150 bug fixes and new options are on the way in which to The Sims 4 later this month.
With “an unbelievable vary of content material and experiences” launched since The Sims 4 launched approach again in 2014, the workforce stated it’s now dedicated to “making that content material even higher by delivering enhancements to the gameplay that issues most to Simmers.”
To assist obtain this, the workforce has outlined a “Laundry List” of simply among the modifications coming in an enormous base recreation replace on Might 12, together with plenty of fan-requested enhancements corresponding to optimizations for Infants, Toddlers, Sleep, and “basic Sim autonomy.” The group has additionally helped form the precedence order by voting for his or her high points.
One of many largest modifications will probably be a rise within the frequency of robotically generated backup saves, and a brand new layering feature in Create a Sim, “persevering with to broaden on the technical information we offer to Modders and [content creators] to assist their work.” Oh, and you will be ready to add a brilliant cute new Toddler Playmat, too.
The workforce guarantees that the “enjoyable would not cease there,” and this work will proceed to roll out within the months forward, together with extra free content material, collabs, and partnerships. Extra will probably be revealed in a “particular” Dev Q&A in The Sims Discord on Might 5 at 2pm PT, together with a Twitch Livestream on Might 6 at 10am PT.
The Sims 4 Might 12 replace:
Fixes for Most Voted Points:
- “Black Images”: Applied 6 fixes addressing completely different causes of texture loss, together with extra QV testing on work and images to catch beforehand unreported circumstances.
- On the time of writing, all recognized “black picture” bugs have been resolved. We’ll proceed to monitor and handle any new stories.
- [EA Forums] Sims will not hold placing down Infants earlier than choosing them again up.
- [EA Forums] Sims will not obtain the “Secret Witness” Sentiment when a married or engaged Sim is witnessed WooHooing with their companion by one other Sim.
- [EA Forums] “Can’t place merchandise”: Mounted in each new and previous saves.
- [EA Forums] Sims may get caught with Scandal; that is now mounted for brand new circumstances, and present affected saves could have the lingering VFX cleared.
New! Base Layer Characteristic
We’re including a brand new class to Create a Sim referred to as Base Layers, which is able to let Simmers specific themselves by broadening their vogue selections, offering lined choices, and bettering gender expression with the layerable binder. There will probably be 8 Base Layer choices for Adults, 4 Base Layer choices for Youngsters, and a pair of Base Layer choices for Toddlers, all in a wide range of colours!
With 380+ new Base Layer variants (together with all swatches) that may be layered, this provides gamers exponential new outfit mixtures utilizing any Prime or Full Physique CAS property!
Toddler and Toddler Enhancements and Fixes
This replace represents a major funding into bettering Infants and Toddlers, primarily based on high EA Boards points and extra suggestions from Discord and Reddit. After intensive playtesting, we’re excited to share them with you!
New Toddler Playmat: Sims desire putting infants on playmats as a substitute of the ground, making care really feel extra pure that every one gamers can now get pleasure from
New toggle within the Choices Menu to “Disable Caregiver Autonomy for Infants.” When enabled, all care is guide, although Sims will nonetheless socialize and you should use “Test Toddler.” Neglect can lead to social companies intervention.
- New Toddler thought bubble for loud noises: Infants now react to loud noises with a buff and thought bubble, plus a one-time tutorial explaining why they wake, serving to gamers handle the trigger as a substitute of repeated pickups.
- Extra hovertip enhancements, corresponding to “Prefers Bottle Feeding” interactions to make clear that selecting a choice restricts autonomous feeding to that methodology solely and Stand Up Milestone, the place Infants wanted particular close by objects to pull themselves up [EA Forums].
- Toddler tuning primarily based on participant suggestions, corresponding to;
- Sims will now clear up diapers left on the ground after altering an Toddler or New child, so long as a trash can is close by. (Base Game)
- Altering an Toddler’s diaper on the Altering Desk takes a few third much less time than it used to. (Base Game)
- The Toddler Starvation Want will now lower barely extra slowly. We acquired mild suggestions on this and we’re hoping this slight tweak will show the suitable stability for participant realism and enjoyable. (Basegame)
- Feeding an Toddler will now take about fifteen minutes (Sim Time), which is half the time it beforehand took. (Base Game)
- Toddler care interactions (Give Bottle, Change Diaper, and so forth.) ought to now seem on the primary Pie Menu when an Toddler’s Wants are low to your ease of entry.
- Toddler Milestones tied to Tummy Time now unlock twice as quick, addressing suggestions that development felt too gradual – particularly on shorter lifespans. With cheap consideration, most Milestones can now be achieved by round day 3. (Rising Collectively)
- 25+ bug fixes for high voted Toddler and Toddler points, together with:
- [EA Forums] [EA Forums] [EA Forums] Frequent Toddler pickups and put downs, caregiver conflicts, and Sims freezing throughout care have been main frustrations. This replace contains a number of interconnected fixes to handle these points, all obtainable within the Base Game.
- [EA Forums] Toddler and Toddler Wants will not lower when the Energetic Sim (and the participant) is on one other lot, away from them. We hope that this variation will make caregiving for Infants and Toddlers extra satisfying. (Basegame)
- [EA Forums] Toddler Sims will not be hungry however would stay idle, regardless of having meals. (Basegame)
- We acquired suggestions that “studying to Toddlers” wasn’t working properly, and we’ve addressed a couple of bugs associated to this;
- [EA Forums] Toddlers are actually ready to efficiently run the “Ask to Learn E-book” interplay on a teen or older Sim.
- The “Be Learn to By” interplay on Toddler Books ought to now operate when chosen by an Toddler.
- We mounted a code exception that might trigger Sims to reset when an Grownup Sim would click on on a ebook and select to “Learn to Youngsters.” (Basegame)
- [EA Forums] Infants Milestones are not disappearing or being reset when that Toddler’s Family is visited whereas taking part in one other Family. That is mounted in previous saves in addition to new ones. (Rising Collectively)
- (*4*)] Infants are actually ready to act on their unlocked Milestone developmental progress when they don’t seem to be at their Residential lot. This repair is retroactive in previous saves the place the bug had beforehand been occurring. (Rising Collectively)
Base Game: Autonomy & Sleeping Fixes
We didn’t cease with the Infants and Toddlers! Enhancing general autonomy is a key participant concern. Sims now dance far much less (about as soon as per day) and likewise not drink water autonomously, making habits extra predictable and fewer disruptive. Plus, extra bug fixes!
- [EA Forums] We mounted a difficulty that was inflicting NPCs to enter a home to drink water. Sadly, this repair was unable to be retroactive for saves during which this gameplay was already occurring.
- [EA Forums] Mounted a difficulty the place Youngsters could possibly be taken away regardless of not being uncared for. New checks guarantee a Little one have to be actively failing (F) earlier than this happens. The repair is retroactive, however beforehand eliminated Youngsters can’t be restored.
- [EA Forums] Sims with the Jealous trait will not get upset when their companion interacts with their very own kids Sims.
Sleeping autonomy has been improved following group suggestions, addressing a mixture of bugs and high quality of life points to make sleep habits extra dependable.
Base Game
- [EA Forums] Sims woken by a close-by TV or radio will now flip the gadget off and return to sleep. This retains the meant wakeup habits whereas making the trigger clearer and decreasing repeated interruptions.
- [EA Forums] We have added a hovertip to the Nap interplay to make clear that this interplay is supposed to be shorter with a lift to Power (slightly than an interplay that fills the Want absolutely). Sims shouldn’t keep within the nap interplay till their Power is full, however we needed to assist make clear this anticipated habits.
- [EA Forums] Mounted a difficulty the place exhausted Sims may get into mattress however nonetheless collapse from fatigue. Sims who go to sleep in mattress will now stay there as a substitute of getting up and passing out.
- [EA Forums] There have been callouts within the sleeping EA Boards thread the place Sims weren’t sharing a mattress with one other Sim. We consider our different fixes have addressed this situation, although as a be aware, Sims will solely sleep in the identical mattress when their relationship is excessive sufficient.
Lovestruck
- [EA Forums] [EA Forums] There was a difficulty the place Sims in a romantic relationship have been getting off the bed when instructed to sleep concurrently. We added an interplay referred to as “Sleep and Cuddle” which is able to now enable this gameplay to operate correctly.
- [EA Forums] Canceling Cuddle on a sleeping Sim will not wake each Sims or interrupt their sleep. If the interplay is canceled after one Sim has joined one other already in mattress, each will stay in mattress. Canceling Cuddle earlier than both Sim is in mattress will nonetheless lead to each Sims getting up, as meant.
Royalty & Legacy Fixes
Amongst different fixes, Royalty and Legacy is getting a sprucing cross too! Alongside the 2 high Group Reported Points addressed within the record above you too can count on fixes for points relating to the “Poor Management” sentiment being added to the Dynasty Head, Offspring of pre-made Dynasties not being added to a Dynasty, and pre-patch infants being born as a secret. We additionally made numerous updates to the Grand Ball occasion not functioning correctly. You possibly can count on to learn extra about these and different fixes on Might twelfth within the full record of Patch Notes.
- [EA Forums] Sims will now arrive sporting the chosen costume code to a Grand Ball occasion (in keeping with the performance for Funerals). As a be aware: any remaining oddities are due to tagging and would want reported and stuck individually. We did a cross and felt that outfits regarded good with all packs, whereas deciding on extra widespread mixtures.
- [EA Forums] The Masks possibility is not disabled after coming into Create a Sim to change the Host’s outfit for a Grand Ball occasion.
- We mounted the masks icon within the UI for internet hosting a Grand Ball occasion.
Base Game: Normal Fixes
Alongside main enhancements to Infants, autonomy, and sleep, this replace will handle a variety of extremely voted group points throughout the Base Game and packs. Key fixes embody resolving stock bugs with images, bettering Household Tree accuracy, progress in opposition to stopping incorrect relationship modifications in Create A Sim, and reverting the default Gallery sorting again to “Latest”.
Throughout packs and programs, we’ve mounted gameplay blockers, UI points, and inconsistencies. Highlights embody Gallery enhancements like fewer add timeouts and higher sorting, fixes for disappearing animals and getting older bugs, and improved occasion, trait, and interplay habits. We’ve additionally made broad tagging, sorting, and visible updates in Create a Sim and Construct Mode to enhance group and consistency.
The patch notes on Might twelfth will record these out individually, plus we’ll replace the person EA Discussion board threads too!
Updates on Prime Group Points
Whereas delivery fixes for high points, we additionally proceed to examine different high group reported points:
- [EA Forums] We’re testing a future repair for Home windows and Doorways glitching into partitions with sure Graphics Settings.
- We’re actively investigating a couple of difficult, (doubtless) performance-related points which might be extremely voted inside the group;
- We’re persevering with to examine and ship fixes to cut back save file corruption. Following our March 10 replace, Scratch information have been moved from Paperwork to AppData for PC gamers to forestall conflicts with cloud backup companies. Since rollout, we’ve seen enhancements and are working to convey comparable modifications to Mac.
- Some save corruption points, corresponding to failed lot placement, infinite loading, or white screens, could also be linked to heavy use of placement cheats or very massive saves exceeding system reminiscence. We consider we’ve recognized a repair for not less than one case and are exploring options for others.
- Within the meantime, Memory Boost can assist in sure conditions, and we’re engaged on clearer methods to floor what’s taking place and the way gamers can reply.
- [EA Forums] We proceed to examine the reason for “partnered Sims forming an unintended household relationship upon coming into CAS” situation. If testing goes properly, a repair needs to be included in a future replace.
- [EA Forums] Started investigating Autonomous Insulting/Imply Interactions taking place in participant video games after Patch 1.108.349. In current participant submitted saves, this habits appears to be As Designed, attributable to the Vicious Dynasty Superb, however we’ll proceed to examine.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, in addition to a critic, columnist, and guide with 15+ years expertise working with among the world’s largest gaming websites and publications. She’s additionally a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually Excessive Chaos. Discover her at BlueSky.