Need tips when playing with larger Sims families.

[Eldridge]

Hi, all.

I usually play a single sims family and the limit that I can take usually around 4 sims.
Because I am somewhat a control-freak.
My Sims families have been larger recently and it's around 6 now, soon will be 8 and I don't want them to move out.
I'm easily attached with the families that I play when I like them.
And sometimes it's drive me insane, because when I was not looking they always do something that I don't want to and ruin my plan.
Please, I need your help, can you share me your tips when playing a larger family?

Thank you so much in advance

[Kaye]

The easiest solution would be to turn free will off, but if you don't want to do that, here's what I can tell you.

First, make sure there is enough room in the house. You don't need to have humongous house, but having a decent size that fits the whole family comfortably will make it a little easier. Trying to contain a family of eight in a small house is a nightmare!

If you have infants or toddlers, just confine them to one or two rooms. You can fit everything they need in one or two and they're really no point in letting the toddlers roam around the house (unless you like them blocking the way).

If you need to concentrate on just one sim, try to keep the others occupied with an object that takes a long time to use. Computer and television are great because you don't risk them learning any skills you might not want (simply keep the TV off the cooking, fishing and gardening channels; I've never had a sim change the channel autonomously). If you have a technophobe, try non-skill related books. Grab a few and queue them up.

If you have toddlers who haven't learned their skills yet, this is a great occupier. Unless a toddler has the "genius" trait, teaching walking and talking will take up a couple of hours. Queue up books to read with them too or have adult sims you're not using take them on a stroll (they seem to stroll until you say stop, but I could be wrong).

That's what I've got. Hope it's helpful!

[Ricalynn]

I'm a control freak.  There isn't a Sim in my games right now that does something I don't want them to, usually.  (Evil ghosts killing queues muttermutter)
So the best advice I can give you is to pause often!  Yeah it takes longer to play but every now and then I will pause and go from person to person to make sure they're all doing exactly what I told them to and if they are near the end of their queue I will add new things to it.  Queues can have up to 8 actions.   Sometimes you can actually throw in shower, potty breaks and food breaks and that will keep them from grabbing something you don't want them to while you look elsewhere.

[Eldridge]

Thank you so much, Kaye! Your advice can be a good use for me! *write down in notes*

*giggle* look at your post actually make me laugh, Rica. Thank you so much! I have been using pause method since first playing Sims. But, I never had experience when dealing with a larger family, even each generation that I have is limited.

[Ricalynn]

It's the same for me whether it's a family of 2 or 8.   I just keep remembering that it's not a race to the end of the game .  Just means you have more people to cycle through and more people to keep up with.   I actually have a notebook I keep notes in and I got a iPad over the holidays that I'm starting to use the same way for families that are larger.  Most of my large families are now dynasty families so they have requirements I need to keep up with anyway.     Sometimes it actually feels weird to have less than 6 people running around.

[Mahmeya]

My Sims families have been larger recently and it's around 6 now, soon will be 8 and I don't want them to move out.
I'm easily attached with the families that I play when I like them.

In that we're similiar players I'd say. My family had 7 sims yesterday (Generation 1 pair, generation 2 pair, their daughter and son with soon-to-be wife) and their horse.
With bad feeling that I'm letting them at mercy of story progression, after the wedding I moved G1 pair to small house to guarantee them calmer moments in their last 1/4 of life (and going to move the daughter with horse when she gets married). What I learned from such big family:
-multiple bathrooms are a must. 1 per couple/child, and 1 spare in each floor, with self-cleaning upgrade if possible
-choose rabbithole jobs for as many characters as you can. Ghost hunter or Firefighter in large family can give you hell on multicontrolling. Or self-employment which takes a lot of time - writing (you can have the sim sit at computer for half a day and other half on TV to get mood back up), or gardening if you have big gardens - 20+ plants will keep the sim pretty busy.
-wide staircases, halls and doors to avoid problem when multiple sims head for a group meal

[Kaye]

-multiple bathrooms are a must. 1 per couple/child, and 1 spare in each floor, with self-cleaning upgrade if possible

Absolutely! If you can't have that many bathrooms, then just do one on each floor. Or take a room and split it down the middle to have two smaller bathrooms.

[Eldridge]

@Rica: I see. So, it's only a matter of time until I can get used with a larger Sims families. So, I can have confidence to start my own Dynasty someday

@Mahmeya: Thanks for your advice, Mahmeya! Currently in my game it's on G3 already, they are lived with G2. The problem is the G3 is two pair because they are twins and each of them have their partner that live together in a same roof. My G2 pair just have a wish to have a grandchildren from each twins, so it will make into 8 soon.

Ah, yes thank you for noticing about door problem. Since I'm more comfortable with smaller house it's always be a problem when I try to call families for meal, so usually I just directly control them to have meal one by one for each sims.

@Kaye: This is quite a handy

[Janna]

Bathrooms also don't have to be big.  Most houses, even some of the low cost ones, have big bathrooms.  That is fine if you have the money and room to build, but for me I cut bathrooms down to 4 x 2.  Give room for a shower, toilet and sink.  You can do the bedrooms like they do in the countries in WA, have a wall that goes part of the way down to divide the bedroom ito two halves.  Twin beds for those who are single and the bathroom can take up very little space.

Sometimes, not always, but sometimes you can use the island type counters for counter space and for dining. 

As the ohers stated, plenty of room for people to pass, rocking chairs can be for sitting, to help with stress and naps.  Some sims even prefer them over their beds. 
I put a nursery by the area that my sims are at most, with self employed sims I have the computer and bookshelves.  A chair for someone to sit and read and beside that is the crib wth all the needed items.  You can have the toddler paying there with their educational toys, shape or music, reading their books, they can do that on their own, and still write or paint.
I used to hate it when my nooboos had their days and night mixed up, but it can be a blessing.  First thing I do is potty train them; during the night while parents are sleeping the toddler is reading books.  Since everyone is asleep, you can do the fast forward and get books read quick.  Parents get up, feed the kid (I never use the high chair, just give the bottle on the floor) change diaper, work with other needs -- talking, walking, or playing with them with the toys -- until the toddler is ready to sleep.  The toddler is sleeping while you are working, cleaning, cooking and not underfoot.

It can get quite hetic with so many sims in the house.  As others have stated, pausing often to see what everyone is doing, giving mutiple tasks to keep them busy and out of the way as you work with the one who needs the one on one aspect. 

hope that is helpful

[Eldridge]

Thank you Janna for your advice, that is really helpful indeed

 

[DLSpurlock]

Like Ricalynn, I am a control freak, so I don't play large households often. However, when I do I recognize that it is going to be a different sort of game and embrace the chaos. I concentrate on one or two of the Sims and pretty well let the others do what they want.  I'll nudge the other Sims in a direction every once in a while; but, for the most part I leave them be.  It is actually quite amusing to watch their free-will antics and a good change of pace from my total control game style.

[Janna]

I think is interesting in how similar yet different we all play.  I seem to be a control freak.  I have to know what all of my sims are doing always.  Always making sure they are doing what I want them to do to achieve the goals I set and the ones from their opportunities.
I don't do the free will until they reach elder, or when the next generation has married and is working on their family.  I think that a factor also is the income your family has, along with the type of job.  With self-employment it can be less rigid as there is no schedule to get them up at a set time, bathed, have breakfast and be ready before the ride shows up. 
Self emplolyed can sleep late, stay up late, work in their jammies or get dressed; it doesn't matter in that aspect.  Also how the lifespans are set up; default?  I feel trapped, really limited on how much fun my sims can have.  Set as I have, with shorter and longer depending on stage, 2 babies, 10 toddler, 10 child, 20 teenager, 40 for YA and Adult and 20 for Elder has more time to work on my goals.  More time to make money, have some fun, enjoy family later and able to work on having more money to move out of the small house my sims started in and generally have first child in.
Then, when enough money, move out into that nicer house with much more room to give each room and be able to add rooms with the extra yard space; a study, library, formal dining and breakfast area, small parlor type room at the entrance, family room, any others that I feel are important. Which varies for each of us what we want, how big, fancy and the styles, Victorian or modern, western or classical.  Or even do we want to see that as another step to the nicer home, a medium size house that fits the needs and look to buy a larger, nicer home after more money is made. 
Other factors that vary from player to player on what we see as important to our sim family; goals, wishes, rewards and other which can affect as we play.  I guess that is what I find interesting, what we see as important, what we want from our game, our sims and even ourselves personally and in personality. 
Sorry to ramble on, I just think of how we all play differently, my son is rigid, set a specific goal and when he reaches it that is end of the game.  I am flexible, want to have freedom to change goals, play for what I see as fun, not a set goal, reach a certain level and that is the end of my game. 

[Magpie2012]

I agree with Janna that the 4x2 bathroom is all you need but I usually don't bother with the sink (my sims never wash their hands lol) i do put a hamper in place of the sink though when I have a family orientated sim in the house because they seem to love doing laundry and heck it's free LTHP lol

[Eldridge]

I concentrate on one or two of the Sims and pretty well let the others do what they want.  I'll nudge the other Sims in a direction every once in a while; but, for the most part I leave them be.  It is actually quite amusing to watch their free-will antics and a good change of pace from my total control game style.

To be honest to let others do what they want. I really can't do this to my Sims. But, I'll try it for an exchange.

I don't do the free will until they reach elder, or when the next generation has married and is working on their family.

I don't even let free will when they reach elder. Man, I feel somehow feel so bad to do this to them.
 

Self emplolyed can sleep late, stay up late, work in their jammies or get dressed; it doesn't matter in that aspect.  Also how the lifespans are set up; default?  I feel trapped, really limited on how much fun my sims can have.  Set as I have, with shorter and longer depending on stage, 2 babies, 10 toddler, 10 child, 20 teenager, 40 for YA and Adult and 20 for Elder has more time to work on my goals.

Yes, I also think that default is kinda too fast. Not much time to explore the uniqueness that our Sims have.

Other factors that vary from player to player on what we see as important to our sim family; goals, wishes, rewards and other which can affect as we play.  I guess that is what I find interesting, what we see as important, what we want from our game, our sims and even ourselves personally and in personality.

I agree with you, Janna.   

Sorry to ramble on, I just think of how we all play differently, my son is rigid, set a specific goal and when he reaches it that is end of the game.  I am flexible, want to have freedom to change goals, play for what I see as fun, not a set goal, reach a certain level and that is the end of my game.

Sure, no problem. I kinda learn about new things from your post. It's important to ourselves to have fun. Thank you.

I agree with Janna that the 4x2 bathroom is all you need but I usually don't bother with the sink (my sims never wash their hands lol) i do put a hamper in place of the sink though when I have a family orientated sim in the house because they seem to love doing laundry and heck it's free LTHP lol

Nooo... I'll never do that. Bathroom without the sink is kinda not right for me

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Thank you kindly for your advice, everyone. This is surely will be good for use

[bubbles]

If you have a neat sim, get everyone out of the house before you start to clean. Even with one sim cleaning, it doesn't take long and with other sims in the way, it can get tough to avoid everyone. Sometimes in my current household (2 parents, 1 young adult (Their eldest child), 2 teens (Kids 2-3) and 2 children (Kids 4-5)) the Dad stays home while the mum cleans to keep the youngest out of the way. However, that was only during those treasured but manic toddler years.

You don't need to give everybody their own room. For a family of seven, three or four bedrooms would be fine, if maybe a little squashed. If you get a bigger lot, you can easily expand the house as well or chuck people outside when you get too squashed for comfort.