I'm not ready for Sims 5

[Benjamin Opel]

Actually many of the original SL crowd migrated from TSO - The Sims Online - over here, when TSO was being shut down or short before.

I never got a chance to play TSO

 

[Jolene Benoir]

This is not Sims related, but I happened to catch a video by PleasantSims, a person who has been mentioned here and whose videos have been linked. It's a very personal video in which she talks about why she wears a wig and her struggles with PCOS. I, too, have PCOS, though didn't have hair loss as a symptom. My hair was naturally very thin to begin with, so maybe it wouldn't have been so noticeable.

The reason I am posting this here is that I think her posting this video is very courageous. YouTube viewers can be pretty fickle and often do not appreciate gamers posting off-topic subjects. I had kind of thought it was a wig, but just assumed it was part of posting Sims videos. I noticed that many of the gals have brightly colored coiffures and just figured it was a trend among themselves.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

This is not Sims related, but I happened to catch a video by PleasantSims, a person who has been mentioned here and whose videos have been linked. It's a very personal video in which she talks about why she wears a wig and her struggles with PCOS. I, too, have PCOS, though didn't have hair loss as a symptom. My hair was naturally very thin to begin with, so maybe it wouldn't have been so noticeable.

The reason I am posting this here is that I think her posting this video is very courageous. YouTube viewers can be pretty fickle and often do not appreciate gamers posting off-topic subjects. I had kind of thought it was a wig, but just assumed it was part of posting Sims videos. I noticed that many of the gals have brightly colored coiffures and just figured it was a trend among themselves.

I was trying to figure out how she got her hair to go that way. But her going through all of her health problems made me have a few questions about my own. Anyway I think she looks adorable and told her so, and I'm glad she's taking her health into her own hands instead of just trusting doctors. Some doctors are just so last century on what actually works [I'm lucky that now I've medical types who listen and are supportive of my trying diets and such].

Anyway, her going over the symptoms make me wonder if that's why I'm a diabetic [PCOS] and a lot of other issues; I was diagnosed awfully young.... and I still stuggle to lose weight even when I'm super good.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

Also, I tried TSO when I Beta Tested it and then went right into the SL beta, because it was closer to what I wanted from TSO.

 

[Beebo Brink]

This has obviously been really traumatic for her, but she looks adorable with her pixie cut.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

I was trying to figure out how she got her hair to go that way. But her going through all of her health problems made me have a few questions about my own. Anyway I think she looks adorable and told her so, and I'm glad she's taking her health into her own hands instead of just trusting doctors. Some doctors are just so last century on what actually works [I'm lucky that now I've medical types who listen and are supportive of my trying diets and such].

Anyway, her going over the symptoms make me wonder if that's why I'm a diabetic [PCOS] and a lot of other issues; I was diagnosed awfully young.... and I still stuggle to lose weight even when I'm super good.

Well, if you don't mind I will tell you of my experience with PCOS? When I was young, teenager young, it was common for me to go six months without a period, then six months with it. I was pretty happy, naturally about the six months without it, not so happy about the six months straight. That led me to a doctor. PCOS wasn't even a thing back then. As PleasantSims stated, they just put you on birth control, which is what they did with me. The doctor called it a hormone imbalance.

Go forward many years. I am in my thirties at this point. I have huge and sudden weight gain. I don't know wtf is going on. I was always anywhere from 95-110lbs. Suddenly? I am going through pants sizes every two weeks. Seriously, I was having to order new works pants every other week, same for home pants. I went from a size 3 to 16. It was getting me down so bad, I was going to the gym 3-4 times a week and it didn't stop. I was doing a good routine of aerobic followed by lifting. Didn't help. I was eating really heallhy, too. This is why I think that PleasantSims is off base as regards it being about diet and exercise. It's not. It's hormones combined with a pancreatic/thyroid disorder. Unfortunately, female disorders still are either not understood or even have doctors trained to look for them. She is right about carbs though. Those put me to sleep almost immediately as I feel my body shutting down needing that sleep.

In the end, I happened just by pure luck upon a doctor who diagnosed me with PCOS. I had the hirsutism too, meaning my chin grew hair. I had, obviously never had any luck in conceiving as well. I had the rosacea, as well, meaning rosy cheeks. I was also often very tired unexpectedly.

Anyhow, she diagnoses me, puts me on something for the rosacea, and so on and referred me to another doctor. They did ultrasound, which did find cysts on ovaries. After many blood tests, they determined that I now had hypo-thyroidism, too, which was really odd to me as I've always been hyperactive my whole life. That is another symptom. I did lose the weight but that was due to another medical condition, but unchecked PCOS is very dangerous, imo. largely due to the insulin resistance factor. It's not that uncommon for diabetes to be the diagnosis for some because it mimics it so much.

So, for you...what I recommend? Find a FEMALE doctor, one well aware of PCOS, who can run the battery of tests of all sorts that would address anything that may indicate PCOS? Go from there.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

Well, if you don't mind I will tell you of my experience with PCOS? When I was young, teenager young, it was common for me to go six months without a period, then six months with it. I was pretty happy, naturally about the six months without it, not so happy about the six months straight. That led me to a doctor. PCOS wasn't even a thing back then. As PleasantSims stated, they just put you on birth control, which is what they did with me. The doctor called it a hormone imbalance.

Go forward many years. I am in my thirties at this point. I have huge and sudden weight gain. I don't know wtf is going on. I was always anywhere from 95-110lbs. Suddenly? I am going through pants sizes every two weeks. Seriously, I was having to order new works pants every other week, same for home pants. I went from a size 3 to 16. It was getting me down so bad, I was going to the gym 3-4 times a week and it didn't stop. I was doing a good routine of aerobic followed by lifting. Didn't help. I was eating really heallhy, too. This is why I think that PleasantSims is off base as regards it being about diet and exercise. It's not. It's hormones combined with a pancreatic/thyroid disorder. Unfortunately, female disorders still are either not understood or even have doctors trained to look for them. She is right about carbs though. Those put me to sleep almost immediately as I feel my body shutting down needing that sleep.

In the end, I happened just by pure luck upon a doctor who diagnosed me with PCOS. I had the hirsutism too, meaning my chin grew hair. I had, obviously never had any luck in conceiving as well. I had the rosacea, as well, meaning rosy cheeks. I was also often very tired unexpectedly.

Anyhow, she diagnoses me, puts me on something for the rosacea, and so on and referred me to another doctor. They did ultrasound, which did find cysts on ovaries. After many blood tests, they determined that I now had hypo-thyroidism, too, which was really odd to me as I've always been hyperactive my whole life. That is another symptom. I did lose the weight but that was due to another medical condition, but unchecked PCOS is very dangerous, imo. largely due to the insulin resistance factor. It's not that uncommon for diabetes to be the diagnosis for some because it mimics it so much.

So, for you...what I recommend? Find a FEMALE doctor, one well aware of PCOS, who can run the battery of tests of all sorts that would address anything that may indicate PCOS? Go from there.

Thanks. And if anything, if I have any symptoms, I've only got the insulin resistance and the roseacea. But I suppose I should get a check up at some point. How does pcos affect someone who's gone through [going through?] menopause? [The question is because I had to get a hysterectomy because fibroids, so heck if I know where I am on the menopause train.....]

More a ramble because I'll look it up when my mom goes back home and I'm not playing native guide.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

Ooh, ooh, ooh...I remember a discussion on how to disable game packs for the Sims 4. This may have been answered already, but I've found an easy-peasy tool to do so. I was watching his build videos on YT and he referenced this as well as another tool, random pack generator, which is used in challenges. If you are getting bored with the game, that is an option to change things up, as well.

Go here: The Sims 4 How To Disable Packs — James Turner

Select the packs you wish to disable and the box generates a command line to be generated, which you then copy into advanced options/command line arguments. Directions are on the page.

This will redownload your chosen packs so it's not something you would be switching up regularly, but if there are certain packs you just don't like or want in your game, you could set it and forget it. If you want everything back at some point, you just remove the command line.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Go here: The Sims 4 How To Disable Packs — James Turner

I used that generator to hide some of the DLCs that I regret buying, like Discover University. I can't really tell if it's improved game performance, but it can't hurt.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

I used that generator to hide some of the DLCs that I regret buying, like Discover University. I can't really tell if it's improved game performance, but it can't hurt.

I haven't gotten Discover University yet, though it's on my want list. What was it you didn't like about it?

 

[Beebo Brink]

I haven't gotten Discover University yet, though it's on my want list. What was it you didn't like about it?

I'm slowly learning what kind of Sims 4 gameplay I enjoy and which I don't. So there's nothing "wrong" with Discover University, but I realized soon after purchase that returning to college isn't all that entertaining for me. Since my game time is very limited, it's not something I'll use, at least not any time in the forseeable future.

Lately, I'm struggling with enjoying what Sims 4 is now without getting sidetracked by my frustration with what I WANT it to be. I would like less emphasis on micro-management of time-consuming bodily functions and more elaboration on autonomous, spontaneous behavior that creates storylines. My sims tend to be very boring on their own.

 

[Knutz Scorpio]

There are traits that can be added to your sim that will slow most the needs, or stop them altogether. You purchase these with points earned by completing aspirations .... or just entering the cheat codes.

 

[Beebo Brink]

There are traits that can be added to your sim that will slow most the needs, or stop them altogether. You purchase these with points earned by completing aspirations .... or just entering the cheat codes.

Yeah, I'm tired of earning points for this purpose. I'm probably going to use cheats on a regular basis for any sims I'm playing.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

Yeah, I'm tired of earning points for this purpose. I'm probably going to use cheats on a regular basis for any sims I'm playing.

Welcome to the dark side.... we have cookies [I wish!]

 

[Jolene Benoir]

There are traits that can be added to your sim that will slow most the needs, or stop them altogether. You purchase these with points earned by completing aspirations .... or just entering the cheat codes.

Yes, if you are using MC Command Center you can alter the rate at which they decay, permanently in-game. If you are using UI Cheats, you can just grab and drag a given need up or down. I like to do that sometimes with all but the energy one, either up or down, so that they stay on a schedule. The mods are compatible so can run both if you like.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

Echoes of SL. I have heard of Whicked Whims, though have never used. From what I understand THAT mod is entirely geared toward adult sim interactions. Of course, someone decided, after many years now, to make it interactive with childen/toddlers and pets. To be clear, not the original mod maker, doing this. It is someone else who modded the mod. It has the attention of EA.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

Echoes of SL. I have heard of Whicked Whims, though have never used. From what I understand THAT mod is entirely geared toward adult sim interactions. Of course, someone decided, after many years now, to make it interactive with childen/toddlers and pets. To be clear, not the original mod maker, doing this. It is someone else who modded the mod. It has the attention of EA.

I'll watch in a moment, but I will say that the main site to get WW from [and mods to go with it] smacks down this sort of thing, or at least did when I was playing with it.