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Top Secret Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 4:41 PM
Default Large families
It has come to my attention that a mod here on MTS allows you to have up to 30 Sims and 20 pets in one household. I've seen a couple people mentioning having households with more than 8 Sims in them and had to find out how, so I googled and found it.

While I can do an 8 Sim house (with a lot of pauses) for those with larger households, how do you do it? Do you let them free will or micromanage everything?

If you wish go ahead and tell stories of your large households.

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Link Ninja
#2 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 5:05 PM
My house of 8 would get paused when I first loaded it, then i would space through all thumbs and get a feel of what their needs were, locked an easily attainable aspiration, set a queue of things for them to do and let them have at it. When they were done with the actions I assigned they were free to do what they wanted.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

Mad Poster
#3 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 5:59 PM
The largest household in my game at the moment is the Eriksons. They're a family of farmers with 10 children and 3 dogs. So 12 Sims + 3 dogs. It's pretty difficult, especially with the dogs and training them not to pee indoors or chew things, etc, and when the triplets were toddlers - that was also a nightmare. I usually fast-forward a lot in Sims, but this household, god, you did that once and suddenly everyones needs are in red. I actually spent most of the time in the household pausing, putting a few things in each of their queues, then unpausing. Though for some reason my Sims just stop doing stuff sometimes to go off and do something else (tried to ask on a thread why they were doing that, but got the "maybe someones in their path" etc responses when I knew that wasn't the problem). So I'd be pausing every sim hour or so to make sure everyone was doing what they were suppose to. I miss that family, I don't play that hood any more but they were a barrel of.. erm.. laughs?... and stress. Especially because they were farmers, so by the time they were children, I decided they should HAVE to have a bronze gardening badge, by teens they should have mastered 2 skills (cooking/cleaning for girls, mechanical/cleaning for boys) and by mid-teens they should have at least 1 bronze badge at anything (usually sewing or fishing), and a gold badge at gardening.

~Your friendly neighborhood ginge
Mad Poster
#4 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 7:08 PM
You kinda have to micromanage with large families. For example, my Hamilton's had 10 kids because I thought "Why not?", since the Hamilton's are everywhere (a lot of townies and npcs are generated with the Hamilton surname). Its really hard to let them go on their own, and since the no. of sims on the lot was so large, it was hard for me to track everyone's motives, so... I had to use MaxMotives... a lot...
Mad Poster
#5 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 7:36 PM Last edited by simsfreq : 18th Nov 2014 at 8:01 PM.
I find it the same as households with 8 sims, just a few more to deal with, no big deal!

My sims mostly take care of themselves, I might jump over to a sim and check what they're doing, but no mostly I let them free will. I'll concentrate on one sim for a while and get them to do some stuff for them - relationship, promotion, etc.

When you have all sims either employed or in education, too, that reduces the number of sims on a lot at a time. Or you can take a smaller group to a community lot if you like. I use the community time project so it works in real time and again reduces the number of sims on the lot when I get back to play them.

I ALWAYS pause a lot, though, even with one sim households. I am always quite baffled when I see people on here telling others to pause because I thought everyone paused all the time. My sims spend more time paused than living! (If you count all the time in build/buy mode, neighbourhood view, when I've tabbed out of the game etc :P)

I find on households where sims don't sleep (plantsims) or there are a lot of sims to attend to, especially if they're on different sleep schedules, time seems to pass a lot slower. With smaller households I can zip through at speed 2 or 3 unless they're doing something really interesting whereas with bigger ones I tend to live on speed 1 because there's always something to see.

My best tip is to avoid certain items. Bars will interrupt sims fulfilling hunger needs because they tend to pour a drink rather than make food. And "stuff face" fills barely anything. When I notice a sim is hungry I make them serve meal, which automatically adds the action of eating to any sim on the lot. They might not get to that action, but it's a start. A hungry sim is more likely to autonomously grab food from a serving plate than serve their own food for some reason.

Coffee machines prevent sims from sleeping because they will go for the coffee rather than sleep. After energy hits a certain low, coffee can't bring it up fast enough to be any use, so skip the coffee maker. The medicine cabinet from Apartment Life (?) interrrupts sims needing hygeine since they will brush teeth rather than shower. Normal mirrors sometimes interrupt this too because they'll "gussy up", especially if they are Neat.

Avoid the high-draw items too which they'll stay in until they starve/pass out/wet themselves. Off the top of my head, that's the karaoke machine, bubble blower and dance ball thing. I've heard exercise bike does this too, but I haven't experienced it.

Download hacks which prevent them from napping if there's a bed available (or that just make naps better) and from taking bubble baths unless they're pregnant/ill/low on comfort. I think these hacks are both by TwoJeffs. Something that makes sims smarter about caring for babies and toddlers is a must too, or they'll keep dropping their queues just to swap a sleeping toddler from one crib to another.

Avoid illness - hire a maid and fence in your trash can.

I use the sims as a psychology simulator...
Top Secret Researcher
Original Poster
#6 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 8:02 PM
Yeah I like to mircomanage my Sims, they have no idea what free will is lol. Rarely have I ever had it on and only when I had to. My Sims also live more time on pause than actually living!

I don't understand people that don't micromanage their Sims lol. An ISBI challenge would drive me insane! Yet i'd love to try one one day lol. I like a challenge and to a micromanager like me that would be a challenge not to control the other Sims! To each their own playstyle .

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Mad Poster
#7 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 8:21 PM
One of the great advantages of large families, I find, is that you can't micromanage everybody, and they start showing you their characters, and features of the game you never saw before.

I only just installed a bigger families hack, so the biggest family I've had to date was eight sims and two pets. But I've got Rhett and Penny Hart and their daughter Laika living with Rhett's dad Valentine, his second wife Mary, their two children, and a cat; and the plan is to get Mary and Penny both pregnant at once and raise babies and toddlers together. I look forward to this very much! Laika and Mary's daughter Rhein are about to age to teen, Mary isn't employed outside the house, and Valentine's retired, so there'll be plenty of hands on deck.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
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Undead Molten Llama
#8 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 8:42 PM
I must emphatically echo Peni's first sentence.

I would think micromanaging a large household (I've done polygamous families and communes that had 25+ Sims on the lot) would just be unworkable. I mean, you COULD do it, I suppose. It would mean a ton of pausing to queue up actions, I would think, and to me that would just be tedious. I don't play the game to be frustrated by tedium. But maybe to other people, that wouldn't be tedious at all. To each their own and all.

Anyway, the largest household I'll micromanage like that is about 10ish Sims. Otherwise, free will all the way. Usually what happens is that each Sim in the household, especially those who don't work/go to school, is given a designated task, which is pretty much the only thing I command them to do. Like, these over here will be the designated toddler wranglers. That one will do the cleaning. That one will do the cooking. Those will tend the garden that feeds all these mouths. And so forth. Other than that, all I do is run periodic motive checks and nudge along anyone who doesn't seem to be taking care of him/herself. My Sims tend to be pretty good at keeping themselves from dying...although there is the occasional bladder accident, much to the "delight" of the designated cleaner. The only thing I don't let them do themselves is put themselves to bed. I like household bedtimes because I like to keep large families, especially, on a schedule, so they all go to bed and need to eat and such at roughly the same times. It makes them easier to deal with, IMO. But maybe that's just me.

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Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#9 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 9:38 PM
My largest houshold has 14 sims, although two are servos and one is a cat. Since I don't control the cat and servos can be told to power down that effectively makes it 11. Most of my larger households would not have more than about 7-9 sims. I play large families on speed 1 and I cycle around to make sure they aren't doing anything stupid and direct any that need directing. if someones bladder is going to burst but the piano seems more attractive I'll tell them to go to the toilet. If I want a certain sim not going off to do something I'll put them on something they won't leave, like painting. How well sims take care of themselves differs, there always seems to be one who would rather starve then go for 'call to meal'. Other sims you know will always go eat and sleep so I am less likely to click on them. I will say that 14 sim household is hectic, more so because it was a challenge and some sims were only allowed 8 commands per day. I would say speed one, the pause button and simply checking around the sims is all that is needed. Some people play too fast I have noticed on Let's Play's and then they complain about missing stuff or sims doing stuff they shouldn't, it would not happen nearly so much on speed one.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Top Secret Researcher
Original Poster
#10 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 9:59 PM
Yeah a really large family I would have to put on free will. I'd still control them a lot but once in awhile I have managed free will with large families by just going from one sim to the next, telling them to do things, checking on them, and sometimes leaving them to their own devices as I work on another Sim in the household. Only large households tend to ever get free will and i'll still pause if needed but larger households just can't get the same amount of micromanagement smaller ones can. I enjoy families of all sizes though . And yeah with a small household i'll speed 2-3 more often then in larger households. In larger households speed 1 is often needed. I'll only speed up on smaller ones if nothing interesting is happening.

The only households to make me pull my hair out so to speak where when I did the toddler mania challenge a couple times O.O. I did it though lol. Even got Sims from that challenge still in my game with the 7 toddlers now being YA's in Uni.

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retired moderator
#11 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 10:09 PM
I have done the toddler mania challenge to Shady's rule set about five times. It was kind of a torturous fun that I kept coming back to to try and better my score. All those poor kids with coloured hair and names like Red Lolly, Blue Lolly, Purple Lolly etc running around throw away hoods.
I always play with free will on, free will off is boring.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Forum Resident
#12 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 10:17 PM
In very large families I tend to pick just one or two sims to really control and let the others go on free will. If it is a family with a lot of kids, I will usually 'play' the parents and let the kids do their thing other than telling them to do their homework or save them from starvation or something like that. If it is a family of adults (I have done polygamist families as well) I allow them to do their own thing for the most part, unless they have to skill for a promotion or they need me to save their lives because they are being stupid.

The biggest family I have at the moment are the Newson clan, minus Gavin, plus four infants, two extra toddlers, and two extra children. It seems that the Newson women like to have unprotected Woohoo. I had been just controlling the oldest - Ginger - so she could take care of all the kids. Then when the children aged to teens I started controlling them more as well. Now that the twins are teens, I use all four teens and Ginger because Ginger has a single child, plus quad infants, Gabriella has a couple kids and is pregnant again, and Georgia has just had her first child. I am so glad that I do not have male pregnancy in my game... lol

The moon so bright shows me the way
Deep in the graveyard beside her I lay
Knowing she'll keep me safe from all harms
Though six feet apart, I lay in her arms...
Test Subject
#13 Old 18th Nov 2014 at 10:27 PM
I currently have 32 prisoners, 1 warden, and one kid all on the same lot. I just turn on free will and let them have at it with very little intervention on my part. I just control the same few sims most of the time and occasionally check on the others to make sure their needs aren't crappy. Since it's a prison my sims are easily kept under control behind the locked doors and spend most of their time in the cafeteria either eating, chatting, or dancing. It's actually pretty fun to just let everyone be themselves and watch how they interact with each other. If this were to be a REAL house I'm sure this would be utter chaos!

Mad Poster
#14 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 2:21 AM
Doesn't that many sims give you monster lag?
Top Secret Researcher
Original Poster
#15 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 2:44 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Charity
Doesn't that many sims give you monster lag?


I was wondering the same thing. I figured maybe a few more Sims then the normal 8 could be fine but wouldn't too many more cause a ton of lag?

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Undead Molten Llama
#16 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 2:48 AM
Whether or not it causes lag depends on your machine and its specs. With the computer I'm using now, I've shoved about fifty Sims on a lot (for stress-testing purposes, not for actual playing ) and there was no lag even when it also rained on the lot. Other people experience lag with an 8-person lot. So...it depends.

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Lab Assistant
#17 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 5:48 AM
I love large households! :D
I always start with a married couple (I buy the biggest lot to start them on which doesn't leave them much money to start with...my land always has a pond on it before they buy it) and with Trips & Quads as well as Unlimited Sims...it doesn't take long for my family to become large.
I usually don't put many fun things in my houses (with the exception of toddler toys) because I like them to mainly be self sustaining - so there's always a large pond as well as lots of gardening plots and fruit trees to tend to (starting out small and adding more as they can afford to). Also, as they can afford it, 6-8 trees get added to the property so's they can collect the leaves for composting (usually delegated to the children to take care of).
When they can afford it, they get a sewing machine and the only way they can have a car is by restoring a "junk" car (the car doesn't usually become drive-able until at least one of the kids hits teenager and can help get it restored).
Everyone pitches in to care for the infants and toddlers.
All teens must have a gold badge in gardening, a silver badge in fishing and, at very least, a silver badge in sewing before they can go to college.
Free will is always on but I tend to micro-manage a lot unless all chores are done, and then they get their freedom for a few sim minutes lol!
Mad Poster
#18 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 12:42 PM
See, I don't understand how people can play with free will off. I always worry that I will forget to feed them and they keep dropping motives all the time D: it's SUPER stressful. At least when free will is on, they attempt to take care of themselves. Plus, it's kind of creepy when they stand around doing nothing.

I use the sims as a psychology simulator...
Top Secret Researcher
Original Poster
#19 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 12:47 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simsfreq
See, I don't understand how people can play with free will off. I always worry that I will forget to feed them and they keep dropping motives all the time D: it's SUPER stressful. At least when free will is on, they attempt to take care of themselves. Plus, it's kind of creepy when they stand around doing nothing.


I find it super stressful with free will on. They act like...well idiots. They don't take care of themselves in my experience and if they do not very well. The only way I can handle free will on is in large households then it's alright. Small ones I just can't do it.

To each their own playstyle.

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Mad Poster
#20 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 1:20 PM
Quote: Originally posted by wickedjr89
I find it super stressful with free will on. They act like...well idiots. They don't take care of themselves in my experience and if they do not very well. The only way I can handle free will on is in large households then it's alright. Small ones I just can't do it.

To each their own playstyle.

This might surprise you, but the only time I've not have free will on, was to take pictures. have each sim pose required this...
I would find the game less interesting if i would just dictated their every moves.
I've been learning, and Sims learns too. They take habits..good or bad, and if bad..then it is my time to act.

Je mange des girafes et je parle aussi français !...surtout :0)

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Mad Poster
#21 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 4:25 PM
I think the biggest I've played was 25, but it took generation to get this big. Just a note about that hack: you can't move-in people (from hood view) when there are already 8, but you can INVITE over, and move-in people. I always give them free-will; as they learn (especially to cook), and according to their personalities, some will take care of babies/toddlers, cook, clean, and entertain themselves WITHOUT MY INTERVENTION! But I always keep on eye on toddlers and pregnant women. Evenings are a LOT of pausing to make sure moods, homework, studying for work, eating and (the hardest!) showers and going to bed are done. GO TO BED! NO, YOUR OWN BED! NOW! Yea, a ghost, ekk ekk GO BACK TO BED!

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Inventor
#22 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 4:58 PM
Quote: Originally posted by wickedjr89
I find it super stressful with free will on. They act like...well idiots. They don't take care of themselves in my experience and if they do not very well. The only way I can handle free will on is in large households then it's alright. Small ones I just can't do it.

It can be hard to avoid the micromanaging, but with new sims without any skills and experience I micromanage at first to 'train them to take care of themselves'.
I have done so with my new hood and four new families. Some sims will act reasonable after this training. Even choose actions I prepared to direct to them but they already chose by themselves a second before I could click it. I figure those sims learned well from this training. Other sims still will complain about needing to do something, but then instead choose some other unneccessary action over it. Like in real life. Some people learn fast and manage themselves fine. Others still need a bit of help with that.
Sometimes I just let them complain and figure out for themselves they should take a shower by now, for example.
When it is a need that could cause issues when not fulfulled now, I direct them.
It can be a fine line between giving free range and managing too much, which takes the unexpected actions out of the equation. I like the latter so I watch myself not pitching in too quickly.
My point is that you could find them acting less like idiots after you've given them 'a training on sim living'.
Field Researcher
#23 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 5:22 PM
My biggest problem with large families is creating a house for them that has a sensible floor plan, with room for all the beds required AND enough stuff for the sims to do, without being so big that I can't find the baby someone took out of the crib and put down somewhere else when I wasn't looking...
Theorist
#24 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 5:31 PM
You all must be super patient people, because after reading through this thread I feel frazzled...but entertained.

There is not a snowball's chance that I could take on something like this. I mean seriously, one of my households that has four Sims (parents and two children) and two pets (dog and guinea pig) is keeping me pretty busy during their rotation.

And, since I'm a free will on always / no matter what happens I save the game type of player, the chaos would surely get to me. So, I truly commend those of you who can handle the larger households.


“Seize the time... Live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.” ― Jean-Luc Picard
Lab Assistant
#25 Old 19th Nov 2014 at 5:39 PM
@ mirjampenning
Yeppers.
When I first put my married couple on their lot, I let them do their lovey-dovey stuff for a bit and then I start directing them on what they need to do - "Oh! Your hungry? Better get to fishin' so's you can start buying what you need and have food to eat...smooch later!" lol
Doesn't take long til they start fishing on their own and be able to start getting their place set up.
Once Momma-Sim gets pregnant, she usually is pampered. I let her do what she wants unless she gets too hungry, then she does have to cook and I usually find that Hubby will autonomously call her over to fish with him.
Kids and teens are allowed to play (if there's no gardening to do) when they get home from school until their fun raises enough to get their homework done and then I find that, a lot of times, they too will be auto-asked to join fishing. I do find that, if too many sims are doing one particular thing, they'll all drop it out of their queue... so that's why I don't "demand" everyone to fish, garden or whatever and only "assign" jobs when necessary coz I find that, mostly, once (or sometimes 2-3x) instructed to do something, they'll gravitate towards it. Which is why I wish that gardening could have been an autonomous thing, like raking leaves is.
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