Community Stuff Pack Project 2

Community Stuff Pack Project 2 — The Sims Forums https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/ Thu, 20 Apr 2023 14:28:04 +0000 en Community Stuff Pack Project 2 — The Sims Forums The Sims 4 Community Voted Stuff Pack Deep Dive: Knitting! https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/977528/the-sims-4-community-voted-stuff-pack-deep-dive-knitting Tue, 16 Jun 2020 17:00:03 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 SimGuruConor 977528@/en_US/discussions The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. I’ve really enjoyed sharing the designs and development of this pack with you, and I hope to continue doing these sorts of posts in the future. It’s been a super cool experience, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these!

In today’s post I’ll talk about the feature that is core to everything in this pack, Knitting! Once again, I have to remind you that we’re still in active development on the pack and so some things may change between now and the final game.

Now, let’s talk about some nifty knits!

In order to start knitting, you’ll need to purchase a Yarn Basket from the Build/Buy catalog. You probably remember voting on these baskets a while back. This was the winning design, presented to you now in all its colorful glory! Don’t like color? That’s okay, because we included a solid black and white variant.

We have one more knitting basket coming too! Remember this one?

The basket acts as the crafting catalyst(neat term, huh?) similar to the Easel or Woodworking Bench in The Sims 4 base game. But unlike those examples, the Yarn Basket is meant to live in a Sim’s inventory so that they can take their knitting anywhere they want to go. Knitting itself is relatively straightforward: click on the Yarn Basket in your inventory, OR, with the basket in your inventory, click on the chair you want to sit in while knitting (perhaps a rocking chair?) and select the Knit interaction.

Your projects are saved to your Sim, so you can pause your progress at any time and resume later, and even juggle multiple projects at once. Starting a project costs a small amount of Simoleons for the cost of yarn, but nothing too outrageous.

(Children can knit too!)

As a Sim levels up their knitting skill they’ll have access to new patterns. They’ll start with knitting socks and beanies, but as they grow more skilled they can tackle more challenging projects like sweaters and toys for kids. But if you only want to specialize in one thing - perhaps knitted mailbox cozies? - that's fine too! Just keep knitting anything and everything, and you’ll be level 10 before you know it.

Speaking of knitting skill, sometimes your skill is reflected in your knitted work, or rather your lack of skill. Knitting projects can fail, and when they fail they can get weird. But it’s all subjective, and maybe you’ll end up accidentally knitting the cutest derpy companion, or the perfectly itchy sweater. No mistakes, only happy accidents!

(Just own it.)

One of the niftiest parts of the knitting skill is unlocking the ability to Teach to Knit, where Sims sit down together and share the joy of knitting with one another. We wanted this to feel special, so we got a really sweet animation for it (Thanks Haeju!). Now that you can infect other Sims with the knitting bug, no yarn ball will be safe!

(The knitting needles aren’t finished on the Teach To Knit interaction yet, but trust me it's SUPER CUTE.)

So, what can you do with all these knitting projects? Lots of stuff!

Not only can knitted objects be listed on Plopsy, but you can also Donate them to charity. If you want to surprise a loved one, try Gifting a knitted object too. If you want to destroy all traces of your knitted failures, you can Frog the object and start again! If it's a particularly nice Sweater that you made, consider Adding it to Wardrobe to make it available in Create-A-Sim to all family members.

(Everyone appreciates a nice gift!)

We want Sims to be able to knit something for their whole family. Not only will Sims be able to knit Toddler Onesies, but Baby Onesies as well. So put your little grubworm in a handmade knitted outfit. I’m sure they’d thank us if they could! (And if they didn’t like it I’m sure they’d be polite about it.)

(Here’s a sneak peek at some of the concept art for new clothing for the littlest of Sims!)

It also felt like a good idea to add an Aspiration to tie this passion for knitting all together. So if you want to master the fuzzy art of knitting, consider signing your Sim up for the Lord(or Lady) of the Knits Aspiration. With yarn running through your veins, there will be no knitting mountain too hard to conquer! Master the Aspiration and you’ll be rewarded with the Sacred Knitting Knowledge trait. What does it do? Lots of stuff! What does it unlock? Something special! Am I being vague? I am! Come on guys, I can’t share all the secrets quite yet.

As I’ve mentioned previously, we’re trying to get as much cross-pack functionality for knitting as we can. Cats can play with Yarn Baskets and Yarn Balls, there will be new Club rules for Knitting, new class electives at University, and knitting counts for Emotional Control, just to name a few. I’m hoping Knitting feels nice and snug alongside our other gameplay systems.

Now let's have a chat with our lead Object Modeler, Beth Mohler!

Conor: Can you tell us a little bit about what an Object Modeler does on The Sims 4?

Beth: As an object modeler I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to make objects work in The Sims 4. This is actually a very involved process, and somewhat different from the wonderful work our environment team does. We work with designers, concept artists, engineers, animators, vfx artists (basically everyone!) to make sure that Sims can use an object properly in an animation, or that all of our objects will work with each other. Once we understand the design for a new object, we will create a rig, a block model (a very generic version of the object used to help us make more of the same object in the future), and a footprint (tells us where the object can go and how Sims move around it). Once those are tested by animators and other disciplines we can model the final version, create UVs, and add textures. We also hook up and test everything in the game to make sure it all looks good. There is a lot to think about when it comes to making objects because we know players can find so many interesting ways to place and use them in game. That makes it a very fun challenge to make them work with everything else we’ve built before.

Conor: What feature are you most excited to work on in Nifty Knitting Stuff?

Beth: I’d say I am most excited to work on the rocking chairs! I love that we are bringing them to the game and can’t wait to see them in some cozy living rooms or on porches.

Conor: What are some of the challenges you are facing working on this pack?

Beth: One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that the knitting itself looks good and is fun to watch! This is a challenge given that it needs to work for everything you can create. Figuring this out takes a lot of iteration between modeling, animation, engineering, design, and art direction so that we come to a conclusion that will work the best given our time and technical constraints.

Another interesting “challenge” is the fact that I crochet as a hobby myself! When you are knowledgeable about something (yarn!) in real life, working on it in the game it can sometimes be hard to separate the things you know and may expect in reality from what is possible or best within a video game. I have to make sure to keep a balance and to conceptualize how we can best convert the knitting experience into The Sims 4. As someone who also generally enjoys interior design and architecture, this is actually one of my favorite challenges and one of the things I love about working on objects in The Sims 4.

Conor: What is your favorite feature you have ever worked on in The Sims 4?

Beth: I think it has to be a tie between the mini fridge or the robotics table in Discover University. That pack was the first time I got to really take an entire feature from start to finish. I’ve been with Maxis for a while, but I’m relatively new to The Sims 4. Both of these objects had some complex features we wanted that required a lot of iteration. I learned a ton about the technical aspects of our game during the process as well. I’ve also worked on a few very cool things between then and now, but those can’t be shared yet ; )

As a fan of The Sims since the very beginning I am so happy to be able to share a little about what I do on a daily basis on The Sims 4 with you! I haven’t been on The Sims 4 for quite as long overall, but some of you may also recognize me from my time on Sims Mobile where I shared some of our workflows on Twitter for making a juice bar. Thanks!

Conor: You shared a screenshot of the In-Progress Rocking Chair in our Rocking Chair Deep Dive. Can you share an updated screenshot now that the Rocking Chair is further along?

Beth: I would love to! I hope everyone has been enjoying seeing the progress on this object so far! Here it is a little further along.

Thanks Beth! By the way, Beth is on Twitter @SimGuruBeth, so be sure to Follow her!
And thanks to all of you Simmers for following this pack’s development, this has been a really fun project in a very crazy time. A big thank you to my Stuff Pack teammates, and especially SimGuruSarah who edited my inane ramblings and wrangled the miscellaneous bits for these posts.

While this concludes my design Deep Dives, we still have more forum posts with development insights on the way! Keep checking the Community Stuff Pack forum and we’ll have more fun stuff to show off in the weeks to come.

Until next time,
SimGuruConor
]]> Community Voted Stuff Pack 3: What simmers want, and when? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/979566/community-voted-stuff-pack-3-what-simmers-want-and-when Thu, 06 Aug 2020 18:16:31 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Karon 979566@/en_US/discussions Thus, would be very interesting if they started a new CVSP this semester. Would you like another one? If yes, which themes/features would you want to be included that weren't included in the previous ones?
Here's a list of both SP ideas, choose something outside this list:

CVSP 01: ECO LIVING THEME
CVSP 01: STARTER HOME THEME
CVSP 01: ARCADE THEME
CVSP 01: DANGEROUS THEME
CVSP 01: WEDDING THEME
CVSP 02: ARTS & CRAFTS THEME
CVSP 02: SELF-CARE ROUTINE THEME
CVSP 02: FUN-TECH THEME
CVSP 02: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THEME
CVSP 02: HAPPY HAUNTS THEME

]]> No more stuff packs and game packs in the future we need only expansion packs https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/977512/no-more-stuff-packs-and-game-packs-in-the-future-we-need-only-expansion-packs Tue, 16 Jun 2020 09:50:43 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 _000key 977512@/en_US/discussions CC Request: Poufs as Desk Chairs https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/979283/cc-request-poufs-as-desk-chairs Wed, 29 Jul 2020 23:56:52 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 rachelwolfe 979283@/en_US/discussions Getting plasma/blood? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/985415/getting-plasma-blood Thu, 31 Dec 2020 03:02:38 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Honeydew 985415@/en_US/discussions ]]> Nifty Knitting: What Do Metalheads Want? \m/ https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/975734/nifty-knitting-what-do-metalheads-want-m Thu, 14 May 2020 12:37:22 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Duende 975734@/en_US/discussions I really want them to feature a song from Lamb of God's upcoming self-titled album set to release in June but I don't wanna set my hopes up. Or even get this newer black metal band called Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult to do a recording. The last time a metal band did a song for The Sims was in The Sims 3 Supernatural. I love Lacuna Coil and as a huge Coiler it made me really happy (although I'd argue 'Kill The Light' from Dark Adrenaline was a hard rock album at best in my opinion).
However, I'm hoping they don't play it very safe and actually include a variety of genres of metal like black metal in The Sims 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mqMMZ7Cto0

I really really really really don't wanna set my hopes up but I'd like The Nifting Knitting pack features a lot of genres from thrash, extreme, death and doesn't lean on making things "crowd friendly" with only opting for power, symphonic, folk metal etc.
Anyway, my fellow metalheads
1) Do you think the SimsGurus should make polls to ask us which bands we would like featured or which genres of metal we would like to hear in Simlish?
2) What do you want particularly in terms of bands/genres?

(Please read the title of my post before commenting "I don't wanna hear that screaming" if you do not listen to this ilk of music thank you)
]]> Items to be sold on 'plopsy' https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/974688/items-to-be-sold-on-plopsy Tue, 21 Apr 2020 05:11:02 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Atreya33 974688@/en_US/discussions

Not only can knitted objects be listed on Plopsy, but so can things like Paintings and Woodworking sculptures too!

I like the idea to sell more than just woodworks but I hope the list can be expanded further

I would like to be able to sell:
- knitted items (confirmed)
- paintings (confirmed)
- woodworks (confirmed)
- spellcaster potions
- outdoor retreat potions
- collectibles like the my sims trophies or void critter cards.

What do you guys think?

(Ps. This is supposed to be a discussion about the gameplay of the feature, not the rather silly name. There are other threads for that topic)
]]> The Sims 4 Community Voted Stuff Pack: The Forbidden Sweater & Create-A-Sim Art https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978784/the-sims-4-community-voted-stuff-pack-the-forbidden-sweater-create-a-sim-art Thu, 16 Jul 2020 16:48:02 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 SimGuruSarah 978784@/en_US/discussions
We received a lot of positive feedback from you, our community, about the gameplay deep dives and developer interviews we shared throughout the development process on The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We didn’t have an opportunity previously to talk about Create-A-Sim asset creation, but obviously clothing is a huge part of what makes our favorite pixel people feel real, and we would be remiss to not discuss it at all. So I’m excited to share one last deep dive with you!

The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff is coming soon - July 28, to be exact. I’m sure by now you’ve watched the trailer:

https://youtu.be/s2r_aaVtsSY

And when you watched the trailer I’m sure you noticed the so-bad-it-is-good-sweater:

We call it “The Forbidden Sweater” and the ability to craft it is unlocked once a Sim completes the Lord/Lady of the Knits aspiration. Only a master knitter could craft something so delightfully diabolical...and itchy.

I’d like to share with you a little bit about the Create-A-Sim clothing development process, and what goes into making something as unique as this sweater. Inmar Salvatier, the artist responsible for this delightful abomination, will tell us more about this asset and the CAS process in general.

Sarah: Hi Inmar! Can you tell us a little about what a Create-A-Sim artist does on The Sims 4?

Inmar: We are the digital tailors, barbers, and cosmetologists of the Sims 4! We take the concept art and pull it into 3-D space with tools like Maya and ZBrush. Constructing every new piece to not only to fit right, but also move right, on all Sims, all the time! Got to have the right fabric and color too, so we’ll jump into programs like 3DCoat, Photoshop, and Marmoset to get the right feel and aesthetic. Then we watch our clothing creations come to life in the game and make the right little tweaks to, as Tim Gunn would say, “make it work!”

Sarah: Before joining the Create-A-Sim team you were an artist on The Sims Mobile. How has your time on The Sims Mobile influenced your work as a Create-A-Sim artist on The Sims 4?

Inmar: Joining the CAS (Create-A-Sim) team was a big change for me. It was my first opportunity to work on a PC/Console game and I felt very intimidated. But my skills from the mobile world helped me tremendously, and I was able to be an effective team member. Mobile gaming has a lot of constraints and you often have to get crafty with creative solutions to get the most out of the art you’re creating. You learn to adapt and, for me at least, it has instilled what some have called a “can do” spirit. My first pack on The Sims 4 was Island Living and early on I was handed a curveball asset with a bunch of question marks. It was a bikini with a sheer sash around the waist. See-through assets are super tricky, especially if it’s not directly on the body. But I love a challenge and I was able to learn a lot about our internal tools on The Sims 4, and I even got to design the different color variants for that asset. There was also the robot arm for Discover University. I was able to take that unique top from Concept all the way to finished asset. The concept art I created helped my fellow CAS artists design the full mech suit and robot. It hit me right in the feels that my team was so stoked about my work that it inspired them.

Sarah: The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff features a delightfully atrocious failure sweater. It’s so bad, it’s good! What inspired you when making this truly unique asset? What challenges did you face?

Inmar: This thing is amazing, and I was all about it from the start! The idea was as big as the sweater itself, and the over-sized ideal was the first real challenge. Sims needed to feel like they were swimming in it without sacrificing our animation fidelity. I had to offset the bones - think of these as the invisible skeleton that helps to shape our clothing and make it work on Sim’s bodies - to not only help convey the size, but also to keep the animations working correctly. Then there is the process of making something bad on purpose that still looks good. Yeah, wrap your head around that sentence. As artists we strive to achieve something visually appealing, but what do you do when you are asked to create an appealing failure? Well, you make this atrocity! It’s about knowing the rules and how to break them in just the right way. From concept to modeling, I think this beast did just that.

The first step is concept art. Our concept artist, Amy Kim, sketched several different designs, then she worked with our Art Director and other members of the team to choose which idea to move forward with. Then she further refined that final choice (how many pom-poms is too many pom-poms?!) until the concept was at a good point to hand off to the 3-D artist.

Then the Create-A-Sim artist works on the general shape and defining characteristics of the asset.

Once we’re happy with the shape we can start working on textures:

Coloring the asset comes last:

And, finally, the finished product in game!

Sarah: So cool! Thanks for walking us through that, Inmar. While I’m sure this sweater ranks in the top ten, what is your absolute favorite Create-A-Sim item you have ever made?

Inmar: My absolute favorite item was on The Sim Mobile. I made a horse head mask! That was another out there, bonkers idea that had me hooked from the moment it was mentioned. It also had its share of challenges and design problems, but I love a good challenge and watching players using and loving it, well, right in the feels : )

Sarah: Thanks for sharing with us Inmar!

And thanks again Simmers for joining us on the journey to create The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We here at Maxis had a lot of fun working with you to create this pack, and it was exciting for the SP team members to get to share their passion and creative process with you via these deep dives.

The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack will be released on PC, Xbox, and PS4 on July 28.
You can learn more here: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/nifty-knitting-reveal

That’s all for now! Keep on knitting...uh, I mean Simming….
~ SimGuruSarah

]]> Wall Plants Have Shadows on Them https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/979808/wall-plants-have-shadows-on-them Thu, 13 Aug 2020 14:17:57 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Nekia33painter 979808@/en_US/discussions New Rocking chair variations inspiration thread https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/977544/new-rocking-chair-variations-inspiration-thread Tue, 16 Jun 2020 20:27:27 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 FreezerBunnyCowplant 977544@/en_US/discussions https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Rocking_chair) I‘d like to see these rocking chairs:

Modern rocking chair
Schaukelstuhl+Levesque.jpg

In Sims 3 we had a variety of modern versions as well.

Cabin rocking chair
A rocking chair made out of twigs/ branches, to connect more with nature.

Adirondack-style rocking chair
71ntsgPEokL._AC_SX450_.jpg

Patio swing
Rocking chairs could be repurposed into patio swings!

EEI-2276-BLK-MOC-SET_4_41798315-1e13-44c9-8127-afa0bbaaa321.jpg?v=1559898428&auto=compress,format&w=1200&

]]> Let's revisit the previous Community SP themes https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/969238/lets-revisit-the-previous-community-sp-themes Tue, 19 Nov 2019 18:21:44 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Karon 969238@/en_US/discussions ECO LIVING STUFF

Adopt new home technologies to help your Sim with domestic responsibilities and live an eco-friendly life. Potential areas of focus include laundry, home technology and solar energy.

STARTER HOME STUFF

Customize your household with affordable, pre-owned furniture and clothing that's peprfect for Sims just starting out (or struggling to get by). Potential ares of focus include space-saving furniture, multi-function appliances, and yard sale items.

ARCADE STUFF

Take your Sims to an arcade for an afternoon of entertainment with friends! Potential areas of focus include arcade activities, games of skill, and social experiences.

DANGEROUS STUFF

Live life on the edge by subjecting your Sims to new dangers that celebrate the afterlife. Potential areas of focus include Sim deaths, funeral experiences, and the Grim Reaper.

WEDDING STUFF

Make your Sim's big day an even bigger celebration with new wedding content and experiences. Potential areas of focus include wedding customization, the ceremony and cultural diversity.

ARCADE CONCEPT ART

WEDDING CONCEPT ART

STARTER HOME CONCEPT ART

Besides the winning "Laundry" feature, do you think that the dev team tackled any of the other features on other packs? Do you think they reused any leftover ideas on the new themes? Do you think they should revisit the other features?]]> A new space-saving 1 tile desk in this Pack https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/970765/a-new-space-saving-1-tile-desk-in-this-pack Tue, 31 Dec 2019 16:10:25 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 FreezerBunnyCowplant 970765@/en_US/discussions

I‘d like to see more variety of these single desks. Would fit right into this knitting stuff pack, as you need a place to knit.
]]> Check out this new GIF for Nifty Knitting 🧶 https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/977529/check-out-this-new-gif-for-nifty-knitting Tue, 16 Jun 2020 17:05:39 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Pamtastic72 977529@/en_US/discussions https://twitter.com/simguruconor/status/1272937151886319617?s=21

I am so excited for this pack!]]> Scarves? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/979162/scarves Sun, 26 Jul 2020 23:15:58 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Werescythe 979162@/en_US/discussions We can knit BABY CLOTHES!! Babies can wear! 👶🏼 https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/977530/we-can-knit-baby-clothes-babies-can-wear Tue, 16 Jun 2020 17:16:01 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Pamtastic72 977530@/en_US/discussions We want Sims to be able to knit something for their whole family. Not only will Sims be able to knit Toddler Onesies, but Baby Onesies as well. So put your little grubworm in a handmade knitted outfit. I’m sure they’d thank us if they could! (And if they didn’t like it I’m sure they’d be polite about it.)

]]> Plopsy ?? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/974631/plopsy Sun, 19 Apr 2020 13:35:13 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 julienrob2004 974631@/en_US/discussions
from their community blog by simguruConor

Plopsy
Also in this pack is a cool feature called Plopsy. Yes, Plopsy.

What is Plopsy? It’s an online store where Sims can sell their crafted art! This store isn’t tied to a career or a gig, so if you wanna make a little art money on the side, Plopsy is here for you.]]> When will Nifty Knitting be released? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/976077/when-will-nifty-knitting-be-released Fri, 22 May 2020 22:24:22 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 simlicious2015 976077@/en_US/discussions The Sims 4 Community Voted Stuff Pack Deep Dive: Plopsy! https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/976011/the-sims-4-community-voted-stuff-pack-deep-dive-plopsy Thu, 21 May 2020 16:59:50 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 SimGuruConor 976011@/en_US/discussions

Plopsy is an online arts and crafts marketplace to buy and sell goods. It's sort of an amalgamation of real life online stores, but the themes should feel familiar. For a pack centered around knitting, this felt like a really good add. Afterall, there are only so many times you can gift your significant other a sweater...and yet so many sweaters to knit!

The flow for Plopsy is relatively straightforward - once you’ve crafted an object the List on Plopsy interaction becomes available. Listing an item on Plopsy costs a small fee, and will remain listed on Plopsy for several days. You can keep track of your listed items in your inventory, where you will see the current duration of the item and if there are any interested buyers.

(it's that easy!)

If someone is interested in buying your item, you’ll be notified with a message. If you agree to the buyer’s offer, you can use the Ship on Plopsy action to ship the object in the mail. You’ll be paid immediately and get a thank you message from the buyer when they receive your package. Alternatively, you can ignore a buyer’s offer and relist the object for sale again.

(Ship it!)

Plopsy offers a higher payout than selling things the old fashioned way, at the cost of some general maintenance and patience. The goal is to offer a better selling experience for both the stay-at-home crafting professional and the fairweather crafting hobbyist. Plopsy isn’t tied down to a career or a gig, so anyone is free to try it!

Sims can also purchase things on Plopsy through their phones or computers. This storefront will rotate in random crafted items throughout the day, so even non-crafty Sims have a chance at some cool stuff (including the new knitted clothing!).

We plan for Plopsy to be available for things like paintings, woodworking statues, potions, knitted items, flower arrangements, and more. Hoping to wrap future arts and crafts under Plopsy too!

Without further ado here’s Rick Rodgers, engineer extraordinaire here on our Stuff Pack team, here to talk a bit about coding, UI, and all the bits between.

Conor: Can you tell us what it means to be Gameplay Engineer on The Sims 4?

Rick: To understand what a GPE is (we always say GPE), you need to understand a bit about how The Sims 4 works. The Sims 4 uses a client-server architecture, which means it is essentially composed of two separate programs that talk to each other. The first program we call “the client”, and it is responsible for displaying the game to the player. It handles things like graphics, audio, and the user interface (it’s relatively important!). The second program we call “the server” and it manages what we call gameplay systems like autonomy, interactions, relationships, aspirations, skills, and careers. The server keeps track of those systems and condenses them down into operations the client understands, like “play this animation on this object” or maybe “put this cat on top of this vacuum”. As a GPE, my job is to build (and fix) the gameplay systems on the server and make sure designers have the options they need to create features using them. (Disclaimer: I am simplifying a bit)

Conor: You also work on UI Engineering. How is it different from Gameplay Engineering? How is it the same?

Rick: To me, gameplay engineering is about solving abstract problems like “where and how should a Sim put down the object they are holding?” while UI engineering is usually about solving much more concrete problems like, “What do we do if the Russian word for Tiny Home is too long for this button?”. UI engineering can be really satisfying because the changes we make are usually immediately visible. There is also something fun about changing-up the interface of the game that we stare at all day long. At the end of the day though, code is code. I like to work on both because it means I get to implement the gameplay and UI components of a single feature.

Conor: Is there one thing in Nifty Knitting that you’re really excited to be working on?

Rick: Plopsy – I think partly because the idea of selling things I make at home has always appealed to me in real life. Also, Plopsy breaks some of the assumptions we had previously made about how we would use the crafting system, and it’s been fun to find and solve the problems that have come up.

Conor: What is your favorite feature you have ever worked on in The Sims 4?

Rick: Can I pick two?
Favorite feature to make:
I had a lot of fun adding Freelancer Careers to the game. We had done something similar to Freelancer with the Acting Career in The Sims 4 Get Famous, and we wanted to figure out a way to use some of the things we liked about the Acting Career to make other careers. When we added another Freelancer Career for Fashion Photography in The Sims 4 Moschino Stuff Pack, I felt like my baby was all grown up.
Favorite feature to play:
I really enjoyed working on the Murphy Bed in The Sims 4 Tiny Living Stuff Pack. It’s convenient design, but sometimes prickly exterior, make it the perfect combination of sensible and a little nefarious. You might say I identify with it a bit. I didn’t hook-up the object itself, that was our design team. But I worked on it because we needed gameplay support in code for a bed that was also a loveseat. We had never made anything like that before.

Conor: Thanks Rick!

That’s all I have for this week, Simmers, but never fear, we have one more design deep dive to share with you. I saved the best, and my personal favorite, for last. So be sure to join us next time for the Knitting Deep Dive!

Until then....

~ SimGuruConor

]]> Nifty Knitting: Livestream! https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978985/nifty-knitting-livestream Wed, 22 Jul 2020 12:07:23 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Erja888 978985@/en_US/discussions Nifty Knitting!

When? July, 22nd at 11 am PT

Where? On twitch.tv (www.twitch.tv/The Sims)

Source? EcoGuruFrost on twitter

https://twitter.com/SimGuruFrost/status/1285705373601746949

Just thought I'll post it here as not every Simmer has a twitter account.]]> What are your thoughts on the new community stuff pack? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/975071/what-are-your-thoughts-on-the-new-community-stuff-pack Fri, 01 May 2020 21:13:41 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Mistress_Luxa 975071@/en_US/discussions
edit: whoops - forgot to mention that I'm talking about this choice versus some of the other choices in the first polling options]]> Happy Haunts as a future Game Pack? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/970469/happy-haunts-as-a-future-game-pack Mon, 23 Dec 2019 13:20:21 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 TamakiSakura84 970469@/en_US/discussions More Rocking Chairs in future packs? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/974707/more-rocking-chairs-in-future-packs Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:48:42 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Karon 974707@/en_US/discussions Nifty Knitting Trailer: Where were the babies? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978696/nifty-knitting-trailer-where-were-the-babies Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:14:14 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 SimmerGeorge 978696@/en_US/discussions
So the trailer for the new Stuff pack came out and the Gurus confirmed there were going to be onesies for the babies. I thought they were going to show them in the trailer. Did they? Did I miss it?

Why would they not show such a cool feature?]]> Plopsy's UI + General thoughts? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978711/plopsys-ui-general-thoughts Tue, 14 Jul 2020 20:02:50 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 KalopsianDreamer 978711@/en_US/discussions
Now that the trailers' dropped, what are your thoughts on the new stuff pack?
I'm pretty undecided atm, and will likely make up my mind after seeing simmers play with it.

The main thing I'm disapointed about is the seemingly lack of a new UI for plopsy.

I was hoping for something similar to the gallery. You can click 'open plopsy' on a computer and it gives you a pop-ip where you can browse for items being sold and view your account, where you can list items, set prices, etc.

They never suggested this was the plan, but as they mentioned they were thinking of making a new UI for locked clothes in CAS, I had hoped they might consider doing a revamp of the boring scroll menu they use for a lot of things, as seen in the left picture.

At the minute, the pack seems kind of 'weak' to me, and a fun new UI would've definitely been a big plus in my book at least. What do you think?]]> Trailer tomorrow! July 14 https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/978669/trailer-tomorrow-july-14 Mon, 13 Jul 2020 17:03:05 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 simgirl1010 978669@/en_US/discussions https://twitter.com/TheSims/status/1282690845804769280?s=19]]> Not enough community involvement in Stuff Pack 2 https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/970666/not-enough-community-involvement-in-stuff-pack-2 Sun, 29 Dec 2019 03:09:41 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 ChadSims2 970666@/en_US/discussions @SimGuruGraham was in charge during the first community stuff pack he was really listening to what we wanted I remember seeing post on this forum with suggestions for clothing, objects and some of the objects being separated for better decorating options and we got some of those things and Laundry Day was so much better because of it. We really had a voice in the pack this go around it seems more so vote on a set of completely predetermined styles and the community involvement is just voting on these things. I'm voicing this now before we get to the actual object and clothing vote in hope of @SimGuruNinja seeing this and giving us a little more power in what we get in this sewing knitting pack. Well I'm assuing Ninja is in charge could be another Guru but that goes to show how little Guru involvement beyond telling us to vote has been this go around.]]> Something I didn't like https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/974743/something-i-didnt-like Thu, 23 Apr 2020 06:11:18 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 davina1221 974743@/en_US/discussions Should there be a new career in the stuffpack? https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/972655/should-there-be-a-new-career-in-the-stuffpack Sun, 16 Feb 2020 14:43:51 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 Jinkx 972655@/en_US/discussions PETITION FOR MRS CRUMPLEBOTTOM RETURN WITH NEW PACK (with her purse) https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/973968/petition-for-mrs-crumplebottom-return-with-new-pack-with-her-purse Thu, 02 Apr 2020 17:23:46 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 IVXXXVI 973968@/en_US/discussions what do you think??]]> The Sims 4 Community Voted Stuff Pack Deep Dive: Unlocking Knitted Clothing! https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/974779/the-sims-4-community-voted-stuff-pack-deep-dive-unlocking-knitted-clothing Fri, 24 Apr 2020 16:57:16 +0000 Community Stuff Pack Project 2 SimGuruConor 974779@/en_US/discussions
Today, let's take a deep dive into one of our new gameplay systems, the Create-A-Sim Knitting Unlock System! Please note that this pack is still in development and things can (and will!) change between now and when the pack is released.

As many of you know, most outfits are already unlocked by default in The Sims 4. With the exception of some clothing rewards, most everything is readily available for all Sims to wear. This helps you tell the story you want to tell right out of the box, but I didn’t feel this system was ideal for a pack designed around Sims knitting their own clothing.

For knitted clothing like sweaters and beanies, Sims will have to create - and unlock - them through gameplay. Once you have finished crafting a knitted project it will be in your Sim’s inventory. Select Add to Wardrobe to unlock that clothing piece for the entire household. So if your knitter extraordinaire Sim knits a really fabulous sweater, everyone in their family can enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Makes sense right? Cool. But here’s the fun part!

We’re making the crafted clothing visible in Create-a-Sim before you have unlocked it. This way you can browse all the potential knitted items before you craft them. This will help guide you on your Sim’s knitting journey, and show you which skill levels are required to craft certain recipes. We’ve never given visibility to locked Create-A-Sim items before, and I’m really excited to get this in game for our knittables!

To help illustrate what I mean, here is a concept our UX team (more about them below!) mocked-up.

Something like this felt absolutely necessary for a pack heavily focused on crafting clothing, and it helps our knitted clothing feel special and unique.

Alternatively, you don't have to unlock any clothing for your household. Maybe you just enjoy gifting sweaters to others? Maybe you only donate socks to charity? Maybe you’d like to frog the entire thing and start again? Whatever the case, knitted clothing will stay in your Sim’s inventory until you decide what's best for it.

I plan to devote a proper forum post on the other neat things you can do with knitted items at a later date. But for now, how about an early preview for some of the knitted clothing inventory icons? Spoilers below!

Now I’d like to introduce Justin Allen, our UX Designer for this pack. I did a little Q&A with Justin to give you some additional insights into the development process.

Conor: Can you tell us what UX is, and what it means to be a UX designer?

Justin: In short, UX (User Experience) is designing the over-all experience and flow within a game and its features. We work hard to design the experiences so that many different levels and types of players can enjoy their time while in the world of The Sims. I love knowing that I am part of a passionate team that strives to create the best experience we can for our players. I try to constantly visit YouTube channels and different forums to see what players are enjoying and what may be frustrating them within The Sims 4. I try to keep that knowledge in mind when designing feature flows.

Conor: What were some challenges you faced while designing the Create-A-Sim Knitting Unlock System?

Justin: The big challenge with the Create-A-Sim Knitting Unlock System was to make it visible and interesting, without it being intrusive or overwhelming. We want players to see the locked items and feel encouraged to explore how to unlock the items. It was also important to us to create a system that can continue to evolve and be utilized with other features in future packs for The Sims 4.

Conor: What is your favorite feature you have ever worked on in The Sims 4?

Justin: I am pretty new to The Sims 4 team (I was working on some other projects within EA before joining Maxis). But, I loved working on the Tiny Living Stuff Pack. It was a fun challenge to design the UI updates to Build Mode, and a lot of fun to play. I am super excited by some things I’m working on that are coming in future packs, but I can’t talk about those right now, sorry! I am very proud to be working on a game that has such active and amazing players.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek at what’s happening on our newest Stuff Pack! I’d like to continue sharing little deep-dive posts like this in the future, so keep watching the forums.

Happy Simming,
SimGuruConor

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