Creating a house for the Brownes via Build Mode and Buy Mode doesn’t take too much time. Because funds are limited, nobody goes crazy with construction.
The house is modest with just three designated rooms—the kitchen is just sectioned off from the living room with an incomplete wall. Because I have a plan for each Sim’s career and skills, I make sure to place an object for each of them that addresses their different tracks.
Their living room sports a treadmill for Chris and a computer for Catherine. Both of them could interact either object, of course, but the objects will definitely have primary users. Once the house is finished, it’s time to start assigning careers and building skills.
Chris immediately takes a job at the stadium because his Lifetime Wish is to be a Superstar Athlete, which is level 10 of the Professional Sports career track. Because Chris has the Athletic trait, he can develop the Athletic skill faster than other Sims.
This means he will have an easier time getting ahead at work. Right away, he’s put to work training on the treadmill. Catherine, on the other hand, is offered a Business career. Because she wants to be an author and painter, I reject the career and instead start training her on the computer.
Both Chris and Catherine immediately wish to learn skills. He wants to learn the Athletic skill. She wants to learn the Writing skill. I tell Chris to work out on the treadmill and task Catherine with refining her writing on the computer. Because each has a trait strength, both develop the first level of the skill within minutes.
After working out, Chris develops the Grungy moodlet. If I don’t give him a bath, this moodlet will continue to drag down his overall mood. Plus, if he really gets stinky, Catherine will develop the Disgusted moodlet.
Each Sim had a wish to learn their respective skills. So now that I’ve fulfilled those wishes, each Sim earns the Fulfilled moodlet, which gives them a +15 mood boost. This pushes Catherine up into the bubble on the Mood meter, so she starts earning Lifetime Happiness points.
As a result of starting her Writing skill track, Catherine hits me with another wish: Reach Level 5 of Writing Skill. That will give her +1,500 Lifetime Happiness points, so I promise it to her.
After Chris gets out of the tub, I sent him to the stadium to join the Professional Sports career, which also fulfills a wish. He starts at the very bottom of the ladder: Rabid Fan.
This only pays him §13 per hour. Oh well—nobody becomes the star quarterback on day one, right? When Chris returns home, I’ll promptly put him back on the treadmill to keep building the Athletic skill.
Chris enters the stadium. When Sims visit certain community places, they sort of “vanish” for a while. You cannot follow them inside.
Because Chris is a social Sim, he immediately strikes up a conversation with Jared outside the stadium.
I keep the conversation friendly but when I see that Jared thinks Chris is boring, I direct Chris to ask about Jared’s career. Finding out that Jared is on the culinary track improves their relationship.
Meanwhile, Catherine is sent to and finishes her writing class to satisfy a wish and get her the Fulfilled moodlet again.
As soon as she finishes the class, she hits me with a handful of wishes. She wants to Write a Novel and Write a Science Fiction Novel. I accept both wishes because doing one will fulfill the other.
Back at the house, the Brownes settle in for the night. Catherine is sent back to the computer to refine her Writing skill. When she reaches level 2, she can then start writing drama novels. (Many of the Writing skill increases unlock new genres.) Chris is hungry after his workout, so I have him grab a quick meal of cereal from the fridge.
When your Sims tell you they are tired via the Tired moodlet, send them to bed. If you let them sleep until they are ready to get up, you enjoy the Fully Rested moodlet, which offers a long-lasting mood boost. You can get Sims up earlier, but you will miss out on the moodlet.
In the morning, I send Catherine into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the pair. She does not have the Cooking skill yet because I have not ordered her to read a cookbook or take a class down at the bistro. So she burns the waffles I task her with making.
Even though the waffles are burnt and neither of the couple particularly likes eating them, not only is hunger sated, but Catherine automatically starts developing her Cooking skill just by performing the activity.
If I keep her and Chris in the kitchen to make meals, each one will naturally get better at cooking and soon start not only making better meals that offer Good or Great Meal moodlets, but they will unlock the ability to make new recipes or buy advanced cookbooks that teach new recipes.
Chris and Catherine are spouses, so they better act like it. Plus, Chris professed a wish to Chat with Catherine. Easy enough. Before Chris has to get ready for his first day at the stadium, I make the pair talk to each other—and flirt, too.
Because Catherine is a Hopeless Romantic, she has some extra socials like Kiss on Cheek, Whisper in Ear, and Leap into Arms. These socials quickly improve their relationship, which was already good to begin with. Feeling loved gives Sims positive moodlets, like Flattered.
While at work, Chris gets his first career opportunity: The Right Way to Riot. His boss gives him a book he should read. The reward is the favor of his boss and improved job performance—this usually leads to a promotion.
To complete this opportunity, I need to make Chris read the book at home during his down time. The next time he returns to work after finishing the book, the opportunity is complete and the benefits are awarded.
While Chris is at work, Catherine refines her writing at the computer. I want to raise her Writing skill level so she can write better and faster before I tell her to start work on her first novel.
Chris is grungy when he comes home from work. He needs a bath to nullify that negative moodlet, which is sure to gross out Catherine and bring her mood down. However, before Chris goes inside, I tell him to check the mailbox and pay bills. I don’t want a visit from the Repo Man.