The Sims 4 Snowy Escape – How does it fit in?

Thanks to the Game Changer program, Annabel was lucky enough to get very early access to the pack – you can find a list of all her articles here.  

In order to focus just on the new pack features, it was limited to base game plus The Sims 4 Snowy Escapes, but we had loads of questions on how the amazing new features on this pack would blend in with the other packs.  How will aliens react to thundersnow?  Will dogs chase the forest spirits?  Can you become famous as a snowboarder?

We’ve compiled a list of the questions we had below, along with what we’ve found out once we added the new pack into a very big mix!  If there’s anything we’ve not included that you want to know, please drop a note in the comments or on our social media channels!

Expansion Packs

Get To Work

• Looking at the jobs just as Detective or Doctor, Mt Komorebi functions same as any other world – detectives will investigate there, and residents will come to the hospital
  
• You can purchase business lots in Mt Komorebi in the same manner as other worlds

Get Together

• When creating a club, Skiing and Snowboarding are now included in the list of skills you can choose as entrance criteria.  Skiing, sledding and snowboarding are also included in the list of possible club activities, under Fun and Games.  Hiking is included under Outdoor activities.  The Onsen Bathhouse is available as a Club Hangout.
• So, putting that all together, a Snowbunnies club, based at the bathhouse would be a great way to socialise and build skills for the Snowy Escape.  The Hot Springs also seem to count towards the Use Hot Tub activity!  Sounds like a perfect day on the slopes!

City Living

• Platforms will work in apartments, subject to normal building restrictions.

Cats & Dogs

• If you take your pets to a rental lot with you, and forget the essentials, then pet equipment is available via the mailbox menu.  Space in the rentals I visited is limited, so it may be worth looking at the smaller pet beds here.  Unless you plan to tweak the lots!
• Pets won’t ride the skyliner to the top of the mountain, only human sims can use it.  Nor can they be booked to join the Mountain Climb event.  They can go on hikes with you, though.

Seasons

• There doesn’t appear to be any new holiday activities based around Snowy Escapes, but the Polar Swim activity might be a fun one if you build a pool in the Yukimatsu region!

Get Famous

• Completing the climbing event to the top of Mt Komorebi will increase your sims’ fame levels
  

Island Living

• Sulani is a perfect place to set up rental lots for a tropical vacation spot – there are several uninhabited residential lots that can easily be swapped over.
• There are no specific Sulani items on the rental items menu, so if you want things like canoes, aqua-zips, loungers or fish traps etc, you’ll need to make sure to buy those in advance.

Discover University

• There doesn’t appear to be any new scholarships or classes specific to Mt Komorebi, or the new skills.
  

Eco Lifestyle

• Mt Komorebi does show Eco Footprints from the map screen, and some of the buy mode descriptions, such as the space heater. include the impact on the Eco Footprint.

Game Packs

Outdoor Retreat

• The big difference with rental lots being available for all worlds is the new shopping menu on the mailbox that allows you to purchase any items that you’ve forgotten or aren’t supplied.  Only worlds set up with rental lots will appear on the menu to travel.

Spa Day

• Wellness activities, such as meditating, will contribute to the Emotionally Mindful state.

Dine Out

• Kotatsu tables won’t count as dining spots when building a restaurant.
• If you’ve got a Taming of the Shoe sign, then sims will remove their shoes when they come in to eat.

Vampires

• The ski slopes are available all day, so Vampires could ski at night if the mood takes them.

Stuff Packs

Fitness Stuff

• The climbing wall will build both Fitness and Rock Climbing skills

Tiny Living Stuff

• Since Rentals and Tiny Residential are separate lot types, you can’t stack them, but some of the lots are small enough you could build a tiny residential lot, then swap the lot type for a cute little rental

Nifty Knitting Stuff

• There are no new knitting patterns, but the existing knitwear will keep them warm on the slopes.  Socks are especially useful with the Shoes Off feature

This isn’t a complete list – there are a couple of stuff and game packs I don’t own, so I can’t comment on those – but the pack is huge and there are likely to be a few things that I’ve overlooked.  Feel free to drop me any questions @platinumsimmers on Twitter and I’ll try to answer them.

I do like seeing how each new pack operates as part of the larger game, and I think this is a great one to add into the mix, as well as enjoying the stand alone features.  I love the hair and clothes here, especially the multi-coloured hairs, and the furniture will lend itself to a number of different styles.