The Sims - Hints and Tips

Dinners Are Better Than Snacks

Prepared food lasts all evening. So if you have a large family
(and they're all home), discourage your Sims from making snacks
for themselves. It's better to have one Sim cook a large meal that
everyone can nibble on than to have every Sim wasting time in the
kitchen (and risking fire) whenever they get hungry.

Beware the Guinea Pig

One of the free downloads available at The Sims.com allows you to
buy a cute little guinea pig in a cage. You can love him, pet him,
and call him George if you so desire, but be very careful; if he
bites your Sims they can get sick and even die! Worse, this
illness can spread to other Sims. The disease is rare and can be
cured by lots of rest, but it will usually send a Sim's career
down the drain.

Don't Waste Time for Bills

Don't waste time waiting for your Sim to carry mail to the house.
The moment he gets mail from the mailbox, cancel this action, and
he will drop the bills on the ground. Now you can order your Sim
to pay the bills and he will--without making that long trek to the
house and back.

Foil Burglars

Be sure to keep high priced items (like computers) in
hard-to-reach interior rooms. The longer the thief takes to get in
and out of the house, the easier they are to catch.

Force Love

If you have a crush on a neighbouring Sim, but he's playing hard
to get, try this trick: Exit out to the neighbourhood, take
control of the reluctant Sim, and make him flirt with your alter
ego until love blooms.

Get Married

Before your Sims can get married, they must be perfectly content
and in love. This means their Needs should be in the green, and
their Relationships level should be high. Once you have taken good
care of them and made sure they have indulged in enough passion,
Propose will appear in the pie menu of available options.

Go Hot Tubbin'

The hot tub may be pricey, but it fulfils four, count 'em, four
needs at once: hygiene, comfort, fun, and (if there's another Sim
handy) socialising. Best of all, four Sims can use it at once.

Hire a Repairman

Never let a Sim untrained in mechanical skills fix the TV. He has
a 100% chance of being electrocuted and dying! If you're not
willing to study, call the repairman, that's what he's for.

Buy an Alarm Clock First

If you want your Sims to keep their jobs and stay sane, buy an
alarm clock and set it to go off one hour before the carpool
arrives.  That'll give your Sims two hours to get ready and attend
to pressing needs so they can arrive at work in good moods.

Hire Some Help

The Maid and the Gardener are a must! Nobody in Sim land has the
time or temperament to work all day, come home, unclog the toilet,
water the geraniums, and dust the cabinets, on top of eating,
sleeping, and playing! So go ahead and splurge on the services of
a maid to keep things clean, and a gardener to keep the outside
looking good. The cash outlay hurts at first but gets easier to
manage as you gain promotions (since a happier Sim is a more
productive Sim).


Good Food Makes Happy Sims

Did you know the equipment used to prepare Sim food directly
relates to how satisfying it is? The refrigerator, food processor,
stove, utensils, preparation surface, and the cook's skill rating
all directly impact how easily hunger is satisfied in the game.
Don't skimp on these items, and avoid preparing food on the
dishwasher or kitchen table.

Have a Baby

When you want to adopt or have a baby, you've got to work at it.
Nurture your relationship as much as possible. Then pick an
evening for romance; ignore all callers, dance, kiss, tickle,
,kiss, flirt, kiss, and repeat. Eventually the sparks will fly, a
rain of flowers will shower down, and you'll have a bassinet full
of responsibility to enjoy, just like real life.


                              - o -