Motive

Motives, or needs, are the basic physical and mental requirements or desires of Sims and pets in The Sims, The Sims 2, The Sims 3, The Sims 4, and The Sims Social games. In The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, Sims in different life states may have different motives, and some motives will drop faster or slower depending on a Sim's life stage.

Urgencies and Motive Failures
A Sim will react to low motives through urgencies. For example a Sim holding their stomach and pointing to the mouth indicates a hunger urgency or holding their bladder for a bladder urgency. In The Sims and The Sims 2, the Sim will wave at the player before expressing their motive urgency.

If a motive is not fulfilled and is depleted, motive failure will occur. This will have major consequences to the Sim. Below are the list of motive failures and its effects.
 * Hunger failure - The Sim dies of starvation.
 * Bladder failure - The Sim pees self, instantly depletes the hygiene motive.
 * Energy failure - The Sim passes out on the ground. If this motive failure happens while swimming, the Sim drowns.
 * Fun failure - No effect except lowering the Sim's mood or making them stressed.
 * Social failure - Tragic Clown or the Social Bunny appears to fulfill the motive. In The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, it makes Sims feel sad.
 * Hygiene failure - Makes the Sim smelly which disgusts surrounding Sims.
 * Comfort failure - Makes the Sim unable to perform certain tasks when standing.
 * Environment failure - Lowers the mood. If this motive failure is caused by spoiled food or finished plates, the Sim dies of a fly swarm.

Basic motives
In The Sims Social and The Sims FreePlay, fulfilling motives/needs will make the Sim inspired, and inspired Sims will earn more simoleons. In FreePlay, giving a Sim a cupcake will instantly fill the Sim's motives.
 * Hunger/Thirst (Replaces hunger for vampires in TS3/TS4)
 * Comfort (Moodlets in TS3 and TS4)
 * Social
 * Hygiene
 * Fun
 * Room/Environment (Moodlets in TS3 and TS4)
 * Energy
 * Bladder
 * Sunlight exposure (Hidden motive for vampires in TS3 that is shown with moodlets, such as fatigue)

Moodlet-Motive Chart
Note: These numbers below are approximate as there are no numerical indication for motives.

Servo motives

 * Power (Replaces energy)
 * Social
 * Fun
 * Environment

The Sims 2: Seasons

 * Water
 * Love (Replaces social)
 * Sunlight

The Sims 3: University Life

 * Water (Replaces hygiene)
 * Energy
 * Social
 * Fun

Pet motives
All large pets in The Sims: Unleashed, The Sims 2: Pets, The Sims 3: Pets and The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs share these motives:
 * Hunger
 * Energy
 * Bladder

Other pet motives are:
 * Social
 * Comfort
 * Hygiene
 * Fun (cats and dogs, not horses)
 * Scratch (cats)
 * Chew (dogs)
 * Destruction (dogs)
 * Exercise (horses)
 * Thirst (adult horses)
 * Bowel
 * Play
 * Affection

Small pets have no visible needs, but will die if not fed for too long.

SimBot motives

 * Scrap Reserves (Replaces hunger)
 * Waste Buildup (Replaces bladder)
 * Charge (Replaces energy)
 * Human Interaction (Replaces social)
 * Trivial Entertainment (Replaces fun)

Plumbot motives

 * Battery Power (Replaces energy)
 * Maintenance
 * Social
 * Fun

Cut motives

 * Family (, reverted to Social)
 * Friends (, reverted to Social)