Collection Obsession: Gotta Catch 'Em All

[ClayMask]

I made my Sims in CAS and when I moved them in the world I chose the Agave Abode lot. I had the option to take the lot 'furnished' or 'unfurnished' or 'bulldozed'. I chose 'bulldozed' because I prefer an empty lot.

I never thought about doing that, and was only buying the same empty lot repeatedly because it was the cheapest of the empty lots.  I should take a look at the lots with houses on them next time I start a challenge, and consider those as well.

[Tixxis]

I never thought about doing that, and was only buying the same empty lot repeatedly because it was the cheapest of the empty lots.  I should take a look at the lots with houses on them next time I start a challenge, and consider those as well.

Agave Abode can be purchased for $2,100 when empty (bulldozed). I think that there is at least another lot with a house that comes at the same price if bulldozed. I prefer Agave Abode because the backdrop environment consists of rocks: no neon lights.

[callycat]

Toward the end of the challenge, I did have one of my Sims go into the scientist career just so I could get to the dig spots there, but unfortunately, I left it too late for it to make much of a difference, though being able to use analyzer did help a little with the element collection, but again, just too late to make a difference, sadly.

I thought the Science career was banned for this challenge, along with everything else from Get to Work?

[Shewolf13]

I thought the Science career was banned for this challenge, along with everything else from Get to Work?

Oh crap!! I knew the collections were... it didn't even dawn on me... I guess that means I'm disqualified for this one... I am so sorry.  I had completely forgotten that the careers were also banned.

[Metropolis Man]

Oh crap!! I knew the collections were... it didn't even dawn on me... I guess that means I'm disqualified for this one... I am so sorry.  I had completely forgotten that the careers were also banned.

Thank you for being so honest, Shewolf13. I took care of the scoreboard. Good luck in the next events.

[Nelleam]

My strategy didn't differ much from anyone else.  I couldn't get the trophies, even using maps in the grotto, and I was so sick of the insects and looking for them that I gave up on that.  Toward the end I was having a spawning issue. Nothing other than the home lot would spawn.  So I was just a couple short on metals and crystals, I believe.  Also had trouble with the aliens, I think I had four left to go on that one.  It was frustrating to be so close on the others though.

I found that no dig spots were spawning away from home, unless I was in the neighbourhood between about 12:00 am and 5:00 am.  I only figured this out near the end of my challenge run.  I know now that if you collect the dig sites just before 12-1 in the morning, most of them well respawn by 5am.  So if your sim keeps normal hours and only visits other neighbourhoods during the day, only the original set of dig sites will ever spawn.  I wasted a few days waiting around for rocks to spawn, although I got some fish during that time, but my gatherer didn't have anything productive to do.  I had a lot of fun doing this challenge.  Congratulations to everybody! 

[Ginj]

I found that no dig spots were spawning away from home, unless I was in the neighbourhood between about 12:00 am and 5:00 am.  I only figured this out near the end of my challenge run.  I know now that if you collect the dig sites just before 12-1 in the morning, most of them well respawn by 5am.  So if your sim keeps normal hours and only visits other neighbourhoods during the day, only the original set of dig sites will ever spawn.  I wasted a few days waiting around for rocks to spawn, although I got some fish during that time, but my gatherer didn't have anything productive to do.  I had a lot of fun doing this challenge.  Congratulations to everybody! 

Nelleam, were you able to get dig sites to respawn in multiple neighbourhoods if you went roving between midnight and 5:00 am? I had presumed that I needed to choose which neighbourhood I wanted to respawn and make sure to have my Sims there circa 2:00 am.

[Tixxis]

I explained earlier on in this thread how it worked for my strategy.
If you visit an area for the first time, dig sites will spawn withing the hour.  When you leave that area, the situation there remains 'frozen' in time. When you visit such an area again between 2.30 and 5.00 am, you'll find the dig sites spawn again, thus giving you the opportunity to collect 'twice'. It is not an ongoing process. Once you've collected twice in this way from an area, you would have to spend a lot more time there for dig sites to spawn yet again - unless the area is cleared and you revisit during the above mentioned spawning hours. The actual 'spawning' time does not seem to exceed an hour. That's why you can prep at least two areas at once.

[december22]

I made my Sims in CAS and when I moved them in the world I chose the Agave Abode lot. I had the option to take the lot 'furnished' or 'unfurnished' or 'bulldozed'. I chose 'bulldozed' because I prefer an empty lot.

When I move someone in from CAS I don't get them options, I have to pick a lot I can afford. The only way I can move into a lot which I can bulldoze is through moving into a lot I can afford and then selecting move household. Is this the same for everyone else?

[Shewolf13]

@december22 As far as I know, it's an option under the menu when you go to move the Sim in.  I don't think it let's you pick a lot you can't afford right off the bat in order to bulldoze, so yes, if you want an empty lot other than the starter homes, you have to move to a lot you can afford, then move household and bulldoze, but I think the lot they are talking about is a starter house in Oasis Springs anyway.  They just like an empty lot.  Please, @Tixxis correct me if I'm wrong XD

[Tixxis]

I have to pick a lot I can afford.

That's right. Your starting household will have a budget and you won't be able to move into a place exceeding this budget.
If you choose a lot within that starting budget that has a house on it already, you will get the option to move in furnished, unfurnished or to bulldoze the lot. In some cases, you may only get the option to move in the unfurnished lot or to bulldoze the lot. That is because the furnished house is exceeding your starting budget.
Hope this clarifies it further.
Thank you, Shewolf13, for helping out.