Historical Pain in the Bladder
I have to say, getting started with The Sims 4 Historical Challenge has been very challenging. To start I was focused on simple immersion with visuals to help create the feel of the time period. I began with the lot design and coverings in place of clothing.
The lot design was fairly straight forward especially with live edit objects debugged and useable thanks to @twistedmexi. That is until my characters started walking through rocks and boulders! I spent so much time level building a valley for Wa and G’Ra to start their journey only to find I needed to go back to the drawing board to brainstorm a playable level that honored game mechanics in a creative yet invisible way without building modern walls. I chose to use terrain modifications instead of natural fencing. I added mounds too tall to walk up forcing a reroute around to the paths I carved out. It’s not perfect as it stands but it is working.
Livable space was limited from the start as I started on the small “Oasis Springs, Water Landing” lot because it goes along with the storyline I am developing - look out for some interesting timeline benders and flashbacks - having to add mounds only further reduced the space as controlling land manipulation with Maxis tools carries a great learning curve be it on Console or Computer.
I don’t want to spend too much time reworking a finished design though. After all, I already spent my 5,000 simoleons and placed all needs based items as best I could with zero privacy due to lack of walls because my starting character’s lack of handiness knowledge to build anything. I still have some areas to close up if my Sims are ever going get their hygiene up and not release their bladder on themselves.
The Finished Valley Lot
I am not worrying with starting over because, it feels authentic to have blunders. I bet prehistoric civilizations had to work through many challenges that required creative problem solving, observing nature and trail and era. Plus, there will be more other lots to do a better build on and showcase my development as a game level designer as I progress. For now I have my very first V1 pre-historical level build.
Coverings... Not Clothing
My other focus was the coverings, without power, skills and memory of how they arrived where they are, it goes without saying that clothing shouldn’t be jeans and sneakers in this pre-historic era. I wanted something loose and thrown together. I used Naked and Afraid survivor as inspiration since finding pre-made cc hasn’t been easy. Also me spending hours window shopping the internet for coverings is a real simulation immersion breaker.
I got to work putting together some re-colors with leaves and vines. The process started as terrible as the first human civilizations must have had it. Items didn’t fit correctly, none of what I tried looked good either, it was perfect. After painstaking trial and era, I finally landed on something I feel the characters can move forward with until their skills (and mine) level for more complexity.
I know most people doing the Sims 4 Historical Challenge go for animal hides but Wa and G’Ra don’t have the skills or tools yet to go after animals. All they have are the trees bushes and problem solving skills. Trust me it even bugs me that they have a bed. I feel they should be resting on the ground on leaves until they have the Handiness Skill to build from trees. But I ask for your suspension of disbelief for now, please.
I will end with this note, the Stone Age level is very difficult, especially on the Bladder. Players beware! While this challenge isn’t new, I will not be the last player to attempt it. I am giving fair warning. My sims spend most of their time trying to eat 20 pieces of fruit to fill up then, embarrassing themselves on the ground part way through their meal. I have them eat next to the bladder bush now.
There is barely time to level skills let alone their aspiration. Survival is finding food, feeding themselves one fruit at a time and getting sick from Living off the Land negative Buffs. I have the “Living Off The Grid” lot challenge turned on because why not? I don’t need my sims checking their phone or video playing games when they can’t even autonomously feed themselves.
Ending today with 4,570 Simoleons having nearly replenished Wa & G’Ra’s starter funds.
