Summary
The Sims 4had a controversial launch as it disregarded a lot of what came before. This included launching without some staples to the series, such as pools, basements, family trees, toddlers, and ghosts.The Sims 4also broke several other traditions ofThe Simsgames that came before it but weren’t as immediately apparent at launch.
Some of these traditions involved gameplay, while others involved the presence of popular NPCs or mechanics. These elements worked together to form the lore and slightly occult atmosphere ofThe Sims,which was never an exact mirror to real life. While abandoning these traditions is fine, ifThe Sims 4is considered as a standalone game, players who have experienced the previous games inThe Simsseries will likely notice the absence of these traditions.
Gameplay Traditions That Don’t Appear in The Sims 4
The Sims 4 Abandoned the Original Timeline
WhileThe Sims,The Sims 2, andThe Sims 3take place in a non-chronological timeline,The Sims 4abandoned that timeline entirelyand instead takes place in an alternate universe.The Sims 4is a world in which Bella Goth never disappears, the Caliente sisters have a different mother, and the Curious family have a human rather than an alien baby.
The Sims 4 Ditched Burglars
In pastThe Simsgames, players had to add both fire and intruder alarms to their Sims houses in case of fire and burglars.Burglars inThe Simswore classic, old Hollywood-style outfits and would intrude on home lots to steal whatever valuables they could carry. If a Sim’s household had an intruder alarm on the property, the alarm would go off and summon the police, possibly catching the burglar red-handed. Burglars added variation and randomness in gameplay, but were possibly removed fromThe Sims 4for sensitivity reasons.
Zodiac Signs in Create-a-Sim
Creating a Sim used to involve allocating personality points, which wouldassign a Sim a zodiac sign. Zodiac signs play a role in a Sim’s personality and their compatibility with other Sims inSims,Sims 2, andSims 3, and are determined by a Sim’s personality, rather than their date of birth.The Sims 4doesn’t include a Zodiac or personality system at all, instead relying on traits and likes and dislikes to build a Sim’s personality and determine their compatibility with other Sims.
Classic NPCs Missing From The Sims 4
The First Family in The Sims Were Replaced
The Newbies were the original tutorial family forThe Sims, and were featured in everyThe Simsgame untilThe Sims 4. The Newbies ceased to exist inThe Sims 4on launch, and they were instead replaced with the Pancakes. The Newbies were instead added as a download from the Gallery forThe Sims' 19th anniversary, but their absence as the classic default and tutorial family was noted by longtime fans ofThe Sims.
The Sims' Way of Cheering Up Sims Has Been Removed
Sims are social creatures and need to interact with others to be happy. While feeling sad on occasion is perfectly normal, long periods of sadness aren’t great for any Sim’s health. In times of great loneliness or distress, Sims would be visited by the Social Bunny or the Tragic Clown. The Social Bunny was tied toThe Sims 2, and only appeared if a Sim had a dire Social need. The Tragic Clown required his painting to be on the property before appearing, but his appearance was still tied to the mood of the Sim.The Tragic Clown can be summoned inThe Sims 4, but the Sim doesn’t need to be sad to do so.
