Developer(s) : Playfish
Publisher(s) :EA Games
Platform(s) : Facebook Platform
Release date(s) :August 9, 2011
Genre(s) : Dating sim, Life simulation, Social simulation
The Sims Social is a Facebook addition to the Sims series of videogames. It was announced during EA's 2011 E3 press conference. As with the original Sims games, this addition lets users create their own customizable characters. In this version, though, players use their characters to interact with those of their Facebook friends. The characters can develop likes or dislikes for other sims, creating relationships that are advertised on the users' Facebook pages[1] Many previous users of the game The Sims Online consider The Sims Social to be a kind of Spiritual successor.
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Description
The Sims Social is a Facebook videogame developed by Playfish and EA, taking place in a fictional town called Littlehaven. A mobile application for smartphones is also in development as a companion app to the Facebook version, which will be available on the current generation of smartphones.[2] The game also features remakes of real life famous people such as Lady Sim-Sim (Lady GaGa), Elvis Plumbob (Elvis Presley), and Sims Cara (Sin Cara).[3]
Gameplay
Screenshot of the game in live mode.
Sims can become friends, loved ups, old enemies, frenemies, inseparable, best friends forever (BFF), enemies and arch-enemies. Being enemies or arch-enemies with Sims enables new interactions such as kicking their trashcan, fighting the other sim, and slapping them. There are 9 different personalities, which may affect a Sim's lifestyle. The life styles are geek, creative, villain, socialite, rocker, introvert, tycoon, athlete, and romantic. After selecting a personality, it costs 50 SimCash to change it. Events that happen in the game can be shared on a player's profile and its friends' ones. The game has more cartoon-style art than the previous games in the series, which focused on realistic art. However, the game still features the isometric style of the Sims series. This game has 2D graphics and entered open beta on August 9, 2011. The whole interface of The Sims Social has been simplified. This makes it easier to use than other games such as The Sims 3, however this removes many features.
Create a Sim
Create a Sim (CAS) has many similarities to CAS in The Sims 3, however many differences as well. The interface is more streamlined and simple than other Sims games in order to appeal to casual gamers. In Create a Sim, players can customize their Sim's name, gender, personality, skin color, clothing, hairstyle, hair color, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, facial hair, and accessories. None of these options are permanent, however changing a Sim's gender costs 10 SimCash and changing their personality costs 50 SimCash. A Sim's personality are much like traits in The Sims 3. A personality defines almost every action a Sim performs.
Skills
Like other games in The Sims series, Sims can also develop skills. There are currently four skills: Art, Cooking, Music, and Writing.[4] Developing higher level skill levels allow Sims to obtain new objects. Sims develop skills when the player interacts with an art object (such as easel or computer when level 30), a music object (such as a guitar or keyboard when level 10), a cooking object (such as a microwave, a coffee maker when level 10, or a stove when level 15), or a writing object (such as a computer or typewriter when level 10). At times, skills are a part of quests given to the player for their Sim to achieve.
Traits
There are currently nine traits for Sims in The Sims Social. The traits are buyable with Lifetime Points. All traits except the insane one feature 5 levels, each of needs to be bought at a higher price of Lifetime Points than the last one. The traits available currently are slob, steel bladder, neat, super mechanic, insane, ogre, ninja, great kisser, and night owl. When the player upgrades the level of a trait, the trait becomes more prominent in the Sim's lifestyle. The most visible example of this is in the ninja trait. When a Sim has the level one ninja trait, the Sim walks faster. However, when a Sim has the level five ninja trait, they can teleport from place to place.[5] The ninja trait is useful if the player has a larger house. In the insane trait, Sims can reduce the need of being social and can talk with plants without visiting people (in previous versions, talking to plants also eliminated the energy needed to fulfill Social). A level 4 insane trait lets the sim talk to themselves to fulfill fun and social need without eliminating energy.
Needs and Energy
In The Sims Social, Sims have needs, just as with other games in The Sims series. However, unlike other games in the series, Sims cannot die. There are six needs: social, fun, hunger, hygiene, bladder, and sleep.[6] When all of the needs are fulfilled, or in a very good mood, the player's Sim will become inspired. Inspired Sims earn more Simoleons when performing skill tasks. Sims with a bad mood will not follow the directions of the player. Instead, they will fulfill their own needs by autonomy. All mood meters cycle from deep green (good) to lighter green, yellow, orange, red, and finally gray. All needs can be improved from the Sim's home. Another feature located right beside the needs is the fun meter. This can variate largely depending on the Sim's personality.[7] For example, a Sim with an athletic personality will not find playing computer and arcade games as enjoyable as a Sim with a geek personality. Sims will take care of themselves using autonomy. If left to their own devices, Sims will perform actions that will help out the lowest meter, provided they have an appropriate object nearby. This cannot go on extended periods of time, as eventually the game pauses and tells the player "Your Sim Needs You!", or to keep playing the game.
Currency
The Sims Social has three currencies: the Simoleon, SimCash, and Social Points. These currencies are used to purchase items in the game. Simoleons are the most basic currency. Unlike the other games in the Sims series, sims cannot get jobs to earn simoleons instead they're earned by performing almost any non-autonomous task. SimCash can most readily be obtained by purchasing them with real-world currencies; however, a recent update to the game permits users to earn up to 10 SimCash as a reward for playing the game on 5 consecutive days. SimCash allows the player to purchase special and limited edition objects. When the player begins the game, they will receive 20 free SimCash.[8] Social Points are obtained by performing social interactions with other Sims. These can be used to purchase objects that are not available using Simoleons. You can exchange the Social Points for Simoleons by buying a Social Point item and selling them.
Social Interaction
Much of the game requires gifts to be sent from friends, hence the "social" in the name. For example, when a Sim levels up to a skill, they must have certain items to unlock the next level. Most of these items must be sent to the player from friends or are obtained by interacting with friends' Sims.[9] This has been an annoyance to many players who do not have a large amount of friends. When the player cannot obtain objects from friends, the only other option is to skip the task using SimCash. Certain items, such as double beds and couches, will have a hammer icon in the right corner. This denotes that this item requires some assembly. To assemble the item a player will need certain items that can only be gained by asking friends for them.
Players can pursue three different relationships with your neighbors. They can become friends, rivals, or enter into a romance. There are various relationship levels to be unlocked, going from acquaintances to friends to BFFs or friendly rivals.[10] Each relationship path gives the player different social interactions, as well as different tasks that can be performed at friends’ homes. Rivals can be rude to one another by insulting each other, playing pranks, messing with household appliances, and other negative interactions. Once the player reaches a new relationship level, they will need to send a message to your friend to receive their approval for the new level.
Crafting
In addition to building items and unlocking skills, players can use items found by performing tasks to craft special potions and complete collections. Players can craft numerous potions that can provide benefits to Sims.[11] For example, a fun potion will instantly max out a Sim's fun level, or a bad mood potion will instantly tank all a Sim's needs. Depleting needs is helpful when finding certain items. Items can be crafted by going to the crafting section at the bottom of the screen. Other crafting items include free energy and Simoleons. Hovering over items that are required will show the ways to obtain them in-game. Once all of the required items are obtained, players can click on the crafting button and craft the item. The crafted item is then stored in the player's backpack. Many ingredients can also be gifted to other players.
Reception
The Sims Social has been criticized for many bugs, such as the game load stalling at 65% and the occasional "disappearance" of house rooms. Since the most recent update that allows users to purchase more land, there have been thousands of users complaints in their forums about rooms being stuck in position and still no replies on when they would be fixed. Since its release to the public, the game has accumulated over 30 million players, with over 16 million added in its first week alone. It is one of the fastest growing Facebook games of all time[12] and is the fifth most-used Facebook application in less than a month of release.[13] On September 9, 2011, The Sims Social surpassed FarmVille to become the second-most popular Facebook game.[14]
FIFA Superstars promotional stadium
After The Sims Social has been launched, Playfish had given The Sims Social Stadium for EA Sports FIFA Superstars. The promotion had started at mid-September 2011 that player need to reach level 10 in The Sims Social to claim them, before it is removed. The promotional stadium has been added on September 23, 2011.