While at Sims Camp getting hands on with The Sims 4, we were also given a demo and hands on time with the upcoming and final Expansion Pack for The Sims 3, Into the Future. Now in my humble opinion, EA couldn’t win here, whichever way they showed us the games. If they started with the Sims 3 EP, we would have probably wanted them to get on with it and show us Sims 4 already! But they chose to show us Sims 4 before the Sims 3 EP and I have to admit, it felt a bit dated, even though the future is what this pack is all about. After looking at the detail and modernity of Sims 4, Sims 3 feels like it’s had its day and might have been better shown first, but like I say, they couldn’t win.
Anyway, let’s look at this EP positively as I know many people will continue with their Sims 3 game long after Sims 4 graces this world, and they will want to finish on something that enhances their gameplay, and it’s fair to say that time travel can indeed provide.
Now given that this event was overshadowed by Sims 4, and the fact that I knew the producer videos would be released before I got to publish my article, I didn’t go quite so overboard on the note taking as I usually do, for which I apologize. What I did takes notes on were the most significant or interesting parts of the game for me, plus a ton of the in-game help pages, so here goes….
Into the Future…
Oasis Landing is the new world that comes with this last EP and is supposedly set “hundreds of years into the future.” Hilariously, given that this pack introduces gameplay in the future, The Sims 4 already exists and references to it will be found in game. Assuming Sims 4 is a retro game by then!
This is not a world you need to start a fresh game in though, your existing Sims can visit this World and return to your ‘hoods any time you choose, or indeed they can move the whole family there lock stock and barrel if you wish (but you’ll have to leave your pets behind, as apparently they don’t do time travel very well).
The first new object we were shown was the Sonic Shower (pictured left) which uses some new fandangled technology to cleanse Sims without the need for water or soap (something many teenagers think is possible even today). Then, for moving between floors with future finesse there was an Air Tube Elevator that literally sucks a Sim up or down in a clear glass tube. The Food Synthesiser replaces the old cooker/hob combo with a device that can somehow apparate food right in front of a Sim for an instant, tasty meal, snack, or drink.
Next up was the new bed or “Dream Pod”—to give it a proper name. When Sims sleep, you will be able to influence their dreams by choosing some predefined options which will have a later effect on the Sims when they wake. A Sim dreaming about water will wake up with a full bladder, for example. More details on this later.
Since returning home and writing up this article, I have come across something very interesting (if you are of a certain age) and remember the Back to the Future films. There is a new character in Into the Future called the Time Traveler, and his name is Emit Relevart. (Now read it backwards with the American spelling). So his name is Emit, time backwards. In Back to the Future, Doc’s name was Emmett Brown. That doesn’t work backwards, but the name is the same. I rather sadly sat here wondering if anyone noticed that before.
Referring back to one of my favorite movies again, Back to the Future, do you remember that If you mess around with the space time continuum, you change the course of the future? Well that’s the case here too, where you can tinker with time to create either a Normal Future, a Dystopian Future, or a Utopian Future. They are described as follows:
Dystopian Future: After decades of selfish and irresponsible decisions, Sims strained Oasis Landing to the limit and beyond. Trash heaps block the sidewalks, Meteors pulverise the landscape, and dangerous Rifts have formed beckoning adventures to climb inside and find their treasure.
Normal Future: The town of Oasis Landing is a bustling city filled with hidden treasures and places to explore. Whether you’re adventuring into the Wasteland, taking in a Bot Competition, or visiting those who’ve shunned technology, there’s lots to do in Oasis Landing!
Utopian Future: Inspired by centuries of whimsical stories, the Sims of Oasis Landing built a paradise! Flowers bearing Dews dot the landscape and nobody can account for strange buried gold being found about the town. The locals walk around joyfully, greeting each other with Whimsical waves.
Two new Skills for your Sims to embrace are Bot Building which is explained in detail later, and Laser Rhythm-a-con, the latter being a new musical instrument from the future (shown on the right). Playing the Laser Rhythm-a-con is like no other instrument ever invented! It takes a unique blend of quick feet and a steady hand to throw down some serious beats. Music will never be the same before mastering this exotic instrument! There are 6 different compositions for a Sim to learn.
Meet Emit Relevart, aka the “Time Traveler.” Out of all the times and places Emit’s visited, Oasis Landing is his favorite. He will serve as both your guide and, if you so choose, mentor on your journey Into The Future. Talk to him to receive the Time Traveler Training, make Oasis Landing more Dystopian or Utopian, or to discover more about the Future! He’ll even let you crash at his place for free!
To travel to the Future, select the Portal, which Sims you would like to take, and jump in! Don’t have a Portal? Just wait for the Time Traveler to appear on your Lot or purchase one from the catalogue. While you are in Oasis Landing, there’s no need to worry about your Home World. During your time away, Time is paused. There’s no need to rush so stay as long as you like! There are a plethora of new objects that can be found throughout the world when Oasis Landing is altered to be in its Dystopian or Utopian State. These objects include things like Drooping Flowers, Curious Dew, Trash Pies, Geyser Rifts, and much more! You will even have unique ways of interacting with Sims while in there alternate Timelines!
There are several ways to revert Oasis Landing to its default state, which may also reset ANY edits made to the Town. Attain Level 10 Advanced Technology Skill to Reset the Time Continuum on the Portal or earn enough Lifetime Happiness to buy the Cause and Effect Remote Control to change Oasis Landing’s Future while in your Home World.
Time Almanac
The Time Traveler has chosen to bestow the Almanac of Time to your Sim! The Almanac of Time is shared between all members of your Active Household and can be accesses from your Sims Inventory. Reference the Time Almanac to explore Oasis Landing’s alternate Futures, view your Active Household’s Future Descendants, or to find out more info about the Oasis Landing’s Legacy Statues.
From the Events Tab, you can read about and directly trigger the alternative Future Opportunities to make Oasis Landing more Dystopian or Utopian. You can even trigger the opportunity to revert it back to its Normal state.
While in the Future, the Descendants Tab will display your Active Household and each member’s Descendants. Clicking the Magnifying Glass will show you where your Descendants live. Your Descendant’s Family Worth and Household Size and also reflected here and based off your Active Household’s traits and your Sim’s traits and Household Funds.
The Legacy Statues Tab displays the commemorated founders of Oasis Landing. Selecting a Legacy Statue from the list will display the title of the Sim and the deeds they are remembered for. Clicking on the Magnifying Glass while in the future will take you to where the Legacy Statues are located.
Advanced Technology
With time and practice, Sims will gain enough Advanced Technology skill to master futuristic objects! A Sim with low Advanced Technology skill is more prone to failures, but with a higher skill a Sim will become more successful in using Advanced Technology objects. Additionally, more interactions will unlock as a Sim masters the skill. Obtaining higher skill reduces the chance of Time Sickness from occurring in addition to unlocking new future timelines.
Sims will gain Advanced Technology skill at an even greater rate while in Oasis Landing. To start gaining the skill, simply use any of the following objects: Drink Synthesizer, Holographic Computer, Food Synthesizer, Jetpack, Hoverboard, Dream Pod, Sonic Shower, Air Tube Elevator, and Time Portal.
Bot Building
The Bot Building Skill is perfect for Sims who like to design and create mechanical companions. The Bot Workshop is the main tool for developing your Sims’ Bot Building Skill.
Designing and creating Nanites is the easiest was to build your Sims’ Bot Building Skill. Nanites can also be found and gathered in the future. Reverse-Engineering a Nanite will break it down into components for more advanced Bot Building creations as well as teach your Sim how to create that type of Nanite.
Just like Nanites, Sims can design and create Trait Chips at the Bot Workshop. Trait Chips give advanced functionality and behaviour to the most Advanced Bot Building Skill Creation: Plumbots.
Plumbots are robotic Sims from the future! Sims can create their own Plumbots from the Bot Workshop or purchase them from the Bot Emporium in Oasis Landing. Although Plumbots are created without any chips installed, Sims can add Trait Chips to enhance their Plumbots in all sorts of different ways.
Adding and removing Trait Chips to Plumbots is a snap when your Sims Adjust Trait Chips. You can add or remove Trait Chips to your Plumbots at any time, they can even adjust their own Trait Chips! Plumbots start with only a few Trait Chip slots, but can have more unlocked with a higher Bot Building Skill and by using Upgrade Trait Chip Slots.
All Plumbots also have a quality level determined by the Bot Building Skill of their creator. Plumbots of a higher quality will have their maintenance and battery power drain at a slower rate. In addition, they will be more valuable should your Sim decide to sell them.
Create A Bot
Plumbots are fully customizable members of your household! Creating a Bot is much like creating a Sim. If you don’t like the initial random Bot you have been given, you can select a Pre-made Bot or generate a new random one. You can customize all the physical attributes of your Bot, from Heads to Hover Jets!
You can enter Create A Style to give your Plumbot a truly customized look. Heads, torsos, arms and legs can all be styled to create a unique Bot of your very own. You can of course Save your Plumbots to the Bin or Share them with others!
When you are happy with the appearance of your Plumbot, the Accept button will take you back to Live Mode. Don’t stop there though. Your Bot needs a personality to go with their shiny new chassis. Use the Bot Workshop to create Trait Chips, and install them to give your Plumbot a mind of their own!
Plumbot Competition
Plumbot Competitions are the staple of Oasis Landing Entertainment. Classes and Training also take place at the Plumbot Competition Arena. Plumbots can begin Entering Competitions at the Beginner Level without any Trait Chips installed. Competitions award cash prizes, trophies, and the adoration of the crowd! Keep in mind, when your Plumbot competes their Needs will decrease, so it’s best to Enter when they are high.
While your Plumbot is competing, you are the one that sets the pace! Modify your Pace throughout the competition to give your Plumbot a break, or that little extra boost. Playing it Safe grants the highest success chance, smallest bonus and no penalty chance. If you Take Risks, you have a medium to high success chance, and small penalty chance. Going for Broke yields a moderate success chance, large success bonus, and a large penalty chance.
Competing at higher levels such as Advanced or International required the Limitless Learning Trait Chip as well as a certain amount of Skill based on the type of Competition. BattleBot Competitions require Athletic Skill, Bot Building Competitions require Bot Building Skill, and EmotiBotting Competitions require Charisma.
Plumbots increase their chances of winning by making sure their Needs are high and using the appropriate Trait Chips. For example, the Efficient Trait Chip gives Plumbots a bonus to all types of competition while the Simulated Emotions will benefit Plumbots in an EmotiBotting Competition. Professional Tune-Ups also give you a little extra kick so it’s best to know someone in the Bot Arena Career.
Dream Pod
The Dream Pod changes Sims lives by providing the ability to dream with lasting benefits from the dream after a Sim wakes. A Dream Pod can be used like a normal bed for sleeping and relaxing, but the greatest benefits come from dreaming. To start a dream, simple select a Dream on the Dream Pod. This will bring up a menu showcasing themes your Sim can dream about. More Dream Options will appear as your Sim gains Advanced Technology Skill
Don’t stop at just selecting a Dream Theme though! You can actively influence the dream to be positive or negative while your Sim is dreaming. The options you chose will affect the type of dream your Sim is having. Keep an eye on the thought bubbles above your Sim while dreaming to know if the influences are good or bad, as well as your Sim’s moodlets to discover the overall tone of their dream.
Dreams will stay with your Sim even after they wake. Depending on the influence of the dream, as well as your Sim’s mood or traits, your Sim can either have a Good Dream, Neutral Dream, or Bad Dream. A dream’s effect can range from simple change in mood to drastically changing your Sim’s personality!
For double the fun, share a dream with a friend or household member. Your Sim may also join in on a dream that’s in progress. Dreaming together is a great way to share the effects of a dream. The future of sleep has arrived, so buy your Sims a Dream Pod today!
Futuristic Transportation
The Hoverboard allows for quick travel through your neighborhood. To use it, place the Hoverboard in your Inventory and then select “Use instead of Walking.” Anytime your Sim is outside, they’ll choose to use the Hoverboard instead of walking.
Ready for your Sims to reach new heights? Try out the Jetpack! To equip it, place it in the inventory and select “Start Using Jetpack.” After it’s equipped, new interactions will appear when clicking on the Jetpack for travelling to other |Lots. When two Sims have Jetpacks equipped, there is even more fun to be had on the Jetpack, including sky high WooHoo!
The City of Oasis Landing has an extensive public transportation network known as the ZEPHYR. To use it, travel to any of the four ZEPHYR stops and click on the station, then choose “Travel To…” Three options will be available for you to choose for the destination stop. Hop on and enjoy the ride!
Legacy Statues
If your Sim wants to be immortalized and famous in the future, there is no better way to accomplish this than to earn a Legacy Statue! There are five different statues your Sims can have recreated in their image by performing different tasks in the present day. By doing these things in the present, your Sims help change the course of the Future!
These statues are The Lustrous Entertainer, The Pioneer of Plumbotics, The Renowned Philanthrapologist, The Time Keeper, and The Trendsetter. Each statue grants your Sim a unique benefit when they are in the future, so earn them all for maximum rewards. In addition, other Sims will cheer and applaud your Sim for their contributions in shaping the Future.
The Almanac of Time is a great place to find out more about the Legacy Statues. Here you can learn about each statue, what you need to do to achieve each statue, and what the unique reward for achieving each statue is.
Lifetime Rewards, Collectibles, and Traits
I used a cheat and had a sniff around in the Lifetime Rewards (as you do) and found the following:
Time Remote Control (25,000 points): The power to control time! Allows for Oasis Landing Utopian, Dystopian, and Normal states to be selected at the click of a button.
Trait Chip Bundle (10,000 points): Get a bundle of Assorted Trait Chips for your Plumbots without having to design or create them!
Portal Immunity (10,000 points): Never suffer from the effects of Time Travel Sickness while travelling through time again!
Future Sim (5,000 points: Become the Sim of the Future, today! Receive an upgraded phone and fit in better with locals in Oasis Landing.
I found the list of 20 Nanites in the collectibles page. You don’t really want me to list them all here do you? No? Great, thanks 🙂
New Traits I found were:
Bot Fan: The Boom in Bot Technology has left many Sims fascinated and intrigued by these complex machines. While many Sims are at home with their organic bodies, some would prefer to be a Bot instead. The image above and right is a Bot Fan Sim in his favorite outfit.
Unstable: When a pile of disjointed components rattle around a Sim’s head, they tend to be called “Unstable”. Their traits are in a constant unpredictable flux and delusional episodes are just around the corner.
Finally in my notes, the new music style in the last EP is called, “Digi Tunes.” The ones I listened to were something like futuristic elevator music.
And in the distant hills of Oasis Landing is The Mining District, a place for Sims to live that refuse to embrace Future Tech. It’s like a traditional world tucked away in the corner, with a bit of a hillbilly feel.
Okay, that turned out to be a longer article than expected so sorry if I bored the pants off you and well done for getting this far!
My next articles will be on Sims 4 again, just as soon as the release embargoes are up and I’m allowed to share more. If you liked this article please share it with your friends via Facebook and other social sites.
