The Sims 3 Townie DecaDynasty Challenge

[Esther1981]

Something I am curious about... How do you know for certain people aren't cheating during this?

Yes, it's all based on trusting that people are honest. I'm a known cheater, and a humongous one at that. Which is why I never play challenges. Yes I could play a challenge and submit my score like I got it honestly, but I'm too much of a honest person to do that. Plus, Metro can tell. Like how long it takes someone to complete them, the scores and stuff like that. I am playing an Immortal Dynasty, but it's unofficial and not going in the HoF. Basically we trust each other around here. Also, welcome to the forums Precious!

[Tipi]

New question (sorry, Metro): If a former heir is considered a non-heir, does that mean he or she can max skills without taking them off the table for future heirs? Does the same apply for opportunities? So far I've been avoiding opportunities and adding too much to skills, but I wonder if that's necessary.

 

It is necessary. The rules read that an heir needs to max a skill and do those ops that no other heir has done. Well, obviously you only have one heir at a time, right? So, that means you need to apply that throughout your game and carry it over to mean all heirs.

 
Metro, did you answer MarianT:s question about the former heir maxing skills (or taking opportunities) later in life when they no longer are active heirs? For if you have to take account of what a former heir does after the new heir is born, I may (or may not - I really have not paid any attention) have accidentally taken up some opportunities without making a note of them.
 
I have not paid attention to the former heirs actions much, because on page two of this thread it says:
 

And just one thing to make sure I've got this all right: The heir moves out when they've completed the moving requirements. They then have an heir. This means the focus is no longer on the person that moved, but just on the heir that's been born. Is this right?

 
And you answered:

Exactly. The heirs switch hands when a new heir is born.

 
So, does it matter what a former heir does when there is a new, active heir?

[Seabody]

Something I am curious about... How do you know for certain people aren't cheating during this?  I know I read something on the lines of it all being based on the honor code, is it really?  If so... how do you KNOW that people are starting with a new town, townie family, set the age to normal, etc etc.

Metro knows us. He usually knows if we're breaking the rules, and we're always very close here. Metro knows that all of us would never lie to him (except the one case I've seen about cheating.) In two years, only one person that I know of has ever cheated on a challenge, and he's gone.

[Pam]

So, does it matter what a former heir does when there is a new, active heir?

It matters what a former heir does as long as that Sim is under your control.  For example, you've got a father and young adult son still living together.  You can't let them both complete the same BlackOps opportunities, nor can you let both of them max the same career, SuperMax the same skill, etc.  Whatever the father does after the son moves out doesn't matter.  They don't complete opportunities without our direction, so that's not a problem anyway.  Even if the father could live long enough to max the same career as the son (or any or the other requirements), it won't matter because it's not under your control anymore.

[Tipi]

Thanks, Pam, for clearing that out.
 
Since the blackops, supermax skill and unique career are moving requirements, I thought it did not matter, what the ex-heir did after the new heir started fulfilling his/her requirements. And since you can extend the life of a former heir, I thought that the former heir takes the same status as the spouse, siblings etc, in other respects, too, and it does no longer matter what they do.  
 
I'm sure my two former heirs have not maxed any other career than their original. But my current heir has maxed painting (in addition to the supermax skill) to fill up the days after retiring. But I assume it's ok, if no heir supermaxes painting in the future (former heirs have not supermaxed painting). I know that ex-heirs have taken opportunities you cannot complete accidentally (like Oh My Ghost and Take painting to China) just to fill their opportunity slots never meaning to complete them. I'm hoping that the heir gets more opportunities, when the other family members have no open slots (I don't know if that has helped though). But I really don't know, if they have actually completed any opportunities...

[Pam]

Since the blackops, supermax skill and unique career are moving requirements, I thought it did not matter, what the ex-heir did after the new heir started fulfilling his/her requirements. And since you can extend the life of a former heir, I thought that the former heir takes the same status as the spouse, siblings etc, in other respects, too, and it does no longer matter what they do.  

The thing is, your heirs will overlap in their time spent under your control.  If your current heir and your previous heir (in the same house) complete the same opportunities, skills, etc. that are required for moving, there would be no point in having that part of the challenge that says they must be unique.

[Tipi]

Yes, I see your point now, but I have originally interpreted some things differently, like
 
- the sentence in the rules: "For the Heir to be Eligible to Move to the Next Townie House..." 
- the quote from Alexandria: "This means the focus is no longer on the person that moved, but just on the heir that's been born. Is this right? " and Metro's answer to the question: "Exactly. The heirs switch hands when a new heir is born."
- and phrases like "If a former heir is considered a non-heir..."
 
At least for me - a non-native English speaker - they seem to imply, that the former heir will be just another household member after the new heir is born. 
 
I hope it's just me getting things wrong, so it does not harm other player's attempts at this challenge. I know I'm good with the careers and skills, but really, really cannot tell about the opportunities.
 
And to Precious, who doubted the honesty of the members here: we would not have discussions like this, challenge topics as long as this (and especially the Immortal Dynasty topic) and players restarting their challenges after mistakes, if most of us weren't honest and wanted to follow the rules. 
 

[Precious5881]

Thanks ^_^ I just had to ask, I'm new and didn't know that challenges like this existed.  That immortal challenge looked fun, I might give that one a shot.  I ended up restarting on honey because I took to long and she grew old to fast on me LOL.

I have another question.  When you say Townie house, is it okay for me to move honey out of her current townie house (I really don't like it..) and into a new one as long as it's EA created?  If not.. how much can I edit of her existing house?

Honey is in the pets town.

[Metropolis Man]

I have another question.  When you say Townie house, is it okay for me to move honey out of her current townie house (I really don't like it..) and into a new one as long as it's EA created?  If not.. how much can I edit of her existing house?

You can't move unless you fulfill the moving requirements. As far as going into build mode for her existing house, that's fine. There are no restrictions. But, Edit Town is a different story. Check the rules again on those allowances.

[MoonsAreBlue]

It turns out that the toddler is just not aging at all. Everyone else seemed to age properly for two days, but then one day, the father's age meter did not decrease. I'm going to go back to an earlier save, and hopefully that will fix things.

[Pam]

@Tipi:

Those things you mentioned about the focus changing from the former heir to the current heir means that the former heir is free to use life extending tricks, which is something that normally only the non-heirs are allowed to do.  It doesn't count toward the actual moving requirements.

I see how this can get confusing, so please ask again if it's still not clear. 

[Sportsfan]

I'm going to try to clarify the best I can because I see the confusion.

Heirs: all heirs, active and former are heirs. It doesn't matter if they have already completed their moving requirements.
Active heir: the current heir that has not completed their moving requirements.
Former heir: a heir that has already completed their loving requirements and has moved.

Only former heirs may do life extending tricks.
All heirs are counted for if an op or career etc is unique, regardless if they are active or former.

So that means there can be no overlap, even if a sim has already completed their moving requirements.

Hope this clarifies it.

[Precious5881]

I have a question on the items left behind.

I'm assuming they are 10 different types of fish, 10 different types of gems, and etc.  The question really is for the celebrity area, they are sent things randomly, paintings, beds, grills, etc.  Is it 1 bed, 1 grill, 1 paint, and 7 other items or is it 10 different beds (IF they are sent that many) and 10 different grills?

[CreativeCrayola]

Ok, So I'm playing the DecaDynasty challenge, with Hank and Pauline, and Hank has given up his job as a policemen to paint. I wanted Gen 2 to also paint, as I find it quite easy, and Self-Employed painter is easy to make by YA if you keep paintings that are made in child, ect. Is this aloud? If Hank paints as well as Gen 2?

[ratchie]

Creative, any paintings done by Hank can be used for the ten items left behind but none of his paintings will count towards the painting self employment career for the heir.

Rachel