Restrictions

1.  Electronics.  My game begins in the 1700s, so I have instituted a rule that expands on the "no electricity until it is unlocked" rule: no electricity until the year that it became common place for communities to have a connection to an electric grid.

• 1880s.  By the 1880s, cities had access to electricity, but each power station was only able to power a few blocks.  
• 1930s.  By the 1930s, everyone except rural communities had access to electricity.  The reasoning: it was too expensive to string miles of farmlands with electrical wiring, especially since many farmers were too poor to afford electricity.  
• 1970s.  By the 1970s, farms began to have access to electricity.  

My sims will not have the option to unlock electricity until the above dates, depending on the status of that particular neighborhood.  In addition, there are more rules that further restrict the usage of specific electrical items according to when they were invented and when they became common household items.  

• Refrigerator.  Available in the 1920s.  
• Stove.  Cast iron stoves are available in the 1800s.  Coal burning stoves were available in 1833.  Electric stoves are available in the 1920s.  
• Microwave.  Available in 1946.  
• Food Processor.  Available in 1971.  
• Fire Alarm.  Available in the 1890s.  
• Security Alarm.  Available in the 1850s.  
• Alarm Clocks.  Available in the 1850s.  
• Telephone.  Available in the 1880s.  
• Cell Phone.  Available in the 1970s.  
• Stereo.  Available in the 1930s.  

Historically-correct substitutes may be used for any of these items at any time.  

2.  Plumbing.  No plumbing until specific aspects are unlocked.  Chamber pots, outhouses, barrels, cisterns, water pumps, dry sinks, etc can be use used in its place.

• 1900s.  Cities had access to indoor plumbing for the first time (indoor plumbing relied on electricity to work).  
• 1930s.  Most families had indoor plumbing by the 1930s, except for the poorest of farmers.  
• 1950s.  Everyone had indoor plumbing, even farmers.  

In addition to the era restrictions above, specific plumbing items are banned until the date they became common household items.

• Toilet.  Available in the 1850s.  
• Sink.  Available in the 1900s.  Dry sinks were used until they were connected with plumbing.  
• Shower.  Available in the 1850s.  When plumbing was connected, so too were showers.  
• Bathtub.  Available in the 1900s.  Light weght bathtubs that could be moved and put away when not in use were filled by hand until they could be connected by plumbing.  
• Hot Tub.  Available in the 1970s.  Exception: public bathhouses.  

Historically-correct substitutes may be used for any of these items at any time.

3.  Transportation.  No sims are permitted to start with having cars; in fact, cars are pretty much banned until 1886 when the first petrol-fueled car was invented.  Walking is your sim's key mode of transportation, with horses, wagons and carriages opening up after a sim starts a "car" business selling these items (which cannot be done until after wholesale businesses are opened).

• Taxis.  Banned, until the 1950s.  Preferably use an era-appropriate mesh.  
• Cars.  The first petrol-fueled cars were invented in 1886, so cars become available after this time.  Only era-appropriate meshes are permitted.  
• Bicycle.  Invented in the early 1800s, so as long as it looks reasonably accurate to the era, go ahead!  
• Motorcycle.  These are available in the early 1900s.  

All era-appropriate override meshes can be used to replace default cars for careers, cars in neighborhood view, NPC vehicles, etc.

4.  Services & NPCs.  No NPCs of any kind are permitted in the beginning of the game.

• Delivery Services.  This includes food, pizza and Chinese delivery.  These services are banned until the 1950s since all families are required to rely on their own merit for food and survival,  Grocery stores may be run by families whenever the family is ready to open one up.  
• Emergency Services.  Includes: Police and Fire Department.  If one of these show up by accident or default, that's fine, but you are banned from using these options.  Otherwise, they are locked
• Fire Departments.  Since fire alarms were not invented until the 1890s, the fire department is restricted until this date also.  Sims can put out fires on their own, though! 
• Police Department.  The police force as we know it today was not created until the 1840s.  Therefore, calling the police department is not available until this time (though sims can work in law enforcement before this date, and can be teleported to a lot for story-telling purposes).  
• Other NPCs.  These include: Nanny, Maid, Butler, Gardener, Bartender, Matchmaker, Obedience Trainer, Exterminator, and Repairmen.  You are not permitted to use these NPCs, mostly because I prefer to use my playable sims in NPC career and teleport them in for specific jobs.  

5.  Townies.  When your settlers move into their lots, they are banned from interacting with any and all townies.  Townies must be unlocked to interact with them.

6.  Community Lots.  In the beginning, no community lots!  Your sims are trying to build and establish their homes as their first priority.  Further, only community lots that have been bought by playable sims or with taxes for public use are permitted in the neighborhood (so no magical "free" lots, though they can be non-profit, such as a park).

7.  Businesses.  Sims may open home or community lot business, but until a Downtown connection is established, these businesses are restricted to items crafted by the sim.  Crafted items do include produce, meat and fish.

8.  Hobby Lots.  No hobby lots until the town has graduated to city status.

9.  Careers.  All careers start off as locked.  For more details on unlocking careers, read the Career Restrictions section.