Inventing



Inventing is a skill that appears in the Ambitions expansion pack for The Sims 3.

This skill benefits from the Eccentric trait. As an inventor, Sims can create either brilliant or destructive gadgets. There is a new Junkyard lot where inventors can collect junk using Detonation Packs. Inventive Sims can provide junk as a medium for Sims developing their Sculpting skill. There is a new inventions log that lists all the inventions a Sim has created and the travels they had in the time machine. Inventing will also increase Sim's handiness skill.

Inventor Sims use the Scraptastic™ Workbench to build inventions. While inventing on the workbench, there is a chance that a Sim might accidentally electrocute themselves or cause an explosion that sets them on fire. In addition to working at the Scraptastic™ Workbench, Sims can also raise Inventing skill by reading books and detonating objects. Before being able to create an invention at will, a Sim must use the Invent interaction and accidentally stumble upon making the object first. After that, they can reproduce the object at will so long as they have the required amount of scrap metal.

Children can become inventors as well, although the option to use Detonation Packs will not be available to them until they become Young Adults.

Inventions

 * Toys
 * Widgets (decorative objects with no practical function.)
 * Magical Gnome of Invention (randomly created when inventing or creating other items.)
 * Big inventions:
 * Floor Hygienator (provides the Sim who walks over it with the moodlet "Squeaky Clean", "Nauseous", "Tranquil" "Minty Fresh Breath" or "New Car Smell". It also could make the Sim "Fascinated" if they are a Genius.)
 * Harvester (Sucks up nearby garden produce, gems, metals, insects, scrap and waste.)
 * Miner (Digs up scrap, space rock, metal, and gems, and can be used for transport between digsites.)
 * Time Machine (Rabbit hole)
 * SimBot (A new life state)

These inventions (and other things) can be used to complete opportunities or be sold via the consignment store for a handy profit.

Getting a SimBot
Despite the skill goal listed in-game, a Sim who is an Inventor can receive the phone call to begin the Sim Bot questline at any time.

The quest chain has four steps:

The first step is to bring one bar of Palladium to the Science Lab.

Second, turn in 10 life fruits, which requires someone in the family to have at least level 7 gardening skill.

Third, get a heart cut Pink Diamond. This cut is only available once a Sim has collected at least one of every different gem.

Once the heart-shaped Pink Diamond has been turned in, the Science Lab will ask for 100 units of scrap, which should be easy to find.

After everything is turned in, the inventor will receive a "Life Core" and will be directed to create a "Mystery Invention" which, of course, turns out to be a SimBot. Once the SimBot is finished, the player will have the choice to either have the adopt the SimBot, or "release it into the wild". For the first SimBot, the gender cannot be chosen, but the name can.

After that, the inventor will be able to create more SimBots, and the player will be able to choose the gender of those Sim Bots. Each SimBot will require the same materials needed to create the first one.

SimBots can also be bought with the lifetime reward "my best friend", although they come out rusty and you cannot choose the name or gender.

Self-Employment
Players may choose to register any adult Sim with at least one point of writing skill as a "Self-Employed Inventor" at City Hall. Sims in this career earn promotions based on the amount of money earned through inventions.