Sims 4 Island Living and Other EA Play Info

[Nindigo]

@scoed Come release, I'm sure Island Living will be given its own subforum like the other expansion and stuff packs have here. I believe the main thread on the pack pre-release will then be moved there, as they usually are, while a 'First Impression' and bug thread will be added as well.

[MarianT]

@scoed, I hope your family is doing better. And thanks for doing this thread -- it's a big task.

As for new stuff, I found out today that Sims are able to go wading in certain places -- usually fishing spots in base game worlds, is what I've heard. It's winter in my game now, so I can't check it out.

[sdhoey]

As of last night, my sims can't go in the water at fishing spots yet. Maybe it comes with the EP. I am not sure.

@scoed, I hope your family is doing better. And thanks for doing this thread -- it's a big task.

As for new stuff, I found out today that Sims are able to go wading in certain places -- usually fishing spots in base game worlds, is what I've heard. It's winter in my game now, so I can't check it out.

[TomasGrizzly]

What little I've seen and tried (without EL, waiting for them to be available for build-a-bundle), it's very picky. Not all fishing spots allow it and some do on a very small area. I haven't tried any other spot yet but I've seen screenshots that looked to be from the willow creek park with sims being quite far in the water.

This fishing spot allows like two steps into the water (I originally took that screenshot for the changed tooltip on the fish so the sim is not in the water). It's across the road from the "trailer home" (went there because of the wild onion just behind the sim).

[Joria]

Tell me what has you excited?

I am excited that I've worked out I can download Union Cove and play it even though I don't have Seasons installed. Oh wait, thread's on Sims 4 about Island Living.

Ahhh, for the glory days of building a world from scratch.  My best part of doing Union Cove was building IN the cove!  Loved putting homes and/or entertainment "boardwalks" in the water in UC.  Miss it.  Now maybe I can have that kind of fun again in Sulani!

[Deklitch]

@Joria your wonderful creations, Giovanni and Pietro Gepetto are in my household ... Giovanni is the hubby of my founder and sculpting merrily away, Pietro is painting away and befriending potential spouses for his yet to be born little sister while also keeping an eye out for potential wives for himself. *winks*

We've also met Amy Farrah Fowler, Sideburns Smith, Caesar Marsden, one of the Characters, Pugsley Addams, Uhura and Damon Farrah.

Seems to be working a treat so far.

[Joria]

Oh how I miss them!  Really I need to play Sims3 again.  Now I wait with baited breath for Island Living to FINALLY reach the west coast, USA!  Apparently it's not until around midnight, NYC to launch, which means it will be 3 AM my time.  (sigh)  Maybe I'll just cruise around UC for awhile while I wait.

[Joria]

A question, mostly for the master builders around here:
Do you think it'll be possible to make a half-level terrace above the ocean? I'll try to make a "drawing" to demonstrate...

-----------------
                      |
second floor   |
-----------------
                     |   __________terrace
first floor       |       |    |     |
__________ |       |    |     |  foundation over sea on poles
(ground)               |    |     |
-------------------------------------- (sea level)

There would be stairs from both first and second floor and the terrace would serve as an outdoor hangout area with a grill and some seating.
What makes me wonder is the lack of any walls/fences so the area is technically not a room - and thus I don't know if the pulling up/down works on them (let alone over water).

You absolutely should be able to do that but why no walls or fences?  Just build it like a room and then delete the walls and you've got your "room".  At that point, before deleting the walls, if you wanted to roof it over you could.  Roof would remain when the walls come down.  I am planning on SO MUCH fun with building with this thing.  Yeah, mermaids, dolphins, tanning, etc. is cool but the builds!!  That is where my heart is.  Now I'm wondering how using the terrain thing would work with it?  (Still haven't conquered that.)  Like, could you actually grow a mountain in the sea or make a deeper level like the deeper depths of the ocean?  If you grew a spot in the ocean could you build on it?  Lots to ponder! *bad pun, sorry*

[TomasGrizzly]

A question, mostly for the master builders around here:
Do you think it'll be possible to make a half-level terrace above the ocean? I'll try to make a "drawing" to demonstrate...

-----------------
                      |
second floor   |
-----------------
                     |   __________terrace
first floor       |       |    |     |
__________ |       |    |     |  foundation over sea on poles
(ground)               |    |     |
-------------------------------------- (sea level)

There would be stairs from both first and second floor and the terrace would serve as an outdoor hangout area with a grill and some seating.
What makes me wonder is the lack of any walls/fences so the area is technically not a room - and thus I don't know if the pulling up/down works on them (let alone over water).

You absolutely should be able to do that but why no walls or fences?  Just build it like a room and then delete the walls and you've got your "room".  At that point, before deleting the walls, if you wanted to roof it over you could.  Roof would remain when the walls come down.  I am planning on SO MUCH fun with building with this thing.  Yeah, mermaids, dolphins, tanning, etc. is cool but the builds!!  That is where my heart is.  Now I'm wondering how using the terrain thing would work with it?  (Still haven't conquered that.)  Like, could you actually grow a mountain in the sea or make a deeper level like the deeper depths of the ocean?  If you grew a spot in the ocean could you build on it?  Lots to ponder! *bad pun, sorry*

There will be fence but I want that terrace to be uncovered (without roof). I know that getting split levels (or how people call that) is not always really intuitive as the stair placement can have weird demands - as I've learned when building a mid-level pool on my current house.

[Playalot]

@Joria  making multi leveled decks and houses is possible with the new stilt foundations as I've done it. I made a multi leveled deck: 1st deck very high above water and at house floor level, next one a bit lower, last deck at ocean level.

Just use the foundation drag arrows on the decks or rooms to level them how you want. You can see what I mean in the gif under the heading "Terrain Tools & Different Foundation Heights" in this guide: https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/tutorials/building/terrain-tools.php

You can't join the levels of decks together but you can 'join' them with stairs leading from one down to the next so that sims can walk around them.

[Joria]

I'd like to do something like that but also add a pool with windows all around.  Really feel like you're IN the ocean.  Not sure how good it will look with the foundation posts though.  Did it in Sims 3 and it was good but a royal pain to build.

[Nindigo]

Just wanted to inform that sometimes in the evening, I haven't checked if it happens daily, the game throws a party at the elevated grounds up the stairs. NPCs gather, party and bring food. A filled kava bowl spawns along with a bonfire and banners and benches etc. It's a really nice experience. Also, be sure not to throw a party yourself when this is on, as all the guests are inclined to hang out at the "big" party instead of the one at your place. If your Sim lives in Ohan'ali Town

[Savuti6]

Re: Island Living /Spa Day/Get to Work
Space Time Continuium?
Now I have finally managed to put my Spa downon the Island (Maxis 20 x30 refurbed to Island Archicture )
  Thanks for the tips @ Scoed ..
Great "Official Opening" Simmies from all over came to see including Nina and Co from Willow Creek . Have been reading all the boards on Rotational Play, In Game culling etc
Created my Cas Mermaid (Geek) Living off-grid to start with and noticed when she went to the library in Willow Creek to write up her final conservation article the house/family I built there was now an empty lot again!
Went back into Willow Creek to play my Original family for 6 Sim days saw some of the Islanders running about town including the Maxis mermaid I had "adopted"  jogging about..
Wanted to take my Willow Creek lot to the Island Spa to relax and enjoy the steam ..It wasn't there? Nor was my original off-grid house and or subsequent home for the 4 mermaids I made..
Suggestions on how the two familys can meet? Seems odd to me that they can go shopping (Have Get to Work though no built shops yet) travel into the woods, explore the jungle visit Simxam  but can't go to the Island Spa? Can the two families ever meet up visit each other houses or do they remain in limbo for ever? What am I doing wrong? Surely Rotational Play doesn't have to be in the same world?

[Brian_Z]

@Savuti6  It sounds like what is happening, is that you are creating separate saves.  "Save" or "Save and Exit" update your current save, but "Save As" will split off a new, separate save.  It's just like starting a brand new save, the things happening in it do not affect anything in the original save.  "Save forks" as we call them are useful if you wanted to experiment with something, without the risk of totally messing your "real" game up-- such as, if I try doing this, will it kill my sim?

[Savuti6]

@ Brian_Z Thank you ,understand the difference now >>Was so used to doing a "Save As" initially from Sims 3 .
However, that isn't really the problem..It is Island specific  (rather than Island Pacific ~ lol)
Having trolled "teh" Forurums because of the Adventure aspect of Sulani (trash re-setting etc) I do not think you can have an Intergrated game between the two worlds ~ the Option to "Manage Worlds" is greyed out when playing from within Sulani.
My Sulani family can travel to Willow Creek , Oasis Springs, Go on Jungle Adventures but the areas are vanilla ..I know I could put both sets into the library but then Sulani wil "re-set" into its former trashy state?