I'm addicted to cheats! I can't help it I just can't let my sims live normaly, but now it is way too boring to play because I use cheats but when I play without them I want to cheat more.Any idea, Besides self-control, to help me cheat less? PLease Give a suggestion!
How about trying the Legacy Challenge? It is a fun way to test your simming skills without the ever-useful cheats! Basically you buy a 5x5 lot and move one sim (and if you have Pets, one pet) into it. You are not aloud to use cheats, and you have to make it to the 10th generation. Here is a link to the site; http://www.legacychallenge.com/
When attempting to control any addiction the first step is to discover and focus on the real reason behind the un-wanted behavior. Do you over-use cheat codes because you are frustrated by difficult aspects of the game (making enough money, sims keep dying, can't keep sims happpy, etc.) or do you cheat to try out new things? If it is a case of the former, focus on one challenge at a time and overcome it. As you learn to overcome these frustrations each little victory will encourage you to continue without cheating. After gain enough confidence in your simming abilities you could try one of the various "challenge" scenarios to make the game more interesting. A very good place to get basic game play hints to get you started is the "How Do I..." forum. If you have a specific problem just do search the old threads there and you will get some great ideas. HTH
I used to have a lot of hacks installed but my game started acting weird so I deleted them all. Just went cold turkey. Now I only use one or two: the toddler floor mat and the no hassle baby are important to keep me from throwing my computer out the window. And I'm considering bringing back Don't Wave at Me. Yes, I know you're stinky. Just go take a shower. The college timer thingy and the insiminator are two more I can't live without. I only use the insim for creating instant vampires (trying to do it the old fashioned way is too frustrating), or for helping my vampires when the game makes them do something stupid that almost results in their death. College timer means I actually send my sims to college because they get through so quickly. And it lets you change your LTW: important to me because raise 20 puppies or kittens is just so stupid as a LTW, IMHO. And own 5 top rated businesses or go on 200 first dates are frankly impossible. And thanks to Sacha I now have Merola's painting (it was in one of the houses she gave me) and am enjoying the ability to change stats; helpful because my game keeps creating clones. The Summerdreams have 14 kids, and of the non-adopted ones 4 or 5 are basically the same person, repeated. Grrr. So my rule is, if the game is broken, use a hack to fix it. Otherwise, leave it alone and find ways to make the game fun as is. For example, I used to have the phone hack, now I don't. I do hate the passive aggressive phone calls, but I find if I keep up with my friends they stop, and they even call to chat. So, hack not really needed. That said, there's nothing wrong with using cheats if it doesn't break your game. But if you want to quit, you can. It takes some getting used to, but I did it, more or less.
Nobody said you had to own all 5 businesses at once, or that they had to be good dates. Seriously, I've had sims go perma-plat with those LTWs while attending Sim State. Have your sim earn enough logic points to learn how to "meditate". Set up and purchase a small turn-key business lot, let's say an unfinished shack with a card table, chairs, and ticket machine. Go to the lot, set admission at "cheapest", flip the sign to green and go meditate in the corner at 3xspeed till your business is level 10. Go home, sell the lot. Wash-rinse-repeat x5. As for 200 first dates? Go downtown to a lot you own. Owning the lot gives you access to aspiration rewards and being downtown stops the aging clock. Call the old gypsy and ask her for a $5 date. Fulfill enough of your wants to earn points toward buying happy-machines and to keep your aspi-meter in gold. Fulfill enough of your date's wants to keep him from putting piles of flaming dog poo on your porch then politely give him/her the "lets be friends" speech and visit the gypsy for the next contender. Zap yerself in the lectric washtub when your needs get low. It can get a bit tedious but the sense of accomplishment you get is well worth it.
Werebear, as always, you are the master. I don't have the patience to do either of those! But, good point, they are doable. I just prefer my simming experience to be a little more realistic, and I have no patience for tedium. Although I suppose for some people 200 cheap dates IS reality. I did have a sim graduate permaplat whose LTW was 20 woohoo. If you choose mostly professors you also never need to study.
