Forum Discussion

JesLet40's avatar
JesLet40
Seasoned Ace
3 years ago

What if basegame careers were semi-active?

I know all of us want more active careers, but let's face it, the likelihood of EA adding active careers to basegame is slim at best, but making a career semi-active has got to be less work. Several of the work from home-actions already exist after all, in the daily work tasks. So what would it look like if EA took this step and gave every career a work from home option?

I, personally, think this would be a great step, as we ourselves then can create work places for sims to do these tasks in. Even better if this came with a good cross pack combability, so some tasks were added when a pack is owned allowing us to fully use the packs potential.

Some suggestions of tasks:

Astronaut:

Spoiler

  • Work out in a gym
  • Play chess
  • Learn Rocket Science
  • Look through telescope
  • Build rocket
  • Do space mission
  • Research rocket science/space (DU only)
  • Contribute knowledge (DU only)
  • Build microchip (DU only)
  • Hold guest lecture (DU only)


Athlete:
Spoiler

  • Work out at gym
  • Mentor someone at gym
  • Read fitness books
  • Study opponents
  • Research fitness or nutrition (DU only)
  • Watch a football game (DU only)
  • Get massage (Spa-day only)
  • Become mindful (Spa-day only)
  • Hold a meet and greet/give autographs (Get Famous)
  • Interactions from the fitness pack
  • Various sports activities from different packs


Business:
Spoiler

  • Fill out reports
  • Make business calls
  • Offer career advice to someone
  • Research stocks
  • Give investment tips
  • Meet potential client
  • Have board meeting (similar to the meetings you can have in the freelance career)
  • Write budget proposals


Criminal:
Spoiler

  • Perform mischief or mean interactions
  • Be in a fight
  • Steal something
  • Hack or make viruses
  • Break into a house (new interaction)
  • Bribe a politician (CL)
  • Bribe a detective (GTW)
  • Work out
  • Level up in handiness
  • Wear a disguise (GF)


Culinary career:
Spoiler

  • Cook
  • Make drinks
  • Level up in cooking/gourmet cooking
  • Bake (GTW)
  • Sell food (GTW)
  • Host a successful dinner party
  • Be the caterer/mixologist at a party
  • Tend bar
  • Cook with fresh ingredients
  • Write a cookbook
  • Go to a restaurant (Dine out)
  • Try an experimental dish (Dine out)
  • Make an experimental dish (Dine out)
  • Try a cultural dish (CL; IL; JA; SE)
  • Make a cultural dish (CL; IL; JA; SE)
  • Hold a meet and greet/give autographs (Get Famous)
  • Take a skill class (DU)
  • Research cooking (DU)


Entertainer:
Spoiler

  • Write jokes
  • Write routine
  • Edit routine
  • Practice instruments
  • Perform in public
  • Talk to critic (CL)
  • Hold a meet and greet/give autographs (GF)
  • Mentor someone


Painter:
Spoiler

  • Paint
  • Paint from reference
  • Take inspiration photos (same as the style influencer career)
  • Visit museum/arts centre
  • View art
  • Sell art to gallery
  • Talk to critic (CL)
  • Sell art in the city (CL)
  • Hold a meet and greet/give autographs (GF)
  • Mentor someone


Secret agent:
Spoiler

  • Browse intelligence
  • Practice speeches in the mirror
  • Perform friendly, romantic or charismatic interactions
  • Improve logic
  • Improve charisma
  • Mischief interactions
  • Whoohoo with someone
  • Accuse someone of being a criminal mastermind


Tech Guru:
Spoiler

  • Practise programming
  • Make plug in
  • Play video games
  • Hack or make viruses
  • Research programming (DU)
  • Contribute knowledge (DU)


Writer:
Spoiler

  • Write book (different types)
  • Read a book
  • Analyze a book
  • Visit a library
  • Sell a book to readers digest
  • Call publisher (new interaction)
  • Research writing (DU)
  • Contribute knowledge (DU)
  • Visit writing skill class (DU)
  • Hold a meet and greet/give autographs (Get Famous)
  • Interview someone for book (basically the same interaction from Style influencer)


What activities am I missing that would be fun to add? Which career would you most want to see as semi-active? Personally, after writing this, I'm looking at the Astronaut career, the culinary career, the writer career or the criminal career.
  • The aspiration for criminal is sort of like this already. The secret Agent, though, needs some real action, not social interactions. I mean, these are the ones that are replacing international super spy from Sims 3. They would have to stay fit and stay alert. Same with military, but far more intense- they won't have any social stuff in their list of requirements whatsoever.

    Onto the only real one that got my attention.

    IMO, Tech Guru... I don't think a lot of these are necessary. Gurus end up in Esports or they become entrepreneurs, so they would mainly program and play/build games. My suggestion is, instead, have them build games for the company, and have them "deliver" the game to their work for extra payments, have someone send them notices on bugs or errors to fix, or have them play a game while they are being recorded. Another thing which will seem totally out there at first is painting. Weird, yes, but... who makes the assets/artwork for the game? I am using rather techie words here, but assets would be like 3D models, or 3D characters, 2D art- or sprites- someone will have to work in music to do the audio for the game(s), there's even some handiness involved as well to ensure the computer for this is up to date. Testing the game/new application/software is also something that needs done. Handiness is crucial in Esports to ensure your computer will reign supreme. They may have to check and upgrade their computers as often as possible.

    This is just some of the things that gurus can really focus on. There's a heck of a lot more in that world than just programming. A LOT more. :#
  • VWoodsong's avatar
    VWoodsong
    Seasoned Observer
    Maybe I'm one of a few weirdos who don't really find active careers to be fun for very long, if at all. I actually don't mind whatever they do to careers (active or semi-active or rabbit-hole), so long as they also allow an option to have them function pretty much the same as they do now, if that's what the player prefers for any given sim. I mostly only ever use careers as "background color" (as non-essential parts of sims' personal stories, that is). Only very rarely do the stories themselves focus (much) on the sim's chosen career, so I'd prefer that they not be inconvenient if I'm playing a sim whose career isn't as important in the bigger picture, so to speak. It would be cool if they had the option to be active or semi-active, though.

    This is just one example for my preference (I have others along the same lines): One of my primary characters in one story is an astronaut (smuggler branch), but I'd definitely not want his version of the career to be active. I find that career to be interactive enough already (the space mission stuff, anyway), and I wouldn't want the day-to-day tedium of the job to interfere with his real story (and real career), which is about all his other criminal activities both among the stars and on the ground. And below the ground, sometimes... :hushed:
  • @VeeDub Obviously choice is, as always, essential here. Just like it is today. Whether you play an active or semi-active careers using it as a rabbit hole is always an option which I think should still be the case even if every career in game became semi-active. To come to think of it, the rabbit hole careers are the only ones who doesn't give us an option of how they are played. Hm, didn't even think of that before. Now I want semi-active careers even more, let me choose! :)

    @Mak27 Maybe, but then that will be in a pack. I want more base game options, which was why I didn't mention all the jobs that comes with packs.

    @Gamer_34567544 Awesome! When I made the list I was working on what was already in game and therefore easily adaptable, but you are absolutely right, there could be so much more to that career. I would love your version of it.
  • Mk_2790's avatar
    Mk_2790
    New Spectator
    I have the feeling about a Highschool Teacher semi-active career for tomorrow. But your ideas are fantastic! Hope EA can bring us more semi-active careers.
  • I think this sounds awesome! Since we already have some careers where you can choose to work from home, it would only be natural to add this to other careers as well. And your list feels very thought-out and do-able as well!
  • I want to optionally have fully active careers, how cool would it be to actively play a spy, criminal, soldier, or whatever? Or what if, as the spy, you feel doing something will lead to a problem so you dare not to do it- for the sake of the Sim-world? Something like this could happen in any Sim career. In response, you cover up your "failure".