Weather (game mechanic): Difference between revisions

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[[File:Weather.png|left|link=]]'''Weather''' is introduced in the ''[[The Sims 2: Seasons]]'' and later returned in''[[The Sims 3: Seasons]]'' and ''[[The Sims 4: Seasons]]''. There are four seasons: [[Springspring]], [[Summersummer]], [[Fallfall]], and [[Winterwinter]]. In ''[[The Sims 2: Seasons]]'', each season is five days long, making a seasonal year twenty days long. In the ''[[The Sims 3: Seasons]]'', each season is seven days by default, though players can adjust each length of the season from 3 to 28 days. In ''[[The Sims 4: Seasons]]'', each season is also seven days by default, and players can set the length of all seasons to be either 1 week, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks. [[Sim]]s' moods will change with the weather. Each season has a slightly different color cast, (e.g., winter is more desaturated, and fall has warmer, reddish tone). Weather also affects what festival is occurring on the [[festival grounds]].{{Vgversion|TS3:S}} ''[[The Sims 4: Snowy Escape]]'' also included snowfall in [[Mt. Komorebi]] and does not require ''The Sims 4: Seasons'' for this snow to appear.

In ''The Sims 2: Seasons'', each [[neighborhood]] and [[sub-neighborhood]] has a separate Seasonseason Chooserchooser, which allows the player to determine which seasons will occur there, and what order they will occur in. By default, a neighborhood will start in Summersummer, followed by Fallfall, Winterwinter, and then Springspring. [[Riverblossom Hills]] is exceptional, as it uses the order of Winterwinter, Winterwinter, Springspring, and Fallfall.

* Sunny

* Rain (Light, heavy, or torrential / [[Lightning|thunderstorms]])

* Hail (Light or heavy)

* Snow (Light, heavy or heavyblizzards)

* Fog{{Vgversion|TS3:S}}

==''The Sims''==

In ''[[The Sims: Makin' Magic]]'', the [[Magic (The Sims: Makin' Magic)#Charms|Perfect Garden charm]], and [[Crystal Clear Ability Rocks|Extinguish ability]] will summon rain clouds, but only for the limited purposes of watering plants or extinguishing a fire. Also, if Rain of Riches backfires, it will create rain which will flood the lot, and will even leave puddles. This could be considered a precursor of precipitation as it appears in later games, though it has no effect on Sims, pets, or objects.

==''The Sims 2: Seasons''==

=== ''Spring'' ===

===''Summer''===

===''Autumn/Fall''===

[[File:Autumn.png|left]]During the fall, the temperature begins to drop and it may begin to snow or rain. During this time, Sims learn [[skill]]s easier and faster than in other seasons, students in [[School#The Sims 2|school]] do [[homework]] more quickly, and [[College (sub-neighborhood)|college]] students gain more [[class performance]]. Leaves begin to fall, and Sims are able to rake them. After raking them, Sims may jump into the pile of leaves and play with them or even burn the leaves. Sims also begin to change back into outerwear once outside at the middle end of Autumn. With this comes along a chance of catching a cold, but not freezing.

===''Winter''===

[[File:Winter.png|left]]During the winter, Sims can build relationships with relatives and household members at a heightened rate. It may [[Precipitation#Snow|snow]] onto a [[residential lot]], covering everything outside with snow. Sims are able to freeze or catch a cold if left out in the snow too long. A [[child]], [[toddler]], or [[baby]] Sim may be taken away by the [[Social Worker]] after they become too cold for too long, though the player will receive a warning before this happens. Sims are also able to have snowball fights, make snow angels, and build snowmen. Toddlers can also play in the snow and both toddlers and [[dog]]s{{vgversion|TS2:P}} can eat the snow . On some days, if the snow is too heavy, Sim children or teenagers that attend [[school]] may be able to have a "snow day". Outdoor flowers will become dormant during the Winter, but won't die. Garden plants and orchard trees will become dormant unless they are in a greenhouse. Orchard trees that are in a greenhouse may not become dormant immediately, but can still become dormant. As a rule, Sims will automatically change into [[Winterwear#The Sims 2: Seasons|seasonal wear]], but this may not happen consistently.

* [[Dog]]s  and toddlers can eat snow

* When it's snowing heavily outside, there is a small chance of getting a snow day, which means children don't go to school. If this happens, they can still walk{{Vgversion|TS2:BV}} or be driven{{Vgversion|TS2:NL}}{{Vgversion|TS2:AL}} to school.

During spring, there is a 25% chance to find wildflowers around the town. Wildflowers grow for 5 days before they wither and other plants grow there. Wildflowers can be sold for up to §600. Sims can pick these wildflowers, just like they can collect insects and metals. However, wildflowers can cause allergies, which gives the Sim a negative moodlet, so it is advisable to first go to the local hospital and get aan fluallergy shot for §200.

=== ''Summer'' ===

Popular activities during summer days include swimming in the ocean, a new ability that comes if the game is patched, playing [[soccer]], throwing a pool party or attending the Summer Festival.  At the Festival, Sims can participate in many activities, such as face painting, using tanning booths, and entering hot dog eating contests. Summer's holiday is Leisure Day, during this day children don't have to attend school and adults don't have to attend work.

===''Autumn/Fall''===

=== ''Winter'' ===

Sims can do various activities in winter such as making igloos, making snowmen and snow angels. Sims can also go to the winterWinter festivalFestival, where they can participate in snowboarding, ice skating, and snowball fights. Winter's holiday is Snowflake Day, which is similar to the many holidays celebrated during December, although it is conceived to be most like Christmas. To celebrate the holiday cheer, Sims can now hang holiday lights on their roofs, though this is not strictly limited to wintertime only. Sims can also kiss under the mistletoe, an object that can be found in Buy Mode.

An interesting little moodlet that Sims can get only during the winter is the Polar Bear Club moodlet, where if Sims swim in the cold waters long enough, they can obtain a moodlet which gives them a 5 -hour immunity to the cold.

File:Rainy Riverview.jpg|Heavy rain in [[Riverview]].

Snowflakes Day.jpg|Snow in [[Sunset Valley]].

* [[Lightning]] can kill a Sim if they are outside. This is more likely if they are in water (for example, swimming or using a hot tub) and their needs are too low.

* Ghosts can haunt at noon if their tombstone is struck by a [[Lightning|storm]].{{Vgversion|TS2:S}}

* In ''[[The Sims Castaway Stories]]'', during the story, fireballs from the erupting volcano can fall from the sky burning things. It is not known if this can happen in the free-play storyline.

** Lightning can also damage trees in Castaway Stories.

* With [[Fog Emitter]] from ''[[The Sims 3: Ambitions]]'', players can create rain effects. The special effects have been present prior to ''The Sims 3: Seasons''.<ref>[http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fforum.sims3nieuws.nl%2Fviewtopic.php%3Ff%3D33%26t%3D2835 Tutorial: Rain and Snow in ''The Sims 3''] (prior to ''Seasons'').</ref>

* An EA employee has stated that developers should have included weather in ''[[The Sims 3: Late Night]]'', but decided to postpone it to make weather a great addition to an [[expansion pack]] instead of a minor feature.<ref>[http://www.sims3cri.com/en/game-info/ep-tools/547-anteprima-italiana-di-the-sims-3-late-night.html?start=6 Info about weather in ''Late Night''.]</ref>

* Weather was planned to be a part of ''The Sims 2'' base game,<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GJfO1DHT14 Interview with Margaret Ng at E3]</ref> but it was removed. HovewerHowever, by using Paul's Reaction Tester, Sims can act like they see rain, even without ''Seasons'' installed.