Deeper MAXIS Hobbies, Part 2

As I have been playing for quite some time with my personality and trait system, I decided to update you on the changes I made in game. As always, feel free to borrow/steal/use them in your game and tweak them to suit you. Ask any questions, concerns or comments as well.

Deeper MAXIS Hobbies, Reduex


Based on a sim's one true hobby, I decided that they would have a corresponding skill strength. This means that they will learn that chosen skill faster (mostly through the Thinking Cap from the aspiration rewards and skill bonuses from SimBlender). Some hobbies will also have a boost in talent badges, meaning that they will start with a bronze badge (of thier chosing if multiple badges are available) even without studying.

Assigning Money Management Styles Based on Simology

I've been wondering how to add a bit more dimension to my sims, especially when it comes to debt and spending habits. Thankfully I came across an article about money management styles and I wondered if I could apply that to my sims.

Basically each money management style is seperated by traits, actually thier serious score and thier money interest score, so there's nothing new for me to randomly roll, I just look at my simmies' stats. Also, the nature of their money management style is pretty fluid as well. Here's a brief overview of the money management styles.

Traits, Part 2

As I have been playing for quite some time with my personality and trait system, I decided to update you on the changes I made in game. As always, feel free to borrow/steal/use them in your game and tweak them to suit you. Ask any questions, concerns or comments as well.

Traits
I have a list of 54 traits-most taken from TS3 list, others from personality profiles and myself. Things like grouchy and sweet were removed since the ingame personality/zodiac signs takes care of that. Also, I added things like witchy/vampire/etc to indicate if the sim would like to become a creature. I also added fertility, sexual preference and body type.

Apple Valley Academy

The newly renovated Apple Valley Academy is complete and ready for it's close-up. The school sits on the largest allowed piece of property (3x3) in the county and has a third level that is currently storage, but can be expanded if the need arises.

The first level features the principal's office, art classroom, music classroom, auditorium, library and cafeteria. Outside there is plenty of space on the playground, basketball court and school garden to relax and enjoy the crisp days of fall.

Antonio Herendez volunteers once a week to teach students the basics of art appreciation,

while Nicole Humphrey works part-time teaching music, or torturing her ears, depending on the student.

The cafeteria is stocked with healthy eating options such as mac and cheese, vending machines and the addictive coffee.

The library has a bank of computers as well as an ever growing book collection for student research.

Benjamin Endeavor leads an outdoor physical education class part-time whenever the weather is nice, otherwise the class is moved indoors,

much to the dispair of the secondary students who hoped to see Benjamin without his shirt once more. Students also enjoy the outdoor garden and fish pond.

The second level contains the dance room (and indoor physical education room), technical arts room, secondary classroom (6-12); lower primary classroom (K-2) and upper primary classroom (3-5).

Ilila Peterson manages to keep her students seated and focused as they compare their reading materials. Her classroom contains most of her travel momentos,

classroom fish tank (that the secondary students love) and bright, cheerful paintings.

Jasmine Frankson perfers a more laid back teaching style for her students as she allows them to explore the delights of thier surroundings. The students are surrounded with a classroom wombat, plant station, activity table, large table for reading and writing and plenty of floor space for fun and games.

Jesse Kent is just glad that he doesn't have to deal with taunts of "booger face" though he now has to try to teach his students the strange world of algebra. When students are not glued to their seats wishing for lunchtime, they can be found exploring the bookcase full of magazines and university information in the back.

Susie MacAstral doesn't have that problem with her dance class

her students are usually very dedicated,

nor do the students complain when it's their turn in the techincal arts room. Harriet and Henry work hard on their respective crafts while ignoring each other as siblings often do.
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Deeper MAXIS Aspirations, Part 2

As I have been playing for quite some time with my personality and trait system, I decided to update you on the changes I made in game. As always, feel free to borrow/steal/use them in your game and tweak them to suit you. Ask any questions, concerns or comments as well.

Aspirations, Reduex

At first I chose aspirations based on the family members. For example, if the parents were family and fortune then the children would be one or the other. Now aspirations are chosen based on thier personality, wants as a child, interests, traits and OTH-if known. Aspirations can change as the sim ages or based on a ROS, so they're more dynamic.

I assign aspirations as follows.

Fortune:
-personality= mostly serious, not lazy or shy sims
-interests = Money, Work, Crime
-OTH= n/a

Knowledge
-personality= mostly serious, shy and neat sims.
-interests = Environment, Paranormal, Weather, Sci-Fi, Health
-OTH= Science, Nature, Tinkering

Family
-personality=mostly nice sims, not lazy sims
-interests= School, Toys
-OTH: Culinary

Popularity:
-personality= mostly outgoing and playful sims.
-interests = Culture, Entertainment, Fashion, Politics, Sports
-OTH: Sports, Music & Dance

Pleasure:
-personality= mostly playful, lazy sims.
-interests = School, Toys, Travel,
-OTH: Games, Sports

Romance:
-personality= mostly outgoing, playful and nice sims.
-interests = Culture,
-OTH= n/a

Grilled Cheese (secondary aspiration only):
-personality= mostly lazy sims.
-interests = food
-OTH: Culinary

Behind the Aspirations
Aspirations mean slightly different things to me. They give me the why behind some of the wants that my sims roll up. They can also be described using some of the TS3 traits.
 
Fortune: This sim is very ambitious, disciplined, and at their worst is a workaholic. They can be a bit neurotic and snobbish at times, however they love art and the finer things in life to bolster their reputation.
 
Knowledge: This sim can be described as a bookworm, always reading and can be a bit clumsy. They can also be a whiz with technology, eccentric and often are geniuses.
 
Family: This sim often likes children and animals and are very family oriented. Decisions are made based on the family.
 
Romance: There are two versions of this aspiration in my game
-Romance-Commitment Issues: This sim often dislikes children, can be very flirty and is a great kisser and woohooer.
-Romance-Hopeless Romantic: This sim loves romance novels and stories of true love. This is how I try to reconcile those family/romance sims.
 
Pleasure: This sim can tend to be a bit childish and a couch potato. They are often easily impressed with just about everything and are often heavy sleepers. They are heavy party animals
 
Popularity: This sim is very charismatic and a natural sales sim. They can be dramatic at times and a party animal.
 
Grilled Cheese: This sim is a food addict with a narrow obsession with cheese.

Apple Valley Police Station

In the heart of the Metro lies a crop of buildings including the plain police station clad in white stone.

Once you enter the station you encounter the reception area where you must wait until or if you are allowed upstairs to the offices or holding cells.

The station serves as home to the Apple Valley police force and intelligence department.

During their daily routines they work on cases, uncover evidence,

and keep an eye on inmates in the holding cells.

Occasionally those inmates, who live far from the lap of luxury, 

receive visitors who must also be carefully watched through the visitor's speaking cell.

Otherwise, things are usually quiet around the station.

Deeper MAXIS Personality, Part 2

As I have been playing for quite some time with my personality and trait system, I decided to update you on the changes I made in game. As always, feel free to borrow/steal/use them in your game and tweak them to suit you. Ask any questions, concerns or comments as well.

Deeper MAXIS Personality-Reduex

I haven't really given MAXIS personality much play. Yes, my sims have it, but since I can control them even messy sims clean up thier homes. Recently, I've been looking at the traits in depth and really thinking what each one entails. So in addition to what the game programs them to do, I arranged for the personality traits to give me clues about various other traits (such as glasses/weight/career choice and aspiration/etc).

Neat: [5+ points] organized, neat-freak. This sim would color code recipes, clean up immediately and freak out over messes. Pays bills as soon as they come in, always remembers birth control (ACR birth control is on). Clothing is neat and ironed, hair is perfectly styled, more likely to wear a watch and leave for work or school as soon as carpool arrives. Gains cleaning skills much faster at a rate of 3:1 (for every third skill point they earn by studying, they gain a bonus one through SimBlender)

Messy: [4 or less points] disorganized, cluttered. This sim would have more clutter, lose bills and forget payments and birth control (ACR birth control is off). Clothing is wrinkled, mismatched, barefoot. Wears PJs most of the day. More likely to leave for work or school at the last possible minute, or late most days.

Outgoing: [5+ points] Attire is more trendy and skimpy, more likely to wear lots of jewelry, dyed hair. Gains charisma skills much faster at a rate of 2:1 (for every one skill point they earn by studying, they gain a bonus one through SimBlender). Gains friends much faster by having an initial relationship boost of 20 with all new sims (using SimBlender, relationships with new sims start at 20)

Shy: [4 or less points] More likely to have glasses, hairstyle will be such that sim can hide behind, attire is more conservative

Active: [5+ points] Wears gym clothes most of the day, more likely to be fit. Gains body skills much faster at a rate of 3:1 (for every third skill point they earn by studying, they gain a bonus one through SimBlender)
Lazy: [4 or less points] Wears PJs most of the day, more likely to be overweight. Automatic entry into secret society. Will ask sims to complete their homework, term paper and assignments.

Playful: [5+ points] Will play on playground equiptment to increase fun, chose play with interactions to increase fun, will wear hats and face makeup, attire is more trendy, dyed hairstyles. Have a very high dancing skill (modified with SimPE).

Serious: [4 or less points] genetic disposition to wear glasses :P attire is more conservative, more likely to be designated "genius" and allowed Smart Milk during toddler years. Gains logic skills much faster at a rate of 3:1 (for every third skill point they earn by studying, they gain a bonus one through SimBlender). Have a very high meditation skill (modified with SimPE).

Nice: [5+ points] More likely to perform errands for others, give gifts, easily influenced, will have an easier time making friends. Gains friends much faster by having an initial relationship boost of 20 with all new sims (using SimBlender, relationships with new sims start at 20).

Mean: [4 or less points] Likes to torment, argue. Will have a harder time making friends and will become easily furious with other sims and stay furious longer. Relationships grow at a slower rate by having an initial relationship decay of -20 with all new sims (using SimBlender, relationships with new sims start at -20).