The Sims 4 Official Information #2

[Bri]

This thread will be with announcements about The Sims 4 as put out by EA/Maxis, as well as other pieces of information as put out by the SimGurus.

This is a continuation of the old Official Information thread which can be found The Sims 4 Official Information


The first is SimGuruGrant has a thread up where he may answer some questions as it pertains to the Sims 4 over on the official forums:
Ask SimGuru Grant - A 9-10 Daily Chat

If you wish to ask them a question, you may get an answer:

Hi Simmers -
 Now that The Sims 4 is live, me and other Gurus are more able to discuss the game openly. We know you guys have some things you love, some things you hate, some bugs, some missing features, and stories you want to share.

 In order to be more responsive, I'm going to try an experiment. From 9-10 PST every day, I want to use THIS THREAD to let you ask me questions. I'll do my best to answer things, take notes for issues, and generally be an advocate for you. How's that sound?

The Rules 1.Please read the thread before asking a question. I can answer more questions if I don't have to answer the same ones over and over.
2.Please be constructive.
3.Respect your fellow Simmers.
4.Please don't post questions after 10 am PST. Let's use this thread from 9-10, Monday through Friday, only.

 IMPORTANT: The Gurus (none of us) can discuss future content. That includes what we're making, when we're making it, whether it'll be a patch, paid content. We just can't. We'll tell you as soon as we're able. If you ask about future content, the answer will always be "No comment." I know that's lame. Sorry.

One piece I did like to read was SimGuruGrant did confirm neighborhoods could be made larger, as well as making more for each world given time and priority:

We can potentially make the individual neighborhoods larger. We can also potentially add more neighborhoods to each world. The loading at this point is a fundamental part of our architecture and is unlikely to change.

[Bri]

Maxis had an official play earlier today on Twitch.  SimsVIP has put the livebroadcast up on Youtube, and can be found here:
Let's Play The Sims 4: Live Broadcast (September 30th)

Additionally, there is going to be another livebroadcast tomorrow (Oct. 1)  on Twitch at 12 PM Pacific.  Additionally, there is supposed to be a 'big announcement' on the Stream.  When I find out more information, I will be sure to let you know.

[Bri]

Just a couple bits of news others have posted before me.

First, there is a new patch out which fixes some issues, but will also include Ghosts:
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,21873.0.html

The second is the announcement we should be getting pools as well:
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,21870.0.html

Here is EA's Official Ghost trailer:
The Sims 4: Ghosts Official Trailer

Much of this information is repeated here:
http://www.thesims.com/news/ts4-announce-Oct14

Free Content Updates in The Sims 4 Starting…Now! Also, Gnomes
October 01
by Rachel Franklin

It’s hard to believe it’s been a month since we launched The Sims 4, but in that short time we’ve received a ton of great feedback as you’ve started exploring the game. We’ve designed The Sims 4 to be a live service, so we can continually evolve the experience, add new content, and incorporate as much of your feedback as possible. That’s what I’m here to talk about today.

So let’s get to it. Live RIGHT NOW is the first of three major game updates coming to The Sims 4 over the next three months, each with new features, new content and more. The updates will be free for everyone playing The Sims 4 who downloads the latest patch, and yes, there will be pools!

First, a rundown on the October update:

   • October brings the spoooooky addition of Ghosts to The Sims 4. Your dead Sims can now rejoin the world of the living, where they maintain all the attributes they had a as a Sim, but with special new behaviors based on how they died. Invite them to join your Sims’ household and they can be playable characters; if you dare, you might even find a way to bring your ghosts back to life.

   • Did you feel that disturbance in The Force? It was probably our new Star Wars Costume Set. Outfit your Sims in Luke Skywalker’s X-wing pilot suit, Leia’s white robes and awesome cinnamon buns, Darth Vader’s suit and, yes, even Yoda. I mean, who out there hasn’t dressed as Yoda for Halloween, right? Now you can in The Sims 4, too!

   • Community requests like new eye colors are in there, too. I have personally just given all my Sims purple eyes. Because I can. We’ve also fixed a few minor bugs as well.

Next come two more major updates:

   • In November, get your Sim-suits ready (too much pun? Sorry!) because pools will make their triumphant debut in The Sims 4.

   • December is Put-Your-Sims-To-Work Month, as we introduce new Career paths and rewards.

All of these updates will be free for our players in The Sims 4. Just log in to Origin and download the patches as we release them. Each update will be full of great content and some surprises. Think that gnomes only live in gardens? Clearly, you’re not playing enough of The Sims 4.

Our players are just the best. Period. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy seeing so many creations from The Sims 4 shared in The Gallery, in forums and streams on Twitch. One of my recent faves is Deligracy’s speed build video of the “Not so Dusty Turf” Family Home. The details and her commentary are spectacular (whispers to Deligracy: I’ve also glued eyes onto cactus plants to make them look like people too). This is why all of us working on The Sims 4 just love making this game – the creativity that comes to life in our community is like nothing else. Please keep showing us more, we can’t get enough.

We’ve been keeping our ears and eyes on all of the comments and questions you have about The Sims 4. It’s awesome to be able to help with tips and tricks for some questions right away:

   • For example – looking for the old camera control system? Just hit Shift-Alt-Tab in live mode!

   • Another one – perhaps you’re moving your first family into their first home, did you know you can choose from more than just the vacant homes? You can bulldoze a lot or evict some NPC Sims, no red tape required!

   • OK one more – did you know you can change your Sims’ Aspirations at any time? Click the star button on the bottom right corner in Live mode to open the Aspirations panel, then click the star button on the right side and you’ll see all available Aspirations. If your Sim with the Evil trait just can't find love on his mission to become the town player, then maybe switching to pursue the Deviance aspiration will be more up his alley.

Other topics may take a bit more time. We know our players on Mac are looking to hear more. We are working on it. When we have more to share, we’ll bring the news to you right here.

We look forward to sharing more about the November and December content updates right here as we get closer to release. We’re also exploring new features and some expansion packs for further down the line, and we’re always listening to your feedback to help us decide what to build. We’ve said from the beginning that The Sims 4 is all about endless play possibilities, and we hope each of these updates add fun new dimensions to your experience.

Happy Simming!

[Bri]

Here is some information about ghosts from the official Sims site:
(Source:  The Sims 4 Ghosts

It's Getting Spooky in Here: Ghosts Are Now Haunting The Sims 4
by SIMGURU ZERA

We’re super excited to announce the release of ghosts in The Sims 4. Check out our guide below!

Ghosts, how do they work?

Just how do you find these spooky creatures from the spirit world? When a Sim dies, non-player character (NPC) ghosts attach to a tombstone or urn around your Sim’s home or yard. But these aren’t just decorations. You can build relationships with these ghosts, and invite them to join your Sim’s household where they can become playable characters. Once a ghost is “playable” it can get a job, get married and contribute to the family like any living Sim. Of course, they wouldn’t be properly undead without some special ghostly abilities and behaviors.

Ghostly Behavior

Ghosts are a moody bunch and much of what they do depends on how they’re feeling and how they died. Ghosts that die from laughter stay positive, with a moodlet causing nearby Sims to become playful. Beware of ghosts that die from anger, as they will have a very different attitude. Other ghosts will have more…unique behaviors. Sims that have been electrocuted to death will become ghosts capable of breaking objects by possessing them. Victims of the Cow Plant spend the afterlife interested in gardening; if you’re lucky, a ghost will lovingly tend to your Sim’s garden, but a bad mood will lead to a yard full of dead plants.

Luckily it’s pretty easy to tell what mood a ghost is in as they tend to radiate their emotions for everyone to see - it’s the undead version of wearing your emotions on your sleeve.

The way you play determines ghost behavior as well. If you keep your ghost Sims happy they’ll be a big help around the house freeing Sims to spend time working on goals, making friends or whatever it is that makes them happy. For example, you may hate how long it takes normal Sims to repair objects around the home. With ghosts around you can use “ghostly repair” to save all kinds of time! A Ghost Sim can even be used as a sort of maid that tidies up while your Sim family sleeps if the Ghost Sim has the “neat” trait.

Getting Rid of Ghosts

Tired of your ghost Sim? No problem! Ghosts can be easily banished to the netherworld with one interaction on their urn or tombstone. You can also bring ghosts back to life! If a Sim has a high enough gardening and cooking skill they can make a tasty plate of Ambrosia to bring ghosts back from the dead. You’ll need three ingredients to do that – Ambrosia, a Death Flower and the Potion of Youth.

We really hope that you enjoy the new ghostly gameplay and we can’t wait to see what new stories you’re going to tell. Happy haunting Simmers!

P.S. Make sure you launch Origin to download the latest update. It will automatically introduce ghosts into your game.

[Bri]

Today's Livestream of Sims 4 by Maxis is now available on Youtube, courtesy of SimsVIP.

You can find it here:
The Sims 4 Live Broadcast: Ghosts, Pools & More!

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If you have a Spotify account, the Sims 4 soundtrack is now available there:
https://play.spotify.com/album/3v5IrZkczgNNEKdsv7aSY9

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The official Sims 4 site has a small thing posted called:

The Sims - Your Quick Careers Guide in the Sims 4

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For the moment, EA has reduced the price of the Sims 4 by $10 on Origin.

You can get the Standard Edition for $49.99, and the Digital Deluxe Edition for $59.99

The following will take you to a general Sims 4 Page, and will support the site:
The Sims 4 on Origin


The sale is good until October 24th.

[Bri]

A new bit of news.  With today's patch, you can now build pools in the Sims 4.
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,22239.msg395049/boardseen.html#new

Kotaku had an article talking about the swimming pools released today, but they had something else I found interesting at the end:

Vaughan also offered me a bit more clarity about the new career options that The Sims 4 will get (again, for free for all existing players) next month. Vaughan told me that there will be two new career paths added to the game: "Business" and "Athletic." As with the current career options, both of this come with two different branches that Sims can pursue—"management" and "investor" for the business one, and "bodybuilder" or "professional athlete for the athletic one

(Source:  Kotaku)

[Bri]

Sorry I haven't kept up with this as much as I should have.  Other than some of the content patch updates, there isn't much.  However, I will try to keep up better with it. 

First, the newest is out which adds two new Careers (Business and Athletics), as well as restores the Move Object On Cheat.

Second, there is a free Holiday Celebration Pack out.

We’ve been so excited to see all the creativity from our players following the free Ghosts and Pools Updates. We look forward to seeing what you do with the four new career paths that we’ve added in today’s Update. We snuck a few surprises in too! Here are the top ten things you need to know:

1.       Two New Business Career Paths: Your Sims can now work their way up the corporate ladder to become an Angel Investor or a Business Tycoon. 
       


2.       Two New Athletic Career Paths: Your Sims can now make a living working up a sweat as a Hall of Famer or Mr. or Ms. Solar System.

3.       New Outfits: Each career will have career-specific outfits that will update as your Sims advance through the levels of their new career track, including a gold tracksuit!

4.       New Objects and Interaction Rewards:  Sims will be rewarded with special objects and unlock interactions unique to the career of their choice as they level up. Will your Sim give fake investment tips or offer to “pump up” a fellow Sim?

5.       New Career Reward Rooms: As your Sim moves through their career, they will unlock career reward rooms found in Build Mode to help you create the ultimate in Athletic or Business home décor.

6.       New Gallery Updates: We’ve added some new gallery updates like advanced and modded filters. To take a peek at all that is included with this month’s game update, read our patch notes here.

7.       Strictly Business Gnome:  While other gnomes laze around your garden or relax poolside, the Strictly Business Gnome has no time for that. With briefcase in hand, he's got places to go, calls to make, meetings to attend.

8.       Move Objects Cheat: Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, this update also includes the Move Objects Cheat! The Move Objects Cheat allows players to create unique objects by combining two or more items. For example, a player can combine a bed and curtains to create a canopy bed. You can use the cheat with any object. Or you could just make a really cluttered room!

To activate the cheat:

1.       Type Ctrl-Shift-C to bring up the game’s console.

2.       Enter “testingcheats true”

3.       Enter “bb.moveobjects”

4.       Enter “Ctrl-Shift-C” to close the dialog box

5.       To turn off the cheat, repeat steps 1-4.

·         Note, once the cheat is off, you can’t move the affected objects. If you do, the “moveobject” ability will be lost.

9.       Holiday Sweaters: It wouldn’t be a holiday update without sweaters! Fans voted for Sweater #4 and we managed to sneak in a couple more, so your Sims can celebrate in style.

10.     Holiday Décor: The holiday cheer doesn’t end there! The Holiday Celebration Pack will have festive décor and offer other interesting twists to your Sim’s wardrobe. For more info in how to download this fabulous free festive pack, see below.
       
To get the Update, simply login to your Origin account and launch The Sims 4.

We hope you enjoy taking your Sim’s career to new heights this holiday season!
(Source:  The Sims News)

[Bri]

Today is a big news day for the Sims 4

First, the Sims 4 will be coming to Mac in Feb. 2015.  There hasn't been a specific day, but it is coming

Second, there is another Patch released today:
1/13/2015 - Patch Version 1.3.32.1010

Third, the Sims 4:  Outdoor Retreat has been released:
The Sims 4:  Outdoor Retreat