*Note: These are the answers from one of the developers to questions that were previously asked. No more questions are being sent to the developers.*
I was going to write about modeling hacks for you guys to download but then I checked my email box and found answers to questions that you guys had for a Sims 3 developer. The first few are questions that I had and the ones from you guys are attributed to the asker.
I want to thank all of you who took the time to ask questions and to thank Grant Rodiek, Associate Producer for The Sims 3 for his answers.
What do you think is the biggest improvement that Sims 3 brings?
I’d say unique Sims, the neighborhood, and the creative tools.
With our new personality traits and deep skill building, not to mention our incredible Create-a-Sim experience, no two Sims will be alike – if you want it that way, of course.
The neighborhood is a first for The Sims franchise in that players can go anywhere in town without a load screen to hold you back. It makes the game seamless and far more enjoyable.
Finally, our developers have really made our creative tools far superior to any other Sims game. The aforementioned Create-a-Sim lets you make anyone you can imagine. Build/Buy is better and easier to use than ever. But the coolest feature is our Create-a-Style tool that lets you change the pattern or color on any piece of clothing or furniture in the game. The possibilities are literally limitless and so easy to use.
Since it’s been announced that the Sims in Sims 3 can “take care of themselves”, do you think that Sims 3 is moving closer to a pure game than a simulation or do you think that Sims 3 still walks that fine line like previous titles in the franchise have?
We’ve definitely tried to infuse more “game” elements so that under the surface there is a rich, deep strategy game. But at the end of the day, we’re still a game that focuses on the stories of your Sims, their lives, and how they live them.
There is a lot of buzz right now about Sims 3 not hitting its Feb ‘09 release date. Is this just in the UK market or will the US market be affected as well by the “evaluating the launch window” statement?
The Sims 3 will launch simultaneously worldwide on PC, Mac, iPhone and iPod touch June 2, 2009.
What got left on the cutting room floor that you really wish could have been included?
We’ve been working on The Sims 3 for quite some time. A large percentage of us came from The Sims 2, The Sims 2 expansion packs, SimCity – needless to say we know The Sims! We looked to our past projects to pick and choose the best features for The Sims 3 and we’re quite pleased with what will ship with the game.
Since we all know that “minimum system requirements” are just a bare bones estimation of what it takes to get the game to load [and not necessarily what will get the game to function well] what are the specs on the system on which you run Sims 3?
We’ve developed The Sims 3 to work on a wide range of PCs. If the players have the min spec at least, they’ll be able to enjoy our game.
Are there empty lots available in the game so that players can build custom houses from the ground up? – Jan
Yes!
Is canning and wine making available in the game? – Jan
We don’t have canning, but gardeners can grow excellent fruits and vegetables (and a few special things) to sell at the local supermarket, use to complete Opportunities, or even just as ingredients when cooking at home. We also have rewarding careers and lifetime wishes in the game like becoming a five star chef.
Are there any plans for an online component to Sims 3? – Lost Without Sims Online
The Sims is an offline, single player game that has significant community features for sharing, story telling, and more. The Sims has always been a very personal game experience, almost like a diary for some people, so while we admire and learn from features in online games, the Sims is fundamentally different.
Will Sims be able to do laundry? – Melissa
No, but there are a number of other household chores Sims can participate in such as gardening, making themselves a snack and tidying up.
Can you edit familial relationships of existing Sims? I.e. make neighbors related - Julia M.
You can have Sims get married, but once genetics are set, they are set in stone. There is a lot of flexibility for making interesting families in our game.
Is it possible to have your Sims have their pictures taken and then hang them on the house walls? – Frenchy
Your Sims can take photos with their cellphone and then hang the pictures on the wall. Also, highly skilled painters can paint portraits of friends and family. You can even sell these to be seen in the local art gallery!
Any new interactions for pregnant Sims? – Mike
One of my favorite things about pregnancy in The Sims 3 is that there are so many more little things that impact conception and pregnancy. For example, if the pregnant Sim is in a good mood leading up to the birth then there are higher chances that the baby will be born with positive traits. Ultimately it was still about balancing gameplay and realism and making sure that as a life moment it is a rewarding experience.
Are you still able to create babies? – Katie
Yes!
Any ideas on expansions that might become available for Sims 3 like a “superhero expansion”? – AJ
Right now we are focusing on making The Sims 3 the best game to date from The Sims studio.
Do the NPCs age alongside the player created characters or can multiple generations of a family have the same maid? – Jason
The town is alive and growing with your characters. Everyone ages and moves along with your character. So, the families maid will grow old and die just like the rest of the family.
Will there by aliens in Sims 3? – Jason
No, but we do have playable ghosts!
Will there be any car accidents or other disasters? – George-Ilias
While Sims need to have some sense of danger (burglary, fire, electrocution), things like car accidents are a little too real. It’s hard to keep them funny and humorous like the other unfortunate things that plague unlucky Sims.
Can you have children on the iPhone version ?
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I also think there should be vampire sims since the twighlight craze and all the vampire tv shows
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In sims 3 iPod touch/iPhone app they’re is no way to have a baby raise it and have multiple generations with a maid and other enjoyable features will this ever happen because I really think it’d be so much better everyone I know with the app asks this very question so please for the people who buy your creations make it possible please it would be amazing.
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I agree with calee I’d like that for my app I thiink it b fun to say something by typing it and getting s response in english thanks everyone please take our suggestions and expand sims3 especially on
the iPod/iPhone app
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I’ve read [and I think posted on here] that while you can make a Sim look like a Vampire, they won’t actually be a vampire. Sad times, I know. I kind of liked them too.
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Looking like a vamp is easy. We need Counts in nightlife:( I did not just love them it’s all I played. How do we get them added again? Magic town too! They need to carry over and have options. Looking like a vampire and really playing a vampire are two different things. /cry /cry
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No the only intrument is the guitar and they have taken out other stuff like the hot-tub and divingboard
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yes you can fish but i dont know if you can eat them
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yes your sims can have twins and triplets. when you are playing go to lifetime benefits if you have enough points you can purchase a fertility treatment for your sims which increases your chances of twins and triplets. also you can create all age groups baby, toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, and senior
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i’m thinking that maybe an expansion pack could be like a science fiction pack maybe and it could have aleins, vampires, wherewolves, um unicorns, lepricons, and stuff like that and i know that this doesn’t have to do with what you said but it would be awesome to have that and there could be an expansion pack kind of like the sims 2 pets expansion pack but better like there could be things like horses and other animals.
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and i forgot to say there could be the obtion to have a ranch or a farm
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yes you go to options and uncheck the story progression box, this will make it so that as you are playing one family the other families won’t change or even age
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not yet but im hoping there will be an expansion pack for that like the sims 2 bon voyage expansion pack
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i don’t know but will you tell me what the cheat is
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Nope.
You can make your Sims LOOK like vampires, but alas, no vampires in Sims 3.
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They haven’t made any announcements about including vampires in future expansions.
But, they added mummies that can curse you in World Adventures so I figure anything’s possible.
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No pets or farm animals as of yet.
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There should be a camping expansion pack, with tents and motorhomes. :)
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i have that game and it is brilliant you should try it NOWWWWWWWWWWW
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Hi
Yes can catch fish and also can cookif you wants to cook fish you can cath them so you don’t need to buy from shop.
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I agree. it would be better if there were more animals in an expansion pack like sims 2 pets. it wpould also make it better if the player had some sort of control over the animals like they do with the sims.
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