We have taken a look at the Harpers and how their enthusiasm in some hobbies has risen and in other hobbies it has fallen. We have looked at how different levels in hobbies allow you to do different things and how some sims can be predestined to learn a specific hobby.
In this part of the review, we will look at the ten hobbies and a section on clubs and membership. We look at who is predestined to be good at them, what interests and skills will affect their enthusiasm rate, what idle gesture(s) they can get up to and what their clubhouse is called.
I'll let you decide whether you think idle gestures get annoying. They can appear amusing but after a while and knowing them does serve a purpose in knowing what the hobbies of other sims are. However, I do feel that they become very irritating and somewhat creepy.
Although there are no special benefits for this hobby, there are many ways to build it up. New objects with FreeTime that help build this skill include a Drafting Table (Architecture Career Reward), pottery wheel and a sewing machine (FT). Taking photographs (BV,Uni) and making flower arrangements (OFB) also helps build it, as does painting a picture on the easel or even viewing paintings or sculptures.
Predestined for Sloppy & Nice sims, with enthusiasm boosted by interests in Culture and Fashion and a high Creativity score, these sims frame the world with their hands and their clubhouse is "My Muse II"
Guilty of the most frequent nuisance calls as everyone has to eat, this hobby is also one of the most easy to pick up to some degree because after all, everyone has to eat. Even if eating something that someone else has cooked, there is some enthusiasm gained for cooking.
Hobby-specific benefits include being able to prepare a chip platter (L3), a cheese platter (L5) and an appetizer platter (L8). Also, sims can enter Cooking Competitions if they visit an appropriate community lot with a food competition. If you wanted your sims to be in "Hell's Kitchen" or "Masterchef", now they can.
Predestined for Neat & Lazy sims, with enthusiasm boosted by an interest in Food and a high Cooking score, these sims rub their tummies and their clubhouse is "Sue's Secret Kitchen".
Whether writing a novel, reading a book, looking at posters or watching movies on TV, this builds enthusiasm in Film & Literature. The only Hobby-specific benefit is participating in a book club (L3), allowing you to discuss books with your other sims.
Incidentally, there has been a change to how novels are written. When a novel is complete, a sim can now keep a copy or his or her masterpiece, chosing a cover and what icons to indicate the content.
Predestined for Shy & Lazy sims, with enthusiasm boosted by an interest in Entertainment and Culture and a high Charisma score, these sims read while walking and their clubhouse is "Desirable Discourse".
Using exercise equipment, the assault course reward from the Military career track, doing yoga, practising Tai-Chi (BV) or even just swimming are all ways of gaining enthusiasm in Fitness. Special benefits are being able to go jogging (L3) and get a protein shake from the refrigerator (L5).
Predestined for Outgoing & Active sims, with enthusiasm boosted by an interest in Health and a high Body score, these sims stretch when idle and their clubhouse is "Platinum Gym".
Although there are no special benefits for this hobby, there are many ways to build it up. Whether it is playing "SSX", "The Sims 3" or other games you have purchased on the computer or video console, chess, pinball, poker, Mahjongg (BV), Don't Wake the Llama (FT), pool (U/FT) or even playing "TimLaTourneau" (S) in the swimming pool, these are all ways of gaining enthusiasm in Games.
Predestined for Playful & Grouchy sims, with enthusiasm boosted by an interest in Entertainment and a high Logic score, these sims stretch their wrists when idle and their clubhouse is "Games of Glory".
Although there are no special benefits for this hobby, there are many ways to build it up. Whether you are playing a musical instrument or singing or dancing in any form, including Slap Dance (BV) and Slow Dance (NL), these all improve enthusiasm in this hobby. The violin and the synthesiser are new musical instruments that have been included in this EP.
Predestined for Outgoing & Serious sims, with enthusiasm boosted by an interest in Entertainment and Culture and a high Creativity score, these sims hum, practise ballet moves or whistle when idle and their clubhouse is "My Muse".
Sims can finally be twitchers (birdwatchers) and gaze up to the sky with binoculars. Alternatively, they can "do a Grissim", get down low and collect bugs, beatles and butterflies, of which there are in total 24 to collect. Playing with an aquarium, playing with a pet bird (P), activities on a beach (BV), gardening (S), fishing (S), using a hydroponic garden (Slacker reward), kai pond (Oceanographer reward (FT)), catching butterflies or fireflies (S) are also a way to build enthusiasm in this hobby.
Special rewards include going hiking (L3), being able to catch more bugs (L5) and ... wait for it ... being able to catch even more bugs (L8).
Predestined for Sloppy & Playful sims, with enthusiasm boosted by an interest in the Environment, Weather and Animals and a high Cleaning score, these sims have no idle behaviour (thankfully) and their clubhouse is "Peerless Park".
From looking at your fornicarium (ant colony), looking up to the stars through your telescope, stargazing without a telescope, using the Biotech science station or surgical dummy career rewards, your sims will be gaining interest in Science.
Career-specific rewards are looking for constellations (L3), looking for planets (L5) and looking for UFOs (L8), which all require a telescope and might finally increase that chance of being abducted.
Predestined for Neat & Serious sims, with enthusiasm boosted by an interest in Sci-Fi and a high Logic score, these sims fiddle with a rubic-cubelike logical puzzle when idle and their clubhouse is "Aspirational Laboratories".
Although there are no special benefits for this hobby, there are various ways to build it up. From FT, your sims can toss a football, practice their penalties with the soccer net or use the basketball hoop, which has FINALLY made its appearance in TS2. From BV, your sims can do axe throwing and log rolling. From Seasons, they can go rollerblading or ice skating or play catch. Other means of raising enthusiasm in the hobby are the career rewards of boxing bag (Athletic) or putting green (Business). For the couch potato, they can always watch the sports on TV.
Predestined for Active & Grouchy sims, with enthusiasm boosted by an interest in Sports and a high Body score, these sims do practise free throws or shadow box when idle and their clubhouse is "Dreamy Fields".
Although there are no special benefits for this hobby, there are various ways to build it up. Your sims can play with the trainset (FT), restore the car (FT), play with a RC helicopters (FT) or RC cars. They can also gain enthusiasm from working on the robot bench (OFB) although I am yet to find if the Toy bench has the same effect. Otherwise, their interest can be raised from repairing things or tinkering with various items around the house.
Predestined for Shy & Nice sims, boosted by an interest in Toys and a high Mechanical score, these sims have no idle behaviour (yay!) and their clubhouse is "Will's Garage".
Not dissimilar to the secret society buildings of Uni, the only requirement to become a member is to have a minimum enthusiasm of five (5). Club leaders will deliver a membership card wherever that sim may be. A sim might even have just gone to sleep but the club leaders will still turn up and drop it off.
Once your sim is a member, he or she can also take guests to those clubhouses, including children. The club leader always seems to be in attendance and he or she is a good person to talk to and ask them to teach you more about their hobby. The clubhouses tend to have many items that will help a sim to improve his enthusiasm, some of which have passed over from other EPs.
In the next part of this review, we look at the five new career tracks and two new talent badges that have been included in this expansion pack.
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