Test of Time Rules
These are the rules with my adjustments. The rules without my comments and changes can be found here. It is by SwallowTail87. I have rewritten the rules to the point that I consider it a separate challenge. If you are eager for me to finish writing the rules, please say something. Here or at the link above. Someone else being interested motivates me to keep writing.
Before you begin:
Make a clean hood, before creating install mods like no townies and no downtownies. I recommend using clean and empty university* hoods and clean and empty shopping district. However use the clean but not empty vacation hoods. If you don't the natives will look like townies - no kimonos, no island looks...hard to tell who is a vacation native. And when we've reached an era that allows vacations, there is a most wonderful mod at www.medievalsims.com that replaces mountain clothes. I requested it and am so thankful it was fulfilled!
I recommend you don't add extra subhoods like vacation until your sims are ready to use them because it will add those extra sims to the game and they'll show up on your community lots.
I recommend setting Felicity Island as the main hood simply because it is not available as a subhood. It is available as a vacation hood but that didn't work in my game....sims couldn't use the hotels when they arrived there. I plan to use it much later as a Hawaii. I thought of it for the Neanderthals/Africans, but thought the jungle would be odd in the ice age. My Africa is technically a subhood, as in a custom shopping district.
Pick a map that has at least one good beach spot. Island or not is optional. Keep in mind that after the Neanderthal era you will be using more than one map. (You can do this by adding custom "shopping districts". Or if you do not have OFB, custom "downtown".) This will be to represent different kingdoms. Don't worry, I'll try to keep some of the kingdoms with few households to not overwhelm players. Neanderthals will later be Africa with the idea that they are the first people.
Don't make any subhoods yet.
While not required, I highly recommend using geneticised skins and eyes. This means that they work like maxi skins. (Instead of the usual custom skins that all children become that skintone.) A very dark geneticised female and very light geneticised male can have children of either skintone and any skin in between, including maxi or default skins. I think I have about 20 in my game. Madame Mim explains it best and does it best. I really like her Enalya skins. All you have to do is drop them in your download folder and play.
Go ahead, make Neanderthal faces. Some sims will be added in later eras. You will get to have different genetics for most countries.
If recoloring roads, add driveways first as it can't be done later and the simstone car may be unlocked. See Neanderthal rule 4B.
*University and Downtown:
The University that comes with the game might be fun to play as is, populated, beginning during the oldies era (50s-60s). However it wouldn't work very well for the Renaissance when you first get to send some sims to University. It isn't necessary to use the populated hoods in the oldies era, but if you wish to I recommend using a clean hood and not adding it to your neighborhood until that era. Because adding it will send those sims into the general population and they'll randomly show up on community lots. If you wish to do this you can use custom university hoods beginning during the Renaissance. If you don't make lots like me, there are some great options listed on my Where Can I Find? Renaissance page.
Downtown can be added as is in the oldies era.
Challenge Basics:
Can your Sims stand to live through history? Or will they crumble, as so many have before them?
Stages: Neanderthal, Egypt, Roman, Dark Ages, Medieval & Renaissance, Exploration and Colonization, Victorian, Edwardian, Titanic, WWI, Great Depression, WWII, Oldies (50s-60s), 70s, 80s, Hunger Games, Divergent.
There is a summary of each era at the bottom of this page.
Most eras will be one generation long. Over time there will be climate and rule changes. There will be different rules for different countries in the same time period. There will be rules about interaction between kingdoms, which will change over time.
To keep population down and fewer households to play: Challenge begins with 1 kingdom with 2 couples. Most countries begin with a minimal population. Sims usually aren't required to move out until the house is full or moving in with spouse.
Objective:
To make it from the age of the Neanderthals through time. And have fun doing so!
General Rules (Note, General Rules change in some eras):
1) There are to be mainly bloodlines going from your original families. Please see each era for rules regarding npcs.
2) Anytime anyone gets into a fight, the loser must be killed by your method of choice.
If the stage is after the Neanderthals, then you may place their grave in a community graveyard. This is the only way you are allowed to purposely kill Sims in this challenge. I highly recommend this. I started over at one point because my Neanderthals kept dying due to ghosts, to the point that by the end of the Roman era that kingdom hadn't had more than 2 households.
I allow (but do not require) pleading for a sim's life for all deaths...not that it always works. Note: This rule changes a few eras to place sims in jail instead....and some of those jailbirds may become colonists in America! Isn't history fun to play?
3) Neighborhood rotations!
3A) As you play each household, play them so they are ending on the same day and part of the year. Like 2 days left of season three. If you are playing a new household (like moved someone out and they start a new home) either play until they are in the same day and season as everyone else, or set them up and then save if they are very close but past the time everyone else is at. Keep in mind that seasons will vary from era to era and kingdom to kingdom. It's important to look at them as which season number. Especially during the ice age when every season is winter.
3B) Doesn't matter if rotations are 1 day, 1 year, 1 season, whatever you want. You don't have to make every round the same, just all the same for the same rotation. Example, I sometimes play first round to the end of the 4th season for everyone. Then the next round maybe 1 day for each household. Then the next round everyone plays until 2 days from the first season. Just remember, it isn't about playing evenly, it's about ending on the same day of the same season.
4) The women are to take the mens’ last name.
5) No easy cheats or easy cc. As in no making all sims happy, auto bill pay, easy computer, etc. Types of cheats allowed include moveobjects on (For decorating houses and un-glitching things) and familyfunds. Mods that make the game more historical or realistic are allowed. I recommend Inteen, the simblender, visitor controller, and the simlogical institution sign. Don't worry, the last 3 all have the option to make them look like bushes. The simlogical school changer is great for making all kids on the lot to not go to school but allow sims to go to work. After choosing "simlogical flexischool" you can delete it and the kids still won't need to go to school. Also the lot debugger.
6) Every time you woohoo, you have to try for baby. If the household is full, if possible, move a sim out so that they may still try for a baby.
7) Every time someone marries out of their social class, they are to take on the man's social class.
8) See each era and kingdom for seasons. Seasons will change over time. The challenge begins in the ice age, all seasons winter.
9) Only items appropriate to the people and time in history. Historical cc allows for a lot. See individual eras for more details.
10) I've decided to remove salary caps. If you really like them feel free to use them in your game.
11) Women may not take most jobs, and sometimes none at all, however, they may earn money around the house by painting, farming, assisting a home business, etc. Yes, that's a change. Most jobs will not be allowed for most eras. Trying to keep it somewhat historical. There is some variance on this rule depending on the country, the era, and the class.
12) Sims are allowed to put out fires and beat up burglars, even in the Neanderthal stage. Npc firemen and cops are allowed beginning during the Roman stage. (So no fire or burglar alarms in the first two eras.) I don't cancel the "fire!" action, but do put the put out fire action after it. This is an option and not a requirement.
13) If a reward object is not allowed in that era (aspiration/career) you may NOT place in inventory. You may save the aspiration points and use it in the next era if the sim is still alive and the object permitted.
14) You may use Free Time aspiration benefits.
15) Pet food au natural is allowed even on day one of the challenge. Having a pet is not a requirement to have this on your lot. Limited to 1 if no pets are owned, then up to 3 for each cat or dog owned. (Because it takes 3 days to spawn an animal for your pet to hunt and eat.) Pet bowls are allowed because puppies and kittens can't eat the au natural pet food and finicky pets will make the kill but not eat it. This works great for classes in later eras. My nobles are more likely to get the finicky pets, the lower classes the more practical pets that will hunt down their food.
16) Plantsim Clause Ladybug houses are not allowed. This caused a lot of plantsims in my game. Thus needing special rules for them as far as babies.
Without Inteen: Once every wife (unmarried ladies don't count) on the lot is either currently pregnant or too old to have babies, then every plant sim on the lot who has not already done so may have 1 sprout (grow plantbaby). This is not an option if there are too many sims on the lot.
With Inteen: First have every married couple on the lot try for a baby that isn't too old to get pregnant. Then if there is room on the lot for one of those ladies to have a baby and there is room leftover, then all plantsims who have not previously done so may have 1 sprout.
Don't move out sims to grow sprouts. They will have them once during their lifetime more likely than not.
If plantsims can't get pregnant anymore, they may fulfill baby wants by making extra sprouts, all at once if possible. They may also fill baby wants with sprouts if they are too old to get pregnant.
If they role up the want to make a sprout, they may do so, as many times as the want rolls up, without the above criteria being met.
Note: You probably won't get any plantsims during the Ice Age. Eventually there will be a meltdown.
17) HELP! TOO MUCH CC!
Beginning in the Egyptian Era, you will have more than 1 nation. You can put the cc in separate folders, which I highly recommend.
If the cc will only be used for 1 culture, it goes into that folder. (Like a neanderthal folder and an Egyptianfolder.) Then when I am playing the Egyptians, the Neanderthal folder can be placed on my desktop. Then you can save and switch when you get to the Neanderthal part of the round. Cc that is for all nations (like mods) can go in different folders.
If the different nations might interact, then you can leave the clothing in the game and put the rest of the cc on your desktop.
Doing this also makes it easier to remove cc from your game when you get to later eras.
If your computer struggles you might want to consider making certain items for one nation only.
Consider not downloading items that you know are high poly. It often says so in the description when downloading.
18) NEW RULES! Firewood and Water!
Sims must gather branches or chop down trees for firewood for fires and cooking that requires a fire. They must gather water if they wish to bathe.
And how? The Giving Tree and All Fired Up! And Fetch Water 3.0 used with Water Required For Baths/Showers - Semiglobal Mod
As a mercy since water is more scarce, you may download the dog pond, which allows dogs to autonomously use it to bathe themselves. You can find it on the Where can I find..? page under objects. It must be raining when you buy it, but may be kept indefinitely on the lot after regardless of weather.
Summary of Eras:
Neanderthal Stage
Begins with 2 couples, 1 generation (Ends when children become adults or teens if you have inteen.)
Egypt Stage
1 generation
Neanderthals become Africans, add 1 couple
Create America with 1 Native American household
Create Alaska with 2 couples
Create Egypt with 14 households (This is a change. All Hebew slaves will be made at the beginning of this era, and zero Hebrews in CAS in future eras. After this era, Hebrews will spread throughout most of the world, and fewer CAS sims will be created as a result.)
Roman Stage
1 generation
Add 1 African couple, 1 Alaskan couple, 2 Native American couples (which can be added to an existing household if there is room, 3 Egyptian couples
Create Rome with 5 households
Dark Ages (Plague, Vikings, and possibly war, will cause much death)
1-4 generations (List of different circumstances that can end this era.)
Add 1 African couple, 1 Alaskan couple, 2-3 Egyptian couples, 0-2 Roman/Italian couples
"Magic Kingdom" - (Optional) place to create fairy tales, nursery rhymes, mythical creatures. Recommended, 1 new story/household per round until you don't feel like making more. Knights may kill off villains and mythical creatures in the Renaissance Era. Remaining people will become Germany during Colonization Era, though some may move to America.
Create Viking Kingdom with 1 household (Netherlands)
Optional additional kingdoms - 11 households each
Medieval & Renaissance
1 generation
Add 1 Native American couple, 0-2 Egyptian couples, 3 Vikings, "optional additional kingdoms" 3 households each
Note, no CAS Africans or Romans
Create Ottoman Kingdom, 4 households
Exploration and Colonization
2 generations? Undecided
No new CAS for rest of challenge
Native Americans have higher chance of death
Victorian
1 generation? Undecided
Edwardian
1 generation
Titanic
Only 2 lots played for 7 sim days
WWI
1 generation, many sims will die
Great Depression
1 generation
Optional, create Hawaii and/or Alaska with 2 couples each
WWII
1 generation
If you made Hawaii and/or Alaska, add 1 couple each
After this era, option to freeze (as in not play) some countries until Hunger Games era
Oldies (50s-60s)
About a generation
70s
About a generation
80s
1 generation, possibly less, may play out reality t.v. show mini-challenges
Hunger Games
Yes, like in the book. Countries become "districts". Yes, kids and teens will fight to the death. This is largely the purpose of making so many countries.
Played until population has dwindled to a certain amount.
Divergent
Like the beginning of the first book. This is my end scenario. Played endlessly because it looks fun.
Neanderthal Stage (2 generations)
Egypt Stage (1 generation)
Let My People Go - A special scenario.
Africa (Neanderthal) during the Egypt Era
Native Americans (play during Egypt Era)
Orient in Egyptian Era
Roman Rules for Romans
Roman Era Rules for Egyptians
Roman Era Rules Native Americans
Roman Era Rules for Tribes (Neanderthals)
Roman Era Rules for Orient