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Do I have to use a #WonderChild sim to start as my founder?
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What items CAN I use when the Tech Guru – Start-up restriction is still in effect?
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What happens if a Sim autonomously does something that is restricted. Do I lose?
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I do/don’t own the Outdoor Retreat pack for the Sims 4, can I do this challenge?
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My pregnant Sim went into labor at work and automatically came home early. I haven’t lifted the Managment restriction yet, does she have to quit?
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My Sim’s spouse died before they could lift a restriction. May I move in another for the same generation?
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Can I import Sims into the neighborhood to act as spouses for my Apocalypse family
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I have lifted the musician restriction, which lets me change aspirations. But I haven’t lifted the babysitter one yet. Can I change the randomly generated aspiration to something else?
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What about the mailbox and outdoor trash can? Do they have to be in my 8×8 area too?
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Can I build a 2nd story in my 8X8 area?
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I’ve lifted the fast food restriction, but haven’t lifted culinary – chef yet. Can I buy fridges and coolers since fast food lets me use them for quick meals?
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My founder reached the top of a teenage career when they were still a teen, or was already at the top of a career when I imported them, do I start the challenge with those restrictions lifted?
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I haven’t unlocked Tech Guru – Startup yet, but I HAVE unlocked Astronaut – Interstellar Smuggler. Am I allowed to use career reward objects?
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What’s the difference between a restriction being “lifted” and “unlocked?
“Do I have to use a #WonderChild Sim to start as my founder?”
No, any sim will do. Heck, you could use a brand new CAS Sim if you wanted to, but this challenge allows you to start out with a Sim who already has traits/skills/completed aspirations.
“What items CAN I use when the Tech Guru – Start-up restriction is still in effect?”
Basically, if there are several different items of the same type that have different stats (“Reliability X”, “Hygiene X”, etc) You have to use the version of the item with the worst stats. If there are several items that are tied for having the worst stats, you can pick from among them, even if the price is different. If items don’t have any stats at all (Like Doors) you can pick from any of them.
“What happens if a Sim autonomously does something that is restricted. Do I lose?”
No. If your Sim wanders over and starts playing computer games when you aren’t looking just cancel their action. If this becomes probelmatic, consider turning off free will in the Game Options.
“I do/don’t own the Outdoor Retreat pack for the Sims 4, can I do this challenge?”
The challenge has been written so that people that have and do not have the Outdoor Retreat pack can play it. You may see an object or action that is restricted that you don’t have access to anyway if you don’t own the pack, but the challenge is no more/less difficult either way.
“My pregnant Sim went into labor at work and automatically came home early. I haven’t lifted the Managment restriction yet, does she have to quit?”
Yes. The managers don’t care about family leave laws. The only exception is if your Sim has the “Professional Slacker” trait, at which point she may keep her job despite going home early.
“My Sim’s spouse died before they could lift a restriction. May I move in another for the same generation?”
No. One move-in per generation…at least while the comedian restriction is in place. Once you lift that, you can move in any number of Sims.
“Can I import Sims into the neighborhood to act as spouses for my Apocalypse family?”
Only if you have lifted the Criminal – Oracle restriction.
“I have lifted the musician restriction, which lets me change aspirations. But I haven’t lifted the babysitter one yet. Can I change the randomly generated aspiration to something else?”
Yes!
“What about the mailbox and outdoor trash can? Do they have to be in my 8×8 area too?
Yes. You’ll want a few tiles of your 8×8 area to be ‘outdoor’ so you can place those objects.
“Can I build a 2nd story in my 8X8 area?”
Yes
“I’ve lifted the fast food restriction, but haven’t lifted culinary – chef yet. Can I buy fridges and coolers since fast food lets me use them for quick meals?”
No, fridges and coolers themselves are still restricted until you unlock the chef restrictions. You also can’t order pizza until e-Sport gamer’s restrictions are lifted.
“My founder reached the top of a teenage career when they were still a teen, or was already at the top of a career when I imported them, do I start the challenge with those restrictions lifted?”
No. What happened during your founder’s teen years does not matter, and you must have them quit their current job before the challenge begins properly. So even if they were level 10 in a career, it won’t count unless they re-climb the ladder during the challenge.
“I haven’t unlocked Tech Guru – Startup yet, but I HAVE unlocked Astronaut – Interstellar Smuggler. Am I allowed to use career reward objects?”
You are allowed to place and use the objects you earn naturally, but you may not purchase additional copies of them until Tech Guru is lifted.
“What’s the difference between a restriction being “lifted” and “unlocked?”
None, the two terms are interchangeable.
[…] The Sims 4 Apocalypse Challenge FAQ […]
The Space ranger restriction say all objects must be inside but it has as a daily task regular space missions which requires a rockets, which must be outside.
Good Catch! I’ll include an exemption for that in an update. You DO still have to obey the 8X8 rule until you lift Villain.
I just started playing yesterday. I am having fun so far! I have a suggestion to restrict the use of the tv until (not sure which restriction to place it under) But it goes along with not being able to use your phone or computer to play games and things for entertainment. 🙂 Also, it’s very difficult to only have one item in inventory when you have to have fish to use as food and when catching fish you can catch different kinds. For produce I came up with the solution to put them on shelves, but of course you can’t do that with the fish. Thanks for putting this challenge together!
Yeah I am thinking of restricting the TV. It was restricted back in the original challenge and I’m not sure why I didn’t restrict it this time. Thanks for the feedback!
Another question, sorry. How do I do the daily task of reading books if I cannot add a bookcase to my lot? Or is that just that I can’t add a bookcase to a lot that is not my own? I know I am going to screw this thing up but it looks like it’ll be fun.
You can buy a bookcase for your home lot and read the books that it comes with. You just can’t buy NEW books (IE skill or emotion books) nor can you access them via community lots.
I’m guessing this falls into legal for fixing glitches, but in other game files I’ve had teens randomly lose their homework, as in it’s not in their inventories nor anywhere on the lot. The quick-fix for this is buying the homework from the bookshelf (I think it’s about $3). Would this still be legal should this occur prior to author being lifted? (I just know this is a recurring issue in my game as it has happened in multiple households).
You can do anything needed to work-around glitches and bugs.
Hey, out of curiosity, if your Wonder Child has a boy/girlfriend as a teen, can you stay with them for the Apocolypse Challenge?
Also, can you stay in the same save and just move your Wonder Child to a new lot?
Thanks! Mae
I would rule no. They sadly must leave teenage romances behind.
Aww!
My poor Aspen will be heartbroken!
Thanks for letting me know though 🙂
“I do/don’t own the Outdoor Retreat pack for the Sims 4, can I do this challenge?”
The challenge has been written so that people that have and do not have the Outdoor Retreat pack can play it. You may see an object or action that is restricted that you don’t have access to anyway if you don’t own the pack, but the challenge is no more/less difficult either way.
I’m actually finding it more difficult with OR than it would otherwise be without simply because of the whole you can only cook fish. I’m not sure what level cooking skill fish unlocks at on the grill, but it’s not the first one. I’m all set to start out with the founder unlocking Author, leaving Chef to his wife. But he keeps (2 starts so far) finding women who don’t know how to cook (this is sounding incredibly sexist, isn’t it?) so he ends up doing the cooking, too, and they can’t get over that initial hurdle of gaining that first cooking skill point. I could wait it out until he finishes the Author career, but my two problems with that is sooo much time off (he’s at level 5 and he’s had 3 or 4 days off this week) so he’s not progressing, and I haven’t figured out a legal way to trigger the inspired emotion right at the start (based on this list: http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,21776.msg389174.html#msg389174 there isn’t one, as every one of those options is banned by one restriction or another) – he’s got the “Creative” trait, but that’s still sporadic at best. Career progress is slow and I’m worried they’ll both be elders before Author actually gets lifted.
The whole “If you don’t have OR you can cook non-fish items on the grill if you transfer a fish to your family inventory” gives a slight advantage to those who don’t have OR because you can always grill hot dogs, thus raising your cooking skill. The Outdoor-Retreat-Specific rule makes it nigh impossible for sims starting with no cooking skills to cook/raise their cooking skill.
I realize that this difference would barely be perceptible to someone who started with their founder wanting to lift Chef, or who happened to get spouses with skills to move in, and it’s probably more indicative of the fact that I need to change something in my approach to this challenge, but nevertheless, not having OR would, at this point, be a bit of a gamechanger for me.
You aren’t the first to point this out. I’ll be updating the rules to allow the grill even if you have OR installed.
How many floors are we allowed? The rules only say you can build up, but with the new update you can have up to six floors (four above ground and two below). Is there any restriction on number of floors/basements, or are we free to build up and down as we like?
I’ll add a mention to that in the grand rules updates.
If I play with my wonderchild, shall I just move them out? Wonderchild may have purchased reward traits before starting Apocalypse Challenge. Is that allowed?
That’s the idea, having them start the challenge with traits. While you are prohibited from taking new traits until you lift the right restrictions, having that first sim start off with lots of skills and traits in the hardest part of the challenge is that way by design.
The Tech Guru – eSport Gamer restrictions states:
“The computer may *only* be used for daily tasks required by a Sim’s job (if said daily task requires use of a computer) and nothing else. The cell phone may only be used to take or quit a job and cannot be used to play games, chat, text, prank, or invite other sims. TVs and electronic notebooks may not be purchased or used either.”
BUT the only way to get the programming skill would be on the computer and I wouldn’t class that as a “daily task” since it is clearly skilling.
My question is:
If the promotion requirement is a skill that can be learned on the computer can the sim use the computer for that skill? This is apart from the daily task of playing video games(in the case of the Tech Guru career). Can I only skill for Tech Guru OR could any sim that needed the computer for skilling use it(like the Writer career)?
Nevermind my question. I found the answer in the main rules post comments. You say:
“I’m going to be doing a rules update to help with these skill blocks at low levels. The working rule is “Can use computer to perform daily task OR skill up in a required skill” so carry on with that for now.”
but forgot to update the rule 🙂
Yes, If you need a skill for a promotion and the ONLY way to get that skill is via the computer, then you may use the computer for it.
Once the Secret Agent -Diamond restriction is lifted can you visit other lots and use their stoves if you have not lifted the Chief restriction?
This is a bit of a grey area. Technically you can
Rules related to use of clubs? What about family only clubs (meaning you create a club that has only your household members in it) and meeting only on your home lot, does that comply with spirit of the restrictions until they are unlocked? Clubs during hangouts get the benefit of skill boosts and vibes to impact moods.
Pinstar decided when he created the Apocalypse Challenge that he wasn’t going to update it for subsequent expansions. So I’m not really sure what the answer is to this. I’d say don’t use them until later in the challenge if they are going to give you too much of an advantage early on though.
At some point we are probably going to have to re-evaluate Pinstar’s decision and update the challenge. I think it’s going to become a necessity to do so with all of the expansion packs that are coming out.
Hi, i know this challenge was written few months ago but i want to begin him. I have one question, can i use an computer for the author job if i don’t unlock e-sportif? It’s just for daily task. If it’s right, it’s possible to use the computer for any careers ?
Hi! I have a question about this challenge. If I moved in my founder to the lot in neighbourhood with grill area with tables or street-food stand is around, can or can’t we eat those hamburgers\hotdogs\ohter food, which was cooked by street walkers \ npc sims? Or if our family ghost made hamburgers with grill, can we eat it or just throw it away immediately? I mean, if we still under cooking-shef restriction. Other words, we can cook only fish and eat only fish and friuts/vegetables or we can eat food made by some other sims? Thank you.
I will check with Pinstar on this as I am not as familiar with the Apocalypse Challenge.
From Pinstar: I would say no, as the ‘story’ of the world would state that the food cooked wasn’t available at all. It being there due to ghosts is just a quirk of the gameplay not intended by the challenge.
i want to begin this challenge but how do i get a spouse?