Some of my sims have reach the stage of life when they are done with having kids, are at the top of their careers (or soon to be) and just days away from turning into elders. I don’t know what to do with them.
First I thought I just let them own businesses, but all of them can’t afford to buy one. I also thought about letting them work on their hobbies, but something about that just feels boring (maybe I should change my mind about that).
I’m also done with dating around for fun (looking at you mr mayor with the 50 first dates life goal). Other then that...

All suggestions are welcome!

I just keep on fulfilling LTWs. Have one of their kids raise grandkids in the same house with them and you won't get bored.

What I do in Arundel (where many of the founders are going into elderhood) is just sit back, relax and watch them enjoy their lives. Fulfill the small wants, let them be happy. You'd be surprised at how fun it is just to let them be.

They want to go swimming? Take them to the swimming pool. Have them call their friends every day. (that really makes them happy.) Gardening, watching TV (no, they don't have those but other things-like painting, reading, etc).

Call over the kids for supper. Call the grand kids over for a day. In sum total, let them direct it.

Never underestimte just inviting their friends over and leaving them on free will. They will enjoy themselves and amuse the player.

And in the future, don't be in such a hurry to get them through the earlier stages! Give them more social time in early life, lay the groundwork for retirement stories, maybe introduce mods or rulesets that make life a little harder for them. Involve them in the life of the community and make sure there's a communal life for them to be involved in.

My Sims have very full social lives. They often invite friends over. They invite passers-by to come in and enjoy a meal. They go on outings - shopping, dining, eating out, and generally having fun. It is not unusual for me to be playing a single Sim living alone, and at 11:30 p.m. there are still seven or eight visitors in the house, and the host is wondering how they might be gently persuaded to think about going home so he/she can get to bed. Quite often the host just to goes to bed (autonomously) and leaves the the guests to go home when they're ready. Sometimes one or two are still there for breakfast in the morning! Life is good, and my Sims know how to enjoy it to the full.

Only a few of them find the time to have children.

Elders in my game play a very important role.

1. First, they go to community lots, in groups, or alone, and use their own skills to improve the hood's population. Knowledge sims teach skill to the younger ones, others play chess, share hobby tips and some of those who have become good at impromptu performing entertain the others. I like to have a normal kitchen; the elders cook for the rest (sometimes, sims can eat grandma's comfort soup there in the winter) - and the sims who have been to the far east and got the legend from the old man also tell it to the rest. Those who are fit enough also starts a Tai Chi session, which other sims can join (especially those ones who have clearly eaten too much chocolate cake recently).

2. Many of them are business owners, and hires the young teens to work for them, which means these teens get the opportunity to gain a cashier, sales or restocking badge. Handy if they want to own their own businesses later in life. A tiny business, like a small grocery store, is much easier to run than anything bigger and a great way to start.

3. Vacations are a wonderful way to bring families together - the elders take the grandkids (and sometimes the grownup kids too) with them.

4. You can start all these before they are retired, because they normally have more days off when on the top of their career.

5. My one sim is married to a fun sim who wants 50 dream dates. On the eve of their golden anniversary, they had 29. Plenty to go! Can't see why the mayor can't have 50 dates?

If they have families, I have them host really large family get-togethers! At the park, at home, holiday dinners, etc.

If I want them to do businesses, I have them buy really cheap storage shed properties, I built and start from there, and as they get more stars, I redeem the money prize to gain wealth fast, have them sell the business and use the money to buy a proper storefront.

This is the best time to send them on vacation (I remodeled all my vacation hoods so I love taking them on vacations).

Or start social groups, like a book club, a bowling team, a poker night, something maybe related to their hobbies they can invite their friends to do and share.

Since I have the summer vacation mod, sometimes when it hits summer and the grandparents have room, I move in the grand kids for the duration since they don't have to go to school and have them bond with the grandparents some more, especially if they've lived apart during the kids childhood and didn't get as many chances.

They can turn hobbies into gifts if you play gift-giving.

And when in doubt, I browse available mods to get inspired by possibilities.

He wants first dates, not dream dates And I didn't have fun playing him when he always was on the hunt for a new one

That would be exhausting, I agree. Change his LTW?

https://modthesims.info/d/669016/li...nt-chooser.html

I use the ReNuYuSenso orb to change LTW when someone has this want. (I also change the 20 lovers and 20 pet friends. Why do they want so many of everything?! I think there is a mod or a thread on how to deal with these numbers, but I saw it years ago and back then I didn't think I needed it. If anyone knows something about it, please link me, thanks!)
Past me was curious about this challenge thou, that's the reason why my mayor dated half the town. (But after 30 dates he achieved platinum mood so I'm not stuck dating anymore )

I have noticed platinum often comes before those numbers are reached. Works for me Your mayor sounds like a guy who needs a hobby.

A NEW hobby. XD

I have an old Squinge mod that decreases the LTW requirements. I know the most recent version says it's incompatible with M&G or UC, but I have UC and it works just fine. I have the version from 2008, I'm not sure what the newest one is.

Totally NEW!

They don't have to afford a proper business, just a block of land. Running a blank plot of land business is fun, or is fun for me. Most of my owned lots start as a blank piece of land with items tossed down on it.



I think so. I have an extensive hobby system. I calculate every sims top 3 hobbies and then sub hobbies from my list. I don't just have them garden because they are a nature sim. I have them focus on the sub hobbies.
1. Entomology (all kind of bugs)
2. Apiculture: (Bee keeping) Sun&Moon set
3. Fishing.
4. Gardening:
A: Flowers, shrubs and trees: Flower arranging
B: growing produce
5. ornithophile (Birds watching and keeping)
6. Beach lover: Building sandcastles, watching waves and combing for seashells, sunbathing
7. Camping: (Sleep in a Tent, roast marshmallows and go hiking
8. Animal Lover (adopt a cat and a dog, have a litter, all the small pets and whatever CC animals you can)

That is just my sub hobby nature list.



I am with you on that, I find sims who want a huge amount of dates a slog to get through. I just completed the 20 woohoo one for this dog of a sim who then rolled 20 Loves at once which he then completed that same day and finally rolled a decent third LTW and said he was turning over a new leaf. Of course as soon as he went out with his wife one of his conquests came up and flirted with him and he got caught after all these years. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, him and Daniel Pleasant both.
Given I just did those 2 LTW's you can bet any other sim with them won't be doing it. I would be changing that LTW. Not only is there the 50 LTW mod but just decide what their LTW will be and write it down in their bio and try and fill it; so what if it doesn't come with a bunch of points. You can set them as platinum with the bat box.
I don't know about your sims but mine tend to have over 100,000 points by that stage of life as I don't often use those items. I even have modded items in there like Sun&Moon golden goose -which I might allow for a bird loving sim. But yes, just change it, write it in the bio and try and fill it. I would check the sims interest panel, what are their 3 highest interests?

Well, you can add hacks for drama: ACR is a golden oldie, and there's the juice makes them drunk hacks out there.
I like to have Sims throw parties with everyone in their career in the neighborhood. Those can get a bit slappy: some of these sims really don't like their coworkers. I use a summoner to get the sims who don't want to be there, there. If your boss says "Everyone's coming to my house for a pool party Saturday" even if you aren't friends with him you probably gotta go so you don't get fired, right? (I do appreciate my husband's current employer is NOT the Mandatory Fun With Families kind. I'm self-employed.)
I also have a retirement home, where the butler handles everything and the elders sit around fleecing each other at pool, mahjong and poker and calling the grandkids on speed three unless they want to do other things that sound interesting to me. Do a bit of handicrafts (me) while watching them amuse themselves is . . . maybe not the most entertaining game play but keeps them in sync with their families and lets them build relationships and then when my teens who think they're all that go to play cards downtown some elder will take them for the entire pot.

First, thanks for all the kind suggestions! I've red them all and spent some time away from the sims (and played silly online games instead).
And now I'll respond to all of you, 'cause you deserve it




Good idea, I've already have one living with her adult son, his girlfriend and their newborn. I think it can be a good fit for sims with a single child.




I already have a want-based playstyle, but I tend to think that their small wants are a little bit boring to fulfill. I'll test it out anyway, maybe I'll change my mind.






I'm a little bit scared about what the guests will do when I can't control them. Some of my sims are still in love with each other eventhou they are in a relationship with someone else. Problems, problems...
Let's bring on the party instead




Elaborate please (In my head it's translated to "build something useful like a park or pool" and I already have that.)




I actually read all your suggestions and not just the last one, maybe a little bit ignorant of me to not respond to all of them, but I needed some time to think about it.
I sometimes see my sims spontaneously perform thai chi and how others join in and that's kinda fun. I know at least one sim has heard the legend of the dragon and when I find her, I'll send her to the park for some story time.




I do actually have a project were I'm making groups so I easily can call up the whole family for an outing. (I was also thinking about making groups for sims who have lived in the same dorms in college, but they are too young to be subjects for this thread.)
I really like the social group suggestion, thanks!






I've also thought about vacations. They might not be able to afford a business, but definitely a vacation for the whole family




Thank you, this might have been the one I was thinking about Not sure I want to use it, I think the six-pets-top-job-want is quite funny.








I've decided to build micro shops! :D
(I like to pre-build in sims 2.)



This is a really good idea! It never crossed my mind that there could be sub hobbies




I don't like chaos so ACR is probably not for me.
I've recently decided to build after-work-lots for all the careers in the game. I've noticed some alignment with some aspirations and careers; I imagine that slacker lot and cuisine house could be.. really... fun?
(Romance and pleasure sims date around alot and I don't have any jealousy mods. Yet.)






New hobby unlocked: grilled cheese!



Happy sunday/monday/tuesday/whateveryday! Now I'm gonna log out and actually play some sims

In order to get my pixels to be more sociable, I use an older Christianlov mod called "Visitor Manager" which, when installed in the lot, makes them come into the lot, and manages their needs while they're visiting at each other's houses.

It's a simple hack that allows you to make them stop,and automatically be greeted, sit down or interact with one another. When you're done with the crowd, it's simple to hit 'clear visitors' and they'll all go home. Most of the time, they'll stay for a few hours before getting tired or needing to eat something-the lots have a instant food source that they can nosh on while they're visiting (and don't ask me where I got that from...) That fulfills their hunger.

Usually it'll bring at least 5 pixels onto the lot (known and unknown) and if you turn off the 'sit' and 'manage needs' settings, they play games, talk to one another and do things autonomously so that it makes it a very lively lot most of the time...especially when two pixels are enemies and they get into a fight, which always draws a crowd.

My rules for visitors is that when the family needs a break I just hit the 'send visitors home' and they go away. I have a set rule of visitors leaving after 9:30 at night (curfew). Then I'll use the DMA NPC teleporter to make the household get instantly tired and go to bed.

The mod is also useful for having a 'church service' because if you don't do any settings, they'll automatically sit down and behave themselves on community lots.

Here's the link to the collection file for all of Christianlov's mods (a few of them are not on MTS)

https://db.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=514674

Yes, I do have a lot of mods in the game, but I've got a well-established system that works to keep the pixels and me happy. I don't like to be a total controller and they don't appreciate it sometimes when I do.

It's often more 'sit back and watch what happens' in Arundel and there are times when I say, "OMG, what were you pixels thinking!"

By "make sure there's a communal life for them to take part in" I mean -- don't get too stuck in on skilling and routine and meeting the next set of needs. Send people to community lots to fill their fun and manage their energy levels, and let them hang out some. Sims from other households will be coming and going in the background and stuff will be happening, friend making mostly, and connections will be made that you would never have had time for.

Sims will develop hobbies depending on which lots you go to and what's available on them -- it's a standard joke among Widespot players that they're all chess fiends, because with limited group social/fun options in base game I gave everyone a chess board and also put one on the General Store lot, so every time anyone gets groceries or buys clothes, sims from other households are getting into chess duels there. Once you play this hood with FreeTime loaded, this translates into gaming hobbies for everyone, which also leads to higher usage of the Swimming Pool, because sims with gaming enthusiasm roll wants to play marco polo. Which leads to sims in the background at the pool using the hot tub and making friends! If you put instruments on community lots, more sims will try them out and gain interest in music.

Every time you go to a community lot, you're allowing sims you're not currently playing an opportunity to develop their friendships and hobbies independent of you, adding flexibility and an element of surprise to gameplay. If you're looking for storylines, you can examine these uncontrolled behaviors and interactions for story lines. Does the fact that your elder sim keeps befriending teens mean that they're becoming a mentor figure, or a creep, or young at heart? Why is your shy sim continually tanking her own aspiration by singing karaoke? Is she trying to overcome lack of self-esteem, trying to impress someone, setting herself a personal challenge? If this sim is constantly throwing sticks for strays on community lots maybe they need a dog of their own at home?

Another way to build community is to make active use of your guest list. The social group idea is a very good one. When inviting one sim over, why not also invite their household, give those two households a chance to mingle? A high party score is effortless when you only invite sims who already like each other, but parties are also good vectors for introducing people. Maybe your boring elders find a new interest in life in playing matchmaker for their younger, single friends, or maybe they have a purpose they need to build coalitions for (many real people in good health have more time for community activism once they retire, why not your sims?), or maybe they just like being right when they think two people would get along. You can carefully not invite people in certain combinations to avoid caught cheating events -- or you can invite over your most active Romancer and three of her lovers and see what happens. Getting the three members of a love triangle together and free-ranging them is pretty standard advice for people having trouble choosing which relationship to make official (if any). There's no reason this can't happen at a party or on an outing rather than while one of them is controllable.

Don't be afraid of what uncontrolled sims might get up to. Everything they get up to that you would never have directed them to do is a gift. Boredom is a natural result of too much control.

Maybe refresh their look before age change? Like a last 'makeover' before they turn into elders? You might also try to fullfill their weirdest wishes to really roleplay the 'midlife crisis before turning into an elder' :D

Chris Hatch has hacks that allow you to make community lots into workplaces where they can go during work, like in Sims 3. https://simfileshare.net/download/1550411/

Grilled Cheese will at least get him into less trouble lol.

What Peni says!!

If you aren't a fan of random chaos and uncontrolled actions, then you might be best off glancing through the dozens of challenges up in the challenge section. You wouldn't like things like the Apocalypse Challenge, or the Asylum Challenge, but some of the others might be good for keeping your sims busy and yourself entertained. Many would probably be better with the next generation: perhaps the poverty challenge would work for a household? Or the trailer park challenge? Where instead of trying to meet a LTW you are keeping your sim happy and alive with certain constraints?

For a really fun challenge, that poses absolutely no danger at all to your Sims' health and happiness may I suggest Jones's Outfit of the Day Challenge. Andrew did it a few years ago and both he and I enjoyed it immensely. For him it was also a good excuse to buy some nice new clothes.