Mystery Island Event

Archaeologists have discovered a new Island off the coast of Sim Town and your Sims are being challenged to explore it in the spirit of the amateur archeologist or perhaps anthropologist if learning about the culture rather than digging up treasures is your goal...

Your Sims' can live in paradise and inhabit a land full of treasures. Awaken the mystery of the monuments to unlock the power of the ancient world! The Mystery Island Update is coming soon.

Update: The Goal and Quest Series De-Mystified

There has been a lot of email and messages asking where the Goals and missions are with players who are Level 15 and above saying that they cannot access the bridge. This makes it increasingly clear that the Mystery Island Expansion is still something of, well, a mystery to a lot of the players, so we thought we would address that issue here to help you out.

To clarify this expansion, what the in-game and advertising messages mean when they say that you must reach Level 15 to do the Mission and Goals is not that they will automatically begin AT Level 15, but rather that the third Goals Prompt will then appear in the Goal Prompt Bar at the bottom of the screen, thus allowing you to begin completing the goals that are part of the first two timed missions.

To access the expansion content, when you are Level 15 or above, simply swipe the goal prompt Bar to the far right OR tap on it and then swipe to the bottom (third) goal in the pop-up goal screen -- and you will then have access to the Goals.

Levels 23, 32, and 40

Another issue that appears to have generated some confusion is the expansion content that exists beyond the first two missions and their Goals.

The structure of the Mystery Island Expansion is very simple: At Level 15 you unlock the tutorial phase, which includes the first Monument (the Earth one), and as part of the tutorial (which is the timed pair of missions) you will unlock the new lottery plant types first, and then the Earth Monument.

Once you level it up once, you will then have completed the timed portion of the event, and begin the very much longer and more complex un-timed portion which includes upgrading the first Monument as well as the other three element-based Monuments - which unlock at Levels 23, 32, and 40, respectively.

It needs to be emphasized that once you have completed the tutorial phase of this expansion you are then in for the long-haul as the Mystery Island content is NOT intended to be completed in a short duration in time! It is a very long, very involved process whose ultimate goal is to fully awaken the Volcano at the center of the new area, the doing of which will take a long time and a lot of effort.

After playing with and experimenting with the different tactics that can be used to obtain the resources that are required for each of those efforts we have come to the conclusion that the best approach seems to be to get the first two missions completed, and then resume playing the game normally, doing the normal day-to-day actions you would anyway, and allow the rest of the resources to come when they do.

That should clarify the issue for you - and we wish you good luck in your Game Play and in finding all of the resources you need!

Early Goals Revealed

One of the development team released some early information about the event a few weeks ago, including the following:

• Unlock the secrets of Mystery Island! Complete Goals to repair the bridge leading to the mystical new island – the adventure begins at Level 15.

• Become an adventurous islander and build on premium island house lots.

• Experience island living in nautical style with all-new Houseboats!

• Restore four majestic ancient monuments, and utilize their powers for added bonuses.

• Awaken the dormant Volcano and unlock its hidden treasures!

From that information we know that getting your Town to Level 15 is really very important!

Perhaps the most important element of the update are new game Objects, including special plants that you can harvest from the Simoleons Sprout and Life Point Lotus!

A lot of your effort will be spent in gathering resources - and in completing Goals.

Life Point Lottery Tree

Unlike the Simoleon Sprout the Life Point Lotus is a real-world money purchase - the Lotus costs .99 cents and it is a one-time-use item that functions as a lottery device. You will obtain X number of Life Points - but beware, the range that are possible spans from 5 LP to 250 LP - and considering that you can purchase 12 LP from the store for $2.99 anything less than 10 seems like a waste.

Money Grows on Trees Quest

The first Quest series is to unlock the Simoleon Sprout, requiring you to complete the following:

01. Ponder in a Lounge Chair

02. Grow some Potatoes

03. Make a double shot of Coffee

04. Grow some Watermelon

05. Make a hot snack in a microwave

06. Catch some Zs on the couch

07. Buy some Seeds from the supermarket

08. Take a quick dip in a bath tub

09. Negotiate with a Sim-Eating Plant

10. Bake some Donuts

11. Plant a Simoleon Sprout

Mystery Island Bridge Quest

The Quest to build the bridge to Mystery Island requires the following Goals:

01. Watch the News on TV

02. Go for a Drive

03. Be on hold with Tech Support

04. Wash Hands

05. Build the Bridge on The Town Map. (This will cost you $20K and requires 30 Hours)

06. Visit the Mysterious Island

The Riches of Terra

This Quest series begins with the fourth Monument which is your earth-based starting point for the entire long line.

The Quest line continues with the following Activities and Goals:

07. Tap the Riches of Terra Monument Icon

08. Read Encyclopaedia

09. Call a Friend

10. Catch a Ghost

11. Grill 'em all on a BBQ

12. Bake Pancakes

13. Bake Cookies

At this point Thanks to the Pancakes you will have found the first of the three resource Items you are seeking, but failure on the second baked item sends you back to researching - which means spending 16 hours reading The Big Book! You can skip that activity by spending 15 Life Points.

14. Read the Big Book of Stuff

15. Browse the Internet

16. Fall asleep in the Bath

17. Deep Sleep in a Bed

18. Rest Eyes on Couch

19. Grow some Onions

20. Rich Lather in a Shower

21. Find another Resource (do random actions until you get one)

22. Upgrade the Riches of Terra to Level 1

23. Garden, Bake or go to Work to get a Simoleon Bonus

The Simoleon Bonus that it is referring to will appear as a green number of Simoleons attached to the symbol for the Earth Monument - when you acquire a resource that will be very obvious as it will appear as the icon for that resource. While this is not verified officially it appears that you can also obtain an XP bonus randomly as well...

24. Upgrade the Riches of Terra to Level 2

Once you reach this stage of the Quest which may end up being the longest phase depending upon how you play, you have the option of doing the suggested Activities until you acquire the resources needed, or you can pay with LP. Assuming that you have adequate time left on the timer, we recommend getting the resources the regular way, since going the LP path will quickly get expensive.

Assuming you have been following the guide, working the different hobbies to bank LP, you should have a nice bank but, really, since we never know what the future holds or how many LP that future will require, not using them is preferable to using them and then discovering later that you needed them and don't have them. Just saying...

Resource Sources: Be aware that the stated actions - Work, Gardening, and Baking - are NOT the only actions that you can complete to obtain resources.

While Gardening supplied the tool and Baking gave Gold and Granite, we also obtained Granite from Diving. That suggests that other actions including hobbies will result in resources.

The following have been reported in the official forums for the game, in the Resources Thread:

Easy Resource Cheat

If you are running out of time and do not mind the repetitive nature of the following cheat, you can hasten the process of acquiring resources by doing the following:

Create a small bathroom in one of your Houses, and place a Shower, Sink, and Febreeze Toilet, then have a Sim go into the Shower for the 30 Second Action and remove the door to the bathroom (placing it in storage) so that they have no exit from the room.

Now simply tap the Febreeze Toilet and the first option - which is an instant option with no timer - and then rinse and repeat over and over. What you will find is on average of once every hundred or so actions you will get a resource. It may not be the resource you need, but bear in mind that the game banks the resources you obtain so, once you do get the one you need, you have all those other ones already banked for the next level!

Your Motivation for Completing the Quest In Time

Assuming that you are working on this Quest and you have noticed the time limit (10 days from release) that has been actively placed on it - you should also Notice in the Status pop-ups as you complete the various Goals that there are two rewards at the end of it:

(1) Complete this Quest within the time limit to gain access to The Mysterious Island's Treasure Chest!

(2) Complete this Quest to win a free Stone Golem and unlock all the secrets of the Mystery Island.

Bearing in mind that the theme to the main Quest above is finding the resources that you need to complete the main point of it - and you will note that it basically has you doing all of the things that you CAN do in order to earn or uncover resources.

What you should take away from this is not that each of the actions it told you failed is not a way to obtain the resources, but rather that each of the actions it has you do ARE ways to obtain resources, just not the ones you are looking for for the earth type Quest. With that in mind, and depending upon the resource type that you are seeking, you will want to tailor your resource-seeking Activities to those that match the type you are seeking.

Obtaining Resources

A pattern has started to emerge from the theoretically unrelated actions that you complete like work, hobbies, gardening and etc., that there is a relationship between the nature of those actions and the type of resource that you receive as a result. For example gardening and other earth-related actions is how you get the resources for the Earth Statue, while Diving and other water-based actions is how you get the resources for the Water Statue, and so on.

Knowing this you can very easily influence what you get by focusing upon actions that target Earth, Fire, Water, and etc.

Completing the Mysterious Island Quest

Once you have upgraded the Monument you will unlock the Treasure Chest, with the following Notice:

"Since you completed The Mysterious Island Quest in record time, you've unlocked the Treasure Chest! Find it on the coast near the Mysterious Island!"

In addition to that you also get the following Notice:

"You completed The Mysterious Island Quest! Get out there and explore the Island to unlock all of its secrets! You've also earned a free Stone Golem! You can find it in the Home Store."

You will find the Chest on a raft in the water above the Monument - tapping it reveals the Treasure that it contains. Rumor has it that the Treasure is random, but our Chest contained the following Items:

• 1 Pickaxe

• 2 Gold bars

• 1 Granite

• 5 Life Points

• $17,500 Simoleons

• 3000 XP

The Stone Golem Statue is found in the Outdoors > Outdoors Decorations Menu, and you get x1 of them for Free. You can place it as a decoration in one of your Sim yards.

This ends the timer-related actions - the rest of the related upgrading and leveling is clearly intended to be a long-term set of Goals and Quests.

Island Volcano

What secret treasures lay hidden beneath the Mysterious Island? Upgrade all four Monuments to Level 25 and watch the volcano burst into life, exposing untold riches!

The Flames of Wisdom

Build this Monument to give your Sims a chance to gain 50 bonus XP after doing XP generating actions, such as using Objects, gardening, Baking, and working!

Construction Requirements: Unlock this Monument by completing the Mysterious Island Quest and reaching Town Level 23.

The Tempest of Bliss

Build this monument to decrease the rate at which your Sims' motives drain by 10%.

Construction Requirements: Unlock this Monument by completing the Mysterious Island Quest and reaching Town Level 32.

The Springs of Fortune

Build this Monument to increase the chance of getting XP and Simoleon bonuses from 'The Riches of Terra' and 'FLames of Wisdom' by 2%.

Construction Requirements: Unlock this Monument by completing the Mysterious Island Quest and reaching Town Level 40.

A Word on Resources and Levels

Be aware that you will NOT be obtaining the various resources for a Monument until you have reached the stated Town Level to unlock resource collecting FOR that Monument. For example, The Flames of Wisdom requires you to have a Level 23 Town before you will see it unlock the counter for its resources, and before those resources will begin to appear in the game.

The fact that you are not receiving a lot of resources as you play very likely relates specifically to your Town Level right now. It helps to remember that the original timer that was part of this new expansion applied ONLY to the first two Quest series in it - you are not expected to be able to complete the second monument and beyond within that timer, as that was never part of the design for the expansion.

New Housing Options

In addition to a plethora of new Quest adventures and Goals the new expansion includes some new house options for your Sims, allowing them the option of living in what is clearly about as close to an island paradise as you are likely to ever find.

The new Housing includes the following:

Houseboat: Ever wanted to live on a houseboat with the waves gently rocking you to sleep? Now you can!

There are several different Houseboats you can unlock, with the following requirements:

Construction Requirements 1: Upgrade 'The Springs of Fortune' to Level 5.

Construction Requirements 2: Upgrade 'The Riches of Terra' to Level 5.

Construction Requirements 3: Upgrade 'The Tempest of Bliss' to Level 5.

Construction Requirements 4: Upgrade 'The Flames of Wisdom' to Level 5.

In addition to the above new type there are also new Premium Residence Lots, which do not require you to upgrade the Monuments, so you can use them immediately.

Long Term Strategy

Most players have realized that the Mystery Island Expansion is actually an expansion to the game rather than being a simple series of Quests. What does that mean in practical terms?

It means that the content -- basically the Quest series -- was never intended to be quickly completed. It means that you will be working on this quest series and the four Monuments for months and possibly as long as a year!

The Timer and the Tutorial

When the Mystery Island Expansion was first released there was a relatively short 14-day Timer present that applied only to the two Tutorial Quest Lines that dealt with first the Money Tree, and then the Bridge building tutorial quest.

Now that the timer is gone, what has changed?

The simple answer is that nothing has changed!

If you are only just now reaching Level 15 and thus gaining access to the Mystery Island Expansion, you will be completing exactly the same tutorial Quests as are outlined above in this section of the guide - the only difference is that you will not by working towards getting the two quests finished before the timer runs out, because the timer is no longer part of the expansion content.

When the timer WAS part of the content, it was basically there to encourage gamers to complete the first two major expansion Quests in order to obtain the two special rewards that were associated with them for a limited time: a set of rewards that included a special stone statue and a treasure box that was found floating on a raft in the lagoon along the northern side of the island.

Those treasure rewards are no longer available to you - but you can still complete the tutorial phase and begin the process of building the four Monuments, and of course the special treasures that you will find as a result of completing those four Monuments -- of rebuilding them that is -- is certainly yours for the taking!

The Four Monument Quests

Mystery Island is literally an island that is surrounding a Volcano -- and that Volcano is more or less controlled by the four elementally-focused Monuments that exist on the island.

The four Monuments are:

• The Springs of Fortune (Water)

• The Riches of Terra (Earth)

• The Tempest of Bliss (Air)

• The Flames of Wisdom (Fire)

Each of these Monuments have different graphical perspectives, and each of the graphical perspectives (or Changes in their Appearance) are controlled by the level to which you have upgraded the Monument.

The first visual change happened at Level 5, followed by a visual change at Level 15, and again at Level 25.

In order to activate the Volcano for the first time and obtain the special treasures and rewards for doing so, you will need to level each of the four Monuments to Level 25 EACH.

That leveling will happen whether you mean it to happen or not because basically what makes it happen is your collecting the resources that are required to level it.

The actual leveling will not happen until you APPLY those resources, so in theory you can wait until you have all of the resources that are required and then apply them all in one go. That way you get a more uniform sense of accomplishment.

Or you can apply the upgrades as they are available -- which is the approach that most players take.

Either way once you have leveled all four Monuments to Level 25 each, the Volcano will briefly come to life and rock your world, revealing a series of special rewards and treasures.

Nobody knows for certain how many levels there potentially are, or how often and when you will be able to "awaken" the Volcano or for that matter what treasures await each time that you do it -- but what we do know based upon things that the wizards have said via the web, the public forms, and in the game, is that we WILL be able to waken the Volcano, and it WILL reward us with special treasures.

Basic Leveling Strategies

If you are a hands-on gamer and you prefer to be "in control" the Mystery Island Expansion is going to be a major source of frustration for you, there is no question about that!

After taking the long view and giving the matter serious consideration, we have come to the conclusion that the best -- the most effective -- method for leveling up the Monuments is to ignore them. To not even try!

The reason for this is simple really and it has a lot to do with the old saying that a Watched Pot Never Boils.

If you spend a lot of time seeking the upgrade resources it will quickly come to feel like you are never getting them! Whereas if you accept that they will come when they come and that there is no sense in fixating upon them, you will probably be very surprised at how quickly they accumulate.

One thing is for certain -- left to their own pace they really do accumulate quickly -- but equally you must take care in not mistaking the multipliers and the XP and Cash bonus Events for resource events, because they are NOT resource events!

Common Rewards

Each of the Monuments has a specific icon or symbol attached to it, and whenever you complete an action that results in an XP or a Cash reward, that symbol is prominently displayed.

The important thing to take away from this knowledge is that when you see a resource event those Symbols are NOT displayed. That will help a lot in your recognizing the difference between the two Events.

Getting an XP or a Cash multiplier bonus is always a good thing, but not if you confuse it as a resource award, specifically because when you look at the meters on the related Monument and do not see a new resource incremented there this is very likely to cause you no end of frustration!

If there was ever any really great advice that we could give you, it is to know the difference between an XP or Cash multiplier reward and a resource reward!

Exponential Resources

The next very important element to the expansion that you should understand and embrace is that each new level of advancement for each of the four Monuments will require significantly MORE resources to complete than the previous level.

This is mostly why your best approach to the leveling process for the Monuments is to go with the flow, let the resources come when they come, and not worry too much about that. After all, we are having fun, right?