********* THE SIMS for the GameCube *************** FAQ by GavLuvsGA Version 1: 6 March 2005 E-Mail Policy Write to: [email protected] OR [email protected]. Please choose one address; don't send the same thing to both addresses A few dos and don'ts *** DO *** - Put "The Sims" in the subject heading. Anything else (e.g. "Hey", "Hi", "??????", "Iiiiiiiimmmmmmmpppppooooooorrrrrtttaannntttt", "I am the Great Mighty Poo", or that old favourite, "(No Subject)" will be ignored - Read the FAQ first to see if your question is answered within; that is why I wrote it - Explain clearly what you want help with; e-mails that read simply "help me" will not get a response - Ask my permission before putting them on your site. GameFAQs and Neoseeker both have automatic permission to use my FAQs, though ****** DON'T ****** - Tell me things I've already put in the FAQ - Send me unintelligible messages (e.g. "Y HALO THAR HW DO I R4S A BBBY T3H SCL SVIECS PPL KP TKING IT AW7") - Write to me just to point out spelling errors, or places where I put the wrong word in a title or item name - Spam me or send attachments (and this includes asking my questions about the game and accompanying them with spam) - Put me on mailing lists without my permission or start sending me chain letters - Attempt to contact me on AIM - Resort to sending hate mail just because you don't like my FAQ ********** CONTENTS ********** 1 Introduction 2 Sim Personalities 3 Sim Needs 4 Get A Life Walkthrough 5 Tips on Building a House 6 Items 7 Working and Getting Promotions 8 Incresing Skill Points 9 Making Friends 10 Babies and Children 11 The Burglar 12 The Feng Shui Meter 13 Sim Deaths 14 2 Player Games 15 Cheat Codes 16 The Biggest Mystery of All: No. 4 Sim Avenue 17 Frequently Asked Questions 1 - INTRODUCTION ****************** The Sims is a great game, one of the most interesting gaming franchises in recent times. Here, you can control whole families of people, give them jobs and much, much more. This FAQ outlines best strategies for improving your Sims' lives or, if you're so inclined, screwing them up completely. 2 - SIM PERSONALITIES ********************** There are five attributes that make up your Sim's personality: Active, Outgoing, Nice, Playful, Neat When you first create a Sim, you can give them various amounts of each attribute (0-10 of each), for a limited amount of time. You will see that you are given 25 "Lights", which indicate personality points. You cannot assign any more than this to a single Sim, although you don't need to assign all personality points to your Sim. This section discusses each attribute. ACTIVE ******* The more points you have against this, the more active your Sim is. A very active Sim will want to keep getting up and doing things, and good ways to keep them entertained are to get a pool table, or better still, a swimming pool. Sims with few or no "active" points will prefer watching the TV, playing on the computer or reading a book. OUTGOING ********** Shows how much a Sim likes to talk to other Sims. Very outgoing Sims will need to talk to people a lot, or their Social meter will drop very fast. On a sidenote, very outgoing Sims will also get into the hot tub naked, if they're the first to get in and all others will do the same. NICE ***** Speaks for itself - shows whether a Sim is nice to other sims, or not. A Sim with a high nice rating will be easy to get on with socially, while one with a low nice rating will be generally unpleasant. Oh, and just one more thing to mention; if you have the workbench, and are making garden gnomes, you will likely discover another habit of mean Sims. It happened to me; I had a workbench in one house and I moved in a pair of mean Sims to a vacant lot. While I was at the other house, the two new neighbours showed up to introduce themselves. No sooner had I greeted them when one of them went up to the nearest garden gnome and started kicking it, destroying it. For some reason (and I have no idea), this destroyed every garden gnome in my house. Yes, apparently, mean Sims see themselves as the Trinny and Susannahs of Feng Shui. They will destroy garden gnomes in neighbours' houses. Infuriating, eh? Oh, Mean Sims tend to like watching the horror channel and listening to rock music. PLAYFUL ********* More playful Sims will generally act like big kids - more keen on helping the Sim kids to build sand piles, and will enjoy watching cartoons and listening to jokes. At the other end of the spectrum, you have serious Sims, who tend to turn their noses up in disapproval at any joke, and prefer to read books or newspapers, or play chess. NEAT ***** This shows your Sim's willingness (or unwillingness) to clean up after themselves (and their fellow Sims). If your Sim is very neat, they will immediately go to wash up dishes after using them, and this can get annoying if you want them to go to work or stop wasting time and socialise. For the sake of your own sanity, don't put more than one obsessively neat Sim in your household, or you may end up suffering a brain hemmorage as every Sim in the house queues up to wash the dishes. 3 - SIM NEEDS ************* The Sims have eight needs, which must be satisfied (kept green) in order to keep them happy. They are: BLADDER ********* When this is in the red, you need to find a toilet ASAP, otherwise your Sim will wet themselves, putting their bladder in the green, but putting their hygeine in the red. HYGEINE ********* The best way to bring up hygeine is to take a shower, though if your Sim has time, take a bath, as this helps with comfort. Washing hands and brushing teeth also help improve hygeine. ENERGY ******** When your Sim's energy is low, you need to send them off to bed. It's a good idea to let them sleep until their energy is green - unless there is complete emergency - otherwise they will start having a tantrum. If their energy bar is slightly in the red, they will spend about half an hour rubbing their eyes. You can also raise energy with coffee and expresso. COMFORT ********** When your Sim is uncomfortable, get them to sit on a sofa, or take a bath. The Sonic shower is also useful for increasing comfort. FUN **** Your Sims need to do something to take the boredom out of the daily routine. Playing games such as snooker or basketball or other active pursuits is one way; watching TV or using a computer are other ways. Some Sims increase fun by playing chess or painting, although they must be in a good mood in the first place. SOCIAL ******* This can often be hard to raise, especially with a very outgoing Sim. Talk to as many other Sims as you can to raise this. Throwing a party is a good idea. You can also try phoning your friends just to talk, though this can sometimes randomly backfire and your Sims will have a short, but blazing, row before slamming the phone down, which will not help your Sim's need one bit. HUNGER ******** Cook something or order a pizza, or have a drink in order to avoid your Sims getting hungry. Increasing Cooking Skill points makes your Sims meals more satisfying and helps feed this need more. ROOM ****** This can often be very hard to fill. Make sure you get rid of all trash and dirty dishes, as they can decrease room. Buy decorative items to improve it. Be especially careful to improve the room outside - often a Sim's room will drop drastically upon leaving the house. 4 - GET A LIFE WALKTHROUGH ***************************** Level 0 ****** Nothing much to do here. Talk to the woman at the party, and eventually Mom will wake you up. Level 1 - Money From Mom *********************** Be warned now; Mom is the second most intolerable person you will ever have to live with (the only worse housemate will be whoever you get out of Mimi and Dudley). She will nag, nag, and then nag some more. She won't do any cooking, and she'll yell at you if you forget to clean the toilet. Also, make sure you set the controls to her with Z while your Sim is sleeping, otherwise she'll walk over to the stereo (which is in the same room as your bed, small house that it is) and switch it on, waking you up. Rather hypocritically, Mom will demand you switch off the stereo when she wants some sleep. The first thing that is clear is that the TV is busted. You can't fix it because you don't have enough mechanical skills points. If you try, you'll get electrocuted (to which Mom shows absolutely no sympathy). GOALS Fix the TV Get your Sim in a good mood, then use the bookcase to Study Mechanical, until you have at least two Mechanical Skill points, then fix the TV and Mom will quit b****ing about it. UNLOCK: The Vanity Table Cook a Meal You also need two cooking skill points before doing this, otherwise you are likely to set the place on fire. Before that, all you can do is order pizza and get snacks from the fridge to keep you going. UNLOCK: Aromaster Whifferpuff Gold Borrow $800 from Mom Get Mom in a good mood, and ask her, and she should give you the money. UNLOCK: The Museum (2 player game) Get a Job When you've cooked a meal and fixed the TV, you can find a job (attempt to do so beforehand and Mom will forbid you to do so). Pick up the newspaper and take one. BONUS: Electric Guitar This is unlocked if you beat this level within 24 hours of game time. All levels have a bonus goal that of winning within a time limit, and it may take some practice. Level 2 - Reality Bites ****************** For most of the time, you'll be living on your own. Enjoy it while it lasts because every day, some moron - either Mimi or Dudley will show up at your house to see if you're worthy to live with her/him. Be warned, they will soon make your life a living Hell. You have a Vanity Table, so if you don't like the way your Sim looks, you can now change his/her appearance. GOALS Clean the House Click on all of the trash items to chuck them away. UNLOCK: The maid, hireable by phone Fix all the Broken Objects Look for objects with smoke coming out of them and fix them all. UNLOCK: The repairman Upgrade Your Abode Buy a bunch of stuff to increase the house value. UNLOCK: Bug Zapper Get Promoted to Career Levels 2 and 3 Look to see how many skill points/friends you need and get your Sim in a good mood for work. UNLOCK: Ice Chest (Level 2), Teppan Yaki Table (Level 3) Move Out When you're completed all the goals, you will get to move in with Dudley or Mimi. UNLOCK: The Frat House (2 player game) BONUS: Highbrau Coat of Arms Get through the house in no more than 4 Sim days. In other words, you should aim to get promoted every two days. Level 3 - Party Animals ******************* Welcome to Hell. You will either be living with Mimi or Dudley, the obnoxious offspring of Malcolm Landgraab, your landlord. I'm not entirely sure, but I think that you get Dudley if your Sim is male, and Mimi if your Sim is female. The first thing you will notice is that your housemate's personality stats are all set to zero. In other words, you are living with a mean, lazy, grumpy, slobby social outcast. They have something like 7 cooking skill points, but will only grill burgers on the barbecue, refusing to cook proper meals. Don't bother to build their skills by any means other than swimming (if you can afford a pool), because they'll refuse. This is useful, as their job is Convenience Store Clerk (Level 2 in the Slacker career track), and they need two body points in order to get promoted to Lifeguard, and that will help to bring in more money. They won't answer the phone, stating that this is your Sim's job (even if your Sim happens to be at work), and they won't tidy up after themselves, so please - hire a maid, or you will probably waste about 2-3 hours cleaning up after your ungrateful housemate, which will really cut into the time that you could be spending building skills, and your mood will suffer because your room will end up in the red. To add insult to injury, every day that you fail to get promoted, your housemate will chastise you and give some speech about how you should be trying to get a promotion (which I found to be more annoying than the general laziness). If you really want a challenge, try making friends with them (which isn't going to be easy). I believe you can unlock their clothing style. Dudley and Mimi have a bunch of "friends", who will show up at the house - and you can invite them too. I use the term "friend" loosely, because they do comment (quite correctly) that your housemate is a loser. To get out of the house, beat all of the goals below, and make friends with one of Dudley's friends. Get your relationship up to 100 and get them in a good mood before asking. I believe you have to be throwing a party when you ask. GOALS Upgrade Your Abode Add some stuff, again. A hot tub is useful if you can afford it, or a swimming pool. UNLOCK: Tree Swing Throw a Raging Party You need to get plenty of fun stuff, such as the Strip Poker table, a sound system of some sort, and maybe a hot tub. Throw a party (use the last option on the phone), and hopefully you'll beat this goal. UNLOCK: The Motel (2 player game) N.B. The Motel is also unlockable using a cheat code (see Section 15). Get Promoted to Career Level 4/5 Again, make friends and build skills as needed, it'll stop Dudley and Mimi from nagging you. UNLOCK: Strip Poker Table (Level 4), Hydrothera Bathtub (Level 5) BONUS: Head in jar Get through in no more than 8 Sim Days. This may require some patience. LEVEL 4 - HOT TO TROT ********************** I actually enjoyed this level a lot. You will live with whichever of Dudley's friends you moved in with (I ended up with Bingo). This friend is nothing like Dudley or Mimi. He/she will cook, clean and build skills. You will get visits from Malcolm, and his friends, and also a group of girls (if your Sim is male) or guys (if your Sim is female). It's at this level that Malcolm starts to be a real pain. As well as stopping you having parties at first, he will later pester you with phone calls with advice regarding how to progress in the game - advice that you probably already knew (one time my Sim was studying cooking and Malcolm called me up and told me to improve my cooking skills). To beat the house, score with another Sim at a party, and thus marry them. This will be one of the Party Girls if your Sim is Male, or the Party Guys (don't know if this is their actual name, I only played it through once - with a male Sim, modelled on myself) if your Sim is Female. To score with them, get their relationship up really high, make them love you (by kissing them). Get them in a good mood, and then propose at a party (I suggest saving before you propose in case it goes pear shaped). GOALS Upgrade Your Abode Add a bunch of items. A new bathroom is useful, and maybe a better TV. Place a few items to increase your Sim's skills if you need any. N.B. Before you have completed this goal, Malcolm will not let you have a party, for reasons known only to him. Try and have a party and he'll come round, kick out all the guests and yell at you. UNLOCK: Vibromatic Heart Bed Get Promoted to Career Level 6/7 Build skills and make friends, whatever is necessary to get through (N.B. since your housemate is now counted as a family member, he/she is no longer int he family friend count). Remember, it's best that your Sim makes the friends him/herself at this point. UNLOCK: Sonic Shower (Level 6), Artists' Block (Level 7) Throw a Raging Party UNLOCK: Club Abhi and Taylor's Place (2 player games) BONUS: Jukebox Beat the level in no more than 8 Sim days Level 5 - Who Loves You, Baby? *************************** At first, this level can be a nightmare. You need to raise two babies, and give them constant attention or Social Services will whisk them away. Malcolm's left the house in a bit of a clutter, with everything in one room, but move the stuff around and you should have a nice house. There's a heart bed, which is useful. Malcolm will call you every day to ask about a "memo" he left you. If this really gets on your nerves, then remember he'll call at the same time, so if you think it is Malcolm, ignore the phone. Oh, and rather sadly, your housemate from Level 4 has mysteriously vanished, and is no longer contactable. Getting your spouse a job at this level is a good idea. GOALS Raise Two Babies See the section on Babies and Children for advice on how to raise babies. If your spouse has a job, the two Sims should take alternate days off to look after the baby. UNLOCK: Bech Simulator (first child), Neoscillating Sprinkler (second child) Get Promoted to Career Levels 8/9 UNLOCK: The Maid and Handymans' Houses (2 player games) (Level 8), Better Swimming Pools (Level 9) Get Married You probably won't have to do this goal. It only applies if your Sim and his/her spouse fail to communicate and end up divorcing. UNLOCK: NOTHING!!!!! BONUS: Bearskin rug Get through the house in no more than 8 Sim days. Level 6 - The Last Simoleon *********************** This is the last level in the game. You will live in Malcolm's old mansion, which - unfortunately - has very little in it. Hope that you have plenty of money to put in all the basic items. Try and get your kids sent off to the School for the Gifted quickly. You'll never see them again. Malcolm will once again phone you - every day - going on about how your mother is worried about you - until you get the last promotion. Once you beat the final goal - throwing one last party - you will get taken to the ending sequence. GOALS Send Both Your Kids to Prep School With Straight As Get your kids good grades, and they will automatically be accepted, but you do have to pay - or get repossessed if you can't. UNLOCK: Major Domo Get Promoted to Career Level 10 Build skills, make friends. Remember, your spouse can make friends too. UNLOCK: The Park (2 player game) - if you haven't yet fed Bobo (see below) Save up $20,000 for a Yacht I believe you have to get the $20,000 really fast, or the goal will be greyed out forever. I never managed to beat this one. Throw One Great Party Before You Retire Get a lot of stuff, and throw a party. Eventually, Malcolm will tell you "You Win". You will then see the ending sequence. Before throwing the party, save the game - then you can keep playing with this house if you want, and get some of the Sim hairstyle/clothing unlockables. BONUS: Rhino trophy For getting past the house in no more than 8 Sim days. OTHER UNLOCKABLES ********************** Bobo the Tramp ************* He will show up randomly. If you give him food (you can select it when you click on him), you will unlock The Park (2 player game). The Burglar ********** He shows up randomly (but apparently having expensive items increases the odds of him appearing). Put a burglar alarm(s) in every house you are in so that when he does appear, he will get arrested. This unlocks the Life of Crime career path, Sim Style Unlockables ****************** Making friends with various Sims unlocks various styles to choose from. Dudley/Mimi - Unlocks their clothes Bingo - Green, spiky hair (men) Malcolm Landgraab - Top hat (men) Theresa Thimblewit - White powder makeup style (women) Charles Cheeky - Cowboy hat (men) Chantal Cheeky - Cleopatra-style asp headdress (women) Freddy Foofaraw - Quiff (men) Carlos Roomies - Mohican style (men - style is available for women from the start) Betty Roomies - Backward baseball cap (women - style is available for men from the start) N.B.: This section may be added to later; I'm pretty sure the list is incomplete. 5 - TIPS ON BUILDING A HOUSE ***************************** When building a house from scratch, here are some suggestions as to what to include. LAYOUT ******** You should have at least three rooms; a main living area, a bathroom and one or more bedrooms. That way, your Sims can have privacy when using the toilet, and go to bed away from the noise of the TV or stereo. When building rooms, it is important to get them the right size. Too big, and they'll cost you too much; too small, and you won't have room to swing a cat, and your Sims will be forever getting in each others' way. A good idea is to place items where you want them before building walls (with the toilet and bathroom sink, you cannot do this as they must be placed alongside walls). This will show you what size of room you are likely to need. RECOMMENDED ITEMS ********************** The following items are suggestions for things you should buy when starting out. One bed for each of your Sims - Use only the cheapest type of bed for now, nothing fancy. A refrigerator A surface of some sort, preferably a table Seating, preferably enough for each Sim that lives in the house A black and white TV (the cheapest you can get) The cheapest bookshelf available A sink A toilet A shower (this is cheaper than, and takes up less space than, the bath) A telephone One burglar alarm in every room that can be accessed directly from the outside (you'll thank me for this when on your first night, a burglar races into your house and steals your TV) Windows and doors (well, duh) Lighting Wallpapering, brickwork (on the outside) and carpets, otherwise your house will look pretty drab A trashcan (this will save your Sims having to walk out to the dustbin every single time they have a piece of litter they want rid of) If you've got the cashflow, you might consider one of these items: A food mixer A fire alarm The slightly less cheap TV Paintings and decorations Don't bother with any cooking items like the Microwave or Stove until all the adult Sims in your house have at least two cooking skill points; this will reduce the risk of fires (but not erase them completely). 6 - ITEMS ********* For simplicity, I will limit this to the items avialable in the buy mode section (not the build mode, which includes swimming pools and fireplaces). SEATING/BEDS ************** Wekburst All Purpose Chair ($80) Comfort - 2 Only buy this if you're really short of cash; the "Posture Plus" office chair isn't a lot more expensive, and it's more comfortable. ** "Posture Plus" Office Chair ($100) Comfort - 3 Preferable to the deck chair, as it is better value for money. ** Deck Chair by Survivall ($150) Comfort - 3 ** Contempto Loveseat ($150) Comfort - 3, Energy - 4 Like all couches, this can also be used for your Sims to nap on (just make sure the TV and stereo are switched off) ** Satinistics Reproduction Armchair ($155) Comfort - 3 It may look nice, but it's still not as economical as the Posture Plus chair. ** Contempto Couch ($180) Comfort - 2, Energy - 5 Better for napping on, but otherwise doesn't have a lot of advantages over the cheaper Contempo Loveseat. ** Country Class Armchair ($250) Comfort - 4 ** Parquw Inesco del AireBench ($250) Comfort - 2 This is a nice outdoor bench, but doesn't offer a lot of advantages. ** "Back Stack" Recliner ($250) Comfort - 6, Energy - 3 ** Spartan Special ($300) Comfort - 6, Energy - 7 This is the cheapest of the beds, and the first kind that you should buy in your house ** Country Class Loveseat ($340) Comfort - 5, Energy - 4 ** Country Class Sofa ($450) Comfort - 5, Energy - 5 ** Tyke Nite Bed ($450) Comfort - 7, Energy - 7 A Children's bed (if the name wasn't enough of a clue) ** Cheap Eazzzzze Double Sleeper ($450) Comfort - 7, Energy - 8 When you get enough money, you could splash out for a few double beds. You can get two Sims to share a double bed, providing that they are friends with each other (i.e. a blue smiley face appears on their relationship meter). No, they don't have to love each other. If you have four Sims sharing a house, getting them to be friends is a good idea, because all you will need is two double beds, which saves space (and money). ** "The Surbach" by Werkburst ($500) Comfort - 6 ** Empress Dining Room Chair ($600) Comfort - 4, Energy - 3 ** "Von Braun" Recliner ($850) Comfort - 9, Energy - 3 This is worth getting just because of the high comfort levels it offers. ** Luxuriare Loveseat ($875) Comfort - 8, Energy - 4, Room - 2 ** Napoleon Sleigh Bed ($1000) Comfort - 8, Energy - 9 ** "The Deiter" by Werkburst ($1,100) Comfort - 8, Energy - 5, Room - 3 ** Modern Mission Bed ($3,000) Comfort - 9, Energy - 10, Room - 3 This is the best of the beds, as it replenishes energy fastest. You should get a few of these when your funds are high enough. ** The Vibromatic Heart Bed ($4,500) Comfort - 10, Energy - 8 This bed, which can be unlocked in Get A Life Mode, is good if your Sim couple are trying for a baby, but isn't particularly good in terms of replenishing energy. **** TABLES AND SURFACES *********************** Pinegulcher End Table ($40) If you're just looking for a surface to put something on, this is one of the better ones, since it is cheap. ** Wicked Breexe End Table ($55) ** Kinderstuff Nightstand ($75) ** Mesquite Desk/Table ($80) ** NuMica Folding Card Table ($95) This is a good table to use as a dining surface if you're just starting a house. ** "Anywhere" End Table ($120) Has no real advantage over the cheaper end tables. ** NuMica Kitchen Counter ($15) A good, cheap, surface to put items such as food processors on. ** Backwoods Table by Survivall ($200) The Card Table is preferable to this due to the price and the fact that it takes up less space. ** London "Cupertino" Collection Desk/Table ($220) ** Tiled Counter ($250) Nicer looking than the Kitchen Counter, but otherwise no advantage. ** Modern Mission End Table ($250) Room - 1 ** Count Blanc Bathroom Counter ($400) ** London "Mesa" Dining Design ($450) Room - 2 ** "The Redmond" Desk/Table ($800) Room - 2 The London "Mesa" Dining Design is cheaper, and has no disadvantage in terms of room. **** DECORATIVE ************* Not a lot to say about decorative features, except that the more expensive ones are generally better at raising room. Be aware, though, that the African Violet, Spider Plant, Geranium and Roses require a surface for them to be placed on. Plants should be watered regularly (you can hire a gardener to do this); likewise, the fish in the aquarium need to be fed regularly or they will starve to death (your Sims must do this themselves). Remember to put plants in a location where your Sims can actually reach them. Pink Flamingo ($12) Room - 2 ** African Violet ($30) Room - 2 ** Spider Plant ($35) Room - 2 ** "Roxana" Geranium ($45) Room - 1 ** What a Gas! Party Balloons ($50) Room - 3 Unlike other decorative features, these will not last indefinitely, and will burst quite soon. Good while they last, though. ** Watercolour by J.M.E. ($75) Room - 1 ** Queen Vivanco Roses ($99) Room - 1 ** Rubber Tree Plant ($120) Room - 2 ** Echinopsis Maximus Cactus ($150) Room - 2 ** Jade Plant ($160) Room - 2 ** Poseidon's Adventure Aquarium ($200) Fun - 1, Room - 2 ** Old Movie Prop ($210) Room - 2 ** "Bi Polar" by Conner I.N. ($240) Room - 2 ** "Delusion de Grandeur" ($360) Room - 2 ** BeaverPelt Moosehead ($450) Room - 2 ** Floor Rug by Leopard Life ($460) Room - 2 ** "Fountain of Tranquility" ($700) Fun - 1, Room - 2 Your Sims can play with the fountain as well as using it for decoration ** SimBad's Stuffed Marlin ($777) Room - 3 ** "Hazard the Guess" by Conner Tilst ($950) Room - 3 ** "Blind Date" by I. Roney ($1,020) Room - 3 ** "Scylla and Charybolis" ($1,450) Room - 4 ** (Sorry, I've not unlocked this item in Get a Life Mode yet) ** (Sorry, I've not unlocked this item in Get a Life Mode yet) ** Snails with Icicles on Nose ($2,140) Room - 5 ** Portrait grid by Payne A. Pitcher ($3,200) Room - 8 ** Grandfather Clock ($3,500) Room - 7 ** Blue China Vase ($4,260) Room - 7 ** (Sorry, I've not unlocked this item in Get a Life Mode yet) ** (Sorry, I've not unlocked this item in Get a Life Mode yet) ** "Still Life, Drapery and Crumbs" ($7,000) Room - 9 ** "Eruption of Decadence" Tapestry ($8,100) Room - 9 ** Antique Persian Rug ($8,200) Room - 7 **** ELECTRONIC ************* Firebrand Smoke Detector ($50) Place this in your Sims' kitchen, and if there is a fire, the fire brigade will be called instantly. ** Cordless Wall Phone ($75) This is the only way to keep in touch with other Sims and maintain relationships, so this is a vital element of your Sims' house. When you first move Sims in, they will automatically visit the other Sims' houses, and your Sim can call anyone who they've spoken to previously. You can also throw parties, order pizza (costs $40), and hire a maid, gardener or repairman. Oh, and you can call the police and fire brigade. ** Urchineer Train Set by Rip C. ($80) Fun - 2 A good toy to use if you have kids, or playful adult Sims. ** Monochrome TV ($85) Fun - 2 Unless you have enough money, this is the first TV you should get when you get a house. Upgrade as soon as possible, though. ** "Down Wit Dat" Boom Box ($100) Fun - 2 This is the cheapest of the stereos, and a good idea to buy when starting out. ** Sim Safety IV Burglar Alarm ($250) This is vital if you want to catch the burglar and stop him from stripping your house bare. Place one in every room that is directly accessible from the outside. ** Electric Insect Control System ($300) Can be placed outside and turned on to zap bugs. Sims can have fun watching it. ** Trarttco. 27" Colour Television B940 ($500) Fun - 4 An improved TV. You should by this as soon as your Sims have earned enough money through working. ** Zimantz Component Hi-Fi Stereo ($650) Fun - 3 It's quite nice, but for the price, it isn't really as economical as the Boom Box. ** OCD Systems Sim Railroad Town ($955) Fun - 4, Room - 3 This is worth buying, if you have room in your house for it. ** Moneywell Computer ($999) Fun - 4 A nice, cheap computer. Can also be used for SimKids to study. ** (Sorry, I've not unlocked this item in Get a Life Mode yet) ** "See Me, Feel Me" Pinball Machine ($1,800) Fun - 5 This is an enjoyable item, that can be used by two Sims at once. Don't place this in a bedroom, though as Sims will not sleep in the same room as it, even if it is not in use. ** Microscotch Covetta Q62&1500JA ($1,800) Fun - 5 A more expensive, and more fun, computer. Can also be used for SimKids to study. ** SSRI Virtual Reality Set ($2,300) Fun - 7 One of the most useful items in the game. The bonus is that it is small, and so doesn't take up lots of space in your house. ** Strings Theory Stereo ($2,550) Fun - 5, Room - 3 The most expensive stereo; the only problem is that it doesn't increase fun as much as you might like it to. ** Soma Plasma TV ($3,500) Fun - 6, Room - 2 A widescreen TV. Definitely one to get once you can afford it. ** Meet Marco ($6,500) Fun - 9 This costs a lot, so it is just as well that it is worth it. Can also be used for Sim Kids to study. **** APPLIANCES ************ Mr. Regular Joe Coffee ($85) Energy - 1 This is useful if your Sims are getting tired and you want them awake for socialising or skill building. You should drink about four in succession, but send your Sim to the toilet afterwards. ** Brand Name Toaster Oven ($100) Hunger - 1 Avoid this; it really isn't worth it, especially as the Food Processor is more useful for Sims with no cooking skill. ** XLR8R Food Processor ($220) Hunger - 2 This is an important ingredient in helping to improve your Sims' meals. ** Positive Potential Microwave ($250) Hunger - 2 This is a cheap way to cook your Sims' meals, but should only be used if your Sim has a few cooking points (as ridiculous as it seems, Sims who can't cook are capable of setting fire to these devices). ** Will Bill THX451 Barbecue ($350) Hunger - 4 This is useful for making burgers, and better value than the Microwave. Unlike the other cooking devices, you do not need a refrigerator in order to use this - but you do need cooking skill to reduce fire risk. Sim Kids cannot use this device. ** Junk Genie Trash Compactor ($375) The good thing about this is that it is a time saving device, and your Sims will need to make far fewer tedious trips out to the dustbin to get rid of litter. ** Dialectric Free Standing Range ($400) Hunger - 5 This is something you should get as soon as all your Sims' cooking skills are at 2 or above. ** Goxgmia Simore Expresso Machine ($450) Energy - 2, Fun - 1 This replenishes more energy than the normal coffee machine, but isn't really as useful, as your Sims take a lot longer drinking it, and will need to answer the call of nature faster. ** Dish Duster Deluxe ($550) This can save a lot of time involved in finding a free sink to wash the dishes by hand. ** Llamark Refrigerator ($600) Hunger - 6 This is the cheapest refrigerator, and the one you should get to start with. With every refrigerator, you can choose to have a snack, have a quick breakfast (if your Sim is in a hurry), have breakfast or serve breakfast (place a plate of food in the room that other Sims can help themselves from). Remember, you need money to get food (up to $20) from the fridge, but it is more cost-effective than pizza. Sim Kids can only select the "Get a Snack" option (they can't cook food). ** Fuzzy Logic Dishwasher ($950) Other than it looking nicer, I'm not exactly sure what advantage this has over the cheaper dishwasher. ** The "Pyrotorro" Gas Range ($1,000) Hunger - 7 The best cooking device, and well worth buying when you can afford it. ** Porcina Refrigerator, Model Pig-S ($1,200) Hunger - 7 A better refrigerator, but more expensive. ** Freeze Secret Refrigerator ($2,500) Hunger - 8 The best, and most expensive, refrigerator. **** PLUMBING ********** Hydromatic Kitchen Sink ($250) Hygeine - 2 This becomes somewhat redundant when you get a dishwasher (unless the dishwasher breaks and you can't afford the repairman). This sink is useful when you start out and can't afford the dishwasher, though. ** Hygea-o-Matic Toilet ($300) Bladder - 8 You should put this in your house when you move in. Be sure to clean it (or hire a maid), though. And try and get your Sims to flush, otherwise it will get blocked up. Hire a repairman or get good mechanical skills to sort out the blockage. Remember, this item should be placed in the bathroom. And did I mention that all Sims are very prudish, and will not use the toilet when another Sim is in the same room as them (they'll order the other Sim out). Guests can occasionally be a nuisance, as they have a habit of following your Sims into the toilet, and often will refuse to budge when shooed. You may have to ask them to leave as a last resort. ** "Andersonville" Pedestal Sink ($400) Hygeine - 4 A bathroom sink. Should be placed in the bathroom, as it is better than the kitchen sink. ** Epokouros Kitchen Sink ($500) Hygeine - 3 Don't bother with this one. You can get a dishwasher for just $50 more, and the pedestal sink is still better for washing hands. ** Spacemiser Showe ($650) Hygeine - 6 A good hygeine - raising device if you're in a hurry, as it is quicker than the bath. ** Justa Bathtub ($800) Hygeine - 6, Comfort - 2 This costs more than the shower and takes up more space, but does raise comfort. Since it takes longer, don't use it if your Sim has to rush off to work soon. ** Flush Force 5XLT ($1,200) Comfort - 4, Bladder - 8 Buy this when you have enough money. It does not require flushing, and saves you the trouble of remembering to make your less-than-neat Sims flush after using it. ** Sani-Queen Bathtub ($1,500) Comfort - 5, Hygeine - 8 More useful than the cheap bathtub. ** Hydrothera Bathtub ($3,200) Comfort - 8, Hygeine - 10 The only real drawbacks to this are the cost and the fact that it takes up twices as much space as a normal bathtub. ** Sonic Shower ($3,999) Comfort - 8, Hygeine - 10 This can be unlocked in Get a Life mode, and is actually better than all the bathtubs, since it is quick to use. Remember, though, that all spaces immediately around it must be empty for this to be placeable/useable. Just two words of warning. First of all, for some inexplicable reason, Sim Kids cannot use it, so if there are kids in your house, only get one if you have more than one bathroom. Also, if the instruction "clean" comes up when you click on it, clean it immediately before use, otherwise it will screw up, and your Sim will not have a pleasant time at all using it. ** WhirlWizard Hot Tub ($6,500) Comfort - 6, Hygeine - 2, Fun - 2 If your Sim has a lot of spare time, you could get them to use this. Put another Sim in there and it can also be used for raising Social needs (and relationships). Sim Kids cannot use Hot Tubs, presumably due to the fact that if an outgoing Sim gets in first, everyone will end up naked. ** Libidinex Spa System ($10,000) Comfort - 5, Hygeine - 2, Fun - 3 This isn't that useful; only two Sims can use it at once, but it is good if you have two Sims who are lovers and money to burn. **** LIGHTING ********** Lighting should be put in every room, to avoid room dropping at night. Most of them will require the bulb changing (it's quickest to call a repairman, to save going around looking for broken bulbs). Bottle Lamp ($25) Garden Lamp by Lunatech ($50) - The only lamp that does not require changing the bulb Halogen Heaven Lamp by Contempto ($50) Oval Glass Sconce ($85) Top Brass Sconce ($110) Blue Plate Spacial Sconce ($135) Elite Reflections Chrome Lamp ($180) Torchsterone Table Lamp ($200) - Increases Room by 1 Torchsterone Floor Lamp ($350) - Increases Room by 1 **** MISCELLANEOUS **************** Trash Can ($30) You should buy a few of these before you can afford a trash compactor. ** Snoozemore Alarm Clock ($30) This will wake your Sims in time for work, but takes up surface space and isn't really worth it. ** Magical Mystery Toy Box ($50) Fun - 2 This will keep your kids occupied for a while. ** Happy Thunder Neoscillating Sprinkler ($65) Fun - 2 Ah, the sprinkler, which the kids will get bored of after about five seconds. The only good things about this are the fact that it is small and cheap. It won't get much use, though. ** Narcisso Wall Mirror ($100) This is a useful item for raising your Sim's CHARISMA. ** Slurp 'N' Burp Beverage Cooler ($100) Comfort - 2 Can be used to get drinks, but will ocassionally need restocking (for a price), and cleaning. Doubles up as an extra seat. ** Medicine Cabinet ($125) Hygeine - 1 As well as raising CHARISMA, your Sims can brush their teeth with this. Can occasionally, but rarely, be a fatal deathtrap (see Sim Deaths section). ** Narcisso Floor Mirror ($150) Raises CHARISMA, but the wall mirror is preferable to this as it won't take up floorspace. ** Will Lloyd Wright Doll House ($180) Fun - 2 Your kids will love this (yes, even the boys). ** Cheap Pine Bookcase ($250) With all bookcases, you can read a book to raise fun levels, study COOKING and MECHANICAL. Kids can study to raise their grades. ** "Diamanche" Folding Easel ($250) Fun - 2 Paint pictures, and then sell them to make more money. Raise CREATIVE skill. ** Pinegulcher Dresser ($250) This can be used to automatically change your sims to normal wear (their default costume), formal wear (pretty pointless really), pyjamas or a swimsuit. It's best waiting until you can afford an armoire, though. ** Kinderstuff Dresser ($300) Brightens up your kids' room, but does little else. See above note. ** Chuck Matewell Chess Set ($500) Fun - 2 If you buy this, remember to put a chair on either side of it (on the sides where the chess pieces are), so that two Sims can play at once. This can raise social, and also increase LOGIC skill without the risk of being abducted by aliens. ** Artists' Block ($500) Fun - 2 This needs to be unlocked in Get A Life Mode. The only drawback is that it's lifetime is as long as it takes for your Sim to finish the sculpture, which then becomes a decoration. I have, however, been able to place these in houses where the Feng Shui Meter was full to bursting. Raises CREATIVE skill. ** Amishim Bookcase ($500) Does the same as the cheaper bookcase, only I believe it raises skill points faster. ** Traditional Oak Armoire ($550) Room - 1 This is definitely an item to buy, since you can change your Sim's default clothes with this. Unlike the PC version, where you had an often variable set of suits, you can select the top half, bottom half and shoe style - and colour - individually. To change the normal outfit, you must keep the Sim who you want to change selected, or nothing will happen. ** Electric Guitar Increases CREATIVE skill. The more points you have, the better you play it. You need to unlock it in Get a Life Mode, and doing so is not easy. ** Strip Poker Table ($600) Fun - 4 You need three spaces to use this in, so it should be easy to fit in. Get your Sims to play poker against each other. The only drawback I've found is that one Sim may get bored waiting for the other Sim to walk into the room and cancel the instruction, meaning you have to program it again. You can let other Sims watch, too. The results can be amusing, as most of the time, one of the Sims (randomly) will end up in their swimsuit. And this is a good way to quickly change your Sims from their work clothes to their normal clothes. You need to unlock it in Get A Life Mode, though. ** Super Doop Basketball Hoop ($650) Fun - 4 Another useful item. Two Sims can use this at once, so it can raise Social as well as fun. ** "Experto" Beachpress Exercise Machine ($700) Use this to raise BODY skill. ** Kraft King Woodworking Table ($720) Make garden gnomes to raise MECHANICAL skill. It's best to sell these straight away, because you'll only be left irate when a mean Sim pays you a visit and takes a dislike to them. ** Bachmar Wood Beverage Bar ($800) Hunger - 1, Fun - 3, Room - 2 Can be used to serve drinks, and can help to quell your Sim's rumbling stomach. ** Libri di Regina Bookcase ($900) The best bookcase. It does take up more space, though. ** Domestic Beach Simulator ($1,000) Fun - 4 Unlocked in Get a Life Mode, this is the best way to keep Sim Kids entertained, and the adults can help them in building various shapes - and them flattening them. ** CharisMaster Vanity Table ($1,000) Room - 1 You can change your Sims' facial appearance with this, as long as you keep that Sim selected of course. You can change the hair style and colour, accessories (earrings and glasses), the eye colour, add or remove headgear, facial hair (for men), makeup (for women) and facepaint (for kids). If you manage to befriend certain Sims (e.g. Malcolm and Chantal) in Get a Life Mode, more items become available. This is unlocked in Get a Life Mode. ** The Funinator Deluxe ($1,200) Fun - 5 A climbing frame, which your kids will run amok on. The only problem is, it won't keep them occupied long and they will soon jump off and stand there gazing at it, forcing you to give them the instruction to play on it again. You may find the Beach Simulator more satisfying. ** PerspirAction Executive Treadmill ($1,200) This can be set to three settings; Walk, Jog and Run, each of them progressively increasing BODY skill at a faster rate. You should not use the Jog command until your Body skill is about 3 or 4, and not think about running until the skill is 8 or more. This way, you will avoid the common problem with your Sim falling over and getting dragged along before getting hurled off. Yes, it is hilariously funny, but your Sim will immediately quit exercising. Using it with a full (or nearly full) energy bar is recommended. This is unlocked in Get A Life mode. ** Antique Armoire ($1,200) Room - 2 This raises the room quicker than the normal armoire, and is still quite cheap, although it performs the same functions. ** SweetsWay Tree Swing ($1,200) Fun - 4 Since this goes outside, you should have no shortage of space to place it. Two Sims can use it, and thus this can build social need. ** Horrorwitz "Star Traek" Backyard Telescope ($2,100) Fun - 4 This should be unlocked in Get A Life Mode. Beware, though - if you use this late it night, you might be abducted by aliens. Your Sim's housemates (if he/she has any) will run to the spot to mourn their lost friend. Actually, your Sim will be returned after a few Sim days, but their personality stats will be altered. However, you do raise LOGIC using this. ** Aromasterpuff Whifferpuff Gold ($2,500) This takes up hardly any space at all and should be used in one of the main living areas. Different scents can raise room, energy and even fun. ** Teppan Yaki Table ($3,000) Hunger - 7, Fun - 1 The only drawback here is that this item takes up a LOT of space. One Sim will cook, and serve Teppan Yaki (you will see him/her chucking plates onto the table) while other Sims watch. I haven't yet experienced a fire involving this item (other than the one produced during the cooking process), but I'm not entirely sure if this item is fire risk free. ** Chimeway & Daughters Piano ($3,500) Fun - 4, Room - 3 Improves CREATIVE skill. You will notice the difference easily with this, because your playing will improve, and Sims who listen will quit booing and hissing and start clapping you. It's a good idea NOT to use this if you have low creative skill, as you could damage your relationship with your friends. ** Aristoscratch Pool Table ($4,200) Fun - 6 This can be played by one or two Sims, and can raise Social skill. Needs a fairly large amount of space, though. ** Meet Major Domo! ($15,000) Ooh! Look! He's a baboon, and he's wearing a dinner jacket and helping around the house. Trust me, the novelty of this will wear of very fast, and if you can actually afford this, you can easily afford to hire a maid and repairman, whose presence in the house will not risk cramming up your Feng Shui Meter. 7 - WORKING AND GETTING PROMOTIONS ********************** Working is vital if you want to make money for your Sims. Only adult Sims can work (Children must go to school). The quickest way to get a job is to wait for the papergirl to show up and use the newspaper to find a job, then select one of the ones advertised. You can not miss more than one day of work at a time; skipping work is useful if your Sim is in a bad mood, needs to look after a baby, or if you feel that it is the only way to raise skills. Getting promotions is well worth it. It helps you progress in Get a Life Mode, you get a higher salary, and you get a big bonus every time you are promoted. The career tracks are: Entertainment (become a star) Life of Crime (unlocked by catching the burglar once in Get a Life mode, and is self-explanatory) Military Musician (self-explanatory, though ends with becoming a "Celebrity Activist") Slacker (a rather mixed bag, ranges from store clerks to lifeguards, to "professional party guest") Xtreme (mainly involves outdoor pursuits, but ends with International Spy) To get promotions, you should check the "Career" menu. This shows what skill points are needed (shown in yellow) and whether or not you need to make friends (this is shown by the system "number of friends you have"/"number of friends you need", i.e. if you see "1/2", it means you have one family friend, and need two. Note that your Sim doesn't have to be friends with the Sim him/herself, they just need to be friends with one household member. Being friends with another person in your house does NOT count. To get a promotion, your Sim's mood bar should be in green, and the more green bars that are filled, the better chance there is of getting that promotion, so a good idea is to time your Sim's waking up time for at least 2-3 hours before going to work so you have time to work on all their needs. To get your first promotion, all you need is to be in a good mood (you need to skills or friends). Be warned: If you have four red bars (you're in a very bad mood), you will almost certainly get demoted (not good). Oh, and sometimes, rarely, when you are on the highest career level, you may be forced into a different career track at a lower level. This has happened to me only once so far. One of my Sims had become an international spy; one day, he returned from work and I got a message saying: "Duty calls", informing me that my Sim was now at Level 6 of the Military career track. N.B. The mililtary career track requires fewest friends. 8 - INCREASING SKILL POINTS **************************** To increase skill points, you must USUALLY be in a good mood (in the green), or your Sim will refuse to build skills. These are the following skills. COOKING ********* Cooking is rarely needed to get promotions, but it is a good idea to get lots of these. It makes your meals more appetising, and reduces the risk of fires (there still is a risk, though; I moved into Bingo's house in Get A Life mode with about 4 or 5 cooking skill points and immediately set fire to the kitchen; I also saw Dudley (who has very high cooking skills) set fire to the barbecue, leading to his death and subsequent zombification (Death? Zombification? Huh? See Section 13) You can use one of the bookcases to increase cooking skills. MECHANICAL ************* As well as helping you on jobs, it makes your sim more useful around the house; you fix things faster, and are less likely to kill yourself repairing the TV or replacing a bulb. The following items increase Mechanical skill: Bookcases Workbench CREATIVE ********** As well as helping you, this makes you a better entertainer; you play better, and your paintings are better (Sims with no creative skill points will paint like a 3 year old kid). The following items increase Creative skill: Easel Artists' Block Piano Electric Guitar BODY ****** This reduces risk of accidents on the treadmill as well as getting you promotions. The following items increase Body skill: Bodypress Machine Treadmill Swimming Pool (you do not need to be in a good mood to use the swimming pool; swimming pools are found in the build menu, but they do cost a lot) CHARISMA *********** Increase Charisma using a mirror, or medicine cabinet to practise a speech. LOGIC ****** Increase Logic using the following items: Chess Set Telescope 9 - MAKING FRIENDS ******************** You need to make friends to get many of the promotions. Usually, your Sim will become friends with another Sim when the relationship level reaches 50 (a blue smiley face will appear). Be warned that they may not rate you as highly as they rate you, so if they're up to 80 for you, you may be only at 53 for them, so you may lose a friend quicker than you expect. Note: You can tell if a relationship is increasing because a green "plus" sign appears. A red "minus" sign means you or the other Sim made a social faux pas, and the relationship went down. Huh? Lose friends? Well, if you don't spend time with your friends, the relationship deteriorates, and you lose them, so it's a good idea to invite them around a lot. Use the phone to do this. Sometimes they'll accept, sometimes they won't - it's random, but be sure to learn your target's work hours to avoid disappointment, and DON'T phone at night - they'll get angry with you for waking them and it'll damage your relationship. If you don't have time to invite them, you could always just talk, but this can be fickle. Sometimes the relationship won't go anywhere; sometimes, it will improve, sometimes (randomly), the Sim won't want to talk to you (you will get a message saying you interrupted their favourite show, or they're "super busy right now"), or you'll hear the two Sims yelling at each other, and your relationship will suffer as a result. But, how do you build relationships? Well, when you start a house, the Sims' relationship is pre-set to 30. The best way to increase relationships (especially with people you only just met) is by talking to them. Doing group activities, like pool, watching TV or using the hot tub can also slowly increase relationships. Complimenting another Sim can also increase your relationship very fast, but should not be used on a Sim whose relationship with you is below about 35, otherwise it can backfire. The Sim will take exception to your compliment and your relationship will suffer (I can just imagine it: "I think you're really great!", "What? HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?"). Similarly, joking can help a relationship, but is best used at when you have a reasonably high relationship, and works better on playful Sims. All in all, if a relationship is low, talking is safest. Sometimes, and seemingly randomly, relationships will go down when talking, but rarely. You can also gossip, i.e. spread defamatory rumours about other Sims, but often this will cause problems for your relationship, and is best used on Sims that you are on good terms with; I have a feeling being more outgoing also helps. Actions such as flirting, hugging, giving back rubs and kissing should be saved for relationships that are at least 70 - and beware, it can lead to jealousy. If you do the wrong thing with a Sim's significant other, then the other Sim will probably slap you. Watch what your Sims are doing carefully and watch what pops into your queue. If one of those actions is "be slapped", cancel it. The Sims aren't always terribly bright, and sometimes they'll kiss, hug, flirt with, or give back rubs to Sims when their significant other is watching. If you see a Sim wants to do this to you, or your Sim wants to do this themself (if free will is on), it might be a good idea to cancel this action. Oh, and giving gifts can also lead to jealousy. I found this out in the "On Vacation" expansion of the PC version, where I got one of my Sims to buy presents for the rest of the family. His significant other was not best pleased when he gave presents to the other family members (weird, but true). A very good way to see if you've messed up romantically (making a Sim jealous, for example, is to listen to the music). You should hear a tune that sounds somewhat like Woody Woodpecker laughing. Occasionally, it seems to sound randomly and I am at a loss to see exactly how the "jealousy" was incurred (in Get a Life once, I had my Sim talking to a family friend; Ginger (his wife) arrived home, and the jealousy music played). I have also noticed that Sims often object to kisses and other intimate gestures if they are not in a good mood; if "cheer up" appears in a Sim's menu, it probably means they need cheering up, and it's a good idea to do this. I also seem to recall seeing a Sim recoil in horror after being hugged by a Sim whose hygeine was in the red, so - try and keep your Sims clean. You can also fall in love with other Sims (yes, including ones of the same sex), though not with children (because that would be perverted). Make sure your relationship is really high (70+) and kiss them. Sims need to be in love in order to get married. Ah, yes. Getting married. Well, it's a good idea to save before actually proposing marriage, but a good idea is to get your lover in a good mood first; feed them, and do something fun with them, and they will probably accept. You can ONLY marry Sims who are from another household, though you can get Sims in the same household to love each other. And if your Sims are deeply in love, and you have the heart bed, you can get them to - ahem - show their affections to eachother. If you get the heart bed to vibrate when one Sim is in bed, get the other Sim to click on the bed and select "Play in Bed" (or whatever it's called). Best hope the kids don't see... Just one last point - if your relationship becomes really low (like -50, or below), your Sims become enemies. I've only had it happen in Bustin' Out, so I'm only assuming it's the same here. If you become enemies, a red, angry, face will appear. 10 - BABIES AND CHILDREN ************************** If you have two Sims (one male, one female), who love each other, living in a house together, then you can get them to have a baby. Having a heart bed is a good idea, though not compulsory, as I have found out. Once I got a baby through getting my Sims to kiss each other. You can also adopt. One of the random phone calls you can get IF your Sims are in love is the adoption service asking if you'd like to adopt a baby. When the baby appears, it will be in a cot, which you should place in a non-noisy area. You will be told if it is a boy or girl, and get to choose the name. Prepare for a rough time, as for the next few days, you must wait on the baby hand and foot. If both your Sims have jobs, make them take alternate days off, keeping one of them in to look after the baby. Try to stay focused on the baby and wait until it starts crying, and then go to feed and sing to it. Playing with it is NOT advisable. Get a coffee or expresso machine so your Sims can stay up overnight. If you play with your baby, or ignore it, some busybody will threaten to call social services. Ignore it again and the social services people will show up and take the baby away - Social Services in this game being incredibly strict. Eventually, the baby will turn into a child, after 2/3 days. Infuriatingly, you don't get to choose what the child actually looks like, or what its personality stats are. When you have a child, make sure they have somewhere to sleep, and make sure they go to school every day or their grade will slip down. You can increase their grade by getting them to study for school (using a bookcase or computer). If their grade drops down too low, they will be sent to Military School, and you will NEVER see them again. Try not to let this happen. You may ask what is the POINT of Sim Kids? All they do is create need to build extra beds, they can't cook, and they don't bring any money into the family. The last point is false - if they are getting good grades, they will occasionally get $10 from their (unseen) Grandpa, which goes straight into the kitty. 11 - THE BURGLAR ****************** Occasionally, when all your Sims are asleep or at work, a burglar will show up. If you have no burglar alarm, he will steal relentlessly until he gets bored, and your Sims are powerless to stop him (no, there is no option to perform a citizen's arrest). On the PC version I've had my Sims walking around the house, apparently oblivious to the fact that there was a burglar in the same room as them. His swag bag may look small, but it's like Doctor Who's TARDIS inside. Any of your personal possessions will fit inside (yes, even the tree swing). If you have a phone, you can call the police, but chances are the burglar will be back home watching the widescreen TV he just nicked by the time the cop shows up. Rather than offering to take a statement, she'll tick you off about calling when there wasn't an "actual emergency" and leave. If you have an alarm, it will go off the moment the burglar enters the room, and a cop will show up and arrest him. He will usually grab something, which will be kept as "evidence" and never seen again. The police will reimburse you and give you a $1000 reward for "the capture of this wanted criminal". N.B. I have come across a glich relating to the cops, but this only happened on the PC version. The cop showed up at my Sims' house, confronted the burglar, and then let him walk away with the picture that he had stolen. Que? 12 - THE FENG SHUI METER ************************** This is one of the big frustrations of the game. When you have too many items, the meter at the right of the screen will fill up and you will not be able to purchase further items, however hard you try. There is a separate meter for walls and fences, although you are unlikely to get this one filled up. Be warned. Often when you remove a large item, it will make no difference to the status of the feng shui meter, and it will remain full, preventing you from buying an identical item (crazy, isn't it?) This can be very problematic if the meter is full up and the burglar pinches something important, such as your TV or refrigerator. The only remedy I can think of is to save regularly, and quit without saving if you get really messed up by the Feng Shui Meter. 13 - SIM DEATHS **************** Yes, some people really are sadistic enough to want to kill their Sims. Here are some known ways to kill them. FIRE **** If a fire breaks out, the Sims (fools that they are) will often dance around the fire shouting and screaming. You can try getting them to go to a safe distance, but it won't last for long - they'll just run back and start screaming again. If your Sim gets too close to the fire, guess what? They will catch fire themselves, and likely burn to death. There is a very easy way to deliberately kill a Sim like this. Build a room with a fireplace and put lots of rugs on the floor. Make a Sim go in there and then take out the door. Light the fire and eventually the rugs will burn, as will your Sim. STARVATION ************ If you don't let your Sim eat or drink, then they will starve to death. An easy way to do this is to trap them in a room with no exit. Be warned; the process takes a while before they actually starve to death. ELECTROCUTION **************** Get a Sim with no mechanical skill points to change a bulb and they'll be fatally electrocuted. This can also happen if they just got out of the shower or washed their hands. CHOKING ********* I have heard that sometimes (rarely) Sims can choke to death while brushing their teeth. When a Sim dies, the Grim Reaper shows up. You can plea for your Sim's life by playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, and if you win, that Sim will be restored. If you lose, the Reaper may take pity and resurrect the deceased Sim as a zombie - who will still have the same needs as a normal Sim. 14 - 2 PLAYER GAMES ********************* Get these in the "Bonus" section of the Get a Life menu. THE MUSEUM ************* The aim here is to con the most money out of the various art connisseurs, including Malcolm, Theresa and Thomas (the man with the appalling dress sense - a pair of shorts with a blazer and a top hat - bleurgh!) Talk to them and get your relationship up really high before asking for money. At the end of the time, the winner will make an escape and the loser will get arrested. Unlocked by borrowing $800 from Mom. THE FRAT HOUSE ***************** Spread defamatory rumours about your opponent while trying to make as many friends as you can. Be the first to make three friends. You need to have your relationship level really high before spreading rumours, though. Unlocked by moving in with Mimi or Dudley. THE PARK ********** Get your relationship level really high with the other people to beg for food successfully. Or, you can steal their food (risky, they could overpower you and steal your food), or you could grill your own food. At the end, the loser will drop dead and - freakishly - the winner will dance on the losers grave, arm in arm with the Grim Reaper. Unlocked by feeding Bobo or getting promoted to Level 10 in Get a Life. TAYLOR'S PLACE/CLUB ABHI **************************** In both of these, you must fall in love with three of the computer-controlled Sims. Get your relationship really high and then move in for the kiss. You can also steal your opponent's lovers. Things get hectic after a while because your various lovers will start getting into catfights over you. The first sim with three lovers will strip naked and dance with his/her lovers while the loser goes off to cry. Unlocked by throwing a party in Level 4 of Get a Life Mode. THE MAID AND HANDYMANS' HOUSES ************************************ They have two kids, and their houses are split into two halves, and both are messy. Your Sims will each have a half designated to them, and they must keep their side clean in order to win more hearts. Stay in your side, and keep the kid happy if you can, and beware because neighbours will walk into the house from time to time and scatter litter around. The player with most hearts will get in the hot tub with the maid/handyman. Unlocked by getting promoted to Level 8 in Get a Life Mode. THE MOTEL *********** One player will co-host a party with Mimi; the other with Dudley. You can control both your Sim and Mimi/Dudley. Keep the three guests entertained by amusing them, and send them to crash the other party. By magic, they will teleport to the other party to raise chaos - but make sure you cheer them up when they reappear because their mood will be really low. Also, fix anything that breaks. Unlocked by Throwing a raging party while living with Mimi or Dudley, or by entering PARTY M in the Cheat Menu. 15 - CHEAT CODES ***************** Bring up the Cheat Menu by pressing L and R simultaneously on the title screen. Here are all the known cheat codes. MIDAS: Unlocks everything, including Sim clothing and features. FREEALL: Makes everything free, but don't save the game when this cheat is on - your game could end up permanently glitched. SIMS: Unlocks the Play the Sims Mode without finishing Level 0 of Get a Life Mode (which isn't actually hard to do). FISH EYE: Not really a cheat, but really cool. You get to see through the eyes of your selected Sim if you press X enough times. For an interesting effect, press up while in this mode. The camera will stay in position and your Sim will walk on - without his/her head. Spooky! PARTY M: Unlocks the Party Motel Game, if you didn't manage to unlock it in Get a Life Mode. 16 - THE BIGGEST MYSTERY OF ALL: NO. 4 SIM AVENUE ********************************** Having found nothing regarding this mystery in other guides to this game, I thought I'd take it upon myself to address this. I'm sure it won't have escaped your attention that there are six plots in Free Play Mode: Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 Sim Avenue. Hold on a minute. We seem to be missing four here. What happened? Well, you may have noticed occasionally when you access Free Play, that the screen briefly (and I mean for a split second) lingers on 4 Sim Avenue, in the middle of the map, and then zooms across to No. 7 without giving you the chance to select it. As far as I'm aware, it is impossible to access No. 4 Sim Avenue. I don't know if it's there as some sort of unlockable item, or whether its just something that cannot be accessed on the Gamecube - or even if it is something that was partially removed and that we weren't even meant to see it. If anyone knows anything about it (Gameshark codes, maybe), then please e-mail me. 17 - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS *********************************** I have endeavoured to answer as many common questions about this game as I can, so please don't write to me to ask the questions I've answered below. ******************************** How exactly do I access No. 4 Sim Avenue? As far as I'm aware - you can't. See the above section for more details. ******************************** I tried to buy an item for my house, but the game wouldn't let me. What gives? See that bar on the right hand side of the screen? If it's full up, you cannot place any more items, however much you try, in your house. It's the Feng Shui Meter. ******************************** Is there ANY way I can get those lazy a***h***s Dudley and Mimi to do any work? You can get them to build body skill by swimming in a pool - if you can afford it, and they'll cook using the barbeque, but that's about it. Try hiring a maid when sharing a house with them. ******************************** I made some garden gnomes, put them around the house. Then, a guest showed up, went over to one of my gnomes and destroyed it. What the HELL is his/her problem? His/her personality stats have a low "nice" rating. Apparently, mean Sims like to do this sort of thing. ******************************** Okay, when the mean Sim destroyed my gnome, every single other one was reduced to rubble too. What happened? I can't figure that one out myself. Sorry. ******************************** How can I kill my Sims? See the section I wrote on Sim deaths... ******************************** Social Services took away my baby. What the Hell gives them the right to do that? You either played with it, or ignored it for too long. Yes, the Social Services are incredibly strict in this game. ******************************** What he **** is up with my kid's face? It came out of the cot, and it's a funny colour. Has my Sim's wife been inpregnated by aliens? The kid has face paint on. If you have a vanity table, you can get rid of it. ******************************** Okay, and my kid has a blue/red face when its icon comes up in my Sim's queue, WHY? This happens if the kid is wearing headgear. I've found that a kid with a baseball cap ends up with a blue face in the relationships menu and actions queues, and a sim with a red woolly hat gets a red face. I don't know why. ********************************* How to I change their appearance? You can change their clothing using an armoire, and their facial appearance (glasses, jewellry, hairstyle, make-up/facial hair) using the Vanity Table. ********************************* Every time I have a party, I send my Sim to the toilet, and no sooner has he/she sat down, when a guest comes barging in. Is the guest a pervert or something? The guest just wants to go to the toilet. If you see a guest about to follow one of your Sims in, you could try calling them over to stop them, but it doesn't always work. Sims seem to have a habit of using the toilet when they don't need to, so guests will often use the toilet a number of times. Try building a second bathroom if you can. ********************************* It's late and I want to go to bed. What do I do with the guests? You can either ask them to leave, or just go to bed. Eventually they'll get bored and leave. Getting them to leave is preferable, because a cop may show up and break up the party (spoilsport). If your guests don't leave, you'll be fined. This once happened when both my Sims were in bed asleep! ********************************* Someone called my Sim and told him/her the end is coming. What does that mean? It's a junk call. Any call that doesn't inform you you won money, missed work, or are about to lose a friend, should be ignored. ********************************* It was 3 in the morning. My Sim's social meter was low, so I got him to call his best friend, and the friend verbally abused him. What happened? Sims don't like being called in the middle of the night. Don't do it. ********************************* But some idiot keeps calling me in the night! Inconsiderate lot, aren't they? ********************************* How do I stop the burglar stealing my stuff? Use a burglar alarm, then the police can catch him. ********************************* Can't I just get my Sims to rugby tackly him to the ground and pummel him? No. Apparently, your Sims are incapable of directly interacting with him. ********************************* Can I make a second storey to my houses? Not in this version, no. ********************************* So, will the Zombie Sims want to eat my Sims' brains? No. ********************************* In Section 10, you mention the money going "straight into the kitty". I don't see any mention of getting a cat in this game; what are you on about? "Kitty" is a slang word for your supply of cash. ********************************* Okay, the maid/gardener/plumber left and something in my house vanished. What happened? You most likely couldn't afford to pay them - so they helped themselves to one of your possessions. ********************************* Okay, what on earth? Some guy walked into my house, pulled out a zapper and used it to beam up one of my possessions, then walked out. Who is he, and why is he nicking my stuff? That's the repo man. You should have paid your bills. He also shows up in Get a Life Mode if you can't afford to send your kids to Grade School. ********************************* Bills? What bills? Did you check your mailbox? That's the thing outside with a flag on. When the flag is up, it means you have bills to pay. As time progresses, they will go from white to yellow, to orange and finally to red, and you will be warned before the Repo Man makes his visit. It's best to pay them ASAP. But be careful to watch where your Sims put them; I once got a warning from the tax office about not paying a bill, which I found was lying, camoflagued, on the garden path. ********************************** I talked to this guy called Bobo in Get A Life mode, but I can't call him round to my house. Why? Bobo's a tramp. A homeless person. He doesn't own a phone. ********************************** Is there ANYTHING I can do about Thomas Thimblewit's rather disturbing dress sense? Unfortunately, no. It's because of this that I never invite him round to my Sims' house. ********************************** What is this "Bustin' Out" you speak of? A sequel of sorts to this game. In all honesty, though, I think the original Sims is the superior version of the two; better graphics, faster loading time and way less space used on your memory card. ********************************** I will add further questions as required. This is the end of the FAQ. Please see top for contact details and e-mail policy. **************************************************
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