EP Hints: Scotland, Farming, Cottage Core (Okay but I was ON THE MONEY, mostly)
Update
I'd call this success lads and lasses. Definitely looks a tad more English than Scottish as of now, but we shall see about such details later. Either way, stoked to have a farming pack that is NOT Americanized!!!!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51232418729_77cf685e88_k.jpgpost 1 by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51232708365_044b69b802_k.jpgpost 2 by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
Original Post
A detailed super post bc I've had a lot of coffee and I feel like sharing:
I find it increasingly likely that the next EP will in fact be a farming pack, but not the industrialized mid-western American cliche (please let me be right, do not want another cookie-cutter mid-west USA yee-haw town). I think, and very strongly hope, that farming will instead come along with an even older cliche, small-scale farming and flock tending in rural Europe. This approach would generally fit within the sims 4's engine and ethos much better than industrial farming imo.
For this theoretical pack, I imagine tending sheep, chickens, cows, horses, goats, and other small-pasture animals would feature prominently. Perhaps we'd also see some hand-tilled farming in small fields and/or significant upgrades to gardening. Other options could be canning, weaving, horseback riding, etc. If Scotland were in fact the locale, some Scottish cultural elements would presumably make their way in as well: bagpipes (plz?), haggis 🤢 , and countless tartan patterns featured on kilts, etc. The main architectural style would be traditional masonry, stone, and wood with a strong dose of Gaelic/Celtic theming, think real-life Scottish highlands or fairytale countryside. Generally, this pack would be a perfect chance for the team to introduce stronger #CottageCore building, design, and gameplay elements. This would be a win considering how popular the cottage core movement has become globally.
Reasoning for this theory:
A: Many of us can remember a "Scottish Highlands" option being featured in the potential new worlds survey question in early 2020. That provides the initial context for these subsequent observations.
B: In today's Dream Home Decorator livestream, SimGuruJill showcased the new "utili-kilt," CAS item. While I am personally super excited to finally have a kilt in any case, kilts are super random outside of the context of Scotland, and there is no common cliche of contractors, handymen, etc. wearing anything like a utili-kilt. It is goofy, cheeky, and very Sims-like, I get it, but at the same time its random inclusion now seems highly suspicious given the context of the world survey (utili-kilt screen below).
C: Later in the same live stream, when showcasing the new interior decorator career, the client was flipping through style choices on the tablet. This animation included a very obvious tartan pattern on the tablet screen (screen below). For those unaware, tartan is the patterned cloth used to make kilts and other garments. Each Scottish clan has a unique tartan.
D:The new child's tent coming in Dream Home Decorator, as others have pointed out, features a swatch with various farm animals, a traditional red barn, etc.
E: The cluttery wall art object that came with Paranormal stuff included a Celtic plate and a photo of what appeared to be a manor house on a moor, a view very evocative of Scotland (screen below).
F: At the end of the Dream Home Decorator trailer is a brief moment where they show a screen that features the cow plant, cow plant artwork, and three instances of that funny little brass-like cow wall hanging (screen below). That is a lot of cow-themed objects in one place. #sus
G: Many have been quick to point out that "bond with nature" (the official descriptive hint of the next pack) doesn't seem to fit the contemporary idea of farming. However, if we think along the lines of traditional/small-scale provincial farming, (raising chickens in your yard, canning homegrown fruits and veggies, raising goats, etc.) this description stands to make a lot more sense. At the end of the day, every plant and animal is still a part of the natural world and was at one point in their past wild/feral, before domestication and any potential genetic modification. Farming does at its core require a deep connection with nature, even if that core idea is often lost in modern industrial farming. I really doubt the sims team would have the time/interest/animation and modeling budget to build a pack based around the themes of unnatural farming, aside from maybe a basic tractor. It doesn't fit the ethos of the game. Country cottages with stone-walled pastures, sheep shearing, horseback riding, and canned goods are much more in alignment with this dev team's ethos.
H: Regarding the previous sim guru teasing on Twitter: a new occult, be it fae or werewolf, would fit nicely in the mystique of the highlands.
Again, this is all speculation and is based entirely on my opinion and the context that I've perceived. I reserve the right to be 100% incorrect in every statement and not care in the slightest. Happy Simming!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51202659347_ebcbbb0181.jpgutili kilt by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51204151224_523a654a4d.jpgtartan by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50879044848_f99b0b1458.jpg01-26-21_3-35-30 PM by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51203582888_32ebde175c.jpgtrailer by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
I'd call this success lads and lasses. Definitely looks a tad more English than Scottish as of now, but we shall see about such details later. Either way, stoked to have a farming pack that is NOT Americanized!!!!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51232418729_77cf685e88_k.jpgpost 1 by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51232708365_044b69b802_k.jpgpost 2 by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
Original Post
A detailed super post bc I've had a lot of coffee and I feel like sharing:
I find it increasingly likely that the next EP will in fact be a farming pack, but not the industrialized mid-western American cliche (please let me be right, do not want another cookie-cutter mid-west USA yee-haw town). I think, and very strongly hope, that farming will instead come along with an even older cliche, small-scale farming and flock tending in rural Europe. This approach would generally fit within the sims 4's engine and ethos much better than industrial farming imo.
For this theoretical pack, I imagine tending sheep, chickens, cows, horses, goats, and other small-pasture animals would feature prominently. Perhaps we'd also see some hand-tilled farming in small fields and/or significant upgrades to gardening. Other options could be canning, weaving, horseback riding, etc. If Scotland were in fact the locale, some Scottish cultural elements would presumably make their way in as well: bagpipes (plz?), haggis 🤢 , and countless tartan patterns featured on kilts, etc. The main architectural style would be traditional masonry, stone, and wood with a strong dose of Gaelic/Celtic theming, think real-life Scottish highlands or fairytale countryside. Generally, this pack would be a perfect chance for the team to introduce stronger #CottageCore building, design, and gameplay elements. This would be a win considering how popular the cottage core movement has become globally.
Reasoning for this theory:
A: Many of us can remember a "Scottish Highlands" option being featured in the potential new worlds survey question in early 2020. That provides the initial context for these subsequent observations.
B: In today's Dream Home Decorator livestream, SimGuruJill showcased the new "utili-kilt," CAS item. While I am personally super excited to finally have a kilt in any case, kilts are super random outside of the context of Scotland, and there is no common cliche of contractors, handymen, etc. wearing anything like a utili-kilt. It is goofy, cheeky, and very Sims-like, I get it, but at the same time its random inclusion now seems highly suspicious given the context of the world survey (utili-kilt screen below).
C: Later in the same live stream, when showcasing the new interior decorator career, the client was flipping through style choices on the tablet. This animation included a very obvious tartan pattern on the tablet screen (screen below). For those unaware, tartan is the patterned cloth used to make kilts and other garments. Each Scottish clan has a unique tartan.
D:The new child's tent coming in Dream Home Decorator, as others have pointed out, features a swatch with various farm animals, a traditional red barn, etc.
E: The cluttery wall art object that came with Paranormal stuff included a Celtic plate and a photo of what appeared to be a manor house on a moor, a view very evocative of Scotland (screen below).
F: At the end of the Dream Home Decorator trailer is a brief moment where they show a screen that features the cow plant, cow plant artwork, and three instances of that funny little brass-like cow wall hanging (screen below). That is a lot of cow-themed objects in one place. #sus
G: Many have been quick to point out that "bond with nature" (the official descriptive hint of the next pack) doesn't seem to fit the contemporary idea of farming. However, if we think along the lines of traditional/small-scale provincial farming, (raising chickens in your yard, canning homegrown fruits and veggies, raising goats, etc.) this description stands to make a lot more sense. At the end of the day, every plant and animal is still a part of the natural world and was at one point in their past wild/feral, before domestication and any potential genetic modification. Farming does at its core require a deep connection with nature, even if that core idea is often lost in modern industrial farming. I really doubt the sims team would have the time/interest/animation and modeling budget to build a pack based around the themes of unnatural farming, aside from maybe a basic tractor. It doesn't fit the ethos of the game. Country cottages with stone-walled pastures, sheep shearing, horseback riding, and canned goods are much more in alignment with this dev team's ethos.
H: Regarding the previous sim guru teasing on Twitter: a new occult, be it fae or werewolf, would fit nicely in the mystique of the highlands.
Again, this is all speculation and is based entirely on my opinion and the context that I've perceived. I reserve the right to be 100% incorrect in every statement and not care in the slightest. Happy Simming!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51202659347_ebcbbb0181.jpgutili kilt by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51204151224_523a654a4d.jpgtartan by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50879044848_f99b0b1458.jpg01-26-21_3-35-30 PM by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51203582888_32ebde175c.jpgtrailer by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
