The Sims 2
NOTE: This article appeared on April Fools' Day 2003 and is not to be
taken seriously. You have been warned.
Hot on the heels of the announcement of The Sims Superstar, it’s been
revealed that there will be a sequel to The Sims, tentatively titled The Sims 2. We’ve got some inside information on some of the new features in store for the
sequel, and it will give you a glimpse of what to expect from the game when it
is released sometime in 2004.
The first change in store for The Sims is an overhaul of its graphics engine.
The Sims 2 will take advantage of the power of today’s graphics cards not only
to support higher resolutions (up to 1600 x 1200 pixels if your computer can
handle it), but to move the game into the world of 3D. You’ll be able to move
the camera around freely, with zooming, panning, and rotation controls. Enjoy
your sims’ parties from their perspective, get an underwater view from inside a
hot tub, join your sim in the shower, or sneak around their home peeking in the
windows – you’ll be a part of your sims’ world like never before!
The Sims 2 won’t just look different than the original; it will play
differently as well. You’ll have the option of enabling sim-aging so that you
can watch your sims grow old together. Their kids will finally get to grow up
too, so you can play through several generations of your sims’ family. Kick the
kids out when they turn 18 and force them to get jobs and places of their own,
but be sure to invite them back for family reunions and holidays. Sim families
can give each other money, so if you raise a pro athlete the proud sim parents
can share in the wealth. Don't expect much help from 35 year old slackers
still living with their parents, though.
There will still be social workers to take kids away from very bad homes, but
they will just show up in extreme cases when the child’s life is in danger.
Otherwise, the more attention you pay to your sim kids the better they turn out. Kids from good homes will begin their adult lives with bonus skill points and
good job opportunities. Those from neglectful homes will find the deck stacked
against them in their career options and may turn out to be evil as well (more
on that later). Remember it pays to take care of your sim kids because they will
be taking care of you when you’re old, and the sim social security checks will
only take you so far. Sims lucky enough to be evil and rich, can simply
pay to send their kids to an exclusive school to pick up bonus skills and allow
them to start their careers at a higher promotion level.
Pets galore »
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