The Sims 4: Skills Overview

by thesimsmadkay · September 9, 2013

The Sims 4, like all its previous descendants, features many skills that your Sims can learn and use in their everyday lives. With this new sequel in the franchise, we will notice that the skill system has been improved and skills will now be split into 3 skill categories:

Focus (logic, cooking etc.)
Inspiration (painting, writing etc.)
Energize (athletic etc.)

The Sims 4 will also include around 10 skills in the base game and, just like The Sims 3, we can expect more to be added in expansion packs later down the line. It has been confirmed so far that The Sims 4 will have 3 instrument skills in the game: piano, guitar and violin.

Not only has the organisation of skills been improved but the skills themselves have had some great upgrades. For example, when gardening, fallen fruit can give life to new plants!

Furthermore, multitasking has significantly changed the way Sims gain skills:

“Your Sim can go to the gym and you can have your Sim hop on the treadmill and then watch the home and garden channel on the TV – so she’s gaining a little gardening skill and getting fit on the treadmill. Then a guy walks up next to her and starts bench-pressing, and she decides she wants to flirt with this Sim. She can do that without having to get off the treadmill, walk around that Sim and kick him out of the object. They can just do this as they’re exercising. They can form a relationship, fulfilling their social needs and gaining some skills. It looks natural, it feels good and it’s more strategic.”

Emotions also play a role in The Sims 4 skill building. A depressed Sim can channel their sadness into painting or writing a masterpiece and an angry Sim can put their anger into punching harder or running harder.