Simming Tips, Tricks, and Curiosities

Simming Tips #13: Occults Within Occults

It's been 8 years (give or take), and within the realm of playable lifestates, we have:

• Ghosts
  
• Aliens
  
• Vampires
  
• Those Green Things
  
• Meh-folk
  
• Glorified Magicians
  
• Servos
  
• Skele-tons of disappointment
  

I just have to ask, Maxis:
Where have all the lifestates gone? I can't rely on mods.
Where's the occult-based expansion pack to fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a Faerie upon the lamp of a Genie?
The full moon rises with no Werewolf cry and I dream of Mummies.
(Belts out) I need a Plantsim! Holdin' out for an Imaginary Friend.
It's been 2 years since the last occult, and when will this waiting end?

Well, dear occult-loving comrades, we'll just have to do it ourselves. The name of the game is "repurposing". If one can turn a nightclub into a cinema, or Don Lothario into a loyal house-husband, then one can quite easily create new occults from existing ones.

1 - Aliens: Androids/Gynoids

"Simdroids" are pretty easy to create, and offer a lot of freedom with regards to looks. Sure, one can also use a normal sim for this, but aliens' voices, as well as their powers and disguise ability add more to the pseudo-occult.

Starting off with skintones, the unnatural blueish white can be made closer to chalk-white by sliding all the way to the right.

The ears can be normalised using "detail edit".

Some neon-esque tattoos can help to add that "futuristic" flair, and the platinum hair is just my choice for more sterility in the colour palette.

Traits, preferences, and aspirations all come together to act as a "behaviour module", but very much depend on what one wants the droid to do/be like.

• A domestic droid may be more into handiness, cooking, and baking, with traits such as: "Foodie" (so they can be inspired by cooking shows), "Good" (so they can regulate the moods of others), "Neat" (so they clean autonomously).
  
• A partner droid may prefer dancing, singing, and other activities that can either be done together, or that their owner sim likes, with traits such as: "Romantic" (for the flirty moods and actions), "Active" (to energise and work out with their owner sim), and "Loves The Outdoors" (to prompt for more outdoor excursions, rather than be stuck at home).
  

These are just two ideas of many. In terms of aspirations, it again depends on what the droid's main purpose(s) will be, though one that one may consider cheating to completion is the "Freelance Botanist", in order to make one's droid fireproof.

Once out of CAS, the next step is to set them up for play through the use of satisfaction cheats: Sims.Give_Satisfaction_Points .

Then scroll through the Rewards Store for traits to make one's sim a more convincing droid:

• Forever Full - Droids don't eat.
  
• Seldom Sleepy/Never Weary, Antiseptic/Forever Fresh - If one would still like to be able to have some level of needs-based gameplay (just less so), then the weaker needs-based reward traits will do, whilst still giving off a "more than just a sim" vibe.
  
  
  
  • Simdroids may either have to recharge at intervals, or have a inexhaustible battery.
    
  • They may have a coating that slows dirt buildup, or be entirely self-cleaning.
    
  
  
• Steel Bladder - They may have to change coolant every now and then (or whatever liquid one would like), but not "relieve themselves" as often as a normal sim.
  
• Savant, Morning Sim, Night Owl, Speed Reader - With a computer for a brain, they learn much faster.
  
• Waterproof - Can be used to excuse the fact that they don't degrade like Servos do in water.
  
• Iceproof, Heatproof - Internal temperature regulation, which excuses the need to use the bathroom, - despite not having the need to eat.
  

A couple of handy additions to any simdroid would be:

• The computer glasses from Discover University (which would allow them to access a few computational interactions at any time). This can be found in debug if no other sim can craft them.
  
• Any way of resetting one's age (Age Away Serum, Eternal Youth Potion, Wish for Youth, etc) would help to sell the illusion of static aging, if one doesn't have access to (or would prefer not to use) MCCC or cheats.
  

2 - Ghosts: Genie/Djinn

Ghosts make for fantastic djinn, given their ethereal visages, immunity to death, and their ability to possess objects.

Moreso than with simdroids, the appearance of a djinn is pretty much up in the air for interpretation.

The main points of contention are the traits and abilities.

The best traits can be Outgoing (to make new friends/wishers), Perfectionist (Better quality craftables, which can serve as wish fulfillments), and Kleptomaniac (After all, wishes aren't free). Honestly, though, any of the three can be swapped out for Good, Evil, or anything else that may serve your own version.

For magical versatility, the best kinds of ghosts are either normal sims with Selvadoradan relics, or spellcasters (with/out Selvadoradan relics).

Rather than list out spells that can work for those wanting to play the "everyday helper" sort of djinn (pretty much all of them work for that), I'll list out those that work for those who'd like to put the Wishing Well (Romantic Garden) out of business:

• Infatuate/Strangeify - Love (Either they get new love, or lose all chance at it).
  
• Dedeathify/Despairio - Life (Either life is given, or hope is taken).
  
• Rite Of Ascension/Minionize - Promotion (Why work when you can use magic to solve all of your problems? Now whose problems, is the question--Yours...or mine?)
  
• Copypasto/Burgliate - Simoleons (Give a man an extra expensive item, and you'll solve his debt problems. Take his only expensive item, and you'll solve your furnishing ones).
  
• Copypasto (Potion of Youth)/Morphiate - Youth (More time is given either way, but whether they'll enjoy it in human form...who can say?)
  
• Duplicato/Deliriate - Skill (Many hands make light work, and more time for study. Less cognitive ability makes for the best lesson of all: Never trust a djinn).
  
• Delicioso,Floralorial,Scruberoo,Repairio,Herbio/Furio,Burgliate,Despairio - Happiness (Sometimes you want to give...Sometimes you want to take).
  

Should one opt for a human ghost instead, the Selvadoradan relics can take the place of spells:

• Balampalsoh Chaos Relic - Love (Romance...friendships...same thing. Plus, the latter makes it easier to get the former).
  
• Zazatototl Death Relic - Youth (One can't age if one's a ghost).
  
• Balampalsoh Watcher Relic - Simoleons (Money, money, money).
  
• Balampalsoh Death Relic - Skill (Being undead for a short time can greatly help with skill-building).
  
• Zazatototl Watcher Relic/Totecallama Chaos Relic - Happiness (To enjoy happiness, one must first either work through crushing sadness, or indulge in one's desires).
  
• Zazatototl Chaos Relic - Promotion (When one's health begins to fail, working hard through it may yet aid in working hard after recovery).
  

The issue with the using the relics in place of spells is that there's a lack of versatility. In some cases a curse must be cast, then worked through by the recipient, in order for a blessing to be bestowed. This means that should one want to provide a good outcome, one would have to take control of/move in the wisher, then play them for as long as it takes to get to the desired effect. In other cases, there's no choice other than the curse/blessing.

3 - Vampires: Werewolves

Lycanthropy can be made as an off-shoot of vampirism.

Earth-toned, unnatural skin, golden eyes, cascading cheek marks, darkened linings around the eyes, and enraged brows really sell the animalistic visage, with top-and-bottom fangs and lightly pointed ears helping it along.

Yes, to be honest, it does seem more like a man with an animal spirit (no, not Bravestarr), but there's no better that can be done without CC, and it does what it needs to aesthetically.

Powers-wise, anything that is self-enhancing can work to emulate the usual wolven gamut:

• Vampire Creation (For the bite that grants the curse).
  
• Garlic Immunity (Despite the heightened smell of werewolves, it's fitting that children of the earth and wilds aren't adversely affected by its bounty).
  
• Vampiric Strength (Werewolves are often shown to be able to take and dish out more than even the strongest man).
  
• Child of The Moon (This one's obvious, but the fact that the lunar cycle affect's a werewolf's transformation would translate here to instead granting them extra benefits, given it neither hinders nor forces their change).
  
• Sun Resistance (Whilst werewolves are children of the moon, the only thing the sun does (usually) is change them back. Here, it should do nothing at all).
  
• Supernatural Speed (In lieu of an all-fours run, we'll instead boost the capabilities of their two legs to work double-time).
  
• Tamed Thirst (This is more story-based. If one's sim is in control of themself, then this applies).
  

Weaknesses:

• Uncontrollable Hissing (If either at-odds with oneself, or simply reveling in the more primal side of one's nature, it'll at times cause one to act with a bit less "decorum").
  
• Withered Stomach (In lieu of raw meat/food, one has to get ones bestial fix elsewhere. Be it from the earth (fish, frogs, fruits) or sim-sourced (sims, medical plasma).
  
• Sloppy Drinker (Who can blame one if one just wants to "wolf it down"? Spillage is a right, not a privilege).
  
• Guilty Drinker (For the more squeamish or empathetic werewolf, eating live just won't do).
  
• Fitful Sleep (It's hard to get a good night's sleep when something's roaming around deep down inside).
  
• Undead Aura (Maybe it's the way one smells, the little leafy bits caught in the hair from a night out, the over-eager stare, a facial tick or two...whatever it is, people know there's something...off).
  
• Eternal Sadness (For those who never asked to be this way, and would kill to get back to normalcy, it can be soul-crushing to feel trapped in one's own skin at times, fighting something that wants so badly to wear it instead).
  

4 - Vampires: Zombies

Zombies and vampires are like Peanut butter and Jelly- They aren't the same, but yet have many of the same functions.

• Predators toward mortals.
  
• Undead (in most cases).
  
• Pale as all get out.
  
• Turns through a bite (usually).
  
• Hard to kill.
  

What better occult to LARP as a zombie, than the only other "undead" in the game?

The looks, in this case, do matter:

• The palest unnatural skintone (slider moved all the way to the right).
  
• Gray, graying, white, or black hair (at least if we're being stereotypical).
  
• Sunken under-eyes (think "nigh-skeleton").
  
• Jagged teeth (Come to think of it, I'd rather be bitten by precise needles, than jagged molars).
  
• Small veins on either cheek (It's a nice touch as the skin thins out enough to start seeing the veins underneath).
  
• Pure white eyes, or black sclera with red irises (Walking Dead or iZombie?)
  

Traits aren't hugely important here, but aspiration-wise I went for 'Vampire Family', given the main drive for a zombie is often just to feed, which leads to more zombies. Our "zombies" have a normal sim's level of intelligence, so they can make the choice to do either (plus feeding and turning are two different things UI-wise).

Powers-wise, zombies don't really have much going for them. In most cases, it's how people deal with them and the world they leave in their wake, that gets the highlight. In fringe cases wherein zombies are more intelligent and/or super-powered, it tends to be kind of...unnatural. Still, the general consensus seems to be:

• Vampire Creation (For the bite, once again).
  
• Vampiric Strength (Most zombies seem at least somewhat stronger than a normal person, given the lack of fatigue, as well as the driving hunger).
  
• Vampiric Slumber (Sleep like the dead. Actually, do zombies sleep?)
  

Beyond that, I really couldn't tell you. They eat. Constantly. I've seldom seen a zombie do otherwise.
Weaknesses:

• Uncontrollable Hissing (It's less the sound, and more the spittle that comes with it. I mean if everyone around you is food, who can blame you for licking your chops a bit? Apparently everyone within range can).
  
• Sloppy Drinker (Ah the refined dining etiquette of the modern zombie. Watch as he chokes down his severed finger. Gaze in awe as she tears at the severed leg, sending chunks flying this way and that. Sigh contentedly as you realise that you are the main course, and that there's a bit of you in every corner).
  
• Sleep Of The Undead (A coffin costs an arm and a leg. Might as well make good use of it after eating said arm and leg).
  

Challenge mode:

• Insatiable Thirst (Combined with Sloppy Drinker, you'll spend most of your daylight hours hunting down food).
  
• Undead Aura (Makes the whole "creating a zombie family" thing a bit more difficult).
  

5 - Vampires: That One Creepy Doll

I once played Sims 3. All throughout, I've never once played with Imaginary Friends. Why in the world would someone come up with that thing? What sick, twisted mind decided it wasn't nightmare fuel to have some toy come alive and appear in places, then can only be seen by the kids? Well, since I can't reasonably make a faerie (the hoversuit is bulky and covers everything), and Plantsims are out of the question (unless I were about to make a green spellcaster with only those two plant spells, or create a Poison-Ivy-esque vampire), I guess we'll have to make do...

So...I may have come up with 3 variants for you:
The "Porcelain Doll"

The "Raggedy Ann"

The "Voodoo Doll"

Look, I could make them less creepy, but at least it's visible and you can run from it...though you won't get far. The idea here is that sims now have this one friend who whispers in their ear, telling them to do bad things. It gets angry if they refuse, and it always starts out harmless enough...

Then they grow up, and all of a sudden their "friend" wants plasma. A good friend wouldn't let their friend go hungry, would they...?

The Porcelain Doll has white skin (preferably neutral tone, slid to the right), as well as pure white eyes and cracks on either cheek.

The Raggedy Ann has symmetrical stitching on either cheek, as well as black sclera with blue irises.

The Voodoo Doll has pure black eyes, no brows, and symmetrical stitching.

Powers-wise, the haunted doll stereotype is generally inhabited by some evil spirit with the power of manipulation and suffering.

• Cast Hallucination (Those who don't like them are generally driven mad or given bad dreams and hallucinations).
  
• Eternally Welcome (H-How did that doll get in here...?)
  
• Command (Especially in the case of the Voodoo Doll, the binding of another to its will allows it to control them).
  
• Manipulate Life Spirit (One by one their playmates' friends and family disappear. Soon they'll be alone and can play forever).
  
• Mesmerise (Those who oppose their friends tend to seem somewhat...sluggish...I wonder why).
  
• Deprive Needs (Suffering follows those who don't want to play).
  
• Mist Form (Remember what I said about running?).
  
• Influence Emotion (For the Voodoo Doll, this mimics the ability of the one in-game).
  

Weaknesses:

• Day Phobia (Is it the sun they fear, gazing down at their misdeeds, or is it the burning that it brings for them?)
  
• Thin-Skinned (Fire is a pretty good cleanser. Even better is when the fire happens from within).
  
• Undead Aura (Nothing beats the hairs standing on end, warning one to "stay away").
  

"What about fangs", you ask?