Class Matters Challenge Rules

The Class Matters Challenge

About this Challenge

The goal is to create a dynamic neighborhood that is socially and economically diverse. Your Sims will struggle or thrive in a diverse city environment where the opportunities available to each Sim are largely based on external factors including social class and access to higher education. While external factors may limit or expand opportunities, this challenge also takes into account powerful and random internal factors which might inspire an individual who faces severe economic challenges to strive for success while another of average station may be satisfied with remaining status quo.

Game play is structured around four classes—Poverty Class, Working Class, Middle Class, and Upper Class. Many challenge play options will be determined by the roll of a dice, including the number of Founding families and the gender, aspiration, personality, motivation level and income track for each Sim.

This challenge was designed for players who have the University and Open for Business Expansion Packs.

Credits & Disclaimers

This challenge is designed to combine several existing challenges with a few added twists. Before going into the rules, I’d like to credit the following challenge creators whose ideas have inspired this challenge:

1.      Many of the initial setup options are borrowed (or shamelessly stolen) from The Prosperity Challenge by Sheri & Robin

2.      The adherence to a class system and some class-related rule based play is borrowed from The Boomtown Challenge by Reni

3.      Some of the constraints placed on Poverty Class Sims were inspired by or borrowed from restrictions included in The Nickel & Dimed Challenge by Yamx

Initial Setup

Create the First Generation

There can only be a fixed number of Poverty Class households for the duration of the challenge. First you will roll to determine the number of available low income housing lots. During the challenge, households may advance to higher classes based on game rules, but in the beginning all Sims are in the Poverty Class.

·         Roll a six-sided die to determine the number of Poverty Class houses in the neighborhood

·         For each household, roll to determine the marital status of the head of household

·         For each household, roll to determine the presence or absence of children

·         For each household with children, roll to determine the number of children

·         For each child per household, roll to determine the child’s age

·         If you have the Pets expansion pack, feel free to add pets to any household.

The chart below provides details on how to determine each of these requirements:

Number of Poverty Class Houses	Household Marital Status	Presence of Children in Household	Number of Children in Household	Age of Children in Household	Number of Pets in Household
1 or 2 = 4 3 or 4 = 5 5 or 6 = 6	Married/Joined Odd (1,3,5) Single Even (2,4,6)	No Children Odd (1,3,5) Has Children Even (2,4,6)	1 or 2 = 1 3 or 4 = 2 5 or 6 = 3	1 or 2 = Toddler 3 or 4 = Child 5 or 6 = Teen	Player’s Choice.

Once the necessary details about the founding families have been determined, it is time to determine characteristics of individual household members. The age and number of household members was determined in the previous step. Don’t put the dice away yet! Prosperity Challenge Rules are used to determine gender, aspiration and personality. To roll for Personality, you can use either a six-sided or twelve-sided die. If you use a six-sided die, roll first to determine the set, then roll a second time to determine the personality as outlined in the chart below. This challenge adds two new factors called Motivation Level and Income Track which will be explained later in greater detail.

Gender	Aspiration	Personality		Motivation Level	Income Track
		Odd (1,3,5) = Set 1	Even (2,4,6) = Set 2
Male	1 = Fortune	1 = Aries	7 or 1 = Libra	Underachiever	Career
Odd (1,3,5)	2 = Knowledge	2 = Taurus	8 or 2 = Scorpio	(1, 2)	Odd (1,3,5)
	3 = Romance	3 = Gemini	9 or 3 = Sagittarius	Average
Female	4 = Family	4 = Cancer	10 or 4 = Capricorn	(3, 4)	Entrepreneur
Even (2,4,6)	5 = Popularity	5 = Leo	11 or 5 = Aquarius	Overachiever	Even (2,4,6)
	6 = Pleasure**	6 = Virgo	12 or 6 = Pisces	(5, 6)

** If you don't have Nightlife installed, 6 is roll again during set up.

If you happen to roll the Underachiever motivation level for all adults in each household, you can roll for motivation levels again. Once all of the above constraints have been identified, create each founding family using Create a Family.

While it is not a requirement, you are encouraged to create families that are ethnically diverse.

Create or Prepare a Neighborhood for Play

Start from Scratch

Create a new, empty neighborhood. Identify areas on the neighborhood map where Poverty Class, Working Class, Middle Class and Upper Class lots will be placed, and create all required lots accordingly:

·         Create the number of required low-income housing lots determined in the previous step.

·         Create some Working Class, Middle Class and Upper Class homes (optional… this can wait until they are needed)

Create or add at least one community lot in each class sector. In truly impoverished areas you won’t find Starbucks or high-end department stores. There might be playgrounds, but you won’t find swimming pools. Instead, you may find corner stores, fast food restaurants, bars, and thrift stores. Strive for realism—design or import appropriate lots for each social class. There must be a grocery store in the Poverty Class sector .

Poverty Class Housing Guidelines

1.      Poverty Class housing must cost less than $10,000 unfurnished. Add furniture and appliances after purchase.

2.      Poverty Class houses can have no more than two bedrooms.

3.      Poverty Class houses can have no more than 1.5 bathrooms (only one bathroom can have a shower or tub).

4.      Poverty Class houses cannot have basements or garages

5.      Poverty Class houses cannot have special fixtures (including fireplaces, elevators, swimming pools, hot tubs).

6.      Landscaping and flower beds on Poverty Class lots should be sparse or nonexistent

7.      Poverty Class lots cannot contain fishing ponds

Working Class Housing Guidelines

1.      Working Class housing costs < $40,000 and > $10,000

2.      Working Class houses can have no more than three bedrooms

3.      Working Class houses can have no more than two full bathrooms

4.      Working Class houses can have basements

5.      Working Class houses cannot have garages

6.      Working Class houses cannot have special fixtures (including fireplaces, elevators, swimming pools, hot tubs).

Middle Class Housing Guidelines

1.      Middle Class Housing costs < $80,000 and > $40,000

2.      Middle Class houses can have up to five bedrooms

3.      Middle Class houses can have up to four bathrooms

4.      Middle Class houses can have basements

5.      Middle Class houses can have one garage

6.      Middle Class houses can have fireplaces, swimming pools or hot tubs

Upper Class Housing Guidelines

1.      Upper Class Housing costs > $80,000

2.      Upper Class houses can have an unlimited number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and garages.

3.      Upper Class houses can include any available fixtures

Use a Maxis Neighborhood or a Downloaded Neighborhood

If you want to use a pre-existing neighborhood, you must complete the following steps to prepare the neighborhood for challenge play:

1.      YOU MUST modify the structure of each family such that each household contains no more than two adults who are married or joined (no roomies or Elders).

a.       YOU MUST move all Sims out of their existing households. Where a pre-existing household contains more than two adults, unmarried adults or elders, the extra adults and/or elders must be moved out of the household before you move the family to the Sim Bin by using the Find Own Place interaction

b.       The extra adults and elders can remain in the Sim Bin queue and be added to Poverty Class housing when a lot becomes available before any new Poverty Class Sims are created using Create a Sim but this is optional—if you do not want to play the leftover Sims, you can delete them.

2.      YOU MUST modify the family funds of each household such that they only have $20,000 to begin challenge play. All families start with $20,000 in family funds regardless of family size.

3.      You must reconfigure the existing lots such that there is a designated area for each social class in the neighborhood. Identify areas on the neighborhood map where Poverty Class, Working Class, Middle Class and Upper Class lots will be placed, and move all existing lots accordingly:

a.       Housing that costs < $10,000 should be placed in the Poverty Class sector

b.       Housing that costs < $40,000 and > $10,000 should be placed in the Working Class sector

c.       Housing that costs < $80,000 and > $40,000 should be placed in the Middle Class sector

d.       Housing that costs > $80,000 should be placed in the Upper Class sector

e.       Community Lots should be zoned appropriately

Challenge Play

Overview

·         Each household must be played for a set number of days before moving to the next household. This is referred to as a play turn.

·         Each household must be played in the same order. This is referred to as the play list.

·         The completion of the play list is referred to a play cycle.

·         Each household starts in the Poverty Class. The opportunities available to the household are determined by the motivation level and income track of each adult Sim in the household.

·         If the household meets the necessary objectives to advance to the next class during a given play turn, it MUST move to the next class level at the end of the play turn. At this time all household Sims will move from one house in their current class sector to a new house in their new class sector.

·         If any Poverty Class houses are vacant when you come to the end of the play list, they must be filled by either a single Sim waiting for housing in the Sim Bin or a new household that is rolled and created using Create a Sim. These new additions to the neighborhood will be played during the next play cycle.

·         Tombstones and Urns must be preserved in the game. They must be placed on a residential or community lot.

·         The challenge ends when the first fifth generation Sim dies or when all descendants of the founding families have perished

Family and Household Rules

·         YOU CAN have one adult join the household of a single Poverty Class or Working Class Sim but ONLY through marriage or joining

·         YOU CAN marry any available Sim of any class, or any available townie or NPC. There are no restrictions against marrying Mr. Big, the Diva, the Grand Vampire/Vampiress or other well-to-do townies. Marriage for the purpose of social climbing is an expected part of this challenge. While it takes more than an influx of cash to move from one class to the next, the cash won’t hurt.

·         YOU CAN’T move in roommates, townies or NPCs unless you are above Working Class. A Middle Class household can move in one roommate, townie or NPC. An Upper Class household can move in an unlimited number of roommates, townies or NPCs. If any of these moved in Sims leave the household, they must return to the Sim Bin and await Poverty Class housing.

·         YOU CAN use the Elixir of Life Aspiration Reward Object to prolong Adulthood, but only until the first grandchild is born. At that point, the natural progression of life takes over. Elders and Teens cannot use this Aspiration Reward Object.

·         YOU CAN send children to college but must adhere to the limits of your social class

·         YOU CAN have as many children as you want at each class level. Children can be added to a family through natural reproduction (WooHoo) or by adoption.

·         YOU CAN use cheesecake to spawn twins but must take a slight point reduction every time Cheesecake is used.

Income Tracks

·         YOU MUST roll for Income Track when a Sim transitions to adulthood.

·         Adult Sims are randomly assigned one of two available income tracks—Career or Entrepreneurship.

·         An Adult Sim with the Career Income Track can get a traditional job by browsing the want ads in the newspaper or browsing the online job boards.  Career Income Track Sims cannot open a business.

·         An Adult Sim with the Entrepreneurship Income Track must earn money through a home-based or community based business. The Entrepreneurship Income Track Sim cannot get a traditional job but can be hired to work on a community lot that they do not own.

·         Advancement in either Income Track may be bolstered or hampered by the Sim’s motivation level. See that section for further details.

Motivation System

Success in life is often due to a combination of factors referred to as internal and external factors. External factors are determined by the class a Sim is born into, the educational and nurturing opportunities available to the Sim, the skill building objects at their disposal, and the amount of cash on hand that can be used to fulfill goals. Internal factors are determined by the Motivation System. The most intelligent and highly skilled Sims may have the wherewithal to succeed but may not be driven. At the same time, skill challenged Sims may be required to work harder to succeed but have intense desire to do so. While nearly all Sims have the ability to succeed if they put forth the effort, all Sims have differing drives and value systems. The Motivation System takes these factors into account.

·         Motivation Level must be rolled when a Sim transitions from child to Teen.

·         For many Sims, their motivation level will remain fixed throughout their lifetime.

·         Sims CAN surpass their current motivation level and graduate to the next motivation level. This is referred to as self-actualization. Self-actualization occurs when a Sim maximizes Lifetime Aspiration OR achieves their Lifetime Want.

Teens and Motivation

A teen with the Underachiever Motivation Level

·         CAN’T get a job

·         CAN’T get into Private School (There is an exception to this rule if the household already had their children admitted to Private School)

·         CAN’T actively achieve skill levels above Level 3 or Badge levels above Bronze by skilling or using the SimVac Aspiration Object (Cooking and Cleaning skill points can be earned after reaching level three but only by doing skill-related tasks).

·         CAN’T learn Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)

A teen with the Average Motivation Level

·         CAN get a job but can’t advance beyond Level 2

·         CAN’T get into Private School (There is an exception to this rule if the household already had their children admitted to Private School)

·         CAN maximize up to 3 skills traditional skills (Cooking, Cleaning, Mechanical, Logic, Creativity, Charisma, Body) and earn Badge levels up to Silver

·         CAN learn up to two Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)

A teen with the Overachiever Motivation Level

·         CAN get a job and advance to its highest level

·         CAN get into Private School

·         CAN maximize all skills and earn Badge levels up to Gold

·         CAN learn Free Time and Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)

Adults and Motivation

Economically speaking, a married couple has several advantages over single parent or single adult households. The Motivation Rules for adults are designed to reflect this. Children with one underachieving and one average achieving parent are nearly equal to children with one overachieving parent in terms of the attention and nurturing they receive in their formative years. Class advancement becomes much easier for an underachieving Sim who is married to an average achiever or an overachiever.

An adult with the Underachiever Motivation Level

·         CAN get a job and advance to Level 4

·         CAN teach toddlers one skill (potty training, walking, talking)

·         CAN’T teach toddlers nursery rhymes

·         CAN’T use Aspiration Rewards

·         CAN actively learn traditional skills up to Level 3 (Cooking and Cleaning skill points can be earned after reaching level three but only by doing skill-related tasks).

·         CAN’T learn Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)

·         CAN'T help children with homework

·         CAN earn badge points up to Bronze level

·         CAN open one business

·         CAN use the ReNuYuSenso Orb with a penalty

An adult with the Average Motivation Level

·         CAN get a job and advance to Level 7

·         CAN teach toddlers two skills (potty training, walking, talking)

·         CAN’T teach toddlers nursery rhymes

·         CAN help children with homework

·         CAN use one Aspiration Reward Object per play turn

·         CAN actively learn traditional skills up to Level 7

·         CAN learn up to two Free Time or Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)

·         Can earn badge points up to Silver level

·         CAN open up to two businesses

·         CAN use the ReNuYuSenso Orb with a penalty

An adult with the Overachiever Motivation Level

·         CAN get a job and advance to its highest level

·         CAN teach toddlers all skills

·         CAN teach toddlers Nursery Rhymes

·         CAN learn Free Time and Apartment Life skills (Parenting, Fire Prevention, Anger Management, Physiology, Couples Counseling, etc.)

·         CAN help children with homework and get children into Private School

·         CAN use unlimited Aspiration Reward Objects per play turn

·         CAN maximize skills

·         Can earn badge points up to Gold level

·         CAN open an unlimited number of businesses

·         CAN use the ReNuYuSenso Orb without a penalty

Class Structure Rules

In addition to the lots and housing restrictions outlined above for each social class, the following rules apply.

Poverty Class Allowances & Restrictions

·         Poverty Class households MUST start with $20,000 simoleons regardless of household size.

·         Poverty Class households CAN’T have burglar alarms or smoke detectors

·         Poverty Class households CAN’T keep the housewarming gift from Mr. Humble. The box must be deleted immediately without being opened.

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T own computers

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T use or delete the Genie Lamp. If it is given, it must be stored in inventory.

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T use custom content designed to make life easier. This includes hacked objects AND furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price.

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T use any Aspiration Reward Objects

·         Poverty Class Sims MUST keep everything they buy until the end of the next play turn.

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T sell more than one object during each play turn.

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T sell or delete broken objects.

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T hire any Service NPCs

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T have groceries delivered—they CAN order pizza or Chinese food

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T secure jobs for their pets

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T afford private school

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T afford a car. They must walk or carpool when they want to go somewhere.

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN only send children to college if they have earned at least $6,000 in scholarship funds.

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T dig for treasure

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T ignore chance cards

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T go on vacation

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN’T sell novels or paintings

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects

·         Poverty Class Sims CAN only visit community lots in the Poverty Class or Working Class sector

·         Career Income Track adults in the Poverty Class can only seek employment in the following fields:

o   Criminal

o   Law Enforcement

o   Military

o   Slacker

To advance from Poverty to Working Class, the household must meet each of the following criterion

·         The household must have a net worth of over $50,000

·         Entrepreneurship Income Track Adults must have at least one Level 5 Business OR Career Income Track Adults must have reached Career Level 5

Working Class Allowances & Restrictions

·         Working Class households CAN’T have burglar alarms or smoke detectors

·         Working Class households CAN’T keep the housewarming gift from Mr. Humble. The box must be deleted immediately without being opened.

·         Working Class Sims CAN own computers

·         Working Class Sims CAN’T use or delete the Genie Lamp. If it is given, it must be stored in inventory.

·         Working Class Sims CAN’T use custom content designed to make life easier. This includes hacked objects AND furnishings/household items that are drastically reduced in price.

·         Working Class Sims CAN use Aspiration Reward Objects as allowed by their Motivation Level

·         Working Class Sims MUST keep everything they buy until the end of the next play turn.

·         Working Class Sims CAN’T sell more than one object during each play turn.

·         Working Class Sims CAN’T sell or delete broken objects.

·         Working Class Sims CAN only hire the Repairman, the Exterminator, and the Delivery Service NPCs

·         Working Class Sims CAN’T secure jobs for their pets

·         Working Class Sims CAN’T afford private school

·         Working Class Sims CAN’T afford a new car but they can restore an old car if they have enough Mechanical Skill. Working Class houses can have a driveway but they cannot have a garage.

·         Working Class Sims CAN send one child to college without scholarships

·         Working Class Sims CAN send additional children to college if they have earned at least $6,000 in scholarships

·         Working Class Sims CAN’T dig for treasure

·         Working Class Sims CAN’T ignore chance cards

·         Working Class Sims CAN go Downtown or visit Shopping District lots

·         Working Class Sims CAN go on vacation

·         Working Class Sims CAN sell novels or paintings

·         Working Class Sims CAN sell crafted objects

·         Working Class Sims CAN only visit community lots in the Poverty Class, Working Class or Middle Class sector

·         Career Income Track adults in the Working Class can only seek employment in the following fields: