Play Style: Cheats or no Cheats?

[Karanina]

Obviously you can't propose to teens. What I mean is, a babysitter is considered an NPC, some people like to "collect" them, as in bring them into their family, after they become adults.
So far, there have been two Babysitters in my neighborhood that I haven't been able to propose to. My sim becomes their girlfriend, their relationship bar is completely full, ALL romantic options are
available EXCEPT "Propose marriage". It's becoming a pain, this was a downloaded neighborhood built specifically with legacies in mind but I'm wondering in there's an NPC bug of some sort.
Anyway that's off topic sorry! Because of the bug, I cheated in order to bring the NPC into the household, however they still can't get married.

[thesweetestpea]

I've decided from now on that I'm only cheating in overstuffed households. I went back and played some of my antiquated save files today. My self-sims don't load properly without cheats now and I'm really scared that file is bugged, but I played an old file with testingcheats off and I had so much fun juggling it.

[heller12x]

Well. I cheat or have cheated a lot. But i chalk it up to not being experienced enough yet. For the family in on right now I did use motherlode with them but the husband still works. This will mark the last time I use that cheat on a family I want to build up and live with. I'm weening off make all happy, but with 8 sims in one house it's very hard. Those are really the only ones I use but I'd like to learn more about the building cheats.

[Janna]

The first two sims I created I didn't know about any of the cheats.  Then, when I learned of the motherlode, I have been using that for most of my sims, but that is all.  I don't like the starter homes and to build a home that I like, I need more than the 16,500 that is given. 
When I am trying to figure out what to do and what the heck is my sim doing and what did I do to cause that to happen so I won't do that again, it was just to frustrating to worry about such things as keeping the house clean and needing to buy books for skills, such as the fishing one.  The sim may not care if there are windows, but I can't really enjoy looking at a house that my artist or author is in when it is dark and dreary.  So, bigger rooms, LOTS of windows, plenty of trees, flowers and other plants.  Now, that is a home.  I don't buy the nice stuff, tv, and such as those are from when my sim earns them with her income, depending on her career.  An author gets a nice chair and good computer, but for the most part, the first one or the second best. 

That is the only one I know.

I don't think I will use any of the others, but time will tell as I learn more about how to play the game. 

For me, it is the enjoyment that counts, if the cheats help you to enjoy the game better, then go for them.  If using them would affect your enjoyment, then don't.  Isn't that the goal of any game, to be enjoyed while being played? 

[Kaye]

I use cheats, but only if my sims gets stuck or I have multiple sims with very low motives (my sims are useless without me and that's with free will on!)

[Dakota Williams]

I use cheats too, sorry to say. testingcheatsenabled true is very common on my game.cant help it. and moveobjects on while building.

[RubyLovesSims]

Well. I cheat or have cheated a lot. But i chalk it up to not being experienced enough yet. For the family in on right now I did use motherlode with them but the husband still works. This will mark the last time I use that cheat on a family I want to build up and live with. I'm weening off make all happy, but with 8 sims in one house it's very hard. Those are really the only ones I use but I'd like to learn more about the building cheats.

Hey heller. I'd say if you'd like to learn more about building cheats, or building in general, check out the Building and Construction board (http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php/board,15.0.html) I know it's helped a lot of players (including me!).

[Leto85]

I don't cheat. I'm a very loyal person when it comes to relationships.
And so are my sims.

[Telsey]

I really don't like to cheat.  I think it just becomes a routine sort of boring thing if you cheat but that's just me.  I have used the freerealestate cheat though because sometimes I just want to play in a pretty house.  LOL  That does give you an advantage though since you get to start out with a bit of money instead of practically nothing.  I think its so great how you can play the game so many different ways and for those who hate the struggling part in the beginning you just don't have to do that. 

[loveSims]

I was a very big cheater, but sims medieval cure me lol! Now I see that it is much more fun if you don't cheat. I hardly ever cheat now. Wil only kaching if the repo man is on the way.

[Kaye]

For me, Medieval is much easier, considering you only have to fill two motives.

[galaxied]

I'll always use the Motherlode cheat in the very beginning, just because I get more enjoyment if my Sim isn't living in squalor with appliances that are constantly breaking.  But I only ever use it in the very beginning of a new game, and just to get a Sim set up. If I have a single or party animal Sim I'll often use the 'make me know everyone cheat', and if I'm trying to skill a Sim up intentionally for one reason or another, I'll manipulate the needs bars manually. And the teleport cheat does come in handy when travelling/exploring tombs. But other than that, too much cheating makes things boring. 

[FireRaye93]

To cheat or not to cheat? That is always the question.

I personally cheat about 70% of the time. "testingcheatsenabled true" is just so perfect. You can make needs static or just max them. You can use it to teleport (which is very convenient when traveling). You can build/buy on lots that aren't yours and a bunch of other stuff that's just perfect for all kinds of situations. I also use cheats when building, but I think most people do to some degree.

[cndneh]

I have a bunch of mods, but I usually don't use all the fun 'cheat' stuff that comes with them.  I hardly move needs, I use transport all the time, occasionally change friendship level with other sims, but I always earn my skills, and money.  I use moveobjects once in a while if I am trying to get pictures or something to line up nicely on the wall but that's it (I usually get myself in trouble with moveobjects )  I sometimes use buydebug.  But cheating to get more money, job performance, skill level, children, etc I don't do. 

So I chose "Depends"

 

[heatherliz2002]

I don't use cheats very often.  Occasionally I'll give a sim family more money at the very start of a game if I want them in a particular house, but usually I have them start out with the default amount and work their way up.  Obviously I use moveobjects when a sim gets stuck, but I don't really consider that cheating.  I think I used "make needs static" once, and decided I didn't like it- it felt weird to play that way!  Once or twice I've used the cheat to alter an existing sim in CAS.  I think that's it.