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Possible Features That Could Work Well with Seasons
Blaze_Bard
Posts: 93 Member
Lots of people want seasons and weather in The Sims 4. I get that. The question that's been in the back of my mind lately is "What other features could potentially work well together with seasons and weather mechanics, either in Sims 4 or maybe in future games in the series?" (For the record, I for one haven't given up on the possibility of The Sims franchise having a future, so now that that's out of the way let's get back on topic.)
Here are a few thoughts I had about potential features that haven't fully come into their own in The Sims 4 yet, and how they might possibly work with seasons or weather mechanics:
1. Farming
I do think it's possible that Sims 4 might get some kind of farm-related content in the future, mostly because horses seem to have been a fan-favorite in TS3:Pets, but since there were no horses in TS4:C&D, then I think the most likely ways that they could return would be either in an entirely equestrian-focused pack or in a farm pack. And when a seasons mechanic does become a thing in TS4, it's probably going to have a considerable effect on the existing gardening mechanic -- it would be weird if Sims needed to water their outdoor plants after a rainstorm, plants wouldn't grow in wintery conditions, etc. Which means that, if Sims 4 or any future games that may exist were to get a farming mechanic, weather and seasons would probably have a considerable effect on that as well.
2. Hobbies & Activities
This one might seem like a bit of a stretch, but I was thinking "If Child and Teen Sims don't have to go to school in the summer, maybe they would go to summer camp instead?" And then I started thinking about summer camps as a way for Child and Teen Sims to do activities and learn skills. Then I started speculating about the possibility of summer camp features in Sims games working like the active careers in GtW so you could control your Sims while they were at camp, or like clubs in GT so you could design your own summer camps for your Sims to attend. I think that features like those would be more of a pipe dream than something we could realistically expect in the future, but actually, come to think of it, it wouldn't be that hard to use GT to make a club that would function as a summer camp.
3. Supernaturals
Okay, this one probably seems like even more of a stretch. I was thinking mostly about spellcasting supernaturals like witches and fairies (and maybe genies). Basically, my idea was that witches and/or fairies with a high magic skill, or certain high-level perks if these kinds of supernaturals wind up working like the vampires in TS4, could cast spells that affect the weather. I think there might have been something similar going on if you had both Seasons and Supernatural for TS3, but I only ever played TS3 base game so I'm not sure.
Please feel free to share your own thoughts and speculations about what other features might go well with seasons and weather, and/or your own ideas about what possible future features in Sims games might pair well together.
Here are a few thoughts I had about potential features that haven't fully come into their own in The Sims 4 yet, and how they might possibly work with seasons or weather mechanics:
1. Farming
I do think it's possible that Sims 4 might get some kind of farm-related content in the future, mostly because horses seem to have been a fan-favorite in TS3:Pets, but since there were no horses in TS4:C&D, then I think the most likely ways that they could return would be either in an entirely equestrian-focused pack or in a farm pack. And when a seasons mechanic does become a thing in TS4, it's probably going to have a considerable effect on the existing gardening mechanic -- it would be weird if Sims needed to water their outdoor plants after a rainstorm, plants wouldn't grow in wintery conditions, etc. Which means that, if Sims 4 or any future games that may exist were to get a farming mechanic, weather and seasons would probably have a considerable effect on that as well.
2. Hobbies & Activities
This one might seem like a bit of a stretch, but I was thinking "If Child and Teen Sims don't have to go to school in the summer, maybe they would go to summer camp instead?" And then I started thinking about summer camps as a way for Child and Teen Sims to do activities and learn skills. Then I started speculating about the possibility of summer camp features in Sims games working like the active careers in GtW so you could control your Sims while they were at camp, or like clubs in GT so you could design your own summer camps for your Sims to attend. I think that features like those would be more of a pipe dream than something we could realistically expect in the future, but actually, come to think of it, it wouldn't be that hard to use GT to make a club that would function as a summer camp.
3. Supernaturals
Okay, this one probably seems like even more of a stretch. I was thinking mostly about spellcasting supernaturals like witches and fairies (and maybe genies). Basically, my idea was that witches and/or fairies with a high magic skill, or certain high-level perks if these kinds of supernaturals wind up working like the vampires in TS4, could cast spells that affect the weather. I think there might have been something similar going on if you had both Seasons and Supernatural for TS3, but I only ever played TS3 base game so I'm not sure.
Please feel free to share your own thoughts and speculations about what other features might go well with seasons and weather, and/or your own ideas about what possible future features in Sims games might pair well together.
"Good night -- even if you don't have a good knight." -- Ace Niles, Space Case
4
Comments
Like the alien / bear nights in Get Together
Seasonal crops would be nice too (pumpkin, clementines....)
And I hope there will be all the activities there were in Sims 3, I really liked them particularly the snow activities.
After the MFP disaster they'll be looking for ideas that stand well on their own rather than putting out a pack that requires another pack to get full use. Both farming and hobbies/crafts could fit that requirement. You could have a farming pack with animals and additional plants -- the people without Seasons wouldn't have the seasonal effect on plants if there is such a feature in Seasons (if the devs go that direction) so a Farming pack could enhance Seasons (and vice versa) but Seasons would not be required. Hobbies and Activities could also stand alone if they go with activities that work in any weather -- maybe they bring back inventing so you can develop robots to do a lot of the daily tasks, or more crafting options like the sculpting skill from Sims 3.
I'd say weather spells could defintely be part of a Witch's repertoire -- maybe they'll get them if you have Seasons installed like we got the Weatherstone if we had both Seasons and Supernatural in Sims 3. But Witches could stand alone perfectly well without weather spells; as long as they had plenty of other spells. I'd like to see a spell tree similar to the one in Vampires, but at a certain point you can choose your path (Good or Evil) and be shown the spells for your own choice of branch, alongside some "neutral" spells that any witch can learn.
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
College could conceivably work well with seasons, as well. Start school in autumn, and have school years correspond to actual seasonal cycles. You could even have spring break.
Summer:
You can swim in the ocean for once, surfing could be a thing.
Sunscreen that lasts 4 hours, without your sim will be bright red for 24 hours.
'Sun' festivals or something like that if you have City Living.
You can get overly hot if you're wearing long-sleeved clothes.
Heat-proof traits
Shark attacks.
Autumn:
Trees change colour.
Leaves fall.
Autumn festivals.
Leaf artwork.
Halloween.
Winter:
Snow (snowmen, angels whatevs)
Special drinks.
Too cold for singlets etc.
Polar-bear trait (immune to cold in any clothing)
Freeze to death.
Xmas, parties, during the sims sleep santa comes and places presents in your inventory.
Snow boarding
Sleding
Spring:
Plants grow faster and plants are harvest-able more often.
Romantic moodlet
Weddings are more likely to get gold for events.
Flower crown making
Valentines Day
This would be great!
Mermaids:
Ocean kingdom (Atlantis)
Seducing humans
Ocean creatures
KRAKEN!
Witches:
Cults
Poison
Good witch trait
When angry they can cause accidental tricks around them
Zombies!
Werewolves:
Full moon
Wakes up without memory of transformation
Bad relationships with sims after
Fairies:
Gardening skill goes up quicker
Hidden area (Fae Woods)
Tricks
I want horses and unicorns, anyway BOOM suggestions.
I guess I didn't really do a good job of specifying exactly what I was thinking. I was pondering about what other features might potentially go in an EP that also delivered weather/seasons mechanics. Even in TS4, where the packs tend to be more focused on specific themes than they usually have been in past games in the series, EPs still deliver more than one new game mechanic. So when I suggested things like farming, hobbies and supernaturals, I was thinking about game mechanics that could potentially go in a Seasons EP that have never been in a Seasons EP before. Not that a little bit of cross-compatibility between packs is necessarily a bad thing; the real problem with MFP is that you need to have C&D in order for a lot of the items in the pack to be fully functional, but if it was just one feature that players could access if they had both packs -- like @stilljustme2 mentioned the Weatherstone in Sims 3 -- that wouldn't be so bad.
(Im going to only talk about the packs that I have bc I dont have any idea about the other packs)
A. Basegame
*Gardening - Plants can bloom & wither together with sun & rain, wont be able to plant during winters except indoors.
*Fireplaces - Fireplaces will impact your sim's mood like if it's hot outside & you have your fireplace lit you'll get an uncomfortable moodlet, vice versa if it's cold.
*Trees, Flowers, Bushes & Other Landscapes - Changes according to season.
*School - SUMMER VACATION NEEDED
*Thirst - I dont know but my sim loves to drink water from the tap, I hope they get moodlets from this.
*Ponds & Beaches - I have seen modders to this where your sim can swim on ponds & rives all around the sims 4 worlds. I hope they can do this too.
B. Get Together
*Bluffs - More townies will hangout during summer on the bluffs to swim
*Fire-pits - Fire-pits can be a source of warmth or death during really hot days
*Teen Parties - spawned all out the world because duh, summer break! Must I add, barbecue parties too!
*Cafe - Cafes will be crowded when it's hot / cold because sims need to refresh too.
C. Get To Work
* I have no idea, I feel like this pack missed so much features like other works in TS3 where you can be a fashion designer & interior designer
D. City Living
*Townies - City townies will tend to escape the city when it's summer to hang out out on pools, or maybe at the bluffs again.
*Festivals - Since festivals are big in this game, maybe it isnt hard to include spooky festival, spring/summer break, winter holidays & so on.
E. Laundry Day Pack
*Laundry - Laundry on the clothesline will dry much faster during hot days & get damped again when it rains.
F. Dineout
*Restaurants - Please add more customizable lot category aside from "restaurant" pls let us have "cafe" "bar" or anything that have something to do with food & beverage industry.