I recently uploaded a couple of default replacement careers that alter the level 10 positions for two basegame careers - Law Enforcement & Science - to make them more "realistic". I altered "Captain Hero" to "Minister of Policing" and "Mad Scientist" to "Scientific Advisor". They have proven quite popular and seem to be useful to quite a lot of simmers, so I want to do similar replacements for other "unrealistic" careers.

I'd like some input on what other simmers would like to see changed - several people have given me some suggestions on the comments on my upload (thank you!) and I'm keen to know what people would like to see changed, and to what if you have any ideas!

So far people have asked for changes to a variety of careers, including Athletic, Adventurer, Slacker, Oceanography, Criminal, Law, Music and Dance, and I also have plans for Natural Scientist. Are there any other careers that have levels that people think are "unrealistic" and would like to see changed? What changes, if any, would you like to see made to the careers that I've mentioned? Any other suggestions or requests for things - for example, Sunbee asked to have the level numbers added to the career levels, like in Phaenoh's mod, as my defaults conflict with hers and it's not possible to have them both in game at the same time?

I'm at my parents' house at the moment, but when I get home this evening I will make a start on some of the suggested changes, so I'm keen to hear more suggestions! :-)

What happens if we have both in game? I have yours downloaded but haven't tested it out yet as I do have the levels in already in and was wondering about that. Things always have to be complicated hey.

They will conflict, Jo. I don't think anything horribly bad will happen, but only one will show up in game - so you'll either see my changes or Phae's levels, not both. So I will make a version of my altered careers that adds the level numbers to each position, so that people (including me!) who use Phae's levels mod can still have them :-)

That's what I thought, so either I will have to wait for you to do every career or not use yours. I hate when things I like refuse to work together. Maxis should have added the levels.

So you were wondering about music and dance . . . okay, I'm a classical musician, a 'cellist, disclaimer up front, right?

If you look at the music career levels, number 9 is symphony conductor. That's top of one career track in the real world. Number ten is rock star. No. Just . . . no. A person does not go from directing a symphony to being a rock star. Different career track. Totally different skill sets, different . . . everything. That's like saying a lion trainer for Hollywood would progress to being a bull rider. There's overlap in knowledge, but not the same skills. The same thing happens with the dance career.

I could reasonably progress from the back of my symphony to the front, move to a bigger symphony (as in, one that pays), teach lessons, play at wedding receptions, play in a string quartet, teach at a music camp. I could maybe conduct a symphony (though if it were anything more than amateur I'd need/want to get a Masters in conducting first). But the big career topper position for my line, the thing young cellists aim for, is to solo with a symphony. Like Yo-yo Ma. iCad, I believe, composes and plays organ and piano. She's composing movie scores and is a studio musician, I think she's said. Or maybe I'm delusional.

I get that they were trying to throw a little something for everyone in there, but the amount of practicing that goes into this, eight hour days or more, makes it really impossible, and it's rather jarring. I guess what I'd like is maybe a Classical Music career, or a Rock Music Career, or something that doesn't jump around from instrument to instrument. Ideally something that is generic enough in job titles that I can fill in the blanks with the instrument I think a sim plays: private teacher, school music teacher, orchestra/band musician, professor of music, Concertmaster/First Chair . . .

From what I understand, dancers face the same thing. Ballerinas and Danseurs start at three or five or ten, and from the dance friends I've had over the years, I gather that they aren't any strangers to eight hour practice days and specialization fairly young, either.

Agree with everything Sunbee just said regarding the music career.

About the dancer career - it's all over the place. It starts with street & popular dance, then tap, then ballroom, and then somehow after zero classical training, you become a world class ballet dancer? No realism whatsoever. Besides, world class ballet dancers have a very short shelf life! You're not going to see them reach old age as a world class ballet dancer.

It would be more realistic to have the beginning levels be about training and getting recognized, the middle levels be about rising within a company, reaching world class dancer around level 7, then the last few levels be about teaching, choreographing, with the top level being a company director.

[Summer time = So You Think You Can Dance. After watching it for 10+ seasons, Rousseau knows she can't dance, but she thinks she now knows a little about it. ]

I'm extreamly unmusical but always thought the music career was plain crazy and same with the dance one.

Yes, the music one jumps about too much too. It should stick to either rock/pop or classical, or something more neutral if there is such a thing - professional musician, for example, could cover many bases, and let them wear their own clothes so players can build their own storyline around whether their sim is a rock star, rapper, or classical music star.