Future Living – Part 1 Blog

October 16th, 2013

Each time The Sims 3 design team sits down to discuss the next expansion pack or piece of store content,  we often start by talking about what parts of the game could be better. What worked and what didn’t work in previous content? What would we like to do differently if given the chance? With Into the Future, we discussed how well the Visa Points system from World Adventures worked in context with that expansion pack’s content and then talked about how Terms worked with University Life. Would either of those scenarios work with Into the Future?

If there is ever a question on which direction we should take with a design there is always one question I ask myself: “Are we, the design team, providing tools that allow players to tell the story they want, or are we trying to force a specific story onto the player?” To me player freedom is the most important thing I can provide to someone who plays The Sims 3. Once we asked ourselves this question it was apparent the direction we should head, pending any technical restrictions.

Arriving in the Future:

Unlike Shang Simla, Champs Les Sims, Al Simhara or Sims University, once a Sim arrives in Oasis Landing they can stay there as long as they like. All ages can travel to the future, but babies, toddlers, children and teens must be accompanied by a responsible adult. When you arrive in the future you’ll arrive at Emit Relevart’s Community Living Center. This lot provides a place for visitors of all ages to relax and recharge after a day out in the town.

 

Temporary Housing at The Community Living Center

The Community Living Center contains all of the basic essentials you’ll need for future living, from travel objects like the Hoverboard and Jetpack, to everyday necessities. If your sim is famished, walk up to the FoodForge Cuisine Synthesizer and generate some Synthesized Goopy Carbonara. Your Sims will be able to create a full course dinner in the time it would take to make one dish on an old-fashioned stove! After a hearty meal your Sim can freshen up with the Tardisian Well Sonic Shower. With the power of sound and color your Sim will be sonically cleaned in no time, you don’t even need to change your clothes. Cleanse a Sim with their favorite color and they’ll feel extra fresh which is sure to put any Sim in a good mood.

A Sim in a good mood is more inclined to have good dreams in the new Sweet Escape Dream Pod. The Dream Pod allows players to interact with their Sim while they dream to try and influence the outcome.  When your Sim wakes up there’s a chance they will receive a temporary benefit that will help them throughout the next day, but if the dream is bad be prepared for some negative side effects. A Sim who dreams about their career, for example, may gain an instant boost in career performance for having a good dream, while a bad dream may decrease their job performance. If your Sim has a good dream about a skill like Handiness, any time they perform a handiness interaction like repairing a TV, they will build the skill at nearly double the rate.

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