General FAQ - Guide for The Sims

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                     *********************************
                     *                               *
                     *          Version 1.0          *
                     *        August 22, 2001        *
                     *          PS2pcGAMER           *
                     *    [email protected]     *
                     *                               *
                     *********************************





This strategy guide was made by PS2pcGAMER (Jeff Lewis).  For 
information and legal information about this FAQ scroll down to the bottom.  
E-mail me at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments, 
and/or suggestions and put "The Sims FAQ"" or "Your Sim FAQ" or something to 
that effect so I know what you are talking about.

   This FAQ is only allowed to be used at:
    www.gamefaqs.com
    www.canyonlake.net/the_sims/
    www.angelfire.com/games3/ps2pcgamer/


I know this FAQ is not anywhere close to completion but when I have time it 
will be.

Table of Contents
   1. Version Info
   2. Introduction
   3. Making a family
        1. Personality Traits
   4. Choosing a Home
        1. Buying a House
        2. Building A Home From Scratch
            1. Walls
            2. Floors
            3. Windows
            4. Wallpaper
            5. Doors
        3.Rooms
            1. Kitchen
            2. Living Room
            3. Bathroom
            4. Bedroom
            5. Outside
            6. Other Rooms
   5. Sim Needs
        1. The Eight Needs
            1. Hunger
            2. Fun
            3. Room
            4. Social
            5. Energy
            6. Hygiene
            7. Bladder
            8. Comfort
        2. Health
   6. Jobs
        1. Why you Need Jobs
        2. Kids in School
   7. Social
        1. Friends
        2. Lovers
        3. Marriage and Moving Sims In
   8. Disasters
        1. Disease
        2. Burglary
        3. Fires
        4. Drowning
        5. Starving
   9. Review
        1. The Sims
        2. Livin' Large
        3. House Party
   10. Legal Information




=============================================================================
=============================================================================

=======================================
1. Versions
=======================================
1.0  August 22, 2001  - Everything on the Table of Contents (Sections 1- 9).  
I will have more up soon.

=======================================
2.  Introduction
=======================================
     The Sims won game of the year last year.  It was another great game by 
the creators of Sim City.  The expansion pack, Livin' Large witch came out in 
Fall of 2000 broke more sales records.  When this FAQ is released House 
Party, the 2nd expansion pack for The Sims will have been released.
     In The Sims, you control a family (between 1 and 8 people).  You have to 
get them jobs, food, sleep, and other needs.  You also have to have friends 
to get promoted in their jobs.  Your sims also need to gain skills to get 
promoted.  Your skills can also help you repair objects and cook food.


=======================================
3.  Making a Family
=======================================

---------------------------------------
3.1  Personality Traits
---------------------------------------
     You can customize a sim's personality traits.  Different traits change a 
sim's behavior in the game.  The traits are neatness, outgoingness, 
activeness, playfulness, and how nice they are. 
     The more outgoing and nice a sim is the easier it will be to communicate 
with friends and gain friends.
     The neater a sim's traits are the neater the sim will be in the house 
(ex. Sims won't leave puddles when getting out of the shower).  If you are 
planning on leaving one sim home all of the time then you might not want to 
spend so many points on their neatness.  If sims leave a mess that in cleaned 
up the room rating will drop.
     Playful sim's like joking around with other sims.  Playful sims also 
like playing games with other sims.
     Active sims like playing basketball and out activities like that.  
Active sims are the opposite of lazy sims.  So if you spend little or know 
points on your sim, he/she will be a couch potato.


=======================================
4.  Choosing a Home
=======================================

---------------------------------------
4.1  Buying a House
---------------------------------------
     Once you have created a family there are a few homes you can choose that 
are already built. This option is good for inexperienced Sim gamers.  All you 
have to do is put in objects.  The other option is to build a home.

---------------------------------------
4.2  Building A Home From Scratch
---------------------------------------
     The second option is to choose a vacant lot.  Then you can put in your 
own walls, floors, and windows.  You might want to choose a cheaper lot so 
you have more money to spend on your house.

---------------------------------------
4.2.1  Walls
---------------------------------------
     By holding shift you can make rectangle walls.  If you want to save 
money you only need to make walls for a bathroom.  If you have a person who 
is watching T.V. in the same room as a person who is trying to sleep, the 
person who is tying to sleep won't be able to sleep.  Sp you might also want 
to have walls around the bedroom.

---------------------------------------
4.2.2  Floors
---------------------------------------
     Floors are the carpeting in your house.  When starting your house up you 
can save money by buying the §5 ones.  With Home Crafter you can make you own 
floors and lower the price to §1.  To my knowledge floors do not effect room 
rating, but I would suggest having any type of floors.

---------------------------------------
4.2.3  Windows
---------------------------------------
     Windows are extremely important even though they don't seem so.  At 
least 3 windows are needed for a room of tiles, 5 by 5.  As the room gets 
brighter the room value will go up which is essential in keeping of a sim's 
mood.  Placing windows farther apart from each other will increase the amount 
of light in the room.  Light can only enter through windows if windows are 
placed next to the outside of the house.  The larger the room, the more 
windows are needed.

---------------------------------------
4.2.3  Wallpaper
---------------------------------------
     Wallpaper also helps lift the room value.  Plus the room looks a lot 
better with wallpaper.  Again you can buy the cheap wallpaper to save money.  
In Home Crafter you can also create you own wallpaper.

---------------------------------------
4.2.4  Doors
---------------------------------------
     Obviously a sim needs a way to enter a room so you need doors.  Again 
you can buy the cheap door.  The door needs to be easily accessible.


=======================================
4.3  Rooms
=======================================

---------------------------------------
4.3.1  Kitchen
---------------------------------------
     Every house needs a kitchen to eat unless you are planning ordering 
pizza every night.  In a kitchen you need a refrigerator, a stove, a sink or 
dishwasher, and one empty counter.  I would strongly suggest getting a food 
processor, which is worth 2 food points. A table with one chair for each 
person is needed nearby.

---------------------------------------
4.3.2  Living Room
---------------------------------------
     The living room needs a couch or chair if you have a T.V.  Other fun 
objects and skill building objects should be placed in here.  The living 
should be easily accessible.  The main entrance to your house should also go 
into the living room.

---------------------------------------
4.3.3  Bathroom
---------------------------------------
     In the bathroom, sims can relieve themselves.  The bathroom needs to 
have a sink, a toilet, and a shower or bathtub.  For lazy sims it is a good 
ideas to eventually buy the automatic §1,500 toilet.  A good bathtub is nice 
because you don't have to take so many baths.  Don't worry about getting the 
bathroom mirror to brush your teeth.

---------------------------------------
4.3.4  Bedroom
---------------------------------------
     A bedroom needs to have just a bed in it.  There is other things that 
you can buy bedroom but just a bed will due for now.  Buy the best bed you 
can because you wont have to have your sims sleep for so long.  Your sims 
need to be friends to sleep in the same bed.

---------------------------------------
4.3.5  Outside
---------------------------------------
     If you want to get job promotions you have to have a good mood when 
going to work.  The room rating can increase or drop your mood rating.  As 
your leaving, if the outside of your house is bare your mood will drop.  A 
cheap way to increase your outside room rating is to put a few flamingos in 
the front of your house.  Flowers can easily lift your room rating if they 
are well watered, which takes time or money.  Trees are more expensive but 
don't have to be maintained.

---------------------------------------
4.3.6  Other Rooms
---------------------------------------
     Some of the other rooms that you can make are an office/study, a game 
room, a dinning room, and a patio/pool area.  You should wait until you are 
rich to put in this rooms and a second story.


=======================================
5.  Sim Needs
=======================================

---------------------------------------
5.1  The Eight Sim Needs
---------------------------------------

---------------------------------------
5.1.1  Hunger
---------------------------------------
     The sims need to eat to survive.  The better the cook is and the better 
the food equipment is, the more satisfaction they get from food.  If you are 
a great cook and have good cooking equipment you won't have to eat so many 
times in a day.  Who ever the best cook in your family is should cook as many 
meals as possible.  I would suggest having a 2nd cook.

---------------------------------------
5.1.2  Fun
---------------------------------------
     Just like humans your sims need to have fun.  Many objects including 
televisions, radios, pool tables, computers, and many other objects make your 
sims life fun.  More expensive objects like the big screen T.V. and the 
§6,500 computer have extremely high fun ratings.  When your are building your 
first home, buy a 27 inch T.V.

---------------------------------------
5.1.3  Room
---------------------------------------
     The room rating is how well lighted and decorated a room is.  A few 
windows to let light in, are needed for the daytime.  At night a few lights 
are also needed.  Rooms that are decorated also help increase the room 
rating.  Furniture, pictures, and other objects help to increase the room 
rating.

---------------------------------------
5.1.4  Social
---------------------------------------
     Social comes from how much you talk to other sims.  Look below under 7.0 
to learn more about friends.  A good place to gain social is eating, watching 
T.V., being in the spa, and other objects where you can accomplish more then 
one thing at a time.

---------------------------------------
5.1.5  Energy
---------------------------------------
     Sims need to be awake to do things so they need to have lots of energy.  
There are only two ways to increase energy, sleeping and drinking 
coffee/espresso.  When buying a bed try to buy the most expensive one you can 
because your sim wont have to spend so many hours sleeping.  Espresso doesn't 
really help your energy much and coffee helps increase your energy less then 
espresso.

---------------------------------------
5.1.6  Hygiene
---------------------------------------
     Your sims need to smell good at work and home.  Take a shower or wash 
your hands to increase you hygiene.  One shower a day should be enough.  If 
you use the toilet wash your hands afterwards, instead of before hand.

---------------------------------------
5.1.7  Bladder
---------------------------------------
     You need to use the bathroom every so often.  When this bar goes red it 
means you need to go immediately.  Use the toilet to empty your bladder, 
obviously. 

---------------------------------------
5.1.8  Comfort
---------------------------------------
     Your sims need to be comfortable.  You can gain comfort by sitting in a 
chair or sleeping in bed.  You can also gain comfort in the bath tub.

---------------------------------------
5.2 Health
---------------------------------------
     Your sims can become sick.  If you have the guinea pig and don't clean 
the cage or feed it often enough you could become sick.  If you become sick 
sell the Guinea Pig Cage immediately.  Once you have sold the Guinea Pig, 
have the sick sim stay in bed and get lots of sleep.  Also make sure the 
needs are all green.  Your sim should also get lots of coffee / espresso and 
stay away from the other sims.  It is ok if your sim misses a day of work.


=======================================
6.  Jobs
=======================================

---------------------------------------
6.1 Why You Need Jobs
---------------------------------------

     Just like the real world your sims need money.  The only ways to get 
money are by jobs, gifts of money to your family, and if you sell paintings 
or gnomes (if you have Livin' Large).  The jobs are the only consistent way 
to make money.
     To get a job you need to look in a newspaper or find one on the 
computer.  Each day you look in the newspaper or on the computer for a job, 
the job is different from the previous day.  The newspaper only lets you 
choose from one job, while the computer lets you choose from three jobs.  I 
would suggest buying a computer, finding a job and then sell the computer 
back that same day.  If you sell any item back the same day that you bought 
it, you will get all of your money back.

---------------------------------------
6.2 Kids in School
---------------------------------------
     While your adult sims are working, your children need a place to go.  
They have to go to school every day.  If they study, they can improve their 
grades and they might receive money, if there grades are high enough.  If you 
decide not to send your children to school they eventually will have to go to 
military school forever, and you must pay a one-time fee of $1,000.


=======================================
7.  Social
=======================================

---------------------------------------
7.1 Friends
---------------------------------------
     Friends are the people that you are friends with.  They count as a 
family friend.  Your sim usually gains a family friend when their 
relationship is 50.  You must maintain your relationship because your 
relationship drops to points everyday, so you need to meet with them every 
once in a while.

---------------------------------------
7.2 Lovers
---------------------------------------
     You become lovers when your relationship becomes around 90.  You can get 
married at that level.  If it is 2 males or 2 females then the sim just moves 
in with you.  Either way it is the same thing.  See 7.3 for more information 
about sims getting married or moving in.

---------------------------------------
7.3 Marriage and Moving Sims In
---------------------------------------
     Marriage is when a make and female sim get married.  When two sims are 
married it costs $1,000.  When your sim is in love with another sim, click 
propose on the other sim.  Your sims will literally get married where the 
first sim proposed.  The good thing about marriage is that when the sim moves 
in they bring a lot of money to your family.
     Moving sims in is the same thing is marriage.  The only difference is 
moving in is for a male and a male, or a female and a female.


=======================================
8.  Disasters
=======================================
     Many disasters can happen to your family and home.  They include 
disease, burglary, fires, drowning, and starving.  They all end with the same 
result, death or destruction.

---------------------------------------
8.1 Disease
---------------------------------------
     A sim can die from getting sick.  You get sick if you have the guinea 
pig and it is not maintained.  If you don't feed and clean the guinea pig, 
then you are more likely to get the disease.  Once you get the disease 
immediately delete/sell the Guinea Pig Cage.  Then have the sick sim drink 
lots of coffee, sleep, and maintain their needs.  If you have Livin' Large 
buy the chemistry set and try to get the white potion, this potion cures 
diseases.  Also quarantine your sim.  If he misses work one day, it is ok.  
It is better to miss a day, then for your sim to die, right?  Hopefully your 
sim will be cured within a few days.

---------------------------------------
8.2 Burglary
---------------------------------------
     Another, more common disaster is burglary.  A thief walks into your 
house and usually steals something of great value (TVs, Computers, kitchen 
appliances, chairs, etc.).  Then simply leaves.  One way of stopping a 
burglar is to have a Burglar Alarm.  If you place one on the outside of your 
house, it will sound and alert the police as soon as the thief enters your 
property.  If the police come, before the thief leaves, you get your stolen 
insurance for your stolen item and a $1,000 reward for catching the criminal.  
If you decide to not have a Burglar Alarm you can always call the cops on the 
telephone, but by the time they arrive, the burglar is gone and the police 
complain that you called them for no reason.   Your best bet is to just have 
a Burglar Alarm on the outside of your home.

---------------------------------------
8.3 Fires
---------------------------------------
     A fire happens when something catches on fire.  Usually it is cause by a 
careless choice in doing something.  One way to start a fire is to have your 
cooking skills very low and when your sim tries to make a meal, they start a 
fire.  To avoid this build up your cooking skills to at least two points by 
the studying cooking option on the bookcase.  The other way to start a fire 
is to have a fireplace next to a flammable object (pictures, furniture, 
etc.).  If you buy a smoke detector the firemen will arrive faster then if 
you call the firemen from the phone.  You can always try to put the fire out 
yourself by clicking on the fire once and choosing extinguish.  You have a 
great chance of catching fire if you do this, so it is easier to just have a 
smoke detector.

---------------------------------------
8.4 Drowning
---------------------------------------
     If you put your sim in the pool and remove the latter they will die.  If 
you want to get rid of a sim this is the easiest way to do it.  Once their 
energy bar drops to nothing they will die and you will get the tombs 
tomb/urn.

---------------------------------------
8.5 Starving
---------------------------------------
     Another way for your sim to die is to not buy any appliance so they 
can't eat.  They will eventually die from hunger.  You can also put them in a 
room and take out all of the doors.  Either way your sim dies and you are 
left with a tombs stone/urn.


=======================================
9. Reviews
=======================================

---------------------------------------
9.1 The Sims
---------------------------------------
About a year and a half ago, I saw an advertisement for The Sims, a new 
simulation game created by the people at Maxis (The team that made Sim City).  
My birthday was coming up and I decided to ask for it for my birthday.  It 
was one of the best present that I have ever received.  In February 2000 The 
Sims was released nationwide.  Over the next year it was one of the top 5 
most sold PC games in America.  Many gaming magazines and websites rated it 
as the best simulation on PC or the best PC game in all categories.

Gameplay
In The Sims, you completely control a family.  You can create the family 
members (you choose the physical appearance and their personality).  You can 
also build home for your family or move them into a pre-made home.  The game 
is pretty fun once you learn how to play the game and what strategies to use.  
In the beginning it is hard because you don't necessarily have a stable 
income and most of the objects that you own aren't the top of the line.

Controls
You control the game using the mouse for the most part.  It is pretty easy.  
There are keyboard shortcuts for your convince.  The keyboard shortcuts are 
pretty similar to the ones in Sim City 3000.

Graphics
The graphics in this game are above average.  The graphics are not really the 
important part to this game.  The detail is good enough that you can easily 
distinguish small objects from the farthest zoom.

Sound
The sound is awesome for this game.  If one of your sims turn on the faucet 
you can here the water hitting the sink.  If the TV is on, you can here it.  
The sims don't speak English though.  The sounds are also helpful in 
reminding you to do things (like leave for work if the car horn beeps).

Replayability
This game is fun.  You can play it for many hours without getting tired of 
it.  It is more addicting then any game of the Sim City series.  When you get 
tired of it, you can buy the 2 expansion packs (Livin' Large and House Party) 
for many more hours of fun.  I have spent more hours playing this game then 
any other game I own.  You can also download houses, objects, skins, 
wallpapers, and floors from the official The Sims Site and the thousands of 
fan sites.

Should You Get This Game?
If you enjoy simulations like Sim City then you must get this game.  If you 
like controlling someone's life then get The Sims.  If you don't really like 
simulation games I suggest that you play this game at a friends house because 
you might like it.

Story
You control every aspect of the story in this game.  You choose which jobs 
your sims have.  You buy objects for them.  You decide what they eat.  You 
get to choose how they have fun.  Every so often a disaster will occur 
unexpectedly which adds a twist to the game.

This game is one of the best games that I have ever played and I suggest to 
you that you should play it.   There are so many different things that you 
can do with this game.  This game is not only fun, but very interesting and 
surprising.

Score 10/10


---------------------------------------
9.2 Livin' Large
---------------------------------------
Ever wanted to control a family? Get them jobs, married, have kids? In The 
Sims, you can do that. Now with the new Expansion Pack, Livin' It Up the game 
is even better.  
 
Gameplay  
You have to make your family get jobs, have your kids go to school. Your 
neighbors come over to your house and you talk to them. You have to get your 
sims up early enough to get to school and work on time. Your sims have needs 
that they need to meet, like Hygiene, Bladder, Hunger, Social, Fun, Energy, 
Comfort, and Room. You can either build a house for your sims or you can move 
into a pre-made house. You can constantly add on to your house by building 
extra rooms, adding carpet, wallpaper, windows, etc. This game last hours of 
fun.  
 
Story  
You control the story. Basically you must go to work (or school if you are a 
kid) take care of your needs and the rest of the time is free time.  
 
Audio/Video  
The audio in this game is awesome. It is some of the best audio I have ever 
heard in a game. When you put dishes in the dishwasher, you can here the 
dishwasher run. You can hear the people talk (Although they don't talk in 
English). The audio is simply fantastic.  
 
The video is also great. You can see the closest details in the objects and 
people. The video is almost as good as the audio in The Sims.  
 
Replayability  
I played The Sims for countless hours and loved it. I got tired of it after a 
few months. A few months later Livin' It Up came out and I played it for 
literally hundreds of more hours. Once you have played the game, play it with 
cheats to create the ultimate home. You can put anything in the game that you 
want. You can also create your own skins, walls, floors, and objects to add 
many more hours of fun.  
 
Should you get this game?  
If you have played Sim City or any other ''Sim'' game and loved it, this game 
is for you. This is 10 times better than Sim City. This game received Game of 
the Year for a reason.  
 
Livin' Large or House Party  
If you have a choice between Livin' Large and House Party, which expansion 
pack do you choose? If I had to pick one of the expansion packs, I would 
choose Livin' large. I just enjoyed Livin' Large a little more. Both 
expansion packs have about the same new objects, and new characters. The only 
difference between the two is the fact that you have more jobs to choose from 
in Livin' Large. I enjoyed both expansion packs very much.  
 
I really enjoyed this game. I have played this game for many hours. I love 
how you can add objects, skins, floors, and walls. I enjoy making a house 
from scratch. I just have not thought so highly of a game.

Score 10/10


---------------------------------------
9.3 House Party
---------------------------------------
The Sims has a new expansion pack. Livin' Large was the first expansion pack, 
which was released last fall. House Party, the new expansion pack, was just 
released on March 27, 2001.  
 
The new expansion pack has many new objects, walls, floors, and non-playable 
characters (NPCs). There are over 100 new objects, many more group 
activities, new music, 3 new themes (Cowboy, Rave, and Luau), and many new 
costumes.  
 
I enjoyed the House Party. I like some of the new objects like, the DJ booth, 
the dance floor, the buffet table, and the mechanical bull. These are just 
some of the great objects.  
 
The parties are probably the best part of the new expansion pack. Most of the 
new objects are for parties. If your party becomes big enough you will be 
paid a visit by a celebrity. You can also hire a DJ or someone to run the 
buffet table. That way you don't have to worry about keeping the guests 
happy. There are endless amounts of activities in the game.  
 
Gameplay  
The gameplay is just as good as The Sims. The only additions are the new 
objects. There are no new jobs to my knowledge. Most of the bugs, if not all, 
in the game have been fixed.  
Just like The Sims and Livin' Large you have to meet the needs of your sims. 
The eight needs are Hunger, Bladder, Comfort, Hygiene, Social, Fun, Energy, 
and Room. You build the house that your sims live in, or you can add on to 
it.  
 
Audio and Video  
The graphics are good. You see the details in items. The video is just all-
around great.  
In my opinion, the audio is better then the video. For every action that you 
do, there are sounds to go along with it. When you aren't doing anything 
specific the general game music is also great. There is always some kind of 
music going.  
 
Replayability  
If you ever get tired of The Sims get this expansion pack. House Party adds 
even more hours of fun to The Sims. With the new objects, characters, etc. 
the fun of House Party gets better. There are only so many things you can do 
with this game. After you have played with all of the new objects it will get 
boring. If you like The Sims, then you will have hours of fun with this game.  
 
Livin' Large or House Party  
If you have a choice between Livin' Large and House Party, which expansion 
pack do you choose? If I had to pick one of the expansion packs, I would 
choose Livin' large. I just enjoyed Livin' Large a little more. Both 
expansion packs have about the same new objects, and new characters. The only 
difference between the two is the fact that you have more jobs to choose from 
in Livin' Large. I enjoyed both expansion pack very much.  
 
Should I Get This Game  
If you loved The Sims you should definitely get this game. If you have never 
played The Sims and you are thinking about getting this game, try it at a 
friends house. Some people just think this game is boring, that's why you 
should try it out. If you like any of the SimCity titles or SimEarth then you 
will probably like this game.  
 
I really enjoyed this game. With the new objects it was a lot more fun. I 
suggest that you at least look at the reviews of this game. If you love The 
Sims, I guarantee that you will like this expansion pack.

Score: 10/10


=======================================
10.  Legal Information
=======================================

This document is protected by US Copyright Law, and the Berne Copyright 
Convention of 1976.  It is for private and personal use only--it cannot be 
reprinted in part or in whole, or reproduced in any way or in any form 
(written or otherwise).  It is a free document that cannot be use in any sort 
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This FAQ cannot be referenced, altered, or used by anybody (including 
webmasters, publishers, and magazine staff) without my express written 
permission.  This FAQ was created and is owned by me, Jeff Lewis  (AKA 
PS2pcGAMER.  It can be found exclusively at www.gamefaqs.com, 
www.angelfire.com/games3/ps2pcgamer/,  and www.canyonlake.net/the_sims/.  All 
copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged and respected that are not 
specifically mentioned herein.  Remember, plagiarism is a crime and is 
punishable by law.

     The Sims is a registered TradeMark of Maxis and Electronic Arts.

     This FAQ is © Jeff "PS2pcGAMER" Lewis, 2001.  All rights reserved.

     If you want this FAQ to be used on your site, e-mail me at 
[email protected] and make sure you tell me your site url.  You may not 
have this FAQ on your site unless you have my written permission.

     If you have found this FAQ at any site but www.gamefaqs.com, 
www.angelfire.com/games3/ps2pcgamer/, and www.canyonlake.net/the_sims/ e-mail 
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