#Sims 2 Challenge

[strangesimsfiction]

New challenge Unlock the medieval uberhoods

Here's a medieval twist on the "Unlock the Uberhood" challenge for The Sims 2! In this version, you'll roll for births, deaths, marriages, and unlocks, giving it that extra layer of unpredictability.

Basic Rules:

Starting Conditions:

Begin with a single family of peasants in a small medieval village. As you progress, you'll unlock more families, social classes, and types of buildings by completing rolls and objectives.

Classes and Unlocks:

Peasants: Start with 1-2 families of peasants.

Merchants: After 3 generations of peasants survive, you can unlock a merchant family.

Nobles: After 5 successful peasant generations and 2 merchant generations, you can unlock a noble family.

Royalty: Unlock after 3 generations of nobles have passed.

Aging and Lifespan Rolls: At the beginning of each Sim's age transition (baby, toddler, child, teen, adult, elder), roll a die to determine whether they survive the transition.

Baby to Toddler: Roll a 6-sided die. If you roll a 1 or 2, the baby dies.

Toddler to Child: Roll a 10-sided die. If you roll a 1, the toddler dies.

Child to Teen: Roll a 12-sided die. If you roll a 1 or 2, the child dies.

Teen to Adult: Roll an 8-sided die. If you roll a 1, the teen dies.

Adult to Elder: No roll, but elders live for a maximum of 15 in-game days. At the end of every 5 days, roll a 6-sided die; if you roll a 1, the elder dies.

Marriages:

Before any Sim can marry, roll to determine their fate.

Roll a 12-sided die:

1-4: The Sim never marries.

5-8: The Sim marries within their class.

9-12: The Sim marries above or below their class (peasants marry merchants, nobles, etc.)

Arranged marriages can be introduced by rolling a 6-sided die at teenhood:

1-2: Parents arrange a marriage.

3-6: Sim chooses their own spouse.

Children:

After marriage, roll a 6-sided die to determine how many children a couple will have.

Roll for each pregnancy: If you roll a 1 or 2 on a 6-sided die, the mother dies during childbirth. If the mother survives, roll a 4-sided die to determine how many babies are born:

1-2: Single baby

3: Twins

4: Triplets

Plagues, Famine, and War:

Every 3 generations, roll a 10-sided die. If you roll a 1 or 2, a disaster strikes:

Plague: Roll for every Sim in the neighborhood. A roll of 1-3 on a 6-sided die results in death.

Famine: Reduce food availability for one full season. Roll for each family member; a roll of 1-2 on a 6-sided die results in death.

War: Male Sims of fighting age (teen and adult) must go to war. Roll a 4-sided die; on a 1 or 2, they perish in battle.

Social Class Progression:

When a family has accumulated significant wealth (50,000 Simoleons for peasants, 100,000 for merchants), they can move up in social class. Roll a 6-sided die to determine their chances of successfully rising:

1-3: They remain in their class.

4-6: They move up a class.

Castle Unlock:

Once you unlock royalty, build your royal castle. You must maintain a royal lineage by ensuring heirs are born. If a royal Sim dies without an heir, the next closest noble family takes the throne, but a rebellion may occur if other nobles are unhappy.

If you would like to play the premades.

For a medieval-themed "Unlock the Uberhood" challenge, here are a few pre-made Sims 2 neighborhoods and families that could fit perfectly with the narrative:

Veronaville

Premise: The town has a Shakespearean vibe, making it a perfect fit for a medieval twist. The feuding families (Monty's and Capps) could easily represent rival noble houses in your challenge.

Key Families:

The Capp Family: This wealthy, aristocratic family could be your nobility. With their large estate and established lineage, they’re perfect for royal aspirations.

The Monty Family: Also a noble family, but rivals to the Capps. You can roll for marriage between the Monty's and Capps for some drama, or play out a power struggle.

Summerdream Family: They are more whimsical, almost fairy-like, so you could make them the magical or mystical part of your medieval kingdom.

Strangetown

Premise: While known for its alien and paranormal lore, you could play Strangetown as a strange, cursed medieval land. There could be a lot of interesting supernatural elements to roll for, especially when dealing with war, plague, or famine.

Key Families:

The Beaker Family: Cast them as strange alchemists or a family of outcasts. You can roll for whether their experiments are successful or disastrous.

The Grunt Family: As a military family, they could be tied to wars or battles in the medieval challenge. Roll for their fate in wars and how they influence your kingdom's power dynamics.

The Specter Family: The Specter family could be seen as cursed nobles or witches, making them perfect to add a supernatural element to the challenge.

Pleasantview

Premise: Though this neighborhood is more suburban, with a few tweaks, it can be transformed into a medieval village. The pre-existing drama here would translate well into the challenge.

Key Families:

The Goth Family: Play them as ancient aristocracy, a family of high-born nobles with a mysterious past. Mortimer Goth can be a powerful patriarch looking to maintain control over the kingdom.

The Caliente Sisters: They could be seen as lower-class or merchant class women looking to marry into higher classes for wealth and status.

The Broke Family: This could be one of your peasant families, struggling to survive in the medieval world. Their lack of wealth would fit the lower class of your challenge.

Each of these pre-made neighborhoods has distinct families that fit different roles in a medieval society, making them great for the challenge! If you want extra drama, you could even mix families from different neighborhoods!

For this medieval-themed "Unlock the Uberhood" challenge, we'll assign the pre-made Sims to different social classes (Rich, Merchant, Poor/Peasant) and give them jobs based on the original "Unlock the Uberhood" rules, with some medieval flavor added to the professions. Here's a breakdown of each family, their class, and the jobs you'd need to assign to them to unlock more families and features.

Veronaville Families:

Capp Family (Nobles/High Class)

Class: Rich (Nobles)

Starting Jobs:

Patriarch (Consort Capp): Lord of the Manor (Politics - Mayor track). This unlocks the Politics career for other Sims.

Teens (Tybalt, Hermia, Juliet Capp): Can work as Apprentices (Slacker career) or be schooled at home until marriage. To unlock more careers or features, they must grow up and contribute through arranged or strategic marriages.

Unlocks: If they remain wealthy and have multiple children survive, they can eventually unlock the military career (Medieval knights) or the law enforcement career (Medieval guards).

Monty Family (Nobles/High Class)

Class: Rich (Nobles)

Starting Jobs:

Patriarch (Patrizio Monty): Landowner or Merchant Lord (Business - Tycoon track). This unlocks the Business career.

Teens (Romeo Monty): Work as a Squire (Military - recruit). Upon adulthood, they can join the full military, which unlocks future career choices for other Sims.

Unlocks: Their family could unlock additional buildings (markets, inns) if they stay successful merchants.

Summerdream Family (Magical/Mystic Class)

Class: Mystic, not part of the standard class structure

Starting Jobs:

Patriarch (Oberon Summerdream): Healer or Alchemist (Science career - Natural Scientist track). This unlocks medical or scholarly careers.

Teens (Puck Summerdream): Scholar or Healer's Apprentice (Science). As the family is mystical, they can unlock magical elements in the challenge, such as spells or potions.

Unlocks: If the Summerdream family gains influence, you could roll to unlock magical or supernatural elements in your medieval kingdom.

Strangetown Families:

Beaker Family (Alchemists)

Class: Rich/Middle-Class (depending on gameplay)

Starting Jobs:

Patriarch (Loki Beaker): Court Alchemist (Science - Mad Scientist track). This unlocks the Science career for others.

Patriarch (Circe Beaker): Healer (Medical - Chief of Staff track). Unlocks the medical career for other Sims.

Unlocks: By working in alchemy and science, they can unlock the supernatural aspect of the challenge.

Grunt Family (Warrior Class)

Class: Middle-Class (Military/Guard)

Starting Jobs:

Patriarch (General Buzz Grunt): Commander of the Guard (Military - General track). This unlocks the military career.

Teens (Tank and Ripp Grunt): Squires (Military). This will unlock knightly or guard-based careers for future generations.

Unlocks: The Grunts’ success in military careers unlocks the law enforcement career (Medieval guards and jailers).

Specter Family (Noble but Cursed)

Class: High Class but Cursed (Nobles with dark secrets)

Starting Jobs:

Patriarch (Olive Specter): Retired; historically, could have been involved in witchcraft or black magic (no career required).

Teens (Ophelia Nigmos): She could marry into a noble family, continuing the legacy of the cursed nobility. Alternatively, she could take on a profession such as an herbalist (Science or Medical career).

Unlocks: The Specter family could unlock a darker aspect of the kingdom (supernatural careers or even curses).

Pleasantview Families:

Goth Family (High Nobility)

Class: Rich (High Nobility)

Starting Jobs:

Patriarch (Mortimer Goth): Lord of the Manor (Politics - Mayor track). This unlocks the politics career.

Teens (Cassandra Goth): Arranged marriage to another noble family to unlock future features (her profession would depend on her spouse).

Unlocks: Through strategic marriages and Mortimer’s political influence, the Goths can unlock more noble families or control over the kingdom.

Caliente Sisters (Merchants/Social Climbers)

Class: Lower Nobility or Wealthy Merchants

Starting Jobs:

Nina and Dina Caliente: Merchants (Business career - Executive track). They use their wealth to climb the social ladder and marry higher-class Sims.

Unlocks: As the Calientes accumulate wealth, they can unlock the Business and other middle-class careers, possibly even marrying into nobility.

Broke Family (Peasants)

Class: Peasant

Starting Jobs:

Patriarch (Brandi Broke): Farm laborer or washerwoman (Slacker career). This family will have to scrape by, and you can roll for random events like famine or war to test their survival.

Teens (Dustin Broke): Apprenticeship (Slacker career). As he grows older, you can roll for his chances of upward mobility.

Unlocks: If the Brokes manage to save enough money and have successful careers, they can eventually unlock merchant careers or even a step up to lower nobility.

Unlock Requirements Based on Original Rules:

Business Career:

Families like the Monty's and Calientes (Merchant class) would need to reach the top of the Business career to unlock new businesses and marketplaces.

Politics Career:

High-ranking families like the Goths and Capps would need to unlock the Politics career to open up new political positions in the medieval kingdom.

Military Career:

Families like the Grunts and Monty's will need to unlock the Military career to establish knights, guards, or protectors in the kingdom.

Medical/Science Career:

Families like the Beakers and Summerdreams would work in the Science and Medical fields, unlocking scholars, healers, or even supernatural elements within the kingdom.

By strategically using marriages, jobs, and rolls, you’ll unlock new aspects of the Uberhood, from expanding the kingdom to allowing more Sims to join different careers and grow your medieval society!

Here's a good starting point for the Capp family in your medieval-themed "Unlock the Uberhood" challenge, focusing on drama, class dynamics, and rolling for important events like marriages and deaths.

Setting the Scene:

The Capps are one of the wealthiest and most powerful noble families in your medieval kingdom. The family is ruled by the aging patriarch, Consort Capp, who is determined to keep the family in power through strategic alliances. The family estate is large, but tensions run high with their rivals, the Monty's. The younger generation is facing pressure to marry well, increase the family’s influence, and protect their noble status.

Key Characters:

Consort Capp: The family patriarch, Consort is the key to keeping the Capp family in power. He must focus on his political career to maintain control over the kingdom.

Tybalt Capp: The eldest grandson, Tybalt is expected to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and marry strategically to maintain the family’s power.

Juliet Capp: Juliet is of marriageable age and is secretly in love with Romeo Monty, a member of the rival family. You'll need to roll to see if she marries Romeo or if she’s forced into an arranged marriage.

Hermia Capp: She has her own ambitions, whether that’s marrying for love, joining a convent, or supporting her family’s political goals.

Initial Rolls and Events:

1. Marriage Rolls for Tybalt and Juliet

At the start of the challenge, roll to determine the marriage fates of Tybalt and Juliet.

Tybalt’s Marriage: Roll a 12-sided die:

1-4: Tybalt will never marry and instead focus on building political power and controlling the estate.

5-8: Tybalt will marry within the noble class. Roll again to determine which family (could be a Capp cousin or even a noble family from another neighborhood).

9-12: Tybalt marries below his class, possibly a wealthy merchant’s daughter or even a peasant with ambitions. This could cause tension within the family.

Juliet’s Marriage: Roll a 6-sided die:

1-2: Juliet is forced into an arranged marriage with a noble chosen by Consort Capp.

3-4: She marries Romeo Monty despite family objections, which could lead to conflict between the Capps and Monty's.

5-6: She runs away or refuses to marry, which could lead to scandal and affect the family’s reputation.

2. Consort Capp’s Political Career

Consort Capp must reach the top of the Politics career to ensure his family’s control over the kingdom.

Start Consort’s political career (Mayor track). As he moves up the ladder, roll for random political events:

Every time he gets a promotion, roll a 6-sided die. A roll of 1 means a political rival (like the Monty's) tries to undermine him, and he must complete certain tasks (increase his friends, win a debate, or earn more money) to keep his career on track.

If he reaches the top of the career, the Capp family secures control over the kingdom.

3. Family Alliances

With the Capps’ noble status, they must forge alliances with other families to strengthen their power. Depending on who Tybalt and Juliet marry, new families can be introduced into the challenge.

If a Capp marries a Monty, roll to determine if the rivalry intensifies or resolves:

1-3: The marriage leads to greater conflict, with duels or even a war breaking out between the families.

4-6: The marriage brings peace between the families, allowing you to focus on other aspects of kingdom-building.

4. Children and Heirs

Once Tybalt or Juliet marry, roll to determine how many children they have (as per the childbirth rules in the original challenge). They need at least one male heir to carry on the family name and estate.

If there’s no male heir by the third generation, the Capp family could lose its noble status, and another family (like the Monty's or Goths) could take control of the kingdom.

Suggested Storylines to Explore:

Noble Rivalry with the Monty's:

Whether Juliet marries Romeo or not, the rivalry between the two families can drive much of the drama in your kingdom. You can roll for periodic events (duels, political disputes, or sabotage) to keep the tension high.

Tybalt's Struggle for Power:

Tybalt may be forced to marry for political gain, but his ambition may cause him to overreach. He could attempt to assassinate a Monty or even challenge his grandfather’s authority, leading to a potential family schism.

Hermia’s Rebellion:

Hermia could refuse to follow her family’s plans, either joining a religious order or running away with a lower-class Sim. This would create scandal and lower the family’s standing, making it harder to keep their wealth.

Succession Crisis:

If Consort dies before securing his political position, the family could face a crisis over who will take control. Tybalt may be too young or inexperienced, leading to other families vying for control of the kingdom.

Arranged Marriages for Influence:

Use the marriage rolls to introduce other noble families into the story. For example, the Goths from Pleasantview could become allies or enemies, depending on how the marriages play out.

Building the Kingdom:

Unlock New Families: Once the Capps secure their political power, roll to unlock new noble families or merchant classes, adding new layers of intrigue and complexity.

Build New Structures: As the family rises in power, you can build new community lots like markets, inns, and even a castle for the ruling family.

War and Plague: Periodically roll for kingdom-wide events (war, famine, or plague) to test the Capps’ resilience. These events could affect their wealth, family members, or alliances.

In The Sims 2, each household can be associated with a color to help distinguish their themes and classes. Here’s a suggested color for each of the pre-made households based on their characteristics and roles in your medieval-themed "Unlock the Uberhood" challenge:

Veronaville

Capp Family: Royal Blue

Reason: As a wealthy noble family, royal blue symbolizes their high status and power. It reflects their rich, aristocratic nature and influence over the kingdom.

Monty Family: Crimson Red

Reason: The Monty's are rivals to the Capps, so a bold, striking color like crimson red represents their fierce competition and passionate ambition. It also hints at their potential for conflict and drama.

Summerdream Family: Emerald Green

Reason: Associated with magic and mysticism, emerald green fits the Summerdreams' otherworldly and enchanting qualities. It represents their connection to mystical elements in your medieval world.

Strangetown

Beaker Family: Midnight Black

Reason: Black represents the Beakers' dark, experimental nature and their involvement in mysterious alchemy and science. It also adds an air of secrecy and intrigue.

Grunt Family: Steel Gray

Reason: Steel gray signifies the Grunts' military background and their role as warriors. It reflects their strength, discipline, and ruggedness.

Specter Family: Haunted Purple

Reason: A deep, eerie purple symbolizes the Specters' cursed and supernatural elements. It conveys a sense of mystery and otherworldly presence.

Pleasantview

Goth Family: Dark Burgundy

Reason: Dark burgundy reflects the Goths' rich, old-money status and their dark, somewhat morbid family history. It also represents their noble, but somewhat gloomy, nature.

Caliente Sisters: Gold

Reason: Gold represents the Calientes' ambition and their attempts to climb the social ladder. It reflects their desire for wealth and higher status in the medieval society.

Broke Family: Earthy Brown

Reason: Earthy brown fits the Broke family's lower-class, struggling background. It reflects their connection to the land and their humble beginnings.

Assigning these colors to each household can help you visualize their roles and relationships in your medieval challenge, making the gameplay even more immersive and dynamic.

Hope this will be something fun to do <3

here is the original rules<3 @clouseplayssims go follow them on everything <3 https://www.youtube.com/@clouseplayssims3813

[keoni-chan]

Mr. and Mrs. Nick and Juniper Bloom 👰🏻🤵🏻

[persimmonthusiast]

Here comes my third build for the Foundations for Families challenge rebooted by @rockethorse! This time with a modern and rather fancy townhouse for rising soccer star Tyler Gravel.

The ground floor is mostly an open concept with the suspended staircase being the centerpiece. Even though Tyler lives alone, he likes to host parties and have friends and relatives over. I wanted the living area to feel spacious despite the house having a relatively small footprint. The entry hall is only separated from the main area by an arch, and includes a desk, access to a toilet and the staircase to the basement. And the kitchen would not be complete without a blender for Tyler's morning protein smoothies! (More pics under the cut)

The first floor has two bedrooms: a guest room furnished with twin beds, and Tyler's bedroom with a closet and high bay windows opening onto a private balcony. Tyler puts a lot of effort into his looks, and the main bathroom reflects how much time he likes spending there, complete with a massaging shower, corner bath and a large vanity.

Tyler's home gym is located in the basement, with an attached bathroom and combined shower/sauna cabin. The rest of the basement is occupied by a "play room" to entertain his... special guests And of course a bachelor needs a nice terrace, including a hot tub and outdoor lounge for grilling/pool parties.

Again I struggled a bit with the layout for this one but I had a quite clear vision from the start of the vibe I wanted to achieve, and I think it turned out pretty close to what I envisioned!

[simder-talia-blog]

When @simstober didn't quite happen last year I got sad and made my own prompt list.

@notsosimstober came through with their own, but I still wanted to share the list I made, for this year 🕯️🍭🍫🦇🕯️ (there are some similar prompts because this was made a year ago)

If you decide to choose any from the list above, please do tag me @simdertalia or @simder-talia-blog, I will reblog them on my blog page!

[ts2-testoftime]

HELPFUL SITES FOR THE TEST OF TIME CHALLENGE

These sites are particularly helpful for The Sims 2 (2004)'s versions of the challenge. I'm talking general places to find mods, custom content, and other stuff that you need for an immersive and enjoyable game experience.

anna220's Original Version of the Challenge - useful for inspiration as well as helpful tips on how to play the challenge, as they intended it

PleasantSims' Edited Ruleset - has some helpful CC and mod links for the Neanderthal era, and a ruleset up to the Victorians

🌟Chicklet's Test of Time Blog - more inspiration, rulesets, and finds for plenty of stages in the challenge, and more!

leopardeyes' Just Another Test of Time Blog - plenty of inspiration for the Neanderthal era

🌟The Plumb Bob Keep - in my opinion the best repository of historical custom content, mods, and so much more; it's especially useful in later stages of the challenge but offers so much for earlier eras, too!

🌟 AlmightyHat's Historical Blog - custom content, tips and tricks, and creator assistance; essential to any historical challenge!

ModTheSims' Themes and Challenges Page - mostly medieval downloads, but plenty of other juicy custom content, too

This ts2history Blog - some incredibly useful custom content for later stages of the challenge

Kalynn's Pinterest Board - more historical CC, best for later stages of the challenge but useful in earlier ones, too

Let me know if you have any other sites that you frequent for this challenge, but these are the ones that I use myself 😊 A 🌟means I consider it especially useful to my own playthrough!

[rockethorse]

Foundations for Families Challenge: Rebooted!

Inspired by an ask, this is a reboot of the Foundations for Families contest over at Mod The Sims 2 from 2012. I've reverse-engineered the original floorplans based on the surviving entry images, streamlined/loosened the rules, and hopefully this old contest will interest some players as a new challenge!

You can participate using any Sims game.

The challenge:

Pick one foundation blueprint below and assign it to one of the families below.

Place an empty lot and build a foundation that matches the blueprint exactly. You may use any lot size or type, position the foundation anywhere on the lot, and rotate the foundation however you like (but cannot mirror it).

Build something on the foundation according to the specifications of the family you picked.

You're done! Share with the tag #Foundations For Families Challenge or simply enjoy your handiwork!

The rules:

You can only use each blueprint and each family once; so at the end of the challenge you will have four different families with four different foundations.

You can have as many decorative floors/dormers as you want, but only the first one or two floors may be useable or accessible by Sims (after the foundation).

You can use any combo of the three basegame foundation types to build the blueprint, but stages can only be placed above existing foundations.

You can only build walls above foundation, and you cannot have flooring or roofs extend/"hang" over the edge of the foundation. This includes greenhouses, but excludes pool walls. Fencing, flooring, and awnings are allowed on the ground.

If you want to build a basement, go for it, but it must be contained entirely within the original foundation and cannot be visible from the outside. There may only be one level of basements.

The families (all credit to @w-sims):

The Barkworth Family - Mike and Meadow Barkworth both love the outdoors. They've always dreamed out having a beautiful log cabin home they can come back to after a long day of hiking and insect collecting. They would love for their house to be a traditional pine cabin, with a gorgeous fireplace in the living room. The bathroom(s) should be simple and in-keeping with the style of the house, and Meadow loves the idea of flowers, home-made quilts and decorations all throughout the house.

The Montenegro Family - Rain Montenegro is a struggling artist. Her house is filled with art projects in various states of completion, but she wants a studio in her house so she can escape the world and focus on her art. As for the rest of the house, simple, cheap furniture will do, as long as it's bright and colourful. Rain loves the colour green, but can't stand purple.

The Lewis Family - When Layton and Lucinda found out they were expecting it was the greatest day of their lives. When they found out they were having triplets? Not so much. Now their three daughters (athletic Lara, bookworm Leanne and musician Lorrie) are all teenagers, they are demanding their own rooms. Layton and Lucinda are happy to move, but want a large master bedroom and their own en-suite bathroom.

The Gravel Family - Tyler Gravel is a romantic, fitness fanatic and rising athlete. He wants his house to have a modern feel, and the wow factor that will impress all the ladies. A home-gym is a must, and a swimming pool outside would be his idea of perfection. Tyler also wants a guest bedroom for when his family fly in to town to watch his matches.

The blueprints:

Have fun and feel free to share your finished builds with #Foundations For Families Challenge!

[insertthesims]

New Sims 2 Challenge

Hi all! I have been working on a new challenge called 'Grow your own Hood' or GYOH challenge. It combines aspects from other challenges including Build a City, Unlock an Uberhood and Medieval Charter Challenges. I wanted a BACC but felt it was too business focussed and didn't like the ignorance for the build mode or career tracks, and wanted a tiering style of challenge to move through and goals to work towards like the Unlock an Uberhood Challenge, so I made my own one up

I have made it so you can start it from scratch with creating your own custom hood, or download my premade one 'Gyoh Plains' which is set up ready for the challenge. Here is a link to my blogpost about it, and you can find a link to Sim File Share with the hood to download in there. https://insertthesims.blogspot.com/2024/11/grow-your-own-hood-challenge.html

In this expanse, even the greatest things bloom from a small seed once planted. From Farmer to Politicians, everyone is here with one reason in mind to "Grow Your Own Hood".

[marmiteprinter]

After dinner, everyone got into their PJs (or just stayed in their underwear, in Bunty's case). Annabelle and Melvin made up quite sweetly in the kitchen and Bunty reacted exactly how any teenager would if they saw their parents kissing.

"Urgh, gross! Do you guys have to do that in front of me?!"

Annabelle chuckled. "We're allowed to kiss, Bun. You'll feel differently when you have someone of your own."

Bunty rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Parents making out will always be disgusting. Get a room or something."

The adults locked eyes and grinned. "Okay," Melvin said, and they headed into their bedroom.

"GROSS!"

Bunty went over to the TV and set the volume to maximum. Then, even though there was no couch and she had been tired earlier, she stood there watching the TV until about 3am. Great job, Bunty.

[plumbob-boy]

LyleSnake's Test of Time Challenge

I wasn't enthused about the existing versions of the Test of Time Challenge so I went ahead and made my own. It's inspired by existing Sims 2 challenges, other games, and history of course.

What's different about mine compared to the others?

No slavery or patriarchal ownership of women

Supernatural Sims incorporated into the challenge

Scoring system based on skillpoints and talent badges

Historically inspired abilities

Occupations that incorporate the expansion packs

Here's the short version:

Start with eight adult sims split evenly between two huge lots. these are the first tribes

once their grandkids are adults, move on to the next era

there are 6 eras, so the challenge will last a total of 18 generations

count up each sim's skillpoints. when you finish the game, that number is your score

I have the detailed guide here on google docs

rules for the early modern era coming soon

let me know how your playthrough goes if you decide to try it out!

[mysimsbigbrother]

Sims Big Brother Memory Wall Week 1

[keoni-chan]

🌳 Gen 1 Founder - Juniper Bloom 🌳

Let's try this again 🙈 I'll be following my adapted TS2 rules for @a-sims-garden's Sims In Bloom Challenge, which you can find here.

The challenges for the first generation are also below the cut:

🌼 Generation 1: Daisy 🌼

Colors: White/Yellow

Gardening has always been your passion. Owning a large, healthy garden is all you’ve ever wanted in life, even if your nails constantly have soil under them and you have so many broken pots you’ve lost count. Your happy place is meditating in the shade of the fruit trees that you planted yourself. You sit and wonder what your family will grow to do, and hope that they will flourish just as beautifully as your garden has. This is the start of your family legacy

🏵 no career, but you’re allowed to sell your produce (either directly from the menu, or in a (home) business) 🏵 reach Gold Gardening Badge 🏵 get a Perfect Garden Score from the Garden Club 🏵 grow mouthwatering versions of all fruits and veggies 🏵 marry a Garden Club member Optional: become a plantsim and have a plant baby

[persimmonthusiast]

I was inspired to take on the Foundations for Families Challenge started by @rockethorse based on an old MTS contest. Had a lot of fun building and decorating this log cabin for the Barkworth family!

more pics under the cut

I imagined Mike and Meadow Barkworth as a middle-aged butch-femme couple who met as they were already well into adulthood and decided to renovate and decorate their dream home together. Meadow has her sewing space, while Mike is into woodworking and cooking. Both love picking mushrooms, tending to the garden, and they stock up on homemade preserves before every winter. They always have a cosy guest room ready for visiting friends and relatives!

Still not 100% satisfied with some details (especially landscaping which is still my weakness...) but I already spent way too much time on this looking for loads of patchwork and quilted CC, and I want to move to the next family

[sterina-sims]

I'm officially on winter break! I have a month-long break and I would like to do a quick and fun challenge? Are there any that you recommend?

[ts2-testoftime]

WELCOME TO THIS SIDEBLOG FOR EVERYTHING ⏳ TEST OF TIME ⏳ RELATED!

It is run by @nonsensical-pixels and will be updated whenever I find the time or motivation to 😊

FAQ | MY DOWNLOADS (WIP) | FINDS MASTERLIST (WIP) | HELPFUL SITES

Mobile-friendly FAQ below 💗

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Test of Time challenge?

The Test of Time challenge was first created by anna220 and is based on, or follows, their original ruleset at ModTheSims. It is a multi-generational, extremely complex historical challenge that follows your sims from the Stone Age to modern times.

How did you discover this challenge?

It was widely popularised by PleasantSims back in 2021 with their own ruleset and accompanying streams, right around the time that I was first 'really' getting into The Sims 2. While I no longer support nor am affiliated with Cindy in any way, I still find this to be my absolute favourite Sims-related challenge to play.

Why did you create this sideblog?

I have always struggled to find CC and mods that are appropriate to this challenge, especially in the mostly-uncharted Roman Era. So I'm trying to compile everything I've been able to find in one place for my own sanity, plus help make the transition simpler for

What era are you at?

I am currently at the Roman Era, playing in my custom neighborhood, Lake Ego or The Egoan Empire. So the self-made content that I post to this blog will be heavily influenced by the era that I am playing in 🙂

Will you ever post your downloads folder?

I'm happy to post mod lists and other recommendations, yes. But I will never upload my Test of Time downloads folder in its entirety. Possible conflicts and creator TOUs aside, it's 18 darling GBs large and I'm not paying OneDrive to upload it.

Why is your icon the Grim Reaper?

Death. There is much death. In this challenge.

[oceansmotion]

New Story Blog & New Challenge Idea

I came up with a new challenge for Sims 2 called the Test of CC challenge and with that, decided to start a separate blog where I post my sim stories. If you're interested in that sort of thing, you can read them here.

The challenge is to start with vanilla game and work your way to modern era CC, as a way to appreciate old CC and remember how far creators have come!

Interested in the challenge? Read the rules below!

The Test of CC/Bygone Eras Challenge

Most people have heard of the Test of Time challenge, which got me thinking about bygone eras….of CC! So I came up with this challenge to dust off the CC of yesteryear and play the way Simmers of old used to.

The goal of this challenge isn't to be restrictive or particularly difficult, the goal is to simply revisit all that old CC and mods that were popular way back in the day; start from vanilla and eventually get to the modern age of custom content and modding. This challenge can easily be played alongside a lepacy but is not required.

Every generation includes 2 full years of CC and mods to browse through starting from the game's release. You can play however you want to, you can start with a premade hood in a premade family, you can make your own founders, play rotationally or legacy, you can even try to find one of the oldest custom hoods ever made, it doesn't matter, that part is up to you :) I've also included some optional goals for each generation.

Generation 1 - The Founders

Vanilla only! No CC is allowed in this generation, to cleanse your palettes of CC. All mods that do not directly fix your game are not allowed. Anything you use to make the game playable is acceptable, but anything else is not! Mods that fix things that were broken or taken away or otherwise unusable are allowed. Things like RPC, aging fixes, removal of perma plat, no corrupt death, stuck object remover, rug fixes, etc, are all acceptable, but things like changing your UI, ACR, midge's Romantic Standards, and such are not. Fail safe mods like simblender, memory manipulator, day setter, etc, are all acceptable, as the goal isn't to play a broken and frustrating game, but to see all the CC and mods people used to use! As you progress through the ages, you can begin to add in mods that were popular in that generation's years, like inteen. What you choose to keep is up to you, but keep it in the spirit of the challenge!

Optional: try not to let your sims die, try not to uninstall the game because you miss your mods. I personally cheated my sims in money to really see all the vanilla items and see them in their fullest glory.

Generation 2 - 2004-2005

Simple, but effective

The very first CC and mods were beginning to come out, and you'll be very surprised at what was available even in the first year of the game's release! While a lot of it isn't very pretty, and toddlers, kids, and elders didn't have very much, this is what people had at the time.

Optional: Have your sims live perfect lives. The game had just come out and most people were still exploring the game.

Generation 3 - 2006 -2007

Year of the Emos, ball gowns, and more

This is when things really start to get fun! A massive influx of CC and mods were beginning to come out, and a lot of it you might still be using to this day. This was also the era of emo/scene styles, and the beginning of sims stories and machinima. You'll also start to recognize some very familiar meshes!

Optional 1: Your teens become orphans! Somehow, in some tragic way, your teen's parents die, leaving them all alone, and he/she also becomes a teen parent. This was really popular back then, don't look at me. It's also extremely important to marry in a face 1 sim.

Optional 2: Make your own sims machinima or story! Go back in time and dig up some of those old videos on Youtube. Watch as people put their sims through it all and try to recreate that feeling. It doesn't need to be the best video or story ever, but have fun following the trends of this time period and recreating those feelings :) Also gives you an excuse to use all the smeared mascara makeup people made. Maybe a story about a teen getting dumped at prom, or some poor sim gets run over for no reason, a teen becomes an orphan or gets pregnant, go wild!

Generation 4: 2008-2009

Year of the…Celebrities?

There is so much CC in this time period to create ultra realistic sims, including celebrities! This is one of my personal favorite eras of CC

Optional: Go big or go home. Your sims live the life of luxury! They live in a giant mansion with everything they could ever want, Desperate Housewives style. Your sims start drama, get into petty cat fights, plot, steal, cheat, and otherwise live the life of a spoiled housewife/husband.

Generation 5: 2010-2011

The end of Sims 2 but not the end of CC….mostly

The Sims 2 might have ended, but people still created CC and mods! You'll start to see more modern mods coming out, ones that you probably use today to spice up your game. Things are a lot more chill in this era as people made stuff that fit all types, there's a lot less photoskinning going on, and the ultra shiny hair starts to phase out. There's honestly not a lot around this time, I guess most people had moved on to Sims 3, so it's slim pickings for clothing. Paris Hilton and emo kids are out, much more "normal" and less "socialite" is in.

Optional: make a love story to rival Twilight! Twilight was all the rage, and it could be seen reflected in sims stories across the world.

Generation 6: 2012-2013

What even happened this year?

CC only continues to reflect a more modern era, mods get more and more advanced, but the playerbase is more and more fractured. Challenges are more popular, toddler clothing previews get weirder, but there really isn't much else. Machinimas were replaced with actual feature length videos years ago, but they're still going strong.

Optional 1: Your sims go broke, losing everything. Reduce funds to zero, move into a smaller house, and start a new career. It'll make sense later, promise.

Optional 2: The Hunger Games exploded! Create a fun mini challenge where you pit your sim against other sims to fight to the death! Hope your sim has siblings in case they lose :)

Generation 7: 2014-2015

The Comeback Kid

The Sims 4 comes out and with it….conversions! There's still CC being created in the more traditional fashion as well, conversions don't take off straight away, but they do start.

Optional: Your sims make a huge comeback if they went broke in the previous era! Cheat in some funds to give them a nice blue suburban house and some extra cash to cushion things.

Generation 8: 2016-2017

The End of an Era

2017 is the last that time anyone uploaded something for the Sims 2 on The Sims Resource. Please give a moment of silence for this tragedy. There are over 5000 pages of CC for females alone on TSR, half of the first page of ALL Sims 2 downloads are from 2016-2017. Over on MTS, there are over 500 pages of CC for females, the last 17 pages cover 2016 to 2023. You realized generations ago that there are hundreds of dead sites dedicated to Sims 2 CC that are lost forever, and the two Big ones aren't doing much better when it comes to this version of the game. But I'm also sure that you know that most creators have moved on to other sites, mainly Tumblr!

Optional: Don't let go, keep the dream alive. Don't use any 4t2 items and stick to what you have. Only download things made in the traditional sense for the game, and continue to use older CC. You're not ready to move on yet, in rememberance to all those amazing creators from the past.

Generation 9: 2018-2019

The Start of Something New

I'm sure you miss your pretty, uncrunchy, modern CC, and we're almost there! But there's still some stuff left to look at in these years, stuff that we've all seen before. Stuff that I'm sure you have defaulted in your normal saves somewhere. Go grab all that stuff and mix it right in with your 4t2 items.

Optional: This is the year of strict wants and rotational gameplay for reasons unknown (but you can guess). Load up your ACR, crank those settings up, and only play strict wants based. Calculate everything, hope for your sims to autonomously do something, or roll for it. You're hands off, baby, let your sims take control.

Generation 10: 2020-2022 and beyond

The Modern Era

You made it! You've traveled back in time, dusted off those crunchy textures, and got to see what people of yesterday were playing with. Did you find things you like? Things you'll be incorporating into your downloads folder from now on? Do you have a new appreciation for modern CC? I certainly hope so if you stuck it out this long!

The rules are pretty flexible, as the whole point of this is to look at all the old CC created way back in the day. When it comes to mods, anything that fixes something that was broken in some patch are allowed, and mods that do something to a pack that was released after the year that you're on are also allowed. Examples include mods that fix butler behavior, pets, landlords, apartments, etc, are all fine. But if you're in Gen 1, ACR is not allowed, if you're in Gen 2, UI mods aren't allowed, and so on.

It's up to you to decide what mods you want to use, but keep the spirit of the challenge in mind. Don't put in things like 3t2 traits or planting overhauls or things that are clearly from Sims 4 game play. Try to think about what people of that year were playing with and try to play with those too. The one big exception I've allowed is Uni semester changes after gen 1, because the mods they had at that time are unreliable and often crashed the game.

[luverofralts]

Not-So-Simstober #6 Boo Thing