Great thread!
In my headcanon, the Sims universe (or SimNation) is a scaled down version of our own world where everyone speaks the same language (Simlish) and uses the same currency (Simoleons). So Sims have a world made up of the same countries as our own and the neighbourhoods / worlds / towns we've seen in
The Sims 4 and previous iterations are scaled down Simified versions of real life primary geographic divisions (states, regions, provinces, counties, cantons, municipalities etc). With all the games and all neighbourhoods, I believe we are only seeing a part of the actual Simified "region" and that at some point in the far future, all Sim neighbourhoods could be reintroduced and updated to include an urban area, a suburban area and a rural area (as well as other appropriate geography such as mountains, beaches, deserts etc.) that can closer mirror the real life division with the Sims own crazy spin on it, of course!
I know it's possible to pick holes in all of this but this is how I think when I sit down to play
The Sims. I was against
The Sims taking place in anything resembling our real world initially but I think
The Sims 3: World Adventures did such a wonderful job of making China, Egypt and France feel very atmospheric and different from each other and the mostly Americanised neighbourhoods in the other games. On a purely aesthetic level, they managed to do this really well with later
The Sims 3 worlds such as Sunlit Tides, Monte Vista and Aurora Skies.
While I do see each world introduced in
The Sims series as bigger than presented due to the technological limitations we have now (looking at
The Sims 4 in particular), I do still see the Sims neighbourhoods as being much smaller and closer together than those in the real world so while the Sims neighbourhoods are roughly similar to their real life equivalents in terms of placement, it would take quarter of the time or less to travel between neighbourhoods.
So what do I think are closest equivalents of Sims worlds to real world geographic divisions? Well, I'm going to run through it now. I'll start with
The Sims 4 but I'll also talk about
The Sims 3 and
The Sims 2 neighbourhoods. I'm not going to make a real life equivalency between
The Sims 1 neighbourhoods and the real world as all the neighbourhoods don't have specific names and are supposed to have a more universal feel before the more specifically themed neighbourhoods, especially with
The Sims 3 and
The Sims 4.
I will talk through why I chose real life equivalents for
The Sims, based on my knowledge of geography and culture. If I am out of touch, please feel free to correct me or offer up your own ideas.
SIMS 4 NEIGHBOURHOODS
- Willow Creek, Newcrest and Magnolia Cresent: I blended these three together because they have the same look and aesthetic. I'm also secretly hoping that the developers will do what they did with the original Sims game and expand The Sims 4 tiny neighbourhoods into larger ones. The real life equivalent I've chosen for these three neighbourhoods is North Carolina, USA due to its scenic Southern setting, tram system and clean look, different from the more rugged Louisiana setting which was an inspiration for the developers. The town of Sylva, North Carolina - featured in the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri stands out to me when I think of Willow Creek.
- Oasis Springs: With its desert setting, mountain and canyon feel, blow up dinosaurs and practical and Spanish themed homes, I think of Arizona, USA. It could, of course, be Australia or Mexico but most of the neighbourhoods in The Sims games feel American.
- Windenburg: This has a couple of different European influences but the townscape is very much inspired by Bavaria, Germany. The "ocean" in Windenburg I imagine as a large lake to closer match Bavaria's geography and the Chiemsee lake there is host to many islands. There is also a town named Windenberg in the state of Bavaria.
- San Myshuno:: I know a number of cities served as inspiration for San Myshuno including San Francisco, Tokyo, Sydney and Vancouver. The cityscape from a distance looks like one of the fast growing Asian cities like Hong Kong or Singapore. However, the architecture, diverse districts, diverse people and bridges look decidedly like New York, USA. Singapore is very diverse too but the architecture in the Spice Districts and Arts Quarter don't match Singapore. Hong Kong and Tokyo aren't particularly diverse when it comes to people whereas developers really wanted to push diversity with San Myshuno.
- Brindleton Bay: The New England architecture, fishing culture and beaches make this the closest real life equivalent to Maine, USA.
- Forgotten Hollow: I'm going to move away from the USA with my next headcanon. While the architecture doesn't quite match, I always think of Forgotten Hollow as a small Simified version of Brașov County, Romania. This is in part due to the surrounding mountains, streams, forests and wilder rugged setting but a big part of my perception comes from the legend of Dracula. Romania's Bran Castle (also known as Dracula's castle) is located in Brașov County and is a popular tourist attraction. When I think of Vlad, I think of Dracula and treat Forgotten Hollow (somewhat stereotypically...apologies to any Romanians) as a Romanian neighbourhood.
- Granite Falls: I see this as somewhat equivalent to British Columbia, Canada. Namely, as it would fit in well with rural mountainous north-western Canada, the theme of bears and gophers, a "vacation destination" from the Americanised neighbourhoods and the fact that a real life Granite Falls exists in the Indian Arm valley in British Columbia.
- Selvadorada: With its distinct Latin American look and Selvadorada almost being an anagram of El Salvador, I believe Selvadorada to be similar to Ahuachapán, El Salvador. This real life place is home to the Impossible El Salvador National Park (similar to the jungles of Selvadorada) and the Cara Sucia ancient Mayan city (similar to the ruins in Selvadorada).
Sylvan Glade, Forgotten Grotto, Deep Woods and Sixam are portals to fantasy dimensions and other planets. Sylvan Glade and Sixam are accessible from Willow Creek / Magnolia Promenade / Newcrest (my North Carolina) while Forgotten Hollow is accessible from Oasis Springs (my Arizona) and Deep Woods is accessible from Granite Falls (my British Columbia).
SIMS 3 NEIGHBOURHOODS
- Sunset Valley: The Sims 3: Seasons trailers painted Sunset Valley as a town with a temperate climate. With a name like Sunset Valley, this seems to imply that this region is in the west. I always think of it as a scaled down version of Oregon, USA. I know that the western states in the US tend to be pretty big with diverse ecosystems but Sunset Valley's clear four seasons and physical geography seem to best match Oregon.
- Riverview: Riverview is located on the Simomon River, which seems to be a play on the Sangamon River in Illinois, USA. The central part of Illinois is heavily agricultural while southern Illinois is on the Mississippi River so the wide tributaries and agricultural lands would fit Riverview nicely.
- Shang Simla:: We know this is explicitly in China. As the Great Wall of China appears in Shang Simla and we have something similar to the Forbidden City (surrounded by mostly rural land unlike the real thing), in my headcanon, Shang Simla is a small Simifed part of Beijing, China. The most touristy parts of the Great Wall of China are located on the outskirts of Beijing.
- Al Simhara:: We know this is explicitly in Egypt. Al Simhara includes Great Pyramids has a Great Sphinx and Great Pyramid so it's based on the governorate of Giza, Egypt.
- Champs Les Sims:: We know this is explicitly in France. You can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance from this neighbourhood so I'm going to say Champs Les Sims is a rural part of a Simified version of the region of Île-de-France, France.
- Twinbrook:: DeAndre Wolfe of Twinbrook's biography states that he grew up in Simisouri. With it's swampy topography and slightly grittier look, I believe Twinbrook's closest real-life equivalent is Missouri, USA.
- Barnacle Bay:: In my head, Barnacle Bay is part of a Simified South Carolina, USA. The pirate background would fit as does the American style architecture. South Carolina is home to many off the coast islands so this would also work for Barnacle Bay.
- Bridgeport:: There is a prominent city in Connecticut called Bridgeport but it doesn't match the cityscape of the Bridgeport in The Sims 3: Late Night. Fans have compared it to New York and Chicago but the developers have stated they had Pittsburgh in mind when creating Bridgeport. That's good enough for me. I see Bridgeport as part of a Simified version of Pennsylvania, USA.
- Hidden Springs:: I think of Hidden Springs as being a Simified version of Gamprin, Liechtenstein. In my headcanon, I choose this area as Liechtenstein is a tiny royal principality (matching the royals in Hidden Springs), nestled near the Alps with lush green landscapes and been somewhat secretive like their neighbours Switzerland. I chose Gamprin because this is the only municipality in Liechtenstein near the lake and Hidden Springs is surrounded by a large lake.
- Appaloosa Plains:: The appaloosa horse is the official horse of Idaho, USA. The mountains, rural townscape and beautiful autumnal trees all fit in well with Idaho.
- Starlight Shores:: This is very clearly based on Hollywood / Beverly Hills so therefore my headcanon is that Starlight Shores is the Simified California, USA. (I know there's more to California than Los Angeles / Beverly Hills / Hollywood but I do treat these Sims towns as just small aspects of bigger unseen worlds that we haven't seen yet).
- Lucky Palms:: With its emphasis on gambling and desert setting, this is very much based on Las Vegas. Once again, I'm sure there's more to Nevada than Las Vegas but Lucky Palms in my head is the Sim version of Nevada, USA.
- Sunlit Tides:: I see Sunlit Tides as a Simified version of Hawaii, USA. This is based on the tropical island location, the volcanoes, the Pacific Island architecture, the American names of the premade Sims on the island and it being a popular honeymoon destination for Americans, which is what I see Daniel and Mary Sue Pleasant being and doing in my game.
- Moonlight Falls:: The developers have said this is based on the Pacific Northwest. Seeing as it has a misty gloomy climate and mountains on its outskirts, I'm placing Moonlight Falls in Washington, USA. This matches the architecture and lines up with Twilight still being a pretty big deal in pop culture at the time.
- Monte Vista:: Monte Vista is clearly inspired by Italy, particularly the walled city of Monteriggioni. Monteriggioni is based in Tuscany, Italy. Tuscany's stunning countryside and its placement on the north-west coast of Italy also matches Monte Vista.
- Aurora Skies:: We know this in a location that has the northern lights. The developers were inspired by Iceland specifically as evidenced by the glacial landscapes, colourful roofs and boxy houses. The town has many similarities with Reykjavík so I'm going to say Aurora Skies is located in the Capital Region, Iceland.
- Isla Paradiso:: Based on its Italian / Spanish inspired name, in my headcanon, Isla Paradiso is located on a Spanish speaking Caribbean island. I'm thinking of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic due to its resorts and historical, Spanish themed centres.
- Oasis Landing:: Obviously, this world takes place in the far future and doesn't resemble any true real life region on Earth at the moment. However, The Sims 3: Into the Future does have a couple of Hunger Game references and the characters look like that franchise's crazy Capitol residents. Hunger Games fans speculate that Panem is located in what was once Salt Lake City so I'm happy to place this in Utah, USA.
- Roaring Heights:: This retro-themed neighbourhood has a couple of different references but it reminds me of Miami when I play so therefore I see this place as being a part of a Sim version of Florida, USA.
Lunar Lakes, Dragon Valley and Midnight Hollow take place on other planets in the case of the first and mythical worlds in the case of the latter two. I like to think of Lunar Lakes is a secret planet accessible through Strangetown (my New Mexico, USA). It would explain the dead Bella on that planet (my theory is that aliens have cloned Bella multiple times over and over so many versions of her can appear in all the Sims games and on different planets - hence why a version exists of her in Pleasantview and in Strangetown in The Sims 2). Dragon Valley is accessible from an as yet unseen Irish neighbourhood (based on the names of the characters - this Irish themed neighbourhood would be based on Meath, Ireland where the fokloric Hill of Tara and ancient monument Newgrange is located). Midnight Hollow would be accessible through a portal in Forgotten Hollow (my Brașov County, Romania). Sims University has a New England vibe. I think it was inspired by Brown University so I see Sims University as being a part of a yet unrevealed larger town inspired by Rhode Island, USA.
SIMS 2 NEIGHBOURHOODS
- Pleasantview: With The Sims 2, the neighbourhoods are often aesthetically a bit more generic looking but I still like to speculate on their location based on the few vague details we do get. Pleasantview's emphasis is on its colourful, soap-opera style characters but I place it in my headcanon as part of a Simified version of Michigan, USA. I base this mostly on subjective reasons. Some American shows I watched growing up like Freaks and Geeks, Home Improvement, Sister, Sister and 8 Simple Rules were set in Michigan and those shows have similar feelings I have when playing Pleasantview in The Sims 2. There is also a township in Michigan called Pleasantview as well as a Lake Pleasant. The bridge connecting out of Pleasantview into an unseen part of the town also makes me think of the bridge connecting Lower Michigan from Upper Michigan.
- Strangetown: I see Strangetown as a very weird part of a Simified New Mexico, USA. This makes sense because of its desert setting and the UFO sightings that have been reported in New Mexico, particularly the Roswell incident. I think aliens would fit in well in New Mexico as well as Strangetown.
- Veronaville: The obvious one here would be to pick the Veneto region of Italy, as it contains the city of Verona (a city that really plays on the Romeo and Juliet angle). I initially went with this idea too but the geography and architecture of Veronaville in The Sims 2 is more reminiscent of Stratford upon Avon in the UK, birthplace of William Shakespeare himself. Therefore, I see Veronaville as a part of Staffordshire, England rather than Veneto, Italy. You don't really find Tudor architecture in Italy and it's more believable to me that some English property developer would develop Italian style developments in the English countryside to try and give a rural English town a more "exotic look".
- Riverblossom Hills: Riverblossom Hills is also fairly generic. However, using similar logic, to Pleasantview, the bridge connecting two parts of the town over a large of body of water makes me think of a real life region with two distinctive parts. It also not having a summer by default makes me think of it being fairly far north. Using this flawed logic, I think of Riverblossom Hills being a a part of a Sim version of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
- Desiderata Valley: This is another very generic neighbourhood. It has a similar look to Pleasantview which makes me think it's not far. There's a train overpass near the town and smog coming in from a distance probably larger city (perhaps a Simified version of Indianapolis). The poem Desiderata Valley is written by Max Ehrmann, who is a native of Indiana. For this very basic reason, I'm placing Desiderata Valley in Indiana, USA.
- Belladonna Cove: With a Bella Goth standing in the river holding a Plumbob looking like the Statue of Liberty and some of the location names, this is probably supposed to be the Sim version of New York. However, I feel San Myshuno better suits this (however, imperfectly) and Belladonna Cove despite the limitations of The Sims 2 never feels like a megacity enough to be the Sim version of NY. I know New York is a huge state that's more than just the city and that New York City has more suburban regions, such as Staten Island which looks out on the Statue of Liberty. That being said, I get a more New Jersey, USA vibe when I play Belladonna Cove. This state also looks out on the Statue of Liberty and has a more low key, industrial look than the booming metropolis of New York City. I understand that this is a very flawed argument however so come at me if you think Belladonna Cove deserves to be known as the Sim version of New York.
- Three Lakes: There are various clues in this neighbourhood that suggest its in Canada. The geography would match and there is a Three Lakes National Park in Canada that covers British Columbia and Alberta. As Granite Falls, in my head, is the Sim version of British Columbia, I'm placing Three Lakes as a part of a Sim version of Alberta, Canada.
- Takemizu Village: Takemizu means "bamboo water" in Japan. As there is a famous bamboo forest and nearby temples in the area, I think Takemizu Village is inspired by Arashiyama in Kyoto, Japan.
- Twikki Island: With its similar sound to tiki and the different types of hula dancing, I think of Twikki Island as being in the Pacific. Due to its touristy nature, turquoise waters and shipwrecks, I think of it as similar to Tahiti in the Windward Islands, French Polynesia, a territory of France in the Pacific.
- Bluewater Village: is obviously just supposed to be a generic subhood but as it has a proper name, I'm going to say it's part of a Simified version of Georgia, USA. I base this on the Georgia coast and the famous Georgia shopping area around Broughton Street.
The three university neighbourhoods that come with The Sims 2: University, I consider Sim State University to be somewhat similar to Harvard so its part of a Sim version of a Massachusetts, USA neighbourhood. As La Fiesta Tech has a frat and sorority (something pretty much exclusive to the US) and is located in a desert region with Spanish influences, I'm placing in part of a town based on Texas, USA. Académie le Tour with its French name and lack of sororities and fraternities is based in France, in my mind. As the town the university is in also contains a music hall and open amphitheatre, this shares similarities with Lyon. Therefore, I see Académie le Tour as being a part of an area based on Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
As far as the secret lots and Downtown area of
The Sims 2 and all neighbourhoods in the original Sims are concerned; these aren't really meant to be anywhere specific as they all go by unspecific names like Downtown, Old Town, Neighbourhood 1 so I essentially treat these as anything or extensions of the main neighbourhood.
What do you guys think of my very geeky overview of the various Sims neighbourhoods? I should specify this all just stuff I have in my head when I'm playing the game but I try to base it off real geography and general vibe I get when playing the neighbourhoods. However, I'm not from any of the locations mentioned above so if you have more familiarity with these areas, feel free to correct me or offer up your own theories. :smiley:
