On Tuesday, Maxis announced a big change that’s on the way in an upcoming update. There’s a new feature called Neighborhood Stories that introduces game moments that happen to Sims beyond the control of the player. This is similar to a popular function of The Sims 3 called story progress. If you don’t watch, Neighbor Sims are living their own lives. They can choose a new job, have a baby, or divorce their spouse. Neighborhood Stories is expected to be published for The Sims 4 on November 30, 2021.
In the beginning, Neighborhood Stories will be a bit limited. The feature focuses on some life changes for Sims in close proximity to your character, such as coworkers or bar mates. In the future, more Sims will be affected and they will make more decisions without player intervention. However, you are still in control of how things develop. Neighbor Sims with a big problem on their mind will ask for input, or you can simply point out a decision to a neighbor to encourage them to make it themselves.
This offers some fun ways to be a good neighbor – or wreak havoc on everyone around you. You can be a matchmaker and encourage like-minded people to meet up, or you can break relationships and pounce on the new single Sim. This brings with it new aspirations: Neighborhood Confidante, for those who love to help out, and Villainous Valentine for those who prefer the juicy drama of a breakup.
Neighborhood Stories will be part of a free update on November 30th, and Maxis will continue to update the system. This first update lays a foundation for Neighbor Sims to act on their own, and we may see more wild Sims stories.
