Rules that I am following for the Fitzwilliam Centre Asylum ChallengeI have PM-ed Pam for her permission to post the rules mainly because otherwise my story won't really be understandable without them!
I have written these rules myself. My motivation and inspiration comes from all the many asylum challenges gone before this one, both The Sims 3 and The Sims 4. I have added new rules and changes some old familiar rules and concepts.
Hopefully it will make an enjoyable read; it certainly has been en enjoyable way to play TS4.
The main goal for this challenge is to get as many of the patients skilled enough to leave the asylum while your main sim achieves as many skills and completes as many aspirations as possible within the allowed timeframe. Sounds easy? It's not! You are only ever allowed to control the Caretaker sim. No other sim can be directed in any way.
For this challenge there will be an easy mode, medium mode and hard mode.
Setting UpCreate your main sim in CAS. They must be a young adult. You can choose whatever you want for looks, clothing, voice and walk styles. They must have the insane trait and the other two traits can be anything you want. You can also choose any aspiration.
After finishing your main sim, create seven other sims. They all must be young adults and they must all have the insane trait. The other two traits and their aspirations can be whatever you want. Only one sim in the house can have the neat trait at any time. (I recommend having a few opposing traits across the sims just to make things interesting). None of the eight sims are allowed to be related, so set their relationship to roommate. If any of these sims die, their graves must be kept on the lot. (This would now make an haunted asylum!)
Next step is to build the asylum on a residential lot in either Willow Creek or Oasis Springs. The size of the lot does not matter. You can build the asylum yourself, download a house from the Gallery and modify it or modify an existing house in Willow Creek or Oasis Springs. Money cheats such as motherlode, kaching etc. are allowed. Depending on your mode of difficulty depends on what objects are allowed in your asylum, but all objects must be the cheapest. (Cheap counters, cheapest oven, fridge, bin etc, cheap beds, cheap couches, cheapest shower, toilet, sink etc. The only exception being bookcases which you are free to choose which ever one suits your build style).
You cannot have objects in the asylum which affects a sim’s emotions or which prevents fires. Ever.(No crystals or emotional paintings etc)
When you have finished building the asylum you cannot modify further, unless sim's get stuck in a certain area or your 'leaving patients' gift you a new skill building item. (More about that later.)
When you have finished creating your asylum, your family funds must be at the required amount for your difficulty. You will need to use a cheat to do this.
GameplayYou must only select your main sim, you are not allowed to click on the other sims at all to check their needs or to direct them in any way. This includes during a fire. (No directing any sim other than your main sim to route to safety.)
Once a day you can click on the other sims to check their skill levels. When doing this your game must be paused.
You may click on another sim in order to answer a phone call or ignore their phone calls as you wish.
Cheats/mods/hacks which boost sim’s needs or skills are not allowed. High free will must be turned on, so the other sims in the asylum will do things by themselves.
Potions Of Youth are banned.
You can not use your inventory to reserve items for yourself. For example, you can't put a book in your inventory just so no one else can use it when you want it.
The age settings can either be on normal or long, it’s your choice.
No rearranging of furniture to reserve or use something for yourself. For example, you can not wake up a sleeping sim to get the uncontrolled sim out of bed so your main sim can sleep there. No removing doors to reserve a room for yourself. If a sim dies you must keep the grave on the lot. If their ghost gets too annoying (e.g. they keep breaking objects) you can banish their ghost if it's ruining your enjoyment of the game.
Leaving RequirementsFor a patient to leave the centre they have to have 3 skills to level 5 or have maxed one skill. (I may tweak this depending on how well the sim's autonomously skill up)
As a patient is declared well and is moved out of the asylum, they may leave the house a 'Leaving Gift'. This could be for example, a stereo or an outside grill, or one more skilling item. This leaving gift could also be a cheap chair or cheap bed if you have been unlucky enough to have a patient die. (Remember, all household items must be of the lowest or cheapest variety. Beds, chairs, plumbing, electronics, kitchen appliances etc)
The only limits are your household funds and that only 1 item is allowed as a leaving gift per sim that is leaving. (e.g you are lucky enough to have two patients leaving in one day, that means you can have two leaving gifts.)
Upcycling Once you have completed the required number of aspirations you may begin to upcycle (replace) household items with ones that cost more and are of better quality. You may only do this in progressive stages and as you can afford it. For example upcycle a bed from the cheapest to the next most expensive one...This does not mean you can buy THE most expensive bed even though you may have the simoleons to do so. You can only upcycle any item once a day although you may upcycle every item of that particular type, (e.g beds) in the house on that one day if you have the funds and have completed the required aspirations.
Adding new Patients As patients met the leaving requirements you will need to 'accept' a new patient into the asylum. You must have 8 sims in the asylum at all times. You can either add new patients to the house through downloading from the gallery or asking a sim to join the house. You could even have some pre-made sims ready in your own library just waiting for the chance to join the asylum! Remember every patient must have the insane trait and only one neat sim in the house at any time.
Difficulty Modes and RulesThere are 3 different modes of difficulty for this challenge.
Easy Mode: Starting funds: $1,000
Max one skill, then you are free to use reward potions on your main sim that are one use. (e.g Hygiene or Sleep Replacement are allowed, Never Weary or Green Thumb are not as they are permanent.)
Complete one aspiration and you are free to start upcycling household items!
Can have the TV and the computer at the same time.
Two sinks, two toilets and two showers/bathtubs.
6 beds in total, and in any combination of singles or doubles etc.
There can only be total seating for 8. So plan how many dining room chairs and lounge chairs you want. You can only have 8 in the whole house. A loveseat = 2 seats.(Chairs for chess table or cards table do not count as they are skilling items but be fair, make them the cheapest, after all this is a challenge!)
You may only have a total of 6 Skill building items in the house.
You may have 1 Computer, 1 bookcase, 1 mirror, and 1 T.V in the house. (You may swap one of these items for a stereo as you wish.)
No one in the asylum is allowed a job, except you and only if it is to complete an aspiration. Once the aspiration is complete you must quit the job. Your main job is to take care of the patients.
Having a maid is allowed.
You can leave the lot to go fishing and collecting at anytime and for as many times as you like. You can travel to other people’s houses and community lots anytime but When travelling to another lot you must bring everyone from the asylum along with you) If a sim dies, no objects have to be deleted.
No fire alarms at all.
Medium ModeStarting funds: $500
Max two skills, then you are free to use reward potions on your main sim that are one use. (e.g Hygiene or Sleep Replacement are allowed, Never Weary or Green Thumb are not as they are permanent.)
Complete one aspiration and you are free to chose one type of household item to upcycle. (e.g. beds or shower etc)
Complete two aspirations and you are free to start upcycling household items!
You cannot have a TV and a computer at the same time. If your sim chooses the Computer Whiz aspiration for example, then you should have a computer. You may change it for a TV once the aspiration is complete if you wish too.
One sink, one toilet, one shower/bathtub.
5 beds in total, one bed must be a double. (e.g. 1 double and 3 singles OR 2 doubles and 1 single)
There can only be total seating for 6. So plan how many dining room chairs and lounge chairs you want. You can only have 6 in the whole house. A loveseat = 2 seats.
You may only have a total of 5 Skill building items in the house.
You may have 1 bookcase and 1 mirror and 1 stereo
No one in the asylum is allowed a job, except you and only if it is to complete an aspiration. Once the aspiration is complete you must quit the job. Your main job is to take care of the patients.
No maids.
You can leave the lot to go fishing and collecting anytime around your neighbourhood and for as long as you like, but only once a day. You can only travel to other people’s houses and community lots during the hours between 9:00am-9:00pm. (When travelling to another lot you must bring everyone from the asylum along with you)
If a sim dies, 1 seat must be deleted.
No fire alarms at all.
Hard Mode:Starting funds: $100
Max three skills, then you are free to use reward potions on your main sim that are one use. (e.g Hygiene or Sleep Replacement are allowed, Never Weary or Green Thumb are not as they are permanent.)
Complete one aspiration and you are free to chose one type of household item to upcycle. (e.g. beds)
Complete two aspirations and you are free to chose one more type of household item to upcycle. (e.g showers)
Complete three aspirations and you are free to start upcycling household items!
You cannot have a TV or computer or a stereo at the same time. (Exception for a short time while an aspiration or party requirement is being met. Once completed the extra item must either be sold again or placed into the family inventory.)
One sink, one toilet, one shower and no bathtub or shower/bath combo.
4 beds in these combinations: 2 singles and 1 double OR 2 doubles.
There can only be total seating for 4. Including dining and lounge. A loveseat = 2 seats.(Chairs for chess table or cards table do not count as they are skilling items but be fair, make them the cheapest, after all this is a challenge!)
You may only have a total of 4 Skill building items in the house.
You may have 1 bookcase and 1 mirror.
No one in the asylum is allowed a job, except you and only if it is to complete an aspiration. Once the aspiration is complete you must quit the job. Your main job is to take care of the patients.
No maids.
Can leave the lot to go fishing and collecting once for as long as you like between the hours or 7am-3:00pm. You can only travel to other people’s houses and community lots during the hours between 9:00am-9:00pm. (When travelling to another lot you must bring everyone from the asylum along with you)
If a sim dies, 1 bed and 1 seat must be deleted.
No fire alarms at all.
Note: Only exception to travelling is for a date for an aspiration or whim requirement. Obviously you only need travel with your date, and may do so at any time.
Scoring (Optional)The challenge ends on the day of your elder birthday when you can use a Potion Of Youth to return to the beginning of your adult life span and enjoy your freedom.
+1000 for every patient who has become well enough and skilled enough to leave the asylum.
+200: for every aspiration your main sim has completed.
+200: for every friend made outside of the asylum residents.
+100: for every skill maxed to level 10.
+ 10: For every level of any skill a leaving patient has over and above their Leaving Requirements.
-1000: for every Sim that has the misfortune to die because of your ineptitude.
-100: per sim who pees themselves.
-100: per sim who passes out.
-200: per fire which has occurred.
-200: per day when any of the services are cut off and for each service. (water cut off -200 per day. Water and power both cut off -400 per day)
