High School Years SimGuru/Maxis-Sourced Info

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GAMEPLAY

NOTE: For CAS-related gameplay and gameplay objects, head down to a later post below.

Overview

EXPERIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Experience all the ups and downs of high school. Attend classes in person, get to know your teachers, hang out in the cafeteria, and even decorate your locker! Your most treasured moments might happen while loitering around with your friends after school.

ICONIC TEEN MOMENTS
Dance the night away at prom and celebrate your graduation ceremony with family and friends (if you keep up with your schoolwork!). In addition to those big moments, Sims can make lifelong friends, be asked out by other teens, participate in after-school activities and teams, and experience the rollercoaster of puberty.

SHAKE THINGS UP
High school is a time of self-discovery! Find the confidence to ask your crush out or the guts to skip class (don’t let the principal catch you). Teen Sims will explore their own likes and dislikes, and have new opportunities to cause mischief. Pranks and sneaking out after dark can have consequences, so be careful you don’t get caught.

EXPLORE YOUR STYLES
... plan outfits with clothes designed by Depop sellers, and become a Simfluencer! Teen Sims can earn money by selling outfits and hyping up looks they design on Trendi right from their bedrooms, which are now more interactive than ever. Use a laptop, read a book in bed, or even have a pillow fight! - preorder page

The Copperdale Womp Womps (Whomp Whomps?)

School nickname:

Go Copperdale Womp Womps! - blog

Credits for Whomp Whomp design: https://twitter.com/SimGuruSalo/status/1542549224704704512
Its name is Frank?? https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1542546589029236736


The High School Day

During school hours, Sims attend class, hang out with friends, have lunch in the cafeteria, take weekly exams, and hopefully avoid being scolded by the principal who patrols the halls! - blog

Orientation can include selecting your own locker. School includes classes and exams. Getting lunch in the lunch room is shown. Students can get detention and be expelled. - Molly's Instagram post

- can go to school with multiple Sims in a household, not only one at a time; can pick to follow only some Teens; can send to school without following
- not built on active career base; all new
- design is Art Deco, but you can rebuild from scratch
- prom, career day, graduation take place in the Auditorium
- the T-Pose Challenge is a thing
- lockers can be decorated with a range of themes, buy a football there, freshen up, eat an apple, etc.
- bell rings a few minutes before class
- two classes per day in set subjects; can gain skill
- graduation isn’t guaranteed; you can drop out too
- if you don’t graduate, you could be locked out of some careers, might not be able to attend university, but you could get in on a skill, for example
- cafeteria food can be purchased
- wide range of pranks and skipping class can get you in trouble
- students from all worlds go to this high school
- there is an exam day
--- livestream


After School/Extracurricular Activities

After school, students can participate in activities like football, cheerleading, chess, and computer clubs, go to events like the science fair, or head home to their poster-filled bedroom to complete their homework.

In terms of extracurriculars, teen Sims can join an after-school club or team like football or cheer, practice these skill related activities, participate in competitions, and experience the highs and lows of winning and losing alongside your teammates. - blog

shown in the trailer: cheerleading, American football

Cheerleading, Football, Chess, and Computer Clubs: https://twitter.com/TheSims/status/1544748232147980290

Livestreaming is an activity done at home. There is competition within the after-school activities. - Sidney's Instagram post

- clubs set up outside after school; can also join in career menu
- solo and group cheers; can practise the solo cheers
- you get a rival on the team
--- livestream

What's the T-pose challenge? It looks like this!
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1548103111629123584
https://twitter.com/GrimSuruDoi/status/1548112041012973571

Major School Events

Prom

You’ll be able to customize every aspect of your Sim’s prom, beginning with prom preparation and the event itself. Sims can go solo, ask someone to the prom, go with friends, or skip out altogether. From there, players can dive into the details including creating and presenting a promposal sign, selecting outfits, having friends over to get ready, and voting for prom royalty. Players can also plan out their dance routines, music, snacks, and more. How a Sim prepares for and participates in prom will impact their relationships going forward! - blog

You can pick your own prom outfit.- Ash's Instagram post


- event with scoring
- Teens can couple-dance
- vote for prom jester & royalty at the prom
--- livestream

Can we go to prom only once? https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1548112417795624962
Why is prom every Saturday? https://dl.dropbox.com/s/o6dps3ij0agthfn/Screenshot%202022-07-16%20125910.png?dl=0
Do I have to go to prom? No! https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1548136848710504449


Graduation

Sims can prepare before the main event by inviting guests, deciding their outfit, and acquiring gifts for friends and teachers. All the decisions your Sim has made throughout their high school journey will impact how their graduation plays out. Sims can choose whether or not they attend, but they won’t be invited to graduate if their grades don’t meet the mark! - blog

How long is a school year? One Teen lifespan https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1548572014398431234

Pranks and Mischief/Sneaking Out

Mark up the whiteboard, leave a stink capsule in your classmate’s locker, or mess with the school’s PA system, but don’t get caught! Successfully pranking other Sims will increase your mischief skill, but being discovered will have consequences on relationships, as well as lead to trust issues. - blog

Need to sneak out of the house after curfew? Sims can exit the house via The E window and trellis ladder, and climb down the side of a house. - blog

- you will sometimes get an event call
- if parents say you can’t go, you can sneak out with or without the window
- can use the window as a regular door too
- you can get caught sneaking out
--- livestream



Crushes and Relationships

You’ll even have the opportunity to navigate through the challenges and joys of young love, whether it’s the blissfulness of the crush stage, or the woes of a teenage breakup. - blog

“Relationship Economy” (internal name) can lead to more drama
--- livestream


Puberty and Self-Discovery

Teen years and high school are the launching points for self-discovery. Creating even more ways for Sims to explore their identities, a free base game update will go live alongside the release of High School Years, introducing an additional new feature that will add more choice and opportunity for discovery to your Sims’ lives.

The free base game update will also introduce body hair. For those with the High School Years Expansion Pack, Sims will be able to groom and trim their body hair’s natural growth over time, celebrating that transition through puberty. - blog

Sims can treat their acne - Kevin's Instagram post


Traits

New trait: Socially Awkward - Kevin's Instagram post
How is Socially Awkward different from Loner? https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1548044269792874498

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WORLD (COPPERDALE) AND AMUSEMENT PARK GAMEPLAY


World with lot size, please? From a Maxis designer:
https://twitter.com/Mattnetic/status/1548013081652912133/photo/1

Build Collaborations
SImmer-built lots:

We are so proud of our community creators and the seven lots they built in Copperdale, including MsGryphi, who built ThrifTea–the thrift store and local boba hangout, xfreezerbunnyx, who built the library, and JOL1990, who built the high school principal’s old money mansion. - blog

Other Collaborations:

Take pictures of your Sims’ new outfits at the mural from artist Monica Ahanonu, displayed on the side of ThrifTea, drawing inspiration from The Sims x Depop collaboration. - blog

The World
Copperdale, an old mining town
3 neighbourhoods:
1. School & Auditorium
2. Prescott Square
- two families live there, Ash and Noah’s family, a blended family, one works at school caf
- Prescotts include Molly and her mom the principal
- Thriftea store and Library
- Simmers made families as well as lots
3. Plubmite Cove
- Plumbite Pier has the rides; can ride alone or with friends or “do other slightly risque things in them”
- one lot is rental, swimming hole near there
- Price household, incl. Kevin, a foreign exchange student in lore, and “hopeless romantic”, and Sidney, popular kid exploring bisexuality and cheerleading, and Savannah, asexual “stream queen”
- park and world area by tunnel have hangout areas
- water around pier is swimmable
There’s an urban myth about a pond, and you can test it out.

--- livestream



The School
The school building is fully customizable: https://twitter.com/TheSims/status/1542525416535105536



Plumbite Pier/Amusement Park

Plumbite Pier is the perfect date spot! There is an amusement park with a haunted house, tunnel of love, a ferris wheel, and a photobooth for memories! - blog

Is the Ferris Wheel a new Woohoo Spot? Yes! https://twitter.com/TheSims/status/1542541510784303106

Can amusement park rides be put on other lots? No:
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1543727062791229440

- You can be banned from a ride
--- livestream


Other Lots (For the Thriftea store, keep scrolling)

Lot pics: https://twitter.com/SimGuruAsh/status/1542540105486942209

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CAS AND THRIFTEA GAMEPLAY

CAS
- CAS is broad to capture wide range of what teens’ might wear.
- Some pieces are unlocked in gameplay
--- livestream

The cheerleader uniforms are not all shiny.
https://twitter.com/SimGuruSalo/status/1547251015795105792

Body Hair

The free base game update will also introduce body hair. For those with the High School Years Expansion Pack, Sims will be able to groom and trim their body hair’s natural growth over time, celebrating that transition through puberty. - blog

Shown in the trailer: shaving

- some options are pack-only; others are patched in
- body hair growth is pack-only
- can shave, and specify where
- can shave a beard right off or just partly
--- livestream

Can female and feminine-framed Sims have body hair? Yes! https://twitter.com/SimGuruFrost/status/1542584037117612033 https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1542550893148549123

Can feminine-frame Sims have facial hair? Yes, if they're male:
https://twitter.com/TheHenfordHen/status/1549345337638354944

Acne
- Tackled “in a lighter way”
- Breakouts happen
- No doctor visits, topical scrubs, but clean your face
--- livestream

4 new Aspirations, Teen-only
- unique reward trait for each
- Live Fast, Admired Icon, Goal Oriented… & one more I missed
--- livestream

new Likes & Dislikes: Fashion
--- livestream

new Trait: Socially Awkward
- comfortable with close friends
--- livestream
How is Socially Awkward different from Loner? https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1548044269792874498


Thiftea

... collaboration with Depop, the circular fashion marketplace app where the next generation comes to discover unique items. Sims can discover clothing items designed by real-world Depop sellers Jeremy Salazar, Sha’an D’Antes, Lapoze McTribouy, Selena Williams and Bella McFadden in-game at the local thrift store and boba hangout, ThrifTea, and earn Simoleons by selling outfits they curate and hype on the new in-game Trendi app and become a “Simfluencer” in the process. - blog

Yes, the clothing place also is a boba tea place: https://twitter.com/GrimSuruDoi/status/1542531384652070912

Sims will be able to hype up their favorite to increase the value of the outfit, and earn Simoleons by selling outfits they curate on the new in-game Trendi app, and become a “Simfluencer” in the process. - Depop blog

- what’s available in the store to make a look out of rotates
- from the clothes rack, put an outfit together with the options in CAS
- “You … have agency here to affect how the world looks”
- outfit is in your personal storage; you put it on from there
--- livestream

Can we use the boba tea anywhere? Yes! https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1548056556758900737


Trendi

The Trendi app has analytics that tell you what trends are high and low. Trends have names, like Streetwear and Vaporware. You can buy outfits on Trendi. You can sell styles you create on Trendi, and set your price. You can also gift them, name them, and favorite them. Other Sims can buy and wear the outfit. Sometimes a "Trendsetter" will do that. - Ash's post

- can see what’s trending in Trendi Analytics, and browse on your phone to buy
- if outfit sells, you mail it to the buyer
- can resell an outfit you buy
- outfits on Trendi also regularly change
--- livestream


CAS collaboration
Depop collaboration blog:
Thrifty and Thriving in The Sims 4 High School Years Expansion Pack: You Make The Sims™ with Depop Sellers
https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/ymts-depop-sellers

The Sims and Depop worked with five creative individuals who create and sell clothes on Depop, the fashion marketplace app reshaping the way fashion is made. These sellers collaborated with The Sims to design new original in-game fashion items, which players can purchase for their teen Sims in the game’s local thrift store and boba hangout, ThriftTea...

...Depop sellers include US-based Bella McFadden (@internetgirl), with her pinstripe capri pants and a custom beaded necklace, and Jeremy Salazar (@happyxloco) who has designed a selection of graffiti-inspired jackets and sweatshirts in his signature style. British sellers Selena Williams (@Selenasshop) and Lapoze McTribouy of Sooki Sooki Vintage (@judaku) have also created items, including Y2K-inspired flared jeans and a red cropped corset, and Australian seller Sha’an d’Anthes (@furrylittlepeach) illustrated pieces inspired by her IRL collection. - Depop blog

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BUILD/BUY AND GAMEPLAY OBJECTS

New Bed Functions

Sims now able to sit crossed-legged on the bed together and have pillow fights. - blog

Curved Walls
- to be patched in: curved-wall rooms
- many but not all doors and windows will work on the curved wall
- can filter to which ones work
- 4 new curved windows are unique to the pack
--- livestream
Curved pools too? No.
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1549148664349700096


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PATCH: Sexual Orientation in CAS
- romantic attraction to men or women or neither; exploring romantically? yes/no (open to changing orientation); mess-around interest with men or women or neither
- not a finished system but intend to develop further
- why gender binary? technically, needs further changes to the 8-year-old game to remove that
- can change settings at any time
- can ask other Sims about their orientation
- default is no romantic attraction, exploring romantically, interested in either gender - how the base is before this patch, but now visible
--- livestream

Interviews about the sexual orientation patch: https://twitter.com/simgurujessica/status/1548118954433843207
https://twitter.com/simgurujessica/status/1548118664737460230

and blog post https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/sexual-orientation-in-the-sims-4


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PATCH: Wants & Fears system
- will work differently from before
- some Wants & Fears will be pack-specific
- long-term, short-term, & reactionary (situational, e.g. go to gym & might want to then work out)
- related to Traits
- you can get a note suggesting that it’s a good day to confront a fear
- if you fear fires & fight one, you might conquer that fear; or you might never conquer a particular fear
--- livestream


Do we have to use Wants and Fears? No! https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1548106240567361540
How many are there? Lots! https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1548063111868866561

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MISCELLANEOUS

Premades

Molly is a descendant of the town founder:
https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1546546310190223360
and the daughter of the principal - Molly's Instagram post

Sidney has a sister, Savannah - Sidney's Instagram post
They're twins:
https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1546901095041024000

Ash and Noah are step-siblings
https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1547265059751047172

This doesn't mean that CAS relationships were updated
https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1547272339355602944

Kevin is Socially Awkward and lives with Sidney and Savannah
https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1547632244042256391

Noah, the trailer Sims, will be on the Gallery:
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1549127745770205184


Social Bunny
Social Bunny is a new social media app. - Sidney's Instagram post

- can post about stuff you’ve just been doing
- other Sims also post, and you can read those (some are cringy, some are in Simlish, some are puns…)
- can respond to posts with freezer bunny emojis
- can DM (friendly/flirty/mean/funny) and tag Sims
--livestream


PATCH: Phone Update
- all old interactions there, but UI changed to be more icon-based
- customization easier & more options
- Teens use phones a lot compared to older Sims now
--livestream


New Deaths
New Deaths? Yes! But not from boba tea https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1548061011562811392


New Careers
Are the new Streamer and Simfluencer careers Teen-only? No! https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1548072372418228226

- there are new lifestyle and gaming streams to watch --livestream
-

Influences
https://twitter.com/SimGuruSalo/status/1542555236274823169
https://twitter.com/SimGuruSalo/status/1542555656711917573


Music
Trailer song:
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1542554967868772352


What's Not in the Pack

Are there cars? No. https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1548057150592757763
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Another expansion pack. Here we go again...

Though participating in these discussions helps me start out the pack with some info I can then use to help other players.

But for now, official community blog! https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/high-school-years-guided-tour

You may read it through, but I'll bring out some interesting info.

• New world: Copperdale. A small town (formerly a mining town) near Lake LaSuli.
  
• Afterschool activities: football and cheer teams, chess and computer clubs.
  
• Science fairs
  
• The place with the amusement park is called Plumbite Pier. It features a haunted house, a tunnel of love, a ferris wheel, and a photo booth.
  
• Body hair comes to the base game! In addition, this pack brings the ability to groom and trim it.
  
• School pranks from stink capsules in someone's locker to messing with the school's PA system.
  
• New E window and trellis ladder, allowing sims to climb out windows and climb down the ladder.
  
• Sims can now sit cross-legged on beds and have pillow fights.
  
• Proms can be customized by the player.
  
• Sims whose grades are bad can't attend graduation caremony.

The livestream takes place on July 15, 2022.

The World
The school building is fully customizable: https://twitter.com/TheSims/status/1542525416535105536

Thriftea
Yes, the clothing place also is a boba tea place: https://twitter.com/GrimSuruDoi/status/1542531384652070912

Credits for Whomp Whomp design: https://twitter.com/SimGuruSalo/status/1542549224704704512
Its name is Frank?? https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1542546589029236736

Lot pics: https://twitter.com/SimGuruAsh/status/1542540105486942209

You'll be able to woohoo in the Ferris Wheel
source: The Sims's twitter account in this thread: https://twitter.com/TheSims/status/1542524507486752770