Play Style: Cheats or no Cheats?

[samoht04]

Maybe I should have worded the questions better, or add another option - 'Only when I am building or to fix a bug.'

[RubyLovesSims]

I use testing cheats, but only to mess around. If I'm playing a proper game, like a legacy, I never do.

[Esther1981]

I've said it a million times, so for a million and one, I always have their needs maxed! Well, I tried it once recently without cheating and didn't like it one bit! It takes the fun out of it for me always having to stop what I'm doing to feed them, talk to people and everything. I like my Sims working 24/7. I used to use the money cheats all the time, but now I just do it when I first start a game, get them everything they will need than use the familyfunds to drop it back to 0 and make them work for it! They want more than what I gave them at the beginning? Work your bottom off! If it catches fire in the process, don't worry I'll Control+click the moodlet away, you'll be fine! (Obviously in the grim's challenge I didn't cheat as much as I do in a normal game lol.)

[John Allen]

Went with hardly ever and it depends.

Used to use motherlode a long time ago when I first started, then after a while skipped cheats because it took the challenge out of things for me.

Now the only time I cheat is if I'm playing a casual side game where I don't plan on going past the first generation- I'll use a cheat to change the wife's (who got married into the household) traits.  Even that is rare though and I do it for the grumpy and snob traits.  but I don't like cheats in general, and I don't even like the exploits like for example the books in China.

[Metropolis Man]

...and I don't even like the exploits like for example the books in China.

Ha ha. I have a love/hate relationship with the China books. It just calls me when I start a new character to get that 20k fast from one trip. So, I love it. Yet, I hate the fact that EA refuses to fix that. How hard would it be to make impossible to put those books in inventory?

[Telsey]

I went with hardly ever also.  I think half the fun of the game is actually playing it.  The one place where I have cheated a few times is the freeRealEstate cheat.  I get really tired of playing the tiny houses when so many pretty ones are around and if I like a Sim a lot and I want to play them often, I have been known to give them a nice, new house.  Now there are some little houses that I really like to use and don't mind the little, like some of the starter homes some of the members here made a few months back.  They were and still are the cutest things ever and fun to use.

[NeoFelis]

I chose "yes, sometimes" but most of the time I don't; it takes the fun out of it for me if it's too easy. I learned this the hard way years ago with an RPG (Daggerfall, I think it was called.) I came across the god-mode, or whatever it's called, cheat and I became bored very quickly. So bored that I never finished the game. I sometimes give my Sims a five grand "inheritance" or "endowment" at the very beginning, but even that I think carefully about. It's all spent on upgrading the stove, fridge, and either the bed or the shower when I use it.

[Merrier]

In Sims 1 and 2, I never ever cheated unless something catastrophic happened due to bad luck. In 3, I've cheated a bit more, but only in things like giving my families a pond with fish spawners.

It has always amazed me when people would post a Sims question and the answer was always to cheat. I mean, it's not really cheating since all you affect is your own game, but if you don't even want to play the game, what's the point? 

[Esther1981]

In Sims 1 and 2, I never ever cheated unless something catastrophic happened due to bad luck. In 3, I've cheated a bit more, but only in things like giving my families a pond with fish spawners.

It has always amazed me when people would post a Sims question and the answer was always to cheat. I mean, it's not really cheating since all you affect is your own game, but if you don't even want to play the game, what's the point? 

I'm afraid I might be guilty of this.  Guess I should keep my fingers still!

[Saltypaws]

Everyone has their own style of playing.  If using cheats makes someones game better to them, then that is all that matters.  Some cheats I don't use and some I do, just depends on what I am doing with that particular sim.  If I want that good fridge in one game, I will cheat to get it, but more often they have to work for it in another game.  If I start a new family out, I will give them some money to get the better upgrades and some sims will work towards it.  I did try needs static and to tell you the truth, really liked it, so decided not to use it because it did make it too easy and I do like to have them make their own food and actually sleep.  That cheat would be great to accomplish skills, so there again, depends on what your style of play is.  @Esther.  You don't have to keep your fingers still.   You have your own unique style of play and just so happens you use cheats and there is nothing wrong with that.  They would not be there is we were not suppose to use them.  So whatever makes you happy in playing the sims, then go for it and enjoy and no one should ever feel like that they can't post something on here.

[Pam]

I'm afraid I might be guilty of this.  Guess I should keep my fingers still!

I agree with Salty.  Don't feel bad about giving answers that involve cheats.  Sometimes, it's the perfect answer for someone.  If it's not, there are others who can answer it differently.  It's always good to have lots of information and multiple choices. 

[Esther1981]

Thanks Salty and Pam. When I first read that, I did feel bad. Thanks for the kind words I feel better now! 

[LlamaMama]

I'm struggling with this decision now. I started a legacy and put tons of time into the first generation, following rules, but using travel to extend the lifespan and accomplish more skilling and wealth. The first gen had enough happiness to buy the Teleporter and Moodlet Manager, and since getting those I'm finding it practically impossible to resist using testingcheats for teleporting and mood manipulation, even on gen 2, since it's essentially the same as using the LTRs, only more convenient.

To make matters worse, my gen 2 child got mostly garbage traits (clumsy, heavy sleeper) that kept her from being an interesting sim, so I made up a rule for myself about changing one trait, and you can guess what that led to.

I need to decide where to draw the line before gen 3 gets born, or else I'll be managing toddler moods, changing traits again and again, then give up on my family because I meddled with it, despite truly working up from poverty without cheats.

I'm already thinking of them as my "generational game" rather than "legacy", but it's a slippery slope leading to no more fun.

I'm wondering what kinds of "fudging" other people do in generational games when they decide to deviate from the rules.

[Pam]

@LlamaMama:

For me, there's no fudging in a legacy or Dynasty game.  I play by the rules set down, no question.  I've only had one legacy family and now one Dynasty family.  Both named Dreamweaver.  Neither have had any fudging.  Just as you described, once you start fudging on one thing, it's easy to fudge on something else until it's out of control.  So, for me, it's best to never start.  Use the teleporter and the moodlet manager as they are designed to be used, but nothing else.  If I want to do all that other stuff, I do it in a regular game that's not controlled by any rules. 

[LlamaMama]

I'd still like to have the experience of a long generational family, so I'm going to continue with this family and rein in the fudging before it ruins the fun. It won't be a "legacy", but it'll be back to the rules and end up about 90% pure in the long run.

Edit: I've restored the gen 2 traits to all but one change (clumsy, heavy sleeper, party animal doesn't make a well-rounded sim girl, just a drunk one), and the family is back to sleeping and eating. Only about 3 game days were affected by my cheats, so they're really back on track, as if they had been on vacation for several days (which they can't do because 2 are unmarried). I feel much better about playing them now.