The Sims™ 3 Community Blog
: May 2013
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Designer's Blog: Treasure and Gardening with the Green Baby Dragon

Check out what Designer Alan Copeland has to say about the Baby Dragons that he created for The Sims 3 Dragon Valley! For more information about The Sims 3 Dragon Valley, and the Green Baby Dragon, click here. 

Last week I introduced you to the Red Baby Dragons of Dragon Valley. They are impulsive, brash and focused on the physical. They are aligned with the element of fire and will happily help you smite your enemies in a Fiery Torment.  

But not all baby dragons in Dragon Valley are as brazen or hotheaded. Some are deep thinkers with an inherent understanding of this land, and the untold riches it can bring forth. They understand that a job is a way of amassing wealth and there are few things that they love more than gathering treasure. They are Green Baby Dragons.


Green Baby Dragons find all of Red’s fire-breathing rather crass and fairly destructive. Green Baby Dragons would rather talk about gardening, which can help your Sim build their skill quite a bit. But if your Sim is getting impatient with their garden, Green Baby Dragons can also summon a harvest for all of the plants on your lot.


Green Baby Dragons are collectors at heart and they love all things shiny. Some has said that being so close to the earth has given them a better understanding than most of the many wonders it holds. Is your Sim a little greedy? Then they should befriend a Green Baby Dragon who can call upon gold and gems from the very earth!


As I mentioned last week, there are benefits just to having a Baby Dragon around. With the Green Baby Dragon your Sim will get the “Mark of the Green Dragon” moodlet which gives them the mental fortitude to control their Hunger and Bladder.

All of the Baby Dragons have the ability to fly and having your Sim take them outside to practice flying is a wonderful bonding experience for them both and a great way to build your Sims Fun and Social.

Next week I’ll be back to discuss a bit more offbeat Baby Dragon, but in the meantime, contact me via Twitter at @SimGuruCopeland with all of your Baby Dragon questions.    

05:24
2013/05/21
Posted by: SimGuruFooLiz

A Designer's Thoughts: Red Baby Dragons

Check out what Designer Alan Copeland has to say about the Baby Dragons he created for The Sims 3 Dragon Valley! For more information about The Sims 3 Dragon Valley, and the Red Baby Dragon, click here. 

The Sims has such a rich history of cool content that I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s sat around dreaming of my favorite items from a previous Sims edition that I’d like to see make an appearance in The Sims 3. Baby Dragons are one of those things that I’ve wanted to see since my first day on The Sims 3 Store team. 

I loved how you could influence the temperament of your Baby Dragon in Makin’Magic by how you treated the Dragon Egg, and I wanted to keep the flavor of that while reimagining it for The Sims 3. So depending on how you talk to your egg, you can impact the chance of that egg hatching into one of a variety of different colored dragons, each with its own temperament, personality, moodlets and powers!

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be going over each of these little beasties in detail, but today I want to focus on the one that made the biggest impact during The Sims Live Broadcast in Dragon Valley teaser trailer, the Red Baby Dragon.

Red Baby Dragons pull their powers from fire and their personality reflects that, being impulsive and full of energy. They are the most physical and quick-tempered of all of the Baby Dragons. Much more of a chaotic troublemaker than evil in any way, Red Baby Dragons are great to have by your Sims side if you want to torment other Sims. Each Baby Dragon has a special Summon ability, so it’s no surprise that the Red Baby Dragon can summon a fireball attack that will leave your enemies Dragon Singed or smite your adversaries with Fiery Torment.

Each Baby Dragon is born with ancient wisdoms and your Sim can increase skills by talking about those things that interest them. For example, talking to a Red Baby Dragon will give your Sim insight into the Athletic skill. 

Also, there are benefits just to having a Baby Dragon around. With the Red Baby Dragon, your Sim will get the Mark of the Red Dragon moodlet that lingers even after you’ve put them down or tucked the dragon in your inventory. The Mark of the Red Dragon helps with Energy and Hygiene, making it amazingly beneficial for working out longer.

There’s a bunch of fun interactions that all of the dragons share, and we’ll discuss all of those in the coming weeks, but the first one (and perhaps the most important) is naming your dragon. Naming your dragon creates a bond between the Sim and the owner. It keeps other Sims that are not in your household from wandering off with them. Once that bond is formed, Baby Dragons are content hanging out on your shoulder or around your home.

I’ll be back next week to discuss the next Baby Dragon, but in the meantime, contact me on Twitter at @SimGuruCopeland with all of your Red Baby Dragon questions.  

-       Alan Copeland

04:54
2013/05/14
Posted by: SimGuruFooLiz

Producer’s Blog: Double Down Poker and Roulette

Check out what Producer Kelly (@SimGuruKelly) has to say about the Double Down Poker and Roulette Bundle, releasing in The Sims 3 Store on May 2, 2013. 


When we created the Lucky Simoleon Casino with the Triple Riches O’ Jackpots Slot Machine and the Hit ‘em Harder Blackjack Table, I was in love. The new Gambling Skill, along with the Build and Buy objects, created plenty of fun storytelling opportunities. I had always wanted to bring a casino to The Sims 3 and our team had a blast putting it together. 

After the release, it was clear to us that you all wanted more, more, MORE! Since WE love making things that YOU love, we couldn’t let these requests go unfulfilled. So we went back to the drawing board to figure out what else we could build to feed the need for a bigger variety of gambling options. At first it was difficult because there are just so many fun games within casinos – Craps, Keno, Pai Gow, Baccarat, et. Al. In fact, I tried to convince management to fund a road trip to Las Vegas so we could do some proper research, but I lost that battle J.  In the end, the choice became very clear. We dusted off the old Table-bots and created two brand new premium objects – Dead Man’s Hand Poker Table and Let it Ride Roulette Table!



Personally, my favorite gambling object is the Dead Man’s Hand Poker Table. It features a wealth of options that will keep your Sims happy. If you are creating a private room for high rollers, you may want to set the stakes to 10,000 simoleons to buy-in.  If you are having a poker night with your friends, maybe a 100 simoleons is a bit more appropriate. If you find yourself on the losing end of most hands, you can build your Gambling Skill by practicing your poker face! If all else fails, go ahead and hack the table to force the odds in your favor.

Apparently this Sim is still learning the finer points of a successful poker face:


The Let it Ride Roulette Table rounds out the selection of gambling options. Instead of spitting out cards, the Table-bot dealer spits out the roulette ball! Just like in real life, your Sims will be mesmerized by the spinning wheel, with the hopes that it lands on their number. The Table-bot is programmed to play fair, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from his demeanor.  He is just waiting patiently…waiting to take your simoleons.


Make sure to post pictures of your new creations with these objects on the forums! We love to see the amazing ideas you come up with!

06:26
2013/05/03
Posted by: SimGuruFooLiz
 
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