Sophisticated interior design and video games might seem like disparate worlds, but there’s one place where the two overlap: The Sims. The game, which allows users to build and decorate homes – becoming interior designers as part of its gameplay – attracts a large contingent of design enthusiasts eager to create carefully crafted virtual worlds for their characters.

The Sims, developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts, debuted in 2000 as a spin-off of the popular city-building PC game SimCity. There, users have built a virtual metropolis. The Sims offered a more intimate approach, with users guiding an imaginary family through the mundane (career challenges and chores) to the fantastic (through game add-ons, players can make their Sims become mermaids or vampires). The Sims is a huge success: its four versions have sold more than 200 million copies in 60 countries.

Since the game’s launch, building homes from scratch has immediately appealed to those interested in architecture and design. However, the offers available for furnishing and decoration are often, to say the least, uninspiring. To bridge the gap, gamers took matters into their own hands – a cottage industry of fan-made downloadable collections of chic furniture and architectural finishes, designed by gamers who loved both gaming and home decor, has born.

One of these players is a content creator Harry (who, as is common in the gaming community, prefers to use her first or social media name, @HeyHarrie), a graphic designer who now makes her living designing and selling stylish lines of virtual furniture and decorations , as well as decorated houses ready to download for the game. His recent creations include a brutalist bathroom collection, a series of furniture inspired by the design influencer Athena CalderoneBrooklyn brownstone, and even a luxurious treehouse designed in partnership with Gucci (yes, this Gucci) to coincide with The Sims: Off The Grid edition.

Harrie says the lack of sophistication in the game’s preloaded decoration options is what has caused designers like her to come up with fancier options. “Their designs have improved over the years, but they lack texture and their color palettes tend to be super saturated and bright,” says Harrie. “That’s not what people want. People love neutrals, they are crowd favorites. »

Harrie is both a gamer and a huge design fan, citing publications like The world of interiors and the European editions of Architectural Summary to luxury brands like Gaggenau as sources of inspiration. “I get so many design magazines and have a collection of interior design books plus I spend hours every day scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration,” says Harrie.

Harrie has always had a passion for interior design and started creating custom builds for The Sims, which she has been playing since the game launched in 2017. She has built a following on YouTube, where she posts time lapse videos of herself creating houses and furniture. Many of his videos have over 60,000 views, with some hitting the hundreds of thousands. Like so many creators, she’s also amassed a dedicated Instagram following.

She opened a Patreon account in August 2020 and was able to quit her day job and become a full-time content creator for the game. As part of the game’s user agreement, players are technically not supposed to use The Sims for profit. To circumvent this policy, Harrie and creators like her have found a specific workaround: She charges her designs for a month before releasing them for free (her sets are $5 each, with options to pay up to $20 if players feel generous and want to offer more financial support).

Interestingly, the fact that the drawings will eventually be free doesn’t seem to hamper people’s willingness to pay, a fact Harrie attributes to the older demographics of his audience. “EA tends to market the game to teenagers, but in my experience a lot of people over 30 play The Sims – people who have money to spend on expansion packs and additions to make the game more enjoyable for themselves,” says Harrie.

Harrie says it takes about three months to take a concept from idea to completion. She found great pleasure in creating specific interior design details like weathered kitchen hardware and bifold doors. While Harrie draws inspiration from real-life designs (she’ll sometimes post side-by-side photos of her Sims bedrooms alongside photos of real ones for comparison), she says the issue of copyright infringement has never been around. raised. “Ultimately, it’s just inspiration and I’m never exactly true to the original design,” she says.

Looking ahead, Harrie has several custom builds for an upcoming expansion pack, The Sims 4: My Marriage Stories, which she designed in a more formal capacity. She says EA has even acquired some of her furniture designs and added them to the base game, but they’re not slowing down their indie designs anytime soon. “I’m working on a Parisian-style apartment influenced by the work of [French architect and designer] joseph Diran and I plan to create a collection inspired by my Ghanaian heritage, which will be released in the fall,” she says. “Because it’s my job now, I can’t really play the game anymore, but players have told me that they would have stopped playing without my creations. That other people can get as much pleasure out of what I do, it’s worth it.

Homepage photo: A bedroom for The Sims inspired by design influencer Athena Calderone’s townhouse | Courtesy of Harrie

Sims games have always been pretty Suitable for LGTBQ+. The base game has no limits, allowing players to have their romantic sims and marry all kinds of sims, regardless of gender. Sims games have become a staple within the LGBTQ+ community, allowing gamers of all backgrounds and beliefs to create the sims world of their choosing!

And while the base game is pretty inclusive already, I wanted to share some of the best LGBTQ+ mods that can enhance your Sims 4 gameplay even further!

The Sims 4 LGBT Mod

There are plenty of mods to improve every gamer’s game. But one of the most detailed and dense mods is The PimpMySims4 LGBT mod. The mod adds a plethora of LGBTQ+ traits and features that can provide new interactions and improvements. Overall creating a new experience for players and sims.

Among the content of this mod you will also find:

Features

When adding any of the LGBT sexuality/gender traits to a sim, they will now automatically receive an In The Closet trait. If you include the optional homophobia file, it will prevent homophobic/transphobic sims from being uncomfortable with sims who haven’t yet dated.

– Ally
– a romantic
– Asexual
– Bisexual
– Demisexual
–Gay
– Gender Fluid
– Lesbian
– LGBT activist
– Non-binary
– Pansexual
– Transgender
– Drag Queen/King
– Questioning

Included in the optional file:

– Homophobic
– Transphobic

interactions

LGBT interactions can be found in the LGBT Mod menu when you click on another SIM card. All LGBT Sims can use the following interactions:

“Asking questions about sexuality/identity”
“Ask for pronouns”
“Get Excited About Pride”
“Encourage Yourself to Go Out”
“Go out like…”
“Discuss Current LGBT Issues”
“Ask to donate to an LGBT charity”
“Remember an encounter with a homophobic Sim”
“Encourage open-mindedness”
“LGBT Community Research” (computer interaction)
“Write an article on LGBT rights” (computer interaction)
…and more!

Depending on your relationship with the other sim and/or their characteristics, these interactions may have different results. Some interactions will give your sim and/or the other sim positive or negative buffs/mooodlets! Each trait also has exclusive social interactions, some may only appear after talking to sims for a certain amount of time.

Social events

LGBT Dating
This event allows you to invite any (or all) Sims with an LGBT trait to hang out. It’s a free event and there are no rewards, it’s just a great way to meet sims in the community.

going out party
This is a targeted event. You can hang out with your friends and family in a festive atmosphere. You can earn money as a reward at the end.

LGBT Charity Gala
This is a targeted event. Host a gala to help raise money for an LGBT charity. If you get gold during this event, you will receive a new gameplay trait, LGBT activist, which gives you two new interactions: “Talk about the protest for LGBT rights” and “Ask to join the cause” which also has a chance to turn other sims into LGBT activists. (Note that city life is required for some of the event objectives to be completed)

LGBT protest
This is not an event with purpose. You need to live in town for this event to work. You simply invite other sims to a batch and start a protest. (You may need to click on the sims and select “ask to join protest” under friendly > political career to start the protest).

Drag the show
This is a targeted event where you can win money and also the Drag Queen/King trait. Goals are mostly performance-based, so it gives you the freedom to run the show however you want.

Land characteristics

LGBT hot spot
The LGBT hotspot spawns LGBT sims in your world (as long as you gave the sims LGBT traits).

Gay hot spot
The gay hotspot spawns gay sims in your world at this batch (as long as you gave the sims the gay trait).

Lesbian hot spot
The lesbian hotspot spawns lesbian sims in your world (as long as you gave the sims the lesbian trait).

Holiday traditions

spirit of pride
This holiday tradition is complemented by the use of LGBT interactions with other sims, so you can create your own pride holiday (I thought this was better than an event as it will appear every year on the calendar).

Suction

LGBT activist
This Aspiration is for Sims who want to advocate for LGBT rights in the community. This aspiration requires you to have City Living and Get Famous in order to complete the objectives.

Optional files

the Homophobia The file is automatically included in the zip folder. If you don’t want a Sim to suffer from homophobia or transphobia, please delete the file. These traits were created for storytelling purposes only, as some people like their game to reflect reality or want to overcome homophobia in the game.
the Cancel LGBT protest signs file is also optional. This will replace all protest signs with Simlish signs protesting for LGBT rights. If you don’t want to replace them all, delete this file.

Known issues
Some people have reported an LE when lesbian sims woohoo, I’ve tried my best to fix this but it keeps coming back. However, it’s not game breaking, so you can just ignore it for now.

If you want to download this mod, check out the PimpMySims4 page here!

Taking pictures is not a new activity in The Sims 4. The base game allows the player to take pictures from the start. Players just tap the phone and select To take a picture. By taking their first photo, the Skill in photography will be added to that Sim’s skill list.

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Although easy to use, The Sims 4 the cameras don’t have many exciting options and attributes. However, thanks to Custom Content Creators (CC), many mods have improved the quality of images. This article will summarize the best mods for taking photos in the game.

5 Don’t lose sight

This mod is perfect for gamers who want high quality footage and like to film at night. the Don’t lose focus fashion by RAVASHEEN comes with three cameras and a tripod. Although they all have the same role, each has a unique style that sets them apart from the others.

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All cameras have the same great features to help Simmers take more professional images. The Don’t Lose Focus series has more photo storage than a normal camera, as it can store 25 photos instead of five.

In addition, it offers maximum image quality and zoom capabilities, and is compatible with the base game. All three cameras also have an exceptional night lens that allows Simmers to take amazing photos at night.

4 Ctrl+Alt+Green Screen

This amazing mod is available in three different sizes: short, medium and large Custom backdrop. Simmers should choose based on the height of the walls of the house they live in. If they take the photos outside, the size doesn’t matter.

the Ctrl+Alt+Green Screen by RAVASHEEN is in the Purchase method. Players should type “green” in the search box and the backdrop should appear in all sizes. Green screen allows players to add any photo and customize it to their liking. Remember that the desired photo must be placed in the inventory of the selected Sim. After choosing an image, it will automatically appear on the Backdrop.

Players must then place their Sim in front of the green screen and select another Sim to either take a photo from a camera in their inventory or place a camera on a tripod. To take a photo, simply select the camera and choose Take a photo of, where a list of Sims will appear. Select the Sim standing in front of the backdrop.

3 Camera Iso Love Photos

the Total control, Where the Camera Iso Love Photos by RAVASHEEN, available in buy mode. Type “camera” in the search box, and it should appear with a CC tag on it. Usually, when taking a photo, a Sim must be behind the camera. For example, in a family of five, only four Sims can have their picture taken together.

This camera can help immensely if players want to take a picture of all their Sims. The Full Control camera can be placed anywhere and will take an image depending on the angle it is at: on the ground, on a table, on a tripod, etc. It should be mentioned that the camera will not work if placed in inventory.

In addition to not needing an additional Sim to take a photo, the Iso Love Photos camera has other important advantages:

• Adjust camera view (360° rotation)

• Ability to zoom in and out to the furthest point (using the scroll wheel)

• High quality photos

• Increased photo storage

• Control camera height (Q and E keys)

• Move around in camera mode (W, A, S and D keys)

• Friendly base game

To do a little test, place a Sim in a certain location and take three pictures; one with the full control camera, another with the “Can You See Me Now” Camera, and the last with ClickShot P10 mirrorless Camera. The latter two are the most expensive cameras in The Sims 4. Upon closer inspection, gamers will notice that the Iso Love Photos camera has the most zoom capabilities, the best photo quality, and is the only one with a rotation option. Additionally, the other two cameras can only take a maximum of five photos, while the Full Control camera can take 25.

2 Modern family portrait

By typing “family” into the search box, Simmers can find two Framed family portraitswho are part of the Modern family portrait fashion by Ravasheen. Although the two frames differ in appearance, they serve the same function.

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Once players select one and place it on the wall, the empty space in the middle will turn into a family photo of the current household. This mod allows players to customize their own family portrait.

It’s no secret that there is already a family portrait in The Sims 4. However, it has more disadvantages than advantages. For example, the enormous size of the frame is a problem, since it takes up an entire wall. On the other hand, the same wall space can hold more than six framed family photos. In addition, The Sims 4 the portrait has a white background that cannot be changed, while the modern family portrait has a variety of backgrounds; winter, summer, forest and many more.

Everything can be adjusted in live mode; frame color, poses, clothing, etc. However, background styles can only be chosen in buy mode. Simmers can also lock certain images to save memories, as unlocked images will change each time a new Sim or pet is added. So, if players want to keep a photo of their little one after they grow up, they need to lock the memory.

1 Photographic Memory 2.0

the Photographic Memory 2.0 from RAVASHEEN is an improved version of the old fashioned camera. It looks the same, but many new attributes have been added to improve this mod. Also, this mod is compatible with other mods, such as modern family portrait. Like the Full Control Camera, you can find it by typing “camera” in the search box.

It may seem confusing at first as it has so many features to choose from. To start, Simmers can have ready family portraits or other camera footage in their inventory. Next, tap Photographic Memory 2.0 and choose photography studio. Here they have three options; Create photo gifts, improve photo quality and Upload photo, canvas or cross stitch.

the Create photo gifts present four unique elements to create images with:

• Canvas (6 sizes)

• Polaroid (4 samples)

• Calendar (6 samples)

• Cross stitch circles (small, medium and large)

After choosing one of them, the product will be in the inventory of the selected Sim.

the Improve photo quality changes the quality of the image to the maximum and removes gnomes, blurs and fingerprints. Players must hang the ruined image on the wall or keep it in inventory for the photo studio to see.

Finally, clicking on the third option opens a list of all Sim inventory photos or paintings around the house. After choosing an image, Simmers can transfer it to another painting or cross-stitch. Cross stitches and calendars add an intimate and warm touch to the house, especially if it is a family photo.

RELATED: Best Pose Mods For The Sims 4

As for Polaroids, Simmers can stack them in a certain area of ​​the wall, or purchase a corkboard in Buy Mode and place them on it. This will make the house more realistic, as if it has passed through several generations.

Pictures on the wall or corkboard can also be personalized. By selecting the desired photo, players can change the filter (make it inverted or black and white), the stripe style (one in the middle or one on each side), and the color of the pin.

Additionally, Simmers can add some emotion to images and recall them to achieve a mood. By selecting a Customize Printing, then Add keywords, players can choose any emotion. Later, when a Sim recalls the memory of this custom image, a new mood will appear. For example, choosing the inspirational memory will inspire the Sim to get inspired. And if that wasn’t enough, Simmers can also add Photo Descriptions to their images to help keep the memories alive.

The Sims 4 is now available for PC, PS4, PS5 and Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.

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About the Author

The Sims 4 turned six in September 2020. Much like the franchise’s 20th anniversary earlier in the year, the sixth anniversary was somewhat understated.

This edition of the cult classic simulation game has been with us longer than any of its predecessors.

Many improvements have been made to the game since its release, but there are a few things missing from the base game and some of its expansions.

Different players want different things and there are definitely some things we missed on this list – so please don’t consider that the definitive wish for The Sims 4.

However, we’ve tried to make this wishlist broad enough to capture a bit of everything from all different playstyles. Nothing so extreme as imagining what The Sims 4 worlds would look like if impacted by a pandemic, just a few basics to make the game a bit more…. Completed.

Best thumbnails for gallery uploads

Depending on the terrain you’re building on in The Sims 4 or the angle you’ve set for your build, the auto thumbnails the gallery chooses for Sims 4 builds can sometimes ruin an entire build. It’s something his team said they were working on, so there’s hope.

Edit apartments

The apartments that came with the Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle expansion attempted to allow editing of parts from the outside, but this was ultimately not possible. Creating or modifying our own apartments in The Sims 4 would be a game changer… not that kind of game changer.

Best way to upload to gallery with rooms/pools

Pools technically count as rooms in The Sims 4, so if you build a deck with a pool included and upload it to the gallery, your pool will disappear. Not great.

Suitable sectional sofas

Sure, you can create them using the moveobjects cheat and fine-tuning the placement using ALT, but can we just have couches that snap together to create proper L-shapes?

create a world

We know, we know. The ability to create a world is probably unlikely to ever come to The Sims 4, but it would be amazing to build a world from scratch and design it exactly how we want it. Imagine if we could create the hidden world of Sylvan Glade as a magical wonderland for Sims to live in?

With so many new debug objects added to the game in the September patch, creating a world in The Sims 4 would actually be pretty easy.

Better skin tones

The team said that improving skin tones in The Sims 4 will be addressed in the coming months. But we’re adding it to the list anyway.

Free the baby

Not high on our wishlist, but the creepy baby being an item in The Sims 4 is something many gamers have been asking for for years.

Matching doors

Seriously, why oh why are there so many walls that don’t have matching doors? It’s one of the biggest bugbears in the building.

Fur

In the same category as skin tones. We have beards, can anything be done about body hair in The Sims 4?

Burglar NPC

This is another thing the team said they were “constantly thinking about”. Burglars were a mainstay of the original Sims game, but six years later they still haven’t appeared in The Sims 4.

Policeman NPC

This genre goes hand in hand with the Burglar NPC. While an active police career exists with The Sims 4: Get to Work expansion, it’s not quite the same as a cop showing up to catch a crook.

Grocery store

We have retail bundles and we can create a fish market using only the base game and debug items. Can grocery stores become a thing?

phone

Yeah, yeah, who still has those days when everyone has cell phones? Does it matter? The house phone is a cult classic from The Sims. Bring it back.

Cars and garages

Again, not high on our wish list, but many Sims players have been asking for these for years. While there is some hope that cars will be coming to The Sims 4 soon, they would really add to the gameplay that comes with the Eco Living expansion pack.

Newspaper and newspaper delivery man

A newspaper delivered by the children in the morning before school would be amazing. Print is not dead, long live paper.

Spiral staircases

The Sims 4 team has taken on the challenges of spiral staircases and we get it. In 2019, we added configurable stairs to the game, which made stairs a little more fun. But oh, for a spiral case to take us to our ivory tower.

Ability to create rentals in all worlds

There are mods that allow this, but if you want your Sims to vacation in Sulani, they should be able to. On the bright side, at least Sims can now escape to vacation worlds after the September patch.

Fewer bulky items

We talked about some of the most annoying things about The Sims 4 in a previous article. Why is everything so massive? Is it too much to ask for a full-size telescope or smaller coffee tables?

basin tool

Yes, we can technically create ponds using the base game and debug objects, without the need for custom content. But we just want ponds that Sims won’t try to swim in because they’re actually swimming pools.

Pizza recipe

We can order a pizza, but why can’t we make it in a pizza oven, maybe with stuffed ingredients that could have some interesting side effects if the mushrooms aren’t meant to be eaten.

Basic diving board

Again with the giant objects thing. Can we just have a simple diving board for The Sims 4 base game please?

Bug fixes

All bug fixes. So much. No, not the larvae. The larvae are fine. The game plays bugs.

Bonus wish: Living in holiday worlds

That sort of thing falls under rental in all worlds, too, but while frolicking in Granite Falls, we longed to be able to live there. Sure, Zerbu’s mod lets you change everyone from vacation to residential, but we just want to change a lot. Also, it’s a mod. We want to include the things here in the package.