The Sims 2 might
be difficult to categorize as just a sim. Some would argue that it’s as much a
strategy game as anything else. Still, as with Bastion, The Sims is a game I am able to reference and so I am going to
examine a few of the aspects of the interface.
The bulk of the interface within The Sims 2 is clustered in a hub at the bottom left corner of the
screen. Different buttons on this hub allow the player to fold out sub-menus
that allow for either analyzing the situation, building or purchasing items for
the house, as well as a fold-out that opens up a standard options menu. In this
hub, there are also navigation buttons, clustered on their own smaller wheel
within the interface, that the player can use to navigate around the game
environment instead of the keyboard and mouse shortcuts. Mousing over anything
in the hub displays it’s name in case the individual symbol over each button
isn’t enough of a clue what the button does. At all times to the right of the
hub are a smaller set of buttons that allow purchases and building moves to be
undone and re-done and a few other keys specific to the building process.
As sim games are, as their name implies, simulations, it may
be at times difficult to figure out what the set objective, if any, of the
simulation is. In vehicle sims, the objective typically seems to either be set
by the individual player or by parameters the game sets out. The original Sims
allowed the player to more or less set their own goals for their characters
but, perhaps in an effort to be more of a game, The Sims 2 seeks to narrow focus by way of a new aspirations system
in addition to the standard character needs (more on this later). There are
buttons that appear on the right side of the hub when a character is selected.
Clicking on the aspiration button (located just above a meter that displays a
sim’s overall satisfaction) causes the menu to fold out in a small display that
shows the player what a given character’s aspirations and fears are.
Aspirations are color-coded with a green background, denoting the positive
effects of attaining them, and fears are color-coded with red backgrounds,
denoting negative effects. Each aspiration or fear has a specific design on it,
much like everything else, but mousing over one will reveal a text which
explains what it means.
A player can also select menu fold-outs that show a sim’s
needs. This fold out presents each need as an indicator bar. Full portions of
the bar display green while depleted portions display yellow. As a bar fills, a
green arrow will display on the right side of the bar. The more green arrows,
the more easily a certain need is being met.
As stated before, there are specific fold-out menus assigned
to customizing a living space. These are grouped into the building and buying
menus. The buying menu can group different items by room, category or art
style. These three selections appear right next to the hub when the buy button
is selected and lead to a fold out that displays further sub-menus that, when
clicked, display the given items in the category. Clicking on an item and
leaving the cursor there will cause a fold-out to appear giving an item
description, stats on how much of an effect the item will have (aesthetic value
to the sims, how much it helps with food preparation, etc) and, in some cases,
a set of buttons that allow the player to further customize the look of the
item from several presets. When an item is chosen to be placed within the
house, it’s location can be chosen based on where the player drags his cursor.
Placement is indicated by both the position of the item and the base bellow it.
A red base means that the item cannot be placed while a green base indicates
the item can. The item can also be rotated but it seems that once it is rotated
it is placed in the environment as the only way to do this is to hold shift and
left click. Left-clicking in the environment causes an item to be purchased,
thus why the item appears.
There is a similar menu for building items. Items are sorted
by category and tend to have sub-sections within those. For example, flooring
is a category but within flooring are smaller categories pertaining to outside
pavement, interior carpet and tile, etc. Interaction with this menu is much the
same as with the buy menu; a player clicks on a button displaying a small image
of the given item and that item is selected for placement in the environment.
Unlike the buy menu, however, the player typically clicks and drags selections
for building, unless the given item is a door or a window. Single items, just
like with the buy menu items, will display a red base if they cannot be placed
and a green base when they can.
The simplest remaining button is the play button. Clicking
on this returns the game to real time and gets rid of the red box display and
pause symbol that rims the screen when action is paused. The bulk of the game’s
action occurs in this mode, with most of the feedback that doesn’t occur on the
character menu coming from floating displays over a Sim’s head. The characters
speak jibberish, so these visuals are what the player has to rely on more,
although it’s very evident, thought character body language as well as tone of
voice, if the character is upset.
The player issues commands to a sim by having a given sim
selected (selection is denoted by a green rim around a sim’s picture, displayed
just above the hub and to the left) and clicking on an item or person. Things
that can be interacted with will hi-light slightly. After clicking, picture of
the sim’s head will appear, surrounded by a list of different options. The
sim’s head will turn to look when these options are moused-over. Some options
lead to further menus while others simply initiate an action.
Interacting with an item or a character will typically cause
some sort of display to appear over the character during the action and when
the action ends. In the case of items, it might be a gradually filling skill
display that tells the player how close a character is to achieving a skill
point, an indicator within the game at how skilled a character is in a certain
category (for example, cooking can increase a cooking skill, rehearsing a
speech in front of a mirror can increase a charisma skill, etc). Finishing the
action will cause a pop-up informing the player that a sim’s skill his
increased.
Pictures will display when characters are engaged in
conversation as well in order to denote what the character is talking about.
When the conversation concludes, a small picture appears showing how the
characters have changed in social standing with whomever they were interacting.
Specifically, if two characters finish talking and red minus symbols display
over their heads, they have started to dislike each other, whereas green plus
symbols denote affinity. Like with the arrow displays in the needs bars, the
more minuses or plusses at a given time, the greater the effect of the
interaction.
There is another button that opens a menu dedicated to
stories. Players are able to take pictures of their sims and write descriptions
of the events occurring. They can also choose between different families by
clicking on their respective buttons in this window. Each button is denoted by
a picture of the family along with a tool-tip that displays their name when
moused-over.
Lastly, there is, at the bottom of the wheel, a button that
opens a fold out which display’s a standard option menu. Mousing-over each icon
gives what the icon does and clicking on the button brings up the corresponding
menu.
My experience with the interface in The Sims 2 reveals that it is pretty efficient. Everything is
clustered in one place, alleviating the need to navigate through many sub-menus
to find something. The interface itself is a bit on the large side and there
were some navigation difficulties I experienced while trying to place an item;
the bar was in the way of where I wanted to place the item and I had to juggle
the camera around a bit. Regardless, the interface mostly manages to stay out
of the way, though perhaps a smaller interface could be made. Some of the icons
could be made more situational, freeing up real estate. Perhaps some other
icons could be shrunk, though I’m reluctant to suggest that since visibility is
key. The best suggestion I can come up with, though, is affording the player
the option of disabling the navigation buttons in the bottom left corner, much
like a user is able to do with the view cube within an Autodesk program. Though
these buttons can allow for steady navigation, it’s mostly faster to use
keyboard and mouse navigation and so not that necessary to have those buttons
there if a player doesn’t need them.
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