Dynasty in The Sims 4 is a special challenge invented by players to diversify the gameplay. The player's goal is to create a huge family and multiple generations - a dynasty, following certain rules and adding mini-challenges to maintain difficulty. The dynasty starts with one character, which you systematically develop, creating a family that will grow larger over time.

In our guide, we will look at the most popular, classic version of a dynasty in The Sims 4, and its variations to increase complexity. 

How to Start a Dynasty

The first step is to start a new game, without previous saves. You can customize the town to your preferences in advance, populate it with additional characters and NPCs, place real estate, establishments. Then create a new character - the founder of the dynasty:

• must be young;
• the only one in the family;
• supernatural creature - optional. 

Create the character from scratch, without a preconceived story. Choose gender, appearance, clothing, preferences, and tastes at your discretion. You can use custom content. 

After creating the character, move them to any available lot of at least 50x50. It is implied that on this plot, you will build the main house where the main family will live. In the future, you cannot change the lot, so choose wisely. 

Dynasty Biography

An important aspect of running a dynasty is its biography. You must record the main moments of development, write down information about what is happening in the family, and keep a diary-like record. You can do this in any convenient format - with photos, videos, or just text. 

Technical characteristics for screenshots and reporting:

• Reporting period - weekly;
• First report - screenshot of the plot, character, budget;
• Weekly record: career progress, budget increments, skill acquisition, children and character growth, trips, signs indicating cause of death, progress of Life Goal by the end of the week, etc.;
• Screenshots - high-quality, readable, informative. 

Record any events that are significant to the family - deaths, births, adoptions, university/school admissions and graduations, grade dynamics, skill acquisition, major purchases, etc. 

Reporting is not a mandatory point. Strict rules for keeping a biography are established for players who run their own threads on forums or in groups. Otherwise, keep a diary at your discretion. 

Inheritance Principle

The inheritance principle is one of the most important points. You must clearly define who and under what rules will inherit succession. There are several main options. 

Gender Principle

• Matriarchy - through the female line;
• Patriarchy - through the male line;
• Equality - regardless of gender.

Purity Principle

• Traditional - inheritance rights apply only to naturally born children;
• Modern - heirs can be natural-born, adopted, or conceived through IVF;
• Guardianship - only adopted children can inherit;
• Scientific - heirs are children conceived through IVF. 

Racial Principle

In The Sims 4, there are several races: human, alien, vampire, mermaid, werewolf, spellcaster. 

• Tolerance - the heir is chosen regardless of race;
• Xenophobia - the heir can be a character corresponding to the founder's race;
• Xenoarchat - the founder chooses any race, but must make a character of another race their heir. And so on. 

Selection Principle

The heir is chosen based on specific characteristics:

• Age - the youngest/oldest child becomes the heir. Seniority is determined by birth order/joining the family (for adopted children);
• Personality trait - before the start of the game, the founder receives and chooses the dominant trait, which must be possessed by the heir;
• Relationships - inheritance rights go to the one who has the best relationship with the head of the family;
• Merits and achievements - the most successful and developed character becomes the heir;
• Random - the chance of inheritance is randomly determined among candidates;
• Democracy - relevant if you post information about heirs on forums or in groups. The successor is chosen by voting;
• Strength - inheritance rights go to the one who can literally defend it in an honest fight. The criterion is physical strength superiority. 

The principles are modifiable. For example, matriarchy/patriarchy can be strict. This means that if a child of the opposite sex is born in the family, they have no right to inherit under any circumstances. Exceptions are impossible. In the standard version, inheritance can pass to the opposite sex if the only heir in a patriarchal family is a woman, and vice versa. Other principles work by analogy. 

Dynasty Rules

Rules for a classic dynasty:

• You can play with any number of expansions, catalogs;
• Game duration - until the birth of the first representative of the 10th generation;
• All 10 generations must live on one lot;
• Free will - complete;
• Sim and pet lifespan - average;
• You can only marry "pure" homeless characters without a history, not tied to a specific lot, i.e., not town residents (or their clones);
• Using the age-reducing potion - once for each character;
• Any character added to the family must participate in the continuation of the lineage;
• Editing community lots is allowed;
• Changing a character's life goal and aspirations - once in their lifetime;
• When changing a life goal, use a randomizer and so on. 

Prohibited:

• Using mods and cheats that provide significant advantages (excluding scenario mod - on professions, murders, consumption, alcohol, etc.);
• Exiting the game without saving (exception - crash);
• Moving from the lot chosen by the founder;
• Placing other characters on the dynasty lot, except for merging families through marriage;
• Evicting the heir from the lot. 

Of course, you can always change the rules at your discretion or add new ones. Everything is limited only by your imagination. If you haven't played dynasties before, we recommend sticking to the classic rules to understand the game principle and then create your own. 

Dynasty Mod

In dynasties, mods that provide significant advantage cannot be used, which means forget about motherlode and other codes for money/skills/career. But mods that simply diversify gameplay are not prohibited. 

Royalty Mod

The Royalty Mod adds the following mechanics:

• A new trait in CAS - Monarch;
• Monarch's spouse - Royal Partner;
• Monarch's children - Royal heirs;
• Heir system;
• Taxes;
• Competition for the throne;
• Title "Nobility" - for nobles;
• Slaves.

The monarch can choose one of two paths - adoration or tyranny. The mod does not replicate all the mechanics of the original dynasty but can be a lighter and more versatile replacement. Or combine the mod with classic dynasty management - it's even more interesting. 

Download Royalty Mod

Create a dynasty, invent your own rules, build a huge palace, and arrange a struggle for inheritance - you will definitely look at The Sims 4 mechanics and standard gameplay from a different perspective. Enjoy the game!