Elder Play Styles

[Keika]

Hey, everybody! I got to thinking this morning on the different custom content available for elders, and it got me wondering how people play them--or if they play them. Do you mind sharing?

As for me, I tend to embrace the elder stage. I like giving them "old people" clothes (like suspenders), occasionally putting glasses on them or giving them hearing problems or whatnot. I love my elders, though, and have a good time playing them.

What do you think?

[mandarine]

Almost the same here.
They get dressed in wool and tweed and scarves and glasses, and sometimes (especially when on a big lot) I build them their own little home with those two-tiled chairs and a little fireplace, depending onw hwat I can afford at that time.
And then they roam free, most of the time, which does feel (often [and oddly] enough) like they get senile and forget their nephews and grandchildren in front of the oven or outside in a winter night....

[Lorinsv]

This is a great topic!

First, I really enjoy reading Sims stories that have elders in them. In that regard, I've always been very fond of elders.

But for the most part, I've resisted playing elders myself because for me the adult life stage seems too short in relation to the others, especially when the difference is regular adult Sims to ones that look and behave old-old. So looking back, I think I've only played three Sims for any length of time that I've let become elders, and not one born-in-game Sim! Plus add the fact that I played the Apocalypse challenge exclusively for years, so there was always an incentive to get the Sims out of the house as soon as they lifted their restrictions, and I wasn't big on playing rotations in my Apocalypse hood, and the negative connotations of senile elders with the Pets restrictions, so basically elders were something I wanted to avoid.

To let go of that mindset for my BaCC, I've decided to use elixIr to keep most of my Sims adults for eight weeks (double the normal adult span) and then I'll feel like I can welcome the elder stage, and now I actually look forward to it!

[WistfulRose]

I don't know if my style really qualifies as an elder play style. I normally get bored of families before they become elders, and then I make a new family and play them. I guess I tend to play one sims story, and then I get bored, I delete them and move to a different sim. Needless to say, most challenges I start don't last very long...
That bored moment is usually when my original sim turns into an elder... So I guess it's an elder play style.

[Heather]

I don't find elder sims particularly exciting, so I generally have one of their kids live with them and keep the family line going. Then I can focus on playing the age groups I enjoy, and just let the elders do their own thing. Usually painting.

[Chase]

My elders generally live a boring life, just waiting to die It's different now, since I really only play my apocalypse, but the only difference really is now I'm going to move my elders out when they've lifted their restrictions.

[Simsimity]

I treat my elders like my children - just leave free will on and let them do what they will. The other age stages are more focused on achieving things, so it's kind of nice to have a couple of age groups that just basically run around crazy and do weird stuff.

[Scribal_Goddess]

I made the old folks from the Viejo household befriend all the neighborhood ladies and start a crafting club. (I summon the members via shrub for a few hours on weekends.) It helps the adults network without me having to boot up a community lot, gives me something to look forward to in the rotation now that the Riverblossom teens are in college, and could potentially help people stock their businesses.

I'm also thinking of having a set of elders run a teen hangout later on, so they can pass on advice (via that "teach" skilling interaction) and allow the teens to make frends. I'll have plenty of elders in a handful of rotations to try it out with, so I'll likely have quite a lot of clubs going on. Maybe I'll even have a few sets of new elders start a business.

Mostly, though, I play legacy-style and pick one of the elders' offspring to continue the line and move back in with them, at which point the elders become free babysitting and gardening champions. I also tend to leave off too much focus on hobbies until the elder years, especially those that aren't very lucrative, like sports.

[Heather]

I made the old folks from the Viejo household befriend all the neighborhood ladies and start a crafting club. (I summon the members via shrub for a few hours on weekends.) It helps the adults network without me having to boot up a community lot, gives me something to look forward to in the rotation now that the Riverblossom teens are in college, and could potentially help people stock their businesses.

I'm also thinking of having a set of elders run a teen hangout later on, so they can pass on advice (via that "teach" skilling interaction) and allow the teens to make frends. I'll have plenty of elders in a handful of rotations to try it out with, so I'll likely have quite a lot of clubs going on. Maybe I'll even have a few sets of new elders start a business.

Both of those sound like interesting ideas, I might try them out in my prosperity hood.

[MichelleCYoung]

I frequently have my elders encouraging personality traits I like, since they are more effective at it. And when I had Freetime, they would spend a lot of time teaching skills, as well. Or they can teach skills with the career rewards. I figure I've earned those rewards, and the skill boost that goes with actually teaching someone, rather than just using it, yourself. It's part of the whole legacy thing, building on what came before.

And elders have so much experience. In real life, they have so many stories to tell! For play style, they've generally done all they want to do, accomplishment-wise, and it's just time to teach the young'uns and pass on their wisdom. Also, playing with the babies and children. Kids love their grandparents, when they play with them, while the parents are busy dealing with the day-to-day life of climbing the career ladder.

In an apocalypse, I was disappointed when my founder got vamped while she was still an adult, and hadn't given birth, yet. I had befriended the Grand Vampire, hoping to vamp her, and keep her going through the whole challenge, but I meant for that to happen when she was an elder, so she could be the Grand Matriarch, watching over her family forever, in all her elder glory. As it was... Well, keeping a vampire alive in an apocalypse is hard, when she keeps getting out of her coffin to pop and give birth, and feed and change the baby. Bleh. Plus, her encouragification is not as efficient, and she can't woohoo! Not until medical is lifted. My apocalypse elders get it ON!

Of course, I know some pretty vibrant elders IRL, and I think that colors my play-style.

[Olive Specter]

I made the old folks from the Viejo household befriend all the neighborhood ladies and start a crafting club. (I summon the members via shrub for a few hours on weekends.) It helps the adults network without me having to boot up a community lot, gives me something to look forward to in the rotation now that the Riverblossom teens are in college, and could potentially help people stock their businesses.

I'm also thinking of having a set of elders run a teen hangout later on, so they can pass on advice (via that "teach" skilling interaction) and allow the teens to make frends. I'll have plenty of elders in a handful of rotations to try it out with, so I'll likely have quite a lot of clubs going on. Maybe I'll even have a few sets of new elders start a business.

Mostly, though, I play legacy-style and pick one of the elders' offspring to continue the line and move back in with them, at which point the elders become free babysitting and gardening champions. I also tend to leave off too much focus on hobbies until the elder years, especially those that aren't very lucrative, like sports.

These sound like great ideas. I might try them, if you don't mind! Thanks.

I don't especially like elders but they're fun for a calmer game and I don't hate playing with them.