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A Welcome Guide for new Simmers!

EA_LeelooEA_Leeloo Posts: 2,019 EA Staff (retired)
edited November 2020 in Forum Announcements
A warm welcome and hello - or as we say on the Sims forum:
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You did it! You found this forum, registered, and can call yourself a new forum member now. That's awesome and we are very happy to have you join our Community!

I'm sure this will be just the beginning of a hopefully very exciting venture into the Sims universe!

But it might also feel a bit overwhelming or even intimidating right now; the forum has a lot of categories and threads and it might seem like everyone knows everything already. Well, I can tell you this much: each and every one of us was new to the forum at some point and we've all felt like we weren't sure where to start or how to be a part of the Sims community.

So, to help you settle in, navigate the forum confidently, and use all the functionalities of the forums, I've put together a little, handy guide for you.

First things first: please read the forum rules and guidelines! (click here).
These rules and guidelines are in place to make this forum a fun and safe place for everyone, where you can feel comfortable asking for help, sharing your tips and tricks, and having fun with other players.

And now that you know about the Dos and Don'ts, let's dive into all the things that you might want to know as a new member.

Post edited by EA_Leeloo on

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  • EA_LeelooEA_Leeloo Posts: 2,019 EA Staff (retired)
    edited November 2020
    WHAT ARE 'FORUMS'?

    Forums are a special kind of website designed for people to share experiences about and discuss a specific topic. On this forum, we all are here to talk about The Sims, of course! So, I hope you're looking forward to discovering the Sims universe - and believe me, there is a lot to discover! :)

    In order to participate in any of the forum fun and conversations, you need to have a forum account.
    Here on The Sims forum, all you need to do to create your forum account is to sign in with your EA Account details (those are the same details that you use to play your game on Origin). The first time you sign in, you will be asked to choose your username. This is the name other people on the forums will see when you post - so take your time to pick a name you like! Another thing you should keep in mind is that your username needs to be in-line with the forum rules.

    People on the forum who have an account are forum members. Forum members who want to start a conversation can create a discussion (also known as thread or topic). Other members can join those discussions by posting comments.

    You may have seen that the Sims forum is divided into different categories. This helps you to find where things are and keeps the forum tidy. For example: if you want to discover houses for The Sims 4 created by the community, you would visit the 'The Sims 4 Lots' category.
    Read on and find out more about the forum structure below!

    And finally, if you have any questions about the Sims forum, the forum rules, how the forum works, or where to post what, you can always get in touch with the forum staff.
    We are here to make sure that this platform is a fun and safe space for everyone so if you have concerns or feedback, we'll be happy to hear it! Simply reach out to @EA_Joz, @EA_Leeloo, or @EA_Rtas and we'll do our best to get back to you ASAP.

    Post edited by EA_Leeloo on
  • EA_LeelooEA_Leeloo Posts: 2,019 EA Staff (retired)
    edited November 2020
    FORUMS STRUCTURE

    The forums are mainly organized by game title like The Sims 4, The Sims 3, The Sims Mobile etc. Inside each of the big game title categories, there are sub-categories. These sub-categories host different topics related to the big game title categories, for example discussions about packs or building. You will find short explanations for every sub-category which will help you decide where to post or find what you're looking for.

    On the forum's main page, you get an overview of the forum categories (you can get there when you click on the house icon on the upper right-hand side). Let's take a look:
    h8b5ppolcyrk.png

    Both 'Welcome to the forums' and 'The Sims 4' are examples of the 'big' forum categories we have (marked with a 1). Inside these big categories, you can see subcategories, for example, the 'Discussion' sub-category in the 'The Sims 4' category (marked with a 2). You might have noticed that there is a curious section in some of the sub-categories, called child categories. Child categories are there to make it easier to find what you're looking for, like when you want to chat about packs (The Sims 4 Packs Discussion) or have a questions about The Sims 4 on console (The Sims 4 Console Discussion), for example.

    This structure is important to keep things neat and organised so that it's easier to navigate your way around the forum. Please help to keep the forum tidy by taking the time to look for the best place to post your comments.
    If you are still not sure where to post after checking the categories, or if you have any questions about the forum itself, there is a space for that as well! 'Forums ideas & feedback' is where we can chat about the forum itself - and it's where the thread you are reading right now is located :)

    And if you would like to see ALL the conversations happening on the forums in one single space, you can simply click on 'Recent Discussions':

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    Post edited by EA_Leeloo on
  • EA_LeelooEA_Leeloo Posts: 2,019 EA Staff (retired)
    edited November 2020
    Forum Features

    There are some features on the forum that might be useful to know (please note, some of these features are only available to Full Members).


    How to report inappropriate behaviour:
    Even though we all want this forum to be a fun and safe place and do our best to keep it that way, every now and then things may get a bit out of hand, and a post or comment might break the forum rules.
    Should you come across inappropriate content on the forum, you can report what you're seeing by clicking on the little flag icon on the bottom left-hand side of each comment and wall post:
    ff39nnnvt92d.png


    How to upload pictures:
    If you want to upload pictures here on the forum, you can link your pictures via an image URL (that means the pictures are hosted online, for example, via a service). This might seem a bit tricky at first but don't be afraid to ask the more seasoned Simmers on the forum how they do it!

    lt1ixqa9mzc0.png


    How to search for topics
    Maybe you are interested to read more about a specific topic and don't want to go over hundreds of threads until you find what you're looking for. Or, before you open a new thread, you might want to search the forum to see if the topic you want to discuss is already being talked about. This is when the search function comes in handy!
    And this is how you use it:
    - Type your search term in the search bar that you can find on the top-right side of the page and click 'go'. Easy!

    aft5vqxa5kdn.png
    But sometimes, the first results you're getting might not be the most relevant. Don't fret - you can narrow down your search by clicking on the little triangle on the right side of the search bar:
    y167693i9p6l.png


    How to use spoiler tags
    Spoiler tags are a super helpful feature on the forum. We use them, for example, when we want to share content but are not sure if everyone wants to see it. Or if we found Sylvan Glade and want to share how to get there but still give other players the chance to find it themselves. Or we took a lot of awesome screenshots but don't want to post them all in one comment because that would make it difficult for others to read the discussion (so. much. scrolling.).
    Click here to learn how to use spoiler tags!


    How to bookmark threads
    So, you have found a really cool or interesting thread but don't want to have to search for it again every single time you log in. That's fair - and a problem that can be very easily resolved. Simply click on the little ⭐ symbol on the top right-hand side of the thread:

    931epddc11rb.png


    How to write direct messages
    If you want to write a direct message to another user, there is a feature for that too, of course! When you go to the other user's profile, there is a button on the right-hand side, that says 'Message'. Simply click it and you will be brought to the 'New Message' window.

    to7mohu4f0or.png
    You can also add more than one recipient if you want to message more than one user at the same time. Simply start typing their forum username and select the correct option:
    7h0jnrrctwcq.png


    How to adjust notification preferences
    Sometimes, you might want to adjust your notification, for example, so you are being notified via email when someone sends you a direct message. To do so, go to your profile and click on the 'person' icon on the right-hand side:

    b9elydewj8g1.png
    and click 'Preferences'. Then you can just tick the boxes that apply and click 'Save Preferences'.

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    Done!


    How to change the profile picture
    When you're on your profile page and hover over your avatar, the option 'Change Icon' shows up. When you click it, you get a pop up where you can either choose to upload a new picture or remove the current one:

    zm7387s2xci0.png
    Please make sure that the picture you're uploading is in line with our forum rules!


    How to create a poll
    You might have seen polls on the forum before. They have an orange "Poll"-tag next to the subject line/question to help them stand out.
    zitog9kdn539.png
    To start a poll, hit the little drop-down arrow next to "New Discussion" and select "New Poll":

    t6x67tqbe3lv.png

    Then you can add the "Poll Question" - this is the question you want to ask, for example, "What is your favorite Sims 4 Expansion Pack?"
    If you want, you can also add more details, a description, or images to the poll in the "Optional Description" text box. You can format your text just the same as any other post you share on the forum!

    You can also see a little check box that gives you the option to "Make this poll anonymous (user votes are not made public)." If you tick this box, you won't be able to see who voted for what. But other users will still see the poll results after they voted or by clicking "View Results".

    And now to the fun part: thepoll options!
    Add the answers that you want to forum members to choose from in your poll - you can add up to 10 options. So, in our example from earlier, this could be: Get to Work, City Living, Cats & Dogs, Get Famous, Eco Lifestyle.

    Then, simply hit "Save Poll" to post it! That was easy, right?! :smiley:

    One last thing: once you hit "Save Poll" you will not be able to edit the poll options, but you can still edit the title or question and the additional description.
    Post edited by EA_Leeloo on
  • EA_LeelooEA_Leeloo Posts: 2,019 EA Staff (retired)
    edited November 2020
    Stay up-to-date

    Here are some more resources that you might find helpful if you want to stay up to date on all things Sims:
    • The official The Sims 4 Blog (click here). Here, you can read up on all the news, blog articles, packs, and more!
    • The official The Sims YouTube channel (click here). This is where you can find a lot of cool videos like trailers and livestreams.
    • The official The Sims Twitch channel (click here). On here, SimGurus share fun videos, livestreams, and Deep Dives.
    • The official The Sims Twitter channel (click here). Follow this channel to get the latest info and find out what's happening in the Sims world!
    Also, a lot of our SimGurus also have their own Twitter account where they share insights and news. Feel free to check those out, too! :)
    Post edited by EA_Leeloo on
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