Setup
The Apocalypse Challenge is a multi-generational challenge that has many restrictions and is, by design, extremely difficult in the very beginning. The way you make life easier for your Sims is by having them reach the tops of careers. Each career branch has its own set of restrictions tied to it. You must abide by all of those restrictions.
Once a Sim reaches the top of a career branch, the restrictions related to that career branch are lifted. You no longer have to obey them. Even if that Sim quits their job, the act of reaching the top level of a career will permanently lift that career branch’s restrictions.
However, only one set of restrictions may be lifted per Sim. Even if you can get them to the top of more than one career in their lifetime, only the first one counts towards completing this challenge. This includes teenage/part time careers. If a Sim reaches the top of a teenage/part time career, they are unable to lift any restrictions related to a future adult/full time career.
The challenge ends when every set of restrictions has been lifted. Your “Score” is the number of Sim generations it takes you to accomplish this feat, with the fewer generations taken the better your score.
Once a Sim reaches the top of a career branch, the restrictions related to that career branch are lifted. You no longer have to obey them. Even if that Sim quits their job, the act of reaching the top level of a career will permanently lift that career branch’s restrictions.
However, only one set of restrictions may be lifted per Sim. Even if you can get them to the top of more than one career in their lifetime, only the first one counts towards completing this challenge. This includes teenage/part time careers. If a Sim reaches the top of a teenage/part time career, they are unable to lift any restrictions related to a future adult/full time career.
The challenge ends when every set of restrictions has been lifted. Your “Score” is the number of Sim generations it takes you to accomplish this feat, with the fewer generations taken the better your score.
- You start with a single, young adult founder Sim. This Sim may be male or female, freshly created in CAS, a Sim you have already played or downloaded from the gallery or a ready prepared Wonderchild Sim, it is totally up to you. They may have any traits and aspiration you choose and you may dress them any way you like.
- You may not download or import any Sims from the Gallery or place any Sims into the neighbourhood other than your founder at the start of the challenge. If you do not have the MCCC Mod you may periodically go to manage worlds and pair up Sims and give them children in CAS so that your population doesn't die out. However, all traits, clothing, hair etc. MUST be randomised and not changed.
- Move your founder into any empty lot in any world you wish, if a lot already has a house on it you may bulldoze the lot to make way for your Sim. Once moved into the lot, your Sim must quit any job they were previously part of. If they were at the top of a career, it does not lift the restrictions associated with that career, nor does it bar them from re-taking that same job.
- Make sure you remove any trees, shrubs, flowers or other decorations until you have a completely empty lot and then cover with concrete tiles (not terrain paint).
- You are now ready to build your fallout bunker. This may only be built within an 8 x 8 square area. You may not build nor place anything other than a trashcan & mailbox outside of this area. However, you may, during the course of the challenge , build as many storeys as you need up and/or down within this area.
- Property traits must be used and one of these must be 'Off the Grid'. The other two traits are your choice but must be 'bad' traits.
- Interior walls must be drywall only, no paint or wallpaper may be used. Exterior walls must have an 'Industrial Eco Footprint' or none (as long as it does not have an 'Environment Gain' score or 'Green Eco Footprint' it is fine).
- When furnishing your bunker only the cheapest item of any category may be purchased. No décor or any item with an 'Environment Gain' score may be purchased or displayed. To start you off the Military has issued you with:
- 1 toilet, 1 shower and 1 sink.
- 1 mirror.
- 1 BBQ grill, 2 kitchen counters, 1 indoor trashcan.
- 1 dining table, 2 chairs.
- 1 sofa/loveseat, 1 coffee table, 1 bookshelf from which all non skill books have been sold/deleted (skill books may be purchased as and when needed).
- 1 'Chessmaster' chess table and 2 chairs.
- 1 double bed, 1 bassinet, 1 toddler bed & 1 single bed (more may be purchased as and when needed up to a total of 3 of each other than the double bed, you are only allowed 1 of these until the relevant restriction has been cleared).
- 1 football.
- 1 'Mitey Mitey Home' insect farm.
- 1 Outdoor trashcan, 1 Mailbox.
- 1 fireplace.
- You are permitted to build and to purchase items as needed as long as you can afford it, have no outstanding bills and you adhere to any current restrictions.
Once a Sim has no career and is the only Sim on the lot, the challenge begins and all of the career-specific restrictions come into effect.
Eco Living Expansion
If you own the Eco Living Expansion pack you may wish to do a bit of setting up in the neighbourhood in order to make your experience a bit more realistic. Go to each lot in your neighbourhood via the 'Build' button. Delete all trees, shrubs, flowers etc. and cover the ground with concrete tiles (preferably ones with an 'Industrial Eco Footprint' of 2). Replace all interior and exterior wall coverings with ones that have an 'Industrial Eco Footprint' (preferably a score of 2). Also replace any doors/windows, railings and columns that have a 'Green Eco Footprint' with ones that have an 'Industrial Eco Footprint' if available. Add at least 1 fireplace/space heater to all rooms in the building. If done on ALL the lots in your immediate neighbourhood this should have the effect of making that neighbourhood Industrial and Sims will cough and choke and be uncomfortable when outside thus giving the impression of the atmosphere being contaminated by radioactive fallout.
Seasons Expansion
If you own the Seasons Expansion pack choose to start your game in winter and this will give the effect of a 'nuclear winter'. Also, if you have the MCCC mod you can click on the mailbox, MC Cheats, Seasons Cheats, Change Weather, light snow freezing. This has the effect in other seasons of falling ash (radioactive fallout).