Simming Tips, Tricks, and Curiosities

Simming Tips #9: Of Bats And Vampires

This pack was so thorough, I could argue that outside of a few extras, some reminders, and what I'm about to divulge, the game tells you everything you need to know, and will repeat it if you need. If you're looking for the "Beginner's Guide To People With Incredibly Sharp Canines", I would like to direct you to 3 places:

• The Computer - Simply search for info about vampires, read the notifications, and move on to #2.
  
• The Encyclopedia Vampirica - This 4 volume series of vampiric lore tells you practically everything (and some fluff) in the notifications that pop up, all whilst teaching you to make plasma packs, garlic crafts, and bar drinks that'll either help or deter vampires.
  
• Vlad - Yes, that call he makes the first time you pop up a fledgling fresh off of CAS (or as a sim in-transition after a bit of "wrist action" with another vampire) is not only helpful in learning vampire lore (as in gaining the skill), but also informs you of some vampiric mechanics as well. He'll even send over a few packs (if you're a vampire) to start you off. He then calls 3 more times (once a night), each time upping your lore skill, as well as giving more mechanics info. The final call is just to congratulate you and ask if you want him to pop over for training (good for those "homebody" vampires).
  

Note: The top option is what you want. The bottom option tells him to take his tidbits elsewhere.

Now for the main event:
1- Infinite Potential - The leveling and power system for vampires is and was the best occult system around. It worked with the sheer customisability of the lifestate, and made the grind worthwhile and flexible in its operation. Should one want to cheese the system, however, there are two ways to do so: "Search for Information on Vampires" and the "Ultimate Vampire Tome". Both of these methods work indefinitely, meaning that should you so desire, you can rank up to (and past) Grand Master, obtaining all of the powers you like.

2 - What Is Dead May Never Die...At Least By Normal Means - Vampires are immune to just under half of the current in-game deaths. I have documented what can (and cannot) kill them here. Suffice it to say that it takes a spectacle to kill a vampire...but that just means fate will have to try harder.

3 - Dark Form? What Dark Form? - Vampires are the only occult (thus far) to not only have an alternate form that can be un/linked in CAS (with a multitude of checkbox options using the 3 dots), but can also be deleted. Simply go into said form, then click the X in the corner of the portrait. When next generated, the dark form will perfectly match the normal form.
Notes:

• Changing into one's dark form also counts towards the "Wear Costumes" holiday tradition.
  
• Born vampires' dark forms are based upon their parents' (the genetics carry over, just like their normal form).
  

4 - I See Garlic Breath... - Vampires are the only lifestate that can see a stench emanating from garlic, be it planted or hung. This stench is similar to that of spoilt food. This rings true, even for "Garlic Immune" vampires.

5a - Look Who's Coming To Dinner - The 'Vampire Nexus' lot trait makes it so you can make anywhere your "Forgotten Hollow away from Forgotten Hollow" (minus everything that makes FH unique) by drawing vampires to the neighborhood, and your door. Granted, you may not see more than one or two here and there, but it works. Alternatively, you could just befriend a bunch of vampires, then watch them turn up at your door one by one.

5b - Aww, it's a...bat? - With the 'On a Dark Ley Line' lot trait, any sim couple (of any species) can add a little biter to the family. I found that if an alien was only one half of the couple (the other being mortal), then the hybrid would just be a brightly-coloured vampire (since hybrids were never truly aliens). For every other occult, I found that this lot trait created hybrid vampire-s with missing functionality from one or both sides of the Vamily. Oh, and you'll also get a sweet vampire baby bassinet.

5c - Government Assistance - Unlike signing up for actual government assistance, the 'Registered Vampire Lair' lot is a one-second sign-up for the Vampire Council to send anything from garlic crafts (readymade) to the Encyclopedia Vampirica. I myself have seen Plasma Fruit, plasma packs, Wolfsbane, Sixam Mosquito Traps, frog packs, fish packs, garlic braids, the Encyclopedia Vol 1, and garlic. It may only come around once per week, but it does come...unlike actual government assistance.

6 - War Ready - Vampires, when enraged, change into their dark form autonomously, then seek out the nearest mortal to feed on (even if at full thirst). The same occurs when at critical low thirst. Talk about "intimidation tactics".

7 - Intervention Time - Only at "best friends" status can a sim "offer to cure" a vampire (with the cure in their inventory). This will provide the vampire with a happy moodlet when cured, rather than the sad one from being "slain" through combat. We love you and want what's best for you.

8 - Keep an umbrella handy - With Seasons, vampires began using umbrellas autonomously to block out the sun (only if they aren't immune). If a vampire does not have one on-hand, they will burn (so buy an umbrella stand and pick out your favourite). Sometimes they will burn even with it open - in this case, all that has to be done is for the vampire to close and re-open it.

9 - Just Need Something To Take The Edge Off - The need for plasma is not a measure to stave off death, but rather to prevent the effects of a cyclical addiction. Whether inclined to the thrill of hunting another sim, adamant regarding consensual imbibement, particular about not sinking one's fangs into flesh, or more inclined to the ruse of mortality, there are some things to consider that can help to structure one's nocturnal diet:

• A sim that has been drained cannot be drained again until the relevant uncomfortable moodlet has passed. To circumvent this, any method that removes uncomfortable moodlets can be used to eliminate the cooldown (i.e. a mud bath (Spa Day)).
  
• If a vampire communes with an Island Spirit on a lot with the "Island Spirits" lot trait, then they have a chance of receiving the +1 Happy moodlet, "Island Abundance", which locks their thirst at max for the duration of the moodlet itself.
  
• Per the normal decay rate of thirst (which does not change based on ranking), thirst takes around 36 hours to fully deplete to the point of pushing a vampire to "drink uncontrollably". Based on my testing, the amount of plasma it takes to reach full satiation is as follows (keep in mind that this is regardless of how much each method does, but rather how much it takes to complete the bar, give or take):
  
  
  
  • Plasma Fruit: 11.
    
  • Fish: 8-9 packs.
    
  • Plasma Jane: 8 glasses.
    
  • Plasma Salad: 8 servings.
    
  • Frogs: 8 packs.
    
  • Medical Packs: 5-6 packs.
    
  • Small Drink: 4 drinks.
    
  • Ask permission: 3 drinks.
    
  • Drink Deeply: 2 drinks.
    
  
  
• Certain activities and effects can speed up the thirst motive's decline:
  
  
  
  • Rock Climbing.
    
  
  
• It's in the blood - If an infected sim (Strangerville) is bitten, the vampire will contract the infection.
  
  Spoiler

  
  Yeah...no.
  https://i.imgur.com/8Nb4XDs.png
  
  
  
• Vampires cannot drink from ghosts - The options won't even appear.
  
• Vampire cannot drink from one another - In case you hadn't already attempted it.
  

10 - Like Fine Wine - "Divine Drink" is a secondary (somewhat rare) happy moodlet that can appear alongside the "Sanguinary Satisfaction" one. This is derived from random sims, and the selection thereof has no discernible reason or rhyme to it (thus far). Also, a sim that gives the moodlet in one save, may not in another.

11 - A Drain On Resources - Vampires can use their targeted powers on any sim they set their sights on, but there are some caveats:

• Grim is off-limits - Should one try to cast anything but 'Emotional Influence' or 'Alluring Visage' on The Reaper, one will be met with greyed out options and a message that he is "controlled by forces you cannot meddle with" (something along those lines). Should you try and bite him...
  
  Spoiler

  
  https://i.imgur.com/I6Eia3W.png
  That...actually makes sense.
  
  
  
• Sims can resist being bitten/affected by abilities - This grants them a 2-hour reprieve from being targeted again. I've found this happens more often when low on vampire energy, if you have 'Day Phobia' (whilst it's daytime), daytime (in general), a bad mood, or bad luck.
  
• Servos are immune to 'Deprive Needs' - Literally every need is locked out of being deprived by the ability. Sure, the animation plays, but there's no effect.
  
• Plantsims cannot be drained of "Water" - The "Water" need takes the place of Bladder for Plantsims, but casting "Deprive Bladder" does nothing to affect it.
  
• Mermaids can be drained of hydration - "Hydration" takes the place of Hygiene for merfolk, and (surprisingly) it can be drained by casting "Deprive Hygiene".
  
• Vampires can cancel out certain deprivations - Vampires with 'Odorless' cannot be targeted for "Deprive Hygiene". Similarly, "Deprive Energy" and "Deprive Bladder" also cannot be cast on a vampire (Vampiric Energy is tied to powers, weaknesses, and sunlight). One can drain a vampire's thirst, however.
  

12 - Much Ado About Powers:

• 'Eternally Welcome' works the same as the lock/unlock function (save for locking/unlocking the door for specific sims), but can be used even off of the active sim's home lot. When used on the door considered to be the "front door" of the home (the one you can knock at), it opens up the home for exploration (the same as knocking, but much cooler), even if no one lives there. Can anyone say "squatter's rights"?
  
  
  
  • If used to enter a lot with the "Celebrity Home" lot trait, the caster (and sims in the same household) will gain the "Exclusive Access" +4 happy moodlet while on-lot.
    
  
  
• Sims react in surprise to sims talking to themselves whilst 'Cast Hallucination' is active. Some will even stop to laugh and point.
  
• Bat Form and Mist Form can teleport to any location, so long as there's a place to stand. This includes the insides of rooves, flat rooves, and areas with no door/ladder/stairs. (Same is true with Transportalate and Medi-portation, though the latter was the only one capable of it until Snowy Escape).
  
  Spoiler

  
  https://i.imgur.com/WZte2lt.png
  So this is what the inside of a roof looks like.
  
  
  
• The "Sit" Command makes a sim kneel down (like when playing with toys or interacting with a younger sim), though it is a "hit or miss" (usually a miss) on if it works.
  
  
  
  • The "Workout" Command causes a sim to utilise the closest workout method available, and can push an elder sim to overexertion, but not beyond that (you'll have to push them off that cliff, yourself).
    
  • The "Leave" Command can be used on table vendors in order to force them to switch off (without having to leave and come back).
    
  • The "Wake Up" Command is one of only a few ways to awaken a vampire with the 'Vampiric Slumber' ability.
    
  
  
• Rank 3 of 'Vampiric Strength' grants sims the ability to crush crystals and metals/minerals into elements (like the Alien 'Transmutation', but more straightforward).
  
• 'Vampiric Charm' doesn't just make it easier to romance sims, but when initially hit with it, sims of the caster's preferred gender (of-age and who also have a preference for the caster's gender) will initiate flirting with the caster. This can be used to bypass the "Attempt Introduction" phase with celebrities.
  
• 'Vampiric Slumber' makes it impossible to awaken a vampire save for by fire, the 'Command' power, or by their own volition. This means you can watch tv and blast the radio, and the sim will still be snoring away.
  
  
  
  • Vampires with this ability (regardless of tier) will very likely (if not always) fall asleep after woohooing in a bed. This is true even if they have the 'Slumber Of The Undead' power.
    
  
  
• When a sim has been wiped by 'Drain Life Spirit', every relationship they have drops to "strangers" level, even with the caster (easier than divorce, and with none of the emotional baggage). However, once they have been drained, the option appears to 'Restore Life Spirit', which does not return their relationships (as one might imagine), but instead grants a long confident moodlet, as well as increased immunity to vampiric abilities and biting for the next few days (save for Emotional Influence). - Neither the former nor latter have to be done by the same vampire, and the option is still available, regardless of the victim's current occult status.
  
• Vampires with 'Supernatural Speed' can go places super-fast whilst holding a toddler.
  
• 'Dampened Emotions' rank 2+ diminishes the effect of other emotions. I don't just mean it blocks them with the "fine" moodlet, but that it lessens their strength as well.
  
• 'Emotional Influence' rank 3 can pretty much kill a sim with embarrassment, anger, or playfulness. If it does not, it won't take much more to do so (Hint).
  
• A vampire can dispel any sustained effects from another vampire, so long as they have access to the originating abilities. This includes the self-casted 'Vampiric Charm'.
  
• Vampires with the 'Vampire Creation' ability can detect other occults through the inability to turn another sim. The option will be greyed out, and the tooltip will state their occult status.
  

13 - Weakness Schmeekness:

• Vampires with the 'Withered Stomach' weakness can still drink...anything, really. This includes Plasma Fruit (because apparently they "eat" it through a straw) and Honey (which counts as both a food and a drink). They cannot, however, eat Plasma Salad.
  
• Vampires with the 'Sleep Of The Undead' weakness can still sleep (and nap) in tents (Outdoor Retreat and Snowy Escape), "lounge" (functionally the same as sleeping) on the 'Outrigger Canoe' (Island Living), "nap" in toilet bushes (Get Together and Jungle Adventure), and sleep in Mt. Komorebi's ice caves (Snowy Escape).
  
  
  
  • Vampires with this weakness can still woohoo in a bed, and will very likely (if not always) fall asleep afterwards if they have the 'Vampiric Slumber' ability (regardless of tier).
    
  
  
• Other vampires won't lose relationship with a vampire that has the 'Uncontrollable Hissing' weakness.
  
• 'Insatiable Thirst' decreases the time it takes to get to a completely starving state (full depletion) by just over 1/2, dropping it from a total of approx. 36 hours to approx. 14. This calls for 2.5x the amount of plasma needed to maintain satiation within a 36-hour timeframe. Despite requiring more plasma overall than 'Sloppy Drinker', the resources are spread out more, making it less intensive in the short-term.
  
• 'Sloppy drinker' ups the necessary total of plasma needed to reach satiation to 2x the amount (dependent upon the source). Based on the number needed per normal depletion rate of plasma (around 36 hours), this is the "lesser of two evils" between the two thirst-affecting weaknesses in the long-term, whilst short-term it is more resource-intensive.
  
• The "Carefree" reward trait does away with the tense debuffs caused by both 'Guilty Drinker' and 'Day Phobia'. Despite this, vampires will still be less likely to succeed in casting targeted abilities (and biting) during the day, and will lose energy at rank 2+ of 'Day Phobia'. The trait effectively wipes away any ill effects from 'Guilty Drinker'.
  

14 - Solar Eclipse:

• Vampires are governed largely by moodlets in regards to their cooldowns. Should you decide to forego sunlight immunity, a 'Sunlight Reversal Cocktail' grants a 4-hour resistance to the sun (and replenishes your energy, like a solar battery). However, if coupled with additional energised moodlets (such as a bath/shower and a quick workout look-up on the computer), it can do up to 12 hours of sunlight resistance. By the time it wears off, it's sundown.
  
• Speaking of sundown, beware of the season, as sometimes sundown does not come at 6-7pm, but as late as 9pm in some cases.
  
• Speaking of sundown (again), the 'Child of The Moon' power grants a moodlet that acts as an indicator for when it's safe to go out.
  

Bonus Tracks:

• Your sire matters...well, their rank does, anyway. A Grand Master sire will get you to around 3/4 of the way to "Minor" rank, and the rest of the ranks (sire-wise) taper down by nearly 1/4 each.
  
• Whilst recognised as such in gallery photos and the UI button for the needs panel, babies, toddlers, and children are not functionally considered vampires until they reach teenhood. This means they subsist on normal foods, do not burn in the sunlight, have no (alterable) dark form, and cannot digest plasma.
  
• Related to children, the 'Bearcula' vampire bat stuffed animal has a unique property:
  
  Spoiler

  
  https://i.imgur.com/dsKPmvl.png
  That's not a window he's sitting in front of...
  
  
  
• Despite having no reflection in mirrors, a vampire's reflection is visible in water.
  
• The reward traits that affect tiredness and hunger do nothing for vampires.
  
• If a vampire communes with an Island Spirit on a lot with the "Island Spirits" lot trait, then they have a chance of receiving the +1 Energised moodlet, "Island Energy", which locks their vampiric energy at max for the duration of the moodlet itself.
  
  
  
  • This does not prevent death by sunlight, so don't count on it as a replacement for an umbrella, Sunlight Reversal Cocktail, or that one face mask from the Spa Day refresh.