Sims talk: Free Time

[strangetomato]

I really want to chat about the Free Time EP. I'm getting really excited about it, but I definitely won't be installing it until I see if there are any potential issues with it, and the first patch is released (since we all know that there will be one). So, if you don't mind some spoilers, let's chat.

I found this page, and it gives a lot of detail about the new features. I've already read about a lot of these things, but a couple of  "news to me" things did catch my eye. Especially this part:


Secondary Aspiration

One of the options that players will more enjoy will be for sure the possibility to choose a secondary aspiration. In this way our Sims will have an even more complex and realistic personality. To set a secondary aspiration you just need to click on Aspiration Benefits icon and choose the aspiration you like, Grilled Cheese aspiration included.


*squeals with delight*

Do you have any idea how excited I am by that? There are so many characters in Strangetown that should have this, in my mind. I love, love, LOVE how this will make them more complex. And it's a way to have them change over time, while not changing their basic aspiration (which I don't plan to do with the Maxis premades).

The new creature is a genie, like in Sims 1. This doesn't excite me all that much. He's not even playable, which seems unfair. Shouldn't he just be an NPC? And didn't they already do the wishing well? *sigh* I really wanted another playable creature with breedable genetic qualities! They just haven't been able to come close to doing anything as good the aliens, have they? Not even close.

Comments

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

Ooh, the "getting better" is like business perks. I'm just starting to really explore those and some of them are GREAT. I really should give OFB more attention, it gets shafted as a bad EP but it's really one of the best.

I read that for family aspirations, you get things like "comfort" benefits and the higher benefit is increased twin chance (I see that as being potentially borked, like how the cheesecake is auto twins not just slightly increased odds).

(yup, my wife's an architect--almost licensed, too--two more tests to take and pass and then he's an Architect--which means it's time to hit the boss up for a raise)

I think I can hold out about a month before I cave and get FT. The prima guide will help tide me over. A month is plenty of time to get Peculiar to a good break point (and then launch into Top Model!)

I'd be pretty stuck without inSim, too. I use it all the time now (my sims haven't gone shopping in so long--that pile of clothes is so much easier). I think with BV it did update quickly. But with FT having the "second string aspiration" it might make more work to update. BUT, inSim is basically just a way to access debug mode, so maybe it won't take longer. (simPe takes forever since it's a stand alone item--I could live without it for a while)

OOH, my amazon guide should get here by the weekend. Maybe by then someone will post some pics from the new EP. There's suppposed to be lots of new stuff (besides the ep specific things, that is).

Random added on thought: I wonder if there will be any alien pollinator weirdness. I know that's probably not going to happen but there was a point (at nightlife, I think) where there were two pollinators, so products of abduction could be impregnanted. I guess I'm hoping that happens again. If FT is the last EP, it could be maxis planned to have two PT's all along and it just got messed up (eaxis mess up?) along the way (like when people "discover" secret outfits then two expansions later we see they're just new career clothes).

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I've never understood why people dislike OFB. It adds a really unique extra feature to the game. I suppose it might be how your game begins to revolve solely around the business, but it's so good for gameplay varied (and not so different from going to work)

I read that twins thing too. An increase in chance would be interesting, if you want to be surprised. I like the surprise. I've had so few random twins lately. In my long gone Pleasantview, almost everyone had twins. Don Lothario must carry the "twin gene", or something (yeah, most of the babies were his. *snicker*). I'm sort of hoping that Circe might have twins. I'm going to go pop her kid out soon.

I love that InSIM pile of clothes! You still have to buy the clothes, but you don't have to deal with loading the community lot to do it. It's such a lifesaver. I can't live without InSIM now that I'm hooked on it. Especially not for the story.

Pollinator changes would be cool. They should have given us 4 pollinators, just like the default replacement set does. There needs to be more variety in genetics. Don't they realize how many people love the aliens?

They really might have done something with it for this EP. Remember all the focus on the telescope in the trailer? One of the hobbies is science, right? Hmmm...

[saunasims.livejournal.com]

Butting in real quick (getting FreeTime todaaaay! Todaaaay! Unless Gamestop decides to be a meanie to me), but mas oui, one of the FreeTime perks is directly alien related. To be precise, one of the top ones for Knowledge Sims is automatic abduction. :D I think the description was something along the lines of the Sim knowing how to send out a signal to attract any randomly passing by UFOs that happen to be in the area, something like that. You can see it for about 0.5 seconds in the Freetime Designer walkthrough on the main site.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Nice. I love it. Is there anything different about it, though? Or is it just an instant abduction? I would love there to be a different sort of animation. I could REALLY use that in my story.

[saunasims.livejournal.com]

There's no information on if there's a new animation, BUT... You can apparently use either telescope with it! That's kinda cool. :D