 FreePlay Developer TeasersThe latest Sims FreePlay update, Coastal Living, pleased its players for weeks with airy, natural decor worthy of any beachside home. The update also offered players the luxury decor and wine cellars of the roaring twenties. Coastal Living has begun to wind down, and players have begun speculating about the next update. This week, Sims FreePlay developers began to tease the contents of the next update, which will likely feature themed events to run through September. The first guru-offered teaser appeared July 20th on Twitter. The official Sims FreePlay account tweeted a photo of a surprised Sim wearing a deep blue yukata, a ceremonial Japanese outfit. Surrounded by sliding shoji doors, wooden shelves, beautiful Japanese-inspired wallpaper, and clean hanging lantern-like lights.  Fans quickly connected the teaser to Sims Mobile’s recent “Hello Japan” update, which came several months after Sims 4’s enormous Snowy Escape expansion pack. The next teaser featured two Sims in traditional Japanese dress drinking tea. Again, the Sims were surrounded by elegant sliding doors, pink cherry trees, and even miniature Bonzai trees.  The last teaser appeared on Wednesday, July 21st. Again, the Sims FreePlay account unveiled a scenic rock garden surrounded by Japanese temple-inspired architecture.  Put together, these teasers suggest a Snowy Escape update for Sims FreePlay, one which promises the East Asian architecture inspired by the land of the rising sun. A recent Tweet from SimGuruIceFox even teased new roofing options.  What is Snowy Escape?Sims 4 players were able to enjoy the Snowy Escape expansion pack in November 2020. This pack gave players access to a new mountainside world called Komorebi, new cold weather extreme sports like snowboarding, skiing, and mountain climbing. Players sent their Sims packing to stunning mountain-side retreats which housed hot springs, Japanese shower spaces, hot pots, and lovely sliding doors.  Joyful Japan Thursday evening, Game Changers began revealing more details about the incoming update, titled “Joyous Japan.” This update features two new Influence Islands, a Joyous Japan Live Event, two new SimChases, and fan favorite reruns. This particular update is one fairly quick and dirty, beginning July 27th, lasting through August, and ending September 5th. Stay tuned for more detailed information about this update right here on Simmer’s Digest. 
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Bug Fixes and Early DeliveryNew Wall ArtPond ToolThe CalendarThe NotebookCook Together In a huge pre-Cottage Living release patch, Sims 4 developers delivered several player-pleasing in-game updates that have thrilled the larger Sims community. This patch, standing at 9.62 GB, injects a plethora of family fun into base game alongside extensive glitch course correcting. Base game players can now engage in “Group Cooking,” garden alongside their children, order restaurant-recipes and grocery delivery through an Uber Eats-like app called Zoomers. If that were not all, Simmers will now be able to build natural water features like lakes and ponds with a new pond tool! Developers have also improved the notebook tool and transitioned the calendar, an organizational widget once native to only Seasons, to base game. Pairing all these fresh features with bug fixes for smoother gameplay with less simulation lag and correctly functioning mirrors, this patch is one that offers intensive quality-of-life changes for the average Simmer.  In this stunning update, Sims gain the ability to cook alongside their family members. Up to five relatives can prepare a meal at the same time, building social points, increasing any involved child’s mental skill, and resulting in higher quality, larger servings. Of course, sometimes a busy Sim has no time to cook. This update allows Sims to order delicious restaurant dishes or order quick groceries from the Zoomer delivery service,  The handy Sim notebook now has its own button! It is no longer attached to the phone.  To help Simmers keep track of fairs, weather, birthdays, and social events, developers included the calendar in this base game update.  Gleeful builders will be pleased to know that ponds and other natural bodies of water can now be created in-game without visual tricks. The player need only create a hole and then fill it with water! Developers also fine-tuned landscape tools, offering a better build experience. Simmers can also fill their ponds with alligators, swans, dragonflies, and more!  Family Gardening Children can now garden alongside their older family members. This action helps children develop their “mental” skill!  This incredible update also offers two new textures hairs and two stunning works of art that represent the tenderness of chosen family and the vulnerability inherent in every fight for freedom. Simmers can find these powerful masterpieces, created by Ashley Lukashepsky and Muhammad Iman Fayaz, under wall art.  Players who pre-ordered Cottage Living also received their free functional bicycle, gnome, and lantern-lit tree today. Developers address and continue to course correct simulation lag, an issue that has plagued some Simmers for several months. In addition, developers have corrected malfunctioning mirrors, which were reflecting outdoor scenery even when walls were completely up. There are a plethora of other squashed bugs that Simmers can read about on the Sims 4 website here: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/update-7-20-2021 Keep it locked right here, on Simmer’s Digest, for more comprehensive Sims news!  
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 Cottage Living, the latest expansion pack from the Sims 4 team, is but weeks away from release. On July 8th, developers held a YouTube livestream to show off some of the pack's sprawling gameplay in lightning quick fashion. This livestream, in tandem with incredibly detailed coverage from many EA Gamechangers, gave the wider Sims community greater insight into what to expect from Cottage Living. Henford-on-Bagley What we already knewThanks to SimGuruRomeo and detailed EA blog notes, Simmers already knew that Henford on Bagley boasted three neighborhoods -- Bramblewood, Old New Henford, and Finchwick Village-- and twelve lots. Bramblewood is the untamed wilderness in which Sims can discover and befriend foxes, rabbits, and birds. Filled with scenic waterfalls and lush, rolling hills, the Bramblewood offers romance and plenty of lush fields for mushroom and berry foraging, Simmers knew to expect village shops and a weekly fair in Finchwick, and the community has been salivating to settle down in the verdant hills of Old New Henford in a quaint farm to cook alongside their families, picnic in the scenic fields, can in their new country-style kitchens, and garden oversized crops alongside their children. What We Didn't Know: Befriending Wildlife While Simmers knew they would have to befriend the wildlife of the Bramblewood, the livestream made the complexities of the new gifting and befriending system more clear. Sims will need to take great pains to cautiously get to know a certain animal. Through trial and error, Sims will need to discover what a particular bunny likes and what it doesn't like. No two bunnies are the same, and neither are the birds or foxes. That is, while one rabbit may enjoy gifts of carrots or apples, the next rabbit may prefer a pie or some other goody in the hero Sim's inventory. Sims who foster positive relationships with bunnies, birds, and foxes will enjoy a whole host of wondrous benefits such as:
 LilSimsie demonstrates and confirms "death by bunny."What We Already Knew: Oversized CropsSimmers already knew to expect droves of oversized crops: eggplants, pumpkins, watermeon, and mushrooms. In an upcoming update, even base game will allow children to water, harvest, weed, and plant seeds alongside their parents. What We Didn't Know: Oversized Crop VarianceBut developers included a new wrinkle to the grand gardening gameplay loop. When planting such oversized crops, Sims will need to watch over and tend to these crops carefully. The manner in which the Sim cares for their crops will yield varying results in not only crop quality but also in crop size and number. After scattering seeds on the brand new oversized crop plots, Sims can produce nine small plants, two medium plants, or one large plant. There are benefits to each size, however. Smaller crops work best for canning. Large crops are better for festival entries.  What We Already Knew: Finchwick FairDevelopers explained earlier than Finchwick would host weekly competitive fairs. During these fairs, locals earn prizes and bragging rights for raising the prettiest chicken, growing the biggest eggplant, and baking the best-tasting pie. What We Didn't Know: Base Game Calendar Update What Simmers did not know was that these fairs would appear on a refreshed calendar which is coming to base game. This game-changing, organizational widget was once tied exclusively to the Seasons pack, but its extensive powers will now become available for base game players. What We Already Knew: Pond Tool Simmers were already aware that ponds were coming to the Sims 4 base game as a complement to the Cottage Living pack. Gamechangers and avid builders alike squealed at the impending change, gabbing about watching their Sims fish and wade at a fully customized pond's edge. Currently, Simmers can only include ponds in a given build by resorting to the "fishing hole" in the debug menu. What We Didn't Know: Ponds Come with Spawnables  Developers included a stunning new aspect to pond building-- the inclusion of spawnables. After creating a pond with the highly-anticipated pond tool, Simmers will also be able to populate the pond with a number of critters and cute pond life: swans, ducks, dragonflies, fireflies, turtles, frogs, and even alligators.  If this were not enough, Simmers will also be able to fill their ponds with whatever fish they desire through a new menu.  What we Knew: Villagers Offer Quests In a gameplay loop firmly familiar to gamers who frequent such games as Stardew Valley or literally any epic fantasy, developers have included a villagers quest system to the Sims 4. Henford-on-Bagley is stuffed full of interesting lore and character backstories; as the hero Sim becomes acquainted with this treasure trove of charming characters, they can provide helpful services to these characters by performing tasks for them. The grocer may need a pick-up of certain ingredients or the Creature Keeper may need help foraging for mushrooms or watching skulking foxes. What We Didn't Know: Quest Complexity YouTuber James Turner was jumped quickly into errands gameplay for his infamous rags-to-riches legacy Let's Play. It became obvious that these quests were not simple "one-offs" by any means. Often, players will need to bake items, travel, forage, and more in order to complete the tasks. However, players have infinite time to complete the tasks, and they can choose more than one to complete at a time. In fact, Simmers may have up to three tasks active at any given time. Each task will reward the Simmer with simoleons and an improved relationship with the townie Sim. What we Already Knew: Hero Sims can purchase missing ingredients at shoppes
Simmers already knew that the Finchwick Garden shoppe, run by Agnes and Agatha Crumplebottom, would offer helpful ingredients for farming, gardening, cross-stitching, and more. What We Didn't Know: Hero Sims can Sell Goods at Town Stalls Simmers did not know that these very shoppes, including the grocer, would offer retail space to the hero Sim. Crops that the Sim brings to market can be sold for a solid chunk of change. What We Already Knew: Animal Treats have varied Effects on Farm Animals Cottage Living's recent gameplay trailer revealed the incredible effect that particular treats have upon particular animals. Simmers can transform their cows into rainbow colored marvels that produce rainbow-colored milk for the county fair, for example. What We Didn't Know: The Wide-Range of Treat Possibilities Treats can affect farm animals in a multitude of incredible ways. Sims can change their hens into golden hens that lay golden eggs; they can, through the power of midnight feed, change their chickens into bold, black demon chickens. They can feed their chickens vegetables so that the chickens produce green eggs. Sims can cajole their llamas into eating the colorful feed necessary to change their fur from white, to blue, to brown, to orange!
Create-a-Sim and Build/Buy itemsExpansion packs always arrive brimming with new CAS items and build/buy assets, but Game Changer content has given us our first up close and personal look at the country living fashion and down-home quaint cottage build items. Through rustic kitchenware, thatched rooves, new wood floors, modestly comfortable clothes, and romantic tousled and braided hairs, Cottage Living has come alive anew. In addition, GameChangers like HeyHarrie, Devon Bumpkin, and Clare Siobhan created the beautiful builds available in the pack.       There is far, far more to be said about Cottage Living. Keep it locked here for more detailed information as Game Changers drop their Gameplay details.   Just like magic, the Sims 4 Cottage Living gameplay trailer has ignited the Sims community at large once again. Players are buzzing about the wide array of new gameplay features that the fresh expansion pack promises; stuffed to the brim with cottage-core build buy, intricate Sims lore, sprawling views, and quaint country life activities, Cottage Living is poised to offer Simmers worldwide a sweet peek at the simple life in Henford-on-Bagley. The World of Henford-on-BagleyThe new world that comes folded into Sims 4: Cottage Living is called "Henford-on-Bagley." Reminiscent of a squat English-countryside town, Henford-on-Bagley offers Simmers the lush, rolling hills of picturesque England and the robust Sims lore that many Simmers have craved. Henford-on-Bagley boasts three distinct neighborhoods: Finchwick, Old New Henford, and The Bramblewood. Finchwick Finchwick is the heart of village life in Henford-on-Bagley. Home to the weekly Finchwick fair, a bustling marketplace, Crumplebottom's Garden shop (where players can purchase items for their gardening and jam-making needs), the Gnomes Arms Pub (owned by Sarah and Simon Scott), and village errands, Finchwick is where the Sim fresh to farm life can get to know the seasoned locals. Old New Henford Old New Henford is the idyllic neighborhood with wide open spaces just outside of town. Its lush countryside is perfect for farming, raising livestock, and befriending Wild Animals, who will forage for special trinkets on a Sim's behalf. Simmers can find the new, broken-hearted NPC Cecilia here as she remakes her life in a refurbished barn and as the unlucky-in-love Creature Keeper Michael Bell aches for her from afar. This is also where Simmers can find the Olde Mill Estate, one of the larger lots in the new expansion. The Bramblewood Finally, the Bramblewood is the untamed wild of Henford-on-Bagely. Here, Sims can collect chocoberries, mushrooms, and nightcaps. They can visit the Island of Volpe, which brims with the rich history of Henford-and-Bagley and hosts the most romantic spot in town. This is also where Sims can find the Creature Keeper's home. The Island of Volpe Park, conversely, is home to Sophie the Snail and Cordelia Falls. Fresh Farm-to-Table Gameplay Cottage Living brings a fresh focus to the simple pleasures of small-town family life. Full of rustic windows, country cabinets, and quaint cookware, Cottage Living is sure to please the family-player. In the pack, families can cook together, garden together, watch over their beloved animals together, picnic together, can fresh goods together, and even make jam together. Canning and Cooking One of the most highly-anticipated features of the upcoming pack is the new canning activity. Players will be able to harvest choco-berries, fruits, and mushrooms from The Bramblewood, a scenic woodland area just outside of town. Once a Sim has harvested these collectibles, they can use them to create a wild assortment of jams right in their kitchen.    The pack promises a collection of 16 kinds of jams that Sims can cook up in their country kitchens. But even this is not all. Families will not only enjoy a new selection of recipes to choose from, but thanks to a base game update, children and other family members will be able to take part in a new interaction called "Group Cooking."  During Group Cooking interactions:
 There are many more recipes to master in this pack, amongst them Beef Wellington, Yorkshire Pudding, Bangers and Mash, and more.  If this were not enough, Simmers can now choose from several "lot challenges," the number of which will vary according to how many packs a certain Simmer owns. The Cottage Living Challenge "Simple Life" urges Sims to fish, harvest, and collect the items they need for daily living. After all, with the "Simple Life" challenge active, the forever-full refrigerator will no longer be forever full.  Gardening Gardening gets one heck of an overhaul in Cottage Living. Players will be able to grow such large crops as massive mushrooms, leafy lettuce heads, huge pumpkins, swelling watermelons, and oddly phallic looking eggplants.  Despite the nearly ribald placing of confidently grinning women alongside their enormous eggplants, gardening in Cottage Living is truly a family affair. The pack, in tandem with a the next Sims 4 base game patch, allows children and toddlers to water, weed, and harvest crops. Toddlers will adorably talk to plants and even ask strangely off-kilter questions about gardening in the way that only toddlers can. Teens, Young Adults, Adults, and Elders can even teach their little ones how to garden, which increases Mental skill in-game. Cross-stitching The cross-stitching activity will allow Children, Teens, Young Adults, and Elders to master the art of cross-stitching. There are 34 different cross-stitching patterns that Sims can attempt, working through ill-advised stitching maneuvers and pricked fingers. As with the art of gardening, child Sims can learn the nuances of cross-stitching from their older counterparts,  Animal Husbandry Caring for cozy farm critters takes on a kooky twist within the Sims 4 Cottage Living. Families work together to:
 The overall happiness and diet of the kept animals affects the quality of the goods they produce. Feeding rainbow feed to a beloved cow will not only poof her into rainbow-furred glory, but it will also get her to produce some delicious rainbow milk that can be bottled, enjoyed, or entered into Finchwick fair's weekly competition.   Each chicken coop will house up to eight of the fluttering fowl, and Sims care for the chickens and collect their eggs. However, Sims will need to keep a close eye on their beloved hens; skulking foxes can slip into unattended chicken coops and make off with precious egg treats of their own. To prevent this, farmers can purchase a new alarm called the fox-be-gone, which will sound off when a swiping no-gooder creeps into the chicken coop under cover.    The Finchwick Fair Finchwick, Henford-on-Bagley's town center, will host weekly competitions for both country recipes, best farm animals, and finest large crops. Both winners and participants will earn prizes at the close of each competition, but only winners will get to enjoy their immense bragging rights.  What part of Sims 4 farm life has you fired up?  |
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