The Family Dynamics Challenge (TS3 Edition)
Greetings, fellow simmers! Welcome to the landing page for the family dynamics challenge, The Sims 3 Edition! This challenge was originally created for The Sims 4 by @solaria-sims (originally standingsimmer) and @jaanie (originally pastellapixels), but three to four years after its birth, it is FINALLY being converted to The Sims 3 for those who don’t fancy The Sims 4! The goal is to set forth a unique (and fun) set of guidelines for a ten-generation legacy challenge centered around a variety of, you guessed it, family dynamics.
If you choose to play this challenge on any platform, please feel free to use the hashtag #familydynamicschallengets3 or #fdcts3 so we can see and enjoy your gameplay too!
English Sims 4 Edition ; Korean Sims 4 Edition
Rules Below the Cut >>>
General Rules:
1. Begin with a single sim.
2. No money cheats, with the only exception being purchasing the first home.
3. Custom worlds are allowed, and even encouraged, to provide an infusion of new townies, lots, and gameplay opportunities.
4. Each career and lifetime wish must be completed unless expressly stated otherwise.
5. If a career branch is not specified, then the choice is up to you.
6. Must use all of the “Required Traits” for each heir, but the other traits are up to the player.
7. Have fun! Don’t let the rules of this challenge confine your gameplay and inhibit your creativity. Adhere to them as much as possible, but ultimately make the gameplay your own.
Generation One - “white picket fence”
From the time that you strike out on your own as a young adult, you dream of cultivating loving familial relationships as rich and unique as the dishes you love to create. You marry younger than some of your friends, raise a bundle of children, and enjoy entertaining groups of close friends and coworkers. You consider gardening a true passion and love show off your plot to anyone who happens to lend a spare minute. All your many obligations aside, you still devote a portion of your life to your hidden dream: becoming a master chef.
Required Traits: Family-Oriented, Green-Thumb, Natural Cook
Lifetime Wish: Surrounded By Family OR The Culinary Librarian OR Celebrated Five-Star Chef OR The Perfect Garden
Career: Culinary OR Self-Employed Gardener
Rules:
· throw five (5) feast parties and serve two (2) homecooked meals at each
· master cooking skill
· optional: own a bakers station from the sims 3 store
· marry as a young adult and stay happily married until “death do us part”
· have 3-4 children
· maintain a garden with at least ten (10) plants of different varieties (NO money tree)
· optional: have a cowplant
Generation Two - “why ever leave?”
You were raised to believe that “home is where the heart is.” And because of this, you rarely venture into the outside world unless given a good reason to do so. You choose not to leave your parents’ home to pursue your own path quite as early as a lot of your peers. Hacking became your passion while holed up in your basement bedroom, and thankfully your career of choice doesn’t require a lot of social interaction. Leftover pizza, anyone? But with your increased knowledge of technology, you desire to create artificial intelligence… and you do!
Required Traits: Couch Potato, Slob, Computer Whiz
Lifetime Wish: The Tinkerer OR More than a Machine OR Monster Maker
Career: Self-Employed Hacker
Rules:
· as a child, teenager, and young adult (until parents pass away) you live in the basement and do all of your science stuff down there
· create a plumbot OR a sim bot
· master either the inventing (simbot) OR the bot building (plumbot) skills
· optional: marry your plumbot
· play the guitar as a hobby (no skill requirement)
· order pizza for at least one meal per week
· never move out of childhood home
Generation Three - “support my family”
Being raised by a parent with an affinity for keeping close to home only encouraged your sense of adventure and attachment to the great outdoors while growing up. You love finding hidden treasures and collecting “useless” items, hoping to convince others of their value. Being made a single parent at a young age only helped to grow the desire within you to remain free of the clutches of a “normal” job or relationship. And so, while you devote your heart to traveling whenever you can, being the best parent that you can be is your number one priority.
Required Traits: Nurturing, Adventurous, Loves the Outdoors
Lifetime Wish: Private Museum OR Seasoned Traveler
Career: you make your money from collecting and selling relics
Rules:
· become a single parent as a young adult
· master handiness and charisma skills
· optional: master martial arts (could be gen 3 heir or gen 3’s spouse who masters this skill)
· travel to each travel location
· complete a tomb in each travel location
· make a bottle of nectar you pass down to the rest of the generations
· optional: master nectar making (could be gen 3 heir or gen 3’s spouse who masters this skill)
Generation Four - “laugh away the pain”
Let’s be honest, you had it pretty good growing up. Even though there were some rough patches, you know that your parent did the very best they could in raising you alone. But, deep down, being alone is the very thing you fear more than anything. So, you cover it up by surrounding yourself with people who can’t get enough of you. You make them laugh; you make them cry. But, it’s not enough. You marry young in a desperate attempt to fill the emptiness that drives you, only to find later that your spouse has chosen another. Eventually, you have to face the fact that your family is enough to hold you up.
Required Traits: Star Quality, Irresistible, Athletic
Lifetime Wish: Superstar Actor
Career: Film (Acting Branch)
Rules:
· master charisma
· reach level five (5) in athletic skill
· write one (1) non-fiction book later in life (give it an applicable title)
· marry first significant other as a young adult
· spouse must have non-committal trait
· turn a blind eye to spouse’s cheating
· eventually divorce your spouse and never remarry
· become a level five celebrity
· make sure you are best friends with your child(ren) after you have divorced your spouse
Generation Five - “struggling in the city”
You come from a broken home. Growing up, you witnessed first-hand the havoc that infidelity can wreak on a family, and are determined from a young age that you will pour your heart and soul into building close relationships with your own family one day. The city life draws you in, and it is there that you decide to make your home. However, no matter your effort as a parent, tragedy claims one of your children long before their time. You wear a shroud of sadness from then on; all you ever wanted was to protect those you held dear. You later come to find that the love of your remaining child(ren), coupled with the release of your sadness in the form of song, might just pull you through in the end.
Required Traits: Over-Emotional, Genius, Virtuoso
Lifetime Wish: World Renown Surgeon OR Become an Astronaut
Career: Medical OR Military
Rules:
· master two (2) different instruments
· reach level five (5) of the logic skill
· live in an apartment from the time that you move out of your parents’ home until an adult
· have more than one (1) child
· do karaoke once a week
· lose one (1) child to death (could be baby, toddler, child, teenager, or young adult)
· mourn at the child’s grave at least once per week and leave their bedroom untouched
Generation Six - “living with a broken heart”
You lost a sibling at a very young age and witnessed the grief of your parents while still trying to process it yourself. Rather than trying to pick up the pieces, you let the sadness consume you. You give in to your darkest thoughts. Theft and criminal activity become you, and eventually, you give yourself over to that lifestyle wholeheartedly. And even though you’re usually more at home in your contemplative solitude, you take comfort once in a one-night stand. But, there’s a surprising side to you; the raging in your heart is only calmed by the time you spend bringing life up from the soil.
Required Traits: Kleptomaniac, Loner, Vegetarian
Lifetime Wish: Become a Master Thief OR Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Law
Career: Criminal (Thief Branch)
Rules:
· run away from home as a teen and never speak to parents again
· do not “inherit” any money from parents
· master logic and gardening skills
· steal at least ten (10) items over the course of the generation
· have a one-night stand with a coworker that results in pregnancy
· never marry
· never become more than “friends” with anyone (except your accomplices)
Generation Seven - “here to make a difference”
There is only one word to describe your childhood: lonely. You knew from a young age that the parent you lived with took very little pleasure in your company, and you’ve always felt that you were the “mistake” that resulted from a careless decision. As a result, you pour effort into building relationships with those who really care about you, and even look to mend relationships with those who don’t. You have a core group of people who mean the world to you, and as a result, try to spend as much time with them as you can. Your career choice was a given from the start, as it provides you with the tools to make an impact on the world around you. And, while you’re a social creature by nature, you never turn down the opportunity to curl up with a good book.
Required Traits: Good, Social Butterfly, Bookworm
Lifetime Wish: Super Popular OR Leader of the Free World
Career: Political
Rules:
· attempt to mend relationships with estranged parents and grandparents (you do not have to succeed... just try)
· have four (4) best friends you don’t live with
· invite your four (4) best friends to every social event and birthday (even if there is no party)
· master the charisma
· marry one of the four (4) best friends
· read at least ten (10) books over the course of the generation
· have at least two (2) biological children and then adopt at least one (1)
· optional: Record at least three (3) home videos
Generation Eight - “working with animals is what I love”
Growing up, you were always surrounded by family and close friends who loved you. But, you desired more than just human interaction. Working with animals is your passion. Riding horses is all you can see yourself doing, but it costs some of your human interacting in the process. Furthermore, making money while riding is hard to come by, so you never venture out to buy a place of your own. But whilst riding around town, you find love in someone who has interests similar to your own. In your incredibly limited spare time, you enjoy photographing places near and far, just looking for that perfect frame. Between riding your horses and your photography, you’re not really able to spend as much time with your children. But that’s okay; you’re out there living your dreams.
Required Traits: Animal Lover, Ambitious, Socially-Awkward
Lifetime Wish: The Jockey OR The Animal Rescuer
Career: you make your money riding your horse in races
Rules:
· live with parents until their death
· become romantically involved with someone with the equestrian trait
· master riding and photography skills
· win at least four (4) races
· have at least two (2) horses, one (1) dog, and one (1) cat
· take at least ten (10) photos
· take a picture of each of your pets
· optional: have the Hates Children trait
Generation Nine - “business-minded and musically-inclined”
Your parents worked hard for every single penny that they earned, but you were just left feeling like they didn’t really care about you as much as the animals they tended. Your grandparents are your closest friends while they’re still alive. After all, they practically raised you. As a young adult, you desire the family you feel you never had, and start a family quickly…only to find out that you’ve married someone whom you don’t really love as much as you should. Being successful in your career of choice classes you as a responsible, functioning member of society. However, you also possess the real musical talent and, even though you would never really consider leaving your current job, you invest in your music quite regularly. You eventually remarry after finding true love and enjoy the rest of your life playing mediator between members of a mixed family. Will you find real happiness amidst the wealth and a high-powered career?
Required Traits: Ambitious, Clumsy, Virtuoso
Lifetime Wish: One Sim Band
Career: Business
Rules:
· become good friends with one or both grandparents
· marry and have at least one child, then later divorce spouse
· eventually remarry and have at least one child (think the movie “Yours, Mine, and Ours”)
· master charisma skill
· hire and keep a butler or maid (a butler would be live in, a maid would not)
· eat out at a restaurant at least once per week
· optional: host a sim at a venue
Generation Ten - “I will make our happy ending”
Objectively speaking, your life is great. You never really wanted for anything as a child. The overactive imagination that you possess lends itself perfectly to your love of writing. The supernatural fascinates you, but more than anything you wish to find true love. When your significant other dies unexpectedly, you immediately begin to seek out a way to bring them back to you. As you search, drinking becomes your method of coping; it quiets your breaking heart and provides the sense of peace you need, even if it’s false. But, at a time when your hope begins to dwindle, your decision to open your home to an adopted child is the final push you need to persevere. You succeed in creating your own happy ending following a long line of sims with odd stories; some happy, and some not. All you know is, a family is a family, doesn’t matter its dynamic.
Required Traits: Hot-Headed, Artistic, Neurotic, Supernatural Fan
Lifetime Wish: Professional Author
Career: Self-Employed Writer
Rules:
· master writing and cooking skills
· achieve level five (5) of mixology skill
· find true love at a young age; significant other dies prematurely
· successfully resurrect significant other into a ghost with philosopher’s stone
· adopt a child before spouse is resurrected
· optional: drink the bottle of nectar from generation 3 if you still have it
· optional (for generation 11): have the child be a fairy, witch, or vampire (you’d have to cheat it)
Optional Generation 11- “our story isn’t quite over yet”
You had a strange household. When you were adopted, it was just you and your parent. But then their lost love came back into the picture… as a ghost of all things! As you grew up in your odd home, you realized you weren’t so normal yourself. Whether it was your toys vanishing before your eyes, your unnatural thirst for sim blood, your strange feeling at the twinkling of the full moon, or the glowing wings that sprouted from your back, your parents knew you weren’t like the rest, and they loved you despite and because of it. You grew from this love into a caring supernatural who only wanted to help others with your strange gifts. You always held a soft spot in your heart for humans… you even fell in love with one!
“This generation is broken up differently than the other ten. There are four (4) optional paths you can take. The one you pursue depends on which supernatural your generation eleven (11) heir is.”
Generation 11- “fairy”
Gardening has been in your family for generations. Though you’re adopted, the love of the outdoors still flows through your magical veins like it did with your great ancestors so many generations ago. And with your gifts, you can make your ancestors proud with the most beautiful garden of all.
Required Traits: Good, Hopeless-Romantic, Green Thumb
Lifetime Wish: Greener Gardens
Career: Self-Employed Gardener
Rules:
· fall in love with and marry a human
· have at least one (1) human kid and one (1) fairy kid
· master gardening skill
· stay best friends with parents until they pass away
· plant every type of flower
· optional: grow a plant sim baby
· reach level ten (10) in fairy skill
Generation 11- “witch”
Your parent used out of this world knowledge to bring the love of their life back from the dead… sort of. Now it is up to you to carry out their legacy and create cures and potions and magic that could do that for anyone. You dream of using your witch abilities for good and to help those in need, just like those before you.
Required Traits: Good, Hopeless-Romantic
Lifetime Wish: Mystic Healer OR Master of Mysticism
Career: Self-Employed Alchemist OR Fortune Teller
Rules:
· fall in love with and marry a human
· have at least one (1) human kid and one (1) witch kid
· master alchemy skill
· stay best friends with parents until they die
· make every elixir
· optional: turn a family member or friend/housemate into a witch (voluntary)
· optional: have a cat become your familiar
· reach level ten (10) in witch skill
Generation 11- “vampire”
You hate the fact that you thirst upon the blood of those who saved you, the humans. You only dream one thing, to become a human so you can live and die and not worry about who you’re going to get your next meal from. You love the speed and agility of being a vampire, but you hate the lifestyle. But will you hate the lifestyle when your kid is a part of it?
Required Traits: Supernatural Skeptic, Hopeless-Romantic, Athletic
Lifetime Wish: Perfect Mind, Perfect Body
Career: Professional Sports
Rules:
· fall in love with and marry a human
· have at least one (1) human kid and one (1) vampire kid
· “accidentally” turn a sim into a vampire and regret it forever.
· reach level seven (7) in alchemy skill.
· cure self with potent cure elixir
· travel to China with family after cured
· optional: offer to cure vampire child with potent cure and they reject and you lose friendship with them OR offer to cure vampire child with potent cure elixir and they accept
· generation doesn’t end till generation 11 heir and their spouse die of old age after being cured of vampirism
Generation 11- "werewolf"
You have always felt drawn to the moon ever since you were adopted. The nighttime calls to you and you tend to answer. But one night you discover you're not just drawn to the night, you're one with it. You turn into a werewolf and crave the moonlight even more. It fascinates you and you decide to seek out more people like you. But despite your love of your species, the humans will always hold a soft spot in your heart.
Required Traits: Hopeless-Romantic, Family-Oriented
Lifetime Wish:
Career: Make your money with the gem cutting machine
· fall in love with and marry a human
· have at least one (1) human kid and one (1) werewolf kid
· create a pack of werewolves (they can be turned into werewolves or found)
· optional: offer to turn your human child(ren) into a werewolf and they accept, joining your pack OR offer to turn your human child(ren) into a werewolf and they reject you, losing your relationship forever
· master lycanthropy skill
· redeem alpha wolf lifetime reward
(THIS GENERATION WAS NOT OFFERED WITH THE SIMS 4 EDITION AND IS A GIFT TO ALL SIMS 3 PLAYERS WHO WAITED 2 WHOLE YEARS TO RECEIVE THIS VERSION OF THE CHALLENGE!)
If you choose not to continue, we hope you enjoyed generations one (1) through ten (10). If you did choose to continue on through generation eleven (11), go you!
Happy simming! 😊