I began this challenge back in February 2015 and finished it in March. It's a challenge set up in the Sims forums by BlackSand. I adhered to much of the rules, but deviated a bit with my sim's relationship later in the challenge. Here are the guidelines provided for starting out.
The 112 Day Challenge:
Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring … 28 Days Each (112 days Start to Finish)
If you want to play poor, disadvantaged Sims that never seem to get their lives together while wallowing in misery … Then this challenge is not for you. If you need a break from your regular game and want to set-up a Sim for success … This challenge will do it!
Summary:
Unlike most challenges, this one is designed to develop Sims that will probably be used in games or towns later down the line. They can be “townies” or "active" Sims and work with NRaas Story Progression to produce more “depth” to the game. If the Sim completes the challenge, they will be able to fend for themselves … Gain a decent job in line with their Lifetime Wish and excel at that job (among other things).
It is a relatively short Challenge because it is intensive in nature and keeps your Sim busy on tasks that you as a player can “warp speed” through. It provides Sims with enough money to purchase decent houses (including those nice builds builders often make). Your Sim will have skills that affect their everyday life when not in active play. Some skills will affect their overall play (Handiness, Charisma) … While other skills may accent their Career and Lifetime Wish goals (Cooking, Athletics and whatnot). In any case … It is important to note that the primary objective is to allow you (the player) to decide whether or not the Sim is suited for decent play in accordance with your desires and with respects to how you actually designed the Sim.
Important Note:
It doesn’t mean that you use the Challenge to make a bunch of “Cookie Cutter” Sims that all act and perform the same. The rules are loose enough that you can achieve most goals with any “style” Sim. It doesn’t matter if your Sim is Adventurous, Good or Evil … And it is important to keep these things in mind when playing the Challenge.
Use it to set up your Sim the way it is best for your Sim.
Section 1: Basic Rules
Create A Sim Requirements:
Just create a Sim that suits something you want to play or add to a town/world. It doesn’t matter what their “Traits” or “Lifetime Wish” are. It could be added that any trait capable of assisting your Sim can be beneficial, but there is one thing to keep in mind ...You are doing the challenge to set-up the Sim for future games … Not to play it long-term in this challenge … 112 Days.
Sim should be “Young Adult” or Adult.
One Sim per Challenge … It is intense at times and two Sims can be counter-productive.
No Cheats … Starting Cash Only
Lot Requirements:
The lot must be 10x10 … It is intentionally made that way to limit overall area you can plant a “Home Garden”. The lot must have the following items:
- 1 All-In-One Shower/Toilet … (don’t know how you would have room for anything else).
- The Shower can be upgraded (by a Sim in the challenge) at any time or any number of times.
- 1 Small Parking Space and Vehicle … The parking space also limits the area you can use inside the lot.
- The vehicle can be either a sloppy jalopy or motorcycle but must be there … It helps limit Starting Cash.
- 1 Mailbox and Trashcan … The game provides those with the lot, but I will add that you cannot “cheat” and remove the items to make more room.
- 1 Standard Green Tent … This is where your Sim will live/sleep most of the time.
- 1 Burn Pit … I use the cheapest and you don’t have to buy a chair … The pit will “provide” one if needed.
Side Rules:
- At no point are you allowed to “sell” any of these items on your lot.
- At no point are you allowed to “buy” any more items to put on the lot.
- At no point are you allowed to "build", nor "make improvements" to the lot.
- You must maintain your primary residence in the lot at all times (no “moving in” with others).
- At no time do you invite another Sim into your “household” (they can of course visit your lot or sleep in the tent as long as they don’t “live” there).
"Options" Requirements:
This requirement is added to track your game and influence situations surrounding Seasons. If you do not have the Seasons EP it will severely influence the mandatory requirements and make the Challenge essentially useless. The seasons effect your ability to garden outdoors and the health of your Sim. You can choose to spend LTR’s (“Lifetime Reward Points”) on rewards that assist your Sim in Gardening, or Immunity. That is still a choice … And if you don’t (or if it doesn’t suit your Sim) there will be things you have to deal with (illness, cold, heat etc …).
Rules:
- Set the Seasons to 28 days each (This is your 112 days).
- All Seasons must be played with all weather conditions in play.
- You can set the "Moon Cycle" any way you want it (Zombies will eat your garden though).
- You play the Challenge from the first day of summer one Sim year to the first day of summer the next seasonal Sim Year.
Optional:
It doesn’t matter if you use “aging”, “celebrity” or whatnot … It is recommended that you use Story Progression to enhance the town activities.
Section 2: Goals and Objectives
These are the goals your Sim must meet to successfully complete the Challenge. Again … It is intended to help build up the base Sim and prepare them for their eventual play … Not to play long-term in the Challenge. Your Sim is allowed to gain any additional skills, rewards or options beyond the rules except when specified “off limits” (covered later).
Skill Requirements:
These are required to complete the Final Rule.
- Gardening – At least enough skill to plant the seed and grow a “Life Fruit”.
- Fishing – At least enough skill to catch a “Deathfish”.
- Cooking – Level 10
Additional skills:
- Handiness – Level 5 or Better
- Charisma – Level 5 or Better
- Logic – Level 5 or Better
Occupation or Career:
Must have completed Level 10 in any Career (Not directly part of their “Lifetime Wish”)
The career can be any career available in the world you are completing the challenge in … Self Employed or Regular. Remember that you are setting up the Sim to achieve their best in future games … Not to play this one Challenge. Because of this it is important that you Do Not complete your “Lifetime Wish”. With mods like NRass Story Progression … The Lifetime Wish will help drive the programming that decides what this Sim does when playing later on if you are not actively playing the Sim (like if you use it as a “townie”).
Suggestion:
Use this rule and other options to help shape what your Sim will do in future games. There are mods that pay attention to traits, lifetime wishes and activities when running inactive Sims.
Community Service:
Your Sim must complete 80 hours of “Community Service” during the Challenge.
This is the hardest thing to track because it is not recorded that I know of. Community Service includes a lot of things (Training other Sims, Tutoring Children if you have enough “Logic” or “Athletic” Skill). You can also do things like “Rake Leaves” on Community Lots and whatnot.
Keep track of it yourself … Use it to build character and put your Sim through different situations than just push for the major goals.
Money Requirement:
This is a driving factor of the Challenge, but don’t let it be a deterrent from trying. You want your Sim to eventually move somewhere and live in a house they want. There are many ways to earn enough money to complete the challenge requirement (Fishing, Writing, Gardening, Investments, Career … You choose any or all).
The Sim must have at least 250,000 Simoleons in cash to successfully complete the Challenge.
Your Sim shows up with nothing in their inventory … And leaves with nothing* in their inventory. Sell everything but what the lot had on it before you save your Sim to the bin … Simple as that!
*If your Sim happens to pick a “Deathflower”, it is allowed to keep in your Sim's inventory if you want it.
Important Note:
To some players 250k seems like a lot without cheating, but you will soon find that it is easy enough to get that much in 112 days if you want it. For the record so far I have had a Sim finish the 112 days with 1,085,229 Simoleons without cheating at all and following all Challenge Rules. She had more “royalties” from books written due to come and could have made more if the final day had fallen after 9:00 AM on Monday when your Sim can collect income from investments.
Not all of your Sims are intended to be as Ambitious and that should not be attempted unless it is a “personal goal” not directly related to the Challenge.
Lifetime Reward Points Rule:
You must spend as many LTR’s as possible and available before exiting the Challenge.
It doesn’t matter, you are setting the Sim up, and will give it everything possible before saving it to the bin. You cannot have more than 1,999 LTR’s available to your Sim upon completion … Even if you have to buy "influence" with the social groups to spend your final points.
Section 3: The Final Rule
All this time you have prepared your Sim to take on the world … It is time to reward them for their effort. To make the Sim get the most out of their training and put them on a great footing in a new game … You will “reset” their clock for their given “lifestage”.
Your Sim must prepare and digest Ambrosia with ingredients they provide themselves.
This will “zero” the lifestage clock for your Sim. It also requires you to perform certain tasks during the challenge to gather ingredients and prepare the meal … Bon Appetit!
Good Luck in your attempts. And try to stay true to the intentions of the Sim you are playing. You don’t want to do the same things with every Sim who takes the challenge because all Sims are not the same. Learn how that Sim operates. Figure out if you like or hate them. Later you can decide if you can actually stand to play them for any period of time. Not all of your challenge Sims are suited for extended play. But they will all add “life” to your game.
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Here's my first shot of Maxwell Abbott, sitting in the rain, waiting for the paper kid to show up so he can look for a job. He's near the downtown area of Bridgeport. First time I've played in that town, so this should be fun.
I gave him the Fixer Upper Car since BlackSand thought that would be in the spirit of the challenge. (It can't be placed on the parking spot until it's fixed.)
