The Sims 4 Complete Guide (10 Sections) | AntMag

AntMag.NET

The Sims 4 is a life simulation game where you create and control virtual people, guiding them through their careers, relationships, and everyday lives. From designing your Sims' appearances and homes to helping them achieve aspirations like becoming a Vampire Lord or mastering the Anansi Trials, the game offers endless possibilities for storytelling and creative expression. Whether you're playing solo or with friends, you'll be building dream households and fulfilling your Sims' destinies.

This guide dives deep into the world of The Sims 4, offering comprehensive walkthroughs for expansions like Royalty & Legacy and Lovestruck, and detailing mechanics such as the Life and Death system. We'll help you navigate everything from collecting rare items like Crystals and Elements to mastering specific quests and understanding the spooky additions in the Life and Death expansion.

Character Creation with Create-a-Sim!

After the game loads, you will see the main menu. The majority of the screen displays Sim animations. In the top right corner of the main menu, you can find options for sound and video settings, access the gallery, and view your notifications. The lower right corner of the main menu features a play button, which you click to start the game and begin customizing your Sims.

Tips

Explore the gallery to see Sims created by other players.
Adjust sound and video settings before diving into customization.

Aesthetics, Customizing, and Age

In The Sims 4, you can customize your Sim's gender, age, walk style, and voice pitch from the initial screen. Only the Sim's age significantly impacts gameplay. Lifespan settings in the options menu determine how long Sims live:

Short Lifespan: Approximately 40 days.
Normal Lifespan: Approximately 70 days (default).
Long Lifespan: Approximately 250 days.

Within a normal lifespan, the approximate durations for each life stage are: Baby up to 3 days, Child up to 7 days, Teen about 7 days, Young Adult and Adult 10 days each. The Elderly stage duration depends on the Sim's health. These durations are halved for a short lifespan and multiplied by about four for a long lifespan. For example, if a normal lifespan Sim spends 23 days as a Young Adult and Adult, the same Sim on a long lifespan would have about 92 days for these stages.

Clicking on your Sim reveals extensive customization options, including skin tone, body type, clothing, and accessories. Experimenting with these features is encouraged to achieve your desired look. Additional options can be accessed by clicking the question marks below the customization box.

Two sliders on the left control muscle size and body width. The right side offers categories for customization:

Body
Styled Looks
Tops
Full Body
Bottoms
Accessories
Shoes

The 'Body' tab allows adjustments to body proportions, skin tone, and the addition of tattoos. Clothing is categorized by environment: everyday, formal, sports, sleeping, party, and swimwear. Each category has subcategories with numerous color options.

'Styled Looks' are pre-made outfits. 'Tops' include shirts, sweatshirts, suits, bras, vests, and jackets. 'Full Body' options encompass jumpsuits, dresses, costumes, robes, lingerie, and swimsuits. 'Bottoms' feature pants, skirts, underwear, swimsuits, and shorts. 'Accessories' include wristbands, bracelets, gloves, rings, leggings, and socks. 'Shoes' range from sandals and flats to high heels and boots.

Use the arrow buttons near your Sim's feet to rotate the view, or click and drag elsewhere on the screen. Dragging on the Sim allows for detailed adjustments to specific body regions. A dice icon below the Sim randomizes their appearance, with an adjacent arrow to randomize specific parts via a checklist. Undo/redo functions and gallery-based randomization are also available. Remember to name your Sim by clicking the 'Hello, my name is...' button. After customizing appearance, you can then work on your Sim's personality.

Aspirations

You can choose an aspiration for your Sim, which acts as a long-term goal. Aspirations can be changed at any time. There are 10 different aspirations available, each with one or more bonus traits that affect gameplay. Completing an aspiration unlocks a bonus ability.

Aspirations and their Bonus Traits:

Athletic
- Body Builder: This Sim wants to work and become as strong as they can be!
  - High Metabolism: It is easier to stay fit and trim when you have High Metabolism.
Creativity
- Painter Extraordinaire: This Sim wants his/her life to be all about art and painting!
- Musical Genius: This Sim wants to be an expert musician and songwriter!
- Bestselling Author: This Sim wants to write books and become a famous author!
  - Muser: Musers get better boosts to their skills when they're inspired. Focus on art, music, and writing. Muser will boost your skill sessions if inspired.
Deviance
- Public Enemy: his Sim wants to make enemies and be a famous criminal!
- Chief of Mischief: This Sim is all about pranks and mayhem!
  - Dastardly: Dastardly Sims perform stronger and more successful mean interactions.
Family
- Successful Lineage: This Sim wants to have a family that succeeds in life!
- Big Happy Family: This Sim wants to build a large, loving household!
  - Domestic: Domestic Sims will see their family relationships grow stronger faster.
Food
- Master Chef: This Sim wants to master the Culinary Arts! You'd like to master cooking and "mixology." With Essence of Flavor, you'll make food and drinks of higher-than-normal quality.
- Master Mixologist: This Sim wants to know everything there is to know about Mixology!
  - Essence of Flavor: Sims with the Essence of Flavor make higher quality food and drink.
Fortune
- Fabulously Wealthy: This Sim wants to get rich and have a successful career!
- Mansion Baron: This Sim is all about owning the biggest, fanciest home!
  - Business Savvy: Sims earn more than the standard rate from careers.
Knowledge
- Renaissance Sim: This Sim wants to be good at many things at once!
- Nerd Brain: This Sim wants to be both book smart and handy!
- Computer Whiz: This Sim wants to know everything about computers, from playing games to Careers!
  - Quick Learner: Quick Learners build all Skills faster.
Love
- Hopeful Romantic: This Sim wants to play the field and go on all sorts of dates with people!
- Soulmate: This Sim wants to find and live a rewarding life with "The One"!
  - Alluring: Alluring Sims are more successful at romance than others.
Nature
- Freelance Botanist: This Sim wants to grow plants and become an expert Gardener!
- The Curator: This Sim wants to collect everything this world has to offer!
- The Angling Ace: This Sim wants to know everything about fishing!
  - Collector: Collectors can find rare collectibles more often.
Popularity
- Joke Star: This Sim wants to tell jokes and become an famous comedian!
- Party Animal: This Sim wants to throw and attend amazing parties!
- Friend to the World: This Sim wants to make and keep as many friends as they can!
  - Gregarious: Gregarious Sims build friendly relationships faster.

Reward Traits for Completing an Aspiration

Reward traits in The Sims 4 are significant bonuses earned by completing specific aspirations (goals for your Sims). These traits directly relate to the aspiration's theme and enhance your Sim's abilities, making them more effective at related activities. For instance, the 'Fresh Chef' reward trait from the 'Master Chef' aspiration ensures all food made is high quality and never spoils, saving time on cleanup and repeated meals.

It is recommended to complete aspirations as early as possible to benefit from these gameplay augments. While some traits are more useful than others, you can change your aspiration at any time, so you are not locked into any specific choice.

Aspiration Reward Traits:

Athletic - Bodybuilder: Long Lived - Lets Sims live longer lives, barring any accidents.
Creativity - Painter Extraordinare: Paintbrush Revolutionary - Can see the world in a new, inspiring way.
Creativity - Musical Genius: Piper - Know an arsenal of songs that have significant power over others.
Creativity - Bestselling Author: Poetic - Can capture life itself in a book, and wield it to bring back someone they've lost.
Deviance - Public Enemy: Mastermind - Know just the right things to say to cause anger, sadness, and jealousy in their opponents.
Deviance - Chief of Mischief: Tormenter - Can sabotage almost anything, be it an object, or another Sim's best efforts.
Family - Successful Lineage: Vicarious - Your Children's skill gains can contribute to your own!
Family - Big Happy Family: Matriach/Patriarch - Provide skill boosts whenever they are around their children.
Food - Master Chef: Fresh Chef - Always make the highest quality food, and it never spoils!
Food - Master Mixologist: Potion Master - Can mix potent drinks which can sway the drinker's emotions.
Fortune - Fabulously Wealthy: Shrewd - Receive a direct deposit each week based on their Household Funds.
Fortune - Mansion Baron: Thrifty - Receive a 10% rebate on all Build Mode purchases made each week. Rebates will be directly applied to Household Funds.
Knowledge - Renaissance Sim: Professorial - Can write helpful manuals about any skill they're well-versed in.
Knowledge - Nerd Brain: Handy - Can instantly Fix and Upgrade any object.
Knowledge - Computer Whiz: High Tech - Get the most out of their computers, unlocking extremely useful ways to use them.
Love - Serial Romantic: Player - Will never cause other Sims to get jealous, no matter what they do.
Love - Soulmate: Companion - Have special interactions with their spouse that help ease the trials of life.
Nature - Freelance Botanist: Naturalist - Don't need to fear fire; it won't touch them, and they can extinguish it with ease.
Nature - The Curator: Appraiser - Can sell collectibles, like Metals, Crystals, Elements, and Fossils to the Simsonian Museum for extra money.
Nature - Angling Ace: Angler's Tranquility - All of their problems seem to melt away while they are fishing.
Nature - Outdoor Enthusiast: Survivalist - Are happy roughin' it and like living off the land. Sleeping under the stars or using camping equipment provides lots of enjoyment.
Popularity - Joke Star: Hilarious - Can never go wrong with a joke, and have a few extra-special ones up their sleeve.
Popularity - Friend of the World: Beloved - Everyone remembers a Beloved Sim! Their relationships never fade.
Popularity - Party Animal: Perfect Host - Get a boost to the score of any social event they throw.