The developers behind the upcoming The Sims 4 Get Together recently held a livestream in which they discussed in detail the new clubs feature. The club feature highlight's the expansion's focus as the title mentions on getting Sims together in an array of activities from dance battles to the more mundane of grabbing coffee and chatting. As players launch the new expansion they'll instantly notice the new club icon that has been added to the bottom right menu which gives them direct access to join, create, and manage clubs.
From the gameplay showcased in the livestream I was particularly impressed on how easy it is now to have groups of Sims perform activities together. Most objects now that you would associate with group activities like the new arcade machines or darts have secondary sets of action options to perform them together with club members. For example, clicking a pool and deciding "swim together" will automatically have all the Sims in that certain club swim together in the pool and interact.
Everything in the expansion comes back to the core concept of clubs in which players can join ones created by the developers or create their own to customize them to their own liking. Clubs involve two sets of values that involve activities that members are encouraged to do and not do. The freedom in how you customize a club impressed me with all the options available. From big to small conditions, you can set club members to skinny dip when they swim and be angry against non-members. Want a club focused around members that sit around and play video games? It's all possible through activity categories ranging from social and outdoor to hobbies and fun and games. Club requirements can even be set that members have to meet which might include a certain financial status or high enough level in a trait.
No club is complete without a place to gather which can be set to a specific lot or a certain venue such as coffee shop or gym. Speaking of gatherings, the core way to experience the club mechanics is to start the gather option that instantly transports all members to a specific location to hang out. No matter if they're at their job location or busy, the gathering for the club always takes focus ensuring players don't have to worry about missing members. Gatherings also provide the ability to gain club progression points that can be used to purchase rewards that range from trait boosts to vibes that can be set such as making all the members instantly flirty. Other club customization options include the ability to set specific outfits in the Create a Sim mode. Each category of outfits from formal to swim attire can be customized to ensure that each occasion is fulfilled.
We also got to see new locales in the world of Windenburg that will be included in the expansion pack. The architecture style and overall look of the world was modeled after various European cities and is a nice change from previous locales. Around 16 lots will be included in the world along with new lot sizes that are the biggest yet in The Sims 4. From its cobblestone streets to the European cottage style architecture looks to be the perfect locale for all the new activities with dance battles and not forgetting the other group activities that will be available. It's great to see the developers continually focusing on improving the core gameplay mechanics instead of just say adding new objects or clothes (which is also included of course).
Fortunately fans won't have to wait long for the new content as The Sims 4 Get Together launches next week on December 8 for Windows and Mac. Stay tuned for my upcoming review of the expansion.
