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The Sims

“To simulate is to model a (source) system through a different system which maintains (for somebody) some of the behaviors of the original system.” (Bucy Pg. 223) This is Gonzalo Frasca’s definition of simulation for the time being. He understands that this definition, like most other things in this world, will eventually change. Simulation, unlike representation, allows us to manipulate a representation of a figure so that it behaves like the actual figure. In the Maxis game, The Sims, the player directs the life of a family that is a realistic simulation/representation of a real life family and how they grow and struggle through life. In this case, the simulation of the world in The Sims is a model of the real world through the confines of a computer screen.

Frasca discusses four levels of ideology in simulations, the third one being goal rules. (Bucy Pg. 232) Goal rules are defined as what the player must do in order to win. It is this third level of goal rules that captures much of the idea of simauthors “educating” their simulations in the sense that they program rules that can be followed and allow an idea of how the story might progress, but in the end it is up to the player as to how the story unfolds. (Bucy Pg. 229) Regardless of which version you play, the ultimate goal of The Sims is to guide your Sim, and eventually your family, in leading a successful life. Much like the real world, the characters must fulfill certain needs such as hunger, comfort, hygiene, excretory functions, energy and social interactions. It is the player’s success in constantly having these needs fulfilled that allows for the continuation of the game.

Each character starts out with a certain amount of money and the player must first build them a decent house that is within the budget. Then they must help their Sim find a job. The Sim’s daily activities are directed by the player who must make sure that their Sim wakes up on time, gets to work, cleans the house, makes dinner, spends some time on themselves, and finally gets to bed. On the bottom of the screen are individual capsules that measure the mood of the Sim based on how much energy they have, how hungry they are, if they are clean, if they need to use the restroom, if they are lonely, etc. If the capsule is a red color then the Sim is running low on that aspect, if it is green then the Sim is secure in that aspect. The Sims go through the same career problems that real people encounter. If they are not successful at work they will get fired, if they are successful they will get raises and promotions and with the increase in income the player buys more luxurious items for their Sim/Sims; such gradual increase in success through life is reflective of what is the optimal career path in real life.

The characters in The Sims are relatively realistic. They walk around like humans and express feelings of happiness by cheering or jumping up and down, anger by crossing their arms or becoming red in the face and steaming, and tiredness by drooping their heads and eventually collapsing on the floor. Their emotions are expressed in a very realistic way. Since the Sims cannot speak (they speak gibberish), their expressions must be realistic enough to understand.

The player is encouraged to take care of their Sim’s lonely factor by finding them a mate. So, the Sim must engage in social activites in order to meet someone, date them, and if the match is a good one, get married. If marriage is a possibility, a box will pop up on the screen at some point while the two characters are together, asking if the player would like to have his Sim married. The player can choose yes or no (and marriage is obviously encouraged for the Sim’s health), but if marriage is not chosen then the Sim is unhappy and the player must discover another method of increasing their Sim’s social activites and bringing their happiness level up. The Sim’s designers dealt with the issue of homosexuality by making a rule about it — same-gender relationships are possible but it is the choice of the player. (Pg. 231) Having children is also another “rule” of the game. The player can decide whether they want their Sims to have a child, adopt, or not have children.

Keeping all these aspects of the Sim’s life in check is a rule that the simauthor has “educated” the simulation game program to encourage the player to do. However, it is up to the player how or if he/she does this. While there is no point in the game where the player is proclaimed a winner, the Sim can die from lack of attention. Just like a real human being, if the Sim is low on energy for an extended period of time and the player is forcing the Sim to keep going and work a lot, then the Sim will get sick and die without a doctor’s care. The “rules” that are programmed into the game are actually guidelines that the player is suggested to follow but can deal with in their own way. The Sims is known for being an addictive game and this is probably because it is such a well made simulation game. The excitement is in knowing that you actually are in control of what happens in the game and the possibilities are endless.

You cannot “win” or lose” in The Sims like you can any other video game. There is no “Game Over.” The Sims provides a laid-back environment where you get to choose your own ending because the rules are not there to serve as barriers but rather as possibilities for a successful future. Every component of The Sims, be it the characters, the environment, or the idea of the game itself, all do a wonderful job of reflecting Frasca’s definition of simulation through a video game.


schilmeran
schilmeran 		Latest page update: made by schilmeran , Mar 15 2007, 4:18 PM EDT (about this update About This Update schilmeran Edited by schilmeran


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