During Friday’s Sims 4 Seasons Live Stream, Gurus provided information and answered questions about the upcoming expansion pack. Below is a run down of the info provided.
The Sims 4 Seasons CAS Overview
The Gurus kicked off the stream with the new Create-a-Sim additions. They started off by letting us know that two new categories will be added to the game via next week’s game patch. While these categories are Seasons specific, they will be available to all regardless of whether Seasons is installed. The “Hot Weather” and “Cold Weather” categories have been added to the game, and are available for Sims of all ages.
These categories serve as a way to designate what your Sims will wear during hot and cold weather. You are able to add any type of clothing to these categories, so realistically, you can force your Sims to wear bikinis in the winter, or sweaters during the summer. The Sims team has also added “default” clothing items to these categories that are more in line with what people wear during the different temperatures.
Create-a-Sim also includes special outfits for the pre-made Holidays in the game for Sims who want to dress up for the occasion. They also added new clothing and hats that match certain weather patterns in the game. Snow, Rain, Summer heat, etc.
There are also new full body outfits that have gameplay tied into them. For example, Sims who wear the “bee suit” in the game, reduce their chances of being stung when interacting with the beekeeping box.
Another new addition to Create-a-Sim is the new “Swimwear” category for Toddlers. This category will be available to all players regardless of whether they have Seasons. The Sims team did tag some base game items into this category (like the diaper) so that you have default options. The new swimwear seen in the stream comes with Seasons.
As they concluded the stream, gurus did confirm that there aren’t any new traits for Sims in Create-a-Sim, but there are 5 new rewards traits available for Sims to earn in the game.
To view all of the available Create-a-Sim clothing items available for Sims of all ages in The Sims 4 Seasons, check out our Create-a-Sim Asset Post.
The Sims 4 Seasons Overview
The next portion of the stream focused on gameplay. The Sims 4 Seasons does not include a new world, but Gurus stated that all environmental aspects of each of the current worlds were updated to be compatible with The Sims 4 Seasons. This means that the environment of each world will alter with each Season.
The time of day in the game will change depending on the season. The sun will rise and set at different times as well. Trees will also change colors throughout each season, and you will see things like leaf piles start to generate as fall approaches. Leaf piles will spawn in various parts of the world and you will be able to interact with them.
The Sims 4 Seasons will also add 4 new Food Stalls to the game. These food stalls will auto spawn in the public spaces of different worlds, and each season comes with a special type of theme and various new recipes and drinks.
The first gameplay feature they showed off in the game was the new Calendar Feature. The calendar can be accessed through a new button next to a sim’s cell phone in the UI.
Once you open the Calendar, you will see several options and bits of information. Starting at the top left, calendars display the weather forecast for the current day. You can view the weather forecast up to 7 days in advance when by clicking days on the calendar. Each day will also showcase any events or holidays, and display work and school schedules.
Gurus started off by showcasing the new “Plan Event” option. Events are already available in the game, but previously in The Sims 4, Sims would have to set an event for an exact time and start immediately. Now, you will be able to plan events up to 2 weeks in advance.
❗ The Sims team did not add any new events to the game with Seasons.
❗ You can only have 1 gold event per day, but as many non-gold events as you’d like.
To create an event, select a day on the calendar, and click the “Add an Event” tab on the left hand side. From there, you can select from any of the event types available. The flow of the event planning is similar to what already exists in the game, the biggest difference is that you are able to plan events in advance.
Once you reach the last step of the event planner, you will now see an option to Choose a specific time you want the event to begin. This was a previously unavailable feature. You can also create additional events for the same day; you just wont be able to have multiple events overlap during the same time on the same day.
Once you have created an event, it will populate on the calendar with details displayed in the left panel. When planning multiple events, you will see them listed in the left panel, in the order they occur. Events can also be deleted.
Another informative bit on the calendar is the pretense of seasonal “wallpaper” in each tile. Orange leaves for fall, pink flowers for spring, and so on. This is useful for keeping track of when a season is set to change.
Moving on in the stream, SimGurus showed off the new “Game Options” that directly affect Season Length, Rain options, Snow options, and Temperature Effects. These options will allow you to choose how long each season lasts, and what type of the additional seasonal effects are enabled in your game. These options are universal.
❗ The game warns that changing the season length will move the calendar position of holidays and events. Changing the length of Seasons is done universally. You can’t individually change each season.
Season Length – 7 Days, 14 Days, or 28 Days
Rain Options – Rain and Thunderstorms, Rain, or None (changes take a few minutes to go into effect)
Snow Options – Snow and Blizzards, Snow, or None (changes take a few minutes to go into effect)
Temperature Effects – Select or Unselect. This will enable or disable the seasonal effects on Sims. As an example, Sims won’t be affected by the cold if they say out in the cold too long if this option is disabled.
Jumping into live mode, the first bit gurus showed off was the new Holiday UI that pops up when a specific Holiday is taking place. Holidays are a new type of event in Seasons that allows Sims to celebrate special events and partake in traditions
You can create any holidays you like, and there are also some pre-made Holidays that exist in the game like Harvestfest, Winterfest, Love Day, and New Years. Pre-made Holidays can be deleted and edited. When Holidays are active, the UI in upper left hand corner shows off the name, time, and traditions associated with the Holiday.
They continued on explaining that Harvestfest is made up of the following 4 traditions:
Decorate – The perfect bit of color and decor can really set the stage for any holiday. To participate, place holiday decorations from Build Mode. Decorate the house exterior by by placing and using the “Attic Stack Decoration Box”.
Holiday Gnomes (Goofballs ♥ this Tradition) – Give respect and gifts to the friendly gnomes in the hopes of festive rewards. To participate, find gnomes around your lot. Cick on the gnomes and select “Appease the Gnome”.
Grand Meal – A most delectable feast awaits stomachs growling in anticipation. Just make sure someone else volunteers to do the dishes. Cook a Grand Meal by clicking on the stove or fridge. To start the feast, select “Call to Grand Meal” on the completed dish.
Thankful Spirit – Spend some time to reflect and be thankful – who knows what tomorrow will bring. To participate, discuss what you can “Be Thankful” for with another Sim.
Sims will also ignore and love specific traditions. Goofballs, for example, love the Holiday Gnomes tradition, while teens will ignore the Grand Meal tradition. Toddlers are also quite young and they tend to ignore most traditions. Completing traditions during a holiday can also yield rewards for Sims, but not completing them does not punish a sim.
They went on to show off the “Grand Meal” option which brought up some new recipes on the stove. There were 5 new recipes available. When a grand meal is served, you will click the meal and call household members to the table to dinner.
For the Decorate Tradition, you will need the Tupperware stack from buy mode that has interactions available. Click the stack to Put Up Decorations, Select Holiday Decorations, Sing Together, Take Down Decorations, Reset Customized Decorations, and Rummage for Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer Decorations.
When it is time to place decorations on the home, the “Put up Decorations” option on the Tupperware will automatically cause the camera to pan out and show you the decorations.
Since Holidays are celebrated per game save, your neighbors in town will also put up their decorations on their homes. You cannot alter or select what type of decorations go up, but the decor will match the decoration theme you select. The pre-made decoration themes for holidays are set up to auto decorate homes. You can also place decor manually as well.
As an example, Gurus changed the Decoration Theme to Spring, and neighboring homes automatically changes into the new exterior decorations. You will have to use the stack of Tupperware in your home to change the exterior decor on your lot.
Neighboring homes will add exterior decorations the day before a Holiday begins, and they will come off the homes the day after the Holiday ends. You can also get very specific with your own exterior lot decorations as well. You can decorate the eaves, foundation, fences, spandrels, and friezes of a home.
When selecting any of these options, a separate window will appear with options for each of the exterior parts of a home to decorate. Banners, Garland, Lights, Streamers, Icicles, and Buntings are the categories available to narrow down the type of decorations.
For the Holiday Gnomes tradition, there will be several gnomes on your lot that will have several options available. Click on the gnome to Appease the Gnome, View, Kick Gnome, Sing Together, and Name them.
Gnomes will celebrate with Sims around the home when you select the Holiday Gnomes tradition for your holiday. Appeasing the gnomes will complete this tradition, there are a number of different options available.
- Give Coffee
- Give Toy
- Give Salad
- Give Pie
- Give Future Cube
- Give Fruitcake
When appeasing gnomes they will react to the different items you give them. The gnome in the stream displayed a halo over its head to indicate he liked the Pie they gave him.
Sims who are in a good mood will tend to create a positive response when appeasing any of the gnomes. Sims who are uncomfortable and use the Kick Gnome interactions will be met with fire and fury. Gnomes will be angered and begin to destroy your home.
So the tradition is to give gifts to gnomes? Hmm…seems nice…but this Sim would much rather KICK a gnome and take the treasures hidden inside. What fun! Be careful though…the sacred Order of the Gnomes doesn’t take too kingly to that…
❗ The Sim who kicked the gnome received a seed packet as a reward.
The only way to prevent the gnomes from continuing to destroy objects in your home is to send your Sims to kick all remaining gnomes. This is challenging with too many gnomes on your lot as they teleport randomly to different areas of the lot.
At this point they decided to “Edit” a Holiday and its traditions, and jumped into the Holiday editor. From there you can change the icon, name, theme, and traditions. Holidays can be edited even when the holiday is active in the game.
There are a variety of traditions available in the game, some that have deeper gameplay, and others that are simpler. You can choose to have all 5 traditions slots filled, or none at all. It is up to you to decide whether or not Holidays will include traditions.
❗ Unlike Events, you can only have ONE Holiday each day. They last from 6am to 2am.
You will also be able to choose whether or not the Holiday should grant sims a day off from work or school, and you can also choose a Decoration Theme. Choose from the following available options, or leave it set to “None”.
Holidays will repeat every year until you delete them from the calendar. Aside from the pre-made traditions and the ones you create in the game, there is another type of holiday that makes surprise appearances in the game. Special surprise Holidays will appear randomly in your game, and are not typical holidays. The example shown in stream was Rebate Day.
When gurus were editing Harvestfest, they showed off a list of all the traditions available in the game. Below is a complete list of traditions available in The Sims 4 Base Game and the Seasons expansion pack. I added in descriptions for the ones they hovered over.
:!:Other games will also have traditions specific to the pack.
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Art & Music Spirit – Make music and make art. Sing until your voice gives out or theneighbors complain. To participate, create art by doing things like Painting, Talking Photos or Dancing. Or do musical things by Singing, Listening to Music, or Playing an instrument.
Bar-B-Que – There is nothing quite like fine grilled food. Debates on the best fuel source and sauce recipe get very heated. To participate, click on any outdoor grill and select grill.
Countdown to Midnight – Stay up past bedtime and shout at the TV in celebration! To participate, Watch the Countdown to Midnight on TV. The countdown will be available on TV’s after 11:00 PM.
Cleaning – A clean home is a happy home! To participate, Clean around the home. Empty the Trash, Mop Up Puddles, and Clean Up dishes.
Decorate – The perfect bit of color and decor can really set the stage for any holiday. To participate, place holiday decorations fro Build Mode. Decorate the house exterior by by placing and using the “Attic Stack Decoration Box”.
Exercise – Celebrate by taking care of yourself. Push yourself to do just a few more reps or go just a little further on your run. To participate, do any exercise activity like Jogging, Push-Ups, or Lifting Weights.
Fasting – Appreciate all the good food you have by going without for a short time. To participate, do not Eat any food for 6 hours.
Festive Spirit (Creative Sims ♥ this Tradition) – Be festive and jolly with friends and family. To participate, use the festive socials such as Lighting the Holiday Tree, Ask if Good or Bad, or Belly Laugh.
Flower Bunny – The Flower Bunny has come to visit and spread flowery delight! To participate, do Friendly Interactions with the Flower Bunny.
Games – Strategy, learning, entertainment, and accomplishment all in the same activity. Game alone or with friends. To participate, play with video games, toys, the arcade, or chess table.
Give Gifts – Exchanging a gift is a great way to convey appreciation, humor, and romance. It even works to trick adversaries. To participate, Buy Gifts from the phone, computer, or build mode. Click on other Sims and Give Gifts. Make sure to check the mail for gifts sent to you.
Give Flowers – To participate, use the Purchase Gift interaction on the phone or computer to buy flowers. Then select a Sim and choose Give Gift.
Go on a Date – Take out that special someone, or invite out a new soon to be special someone. It’s traditions! To participate, Click on the Phone and select Ask on a Date. Choose another Sim and select a location for the date.
Go on a Vacation or Travel – There is no place like home…which you won’t know until you travel! To participate, click on the phone and select Take a Vacation, or Travel to a Commercial Venue.
Grand Meal – A most delectable feast awaits stomachs growling in anticipation. Just make sure someone else volunteers to do the dishes. Cook a Grand Meal by clicking on the stove or fridge. To start the feast, select “Call to Grand Meal” on the completed dish.
Holiday Gnomes (Goofballs ♥ this Tradition) – Give respect and gifts to the friendly gnomes in the hopes of festive rewards. To participate, find gnomes around your lot. Cick on the gnomes and select “Appease the Gnome”.
Invite Guests – Celebrate with friends, family, and random Sims you met on the street. To participate, click on the phone and select Invite to Hangout at Current Lot. Then socialize with at least two of your guests once they arrive.
Light Menorah – Celebrate by lighting the candles of the Menorah. To participate, click on the Menorah and select Light Menorah.
Make Resolutions – Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. To participate, Click on your Sim and select Make Resolution.
Mischief Spirit – A holiday is the perfect excuse for mischievous hijinks that are in good fun. Time to work on some pranks. To participate, click on another Sim and select Mischief. Then select any of the Mischief options.
Open Presents – It’s better to receive than to give. Wait, reverse that! To participate, Open a Present from any Gift Pile.
Polar Bear Plunge – It is freezing but the water hasn’t completely Iced over. Perfect time for a swim. To participate, Swim in any outside pool when it is cold outside.
Remembrance – Spend time remembering those who have passed but are never truly gone. To participate, click on an Urn or Gravestone and choose any of the available options. You can also meet and interact with a Ghost.
Romantic Spirit – Spend a little extra time with the one you love or the one you are falling in love with. To participate, do romantic socials such as Kissing, Hugging, Flirting, or if the mood is right, WooHoo!
Spooky Spirit – The midnight hour is close at hand. Ghosts, vampires and aliens are in the plan. Celebrate all that sends a shiver up the spine. To participate, do spooky actions such as interacting with ghosts, vampires, or aliens. You can also carve pumpkins, or play spooky music on the Pipe Organ.
Streaking – Nothing is as freeing as running down the street with the wind in your, um, face. To participate, select the Sim and then select Go Streaking.
Tell Stories – Gather around and t ell your favorite stories. It is much more interactive than reading a book. To participate, tell a story to another Sim. Try reading a toddler a book or telling stories around the campfire if you have one.
Thankful Spirit – Spend some time to reflect and be thankful – who knows what tomorrow will bring. To participate, discuss what you can “Be Thankful” for with another Sim.
Trick or Treat – Random masked neighborhood kids come to your door asking for food? Sounds like a great tradition. To participate, Click on Children who have knocked on your door and select Trick or Treat!.
Watch Romantic TV – A proper romantic flick can really set the mood for a romantic holiday. To participate, Click on the TV and select Watch Romance.
They showed off the many different icons available to choose to specify holidays. You can use these as a way to match the theme of your holiday.
If at any time you are unsure of what you need in order to complete a tradition, the game now includes a special “Holiday Items” category in buy mode. When selecting this category the game will show you all items that are specific to the traditions you have selected.
Decorations can also be found in this section, and again, there are some pre selected items specific to the holiday theme you selected.
Now since this part of the stream took place in fall, they showed off some new interactions available for Sims. During fall you will see leaves falling to the ground and accumulate. You can click on the leaves and select the “Rake Leaves” interactions so Sims can clean up.
❗ Chores contribute to character values if you have The Sims 4 Parenthood installed.
Leaf piles that are created on your home lot will have several interactions available. Throw Away, Rake Leaves, Play In, Burn, Try for Baby, and WooHoo can be selected. Sims who want to WooHoo will browse around for the perfect leaf pile.
Another item available in the game is the new Scarecrow object. When clicking on this the following interactions appeared: Chat with Scarecrow and Examine Scarecrow. The chat option brings up additional interactions. Discuss the Birds, Make Small Talk, Tell Harvest Jokes, and Question Ability to Actually Scare Crows are seen.
Using these options to build up your relationship with the scarecrow allows for “cool things to happen” depending on a Sim’s relationship with the Scarecrow, who’s name is Patchy the Straw Man. Hovering over the scarecrow will reveal the relationship bar.
Once you reach a certain level of relationship with the scarecrow, Sims will unlock a special rewards. The reward that appeared was a special Scarecrow Outfit. This special outfit can be found in Create-a-Sim.
Sims will also unlock the “Check Pockets for Seeds” & “Ask for Gardening Tips” interactions when they max their relationship with the scarecrow. Checking for seeds will yield random harvestables, and asking for gardening tips will help Sims increase their Gardening Skill.
SimGuruJill also mentioned that a few days after you max your relationship with Patchy, he will come to life around noon time, and help Sims out with their gardening.
❗ Sims can WooHoo with Patch the Straw Man
Next up in the stream we took a look at the Scout Career. The Scout Career is a new type of activity based career specific to Child (a first) and Teen Sims. Just like any other career, Sims can use the phone or computer to join. This career will show up in a Sim’s Panel just like their schools schedule and any other career does.
Scout (1) – This Sim has started her journey of learning the virtuous ways of The Scout. This noble little Llama is ready to brighten days and become acquainted with the great outdoors. Next Promotion: Griffon Scout
The Scouting Board has the following options:
- Put in Inventory
- View Badge Progress
- Change Into Scouting Uniform
- Collect Badge
Arts and Crafts – To earn this badge, make crafts, drawings, or paintings.
Civic Responsibility – To earn this badge, perform cleaning or repair actions.
Give Back – To earn this badge, donate items for charity from the mailbox, and computer, or perform the friendly social to Give Gifts.
Good Deeds – To earn this badge, entertain a toddler, make someone laugh, take out the trash, or help someone with their homework.
Keep Fit – To earn this badge, perform dance or exercise activities.
Outdoor Adventurer – To earn this badge, perform outdoorsy activities like catching fish, finding frogs, or grilling outdoors.
Scholarly Aptitude – To earn this badge, perform studious activities like reading books, or completing homework.
Sociability – To earn this badge, perform friendly socials with another Sim.
Young Scientist – To earn this badge, perform scientific activities like computer programming or using the telescope.
When Sims complete the requirements for a badge, they will be promoted to the next level of Scouts. This Sim collected a badge and was promoted to Griffon Scout.
Gurus moved on into a new save to show off the Winter season. The first bit of information is that Ice Skating rinks will spawn in random areas of the world. Gurus then gave a quick rundown of the “WinterFest” Holiday and the traditions that come pre-set with it.
They continued on explaining that Winterfest is made up of the following 5 traditions:
Decorate – The perfect bit of color and decor can really set the stage for any holiday. To participate, place holiday decorations fro Build Mode. Decorate the house exterior by by placing and using the “Attic Stack Decoration Box”.
Festive Spirit (Creative Sims ♥ this Tradition) – Be festive and jolly with friends and family. To participate, use the festive socials such as Lighting the Holiday Tree, Ask if Good or Bad, or Belly Laugh.
Open Presents – It’s better to receive than to give. Wait, reverse that! To participate, Open a Present from any Gift Pile.
Grand Meal – A most delectable feast awaits stomachs growling in anticipation. Just make sure someone else volunteers to do the dishes. Cook a Grand Meal by clicking on the stove or fridge. To start the feast, select “Call to Grand Meal” on the completed dish.
Father Winter –
For the Festive Spirit tradition, Sims can decorate and light the Christmas Tree. There are several options available when clicking on the tree. Click the tree to Admire Lights, Place Present Pile Under Tree, Decorate, Decorate With, Light Controls, Sing Together, Light Tree, Light Tree With, Sabotage Tree, and Reset Decoration.
The “Decorate With” option includes additional sub-categories. Sims can decorate with Tree Skirts, Toppers, Ornaments, and Garland. When performing these actions, the game will prompt you to select additional Sims in case you want to make a family affair of it.
Tree Skirt – Blue and Green Plaid, White and Gold Snowflake, and Red and Gold Poinsettia.
Ornaments – Blue and White, Yellow and White, and Red and Gold.
Garland – Blue and White Bells, Red and Gold Ribbon, and Popcorn and Cranberries.
Toppers – Blue and White Modern, White and Gold Starburst, and Red and White Modern.
For the Open Presents tradition, gurus clicked on a pile of gifts on the floor, and allowed a toddler to Open a present. The available interactions on gift piles are Sing Together, Sneak a Present, Put in Inventory, Add Present, Open Present, Open Presents With.
❗ Gifts received will either fall into a Sim’s inventory, or into the family household
❗ Sims will not always receive a “good” gift. Sims will react differently based on the type of present they receive.
❗ Gift piles can be found in Buy Mode.
Sims can use the gift piles to give and open gifts, or they can use a special interaction on Sims when they have items in their personal inventory. Even stale pizza can be gifted. Sims who use the “Add Present” and “Open Present” interactions will also add and deplete from the pile. The more presents added and removed, the more the pile grows and shrinks.
❗ Once all the gifts have been open, a pile of gift boxes and trash will remain. You can add to the gift pile to refill and receive more gifts.
For the Father Winter tradition, a special Father Winter NPC will arrive to a Sim’s home. Father Winter will appear in one of two ways: through a cloud of smoke in the fireplace, or by walking into your home just as any other Sim does. He will drop off gifts, and has the following interactions available when clicking him: Fight Father Winter for Presents, Funny Rude and Friendly Introductions, and “Romance”(? – unclear what was stated).
At this point in the stream, Gurus showed off the new “Thermostat” object in the game. As Sims began to shiver and become cold, the toddler became sad. Weather affects Sims in the game if you have Temperature Effects enabled in game options.
The thermostat is a small object placed on the wall and has three options: Set Thermostat to Off, Set Thermostat: Warmer (Costs More) and Set Thermostat: Cooler (Saves Money). Now the game was in the “Winter” season, so in the Summer the savings and costs would be reversed. Adjusting the thermostat will increase or decrease a Sim’s power bill.
❗ Thermostats will heat and cool the entire home.
The thermostat is also a new method of killing Sims. Sims can freeze to death in the game so using the thermostat to lower the temp in the house will contribute to their death.
Now since this part of the stream took place in winter, they showed off the new interactions available for Sims. During winter the ground will be covered in snow. You can click on the snow and select the the following interactions.
❗ Play in Snow and Shovel are also seen in the stream.
When Sims exit the home, they automatically change into their “Cold Weather” outfit that was predetermined by you in Create-a-Sim. Sims can also slip and fall outside in the cold.
Sims were instructed to create a Snowpal. There are 6 different snowpal types Sims can make, and they can have up to 3 “snow balls” in height. Snowpal quality is determined by a Sim’s mood and emotional state. If Sims are feeling down they may create odd snowpals.
❗ Sims can Destroy and Rename Snowpals once they are built. Additionally, Sims in certain emotional states will have even more options on snowpals. The example Sim in the stream was angry, and he was able to Vent Frustrations as well.
Child and Toddler Sims are also able to build relationships with Snowmen. They can also build relationships with the snowpal and will be featured in their relationship panels.
Aside from the normal snow related activities, Sims can also click on random Snow Drifts in the ground and use the Shovel Interaction. Sometimes snow drifts will get large enough to block a Sim’s home and they will have to find a way to get to the drifts and shovel them.
Gurus then sent Sims over to a nearby area of the world to Ice Skate. The available options when clicking the skating rink were Skate Around, Invite to Skate, Customize Rink, Perform Skating Routine, and Skate Around & Practice Tricks.
❗ Sims who skate will increase their Fitness Skill
❗ There are ice skating and roller skating rinks
❗ The game also includes a new Skating Skill with 5 levels.
❗ Lower skilled and clumsy Sims will fail at skating more often.
Customizing skating rinks allow Sims to select and customize…
Music – Autoplay music or select any of the music genres in the game. The new music genre was seen here as well: Summer Strut
Lighting – Turn on Lights and Select Party Lights Stencil (Twinkles, Heart 2 Heart 2 Heart, Party, Party 2: The Sequel Continues, Season Flakes, and Season Trees)
Effects – Confetti, Snowflakes, Sparkles, Starts, or Off.
Gurus moved on into a new save to show off the Spring season. It was raining outside and there were visible puddles around the town. There was a Sim walking around town with an Umbrella, and the ice skating rink transformed into the Roller Skating rink.
Umbrellas are a new object in the game and most townies will walk around with the classic black umbrella. However, the new umbrella rack object in the game allows your Sims to select and use a variety of new umbrellas as well.
❗ Umbrellas can break and do not protect Sims from Lighting Strikes. Umbrellas that break will force a cool down period where Sims have to wait to get a new umbrella.
It seems like most people want umbrellas to shield vampires from the sun… it won’t be in the next patch but we are working on it!
— SimGuruChibi (@SimGuruChibi) June 16, 2018
When clicking on the umbrella stand a pop up will appear with 12 different colors to choose from. After selecting an umbrella, Sims will place it in their inventory for use in the rain.
At this point in the stream the gurus showed off the new UI at the bottom of the game. Hovering over the time and day area will bring up a hover card that gives you information on the current temperature, the weather conditions, the overall forecast for the day, and let you know how many days are left of a specific season.
The next part of Spring is the random Mud Puddles that form outside. You can interact with these puddles by choosing the Play In or Have a Mud Fight interactions. Toddlers can also interact with these puddles and play in them as well. (Same with sprinklers)
❗ Playing in mud puddles and having mud fights affect hygiene.
The next object they showed off was the new Sprinkler object. It has been confirmed this object will water your garden and harvestables (same with rain), and Sims can Upgrade, Play with, Turn On/Off, and Disable.. the sprinkler.
Gurus went on to show off the new Swing Set. Sims can Swing, Ask to Swing With, Ask to Push Someone on Swing, or Asked to be Pushed on Swing.
❗ Gurus paused here to talk about something specific to The Sims 4 Laundry Day Stuff. If Sims have their clothing hanging out to dry while it is raining, the clothing will not dry.
The next object they talked about was the new Toddler Pool. Sims can place a toddler in the Kiddie Pool, or they can lounge in it themselves. Adult and Teen Sims will supervise.
The next object was the Weather Machine. This machine allows Sims to change and control the weather. Sims can Advance Season, Change Current Weather, or Change Forecasts.
The weather machine can successfully, or unsuccessfully change the weather. The outcome is determined by a Sim’s Handiness Skill. Random changes can occur.
Change Current Weather – Blizzard, Clear Skies, Cloudy Skies, Cold, Heatwave, Rain, Hot, Snow, Thunderstorm.
Advance Season – Winter, Summer, Fall, Spring
Change (Spring) Forecast – Options not shown
Upgrade – Sims can upgrade the weather machine to add new interactions.
Gurus decided to skip going into detail on the new spring “Love Day” Holiday and the traditions that come pre-set with it.
Based on the icons listed, Love Day is made up of the following 3 traditions:
Romantic Spirit – Spend a little extra time with the one you love or the one you are falling in love with. To participate, do romantic socials such as Kissing, Hugging, Flirting, or if the mood is right, WooHoo!
Give Flowers – To participate, use the Purchase Gift interaction on the phone or computer to buy flowers. Then select a Sim and choose Give Gift.
Go on a Date – Take out that special someone, or invite out a new soon to be special someone. It’s traditions! To participate, Click on the Phone and select Ask on a Date. Choose another Sim and select a location for the date.
In the next portion of the stream Sim Gurus talked about the updated Gardening System. The gardening overhaul coming to the game will be available through the Season game patch. The first new feature is the ability to add glass roofs to the game.
The new glass roof types and patterns coming to our games via next week’s Sims 4 Game Patch. The new glass roof functions as a type of “Roof Pattern”, and will turn any roof into an open glass roof.
There are a total of 6 new glass roof types coming with this update, each of them having at least 4 different color styles. SimGurus took the time to show off each of these in game, so check out the images we pulled from the Seasons stream.
The main reason the team wanted to bring glass roofs to the game was to allow players to create Greenhouses. Greenhouses tie in to the new Gardening Overhaul and some of the new interactions available when The Sims 4 Seasons expansion is installed.
When the weather is cold and snow is on the ground, plants will lose their leaves and not survive the cold weather. Having a greenhouse keeps the plants sheltered from any of the weather elements. SimGuruRad went on to explain what changes were made.
Seasons Specific Changes/Additions
- Rainwater – If you have The Sims 4 Seasons rainwater will water your plants.
- Seasonal Plants – If you have The Sims 4 Seasons Plants will have special Seasons that they grow in. Plants that are not currently in season will transform into a dirt pile until they come back into season and grow. Some plants are also “all season”, one season, or two season plants.
- Sheltered Plants – If you have The Sims 4 Seasons plants can be “sheltered” from the weather so long as they are at least “under a roof”.
- New Plants/Trees – The Sims 4 Seasons includes brand new flower, and vegetable plants. The Money Tree is making a return as well. (Rewards Store)
- Begonias
- Dahlias
- Crocuses
- Snow Drops
- Green Peas
- Money Tree
- Christmas Rose
- Holly
- Green Pepper
Base Game Changes/Additions
- Water All – Sims can now water more than one plant at a time.
- Weed All – Sims can weed more than one plant at a time.
- Super Sell – Sims can harvest and sell all plants in one interaction.
- Evolution – Plants will now have 5 levels of evolution and they can be clearly identified by hovering over a plant. Evolving is now an immediate action.
The next area relating to gardening is the Flower Arrangement Stand. This flower stand will allow Sims to create flower arrangements depending on their Flower Arranging Skill. This new skill has 10 levels and intertwines with the new Gardening Career.
❗ There is a new Gardening Career included with The Sims 4 Seasons. This career will have two branches: Flower Arranging and Botanist.
❗ If you have The Sims 4 Get To Work Expansion pack and create a retail shop, you will be able to sell flower arrangements in the store.
Sims will have various options available when opting to arrange flowers on the stand. The type of arrangements they can create depend on what flowers they have available, and the level of gardening and flower arranging skill. The available options are:
- Make Arranegment
- Take Photo
- Sell
- Scent with Rare Flower
- Scent With
- Add Vase
- View
- Put in Inventory
Sims can create special effects when using the “Scent with Rare Flower” interaction on an arrangement. As examples, scenting an arrangement with Begonias will curse the receiving Sim, while scenting it with the Death Flower will age up the receiving Sim. (Elders may die)
The next object we got a look at was the Beekeeping Box. This is a new interactive object that allows Sims to harvest honey and tend to bees. When hovering over the box you can see the Relationship level, Honey Amount, Activity Level, and Grumpiness of the bees.
❗ Bees will also swarm around and pollinate nearby plants. This will improve how fast the plants evolve and grow.
The following interactions are available with the bee box:
- Bond With Bees
- Collect Honey
- Collect Swarm
- Sell Honey
- Disturb
- Apply Mite Treatment
- Change into Beekeeper Suit
Putting on the Beekeeping Suit will help Sims avoid being stung when interacting with bees and at the same time will prevent you from Bonding and Collecting Swarms.
Bees can get mites and require treatment, will fall asleep and hibernate in the winter, and can also become enraged and be prone to attacking regularly. Honey that is harvested will also have different quality levels. Honey can be used to make Honey Tea or Honey Cake.
Bee swarms that are collected will be placed in a Sim’s inventory. You can then click this swarm for additional interactions. You can tell the swarm to Woo, Attack, Cheer Up Self, Send to Fetch Gift, Cheer Up other Sims, and Pollinate Nearby Plants. Gurus opted to Woo another Sim and the bees formed a heart shape swarm around the nearby Sim.
Gurus Sent out yet another swarms of bees who brought back Punium metal as a gift. Yet another swarm was sent to attack another Sim in the home, and was left with the new Uncomfortable “Stung” moodlet. (Sims will not die from stings)
The gurus went on to show off some of the lightning effects in the game, and mentioned the brand new reward traits available in the game.
 | Heat Acclimation | Sims with Heat Acclimation aren't affected as much by hot weather, but can still feel the effects. | 500 Points | Rewards Store |
 | Waterproof | Waterproof Sims do not get wet in the rain. | 500 Points | Rewards Store |
 | Cold Acclimation | Sims with Cold Acclimation aren't affected as much by chilly weather, but can still feel the effects. | 500 Points | Rewards Store |
 | Storm Chaser | Storm Chaser Sims love stormy weather and thrive in terrifying conditions. | 1000 Points | Rewards Store |
 | Heatproof | Heatproof Sims aren't negatively affected by hot temperatures and enjoy the heat. | 2000 Points | Rewards Store |
 | Ice Proof | Iceproof Sims aren't negatively affected by cold temperatures and enjoy the cold. | 2000 Points | Rewards Store |
 | Scouting Aptitude (Children and Teens) | All of your Scouting ability makes future earning of Skills a little bit easier. | n/a | Complete the Scouting Career |
 | Father Winter's Baby | Wow! Father Winter is actually this Sim's Dad! That's amazing! Wonder if they get any magical abilities? | n/a | From being Father Winter's Baby |
Gurus also showed off Thunderstorms and Lightning. Sims can be struck by lighting if they are outside, thunderstorms will not knock out power, and sometimes electronics will stop working during severe storms. Sims can also die when being struck by lighting.
Gurus went on to show off one of the new deaths in the game. Sims can die by Freezing to Death, Lighting, and Heatwaves. They chose to freeze a Sim to death. The Sim was forced to wear summer clothing in a cold blizzard, went through a series of different moodlets, & eventually got so cold that he froze to death.
❗ There is a new Polar Bear Club Achievement in the game
The next portion of the stream focused on all the new build and buy mode items included with the game. They pulled many of the objects out to show the color variations
To view all of the available buy and build mode items available with The Sims 4 Seasons, check out our Sims 4 Seasons Buy/Build Mode Post.
Lastly, the Sims team showed off some of the new songs coming with the game.
