Sims 3 – Ambitions

Digging through the neighbours trash

Lets admit it, there are different types of gamers out there which is one of the reasons why there is so much debate when it comes to our games of choice. We all figure we must be in the right, we know what is best, and we’re the authority on what is ‘good’ and what is not. We tend to forget that not everyone is the same type of gamer that we are, and when they express that through whatever means we take offense to it (not all, but a lot). I’ve played a number of games over the years but the one franchise that I’ve stuck with for the longest would have to be The Sims (including SimCity). I’ve always been an enormous Sims fan, and while some people may enjoy purchasing FPS games, or car racing games, or some other genre, I stick with the Sims for my comfort zone. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy other types of games (I’m also playing EVE Online, World of Warcraft, and EverQuest II as my ‘main’ games of choice right now), but the sims is always there.

Sims 3 is unlike any other sims game that I’ve played before, and I picked up their latest expansion called “Ambitions” just last week. This expansion is a big improvement over the first one (World Adventures), and the mini add on (High End Loft). Sims can break out of their ‘typical’ jobs, and can earn money through a number of professions. You don’t have to work a set number of hours on set days, and you have far more control over what your sim does to earn their living.

Pictured above is Jessica, one of my two twin ‘young adult’ sims who you may remember me talking about on MmoQuests. She decided to be an investigator, and she’s busy on a case that included searching through the neighbours garbage. Neighbour was not quite so impressed, but Jessica earned a neat house item trophy for solving three cases. She doesn’t work on a schedule like any other job, and she can still move up through the ranks – it’s quite a bit of fun. You can also list yourself as self employed, and earn a living through the ‘smaller’ crafts that players used to use when they didn’t want to pick a 9-5 job. Things like painting, gardening, and other smaller ‘crafts’.

With this expansion came a selection of new professions, and one includes a tattoo artist. You can actually place tattoos on your sims, you select absolutely everything from the location (there are a LOT of options) to the design, and the colours, or you can get creative and design something from scratch. There’s also a hair salon, and even a junkyard for those sculptors in the family who are looking to scavenge up supplies.

This is another game I love due to the amount of choices the players have. No one game is ever played the same. No family is ever alike. Everyone who plays has a different story to tell with different adventures that their sims have been on. It’s all based on what you want to do. Plus there’s the creative aspect to the game with building and decorating homes, and other buildings, creating an entire town if you want to.

It’s been really nice to get back to the basics, and remember that the reason why I play games at all is because they’re simply fun. It’s not because of any competition, or because of achievements, it’s just plain ‘ol silly fun. We all need a little of that from time to time.

Happy gaming!