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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 5th Aug 2014 at 11:08 PM Last edited by allyt95 : 17th Oct 2014 at 7:03 PM.
Homeless After the Storm
So I have played several challenges, but the ones I like most are the ones that have random factors, and where you have to survive. Even though I enjoy these, I tend to lose interest after a few Sim weeks because it eventually becomes the same thing repeatedly. I think this is because most people try not to make a challenge that is really complicated. Well I am not one of those people. I came up with this challenge in 4 hours, not long for its length so I am sure there will be mistakes and things that need to be changed, so I am open to ideas.

I will state again, this challenge has a lot of different factors, but I think it will be enjoyable if randomness is what you like!

First off, the back story (yes it's kind of long too, I am sorry)

It was just a normal day in town, you got up, ate, got the kids to school, and headed to work. By the end of the day, several clouds had formed and the wind had picked up nicely. You headed home to make dinner for your family after sending away the babysitter and butler for the night. While eating dinner, an alarm sounded across the entire town and everyone's TVs turned on. The mayor was telling of a terrible group of tornadoes heading straight for the town and for everyone to head to town hall for safety, because not even basements would be safe from this storm. You rush your family to city hall, thankfully you have a really nice car and get there safely before the storm hits. You go inside and find that only most of the town had showed up. Apparently some didn't think the mayor was being truthful. After an entire night of feeling the ground shake and hearing screams and crashes from outside, a fireman comes to the safe room and says it's nice and sunny outside, and for everyone to meet outside. When you go outside you find that nearly every house and building had been destroyed completely. The mayor says the town can spare some money to each family with nothing left, but it will take some time to get power, electricity, and construction available to the entire town.

Town setup
  • You can either download a blank town or edit one you already have.
  • Delete every house except for the two most expensive homes and 1 or 2 cheap homes of your choice (w/families).
  • Now delete every community BUILDING, EXCEPT for the town hall, hospital, school, grocery store, and fire station (if you have it). Make sure these buildings are near any of the standing houses or the town hall.
  • Now remove every community LOT, EXCEPT for the cemetery, 2 places to fish, any beaches, and the main park.
  • To set up the park: add showers to each bathroom, grills, refrigerators, picnic tables, picnic baskets (if you want), a radio or two, a few chess tables, and a playground for kids.
  • All other residential places need to be empty lots, so if the previous sims aren't still there, move some in, or don't. You can make your town as empty or full as you choose. I suggest still leaving the houses I mentioned earlier standing, for some things later to make sense.
  • When you make your family, you will move them onto a lot that is less than 40x40. You can choose anything smaller if you wish.

CAS
  • Atleast 1 YA/Adult, max is 2 parents
  • Either 2 toddlers, or 1 toddler and 1 teen/child; only 2 kids max
  • Make them look however you want. You can choose to make them look like they came from an upper class family, like in the back story, or not.
  • The LTW is up to you to choose. If you want it to be random roll for a number between 1 and the amount of lifetime wishes suggested for your sim and then pick one. (not a rule)
  • Here is the first trick, only ONE of the traits can be a "useful trait", the rest are up to you. What you will do is roll and the pick the trait that corresponds with the number. The list of traits and numbers is below. You only roll for Teens and above, then once in-game you roll when a sim ages into a teen.

If a useful trait is randomly given to your sim when they age up, you cannot give them another later.
Useful Traits - Use random.org and set it to 1-14 *There's a chance you won't have some of these traits, and if that's the case, just roll again.*
1 Angler 2 Artistic 3 Athletic 4 Eccentric 5 Frugal 6 Gatherer 7 Green Thumb 8 Kleptomaniac 9 Mooch 10 Perceptive 11 Photographer's Eye 12 Savvy Sculptor 13 Virtuoso 14 Nurturing or Family Oriented

Living Arrangements
  • Right when you move your sims onto the lot pause the game. enter "testingcheatsenabled true" without quotes and then enter "familyfunds familyname amount" again without quotes. In the amount area just type 0, and in the familyname area you type the name of your household.
  • The mayor will give you $1,000 for each toddler or child, $500 for each teen, YA, or adult, and only $100 for each elder. But is only able to give a maximum of $5,000 to each family (in case you chose to make your family bigger). The "Kaching" cheat gives you $1,000, but if you have, say $2,500, you will have to use the familyfunds cheat.
  • Use these simoleans for the necessities: only the cheapest beds, or sleeping bags, a crib for the toddler, and any other comfort item you want. You cannot buy any electrical or plumbing item, and cannot build anything that is considered construction necessary. You can buy toys for the toddler or a potty, but nothing that can be used to build skills for any of the sims, including the toddler.
  • As far as lighting goes, if you have lights that look like a lantern or candle, you can buy them because they aren't electrical and they light up better than the little mood candles.

Official Rules
  • Your sims can go to the park freely between 9AM and 7PM to shower, play, use the toilets, etc.
  • Each sim is only allowed one meal from the park each day. This means either 1 thing from the fridge/picnic basket, or 1 group meal for all the sims to share.
  • Your household is allowed to buy 10 items from the grocery store each week. Starting on Sunday, ending on Saturday. So I would pick a specific day each week or weekend to go get food.
  • You can buy skill items only once you start building a home.
  • No sim is ever allowed to get a job at the Town Hall or Hospital.
  • Whether or not your sim gets a job, or what they do for money, is determined by their useful trait. They have to do what is required by their trait and NOTHING else. Only the sim with the useful trait required is allowed to earn money doing the "job" or activity. EX:*So only the Virtuoso sim can earn money by playing guitar, but another sim can learn to play if they wish, they just can't play for tips*
    -Angler: only the sim with this trait is allowed to sell the fish they catch, others who fish without the trait can eat the fish or use it as fertilizer.
    -Artistic: only the sim with this trait can paint. If you have electricity and a computer, then only this sim can write books.
    -Athletic: this sim can get a job as a firefighter or lifeguard (if you put lifeguard stands on the beaches). If you don't have either jobs then just re-roll.
    -Eccentric: this is the only sim allowed to tinker. If another sim tinkers, they're inventions HAVE to stay on the lot, they cannot be sold. If you don't have this trait just re-roll.
    -Frugal:This sim gets coupons, yes, but for every level of handiness skill this sim gains, they are allowed to "build" one skill item (you buy it of course), and only 10 items max. This sim can also dumpster dive (if you have that ability) and either keep what they find, or sell them.
    -Gatherer: This is the only sim allowed to sell minerals, bugs, animals, flowers (seasons), or seeds they find. Again anyone else can find things just not sell them.
    -Green Thumb: This is the only sim allowed to garden period.
    -Kleptomaniac: Only sim allowed to steal (duh lol)
    -Mooch: Only this sim can mooch food and money from others.
    -Perceptive: This sim can be a detective. If you don't have this then re-roll.
    -Photographer's Eye: This sim takes pictures for a living. If you don't have this then re-roll.
    -Savvy Sculptor: This sim sculpts for a living. If you don't have this then re-roll.
    -Virtuoso-Only sim allowed to play any/portable instrument for tips.
    -Family Oriented/Nurturing: these sims can have the job of babysitters (or home daycare, whatever it's actually called), or can be a teacher at the school if they have at least 1 kid of their own.
  • If a teen sim has frugal, mooch, athletic, or family oriented/nurturing traits, they are allowed to get a part time job at the grocery store or cemetery. (Frugal teens can't build skill items, only once they age up).

Each week, on Sunday, use random.org to roll and see if something special is going to happen that week.

Week 1
There is no chance of building, plumbing, or electricity permits because the storm just passed.

1 Your household is chosen to buy 2 extra items at the grocery store this week.
2 You find a bicycle on the side of the road; add bicycle to household (use familyfunds to give yourself back the money)
3 No luck this week.
4 You run into one of the rich families in town and they decide to give one of their skill items to your household.

Week 2
The mayor has mentioned that one household will be given the chance to hire the construction team to start re-building their home.

1 Find a table blown into the woods (buy a cheap table of some sort and give yourself back the money).
2 Your name is chosen from a drawing and are given $1,000 from the mayor.
3 You are given a permit for the chance to build a room. Can be NO larger than 10x10
4 No luck this week.

Week 3
There has been a food shortage throughout the town!

1 Got lucky and aren't affected by the food shortage.
2 Someone steals food from you. -5 units of food (or 2 plants if you have none).
3 Your household has been chosen to not eat at the park all week (hope you have your own food!).
4 Your household name has been drawn and you are not allowed to buy any food from the store this week.

Week 4
The mayor says there is a chance to get some plumbing in some people's houses by hiring a sim to find a well for you.

1 Your household has been given a permit to build a maximum of 2 rooms; no larger than 8x8 each.
2 No luck this week.
3 Your household is chosen for plumbing. Pay the guy $1,000 and he will get a well for you. IF you pay him you can also build 1 sink, 1 shower/tub or combo, and 1 toilet. If you have the all-in-one bath thing you can buy one of those. (If you don't have the money, you have all week to get it.)
4 One of the rich families in town is passing out battery packs. You get a pack of 4 and can either buy 1 cheap toy (like a car or such) and a portable radio, or the cheapest TV.

Week 5
The mayor says power lines have been put up, but only a few households at a time will be given the chance to have their home wired.

1 Your house is offered an electricity permit for $2,000, if you don't have the money, you have the rest of the week to raise it and use it.
2 You are given a permit to build a maximum of 2 rooms; no larger than 7x7 each.
3 Bug infestation, lose 1 skill item.
4 Nothin happens this week.

Week 6
The lack of police in town causes a higher risk of burglaries.

1 You get lucky, nobody decides to steal from you this week.
2 You are offered a plumbing permit. Pay the man $1,000 if you don't already have plumbing and buy 1 of each bathroom item (not both a shower and a tub, only a combo). If you already have it, buy another plumbing item.
3 You are offered an electricity permit for $2,000. If you already have it, buy 2 new electrical items.
4 Heavy tax day is today, the mayor is raising funds to start rebuilding the community. Either pay the $7,000 by the end of the week (Friday) or lose your oldest sim to "jail" (just kick them out of the household or delete them using testingcheatsenabled true).

Week7
By this time, people have figured things out and buildings are starting to get built. 1 building per week (starting week 7). You can go into edit town and add a building each week if you wish, or not. Each week after Week 7 will have the same rolls as Week 7. You will need to change the numbers on random.org to 1-10.

1 You get mugged walking home. -$1,000
2 Someone in your household finds a lost pet. +$500, or + a pet if you choose to keep it.
3 Nothing happens this week
4 Pay $2,000 for electricity if you don't already have it, otherwise buy an electricity item.
5 Your Oldest sim becomes deathly ill, pay $5,000 for treatment within 5 days or they will die.
6 Pay $6,000 in taxes by the end of the week (Friday) or your oldest sim goes to jail (if you don't have anyone to watch the kids, then you lose a kid).
7 Pay $1,000 for plumbing if you don't already have it, otherwise buy a plumbing item.
8 Can buy 5 extra units of food from the store this week.
9 A homeless child comes by asking for a place to live (adopt a child). If you choose not to, then give the child 2 units of food.
10 You are allowed to build 1 room; no larger than 10x10.

Other Notes
  • So you cannot build anything unless you roll it, and you can only build the maximum allowed.
  • After you pay for plumbing or electricity once, you are free to buy more items whenever you have the money, but on the chance that you roll and are told to buy another item of either, you have to buy however many you are told by Saturday.

Objectives
  • You win if at least one of the starting kids grows up, has kids of their own, and dies of old age.
  • Or you can make up your own. Like fulfill a certain amount of lifetime wishes, survive for a certain number of generations, have a simolean goal, house size goal, etc.
  • Or if at least one of your sims lives to see the town fully restored; meaning the basic community buildings and lots, houses don't have to be necessary.

As I said, it is long and quite complicated, but I am hoping its complexity will keep those of you who have played sims for so many years that you tend to get bored after a certain point interested.
And you don't have to follow all of the rules if you don't want to, I just personally think it'd be more challenging my way.
Also for the rolls after week 6, you can change them up or choose your own if you'd like to keep it random and more interesting if you decide to keep playing for that long.
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Lab Assistant
#2 Old 26th Mar 2015 at 1:34 PM
nice! I love it!

scooby dooby don't
Test Subject
#3 Old 5th Apr 2015 at 9:47 PM
omg this is like the only challenge I like great job make more challenges
Test Subject
#4 Old 26th May 2015 at 1:51 AM
I know that this challenge was posted a year ago but if you're still seeing this, I have some questions:

1. The rules don't cover how often you can give bottles to babies and toddlers. I tried to give my toddler the bottle once they were in the park but she got hungry again at night and started screaming the place down. I think toddlers have to be fed twice a day or they get too hungry and are taken away, which would make toddlers pretty unplayable in this challenge.

2. The rules say that we are not allowed skill items until we have a home. But the rules also say that only Frugal Sims may build skill items. Are skill items completely off the table then, if we don't have a Frugal sim? Or are we free to buy skill items the moment we have four walls?

3. Frugal teens are allowed to have part-time jobs. Are they allowed to keep it after they have left school or do they have to quit it immediately?

4. My frugal teen found a grill in the dumpster. The rules said that I can keep whatever Frugal sims find in the dumpster. Does this mean I can keep the grill even though I don't have electricity yet? Realism-wise, I don't think grills require electricity, just charcoal and fire. Also, are stoves classified as electric items?

5. What are the rules for non-electric non-plumbing items like tables and chairs and counters and rubbish bins and the like? Do we unlock them when we have a home or can we buy them whenever we have the money?

My current game rolled an Eccentric YA, an Artistic YA, and a Frugal teen. Right now my two adults are sitting around scratching their bottoms because they rolled traits that require skill items to make money, the poor bastards. I have Seasons so it's summer right now and they spend a lot of time hanging out in the park toilets to hide from the sun. I hope I have a home by the time winter rolls, or I'd have a nice family of icicles. The teen is half dead with trying to juggle his part-time job, dumpster diving, and school. He's basically the only person keeping the family alive. Because the park only opens at 9am when school starts, he spends half the day in school starving until his school lunch break (you know the thing when sims autonomously eat and pee if these motives drop too low when at school/work).
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 26th May 2015 at 5:06 AM
Quote: Originally posted by daliabean
I know that this challenge was posted a year ago but if you're still seeing this, I have some questions:

1. The rules don't cover how often you can give bottles to babies and toddlers. I tried to give my toddler the bottle once they were in the park but she got hungry again at night and started screaming the place down. I think toddlers have to be fed twice a day or they get too hungry and are taken away, which would make toddlers pretty unplayable in this challenge.

2. The rules say that we are not allowed skill items until we have a home. But the rules also say that only Frugal Sims may build skill items. Are skill items completely off the table then, if we don't have a Frugal sim? Or are we free to buy skill items the moment we have four walls?

3. Frugal teens are allowed to have part-time jobs. Are they allowed to keep it after they have left school or do they have to quit it immediately?

4. My frugal teen found a grill in the dumpster. The rules said that I can keep whatever Frugal sims find in the dumpster. Does this mean I can keep the grill even though I don't have electricity yet? Realism-wise, I don't think grills require electricity, just charcoal and fire. Also, are stoves classified as electric items?

5. What are the rules for non-electric non-plumbing items like tables and chairs and counters and rubbish bins and the like? Do we unlock them when we have a home or can we buy them whenever we have the money?

My current game rolled an Eccentric YA, an Artistic YA, and a Frugal teen. Right now my two adults are sitting around scratching their bottoms because they rolled traits that require skill items to make money, the poor bastards. I have Seasons so it's summer right now and they spend a lot of time hanging out in the park toilets to hide from the sun. I hope I have a home by the time winter rolls, or I'd have a nice family of icicles. The teen is half dead with trying to juggle his part-time job, dumpster diving, and school. He's basically the only person keeping the family alive. Because the park only opens at 9am when school starts, he spends half the day in school starving until his school lunch break (you know the thing when sims autonomously eat and pee if these motives drop too low when at school/work).


1. Toddlers can be fed whenever so long as it's just with the bottle.

2. Anyone can get skill building items once you can build a home. The perk of being frugal means that, with a certain level of handiness skill, they can 'build' a skill building item (give yourself back the money) before any building is available.

3. You can keep it if you want to, but for a harder challenge you can quit it and focus only on dumpster diving for goods.

4. Stoves are counted as electric, grills and fire pits are not. If you have supernatural or that Italian-style world then you can use the wooden stove or the rock oven-thing.

5. Anything that would require 'building' is not allowed unless you're allowed to build a house (other than necessary cribs 'n such). So really chairs and tables should not be allowed, but if you just really don't want your sims to stand and eat, then you can get them. The cheapest chair might be okay, but it's up to you really.
Test Subject
#6 Old 26th May 2015 at 10:10 PM
Quote: Originally posted by allyt95
1. Toddlers can be fed whenever so long as it's just with the bottle.

2. Anyone can get skill building items once you can build a home. The perk of being frugal means that, with a certain level of handiness skill, they can 'build' a skill building item (give yourself back the money) before any building is available.

3. You can keep it if you want to, but for a harder challenge you can quit it and focus only on dumpster diving for goods.

4. Stoves are counted as electric, grills and fire pits are not. If you have supernatural or that Italian-style world then you can use the wooden stove or the rock oven-thing.

5. Anything that would require 'building' is not allowed unless you're allowed to build a house (other than necessary cribs 'n such). So really chairs and tables should not be allowed, but if you just really don't want your sims to stand and eat, then you can get them. The cheapest chair might be okay, but it's up to you really.


Thank you! This clears things right up!
I don't really need to buy tables and chairs and stuff because my Frugal teen for quite a few bits of furniture in the first few days. I'm torn between keeping them so we'll have a nice place to sit when we have a home or if I should sell them for dough as they are very very poor.
So if we have the money, we can buy firepits and bonfires?
Alchemist
#7 Old 1st Jun 2015 at 3:19 AM Last edited by aelflaed : 1st Jun 2015 at 9:47 AM.
Interesting challenge! I am finding a few queries as I begin.

I have a firefighter...he has to spend time at the firestation of course...is it okay for him to use skill objects etc there? What about the other members of the family?

Is the park allowed to include amusements such as balls? Harvestables? Musical instruments?

Why do we need a hospital? Sims can have babies at home, and there are no hospital jobs among the 'useful traits'.

How do you feel about tents instead of beds or sleeping bags? Seems to me that firepits are allowed from the beginning, and chairs are included in the "any other comfort item you want" stage of setup.

Green Thumb is listed as "the only sim allowed to garden period". Can other sims harvest? I can see why they shouldn't be allowed to plant and tend the garden, as it would be a huge source of food after only a few days. Seems reasonable for anyone to harvest fruits, though.
Alchemist
#8 Old 15th Jun 2015 at 5:48 AM
I am halfway through week five. My sims are very sick of living out in the weather and constantly having colds, even though I let them have tents rather than sleeping bags. But they have electricity and plumbing, and no lack of money or food. Maybe I was just lucky, but it hasn't been difficult really to keep things going. I have a firefighter, a handy dumpster-diver, a guitarist and a gardener.

The firefighter spent most of his time hanging out at the firestation until he hit the top of the career. Now he doesn't need to go there much. I didn't let the rest of the family visit his workplace; it seemed too easy. They hung out at the park, and the kids went to school when they were younger.

The firefighter's girlfriend dives into a dumpster 3 or 4 times a day, which has been quite an earner. I have not allowed the family to use any of the plumbing or electrical items she has found, until those services were restored. Most stuff has been sold straight away, although they kept a table and chairs, couches, a bookshelf and a dishwasher...which they installed pretty quickly when the electrics came on this week! Mum's handiness has created some free skill items, but they are not much use except as entertainment, since no one really needs to skill up.

In the beginning, various members of the family scavenged for fruit around town, and this has kept them fed pretty comfortably. It did take a couple of days for the trees to bear after the storm, but for that time they could rely on their park rations and the groceries they bought on the first day. Once the baby became a gardener, no further issue, as he has made a garden plot at home. I am allowing any sim to harvest the plants, but only the gardener to tend them in any other way. (It keeps raining, so not much watering has been required.)

Due to my slow internet, I made a series of random rolls ahead of time on random.org. This means I can tell that my sims will NEVER get any kind of house until at least week 14. I stopped rolling after that because I will have moved on by then. I think the rules need a bit of tweaking in regards to shelter. Maybe from week 7, if you don't have any shelter yet, you can build a 7x7 room without rolling for it. That's what I will do, I think, anyway.

I really like the random aspect of this challenge, and I like the ideas for random events - such as the battery packs or skill items handed out by the luckier survivors. Thanks for sharing your challenge!
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