The Sims franchise has been a continuous operation for over seventeen years. Many of us have been with the franchise that entire time. Even if you haven’t it can still be endearing and nostalgic to look back at the original Sims 1. As a builder I find a great way of doing that is by watching other builders via Youtube. To that end I’d like to introduce a Sims 1 builder I happened upon earlier this year who is still creating new Youtube content: Simzo. I’ve taken screen shots from her videos to illustrate a few quick points below but you should check out her builds fully via the link at the bottom. You’ll truly get a feel for what was the groundbreaking game of it’s time.
It was a new concept that you could take a completely blank space and create your own game surroundings in 2000. It was one of the things that attracted me to the game. The build engine compared favorably in my opinion to actual floor plan software that was on the market at the time. In fact it crashed far less often then the software I had been using previously as a hobbyist builder. One thing I had forgotten about the original game were the shadow windows shown below. There was just an outline of the window to allow you to see unobstructed into the room while still knowing where you had placed them.
That has changed but many things have remained remarkably the same over the years. For instance we still have hedge “fencing” that’s not too different from the original. While the curved pool slide isn’t in the current game it has been present up through the Sims 3 in essentially the same design. Those upper kitchen cabinets probably look familiar to many of you as well.
I love modern builds and Simzo has constructed a great Sims 1 version here. It, again, shows that as things change they stay the same. We still use 1×1 tile rooms as heavy, modern, support columns and half walls as balcony railings. How about the 1×1 tile floral plantings, yet another comfortable reminder that as much as the game changes it remains the same.
These are just a few quick observations. There’s so much more to see as you watch this excellent builder. Maybe even a few inspirational ideas from the past to spur your current building. I hope you’ll take a moment to check out Simzo for a view of where The Sims all started. You’ll find her complete channel line up here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvJmUIN3aknyHWsi6_Grgjw
Do you still build with the original Sims or know someone that does? Please feel free to post pictures or links below showcasing their work. You can also comment on what you remember about your first builds in the first game.
Thank-you for viewing this article. My next article will be back on the Sims 4. I’ll be focusing on the a novelty build trick using the new terrain pack created by TwistedMexi over on ModTheSims.
