Friday 21 February 2003

Pic of the day: To the left, the SiMstitution SC v7.00, to the right CF Net Banking Terminal.

Sim computer happiness

What with The Sims being a computer game, you would expect computers to play a greater role in the Sims' lives. Luckily, some dedicated fans have done something about this. For added realism (and some definite non-realism) I will present key points of two great downloads that bring the Sims into the 21st century with regards to computers.

The first to get would be the Internet Banking computer from Cheap Frills. With this computer, you can play and search for a job; but you can also borrow money and pay it back. Please notice that it is up to you to keep account of your borrowing, and pay it back with 10% interest. But if you just wanted a money cheat, you would have used the Rosebud, right? Personally, I pay it along with the other bills, so I don't forget. Every 3 days you get bills, so then I pay §1100 at the same time. Nice for young people just moving in.

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One of the first things you should borrow money for would be the SiMstitution Super Computer v7.00 from SiMstitution. Now we're talking! This is a new improved version. You can still check e-mail for social points and fun. You can now get friends over the computer, although I'm sorry to say that this just gives you a 100 short term points friendship with random neighbors. I wish it were proportional to the time spent on e-mail, but I guess you just have to role-play that.

Speaking of which, there are two role-play options on SC7.00! Adults can now change into kids or the other way around, and males can also change into females or the other way around. The body does not change, just the voice and the actions. The most obvious use for this is that kids can now live alone, as they can pay bills, make food, and even go to work! Not that you need to go to work, since the "hack" option is still there. This is a fun activity that occasionally gives you §1313 at the end of the session. The pay-out is so rare that it won't make you rich quick, but it is a viable alternative to the carpool.

Incidentally, kids that go downtown on a date will revert to form when they leave the property, so while they can certainly have a dinner date, they will talk about pets and homework instead of making out. Which is just as well, don't you think? Any changes from role-play will disappear once you leave the property, but the friendships you have gained (or destroyed!) will remain, as will any monetary changes.

The SuperComputer has many other options, some of them rather cheat- like. There is Dr. Online, your friendly drug dealer, who can cure the dreaded Guinea Pig Disease but also incidentally restores all your status bars to their highest status. Don't get your Sims addicted to online drug shopping, or you may have to hide the computer after a while ... This computer can also be used by guests, and indeed they are likely to do this before almost everything else, except eating.

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With all these new options, you can now play The Sims even more realistically than before. But there is still one thing you cannot do with the in-game computers: Create new Sims! Some things are simply not meant for Sims to meddle with ...