My future content wishlist for The Sims 4
Well, well, well. We may have had a fresh new The Sims 4 leak today (insert the meme of that British lady saying ‘you’re kidding… not another one’), and it points to us getting a horse themed pack in the near future. I’m actually quite happy at that prospect, but the news also made me feel compelled to compile a little wishlist of my own, outlining the content I hope will eventually come to The Sims 4 franchise before it takes it’s final bow.
Now, I’ve actually made two lists: one outlining new and substantial features which I think could come in a new expansion/game pack, and the other outlining the updates I hope will come to the base game itself.
In my opinion, everything below is pretty realistic, so hopefully we will in fact see all of these things come to the game eventually! These also aren’t things Ive just thought of off the cuff - I’ve already had a list like this in the notes app on my phone for quite some time now - relatable, right Simmers?
1. Horses
Well, seeing as they are the subject of this new and alleged leak, why not start here? As I mentioned above, I’m actually pretty excited by the prospect of this. I never played with horses in The Sims 3, so I don’t entirely know what to expect, but it sounds like a fun new area of gameplay which would open up new story possibilities in the game. I’m expecting they would come with some sort of Wild West themed world (oh gosh, please not another American world), but I still hold out hope we might get a different take on the theme. Like the Scottish highlands, for example.
2. Bands
Okay, so this is one of my biggest wishes for future content. Please, Sims team! I just want more musical instruments (drums, I’m looking at you!), and also a singing career too! Along with the topic of horses, I feel like there have been a LOT of hints that this theme is coming to the game soon, and I really hope that’s the case.
3. Hotels
This is my NUMBER ONE desire for The Sims 4. C’moooon, we need hotels already! I feel like the recent Stay Over feature that came as part of the Growing Together pack laid the groundwork for how this feature might function in the future, and I just think it would add so much to the game. Imagine how fun it would be be to build, style and play in them, ranging all the way from big fancy hotels to dingy little motels. I know I’d personally incorporate them into my gameplay all the time.
4. Hobbies - and lots of them!
The Sims 2 Freetime was, and still remains, the best expansion pack of any Sims game. It brought with it so much variety and core gameplay that I feel we need in The Sims 4. By hobbies, I mean things like ballet, tennis, and pottery. Added to that, things like more basic fitness equipment, and the ability to fix up old cars (ignoring the fact we don’t actually have cars in the game yet) would be so much fun. I feel an expansion pack of this nature would be on a similar game-changing level to Seasons and Growing Together.
5. Another city world
We NEED another city world, and I’m not talking about something like San Sequoia, because that simply does not count. I’m desperate for something like San Myshuno again, where we have apartments galore. I think it would be a great opportunity for the Sims team to go in a completely different stylistic direction, with either an ultra modern city taking inspiration from somewhere like Seoul, or opting for a much more traditional history-rich city like London or Paris.
6. More diverse worlds, in general
Following on nicely from the above, another thing which I am desperate for in The Sims 4 is more diverse worlds in general. If I see another American themed world…. well, I don’t even want to put that energy out into the world. In my opinion, all of the best worlds in the game currently are the ones that feel more unique and offer us something different - Tartosa, Mount Komorebi, Sulani, Strangerville, to name a few. In particular, I would like to see worlds themed after places like Lagos and Nairobi in the continent of Africa, Seoul in South Korea, and also the wilderness of the Scottish highlands.
7. Better deaths (I mean cemeteries and funerals, of course!)
Perhaps a bit morbid, but I would love to see more gameplay focused around death. What do I mean by that? Things like an actual lot type for cemeteries, and the ability to plan and host funerals and wakes. I just think it would add a lot of depth to such an important part of any Sim’s life journey, and give the player some time to properly honour and mourn our favourite pixels.
8 & 9. Fashion career (alongside a tonne of other active careers)
I’m focusing in on one career in particular here, but in general I would love to see as many new active careers in the game as possible. They are one of the best additions to come with The Sims 4, and I think there are so many opportunities to add more. I personally would love to see an active model career, with things like fashion runways and fashion magazines included. Imagine being able to choose between pursuing the glamorous model route, or alternatively the life of a cutthroat fashion magazine editor. My little gay Devil Wears Prada loving heart is screaming at the thought.
10. Futuristic chic
This one is a bit more of a wildcard, and not an idea I’m as invested in as the other things above, but I do think a super futuristic space-themed pack would be pretty fun, and something very different to what we have in the game at the moment. When I think of this genre, I can’t help but also think of a 60s style chic aesthetic too. I just think space and kitsch is such a cool combination of genres. Think of the icon herself - Juno Birch!
1. Updates to all BG hairs
One of the biggest things I want to come to base game is an overhaul of all the early hairs in The Sims 4. Pretty much EVERY single hair in base game and the first few packs need a MAJOR improvement to bring them up to the standards of the hairs we get in packs these days. The majority of them are just unusable, because they look so incredibly bulky and unappealing. Please, Sims team, I’m begging you!
2. Neighbourhood Stories expansion
Oh, Neighbourhood Stories… I was so excited when this feature was first announced, but all this time later and it still feels so incomplete. I have it turned off right now, because until they add the ability for it to create new relationships (and eventually marriages) for all unplayed Sims, it’s kind of pointless. I hope this update will come sooner rather than later.
3. Attraction System (and online dating)
Continuing with the romance theme, another BIG update we need to base game is a fully fledged romance attraction system. Something in the vein of The Sims 2 would be perfect. I feel like it would be the perfect next step to the great new social compatibility system which was recently added in Growing Together. Alongside this, I think it would be a great time to also add online dating to the game. C’mon The Sims 4, I just want my Sims to finally be able to go on blind dates, only to be catfished!
4. Cars (The Sims 2 style)
Okay… I had to include this one, okay? I’m not desperate for cars like many other Simmers are, but I still think they would be a cool addition. I wouldn’t even care if they were implemented similar to how they were in The Sims 2, where they are parked on the lot, and your Sims simply hop into them and reverse them off the lot until they disappear. I just really love the realism of all that, and plus - they provide a great new woohoo spot!
5. Swimmable water, everywhere!
I finish my list with one final desire - the addition of swimmable water in all of the older worlds where it makes sense to include them. It makes me pretty sad to go to some of the older worlds, and realise that my Sims can’t enter some of the pretty waterbodies that are currently otherwise useless. Newer worlds like Sulani, Henford-on-Bagley and Tartosa have beautiful lakes and oceans to swim in, and I would love the Sims team to go back and add this to worlds such as Brindleton Bay, Granite Falls, and Willow Creek.
Well… what do you think?
So, there you have it! Ten features I would love to see added to The Sims 4 in future packs, along with five of my biggest hopes for future base game updates. What do you think? Do you agree with what I have set out above, or have I missed anything?
In any case, I think it will be pretty fun to revisit this list in a year or so, to see if I correctly predicted anything (and not just horses)!