PROJECT MAYOR: The Power of Subverting Simple Systems to Transform Them into Powerful Tools

When I play The Sims, my goal isn’t just to create a world where people can live; my aim is to build a space where stories emerge, choices carry weight, and creativity finds meaning. Over the years, The Sims has evolved into a platform for personal expression, but one thing has remained constant: its frequent reliance on the player’s imagination to assign context and meaning.

This is something that has always bothered me, especially after The Sims 4. Since then, my goal has been to make Sims more aware of who they are, where they are, and give them enough data to take initiative, deal with consequences, and make an impact.

However, I thought my mission was over when I completed my autonomy mods. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Now that I made my Sims independent and reactive, I decided to get closer to them, and realized just how distant we still were! I mean, I want to be the mayor, to manage not only the lives and needs of my Sims but also to make the city a living, breathing character in my story. But I lacked the data and interfaces for a deep analysis of social events and situations, and until now, I was incapable of assigning a social class to my Sims without it being tied 100% to the amount of simoleons they had.

But social class is not just about money—it's also about culture, habits, hierarchies, and so much more! The Sims never dared to represent that because it’s not an easy task, and it’s inherently relative. The observer plays a key role in the perception of what separates poverty from wealth.

Today, I want to present to you an initiative that exemplifies how the perception of systems can be transformed with something seemingly simple but incredibly powerful: words.

Meet Project Mayor, a bold approach that redefines simulation in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 by reformulating how we present and interpret social and urban dynamics.

What is Project Mayor?

Project Mayor is a redefinition of how players interact with existing systems. What could be seen as mere numbers and progress bars now comes to life as engaging narratives and reflections on society.

Take, for example, the Reputation System in The Sims 2. Few players explored this system in-depth, often ignoring it due to a lack of clear context. In Project Mayor, it becomes a Social Class Meter, with levels reflecting a Sim’s position in society, from Unfortunate Beggar to Exceptional Magnate. This simple yet powerful adjustment transforms a forgotten mechanic into a dynamic storytelling tool that shapes how Sims are perceived and treated in the game world.

The irony? The mechanic was always there, just unused. I redefined it to draw attention to it and make it a tool for storytelling within The Sims 2.

The Power of Words

Why do words matter so much? Because they shape our perception. When we say a Sim has “High Reputation,” it sounds neutral, generic. But if we say they belong to the “Upper Class,” that carries weight, an implicit narrative. This semantic shift makes the player feel the social dynamic, not just see it.

The same concept was applied to the Social Groups System in The Sims 3 University Life. Originally divided into Nerds, Rebels, and Socialites, these groups were transformed into representations of Social Classes:

• The Socialites now represent the Upper Class, symbolizing prestige and influence.

• The Nerds reflect the Middle Class, emphasizing merit and stability.

• The Rebels embody the Lower Class, bringing resilience and creativity as the pillars of their stories.

The difference? Instead of just another group mechanic, these classes create a social ecosystem where every decision the player makes resonates with meaning. Of course, many of the interactions need to be revisited and re-adapted (using ITUNs) to ensure that the classes behave in ways expected by society.

 Enhancing the Experience with Fame and Authority

Project Mayor also subverts The Sims 3: Late Night's Fame System, transforming it into the Authority Meter. Now, instead of measuring how often your Sim is photographed or recognized, it measures their social impact within the city.

• Upper Class Sims scale faster, while Lower and Middle Class Sims face unique challenges to grow.

• The titles, such as "Fame Hunter" and "Superstar," have been renamed to terms that reinforce social hierarchy, like "Beginner," "Dominant," and "Icon of Authority."

With this, the fame system is no longer exclusive to celebrities but becomes a reflection of social dynamics across all classes.

Let me explain: We have Mrs. Maria, an adult woman from the Lower Class, who is unknown to the Authority System. She lives alone and has few friends. On the other hand, we have Mrs. Tereza. She is also from the Lower Class, but she is a social activist fighting for equal rights and organizing protests and rallies. She is fully connected to the community and, therefore, an authority icon for her class. In other words, there is NO pressure on Mrs. Maria to change her situation. However, there is a HUGE pressure on Mrs. Tereza, who is constantly seen, heard, and noticed publicly, meaning the social pressure is that she should be an example to other Sims and faces the risk of “public scrutiny” if she acts in an opposing way.

Don't mess with Mrs. Tereza. Her protests are not friendly.*

The great irony is that The Sims 3’s fame system isolates Sims into castes. In other words, even though Mrs. Maria and Mrs. Tereza are poor (the same social class), they are at different levels of hierarchy. Therefore, Mrs. Maria will never be influenced to develop a relationship with Mrs. Tereza because she doesn't even have an appropriate level of authority (fame) to do so. Do you see?

We are reinterpreting the Social Groups and Fame system to tell the stories of ordinary Sims, living ordinary lives, in an ordinary city. It's no longer about who is a Rebel or Famous. It's about different people, living in similar or not-so-similar social classes at completely divergent levels. We’re not just creating a social class mechanic by renaming these data; we’re creating a stratification mechanic within classes! Even deeper!

Urban Challenges, Choices, and Emerging Stories

A Sim in Project Mayor is not just an individual; they are part of a larger community. By giving players the tools to observe and influence the Social Classes, the systems become interconnected:

• Infrastructure and Environment in The Sims 2 directly affect the well-being and perception of Sims.

• Prestige Connections in The Sims 3 represent a Sim’s social network and how it influences their position.

• The player’s choices to expand or neglect certain neighborhoods create emerging stories of progress, crisis, and even social revolutions.

What to Expect from the Future

Project Mayor is not just a modification; it's a call to reimagine how we play. It reminds us that words have the power to transform systems, that mechanics can tell stories, and that seemingly small decisions can create profoundly meaningful experiences.

I want you, as a player, to experience The Sims like never before—not as an omnipotent God, but as a social architect, a mayor, someone whose vision shapes lives and cities.

So, when you step into the world of Project Mayor, ask yourself: what can your words build? What can your Sims become?

Once again, I emphasize, what I’m doing is not revolutionary. Though the approach is. This approach mainly comes from my need to play The Sims with the same level of depth and complexity I would want to see in a game that blends the management of individual and global needs. I don't want to focus only on my Sim, but I want to feel the progress they can experience through these mechanics. This is my love letter to the Simulation. It’s my way of demonstrating how we can change the game without having a powerful arsenal of skills, just by subverting existing mechanics and tools to completely change their meaning.

That said, I am making these grammatical/semantic changes for the Brazilian Portuguese language. PLEASE, if this is something that attracts you and you believe you would benefit from this change in perspective in another language, let me know. My role here has been: modifying STBL Strings, building gameplay guides, and creating small mods that can alter the decay of environmental needs in The Sims 2, or assign environmental buffs in The Sims 3, so that the player can "make the Sim aware" of the area in which they live. Low-density areas will provide a greater challenge for development and progression, alongside all the underlying systems mentioned above.

I hope this inspires you, as a player, to find new ways to have fun in a game that you think or feel you already know.