Q&A: Enchanted by Nature

FAIRY BASSINET, TOMBSTONE & URN

Fairies have both a bassinet to match the whimsical décor (13 swatches, similar to the Spellcaster one, but viney), a custom gravestone with vines growing on it (1 swatch), plus an urn that looks a lot like a fancy perfume bottle, also with vines (also comes in floating variant with life ring):

A Fairy Tombstone (left) and the default swatch of the Fairy Bassinet (right).

A Fairy Urn - also comes in a floating variant with life ring.

NEW GLOBAL GAMEPLAY SYSTEMS

There are new global systems coming with this EP. The bigger systems are Balance & Luck with Ailments being a possible failure state/consequence of those two systems and other factors.


BALANCE
Think of Balance like your Sim's overall mental health. Most of the time it's fine, moods are positive, Sims are productive. However, occasionally things can wrong one after the other and Sims lives cascade into chaos. You can restore Balance in a variety of ways like communing with nature, drinking Elixirs, curing Ailments, or if all else fails, paying a Naturopath to sort it out for you.

Balanced: Keeping needs up and moods positive will keep a Sim Balanced. Benevolent Sim Gods (most players) do this anyway, so this should be your Sim's normal state. 

Imbalanced: A series of bad moods are starting to take a toll on your Sim. Needs may become more challenging, and skills may be harder to learn. Luck may worsen, which could aid a cascade of bad things happening. Effects vary and can change daily.

An example of Imbalance, where Fun is draining faster than it normally would. This Moodlet also shows in the Moodlet bar/stack with other Moodlets, but this icon in the Motives/Needs UI more clearly shows how it's effecting a Sim.

Try to sort out the imbalance now before it gets worse and you end up...

Very Imbalanced: In this state Ailments can manifest on their own, no contagion or malicious actions needed. You can still work your way back to balanced, but it might be harder. Ailments can change daily and can stick around for a while even if Balance is restored.


LUCK
Some days just go better than others. One day you'll get a promotion, find a Rare gem and create your latest Masterpiece. The next you are spoiling breakfast with a fire, failing at romance and finding nothing but Common rocks. Luck is randomised each day, but can also be influenced via...

Balance: As above, keep Balanced to keep your Luck from degrading.

Charms: Lucky Freezer Bunny Foot & Unlucky Cowplant Horns. Can be found whilst Foraging, via Fables, bought from the Apothecary Stall etc. Can be found Charged or Uncharged. Charging requires Fairy Dust and lasts for 2 days. (Note: No Freezer Bunnies or Cowplants were harmed in the making of these Charms).

Elixirs: A single vial of Lucky Liquid improves even the worst day. Single use. Can be made or bought from Apothecary Stall.

Fairy Abilities: Manipulate Luck can be used to improve or worsen luck. The ability has two tiers. Tier 1 can be used on yourself. Tier 2 can be used on other Sims.

Great Gnome & Spruce Almighty: Asking outside forces or a deity for help is an age-old method of trying to improve one's Luck.


AILMENTS
Ailments can be tied to Balance and Luck, but also socialising (they are contagious), locations (Fairy autonomy) and possibly activities or needs. Turning off Balance should reduce the amount of Ailments a Sim gets, as one way to acquire them is through being Very Imbalanced. However a Sim's Luck would just be average with the Luck system off, so you'll have a Normal Luck chance of getting them through other means (Fairy manipulation and via interacting with contagious Sims). Avoiding Everdew will likely help too, as Fairies use their Abilities autonomously there. I've also gotten Ailments twice after sleeping on the ground with low Natural Living skill, so I also think they could be linked to activities and needs.

LIST OF AILMENTS & EFFECTS
This list is from the Fairy Ability to Cure & Inflict Ailments, so may be incomplete:

TREATING AILMENTS
There are multiple ways to treat an Ailment if you get one.

Cures: Can be made with Apothecary skill and correct ingredients or bought from an Apothecary Stall.

Fairy Ability: Fairies can both Inflict and Cure Ailments with a combined Tier 1 Manipulation Ability. Great ability to get to mess with and/or help other Sims, and especially useful in the Naturopath Career as you don't need to have every Cure available.

Time: You can simply wait for an Ailment to run it's course. They are all temporary and non-lethal. Maybe avoid other Sims if you don't want to infect them.

Visit Naturopath: Like with Lifestyle, Grief and Romance Counselling, you can do this via the phone UI. Sim will go into a rabbithole and return cured. This service costs 1,500. There's also a self-interaction, probably only when an Ailment or Imbalance is in progress, though (needs testing).

Visit Naturopath via phone. Costs 1,500 Simoleons.

Alternatively...

Revel in It: Depending on the Sim or current plans, they can also be beneficial. E.G. If you catch Greenie Meanie it would be a good time to avoid Friends & Family and work on the garden instead - fantastic for Loners or Outdoorsy Sims, but horrifying for an Outgoing Sim. Maybe try to spread the love (and the Ailment) to another Sim who will appreciate it by interacting with them.


UPDATED SYSTEMS

WANTS & FEARS
There's many new Wants and an addition to the BG Fears system that's meant to be cross-pack compatible:

Fear of Magic: Sims that have been targeted by malicious occult Abilities can develop a Fear of Magic. Whilst this is in effect they will become Tense or Paranoid around magic use and occult Sims. I haven't triggered this one yet, so will add more info if/when I do.