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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 4th Oct 2017 at 10:06 PM Last edited by PrincessZeda : 9th Aug 2018 at 10:02 PM.
Default Country Livin' Challenge (Sims 4 Style) [UPDATED FOR SEASONS]
COUNTRY LIVIN’ CHALLENGE (SIMS 4 STYLE)
Farm Build-Up Challenge for the Sims 4
Created & Written by Syrah (aka. PrincessZeda)

THE CONCEPT
You receive a letter in the mail from your recently deceased Grandparent. It’s the deed to their old homestead that they grew up in as a child. You decide that it’s best to start out fresh with this fixer-upper property, and begin your new life as a farmer with a bustling family inspired by the nature around them!

In this challenge you will begin with no money to your name and stuck on a rundown, abandoned farmstead. Throughout the challenge you will be cleaning up the lot to make the place livable again with your earnings from running the farm. This is the Sims 4 version of my Challenge, with tons of improvements that I hope you’ll enjoy. Thanks!

PREREQUISITES
â–¶ This challenge works best if you own Outdoor Retreat, GTW, Seasons, Cats & Dogs and City Living.
â–¶ It is strongly recommended that you have MC Command Center installed. This can alter your game in many helpful ways, and personalize it to your own playstyle.
â–¶ Add in any CC you will find useful (especially hobby/fun/outdoor CC). At the start, the house will not have power for electronics to function! I highly recommend icemunmun’s Candle Making, and Canning Station mods.

SETTING UP: THE SIMS
â–¶ Your first Sim will be the property owner. He/She must be at least young adult with any combination of traits you desire.
â–¶ It is optional to add more Sims to your household, whether it be your husband/wife, children, or farmhand. Just keep in mind premade family members here cannot be counted for score points.
â–¶ [CATS & DOGS] You are allowed to start with one pet if you desire.

SETTING UP: THE LOT
â–¶ The lot must have a rundown, abandoned theme. Overgrown landscape, dirty furnishings, trash/clutter everywhere. The wallpaper and flooring are in a desperate state. You cannot start out on an empty lot. If you can’t find a themed lot like this online, edit one from in-game to give it the same vibe.
â–¶ Furnishings are extremely limited inside the home, and of poor quality. Most rooms should be bare excluding decor clutter. Pick 2 of these furnishings that will already be the lot when you arrive (only 1 of each): Sink, Countertop, Bathtub, Toilet, Couch, Table.
â–¶ Your Founder managed to pack a few useful items before heading out to their new life. Install 1 grill, 1 Woodworking Table, 1 Tent, and enough inflatable mattresses for everyone else in the household (if you have the Outdoor EP).
â–¶ [LAUNDRY DAY] Must place a clothesline, and wash basin once you arrive on the lot.
â–¶ [CATS & DOGS] Place the cheapest tier food bowl, and litter box (if needed) once you arrive on the lot if you decide to bring a furry friend with you.
â–¶ [CITY LIVING] The farmstead must have 3 of these lot traits by default (your choice): Grody, Filthy, Quake Zone, Cursed, Haunted, or Gremlins. If you do not own this EP, do not add any lot traits at this time.

RULES
â–¶ Aging must be enabled, and can be set to whatever you want depending on your playstyle.
â–¶ The Challenge is considered finished once your family has completed all Goals & Milestones at least once.
â–¶ Any Sims living on the lot can not have a job, their main focus is tending to the farmstead. This excludes working at a retail lot they own, however.
â–¶ [SEASONS] You are allowed to start in any season you want. Temperature effects must be enabled, and season length must be set appropriately to your Sim lifespan.
â–¶ Sims may use utilities found at public lots to satisfy their needs if their electric and water are still shut off.
â–¶ Once you arrive at the lot and have placed all the necessary items from the "Setting Up" sections, you must edit your household funds to $0.
â–¶ If you find your Sims autonomously using plumbing in the house before you’ve paid off the overdue bills, try locking the doors until then.
â–¶ [LAUNDRY DAY] Your lot must have laundry enabled at all times. Washers and Dryers require both electric and plumbing to function.
â–¶ All household profits must come from selling goods harvested from your garden, royalties from ‘Plant Index’ books you’ve written, furniture/sculptures made by woodworking, flower arrangements, or any leftover collectibles. If you have added any CC that is in tune with natural crafting/hobbies, these can be included (ie., Canning Station, Pottery, Candle Making). If you have GTW, you can own a retail lot and sell any of these goods there as well.
â–¶ [CATS & DOGS] You are allowed to sell anything your pets find for extra Simoleons.
â–¶ [CATS & DOGS] [SEASONS] Pets should only birth a litter once a year.
â–¶ As a Sim in the family increases their Handiness skill, you will gradually be able to renovate/tidy up the farmstead.
â–¶ Any furniture crafted at the Woodworking table can be used on the lot regardless to whether or not you’ve begun renovating a room (as long as it abides by the overdue bills you’ve paid off). This does not include items stolen by a Klepto, which you would then have to wait until Renovations have started.
â–¶ Only one renovation project can be started per day, and once started, this means the room is ‘Unlocked’. Unlocked rooms can then be decorated/furnished to your heart’s content, and let’s you use said items; granted you’ve paid off the right overdue bills!
â–¶ Any skill points earned by a Sim are directly linked to them. This means if a Sim is max level in Handiness and they die, any Renovation/Unlock requirements will not be met until another Sim takes up that skill. Also, Skill points distributed between Sims never stack.
â–¶ You cannot use a stove, fridge, T.V, or any other realistically electric powered furnishings on the lot until you pay the overdue Electricity Bill.
â–¶ You cannot use a sink, toilet, shower/bathtub or anything else related to plumbing on the lot until you pay the overdue Water Bill.
â–¶ Decor clutter or trash on the lot must not be sold for profit. Just place it in the lot inventory or remove the gained funds using cheats.
â–¶ [HARDMODE RULE] You can only plant 1 seed per day.
â–¶ [HARDMODE RULE] When cooking meals, you must have all ingredients required in order to do so.
â–¶ [HARDMODE RULE] You cannot steal harvestables from gardens on residential or commercial lots. You must either buy your seeds online, fish for them, or find them in the wild.
â–¶ [HARDMODE RULE] Never hire a Gardener. Only Patchy and Club Members may help you.
â–¶ [HARDMODE RULE] Plants need to grow to Perfect quality in order to write a Plant Index book about it.
â–¶ [IMMERSION RULE] Anything you craft at a woodworking table must be stored on the lot itself, not in the lot inventory. Looks like you'll need a storage shed! This can go for any other items that cannot be easily be carried by a Sim. No, you cannot scale items down to save space.
â–¶ [IMMERSION RULE] [CATS & DOGS] [SEASONS] Your Sims can only tell your pets to mate during the Summer and Spring seasons.
â–¶ [IMMERSION RULE] [SEASONS] Your Sims take Holidays seriously on the Homestead! Celebrate each Holiday to the fullest, and invite all of your relatives for the big feast!
â–¶ [EASYMODE RULE] You don’t have to start paying the actual lot bill until you have paid off the overdue ones (Water and Electric). Just cheat in the exact amount every time.

RENOVATIONS & UNLOCKS
RENOVATE A BATHROOM
â–¶ Paid off the Water Bill
â–¶ 4 Handiness Skill
â–¶ Pay $200 for Renovation Fees (Per Bathroom)

RENOVATE A ROOM
â–¶ Paid off the Water & Electric Bills
â–¶ 2-7 Handiness Skill OR 8-10 Handiness Skill to Renovate 2 Rooms at Once
â–¶ Pay $200 for Renovation Fees (Per Room)

LANDSCAPE/GARDEN CLEAN-UP
â–¶ 5 Handiness Skill
â–¶ 3 Gardening Skill
â–¶ Pay $300 for Waste Fees

IMPROVED LOT TRAITS
Can be replaced with any trait you want.
â–¶ Per $25,000 generated from Farm Profits (So you’ll need to have made $75,000 to change all traits)

PLUMBING
â–¶ Pay off the Water Bill in full ($850)

ELECTRIC
â–¶ Pay off the Electric Bill in full ($1,000)

RETAIL LOT PERMIT
â–¶ Have $100,000 in Household Funds

GOALS & MILESTONES (W/ SCORING)
Most repeatable objectives (skills, aspirations, marriage, etc.) can be counted for score points for every time it is achieved on a different Sim in the family.
GOALS
â–¶ [+1] [GT] Found a Gardening-Focused Club, and host a gathering at least once a week.
â–¶ [+1] Max the Gardening skill.
â–¶ [+1] Max the Writing skill.
â–¶ [+4 when 100%] For every new plant that has bloomed on your farm, write a book about it for your Plant Index collection. Display each book in your house (optional).
â–¶ [+3 when 100%] For every new plant that has bloomed, take a photo of it for proper illustrations in the Plant Index collection. Display the photos in your house (optional).
â–¶ [+1] Max the Fishing skill.
â–¶ [+2] [OUTDOOR] Max the Herbalism Skill and brew every recipe in the game. Display them in your house (optional).
â–¶ [+1] Get married to a Sim that has at least 1 trait in common with you.
â–¶ [+1 Per] Bare a child with your Spouse.
â–¶ [+1 Per] [CATS & DOGS] Have one of your pets birth a litter. Keep them, or adopt them out!
â–¶ [+1 Per] Complete 1 of the Family Aspirations.
â–¶ [+1 Per] Complete 1 of the Nature Aspirations.
â–¶ [+1] Max the Handiness Skill.
â–¶ [+1] [SEASONS] Max the Flower Arranging Skill.
â–¶ [+1] [SEASONS] Become an Apiarist, and own enough bee boxes to pollinate all of your plants.
â–¶ [+1] [CATS & DOGS] Collect all feathers in the game. Display them in your house, including the complete Owl Statue (optional).
â–¶ [+1 Per] Take a Family Photo for each Generation in the Family (individual Family Portraits are okay). Display them in your house (optional).

MILESTONES
â–¶ [+2] Earn $100,000 from selling goods from the farm.
â–¶ [+3] Grow at least 1 of every plant/tree in the game.
â–¶ [+5] Have at least 1 of every plant in the game growing (alive) all at once.
â–¶ [+3 Per 100%] Collect all Crystals, Fish, Fossils, Frogs, Insects, Metals, and Postcards in the game. Display them in your house (optional).
â–¶ [+3] Renovate every room in your house to completion.
â–¶ [+4] [GTW] Own a Retail Lot and sell the farm’s -quality- goods.
â–¶ [+3] Become BFF’s with the Ghosts of your Great Grandparents.
â–¶ [+2] [SEASONS] Create your own custom Holiday, and celebrate it with pride every year!
â–¶ [+6] Display every item that is optional in the ‘Goals’ and ‘Milestones’ section somewhere on your Lot.
â–¶ [+3] Follow at least 3 of the 5 Hardmode Rules throughout the Challenge. Double this score if you follow all of those rules.
â–¶ [+2] Follow at least 1 Immersion Rule throughout the Challenge. Double this score if you follow all of those rules.

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Test Subject
#2 Old 24th Oct 2017 at 8:14 PM
Loving this challenge.
Lab Assistant
#3 Old 27th Oct 2017 at 3:13 PM
This has a very Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons vibe (which I think you intended?) and I am extremely here for it! Bookmarking this to play after my current challenge.

Peacemaker has some boarded up windows CC that could be a great touch.

Also, can I make a suggestion for a possible additional Hardmode rule? --You must evolve a plant to Perfect status before you can write a book about it.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#4 Old 27th Oct 2017 at 10:44 PM
@arrowsforpens
Wow! Great find with that CC! I'll definitely be using that (I'm actually still decorating for my own playthrough).

Love that Hardmode rule as well, since it does make sense researching the plant to its full potential. I'll add it to the rules!
Lab Assistant
#5 Old 29th Oct 2017 at 8:35 PM
@PrincessZeda
Thanks! That was exactly my thoughts in regards to the rule Glad you like it.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#6 Old 9th Aug 2018 at 9:57 PM
The long awaited update is here! Added new details for Laundry Day, Cats & Dogs, and Seasons. Enjoy the new changes!
Test Subject
#7 Old 24th Sep 2018 at 12:57 PM
Hey, a (possibly dumb) question: how do you write a plant index book? I did some googling and came up with nothing.
Test Subject
#8 Old 24th Sep 2018 at 6:02 PM
This is definitely stardew valley xD
I might just do a challenge like this in my next generation of legacy family.
BTW, I do not have laundry day. Is it still viable to play this challenge without this pack?
Test Subject
#9 Old 24th Sep 2018 at 6:17 PM Last edited by araynah : 24th Sep 2018 at 9:42 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by pixelatedstarlight
Hey, a (possibly dumb) question: how do you write a plant index book? I did some googling and came up with nothing.

@pixelatedstarlight

I think you can use the Non-fiction genre to write your plant codex. This interaction is unlocked in level 5 of writing skills. Since the beginning of the challenge says no electronics, you can use this mod to write in a notebook instead of computer.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#10 Old 24th Sep 2018 at 8:31 PM
@araynah

Yes, it is totally playable without Laundry Day! This challenge really focuses on immersion, but LD is only a simple feature you can miss.

Glad you're going to try this out! Would love to see some screenshots!
Test Subject
#11 Old 23rd Jun 2020 at 6:02 AM
I've just found this challenge and will try it out.
Does anyone have their starting lots or family saved to the gallery?
Is there a limit to initial house/lot size?
Test Subject
#12 Old 24th Jul 2021 at 8:09 PM
Omgggg I've been eyeing this challenge for months and now that cottage living was released, it's the perfect opportunity. It would be fantastic if the challenge was updated for the new packs!!
Test Subject
#13 Old 24th Jul 2021 at 8:19 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simMayEillen
I've just found this challenge and will try it out.
Does anyone have their starting lots or family saved to the gallery?
Is there a limit to initial house/lot size?

Great question, I'd really like to take a look at some rundown farms with the Cottage Living pack
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