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The Sims Medieval is a video game that was released in March 22, 2011, by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and iOS, part of The Sims series. Nov 7, 2017 - Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Easily share.

The Sims Medieval is a life simulationvideo game that was released in March 22, 2011, by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and iOS, part of The Sims series. It was available for Nokia LumiaWindows Phone, on March 25, 2013. Set in medieval times, it allows the player to build a kingdom through quest-driven gameplay. During presentation at E3 2010, EA announced that the Limited Edition was available until the launch date, and was also released at the same time as the standard edition.^[1]

• 1Gameplay

Gameplay[edit]

The Sims Medieval provides a medieval setting. Players build up a kingdom, send Sims on quests, and earn rewards in the form of Kingdom Points. The game diverges from other installments of the Sims series in that players can win the game by achieving a kingdom ambition. Ambitions include 'Best In Show', 'Busy Builder', 'Efficient Expander', 'Fame', 'Filled Coffers', 'Hard Workers', 'Imperial Domination', 'Legendary', 'No Quest For The Weary', 'Safe And Sound', 'Thoughts And Prayers', and 'Wealthy Populace'.

In a change from other Sims games, the character creation, simulation, and architectural aspects are significantly reduced and altered to enforce a sharper focus on role-playing-style gameplay. For example, players are able to customize the aesthetics and layout of building interiors, but unable to alter the basic structure and shape of buildings.^[2] Instead, the game involves the player upgrading a kingdom, choosing an ultimate goal or an 'Ambition' for that kingdom (such as wealth or popularity), and then fulfilling quests that contribute to that goal.

Two 'needs' from previous Sims games return: Hunger and Energy. Moodlets provide temporary boosts (both positive and negative) to a Sim's focus slider, which replaces the mood slider of previous games. The player will have to deal with the daily responsibilities of their Sim. These consist of tasks related to the Sim's profession that must be completed in a set amount of time. If left ignored, the Sim will be given a negative moodlet for not doing their duty.

Ambitions can be completed through the use of heroes (or specialists). For example, the player can have a wizard and a physician cooperate on one quest or a knight and monarch on another. Focus, experience, and the traits of the Sim influence their success, and players may choose how the team attempts to conduct the quest. Players also choose which Sim will lead the team. Quest performance is determined by how long and how high the player can keep their Sim's focus slider filled. The player can take as long as they wish on a quest, but quest performance will suffer if they neglect quest tasks for too long.

Much like the first generation of the main series, The Sims, the characters in the game do not progress through life stages: although Sims are still able to procreate, the resulting children only age to adulthood if one of their hero parents die, in which case they take their place. Each Sim has two normal traits and one fatal flaw, which can be turned into a positive trait through a quest, unlike The Sims 3, where there are five main traits depending on the age group.

In an interview with GameSpot, the game's senior producer, Rachel Bernstein stated that the game will be more dangerous for Sims, with death and failure a possibility during the game's quests. Listed dangers included low focus on quests, plague, peasant revolts, wildlife, poisons, duels, and more.^[3] Players earn ratings at the end of the game depending on their performance. Players may also reach 'Quest Failed!' screens if they do not complete a predefined goal in a predetermined amount of time.^[4]

Hero types[edit]

Players are able to control several types of 'heroes', or professions, each with different abilities and responsibilities. These include:

• Monarchs will control the kingdom and be able to deal with neighboring kingdoms diplomatically. They can engage in duels, marry important NPCs, and issue proclamations or edicts. Their title changes between Lord/Lady, King/Queen and Emperor/Empress depending on the number of territories they have annexed.
• Wizards can enchant or fight using their spells, which are learned from a large spellbook and include motions which must be memorized.
• Spies can poison other Sims, or steal for the kingdom.
• Priests come in two varieties, Peteran and Jacoban. Peteran Priests follow a simpler path and try to convert Sims with uplifting sermons. Jacoban Priests use fear as a conversion tool and wear expensive clothing.
• Blacksmiths use ore mined in the kingdom to produce armor and arms.
• Physicians are expected to keep people healthy using period technology, particularly leeches.
• Knights can train for strength and endurance and are used to conquer new lands.
• Merchants have access to foreign goods and trade opportunities.
• Bards can recite poetry and play lute music for other Sims.

Development[edit]

Rachel Bernstein stated that subsurface scattering had been added to character models to give the characters a 'painterly look'.^[2] Other upgrades are reported to include 'next-gen sims tech', and a new engine for light within the game.

Another difference/upgrade is the terrain used in the game. Whereas the terrain or neighborhoods in The Sims 3 or other Sim games was generally flat for the purpose of building, The Sims Medieval's terrain (or kingdom) is varied in altitudes and layouts resulting in a realistic display of geography. The terrain in the game also has a 'painterly look' as do the Sims of the game thanks to the enhanced engine. An official update has been released which fixes minor graphic problems.

Release[edit]

Senior producer Rachel Bernstein conducted multiple media interviews, narrated demos and a television marketing campaign was launched. Some advertisements featured actor Donald Faison.^[5]Patrick Stewart narrated both the 'epic trailer'^[6] and the intro cinematic.^[7]

Reception[edit]

Response to The Sims Medieval has been generally positive. John Scott Lewinski of CraveOnline stated 'It's more the kind of game players can come and go from in shorter bursts of play, as opposed to taking on team quests that can consume hours.'^[13] Nicole Tanner of IGN awarded the game a score of 8.5 out of 10, commenting 'The Sims Medieval has successfully breathed new life into a franchise that was getting pretty stale.'^[11] 'Even with its minor flaws, The Sims Medieval mixes a great sense of humor with simple role-playing game mechanics that result in hours of fun,' she added.^[11]

Atkin Felix of The Guardian praised the game, deeming it as 'enchanting stuff set in a beautifully animated and immersive fairy-tale world.' '[And,] with a clearer structure for achieving quests and character development, it will appeal to RPG fans as never before,' he added.^[14] Gaming magazine Edge awarded the game a rating of 7 out of 10, and wrote 'It's a funny and sweet time sink, and something that any Sims fan can wholeheartedly enjoy.'^[9]

AJ Glasser of GamePro awarded the game a rating of 4 stars out of five, giving a mixed review of the game, writing 'As let down as I am, though, I'm not ready to get out my pitchfork. Some things in this game kept me coming back for 20 hours. [..] The Sims Medieval is a beautiful game with fun and interesting ideas, but it doesn't live up to my fantasy of the Middle Ages and it doesn't completely satisfy the Sims fan in me.'^[10]

Expansion packs[edit]

Adventure Packs, expansion packs, add items to the game, as well as quests, Sims, creatures, and more. All Adventure Packs have themes that the content is associated with.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'EA announces Sims Medieval Limited Edition'. GameInformer. 2010-12-21.
2. ^ ^ab'Sims Medieval Doesn't Stray Far From Its Roots'. Kotaku. 2010-08-20.
3. ^'The Sims Medieval Updated Q&A - The Hazards of Medieval Life'. Gamespot. 2011-02-03.
4. ^'The Sims Medieval Updated Q&A - The Hazards of Medieval Life'. Gamespot. 2011-02-03. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
5. ^'The Sims Medieval TV Commercial'. EA. 2011-03-23. Retrieved 2011-04-12.
6. ^The Sims (8 December 2010). 'The Sims Medieval Epic Trailer' – via YouTube.
7. ^GameSpot (15 March 2011). 'The Sims Medieval - Patrick Stewart Introduces a New Sims Cutscene (PC)' – via YouTube.
8. ^'The Sims Medieval for PC reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
9. ^ ^ab'The Sims Medieval Review'. Edge. Future Publishing. 2011-04-01. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
10. ^ ^abGlasser, AJ (2011-03-22). 'The Sims Medieval review'. GamePro. International Data Group. Archived from the original on 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
11. ^ ^abcTanner, Nicole (2011-03-24). 'The Sims Medieval Review'. IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
12. ^Stapleton, Dan (2011-03-31). 'The Sims Medieval review'. PC Gamer. Future Publishing. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
13. ^ ^abLewinski, John Scott (2011-03-22). 'The Sims Go 'Medieval''. CraveOnline. AtomicOnline. Archived from the original on 2011-03-26. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
14. ^ ^abAtkin, Felix (2011-03-27). 'The Sims Medieval — Review'. The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2011-03-27.

External links[edit]

Senior producer Rachel Bernstein discusses the roles of each character in this unusual game based on The Sims.

The game series known as The Sims has always offered an open-ended experience that lets you get as involved as you want in the lives of tiny, autonomous computer people. The series will take a step in a new direction with The Sims Medieval, a new game that will swap out the open, nonlinear circumstance of the traditional series for a directed experience that takes place in olden times, when kings and queens commissioned the aid of noble knights to protect their peasant population, under the watchful, watching eye of the Watcher--that's you, the player! In the new game, you'll be able to play as any one of the game's individual characters and perform discrete quests to win kingdom points, which will eventually count toward a victory condition. Yes, it's a big change for the series. Senior producer Rachel Bernstein explains.

GameSpot: Now that we've seen Medieval in action, let's go a bit more in-depth in terms of the roles of different characters in the game. For instance, just taking a look at all the different characters (monarch, knight, spy, wizard, physician, bard, blacksmith, merchant, Peteran priest, and Jacoban priest), there's clearly a lot of variety there, but how will, for instance, each character's place in society affect the way he or she relates? Easeus keygen machine code examples. Will non-monarch characters always have to genuflect when initiating a conversation with the king? Will it be harder for a blacksmith to get a royal audience than a loyal knight?

Ways To Evangelize The Gospel

Rachel Bernstein: There are a variety of ways that a sim's role in society plays out in the game. Sims kneel when they enter the presence of the monarch. Every hero sim has interactions that relate to their profession. In the case of the monarch, these include 'call for food' and 'send to stocks'--actions that reflect the monarch's position at the top of the social ladder.

Hero sims with higher class professions earn more than the other sims and, subsequently, can deck out their homes with a larger number of items and with more expensive items. For example, the knight earns more than the blacksmith.

The clothing options available for each sim reflect their role and profession. The merchant cannot don the ermine robes of the king.

GS: We understand that Medieval will let any character undertake quests with a 'helper' character. Is it possible for any character to take on any other character as a helper (such as the unlikely pairing of the town blacksmith enlisting the help of the queen to fill an order of horseshoes)? Can you give some examples of how different characters at different strata of society will work together on quests?

RB: You could in fact, have a quest with both the monarch and the blacksmith, but they would each be doing activities that make sense for them. Here is how quest selection unfolds--more details about the roles of the sims emerge from this.

Step one: Select the quest by name--the name will hint at the overall situation the quest deals with. Some examples of quests are 'The Philosopher's Stone,' 'A Wandering Prophet,' 'Tournament of Honor,' 'A Missing Child,' 'A Political Marriage.'

Step two: Choose the approach--how you want to handle this quest. For the Wandering Prophet quest, you can either engage in a tournament of miracles to prove the interloper's faith is not worthy, or attempt to silence the heathen.

Step three: Choose the quest leader. If you choose to try to silence the heathen, you can choose either the Jacoban priest or the monarch as the leader.

Step four: Choose the other quest members. If you chose the Jacoban priest as leader, you can then choose either the knight or the spy as helpers. If you chose the monarch as leader, the only helper option is the bard.

The available combinations are chosen so that all the hero sims on a quest have roles to play that fit with their professions. The spy may engage in eavesdropping, or the bard may participate in a drinking game, while the monarch might send the interloper to the pit of judgment. That's why adding new hero sims to your kingdom unlocks new quests--if you don't have the Jacoban priest or the Peteran priest, you will not have this quest in your quest book.

GS: We've already seen what the physician character is like in action--using torture-rack-like devices and leeches to treat her patients--but we understand that there will be an actual wizard character. Tell us about his abilities and how magic will work in Medieval. Will we see Macbeth-like prophecies told over a cauldron? If caught, will wizards be burned at the stake for heresy if they weigh the same as a duck?

RB: Wizards research and create new spells. They cast spells (players have to learn the spell to help the wizard cast it). They can scry using the crystal ball to find out hidden information. They can craft potions and other magical items, which they use on quests or sell for income.

Like all the other professionals, wizards get better at magic with experience and unlock new spell options and more advanced crafting recipes.

Should a wizard need to meet an untimely end, it would not likely be burning at the stake. Being devoured by the beast in the pit of judgment would be a more common method of execution.

GS: We also understand that there will be two different priest characters from two different orders, which are at odds with each other. Tell us about these two characters and what they can do. How will their actions advance the agenda of their church? How will each be able to compete with the rival order?

RB: There was once an ancient religion. It splintered and then faded from memory over time. Two religions rose up from this ancient root. They share many of the same beliefs but exhibit those beliefs in different ways. They each lay claim to one small piece of land near the ruins of the ancient civilization, which puts them uncomfortably close to each other.

They both worship the Watcher, but they have different approaches to their faith. The Peterans tend to take a more humble and gentle approach, while the Jacobans are imperious and have amassed great wealth.

The two priests compete with each other for followers. They both gain converts with their sermons; the Peterans rely on popularity, while the Jacobans find that fear drives people to their faith. The Peterans evangelize, while the Jacobans absolve. The experience level of the priests helps them in their never-ending competition for the souls of sims.

GS: We understand that the merchant character can conduct trades with foreign kingdoms. Can you explain how this will work in practice? Is there any kind of in-depth economic strategy or playing with market prices?

RB: As your kingdom renown grows, you have access to more distant lands. As your relationship with those lands improves, more trade goods will arrive in the cargo hold of the ship. These foreign goods are rare and in limited quantities. The merchant buys those items from the ship and then sells them at a profit to the rest of the sims in the kingdom. The merchant can also act as a broker between different foreign territories.

The merchant also sells items that are crafted within the kingdom and sold to the merchant by the other professional sims. The merchant can haggle with customers, which can help him buy at a discount and sell at a profit.

GS: Tell us about the life of the humble blacksmith. What sorts of missions will this tradesman undertake? How will he interact with other members of the community?

RB: The blacksmith is a favorite supporting character for many different quests. Frequently, the quest leader will rely on the blacksmith to make unique items. For example, the knight cannot kill the dragon without having the blacksmith create an epic sword not normally found in the kingdom. In the hands of a skilled player, an experienced blacksmith can create surplus high-quality goods to sell for profit.

The blacksmith tends to use his particular abilities to create a unique way to solve a problem. For example, when a child goes missing in the kingdom, the blacksmith may make a gong to rally townsfolk to find the boy, or he may create traps to find the missing child.

GS: Also, tell us about the life of the bard. What kind of life does this character lead, and what sorts of quests can the character undertake?

RB: The bard is devoted to performing in front of audiences, writing new songs and plays, and researching how to create better musical instruments. As with other hero sims, the bard will bring his particular skills to bear to complete a quest. For example, the bard may write a poem to spread the word about the missing child or may play a song to rally the people to help search.

When dealing with a roosting dragon, the knight would run the dragon through with a sword, and the wizard would fry him with the fireball spell, and the bard might lull him to sleep with beautiful song.

GS: We know that Medieval will let you play as a single character and take on however many quests you prefer and then switch over to another character if you get restless, gaining kingdom points from quests and other activities before the game ends and your final score is assessed. How feasible is it to play as a single character throughout an entire game? Is there any advantage or disadvantage to regularly switching between different characters?

RB: It is possible to focus on the same character, or small group of characters, playing them for most quests and leveling them up maximally. That may be a good strategy for some ambitions, but not for others. It's not likely you would play the same character for every quest. Depending on which new hero sims you bring in and in what order, you may reach points in the game where the only available quests require you to branch out to some of the other characters.

GS: Could you give us a general update on the game's development? What aspects is the team working on now?

RB: The major systems are in, and most of the content is in. The big push now is creating quests and tuning the systems. Lots of new elements are coming in every week, so it's always exciting to get the latest build and play with what's new. When new user interface elements come in, that's always especially exciting because of their immediate impact on the player. New quests are another exciting element of each week and highlight new elements of each profession to explore.

The game is at the exciting stage of development where the systems are coming together and there is enough content in there that it's fun to play and easy to forget you are testing and just get caught up in the game.

GS: Finally, is there anything else you'd like to add about the game?

RB: The Sims Medieval is a different experience from all the other Sims games. We hope it will delight Sims fans and new players alike.

GS: Thanks, Rachel.

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