Sim

A Sim is a virtually simulated person. Sims are the primary focus of The Sims series, and are considered the main life state in nearly every game in the series.

Sims are complex creatures, capable of desires, fears, and physical and mental needs. Sims can have a unique appearance with different hair and eye colors, skin colors, body sizes, and more. A Sim's personality is equally as complex, with Sims having their own aspirations or traits, allowing for countless variations between Sims.

Sims live out their day-to-day lives, while also living out a full life cycle, stretching from birth to death. The progress of a Sim's life is inexorably tied to the decisions of the player; while Sims may be provided with certain amounts of autonomy, ultimately their lives are under the control of the player. This bond between player and Sim is symbolized by the Plumbob, which shows the Sim that is currently under the player's active control.

The evolution of Sims
Sims were first mentioned in the first edition of SimCity, but aside from little dots in the sports stadium, they were never seen. Their first known appearance was in SimAnt (1991); there was only one owner in the yard and the ant colony he lived upon. Players can also see a stray or wandering cat outside the yard that the dog frequently scares away.

Further interaction was given to the Sims in SimTown (1994), and was the base of many concepts that later went into The Sims. Among these was a very basic mood meter which only contained "sad" and "happy" and had relatively few factors that go into it. Players could choose certain Sims' favorite things (somewhat like Aspiration in The Sims 2), and could peer into all houses (only one floor could be revealed, however).

After that, no game quite got as close to The Sims as the game itself. However, Streets of SimCity (1997) introduced Simlish for the first time in the radio music. The first game with spoken Simlish was SimCopter (1996).

Simology
Sims are a bipedal, humanoid species, found in SimNation. Most Sims are omnivores, however vampiric Sims exhibit hematophagy, and some Sims, who get sick from eating meat, exhibit vegetarianism. Sims have four limbs: two arms and two legs. It is unclear how intelligent Sims are; although they have the ability to use tools and create works of art and technology, they lack direction and often require a guiding hand, that of the player, to manage some of the simplest of tasks. Sims tend to be social creatures, and can hallucinate if left alone for too long.

The Sims
The characteristics of Sims in The Sims, The Sims for consoles, The Sims Bustin' Out for consoles and The Sims Bustin' Out handhelds.
 * A Sim's Needs affect their Mood.
 * A Sim's Personality determines what activities they prefer and how they interact with other Sims. It is affected by their Zodiac signs.
 * Interests are what Sims like to talk about.
 * Age affects the interactions a Sim can perform
 * Relationships with other Sims
 * Employment and Education
 * Skills determine how well Sims perform certain tasks

The Urbz: Sims in the City
The characteristics of Sims (here called Urbz) in The Urbz: Sims in the City.
 * A Sim's Needs affect their Mood. Urbz only have five of the usual eight motives.
 * Relationships with other Sims
 * Skills determine how well Sims perform certain tasks. Urbz only have three skills instead of six.
 * Reputation is based on how well a Sim gets along with others and increases when completing tasks for them.

The Sims 2
The characteristics of Sims in The Sims 2, The Sims 2 (console), The Sims 2: Pets (console), The Sims 2: Castaway, The Sims 2: Apartment Pets, and The Sims Stories. Some characteristics are only available with Expansion packs.
 * A Sim's Needs affect their Mood. Their needs are based on their Life state and age.
 * A Sim's Personality determines what activities they prefer and how they interact with other Sims. It is affected by their Zodiac signs. Their sign and their Turn-ons/offs also determine their romantic compatibility.
 * Interests are what Sims like to talk about.
 * Age affects the interactions a Sim can perform.
 * Memories of what has occurred in their lives.
 * Relationships with other Sims
 * Employment and Education
 * Life state
 * Aspirations that determine a Sim's short- and long-term goals
 * Wants and fears, determined by a Sim's aspiration
 * Skills & Talent Badges determine how well Sims perform certain tasks
 * Hobby enthusiasm
 * Reputation is based on how nice a Sim is to others

The Sims 3

 * A Sim's Needs affect their Mood as well as Moodlets from what is occurring in their lives
 * A Sim's traits determines how they interact with other Sims and what activities they prefer.
 * Favorites affect their favorite aspects of everyday life
 * Zodiac sign affects their romantic compatibility with other Sims
 * Memories are collected in a scrap book when major events take place
 * Opportunities
 * Reputation is affected by public actions Sims make
 * Celebrity status is affected by careers, public actions, relationships, and household funds
 * Life states vary
 * Lifetime Wish are determined by their traits
 * Genetics are influenced by both parents and previous generations
 * Wishes are also determined by their traits, their lifetime wish and what is happening in their life and environment
 * Age affects the interactions a Sim can perform
 * Relationship with other Sims
 * Employment and Education
 * Skills determine how well Sims perform certain tasks

The Sims 4

 * A Sim's needs affect their mood and emotions as well as moodlets from what is occurring in their lives.
 * A Sim's traits determine what emotions they can feel during their lives and how they interact with other Sims and what activities they prefer. Traits also offer Sims unique interactions.
 * Emotions are affected by in-game events and affect a Sim's moodlets and interactions.
 * Memories are stored in a scrapbook interface, which also store the Sim's emotion.
 * Age affects the interactions a Sim performs.
 * Sims can become certain life states.
 * Sims can have a multitude of aspirations in which when chosen gives the Sim a unique trait. Sims can also change their aspiration but not their unique traits unless they complete them.
 * Whims are also determined by traits, aspiration, and what is happening in their life and environment.
 * Relationships with other Sims of two varieties, friendship and romantic.
 * Employment and education.
 * Skills determine how well Sims perform certain tasks.
 * Character values affect children's journey to adulthood and can determine their future traits.
 * Childhood phases

The normal life state
Generally, a Sim is born with the normal life state. Prior to The Sims 3: Supernatural, the normal life state was the only one that could be created in Create a Sim.

Unlike the other life states, being normal does not offer any advantages or disadvantages, although, that can be seen as an advantage or disadvantage.

Compatibility
With the exception of alien-Sim hybrids, which are the result of genetics, Sim-hybrids are not possible. A normal Sim who is transformed to another life state ceases to be normal.

Sim as a Taxonomic Category
In The Sims universe, a normal Sim is categorized under the Human life state. This means that "Sim" as a category is something broader than a species. Witches are Sims who have gained the ability to use spells. A werewolf is a Sim who has two forms, and has the ability to switch between these. Vampires are Sims inflicted with a viral illness that grants them heightened abilities at the cost of needing nourishment from agents that are present in Human Sim blood. PlantSims are Sims who have acquired some qualities of plants, such as the ability to photosynthesize, and who therefore have different needs.

While Fairies, Genies, Bigfoots, Aliens, and Mermaids can be categorized as Sims, they are not humans, and are different species on their own. Speculatively, a Genie could be a purple-hued humanoid with the ability to manipulate spacetime, a Bigfoot could be a highly evolved ape on the cusp of sapience, Aliens could be a species that evolved light years away from the human Sims' planet, Fairies could be mischievous humanoids that affect nature.

Zombies are either dead Sims who have been partially restored to life, or Sims changed from a transformation. Similarly, ghosts are the spirits of dead Sims who are visiting from the Netherworld. Mummies are cursed Sims in a state which can be considered a derivative of Zombieism. Servos, SimBots, and Plumbots are considered as Artificial Sims.