2016 Sims 4 Challenge Tournament Overview

[MarianT]

Are we allowed in all tournament challenges to buy the satellite dish? It's not mentioned above in the rules this time, and I couldn't find it in the Tournament overview.

With the gender customization option, we're suggesting that people choose "neither" for pregnancy to prevent alien pregnancies, so there's no need for the satellite dish.

Quoted From Competing Collectors:

Thought the team should know, apparently this option does not prevent male abduction pregnancies.   A male sim regardless of pregnancy customization can still get pregnant if abducted. 

Really? Well, that's annoying. Thanks for the info -- I asked over on the official forum, but no one seemed to know.

[Magpie2012]

I'm starting to be really glad I usually play females lol

[Ricalynn]

Household Size: Individual Challenge rule sets will specify how many Sims you create and their starting life stage. Always create Sims in CAS from scratch. • Cannot use gallery downloaded Sims • Cannot use cloned/twin gallery downloaded Sims • Cannot use saved Sims from your library • Cannot use saved Sims clone/twin from your library.

This must be new because when I first started doing the challenges this wasn't actually the wording used on the rules and there is no log of this change anywhere in the thread.  However, I have a question about this.   One of my favorite Sims ever was created in CAS by me.  He just also happens to be a Sim I use for my dynasty and other places.   There is a version of him in my bin that I alter for each challenge based on the rules/traits required.

Is this not allowed anymore?  He's technically never been played.  Was created by Scratch by me originally and I still have the original file that has never seen ANYTHING but my library.    With the new rule, does this mean that if I wanted to use him, I would have to recreate him every file from scratch meaning making the first sim to popup look this way? 

[Metropolis Man]

...There is a version of him in my bin that I alter for each challenge based on the rules/traits required.

Is this not allowed anymore?  He's technically never been played.  Was created by Scratch by me originally and I still have the original file that has never seen ANYTHING but my library.    With the new rule, does this mean that if I wanted to use him, I would have to recreate him every file from scratch meaning making the first sim to popup look this way? 

I suppose if you actually want to go through all that effort, then yes you'd have to do that. You cannot pull any Sim from your library. You create from scratch and run with it.

[Magpie2012]

Ouch. @Ricalynn has a point though, Boss-man! Why can't we use a pre-made sim? I mean, it's only the superficial looks that you're using? The traits etc. Would be changed as per each individual challenge. I have to admit, though, I've just been hitting random until I get a sim I like the look of, and then just refining their looks a bit.

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[Metropolis Man]

As the team gets ready to discuss changes to the 2017 Challenge Tournament we want to give all participants the opportunity to throw in their two cents to help us create an even better experience for next year.

** did you like the variety of events offered this year? Would you like to see some specific types of events next year?

** did you feel rushed - i.e. there was not enough time to complete events? Was the balance between long and short events about right?

** compared to many Sims 3 events the participation has seemed to fall for the Tournament. Can the team do anything to bring that back or is it more of a reflection on the game's popularity?

** do you feel how the world ranking is calculated is a good indicator for players?

Talk it up, folks. We want your input.

Thank you.

[coolsim9999999]

I play from my home desktop.  However, I am connected to my home wireless network of 3 computers in total.

Will that be a problem for my IP address?

I don't know what makes an IP address change --- other than public computers, which I will not be using.  I only play TS4 on my home desktop.

Thanks a lot.

[Metropolis Man]

You're fine, coolsim.

[oshizu]

First of all, I'd like to thank Metropolis Man and the Tournament Team for the wonderful challenges.
Participating in the challenges and reading the winning strategies generously shared by the top players have taught me so much about the game!

1. I loved how the various events focused on different aspects of Sims 4 gameplay, some I enjoyed more than others.
I especially enjoyed the "It's a Steal," "Cloning Around," and "No Takeout for You" challenges, which weren't that grind-y. I didn't enjoy the collecting one.
After Baby Boomer, I couldn't play the sims for weeks, lol. It was that intense but still fun.

2. The balance between long and short challenge periods is perfect. It's great to play a short intense challenge as a break from a dynasty or legacy challenge.
It does seem, however, that the challenges get more difficult as the year progresses. Maybe an easier one in the fall to boost participation?

3. I don't know for sure but it seems there are more hardcore Sims 3 players (who don't like Sims 4) than there are Sims 4 players. I often hear simmers complaining about how boring Sims 4 has gotten, although I for one still enjoy the game--I just look for a new challenge to play.
So I think rather than the Tournament challenges being to blame, I feel that more simmers are losing interest in Sims 4, many going back to play Sims 3.
I do think that the later challenges this year become more complicated and defy a more casual, lighthearted approach.
Throwing a fun or silly one every season would be relaxing, for me at least.

4. I appreciate that 50% of one's point is determined by challenge participation. It encourages us to participate, even without hope of a high score.

I'm sorry I don't have anything more constructive or specific to say. I do love the Tournament!
 

[reggikko]

I tend to prefer the single Sim challenges. A couple is also okay, but I get stressed when I have to control more than two or three Sims, which is why I didn't participate in Baby Boomer or the Voidcritter challenge. Those kinds of challenges just aren't fun to me. I also don't care for running any kind of business, so I'm not sure if I'll try the restaurant challenge. Of course, it's good to have a wide variety of challenges so that all players get something they like. I know Nutella really likes Baby Boomer and hates collecting. I'm exactly the opposite! It just so happened that several challenges I wasn't too keen on were grouped together. I haven't given up the challenges and I do plan on participating in the finale. I'm also looking forward to next year!

My favorite challenges were: Skill of the Week (even though my Sim died!),Looking for a Challenge? Join the Club!, Take This Challenge...It's a Steal, and Competing Collectors. New Year's Resolution and No Takeout for You were close contenders. I like the challenges that have a multifaceted strategy over those that have my Sim grind out the same activity over and over (like the writing and handiness challenges). No Takeout was interesting because of having to get ingredients for the dishes as well as cooking. It took a good bit of planning and I like that, even though cooking dishes over and over to try to get a higher value wore me out at the end! I think I liked Skill of the Week so much because what the Sims were doing changed from week to week, so it always felt fresh and not monotonous. The club challenge was probably the most fun over all.

I feel like the time to complete challenges is sufficient.

I'd like to see more challenges that have a similar structure to No Takeout, where there are several objectives the Sim has to fulfill before moving on to the next tier of the challenge. I also like the competition aspect and switching Sims/collections in the Competing Collectors challenge.

[coolsim9999999]

You're fine, coolsim.

Oh, good. Thanks a lot, Metro!

[Magpie2012]

So I pretty much agree with everything that @oshizu  and @reggikko  said. I think it's more a case of people not being as die-hard TS4 players as they used to be with TS3, which stands to reason, since TS3 ended up having gazillions of different types of content at the end. I think interest will ebb and flow depending on the different likes and dislikes of the players at this point in the game. I know I won't be doing too much with the restaurant challenge (probably just fly by the seat of my pants and see if I finish at all).

[oshizu]

@Magpie2012

Noooo, Magpie! I'd always wanted t run a Dine Out restaurant and had watched a few Let's Play videos but never managed one myself.
But the Restaurant Wars challenge is so much fun, learning curve and all!

[Magpie2012]

@oshizu (not sure if my BB is going to recognize that @ cuz it doesn't always) I started my Food-Fight File (say that 5 times fast lol) and I'm more taken with completing the experimental food photos than the actual food lol I can't see a big (if any) score for this one from me :-) I'm be holding thumbs for you to get a nice score for your restaurant!

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[oshizu]

@oshizu (not sure if my BB is going to recognize that @ cuz it doesn't always) I started my Food-Fight File (say that 5 times fast lol) and I'm more taken with completing the experimental food photos than the actual food lol I can't see a big (if any) score for this one from me :-) I'm be holding thumbs for you to get a nice score for your restaurant!

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@Magpie2012
Chronic poverty here, lol. But the challenge presently ranks among my favorites.

So that my post isn't entirely off-topic. I love challenges that require different activities at different phases of the challenge, which is why Restaurant Wars is so fun despite the Dine Out bugs.