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cindyaurumffxv · 5 years ago

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Sims 4 Mods I am working on (2020-01-08)

I am working on a mod called “Townie Role Progression / Story Adventures” and potentially a “Boss Mode” mod to go along with it.

Sims 2 is my favorite, and if it weren’t for a few things, it has aged well IMO. There’s lots of interactions from Sims 2 that I miss in Sims 4.

One of the major things is “Memories”. In Sims 2, when something happened, it’d changed a Sims interaction for days. If a Sim was angry at you in Sims 2, they’d try to sneak to your lot and kick something. Now, there are interactions like these in Sims 4 but for the most part, there’s no real such system.

Besides Sims 2, I actually really liked the Playstation 2 version of the Sims. In the PS2 The Sims, there was a mode called “Get a Life”, and I thought it was actually really interesting and a lot of fun.

I want to try to combine two aspects of that into a mod.

Finally, I actually like progressing or trying to help my Townies. The Roommate system is neat but I actually like getting pets, decorating, and building stuff for the Townies so that I can visit them. I like the idea of being able to progress or help progress characters you don’t directly control.

I’ve had lots of fun modding Warcraft III back in the day. Realm of Magic is a pretty cool concept but unfortunately I wish you could do more with it.

So, here is what “Townie Role Progression / Story Adventures” is about (The Basics):

[1.] You participate in Townie Progression (there will be a way to keep track of what the Selected Townies will be doing) with a custom stat system and custom memory system.

[2.] Memory System (alters interactions based on previous interactions that will be tracked).

[3.] Adventure/Scenario System (random Scenarios that can be won or lost in varying ways). For example, your Sim Friend may train as a Superhero, and there’s a Rival Sim that is training as a Villain, you can try to help your Friend beat the Villain.

[4.] Lots of dialogue options, and dialogue that changes based on previous interactions or scenario progression.

[5.] Boss Battles. For Boss Battles, I was thinking of doing it kind of like Metal Gear Solid 3 Style. I think something like MGS3 Boss Battles can work in Sims 4.

Now this is what I want to work on; I’m not sure how practical it is to implement something like Boss Battles in the Sims but I have some ideas.

In Warcraft 3 modding, a lot of custom effects were basically “smokes and mirrors”. In Sims 4, I was thinking of altering certain objects (let’s say a Utility Bot for example), and changing it something else. Like for example, maybe a Boss Sim has a special move that releases moving Poison Clouds. In that case, I’d based the Poison Clouds on an object that moves, change the actual model used to Poison Clouds, have it move around, and if it gets near your Sim, you get hit and maybe your Hygiene or Energy or whatever gets reduced (and if any of your motives hit zero, you lose).

It’s just something like that. I want to see how practical and whether it’s possible to have lots of it done without being too resource intensive.

Your own moves can be something similar.

In MGS3, I like the Fear boss battle. I was thinking if I can make a Boss Sim like the Fear where a Sim may release poison clouds, and where you have to move around a big lot (let’s say the Boss Sim challenges you at the giant park lot... that’s actually a good area for a boss battle), then maybe Poison Clouds would reduce Hygiene, and there would be Showers that spawn that you can use.

The Boss would teleport around or turn invisible or something, and you’d have to find him. And finally, maybe there will be hostages or something else you have to protect to also make it a bit more interesting (like if the Hostage Sim’s motives go to zero from the Boss, you lose the fight and have to restart).

And you have your own special moves as well that also have a particular pattern.

Now realistically, a lot of this depends on how many objects I can have spawn and move at the same time (I haven’t tried pushing the Sims 4 to its limits yet to see if it’s practical, I know there lots of limitations already present). Depending on whether it’s practical or not, I may not even implement this (again I am just thinking of ideas).

If not something major, maybe I’ll do a minor version at least. Optimizing is important, so I’ll make sure try to do as many ‘Smokes and Mirrors’ to make sure it’s not actually resource intensive (maybe I don’t actually need one object but can simply move a single object with a slight delay in animation removal multiple places to have the illusion of there being multiple objects for example).

[6.] Besides a Rival, a major feature I want to add is a Companion system. Maybe you don’t fight the Boss but are simply helping your Friend Sim beat them. Or if not, maybe you can have a Sim help you in battle. I always like companion systems, and customizing their stats, and stuff in games.

(Some Extended Notes):

[7.] I want to make the mod compatible with as many mods as possible. To make things practical, it’ll be a mod where you individually select Sims (Your Sim, Household, Roommates Townies) and toggle whether they’ll participate in the Mod or not.

That means, it won’t automatically activate. I am kind of more of a sandbox style player, but I wouldn’t mind things to spice things up once in a while. So, that’s why I’ll make the mod like this (that and I think for me, it’ll be more practical to get what I want).

[8.] When the Mod activates, there will be a personality and memory system. For me, I’ll probably make it so you can either select it, have it automatic based on Traits, or have it be just Randomized.

[9.] When it activates, there will be random ‘Scenarios’ or ‘Adventures’ that will activate. Once it activates, the Sims that participate in the Mod will have their own progression.

This could be something like your Friend Sim wants to train as a Bodyguard or a Spellcaster, or a simple thing like your Friend Sim wants to get married or something.

[10.] Again, to make things interesting, there will be random Obstacles that get in your way. Maybe a Time Limit, maybe a Rival Sim, etc.

My Progression and To Do List Part 1 (Long Term):

[1-1.] Again (important), this is something I want to try for but if it’s not practical, I may not do it as I imagine. “However”, I definitely want to do something like this. I just want to try to add some basic Memory and Adventure and Townie Progression System where you can just have a Companion, Rival, and have altered or special interactions based on that.

If it’s not practical to do a feature, I may not add it but I’ll still try to get something in its place.

For example, it may be as simple as your Companion Sim that wants to be a Bodyguard (that either lives in another Household, a Roommate, or even someone you can control that lives with you) wants to buy a Workout machine. You go to a public Lot, pretend to buy a Workout machine (Sims 4 don’t have actual stores like Sims 2), then there will be a hidden variable that just keep tracks of whether your Companion bought a Workout machine or not. If they have a House, I’ll have it be put somewhere. From there it progresses, there’s dialogue options, and from there there may be some time based stat calculations based on what the Sims have. Then your Sim may or may not successfully become a better Bodyguard or whatever.

Maybe there’s a Rival Sim or a Villain, and maybe your Companion is your Bodyguard and they’ll try to protect you from this Villain or Rival Sim.

One of my favorite game genres back in the early 2000s are browser games with actual time based stat progression. If I can’t do something too fancy, I’d like to do at least something and hopefully something like that to have some sort of sense of Townie Progression.

[1-2.] Okay to continue from the above, another type of game I like is Recettear. I was thinking if you have Rival Sim, there may be objects. Like maybe a Rival or Villain Sim shows up at a lot and tries to break things with their Spells or a custom interaction. You try to stop them. Maybe you try to sneak into their house and break stuff. After a period of time, the person who breaks the opponent’s stuff the most wins (that can be just a random scenario for example, there may be other stuff).

[1-3.] All right. What else? To be honest, this blog is actually also an excuse to write down all these ideas down, so I can just reference and remember what I want to do again (yes, that’s why there’s lots of maybe this, maybe that, etc).

[1-4.] Varying effects of how this can be implemented. If your Rival Sim is some Tech Guy, maybe he’ll have Tech Minions that will try to break your stuff (or whatever). If it’s a Villain, maybe they have special moves.

[1-5.] Progression System. Depending on what you do in the Spawned Adventures or Scenarios, your Sim and Companion can learn Custom Interactions to fight a Villain (or maybe if you are a Villain yourself, you may find a way to learn a special interaction that can spawn utility bots that attack people).

[1-6.] Realm of Magic, Hidden Lots, and Nancy Drew. Okay, when Realm of Magic came out, I found Spell learning to be actually kind of disappointing. You just practice and just get them. You basically can unlock all spells in just 2 hours.

The Sims 4 has a lot of potentials. Hidden Lots are one of the coolest features in Sims 4 but besides Hidden Lots, there’s not much exploration.

I want to try to find a way to add just random scenarios where you may be able to find in Lots or encounter something. Maybe there will be hints and notes to try to give an idea on where the item or whatever is.

My Progression and To Do List Part 2 (Smaller Stuff that I hope to release soon):

[1.] Practical Speaking, I’ll probably just release some small mods here and there until I try to start working on this “Townie Role Progression / Story Adventures” mod. For my next mod (for example), I think I’ll try some customized Utility Bot Interactions. These things can be later reused later for the big mod.

So, small practical mods that I know I can do until we get to that big mod and see how practical it is to do all the stuff I want (with as much ‘Smokes and Mirrors’ if needed).

[2.] Also I am still working on more customized Spells. I was thinking of adding an area of effect toggle that you can turn on for your Spellcaster. For options, you can select Enemies only (those with negative relationship values), Neutral and below (those that are no your friends), or Everyone.

When I bought Realm of Magic, I was hoping you can just break as much stuff as possible. In Sims 2, I actually enjoyed just messing around at the end of a play session. I’d play normally and try to progress my Sims, then I’ll try to start as many fights and cause as many deaths as possible.

I was hoping with Realm of Magic, I can just screw around and that’s why I’ll try adding an ‘Area of Effect’ Toggle. If you seen my previous blogs, I released a Customized Overcharge + Overcharge Zipzap mod that turns it into a Lightning Strike that drains and lowers a Target’s Stat (and electrocutes them after two uses).

I’ll try doing more of those for all the Spells besides just Zipzap.

[3.] In Sims 2, I enjoyed a mod that allowed you to invite Sim, and they’d stay indefinitely until you tell them to leave. I like the Roommate System ‘but’ for at least Townies with their own Homes, I’d rather them be able to have their own Homes (I like decorating homes and bringing pets to Sims that I won’t even play just because it’s fun to visit them).

So, I’ll see if I can make a basic mod that lets you just invite any Sim and have them stay indefinitely until you tell them to leave (an interaction where you can ask a Sim to stay at your place). There’s actually already a Sleepover interaction (Romance), but I’ll see if I can make a generic version and one that allows Sims to just stay indefinitely and works with any Sim (even non-Friendlies).

Anyway, thanks for reading this all if you have. This is pretty informal but I also wanted to write it for myself to remember what I wanted to work on (and might as well post it online as well so people know what I will be trying to release in the future). And again, these are just all ideas (I also want to make sure it’s actually fun to play in practice, and whether doing all these interactions is practical or not as well). If not the big stuff, I’ll still release small stuff.

Thank you again, and if you have any questions or request for small mods, feel free to ask. Also here is my Twitter as well.

#sims #sims4 #ts4 #s4 #sims 4 #sims 4 mods #s4 mods #ts4 mods

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