Getting back into gameplay for storytellers
I see a lot of other players turned storytellers say that they wish they could get back into the game and actually enjoy playing like they used to (before discovering the sometimes complicated world of simblr, lol) so here are some of the things that I find helped me enjoy playing again.
Create a sim: not a character who’s life you have planned all the way out to gen 3 and can’t wait to pose and post but a sim who literally will pee themselves if you don’t tell them to go to the bathroom. I find that if I start seeing my sim as more than a sim and more like a character, it becomes difficult to play them and see them doing the silly things sims were meant to do.
Use less CC: If you usually use a ton of CC to clutter every single aspect of your sims house, don’t. I find that trying to make everything picture perfect turns me off from playing and instead send me right back down the road of storytelling so I keep things much simpler. Once you start playing, you probably won’t be spending a ton of time admiring their living spaces anyway.
Use less mods: Okay, so, I love mods but I also know that there are so many things I’ve never done in the game. Having too many nonessential mods is distracting and prevents me from actually trying new things in the game. Right now, for my gameplay save, I only have MCCC, WW and other mods that fix issues that I find annoying. Try taking your mods out and playing a bit then put back the ones you feel like you can’t live without.
Change your style: Remember what I said in #1 about sims being sims? If you usually make your sims more realistic for story purposes, try making them more cartoony for gameplay. I LOVE alpha clothes/furniture for storytelling purposes but it throws me off for gameplay. So I stick to maxis match clothing and more colorful decor styles to fit with the maxis aesthetic. I feel like @anotherplumbob does an amazing job with this and is definitely an inspiration. Even the reshade I use for gameplay is much brighter!
Don’t build your sims house: I’m a builder at heart, okay? But it can be super time consuming trying to build the perfect house for your sim. Sometimes, by the time I’m done, I don’t even want to play anymore. Instead, try downloading one, or using one of Maxis’ ugly houses and make minimal changes and updates as your sim makes progress in life. Gives you something to work towards and its nice to look back to see how far you’ve come.
Don’t build up all the worlds: If you’re one of those players who usually rebuilds every world before you play, don’t. Instead, add new lots as you need them. 9 times out of 10 you won’t end up using half the lots you place anyway, especially once your sim’s life gets busy. If the thought of this kills you, try downloading a save that as everything you need already there like the ones by @jenba.
Don’t makeover nonessential sims: Instead of making over every single sim in the beginning, try making over sims as they come into your sim’s life. Make them earn that makeover. If they become friends with your sim, they get a makeover. Become your sim’s boo? They get a makeover. Randomly walks by and kicks over your sim’s trashcan? They might just get deleted, but definitely no makeover.
Let the sims create a story for you. Try letting their whims and aspirations dictate their lives and just follow along. Try using the randomize feature to select traits and aspirations when sims are aging up. Try randomly selecting careers and see what happens. Try answering the door when random sims show up and see what happens. Basically hop on the random things that happen in game to see what happens cause for me, not knowing what’s going to happen is the best part of playing.
Keep your gameplay separate from simblr: I know it’s like second nature to post everything that happens in your game (which is perfectly fine if that truly makes you happy), but maybe try keeping a save just for you. One where you can let loose and enjoy yourself without having to worry about getting the perfect picture of your sim gardening or jogging or whatever. Just play and have fun.
Anyway, I hope somebody out there finds this helpful.
