As a life simulator, marriage is a key mechanic and stage of life inThe Sims 4and is something that has been expanded upon post-launch through updates and DLC. To get that far, players will need to guide their hopeful Sims through the art of flirting, romance, and wooing, provided that the potential marriage partner in question is not part of the player’s household and is an NPC. Otherwise, both sides of the relationship can be orchestrated to get both the Sims exactly where the player wants them to be.
In bothThe Sims 4and in real life, when people get married they become a part of each other’s family. InThe Sims' case,the now married partner will join the player’s household and move into their home. This will make them playable like everyone else in the household, provided that they were an NPC prior to the marriage and moving in, giving the player control of both sides of the relationship. In doing so, this takes away some of the spontaneity of the relationship, and for some, this gives players too much control overThe SimsWorld.
The Easy Fix To Make Marriage More Interesting In The Sims 4
Keep Things The Way They Were Before Marriage
As suggested by Reddit UserFntastk,The Sims 4could maintain spontaneity in a marriage relationship by having the NPC partner remain as an NPCwhile still in the household. This also applies to Sims who have requested to move in, since this will also make an NPC playable. This way, both partners in the relationship won’t be orchestrated by the player, and the new member of the family who married/moved in will still be the same character that they were prior to this stage in the relationship.
If a partner asks to move in, and the Sims says no, it willnegatively impact the relationship.
Of course, this fix would be optional,since some players want to be able to orchestrate either side of the relationship, but having the spontaneity and unpredictability of an NPC partner would keep things interesting. It would mean that the player has to navigate their Sim through a relationship after marriage/moving in together, while also giving the player less to manage in their household. Again, it wouldn’t be for everyone, but it would provide players with a great option.
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Keeping Household Partners As NPCs Makes Things Interesting
Keep Spouses Controlled By The Game
Interestingly,Sims can invite their current partner over to their home for short periods of time. This is before the big step of asking them to become the Sim’s spouse or letting them move into the household, meaning that there is an infrastructure for having NPCs in the house. This also applies to friends, neighbors, and family members who have moved out, meaning that plenty of people can roam around ahousehold without being added.
The closest thing to keeping a partner as an NPC is to simply not play as them and mute their phone. It isn’t quite the same, but it is the closest players can currently get.
The Sims 4would have to do very little to allow for an option in which spouses or partners, who have moved in, can remain as NPCs. The added unpredictability and keeping the relationship dynamic the way it was prior to marriage won’t be for everyone, but it is a fun option. Orchestrating everything about a Sim’s relationship after a given stage can make it feel artificial and as though it isn’t actually being simulated, which is the point of a life sim.
