So over the last month, I've discovered that there are way more ways to play Sims 4 than just how I play.
And in case you don't feel like reading this wall of text, that is entirely my own personal story, how do you like playing Sims 4 when you are just having fun and not doing a challenge of some sort? Do you micromanage your Sims? Do you make rooms with so much environment power from day one that you never have to deal with bad emotions? Do you take the emotions and roll with them as they come? Do you only pick traits that are beneficial? How about ones that only provide a benefit some of the time, and a negative at others? I'd love to hear stories about how your game-play has changed over time as well!
I'm a very "focused" player, so to speak. I pick an aspiration, I get a career, and then nothing else matters until those 2 are capped. I mean, my first Sim was a Loner Genius Geek who got into Tech Guru (if you haven't played Tech Guru, the job requirements at high levels require about 3-4 apps/games to complete on a timely schedule each, and each of those takes around 20 hours to make each... never weary ftw). After that I go grab a spouse and start my household. I have a single child, and then spend the next few Sim-weeks capping out their schooling and child aspiration with very little free time for them to do other things. In other words, I never let my Sims out of the house much, and I micromanage so much that they never have a chance to talk with other Sims even within the household unless I let them (usually at dinner and such).
The way I play left me with the distinct impression that Sims really didn't act like people, that they just did what you told them to and sometimes they tried to fulfill their needs at inopportune times (JUST FINISH THE APP YOU DON'T NEED SLEEP). I recently discovered otherwise, and at the same time found out what my practical limit on how many Sims I am willing to micromanage every Sim-minute of every Sim-day (turns out I can do 5, but am only willing to do 3 for an extended period).
So I finally decided to try the "big happy family" aspiration. It was in practice for my dynasty, as I'd like to get my founder that aspiration but with the restriction on moving Sims out, that's an extra 2 Sims in the household who were going to be there for an entire lifetime, and you need 4 grandchildren so there's a time restriction. So I made a "for fun" Sim, got my aspiration and career maxed, then promptly had 2 children and adopted a third.
After each child got to teen, I was all done. I'd been micromanaging all 5 sim's, completed 2 child aspirations and 3 skills on my "heir" gotten an A in school on all 3, and completed 1 child aspiration on both others. During that time my founder had completed 2 more aspirations, and maxed out rocket science and handiness. My wife, who had been busy with children and helping with homework/ect during all this nonetheless got her painting aspiration done, and was 2 steps from finishing her career.
I was all done. I had had enough of cancelling Sims autoque'd items, of running in normal speed or even paused 30% of the time, and I gave up on micromanaging my 2 adults and 2 of my kids. I still watched them at times and did work on aspirations, but I let them do their own thing in between each work session. And they did! My computer nerd founder learned to paint. He's gotten pretty good at it, even made a couple masterpieces (though no action of mine). They talk to each other and hang out in the pool. They do things that are helpful for their aspirations, and also stuff that's useless to anything but their fun need. And its amazing to watch.
So I finally learned that Sims 4 doesn't have to be a challenge 24/7, as I was treating it. Sometimes you can just watch, like a giant fish tank. Only better. Ever since then I've been much less hardcore about micromanagement. My sims still get micro'd till they finish their fist aspiration and are pretty far into their career, but I never focus on more than 3 at a time now, and usually I only micro my main Sim after everyone's got their never weary.
