23 Upgrades for '23

[sdhoey]

Although it is an honor to be tied with Shannon, my Sim did finish her last repair 50 minutes earlier, for a total of 5095 minutes.

@MarianT Hahaha, It would be my honor to be tied with you. But you have to remember that someone around here forgets his meds. LOL

[math_chick]

Handy Mandy finished on Tuesday at 12:16pm for a score of 3136 minutes.

I can't wait to hear how the top scores tackled this challenge!

[KTK10]

Hi! It's been so long since I have played and I am so happy to have dived back in with this challenge. Kenya finished Thursday week 1 at 5:43pm. Points are 6343. Thank you for this challenge, it was so much fun!!

[sone]

Maximus Julian finished his 23 for '23 on Tuesday week one at 1:08am for a total time of 2,468 minutes.

[Metropolis Man]

I know it's crazy to say, but this event ends tomorrow (Sunday). We're throwing events at you fast and furious this year. So far, so good with participation. More have jumped in this first event. I think it's partly because it's a no-brainer and can be knocked out quickly.

I hope more will post scores for this first event, and if you have already...thanks.

[Tboy002]

Hirving Andinez finished his 23rd upgrade on Tuesday at 3:46 am of the first week, which means it took him 2626 minutes.

[GlazeyLady]

Handy Mandy finished on Tuesday at 3:21 am for a score of 2601. She would have appreciated Sims NOT cooking the minute she arrived at their home, as she spent much of the time tense from fires and lost valuable upgrading minutes.

I didn't update her appearance (except to add eyelashes, because Sims should have eyelashes) and thought I'd share her CAS-assigned formal wear:

[Nandarelle]

My handisim, while no angel, made the appliances of lots of other Sims slightly better.
She took until Monday 21:35, or 2255 minutes.

[mismck]

Tina ToolTime finished her 23rd unique upgrade at 5:45 PM on the first Monday for a total of 2025 minutes.

[SueDenim]

Jill Handy finished her 23rd update at 12:54 on Tuesday morning - 2454 points

[mariposa1127]

Just in the nick of time at 11:50 pm.  I couldn't pass this one up! I didn't have time to practice.

I made many mistakes and didn't realize that you could upgrade the fancy toilets until the end.

Finished on Week 2 Sunday at 3:55 A.M.  Score: 9835

[Metropolis Man]

This event is now closed.

Wow. It's been a while since we have had 19 participants in an event. Great job, everyone. I think there is something to be said for keeping events very simple that will not take much time for players.

I thought Vesper was going to pull out the win, but mismck came in yesterday evening with the best time. Grats to mismck on the first win of the 2023 season.

[mismck]

I love the Handiness events! My focus for this one was to build the Handiness Skill as quickly as possible to be able to utilize the Levels 7 & 10 perks (plumbing and kitchen upgrades in half the time).

Tina ToolTime:
Aspiration: Nerd Brain — Bonus Trait: Quick Learner (faster skills)
Cheerful, Overachiever (faster skills), Insider

I moved Tina onto the empty lot, Pebble Burrow, in Oasis Springs. The first thing I did was shop for Aspiration Points - I wanted enough to immediately purchase Always Welcome, some Focus potions, and a Moodlet Solver potion before she went out into the worlds to upgrade. I changed the lot type to Tiny House and built a small room for the Micro House classification (faster skills). In the room I put a DJ Booth, Desk, Chair, Computer, and some Focus Lamps. I set the Lot Traits to Homey (faster Handiness skill), Peace & Quiet (faster skills from reading), and Study Spot (faster skills).

Tina joined the Good Timers Club (for Rally the Troops) and she also created a club, the Handy Dandies. She rotated Sims from the default pool of Sims to gain faster access to their homes. She never spent time introducing herself to or chatting with anyone. Club activities included reading, play video games, and workout. While Tina was upgrading things, the club folks would earn club points so I could get the Handiness club perk (faster skills). Once she hit Level 10 Handiness, she ditched the club and went solo.

On her home lot with all of the skill perks, she very quickly read a Handiness book so she could start upgrading. The first upgrade was on the DJ Booth there at her house. After that, it was a constant trek from house to house to park to spa to house to house, etc. She utilized Rally the Troops and one Moodlet Manager to eliminate needs from her short little life.

Here are the upgrades in order of completion:

1 Dynamic Surge Protection     DJ Booth     ToolTime     Pebble Burrow     Bedrock Strait      Oasis Springs
2 Water Recycler     Bathtub     Munch     Coorinberg Cottage     Windslar     Windenburg
3 Fuel Cell     TV     Bjergsen     The Lighthouse     The Crumbling Isle     Windenburg
4 Autolight     Fireplace     Goth     Ophelia Villa     Pendula View     Willow Creek
5 Energy-Efficient Device     TV     Landgraab     Affluista Mansion     Acquisition Butte     Oasis Springs
6 Upgrade the Water Flow Regulator     Shower     Feng     IX Landgraab     Uptown     San Myshuno
7 Self-Cleaning     Sink     Jang     121 Hakim House     Arts Quarter     San Myshuno
8 Auto-Soap Dispenser     Sink     Roswell     StrangerVille Overlook     Shady Acres     StrangerVille
9 Coated Exterior     Stove     Kahananui     Journey's End     Lani St. Taz     Sulani
10 Fireguard     Fireplace     Price     BridgeCreek Drive     Plumbite Cove     Copperdale
11 Fridge of Steel     Refrigerator     Harjo     Water Tower Way     Prescott Square     Copperdale
12 Heat Sensor     Stove     Ward     The Ward Den     The Pinnacles     Del Sol Valley
13 Better Components     Stereo     Partihaus     Factory One     Olde Platz     Windenburg
14 Add Bidet     Toilet     Laurent     Thebe Estate     Porto Luminoso     Tartosa
15 Reinforced Door     Refrigerator     Volkov     The Collective Cabin     Moonwood Mill     Moonwood Mill
16 Add H2O Siphoner     Sink     Desert Bloom Park     Desert Bloom Park     Desert Bloom Park     Oasis Springs
17 Composting Container     Toilet     Center of Center Spa     Center of Center Spa     Newcrest     Newcrest
18 Coated Interior     Microwave     Pancakes     Pique Hearth     Courtyard Lane     Willow Creek
19 Fresh Maker     Refrigerator     BFF     Garden Essence     Foundry Cove     Willow Creek
20 Install Surge Protector     Neon Sign     Paddywacks Emporium     Paddywacks Emporium     Magnolia Promenade     Magnolia Promenade
21 Add Infuser     Coffee Pot     Karaoke Legends     701 ZenView     Fashion District     San Myshuno
22 Add Superior Flush     Toilet     Roomies     Cacti Casa     Parched Prospect     Oasis Springs
23 Flavor Enhancer     Microwave     Caliente     Sultry Springside     Skyward Palms     Oasis Springs

[Vesper]

Congratulations mismck! Your explanation highlighted a few mistakes I made so it's really helpful.

I'm going to share my plan too as I think if someone combined the strategies they could get an even faster score, and it's also useful to see the difference that a few wrong choices might make.

Hedwig Handy also chose Nerd Brain for the Quick Learner bonus trait. For traits I gave her cheerful (to stay happy), and wasn't sure for others so ended up with Slob (so she wouldn't worry about getting stinky when I neglected her needs), and Genius (for the focused moodlet but this was irrelevant as she was always confident from upgrading). Having High School Years for Overachiever would have been helpful and am annoyed that I forgot about Insider considering she would be in a club hangout the whole time.

Moved her into a small lot in Bridgeview, Newcrest so the home lot was the only one in the neighbourhood. Created a 2x2 room for requirements and made it a micro home. Set Homey (faster handiness skill) as a lot trait but somehow forgot Study Spot. She bought a stereo, five woodworking tables, a focus lamp, and a triangle bath.

Like Tina she went straight to befriend Bjorn Bjergsen and take over the Good Timers Club. Club activities were set to woodworking, being friendly, listening to music, and dancing. Eventually bought handiness boost as a club reward but I think Hedwig was nearly maxed in handiness by then anyway. She also used the Bjergsen's computer to order all the upgrade parts she'd need (approx 60 common, 12 electronic, 20 kitchen, 20 plumbing) there was no need to keep simoleons for anything else so she bought extras of everything.

Once she returned home she started a club hangout and invited over a repairperson who was immediately added to the club. In this game it was a lovely chap called Krishna. Hedwig made sculptures etc. on the woodworking table and asked Krishna to mentor her. I did this up to level seven handiness for the quick bathroom upgrades thinking this would be enough given I was focusing on those types. I'm now thinking it would have been worthwhile levelling to 10 for the remaining kitchen upgrades as there are not 23 bathroom ones. Alternatively I could have started with all the bathroom upgrades while levelling up to 10 for the kitchen ones. There may have also been better options for upgrades but didn't have the patience to test everything

Here are the upgrades completed. Not in order other than the first because I can't handle that much direction.

Upgrade	Item	Household/Lot	Neighbourhood
Pulsating Jets	Triangle Tub	Challenge home lot	Bridgeview - Newcrest
Clean Coat	Bath	Roomies	Parched Prospect - Oasis Springs
Add Self-Cleaning	Coffee Maker	Hecking	Sable Square - Brindleton Bay
Consistently Perfect Pulls	Espresso Machine	Bjergson	Crumbling Isle - Windenburg
Coated Interior	Microwave	Spencer-Kim-Lewis	Sage Estates - Willow Creek
Flavor Enhancer	Microwave	Caliente	Skyward Palms - Oasis Springs
Freshmaker	Fridge	Landgraab	Acquisition Butte - Oasis Springs
Fridge of Steel	Fridge	Goth	Pendula View - Willow Creek
Reinforced Door	Fridge	Gnome's Arms	Finchwick - Henford on Bagley
Auto-Soap Dispenser	Sink	Paddywack Emporium	Magnolia Promenade
Sturdy Faucets	Sink	Waterside Warble	Spice Market - San Myshuno
Add Superior Flush	Toilet	South Square Coffee	Old Town District - Windenburg
Add Bidet	Toilet	Magnolia Blossom	Magnolia Blossom - Willow Creek
Upgrade the Water Flow Regulator	Shower	Movers & Shakers	Crawdad Quarter - Willow Creek
Install Pulsating Massage Jets	Shower	Burners & Builders	Mirage Canyon - Oasis Springs
Apply Self Cleaning Wall Coating	Shower	Perfect Balance Spa	Ridgeline Drive - Newcrest
Install Titanium Pipes	Talking Toilet	Planet Honey Pop	Fashion District - San Myshuno
Add Bio Disintegrator	Talking Toilet	Stargazer Lounge	Uptown - San Myshuno
Fireguard	Fireplace	Darby's Den	University of Britechester - Britechester
Autolight	Fireplace	Desert Bloom	Desert Bloom - Oasis Springs
Coated Exterior	Stove	Salty Paws Saloon	Whiskerman's Wharf - Brindleton Bay
Add Stick-Free Pot	Tea Maker	Casbah Gallery	Arts Quarter - San Myshuno
Add Infuser	Coffee Maker	Deadgrass Discoveries	Deadgrass Isle - Brindleton Bay

Observations:
* This kind of challenge definitely benefits from having more packs. For the location options plus different traits and possibly different upgrades (I think there were some toilet upgrades I might have used had I Eco Living installed)
* Sims walk slow. I tried to make as many upgrades as close to the front of the lot as possible but some couldn't be avoided. Bjorn for example started in the gym area of his home which is the furthest from the door adding valuable minutes to go upstairs to meet him/ have him walk down.
* Apartments are glitching out for me at the moment. Otherwise I think doing the second upgrade on the Feng's triangle bath (had either of them appeared in the group pool) might have been quicker than a talking toilet upgrade in Stargazer Lounge for the Uptown neighbourhood
* From looking at previous challenges the Install Surge Protector in a neon sign at Paddywacks Emporium was listed as a quick upgrade but I couldn't work out what to upgrade when I went there to test. If anyone could share a screenshot of what sign to upgrade that would be super helpful.
* Was setting being friendly as a club activity a bad idea? Sometimes her clubmates talked to her while she was upgrading and this might have slowed her down a little.

[mismck]

Congratulations mismck! Your explanation highlighted a few mistakes I made so it's really helpful.

Observations:
* This kind of challenge definitely benefits from having more packs. For the location options plus different traits and possibly different upgrades (I think there were some toilet upgrades I might have used had I Eco Living installed)
* Sims walk slow. I tried to make as many upgrades as close to the front of the lot as possible but some couldn't be avoided. Bjorn for example started in the gym area of his home which is the furthest from the door adding valuable minutes to go upstairs to meet him/ have him walk down.
* Apartments are glitching out for me at the moment. Otherwise I think doing the second upgrade on the Feng's triangle bath (had either of them appeared in the group pool) might have been quicker than a talking toilet upgrade in Stargazer Lounge for the Uptown neighbourhood
* From looking at previous challenges the Install Surge Protector in a neon sign at Paddywacks Emporium was listed as a quick upgrade but I couldn't work out what to upgrade when I went there to test. If anyone could share a screenshot of what sign to upgrade that would be super helpful.
* Was setting being friendly as a club activity a bad idea? Sometimes her clubmates talked to her while she was upgrading and this might have slowed her down a little.

Thanks Vesper - you did awesome!

* I find that the more packs I have in general, I have more options for things.
* Sims DO walk SO slow... I definitely was trying for places that had upgrade availability near the front of the property. There were houses I deliberately avoided (Villareal). However, I did not go to meet Bjorn to take over his club. I was simply a member of the club - the cool thing is that in the club I create I can use Rally the Troops just because I belong to the Good Timers Club.
* I am also having some apartment glitches - I haven't been able to visit the Bheeda apartment in a really long time.
* Paddywack's Emporium: the neon sign is right next to the door on the outside of the building and says "OPEN" - the trick is you have to click on it and turn it off before the option to upgrade is available. Let me know if you still want a visual and I'll take a pic of it when I get home.
* I had friendly for little bit, but changed it (I forget what I changed it to) after Judith started yakking while Tina was trying to upgrade something. I was trying for activities that would keep the club members occupied and earning points while leaving Tina alone and out of the kitchen & bathroom areas.