Heritage & History: A Base Game Overhaul for Life-Long Lore

Hi everyone! With the recent release of Royalty & Legacy, I think we can all agree that family trees and lineage are more important than ever. However, there’s still a "missing link" in how our Sims connect to the world. Currently, every new household feels like it dropped from a vacuum with no history.

I’m proposing a Base Game Update (not a pack!) that would finally allow us to create deep, pre-existing history for our Sims. Here is how we turn a "Save File" into a "World Chronicle."

(1) The "World Connection" Hub (The CAS Checkpoint)

When you’re finished in CAS, a new "World Connections" menu would appear before you move in.

• Global Linking: Select a Sim in your new family and link them to any existing Sim in that save file.
• Expanded Labels: Go beyond the basics with labels like Great-Aunt, Cousin, Stepparent, Godparent, or In-law.
• Social Pre-sets: Define non-biological history—like "Childhood Best Friends," "High School Rivals," or "Ex-Fiancés."
• "Strangers by Blood": You can link Sims as biological relatives but set their relationship to "Unknown." They will appear on the tree, but they won't know each other in-game until they meet—perfect for "Long-lost Sibling" or "Secret Parent" storylines!

(2) The "Biological Anchor" & Silhouette System

To prevent the family tree from breaking when you play across different households:

• The Ancestor Placeholder: If you create siblings without parents, they are linked to a "Greyed-out Silhouette" (Unknown Ancestor).
• Filling the Slot: Later, you can create a Sim and "Assign to Slot" to officially become that parent. The game will automatically update the tree for all descendants.
• The Genetics Leeway: While the game provides a "Sanity Check" for DNA, the player gets the final "Confirm" button. If you want a child to look exactly like a distant grandfather and nothing like the parents, you have the creative freedom to override the warning!

(3) Immortal & Occult Heritage

Our Occults shouldn't be limited by human timelines!

• Ageless Anchors: Vampires, Werewolves, and Ghosts can be placed anywhere in the tree. A Vampire Great-Aunt can be linked to a Toddler five generations down without the game forcing her to be an Elder.
• Ghostly Calls: Accepting a "Mystery Relative" call from a Ghost means they appear in your tree and might even show up to haunt (or help!) the family estate.

(4) BONUS: Heritage Mentorship & Traditions

Shared history should provide tangible benefits:

• Latent Talent: If an ancestor reached Level 10 in a skill (e.g., Painting), their descendants can receive a slight skill boost or a "Natural" trait in that area.
• Family Secrets: Elders can have a unique "Family Mentorship" interaction to teach skills 3x faster to relatives.
• Mastered Traditions: Households can track a "Family Trade" (e.g., a long line of Master Chefs or Professional Athletes) that provides permanent buffs to future generations in that household.

(5) BONUS: Ultimate DLC Synergy

While this is a Base Game update, it would make our packs shine:

• Royalty & Legacy: Directly define "Heirs," "Consorts," or "Disgraced Royals" in the tree to immediately impact Dynasty Prestige.
• Growing Together: Setting a "Childhood Friend" in CAS automatically triggers that "First Best Friend" milestone and pre-sets your Family Dynamics (e.g., "Difficult" or "Supportive").
• For Rent: Linked relatives in the same building can receive "Family Rates" on rent or unique shared-space sentiments.
• Parenthood: Blended family labels correctly influence Character Value gain/loss from the moment you hit "Play."

Player Agency & Control

To make sure this doesn't mess with your specific playstyle, this would include:

• World Lore Toggle: An ON/OFF switch in settings. When OFF, the game plays like traditional Sims 4.
• The Ancestry Lock: Once a biological link is confirmed in-game, it is locked. You can’t "un-sister" a Sim, but you can always edit "Social" ties.
• Genetic Consistency: Any "Mystery Relative" generated by the game MUST favor the player's family DNA to ensure they actually look like they belong.

These are just a few examples of the possibilities this system offers. It’s about making the world feel reactive and heavy with history, giving us the power to tell stories that started long before we hit the "Play" button. Whether you’re building a sprawling noble dynasty or a Sim just trying to find where they came from, this update would bring our worlds to life.

I’m really curious to hear what the community thinks! Would you use a "Global Connector" in CAS? What kind of family drama or traditions would you set up first? Let's discuss!