simsticher

[simsticher]

Population Reboot Challenge

So I have this idea for a new challenge, but maybe it already exists, so let me know if you've heard of it. It's a combination of the ultimate decades challenge and a type of Armageddon challenge. Frankly, I wanted to do the Ultimate Decades Challenge without spending a bunch of time looking for cc that may or may not work. Here we go:

Sometime in the near future, there is a catastrophic event. It might be a nuclear attack or a virus (think Stephen King's The Stand). You decide what is least triggering to you. In any case, many sims were able to avoid the incident and move to underground bunkers, which had been prepared for such an event.

These spaces were set up for self-sustained living, which was beneficial, as it was more than 1000 years before it was safe to surface again. We know this because the sims of yesteryear decided the calendars should be restarted as this event was the start of a new era. So we know that 1,250 years after the event, now known as year 1250, the first scientists were able to emerge from underground and begin to test the atmosphere in preparation for life to return to the surface.

Note: there is no significance to this change in the calendar, except that I wanted to use Morbid Gamer's score sheet from the Ultimate Decades Challenge and I didn't feel like changing all the years, as it starts at 1300.

After 50 years of trials and experiments, the scientists were able to declare the atmosphere safe and sims are now able to return to life above ground. I imagine they spent some of that time building fences to keep out dangerous animals who no longer avoided sim contact, as well as demolishing partially destroyed buildings and piling up the building materials for new use.

Set up:

The sims were sent to the surface in pairs, as it was deemed too dangerous to live alone. There should be no buildings in any of the worlds, so you can clear your own maps or download some that others have done. Your couple can be any sims you like, no rules there, but at least one of them must be able to get pregnant. (No way to have a science baby on the surface just yet) They can be dressed any way you like. Advancements would have been limited in the small communities created down in the bunkers, and supplies somewhat hard to come by. Life would look pretty much as it does now. (See? No cc.)

Choose your lot wisely, as it will have to support your sims, at least in the beginning. They will have to garden and fish to survive. You may use Off The Grid if you wish. Should you do so, you will have to reach a population of 50 sims in "My Households" before you can remove it. Simple Living may also be used, with a threshold of at least 25 sims before it can be removed. You should increase the number of sims you are allowed in "manage households" to a count of 200.

Speaking of population, it will just be your sim couple to begin with, but the game will automatically spawn more sims, regardless of how many times you go in and delete them all. Personally, I keep the ones my sims have made friends with, etc. and delete the others every few days. I see this as other settlers coming and going from the area if they are looking for loved ones or have decided to live elsewhere. NPC's who are staying should be given a house to live in. You are welcome to build your own or download one from the gallery. I use one I created named "Room to Grow" and just change the color depending on the world I drop it in. Remember to spread out your sims. After all those years in bunkers, they would want their space and not live right on top of one another.

You may also download sims from the gallery or create your own, but no more than once per sim week.

As I said, I use Morbid Gamer's score sheet, which includes rolling a die each time a sim has a birthday and when a woman gives birth, to see if they survive. This includes the newborn baby. You don't have to play that way if you don't want to, but it adds an extra challenge, and I would think sims on the surface would have a shorter life expectancy than normal.

This sheet also sets a year at 4 sim days. This is due to the fact that a pregnancy is 3 sim days, so one day must equal 3 months.

Whether you use the score sheet or not, aging should be set on normal. If you have seasons, I would recommend setting your seasons to at least 14 days. That way you have enough time to grow your food and you won't be in winter every time you turn around.

Game Play:

Once you have food and shelter worked out, it is time to get down to re-populating the world. Have as many children as you can handle. Mods to increase the size of your household are allowed. School has been arranged, so children and teens should go to school, but are expected to help out at home when not attending. There are no jobs just yet, and no afterschool activities. Universities have not been re-built yet, so no going off to college. Internet connection is spotty, so you can't even take a job and work from home.

You can make money from gardening and fishing, as everyone has a need for food. Selling from your inventory equates to selling wholesale to establishments down in the bunkers, where many sims have chosen to remain.

Other than produce and fish, ALL other products must be sold from a selling table or wall. This includes collectibles, paintings, sculptures, cross stitch, etc. Those using the gemology table must only create with crystals and metals they find, none are available to buy. The Home Chef Hustle table is allowed as well, but remember, you must have the ingredients if playing with Simple Living.

I personally don't play with occult sims, but it might be interesting if vampires or werewolves begin showing up. Perhaps they are the descendants of the sims who didn't make it into the bunkers, lived in caves, and this is the result of their exposure. Hmmm.

As the name implies, it is all about population. Here are the thresholds I have worked out so far:

25 sims- remove Simple Living

50 sims- remove Off the Grid, after school activities allowed

75 sims- jobs available for young adults and up, except for tech jobs (guru, simfluencer, streamer, etc.) Sims must go to work when given the option to work from home in freelance jobs and the like.

100 sims- universities re-open

125 sims- tech jobs now available, internet has been restored. Sims may now work from home if the option is available to them.

150 sims- teens may now get part-time jobs

That's what I have so far. Oh, except one thing.

ONLY WOMEN ARE ALLOWED TO INHERIT.

Yup. Daughters are the heirs, not the sons. After some deliberation back in year 5, it was decided that a male dominated society had screwed everything up, and it was time to give the women a chance. Therefore, the oldest daughter inherits, even if she has 5 older brothers. Families should keep having children until they have at least one daughter, or they don't have an heir. If the heir dies, the next daughter becomes the heir. If there are no daughters left, the oldest son's WIFE becomes the heir.

So, get comfortable in the back seat, boys. It's the women's turn.

Morbid Gamer's video explaining how to use the score sheet, including links:

Here is a blank save I found online, but I HAVEN'T tried it, so I can't vouch for it. The one I used is older and only included a few worlds. This one appears to be updated through For Rent.

Let me know what I have forgotten, if you try this, or if there are questions!

[simsticher]

New WIP. Just learning to recolor, but I think these will work for the decades challenge somewhere. I'm thinking about taking base game items and creating multiple swatches for different decades. It will be like the family kept the same furniture but just changed out the linens.