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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 30th Mar 2021 at 6:32 PM
The Sims 4 MASH Challenge
Hello fellow Simmers! Today I would like to introduce a new-ish challenge. It occurred to me the other day when I was looking through some notebooks from when I was a kid.

Who here remembers MASH? MASH is a kids' fortune telling game . It’s all done on a piece of paper and based around random numbers.

Of course when I remembered this game, I searched to see if anyone had already come up with a challenge. I did locate one for the Sims 2 and one discussion but not actual challenge from 2019 so it’s not like I’m the first person to ever make the connection but this post is for the ‘official’ Sims 4 MASH challenge. Without further ado… here it is!

How to play MASH:
-Get a piece of paper and write MASH at the top of it (this stands for Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House)
-Underneath, write the names of four potential partners (these can be Sims in your existing gameplay arsenal, celeb sims you download/create, or EA sims)
-On another section of the paper, write four numbers from 0-6. These will be the number of children your Sim has.
-In your next section, write down four careers.
-In your fifth section, write down four possible starter fund amounts (one has to be $0 – so yes, you could be living in a mansion with $0 to start!)
-In your final section, write down four undesirable traits. Your sim will get saddled with one!
(Gloomy, Hot headed, Erratic, Glutton, Kleptomaniac, Lazy, Slob, Squeamish, Paranoid)

Remember: Do NOT make all of your options desirable! In fact, it’s more fun if you get some options that are not the ones you want since they’ll spice up your game play more.

After you have done this, pick a random number. With that number, start counting at MASH and work your way down the page (If you pick 2 for example, you count M-A- and stop. With your pencil landing on A, you cross apartment off)
Repeat this through the lists, crossing off each option you land on last.
Continue this process until one option from each list remains and that is your result!

General Rules:
-We start in CAS. Your Sim must be a young adult, and not an occult.
-Read each challenge type before you finish CAS as some require additional CAS work.
-Your game of MASH will determine the rest of their starting info. (home type determines aspiration)
-Use normal life span.
-Do NOT start with your love interest in your family. They must be in the world, and your Sim must woo them. They can have bumps along the way, other love interests, etc. but this Sim is their destiny.
-Do NOT start with children in your family. Your Sim must have them through their life. Children do not need to be had with their destined partner.
-Use the "freerealestate on" cheat to purchase your house. Funds apply post-home purchase. (in most cases)
-Do NOT use gameplay cheats or money cheats. Achievement purchases, lot traits, etc. are fine.

There are four types of challenges that apply to each type of home.

Mansion challenge
This is a fame and reputation-based challenge so you will need Get Famous to participate.
Aspiration: WORLD FAMOUS CELEBRITY
Your Sim starts already living in a mansion in the hills in Del Sol Valley. The lot should be a celebrity lot but your Sim will not yet be famous.
They inherited this home from a dead family member, and now need to prove their worthiness in the neighbourhood.
If they start with high funds ($50k+), their relative left them with money and their goal is to become famous by their own means to prove they're not just a trust fund baby.
If they start with low funds (-$50k), they've been left to clean up after their deceased family member who has left them with not much beyond the home and crushing expenses attached to it.

Gameplay:
-Your Sim must attend "therapy" to deal with their negative trait. Create a therapy group and attend meetings once a week where they talk out their problems. (ie anger management)
-Children need to grow up well. If your MASH says you have zero children, you must adopt at least one child. The following applies to all children:
Toddlers have to reach 3 in each skill before aging up
Children must have A grades and complete their aspiration before aging up
Teens must have a part time job and graduate with A grades
Once children hit young adulthood, they must immediately enroll in University and move out

The challenge is complete when you've achieved the following:
-House payments are comfortable and do not completely deplete your Sim's income
-Your Sim has redecorated the entire mansion to make it their own
-Your Sim is at the top of their celebrity level
-Your Sim is at the top of their career
-Your Sim has completed their aspiration
-Your Sim has befriended all of their neighbours in the gated area of Del Sol Valley (whether these are real or frenemy type friendships, is up to you)

Apartment challenge
This is a knowledge and experience-based challenge and you will need City Living to participate.
Aspiration: CITY NATIVE
Your Sim starts in an apartment in the more affordable spice district. If they have high starter funds, feel free to decorate the way you like, pick the biggest apartment available in that district, etc.
They've just moved to the city from their family home in the country with big dreams to learn about San Myshuno and live a real city life.
When creating your Sim, you must create their family which will live in Brindleton Bay (or Willow Creek if you do not have Cats and Dogs)

Gameplay:
-Your Sim MUST attend all San Myshuno festivals when they appear. If they're at work, they attend when they get home if the festival is still running. If they are having a baby they attend after getting home if the festival is still running etc.
-Your Sim must make friends with all neighbours in their building and go out with them at least once a week
-Your Sim must make money via street performance at least once
-Once a season, your Sim must go back to Brindleton Bay to visit their family

The challenge is complete when you've achieved the following:
-Your Sim is living in one of the penthouse lots with comfortable payments (If you started off being able to afford this, wait until your Sim is married to move into this lot)
-Your Sim is at the top of their career
-Your Sim has completed their aspiration
-Your Sim has learned all food stall recipes (at this time there are 27)
-Your Sim has killed someone with Pufferfish Nigiri

Shack challenge
This is an off the grid community-based challenge and you will need Eco Lifestyle to participate.
Aspiration: ECO INNOVATOR
Your Sim starts in an off grid shack in Evergreen Harbor. If you do not want to build one, look them up on the gallery and download one! You can search shack, or fixer upper. It must be a starter home, so valued at $20,000 or less.
They have just moved here after leaving their home which did not provide a healthy environment. Not speaking to their family, they are looking to start their own in Evergreen Harbor. It is up to you if you would like to create this family but if you do they must live in another world.
Your Sim does not like spending money. Immediately invest all money in energy and water conservation items. If you have extremely high funds and these purchases get really out of control, keep some money for the purpose of donating to Beth for her inventions, and invest the rest in art. Your Sim loves to support local artists and innovators!

Gameplay:
-You must donate to Beth every time she asks. In fact, if any Sim asks for money, you are obligated to give it to them. If you get the inheritance popup, invest or donate the money. Likewise if you win the lottery
-You can only spend money made from dumpster diving, crafting items, and your day job. Startup money is for conservation items, donations and art. You can spend it on other items by selling art if you are at a $0 balance
-Your Sim must make good friends who they will invite to live with them to build their commune. It is OK to spend money these Sims bring in but you will never move
-If your Sim has a career that doesn't align with their ethics they must find a way to balance that out (ie someone who's very capitalistic in a business career will have a soup kitchen club where they create meals for less fortunate Sims)

The challenge is complete when you've achieved the following:
-Your Sim has customized their shack to be shack paradise! Tons of fabricated items, as many levels as you require... use your imagination!
-Your Sim has retired or quit. Immediately after reaching max career, they retire or quit (depending on their age) to spend time giving back to the community
-After retiring/quitting, your Sim has filled their household with friends and family. Their household must be maxed (8 sims, no pets) and living as a commune
-Your Sim has completed their aspiration
-Your Sim has maxed their gardening, juice fizzing and candle making skills
-If your Sim has children, one has aged up to young adult and is pursuing a career as Civil Designer
-Your Sim's neighbourhood has reached green status

House challenge
This is a family based challenge.
Aspiration: SUCCESSFUL LINEAGE
Your Sim is hard working and future focused with big goals for their kids. They are your typical overbearing parent! If you wound up with zero kids in MASH, you will need to adopt at least two.
If they start with high funds ($30k+) your Sim's parents have died and left them money. Their goal is to raise their child(ren) in the same way their parents raised them, and carry on a legacy.
If they start with low funds (-$30k) your Sim has struck out on their own to get away from parents they don't get along with and raise their own children with a better experience than they had growing up.
They can start in a home based on their starter funds in any world! In this iteration of the challenge, do NOT use the 'freerealestate on' cheat.

Gameplay:
-Your Sim's first child is the golden child who has classic eldest child syndrome
-If your Sim has more than one child, their second child must be a rebel who moves out to join another household half way through their teen years
-The personality and future of any child after the second is totally up to you
-Your household must have two clubs. One is a book club for your Sim and their fellow parent friends. The second is a homework club for your Sim's child(ren) and their friends. These clubs meet simultaneously once a week.

The challenge is complete when you've achieved the following:
-Your Sim has renovated their home to be valued at $100k while remaining a family home and not having the appearance of a mansion
-Your Sim is at the top of their career
-Your Sim has completed their aspiration
-Each of your Sim's children has one best friend and your Sim is best friends with the parents of those friends

Bonus Challenge:
If you'd like to turn this into a legacy challenge, you can go through all four iterations!
1) Build up the sheet as listed at the start of this challenge
2) Ignore the MASH part. You will start at S. Next generation is A. Third is H, and fourth is M.
3) Count through your other random options except this time the first ones you cross from each group are your first generation. Second ones are second generation, etc.
4) Edits that need to be applied: Shack can be played as is. Apartment starts with one of the children moving to the city from the commune (of course, Shack then has a homestead of Evergreen Harbor instead of Brindleton Bay). House is started with one of the children from the apartment (except when renovating to $100k, this is now meant to renovate into a mansion-style property from a basic family home starter.) Mansion starts when your House generation Sim passes away. At this point, switch the lot to a celebrity lot whether your House sim was or not. You can think of a way they became famous posthumously. Continue on to Mansion. After Mansion, you're done!

Please note that this is the first draft of this challenge! If issues come up along the way, let me know and I will make edits if needed
My hopes are that I've left enough room for creativity and that you can get some great stories out of this.
If you try the challenge, please send me any videos/notes/screenshots you've got and I'll share them on my website . For social media and the gallery, the challenge hashtag is #SimsMASH

Enjoy! (Oh and, follow me on Twitter and YouTube ! For the gallery, my name is 'igoblin')
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Test Subject
Original Poster
#2 Old 19th Apr 2021 at 7:51 PM
Update: I've created a video outlining this challenge and starting my own let's play of it
Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/IlYMmV0vSRE
Test Subject
#3 Old 3rd Jul 2022 at 3:25 PM
Ah, a flashback to middle school. Saving this so I can do it in the future
Test Subject
#4 Old 6th Jan 2023 at 2:41 PM
I remember playing MASH. We had the most idiotic of options :D
Will definitely be having a go at this
Instructor
#5 Old 6th Jan 2023 at 4:40 PM
I must've gone to school before they had this, but I do remember watching M*A*S*H when they were still airing new episodes , and... I actually built a lot in one of my fantasy hoods, modeled on the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. It got a little tricky to play with that many characters, though. Kind of laggy.
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