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Hypothetical ways for Zodiacs to work in the Sims 4
DaWaterRat
Posts: 3,353 Member
Okay, so reading over at Sims Wiki
In Sims 1 and 2, they were based on personality. In sims 3 they were a chosen trait added in a patch that primarily was just a system for attraction.
In the Real world, your Zodiac Sign is based on when you're born in both the Greek/Western and Chinese systems (the two systems I'm most familiar with. I know there are others.) The primary differences are the speed of the cycle - roughly monthly for Greek, Yearly for Chinese - and the determination of secondary signs (I'm less familiar with this part, but I think In the Greek tradition it's the position of the various other planets when you were born going down to the hour and minute, and in the Chinese tradition, it's more granular based on your birth month, day and time.)
if they're implementing a Zodiac system in the Sims 4, How would you like them to implement it, and - if different - how do you think they will implement it?
So I think what I'd like to see is a zodiac created specifically for The Sims (i.e. The Cowplant, The Llama, the Gnome, the Freezer Bunny, The Sad Clown, the Alien, or maybe others that require more Sims Lore knowledge than I have) but not 12. Either 5-6 or 8-9 "signs" that cycle through the days of the week but don't match up nicely so that not all sims born on Monday have the same Zodiac trait. And it would be selectable in CAS, obviously, with only born-in-game sims having their zodiac sign based on the day of the week they were born.
A Made Up Zodiac system wouldn't have to have 12 signs - so it wouldn't take two weeks to go through the whole zodiac in my system above. It also would be less likely to offend by getting things "wrong" and less likely to imply that one tradition is more "correct" than others. But it would require them to actually make it up while using an existing Zodiac means they just have to pick what specific elements they're using.
Based on the interfaces seen in the Inside Maxis stream, I do think they could be working on a Zodiac system that at least can be seen on the Calendar. How much it works with the calendar depends on if they're actually bringing it to base game or that was just a quirk of the production build that had the calendar system implemented without Seasons.
Or they were working on something else with the calendar - like School breaks - and Zodiac signs will be chosen the same way as in Sims 3.
In Sims 1 and 2, they were based on personality. In sims 3 they were a chosen trait added in a patch that primarily was just a system for attraction.
In the Real world, your Zodiac Sign is based on when you're born in both the Greek/Western and Chinese systems (the two systems I'm most familiar with. I know there are others.) The primary differences are the speed of the cycle - roughly monthly for Greek, Yearly for Chinese - and the determination of secondary signs (I'm less familiar with this part, but I think In the Greek tradition it's the position of the various other planets when you were born going down to the hour and minute, and in the Chinese tradition, it's more granular based on your birth month, day and time.)
if they're implementing a Zodiac system in the Sims 4, How would you like them to implement it, and - if different - how do you think they will implement it?
So I think what I'd like to see is a zodiac created specifically for The Sims (i.e. The Cowplant, The Llama, the Gnome, the Freezer Bunny, The Sad Clown, the Alien, or maybe others that require more Sims Lore knowledge than I have) but not 12. Either 5-6 or 8-9 "signs" that cycle through the days of the week but don't match up nicely so that not all sims born on Monday have the same Zodiac trait. And it would be selectable in CAS, obviously, with only born-in-game sims having their zodiac sign based on the day of the week they were born.
A Made Up Zodiac system wouldn't have to have 12 signs - so it wouldn't take two weeks to go through the whole zodiac in my system above. It also would be less likely to offend by getting things "wrong" and less likely to imply that one tradition is more "correct" than others. But it would require them to actually make it up while using an existing Zodiac means they just have to pick what specific elements they're using.
Based on the interfaces seen in the Inside Maxis stream, I do think they could be working on a Zodiac system that at least can be seen on the Calendar. How much it works with the calendar depends on if they're actually bringing it to base game or that was just a quirk of the production build that had the calendar system implemented without Seasons.
Or they were working on something else with the calendar - like School breaks - and Zodiac signs will be chosen the same way as in Sims 3.
3
Comments
I like the idea of a made up zodiac (the plants idea is great).
For comparison, in Sims 2 free time, having negative attraction with another sim only makes romancing that one harder. After the first succesful date the neagtive bolt is erased and replaced by a single positive bolt. And all a sim's "one true hobby" (that is predetermined by their personality, so also connected to their star sign) does is making progress in that hobby faster. The sim can still decide to take up a different one, earn the genie lamp and the membership cards to the secret lots.
Maybe not mess with the traits but give them and other interactions an extra boost? Like they could gain charisma points more easily (or with more difficulty), could have special perks available only to them. Attractiveness has to be based on something so if a sim is attracted to a charismatic personality then it helps to gain charisma points more easily.
But as long as the Sims-verse ones are still loosely based off the Greek Zodiac in terms of personality, I'd be okay with it. Like maybe the Llama is based off Cancer and Sims who are Llamas tend to be more emotional than Sims from other signs, are nurturing and also see a boost to their familial relationships. Or if Cowplants are based off of, say, Aries, those Sims could be a little bit more impulsive and stubborn with a shorter temper. They wouldn't need to mention what the real life counterparts are, just as long as the inspiration is obvious to those who are into astrology.
That sounds nice.
Another idea that hasn't been explored yet, as far as I know, would be a relation between signs and skills. Leos are said to be very sociable, so they could have a natural Charisma booster, and it stacks with other bonuses that increase skill gain, so if your Leo also has the Quick Learner trait, completes the Social Butterfly child aspiration and reaches the top of the scout career, they will rush through the Charisma skill like nobody else who wasn't born under the same sign. But then again, if you want a Leo with no Charisma skill, you can simply choose not to have them build it. That way, it's just an optional benefit that may or may not influence your other plans, it's there, but not too intrusive.
As for how a sign is determined for a child born in-game, if you don't get to choose it yourself, it could be tied to the days of the week, because both weekdays and zodiac signs are tied to celestial bodies in our solar system. Friday, for example, is the day of Venus, and since Taurus and Libra are both signs of Venus, children born on Fridays could be one or the other. Of course, if they come up with fictional zodiac signs instead of using real ones, they can also make their own astrology system, but honestly, I wouldn't like that. I prefer real zodiac signs like we had in the past.
Something wicked this way comes!
I don't use MCCC.
Or perhaps it could be a random/luck system with one of those "Scorpio: you'll be heavily rewarded today" and if sims with that sign have yet to go to work for the day, they'll get extra simoleons. Or "Gemmini: your love life is about to change" and sims with that sign get extra relationship points when flirting. There would have to be negative ones too. And it would only happen if sims read the horoscope so it would be optional.
Same. I prefer real zodiacs so people who make themeselves as sims can give their sim their zodiac.
Case in point, I know people who identify more with their Chinese Birth Year (Year of the Pig, for example) than with their Western Astrological sign. But I highly doubt that they'd include both.
One thing different they could introduce is numerology, however that would be another complex system. But wouldn't it be cool to be able to put your birthday in and your number is drawn. Numbers clash as well, I'm sorry I do this for a living so I am all for it!!! ahaha. I'm a numerologist and psychic reader irl. But I guess that is why I love having the zodiac in the game.
Another cool thing they could do is bring back fortune tellers, I would love it!!! But over all I liked picking my zodiac from former games, it seemed to bring some realism to the game even if it all was cliche and stereotyping.
Sims 2 (All EPs/SPs)
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I hope they include both and let us use both at the same time cause i factor both in my life lol I'm a Sagittarius in western zodiac, and a fire rabbit in eastern lol
-Cars Update
-Spiral/Diagonal Stairs Update
-Hotel Pack
-Romance Pack (possibly combined with Hotel Pack)
-Bands Pack
-Royalty Pack
-Fashion Design Pack
-Fairies Pack
-Werewolf Pack
-France-inspired World
The Sims 4 should be about ALL.
So here’s what I think:
We need a proper attraction system first and foremost.
This attraction system could work similar to the club system. As long as the foundation of such a system is solid enough, it will be very easy to add our own “zodiac”. I can imagine a mix and match of the calendar and club system:
There is no reason to force an existing zodiac system or sim zodiac onto us in this iteration. We’re all too different. Plus it’s much more fun to be able create our own! My Unicorn, Gemini & Goat are perfectly compatible. ( or not).
In this case the so called “zodiac” system Is the new attraction system.
I agree so much!
I absolutely love this idea.
Oh my goodness, yes please! I love all of these ideas and I would love if we got a pack of some sort focused on this kind of stuff.
I'm super into numerology, tarot/oracle reading, and astrology in real life too. For me, it corresponds to and is part of my spiritual beliefs.
It would be really cool if they included both so that those who do identify with the Chinese Birth Year could use that. But for me, my Western Astrological sign (Cancer) fits me far more accurately than my Chinese Birth Year (Ox.) Actually, I can't really identify with my Chinese Birth Year much at all.
Another thing I would love is if Sims would go really in depth, and our Sims could get all three of their Western Astrological Signs (Sun, Moon, and Rising) or even The Nodes as well. But I highly doubt they would go into that much depth, so I'd be good with just getting the Sun sign.
This actually isn't a bad idea at all, and I think it could work.