Rich sim, poor sim.

[dejadejavu]

In the cars thread, people started discussing how easy it is to become and stay wealthy in the sim world. This got me thinking about sim lifestyles, and how they're relatively the same, no matter what the financial situation. Most sims go to work, come home do stuff, maybe go on a date once in a while. The only difference is in the size/grandeur of their houses.

I want sims to be able to live really frugally, and really lavishly. Here are some different options for achieving that:

Food


Groceries:
Poor/frugal sims should be able to cut out coupons from the newspaper to get deals.
If sims can now buy actual ingredients, there could be different qualities of stores/food. Middle class/rich sims would always buy organic and poorer sims wouldn't.

Restaurants
There needs to be different classes of restaurants. Some should have really exotic food that costs a lot of money and has a strict dress code. Other places should be cheap and serve chicken fingers. It should also be a totally different experience going to a nice place, and a crappy place. They should have different sets of hosts/waiters for each class of restaurant. At a diner the waiters could be sort of impatient, while at a fine restaurant they would wait on you hand and foot. Also you should not be able to get fancy foods at a classy restaurant. Also, in TS2 going to a restaurant didn't cost anything! It would say the price...and then be much less. I want some dinners to cost hundreds of dollars. Also tips should be added on to the total cost of the meal.


Clothes

Not every piece of everyday clothing should cost $200 dollars. How sims dress should say a lot more about them financially. The more fashionable it is the more it should cost. I think that the clothes should come with presets about how much it is, but the players can change the price accordingly to their tastes. But they wouldn't be able to cheat and lower the prices too much or their sim would not be regarded highly. Other sims could also recognize how nice other sims clothes are.

Everyday clothing:
Under $50 - Your sims are wearing rags...worn down rags. Not looked on highly by other sims.
$50 to $100 - Okay, but you're not impressing anyone.
$100-$200 - Your clothes are nice. You probably get a few compliments.
$200-$300- Starting to get classy.
$300-$500- You definitely care about how you look, and other sims can tell you spend a fair share of money on that outfit.
Over $500- Wow. You have some FINE clothes, maybe even too fine for everyday!

As far as other types of clothing, it would be along the same lines. If a sim goes to a party in a thousand or two dollar dress, other sims might turn heads.

There would also need to be different types of stores. A thrifty store, a middle of the road store, and a high end store. They're should also be clearance and sales.

Those were my most important ideas on how sims could start living different types of lifestyles, and how money could be spent in a way that really enhances a sims life. Do you guys have any other ideas?

[tv_freak]

{clap} (accidently pressed the smiley but it fits...)
i really like all your ideas hooray 4 u
i really want diffrent classes in TH3 and for our sim to be poor and strugle 4 money

[eternalbunny]

I completely agree with you.

There should be stores that the sims wish they could shop at but can't afford.

Jobs should also play a bigger role. It should be harder to move up in the work force and they shouldn't get paid every single day. The Business Tycoon's salary shouldn't be less than the Hall of Famer's.

[dejadejavu]

Also, I think sims should be able to get loans/go into debt. Thats what can really mess up a financial situation in real life. Plus sometimes really unexpected things happen, like having twins and you just need some extra funds.

I also think that being paid weekly is a great idea because its too easy to just wait until your sim gets back from work, and bam they have another thousand or so. Getting to the top level of a job track should be A LOT harder. Like if a sim is at the top level, they've really accomplished something. Middleclass sims should be around level 6 or 7. Getting to level 8 could be done by just having the skills/performing well, but any higher than that and sims should have to really put in overtime and prove themselves.

[eternalbunny]

Speaking of jobs being harder, school should also be a little bit harder. At least the high school students should have to study for a test and work on a class projects. Maybe the rich kids projects will be more extravagant compared to the poor kids, since they can afford more than construction paper.

[tv_freak]

(26-05-2008 07:46 AM)eternalbunny link Wrote:Speaking of jobs being harder, school should also be a little bit harder. At least the high school students should have to study for a test and work on a class projects. Maybe the rich kids projects will be more extravagant compared to the poor kids, since they can afford more than construction paper.

you mean make high-school a bit more like university in TS2?

and about jobs i think it should be posible for a poor sim to become rich if they work hard ect.
but i think job preformences should depend also on a sim's personality
and some sims should just be more or less smart and this should also effect jobs and school

[CountryGal4132]

I really like this.  I Think this would add to the realism of the game and I would love this.  I can see the crabby waiter at a diner just wanting to finish with your sims so they could get onto the next set of paying customers.  I would love to see this in TS3!  Hooray for u!

[eternalbunny]

(26-05-2008 11:42 AM)tv_freak link Wrote:[quote author=eternalbunny link=topic=2209.msg70925#msg70925 date=1211784412]
Speaking of jobs being harder, school should also be a little bit harder. At least the high school students should have to study for a test and work on a class projects. Maybe the rich kids projects will be more extravagant compared to the poor kids, since they can afford more than construction paper.

you mean make high-school a bit more like university in TS2?
[/quote]

No, no, all they did in University was write term papers, I seriously don't understand how the sims there had time for a social life.

But if every now and then when your teenage sim comes home from school, a message pops up saying:

EX: Rica has a history project due at the end of the week that's worth 25% of her grade. Make sure she gets it done.

Something like that once every couple of months or whatever would add a little bit more realism. And maybe you'd have to go out and buy glue and other stuff for them to use. And if it's a group project maybe her team mates will come over and help.

(26-05-2008 11:42 AM)tv_freak link Wrote:and about jobs i think it should be posible for a poor sim to become rich if they work hard ect.
but i think job preformences should depend also on a sim's personality
and some sims should just be more or less smart and this should also effect jobs and school

I agree with you, their personality should have a major role in how well they do there jobs. Someone with commitment issues, would be less likely to take work home or even show up everyday.

[mythmonster2]

Wow, excellent idea!  {clap} That was one minor pet peeve of mine in Sims 2, you could get promoted really easily and how every clothes cost the same. Rags could be romantic turn-offs, and if you're wearing 1000 dollar suits, all the ladies (or men) could whistle at them as they walk by, like in Sims 2. Or there could be a quality where they don't care about the quality of stuff, they just like being alive or something.

[2ppanther]

i agree  {yes}

maybe there can be a money class meter  (lower class, middle class, upper class) and buy stuff on their class and go places on their