Two more interviews and a few more screenshots: that's what's been posted since the earlier update about the first expansion pack for the Sims 2. Games site GameSpot interviewed Kevin Hogan, and IGN. Some new details are revealed in them: just like currently done in the Sims 2, when your teen becomes a young adult by moving to the university terrain, time will progress only for the sim you're playing and not their family. The life stage will be roughly twice as long as the teen stage, which would mean approximately 30 days, but in the end it depends on how well the Sim does and how fast they get their degree. There's a lot more info, including some screens...
The four new careers are only available to those who went to college and got a degree there. The careers have higher requirements, but as your Sim goes through college, they'll earn some skills. That way they can get an extra boost into the existing careers in the base game and skip the first jobs, or step into one of the new ones. For instance, sims with a Philosophy degree get a boost in the Criminal career track. If your Sim doesn't get a degree - because they're kicked out thanks to their low grades and thus failing two consecutive semesters - that will not be possible. It's your choice how your Sim goes through college: it can be a student who follows every single lesson and makes every assignment, or one who cheats their way through the course. Sims can also influence each other and so make others do their homework or other things.New is also that you can have multiple "college towns" linked to one base neighborhoods. Of course relationships will all be shared. The areas can be modified using SimCity 4 as can be done with Sims 2 neighborhoods. Of course the pack will also contain a large number of new objects but Maxis isn't revealing anything of that just yet.
Young adult sims can also have jobs at the campus. You can actually see them at work this time in the lounge, dining commons, gym, or coffee house. Other possibilities to earn some money are becoming a musician or street performer, or just printing your own. College grants will also be given, depending on the performance of the student.
There are several homing options for Sims. They'll start off together with a bunch of freshmen in dorms, but in the end they might end up living in a Greek or private home. Decoration options are limited for your Sims, except in private housing.
Read the GameSpot Interview or the IGN Interview for the exact words from Maxis. Click the thumbnails below for some new screenshots.
Written at 01:00 on Tuesday, 23 November 2004 by ChEeTaH.
