Story Progression is here at last and it's time to take a look at everything it's going to change in the game. It's been a while since The Sims 4 was released. There is tons of content for this The Sims title; it's not hard to get lost in it and just watch the hours go by. There are still some elements that players loved in other releases that still haven't been brought back for The Sims 4 yet; however, a recent update has added free will, a feature fans are delighted to see return.
It works a bit differently from The Sims 3's Story Progression but it's essentially the same concept, allowing NPCs to continue out their lives as the player plays out their Sims' lives in a certain household.
It's Not Called Story Progression
Although it's the same concept, since it is actually different from The Sims 3Story Progression, this feature was given a different name in The Sims 4. This new take on the idea of Story Progression is named Neighborhood Stories because, at least for now, it only affects Sims closer to the player's household.
It Only Affects Sims Close To The Player
The idea of Neighborhood Stories is to brighten the lives of Neighbor Sims, which, according to EA's The Sims 4's Neighborhood Stories blog post, are "most of the non-player character (NPC) Sims in the game, not just ones who live on the same street as your household. Neighbor Sims excludes special NPCs such as Grim Reaper."
For now, the Neighborhood Stories update will touch the lives of Sims that interact with the player's household, especially closer friends.
Different From The Sims 3's Story Progression
The Sims 3's Story Progression element was great but it was very radical – players either had it on or off. The best part of Neighborhood Stories is how much control it gives players regarding how much free will NPCs have and how much impact Story Progression has on their gameplay. After all, not everyone enjoys micromanaging a community of Sims.
Have A Positive Or Negative Influence
The update gives players tons of options when it comes to influencing their fellow NPCs' lives. Sometimes it's fun to trash talk one's in-game nemesis and watch the drama unfold while sitting on the back burner.
It's now possible to try and make two Sims get together just like it's possible to make them despise each other.
New Aspirations
There are two new aspirations to complete related to Neighborhood Stories. They are the exact opposite which makes it fun while giving players a reason to explore both sides of the influence system.
On one hand, there's the Neighborhood Confidante aspiration which requires players to be helpful citizens and have a positive impact on the lives of those around them. Completing this rewards the player with the Confidante trait which makes it harder to ruin an in-game conversation.
On the other hand, there's the Villainous Valentine aspiration which requires players to break up couples, not only do they have to end their Sim's own relationship but the relationships of other Sims as well. Once completed, the player will receive the Twisted Heart trait that makes it so the Embarrassed and the Sad moodlet decay faster and Mean and Mischief social interactions give a bonus boost to one's Social need.
Direct And Indirect Influence
It's possible to influence other Sims directly and indirectly. What this means is that a player's Sim can interact with an NPC and be very straightforward. For example, approaching a Sim and telling them to follow their dream job and make them ponder their career choices or to talk up another Sim and they just might go and talk to this other Sim.
And, in terms of indirect influence, Sims, especially when closer to a player's character, will phone them and ask for advice when it comes to making an important decision. They won't autonomously accept a marriage proposal, they will always call and ask for a second opinion.
There Is More On The Way
This isn't all there is to it. This is only the first update, simply adding the feature to The Sims 4. For now, it may seem simple but it is likely to improve with time and become much more complex. Players will have the option to pick which type of decisions NPCs can make and consider, further distancing Neighborhood Stories from The Sims 3's Story Progression.
The update will expand and it will soon affect more and more Sims. So, instead of only making a difference in the life of Sims that are relevant to one's household Sims, Sims that don't have any type of relationship with the household will also be continuously changing and living out their lives independently.
This will make the world of The Sims 4 feel much more alive than before. For players that enjoy multigeneration gameplay, it'll be a relief to play without constantly having to switch between households and simply letting the Sims enjoy their lives for themselves, only making the occasional call to ask for help whether they should try for a baby or not.
The Sims 4 is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
