Base Game Collections Need Better Display Options!
I'm a huge fan of collecting in The Sims 4, but I've become increasingly frustrated with the lack of satisfying ways to show off my hard-earned collections, especially in the base game. Many collections feel incomplete because there's no proper way to display them. The real issue isn't just displaying a few items—it's about having a way to properly store and showcase an entire collection in one place. The current options are completely inadequate for the actual size of base game collections.
What area of gameplay is your feedback about?
- Collections
- Objects/Activities (Storage & Display)
- Base Game Compatibility
What works well right now?
The Postcard Display, Element Display, and Sugar Skull display work perfectly because they are designed to hold every single item in their respective collections. They are the gold standard. They cleanly organize all the items, make it easy to see what you're missing, and provide a huge sense of accomplishment when filled. This is the functionality that is missing for other collections.
What isn’t working or feels frustrating?
The scale of the problem is much larger than I initially stated. The base game collections are vast, but the ways to manage them are tiny and piecemeal.
- Frogs (25 types): Stored individually in small terrariums. Displaying the full collection would require 25 separate objects, which is completely unrealistic.
- Crystals (20 types) & Metals (20 types): No dedicated storage. Placing them all on shelves creates massive clutter and doesn't feel like a curated collection.
- Fossils (15 types): These are large objects. There is no way to display a complete dinosaur skeleton or the full set of fossils without it looking like a messy storage room.
- Aliens (10 types): This collection is split between live aliens in terrariums and dead aliens in jars, with no unified way to display the "Alien Collection" as a whole.
The problem isn't just displaying a few favorites; it's the inability to manage the entire collection as a single, satisfying unit.
What new ideas or improvements would you suggest?
We need a set of collection-specific storage objects for the base game, modeled after the successful Postcard and Element displays. Each one should be capable of holding every item in its collection.
- Grand Vivarium: A very large, multi-habitat terrarium with 25 slots, designed to house every type of frog.
- Paleontology Exhibit Table: A large, custom-sized table with specific mounts and stands for all 15 fossils.
- Xenology Research Station: A complex object that combines a larger containment unit for the 5 live aliens with a specialized wall rack or jar holder for the 5 preserved aliens, unifying the entire collection.
- The Geologist's Display Case (For Crystals): A tall, glass-fronted cabinet with illuminated shelves, specifically designed to hold and showcase all 20 Crystal types. It would have a designated spot for each crystal, making the collection look like a museum exhibit.
- My Sims Trophy Showcase: A tall, lighted display shelf with 20 specific slots for the full set of My Sims trophies.
- Why would this improve your gameplay experience?
This shift from "small display" to "complete collection storage" would be a game-changer for collectors.
- True Completionism: It provides a tangible, satisfying goal for finishing a collection, just like the existing displays do.
- Solves Inventory Clutter: It gives a dedicated home for these items, clearing them out of household inventories.
- Enables Creative Building: Players could finally build proper museums, science labs, or natural history exhibits on their lots.
- Respects the Scale of the Gameplay: It acknowledges that collecting 25 frogs is a major undertaking and rewards that effort with a storage solution that matches the achievement.
This would finally give base game collectors the same sense of pride and organization that players with the postcard or element displays already enjoy.
