They Are Among Us

Like previous expansions, such as Supernatural and Generations, Seasons introduces an all-new type of Sim that adds not insignificant wrinkles to your narratives. In the case of Seasons, it cracks open the cosmos and calls upon one of the great mysteries of our existence: are we alone in the universe? Seasons comes down firmly on the side of the question that we, in fact, are not.

That’s right. Aliens have come to play.

Aliens in Seasons are loosely related to the extraterrestrials that delighted players of The Sims 2. However, the otherworldly travelers here in Seasons are much more fleshed out, complete with personalities, genetic quirks, and special powers that make them incredibly fascinating beings. Really, if you want to turn your household on its head, follow the strategies in this chapter to bring an alien into your playable family.

Create a Sim

Not sure if you’ll be able to spot an alien around your town? Oh, you will. Not a problem. Because there is no mistaking that you are looking into the eyes of a space traveler.

No, really—it’s the eyes. Yeah, there’s the green skin and a bald pate, But those eyes. Aliens have special all-black eyes—the pupil, iris, and sclera? All black. And their eyes are initially a little bit larger than any of the eye shapes found in Create a Sim.

Aliens also possess green-tinged skin. In fact, the particular hue is new to Seasons. In addition, aliens also have slightly pointed ears. In Create a Sim, there is a slider that allows you to adjust the pointedness of the ears/ear length.

Pure aliens also appear with zero hair. No hair on their heads. No beards. No eyebrows. This, combined with the above-mentioned notables, decidedly fine facial features, and unique spacesuits are all found on true aliens.

Now, you can go into Create a Sim and make some adjustments such as changing outfits or adding make-up, but you cannot perform plastic surgery or made heavy adjustments to form. But there are means for creating aliens that look a little different from the default beings that come down from the skies. Can you guess how?

Aw yeah. WooHoo.

Genetics

Alien DNA can be introduced to your Sims through the basics of genetics. If a human Sim performs Try for Baby with an alien and conceives, the resulting baby’s genetics are determined by the amount of “alien” in the alien parent.

For example, the alien NPCs that appear in your town are considered to have 100% alien DNA and human Sims have 0% alien DNA. The child of this coupling, thusly, will have a baseline of 50% alien DNA although this can swing 10% in either direction—and this determination is completely random. So, you may end up with a baby that has 60% alien DNA.

Seasons evaluates the percentage of alien DNA to determine whether or not the child is treated as an alien and has access to all of the ET perks. If a Sim has 30% or more alien DNA, it is determined to be an alien. So, first-generation kids between fully alien and fully human Sims are always alien. However, if an alien has 40% alien DNA and mates with a human Sim, the baby will have only 25% alien DNA and thus be classified as human—no alien perks or abilities.

So, if you want an alien in your household, you can either marry an alien NPC and bring them into the playable family, or have a female Sim Try for Baby with a male alien. (Actually, there’s another way to have an alien baby... but more on that in a moment.)

Genetics affect the appearance of an alien hybrid, too. Pure aliens have the previously mentioned all black eyes and hairless domes. But when human DNA is introduced to the equation, you start seeing hair on alien heads and white sclera. Skin tone is based on the percentage of alien DNA. If the baby has enough alien DNA to be considered an alien, they have green skin, but it’ll be a paler green. If the baby has too little alien DNA and is considered a human, the baby has the skin tone of the other parent.

Alien Needs

Aliens maintain five of the six common needs shared by all human Sims. The main motive difference is that Energy has been replaced by Brain Power. Brain Power is critical to the function of aliens. It can take hits when Brain Power is consumed for specific interaction—which we’ll get to later in this chapter.

Brain Power also decays when you:

• Go to work—whether that’s a regular career or the new Alien Test Subject part-time career.
• Perform a task for one of the active careers from Ambitions.
• Develop a skill, either visible or hidden.

When Brain Power tanks out, your alien raises a fuss, just like a human Sim who is low on sleep. The frustration over low Brain Power materializes at first as the In Need of Restoration moodlet, which is neutral. This moodlet simply alerts you to low Brain Power and offers a timer for letting you know that you need to attend to the need. If you do not manage this right away, you risk sliding into the next phase of low Brain Power, which is the negative Restoration Required moodlet. At this point, Brain Power begins to drain by itself. If for one reason or another you fail to restore Brain Power, this eventually devolves into Mentally Ravenous, which not only tanks the mood of the alien, but also any nearby Sim thanks to an aura of negativity. Sims caught within that aura are hit with the Mind Static moodlet, but the negative moodlet quickly dissipates when they walk away from the distressed alien.

If Brain Power goes completely south and zeroes out, aliens are in serious trouble. The alien begins holding its head and floats up into the air. Psychic bolts appear around the alien and then, if no Brain Power is restored, the alien lets loose with a primal scream. At this point, a shockwave emits from the alien’s head and they receive a token amount of Brain Power. Any Sim caught in the shockwave is hit with the drastically negative Brain Fry moodlet. Objects within the shockwave risk breakage. It’s an extreme scene.

However, this isn’t the end of the ordeal. The alien drops back to the ground and launches the Restore Brain Power interaction, which sends them into a relaxed state (kind of like meditation) where they slowly recoup lost Brain Power. At the sight of this, some Sims have been known to suffer Bladder failure or immediately lose a great deal of Energy.

NPC Aliens & Playable Aliens

So, now that you know aliens exist... where can you find them?

Aliens are not just walking around your town, out in the open and waiting to be seen. Sightings are rare. Every few days, there is a percentage chance that aliens will appear in the city between the hours of midnight and 3 AM. They arrive in a UFO and then explore a lot for just a few hours before being whisked away in that same UFO. While on terra firma, the alien uses a scanning device to investigate objects (especially space rocks), looks around, and even enters into the Restore Brain Power stance to recover any lost Brain Power.

When an alien is in town, a green glow appears in the night sky above them. This glow is bright enough to appear in Map View, so you know where the alien is located. No guesswork!

When the alien appears, it randomly selects a lot in town to scout. Residential lots get greater consideration than commercial lots. Residential lots with a lot of space rocks for decoration can lure an alien, so if you want to raise your chances of being the lucky host of a curious alien, seek out meteorites and place them around your house!

Once you spot an alien in the town, get up and go find them. You can socialize with an alien just like any other Sim. There is no language barrier. Just use the social picker to strike up a conversation and see where it takes you. There are a number of reasons to do this, including the simple fact that having an alien friend is exceedingly awesome. If you build LTR with an alien, the chance of them returning to your lot on the next visit to continue the relationship increases.

A few cool facts about aliens:

• They have unique names! Mouse over them to see their long, multi-syllablic monikers.
• NPC aliens are pure, so they have 100% alien DNA.
• NPC aliens always arrive wearing their special spacesuits.
• NPC aliens start with Logic at level 10 and Handiness at level 7. Surely, you can see how they would be extremely useful members of your household. Speaking of which...

How does one achieve a playable alien? Well, there are a few ways to go about this. The most direct is to develop a relationship with an NPC alien, not unlike how you develop relationships with other townies, service NPCs, or visitors. Aliens can be invited to your lot, but it takes extra-high LTR for this to be successful and they will balk at repeat requests.

Build LTR and then steer it into a romantic direction. When you have high LTR, you can either ask an alien to marry you or move into your household. If you have an acceptably high LTR, the alien will accept and—viola!—you have a playable alien in your household.

Alternately, you can have a romantic relationship with a visiting alien and Try for Baby. If successful, you will have a baby with shared DNA between both parents. As NPC aliens have 100% alien DNA, a first generation child will have enough alien DNA to be counted in the game as an alien and thus have access to all of the alien interactions.

Benefits

By benefit of being otherworldly in origin, aliens have unique interactions and socials that human Sims cannot use. These interactions help flesh out the alien narrative and offer multiple opportunities to make your new visitor not just a fun (and funny) part of your household, but also tell a rich fish-out-of-water story within the borders of your selected city.

Scan

Aliens have the innate ability to read the minds of others, not unlike vampires found in Supernatural or Late Night, When you scan another Sim—and the Sim must be nearby—your alien raises his hands to his head and draws upon Brain Power to make a psychic connection. After a few moments, the alien stops concentrating and a message reveals which trait about the targeted Sim the alien has just deduced.

Scanning a Sim has practical purposes. When you know the trait of a Sim, it’s easier to socialize with them. You can select socials that will please them and build LTR. For example, if you learn that a Sim has No Sense of Humor, you can drop any joking conversational avenues.

Bio Boost/Bio Drain

Aliens can use their psychic prowess for good or, well, not-so-good. Using their mind, an alien can alter the mental state of another Sim. If you opt to Bio Boost another Sim, your alien closes in and opens a psychic link. If the link is successful, the alien gets the Boosting Another moodlet and the target receives the Being Boosted moodlet—both of which are neutral. This process not only adds the neutral moodlet (which lasts for an hour), but also regenerates spent needs in the target—however, this is to the slight detriment of the alien. Though the target gets their needs satisfied, the same need in the alien starts to decay.

Should you instead decide to Bio Drain another Sim, the same psychic link opens. If successful, the alien gets the Draining Another moodlet while the target is hit with Being Drained. As with Bio Bost, these moodlets are neutral. During this time, the targets suffers need decay to Bladder, Fun, Social, etc., while the alien enjoys a need boost.

Now, both the Bio Boost and Bio Drain only last for the duration of their respective moodlets and if the Sims remain on the same lot—or at least within the same general vicinity if they are out on the wild.

Bio Boost is a positive action and, as a result, both the alien and target will gain LTR. The target of a Bio Drain, though, does not always realize they are being negatively affected by the alien. However, every time an alien deploys Bio Drain, there is a chance the target will “feel” the psychic siphon. If this occurs, the target sees this as a negative social (steamed STC), breaks the connection (which ends the moodlets), and lowers LTR with the alien.

Probe

What, you thought you weren’t going to get to probe human Sims as an alien? Of course not—let the probing commence!

The probe interaction is actually not as uncomfortable as it sounds. Although at first, you might think the target Sim is in for a rather unpleasant bit of personal invasion. When the Probe interaction is used on a non-alien Sim, the alien approaches and pulls out a rather frightening-looking probe.

But first impressions are not always accurate. This probe is actually harmless. At this point, one of two things can happen:

• The Sim is suitably impressed by the size of the probe and enters into the Very Friendly social context. At this point, an alien could take this relationship to the next level, whether that’s friendship or romance.
• The probe is revealed to be a tickle device! The alien gives to the target a good tickling, which takes on the Humorous context. Now that things are funny, the relationship can be further built.

See.... all good in the cosmic neighborhood!

Mental Servant

Look, aliens are simply too busy with matters of cosmic importance to deal with menial tasks like fixing broken toilets. Those are the labors of mere human Sims! And with this psychic interaction, aliens can temporarily coax Sims into doing their bidding!

When this interaction is used on a Sim on the alien’s residential lot (and not in the alien’s household), the alien steps back and opens a psychic link with the target. At this point, the target’s Logic skill is noted and whether or not they have the Genius trait. High Logic or Genius are likely to make this interaction fail. The alien’s mood is also a success factor. The higher the mood, the more likely the interaction is to succeed.

If the Mental Servant interaction is successful, the target is hit with the Servitude moodlet (neutral) for a few hours. During this period, they will act as a service NPC, such as Maid or Repairman, and perform tasks for the alien. During this period, the target’s needs are frozen. They will not decay. At the end of the moodlet period, the Mental Servant shakes it off and returns to the normal daily activities.

Should the Mental Servant interaction fail due to Logic or the other factors, the target will take the attempt as a personal affront. The failed interaction lands as a social with the steamed STC. The LTR between the alien and target takes a hit.

Transmute

If you have Supernatural installed, you’re familiar with the Philosopher’s Stone Lifetime Reward, which allows Sims to attempt to turn an object into gold. Well, the alien interaction is very similar to that, except that you may only attempt to Transmute metals and gems into more valuable ones.

To Transmute, the alien must have either a gem or metal in their personal inventory or a metal/gem object must be accessible in a lot. The alien begins concentrating on the object, causing it to float in their hand. Psychic waves emitted from the alien surround the object and then, if the interaction is successful, the object either increases in value, or is turned into the next most valuable type of metal or gem. At this point, you see a message telling you that the object was altered and what the new value is.

The odds of success are determined by the alien’s mood and the value of the pre-transmuted object. If the alien is really happy and the object has a modest value, for example, the chance of a successful transmuting are very high. If the transmuting fails, the object remains as is. No value is lost.

Re-combobulate Broken Device

Because aliens have inherent Handiness, they can focus Brain Power into quickly repairing broken objects. To use this benefit, click on a broken object while the alien is active and choose Re-combobulate Broken Device. The alien stands next to the broken object and begins concentrating hard. The object is then fixed much faster than if you hired a repair NPC or attempted to fix it yourself.

Restore Brain Power

Many alien interactions and socials cost Brain Power. In order to continue using these interactions, aliens must withdraw from life for a few moments and use the Restore Brain Power interaction. When selected, the alien retreats to a quiet spot, such as a couch or bed. Then, the alien looks heavenward and concentrates on drawing energy from the ether. As they remain in this position, Brain Power is restored. You can cancel this interaction at any point, which ceases the absorption of energy. When Brain Power is completely full, the interaction stops on its own.

Consume Space Rock

There is another means of regenerating spent Brain Power: Consume Space Rock. When next to a space rock or if one is in your alien’s inventory, select this interaction. The space rock then floats up in front of the alien’s face. The alien draws psychic energy from the space rock until it disappears. The more valuable the space rock is, the more Brain Power it provides to the alien.

UFO

No alien is complete without their very own cosmic cruiser: a UFO! And when aliens arrive in your town, they come down from the heavens in their very own flying saucer. This floating vehicle cannot be purchased from Buy Mode—it is only added to the household inventory once an alien has been drafted into the active family through marriage or breeding. The UFO can be parked in a normal parking spot, though it hovers off the ground even when not in use.

The UFO can be used just like a regular automobile. Only teen and older Sim can use it. It can be “owned” by a particular Sim in the household and assigned preferred vehicle status (just like a car, or a magic broom in Supernatural). And the UFO can be used to run errands, deliver a Sim to a career, go to a community lot, and more. However, when you decide to motor around town in the UFO, you do not just “drive” to your destination. Instead, your Sim boards the UFO through a beam of light before the vehicle itself rises into the sky. At this point, the camera switches to the destination just in time to see the UFO descend and deposit its passenger. Then, the UFO fades out, just like a regular car.

Naturally, there is much more to do with the UFO than just head to the shop to pick up a bit of cheese. Aliens and Sims may indulge in numerous fun activities via the UFO.

Abduct Sim from Home

With the UFO, Sims can perform a bit of mischief on other townies they know: alien abductions. Choose the Abduct interaction on the UFO and a chooser will appear with all of the Sims your active Sim knows. When a target has been selected (and we don’t mean “target” to sound so sinister—after all, this is all fun and games), your Sim is beamed into the UFO and the intergalactic craft takes off.

Next, the camera flashes to the targeted Sim. That Sim notices some strange lights and hears some eerie space sounds. Naturally, that Sim has no choice but to go outside and look up into the sky. At this point, the UFO appears over the Sim, bathing them in a bright light. The target gets appropriately freaked by this but is helpless to resist the beam that pulls them into the UFO.

Wait, this is starting to sound sinister, despite our note to the contrary...

The UFO then returns to wherever the interaction was initiated. Outside, both Sims—the pilot and the target—are beamed down to the ground. At this point, the abductor turns to the target and explains that they are not about to get the probing of a lifetime, but that this was an elaborate prank. Now, one of two things happens next. If the abductor and target have a positive LTR, both have a good laugh and the targeted Sim hangs out on the home lot as if they had been officially invited over via a phone call. If the LTR between the two Sims is low or negative, the target is furious. This tanks LTR and the abducted Sim returns home decidedly un-amused.

Create Storm

With the UFO, you can actually control the weather. Use this interaction on the UFO to climb inside and shoot off into the sky. Once high above the town, the UFO uses advance tech to trigger a storm. Now, you do not have control over what kind of storm you generate. The storm is random and can include rain, snow, lightning, and hail. The current season does dictate what kind of storm you are likely to see. For example, during winter, there is a much greater chance of getting a severe snowstorm.

Once the storm has been triggered, the UFO returns to terra firma and drops off your Sim. Now enjoy the benefits of the new weather system in place over your town!

Upgrade

Even factory standard, the UFO is pretty cool. But Sims with high Handiness skills can climb inside the UFO and upgrade it! There are two upgrades you may perform on the UFO: Space Travel and Laser Cannons. The Space Travel upgrade allows you to pilot the UFO into the cosmos and check out different destinations. The Laser Cannons upgrade fits the UFO with some weaponry that unlocks the Invade interaction.

Travel

After upgrading the UFO for space travel, you can then use the Travel interaction and designate a destination for your next space adventure. You may choose the Moon, the Great Asteroid Belt, or Planet Sixam. Once you’re determined where you want to visit, your Sim is beamed into the UFO. At this point, the engines of the UFO go disco and the craft disappears into thin air. This is no “engage thrusters”; this is warp drive express.

Now, you don’t get to actually follow your Sim on their space adventure—there is a wonderful element of mystery about those missing hours. But when the Sim returns, they are boosted with the highly positive Had a Space Adventure moodlet. This typically sends mood skyrocketing and is a great way to bank Lifetime Happiness points.

In addition to this high-flying moodlet, there is a random chance of a Sim returning home with a souvenir from their travels in their personal inventory. Possible objects:

• Space rock
• Metal
• Gem
• Cheese
• Magic Gnome

Invade

Once you perform the Laser Cannon upgrade on the UFO, you can have a real hoot invading a community lot in your city. Terrifying other Sims? Such a delight for your Sim—so much that after the faux rampage, they get the Invader! moodlet.

To invade, select the interaction and then choose a destination lot via Map View. You can only invade outdoor lots. You cannot invade venues, such as the military base or city hall. As soon as a lot has been targeted, your Sim boards the UFO via a beam of light. The UFO then takes off and reappears over the designated lot.

Don’t worry about picking a crowded place. During the travel, the game pushes multiple townies to the lot so you don’t invade an empty space.

When Sims see the UFO descend over the lot, they oooh and aaah at the sight of a saucer. But that fascination soon turns to unbridled panic when the laser cannons do their thing. With lasers streaking down from the UFO, Sims start running. Most escape unharmed, though on occasion a Sim will be nicked by a laser beam and either get the Singed moodlet or have their clothes vaporized, leaving them only in their underwear.

When the invasion winds down, typically because Sims have fled for their lives, the UFO takes off. The craft returns the pilot to their home lot where they disembark, smile, and enjoy the Invader! moodlet.

Career and Venues

As mentioned in the New Career and Skills chapter, there is a new career in Seasons—Alien Test Subject. But there are other interactions you may perform on various venues around town as an alien, too!

Alien Test Subject Career

This is a part-time career exclusively for aliens at the science facility. This career unfolds just like other part-time careers, such as the Day Spa Receptionist. You work multiple days per week, but the hours are limited. Pay isn’t exactly, well, out of this world, but it’s a solid living for an alien making their way on this planet.

Steal Space Rocks

Aliens have a real interest in space rocks and it seems there are quite a few meteorites at the science facility in town. This interaction, available only during the facility’s closed hours (usually during night), directs your alien to sneak inside and pocket some space rocks. They then sneak back out after an hour or so with up to three random space rocks in their personal inventory. Seriously, with so many in there, who will miss them?

Well, there is a small chance that the alien will get caught pilfering space rocks. If that’s the case, the alien is arrested by the police and then sent to jail. Get out of jail just like a Sim in the Criminal career—wait it out. While in the Big House, why not spend some time developing the Athletic skill?

Share Extraterrestrial Secrets

Feel like betraying your home world for fun and profit? Then head over to the military base in your city. Only available when the base is open for business (typically during normal working hours), select the Share Extraterrestrial Secrets to enter the base and vanish for a few moments. During this time, your little alien spills his guts about his people and their technology. At the end of the galactic gabfest, the alien emerges into daylight with some extra Simoleons to ease their conscience.