[Tips] For new SFP players

[bloodcool]

Disclaimer: Due to the constant changes in SFP game play, tips listed here may not be fully applicable.


Below provides some tips on how new players could possibly follow so that playing SFP afresh might be more smooth and able to maintain a healthy amount of in-game currency(without spending real-life currency)

<Getting Started>
SFP will provide you with the first house (Starter House) and you will create a Sim to move into it. Go through the tutorial goals that follows.

When SFP asked you to Add another Sim, you will be required to build the Unfurnished Studio (only option) for Free. The game will provide you with 1 LP to complete the construction immediately (usual takes 5 min). You can actually wait for 5 min and save that 1 LP while you make your 1st Sim do some gardening.
If you choose to save this 1 LP, do not tap the under-construction icon on the 2nd house, else you will be 'stuck' on the construction count-down timer for 5 min.

The next house that you should build to be worth for the least amount of Simoleons is the Mansion
(Actually it should be the 2-storey mansion/Teen Idol Mansion, but the costs is too high to attain with 2 Sims plus you need to reach certain levels or complete some quests before it becomes available).

You can reduce the cost of the Mansion, by removing 1 house:
- Build up the relationship between the 2 Sims (Friends or Romantic) until the option 'Ask to move in' appears
- Note that the Sim that moves in will adopt the last name of the one who initiate the asking. I make my 2nd Sim moved into the 1st Sim's house, so 2nd Sim adopt the last name of the 1st Sim
- Delete all the rooms in the vacated house by going into the add/resize room mode, this will stored all items (bed, television, chairs etc) into your inventory
- Store any other items that are outside the house (Trees, flowers patches)
- The house should be just an empty plot of green lawn now. Go to the town map, tap on the house and choose the Demolish option
- Once demolished, the Mansion will be cheaper to build
- Have your 2 Sims garden until they earn enough to build the Mansion.

<Cost of houses>
The cost to build house is dependent on the number of utilized lots (standard + premium)
- For Simoleons-houses, they are increased with every new lot utilized in the town.
- For LP-house, increased by 2 when you have 15 or more utilized lot, but this increase would be constant.
- For SP-house, not affected

Therefore, it is more cost-effective to build Simoleons-houses prior to building LP and SP houses. Take a look at the pre-made houses thread for a preview to help plan your decision.

<Ways to earn Simoleons and LP>
Simoleons: The basic way is through gardening and going to work/school. For those doing overnight gardening, choose beans or garlic.
Note: Effective from All Grown Up Update Jan 2014, Hobbying does not generate good amount of Simoleons
LP: For steady flow of LP revnue: Completing the in-game goals, hobbying
>> Keep a minimum number of LPs e.g. 20-30 LPs, so that you can skipped some goals, 5 LPs to skip a goal, which are impossible to achieve due to time-requirement or simply game bugs. Note that if the to-be skipped goal gives a reward of 1 LP, you are actually spending 4 LPs to skip.

Hobbying is a wonderful source of LP as well as XP.
There is 1 hobby that constantly rewards upon each hobby task completion:
- Ghost hunting: Available only from level 23 onwards with the 2013 Holiday Update, which contradicts with the availability of 2 ghost hunting social goals at much earlier levels. There is a cool down time(ranging from 10-30min) on every haunted item that was hunted, so you might want to get a few haunted items for 1 Sim, so as to be able to be constantly hunting

Note: Effective from All Grown Up Update Jan 2014,
Fashion Design and Woodworking does not gives constant reward upon each task completion.

Remember to always restart the collection of a hobby set once all items are collected.

<Workplace and Business Building>
As you progress in the game, you will be asked to build working place where your Sims can get a career and business buildings where you can buy items or have some Sims interactions. Following are some of the recommendations of what to build first:

Workplace:
1) Fire station, work time is from 9pm to 5am. Why? Your Sims are at work, while you are sleeping in real life
2) Stadium, work time from 8am to 12pm. Shortest time, so your Sims will be back in fastest for you to play.

After the above 2, the rest of the workplaces is up to you.

Business Buildings:
1) Supermarket: So you can buy discounted seeds/recipes
2) Promotion R Us: So you can buy career-related items that can help to level up your Sims in career. 2 hobby items are available from here:
- Fashion studio for the fashion designing hobby (Immediately available)
- Woodworking bench (only available after completing 1st or 2nd set of woodworking at the community center, therefore you need to build community center first)

Other business buildings are up to you. However, Competition Center is not recommended, you can choose not to build it at all (unless it is required in future updates)

<Relationships>
There are goals (that will repeat) which requires an action from a particular type of relationship level. Skipping such goals is not recommend as the reward is now Simoleons/XP or nothing at all.

In order not to spend time in building up or breaking down the relationship between Sims so as to meet the goals, you should maintain at least 1 of each type of relationship, if possible, namely:
- Acquaintance
- Friend
- Good Friend
- Best Friend

- Budding Romance
- Date
- Partner(Married)

- Dislike
- Enemy
- Nemesis

As an option, you might want to nominate a 'fickle-minded' Sim who holds several relationship types.

[Delphine]

<Cost of houses>
- For SP-house, doesn't seem to be affected, but anyway it takes a long time to save up the SPs to buy a standard Scandinavian House (Around 6 cycles of the neighbor goals)

The prices of the scandinave an house are fixed (450/600) but the prices of the houseboats seem to vary. I don't know how the price is fixed but i noticed that people pay différent prices to build them. For instance, i have to pay 40 or 85 SP. Some people have to pay 35 and 80. As i haven't built anything since the houseboats exist, i don't Know if "my" prices are going to change. I Will let you know.

LP: For steady flow of LP revnue: Completing the in-game goals, hobbying
>> Keep a minimum number of LPs e.g. 20-30 LPs, so that you can skipped some goals, 5 LPs to skip a goal, which are impossible to achieve due to time-requirement or simply game bugs. Note that if the to-be skipped goal gives a reward of 1 LP, you are actually spending 4 LPs to skip.

Also, instead of skipping goals by paying 5LP, you can pay to reduce their time. For example, if you have to grow potatoes which is 2hours, you can wait one second and at 1h59, you pay 1LP to finish the goal, which is cheaper than spending 5.

[Lishws720]

I would add that one of the best ways to increase your town value (and increase your daily mailbox simoleons) is to build the Sanctuary as often as possible. With the exception of the mansions, it gives you the most TV bang for the buck, and the LP cost doesn't increase drastically as you rank up and add more sims. Just think, if you can get your town value up to 50,000,000, you will receive 250,000 simoleons a day. You can always tear down the sanctuary house and rebuild to suit your needs (don't demolish, just sell it down to the grass). It's also a great way to get lots of greenery and two gardening patches.

[bloodcool]

I would add that one of the best ways to increase your town value (and increase your daily mailbox simoleons) is to build the Sanctuary as often as possible. With the exception of the mansions, it gives you the most TV bang for the buck, and the LP cost doesn't increase drastically as you rank up and add more sims. Just think, if you can get your town value up to 50,000,000, you will receive 250,000 simoleons a day. You can always tear down the sanctuary house and rebuild to suit your needs (don't demolish, just sell it down to the grass). It's also a great way to get lots of greenery and two gardening patches.

to receive 250k simoleons from daily reward, you would have to been playing before year 2013... for players that started from year 2013 onwards, 50m TV will only provide 7k++ simoleons daily.

[Lishws720]

to receive 250k simoleons from daily reward, you would have to been playing before year 2013... for players that started from year 2013 onwards, 50m TV will only provide 7k++ simoleons daily.

Wow, that bites! I guess I won't be restarting my game anytime soon. They sure try to make it so you almost have to buy simoleons etc. from the store...

[SheilaB]

Bump!

[mommacude]

I decided to try a new game on my other device and follow these steps because I really wanted a mansion. Unfortunately I overwrote my game accidentally but that's another issue. When I have only two Sims they are now best friends and they will not ask the other to move in. I am wondering if it is because it keeps asking me to add a 3rd Sim. But if I add a third one won't that make the mansion cost more?

Thank you!

[katgames]

to receive 250k simoleons from daily reward, you would have to been playing before year 2013... for players that started from year 2013 onwards, 50m TV will only provide 7k++ simoleons daily.

Wow, that bites! I guess I won't be restarting my game anytime soon. They sure try to make it so you almost have to buy simoleons etc. from the store...

This really does "bite". It's also important for new players who maybe visit rich places with fancy houses know this. Some of those players get millions of § every day as daily reward. It's just important for new players, or players that started in 2013 or later, to realize, they are basically playing an entirely different game. Not to discourage but it's going to take a lot longer. I hate to see anyone get discouraged. It's just important to understand that it's like comparing oranges and palm trees.

[mommacude]

This really does "bite". It's also important for new players who maybe visit rich places with fancy houses know this. Some of those players get millions of § every day as daily reward. It's just important for new players, or players that started in 2013 or later, to realize, they are basically playing an entirely different game. Not to discourage but it's going to take a lot longer. I hate to see anyone get discouraged. It's just important to understand that it's like comparing oranges and palm trees.

OK that makes sense. I finally decided to make a one time purchase just to get my mansion. Turns out there is no romance option until after you do a few other goals. These instructions are a nice guideline but the way described is not possible any more.

Another thing I noticed after starting my game over was that the free branded (Dove?) bathroom items are no longer available. And, that was from a game only a few weeks old.

It's OK I still think it's fun.

[Lishws720]

The Dove bathroom items were available for free for a limited time. They're still available, but they cost you simoleons now. It's the same as the Febreeze and Progressive items, but now some of those cost LP.