Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Something To Believe In: The Teen Years

Teens aren't really harder than children - they're just a more intense version. Sometimes children will get fed at school (as in, sometimes it isn't a Snow Day), but teenagers can't go to school at all until you lift Education. That means that you need to feed them every day, and that they cannot yet meaningfully contribute to the house.

However, they can now build some skills they previously were unable to build, with Athletics being top of the list. I always strive to get teenagers started on the Athletics skill as soon as possible - it's useful in many careers (for example, Criminal, Military, Law Enforcement, and of course Athletic) and of course if you can get it to 10, then they can even leave the lot for short distances. You can really push Athletics by working out until you get fatigued, and then playing Kicky Bag - or alternatively you can have them play chess or similar when they're fatigued. Teens are also candidates for finishing off spoiled food on plates - sure, they might get sick, but they are the most expendable of all.

It's been brought to my attention that if you have Cooking 4 or better, Veggie Rolls are a superior alternative to Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches; you can make them for dinner (instead of lunch). (Thanks to Rob for that tip). If you have a day where all your family are at home (also known as a "worst case scenario") try to feed them as late as possible; a single meal will still fill up the hunger bar, and it will last longer that way. You may need a lot of nap time to achieve this, but remember that a Sim can go for 48 hours without any food at all. So you don't really risk killing anyone - though it will likely be a wasted day skill-wise.

The other thing that teens should start preparing is getting to know their intended spouse (for heirs only of course). Derek invited over Obgu (his best friend, thanks to a lot of chatting on Mondays and Thursdays) and Barbara has now rushed over to introduce herself.

A few jokes, a bit of conversation, and now she's friends with this guy as well. It's a shame she doesn't have the Charisma skill, but there's no way for Sims to get that without a few more lifts first.

On day 42 since the challenge started (not counting University):


Culinary is lifted. This gives me the following new abilities:

  • I can deliver food to townies or NPCs (as part of an opportunity, for example).
  • I can get drinks from barista bars. (I cannot yet work at them).
  • I can grill food on community lots.
  • I can hold food in inventory. (Note that cooked food will still spoil in inventory; raw food won't).
  • I can learn the Mixology skill.
  • I can make drinks at juice bars.
  • I can prepare food at University (otherwise I would be reliant on whatever the dormies made - and note, this didn't apply to the founder, because I used an Easy Start).
  • I can prepare food whenever I wish. (This is obviously the biggie; I am no longer restricted to one meal a day).
  • I can purchase ovens. (As long as they still meet the Architecture restrictions - so only the cheap stoves).
  • I can use birthday cake (only to age them up on the same day they would normally age up; this is a general Apocalypse Challenge rule that is never lifted).
  • I can use the toy oven. (Of course I have no more children at the moment).
In addition, the following Lifetime Rewards are now available:

  • Atomic Grazer
  • Better Mixologist
  • Born to Cook
  • Competitive Eater
  • Desert Pony
  • Discount Diner
  • Hardly Hungry
As previously mentioned, it's good practice to keep a record of these things. For example, here's my Google Spreadsheet:


The top one is my "current powers" sheet, and the latter is "available LTR".

All of the kids are currently teenagers; Barbara and Charles have 4 days to go. Anna has 7 days until she's an elder.

Now, elders are uncontrollable. And they will, left to their own devices, cause nothing but grief. It is best to dispense with Sims before they become elders. Let's look at some methods to do that next time.

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