More Realistic Lifespans in The Sims 4
I saw a video on Youtube and I wanted to share this post with you guys. It came to my attention that people use rather different lifespans in their games, but nobody talks about how they determine them. If you are using MCCC to modify the lifespans in your game like I do, here is my method that I formulated over the years to make them feel more realistic.
If your gameplay style is fast-paced, this method is definitely not for you. But if you enjoy long-lasting legacy gameplay, you may find this useful.
I am a bit too literal about lifespans. I like it being as close to as RL. Unlike the players who equate 1 sim-day to 1 sim-year, I base a sim-year on the duration of the in-game calendar. The calendar provides me the multiplier I need when Iâm calculating how long a lifespan should be, in sim-days.
If I am using the shortest season length (1 week for each season),
1 sim-year = 28 sim-days
If I am using medium season length  (2 weeks for each season),
1 sim-year = 56 sim-days
If I am using the maximum season length (4 weeks for each season),
1 sim-year = 112 sim-days
Here is how I perceive the life stages in the sims 4, based on human years (a.k.a. real life, duh)Â :
Before I trigger anyone, letâs clarify one thing. Â In my opinion, how we perceive age is relative. If your definition of an adult or an elder is different than mine, that is totally fine. Feel free to tweak the numbers, replace them with the ones that make more sense to you, considering how you perceive or define a certain age-group in human years.
So, my calculation looks like,
B (Max. RL age) - A (Min. RL age) = C (Lifespan in human years)
CÂ (Lifespan in human years) x S (sim-days in a sim-year, a.k.a. the multiplier) = Y (Lifespan of the life stage in sim-days)
Letâs see the formula again, but clearer,
Now letâs put this formula in action. With basic mathematics, the duration of lifespans should be calculated like this;
If the season length is set to minimum, 1 week for each season:
Elder => 70 - 60 = 10 (x 28) ==> 280 sim-days
Adult => 60 - 35 = 25 (x 28) ==> 700 sim-days Â
Young Adult => 35 - 20 = 15 (x 28) Â ==> 420 sim-days
Teen => 20 - 12 = 8 (x 28) Â ==> 224 sim-days
Child => 12 - 5 = 7 (x 28) Â ==> 196 sim-days
Toddler => 5 - 0 = 5 (x 28) Â ==> 140 sim-days
If the season length is set to moderate, 2 weeks for each season:
Elder => 70 - 60 = 10 (x 56) ==> 560 sim-days
Adult => 60 - 35 = 25 (x 56) ==> 1400 sim-days Â
Young Adult => 35 - 20 = 15 (x 56) Â ==> 840 sim-days
Teen => 20 - 12 = 8 (x 56) Â ==> 448 sim-days
Child => 12 - 5 = 7 (x 56) Â ==> 392 sim-days
Toddler => 5 - 0 = 5 (x 56) Â ==> 280 sim-days
If the season length is set to maximum, 4 weeks for each season:
Elder => 70 - 60 = 10 (x 112) ==> 1120 sim-days
Adult => 60 - 35 = 25 (x 112) ==> 2800 sim-days Â
Young Adult => 35 - 20 = 15 (x 112) Â ==> 1680 sim-days
Teen => 20 - 12 = 8 (x 112) Â ==> 896 sim-days
Child => 12 - 5 = 7 (x 112) Â ==> 784 sim-days
Toddler => 5 - 0 = 5 (x 112) Â ==> 560 sim-days
Right now I am using the maximum settings for my game :)Â I know this may seem insanely long for the majority of simmers, but rest assured, the time flies when you are playing on maximum speed, and they grow up faster than youâd even imagine :)