Sims4 Random Thoughts thread 2.0
Old version was locked some time ago, so here we have a new one. From old thread: A thread for those occasions when we want to comment on something game related or ask a question without having to start a new thread. Or those comments and questions that don't really fit into an existing thread.
[Discussion] Trait Combinations, Lifestyles & Item/Object Pairing Investigation
Every once in a while I see on the EA forums or Reddit there is a Trait Combinations thread. May it be what is your favourite, what is the most chaotic and what is the best. But most of the times I see one of a few things end up being the conclusion, 1: is that traits play no real part or no real difference in the game, 2: people choose randomized and stick with it, or 3: they opt out of the most detested traits. As I have only been playing Sims 4 since L&D aka earlier this year, I haven't really had a chance to have these conversations and I just look up old zombie threads most of which do not have much on the new traits. So I propose a small community collaboration project reporting findings on certain trait combinations with or without Lifestyle or item/object support. Anyone can report findings! To make this easier to report/review let's use a response format: Traits: <list traits used here, feel free to include occult type, reward, aspiration, etc. traits> Lifestyles/Ideals: <if used, by cheats or earning properly> Items/Objects: <list of items on Sim or objects place for Sim to help encourage trait synergy> Plan: <what you think or hope will happen> Results: <what actually happened> Rating: <out of 10 how did the combination fair?> Conclusion: <Any additional thoughts>
Q&A: Royalty & Legacy
#AD (just in case this counts as social media) I was invited to join the CFE (not final build) opportunity for The Sims 4: Royalty & Legacy. Thank you to the EA Creator Network for this chance to answer questions for you about the pack! I will be taking and answering mainly questions about gameplay - Skills/Traits/Aspirations/Career/Venues/Systems/Collections/Lore - and anything else you guys want to know about! I did test with ALL PACKS in as I believe this is yet another pack with cross-compatibility possibilities related to the various systems. (Please Note: Testing with other packs in is unsupported before regular Early Access, so may be extra buggy.) Testing was/will continue to be done on a mix of fresh CAS Sims and premades, to see lore and experience different levels if they are present. Format will be similar to past Q&As where I have links to each subject and add more info to each based on questions asked and as I discover things through gameplay. I can't start posting right away this time due to the embargo, but will be continuing to take notes/screenshots and will post info when I can. P.S. - I have a Creator Code, so if you find my Q&A useful you might consider it as an option at checkout. Using my code gives me a small commission (5% regularly, 7% during sales) and can even save you a little bit of money on TS4 DLC during sales (normally 5%). My code is EmmaVane. Just enter the code on the the payment screen where Promo Codes normally go. Thank you, EA for this opportunity. INDEX (to follow): ACCESS TO WATER DYNASTY SYSTEM: Dynasty Perks Dynasty Values NEW VENUES & LOT TRAIT: Backroom Venue Community Market Venue Clandestine Lot Trait NEW CAREER & OCCUPATIONS: Noble Career (WIP) POWERSHIFTS (WIP): ⚔️Simcalibur (additional info, thanks to crinrict ) 🕷️Anansi's Well PREMADE UPDATES Family Trees (Laurent, Dreamer & Alto) Dynasties (Goth & Landgraab)
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!)
[My Wedding Stories] Arranging Ideal Circumstances
Honestly, as of currently, the wedding pack is decent. All my sims sat down when they were supposed to and followed the itinerary, which meant the big buttons on the arch actually work. Here are some tips for a smooth wedding: A wedding venue WILL have strangers walking in. As the Wedding Venue doesn't seem to have a Lock for Event goers only, the best thing to do is to abuse the "Kick out of Wedding Event" incessantly and the only thing left will be your guests. DO NOT invite toddlers or infants. Toddlers have nowhere to sit and will disrupt the wedding. It is best that they unfortunately stay out. Abuse the Make Needs Happy button (Fulfil needs cheat). Every 5 hours, I will pause the game and do it to ALL my guests including the bride and the groom. This will prevent anyone from dying in the game or peeing all over. The best thing to ensure the cake does not go bad is by buying an hour before the wedding and remembering to set it as cake in Wedding right before. If you download a wedding venue from the gallery, make sure routing is okay before you proceed to hold your ceremony. The last issue is something I find a little difficult to solve. As you CANNOT force change outfit through cheats of other sims not played by you (No mods), the outfit aspect is a HUGE gamble. Thankfully, my Sims looked decent for their friends' Chinese wedding but this is definitely something I hope Maxis adds in, as we can't really select the outfits for each guest (unfortunately).
[Lifestyle] "Hungry for Love" an Explanation
This lifestyle has frustrated many people trying to get it or keep it. It has been posted several times about not working, being broken or needing to be overhauled. In my game my one Sim could sometimes maintain it and sometimes not (and no matter how much they seemed to do romantic interactions) but I always seemed to have to cheat add it to start with. So I decided to look at the internal files and figure out what the heck is going on. I am an amateur modder, but I tend to be able to figure out tuning files (once I get use to a games files). Let's talk about The Romance Lifestyles, just like many other lifestyles there is polar opposites: Single and Lovin' It, is basically a very slowly earned by default lifestyle; earned simply by not being in a relationship, and otherwise is only—by chance—can be stalled by reading romance novels or watching romantic tv. You might earn this, even if you don't want to—eventually—as long as you aren't capped for lifestyles. If you don't want this lifestyle, you only need to be in a relationship—plain and simple. Hungry for Love, from what I can see... romantic interaction don't seem to play much or any part of it at all. What people are probably getting confused or frustrated about is how you earn this lifestyle. Chance! from what I see the only way to get this lifestyle is a success in chance from 3 different actions. 2 are from just reading romance novels/watching romantic tv, which if you trigger successfully (once or twice) daily you'll gain this lifestyle fast enough and maintain. The other way to get a chance is a passively if/when you wake up, and are in a romantic relationship (less sleep with traits/potions/coffee/etc. hurt this). Autonomy is probably not going to help you, if your Sim doesn't have the Romantic trait and autonomously reads/watches romantic media (and in some cases, some people play households without TVs making it even harder)—this lifestyle is a lot of work. Let's talk about The Friend Lifestyles: Now compare to Close-Knit and People Person, these are easy enough to get one or the other (or change if you really want to). It is a simple set up of 1-3 friends = Close-Knit, and 4+ you get People Person. Not exactly much depth (and the amounts aren't great) but easy enough, and again these are other default earning lifestyles—that you will eventually earn. Only way to avoid is 0 friends or are capped for lifestyles. Conclusion: it isn't broken...?—it just wasn't set up great. What is misleading was the romantic interactions counting towards the lifestyle, and may only be used for unlocking purposes. But enough of it works, so that is probably why all posts complaining have been pretty much ignored? IMO, yes, it should be tweaked to overhauled. I have been working with the tuning files to make this lifestyle better and testing like crazy, because as-is, leaves much to be desired XD
