BetterSims Guide
First of all, This mod is only uploaded to modthesims.info and my patreon.
Any other download is not permitted and could be dangerous. If you download from any other place I can´t give you support with my mod.
Be careful with sims4modding.com this site steals mods and profits from it.
Here is a video I made about that:
NEW IN V0.6
Hi everyone I hope you are all having a great start of the year. For this update I took more time to playtest than other times before, with special attention to text and other preventable bugs. These are the fixes and new things in BetterSims. Fixed unlinked images and text in the Secondary Aspirations.
- Fixed bug that made the Artistic prodigy life choice appear constantly in children.
- Fixed Location preferences appearing on toddlers.
- Added options to select Hidden Talents.
- Added interaction to find out your sim’s hidden talents.
- Fixed seasons' whims so they show less often.
- Removed some duplicate text in Aspirations
- Added Relationship, school and appearance life choices.
- Added notifications for hidden talents and character traits.
- New Addon for Preferences plus¨ mod by Helaene
- Improved the automatic preferences system.
- Added a last minute fix to prevent sims from getting location and other preferences when disabled
While working on V0.7 I noticed a bug with 2 moodlets that appear constantly saying “Insecure” and “ Dropout doesn’t define me” I’m working on a fix for those but in the meantime if you use the mod “UI cheats extension” by weebersu you can right click on them to delete them.
RECOMMENDED/REQUIRED DOWNLOADS
Ky-e’s Lifetime Aspirations
This mod Makes all aspirations feel more like long term goals than tutorials. My lemon Version of BetterSims works complementary to this mod.
Vicky Sims Metabolism traits
“This is a Mod to allow you to add A total of 25 Body/ Needs changing Traits to your Sim.” Description by Vivky Sims.
My Metabolism Addon REQUIRES this mod to work.
Radiophobe’s Zodiac Traits
“This mod aims to convert zodiac signs from the Sims 2 and make it as good as I can into the Sims 4 without it taking up Trait Slots”. Description By Radiophobe.
My Zodiacs Addon REQUIRES this mod to work.
Triplis’ Child and Teen can Quit or Rejoin School
“Child and Teen Sims can choose to Quit or Join school at your whim. Comes with an optional UnlimitedPTO add-on.” Description by Triplis
This mod helps fulfill certain life choices that appear in my mod. Highly Recommended but not required.
MissyHissy’s Custom Whims
This mod will be REQUIRED in the future! As I work in my whims overhaul I’ll include whims from this mod.
“I love playing a whim-based game and, with the popularity of The Personality Mod, I wanted to be able to work more with custom whims and try and add some new direction to them in a series of manageable mods. Additionally, I want other modders to be able to make use of these whims for their own mods. So this is the Custom Whims Mod!” Description by MissyHissy
Preferences Plus
I added a new addon that REQUIRES this mod. All the preferences here also influence features in BetterSims. I strongly recommend you get it!
This mod provides 27 additional hobby preferences, 10 new outfit preferences, 13 new venue preferences, 8 personal preferences and 23 general interests. These new preference traits can be added in CAS using the new likes/dislikes system. Preferences have unique social interactions and computer interactions, as well as appropriate whims, moodlets and autonomy settings! Description by Heleane
TRANSLATIONS
Spanish Translation
Thanks to Geosims for the help with the translation so far. Spanish is now included in the mod.
Portuguese
Thanks to NathanSimss! Now included
French
Thanks to Kassy for helping with the french translation. Now included in V0.5
Russian
thanks to Cecil Davis for helping with the Russian translation. It will be included in the mod on V0.6
MOD’S FEATURES
Personality Overhaul
In the game we only have 3 slots for sim adults to give them a personality and we have to use them wisely. But there are some traits that seem to be not as impactful and defining as others. That’s why I decided to add a new system and separate personality from Character traits.
Personality Traits are meant to be more general. I'll complement and add more “negative” traits to balance it out.
Emotional Traits
Traits that stay the same:
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Active
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Cheerful
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Creative
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Genius
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Gloomy
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Goofball
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Hot Headed
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Romantic
Re-categorized Traits:
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Erratic
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Lazy
New Traits:
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Uncreative
These sims rarely get inspired and struggle with all creative activities.
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Unfunny
These sims have a hard time getting and landing jokes. They rarely feel playful.
Hobby Traits
Traits that stay the same:
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Art Lover
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Bookworm
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Foodie
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Geek
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Music Lover
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Perfectionist
Re-categorized Traits:
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Loves Outdoors
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Neat
New Traits:
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Can’t stand Art
These sims hate museums and all ornaments.
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Hates the outdoors
These sims would rather stay inside and avoid all outdoor activities.
Lifestyle Traits
Traits that stay the same:
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Ambitious
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Childish
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Clumsy
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Glutton
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Kleptomaniac
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Materialistic
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Slob
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Snob
Re-categorized Traits:
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Noncommittal
New Traits:
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Occult Enthusiast
These sims love and believe in everything related to the Supernatural!
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Free Spirited
These sims love to go with the flow and avoid
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Skeptical
These sims can’t be fooled. They will only believe in things proved by science.
Social Traits
Traits that stay the same
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Bro
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Evil
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Family Oriented
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Good
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Hates Children
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Jealous
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Loner
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Mean
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Outgoing
New Traits:
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Loyal
These sims are trustworthy and genuine. They will do everything for their loved ones and their relationships decay slower.
Character traits
These are traits that you get through gameplay. Based on personality, age, and other events. They don’t take a trait slot and you can change them through Bettersims Menu
Re-categorized traits:
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Clumsy
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Glutton
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Self-Assured
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Insider
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Unflirty
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Vegetarian
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Cat Lover
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Dog Lover
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Self Absorbed
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Recycle Disciple
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Lacore Intolerant
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Squeamish
New Traits:
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Insecure
These sims rarely feel confident and struggle with their self image. -
Easily Bored
These sims need constant entertainment; they achieve that by learning new skills and socializing. -
Introvert
These sims can get tense and lose some energy by socializing. Staying inside and doing what they like will re-charge their batteries. Their social needs decay slower. -
Extrovert
These sims feel better around people. They re-charge their batteries by socializing. Their social needs decay faster. -
Star Material
These sims have something special that attracts everyone. They do especially well in the entertainment industry. -
Awkward
These sims have a hard time socializing and usually get embarrassed by it. -
Studious
These sims believe in the education system. They will be very competitive and want to be the best in school and their careers. -
Logical
These sims are really good at all things logical. -
Illogical
These sims have a hard time with anythic Logic related.
NOTE: MORE TRAITS WILL BE ADDED IN FUTURE UPDATES
Hidden Talents
These Hidden traits will impact your sim's reaction to different skills. You can tell you sim has a talent or weakness though moodlets you sim gets while performing activities related to it. These Archetypes come in pairs, one for sims who are really good at certain activities and for sims who are really bad at them. More Archetypes can be added in future updates.
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Artistic/Tasteless
Skills:
Painting
Photography
Flower Arranging
Knitting
Media Production
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Social Star/Asocial
Skills:
Charisma
Mischief
Comedy
Wellness
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Poetic/Literal
Skills:
Writing
Music
Singing
Comedy
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Musical/Tone Deaf
Skills:
Music
Singing
Dancing
Dj Mixing
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Athletic/Sluggish
Skills:
Fitness
Rock climbing
Snowboarding
Skating
skiing
Bowling
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Scientist/Unaware
Skills:
Rocket Science
Logic
Fabrication
Research & Debate
Archaeology
Robotics
Handiness
Veterinarian
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Performer/Stage Fright
Skills:
Comedy
Acting
Singing
Dj Mixing
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Gamer/Uncompetitive
Skills:
Programming
Logic
Video Games
Ping Pong
Juice Pong
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Outdoorsy/Homebody
Skills:
Gardening
Flower Arranging
Herbalism
Fishing
Archaeology
Local culture
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Great Cook/Desabrid@
Skills:
Bartending
Cooking
Gourmet cooking
Baking
Herbalism
Juice Fizzing
canning
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Spiritual/Disconnected
Skills:
Medium
Wellness
Skill Learning
Skills in the Sims 4 are sometimes too easy to master. So I tried to balance them out to make things more interesting. In real life everyone learns skills at a different rate and this feature of the mod was created to balance skill learning in the sims 4. as soon as your game loads your sim will be given 1 of the 4 skill learning traits:
Slow learner
Regular (does not show in the sim Panel)
Fast Learner
Prodigy
These traits are here to make every sims' experience different. Some Sims will have a harder time learning stuff than others but things like having a good childhood or loving a particular activity will make it more enjoyable for your Sim. These traits are assigned following a percentage. 65% Regular, 10%Slow Learner, 10% Prodigy and 25% Fast Learner.
Preferences System
BetterSims initially had a feature that added likes and dislikes to the game. Now the og game has its own preferences system the way the og system gives likes and dislikes to your sims through gameplay only focuses on emotions so, I added my original system and adapted it to the new preferences. Now your sim will develop preferences on their own without asking and this is based on traits and other features from my mod. Skill level and CAS story feature also affect this system.
Location Preferences
These new preferences can appear when your sim visits a new place and are assigned based on personality. You can also choose them in CAS like any other preference. The automatic system can be disabled and Enabled in the menu but if you want to remove the preferences you have to do it manually.
These preferences influence your sims’ moods and life choices.
Fashion & Style Preferences
These new preferences are meant to guide you towards your sims’ favourites. As soon as the game loads there’s a chance that your sim will get a fashion preference based on their personality. Chances increase every time you load the game (also after entering CAS or going to another lot). This automatic system can be disabled in the Menu. You can also choose your sims’ preferences through CAS like any other like or dislike.
Activity Preferences
With my system, after a sim tries an activity for the first time they have a chance of getting a preference depending on their traits. No questions asked. Of course preferences can now be changed in cas so if you don’t like something you can remove it in CAS. After this first event sims can develop preferences through normal gameplay,(this is tied to emotions and always asks before assigning the preference)
Color Preferences
Just like Fashion & style, Every time your game loads your sim has a chance to get a new preference based on their personality. This automatic system can be disabled in the Menu.
Important Note: Right now DLC preferences and other systems need more work.
Life Choices System
At any point in life your sim will get a special moodlets indicating what direction they want to take in life, Things like leave High School, change their look, move to Oasis Springs, Become a Bodybuilder(choosing aspirations), leave spouse or other life changing actions.
High School Choices
Sims with high grades might get the want to graduate early after some time with an A grade.
Sims with an F grade and the freespirit trait might want to leave highschool. This decision will influence their work performances, but don’t worry, there are other ways to earn money in the sims.
I removed the option to quit school from the Bettersims menus but you can do that using the child and teens can quit or join school” mod by Triplis. or enabling the option with MCCC by Deaderpool.
Aspiration Choices
At some point in their lives, sims might get a want to become *Aspiration Name* This will help you figure out what kind of sims they are. you can use this information to select a new aspiration or use the secondary aspirations in the BetterSims menu.
Home Life Choices
When your sim has a Location preference, they might decide they want to move somewhere else. They will react depending on the outcome of that.
Job Choices
Most of the careers in game require you to choose a specific track for your sim, now that is up to them. When they’re getting closer to that promotion they will decide what they want to do. It depends on their personality, degrees and other factors. If your sim doesn’t have a preference. It might be time to consider changing paths.
Secondary Aspirations
After Your sim gets a want to become or do something(aspiration related) the outcome is up to you, you can choose to change the aspiration and fix the aspiration bonus trait or you can use the secondary aspiration option in the BetterSims menu. Aspiration life choices unlock special traits called Secondary aspirations that will affect whims and Autonomy. You can select one Secondary Aspiration at a time and access it through your Sim menu >BetterSims>Secondary Aspirations. If you don;t want to unlock them through gameplay you can also choose the one you want.
Improved Aspirations
Lemon Version
This version is made to be compatible with Ky-e’s Lifetime aspirations. All aspirations have one long-term goal instead of the several stages of regular aspirations.
Vanilla Version
Everyone plays in a different way. At the first weeks of BetterSims release I got some feedback from people who didn’t like the Lemon version, at the time only version of the mod . so I decided to rethink my new aspirations in the original game style. That’s what vanilla aspirations are. I will be including a vanilla version of Ky-e’s new Lifetime aspirations too.
MY MAIN ASPIRATIONS
Figure it out
This aspiration is meant for all teens and older who still don’t know what they want to do with their lives. Whims for this aspiration will help your Sim explore activities and socialize. But be careful, if your sim never finds their purpose they’ll get the “Uncomplete” reward. making them bored and boring most of the time.
Grow up
Did you know that with BetterSims kids can choose their aspirations too? Well in the meantime their only job is to grow up. Use this aspiration as a base until your child sim decides. Or you can fulfill this aspiration too. It doesn’t come with any perk or disadvantage.
BetterSims Menu
This feature adds options in your sims menu to help you manage your sims preferences and traits. note if your sim has got only one aspiration choice you’ll only see the secondary aspiration option in the main bettersims menu like in the picture. This is how menus work in the game by default.
Change Aspiration Bonus
In the vanilla game, once your sim is created they get a bonus trait based on their picked aspiration. this cannot be changed even when switching aspirations, I added a fix for that in the BetterSims Menu.
Choose Skill Learning Trait
This option lets you select the speed at which your sim learns all skills. If you open it and click X without selecting anything the skill learning trait will be removed and re assigned next time you load the game.
Settings
This option lets you enable , disable and reset all systems separately for a single sim or all sims.
NOTE: IF ONE OF THE SYSTEMS ARE NOT WORKING WELL AFTER UPDATING. MAKE SURE YOU ENABLE THE SYSTEM IN GAME.
The reset option will remove assigned traits, and hidden traits. Your sim will forget all previous life choices, what activities they’ve tried (doesn’t affect skill level) and places they’ve visited.
You can select a specific system or all of them and it can’t be undone.
Select Secondary Aspiration
I originally intended secondary aspirations to be unlocked only through gameplay. But everyone plays in a different way so I added this cheat for anyone who wants to choose their own stories.
Remove Trait
This option lets you remove any trait from your sim. Sometimes your sim might get a preference, child phase or hidden trait that you don’t want. You can remove it with this option. I also use it to see all the traits my sim has.
Notifications
I want to add notifications for storytelling purposes and right now these pop ups will tell you every time your sim gets a new preference or lifechoice. You won’t miss them Anymore.
Whims Overhaul(Work in progress )
It’s quite simple. I want to make whim-based gameplay possible in this game. I’ve been thinking about all the things I need to make that work and all I need is time, patience and a lot of testing. The first whim update improves Teen,child skill whims and Base game aspiration whims that influence secondary aspirations as well. Whims I’ll target next:
- Career
- Skill
- Situational whimsets
- Add more Whimsets for aspirations(this is a list of whims that needs to be added to an element for whims to show up)
- Add Whimsets to traits and preferences
- Add completely new Whims, to expand your sim’s preferences
Addons
These packages add features related to other mods please make sure to remove them if you are not using the mod it's related to.
Metabolism Addon
This adds an automatic system that assigns metabolism traits to your sims. traits are randomized and can be removed through the remove traits option on the BetterSims menu.
Metabolism reward traits by Vickysims/chingyu1023
Zodiacs Addon
This adds an automatic system that assigns Zodiac sign traits to your sims depending on their traits. Like any other trait, Zodiac signs can be removed through the remove traits option on the BetterSims menu.
Zodiac Signs mod by Radiophobe
KNOWN ISSUES AND CONFLICTS
- This mod might conflict with any mod that alters the original game traits or aspirations.If you want to use Lifetime Aspirations by ky-e please remove all files from the Lemon version.
- If your Sim gets the Business person trait from the Get to Work module you might get a red shopping cart on top of their heads this is a visual error, won’t affect gameplay or give you last exceptions but It very annoying. I’m looking for a fix right now.
- This mod might conflict with any mod that alters whims. If you want to use Bienchen's Mod overhaul with my mod, you should remove the Base game module from Bienchen , as it's the only one that conflicts right now. I'll be building my own whims overhaul little by little. It's a feature that will take some time but really makes a difference. I have plans to make my mod more modular and easier to customize in case you want to use Bienchen’s Whim overhaul instead of mine. So this is temporary.
- There's a known conflict with SNB by SimRealist and the second milestone of my figure it out aspiration. It doesn't always appear and when it does just affects the specific household, changing the aspiration fixes the problem. I'm working on a fix for it, but because it’s irregular it is hard to find where the problem lies.
This mod has been tested and has not conflicts with these mods:
- MC Command Center by Deaderpool
- Slice of Life and Education Bundle by KawaiiStacie
- Wonderful Whims by TURBODRIVER
- First Impressions by Lumpinou
- Meaningful Stories by roBurky
- Have some Personality Please by PolarBear Sims
- Complete Cooking overhaul by Srsly Sims
- All mods from Vickysims/Chingyu1023
Because of how the mod is built there are tons of mods that are compatible with BetterSims, I'm only listing the ones I've played a lot with.
INSTALLATION
Before you install, make sure to remove previous versions of the mod completely.
Most features from the mod can be safely removed and I’ll keep improving how that works.
As the mod becomes more customizable the installation instructions become a bit more complicated so I’ll explain everything in detail.
First step download and extract
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After downloading.Open the MD_BetterSims_v0.0.zip and drag the folder directly to your Sims 4 Mods folder
You can also right click MD_BetterSims_v0.zip and select extract here
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Your directory should look something like this:
C:\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods\MD_BetterSims_v0.0
Notes:
Never put ts4script files more than one folder deep in your mods folder.
This mod uses ts4script files, that means that you need to enable script mods in your game options.
Step 2: Customize
Make sure to remove all the packages you don’t need or want. Here’s a description of what You’ll find: