After reading the thread started by lauratje86 here: http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=609165, I decided to release my Regency Playstyle Guide/Challenge which I have been sitting on for over a year. I didn't upload it before, because I'm not sure if many people play in this time period, or if anyone is interested; however, here goes, By George!

Note: I strongly suggest you download the challenge from the download link at the bottom of the post because it is laid out more clearly and easier to read - it is all here in this post but harder to read because it's not formatted.

By George!
A Sims 2 Regency Play Style Guide

Goal: To create and play a Regency Period Neighbourhood

1st: Create your Regency Hood and choose your starting level.

This is a good play style for starting at Easy and gradually moving up one level at a time. Here are some possible starting suggestions -- you can use a hood you are already playing or create a new one just for this play style. Although not completely necessary, these EPs contribute tremendously to the complexity of the playstyle: University adds Influence points; Nightlife provides Outings; Seasons and Open for Business allow Farms and Shops; Apartment Life is helpful for Reputations. This play style can easily be combined with other challenges and play styles, such as the RKC, the ToT, Prosperity, BACC, etc.

1. Easy - start with Gentry & Professionals,
2. Middling - Gentry & Professionals and Middle Class,
3. Difficult - Gentry & Professionals, Middle Class, Aristocracy & a Royal Family (king + prince regent; + other royal family members as desired)
4. Extreme - add Working Class & Paupers to all of the above to finally include all 5 classes.

Guidelines for titles and occupations within each class:

1. Royalty & Aristocracy: royal family, lords, ladies, peers -- Duke, Duchess, Marquess, Marchioness, Earl, Viscount, Countess, Baron and Baroness; "old money".
2. Gentry & Professionals: baronets, knights, dames, gentlemen farmers, upper clergy, military officers, factory owners, architects, physicians, bankers, barristers; persons with large incomes.
3. Middle Class: lesser clergy, doctors, solicitors, teachers, ship owners, merchants, artists, self-made business men, civil servants; persons of moderate income.
4. Working Class: shopkeepers, innkeepers, publicans, craftsmen, artisans, builders, inventors, etc.; persons of low income.
5. Paupers: farm, fishery, factory and mine labourers, servants, soldiers, pensioners, paupers, vagrants, gypsies, criminals, outcasts and outlaws; persons of paltry income.

Difficulty Level & Community Type - Some Choices for Residential, Shops & Community Lot Types:
(*Your Choice: build or download all lots)

1. Easy - Village - 2-4 families
Cottages
Small farms
Green Grocers
Bakery
Butcher's
Blacksmith's
Tea Shoppe
Park
Village Hall
Chapel
Skating Pond
Tavern

2. Middling - Town - 5-8 families
2-Story Houses
Terraces
Cheeses
Wine & Spirits
Chandler's
Pottery
Florist
Coffee House
Town Hall
Church
Bowling Green
Football Field
Pubs
Tea Rooms
Assembly Rooms

3. Difficult - City - 9+ families
Townhouses
Manor Homes
Slum Tenement
Dressmaker's
Tailor's
Books
Toys
Sweet Shop
Restaurants
City Hall
Large Church
Library
Inns
Magistrate's Court
Coffee House

4.Extreme - Kingdom - Create a Kingdom which includes a Village, Market Town, City, and Country Estates with 20+ families.
Palace
Country Estates
Farmhouse
Milliner's
Jeweler's
Inventor's
Bank Royal Court
Cathedral
Houses of Parliament

2nd: Create your Regency Families

using one of these 3 methods:

1. Use Sims you have already created.
2. Create new CAS families as you normally would.
3. Roll for your families Prosperity Challenge style - link to a handy Prosperity Challenge Randomizer here: http://mangaroo.com/sims2/randomizer_safe.php

Start-up Finances -- Homes & Bank Accounts:

Allowable Amounts for Buying a Lot, Home & Furnishings
Paupers 20,000
Working Class 30,000
Middle Class 40,000
Gentry & Professionals 50,000
Aristocracy 100,000
Royal Family 200,000

Bank Account Allowed after Building & Furnishing
Paupers 0
Working Class 100
Middle Class 1000
Gentry & Professionals 2000
Aristocracy 5000
Royal Family 10,000

Guidelines for Play -- Follow these Steps:

1. Play in Rotations, either by season or 1 - 4 day rotations per household.
2. The Heir is the first born son - he stays on the original lot unless the family's social class changes.
3. Strive to Better Oneself - some examples to begin; add more as you see fit:
a. Education - try to attain a degree; or max all skills; children get into private school, gain scholarships, and attend university.
b. Accomplishment - achieve one's lifetime want; go perma-plat.
c. Career - reach the top of one's career; top 2 careers, etc.
d. Financial Status - amass a fortune; buy a bigger house in a posher area.
e. Marriage - marry up into the class above one's own; marry into wealth.
4. Keep up Appearances -- even under dire circumstances, try to save face and maintain one's social standing when faced with financial ruin; "retrenchment" (cutting back on expenses) is an option when necessary, but families must try to continue entertaining and dressing to reflect their station in spite of forced economies as though nothing in their financial status has changed.
5. Do your duty to your country - Paupers, Working Class and Middle Class male Sims may volunteer as a foot soldier (free), or Gentry & Aristocracy may "buy colours" (pay 1000 to the highest ranking officer in the neighbourhood army) to become an officer - they may join the military, live in a barracks to serve a term of duty, or even engage in battle on specialized battlefield lots.
6. Social Events -- Schedule at least one per rotation: picnics; tea, garden, or dinner parties; country house parties; "The Season" parties, such as coming out balls, routs, theatre events, musicales, etc., (see chart below).

Household Social Events, Betrothals & Marriage

Paupers & Working Class - Family Dinners, Picnics,Tea parties, Attend Church Services, Short or no Betrothal; few or no guests; Simple Home or Chapel Wedding Ceremony

Middle Class - All of the above events, plus: Social Calls, Small Informal Dinner Parties, Church Weddings, Short Betrothal; Family/Close Friends Invitation List; Home, Chapel or Simple Church Ceremony; Wine Toasts, Simple Reception

Gentry & Professionals - All of the above events, plus: Large Formal Dinner Parties, Theater Event, Come Out (into Society), Obtain Vouchers for Almack's (Gentry & Nobles only) Medium length Betrothal; Modest Invitation List; Grander Church Ceremony; Wedding Breakfast, Sophisticated Reception

Aristocracy - All of the above Gentry events plus: Social Calls, Coming-Out Balls, Breakfasts, Routs, Musicales, Riding & Driving in the Park, Country House Parties, Be presented to the Queen, Brought Out into Society, Obtain Vouchers for Almack's (Gentry & Nobles only), Longer Betrothals or get a Special license; elope to Gretna Green when parental permission is denied or when the match is socially unacceptable; Impressive Invitation List; Grander Church or Cathedral Ceremony; Champagne Reception, Grand Wedding Breakfast

Royal Family - All of the above Aristocracy events plus: Balls at the Palace, State Dinners, Garden Parties, Exclusive Invitation List, Cathedral Ceremony, Champagne Reception, Lavish Wedding Breakfast

7. Social Standing is very important to social, business, financial and career success! Build up and maintain those family and friend relationships, Influence points and Reputations. Take advantage of every opportunity for social networking - here are some possible ideas for village or town clubs and societies which can create groups to assist Sims with that goal:

Social Groups
Clubs: purpose is for fun, gossip, socializing
Societies: purpose is to improve the tone of society
Committees: purpose is to improve the life of citizenry
Aristocracy, Gentry - Gentlemen: Gentlemen's Club; Founders Society: historical & genealogical; Village or Town Council: administer the municipality.
Professionals & Middle Class Men: The Guilds Club; Darwin Society: scientific; Chamber of Commerce: ensure the healthy growth of village business & industry
Aristocracy, Gentry - Ladies: Silver Needles Fine Needlework Club; Austen Society: literary & literacy; Ragged School: improve the literacy rate of the lower classes
Professional & Middle Class - Women: Nimble Thimbles Sewing Club; Nightingale Society: public health; Soup Kitchen: provide a Sunday meal and sanitary items to the lower classes

8. The Marriage Mart -- it is essential to obtain vouchers to Almack's for Gentry and the Aristocracy - this is where these important families will get those vital introductions to the most eligible brides and grooms. Middle and Lower Classes cannot be considered for entry to this exclusive salon.
Here's how:
a. Create 2-3 patronesses and their residence which includes a ballroom and supper room with a buffet, where the Assemblies will be held; and preferably a large Drawing Room where the patronesses may scrutinize and assess candidates - these are the "public rooms" of the house. Include private rooms in which the patronesses reside.
b. Hopeful mamas must be friends with at least one patroness, and their son or daughter must have at least a 20/20 relationship with at least one patroness in order to obtain "vouchers" which are invitations to assemblies.
c. Patronesses may bestow a voucher by personally giving a letter or invitation (use a suitable cc or buy catalog item) to the successful candidate to put into their inventory, or use Mog's Postal System to mail a postcard voucher to those they deem eligible.
d. Patronesses will hold balls when and as needed or as wished for by the player; they will use the House Party option, or create groups and use the Outings Just for Fun option to invite voucher-holding Sims to attend.
9. Maintain reputations and moral standards - Regency Sims must strive to be above reproach and untouched by gossip or scandal. Beware! - Gossip can topple even the loftiest of Sims; your enemies and rivals can and will use Gossip to bring you down! If too many Sims begin to gossip about a particular Sim, or if there are too many other distasteful interactions by a Sim, this can result in -- horror of horrors -- a scandal!

So, what constitutes a Scandal?

Minor Scandals:
Gossip, Brag, Prank, Dirty Joke, Insult, Lecture interactions - in public;
5 Sims gossiping about another Sim constitutes a minor scandal;
Any scenario which occurs during gameplay which shows a lapse of manners or good breeding, such as loud, excessive laughter, farting, or busting a move at a social event or in a public place, or a nervous breakdown (aspiration failure).

Consequences of a Minor scandal = the Sim and immediate family receive "the cut direct" (i.e.: be unrecognized and unacknowledged by acquaintances and friends) and must withdraw from Society (i.e.: no social events) temporarily (for one season/4 days) until gossip dies down. After this time they may re-enter society.

Major Scandals:
Irritate, Argue, Yell At, Push, Poke, Slap, Noogie, Throw Drink, Fight, interactions;
An unmarried miss unchaperoned in company with a male Sim, witnessed by even one other Sim;
Any of the Romantic Interactions in public between unmarried couples; or in private if caught in the act by even one other Sim;10 Sims gossiping about another Sim constitutes a major scandal;
Any affairs or indiscreet liaisons occurring as a result of ACR or otherwise which are witnessed by even one other Sim; break up of a marriage; out of wedlock pregnancy or birth of an illegitimate child.

Consequences of a Major scandal = the Sim and immediate family receive "the cut direct" (i.e.: be unrecognized and unacknowledged by acquaintances and friends) and must withdraw from Society (i.e.: no social events) for two full seasons/8 days, after which they may re-enter society; or the family is demoted by one social class and must try to rebuild their reputations and influence before they can seek to regain their former social standing.

10. Use random occurrence scenarios to add drama; here are some examples:
https://app.box.com/s/a6ccd3cf0aeb2dbe874d;
https://app.box.com/s/39f79a8a32958a02c42d;
http://modthesims.info/showthread.p...25#startcomment (scroll to post #173).

11. Mods/Hacks/Cheats: My game is modded to the hilt - feel free to use mods, hacks & building cheats, especially those that make things more difficult; but not those which improve a family's finances or social standing - this is frowned upon. Inheritances resulting from a death or ROS, however, are acceptable.

12. CC -- By all means, use period appropriate cc if you wish - I certainly do! Some great sites to find it are MTS, Plumbbob Keep, Victoria & George, Disemporium, & Shades of Pleasantview to name a few.

13. Scoring: The above list states Goals for setting up and creating your Sim Regency World, but as it is more a Guide for a specific playstyle which drives storytelling, there is no formal points system in this challenge. However, if you write a story about playing out the challenge and post it online for others to read, you will have succeeded admirably!


~ vllygrl ~

My Policies:
This and all of my challenges are my own original work/creations/writing. My work, including posts outlining my challenges and all documents is copyright protected, all rights reserved.
Please do not copy, reproduce, share, or upload the whole or any part of this posted challenge and/or document and/or any of my challenges and present it as your own writing, creation, adaptation, expansion or work without my permission.
As per MTS Guidelines, and as posted by MTS --
"Condoning Theft of Intellectual Property - Theft of IP is a broader term and includes, but is not limited to, the use of someone else's work, in part or in whole, and presenting it as your own. If you do use a small part of someone's work product in a post ensure that it is properly referenced (link if available) and credit given. Thank you."

Disclaimer: Not for one minute do I imagine I have complete authenticity or 100% historical accuracy in this challenge! If you see any glaring omissions or dreadfully inaccurate information, please, let me know and feel free to adjust as you see fit. However, this is the Sims. I expect to play a game, just for fun, and in the process I may stretch reality, history or facts at any moment without warning. Thank you for joining me in the suspension of disbelief. Copyright: Vllygrl, all rights reserved. Thank you.

This is very cool! Thank you I'm going to give this a test shortly when I boot up my game for the first time in 3 months!

You're very welcome, and thank YOU, Cupcakeyy - you're such a well-known Regency sims player, I'm honoured to have you think so! I love your Simbury tales and I have so many of your clothing creations in my Regency game! Please let me know how it goes - 3 months is a long time to be away from your game, but I'm so glad you're feeling better.

Finally decided to try this. I'm building sims and houses right now. I hit a little snag building country estates for my aristocracy. I built a sim adapted version of Charlton House, but even before it was furnished it was coming in at over 120k. But I'd put so much effort into building it, I didn't want to not use it. So I put down some rent/loan shrubs. It lowers the worth of the lot so they can get some furnishings, and theoretically come in under the 105k limit, but they'll be in debt as well. I just figured it fit well in the period, since it was better to go into debt than to wear last year's fashions.

Lauri

Hey Lauri! so glad you've decided to try it!

I really like your solution to the snag, and you're so right -- going into debt rather than sacrificing appearances does fit well in the period -this gives you a great backstory for whichever family you move into your sim version of Charlton House!!

Also, it did happen that noble families became land/house-rich and cash-poor, often due to gambling or speculation which wiped out finances. So they still had the titles and grand properties to keep up but no money to maintain them. (Better look for an heiress!!!)

I'd love to hear more about how your Regency hood develops and how you play By George! so please tell us more as you go along!
Happy Simming,
Vllygrl :D

I will. I did a row/terrace house next. It came in above budget too. The main culprit? 3 wall coverings that I have that fit the period soooo well, but are 25 simoleans a section.

Ha Ha! Some decor is just so perfect the temptation is insurmountable!!!

Indeed. Of course now that I'm making the sims, I'm having trouble with costuming. I don't have a lot of regency clothing, and what I do is suited more for the middle classes and higher. So my lower classes are getting some clothing that fits more in the 1850's or later. I've got some really good pauper clothing, but it's Victorian style. And some good worker class clothing, but it's mostly American Civil War, or American Prairie style. So my lower classes will be poor, but soooo avant garde.

Lauri

Ha ha!!! Only too true - I have had similar difficulties finding period-appropriate clothing for the lower classes, and it does indeed take a lot of hunting to find suitably grungy and raggedy Regency garb. However, with a little steady hunting, there is some which can be found. Also, it wasn't uncommon for clothing from an earlier style to still be worn by poorer people who could not afford newer, fashionable clothing, so I feel comfortable stretching the time period so that paupers often wear worn out clothing from an earlier era in my game.

True, but my 17th century clothing is almost all royal/upper class as is most of my renaissance clothes. I didn't want to go back to the middle ages especially for the men (women it's not quite so bad but as always there's a ton more cc for women than men). Oh well, I'm going to have fun with it no matter. I'm almost ready to actually play. :D

Lauri

Yay!!! I am soooo looking forward to hearing how it goes! :D

Well, it's held up right now. I'm experiencing graphic glitches. It's hard to play when your screen goes screwy.

Lauri

Oh dear, I’ve had graphics issues too - so frustrating! I hope yours get sorted out soon!

This challenge has captured my imagination. I don't plan to follow it strictly (I have a period economic system I want to try out), but I will definitely be using your social guidelines; they are exceptionally well thought out.

Sorry for the late reply, I've been away on summer holidays!

Thank you very much for saying so, croiduire! I'm sure I've missed a few things, lol!, even though I spent a couple years mulling it over before I even thought of uploading it. However, I consider it really more guidelines/suggestions anyway, since I find Sims players to be so creative that all they need is a spark and they're off and running!

I'd love to hear more about your hood and gameplay!

Hello,
I know this is an old thread but I thought it was worth a try asking this. I have been considering a Georgian/Victorian hood and I really like these gameplay rules, will definitely be using them if I go ahead...
I found a lot of clothing/decor/other cc, however I am struggling with how to handle careers and earning money for my Sims (I guess some can come from old money and others can run businesses...) but does anyone have any links to custom careers that are appropriate for this time period?
Thanks

I've used a lot of Medevel content like mining,pottery,weaving and many other things to create vocational careers for sims not taking a normal job and have a few from here that work well with this challange and others like it.One is a small town politics career which is also for my BACC.I've also got a few along the lines of this one starting out as colonial settlements in the new world in the 16th or 17th centuries based on this.I use the family funds cheat to adjust a household's funds before moving them in if that needs adjusting to reduce them or increase them to match the family's backstory.
I'm starting my version in an empty terrain and slowly adding my population in as is the case with colonizing a new land.The youngest or only child inherits a homestead and other children can move out as teens though families living in small homes might have all children move out as teens because of overcrowding.School isn't an option early on except for wealthier sims who've mastered logic skill or even lower wealth ones who manage to master logic who could homeschool a child.Wealthier families could send their children to school once there's a sim in a full time or part time version of the Education career.

This is a truly inspired idea for a challenge even though I play TS4 and have just recently gotten into regency gameplay. Thank you so much for sharing! It has given me a lot to ponder for my gameplay.

You are welcome, landerlady12! I’m so glad you are enjoying incorporating it into your regency gameplay!
Cheers, Vllygrl