Players have shared their fondest of memories related to the game!
Earlier this month, The Sims 4 celebrated its eight birthday. The past twelve months has seen a wave of new content added into the game through both through free updates and paid content.
The Game had a long tenure of new Updates and DLC Releases that we’ve covered in our The Sims 4 Timeline.
Sims 4 Releases in the last 12 Months
Here is a quick recap of some of the new content we’ve seen over that time!
In honour of the game’s birthday, we took to Twitter to ask members of the community what some of their memories were from the game.
The Sims 4 recently celebrated its 8th birthday! What are some of your memories, both good, bad or funny from over the years? Reply to this tweet to have a chance to be featured in an upcoming post over on @TheSimCommunity#TheSims
Be it good, bad or funny, here is what the community had to say!
One of my favorite memories is when the gallery came to consoles. I downloaded sooooooo many builds that day to replace soooooo many lots. Back then, I had to copy speed builds if I wanted the lot in my game. This took so many hours!
Honesly when I first started the game I didn’t understand why my builds were so dark lol like Ithought something was wrong with the game… I had to learn the hard way that you had to actually put LIGHTS in to see anything. I’m talking about like the first couple days I played lol
I remember the first time I played the game during the pandemic I was so inexperienced but now I’m really proud of the things I create! Here is an example
I remember when Vampires came out I made two vampires to form a family, didn’t remember that vampires dies when exposed to sunlight, one of them died while the other was pregnant with their children; decides to add Grim to the Family and then had triplets for the first time ever
One reply to our Tweet that did make me laugh was this one from Miss Bunny. For a lot of us, I’m sure we will remember the reveal of the Ball Pit from The Sims 4 Toddler Stuff, but we don’t talk about that any more!
The toddler ball pit reminds me of that Tumblr convention ball pit, which I think is hilarious but terrible
With so many replies, looking back and reminiscing on various memories from events that have happened in game, discovering a variety of custom content and mods, storytelling, making lifelong friends, it is no wonder that The Sims 4 is still widely popular eight years on.
For myself, there are a lot of stand out moments from the past eight years that I could choose from. However, one in particular was rediscovering a back-up of an old save of one of my families from early 2017. It must have been from around the time that Toddlers were added to the game, but it also included some very early builds from when I was learning to build properly and experimenting with different ideas.
I thought I’d lost all my old back-ups when my computer had broken, so I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled across this one day. While I’m not currently playing with this save, I’m hoping to do so again soon!
Do you have any standout memories from playing The Sims 4? Let us know in the comments below!
What is the commercial all about? We don’t know what it looks like yet other than the real life grafitti that were left on the walls of the Studios.
Considering that the grafitti features a Sims 4 Plumbob along with some iconic Simlish catchphrases, we can only guess that it was just one of the ways for EA to celebrate the upcoming big things for the game. Either Project Sunrise, The Sims 4 Base Game going Free, or both?
We don’t know quite yet, but we are eager to find out!
Several hours of delightful insanity were experienced today and I have no regrets.
For whatever unexplainable reason, I woke up today yearning to experience The Sims 1 all over again. Granted, this isn’t a super uncommon desire for me; I have The Sims Complete Collection installed with heaps of CC and mods and revisit it semi-regularly, but it’s been a hot minute since I’ve delved back into it.
Usually, I have a goal in mind but today, I really wanted to just make a Sim, plop ’em down wherever, and see where fate decided to take me. Naturally, I documented everything to share with you.
This is how that playthrough went.
Create-A-Witch
Oh, Sims 1 Create-A-Sim… There’s something so charming about your total lack of well, anything, really. But the personality point system was pretty sweet, not gonna lie.
And oh, look! I see all my broken CC is still here to haunt my nightmares after all this time. Hello, headless body.
I slapped a head on my Sim that I’m pretty sure is custom content and a body that I know for a fact is from Makin’ Magic, put together a less-than-stellar but highly accurate personality for myself and off I went! To Old Town! Because none of the towns had actual names back then. Also, Old Town was the only home town you could start in, even though you can eventually live in Magic Town if you scrape up enough MagiCoins.
Gotta Spend Money to Make Money
I moved Sim Snarky into the same house I always move into because it’s the cheapest house which leaves you with the most funds to spend on expensive things right away. Any OG Simmer knows that having good quality stuff is way more important in this game than in later Sims titles because your motives deplete super fast and good quality objects are the only way to make that bearable.
I splurged big time on the bed, the kitchen appliances, and went a bit upscale on the living room chair as well so they would not only increase motives fast but also the room score, which will save me money on decorating. I also deleted all of the plants on the lot apart from trees because plants actually need to be watered and I am not about that life, no thank you.
Oh and let’s not forget the flamingo army in the front yard because it’s cheap outdoor décor, which is important for going to work in a good mood and getting promoted. See? I’m a total pro at this game.
With the house looking completely ridiculous but otherwise all set up for Snarky’s success, it was time to get a job and meet some Sims!
OMW to Steal Your Girl
The only job in the paper is for the military career track which is both the worst and best career ever for Snarky. It’s the worst because it requires getting up early and exercising, but it’s the best because it pays the most and doesn’t require very many friends to get promoted. Sure, we’ll take that.
I was bummed that my flamingo empire did very little to boost the outdoor room score until Mystery Man showed up with his mystery box. Snarky opened it up and got herself a magic for beginners kit which for some reason boosted the room score outside immensely??? Well, okay, I guess all that stuff is staying out in the yard for all the neighbours to gawk at.
Oh look! Here come the Goths! In strangely fancy clothes which I’m sure I put them in at some point in the distant past. Let’s see if my winning personality will be enough to befriend them.
Welp. Turns out giving compliments counts as flirting in this game so I apparently flirted with Bella in front of Mortimer, which made him slap me and then Bella consoled him while I cried. Off to a great start. Really knocked that out of the park.
For some reason, all was easily forgiven as soon as I started talking to them about magic. I’m pretty sure I also made them both witches at some point so that tracks. Unfortunately, magic was all they’d talk to me about. They hated everything else I tried to do with them and eventually, my unbearable presence drove Mortimer to madness. I mean, why else would he randomly start talking to his wife through a sock puppet?
Seriously, what is going on???
Back to the Grind
After miraculously being able to somewhat salvage my relationship with the Goths due to our shared interest in magic, it was time to prepare for for work and get some skills out of the way. My experience with this game has taught me never to touch a stove without at least level 2 Cooking skill or you will burn down your house. Goal #1 sorted.
Goal #2 was just to go to work in a good mood because Snarky didn’t actually need any skills, yet. So far, so good. She’s got awesome objects to ensure awesome motives… ONLY TO HAVE A FREAKING RACCOON RUMMAGE THROUGH HER TRASH IN THE NIGHT AND LEAVE GARBAGE EVERYWHERE, TANKING HER ROOM SCORE AS SHE LEFT FOR WORK AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!
But shockingly, she still got promoted anyway? You know what? I won’t complain.
After purchasing an exercise machine to build her Body skill for work, Snarky was left with exactly 666 simoleons, which I’m starting to feel is an omen because I discovered Snarky’s favourite TV channel is horror.
*terrified screaming* HAHA! BRAVO! *CLAP CLAP*
Romance? Blech. Cartoons? Ugh. Action? Boring. The sound of chainsaws and people screaming? HILARIOUS! Music to my ears! Inspirational!
Another promotion in the bag and this time, we need to work on Mechanical and Charisma. Gotta love The Sims for being the only game out there where you can improve your people skills by talking to yourself in a mirror.
Magic Town is Terrifying
Snarky did not get promoted to level 4 like I wanted after her next shift, which I was mad about until I realised she was still one Charisma point short. Okay, that one’s on me, I guess. Fair enough. She did, however, make almost 1,000 simoleons just for answering the phone so that was cool.
I don’t remember entering any such contest and this smells like a scam but sure, here’s my credit card number.
With a few promotions under her belt and some money in her wallet, it was time for Snarky to explore and see the world. Except not actually because vacations are hella expensive and time consuming, but that mysterious hole in her yard must lead somewhere, right? GERONIMO!
So we are now in Magic Town at the most terrifying carnival I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m not sure if we’re about to have the time of our lives or get murdered by a deranged clown in some kind of twisted funhouse but either way, sounds eventful. Let’s go!
The Sims giving solid life advice? What universe is this?!
After getting a strangely profound and useful fortune at the fortune telling booth, Snarky could not run fast enough to the carnival rides. No seriously, I clicked on them and she booked it to that little roller coaster cart faster than I’ve ever seen her run to the carpool for work.
This absolutely insane carnival ride tried to murder her several times but nearly drowning, suffocating inside a clown’s brain full of colourful balls, and being shot out of a cannon was apparently thrilling to Snarky. She had the time of her life. You know what? I don’t know why I’m surprised given the fact that chainsaws and screaming make her laugh with sheer delight.
Add setting an old lady on fire to the list of horrifying things Snarky finds exhilarating
After surviving that deathtrap, I thought we’d end things here with a big finale. A magic duel against Cornelia Goth! If memory serves me correctly, the magic duels in this game are like a rock, paper, scissors thing where some spells trump other spells and picking a better spell than your opponent is how you win.
Let’s electrocute her for good measure!
I had no idea which spells were the better ones but I kinda guessed using common sense, such as water and lightning? Bad combo. Try a tornado. Somehow, I was very good at that and Snarky completely kicked this poor old lady’s butt in every round.
“I WIN! I WIN!” Yes, Snarky, but at what cost?
I’m starting to become a little bit scared of my Sim, if I’m being honest, so I decided maybe it’s best to just save here and leave her to her own maniacal devices where she can’t come through the screen and kill me… I hope…
Today, the modders have done a full reveal and let me just say that they have exceeded my expectations!
The Sims 4 Spiral Stairs Mod
What thought was difficult to develop has now been brought by this talented modding team.
Thepancake1 and MizoreYukii have crafted the Spiral Staircase Mod for the game with special care and attention towards details (and technical challenges).
The Spiral Stairs Mod functions just like you would expect: you place down the stairs and you go up and down.
Absolutely magical – right?
You’ll be able to give your rooms extra space with a modern, rounded twist.
The functionality of the Mod has been best described by modders in their FAQ Post:
Surprise! Announcing Project Spiral, a base game compatible functional spiral staircase mod with animations that doesn’t use elevators or other teleportation systems to work. It is currently in alpha testing since some features are still being investigated and worked on, and because it is a new system that needs extra testers to identify bugs we may have missed.
This is a project we started back in November and had immediate success with, but delayed announcing or hinting as we wanted to see what else could be done with the system and how close we could get to EA’s stair/ladder system. Unfortunately, it’s fairly hardcoded, but we’re quite happy with what we’ve done so far to replicate the system!
How does it work?
Though these spiral stairs are objects, they have a floor cutout that auto-applies upon placing down and will move with the stairs wherever you move it (or in case you accidentally move the cutout), making it work similarly to EA’s ladders/stairs. After placing the stairs down in build mode you are done, and sims can now use it automatically when needing to travel between floors. No need to click the stairs or do anything else, it functions like EA’s system.
The only thing we could not replicate so far was the auto height adjustment ladders/stairs do when walls are set to a different height, though sims can still route to the upper floors without issue if a taller wall is used, but will have animation weirdness when doing so. Our current plan is to make different height versions that can be placed down instead.
Another thing we are working on is auto-removal of the cutout after deleting the stairs. Right now it must be manually deleted as well if you delete the stairs.
You can also place stairs directly above each other on each floor and sims will route with them continuously when going to higher floors!
As explained, the Mod is currently in alpha testing phase. Animations have been converted from The Sims 3 with appropriate adjustments for Sims 4 Sims.
Toddlers at the moment are still a nuance and are expected to have fully developed animations sometime in the future. When it comes to Pets, they are a bigger challenge to tackle than expected:
For the first version of this release we only focused on fixing the bugs we could find and converting and adjusting the child to elder animations. Toddlers will have animations added at a later date, and pets will soon get teleporting as well in case a house only has spiral stairs placed, then animations (hopefully) further down the line. Pets are more difficult and we’re not sure if we may encounter any issues with them.
So far the Spiral Stairs Mod is everything than expected – and more!
If you want to get it right now, know that you might still encounter some bugs and issues here and there as it’s currently still being developed by the modders.
If you want to get it right now, it’s available as Early Access on thepancake1 and MizoreYukii’s Patreon. Public Release has been scheduled for October 17th!
Gorgeous Collections and outfit inspirations for feminine Sims!
With the Summer coming to an end, I thought it would be fun to check out a few custom content collections that will help continue those Summer vibes in game!
A creator who came to mind straight away way Aretha! I’ve always loved her custom content and have been using various collections in my own game for some time, now. I felt that this would be the perfect way to share my love of her Summer Collection releases!
First up is the August Collection. This is an eight piece, Base Game compatible set featuring new Create a Sim options, hairs and accessories. As this is the last collection Aretha has made for the Summer, I’m excited to check it out in the near future!
The second collection that I’ve been loving is the Hot Girl Summer Set! This is another eight piece Base Game compatible set with a variety of new Create a Sim options.
It was actually the Kayla Necklace from this collection that caught my attention and made me take a closer look! I’ve loved pairing these items with various different in game items too!
The final collection from Aretha that I’ve loved takes things back to basics! With the collection appropriately named the Basics Collection, this is another collection that I’ve found hugely versatile with my Sims. With nine new Base Game compatible Create a Sim options, there is something for all Sims!
Each and every collection by Aretha is unique and really stands out when using the different items to create my own Sims. I’ve really enjoyed mixing and matching items from different sets to make even more looks for my Sims!
With so many great collections to chose from, I can’t wait to see what future collections Aretha has planned too!
You can download all the Custom Content by Aretha mentioned in this article and more, by clicking the link below!
You can download all the Custom Content by Aretha mentioned in this article and more, by clicking the link below!
Players who own Get Together Expansion Pack can use clubs to make their own wolf packs!
The Sims 4 Werewolves is undoubtedly the most widely praised occult-based pack for The Sims 4 to date. It’s easy to see why. Extensive lore, detailed werewolf skill trees with dormant abilities, unique wolf temperaments, and opposing packs you can influence to be rivals or allies makes Werewolves an extremely engaging and solid pack for players who enjoy supernatural gameplay.
However, one weakness of the pack is its lack of customization, at least when it comes to pack structure. Players are forced to choose between one of two packs to join in Moonwood Mill; The Wildfangs and The Moonwood Collective. Sims can rise in the ranks of each pack and ultimately become alpha but they can’t found their own pack or change the core values of the pack they joined, even as an alpha. The most pack customisation available is being able to set the decorations on the pack hangout; and you only get a choice between three basic styles.
Even the pack’s most vocal supporters found this disappointing, myself included. Simmers are nothing if not creative, though, and quickly thought of a solution: the club system from Get Together.
Get the Werewolf Pack Together!
If you think about it, clubs are kind of like packs. They have a leader who can be challenged and overthrown by their followers, they have a hangout spot, requirements to join, and a set of rules to follow; things members of the club can and can’t do while gathering with the club. Essentially, they’re human packs but there’s nothing to stop werewolves from using them.
To found your own werewolf pack with your own set of rules, just start a club with your werewolf as the leader and only invite other werewolves to join. You can even have it be a family-only club and have a long-running pack that gets passed down from generation to generation. Decide what your pack members can and can’t do and customize a real hangout space for them that isn’t a rabbithole object limited to three preset designs.
Werewolf club activities added by ChippedSim
If it sounds too good to be true, well… you’re partially right. One big drawback to using clubs as werewolf packs is that for whatever reason, The Sims Team neglected to add any werewolf activities to the club activity list. They’re supposed to add club activities for every new pack but they didn’t for this one. All you can do as a club activity is Moongaze. Still, there are lots of activities across many packs that might suit whatever vibe you’re going for in your werewolf pack.
And if you’re a mod user, ChippedSim has made a mod adding werewolf club activities to the game. You can find it here.
Have you created your own wolf pack using the club system? Do you like it better than the pre-existing packs that came with Werewolves? Tell us all about it in the comments!
The big Spiral Stairs question has been answered by a talented modding duo. Check out the first teaser!
Spiral Stairs have been a big question for The Sims 4 series for quite some time now. With the release of the Configurable Stairs Update for the game in 2019 the big question regarding Spiral Stairs still remained.
There have been a few solutions in creating Custom Spiral Stairs for the game, but it was all met with huge obstacles in terms of creating good animations for it. Considering that animating Sims for each different axis as they go up the stairs was presented as a huge obstacle, Modders were finding it really difficult to tackle this question.
However, it seems that a solution that accompanies both good animations and good design is coming real soon!
If the animations and functionality of Custom Spiral Stairs are even remotely close to what these modders have created before, then we can guarantee that the Spiral Stairs Mod will be an amazing addition for the game.
However, we’ll know for certain once the modders make a full announcement. Don’t worry, the full coverage will be waiting for you on Sims Community!
We want to know what you think, down to the last detail. Tell us everything!
Whenever something big happens in the Sims fandom, whether exciting or dramatic (or both), we always want to know what our readers are saying. We want to know everything about how you’re feeling because you, the players, are what makes The Sims! Your thoughts and opinions are important and we always look forward to hearing what you like and don’t like about The Sims 4.
The Sims 4 Base Game becoming permanently free
The Sims 4 becoming free in October 2022 definitely counts as something big. Apart from The Sims’ mobile titles, this will be the first time a Sims title has ever been made free permanently. The Sims 4 has temporarily been free as part of a promotion. It has also gone on sale for as little as $5 on numerous occasions, so it might not actually be that surprising that it’s making the shift to a permanent free-to-play title now.
Still, any way you look at it, The Sims 4 base game becoming free is a big deal and people have a lot of feelings about it.
So how do you really feel about The Sims 4 becoming free? Tell us everything in our poll!
This is a fan made poll and is not affiliated with Maxis or EA in any way.
[totalpoll id=”120137″]
When is The Sims 4 going free?
The Sims 4 Base Game is becoming permanently free on October 18th, 2022.
Sims Community has a handy countdown on our Home page that will let you know exactly when, down to the last second!
Is there something you want to share with us that wasn’t covered in our poll? Want to go into more detail about your thoughts? Tell us all about it in the comments and discuss with other players!
Please remember to be kind to other players, the game developers, and the Sims Community staff in the comments.Respectful disagreement is healthy but let’s remember there are real people on the other side of the screen.
The new Desert Luxe Kit is free until October 17 for anyone who already owns Base game! Its neutral rustic furniture calls for some lively green plants in every corner.
Alas, the kit didn’t come with new plants BUT we’ll make our own using the indoor plants we already have in-game!
Just make sure that ‘bb.moveobjects on‘ is activated before starting.
We’ll use this item from the kit which you can find in the coffee tables or end tables category in Buy mode.
Next, add your plant of choice over the table. You should be able to hide the item’s planter box within the Desert Luxe table. You can hide it by sizing it up or down by clicking ‘[’ or ‘]’ or even use Ctrl+9 to elevate the plant if needed.
Note: If you’re using a plant that snaps on tope the table, just let it snap to the table slot first and then add another plant over the table. If you’re satisfied with how it looks, delete the first plant on the table.
Now we have to search through debug to find this dirt mound from Base game:
To unlock it, open the cheat bar with Ctrl+Shift+C then type in ‘bb.showhiddenobjects’ and ‘bb.showliveeditobjects’ consecutively. Hit Ctrl+Shift+C again to close the cheat bar.
In the search bar, look for ‘dirt’ then select and place the item over the planter you made.
Elevate it 5 times with Ctrl+9 and size it down one time with the ‘[’ key.
You can also use these other two dirt mounds from Strangerville. Just search **DEBUG** and look for it in the whole debug menu until you find it.
Now you have a plant that can blend in any desert outdoor space!
Easier alternative
Or maybe don’t look through debug for just one plant. These items from different packs blend in perfectly with the end table. Plus, you can see their soil texture already!
You can also use outdoor plants in Build mode too! Just elevate them 5 times, add the dirt mound if you want, and they should look like this:
*These are all just Base game plants, by the way!
Almost any plant in-game can use this simple end table as a planter box:
Here’s how our playthrough of the Parenting Predicaments scenario went!
Getting Started
This scenario is a bit different from previous scenarios we’ve had. This scenario leaves a lot more room to play your own way, offering optional goals you can complete or ignore in order to go down different paths. The choices you make determine what your bonus reward will be at the end of the scenario. You can now also see the potential rewards when you start the scenario. Oh, and you’ll be playing with a premade household for this scenario; a married couple with child-aged twins.
The description states that Jennifer and Pablo are at their wits’ end about what to do with their badly behaved twins, Leonardo and Sofia. It’s up to you to decide what kind of teenagers they’ll grow into.
The goals for this scenario are far more intricate than previous scenarios. There are different stages of the scenario and in each stage, your choices will affect how future stages play out so we can’t really give a full breakdown of every goal like we usually do. However, we can break down the potential endings and rewards.
Possible Endings:
Raised Responsible Teenagers
Raised Wild Teenagers
Leonardo over-achieves; Sofia slacks off
Sofia over-achieves; Leonardo slacks off
Rewards:
Re-Traiting Potion
Bonus Reward
Satisfaction Points
Set Up a Child-Friendly Home
I started by moving the family into Willow Creek and getting a bedroom all set up for the twins with bunk beds and some toys. Your goals for this stage of the scenario are pretty straight-forward. They revolve around making sure the twins’ needs are met. Talk to them, have a family meal together, make sure both kids get a shower or bath, then send them to bed for the night. Pretty easy stuff.
You also get some optional goals to put away leftovers and to have one of the kids eat the leftovers later.
Have Children Do Better in School
Uh oh! You get a call from the twins’ principal warning you that their behaviour is completely out of line. He blames you as the parent for not providing them with the support they need at home to succeed. Wow, rude.
Well, better save your kids’ academic career. Talk to both kids about school, have them both become Focused, and raise their grades to a B average. Optionally, you can also purchase a chess table, which is recommended for helping the kids become Focused. Of course, Sofia and Leo can’t raise their grades unless they start doing their homework so make sure they do their homework every night. Don’t forget to help them with their homework, too! The principal thinks you’re at fault for being a lazy, uninvolved parent, remember? Then send them to school in a Focused mood to ensure success!
Luckily for me, the twins’ brought home school projects which helped me raise their grades a bit faster.
Complete Child Aspirations
Of course, academic success is not the only important thing in a child’s life. They have aspirations, too. I had my work cut out for me trying to raise the twins’ skills and complete an aspiration for each of them. Especially because…
The mom, Jennifer, had a little too much fun with Pablo while I was preoccupied with the kiddos and it resulted in… another pair of twins. I don’t even remember their names anymore but uh, welcome to the chaos, tiny nameless pixel babies. You will probably be neglected because you aren’t the stars of this scenario.
The crowded house being overrun with four kids all of a sudden meant I had zero time to do all the optional goals of sending Sofia and Leo to the park, the library, and making friends for them. I completely ignored all the optional goals for the first time ever in a scenario; however, I did manage to do all the required goals to make it to the next stage. Sofia and Leo both raised their skills and completed an aspiration.
Raise Your Children into Teens!
Now that Sofia and Leo were doing better in school and had fulfilled some of their other life goals, it was time to age them into teenagers! The game automatically force-aged the twins into teenagers as soon as we started this stage so you won’t need to wait for them to age up naturally.
The first goals were to give them both a makeover. Easy enough. I spent minimal time in CAS slapping some styled looks on the teenage twins. Then I had to pick teenage aspirations for them and finish the first level of those aspirations. Since all scenarios are designed to be base game compatible, I assume the game actually means choose any aspiration that a teenager can complete. Since I own High School Years and love it, I went with actual teen aspirations for them, though.
I planned to have Sofia be the good kid and Leo be the bad kid for the fourth potential outcome so I gave Leo the Live Fast aspiration and Sofia the Overachiever aspiration. Leo needed to pull a bunch of pranks at school which I was SO ready for, except…
Apparently, attending the active high school lot breaks the entire scenario. As soon as I got them to school, I had no scenario or school day goals and no option or ability to go to the map to travel or return home. I was completely trapped at school forever no matter what I tried.
I had no choice but to just abandon the save. Well, that was a lot of work for nothing.
Our Thoughts
It’s already been stated in my other two most recent scenario articles that I love this style of scenario. I think the goals are better, the different story outcomes are more interesting, and the rewards are more worthwhile.
Unfortunately, I cannot really recommend this specific scenario due to the fact that glitches prevented me from completing it on a mod-free save. If you do plan to do this scenario and own the High School Years expansion, I wouldn’t recommend following Sofia and Leo to high school or selecting an aspiration for them that requires them to go to the high school lot… which is a shame, because this scenario is perfect for High School Years and I would have thought using them together would be a no-brainer.
The hard problem of Simulation Lag has two helpful mod fixes.
Sims are all frozen or bobbing their heads. Time slowing down while on speed 3. Maybe the Sims continue their task after the game is paused. That’s Simulation Lag. A term that we have all come to know and hate. And unfortunately, the older the game gets and the more updates are put out, it does not seem like there will ever be an official “fix” to the problem. But, here’s to hoping!
What Can Be Done?
Most people playing The Sims 4 know what it looks like, but do they know what causes it? And more importantly, do they know how to lessen it?
To alleviate the Simulation Lag, these are some steps you can take.
Check for any mods with tuning errors. Although some tuning errors happen, extensive tuning errors in the mods folder can cause increased simulation lag. Try using Tuning Error Notifier by Scumbumbo and maintained by Nisa K.
Stop programs running at the same time as the game
Make sure the computer’s specs match with the amount of mods/cc installed
Install Simulation Lag Fix and/or Simulation Unclogger
The following two mods can be used separately or together.
Simulation Lag Fix
Photo Credit: SrslySims
Sims bobbing their head, but there is no music? Or are they trying to meet their new smart watch’s stand goal?
Originally created by simmythesim and previously maintained by Xerox, SrslySim’s Simulation Lag Fix. Simulation Lag fix adjusts the game time to help cut back on simulation lag when there are too many autonomy requests.
This mod can help alleviate:
Head bobbing
Sims doing nothing for long periods of time
time slowing down when still on speed 3
Important Note: If you adjust the game speed using MC Command Center, you cannot use this mod. “MCCC > MCCC Settings > Gameplay Settings > Game Time Speed” needs to remain at 25. If it is left at default, MC Command Center is compatible.
To Install
Make sure to delete any cache and then install the mod in the main mods folder or one folder deep. The mod cannot be more than one folder deep.
Simulation Lag Fix is available on SrslySims’ website for FREE! You can also find SrslySims on her Patreon.
Are all your sims waiting in anticipation for Alexander Goth to finish his homework? Maybe that’s not a good sign.
Simulation Unclogger is a script mod that tries to fix an unplayable game by detecting when Sims cause the Simulation to get stuck. This mod should help with examples of all Sims in the game freezing due to a singular Sim doing a task. Although this provides a fix for the problem, it does not prevent it from happening.
How It Works
“Simulation Timeline Unclogger works by watching each and every action that passes through the Sims actions timeline. Whenever an action occurs at the same time as another action in the timeline, the script counts it. When enough of the same actions (type of generator) occur in a row, within the exact same timeframe, the action gets forcibly stopped, causing the Sim to reset, and unclog the timeline. This solution allows unclogging of the timeline from anything that is caused by any “resettable” action, which involves all Sims/Objects/Interactions.”
(From ModTheSims)
To Install
Simulation Unclogger is a script mod. In order for it to work, make sure that it is either placed directly into the Mods folder or one folder deep. Anything deeper than one folder will cause the mod not to work.
Download Simulation Unclogger by Turbodriver on ModTheSims
As proposed in the first series of patents released to the public, EA wants to allow players to create their Sims Characters by simply scanning photos of actual people. This would allow an instant character creation and near-perfect resemblance between the scanned photo and a Sim.
The news about the development of new technology for The Sims were followed with another patent report a few moments later.
The new patent talks about groundbreaking technology that would allow players to import animations, clothing and patterns from their phones onto The Sims. This includes Sims AND their Pets.
The patents above propose features such as Creating Pets that resemble real life ones, down to the fur. For Sims, there are more customization options for clothing and patterns, as well as your own Animations that have been generated through the camera that you’d be able to use in many situations within the game.
Today, there is a new report as tipped by our follower @DancerChip.
The new public patent submitted by EA software engineers and researchers shows the new face-scanning feature along with picture samples.
Compared to what surfaced last year through public patents, the newest patent from August 2022 goes more in-depth with better analysis, explanation, and further development of the Face Import Feature.
There’s a lot of technical stuff being explained by Igor Borovikov, AI Scientist at EA, along with other Software Engineers and AI Developers.
Face Import Samples and Technical Babble
Face Details Import
Interestingly enough, the patent also proposed a possibility of being able to import your own face textures onto a Sim character.
However, the authors of this patent explained that there are certain obstacles that still have to be considered for this type of feature. For example, how will the image face texture act on different lightning.
As explained in the patent, there is still some work to be done and ways on how to create characters for this Sims game.
I don’t want to be the one who further explains this patent as it’s mostly technical and talks about possibilities, options and yeah…math. If you want to look it for yourself, it’s public!
Not to worry though, it was confirmed in April this year that Maxis has plans to both further develop The Sims 4 for many years to come while they work on the next generation Sims Game.
What are your thoughts on the recent news? Let us know in the conversation below!
The Sims 4 is going to need more culture skills with everything a Sim can learn from these great builds!
One of the shortcomings with The Sims 4 and most life simulators is that they lack cultural diversity. Lucky for us, there are different ways for us to add cultural diversity into the game.
For the second year, grenesims has hosted an International Collab for builders from around the world to create builds based on their own surroundings. Using the hashtag #ts4internationalcollab2, participants uploaded their interpretations of local venues. Here are a few of the posts that caught our eye!
Note: Unfortunately, not all of these are currently available to download. Although, we do try to feature builds that are available on the gallery, by only featuring those builds, it would take away from the spirit of the colab.
According to Wikipedia, Poznań Old Town is the centermost neighbourhood of the city of Poznań in western Poland, covering the area of the once walled medieval city of Poznań. It is called Stare Miasto in Polish, although that name may also refer to the wider administrative district of Stare Miasto, which extends to most of the city centre and northern parts of the city.”
We’ve actually never been there, but we’d love to visit this city!!
Want to see more of owSimsters’ builds? Why not visit them on The Sims 4 Gallery?
A beautiful 32-piece rattan furniture set as well crafted as the real-life counterparts!
Rattan is a vine-like palm that is native to Asia. One of the largest sources of Rattan has historically been the Philippines. It’s popular because of its ability to be bent and curved, allowing for many different shapes and styles. Plus it’s lightweight! (Even if your Sims won’t be carrying their furniture during their next move)
Peacemaker has created and released a contemporary rattan collection called Bowed Living and we are obsessed!
This set first caught our eye because it’s a beautiful rattan set, but then we noticed it’s a whole 32 Base Game Compatible pieces! With this set, it is possible to make an entire living room including decorations. From the large Rattan furniture to the tiny table plants, there is an attention to detail that people will appreciate in their games. Plus, it’s base game compatible!
Bowed Living CC Set – Photos
Bowed Liwing CC Set – Description
Finally got around to experimenting with rattan. TS4 has small textures, so doing life-like scale just isn’t a possibility if you want to keep a Maxis-look. So I made my own using a tutorial I came across for blender, and here we are. I love how it turned out and not I finally have rattan I like, I can using it in future sets, just probably not to this extent again. It’s a lot of rattan LOL
Are you looking for a way to liven up your gameplay? Or are you looking to start a new story, but you aren’t sure what kind of story you want? Then let us introduce you to this simple and easy to use Sims Story Generator!
Created by Andy, this story generator was originally a fun little project he created to help his Wife create stories for her own gameplay. While it was initially meant as a personal project, both Andy and his Wife decided to share it with the community via The Sims 4 Reddit.
Upon launching the Sims Story Generator, you will be greeted with a selection of automatically generated prompts that will help you create the foundations of your next great story. With details about your Sims likes, traits, career and aspirations, this will allow you to then tailor the story more specifically to how you want it to play out in game.
With plenty of different combinations and possibilities, this Sims Story Generator will be a handy tool for storytellers in The Sims 4!
Click the button below to go to the Sims Story Generator.
