The Sims 4 Rival Dynasties Challenge

[oshizu]

What great news about the early ageing ruling! (thanks for asking, @dontmindme )
It makes the Rival Dynasties Challenge such an attractive option!

The updated spreadsheet is also very much appreciated @LenaLJ

[oshizu]

My apologies for my repeated posting, but I've just finished reading through all the previous posts in preparation for starting this challenge.
My question concerns the rule below:

Whereas the Immortal Dynasty allows a family club to acquire the child-related perks (Homework, Creativity, Motor, Mental, and Social), the Rival Dynasty does not?

Your Sims may form a family club, but they may have only the Networked perk or one skill-boosting perk, not both. Your Sims may join other clubs, but not found them.

I guess with the added skill boosts provided by the toddler bonus traits, childhood skill boosts would be overkill.
Still, the Homework club perk would be nice though not absolutely necessary.

[MarianT]

My apologies for my repeated posting, but I've just finished reading through all the previous posts in preparation for starting this challenge.
My question concerns the rule below:

Whereas the Immortal Dynasty allows a family club to acquire the child-related perks (Homework, Creativity, Motor, Mental, and Social), the Rival Dynasty does not?

Your Sims may form a family club, but they may have only the Networked perk or one skill-boosting perk, not both. Your Sims may join other clubs, but not found them.

I guess with the added skill boosts provided by the toddler bonus traits, childhood skill boosts would be overkill.
Still, the Homework club perk would be nice though not absolutely necessary.

You can still have "do homework" as one of the club's activities.

[MarianT]

Added:

Vampire Option (requires Vampire Game Pack). Vampires must:

1. Complete one of the 3 vampire aspirations.
2. Obtain 2 powers from Tier 5 of the vampire powers.
3. Maintain a garden containing plasma fruit, wolfsbane, Sixam mosquito trap, dragonfruit, a cowplant, and death flowers.
4. Contribute 2 portraits to the museum before moving out -- one normal and one in dark form.

Vampire Hunter Option (requires Vampire Game Pack) Human or alien vampire hunters must:

1. Complete the Body Builder aspiration.
2. Forcibly cure 3 vampires (note: has to be at level 15 Vampire lore to do this).
3. Maintain a garden containing garlic, plasma fruit, and wolfsbane.

The following restrictions have been added:

Vampires may not try for baby until their spouse is a vampire. Vampires may not turn heirs or founders of other dynasties. Vampire hunters may not cure heirs or founders of other dynasties. Vampires may not buy rewards with satisfaction points.

[dontmindme]

Just to be clear, vampires cannot use the Vampire Hunter option, correct?

[MarianT]

Just to be clear, vampires cannot use the Vampire Hunter option, correct?

Correct. That's why we wrote "Human and alien vampire hunters..."

[oshizu]

I really like the two new bloodline options!
After rereading this thread, I have several questions:

(1) A founder has no requirement to complete a unique aspiration, but any she completes cannot be claimed by anyone else across all bloodlines?
     (I'm sorry if this has already been asked. Does it work the same way as claiming unique skills does?)

(2) The Mansion Baron aspiration cannot be completed by any sim who isn't in the Mansion Baron bloodline.
     Does the same ruling apply to the Bodybuilder aspiration because of the new Vampire Hunter bloodline?

(3) Museum items: May the different bloodline have overlapping museum items?

(4) Vampire option's garden: Is an heir allowed to harvest from their parents' garden to obtain seeds, or do they start their garden over again from scratch?

(5) Teen move-out: Although a teen is permitted to move out, I don't understand what benefit that offers. A teen can't marry, get a job, or start a family.
      Isn't it more advantageous for a teen to live at home until his young adult birthday? (Sorry if this is an ignorant question...)

[LenaLJ]

Rival Dynasty Spreadsheet now updated with the new Vampire and Vampire Hunter options.
Also added the Restaurant option from retail as a seperate option. Ofcause you can still alternate it in your Retail play as before.

I also added all the missing aspirations, careers and skills to the sheet now.
Have fun, and please contact me if it not working in any sort.

[dontmindme]

I can answer some of your questions, @oshizu

1) Mostly correct. Founders do not have to complete a unique aspiration. Any aspiration the founder completes cannot be counted for the unique aspiration down the line. So you can use the aspiration for points farming (for example, a lot of people leave Soulmate an open aspiration because it's relatively quick and easy) but it can't count for anything beyond that.

2) I am pretty sure if you have a Mansion Baron Bloodline, then no, no one outside the line can complete Mansion Baron. I assume the same would be true of the Hunter line.

5) This is a holdover from before we were allowed to age up early. The new rule is that teens can't move out; they can be aged up early and move out once they complete the move out requirements.

[oshizu]

@dontmindme
Thank you for clearing my confusion about questions (1) and (5).

As for (2), I'm sorry for not phrasing my question correctly. I wasn't sure myself what I wanted to know when I wrote it.
My question is: Since my challenge does not include the Vampire Hunter option, does that return the Bodybuilder aspiration to the pool of available aspirations?

@LenaLJ
Thank you so much for updating the scoresheet once more! When you say we can alternate, does that mean a single bloodline can do both retail stores and restaurants, as long as they satisfy the relevant requirements?

[MarianT]

I really like the two new bloodline options!
After rereading this thread, I have several questions:

(1) A founder has no requirement to complete a unique aspiration, but any she completes cannot be claimed by anyone else across all bloodlines?
     (I'm sorry if this has already been asked. Does it work the same way as claiming unique skills does?)

(2) The Mansion Baron aspiration cannot be completed by any sim who isn't in the Mansion Baron bloodline.
     Does the same ruling apply to the Bodybuilder aspiration because of the new Vampire Hunter bloodline?

(3) Museum items: May the different bloodline have overlapping museum items?

(4) Vampire option's garden: Is an heir allowed to harvest from their parents' garden to obtain seeds, or do they start their garden over again from scratch?

(5) Teen move-out: Although a teen is permitted to move out, I don't understand what benefit that offers. A teen can't marry, get a job, or start a family.
      Isn't it more advantageous for a teen to live at home until his young adult birthday? (Sorry if this is an ignorant question...)

@oshizu, @dontmindme is correct. Any aspiration chosen by the founder cannot be a unique aspiration for any heir. And if you have a line following the Vampire Hunter aspiration, then Body Builder is not allowed as a unique aspiration for heirs. I think we took out the rule about moving teens out; now you can age them up as soon as the moving out requirements are finished.

As for 4 and 5 -- there can be overlap among the bloodlines for museum items, but gardens have to be started from scratch. Your vampires will have plenty of time to graft their dragonfruit and death flowers. If you have City Living, you can probably buy some of the seeds you need, and you'll be able to buy the new seeds from the Vampire pack when your founders reach level 8 of vampire lore.

[oshizu]

Thank you @MarianT
Now that I'm starting, I'm anxious that about not understanding the rules correctly. I appreciate the clarifications.

[LenaLJ]

@dontmindme
Thank you for clearing my confusion about questions (1) and (5).

As for (2), I'm sorry for not phrasing my question correctly. I wasn't sure myself what I wanted to know when I wrote it.
My question is: Since my challenge does not include the Vampire Hunter option, does that return the Bodybuilder aspiration to the pool of available aspirations?

@LenaLJ
Thank you so much for updating the scoresheet once more! When you say we can alternate, does that mean a single bloodline can do both retail stores and restaurants, as long as they satisfy the relevant requirements?

That is how I understood Marian when we added it, so @MarianT could you please confirm/deny?

[MarianT]

@dontmindme
Thank you for clearing my confusion about questions (1) and (5).

As for (2), I'm sorry for not phrasing my question correctly. I wasn't sure myself what I wanted to know when I wrote it.
My question is: Since my challenge does not include the Vampire Hunter option, does that return the Bodybuilder aspiration to the pool of available aspirations?

@LenaLJ
Thank you so much for updating the scoresheet once more! When you say we can alternate, does that mean a single bloodline can do both retail stores and restaurants, as long as they satisfy the relevant requirements?

That is how I understood Marian when we added it, so @MarianT could you please confirm/deny?

Yes, the retail option can do either the store or the restaurant.

[MarianT]

The Sims 4 Rival Dynasties Challenge




Goal
This is your chance to play Klingons vs. Vulcans vs. Ferengi. Or perhaps you've always wanted to see how the Altos would do versus the Bagleys and the Rackets. Basically you'll have three dynastic lines, each striving to be the best at the Mansion option, the Retail option, or the Alien option. Once each of your founders has picked an option, that will be the option for the rest of the bloodline. If your founder picks the Mansion option, your founder and heirs will have to wow the neighborhood with their gorgeous mansions and amazing parties. Sims working on the Alien option will have to re-establish contact with Sixam and regain their "alien" powers. And picking the Retail option will involve building an empire of stores owned by sims with awesome marketing skills.

Each of your 3 dynasties is in a race to occupy as much of Newcrest (or Willow Creek or Oasis Springs) as possible. Your task as their fair and impartial Watcher is to help each of them meet that goal by playing them in rotation, one week at a time. (See section on Rotational Play in the Guide.) Once all 15 lots are occupied, the challenge is over.

Creating Your Founders
Before starting, make sure you are patched up to the latest patch. As new patches come out, you must update your game.

Start a new game. In CAS create 3 human or alien young adult Sims. You may give them whatever traits and aspirations you like. (To create aliens, start with the Sim already there, and click on "add Sim" in the bottom left. Pick the alien option and then delete the original Sim.) Save each Sim you create to your library.

You may spend the first Sim day placing each of your founders from the library, building their houses, and finding them jobs. Starting at midnight, you must stick to one family for a week until midnight Sunday. Your first founder will have only 6 days in his or her "week," but after that, if you change between midnight and 6 a.m. on Sunday, each bloodline will have a week of your undivided attention.

Gameplay Options
Autonomy: Full.
Aging: Auto Age Active Household Only.
Do not check Auto Age Unplayed Households.
Age Length: Normal.
Do not check Fill Empty Houses.

Note:  Because these settings are different from the ones required for the Tournament Challenges and the Immortal Dynasty, you may want to set up a new file for this game.

Managing Households and Editing Lots
If you want to play in some other world than Newcrest, you need to go to that world and evict the townies who live there and then bulldoze enough houses to produce 15 empty residential lots. If you want to play in Windenburg, you will have to bulldoze the gym as well to get 15 residential lots. You may move those pre-made families into other houses if you like. You may only bulldoze houses if your intent is to play in that town. You may also play in San Myshuno. There are 19 apartments that have deposits of less than $20,000. In that case, you would not bulldoze anything, but you may need to evict a few families to get 15 available places. You will not be able to choose the Mansion Baron option in San Myshuno.

If you are playing the Retail option, you may bulldoze as many of the retail lots in Magnolia Promenade as you need. You may also bulldoze the retail lots in Magnolia Promenade if you need space for any Maxis-created venues that come with game packs.

You may edit community lots to add or rearrange objects such as microphones, easels, etc. You may also add on club hangouts. You still may not bulldoze community lots except for the ones permitted above. Maxis-created venues may be added to community lots. You may alter menus only in restaurants that you own.

Each of your 3 sims will start on a 40 x 30 lot.  Once your founders have bought an empty lot, you may build a house, download one from the #carlsguiderdc section of the Gallery, or use one of the Maxis pre-builts in your library. Your heirs have the same options when they move.

You will have to go to Manage Households each time you switch to a different household. You may also go to Manage Households to check on your population. When you have 130 sims in unplayed households, you may start deleting sims to prevent the culling of your heirs. Finally, you will go to Manage Households when you sell a retail lot. The above are the only legitimate uses of Manage Households.

Mods, Cheats and Custom/Premium Content
Custom Content and Premium Content are fine and are to be used at your own risk. No mods or cheats such as Buydebug (bb.showhiddenobjects) are allowed. There are exceptions:
• The move objects cheat is fine.
• ResetSim Firstname Lastname is fine in the event of stuck Sims.
• Here is a List of Approved Mods. Some bugs may creep up that a mod could fix, but team permission is always necessary in these cases.

General Rules and Restrictions
Exiting without saving to avoid a mistake or an unfortunate occurrence (i.e. fire) is considered cheating.

The heir cannot marry until he or she has moved to a new lot. Founders can marry as soon as they find someone. The heir must be the first child of the founder or previous heir, and both parents must live on the lot unless the founder has chosen the Alien option and the founder or heir has been abducted.

When you're ready to move an heir to a new lot, then and only then can you move out spares and helpers to a new household that doesn't have a lot. There's a risk that they will be culled, but doing this reduces the possibility that your dynasty members will be culled. No intentional killing of household members is allowed.

The heir from one bloodline may not marry the heir from another bloodline. Spares, helpers, and helpers' children are all okay.

Non-heirs can be adopted.

Spouses, spare children, and other live-ins are not tied to the same restrictions as heirs. They are free to choose any careers, skills, and aspirations.

Adding to the household using the Sims 4 Gallery is banned. Sims can only be added by being born, adopted, married, or asked to move in.

Editing any lot other than your lots (home + retail) is banned, except for putting tombstones in substitute cemeteries.

Substitute cemeteries: Willow Creek (Magnolia Blossom Park), Oasis Springs (Desert Bloom Park), and your own retail lot.

Heirs with the Public Enemy Aspiration are the only household members allowed to "help" in the deaths of non household members. No one may "help" in the death of any members of rival bloodlines.

Cloned collectables cannot be used as museum pieces.

School-aged Heirs can miss school if they take a vacation day.

A nanny must be hired if there are toddlers or babies on the lot when the last teen or adult leaves the house.

Babies may not be aged up early. After that, toddlers, children, and teens may be aged up as soon as they've completed their requirements. In the teen's case, these are all the requirements for moving out.
 
Because aging for unplayed households is off, you may age up townie sims who are good friends with someone in the household.

With regard to the Wishing Well, making a wish for Youthful Vigor is banned for heirs and founders. Other than that, you may use it at your own risk.

You may add one skill-boosting lot trait (See list and two other lot traits to each house.

Your Sims may form a family club, but they may have only the Networked perk or one skill-boosting perk, not both. Your Sims may join other clubs, but not found them.

Vampires may not try for baby until their spouse is also a vampire. Vampires may not turn heirs or founders of other dynasties. Vampire hunters may not cure heirs or founders of other dynasties. Vampires may not purchase rewards with satisfaction points.

Bloodline Options
Each Founder will choose one of the following options for his or her bloodline to follow. Founders and heirs must do at least some of the work necessary to achieve their goals. Helpers may assist with building rocket ships or running a store, but not have full responsibility, and only a founder or heir may build a fully upgraded wormhole generator.

A.  Mansion Option. Your sims want to make it clear that their bloodline is the wealthiest and most socially prominent. To complete this option, founders and previous heirs must:

1. Complete the Mansion Baron aspiration. Heirs must wait until they've moved to a new lot before they begin to work on this aspiration.
2. Throw 3 unique gold medal parties. Dates don't count.
3. Get the rewards Frugal, Carefree, Connections, and Professional Slacker.

B. Retail Option (requires GTW). Your sims want to reach the top of the SimWealth 500 list with their retail stores. To complete this option:

1. Each family store must be able to sell for $100,000 or more.
2. The founder/former heir must have achieved the following perks:  Serious Shopper, Sure Sale, Faster Checkouts (Large), Faster Restocking (Large), and Cheaper Restocking.

Alternatively, if you have the Dine Out game pack, your sims in the Retail option may choose to run a restaurant. To complete this option:

1. Your restaurant must be able to sell for $100,000 or more.
2. It must have a 5-star rating for at least 3 days (need not be consecutive).

Once you've completed these requirements, you may sell the store so that the next heir can buy it, or the next heir can set up a different store.

C. Alien Option (requires GTW). Your alien sims want to maintain contact with Sixam and regain their alien powers. If playing with aliens, the founder or former heir must:

1. Have either a fully upgraded wormhole generator or fully upgraded rocket ship on the lot.
2. Have obtained the Never Weary, Steel Bladder, Hardly Hungry, and Antiseptic rewards. Only the founders and heirs working on the Alien option may get these rewards.
3. Marry only another alien. Children from alien abductions must be kept. (Note: if the founder's or heir's first child comes from an abduction, that child may become the next heir. In that case, the alien would not have to get married at all.)
4. Aliens must place 2 portraits in the Museum, one in disguise and one not. Their collections are limited to geodes, space rocks, aliens, and alien plants (dragonfruit, cowplant, death flower, and UFO plant may be included). If you want to use the harvest from alien plants, the fruits must come from plants that your alien has grown, and each must be different.

D. Alien Option (for those who do not have GTW only). Same as the above, with the following differences: Your aliens should be given green or blue skin in CAS. They may marry anyone, but their heirs will have to be the oldest child with green or blue skin. They have to provide only one portrait, and may substitute elements for geodes as a collection. If using harvested fruit rather than the plants for a collection, they must have at least one dragonfruit, cowplant, death flower, and UFO fruit. Each garden must be done from scratch; heirs can't use seeds from their parent's garden.

E. Vampire Option (requires Vampire Game Pack). Vampires must:

1. Complete one of the 3 vampire aspirations.
2. Obtain 2 powers from Tier 5 of the vampire powers.
3. Maintain a garden containing plasma fruit, wolfsbane, Sixam mosquito trap, dragonfruit, a cowplant, and death flowers.
4. Contribute 2 portraits to the museum -- one normal and one dark form.

F. Vampire Hunter Option (requires Vampire Game Pack). Human or alien vampire Hunters must:

1. Complete the Body Builder aspiration.
2. Forcibly cure 3 vampires (note: has to be at level 15 Vampire lore to do this).
3. Maintain a garden containing garlic, plasma fruit, and wolfsbane.

Moving Requirements
If you need instructions for moving one sim out, they can be found in the Guide here.

For Founders and Former Heirs

1. Founders and former heirs must complete the requirements for their bloodline's option.

2. Founders and former heirs must reach the top of a unique career (each branch of a career counts as a unique career). No founder or heir in any other bloodline may max this career.

3. The Founder's lot must contain a Museum in which there is a portrait (painting or photo) of the Founder.

4. Your founders and former heirs are allowed a one-time use of the Potion of Youth reward after they become elders.

For Heirs

1. As a toddler, the heir must max potty training (3 levels) and two skills (5 levels).

2. As a child, the heir must complete one childhood aspiration.

3. As a teen, the heir must make an A in school and reach level 3 of a part-time job.

4. The heir must achieve a unique aspiration other than Mansion Baron. He or she may not switch aspirations until that aspiration has been achieved. No heir in any other bloodline may achieve this aspiration.

5. The heir must max two skills (excluding photography and dancing) unique in that bloodline. For example, you may have one sim in each bloodline max painting, cooking, etc. Heirs may work on other skills but not max ones that have already been claimed.

6. The heir must become a good friend with the Founder of his or her bloodline, must have 3 other good friends, and must become enemies with at least one member of each of the rival bloodlines.

7. The heir must contribute a portrait as teen or young adult (photo or painting) to the Family Museum located on the founder's lot. (Aliens must contribute 2 portraits – one in alien form and one in disguise.)

8. The heir must contribute a collection of 7 objects. Each collection must be of a different type within the bloodline. (See list from the Immortal Dynasty.) Aliens are restricted to geodes, aliens, space rocks, and alien plants (UFO plants, cowplants, and dragonfruit can be included in alien plants). Each of the aliens' types must be represented at least once in the Museum. (Note: even if an heir is not living in the Founder's household, he or she can hang portraits and place collections when visiting the Founder's lot.)

9. Before moving, the heir must remove all items from personal inventory that the heir has not made or found.

Once you have moved out an heir in a bloodline, you will play that heir instead of his or her parent. The parents won't age because you'll have aging off for unplayed households. This heir will now have to meet the requirements for Former Heirs, and his or her child will become the next heir.

Bloodline Fails vs. Challenge Fails
With aging off, your founders and previous heirs should stay alive once you've moved on to the next heir. But accidents do happen. Perhaps a founder of one bloodline sets fire to himself while grilling hot dogs at the park and your active sim from another bloodline isn't able to extinguish the blaze.

If a founder or an heir in a bloodline dies for whatever reason, you must stop playing that bloodline, but you may continue with the challenge.

If an heir does not complete the child or teen requirements, or dies before completing the requirements for heirs or former heirs, you must stop playing that bloodline, but you may continue the challenge.

If all three of the bloodlines fail then the challenge as a whole fails. Breaking any of the rules or restrictions will cause the challenge to fail.

Rotational Issues
If you are new to rotational play, there are 3 issues you should be aware of:

Culling. The game has a cap of 180 sims, and once you reach that cap, sims will be removed. Sims in houses "should be" protected, but people have reported that they've been culled. If you lose your founder or a previous heir due to culling, we won't require that you play an extra generation or fill the house again.

Romantic Interests. The game will randomly create friendships, enmities, and romantic relationships between sims that are not currently played. Sometimes there can be a romantic relationship between a teen and his or her parent, which can be upsetting. Like all relationships, these will decay if you don't do anything to promote them.

Pregnancies. If you rotate away from a pregnant sim, she will have the baby on schedule. The game will provide extra bassinets if she has twins, and the babies won't grow up until you play the family again. If you leave one bassinet on the lot, the child in that bassinet will be considered the first-born in the case of twins or triplets. You can change the baby's name in CAS when the baby becomes a child.

Finishing Up
Once you have filled all the lots in Newcrest (or the residential lots in Willow Creek or Oasis Springs), pause your game. If one of your bloodlines has more lots than the other(s), that bloodline is the winner. If not, then you may score your bloodlines based on the worth of their Museums. Add up the value of their portraits and collections.

To submit your challenge to the Hall of Fame, take a screenshot of your founders and heirs in their respective museums, and let us know which bloodline won.

**Hall of Fame Prize. All players who have made it into the Hall of Fame by the end of 2017 will be entered into a random drawing at the end of the year. One lucky player will be randomly chosen for a $50 Amazon gift card. It's the team's way of saying thank you to those who dedicate a serious investment of time to finish their dynasties. You don't have to write a story, but should be prepared to furnish a detailed account (see sample here) of your dynasty.

Dynasty Spreadsheet
To assist everyone in keeping track of their progress, LenaLJ has designed the official Rival Dynasties Challenge Spreadsheet. Thank you, Lena!

Good luck and have fun! - Metro, Nutella, ratchie, MarianT, Trip, and LenaLJ.