Ah, the beauty of the changing seasons! Sims never truly appreciate the eternal sunshine of Summer until they've lived through a harsh Winter. Now you can also give your Sims the splendor of brilliantly changing leaves in Autumn, blossoming trees and flowers in Springtime, and glittering, pristine snowfalls in Winter.
The Sims 2 Seasons adds some new User Interface (UI) features as well as a new neighborhood (Riverblossom Hills) with its own cast of characters!
The game features a new UI bar! Located in the upper left hand corner of the screen, You can add any of your existing expansion packs to your town by clicking the add button. Any expansions that you do not have installed will be greyed out (see above image).
To change the seasons, as well as the season order, you can click on the flower icon to go to the season menu.
Once in the menu you can click on each time of the year and choose which seasonyou want for that time. Once you have finished just click on the checkmark to save your edits. There may be some seasons that you won't want to occur for some neighborhoods. For instance it might be odd if a desert neighborhood experienced a real Winter. On the other hand, if you want to create a more arctic climate, you can omit all seasons but Winter to keep your Sims snowed-in year round.
Game Tip: Neighborhood Seasons
Certain seasons may not make sense for certain neighborhoods. After all, it wouldn't make sense for a desert location to have snow in winter! To pick the seasons for your neighborhoods, go to a neighborhood view and click on The Sims 2 Seasons icon in the top left corner of the screen. You can then pick the seasons and the order in which you want them to appear.
Game Tip: Dressing for the Weather
The onset of the seasons completely changes your Sims' wardrobe needs. Your Sims will naturally get cold in the winter, which means bundling up for the worst the elements can throw at them. To keep them safe, direct Sims to change into their outerwear clothing before venturing outdoors. Of course, Sims will also get hot so be careful not to let them head into the summer heat while wearing a winter coat!
Game Tip: Extreme Temperatures
Prolonged periods of extreme heat or cold will most certainly take their toll on your Sims - it looks like your Sims will be in bad shape if you don't get them inside soon! To protect Sims from passing our or freezing, make sure they wear appropriate clothing and that they perform activities that match the weather conditions. Should your Sims succumb to the heat or cold, other Sims can come to their aid to revive them.
Keep an eye on the weather by tuning in to the new Weather Channel or by reading the forecast in your daily newspaper. By catching the latest report, your Sims can prepare for a storm, chase butterflies, or invite the neighbors over for a snowball fight, but beware, the weather person may not always be right!
As the weather changes, so does your Sim's tolerance of the great outdoors. Make sure they're dressed for the conditions and keep an eye on their new personal thermometers when they're outdoors.
BONUS: If they get too hot, they overheat and may pass out. Similarly, if they get too cold, they can freeze!
Game Tip: Stormy Weather
Weather conditions are constantly changing, making life for your Sims a bit more unexpected. Keep track of the current season to the left of our Sims' portrait and pay attention to the weather channel on television to get a better idea of what may be heading in the direction of your Sims.
Game Tip: Roof Protection
This building has no roof and your Sims will soon be paying the price. A roof is vital for keeping out the elements. Build a roof by going to Build Mode, then the roofs section.
