@Trip , by off limits to everyone else, you mean others who are going to be immortals, not helpers and spouses, correct?
@Odie you can choose not to play with dragons if you want to, but I like them myself, and I will continue to use them.
I think there are techniques that people use that are more cheaty than things like the dragons and I choose not to use them (even though they are allowed). Needs are easy to control anyway, getting opportunities to fire for skills and jobs (even without Into the Future installed) is far more difficult of late in my experience.
@Sarabi I haven't had that experience with travel. I have sent single elders, married couples, single sims that are in a relationship, single sims that aren't in a relationship and sims who have recently become a widow. In almost all cases my household is full when I travel (so I don't know if that has any impact.