Apocalypse Question on Rules

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Arily
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Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Arily »

Hello Everyone, I am new to doing an apocalypse challenge and also new to this forum :))

I have a question about one of the rules that states no creativity building items may be purchased or used besides the computer.
I have my second generation heirs in college and one of the skill requirements for the semester is creativity. Currently I don't own a computer on the lot...If I were to purchase a computer what can I do to improve creativity? Write a novel and that's all? Also is there any other way to improve creativity?

Thanks for reading.
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Ani-Mei »

Hey and welcome to the Apocalypse challenge, the computer is the only way to work on creativity until you unlock Artist and get the easel. Such is the life for an early Apocalypse heir. :)
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Thaitanic »

It seems a bit weird, but you can also use the piano and violin to build up creativity (especially useful for children who can't skill on anything that doesn't also raise fun). Neither of them are restricted in the rules :)
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Lorinsv »

Only the computer for writing novels can be used for building Creativity before the Artist restrictions are lifted or temporarily suppressed by lifting Music, so kids are out of luck. Writing novels is it.

From the Base rules:
No items that build Creativity may be purchased or used except for the computer. (The Lie Finder and the Hydroponic Garden may be used if they are unrestricted by Life of Crime and Natural Science respectively.)
From the Borg rules:
No items that build Creativity may be purchased or used except for the computer.
This includes the Architecture Drafting Career Reward.
The Lie Finder, Bookcase of Education, Rock Hammer and Hydroponic Garden Career Rewards may be used if they are otherwise unrestricted.)
Having a Sim at the top of the Music career will temporarily suppress the Artist restriction. However, to permanently lift the restriction, a Sim must reach the top of the Artist career.
Only the original Rock God (who lifted Music) can suppress Artist.
Once the Rock God has died or lost/quit his job, all non career reward items that teach creativity need to be removed or placed where they can't be used any longer. You can still leave up any art that you created/purchased.
From my experience, Artist is a very worthwhile early lift :yes:
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Thaitanic »

Ohhh, fair enough. I was playing by Phaenoh's tiered ruleset here and she doesn't have that stipulation :lol: (Although I did panic and have to check.)
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Arily
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Arily »

Thank you for all the replies :)

I've been using the computer to write novels. I didn't have plans to lift artist so early but I might have to rethink my strategy hehe. I've already lefted Medical and Military...with plans to lift business and culinary next.

Any suggestions are appreciated and thank you for the welcome to Boolprop.
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Thaitanic »

Can I suggest lifting Education in Gen 2? It made my game so much easier because after sending the kids to uni they often start the job ladder high up and you can get your lifts quicker + after you lift Showbiz Pets the Bookcase of Education is SO helpful.

Also welcome to Boolprop! :D
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Arily
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Arily »

Good idea Thaitanic :)

Thank you!
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by MichelleCYoung »

Wait, how are you sending Gen. 2 kids to college, if you haven't already lifted Education?

Also, in order to use the Education Bookcase, you also have to lift Adventure, to allow the use of career rewards. If you're using the Apocaborg rules, rather that Phaenoh's tiered set, that is. I love an early Adventure lift, for just that reason. It allows you to uses the Education Bookcase, the Slacker planter, the Criminal lie detector, and the Music guitar, all of which build creativity.

On the other hand, if your founder, or founder's spouse (if they were a dormie) are able to lift Show Business and Intelligence, then you can go on dates and outings. If you have a great outing or a dream date with a skilled sim (or sims), then you might get lucky and have them teach you a skill. Free skill points! And if they are skilled in Creativity, you can build that skill by dating. But only if you lifted Show Business (requires University degree) and Intelligence.

Alternately, if you took the Fisherman's Dream advantage, and have a beach lot, you can build sandcastles, when the snow is clear.

What rule set are you using, anyway? Even with Apocaborg, it varies by which EPs you have.

If you have only Base game and University, which allows you to go to college once Military is lifted, then my suggestion would be for Gen 2 to lift Criminal, for the lie detector, and Athletic, so you can put empty fridges in your inventory and buy new each week.

Really, the strategy can change drastically, depending on which EPs you have or don't have.

If you've lifted Science, Adventure, or Oceanography, you can choose one aspiration reward, and if you don't mind ticking people off, that skill-sucking vacuum can get you all the skills you want.

Good luck, and welcome!

ETA: Assuming your generation 2 heirs are ALLOWED to be at college, they are also allowed to visit the college community lots, so if you can't afford a computer at their home, put one in a library, and let them write their novels there. No community skilling mod required for skilling at a college community lot, I think. The college clock keeps running, and you're supposed to be able to skill on the college lots. College lots are great for poor college students who can barely afford shelter. All they really need is a safe place to sleep. All their other needs can be fulfilled at the college community lots.
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Arily
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Arily »

I was following the original rules here: http://www.simslegacychallenge.com/sims ... nge-rules/

I can see now there are many variations...so I'm thinking about starting over and maybe following the rules here: http://apocalypsechallenge.kaleiope.com ... lypse.html
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by Lorinsv »

The rules on Kalaiope are just Pinstar's rules from his Legacy site updated for the EPs released after Seasons and Bon Voyage, by a group of us Apocalypse fanatics (we called ourselves the Apocaborg) in Pinstar's absence. They have his blessing, though if he ever decided to do his own, we would gladly let them go in favor of his.
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by MichelleCYoung »

Arily wrote:I was following the original rules here: http://www.simslegacychallenge.com/sims ... nge-rules/

I can see now there are many variations...so I'm thinking about starting over and maybe following the rules here: http://apocalypsechallenge.kaleiope.com ... lypse.html
Awww, don't start over! You've got a good thing going, and you're sticking to the rules you started with. Anyway, base game is good practice. Believe me, it's hard enough for a first run-through. You want some practice before you get into the Apocaborg's complete rule set. As Candi said, even the rules have rules.

Now that we know where you are, though, that alters the advice.

1) You are totally allowed to send the kids to college, so go for it, and use the library! Build an appropriate library if you must. Let them write novels, and play with secret society members, to build fun.

2) Without Intelligence restrictions, you can ask questions, so ask all the non-college sims you meet (by all means, visit neighborhood lots!), what their jobs are, so you can plan out your spouses.

3) USE the career rewards! The military career reward can fit on the ground, under the house on stilts. It's OK if the green area extends past the 8x8, so long as it's covered from the bird's eye view. The medical dummy is great for training mechanical. And frankly, if there is no rule saying you can't do it, then you can, so go ahead and get someone high enough in Education to get the Bookcase, and the rest of the family will zip right through all the other careers. It's totally worth it. In fact, you could let them be fired after they get the bookcase, and then go for a different lift. With University degrees, they can start at high as level 4, from the paper! Slacker is a great lift, because you can avoid dangerous chance cards and miss work, and it gives you a creative trainer object. Music could be done the same way as Education - get someone high enough to get the career reward, and then shift them, thus giving you the Music career reward, which will allow teens to train creativity, while building fun. The bookcase does not build fun. And while the base-game career rewards have to wait until their restriction has been lifted, the non-base game career rewards are NOT restricted, by the base game rule set, so I say GO FOR IT! This is your baby-step play-through, after all, so yeah.

4) Also, with the base game rules set, dates and outings are allowed. Take advantage of those mood-boosters. Read "Romancing the Apocalypse" by... ummmm... I forgot, but they're currently doing a Build A City Challenge, something with Mesa in the name... Anyway, they really did a fantastic job on their apocalypse, and used the heck out of outings and dates in the early stages, so food and showers weren't an issue.

5) Basically, my advice is to stick with the rule set you have for this run-through, and before you do the full, complete, complex, pull-your-hair-out rules, read some complete apocalypses, for examples. Also, read the handicaps and advantages thread (here) and take some advantages, and maybe handicaps. I like to balance mine out, personally, so the score is the same, but some of those advantages can make a HUGE difference, even if they don't look like much.

Oh, and please post your story! We'd love to read it!

After you make it through this iteration, with the base game rules, you'll have the micro-managing down, and you'll be ready to try for the Apocaborg rule set, which is massive and changes everything.

ETA: AHHAAHHHAAAA! OK, so the very person I was floundering to name is the one who started the advantages and handicaps thread I linked! LOL! Lorinsv! Already int he conversation here. D'oh! Sorry about that, Lorinsv. Seriously, though, read Lorinsv's stuff, because it is great, and I have taken a lot of my own tricks from that Romancing the Apocalypse.

I think I'll go read it again.
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by milaek »

Unfortunately until you lift artist or get access to creative career rewards you're stuck with the computer. I'd suggest just stick them on the thing in shifts and knock out all the creativity you'll need for college in a few days. Stopping and starting doesn't seem to work as well in my experience.

As for affording it, SCHOLARSHIPS. In the future if you can have your kids maxed out on logic from the chess set then A++, and body if you can! The more skills they have the better! I find its good to have a home computer so that you can always use it, as opposed to libraries which if you have more than one sim can be tough if their sleeping cycles are different due to classes, and because if someone is using it you can just tell them to leave! Townies love computers so you might be vying for them in a library setting. But until you can afford a comp of your own a library is a great starting place.

And I agree with others, it would be awesome if you chronicled and posted your apocalypse! I've been looking for new ones to read :)
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Re: Apocalypse Question on Rules

Post by MichelleCYoung »

Actually, if you can max your grades, you'll be able to afford it for the very next semester, thanks to college grants.
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