PRIMA’S OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE

THE SIMS : HOUSE PARTY

U.S. $14.99 Can. $17.95 U.K. £9.99 Electronic Entertainment
Platform: PC

™

Details on every party theme and
guest, from caterers to crashers

 Advanced methods for keeping

your Sims healthy and happy

Tips for managing group

dynamics, motivation,

STRATEGY GUIDE
PRIMA’S OFFICIAL
and personalities

 The ultimate party

checklist included

new objects, skins, and more

Extensive information on all

SIMS AND HOUSE PARTY

COVERS THE ORIGINAL

Cheat codes!
© 2001 Electronic Arts Inc. The Sims, EA GAMES, the EA
GAMES logo, Maxis, the Maxis logo, and Electronic Arts are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.
in the U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved.
EA GAMES™ and Maxis™ are Electronic Arts brands.

This game has received the

following rating from the ESRB

Requires
The Prima Games Logo and Primagames.com are Prima is an authorized The Sims™
registered trademarks of Prima Communications, Inc. primagames.com® Electronic Arts licensee. to play
prima’s official strategy guide
Mark Cohen

Prima Games
A Division of Random House, Inc.
3000 Lava Ridge Court
Roseville, CA 95661
(800) 733-3000
www.primagames.com
 ™

The Prima Games logo is a registered trademark of

Random House, Inc., registered in the United States
Acknowledgments
and other countries. Primagames.com is a Playing The Sims for hours tends to blur the line
registered trademark of Random House, Inc., between reality and fantasy, but fortunately I had
registered in the United States.
the assistance of the Prima publishing team to
keep me on track. A special thank you to Jennifer
© 2001-2004 Electronic Arts. All rights reserved. No part of this Crotteau, Christy Curtis, and Terri Stewart Bloom.
book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any To Asha Johnson, thank you for your timely copy
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, editing assistance. Kudos to David Chong, who
recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system partied hearty to supply the strategies and tips for
without written permission from Electronic Arts.
the House Party section.
Senior Product Manager: Jennifer Crotteau
Senior Project Editor: Christy L. Curtis Prima thanks everyone at Maxis for their
Editorial Assistant: Terri Stewart assistance, namely: Tim LeTourneau, Emily
© 2001-2004 Electronic Arts, Inc. EA, EA GAMES, The Sims, Kenner, Jenna Chalmers, Kevin O’Hare, Waylon
Maxis, the Maxis logo, and Electronic Arts are trademarks or Wilsonoff, Kyle Brink, and Kimberly Ferrara.
registered trademarks of Electronic Arts, Inc. in the U.S. and/or
other countries. All rights reserved. EA GAMES™ and Maxis™
are Electronic Arts™ brands. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
All products and characters mentioned in this book are
trademarks of their respective companies.
Please be advised that the ESRB rating icons, “EC”, “K-A”, “E”,
“T”, “M”, “AO” and “RP” are copyrighted works and certification
marks owned by the Entertainment Software Association and the
Entertainment Software Rating Board and may only be used with
their permission and authority. Under no circumstances may the
rating icons be self-applied or used in connection with any product
that has not been rated by the ESRB. For information regarding
whether a product has been rated by the ESRB, please call the
ESRB at 1-800-771-3772 or visit www.esrb.org. For information
regarding licensing issues, please call the ESA at (212) 223-8936.
Please note that ESRB ratings only apply to the content of the
game itself and does NOT apply to the content of this book.
Important:
Prima Games has made every effort to determine that the
information contained in this book is accurate. However, the
publisher makes no warranty, either expressed or implied, as to the
accuracy, effectiveness, or completeness of the material in this
book; nor does the publisher assume liability for damages, either
incidental or consequential, that may result from using the
information in this book. The publisher cannot provide information
regarding game play, hints and strategies, or problems with
hardware or software. Questions should be directed to the support
numbers provided by the game and device manufacturers in their
documentation. Some game tricks require precise timing and may
require repeated attempts before the desired result is achieved.
ISBN: 7615-3549-7
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2001088971

2
 Take an Occasional Day Off to Recharge .47
Contents Major Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.47
.47
Introduction: How to Use this Book . . . . .5 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Law Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Part I: The Sims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Life of Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Part II: House Party Expansion Pack . . . . . . . .7
Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Part I: The Sims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Military . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Chapter 1: What’s Your Sim Sign? . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Pro Athlete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
It’s in the Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Personality Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Xtreme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Neat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Chapter 5: Building a House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Outgoing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Design Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Playful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Terrain Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Nice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Wall and Fence Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Personality Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Wall Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Chapter 2: Motives—I Want, I Need;
Door and Window Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Therefore, I Am a Sim! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Door Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Window Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
What Is a Motive? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Floor Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Mood Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Flooring Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
The Motives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Wallpaper Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Hunger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Wallpaper Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Comfort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Stair Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Hygiene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Roof Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Bladder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Water Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Fireplace Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Plant Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Social . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Plant Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Special Editing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Object Advertising Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Chapter 6: Material Sims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Chapter 3: Interacting with Other Sims . . . . . . . .31
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Buying for Needs, Instead of
Relationship Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Needing to Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Social Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Sims Can Be Hard to Please . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Good Old Conversation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Your Diminishing Net Worth . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Physical Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
The Sims Buying Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Chapter 4: 9 to 5—Climbing the Career Ladder . .37
Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Your First Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Decorative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Developing Your Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Sim Career Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Televisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
The Daily Grind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Appliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Get Plenty of Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Set Your Alarm Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Eat a Hearty Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Make Friends and Influence Your Boss . .47
Chapter 7: All in the Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

3
 ™

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Sims File Cop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130

You Can Make It Alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Facelift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
The Single Sim’s Career . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 HomeCrafter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Designing a Bachelor Pad . . . . . . . . . . . .98 SimShow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Leaving the Single Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Objects, Skins, and Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Married, with Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Part II: The Sims—
Conception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 House Party Expansion Pack . . . . . . . . . . .133
Building and Maintaining Chapter 11: New Toys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Healthy Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Talk Is Cheap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 House Party Buying Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Finding Time to Socialize . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Positive Social Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Stockpiling Potential Friends . . . . . . . . . .103 Decorative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Visitors Coming and Going . . . . . . . . . . .104 Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Guest Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Social Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Chapter 8: A Day in the Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Object Advertising Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
As the Sim Turns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Chapter 12: Sim Party Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Life with the Pleasants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Pity the Poor Bachelor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 The Campfire Ghost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Kids Are People, Too . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Party Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Skillful Sims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Caterer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
As the Sim Turns: Part Two . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Entertainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Sims in the Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 The Partiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Chapter 9: Survival Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Psycho Mime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Party Crashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Hunger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Secret Celebrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Maximize Food Quality and Chapter 13: Setting the Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Preparation Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Make Breakfast the Night Before . . . . . .122 A Place to Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Comfort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Building for Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
When You Gotta Go, Go in Style . . . . . . .123 The Fun Factory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Hygiene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Decorating for Your Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
Your Mother Was Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Equipment Rental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Flush Your Troubles Away . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Party Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Bladder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Chapter 14: House Party Neighborhood . . . . . .161
Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Getting Enough Sleep with Baby . . . . . . .124 Neighborhood Management . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 Juggling Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Finding the Right Activity for Your Sim . .125 Chapter 15: Let’s Party! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
When in Doubt, Entertain Someone . . . .125 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Social . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Preparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 How the Game Scores Your Party . . . . . . . . . .166
Cheats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 Fleeting Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Chapter 10: Extending Your World . . . . . . . . . . .128 Party Scoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Keeping the Party Going . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Maintaining the Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Art Studio! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Last Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

4
 introduction:
how to use this book
 ™

Introduction
Trying to distill the essence of The Sims into a Chapter 4, “9 to 5—Climbing the Career
strategy guide is in many ways an impossible task. Ladder,” looks at the working life of a Sim. You
Unlike traditional computer games that have a have myriad career choices and opportunities for
beginning, a middle, and an end, The Sims only advancement, and we provide you with the tools
has a middle. Once you get used to your characters to get the job and promotions that will make your
and their world, the game settles into a never- Sim financially successful.
ending adventure that is limited only by your Chapter 5, “Building a House,” has building
imagination, or your capacity for the absurd, tutorials that take you through every step of the
whichever comes first. The faster you start fiddling construction process, from putting up the framing
with your Sims’ lives—for better or for worse—the to slapping on the final coat of paint. Our topics
sooner you’ll experience the wonder of this game, include walls, windows, doors, wall coverings,
so without further ado, here’s what to expect in stairways and second stories, pools, and
the following pages. landscaping.
A Sim home is empty until you fill it with lots of
stuff. Chapter 6, “Material Sims,” provides facts
and statistics on every single object you can buy,
Part I: The Sims more than 150 items in all. In addition to data and
descriptions, we use detailed lists and tables to
The guide is split into two parts: The Sims
show how items relate to each other, and how
(chapters 1–10) and The Sims: House Party
some objects can even alter the effectiveness of
Expansion Pack (chapters 11–15). Chapter 1,
other objects.
“What’s Your Sim Sign?”, explains how a Sim
thinks, acts, and reacts in various situations. At the
beginning of the game, you can mold your Sims’
basic personalities, and we tell you how these
traits will affect their lives.
Chapter 2, “Motives—I Want, I Need; Therefore,
I Am a Sim!”, explains the eight primal urges that
drive all Sims. We cover each one in detail, and
then blend the information with the previous
chapter, so that you begin to understand how a
Sim’s actions can be manipulated by you, and by
other Sims.
Sims are very social creatures, and this can be a
blessing or a curse. Chapter 3, “Interacting with
Other Sims,” shows you how and why a Sim
interacts with others, and explains the benefits
and pitfalls that accompany friendships, love
relationships, and children.

6
 introduction: how to use this book
Now, it’s time to put everything you know into Chapters 12, “Sim Party Animals,” includes
action. We devote chapter 7, “All in the Family,” comprehensive coverage of the all-new House
and to describing the common and not-so- Party characters, including Entertainer, Caterer,
common events in a Sim’s life. Get ready for a wild Psycho Mime, and Campfire Ghost.
ride as we give you insights on single life, Chapter 13, “Setting the Mood,” goes over the
relationships, having children, and making friends. ground rules, with tips on planning every aspect of
Chapter 8, “A Day in the Life,” follows a few of your “House Party,” including party objects, house
our families as they handle the ups and downs fo planning, and decor.
Sim life. Check it out to see examples of our Sims Chapter 14, “House Party Neighborhoods,” will
in interesting situations. help you make the most of your multiple
Chapter 9, “Sim Survival Tips,” is a quick- neighborhoods, manage families, and import
reference guide for times of crisis. Simply turn to houses like a land-developing master.
the appropriate Motive and save your Sim’s life Chapter 15, “Let’s Party,” shows you how to get
with one of our game-tested tips. Or, if you’re a party started, kick it into high gear, and keep it
feeling devious, check out our cheats to satisfy humming long enough to inspire a few special
your Sim’s needs. guests to show up.
We finish up with chapter 10, “Extending Your There you have it, the ultimate Sims and House
World.” Find suggestions for extending your Sim Party resource. Now, go out and get crazy with the
environment with special utilities and third party number-one computer game of all time; and
creations. You won’t believe how many people are remember, be kind to your Sims (at least some of
hooked on this game, and you’ll be amazed at the the time, anyway).
thousands of new skins, heads, objects, homes, and
wallpapers available to you…absolutely free on
dozens of Sim websites.

Part II: House Party

Expansion Pack
So much for the original Sims game. By now you
have your Sims leading typically abnormal lives
and you’re ready for something different. You
came to the right chapters.
Chapter 11, “New Toys,” provides complete
tables listing every new item’s purchase price,
related Motives, and Efficiency ratings. Use this
chapter to make informed decisions about what to
buy to fulfill your Sims’ needs within their budget.

7
 Part I:
™

Chapter 1:
WHAT’s your sim sign?
 Chapter 1: what’s your sim sign?
Sims Zodiac Compatibility Table
Introduction Sign Attracted To Repelled By
When you are charged with the solemn task of
Aries Gemini/Taurus Cancer/Libra
creating a Sim from scratch, you have 25 points to
distribute over five traits: Neat, Outgoing, Active, Taurus Aries/Libra Virgo/Cancer
Playful, and Nice. Whether we admit it or not, all Gemini Pisces/Virgo Capricorn/Aries
of us have an inherent wish to be perfectly Cancer Taurus/Scorpio Gemini/Aries
balanced people (or Sims). Of course, you can take Virgo Aquarius/Sagittarius Leo/Taurus
the easy way out and award five points in every Libra Virgo/Cancer Pisces/Scorpio
category, creating a generic Sim. You’ll spend less
Scorpio Pisces/Leo Libra/Aquarius
time managing a middle-of-the-road Sim because
in most situations, he or she will do the right Sagittarius Pisces/Capricorn Libra/Scorpio
thing. If you’d rather play it safe, skip this chapter Leo Sagittarius/Cancer Capricorn/Gemini
and move right to “Motives: I Want…I Capricorn Aquarius/Taurus Leo/Gemini
Need…Therefore, I Am a Sim”. If not, read on as Aquarius Capricorn/Sagittarius Scorpio/Virgo
we describe the subtle (and sometimes dramatic) Pisces Scorpio/Gemini Leo/Aries
outcomes that your personality ratings will inspire.

It’s in the Stars Personality Traits

As you play with the personality bars, you’ll note
The following sections review what you can
the changing zodiac sign that appears on the
expect from each type of Sim, with examples of
screen. Of course, a serious astrologer would argue
how different personality traits will manifest
that a true personality profile is based on much
during the game. For our purposes, we’ll divide
more than five traits. However, if you have a basic
the ratings bar into three sections: Low (1–3),
understanding of newspaper horoscopes, you’ll be
Average (4–7), and High (8–10). These numbers
able to recognize yourself, or someone close to
correspond to the number of light blue bars to
you, as you create a Sim personality. In the next
the right of each trait.
section we’ll look at each trait and examine the
potential effects of your ratings in various game Neat
situations. But first, let’s take a look at basic
interpersonal compatibility as seen through the Low
eyes of the zodiac. The following table gives you Don’t expect these Sims to pick up their dirty
the best and worst matchups for friends and dishes, wash their hands after using the bathroom,
lovers. This doesn’t necessarily imply that any other or take timely showers. They are perfectly content
Relationship outside of the table is doomed; it is to let others clean up their messes.
merely an indication of how hard you’ll have to
work on it.

9
 ™

Fig. 1-1. The kitchen Fig. 1-3. This

floor is a perfect fastidious Sim goes
place for this messy straight to the
Sim’s snack bathtub after a
leavings. hard day’s work.

Medium
At least these Sims keep themselves relatively
clean, and you can depend on them to clean up
their own messes. Occasionally they’ll even clean
Outgoing
up another Sim’s garbage, but you might have to Low
intervene if you have several cleanup items that Shy, reserved, Sims have less pressing needs for
need attention. Social interaction, so it will be more difficult to
pursue friendships with other Sims, although they
can still carry on stimulating conversations. Within
Fig. 1-2. After their own home, a shy Sim may be less interested in
slopping water all receiving hugs, kisses, and back rubs, so if you are
over the bathroom looking for romance, it would be a good idea to
during his shower,
find a compatible target (see zodiac chart on p. 2).
this moderately
neat Sim mops up
his mess before
leaving the room.

Fig. 1-4. This Sim

cringes at the
thought of a back
rub—poor guy.

High
A super-neat Sim always checks the vicinity for dirty
dishes and old newspapers, and of course, personal
hygiene is a big priority. One of these Sims can
compensate for one or two slobs in a household.

10
 Chapter 1: what’s your sim sign?
Medium Active
It will be a little easier to get this Sim to mix with
strangers and enjoy a little intimacy from his
Low
housemates. Don’t expect a party animal, but you’ll Forget about pumping iron or swimming 100
be able to entice your guests into most activities. laps at 5:00 a.m. These Sims prefer a soft easy
chair to a hard workout. A sofa and a good TV
are high on their priority list. In fact, if they
don’t get their daily ration of vegging, their
Fig. 1-5. Come on Comfort scores will suffer.
everyone, let’s hit
the pool!
Fig. 1-7. This Sim
says “No way!” to a
session on the
exercise bench.

High
This Sim needs plenty of Social stimulation to
prevent his or her Social score from plummeting. Medium
You’ll have no trouble throwing parties or breaking These Sims strike a good balance between relaxing
the ice with just about any personality type. and breaking a sweat. They dance, swim, and even
shoot hoops without expressing discomfort.

Fig. 1-6. This Fig. 1-8. His Active

outgoing Sim is rating is only a four,
still unconscious but that doesn’t
from last night’s stop this Sim from
pool party, and she shooting hoops in
has inspired the his jammies.
close friendship of
another man.
Hmmm.

11
 ™

High Medium
Active Sims like to pick up the pace rather than fall These well-rounded Sims are usually receptive to a
asleep on the sofa in front of the TV. Get these good joke and don’t mind a little tickling. They
Sims a pool, basketball hoop, or exercise bench, may not be the first ones on the dance floor, but
and plan on dancing the night away with friends. they’ll join in with a good crowd.

Fig. 1-9. Even in

her business suit, Fig. 1-11. This Sim is
this active Sim Playful enough to
will gladly leave dance, even though
Mortimer on the she is overdue for
sofa and pump a shower.
some iron in
the backyard.

Playful High
Low Can you spell P-A-R-T-Y? These Sims love to have
a few drinks, dance to good music, and invite lots
Get these Sims a bookcase, a comfortable chair, of guests over to the house. They love telling
and plenty of books. If reading isn’t an option, jokes, and they are usually ready to laugh at
looking at a painting or playing a game of chess others’ stories.
will do just fine.

Fig. 1-10. There’s Fig. 1-12. This

always time to Playful kid would
watch the fish, for get the Maid in the
this less-than- pool for a game of
playful Sim. chicken, if only she
would respond.

12
 Chapter 1: what’s your sim sign?
Nice Fig. 1-15. Even after
spending the night
Low on the kitchen floor,
this Sim still knows
There is nothing redeeming about a grouchy Sim. how to compliment
They are always ready to tease or insult their friends, her mate.
and they love to brag. A Sim with a low Nice rating
should be dropped from your guest list immediately,
or asked to leave if he or she shows up.
Fig. 1-13. Usually a
compliment elicits
a nice response,
but not so with
with sourpuss.
Personality Tables
The following tables demonstrate how personality
traits affect Fun scores and Skill development.
Traits that Raise Max Fun Value
Personality Trait Raises Max Fun Score For
Playful Aquarium, Chess Table,
Medium Computer, Doll House,
Flamingo, Pinball, TV
This Sim keeps an even keel about most things. Of
(Cartoon Channel), VR
all the traits, Nice is the least destructive if you Glasses
award at least four points. Only the nastiest Sims
Serious (Low Playful) Newspaper (Read)
can get under a medium-Nice Sim’s skin.
Active Basketball Hoop, Play
Fig. 1-14. This Sim Structure, TV (Action
has time for a Channel)
good tickle, even Outgoing Hot Tub, TV (Romance
while mopping up Channel)
the bathroom.
Grouchy (Low Nice) TV (Horror Channel)

Skills Accelerated by Personality

Skill Objects Used to Trait Accelerator
Increase Skill
Creativity Easel, Piano Playful
High Body Exercise Machine, Active
These Sims just want to make the world a better Swimming Pool
place for everyone. If there was a Sim beauty Charisma Medicine Cabinet, Outgoing
contest, the winner would be extremely “Nice.” Mirrors

13
 Chapter 2:
MOTIVES—I WANT, I NEED;
THEREFORE, I AM A SIM!
 Chapter 2: motives—i want, i need; therefore, i am a sim!

Introduction
When you consider how many needs, traits, and
desires make up a Sim’s personality, it would be an Without Free Will, your Sims depend entirely
injustice to call it AI. Never before has a computer- on your input to keep them alive. If you don’t
generated character interacted so completely with tell them to eat, they will starve, and
both the game and the gamer while maintaining a eventually die.
unique (and ever-changing) personality. Is it any
wonder that The Sims has topped the PC sales
chart for nearly two years running?
In the previous chapter we discussed a Sim’s
Mood Rating
The game control panel also displays a Mood
personality traits. It painted a broad picture of the Rating, just to the right of the Sim character icons.
various types of Sims you might encounter in the If the rating is positive, you see up to five green
game, much the same as a newspaper horoscope bars displayed above the comedy/tragedy masks.
tells a superficial story of a person’s life. In this When the Mood Rating is negative, it displays up
chapter, we advance from broad-brush personality to five red bars below the masks.
traits to the eight powerful Motives that drive a
Sim’s every action. We cover each Motive in detail, In calculating the Mood Rating, each of the
but first, let’s begin with a few basic definitions. eight Motives is weighted, based on how critical
it is to sustaining a Sim’s life. Hence, Hunger,
Bladder, and Energy, which are all related to a
What Is a Motive? Sim’s physical well-being, carry more weight than
A Motive is, very simply, a need. Your Sims follow the noncritical Motives such as Social, Fun, or
these needs, based on their own instincts and a Room. So, if a Sim is hungry and tired, as
little help from you. If you activate Free Will in the pictured in figure 2-1, the overall Mood Rating
Options menu, your Sims will also make their own will be relatively low, even if several other
decisions, based on changing needs. After Motives are high.
selecting a Motive to fulfill, be it Hunger or
Hygiene, the Sim is “rewarded” with Motive
Fig. 2-1. This Sim
points. These points raise the corresponding
kid’s overall Mood
Motive score. Rating is barely
The eight Motive scores are displayed on the positive, due to the
right side of the control panel. A Motive rating is fact that he is
starving and low
considered positive if the bar is green, and
on Energy.
negative if it is red. Internally, the game uses a
200-point system, with positive (green) ratings
between 0 and 100, and negative (red) ratings
from 0 to -100.

When any of the Sims’ eight Motives

drop below a certain level, a Sim will
cease an activity that doesn’t improve
the Motive in distress. So, you’ll see low-priority
items drop out of the activity queue, or your Sim
will add an activity that addresses the critical need.
15
 ™

Fig. 2-2. This Sim

The Motives family enjoys a
meal together.
In the following sections we describe the eight
Mom’s Hunger bar
Motives, using several tables to show you how and
is in the worst
why a Sim reacts to different objects in the shape, so she has a
environment. By recognizing the relationships second meal plate
between Motives and objects, you’ll begin to at the ready.
understand how a Sim considers a perpetual
barrage of options. Once you do this, the only
remaining question is, “Who is really in charge
here, you or the Sim?”

Hunger Score for Each Meal, Snack, or Gift

Meal Type Hunger Motive Bar Points
Snack 9
Aside from the overall Motive weighting Quick Meal 16
system, each Sim suffers different rates of
Full Meal 16
Motive depreciation based on personality traits.
For example, a Playful Sim must have more Group Meal (per serving) 16
“rewards” to maintain the Fun Motive bar. Pizza (per serving) 33
Similarly, an Outgoing Sim requires more Candy Box (gift) 3 (per serving,
interaction with other Sims to maintain the 12 servings per box)
Social score.
Fruitcake (gift) 7 (per slice,
6 slices per box)

Hunger Comfort
For obvious reasons, a Sim cannot survive for very The next category listed in the Needs section of
long without food. We’ll cover the details of food the control panel is considerably less important
preparation in a later chapter, but for now let’s than Hunger. Sims like to be comfortable, and they
focus on the basics. As long as you have a refrig- love cushy chairs, oversized sofas, and supportive
erator, a Sim can enjoy a Snack, Quick Meal, Full beds. Spending more money on these objects
Meal, or Group Meal (same as a Full Meal, except translates into greater Motive rewards. However, if
one of the Sims prepares several servings). In your budget is tight, you must still furnish the
addition to preparing food, a Sim with a house with basic furniture or your Sims will express
telephone can order out for Pizza, or enjoy food their discomfort.
that was brought as a gift (Candy Box or
Fruitcake). The Hunger Motive bar points awarded
with each meal are outlined in the following table.

16
 Chapter 2: motives—i want, i need; therefore, i am a sim!
Fig. 2-3. With only a Fig. 2-4. Three out
cheap chair and of four Motive
loveseat, this Sim’s scores are on the
Comfort score is way up while this
mired in the red. couple enjoys a hot
tub soak.

Hunger, Bladder, Energy, and Comfort are the

most demanding of Motives, because if any one Bladder
score drops below a certain level, the Sim will If you can’t satisfy the Bladder urge, you’ll be
immediately exit his or her current activity to cleaning up puddles on the floor. Just make sure
remedy the deficit. The following table lists the you find a bathroom before the Motive bar turns
exit triggers for each category. full red. A Sloppy Sim creates an additional risk by
not regularly flushing the toilet. If you don’t issue
Mandatory Exit Factors timely reminders, the toilet could get clogged,
Motive Sim Type Exits Current Interaction causing a major mess.
When Motive Drops Below
Bladder Resident -85
Bladder Visitor -80
Comfort Resident -90 Pay special attention to the Bladder bar when
Comfort Visitor -60 your Sim spends time at the Beverage Bar or
drinks a lot of coffee.
Energy Resident -80
Energy Visitor -70
Hunger Resident -80
Hunger Visitor -40
The Hygiene score takes a nose dive if a Sim
can’t get to the bathroom in time and pees on
Hygiene the floor.
Bad Hygiene will never kill a Sim, although it may
seriously gross out others in the immediate vicinity.
Solving this problem is easy—have your Sims wash
their hands or take a shower. You can also
combine Hygiene with other Motives. Taking a
bath boosts the Hygiene and Comfort scores, while
a soak in the hot tub (with friends) rewards the
Hygiene, Comfort, Social, and Fun Motive bars.

17
 ™

Fig. 2-5. This Sim’s

Bladder is not quite
Fun
full, but unless his Sims like to cut loose from the daily grind and
guest vacates the have Fun, but depending upon their personalities,
bathroom soon, he they prefer different activities. For example, a
could be in trouble. Playful Sim leans toward computer games, pinball
machines, and train sets; while a more Serious Sim
would rather sit down to a quiet game of chess or
spend a few minutes gazing at a painting.

Fig. 2-7. These two

Energy Sims enjoy a game
of pool after work.
We’re talking sleep, pure and simple. Ideally, a
good night’s sleep should turn the bar completely
green. This will happen at varying rates,
depending upon the quality of the mattress, so
you can get by on less sleep if you splurge for an
expensive bed. If your Sim can’t get to the
bedroom or a couch before the Energy bar turns
completely red, the floor becomes your only
option. If this happens, wake your Sim and find
the closest bed. A night on the hard floor will
degrade your Sim’s Comfort level to zero, while Kids need to have more Fun than adults, and
only restoring partial energy. the effects of a single play session deteriorate
If your Sim stays up too late playing computer faster for kids than for their older counterparts.
games, a shot of espresso provides a temporary Hence, it is a good idea to fill the house with
Energy boost, although it will also fill the Bladder plenty of juvenile diversions if you have children.
at an increased rate. Espresso has a powerful There are four different types of Fun
effect, but it takes longer to consume, which could activities: Extended, One-Time, Timed, and
be a problem if the car pool driver is honking. Endless. The following lists and tables provide
Fig. 2-6. It never additional information, including exit factors, for
hurts to send your these pursuits.
kids to bed early,
because if they are
tired in the Extended Fun Activities
morning, a coffee
jolt is not an option. Sims exit the following extended activities after
reaching the maximum Fun score for their
personality types. Hence, a Playful, Active Sim
will stay on the basketball court longer than a
Serious Sim.

18
 Chapter 2: motives—i want, i need; therefore, i am a sim!
• Basketball Hoop Endless Fun
• Bookshelf (reading) • Hot Tub: A Sim will stay in the tub until Fun,
• Dollhouse Comfort, Social, and Hygiene numbers reach
• Computer (playing games) maximum levels.
• Pinball Machine • Swimming Pool: A Sim will keep doing laps
until another Motive takes effect, or until you
• Play Structure
assign him or her to another activity.
• Stereo
• Toy Box
• Train Set Social
• TV Sims crave other Sims, especially if they are
Outgoing. Although they won’t die without
• VR Glasses
socializing, it is a good idea to devote a portion
of each day to a group activity, even if it is a
simple hot tub session with your Sim’s mate, or a
One-Time Fun Activities
family meal.
The following activities raise a Sim’s Fun score once
with each interaction. It may take several
interactions with the same activity for a Sim to
reach the maximum Fun level.

Fig. 2-8. A casual

Object Action conversation during
Aquarium Feed or watch fish breakfast raises this
Baby Play Sim’s Social score.
Diving Board Dive into the pool
Espresso Machine Drink espresso
Fountain View
Lava Lamp View
Painting View
Sculpture View

Timed (Pre-set) Fun Activities

As with the one-time activities listed above, a Sim
may need to repeat the following activities to The following table summarizes all of the
achieve maximum Fun points. possible Social interactions between adults and
children. We take this one step further in the next
• Chess Set
chapter, “Interacting with Other Sims,” where we
• Pool Table examine Relationships.

19
 ™

Adult-Child Interactions The following table lists the factors that govern
the choices that appear on a Social actions menu.
Action Adult to CHild to Adult child to For example, two Sims who are strangers are not
Adult child to child Adult likely to have the options to kiss or hug.
Apologize X — — — Additionally, the table lists key factors that
Attack X X — — determine the eventual outcome.
Brag X X X X
Call Here X X X X
Cheer Up X X X X
Compliment X — — —
Dance X — — —
Entertain X X X X
Flirt X — — —
Give Back Rub X — — —
Give Gift X X X X
Hug X X X X
Insult X X X X
Joke X X X X
Kiss X — — —
Say Goodbye X X X —
Scare X X X X
Slap X — — —
Tag — X — —
Talk X X X X
Tease X X X X
Tickle X X X X

Social Outcome Modifiers

You didn’t expect a Sim Social encounter to be
simple, did you? When one Sim communicates
with another, several calculations determine the
outcome. Factors include age (adult or child), sex,
mood, and personality traits, not to mention the
current state of their Relationship. Also, a Sim with
strong Social needs (but few friends) may expect
more from an encounter with a Sim who has
similar needs.

20
 Chapter 2: motives—i want, i need; therefore, i am a sim!
rel = Relationship
out = Outgoing
play = Playful
ff = Friend Flag
ss = Same Sex
rom = Romance Flag
age = Adult/Child
social = Social Motive Value
vis = Visitor
budget = Household Budget
nice = Nice
body = Body

Social Outcome Factors

Interaction Factors That Determine Factors That
Appearance on the Menu Determine Outcome
Apologize rel mood
Attack age, nice, mood, rel body
Back Rub age, nice, mood, rel, out, ss rel, out, ss
Brag nice, out, social, rel rel, mood
Cheer Up ff, mood (of friend), nice rel
Compliment age, nice, out, mood, rel rel, mood
Dance age, mood, out, rel rel, out, mood
Entertain social, out, play, mood, rel play, rel
Flirt age, social, ss, out, mood, rel, rom rel, mood, ss
Gift vis, budget, nice, mood, rel rel, mood
Hug age, out, mood, rel, ss rel, out, mood, ss
Insult nice, mood, rel nice
Joke play, mood, rel play, mood, rel
Kiss ss, mood, rel, age rel, mood, ss
Scare nice, mood, play, rel play, mood
Slap age, nice, mood, rel nice, mood
Talk mood, rel, out topics match
Tease nice, mood, rel rel, mood
Tickle social, out, play, active, mood, rel rel, play

21
 ™

Room Negative Impact on Room Score

This is a combined rating that analyzes the design • Trash
and contents of the current room, and translates • Floods
it into a Room score. Of all the Motives, Room is • Dirty plates
the least important. However, if you love your
Sim, you’ll want to create the best possible • Meals with flies
environment. The most important contributing • Full trash cans/compactors
factors to Room score are: • Dead plants
• Puddle or ash pile
• Light: Sims hate dark rooms, so fill your house • Dead fish in aquariums
with sunlight (windows and paned doors),
• Dirty objects (shower, toilet, tub)
lamps, and wall lights.
• Room Size: Don’t cramp your Sims into
tiny rooms. The following table lists the positive or
negative value of every object in The Sims.
• Corners: As mentioned in the “Building a
House” chapter, Sims love corners. Room Score
• State of Repair: Any items that are not Object State/Type Room Score
functioning properly detract from the Room Aquarium Fish Alive 25
score (see following list). Dirty -25
Dirty and/or Dead -50
Fig. 2-9. Who Ash N/A -10
wouldn’t love a Bar N/A 20
kitchen like this? It’s
bright, roomy, nicely Bed Unmade (Any Bed) -10
furnished, and Made Mission 30
packed with high- Made (Other than Mission) 10
tech appliances.
Chair Parisienne 25
Empress 10
Clock (Grandfather) N/A 50
Computer Broken -25
Counter Barcelona 15
Desk Redmond 15
Dresser Antique Armoire 20
Oak Armoire 10
Fire N/A -100

22
 Chapter 2: motives—i want, i need; therefore, i am a sim!
Object State/Type Room Score Object State/Type Room Score
Fireplace Library Edition (No Fire) 20 Pinball Machine Broken -15
Library Edition (Fire) 75 Shower Broken -15
Worcestershire (No Fire) 15 Sofa N/A 20
Worcestershire (Fire) 60 (Deiter or Dolce)
Bostonian (No Fire) 10 Stereo Strings 25
Bostonian (Fire) 45 Table Mesa 15
Modesto (No Fire) 5 Parisienne 25
Modesto (Fire) 30 Toilet Clogged -10
Flamingo N/A 10 Train Set Small 25
Flood N/A -25 Trash Can (Inside) Full -20
Flowers Healthy 20 Trash Compactor Full -25
(Outdoor) Trash Pile N/A -20
Dead -20 TV Soma 20
Flowers/Plants Healthy 10 Broken (Any TV) -15
(Indoor)
Wilted 0
Dead -10
Food Snack (Spoiled) -15
Fruitcake (Empty Plate) -5
BBQ Group Meal (Spoiled) -20
BBQ Single Meal (Spoiled) -15
Empty Plate -10
Pizza Slice (Spoiled) -10
Pizza Box (Spoiled) -25
Candy (Spoiled) -5
Group Meal (Spoiled) -20
Meal (Spoiled) -25
Quick Meal (Spoiled) -20
Fountain N/A 25
Flowers (Gift) Dead -10
Alive 20
Lamp Not Broken 10
Lava Lamp N/A 20
Newspaper Old Newspapers -20
Piano N/A 30

23
 ™

Object Advertising Values

Earlier in the chapter we mentioned that Sims receive Motive rewards when they select an activity. If
you are in complete control of your Sims (Free Will is off), you determine their choices. However, with
Free Will on, Sims constantly poll their surroundings to compare which objects are “advertising” the
most attractive rewards. The following table includes a Motive profile of every object in The Sims.
Object Advertising Values
Object Type Possible Object Advertised Advertised Personality Reduced Effects
Interactions Variations Motive Value Trait Modifier (over distance)
Aquarium Clean & Restock N/A Room 30 Neat Medium
Feed Fish N/A Room 10 Nice High
N/A Fun 10 Playful High
Watch Fish N/A Fun 10 Playful High
Ash Sweep Up N/A Energy 23 N/A Medium
N/A Room 50 Neat Medium
Baby Play N/A Fun 50 Playful Medium
Bar Have Drink N/A Room 30 N/A Low
Grill Barbecue Energy -10 N/A Low
Hunger 40 Cooking Low
Basketball Hoop Join N/A Fun 30 Active High
N/A Social 20 N/A Medium
N/A Energy -20 N/A Medium
Play N/A Fun 30 Active High
N/A Energy -20 N/A High
Bed Make Bed All Beds Room 25 Neat High
Sleep Double Bed Energy 65 N/A None
(Cheap Eazzzzze)
Double Bed Energy 67 N/A None
(Napoleon)
Double Bed Energy 70 N/A None
(Mission)
Single Bed Energy 60 N/A None
(Spartan)
Single Bed Energy 63 N/A None
(Tyke Nyte)
Tuck in Kid All Beds Energy 160 Nice None

24
 Chapter 2: motives—i want, i need; therefore, i am a sim!
Object Type Possible Object Advertised Advertised Personality Reduced Effects
Interactions Variations Motive Value Trait Modifier (over distance)
Bookcase Read a Book Bookcase Fun 10 Serious High
(Pine)
Bookcase Fun 20 Serious High
(Amishim)
Bookcase Fun 30 Serious High
(Libri di Regina)
Chair Sit Wicker Comfort 20 N/A Medium
(Living Room)
Country Class Comfort 20 N/A Medium
Citronel Comfort 20 N/A Medium
Sarrbach Comfort 20 N/A Medium
Chair Sit Werkbunnst Comfort 25 N/A Medium
(Dining Room)
Teak Comfort 25 N/A Medium
Empress Comfort 25 N/A Medium
Parisienne Comfort 25 N/A Medium
Chair Sit Office Chair Comfort 20 N/A Medium
(Office/Deck)
Deck Chair Comfort 20 N/A Medium
Chair (Recliner) Nap Both Recliners Energy 15 Lazy High
Both Recliners Comfort 20 Lazy Medium
Sit Both Recliners Comfort 30 Lazy Medium
Chess Join Chess Set Fun 40 Outgoing High
Social 40 N/A Medium
Play Fun 35 Serious High
Clock Wind N/A Room 40 Neat High
(Grandfather)
Coffee Drink Espresso N/A Energy 115 N/A Medium
(Espresso
Machine)
N/A Fun 10 N/A High
N/A Bladder -10 N/A High
Coffeemaker Drink Coffee N/A Bladder -5 N/A High
N/A Energy 115 N/A Medium

25
 ™

Object Type Possible Object Advertised Advertised Personality Reduced Effects

Interactions Variations Motive Value Trait Modifier (over distance)
Computer Play Moneywell Fun 30 Playful High
Microscotch Fun 35 Playful High
Brahma Fun 40 Playful High
Marco Fun 50 Playful High
Turn Off All Computers Energy 220 Neat Medium
Dollhouse Play N/A Fun 30 Playful High
Watch N/A Fun 30 Playful Medium
N/A Social 30 N/A Medium
Easel Paint N/A Fun 20 N/A High
Flamingo Kick N/A Mood 15 Grouchy High
View N/A Fun 10 Playful High
Flood Clean N/A Room 80 Neat High
Flowers Stomp On N/A Mood 10 Grouchy High
(Outdoor)
Water N/A Room 20 Neat Medium
Flowers/Plants Throw Out N/A Room 50 Neat Medium
(Indoor)
Water N/A Room 25 Neat Medium
Food Clean All Meal/ Room 20 Neat Medium
Snack Types
Prepare BBQ Group Hunger 90 N/A Low
and Eat Meal
BBQ Single Hunger 80 N/A Low
Candy Hunger 30 N/A Low
Fruitcake Hunger 30 N/A Low
(Group Meal)
Fruitcake Hunger 80 N/A Low
(Slice)
Light Meal Hunger 80 N/A Low
Pizza Box Hunger 90 N/A Low
Pizza Slice Hunger 80 N/A Low
Regular Hunger 90 N/A Low
Group Meal
Regular Hunger 80 N/A Low
Single Meal
Snack Hunger 25 N/A Low

26
 Chapter 2: motives—i want, i need; therefore, i am a sim!
Object Type Possible Object Advertised Advertised Personality Reduced Effects
Interactions Variations Motive Value Trait Modifier (over distance)
Fountain Play N/A Fun 10 Shy High
Refrigerator Have Meal All Fridges Hunger 65 N/A Low
Have Snack Llamark Hunger 20 N/A Low
Porcina Hunger 30 N/A Low
Freeze Secret Hunger 40 N/A Low
Have Quick All Fridges Hunger 55 N/A Low
Meal
Serve Meal All Fridges Hunger 70 Cooking Low
All Fridges Energy -10 N/A Low
Gift (Flowers) Clean N/A Room 30 Neat Medium
Hot Tub Get In N/A Fun 45 Lazy High
N/A Comfort 50 N/A High
N/A Social 25 Outgoing Medium
N/A Hygiene 5 N/A Medium
Join N/A Comfort 30 N/A Low
N/A Fun 50 Outgoing Low
N/A Social 50 N/A Low
N/A Hygiene 5 N/A Medium
Lava Lamp Turn On N/A Room 5 N/A High
N/A Fun 5 N/A High
Mailbox Get Mail N/A Comfort 10 N/A High
N/A Hunger 10 N/A High
N/A Hygiene 10 N/A High
N/A Room 10 N/A High
Medicine Brush Teeth N/A Hygiene 25 Neat Medium
Cabinet
Newspaper Clean Up N/A Room 50 Neat Medium
Read N/A Fun 5 Serious High
Painting View N/A Fun 5 Serious High
Phone Answer N/A Fun 50 N/A Medium
N/A Comfort 50 N/A Medium
N/A Social 50 N/A Medium
Piano Play N/A Fun 40 Strong Creativity High
Watch N/A Fun 70 N/A Medium
N/A Social 10 N/A Medium

27
 ™

Object Type Possible Object Advertised Advertised Personality Reduced Effects

Interactions Variations Motive Value Trait Modifier (over distance)
Pinball Machine Join N/A Fun 50 N/A Medium
N/A Social 30 N/A Medium
Play N/A Fun 40 Playful High
Play Structure Join N/A Fun 60 Playful Medium
N/A Social 40 N/A Medium
Play N/A Fun 60 Playful Medium
Pool Diving Dive In N/A Fun 35 Active High
Board
N/A Energy -10 N/A High
Pool Table Join N/A Fun 50 Playful Low
N/A Social 40 N/A Low
Play N/A Fun 45 Playful High
Sculpture View Scylla and Fun 6 Serious High
Charybdis
Bust of Athena Fun 5 Serious High
Large Black Slab Fun 8 Serious High
China Vase Fun 7 Serious High
Shower Clean N/A Room 20 Neat High
Take a Shower N/A Hygiene 50 Neat Medium
Sink Wash Hands N/A Hygiene 10 Neat High
Sofa/Loveseat Nap All Sofas/ Energy 40 Lazy High
Loveseats
All Sofas/ Comfort 5 Lazy High
Loveseats
Sit All Sofas/ Comfort 30 Lazy Medium
Loveseats
Garden Bench Comfort 30 Lazy Medium
Stereo Dance Boom Box Social 40 Outgoing High
Fun 50 Active High
Zimantz Hi-Fi Social 50 Outgoing High
Fun 60 Active High
Strings Theory Social 60 Outgoing High
Fun 70 Active High
Join Boom Box Social 40 Outgoing Low

28
 Chapter 2: motives—i want, i need; therefore, i am a sim!
Object Type Possible Object Advertised Advertised Personality Reduced Effects
Interactions Variations Motive Value Trait Modifier (over distance)
Stereo Fun 40 Outgoing Low
Zimantz Hi-Fi Social 50 Outgoing Low
Fun 40 Outgoing Low
Strings Theory Social 60 Outgoing Low
Fun 40 Outgoing Low
Turn Off All Stereos Energy 220 Neat Medium
Turn On Boom Box Fun 25 Playful High
Zimantz Hi-Fi Fun 25 Playful High
Strings Theory Fun 30 Playful High
Toilet Clean Both Toilets Room 40 Neat High
Flush Hygeia-O-Matic Room 30 Neat High
Unclog Both Toilets Room 50 Neat High
Use Hygeia-O-Matic Bladder 50 N/A Low
Flush Force Bladder 70 N/A Low
Tombstone/ Mourn N/A Bladder 5 N/A Low
Urn (first 24 hours)
N/A Comfort 50 N/A Low
N/A Energy 5 N/A Low
N/A Fun 50 N/A Low
N/A Hunger 5 N/A Low
N/A Hygiene 50 N/A Low
N/A Social 50 N/A Low
N/A Room 50 N/A Low
Mourn N/A Bladder 0 N/A Low
(second 48 hours)
N/A Comfort 30 N/A Low
N/A Energy 0 N/A Low
N/A Fun 30 N/A Low
N/A Hunger 0 N/A Low
N/A Hygiene 30 N/A Low
N/A Social 30 N/A Low
N/A Room 30 N/A Low
Toy Box Play N/A Fun 55 Playful Medium

29
 ™

Object Type Possible Object Advertised Advertised Personality Reduced Effects

Interactions Variations Motive Value Trait Modifier (over distance)
Train Set Play N/A Fun 40 N/A Medium
(Large)
Watch N/A Fun 40 N/A Low
N/A Social 40 N/A Low
Train Set Play N/A Fun 45 Playful Medium
(Small)
Watch N/A Fun 20 N/A Medium
N/A Social 30 N/A Medium
Trash Can Empty Trash N/A Room 30 Neat Medium
(Inside)
Trash Empty Trash N/A Room 30 N/A High
Compactor
Trash Pile Clean N/A Room 75 Neat Medium
Bathtub Clean All Tubs Room 20 Neat High
Bathe Justa Hygiene 50 Neat Medium
Justa Comfort 20 N/A Medium
Sani-Queen Hygiene 60 Neat Medium
Sani-Queen Comfort 25 N/A Medium
Hydrothera Hygiene 70 Neat Medium
Hydrothera Comfort 30 N/A Medium
TV Join Monochrome Fun 20 Lazy High
Trottco Fun 30 Lazy High
Soma Plasma Fun 45 Lazy High
Turn Off All TVs Energy 220 Neat Medium
Turn On Monochrome Fun 18 Lazy High
Trottco Fun 35 Lazy High
Soma Plasma Fun 49 Lazy High
Watch TV Monochrome Fun 18 Lazy High
Trottco Fun 28 Lazy High
Soma Plasma Fun 42 Lazy High
VR Glasses Play N/A Fun 60 Playful High

30
 Chapter 3:
interacting with other sims
 ™

Introduction Social Interactions

Once you get beyond the dark attraction of All Sim Relationships develop from Social
watching jilted Sims slap their rivals, or obnoxious interactions. If you don’t spend quality time with
Sims insulting their friends, you realize that your friends, the Relationships will deteriorate on
Relationships are very important to your Sims’ their own, at a rate of two points per day. Of
quality of life, and even to the advancement of course, if you interact poorly, the rate accelerates
their careers. In this chapter, we introduce you to dramatically. In the following sections, we review
the world of Relationships, covering the possible the myriad communication choices that are
events that occur when two Sims come together available during the game (grouped alphabetically
verbally or physically. Our goal here is to lay down by the active action). At any given time, your
the ground rules. We’ll offer hands-on tips for choice will vary, depending upon the level of your
building and maintaining Relationships in the “All friendship, and whether or not your Sim is acting
in the Family” chapter. like a jerk!

Relationship Scores Good Old Conversation

Icons representing a Sim’s friendships, or lack
thereof, appear in the screen’s lower-right corner The easiest way to cultivate a new friendship is to
when you click on the Relationships icon (just talk. Sims communicate with each either using Sim-
above the Job icon). The scoring system ranges Speak, a delightful chatter that you actually begin
from below 0 (not good) to 100, which is to understand (yes, we have played this game way
reserved for one or more significant others. A too much!). Adults and kids have favorite topics
relationship is considered a true friendship if the within their peer groups. These topics are
score climbs above 50. Only these Relationships randomly assigned by the game during the Sim
are considered when the game calculates career creation process. Additionally, kids and adults have
advancements. Consult the next chapter, “9 to 5: special cross-generational topics that are only used
Climbing the Career Ladder,” for more with each other. Active topics are displayed in
information on promotion requirements. thought balloons during the game, as shown in
figure 3-2.

Fig. 3-1. This Sim Fig. 3-2. Pets are a

Dad is clicking on good common
all cylinders with ground for conver-
his wife, but he sation between
needs to spend adults and kids.
more time with
the kids.

32
 Chapter 3: INTERACTING WITH OTHER SIMS
When a conversation is going well, you see a Fig. 3-3. When two
green plus sign over one or both of the Sims. or more people
Conversely, when talk deteriorates into the enter a hot tub, the
gutter, you’ll see red minus signs. The following conversations begin
tables list positive and negative communications, spontaneously.
including each potential outcome and the
corresponding effect on Social and Relationship
scores. For our purposes, an outcome is positive if
it produces an increase in one or both scores.
When scores drop or stay the same, it is
considered a negative outcome.

Positive Communications
Interaction Response Relationship Change Social Score Change
Apologize Accept 10 15
Be Apologized To Accept 10 15
Brag Good 5 13
Be Bragged To Good 5 7
Cheer Up Good 5 7
Cheer Up Neutral 0 5
Be Cheered Up Good 10 10
Be Cheered Up Neutral 0 5
Compliment Accept 5 5
Be Complimented Accept 5 11
Entertain Laugh 4 7
Be Entertained Laugh 8 13
Flirt Good 5 13
Be Flirted With Good 10 13
Joke Laugh 5 13
Joke Giggle 2 7
Listen to Joke Laugh 7 13
Listen to Joke Giggle 3 7
Scare Laugh 5 10
TalkHigh Interest Topic 3 5
TalkLike Topic 3 5
Group Talk N/A 1 8
Tease Giggle 5 7

33
 ™

Negative Communications
Interaction Response Relationship Change Social Score Change
Apologize Reject -10 0
Be Apologized To Reject -10 0
Brag Bad -5 0
Be Bragged To Bad -5 0
Cheer Up Bad -3 0
Be Cheered Up Bad -10 0
Compliment Reject -10 0
Be Complimented Reject -7 0
Entertain Boo -15 0
Be Entertained Boo -7 0
Flirt Refuse -10 -17
Flirt Ignore -5 0
Be Flirted With Refuse -10 0
Be Flirted With Ignore 0 0
Insult Cry 5 0
Insult Stoic 0 3
Insult Angry -10 7
Be Insulted Cry -12 -13
Be Insulted Stoic -5 -5
Be Insulted Angry -14 -7
Joke Uninterested -6 0
Listen to Joke Uninterested -7 0
Scare Angry -5 0
Be Scared Angry -10 0
TalkDislike Topic -3 3
TalkHate Topic -3 3
Tease Cry -4 0
Be Teased Cry -13 -7

34
 Chapter 3: INTERACTING WITH OTHER SIMS
Physical Contact
When a Relationship moves past the 50-point threshold, you begin to see new options on the Social
interaction menu. Instead of just talking, you find new items including Hug, Give Back Rub, Flirt, and
Kiss. It all depends upon how your Relationship is progressing and what the other Sim is looking for in
the current interaction. The following tables include information on positive and negative physical
events.

Positive Physical Events

Interaction Response Relationship Change Social Score Change
Give Back Rub Good 5 7
Receive Back Rub Good 9 13
Dance Accept 8 13
Be Danced With Accept 10 13
Give Gift Accept 5 7
Receive Gift Accept 10 13
Hug Good 7 15
Hug Tentative 2 7
Be Hugged Good 8 15
Be Hugged Tentative 4 7
Kiss Passion 12 20
Kiss Polite 5 10
Be Kissed Passion 12 20
Be Kissed Polite 5 10
Tickle Accept 5 13
Be Tickled Accept 8 13

35
 ™

Negative Physical Events

Interaction Response Relationship Change Social Score Change
Attack Win Fight -5 10
Attack Lose Fight -10 -20
Give Back Rub Bad -7 0
Receive Back Rub Bad -10 0
Dance Refuse -5 0
Be Danced With Refuse -5 0
Give Gift Stomp -15 0
Receive Gift Stomp -5 0
Hug Refuse -10 0
Be Hugged Refuse -10 0
Kiss Deny -15 5
Be Kissed Deny -10 0
Slap Cry 0 3
Slap Slap Back -10 -7
Be Slapped Cry -20 -17
Be Slapped Slap Back -15 7
Tickle Refuse -5 0
Be Tickled Refuse -8 0

36
 Chapter 4:
9 to 5—CLImbing the
career ladder
 ™

Introduction
When you first start playing The Sims, it’s easy to
get lost in the element. There’s so much to explore You can enjoy the free use of a computer by
and experience, and with more than enough buying it, checking the want ads, and then
money to furnish your house and buy a few toys, returning it the same day for a full refund.
you can just hang out and live the good Sim-life. Keep this up until you find the job you want.
Then, later when you have more disposable
But, reality sets in sooner than you would like, and
cash, you can buy—and keep—a computer.
you must find a job. In this chapter we show you
how to select a career, nurture the Skills necessary
to earn the first few promotions, and finally, A Military job is usually available on the
stockpile enough friends (it’s called networking) to computer. This is an excellent first career, with a
make the big bucks and zoom to the top of your starting salary of §250. Furthermore, it remains the
field. For easy reference, we include compre- highest paying of the 10 careers through the first
hensive career tables that contain everything you three advances. A Law Enforcement position is a
need to know about the 10 Sim careers, including close second.
advancement requirements for all 10 pay levels.
Fig. 4-2. This two-
commando family
takes home §325
Your First Job each as members
of the Elite Forces
Every Sim house receives a daily copy of the Sim (Level 2—Military
City Times that includes a single job posting. You Career).
can take the first job you see, or buy a computer
and view three jobs a day. There is no rush—you
have enough money to get by for several days.

If you would rather take your time and sort

through all 10 job tracks, the following table will
Fig. 4-1. Today’s
help you choose a career that is suited to your
job posting is for a
test driver. Sim’s personality traits.

38
 Chapter 4: 9 to 5—climbing the career ladder
Career Choices
Career Track Necessary Skills Related Personality Traits
Business Logic, Charisma Outgoing
Entertainment Charisma, Creativity Outgoing, Playful
Law Enforcement Logic, Body Active
Life of Crime Creativity, Charisma Playful, Outgoing
Medicine Logic, Body Active
Military Repair, Body Active
Politics Charisma, Logic Outgoing
Pro Athlete Body, Charisma Active, Outgoing
Science Logic, Creativity Playful
Xtreme Creativity, Body/Charisma (tie) Playful, Active, Outgoing

Developing Your Skills

After you decide on a career, focus on developing the appropriate Skills needed for advancement. It is
important to remember that Sims do not study on their own. You need to direct your Sim to one of the
activities listed in the Skill Enhancement table below.

Fig. 4-3. This Sim

needs to boost his
Body Skill one more
notch, so he is
On the control panel, click on the Job icon to
scheduled for a
display your Sim’s current Skill bars (see figure 4-
session on the
3). A white line designates the minimum level of
exercise machine
Skill needed for the next promotion. Other right after lunch.
factors contribute to earning a promotion, but
without the Skill requirement, you have
absolutely no chance for advancement to the
next level.

39
 ™

Skill Enhancement
Skill Method of Enhancement Notes
Cooking Bookshelf (Study Cooking) Any type of bookshelf will suffice.
Mechanical Bookshelf (Study Mechanical) Any type of bookshelf will suffice.
Body Exercise Machine (Work Out) Exercise machine increases Skill four
times faster than the pool. Active Sims
improve their Skill at a higher rate.
Pool (Swim) See above.
Charisma Mirrors or Medicine Cabinet Outgoing Sims acquire Skill more quickly.
(Practice Speech)
Easel (Paint) Playful Sims acquire Skill more quickly.
Piano (Play) Playful Sims acquire Skill more quickly.
Logic Chessboard (Play) Playing with another Sim generates
Social points.

Fig. 4-4. A session

on the exercise
bench nets a Body
Sim Career Tracks
point for this Sim. The following tables include the salaries, hours, car
pool vehicles, and job level requirements for each
level of the 10 Sim career tracks. The Daily Motive
Decay value shows which Motives deteriorate
while the Sim is on the job.

40
 Chapter 4: 9 to 5—climbing the career ladder
Requirements for Level 1 Positions
Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business Mail §120 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -30 0 0
Room –3 p.m
Entertainment Waiter §100 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -30 0 0
Waitress –3 p.m.
Law Security §240 12 a.m. Squad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -30 0 0
Enforcement Guard –6 a.m. Car
Life of Crime Pickpocket §140 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -30 0 0
–3 p.m.
Medicine Medical §200 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -30 0 0
Technician –3 p.m.
Military Recruit §250 6 a.m. Military 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -15 0 -30 0 0
–12 p.m. Jeep
Politics Campaign §220 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -30 0 0
Work –6 p.m.
Pro Athlete Team §110 12 p.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -5 0 -35 0 0
Mascot –6 p.m.
Science Test §155 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -30 0 0
Subject –3 p.m.
Xtreme Daredevil §175 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -30 0 0
–3 p.m.

Requirements for Level 2 Positions

Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business Executive §180 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -34 -2 0
Assistant –4 p.m
Entertainment Extra §150 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -34 -2 0
–3 p.m.
Law Cadet §320 9 a.m. Squad 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -34 -2 0
Enforcement –3 p.m. Car
Life of Crime Bagman §200 11 p.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -34 -2 0
–7 a.m.
Medicine Paramedic §275 11 p.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -34 -2 0
–5 a.m.
Military Elite §325 7 a.m. Military 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -15 0 -34 -2 0
Forces –1 p.m. Jeep
Politics Intern §300 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -34 -2 0
–3 p.m.
Pro Athlete Minor §170 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -10 0 -40 -2 0
Leaguer –3 p.m.
Science Lab §230 11 p.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -34 -2 0
Assistant –5 a.m.
Xtreme Bungee §250 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -34 -2 0
Jump –3 p.m.
Instructor

41
 ™

Requirements for Level 3 Positions

Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business Field §250 9 a.m. Junker 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 -3 0 -5 0 -38 -4 0
Sales Rep –4 p.m.
Entertainment Bit Player §200 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 -3 0 -5 0 -38 -4 0
–3 p.m.
Law Patrol §380 5 p.m. Squad 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 -3 0 -5 0 -38 -4 0
Enforcement Officer –1 a.m. Car
Life of Crime Bookie §275 12 p.m. Standard 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 -3 0 -5 0 -38 -4 0
–7 p.m. Car
Medicine Nurse §340 9 a.m. Standard 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 -3 0 -5 0 -38 -4 0
–3 p.m. Car
Military Drill §250 8 a.m. Military 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 -3 0 -20 0 -38 -4 0
Instructor –2 p.m. Jeep
Politics Lobbyist §360 9 a.m. Standard 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 -3 0 -5 0 -38 -4 0
–3 p.m. Car
Pro Athlete Rookie §230 9 a.m. Junker 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 -3 0 -15 0 -45 -2 0
–3 p.m.
Science Field §320 9 a.m. Standard 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 -3 0 -5 0 -38 -4 0
Researcher –3 p.m. Car
Xtreme Whitewater §325 9 a.m. SUV 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 -3 0 -10 0 -45 -4 0
Guide –3 p.m.

Requirements for Level 4 Positions

Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business Junior §320 9 a.m. Standard 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 -7 0 -10 0 -42 -7 0
Executive –4 p.m. Car
Entertainment Stunt §275 9 a.m. Standard 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 -7 0 -10 0 -42 -7 0
Double –4 p.m. Car
Law Desk §440 9 a.m. Squad 0 2 0 2 0 0 1 -7 0 -10 0 -42 -7 0
Enforcement Sergeant –3 p.m. Car
Life of Crime Con Artist §350 9 a.m. Standard 0 0 1 2 0 1 2 -7 0 -10 0 -42 -7 0
–3 p.m. Car
Medicine Intern §410 9 a.m. Standard 0 2 0 2 0 0 2 -7 0 -10 0 -42 -7 0
–6 p.m. Car
Military Junior §450 9 a.m. Military 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 -7 0 -20 0 -42 -8 0
Officer –3 p.m. Jeep
Politics Campaign §430 9 a.m. Standard 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 -7 0 -10 0 -42 -7 0
Manager –6 p.m. Car
Pro Athlete Starter §300 9 a.m. Standard 0 0 0 5 0 0 1 -7 0 -20 0 -50 -2 0
–3 p.m. Car
Science Science §375 9 a.m. Standard 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 -7 0 -10 0 -40 -7 0
Teacher –4 p.m. Car
Xtreme Xtreme §400 9 a.m. SUV 0 1 0 4 0 0 2 -7 0 -20 0 -50 -2 0
Circuit Pro –3 p.m.

42
 Chapter 4: 9 to 5—climbing the career ladder
Requirements for Level 5 Positions
Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business Executive §400 9 a.m. Standard 0 2 2 0 2 0 3 -10 0 -15 0 -46 -10 0
–4 p.m. Car
Entertainment B-Movie §375 10 a.m. Standard 0 0 3 3 0 1 4 -10 0 -15 0 -46 -10 0
Star –5 p.m. Car
Law Vice §490 10 p.m. Squad 0 3 0 4 0 0 2 -10 0 -15 0 -46 -10 0
Enforcement Squad –4 a.m. Car
Life of Crime Getaway §425 5 p.m. Standard 0 2 1 2 0 2 3 -10 0 -10 0 -46 -10 0
Driver –1 a.m. Car
Medicine Resident §480 9 p.m. Standard 0 3 0 2 2 0 3 -10 0 -15 0 -46 -10 0
–4 a.m. Car
Military Counter- §500 9 a.m. Military 1 1 2 4 0 0 0 -10 0 -25 0 -46 -12 0
Intelligence –3 p.m. Jeep
Politics City Council §485 9 a.m. Town 0 0 3 1 1 0 4 -10 0 -15 0 -46 -8 0
Member –3 p.m. Car
Pro Athlete All-Star §385 9 a.m. SUV 0 1 1 6 0 0 3 -10 0 -25 0 -55 -3 0
–3 p.m.
Science Project §450 9 a.m. Standard 0 0 2 0 4 1 3 -10 0 -12 0 -43 -8 0
Leader –5 p.m. Car
Xtreme Bush §475 9 a.m. SUV 1 2 0 4 1 0 3 -10 0 -15 0 -46 -5 -10
Pilot –3 p.m.

Requirements for Level 6 Positions

Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business Senior §520 9 a.m. Standard 0 2 3 0 3 2 6 -14 0 -20 0 -50 -13 0
Manager –4 p.m. Car
EntertainmentSupporting §500 10 a.m. Limo 0 1 4 4 0 2 6 -14 0 -20 0 -50 -13 0
Player –6 p.m.
Law Detective §540 9 a.m. Squad 1 3 1 5 1 0 4 -14 0 -20 0 -50 -13 0
Enforcement –3 p.m. Car
Life of Crime Bank §530 3 p.m. Town 0 3 2 3 1 2 4 -14 0 -15 0 -50 -13 -5
Robber –11 p.m. Car
Medicine GP §550 10 a.m. Town 0 3 1 3 4 0 4 -14 0 -20 0 -50 -13 0
–6 p.m. Car
Military Flight §550 9 a.m. Military 1 2 4 4 1 0 1 -14 0 -28 0 -50 -15 0
Officer –3 p.m. Jeep
Politics State §540 9 a.m. Town 0 0 4 2 1 1 6 -14 0 -20 0 -50 -12 -3
Assembly- –4 p.m. Car
person
Pro Athlete MVP §510 9 a.m. SUV 0 2 2 7 0 0 5 -14 0 -30 0 -60 -4 0
–3 p.m.
Science Inventor §540 10 a.m. Town 0 2 2 0 4 3 4 -14 0 -15 0 -45 -9 -8
–7 p.m. Car
Xtreme Mountain §550 9 a.m. SUV 1 4 0 6 1 0 4 -14 0 -30 0 -60 0 0
Climber –3 p.m.

43
 ™

Requirements for Level 7 Positions

Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business Vice §660 9 a.m. Town Car 0 2 4 2 4 2 8 -18 0 -25 0 -54 -16 0
President –5 p.m.
Entertainment TV Star §650 10 a.m. Limo 0 1 6 5 0 3 8 -18 0 -25 0 -54 -16 0
–6 p.m.
Law Lieutenant §590 9 a.m. Limo 1 3 2 5 3 1 6 -18 0 -25 0 -54 -16 0
Enforcement –3 p.m.
Life of Crime Cat §640 9 p.m. Town 1 3 2 5 2 3 6 -18 0 -20 0 -54 -16 0
Burglar –3 a.m. Car
Medicine Specialist §625 10 p.m. Town 0 4 2 4 4 1 5 -18 0 -25 0 -54 -16 0
–4 a.m. Car
Military Senior §580 9 a.m. Military 1 3 4 5 3 0 3 -18 0 -31 0 -55 -20 0
Officer –3 p.m. Jeep
Politics Congress- §600 9 a.m. Town 0 0 4 3 3 2 9 -18 0 -25 0 -54 -18 -7
person –3 p.m. Car
Pro Athlete Superstar §680 9 a.m. SUV 1 2 3 8 0 0 7 -18 0 -35 0 -65 -5 0
–4 p.m.
Science Scholar §640 10 a.m. Town 0 4 2 0 6 4 5 -18 0 -20 0 -48 -10 -10
–3 p.m. Car
Xtreme Photo- §650 9 a.m. SUV 1 5 2 6 1 3 5 -18 0 -25 0 -54 -16 0
journalist –3 p.m.

Requirements for Level 8 Positions

Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business President §800 9 a.m. Town Car 0 2 5 2 6 3 10 -22 0 -30 0 -58 -19 0
–5 p.m.
Entertainment Feature §900 5 p.m. Limo 0 2 7 6 0 4 10 -22 0 -30 0 -58 -19 0
Star –1 a.m.
Law SWAT Team §625 9 a.m. Limo 1 4 3 6 5 1 8 -22 0 -30 0 -58 -19 0
Enforcement Leader –3 p.m.
Life of Counterfeiter §760 9 p.m. Town 1 5 2 5 3 5 8 -22 0 -25 0 -58 -19 -15
Crime –3 a.m. Car
Medicine Surgeon §700 10 p.m. Town 0 4 3 5 6 2 7 -22 0 -30 0 -58 -19 0
–4 a.m. Car
Military Commander §600 9 a.m. Military 1 6 5 5 5 0 5 -22 0 -33 0 -60 -25 0
–3 p.m. Jeep
Politics Judge §650 9 a.m. Town 0 0 5 4 4 3 11 -22 0 -30 0 -58 -22 -11
–3 p.m. Car
Pro Athlete Assistant §850 9 a.m. SUV 2 2 4 9 0 1 9 -22 0 -40 0 -70 -6 0
Coach –2 p.m.
Science Top Secret §740 10 a.m. Town 1 6 4 0 7 4 7 -22 0 -25 0 -52 -12 -13
Researcher –3 p.m. Car
Xtreme Treasure §725 10 a.m. SUV 1 6 3 7 3 4 7 -22 0 -34 0 -60 -15 -5
Hunter –5 p.m.

44
 Chapter 4: 9 to 5—climbing the career ladder
Requirements for Level 9 Positions
Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business CEO §950 9 a.m. Limo 0 2 6 2 7 5 12 -26 0 -35 0 -62 -22 0
–4 p.m.
Entertainment Broadway §1100 10 a.m. Limo 0 2 8 7 0 7 12 -26 0 -35 0 -62 -22 0
Star –5 p.m.
Law Police §650 9 a.m. Limo 1 4 4 7 7 3 10 -26 0 -35 0 -62 -22 0
Enforcement Chief –5 p.m.
Life of Crime Smuggler §900 9 a.m. Town 1 5 5 6 3 6 10 -26 0 -30 0 -62 -22 -20
–3 p.m. Car
Medicine Medical §775 9 p.m. Limo 0 5 4 6 8 3 9 -26 0 -35 0 -62 -22 0
Researcher –4 a.m.
Military Astronaut §625 9 a.m. Limo 1 9 5 8 6 0 6 -26 0 -35 0 -65 -30 0
–3 p.m.
Politics Senator §700 9 a.m. Limo 0 0 6 5 6 4 14 -26 0 -35 0 -62 -26 -15
–6 p.m.
Pro Athlete Coach §1,000 9 a.m. SUV 3 2 6 10 0 2 11 -26 0 -45 0 -75 -8 0
–3 p.m.
Science Theorist §870 10 a.m. Town 1 7 4 0 9 7 8 -26 0 -30 0 -56 -16 -16
–2 p.m. Car
Xtreme Grand §825 10 a.m. Bentley 1 6 5 7 5 7 9 -26 0 -35 0 -62 -5 -10
Prix Driver –4 p.m.

Requirements for Level 10 Positions

Career Position Pay Hours Car Pool Cooking Repair Charisma Body Logic Creativity Family/ Daily Motive Decay
Track Vehicle Friends Hunger Comfort Hygiene Bladder Energy Fun Social
Business Business §1,200 9 a.m. Limo 0 2 8 2 9 6 14 -30 0 -40 0 -66 -25 0
Tycoon –3 p.m.
Entertainment Super- §1,400 10 a.m. Limo 0 2 10 8 0 10 14 -30 0 -40 0 -66 -25 0
star –3 p.m.
Law Captain §700 10 a.m. Limo 1 4 6 7 10 5 12 -20 -80 -45 -25 -60 0 0
Enforcement Hero –4 p.m.
Life of Crime Criminal §1,100 6 p.m. Limo 2 5 7 6 4 8 12 -30 0 -35 0 -66 -25 -25
Mastermind –12 a.m.
Medicine Chief of §850 9 p.m. Hospital 0 6 6 7 9 4 11 -30 0 -40 0 -66 -25 0
Staff –4 a.m. Limo
Military General §650 9 a.m. Staff 1 10 7 10 9 0 8 -30 0 -40 0 -70 -35 0
–3 p.m. Sedan
Politics Mayor §750 9 a.m. Limo 0 0 9 5 7 5 17 -30 0 -40 0 -66 -30 -20
–3 p.m
Pro Athlete Hall of §1,300 9 a.m. Limo 4 2 9 10 0 3 13 -30 0 -50 0 -80 -10 0
Famer –3 p.m.
Science Mad §1,000 10 a.m. Limo 2 8 5 0 10 10 10 -30 0 -35 0 -60 -20 -20
Scientist –2 p.m.
Xtreme International §925 11 a.m. Bentley 2 6 8 8 6 9 11 -30 0 -30 0 -70 -20 -15
–5 p.m.

45
 ™

Fig. 4-6. That last

The Daily Grind set on the exercise
bench paid off!
A working Sim needs to follow a schedule that is
conducive to good job performance. Review the
following tips as you devise a work schedule for
your household.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Sims need to awake refreshed in order to arrive at
work in a good mood. Send your Sims to bed early,
and make sure there are no distractions (stereos,
TVs, computers, etc.) that might interrupt their
beauty sleep.
If two or more Sims in the house have jobs, the
alarm clock rings for the earliest riser.
Unfortunately, this wakes everyone else,
regardless of when they have to be ready for the
Fig. 4-5. Make sure
car pool. If you send the other Sims back to bed,
your Sims get to you’ll need to wake them manually, because the
bed early enough to alarm clock only rings once each day.
restore maximum
Energy before the
alarm rings. Eat a Hearty Breakfast
When you’re angling for a promotion, you need to
arrive at work with all cylinders firing. When the
alarm rings, send the designated house chef (the
Sim with the highest Cooking Skill) to the kitchen to
“Prepare a Meal.” By the time your Sim is finished
emptying his Bladder and completing necessary
Hygiene, breakfast will be on the counter. There
should be plenty of time to complete the meal and
head to work with a full Hunger bar.

Set Your Alarm Clock

When set, the clock wakes your Sims two hours
before the car pool arrives (one alarm clock takes
care of the entire house). This is plenty of time to Make sure that your Sim is on the first floor and
take care of Hunger, Bladder, and Hygiene Motive relatively close to the car pool within 15 minutes
bars. If you still have time, improve your Sim’s of departure to be sure he or she catches his or
mood with a little non-strenuous fun like watching her ride. If you meet this deadline, your Sim will
TV, or use the extra time to improve a Skill. change clothes on the fly and sprint to the curb.

46
 Chapter 4: 9 to 5—climbing the career ladder
Make Friends and Influence Your Boss Business
Advancing through the first three levels does not Major decision: “Stock Option”
carry a friendship requirement; however this ramps Player is given the choice of accepting a portfolio
up very quickly. It helps to have a stay-at-home of company stock instead of salary for that pay
mate to concentrate on making friends. Remember period. The stock could double or tank. As a result,
that the career friendship requirement is for your the player receives twice his salary or nothing at all
household, not your Sim. So, if your mate or for the pay period.
children have friends, they count toward your
promotions, too. Entertainment
Fig. 4-7. This Sim is
Major decision: “The Remake”
just about out of Your agent calls with an offer: Sim Studios wants
Energy, but his you for the lead in a remake of Citizen Kane.
Social score is Accepting will either send your Charisma sky high
maxed out and
when the film succeeds wildly…or send it crashing
he’s just made
two new friends. if the turkey flops.

Law Enforcement
Major decision: “The Bribe”
A mobster you’re investigating offers a huge bribe
to drop the case. The charges won’t stick without
your testimony and you could suddenly “lose the
Take an Occasional Day Off to evidence” and quietly pocket a nice nest egg…or
get busted by Internal Affairs and have to start
Recharge over on a new career track.
If you find that your Sim is unable to have enough
Fun or Social events to maintain a positive mood, Life of Crime
skip a day of work and indulge. See a friend or
Major decision: “The Perfect Crime”
two, work on Skills, or have some Fun. Just don’t
miss two days in a row or your Sim will be You’ve just been handed a hot tip that an
automatically fired! informant claims will be an easy knockover with
loads of cash for the taking. Either the tip is
gold, or it’s a police sting. An arrest means your
Major Decisions family is left at home alone while you’re sent off
As you work your way up the career ladder, you to cool your heels in Sim City Prison for a while.
encounter “major decisions” that involve various If you succeed, your Charisma and Creativity
degrees of risk. They are winner-take-all, loser- Skills are enhanced.
gets-nada events that force you to gamble with
your salary, integrity, or even your job. The
following sections include a sample “major
decision” for each career.

47
 ™

Medicine Pro Athlete

Major Decision: “Malpractice” Major Decision: “The Supermatch”
A former patient has slapped you with a massive A one-on-one, pay-per-view contest pitting you
malpractice suit. You can settle immediately by against your greatest local rival is offered. If you
offering a payment equal to 50 percent of the cash win, it’s worth double your paycheck. If you lose,
in your household account. Or, take the bum to the indignity comes complete with an injury
court. Lose, and all your furniture and household costing you a reduction in your Body Skill along
goods are repossessed. Win, and you receive a with a drop in Charisma. The player can always
settlement equal to 100 percent of the cash in refuse at no penalty.
your household account.
Science
Military Major decision: “The Experiment”
Major decision: “Gung Ho” A science research firm is willing to pay you a fat
The general needs volunteers for a highly bonus for conducting a complex experiment.
dangerous mission. You can refuse without However, the work must be conducted at your
penalty. If you accept, and succeed on the mission, home, using rats as test subjects. Success means
you are decorated and immediately promoted to you collect the fee, with a bonus increase in your
the next level. Failure means a demotion, soldier— Logic Skill level. A failed experiment results in a
you’re broken down to the previous level. dozen rats escaping into your home. That means a
major bill from both your exterminator and your
Politics electrician (the rats have chewed through power
Major decision: “Scandal” cords.) Financial damage could be reduced if the
Player’s Repair Skills are strong.
An attractive young member of your team also
happens to be heir to a fortune. He or she will
finance your career advancement if you agree to
Xtreme
“private consultations.” You can refuse, with no Major decision: “Deep Freeze”
change in status. Otherwise, there are two possible An arctic expedition is holding a spot open for
outcomes. You might get away with it and you. It’s a risky enterprise, so you may refuse.
immediately advance two levels. If you’re caught, However, for a person in your particular line of
you’ll lose your friends when the scandal breaks in work, that refusal will lower your Charisma. If you
the media, and you’ll be tossed from the career join the team, and they reach their goal, you will
track to seek another. be rewarded with a considerable rise in Charisma.
If the mission goes awry, your Sim is “lost on an
iceberg” for a period of game time.

48
 Chapter 5:
Building A House
 ™

Introduction
Anyone who has ever built a home knows that
the best laid plans of architects can sometimes Don’t try to build your dream house at the
turn into a house of horrors when the walls start beginning of the game. It’s easier to tear down
going up. The same holds true in The Sims, your original house and start over after you’ve
where you have enough power to build a fattened up your bank account.
magnificent dream house or your worst
residential nightmare. Limited only by your bank
account, you can build a conservative dwelling Design Considerations
that is functional above all else, or you can drop Before we introduce you to the various options
a family of eight in the middle of a meadow available in Build Mode, here is a checklist for
with only a bathroom and a refrigerator. It’s all your basic floor plan. Invariably, your unique
possible in The Sims, but rest assured that your family of Sims will make their needs known to you
family will deliver a quick—and sometimes as the game progresses. However, if you follow
scathing—critique when the clock starts ticking these house design basics, you should get your
on their simulated lives. family off to a positive start with a minimum of
emotional outbursts.
In this chapter, we take you through the
house design process from terrain preparation to
landscaping. For demonstration purposes, we * Don’t worry about having room to
will use just about every building option expand. Build your first house to match
available. Obviously, you would need a pile of the number of Sims in your family.
Simoleans to do this in the game. However, we
* Keep the bathroom centrally located. A
also cover important design considerations that
door on either side allows quick access
enable you to maximize your Room score,
for emergencies.
regardless of your budget. In this chapter, we
limit our discussion to the available options in * If you start with three Sims or more,
Build Mode only. For detailed descriptions of build one or more half-bathrooms (toilet
more than 150 Sims objects, see the next and sink only) to ease the crunch.
chapter. * Place the house close to the street, so you
don’t have to do the hundred yard dash
Of course, our suggestions are just the
to meet your car pool.
beginning. Sims thrive on the individuality of
their creator, and if you want to build dungeons, * Allow enough open wall for your kitchen
sprawling compounds, or one-room huts, you countertops and appliances.
have our support and encouragement. * Make your kitchen large enough to
Remember, a bad house is no match for the accommodate a small table and chairs.
bulldozer—your next house is only a click away! * If you don’t want a separate den or
family room, make one of the bedrooms
large enough to handle a computer desk
and chair.

50
 Chapter 5: BUILDING A HOUSE
Fig. 5–2. You cannot
Terrain Tools level a tile at the
water’s edge.
In most locations, you can build a roomy house on
a flat piece of land without having to level the
terrain. However, if you want to build a house
near the water or at the edge of a hill, you’ll need
to smooth the sloping tiles before building a wall,
as displayed in figure 5-1.

Fig. 5-1. You can’t

place a wall section
until you smooth
the slope. In most cases, there is no need to edit the
terrain, unless you want to add a sunken hot tub
or drop an outdoor play set into a pit. Remember
that you must level the ground in the pit before
you can place an object (see figure 5-3).

Fig. 5-3. You cannot

place the play set
until the tiles in the
pit are level.
The Terrain Tool (shovel icon) can be a little
tricky to master. On level ground, you can place
the shovel at any intersection of horizontal and
vertical grid lines, and then click to level, lower, or
raise the tile. However, sometimes, due to extreme
depth or elevation (usually at the edge of a gully
or alongside water), you can’t access this
intersecting point. When this occurs, you receive a
message telling you that the tile cannot be
modified (figure 5-2).
Wall and Fence Tools
There are several tools here, but your first step is
to “frame” your house. Simply place the cursor at
any tile intersection. Then click, hold, and drag to
place your wall (figure 5-4). When you release the
The grid lines become noticeably darker
mouse button, the wood framing will change to
when a previously elevated or lowered tile
becomes level. the type of wall you selected on the Control Panel
(see page 52 for descriptions of wall types).

51
 ™

Fig. 5-4. Drag and

release to place
a wall.
Don’t worry if you end up with a tree inside
the walls of your house. You can build an
atrium and keep the tree where it is, or use the
Hand Tool to select the tree, and then move or
delete it.

Wall Tool
Although you must start a wall at an Wall Types
intersection, you are not limited to square walls.
Simply drag the cursor at an angle to create an
Name Cost Description
interesting corner (figure 5-5). However, don’t (per section)
make the angled walls too long. You cannot place White §10 Outdoor fencing
Picket Fence
doors, windows, or objects on these walls. Also,
you cannot connect an angled wall to an existing Privacy Fence §35 8-foot outdoor fence
straight wall inside your house. Monticello §45 Railings for balconies
Balustrade and stairs
Wrought §45 Railings for balconies
Iron and stairs
Balustrade
Tumbleweed §70 Support columns for
To delete a wall, hold down the c key, then Wooden second stories or
Column patio covers
click and drag on a section of wall.
Wall Tool §70 Basic unfinished wall
The Zorba §80 Classic, white Graeco-
Ionic Column Roman column
Fig. 5-5. Angled Chester Brick §100 All brick, squared
corners help you Column off column
transform a
boring box into a
custom home.
Don’t worry
if you end
Columns are not restricted to outside use. Try
using the Zorba Ionic Column to create a
beautiful entry from the living room into a
formal dining room.

52
 Chapter 5: BUILDING A HOUSE

Door and Window Tools Window Tool

Let the sun shine in to pump up your Room
Door Tool score. Sims love light, so install plenty of
Sims are very active. They seek the best path for windows from the start. Simply click on the
their current task, and they think nothing of going selected window and place it on any right-angle
out one exterior door and back in through wall (remember, you cannot place doors,
another, if it’s the best route. The least expensive windows, or objects on a diagonal wall). Window
Walnut Door (figure 5-6) is only §100, but because style is strictly personal—all windows exert the
it is solid, your Room score does not benefit from same positive effect on the Room score.
outside light. If at all possible, invest in one of the
windowed doors, and ideally, pick the multi-paned
Monticello Door for maximum light.
For aesthetic value, match your windows to
Fig. 5-6. The Walnut your door style, such as the Monticello Door
Door gives your
with Monticello Windows, as pictured in
Sims privacy, but
figure 5-7.
it doesn’t allow
outside light to
improve your Fig. 5-7. Monticello
Room score. Doors and
Windows provide
maximum light.

Door Types
Name Cost Notes
Walnut Door §100 Solid door
without windows
Maple Door §150 Wooden door frame
Frame for rooms that do not
require total privacy
Federal Lattice §200 Glass panes in the
Window Door upper half of door
Windsor Door §300 Designer leaded
glass door
Monticello Door §400 7 rows of 3 panes,
topped with a 6-pane
half circle, allow
maximum light to
flow into your home

53
 ™

Window Types
Floor Tool
Name Cost Description Unless you like grass in your living room, use the
Single-Pane §50 This economy window Floor Tool to lay some flooring inside your house.
Fixed Window still lets in the sun. The Sims also includes outdoor flooring that works
well in patios, backyard barbecue areas, or as
Single-Hung §55 This looks good over pathways to a pool or play area. One tile covers a
Window the kitchen sink.
single grid, and you can quickly finish an entire
Privacy Window §60 Tired of the room with a single shift-click. The price range for
neighborhood floor coverings is §10–§20, and you have a
peeping Toms? This selection of 29 different styles/colors.
window is positioned
higher on the wall.
Plate Glass §65 This one’s strictly glass
Window from floor to ceiling.
El Sol Window §80 This round ornamental
window is a nice When you lay flooring inside a room with
change from square angled walls, half of the floor tiles appear on
and rectangular styles. the other side of the wall, in another room or
outside the house (see figure 5-8). To remove
Monticello §110 Use as a bedroom these outside tiles, place any floor type over the
Window window to tiles, hold down the c key, and then click to
complement the delete them. The flooring on the other side of
Monticello door. the wall remains undisturbed.
Windsor §120 This ornamental
Window natural wood window
adds turn-of-the- Fig. 5-8. After you
century character to finish the inside
your home. flooring, go back
and delete the
Monticello §200 This dramatic window external tiles.
Window looks beautiful on
Full-Length either side of a
Monticello door.

You can use any type of flooring inside

or outside.

54
 Chapter 5: BUILDING A HOUSE
There are 30 different indoor/outdoor wall
Flooring Types coverings in The Sims, and just as with floor
• Carpeting (7) coverings, you are limited only by your budget and
• Cement (1) sense of style. Prices range from §4 for basic
wallpaper to §14 for granite block. If you change
• Ceramic Tile-Small Tiles (3)
your mind after putting up the wallpaper, you can
• Checkerboard Linoleum (1) rip it down and get your money back by holding
• Clay Paver Tiles (1) down the c key and clicking on the ugly panel.
• Colored Pavement (1)
• Granite (2)
• Gravel (1)
Wallpaper Types
• Adobe (1)
• Hardwood Plank (1)
• Aluminum Siding (1)
• Inlaid Hardwood (1)
• Brick (2)
• Italian Tile (1)
• Granite (1)
• Poured Concrete (1)
• Interior Wall Treatments (6 Fabric and
• Shale (1) Paint Combinations)
• Striped Pavement (2, Both Directions) • Japanese Paper/Screens (4)
• Tatami Mats (2) • Paint (4)
• Terracotta Tile (1) • Plaster (1)
• Wood Parquet (2) • Stucco (1)
• Tudor (1)
• Wainscoting (1)
Wallpaper Tool • Wallpaper (4)
• Wood Clapboard (1)
Fig. 5-9. Use the
Wallpaper Tool to • Wood Paneling (1)
create a different • Wood Shingles (1)
mood in every room.

Stair Tool
You may not plan to build a second story
immediately, but it’s still a good idea to place your
staircase before you start filling your house with
objects. Choose from four staircases, two at §900
and two at §1,200. But, no matter how much you
spend, they still get your Sims up and down the
same way.

55
 ™

Style is considerably less important than Fig. 5-11. Our house

function. You don’t want to interrupt the traffic has a Steep Pitch
flow inside your house, especially to critical rooms with dark roof tiles.
such as the bathroom and kitchen. For this reason,
staircases work well against a wall, where they are
out of the way, or between two large, open
rooms, such as the kitchen and family room
(figure 5-10).

Fig. 5-10. Both of

these placements
keep the staircases
out of the main
traffic patterns.

Water Tools
Now that you have walls, floors, and doors, it’s
time to add a pool. Of course, this isn’t a necessity,
but your Sims love to swim, and it’s an easy way to
add important Body points. After placing your
pool, don’t forget to add a diving board so your
If you don’t have the money to finish the
Sims can get in, and a ladder so they can climb
second story, just place the staircase and forget
out. As you build your pool, the Water Tool places
about it. The Sims won’t go upstairs until you add
light-colored cement squares as decking. You can
a second story. After the staircase is positioned, the
go back and cover these tiles with the outdoor
process for building a second story is exactly the
surface of your choice, as displayed in figure 5-12.
same as building the first floor. The only obvious
You can also add fencing around your deck to give
difference is that the buildable wall space extends
your pool a more finished look.
out one square beyond the walls on the first floor.
This allows you to squeeze a little extra space for a
larger room or balcony.

Fig. 5-12. With the

pool and decking in
Roof Tool place, you have
room to add an
Although it is much easier to play The Sims using outdoor barbecue
the Walls Cutaway or Walls Down options on the and beverage cart.
Control Panel, you will want to step back and
enjoy your masterpiece in all of its crowning glory.
The Roof Tool allows you to select a Shallow,
Medium, or Steep Pitch for your roof, and choose
from a selection of four roof patterns.

56
 Chapter 5: BUILDING A HOUSE
Let your green thumb go wild, but don’t forget
Fireplace Tool that only trees and shrubs will thrive without
regular watering. If you want colorful flowers,
Fig. 5-13. It looks you’ll probably need to hire a Gardener.
innocent enough,
but a roaring fire
can turn nearby
Fig. 5-14. This
objects or Sims into
colorful landscaping
a deadly inferno.
will require the
services of a
Gardener, or a Sim
with a lot of time
to kill.

When placed safely out of the way of flammable

objects, a fireplace adds a major boost to the
Room score. However, it can be a dangerous fire
hazard if Sims wander too close, so give it a wide
berth when a fire is roaring. Special Editing Tools
In addition to the building tools described
Plant Tool above, there are two other options on the Build
Mode Control Panel. The curved arrows pictured
Now, it’s time to put the finishing touches on the
exterior of your house. Using the Plant Tool, you at the bottom corner of figure 5-15 allow you to
can select from 14 different plants, priced from §5 undo or repeat your last action(s). This is a quick
for Wildflowers to §300 for an Apple Tree. The way to delete unwanted items.
following types of vegetation are included:

Fig. 5-15. Click

Undo Last to
Plant Types reverse your most
• Flowers (4) recent actions.
• Bushes (1)
• Hedges (2)
• Shrubs (2)
• Trees (5)

57
 ™

If the undo button is unavailable, you can click

on the Hand Tool, select any object, and then press
the Delete key to sell it back. For directions on how
to delete walls, wall coverings, and floor coverings,
see the appropriate sections in this chapter.

Fig. 5-16. Select an

item with the Hand
Tool, then press
Delete to make it
go away.

58
 Chapter 6:
MATERIAL SIMS
 ™

Introduction
This chapter covers the eight categories of objects
available in Buy Mode: Seating, Surfaces, In most instances, an expensive item has a
greater impact on the related Need bar than an
Decorative, Electronics, Appliances, Plumbing,
economy model. For example, a §300 cot gives
Lighting, and Miscellaneous. Every object is listed your Sim a place to crash, but a §3,000 Mission
with its purchase price, related Motives, and Bed provides more Comfort and lets your Sim
Efficiency ratings. You can shop ‘til you drop, but get by on less sleep. As an added bonus, the
it’s more important to buy smart than to buy top-of-the-line bed also adds to the overall
often. Our comprehensive Buying Guide is just Room score.
ahead, but first let’s study some important factors
that impact your spending habits.

Fig. 6-1. Despite

logging only five
Buying for Needs, Instead hours of sleep, Bella
is feeling pretty
of Needing to Buy good, thanks to her
§3000 Mission bed.
If you select a ready-made house for your new Sim
family, you acquire walls, floors, and a roof, but
little else. The house is empty, with nary a toilet,
bed, or refrigerator in sight. Depending upon how
much you spent on the house, you’ll have a few
thousand Simoleans to use in Buy Mode, where
you can purchase more than 150 objects. Most
objects affect your Sims’ environment in positive
ways. However, not every object is a necessity. In Fig. 6-2. A big-
fact, if you are a recovering shopping channel screen TV is fun for
addict, this is not a good time to fall off your your Sims, but also
wallet. Make your first purchases with The Sims’ for the neighbors,
Motives (or Needs) in mind. You can review your who will often hang
Sims’ current Needs state by clicking on the Mood out, and boost your
Social score.
icon. We provide detailed descriptions in the
Motives chapter, but for now, here is a basic
shopping list that will help you get your Sims’
Need bars out of the red zone during the early
stages of a game.

60
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Need Item Explanation
Hunger Refrigerator, A refrigerator alone will sustain life, but you will greatly
Food Processor, Stove improve the quality of Sim meals by using a food
processor and stove. However, there is a risk of fire if your
Sim doesn’t have at least two Cooking Skill points.
Comfort Bed, Chairs Sims will sleep anywhere when they are tired, but a bed
is highly recommended for sleeping, and you’ll need chairs
(for eating and working at the computer), and a couch for
napping. A bathtub provides a little extra comfort for
your Sims, but it isn’t critical, provided you have a shower.
Hygiene Sink, Shower Dirty Sims spend a lot of time waving their arms in the air
to disperse their body odor. Not a pretty sight.
Fortunately, a sink and shower go a long way toward
improving their state of mind (not to mention the smell).
Bladder Toilet When you gotta go, you gotta go. Sims prefer using a
toilet, but if one is not available, they will relieve
themselves on the floor. This not only causes great shame
and embarrassment, but someone in your family will have
to clean up the mess. It’s also very bad for your Hygiene levels.
Energy Bed If you don’t want to spawn a family of insomniacs, buy a
sufficient number of beds for your Sims. A shot of coffee
or espresso provides a temporary Energy boost, but it is
definitely not a long-term solution.
Fun TV The boob tube is the easiest and cheapest way to give
your Sims a break from their daily grinds. You can add
other, more exciting, items later, but this is your best
choice early on.
Social Telephone Ignore this for a short time while you focus on setting up
your house. However, don’t force your Sims into a solitary
lifestyle. Other Sims may walk by the house, but you’ll
have better results after buying a telephone, so that you can
invite people over and gain Social points when they arrive.
Room Windows, Lamps, Sims like plenty of light, from windows during the day
Decorations, and artificial lighting at night. Table Lamps are the
Landscaping cheapest, but they can only be placed on raised surfaces.
As your game progresses, you can add decorations and
landscaping to boost the Room score.

Sims Can Be Hard to Please

Given a fat bank account, it would seem that you can always cheer up your Sims with a few expensive
purchases. Not exactly. While you are spending your hard-earned Simoleans, the Sims are busy
comparing everything that you buy to everything they already own. If you fail to keep your Sims in the
manner to which they are accustomed, their responses to your new objects may be indifferent or even
downright negative. Every time you make a purchase, the game uses an assessment formula to calculate
your Sim’s response. The logic goes like this:
61
 ™

Fig. 6-3. Compared

to the §2,100 “Snails
With Icicles in Nose,”
Your Diminishing Net Worth
this §45 clown When times are tough, you may need to raise cash
picture doesn’t quite by selling objects in your house. With rare
stack up. exception, you will never match your initial
investment, thanks to instant depreciation, and as
time goes on, your belongings continue to lose
value until they reach their depreciation limits. The
following table lists every object in The Sims
(alphabetically), including purchase price and
depreciated values.

• Calculates the average value of

everything in your house (including
outdoor items).
• Subtracts 10 percent of the new object’s
Although depreciation reduces the value of
value for each existing copy of the same your furnishings over time, there is a buyer’s
item. Don’t expect your family members remorse period when you can return the item
to jump for joy if you add a hot tub to for full value (if it has been less than 24 hours
every room in the house. since you purchased it). So, if you have second
• Compares the value of the new object thoughts about that new hot tub, simply select
with all existing objects in your house. If the item and hit the Delete key to get your
the new purchase is worth 20 percent or money back.
more above the average value of current
items, the Sim exhibits a positive
response by clapping.
• If the new object is within 20 percent
Fig. 6-4. This
(above or below) of the current average Pyrotorre Gas
value of all items in your household, the Range is §1,000
Sim gives you an uninspired shrug. new, but after
• If the new object is less than 20 percent depreciation it’s
worth only §790.
below the average value, your Sim waves
it off and you’ll see a red X through the
object.

62
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Object Depreciation
Name Purchase Price Initial Depreciation Daily Depreciation Depreciation Limit
Alarm: Burglar §250 §62 §2 §50
Alarm: Smoke §50 §12 §0 §10
Aquarium §200 §30 §2 §80
Bar §800 §120 §8 §320
Barbecue §350 §70 §4 §105
Basketball Hoop §650 §98 §6 §260
(Cheap Eaze)
Bed: Double §450 §68 §4 §180
Bed: Double (Mission) §3,000 §450 §30 §1,200
Bed: Double (Napoleon) §1,000 §150 §10 §400
Bed: Single (Spartan) §300 §45 §3 §120
Bed: Single (Tyke Nyte) §450 §68 §4 §180
Bench: Garden §250 §38 §2 §100
Bookshelf: Amishim §500 §75 §5 §200
Bookshelf: Libri di Regina §900 §135 §9 §360
Bookshelf: Pine §250 §38 §2 §100
Chair: Deck (Survivall) §150 §22 §2 §60
Chair: Dining (Empress) §600 §90 §6 §240
Chair: Dining §1,200 §180 §12 §480
(Parisienne)
Chair: Dining (Teak) §200 §30 §2 §80
Chair: Dining §80 §12 §1 §32
(Werkbunnst)
Chair: Living Room §450 §68 §4 §180
(Citronel)
Chair: Living Room §250 §38 §2 §100
(Country Class)
Chair: Living Room §500 §75 §5 §200
(Sarrbach)
Chair: Living Room §80 §12 §1 §32
(Wicker)
Chair: Office §100 §15 §1 §40

63
 ™

Name Purchase Price Initial Depreciation Daily Depreciation Depreciation Limit

Chair: Recliner §250 §38 §2 §100
(Back Slack)
Chair: Recliner §850 §128 §8 §340
(Von Braun)
Chess Set §500 §75 §5 §200
Clock: Alarm §30 §4 §0 §12
Clock: Grandfather §3,500 §525 §35 §1,400
Coffee: Espresso §450 §90 §4 §135
Machine
Coffeemaker §85 §17 §1 §26
Computer §2,800 §700 §28 §560
(Brahma 2000)
Computer (Marco) §6,500 §1,625 §65 §1,300
Computer (Microscotch) §1,800 §450 §18 §360
Computer (Moneywell) §999 §250 §10 §200
Counter: Bath §400 §60 §4 §160
(Count Blanc)
Counter: Kitchen §800 §120 §8 §320
(Barcelona: In)
Counter: Kitchen §800 §120 §8 §320
(Barcelona: Out)
Counter: Kitchen §150 §22 §2 §60
(NuMica)
Counter: Kitchen (Tiled) §250 §38 §2 §100
Desk (Cupertino) §220 §33 §2 §88
Desk (Mesquite) §80 §12 §1 §32
Desk (Redmond) §800 §120 §8 §320
Dishwasher §550 §110 §6 §165
(Dish Duster)
Dishwasher §950 §190 §10 §285
(Fuzzy Logic)
Dollhouse §180 §27 §2 §72
Dresser §1,200 §180 §12 §480
(Antique Armoire)
Dresser (Kinderstuff) §300 §45 §3 §120

64
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Name Purchase Price Initial Depreciation Daily Depreciation Depreciation Limit
Dresser (Oak Armoire) §550 §82 §6 §220
Dresser (Pinegulcher) §250 §38 §2 §100
Easel §250 §38 §2 §100
Exercise Machine §700 §105 §7 §280
Flamingo §12 §2 §0 §5
Food Processor §220 §44 §2 §66
Fountain §700 §105 §7 §280
Fridge (Freeze Secret) §2,500 §500 §25 §750
Fridge (Llamark) §600 §120 §6 §180
Fridge (Porcina) §1,200 §240 §12 §360
Hot Tub §6,500 §1,300 §65 §1,950
Lamp: Floor (Halogen) §50 §8 §0 §20
Lamp: Floor (Lumpen) §100 §15 §1 §40
Lamp: Floor §350 §52 §4 §140
(Torchosteronne)
Lamp: Garden §50 §7 §1 §20
Lamp: Love n’ Haight §80 §12 §1 §32
Lava
Lamp: Table (Antique) §300 §45 §3 §120
Lamp: Table (Bottle) §25 §4 §0 §10
Lamp: Table (Ceramiche) §85 §13 §1 §34
Lamp: Table (Elite) §180 §27 §2 §72
Medicine Cabinet §125 §19 §1 §50
Microwave §250 §50 §2 §75
Mirror: Floor §150 §22 §2 §60
Mirror: Wall §100 §15 §1 §40
Phone: Tabletop §50 §12 §0 §10
Phone: Wall §75 §19 §1 §15
Piano §3,500 §525 §35 §1,400
Pinball Machine §1,800 §450 §18 §360
Plant: Big (Cactus) §150 §22 §2 §60
Plant: Big (Jade) §160 §24 §2 §64
Plant: Big (Rubber) §120 §18 §1 §48

65
 ™

Name Purchase Price Initial Depreciation Daily Depreciation Depreciation Limit

Plant: Small (Geranium) §45 §7 §0 §18
Plant: Small (Spider) §35 §5 §0 §14
Plant: Small (Violets) §30 §4 §0 §12
Play Structure §1,200 §180 §12 §480
Pool Table §4,200 §630 §42 §1,680
Shower §650 §130 §6 §195
Sink: Bathroom Pedestal §400 §80 §4 §120
Sink: Kitchen (Double) §500 §100 §5 §150
Sink: Kitchen (Single) §250 §50 §2 §75
Sofa (Blue Pinstripe) §400 §60 §4 §160
Sofa (Contempto) §200 §30 §2 §80
Sofa (Country) §450 §68 §4 §180
Sofa (Deiter) §1,100 §165 §11 §440
Sofa (Dolce) §1,450 §218 §14 §580
Sofa (Recycled) §180 §27 §2 §72
Sofa (SimSafari) §220 §33 §2 §88
Sofa: Loveseat §360 §54 §4 §144
(Blue Pinstripe)
Sofa: Loveseat §150 §22 §2 §60
(Contempto)
Sofa: Loveseat §340 §51 §3 §136
(Country)
Sofa: Loveseat §160 §24 §2 §64
(Indoor-Outdoor)
Sofa: Loveseat §875 §131 §9 §350
(Luxuriare)
Stereo (Strings) §2,550 §638 §26 §510
Stereo (Zimantz) §650 §162 §6 §130
Stereo: Boom Box §100 §25 §1 §20
Stove (Dialectric) §400 §80 §4 §120
Stove (Pyrotorre) §1,000 §200 §10 §300
Table: Dining §200 §30 §2 §80
(Colonial)
Table: Dining (Mesa) §450 §68 §4 §180

66
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Name Purchase Price Initial Depreciation Daily Depreciation Depreciation Limit
Table: Dining (NuMica) §95 §14 §1 §38
Table: Dining §1,200 §180 §12 §480
(Parisienne)
Table: End (Anywhere) §120 §18 §1 §48
Table: End (Imperious) §135 §20 §1 §54
Table: End (KinderStuff) §75 §11 §1 §30
Table: End (Mission) §250 §38 §2 §100
Table: End (Pinegulcher) §40 §6 §0 §16
Table: End (Sumpto) §300 §45 §3 §120
Table: End (Wicker) §55 §8 §1 §22
Table: Outdoor §200 §30 §2 §80
(Backwoods)
Toaster Oven §100 §20 §1 §30
Toilet (Flush Force) §1,200 §240 §12 §360
Toilet (Hygeia-O-Matic) §300 §60 §3 §90
Tombstone/Urn §5 §1 §0 §2
Toy Box §50 §8 §0 §20
Train Set: Large §955 §239 §10 §191
Train Set: Small §80 §20 §1 §16
Trash Compactor §375 §75 §4 §112
Tub (Hydrothera) §3,200 §640 §32 §960
Tub (Justa) §800 §160 §8 §240
Tub (Sani-Queen) §1,500 §300 §15 §450
TV (Monochrome) §85 §21 §1 §17
TV (Soma) §3,500 §875 §35 §700
TV (Trottco) §500 §125 §5 §100
VR Glasses §2,300 §575 §23 §460

67
 ™

The Sims Buying Guide

The following sections represent the eight item
categories that appear when you click the Buy Chair placement is critical, especially around
tables. A Sim will not move a chair sideways,
Mode button on the control panel. We’ve added a
only forward and backward. So, position the
few subcategories to make it easier to find a chair properly or the Sim will not be able to use
specific object. The Efficiency Value (1–10) indicates the table (or what is on it). Also, be careful not
how well the item satisfies each Motive. You get to trap a Sim in a corner when a chair is pulled
what you pay for in The Sims, so an §80 chair out. For example, if a child is playing with a
doesn’t quite stack up to an §850 recliner when it train set in the corner of the room, and another
comes to boosting your Comfort level, and it Sim pulls out a chair to use the computer, the
cannot restore Energy. child would be trapped in the corner until the
computer user is finished.
Seating
Chairs Werkbunnst All-Purpose Chair
There are three types of chairs in The Sims:
Type: Movable
movable, stationary, and reclining. Any chair will
function at a desk or table for eating and using Cost: §80
objects. If your budget is tight, you can also use
cheaper chairs for watching TV or reading, but Motive: Comfort (2)
their Comfort ratings are very low. You can use
high-ticket dining room chairs at the computer,
but that is probably overkill. You are better off
placing them in the dining room where you
receive greater benefit from their
enhanced Room ratings.
Stationary chairs are cushier and
nicely upholstered (depending Posture Plus Office Chair
on your taste, of course), and
they usually provide more Type: Movable
comfort. Finally, the reclining
chairs are top of the line, giving Cost: §100
you increased comfort and the
Motive: Comfort (3)
added benefit of being able to
catch a few Zs in the reclining
position.

68
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Deck Chair by Survivall Parisienne Dining Chair
Type: Movable Type: Movable
Cost: §150 Cost: §1,200
Motive: Comfort (3) Motives: Comfort (6),
Room (3)

Touch of Teak Dinette Chair Sioux City Wicker Chair

Type: Movable Type: Stationary

Cost: §200 Cost: §80
Motive: Comfort (3) Motive: Comfort (2)

Empress Dining Room Chair Country Class Armchair

Type: Movable Type: Stationary

Cost: §600 Cost: §250
Motives: Comfort (4), Motive: Comfort (4)
Room (2)

69
 ™

“Citronel” from Chiclettina Inc. “Von Braun” Recliner

Type: Stationary Type: Recliner

Cost: §450 Cost: §850
Motive: Comfort (6) Motives: Comfort (9),
Energy (3)

Couches
Sitting down is fine for reading, eating, or
working, but for serious vegging, your Sims need a
“The Sarrbach” by Werkbunnst good couch. When selecting a couch, function is
more important than quality. If you are looking for
Type: Stationary a place to take naps, pay more attention to the
Energy rating than the Comfort or Room ratings. A
Cost: §500 multipurpose couch should have good Energy and
Motive: Comfort (6) Comfort ratings. However, if you are furnishing
your party area, select one that looks good,
thereby enhancing your Room rating. Stay away
from the cheapest couches (under §200). For a few
extra dollars, a medium-priced couch will make
your Sims a lot happier. When you’re flush with
Simoleans, don’t forget to dress up your garden
with the outdoor bench. You can’t sleep on it, but
it looks great.

“Back Slack” Recliner Contempto Loveseat

Type: Recliner Cost: §150

Cost: §250 Motives: Comfort (3),
Energy (4)
Motives: Comfort (6),
Energy (3)

70
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Indoor-Outdoor Loveseat SimSafari Sofa

Cost: §160 Cost: §220

Motives: Comfort (3), Motives: Comfort (3),
Energy (4) Energy (5)

Recycled Couch Parque Fresco del Aire Bench

Cost: §180 Cost: §250

Motives: Comfort (2), Motive: Comfort (2)
Energy (5)

Contempto Couch Country Class Loveseat

Cost: §200 Cost: §340

Motives: Comfort (3), Motives: Comfort (5),
Energy (5) Energy (4)

71
 ™

Pinstripe Loveseat from Zecutime Luxuriare Loveseat

Cost: §360 Cost: §875

Motives: Comfort (5), Motives: Comfort (8),
Energy (4) Energy (4), Room (2)

Pinstripe Sofa from Zecutime “The Deiter” by Werkbunnst

Cost: §400 Cost: §1,100

Motives: Comfort (5), Motives: Comfort (8),
Energy (5) Energy (5), Room (3)

Country Class Sofa Dolce Tutti Frutti Sofa

Cost: §450 Cost: §1,450

Motives: Comfort (5), Motives: Comfort (9),
Energy (5) Energy (5), Room (3)

72
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Beds Tyke Nyte Bed
Getting enough sleep can be one of the most
frustrating goals in The Sims, especially if there is Cost: §450
a new baby in the house, or your car pool arrives
at some ungodly hour of the morning. In the early Motives: Comfort (7),
stages of a game, it is not important to spend a Energy (7)
bundle of money on a designer bed. However, an
upgrade later on is well worth the money,
because a top-of-the-line bed recharges your
Energy bar faster.

Spartan Special Napoleon Sleigh Bed

Cost: §300 Cost: §1,000

Motives: Comfort (6), Motives: Comfort (8),
Energy (7) Energy (9)

Cheap Eazzzzze Double Sleeper Modern Mission Bed

Cost: §450 Cost: §3,000

Motives: Comfort (7), Motives: Comfort (9),
Energy (8) Energy (10), Room (3)

73
 ™

Surfaces Count Blanc Bathroom Counter

Sims will eat or read standing up if they have to,
but they won’t be particularly happy about it. Cost: §400
Sitting at a table while eating a meal bolsters a
Motive: None
Sim’s Comfort. Since your Sims have to eat to
satisfy Hunger, they might as well improve
Comfort, too. Many objects require elevated
surfaces, so allow enough room for nightstands
(alarm clock, lamps), tables (computer), and
countertops (microwave, coffeemaker, etc.), when
you design the interior of your house. Also, your
Sims cannot prepare food on a table, so provide
ample countertop space in the kitchen, or you may
find them wandering into the bathroom to chop
veggies on the counter (hair in the soup—yummy!).
“Barcelona” Outcurve Counter
Countertops Cost: §800
NuMica Kitchen Counter
Motive: Room (2)
Cost: §150
Motive: None

Tiled Counter “Barcelona” Incurve Counter

Cost: §250 Cost: §800

Motive: None Motive: Room (2)

74
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
End Tables Imperious Island End Table
Pinegulcher End Table
Cost: §135
Cost: §40 Motive: None
Motive: None

Wicker Breeze End Table Modern Mission End Table

Cost: §55 Cost: §250

Motive: None Motive: Room (1)

“Anywhere” End Table Sumpto End Table

Cost: §120 Cost: §300

Motive: None Motive: Room (1)

75
 ™

KinderStuff Nightstand “Colonial Legacy” Dining Table

Cost: §75 Cost: §200

Motive: None Motive: None

Desks/Tables
Mesquite Desk/Table Backwoods Table by Survivall

Cost: §80 Cost: §200

Motive: None Motive: None

NuMica Folding Card Table London “Cupertino” Collection Desk/Table

Cost: §95 Cost: §220

Motive: None Motive: None

76
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
London “Mesa” Dining Design Decorative
After the essential furnishings are in place, you can
Cost: §450 improve your Room score by adding decorative
objects. Some items, such as the grandfather clock
Motive: Room (2)
and aquarium, require regular maintenance, but
most decorative items exist solely for your Sims’
viewing pleasure. You might even get lucky and
buy a painting or sculpture that increases in value.
In addition to enhancing the Room score, the
aquarium and fountain have Fun value.

The “Redmond” Desk/Table Pink Flamingo

Cost: §800 Cost: §12

Motive: Room (2) Motive: Room (2)

African Violet
Parisienne Dining Table Cost: §30
Motive: Room (1)
Cost: §1,200
Motive: Room (3)

77
 ™

Spider Plant Watercolor by J.M.E.

Cost: §35 Cost: §75

Motive: Room (1) Motive: Room (1)

“Roxana” Geranium Rubber Tree Plant

Cost: §45 Cost: §120

Motive: Room (1) Motive: Room (2)

“Tragic Clown” Painting Echinopsis maximus Cactus

Cost: §45 Cost: §150

Motive: Room (1) Motive: Room (2)

78
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Jade Plant “Delusion de Grandeur”

Cost: §160 Cost: §360

Motive: Room (2) Motive: Room (2)

Poseidon’s Adventure Aquarium “Fountain of Tranquility”

Cost: §200 Cost: §700

Motive: Fun (1), Room (2) Motives: Fun (1), Room (2)

“Bi-Polar” by Conner I.N. Landscape #12,001 by Manny Kopees

Cost: §240 Cost: §750

Motive: Room (2) Motive: Room (3)

79
 ™

Bust of Athena by Klassick Repro. Inc. Portrait Grid by Payne A. Pitcher

Cost: §875 Cost: §3,200

Motive: Room (3) Motive: Room (8)

“Scylla and Charybdis” Grandfather Clock

Cost: §1,450 Cost: §3,500

Motive: Room (4) Motive: Room (7)

Snails With Icicles in Nose Blue China Vase

Cost: §2,140 Cost: §4,260

Motive: Room (5) Motive: Room (7)

80
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
“Still Life, Drapery and Crumbs”

Cost: §7,600
Electronic items can break down on a regular
Motive: Room (9) basis, so it is a good idea to bone up on
Mechanical Skills. Until you have a qualified fix-
it Sim in the house, you’ll be shelling out §50
an hour for a repairman.

FireBrand Smoke Detector

Cost: §50
Motive: None
“Large Black Slab” by ChiChi Smith

Cost: §12,648
Motive: Room (10)

Notes: Each detector covers one room. At the very least, place a
detector in any room that has a stove or fireplace.

SimSafety IV Burglar Alarm

Cost: §250
Motive: None
Electronics
This game offers a veritable potpourri of high-tech
gadgetry, ranging from potentially lifesaving items
such as smoke detectors to nonessential purchases
such as pinball games or virtual reality headsets.
Beyond the critical electronics items—smoke
detectors, telephone for receiving calls or calling
Notes: An alarm unit covers one room, but an outside alarm
services and friends, TV for cheap fun, and
computer for finding a job—you should focus on covers an area within five tiles of the house. The police are
items with group activity potential, especially if called immediately when the alarm goes off.
you like socializing and throwing parties.

81
 ™

SCTC BR-8 Standard Telephone Televisions

Buying a TV is the easiest way to put a little fun
Cost: §50 into your Sims’ lives, and it is a group activity. You
can maximize the effect by matching the program
Motive: None
category with your Sim’s personality, as noted in
the following table.

Personality Favorite TV Show

Active Action
Grouchy (low nice) Horror
Notes: This phone needs a surface, so it’s less accessible. Best Outgoing Romance
location is in the kitchen; stick with wall phones in the rest of Playful Cartoon
the house.
SCTC Cordless Wall Phone Your TV will eventually break down, especially
if you have a family of couch potatoes. Do not
attempt to repair the TV unless your Sim has at
Cost: §75 least one Mechanical Skill point (three is even
Motive: None better). If your Sim doesn’t have the proper
training, poking around inside the TV will result
in electrocution.

Notes: Place these phones wherever your Sims spend a lot of time.
Monochrome TV

Urchineer Train Set by Rip Co. Cost: §85

Motive: Fun (2)
Cost: §80
Motive: Fun (2)

Notes: Strictly for tight budgets, but it gives your Sims a little
mindless fun.
Notes: Group activity; can only be used by kids.

82
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Trottco 27” Color Television B94U “Down Wit Dat” Boom Box
Cost: §100
Cost: §500
Motive: Fun (2)
Motive: Fun (4)

Notes: An inexpensive way to start a party in your front yard.

Notes: A lazy Sim’s favorite activity is watching TV.

Zimantz Component Hi-Fi Stereo

Soma Plasma TV Cost: §650
Motive: Fun (3)
Cost: §3,500
Motive: Fun (6), Room (2)

Notes: Perfect for your big party room.

Notes: It’s expensive, but it provides instant entertainment for a Strings Theory Stereo
full house.
Cost: §2,550
Motives: Fun (5), Room (3)
Stereos
Dancing to the music is a great group activity,
especially for Sims with effervescent personalities
(although it is perfectly acceptable to dance
alone). When a Sim dances with a houseguest, it
increases both their Fun and Social ratings. You
can personalize The Sims by placing your own MP3 Notes: The ultimate party machine, this is the only stereo that
files in the Music/Stations directory. enhances your Room score.

83
 ™

Computers The Brahma 2000

A computer is a Sim’s best tool for finding a job.
The computer has three job postings every day, Cost: §2,800
making it three times as productive as the
newspaper employment ads. Aside from career Motive: Fun (7), Study
search, the computer provides entertainment for
the entire family, and it helps the kids keep their
grades up (better chance of cash rewards from the
grandparents). Playful and lazy Sims love the
computer. However, if only serious Sims occupy
your house, you can grab a newspaper and let the
age of technology pass you by.
Notes: More than twice the fun of a basic computer.

Moneywell Computer Meet Marco

Cost: §999 Cost: §6,500

Motive: Fun (3), Study Motive: Fun (9), Study

Notes: All you need is a basic computer for job searching. Notes: For Sim power users—the family will fight for playing
time on this beast.

OCD Systems SimRailRoad Town

Microscotch Covetta Q628-1500JA
Cost: §955
Cost: §1,800
Motive: Fun (4), Room (3)
Motive: Fun (5), Study

Notes: You need a large area for this train table, but it is an excellent
Notes: More power translates into better gaming. group activity and it gives a serious boost to your Room score.

84
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
“See Me, Feel Me” Pinball Machine Mr. Regular-Joe Coffee

Cost: §1,800 Cost: §85

Motive: Fun (5) Motive: Bladder (-1),
Energy (1)

Notes: Build a big family room and add a pinball machine to Notes: Only adults can partake of the coffee rush. The effects
keep your guests occupied for hours. are temporary, but sometimes it’s the only way to get rolling.

SSRI Virtual Reality Set Gagmia Simore Espresso Machine

Cost: §2,300 Cost: §450

Motive: Fun (7) Motive: Bladder (-2),

Energy (2), Fun (1)

Notes: Playful Sims have been known to don VR glasses on their Notes: If you want a morning jolt, espresso is the way to go.
way to the bathroom (even with full bladders). For grins, wait You’ll fill your bladder twice as fast as with regular coffee, but it
until a Sim puts on the glasses, then immediately issue another is a small price to pay for more energy and a splash of fun.
command. The Sim head on the control panel will wear the
glasses for the duration of your game.

Appliances
With the exception of the dishwasher and trash
compactor, the Sim appliances are all devoted to
the creation of food or java. At a bare minimum,
you need refrigeration. However, if you want your
Sims to eat like royalty, train at least one family
member in the gentle art of cooking and provide
that Sim with the latest in culinary tools.

85
 ™

Brand Name Toaster Oven The “Pyrotorre” Gas Range

Cost: §100 Cost: §1,000

Motive: Hunger (1) Motive: Hunger (7)

Notes: This little roaster is better at starting fires than cooking Notes: A skilled chef can create works of art on this stove.
food. Improve your Cooking Skills and buy a real oven. Until
then, use a microwave.

Positive Potential Microwave

Cost: §250
Motive: Hunger (2) Although an expensive stove enhances your Sim
meals, it is only one of three steps in the
cooking process. To maximize the potential of
your stove, you need an excellent refrigerator
for storage, and a food processor for efficient
preparation.

Notes: You can warm up your food without burning the house down.
Wild Bill THX-451 Barbecue
Dialectric Free Standing Range
Cost: §400 Cost: §350
Motive: Hunger (5) Motive: Hunger (4)

Notes: After raising your Cooking Skills to three or above, you Notes: Only experienced adult chefs should fire up the barbecue.
can create nutritious (and satisfying) meals on this stove. Be careful not to position the grill near flammable items.

86
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
XLR8R Food Processor Dish Duster Deluxe
Cost: §550
Cost: §220
Motive: Dirty dishes
Motive: Hunger (2) lower your Room score.

Notes: Kids can’t use the dishwasher, but it still cuts cleanup
Notes: A food processor speeds up meal preparation and time considerably, and the countertop can be used for placing
enhances food quality. other items (sorry, no eating allowed).
Junk Genie Trash Compactor
Fuzzy Logic Dishwasher
Cost: §375 Cost: §950

Motive: None Motive: Dirty dishes

lower your Room score.

Notes: A compactor holds more garbage than a trash can, and Notes: The Cadillac of dishwashers cleans up kitchen messes in a
even when it is full, it will not degrade the Room rating because snap. This model has fewer breakdowns than the Dish Duster.
the trash is concealed.
Llamark Refrigerator
Cost: §600
Motive: Hunger (6)

Notes: This model is sufficient while your Sims are building up

their Cooking Skills.

87
 ™

Porcina Refrigerator Model P1g-S Hydronomic Kitchen Sink

Cost: §1,200 Cost: §250

Motive: Hunger (7) Motive: Hygiene (2)

Notes: This model produces more satisfying food for your Sims. Notes: Without it the Sims would be washing dishes in the bathroom.

Epikouros Kitchen Sink

Freeze Secret Refrigerator Cost: §500
Cost: §2,500
Motive: Hygiene (3)
Motive: Hunger (8)

Notes: It’s twice as big as the single, but a dishwasher is a

Notes: The best place to store your food. When it’s matched with better investment.
a food processor, gas stove, and an experienced chef, your Sims
will be licking their lips.
“Andersonville” Pedestal Sink
Cost: §400

Plumbing Motive: Hygiene (2)

Sims can’t carry buckets to the well for their
weekly bath, and the outhouse hasn’t worked in
years, so install various plumbing objects to
maintain a clean, healthy environment. Of
course, not every plumbing object is essential,
but you can’t beat a relaxing hour in the hot tub
with a few of your closest friends (or casual Notes: Neat Sims like to wash their hands after using the toilet.
acquaintances).

88
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Hygeia-O-Matic Toilet SpaceMiser Shower
Cost: §650
Cost: §300
Motive: Hygiene (6)
Motive: Bladder (8)

Notes: This is basic equipment in a Sims bathroom. One Sim can

Notes: Hey, your only other option is the floor.
shower at a time, and the neat ones tend to linger longer than
the sloppy ones. Sims are generally shy if they are not in love
with a housemate, so you may need more than one shower (and
bathroom) to prevent a traffic jam in the bathroom.
Flush Force 5 XLT
Cost: §1,200
Motives: Comfort (4), Justa Bathtub
Bladder (8) Cost: §800
Motives: Comfort (3),
Hygiene (6)

Notes: Your Sims can’t go to the ballpark to get a good seat, but
they can sit in a lap of luxury in the bathroom.

Notes: Your Sims get a double benefit

from a relaxing bath when they have a
little extra time.

89
 ™

Sani-Queen Bathtub Lighting

Cost: §1,500 Sims love natural light, so make sure the sun shines
through your windows from every direction. And,
Motives: Comfort (5), when the sun goes down, your Sims need plenty of
Hygiene (8) lighting on the walls, floors, and tables to
illuminate their world until bedtime. Although
only three lamps listed below have direct impact
on the Room score, all of the lamps have a
collective effect when spread evenly throughout
the home. Pay special attention to key activity
areas in the kitchen, family room, bedrooms, and
Notes: Almost twice the price, but the added Comfort and
of course, the bathroom.
Hygiene points are worth it.

Hydrothera Bathtub

Cost: §3,200
Motives: Comfort (8),
Hygiene (10)
Lamp bulbs burn out with use, and they must
be replaced. Sims can replace their own bulbs,
but without Mechanical Skills, they run the
risk of electrocution. Hiring a repairman is
another option, but at §50 per hour, this can
be very costly.
Notes: The most fun a Sim can have alone. Save your Simoleans,
buy it, and listen to sounds of relaxation.

WhirlWizard Hot Tub

Cost: §6,500
Table Lamps
Bottle Lamp
Motives: Comfort (6),
Hygiene (2), Fun (2) Cost: §25
Motive: None

Notes: Up to four adult Sims can relax, mingle, and begin lasting
relationships in the hot tub.

90
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Love n’ Haight Lava Lamp SC Electric Co. Antique Lamp

Cost: §80 Cost: §300

Motive: Room (2) Motive: Room (1)

Floor Lamps
Ceramiche Table Lamp
Halogen Heaven Lamp by Contempto
Cost: §85 Cost: §50
Motive: None Motive: None

Elite Reflections Chrome Lamp Lumpen Lumeniat Floor Lamp

Cost: §180 Cost: §100

Motive: None Motive: None

91
 ™

Torchosteronne Floor Lamp Top Brass Sconce

Cost: §350 Cost: §110

Motive: Room (1) Motive: None

Wall Lamps
White Globe Sconce Blue Plate Special Sconce

Cost: §35 Cost: §135

Motive: None Motive: None

Outside Lamp
Oval Glass Sconce Garden Lamp (Outdoor Use Only)

Cost: §85 Cost: §50

Motive: None Motive: None

92
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Miscellaneous Magical Mystery Toy Box
We’re down to the objects that are hard to fit Cost: §50
into a category—everything from bookcases to
beverage bars. Don’t make the mistake of Motive: Fun (2)
ignoring these items because you think they’re
luxuries; your Sim’s life would be extremely
difficult without a trash can, alarm clock, and
bookcase. Plus, if you want to improve your Sim’s
Charisma and Body ratings, you’ll need a mirror
and exercise machine. So, once you install the
basic objects in your house, look to the
Notes: A good entertainment alternative if your kids are getting
Miscellaneous category for objects that take your
Sim’s lifestyle to the next level. bleary-eyed in front of the computer.

SnoozMore Alarm Clock Narcisco Wall Mirror

Cost: §30
Cost: §100
Motive: None
Motive: Improves
Charisma

Notes: After you set the clock, it will ring two hours before the
Notes: Adults can Practice speech in front of the mirror to
carpool arrives for every working Sim in your house.
improve their Charisma.
Trash Can Medicine Cabinet
Cost: §30 Cost: §125

Motive: None Motive: Hygiene (1),

Improves Charisma

Notes: Without a place to put trash, your Sim house will become Notes: Your Sims can Practice speech in the bathroom and
a fly-infested hovel. improve their Hygiene at the same time.

93
 ™

Narcisco Floor Mirror “Dimanche” Folding Easel

Cost: §150 Cost: §250

Motive: Improves Motive: Fun (2), Improves

Charisma Creativity

Notes: Place this mirror anywhere to practice Charisma without Notes: With practice, a Sim can improve Creativity, and
locking other Sims out of the bathroom. eventually sell a picture for up to §166.

Pinegulcher Dresser
Will Lloyd Wright Doll House
Cost: §250
Cost: §180
Motive: None
Motive: Fun (2)

Notes: A Sim can change into various formal, work, and leisure
Notes: An engaging group activity for kids and adults.
outfits, and even acquire a new body type.
Cheap Pine Bookcase Kinderstuff Dresser
Cost: §250 Cost: §300
Motive: Fun (1), Improve Motive: None
Cooking, Mechanical, and
Study Skills

Notes: Reading books is the best way to prevent premature Notes: Kids like to dress up too!
death from fires or electrocution.

94
 Chapter 6: MATERIAL SIMS
Amishim Bookcase SuperDoop Basketball Hoop
Cost: §650
Cost: §500
Motive: Fun (4)
Motive: Fun (2), Improves
Cooking, Mechanical, and
Study Skills

Notes: Active Sims love to play hoops, and any visitor is

Notes: This expensive bookcase awards Skill points at the same
welcome to join the fun. A Sim with higher Body points
rate as the cheaper one.
performs better on the court.
Chuck Matewell Chess Set ”Exerto” Benchpress Exercise Machine
Cost: §500
Cost: §700
Motive: Fun (2), Improves
Logic Motive: Improves Body

Notes: Serious Sims gain the most Fun points by playing, and
any two Sims can improve Logic by playing each other. Notes: Adult Sims can bulk up their Body points with exercise sessions.

Traditional Oak Armoire Bachman Wood Beverage Bar

Cost: §550 Cost: §800
Motive: Room (1) Motive: Hunger (1), Fun
(3), Room (2)

Notes: This dresser allows your Sim to change clothes (body Notes: Every drink lowers the Bladder score, but adult Sims like
skins). The choices vary, depending upon the Sim’s current outfit. to make drinks for themselves and friends. Kids can grab a soda
from the fridge.
95
 ™

Libri di Regina Bookcase Chimeway & Daughters Piano

Cost: §900 Cost: §3,500

Motive: Fun (3), Improves Motive: Fun (4), Room (3),
Cooking, Mechanical, and Improves Creativity
Study Skills

Notes: This stylish bookcase is perfect for a swanky Sim pad, but Notes: The most creative Sims will produce more beautiful
it still imparts Skill points at the same rate as the pine model. music. The better the music, the greater the chance that
listeners will like it. If a listener does not like the music, both
Antique Armoire Sims’ Relationship scores will deteriorate.
Cost: §1,200
Aristoscratch Pool Table
Motive: Room (2)
Cost: §4,200
Motive: Fun (6)

Notes: A more expensive version of the cheaper armoire, but it

adds twice as many Room points.
Notes: Up to two Sims use the table at the same time. Make
The Funinator Deluxe sure that you allow enough room for Sims to get to the table
and walk around it during play.
Cost: §1,200
Motive: Fun (5)

Notes: When the house is swarming with kids, send them

outside to raise their Fun bar and burn some energy.

96
 Chapter 7:
All in the family
 ™

Fig. 7-1. It’s hardly

Introduction the lap of luxury,
but you have
Up to this point, we’ve covered the mechanics of
everything you
The Sims. By now you should be familiar with
need to get a job,
creating families, building houses, buying objects, keep your sanity,
and getting jobs; and you should have consid- and learn how
erable insight into how a Sim thinks and acts. Now, to cook.
let’s put it all together and join several Sim
households in action. In this chapter we introduce
you to working Sims families, ranging from one-
Sim homes to larger households with kids and
babies. Finally, we take an in-depth look at one of
• Keep your house small, and place the
the toughest challenges in The Sims: building
front door close to the street. This allows
positive (and long-lasting) Relationships.
you to milk a few extra minutes out of
every morning before meeting the car
You Can Make It Alone pool.
The biggest difficulty in being a bachelor is that • The interior should include a bedroom,
you have to do everything yourself (sounds like bathroom, and living room. Rather than
real life, doesn’t it?). You’ll need to cook, clean, add a family room, use an outside patio
and improve your Skills, while at the same time area for Fun objects and an exercise
keep up with a work schedule and satisfy your machine. A Military career requires an
personal Motives. There’s always time for Fun, and ever-increasing number of Body Skill
a good sofa or easy chair will provide a measure of points.
Comfort. However, it’s impossible to socialize while
• Install only enough counter space to place
at work, and you will be frustrated watching
a food processor and prepare your meals.
neighbors drop by during the day and then leave
This leaves more space for a table and
when no one answers the door.
chairs. Buy at least two chairs so that you
can socialize with a friend while sharing a
The Single Sim’s Career meal.
As a lone Sim you must choose a job that has
• Without the space or the budget to buy
decent hours and light friendship demands. This
expensive sofas or recliners, get a top-of-
leaves a Military career as your only option. At
the-line bed, which enables your Sim to
most levels you work a six-hour day, and you won’t
get by on fewer hours of sleep. Buy an
need a single friend for the first five levels. A
inexpensive nightstand for an alarm
promotion to Level 6 requires one friend, but that
clock, and add a few wall lights to boost
can be established after you refine your schedule.
your Room score.
Designing a Bachelor Pad • You’ll need a computer for your job
There are several considerations when designing search, but keep in mind that you can
and furnishing a house for one Sim. Review the return it within 24 Sim-hours for a full
following checklist before you place your first refund. Find your Military job and then
wall stake. pack up the PC.

98
 Chapter 7: all in the family
• Buy an expensive refrigerator to Fig. 7-3. “We’re
maximize the quality of your food, but alone, the time is
don’t bother with a stove until your Sim perfect, and I’ve
learns how to cook. got grass stains on
my knee.”
• Because of your career, there’s no need to
socialize until you are up for promotion to
Level 6, so don’t waste money on living
room chairs or an expensive sofa. A cheap
TV will provide enough Fun for now.

Leaving the Single Life

Eventually you will tire of the solitary lifestyle,
Fig. 7-4. “Nope,
which, thanks to the romantic tendencies of most sorry, I can’t marry
Sims, is not a problem. The first step is friendship. you on an empty
After the Relationship bar tops 70, your Sim needs stomach. Besides,
to lay on the romance, with plenty of kissing and your current lover
hugging. Eventually, the Propose option will is hiding in
appear on the menu. the bushes.”

Fig. 7-2. The kissin’

and huggin’ pays
off; now it’s time to
pop the question.

Keep in mind that you have to create potential

mates, because the game won’t provide them. You
might as well choose compatible personalities, and
it doesn’t hurt to spend some time on career
development. Remember that another Sim can
also propose to you in his or her house; so unless
you want to change residences, hold the romantic
interludes at your place.
A marriage proposal can only take place in the
home of the proposer, so set the mood (you know,
empty your Bladder somewhere other than on the floor,
clean up yesterday’s dishes, and hide those overdue
bills). After accepting the proposal, your new spouse
moves into your place, along with a good job (a good After marriage, your Sim will still share a bed
thing) and plenty of money (a really good thing). But, with any other Sim with a high enough
proposing does not guarantee a positive response. For Friendship score (over 70), so don’t be surprised
if your Sim ends up on the couch when his
example, a Sim will never accept the proposal on an
buddy beats him to the sack.
empty stomach, so you might want to eat dinner first.

99
 ™

Fig. 7-5. When two

Sims decide to get
married, they
change clothes A three-way relationship makes it easier to
and complete
have babies. Not only are there additional
the ceremony
combinations for procreation, but you can also
within seconds.
have one of the working adults take a night
job, so there is a caregiver for the baby during
the day. Even with staggered schedules, there
will be at least one sleepless Sim until the baby
matures, so don’t get too complacent with this
arrangement.

Interestingly, if your future spouse already has

Married, with Children
After your Sims promise undying love and
children, and at least one adult still resides in his devotion to each other (or, at least until the next
or her original house, the kids stay. So, your new promotion), it’s time to have a baby. Actually, your
spouse arrives with job and bank account intact, Sims can live together for years without having
sans kids. What a deal! children, but if they do, you’ll be missing one of
That isn’t the only unusual aspect of married the The Sims’ most vexing experiences.
life in Sims-ville. Marriage is not sacred here, at
least not in the legal sense. A Sim can have Conception
multiple mates all living under the same roof, as The exercise of making a baby is similar to the
pictured in figure 7-6. The interpersonal dynamics steps taken to activate the marriage Proposal
can sometimes get a little dicey, but it’s workable, option. First, get a male and female Sim together,
and the extra income is great! and then concentrate on strengthening their
relationship. When both Sims are obviously
enjoying each other’s company, lay on the hugs
and kisses. Keep smooching until you receive the
option to have a baby, as pictured in figure 7-7.
Fig. 7-6. After the
Fig. 7-7. A little
wedding, our Sim
bundle of joy is just
bride goes to bed
a click away.
with her former
boyfriend.

100
 Chapter 7: all in the family
If you answer yes, a bassinet appears almost This mayhem continues for three Sim days,
instantly, amid an explosion of dandelions. The during which time the household will be in an
happy couple celebrates the new arrival, then they uproar. Forget about getting eight hours of beauty
quickly go back to their daily routine. This baby sleep. Designate one Sim as primary caregiver,
thing is a snap. Well, not exactly. preferably one who does not work, because the
baby’s cries wake any Sim in the room. The first
day is nonstop crying. By the second day, the baby
sleeps for a few hours at a time; take advantage of
Fig. 7-8. Yippee! It’s the break and send the caregiver to bed. As long
a boy! as you stay responsive, the baby evolves into a
runny-nosed kid, and the family can get back to
normal. However, if you spend too much time in
the hot tub and not enough time with the baby, a
social service worker will march into your house
and take the baby, as pictured in figure 7-10. You’ll
only receive one warning, so don’t take this
responsibility lightly.

Fig. 7-10. We hardly

knew the little tyke!
In short order, the little bundle of joy starts
screaming. A Sim will eventually respond to the
cries, but rather than wait, get someone to the
baby immediately. Clicking on the bassinet reveals
three options: Feed, Play, or Sing. When in doubt,
Feed the baby, but be prepared to come right
back with Play or Sing when the baby starts
wailing again.

Fig. 7-9. Kids do a

great job
entertaining the
baby during one
of its frequent
crying sessions. The bassinet appears near the spot where your
Sims made the decision to have a baby.
Although the Sims cannot move the bassinet,
you can use the Hand Tool to move it. Pick a
location that is isolated from other sleeping
areas, so the disturbance is kept to a minimum.

101
 ™

Building and Maintaining Finding Time to Socialize

After your Sim starts working, it’s difficult to find
Healthy Relationships time to call other Sims and arrange meetings.
Mornings are worst, although you have more
Gathering an ever-increasing number of friends is options if your neighborhood has several non-
critical for career advancement, especially at the working Sims. Your best bet is to start socializing
higher levels. It is also your Sims’ only way to build right after coming home from work. Take care of
up their Social scores and fend off frequent bouts personal needs first—Hygiene and Bladder—and
of depression. In this section we outline the steps then “Serve Dinner.” Don’t let a bad chef get near
required for finding potential friends, building up the stove; you can’t afford to waste time putting
positive feelings, and then maintaining healthy out a fire or your guests will leave. With a counter
relationships. full of food, your friends head straight for the
kitchen, where you can chat over a plate of Sim-
Talk Is Cheap grub and then plan the rest of your evening.
The easiest way to make friends is often
overlooked, because it is uneventful compared to Positive Social Events
other social events. However, you can almost After everyone is finished eating, take a little time
always initiate a conversation between Sims for pleasant conversation. In the case of the
(regardless of their Friendship scores), and keep it female Sims pictured in figure 7-11, there is a lot
going for a very long time. During this benign of fence mending to accomplish, because one just
exchange of thought balloons, you can usually stole the other’s love interest. But, Sims are
nudge the Friendship score in a positive direction. generally forgiving, and a quarrel can be mended
When starting from 0 it takes a few encounters to with a few drinks, a game of pool, or a long soak
get over 50 (true friendship), but once you reach in the hot tub.
this threshold, the action picks up considerably.
Our newly married Sims went from a score of 64 to Ideally, your house has an entertainment room
a marriage proposal in one evening. Although the with group activity items such as a pool table,
woman eventually declined because her stomach stereo, or beverage bar. After you get everyone into
was growling, she proposed the next day and the the room, keep them busy with a string of activities.
marriage was consummated. Even our former lovers can’t resist a dance when
the music starts playing, as pictured in figure 7-12.
Fig. 7-11. Keep Fig. 7-12. Our Sim
talking and your guy is enjoying this
Friendship score dance with his
will grow. former girlfriend,
although his current
wife will probably
slap him when the
music stops
playing (if she
can stay awake
long enough).

102
 Chapter 7: all in the family

Avoid close activities such as dancing, hugging, Visiting Sims generally hang around until 1:00
etc. when the current spouse or love interest is a.m. or later, which is undoubtedly past your
in the room. When the dance was over (figure bedtime. Direct your Sims to bed at the
7-12), our Sim wife did indeed slap her new appropriate time, or they may feel compelled
husband, causing her recently mended to hang out with their guests until well past
Relationship score with the other woman to midnight, as pictured in figure 7-14.
drop from +14 to –7.

One of the most difficult aspects of Fig. 7-14. Our host

entertaining in the evening is keeping the host Sim is still cleaning
from falling asleep on the floor. After a hard day’s up dishes when he
work, most Sims begin nodding out around 10:00 should be asleep.
p.m. You can squeeze a little extra time out of the
evening if they take a short nap after coming
home from work. Be prepared for a grouchy Sim
in the morning (figure 7-13) if the evening’s
festivities stretch too far into the night.
Fig. 7-13. Our tired
party girl hurries
off to the car pool
without a shower—
not a good way to
impress her Stockpiling Potential Friends
superiors. When your career advances to the top promotion
level, you need more than 10 friends in every
career except the Military. Hence, it’s a good idea
to create a few additional families early in the
game, and you might want to fill one house with
the maximum of eight Sims to dramatically
increase your pool.

After your guests arrive, you need to

micromanage your Sims so they don’t go off
and take care of their own needs. Obviously,
you must pay attention to a full Bladder, but
you can delay other actions by redirecting your
Sims to group activities. Break up the party
when your Sims are teetering on the edge of
exhaustion or they’ll fall asleep on the floor.

103
 ™

Guest Activities
There are three types of visitor activities: those
Visitors Coming and Going initiated by a family member, shared activities, and
The following tables include important autonomous activities where guests are on their
information on how and why visitors do the things own. The following sections and tables describe
they do. You may not be able to directly control each type.
your guests’ actions, but at least you won’t take it
personally when they decide to split. Activities Initiated by Family Member
One of the Sims under your control must prepare
Visitors’ Starting Motives food or turn on the TV before visitors can join in.
Motive Starting Value Turning on the TV takes a second, but you need a
Bladder 0 to 30 little prep time for a meal. It’s a good idea to
Comfort 30 to 70 begin meal preparation immediately after inviting
Energy 35 friends over.
Fun -20 to 20 Shared Activities
Hunger -30 to -20 A Sim can start any of the following activities and
Hygiene 90 then invite the participation of a guest.
Social -50 to -40

Object Visitors’ Involvement

In a perfect Sim-world, visitors leave your house Basketball Hoop Join
just past 1:00 a.m. However if one of their Motives Chess Join
falls into the danger zone, they will depart earlier. Dollhouse Watch
When this happens, the Sim’s thought balloon
Hot Tub Join
reveals a reason for the early exit.
Pinball Machine Join
Play Structure Join
Visitors’ Leaving Motives Piano Watch
Motive Drops Below This Value Pool Table Join
Bladder -90 Stereo Join, Dance
Comfort -70 Train Set Watch
Energy -80
Fun -55
Hunger -50
Hygiene -70
Mood -75
Room -100
Social -85

104
 Chapter 7: all in the family
Autonomous Activities Interaction Description
Visiting Sims can begin any of the following Back Rub When well-received, it is a good
transition into kissing and
activities on their own. hugging, but the Relationship
Visitors’ Autonomous Activities score should already be over 50.
Brag This is what mean Sims do to
Object Autonomous Action your Sim. Don’t use it, unless you
Aquarium Watch Fish want to ruin a good friendship.
Baby Play Compliment Generally positive, but you should
Bar Have a Drink withhold compliments until your
Relationship score is above 15.
Chair Sit
Dance Great activity between friends
Chair (Recliner) Sit (40+), but it almost always causes
Coffee (Espresso Machine) Drink Espresso a jealous reaction from a jilted lover.
Coffeemaker Drink Coffee Entertain A somewhat goofy activity, but it
usually works well with other
Fire Panic Playful Sims.
Flamingo View Fight Don’t do it (unless you know you
Fountain Play can take the other Sim!).
Lava Lamp View Flirt A great way to boost a strong
Painting View Relationship (70+) into the serious
zone, but watch your back.
Pool Swim Flirting usually triggers a jealous
Pool Diving Board Dive In reaction from significant others.
Pool Ladder Get In/Out Give Gift A benign way to say you like the
other Sim, or that you’re sorry for
Sculpture View acting like an idiot at the last
Sink Wash Hands party; best used with 40+
Sofa Sit Relationship scores.
Toilet Use, Flush Hug This one’s always fun if the hug-ee’s
Relationship score is +60; a good
Tombstone/Urn Mourn transition to kisses, and then a
Toy Box Play marriage proposal.
Trash Can (Inside) Dispose Joke Good between casual friends
(+15) who are both Playful.
Kiss The relationship is heating up, but
if a jealous ex or current lover is
Social Interactions in the vicinity, someone could
get slapped.
The results of various interactions are best learned
Talk The starting point of every
by experience because of the individual personality friendship.
traits that come into play. However, it helps to
Tease Why bother, unless you don’t like
have an idea what each action may produce. The the other Sim.
following table offers notes on each interaction.
Tickle Not as positive as it might seem,
but Playful Sims are definitely
more receptive.

105
 Chapter 8:
a day in the life
 Chapter 8: a day in the life
Our third adult
Introduction roommate,
Mortimer, just
Now, it’s time to turn on our Sim-Cam and follow a
returned home
few of our families as they handle the ups and
from his night shift,
downs of Sim life. In this chapter we switch to a so for now, his
scrapbook format, with screenshots of our Sims in needs are
interesting—and sometimes compromising— secondary. We put
situations. Admittedly, we coaxed our Sims into him to work
some of these dilemmas. But it’s all in fun, and we mopping the
think it’s the best way for you to get a feel for this kitchen floor (the
dishwasher broke
amazing game.
last night, but
everyone was falling asleep, so we figured it would keep until morning).
As the Sim Turns
Five o’clock wakeup Before we are
call is not pretty. accused of being
Even with full sexist, we should
Energy bars, your explain that the
Sims can be a little only reason Bella is
cranky, but don’t cooking for
give them any everyone is that
slack. Get the best she is the most
chef into the experienced chef. If
kitchen pronto, to Mark turns on the
serve Breakfast stove, chances are
for everyone in the kitchen will
the house. burn down. We
promise to boost his Cooking Skills at the first opportunity.

Switching to Mark is, well, busy

Zoomed Out view is at the moment.
a good way to It’s too bad he
manage the doesn’t gain
household early in Energy points for
the morning. This sitting on the
way you can quickly toilet, because he
target important stayed up much
tasks for too late last night.
completion before A good breakfast
the car pool arrives. helps, but getting
through the day
won’t be easy, and
he can forget about any promotions thanks to his sub-par mood.

107
 ™

It’s a nice family After canceling his

breakfast with thoughts about
husband Mortimer on sleeping, we click
the left, wife Bella on on Mark’s car
the right, and Bella’s pool. He changes
ex-boyfriend Mark in clothes faster than
the middle. However, Superman and
there isn’t much time sprints to his ride
for chitchat, because in the nick of
the car pool has time. Have a nice
arrived, and it will day, Mark!
leave at a few
minutes past nine.

Bella is on her way Poor Mortimer!

to the car pool and We’ve been so
we have about a focused on getting
half hour to get Bella and Mark to
Mark in gear, which work, we didn’t
may be a problem notice that the poor
due to his low slob is asleep on his
Energy rating. feet! We need to
Unfortunately, wake him up (he’ll
Bella’s Hygiene be so happy), and
leaves much to be send him to bed.
desired. We make a
mental note to get
her into the shower before bedtime tonight so she’ll be fresh as a daisy in
the mornin).

Uh-oh, big time We receive a

problem with Mark. reminder that
He’s standing in the Mortimer’s car pool
kitchen in his arrives at 4:00 p.m.
pajamas, in a Unfortunately we
catatonic state. forgot to set his
With only a half alarm, and his
hour to get to the Hygiene and
car pool, we need Bladder bars have
to shake him up a gone south, so we
little and point him need to wake him
to the door. up soon.
Fortunately, he ate
before bedtime, so he can probably get by without a big meal.

108
 Chapter 8: a day in the life
Mortimer is up and Mark is well rested,
he’s not happy. With so he can fend for
the amount of time himself this
remaining before morning. He steps
his car pool shows into the shower as
up, he can empty the car pool arrives,
his bladder and get so he has almost
in half a shower one hour to get
before racing out ready. But, while in
the door. the shower, he
decides to take
the day off and
join Bella.

With Mortimer out The three

of the house, we housemates share a
can concentrate on pleasant breakfast
Bella and Mark, together. Perhaps
who have both they have finally
arrived home from buried the hatchet
work. Mark after the Mortimer-
socialized a little Bella-Mark thing.
too much the night We can only hope.
before, so he went
straight to bed
without any
prompting.

Mortimer arrives Mark grabs the

home at 1:00 a.m.. phone to invite a
After a bathroom friend over, but
break and quick before he can dial,
shower, we send a local radio station
him straight to bed calls with great
so he can party news. He just won
with Bella §550 in a promotion!
tomorrow, who has
decided to take the
day off.

109
 ™

Mark calls a friend, After dinner, Jeff

who says he’ll be heads for home.
right over. While Bella and Mark
Mark changes into retreat to the den,
his Speedo, where Bella rubs
Mortimer, Jeff, and Mark’s back.
Bella enjoy a dip in
the pool. That’s
right, Mortimer
missed his car pool,
too. It’s a day off
(without pay) for
the entire house!

It’s on to the hot One good rub

tub for a long, deserves a hug, as
relaxing soak. things suddenly
Comfort, Hygiene, heat up between
Social, and Fun the former lovers.
scores are soaring.
It’s too bad we
have to eat and
empty our Bladders
or we’d never leave!

Everyone will be Mortimer takes one

hungry after the swim look at the lip-
and soak, so Bella locked Sims and
hops out to make heads straight for
dinner. Soon, the bar.
everyone grabs a
plate and starts
discussing what life
will be like when they
are all unemployed.
Everyone, that is,
except Mortimer, who
prefers standing.

110
 Chapter 8: a day in the life
After a couple of Bella drives off to
adult beverages, work while our two
Mortimer follows Sim-Neanderthals
the lovers into the take their fight to
hallway where they the bathroom.
are still groping
each other like
teenagers on
prom night.

What will become of our star-crossed

lovers?
Will Bella leave Mortimer and go back to
Mortimer shows his Mark?
frustration by
Will Mark feel guilty about wrecking
slapping Mark
across the cheek Mortimer’s marriage, and move in with
(he’s such an the Newbies?
animal). Bella is Will Bella reveal what she and Jeff were
disgusted and goes really doing in the hot tub?
upstairs to bed.
Who will clean up the bathroom?
For the answers to these burning
questions, stay tuned for the next
episode of…As the Sim Turns.

Life with the Pleasants

One slap turns to Jeff experiences the
another and seven joys of working a
hours later, Mortimer night shift—
and Mark are still cleaning up his
duking it out. family’s dinner
dishes…

111
 ™

…and taking out Skeeter misses one

the trash at four in too many days of
the morning. school and gets the
bad news—he’s on
his way to military
school, never to be
seen again.

Everyone is asleep, Although his icon

so Jeff takes an has already
opportunity to disappeared from
practice his the control panel,
Charisma in front of Skeeter enjoys one
the bathroom mirror. last breakfast
Unfortunately for before he is exiled
Jeff, the walking from the game.
dead also take this
opportunity to float
through the mirror
and scare the
•&$%$# out of him.

Like all kids, Daniel Not wanting to

and Skeeter can follow in his
only make snacks brother’s footsteps,
on their own, so Daniel hits the
someone must serve books and improves
their breakfast his grades.
before school.

112
 Chapter 8: a day in the life
Hmmm. Which pile
should I pay first,
the red one or the
Pity the Poor Bachelor
yellow one? Get a
clue, Jeff—if you With garbage a foot
don’t pay the red thick on the floor of
ones, they’ll his house, our
repossess your bachelor decides to
furniture! stay outside and
entertain a new
lady friend with his
juggling act.

The Maid should

get riot pay for all
the garbage this “Wow, she really
family leaves on likes me! Maybe
the floor! she won’t notice
the garbage if I
invite her inside.”

Maids are limited “I really like you

to cleaning up Bella, so I got you
Sim-messes, but a pair of
that frees up the basketball shoes!”
family to take
care of other
important needs,
like advancing
their skills. Diane
Pleasant takes a
break to bone up
on her Mechanical
Skills. Perhaps she
can fix the dishwasher and save §50-an-hour repair bills.

113
 ™

Bachelors on a fixed “Excuse me, son,

budget can have a could you please
difficult time having move out of the
fun. A basketball fire so I can
hoop in the back extinguish it?”
yard is a good
investment, and if
you can find a
Playful friend, it’s a
cheap date, too.

Kids Are People, Too

Armed with a new Toy boxes are small
gas stove and and relatively
absolutely no inexpensive. If they
cooking ability, are placed in the
this bachelor bedroom, your
decides to flame- kids can sneak in a
broil the kitchen. little Fun time
before school.

Whew, the fireman Children have fewer

is here to put out inhibitions, but they
the fire. There’s still don’t like to
only one problem: use the bathroom in
he can’t get into front of the Maid or
the house because their siblings.
our hero is
standing in front of
the stove, which
happens to be next
to the door. We
understand that the
bachelor’s quarters
are tight, but it’s probably not a good idea to put the stove next to the
front door. By the time the fireman makes his way to the back door, your
bachelor could be toast.

114
 Chapter 8: a day in the life
Skeeter and Left to their own
Matthew enjoy a devices, kids often
little Social and Fun stay up long past
time playing with the time their
their railroad town. parents hit the sack.
In fact, even with
Free Will activated,
parents feel no
responsibility for
getting their
children to bed
early. So, if you
forget to send the
kids to bed, get ready for some serious tantrums in the morning.

Unlike the railroad,

the pinball machine
Skillful Sims
is a solo activity. An exercise
machine is the
obvious choice for
improving a Sim’s
Body Skill, but if
you can keep
your Sims in the
pool, they’ll
increase Body
scores even faster,
and boost Fun at
the same time.

Unlike adults, who Sometimes it can be

need toys for their hard to get your
playtime, kids can Sims to slow down
play with each other. long enough for
serious Skill
enhancement,
especially if it
means sitting down
to read. The solution
is simple: Place two
comfortable chairs
close to the
bookcase, and give
each Sim different Skill assignments. Remember that you only need one
Cooking expert and one Mechanical expert in the same house. Divide reading
assignments appropriately to bring their Skills quickly up to speed.

115
 ™

You might be
concerned about As the Sim Turns: Part Two
an adult male who
stands for hours in As we return to our
front of a full- Sim soap, Mortimer
length mirror in his has just returned
Speedo. However, from another night
it makes sense to shift, and after a
place a mirror in light snack, he
the family room decides to take an
for easier access. early morning swim,
This way, your thinking that Mark
Sims won’t tie up and Bella are busy
the bathroom practicing Charisma in the mirror over the sink. getting ready for
work. After
swimming a few
laps, he is ready to go to bed, but wait…where is the ladder?
Increasing the “I can’t get out of the pool!” says Mortimer, frantically. “I’ll just
Creativity Skill tread water for a while until Mark or Bella come out. If I can just…keep…
through painting going…getting tired…so tired….”
has an added
bonus—the ability
Mark and Bella
to sell your
finally come
painting. But, don’t
outside, but it’s too
get too excited; a
late. Poor Mortimer,
bad painting
exhausted and
fetches only §1 on
confused, has
the open market.
already dropped
like a stone to the
bottom of the pool.

With minimal
Mechanical Skill,
repairing this After Mortimer’s
shower seems to body is removed
take forever, and all from the pool, a
the while, Mark’s tombstone is
Comfort and Energy erected on the spot
scores are dropping. where the ladder
Maybe a Repairman used to be. If
is worth the price Mortimer were still
until Mark earns a here, he would have
few more appreciated the
Mechanical points. humor…maybe not.

116
 Chapter 8: a day in the life
After getting over Then, they console
the initial shock, each other
Mark and Bella further…with
grieve at the site a dance?
where their
“friend” died.

Thinking the time is

right (and that they
have carried on the
“O.K., enough charade long
grieving,” says enough), Mark pulls
Bella, as she tells Bella close for a
Mark a real kiss. But, much to
knee-slapper. Mark’s surprise,
Bella suddenly
cools and pushes
him away.

What is this strange turn of events?

Did Bella entice Mark into helping her
solve the “Mortimer” problem, only to
leave him in the lurch?
After some Find the answers on the next episode of
welcome comic As the Sim Turns, on a computer near you!
relief, the two
mourners console
each other with
a supportive
hug. Right.

117
 ™

After processing the

Sims in the Kitchen food, Bella throws
it in a pot and
In the Motives chapter, we provided a basic
works her magic.
explanation of how Sims satisfy their Hunger score.
Two more modifiers
As you know by now, food is readily available in are at work here:
the refrigerator, 24 hours a Sim-day. The supply is Bella’s Cooking
endless, and you never have to go to the market. Skill and the
However, the difference between what is in the special features
refrigerator and what a Sim actually eats lies in the of the Pyrotorre
preparation. The following screens take you Gas Range.
through the various options available to a Sim
chef, and the table at the end of this chapter
explains how the different appliances and
countertops modify the quality of each meal.

The snack, a §5 bag When the meal is

of chips, is the finished, Bella
lowest item on the places a stack
Sim food chain. It’s of plates on
better than nothing the counter.
when your Sim is
racing around
getting ready for
the car pool, but it
barely nudges the
Hunger bar.

For a much more

satisfying meal, Thrilled that he
direct the best chef doesn’t have to eat
in the house to his own tasteless
Prepare a Meal. In slop, Mark grabs
this screen, Bella is a plate from
getting ready to the counter.
throw the raw
ingredients into the
food processor (a
positive modifier, as
noted in the table
below). While one
Sim prepares breakfast, you can assign the other Sims to menial labor, such as
mopping or picking up garbage.

118
 Chapter 8: a day in the life
Another option for How Appliances and Surfaces Affect Hunger Score
preparing multiple
portions is to call Appliance/Surface Hunger Points
out for a pizza.
This is a good
Added to Meal
Dishwasher 5
choice for a Sim
who has a low Trash Compactor 5
Cooking Skill. Fridge (Llamark) 9
Rather than using Toaster Oven 9 (plus Cooking Skill)
the stove and
setting the kitchen Fridge (Porcina) 12
on fire, a Counter (Barcelona) 16
telephone call and Counter (NuMica) 16
§40 will buy a hot pie, delivered to the door in an hour.
Counter (Tiled) 16
Fridge (Freeze Secret) 16
The Sims love their
Microwave 16 (plus Cooking Skill)
pizza, and they
can’t wait to set it Food Processor 32
down and grab a Stove (Dialectric) 32 (plus 1.5 x
slice. So, don’t be Cooking Skill)
surprised if your
Stove (Pyrotorre) 48 (plus 1.5 x
Sim plops the
Cooking Skill)
carton down on the
first available
counter—even in
the bathroom—and
starts grazing.

119
 Chapter 9:
survival tips
 Chapter 9: survival tips

Introduction Hunger
The beauty of playing The Sims is that everyone’s
experience is different. When you take a serious Maximize Food Quality and
approach to shaping your family, the game can Preparation Time
mirror your own life. However, if you mismanage
For the best food quality, upgrade all appliances
your Sims, they can sink into despair, waving their
and countertops. Anything short of the most
little arms in the air over failed relationships, poor
expensive refrigerator, countertop, stove, etc.,
career decisions, or even a bad mattress. You can
reduces the potential Hunger value of your meals.
always delete your family and start over. But then
Preparing a meal quickly is all about kitchen
you would never get that warm, fuzzy feeling that
design. Align your objects in the order of
comes from turning your pitiful Sims’ world into
preparation, beginning with the refrigerator,
Shangri La.
followed by the food processor (figure 9-1), and
This chapter is devoted to the Sims player who then ending with the stove (figure 9-2).
wants to go the distance and fight the good fight.
Because most Sim problems can be traced back to
one or more deficient Motive scores, we have
arranged the following tips into separate Motive Fig. 9-1. The food
sections. Although some of the information is goes from the
covered in other chapters, this is meant to be a refrigerator directly
quick-reference guide for times of crisis. Simply to the food
turn to the appropriate Motive and save your Sim’s processor.
life with one of our game-tested tips.
Of course, you can also take a more devious
approach to satisfying or altering your Sim’s needs.
Our Cheats section gives you a bundle of unofficial
commands to rock your Sim’s world. We take no
responsibility for the results. (In other words, don’t
come crying to us if you stick your Sim in a room
with no doors and he or she drops dead!).

Fig. 9-2. Next stop

is the stove, right
next door.

121
 ™

Have an open countertop next to the stove on Fig. 9-5. After

the other side so the food preparer can set the making dinner, our
plates down (figure 9-3). Although it has nothing hard-working Sim
to do with preparation, position the kitchen table can go to bed
and chairs close to the stove so that your Sims can and sleep late in
the morning.
grab their food, sit down together, and boost their
Social scores (figure 9-4).

Fig. 9-3. From the

stove, the chef
moves just a couple
steps to the counter
and sets down
the plates.

After the food is on the counter, immediately

send the Sim to bed. Most Sims should get up by 5,
or the very latest, 6 a.m. to be on time for their
morning jobs (the chef can sleep in). When
everyone comes downstairs, breakfast (it’s really
Fig. 9-4. If your Sims
are prompted to
dinner, but Sims don’t care what you call it, as long
eat, they’ll be ready as it doesn’t have flies) will be on the counter
to grab a plate as (figure 9-6), fresh and ready to go. You’ll save at
soon as it hits the least 20 Sim-minutes of morning prep time.
counter, and with
the table nearby,
they can eat, chat,
and make it to work
on time.
Designate one
Sim as your chef. Fig. 9-6. It’s only
Make sure that Sim 5:30 a.m., but our
has easy access to a chair and bookcase, and then set aside time each day to Sim kid is already
Study Cooking. When the resident chef’s Cooking Skill reaches 10, you have eating breakfast.
achieved the pinnacle of food preparation. After taking care of
his Hygiene, he’ll
still have time for
studying or
Make Breakfast the Night Before boosting his Fun
Sim food lasts for at least seven hours before the score before the
flies arrive and the food is officially inedible. If you school bus arrives.
have one Sim in the house who doesn’t work, have
him or her prepare breakfast for everyone at
around midnight, as pictured in figure 9-5.

122
 Chapter 9: survival tips
Fig. 9-8. Our Sim is
Comfort hungry, but he
always has time
When You Gotta Go, Go in Style to receive a nice
Back Rub.
A toilet is often overlooked as a source of
Comfort. The basic Hygeia-O-Matic Toilet costs only
§300, but it provides zero Comfort. Spend the
extra §900 and buy the Flush Force 5 XLT (figure 9-
7). Your Sims have to use the bathroom anyway, so
they might as well enjoy the +4 Comfort rating
every time they take a seat.

Fig. 9-7. You can live

with a black-and-
Hygiene
white TV for a Your Mother Was Right
while, but it doesn’t
One of the biggest contributors to declining
make sense to do
without the added Hygiene is the lack of hand washing after using
comfort of the the bathroom (in the Sims and in real life). If your
Flush Force. Sim does not have a Neat personality, you may
need to initiate this action. If you keep it up
throughout the day, your Sim will be in better
shape in the morning, when a shorter shower can
be the difference between making the car pool or
missing a day of work.

Fig. 9-9. This Sim

Rub Your Sim the Right Way has an average
Giving another Sim a Back Rub is a great way to Neat rating, which
increase your chances of seeing Hug, and means she won’t
always wash her
eventually Kiss on the social interaction menu.
hands after using
However, don’t forget that it also raises the the bathroom. A
recipient’s Comfort level. If your Sim’s Comfort few gentle
level is down, even after a long night’s sleep, try a reminders are
few Back Rubs. It will send your Sim to work in a in order.
better mood, which might be just enough to earn
the next promotion.

123
 ™

Flush Your Troubles Away Energy

Sad but true, sloppy Sims don’t flush (figure 9-10).
It’s easy to overlook this nasty habit during a busy Getting Enough Sleep with Baby
day, but it could lead to trouble. A clogged toilet Nothing drains a Sim’s Energy bar faster than
may not affect Hygiene directly, but if your Sim is having a baby in the house (figure 9-12). If you
forced to pee on the floor because the toilet is not want to survive the three-day baby period without
working, the Hygiene score drops dramatically. everyone losing their jobs, you must sleep when
the baby sleeps. Most likely, this will be in the
Fig. 9-10. Second middle of the day, because Sim babies, like their
time tonight for real counterparts, couldn’t care less about their
this soldier, and parents’ sleep schedules. The baby will not sleep
we’re still waiting
for a full eight hours; however, if you get five or
for the first flush.
six hours of sleep with the baby, you’ll have
enough Energy to carry out other important
household tasks.

Fig. 9-12. This Sim

mom is at the end
of her rope, and the
baby is just getting
warmed up.

Bladder
Sorry, there’s no magic formula for relieving a full
Bladder. However, to guard against emergencies
and the resulting puddles on the floor, try building
two semi-private stalls in your bathroom. This
allows two Sims to use the facilities without
infringing on each other’s privacy, as pictured in
figure 9-11. Kids Make Great Babysitters
It does nothing for their Fun or Social levels, but
Sim kids will dutifully care for their baby siblings.
Fig. 9-11. Dual When they come home from school, feed them,
stalls improve the allow a short play period, and then lock them in
traffic flow (and
the room with the baby (if you’re feeling partic-
other flows) in
the bathroom. ularly sadistic, you can go into Build mode and
wall them in). They usually respond on their own,
but you can always direct them to the crib, as
pictured in figure 9-13, (unless they are too
exhausted and need sleep). Take advantage of this
time by sending the regular caregiver to bed for
some much-needed sleep.

124
 Chapter 9: survival tips
Fig. 9-13. Big Favorite Fun Activities
brother makes a
great nanny. Trait Best Activities
Neat N/A
Outgoing TV (Romance), Hot Tub, Pool
(if Playful is also high)
Active Basketball, Stereo (dance),
Pool, TV (Action)
Lazy TV (as long as it’s on, they’re
happy!), Computer, Book
Playful Any fun object, including
Computer, Dollhouse, Train
Set, VR Glasses, Pinball, etc.
If also Active, shift to
Basketball, Dance, and Pool.
Fun Serious Chess, Newspaper, Book,
Paintings (just let them stare)
Finding the Right Activity for Your Sim Nice Usually up for anything
Unless your Sims live in a monastery, you should Mean TV (Horror)
have plenty of Fun objects in your house. The trick
is matching the right kind of activity with a Sim’s
personality. In the frenzy of daily schedules and
maintaining Relationships, it’s easy to lose touch When in Doubt, Entertain Someone
with your Sim’s personality traits. Visit the If your Sim does not have access to a Fun activity,
Personality menu often (click on the “head” icon) simply Entertain someone for an instant Fun (and
to review the five traits. Make sure you have at Social) boost, as pictured in figure 9-14. You can
least one of the following objects readily available usually repeat this activity several times, and it
to your Sim (the bedroom is a good spot). doesn’t take much time (great for kids on busy
school mornings).

Fig. 9-14. When a

good toy is not
around, Sim kids
love to Entertain
A Sim should have at least six points (bars) in each other.
one of the following traits to maximize the
recommended activity. Of course, an even
higher number produces faster Fun rewards. To
qualify for the opposite trait (e.g., Active/Lazy,
Playful/Serious) a Sim should have no more
than three points in the trait).

125
 ™

Social Room
Satisfying Social requirements can be very A Room score crisis is easy to remedy. If you have
frustrating, especially when Sims are on different the money, simply add more lights and paintings.
work or sleep schedules. Socializing is a group Also check the quality of objects in the room, and
effort, so plan small parties on a regular basis. upgrade whenever possible. If your room is
Keep a notepad with all of your Sims’ work jammed with expensive objects, lights, and
schedules, so you know whom to invite at any time paintings and your Room score is still low, there
of the day. must be a mess somewhere. A normally maxed out
Room score can slip with so much as a puddle on
the floor (as pictured in figure 9-15). Clean up the
• It’s O.K. to ask your guests to leave. After
mess to restore the Room score to its normal level.
you shmooze a little and boost your
Relationship score, send the Sim packing, Fig. 9-15. It looks
and call up a different one. Use this like someone fell
round-robin approach to maintain all of short of the toilet.
your friendships. A mop will take
care of the mess
• Don’t let Mean Sims abuse you. This can and raise the
be tough to control if you’re not paying Room score.
attention. When you’re socializing with a
Mean Sim, keep an eye on the activity
queue in the screen’s upper-left corner. If
that Sim’s head pops up (without you
initiating it), it probably says “Be Teased
by…,” or “Be Insulted by….” Simply click
on the icon to cancel the negative event Scan your house on a regular basis for the
and maintain your Relationship score. following negative Room factors:
Once you diffuse the threat, engage the
Sim in simple talking, or move your Sim
into a group activity (pool table, hot tub, • Dead plants
pool, etc.) • Cheap objects (especially furniture)
• Unless you like being the bad guy, don’t • Puddles (they can also indicate a bad
advertise your advances toward one Sim appliance; when in doubt, click on the
if you already have a Relationship with item to see if Repair comes up as an
another. Sims are extremely jealous, but option)
you can still maintain multiple love • Dark areas
relationships as long as you don’t flaunt
• If you have the money, replace items
them in public.
taken by the Repo guy.

126
 Chapter 9: survival tips
Description Code Input
Cheats Selected person’s
path hidden
draw_routes off
Activate the cheat command line at any time during a
game by pressing c + s + . An input box Set event logging mask log_mask
appears in the screen’s upper left corner. Type in one of Set free thinking level autonomy
<1-100>
the codes listed below. You must re-activate the
command line after each cheat is entered. The following Set game speed sim_speed
<-1000-1000>
cheats work only with Version 1.1 or later of The Sims.
Set grass change value edit_grass
Cheats <number>:
Set grass growth grow_grass
Description Code Input <0-150>
1,000 Simoleans rosebud
Set maximum milliseconds sim_limit
Import and load specific import to allow simulator <milliseconds>
FAM file <FAM file>
Set sim speed sim_speed
Create moat or streams water_tool <-1000-1000>
Create-a-character mode edit_char Sets the neighborhood <directory path>
Display personality and interests interests directory to the path
Draw all animation draw_all_frames Start sim logging sim_log begin
disabled off End sim logging sim_log end
Draw all animation draw_all_frames Swap the two house swap_houses
enabled on files and updates families <house number>
Execute “file.cht” file as cht <filename> <house number>
a list of cheats Ticks disabled sweep off
Floorable grid disabled draw_floorable Ticks enabled sweep on
off
Tile information displayed tile_info on
Floorable grid enabled draw_floorable
Tile information hidden tile_info off
on
Toggle camera mode cam_mode
Map editor disabled map_edit off
Toggle music music
Map editor enabled map_edit on
Toggle sound log window sound_log
Move any object (on) move_objects on
Toggle sounds sound
Move any object (off) move_objects
off Toggle web page creation html
Preview animations disabled preview_anims Total reload of people reload_people
off skeletons, animations,
suits, and skins
Preview animations enabled preview_anims
on Trigger sound event soundevent
Quit game quit
Rotate camera rotation <0-3>
Save currently loaded house save
Save family history file history
Selected person’s draw_routes on
path displayed

127
 Chapter 10:
extending your world
 Chapter 10: extending your world
Fig. 10-2. You can
Introduction choose various
sizes and designs
Not that Maxis didn’t pack The Sims with enough
for your picture,
to do for months on end, but you can find
including a
additional tools, downloads, and links at the heart shape.
official website: http://www.TheSims.com. For the
Sim hacker, the sky’s the limit, thanks to an open
game system that allows users to create and edit
music and graphics files. The following sections
give you a sneak peak at the free goodies awaiting
you at the official Sims website.

Next, you have the option to import any

graphics file, regardless of size, as pictured in
Downloads figure 10-3.

Art Studio! Fig. 10-3. We

imported one of our
favorite baseball
pictures, then
resized it to fit the
Fig. 10-1. Click on painting window.
the waving Sim for
online help while
using the program.
Read the help
windows, because
the audio is in
Sim-Speak.
After selecting and sizing your picture, choose
the texture and color of your frame, as pictured in
figure 10-4.

Fig. 10-4. We
opted for a rich
walnut frame.
This neat paint program lets you create original
works of art for your Sims to buy, admire, and
even sell. Your first step is to select a picture type
(figure 10-2), which determines the size and style
of painting.

129
 ™

In the Catalog Info screen pictured here, set the

price and enter a description of your new painting.
FaceLift
Finally, save the painting. Choose a directory or use After playing The Sims for hours, you’ll be ready
the default UserObjects subdirectory. for a few new faces in your neighborhood. After
you register (no charge) at The Sims site, you can
download FaceLift, a program that lets you create
Fig. 10-5. After your own heads. You begin with a collection of
describing your nine randomly created heads, as pictured in figure
painting and setting 10-7. This is your starting point. If you don’t see
a price, save it to anything you like, click the Reset Faces button to
use in your game. create another set of nine.

Fig. 10-7. Begin by

choosing a head.

Sims File Cop

Use a combination of the Blend and Deform

buttons, along with the Mutation Rate slider bar,
to create variations of the face. Change the head
and hair together, or work separately on each
area. The changes are not seen immediately, but
when you go back to the main screen, you can
review the altered face.

Fig. 10-8. The fine-

tuning screen lets
you change the size
and shape of the
nose, eyes, mouth,
With all the files flying back and forth in the Sims and jaw.
community, you may inadvertently create or accept
files that cause problems during a game session.
The Sims File Cop examines your game directory
for any damaged or risky files.

130
 Chapter 10: extending your world
HomeCrafter Fig. 10-11. More
than 2,300 floors
and counting!
Fig. 10-9.
HomeCrafter lets
you view your
creation in a Sims
home setting.

This utility lets you design custom wallpapers and SimShow

floors for your Sim houses. You create the patterns
in any paint program, then use HomeCrafter to Fig. 10-12. SimShow
design the final product. If this sounds like too lets you check out
much work, check out one of the many Sims your skins before
websites, such as http://www.thesimsresource.com, importing them into
the game.
for thousands of user-created wallpapers (figure
10-10), floors (figure 10-11), and other items.

Fig. 10-10. Scroll

through thousands
of wallpaper
designs and
download your
favorites. If you’ve always wanted to create yourself or your
favorite celebrity to use in The Sims, the SimShow
utility is a must-have. After creating or editing a skin
using any paint program, SimShow lets you view a
Sim skin from various angles. You can alter the skin
using your libraries of bodies, heads, body textures,
and head textures, then apply various game
animations to see your creation in action. The utility
also comes with a skin library, and of course, you can
supplement it from the thousands of skins available
at TheSims.com or several other Sims websites.

Objects, Skins, and Homes

The official Sims website can get you started with
a variety of files for your game. This site
(thesims.com) has a page of links to other great
Sims sites, such as thesimsresource.com.

131
 ™

…and a reflecting
pool around the
perimeter.

Remember to use File Cop to check the

integrity of your Sims downloads.

Most objects available on the website before

House Party was released are included in Your Sims can play
House Party. Some are not included, however, with their new
like the new roses, the coming Potty Pack guinea pig and
(porta-potties for The Sims), the trash pack, enjoy a bouquet of
and the “Ukelele Lady Lamp.” red roses.

Here are a few samples of what you can

download from TheSims.com:

The Maximus house

includes a workout
room…
It’s murder on a
budget, but you’ll
find it hard to pass
up a pull on the
new slot machine.

…spa room with

multiple showers…
What Sim party
animal wouldn’t
love a new
jukebox?

132
 Part II:
™

Chapter 11:
NEW tOYS
 ™

Introduction House Party Buying Guide

House Party provides more than 50 new objects to The following sections list the new House Party
fill your Sims’ houses, all geared toward parties. In objects, broken down into a few logical subcate-
this chapter are complete tables listing every new gories to help you find what you’re looking for
item’s purchase price, related Motives, and quickly. These objects appear when you click the
Efficiency ratings. As with the tables in the Buy Mode button on the control panel. We’ve
“Material Sims” chapter, you can use the added a few subcategories to make it easier to
information below to help you make informed find a specific object. The Efficiency rating (1–10) is
decisions about what to buy to fulfill your Sims’ an indicator of how well the item satisfies each
needs within their budget. Motive, with a higher number being worth more
to your Sims. The more expensive items offer
better Motive satisfaction.

Seating
If you’re throwing parties in (or around) your Chairs
Sims’ home, you don’t want it looking like a
party palace all the time. Decorate on the day Several new chairs have been added in House
of your party; you can always sell back all the Party, encompassing all types (movable, stationary,
party supplies within 24 hours for a full refund. and reclining). Most of the new seating fits into
Long live money-back guarantees! one of the party themes, although some items
might find their way into some households’
standard decor.
Fig. 11-1. This DJ
booth earns a full Freedom Chair
refund if it’s
returned Type: Stationary
immediately after
the party. Cost: §65
Motive: Comfort (2)

Rusty Redneck Barrel Chair

Type: Stationary
Cost: §100
Motive: Comfort (3)

134
 Chapter 11: new toys
Inflatable Fun Chair The Chair of the Future
Type: Stationary Type: Movable
Cost: §109 Cost: §203
Motives: Comfort (3), Motive: Comfort (3)
Room (1)

Surplus Theatre Seating Tropi-Cane Island Chair

Type: Stationary Type: Movable
Cost: §153 Cost: §315
Motive: Comfort (3) Motive: Comfort (5)

Tiki Dream Dining Chair Cowch Country Lounger

Type: Movable Type: Stationary
Cost: §600 Cost: §1,115
Motive: Comfort (3) Motives: Comfort (8),
Room (1)

135
 ™

Couches Cowch Country Sofa

A few new couches and loveseats complement the Cost: §1,350
new themed chairs, rounding out your House Party
seating options. Each of the three party themes Motives: Comfort (8),
has a corresponding loveseat or couch: A cow hair Energy (5), Room (1)
couch for country, a bamboo sofa for luaus, and an
inflatable loveseat for your all-night raves. These
seats don’t offer your Sims dining places, but they
can be a great place to stock up on Comfort in
the midst of a party if you complement them with
a television.
Surfaces
House Party comes with several new surfaces, only
Inflatable Sofa (3 Colors) some of which are themed. Several new pieces
Cost: §190 may become staples of your standard households,
as well, as they are tasteful and somewhat more
Motives: Comfort (3), conservative than the party-minded offerings.
Energy (5), Room (1) Surfaces are very important at parties, as your
Sims will be looking for places to eat throughout
the festivities.

The Efficiency Table is the answer to many a

Sim player’s dream: a one-square dining table.
Now, Sim families of up to four can dine in style
without taking up a 6 x 7 room! Likewise, the
“Plus!” model gives you the game’s only 1 x 2
Tropi-Cane Sofa dining table, making it an incredibly valuable
addition for larger families with space concerns.
Cost: §535
Countertops
Motives: Comfort (5),
Energy (5) Cape Crab Coastside Counter
Cost: §249

136
 Chapter 11: new toys

End Tables
Country Counter Freedom End Table
Cost: §276 Cost: §40

ScienStone Wall Counter The Elegant Chef End Table

Cost: §425 Cost: §50

The Smart Counter “Lola Mona” Occasional Table

Cost: §432 Cost: §170

137
 ™

Desks/Tables
Efficiency Table Tiki Dream Dining Table
Cost: §179 Cost: $379

Efficiency Table Plus! Decorative

Of all the object categories, decorations contains
Cost: §275 the most new items in House Party. All the frills
and ornaments you need to carry a party theme
throughout your house are at your fingertips, from
a set of mounted steer horns to a memorial surf
board. These decorations are invaluable in
upholding a maximum Room score for your party
guests, which is one of the easiest ways to
contribute to their overall mood (and thus your
party score). Buy as many decorations as you can,
and make sure all of the areas your party guests
visit are chock-full of Room-raising objets d’art.

Artist’s Concept Table

Cost: §349

138
 Chapter 11: new toys
What a Gas! Party Balloons Jungle Jumble Import Display
Cost: §151
Cost: §50
Motive: Room (1)
Motive: Room (3)

Notes: Party Balloons do attract visitors, but they pop

gradually within a day, so they aren’t a good long-term
decorating investment.

Desert Nut Lawn Ornament Pacific Island Relic

Cost: §70 Cost: §198

Motive: Room (1) Motive: Room (2)

“Amaizing” Lawn Ornament “Duke Tubula” Memorial Surf Board

Cost: §230
Cost: §89
Motive: Room (2)
Motive: Room (2)

139
 ™

Scraps Ranch Rag Rug Beaver Pelt Moosehead

Cost: §233 Cost: §450
Motive: Room (2) Motive: Room (2)

Davant-Naif Art Rug Weft Wrights Wall Quilt

Cost: §290 Cost: §515
Motive: Room (2) Motive: Room (2)

Long Horn Wall Accent “Black Bile Bear”

Cost: §395 Cost: §520
Motive: Room (3) Motive: Room (3)

140
 Chapter 11: new toys
“Native Sim Wall Hanging” Ali’i Kahuna Ceremonial Tiki
Cost: §639 Cost: §2,000
Motives: Room (3) Motive: Room (5)

Electronics

SimBad’s Stuffed Marlin

Party electronics are another great candidate
Cost: §777 for immediate store return after your Sims have
partied hard with them. Buy your party gadgets
Motive: Room (3) right before your big bash, then send them
back to the store immediately after the party
for a full refund. You’ll be sighing with relief
when all §7,129 goes back into your bank
account when you return that DJ Booth!

Dance Aids
No dancing experience is complete without some
hip and fly electronic dance devices! These dancing
accessories are sure to please your party guests
when coupled with a stereo. Place them close to
some speakers so your Sims can get the benefits of
“Blue Inca Pilot” Band Poster the dance aid and the music at the same time.

Cost: §1,789
Motive: Room (4)
The dance floor in combination with a stereo is
the most important ingredient for any party.
The flashing lights add to the fun of a dancing
experience, and because dancing is an activity
you can direct guest Sims to partake in, it’s one
of the best ways to manage your party mood.

141
 ™

“Bounce My Booty” Dance Floor Neukum Stereo Speakers

Cost: §1,250 Cost: §99

Motives: Fun (6), Room (2) Motive: Room (1)

Notes: Neukums provide excellent satellite speakers for your DJ

booth, allowing you to cover large rooms or even multiple rooms.

Spazmatronic Plasmatronic Go-Go Cage Turntablitz DJ Booth

Cost: §7,129
Cost: §1,749
Motives: Fun (8), Room (3)
Motives: Fun (7), Room (3)

Notes: Group activity. The DJ Booth is the ultimate sound

Notes: These cages are a great themed addition to a dance system, with an option for Playful Sims to DJ or even turn up
floor, plus they can be a group activity because Sims can watch the funk with a little scratch. Technically, you could even use this
the dancer. as your home stereo system if your Sims are serious audiophiles.

Musical Equipment
Sound systems make up much of the new
electronics suite in the expansion pack. From a
professional-grade disc jockey booth to an
authentic mechanical bull, these gadgets are the
backbones of a successful party. Sport at least a
few of them at any bash you host.

142
 Chapter 11: new toys
ToroTec Mechanical Bull Chrome Faucet System
Cost: §622
Cost: §5,678
Motive: Hygiene (3)
Motive: Fun (4)
Skill: Body

Notes: Group activity. The optimal difficulty setting depends on Wicked Breeze Surf Shower
your Sim’s Body Skill: Select higher difficulty levels for a fit Sim Cost: §672
to get maximum payoff. While you’re on the bull, coax guests to
watch your Sim ride, adding to their Fun. Motives: Hygiene (5),
Room (1)

Plumbing
There are a few new plumbing items in the
expansion, although only one of them has
anything to do with party themes. Besides being
a luau-themed object, you’ll also find the
Wicked Breeze Surf Shower is a viable Lighting
alternative to the SpaceMiser Shower. Although There are several party-themed lights in your
it provides one less Hygiene point per use, it expanded Buy Screen lists, including additional
does add to your Room score, which can be wall lights, which were not included in the original
notoriously low in cramped bathrooms. release of The Sims. Check out the Club Code Thrill
Light stacks if you’re looking for some serious
partying—coupled with a dance floor and a DJ
booth, these turn any house into Party Central.
Boggs Memorial Commode
Cost: §375
Motive: Bladder (8)
Especially with big ticket items such as the
dance club lights, return your party purchases
immediately after the guests go home. You’ll
enjoy their use without having to pay a dime,
and they are fairly inconvenient (and unsightly)
to store.

143
 ™

Floor Lamps
Faux Blowfish Fish Lamp Old Railroad Lamp
Cost: §173 Cost: §63
Motive: None Motive: None

Club Code Thrill Light LED Pod Light

Cost: §1,000 Cost: §131

Motive: Room (1) Motive: None

Wall Lamps
SUNOT Shop Light Symbol Light
Cost: §30 Cost: §135

Motive: None Motive: None

144
 Chapter 11: new toys
Miscellaneous Bars
Several new party objects fall under the general Whether Vain Drink Dispenser
header of “miscellaneous items.” Along with the
traditional objects such as bookcases and bars, Cost: §920
you’ll also find things that are specifically geared
toward getting down. Many of these items bear a
Motives: Hunger (1), Fun
little explanation, so there are usage notes under (3), Room (3)
some of the more exotic entries.
Bookshelves

Ornery Owl Pioneer Bookcase

Cost: §935
Motive: Fun (3) Antique Saloon Drink Cabinet
Skills: Cooking, Cost: §922
Mechanical, Study
Motives: Hunger (1), Fun
(3), Room (3)

Galvanator Bookshelf
Cost: §925
Motive: Fun (3)
Skills: Cooking,
Mechanical, Study

145
 ™

Party Accessories

Punchucopia Extraordinaria Fancy Feet Cake Treat

Cost: §150 Cost: §300

Motives: Hunger (1), Fun (2) Motive: Fun (3)

Notes: Group activity. The punch bowl encourages social Notes: Group activity. Put this in an open area, then have one of
interactions—just like the water cooler at work. Place the punch your Sims use it to hire an entertainer when the time is right.
bowl atop a surface, and the Elegant Chef End Table makes an There is no additional cost to hire the dancer; purchasing the
excellent choice. cake pays the fee.

The Elegant Chef Buffet Table KampRite Instant Campfire

Cost: §482
Cost: §194
Motives: Comfort (2),
Motive: Hunger (4)
Fun (2)

Notes: Group activity. If a Sim with a Charisma Skill rating of six

Notes: Group activity. You’ll have to pay an additional §350 to or better chooses Tell Story, there is a 1 in 10 chance of a
hire a Caterer, unless you want your Sims to stock this table haunting by the Campfire Ghost.
themselves (which you don’t). Make the Caterer as essential a
part of any party, as the food he serves up!

146
 Chapter 11: new toys

Porta-Parody Costume Trunk Super Schlooper Bubble Blower

Cost: §496 Cost: §710

Motive: None Motive: Comfort (2),

Fun (3)

Notes: Group activity. By choosing one of the themes from the Notes: Group activity. This object provides your Sims with a
trunk’s pie menu, everyone at the party will change into an giggle fest that can be shared by up to four at a time.
outfit that matches the selected theme.

Object Advertising Table

“Bezique’s Folly” Card Game Just like the original Sims, the House Party game
objects advertise their ability to satisfy your Sims’
needs. The following table lists each new object
Cost: §502
alphabetically, and shows the interactions
Motive: Fun (2) possible with that object. It also shows which
Motives are fulfilled by each interaction, and how
Skill: Charisma many points each interaction advertises. Also
listed are any Sim personality traits that increase
the perceived value of certain objects, and finally
the degree to which the appeal of each item
drops off over increasing distance.

Notes: Group activity. This version of Charades entertains

several people at a time, but its usefulness is eclipsed by any of
the other party items.

147
 ™

Object Type Possible Motive Advertised Personality Reduced Effects

Interactions Advertised Value Trait Modifier (Over Distance)
Bar Have a Drink Room 30 N/A Low
“Bezique’s Folly” Play Fun 42 Outgoing High
Card Game
Join Fun 40 N/A High
Join Social 60 N/A High
Bookshelf Read a Book Fun 30 Serious High
“Bounce My Dance Fun 60 Active High
Booty” Dance
Floor
Join Social 70 N/A High
Join Fun 55 N/A High
Chair (Stationary) Sit Comfort 20 N/A Medium
Chair (Movable) Sit Comfort 25 N/A Medium
Decoration View Fun 7 N/A High
(Marlin)
Decoration View Fun 5 N/A High
(All Others)
Elegant Chef Grab a Plate Hunger 95 N/A Low
Buffet Table
Clean Room 40 Neat High
Fancy Feet Watch Social 50 Playful High
Cake Treat
(Exotic Dancer)
Clean Up Room 40 Neat High
KampRite Sit Fun 42 Charisma Medium
Instant
Campfire
Join Fun 42 N/A Medium
Join Social 60 N/A Medium
Punchucopia Drink Comfort 50 N/A Medium
Extraordinaria
Drink Hunger 70 N/A Medium
Shower Clean Room 20 Neat High
Take a Shower Hygiene 50 Neat Medium
Sink Wash Hands Hygiene 10 Neat High
Sofa/Loveseat Nap Energy 40 Lazy High
— Comfort 5 Lazy High
Sit Comfort 30 Lazy Medium
148
 Chapter 11: new toys
Object Type Possible Motive Advertised Personality Reduced Effects
Interactions Advertised Value Trait Modifier (Over Distance)
Spazmatronic Dance Fun 61 Outgoing High
Plasmatronic
Go-Go Cage
Watch Fun, Social 40 N/A High
Super Schlooper Blow Bubbles Fun 45 Creativity, Playful High
Bubble Blower
Join Fun 45 N/A Low
Join Social 65 N/A High
Toilet Clean Room 40 Neat High
(Both Toilets)
Flush Room 30 Neat High
(Hygeia-O-Matic)
Unclog Room 50 Neat High
(Both Toilets)
Use Bladder 50 N/A Low
(Hygeia-O-Matic)
— Bladder 70 N/A Low
(Flush Force)
ToroTec Ride Fun 45 Active Medium
Mechanical Bull
Watch Social 40 N/A High
Turntablitz Turn Off Energy 220 Neat Medium
DJ Booth
Turn On Fun 30 Playful High
Dance Fun 40 Outgoing High
DJ Fun 65 Creativity High
Watch Fun 40 Shy High

149
 Chapter 12:
SIM PARTY ANIMALS
 Chapter 12: Sim Party Animals

Introduction Party Services

You’ll find several new Non-Player Characters To really get your walls shaking, you need some
(NPCs) in the game. With everything from a hired help. Two NPCs are available for your Sims to
flirtatious Caterer to a fireside apparition, House shell out their hard-earned Simoleans to, and both
Party adds a wealth of potential interactions to are essential to a proper house party. Both also
your Sims’ lives. If your party gets epic, you may have item requirements, meaning you have to
get some interesting characters to show up! This purchase objects using Buy Mode to get full use
chapter introduces you to these new characters, from your party personnel. When the party is
with explanations of who they are, what they do, winding down, dismiss your hired help by clicking
and how to find (or avoid) them. on them and selecting “Dismiss.”

Caterer
The Campfire Ghost The Caterer is the first person you should think
about when prepping for your party. This sociable
House Party includes a new Campfire object, which chef will keep any buffet tables and punch bowls
can only be placed outside. The Campfire is one of you have laid out filled to the brim, freeing your
the simplest means of getting large groups of Sims Sims up to get down to the business of partying. If
to interact and have fun while they’re at it. To get he runs out of things to do, he’ll start hitting on
the Ghost to show up, gather a group around the your guests, and when he swings he usually
fire and start telling stories. Your storyteller must misses!
be an adult Sim with a Charisma Skill of six or
higher. Each time a qualifying Sim selects Tell Story Fig. 12-2. The
Caterer is a pretty
from the Campfire pie menu, the Ghost has a 1 in
sociable, so keep
10 chance of showing up in the shadows. It’s a rare him busy or he’ll
sighting, but it’s a ton of fun to watch the busy himself with
Campfire Ghost haunt your Sims! your guests!

Fig. 12-1. The

Campfire promotes
Social interaction
and Fun, and it’s an
inexpensive
purchase to boot!

151
 ™

Hire the Caterer over the phone, under the Fig. 12-3.
Services pie menu. He costs §350 for one 24-hour Entertainers have a
period, so unless you are planning to have a multi- knack for sweeping
day rave (and you’ll lose people to sleep long before your guests off
that), the Caterer is pretty much a one-price their feet!
proposition. To make any use of his services, you
need to purchase at least one Buffet Table. He’ll
cover multiple tables if you think you need it (if you
have more than one party room, for example). You
can also purchase a Buffet End Table to
accommodate a Punch bowl. Punch bowls are great
for parties—as people partake of the punch, you’ll
find that they become more sociable.

To hire an Entertainer, you need to buy a Fancy

Feet Cake Treat. Place it facing an open area to
allow your Sims plenty of space from which to
view the show. When you’re ready, have an adult
If you see the Caterer wandering too far from use the cake, and select Hire Male Dancer or Hire
his position, have one of your Sims tell him to Female Dancer, as you desire. As soon as you’ve
get back to work! He can be detrimental to done so, most of the partygoers will stop whatever
your Party Score, as most of the people he they’re doing and gather to enjoy the show. When
bothers don’t appreciate his attentions.
your dancer is finished, someone must dispose of
the cake, as it is not reusable.

Entertainer The Partiers

The Entertainer is sure to please your Sims and is an As your party progresses, you may get some
easy way to boost the Mood. Sim children won’t uninvited guests. Which one you get depends on
find much of interest in a dancer’s lewd gyrations, the relative success of your party: a dud will
but both sexes of adult Sims will be highly draw the kooky Psycho Mime, while a truly
entertained no matter what gender of dancer you legendary rager will attract a suprising guest!
hire. Just lay down the cash and watch your Mood Chapter 15, “Let’s Party” explains how to
Moose antlers perk up! Let the Entertainers stick manage your party score so the coolest guest
around the party after their show, because they do shows up every time. If you happen to attract
the secondary job of perking up your guests via one of these characters, keep your eye on
conversation and special interactions such as the them—their antics are very entertaining.
one shown in figure 12-3.

152
 Chapter 12: Sim Party Animals
Psycho Mime Fig. 12-4. If you’re
lucky, you can get
If a freaky mute with a pale face shows up at your a Party Crasher to
doorstep, you’ve attracted the Psycho Mime. hit the road just
Entertaining though he may be, if he’s around, the by asking.
chances are your party isn’t exactly up to snuff. He
only comes by if your party’s mood is less than 15,
and he stays around until it perks up above 25.
The Psycho Mime is the only partier who shows up
at an all-family party (which is at least five family
members plus the Caterer). Furthermore, your
party must be at least 90 minutes old before the
Psycho Mime has a chance of showing up.
Party Crashers show up once your party is at
The Mime is also a kleptomaniac. He swipes
least 120 game-minutes old. The party score has to
food from the buffet table and any small things
be at 40 or higher, which means that you’ll need
left on a table or counter. The only thing he’ll steal
several guests, and most of them have to be pretty
that isn’t on the countertop is the Bezique’s Folly
happy to be there. Party Crashers won’t always
set, to practice with at home.
leave when asked, but because they are only there
for your party, they find their way home (or to the
next party) when your party ends. But be careful,
Party Crashers will sometimes sleep over.

The Psycho Mime helps your party’s mood,

thanks to his entertaining antics. Therefore, Secret Celebrity
even though he is an indicator that your party A mystery guest can grace your party if your
is a bit of a downer, it’s better to keep him on shindig is swingin’ enough. Your party score must
be above 55, and your party has to be at least 135
minutes old for word of your rave to reach the
the scene until he leaves on his own. celebrity guest. Given the obligations of fame, the
celebrity will only stay for a maximum of four
Party Crashers hours. If your party ends before then, the mystery
Party Crashers are random freeloaders who can guest will leave when you send your other guests
come in and join your party. Although they are home. Also, the celebrity will call it quits on your
strangers, they are generally well behaved, so you party if your party score drops below 45, so be
don’t have to worry about losing any of your sure to keep your people happy if you want to
belongings. You can ask them to leave, though keep the star around.
you may be told to get lost. In fact, Party Crashers
can actually help your party score, as they
generally come ready to have a good time.
However, if you see them disturbing any of your
invited guests, it’s time to ask them to leave (see
figure 12-4).

153
 Chapter 13:
SETTING THE MOOD
 Chapter 13: SETTING THE MOOD

Introduction Building for Success

If you plan on throwing parties, concentrate on
This chapter will help you create the proper
building a strong, well-planned house that focuses
atmosphere for a successful party. For your fickle
first on satisfying the needs of your residents. A
Sims to get in the mood for an all-nighter,
solid single-family home is best for hosting parties
they’ve got to have all the ingredients for fun at
because it ensures that the residents themselves
their fingertips. From party objects to house
will be happy and successful, with a solid network
planning and decor, the following sections
of friends. Not only is it important for your hosts
contain everything you need to boogie down ‘til
to be in a good mood themselves, they also need
the cows come home (or at least until the cops
to have an income to support their party habits!
shut you down).
Since dedicated party pads focus on maximizing
party activities and decor, they aren’t as efficient at
keeping Sims happy on a day-to-day basis.
A Place to Party A proper party house is little different than a
The new walls, floors, doors, and other house you would build for any Sim family. You
construction objects included in House Party will need a good, straightforward layout, high quality
tempt you to create a purpose-built party palace, objects for keeping your Sims happy, and coverage
with every party object in the game laid out for of all their basic needs. As you build your house,
your Sims’ hedonistic delights. However, your most simply keep a place in mind for entertaining, be it
successful parties will be held in well-developed an extra-large living room, a dedicated party space
homes that are primarily single-family residences such as a “garage,” or even a backyard patio with
and have simply been designed with entertaining a hot tub and plenty of open space.
in mind. While you can certainly construct dazzling
Fig. 13-2. This home
nightclubs such as the Fun Factory shown in figure
features a “garage”
13-1, you might find it harder to achieve your dedicated to
highest party scores in these buildings. partying, as well as
ample space for
dancing and
dipping out on the
Fig. 13-1. The Fun back deck.
Factory was
designed to be a
dedicated party
paradise, complete
with every party
object in the game.

155
 ™

Sharing Your Space Happy Pathing

Party homes do have a few other considerations Even one confusing switchback in your home can
for the budding architect, but really they apply to leave Sims feeling like lab rats trapped in a maze.
all homes, as well. Because your house will be Often, the only solution is to walk them out
hosting a large number of Sims at one time, it’s through a succession of Go Here commands, which
important not to build any bottlenecks in your is both tedious and time consuming, distracting
routes through the home. Make all of your you and your Sim from the business of finding
hallways two squares wide, so that your Sims and happiness. Make sure you don’t build any areas in
guests can pass each other in the hall. As a matter your home that have only one exit and include a
of fact, try to make all passages in the hall two bend or turn.
squares wide. Use double doors in all major exits
Fig. 13-4. Small
from the home, and leave two squares between
corridors get your
household objects in major traffic lanes as shown Sims into foot-
in figure 13-3. traffic jams all the
time, wasting your
time and effort
Fig. 13-3. Not all
untying the logic
rooms need to be
knots they get
established with
themselves into.
doors and walls—
feel free to let
some of your
interior spaces
flow into each
other with open Remember that this situation isn’t just limited
pathways. to wall placement—objects sitting on your floor
can also create constricted pathways that befuddle
your simple Sims. Whenever a traffic lane bends,
make sure you have at least a two-square width
along its entire length. Single-square passages are
You also need to bear the needs of your guests sure to confuse your Sims even if they have
in mind while they are in your Sims’ home. multiple exits, so stay away from creating these
Between the Caterer’s creations and the punch cramped quarters whenever you expect Sims to go
bowl, your guests will be showing red in the through an area.
Bladder department pretty often, and these
impatient Sims don’t bother to form lines! Include
up to twice as many bathrooms in a party house as
you would if you were just building for your own
Sims, to avoid backups in your bathrooms. Don’t
be afraid to construct half baths, either, which
have only a sink and a toilet. Your guests won’t be
bathing at your house, so just the bare essentials
are required to relieve them in their times of need.

156
 Chapter 13: SETTING THE MOOD
The Fun Factory
Even though it’s harder to throw the mother of all The main entry consists of double doors,
parties in a purpose-built party house, the new helping to keep traffic flowing (hopefully all
themed textures and objects in House Party are flowing in). Upon entry, guests immediately find
too tempting to pass up. The “Fun Factory” was themselves on the dance floor, complete with a DJ
built as a nightclub stocked with all the latest and booth, lighted dance pads, and dance cages on all
greatest attractions in the party world, right up to four corners. To the right, an oxygen bar serves up
the trendy oxygen bars and seductive dance cages. refreshments of all kinds. Above the bar hangs
The following section shows off some of the Fun examples of all the neon signs available in the
Factory’s features, which you can use to fuel your game (some of which are considered lights, while
own nightclub ideas. others are grouped with decorations).
Fig. 13-5. The
exterior of the Fun
Fig. 13-6. The front
Factory is made to
of our party palace
resemble a
is decked out with
remodeled machine
the very best in
shop, so the
dance floor decor.
textures are all
slanted toward
the industrial.

The Entrance
The Fun Factory is a converted machine shop based
upon an industrial theme. To this end, we used a
brick exterior wallpaper with the industrial salvage
windows, the sheet metal doors, and even threw
The Courtyard
in a few industrial fans for effect. The new velvet The Fun Factory is centered on an open courtyard
ropes line the entrance, providing crowd control in the middle of the building, which sports a hot
for our special invite-only events. tub and pool. Because you cannot designate open-
roofed spaces inside the outer walls of your
structures in The Sims, we’ve left a small
passageway open to the outside, visible in the
lower right of figure 13-7. By keeping this small
Some decor decisions are based upon form passage to the outside open, all the windows
instead of function. The bar near the entrance lining the pool area effectively deliver light to the
and the narrow bathrooms with stalls are just interior spaces, greatly increasing the ambient
two examples of this. Were you to build a place
light levels in our building during the day. To
for party score instead of for looks, you’d want
prevent party crashers and other undesirables from
to stick with a normal house as covered above
under “Building for Success.” sneaking in through this passageway, we’ve
blocked it off with hedges.

157
 ™

Fig. 13-7. A narrow The Rodeo and the Residence

corridor linking the
interior courtyard
The rear of the building is the only two-story area
to the outside on the property. The whole back end of the
walls keeps the building is a single, large, open space filled with
central area open caterer’s tables, inflatable sofas, and various party
to the world, objects. The centerpiece is the mechanical bull,
greatly adding to which can be seen from the pool deck through the
the room values in gigantic loft-style window. In the back corner is a
the main body of
teleporter that leads up to the second floor, which
the building.
contains a Spartan living area (after all, someone
has to live here to invite everyone over).

Flanking the exterior hallway are separate Fig. 13-8. The Rodeo
restrooms for men and women. Your Sims will Room even hosts a
even respect the gender designations, plus, the costume trunk for
theme nights at the
doors are still a great way to add character to your
Fun Factory.
party shack. The new hanging counters complete
with sinks and vanity mirrors complete the bath
area, and concessions to Sim pathing limitations
are made in the form of multiple doors leading
into the bathrooms.
Opposite the bathrooms is a large, themed
dining area. Nothing says “party” like inflatable
furniture, and this room has more than its fair
share. You could feed a whole squad of Marines in
here! (Go on, try it—get everyone in the
Decorating for Your Party
neighborhood started in Military careers, and The House Party expansion pack includes more
then invite them all over for a bash!) Cluttered than 50 new objects for your partying pleasure,
though the room may seem, it has a two-square plus new textures for decorating. Unless you are
pathway along its entire length from front to building a themed building such as the Fun Factory,
back, and the chairs are arranged to allow you’ll want to spiff up your residence on the day of
passage to the rear rows no matter how many the party to get your party groove on.
guests are sitting at the front tables. Large plate
glass windows line the wall facing the courtyard,
providing diners with unrestricted views of the
scantily-clad Sims in the water.

158
 Chapter 13: SETTING THE MOOD
Equipment Rental
When you are ready to host a party, wait to purchase A hot tub is an essential part of any party. Even
your party objects until just before you’re ready to though this item is not new with the House Party
bring down the house. Most homes don’t lend expansion, it is the key to the longevity of a good
themselves to DJ booths, dance cages, mechanical bash. Sims can increase their valuable Comfort and
bulls, or nightclub light racks as permanent decor! Hygiene levels in the bubbling water, which have
Because the game allows you to sell new items back no other real aids at a party. Most of a Sim’s time
to the stores within 24 hours without depreciation, is spent standing up at a party, which quickly
you can essentially “rent” your party items for free if diminishes their Comfort level. Furthermore, the
you hold onto them for less than a day. The only activity is Fun, and provides Social interaction to
exception to this is the Fancy Feet Cake Treat, which boot, which puts it ahead of sitting on some
is reduced to trash once it has been used. boring sofa to soak up the Comfort.
First, secure a DJ booth and a little room for Food is another key to the success of a good
dancing on an electronic dance floor. A few dance get-together. Although the Caterer is a bit pricey,
cages are the perfect complement to any dance floor, he is one of the basic building blocks of a proper
and your special event lighting needs can be covered party. Place a buffet table and a punch bowl in an
with the disco light stacks. Music is a staple of any open area with lots of access. Don’t forget to
party—Sims with nothing else to do will often locate a few tables and plenty of chairs nearby, or
occupy their time by dancing, which increases their your guests will eat on their feet, costing them
Fun and generally improves the mood of the party. precious Comfort and Energy as they stuff their
faces. Even if you’re having a relatively small party,
have the Caterer on hand both to cover your
nutritional needs and to help qualify the party as
an official event with the game (see Chapter 15 for
more on that topic).
Not all Sims like the same music. If you’ve got a
Sim to spare for the DJ booth, pay attention to
what music keeps your Sims dancing the
longest, and stick with it for best results on the
Mood Moose.

Fig. 13-9. A dance Plan your party to focus on one primary area in
floor is the your home. The more you concentrate your
foundation of a
guests, the more likely they are to mingle and
good party.
participate in group activities. If you spread
them out across the property, they’ll waste time
and energy finding each other at the party.

159
 ™

Next, plan your group activity objects. Will you Not only are there new themes for your rooms,
be blowing bubbles all night long, laughing but you can also acquire matching outfits for your
hysterically as an Entertainer steps out of a cake? Sims! The best way to get your Sims dressed to
Is dancing the focus of your party? Maybe you’re party is to provide them with a costume trunk, and
inviting Mr. and Mrs. StuffySim over for the place it within easy access. Direct your Sims to use
evening, and so a nice parlor game is more your the chest, and your guests will follow their lead. In
speed. You could even go for a nice campfire out addition to the three room themes, there are also
in the backyard. Don’t be afraid to purchase Roman and Medieval outfits to help your Sims fit
multiple objects to entertain your guests. After into the theme of your party.
all, you’ve got to keep them entertained over an
extended period of time, and they won’t all have
the same interests.

Party Themes
The House Party expansion pack features a wide
assortment of options for adding themed decor to
your home. Walls, floors, doorways, and even
furniture come in several new variations that can
combine to make one of three special party
themes: Western, Luau, or Rave. You can bring the
special objects in for the duration of your party, or
you can go so far as to redecorate your entire
house with one of the new themes.

Fig. 13-10. Sim-

Hawaii! The
additional themed
items allow you
to create your
own themed
parties, rooms,
or even houses.

160
 Chapter 14:
HOUSE PArtY
NEIGHBORHOODS
 ™

Each neighborhood is essentially a separate

Introduction universe; you can’t make friends with Sims from a
House Party adds three entire neighborhoods to different neighborhood, and you won’t see folks
your Sims game, each with 10 additional lots to from the next subdivision strolling down your
accommodate your block parties. These new sidewalk. Furthermore, time stands still in the
neighborhoods are in addition to the four added other neighborhoods while you play in one, so
by the Livin’ Large expansion, giving you a grand don’t worry about having to manage every family
total of 8 neighborhoods with both expansions you’ve created in multiple neighborhoods. While
installed, for your suburban sprawling pleasure. you can technically switch to any family in any
This chapter will help you make the most of your neighborhood at any time, you may find it easier
multiple neighborhoods, manage families, and to focus on one neighborhood at a time, investing
import houses like the land-developing mogul you in the families and relationships there before
were born to be! moving on to the next neighborhood of Sims.

Neighborhood Management
Access to your additional neighborhoods in House
Party is only a click away in the Neighborhood
screen (see figure 14-1). To switch between your
neighborhoods, click on the left or right arrows in If you install the Livin’ Large expansion after
the screen’s upper left. You can manually add up House Party, you will lose all of your data in
to 99 neighborhoods. Simply make a copy of the neighborhoods 2–5, so be sure to check the
TemplateUserData folder in your The Sims readme.txt file included on the House Party CD.
directory, and then rename it to UserData##,
where ## is any unused number between 9 and 99.
You can see which numbers you’ve used already by
looking in the directory.

Additional neighborhoods are a great way to

try out different combinations of families, or even
Fig. 14-1. The different flavors of games. For example, you may
Neighborhood take one of your neighborhoods seriously, and
screen provides you
focus your families on career advancement, home
with access to your
additional Sim
improvement, and growth. Perhaps you might
subdivisions. devote another neighborhood to theme houses,
with a ‘60’s family, a gothic family, a ramshackle
family, etc. Because the neighborhoods are
completely separate from each other, you can go
as wild as you want in a given neighborhood
without affecting the integrity of your other
neighborhoods.

162
 Chapter 14: HOUSE PARTY NEIGHBORHOODS
Fig. 14-2. Importing
Juggling Families families is easy
once you get the
One of the most intriguing features of The Sims is
hang of it!
the ability to share families with other players via
the Internet. By publishing your families on
www.thesims.com, you can allow people all over
the world to share your little creations. Conversely,
there are a multitude of families available online
that other players have uploaded, and you can
easily import these families into your own
neighborhoods.

When you’re shopping for families online, note

that families and houses are lot-specific. This
means that you cannot select which lot an
imported family inhabits in your neighborhood; it
must be inserted into the lot it was designed for. If
that lot is not available in your neighborhood but
Start your search for new families and houses you want to use the family anyway, either replace
at www.thesims.com. Not only will you find
the existing family with the new one, or import
new families and homes here, but you’ll also
find links to many other Sims sites with their the new family into a different neighborhood.
own offerings.

When you find a family online that you’d like

to bring into one of your neighborhoods, simply
download it into your The Sims\UserData\Import
folder. By default, this is on your C drive under
Program Files\Maxis. After you’ve saved the family
to your computer, run The Sims. Using the
neighborhood selection arrows, switch to the
neighborhood you want to import the family to.
Then, click on the Import Family button (it looks
like a house with a plus sign next to it) on the top
center of the Neighborhood screen. This brings up
the dialogue box pictured in figure 14-2. Select the
family you want to import, and you’ll immediately
have a new family in town!

163
Chapter 15:
Let’s Party!
 Chapter 15: LET’s PARTY!

Introduction
You’ve saved up some cash, made some friends in After you feed your Sims, have them engage in
the neighborhood, bought a slew of party goods, some sort of group fun activity. TV does the trick,
and decked out your Sims’ house to perfection. especially if you’ve got a comfortable sofa they
You’re ready to party! Now what? This chapter will can sit on together. A Bubble Blower can also give
help you get your party started. More importantly, your Sims a quick boost on the Fun bar, plus their
once the entire population of your neighborhood Comfort will increase at the same time. When your
is hanging out in your living room looking to you Sims have had a good time, send as many of them
for entertainment, the following information will as you can off to the bath. If you have more Sims
help you keep the party going strong into the wee than you have bathtubs, have the others attend to
hours of the morning. whatever need is most pressing while the others
bathe.
Just after noon, have all of your Sims settle in
Preparations for a nice long nap, to rest up for the long night
ahead. As your Sims slumber, buy all of your party
If you haven’t checked it out already, this would objects: dance floors, a DJ booth, temporary
be a good time to review pre-party preparations in lighting—anything you want to use at the party.
the “Setting the Mood” chapter. By now, you Wake your Sims up at about 4 p.m., a little before
probably have a house fit for entertaining, and most Sims get home from work. Take care of any
you know how to stock it with all the party-ware urgent needs they have, and then call the Caterer
and party-wear you need for an epic event. On the via the Services menu on the telephone. Hiring a
big day, have your Sims skip work so they can take Caterer is the true beginning of a party.
care of their personal needs. Spoil them all
morning. Have your Sim with the highest Cooking
Skill serve up a little breakfast. While the meal is Fig. 15-2. Once
being prepared, you can send your other Sims to you’ve hired the
the bathroom, or perhaps enjoy a few moments in Caterer, the party
front of the television. is on!

Fig. 15-1. Our

resident Cooking
expert prepares a
meal while the
other Sims relax on
the morning of
their party.

165
 ™

How the Game

As soon as you’re off the phone with the
Caterer, start your invite calls by selecting Throw Scores Your Party
Party from the Phone menu. Pause after one Once your party has begun, you have one goal:
invitation for the first hour or so of game time. keep everyone happy. As soon as you have five
Each time you make a call, you’re inviting five Sims in the house plus the Caterer, the game
random people over. Five should do it for now. activates something that tells it a party is
Some Sims aren’t home from work yet, and the underway. These five Sims may be any
others will serve you better later in the party if combination of residents or guests, but your party
they are relatively “fresh.” can never attract NPCs other than the Psycho
Mime without at least five nonresident guests at
the party.

Unlike standard social calls, you don’t have to

Parties are much more likely to be successful for greet your party guests at the door. The first
established host families with strong couple of guests will ring the doorbell, but then
Relationships with the other Sims in the immediately make their way to the happenings
neighborhood. Social interactions generally go on their own, freeing your hosts up to keep the
better between Sims when they are friends, party going!
and parties are all about socializing!

The game determines a party score based upon

the average overall Mood of all the Sims in
attendance, plus other factors (like the number of
guests). The overall Mood ranges from +100 (every
Fig. 15-3. The first
party guests have Sim at the party having a maxed Mood bar) to
arrived! –100 (full red bars on every Sim’s Mood bar). The
moosehead trophy (aka Mood Moose) indicates
your party’s overall Mood only. The antlers
drooping shows that the Mood is poor. The antlers
will be at full extension and will clearly project
above the top of the mounting plaque when the
mood is the highest. The Mood Moose does not
determine the party score, but it can help you
determine the Mood, which leads to a higher
party score.

166
 Chapter 15: LET’s PARTY!
Fig. 15-4. The antlers
on the Mood Moose Fleeting Fun
give you a general Your party is considered to be active until your
sense of how well
total number of nonservice Sims on the property
your party is going.
Usually, you see them drops below five. As long as the party is still going
at half height. on, the game causes your Sims to drop their Fun
bars by two points every five game minutes, in
addition to the normal rate of decay. This
accelerated boredom is enforced on each Sim until
his or her Fun rating drops to 0 (which is halfway),
at which time the Fun reverts to a normal rate of
After about 90 minutes of game time, your party decay. If the Sim rejuvenates his or her Fun bar,
qualifies for a possible appearance by the Psycho Mime. the game kicks in to enforce enjoyment
If by that time your party score is at 15 or less, he’ll show mediocrity again.
up and start up his strange antics. The Psycho Mime will
even come to parties that don’t have any invited guests,
as long as there are at least five residents and a Caterer
in the house (with enough guests, the Caterer is not
Party Scoring
necessary). The other party NPCs require at least five The game keeps track of the score, and tallies it
guests at the party who do not live at the house. every 20 game minutes to determine what NPCs
are going to show up at the party. In addition to
After 120 game minutes of partying, Party Crashers
the average mood of the partygoers, the game
can show up if your party score is at 40 or higher. These
also adds two points for every guest at the party.
Sims do not live in the neighborhood, and any
The more guests you have, the harder it is to
interactions your neighborhood Sims have will not help
manage their moods. However, multiple guests
them in any permanent way. One of the best reasons
mean a higher party score. It’s up to you to decide
to have a party is to help the entire neighborhood
what’s better: an easier-to-manage party, or higher
improve Relationships between Sims, perhaps even
attendance for more bonus points.
forming new friendships. Party Crashers detract from
that effort somewhat, although they help your overall
party score by counting as an additional guest. It’s up
to you to decide whether it is more important to keep
your party score up, or invest in the long-term
Relationships in the neighborhood. Fig. 15-6. More
guests mean more
Fig. 15-5. Party to manage for the
Crashers are a sign host, but at +2
that your guests are party score per
enjoying themselves, head, additional
so their appearance guests definitely
is always welcome earn their keep.
(even if their
continued presence
is not).

167
 ™

Fig. 15-7. If one of

Keeping the Party Going your guests got
up on the wrong
After the first 60 minutes of game time, start
side of the bed
inviting more guests. If you invite everyone over
this morning, send
early, they will be too tired to participate in him packing; you
your party in the all-important third hour, when can’t afford to
your score is evaluated for attracting Party have anyone
Crashers. As soon as your new guests arrive, hire dragging your party
an Entertainer, and watch the crowds gather in mood down!
front of the cake. Your new guests should
immediately be drawn to the party area, which
will help boost their mood (thereby increasing
your overall party score).

Juggling Needs
Don’t forget about your Sims’ needs during the
If you aren’t seeing enough plusses over your party. They still require Comfort, which is severely
partygoers’ heads, try having them gulp down compromised in dancing, riding a mechanical bull,
some punch. When your Sim is drinking the or doing most any other party activity. As
concoction, you can have him or her encourage mentioned previously, the hot tub is the best
other Sims to join in. solution for your Sims to get comfort, not to
mention Fun, Social interaction, and even a
little Hygiene.

Maintaining the Mood

As the party progresses, keep an eye on that
moose. If your resident Sims are happy but the Fig. 15-8. The hot
overall mood remains low, focus your attention on tub is a surefire
Grumpy guests. Feel free to cut loose any Sim who way to keep the
is ranting with a red symbol in his or her bubble. comfort levels of
These Sims are clearly unhappy, and keeping them your partygoers in
the green.
around only hurts the party. Manage your own
Sims, and make liberal use of the Join command.
Pick group activities and drag the other Sims into
participating. Spread your activities out over all of
your party toys, but try to keep the toys in one
place as much as possible.

168
 Chapter 15: LET’s PARTY!
Last Call
Think of your resident Sims as a general Eventually, your guests will start complaining
indicator of the mood of the other Sims at the about needs that they aren’t getting fulfilled at
party. If your Sims are getting hungry, chances are your party. When you start seeing red complaint
at least some of your guests, are, too. Have them bubbles above your guests’ heads, it’s time to wrap
sit down for a bite to eat! Your guests will it up. Start having your final chats with people,
generally follow your lead, so long as they are in and then ask them to leave. The police will even
the immediate area. This is why it’s a good idea to come to break up your party if you let it go past
keep your party centered in one area of the house. 11 p.m., so don’t let it drag on longer than it
Furthermore, Sims will waste precious time and needs to. Bid your guests farewell, and then take
energy walking if you’ve spread the party out all care of any urgent needs your Sims have before
over the property. sending them off to bed. Remember, your Sims
skipped work the day of the party, so they need to
make it tomorrow, or they risk getting fired!

Espresso machines can really earn their keep at Fig. 15-10. Lights
parties. Energy is the only nonrenewable out, and the place
resource when the disco ball is spinning, so a is thrashed. Good
little shot of caffeine can be just the thing to thing our Sims have
a Maid!
help stretch your party into the night.

Don’t be ashamed to hire another Entertainer if

you think your party could use a shot of fun. Also
try dancing with several different partners over the
course of the evening. If you pay attention, you’ll
find some Sims enjoy dancing more than others.
Those that do will dance longer, and enjoy it more.
Keep those Sims dancing with your own Sims until
their Fun bar is glowing green. Outgoing Sims
might even take a turn in the dance cages!

Fig. 15-9. It’s a

disco inferno!

169
 ™

Here is a general timeline of things to do before and during your party:

❏ 9:00am: Have the Sim with the highest Cooking Skill cook up breakfast.

❏ 10:00am: Engage your Sims in some sort of fun group activity.

❏ 11:00am: Send your Sims off to the bathrooms for hygiene or bladder as needed.

❏ 12:00pm: Have all your Sims settle in for an afternoon nap. While they are sleeping, buy all of your
party objects (dance floor, DJ booth, etc.).

❏ 4:00pm: Wake up your Sims. Take care of any urgent needs and call the Caterer.

❏ 5:00pm: Make your first invite call.

❏ 5:30pm: The party begins.

❏ 6:00pm: Your first guests should be eating.

❏ 6:30pm: Make your second invite call.

❏ 7:30pm: Hire an Entertainer.

❏ 8:00pm: Keep an eye on party mood and dismiss unhappy guests.

❏ 10:00pm: Start dismissing your guests.

170
INdex
 ™

A bathroom
Active personality trait, 11–12, 13, 125 and parties, 156
activities countertops, 74
Fun, 18–19, 125 design considerations, 50, 124, 156, 157
visitor, 104–105 plumbing objects, 88–90, 143
adult interactions. See also Relationships; Social bathtub
interactions buying guide, 89–90
and Fun motive, 18 rewards associated with, 30
with children, 19–20 beds
with other adults, 20–21 and Comfort motive, 61
African violet, 77 and Energy motive, 73
AI, 15 buying guide, 73
alarm clock, 46, 93 for bachelor pads, 98
appliances rewards associated with, 24, 60
buying guide, 85–88 sharing with other Sims, 99
impact on Hunger score, 119 bedtime, 122
upgrading, 121 benchpress exercise machine, 95
aquarium, 24, 79 beverage bar, 24, 95, 145, 157
armoire, 95, 96 Bladder motive
Art Studio!, 129–130 and toilet, 61
artificial intelligence, 15 description of, 17–18
artwork survival tips, 124
buying, 79–81 Body skill, 13, 40, 115
creating, 129–130 bookcases, 25, 94, 95, 96, 145
As the Sim Turns, 107–111, 116–117 boom box, 83
ash, 24 Brag interaction, 105
athlete. See Pro Athlete career track breakfast
importance of, 46
B making night before, 122
babies. See also children Bribe decision, Life of Crime career track, 47
and sleep, 124 bubble blower, 147
conceiving, 100–101 buffet table, 146, 151, 152, 159
dealing with crying, 101 Build Mode, 50, 57
rewards associated with, 24 bull, mechanical, 143
sharing responsibility for, 100 burglar alarm, 81
babysitters, 124–125 bushes, 57
bachelor Business career track
career choices for, 98 major decision, 47
day in the life of, 113–114 skills and personality traits required for, 39
designing and furnishing house for, 98–99 Buy Mode, 60, 68, 134
marriage considerations, 99–100 buyer’s remorse period, 62
bachelor pad, 98–99 buying guide
Back Rub interaction, 105, 123 House Party, 134–147
balloons, party, 139 chairs, 134–135
balustrades, 52 couches, 136
bar, beverage, 24, 95, 145, 157 countertops, 136–137
barbecue, 86 decorative objects, 138–141
basketball hoop, 24, 95 desks/tables, 138
bassinet, 101 electronics, 141–143
172
 end tables, 137 tips for placing, 68
lighting, 143 types of, 68
miscellaneous items, 145–147 Charisma skill, 13, 40
party accessories, 146–147 Cheats, 121, 127
plumbing, 143 chess, 25, 95
The Sims, 68–96 Chester Brick Column, 52
appliances, 85–88 children. See also babies
beds, 73 adding to Sim family, 100–101
chairs, 68–70 and Fun motive, 18
couches, 70–72 and interactions with adults, 19–20
countertops, 74 as babysitters, 124–125
decorative objects, 77–81 day in the life of, 114–115
desks/tables, 76–77 clapping, 62
electronics, 81–85 clocks, 25, 46, 80, 93
end tables, 75–76 Clown painting, 78
lighting, 90–92 coffeemaker
miscellaneous items, 93–96 buying guide, 85
plumbing, 88–90 rewards associated with, 25
columns, interior/exterior, 52
C Comfort motive
cactus, 78 and furniture, 16–17, 61
cage, go-go, 142, 159 survival tips, 123
Cake Treat, Fancy Feet, 146, 152, 159 commode, 143. See also toilet
campfire, 146, 151 communication
Campfire Ghost, 151 and friendship, 32, 102
candy box, 16 impact on Relationship and Social scores,
car pool 33–34
and house-design considerations, 50 positive vs. negative, 33–34
meeting deadline for, 46 Compatibility Table, Sims Zodiac, 9
vehicles used for, 41–45 complaint bubbles, 169
card game, 147 Compliment interaction, 105
career advancement. See also job computers
and friendship requirement, 47 and house-design considerations, 50
and Relationships, 32 as job-finding tool, 38, 84, 98
developing skills for, 39–40 buying guide, 84
Career Choices table, 39 getting free use of, 38, 98
career tracks rewards associated with, 26
major decisions associated with, 47–48 Control Panel
requirements, 39, 41–45 and Motive scores, 15
salaries, 41–45 displaying Skill bars on, 39
work hours, 41–45 green/red color coding, 15
carpeting, 55 Walls Cutaway option, 56
cash, raising, 62 Walls Down option, 56
Caterer, 151–152, 159 conversation
Celebrity, Secret, 153 and friendship, 32, 102
chairs assignment of topics for, 32
and Comfort motive, 61 impact on Relationship and Social scores,
buying guide, 68–70, 134–135 33–34
rewards associated with, 25 initiating, 102
173
 ™

cooking appliances chairs, 69, 135

buying guide, 85–87 tables, 76–77, 138
impact on Hunger score, 119 disc jockey booth, 141, 142, 159
upgrading, 121 dishwasher, 87, 119
Cooking skill, 40 diving board, 28
corners DJ booth, 141, 142, 159
and Room motive, 22 dollhouse, 26, 94
angled vs. square, 52 Door Tool, 53
costume trunk, 147 Door Types table, 53
couches, 70–72, 136 downloads, 129–132
countertops dream house, 50. See also house
buying guide, 74, 136–137 dresser, 94
impact on Hunger score, 119 drink dispenser, 145. See also beverage bar
upgrading, 121
courtyard, Fun Factory, 157 E
Crasher, Party, 153, 167 easel, 26, 94
Creativity skill, 13 eating, 16, 74, 118–119. See also food; Hunger
Crime career track motive
major decision, 47 editing tools, 57–58
skills and personality traits required for, 39 Efficiency rating, 68, 134
crises, dealing with, 121 Efficiency Table, 136, 138
crying babies, 101 El Sol Window, 54
electronics
D buying guide, 81–85, 141–143
Daily Motive Decay value, 40–45 learning to repair, 81
dance floor, 141–142, 159 returning for full refund, 141
Dance interaction, 105 end tables, 75–76, 137
Dancer, 152 Endless Fun activities, 19
dancing, 83, 103, 141 Energy motive
Day in the Life examples, 107–119 and beds, 61, 73
As the Sim Turns (housemates), 107–111, description of, 18
116–117 survival tips, 124
Kids are People, Too, 114–115 Entertain interaction, 105, 125
Life with the Pleasants, 111–113 Entertainer, 152, 169
Pity the Poor Bachelor, 113–114 Entertainment career track
Sims in the Kitchen, 118–119 major decision, 47
Skillful Sims, 115–116 skills and personality traits required for, 39
day off, 47 equipment rental, party, 159–160
decisions, career, 47–48 espresso machine
decorations, party, 134, 138, 143, 158–160 and parties, 169
decorative objects buying guide, 85
buying guide, 77–81, 138–141 rewards associated with, 25
impact on Room score, 77, 126, 138 exercise machine, 95
upgrading, 126 exit factors, Motive, 17
Deep Freeze decision, Xtreme career track, 48 Expansion Packs, 7, 132, 162. See also House
Delete key, 58 Party Expansion Pack
depreciation, 62–67 Experiment decision, Science career track, 48
depression, 102 Extended Fun activities, 18–19
dining-room furniture
174
F Full Meal, 16
FaceLift, 130 Fun activities, 18–19, 125
families Fun Factory, 155, 157–158
day in the life of, 107–119 Fun motive
deleting and starting over, 121 description of, 18–19
married, with children, 100–101 items required for, 61
searching the Internet for new, 163 survival tips, 125
sharing, 163 Fun score, impact of personality traits on, 13
single-person, 98–100 Funinator, 96
Fancy Feet Cake Treat, 146, 152, 159 furniture. See also specific types
Federal Lattice Window Door, 53 and Comfort motive, 16–17
Fence Tools, 51–52 buying guide, 68–77, 134–138
fences, 52 inflatable, 158
Fight interaction, 105 upgrading, 126
File Cop, Sims, 130, 132
fireplace, 57 G
Fireplace Tool, 57 game control panel. See Control Panel
flamingo, 26, 77 game directory, examining for damaged files,
Flirt interaction, 105 130
flood, 26 garden lamp, 92
floor covering, 55, 140 Gardener, 57
floor lamps, 91–92, 144 geranium, 78
floor mirror, 94 Ghost, Campfire, 151
floor plan, house, 50 gift, rewards associated with, 27
Floor Tool, 54–55 Give Gift interaction, 105
flooring go-go cage, 142, 159
cost considerations, 54 grandfather clock, 25, 80
creating custom, 131 green/red color coding, Control Panel’s, 15
inside vs. outside, 54 grill, 86
laying or removing, 54 Grouchy personality trait, 13
types of, 55 group activities. See Social interactions; Social
flowers motive
planting, 57 Group Meal, 16
rewards associated with, 26, 27 guests, 103, 166, 168. See also parties; visitors
food Gung Ho decision, Military career track, 48
and Hunger motive, 16
appliances for preparing, 85–88 H
availability of, 118 Hand Tool, 58, 101
maximizing quality and preparation time, head icon, 125
121–122 heads, creating your own, 130
rewards associated with, 26 hedges, 57
food processor, 61, 86, 87, 119, 121 high-tech gadgets, 81. See also electronics
fountain, 27, 79 hired help, for parties, 151–152, 165, 169
Free Will, 15, 24 home-building. See house
fridge. See refrigerator HomeCrafter, 131
friendship. See also Relationships horoscopes, 9
and career advancement, 47, 102 hot tub
role of conversation in cultivating, 32, 102 and Fun motive, 19
fruitcake, 16 and parties, 159, 168
175
 ™

buying guide, 90 ensuring good performance on, 46–47

rewards associated with, 27 getting your first, 38
hours, work, 41–45 salary considerations, 38
house taking day off from, 47
adding second story to, 55–56 using computer to find, 38, 84
adding/deleting walls in, 52 Job icon, 32, 39
choosing windows and doors for, 53–54 job postings, 38
design considerations, 50, 56, 98–99 Joke interaction, 105
entertaining in, 155–156
financial considerations, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55 K
framing, 51 kids. See babies; children
furnishing, 60, 68, 134 (See also buying Kiss interaction, 100, 105, 123
guide) kitchen
landscaping, 57, 61 aligning objects in, 121–122
laying flooring in, 54–55 appliances, 85–88, 119, 121
modifying terrain for, 51 countertops, 74
roofing options, 56 design considerations, 50
tools for building, 51–58 preparing food in, 118–119, 121–122
House Party Expansion Pack sinks, 88
buying guide, 134–147
characters, 151–153 L
neighborhoods, 162 lamps
objects included in, 132, 134 and Room score, 61, 90, 126
party planning and decor, 155–160, 165–166, buying guide, 90–92, 144
170 outdoor, 92
party scoring, 166–167 repairing, 90
housemates, day in the life of, 107–111, 115–116 replacing bulbs in, 90
Hug interaction, 100, 103, 105, 123 landscaping, 57, 61
Hunger motive lava lamp, 27
description of, 16 Law Enforcement career track
items required for, 61 major decision, 47
survival tips, 121–122 skills and personality traits required for, 39
Hygiene motive starting salary for, 38
description of, 17 lawn ornament, 26, 77, 139
items required for, 61 Lazy personality trait, 125
survival tips, 123–124 levels, career track
advancing through first three, 47
I requirements for specific, 41–45
Import Family button, 163 Life of Crime career track
inflatable furniture, 158 major decision, 47
interactions. See Social interactions skills and personality traits required for, 39
Internet, searching for Sims families via, 163 light
Ionic Column, 52 and Room motive, 22, 61, 90
and Window Tool, 53
J light bulbs, replacing, 90
jade plant, 79 lighting, buying guide for, 90–92, 143–144
jealousy, 126 Livin’ Large Expansion Pack, 162
job. See also career advancement; career tracks Logic skill, 40
developing skills for, 39–40 loveseats, 28, 70–72, 136
176
Luau party theme, 160 MP3 files, 83
music, 83
M musical equipment, 142. See also stereo
mailbox, 27 mystery guest, 153
major decisions, career track, 47–48
Malpractice decision, Medicine career track, 48 N
Maple Door Frame, 53 napping, 103, 165
marriage, 99–100, 102 Neat personality trait, 9–10, 123, 125
material possessions. See objects Need bars, 60
Maxis website, 129 Needs, 60–61. See also Motives
meals, 16, 118–119. See also food; Hunger neighborhoods, 162
motive net worth, 62
Mean personality trait, 125, 126 newspaper, 27
mechanical bull, 143 Nice personality trait, 13, 125
Mechanical skill nightclub, 155, 157
and TV repair, 82 nightstands, 76
enhancing, 40 Non-Player Characters (NPCs), House Party, 151
medicine cabinet, 27, 93
Medicine career track O
major decision, 48 Object Advertising Values tables
skills and personality traits required for, 39 House Party, 147–149
microwave, 86, 119 The Sims, 24–30
Military career track Object Depreciation table, 63–67
and friends, 103 objects. See also specific objects
major decision, 48 buying guides, 68–96, 134–146
skills and personality traits required for, 39 depreciated values and limits, 63–67
starting salary for, 38 purchase prices for, 63–67
Mime, Psycho, 152, 153, 167 red X designation, 62
mirrors, 93, 94 returning for full refund, 62, 134, 141, 143
money, 60, 62 rewards associated with specific, 24–30
Monticello Balustrade, 52 selling, 62
Monticello Door, 53 Sims’ responses to new, 61–62
Monticello Window, 53, 54 upgrading, 126
Mood icon, 60 objets d’art. See decorative objects
Mood Moose, 166–167 One-Time Fun activities, 19
Mood Rating, 15 outdoor lighting, 92
moosehead, 140 Outgoing personality trait, 10–11, 13, 125
Motive scores, 15
Motives, 15–30 P
and Free Will, 15, 24 paint program, 129–130, 131
and Mood Rating, 15 paintings
and object advertising values, 24–30, buying guide, 78, 79, 81
147–149 rewards associated with, 27
and personality traits, 16 parties. See also House Party Expansion Pack
defined, 15 choosing theme for, 160
descriptions of specific, 16–23 creating proper atmosphere for, 155
deterioration of, 40 family considerations, 165
exit factors for specific, 17 general timeline for planning and hosting,
visitors’ starting and leaving, 104 170
177
 ™

getting free use of equipment and supplies pool table, 96

for, 134, 141, 143 pool, swimming
hiring help for, 151–152, 165, 169 and Fun motive, 19
inviting guests to, 166, 168 building, 56
lighting considerations, 143 diving board, 28
planning and decorating for, 134, 138, 143, porta-potties, 132
158–160, 165–166 Potty Pack, 132
renting equipment for, 159–160 Prison, Sim City, 47
scoring, 166–167 Privacy Fence, 52
party accessories, 146–147 Privacy Window, 54
party balloons, 139 Pro Athlete career track
Party Crasher, 153, 167 major decision, 48
party house skills and personality traits required for, 39
contrasted with regular house, 155 promotions, 47. See also career advancement
design considerations, 155–156 proposal, marriage, 99, 102
party score, 166–167 Psycho Mime, 152, 153, 167
party supplies, returning, 134, 141, 143 puddles, 126
party themes, 160 punch bowl, 146, 151, 152
Perfect Crime decision, Life of Crime career purchase prices, object, 63–67
track, 47
personality traits. See also specific traits Q
and AI, 15 Quick Meal, and Hunger Motive points, 16
and career tracks, 39
and Fun scores, 13 R
and Motives, 16 range, 86
and Skill development, 13 Rave party theme, 160
strategies for assigning, 9 recliners, 70
what to expect from specific, 9–13 red X, 62
phone. See telephone red/green color coding, Control Panel’s, 15
physical contact, impact on Relationship/Social refrigerator
scores, 35–36 and Hunger motive, 61
piano, 27, 96 buying guide, 87–88
Picket Fence, 52 for bachelor pad, 99
pinball machine, 28, 85 importance of, 86
pink flamingo, 26, 77 rewards associated with, 27
pizza, 16 refund, returning objects for full, 62, 134, 141,
Plant Tool, 57 143
plants Relationship score
buying guide, 77–79 and communication, 33–34
eliminating dead, 126 and physical contact, 35–36
Plate Glass Window, 54 and Social interactions, 32–36
play structure, 28 interpreting, 32
Playful personality trait, 12, 13, 125 Relationships
Pleasant family, day in the life of, 111–113 and career advancement, 32
plumbing objects, buying guide for, 88–90, 143 and communication, 32–34
points. See scoring system and physical contact, 35–36
Politics career track and quality of life, 32
major decision, 48 building and maintaining, 102–105
skills and personality traits required for, 39 flaunting, 126
178
 importance of, 32 day in the life of, 107–119
Relationships icon, 32 factors that motivate, 15–19
Remake decision, Entertainment career track, 47 personality traits, 9–13, 15
rental, party equipment, 159–160 social interactions between, 19–21, 32
repairs Sim City Prison, 47
and Mechanical skill, 82 Sim-Speak, 32
and Room motive, 22 Simoleans, 60
lamp, 90 Sims File Cop, 130, 132
TV and electronics, 81, 82 Sims websites, 129, 131, 132, 163
Rodeo Room, Fun Factory, 158 Sims, The
romance, 99 buying guide, 68–96
Roof Tool, 56 contrasted with other computer games, 6
Room motive House Party Expansion Pack, 7, 134
factors contributing to, 22–23, 61 Livin’ Large Expansion Pack, 162
relative importance of, 22 neighborhoods, 162
survival tips, 126 popularity of, 15
Room score websites, 129, 131, 132, 163
and decorative objects, 77, 126, 138 SimShow, 131
and fireplace, 57 Single-Pane Window, 54
impact of door type on, 53 single-person household, 98–100
impact of expensive items on, 60 sink, 28, 61, 88, 143
Room Score table, 22–23 Skill development
rubber tree plant, 78 and career advancement, 39–40
rugs, 140 day-in-the-life example, 115–116
impact of personality traits on, 13
S Skill Enhancement table, 40
salaries, 41–45 skins, creating and editing, 131
Scandal decision, Politics career track, 48 sleep. See also beds
Science career track and babies, 100, 101, 124
major decision, 48 and Energy motive, 18, 124
skills and personality traits required for, 39 and job performance, 46
sconces, 92 Sloppy personality trait, 17
scoring system smoke detector, 81
Motives, 15 snack, and Hunger Motive points, 16
parties, 166–167 Social interactions
Relationships, 32 and Outgoing personality trait, 10
sculptures, 28, 80, 81 and Relationship score, 32–36
seating, buying guide for, 68–72, 134–136 and Social score, 32–36
Secret Celebrity, 153 descriptions of specific, 105
security system, 81 factors affecting outcome of, 20–21
Serious personality trait, 13, 125 positive vs. negative, 32–36
shelves. See bookcases Social motive
shovel icon, 51 description of, 19–21
shower, 28, 61, 89, 143 items required for, 61
shrubs, 57 survival tips, 126
shrugging, 62 Social Outcome Factors table, 21
Sim characters Social score
and Free Will, 15, 24 and communications, 33–34
creating from scratch, 9 and Outgoing personality trait, 11
179
 ™

and physical contact, 35–36 Object Advertising Values (House Party),

sofas 147–149
buying guide, 70–72, 136 Object Advertising Values (The Sims), 24–30
rewards associated with, 28 Object Depreciation, 63–67
sound system. See stereo Positive Communications and
spider plant, 78 Relationship/Social Scores, 33
Stair Tool, 55–56 Positive Physical Events and
staircases, 55, 56 Relationship/Social Scores, 35
stay-at-home mate, advantages of, 47 Room Score, 22–23
stereo Sims Zodiac Compatibility Table, 9
buying guide, 83 Skill Enhancement, 40
combining with dance floor, 141 Skills Accelerated by Personality, 13
rewards associated with, 28–29 Social Outcome Factors, 21
Stock Option decision, Business career track, 47 Traits that Raise Max Fun Value, 13
stove, 61, 86, 99, 119 Visitor Activities, 104–105
Supermatch decision, Pro Athlete career track, Visitors’ Starting/Leaving Motives, 104
48 Wall Types, 52
surf board, 139 Window Types, 54
surfaces table lamps, 90–91
buying guide, 74–77, 136–138 tables, 75–77, 136, 137–138
impact on Hunger score, 119 Talk interaction, 105. See also conversation
survival tips, 121–126 Tease interaction, 105
Bladder, 124 telephones, 27, 61, 82
Comfort, 123 televisions. See TVs
Energy, 124 Terrain Tool, 51
Fun, 125 themes, party, 160
Hunger, 121–122 Throw Party command, 166
Hygiene, 123–124 Tickle interaction, 105
Room, 126 Timed Fun activities, 19
Social, 126 timeline, party planning and hosting, 170
swimming pool tips. See also survival tips
and Fun motive, 19 adding or removing flooring, 54
building, 56 building dream house, 50
combining dance floor and stereo for parties,
T 141
table illustrations decorating for parties, 134
Adult-Child Interactions, 20 deleting wall, 52
Career Choices, 39 designing party house, 157
Career Track Requirements, 41–45 displaying Skill bars on control panel, 39
Door Types, 53 entertaining guests, 103
Favorite Fun Activities, 125 getting free use of computer, 38
How Appliances and Surfaces Affect Hunger getting free use of party supplies, 134, 143
Score, 119 handling Caterer, 152
Hunger Score for Meal, Snack, or Gift, 16 handling Psycho Mime, 153
Mandatory Exit Factors for Motives, 17 influencing Need bar and Room score, 60
Negative Communications and interpreting changes in Motive scores, 15
Relationship/Social Scores, 34 learning to repair electronic items, 81
Negative Physical Events and matching window and door styles, 53
Relationship/Social Scores, 36 meeting car-pool deadline, 46
180
 monitoring Bladder bar, 17 Virtual Reality glasses. See VR glasses
moving or building around tree, 52 visitors. See also parties
placing chairs, 68 activities of, 104–105
planning and holding successful parties, 159, sending home, 126, 169
168 starting and leaving Motives, 104
returning objects for full refund, 62, 141, 143 taking care of, 103, 156, 169
sharing responsibility for babies, 100 VR glasses, 30, 85
using columns inside house, 52
using Terrain Tool and grid lines, 51 W
toaster oven, 86, 119 wall coverings
toilet cost considerations, 55
and Bladder motive, 61 creating custom, 131
and Comfort motive, 123 sources of, 131
buying guide, 89, 143 types of, 55
flushing, 124 wall hangings, 140–141
portable, 132 wall lamps, 92, 144
rewards associated with, 29 wall mirrors, 93
tombstone, 29 Wall Tools, 51–52
tools, home-building, 51–58 Wall Types table, 52
toy box, 29, 93 Wallpaper Tool, 55
Tragic Clown painting, 78 Walls Cutaway option, 56
train set, 30 Walls Down option, 56
trash can, 30, 93 Walnut Door, 53
trash compactor Water Tool, 56
and Room score, 87 watercolors, 78
buying guide, 87 websites, Sims, 129, 131, 132, 163
impact on Hunger score, 119 Western party theme, 160
rewards associated with, 30 White Picket Fence, 52
trash pack, 132 Window Tool, 53–54
trash pile, 30 windows
trees and Room motive, 61
moving or building around, 52 types of, 54
planting, 57 Windsor Door, 53
Tumbleweed Wooden Column, 52 Windsor Window, 54
TVs work. See career tracks; job
and Fun motive, 61 work hours, 41–45
buying guide, 82–83
impact on Social score, 60 X
repairing, 82 X, red, 62
rewards associated with, 30 Xtreme career track
major decision, 48
U skills and personality traits required for, 39
Ukelele Lady Lamp, 132
undo button, 57–58 Z
urn, 29 Zodiac Compatibility Table, 9
utility programs, 131 Zorba Ionic Column, 52

V
vase, 80
181