The Apocalypse Challenge Support Thread

[oshizu]

@Joria
I love all your builds. You're so incredibly generous to create starter builds for the Apocalypse Challenge! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

@JudesSims
I hope you don't think I'm squabbling over details--I don't mean to do that. I'm just trying to make sense of all the different rules myself.
You've been playing Apocalypse Challenges longer than anyone else on this forum, though, so you are more familiar with the rules than I am.
I just couldn't stand not completing the childhood aspirations--lol, it was bad enough waiting until my Angling Ace sim to become an elder before he could complete "Fish at 3 different locations."

Okay, back to playing.

[JudesSims]

Lol. No problem, @oshizu. I was going off what I "thought" I remembered. Obviously, all the packing, etc. has fried my brain.

@Joria, no hurry. Whenever you have time. I'm super busy with real life right now. A little less than two weeks before I move and still so much to do!

[JudesSims]

I know it's against the spirit of the challenge but when @Joria finishes her first house my Isola family will replace their ugly one with hers

[oshizu]

@JudesSims
Lol, spirit, shmirit! Who could blame you?
Just the thought of "Joria AC Starter Homes"TM makes me want to start over! 

Also, I'm amazed that you could rattle off that list of locks/unlocks from memory!

[JudesSims]

Thank you! And, I love Joria's builds whether high end or low! I totally loved her sims 3 house in Union Cove. Ummm can't remember the name but was all pretty in pink wonder how it would look in S4.

Edit: I remembered...the Thyme house.

[oshizu]

Question for forum enthusiasts of the Apocalypse Challenge.
Pinstar considers certain items of similar function as different types, such as single beds and double beds, the musical instruments, and so forth.
I've just expanded my gym and can't decide whether table-top and wall-mounted TVs are one category or different categories.
It's hard to watch the Penguin TV while using a treadmill, lol, but it can be done (thanks to the brilliant idea of @Joria)!
I'm also wondering about Dining Out's new Chef Station.

In summary:
Question 1: Table-top TV and wall-mounted TV are same category or different categories?
Question 2: Regular stove and chef station are same category or different categories?

Personally, I rather think the answers to my questions are "same category," but just wanted to seek second opinions.

[officialghosts]

Hmm.The TV question is a hard one. If your gut leans you toward the same category, go with that. My only point of comparison is the beds, but I feel like there's a more distinct difference between the two since double beds are needed for woohoo. As for the chef's station, I would consider them different, but I don't own Dine Out and thus haven't actually gotten a look at or used the item. Does it work just like a stove when used at home? (If so, I would say same category.)

It boggles my mind that you've gone so long without doing Startup (or Bodybuilder). I wouldn't be able to stand it.

(Speaking of which, my heir just aged up and started Tech Guru, I just completed Retail, and I'm one promotion away from completing Diamond Agent. I wish the higher levels of Secret Agent worked more days, because then I could've gotten the promotion this week instead of next one.)

[oshizu]

@officialghosts
Thanks for your feedback--I'm going to treat each pair as same-category items. The only thing that chef station adds is the ability to cook experimental food dishes that you've tasted at a restaurant. Not an essential element of the Apocalypse Challenge, hehe.

As for careers, I have one sim working on Bodybuilder now (Level 5) and a teen who will join Startup in 9 days.
I ended up prioritizing multiple invites per generation (Comedian), moving out sims (Diamond Agent), and import from Gallery/My Library (Oracle), so I could move in and play four pretty sims who aren't Wonder Children (three from my bin and a new one from CAS). That decision prolongs my challenge, I guess, but makes it more fun to play. I'm not scoring, anyway.
I'm at Gen4 now and have almost constantly had 8 sims in the house since Gen1 (IDC habits die hard).
I'm one generation from finishing the challenge, I think.

By the way, I love that the daily task for higher levels of Criminal/Boss is "upgrade objects."

[officialghosts]

I also mostly prioritized house size control, but even then, you've done things like @oshizu Investor or Manual Labor (just off the top of my head), which were lower priority to me, before getting to those two, and waited until the fourth gen to do so. Not trying to criticize, it's mostly just interesting to see what different routes everyone takes for the careers and what they view as most important.

And from the looks of it, I'm also going to almost constantly have 8 sims in the house, mostly comprised of the current generation and the next one being raised. Sigh. I really don't like large households, but it's faster in the long run.

When I planned out what order I wanted to do careers and how many I wanted to do every generation, it also came out to 5 generations total. I'll probably continue with the theme of last time and move in the next generation sim during the first born's teen years, and have them do Comedian. I plan on one or two of the younger siblings having children that I could potentially move in later to complete careers. I like the idea of the house being made up of a bunch of extended family, not just one direct lineage.

[oshizu]

@official ghosts
The reason I opted for Investor and Manual Labor is because I wanted to have a non-wage income with dragonfruit and UFO fruits. After someone maxes their career, they can quit/retire and just mentor until they're moved out. When two sims move out this sim-week, I'll have 2 adults at low career levels, 1 unskilled adult, and 4 teens.
The garden brings in tons of cash. 

And yes, I realize you're not criticizing. We all learn from each other through the different choices we make. I always love reading about your choices and why you made those choices.
The AC is, after all, a question of prioritizing what we each find personally most difficult to endure. And anyway, I love gardening in sims! lol

[Caterina]

When I play the Apocalypse Challenge it is for pure enjoyment.  I like that it is challenging.  I have not tried to play it in such a way as to analyze or develop a real strategy to finish in the fewest number of days.  I sort of just "fly by the seat of my pants".  Having just completed one though, I may try to employ a little more strategy the next time through.

[officialghosts]

I'm not really trying for a score, more to get it done. I haven't even been keeping track of the days.  If I was I would have completed Comedian (+Oracle) first and just immediately started moving in all skilled sims at level 9 in their Careers. Which, depending on how I feel about this challenge after I complete it the first time, I might just try... that approach doesn't sound like the most fun, but it'd be cool to do it as a speed run of sorts.

[oshizu]

@Caterina
As all my move-ins except one have been largely unskilled, I am obviously not doing a speed run, either.
When I did the much shorter Wonder Child Challenge, I started posting my story using the Week/Day format since it was only about six weeks long.
I've kept that posting format for my AC because I can look back and think, "Wow, I've been paying mob fees for X weeks," or "Gee, I haven't cleared any locks for two weeks now."
Also, the dating helps me keep track of all the birthdays, when they can start careers as YAs, when to move them out before they turn elderly, pregnancy schedules, breastfeeding & works schedules, etc. Yes, I'm very OCD, lol.

Having said all that, I would like to finish this challenge soon and start something else where my sims could run a restaurant, lol.
Ahhhh, I can't wait until Bodybuilder is cleared so I can redo the house.

[officialghosts]

I don't think anyone has posted this yet, but here's the official challenge scoresheet: Here.

Not only does is let you keep track of the careers you've unlocked, it gives cliff notes versions of the restrictions for all of them. Especially good for new players just learning the rules.

Meanwhile, my Gen 2 Spouse is set to age up in the middle of his shift... on the day he was supposed to max his career. Ah well, at least he works the next day.

ETA: My sim left work as soon as the 24 hours passed from the birthday notification. Weird, and inconsistent with my founder, but I'd prefer that over my founder having had to quit at level 9. But his performance is further back than when he went to work, which sucks.

[oshizu]

I don't think anyone has posted this yet, but here's the official challenge scoresheet: Here.

Not only does is let you keep track of the careers you've unlocked, it gives cliff notes versions of the restrictions for all of them. Especially good for new players just learning the rules.

Meanwhile, my Gen 2 Spouse is set to age up in the middle of his shift... on the day he was supposed to max his career. Ah well, at least he works the next day.

ETA: My sim left work as soon as the 24 hours passed from the birthday notification. Weird, and inconsistent with my founder, but I'd prefer that over my founder having had to quit at level 9. But his performance is further back than when he went to work, which sucks.

About your performance bar being set back, that's happened to me after clearing Business/Management because I got distracted and forgot to ask for a vacation day (or have someone write an excuse note, if you've cleared eSport Gamer).
You did mention that your founder's age-up was close to the end of his work shift, though. Lol, I don't trust my own timing anymore; if it's their birthday and they're bubbling, they don't go to work.
Too bad it was the day he was to max his career! Sooo close!
I guess if you could have taken a vacation day, you would have. Even after clearing Management, though, I've had a sim come home early to age up because I got distracted by other sims and simply forgot.