The Sims 3: Ambitions

The Sims 3: Ambitions
Developer(s) EA Play/The Sims Studio (Windows, Mac OS X)
EA Mobile (Mobile)
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Composer(s) Steve Jablonsky
Series The Sims
Engine RenderWare
Platform(s) Windows, OS X, iOS, Mobile
Release date(s)
Genre(s) Life simulation game
Mode(s) Single-player

The Sims 3: Ambitions is the second expansion pack for the strategic life simulation computer game The Sims 3. It was released in June 2010. The Sims 3: Ambitions introduces new career opportunities and control mechanisms into gameplay. Manipulation of Sims' career progressions, actions and interactions during their working are feasible.[3] Additional career pathways introduce a diversity of skill sets available for acquisition.[3] These features, which were absent in The Sims 3, give players greater control of their Sims' career pathways, choices and lives.

Gameplay

The Sims 3: Ambitions is a career-based expansion pack and introduces new career pathways, changing the style of gameplay involved in the game. In the non-Ambitions version of The Sims 3, all careers were known as "RabbitHoles", a reference to Alice in Wonderland and her disappearing in a rabbit hole. All careers would have a specific building (Political : City Hall; Law Enforcement : Police Station; Medical : Hospital; etc.). However, with Ambitions, the new careers have hands-on gameplay, meaning that the player can control what your sims do in their careers, with two exceptions.

Such examples of career pathways include firefighting, investigator and stylist.[4] Fulfillment of duties and tasks associated with careers are committed by the players. Firefighters maintain equipment, extinguish home fires, rescue Sims from burning houses. Investigators solve cases and mysteries by convincing or bribing Sims for information, breaking into homes for clues or stealing items for evidence. Stylists are hired by neighbors to offer fashion advice and provide makeovers. The success or failure of task and duty outcomes is controlled by the players.[4]

Implementation of the Skill Careers features increase career opportunities and enables for self-employment. Self-employed Sims utilize their existing skills to create products, such as paintings, home grown produce or literature works, and profit from their works.[4]

Tattooing and stylist careers enable players to modify other Sims. The complexity of the tattoo system allows for players to produce unique designs by selecting tattoo shapes, colors and layers, and stylists design outfits and hairstyles.[5] These examples bridge Create-a-Sim Mode and Live Mode, meaning real-time modification of Sims is practical for the first time in the Sims series.[5] There are 6 possible ways a Sim may die: starvation, drowning, fire, electrocution, old age, or Mummy's Curse. A seventh possible death scenario has been added with Ambitions, Meteor Death. A meteor can strike at any time. If you have Seasons and Ambitions, you can make an alien summon a meteor. If your Sim is under the shadow of the meteor, it will fall on your Sim and kill him/her.

Twinbrook

Twinbrook is a neighborhood which came out with Ambitions. It is most likely named after the two twin rivers that flow on either side of the richer part of the town, near the NPC (Non Player Character) households such as the Wheloffs.

Twinbrook stresses the new career/professions and skills introduced in Ambitions, such as the Stylist profession or Inventing skill. The neighborhood is situated on a bayou, with many bridges and may be in the state of Simisouri (according to NPC sim's bios). Much of the town is designed in a French style like many bayou towns. For example, the town library is a classic French design with two porticos, one at both entrances.

Professions

Profession Name Description Level 1 Stipend Level 10 Stipend
Firefighter Athleticism and handiness are useful in this profession. In-depth tasks include upgrading and maintaining both the station's alarm system and fire truck as well as socializing with fellow co-workers. §276/week §2,480/week
Investigator Unique among the possible careers, Investigators work freelance, having no set time or location to work. Instead, they acquire cases either by giting for clients to call them. §275/week §2,475/week
Ghost Hunter Sims use various machines to trap or ward off ghosts. Sims get to keep the ghosts they capture and get to sell them as an extra boost. At career level 10, they receive a very useful item that allows them to see all ghosts on the map. This allows them to get extra income without obeying the hours within which jobs will spawn for them. They do, however, have one type of Rabbit Hole (disappearing in a select location) job, but the two other types are hands-on. Advancing in the logic skill will help with gaining profession experience. It is also worth noting the Eccentric trait, useful only for the Inventing skill, will cause the "Paranormal Profiteer" Lifetime Wish, directly related to Ghost Hunting. A ghost hunter may thus want to work on Logic and Inventing for more experience and an alternate income stream. §280/week §2,480/week
Stylist Stylists work in a salon, and there they can make over customers. Stylists have access to clothing and hair options that other Sims cannot easily access. The stylist career combines Create a Sim mode with live mode. Stylists get many new social interactions and are eventually available to solicit work from other Sims not in a salon, at any hour. The painting skill will help a Stylist advance in his/her career, so bear in mind it is worth using the drafting table or easel to gain skill in painting and get an alternate income stream. §182/week §2,306/week
Architectural Designer Architectural design is a powerful creative career path and one that can greatly impact your town. Sims throughout the neighborhood will call your architectural designer sim to do a huge assortment of design jobs, which may include the addition of a man cave, a book nook, a kitchen redesign, or an entire home makeover. Jobs are driven by the clients themselves—and not at random. Traits influence the outcome of a design job, for example:

Artistic Sims want more paintings. Sims who hate art want less paintings/sculptures. Snobby Sims want to use all the budget, and even go over-budget a bit. Frugal Sims want to spend less of the budget, maybe use 70% of it. Computer Whiz Sims want computers. Technophobes want less electronic appliances. Virtuosos want lots of stereos and music systems. Couch potatoes want more expensive, more comfortable seating. etc.

 §272/week §2,480/week

Other additional features

The Sims 3: Ambitions also brings a few other features alongside it. These include new traits, and some different skills.

Traits

The Sims 3: Ambitions has a new trait - Eco-Friendly.[6] Eco-Friendly Sims like to cycle to work, use a washing line instead of a clothes dryer, and take pleasure in saving energy any way they can.

Skills

There are also new skills in The Sims 3: Ambitions. These mean that Sims can be self-employed, and make their money through selling things at the Consignment Store in the town. As with all skills in The Sims 3, they have to be learned, and the more often sims do things, the better they get at them (and in this case, the more likely they are to earn more money from them).

Inventing

Using an Inventing tool in that can be bought for lots, Sims can use scrap metal to create objects. They can be small, or large; insignificant or ground-breaking.[7]

Detonation

As an Inventor, Sims need scrap metal. These can either be bought (at a relatively high price) from the Inventing tool, or it can be collected. Sims can find plenty of scrap at the local junkyard. They obtain it by blowing it up; they can alternatively find broken objects then fix them. However, players can also make sims detonate other objects - including other sims' property. They will usually receive a fine for causing public damage, but it can be useful to take revenge on sims that they dislike, or just simply to see a car blowing up. Detonation within the sim's actual lot is not generally recommended, as (especially with things such as vehicles or computers,[8] which are highly explosive) it can cause extensive damage and cause house fires.[9]

Sculpting

Sculpting is similar to painting. Using a sculpting table, Sims can design sculptures which can be sold. These sculptures can be made using clay, wood and ice.

Development

Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims studio said, "The variety of careers to choose from is unmatched and we've never given players the opportunity to follow their Sims to work and affect their actions on the job. The Sims 3 Ambitions changes that. Players' actions at work now directly affect their lives, community and neighbors and become an extremely important part of how the game is played."[10]

Associate Producer Grant Rodiek explained that career-based gameplay was something that the team had always wanted to do. "We always strive to do something new that hasn't been seen in The Sims before."[4] Rodiek explained the main focus of an expansion pack relied on three elements: community feedback, what the development team wants to do and software limitations.[5]

In addition, versions for mobile devices are in development as standalone games.[10]

Music

Several famous artists were hired to record songs in Simlish for The Sims 3: Ambitions. Robi Kauker, Audio Director for The Sims Studio at EA said: "Each time we set out to create a soundtrack for an expansion pack, it's always exciting matching the vibe of the game to the music by our incredible lineup of extremely diverse artists. It's fun hearing hit tracks in the language of The Sims, and I think fans will be pleased to find their favorites songs and artists throughout this game, and will no doubt discover new bands to follow in The Sims 3 Ambitions."[11]

The Sims 3 Ambitions soundtrack[11]
No.TitleArtistLength
1."Need You Now"  Lady Antebellum4:38
2."Savior"  Rise Against4:02
3."Pyramid"  Charice4:07
4."Bang Bang"  Melanie Fiona3:28
5."Make My Heart"  Toni Braxton3:27
6."Animal"  Neon Trees3:32
7."Shark in the Water"  V V Brown3:02
8."Number One Enemy"  Daisy Dares You3:47
9."This Too Shall Pass"  OK Go3:08
10."Early Morning"  Old 97's2:50
11."As Long As There Is Whiskey In The World"  Murder by Death3:15
12."Restoration"  The Acorn3:24
13."Cooler than Me"  Mike Posner3:36
15."Tea Party"  Kerli3:29
16."Come And Get It"  Eli "Paperboy" Reed3:33
17."Lock My Heart Down"  Hal Linton3:16
18."Until It's Gone"  Radney Foster And The Confessions4:01
19."Setback"  The Constellations3:42

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings75.93%[12]
Metacritic74%[13]
Review scores
PublicationScore
GameSpot8[14]
IGN8.0[15]
PC Gamer (US)85[16]
Den of Geek[17]
GameZebo4/5[18]

Anthony Gallegos of IGN have said that "it doesn't reinvent the series but its much more substantial than many other Sims expansions".[15] GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd on the other hand, called it "a thoughtful and delightful expansion, [that is] full of wit and character".[14] Dan Stapleton of PC Gamer gave the game a whopping 85 out of 100 praising its new additions and careers.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "The Sims 3: Ambitions for PC". GameSpot United States. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  2. ↑ "The Sims 3: Ambitions for PC". GameSpot Australia. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Ambitions - The Game - Community - The Sims 3". EA Canada. Electronic Arts. 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "The Sims 3 Ambitions Q&A - Exclusive First Details". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. 4 March 2010. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 Hopkins, Tom (8 April 2010). "Ambitious: Sims 3 Ambitions Interview". NowGamer. Imagine Publishing.
  6. ↑ Relevant part of YouTube Interview
  7. ↑ In-game tutorials
  8. ↑ YouTube video
  9. ↑ YouTube video of car detonation
  10. 1 2 "EA Announces The Sims 3 Ambitions Expansion Pack". EA Canada (Press release). Electronic Arts. March 4, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  11. 1 2 "Rise Against, Lady Antebellum, and Toni Braxton Sing for EA's The Sims 3 Ambitions". IGN (Press release). May 18, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  12. ↑ "The Sims 3: Ambitions". GameRankings. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  13. ↑ "The Sims 3: Ambitions". Metacritic. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  14. 1 2 Kevin VanOrd (June 7, 2010). "The Sims 3: Ambitions Review". GameSpot. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  15. 1 2 Anthony Gallegos (June 1, 2010). "The Sims 3: Ambitions Review". IGN. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  16. 1 2 Dan Stapleton (June 25, 2010). "The Sims 3: Ambitions review". PC Gamer. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  17. ↑ Sarah Jayne (June 17, 2010). "The Sims 3: Ambitions review". Den of Geek. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  18. ↑ Mike Thompson (September 20, 2010). "The Sims 3 Ambitions Review". GameZebo. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
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