I think that some elements from the supernatural, magic , university, and active careers EPs could be combined to make a really neat EP for those interested in the supernatural or arcane. This is the basic idea:
1.) Spooky Town – new neighborhood where ghosts, vampires, skeletons, zombies, witches, and more live. The commercial district could include a park, cemetery, haunted hotel, Goth nightclub, magic school, mystery mansion/haunted house, and magic shop.
One of the things that has bothered me about previous supernatural expansions is that towns soon became overridden with zombies, vampires, and other supernaturals. This not only ruined the illusion of semi-realistic suburban life, but also made them a bit less special because there were so many of them.
I’m hoping that this time around there will be a separate neighborhood (Skull Brook? Or anyone have suggestions for other names?) where the supernatural and undead reside. Only this neighborhood would spawn supernaturals. However, because Sims can travel between all neighborhoods now they could easily visit the town public or commercial lots or even visit some of the residents at their homes. The supernaturals could be invited back to live with Sims in other neighborhoods, if players want. Likewise, supernaturals could be created in CAS and plunked into any neighborhood.
2.) New Career - play as the reaper (
more details below).
3.) Funerals (
more details below).
4.) Acquire magic – witchcraft/chemistry
5.) Moonlight gardening – flowers that only bloom at night (like
night blooming cereus), deadly night shade that can be used for making death potions, and tree of life that bears life-extending fruit.
6.) Cemeteries & Mausoleums -- records of the dead could be kept here for genealogy purposes and helping to control the culling.
7.) New Emotion – fear
8.) NPCs – Bonehildas and Reapers
9.) Stores –
The Missing Ingredient – you can find and purchase various potions for shortening or extending life, reanimating the departed, and animating inanimate objects (such as stuffed animals); ingredients for mixing your own potions; Reaper gear such as grim bunny dolls, tablets,
Netherphones, and scythes; buy extra magic kits for schools; Magic University supplies like crystal balls, wands, and flying brooms.
10.) Familiars –
owls, cats, bats,
grim bunny
11.) Goth Clothing.
12.) Magic School (
more details below).
13.) Haunted House – The house could have kind of a Clue or mystery theme, as is the vogue now. Sims could find clues to puzzles that would help them escape the house (
Escape Hunt). It would be good to have at least 3 versions to keep it interesting.
14.) Night Club –
The Waiting Room – Gothic themed night club that served as a hangout for the undead. Could include a fog machine and dry ice drinks. Live bands and magicians. Sims could learn the Monster Mash here.
15.) Motel – the motel could have coffins instead of beds, a skeletal cleaning crew, a Lurch-like concierge, witches cooking in the kitchen with zombie waiters, and large, bubbling cauldrons as bathtubs/hot tubs.
Comments
Since there is already a hidden/non-playable reaper skill in the game, maybe it could be made playable. Here's one way it could go.
Scheduler (levels 1 – 3)
Reaping skill is low, so Sims have a high chance of saving their Sims with death flowers or pleas. Schedulers will have to ‘schedule’ (with their ultra-modern tablets) to come back another time.
1.) Ability to collect dead Sims and deposit collected Sims in cemetery.
2.) Perform service and repairs of ‘dead’ objects such as Bonehilda or Netherphone (to chat with the undead).
3.) Ability to ‘scare to death’ (low chance of working).
4.) Ability to tend graveyards– placing flowers, dusting tombstones, organizing the catacombs.
Tasks: collecting the dead; service calls for Bonehilda or Netherphone; reading the book of the dead
Daily task: grave tending – cleaning up old flowers, placing fresh flowers, dusting tombstones, carving funny epitaphs, and organizing the catacombs.
Bone Collector (levels 4-5)
Bone collectors are more successful than schedulers and often get their intended. Bone collectors are concerned with returning the dead and the possessions to where they came from.
1.) Ability to collect dead Sims and deposit collected Sims in cemetery.
2.) Ability to patrol graveyards – put zombies and other undead back in their graves or coffins for a few days.
3.) Ghostbusting ability.
4.) Increased chance of ‘scare to death’ working’
5.) Ability to mix and sell life and death potions (with low chance of working) using collected ingredients.
Tasks: collecting the dead; hunting down zombies, ghosts, skeletons, and/or vampires and returning them to their resting places (doing this will lower/eliminate the chance of appearance of the particular life state you catch for a few days); scaring Sims to death; growing, collecting ingredients for, and mixing life and death potions
Daily task: grave tending – cleaning up old flowers, placing fresh flowers, dusting tombstones, carving funny epitaphs, and organizing the catacombs.
Reaper (levels 6 – 8)
Reapers usually get their intended victims, but are not required to ‘collect’ the bones and so can leave the dearly departed with the survivors as graves or urns.
1.) Ability to preserve dead Sims and deposit collected Sims in cemetery *or* leave Sim with survivors as tombstone, urn, or mummy in a sarcophagus.
2.) Ability to make more successful life and death potions. Practice preservation techniques (to allow for creation of mummies and zombies as next tier Cullmaster).
3.) In conjunction with GTW, Reapers can give Sims an illness such as cataplexy (Sims can’t talk) out of fear.
4.) Undead returned to their graves or other resting places now stay in place longer. Can now track down the undead on properties other than the cemetery.
5.) Receive a collection tank for ‘busted’ ghosts that has a dial that can be set to allow ghosts to always haunt the lot, never haunt the lot, or haunt at night only.
6.) ‘Scare to death’ may produce skeletons as Sims may jump out of their skin.
7.) Can use scythe to clean up all dead plants or flowers in garden or cemetery with a single swipe.
Tasks: collecting the dead; giving Sims illnesses; filling up a busted ghost collection tank; making a Sim into a skeleton; hunting down zombies, ghosts, skeletons, and/or vampires and returning them to their resting places (doing this will lower/eliminate the chance of appearance of the particular life state you catch for a few days); growing, collecting ingredients for, and mixing life and death potions
Daily task: grave tending – cleaning up old flowers, placing fresh flowers, dusting tombstones, carving funny epitaphs, and organizing the catacombs.
Cullmaster (levels 9 – 10)
The Cullmaster is fully versed in the ways of the living and dead and has ultimate power over life and death.
1.) Ability to preserve dead Sims and deposit collected Sims in cemetery *or* leave Sim with survivors as tombstone, urn, or mummy in a sarcophagus.
2.) Ability to tag Sims as “DNC” (do not cull). (This should also be patched in for everyone as a cheat.)
3.) Ability to reanimate dead Sims (for a fee and with varying success, of course).
4.) Ability to suck the soul out of a Sim. Cullmasters have a normal life span to start with and the clock is set back 1 day for each Sim soul they devour at this level. Can live indefinitely as long as they go on killing, but will die if they stop. Sims who have had their souls sucked become zombies.
5.) ‘Scare to death’ interaction guaranteed to work.
6.) Can use scythe to collect all harvestables at once.
7.) Choice of robe colors.
Tasks: collecting the dead; sucking out souls; scaring Sims to death; tagging Sims as DNC; reanimate dead Sims; hunting down zombies, ghosts, skeletons, and/or vampires and returning them to their resting places (doing this will lower/eliminate the chance of appearance of the particular life state you catch for a few days); growing, collecting ingredients for, and mixing life and death potions;
Daily task: grave tending – cleaning up old flowers, placing fresh flowers, dusting tombstones, carving funny epitaphs, and organizing the catacombs.
When your Sim dies, you are left with a tombstone or urn. Click on this and select hold funeral or memorial service. A party-planning-like pop-up will appear and you can choose the ‘party’ details such as the location, coffin or urn, eulogist, and attire.
When the ‘party’ is over, you are given the option to select a cemetery plot (you can choose a previously taken plot and bump others into the mausoleum, which would have a catalog of dead Sims – also a good place to add in the opportunity to look up genealogies). If you decline, your dead Sim will stay in whatever state he or she was in before the funeral, i.e. a tomb or urn on your plot, a tombstone in the cemetery, or listed in the mausoleum catalog.
Funeral attendees could have different reactions and moodlets depending on how close to the deceased they were. Those very close would mourn heavily and get long-term moodlets. Those acquainted would sigh and sniffle. Those who were enemies could cheer, sneer, or laugh at the dead.
***
This would be a good place to add wills into the game if they are to be added. Closeness of relationship determines monetary amounts as well as what items are left to survivors.
***
Funeral activities could include: mourning the dead, eulogizing, releasing doves or balloons, serenading the dead, eating from the buffet table, drinking sorrow annihilators, libation, death flower or tree of life tree planting ceremony, consoling the grieving/lending a shoulder to cry on, saying goodbye at the casket or urn (something as simple as kissing fingers and touching the urn or casket), playful/ insane/mean ghosts could pop-up from urn or casket and give the guests a scare.
***
Reaper could be an optional guest for everyone.
***
Large stands of flowers (which could be redundant with weddings), candles, plaques, and photostands could all be offered as décor.
Primary
Children would go to school as they do now, simply the homework assignments and field trips would be altered. Instead of a notebook that they scribble in, kids would get a magic kit with a pack of cards, some scarves, and juggling balls.
Homework assignments could include practicing:
• Card tricks
• Cups and balls
• Scarves
Extra credit: Mix potions on chemistry set or collect potion ingredients.
Field trips to the park where they could find a magic gnome, cemetery where they can win a grim bunny or death flower, or magic shop where they may come home with a magic ingredient depending on how they answer the chance cards for the field trip.
Secondary
Teens would go to school as they do now, with a few changes. There would be altered homework assignments, field trips, and optional after school jobs. The teen magic kit would include a top hat and a cauldron.
Homework assignments could include practicing:
•Pulling flowers or bunnies from a hat
•Mixing potions in the cauldron including: love potions, hair tonics that make Sims really hairy for a day, sleeping potions, and stress relief tonics.
Extra credit: work at the haunted house or perform a magic show for the younger kids after school.
Fieldtrips to the haunted house where they can meet a supernatural or magic shop where they could receive a crystal ball, magic eight ball, or genie lamp.
After school jobs could include working at the magic shop or magic bookstore.
University
Unlike primary and secondary school, university will be fully playable. All students entering university will be given a wand and a familiar based on their chosen majors, which can be any one of three: elemental wizardry (dragon), psionics (owl), and arcane magic (bat).
Elemental Wizardry (good for Witches and Warlocks)
EW101 – Fire mastery -- setting stuff on fire. Sims who have completed this course should be able to successfully set any object on fire (from a safe distance) including fireplaces, fire pits, and fireworks as well as couches, homework, or anything else. Successful students should also be able to give other Sims a light singe.
EW201 – Water mastery -- putting out the fires. Sims who complete this course should be able to magically dump water on fires and put them out from a safe distance. They should also be able to command buckets of water to autonomously water gardens. Successful students can also conjure a bucket of water to dump on other Sims heads.
EW301 – Earth Mastery – collecting crystals. Sims who have successfully completed this course should be able to alter collected minerals for healing and special aura projection such as a growth aura that speeds up plant growth and production, tension taming aura that relieves stress, a woodland aura that attracts birds, frogs, and collectibles, or a predator aura that keeps stray animals away.
EW401 – Wind mastery – learning to fly. No witch’s training is complete without mastering the ability to fly.
Reward: extra trait; start higher in culinary or magician (to be added) careers; ability to cast fire, earth, wind, and water spells learned in class; cauldron and magic broom for transportation and/or autonomous cleaning (which may have been distributed during courses); and weather controlling totem (if seasons is already introduced).
Psionics (good for Vampires)
P101 – Mind Manipulation – getting Sims to do your bidding. Learn how to dazzle, beguile, and seduce Sims to get them to buy products, perform actions such as pranking other Sims or completing tasks like housework for your Sims, or fall in love with your Sim no matter what his or her personality.
P102 – Levitation – walking on sunshine. Sims learn to levitate objects and eventually themselves through careful meditation and mind-strengthening exercises. Your Sims will be the lives of the parties.
P103 – Psychokinesis – spoon bending. Tired of pushing that broom or scrubbing that toilet? By the time students have completed this course they’ll be able to command the broom and toilet scrub brush to complete those tasks on their own.
P104 – Teleportation. No cars? No problem. Your Sim can now transport to anywhere on the lot or public space in an instant. (Stairs are for muggles.)
Reward: extra trait; start higher in criminal or magician (to be added) careers; ability to manipulate Sims, levitate, command certain objects to function autonomously, and teleport as learned in class; and brainwave amplifier that strengthens powers (which may have been distributed during courses).
Arcane Magic (good for Reapers)
AM101 – Stasis – there’s always more time. Sims will learn to freeze time. All Sims will freeze in place as will the clock for one hour. Your Sim will be able to perform activities on the current lot as normal. Never be late for work or reaping again. Such power does come at a cost, of course. Sim need bars will deplete 30% of the total, which could kill your Sim depending on what condition he or she is in when he or she casts the spell.
AM201 -- Guarding – an ounce of prevention. Sims will learn to cast protective spells that keep other Sims from hexing, cursing, plaguing, or transforming them into other lifestates (like vampire).
AM301 – Summoning – phoning it in. Students who successfully complete this class should be able to contact the dead on the Netherphone, hold séances and summon the dead for a visit. Students will also be able to tell fortunes and predict the future based on the information given to them from their spiritual contacts during séances and rituals.
AM401 -- Necromancy –waking the dead. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to reanimate the dead as zombies and raise the dead from their graves.
Reward: extra trait; start higher in reaper career; ability to freeze time, cast protective spells, summon the dead, hold séances, and raise zombies from their graves as learned in class; crystal ball for séances and Netherphone for calling the dead so relationships never have to end.
I never gave a thought about funerals in Sims but now I think about it, it's pretty non existent!
Better funerals will be a nice touch.
I think birthdays and weddings are big in Sims because they're made of cotton candy and funerals not because they taste like rubber.
But as a game played by mortals, it should depict death better to be a proper life simulator(Oh the irony)
Pointed Arches in windows, doorways, and spandrels.
Note: Some of these elements might also work really well for designing campuses for the magic school suggested above and also when a University EP is released, so they’d be serving double duty.
It's also a way of including Victorian elements (like @SimGuruDaniel wanted), since there was a bit of a Gothic revival during the Victorian era.
Cousin It (or maybe plant versions that arose from gardens left untended for too long instead of zombies)
Thing would make a great ‘storage’ container. When your Sim went to put items in or out from inventory, there could be an animation of him accepting the item or returning the item to your Sim.
Some people are really enjoying the freeze ray from GTW, so what about adding some instruments of ‘torture’ (in a humorous way, of course)?
Gong or foghorn for a doorbell:
Dancing & Tangos:
Family activities in general. They were a pretty close-knit group, as our Sims should have the opportunity to be:
Since Sims are not required to go to magic school to be an alternate lifestate, there also need to be spells or abilities that all members of a particular lifestate could cast or innately have. Going to magic school and completing courses could add to the innate abilities allowing Simmers to create their own unique combinations of Supernaturals – werewolves with elemental witch skills, fairies that can learn psionics and bend minds like vampires, etc.
*All* supernatural types should come with the ability to turn off auto-spawning, so players can truly customize their games and The Sims 4 can live up to the tagline "you rule".
Witches
Perhaps witches could cackle, curse Sims making them dazed or angry, hex Sims making them ill (in combination with GTW), hex Sims giving them cataplexy (can’t talk for a day) or making all their hair fall out for a day, cause a plague of roaches to fill a lot, use their cauldrons in the same way other Sims use the chemistry set, hex Sims so that they have poor sleep and nightmares, build gingerbread houses as pet houses and larger ones as sheds, kids’ treehouses, or bakeries.
Vampires
Vampires could still be able to turn into bats and fly, have special powers of seduction, have extended life spans, have regenerative healing from moonlight bathing, sleep in coffins, hiss at humans, burn or become ill in daylight (without sunscreen), get sick from eating garlic or garlicky foods, not show up in mirrors or photographs (or show up as a bat), have energy boost and/or expanded mental capacity at night (maybe automatic night owl reward?), turn others into vampires, and make the best Bloody Marys and get a boost in the hunger bar from consuming them.
Werewolves
Werewolves could turn into half-wolves at night, sleep in pet beds, get into scraps with other werewolves, sing/howl in groups (maybe get a special Werewolves of London dance), make better DJs, get energy boosts at night, get a red riding hood cape and various dog collars as additional clothing options, get a big starting boost to friendships with dogs, train dogs and puppies faster, refuse to eat vegetarian meals or fruit & veg from inventory, catch fish without a pole and eat them raw from inventory, and kidnap goats and sheep (if a petting zoo or farm EP happens). Maybe cats would naturally always be afraid of werewolves, whether in a transformed state or not.
(You know I wrote this, but I have a fear that werewolves will get the Star Wars treatment and be made into chewbaccas and vampires will still be Twilight sparkly again.)
Reapers
Reaper abilities are outlined in the reaper career track post.
Skeletons
Skeletons wouldn’t have any innate magic, but they could learn some in magic school. Without any organs they would have no need to eat, and therefore no bladder requirement either. Skeletons could sleep in coffins like vampires or sarcophaguses like mummies. They would never lose or gain weight. Clothes would be optional. Skeletons would need to be wary of dogs and werewolves that might decide to gnaw on their shins.
Zombies
Zombies could crawl out of graves and be put back for a few days by reapers (or frozen with freeze rays by those with GTW). Zombies would employ a new, limping walk style (to fit in with the various Sim walkstyles). They are attracted to and soothed by music, and as such have a tendency to drop what they are doing and dance when the stereo is cranked up. Zombies do not feel pain or discomfort (or get these moodlets). Zombies envy Sims’ brains and acumen and try to leech skill points off of them, doing so also leaves Sims in a dazed state and makes their learning slower for a bit. They also stink. . . no matter how many showers they take.
Mummies
Having been through the embalming process themselves, mummies could have learned a thing or two about the healing arts and so are better at chemistry and healing, and make good doctors. They could sleep in sarcophaguses, spread diseases and curses, get angry and pick fights, have bugs crawling out of their bandages, plague lots with scarabs, and use their bandages to toilet paper prank other Sims’ trees.
Elves
Dark elves could have the evil trait and shoot plunger arrows that put other Sims in an angry mood while giving themselves a little burst of happiness. (This would be a way to employ the ‘line-of-sight’ capabilities the engine is now supposed to have.) Elves gain energy by ‘communing with the dead’ (or meditating near graves or urns). They also get a small friendship boost when meeting wild animals. Dark elves can influence animals to growl or hiss at others.
Light elves could have the good trait and shoot plunger arrows that put other Sims in a flirty mood while giving themselves a little burst of happiness, essentially playing cupid. (This would be a way to employ the ‘line-of-sight’ capabilities the engine is now supposed to have.) Light elves don’t need to sleep, but gain energy by ‘communing with nature’ (or meditating outdoors or near a bunch of plants). They also get a small friendship boost when meeting wild animals. Light elves can convince animals to nuzzle or beg for attention from other Sims.
Fairies
Fairies could have the ability to hover/fly or shrink and turn into butterflies and fly, magically enhance plant growth, cast good luck spells or make head wreaths from cut flowers that grand good luck for a day to the wearer, make stuffed animals and toys talk, blow sleeping dust into bassinets to make babies sleep, animate gnome collectibles, attract fireflies, make potions from plants and herbs that serve as aromatherapy, calm angry werewolves with flute, dance in fairy circles, glow at night, and sparkle instead of vampires. Could fairy wings change color with their moods?
Plant Sims
Plant Sims could naturally have their gardening skill maxed, revive dead plants, gain energy from being in the sun and satisfy hunger needs from rain, sell produce for more money, make the best florists (should this be added to the game) and sell bouquets and wreaths for more, gain fun from gardening, talk to plants and garden gnomes, mix a special herbal tonic at the bar (grants extra boost to gardening skill or makes them extra fertile increasing the chance of twins), fear deer, bunnies and garden gnomes that may try to chomp them, and wilt when they are sad or embarrassed.
Gnomes
Sim-size gnomes are particularly destructive on gardens. They can stomp on plants and have a tendency to overwater. However, they are particularly good at growing mushrooms and toadstools and can even grow a few special mushroom cultivars (hopefully, large ones that can be used as chairs). They also like to get up to mischief. They can kick other Sims in the shins, have a high-pitched giggle about it, and talk to gnome collectibles. In fact, when left unattended they may expand their collections by ‘retrieving’ gnomes from other yards. When they get embarrassed or scared they turn to stone until it wears off. They make friends easily with animals, have a higher chance of pranks being successful, and prefer fruit and veg. They have a natural affinity for gems and collect them more easily than other Sims.
Computers that also work as organs:
Netherphone/Necrophones to call the dead:
Electronics for those who like modern convenience, but not the modern aesthetic:
Since the Sims team has focused on Twitter for communications:
“Tweeting like a Boss”
Since the smartphones are here to stay, can we at least get some covers for them and analog rings?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtpn66PvyUA
A good place to add in the smaller telescopes people have been asking for. Perhaps they could be collapsible and folded into Sim inventory, so they can stargaze anytime, anywhere they like. Could Sims not only look into space, but also into the past, future, or netherworld?
If you add crystal balls, maybe make them big enough to see images in them. The way Sims get thought bubbles now, they could get images in the ball:
If horses aren’t added into pets, perhaps an iron-horse:
Or, maybe something more fantastical like a gryphon:
If you add in remote control balloon animals, maybe a steampunk one as well:
Vibrating exercise machines could serve double duty as exercise and torture devices:
Functioning Clocks:
Sewing machines:
Solar system ceiling light that would rotate and planets would glow different colors:
Coffee or juice bar or saloon:
Cameras or ghostbusting equipment that let Sims detect hidden ghosts or capture images of ghosts and vampires:
Solar trees that reduce utility costs:
Coffeepot that doesn’t disappear:
Shower & tub combo. The game has never had enough variety of the combo:
Prams, so Sims could at least take the babies out for a walk:
Wallpaper & Flooring:
Time Machine, Lifestate Manipulator, or Ghostbusting Tank:
Poker or card table:
Pinball Machine:
Tea Party Sets for adults and children:
Brooms, wands, and more:
Coffins & Sarcophagi:
It would be neat if some steampunk items could be made using the woodworking table.
I hadn't heard it in a long time. Better than I remembered.
Anything that has gotta do with death ie funerals, necromancy and such is just plain creepy and dark imo. I prefer something lighter which doesn't have too much dark theme in it.
That's OK, @klch87. Not every expansion is for everyone, but I would like to point out that I'm not 'turning' the game into anything. I don't have those kinds of powers.
The Goths and Addams Family-like dark humor have been in the game since day 1. Every iteration of the series has had vampires, skeletons, witchcraft and more.
If you read through the suggestions, you'll notice things being suggested like mischievous gnomes that kick other Sims in the shins and have a giggle about it, and elves that shoot plunger arrows that make Sims flirty. I've made a point to steer the suggestions away from getting too dark. I've also requested that Simmers be able to turn off *any and all* of the lifestates in game options as well as auto-spawning only in the new supernatural world. This would prevent the unpleasant zombie situation from Sims 3, and players who just want 'lightness' can still have their fairies, gnomes, and light elves.
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I hope they bring back the original Toadification Spell (I want a toad, not a walking man-thing) the guy that would fine you for using magic in front of human sims and the magic town. Oh oh and the dragons. And the teleporting ability from TS2 (Magivestium, I think it's called). Oh and Bonehilda.
Ok, I'm gonna shut up now before I get carried away!
Oh, oh Great pictures too, OP!
--T
Haha I had to giggle at your post - I'm the complete opposite - the darker an gothier the better lol.
--T
Thanks. Funny, I didn't get a notification for this.
Bookcase doors
Trap doors
Cellar doors
Doorbell setting that bonked visitors on the head when rung or gave them a shock and left them dazed, scared, angry, or playful (depending on personality).
Secret rooms
Flip down staircases
Pigpimple's is cute. It sounds more like the prep school they might attend before graduating to high school.
I hope if you do include auras that in addition to positive boosts and happy outcomes some may be bad and/or have lasting negative consequences. Maybe there could be some curses or hexes that permanently change a trait to the opposite, make Sims extra slow at performing tasks, make other Sims more likely to prank them, or give a Sim an illness or condition that would be persistent until treated or that they could die from without treatment.
This might also be a good place to add in mood rings/jewelry that changed color with a Sims mood.