March 2018 - What's next?

Last week, I finally released True Happiness for The Sims 4, the biggest mod I've worked on, and something I was proud to finally get out there for people to play with.

So what's next?

A rethink of the effect of environment on sims. Not just removing or weakening the overpowered positive environment happy moodlets, but making the emotional environment effects apply more naturally as well. Using the ideas of Zerbu's old Environment Effect Overhaul as a starting point, but with my own improvements.

Sims reacting to pressure. The most prevalent negative mood in The Sims 4 is tension and stress. In real life, I think a lot of what are seen as negative moods are often experienced as a reaction to stress. So I've designed a system of gradual, unpredictable building of anger while under prolonged stress, stronger for hot-headed sims, but still subtly there for other sims. And after the tension is over, the possibility of a crashing wave of sadness for sims that feel like they can't cope, stronger for gloomy sims, but still possible for anyone.

A redesign of Emotional Inertia. One where it is not left for you to imagine what your sim is thinking about to leave them still feeling sad, or tense, or inspired, because it's the original moodlets that made them feel that way that are lasting longer, and being resistant to change, and ultimately keeping your sim in their mood. Doing away with the need for the spinning-top moodlets, to make your sims' emotions feel more natural.

I'm able to say with confidence that this is what you'll be getting from me next, because these are effects that are already in or close to a finished state. My plan is to share an early preview of them with you soon as part of one big combined mod, along with the effects of Uncomfortable Overhaul, Variable Emotional Traits, maybe True Happiness, and a settings menu to control it all. Hopefully with some other new things I get done along the way as well.

Because ultimately what I'm making now is the Total Emotional Overhaul concept I talked about working my way towards when I first started this patreon. One mod you can download and install to get my vision of a redesigned Sims 4. But something you can easily open up a settings menu for to tweak or change any part of it that doesn't fit how you personally like to play.

There are other areas I'd like to expand into as well, like autonomy, and whims, and memories, but I'll get into talking about them when I have more to show for it.

Something I might need help with right now, though, is a name for my new mega-mod. Meaningful Moods is what I've been using as a working title, but I think there could be a better one out there, particularly as the mod might not be confined to moods and emotions in the future.

If you'd like to help me test and give feedback on early versions of the new mod, become a patron now, and you'll get an email with a download link as soon as I have something ready.