Sim (Maxis Sim games)

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A Sim is one of the race of humanoid characters populating Maxis Sim games. Although premade Sims do exist in these games, a complex system of autonomous behaviour is also defined for custom-built Sims that can have a wide variety of personalities.

Contents 1 Attributes 1.1 The Sims series 1.1.1 Needs 1.1.2 Skills 1.1.3 Relationships 1.1.4 Aspirations 1.1.5 Careers 1.1.6 Physical features and characteristics 1.1.6.1 The Sims 1.1.6.2 The Sims 2 1.2 SimCity 4

[edit] Attributes

[edit] The Sims series

[edit] Needs

The rough Sim analog of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is this list, ordered from most fundamental to highest:

1. Physiological needs:
   1. Hunger (only Need whose failure is fatal)
   2. Bladder (relieved when going to a toilet)
   3. Energy
2. Enjoyment of life:
   1. Hygiene
   2. Social
   3. Comfort
   4. Fun
   5. Environment (known as Room in The Sims 1)
3. Emotional security:
   1. (Sims 2) Avoiding Aspirational Fears
4. Self-actualization:
   1. (Sims 2) Satisfying Aspirational Wants
5. Self-transcendence:
   1. (Sims 2: University) Satisfying a Lifetime Want

The five broad categories above are not defined by the game; however, the latter three are modelled separately from the former two.

[edit] Skills

Sims can build their skills which are helpful around the house and more importantly to advance their career. The skills they can build are:

1. Cooking
2. Mechanical
3. Charisma
4. Body
5. Logic
6. Creativity
7. Cleaning (The Sims 2)

[edit] Relationships

Sims, like humans are social beings and generate relationships among each other. Making friends is also a criteria for a job promotion. Sims can form relationships as below:

• Family (The Sims 2)
• Friends
• Best Friends (The Sims 2)
• Crush
• In Love
• Going Steady (teenagers only in The Sims 2)
• Engaged (The Sims 2)
• Married (The Sims 2)
• Enemy
• Arch Enemy

[edit] Aspirations

In The Sims 2, Sims have aspirations or goals of life that they want to fulfill in the game. Wants and fears can range from short term ones to the long-term goal. The list of possible aspirations:

• Family
• Fortune
• Knowledge
• Popularity (Fame)
• Romance
• Grow-Up (Children and toddlers only)
• Pleasure (Included in The Sims 2: Nightlife)
• Grilled Cheese (The Sims 2: Nightlife)

[edit] Careers

Adult Sims need to earn money for their expenses. In The Sims, Sims can only do that by getting a job. Jobs can be found by searching the job listing in the newspaper or search online using a computer. Each career track requires different skills and number of friends to earn a promotion.

In The Sims 2, Sims can also earn money by selling goods (self-made products, gifts, or breeded pets) or by performing. Like in job careers, gaining skills and badges and making new friends can help to increase the amount of money earned.

[edit] Physical features and characteristics

[edit] The Sims

In The Sims, a Sim has the following properties:

• Name and biography
• Gender
• Age (child/adult)
• Personality, consisting of five traits measured on scales of 0 to 10 (roughly similar to the Big Five personality traits):
  • Sloppy/Neat (semi-equivalent to conscientiousness)
  • Shy/Outgoing (equivalent to extroversion)
  • Lazy/Active (no Big Five equivalent; replaces neuroticism which measures susceptibility to negative feelings)
  • Serious/Playful (equivalent to openness to experience)
  • Grouchy/Nice (equivalent to agreeableness)
• An astrological sign depending on the personality.
• Appearance, consisting of:
  • Skin colour
  • Skin/clothing texture
  • Body weight: fat, average, thin
  • Head mesh
  • Head texture

[edit] The Sims 2

The Sims 2 makes a Sim more complex. He or she now has:

• Name and biography
• Gender
• Age (baby/toddler/child/teen/young adult/adult/elder, and number of days until next age transition)
• Personality and an astrological sign, as before
• An Aspiration (for toddlers and children, Grow Up; for teens, adults, and elders, Fortune, Popularity, Romance, Knowledge, Family; for teens, adults and elders with The Sims 2: Nightlife, Pleasure or Grilled Cheese)
• Variable body mass (again, three levels: Fit, Average, and Fat)
• Turn-ons and Turn-offs (introduced in the Nightlife expansion pack; also in later expansion packs)
• Clothing (individual tops and bottoms now can be mix-and-matched by players or a whole, all-in-one outfit can be chosen)
• Appearance genes that determine:
  • Skin colour
  • Hair style and colour
  • Eye colour
  • Many aspects of face shape
• Topic of Interests (not determined by players, but players can alter interests by reading magazines)
• Level of Influence (introduced in University expansion pack)
• Personality, consisting of five traits measured on scales of 0 to 10 (roughly similar to the Big Five personality traits):

   * Sloppy/Neat (semi-equivalent to conscientiousness)
   * Shy/Outgoing (equivalent to extroversion)
   * Lazy/Active (no Big Five equivalent; replaces neuroticism which measures susceptibility to negative feelings)
   * Serious/Playful (equivalent to openness to experience)
   * Grouchy/Nice (equivalent to agreeableness)

[edit] SimCity 4

SimCity 4 adds a "My Sim" mode, where Sims can be imported from The Sims. Only the following attributes are carried over:

• Face
• Astrological sign
• Gender

Depending on where they live, they will also have:

• Home (a residential building)
• Employer (a commercial or industrial building, or an undisclosed employee in a neighboring city)
• Job title
• Age (in years, always 25 at time of import)
• Commute length
• Wealth level (§, §§ or §§§)
• Health (poor, OK or great)
• Education (measured on the Maxis-defined EQ scale)

As stated above, all SimCity 4 My Sims deployed into a city start out as adults fit to hold jobs and may retire. They seem to always have children, since when the game reports the Sim has died of old age or poor health, there is always another Sim of the same appearance and name (with a "the 2nd" or "the 3rd" added, such as "Bob Newbie the 3rd") to take over the deceased Sim's role as a "My Sim" in SimCity 4. The only time this doesn't happen is when the Sim decides to move out of the city or when the player evicts the Sim out.

The Sims computer and video games v • d • e
The Sims	Livin' Large • House Party • Hot Date • Vacation • Unleashed • Superstar • Makin' Magic
The Sims 2	University • Nightlife • Open for Business • Pets • Seasons • Stuff packs
The Sims Stories	Life Stories  • Pet Stories • Castaway Stories
Online/Console	The Sims Online • The Sims • The Sims Bustin' Out • The Urbz • The Sims 2 • Pets • MySims
Misc.	Sim • Simlish