Pets will not be playable in Sims 4: Cats & Dogs expansion, meaning players will not be able to control the animal as they would a Sim. This has been a controversy ever since pets were first introduced in the franchise. Pets weren’t playable in The Sims 2, and they were in The Sims 3. And for The Sims 4, the decision to whether or not to make pets playable was not easy. The Sims 4 Producer Grant Rodiek admitted it took a lengthy back and forth conversation before the team made the final call.
“We debated that one thing forever,” Rodiek said in a tweet. “Like months.”
The reason? Because pets will have a mind of their own, just like they do in real life. “In order to make them spontaneous, lifelike and special, you cannot control them.”
While pets were, technically speaking, playable in The Sims 3, the options were of course limited. Just like regular Sims, if players weren’t actively playing them, they could take care of themselves to a certain extent (some animals more so than others). However, controlling your cat or dog’s every action kind of ruins the very idea of having a pet.
The Sims is, of course, a simulation. We don’t control what our pets do in real life, the spontaneity of not knowing what they are really thinking or their next move is half the enjoyment of having one. Building a bond with the pet is ultimately how we develop relationships with them and gain a small level of control.
“If you can control them, they won’t be wondrous, spontaneous creatures with souls,” Rodiek said. “By removing control, we give them life.”
The Sims team say pets will have an interface with the system, so you will be able to manage them. How exactly that works is not yet clear. But the fact of the matter is, deciding exactly what your pets do and how they interact with other pets and humans is not a simulation of the real world.
“We wanted them to feel, look, and act like living, breathing household pets,” Rodiek told GamesRadar. “They have routines, quirks, and more nuanced behavior. You'll see cats climb on almost every surface in your house and glare at dogs from the top of the refrigerator. Dogs will sneak on the couch to sleep upside down and snore at night.”
And most importantly, pets shouldn’t distract from human play. They should complement gameplay and present a bit of a challenge for players, which also enhances the story.
“I feel 1000 percent we made the right decision,” Rodiek said. “It’s my favorite pets pack. I’ve made three. It’s so much better than TS2.”
Sims 4: Cats & Dogs releases Nov. 10.
