Story Progression

[simdancer]

Okay, this may sound odd, but that's okay. Can someone please explain to me how story progression works? It would be helpful if you could use examples of what happened in your own game.

Thanks a Bunch,

simdancer 

[simdancer]

Also, when does story progression occur? Does it happen while you are playing in the particular town, or while you are active in another family

[Metropolis Man]

Story Progression is what's happening in the background with the Townies you don't control. For example, say your Sim meets Nancy Landgraab at Central Park and she's with Geoffrey and Malcomb. You run into the Landgraabs a couple weeks later and Nancy is holding an infant. So, she had a baby. That's Story Progression — any one of a million random things that happens behind the scenes.

[TheChronicR]

It's also needed to mention that you can turn it off (it's set 'on' by default) in the Game Options tab of the Settings window. I would also suggest turning Aging off, as well, because if you turn off Story Progression all the townies will eventually die of old age and your active household will be left as the only family in the whole town. Story Progression also applies to your moved out Sims (which are not in the active household). Don't be surprised if you see your second generation spare flirt with Holly Alto (or any other townie Sim) in the Park (or elsewhere)! Story Progression is just very random.

[malteser60]

As metro said story progression happens in the background all the time. I take it you've played sims 2? Sounds a bit like it. So, assuming you have then sims 3 and story progression are completely different than the sims 2 way. So, as an example, you are playing the Landgraab family for a while. Then you decide to switch families, and go off and play the Alto's for a while. Then you decide to switch back to the Laandgrabs. But when you switch back to the Laandgrabs you realise that, whilst playing the Alto's, they've had a baby, changed career, or even moved house. That is story progression, because, whilst you were playing the Alto's story progression was making changes to the Laandgrabs. Story progression is responsible for keeping the town alive by making the residents have babies, or moving new families in.

Personally I adore story progression, I just love to see what is going to happen next. And it also makes no two game the same. For example, you create a family and play them in SV, keeping an eye on what happens to the Wolf family. This can be done through reading the paper and talking/visiting the family. So, i one game Thornton and Morgana Wolf have 3 children. You can then start a whole new game, play the same created family, but in this game Thornton and Morgana Wolf have separated, or Thornton is having an affair with Vita Alto! So, no two games are the same, no matter how hard you try.

[Hosfac]

It's also needed to mention that you can turn it off (it's set 'on' by default) in the Game Options tab of the Settings window. I would also suggest turning Aging off, as well, because if you turn off Story Progression all the townies will eventually die of old age and your active household will be left as the only family in the whole town.

Related to this:  if you turn aging off, you should probably turn story progression off, too.  With aging off, sims won't age and die of natural causes, but they'll still continue to reproduce and will eventually fill every inactive household with babies that will never grow up.

In one game I played, Pauline Wan broke up with Hank Goddard and became the live in girlfriend of Christopher Steele, although they never had children.  In another, Holly Alto died in a fire.  In several games, Madison VanWatson and Monika Morris were involved in a romantic relationship, but once Madison married Christopher Steele and they had a child.  I've seen Cyclone Sword in some manner of relationship with all 3 girls who live with him in different games.

In Twinbrook, sometimes Marc Brandt marries his girlfriend Amy Bull, and sometimes he doesn't.  Once the Wheldoff family had a second child, and once Rich and Rosey divorced and she moved out and left him with their daughter Zo.  In the last game I played there, Sophia Carlton and DeAndre Wolf got married.  And filed under "T" for "Truly Bizarre," I've seen a young adult Molly Coddle and an elder Harwood Clay get married and have a child.

[pallyndrome]

And filed under "T" for "Truly Bizarre," I've seen a young adult Molly Coddle and an elder Harwood Clay get married and have a child.

Lol not so bizarre, since I paired my Molly Coddle with Juan Darer.

But on topic, story progression can be a good thing, but if you don't like it, there are some of us who turn it off, along with aging. So if you want to do that, we can give you tips. It does involve counting the days and aging them up with birthday cakes, but at least nothing happens without your say so (well, almost nothing...).

[simdancer]

Thanks for all your help! Before I got the TS3 I played the Urbz:Sims In the City and School, Mall, and Roller Coaster Tycoon games. As you can imagine, I was a bit confused when I started playing TS3.

Thanks again!

[Hosfac]

Sims 3 is a totally different ball game from those lol.  It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but you don't really need to figure it all out at once.

You're one up on me, anyways:  I didn't really discover this site until after I bought Ambitions.  And there's no better place to figure things out than Carl's.  And I'm not saying that because I'm a moderator. 

[Ellenser]

Thanks for all your help! Before I got the TS3 I played the Urbz:Sims In the City and School, Mall, and Roller Coaster Tycoon games. As you can imagine, I was a bit confused when I started playing TS3.

Thanks again!

Yeah, I bet you were a bit confused, lol! I'm glad you found this forum to help you with any other questions that may arise, though.