★ TIPS & TRICKS for making your own save file in The Sims 4 - Including FREE template!

[@Rosannatxt]

HEY! IMPORTANT PINNED COMMENT Download link in the description always has the most up to date version of the sheet! - PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE FILE AND DON'T ASK FOR PERMISSION TO EDIT IT! (downloading can be done by navigating to File (top left corner) > Download > Select Excel file type) VERSON 6.0 (July 2024) - Fixed some of the drop down lists not working - Fixed the wrong total lot count showing in 'lots to do' - Changed the 'life stages' category into 'sim types' because that name is a bit more self explanatory - All careers, lots etc. are updated to include the Lovestruck expansion! VERSION 5.0 (March 2024) - Fixed some minor errors in lots not counting properly (thanks for those who reported them) - Added the option for 'Life Stages' in the dashboard so you can differentiate between Sims/Pets/Occults - All careers, lots etc. are updated to include packs up until Crystal Creations VERSION 4.0 (August 2023) - Fixed a broken formula which prevented households to show up in the drop down lists for individual sims - Added all the Horse Ranch Pack lots to the list! VERSION 3.0: - Now works in Google Sheets without breaking so people without an excel subscription can also use it - The "lot type" field has been updated to include clearer titles for Residential homes - The career segment for individual sims now also contains an "in school" option so you can give your kids/teens/YA that one, this prevents using "jobless" for everyone in school. The dashboard also includes this option.

[@Strawberries017]

Thank you so much for this video, the effort and changing the game! I'm excited to continue my personal save file with the ability to organize and to track my progress now!

[@samanthagriffiths7498]

Hi, the spreadsheets are coming up as view only so it wont let me amend to put in the info for my own save file. How do you change this please? If we can't how did you make up your spreadsheet the way you did to update the dashboard so we can make ours? Can you show us what to do please?

[@Rosannatxt]

@@samanthagriffiths7498 Hey! you can download it- if I let you edit the actual template then only 1 person could use it and you would all be working in the same file. Just click on the top left corner on “file” and then click download and you can edit it in a local copy or save as a google doc!

[@samanthagriffiths7498]

@@Rosannatxt Thank you. I've only just started using Excel so I was so confused as to what to do. I'll do that. Thank you again for your help

[@mwahha6965]

How many families did u make? It shows 300+ on the video - how did you place them all or are some unhoused?

[@cherrykoIa]

I don’t remember how many save files I started and deleted. Until I started to keep record of my progress, I made my own save file and now I love the game even more.

[@Rosannatxt]

Keeping record is honestly such a game changer! I’m so glad that making a save file made you love the game even more 🥰 Enjoy simming! 🧡

[@mortal-enemy]

You actually can stop new townies generating. Cepzid's no new townie generated mod prevents them spawning, and existing townies and premades will fill all NPC job roles such as mixologist, vendor, etc. The only flaw is that firefighters won't come when you call them for some reason, but other than that existing townies will fill every single other role - even Tragic Clown! My Tragic Clown was the evil mermaid from Sulani lol. It definitely works, I've been using it for ages, it's a must have mod.

[@Rosannatxt]

Ooooh this is such a good tip!!! 🙏🏼👏🏻 Thanks for sharing!!

[@mwahha6965]

Thanks for sharing the mod if you use it and take the mod out does the game continue to use the same npcs? Or create new ones?

[@Rosannatxt]

@@mwahha6965 It should keep the ones you already have! although if they die the game will make new ones

[@HayleyandSimba]

Thank you so much for the tip!

[@AmethystGlow-lg3tf]

I always used mccc for this. It is much more work, so thanks for this tip ❤

[@lexiisims6120]

As an extremely organized person, I gotta say I love this speradsheet idea. I was originally using a document but that wasn't working for me but THIS SPREADSHEET IS AMAZING 😢😊. Thank you for putting it out for everyone to use that wants it!

[@Rosannatxt]

I’m a very organized person myself so I cannot live without my spreadsheets 🤭 Glad that it can be of use for more people!! 🧡

[@breewood2730]

Ever since I first watched this video I've been obsessed with using the spreadsheet. I've even customized it more for how I like making my save files. I really appreciate you showing it off because almost no one else has tips and tricks about making a custom save file or even just making one so it's very inspiring

[@Rosannatxt]

aaaah thank you so much 🥹🧡

[@luvsickdoll2800]

One of my BIGGEST tips is to get vendors/employees from the gallery! I place them, evict them and then give them a makeover! They’ll work perfectly as long as you don’t go in live mode with them!!

[@Rosannatxt]

We tried to do this but the game still created a bunch of new ones! Like for some reason it didn’t pick these sims. Some did but not all of them. We kind of mixed and matched and eventually just gave a bunch of the generated NPC’s a makeover. But downloading those from the gallery that technically have the job assigned already does definitely work better than making your own townies!! 🧡

[@laurenigbanugo1623]

@@Rosannatxt I think there’s a mod that keeps npc sims from generating, you need that mod if you want this to work correctly!

[@MJ-98]

There's also a creator on the gallery that makes NPC sims that are programmed and everything!

[@luvsickdoll2800]

@@Rosannatxt I had this problem as well! I think there’s just so many employees that certain things need 😭

[@Rosannatxt]

@@laurenigbanugo1623 We tried to use that mod (or at least one that was supposed to do that) but it didn't work. It still generated a bunch of NPC's... It took us soooo much time but we ended up just caving and letting NPC's spawn and give them a make-over haha

[@kmrazSilverSimmer73]

This video was perfectly timed. I’ve been working on a few different master save files on and off for a few years now. They’re fun to do but a lot of work. Oddly enough I was just thinking I could organize things better using excel. My tip: Also make sure you turn of neighborhood stories or you’ll end up with extra kids, babies and pets you didn’t plan. Ugh I had to go back and redo a lot when this feature was released and I didn’t turn it off in time.

[@Rosannatxt]

Yay!! I love it when things time perfectly 😍 Oooh and the neighborhood stories is such a good tip!! We made ours before that feature came out but it’s such a pain if that ruins all your hard work! 😅

[@zara8607]

Do sims still builds families if neighborhood stories is turned off?

[@Rosannatxt]

@@zara8607 They should not, however, make sure to also turn off the settings that your unplayed sims can age, then they basically “stand still” when you’re not playing with them!

[@ThisEvilBunny]

I couldnt imagine starting a save file without some genius excel tricks because its so much info to manage thank you!

[@Rosannatxt]

I’ve always wondered how people do it without at least writing things down 🤭 My memory is definitely not good enough for that haha! I’m glad the video could be of help 🥰

[@sarahdasilva1111]

I’ve finished a few worlds so far: Sulani (vacation world full of rentals, restaurants, beaches and clubs), San Myshuno and Del Sol Valley. They’re my faves 😍 do recommend leaving some empty lots and builds so you can develop your own story (young adults moving out for example).

[@Rosannatxt]

oh that’s so many worlds already!! 😍 So exciting! And indeed leaving empty lots is definitely recommended!!

[@yuililith]

How did you solve the Studio problem in Del Sol Valley? 😂

[@sarahdasilva1111]

@@yuililith I am not sure what the Studio problem is, can you please explain?

[@Reem.H.A]

I never thought about creating my own save file, it always seemed too overwhelming! But this video inspired me. It could be a fun little summer project. Thanks for this video! You gained a new subscriber!

[@Rosannatxt]

Aaah it’s so cool that this video could inspire you to take on the project! Have so much fun in the process 🧡 After making this video I’ve even been tingling to make a new one 🤭 Thank you so much for watching and wanting to stick around 🥰

[@LanceDarby]

I love the template, thanks. I am a software developer and have a suggestion that would make it easier to maintain when new expansions come out as well as people who use mode. Create tabs for entering validation data like LOT TYPE, COMMUNITY LOT TYPE, TRAITS, WORLD, AGE GROUP, PRONOUNS, CAREER, RELATIONSHIP STATUS, LIFE STAGE, CLUB then load the popups from those tabs.

[@Rosannatxt]

Hii! Technically I have done this :) The home dashboard technically functions double as as the data tab. So the search list for lot types loads from the dashboard. This prevents having to update a list of lot types and a dashboard and allows you to update just 1 list and 1 formula and then everything connects again. It still requires some excel knowledge but it was the easiest way (for me haha) 😊

[@fhggfhga]

i love making my own save files. I have one for alpha cc, one for maxis cc, one unfinished that’s harajuku themed and another one i’m working on that’s completely full of occult sims

[@Rosannatxt]

oooh I love that idea! So smart to have different style of save file, might keep that in mind for myself too 👀

[@MuchiPeachy]

I can't wait to make my own save! I have so many ideas 😂

[@Rosannatxt]

Have so much fun!! 🩵

[@koibubbles3302]

I don't make save files, but I play in one save that I add new families and such into from time to time. With this method I get the benefit of having my own new families with their own stories but I don't have to start with a blank slate. Currently, I'm working on revamping my high school, and that includes adding more teenaged townies and school clubs. Doing these small focused modules really helps keep my motivation up.

[@laeyareed855]

This is the best thing I ever seen ! THANK YOU ! I'm not a builder I take everything from the gallery and that's just perfect for me ! For the townie I use MCC with their population setting and it work perfectly and I would add that the mod Sims spawn overhaul make everything even more perfect. Thanks again for this !

[@Rosannatxt]

Yay!! I’m so glad it was helpful!! 💛

[@GlazeyLady]

I recently started a 10 generation challenge in your save file. I'm still on Gen 1, so there are a lot of places I haven't been and a lot of Sims I haven't met. But I am really loving playing in this file. My Founder, Leo, started as a teen in Newcrest with very little money, and I did replace some lots there for the story (added a homeless park, a couple of abandoned buildings and a cemetery). The Newcrest Park is really awesome - he's spent a lot of time there. His first friend was Dustin Broke - I really like this version of him - second friend was Aurelia Ricci. He crushed on Violet Barker immediately when he met her, and she's brought a lot of drama into the story. He met the love of his life, Lily Nowak, at the Newcrest Park, and they are now living together in Newcrest. I had to replace the house on the lot with a tiny house because that's a requirement for Gen 1 in my challenge. Their first date was at the Lighthouse Restaurant, which is a really nice build. Leo was planning to ask Lily to prom, but she asked him first, and their amazing compatibility resulted in topped-out green and pink bars very quickly. Lily is now going to Uni, working on a Distinguished Degree in Language and Literature. I do have a story going about them - on Carl and Pam's the Sims 4 Forum here: www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=32876.msg521097#msg521097, if you have the time and any interest in checking it out. If not, no worries . . . just know that your Sims are alive and well and thriving in a Simverse across the pond. I enjoy your stream and your videos - I visit you on Twitch when I can as GlazeyLady - I'm usually working when you stream, but I'm fortunate to work from home, so sometimes I can listen in while I work.

[@Rosannatxt]

Omg I love that you’re playing in the save file!! All of the sims and lots you just mentioned, it’s so cool to think they now also live in someone else’s game 😍 It’s such a cool concept!! I love the storyline you have going for them. Glad to hear you’re enjoying playing the game so much. And thanks for checking out both the YT and the Twitch streams, it’s always a joy to see you pop into chat on twitch and love seeing you here as well 🧡

[@karlyhitchcock7730]

Subscribing just from stumbling onto this video! I'm over 3 years deep into making my own save file, when I only get to work on it every so often. I tried keeping records in a notebook and this is soooo helpful! The cheatsheet sounds AMAZING and I could easily pull it up on my tablet while trying to work the game on my computer! Each tip was so incredibly helpful as well! Especially giving us permission to actually use the gallery 👏🏻 my goodness I needed that! I feel so overwhelmed and yet so inspired to start up again!

[@Rosannatxt]

You got this!!!❤️❤️

[@ericaaah]

there's an option in MCCC to stop random generated NPCs and townies and i haven't had and issue with it so far...the game will spawn sims from your library for NPC jobs instead of generating them you just need to have A LOT of sims in your library which you can get from the gallery and give makeovers but it's a lot of work so far all the NPC jobs in my game have been filled by thie sims in my library

[@Rosannatxt]

I also found a mod yesterday that allows you to limit the options for your townies outfits! 😍 Like even when they generate random ones they won’t have weird make-up, outfits and everything! I still need to figure out how it works exactly but I’ll be diving into it for sure 🧡

[@sansa357]

You are such a sweetie for doing this and offering up the hard work that you and your bestie spent so much time putting together. Thank you for all of your tips! I thought about doing this once but it seemed so overwhelming to even contemplate building up each world. I wonder if you disable each pack you have and just start with the base and maybe one or two packs at a time if it would make it easier? What do you think?

[@Rosannatxt]

Anything I can do to help others enjoy the game as much as I do 🧡 Disabling packs and going world by world is a brilliant idea! Not only does it make the building process less overwhelming with choices it also makes it more friendly to download for others because it doesn’t use the packs all over! Super smart! If I ever were to do it again this would be my approach I think 😄

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

Wow, will be stealing so many tips from this!! Several months deep in my own save and had to double back to an older record of the save do ti a save error. I really like the idea of making a copy of the save for world-by-world test play as I feel like I am just lost in the sauce of building even with mostly doing renovations of buildings from the gallery. I have two spreadsheets currently, one is the worlds spreadsheet (for community lots and public buildings) the other is the families spreadsheet for skills/special interest/jobs/relationships etc. And a biography document. But this makes me think I should adjust a bit and instead of plowing through the checklist if the world spreadsheet and then the family spreadsheet, I instead do world by world. I agree on the NPC jobs thing, no matter what mod I use the game starts generating Sims. I have found some mods that prefer existing sims, but they often become too aggressive and jobs will end up unfilled or filled by sims I don’t want in those jobs and I hate that. So I have decided to literally ignore NPC existence until I get through all the housed/primary families I want to get placed. And I am happy with the base of things I care about. Gonna sub, I think your style of play lines up with my own in many areas.

[@Rosannatxt]

Aaah thank you!! And have so much fun with making your save. It’s a huge project but also so much fun!! 🩷

[@asymrsqueezes9675]

MCCC allows you set skills from 1-10 as well as set their career and promote them.

[@Rosannatxt]

Yeah I noticed that when making the video! I think that is a new feature since we made our savefile! “back in de day” (😂) mccc didn’t do that but it’s sooo nice it does now!! Makes it so much easier!

[@adam_enabledtrue]

As a fellow Excel freak, your workbook is a borderline masterpiece

[@Rosannatxt]

Thank you 🤭🤭 Always happy hear from other people who love excel and understand how it’s setup haha

[@delwrge]

i've been working on my own save file probably for a year now 😅 but it's totally worth it! you're really pretty, and your voice made me feel calm, thank you for your video!

[@Rosannatxt]

Aaah thank you for the kind words 🥰 So sweet! Im so happy to hear you’re enjoying the process of making a save file! It definitely takes a long time but once you get to play in it, it’s going to elevate your game so much! 🧡

[@Sneaky_Snail_Pie_02]

I just downloaded a blank save because I wanted to be able to have a fun and unique save cause I've started to get bored of the normal townies. Like literally I've started to easily recognize at a glance the "not in world" townies I rarely see! 😂

[@debradavis3935]

your channel just appeared in my feed and I like what you’re doing with this video! I’ll have to check out your other content! A tip I can share is you can use MC command center to limit the townies that the game pulls to Sims that are in your own gallery. It does mean you have to manage the Sims you keep in your gallery a bit- like not keep duplicates of Sims that are already in your save, but this way, the Sims will look normal and not have crazy cc. I’ve created 3 save files and have learned more as I go along! Thanks for the tips! 😊💜

[@Rosannatxt]

Welcome in! Thanks for checking out this video and for wanting to check out the rest of the channel 🥰 I love that tip of using sims from your gallery, i did not mc command center could do that! Thanks for telling me ☺️

[@Bluem0onJ]

Really cool. Never thought it was possible. Once my vacation starts, I'll give it a try

[@SimsAdHdStories]

You have been an Amazing help I'm currently working on a pretty big project and you don't know how much you've helped me I thank you so much

[@Rosannatxt]

I’m so happy this was helpful! ♥️ goodluck with the big project 😊

[@cristinasismondo6533]

Thank you!! This is indeed very inspiring and helpful; I downloaded your save to see the result and I must say I really like the simplicity of it. It’s sharp, it’s clean, doesn’t use too many packs (kudos) and it’s not too crowded and cluttered. I saw some saves that are STUNNING but too visually heavy for me (sensory overload) and not very practical and functional … I must say that this is a great base, for anyone, even someone that wants to tweak or add/change things as well . ❤THANK YOU!!

[@Rosannatxt]

Omg thank you so much!! That is such a huge compliment!! 🩷🩷

[@kaj4138]

I don't know why youtube always knows what I need at a time. I've been thinking of doing this but was overwhelmed on the idea but this helps so much! As an excel girlie, I got waaay too excited seeing you had a spreadsheet. Thank you for sharing! :D

[@Rosannatxt]

Aaah I’m so happy that the video found you at the right time!! 🧡 Excel girlies unite 😌 Goodluck and have so much fun making your save!

[@MyWeirdNormal1]

This is amazing and I'm so excited to try that spreadsheet. I've been usig a bullet journal to help me plan things but a spreadsheet would be so much easier. I personally put in all my favorite builds/families first in every world first just because I knew those were sure things. It also helps me to plan out the worlds a bit in advance. However, I will definitely be working on everything else one world at a time.

[@Rosannatxt]

Oooh that’s amazing! I wish I was creative enough for bullet journaling 🤭 I love that you’re using it to keep track though so cool!! 😍

[@MyWeirdNormal1]

@@Rosannatxt I find it best to keep them super simple. I’m not an artist so the doodles and color coding and stuff are too much. But the organization methods make things so much easier.

[@melissaalice8670]

Really helpful videos as I’m going to start my own save file BY MYSELF because I can’t for the life of me work with anybody 😅

[@sybylysh]

I've be thinking about making my own save file for a while, this video has convinced me to try!

[@Rosannatxt]

YES! Let’s go! 😍 Have so much fun!!

[@longtimebrick8]

Thank you so much for the save file making advice, especially the gallery part, i was struggling so much renovating a city living apartment and it was hard to do, so far im renovating another one, but i put the vacant houses some of the things i found on the gallery, but i wanted to personalized it to my sim i create since im more of a cas creator than a builder and i wont renovate it since i like it already, but im really scared to upload my save file since its full of gallery builds unfortunately, but my sims were made from scratch i guess, but i hope I'll upload it someday

[@DiegoBoehme]

One of the best save file tips videos I've ever seen 😉👍

[@Rosannatxt]

Ah thank you! That’s very kind of you to say 🥰

[@kate1361]

I’m basically always trying to create my own save file but I get distracted and start playing in it 😅 I’ve now downloaded the sims on my partners old laptop and am using that just for building so I don’t get distracted 😂 I hate that the game won’t allow you to assign the npc vendors, I always get distracted and just start playing when I go into live mode so I can make them over

[@Rosannatxt]

Oooh I was so tempted to play too when we were building, especially when playtesting builds and things. Smart to just get it on another pc 🤭 Enjoy making your save!! 🧡

[@NixyRumancek]

Came for the video title… subbed and stayed because the “sul sul!” at the start 😊

[@Rosannatxt]

Aah thank you! 🤭🧡

[@KaiWonderlust]

Ahh, I love this! I've had my own excel file with almost all of the things you've listed as well. I've thought I was the only one playing like this and being so "extra" :D

[@Rosannatxt]

I love being extra when it comes to organizing 🤣🩷

[@AmethystGlow-lg3tf]

With MCCC you can set the amount of townies, the game is loading from your gallery (population tray settings). You can set these at least to 100 and the game will only use Sims from your gallery. This means you have to put many Sims in your gallery, but sometimes if all townies and makeover it’s much more work to do than this. In the gallery, there was so many beautiful Sims to download in your library. ♥️

[@Rosannatxt]

I recently learned about this and it's amazing!! Definitely want to do that and I would recommend it to anyone making their savefile!!

[@TabithaLeigh2]

Decided I wanted to give a save file a real try and omg thank you so much for this video!! I feel so much better after hearing your tips and having the excel sheet!

[@Rosannatxt]

YAY! So glad this could be of help! 🩷 Have so much fun with making your save file!!

[@plantlifeforever6994]

Im building a save file at the moment, but I made a copy because I just fell in love with one of the families and I couldn't wait to play with them! It's gonna be weird to go back to gen 1 when the save file is finished.

[@Rosannatxt]

Me and my best friend had this so often in the process of making our save, just could not resist the urge to play with a family we just made because we loved them so much 🤭

[@ericaaah]

i've been working on my save file on and off for 2 or 3 months now because i got some new packs when i was basically done😭😭😭 it's not easy but it's fun and some of these tips will actually help with the finishing touches of my save ✨

[@Rosannatxt]

Let’s gooo! That sounds amazing 🧡 Have so much fun with the last bits and with playing in your save after!!

[@CaspiDrako]

Another mod I recommend for building specifically is the better build buy mod. It lets you have things like move objects and debug always on when you build

[@Rosannatxt]

100% agree!! My fave mod of all time!!

[@cloudsurfer73]

It's like you read my mind. I've been working on a save file for a year and I think I'm ready to share it with others but want to make sure I'm doing it properly. I had to restart the save file because of the "duplicate world" bug from the Werewolf patch. :(

[@Rosannatxt]

oooh no! I’m so sorry you had to start over! But I’m glad to hear that maybe this video help the process of making it a bit easier 🧡 Have fun making your best version of the game! ✨

[@emerald_mtn]

This is SUPER helpful! I just built a new PC and was going to start building my save file. Thank you so much for all these tips!!!

[@Rosannatxt]

Yay! So glad they could be helpful!! Have so much fun making your save file 🧡✨

[@Alina-mx6br]

wow, just discovered your channel. Love your voice and the content is so well organized. Will download your save file and play soon.

[@Rosannatxt]

Aaah thank you!! 🩷

[@ShannaRiley]

Ty SO much for this! I have been working on my save file for a couple months now and, nerd that I am, I've created an Excel spreadsheet that links to a OneNote notebook to keep track of sims/families as it's pretty extensive (plan to have multiple generations of fams that all have backstories & many interesting connections, a la Sims 2, with founders being buried in individual-world cemeteries with their own backstories). I can't wait to use the one you've created to help me, also, keep track of lots. This is great, and I'm excited to see I'm not the only one with copious notes and a packed Excel file lol

[@Rosannatxt]

Ooooh I love that idea!! I think it’s amazing to be so invested to even make like cemeteries with founders and everything! it just makes things feel so alive! 😍

[@ShannaRiley]

@@Rosannatxt Ty! I'm so excited. It's something I've wanted to work on for some time and finally decided to jump into it once life settled down some. I'm having a blast with it, can't lie.

[@rebeccawaker2027]

Thanks, this is great. Just downloaded the spreadsheet and seeing if I can update it to include For Rent lots without messing it up. I've had sims for years but have come back to it pretty recently so just getting to grips with it all again!

[@Rosannatxt]

Hey! I’m planning on updating this somewhere in the coming week to include the for rent things!! 🧡 You are ofc more than welcome to do it yourself but I thought I’d share just in case 🥰

[@flvorescentblack]

Thank you so much for this awesome video and spreadsheet! I'm currently buildign up a savefile and even use a spreadsheet. But i switch between the want to build/create sims and play so the building of the savefile is often on hold which makes me fall out of the loop and forget a bunch of plans/visions, even though i have so many notes lol. But your spreadsheet is so incredibly detailed and the dashboard is super useful so I'm really excited to use it and get a way more balanced savefile eventually (sideeyeing my huge amount of farmer families and artsy young adult females lol) tysm!!

[@DeLuca97]

TIP: you can stop random sims from spawning if you use MCCC and say you only want Sims to be generated from your gallery

[@Rosannatxt]

Yeah someone else commented that as well! I never knew about that, would have saved me so many headaches! 😂 But thanks for sharing!! I might do a second save in the future and this will come in so handy!

[@N1sh_r0bl0x]

YOU ARE MY FAVORITE PERSON EVER THANK YOU I WANTED TO DO THIS SO BAD

[@BrokenDollyTV]

I'm only at the intro, boy i hope this vid helps me get some ideas to elevate my current save file progress. Base worlds are done and moving on to dlc worlds.

[@name-shmame]

Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet, it's great!

[@MaxineAgy]

Thank you so much for creating your excel spreadsheet. This is so helpful for an overly organised person like me! *HUGS*

[@Rosannatxt]

Yay! I’m so glad it’s helpful 🥰 As a fellow organized person I’m happy there is more people who get happy from something like this 🤭

[@i.cs.z]

Idk if someone else wrote this. But for randomly generated townies: if you have MCC you can set up that the game will pull townies from your gallery. So just have some there and tag them.

[@Rosannatxt]

I only recently learned about this but that is AMAZING!! 😍

[@cadenamstutz1735]

Doing something similar went through and cleared away the families I don't want. I think my save file now has only 8 families for 10 worlds so I got some work to do, and then I'm updating the sims 4 current builds for houses. I suck at building and the premades do have some charm but then need love. Then I'm going to balance the house sizes mostly 2-3 bedrooms with the occasional 1 bedroom and a handful of 4-5 bedrooms.

[@SimsTonee]

Great video! I will be using all the links because I am starting my own channel soon. And I have been binging all your tips and tutorials! Loving the packs challenge btw too!

[@taviareads]

Thank you for this video and the excel sheet! How should I go about adding “residential, occupied, and furnished” in the excel sheet since the drop down menus do allow for yes, no, or residential to be entered in Worlds/Lots? Thanks in advance!❤

[@Rosannatxt]

Hey! There should be a column called “Lot Type” allowing you to select those! By splitting them up you can set a lot to be residential but unoccupied! The Lot Type column has three options for residential: 1) starter home 2) 100k! ☺️ Hope this helps!!

[@barbarapereira1298]

I love this! What would be your tips on how to track what you’re adding etc on notion? I love the challenge trackers and want to try and do something similar for my own gameplay. Thanks

[@Rosannatxt]

My main tip would be to get really good at using notion haha. If you want to make your own trackers and such you’d have to understand notion a decent amount. Maybe one day I’ll make a template in Notion for save files but I don’t expect to that anytime soon 😅

[@jamiratje8424]

I'm going to start today with my own save file. So that I have a base to start in. Don't go building it myself - so use gallery. Maybe someday when I've learned to build.

[@Rosannatxt]

Smart!! Honestly the gallery is perfect for people who want a custom savefile but don’t want to make everything themselves

[@dunsparmy]

this video earned my subscription. i'm finally diving into sims 4 after being so devoted to sims 3 for ...over a decade XD thank you for all of this, my ADHD brain can't wait to create! one question I can't really seem to find an answer for (sorry if this is dumb) but, I'm coming froms sims 3 so things are different. are all these "world" connected to each other, like a giant universe I guess? is it multiple "worlds" per save file? and how does traveling between them work :) I'd like for mine to be connected, including separated families etc.

[@dunsparmy]

also, the DL for the empty lot isn't there. I can't find it. please help D:

[@Rosannatxt]

Hii!! Yay I’m so glad this inspired you!! ♥️ Have so much fun playing! So the worlds in The Sims 4 are all in 1 save! You can travel between them through loading screens but every save has all of them! 😊 Also, I’m updating the sheet today for the Life and Death expansion pack and I’ll make sure to check the Empty lot issue and report back ☺️

[@-Marshy-725]

Hopefully this isnt weird but I love ur voice ❤

[@clueingforbeggs]

OK, your spreadsheet is much better than mine 😝, thanks, I'll be stealing it now.

[@Rosannatxt]

hahaha you are more than welcome to steal it 😂😂 Hope it helps! 🧡

[@donut1550]

I’m in the process of making a save file that has everything in the sims 3 base game, but I’m a console player so you’d have to get the stuff off the gallery lol. The only worlds I’m using are Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, Newcrest, and Brindleton Bay, even tho there’s other packs I’m using that come with worlds. I already made all the families and some NPCs too. I also made the family bin households! Now, I’m working on building the lots, except I’m making them look better 😅 because sims 3 lots look kinda weird if you know what I mean lol

[@Rosannatxt]

Oooh that’s such a cool idea! 😍 I hope you have so much fun with the last bits and enjoy playing in it so much once it’s done

[@IlseMulAuthor]

Thanks so much for the excel file! I had made a start for myself. I think I will adjust a few things with extra information I have in my original set-up. Yours is handier! But some information is handy to have :D Is it correct, btw, that the households overview doesn't count the sims nor the pets in excel? Also, I seem to be missing some careers (or am I misinterpreting some things?)?: * From Get to work: - Retail business/shop owner * From Dine-Out: - Restaurant owner * From Cats & Dogs: - Vet Clinic owner/Veterinarian Thanks again for this very handy Save file Excel template!

[@Rosannatxt]

Hi! Thanks for letting me know, I don't know why those careers are missing and how the count is not working. I will look into it later this week to fix it 💗

[@Rosannatxt]

Hi! So I checked the sheet: - the careers were indeed missing for some weird reason. I added them back in! - it's correct the sims and pets don't count from the household tab. They are counted through the individual sim list and then the "type" of sim field. This way you can also have a household of 5 vampires that do count towards the household sims but are seperated in the dashboard (: Hope this makes sense!

[@mwahha6965]

How many families should you make in the save? Should you make the maximum population or not and does it make a difference to how many NPC are created?

[@Rosannatxt]

Like I mentioned in the video, making families doesn’t stop the creation of NPC’s for jobs.. your best bet there is to give those NPC’s a make over all the way at the end of the creation of the save. Other than that it’s up to you how many households you wanna make. You can fill every single lot or you can keep some open. It’s your choice 😊

[@mwahha6965]

@@Rosannatxt ty I wasn’t sure if it would effect playability or not. My save has around 100 sims so far.

[@Rosannatxt]

@@mwahha6965It definitely effects playability, if you don’t make enough families the game will also start to create more NPC’s to fill jobs and such. It will also make your game feel empty when playing in it because you will only see the same sims over and over. You can play in it with less sims but if you’re already committing to a save file then my advice would be to go all the way and actually make all the families

[@mwahha6965]

@@Rosannatxt thanks , your spreadsheet is very useful btw, I’ve shared it with my family too, as we rebuild the world

[@Rosannatxt]

@@mwahha6965 Aaah thanks for letting me know it’s useful!! I’m so happy to hear that 🧡

[@candiecoatedsims2947]

If anyone knows the answer to this I’m all ears. Would you recommend after creating the households, moving them into their lots, go in with mccc to modify relationships, skills and careers or should I finish all the worlds then at the very end, modify their info?

[@Rosannatxt]

I do it when I move in the household as I move them in. It’s quite a tedious task so not having to do that for all sims helps a TON!

[@candiecoatedsims2947]

@@Rosannatxt aw thank you!!

[@libertyelliott9652]

Hii Rosana, I love this save file SO MUCH, so much thought has gone into it. I'd love to create my own save file using yours as a starting point. Is it possible that you could provide a copy of the spreadsheet that corresponds to this save file specifically? Lots of Love

[@Rosannatxt]

Yay! I'm so happy to hear that!! 💛 Unfortunately I cannot share the copy of our spreadsheet because I no longer have it... It was stored on a drive somewhere and it got lost moving computers 🥲

[@OldSaltySean1]

Very helpful video, thanks!

[@CathieDalziel]

Thank you so so much for this! This is fantastic 🙂

[@Rosannatxt]

I'm so glad it's helpful! 🩷

[@zara8607]

Very informative video, thank you!

[@timikariley1461]

You’re such a great resource!!!

[@Rosannatxt]

Thank you!! ❤ Glad the channel could be of help!

[@Romasfun]

This is AMAZING

[@LunarGhosties]

Hey Rosanna! I love the idea of the spreadsheet. I did want to let you know the template link is view only, so if you can walk me through how to utilize the template, that would be great!

[@Rosannatxt]

Hi! You can download the template en use it!! 🧡 There are instructions on the first page of the template and then you can just use it easy as that! The reason it’s view only is so the source document doesn’t break from people using it. But if you download it you can edit a local copy for yourself ☺️

[@LunarGhosties]

@@Rosannatxt ohhh I see! I never knew you could download Google sheets! Thank you!

[@Rosannatxt]

@@LunarGhosties Yeah I also just looked it up to double check but it's kind of like a save as function! I also added the instructions to the description box so if other people want to know they have some guidance! ❤

[@asha8859]

This was such a great video! Thank you! How long did it take for you to finish the project? I keep going back and forth with whether I want to make my own save file or not. I'm organized as well and I am great at decorating. Winter is coming and I'll mostly be in the house so I was thinking why not? I would love to see my own lots and all of my own sims. It would be so satisfying. I just don't know! AGH!!!!

[@Rosannatxt]

Aah thank you!! Glad the video was helpful 🩵 I did the whole save with my best friend and we took about 1 year to finish it with two people for all the worlds. However, we did not spend all of our time on working on the save (we both also just played the game) and since working with two people actually meant a lot of back and forth on agreeing on things I think it could have been faster! I’d say, depending on how much time you could play and if you want to dedicate all that time to just working on the save 6 months should be doable!

[@BrokenDollyTV]

Literally subbed just for the cool accent. 😂

[@Rosannatxt]

Hahaha thank you 😂 it’s a lovely weird mix of Dutch native, British english in school, american english on tv and some yet unknown influences 🤣

[@LS-wi3jc]

I love your video, very detailed & helpful because I've been trying to make a new save file with the original save file and it sucks. But question, is there a way to make the backstory passage on the world screen longer through MCC? Similar to how you can do for their names?

[@Rosannatxt]

So glad the video was helpful! 🧡 I have to admit, i don’t know. I never ran into the issue of having too little space for my story. Maybe someone with an in depth review of MCCC might know this but I unfortunately don’t have an answer for you. Love that you want to get so extensive with your storytelling though 😍

[@Sim-Peasant]

ive already built up lots and sims for willow creek and houses for oasis springs been working on it for years XD dont feel like it will ever be done XD

[@Rosannatxt]

Genuinely, savefiles are HUGE projects haha

[@DoeDitto]

This was VERY helpful! Thank you! 💝🙏🏽

[@Rosannatxt]

YAY! I’m so glad it was helpful 🧡 Thanks for watching the video 🥰

[@michelleroberts6694]

Hi Rosanna. I want to start off by saying THANK YOU for not only this incredible video and resources but all your others as well. I recently stumbled upon your video because I was feeling a little stale in my game and I was looking into save files. I started with playing with yours which is INCREDIBLE but between your great save file, the amazing stories you created for your households and the amazing resource you provided in the spreadsheet I felt inspired and confidant to start working on my own save file. I've been using your spreadsheet and created the sims and families etc and I am just about to start building the worlds (Based on who will be living there). I suddenly had a thought. With the new expansion pack coming out soon, will I be able to edit the spreadsheet I am currently working on to add the additional careers / world? Or will I have to recapture it once the main spreadsheet is updated? Thank you!!

[@Rosannatxt]

Aaah thank you!! I'm so happy this could be helpful 🩷 For new expansion pack: I update the base sheet and you can download it again. You can either transfer your data to the new one or, if you are good with excel, you can also update the sheet yourself. It works with data validation and dropdown menues. But if you feel like that is too overwhelming or complicated because you don't use excel often then you can also download the new version and move your info!

[@michelleroberts6694]

@@Rosannatxt thank you so much for the quick reply!! It would seem I’ll be waiting for your updated version 😝 I appreciate you very much!!

[@jeanmetzger9359]

I use MCCC to give my sims and the townies randomized traits.

[@heidirenee4671]

i absolutely loved this! if i may ask, what music did you use for the intro? it goes hard

[@Rosannatxt]

Thank you!! I don’t remember exactly what music I used to be honest as I made this video quite some time ago. But I always use Streambeats from Harris Heller so it has to be one of the songs from those albums!

[@Nofacednerd]

I'm a month late to this video, but I just started building my own save file and this excel sheet is a life saver lol!! I was wondering if there was any way to get rid of the information about other packs that I don't own (for example, I don't have Outdoor Retreat, so I can't make any actual progress on Granite Falls and it's permanently saying that I haven't finished it yet) or will that just completely break the dashboard?

[@Rosannatxt]

Hey!! So glad you found the video and it’s helpful 🩷 For now there is no way to turn off packs in the sheet, I wasn’t able to figure out how to do that yet. I think the easiest workaround work be to go into the lot sheet and put every lot form granite falls to done. Then the board just shows 100% done for that one as you don’t have it. You could also delete it from the dashboard, but as soon as you start shifting the other cells around it will most likely break the dashboard

[@Nofacednerd]

@@Rosannatxt tysm for the reply!! I ended up seeing if it would break anything if I deleted the individual lots from the 'worlds and lots' panel. The 'to-do' number on the dashboard seemed to go down afterwards so I don't think I ended up breaking it? The only thing that seems to still pop up anyway is the list of the careers on the drop-down menu for the individual sims, but that's easy to ignore lol. Thanks again for making this sheet!! It's been a great help with getting inspired for this save file :)

[@itscyberqueen13]

Hi, just found your site! Very cool! I was looking at your Legacy Challenge and had a great idea! You should offer a saved game that has a designated lot for each generation that is designed on the rules that you made. I would love to jump right in and have a world already designed for the challenge. I believe you have Gen one as Outdoor Retreat. Would be nice to just load the save and move in my sim to home already setup for the description of the lifestyle you envisioned. Would save me some time and give me some direction for each gen. :) Kinda like the premades we had in TS2. Well, have a great day! I just installed your save into my game! Thanks! I'm sure it would be loads of fun to play!

[@Rosannatxt]

Ooh enjoy playing with the save and possible the pack legacy challenge. I love your idea but I’m afraid I don’t have time to make it. Content creation is just my parttime job and I would not be able to fit it into my already busy schedule with videos and streaming and things. But I’ll definitely keep it in de back of my mind for maybe later 🥰

[@SigmaRho2922]

Mei Prescott, who is the principal of the Copperdale High School, looks nice in the expansion pack. However, I really disliked her default hairstyle and decided to replace it with a pixie cut. She looks so better now…

[@sansa357]

I'm confused about the blank save. Do I download each lot file from Brindleton Bay? As in, the blueprint for club calico and then the next one Chateau Frise? And so on?

[@Rosannatxt]

Well the blank save is only useful if you want to have all the lots empty so you can build your own things. So if you then download all the original builds again there is no use in getting the empty save to begin with. Then I would just copy an original save and adjust the builds or families :)

[@HemeraSims]

thats amazing! I think using sims or lots from other creators in the gallery makes ur game for alive too ♥

[@Rosannatxt]

Totally agree! It gives you new places to explore 😍

[@samanthamin8726]

your exel is on dutch, not complaining becouse i can understand it, but i found it quite funny

[@Rosannatxt]

That’s because I’m Dutch 🤭 The sheet is english so it should work for everyone but I guess the video does have a slightly funny side because of it! Helps me pick out the dutchies 🤭🤭

[@coffeestarsbooks]

Some amazing tips, and I will definitely be downloading that spreadsheet! I do have a question though: Is there a way to make save files which keep NPCs like Agnes Crumplebottom? I want to try and work with a blank slate, but there are a couple of amazing NPCs that I feel just need to stay in my game, as well as a few well-known families like the Goths. I know some people will have uploaded them to the gallery, but I'm not sure how this works with NPCs who don't have houses? :)

[@Rosannatxt]

I’m so glad the video was helpful! 🩵 You can get most well known NPC’s from the gallery indeed but if there is one you want to have you can also upload it yourself from another save file and download it later when building the new one! ☺️

[@coffeestarsbooks]

@@Rosannatxt oooh thanks, I hadn't actually thought of that. That's really helpful to know!

[@aseroxd]

Thanks for the tips! I'd rather create my own save file than downloading, but it looks like I made a lot of beginner mistakes 😅

[@Rosannatxt]

Goodluck with making your own save!! Just a lil heads up that I'll be updating this sheet next week for the new expansion pack so if you do plan on using the excel I'd recommend waiting to download it until the new pack is added

[@annepierre3327]

I don't know if you've answered this, but how do I add new lot type? I downloaded the excel sheet when we got high school years. I have 3 worlds finished already. But I would like to add the two other worlds. Not sure how to do that. I would also like to add student as a career option. Can you let me know how to edit the dashboard to include them?

[@Rosannatxt]

Hi! I’m afraid that’s the biggest downside of this excel, updating it is quite hard. I would legit not know how to explain it to you in writing. I have an updated version (that includes everything up until horse ranch) available in the download links but updating a sheet you’ve been working on already is a pain 😭 That’s legit the only thing about this I have not figured out how to fix (also for my own version of the sheet) but basically as soon as you put information in the excel updating the parameters (like lot types) becomes hard to do.

[@TA2DF]

Thanks, it's a nice idea transfering/sharing/advice/etc. But, how to do it on-the-fly practically when in-game is still a mystery for most uninformed and casual players like me... For example; although I hear somewhere there is a way to add special/custom NPC characters to the game, I have no knowledge of how to do it... and so on.

[@Rosannatxt]

I'm sorry to hear you feel like this video is too complicated. If I'm completely honest I don't think making your own savefile is a project you want to take on as a casual player. The time investment that goes into it (and the skill/knowledge needed for it) is not something that can simply be explained in a quick and "do it on the fly" way since it's not a quick and on-the-fly project. It's something that takes a lot of commitment and dedication, which for most people does not fit their more casual playstyle. This is completely valid btw - this is not me trashing on casual players. This is just me pointing out that maybe this video just is not a fit for the way you play the game. To practically answer your question: Adding custom NPC's can be done through downloading them from the Gallery or through mods. The gallery is a relatively basic feature of the game itself and modding is something that requires time to learn how to do. I have a beginners tutorial for mods on my channel if you're interested. I love teaching people beginner friendly things about the game and I'm always open to figuring out questions I can answer from a teaching perspective. But I'm not sure if I'd be able to explain a big, more advanced level project in a way that it's going to make sense to uninformed players. Because a big chuck of that information comes from being an experienced player. I hope that makes sense 💗

[@TA2DF]

@@RosannatxtYou are right, I understood you very well. Thank you again for your interest and concern. Btw, I added a few custom NPC packs to my game from the public gallery. Thankfully, the creator of the NPCs had explained how to do it and when done correctly, it was not too difficult even for a casual player like me. 😀

[@FakeGamerGirlOfficial]

damn it now i wanna do this 😂😂

[@Rosannatxt]

I can only fuel this wish and say GO FOR IT!! 🤭 No but seriously, the process is so much fun and while making this video I actually got kind of tempted to start again myself too 😂

[@daisyjo88]

@FakeGamerGirl Please do!!!

[@gwevans358]

Just a quick question. What do you need to do to NOT have your NPC's going about their lives, (procreating, etc.) as you build your save? Like, how do you "freeze" everything in the game during the save building process????? (I'm a Sims newbie)

[@Rosannatxt]

You cannot completely stop them but there are things you can do to prevent impactful progress! In the settings of the game you can select that households you’re not playing with won’t age. This will make sure that all sims stay the same age as long as you’re not playing with them. You can also turn off neighborshood stories (aka storyprogression) in the settings meaning that your sims won’t marry, have kids etc. However, if you play a lot while you’re building the save the sims can still die (of all other things than age etc). I would just recommend while building the save to not play in it. Like don’t go into live mode with a household and play. You can briefly go there to adjust settings between sims but don’t actually start any gameplay. This is the best way to prevent changes!

[@gwevans358]

@@Rosannatxt Do sims you create retain the skills, traits etc. that you give them after you save them to your library? If so, maybe I could create just a temporary save file only to create my sims in and give them skills etc. and save them to my library. Basically create and save my population first. Then, in a new blank save do my building and everything first, then as a final step, populate my save file with the sims I created earlier that have been waiting in my library? Seems like it might work - provided that all their skills and traits I gave them carry over from save1 to the library, then from the library to save2? Anyway, thanks for your reply!!

[@Rosannatxt]

@@gwevans358 Traits and skills yes, relationship to other sims only if they are uploaded in the same household! Having a separate save just to make the sims is actually a pretty good idea because it’s the safest way for sure!

[@gwevans358]

@@Rosannatxt Thanks for your reply - and of course, your videos too! 😊

[@stellaborges5203]

You are a angel

[@MolBx]

What puts me off making full/big families is that you can’t save in cas. Too many times my game has crashed during it or after when I’m exiting out of it 💔

[@naeshelle]

You can save in CAS! Just add the household to your library every now & again, then delete the unfinished versions once you’re done. I do this when I get bored during CAS & want to leave but don’t want to lose all the work I’ve put in thus far.

[@MolBx]

@@naeshelle Thank you angel!🫶🏼

[@roscspctals]

This is really useful! I started inputing some of my own sims information into the savefile template, I'm confused about how to add households tthough? As in, I typed in the name but it doesn't recognise it in the general statistics or in the household dropdown. If you have any idea how I could fix this or a video or something explaining it I'd appreciate the help :D

[@Rosannatxt]

Hey! They should be popping up in the dashboard if you enter the rest of their information - only their name does not change anything but the rest of the numbers are build on the rest of the lines. Also - I heard the template breaks if you use it on google sheets so you have to download it and open it in excel! Hope this helps 🧡

[@roscspctals]

@@Rosannatxt ah it's probably the google sheets! Thank you for the help

[@Rosannatxt]

@@roscspctals I actually looked into it today some more and it seems like the google sheets/google drive was breaking things. I uploaded it through dropbox now and added a new download link that should no longer be broken 🥰

[@MoonBloomElf_]

So how did you make it together? did you post the houses and familys to the gallery for eachother to put inti saves or? I prefer making sims where my fruends prefers to build so this would be a perfect idea as we both wanna make savefile

[@Rosannatxt]

Yeah we used the gallery to transfer things to each other and the excel file to keep track who was working on which lot/which family! We’re working on it again for a second time and it works really well!!

[@sagittariusmoon6435]

I use no random townies mod which is basegame compatible and it no longer generates random townies in my savefile. I just need to make sure I have enough unplayed sims to fill those roles and jobs. I have 300 sims in this savefile.

[@Rosannatxt]

I’ve used that mod as well but for me it didn’t seem to work 100%. But that could be due to other mods or just the way I used it. But it’s definitely a good recommendation for people to try out so thank you for sharing it!! 🧡🧡

[@mrsleesanders]

Hello Is your save file completed and without cc?

[@Rosannatxt]

It's completed but it was finished right Cottage Living came out so from that world onwards if will have the default things from the game. It does not use CC!

[@KatyH432]

Love your save file! How do I add Horse Ranch to the worlds and lots?

[@Rosannatxt]

Aaah thank you!! 🩵 Uuhm that’s actually not very easy (you’d have to update the formula). It’s hard to explain in writing but I can update it tomorrow!!

[@KatyH432]

That would be amazing - thank you :) Please tag me when you do - I'd really appreciate it x@@Rosannatxt

[@Rosannatxt]

@@KatyH432 I updated the sheet!! The lots are in the list and the dashboard has a chestnut ridge category!! The download link in the video leads to the correct file :D

[@KatyH432]

@@Rosannatxt You are a legend. I cannot tell you how appreciative I am! Thank you 🙏 x