EPISODE105 - The Sims 2 Challenges - Improval Challenge by fluffydevil04

Improval Challenge by fluffydevil04

This challenge may seem very long, but that is only because I wanted to take a lot of time to explain the challenge carefully, to avoid confusion. To help you, it's been divided into the aim, setting up, playing, rules and points.

Aim: To earn your sim enough money to work their way through a range of houses, from cheap to expensive.

Setting Up: Make a sim in CAS - any looks, any aspiration (a fortune sim is good because all they ever want is to earn more money ... so they can achieve goals while doing the challenge) and leave them in the Family Bin while you set up the houses.

To do this challenge, you need the complete set of pre-shipped Maxis houses in the Lots Bin, plus a large house from Pleasantview. However, it's unfair to cut it off to only people who have these, so I've done a bit of research and collected the lots you'll need - they're listed from least expensive to most expensive; I'd like to thank Sithaiixyl for uploading these houses; all links will take you to his/her simpage, with the exception of Hellua Hacienda, which is brt9588's lot:

Sithaiixyl's Sim Page

Ranch Retreat (§10,852)
Just Right (§)
European Townhouse (§14,760)
Bonny Bungalow (§14,996)
Tidy Tudor (§20,512)
Victorian Value (§23,877)
Cape Cod Classic (§25,859)
Modern Masterpiece (§29,889)
Craftsman's Pride (§32,189)
Family Farmhouse (§35,664)
Helluva Hacienda (§55,383)
Federal Fortress (§77,874)
210 Wright Way (§108,379)

Download the lots you need and place them in your neighbourhood; I'd recommend using a new neighbourhood with a long road, putting the houses in order along that road ... but whatever works for you.

Playing: Move your sim into the cheapest lot, which is Ranch Retreat; a simmer of average intelligence has probably noticed that all lots between and including Ranch Retreat and Bonny Bungalow are under the default §20,000 a new sim have. So, by common sense, you could move your sim into Ranch Retreat, then move them out again into Just Right, then move out again into European Townhouse and then move out again to Bonny Bungalow. This isn't the correct method of gameplay, so to prevent cheaters doing this, I'm imposing a rule that I'm going to write here and not in the 'Rules' section: between the lots Ranch Retreat and Bonny Bungalow, the sim must get at least one promotion before they can upgrade the house.

This means that - well, I'm going to use an example here: Sammy Sim has moved into Ranch Retreat; he could move directly into Just Right, but has to take a job - say, in the Business career track (it's not important what career, I'm just using Business as an example.) He must get at least one promotion in it before he can move to Just Right, then once in Just Right, he must continue getting at least one promotion until he reaches Bonny Bungalow, because after Bonny Bungalow, the houses are over the default §20,000.

Continuing with 'Playing': once your sim has reached Bonny Bungalow, they no longer need the promotion rule, because Tidy Tudor is above the §20,000 he/she still has. Therefore, just keep your sim making money until they have enough to move from their current house into the next one along ... and furnish it. Keep up this gameplay until you've reached Federal Fortress; this is as far as the founding sim can go, playing by the rules I've imposed.

Somewhere after European Townhouse (it's important it's not before, because European Townhouse doesn't have two bedrooms and you can't modify any of the houses; see the rules below) the founding sim (in my example, Sammy Sim) must meet an NPC/Townie of the opposite gender (I'm going to use Sally Sim here.) Sammy and Sally must get married and have at least one child to continue the family line, as it's important to the future of the challenge.

Once Sammy, Sally and their child(ren) have reached Federal Fortress, Sammy and Sally can no longer move. However, they must continue to earn money because the ultimate aim of the challenge is to be able to move their eldest child (if there's more than one child, have the second eldest move out with all the younger ones) into 210 Wright Way the moment Sammy and Sally have both died ... or the moment their eldest child (for example, Steve) has become an adult ... or, if there's more than one child, the moment the second eldest has become an adult to move out, taking any younger children with them - it's important not to move Steve out, because he will go back to the default §20,000 and you will have lost the challenge.

If Steve can move into 210 Wright Way without having to earn any money as an adult (he can get a teenager job, because I doubt it'll make much difference), you've won the challenge. If he can't, then you've lost ... but you can always start again.

(Note - any sim names I have used do not have to be used; I was merely using an example. Also, if the eldest child is female, that isn't important - again, I only used Steve as an example.)

Rules: I have imposed some rules to make sure that cheaters can't slip through the net; however, use your imagination - if I haven't posted it, it's not forbidden, therefore you could find a way through the proverbial net.

Rule One: The Promotion Rule, for those who missed it during 'Playing' - Sammy Sim has moved into Ranch Retreat; he could move directly into Just Right, but has to take a job - say, in the Business career track (it's not important what career, I'm just using Business as an example.) He must get at least one promotion in it before he can move to Just Right, then once in Just Right, he must continue getting at least one promotion until he reaches Bonny Bungalow, because after Bonny Bungalow, the houses are over the default §20,000. Once he's reached Bonny Bungalow, the Promotion rule can be forgotten. (Note - names and career track were only used as examples.)

Rule Two: The Federal Fortress Rule - the founding sim and his/her spouse can only get to Federal Fortress; it's up to their eldest child to move to 210 Wright Way.

Rule Three: 210 Wright Way Rule - the eldest child of the founding sim and his/her spouse has to be able to move to 210 Wright Way as soon as Sammy and Sally (founding sim and wife) are dead, he/she is an adult or, if there's more than one child, the second eldest has become an adult to move out with all younger siblings. The heir must be able to move to 210 Wright Way using their parents' fund and not earning any money of their own; if they can, you've won. If they can't, you've lost - but you can still get points (see 'Points'.)

Rule Four: No Cheats Rule - it's all in the name; there are no cheats to be used, especially boolprop or either money ones. Move_objects can be used for building and bugged objects, but not the 'make me happy' way.

Rule Five: Don't Modify Houses Rule - the idea of the challenge is to upgrade to a different house, not re-furbish their existing house. Therefore, you may decorate visually (new carpet and walls), but all walls, windows and doors must remain the ones that came with the house.

Rule Six: The Diva or Mr Big - yes, these sims can be married, but if you choose to have them marry (they can't move in), then the promotion rule is back in place until you can no longer afford to promote to a new house.

Points: As soon as your heir (Steve Sim, in my example,) has moved into 210 Wright Way, count up his/her good memories and give yourself 10 points for each of them; minus 10 points for each bad memory.

As a bonus point system, if the heir moved into 210 Wright Way without earning any money, add an extra 25 points; if they had to earn money of their own, minus 25 points (optional.)

And there ends the challenge instructions; you're free to reply now.