Thanks to TunaPuzzlerI can now play games without creating different users! I had no problem handling 5 games, but how do you handle more?

How much time do you spend with each one? Obviously when you enter the game you make sure that they're healthy and fed. Then what? How long do you spend looking for collectables? How long does it take to set up the first of the fams? It seems to take me quite some time before they're "elated". How long do you wait before starting a 2nd, 3rd, and so on? Do you wait til the first is married or has a child or?

I've found that if I leave my games open for some time I seem to get more random events than if I switch between 2 or 3 games often. This may be my immagination.

So, you multi players, (especially Lewanda, who just started 15 games! :o) what's your system?

Well at the moment I only have 22 families active, not counting my daughter's (yes, I finally managed to get a count.) My others are paused or between gens, so they didn't get counted. Some are night families and some are day.

My usual routine is to open them up and immediately pause. I select each family member, checking for illnesses as I set them about chores. Children and nursing moms on cleaning tasks, teens on cooking, etc. Then I check to see if we need to try for a baby and check my notes to see if baby boost was needed. Check the store. When everyone is where they need to be, I un-pause and they all take off. While breakfast or dinner is being cooked and everything is being cleaned, I look for collectibles (to be honest, that's about the only time I ever do, although my daughter has me trained to look when it rains.) If they are under career level 4-5, I spend a bit longer with that family because they still need training more than one that is close to mastering out.

I'm not sure I know how to describe what I do (plus, I have my daughter in my ear as I'm trying to type!!!) Anyone who needs a shower gets one. Adults who don't voluntarily go exercise when they leave the table are placed on the treadmill and praised with candy (if I have it) or just get a pat or two. I stay around to make sure they finish that and then get a pat for a round of work. I will use candy for work but not after level 5-6.

When everyone is all set (showered, fed, tried for the new baby, house is clean, emails read, stuff from the store bought, etc.) I set the new groceries on the table and close that family, moving on to the next one.

For new families, don't make the mistake I made and start several at once or you'll be hit with a lot of deaths at once and that's just depressing. I usually stay with a new one until I am sure they are well-trained to work (not a lot of head-shaking and smoke-puffing,) and have had enough praise for exercise, cooking and showering to do those things when I'm gone. I also try to make sure they have a child or at least have tried. (If they aren't successful at trying for a baby, they go on my list to re-open and try again when I'm done with my other families.) Happiness level will eventually raise; if you've gotten the house mostly clean, they are progressing on their career and are married, it'll raise faster.

On the subject of events, I have just the opposite. It seems every time I open the family I have one - either an event or an email. However, I rarely have them happen while the family is open (that could be due to the fact that none of my families are actually open for a long period of time though.)

I know you didn't ask, but I run XP (refused Vista when I bought my pc) and have 7 windows users set up - 5 are family member's account, 1 guest and 1 I named "gamer" just for VF. hehe

BayouBlonde, you are definitively my idol !!!!!!!!! (no kidding here)

It takes me approximately 1 to 2 hours to really set up a family in their new home, so that I don't have to worry about them dying on me. I created my first 5 families almost all at once, because it was easy to switch between them. Once I started a new game for the next set of families, I created one at a time only.

Once they are happy in their home, I usually check them just once a day, sometimes once every two days, unless they are a favorite family. Families can become a favorite by having something interesting happen in them. I also have my "super favorite" family that I write about over on Twitter.

When I open the family, the first thing I do is check their health and take care of any problems, then I go to the store to see what's new there, I make new babies if the family needs more kids, I add notes to the family tree screen, and I figure out what upgrades need to be made. How long I spend with each family depends on things like the weather (if it rains or if I have a rain bottle, I stay until the rain is over so that I can look for collectibles). Usually I get an event while I'm there, too.

Usually I stay less than 10-15 minutes. If I have to start a new generation, it's a little longer.

If I know I'm going to be busy, I just pause my families. Sometimes they stay paused for several days.

Hahahaha No! YOU are mine!! If only I could backup my files like you do!! I'm asking for a pen drive for my next birthday! AND you can make MODS!! *bows in admiration*

BayouBlonde and TunaPuzzler, thanks so much for the advice. I know I'll be playing VF a LOT this summer as I have a long vacation.

BayouBlond, keeping a notebook is a great idea. I did it for PT. With 5 fams, I didn't need it, but I'm sure I will with more than that!

TunaPuzzler, what kinds of things do you write in the family tree?

Thank you both so much!!

Ajuma

You're very welcome. My "notebook" is actually the family tree. I just note about baby boost (if it's needed, when given, etc.), who won which trophy (kung fu / latte,) at what age someone needed pcn (penicillin) or vanc, twins & triplets, and all sorts of other things. Sometimes I note if I have switched a family to organics yet or if I need to. I even have my own shorthand. lol It really depends on what I've been studying lately. I once kept track of nasty candy and the behavior I'd given it for so I could study how well it worked. I did the same with the red glove (on kids.) In the beginning, I kept track of which of the first two gens completed the house repairs. A couple of times I noted who had earthquake events. When I have a child who dislikes running, I always note the age at which they are "cured." I always note the married rich, for love or perfect match trophies and usually note how many proposals were refused. In fact, my family tree notes use so many abbreviations I'm probably the only person who can actually understand them.