The State of Sims: April 15th-April 22nd

The Sims Mobile

Overview

As the northern hemisphere inches steadily into warmer months, the Sims as a franchise is currently in flux. Both Sims FreePlayers and Sims 4 players look to the horizon for the next update, while Sims Mobile players grapple with a grand, new gameplay overhaul.

The Sims FreePlay

​The current New York Loft update, which rewarded dedicated players with contemporary industrial pieces fit for a Big Apple studio, is drawing to a quick close. At the moment, Sims FreePlayers are enjoying the enormously popular Mean Curls long hair hobby event, which offers players cool coifs in return for completed fashion hobby rounds. In addition, a the rerun of Gallery Francais began. Simmers jump back into the crafting game to turn in heaps of candles, glassware, jewelry, and pottery for such museum-worthy flooring, doorways, elaborate wall art, stone statues, and massive fountains. Players who successfully reach the end of this event earn an enormous museum lot befitted with the aforementioned prizes. Finally, and beginning April 22nd, SimChase 27 triggered in-game. This event leads players through a series of timed tasks as their Sim races against an NPC rival. SimChase 27: Diner Duel, offers Simmers brightly colored counters, tables, and uniforms for a proper New York diner.

But these are the last announced events for Sims FreePlay. Players are now sniffing around for the content that will come for the May and June months.

Sims Mobile was by far the update star this week; just as many Simmers expected, Firemonkeys released a game-changing update this time around, introducing a new element— Festivals, and reviving and old one— daily tasks.

For many months, Sims Mobile has grappled with a large problem: its player level cap, limited careers and relationship stories, and monthly events were disjointed at best and obsolete for Mobile vets at worst. Simmers puttered around completing LlamaZoom tasks to earn currency for home upgrades and Eco Workshop Tokens. Older players yawned at the Eco Workshop items that many obtained months or even years ago during Maxis-developed live events. Some players, upon reaching the current level cap (60) and maxing all careers, hobbies, and relationships, began putting the game down out of boredom. Sims Mobile began to lack a feeling of /progress/, and it was killing long-term player retention.

To bring players back to the game and to provide a better sense of progression, Firemonkeys developed the Sim Festival system. This two-track system rewards Simmers for doing various in-game tasks like completing a certain number of work shifts, expending a certain amount of Sim energy, or participating in Eco Workshop. Completing a daily task earns a player pink festival tickets, which they can redeem for coveted prizes during the 50-day festival. The festival effectively ties in the most common mechanics of the game to create a continuous feeling of progression. The farther along the prize track a player gets, the more difficult it becomes to unlock certain prize tiers. Players can even earn more festival tickets for completing “seasonal” tasks— tasks that require a much longer time or greater effort to complete (max out a certain career or relationship, add a new floor level, buy a new lot) but offer massive ticket lump sums.

Of course, players who pay 9.99 USD receive the prize-heavy festival track with over 54 wondrous rewards. Players who play for free will earn 14 rewards for the same effort.

This track system has drawn criticism as yet another way to “pay-to-win,” but many Simmers plug along anyway in hopes of winning the top prizes, which includes a house template toward the end.

The current Celebrity Life festival, which began April 19th, offers players an Island Living tub, a new blue-haired celebrity NPC (Venessa Jeong), a house template, new clothes, snazzy build items, Simoleons, SimCash, and more.

A Treasure Hunt— Wedding Blossom— is also active for Sims Mobile, which has players digging and inspecting ancient relics. They turn in these relics and golden bunnies for wedding themed prizes: tiny appetizer plates, a functional podium, formal wear, male and female hair styles, flower-filled tables and chairs, a new floral wedding arch, scattered rose petals, and more.

Players can look forward to Modern Lux and Charming Gardens Sweet Treats rerun in May, a Modular fashion Treasure hunt in June, many purchasable packs, and a steadily growing developer operated “gallery” function. Simmers can now purchase developer-designed lots with SimCash or Simoleons. Many players believe a player-generated gallery, similar to that of Sims 4, may be on the horizon.

Check our Discord [https://discord.gg/H2g3eTP] or more detailed information concerning both the Sims Mobile and Sims FreePlay events.

The Sims 4

All is quiet in the world of Sims 4. Hungry Simmers who anticipated an April 20th pack teaser were swiftly disappointed, met only with Guru silence. Instead, Sims 4 quietly celebrated Earth day on April 22nd, and its players continued to begrudgingly wait for update news.

While Sim Guru George and Sim Guru Frost had an exchange that seemed to suggest a Monday pack announcement:

George quickly denied the possibility in a separate Tweet, a response to Twitter user @SimFin2.

Meanwhile, the Simming community began speculating about an upcoming pack reveal involving fairies, an occult type that often receives their own world.

What do you think? Is this series of tweets an elaborate teaser? Or is the exchange more of a miscommunication nothing-burger? Tell us on Twitter or in the comments!
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That’s all for now! Stay safe and happy Simming!