De Sims 3 Bovennatuurlijk: SimGuruJon over weerwolven

Op de Amerikaanse De Sims 3 site is een nieuw blog online gekomen en dit maal van SimGuruJon en hij verteld het een en ander de weerwolven die we straks zullen tegenkomen in De Sims 3 Bovennatuurlijk.

We weten niet zeker of er van deze blogs nog vertalingen worden gemaakt door EA Benelux, maar zodra die er zijn melden we dat uiteraard.

I an a werewolf developer

I have to admit, it can be pretty fun to be out at lunch with non-game developer friends and say, “I have to get back. I’ve got a werewolf pack behavior meeting.” You get lots of shaking heads and comments along the lines of, “How does that job even exist?” Well, the job title werewolf Producer does exist, at least at Maxis, and even though it’s not always about determining how werewolves and vampires should interactor what happens when a werewolf mates with a fairy, it’s still a sweet gig.

We determined early on that you can’t have The Sims 3 Supernatural Expansion Pack without werewolves. Once that decision was made, the long debate began on what our werewolves should look like. When in werewolf form,should they walk on two legs or four? Should they be more humanoid or beastly? That kind of stuff. Although you’ll have to play the game to fully get to know The Sims 3 werewolf, I’ll try to give you a good idea of what to expect.

The overriding fiction that Andy Busche our werewolf Designer (yep, that’s a real job too) came up with goes something like this:

The werewolf Sim is the embodiment of strength and unbridled emotion.These supernatural creatures constantly try to balance living a relatively normal life, with the effects of the werewolf’s curse; which allows them to change form, from Sim to humanoid wolf-beast. Though werewolves can be fearsome creatures, they do have a tender spot for love and possess a great sense of honor. It is this same sense of honor that restrains them from spreading the werewolf curse recklessly. Instead they choose to live in tight-knit packs and take the utmost care in selecting who may join their number.

While that gives you some idea of what to expect from the werewolves in The Sims 3 Supernatural, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Okay,that sounds cool, but what exactly will I be able to do as a werewolf?” First off, just like all our other supernaturals (vampire, witch, fairy, etc.), you’ll be able to create werewolf Sims directly in Create a Sim. You’ll create your human form, as you normally would, and you’ll also have the ability to create your werewolf form, body hair and all!

Once in game, you’ll have the ability to transform into a werewolf right from the get go. While in werewolf form, you’ll have many new interactions available to perform with normal human Sims and vice versa. There are also many new werewolf interactions that are specific to other werewolves and to the other supernaturals. You know you always wanted the ability to inappropriately sniff Sims and maybe show those werewolf teeth to a vampire.

Although your werewolf can transform at will, there will be times were the wolf’s feral natural will take over and your transformation will be unavoidable. Of course this could happen at the worst times. Say your werewolf Sim is on a date and their mood becomes too low. Let’s see how your potential love interest responds to a sudden transformation at the bar. The new lunar cycle will also have an effect on your werewolf Sims. When the full moon rises in the night sky,there will be no stopping the feral beast within.

Over time, as your werewolf Sim becomes more comfortable with their primal nature, they’ll develop more control over their lycanthropy. They’ll be better able to control untimely forced transformations. They’ll also become more adept at hunting, whether alone or in packs. The werewolf’s ability to hunt for specific collectables could come in handy for the new alchemy skill, where certain recipes will require very specific and potentially rare ingredients.

Hopefully, I’ve been able to give you a sneak peek into The Sims 3 Supernatural werewolf. Of course,there’s much more to being a werewolf in the game than what I’ve described here, but I’m sure it will be much more fun to discover it for yourself, once you’re playing the game in September.

-Jon Leslie, Producer