I hope in Sims 5 we will get sophisticated systems that make playing the game more dynamic. I wish for something like this to be done for the sims series. I think it can help having more actually diverse sims rather than just looking physically diverse. It can add to your own storytelling and creativity. This is my idea for a tool/system called CAC or Create A Culture.

There are many ways to describe culture, im thinking of something like this:



Assuming Sims 5 we can return to making our own neighborhoods/worlds, id like an opt-in system that brings culture to the game for each world. Some premade worlds will come with their own culture (although you can edit them) , in your custom worlds you can create your own. Im thinking these 5 aspects of a world culture that would make it up:



There is a mod for Sims 4 I love called the Language Barriers mod.

https://simscommunity.info/2020/11/22/the-sims-4-language-barriers-mod/

an excerpt:

Within the Language Barriers Mod there are six different languages your Sims can learn: Komorebigo (Snowy Escape), Selvadoradian (Jungle Adventure), Simlish, Sixami (Get to Work), Sulani (Island Paradise) and Windenburgish (Get Together). Sims who live natively in one of the worlds from these packs will automatically have a proper language assigned to them – for example Sims from Mt. Komorebi automatically getting the Komorebigo language skill. However, if other Sims want to communicate with such Sims fluently they’ll have to get to work and learn all about the language of the Sim they want to speak with.

Six languages: Komorebigo, Selvadoradian, Simlish, Sixami, Toki Sulani, and Windenburgish.
Native languages are assigned to sims (children and older) depending on their home world, traits, and occult type.
Toddlers will acquire their native language(s) once they become children. The languages they acquire depends on which ones they have been exposed to while growing up.
Sims can learn another language by using Simlingo, reading a textbook, or interacting with other sims who speak it.
Communication between sims is limited when they do not share a language. New interactions unlock as you learn more of the other sim’s language(s).
Sims may miscommunicate when they do not share a language. This results in an embarrassed, angry, or tense moodlet that will get worse the more they talk.

I love this mod because I love language, and this way each sim world can have its own language. This mod does not change the sound of simlish, but if your sims do not know the language, they will not be able to communicate properly. With CAC, you can choose the name for your sims language.




The sims series has introduced many different cultural foods to the game which I love! And modders have added more and more to this. With CAC, you can choose up to 5 cultural food items that belongs to your world's culture. You can choose them all like how you view the menu in resturants. This can also be a time to decide whether your culture eats meat, vegetable or dairy.



I do not know how personality or buffs will work in Sims 5 or future series, but I like the idea of this giving sims positive buffs from eating their cultural foods. Sims may auto serve this 5 meals during any kind of cultural/traditional event or party.



Id like this to introduce 2 aspects of traditions/customs:
Activity
Parties

Activities


You can choose any number of activities sims belonging to this culture will like to engage in. This means sims may be more likely to participate in them or enjoy these things. You can also select things sims belonging to this culture do not like. They will be less likely to enjoy them or engage in them.

Parties

This can work well with the Sims 4 style calendar system. Worlds may have a cultural day were sims of this culture gather wearing their traditional dress, eating traditional food, engaging in traditional activities. You can also include activities from the traditions that may be practiced on this day, as well as anything that may be in their belief or value system. You can also include activies especially for weddings or funerals that this culture may practice, like throwing rice at a wedding or wearing white for a funeral.


Beliefs & Values im breaking up into 3 parts - a value system, preferred traits, preferred life states.

This can introduce a new meter, like how influence is in Sims 2.




A cultures value system (or you can consider it a faith system) are beliefs that make up a sims culture. You can select things/actions your sim may do that can fill up their value meter. You can select actions like volunteering, reading from a holy book, spending time in nature, spending time with family, praying (like originally was for Snowy Escape), meditation and other activities. You can choose which actions fill up your value system. It can be anything also like getting into fights, arguing, and stealing if that's your cultures value system. You get to decide what makes it up! Filling up the meter can bring bonuses like how club activities bring added perks for your sim, or like how filling up the lifetime awards brings you to a special buy mode in Sims 2.


Beliefs/Values are something that makes up some behavioral actions that your culture may engage in.

You can use traits, life states, and a new belief system to make up your cultures values. These can be preferred selection, or one that brings conflict. You get to decide. This can bring a faith/religious aspect to the game.

Traits:

2 traits, one that society prefers, one that society does not like (if you choose to select a negative)

You can select traits that people of this culture like more. This is just an example based on a stereotype (please do not hang me), but Americans typically like an extroverted person. If you were recreating an American culture, you can choose the "outgoing" trait as part of a cultures belief system. Sims with this trait will have an easier time befriending people because of this trait alone, not just because they are outgoing. If you were recreating a Japanese culture, you can chose the trait as "Proper", which can also give a boost to social interactions. Sims will be more likely to bond with your sim if they have at trait that is praised in the culture. You can have a trait that the culture does not approve of, which will make it slightly more difficult for those to befriend your sim (for example, the trait is slob.)

Life States:
Cultures that have a preferred life state also blend in better with the culture. This will include solely life states, such as human, plant sim, vampire, mermaid, alien etc. If you want an alien world, you can choose to make your culture's preferred life state as alien, and they may not like humans. You can mix and match with any of the life states. You do not have to chose a life state your culture doesnt like.


Clothing

These are outfits sims of your culture may typically wear on special holidays/events in the calendar. You can select a few outfits for both genders, and on special occasions your sims will change into them if that's the tradition for the day. Sims may also wear these cultural clothes during weddings and funerals.




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Phew ok so i wrote an entire novel XD but id love to have something like this in the sims were your world has its own culture. This is something very different than what the Sims usually goes for, but there are systems like this in many other games, sims could have something like this too! Could be so helpful with storytelling play and you get to decide whether your choose to use the system, part of the system or not. I wrote a ton in here so I apologize for any errors or misunderstandings.

What are your thoughts on something like this in the Sims series?