friends change to Old Friends anyway, so I don't *think* it's a decay.

3) Do you count "Best Friend" status when it's achieved, or do they have to have 6 unique best friends at the same time (say, if one of the best friends dies, do you have to start over with a new person)? Also - if another immortal becomes best friends with a sim already credited to a prior immortal, does that friend just not count for the younger sim or does that friend not count for either of them?

1. I am not 100% certain of this answer, so will let someone that is answer it.
2. Again, not certain.
3. I have this one.  They have to have 6 best friends before they can eat Ambrosia.  If one of their best friends dies before, then yes, you have to get another one.  Once a immortal has a best friend, say Holly Alto, no other possible immortal may count her as their best friend in order to eat Ambrosia.

[Metropolis Man]

Wild correctly answered #3 for you, so I'll just hit #1 and #2:

1) Once an immortal maxes out their career and reaches elder, can they retire? Or do they have to fill all ambrosia requirements before retiring? Or are they supposed to keep working forever?

Yes, they can retire upon maxing a career. They do not need to work forever. It's simply the act of maxing a career that's the requirement to eat Ambrosia.

2) What is the difference between a sim listed as a "Best Friend" and one listed as an "Old Friend"? Sometimes, it looks like the relationship bar is higher on some of the old friends than on some of the best friends - is it just a measure of how long they've been friends? I am terrible at the socializing part, so I am buying all my immortals the Long Distance Friend LTR, but I'm noticing that some Best Friends change to Old Friends anyway, so I don't *think* it's a decay.

Look at your Relationships tab and you'll notice that friends are listed by friendship strength, left to right. So, if you've got Old Friends sandwiched right between Best Friends, you can be assured that the strength is high enough for your qualification. Even if an Old Friend is to right of a Best Friend, but to the left of a Good Friend, I'd say count it.

[january_embers]

Yes, they can retire upon maxing a career. They do not need to work forever. It's simply the act of maxing a career that's the requirement to eat Ambrosia.

Thanks for the clarification. My founder was SO OVER working pretty much the second she hit elder, so I let her retire, but then I was worried I did it wrong.