I've wanted and requested (we know how that goes) a detective/murder mystery pack for years. If the word MURDER in a game where we kill off sims on a regular basis for fun gives players pause, then call it MYSTERY AT THE MANOR. No biggie. That's better than Journey To Batuu where the actual journey is teleporting after a phone call. Where's the journey EA?
I like the description from Reddit:
New world featuring 4 manors and one empty lot.
Sims can be invited to, or ask to attend, or hold a posh masquerade party event (featuring fancy new clothes) at these mansions (featuring fancy new furniture). The clothing is all masquerade ball stuff, but the furniture is mostly extravagant nonsense, not themed furniture sets for a fancy mansion. The scuba tank and Skydiving Machine from Sims Superstar, for example. The rest is all extravagant decor or stupid stuff like a platinum plumbob chandelier or a giant crystal llama or a Throne made of roses called "Every Rose Has Its Throne" or something silly.
The heft of the game pack comes from how in the early stages of the party, someone is...well, murdered. From here, you essentially enter into a game of Clue. You know the murder didn't take place in the room you were in. You know the murder didn't take place with an item that was in that room. And you know that the murderer wasn't someone who was in the room with you.
From there, Sims (NPCs and player alike) go around the house trying to figure out who the murderer was.
The pack includes multiple new death types. Things like "death from poison" or "death from giant indoor scuba tank" (a staple of any modern mansion) or "death from plumbob chandelier", which play into the game. The murdered sim immediately shows up as a ghost of their murdered death type and demands justice, which amuses the reaper, so he agrees to bring them back. Sometimes it'd be possible for the death to be entirely accidental (especially if the death is from the chandelier), and if you deduce properly, the ghost gets revived and then re-dies of embarassment.
This would be something I would play often. There could be so many ways to kill off sims for a pack like this. It would also be a great opportunity to add stuff that we've been requesting.
I think this should be a GP and not an EP, however.
I've already created sims from the Clue game, all living in a mansion together and characters from Murder By Death, a spoof of "murder" movies starring take-offs of popular detectives. I've created Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and Tommy & Tuppence, even Colombo with Mrs. Colombo (yes, I made up first names for them). I even took Poirot through the police career to get to a point where he could "investigate" crimes.
I like the idea of a Murder Mystery Masguerade Party that is the trigger for the deaths. There should be an option to hold the party, attend the party or be called to the party after the murder.
As far as this being too closely related to other packs, so what, who cares. I like all that stuff in the other pack so why wouldn't I want more?
It would be nice if EA picked up this as a clue to a new pack, and it is something a little different, but they seem bent on giving us junk packs that they loved working on, which tells me that all they are interested in now is padding their resumes with "wins" like "Yes, I created Journey To Batuu, which sold well even if it was a very disappointing pack to play".
Is the 10th Expansion Pack going to be based on the old board game Clue?
This was a false "leaked" rumor that the upcoming EP was a Murder Mystery pack. It has been debunked. But, I would still love a Murder Mystery pack very soon.
Along with it they could give us a new career: PI (Private Investigator) ... The PI would get calls from random sims as their work assignment ... They could be hired to prove a sim is cheating ... Which would then use the photography skill to take pics of the cheating sim ... Another assignment might be something was stolen by a klepto ... They are given clues and you figure out who stole the item ... Teen run away ... PI finds them ...
We could get another World (like Strangville) ... This is where all the murder mystery stuff takes place ... Each lot is different and each one has a different mystery to solve ... Like a restaurant maybe they were poisoned or stabbed with a knife ... A manor maybe they were pushed down the stairs or a chandelier fell on them because someone loosened it ... A gym where maybe they got locked in the sauna or someone messed with the treadmill and they got zapped to death ... Anyway you get the idea ...
I don't know how much of this is doable ... But hey ... My mind is racing ... LOL
This would be so much fun ... I am another one who loves murder mysteries and true crime ... I'd buy it
I love this idea as my family used to have the Id channel on 24/7 but, it seems like it would be bad timing after releasing a Disney styled theme park that keeps out all perversions to make the game family friendly and then release an expansion that revolves around simmurder would set an example of devided chauvinism
I love this idea as my family used to have the Id channel on 24/7 but, it seems like it would be bad timing after releasing a Disney styled theme park that keeps out all perversions to make the game family friendly and then release an expansion that revolves around simmurder would set an example of devided chauvinism
I believe Dr. Watson would say that you have the wrong end of the stick. It doesn't revolve around murder at all. It revolves around solving a murder in a game where the first two questions asked about an upcoming new pack is "Are there any new woohoo spots?" and "Is there any new ways for sims to die?".
I think solving a sims murder (which is already a part of the police career) could be a fun pack if done with the sims normal tongue in cheek method. One fake site mentioned sims being knocked off in unusual ways. For example, the old reliable Death By Chandelier or Death By Being Locked In A Steam Room or Death By Puffer Fish or Death By Shark In Koi Pond or (bringing back two old favorite objects of mine) Death By Oxygen Deprivation in the Aquatic Playhouse (sims 2) and Death by Hurricane In The Skydiving Simulator (sims 2).
There are many unique ways for a sim to die and our simtective will need to be on their toes to suss out the murderer. I only hope that at the end, my simtective can bring the suspects together in the parlor and tell the tale of how it was done and then who done it.
As one fake site put it, it could be a small, well-to-do neighborhood of stately mansions. Your sim can throw a Murder Mystery Party, be invited to a MMP or get a call to a party where a murder has happened to help solve the case. Four manor houses and one blank lot for us builders to create our own traps house. The trigger could be the Murder Mystery Party on the phone. Either you can book a MMP or set up a MMP to be throw at someone's mansion.
It could be replayed more than once (unlike some packs that shall remain nameless) and at the very least, we get another "normal" neighborhood and new party clothes (maybe with a vintage feel) and new furniture with unique interactions (like the moose head on the wall whose eyes seem to follow your sim around the room and a few new hidden doors).
I would definitely have more interest in a murder mystery pack than what we've gotten in the last few packs. I was never interested in DU, EL, TL, NK, or SW.
I know this thread hasn't been used for about a month now, but I also was interested in this murder mystery pack idea, although I was too inhibited to comment originally. Though with the new pack trailer due for release in two days (Oct 20), I decided to just add my thoughts, which build on your original murder mystery pack idea.
I realise many people have said that a murder mystery pack is unlikely to be released because of murder not fitting with the teen rating in TS4. But my idea is a little similar to Dannydanbo's idea of a Murder Mystery Masquerade party, but it is held inside a hotel. So Hotel's would be the Expansion pack (which is something people voted as the number one EP theme on DigitalSpy). Part of that pack would be the opportunity to hold themed weekend parties, like the Murder Mystery Party, or Halloween and other seasonal parties, or even weddings. Since the Murder Mystery theme weekend would be a party and not a real murder, it wouldn't affect the teen rating of the game.
Also, the Hotel EP would create new careers that could include progressing from starting positions as cleaning staff, a valet, or even a concierge attendant. Since cars are not currently in the game they could be introduced so the valet could park the guest's vehicles or at least be seen to drive the car away. This could have negative and positive outcomes, such as crashing the guest's vehicle or being tipped and eventually promoted for taking extra care of the guest's vehicle. The career could progress to managing the hotel and eventually becoming the owner. (Just as an aside, those guests that don't have cars could arrive in a taxi.)
Additionally, because there would be themed parties and weddings, this could also incorporate careers as party/wedding organisers, wedding registrants. There could also be the opportunity to include the PI career like AuroraBoreallis mentioned, for investigating cheating partners or thefts (which would also bring burglars back into the game). Plus the Halloween themed party night could also create the career of a paranormal investigator or a psychic and also bring back Bonhilda as a supernatural hotel maid. The Hotel theme could also be used to create a new Create-A-Destination-World, so people could design their own destination world (i.e.: Japan, Paris, The Moon, etc) and place their hotel in that world.
So the Build and Buy items could include various landscaping and cultural themed items to create the destination world, for example, Japanese wagashi walls and tatami mats, shrine garden ornaments and torii gates; or statues of the Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe; paintings of the surface of the Moon or other planets; as well as some novelty Clue (Cluedo in the UK) themed paintings of the characters from the game like Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard etc., themed ornaments like the a candlestick, a revolver, maybe even a miniature version of the board game that could be placed in the reception of the hotel for Sim guests to play, as well as place in their own homes which could be used to build up their logic and creative skills.
New CAS could include Sherlock Holmes styled heads or a female version like Miss Marple, or Japanese Miss Sherlock, or a unique looking Lisbeth Salander type with piercings. PLus some outfits could include Sherlock Holmes styled PI hat, cape and tweed suits; Velma from Scooby-Doo styled clothing, a PI raincoat and hat in both black and brown colours and available for all genders; as well as a Miss Marple styled hat and outfit. There could even be a dress-up version of the clothing items for children to wear.
Anyway, that is just my idea and I doubt EA or anyone would like it, but since it would be an EP that could incorporate so many desired ideas (for instance hotels, destination worlds, cars, burglars and more), it would have the opportunity to create a lot of build and story play, especially when incorporated with other existing EP's, GP's and SP's.
@lulubuttons You offer some good ideas. A hotel pack would work just as well (any excuse to get a B&B pack is fine with me). And don't be hesitant to share your ideas and thoughts. Not everyone may agree with you, but, hopefully, they will respect your desire to share.
The problem I see is... how would you solve a murder without a murder? Sims don't kill each other.
I am thinking this will be something like you enter a lot and find an urn and you want to know whose urn it is, why they died, how they came to be dead. Sometimes it's an accident, but sometimes maybe they got that death flower bouquet or someone fed them bad pufferfish.
@crocobaura that is a great idea. I was originally thinking of something similar to when people go to those murder, mystery dinner or weekend parties. They are told a fictional person has been murdered and they have to work out who murdered them and how and where the murder happened. But the whole thing is actors and the people going on the weekend or dinner party are the ones who solve it in teams or something. Therefore no one is murdered it is just like playing Clue but in first-person, rather as a board game. But I really like your urn idea and the possibilities behind the death.
I would play this & possibly a spy as well. To be good, I think it should have a few different types of mysteries to solve so that players can choose the direction to go in. While the Star Wars theme is really not for me, I appreciate that the pack did have different ways that you could play it. (No, I didn't get it, it was too far out from my interests).
The pack could be optionally played with existing pre-mades, with new characters or with your own.
I actually enjoyed Strangerville though I would like a murder mystery better. I've been wanting to see more of a "lifestyles of the rich and famous" pack because I have some wealthy households. This could kind of go along with that. I wouldn't want all of the decor to be silly though. Maybe a trick mansion could have that but I generally want objects that I can use in multiple households.
Anyway, I like Clue and Knives Out so something along those lines would interest me.
The problem I see is... how would you solve a murder without a murder? Sims don't kill each other.
My idea is to solve the crime, not witness it. It has been a while since I played (I might refresh myself after this post) but, in the Police Detective career, there is a murder (I think). I seem to remember a chalk outline of a sim, but I will play as a cop to see.
But, with that in mind, the "murder" could take place and our P.I. sim is called to investigate after the body has been removed leaving only a chalk outline and various clues to be discovered. A NPC cop would follow us around to arrest the guilty party once we have deduced who done it. A lot of this programing is already in game via the police detective career and could easily be altered to fit this idea.
This set-up could be in the form of a Murder Mystery party. Your sim can throw a party where a murder occurs and must solve it or, if registered at city hall as a P.I., could be called to go to a location where a murder has occurred. All could be set up on your sims phone. If you want to solve a mystery, then, using your sims phone, throw a mystery party or schedule one to be held at one of the manor houses that your sim will be called to investigate.
I like the idea of a new world the size of Forgotten Hollow with about 6 lots for manor houses (4 prebuilt and 2 blank). I'm picturing English manor houses as I grew up watching all those Agatha Christie movies (Margaret Rutherford is my favorite Miss Marple) and, in some weird way, an English village setting would make the mystery a little more classy and less gruesome. It is meant to be "fun" after all.
As for MURDER being to sensitive for teens, I think that's just a poor excuse. Teens, like all of us, enjoy torturing and killing their sims in various ways. Two of the first questions asked when a new pack is dropped is "are there any new woohoo spots?" and "are there any new deaths?" so let's stop being too precious about murder being a topic. It can always be renamed to something more palatable like booze became juice and sex became woohoo.
Comments
I like the description from Reddit:
New world featuring 4 manors and one empty lot.
Sims can be invited to, or ask to attend, or hold a posh masquerade party event (featuring fancy new clothes) at these mansions (featuring fancy new furniture). The clothing is all masquerade ball stuff, but the furniture is mostly extravagant nonsense, not themed furniture sets for a fancy mansion. The scuba tank and Skydiving Machine from Sims Superstar, for example. The rest is all extravagant decor or stupid stuff like a platinum plumbob chandelier or a giant crystal llama or a Throne made of roses called "Every Rose Has Its Throne" or something silly.
The heft of the game pack comes from how in the early stages of the party, someone is...well, murdered. From here, you essentially enter into a game of Clue. You know the murder didn't take place in the room you were in. You know the murder didn't take place with an item that was in that room. And you know that the murderer wasn't someone who was in the room with you.
From there, Sims (NPCs and player alike) go around the house trying to figure out who the murderer was.
The pack includes multiple new death types. Things like "death from poison" or "death from giant indoor scuba tank" (a staple of any modern mansion) or "death from plumbob chandelier", which play into the game. The murdered sim immediately shows up as a ghost of their murdered death type and demands justice, which amuses the reaper, so he agrees to bring them back. Sometimes it'd be possible for the death to be entirely accidental (especially if the death is from the chandelier), and if you deduce properly, the ghost gets revived and then re-dies of embarassment.
This would be something I would play often. There could be so many ways to kill off sims for a pack like this. It would also be a great opportunity to add stuff that we've been requesting.
I think this should be a GP and not an EP, however.
I've already created sims from the Clue game, all living in a mansion together and characters from Murder By Death, a spoof of "murder" movies starring take-offs of popular detectives. I've created Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and Tommy & Tuppence, even Colombo with Mrs. Colombo (yes, I made up first names for them). I even took Poirot through the police career to get to a point where he could "investigate" crimes.
I like the idea of a Murder Mystery Masguerade Party that is the trigger for the deaths. There should be an option to hold the party, attend the party or be called to the party after the murder.
As far as this being too closely related to other packs, so what, who cares. I like all that stuff in the other pack so why wouldn't I want more?
It would be nice if EA picked up this as a clue to a new pack, and it is something a little different, but they seem bent on giving us junk packs that they loved working on, which tells me that all they are interested in now is padding their resumes with "wins" like "Yes, I created Journey To Batuu, which sold well even if it was a very disappointing pack to play".
This was a false "leaked" rumor that the upcoming EP was a Murder Mystery pack. It has been debunked. But, I would still love a Murder Mystery pack very soon.
Along with it they could give us a new career: PI (Private Investigator) ... The PI would get calls from random sims as their work assignment ... They could be hired to prove a sim is cheating ... Which would then use the photography skill to take pics of the cheating sim ... Another assignment might be something was stolen by a klepto ... They are given clues and you figure out who stole the item ... Teen run away ... PI finds them ...
We could get another World (like Strangville) ... This is where all the murder mystery stuff takes place ... Each lot is different and each one has a different mystery to solve ... Like a restaurant maybe they were poisoned or stabbed with a knife ... A manor maybe they were pushed down the stairs or a chandelier fell on them because someone loosened it ... A gym where maybe they got locked in the sauna or someone messed with the treadmill and they got zapped to death ... Anyway you get the idea ...
I don't know how much of this is doable ... But hey ... My mind is racing ... LOL
This would be so much fun ... I am another one who loves murder mysteries and true crime ... I'd buy it
I was so looking forward to a Cornel Mustard did it in the library with the candlestick. Oh well.
Maybe the 10th Expansion Pack will be a combination of Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys,
Remington Steel, Sherlock Holmes Mysteries.
I believe Dr. Watson would say that you have the wrong end of the stick. It doesn't revolve around murder at all. It revolves around solving a murder in a game where the first two questions asked about an upcoming new pack is "Are there any new woohoo spots?" and "Is there any new ways for sims to die?".
I think solving a sims murder (which is already a part of the police career) could be a fun pack if done with the sims normal tongue in cheek method. One fake site mentioned sims being knocked off in unusual ways. For example, the old reliable Death By Chandelier or Death By Being Locked In A Steam Room or Death By Puffer Fish or Death By Shark In Koi Pond or (bringing back two old favorite objects of mine) Death By Oxygen Deprivation in the Aquatic Playhouse (sims 2) and Death by Hurricane In The Skydiving Simulator (sims 2).
There are many unique ways for a sim to die and our simtective will need to be on their toes to suss out the murderer. I only hope that at the end, my simtective can bring the suspects together in the parlor and tell the tale of how it was done and then who done it.
As one fake site put it, it could be a small, well-to-do neighborhood of stately mansions. Your sim can throw a Murder Mystery Party, be invited to a MMP or get a call to a party where a murder has happened to help solve the case. Four manor houses and one blank lot for us builders to create our own traps house. The trigger could be the Murder Mystery Party on the phone. Either you can book a MMP or set up a MMP to be throw at someone's mansion.
It could be replayed more than once (unlike some packs that shall remain nameless) and at the very least, we get another "normal" neighborhood and new party clothes (maybe with a vintage feel) and new furniture with unique interactions (like the moose head on the wall whose eyes seem to follow your sim around the room and a few new hidden doors).
I realise many people have said that a murder mystery pack is unlikely to be released because of murder not fitting with the teen rating in TS4. But my idea is a little similar to Dannydanbo's idea of a Murder Mystery Masquerade party, but it is held inside a hotel. So Hotel's would be the Expansion pack (which is something people voted as the number one EP theme on DigitalSpy). Part of that pack would be the opportunity to hold themed weekend parties, like the Murder Mystery Party, or Halloween and other seasonal parties, or even weddings.
Since the Murder Mystery theme weekend would be a party and not a real murder, it wouldn't affect the teen rating of the game.
Also, the Hotel EP would create new careers that could include progressing from starting positions as cleaning staff, a valet, or even a concierge attendant. Since cars are not currently in the game they could be introduced so the valet could park the guest's vehicles or at least be seen to drive the car away. This could have negative and positive outcomes, such as crashing the guest's vehicle or being tipped and eventually promoted for taking extra care of the guest's vehicle. The career could progress to managing the hotel and eventually becoming the owner. (Just as an aside, those guests that don't have cars could arrive in a taxi.)
Additionally, because there would be themed parties and weddings, this could also incorporate careers as party/wedding organisers, wedding registrants.
There could also be the opportunity to include the PI career like AuroraBoreallis mentioned, for investigating cheating partners or thefts (which would also bring burglars back into the game). Plus the Halloween themed party night could also create the career of a paranormal investigator or a psychic and also bring back Bonhilda as a supernatural hotel maid.
The Hotel theme could also be used to create a new Create-A-Destination-World, so people could design their own destination world (i.e.: Japan, Paris, The Moon, etc) and place their hotel in that world.
So the Build and Buy items could include various landscaping and cultural themed items to create the destination world, for example, Japanese wagashi walls and tatami mats, shrine garden ornaments and torii gates; or statues of the Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe; paintings of the surface of the Moon or other planets; as well as some novelty Clue (Cluedo in the UK) themed paintings of the characters from the game like Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard etc., themed ornaments like the a candlestick, a revolver, maybe even a miniature version of the board game that could be placed in the reception of the hotel for Sim guests to play, as well as place in their own homes which could be used to build up their logic and creative skills.
New CAS could include Sherlock Holmes styled heads or a female version like Miss Marple, or Japanese Miss Sherlock, or a unique looking Lisbeth Salander type with piercings. PLus some outfits could include Sherlock Holmes styled PI hat, cape and tweed suits; Velma from Scooby-Doo styled clothing, a PI raincoat and hat in both black and brown colours and available for all genders; as well as a Miss Marple styled hat and outfit. There could even be a dress-up version of the clothing items for children to wear.
Anyway, that is just my idea and I doubt EA or anyone would like it, but since it would be an EP that could incorporate so many desired ideas (for instance hotels, destination worlds, cars, burglars and more), it would have the opportunity to create a lot of build and story play, especially when incorporated with other existing EP's, GP's and SP's.
I am thinking this will be something like you enter a lot and find an urn and you want to know whose urn it is, why they died, how they came to be dead. Sometimes it's an accident, but sometimes maybe they got that death flower bouquet or someone fed them bad pufferfish.
But I really like your urn idea and the possibilities behind the death.
The pack could be optionally played with existing pre-mades, with new characters or with your own.
I actually enjoyed Strangerville though I would like a murder mystery better. I've been wanting to see more of a "lifestyles of the rich and famous" pack because I have some wealthy households. This could kind of go along with that. I wouldn't want all of the decor to be silly though. Maybe a trick mansion could have that but I generally want objects that I can use in multiple households.
Anyway, I like Clue and Knives Out so something along those lines would interest me.
My idea is to solve the crime, not witness it. It has been a while since I played (I might refresh myself after this post) but, in the Police Detective career, there is a murder (I think). I seem to remember a chalk outline of a sim, but I will play as a cop to see.
But, with that in mind, the "murder" could take place and our P.I. sim is called to investigate after the body has been removed leaving only a chalk outline and various clues to be discovered. A NPC cop would follow us around to arrest the guilty party once we have deduced who done it. A lot of this programing is already in game via the police detective career and could easily be altered to fit this idea.
This set-up could be in the form of a Murder Mystery party. Your sim can throw a party where a murder occurs and must solve it or, if registered at city hall as a P.I., could be called to go to a location where a murder has occurred. All could be set up on your sims phone. If you want to solve a mystery, then, using your sims phone, throw a mystery party or schedule one to be held at one of the manor houses that your sim will be called to investigate.
I like the idea of a new world the size of Forgotten Hollow with about 6 lots for manor houses (4 prebuilt and 2 blank). I'm picturing English manor houses as I grew up watching all those Agatha Christie movies (Margaret Rutherford is my favorite Miss Marple) and, in some weird way, an English village setting would make the mystery a little more classy and less gruesome. It is meant to be "fun" after all.
As for MURDER being to sensitive for teens, I think that's just a poor excuse. Teens, like all of us, enjoy torturing and killing their sims in various ways. Two of the first questions asked when a new pack is dropped is "are there any new woohoo spots?" and "are there any new deaths?" so let's stop being too precious about murder being a topic. It can always be renamed to something more palatable like booze became juice and sex became woohoo.