The Sims 2: Apartment Life
The Sims 2: Apartment Life is the eight and widely rumored of being the last expansion pack for The Sims 2. It will be released in August 24th 2008. It's notable that apartments, despite the name, won't be the biggest asset of the game.
Belladonna Cove
Belladonna Cove will be the sub-neighborhood added. It is named after Bella Goth, and will contain apartment lots.
Apartment Lots
"Apartments" are a new type of lot for Sims to reside. It's notable that apartment lots DON'T have to be apartment buildings, but just need up to four different sections with a special door separating them. These lots aren't unlike hotels in Bon Voyage or dormitories in University.
Every Monday, rent must be paid, either via mailbox, or collected by the landlord (see below).
Roommates
Sims may advertise for a roommate to help with the rent. Once accepted, the roommate (a random NPC) will move in. They won't be controllable, but instead have a "Satisfaction Meter", which tells players how satisfied they are with the apartment.
Neighbors
Up to four families can live on one apartment lot. If no playable family moves into spare apartments, then NPC's will move in.
Neighbors may become very noisy, so a new interaction, "Bang Wall", will be added.
Landlords
The Landlord is a new NPC. Landlords will repair and clean up apartments and collect rent. Sims may complain about noisy neighbors to the landlord.
Reputation
Sims now have "reputations". The nicer a Sim is to others, the higher their reputation goes (and vice versa). The higher their reputation, the bigger the bonuses to other relationships with Sims. Having a low reputation may increase rent for apartment-owners.
Witches
The Life state added in Apartment Life is a witch. Witches can be male or female, and are divided into five groups: Infallibly Good, Good, Neutral, Evil and Atrociously Evil. These groups are determined by the Witch's "alignment". The differences between these alignments include appearance, types of spells cast and items created, and title.
To become a witch, a Sim must find one, and befriend it. Once done so, a new interaction appears: "Teach Me the Ways of the Light" (if the befriended witch is good) or "Teach Me the Evil Ways" (if the befriended witch is bad). Once done, the Sim will become either a good or bad witch, depending on which type of witch they befreinded, and will have an extended name which includes their alignment, for example, "Bella Goth the Evil witch". They will also receive a a robe, hat, cauldron and spellbook. Their colours will be determined by the witch they were recieved from. The new witch may then purchase goods from other witches, including reagents (see below), as well as a new cauldron or spellbook.
Witches have MANY new abilities, including casting spells, crafting exclusive items, creating reagents and potions, being able to travel to other lots via broomstick, teleport around lots and own "feline fammiliars" (i.e, ghost cats from another dimension). To cast spells or create potions and items (specifically, thrones, floor lamps, wall lamps and haning lamps), reagents are required. As said above, these can be obtained by purchasing them from NPC witches, or crafted in a cauldron. Unlike in Makin' Magic, Sims aren't required to pre-prepare spells before casting, but just need the right combination of reagents on the spot.
Spells are organised into three catergories: "Good", "Neutral" and "Evil".
"Good"
Casting more "Good" spells will result in a witch becoming "Good", and casting even more will make the witch "Infallibly Good". Both alignments wear white robes and hats, craft items which suit the "Good" wtich stereotype, and have cauldrons which emit blue smoke. "Infallibly Good" witches also have a blue aura. Good spells are intended to improve other Sim's lives. Examples of "Good" spells include:
- Banish Death: Brings a Sim back to life.
- Aura of Niceness: Makes the world a better place to live.
- De-Fuego: Instantly extinguishes a fire.
- Bugs of Ambiance: Summons butterflies of fireflies, depending on the time of day.
- Make Agreeable: Forces a Sim to accept the next five socials interactions.
- Waves of Happy: Boosts Sims in a certain area's happiness (great for parties)
- You Can Has Cheezburger: Spawns a tray of food, varies depending on the time of day.
"Neutral"
"Neutral" spells have no effect on alignment, but if a witch who is good casts enough evil spells, or vice versa, they can become "Neutral". "Neutral" witches just wear brown robes, and may have any type of cauldron, depending on their previous alignment. It's presumed, so far, that "Neutral" witches can't craft items like "Good" or "Evil" witches can. "Neutral" spells improve the caster's life. Examples of "Neutral" spells include:
- Make Fit: Makes a Sim fit.
- Make Fat: Makes a Sim fat.
- Mighty Cluck of the Beyond: Possesses the target Sim to act like a chicken.
- Leave'spolsion: Clears all the leaves from a Lot.
- Puddle Evaporator: Clears rain, mess and pee puddles from a Lot.
- Freeze Time: Freezes the lot and its time, resulting in everything BUT witches and feline familiars to be frozen, leaving unfrozen Sims doing whatever they please.
"Evil"
Once enough "Evil" spells are cast, a witch will become "Evil" or "Atrociously Evil". They will wear black robes, craft gothic-like items, and have a cauldron which emits red smoke. "Atrociously Evil" witches have green skin and a sickly green aura. "Evil" spells ruin other Sim's lives, some examples being:
- Resurrect Zombie: Resurrects a dead Sim as a zombie.
- Bees!: Summons bees to chase a Sim.
- Mist of Plague: Forces a Sim to throw up.
- Fuego: Sets an object on fire.
As seen here, witches are one of the biggest and most complicated life states in Sims 2.
Building and Furniture
Building is greatly improved.
New features include:
- Ceilings, which can be customized exactly like floors
- Vents (and floor heaters), which can moderate the temperature of any room
- Spiral staircases
- Decorative objects, such as pipes, cornice (skirting-like features that go on top of walls)
- Closets, coming in "male" and "female" varieties
More additions to current objects, like doors and windows, will also be made.
Screenshots
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View of ceiling and spiral staircase.
