Generation XX
A new Sims expansion is impossible to resist.
I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating because it’s so uncanny. My periodic urges to play The Sims 4 always occur at exactly the same time as the release of a new expansion pack. I don’t go looking for them. I just open Origin, it updates forever, then I notice there’s new content. A squiz at release dates tells me that Maxis and I are meeting on a synchronous, biannual schedule. “Two weeks, twice a year,” definitely sums up how I feel about The Sims 4. My wallet suffers for it; these expansions are not cheap.
Why did I buy Island Living? Mermaids. They’re so weird. They float on top of the sea while they sleep. It looks like someone caught them on a line and threw them back too late. Worse, my mermaid was so distracted by her soulmate, an azure dolphin, that she accidentally used the dryer on her bikini top twice, setting herself on fire. Even after being extinguished, she looks like someone left her on the barbie too long.
(I tried to fix her with the cheat menu but it seems as if she’s cosplaying as the classic Sims 4 food, blackened bass, forever.)
As well as having a need for hydration, instead of hygiene, mermaids have powers. You can certainly cause mischief with them, mostly mildly uncomfortable moodlets, but your mermaid can also kiss to create happiness, or sing siren songs to make others flirty or inspired. Marrying this creature to a Freelance Writer (one of the flexible, new freelance careers) is an incongruously great idea. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought siren songs were less about flirting, more about drowning. Also, what even is a mermaid?
Sims 4’s mermaids have an Aquatic Lure ability that boosts the likelihood they’ll catch fish. In what I thought was a surprising twist (although a Twitter poll disagreed), these curious creatures are also designed to eat fish. Raw fish is more satisfying than regular food for mermaids. (It took me so long to figure out why she was always hungry.) So, I guess Sims mermaids are actually sirenbarramundi. If you’re trying to min/ max them, another option is the
Why did I buy Island Living? Mermaids. They’re so weird. They float on top of the sea while they sleep. It looks like someone caught them on a line and threw them back too late.
Conservationist career because they can swim around really fast, to research the ocean.
New careers are always my favourite thing and it may explain why I play expansions for about a fortnight (because it takes time to conquer them). Island Living also includes part-time jobs, like Lifeguard and Diver, which I was disappointed to realise only have three tiers. I’ve been combining these with Airtaskerlike Odd Jobs, or one-off gigs. They’re often little fetch quests or something that require an unusual skill. I’ve been enjoying the silly stories involved, like the guy who wants waffles and tomato sauce delivered. Sounds delicious.
Odd Jobs were actually added to the base game, along with a character creation tool. It’s like Ultima IV. You’re asked a range of questions and then traits, starting simoleans and even jobs are generated for you. Just as I always rolled a bard in U4 (not realising that I was choosing class, just answering honestly), The Sims 4 keeps allocating me Good, Goofball and Gloomy. I have no idea why. I’d never choose any of those traits. If it’s not buffing skills or job performance, it’s useless, as far as I’m concerned.
Of course, you can skip questions, or the entire character generator, if it doesn’t interest you. The Sims has always been good about making all of its content optional. Consider Island Living’s new “off the grid” plot selector, where you have to make do with no power. I thought this sounded like a great challenge, except that they’ve included a range of appliances with a hippy appearance, but which function basically the same as the other fridges and stoves. It’d be cool if Handiness allowed you to create survival equipment, instead.
Am I happy I succumbed (again) to the siren song that is The Sims 4? I mean, I guess I could hand control of my bank account to Ken, like Odysseus being bound to the mast of his ship. I’ve bought (with my own money) every single game and expansion pack (and many of the stuff packs) over 20 years. Probably the only person who is in deeper than me at this point is Carl, of Carl’s Guide, who I interviewed last time I was on this topic. Will I still be buying Sims expansions on my deathbed? I have a sinking feeling
I will.