PlantSim

The PlantSim is a life state included with The Sims 2: Seasons and The Sims 3: University Life.

The Sims 2: Seasons
PlantSims are created by overuse of pesticides on crops or fruit trees. Becoming a PlantSim takes time, but more trees and crops on a residential lot can help, as it is the amount of pesticide a Sim uses over time that can trigger the transformation. If a Sim becomes a PlantSim accidentally, contacting a member of the Garden Club may help to restore them to normal. A witch may also be able to help, or the Sim can call the Gypsy Matchmaker and buy the cure.

When a Sim becomes a PlantSim, they gain the ability to talk to plants (which boosts the plants' health dramatically) and automatically receive a gold Gardening badge. A PlantSim who is restored to normal Sim-hood will retain the badge and therefore the ability to talk to plants.

History
Since synthetic pesticides are a relatively recent development, it would seem that PlantSims came into existence recently. However, it would also appear that there is a natural society of PlantSims living somewhere in the wild. The family album of the Greenman family implies that Gabe O'Mackey and Jason Greenman went on a hiking trip and discovered this society in the mountains near Riverblossom Hills, where Rose Greenman was discovered.

Needs
PlantSims have only three needs, the same "needs" as all plants:
 * Love - Can be satisfied like the social need or by talking to plants.
 * Water - Can be satisfied by swimming, drinking water, showering, bathing, splashing in puddles, being in the rain, etc. Toddler PlantSims can also satisfy their water need by drinking from a bottle or eating flowers.
 * Sunlight - Can be satisfied by being in the sun or under a special greenhouse light.

It is best to always keep the PlantSim in some form of light, as the Sunlight need deteriorates faster than the other needs and cannot be replenished with the "MaxMotives" cheat. A PlantSim's Love and Water motives are affected by being in the room with a Snapdragon Bouquet, but this does not affect the Sunlight motive. A PlantSim can replenish both Water and Sunlight simultaneously by being out in the rain during the daytime. However, while a PlantSim is bathing to replenish the Water motive, being under a greenhouse light will not affect the Sunlight motive.

PlantSims also have invisible normal-Sim motives and if those motives get too low, they may express that in the same way that normal Sims do. For example, if Open For Business is installed, a PlantSim employed in a player-owned business may complain about normal-Sim motives. If FreeTime is installed, a PlantSim's invisible Fun motive will affect how long he or she will read a hobby magazine. A PlantSim's mood may be affected by these invisible motives. For example, when a PlantSim has been standing for a long period of time and hasn't been doing anything fun, his or her mood may be in deep red despite the three PlantSim motives being nearly full.

PlantSims, like Servos, can eat and use toilets, even though they do not need to do either. An unselectable PlantSim visiting a lot may use a toilet and, if at a restaurant, may order and eat a meal.

Creation
Due to the need of pesticides to transform, it is safe to infer that the overuse of pesticides genetically alter the Sim in question.

Physiology
Because of the Sunlight need, it can be assumed that PlantSims photosynthesize like any other plant. They retain the ability to eat, although they have no need to eat and gain no benefits from eating.

PlantSims have shorter lives than normal Sims. Their only life stages are toddler, adult, and elder, so PlantSims who enter life as toddlers will never attend school and cannot go to college. However, this is balanced by PlantSims passing on their skills and talents when they reproduce asexually; PlantSim toddlers may have a shorter overall lifespan than Sim toddlers, but they get a head start. Note that being transformed into a PlantSim does not affect a Sim's lifespan; adult and elder Sims who are transformed into PlantSims will live out whichever stage they are in. Like normal Sims, PlantSims can use the Elixir of Life to extend their lives.

PlantSims do not have any hair on their heads, and on initial transformation, any that was there before may fall out of the head to be replaced with a growth of leaves and flower saplings. This produces spores which can produce clones or improve the physical conditions of other forms of life in the immediate vicinity, including other PlantSims. When at least three PlantSims release the "Spores of Happiness" at once, they may perpetually mutually improve each other's needs.

With each clone, the appearance of descendants steadily changes to that resembling an elf, which in the Sims universe may place PlantSims as the explanation for the myth. As seen with the Greenman family in their photo album pictures, an entire society of PlantSims seems to exist in the wild, further supporting the theory that they fill the role of mythological elves or pixies.

It appears that PlantSims also produce pollen, or at least are capable of doing so at their wish. PlantSims have been known to play pranks on other Sims by blowing pollen on them.

PlantSims tolerate heat much better than normal Sims do. They can get warm, but cannot overheat. However, they can get cold enough to freeze.

Reproduction
Unlike other life states which result from the transformation of Sims, PlantSims can reproduce themselves. A PlantSim can "Grow a Plantbaby" on the spot where they stand, simply by spreading the spores in their heads. The new PlantSim toddler will have all toddler skills, and will also have the same skills and talent badges as the parent, though the talent badges may be at a lower level. They will also have an identical personality but a different star sign. This is unusual, as a newly generated Sim's Zodiac sign is normally determined by his or her personality.

PlantSims may also reproduce sexually by WooHooing as normal Sims do, and the female PlantSim or Sim will get pregnant. Male PlantSims may father other Sims' children and even alien children. The naturally produced baby will be a normal Sim, even if both parents are PlantSims, which suggests that the PlantSim transformation may not alter Sim genetics, but add an "overlay" to them.

Appearance
All PlantSims have a default hairstyle and clothing, so they all look very much alike aside from their facial features. They can use Plan Outfit to change their clothes and outfits if the player so chooses. They will change into swimwear, gym clothes, etc., as other Sims do. Toddler PlantSims will look like their father, the ideal plantsim, a hidden NPC.

For the purposes of chemistry, PlantSims are considered to have full face make-up. The PlantSim skin tone is not unlocked when using Debug Mode in CAS.

Issues
The abbreviated life cycle and general nature of PlantSims can cause some issues, especially with regard to aspiration reward points and the lifetime aspiration bar, if present. Since PlantSim toddlers bypass the child and teen stages, already know how to walk and talk, and don't need to be potty trained, they will generally enter adulthood with fewer aspiration reward points and lifetime aspiration points than a normal Sim will. As far as aspiration benefits are concerned, this may be somewhat balanced by most benefits in the Motives track (except possibly Social and Comfort) being either partially or completely useless to PlantSims. However, they will be at a serious disadvantage when it comes to filling the lifetime aspiration bar.

In addition, the fact that PlantSim toddlers bypass the child and teen stages makes it very difficult to influence a PlantSim's personality by means of the "Encourage..." interaction, since toddlers cannot be Encouraged at all, PlantSims can only be Encouraged while they are adults, and even then only by elder relatives.

Becoming a PlantSim

 * Spraying
 * After a playable adult or elder Sim has sprayed garden plants or orchard trees for bugs 15 times, any further spraying by that Sim has a 10% chance (per spray) of turning him or her into a Plantsim. Children, teens, and young adults cannot become PlantSims, but can spray. Their spraying may affect their chances of transforming.
 * However, it has been noted that the number of times Sims on a lot have sprayed is not saved when exiting the lot and will therefore be reset to zero when the player loads the lot or when a resident Sim returns from a community lot. While it is not specifically mentioned, it seems likely that this will also affect Sims who are moved into the family bin.


 * Cheating
 * allows the player to shift-click on any garden plants and orchard trees to cause them to become infested with bugs, speeding up the process of spraying. Infesting has the side effect of causing the plants to grow to their final state before becoming harvestable.

Curing PlantSimism
PlantSimism can be cured by drinking the Plantophic-C potion. Plantophic-C can be bought from non-playable Garden Club members or from the Gypsy Matchmaker. With Apartment Life, witches can make Plantophic-C in their cauldrons. It has been noted that a Sim's spray count is not reset after he or she becomes a PlantSim, so a Sim may become a PlantSim shortly after being cured of PlantSimism. This may be mitigated by the spray count being reset upon exiting a lot, as described above.

The Sims 3: University Life
On Feb 13, 2013, EA confirmed that PlantSims would return in this expansion pack.

Appearance
The appearance of PlantSims is different from those in The Sims 2: Seasons. Their outfit consists mostly of leaves and can be any color. When they walk, flowers grow behind them.

Biology
Unlike The Sims 2: Seasons, PlantSims use all the same life stages as normal Sims, though normal Sims who are younger than teens cannot become PlantSims.

A PlantSim's lifespan is the same as a normal Sim's.

Creation
Normal Sims who are teens or older can become PlantSims by eating a Forbidden Fruit. In addition, Sims at university who take part in a science experiment have a 20% chance of becoming PlantSims. In either case, the affected Sim will receive a "Botanitis Minorous" moodlet, which will last 4 hours; if the moodlet is not cured or removed in that time, the Sim will become a PlantSim.

The Forbidden Fruit can be obtained by planting a Forbidden Fruit seed and choosing "Tend Garden" to get an edible fruit, or by using the Science Research Station to clone an existing seed or fruit.

A Sim with level 9 Science skill could take a DNA sample from a PlantSim and clone it in the science research station, producing a clone PlantSim baby.

PlantSims cannot be created in Create a Sim, even if The Sims 3: Supernatural is installed.

Reproduction
PlantSims cannot get pregnant. They can produce a Forbidden Fruit seed, plant it, grow it, and pick the fully grown fruit. Picking a fully grown Forbidden Fruit has a 50% chance of producing a PlantSim baby.

Motives
PlantSims do not have a Hunger or Bladder motive; these needs are covered by leaves in their motives panel. The Hygiene motive is replaced by a "Water" motive, which can be filled by having the PlantSim come into contact with water, such as by swimming, using a hot tub, or taking a shower, or by "photosynthesizing". Photosynthesizing restores both energy and water, and can only be done outdoors during the day. The Energy need alone can still be satisfied by sleeping in beds.

Players should note that PlantSims' Water motive still works similarly to Hygiene, as any physical activity/training will drain this need considerably and quickly. Because of this, the "Dirt Defiant" lifetime reward is much the same for a PlantSim as "Hardly Hungry" is for a normal Sim.

Abilities
PlantSims are able to communicate with plants, including offending them by telling them that their mother was an acorn. They are also better gardeners than other Sims. PlantSims can send flower kisses to other Sims and can also poison them with poison kisses. PlantSims are also able to absorb water puddles to refill their water motive.

Curing
PlantSimism can be cured at the Science Facility for 3000 simoleons or by creating "Super Spice" with the Science Research Station. If The Sims 3: Supernatural is installed, the Potent Cure Elixir will cure PlantSimism.

Trivia

 * In The Sims 3: University Life, two pre-made PlantSims, Shea Hollis and Sharon Dorsey, appear in Sims University.
 * If The Sims 3: Seasons is installed, PlantSims will remain unaffected by changes in the weather.