I heard Rob Schnieder is signed to play the lead: Rob Schnieder was an ordinary guy who like to play the sims, but one night during an eletrical storm he was sucked into his computer, now: Rob Schnieder is: A Sim.

A review of The Sims 3: Climate
Published on October 26th, 2010

Pre-release videos of The Sims 2 contained weather, but this much-desired feature did not make it into the base game. We had to wait until the fifth expansion pack, called The Sims 2: Seasons. As this game played one lot at a time, and previous expansion packs focused on community lots requiring loading screens, the greatness of Seasons was about bringing action to the Sims' homes.

The Sims 3 was also rumored to have weather, but the skies were as clear as usually in southern California. Seems like EA realizes that rain, snow and ice bring enough excitement to sell an expansion pack. And it certainly sells The Sims 3: Climate.

We can now play two new towns: Trollelva, which isn't much more than some red and white cottages squeezed between a fjord and a huge mountain, and Sacharovsk - a lump of Soviet concrete blocks and some traditional Slavic houses, in the middle of the Siberian steppes.

While the citizens of Sacharovsk freeze to the bone (despite their stereotypical fur caps) in the winter, and sweat in the summer, Trollelva has less extreme temperatures, but heavy summer rain. They also see variable daylight - once a summer these Norwegian Sims (complete with woolly caps and knitted shirts) see the Midnight sun, where the sunset slides on top of the horizon, and rises again. Once a winter there is an Arctic night, as the sun never makes it to the sky.

The weather of course affects Sims' behaviour. Some effects - such as yearning for family in winter and romance in spring - can be traced to The Sims 2, but there are several new ones - while a dark sky makes Sims significantly sleepy, the sound of rain outdoors relieves them from stress. Sims' desired comfort temperature varies with trait and activity - they prefer pumping iron in the cool, but relaxing with friends in the warm. If there are radiators or air conditioners in the room, Sims are smart enough to set these to desired temperature. Radiators also display local temperature, if no wall thermometer is around. Russian Sims heat themselves with a sip of tea from the samovar, while Norwegians prefer working out (which is why they always grand-slam the Winter Olympics).

We have always found walls to be rather expensive. Climate introduces light walls, which are much cheaper. They are as good as regular walls providing privacy to bathrooms and support to paintings, but since they leak some heat and sound, they are less suitable as outdoor barriers.

Of course, EA could not make a climate expansion pack without addressing environmental issues. Sims can pursue the Energy career at a monstrous refinery lying behind a toxic brown mist - both Norway and Russia are big oil producers - or the Ecology career at a botanical garden which looks much more inviting than the sterile science building in the base game. Sims can also set up windmills or solar panels on their lots to lower their power bills.

Seasons was much about gardening and fishing. These features were already in The Sims 3 base game, but Climate straightens out some flaws. Lettuces and onions now grow as they do in real life. We also get mushrooms, carrots and other new crops for a hardy climate. Trees grow now, and handy players can cut them down for profit - essentially allowing Sims to make a living as lumberjacks.

The lack of winter sports - except snowball fights and lame ice-rink skating - used to be a disappointment of Seasons. But Climate finally gives what we have been waiting for: skiing, skating on frozen lakes, snowmobiles, and ice-fishing through drill holes. They can even shoot hockey-pucks towards their friends or a goal! However, Sims need to buy the equipment themselves, and need some Athletic skill to stay on their feet. Building a snow castle is safer.

Of course, Climate re-visits many other The Sims 2 features, such as saunas, Christmas (with Santa visiting), kites and the Weather Machine. After a full play session, we could not realize how we accepted The Sims 3 without weather.

I wonder if the Sims 5 will have a progressing 'hood that progresses even while your game is not running. This way every gaming experience will be unique and the world new.

I hope not, because if I play right now I'll have missed like 30 generations of sims

I hope not also. I was actually being sarcastic.

A review of The Sims 3: A-Plus
Published in February, 2011

Back in 2005, The Sims 2 got its first expansion pack, simulating university life. It provided a classical American college atmosphere with togas, rock bands and streaking. Unfortunately the game engine, which could only play one house at a time, limited the experience. After long waiting, The Sims 3 has been reinforced by an education-themed expansion - boldly named A-Plus. Besides from letting young adult Sims into college, it also enhances younger Sims' schoolgoing.

When starting up in Sunset Valley or another pre-existing town, the player gets the opportunity to change the old schoolhouses into modern ones. With new schools, kids now actually learn skills at their lessons, as long as they attend, and study hard. These schoolhouses have visible dining halls and playgrounds where students get one-hour lunch breaks, doing real social interactions with real schoolmates.

Teens with sufficient grades can hold a graduation party - with a mortarboard on their head, and a big smile on the face, they ascend into young adulthood. The next day, or any day before transition to middle age, they can apply to university. They can choose between two campus towns - an Ivy League copycat called Liberty Hill, or the Bollywood-styled New Nalanda.

As the new students arrive, and claim a dorm room, they are thrown head first into the Orientation Day. Older-year mentors approach them, encouraging them to group games such as sack races or pillow fights. They might also play football (or soccer, as Americans would call it) - at least dribbles, passes and penalty shots, but not real games. The basketball hoop is also retrieved from The Sims 2: Free Time. The new trait "ball sense" gives a talent with ball sports, and might get Sims into the college team.

However, the need to study soon becomes apparent. Most university stuff - lectures, assignments and Greek houses - is recognized from The Sims 2: University. Same, but smoother, due to the seamless campus and bicycles. The paid private classes from the Sims 3 base game are now hands-on; an Athletic coach with a whistle at the obstacle course, a Logic professor letting Sims play with a big telescope and so on.

Yes - the super-telescope is back - and if you remember The Sims 2, this means aliens! Extra-terrestrial actions are no longer limited to abduction - they can also beam down to Earth and settle in town! But this is not usually achieved in the first gaming session.

A-Plus is filled with items fit to students' or young parents' budgets - such as a cheapskate laptop computer which crashes frequently, a two-plate cooker and a floor mattress - which works perfectly fine to toddlers, who can now go to sleep themselves. However, Sims can get well-paid-jobs as soon as they have grabbed their degrees (which they can do with most of their young adulthood left, in contrary to The Sims 2 perpetual students), if they don't go for graduate studies.

The Education career allows skill-building during work hours. The Law career provides a paper shredder, useful for getting rid of bills, homework and other undesired objects. Lawyers can also find tax loopholes for other Sims, and write alibies to criminals, letting them out of prison. Do we need to tell you that these off-schedule activities can generate loads of money?

The Hacker career requires very little time at the office building - as long as Sims write enough software at home. Writing software is similar to writing books; while the unskilled programmer has to stick to "Hello world" programs, a skilled Sim can code games or operating systems. Drawing computer art is basically the same as painting, without an easel.

These are just some of all activities in A-Plus. Having straightened out the flaws of The Sims 2: University, and adding enthusiasm to all phases of learning, this expansion pack certainly deserves a high grade.

He's making a joke can't you tell...

As you might have noticed, the real world is still consistent with my Sims 4 storyline. However, they contradict the Sims 3 expansion storyline.

Should I retcon them?

OMG! xD
but really....where did you get THAT idea??!!

Which of these expansion packs would you find most exciting?

Destination Adventure (according to this review, not the real one), Star of Life, Climate or A-Plus ?

The thing that I would like the most to happen would be Maxis returning. But that would be too good Nice articles though, makes you dream a little

I would like Climate the most, followed by Star of Life, A-Plus and then Destination Adventure. I love your "reviews".

Maybe this is a gender issue? Hospital drama versus action?

Well, I don't like hospital dramas on television, so I don't know about that, but it would be new and different for the Sims. I never played Vacation or Bon Voyage much, which are like Destination Adventure. My all time favorite expansion pack is Makin' Magic, followed by Unleashed, and then probably Seasons.

Review of The Sims 3: Powerhouse
Published in July, 2011

given the publishing dates.

i wont believe a word this thread has to offer. >>;

NO Please don't say that!

I have got some more expansion pack ideas. Would you like to read The Sims: Past - Present - Future, The Sims: Downtown or The Sims: Showbiz?

You know this is fake, right?


On another note, no one knows what will happen on 2012 (or at least, us humans don't have a damn clue). But scientific evidence does point towards a geographical polar shift around 2010-2050, which could end up destroying human civilization with tsunamis, earth quakes, submerged islands, etc...

Of course, not everyone would die, we'd have survivors. But all our technology would be fried.

wow...hilarious. you had me fooled for a minute

Id love for Maxis to become their own studio again.

Yes! Especially if it's aimed towards the past games, not like actual time travel. If it is about time travel then well...

Downtown then.

Angstrom, I'd like to read any idea you've got.

Review of The Sims 3: Do It Yourself
Published in December, 2011

My favorite activity in The Sims is the Build Mode. You can pause the game almost anytime, and add a furnished penthouse without the homeowner taking any notice. But all these redecoration might put a burden on the household budget, and I am always tempted to use money cheats. Also, the Build mode still has had its limitations.

That was until The Sims 3: Do It Yourself. The first feature you get to learn is the Build Mode switch between "instant build" and "plan". The "instant build" is the same Build Mode as usual. The Plan mode is gratis, but only produces three-dimensional blueprints.

The Sims in the house can hire craftsmen to transform these transparent lines into floors, walls and roofs. They arrive with their noisy dirty cement car in the morning, and work throughout the day (with occasional lunch and snack breaks) and can finish large projects in a few days. The final price tag is slightly less than the instant build, so it is an attractive option despite them using your bathroom and kitchen furniture.

The residents can also slip into their protective clothing (also used in gardening) and do the job on their own. If handy enough, they can keep the same pace as the professionals, and save the money. Beginners can also have a try, but before their skills improve, they will make mistake such as hammering a thumb, falling off a ladder, or getting stuck in the glue. A successful home improvement will give a positive moodlet.

My first DIY Sim, Angela Gornitzka, was a skilled painter, and could cover the walls with paint at professional speed, but preferred making artistic wall paintings. This is just one novelty; spiral staircases, rounded walls and split levels are some others. Wall panels are now put on the outside of the wall, making them truly three-dimensional.

If you build a lot of houses, you might grow weary of furnishing kitchens, bathrooms and other spaces. This is what the Furnisher is for - an automated tool that instantly fills a room with objects - according to room type and and budget class.

Do It Yourself also features wear and tear. Floors crack, cobweb spawns in the corners, mold grows around plumbing, and cockroaches make a comeback from The Sims 2. Deserted houses soon transform into ruins. Visegrad, the new Central European-style town, contains many worn-down buildings which have survived wars and revolutions, and await restoration. The Sikorski family specialize in moving into cheap hovels, re-decorating them from floor to chimney and sell them in mint condition. They might also try out the Architecture career.

There are plenty of Buy mode objects to be made, too. At the carpenter bench, Sims can assemble many of the furniture and toys that are already in the game. The potter's wheel and the sewing machine are back from The Sims 2: Free Time with a vengeance; they can now crank out cushions, tapestries, cooking pots, and - for the real geeks - Klein bottles. Sims can also keep themselves busy fixing bicycles and cars. These break down now, and there are antique clunkers in the fields, ready for salvage and restorations.

A very important improvement in Do It Yourself is the realistic sound. Bass tones from stereos and machinery spread through walls, and can be heard far away. Doors creak, and the cheap refrigerators hum enough to annoy most Sims nearby. Stone floors make an echo, while textiles damp any noise. You can even set up acoustic plates to make a room really silent. TV screens, game consoles and stereo sets can be connected to satellite speakers and subwoofers to create the perfect sound experience for the Sim and the player. The new Light Classic radio station puts this feature to the test.

You might think it sounds boring having to watch Sims building their own houses, instead of finishing them with a few mouse clicks. But beside the gameplay bonus, you as a player will feel even more satisfied, as your Sims have a building which is truly their own.

Why is this thread even still going? It's ridiculous....