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EP Hints: Scotland, Farming, Cottage Core (Okay but I was ON THE MONEY, mostly)
SappySifaka
Posts: 132 Member
Update
I'd call this success lads and lasses. Definitely looks a tad more English than Scottish as of now, but we shall see about such details later. Either way, stoked to have a farming pack that is NOT Americanized!!!!
post 1 by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
post 2 by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
Original Post
A detailed super post bc I've had a lot of coffee and I feel like sharing:
I find it increasingly likely that the next EP will in fact be a farming pack, but not the industrialized mid-western American cliche (please let me be right, do not want another cookie-cutter mid-west USA yee-haw town). I think, and very strongly hope, that farming will instead come along with an even older cliche, small-scale farming and flock tending in rural Europe. This approach would generally fit within the sims 4's engine and ethos much better than industrial farming imo.
For this theoretical pack, I imagine tending sheep, chickens, cows, horses, goats, and other small-pasture animals would feature prominently. Perhaps we'd also see some hand-tilled farming in small fields and/or significant upgrades to gardening. Other options could be canning, weaving, horseback riding, etc. If Scotland were in fact the locale, some Scottish cultural elements would presumably make their way in as well: bagpipes (plz?), haggis 🤢 , and countless tartan patterns featured on kilts, etc. The main architectural style would be traditional masonry, stone, and wood with a strong dose of Gaelic/Celtic theming, think real-life Scottish highlands or fairytale countryside. Generally, this pack would be a perfect chance for the team to introduce stronger #CottageCore building, design, and gameplay elements. This would be a win considering how popular the cottage core movement has become globally.
Reasoning for this theory:
A: Many of us can remember a "Scottish Highlands" option being featured in the potential new worlds survey question in early 2020. That provides the initial context for these subsequent observations.
B: In today's Dream Home Decorator livestream, SimGuruJill showcased the new "utili-kilt," CAS item. While I am personally super excited to finally have a kilt in any case, kilts are super random outside of the context of Scotland, and there is no common cliche of contractors, handymen, etc. wearing anything like a utili-kilt. It is goofy, cheeky, and very Sims-like, I get it, but at the same time its random inclusion now seems highly suspicious given the context of the world survey (utili-kilt screen below).
C: Later in the same live stream, when showcasing the new interior decorator career, the client was flipping through style choices on the tablet. This animation included a very obvious tartan pattern on the tablet screen (screen below). For those unaware, tartan is the patterned cloth used to make kilts and other garments. Each Scottish clan has a unique tartan.
D:The new child's tent coming in Dream Home Decorator, as others have pointed out, features a swatch with various farm animals, a traditional [American] red barn, etc.
E: The cluttery wall art object that came with Paranormal stuff included a Celtic plate and a photo of what appeared to be a manor house on a moor, a view very evocative of Scotland (screen below).
F: At the end of the Dream Home Decorator trailer is a brief moment where they show a screen that features the cow plant, cow plant artwork, and three instances of that funny little brass-like cow wall hanging (screen below). That is a lot of cow-themed objects in one place. #sus
G: Many have been quick to point out that "bond with nature" (the official descriptive hint of the next pack) doesn't seem to fit the contemporary idea of farming. However, if we think along the lines of traditional/small-scale provincial farming, (raising chickens in your yard, canning homegrown fruits and veggies, raising goats, etc.) this description stands to make a lot more sense. At the end of the day, every plant and animal is still a part of the natural world and was at one point in their past wild/feral, before domestication and any potential genetic modification. Farming does at its core require a deep connection with nature, even if that core idea is often lost in modern industrial farming. I really doubt the sims team would have the time/interest/animation and modeling budget to build a pack based around the themes of unnatural farming, aside from maybe a basic tractor. It doesn't fit the ethos of the game. Country cottages with stone-walled pastures, sheep shearing, horseback riding, and canned goods are much more in alignment with this dev team's ethos.
H: Regarding the previous sim guru teasing on Twitter: a new occult, be it fae or werewolf, would fit nicely in the mystique of the highlands.
Again, this is all speculation and is based entirely on my opinion and the context that I've perceived. I reserve the right to be 100% incorrect in every statement and not care in the slightest. Happy Simming!
utili kilt by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
tartan by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
01-26-21_3-35-30 PM by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
trailer by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr
I'd call this success lads and lasses. Definitely looks a tad more English than Scottish as of now, but we shall see about such details later. Either way, stoked to have a farming pack that is NOT Americanized!!!!
post 1 by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickrpost 2 by Sappy Sifaka, on FlickrOriginal Post
A detailed super post bc I've had a lot of coffee and I feel like sharing:
I find it increasingly likely that the next EP will in fact be a farming pack, but not the industrialized mid-western American cliche (please let me be right, do not want another cookie-cutter mid-west USA yee-haw town). I think, and very strongly hope, that farming will instead come along with an even older cliche, small-scale farming and flock tending in rural Europe. This approach would generally fit within the sims 4's engine and ethos much better than industrial farming imo.
For this theoretical pack, I imagine tending sheep, chickens, cows, horses, goats, and other small-pasture animals would feature prominently. Perhaps we'd also see some hand-tilled farming in small fields and/or significant upgrades to gardening. Other options could be canning, weaving, horseback riding, etc. If Scotland were in fact the locale, some Scottish cultural elements would presumably make their way in as well: bagpipes (plz?), haggis 🤢 , and countless tartan patterns featured on kilts, etc. The main architectural style would be traditional masonry, stone, and wood with a strong dose of Gaelic/Celtic theming, think real-life Scottish highlands or fairytale countryside. Generally, this pack would be a perfect chance for the team to introduce stronger #CottageCore building, design, and gameplay elements. This would be a win considering how popular the cottage core movement has become globally.
Reasoning for this theory:
A: Many of us can remember a "Scottish Highlands" option being featured in the potential new worlds survey question in early 2020. That provides the initial context for these subsequent observations.
B: In today's Dream Home Decorator livestream, SimGuruJill showcased the new "utili-kilt," CAS item. While I am personally super excited to finally have a kilt in any case, kilts are super random outside of the context of Scotland, and there is no common cliche of contractors, handymen, etc. wearing anything like a utili-kilt. It is goofy, cheeky, and very Sims-like, I get it, but at the same time its random inclusion now seems highly suspicious given the context of the world survey (utili-kilt screen below).
C: Later in the same live stream, when showcasing the new interior decorator career, the client was flipping through style choices on the tablet. This animation included a very obvious tartan pattern on the tablet screen (screen below). For those unaware, tartan is the patterned cloth used to make kilts and other garments. Each Scottish clan has a unique tartan.
D:The new child's tent coming in Dream Home Decorator, as others have pointed out, features a swatch with various farm animals, a traditional [American] red barn, etc.
E: The cluttery wall art object that came with Paranormal stuff included a Celtic plate and a photo of what appeared to be a manor house on a moor, a view very evocative of Scotland (screen below).
F: At the end of the Dream Home Decorator trailer is a brief moment where they show a screen that features the cow plant, cow plant artwork, and three instances of that funny little brass-like cow wall hanging (screen below). That is a lot of cow-themed objects in one place. #sus
G: Many have been quick to point out that "bond with nature" (the official descriptive hint of the next pack) doesn't seem to fit the contemporary idea of farming. However, if we think along the lines of traditional/small-scale provincial farming, (raising chickens in your yard, canning homegrown fruits and veggies, raising goats, etc.) this description stands to make a lot more sense. At the end of the day, every plant and animal is still a part of the natural world and was at one point in their past wild/feral, before domestication and any potential genetic modification. Farming does at its core require a deep connection with nature, even if that core idea is often lost in modern industrial farming. I really doubt the sims team would have the time/interest/animation and modeling budget to build a pack based around the themes of unnatural farming, aside from maybe a basic tractor. It doesn't fit the ethos of the game. Country cottages with stone-walled pastures, sheep shearing, horseback riding, and canned goods are much more in alignment with this dev team's ethos.
H: Regarding the previous sim guru teasing on Twitter: a new occult, be it fae or werewolf, would fit nicely in the mystique of the highlands.
Again, this is all speculation and is based entirely on my opinion and the context that I've perceived. I reserve the right to be 100% incorrect in every statement and not care in the slightest. Happy Simming!
utili kilt by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickrtartan by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr01-26-21_3-35-30 PM by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickrtrailer by Sappy Sifaka, on Flickr Post edited by SappySifaka on
37
Comments
I also noticed the utili-kilt, but I still thinking that might be hinting at a Scottish werewolves pack in October. The highlands looking picture being in the Paranormal pack just makes me think it's hinting at an occult pack, and I don't think they'd do either farming or werewolves justice if they put them in a pack together. Just my thoughts though!
I do think farming will be more rural than industrial when it comes to the Sims though, just because I think that's more in the Sims style. And we did see that farming tent, and I did notice that 'cow' room in the trailer. Also, I caught a tiny glimpse of the decor options when they were showing off Likes and Dislikes, and I don't know how common French Country is in furniture, but it caught my eye, especially after Country Kitchen. Possibly a French farming world? They are famous for their food. That might be a stretch, but then I also saw 'Gothic Farmhouse' in the list. Is that a thing? It doesn't sound like a thing. There were a couple of 'farmhouse' options in the list, actually. Seems like a hint to me.
Also noticed a cardigan in CAS that seemed to be decorated with horses. They said there was a lot of Scandinavian influence in the new pack, and Dala Horses are a thing, but still. Seems specific. And there seemed to be a few baking hints in the new stuff as well - the tent with a farm swatch also had a design covered in sweets and gingerbread, which they used in the livestream. And 'cupcake' lights. As well as the new cooking/stove options. Maybe if they're going to let us get milk from cows and eggs from chickens, they're also going to throw in a few new baking recipes.
Fingers crossed I'm right, because I would love all of this.
Personally, I kinda geeked out over the utilikilt, because I've been familiar with the brand and the concept for some time. My cousin would work the Utilikilt booth at Gen Con on occasion back in the aughties, and had an extensive collection of them. If it's a hint towards a Scotland-inspired world, all the better.
Oh yeah, forgot about these. I've always wondered about this one. Looking at this again in Scotland/farming context, this could definitely be a simified reference to something like Braveheart, arguably one of the most iconic battles/speeches in pop culture, when William Wallace and the Scots rode into battle against the larger (and favored to win) British forces, and won.
Honestly, the more I think about it, this future cube hint really does fit the Scottish farming narrative very well. This hint was so weirdly specific that it hasn't really aligned with anything, hence why we've all been scratching our heads about it for the past year. I think the Braveheart reference could offer one of the strongest possible explanations yet, given the context/hints I mentioned in the OP at least.
Having seen Dr. Gluon show off the trophy, I'm fairly certain this is a reference to Spark'd, as that's a description of the trophy.
Ah dang. Hadn't seen/heard of the trophy before. Just looked up a photo of it and see what you mean. oh well
Darn, can you share where you saw it? I wonder why it's still in the game then, guess they forgot?
Sure thing, and I wonder that myself. Could just be an oversight, or maybe it does in fact have a double meaning. Only the dev team could tell us for sure
Yeah, I definitely think so. There are several prominent magical creatures in Scottish folklore. Without getting into too many details, I'd say the most fitting would be some version of fairies, a bit less kitsch than sims 3 fairies, and more on the earthy side (but still customizable if you want bright colors) and/or a werewolf-type occult.
I would love EA forever if they gave this to us. But I think all of this is too good to be true, unfortunately.
He shouldn’t climb that ladder when others are in the house.
Yes to a Scottish inspired pack!
I'm pretty flexible about the setting for farming. There are farming cultures in most of the world. I am glad that they are also adding some Scandinavian content as well. I think they might have listened when we were asking for different design styles during the public vote last year.
I also wouldn't rule out that with so many Australian influencers that we'll see some kind of Australian theme.
Why am I interested in farming? I want to have sim households that farm. I want the different type of world that doesn't fully exist. It's a different type of gameplay. I'll flip between that and the others worlds but right now, I only have one farming household in Windenburg. In TS3, there was a while in which I just ran a horse farm in Appaloosa Plains.
Brownies and Boonies and Bodachs, oh my!
Wow the Scottish Highlands and Fabulous Fae. If we get horses with this farming pack it might become my favourite yet. Great speculations!
Thanks OP for making my day!
I agree, and you're welcome! Even in spite of my own bias (I've always deeply wanted a Scottish-themed Sims pack ever since the Sims 2), I do think the scope and premise of what I've described are very doable/possible within the Sims 4.
I really hope you're right, I love this idea, and you make a strong case.
I do just want to point out that with respect to (C), I'm pretty sure that blue tartan was just the same pattern on the jacket worn by Johnny Zest, the client. So it may not be any deeper than that. But otherwise, solid points.
I am on Team Farming, and have been for a long time, but this is much more the aesthetic that I would want. I think it would actually make a lot of sense to have this kind of farming/Scottish theme, with fairies thrown in, come out in July, followed by a Werewolf GP in October. Wouldn't that be great? Each pack would totally stand alone, but they would also go really well together.
Following up to say, if they do this I hope they would include a lot of kid/family elements in the farming pack, and they easily could. For example, one of the things I really miss is the kid's easy bake oven from both TS2 and TS3, which seems like a decent fit for this kind of pack. I could also see throwing treehouses into the mix. Particularly if they were doing a fairyhouse, they could probably just adjust some of the assets/artwork.