Sims 411 Recap - Inside Maxis 29th June, 2021

Sul sul Simmers!

Here is a quick recap of the June 29th Sims 411. You can also hop over to @TheSims official Twitter page to catch the Sims 411 highlights video! :) Even more, you can watch the full livestream in all it's confetti glory on Twitch with @SimGuruBat and @SimGuruDuck. 🎉

Without further ado...

Hot Topics

Q: Will there be more relationship options in Create A Sim?
A: Currently, we do not have any plans around expanding families and households.
Our focus right now is on expanding gameplay possibilities, like family cooking and gardening, as well as more exciting ways for players to represent themselves. Rest assured, we hear the want for more relationship options and will keep it on our list of improvements for the future.

Q: Will the likes and dislikes system be expanded in the future?
A: We saw a very positive reaction from the community when we added new likes and dislikes to the Base Game last month. So, we definitely don’t want to stop here :) We are planning on adding new music preferences and activities as time allows!

Q: Can you give hints to easter eggs and hidden worlds?
A: This is actually a really cool idea! We've always wondered if exposing the secrets of the game takes away from your own exploration as we love seeing you all share what you recently discovered in game like swimming in Britechester or the hidden worlds in the three neighborhoods.

Still, we think your request shows there's an opportunity to balance both so stay tuned by following us on social @TheSims ! We can't say yet, but we can tell you our social media team is super excited about this idea!

Q: Will you fix the bugged black hair colors?
A: Yes! We’ve finished our initial audit of Black Hair colors and we'll update you soon on when we'll be able to release the adjusted hairs. Please bear with us on this one tough as it might take us some time, and we'd like to give you some background on why:

Once the colors for the hair styles are chosen, we use a gradient swatch to make sure the color is consistent across all hairs. This gradient swatch is manually added to each hair and “recolors” a grayscale texture. However, because each hair has a different texture and geometric shape, this can cause the colors to appear differently depending on the individual hair texture, the geometry of the actual hair model, and the lighting in the game. We cannot prove the correctness of the color until it appears in the game. When we do need to correct, we must do so one by one as every hair may need a different solution.

We’re currently working on going through the hairs again to make adjustments, and would love to hear feedback if there are particular hairs where the color looks like it may need an adjustment. With the multitude of hairs that are in the game it can take quite a bit of time to get through them all but we’ll continue to work on improving the experience.

Fun facts! Current number of hairs in game:

• Hairs/Beards: 740
  
• Eyebrows: 89
  

Please note: These numbers include separate models of the same style for Children, Toddlers, Teens, Adults, Elderly

Next Patch sneak peek
And now as usual, let’s take a look at what the next patch will bring to the Base Game!
The Sims x LGBTQ+ Artists
We’ve partnered with three talented artists from the LGBTQ+ community to bring their inspiring art into the game! In our June patch, you’ve already seen the amazing art piece from Jupiter aka @MidnightFox452 on Twitter and Instagram.

In the next patch update, you’ll find two new pieces from the two other artists Mohammed and Ashley inside the game. Take a look at the In Real Life images below.

Ashley Lukashepsky @Ashlukadraws



Ashely’s piece is meant to convey the idea that our liberations are interlinked, and that we need to look out for each other.
She uses illustration and visual art as a tool to strengthen social movements for racial justice, immigrant justice, climate justice, mental health and LGBTQIA+ liberation.
Ashely thinks that in order to tear down harmful systems, we need to be able to envision a world without them. She’s trying to draw what that world looks like - and we think it looks exactly like that!

Mohammed Iman Fayaz @brohammed



The title of this piece is ‘A Recipe for Good Times’ and is described by the artist as ‘some sweetness, some tenderness, some silliness, and some love. A recipe for good times.’
Mohammed thinks that so much of the culture around Pride is about one month, the big, the bright, the bold, the huge celebrations, but @brohammed is really interested in the softer moments. Who do we lean on, who’s in our circle, how do we care for each other in the downtime? For Mohammed, this piece is an ode to the quietness and sweetness of close friendships. We couldn’t agree more!

New Hair
This is the brand new hair we made for the next patch update. It is a modernized version of the large afro hairstyle we updated previously.




In the next game update, Sims will be able to do more things with the family!

Cooking Together

• Group Cooking allows you to select up to 5 sims to come together and cook a meal.
  
• It allows you to gain relationships while also preparing better quality meals with more servings.
  
• In addition to any Sim that is on a player’s lot, Children can also be chosen to cook with an adult! They will gain mental skill as part of doing this.
  
• Sims that cook together can get a new sentiment.
  

Kids gardening

• Children will be able to water, weed, plant, and harvest crops. Please note: players won’t be able to use the vertical garden from Eco Lifestyle.
  
• Water is available to all Children, but weed, plant, and harvest are unlocked by Mental skill thresholds.
  
• Children and Toddlers will also be able to talk to plants, just a cute social interaction.
  
• Toddlers Babble or Talk depending on Communication skill.
  
• Children have a few random renames of talk like “Ask how the Sun tastes”
  
• TYAE Sims with enough Gardening skill can also Teach About Plants to Child Sims. A social that provides the child with Mental skill.
  
• All Sims who can plant seeds (TYAE and Children with enough Mental skill) will also have a new option on gardening containers (pot, planter, patch, etc.) to “Plant…” the seeds in their inventory.
  

Sims Sessions
If you haven't heard or read, Sims Sessions are now live - our first-ever in-game music event! Be sure to tune in to the music festival of the Summer of Sims in Magnolia Blossom Park!

We’ve been bringing new music to The Sims in Simlish since 2004, making The Sims a place for discovery In Real Life, and with Sims Sessions we want to give our players a fresh and new experience in the game!

Live now and until July 7th, Bebe Rexha, Glass Animals, and Joy Oladokun will be kicking off a limited time, intimate, in-game music festival where your Sims will be able to experience:

• Music: A unique Simlish concert experience
  
• Shopping: Buy artist themed merchandise OR run your own craft sales table
  
• Festival Inspired Lounges: Camp out, sleep, nap, make friends, woohoo, use the restroom, or grab a snack!
  
• Food Trucks: Experience classic festival foods in The Sims
  
• Fashion: Change your outfit at the festival by putting on fits inspired by the performers
  
• Party & Perform: Afterwards, go on stage and keep the party going with continued music, lights, and dancing all night long
  

Steps get to Sims Sessions

Start a New Game or an Existing Game and wait until Sunday.

At around 10:30 AM, your Sim will get a notification and ticket in their inventory.

At around 12:00 - 12:30 PM, your Sim will get a phone call inviting them to the Sessions, and the ticket's "Go to Sims Sessions Venue" interaction will be available.

If you don't want to wait for the phone call or ticket interaction, you can travel to Magnolia Blossom Park in Willow Creek, which will have a music icon that shows the Sessions location and time!


And don’t forget to show us your #SimsSessions festival looks on Twitter! Here’s how SimGuruBat and SimGuruDuck will be showing up:


SimGuruBat




SimGuruDuck