Patch Notes

@SimGuruJill hosted today’s deep dive livestream into The Sims 4 Dream Home Decorator and there was lots to talk about! In case you missed the livestream, Sims Community has compiled all the information revealed in the stream in a handy condensed format, organized into categories!

So let’s get into it!

CAS

• CAS pieces reflect the build style of the game; a balance between muted and flashy, with lots of pastels and floral patterns.
• Clothing was inspired by a Scandinavian style.
• New hair colours will be coming to the base game in the next patch.
• Lots of effort went into making all the swatches pair nicely together.
• New likes and dislikes for all Sims. The likes and dislikes system will also be a free update. More information on likes and dislikes further down.

Build/Buy

• Buy Mode objects are also inspired by Scandinavian decor. Everything is designed to be mix and matchable; no combination of objects/swatches are going to look too out of place together.
• New bunk bed functionality coming to the base game in a free update. More objects can be slotted under loft beds now in multiple directions, including desks, dressers, and double beds. The snappable configurations can be clicked and dragged around as one unit.
• New play tent for both toddlers and children. Kids and toddlers can play and sleep in the tent. Adults can play monster and scare kids inside the tent.
• Lots of new items to customize walk-in closets. Clothes are separate from the rack and can be snapped in and out. They have multiple variants. New shoe and shoe box clutter along with multiple modular shelving units to mix and match. The clothes function as dressers.
• Two full kitchen sets that can be used on their own or mixed and matched together.
• Two new countertop stoves; the stoves can be placed on any counter.
• New countertop convection ovens that can cook any dish in the game that goes in an oven.
• New built-in ovens that slot underneath counters.
• New items for every room in the house so there’s new stuff to play with no matter what room you’re remodeling.
• Lots and lots of modular furniture in this pack. Sofas, entertainment units, shelving, coffee tables.
• The new modular seating has its own UI panel just like counters. There are eight different pieces for each modular couch that can be fitted together however you please, including a new chaise lounge that can be connected to couches.
• New wall mounted TV stand that can have many different types of shelving units snap to it in any configuration you like.
• Shelving and some floor surfaces are completely customizable. Snap as many different ones as you like together in any configuration. The entire unit can be moved by clicking and dragging the parent object. UI will let you know which object is the parent object if you hover over the configuration in case you forget.
• Plenty of new clutter and wall art to decorate your shelves and walls.

Likes & Dislikes

• Four different categories of likes and dislikes; colour, music genre, activities, and decor. The decor category is exclusive to this game pack but the other categories are base game.
• You can choose multiples likes and dislikes in each category.
• Kids also have likes and dislikes, minus the decor category.
• You can select a maximum of 20 likes and dislikes.
• There is a way to acquire more likes and dislikes through gameplay.
• Likes and dislikes are not just throwaway details that have no impact in-game; they will affect many of your Sim’s day to day activities. Sims will lose fun at a faster rate while doing activities they dislike. The longer they’re forced to do it, the more tense and miserable they become.
• Sims will not autonomously do activities they dislike.
• Sims can complain about their dislikes and enthuse about their likes to other Sims. The other Sim’s reaction depends on their own likes and dislikes.
• Sims can find out other Sims’ likes and dislikes through conversation.
• If a Sim does an activity in a good mood, there’s a chance you can be prompted to select that activity as one of their likes.
• Likes and dislikes can be edited anytime; you’re not permanently locked into the likes and dislikes you select.

Interior Decorator Career

• Designers have a reputation bar as well as a performance bar. You must build your reputation to get high profile clients and bigger gigs.
• Decorators have to look for gigs, similar to freelance careers; however, they do gain promotions like standard careers.
• Different gig types:
  • Room Renos: Access to only one room in the building
  • Room Additions: Adding a new room to the existing foundation
  • Level Renos: Access to an entire floor of a building
  • Level Addition: Adding an additional floor onto a building
• Low level designers don’t get as many likes/dislikes from their clients to work with. Progressing in the career unlocks more.
• Designers can get both residential and commercial gigs.
• Designers will get callbacks from previous clients they did a good job for; they might want your designer to come and do a larger project for them.
• There are a total of 52 different gigs.
• Clients have a budget you need to stick to when doing your renovations.
• You can choose what household you’re going to and avoid renovating houses you already love and don’t want to touch.
• Sims ask for renos based on their likes and dislikes. A Sim who likes painting might ask for a painting studio, for example.
• When at a gig, designers should spend some time chatting with the client to find out their likes and dislikes.
• Likes and dislikes for a gig are randomly pulled from the clients. Sometimes you get more useful likes and dislikes to work with than others.
• If your clients are a family of Sims, their likes and dislikes might clash with each other and the game will randomly pick out likes and dislikes across all the Sims living there.
• Designers must take before and after photos of the spaces they renovate. At least 3 photos must be taken but you can take as many pictures as you like. You get a copy of the photos to use however you like.
• When you finish renovating a space for a gig, you can select your before and after reveal photos. When your client returns and sees the space, a cinematic montage will play using the photos you selected.
• You can show off the new objects to the client and ask them for their thoughts on your renovation. Their opinion will be based on how well you paid attention to their likes and dislikes. Multiple Sims living in the same household may not all have the same opinion of your renovation.
• Reputation has a big impact on what kinds of clients and gigs you can get. If you have high reputation but bombed a gig, that client might be willing to give you a second chance in the future.
• Reputation doesn’t reset like performance when you get promoted. You carry it with you through your whole career.
• Reputation is mostly built on how well you do on gigs but you can also help build your reputation by self promotion, writing design books and articles. You can catch the attention of brands and the Home Decor TV network, too.

Cross Pack Compatibility

• If Cats & Dogs is installed, pets will sleep and hang out in the play tent.
• If Vampires is installed, Vlad can ask you to renovate his home for him. According to SimGuruJill, it’s hilarious.
• If Get Famous is installed, celebrities won’t hire your Interior Decorator Sims unless they have a high professional reputation. Your Sim will have to work harder to land gigs for those high profile clients.
• All Build/Buy objects across all packs are integrated into this pack and will affect your clients and your gigs.
• The likes and dislikes are integrated across all packs. You will have more options for likes and dislikes depending on which add-on packs you have installed.
• You can get gigs for all residential worlds from all packs. Pack specific venues are compatible, like vet clinics.

Misc.

• New Home Design TV channel with two comical renovation shows. Designers can watch this channel before a gig to get a Confident moodlet to help them at work. Non-designers will become Inspired from watching the Home Design channel.
• The pack is a balance between Live Mode and Build Mode. The mechanics of the Interior Decorator career encourage builders to play in Live Mode and gameplay enthusiasts to play with Build Mode more.
• If your Sims don’t have the full range of appliances (ie: a stovetop but not an oven), they won’t see recipes for the appliances they don’t own.