Simmers, we need to talk.
On February 2019, The Sims 4 Strangerville Game Pack introduced us to one of the most urgent features (in my humble opinion) that the game was lacking: Laptops. Yes, after almost five years of TS4, our sims can finally take their computers everywhere. And though I did see some excitement here and there, it appears like most simmers didn’t fully understand how big of a deal this is. I mean, it’s huge.
Maybe it was due to the fact that it was a paid pack that didn’t appeal to everyone, but then last April, I got a laptop, you got a laptop, and everybody got a laptop with the patch that introduced free lance careers. The new model (which looks better than the ones from Strangerville) can be received as a career reward, or through the catalog if you use the cheat bb.ignoregameplayunlocksentitlement (is that really cheating if your sims are still paying for it? There’s a philosophical debate for some other time), and yet not many people were shouting from the rooftops that our is one step closer to feeling complete. And quite frankly, we should have.
Laptops have been the go to choice for most computer owners for a while now (I haven’t had a desktop in ten years. Even at work, my desk had a laptop on my past two jobs had laptops) and it only made sense that the same would happen in The Sims. But laptops have a lot more use than just freelancing or trying to defeat some alien-like plant monster that lives underground. Laptops can change your sims’ lives significantly, and for the better.
First of all, yes, they are good for working. There are many careers with daily tasks performed on the computer, like Tech Guru, Writer, or Business, and before we got laptops, those tasks could only be completed by either staying home or going to a library. Now, all your sims have to do is find any lot with a table (it doesn’t have to be a desk) and pull out the laptop to work. Taking your children to the pool? Pull out the laptop and get closer to that promotion right before a swim!
The same goes for the “work from home” careers as sims can complete their to do lists from anywhere. That means sims on the Social Media career can write their latest blog post live from GeekCon, and Style Influencers can find the coolest coffee shop in Windenburg to people watch and post comments about what’s in this season.
This is also pretty convenient if you’re playing as an Archaeologist or Herbalist that needs to travel often. Spouses can come along and work from Selvadorada or Granite Falls while their getting their hands dirty. Laptops are also useful for families that experience a rainy day on vacation, or sims with the Geek personality trait who won’t have to go so long without a good gaming session (sorry, mobile players, it’s just not the same).
Children can work on their motor skill while their parents fish or paint in the park, and scouts of all ages can work on their tasks on the dining room table while their parents cook a meal. I know at this point it may seem like I’m just listing stuff you can do on a laptop, but once you realize how freeing it is to not have your sims sitting on their desks the whole time, it really feels like the game just received a well deserved upgrade.
With laptops already making things easier for sims on a tight budget, there’s a good bonus for sims that grow up and move out. They can now take their laptops with them, meaning one less expense to worry about at their new home.
So these are a few ways laptops have impacted The Sims 4 for me. How have you guys been enjoying this update?
