It’s one thing to let your Sims skate by in life, doing the bare minimum and getting results that reflect those efforts. If that’s what you’re looking for with The Sims 4, you could read our Beginner’s Tips and do just that. For those who want their Sims to thrive, you have to go the extra mile and put in the extra effort. This is where our advanced tips come into play, teaching you everything you need to know in order to get that promotion, make time for friends and family, and keep your Sim in tip-top shape. Hey, nobody said life was easy.
Work Hard + Play Hard
Your adventure with your Sim will begin early on a Sunday morning, and since most of your needs are already green, the day is yours to enjoy however you see fit. In our case, we opted to pick up the phone and get a job, starting first thing on Monday.
It was after work on Monday that we learned a hard lesson. We attempted to meet all of our needs by eating, showering and visiting the bathroom for a few minutes, then headed out to the local gym. That was our big mistake. While exercising and socializing were beneficial, there simply isn’t enough time for you to be out and about after work every day. What worked best for us was copying our real life habits of working during the day, taking care of things around the house in the evening, then partying like it was 1999 from Friday until Sunday.
Get That Promotion
Unless you plan to cheat, money is going to be an issue with The Sims 4. You’ll start with about $20,000, but most of that will be gone buying your first home. While we plan to give you a full breakdown on How to Make More Money, getting a promotion is as much about freedom as it is coins in your pocket. When we were at the bottom of the corporate ladder, we were busting our hump, 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, from Monday to Friday. As we started to move up in the world, we not only doubled our income, but we were only working from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Thursday. That means more time to get out and party hard with Bella and Mortimer Goth.
Whims + Satisfaction Points
Whims and Satisfaction Points are very important in The Sims 4. At any given time you can look above your Sim’s portrait in the bottom left hand corner and see up to three Whims. Some of them are driven by Moodlets (more on that in a moment), but others are more generic and might come with a higher difficulty level.
Make sure you mouse over your three Whims frequently. If you can easily knock one off the list, do so and you’ll earn the Satisfaction Points listed beside it. As you complete more Whims you’ll start to save those points up, which you can then spend by clicking on the star in the bottom right hand corner. Your Satisfaction Points will be spent on Traits on Potions, and those can help to give your Sims the extra boost they need to get through the day. If a Whim seems too difficult, just close it and wait for another.
Understanding + Utilizing Moodlets
In The Sims 4, your Sim will always be in one mood or another, whether that’s happy or sad, angry or tense. Along with those base emotions will also be a feature called Moodlets. Think of them as mini-moods, but each of them will usually offer your Sim a benefit (or a hindrance) for a short amount of time. For example, we found that by brushing our teeth, our Sim became confident, a trait that he then used to excel at work throughout the day. The same holds true for the opposite. If you make your Sim a lackluster meal, you may find they aren’t feeling so hot over the next two to three hours. Often times these Moodlets will cause your Sim to have custom activities or interactions to choose from, so make sure you’re keeping a close eye on them to receive the full benefit of how your Sim feels.
Time Management + Multi-Tasking
In The Sims 4, it’s easy to become overwhelmed when bed time is approaching and your Sim’s needs are nowhere near where they should be. For example, our Sim (Rumpo Gamer) frequently finds himself in need of some fun and food. In that case, we whip up our best pot of chili (often starting a fire), then plop down in front of the TV to eat and enjoy something on the comedy channel. This allows you to take care of your Sim’s hunger and entertainment all in one go, but it doesn’t stop there. You can also head to the local gym and get in some reps, while at the same time chatting with other fitness buffs to top off your social needs. The possibilities are endless, so you should always be on the lookout for areas where you can kill two birds with one stone.
The Sims 4 is available right now. For more information, be sure to keep it locked on Prima Games, and even consider checking out our Official Strategy Guide.
Published: Sep 3, 2014 04:17 pm