The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat

[Bri]

At this moment, The Sims 4:  Outdoor Retreat is just a download via Origin.  You can get it for $19.99

It is roughly 660 MB in size.

You can get it here:
The Sims 4 Outdoor Retreat



Explore the Outdoors!


New surprises await your Sims out in the wilderness. Explore the all-new destination of Granite Falls, where your Sims can go camping, sing songs or tell ghost stories around the campfire, and enjoy all sorts of new activities!

Explore the All-new Destination of Granite Falls.
Your Sims can escape from their everyday lives into the pine-filled air of Granite Falls. Lay back for a night of stargazing and let your Sims’ imaginations run wild, or join a game of horseshoes to unwind with some friendly competition. Alternatively, find out what adventure awaits within the nearby bramble patch. There are tons of things to do in Granite Falls! 

Set Up the Perfect Camp.
No camping trip is complete without the proper supplies. Be sure to outfit your Sims with a tent and new hiking gear. Treat your Sims to some roasted marshmallows and share fireside stories of adventure, wonder, and fright with the gang.

Create Exotic Potions as an Herbalist.
Build your Sim’s herbalism skill to create a variety of useful potions, ranging from insect repellant to a concoction that can help soothe a tense Sim. This new skill will be useful to help Sims identify which wild plants are edible or poisonous.


Original Post:
Some of you may be aware, but some fans found information about what looks to be the first 'big' addition to The Sim 4, and it looks like it will be called The Sims 4:  Outdoor Retreat. 

I held off on it until EA/Maxis released some kind of official word, and they have, so I will go ahead with this thread.  More information will definitely be out this Friday, though, and I will update as it goes.

First are some pictures from the Official Tweets:

Grab your pack, we're going on an adventure. Find out more on Friday!

(Source:  The Sims Twitter


(Source:  The Sims Portugal Facebook Page)

Also, I will go ahead and put up all the goodies fans have found since one of the SimGuru's posted this on the official forums:

Hello everyone. Glad to see you are digging deep into today's Update to find all the "hidden" stuff. Just wanted to let you know that we will be making an official announcement on Friday. Nope, not going to confirm what the announcement is. I will leave you to guess.

(Source:  SimGuruBChick Forum Post)

Much of this list was collected by SimsVIP, so thanks to them!

Video Splash Screen
The first is someone found several splash screens for The Sims 4:  Outdoor Retreat, and put it up on Youtube:
The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat Game Pack

Sims Domination found the following when they dug through the patch notes:

Granite Falls is the next #TheSims4 world featured on a Paid DLC (hiking and camping).

(Source: Sims Domination Twitter)

Also, I'm going to hold off on mentioning a price.  There are a couple places which actually mention this pack, but I'm going to hold off until EA has an official price.

Can't Download It?

If you have trouble downloading the Game Pack, go to My Games > The Sims 4 in Origin and try clicking the little "i" (more details) as in the screenshot below. This will take you to a page where you can manage the Game Packs you own. We're hoping EA makes this a little more obvious for the future, else we'll see a lot of confused players.

[Whirligig]

That looks pretty cool. I wonder...will tent-setting-up be a skill?

[Carl]

I'm glad they're already planning some new content and giving us this peek. I certainly hope they will add skills with it, but probably not... I've never set up a tent but can only imagine how difficult it can be without a super-modern one.

[Bri]

Well, we got a bit more information on the next world coming out.  It will be called Granite Falls, and will be available sometime in January for $20. 

SimsVIP was given an official Screenshot of the new world:

(Source:  SimsVIP Twitter)

SimGuru Grant shared another picture:

(Source:  SimsGuruGrant

Official Trailer on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_HJ84i6iQ8&feature=youtu.be
(Note:  This video is on SimsVIP channel, but it is the exact same one on the Sims twitter (which didn't have a Youtube location at the time I posted this)

Some information with the new location is also talking about Game Packs:

I have been working with members of The Sims 4 team on something fun. I am excited to share it with you all, as I know it’s going to allow you to tell even more unique and wonderful stories with your Sims.

Two words. Game Pack. What is a Game Pack you ask? Game Packs are unique to The Sims 4. Our first Game Pack - The Sims 4 Outdoor Retreat - will be coming out in January 2015, but before we talk about that, let’s talk about what a Game Pack is.

About nine years ago, during The Sims 2 days, we introduced Stuff Packs to The Sims franchise to change up the way you could customize your Sim stories. Stuff Packs were focused on a specific theme and included clothing, hairstyles, furniture and décor.

For The Sims 4, we wanted to continue that tradition while giving you even MORE opportunities to craft the stories you want, since a Game Pack provides new gameplay features, new objects and new clothing based around one central theme. Being able to expand your gameplay through a Game Pack allows us to give you some of the things you’ve been asking for and it’s something we are really excited about.

So, what can you expect from the first Game Pack in early 2015? Well, you’re going to take your Sims to Granite Falls to visit and explore an all-new destination. The woods are packed with gameplay possibilities. Campfire songs, weenie roasts and bear costumes, oh my!

So there’s a little tasty news to chew on, keep an eye out for more!

Later, Simmers!

-SimGuru Grant
The Sims 4 Outdoor Retreat Game Pack will be available in January 2015 for $20. More information will be available in January.
(Source:  The Sims News)

I'm glad they're already planning some new content and giving us this peek. I certainly hope they will add skills with it, but probably not... I've never set up a tent but can only imagine how difficult it can be without a super-modern one.

They actually may Carl.  SimGuruGrant said on his Twitter feed:

Game Packs in The Sims 4 will have LOTS of new features, new gameplay, new clothing, new objects -- for the same price as a TS3 Stuff Pack.

Skills may fall under Gameplay

[Bri]

This next round of information comes from Kotaku:
(Source: The Sims 4 Is Getting An Outdoorsy 'Game Pack' Next Month)

What I found intriguing was this announcement:

Sims can partake in new group activities like the campfire and horseshoes, try their hand at mastering potions with the new herbalism skill, wander through the wilderness, collect all new plants, insects and use them to create herbal remedies and new cooking recipes. 

So besides new activities, there will in fact be a new skill

Granite Falls is a brand new destination in The Sims 4. When you arrive you'll be in a Campground neighborhood where your Sims can set-up camp among the trees or rent a fully furnished cabin. Your Sims will only have what they bring with them – any additional supplies they'll need they'll have to purchase at the Ranger Station – but players may edit the Campground lots through Manage Worlds and build whatever they like on them.

The second neighborhood in Granite Falls is Granite Falls National Park, which is a lush forest full of plants, insects, and scenic vistas to discover and explore. There are rumors of a mysterious hermit who lives high up in the mountains, but no one knows quite where…

Oh, and if you wish to talk about the idea of Game Packs in general, I would like to direct you to this thread:
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,22558.0.html

Depending on its success, it looks like it will be at least one more avenue of content.  I would like to keep this thread primarily focused on The Sims 4:  Outdoor Retreat
 

[ManiSims]

I really like the idea of this as the first expansion – sorry – game pack. Camping and stuff hasn't really been something we've seen in any previous Sims franchises. Plus, the herbalism skill sounds super cool!

[Shewolf13]

Just that picture of Granite Falls has be going ga-ga!  It puts me in mind of Hidden Springs which was my favorite world from TS3.  So I'm really excited!

[Whirligig]

I really like the idea of this as the first expansion – sorry – game pack. Camping and stuff hasn't really been something we've seen in any previous Sims franchises. Plus, the herbalism skill sounds super cool!

It has been integrated in the Travel EPs before - Bon Voyage for TS2, and World Adventures for TS3 (Sorry, I was a bit young for TS1). Never as a fully-focused thing, but if you wanted it, it was there. This kind of reinforces the theory that I had about EA charging for every. little. feature. The only reason pools were free was because of the backlash - I was actually expecting some sort of water park EP that would include pools for a bit of extra cash in EA's coffers.

I do hope full-fledged expansion packs are a thing, as this seems quite a bit smaller scale, but we'll have to wait and see.

Sims 4 is a really good game that I'm really enjoying, but I only got it this early in because my birthday was a couple months after its release so I had a bit of extra cash (Otherwise, broke Uni student is still broke).

[Bri]

I do hope full-fledged expansion packs are a thing, as this seems quite a bit smaller scale, but we'll have to wait and see.

I'd have to dig up the tweet, but SimGuruGrant did say that Expansion packs wills till be a thing.  Normally, in past iterations of the Sims, the first expansion pack typically shows up 6 months after the base games release (January will only be 4 months).

And yes, EA can get bad for monetizing everything (it really was bad in Sims 3 when you couldn't help but notice it).  Depending on how common they do this, this may be something a person will have to wait for sales/specials on.

In other news, SimGuruSarah did state Granite Falls was a travel destination, akin to how the World Adventures locales worked, and a few other goodies.
(Source:  All come from SimGuruSarah's twitter feed, and responses there)

@HugDopey @SimGuruGrant @SimGuruLakshmi Granite Falls is a Destination world, which means you can vacation there. All of the camping items..

@DaletheSim @justproud2b @HugDopey @SimGuruGrant @SimGuruLakshmi You can visit a Destination world & you can extend your vacation infinitely

Additionally, the waterfalls you see are in the game, and some of them you can visit:

@sharkloverplaye Some of them yes! Some are on the playable space, and some are seen from a distance.

And the bear will be in game as both a costume, and a special NPC:

@LuckyLunayre Both! Anyone can dress up as a Bear, and a special Bear Trickster NPC roams Granite Falls causing trouble....

[Whirligig]

Has a release date been announced beyond "sometime in January" yet?

I haven't been able to find one, so either my Google-fu is failing me or there isn't one.

[Bri]

Has a release date been announced beyond "sometime in January" yet?

I haven't been able to find one, so either my Google-fu is failing me or there isn't one.

Nope, no firm release date yet.  This is typical SimGuru teaser stuff  

[Bri]

Though this is on the SimsVIP channel, I can confirm it is the same video on the official Sims Twitter feed.  I'm including this one here since it is on Youtube, and may be easier for some people to watch:

What else would you expect a bear to do in the woods? Subscribe to see the full trailer next week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=may0qecIIP8

(Source:  The Sims Twitter)

Something else to take away from this is that the Outdoor Retreat will probably be available the latter half of January since we are getting another, full trailer next week.

[Bri]

There is another small tidbit for Outdoor Retreat:

There is a new Outdoor Enthusiast aspiration that is tied to insects, herbalism, & fishing. Reward is the new Survivalist Trait!

(Source:  SimGuruSarah)

[jen2912]

I was just playing Sims and a new banner appeared on screen at main menu saying outdoor retreat is available next week.

[Bri]

Yep, though it doesn't give a specific day

Additionally, SimGuruSarah released a little bit more info:

Granite Falls has 2 major neighborhoods - campsite & forest - & secret 3rd neighborhood where a hermit is rumored to live...

(Source:  SimGuruSarah)