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.
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.
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.
Today’s new update marks the first time in Sims history where Sims can officially wear clothes outside of their gender. Kiss those mods goodbye, as now your Sims will gain access to almost the entire lineup of clothes, hairstyles, voices, and accessories that were previously only available to specific genders.
Create-A-Sim will now utilize a Gender Customization option that allows you to change whether the Sim has a masculine or feminine frame, their toileting behavior, and whether or not they can be impregnated. Create-A-Sim will also have a new filter that lets you toggle the display of masculine or feminine fashion choices.
These new changes follow in line closely to games like Saints Row 3, which was one of the few at its time to allow the main character to wear clothes of either gender.
To help visualize these changes, let’s go through the process of creating a new sim. First you select whether the Sim is male or female. By default the clothing options, hairstyles, and accessories will only display fashion choices matching the Sim’s sex. If you wish to display clothing of the opposite gender, you’ll need to disable the [masculine] or [feminine] filter.
Underneath the male and female symbols are the Gender Customization Options. This allows you to change your Sim’s physical frame, their clothing preference, their pregnancy setting, and how they’ll use the toilet.
For those curious about the random generation of townies, Lindsay Pearson took to twitter to clarify that “the game will not automatically create any NPCs using this new functionality.”
Aside from this, we finally have the new lightning system that was announced in a previous post. This new effect allows both the sun and the moon to project through the windows if the player sets their Lighting settings to Very High in Options.
No longer just a mere painting, the Tragic Clown has officially returned to the Sims as a new NPC. This sim can spawn in two different ways, by either randomly appearing on a community lot or from being summoned from viewing the Tragic Clown painting.
Upon viewing the painting a second time, a notification will pop up alerting you of his presence. He emits a a +2 sadness aura for Sims close by and will randomly perform juggling acts that tend to fail miserably.
Aside from that, this update contains a few bug fixes for both PC and Mac. The most notable one is for the Mac version where players were unable to connect to the gallery if too many mods were installed.
The Sims 4 updated today with a surprise update celebrating the series 16th anniversary. Items and interactions from previous games in the franchise were included in today’s patch.
First we have the Gardener, who can be hired from the cellphone menu. They tend to appear in the mornings at 9:00 AM to water your plants. If you think they’re doing a great job, you can even give them a tip of 100 Simoleons.
Next is the Tragic Clown painting which first appeared in The Sims 1. Sims who gaze upon this miserable painting will be swept with of sadness. Aside from that, there’s the Plumbob poster to celebrate The Sims’ 16th Anniversary.
The Kleptomaniac Trait from The Sims 3 has returned enabling Sims to swipe objects from their neighbors. Kleptomaniacs who get caught in the act will have the Embarrassed moodlet. Kleptomanics also gain a few social interactions, such as nervously asking a Sim about their “prized possessions”, or “enthusing over the Thrill of stealing.”
Lastly we have the Grilled Cheese aspiration. It unlocks after eating several Grilled Cheese sandwiches. Once it’s selected, you can chat with others about Grilled Cheese. Completing all the tasks in the Aspiration unlocks the new “Melt Master” trait. This trait allows Sims to summon Grilled Cheese sandwiches and paint Grilled Cheese on an easel.
One cool minor feature lets you filter custom content from the base game. In addition, all custom content will now have a blue wrench icon attached to their portraits.
Other notable aspects to this update are:
The inclusion of the Treat items from the #TeamTrick vs #TeamTreat event.
Twitter functionality, allowing you to post screenshots and achievements.
New Audio Settings, letting your radio music match the game’s current speed.
Previous Sims 4 Release Notes can be found in The Sims 4 Updates category.
This time it’s a pre-stuff pack update gearing up for the Movie Hangout pack coming out next week!
Create your own personalized cinema with these 8 new movie posters based on previously released promotional trailers for The Sims 4. Now you can reminisce the moments when Amber’s theme song played for the very first time — or take a trip down memory lane when those doctors stripped down in the Malpractice video. Each poster is beautifully encased in a glossy frame, adding a splash of color that’s perfect for your entertainment room.
List of Movie Posters
It’s Amber!
Stay Weirder
Cow Plant Love
Cop and Llama
Malpractice
Epic Wood
Sul Sul
Still Life
A long-time staple feature to the Sims series has finally returned. If your Sim behaves inappropriately at a neighbor’s house, they may ask for your Sim to leave the premises.
Last but not least is a change to the way Sims react to fights. Sims will cheer on friends who win a fight, while enemies will cheer when their adversary loses.
The Sims 4 has received its pre-expansion pack update in preparation for Get Together’s release on December 8th. A bit of new content, huge interface overhauls, and welcome changes to group behavior are included within the patch.
Players using 64-bit Windows will be greeted with a new 64-bit version of The Sims 4’s executable file upon launching the game. This is an automatic process, requiring no user input. However, you can check and switch between either version by opening the Game Properties through Origin as pictured above. For more information, see EA’s FAQ page.
Players can finally create public pool lots with the all-new Pool Venue. On top of that, you can now customize the color of the pool’s water to either the default or purple through the Pool Water Styles menu in Build Mode.
The World Maps have received a splash of color, along with a completely overhauled household interface. Circular portraits of each family member will appear at the bottom of the screen, allowing you to view their traits and current location. Clicking on the visit button, indicated by an airplane icon, will allow you to quickly visit the selected lot with any Sims currently living in a house.
With clubs coming in the Get Together expansion, the way social groups are handled has been updated with new options and a fresh overhead symbol. Through the Actions section of the social menu, you can now add or remove Sims to and from a group. Sims in a group who wander off can easily be brought back together with new interactions for performing things together (e.g. Go Here Together). Additionally, Sims traveling together will automatically be placed in a group.
The relationship inspector that appears at the top of the screen when socializing with another Sim looks a bit different now. Small portraits of each Sim in a group will now display at the top.
Several new buttons can be found in Live Mode. In the top right corner of the screen you’ll notice the Manage Worlds button is now available. Down by the time controls you can find a new Camera Options button, expanding into an additional three for taking screenshots, recording videos, and accessing the newly updated Screenshots & Memories interface. The Camera Controls menu also includes new options for quickly switching between the Sims 3 and Sims 4 camera styles.
In other news, the long straight hairstyle previously available for female children exclusively can now be used on boys too!
For a comprehensive list of bug fixes in today’s update, please check the patch notes on the EA site.
The Sims 4 is back with a brand new update that adds the Trick vs. Treat Challenge rewards and the long awaited Repair Technician service!
Repairmen, now called Repair Technicians, have finally arrived. They can be hired from the phone’s services menu, costing a base fee of 100 simoleons and an additional 10 per hour. Upon arrival they’ll march straight to work, repairing any broken plumbing or appliances in the home.
Aspiring handymen can even ask the technician for repair advice, resulting in a small boost to their handiness skill.
The results of the TeamTrick vs. TeamTreat Challenge are in! The forces of Team Trick just weren’t strong enough, and Team Treat won all three rounds. As such, the following items have been added to the game:
Edgar the Generous (Door)
The Gumber Fesh Bow (Fish Bowl)
The Ornate Beauty (Storage Chest)
The fish bowl also introduces the Gummie Guppie fish, which can mounted and placed on a wall. With the challenge over, the trick and treat social interactions have been removed from the game.
For a comprehensive list of bug fixes in today’s update, please check the patch notes on the EA site.
Just one day after announcing the new Spooky Stuff pack, The Sims 4 has received a free update! A brand new trait and two Halloween-themed social interactions await players.
The Jealousy trait is ideal for possessive romantic partners. Your Sim will feel confident when their beloved is nearby, but tense when they’re not around for a prolonged period. Should they catch another Sim putting the moves on their mate, expect them to fly into a jealous fury.
These Sims get Jealous more easily than other Sims. They gain a boost of Confidence from being around their significant other, but get Tense if they haven’t seen them recently.
Newly introduced are social interactions available for a limited time, indicated by a small calendar icon. With Halloween coming and the Spooky Stuff pack just around the corner, the team at Maxis has created Trick and Treat interactions.
Giving a Sim a treat will slightly reduce their hunger, while the giver will receive the Spooky Sweets Bestower moodlet (Happy +2). Tricksters increase their mischief skill and gain the Spooky Time Shenanigans moodlet (Playful +2).
Sims can finally claim their own bed, causing them to autonomously choose that bed when their energy is low. To do so, simply click on a bed and select the Claim interaction. Chances are your Sims will have already claimed beds from previous playtime.
For a comprehensive list of bug fixes in today’s update, please check the patch notes on the EA site.
Another highly requested feature of past Sims games has been fulfilled with the addition of dishwashers in today’s Sims 4 patch! The update only includes one dishwasher type, though perhaps we’ll see more in the Cool Kitchen Stuff pack. The Professional Dish Laborer is available in nine color variations and can be found under kitchen appliances. Just place it inside a counter and you’ll be ready to start a load!
One handy function of the dishwasher is the Load Dishwasher interaction. Your Sim will collect all the dirty dishes in the house, assuming there are any, and load them into the dishwasher. Speaking of handiness, with a skill level of 7 and the right parts you can upgrade the dishwasher in several ways.
Increase Cleaning Speed
Make Extra Reliable
Make Unbreakable
Make Run Quieter
Aside from the dishwasher, a number of adjustments and bug fixes were made to the game. First off, you may notice that the appearance of cereal has changed, now sporting a more vibrant and pleasant texture. Mail can now be delivered to the active household while visiting a different lot. And finally, custom music tracks will now actually play!
If you weren’t aware already, you can add custom tracks to the game through the Sims 4 folder in Documents. Just drag and drop your track into one of the stations in the Custom Music folder.
To see what else was included with this patch, please visit the patch notes page here or on the Sims 4 forums.
In preparation for the new Spa Day game pack, The Sims 4 received a free update on July 9th! New gameplay features, clothing, objects, interface updates, and a number of bug fixes were included.
Half Walls and Door Locks
Half Walls are now available, with five different sizes to choose from. They can be found under the Walls and Empty Rooms category and decorated with trims and wall patterns. Some objects can even be placed on top of them!
A highly requested feature has arrived with the addition of door locking. Keep out unwanted Sims by clicking on a door and choosing the Lock Door For… option. You can restrict access so that only household members, employees, or the active Sim can pass through it. Doors can be unlocked at any time.
New Clothing and Objects
If you’ve been following the news on the Spa Day game pack coming next week, you may have spotted these full body bath towels. Well they’re here and can be found in Create A Sim for all ages! Children also got a new pair of matching slippers.
The update adds eleven new objects to the catalog. Adorn walls with directional arrow and classic male and female sign decals, and illuminate the room with the Subtle Saucer Light. The Smooth Keeper fence won’t do anything for your Sims’ privacy concerns, but adds a touch of flair to any lot.
New doors are here as well, two of which come with gender restrictions. Placing the King’s or Queen’s Door will allow only men or women to pass through them, perfect for gender-specific bathrooms.
Interface Updates
The My Library tab has been updated with new sorting options, including Size, Price, Lot Type, Room Type, and the number of Sims. On top of that, 28 pre-created lots were added to the library! The size and funds of the current lot in Live Mode are now visible in the sorting options when placing a new lot from the library or Gallery. While in Manage Worlds, you can now place a lot without automatically jumping into Build Mode.
The Lot Info Panel received a new design, making the lot value and dimensions simpler to find. The residential lot bedroom and bathroom fields’ drop downs have been replaced with a text entry field. A new View Venue Type in Gallery button allows you to quickly pull up lots in the My Library tab of the same type as the active lot.
With the View World Info button added to all the game’s World Maps, players can add and edit a description of that world. The View Lot Types button located within will show you which lot types are present in a world.
