Brittany is an avid "The Sims" fan and has been playing and modding the games since the first "The Sims" title was released in 2000!

5 Things You Can Expect in The Sims 4!

It's been almost five years since Electronic Arts released The Sims 3, the third installment of the best-selling life simulation game franchise. Though The Sims 3 had eleven expansion packs, and nine stuff packs (as well as multitudes of online content) fans have been awaiting the release of The Sims 4 for years.

Last year we finally got the announcement that The Sims 4 was, in fact, in development and would be released at some point in 2014. There have been tons of speculation and hopes about what the new game will have, and though we don't have all the answers yet, here are five things we know for sure about the new Sims 4 game.

1. Sims Will Have Emotions

This Sim is feeling depressed, one of many new emotions your Sim can feel in the game.

The Sims games are pretty involved when it comes to controlling your Sim's lives. The Sims 2 first introduced memories, and The Sims 3 expanded on interactions with other Sims, allowing Sims to "feel" during their conversations with one another. The Sims 4 takes these ideas one step further, by giving Sims actual emotions.

Instead of just happy and sad (which was the full range of emotions in The Sims 3), there are 14 new emotions that your Sim can potentially feel. Sims can feel everything from depression to jealousy, to intense anger or even armoury. The game adds in various facial expressions to properly portray these new emotions, and their voices even change to reflect their various moods.

The emotions aren't just there for show, though. The mood your Sim is in also dictates the way they behave. If your Sim is in a depressed mood, they might be able to benefit from doing something artistic, like painting a special painting they wouldn't be able to do if in a different mood. An angry Sim can take to the treadmill and burn off some of their irritation, as well as some of their calories. And a Sim that's feeling romantic might take the opportunity to talk to a Sim of their liking, while they're in mood.

The Sims games have always been noted for their realism, but this new addition to gameplay just takes it to a whole other level.

2. Sims Will Be Able To Multitask

One of my nitpicks with the game has always been the fact that the Sims can only do one thing at a time. Why can't Sims do laundry whilst talking on the phone? I like the fact that the Sims 2 and 3 allowed Sims to eat dinner/watch TV while talking to other Sims in the house, but I also wanted my Sims to be able to do things like watch TV while browsing their smart phone. Lucky for me, and everyone else who's wanted this sort of gameplay, The Sims 4 will introduce multitasking.

There hasn't been a lot of information on this topic, but one example we've been given is that Sims will finally have the ability to walk and talk at the same time. This is pretty cool, as I can just imagine two Sims walking home from a date and having a chat. I'm sure there will be plenty more multitasking abilities, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how it all pans out in the game.

3. The Sims 4 Will Be a Single-Player Game, and Won't Require an Internet Connection to Play

There's been tons of speculation over whether the Sims 4 will introduce a multi-player mode of gameplay. Fans have actually been clamoring for it for years, myself included. The idea of being able to play the Sims with my fiancé or my friends sounds extremely fun, but unfortunately for us, the Sims 4 is retaining its format and is only available as a single-player game.

Furthermore, the game won't require an Internet connection to play, though you can still share things online, similar to the online options available in The Sims 3. On the upside, there's no need to worry about the server issues that SimCity had when released last year.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to play The Sims 4 with your friends. Flickr (Creative Commons)

4. The Game Will Be Playable On Lower-End Computers/Laptops

One of the major complaints about the Sims 3 is that you basically had to have a top-of-the-line gaming computer in order to play the game smoothly. Those without a computer with the best specs often saw laggy gameplay and even had game crashes. Fans have been complaining about crashes and lags consistently since The Sims 3 was released, so it's a big relief to know that The Sims 4 has been designed to run on lower-end and older PCs.

The official game requirements and specs haven't been released yet, but it's comforting to at least know that the game is going to be designed for the basic PC.

So far, we know is that the game will be released in a Limited (Premium) Edition and Standard Edition. Amazon

Expansion Pack Ideas

Amusement Park Players can design their own amuesment parks for their Sims, and can add roller coasters and other theme park rides for their Sims to play on. Open For Business We already had this expansion in The Sims 2, but I'd love to see it return for The Sims 4. It was so much fun being able to have your Sim run his or her own business. Showtime Again, this is an expansion pack from The Sims 3, but I hope they bring it back, AND I hope they add in new careers. How much fun would it be to have the ability for your Sim to be a professional dancer? Or even a stand-up comedian? Vacation Life The Sims 3 brought us World Adventures, but I miss having the option for your Sims to just go on a vacation without having to complete tasks. Bon Voyage was a pretty perfect vacation expansion pack, and I'd like to see the return of it. And it would be awesome to see the addition of cruises! Into The Country Another Simmer had this idea, but how fun would it be to have an expansion that combined the Sims with a Farmville-type game? Sims could grow their own produce (which they already can through the gardening skill), but on a larger scale, and create their own farms, then sell their own products.

The expansion packs have always been a huge part of what makes The Sims games so fun. Flickr (Creative Commons)

Here's what the new Create-A-Sim feature looks like.

5. Create-A-Sim and Build Mode Are Getting an Update

The Sims 3 introduced several new innovative options to create Sims and design their homes. The Sims 4 is expanding on this further by adding a new tool in Create-A-Sim, which gives players more options to design their ideal Sim.

The new Create-A-Sim will use 18 touch points on each Sim, which players can pull, drag and push to sculpt the Sim into the shape and look of their liking. Sims can even have unique walking styles! The touch points will also allow Sims for more realistic body types; now you can make a Sim with broad shoulders and wide hips, or a Sim with a tiny waist. It's all up to you!

Additionally, the game's Build Mode has also been updated with a program called SmartSim. The new program gives players pre-designed rooms, which they can then drag and drop to create a home (sort of like the "blueprint mode" which was introduced in the Island Paradise EP/game update). Building homes from scratch has gotten progressively more complicated as each new sequel has been released, so it's exciting to know that the game developers are adding in a simplified way to build homes.

Sources

Still Not Sure If The Sims 4 Is For You?

The Sims 4: What's New, What's Missing, And Is The Game Really Worth Buying?

The latest instalment in the Sims franchise has been released, and here's a guide to what's new to the franchise, what's been left out, and a guide to The Sims 3 compared to The Sims 4.

Need Some Mods For the Game?

5 'Must Have' Mods For The Sims 4!

The Sims games have always been more fun with Mods! Here are the best Mods for the latest game in the series- The Sims 4!

© 2014 Brittany Brown

Bella on December 21, 2017:

Are there cars in sims 4

P on November 25, 2014:

Do you need sims3 to play sims4

bilal on September 07, 2014:

the sims 4 i havent played but i will play it one day i am a huge fan i love sims from the day i was born

H on September 01, 2014:

There is already going to be a comedian career in the base game that you can play as in a showtime style as far as I know.

Samuel Franklin on August 23, 2014:

I think number 4 might be very hard for them to pull off but I hope they can do it. Routing fixes and Multi-tasking also sounds exciting!

Brittany Brown (author) from Sydney, Australia on August 09, 2014:

Tiff- You absolutely don't need to play the other Sims games, they all standalone in my opinion! They're easy to learn to play and so much fun! :)

h- I realized I didn't have a source for that- it was an old rumour and I removed it. Thank you.

Vaxlin on August 09, 2014:

^Carpools can be removed by using the smartphone and calling the workplace

guslen on August 06, 2014:

THERE IS ONE REALLY IMPORTANT THING I WANT IN THE SIMS 4 PLEASE TELL ME IF IT ANNOYS YOU AS WELL!!!

Okay so, the game tells me that my carpool will arrive at 8:00. My sim is washing the dishes and will be out in a sec. The carpool keeps honking and honking. I have a really nice car so I want to drive to work in it. I get in and drive myself. My wife is at home just waking up AND THE CARPOOL IS STILL THERE HONKING LIKE CRAZY JESUS SOMEONE PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS DEAR GOD IT IS SO ANNOYING! Cant there be a option where we choose if we want a carpool or not?

Brittany Brown (author) from Sydney, Australia on July 25, 2014:

Amanda108- Thank you! Yeah, the reduced specs should be great, I'm certainly looking forward to that aspcet! And yes, I hope they release some cool expansion packs! I wish I could work for The Sims, haha.

Tiff on July 25, 2014:

I've never purchased sims 1, 2 or 3 do you think I would need to experience these games in order to play the sims 4?

h on June 06, 2014:

Do you have a source for "Best of all, we can finally make Sims of different heights!" ? Everything I've seen contradicts this (though I want to believe it's true).

Amanda from Michigan, United States on April 01, 2014:

Great information! I can't wait for the release of TS4. My favorite info so far is that it will be able to run smoothly without 'breaking' the computer, lol. The Sims 3 was a rough game to run. And I also like the multi-tasking a LOT.

I love your idea for an amusement park or country (ala "Farmville") expansion. I'd eat those up!

Brittany Brown (author) from Sydney, Australia on February 03, 2014:

Thanks for the comment! I'm a Sims fanatic, so I'll be buying it no matter what, but it's good to know what to look forward to in the new game! :)

UndercoverAgent19 on February 02, 2014:

Thanks for writing this hub! I haven't 100% committed to buying this game as soon as it comes out, but you definitely gave me some things to think on. I think the range of emotions and the ability to multi-task are the most appealing aspects that would pull me away from my collection of earlier Sims games.