The Sims 2: University
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| The Sims 2: University | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Maxis |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac OS X |
| Release | Windows: March 1, 2005 Mac OS X: December 12, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
The Sims 2: University is the first expansion pack for the strategy/simulation computer game The Sims 2. University provides players with the opportunity to guide their Sims through a new life-stage, young adulthood, by attending college. It also adds a significant feature to The Sims 2 gameplay, "Influence."
Description
Sims are given the option to move out of the family home once they reach their teen stage of life and be sent off to college, a separate world in The Sims 2. These worlds are completely new areas in The Sims 2 and the player can choose from three premade universities, or create their own.
- Sim State University, which features all the basics for a college in the game. There is a good balance between school buildings and basic community lots such as shops and hang-out areas.
- La Fiesta Tech, a desert-based technical college which seems to be engulfed in entertainment. There seems to be little focus on schooling itself, at least among the student body.
- Académie Le Tour, a prestigious university where education is the focus. There isn't much outside entertainment at this college, as many of the students are very studious (there are no pre-made Greek houses in this college).
These areas have everything that constitues as normal college life including dorms, where the player's Sims live with various other NPC's studying at the college. Other new locations include gyms, coffee bars, libraries and student unions. A small yet notable addition to the game is the new College Radio station, which features real songs from real independent bands, the only catch being that all of the lyrics are in Simlish.
College education
The biggest aspect of The Sims 2: University is the colleges themselves and, as expected, the courses themselves. Freshmen are by default given an "undecided" major which must be decided upon by their junior year of university, or else their major will be automatically switched to philosophy.
Students have the choice of eleven different majors. These majors require the advancement of specific skills (charisma, logic, etc.) in order to get the highest possible grades, meaning that each class can directly aid a student upon their entrance to a profession after their time at university.
- Mathematics
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political science
- Psychology
- Art
- Biology
- Drama
- Economics
- History
- Literature
Each year of college is about six to eight days, a time period in which Sims must raise their grade in the class through a number of methods. Note that a good mix of all of these techniques is a superb way of making the Dean's List, a large accomplishment for studious Sim students.
- Completing assignments, which can be started by clicking on the player's Sim and accessing "College...". This action takes about an hour or two and is a boost to the Sim's grade. If your sim has the influence points or is a member of a greek house with pledges, he/she can influence others to do your sim's assignments, thus promoting your sim's grade without work!
- Researching a class, initiated by clicking a bookcase and accessing "College...". This action can be expanded into the "Group Research" social interaction by clicking on other Sims and asking them to join the player's Sim in their studies. Sims in all majors and classes will benefit from group research, both academically and socially. While research doesn't provide an immediate grade boost, the sim's grade will improve the longer he/she studies, and it will improve more quickly from group research than from researching alone.
- Starting and finishing a research paper, which can be done upon clicking on a computer and accessing "College...". This action takes several hours but is a very large boost to the Sims's grade. The computers save term paper progress so that your sim can stop and return to writing as needed. As with assignments, other sims can be influenced to write your sim's term papers.
- Going to class. Each Sim has an assigned time period of when their classes are. A Sim's grades will not be hurt by not going to class (except perhaps for the final exam), but grades improve with attendance. To attend class during the correct time period, one can click on the Sim, access "College..." and "Go To Class". The Sim will walk to class and return in a few hours, often with an assignment in hand.
- Socializing with teachers. The better the interactions, the quicker the boost for the Sim's grade. This also means that having a bad relationship with teachers can make classes harder, reducing the Sim's grade drastically if the Sim meets up with a teacher while in a bad mood.
A major reason for achieving good grades other than advancing in classes is college grants; if the Sim achieves a good grade, he'll receive money from the college itself. An A+ nets the Sim student a spot on the Dean's List and §1,200 while a C- grade (the lowest possible passing mark) won't gain them any Simoleons at all.
There are also rewards for passing through each year at college.
- After completion of the Freshman year, your Sim gets five wants.
- After completion of the Sophomore year, your Sim can change their aspiration.
- After completion of the Junior year, your Sim gets six wants and the ability to lock two of them.
Finance and on-campus jobs
Since each Sim student starts off with §500 (unless they have scholarships), any money can be considered helpful. In The Sims 2: University, students can spend their money on luxury objects in their living spaces, excess clothing, electronic gadgets (ex. mobile phones, mp3 players and portable video game consoles) or even the renting of a house that can be a private home or can be converted into what would eventually become a Greek House. Sims can also make money in several other ways.
- Tutoring: Sims with a higher logic skill than another Sim can click on another Sim's assignment and tutor them for Simoleons on an hourly rate.
- Training: Sims with a higher body skill than another Sim can click on an exercising Sim and train them physically for Simoleons on an hourly rate.
- Instruments/freestyling: This is addressed in detail further down in the article.
- Cafeteria work: Click on a dorm's cafeteria worker and choose "Work In The Cafeteria" to take over their shift and gain Simoleons on an hourly rate. Due to the proximity of this job to a student's place of living (in the same dorm, possibly right across the hall), cafeteria work is a good idea for a Sim in a financial pinch.
- Bartending: When at a community lot, a Sim might come across a juice bar and behind it, a bartender. Click on the bartender and choose "Work As A Bartender" to take over their shift and gain Simoleons on an hourly rate.
- Coffee barista: When at a community lot, a Sim might come across a coffee shop counter and behind it, a barista. Click on the barista and choose "Work As A Barista" to take over their shift and gain Simoleons on an hourly rate. Working as a barista is the highest-paying job (at approximately 16 Simoleons every ten minutes in-game, in comparison to the other jobs with 10 Simoleons every ten minutes in-game) but also seems to be the most exhausting.
Social interaction
There are many new social interactions in The Sims 2: University. Some examples are the new Prank interactions such as "Joy-Buzzer", "Ventrilo-Fart" and "Water Balloon", all of which are rather self-explanatory. Your sim can also set off a fire sprinkling by lighting a lighter near it. There are new basic social interactions as well, such as "Introduce To..." and "Hang Out", which allows many Sims to join in on a single conversation on multiple subjects while sitting on the ground. There are now study groups in which Sims can research their own class and ask other students to join in on the studying, allowing social interaction while boosting class grades. A common interaction between University Sims tends to be "Kicky Bag", a hacky sack knock-off in which multiple Sims try to keep aloft a small bag filled with beans by kicking it to each other; increased body skill is the key to flashy maneuvers and victory (although the game will go on for as long as the Sims feel it should). Sims can now have pillow fights too.
Also in University is an electric guitar, an electric double bass, and a drum kit. If any of these objects, as well as the piano are near one another multiple sims can play together, like a band. The more creativity a Sim possesses, the better their musical skills on an instrument will be. Increased creativity will also result in a notable visual change in how they play, meaning that talented Sim musicians will pick and strum at their bass in a complicated fashion while guitarists will play their instrument behind their back. While The Sims 2: University does not support a complicated band system, Sims can make money by playing at their homes or at community lots such as music clubs or coffee shops. The Sims can play four different types of musical styles with these instruments and once one Sim begins playing one of the styles, the others who pick up instruments to play join into the same style.
While Sims cannot have actual vocalists, the new action "Freestyle" or "Freestyle For Tips" will allow another Sim to rap along to the instruments being played. Unlike the instruments (which talent is based on the creativity stat), Freestyling is based on charisma.
Students also have a variety of new objects centered around college life (including a fruit juice keg, togas, and ramen noodles).
Additional careers
A tradition in the original Sims game expansions is the addition of new careers and University adds four more to the ten in The Sims 2, which can be unlocked by attending and graduating from college, along with a certificate to hang on the graduating Sims wall. Many players have been agitated that Sims must pass through college first to get these careers.
These new careers, as expected, come with their own rewards.
- Laganaphyllis Simnovorii, a carnivorous cowplant that eats other Sims in order to produce the Elixir of Life (Natural Science)
- Dr. Vu's Automated Cosmetic, a home plastic surgery kit that will modify a Sim's looks but can backfire with comedic results (Show Biz)
- Resurrect-O-Nomitron, a strange altar on which lies a phone Sims can use to contact the Grim Reaper; depending on how much the Sim "donates" to the Reaper, he may bring back a deceased Sim in full or as a zombie (Paranormal)
- Luminous Pro Antique Camera, an antique camera that can take portrait or landscape pictures of Sims in different poses (a new Sims feature brought on by the object itself) which can either be kept on a surface/wall or sold (Art)
Criticisms
Despite University being considered to be the finest of the Sims 2 expansion packs (An 80% positive score on Gamerankings), some players believe that the University expansion pack failed to live up to the expectations set by promotional materials, including videos and screenshots. Few games, it should be noted, live up to this ideal.
Others criticized the new young adult/university life stage as too slow and boring. While it is not mandatory for a Sim to attend University some feel that Sims need to go to University to lead full lives. Furthermore, some players were upset that the new careers are only accessible to graduating Sims, making Sims played before the expansion (and thus unable to attend University) out in the cold.
Like all criticisms in the Sims series, game modders have created game hacks to 'correct' these issues.
Trivia
- Instead of the CDs spelled "Disc", they are spelled "Disk".
External links
Resources
- The Sims 2 at MobyGames
- The Sims 2 website directory at the Open Directory Project
- Sims 2 Bug Tracker
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