Simming Tips, Tricks, and Curiosities

Simming Tips #12: Eclectic Emulations

The Sims 4 is a fantastic outlet for a creative mind and a vivid imagination. Case-in-point, there are quite a few combinations of objects that can emulate items we don't (or can't) have in-game, as well as alternative ways to utilise build objects to create functionality where there is none. Today I'll be listing a few simple item combinations that utilise some objects that are rarely used (by me), and a few that are used often, but can be used in more innovative ways.

We'll start off with Water Collecting Wells.

You'll need:

• A Well:
  
  
  
  • Whispering Wishing Well (Romantic Garden) - $7,775 (Activities and Skills > Outdoor Activities)
    
  • Retired Wishing Well (Get Together) - $775 (Decorations > Sculptures)
    
  • A Well Run Dry (Get Famous) - $350 (Decorations > Misc.)
    
  
  
• Scrapper's Dew Collector (Eco Lifestyle) - $560/$1,260 (Lab-Pro X2) (Activities and Skills > Outdoor Activities/Appliances > Misc.)
  

Next, just size down the dew collector to its smallest, and chuck it into the well.

The point here is to have the functionality of the dew collector, whilst still looking low-tech (lower than even the simple dew collector). Sure, you can still see it if you look close enough, but just pretend it's a funnel for...some reason.

Also, the Well from Romantic Garden has additional functionality on off-the-grid lots, allowing you to "Gather Water" from it at intervals.

Fire Pit

You'll need:

• Medieval Brazier Floor Lamp (Get Famous) - $450 ( Lighting > Floor Lamps)
  
• Any Low Fence.
  

Ever wanted to build a fire/conversation pit, but couldn't find that live object from Cats & Dogs (the seating area out by the lounge), and didn't want to deal with actual fire (the bonfires or campfires)? Simply place the Brazier on a tile, create a 1x1 platform underneath it, and use the up/down arrows to sink it into the floor. Surround it with a low fence of some sort (and some chairs), and you're all set!


Junk Box Storage

You'll need:

• Box o' Junk (City Living) - $0 (Debug search)
  
• Sticker Storage Box (Eco Lifestyle) - $65 (Storage > Misc.)
  

The Sticker Storage Box is a space-saver when it comes to inventory clutter for sims. Like the 'ICYA Chest' from Discover University, it can store almost anything one can live-drag (even objects with their own inventories). Sure, it's a nice, neat cardboard box to put in your storage spaces, but what if you wanted something more cluttered? I was browsing Ravasheen's cc when I found their junk box storage--the snowglobe-filled box one usually finds in San Myshuno. Thing is, this box actually exists in debug, but an idea came to mind: what if I could make the same cc, but without cc?

The Sticker Storage Box, when sized down to its minimum, fits in with the other clutter already inside of the Box o' Junk, effectively making it a storage box too. Just put it in the center of the box whilst on the floor, and move it up by 3 intervals using MoveObjects and Ctrl+9.

Mom's Dresser

You'll need:

• A wide dresser (Storage > Dresser)
  
• The Studded Mirror (Jungle Adventure) - $700 (Decorations > Mirrors)
  
• The Ornate Beauty - $240 (Storage > Misc.)
  

My mom had one of those wide dressers with the huge mirror attached to the back. The thing was a pain to take apart and move, but it's a furniture style that is nostalgic for me. Another thing I'd often seen associated with this dresser style, was the jewelry box.

Here, I decided to use the Highback's Haughty Dresser (Cats and Dogs - $765). Whilst the Ornate Beauty must be Ctrl+9'ed onto the dresser, it looks just like a jewelry box at its minimum size, and fits without floating (plus it works without sim activation). Though it needs MOO, the mirror slots right in behind, doesn't look out of place (even whilst clipping), and functions just fine.

Storage Cabinets

You'll need:

• Cabinets (Surfaces > Cabinets)
  
• ICYA - Chest (Discover University) - $130 (Storage > Misc.)
  
• The Ornate Beauty - $240
  
• Buyer Beware - $240
  
• Unadorned Omiscan Treasure Chest/Gilded Omiscan Treasure Chest (Jungle Adventure) - $1,000/$1,500
  

Along my re-sizing and re-purposing journey, I realised I'd never thought about cabinets all that much. You put 'em together on a wall, make an entertainment centre, pantry, or kitchen accent with them, and move on. They can't be stolen, opened, or even woohooed on/in. The oft-used (but entirely forgotten) companion piece to the counter needed some love, and so I down-sized a bunch of chests and made them into extra storage for my sims.

Using the Ornate Beauty, I turned two to the sides and used them as pull-handles. The Buyer Beware was useful as a lock. The ICYA - Chest made for makeshift drawer/cubby handles. The Omiscan chest (on its side) makes two handles per one. Below, you can see the layout underneath the cabinets.


Galaxy Mobile

You'll need:

• Portable Galaxy Lightshow (Get To Work) - $350 (Electronics > Misc.)
  
• A Bassinet:
  
  
  
  • Rock-a-bye Bassinet - $150 (Kids > Kids' Furniture)
    
  • Nanoo Nanoo Bassinet - $150 (Get To Work)
    
  • Antique Spellcaster Bassinet - $150 (Realm Of Magic)
    
  • Ancient Bassinet - $300 (Vampires)
    
  
  

The galaxy lightshow has no use to me. None. I've tried coming up with reasons to have it as a lamp by my sims' bed, but the constant grasshopper-esque noise would drive me nuts. To be honest, were I less aware of it, the sound could almost be soothing, and the galaxy hologram is really cool, too. Then the idea dawned on me: make it a mobile for babies. Not only would it be out of sight (and sound) and out of mind, but the baby has nothing to do but lay there and enjoy the wonders of simulated space until they fall asleep or need attention. Win-win!

I do recommend sizing it to its minimum, then clipping it into the head/canopy of the crib, with just enough sticking out to activate it as-needed.

Paranormal Stuff Kit

You'll need:

• The Hover Lamp (Get To Work) - $150 (Lighting > Table Lamps - Debug)
  
• Any round dining table (Surfaces > Dining Tables)
  
• Cauldron O' Spirits Light Show (Spooky Stuff) - $460 (Electronics/Decorations > Misc.)
  

No, I do not have Paranormal Stuff (not yet, anyway), but I had a eureka moment one day whilst trying to figure out what to do with this useless lightshow, and set out to create my own paranormal experience.

• Step 1: Size down the lightshow to its minimum and raise with Ctrl+9 until poking out of the hover lamp on the dining table, then move back down by one interval (Ctrl+0).
  
• Step 2: Move the lamp off of the table, and replace with another object on the center slot (this'll prevent the lamp from slotting to it). Bring the lamp back to the center, then move it down by one interval and size it down by one or two steps (depends on which size you'd prefer for your "crystal ball").
  
• Step 3: Get rid of the object taking up the center slot, then activate the lamp's hover function. Click the cauldron's rim, and activate the lightshow.
  

Now you've a poor man's séance table and sims nearby will get a happy moodlet by being around the "spirits". Whether you keep the hover function on to make it look more "mystical", or not, is up to you.


Rooved Shed

You'll need:

• Any Awning (Build Items > Wall Sculptures)
  
• Half walls
  

The problem with a shed in TS4 is that if the wall height for the building is tall, any building made (even detached from the main structure) will be the same. The remedy for this is to use half-walls, which allows for a shorter structure, without any changes to the rest of the lot's walls. Sadly, there's a second problem: roofing. Half walls don't yet have compatibility for rooves, so I had to improvise using MoveObjects and 2 easy steps:

• Step 1: Page up by one and draw a wall across the center of the shed.
  
• Step 2: Place two copies of your chosen awning (one on either side of the wall), adjust their placement as needed, then remove the wall.
  

There will, undoubtedly, be a gap, but unfortunately I haven't found a solution to that that doesn't involve the top of the shed having a ceiling (which appears at the normal height, above the shed).

Mannequin Labor

You'll need:

• A mannequin (Get To Work) - $350
  

Ever built a community lot and felt like it'd benefit from having a receptionist or any other employee one cannot hire? Well mannequins are not only cheap, but can take on any role, simply by dressing them as whatever is needed. The problem with this is that they can only be clothed and posed in live mode, and only on a lot the sim owns (residential or owned business). Make the lot a residential, move a sim in, alter the mannequins as needed (their bodies can be altered as well, though a bit more minimalistic than actual sims), then evict and change the lot to the desired type. Makes for a great bit of set dressing...so long as you have other living sims around (otherwise it makes for a great horror movie set).