You know what its like on the Sims usually - you invite everyone around for a party, and rather than having a good time, your sims awkwardly pair off and talk about everything from shoes to llamas to pizza. And those are the ones that didn't choose to wander off into the garden and stare at a tree for the next half hour. Put on some music and a few might awkwardly dance around a couple who've decided a house party is the perfect time for a game of chess, while another pair play a highly strategic game of shooing each other out of the bathroom in the background, before the loser wets themselves and falls asleep in the corner.
If there's one thing about we know about The Sims, it's that its parties are WILD - but they can be a little hard to coordinate. With folks often doing the complete opposite of what you invited them over for, things would be so much easier if there was a good way to tie together like-minded Sims, and make them behave how you want… Well now, there is!
Ever get the feeling you came a little overdressed?
The latest expansion pack for The Sims 4, 'Get Together' lets you split your Sims up into clubs, where they'll follow the rules you set out, take part in club activities and react to situations as their club rules dictate, bringing a modicum of control to the chaos. Sims in a club gathering will even go so far as to break their own rules in favour of towing the club line - for example, your 'mean' Sim will have to be nice if they've joined a club who's traits involve never being mean. Get Together will come with a number of pre-made clubs, such as the food-obsessed Upper Crusts or the super stylish Paragons, but this is The Sims - so it's way more fun if you step in and create your own instead!
Obviously every good club needs a name, whether it be a Ronseal-esque 'The Book Club' or something a bit more extravagant, like 'Blackbeard's Loot Lovin' Pirate Crew' or 'The Secret Order of the Pink Fluffy Unicorns'. And all good clubs need a suitable logo too, of which there are dozens to pick from, from cups of tea and sunglasses to fireballs and rainbows, and come in especially handy in-game, where they're shown above your club members' heads, giving you an easy, at-a-glance view of who's part of your crew - and who's not. You can take your club status a step further too and create a club outfit, whether it's simply a matching hat and jacket or matching hot dog costumes, it's totally up to you.
You might want your club to be open to anyone and everyone, but you might also prefer to have specific entry requirements so as not to let in any old riff raff. Get Together lets you set the kinds of Sims who can join by age groups, skill levels or even personality traits, letting you create a truly exclusive club of like-minded Sims. And what better thing for similar Sims to spend their time doing than taking part in some designated club activities? There's over 100 different ones to pick your club's five favourites from, whether they like playing an instrument, cooking, swimming, telling jokes, viewing art or lots, lots more.
You probably want to restrict your Foodie club to people who can actually cook, for example.
On the flip side, you can also set activities your club members wouldn't be seen dead doing, which, when mixed with the allowed activities, can create some interesting combinations - as a bit of a risque example, you could make it so your club members are happy hugging, kissing and generally being romantic towards each other, but WooHoo-ing in a club gathering is a big no no. You can even take things a bit deeper and set who your club members are allowed to do various things with - whether it's a swim-loving Sim refusing to take a dip in the pool around members of a rival club, or simply flat-out refusing to talk to another club. Break the rules and your poor Sims could get exiled from their clubs too!
Every club needs somewhere to call its own, and The Sims 4: Get Together is no exception. Your Foodie Club might like to check out the little cafes in and around Windenburg (the new locale introduced in Get Together), while a Workout Club may have one particular gym they call home. And while some clubs may be totally fine hijacking the local bar or book store, some might need a more personalised touch, perhaps creating them something totally new. Or you can restrict parts of the lot via locked doors to make areas that only fully-fledged club members can enter, such as a secret room full of all the Art Club's best artwork, or a high-tech hidden area packed with extra computers for the Gaming Club's secret meetings and LAN parties.
Someone doesn't seem too thrilled at Blondie's status as the club leader...
As your Sims perform more and more club activities together, you'll earn club points, which can be used to unlock a whole slew of perks, like secret handshakes, skill boosts and even set a club 'vibe'. Vibes let your Sims feel specific emotions during club gatherings, letting them get more out of each meet-up - such as making your Workout Club automatically energized so they can hit the gym for longer, or putting all your Romance Club members into a more flirty mood. Skill boosts meanwhile up the rate at which your Sims learn new skills during club gatherings, and mixing and matching them with the appropriate vibe could have some interesting results. For example, an Art Club that gains artistic skill levels faster can be paired with an 'Always Inspired' vibe to crank out some pretty awesome paintings!
The Sims 4: Get Together expansion pack hits the PC on the 8th December, and certainly sounds like it'll be adding some pretty interesting new features. Why not check out the new trailer below:
