
Here are the Pleasant Sims gameplay rules for The Sims 2. I update this page as the rules evolve, so check back for updates. I use this rule set in my Let’s Play videos – including Pleasantview.
In general, I use a wants-based play style. This means I only force Sims to do things they want to do. I allow them to choose their own paths in life and make their own decisions.
In my game, Sims will only pursue relationships, work on skills, do homework, go on dates, get married, have children, etc. if they roll a want to do so. I don’t force them to improve skills, do assignments for school or work, start romantic relationships, or anything else. That’s all up to them! I then put a creative spin on the choices they make to tell their life stories.
Last Update: 01/14/2022 – Updated Aspirations section for my new system.
Click a link below to jump directly to that section, or just scroll through the page at your leisure.
Adoption
Sims who try for baby three times and are unsuccessful are considered infertile and eligible to adopt. Same-sex couples who want a child are also eligible to adopt. Sims may only adopt if there are eligible children in the neighborhood that have been put up for adoption or if they know a homeless townie child.
I don’t allow the adoption of randomly created Sims through the in-game adoption system.
Eligible Sims may adopt (in order of priority):
- Unwanted babies
- Children taken by the social worker
- Homeless townie children
Unwanted Babies
When an unmarried female Romance Sim gets pregnant, I roll a number between 1-100. If the number is under 50, the baby is unwanted and are put up for adoption upon birth. If the number is 51 or over, she will keep the baby and raise it herself. Married romance Sims always keep their babies and attempt to raise them.
I use Sim Blender to put the baby “up for adoption.” Any family who is eligible to adopt in the future can use the phone to adopt and the baby will be first in line in the adoption pool.
NOTE: I imagine that the orphanage is located in Sim City and the children are being cared for there until an adoptive family is found.
Children Taken by Social Worker
If a child is taken from the birth family by the social worker for any reason, he or she will be added to the adoption pool. Families eligible to adopt may then adopt the child via the phone. Babies are given first priority, followed by children.
Townie Adoption
If there are no babies or children currently in the adoption pool, Sim may adopt a homeless townie child. At least one family member must know the child. The child with the highest relationship with any current family member will be favored. If no one in the family knows a homeless child, I teleport all the available children over to the adopting family’s home and allow them to interact. Then, I see which child the family likes the most.
I use the Teen & Gender Preference Adoption Mod (townie pool version) to make townie children and teens available for adoption.
Aging
In my game, each Sim Day represents one year. I used the Aging Group Tweak hack from Simlogical to set aging as follows:
- Baby – 2 Days (Ages 0-1)
- Toddler – 3 Days (Ages 2-4)
- Child – 7 Days (Ages 5-11)
- Teen – 6 Days (Ages 12-17)
- Young Adults – 4 Days (Ages 18-21)*
- Adults (College Graduates) – 38 Days (Ages 22-59)
- Adults (Did Not Attend College) – 42 Days (Ages 18-59)
- Elders – Varies
*At age 18, my Sims either attend college or begin working. If they go to college, their time spent there represents ages 18-21. I use Cyjon’s Semester Changes mod, which shortens University to 8 days instead of 24. Every two days in college represents one real life year.
After Sims leave college, I edit their ages in Sim PE so they have the correct number of days remaining in their adult lifespan. A Sim that attends four years of college should have 38 days remaining, while a Sim that only attends 2 years should have 40 days remaining, etc.
NOTE: I’ve posted a tutorial video for using the aging hack to create your own custom ages and lifespans if you want to use a similar system for your game.
Townie Aging
I keep my neighborhood aging by also aging up townies. I do not allow Random townies in my ‘hoods, but I do play with Maxis townies in the premade ‘hoods. Each time one of my Sims ages up, a single townie may age up with them.
When one of my elder Sims dies of old age, an elder townie will also die of old age. I use Rodney’s Death Creator – an object you can find in-game with cheats – to accomplish this. I start with the oldest townie and then work my way down the list. I only kill ELDERS this way. If there are no elder townies when an elder playable Sim dies, I don’t kill any of them off.
Aspirations
I choose aspirations based on my Sim’s zodiac sign. Previously, I used the default game behavior for choosing Sims 2 aspirations, but I have since changed to a customized system. You can read more about my new method in this post. (The original method is also preserved there if you’re looking for that.)
Here is the chart that shows the aspiration I assign based on the Sim’s zodiac sign:
Zodiac Sign | Aspiration |
Aquarius | Family |
Aries | Romance |
Cancer | Family |
Capricorn | Pleasure |
Gemini | Popularity |
Leo | Popularity |
Libra | Romance |
Pisces | Knowledge |
Sagittarius | Fortune |
Scorpio | Fortune |
Taurus | Pleasure |
Virgo | Knowledge |
Secondary Aspirations
Once Sims have used at least three points in their primary aspiration tree, I choose their secondary aspiration. I’m currently using a method created by an awesome subscriber named Shirley. She has given me permission to share it here.
This method uses the Sim’s personal interests to determine their secondary aspiration, which I think is much more realistic than the random method I was using previously.
Here’s how it works.
There are 6 aspirations and 18 total interests. Each interest is assigned to an aspiration as seen in the chart below. Add up the total points for your Sim’s interests. The aspiration with the highest number becomes their secondary.
Here’s an example using Jennifer Burb who has a secondary Pleasure aspiration:

You can add these up manually or use a spreadsheet to do the calculations for you. Shirley created this spreadsheet that allows you to simply enter the interest points in each category. The totals are tallied automatically for each aspiration. Just choose the highest number.
NOTE: If two aspirations are tied for the highest number of points, I roll a number between 1 – 100. If the number is 50 or below, I choose the first aspiration in the list. If the number is 51 or above, I choose the second aspiration.
Click here to download the spreadsheet and try it for yourself. If you don’t have Excel, you can grab it from Google Sheets. By user request, I’ve also created a version that includes the Grilled Cheese aspiration.
Careers
Sims must wait until there is a job opening in the newspaper or computer before taking the job. No hacked items or cheats to give them instant access to a career. The only exception is if there’s an unemployment office community lot in the neighborhood that contains the job-seeking notice board on the lot. Then Sims may visit the lot to find a job or apply for welfare.
Choosing a Career
I never force my Sims into a career. They only get a job if they roll the want to. Otherwise, they remain unemployed and make money other ways (or not depending on wants). Here’s how I decide which career to choose based on wants:
- If a Sim rolls the want for a specific career (Science, Education, etc.), I lock in the want and check the newspaper, computer, or job notice board until they get that specific career.
- If a Sim rolls the want to “get a job” but does not specify which one, I will choose a career for them based on their personality/interests.
- If a Sim rolls the want for more than one career at the same time (usually happens after graduating from college or aging to an adult), I choose based on their personality/interests.
Career Progression
Sims may choose to go to college or not, depending on their wants, but this will affect their ability to progress in their careers. I use Cyjon’s Edukashun Iz Gud mod to limit promotions based on education.
Sims can get into any career track regardless of degree, but promotions will only be granted if Sims meet the following criteria:
- College graduate – maximum level 10
- Completed two years of college – maximum level 7
- Didn’t attend college or dropped out before completing two years – maximum job level is based on final high school grade:
- C or better – maximum level 5
- C- to D- maximum level 3
- F (high school dropout with no diploma) – maximum level 1
Sims who have hit their ceiling only have a 10% chance of being promoted past the job limit.
NOTE: If I am playing a premade ‘hood like Pleasantview, I give the playable adult Sims a college degree using the Batbox if I feel they would have previously attended college.
Clothing
I try to let my Sims wear the clothing they choose upon aging up (unless it’s just a really stupid combination or doesn’t fit their personality). I try to let them keep at least one piece that they choose and fix the rest if necessary. Sometimes this isn’t possible, like if they choose a really terrible full outfit, but most of the time I can work with their choices.
Sims get ONE free outfit change upon aging up. I use the Closet Gussy Up mod to adjust their clothing for free. Additional clothing (including seasonal) must be purchased at the clothing store or online.
Sims now purchase at least one everyday outfit for each season (in their favorite colors and styles). Some outfits are suitable for multiple seasons, like a sweater for fall and winter or t-shirt for spring and summer, etc. But each Sim must have at least one outfit for warm weather and another for cold weather.
Sims can always purchase more outfits if they roll a want for it. If a Sim has a wish to buy new clothes, I allow them to go to the clothing store (or shop online) and buy a new outfit. I usually buy a replacement for whichever of their outfits is the worst first.
Favorite Colors
I assign each of my Sims a favorite color to help me with clothing choices and decorating their rooms/homes. I choose the color based on whatever clothing color they’re wearing when they age up. In my eyes, they chose the color themselves so it must be their favorite.
Each Sim’s favorite color changes at each life stage (unless they choose the same one again by wearing the same color as the last age up). I do not assign favorite colors for toddlers. Sims get their first favorite color when aging up to a child.
Fertility
I use Autonomous Casual Romance (ACR) to help control fertility. With this mod, Sims autonomously woohoo and try for baby, and their fertility declines as they age. I only force Sims to try for baby when one of them rolls a want to. Otherwise, they just do normal woohoo. I never force them to woohoo unless it’s on their wedding night or if they roll the want.
These are the other guidelines I follow for Sim fertility:
- If a Sim couple tries for baby three times and doesn’t get pregnant, I assume that one of the couple is infertile. I have them adopt at this point to fulfill their desire for a baby. If they want a second child (and their aspiration allows for it), they can try again naturally up to three times.
- I use the risky woohoo part of ACR, which means my Sims have a chance of becoming pregnant even when they are not trying for baby. I have the chance set to 10% globally.
- Same-sex couples always adopt when they want children (unless one of them is abducted by aliens and gets pregnant that way). I don’t allow male Sims to get pregnant unless it’s via abduction.
- I never give Sims the “super fertility” aspiration benefit because it results in way too many babies. I like my Sims to have twins only rarely, just like in real life.
Abortions
I will end a Sim pregnancy if the following conditions are met:
- The pregnant Sim rolls a fear of having a baby while pregnant
- The pregnant Sim is in the first trimester of pregnancy (before the first baby bump appears).
If the Sim has a visible baby bump, it’s too late and the pregnancy cannot be ended. I use Sim Blender to end pregnancies when necessary.
Birth Control
When a Sim has a fear of having a baby, I use Sim Blender to place them on Birth Control for two days. If they still have the fear after two days, they may remain on the pill for another two days. If the fear is gone, I take them off.
In addition, once a Sim or a couple reaches their ideal number of children based on my population rules below, I place the female Sim on birth control. She remains on birth control throughout her child-bearing years.
Population
I also have rules for limiting population, or else my ‘hoods end up having TOO many children – especially when using ACR.
I use the Sim’s aspiration to decide how many children they can have – anywhere from 1 to 5 kids per Sim/couple. I also count adopted children as part of their total.
- Romance – 1 Child
- Pleasure – 1 Child
- Knowledge – 2 Children
- Fortune – 2 Children
- Popularity – 2 Children
- Family – 3 Children
If two Sims in a relationship have different aspirations, I’ll add them together and divide by two to determine their optimal number of children.
For example, if a Fortune and Family Sim get married the equation would look like this:
2 (fortune) + 4 (family) = 6
6 / 2 = 3
Total number of children for this couple would be three.
In the event of an odd number – such as a Romance (1) and Fortune (2) getting married, I will round up to the highest number. In this case, two.
If a Sim has MORE children than they should (according to aspiration) due to having twins, I allow them to keep the extra child. If a Romance Sim gives her baby up for adoption, she is allowed to have another. But she can only raise one child.
Townie Pregnancies
I now allow townies to become pregnant. Thanks to my subscriber, Bekkah Marie, for this idea.
When a male Sim has a woohoo session with a female townie, I roll a number between 1-100. If the number rolled is 1-10, the townie becomes pregnant. This is the same 10% chance that my playable Sims have of becoming pregnant through risky woohoo.
If a female townie becomes pregnant, she is moved in to her own household (or with the father of the baby if he desires). I use Sim Blender to make the Sim pregnant by the correct father. The new household is then added to the rotation and we have fresh blood in the neighborhood!
Finances
All Sims must pay taxes once per season after living their first season as adults. I use Monique’s Computer to “donate” the money to the neighborhood treasury. Sims also have to pay child support and may receive welfare if they’re poor and unemployed.
Taxes
Taxes are due every five days (or the first day of every new season). I have each household pay taxes on the morning of each new play round/season. All taxes are paid to the Neighborhood Treasury using the “donate” function on Monique’s Computer.
Current tax rates:
- 10% of net worth
- 7% for retirees
- 5% for Sims with a net worth of over $100k
Net worth includes household funds, bank accounts, and property value. Renters are not taxed on property value. If any member of the household is a retiree, the entire household is taxed at the lower rate.
Deductions:
- $1,000 deduction for home ownership
- $1,500 deduction for married couples
- $ 500 deduction for each dependent (children under age 18)
- $1,500 adoption credit (once per adoption)
- $1,500 deduction for each local business owned
If a Sim is unable to pay their taxes, they must take out a loan from the Loan Jar at 3% interest (or sell enough of their possessions to pay). Some Sims may even get a refund, depending on their financial situation.
Taxes are used to pay for new community lots and improvements to existing community lots in the neighborhood. For example, if you build a new restaurant in Pleasantview, you must deduct the cost of the finished lot from the neighborhood treasury. If there aren’t enough funds, a new lot cannot be built until enough taxes are collected to cover the cost.
Child Support
Sim parents not living on the same lot with their children must pay child support. I use Monique’s Child Support mod to manage this system.
Support amounts:
- Pregnancy – $200 per day
- Baby – $200 (M, W, F, and Sun)
- Toddler – $200 (T, Th, Sat)
- Child – $200 (W, F)
- Teen – $200 (Th)
NOTE: After a teen goes to college, this mod will make the parent(s) pay child support to the teen if the teen moves before Thursday. I consider this a gift from the parents to the new college student and allow them to keep the money. But you could always go and immediately age up your teens if this bothers you.
Divorce Settlements
When Sims are divorced, the Sim who moves out is entitled to part of the married couple’s estate. Sim City Divorce Court decrees the following:
- The divorced Sim is awarded 50% of what they originally brought to the marriage. I keep track of this amount on my Sims 2 tracking spreadsheet any time there’s a new marriage.
- If the divorced Sim did not bring anything to the marriage, e.g. they were the original owner of the lot or part of a premade married couple, that Sim is awarded 30% of household funds. This includes any money in bank accounts.
- The divorced Sim will be exempt from paying taxes the round after the divorce takes place.
The Sim who initiated the divorce must use Monique’s Hacked Computer to transmit the funds into the household account of the divorced spouse.
Welfare
I use the Social Welfare mod to allow my poor Sims to apply for welfare at the Social Services office. Base payment is $120 per day. Increases are based on number of children and skills. Once a Sim has a job, welfare payments are discontinued.
Hobbies
Every sim is born with “One True Hobby” determined (by the game) based on their personality and interests. I allow the game to assign the One True Hobby. However, I like to give each Sim a sub-hobby or specialty within their type. This helps make each Sim a bit more unique.
This idea was inspired by a similar system created by fireprincess. You should check out her Youtube channel where she plays a Sims 2 Medieval Charter Challenge!
I roll randomly unless the Sim has a want that corresponds to one of the sub-hobbies in their group at the time I’m choosing for them. In that case, I let them “choose” their own based on the want. This system is easily customizable if you have CC items that give hobby enthusiasm.
- Cuisine
- Cooking – Focus on preparing meals and cooking contests.
- Baking – Focus on baking and desserts.
- Bartending – Focus on drinks and tending bar.
- Film & Literature
- Reading – Focus on reading books, novels, and magazines, book club.
- Writing – Focus on writing novels.
- Blogging – Focus on blogging about film & literature.
- Watching – Focus on watching TV and movies.
- Tinkering
- Restoring – Focus on restoring old cars.
- Robot Crafting – Focus on crafting robots.
- Repairing – Focus on repairing and upgrading appliances.
- Playing – Focus on remote-controlled toys.
- Woodworking – Focus on using the woodworking table (custom content).
- Train Set – Focus on the train set that came with Freetime.
- Sports
- Baseball – Focus on playing baseball.
- Football – Focus on playing football.
- Soccer – Focus on playing soccer.
- Basketball – Focus on playing basketball.
- Golf – Focus on playing golf. (The Execuputter is a career reward unlocked at Business Level 5, so I restrict this hobby only to Sims in the Business Career.)
- Boxing – Focus on boxing. (The punching bag is a career reward unlocked at Athletic Level 5, so I restrict this hobby only to Sims in the Athletic Career.)
- Music & Dance
- Dancing – Focus on dancing and dance contests.
- Piano – Focus on playing the Piano.
- Synthesizer – Focus on playing the synthesizer.
- Violin – Focus on playing the violin.
- Singing – Focus on singing (microphone and karaoke).
- Guitar – Focus on playing the guitar.
- Bass – Focus on playing the bass.
- Drums – Focus on playing the drums.
- Banjo – Focus on playing banjo (custom content).
- Keyboard – Focus on playing keyboard (custom content).
- Freestyling – Focus on freestyling.
- Fitness
- Swimming – Focus on swimming in pools and/or at the beach.
- Skating – Focus on ice skating and roller skating.
- Lifting – Focus on weight lifting using the exercise machines.
- Cardio – Focus on jogging and jumping rope.
- Yoga – Focus on doing yoga and/or Tai Chi.
- Arts & Crafts
- Painting – Focus on painting.
- Flower Arranging – Focus on flower arranging.
- Toy Making – Focus on toy making.
- Sculpting – Focus on making pottery.
- Sewing – Focus on sewing using the sewing machine.
- Photography – Focus on taking pictures. (The Luminous Pro Antique Camera is a career reward unlocked at Artist level 5, so I restrict this hobby only to Sims in the Artist career.)
- Drafting – Focus on making blueprints on the drafting table. (The drafting table is a career reward unlocked at Architecture Level 6, so I restrict this hobby only to Sims in the Architecture Career.)
- Science
- Stargazing – Focus on stargazing with telescope or on the ground.
- Weather – Focus on watching the weather channel and using the Weathernaught 57X.
- Science Games β Focus on solving the rubikβs ball and puzzle knot (custom content).
- Biotech – Focus on using the Biotech Station. (The Station is a career reward unlocked at Science Level 6, so I restrict this hobby to Sims in the Science Career.)
- Games
- Video Games – Focus on computer, console, handheld, and arcade games.
- Chess – Focus on playing chess.
- Darts – Focus on playing darts.
- Poker – Focus on playing poker.
- Pool – Focus on playing pool.
- Bowling – Focus on bowling.
- Nature
- Entomology – Focus on hunting bugs, catching butterflies and fireflies.
- Fishing – Focus on fishing and keeping fish in aquariums or a koi pond.
- Gardening – Focus on gardening.
- Birds – Focus on bird watching and keeping birds as pets.
- Cloud watching – Focus on watching the clouds.
- Hiking – Focus on hiking.
- Womrat – Focus on caring for and playing with womrats.
Inheritance
I no longer allow Sims to inherit money when a family member dies. I use the No Inheritance After Elder Dies mod to prevent the money being received. I found that it made things too easy when Sims were given up to $20,000 when a close elder passed away.
Any money an elder has at the time of their death in their bank account or in cash may be distributed among the living family members. I wait until a few days before the Sim’s death, and then I divvy up their money like this:
- All money is left to the Sim’s living spouse or partner.
- If no spouse is living, the money will be split equally between all the Sim’s children.
- If the Sim has no children, the money will be split equally between all the Sim’s friends.
- If the Sim has no spouse, children, or friends (how sad!), the money will be donated to the neighborhood treasury.
NOTE: In the case of an accidental death where a Sim dies suddenly before becoming an elder, I will use cheats to divide the money between the appropriate recipients.
Family homes are also inherited. I typically go on a case-by-case basis for home inheritance, as all family situations are different. But these are the general guidelines I follow:
- The oldest male child inherits the family home. (The exception to this rule would be a gay couple in which the oldest male is moving in with his partner, or if the oldest male child dies.)
- If the oldest male child cannot inherit, the family home goes to the second male child.
- If there is no male child, the oldest daughter can inherit the family home (unless she’s moving in with someone else).
- If there are no children to inherit the family home, it goes back on the housing market to be purchased by another family at a later time.
I try to keep iconic homes – like the Goth Mansion and Pleasant Home – in the family as long as possible. But of course, this doesn’t always work out. I will also bend these rules from time to time if I feel it’s necessary for the story.
Lifetime Wants
I ignore lifetime wants randomly assigned when my Sims are teens. Instead, I wait until they finish college and become adults. Then, I change the lifetime want to one that more closely fits what they truly want to do with their lives.
If they roll a want for a specific career and take a job in that career, I will often give them the lifetime want for that career. Some Sims may have a non-career-related lifetime want if it fits their personality. For example, Popularity Sims may have the want for 20 BFFs or Fortune Sims may have the want to earn $100,000 or own 5 Top-Level Businesses.
I don’t really have a method for choosing these types of wants. I just look at the Sim’s personality and make the most logical decision. For example, a really shy Sim with no interest in money probably won’t be a business owner. An outgoing Sim with an interest in culture and travel would probably love to make 20 BFFs, etc.
Magic Lamps & Wishes
Yes, I actually have rules for magic lamps. This is because I was struggling to use these in a way that didn’t feel like cheating. Here’s my method.
The Sim who gets the memory of finding the lamp can make one wish based on aspiration:
- Family – Give Me Peace of Mind
- Fortune – Give Me Wealth
- Knowledge – Give Me Power To Cheat Death or Resurrect
- Popularity – Give me a Long Life
- Pleasure – Give me Wealth or Long Life
- Wealth – if Sim’s aspiration meter is in green or below at the time of making the wish
- Long Life – if Sim’s aspiration meter is in yellow or platinum at the time of making the wish
- Romance – Give me Beauty
I also use Cyjon’s More Genie Wishes mod, which allows Sims to wish for the following:
- Metamorphosis – cures any paranormal state.
- Personality – changes one personality characteristic to the minimum or maximum.
- Immunity – cure Sim of disease and make them immune to future diseases.
- Cure Plague – cures the neighborhood of disease.
- Business Success – makes it easier to get to level 10.
ANY Sim, regardless of aspiration, may wish for these extra wishes if they are needed.
If the Sim with the memory of finding the lamp is a baby, toddler, or child, they must wait until they are at least a teen and have an aspiration before making their wish. After the first wish is made, any Sim who rolls the want may make a wish until all three are used.
Neighborhood Treasury
The neighborhood treasury is the neighborhood’s current balance of tax money available for spending. I use the money to build or improve new community lots. When money is spent in the neighborhood, I subtract it from the treasury balance.
For story purposes, Sims pay their taxes to a central branch in the state capitol of Sim City. The money may be withdrawn at any time for spending in the ‘hood.
NOTE: These rules replace my old Mayor rules. I no longer play with a Mayor Sim and instead keep track of the neighborhood’s treasury balance on my tracking spreadsheet.
Naming Conventions
I name newly born Sims based on which letter of the alphabet currently has the fewest living Sims with a first name beginning with that letter.
I begin with the letter A and go through the alphabet (skipping the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z). If there are living Sims with names that begin with the letter A, I move to letter B, etc. until I come to the next letter of the alphabet that does not correspond to the name of a current living Sim. In the rare case where all letters are taken, I will start over and find the first letter with the fewest living Sims.
I came up with Eva Lothario’s name because there were no living Sims with a name beginning with the letter E (but there were for letters A-D). I Googled “female names that begin with the letter E.” Then I picked the one I liked best. The next baby born will have a name that begins with the letter F, and so on.
I will also occasionally use family names from the Sim’s deceased ancestors if they start with the correct letter. The only exceptions to these rules (so far) are the Broke and Dreamer family. I named Brandi’s unborn baby after her father, Bob Broke, and all of Darren’s children have names that begin with the letter D to keep his family tradition alive.
Retirement
Sims only retire from their jobs if they roll a want to do so in their elder years.
I used to have them retire as soon as they became elders, but that felt a little too much like forcing my will upon them. Now, only Sims who wish to retire will make the call. Otherwise, they work until they’re dead!
Romance & Marriage
I allow my Sims to choose who they want to marry, date, or procreate with, but I restrict them to other playable Sims within their generation. A generation is defined as all Sims born in the same season/rotation.
When the time comes that everyone is related to each other (which eventually happens in every hood), then I will allow them to marry Maxis townies. Random townies are not allowed in my neighborhoods. I use this method to prevent randoms. Romance Sims may have relationships with anyone they choose.
Sims only go steady, get engaged, and/or get married when they roll the want to do so. Otherwise, they can still live together and/or have children together as unmarried partners.
Gender Preference
I use the Autonomous Casual Romance (ACR) mod, to randomize gender preference of all townies in the game who don’t currently have a preference. There is a 10% chance that a Sim will become gay or bisexual.
When my playable Sims age up to a teen, I randomize their preference manually using the Sim Blender.
If one of my Sims becomes gay through ACR, I will make another Sim of the same sex in their generation gay so they will have a partner. If there is no available Sim of the same sex in their generation, I will allow them to choose the townie they like best.
Rotations
I play each household for 4 Sim days – or an entire season (see below). I like this method because all Sims are in the same season for story-telling purposes (and for the sake of consistency).
University rounds are a bit different. Because I use a mod to make semesters 8 days long, time slows down a bit during University and every 2 days = 1 real life year. I play University as an 8-day round instead of 4 to keep the students’ ages in sync with the rest of the ‘hood.
NOTE: In my original Pleasantview Let’s Play, I played each household for 7 Sim days (Monday – Monday). But I found this took far too long when there were a lot of households to get through in later generations.
Seasons
I edited this mod in Sim PE to change the length of the Seasons to 4 days each. This aligns better with the 8-day college semesters I use and makes it easier to keep everyone’s aging on track (see Uni rules below).
The type and order of seasons depends on the neighborhood. Pleasantview, for example, gets all four seasons beginning with Summer. Strangetown, on the other hand, will not have a winter – only spring, summer, and fall.
University
I use Cyjon’s Semester Changes mod, which shortens University to 8 days instead of 24. Every two days in college represents one semester (and one real life year). Sims only attend college if they roll the want on the day they would age up to an adult. I don’t lock the want if they roll it before their last day as teens (in case they change their minds).
When Sims attend University, there are a few guidelines I follow:
- Thanks to a new law passed in Sim City, higher education is free for all Sims. However, bills in college must be paid as a “room and board” fee.
- Every sim chooses the major they want. If a Sim doesn’t roll a want to declare a specific major, they remain undeclared until the end of their Sophomore year when they are automatically enrolled in the Philosophy major.
- I don’t force Sims to study, do assignments, write terms papers, build skills, or go to class. They will only engage in these activities if they roll a want to do so (or automatically do them without my direction). Sims will flunk out of college if they don’t keep their grades up.
- Sims keep the scholarship and grant money they receive in college so they have something to live on after graduation. I use the mod No20Khandout so my Sims do not automatically get $20,000 just for becoming adults. Most Sims have to live in Slappy’s Flophouse after college until they can save enough for a house or larger apartment.
I had a question regarding how you handle assigning aspiration points? You mention them in regards to choosing the 2nd aspiration (once they have 3 in their main aspiration) so do you always just choose from the main and 2nd and leave the Needs and Career columns alone?
It depends. But these days, I don’t really play with secondary aspirations anymore. So I choose between needs and career based on the Sims’ personalities. For example, a Sim with Fortune Aspiration would get points in the career tree and a Sim with the Romance Aspiration would get points in the Needs tree.
OlΓ‘, Cindy.
A sua pΓ‘gina em ajudou muito quando comecei a jogar the sims 2
Estou fazer alteração desse mod para 04 dias mais não muda, fica 05 dias.
pode me ajudar?
Temporadas
Editei este mod no Sim PE para mudar a duração das temporadas para 4 dias cada. Isso se alinha melhor com os semestres universitÑrios de 8 dias que eu uso e torna mais fÑcil manter o envelhecimento de todos nos trilhos (veja as regras da Uni abaixo).
O tipo e a ordem das estaçáes depende do bairro. Pleasantview, por exemplo, recebe todas as quatro estaçáes comeΓ§ando com o verΓ£o. Strangetown, por outro lado, nΓ£o terΓ‘ inverno β apenas primavera, verΓ£o e outono.
obrigada
Marcela
If I use Lamare’s age each day mod for university will it work the same if I follow your rules for rotation? Also do you move a graduated sim out and into a house/apartment the day they graduate or do you leave them in the family bin until their play rotation? When you say you play your just graduated sims in their tiny apartments to sync their ages what does that mean? Sorry I don’t play university that often π
Hi! I explain how I play Uni rotationally in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h45DMVPi-ys
Hello Cindy! Love your content!
My fiancΓ©e is playing a custom neighbourhood based on your rotational gameplay rules, however we have run into an issue regarding the aging for Sims that dropped out or graduated from college.
Following example which actually happened like this.
Alice and Bob are siblings. Alice is three days older than Bob when the rotation starts.
Both Sims move into college. Alice goes in on Wednesday, Bob on Saturday.
Once at college, Alice throws parties instead of studying. She fails her Freshman final exam twice and drops out after two days.
Bob passes with flying colours, but waits for another two days for his girlfriend to graduate as well, making it six days until he leaves the Uni hood again.
Strictly going by your gameplay rules, Alice would return to the main hood at the age of 20, while Bob comes back at an age of 24, suddenly making him older than Alice when Alice should be the older Sim.
How would you solve this inconsistency? Would you also take in account the day that they left for college, and make it a different weekday than Monday when they return, using the Day Setter? It’s really doing mine and her head in right now…
Thanks in advance for your response!
Hi, I would play Alice alone on a lot for the number of days required to sync up their ages. When I move Sims back to the main ‘hood from Uni – I always move them into tiny apartments and play them alone to sync. Hope that makes sense!
Thanks so much for your response! That makes sense, yeah. Alice’s gotta redeem herself for dropping out so early after wanting to go to college so eagerly, haha π
Cindy, do you have the rules you use to send your sims to jail? I looked for them here and I didn’t find them, are they the same ones you use in Edgewood? I’m interested in downloading your Detention Center but I don’t have the creativity to create laws…
Yes, I haven’t really been playing with jail lately. But the rules are the same. Here they are again for reference:
Jail System
Sims who break the law now have to pay for their crimes by spending time in jail. Here are the jailable offenses and sentences for each crime.
Offenses
Sims may be placed in jail for any of the following offenses:
Burglary
Fighting
Joyriding (Teens Only)
Pickpocketing (Criminal Career Chance Card)
Sentencing
After being arrested, criminal Sims face the following sentences:
Burglary 1 (stealing 1 item) – 1 day in jail
Burglary 2 (stealing 2 items) – 2 days in jail
Burglary 3 (stealing 3 or more items) – 3 days in jail
If a Sim gets away from the police after a burglary, he or she has evaded arrest and does not have to go to jail. Only Burglars who are arrested go to jail.
Assault 1 (Losing a fight) – 1 day in jail
Assault 2 (Winning a fight) – 2 days in jail
Assault 3 (Multiple fights in the same day) – 3 days in jail
Maximum sentences for Burglary and Assault are 3 days in jail. If a Sim gets into a fight in jail, 1 day will be added to the sentence for each additional fight.
Joyriding- If a teen sneaks out and gets brought home by police, he or she will spend one day in the Juvenile Detention cell. The driver of the car does not go to jail – only the Sim brought home by police.
Pickpocketing – If a Sim gets caught pickpocketing through the level 1 Criminal Career Chance Card, they will spend 1 day in jail. If they don’t get caught, no jail time is required.
If a teen Sim is in jail during their 18th birthday, they will age up to an adult and will not go to college – even if they have rolled the want. They have missed that opportunity.
Fines
Some offenses do not require jail time, but instead require the Sims to pay a fine to the neighborhood treasury (just as they would pay taxes).
Offenses that require fines include:
Newspaper Theft
Theft of lawn gnomes
Destruction of Property (knocking over trashcans)
Each offense requires a $100 fine to be paid upon the household’s next round. Only Sims who are seen stealing or knocking over trash cans will be fined.
Hi Cindy, I just noticed that the link to download the secondary aspiration calculator is down Could you please re-upload it?
This is a truly brilliant gameplay idea and has caused me to re-install the sims! Thank you, such a lot of work but so worth it for the community!
So glad you found it helpful!
Hi Cindy,
thank you so much for all of your hard work! I’m preparing to utelize your gameplay rules in a new Pleasantview right now, and I’m so excited.
I was wondering how do you tackle the ages of premade sims — as I figured out from your tutorial on custom age spans, the custom age span only affects sims who age up in game into a new life stage. So If i want to fix all of my sims ages right now, how do I tackle it? E.g. do you have any system for assigning days left to adult sims like Cassandra Goth and Brandi Broke?
I will probable set all of my teens and kids to the beggining of their life stage, but I’m not quite sure how to deal with adults.
And I wanted to clear things up — if I’m manually setting my sim’s age using SimPE, do I need to substract one day from the desired amount of days left, just like when I set custom life span using your method?
I hope this makes sense! English is not my first language.
Hope you’re having an amazing week.
I look at the Sims wiki and see how many days they are from aging to the next life stage. It will say so-and-so is x days away from becoming an elder, etc. Then I just subtract that from 60 for the adults. Like if Don Lothario is 28 days from becoming an elder, I calculate 60 – 28 = 32. So I set his age to 32 (putting 31 into Sim PE). Yes, you always subtract one day in Sim PE. Hope that helps!
Hi, Cindy! I find your rules rather entertaining to play with, I’ve been playing kind of like them the whole week. But I am with a doubt. You’ve said that your sims only go steady/get engaged/get married if they roll a want to do so, but what about moving in?
Also, one of my sims is dating a townie and during a date she rolled a want to get married to him multiple times, but he never did. They are in love (100/100 both), and I kind of want them to get married or at least to live together. As she has the want to get married, would you do it? Or only if the active sim wants to?
Thanks a bunch in advance!
I just move them in when I feel it makes sense for the couple since they don’t have a want for that. Usually, it’s when they get married, but sometimes after college I will move them in together if I think those two Sims would do that. I will propose engagement and marriage any time ONE of the Sims want to. The other Sim can say no, but if one of them wants to propose, I let them. I don’t wait for both Sims to have the want. Hope that helps!
Helped a lot, thank you so much!
I love this, i usually play 2 days in the rotation, this is very eficcent, sorry if i write bad, am spanish.
How do you do yoga? one of my sims rolled the sub hobby for yoga but she doesn’t have the option to do yoga when I click on her (most of my sims get this option , I just have no idea how I access it on my own)
I think your sim need to have at least 3 body points to be able to do yoga.
Hi Tori! To do yoga, your Sim has to have a body skill of three or more. Then, when you click on them they will have the option. I usually have them jump rope or do some other fitness activity until they get enough points to do yoga.
Hey Cindy! I love your ideas, and your gameplay! Thank you. But, if not bother you, I wanna a tip. Since almost all my sagittarius sims are born with a high level in playful points, they hate do everything that a knowledge sims are suposed to do, like stargaze, play chess, etc. Of course, I dont need to force them to do this things, but sometimes, they roll a want to gain a logic skill point for exemple, and when I command them to play chess, they look at the camera complaining. I dont know, so I start to give them popularity or Fortune aspiration. What you think about it?
If that’s what makes you happy, I think it’s great! Everyone should play the way they enjoy most! I understand what you mean about the personality points. Many people do assign aspiration based on points and not zodiac, like I do. That’s just my personal preference because I like to use the same system Maxis uses. But if you prefer to use the personality points instead, you should do it! π
Thanks for the response, Cindy! Since I start to follow some rules, now I’m able to play rotationaly without messing up with the sims ages and etc.
But I need to thank you again, because your videos are a relief in this pandemic madness. Not just pleasant sims channel, but now, with Life Plus Cindy too.
Thanks a lot! Hugs from Brazil!
Hi, Cindy! I absolutely LOVE your gameplay style, you’re a big inspiration for me! I’ve been trying to play by these rules (kind of, I’m a bit to controling to let my sims do WHATEVER they please xD), and I know you usually give pre-made sims a Pre-Uni upgrade assigning majors to them. I want to do the same, so It would be really nice for you to post something about it! Maybe a video, or a new rule here stating which major each pre-made sim has (maybe starting with the Pleasantview ones, since they seem to be everybody’s favourites!)
Thanks a LOT for the attention, you’re my favourite sims youtuber EVER <3
Hi and thank you! I basically just give them whatever is best for their career! But I might make a post on it in the future. Will add it to my list of topics. π
*I don’t know if my comments have been proceeded. If they are don’t approve this comment. I’m really sorry for confusion and spamming.*
Hi Cindy,
I really enjoy your streams and gameplay and I have a few questions about it.
1) Do you have different lifespan for cats&dogs for more realism like you have in sims 3?
2) You usually get sims pet if they roll want for either kitten or puppy, but what about older animals? They never get adopted? Itβs kind of sadβ¦
3) Why do you disable wants for college scholarships, pet jobs, and go on vacation?
And finally, last mini-question. You donβt use 18-hours pregnancy in your game anymore, right? If so, why you donβt remove it from your mod list?
Sorry for long message and bunch of questions. Hope, you can answer them.
Ah, sorry, I remembered another question. Do you use all EXTRA and FEATures of CEP or you use just plain CEP without any?
Ah, sorry, I remembered another question. Do you use all EXTRA and FEATures of CEP or you use just plain CEP without any?
I use the full installation of CEP.
Thank you for all your answers!
Have a good simming ^_^
Hi Cindy,
I really enjoy your streams and gameplay and I have a few questions about it.
1) Do you have different lifespan for cats&dogs for more realism like you have in sims 3?
2) You usually get sims pet if they roll want for either kitten or puppy, but what about older animals? They never get adopted? It’s kind of sad…
3) Why do you disable wants for college scholarships, pet jobs, and go on vacation?
And finally, last mini-question. You don’t use 18-hours pregnancy in your game anymore, right? If so, why you don’t remove it from your mod list?
Sorry for long message and bunch of questions. Hope, you can answer them.
1. No, I leave them the same.
2. Older animals get adopted when there are no kittens and puppies available, or when Sims make friends with a stray.
3. Because I don’t like them.
4. No, I don’t use it. I don’t remove it because many people come looking for it.
Hi Cindy!
Talking about the 18-hour pregnancy mod, may I ask why you don’t use it anymore?
I’ve noticed it worked fine for me but at some point it stopped working, so I’m wondering if you have a specific loading order for it (my mods are very similar to yours), or if it could be because I started using the inSIMenator again?
Hey Cindy,
I have a question. If your sims keep rolling the Fear of being rejected for an engagement with a sim, but never the Get Engaged to- Want, do you ignore it or let them get engaged?
Cause I’m on the fence about it. On the one hand they don’ t Want to, but on the other hand they’ re afraid of rejection… So on some level they do want to pop the question but they haven’t rolled it yet?
I ignore it. I only have them get engaged if they want to or if their partner wants to. I don’t really pay much attention to their fears – unless it’s fear of having a baby!
Hi Cindy, hope everything’s well! I’ve been watching your videos for months, but only recently got my hands on The Sims 2 Ult. Collection. Right off the bat, I started playing in your style, and SO MUCH DRAMA has happened! This game is quickly and surely enveloping my life, and you’ve made me realize that this is most definitely my favorite game to date. Thank you so much for creating this guide for us fellow simmers, you’ve done so much for the community and are one of the key people bringing the Sims 2 back into the spotlight!!!
Thank you again,
Lydian
Thank you so much and I’m so glad to hear that!!
Hi again Cindy!
Thanks for the fast answer last time I spend more time on my sims hobbies now! Got a little questing for that: In your list at ‘tinkering’ you mention upgrading appliances. I never had my sim manage to actually upgrade something? Do you use a mod?
I know you can tinker, but it only ever broke the object. I even read somewhere that it has no positive outcome?
Best wishes,
Pia
No, they can’t actually upgrade in Sims 2. They can only repair and tinker. π
Hi there Cindy, hope you’re doing alright?
I’ve been watching you for a while now (starting with the sims 4 ‘rants’ and now more of the sims 2 videos)
I’ve used most of your rules in my game but I’ve been wondering what do you do with skill points? Since whenever my sims have nothing to do I let them learn something but it makes the adult sims a bit boring since there is not much they are lacking? Also the elders seem to live FOREVER while I’m busy caring for the next generations their rotations seem kinda empty? Any ideas how to keep their life interesting?
Best wishes and much respect!
-Pia
In free time, when I can’t currently fulfill any of their wants, I have my Sims work on their hobbies. Elders in my game usually have children to care for, but I also let them breed pets for the neighborhood or adopt teens, and of course, work on mastering their hobbies! Also, I typically have some of my college students move back in with their parents, so I rarely have an Elder-only household unless they’re Romance Sims – and then they keep on dating. Another thing you can do is send Elders on vacation and let them explore the Bon Voyage neighborhoods or have them start businesses to keep them busy!
How do you know which townies are the oldest when deciding who to kill off from old age?
I age up townies with my Sims, so when one of my Sims becomes and elder, I age up one their adult friends to an elder too. I keep track of which townies I age up in a spreadsheet – so the first one I age up I consider the oldest. But honestly, I don’t worry about it too much. They’ll all meet their end eventually!
Hi Cindy!
I love your let’s play video’s! currently playing sims 3 using your Pleasantview World. In my game Dina Caliente has 7 kids with another one on the way kids Mortimer lived until he was 108 the first time, he was saved from death, then lived to 103. Out of the eight kids Dina only has one biological son, the rest including the one on the way are all girls. Out of Mortimer’s children only the two youngest girls have black and blonde hair, the rest have brown. Don had a baby with Nina Caliente, but Don is dating Mary Sue, Herb and Coral got divorced and He is married to Brandi who is expecting another little girl. Skip’s child was a girl who looks just like Brandi. Dina’s daughter Cianna is married to Daniel.
Wow! SEVEN KIDS!? That’s amazing!
Eight now with her new husband.
I just started using some of your rules after watching some of your streams. It’s really cool you created such detailed rules for the sims!
Hi Cindy, I love your gameplay rules, I have a few questions if you don’t mind me asking. First, how do you keep engaged in gameplay, I find I get quite bored very quickly. Also, do you know which mods conflict with the shorter semester mod? Sorry if I sounded really posh, It’s probably because I’m British.
I play rotationally, so I never get bored. I’m always moving from family to family. I could never just play a single family. That would be boring to me. I play the entire neighborhood and that keeps me interested for literal years. I have no idea which mods conflict with that, sorry! But probably anything that affects university semesters in some way.
Your playstyle always seemed a lot of fun, so I’m finally going to give a try! Thank you for being so thorough with this guide, and really with everything you do, I’m new to The Sims 2 and your content always helps me a lot. Much love! :]
Have fun!!
Hello, Cindy, I play the sims 2 life stories and I know, that the game doesn’t offer much good as the original game that has the expansions but my computer is not too much cool for this things. Can you tell me if it has an opportuniny to add Pleasantview to Sims 2 life stories? I am sick to play Riley stories and Vincent’s too.
I just want to say thank you. The Sims 2 was my first PC Sims game. I haven’t played it in years, but using your guide, I got it working on my computer from the ultimate collection. I never played rotationally, but am trying your rules, modified to fit my gameplay style a bit. It so refreshing playing this, instead of Sims 4. It was just beginning to feel stale.
Thanks again!
That’s awesome! So glad you’re able to play it again!
I had a question about your University guildlines (As someone who hasn’t watched your LPs). How do you enforce\follow the
“Thanks to a new law passed in Sim City, higher education is free for all Sims. However, bills in college must be paid as a βroom and boardβ fee.”
and
“Sims keep the scholarship and grant money they receive in college so they have something to live on after graduation. […] Most Sims have to live in Slappyβs Flophouse after college until they can save enough for a house or larger apartment.”
rules?
What cheats do you use to distribute money from a Sim that died prematurely?
And what’s Slappy’s Flophouse?
Hello, Mrs Pleasant!
I’ve got a solution for your aging problem in the Sims 2, Cindy (sort of)! I’ve been rewatching your old videos right now, and I also age my sims up with birthday cakes a day before their birthday before 6PM as well (and ran into same problem as yourself, they age twice), I don’t know if you have new rules as of progressing ages of sims, but I recently came across a solution for myself (and you in EP37/1 the Burbs). No mods needed except the ones you already had.
What I did was changing the hour age progress from 6PM to midnight (like in the Sims 3, so you can age anybody up anytime without messing with their age during the day). Credited from HobbesED to me on Modthesims:
[You say you “use age group tweak to set no. of days for each live stages”. Is that SimLogical’s mod? If so, then line 12 of that mod’s Tuning BCON is “Process Hour” which is set to x’12’ (or 18 in decimal). 18 is 6PM in 24 hour clock notation. So you could try changing it to 0 to signify midnight and see if that works.]
I don’t know have else I can share this with you.
Your fellow simmer,
Chao
Hi Cindy! I love your gameplay rules, and am totally inspired by the way you’ve laid all this out. I actually ended up playing along, and following most of the stuff you did for season 1 of your Pleasantview LP on youtube! (lmao). I know you’ve stopped doing it on YT, and I was wondering if you maybe had a spreadsheet laid out of all the things happening in your game (like what sims end up with which, what aspirations/majors their kids end up having, who the kids end up with, so on & so on). I think It’d be really fun to take a look at, and if you don’t already have it maybe you’d consider creating one? Maybe you could post it on Patreon, or some other site, where you could get paid at least a little bit for all your work, and people who enjoy your content could support you more directly π
I do have such a spreadsheet but it’s not currently posted anywhere. I might do so in the future, but I first want to decide how I’ll finish the LP – maybe in Livestreams and then I can make a post about the whole history on the blog. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hi Cindy!
I love your gameplay rules (as well as your Youtube channel), thank you so much for your work <3
I have a question regarding the wants based system for doing homework: do you also apply it to children and teenagers? If so, how do you send your Romance/Pleasure/Popularity Sims to college? Because I've had this case twice when they simply never roll the want to do homework, so their grades drop (which I find cool), but they always end up with grades so bad that the university doesn't accept them, and I find it sad to only have Wealth or Knowledge Sims at uni, I want diversity haha
The solution I decided to try is to count the "Go to university" want as a "Do homework" want, so that these Sims at least have a chance to go if they want to π
I'm just curious to know what is your solution for this π
(Sorry if the names of wants etc. are not the real English ones, I play in French :D)
My Sims are only teens for 6 days, so I have never had this problem. They aren’t teens long enough for their grades to get that low. But I think you’ve come up with a good solution for it!
Hey Cindy!
I appreciate your rules so much! I’ve been using your spreadsheets, career and secondary aspiration calculators. However, I noticed that choosing lifetime wants in my game could be a bit messy/time consuming. I was looking for ways to clean it up and found someone’s tumblr page who tried to organize LTW’s by aspiration and secondary aspiration combos. I liked the idea but didn’t agree with all of their choices, so I made my own spreadsheet and assigned 8 LTW’s to each aspiration combo.
I just wanted to share it with you and your viewers since you might also find it useful, as it lays out all the aspirations so it’s easier to pick and choose which one you want to assign to your sim! π
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bO15E-ptRlnKqr8PWddZof_eKF741cGatU-H5RYObww/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks so much for sharing!
I have a question. I’m a couple rounds in, and I have a lot of sims in college. The problem is that all but a couple have rolled wants to join a Greek house. Now there’s 9 guys in the frat house and 6 girls in the sorority. I feel like I need a rule on what makes a sim eligible, but I don’t know how to go about deciding for myself. I’ve been considering aspiration based or personality points, but I’m afraid that would make the Greek houses too “samey”
I never play Greek Houses or Sororities, so my rule is to ignore those wants. I may even have a mod that stops them? Not sure? Anyway, you could always just allow Popularity and Romance Sims to join. Or maybe only Sims who are super outgoing.
Hi Cindy,
I really like your playstyle! I’m only young but I got the Sims 4 back in 2017, got the sims 3 in 2019 and then decided to get the Sims 2 in 2020, low key the best decision of my life! I’m currently on round 4 of my pleasantview rotation and am still enjoying it, thank you for making the game so enjoyable!
im just starting my rotational game and hit abit of a road block when it comes to aging sims who have already been played in the current round but has moved into another household im currently playing in the round, just wondering how you go about that?
for example i play the goths for the 2nd time so my round 2 has started, i play with them for 3 days then i move on to play dina for the 2nd time, i then plan to get her married to mort and have him move into the condo but my only issue is hes already aged the 3 days he should for the round, the only way i can see it being fine is if i do it before 6pm on day 1 of dina, which is fine but i dont wanna have to do that every time i want a household member to move to another household. hope this makes sense
I only move Sims at the end of the round (after 6:00 PM on the last day) or the beginning of the next round (before 6:00 PM on the first day). If you don’t want to do that, your only other option is to change their age in SIM PE if you want them to stay in sync.
Hello Cindy! I came across your videos recently when I’ve started playing Sims 2 again, it’s still great how a game can still be engaging and fun even 10 years after release!
I was wondering how you set up a neighborhood? Do you add any new lots or add any extra sims before starting to play? In one of your videos, you talked about having a church and a career center, and I like those ideas! How about apartments, or sims in the bin like the Burbs or Oldies? Where do you put them?
Hi! You can watch my video on how I setup my Sims 2 neighborhoods here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZOwVhj1ALI&t=16s
Hey Cindy. Really nice rules. I am using them for my play also execpt few things like I have kept an orphanage so that all those unwanted babies can grow up in orphanage. Even my orphanage adult don’t adopt them. Because if orphange adult will adopt them then all the orphanages will become siblings. I let thwm be live as roommate, and sometimes love blossom between two orphanage. And because of not adoping them, they will remain connected to parents in family tree that’s means later on they will not flirt with their real siblings. Also if i have teen pregnancy then most probabaily baby will go to orphanage but in this case mother can be in touch of baby if she want. But it is not necessary in future she will be with ttje babay father only, she can be with someone else also if she want. Sometimes, my sims wants to be with them, and sometimes they don’t. For alien babies, father keep the baby if he doesn’t have any child or wife or girlfriend, otherwise decision will be made combinely. But mostly if father already have a happy father and they are famous people of neighborhood then they usually put alien baby for adoption. Also for glasses also I have rule. If one of the parent have glasses then 50% chance and if both then 75% chance. As aome increase thweir skill, changes increases.
These are the rules i have added but few more I want which i am unable to decide e.g., I want if my toddler has not learned all skills then there should be an disadvantage in future. Or children of public school have disadvantage over private school but I am unable to decide what disadvantage. Other than that, I want people of aletheric, or criminal career could get injured while working or anybody practicing body skill could get injured, but I am unable to decide what type of injury and how often it can happen amd how much time it will take to fix. Do you have any suggestions of mod or cc to do this. Because i believe it will add realism in my game.
If you are aware of any mod which can create more types of deaseases or injuries them please tell me.
Thank you.
Hi, Cindy! I’ve been watching your Twitch and YouTube videos after coming back to Sims 2. (I *always* come back to Sims 2!) You’re a bit more organized than I am, but I love how you do things (though I’m not much for premade playing myself). I love how informative your videos are. They’re a great resource for new and old simmers alike! I am curious about your inheritance rules and why the oldest male sim inherits? I’ve played legacies where only females inherit, and it can be a PITA when your sims just won’t produce the required gender! Wouldn’t it be easier if the oldest child inherits regardless? Maybe the girl children move in with their spouses and that’s why. Anyway, just curious.
Also, where did you get those gorgeous skirt and blouse (or was it a sweater) outfits I saw you scroll pass awhile back?
Hi Cindy I just came across your video and I think they are great. I enjoy the joy you get from playing. I just saw you finance play for your town, if at all possible could you make a copy of that spread sheet I would like to set up my town payment system also (thanks for that idea).
You have help put the fun in sims play with the way you play thank you for sharing
Hi London! I currently have my tracking spreadsheets available, but they don’t have a “Treasury” tab. So, I made a special one just for you. To use, make a copy to your own Google Drive and edit all you want! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1B_0nvycU9WTEdlz_y2fiK2VrvmElYPyRXefvlaLaR60/edit?usp=sharing
Hello Cindy! I love your gaming rules, they bring so much variety and fun into my gameplay, it’s unreal! Currently enjoying your Pleasantview playthrough.
I don’t know where to ask, so I’ll do it here. I have absolutely horrendous russian names for my townies in game. I want to change it through SimPE, getting into the character’s file and renaming them fully, but I keep seeing that others recommend not to change first name in SimPE. Do you change your first names in SimPE? I’m kind of scared that I will start playng and then everything will corrupt π Thank you for answering if you will, and please PLEASE keep doing videos, they’re cool and you are awesome!
You can absolutely change first names in Sim PE. It’s no different than changing last name or household name and will cause no problems at all as long as you do it correctly. I think this rumor comes from people changing the first name via the “Sim Description” resource, which may cause issues. But if you just go to Neighborhood Browser, open the ‘hood, then go to Sim Browser and change the first and/or last name via Plugin View, it’s perfectly fine. You can see my tutorial here: https://pleasantsims.com/change-first-last-name-sims-2/
Hope that helps! Thank you for stopping by!
Thank you so much for the help! It worked for me and I now have no fear to make changes like that π
Fun fact for you: in russian version Darren and Dirk Dreamers are named Walter and Hans Dreamers… Why they even needed to change their names in the first place?! It seems like.. something that came out of nowhere.
This is also a reason why I needed the answer on that matter. Thank you again!
Love these rules and I am hoping to get into playing more of Sims 2 using them. I am playing Veronaville after watching your recent videos and you mentioned rules for pets but I do not see them in this list. Do you use the same rules as the Integrated Hood ones?
Hi there! Yes, I am using the same rules for integrated ‘hoods. I need to update my rules here. But, basically I allow my Sims to adopt from the animal shelter/pet store and I do not use the in-game pet adoption system. I no longer play with strays in my ‘hoods, but if I did, I would place them in the shelter. Instead, I now create one or two of each type of pet and put them in the shelter for adoption (and to breed for puppies/kittens).
Cindy,
I am playing a child who has Science as a hobby. I bought him an ant farm and that does qualify for Science. Since Science only has one sub-hobby, I’m letting him have that as a child.
Also, does watching Sci-Fi on TV give hobby interest? That might be another one to add. Just thought I’d pass these on. We need more for Science.
Hi Cindy,
Thought you would want to know that I finally bookmarked this page. The new sub-hobby thing has become my (well, actually your) new way to make the game more fun. Of course I have to come here to look at your system, so I ‘do it correctly’. Since I am a bit of a rebel, I will change some for each circumstance. I did not let Beau Broke have the piano as a sub-hobby because they are too poor. But, Brandi snagged ‘baking’ which I love. Thanks for continually adding more and updating your rules!
Thank you Mary! I’m so glad you find this helpful! And I do the same thing with the hobbies – especially for the premade Sims. Like, I had to change Lilith’s hobby to music and she couldn’t possibly end up playing piano or violin. Sometimes it needs a little tweak depending on the Sim!
Hi Cindy, Iβve loved your videos for a long time and I came on your website to try and see if youβd written a post about your gameplay and you have – yay! Thank you!
I just have a question about how you play with divorces and breakups. All of my sims once theyβre married/in relationships seem to just stay happily married forever. Do you force divorces/breakups or what? Iβm kinda bored of all my Sims being happy forever (in a mean way!!).
Would love to hear back from you – keep up the good work!
In Sims 2, playing with ACR helps a lot because Sims will sometimes flirt or get into other relationships with Sims besides their spouses. If a Sim gets caught cheating, I typically have them divorce – that’s not a hard and fast rule. It really just depends on the Sim. But I would recommend installing ACR and then when a Sim cheats, you can divorce them (with good cause). A lot of times Sims will get wants to do romantic reactions with other Sims (not their spouses) after an ACR interaction. I follow those wants, of course, and this will also lead to breakups and divorces. It’s more difficult in Sims 2, but it can be done!
Hi Cindy,
I have been using your blog as inspiration for my own gameplay, and i love how you have thought of basically everything. Its been super helpful when i tried to figure out how I was going to play neighborhoods. I love how organized you are, and I have to say im really impressed with everything you have posted both here and on your youtube channel.
I was just wondering how do you name your twins? Do you have a special twist for that or do you just use the two next letters in your naming system?
I also saw that you manually randomize gender preference for your sims, but I thought this was already randomized by the ACR. If I dont do this, will all my playable sims only be straight? Cause that would be insanely boring. I put bisexual to 30% to make things more interesting.
I also have to say that I love your videos for The Sims 2, so im crossing my fingers that you will make more of those in the future:)
Hi Isabel! For my twins, I usually just do the next two letters of the alphabet. But, I will make exceptions. For example, if Brandi had Darren’s twins, I would name them both with the letter D, etc.
To my knowledge, ACR does already randomize gender preference. There were some episodes where I didn’t have ACR installed and others were before I knew this. So you don’t have to do it manually if you have ACR, as long as you’ve set your percentage (which it sounds like you have). Hope that helps!
And thank you! Yes, I will be making more Sims 2 videos in the future. Right now, I’m a little burned out on the game, but I always come back to it eventually. Thank you for stopping by!
Hey, I don’t know how old this post is, but I recently found it and decided to follow those rules, as I never played the game like this before. The thing is, apparently the Seasons and Weather Controller mod link doesn’t work, and I was wondering if you knew where to get it? And if not, I’m curious about if not using it affects the gameplay too much? Any ways, thank you for posting every mod you use! I’m kinda knew to this and get lost easily.
Hi! I’ve uploaded the Seasons and Weather controller to my SFS here: http://www.simfileshare.net/download/1650029/
You only need it if you plan to change the seasons or weather on your lot. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much!
This is impressive, but it’s making my head spin. Also, aren’t rules for the orphanage and jail missing?
I no longer play the Orphanage or Jail because I found it too tedious and not much fun. These rules have been simplified for my enjoyment. π
Hi Cindy,
This is such a brilliant way to play the game. I used to play Sims 2 a long time ago, and recently started feeling a bit nostalgic. I was looking for tips on how to get back into it, and came across your Youtube channel and blog. They’ve been a fantastic source of information, and a lot of fun to watch and read.
One of my favourite games of all-time is Crusader Kings II. After the initial novelty of trying to make my characters in it the best they could possibly be and conquer the whole world wore off, I started getting a lot more into the role-playing side of the game – making decisions based on what the actual characters would most likely do (even if I knew the outcomes would be to their detriment!). I find this style a lot more engaging and satisfying (you just don’t know how things are going to turn out!). It makes every game a bit more unique.
I’ve noticed that I used to play Sims 2 in exactly the same way as I would initially do in CK II (try to max out my Sims’ skillpoints, aim for top level career, rack up money etc.), but I would quite often get bored with that family and move on to another. Your rules and strategies have given me a totally new way to play the game that pairs up quite nicely with the way I like to play CK II. I think they’ll be a big help in keeping my new Sims game fresh, and I’m really looking forward to getting back into it (I’ve just finished downloading a ton of mods and fixes).
I just want to finish by saying thank you for all the work you’ve put into your site and Youtube channel. You’ve done a cracking job with them, and they’ve been a massive help in getting this almost-newbie back into the swing of things. Your passion for the game really shines through! I’ve subscribed to your channel and look forward to catching up on, and following, your content.
Ta very muchly!
JT
Hi JT! I’m go glad you’ve found the website helpful! I’ve never played CK, but it sounds like fun. And I know what you mean – it gets boring when you never let your characters fail. Happy Simming and thanks for stopping by!
No, you’re good! I was wondering too if you take some mods out of your game, does the aging system you have stay the same as what you set it as? I was trying to get my game to stop crashing on community lots by taking mods out but it did not work.
If you take the aging mod out, the game will revert back to the original system. Any other mods won’t affect it. π
Hi Cindy π I was looking at your Sims 2 rules and I don’t understand the townie pregnancy. How do you know if a townie has had a woohoo session with someone?
How do you use the Season and Weather controller?
And just to verify, you play a household for four days, switch to another household, and do the same for that one as well?
Hi Deidra! Townies will only woohoo with a Sim in the current playable family. You’ll always know when they woohoo because you’ll be playing their partner. So, when one of your playable male Sims has woohoo with a townie Sim, that’s when the townie pregnancy rules are used.
The Seasons and Weather controller is an object that looks like a vase. You can find it in Misc > Misc in the buy mode catalog. You place it on the lot and click on it for options.
Yes, I play each household for four days in rotation.
Hope that helps! Happy Simming!
Thank you Cindy! It does help! I’m just a little confused about your aging system now. How can you tell what age your sims are? I have started playing the game for the first time in years and I have my aging system set up to match yours. I have placed four new sims in my game and it tells me they have 38 days until they age up. I’m really confused because according to your aging system, they’re supposed to be in their early 20s (I gave them all college degrees via the batbox as well) π
Hi Deidra! Sims age up to elder (in my aging system) at 60 years old. So if they have 38 days until they age up, that makes them 22 years old. Just subtract the days remaining from 60 to get the age. 60-38 = 22.
Thank you so much, Cindy! That’s brilliant! π You know, not to get off topic a bit here, but I wish there was a way we could merge our CC. Also, have you ever opened Create a Family and a nude female top comes up? That happened to me last night and I just deleted them.
I wonder, do you know if the game deletes the package file out of your folder when you delete them in the game?
Thanks for answering all my questions π <3
No problem! Yes, it deletes the file from your folder when you delete it in-game. Just make sure to NEVER delete default replacements in the game. It’s fine to delete regular CC, but deleting default replacements can corrupt your game. Most of the time, the delete button will not be available on defaults, but sometimes it is.
And the nude top means you either have a bad mesh, you have a recolor of a top but don’t have the base mesh for it, or you have two different pieces of CC replacing the same mesh. I hope that helps some and doesn’t confuse you more! Lol
Hi!
Do you only perform actions if the want is present at that exact time?
For the most part. I lock in wants that I feel are important for the Sim (power wants) or just things I want them to accomplish for later (buying clothes, getting skills, relationships, etc). Otherwise, yes. Another exception is Uni. If they roll the want to go to University on their 18th birthday, this is how I decide if they go or not. If they roll it before then, I ignore it. π
Hi Cindy, I love your game play and I am really enjoying playing in your style. Wanted to ask if you move your sims in together after they get engaged but don’t get the want to get married?
Thanks and keep well π
It depends on the Sims. Usually, one of the two Sims will roll a want to get married right after engagement. If that’s the case, I may wait until they get married. However, if they get engaged and neither wants to get married, then most of the time I move them in together anyway. π
Thanks a million π love watching your videos and live streams, keep up the brilliant work.
Ive been trying to play this way since watching your LPs and I find it way more interesting than if I tried to put my own wants/wishes etc onto the sims because all my sims would always end up too similar. Thanks!
You’re very welcome! Happy I could provide some inspiration!
Is there an actual treasury, or do you write down what is going into it and then give sims money through a mod or whatever? And why do sims need to get paid from that? The game pays sims for their jobs on its own. Or is it the sims that you replaced with your created sims like the firefighters and cops?
Or are the wages not good enough for you because they’re not modern, Murica-centric wages?
I love this guide, very useful for those who feel passion for The Sims 2, I am reflected in many of its rules, although perhaps I am a little less strict with things like money or professions, in my case, I decide if the family will be Low or high class depending on the characters.
Thanks Nanami! I’m glad you found it helpful! I’ve found that many Simmers like to have parameters to help with organizing large ‘hoods.
Well, I played in a very similar way without realizing it, I’m glad there are more players like me, some of their guides are very useful for those who like to make neighborhoods full of sims and generations.
Agreed! This is a method of playing NEIGHBORHOODS – not just a single Sim or family. π
I am only approving this rude and completely unnecessary comment so that I can respond to it. Everyone has a different play style. This is the way I LIKE TO PLAY. If you don’t like it, why are you even here? Way to be an ass and not recognize that everyone plays the game differently. I think someone who makes a comment like this needs mental help.
Okay, I just kindly replied to several of your other comments on my blog. This is really bizarre behavior you’re exhibiting here.
Did you ever stop to think that this IS FUN to me?? And many other Simmers?
If it’s not fun to you, don’t play that way. Not everyone finds the same play style enjoyable. I don’t know how many different ways I can say that. What is your problem dude?
I question the mental stability of anyone who gets this upset about how a stranger plays a 15 year old video game.
Also, watch your language. Another comment with profanity and I’ll ban you. This is a family-friendly site.
I don’t really know how to do this
Hi Hedda! You don’t know how to do what?
I love this guide, itβs such a cool way to play the game. Iβm just wondering your methodology behind the zodiac sign choices. For example, I would think a Sagittarius would be a pleasure sim over a knowledge sim (weβre all about adventure and having fun) or choosing family for Aquarius, I think I wouldβve done knowledge. This is all a matter of opinion though!
Hi there! This is the method that Maxis uses to assign aspirations – and since I play Maxis stories, I use their method. Townies and newly generated (by the game) Sims will always have these aspirations if they have the corresponding zodiac signs. It wasn’t just something I made up based on personality! π
I have loved watching your vids and you play style has always seemed so fun and entertaining. I have decided to give it a try, and I’m really excited! keep doing what you are doing and what makes you happy, because your vids make me and many others happy π
Thanks Landon! I think you’ll have a lot of fun! π
Hi Pleasent Sim,
I really love how you play The Sims which is a sandbox game in such strategic way π I was wondering do you have any rules for your gameplay when it comes to The Sims 1?? π
Hi Alexander! Thank you! And no, I don’t have any rules for Sims 1. I never really played it enough to make rules, since I found Sims 2 soon after I got it. But maybe some day I’ll get around to making some!
You are really cool! You also kinda inspired me to play like you!
Hi there! Thank you so much! I’m so happy you’re playing the Sims 2! It’s the best game ever! π
I really like the structure of your gameplay π You’ve really thought this all out lol
Thanks Ellie! This is the result of years of playing and figuring out what I think is fun and works for my play style. π