GameplayEdit
The Sims uses a combination of 3D and 2Dgraphics techniques. The Sims themselves are rendered in 3D, whereas the house and all its objects are pre-rendered and displayeddiametrically.
While gameplay occurs in the game’s live mode, the player may enter build mode or buy mode to pause time and renovate the house or lot. When the game begins, each family will start off with §20,000 Simoleons (regardless of its number of members). These funds can be used to purchase a small house or vacant lot on the Neighborhood screen. Once a lot is purchased, a house may be constructed or remodeled in Build mode, and/or purchase or move furniture in the Buy mode. All architectural features and furnishings customizable in the Build and Buy modes follow a square tile system in which items must be placed on a tile. Walls and fences go on the edge of a tile and can follow the edge of the tile or cross it, but furniture items cannot be placed on either side of a crossed tile. The base game contains over 150 items including furniture and architectural elements.
Sims are influenced by the player to interact with objects or other Sims. Sims may receive guests, invited or not, from other playable lots or from a pool of unhoused NPC Sims. If enabled in the game’s options, Sims have a certain amount of free will, allowing them to autonomously interact with their world. However, the player can override most autonomous actions by cancelling them out in the action queue at the top of the screen. Unlike the simulated environments in games such as SimCity, SimEarth, or SimLife, Sims are not fully autonomous. They are unable to take certain actions without specific commands, such as paying bills, finding a job, exercising, and conceiving children. Sims communicate in a fictional language called Simlish.
A lazy and sloppy Sim
The player can make decisions about time spent in skill development, such as exercise, reading, creativity, and logic by adding activities to Sims’ daily agenda. Daily needs such as hygiene maintenance and eating can and must also be scheduled. Although Sims can autonomously perform these actions, they may not prioritize them effectively. Much like real humans, Sims can suffer consequences for neglecting their own needs. In addition, Sims must maintain balanced budgets, and usually supplement an income by obtaining a job. Sims may earn promotions by fulfilling skill and friendship requirements of each level, which lead to new job titles, increased wages, and different work hours. Alternately, Sims may also create and sell various artwork and items at home.
The inner structure of the game is actually anagent based artificial life program. The presentation of the game’s artificial intelligence is advanced, and the Sims will respond to outside conditions independently, although often the player/controller’s intervention is necessary to keep them on the right track. The Sims technically has unlimitedreplay value, in that there is no way to win the game, and the player can play on indefinitely. It has been described as more like a toy than a game.
The original neighborhood in The Sims consists of a single screen displaying all playable houses.
In addition, the game includes a very advanced architecture system. The game was originally designed as an architecture simulation alone, with the Sims there only to evaluate the houses, but during development it was decided that the Sims were more interesting than originally anticipated and their once limited role in the game was developed further.[1]
While there is no eventual objective to the game, states of failure do exist in The Sims. One is that Sims may die, either by starvation, drowning, fire, or electrocution. When a Sim dies, a tombstone or an urn will appear in (In later expansion packs the Grim Reaper will appear first), the ghost of the deceased Sim may haunt the building where it died. In addition, Sims can leave a household (and game) for good and never return, if fed up with another Sim; two adult Sims with a bad relationship may brawl, eventually resulting in one of them moving out. Children will be sent away for good if they fail their classes.
ObjectsEdit
Players have a broad array of objects which their respective Sims may purchase. Objects fall into one of eight broad categories: Seating, surfaces, decorative, electronics, appliances, plumbing, lighting and miscellaneous.[2
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