Questions about inactive households

[Exxoc]

So I'm playing the game after some years again, and I made a family which got more than 1 kid, but when they grow up and move away from home I'm obviously not gonna be playing as all of them. The most I'd do is place them individually in houses with enough furniture to have them survive, then let them do their own thing. Having them all live in the same house feels a bit weird...

Will they by themselves start families of their own, or will they just sit there till they die of old age? I know the AI can take care of itself to survive, but will it make proper life decisions like marriage and get kids? If yes, would I have to enable a high level of free will or does that option only affect the current household you're playing? If they're not programmed to make actual families by themselves I might as well just never have them move out from their parents house or just let them sit in that household catalog so they don't occupy houses for nothing

[Trip]

With EA's vanilla story progression, they basically will stagnate when you move them out of the house. While inactive family members might occasionally get significant others or a job, it's pretty rare.

There are mods to liven inactive lives up a bit, but questions about that are best left for our Game Mods board.

[Exxoc]

Well that's a shame, but sort of to be expected. Suppose having all of the expansion packs won't add much of anything? Otherwise I'll have a go with modding unless it's too complicated

Thanks.

[Trip]

EPs won't do anything in that regard either.

[Pam]

I'm afraid Trip is right.  There was a time when EA's story progression would do what it should, but as time went on, it got worse and worse.  I can't remember the last time my game generated a new child outside my household without my interference.  However, story progression will move new families into town as others die off or move away, and that will get some new blood into the town for the household you're playing.

[neuroticnelly]

I have several generations of one family living in Moonlight Falls. They are all from the same root great-grandparents - vampires. As each generation has had children, I'd get them to the top of their career ladders, have a partner, then move them out. However I still played with the original family. What I find odd, is that some of the sims' careers went down from 10 to 8 or 9, others changed their supernatural effect -- vampire to witch or fairy. Some got married and did have a child. So I guess my game does have some progression and regression. 

[LivvieLove]

I have several generations of one family living in Moonlight Falls. They are all from the same root great-grandparents - vampires. As each generation has had children, I'd get them to the top of their career ladders, have a partner, then move them out. However I still played with the original family. What I find odd, is that some of the sims' careers went down from 10 to 8 or 9, others changed their supernatural effect -- vampire to witch or fairy. Some got married and did have a child. So I guess my game does have some progression and regression. 

The job changes are often because your game is trying to "balance" out certain careers.
I'm trying to think of an example, but if your Sim from your original household joins the medical career, the game needs people to join the medical career from the start, and if no one was already in it, it will switch people out of their careers into new ones or push them down in position to make room for your active house.
I've never seen inactive Sims at the top of their career, so I can't really comment on why they would drop a few promotions down... :/

[neuroticnelly]

The job changes are often because your game is trying to "balance" out certain careers.
I'm trying to think of an example, but if your Sim from your original household joins the medical career, the game needs people to join the medical career from the start, and if no one was already in it, it will switch people out of their careers into new ones or push them down in position to make room for your active house.
I've never seen inactive Sims at the top of their career, so I can't really comment on why they would drop a few promotions down... :/

So should generations of one family's descendants remain in the same career paths as their ancestors? My sims' descendants have different career paths, although each generation has a 5-star chef.