Create a Sim

Create a Sim (also known as CAS) is where Sims are made. It is used to customize a Sim's appearance and personality as well as the relationship within a family or household before adding them to a neighborhood. As a rule, only superficial changes can be made to a Sim's appearance once he or she is added to the game. However, there are exceptions to this.

The Sims
In The Sims, the 'Create a Sim' button is located as the very top left of the Neighbourhood Screen and is labelled as 'Create A Family'. After clicking this button, the player is taken to the Family Bin where they can choose from pre-made Sim families or click one of the tabs that reads 'Create a new family...'. This is where players can create a Sim family.

First, choose a family name for the Sims. All Sims created per household will share the same family name, as Sims in The Sims do not have surnames. Click the plus button (represented by a 'plus' symbol) to add a Sim to the family. There is a maximum of 8 Sims per family. When a Sim is added to the family, he or she is represented by a thumbnail displaying that Sim's face. To delete a Sim, click that Sim's thumbnail and click the delete button which is represented by a 'trashcan' symbol. Sims can be edited by clicking on the thumbnail for the desired Sim and then clicking the 'pencil with eraser symbol' located between the 'Add A Sim' and 'Delete A Sim' tabs.



Adding A Sim
When clicking the 'Add A Sim' button, the player is taken to another screen. At the very top centre of a screen, a text box is displayed asking for the Sim's first name. Underneath this on the left side of the screen, are options to customise the Sim's personality. This is represented by five personality traits, each of which run on a scale of 0-10: Neat, Outgoing, Active, Playful and Nice. The player has 25 personality points which can be assigned to these traits. Unlike in The Sims 2, not all of the personality points need to be assigned to a Sim. As personality points are assigned to the Sim, the player is shown what the Sim's zodiac sign would be with that mix of personality points.

In the middle of the screen, choose the basic options for the Sims. Select their skin colour (light, medium, or dark), their age (adult or child) and their gender (male or female). This is far more basic than the 'Create A Sim' in later games. Unlike in The Sims 2, Sims of the toddler, teenager, young adult or elder ages cannot be created, as those life stages are not present. The Sims doesn't keep track of family relationships, so any adult Sims will be considered as spouses and all children as siblings.

On the very right hand corner of the screen stands a pre-made Sim with the selected properties. Beside The Sim's head, use the arrows left or right of the Sim's head to change that Sim's basic head. There are arrows located either side of the Sim's body to change that Sim's basic body. For adult Sims, this is how their basic body type (skinny, fit, or fat) is chosen. Unlike later editions to the series, an in-depth customisation of a Sims' physical appearance is not possible; players are only able to choose from a number of heads and a number of bodies for a Sim. As expansion packs for The Sims are installed, more heads and bodies are added to the game. Heads come with their own basic hairstyle while bodies come with their own basic clothes. Hairstyles and clothes cannot be customised individually, but if custom heads and/or bodies have been added to the game, they can be chosen.

Finally at the bottom of the screen, there is a large text box which allows the player to write a brief biography about the Sim. The biography can be updated later at any time during the Live Mode stage of gameplay. Click the 'Done' button to save the Sim to the family screen.

The Sims 2
In The Sims 2, the CAS button is revealed by clicking the family bin at the bottom of the screen. As opposed to The Sims, any age besides baby or young adult (which must be made in the University Create a Student) may be created. Instead of having to choose from already finished faces attached to a corresponding hair, greater variety is possible with the new feature of being able to alter the facial structure (such as widen nose, thin lips, elongate chin etc.) and choose any hairstyle to go with it. Different eye colors and an additional skin tone is available for the Sims as well. If the Sim is older than a child, their Aspiration and Turn-ons/offs (Nightlife and further EPs) may be determined. As in The Sims, there are five personality traits, and 25 personality points which can be assigned to those traits. However, in The Sims 2, all personality points must be assigned. Additionally, there are twelve pre-set personalities, one for each of the twelve zodiac signs.

After several Sims are created, the family tree must be organized. All toddlers, children, and teens must be related to at least one adult member of the household. A child cannot be linked (using the family tree tool) to an elder without an adult in the family.

While it is normally not possible to make more than superficial changes to a Sim's appearance once he or she is in the game, Dr Vu's Automated Cosmetic Surgeon can be used to remake the face of a young adult, adult, or elder Sim. Also, the InSimenator or the Sim Blender can be used to remake a Sim's face.

Steps on how to create a Sim/family

 * 1) Once in Neighborhood view, click the 'Families' icon and select 'Create a Family'.
 * 2) Enter the family's last name and select 'Create a Sim'. A random Sim model is shown.
 * 3) Enter the Sim's first name, indicate whether the Sim is a male or female, choose the skin tone and the Sim's fitness.
 * 4) Click on the 'Step 2' button to choose a pre-made head.
 * 5) Click the 'Step 3' button to change the Sim's hair style and color, choose face shape and change the shape of face parts, and choose eye color.
 * 6) Click the 'Step 4' button. Choose the Sim's make up, glasses, facial hair, and or jewelry, etc.
 * 7) Click the 'Step 5' button. Choose the Sim's everyday, formal, swimwear, PJs, underwear, athletic outfits, and outerwear.
 * 8) Click the 'Step 6' button. Choose the Sim's aspiration and personality, and select his/her Turn Ons and Turn Offs.
 * 9) Click the 'Accept Sim' button.
 * 10) [[Image:Sims2create-sim.jpg|thumb|Creating a Sim by genetics.]]Once two adults of opposite sexes are created, a child using the adults' genetics can be created by clicking the 'Create a Sim' button and select 'Make a Child'. The two adults' DNA are inherited by the child and a random model of a possible child is shown. Click the 'Make a Child' button again for another random possibility.
 * 11) Pets can also be added to the family and created in Create a Pet.
 * 12) Click the 'Family Relationships' button, and drag the family members' portraits onto another to select the Sims' relationships, and then select accept.
 * 13) Click the 'Accept Family' button. The family is now in the Family Bin waiting to be moved into a home, and is already attached to the player's cursor. Select the home to move into (make sure it's outlined in green so the family can afford it) and then click 'Accept'. Now they can enter this new world...

Family tree
Relationships allowed by the family tree tool in Create a Sim.

Relationships to a Toddler, Child, or Teen
 * Toddler, Child, Teen: sibling, step-sibling or cousin
 * Adult: parent, step-parent uncle or aunt
 * Elder: grandparent, great-uncle or great-aunt

Relationships to an Adult
 * Toddler, Child, Teen: child, niece or nephew
 * Adult: sibling, spouse, sibling-in-law, or cousin
 * Elder: parent, parent-in-law, uncle or aunt

Relationships to an Elder
 * Elder: sibling, spouse, or sibling-in-law
 * Adult: child, niece, nephew, or child-in-law
 * Toddler, Child, Teen: grandchildren, great-niece or great-nephew

Create-A-Student
In The Sims 2: University, Create-A-Student is the version of Create-A-Sim which is available when viewing the main screen of a college sub-neighborhood. Unlike the normal Create-A-Sim, Create-A-Student only creates young adult Sims who only appear in the Student Bin. Also, instead of creating "families", it creates households, and allows the player to give Sims within a household different last names.

Aside from that, Create-A-Student is pretty much the same as the normal CAS, except that the Sim stands in a different room during creation. Once finished, the Household will receive §500 per Sim, and they can be moved into a dorm or private home, but cannot be moved directly into an established Greek house.

Create-A-Pet
Main article: Create a Pet In The Sims 2: Pets, the Create-A-Pet feature is part of the CAS. An adult or elder dog or cat can be added to the family. There are many options to customize the appearance of a pet as well as predefined breeds. A pet's personality and name can then be chosen. The player can also unlock many new coats and collars through in-game experiences.

The Sims 3
The Sims 3 has the most advanced version of 'Create A Sim' in any of the series games so far with new tools like the "Create a Twin" and Create a Style, more skin colors, and body shape sliders.

To create a Sim, the player will be immediately presented with a tab at the bottom left of the Neighbourhood screen labelled 'Create Sims'. Click this and it will immediately load the Create-A-Sim screen. As in previous The Sims games, a household holds a maximum of eight (8) Sims. At the bottom of the screen are thumbnails displaying the current Sims existing in the household. By clicking on a Sim's thumbnail, a pop-up appears giving the option to edit, delete, save or share the Sim. A new feature added to the series, which can be selected from this menu, is the option to Create A Twin. By clicking this button, an identical version of that Sim appears in order to make identical twins, which can then be customised further. Beside the last Sim's thumbnail, there is a 'plus' button which adds a new Sim. Once this is clicked, the current Sim is saved and the new Sim is ready for customisation. This button is disabled once there are eight Sims as is the Create A Twin button.

There is also an option called Play With Genetics (this feature is similar to "Create A Child" in The Sims 2). Once at least one male Sim and at least one female Sim have been created, selecting "Play With Genetics" will create a new Sim. Here, pick one male Sim and one female Sim and see what their child would look like, in each of the six create-able stages - toddler, child, teen, young adult, adult, and elder. This tool is useful for creating a household with parents and children.

Create-A-Sim is split into five different sections. Below the five main sections, are two 'dice' tabs which allows the computer to randomly create an entire Sim or just the Sim's face. The following five tabs for the Sim are given out in further detail:

Basics
The very top button of the five tabs is basics where the player chooses a name, the age body shape and skin color of their Sim.

First Name: Type in the Sim's first name.

Last Name: Type in the Sim's last name. The most common last name of the household will be the default household name, in case of a tie, the first one entered is selected. However, each member can have an individual last name if desired. This is similar to creating students in The Sims 2: University.

Gender: Choose either male or female.

Age: Choose from the following six ages:


 * Toddler(approximately 2-4 years old)
 * Child (approximately 5-12 years old)
 * Teenager (approximately 13-18 years old)
 * Young Adult (approximately 19-35 years old)
 * Adult (approximately 36-59 years old)
 * Elder (approximately 60 years and older)

'''As in previous games, babies cannot be created due to the fact that infants cannot have their facial structure customized, unlike toddlers or adults. They all look identical until they become toddlers, which is when genetics begin to appear.'''

Skin Color: Whereas previous games only allowed three to four basic skin colours, The Sims 3 has 6 basic colours and then uses a slider to either lighten or darken that Sim's skin. For the first time, players can decide how light or dark a Sim's colour is within a certain race. There are also more unconventional skin colours such as green, blue or red.

Sliders
Weight: In The Sims 2, players could only choose between two basic body types: normal and fat. A third body type - Fit - could only be achieved in the game and not on the Create A Sim menu. In The Sims 3, however, body weight is determined by moving a slider left or right. Sims can be extremely skinny or extremely fat. However, toddlers do not have the option to have their weight customised.

Muscle tone: Again, there is a slider to determine how much muscle the Sim has or hasn't. Incredibly flabby Sims or incredibly muscular Sims can be created. However, toddlers, children, and elders do not have the option to have their muscle tone customised.

Muscle definition: Muscle definition is introduced with Late Night in patch 17 and can customize the muscle definition of a Sim, making a Sim look bony or ripped. However, toddlers and children do not have the option to have their muscle definition customised.

Breast size: This slider is used to increase or decrease the breast size of a female Sim. However, female toddlers and children, and males of any ages do not have the option to have their breast size customised, but only teenage and older females do. It is introduced in patch 17 with The Sims 3: Late Night

Hair
The Hair tab is located below the Basics tab. Click it to customise the Sim's hairstyle. Three tabs are seen at the left hand side of the screen. The top tab is 'Hairstyle and Hair Accessories', the middle tab is 'Eyebrows and Eyelashes' and the bottom tab is 'Facial Hair'(for male sims)

Hairstyle: Each hairstyle's colour can be customised with one of eight basic colours but players can customise the hair further by clicking the paintbrush icon. Individual colours for the base, roots, tips and highlights of the Sim's hair can be customised with a colour palette and slider.

Hairstyle Accessories: Hair accessories come with pre-set hairstyles. Hair accessories include hats, headbands and ponytails. They can be customised as normal and then use the Create a Style tool to customise the design and colour of the Sim's hat, ponytail or headband.

Eyebrows And Eyelashes: Clicking the left centre tab within the 'Hairstyle and Hair Accessories sections' is the 'Eyebrows And Eyelashes' section. Players can customise the eyebrows colour by using the colour palette and slider by clicking the paintbrush icon once again. A check box allows eyebrows to match roots of the Sim's hair. A slider for customising the length of the Sim's eyelashes is available.

Facial Hair: Facial hair is located at the bottom left tab of the 'Hair and Hair Accessories' section. Facial hair can only be used on male teens, young adults, adults and elders. It CANNOT be used by females of any age or toddler or child male Sims. Facial hair is first chosen and then the colour can be customised the same as hair colour (i.e. the base, roots, highlights and tips can all be customised individually) or a basic colour can be chosen. Unlike in The Sims 2, stubble and facial hair are not separate categories and appear in the same category.

Hair colour: Choose or customise colour of the Sims' hair. The following are the default hair colour chosen below:

Looks
The "looks" section can be either simple or complicated. It is where the face of the Sim is designed. Specific parts of a Sim's head can be modified by choosing a preset, or by going advanced and using sliders.

Head and Ears: Choose or customize the shape of the Sims' head and ears. (Pointed ears require additional sliders which can be downloaded here.)

Eye Shape: Choose or customise the shape of the Sims' eyes.

Eye Color: Choose or customise the color of the Sims' eyes. The following are the default colors of the Sims' eyes chosen below:



Nose: Choose or customise the shape of the Sims' nose.

Mouth: Choose or customise the shape of the Sims' mouth.

Topical Details: Choose an option of the Sims' topical details. Freckles and beauty marks are available for toddlers and older. Face wrinkles are available only for middle-aged adults and older. Old age spots are available only for elders.

Eye Shadow: Choose the option of the Sims' eye shadow, and then choose or customise the color. However, toddlers do not have the option to have the eye shadow customised.

Eye Liner: Choose the option of the Sims' eye liner. However, toddlers do not have the option to have the eye shadow customised.

Blush: Choose the option of the Sims' blush, and then choose or customise the color. However, toddlers do not have the option to have this customised.

Lip Stick: Choose the option of the Sims' lipstick, and then choose or customise the color. However, toddlers do not have the option to have this customised.

Costume Makeup: Choose the option of the Sims' costume makeup, and then choose or customise the color.

Tattoos: Choose or customise the option of the Sims' tattoos. The position of the tattoos can be on the back of the neck, the upper back, the lower back, the full back, the shoulders, the biceps, the forearms, the wrist the chest, the belly button, or the ankle. However, toddlers, children and teenagers do not have the option to have the tattoos customised. This feature is introduced in The Sims 3: Ambitions.

Clothes
In this tab, players can choose what their Sims will wear. Five categories include everyday wear, formal wear, sleepwear, athletic wear, and swimwear. Each type of clothes found in each categories include tops, bottoms, full-body outfits, footwear (which players can choose, unlike in The Sims and The Sims 2), eyewear, earrings, gloves, bracelets, rings and socks. Players can create up to three outfits in all categories. Outfits can be customized during gameplay by clicking on a dresser. The colour and pattern of the clothes can be chosen by the player with the Create a Style tool. However toddlers do not have the option to have athletic wear, swimwear and accessories chosen and/or customized

Examples of clothes chosen in the Create-A-Sim mode.

Personality
Players can choose any of the traits available in the menu, also they can create favorite food, music and color, the Sim's voice (Toddlers have one voice slider, children have two voice sliders, and teenagers and older have three voice sliders), and the Sim's lifetime wish (which used to be a randomized lifetime want in The Sims 2.) Zodiac signs are to be readded in The Sims 3: Late Night, which can make Sims more friendly with other Sims with compatible signs. Players can also write the biography of their Sims. However, toddlers, children and teenagers don't have the option to have the lifetime wish chosen. The complete list of traits is found here.

Family tree
Relationships allowed by the family tree tool in Create a Sim.

Relationships to a Toddler, Child, or Teen
 * Toddler, Child, Teen: sibling or cousin
 * Adult: parent, uncle or aunt
 * Elder: grandparent, great-uncle or great-aunt

Relationships to a Young Adult or Adult
 * Toddler, Child, Teen: child, niece or nephew
 * Adult: sibling, spouse, sibling-in-law, cousin, boyfriend/girlfriend, fiancee
 * Elder: parent, parent-in-law, uncle or aunt

Relationships to an Elder
 * Elder: sibling, spouse, sibling-in-law, boyfriend/girlfriend, fiancee
 * Adult: child, niece, nephew, or child-in-law
 * Toddler, Child, Teen: grandchildren, great-niece or great-nephew

One cannot make, for example, a Toddler who is a grandparent, because that is not possible in real life. For some strange reason elderly people cannot be married to a younger person - this can only be done in-game.