When you play the game, do you focus more on the challenge or on telling stories?

As for me, I usually start the game off as a single sim with few mods, then get married and have a baby, but when the first baby is about to age into a toddler, I switch to a more story-oriented system, which includes NRaas' Relativity mod (I couldn't imagine storytelling without that) and many others, but I also add difficulty mods so the game will still be very challenging.

I'm obsessed with skilling and collecting. Half of my Sims have never even been out on a date, forget about breeding. I do a clean install every other EP, so I'm on a never-ending quest for a Sim that knows every recipe, every fish bait, has collected every rock, bug and gem in the game, has upgraded everything that can be, has invented everything, painted everything, has jogged 500 km, and so on to eternity. The bastards keep adding more stuff!

I'm just one big old bucket of crazy.

I have been playing a legacy family for four and a half months. And I agree with you, Zerbu; I also use relitivity (and most of Twallan's other mods, too). I set goals and make rules for my sims to follow to make it more challenging. I also post the story line at TFM's Naughty Sims Asylum. You have to get permission to read it, though (just in case you're interrested )...it's in the adult section.

It's funny because I tried to play TS3 with a challenge, while it's more funner for me to have storytelling experience. And with TS1, it's the other way around.
I haven't really succeeded with either of them because I would always get burned out, so now I'm attempting on just solely storytelling. Although I can't help myself when I play to actually work through the game.

But in-game I always have the need to shift AGAIN. I should look into Relativity to give myself the time I need for both fulfilling needs and wishes, while also telling a story. Because I always never find enough time to do what I want before my families go to bed..

Stories. Definitely stories. I got Sims 3 when it first came out but only played on and off. A few EPs later I was looking for a cheat code I couldn't remember and I came across some random legacy stories. Followed it back to the main thread here on MTS and the rest is history.

Some of my stories are in my signature if anyone is curious. I follow the random legacy challenge, but these days I consider the "rule" to be more of "guidelines" to accent the story instead of dictate it.

I used to play more of a story-line, but for some reason with TS3 i went more skills and achievements.
Free-roll most of the time, trying to get as many generations as possible, and then end up in the edit town mode building the most insane houses that ill never be able to afford. Never really "finished" a game yet, usually between the first and third generation im bored and i saved my builds + created a new game to try it all again xD

Round and round she goes, and where she stops nobody knows

I love story telling in the Sims, always have. But the challenges are fun too. I've been getting more into the challenges of the game as of lately, because I realized I haven't really gotten deep into the gameplay of the game.

I guess it depends on my mood. I usually start off with a sim in the private investigator career, have her fall in love with one of her married clients, they make baby, and then she finds out he's married, and they break up. sometimes, I'll even create another sim just so they can meet and fall in love, but it's more fun the other way. lol

but I love the skills and achievements, I usually cheat on the skills side, but I think I'm just going to let it go naturally. . .(well, vahi_master hasn't updated. .so i can't get no new skills anyways) I love opportunities. . .I wish there was a way to spawn them more (probably is. . )

also, does TS3 have job related tasks like the TS2 did? (example: (insert name) has witnessed and error in boss's work, does she (buttons) tell boss, or fix error self.) or it was something like that.

They're more in the messages on the top corner of your screen (I think...the game doesn't tend to just interrupt you). But yep, they do happen.

Story telling all the way. I wish the 'game' functions could be eliminated from my TS3 toy box.

I've now realised that the basic challenge of the game gets boring fast, so from now on I'm just going to cheat my way into an expensive house and find other ways to make the game challenging. I've actually came up with ideas for a few mods that allow for good connection between challenge and storytelling. I won't give the details since I wouldn't want people to steal my idea.

... I'm really glad I'm not the only one who does this! I always start a master-of-all-things Sim but then I get intimidated by how much there is to do. Also it sounds way more interesting in theory than in practice. I get a little bored with all the skilling.

As for the thread... if I'm playing a random Sim or assortment of Sims, I tend to focus on challenge, but most of the time I play a random legacy and that gets me to focus on story a lot more, which I like, but also keeps challenging elements in play. It strikes a really good balance, I think.

I'm obssesed with the legacy challenge. Since the sims 2, I haven't been able to complete it and it's really doing my head right now. I guess I'll be trying until I actually complete it.

Story first, challenges if they fit in. Nothing beats a good story, though, and now I am finally beginning to feel TS3 is getting near to the level of story telling possibilities that made TS2 such a good game.

Challenges. I'm too lazy to try storytelling TBH...

Amen. Depending on my game, I play epic lifespan with aging on/epic lifespan with aging off and my sims HAVE to do all that plus have babies, raise the family, get visas for all 3 WA worlds, earn gazillions of simoleons, build vacation homes in all WA worlds... and the list goes on and on.... Let's see I still haven't done the following:

Base Game
- Never played a ghost in any life stage - Don't like ghosts - not in TS2 or TS3
- Never had any sim work in the mausoleum - Don't like creepy places
- Never made ambrosia - haven't gotten all the ingredients to make it ever
- Never had an omni plant - still working on it
- Haven't got past Generation 3 .... yet

Ambitions
- Never played a Ghost hunter - Don't like ghosts
- Never had a Simbot, nor do I want one - Never liked the Simbot in TS2 and now TS3

Late Night
- Never had a band - I could never get together 4 people to jam nevermind form a band and play together. I had a family with 4 kids and they were all musical and always jammed together - does that count?
- Never bought food off a food truck - I can never find the food truck!!

Generations
- Not one of my kids born in game or created has had an IF, I have yet to see one. I haven't seen one of any of the EA sims either - I actually played a few EA families to take a look at an IF and no one has one. I don't know what's causing this glitch in my game and I've done a clean install since getting Generations. - I don't know how to get one for any of my kiddies!!
- Haven't tried the Daycare career yet. - it's exhausting in RL nevermind the game!! I don't feel like getting stressed... yet
- Haven't used the wedding arch yet - Most of my simmies are married and the unmarried ones aren't past the going steady/engagement phase yet
- Haven't been to a prom yet - Most of my kids are in boarding school and the 5 that aren't are in elementary/middle school
- Haven't had any bachelor/bachelorette parties yet - haven't got most of them out of the going steady/engagement phase yet
- Haven't had any of my elders show off pictures of the family yet - I don't know how to do this.. anyone have tips?
- Haven't had teens throw a party while parents are on vacation yet - I've only had 1 teen whose parents went off on vacation and they rolled the want for a party, by the time I got around to start inviting friends over, parents walked in the door so I haven't done it yet

I'm sure I've missed a few more things but that's what comes to mind at the moment.

On topic - no I don't do challenges and I don't tell stories.

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry you went through all of that when the solution is pretty simple. IF's come in the mail from a relative. You need to check the mail 2-3 days after the kid is born, and it'll appear in their inventory. Townies don't have them because, let's be honest - do they check their mail? Didn't think so, haha. :p

I want to insert proper recognition, as well, for people who dwell mainly in Build mode. I am of the storytelling sort, and I feel that building & decorating may be from somewhere in the same branch of the family -- kissing cousins, perhaps. But it is also a thing in itself, and I have spent many a happy evening.

Well, thanks to NRaas StoryProgression, the townies in my game will have to look and pay their bills they must wish they were in someone else's game.

My default playstyle is to allow the A.I. to tell its own stories while I interject whenever I want.

I rarely play with challenges in mind or scenarios, but currently I am planning a challenge to see if I can get my Sim to retire as a self-made Billionaire before the end of his life. If I remember correctly, his traits are: Frugal, Workaholic, Unflirty, and yeah I forget the other two. But my idea is that to not only acquire money but to spend as little as possible, and he's focused on that goal and does not have time for romance. However I rarely follow through on scenarios because I enjoy the A.I.'s input. So maybe he will find love or maybe he will be like Bruce Wayne or something entirely different, I don't know.

OY! That's easy! I sometimes do a "Black Widow" thing. Meet guys, ask about family funds, become friends, ask them to move in, then DEXTER THE BEAR time! BooooWaahahahahaha!!!

Well that's one way of many but for this Sim he will gain wealth through his hard work and perseverance.

I could create a different challenge/scenario for a high-end heist for only the most wealthiest Sims from neighborhood to neighborhood; I am too attached to my Sims to kill them off. I am not sure how to pull that off yet, sure by getting friendly and/or romantic and having them move-in, but I would like to plan a keepsake from each heist as remembrance and then sell everything else and then leave town asap. Some keepsakes would be simple like anything that can go into the personal inventory but what if I wanted the thief to take the whole dining set or something? lol. Guess I would have to get creative with that one.

It has actually been on my mind on and off to play out a thief lifestyle which I do not think I have ever done in TS3 before or have I?

I usually don’t do a challenge I do wishacy but often in a gimmicky way

I let the wishes determine where things are going. Usually, by the time they are young adults, I have a sense of who they are and where things might be going for them and I let that determine what Lifetime Wish would be good for them. It changes, sometimes with a good or even an ill-advised spouse, unplanned pregnancy or problems with the job and the LTW might not be completed. I make vague plans based on what random traits I roll at the beginning but they often change based on circumstances.