Finally, your sims can become a popstar or musician in a band! To know how just follow on this challenge. If you don't have University, back away!
The Popstar Challenge
Objective: To have a young adult become a popstar during their young adult and adulthood!
Briefing: A kind of different way to have a challenge. You create 5 young adults in create a student and they aren't allowed to be family, only roomies. You can then move them into a dorm that is premade by Maxis and must have spaces for 12 or more students.You can use motherlode only once and that's when you move the students in. You must buy these things for the dorm:
- Bass
- Guitar
- Piano
- Drum Kit
and keep it all in one room or better yet put them on a decking/foundation. You may also need to buy chairs facing the instruments so when you throw parties your guests won't leave. Make sure there is also room for a freestyler at the front of the band so it gets a bit better.
Get a piece of paper and a pen and write down "Career Earnings" on it. You add money to it when the band start collecting tips for performing bands but don't perform yet.
The students first have to gain as much creativity skill as possible before the end of Freshman year. They can't use the thinking cap or any other aspiration awards in this challenge. At the time at their elderly age they count up all the earnings and that's the total score.
When it comes near the end of Freshman year you might want to assign your sims to a particular instrument or lead singer.
When it comes to the beginning of Sophomore year the students must throw a party every night and perform a band everytime for 2 and a 1/2 hours and all immeadiately stop and collects their tips. You add the money to the career earnings paper after they receive tips.
Do it until the graduation day and then they leave campus. You're not done yet as they still have to do the job as adults! They aren't allowed jobs and must live together and run a party every night and perform a band. They retire when they reach elderly age and just look at it as memories.
Rules:
No cheats except motherlode once at the beginning of this challenge and moveObjects on
If a band member dies in college he/she can't be replaced until moving in someone as an adult
No aspiration or career rewards
If all band members die at college then it's GAME OVER
Money added to career earnings must be tips from freestyling and instruments, nothing else or any dormie, NPC or non-challenge sim playing and letting you receive tips
The challenge is over when the sims age to elder and you MUST count up the career earnings
NO HACKS
The score is the career earnings and nothing else.
If you want to you can create a story or movie if you like.
Show notes for The Sims 2 Challenges Podcast http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=5905
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
EPISODE85 - The Sims 2 Challenges - Class Matters
Class Matters by SimsDivaD
About this Challenge
The goal is to create a dynamic neighborhood that is socially and economically diverse. Your Sims will struggle or thrive in a diverse city environment where the opportunities available to each Sim are largely based on external factors including social class and access to higher education. While external factors may limit or expand opportunities, this challenge also takes into account powerful and random internal factors which might inspire an individual who faces severe economic challenges to strive for success while another of average station may be satisfied with remaining status quo.
Game play is structured around four classes—Poverty Class, Working Class, Middle Class, and Upper Class. Many challenge play options will be determined by the roll of a dice, including the number of Founding families and the gender, aspiration, personality, motivation level and income track for each Sim.
This challenge was designed for players who have the University and Open for Business Expansion Packs.
Credits & Disclaimers
This challenge is designed to combine several existing challenges with a few added twists. Before going into the rules, I’d like to credit the following challenge creators whose ideas have inspired this challenge:
1.Many of the initial setup options are borrowed (or shamelessly stolen) from The Prosperity Challenge by Sheri & Robin
2.The adherence to a class system and some class-related rule based play is borrowed from The Boomtown Challenge by Reni
3.Some of the constraints placed on Poverty Class Sims were inspired by or borrowed from restrictions included in The Nickel & Dimed Challenge by Yamx
Initial Setup
Create the First Generation
There can only be a fixed number of Poverty Class households for the duration of the challenge. First you will roll to determine the number of available low income housing lots. During the challenge, households may advance to higher classes based on game rules, but in the beginning all Sims are in the Poverty Class.
Roll a six-sided die to determine the number of Poverty Class houses in the neighborhood
For each household, roll to determine the marital status of the head of household
For each household, roll to determine the presence or absence of children
For each household with children, roll to determine the number of children
For each child per household, roll to determine the child’s age
If you have the Pets expansion pack, feel free to add pets to any household.
The chart below provides details on how to determine each of these requirements:
Number of Poverty Class Houses
Household Marital Status
Presence of
Children in
Household
Number of Children in Household
Age of Children in Household
Number of Pets in Household
1 or 2 = 4
3 or 4 = 5
5 or 6 = 6
Married/Joined
Odd (1,3,5)
Single
Even (2,4,6)
No Children
Odd (1,3,5)
Has Children
Even (2,4,6)
1 or 2 = 1
3 or 4 = 2
5 or 6 = 3
1 or 2 = Toddler
3 or 4 = Child
5 or 6 = Teen
Player’s Choice.
Once the necessary details about the founding families have been determined, it is time to determine characteristics of individual household members. The age and number of household members was determined in the previous step. Don’t put the dice away yet! Prosperity Challenge Rules are used to determine gender, aspiration and personality. To roll for Personality, you can use either a six-sided or twelve-sided die. If you use a six-sided die, roll first to determine the set, then roll a second time to determine the personality as outlined in the chart below. This challenge adds two new factors called Motivation Level and Income Track which will be explained later in greater detail.
Gender
Aspiration
Personality
Motivation Level
Income
Track
Odd (1,3,5) = Set 1
Even (2,4,6) = Set 2
Male
1 = Fortune
1 = Aries
7 or 1 = Libra
Underachiever
Career
Odd (1,3,5)
2 = Knowledge
2 = Taurus
8 or 2 = Scorpio
(1, 2)
Odd (1,3,5)
3 = Romance
3 = Gemini
9 or 3 = Sagittarius
Average
Female
4 = Family
4 = Cancer
10 or 4 = Capricorn
(3, 4)
Entrepreneur
Even (2,4,6)
5 = Popularity
5 = Leo
11 or 5 = Aquarius
Overachiever
Even (2,4,6)
6 = Pleasure**
6 = Virgo
12 or 6 = Pisces
(5, 6)
** If you don't have Nightlife installed, 6 is roll again during set up.
If you happen to roll the Underachiever motivation level for all adults in each household, you can roll for motivation levels again. Once all of the above constraints have been identified, create each founding family using Create a Family.
While it is not a requirement, you are encouraged to create families that are ethnically diverse.
Create or Prepare a Neighborhood for Play
Start from Scratch
Create a new, empty neighborhood. Identify areas on the neighborhood map where Poverty Class, Working Class, Middle Class and Upper Class lots will be placed, and create all required lots accordingly:
Create the number of required low-income housing lots determined in the previous step.
Create some Working Class, Middle Class and Upper Class homes (optional… this can wait until they are needed)
Create or add at least one community lot in each class sector. In truly impoverished areas you won’t find Starbucks or high-end department stores. There might be playgrounds, but you won’t find swimming pools. Instead, you may find corner stores, fast food restaurants, bars, and thrift stores. Strive for realism—design or import appropriate lots for each social class. There must be a grocery store in the Poverty Class sector .
Poverty Class Housing Guidelines
1.Poverty Class housing must cost less than $10,000 unfurnished. Add furniture and appliances after purchase.
2.Poverty Class houses can have no more than two bedrooms.
3.Poverty Class houses can have no more than 1.5 bathrooms (only one bathroom can have a shower or tub).
4.Poverty Class houses cannot have basements or garages
5.Poverty Class houses cannot have special fixtures (including fireplaces, elevators, swimming pools, hot tubs).
6.Landscaping and flower beds on Poverty Class lots should be sparse or nonexistent
7.Poverty Class lots cannot contain fishing ponds
Working Class Housing Guidelines
1.Working Class housing costs < $40,000 and > $10,000
2.Working Class houses can have no more than three bedrooms
3.Working Class houses can have no more than two full bathrooms
4.Working Class houses can have basements
5.Working Class houses cannot have garages
6.Working Class houses cannot have special fixtures (including fireplaces, elevators, swimming pools, hot tubs).
Middle Class Housing Guidelines
1.Middle Class Housing costs < $80,000 and > $40,000
2.Middle Class houses can have up to five bedrooms
3.Middle Class houses can have up to four bathrooms
4.Middle Class houses can have basements
5.Middle Class houses can have one garage
6.Middle Class houses can have fireplaces, swimming pools or hot tubs
Upper Class Housing Guidelines
1.Upper Class Housing costs > $80,000
2.Upper Class houses can have an unlimited number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and garages.
3.Upper Class houses can include any available fixtures
Use a Maxis Neighborhood or a Downloaded Neighborhood
If you want to use a pre-existing neighborhood, you must complete the following steps to prepare the neighborhood for challenge play:
1.YOU MUST modify the structure of each family such that each household contains no more than two adults who are married or joined (no roomies or Elders).
a.YOU MUST move all Sims out of their existing households. Where a pre-existing household contains more than two adults, unmarried adults or elders, the extra adults and/or elders must be moved out of the household before you move the family to the Sim Bin by using the Find Own Place interaction
b.The extra adults and elders can remain in the Sim Bin queue and be added to Poverty Class housing when a lot becomes available before any new Poverty Class Sims are created using Create a Sim but this is optional—if you do not want to play the leftover Sims, you can delete them.
2.YOU MUST modify the family funds of each household such that they only have $20,000 to begin challenge play. All families start with $20,000 in family funds regardless of family size.
3.You must reconfigure the existing lots such that there is a designated area for each social class in the neighborhood. Identify areas on the neighborhood map where Poverty Class, Working Class, Middle Class and Upper Class lots will be placed, and move all existing lots accordingly:
a.Housing that costs < $10,000 should be placed in the Poverty Class sector
b.Housing that costs < $40,000 and > $10,000 should be placed in the Working Class sector
c.Housing that costs < $80,000 and > $40,000 should be placed in the Middle Class sector
d.Housing that costs > $80,000 should be placed in the Upper Class sector
e.Community Lots should be zoned appropriately
Challenge Play
Overview
Each household must be played for a set number of days before moving to the next household. This is referred to as a play turn.
Each household must be played in the same order. This is referred to as the play list.
The completion of the play list is referred to a play cycle.
Each household starts in the Poverty Class. The opportunities available to the household are determined by the motivation level and income track of each adult Sim in the household.
If the household meets the necessary objectives to advance to the next class during a given play turn, it MUST move to the next class level at the end of the play turn. At this time all household Sims will move from one house in their current class sector to a new house in their new class sector.
If any Poverty Class houses are vacant when you come to the end of the play list, they must be filled by either a single Sim waiting for housing in the Sim Bin or a new household that is rolled and created using Create a Sim. These new additions to the neighborhood will be played during the next play cycle.
Tombstones and Urns must be preserved in the game. They must be placed on a residential or community lot.
The challenge ends when the first fifth generation Sim dies or when all descendants of the founding families have perished
Family and Household Rules
YOU CAN have one adult join the household of a single Poverty Class or Working Class Sim but ONLY through marriage or joining
YOU CAN marry any available Sim of any class, or any available townie or NPC. There are no restrictions against marrying Mr. Big, the Diva, the Grand Vampire/Vampiress or other well-to-do townies. Marriage for the purpose of social climbing is an expected part of this challenge. While it takes more than an influx of cash to move from one class to the next, the cash won’t hurt.
YOU CAN’T move in roommates, townies or NPCs unless you are above Working Class. A Middle Class household can move in one roommate, townie or NPC. An Upper Class household can move in an unlimited number of roommates, townies or NPCs. If any of these moved in Sims leave the household, they must return to the Sim Bin and await Poverty Class housing.
YOU CAN use the Elixir of Life Aspiration Reward Object to prolong Adulthood, but only until the first grandchild is born. At that point, the natural progression of life takes over. Elders and Teens cannot use this Aspiration Reward Object.
YOU CAN send children to college but must adhere to the limits of your social class
YOU CAN have as many children as you want at each class level. Children can be added to a family through natural reproduction (WooHoo) or by adoption.
YOU CAN use cheesecake to spawn twins but must take a slight point reduction every time Cheesecake is used.
Income Tracks
YOU MUST roll for Income Track when a Sim transitions to adulthood.
Adult Sims are randomly assigned one of two available income tracks—Career or Entrepreneurship.
An Adult Sim with the Career Income Track can get a traditional job by browsing the want ads in the newspaper or browsing the online job boards. Career Income Track Sims cannot open a business.
An Adult Sim with the Entrepreneurship Income Track must earn money through a home-based or community based business. The Entrepreneurship Income Track Sim cannot get a traditional job but can be hired to work on a community lot that they do not own.
Advancement in either Income Track may be bolstered or hampered by the Sim’s motivation level. See that section for further details.
Motivation System
Success in life is often due to a combination of factors referred to as internal and external factors. External factors are determined by the class a Sim is born into, the educational and nurturing opportunities available to the Sim, the skill building objects at their disposal, and the amount of cash on hand that can be used to fulfill goals. Internal factors are determined by the Motivation System. The most intelligent and highly skilled Sims may have the wherewithal to succeed but may not be driven. At the same time, skill challenged Sims may be required to work harder to succeed but have intense desire to do so. While nearly all Sims have the ability to succeed if they put forth the effort, all Sims have differing drives and value systems. The Motivation System takes these factors into account.
Motivation Level must be rolled when a Sim transitions from child to Teen.
For many Sims, their motivation level will remain fixed throughout their lifetime.
Sims CAN surpass their current motivation level and graduate to the next motivation level. This is referred to as self-actualization. Self-actualization occurs when a Sim maximizes Lifetime Aspiration OR achieves their Lifetime Want.
Teens and Motivation
A teen with the Underachiever Motivation Level
CAN’T get a job
CAN’T get into Private School (There is an exception to this rule if the household already had their children admitted to Private School)
CAN’T actively achieve skill levels above Level 3 or Badge levels above Bronze by skilling or using the SimVac Aspiration Object (Cooking and Cleaning skill points can be earned after reaching level three but only by doing skill-related tasks).
CAN’T learn Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
A teen with the Average Motivation Level
CAN get a job but can’t advance beyond Level 2
CAN’T get into Private School (There is an exception to this rule if the household already had their children admitted to Private School)
CAN maximize up to 3 skills traditional skills (Cooking, Cleaning, Mechanical, Logic, Creativity, Charisma, Body) and earn Badge levels up to Silver
CAN learn up to two Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
A teen with the Overachiever Motivation Level
CAN get a job and advance to its highest level
CAN get into Private School
CAN maximize all skills and earn Badge levels up to Gold
CAN learn Free Time and Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
Adults and Motivation
Economically speaking, a married couple has several advantages over single parent or single adult households. The Motivation Rules for adults are designed to reflect this. Children with one underachieving and one average achieving parent are nearly equal to children with one overachieving parent in terms of the attention and nurturing they receive in their formative years. Class advancement becomes much easier for an underachieving Sim who is married to an average achiever or an overachiever.
An adult with the Underachiever Motivation Level
CAN get a job and advance to Level 4
CAN teach toddlers one skill (potty training, walking, talking)
CAN’T teach toddlers nursery rhymes
CAN’T use Aspiration Rewards
CAN actively learn traditional skills up to Level 3 (Cooking and Cleaning skill points can be earned after reaching level three but only by doing skill-related tasks).
CAN’T learn Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
CAN'T help children with homework
CAN earn badge points up to Bronze level
CAN open one business
CAN use the ReNuYuSenso Orb with a penalty
An adult with the Average Motivation Level
CAN get a job and advance to Level 7
CAN teach toddlers two skills (potty training, walking, talking)
CAN’T teach toddlers nursery rhymes
CAN help children with homework
CAN use one Aspiration Reward Object per play turn
CAN actively learn traditional skills up to Level 7
CAN learn up to two Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
Can earn badge points up to Silver level
CAN open up to two businesses
CAN use the ReNuYuSenso Orb with a penalty
An adult with the Overachiever Motivation Level
CAN get a job and advance to its highest level
CAN teach toddlers all skills
CAN teach toddlers Nursery Rhymes
CAN learn Free Time and Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
CAN help children with homework and get children into Private School
CAN use unlimited Aspiration Reward Objects per play turn
CAN maximize skills
Can earn badge points up to Gold level
CAN open an unlimited number of businesses
CAN use the ReNuYuSenso Orb without a penalty
Class Structure Rules
In addition to the lots and housing restrictions outlined above for each social class, the following rules apply.
Poverty Class Allowances & Restrictions
Poverty Class households MUST start with $20,000 simoleons regardless of household size.
Poverty Class households CAN’T have burglar alarms or smoke detectors
Poverty Class households CAN’T keep the housewarming gift from Mr. Humble. The box must be deleted immediately without being opened.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T own computers
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T use or delete the Genie Lamp. If it is given, it must be stored in inventory.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T use custom content designed to make life easier. This includes hacked objects AND furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T use any Aspiration Reward Objects
Poverty Class Sims MUST keep everything they buy until the end of the next play turn.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T sell more than one object during each play turn.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T sell or delete broken objects.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T hire any Service NPCs
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T have groceries delivered—they CAN order pizza or Chinese food
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T secure jobs for their pets
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T afford private school
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T afford a car. They must walk or carpool when they want to go somewhere.
Poverty Class Sims CAN only send children to college if they have earned at least $6,000 in scholarship funds.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T dig for treasure
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T ignore chance cards
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T go on vacation
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T sell novels or paintings
Poverty Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects
Poverty Class Sims CAN only visit community lots in the Poverty Class or Working Class sector
Career Income Track adults in the Poverty Class can only seek employment in the following fields:
Criminal
Law Enforcement
Military
Slacker
To advance from Poverty to Working Class, the household must meet each of the following criterion
The household must have a net worth of over $50,000
Entrepreneurship Income Track Adults must have at least one Level 5 Business OR Career Income Track Adults must have reached Career Level 5
Working Class Allowances & Restrictions
Working Class households CAN’T have burglar alarms or smoke detectors
Working Class households CAN’T keep the housewarming gift from Mr. Humble. The box must be deleted immediately without being opened.
Working Class Sims CAN own computers
Working Class Sims CAN’T use or delete the Genie Lamp. If it is given, it must be stored in inventory.
Working Class Sims CAN’T use custom content designed to make life easier. This includes hacked objects AND furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price.
Working Class Sims CAN use Aspiration Reward Objects as allowed by their Motivation Level
Working Class Sims MUST keep everything they buy until the end of the next play turn.
Working Class Sims CAN’T sell more than one object during each play turn.
Working Class Sims CAN’T sell or delete broken objects.
Working Class Sims CAN only hire the Repairman, the Exterminator, and the Delivery Service NPCs
Working Class Sims CAN’T secure jobs for their pets
Working Class Sims CAN’T afford private school
Working Class Sims CAN’T afford a new car but they can restore an old car if they have enough Mechanical Skill. Working Class houses can have a driveway but they cannot have a garage.
Working Class Sims CAN send one child to college without scholarships
Working Class Sims CAN send additional children to college if they have earned at least $6,000 in scholarships
Working Class Sims CAN’T dig for treasure
Working Class Sims CAN’T ignore chance cards
Working Class Sims CAN go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots
Working Class Sims CAN go on vacation
Working Class Sims CAN sell novels or paintings
Working Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects
Working Class Sims CAN only visit community lots in the Poverty Class, Working Class or Middle Class sector
Career Income Track adults in the Working Class can only seek employment in the following fields:
Criminal
Law Enforcement
Military
Slacker
Culinary
Medical
Politics
Science
To advance from Working to Middle Class, the household must meet each of the following criterion
The household must have a net worth of over $150,000
Entrepreneurship Income Track Adults must have two business at Level 5 OR one business at Level 10
Career Income Track Adults must have reached Career Level 10
Middle Class Allowances & Restrictions
Middle Class households CAN have burglar alarms or smoke detectors
Middle Class Sims CAN’T use or delete the Genie Lamp. If it is given, it must be stored in inventory.
Middle Class Sims CAN’T use custom content designed to make life easier. This includes hacked objects AND furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price.
Middle Class Sims CAN own computers
Middle Class Sims CAN use Aspiration Reward Objects as allowed by their Motivation Level
Middle Class Sims MUST keep everything they buy until the end of the next play turn.
Middle Class Sims CAN sell up to five objects during a play turn.
Middle Class Sims CAN hire any Service NPCs except for the Butler
Middle Class Sims CAN secure jobs for their pets
Middle Class Sims CAN afford Private School
Middle Class Sims CAN afford a car
Middle Class Sims CAN send two children to college without scholarships
Middle Class Sims CAN send additional children to college if they have earned at least $6,000 in scholarships
Middle Class Sims CAN dig for treasure
Middle Class Sims CAN’T ignore chance cards
Middle Class Sims CAN go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots
Middle Class Sims CAN go on vacation
Middle Class Sims CAN sell novels or paintings
Middle Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects
Middle Class Sims CAN visit community lots in any Class sector
Career Income Track adults in the Middle Class can only seek employment in the following fields:
Criminal
Law Enforcement
Military
Slacker
Culinary
Medical
Politics
Science
Athletic
Business
Dance
Gamer
Journalism
Law
Music
Natural Scientist
Oceanography
Paranormal
Overachieving Career Income Track adults in the Middle Class can also seek employment in the following fields:
Artist
Education
Entertainment
Intelligence
Show Business
To advance from Middle to Upper Class, the household must meet each of the following criterion
The household must have a net worth of over $250,000
Entrepreneurship Income Track Adults must have at least two Level 10 businesses (Entrepreneurship is critical for families attempting to achieve the highest class status. Career-minded Sims may live quite comfortably but an adult Sim in a Middle Class household must be a high-quality producer of goods in order to advance to the Upper Class).
Upper Class Allowances & Restrictions
Upper Class households CAN have burglar alarms or smoke detectors
Upper Class Sims CAN use or delete the Genie Lamp. They live charmed lives.
Upper Class Sims CAN’T use hacked objects
Upper Class Sims CAN buy custom content furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price. They have connections
Upper Class Sims CAN use Aspiration Reward Objects as allowed by their Motivation Level
Upper Class Sims CAN sell household objects at any time.
Upper Class Sims CAN hire any Service NPCs including the Butler
Upper Class Sims CAN secure jobs for their Pets
Upper Class Sims CAN send all of their children to college without scholarships
Upper Class Sims CAN dig for treasure
Upper Class Sims CAN ignore chance cards
Upper Class Sims CAN go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots
Upper Class Sims CAN go on vacation
Upper Class Sims CAN sell novels or paintings
Upper Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects
Upper Class Sims CAN visit community lots in any Class sector
Career Income Track adults in the Upper Class can seek employment in all available fields
Expansion Pack Rules
University
How valuable is a college education? In this challenge, it can make all the difference.
University Motivation System
If a teen is fortunate enough to go to college, he or she must roll a new Motivation Level. The following motivation rules apply to young adults:
A young adult with the Underachiever Motivation Level
CAN’T graduate from college and must drop out before the beginning of Senior year
CAN’T make the Dean’s List
CAN’T join a Greek House or Secret Society
CAN’T be Big Sim on Campus
A young adult with the Average Motivation Level
CAN graduate from college
CAN make the Dean’s List
CAN join a Greek House or a Secret Society (but not both)
CAN’T be Big Sim on Campus
A young adult with the Overachiever Motivation Level
MUST graduate from college
MUST graduate with a 4.0 GPA
CAN join a Greek House
CAN join a Secret Society
CAN be Big Sim on Campus
University Play
You can use a hack to speed up University Play
All Sims sent to college must be added to the play list
You can send neighborhood teens to college if they are best friends with a playable Sim that is also going to college. They must be added to the playlist and you must roll for their Motivation level
You can Create a Sim in University but you must add them to the play list.
Freshmen must live in a dorm
Upperclassmen can live in any residence they can afford
Each university residence must be played for two semesters during a play cycle. This means that students should graduate from college in two Sim weeks
After Graduation
One child from each household can return to the family home after graduation. All other graduating children from pre-existing households are governed by the following rules:
Class Status
College Graduates who did not come from the base neighborhood start in the Poverty Class with family funds of $20,000. They can either wait for a Poverty Class house or move in with a classmate if they were Best Friends in college.
A Poverty Class Sim returns to Poverty Class and starts life with family funds of $20,000. Poverty Class graduates must live in a Poverty Class house when it becomes available but can move in with a classmate if they were Best Friends in college.
A Working Class Sim returns to Working Class and starts life with $25,000. Working Class graduates must secure housing in an Apartment and can have up to two roommates if they were Best Friends in college.
A Middle Class Sim returns to the Middle Class and starts life with $30,000. Middle Class graduates must secure housing in an Apartment and an have up to two roommates (from college or the neighborhood). Requires Apartment Life.
Upper Class Sims have $80,000 trust funds that allow them to start their lives in the Middle Class. They can secure housing in an apartment or a single family home and can have up to three roommates (from college or the neighborhood).
Motivation Bonuses and Penalties
Underachieving Dropouts become Poverty Class Sims regardless of their initial class level. They can’t move back in with their furious and disappointed parents.
Poverty Class and Working Class Sims of Average or Overachieving Motivation can advance to the next class upon graduation if they meet one of the following criteria
Graduate with 4.0 GPA, Join a Greek House, and become Big Sim on Campus
Graduate with 4.0 GPA, Join a Secret Society, and become Big Sim on Campus
Graduating Sims can add an additional $5000 to their family funds upon graduation if they Join a Greek House AND a Secret Society
Open for Business
Entrepreneurs can only start businesses in their own class sector or a lower class sector
Sims can open any combination of businesses including venues, restaurants, retail or service enterprises.
In order to advance to Upper Class, only ONE of the owned top-level businesses can be a Venue
Sims cannot meditate in Community venues to amass wealth or earn aspiration points. There are penalties for doing so.
Seasons
Seasons must be set for each neighborhood during creation and CAN’T be changed after initial setup.
The Weathernaught 57X Reward Object can only be used by Middle and Upper Class Sims
The Toss ‘n Wish Drinking Well by Gaelic Gardens can only be used by Middle and Upper Class Sims
Scoring
+1
…for every playable Sim in the game at the end of the Challenge (does not include Servos)
+1
…for every $100,000 net worth in the neighborhood
+3
…for every top level Business
+1
…for each Platinum Grave
+1
…for every top-level Career
+15
…claim once after at least one neighborhood Sim has reached the top level of every Career
+1
…for every natural Twin Birth
+1
…for every Alien birth
+3
…for acquiring all Vacation mementoes
+5
…for the first of each type of supernatural being born or created during the course of the challenge
+20
…for every Upper Class household at the end of the challenge
+10
…for every Middle Class household at the end of the challenge
+5
…for every Working Class household at the end of the challenge
-50
…for every use of the Open Venue Loophole
-5
…for doing anything beyond Motivation or Class limits (each instance)**
-1
…for using the ReNuYuSensoOrb below Middle Class
-1
…for using the Weathernaught object below Middle Class
-1
…for using the Wishing Well below Middle Class
-1
…for ignoring Chance Cards below Middle Class
-1
…for every Shrink Visit
-1
…for every visit from the Social Bunny
-5
…for every Sim that is intentionally killed
-1
...for each child removed by the Social Worker
** For example… if you have an Adult Sim with an Average Motivation Level who maximizes a skill, they must take this penalty 3 times for each time they earned a skill point beyond the allowed level (7).
Final Notes
I created the Class Matters Challenge because I wanted to combine concepts and ideas introduced in three of my favorite challenges with a few added twists of my own. Personally, I’m not big on scoring so I wanted to keep the tabulation relatively simple. The class and motivation-based rules may make this challenge cumbersome for some but I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know what you think.
Please send questions, feedback or suggestions to SimsDivaD (SimsDivaD@gmail.com). You can also find me using the same handle on many Sims-related forums including theSims2.com, the TS2 Challenges Yahoo! Group, the Prosperity Challenge Yahoo! Group, The Sims Resource, and ModTheSims2.
About this Challenge
The goal is to create a dynamic neighborhood that is socially and economically diverse. Your Sims will struggle or thrive in a diverse city environment where the opportunities available to each Sim are largely based on external factors including social class and access to higher education. While external factors may limit or expand opportunities, this challenge also takes into account powerful and random internal factors which might inspire an individual who faces severe economic challenges to strive for success while another of average station may be satisfied with remaining status quo.
Game play is structured around four classes—Poverty Class, Working Class, Middle Class, and Upper Class. Many challenge play options will be determined by the roll of a dice, including the number of Founding families and the gender, aspiration, personality, motivation level and income track for each Sim.
This challenge was designed for players who have the University and Open for Business Expansion Packs.
Credits & Disclaimers
This challenge is designed to combine several existing challenges with a few added twists. Before going into the rules, I’d like to credit the following challenge creators whose ideas have inspired this challenge:
1.Many of the initial setup options are borrowed (or shamelessly stolen) from The Prosperity Challenge by Sheri & Robin
2.The adherence to a class system and some class-related rule based play is borrowed from The Boomtown Challenge by Reni
3.Some of the constraints placed on Poverty Class Sims were inspired by or borrowed from restrictions included in The Nickel & Dimed Challenge by Yamx
Initial Setup
Create the First Generation
There can only be a fixed number of Poverty Class households for the duration of the challenge. First you will roll to determine the number of available low income housing lots. During the challenge, households may advance to higher classes based on game rules, but in the beginning all Sims are in the Poverty Class.
Roll a six-sided die to determine the number of Poverty Class houses in the neighborhood
For each household, roll to determine the marital status of the head of household
For each household, roll to determine the presence or absence of children
For each household with children, roll to determine the number of children
For each child per household, roll to determine the child’s age
If you have the Pets expansion pack, feel free to add pets to any household.
The chart below provides details on how to determine each of these requirements:
Number of Poverty Class Houses
Household Marital Status
Presence of
Children in
Household
Number of Children in Household
Age of Children in Household
Number of Pets in Household
1 or 2 = 4
3 or 4 = 5
5 or 6 = 6
Married/Joined
Odd (1,3,5)
Single
Even (2,4,6)
No Children
Odd (1,3,5)
Has Children
Even (2,4,6)
1 or 2 = 1
3 or 4 = 2
5 or 6 = 3
1 or 2 = Toddler
3 or 4 = Child
5 or 6 = Teen
Player’s Choice.
Once the necessary details about the founding families have been determined, it is time to determine characteristics of individual household members. The age and number of household members was determined in the previous step. Don’t put the dice away yet! Prosperity Challenge Rules are used to determine gender, aspiration and personality. To roll for Personality, you can use either a six-sided or twelve-sided die. If you use a six-sided die, roll first to determine the set, then roll a second time to determine the personality as outlined in the chart below. This challenge adds two new factors called Motivation Level and Income Track which will be explained later in greater detail.
Gender
Aspiration
Personality
Motivation Level
Income
Track
Odd (1,3,5) = Set 1
Even (2,4,6) = Set 2
Male
1 = Fortune
1 = Aries
7 or 1 = Libra
Underachiever
Career
Odd (1,3,5)
2 = Knowledge
2 = Taurus
8 or 2 = Scorpio
(1, 2)
Odd (1,3,5)
3 = Romance
3 = Gemini
9 or 3 = Sagittarius
Average
Female
4 = Family
4 = Cancer
10 or 4 = Capricorn
(3, 4)
Entrepreneur
Even (2,4,6)
5 = Popularity
5 = Leo
11 or 5 = Aquarius
Overachiever
Even (2,4,6)
6 = Pleasure**
6 = Virgo
12 or 6 = Pisces
(5, 6)
** If you don't have Nightlife installed, 6 is roll again during set up.
If you happen to roll the Underachiever motivation level for all adults in each household, you can roll for motivation levels again. Once all of the above constraints have been identified, create each founding family using Create a Family.
While it is not a requirement, you are encouraged to create families that are ethnically diverse.
Create or Prepare a Neighborhood for Play
Start from Scratch
Create a new, empty neighborhood. Identify areas on the neighborhood map where Poverty Class, Working Class, Middle Class and Upper Class lots will be placed, and create all required lots accordingly:
Create the number of required low-income housing lots determined in the previous step.
Create some Working Class, Middle Class and Upper Class homes (optional… this can wait until they are needed)
Create or add at least one community lot in each class sector. In truly impoverished areas you won’t find Starbucks or high-end department stores. There might be playgrounds, but you won’t find swimming pools. Instead, you may find corner stores, fast food restaurants, bars, and thrift stores. Strive for realism—design or import appropriate lots for each social class. There must be a grocery store in the Poverty Class sector .
Poverty Class Housing Guidelines
1.Poverty Class housing must cost less than $10,000 unfurnished. Add furniture and appliances after purchase.
2.Poverty Class houses can have no more than two bedrooms.
3.Poverty Class houses can have no more than 1.5 bathrooms (only one bathroom can have a shower or tub).
4.Poverty Class houses cannot have basements or garages
5.Poverty Class houses cannot have special fixtures (including fireplaces, elevators, swimming pools, hot tubs).
6.Landscaping and flower beds on Poverty Class lots should be sparse or nonexistent
7.Poverty Class lots cannot contain fishing ponds
Working Class Housing Guidelines
1.Working Class housing costs < $40,000 and > $10,000
2.Working Class houses can have no more than three bedrooms
3.Working Class houses can have no more than two full bathrooms
4.Working Class houses can have basements
5.Working Class houses cannot have garages
6.Working Class houses cannot have special fixtures (including fireplaces, elevators, swimming pools, hot tubs).
Middle Class Housing Guidelines
1.Middle Class Housing costs < $80,000 and > $40,000
2.Middle Class houses can have up to five bedrooms
3.Middle Class houses can have up to four bathrooms
4.Middle Class houses can have basements
5.Middle Class houses can have one garage
6.Middle Class houses can have fireplaces, swimming pools or hot tubs
Upper Class Housing Guidelines
1.Upper Class Housing costs > $80,000
2.Upper Class houses can have an unlimited number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and garages.
3.Upper Class houses can include any available fixtures
Use a Maxis Neighborhood or a Downloaded Neighborhood
If you want to use a pre-existing neighborhood, you must complete the following steps to prepare the neighborhood for challenge play:
1.YOU MUST modify the structure of each family such that each household contains no more than two adults who are married or joined (no roomies or Elders).
a.YOU MUST move all Sims out of their existing households. Where a pre-existing household contains more than two adults, unmarried adults or elders, the extra adults and/or elders must be moved out of the household before you move the family to the Sim Bin by using the Find Own Place interaction
b.The extra adults and elders can remain in the Sim Bin queue and be added to Poverty Class housing when a lot becomes available before any new Poverty Class Sims are created using Create a Sim but this is optional—if you do not want to play the leftover Sims, you can delete them.
2.YOU MUST modify the family funds of each household such that they only have $20,000 to begin challenge play. All families start with $20,000 in family funds regardless of family size.
3.You must reconfigure the existing lots such that there is a designated area for each social class in the neighborhood. Identify areas on the neighborhood map where Poverty Class, Working Class, Middle Class and Upper Class lots will be placed, and move all existing lots accordingly:
a.Housing that costs < $10,000 should be placed in the Poverty Class sector
b.Housing that costs < $40,000 and > $10,000 should be placed in the Working Class sector
c.Housing that costs < $80,000 and > $40,000 should be placed in the Middle Class sector
d.Housing that costs > $80,000 should be placed in the Upper Class sector
e.Community Lots should be zoned appropriately
Challenge Play
Overview
Each household must be played for a set number of days before moving to the next household. This is referred to as a play turn.
Each household must be played in the same order. This is referred to as the play list.
The completion of the play list is referred to a play cycle.
Each household starts in the Poverty Class. The opportunities available to the household are determined by the motivation level and income track of each adult Sim in the household.
If the household meets the necessary objectives to advance to the next class during a given play turn, it MUST move to the next class level at the end of the play turn. At this time all household Sims will move from one house in their current class sector to a new house in their new class sector.
If any Poverty Class houses are vacant when you come to the end of the play list, they must be filled by either a single Sim waiting for housing in the Sim Bin or a new household that is rolled and created using Create a Sim. These new additions to the neighborhood will be played during the next play cycle.
Tombstones and Urns must be preserved in the game. They must be placed on a residential or community lot.
The challenge ends when the first fifth generation Sim dies or when all descendants of the founding families have perished
Family and Household Rules
YOU CAN have one adult join the household of a single Poverty Class or Working Class Sim but ONLY through marriage or joining
YOU CAN marry any available Sim of any class, or any available townie or NPC. There are no restrictions against marrying Mr. Big, the Diva, the Grand Vampire/Vampiress or other well-to-do townies. Marriage for the purpose of social climbing is an expected part of this challenge. While it takes more than an influx of cash to move from one class to the next, the cash won’t hurt.
YOU CAN’T move in roommates, townies or NPCs unless you are above Working Class. A Middle Class household can move in one roommate, townie or NPC. An Upper Class household can move in an unlimited number of roommates, townies or NPCs. If any of these moved in Sims leave the household, they must return to the Sim Bin and await Poverty Class housing.
YOU CAN use the Elixir of Life Aspiration Reward Object to prolong Adulthood, but only until the first grandchild is born. At that point, the natural progression of life takes over. Elders and Teens cannot use this Aspiration Reward Object.
YOU CAN send children to college but must adhere to the limits of your social class
YOU CAN have as many children as you want at each class level. Children can be added to a family through natural reproduction (WooHoo) or by adoption.
YOU CAN use cheesecake to spawn twins but must take a slight point reduction every time Cheesecake is used.
Income Tracks
YOU MUST roll for Income Track when a Sim transitions to adulthood.
Adult Sims are randomly assigned one of two available income tracks—Career or Entrepreneurship.
An Adult Sim with the Career Income Track can get a traditional job by browsing the want ads in the newspaper or browsing the online job boards. Career Income Track Sims cannot open a business.
An Adult Sim with the Entrepreneurship Income Track must earn money through a home-based or community based business. The Entrepreneurship Income Track Sim cannot get a traditional job but can be hired to work on a community lot that they do not own.
Advancement in either Income Track may be bolstered or hampered by the Sim’s motivation level. See that section for further details.
Motivation System
Success in life is often due to a combination of factors referred to as internal and external factors. External factors are determined by the class a Sim is born into, the educational and nurturing opportunities available to the Sim, the skill building objects at their disposal, and the amount of cash on hand that can be used to fulfill goals. Internal factors are determined by the Motivation System. The most intelligent and highly skilled Sims may have the wherewithal to succeed but may not be driven. At the same time, skill challenged Sims may be required to work harder to succeed but have intense desire to do so. While nearly all Sims have the ability to succeed if they put forth the effort, all Sims have differing drives and value systems. The Motivation System takes these factors into account.
Motivation Level must be rolled when a Sim transitions from child to Teen.
For many Sims, their motivation level will remain fixed throughout their lifetime.
Sims CAN surpass their current motivation level and graduate to the next motivation level. This is referred to as self-actualization. Self-actualization occurs when a Sim maximizes Lifetime Aspiration OR achieves their Lifetime Want.
Teens and Motivation
A teen with the Underachiever Motivation Level
CAN’T get a job
CAN’T get into Private School (There is an exception to this rule if the household already had their children admitted to Private School)
CAN’T actively achieve skill levels above Level 3 or Badge levels above Bronze by skilling or using the SimVac Aspiration Object (Cooking and Cleaning skill points can be earned after reaching level three but only by doing skill-related tasks).
CAN’T learn Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
A teen with the Average Motivation Level
CAN get a job but can’t advance beyond Level 2
CAN’T get into Private School (There is an exception to this rule if the household already had their children admitted to Private School)
CAN maximize up to 3 skills traditional skills (Cooking, Cleaning, Mechanical, Logic, Creativity, Charisma, Body) and earn Badge levels up to Silver
CAN learn up to two Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
A teen with the Overachiever Motivation Level
CAN get a job and advance to its highest level
CAN get into Private School
CAN maximize all skills and earn Badge levels up to Gold
CAN learn Free Time and Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
Adults and Motivation
Economically speaking, a married couple has several advantages over single parent or single adult households. The Motivation Rules for adults are designed to reflect this. Children with one underachieving and one average achieving parent are nearly equal to children with one overachieving parent in terms of the attention and nurturing they receive in their formative years. Class advancement becomes much easier for an underachieving Sim who is married to an average achiever or an overachiever.
An adult with the Underachiever Motivation Level
CAN get a job and advance to Level 4
CAN teach toddlers one skill (potty training, walking, talking)
CAN’T teach toddlers nursery rhymes
CAN’T use Aspiration Rewards
CAN actively learn traditional skills up to Level 3 (Cooking and Cleaning skill points can be earned after reaching level three but only by doing skill-related tasks).
CAN’T learn Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
CAN'T help children with homework
CAN earn badge points up to Bronze level
CAN open one business
CAN use the ReNuYuSenso Orb with a penalty
An adult with the Average Motivation Level
CAN get a job and advance to Level 7
CAN teach toddlers two skills (potty training, walking, talking)
CAN’T teach toddlers nursery rhymes
CAN help children with homework
CAN use one Aspiration Reward Object per play turn
CAN actively learn traditional skills up to Level 7
CAN learn up to two Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
Can earn badge points up to Silver level
CAN open up to two businesses
CAN use the ReNuYuSenso Orb with a penalty
An adult with the Overachiever Motivation Level
CAN get a job and advance to its highest level
CAN teach toddlers all skills
CAN teach toddlers Nursery Rhymes
CAN learn Free Time and Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)
CAN help children with homework and get children into Private School
CAN use unlimited Aspiration Reward Objects per play turn
CAN maximize skills
Can earn badge points up to Gold level
CAN open an unlimited number of businesses
CAN use the ReNuYuSenso Orb without a penalty
Class Structure Rules
In addition to the lots and housing restrictions outlined above for each social class, the following rules apply.
Poverty Class Allowances & Restrictions
Poverty Class households MUST start with $20,000 simoleons regardless of household size.
Poverty Class households CAN’T have burglar alarms or smoke detectors
Poverty Class households CAN’T keep the housewarming gift from Mr. Humble. The box must be deleted immediately without being opened.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T own computers
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T use or delete the Genie Lamp. If it is given, it must be stored in inventory.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T use custom content designed to make life easier. This includes hacked objects AND furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T use any Aspiration Reward Objects
Poverty Class Sims MUST keep everything they buy until the end of the next play turn.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T sell more than one object during each play turn.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T sell or delete broken objects.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T hire any Service NPCs
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T have groceries delivered—they CAN order pizza or Chinese food
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T secure jobs for their pets
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T afford private school
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T afford a car. They must walk or carpool when they want to go somewhere.
Poverty Class Sims CAN only send children to college if they have earned at least $6,000 in scholarship funds.
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T dig for treasure
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T ignore chance cards
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T go on vacation
Poverty Class Sims CAN’T sell novels or paintings
Poverty Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects
Poverty Class Sims CAN only visit community lots in the Poverty Class or Working Class sector
Career Income Track adults in the Poverty Class can only seek employment in the following fields:
Criminal
Law Enforcement
Military
Slacker
To advance from Poverty to Working Class, the household must meet each of the following criterion
The household must have a net worth of over $50,000
Entrepreneurship Income Track Adults must have at least one Level 5 Business OR Career Income Track Adults must have reached Career Level 5
Working Class Allowances & Restrictions
Working Class households CAN’T have burglar alarms or smoke detectors
Working Class households CAN’T keep the housewarming gift from Mr. Humble. The box must be deleted immediately without being opened.
Working Class Sims CAN own computers
Working Class Sims CAN’T use or delete the Genie Lamp. If it is given, it must be stored in inventory.
Working Class Sims CAN’T use custom content designed to make life easier. This includes hacked objects AND furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price.
Working Class Sims CAN use Aspiration Reward Objects as allowed by their Motivation Level
Working Class Sims MUST keep everything they buy until the end of the next play turn.
Working Class Sims CAN’T sell more than one object during each play turn.
Working Class Sims CAN’T sell or delete broken objects.
Working Class Sims CAN only hire the Repairman, the Exterminator, and the Delivery Service NPCs
Working Class Sims CAN’T secure jobs for their pets
Working Class Sims CAN’T afford private school
Working Class Sims CAN’T afford a new car but they can restore an old car if they have enough Mechanical Skill. Working Class houses can have a driveway but they cannot have a garage.
Working Class Sims CAN send one child to college without scholarships
Working Class Sims CAN send additional children to college if they have earned at least $6,000 in scholarships
Working Class Sims CAN’T dig for treasure
Working Class Sims CAN’T ignore chance cards
Working Class Sims CAN go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots
Working Class Sims CAN go on vacation
Working Class Sims CAN sell novels or paintings
Working Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects
Working Class Sims CAN only visit community lots in the Poverty Class, Working Class or Middle Class sector
Career Income Track adults in the Working Class can only seek employment in the following fields:
Criminal
Law Enforcement
Military
Slacker
Culinary
Medical
Politics
Science
To advance from Working to Middle Class, the household must meet each of the following criterion
The household must have a net worth of over $150,000
Entrepreneurship Income Track Adults must have two business at Level 5 OR one business at Level 10
Career Income Track Adults must have reached Career Level 10
Middle Class Allowances & Restrictions
Middle Class households CAN have burglar alarms or smoke detectors
Middle Class Sims CAN’T use or delete the Genie Lamp. If it is given, it must be stored in inventory.
Middle Class Sims CAN’T use custom content designed to make life easier. This includes hacked objects AND furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price.
Middle Class Sims CAN own computers
Middle Class Sims CAN use Aspiration Reward Objects as allowed by their Motivation Level
Middle Class Sims MUST keep everything they buy until the end of the next play turn.
Middle Class Sims CAN sell up to five objects during a play turn.
Middle Class Sims CAN hire any Service NPCs except for the Butler
Middle Class Sims CAN secure jobs for their pets
Middle Class Sims CAN afford Private School
Middle Class Sims CAN afford a car
Middle Class Sims CAN send two children to college without scholarships
Middle Class Sims CAN send additional children to college if they have earned at least $6,000 in scholarships
Middle Class Sims CAN dig for treasure
Middle Class Sims CAN’T ignore chance cards
Middle Class Sims CAN go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots
Middle Class Sims CAN go on vacation
Middle Class Sims CAN sell novels or paintings
Middle Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects
Middle Class Sims CAN visit community lots in any Class sector
Career Income Track adults in the Middle Class can only seek employment in the following fields:
Criminal
Law Enforcement
Military
Slacker
Culinary
Medical
Politics
Science
Athletic
Business
Dance
Gamer
Journalism
Law
Music
Natural Scientist
Oceanography
Paranormal
Overachieving Career Income Track adults in the Middle Class can also seek employment in the following fields:
Artist
Education
Entertainment
Intelligence
Show Business
To advance from Middle to Upper Class, the household must meet each of the following criterion
The household must have a net worth of over $250,000
Entrepreneurship Income Track Adults must have at least two Level 10 businesses (Entrepreneurship is critical for families attempting to achieve the highest class status. Career-minded Sims may live quite comfortably but an adult Sim in a Middle Class household must be a high-quality producer of goods in order to advance to the Upper Class).
Upper Class Allowances & Restrictions
Upper Class households CAN have burglar alarms or smoke detectors
Upper Class Sims CAN use or delete the Genie Lamp. They live charmed lives.
Upper Class Sims CAN’T use hacked objects
Upper Class Sims CAN buy custom content furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price. They have connections
Upper Class Sims CAN use Aspiration Reward Objects as allowed by their Motivation Level
Upper Class Sims CAN sell household objects at any time.
Upper Class Sims CAN hire any Service NPCs including the Butler
Upper Class Sims CAN secure jobs for their Pets
Upper Class Sims CAN send all of their children to college without scholarships
Upper Class Sims CAN dig for treasure
Upper Class Sims CAN ignore chance cards
Upper Class Sims CAN go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots
Upper Class Sims CAN go on vacation
Upper Class Sims CAN sell novels or paintings
Upper Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects
Upper Class Sims CAN visit community lots in any Class sector
Career Income Track adults in the Upper Class can seek employment in all available fields
Expansion Pack Rules
University
How valuable is a college education? In this challenge, it can make all the difference.
University Motivation System
If a teen is fortunate enough to go to college, he or she must roll a new Motivation Level. The following motivation rules apply to young adults:
A young adult with the Underachiever Motivation Level
CAN’T graduate from college and must drop out before the beginning of Senior year
CAN’T make the Dean’s List
CAN’T join a Greek House or Secret Society
CAN’T be Big Sim on Campus
A young adult with the Average Motivation Level
CAN graduate from college
CAN make the Dean’s List
CAN join a Greek House or a Secret Society (but not both)
CAN’T be Big Sim on Campus
A young adult with the Overachiever Motivation Level
MUST graduate from college
MUST graduate with a 4.0 GPA
CAN join a Greek House
CAN join a Secret Society
CAN be Big Sim on Campus
University Play
You can use a hack to speed up University Play
All Sims sent to college must be added to the play list
You can send neighborhood teens to college if they are best friends with a playable Sim that is also going to college. They must be added to the playlist and you must roll for their Motivation level
You can Create a Sim in University but you must add them to the play list.
Freshmen must live in a dorm
Upperclassmen can live in any residence they can afford
Each university residence must be played for two semesters during a play cycle. This means that students should graduate from college in two Sim weeks
After Graduation
One child from each household can return to the family home after graduation. All other graduating children from pre-existing households are governed by the following rules:
Class Status
College Graduates who did not come from the base neighborhood start in the Poverty Class with family funds of $20,000. They can either wait for a Poverty Class house or move in with a classmate if they were Best Friends in college.
A Poverty Class Sim returns to Poverty Class and starts life with family funds of $20,000. Poverty Class graduates must live in a Poverty Class house when it becomes available but can move in with a classmate if they were Best Friends in college.
A Working Class Sim returns to Working Class and starts life with $25,000. Working Class graduates must secure housing in an Apartment and can have up to two roommates if they were Best Friends in college.
A Middle Class Sim returns to the Middle Class and starts life with $30,000. Middle Class graduates must secure housing in an Apartment and an have up to two roommates (from college or the neighborhood). Requires Apartment Life.
Upper Class Sims have $80,000 trust funds that allow them to start their lives in the Middle Class. They can secure housing in an apartment or a single family home and can have up to three roommates (from college or the neighborhood).
Motivation Bonuses and Penalties
Underachieving Dropouts become Poverty Class Sims regardless of their initial class level. They can’t move back in with their furious and disappointed parents.
Poverty Class and Working Class Sims of Average or Overachieving Motivation can advance to the next class upon graduation if they meet one of the following criteria
Graduate with 4.0 GPA, Join a Greek House, and become Big Sim on Campus
Graduate with 4.0 GPA, Join a Secret Society, and become Big Sim on Campus
Graduating Sims can add an additional $5000 to their family funds upon graduation if they Join a Greek House AND a Secret Society
Open for Business
Entrepreneurs can only start businesses in their own class sector or a lower class sector
Sims can open any combination of businesses including venues, restaurants, retail or service enterprises.
In order to advance to Upper Class, only ONE of the owned top-level businesses can be a Venue
Sims cannot meditate in Community venues to amass wealth or earn aspiration points. There are penalties for doing so.
Seasons
Seasons must be set for each neighborhood during creation and CAN’T be changed after initial setup.
The Weathernaught 57X Reward Object can only be used by Middle and Upper Class Sims
The Toss ‘n Wish Drinking Well by Gaelic Gardens can only be used by Middle and Upper Class Sims
Scoring
+1
…for every playable Sim in the game at the end of the Challenge (does not include Servos)
+1
…for every $100,000 net worth in the neighborhood
+3
…for every top level Business
+1
…for each Platinum Grave
+1
…for every top-level Career
+15
…claim once after at least one neighborhood Sim has reached the top level of every Career
+1
…for every natural Twin Birth
+1
…for every Alien birth
+3
…for acquiring all Vacation mementoes
+5
…for the first of each type of supernatural being born or created during the course of the challenge
+20
…for every Upper Class household at the end of the challenge
+10
…for every Middle Class household at the end of the challenge
+5
…for every Working Class household at the end of the challenge
-50
…for every use of the Open Venue Loophole
-5
…for doing anything beyond Motivation or Class limits (each instance)**
-1
…for using the ReNuYuSensoOrb below Middle Class
-1
…for using the Weathernaught object below Middle Class
-1
…for using the Wishing Well below Middle Class
-1
…for ignoring Chance Cards below Middle Class
-1
…for every Shrink Visit
-1
…for every visit from the Social Bunny
-5
…for every Sim that is intentionally killed
-1
...for each child removed by the Social Worker
** For example… if you have an Adult Sim with an Average Motivation Level who maximizes a skill, they must take this penalty 3 times for each time they earned a skill point beyond the allowed level (7).
Final Notes
I created the Class Matters Challenge because I wanted to combine concepts and ideas introduced in three of my favorite challenges with a few added twists of my own. Personally, I’m not big on scoring so I wanted to keep the tabulation relatively simple. The class and motivation-based rules may make this challenge cumbersome for some but I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know what you think.
Please send questions, feedback or suggestions to SimsDivaD (SimsDivaD@gmail.com). You can also find me using the same handle on many Sims-related forums including theSims2.com, the TS2 Challenges Yahoo! Group, the Prosperity Challenge Yahoo! Group, The Sims Resource, and ModTheSims2.