The Sims (Strategy)

Jason Samuel, Dan Amrich and the design team of The Sims, GamePro

04/11/2003 12:28:27

Decorating your house

There are a few necessities you must have in your home to really get the game going. Other needed items will depend on your job track and your wishes for Sim happiness. Every home needs a refrigerator, telephone, bed or good couch, toilet, shower or bathtub, microwave or stove.

Of course that is just the minimum, you'll want a TV for fun and a bookshelf to learn cooking and mechanical. Later if you end up in a creative intensive field you'll want a painter's BLANK. If logic comes to be demanded for your work a chess set. If body, a weight machine. If charisma, a mirror.

Lights equal happiness. Make sure you put windows and a lamp in every room (including the bathroom), or your Sims won't enjoy spending time there. In the john, use the high, horizontal privacy windows so the neighbors don't get a view.

David Oester, Programmer

If you have a TV or Radio in your bedroom be sure to turn it off before your Sim goes to bed or he'll have trouble sleeping.

Buying a burglar alarm can protect you from losing property AND you can gain reward money when the crook is caught.

If your Sim is a bad cook, consider buying a microwave instead of a stove.

Hire a maid if you don't like to spend time cleaning up the house.

Hire a repair guy to do routine upkeep on your household appliances before they break down.

General Tips

Fires are a very real danger. Before you buy a grill, get your Sims to study cooking to at least level 2 to minimize the risk.

Go slow overnight and queue up the next morning's logical activities-breakfast, shower, etc. Leave yourself about two hours before you have to go out the door. Same thing goes for when they're at work-for instance, make them pick up the paper on their way into the house.

Learn your Sims' TV preferences-if they don't enjoy what they're watching, they'll make negative noises. The big TVs come with time-saving remotes.

Hire the maid right from the start. She works cheap (usually $30 a day) and she'll free up your Sims for fun stuff. Ditto the gardener.

Always answer the phone. It's usually good news in the form of free money-and you can't buy an answering machine.

Kana Ryan, Producer of The Sims

Move in single people to your neighborhood. Get them to move in or marry another of your Sims… they bring their money with them!

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