Here are five of the many interesting Sims objects turned in for assignment #8. I had a great difficulty choosing just five - hope you enjoy them!
To install these objects for use in Sims, download the .iff files below, and put them in the downloads folder under the Sims installation path (e.g. c:\program files\maxis\the sims\downloads). They have been tested with the original Sims, and may not work with any additional expansion packs...
The Redic Computer by Jason Alt
The new computer costs less but is more powerful than the very expensive
computer. However, like all things it can be used for both good and evil. When
used for good, by playing, the user benefits in fun and mood as usual. However,
the computer can also be used to launch an Internet scam on the unsuspecting
public. If successful the scam will not only bring in some cash, but it also
improves the sim's logic skills, mood, and fun levels. Due to the nature of the
activity a successful scam will decrease the sim's social skills, and increase
their greed ( by decreasing their level of nice and generous). An unsuccessful
scam will not bring any money and has a demoralizing effect on the sim. The
player will lose in fun, mood, and energy. But we still learn from our mistakes
and so the unsuccessful scam will still increase the player's logic level.
Finally, cheating people of their money is both illegal and immoral and so with
every successful scam there is the chance of being caught and punished. Is
making some extra money really worth the price you have to pay when caught?
The Virtual Friends Helmet by Jonathan
Bockelman
One thing I noticed while playing The Sims was that social interactions
could be a pain at times. I had no problem keeping all my other motives high
but, in doing everything else I wanted to, the social motive seemed to always
be low. I know you can just invite
people over, but I found that annoying because they never seemed to leave, the
social meter charged very slowly, and the guests seemed to interfere with all
the other things I wanted my sims to do.
Therefore, I decided to create a substitute for social interaction. Using
the VR helmet as a basis, I created the Virtual Friends Helmetä
. The Virtual Friends
Helmet is basically a device that ups a sims mood, fun, and social gauges. Like
all good things, though, it has its price.
When you put it on, your fun and social gauges rise quickly, and your mood gauge rises about half as fast. The catch is that all your other stats drop at the same rate as your mood gauge increases. This sort of makes sense because as your busy interacting and doing all sorts of fun things in the helmet, you will naturally get hungry, tired, and probably a bit sweaty. The true beauty of the virtual Friends Helmet is not in how it affects your motives, though. It is in the side effects that the using the helmet causes. When you put on the helmet, it has two interesting effects. First off, it lowers your sim’s relationship levels with all of his or her family and neighbors by five points. I decided to hurt a sim’s relationships because I thought that since the sim’s new virtual friends are fulfilling its social needs, it only made sense that the sim’s relationships with its real friends and family would naturally suffer. The second side effect of the helmet is that it slowly changes your sim’s personality. Since the sim will no longer be interacting with real people to fulfill its social needs, the sim will slowly become more and more shy. At the same time, since the sim will essentially be playing a video game all the time, he or she will become more and more playful. ... The more a sim uses the helmet and hurt its real relationships, the more it will need to depend on the helmet.
Lay-Z-Boy by Jared Brown
The Sims object Lay-Z-Boy is an edited version of the expensive recliner. The
first thing I did is drastically drop the price so that it’s likely to be
purchased early on in a Sims’ life. The
expensive recliner is now $50.
Using one Lay-Z-Boy for each Sim in my home, I was able to kill my entire
family. If I reduce the number of
Lay-Z-Boys it can cause fights and definitely lowers the productivity of the
members of the household. I
wholeheartedly do not recommend the Lay-Z-Boy for anyone who wants a stable and
functional Sim home.
Electric Eel Tank by Greg Dunham
"This electic eel tank is an inexpensive alternative to a traditional aquarium.
Although you can simply watch the eels swim around, why stop there? Stick your
finger into the tank and experience the unusual effects of electrocution. This
invigorating (and slightly uncomfortable) activity is a fun adrenaline rush,
but beware the side-effects of electrocution. Too many electrical shocks can
lead to Warhol-like creativity, albeit with the loss of some important brain
cells."
I was inspired by a cat that my friend had in middle school. One day, this cat
chewed through a power cord and was electrocuted. The cat was never the same
after that--kind of slow-witted and strange. One would expect the cat to avoid
chewing on cords following the incident. But the weird thing was that the cat
started chewing on cords all the time, even though it meant she was risking
another shock. So I figure there must be something to this. An adrenaline rush,
perhaps? Who knows, but maybe some electrocution simulations in The Sims will
shed some light on the matter...
Keg by Kee-Won Hong
Alchohol produces very interesting effects in humans. Simulating the effects of
this in a virtual enviroment should produce some very entertaining results. The
goal was to create the effects of crazy partying that is generally centered
around a keg.
The keg does indeed increase fun, social and mood, but at the same time quickly
increases tiredness and bladder, as well as gradually lowering the status of
the room. End Results - The keg will quickly become the center of entertainment
whenever guests are over. However, sims that drink like fishes will have
unfortunate side effects-including a little floorwetting, and the urge to pass
out in front of the keg. Use with care!
Last edited 6/10/03 by RZ
Please send suggestions to cs370-staff@cs.nwu.edu.
Return to: CS370 | CS Courses
| CS Home Page