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Revision as of 04:46, 11 November 2006 by 203.215.120.234 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) 2004 video game| The Sims 2 | |
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| Developer(s) | Maxis |
| Publisher(s) | EA Games |
| Designer(s) | Will Wright |
| Engine | Custom |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Mac OS X, Mobile phones, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Windows, Xbox |
| Release | Windows September 14, 2004 September 16, 2004Mac OS X June 13, 2005 June 13, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Life simulation game God game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
The Sims 2 is a strategic life simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game in history, The Sims. It was released on September 17, 2004 and sold a record one million copies in its first ten days. The Sims 2 has been released for Windows, Mac OS X, and several game consoles. Four expansion packs and three stuff packs have been released to date.
In The Sims 2, players control computer characters known as Sims as they interact with their virtual environment, engaging in activities and forming relationships in a manner similar to real life. It builds on its predecessor by allowing Sims to age through six stages of life and incorporating an all-new 3D game engine. Plans for a sequel titled The Sims 3 have been announced by EA.
Gameplay
The Sims 2 does not have a defined end objective. Gameplay is open-ended, allowing the player the freedom to engage the virtual characters called Sims in whatever way suits the player's purpose. The general cycle of gameplay reflects that of real life: birth, grow up, marry, have children, grow old and watch the next generation take over before death. This cycle is not absolute, as there is no requirement to marry (Sims may adopt), nor is there even a requirement to bring about a "next generation."
Neighborhoods and lots
A neighborhood in The Sims 2 is roughly equivalent to a save slot in other games. Players can save a theoretically unlimited number of neighborhoods. Neighborhoods are self-contained; Sims from one neighborhood cannot interact with Sims from another. The neighborhood shown in the neighborhood chooser is sometimes referred to as a "base neighborhood" to distinguish it from expansion neighborhoods made available in expansion packs. The Sims 2 shipped with three pre-made neighborhoods by Maxis, these are: Pleasantview, Strangetown, and Veronaville.
Each neighborhood contains lots. There are two types of lots: residential and community (more were added in The Sims 2: University). Residential lots contain houses where Sims live, while community lots contain destinations where Sims visit. A community lot may contain food services, shopping opportunities, recreation facilities, etc. A neighborhood may contain numerous lots of both types. Expansion neighborhoods are commonly used to distribute lots so that the memory strain of opening a neighborhood is reduced.
During early production of the game, the development team at Maxis, showcased to the public their plans to include a single neighborhood to ship with the game called Riverside. Unfortunately, because of a six month delay, this idea was called-off and Riverside never made it into the game.
Sims
Sims are the main characters of The Sims 2. They age, have needs, develop dreams and goals, exhibit personality, form relationships, hold jobs and eventually die. Sims progress through six (or seven in Sims 2 University) unique life stages: baby, toddler, child, teen, young adult (in University), adult and elder. (Young Adult is available only to a Sim that goes to college. A sim who chooses not to go to college, goes directly from Teen to Adult.) As their lives play out, Sims' roles change in a reflection of their age. Babies are dependent on older Sims to fulfill their needs. Toddlers interact on basic levels and are taught fundamental skills, such as walking and talking. Children attend school and gain a new, yet still limited, sense of independence. Teen Sims find more independence, being able to work in three-tiered versions of the adult careers. Adults are completely self-reliant; they can marry, have children, and reach the top of their chosen career paths. Elders, having passed their child-rearing years, are suited to the life of retirement; they may close out their adult careers, but may only take jobs in the same three-tiered system as teens.
Sims are driven principally by their needs. In The Sims 2, Sims have up to eight fundamental needs, or motives, depending on their age: bladder, comfort, energy, environment, fun, hunger, hygiene and social.In other expansion packs such as Sims 2 pets,pets have a need called scratch and chew. The importance of certain needs outweighs that of others. For example, if a Sim neglected its "Hunger" motive they could starve to death, but a Sim would only smell bad if they ignored their "Hygiene" motive. The motives combine to form a Sim's Mood. If motives are collectively low, the mood will be negative, preventing a Sim from engaging in certain activities. One of the challenges of The Sims 2 is properly balancing these motives throughout a sim's life.
In The Sims 2, every Sim, age teen and older, has one of seven Aspirations: family, fortune, knowledge, popularity, romance, pleasure and grilled cheese (pleasure and grilled cheese were introduced in The Sims 2 Nightlife expansion pack). These Aspirations guide a Sim throughout his/her lifetime. For the player, the most visible element of a Sim's specific aspiration is the Wants and Fears Panel. Each Sim has "Wants" and "Fears", depending on factors including aspiration, aspiration level, stage of life and present circumstances. When a Want is achieved, "aspiration points" are awarded and the Aspiration Meter is filled accordingly. Conversely, when a Fear is realized, aspiration points are penalized. There are six levels to the meter, the highest being platinum, then gold, two levels of green and two of red. Aspiration level plays a role in determining the length of time a Sim will live as an Elder before death. For example, a Sim who transitioned to the Elder life stage with a platinum level of aspiration will live a much longer life than one who transitioned with a red level. Aspiration points are used to purchase a variety of useful objects, whose beneficial effects are potentially made negative if the user's aspiration level is below gold.
Personality is a quantified way of measuring a Sims behavioral characteristics. There are five personality traits, each described by its opposing qualities: neat/sloppy, outgoing/shy, active/lazy, playful/serious and nice/grouchy. These traits determine how fast a Sim learns skills, the rate of need decay, the types of interactions in which a Sim will autonomously engage, the likelihood of accepting certain interactions, etc.
Teen and older Sims can get jobs in one of ten careers. Adult careers have ten levels each, while teen and elder careers (they are the same) only have three. The ten careers are: Athletics, Business, Criminal, Culinary, Law Enforcement, Medical, Military, Politics, Science and Slacker. There were 4 more which came with the University Expansion pack and these were Show Business, Paranormal, Natural Scientist and Artist. Advancement in each career track is dependent on achieving certain skill levels (each career track requires building three specific skills, and University careers require four specific skills) and having a certain number of family friends. With the University Expansion pack you can get a degree which allows faster achievement in certain career tracks depending on the major chosen and graduated in.
Sims form two kinds of relationships – daily and lifetime. Daily relationships are those most influenced by interactions with other Sims, or the lack thereof. It generally changes with each interaction and moves two points toward the neutral state (zero on a scale from -100 to +100) each day. Lifetime relationships are only affected by strong interactions (typically romantic) and a process known as normalization/decay, where periodically throughout the day, the lifetime relationship adjusts in proportion to the current daily relationship.
Sims can die in a number of ways. If a Sim reaches the end of the Elder life stage they will die of old age; Sims close to the deceased receive an inheritance whose worth is determined by the benefactor's relationship at death. In addition, Sims can also meet a premature end by various means. Deceased Sims leave behind markers (either a tombstone or an urn), which is typically possessed by the Sim's ghost. Ghosts are transparent but are colored to indicate the kind of death they had. Ghosts who roam a given lot may scare another Sim to death if their needs are low enough. Sims may die of fright, electrocution, drowning, falling satellite, fire, starvation, illness, flies, Cowplant (The Sims 2: University only) sunlight (vampires in Nightlife only), elevator (Open for Business only), Rally Forth! (Open for Business only).
Types of Sims
Playable Sims are created in one of three ways. A playable Sim may be created using the Create-a-Family feature and placed in the game, by birth or adoption into an existing family, or by being a non-playable Sim moved into a lot. For the purposes of the game, there are two types of non-playable Sims. "Townie" Sims are those which are roughly equivalent to playable Sims, except that they do not actually live on a lot. They have jobs and other characteristics of a playable Sim, except they don't age, unless they move in with another Sim.
There are also Pets added in The Sims 2 Pets Expansion Pack. The player can't control Pets but sims can interact with them.
The other type of non-playable Sim is the NPC. NPCs perform a specific function, either by being a service NPC for residential lots (maid, gardener, repairperson, etc.) a worker at a community lot (e.g., a cashier), or a Sim performing a special function (social worker, repo man, Grim Reaper, social bunny, etc.). With certain exceptions, any townie or NPC may become a playable sim if he or she accepts an invitation to move in or to be married/joined. However, if an NPC moves in with another Sim, they will lose their job and appear "unemployed". The role will be fulfilled by another NPC.
Realism compared to The Sims
Graphically, The Sims 2 is far more accurate and true to real life than The Sims, immersing the player in a fully 3D world. Unlike early Sim games, such as SimCity 2000, which have used dimetric projection and fixed resolutions, the camera system in The Sims 2 allows the player to view things from myriad angles.
Sims themselves are also much more intricately detailed than they were in The Sims. Unlike the Sims from its predecessor, which were essentially raster images over fixed shapes, The Sims 2 features Sims as 3D models created from meshes, demonstrating a more realistic presentation. A Sim's face is perhaps its most customizable aspect; the player is given a multitude of options, allowing for diversity. Texturing is still achieved through use of raster images, though it appears more lifelike. Movements are more smooth, natural and true to humans.
There is also an increased realism in gameplay. Sims experience a variety of things unavailable in The Sims, such as aging and eventual death. Sims become pregnant for a time before giving birth, where in The Sims a baby instantly appeared after two Sims kissed repeatedly. Sims act as unique individuals, choosing to act and behave in response to their given Aspiration and personality. Additionally, babies in The Sims 2 will progress through the age stages to become adults while babies in The Sims only became children, where they stopped growing (although the Makin' Magic expansion pack has a spell that will make children become adults and pets become humans. They also take on the characteristics of their parents, such as eye color, hair color, and other physical features. They may even have features passed down from their ancestors.
Simultaneously, The Sims 2 incorporates a number of supernatural and fantasy elements into gameplay. Alien abductions are possible; male adult Sims who are abducted will return pregnant. When a Sim's Social motive fails, the "Social Bunny" comes to keep them company. When a Sim falls into aspiration failure, a therapist called the "Sim Shrink" will appear and assist the Sim. Both characters are figments of the Sim's imagination. Upon selecting another Sim, the Social Bunny or therapist will disappear, though the reactions of the Sim are visible. Strangely enough however, even when a Sim who can't see any of these, doors will "mysteriously" open and close, and the bunny/shrink will take up tile space even though they can't physically exist (e.g. it can block doors).
Other supernatural/fantasy elements are introduced with later expansion packs: zombies with The Sims 2: University, vampires with Nightlife, robots with Open for Business, and werewolves with The Sims 2: Pets.
Game editions and add-on releases
For the PC, there have been three released editions of the core game, three released expansion packs and two released stuff packs. Many of these have been ported to Mac OS X by Aspyr. The Sims 2 has been released for a number of game consoles, with a planned release of The Sims 2: Pets for game console in conjunction with the PC release of that expansion pack.
Core game
- The Sims 2 – released September 17, 2004 (US release date) on four CD-ROMs. Released for Mac OS X June 12, 2005.
- The Sims 2: Special DVD Edition – released September 17, 2004 on two DVD-ROMs. The first DVD contains the core game; the second contains bonus content viewable on DVD players.
- The Sims 2: Holiday Edition (2005) – released November 17, 2005. This edition contained core game and content from The Sims 2: Holiday Party Pack. Sold in Europe as The Sims 2: Christmas Edition.
- The Sims 2: Holiday Edition (2006) - will be released in 2006. It will contain the core game and content from The Sims 2: Happy Holiday Stuff. This version will be sold as The Sims 2: Festive Edition in Europe.
Expansion packs
The Sims 2 expansion packs provide additional game features and items. Generally, expansion packs add one central gameplay element, several peripheral elements, a new type of "expansion neighborhood" (neighborhoods linked to a base neighborhood; multiple expansion neighborhoods of the same type may be linked to a single base neighborhood), a new type of Sim (Vampires, zombies etc.) and approximately 125 new objects. There have been four expansion packs released, with a fifth one rumoured. Maxis has plans for seven expansion packs . However, given that The Sims 3 is not scheduled for release until Spring 2009, an eighth may be released in Fall 2008. Maxis also revealed that odd numbered expansion packs will bring something entirely new to the series, while even numbered expansion packs will bring something from The Sims. For the main article on each expansion pack, see link provided with title.
- The Sims 2: University – March 2, 2005 for PC and December 12, 2005 for Mac OS X. Adds major gameplay element of being able to send teen Sims to college (adding additional optional "Young Adult" stage) and university expansion neighborhood. University also adds lifetime wants (powerful wants that will put a Sim in a state of perpetual euphoria known as permanent platinum aspiration or simply "permaplat") and influence (the ability to direct others to perform certain tasks). Four careers restricted to graduates are added (Paranormal, Natural Scientist, Artist, Show Business). Zombies, deceased Sims brought back to life imperfectly, are added.
- The Sims 2: Nightlife – released September 13, 2005 for PC and March 27, 2006 for Mac OS X. Nightlife adds an attraction-based dating system and a nightlife destination expansion neighborhood. Two new Aspirations (Pleasure and Grilled Cheese) are added, as is the ability to change Aspirations through an Aspiration Reward object. Use of drivable cars is included as well. Sims may now become Vampires.
- The Sims 2: Open for Business – released March 2, 2006 for PC and September 4, 2006 for Mac OS X. Open for Business enables Sims to operate businesses. Also added are the shopping district expansion neighborhood, badges as another type of skill and a "perk" system for successful business owners. Robots are added, including the "Servo," a robot that can be activated as a controllable Sim.
- The Sims 2: Pets – Released in USA on October 17, Released in UK on October 20 , 2006 for PC and November 6, 2006 for Mac OS X, Released in New
- "Mac OS X system requirements". Aspyr Media. Retrieved August 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Windows system requirements". EA Games. Retrieved August 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "The Sims overtakes Myst" from GameSpot
- The Sims 2 trivia from the Internet Movie Database
- Kramer, Greg (2004). The Sims 2: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides). Roseville, CA: Prima Games. pp. 146–149. ISBN 0761542922.