Quality of Life Idea: Let Us Order Birthday/Wedding Cakes by Phone!
I love celebrating my Sims' birthdays and weddings, but there's one recurring hassle that often kills the momentum of these events: the absolute necessity of baking a cake. I think there's a simple and realistic solution.
- What area of gameplay is your feedback about?
- Social Events (Birthdays, Weddings)
- Objects/Activities (Cooking, Phone Interactions)
- What works well right now?
The ability to bake a cake from scratch is a great feature. For players who enjoy the cooking skill or want a homemade touch for their celebration, it's a perfect option. The different cake designs for birthdays and weddings are also lovely. - What isn’t working or feels frustrating?
The frustration comes from the lack of alternatives. If you want to age up a Sim or have a wedding, you must have a cake. This can be a major problem if:
- Your Sim has low cooking skill and risks starting a fire or making a poor-quality cake.
- You're short on time and the event is about to fail because the cake is still being baked.
- You're playing a Sim who isn't a chef and it feels out of character for them to bake their own wedding cake.
- You simply don't want to deal with the cooking process and just want to get to the celebration.
It forces a gameplay loop that isn't always desirable or fun for the situation.
- What new ideas or improvements would you suggest?
I suggest adding a "Order Cake..." option to the phone menu, under the "Order" or "Services" category.
This interaction would open a small menu with choices like:
- Order Birthday Cake (Cost: §75 - §150)
- Order Wedding Cake (Cost: §150 - §300)
After a short while (e.g., 1-2 Sim hours), a delivery Sim would arrive and place the appropriate cake box on your lot, similar to how pizza delivery works. The player could then click the box to "Open" it and place the cake.
- Why would this improve your gameplay experience?
This simple addition would provide much-needed flexibility and reduce unnecessary stress.
- Adds Realism: In real life, most people buy celebration cakes from a bakery or grocery store. This would bring that common-sense option to the game.
- Saves Time & Prevents Event Failure: It ensures you can always get a cake in time for your event, even if you forgot to prepare or your chef Sim is busy.
- Supports Role-Playing: It allows players to choose the method that best fits their Sim's story—a master baker can still make their own, while a busy career Sim can order one.
- Reduces Frustration: It removes the single point of failure that can ruin a birthday party or wedding, making these happy occasions more reliably enjoyable.
It's a small, logical addition that would make event planning smoother and more realistic for everyone.
