Terrain: Difference between revisions

'''Terrain''' is an area of land, usually referred for just a lot but not limited in that scope. Players can modify it by terraforming or painting it through [[build mode]] tools. [[Weather|Elements]] can affect the said terrain, such as snow and rain. Certain objects, especially outdoor plants, can only be place on empty terrain (unless cheats are used); likewise, some objects can only be placed on floor tiles and cannot be placed on terrain. There are also certain interactions and activities limited to empty terrain that can't be performed anywhere else, including but not limited to [[Bug collecting|catching insects or bugs]], [[collecting]], doing various snow activities (making snow angels, building snowmen and having snowball fights), having water balloon fights, watching stars, etc.

In ''[[The Sims]]'', terrain wasediting generallyis very simplistic compared to later games. Players can raise or, lower, and level the terrain as a basic form of terraforming, although Sims will typically have difficulty using objects placed on a slope. In addition, players cannot build walls near or on sloped tiles, nor can they add floor tiles of any kind. When the player raises or lowersadjusts the terrain, the grass will die off and will grow back on its own over time. Terraforming costs a small amount of money to complete depending on the extent of the changes done to the terrain.

With ''[[The Sims: Hot Date|Hot Date]]'',{{confirm}} players could add water to the terrain (previously, this was only possible through the use of cheats) that allowed for natural ponds and rivers. ''Hot Date'' also introduced a Grassgrass tool that allowedallows the player to add or remove grass manually.

Terrain editing was expanded in ''[[The Sims 2]]'' is more variable than in ''The Sims''. Editing the terrain no longer kills off grass, and floor tiles can be placed on sloped terrain. In addition, while ''The Sims'' was limited to basic hills, slopes, and valleys, ''The Sims 2'' allows for much more extreme slopes and creations to be made. Players can level and smooth the terrain in addition to being able to raise and lower it. ''The Sims 2'' also introduces a "Flatten Lot" tool that will instantly level the lot when used. Like in ''The Sims: Hot Date'', [[pond]]s can be created anywhere on the terrain.

Terrain was heavily expanded in ''[[The Sims 3: Seasons|Seasons]]'', as many seasonal activities, such as raking leaves, making [[snowman|snowmen]], and constructing [[igloo]]s, can only be done on empty terrain.