Hitting the news this week was EA Games’ announcement that The Sims 4 will not be released until “Fall 2014”. This essentially means that it’s another full year until we see more emotionally diverse and neurotic Sims, and more powerful personalisation tools than ever before.
Although the prolonged wait has undeniably disappointed many fans, here’s some tips for what to in the meantime in The Sims 3 and beyond.
Go “Into The Future”
Just released a few days ago is the latest and LAST expansion pack for the The Sims 3, was The Sims 3: Into The Future. Interestingly, there could well be a few elements in here that will be a precursor to The Sims 4. For example, out in the wasteland, you can grow “Crystal Flowers” which you can charge with an emotion, making them objects that give other Sims specified moodlets: much like certain items are reported to do to emotions in The Sims 4. Whilst it most definitely is NOT The Sims 4, getting a glimpse into how things might work in the next installment may be the next best thing.
Create A Legacy
Legacy challenges can be found around the internet. Essentially what these are is an attempt to have a single Sim beget a line of 10 generations, after starting on a large empty lot with minimal funds.
There are many variations on a theme and countless different ways to play and score a legacy. One of my particular favourites is “The Random Legacy“, where you let fate decide what generation goals and gameplay rules/parameters that you must adhere to. This adds further ways to “fail” making it a bit more interesting than just breeding Sims ad infinitum.
Compete In A Challenge
Some online communities offer competitive challenges. Carl’s Sims 3 Guide’s forum has a particularly good programme of competitions. Compete in more than three over the course of a calendar year and you can climb up their world rankings. With the scoreboard being wiped clean for 2014, there’ll be ample opportunity to reach the top before The Sims 4 comes out. I myself am currently attempting the “Thank You For Your Service” challenge, so look out for seeing my (terrible) score up there in the next few days.
But even if you feel shy about submitting a score, the challenges themselves offer new ways to play The Sims 3 if you’re a little bored.
Play In A Whole New World
Lets face it, not all of the EA Games/Maxis worlds are brilliant (I’m looking at you, Bridgeport). So why not improve on them?
This really is only for the most tenacious of players. The official Create A World tool is an absolute pig; unintuitive, user unfriendly, and needlessly fiddly. However, aside from bulldozing every lot and reconfiguring them yourself, a quick search on the internet will find you plenty of players who have already created blank version of EA Games/Maxis worlds, or blank custom worlds, giving you the freedom to just build.
Or, even easier, revel in the creations of other players and communities, such as the wonderful amount of worlds found at My Sim Realty. Evansdale County (pictured), in particular, is the most comprehensive of their worlds, including content from all expansion packs up until The Sims 3: Island Paradise.
Give SimCity Another Chance
First off, this really applies for people who originally bought the game but ragequit, like me and countless other players, over the hideously broken and game-breaking AI. I wouldn’t willingly convince someone to buy the game purely to experience what might still be a brilliant masterclass in the art of trolling. But there have now been a lot of changes and, who knows, it might actually be playable.
It might be time to give this disastrous title another chance because, as a concept, there was always a huge scope of potential for it to be fantastic. With (more) traffic tweaks, and the ability to add bridges and tunnels where you please on flat ground, it might finally be good enough to function. Plus, if you’re really brave, you could try the upcoming SimCity: Cities of Tomorrow expansion pack, out in November.
But if you’re still unsure, there’s always the rather brilliant SimCity 4 which is cheap and easy to run.
None the less, we at GameSkinny will endure to keep you abreast with any further The Sims 4 news for the next 12 months!
The Sims 4 will be released on PC and Mac in Fall 2014. To pre-order (if you’re REALLY keen), visit www.origin.com.
