Forum Discussion

AlbaWaterhouse's avatar
5 years ago

Neighborhood traits

I think that it would be neat if the Sims team would introduce neighborhood traits. This way, we could for example set a full neighborhood to be "isolated" for example meaning that only Sims that live in there will happen to be around. Or a pet friendly neighborhood where you will see cats and dogs around (with their human companions, please no more homeless sick pets!), a family friendly neighborhood traits will have families wandering around (including toddlers with their parents, please! We need a stroller) and so on.
It could also be a good way to control supernatural populations and visits. For example you can make a whole neighborhood where only Spellcaster will be allowed or one that excludes any supernatural being from wandering around (of course this is for the overall neighborhood and your sim should still be allowed to invite them over if they want to for example).

What do you guys think? The more I think about it, the more I want it.
  • RememberJoy's avatar
    RememberJoy
    Seasoned Novice
    I'm with you, I'd love to see something like this added to the game in the future.

    Trait ideas
    - Isolated - people living in neighborhood are only ones seen in neighborhood
    - Crowded - max level of random sims walking around
    - Animal friendly - Sims take their pets out for walks
    - Strays - strays will be seen wandering about
    - Supernatural Only - Only occults will spawn
    - Mermaids/Spellcasters/Vampires/Aliens Only - Only specified occults will spawn. If your sim isn't the specified occult you are more likely to get abducted, drank from, have spells cast on you, or be pulled under by mermaids.
    - No Supernaturals - No occults will spawn
    - Friendly Neighbors - Neighbors will drop by with food and visit
    - Mean Neighbors - Neighbors will come kick your trash over and get into fights
    - Celebrity - Celebrities are more likely to be seen wandering about
    - No Celebrities - No celebrities will be spawned
    - Rough Neighborhood - (If they bring back robbers) Sims are more likely to be robbed
    - Good Neighborhood - Sims never have to be worried about being robbed

    These would be mostly used to control what kind of sims are spawned to wander the neighborhood and get moved in by the game. It shouldn't stop you from moving in whoever you want.
  • I think this is a fantastic idea and I would love it. I feel like some of the Lot traits already in game should actually be more like neighborhood traits because, especially in the houses that are indeed in the same neighborhood, it makes little sense why one would have the Great Schools lot trait, and another wouldn't. They're in the same neighborhood, and thus realistically affected by the same Great Schools. But, if you want to create that idea as it stands in game now, you essentially give up one Lot trait that could be used for something else just to establish continuity. I've been thinking about this lately as I've been going through doing Maxis renovations...
  • Yes, I love this idea! Been thinking something similar for a while since I have all these Sulani residents working jobs in Windenburg? Like what? And I agree with what everyone else is saying about traits like Great Schools. I don't know about about something like Spellcasters ONLY but having a Spellcaster neighborhood would be great, where a LOT of spellcasters show up, just like how teen neighborhood isn't exclusively teens.
  • @LeGardePourpre Agreed! I like Pollution a lot, particularly as a contrast to the fresh air trait. I can imagine a whole neighborhood having the fresh air trait to make excercising better, but then having another neighborhood be polluted, which would make exercising a little harder.

    Also really like the idea that neighborhood traits could affect moodlets! So true!
  • But, worlds already have traits, mostly. Seasons affect each world differently. Brindleton Bay, Sulani, San Myshuno, Strangerville, Granite Falls and Selvadorado all have a unique, distinct world trait.

    Sulani plays with the pollution theme in one neighborhood. If you have City Living and Island Living you can equip a lot with grody, earthquake and volcano, that makes for interesting play. Also there is another gremlin like trait that breaks everything in the house.

    @LeGardePourpre I do like the water and air pollution notion.
    I think a SimCity esque disaster pack with a superhero and super villain would be cool. I miss the Aliens in TS3, they could call down meteor strikes. TS4 aliens don't have that ability.
  • "troshalom;c-17347225" wrote:
    But, worlds already have traits, mostly. Seasons affect each world differently. Brindleton Bay, Sulani, San Myshuno, Strangerville, Granite Falls and Selvadorado all have a unique, distinct world trait.

    Sulani plays with the pollution theme in one neighborhood. If you have City Living and Island Living you can equip a lot with grody, earthquake and volcano, that makes for interesting play. Also there is another gremlin like trait that breaks everything in the house.

    @LeGardePourpre I do like the water and air pollution notion.
    I think a SimCity esque disaster pack with a superhero and super villain would be cool. I miss the Aliens in TS3, they could call down meteor strikes. TS4 aliens don't have that ability.


    But that is outside the player's control and it's defined by the world and not the neighbourhoods. What I would love is to be able to have different neighbourhoods behave differently in the same world. With traits I choose myself.
  • I love this idea! Giving simmers this option would mean that people who want to avoid certain situations, whether for the sake of realistic gameplay or for the sake of avoiding bad memories/loss of control, would have the ability to do so easily. In turn, it would mean the dev team could make some more "dangerous" or adverse elements (like not toning down the vampire break-ins so much) in the game for those of us who want them, since they wouldn't have to worry as much about people getting upset. I think two (or three) traits per neighborhood would be plenty, and if someone wants even more, I guess it could be left up to modders.
  • alan650's avatar
    alan650
    New Spectator
    I absolutely love this idea. I want strong neighborhood traits to cause chaos and contrast to each world!