Aging is an important part of the game as it helps to determine when you change decades! Some people play this challenge so that as each new heir becomes a young adult the decade changes, and that is certainly the most simple way to play. However, if you want to be a bit more exact, you can track each Sim day to know exactly when to switch decades.
No matter which of the following methods you use, you will need to MANUALLY age up ALL of your Sims. Previously, the simplest tracking followed a Sim’s Normal Sim Lifespan as a guide. However, aging has changed significantly with the addition of Infants. The Normal Sim Lifespan is no longer accurate (for example, you’d age from Teen to Young Adult at 24 years old, not 18/19). I’ve created a calculator which might make it easier for you to keep track of when to age up each Sim. Download Aging & Time Calculator
The first step for either of these methods is to change your game options so that you are on the Long Sim Lifespan – that way you won’t accidentally age up too soon. The calendar can be helpful in keeping track of birthdays – I describe this in the following YouTube video, starting at 27:44 https://youtu.be/cO4OB7QhyWc?t=27m44s
Simple Aging
Each Sim day is 6 months; every 2 days the year changes; every 20 days the decade changes. Example:
- Day 1: Early 1890
- Day 2: Late 1890
- Day 3: Early 1891
- Day 4: Late 1891
- And so on . . .
The average life expectancy for someone born in 1890 was mid-forties. However, life expectancy increased steadily, and by 1950, average life expectancy had increased to closer to 70. To mimic this, there are 2 different calculations – one for those born before 1950, and one for those born 1950 and later.
All Sims start off the same:
-
- Baby: 1 days, ages up at 6 months old
- Infant: 3 days, ages up at 2 years old
- Toddler: 8 days, ages up at 6 years old
- Child: 14 days, ages up at 13 years old
- Teen: 12 days, ages up at 19 years old
For Sims born before 1950:
- Young Adult: 26 days, ages up at 32 years old
- Adult: 36 days, ages up at 50 years old
- Elder: 14 days, dies late 50s/early 60s
For Sims born 1950 and later:
- Young Adult: 32 days, ages up at 35 years old
- Adult: 60 days, ages up at 65 years old
- Elder: 56 days, dies late 80s/early 90s
Complex Aging (for those with Discover University)
Each Sim day is 2 months; every 8 days the year changes; every 80 days the decade changes. Example:
- Day 1: Late Winter 1890
- Day 2: Early Spring 1890
- Day 3: Late Spring 1890
- Day 4: Early Summer 1890
- Day 5: Late Summer 1890
- Day 6: Early Fall 1890
- Day 7: Late Fall 1890
- Day 8: Early Winter 1890
- Day 9: Late Winter 1891
- And so on . . .
If you have Discover University and want your Sims to seek degrees, then you’ll need to change how you handle time in your Decades Challenge. Each term is 7 Sim Days long, and if you’re counting each Sim Day as 6 months, then the fastest a Sim can complete a degree would be 11 years, LOL!
- If you want to make this change, then I highly recommend you add MC Command Center to your game – it will be very difficult to track ages otherwise!
- This will also significantly lengthen your gameplay, so just be warned that your game will take three times as long to complete the challenge!
- Please note, if you have Seasons your time calculations (“late spring” for example) will have ZERO correlation to your seasons in-game. I’ve decided to just be OK with the fact that these do not match up, but if you come up with something better, please let me know!
All Sims start off the same:
-
- Baby: 2 days, ages up at 4 months old
- Infant: 10 days, ages up at 2 years old
- Toddler: 24 days, ages up at 6 years old
- Child: 42 days, ages up at 13 years old
- Teen: 36 days, ages up at 19 years old
For Sims born before 1950:
- Young Adult: 78 days, ages up at 32 years old
- Adult: 108 days, ages up at 50 years old
- Elder: 56 days, dies late 50s/early 60s
For Sims born 1950 and later:
- Young Adult: 96 days, ages up at 35 years old
- Adult: 180 days, ages up at 65 years old
- Elder: 130 days, dies late 80s/early 90s
Holidays: Seasons comes with 4 holidays: New Year’s Eve, Love Day, Harvestfest, and Winterfest. To add additional historical accuracy to the Decades Challenge, I would recommend editing these holidays and adding a few additional ones. At the start of the Decades Challenge, edit your calendar to include:
- New Year’s Eve (Winter Saturday): New Year’s Eve Decorations, Day Off, Traditions – Party Spirit, Make Resolutions, Countdown to Midnight
- Valentine’s Day (Spring Tuesday): Love Day Decorations, No Day Off, Traditions – Romantic Spirit, Give Flowers, Go on a Date
- Easter (Spring Saturday): Spring Decorations, Day Off, Traditions – Egg Hunt, Flower Bunny, Give Flowers, Attend Holiday Ceremony
- Memorial Day (Summer Monday): No Decorations, Day Off, Traditions – Remembrance, Tell Stories, Thankful Spirit
- Independence Day (Summer Thursday): No Decorations, Day Off, Traditions – Appreciate an Object (American flag), Bar-B-Que, Fireworks
- Halloween (Fall): Spooky Decorations, No Day Off, Traditions – Wear Costumes, Trick or Treat, Spooky Spirit
- Thanksgiving (Fall Thursday): Harvestfest Decorations, Day Off, Traditions – Grand Meal, Thankful Spirit, Tell Stories, Baking
- Christmas (Winter Wednesday): Winterfest Decorations, Day Off, Traditions – Festive Spirit, Open Presents, Grand Meal, Attend Holiday Ceremony, Father Winter