[Traits] Add, Update/Refresh or Overhaul?
I have my starting notes, but feel free to add your own. Also, note a concept of making some pack traits, cross-pack traits so you can get from other packs as well. Generally, I think all older traits could use a refresh/update—as many of the newer traits like Lovestruck and newer have some really great traits. I also think that the new default trait should be 6 slots. I know people usually ask for 5, and that there is a mod for 5, and that GRO allows up to 5. But in CAS up to 6, because weird enough I think it looks cleaner/balanced in the Simology panel, and dynasty panel as they both as set up for 2-3 columns. As mentioned in the comments Vegetarian, Lactose Intolerant, etc. should be in a separate dietary panel. As well as likes/dislikes tab for cuisine types. Base Game Traits: Active: This should be the only trait that autonomously works out/jogs/etc. Active Imagination: Should work on adults. Ambitious: Should work with active careers, and should get advantages for Prestige Point for Dynasties if R&L is installed. Art Lover: I think these should be merged with Creative (Artistic). Bookworm Bro: I feel this should be an aspiration or reward trait. Cheerful Childish: Should have some of Goofball aspects merged into this trait. Clumsy Creative: I think these should be merged with Art Lover (Artistic). Erratic: I think these should be split into Neurotic (mild neurosis) and Insane (highly eccentric and stereotyped "insane" behaviour) like in Sims 3. Evil Family-Oriented: Should get advantages for Prestige Point for Dynasties if R&L is installed. If children are in household, autonomy should be like a hired Nanny. Foodie: Should be in a separate dietary panel. Geek Genius Gloomy Glutton: I feel this could be merged with Slob. Good: I feen this could be merged with Loyal. Goofball: This should be split into Funny/Good Sense of Humor and Childish. Grouch Hates Children Hot-Headed: Should be stronger Angry moodlets and immune to cardiac explosion unless elder. Jealous: Should be stronger Tense moodlets. Kleptomaniac Lazy: I feel this could be merged with Slob. Loner Loves Outdoors: Should get advantages to gaining and keeping "Outdoorsy" Lifestyle if Snowy Escape is installed. Loyal: I feel this could be merged with Good Materialistic: I feel this could be merged with Snob Mean: I think unless a Sim is equipped with Mean (and possibly Evil), will not autonomously use mean interactions. Music Lover Neat: Autonomy should be just like a hired Maid/Butler. Noncommittal: Should get advantages to gaining and keeping "Single and Lovin' It" Lifestyle if Snowy Escape is installed. Outgoing Perfectionist: Should get advantages for Prestige Point for Dynasties if R&L is installed. This trait should also always clean up after themselves (like after eat/clean up dish(es)). Practice Makes Perfect Romantic: Should increase Romance Skill if Lovestruck is installed, stronger Flirty moodlets, and should get advantages to gaining and keeping "Hungry for Love" Lifestyle if Snowy Escape is installed. Self-Assured: Personally I think the icon should be updated/improved, and trait could be updated/improved. Maybe act more like a Brave trait. Slob: I feel this could be merged with Lazy. Snob: I feel this could be merged with Materialistic. Vegetarian: Should be in a separate dietary panel. Also, add the Sim Characteristic Mysterious, as with occult Sims and traits like Macabre/Mystical are Mysterious Ideals. For both likes/dislikes and turn ons/offs. Pack Traits: Adventurous: I feel this could be a cross-pack trait not just Snowy Escape, so update the icon to represent a more generic "Adventurous", and maybe add it to Royal & Legacy (as the Brave Ideals and Swordsmanship Skill, and is apt to the trait) and Adventure Awaits (for Archery Skill). Animal Enthusiast Cat Lover Chased by Death: Should be compatible with Mystical. Child of the Islands Child of the Ocean Child of the Village Competitive Cringe: Should be more likely to trigger Scandals if R&L is installed, and if they do the scandal severity and duration should be decreased. Dance Machine: This maybe should be cross-pack and icon/name updated to Dancer. To work with Waltzing in R&L too. Disruptive: Should be compatible with Macabre, increased Mischief Skill should be fixed, and should autonomously use their trait specific socials (or at least more so over other mischievous socials). Dog Lover Freegan Generous Green Fiend High Maintenance Horse Lover Idealist: Should work with being in positive Dynasties as well (as long as they aren't the Outcast) if R&L is installed. Insider: Should work with being in Dynasties as well (as long as they aren't the Outcast) if R&L is installed. Lactose Intolerant: Should be in a separate dietary panel. Lovebug: Should get advantages to gaining and keeping "Hungry for Love" Lifestyle if Snowy Escape is installed. Should be more likely to trigger romantic based Scandals if R&L is installed, and if they do the scandal severity and duration should be decreased. Macabre: Should be compatible with Disruptive and Mystical. Maker Mystical: Should be compatible with Macabre. Also, if an occult, should prioritize occult autonomous actions/interactions. Nosy: Should be better at discovering Scandals if R&L is installed. Overachiever: Should get advantages for Prestige Point for Dynasties if R&L is installed. Paranoid: Should be less likely to trigger Scandals if R&L is installed, and if they do the scandal severity and duration should be increased. Party Animal Plant Lover Proper: This maybe should be cross-pack with R&L, should gain advantages to getting "Gold" on Holding Court/Holding Press Conferences, and want to autonomously waltz, and socialize with Nobles if Royalty & Legacy is installed. Rancher: Autonomy should be just like a hired Ranch-Hand. Recycle Disciple Romantically Reserved: Should be less likely to trigger romantic based Scandals if R&L is installed, and if they do the scandal severity and duration should be increased. Self-Absorbed: Should be more likely to trigger Scandals if R&L is installed, and if they do the scandal severity and duration should be increased Skeptical Socially Awkward Shady: Should work with being in devious/negative Dynasties as well (or as long as they are the Outcast of positive ideal dynasties) if R&L is installed. Squeamish: I feel this could be a cross-pack trait not just Outdoor Retreat, but also for Adventure Awaits. Unflirty: Should get advantages to gaining and keeping "Single and Lovin' It" Lifestyle if Snowy Escape is installed. Wise: Should get advantages for Prestige Point for Dynasties if R&L is installed. Wanted Traits: Green Thumb: Yes, we got Plant Lover but they are plant sensitive, negative moodlets from dead plants, harvest plants, eating plants. Where Green Thumb is about the growing and harvesting of plants for cooking/flower arranging/selling being proud of your garden, and not quite thinking they are your green babies. This for base game too. Charismatic: What I like about this trait at least in Sims 3 days, is you could be Charming-Charismatic (depending on other traits) I assume that is the Outgoing trait of today, or Manipulative-Charismatic (depending on other traits). It would be really nice even if you have a more negative or mean spirited leaning Sim, to be able to socialize back into a Sim's good graces after being mistreated or been rude to, creating hot-cold socializations and relationships. This for base game too. Brooding: This was my favourite Sims 3 trait. I loved they would prioritize looking out a window over any socializing. Brooding trait is a social trait, and acted as an overpowered Loner trait. A Sim could just Consider the Hollowness of Life or Contemplate the Meaning of Meaning and fill their social and fun bars. You pretty much wouldn't need any social or fun and since it was autonomous it almost always be maintained. This helped with adventuring and skill raising. Irresistible: If the devs ever fix strangers joining conversations or just stop all NPCs from interrupting a Sim's queue. This is what/how the Irresistible trait use to accomplish. If you left your Sim unattended, Sims (unless Loners/Social Awkward or whatever), would approach your Sim and socialize, because they are drawn to your trait. Otherwise it is pretty much a pointless trait with NPC/Sims' non-stop socializing. And when they "Blow a Kiss" the other Sim would be fixated on the Irresistible Sim for a timeframe. Flirty: Yes, we have various romantic based traits, but I liked that Flirty traditionally was like a "tease" social, no physical contact, but would prefer flirting over other socials. In Sims 3 it actually made Romantic based Sims the more "Female" based romantic social, like if your did the "Dip Kiss" even though you initiated you'd be dipped. And "Flirty" was more the "Male" based romantic trait making all the moves as the dominant (I think like putting the arm around the Sim type idea). This for base game too. (Reward or Hidden Trait) Immortal: Some occults can't be immortal and stop aging. Such as Spellcasters. I'd like a potion (that makes the trait, and not potions to create moodlets/reduce days on aging) or reward trait to accomplish this.Utensil Preference "Chopsticks" Aren't Being Used Enough
I still see Sims use "Forks" instead of "Chopsticks" way too often (even if chopsticks are preferred and Chopstick Savvy). This drives me nuts. From what I remember in Sims 3 with the Asian Culture Hidden trait Sims almost always used chopsticks (unless handheld and spoon dishes). So I think this should be fixed/adjusted for Sims 4. From what I see only City Living and Snowy Escape dishes are the only ones that can/will use chopsticks. At the very least (unless a hand held or spoon dish) all base game dishes can/should be chopstick compatible. For my Sim she is a spellcaster and I just have her create food, and purposely do not have her cooking skill, so they are base game dishes, and I am not seeing her eat with chopsticks. Chopstick use in both Sims 3 and Sims 4 have been one of my favourite features of all time, so I just really like this to have this better than it currently is. Here is a throwback pic of my very first Sim in Sims 3, my original main with the Asian Culture Hidden trait :D
The Dead Zone Challenge
Hey everyone! I've been working on this challenge for a few weeks now. Reaper Path in Devastation is complete as well as Desolation Path. Enjoy! Challenge Summary: Survive through lot challenges and traits. Heal the salted earth. Befriend townie ghosts and invite them to your home! Help a ghost friend reach reincarnation. All while finding love, and furthering your bloodline Dead Zone Challenge And here is a highlight from one of the playtests I've done. Happy Simming! ❤️
Does Anyone Use Custom Venues?
Now that the pack has been out a while, does anyone actually use custom venues? If so, what for? The few venues I have created (nursery, handiness workshop, cinema) have pretty much been failures after all the hassle of setting up the staff and the activities etc. It seems like a lot of work for no payback. When the pack first came out I was expecting custom venues to be a fantastic game changer. I would be interested to hear of anyone's successes (or failures!)
If you had it all to do over again...
Knowing what you know now, what additional content (Not Mods or Custom Content, just EP's and GP's and SP's and kits) would you NOT put into your game this time around? For me it's pretty much High School Years, Journey to Baatu and My Wedding Story. I'd have to think about some of the others, but I know I don't want those three back in my game. HSY and MWS are just either borked or too tedious. And Journey to Baatu is just...Ugh. "Fluff" aka "Filler" aka not worth the space on my computer (Or in this case, external hard drive). What other sorts of things would you do differently if you had it all to do over again knowing what you know now?
Weather concerns
Just seeing what others think: I think Willow Creek should have a more mild winter. Like it can get chilly, but the heavy snow is a bit off when you consider all the palm trees that would surely die in those conditions and that the neighborhood is inspired by New Orleans. There should not be generic fall leaves on the streets of Oasis Springs or Strangerville when it is fall. Looks wrong.
