Toddlers have arrived In The Sims 4!

One of the major complaints when The Sims 4 broke ground was the lack of toddlers in the base game. Every new feature and update announced from thereon had hundreds of complaints about the missing life stage.

Toddlers Sims 4 Room

We knew through datamining that toddlers were planned at some point. When all the age groups are listed together, there was one entry that was conspicuously left blank. This led to theories that they would be added in some kind of DLC later down the line. Yet almost after a year of waiting, people had given up hope…but that ends today!

Toddlers Skills Sims 4

Toddlers have been in the works for quite some time. They come with hundreds of new animations,  dozens of new interactions, along with a slew of outfits. You can teach them to talk, help develop their skills, or even make them dance.

Toddlers will be available as a free update starting TODAY on The Sims 4!

Sims 4 City Living: Politics, Critic, and Social Media Careers

The Sims 4 City Living expanded the job system with three new careers! Each of these careers come with unique career assignments which will have your Sims performing tasks around the city.

Social Media Career

Social Media Craeer Sims 4

Help you Sim gain followers through social media interactions. Perform live streams and chats to build up your fanbase.

 

Critic Career

Sims 4 Critic Career

Have your sim critique the various artworks and cuisines around the city.  You can tour the various festivals to review the local entertainment.

 

Politician Career

Sims 4 Activists

Initially you’ll start off as an activist, but eventually you’ll have to choose between becoming a charity organizer or a politician. Activists are tasked with staging protests or promoting a cause around the city. Charity organizers will need to raise money, either from donations, or through unscrupulous means, such as bribes..

City Living’s New Clothing, Hairstyles, and Aspiration!

 

Thumbnail View

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It could get quite troublesome having to navigate through several units in an apartment complex. To help alleviate this issue, The Sims team has added a thumbnail view. With this, you can hover over each apartment unit to view its traits and household details.

 

Multi Story Apartments

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Some apartment units can have up to two or three floors. You can page through each floor in thumbnail view to get a glimpse of its entire layout.

 

MyShuno Meadows

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Myshuno Meadows is a special 64 x 64 lot that, for the first time, includes an actual pre-made wedding aisle. Fireworks placed close to the wedding arch will go off right as the newlyweds kiss!

 

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If you head a bit away from this venue, you’ll encounter a dining area with a Ramen and Chinese Food cart. Sims can try haggling for lower prices at these stalls.

 

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Next to the dining area is a butterfly garden with several memorials scattered about. Each memorial contains little tidbits on the history of San Myshuno.

 

New Fashion

With designs inspired by Japan and India, City Living aims to provide a range of attire meant to depict a city’s melting pot of cultures. New to this expansion are head wraps that cover a range of patterns and colors. 

Men will receive the man bun hairstyle prominently featured in recent trailers. Snakeskin pants and leather jackets are only a small sample of what’s to expect from the pack.

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Acting as a public servant, an NPC wearing this racoon suit will clean up trash Sims have lying around.

 

City Native Aspiration

A brand new aspiration will help Sims discover all the sights and sounds around San Myshuno. Sims following this track will visit festivals, paint murals, and critique various things.

 

A New Type of Death

Sims can experience a new form of death if they eat a low quality pufferfish from one of the food carts.

 

Basketball

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Basketball has been improved since the previous Sim games. This object will now allow several Sims to shoot hoops at the same time. The basketball hoop is separated from the court itself allowing Sims to play basketball in tight spaces. The expansion will ship with two types of hoops, one free standing, and another that attaches to a wall.

 

Dynamic Neighborhood Changes

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Open spaces around the neighborhood can dynamically change with the addition of Food Carts. Some stalls may close for the night, while other will open with new seating areas and decorative lights.

The Uptown District

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We’ve finally gotten a peek at the last neighborhood in San Myshuno. The Uptown district is placed atop several sky scrapers giving you the best view of the city. This district is home to Skye Fitness and the Star Gazer’s lounge. The latter is actually a penthouse with a pool and the romantic aura lot trait. 

Dynamic Signboards

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Not only will you be notified in-game of the various festivals, but the dynamic signboard when placed on your lot can display advertisements of upcoming festivals.

 

Wall and Floor Mural

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You can place murals on the walls and floors and have your Sims paint graffiti, cultural, or political artwork. These objects can be resized in build mode, and the artwork will scale to match the new dimensions.

 

Sims 4: City Living: Apartment Units and Objects

A recent Sims livestream covered a bit more information on apartments. Read on below for more details on what we gathered from the stream.

Apartment Setup

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An apartment complex can hold several family units. Each family unit besides the player’s is hidden from view. By hovering over a neighboring unit, the player will be given a glimpse at the layout of the apartment.

From time to time, Sims from neighboring units can be seen in the hallways. These Sims may communicate with other neighbors or interact with objects in the hall.

Objects within this space include the trash chute, elevator, bulletin board, and mailbox. The bulletin board, in particular, serves as a place to notify neighbors of their bad behaviors. For example, you could leave an affirming or passive aggressive note for neighbors who chose to blast their music.

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As you get friendlier towards your neighbors, your Sim will have the option of giving them a key. Doing so will make the neighbor drop by whenever they please. What a perfect time to try out the new game console. This fun new object allows several players to participate in competitive games both online and off.

 

Lot Traits

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Lot Traits give your apartment special quirks that provide positive or negative effects. You can change these traits as you please, but some of them are attached to the apartment itself and can not be removed.

Traits can also be applied to lots in different neighborhoods. This could help raise the difficulty of the base game based on which ones you choose.

Some traits included in this expansion pack are as follows:

  • Fast Internet: A great online connection helps out those looking to improve programming, video game, and writing skills.
  • Filthy: From clogged sewers to grimy counters, this place seems to get dirty very quickly.
  • Chef’s kitchen: Food prepared in this kitchen just seems to taste better, and comes out in better quality.
  • Gremlins: Stuff breaks here a lot, it’s like there are tiny goblins who come out at night and smash things.
  • Grody: Sims have a chance to get nauseous when eating, drinking, or using the bathroom.

Other traits include; Quake Zone, Penny Pixies, Mean Vibe, Cursed, Romantic Aura, and Great Soil.

New Objects

city-living-fashion-penthouse

Several of the new objects were showcased in the Fashion District, a trendy neighborhood with architecture inspired by Tokyo and Shanghai.

A talking toilet, a curved TV, and a karaoke bar are some of the amenities you may find within the penthouse.

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The talking toilet, as the name suggests, has the ability to converse with your Sim. It also features a hologram that can display the news, a disco ball, or a waterfall.

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You can put your Sim’s vocal chords to the test with the new Karaoke Bar. Raising your Sim’s singing skill will unlock up to 16 songs, four of which are duets.

 

The Neighborhoods of San Myshuno: The Sims 4 City Living

San Myshuno is divided into four neighborhoods, each inspired by different cultures ranging from Indian and Arab, to Japanese and African. The festivals found in these districts are meant to represent the melting pot of cultures that one might find in a city.

 

Spice Market

First we start off with the Spice Market that was prominently shown in the recent Sims livestream. It’s full of brownstone apartments with hints of visual elements inspired by India.

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This will be the neighborhood your Sims will first move into. Nestled between the streets and basketball court is the Spice Festival, giving your Sims the chance to try out foods from different cultures.

 

The Arts Quarter

The Arts Quarter features apartments with a modern design. Starving artists young and old can be found near the food stands trying to make a quick buck.

Arts Quarter, Sims 4 City Living

Here you can find the Art Museum inspired by the Yuerba Buena Center of San Francisco. This neighborhood is also home to the Lantern Festival, giving Sims the opportunity to view fireworks across the sky.

 

The Fashion District

Some of the best views of the city will be offered here at the Fashion District. Featuring a community space several stories from the ground, this neighborhood will be home to both GeekCon and Romance festivals.

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Star hopefuls in San Myshuno will love Planet Sing-Pop, a new venue where sims can stretch their vocal chords in the all-new Karaoke bar.

 

Uptown

The last of the neighborhoods is Uptown, a high rise financial district where the wealthiest of Sims can meet up at a lounge high above the city.  Unfortunately this neighborhood appears to be under wraps at the moment, so hopefully we’ll get a glimpse of it in the upcoming weeks.

Leaky Pipes & Noisy Apartment Neighbors In The Sims 4: City Living

Negative Effects

One of the things I love about City Living is the revival of negative environmental effects. No we’re not talking about weather, but rather, things outside of your control in the environment that have a negative impact on your Sim.

For example, depending on where they live, Sims will have to deal with neighbors who might be a bit overly romantic during those hot steamy nights. Others will have to put up with tenants with loud music, or neighbors who wish to use your shower.

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Some negative situations will be included with apartments by default. These include apartments with rodents, leaky pipes, and faulty electrical wiring. It’s implied that these situations will lessen as you move to higher quality apartments. However, it is unknown at this time if they’ll allow you to invest in improving your apartment’s infrastructure so these events could happen less often. 

Apartment Traits

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Embedded in each apartment are special traits could have a positive or negative impact on your Sim. One apartment could have a trait that improves your children’s learning skill. Another apartment could be cursed with ghosts haunting your appliances.

 

Your Wacky Neighbors

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It appears that each apartment complex will come with a set of neighbors with personalities inspired by TV shows. This could create for some unique storytelling situations as you see them interact with others in the apartment’s common area. Optionally, you can give your neighbor a key and have them stop over at any time they please.

You can even have your very own roommate to help assist you with the rent. But do make sure you pay your rent on time to avoid the wrath of your landlord.

Apartment Space

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Apartments have limited space and prevent you from knocking down any walls. If you move your Sim into a penthouse, you can rebuild the entire area from scratch just like houses in other neighborhoods.

 

The Sims 4: City Living Adds Apartments, Karaoke, and Festivals

sims-4-city-life-san-myshuno

City Living is the Sims 4’s newest expansion pack that will release on November 1st! This expansion takes place in the city of San Myshuno, a vibrant coastal metropolis full of festivals, apartments, and karaoke.

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Unlike previous neighborhoods, the City of San Myshuno will place some limits on construction. The note states the landlord “won’t be happy with you knocking out walls and creating new bathrooms.” This should hopefully pose some new challenges on decorating a limited living space. You could even have some undesirable events in your apartment like cockroaches, leaky pipes or electrical issues.

San Myshuno City Living

Keeping oneself confined in a cramped apartment isn’t what this expansion is all about. Instead, you’ll be able to stop by one of the city’s five festivals to socialize with other Sims! Festivals like Geekcon really bring out that San Francisco vibe the expansion is going for. The Romance Festival was also announced where you can light fireworks with your date. There’s also a Spice Festival where you can take on the “Curry Challenge.” Aside from that, a basketball court and a karaoke bar were shown as other places your Sims can hang out.

Politician Career Sims 4

A few new career paths will be included in this expansion pack: Politician, Food/Art Critic, and Social Media. It appears Sims can even protest, a feature last seen early in The Sims 3 release. Moving up the career ladder may afford you to live in that big penthouse in the sky.

City Living Penthouse

More details about the expansion pack is expected to come out in the coming months, but in the meantime you can view these wonderful screenshots to get an idea of what’s to come.

The Sims 4: City Living Announced

After months of leaks and rumors, The Sims team has finally announced their next great expansion pack. The Sims 4: City Living is expected to bring the hustle and bustle of the big city over to PC screens across the world.

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Previous leaked information (which we won’t be able to confirm until tomorrow), included new apartment and penthouse lot types, tourist NPCs, new traits, and Indian cuisine.

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The official trailer launches soon, so check back tomorrow for more in-depth information regarding the pack.

Backyard Stuff Pack: Sims 4 Live Stream Recap!

The Sims 4 Backyard Stuff Pack is expected to release on July 19th. Here is a recap of all of the new features from yesterday’s live stream!

Live Stream Recap

Backyard Stuff Table and Chairs

You can decorate the socializing area in your backyard with new wooden chairs and tables. Each of these objects are decked out with bright pastel colored patterns that match the designs of other objects, like the new outdoor rugs and wall decals.

Umbrella Table Six Seater

The major new addition when it comes to dining, are the new umbrella tables that can seat a family of six. The first is the “Perfectly Patterned Large Umbrella Table,” which comes with a splash of fun and bright colors. The other is the “Voyeuristic Large Umbrella Table,” which as the name suggests, comes with a transparent umbrella.

Backyard Stuff Decorative Objects

The stuff pack offers a variety of decorations from potted plants, to bird houses, and even a frog fountain. As mentioned earlier, you can decorate your house with new wall decals with patterns meant to match the tables and chairs.

Trick Slide Sims 4

Obviously the Water Slide is the main highlight of the Backyard Stuff Pack. It’s a new interactive object where sims line up to slide down a sheet of water.  Sims may either slide down normally, or perform various tricks along the way. For example, they can slide on their bellies, slide from a somersault, slide spinning around on their backs, or do a sexy pose.

Water Slide Sims 4

Fitness and Motor skills will determine how successful a Sim is when sliding down. Use of this object will also help a Sim gain those skills.

Jaws of Death Sims 4

Another water slide included in this pack is the terrifying “Jaws of Death.” You may add soap to both this and the other water slide to see bubbles form as your Sim slides through the water. The soap doesn’t last too long, but if you’re really in a hurry, they mentioned you can rinse them off by dipping into a pool.

Bird Feeder Sims 4

The bird feeder is another interactive object which has a one in seven chance of a bird attacking the player. Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Finches are among the birds you can expect to see visiting the feeder.

Sims 4 Wind Chimes

You can use wind chimes to add some ambient sounds around the house. These can be placed indoors and outdoors, either from the ceiling or on the sides of a wall. When you change its pitch, the length of the chime adjusts to match the selected tone. If you want a completely different sound, you’ll have the option to purchase ceramic, aluminum, or bamboo chimes.

Sims can also be awakened by the wind chimes if they sleep too close to them. But if the chimes becomes too annoying, you can click click a button to turn them off.

Wind chime settings and sequences will be transferred along with the house when uploaded to the Gallery.

Backyard Stuff Summer Drink Tray

You can mix up a batch of Iced Tea, Lemonade, or Citrus Swig, from the “Summer Drink Tray”. Mixing a drink serves up six glasses of refreshments which can be refilled at any time.

citronella candle light

At night, you can add some ambience to your backyard by purchasing a citronella candle. In addition, the “Flower Power” decoration will act as a light when night begins to fall.

Flower Power Sims 4

Speaking of which, each instance of the “Flower Power” object has a slight offset which creates a pattern when placed in a row. If your sims stare into the object, there’s a chance they’ll receive a Dazed moodlet.

Questions and Answers

How many different types of birds are there?

  • We have blue birds, finches, and cardinals. Birds do not show up at night however.

If you fail to pay your bills and the water is shut off, can you still use the water slide?

  • No.

Do Wind chimes work indoors?

  • Yes.

Will the hygiene bar raise when using the water slide?

  • No, you neither gain nor lose hygiene from the water slide.

Can we place the Water Slide on pool lots?

  • Absolutely! They can be placed on any lot.

Does Backyard Stuff come with new recipes and food?

  • Aside from the Summer drink tray, there will be no new recipes from the stove.

Will the new round tables work in restaurants?

  • Yes, they work like any other table.

Can ghosts and aliens use the water slide?

  • Yes, all sims kids and up can use the water slide.

Can you gain fitness skill from the water slide?

  • Yes, you’ll gain fitness skill for adults, and motor skills for kids.

Can Elders die from the water slide?

  • Not from direct use of the object.

Are there any new Club rules for the water slide?

  • Yes, if you have Sims 4: Get Together, there will be new club rules that either encourage or discourage use of the water slide.

Can the citronella candle catch on fire?

  • No, it only provides a warm glow.

Are there any new radio stations in Backyard Stuff pack?

  • No. However, we do have a new outdoor speaker.

Sims 4 Adds The Nanny

And no, we’re not talking about the TV show… Today’s Sims 4 update adds the nanny, a new service NPC who will be responsible for watching over your children while you’re out partying. Nannies require a base pay of 60 Simoleans, with an additional 10 simoleans per hour of service. They will feed, change diapers, play, and even mentor your children. Although they can also clean things around the house, most of their time and energy will be spent on the young ones.

Sims 4 Nanny

Aside from that, you can now click on a lighting object to set the color and intensity of all lights in the room. Previously you could only set either the light itself or all lights inside the entire house.

Sims 4 Change Outfit

Lastly, the choose outfit dialog has been updated to now visually display all outfits assigned to the sim. Here you can choose which outfit to wear without any guesswork.