Simulation

Description

The Sims 3 is, like its predecessors, a real-time simulation game where the player controls the lives of one or more people in a family including their work life and social activities. In order to do so, at the start of the game the player creates one or more characters on the character creation screen which has been even more expanded since The Sims 2. Besides more choices in terms of look, clothes, colors and such, the player also chooses five personality traits from a set of 63 sorted in four groups “Mental”, “Physical”, “Social” and “Lifestyle” as well as a lifetime-goal. The personality traits influence how the Sim reacts to each event in the game. The trait “work-a-holic” for example makes the Sim love to go to work and allows him to use a computer at home to put in additional hours.

The lifetime goal, on the other hand, is similar to wishes but requires a lot of work to get to. While granting wishes can be as simple as ordering a pizza, one lifetime goal requires the player to make his Sim a CEO of a big corporation which can’t be done over night. As a compensation, the fulfilling of a lifetime goal grants the player a very large amount of lifetime points as opposed to the normal wishes. These lifetime points are used to buy numerous forms of relief including the ability to make the Sim immune to hunger. This allows the player to focus less on fulfilling the basic needs of a Sim but more on advancing his skills and socializing with neighbors, co-workers and other people in the city. The six needs themselves are the same as before including fun, hygiene and hunger. …

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Description

The Sims: Medieval is an independent offshoot from the Sims franchise. It changes the setting to medieval times and offers a more linear experience than the main series. The different campaigns have no overarching plot and just differentiate with their ultimate goal. However, the goal also changes the quest strings available; and these tell smaller, humorous stories. An example would be to save the kingdom from wild chinchillas.

For every quest the player chooses one (self-created) hero who gains experience points. Those improves the special abilities which depend on the character’s profession, e.g. a king files edicts and a mage uses spells. This also means that quests has multiple solutions, depending on the used character. While the player can create up to ten characters, during a quest line he only plays one – the others are taken care of by the AI.

In comparison to other Sims titles, complexity of the time management part is driven back: the learning of abilities is replaced by the experience system and every character has only two needs (instead of six): mood, which is improved by doing everyday activities like sleeping or social interaction, and work. This consists of two activities per day like brewing potions. The management of those needs affects the quest success. Like all games in the series, The Sims: Medieval is very indirect: the player only gives suggestions what to do by clicking on other objects or persons. Then the animations click in and watching those is a big part of the playing experience. …

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Description

Castaway Stories is the third game in the the Sims Stories series, a spin-off of the Sims franchise. The gameplay from the original franchise has once again been adapted, simplified, and turned into a fixed-storyline experience. A secondary, more classic and open-ended mode is available as well. This entry in the series introduces an entirely new setting for the franchise as it takes place on an uncharted, tropical island with jungle, beaches and volcanoes.

In the story mode players control Jessica who washes ashore with almost no belongings. She has to explore the island, find shelter, make fire, learn to hunt for food, and befriend the natives and the other castaways. …

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Description

Life Stories is the first title in the The Sims Stories series, part of the larger Sims franchise. Unlike the main The Sims 2 game, which offers open-ended gameplay, this title focuses on the life of 2 characters, Riley Harlow and Vince Moore, and the game mechanics are more reminiscent of the console ports. The player needs to guide 2 characters through a more or less linear story, with set goals to achieve and through the use of scripted sequences. Each character has an independent, pre-defined story, and upon completion a classic mode is unlocked, where the player can create a new character with much more freedom and open-ended gameplay.

In Riley’s story, she is evicted from her house in Sim City and moves to her aunt’s house in Four Corners to start a new life. She will get to meet the neighbours and Mickey Smith, who soon becomes her love interest. …

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Description

Pet Stories is the second game in the The Sims Stories series, part of the larger Sims franchise. Unlike the main The Sims 2 game, which offers open-ended gameplay, this title focuses on two, more or less linear stories involving raising and training pets. Upon completion a classic mode is unlocked where the player can create a new character with much more freedom and open-ended gameplay. The game offers the familiar interface of the original game, with scripted sequences and set goals to achieve. The content of the game is largely borrowed from The Sims 2: Pets and The Sims 2: Nightlife.

The first story, Best in Show, is about Alice from Garden Heights, who has financial problems and is about to lose her house. As a final resort, she enters her Dalmatian in a dog show to earn money to save her house. There are competitors in the show, and Alice also has friends and rivals she interacts with.

The second story, Midnight Masquerade, is about the executive chef Stephen Loyal and it is set in the neighbourhood of Mesa Flats. Stephen is asked to organize the annual Midnight Masquerade. Meanwhile he has to take care of his Celeste Girard’s cat Diva Loyal while she is on her honeymoon, to make up for him missing her wedding. There are different characters to meet: friends, rivals, but also potential love interests. …

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