Gameplay

So you’ve read the rules, you have everything sorted, and now you get to play! Yay! Below is how I play my BACC — however you can play how you like :). This is just a reference guide to the way I do things.

Trait System

The trait system is used to give a little more variety to my gameplay. It is mostly only for storytelling, but Traits help me determine how the sim will view the world. The traits were originally created in The Sims 3 and were adapted to Sims 2 gameplay by Seri. I use most of her traits and have added a few more.

My Sims have a limit of 5 traits total by the time they reach Young Adult/Adulthood. They inherit  2 traits from their parents: one from their mother and one from their father. These traits are genetic. The baby cannot have traits of their adopted parents — only their biological ones. At each transition the sim receives another trait. These do not necessarily have to be from their biological parents. I choose traits that fit with their personality after playing them for a while. To make it simple: Birth + 1 trait (Mother); Toddler + 1 trait (Father); Child + 1 trait (fits personality); Teen + 1 trait (fits personality); Young Adult/Adult + 1 trait (fits personality) = 5 total traits (no trait gain for Elder). These traits are then passed down to their children and so on.

Some sims, I have found, do not always live up to the traits I’ve given them. To be honest, I’ve changed some that didn’t fit. Diego Bossanova originally had the “Friendly” trait but I soon realized that “Hot-Headed” would better suit him, so it’s changed!

I also do not have a “conflicting traits” issue — as in you can not have the Slob trait and also have the Neat trait. I am a testament to this! Certain things I am very neat and clean and perfect about where other areas are all over the place sloppy!

Hidden Traits
Sometimes sims add to their personality on their own even after you have give them their traits. I call these Hidden Traits. The Hidden Traits are also passed down to offspring. Example: When Angie Killeen would visit homes to watch the children I soon found out that if nectar is present Angie would consume it all in no time flat. Angie’s hidden trait is “Nectarholic”.

Aspiration Determiner

I use a pre-set Aspiration Determiner for the next generation of sims in my hood. This determiner was created by Chickadeelee (I’m pretty sure it was by her but now I can’t find it on her journal. If not let me know). This system uses the sim’s personality points to figure out what aspiration they should have.

Fortune: 5 or fewer Nice points & 5 or fewer Playful points
Knowledge: 5 or fewer Playful points & 5 or fewer Outgoing points
Family: 5 or more Neat points & 5 or more Nice points
Romance: 5 or more Outgoing points & 5 or more Active points
Popularity: 5 or more Outgoing points & 5 or more Nice points
Pleasure: 5 or more Playful points & 5 or fewer Active points

If a sim fits into more than one aspiration I check their skills, interests, traits, hobby enthusiasm, and wants to determine which the two — or three! — aspirations are right for them. If a sim does not meet any of the above criteria they are Divergent and should be eliminated immediately! J/K, this rarely happens, but I will do the same thing — check their skills, interests, traits, hobby enthusiasm, and wants — to find the right aspiration for them. I would rather not just roll the dice for an aspiration — it’s too important of a decision to leave to chance! Case in point: Bianca Lambswool, who is currently a toddler, is divergent. When she transitions to Teen I will review everything above and determine which aspiration is a good fit for her.

ROS

Instead of “rolling dice” to figure out decisions regarding sims, I use Random Occurrence Scenarios (ROS). I have created my own ROS files for genetics, daily occurrences (which I haven’t used yet), names, and school events (will happen when my hood’s children attend school). The link above has the program created by Hook at MATY and this link has Katya Stevens’ ROS files.

Genetics

When I first make a sim I put whatever make-up, freckles, glasses, dimples, etc. that I think will look cute on them. Once made this becomes their genetic make-up. Once they have children these genetics will be passed down. If both parents have the same genetic make-up then the kids will too. Example: Both of the Lambswools wear glasses so ALL of their children will need glasses as well. For couples that only one of the parents have genetic make-up and the other doesn’t I use a ROS genetic file that I created. Example: Fitz wears glasses, has freckles, dimples, and rosy cheeks. His wife Sadie has none of these. I use my ROS file and if it says Freckles: Yes; Glasses: No, etc., then that’s the genetic make-up that child will have. I roll these at birth so I know how to style the child once they transition to Toddler.

Genetics are broken down as so: Freckles (Yes/No); Glasses (Yes/No); Hair Texture (Straight/Wavy/Curly/Kinky); Rosy Cheeks (Yes/No); Beauty Mark (Yes/No); Dimples (Yes/No); Eyebrows (Mom’s/Dad’s); Braces (Yes/No).

Braces (Maxis Extracted Braces by Amaryll)
Since I do not know if the already-an-Adult sim had braces or not when they were a child, I roll to see if their child will get them. Braces are worn for one year (total 16 Days) during their Child and/or Teen years and removed before YA or Adult transition.

Sexual Preference

My founders were set as straight because I wanted MOAR BAYBIES! However anyone created afterwards is fair game. I use ACR 2.0 and let it randomize all NPCs and new CAS sims. When the children reach Teenhood their preference will also be randomized.

Adding NPCs To The Hood

I love the game generated NPCs (hobbyists, mail carriers, newsies, garden clubbers, etc.). They add a lot of variety to your gameplay and can give you extra potential suitors to your favorite sims. There are, however, some dangerous NPC that should NEVER be added to your hood or interacted with except for what the game intended. Here is a list of safe and unsafe NPCs to add to your hood. Now with that out of the way, here’s how I handle the little buggers.

An NPC can be moved into the hood by (1) falling in love with a playable and moving into their home; or (2) a playable vacates their home and there are no other playables available to move into it. With the second option, an NPC must pay the original sim that owns the lot §100/day or §400/season rent to live there. Example: Fitz vacated his home to live with Sadie when they married. Brodie the Postal Carrier moved into Fitz’s old home and had to pay Fitz rent. When Brodie left the condo and moved in with her man, Yasmin the Nature Hobbyist moved in and had to pay Fitz rent. Fitz will always get the rent from whomever moves into his old home until he dies or sells the property.

NPCs that are moving in are picked by the order in which they are created. Brodie the Mail Carrier was the first NPC created, so she got to move into the first vacated home. NPCs that are not adults — like the Newspaper Carriers — will not move in until they reach adulthood. In my hood there are 24 days of Teenhood. 24 days after the newsie’s creation, they will be aged up to adult and given a home. Hopefully there will be one available!

Neighborhood Laws

All sims must follow basic rules and laws. Besides the taxes other laws include the following. If no Police Station or Prison is built one will need to be built.

Garden Club Fine
If a resident does not keep their yard tidy for 4 consecutive days they will be fined §500 payable to the Oceanside Garden Club for the City Beautification Fund.

Bubble Blowers
Bubbles are a narcotic. If a sim is caught using a bubble blower they will be fined for §1000 for the first offense. For the 2nd offense you will spend 1 day in jail. If you are the owner of a bubble blower it will be confiscated and you will be arrested and spend 1 day in jail. The 3rd offense will put the offender in Prison for a season.

Vandalism and Thievery
Sims caught kicking over trash cans, stealing newspapers or garden decorations, or shoplifting will be fined §500 for the first offense. After the second offense a sim will be sentenced to 1 day of jail time. The 3rd offense will put the offender in Prison for a season.

Prison
Prisoners are temporarily moved into the prison and are not allowed to leave the lot until their sentence is finished; this includes going to work. If a child is born in the prison it will be given to the Social Worker until the parent is released. Prisoner will have to pay Cost of Living fees to Social Worker to receive child back. Prisoners will not be controlled ISBI style except to prevent them from leaving the lot.

Holidays

Celebrating holidays are important for your sims to get together and have a sense of community. After the first year the following holidays will be celebrated.

Family Dinner Day – Last Day of Fall. Invite all of your sim’s family and/or friends, break out the turkey and have a big family dinner. If an invitee asks if they can bring a friend you must say yes! Similar to Thanksgiving.

Founder’s Day – this is the first day that your BACC started. For me it would be the first day of Spring. Can be celebrated on a community lot. Have a picnic and light up fireworks! Similar to Independence Day.

Death Day – this holiday begins after the first resident dies and will be celebrated on that day every year. Head to the cemetery to remember your ancestors. Costume required. Similar to Halloween.

Snowflake Day – 1st day of Winter. Similar to Christmas. Put out your holiday decorations and bake cookies. Wait for Santa to come and give you presents!

Heart Fart Day – The last day of Spring. Do something romantic with your crush or true love! Similar to Valentine’s Day.

Social Societies

Once a sim achieves the Reputation of Sociable Celebrity (maxed Reputation) they can join one of the exclusive Social Society Clubs. Social Society Clubs must meet once per season and go on a group outing to a business or community lot in their Society garb. Available to Adults and above.  A Country Club must be built.