Q&A: Life & Death
INTRO #AD (just in case this counts as social media) I was invited to join the CFE (not final build) opportunity for Life & Death. Thank you to the EA Creator Network for this chance to answer qu...
Forum Discussion
SOUL'S JOURNEY
What is it?
If you haven't played past Sims games: It shows how satisfying your Sim's life has been thus far, and rewards your Sim for going out and experiencing things rather than sticking to the skill > work > family grind.
It's similar to the Lifetime Aspiration bars of past games, giving passive and active gameplay benefits as you progress. Unlike the Lifetime Aspiration of the past, these are dial-shaped, cover the Afterlife too and filling the metre allows you to be Reborn or Reborn with the Burning Soul trait (more on that below).
What adds to the Soul's Journey metre?
It seems to be fed by anything that give Satisfaction Points, but the biggest contributors are fulfilling Bucket List/Unfinished Business goals - fulfilling one seems to jump the metre to the next reward.
Other things that help fill the metre are:
Other things that help fill the metre are:
• Wants (new Reactive Wants can be generated by getting/giving yourself a Daily/Nightly Tarot Reading)
• Aspiration Milestones
• Holidays (any completed Traditions, so even participating a little helps. Completing NY Resolutions too) [S]
• "Feel the Love" social interaction on Companion pets [C&D]
• Festival Invites (when you get invited out/to Festivals and do the activity at the top-left of the screen) [Various]
Bucket List
Can be completed as a YA+ living/undead Sim, or as a Teen+ Ghost. This is the bulk of the Soul's Journey dial. A Sim's Bucket List has 4 slots, but this doesn't limit them to only 4 goals because as goals get completed (or scrapped), the slots free up and another goal can be added.
Your sim can wait for a slot to auto-fill according to their personality/life experience, or manually add them in a variety of ways. In my experience you might be waiting a while, so make use of the uncategorised/random "Write a goal" to get a head start on your list.
Some examples I rolled on premade Sims:
• Bob Pancakes (Gloomy/Loner/Slob - Married/Childless):
"I've been dreaming of becoming a parent" - Become a Parent (Family goal, related to being Childless)
"Let's go on a snowy escape!" - Spend a day in Mt. Komorebi (All Sims can randomise Travel goals. Maybe we'll get a Reluctant Traveller trait at some point for Sims that don't like it.)
• Eliza Pancakes (Neat/Materialistic/Perfectionist - Married/Childless):
"I'd like to write the greatest book ever" - Reach Writing level 10 and Declare Life's Finest Literary Work (All Sims can randomise Creative goals. Maybe we'll get an Uncreative trait at some point for Sims who won't.)
• Sergio Romeo (Materialistic/Hates Children/Active - Partnered/Childless)
"I want to go on the best date ever!" - Proclaim Best Date Ever while on a Gold level date (Family goal, related to his Partner relationship with Siobhan)
• Joaquin Le Chien (Outgoing/Music Lover/Goofball - Single/Childless):
"I just want to listen to my favourite album while I can!" - Listen to a liked genre of music. (Music Lover trait)
The rewards are as follows:
• The Road Ahead - <SimName>'s journey is just getting started! With this reward tier unlocked, <SimName> receives extra Satisfaction Point* gains! (Note: *+25% SP increase, from anything that gives them, from what I can tell.)
• Making Headway - <SimName> is gaining momentum! With this reward tier unlocked, enjoy extra skill gain bonuses to help them through life!
• Finding Purpose - <SimName>'s hard work pays off! <SimName> will receive bonus gains to their career performance, extra discounts on any computer purchases, as well as access to the Share Soul's Journey social interaction!
• No Regrets - Thanks to <SimName>'s satisfaction, they will enjoy an extended* life as a living Sim. As a ghost, they will also gain the ability to use the Move Onto the Great Beyond interaction on urns or gravestones when it's decided that it's time to permanently leave this world and embrace the next journey with peace and fulfilment. (Note: *Extra days added on to each remaining lifestage.)
• Quite a Journey - What a ride it's been! <SimName> can now leave their lasting mark on the world by gaining the Pass Down* social interaction, as well as the ability to create additional** Heirloom objects. (Note: *Allows you to "pass down" your Bonus Trait to a single sim. **2 additional Heirlooms, bringing the max. to 7 per Sim.)
• Dreams Fulfilled - <SimName> has accomplished so much, but what else is out there to do? This sense of yearning emboldens their spirit with the power to Rebirth. As a ghost, they can choose to Rebirth at anytime by visiting the Baleful Bog* in the Mourningvale neighborhood of Ravenwood, or as a living Sim they will be given the option to Rebirth at the moment of death! (Note: *The pink, glowing, magical lake.)
Unfinished Business
These last rewards can only be complete as a playable Ghost, aged Teen+:
• Newfound Purpose - Death certainly offers a fresh perspective! <SimName> now gains extra Ghost Mastery
experience points!
• The Big Picture - With an unimaginable clarity of life, death, and everything between, <SimName> now has
enhanced stamina when performing Ghost Mastery! <SimName> also acquired the coveted Burning Soul trait! With this trait <SimName> canretain one personality trait from the previous life through the Recall Past Life self-interaction in their next life. Additionally, they will also have access to the Peer into Soul interaction available on mirrors to inherit as many reward traits gained. If <SimName> chooses to be reborn as a younger Sim, certain developmental skills will be instantly unlocked.
Bucket List (and Unfinished Business) Goals
I'm going to need more room, so go to the next post for the list.
Rebirth
Reborn
Rebirth can happen at the end of a Sim's life (as long as they die aged YA+). At the Moment of Death you have the option to become a Playable Ghost, a Free Roaming Ghost (not in household) or to Rebirth. This is the basic version of Rebirth: You become part of a household of your choice, at the age of your choice, with new genetics and family of your choice (or not) and maybe some intense/bizarrely familiar social connections if you meet up with Sims from your past life.
Reborn with the Burning Soul Trait
This is the fun one. If you live out both your Life and then your Death as a playable Ghost, completing your Unfinished Business too, then you earn the Burning Soul trait. This allows you to get a closer connection to you past life, Milestones/Skills, previously earned Reward Traits (either automatically on Rebirth, or as you age up to the Life Stage required for that boost). You even get a CAS trait of your choosing from the prior life-cycle, however you can only redeem it once you reach the appropriate age for it, so couldn't redeem Wise until you became an Elder, for example. This option is also available if you start as, or join the played household as a Ghost (as long as they are Teen+). You have to complete your entire Soul's Journey as a Ghost in this case.
Rebirth Tracker
There's a new element on the Soul's Journey: A phoenix icon with a counter. This tracks the number of times a Sim (or their Soul) has been Reborn.
In the dev livestream they showed that about the last 3 notches on the souls journey were locked while the sim is still living and can only be completed as a ghost. But what if you start as a ghost? Are all of them unlocked? Hope this makes sense! x
They unlock in a set order. The Afterlife unlocks cannot be accessed if you haven't unlocked everything before that. If you start as a Ghost, then nothing is unlocked. You unlock things by gaining Satisfaction Points and filling the metre. Once you unlock Rebirth (which Sims should be striving for before they die), you can start unlocking the rest.
• You can complete your Bucket List Rewards when alive and/or dead, you don't miss out if you die before finishing them.
• You can complete your Unfinished Business Rewards only when dead, so keep playing until the sim dies of old age, or dispose of them early if you are impatient.
You can choose to Rebirth at the end of the Bucket List Rewards (Rebirth unlocked) once you reach it, or finish the Unfinished Business Rewards for Rebirth + Burning Soul trait (which give bonus skills & traits). As a Ghost you also have the additional options to Move On or work towards Resurrection if you decide you don't want to Rebirth after all.
