Generation XX
The Sims 4 is starting to feel complete, so a Sims 5 announcement is probably coming.
If you had only started reading Generation XX in the last few months, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s a column about indie game development and communities. Sometimes, it is, especially when I’m busy implementing programs for my interactive media students or making music for games. If you also read the indie pages, you’ll know I review a wide range of things, but I haven’t written about anything I’m playing just for fun in a while. This column was always, at least partly, intended to be a window into the content that consistently attracts this one, female player.
Firstly, I’d like to apologise for never having written about The Witcher 3. I’ve been playing it since release, but it is so massive. Golly, the moment I found out you could let out Geralt’s hair was good, though. Similarly, boosting technology and civics in Civilization VI speaks so sweetly to my inner micromanager I should really pitch a James-O’Connor-Deus-Exlength rolling feature on it.
But, no, I’ve returned to my comfort game this month. The Sims 4 may not have captured me as completely as its previous iterations, but my hankering does tend to coincide with expansion pack releases. This time, I found that toddlers had arrived (for free) as well as the City Living expansion pack. I often cram eight adults into homemade apartments on a standard lot, so hell yes, I’ll buy it.
Making an adult and a toddler, then moving them into a small unit seemed like a useful way to explore new content. Immediately, I could see ways to plan for my intended playstyle. Even more difficult toddler traits,
When love hearts started appearing in front of the door, I knew the deal
like Fussy, can be paired with Social and Family focused adults. One of the starter apartments even has buffs that boost school performance and ley lines to improve fertility. After a few days learning how to care for the first toddler, I got a passerby to knock up the mum and then there were three tiny children.
Also, because you pay a relatively small amount of ongoing rent, as opposed to building or buying a house, you can start with a glut of disposable cash, thus allowing for an easy stay at home parent/gardener/ handyperson/cook. I still had five grand in the bank when the first of the three children celebrated his adult birthday and started using ridiculously overdeveloped skills to bring home the bacon. I’ve certainly played single Sims in starter houses who remain unemployed, but it’s much harder, especially with three children.
Now, in real life, I lived in an apartment for several years. So, in game, when love hearts started appearing in front of the neighbour’s door, I knew the deal. Everyone is suddenly awake and watching TV, not willing to go back to bed and risk overhearing the romantic ruckus. Of course, if your kid needs to fill their energy bar before school, you can bang on the door, but who does that? I was slightly more inclined to intrude when the sim-neighbours argued loudly but, I dunno. I had real neighbours who used to throw glasses and plates. Police, maybe?
Probably, the developers intended that strong relationships would be forged by neighbourly proximity, but even playing the violin pisses everyone off, so I made friends elsewhere. My apartment was in the Spice Market, so you can play basketball, get food and browse flea markets without suffering loading screens and while retaining control of all of your Sims. It’s not a seamless neighbourhood, but it helps. And, a keen eye can find you all sorts of one-of-a-kind lamps and unique cooking ingredients.
And speaking of food, toddlers no longer have to eat their trademark “bowl of mush.” It’s hard to overstate how helpful it is that they can simply climb in and out of bed by themselves, too. EA said that they were waiting until they could make these little people really good before they added them to the game and they have absolutely delivered detailed new ways to play that insert seamlessly, and significantly enrich existing content.
On this sojourn back to The Sims, I most enjoyed firming up an individual’s progression through life from the outset. Being now nearly impossible to skill-max your toddler, prioritising movement, communication, thinking and imagination informs the resulting child’s direction. Also, children can now develop their skills into the adult variants without having to wait. Combined with the ease of living in apartments, your Sims can do so much more in their lifetime. As for mine, I’ll invariably play The Sims again when the seasons change, hopefully in game.