Changes: Game guide:Playing The Sims 4 without Motherlode

Revision as of 21:45, 6 August 2019

This article describes features that are only available in The Sims 4.

Since the first installment of The Sims in 2000, players have always been encouraged to modify aspects of the game to suit the kind of experience they want. Some players create mods that can be used in Create a Sim. Players also experiment with testing cheats, to give Sims skills and unlock special items without putting in so many hours of play. The motherlode cheat increases the amount of simoleons in the household by §50,000.

However, not all players enjoy using cheats. Some prefer to "earn" their money by sending their Sim to work or selling objects they have created. This guide will help gamers that want to try and navigate the Sim world without using the motherlode cheat in The Sims 4.

Housing

When a Sim is created, they’re given a budget of §20,000 to purchase a piece of property on one of several worlds. For each additional Sim in the household, an extra §2,000 is added. There are several options available to players when deciding where to live. This includes renting, purchasing a cheap pre-built home or purchasing a blank lot and building a house from scratch.

Renting

This section describes features that are only available in The Sims 4: City Living.

The Sims 4: City Living introduced apartments as residential lots. Renting an apartment costs less money up front, and won’t cost much to maintain or upgrade. There are several cheap apartments to choose from in San Myshuno, listed in the table below. The upkeep for apartments is almost non-existent, and their layouts provide players with the opportunity to customize the interior. However, apartments can only be cosmetically altered, meaning that changes are limited to the floors, walls and objects in build mode. Windows, the front door and hallways cannot be changed.

The low rent of cheap apartments will give leave players with more money after the initial $20,000 is spent on the deposit of the apartment, compared to purchasing a home. The Sim should be able to maintain a balance of about four to five thousand simoleons, provided that they don’t take many vacations^[OR]^[JA], or make too many large purchases at once. The only thing that might disrupt the Sim’s budget is the replacement of a large household item that breaks. Try to have the Sim repair the item to avoid spending money on replacing the object or hiring a repairman.

Cheapest Apartments

Apartment Name	Available Apartments	Price	Location
Culpepper House	17, 18 & 19	§400 to §1,200 per week	Spice Market
Jasmine Suites Apartments	2B	§400 to §500 per week	Spice Market
Medina Studios Apartments	920 & 930	§400 to §1,200 per week	Arts Quarter
Chic Street Apartments	1310 & 1313	§300 to §500 per week	Fashion District

Purchasing a Pre-Built House

There are cheap residential properties that are available to purchase on almost all of the Sim worlds. Residential properties that cost less than §20,000 are listed in the table below. Advantages of purchasing a house that has already been built include saving time at the beginning of the game, the ability to style the interior and exterior of the building and the ability to expand the house when money is available. Disadvantages include not being able to structurally and creatively design a house from scratch, something that a lot of players enjoy.

It is important to remember that bills fluctuate based on how expensive everything is on the lot. This means that pools, hot tubs, and other luxurious items can increase the household's bills and eat away at leftover money. Players can keep costs low by using the existing furniture that comes with the house, and only purchasing expensive items when sufficient funds will be left over to cover bills. Moreover, gamers can wait to make big purchases until the Rebate Day holiday happens^[TS4:S]. Rebate Day is a random holiday that can appear in a Sim's calendar, which provides a 10% rebate on the price of items that cost §500 or more. Players who opt to build a house will have to keep everything modest, and add onto it as the Sim earns money.

Cheapest Pre-Built Houses

Lot Name	Price	Features	Location	EP
Sandtrap Flat	§17,032	1BR, 1BA	Bedrock Strait, Oasis Springs	&BG
Nookstone	§13,064	1BR, 1BA	Bedrock Strait, Oasis Springs	&BG
Agave Abode	§18,409	1BR, 1BA	Bedrock Strait, Oasis Springs	&BG
Streamlet Single	§15,965	1BR, 1BA	Foundry Cove, Willow Creek	&BG
Crick Cabana	§13,663	2BR, 1BA	Foundry Cove, Willow Creek	&BG
Daisy Hovel	§16,421	1BR, 1BA	Foundry Cove, Willow Creek	&BG
Proprietor's Square	§13,570	1BR, 1BA	Old Town District, Windenburg	&EP02
Havisham House	§17,204	1BR, 1BA	Old Town District, Windenburg	&EP02
Rustic Residence	§16,915	2BR, 1BA	Countryside, Windenburg	&EP02
Widowshild Townhome	§19,185	1BR, 1BA	Forgotten Hollow	&GP04
Bedlington Boathouse	§19,331	1BR, 1BA	Cavalier Cove, Brindleton Bay	&EP04
Inner Circle	§19,722	1BR, 1BA	Mirage Park, Del Sol Valley	&EP06

Purchasing a Blank Lot

There are blank lots featured in every world in The Sims 4. These allow players to build their house from scratch with complete creative freedom. The Newcrest neighborhood may be the best place to start, as it contains several inexpensive blank lots, leaving players with enough money to build a house. The advantages of purchasing a blank lot include building a house from scratch, and being able to design a house that can easily be expanded and modified when required (eg. adding another bedroom or building a second floor). The disadvantages include the time it may take to build the house, running out of money before it is finished and not leaving enough money at the end to cover the first bill.

Making Money

See also: Game guide:Earning simoleons

Building video game skill in TS4 — Building the Video Game Skill

Once the Sim is settled in, and the property is customized to suit their style, they should get a job. The Tech Guru career path is a good option, as it is one of the highest paying jobs per hour. Moreover, Sims will have more fun advancing through this career path than the others because they have to play video games in order to get promoted in the early stages of this career. It’s an added bonus if gamers create Sims with the genius and geek traits, so that once the Sim has to begin programming, they won’t get bored or tired. Sims that reach a certain level in the programming skill will be able to create viruses, and hack into the Landgraab trust to make extra money.

Creative Sims can make extra money painting while they pursue a career in the Arts, and Writers can make extra money self-publishing their own books. These are skills that can be monetized whether or not the Sim is employed with the associated career path that will help them build these skills. Therefore, a Sim could be employed in the Tech Guru career path, and sell paintings to the gallery for two sources of income. Diversifying their income will enable them to build up their bank account, and pay for their housing costs.

Overall Gameplay

The money cheats aren’t necessary to keep a Sim from living in poverty, but they do make for a better experience. Gamers may come to realize that they won’t be able to purchase a lot of items, or take vacations in San Salvador. At best Sims will be able to hang out in various commercial spaces, and interact with various NPCs, or other Sims that the gamer created. Consequently this makes the gameplay very mundane, and repetitive. Therefore it can be concluded that money cheats do more than just provide Sims with extra spending money during gameplay. Money cheats enable gamers to fully shape their experience in the Sim world. Without them players won’t be able to engage with the game’s full potential.

OR

JA

TS4:S

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{GameGuide-nav}}{{vgversion2a|The Sims 4}}
-{{GameGuide-nav}}Since the first installment of The Sims in 2005, players are always encouraged to modify aspects of the game to suit the kind of experience they want. Some gamers create mods that can be used in Create a Sim. Gamers also experiment with testing cheats, to give Sims skills, and unlock special items without putting in so many hours of play. The motherlode cheat allows players to purchase the items that they want to, or build the house that they want to without running out of funds. Moreover gamers can type this in whenever their Sim is runs low on funds during gameplay. This guide will help gamers that want to try and navigate the Sim world without using the [[motherlode]] cheat.
+Since the first installment of ''[[The Sims]]'' in 2000, players have always been encouraged to modify aspects of the game to suit the kind of experience they want. Some players create mods that can be used in [[Create a Sim]]. Players also experiment with testing [[cheats]], to give Sims skills and unlock special items without putting in so many hours of play. The [[Money cheats#The Sims 4|motherlode]] cheat increases the amount of [[simoleon]]s in the household by §50,000.
-==Housing:==
-When a Sim is created, they’re given a budget of $22,000 to purchase a piece of property on one of the [https://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Worlds_in_The_Sims_4 seven worlds]. The best way to stretch that money is to rent one of the cheap apartments on [[San Myshuno]], or purchase one of the cheap, single-family homes that are available in the other worlds. After the home is purchased, the Sim is left with a small amount of money that can be used towards other expenses. Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons for renting an apartment in San Myshuno, and buying a small home on the other worlds.
-*Renting:
-: Renting an apartment costs less money up front, and won’t cost much to mai[[File:Downtown San Myshuno.png|thumb|Downtown San Myshuno]]ntain or upgrade. Moreover there are a better variety of low cost properties to choose from. There are three low rent apartments to choose from in San Myshuno. The cheapest is $300 a month with modest appliances and sparse furniture. It is also a property that requires consistent maintenance besides the apartment where gremlins are present. The other two apartments are listed at $500 per month. The upkeep is almost non-existent, and layout provides gamers with the opportunity to customize the interior. Additionally the low cost rent will give leave gamers with more money after the initial $22,000 is spent on the deposit. The Sim should be able to maintain a balance of about four to five thousand dollars provided that they don’t take many vacations, or make too many large purchases at once. The only thing that might disrupt the Sim’s budget is the replacement of a large household item that breaks. Try to have the Sim repair the item (even a television, or computer) to avoid spending money. Speaking of replacing items in the home, and customizing the space, gamers can only ''cosmetically'' alter the interior of their Sim’s apartment. This is limited to changing the floors, walls, and building rooms within the unit. Gamers can also replace the existing furniture, and buy new items in [[Build Mode]] , but they can’t change the windows, the front door of the apartment, or the hallway of their Sim’s apartment building.
-*Tiny Homes:
-: There are cheap residential properties that are available to purchase on all seven of the Sim worlds (excluding Magnolia Promenade, Granite Falls, and Selvadorada). Aside from the small one and two bedroom properties that are available, there are a lot of empty lots to choose from that will allow gamers to build the kind of house that they want. If Gamers are interested in building a house from the ground up, the [[Newcrest]] neighborhood is the best place to start. There are a lot of inexpensive, tiny lots to choose from that will leave gamers with enough money to build a house. Purchasing a small home will also give gamers more creative free will, and leave Sims with enough money to pay their bills. While Gamers are given more creative license with houses, it’s important to remember that the mortgage fluctuates based on how expensive everything is on the lot. Which means pools, hot tubs, and other luxurious items can jack up a Sim’s bills, and eat away at the leftover money. Gamers can keep costs low by using the existing furniture that comes with a house. Moreover Gamers can wait to make big purchases until the Rebate Day holiday happens. That way their Sims can get a rebate back on the items that cost more than $500. Gamers who opt to build a house will have to keep everything modest, and add onto it as the Sim earns money.
+However, not all players enjoy using cheats. Some prefer to "earn" their money by sending their Sim to [[Career|work]] or selling objects they have created. This guide will help gamers that want to try and navigate the Sim world without using the motherlode cheat in ''[[The Sims 4]]''.
-==Making Money:==
-Once the Sim is settled in, and the property is customized to suit their style, they should get a job in the [[Tech Guru]] career path. Any job will suffice, but this career path pays the most per hour. Moreover Sims will have more fun advancing through this career path than the others because they have to play video games[[File:Building video game skill in TS4.png|thumb|Building Video Game Skill]] in order to get promoted in the early stages of this career. It’s an added bonus if gamers create Sims with the genius and nerdy traits, so that once the Sim has to begin programming, they won’t get bored or tired. Sims that reach a certain level in the programming skill will be able to create viruses, and hack into the Landgraab trust to make extra money. Creative Sims can make extra money painting while they pursue a career in the Arts, and Writers can make extra money self-publishing their own books. '''These are skills that can be monetized whether or not the Sim is employed with the associated career path that will help them build these skills.''' Therefore a Sim could be employed in the Tech Guru career path, and sell paintings to the gallery for at least a hundred dollars. Diversifying their income will enable them to build up their bank account, and pay for their housing costs
+==Housing==
-==Overall Gameplay:==
+When a Sim is created, they’re given a budget of §20,000 to purchase a piece of property on one of [https://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Worlds_in_The_Sims_4 several worlds]. For each additional Sim in the household, an extra §2,000 is added. There are several options available to players when deciding where to live. This includes renting, purchasing a cheap pre-built home or purchasing a blank lot and building a house from scratch.
+===Renting===
+{{vgversion2|The Sims 4: City Living}}[[File:Downtown San Myshuno.png|thumb|Downtown San Myshuno]]
+''[[The Sims 4: City Living]]'' introduced [[apartment]]s as residential lots. Renting an apartment costs less money up front, and won’t cost much to maintain or upgrade. There are several cheap apartments to choose from in [[San Myshuno]], listed in the table below. The upkeep for apartments is almost non-existent, and their layouts provide players with the opportunity to customize the interior. However, apartments can only be cosmetically altered, meaning that changes are limited to the floors, walls and objects in [[Build mode (The Sims 4)|build mode]]. Windows, the front door and hallways cannot be changed.
+The low rent of cheap apartments will give leave players with more money after the initial $20,000 is spent on the deposit of the apartment, compared to purchasing a home. The Sim should be able to maintain a balance of about four to five thousand simoleons, provided that they don’t take many [[Vacationing|vacations]]{{vgversion|OR}}{{vgversion|JA}}, or make too many large purchases at once. The only thing that might disrupt the Sim’s budget is the replacement of a large household item that breaks. Try to have the Sim repair the item to avoid spending money on replacing the object or hiring a [[repairman]].
+;Cheapest Apartments
+{|class="plaintable heading-blue" width=100% style="margin-top: 0px;"
+!Apartment Name
+!Available Apartments
+!Price
+!Location
+|-
+|[[Spice Market#Culpepper House|Culpepper House]]
+|17, 18 & 19
+|§400 to §1,200 per week
+|[[Spice Market]]
+|-
+|[[Spice Market#Jasmine Suites Apartments|Jasmine Suites Apartments]]
+|2B
+|§400 to §500 per week
+|Spice Market
+|-
+|[[Arts Quarter#Medina Studios Apartments|Medina Studios Apartments]]
+|920 & 930
+|§400 to §1,200 per week
+|[[Arts Quarter]]
+|-
+|[[Fashion District#Chic Street Apartments|Chic Street Apartments]]
+|1310 & 1313
+|§300 to §500 per week
+|[[Fashion District]]
+|}
+===Purchasing a Pre-Built House===
+There are cheap residential properties that are available to purchase on almost all of the Sim [[world]]s. Residential properties that cost less than §20,000 are listed in the table below. Advantages of purchasing a house that has already been built include saving time at the beginning of the game, the ability to style the interior and exterior of the building and the ability to expand the house when money is available. Disadvantages include not being able to structurally and creatively design a house from scratch, something that a lot of players enjoy.
+It is important to remember that [[bill]]s fluctuate based on how expensive everything is on the lot. This means that pools, hot tubs, and other luxurious items can increase the household's bills and eat away at leftover money. Players can keep costs low by using the existing furniture that comes with the house, and only purchasing expensive items when sufficient funds will be left over to cover bills. Moreover, gamers can wait to make big purchases until the [[Holiday#Surprise holidays|Rebate Day]] holiday happens{{vgversion|TS4:S}}. Rebate Day is a random holiday that can appear in a Sim's calendar, which provides a 10% rebate on the price of items that cost §500 or more. Players who opt to build a house will have to keep everything modest, and add onto it as the Sim earns money.
+;Cheapest Pre-Built Houses
+{|class="plaintable heading-blue" width=100% style="margin-top: 0px;"
+!Lot Name
+!Price
+!Features
+!Location
+!width=20px|EP
+|-
+|[[Bedrock Strait#Sandtrap Flat|Sandtrap Flat]]
+|§17,032
+|1BR, 1BA
+|[[Bedrock Strait]], [[Oasis Springs]]
+|{{TS4icon|TS4}}
+|-
+|[[Bedrock Strait#Nookstone|Nookstone]]
+|§13,064
+|1BR, 1BA
+|Bedrock Strait, Oasis Springs
+|{{TS4icon|TS4}}
+|-
+|[[Bedrock Strait#Agave Abode|Agave Abode]]
+|§18,409
+|1BR, 1BA
+|Bedrock Strait, Oasis Springs
+|{{TS4icon|TS4}}
+|-
+|[[Foundry Cove#Streamlet Single|Streamlet Single]]
+|§15,965
+|1BR, 1BA
+|[[Foundry Cove]], [[Willow Creek]]
+|{{TS4icon|TS4}}
+|-
+|[[Foundry Cove#Crick Cabana|Crick Cabana]]
+|§13,663
+|2BR, 1BA
+|Foundry Cove, Willow Creek
+|{{TS4icon|TS4}}
+|-
+|[[Foundry Cove#Daisy Hovel|Daisy Hovel]]
+|§16,421
+|1BR, 1BA
+|Foundry Cove, Willow Creek
+|{{TS4icon|TS4}}
+|-
+|[[Old Town District#Proprietor's Square|Proprietor's Square]]
+|§13,570
+|1BR, 1BA
+|[[Old Town District]], [[Windenburg]]
+|{{TS4icon|TS4:GT}}
+|-
+|[[Old Town District#Havisham House|Havisham House]]
+|§17,204
+|1BR, 1BA
+|Old Town District, Windenburg
+|{{TS4icon|TS4:GT}}
+|-
+|[[Countryside#Rustic Residence|Rustic Residence]]
+|§16,915
+|2BR, 1BA
+|[[Countryside]], Windenburg
+|{{TS4icon|TS4:GT}}
+|-
+|[[List of Forgotten Hollow lots#Widowshild Townhome|Widowshild Townhome]]
+|§19,185
+|1BR, 1BA
+|[[Forgotten Hollow]]
+|{{TS4icon|TS4:V}}
+|-
+|[[Cavalier Cove#Bedlington Boathouse|Bedlington Boathouse]]
+|§19,331
+|1BR, 1BA
+|[[Cavalier Cove]], [[Brindleton Bay]]
+|{{TS4icon|TS4:C&D}}
+|-
+|[[Mirage Park#Inner Circle|Inner Circle]]
+|§19,722
+|1BR, 1BA
+|[[Mirage Park]], [[Del Sol Valley]]
+|{{TS4icon|TS4:GF}}
+|-
+|}
+===Purchasing a Blank Lot===
+There are blank lots featured in every world in ''The Sims 4''. These allow players to build their house from scratch with complete creative freedom. The [[Newcrest]] neighborhood may be the best place to start, as it contains several inexpensive blank lots, leaving players with enough money to build a house. The advantages of purchasing a blank lot include building a house from scratch, and being able to design a house that can easily be expanded and modified when required (eg. adding another bedroom or building a second floor). The disadvantages include the time it may take to build the house, running out of money before it is finished and not leaving enough money at the end to cover the first bill.
+==Making Money==
+{{See also|Game guide:Earning simoleons}}
+[[File:Building video game skill in TS4.png|thumb|Building the Video Game Skill]]
+Once the Sim is settled in, and the property is customized to suit their style, they should get a job. The [[Tech Guru]] career path is a good option, as it is one of the highest paying jobs per hour. Moreover, Sims will have more fun advancing through this career path than the others because they have to play video games in order to get promoted in the early stages of this career. It’s an added bonus if gamers create Sims with the [[Genius (The Sims 4)|genius]] and [[geek]] traits, so that once the Sim has to begin programming, they won’t get bored or tired. Sims that reach a certain level in the programming skill will be able to create viruses, and hack into the Landgraab trust to make extra money.
+[[Creative]] Sims can make extra money painting while they pursue a career in the Arts, and Writers can make extra money self-publishing their own books. These are skills that can be monetized whether or not the Sim is employed with the associated career path that will help them build these skills. Therefore, a Sim could be employed in the Tech Guru career path, and sell paintings to the gallery for two sources of income. Diversifying their income will enable them to build up their bank account, and pay for their housing costs.
+==Overall Gameplay==
 The money cheats aren’t necessary to keep a Sim from living in poverty, but they do make for a better experience. Gamers may come to realize that they won’t be able to purchase a lot of items, or take vacations in San Salvador. At best Sims will be able to hang out in various commercial spaces, and interact with various NPCs, or other Sims that the gamer created. Consequently this makes the gameplay very mundane, and repetitive. Therefore it can be concluded that money cheats do more than just provide Sims with extra spending money during gameplay. Money cheats enable gamers to fully shape their experience in the Sim world. Without them players won’t be able to engage with the game’s full potential.
 [[Category:The Sims 4 game guides]]

The Sims Wiki