Introduction

You moved into SimCity. You built a small house that has expanded into art rivaling architectural masterpieces such as the Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower. You're livin' large with items like your Servo robot and chemistry set. You've thrown the best house parties on the planet, and Drew Carey is over every night. Your bachelor Sim has gone on hot dates and met their spouse Downtown. Your growing family went on vacation to Vacation Island. You got a pet in Old Town and unleashed him onto the public. You sent your Sim to Studio Town and got him to become the biggest superstar SimNation has ever seen. After being bored with all that, your family did the Harry Potter thing and is makin' magic all over Magic Town. You are the SimCity god.

And you're still not satisfied? What the heck is wrong with you?

Well, don't worry about it. We here at IGN are not satisfied, either. If we were, we each wouldn't have invested several hundred bucks into one computer game and its seven expansion packs… and now, its sequel!

Being a true sequel, as opposed to just another expansion pack, means a number of things. Practically every gameplay element has been tweaked (and some downright overhauled), and old strategies may not work quite as well as they used to. But don't worry, because we here at IGN know what it takes to get Sims behaving the way they should. Of course, how they should is up to you, but no matter how that may be, we're here to help.

This guide is your be-all, end-all information super-package for The Sims 2. You'll get all the basics: from how to create a Sim to not having your Sim wet itself in the middle of a party. But we won't just cover simple survival. You'll learn how to get your Sims promoted up the corporate food chain and make more money than you ever dreamed of. We'll also teach you how to turn that money into architectural art that will be the envy of the Internet… or at least your Sims' virtual neighborhood.

Throughout it all, you'll see real (fictional?) examples of Sims living the dream, with screenshots to boot. In fact, the majority of the guide will cover the life cycle of one particular family, starting with one particular Sim. No matter what twists and turns the wacky life of your Sims may take, IGN will be right here.

We haven't forgotten, though, that most of you have already played The Sims 1. To give vets the help they need as quickly as possible, text in bold and red denotes major gameplay changes that you'll need to be aware of. Minor things (like the renaming of the Room bar) will not get such a denotation, but things like the new Aspiration Meter and Rewards will. What are the Aspiration Meter and Rewards? Well, you'll just have to read on and see, won't you?

And here are links to the IGN Guides for the other expansion packs...

• University
• Nightlife
• Open For Business
• Pets
• Seasons
• Bon Voyage
• FreeTime
• Apartment Life

Guide by: PyroFalkon, with assistance from Yoseph Shepherd.

 

On to Creating a Family...