Next autonomy mod SPOILER!!

Have you ever noticed how most Sims default to somewhat... robotic behaviors? They tend to be predictable, like picking up a book from the shelf to read or admiring artwork in any form.

Well, there are mods out there that disable these behaviors, but that's not exactly what I'm aiming for. My idea is to reduce these behaviors.

In other words, I still want my Sims to autonomously appreciate paintings or visit art galleries, but not all the time and definitely not ten times a day. Ideally, it would be occasional, maybe once or three times a week. Furthermore, I want to ensure that their reading habits are driven by interest, whether related to their personalities or not, rather than just for fun.

In both cases, I remove the element of fun and make some adjustments to ensure they can still engage in these activities. However, this time around, it's for the "right" reasons. And by "right" reasons, I mean: "Go ahead and do it, but not all the time, and definitely don't let me notice that you're doing it so frequently."

Soon, I'll be discussing more about building in The Sims 3. As I develop these autonomy mods, many things have been happening. As we delve into these types of mods, we start applying critical thinking to ponder: How can I motivate my Sim to develop a certain skill without relying on a book, now that I'm removing that incentive?

And here's the key point: with this autonomy removed, how do my Sims occupy their time? Surprise! They engage in other tasks that were always there, but the autonomy called them to action (almost instantly) so we didn't notice. Behaviors that Sims in my game have adopted since I made these changes include increased interactions with each other (similar to The Sims 2). The focus shifts from objects to relationships. However, they can still engage in activities such as relaxing in bed, reading a book from their inventory, and participating in other household tasks. Ultimately, the purpose is simple: we want to ensure more natural, realistic behaviors that have a meaningful impact throughout gameplay. With these changes, I believe we can make The Sims 3 even more believable, organic, and realistic, just like in The Sims 1 and The Sims 2! I'll be back soon with more news and visuals!

As simple as this module may seem, it is fundamental to the experience we aim to create. After all, once our Sims are more responsive, active, and interesting, their actions ultimately need to reflect all of that.

I started working on this mod today. While testing my needs mod (sharing more about the process here), I noticed that certain behaviors seemed too frequent for a couple's routine, with more time spent interacting with furniture than with each other. With that in mind, my upcoming work includes enhancing how Sims react to the objects available in their homes and how their personalities make this even more evident (or not)!

Working on autonomy is like connecting all the dots, which is why it requires frequent testing to ensure that one behavior doesn't override others (as default reading and art appreciation were doing in the game).

Wishing you all an excellent week and thank you for your support!

(By the way, if you have any suggestions, feel free to share. Your suggestions are the most important part of the work I do.)