Mailbox

Mailbox

Several types of mailboxes in The Sims 3.

The mailbox is a special object, present on all residential lots in The Sims, The Sims 2, The Sims 3, and The Sims 4. Mailboxes are used to receive and to pay bills in all games. Various expansion packs allow other pieces of mail to be sent to mailboxes as well, such as date rewards or coupons.

In The Sims and The Sims 2, the mailbox object also has other functions not related to sending and receiving mail. The mailbox serves as a "marker" which allows visitors to find the front door. Taxicabs, carpools and school buses tend to stop near the mailbox. In The Sims 2: Bon Voyage and later, Sims who are walking back home from a community lot are considered to have arrived when they reach the area of the mailbox.

In The Sims and The Sims 2, the mailbox is not moveable and cannot be deleted unless the moveobjects cheat is activated. Mailboxes cannot be bought or spawned in (unless the game is modified), so deleting the mailbox is not advised. The Sims 3 gives the player the ability to move the mailbox around the lot to a location of their choosing; however, a cheat is still required to delete the mailbox.

The mailbox has several special properties when the testingcheatsenabled cheat is activated in The Sims 2 and, to a lesser extent, in The Sims 3. In the latter game, using the same Testingcheatsenabled cheat followed by the Buydebug one, the player is able to obtain different mailboxes, provided that they have the Store worlds/expansion packs that include those different mailboxes.

The Sims

The mailbox in The Sims, located near the trash can.

In The Sims, the mailbox served only a single purpose—to provide a place for the mail carrier to put the bills in. Mailboxes take the form of a traditional "Joroleman" mailbox with a red semaphore flag that is raised by the mail carrier when there is incoming mail. As the mailbox is located outside the lot boundaries, it cannot be moved or modified by the player.

If Unleashed is installed, and the player converts an Old Town residential lot to a community lot, the mailbox will become invisible, but can still be located with the moveobjects cheat.

The Sims 2

The mailbox in The Sims 2.

Mailboxes in The Sims 2 served the same function as the previous game, with a few additional features. Mailboxes are now used as markers; walkbys will often stop by the mailbox briefly before carrying on. They also determined where Sims will appear after moving in, as well the taxi drive-off whereabouts in the cinematics. If Bon Voyage or later is installed, Sims walking back from a community lot will end their trip by the mailbox. In addition, the mail carrier will collect paid bills from the mailbox, and will lower the semaphore flag when doing so.

In the base game, mailboxes only serve as objects for bills to be delivered, payed and collected back. A Sim may retrieve mail autonomously, but will usually need to be directed by the player. If Nightlife is installed, coupons and date rewards will be delivered to the mailbox.

In an apartment, the mailbox takes the form of a mail station, with numerous letterboxes. The mail station is used to pay both the rent and the usual bills. Sims will use a slot on the side of the station to pay their rent, while the compartments in the front are used to pay and collect bills and other items of interest. The red semaphore flag is replaced with a green light, which is lit when there is incoming mail. Landlords will pick up paid rent from the mailbox as part of their daily duties.

An apartment mailbox.

Like The Sims, the mailbox by default cannot be moved without the use of cheats. If moveobjects is used to move the mailbox to a different location, walkbys may move towards the mailbox's new location, which may lead to some unusual behavior.

Several options are visible when players enable the testing cheats and shift-click on the mailbox. Players can force the game to generate or spawn certain NPCs on the lot, and can make the selected Sim know everyone in the neighborhood.

If Mansion & Garden Stuff is installed, players can use the design tool on the mailbox to customize it, but cannot customize apartment mailboxes (as there are no featured recolors for it).

The Sims 3

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In addition to its basic function, Sims can use the mailbox to send love letters to other Sims. Sims with the Good trait are able to donate to charities using the mailbox. Penthouses will have a wall-mounted mail station in the lobby instead of a standalone mailbox.

The Sims 4

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Sims can buy different kinds of mailboxes in buy mode. If the mail carrier is unable to reach the mailbox, a notification will appear informing the player that mail has been delivered. It is also used for Sims who write books to sell them. Sims living in apartments will have a wall-mounted mail station, much like The Sims 3: Late Night.