Suggestions to Improve Mermaids Gameplay and Aquatic Areas

I would like to suggest improvements to the gameplay related to oceans, rivers, and water areas in general, with a special focus on Mermaids. Currently, many water locations are not fully swimmable or feel too shallow, which greatly limits immersion.

In Sulani, for example, the ocean could feel deeper and more realistic. It is strange to see a Sim dive only to immediately reach the sand. Having truly deep areas, with better visual depth, wave movement, and simple underwater elements such as corals or vegetation, would help create the feeling of a real ocean. The beaches in Sulani could also benefit from fewer shallow areas and more designated deep diving spots.

One idea that could significantly enrich gameplay would be the existence of a deep ocean area that allows a special interaction, leading the Sim to a secret underwater lot, similar to other mystical areas already present in the game. This space could be entirely underwater, large and explorable, featuring elements such as a shipwreck, other mermaids swimming, or even a mermaid city, adding mystery and immersion.

Additionally, other worlds could make better use of their rivers, lakes, and aquatic areas by allowing swimming wherever it makes sense. In Sulani, even the volcano area could include natural hot water pools, expanding exploration possibilities.

For mermaids specifically, it would be very interesting to deepen their narrative and social gameplay. Their transformation could be forced upon contact with water, as a natural aspect of being a mermaid. It would also add depth if mermaids actively avoided revealing themselves in front of normal Sims, as if there were a taboo or unspoken rule about not being discovered.

When a normal Sim witnesses a mermaid, there could be varied reactions such as curiosity, fear, admiration, or rejection. Mermaids themselves could receive fear or tension buffs when they sense they are about to be discovered, revealing themselves only around other mermaids. This would give the impression that they coexist within human society in a discreet and reserved way, greatly enhancing immersion.

The community understands the complexity involved in modifying already released expansion packs and recognizes the work of the development team. While recent content has been enjoyable, it does not always add meaningful depth to gameplay. More expansion packs are not always what players expect. Many existing expansions have excellent concepts but feel shallow and can be fully explored in only a few hours.

Although The Sims is often labeled as a children’s game, a large portion of its active player base consists of adults who enjoy building long-term, immersive gameplay experiences. The recent addition of fairies was a great success and a long-standing community request that arrived in a very positive way. Because of this, many players feel that the next natural step for the franchise would be to invest in updating and deepening existing expansion packs, bringing recurring improvements and a stronger focus on long-term gameplay.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and consider this feedback. The community truly appreciates the effort put into The Sims, and we hope these suggestions can be thoughtfully considered as a way to further enrich gameplay and strengthen the experience offered by existing expansions.