A (mini) Legacy Challenge in The Sims 4
written by Bella (notbella8)
contributors: Chloe (pearblossoms_)
Years ago, as a child, our grandparent Sim lived on a beautiful ranch filled with gardens, horses, and treasured memories. Unfortunately, it’s been years since the family had to sell the farm and move away.
Now, after a lifetime of saving, our grandparent Sim is ready to buy the land back. But there’s just one problem - the farm is in total disrepair. The buildings, animals, and good memories are long gone. But that won’t stop them from starting a new family here. A new legacy.
Our grandparent Sim moves in to the farm with our Generation One teenager Sim with one mission: start the long process of returning this land to the former glory of Grandpa’s memories. Guide your Sims through this adventure filled with love, legacy, and horses!!
Note: many of the sections of this challenge are somewhat light on requirements, and that is intentional! This challenge is designed to give you plenty of time to look after horses and just enjoy the world of Chestnut Ridge. If you’d like an additional challenge you can adapt this in whatever way you’d like to add in requirements. A fun one I’ve been working on is to add in a horse legacy family and try to have generations of your horse family alongside your Sim family. Ultimately, this is all just a suggestion. Have fun and happy Simming!
Generation Zero - Okay, Grandma
This is not an official generation of the legacy challenge so there are no requirements, but our story starts with a grandparent Sim.
Make an elder Sim to move into the Ranch with your Generation One teenager Sim. These two Sims will move into an empty lot in Chestnut Ridge and use the starter funds to create an initial living space.
Generation One - Party at Grandpa’s Ranch
Traits: Neat, Outgoing, Dance Machine
Aspiration: Party Animal
Career: Community Job Board
Skills to Fully Level: Charisma, Dancing
Other Requirements: Get a horse with grandparent, have your Sim’s style get progressively more yeehaw as they age up, host at least one Ranch Gathering social event, and build a barn that can host all of your social gatherings.
Our Generation One teenager moves with their grandparent in to an empty lot on Chestnut Ridge. Use only the starter funds to build up a small living space and get a horse (because grandparent Sim really needs to see a horse on this land again). Generation One Sim focuses on building community in this new world by hosting parties at their new ranch and offering up their skills through the community job board as much as possible.
Generation Two - Make this Ranch a Home
Traits: Perfectionist, Family Oriented, Snob
Aspiration: Expert Nectar Maker
Career: Sell Nectar (no official career required)
Skills to Fully Level: Nectar Making, Mixology
Other Requirements: Build a large farm house that can be a home to your growing family and have more than one child.
After growing up surrounded by community and friends of their parents, Generation Two is eager to continue making this ranch feel like a home that they can fill with a large family. Generation Two will focus on learning the classic ranch skill of Nectar making and fill up all of their free time hanging out with their family. Plus, since Nectar can be such a lucrative hobby, they won’t even need to spend time off working a job away from home!
Generation Three - Horses, Horses, and Horses
Traits: Horse Lover, Active, Vegetarian
Aspiration: Championship Rider
Career: No official career required
Skills to Fully Level: Horse Riding, Fitness
Other Requirements: Grow up with a horse best friend and build horse stables that can house at least one horse.
One thing about Generation Three Sim is that they’re a huge cowpoke. Ranch life is great, but by far their favorite thing about it is the horses. This Sim will focus on being the very best horse rider they can possibly be. They spend less time at home than their parent but that’s only because of the extensive training they do at the Equestrian Center. When the time is right they’ll find someone to start a family with, but only when someone comes along that loves horses just as much as they do.
Generation Four - Grow Your Own Way
Traits: Loves Outdoors, Cheerful, Bookworm
Aspiration: Freelance Botanist
Career: Gardener (either branch)
Skills to Fully Level: Gardening, Writing
Other Requirements: Build or expand the ranch garden so you have a beautiful and thriving piece of land.
Generation Four Sim is so proud of their parents and inspired by their dedication to their horse training… but also, isn’t that all just a bit much? They loved watching their parent chase fame and glory as a championship rider, but it was never in the cards for them - even though they love riding for fun. This Sim is content with the quiet life and spends their time making an honest living through their garden.
Generation Five - The Goatest of All Time
Traits: Foodie, Rancher, Animal Enthusiast
Aspiration: Master Chef
Career: Culinary (chef branch)
Skills to Fully Level: Cooking, Fishing, Gourmet Cooking
Other Requirements: Build a barn and outdoor space that can house farm animals and have at least one goat, sheep, and one other animal of your choice.
Generation Five gets to grow up surrounded by the spoils of an incredible garden, so it’s no surprise that they love the magic of using fresh ingredients in their cooking. This Sim is focused on bringing it all together and having a prosperous ranch. They’ll care for farm animals and continue keeping up their parent’s garden while they seek culinary knowledge. Whoever comes next, they’re sure to inherit an incredible farm.
For an extra challenge add in the Simple Living lot challenge which requires all ingredients in order to cook! A perfect way to use the incredible garden that Generation Four created.
Summary
| Generation | Focus | Aspiration | Career | Farm Build | Traits | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cowpoke Dancing | Party Animal | Community Job Board | Party Barn | Neat Outgoing Dance Machine | Charisma Dancing |
| 2 | Nectar | Expert Nectar Maker | Entrepreneur (sell nectar) | Farm House | Perfectionist Family Oriented Snob | Nectar Making Mixology |
| 3 | Horses | Championship Rider | None | Horse Stables | Horse Lover Active Vegetarian | Horse Riding Fitness |
| 4 | Gardening | Freelance Botanist | Gardener (either branch) | Garden | Loves Outdoors Cheerful Bookworm | Gardening Writing |
| 5 | Farm Animals | Master Chef | Culinary (chef branch) | Animal Barn and Outdoor Space | Foodie Rancher Animal Enthusiast | Cooking Fishing Gourmet Cooking |
Pack Requirements and Substitutions
- Horse Ranch - since this legacy challenge focuses on the Horse Ranch pack there are no substitutions
- Get Together - Dance Machine (substitution TBD), Dancing (substitution: Comedy)
- Cottage Living - Animal Enthusiast (substitution TBD)
- Seasons - Gardener (substitution TBD)
If you do any part of this challenge I would absolutely love to hear about it! Feel free to tag me directly on social media or include the hashtag #LoveLegacyHorsesTS4
Changelog
- January 23, 2024 - Renamed Generations Four and Five and adjusted the traits for Generation Two (swapped Loyal to Perfectionist) to make generation playable without needing to select a temporary trait as a child and change it later.