“The Knitting Pack is coming out… and I’m so excited. It seems the perfect time to start a Decades Challenge. My problem was – I couldn’t figure out how to play it. There were too many options. And I simply couldn’t decide. So, here’s my solution. I will be starting TWO Decades Challenges, with very different options and blogging styles. If at any time I’m not having fun with either (or I find my setup isn’t working well), I hold the right to discontinue one or the other and just stick with one challenge from then on.”

At least that was the original plan. Then the Tangles’ story took on a life of its own, and even pulled in some of the other Decades story members across the save files (which you’ll see in the next chapters to be published). Both of these  challenges will be continuing as they are at this point. In fact, once my blog organization project of Dec. 2021 finishes, this story is top of my list to get back to work on!

In short: this is a traditional Decades Challenge, with time going past as the Sims age instead of by generation (like I’m doing with the other half of the Challenge War). I did modify the aging scheme, though. So instead of one year being 4 sims days, it’s 7 sim days, or one season. It’s easier for me to keep track of. It makes the play take much longer, but I like it because I have tons of time to get to know my sims.

Story Chapters:

• Prologue Part 1
• Prologue Part 2

1890s:

• 1890 (Spring)
• 1891 (Summer)
• 1892 Part 1 (Early Fall)
• 1892 Part 2 (Late Fall)
• 1893 (Winter)
• 1894 (Spring)
• 1895 (Summer)
• 1896 (Fall)
• 1897 (Winter)
• 1897-8 Interlude (End of Winter)

Game Information and Links:

Challenge Rules:

• https://cutecoffeegal.com/decadeschallengerules/

My Scoresheet:

• https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1omPnQfhRKQ7KMQoggXcsum-qaPF4w-Qb3zqu9BDuUxs/edit?usp=sharing

Family Records:

• https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tkU-SYEFUoquevMSBf_eLA9D_-lFmF5mmV3z-vW_fG4/edit?usp=sharing

Mods in use:

• MC Command Center (for aging and death control)

Challenge Modifications/Exceptions and my reasoning:

*I will be modifying the aging of my sims with MCCC as follows: (to allow for one full season in game each year)

I will be tracking each sim day as approx. 1.71 months, not the 6 that the challenge calls for. So every 7 days the year changes, and every 70 days the decade changes.

So based on a Normal Lifespan, Sims will be manually aged according to this approximate schedule for those born prior to 1950:

• Baby: 10 days, ages up at 1.5 years old
• Toddler: 24 days, ages up at 5 years old
• Child: 45 days, ages up at 11.5 years old
• Teen: 45 days, ages up at 18 years old
• Young Adult: 84 days, ages up at 30 years old
• Adult: 84 days, ages up at 42 years old
• Elder: 35 days, dies at 47 years old

For those born after 1950:

• Baby: 10 days, ages up at 1.5 years old
• Toddler: 24 days, ages up at 5 years old
• Child: 45 days, ages up at 11.5 years old
• Teen: 45 days, ages up at 18 years old
• Young Adult: 84 days, ages up at 30 years old
• Adult: 175 days, ages up at 55 years old
• Elder: 140 days, dies at 75 years old