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So What Is It Like?

elanorbretonelanorbreton Posts: 14,518 Member
I never bought this game but have often thought about getting it.

Could some of you please tell me what it is like? Can you build homes in it and place furniture where you want? Are there children in it? Can you do activities, social things, falling in love with anyone etc or are you restricted to following a set storyline?

Any details and/or pics would be greatly appreciated!

Comments

  • mineral1mineral1 Posts: 3 New Member
    Long time, since i have played the game :smile: But yeah it is great fun, but not a typical sim game, maybe we can describe it that it resembles castaway a lot?

    You are a wizard, priest, king/ queen etc. and yeah you can costumize the home they have and you have storylines when it comes to all these different characters and you are a little restriced to the storyline, but you can just take your time and walk around the time for a long time without completing the storyline right away. You can do a lot of activities like talking to a pit monster, get drunk or sparring until death.

    You can also fall in love and have kids, but they will only age until they are children ( Not older then that) You can talk to them, but not learn them to walk and those typical interactions and you are only restriced to two kids (From what i remember)

    Lazy game reviewers made a great review about this game :)
  • elanorbretonelanorbreton Posts: 14,518 Member
    Many thanks @mineral1

    I have just found the LGR review and it does look ok. I certainly loved playing Castaway, so I might decide to get this one. Still a bit unsure, as it has retained its price quite well and still costs a fair bit.
  • SindocatSindocat Posts: 5,622 Member
    Sorry to be slow in reply, @elanorbreton - I haven't been looking in this forum. Sims Medieval is kind of a hybrid - not quite an RPG, not quite a build game, not quite a fantasy kindom simulator, not quite The Sims as we know it.

    Essentially, you begin with an undeveloped town and, through completing short adventures, earn the resources to improve it. As you are able to add new buildings, you unlock new hero classes, increase your kingdom's potential in any of four areas (security, well-being, culture and knowledge), and unlock new adventures (called Quests) available to your Heroes.

    During a given Quest, you'll only be controlling one or two of your Sims. Initially, this will be your Monarch as the Throne Room is the building your kingdom begins with for free. Other hero professions you can unlock are Knight, Spy, Wizard, Physician, Blacksmith, Merchant, Bard, and two distinct denominations of clergy: Jacoban Priest and Peteran Priest.

    As the last two indicate, unlike other games in The Sims franchise, The Sims Medieval includes the element of religion, embodied as two rival faiths worshipping the same deity - namely yourself, the player of the game - called the Watcher. Jacob and Peter were figures of antiquity, but the rivalry of their followers persist to this day. Sims in your kingdom can join either faith, once you have their buildings (Peteran Monastery, Jacoban Cathedral) in your kingdom, or are free to be agnostic.

    Your Sim will have fewer motives - Rest and Hunger being the only two you will track. Also fewer traits - two positive, one negative. Certain Quests will give your Heroes a chance to shed the negative trait, or Fatal Flaw, in favor of a positive Legendary Trait through gameplay. The other meter to be aware of in The Sims Medieval is Focus, which replaces the Happiness meter. Instead of personal satisfaction, this meter affects how well your Sim accomplishes tasks, including the particular requirements of the current Quest.

    Completing achievements unlock new clothing and furnishings, which initially are somewhat limited in terms of what is available to you. Also, outfits are restricted depending on your Hero's profession. Their buildings are pre-set in general layout - you cannot build additions or move walls or add storys - but you can place furnishings where you choose. Also, the camera has a fairly limited range of motion. Your view is somewhat constrained in this game.

    Another feature The Sims Medieval includes that other Sims games have not is an element of (mild) violence: Monarchs, knights and spies can all equip and use a sword, as can some of your non-playable villagers (the town crier, the squire, town guards, and foreign ambassadors). Armed Sims can train on a practice dummy, spar, duel non-lethally, duel to the death, and even attempt to rob other Sims at swordpoint. Better weapons and armor become available as your Blacksmith perfects their skill.

    Each of the ten classes has different daily tasks they might have to complete - two or three a day, randomly assigned from those that apply to that profession. Completing them in a timely manner helps build Focus. Failing to do so hurts your Sim's mood. These should take priority over Quest tasks, which you are free to take more time with. Also, taking time with Quests lets you develop your Hero's professional skills, build relationships, and earn Simoleons. The game will caution you when you need to be making more progress with your Quest, but once you get a feel for the game, pacing yourself is not difficult.

    Each kingdom you develop has a distinct overall goal, called an Ambition. This may be to have Heroes skilled in every profession, or to annexe a certain number of foreign territories. Completing earlier Ambitions unlocks more complex ones, as the game plays out as a sort of extended tutorial exploring different aspects of play. The downside is that as you tackle your next Ambition, you are starting in a new, empty kindom with a Level 1 monarch, and have to build it up all over again. The upside is that once you succeed at an Ambition, that established kingdom remains playable in a sort of Sandbox mode, although Achievements are only earned during an active Ambition. An ambition will take 15-20 or so Quests to complete. A Quest can take a few to several hours of gameplay, depending on your approach.

    In summary, The Sims Medieval is a different sort of Sims game, with a lot more structure and a lot less freedom. That said, it is a lot of fun. Take a look around this Forum, especially at the Pictures & Stories thread, for more of a glimpse at how this all looks on-screen.
  • SindocatSindocat Posts: 5,622 Member
    Oh! You also asked about romance and family. Yes, that is included! However, like much else in The Sims Medieval, it is a little different and somewhat limited.

    Hero Sims can romance other Sims - whether other Heroes or non-playable characters, can court, woohoo, propose and marry, regardless of gender. Same-sex couples can marry, but are unable to have children and no adoption feature is available. Opposite-sex couples, married or not, can have children, who are limited to two life stages: infancy, for a few in-game days, and then childhood, which continues indefinitely. Should the Hero who is the parent die (as they can), the child then will age up as an adult, and can assume the parent's profession.

    Children do not attend school, are not playable Sims, but do live in your household, have their own traits, can be sent on errands such as shopping, and can play with wooden swords (but only for fun). They cannot be injured, sent to the stocks, condemned to the Pit of Judgement, or robbed. I think a few Quests involve children, but not many, and I no longer recall the specifics. I believe there is one where as Monarch you are promoting literacy and assuring that the kingdom has the resources to teach children, but no school is actually opened as a result, in-game.

    Hope this covers your questions. If you have any others, please ask!
  • elanorbretonelanorbreton Posts: 14,518 Member
    edited April 2017
    That is very detailed @Sindocat thank you very much for your reply <3 You and @mineral1 have helped my decision along nicely...

    I just found some codes on sale on ebay and have cashed in enough Nectar points to buy it, so I will soon be trying it out for myself! (It is only going to cost me £6 for the main game and expansion lol, can't grumble at that - well, the price is zero since I have the nectar points).
  • SindocatSindocat Posts: 5,622 Member
    Glad I could help. I am fond of this game, in spite of its limitations, so it felt like it deserved a thorough write-up. It's certainly a big change from the usual Sims game. I hope you will enjoy it!
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