Traits

One of the final choices in Create a Sim is to assign your Sim up to five different traits.

These are the most important choices in Create a Sim because they greatly affect your Sim’s Lifetime Wish (the culminating dream of their life), can sway performance at work or at skill development, and influence how a Sim interacts with others.

There are 63 possible traits to choose from in The Sims 3 base game. Traits include personality triggers such as Brave, Frugal, Loner, and Unlucky. They range from positive to negative, with a handful of relatively neutral traits somewhere in the middle.

Because these five traits not only make up the core of your Sim’s personality but also affect what Lifetime Wishes are available to them, consider how they might factor into the kind of life you’d like to live.

Late Night introduces three new traits to the equation: Shy, Star Quality, and Vehicle Enthusiast. There is one more thing you can pass along to children, too, via genetics: being a Vampire. This state of being cannot be chosen during Create a Sim.

But if you mate with a Vampire, your offspring is very likely to possess this state. You can learn more about being a Vampire in the Vamping It Up chapter, as well as everything else you need to know about this thrilling lifestyle choice.

Shy

Description: Shy Sims will never approach anyone that isn’t a friend and tend to stick to their rooms if they are able. They are also uncomfortable around large groups of people that they do not consider friends.

Benefits: Now, this seems like a largely negative trait, but there is real depth here that can be exploited by a social-oriented player. A Shy Sim is slower to build a relationship with a new Sim and endures the Feeling Shy negative moodlet when around non-friend Sims.

But they get a huge mood boost when they hang around friends—more than a normal Sim. The Among Friends moodlet is powerful stuff.

Shortcomings: Shy Sims cannot have the Flirty or Party Animal traits.

Unique Features: Shy Sims will never automatically socialize with non-friend Sims. In a crowd setting, they remain closed off to others.

Star Quality

Description: Sims who have Star Quality are bound to become popular. They have an easier time befriending celebrities and climbing the ladder to stardom.

Benefits: Because Sims with Star Quality have that natural “x-factor” that makes them the center of attention, they have a much easier time impressing celebrities.

They also earn more Celebrity Points when they make a celebrity friend. (For more of the celebrity scene in Late Night , please see the Popularity Contest chapter.)

Shortcomings: None

Unique Features: Sims with Star Quality are likelier to get free objects when they achieve celebrity status.

Vehicle Enthusiast

Description: Vehicle Enthusiasts enjoy the craftsmanship of a fine ride and know the value of a dependable vehicle. Their relationship with their vehicles is a special one.

Benefits: Vehicle Enthusiasts get a charge out of nice wheels. Park them in a sweet ride for a mood boost.

Shortcomings: None

Unique Features: These Sims automatically name their car and they gain a positive relationship with their car more quicker than other Sims.