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"The expansion pack already exceeded my expectations."

Read The Review!

The Sims 2 University

Relive the best years of your life -- Sims style

By Karen Chu

I feel like my young emo Sim kid Cornelius Fargo Hobbes, in true emo nature, yearns to get away from Veronaville. If only there was some way to get him out of the house for a few years, expand his horizons, send him somewhere he could really meet some new faces. Thankfully, here comes Sims 2 University, the first of the next half-decade's string of relentless expansion packs where players can experience "the best years." From emptying kegs to trying to cram more and more things into less and less time, from counterfeiting money to persuading "that green alien girl" to do your term paper, this is an expansion worth attending.

Sims 2 University undeniably lives up to what a quality, bona-fide expansion pack should be: an addition to a game that is not scaled to be a sequel but to be a supplement that introduces refreshing new features that build on the core game play. It offers more of the addictive micro-management game play that Sims fans know and love by introducing a new teen life stage that was underexposed in Sims 2, a stage that increases the immersion of the "from birth to death" feeling of the Sims 2.

Although you can start your Sim fresh and hopeful in University, I brought my proud young Cornelius up from a child to gain the full experience. After all, any teen with passing high school grades can attend college with no difficulty. The easy application process of button clicking, and having the Danish-like Sims government who subsidizes all college funds make the admissions process even easier. For university-hopeful Sims, a good career in college can unlock new choice career paths for the years after college, as well as add two additional Wants slots for more rewarding activities for your Sim to pursue and rack up those Aspiration and Influence points.

A bittersweet wave goodbye and a taxi ride later Sim teens can start getting their learnin' on at one of three readily available schools: the Ivy League-esque Académie le Tour that touts a first-rate education but offers no Greek societies; La Fiesta Tech, the modern campus nestled in a desert notoriously known for extraterrestrial commotion; or the diverse and well-rounded Sim State. After choosing the right school, comes move-in day. It's perhaps the first sign that you may be in over your head as you struggle to choose between the dorms, your own place, or the Greek system. Just like real college, you can always move out at any time, but of course, made easier at the click of a button. The dorms are a safe bet since the food is free, and there are always fresh faces to see. The Greeks are choosey, requiring you to throw a successful get-together to get in... then constantly throwing more parties to ensure that your faux-Greek-letter adorned house is the campus' number one hot spot for drunken debauchery goodness. Lastly, you can buy a lot and build or remodel a house to suit your college dreams, whether you dream of a house full of secret society members or you and your band just need a place where you can really, really thrash.

Aside from the new places to live and co-eds to pillow fight with, there's more random clutter to acquire. College paraphernalia available in the Buy Mode, such as the illustrious White Rabbit hash pipe—er...I mean "bubble blower," and school pennants, can increase your cool while keeping your Sim's bank account low. But fret not, there's always the grand option of working part-time at minimum wage. The job system is more convenient than outside of University, allowing you to work whatever hours you like and actually be able to use the bathroom to relieve that cursed bladder tension anytime. In addition, you don't have to hunt through the newspaper for work, instead just talking to the locals and seeing what needs doing.

Despite the myriad of extracurricular activities, staying in school is top priority. After all, you do get quite a bit of scholarship moolah with good grades. Once you are moved in, settled, and working in your free time, you face the same realization that brings terror to most college students in real life. You have to go to class. It takes four years of one class everyday per semester and two semesters per school year to complete any of the universities, but don't let the light class load trick you into thinking that university life is breezy. Sims 2 University is hard. There, I said it. Though your Sim students have more free time than Sim adults, that extra free time will be spent with more crap to do. In addition to your chosen aspiration, imagine an invisible "Education" aspiration, demanding school responsibilities that lie outside of the classroom such as completing assignments, researching with a group, writing term papers, and increasing skill points through study and practice. The busy schedule of a Sim student is made a tad less hectic now with the new Influence meter located in the tool bar. Shacking up influence points will allow your Sim to persuade others to do your Sims' chores. But even after mastering the art of persuasion, your Sims will still have a jam packed schedule. This can make managing Sim students arguably more of a cerebral effort than managing Sim adults. Is it a blemish? Hardly. Sure, it takes a lot more extensive planning to make sure your Knowledge Sim won't be an anti-social loner, or your Popularity Sim will pass sophomore year, but more things for Sim co-eds to do mean more voyeuristic fun!

The perks of adding University to your Sims 2 game don't just include having newer and more features. Yes, there are more fresh faces to meet and build lasting friendships with and more themed furniture to add style to your environment, and yes there are woo-hoos aplenty. But what makes Sims 2 University worth lightening your wallet for is that it is a Sims expansion that can stand by itself. If you want to get that "just one minute more" buzz but don't have forever to spend playing, playing University from move-in day to graduation will take roughly eight hours. At the same time, you can utilize this extra life stage to build up your character and unlock new careers, which is a nice touch. It gives players more drive to see their capable college graduates soar, so they can see more in the world of Sims 2.

In the end, my young emo Sim Cornelius Fargo Hobbes graduated on the Dean's list with a physics major, earned a few grand through grant money, became best friends with the school mascot llama, swapped spit with several co-eds, partook in the Greek system, and printed some counterfeit money. As Cornelius returns home, he has two more Want slots, more aspiration and influence points, and a promising future working in the exclusive field of natural sciences. Needless to say, he's the envy of every block in Veronaville.

It would be nice to experience vacation and breaks from school in the game. Any one would jump at the idea of their Sim spending spring break in a Cancun-like Sim neighborhood sipping mini umbrella adorned drinks and getting freaky on the dance floor. But then again, that might kick the ESRB up a notch, and the expansion pack already exceeded my expectations. There is a real pleasure to having one more voyeuristic step in your Sims life, as they seem that much closer to a real family that you get to play in the sandbox of. The expansion neatly captures the frenzied pace of college, the numerous things you can discover and do, the strange secrets every campus is rumored to have, and of course, streaking.

In case you missed our chat with The Sims 2 University team you can find out what you missed in the chat transcripts.

Read The Transcripts

MaxisMojo (Mar 3, 2005 6:08:42 PM)
Welcome everyone! Today's chat is about The Sims 2 University with Hunter Howe, Lyndsay McGaw, and the insidious Dr. Vu.

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:08:51 PM)
Hello!

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:09:12 PM)
Whats the best dorm to live in in the game?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:09:12 PM)
My personal favorite is the 9 room dorm...

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:09:51 PM)
Hi Maxis! First of all I would like to say hi to everyone. Next I would like to say thankyou for making such a great EXP! Im already love it!

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:09:51 PM)
Awesome. We had a blast making the game and have really enjoyed the fan response to its release.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:10:09 PM)
About the SimCity Scholar's Grant - how does that work? Does my Sims get 1000 § for each A- or better that she gets? Or is it based on an average of her grades?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:10:09 PM)
If that's what they have when they apply for scholarships, I believe they get the grant. I think you can even slack off after that.

BillyBob (Mar 3, 2005 6:10:51 PM)
Is it possible to change the name of our college town, or is it always going to be college town?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:10:51 PM)
If you want to rename your college you should be able to highlight the text box and change it just like you do with a normal neighborhood.

KrazyCoolKat (Mar 3, 2005 6:12:25 PM)
Can you make your own sorritys? How?!

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:12:25 PM)
To create your own sorority you just move in a group of Sims and use the telephone Call the college and apply for a charter. Your sims have to pay a little fee but then they can be a sorority!

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:12:27 PM)
So, what is the coolest part in the University?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:12:27 PM)
My favorite part of University is the dorms. It's the first time that you get to live with Sims outside your control. This makes for a very different, but cool feel to the core Sims game.

SimQueen77 (Mar 3, 2005 6:13:06 PM)
What if your sim has a twin, can they go to a different college?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:13:06 PM)
Sure. No reason they need to stay together. Just send them off separately, and choose different colleges when you get the option.

Gecko (Mar 3, 2005 6:13:27 PM)
Is it really that hard to install, or do you just need to get rid of hacks?

MaxisMojo (Mar 3, 2005 6:13:27 PM)
You may experience problems with installation if you have added 3rd party patches like the nude patch. Try removing them.

nolurk (Mar 3, 2005 6:13:41 PM)
Why was the decision made to not allow users to build custom dorms?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:13:41 PM)
We thought it was really interesting to have a new environment you couldn't completely control. Your sim has moved off to this new place and is working with what they ahve. You can decorate the dorm, rearrange furniture, just like being in a real dorm.

HatefulNugget (Mar 3, 2005 6:14:01 PM)
how many types of scholarships are there?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:14:01 PM)
There are approximately 12 scholarships plus some hidden ones. Try to find them all!

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:14:06 PM)
Can you move a Sim from one college to another? Or are they stuck at the first college they go to?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:14:06 PM)
If you move them out of their dorm or residence, they'll go into the student bin. The bin is shared between colleges, so you can go to another college, move them in, and continue their education.

BillyBob (Mar 3, 2005 6:14:37 PM)
If a zombie goes to college, will its partially rotted brain affect its grades?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:14:37 PM)
zombies are still incredibly smart, they may be stinky, but they can still learn

LovinIt214 (Mar 3, 2005 6:14:38 PM)
Is it possible to repeat a year?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:14:38 PM)
It's possible to repeat a semester once, by going on academic probation.

nolurk (Mar 3, 2005 6:15:19 PM)
Was there anything left out of this expansion pack which you had originally wanted to include, but couldn't either because of technical constraints or time?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:15:19 PM)
I've always wanted a hammock...maybe someday they'll let me have one

Simsnetwerk (Mar 3, 2005 6:15:25 PM)
can young adults have babies?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:15:25 PM)
Young adults cannot have babies in college, but once they become adults, they are able to.

Kitsune (Mar 3, 2005 6:15:55 PM)
DoctorVu, who came up with the idea for combining families so easily? It's brilliant!

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:15:55 PM)
It was the result of a 9 hour meeting-de-force, in which people of all disciplines came together with one brilliant vision.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:16:06 PM)
What new objects are there besides the pool table and the mini fridge?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:16:06 PM)
The camera, home plastic surgery kit, vanity table, cow plant, bubble blower…

ScorpioSimGirl (Mar 3, 2005 6:17:22 PM)
How do you create such unique character stories for the pre-packaged families?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:17:22 PM)
We spend time making up backstories for each of the characters and treat them like we know them. We can write personal biographies, stories about their lots... using the family albums really helps to tell stories too. A lot of the character tidbits come from the people on the team talking about people in their family or other people they used to know.

The Sim Vlad (Mar 3, 2005 6:17:29 PM)
Will my saved games from the original game work with University?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:17:29 PM)
They should most definitely work with the university expansion.

Wildtigerwarrior (Mar 3, 2005 6:17:51 PM)
Can Young Adults get engaged at college?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:17:51 PM)
absolutely!

Savvy (Mar 3, 2005 6:18:54 PM)
When living in a dorm, can you see the other sims doing things, but without you controlling them?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:18:54 PM)
Sure! The other Sims in your dorms have homework and classes just like your sim. They have to sit down and work too if they want to get through school.

ghettometalchick (Mar 3, 2005 6:19:09 PM)
After your sims graduate, do they go back into your Sims 2 game?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:19:09 PM)
After they graduate, your Sim goes back to the neighborhood where they came from.

ilovealan (Mar 3, 2005 6:19:25 PM)
how long does a sim stay a young adult?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:19:25 PM)
24 days, if they dont go on acaedmic probation at all.

ScorpioSimGirl (Mar 3, 2005 6:20:00 PM)
What is the most common favorite food behind the genius minds at Maxis? Did anyone sneak their favorites into the food options?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:20:00 PM)
Grilled Cheese is strangely popular around here...

AtomicSimmer (Mar 3, 2005 6:20:58 PM)
how does the new communal shower work?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:20:58 PM)
Community showers are great. They work like regular showers in functionality, but you can be in the same shower room with other Sims. Pass the soap!

BionixWV (Mar 3, 2005 6:21:01 PM)
Will we be able to use the Homecrafter tool with Uni? I'm from West Virginia,and it would help if I could make some walls with "WVU" related things on them.

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:21:01 PM)
Homecrafter and University should be totally compatible.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:21:37 PM)
how can you join a sorortiy or a fraternity?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:21:37 PM)
You can invite the sorority or fraternity members over to your dorm or house and try to impress them. If you build up enough relationship points, they'll ask you to join their group

Elan Elvin (Mar 3, 2005 6:21:51 PM)
can aliens go to college?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:21:51 PM)
Teen aliens and zombies can go to college just like any other Sim. Here's a challenge, can someone make a college dorm full of zombie and aliens? Wouldn't that be fun. =-)

The Sim Vlad (Mar 3, 2005 6:22:10 PM)
How does a Sim avoid being eaten by a cow plant reward object from the Natural Science career track?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:22:10 PM)
build a fence around it. then if somebody annoying comes to visit you just add a gate and....

Starman4016 (Mar 3, 2005 6:23:03 PM)
wasn' t there a cheat that was going to allow you to build as many floors as you want......what is it?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:23:03 PM)
Hm... setHighestAllowedLevel X....where X is the number of stories you want to have. I think that's it.

twcmissi (Mar 3, 2005 6:23:33 PM)
how do you get the cow plant?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:23:33 PM)
Graduate a Sim through college, and go into the Natural Science Career track. It's a career reward object.

GGoneGoldfishing (Mar 3, 2005 6:23:46 PM)
First question! I'm having trouble getting into the secret socity, any tips? And second, why when random people join your dorm and choose their rooms, etc. Why does the furniture in the room suddenly dissappear once they choose their rooms, and when they enter you can't see anything they are doing in there and all of that jazz....Cause I'm very curious of what they may be doing in there....<.>.>

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:23:46 PM)
Try to go to community lots to meet other secret society members. A clue is to look at their clothes. When dorm-mate join your dorm, they too want privacy so it's nice that you can't see what they are doing unless you go into their rooms.

Savvy (Mar 3, 2005 6:23:57 PM)
Once you join a fraternity or a sorority, do you automatically move in with them?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:23:57 PM)
you dont' have to. You can choose to move in if you want to, but you can stay in your dorm or house instead if you like it there.

notovny (Mar 3, 2005 6:24:19 PM)
Will the cow plant eventually die if you don't feed it at all?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:24:19 PM)
Fortunately, it is immortal. Long live the cow plant!

jpwatt8080 (Mar 3, 2005 6:24:25 PM)
Can a young adult marry a professor?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:24:25 PM)
Young adults can only get engaged. When they are done with college and become adults, anything is possible.

jpwatt8080 (Mar 3, 2005 6:24:30 PM)
Why can't zombies procreate!?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:24:30 PM)
The details are unpleasant to discuss.

Gecko (Mar 3, 2005 6:24:33 PM)
Heh, do you think you could call my dad at work and tell him to swing by Target and pick up Uni for me? *grin*

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:24:33 PM)
we're not allowed to use telephones here...we're chained to our computers...

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:24:43 PM)

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:25:15 PM)
What happends if you fail?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:25:15 PM)
Your sim is sent back home without any of the bonuses attainable in college.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:26:05 PM)
Are there new foods your can cook?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:26:05 PM)
Cup O Ramen! the perfect college food

that1spunkygirl (Mar 3, 2005 6:26:11 PM)
there's a guy in a mascot costume named juan who's hanging around my dorm, is that the same mascot that i want to show up if i have a sports party? can i just invite him?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:26:11 PM)
If you get a relationship with him, you can call him over whenever you want.

GCSPrckpnk (Mar 3, 2005 6:26:25 PM)
you guys have the coolest job, and it seems you work with the coolest people, Dr.Vu, r u married?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:26:25 PM)
Thanks! We are truly blessed to be able to work on such an amazing product and have such great fan support. Married? Rumor has it that I have 8 wives…

Aenella (Mar 3, 2005 6:26:51 PM)
Ok most of us know about the new reward objects, and everyone has their favorites. What are some of your favorite reward objects?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:26:51 PM)
I love the new camera, but my favorite is from the first Sims 2, the Energizer

borzillem (Mar 3, 2005 6:27:20 PM)
Maxis Shorty are you short?

MaxisMojo (Mar 3, 2005 6:27:20 PM)
I can assure you he's not. He's actually a 9 foot tall giant.

MaxisShorty (Mar 3, 2005 6:27:34 PM)
MaxisShorty CRUSH!!!!

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:27:41 PM)
can sims sing in the band?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:27:41 PM)
They can only freestyle.

lrchaos22 (Mar 3, 2005 6:27:42 PM)
Did anybody ever get hurt making university?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:27:42 PM)
No. No Sims were hurt in the making of this expansion pack. Our artists did have to do research on Sim Eating Cow plants but I'm happy to report they all made it out alive...

Bigheadless_ (Mar 3, 2005 6:28:25 PM)
Does a zombie always appear when reviving a dead sim, or can you revive them in a normal state?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:28:25 PM)
Depending on how much you pay Grim will determine what state your Sim comes back as.

horselover (Mar 3, 2005 6:29:03 PM)
Who are some of the real life singers that perform in TS2U?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:29:03 PM)
You can see the artist names in the audio options panel of your game, i believe.

darkvip (Mar 3, 2005 6:29:12 PM)
how do you make a secret society?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:29:12 PM)
If you are inducted into the secret society and can visit it, you can make it into whatever you want. Build and Buy mode are available there.

EsyE266 (Mar 3, 2005 6:30:06 PM)
Does the zombie use the home plastic surgery kit? What do zombies eat? Can they woohoo? Can they use the old 'my leg fell off, that is why I am late to class," excuse?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:30:06 PM)
LOL, zombies can definitely use the home plastic surgery kit. They can eat any of the cook-able foods, but sometimes they long for brains. They can surely woohoo too!

simsfan (Mar 3, 2005 6:30:21 PM)
Please help me understand how the plastic surgery kit works?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:30:21 PM)
Your Sims can go up to it, and it pulls up all of the facial modifiers and archetypes like you see in Create A Sim. Of course, sometimes it can go wrong. Super-ugly-wrong.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:30:55 PM)
How do you get the camera?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:30:55 PM)
Go into the Artist career track. It should be unlocked in your career rewards panel around level 5 or 6.

a5a29m03 x3 (Mar 3, 2005 6:31:37 PM)
so do you just have to be friends with one of the people in the secret societies to get it>

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:31:37 PM)
You need to make 3 friends in the secret society to get in, but they're pretty easy to spot on the community lots in their blazers.

jpwatt8080 (Mar 3, 2005 6:31:58 PM)
Do you ever watch some of the movies that we create?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:31:58 PM)
Absolutely. We're always blown away by the stuff you guys create. Sometimes we send them around the whole company through email they're so cool.

Seen (Mar 3, 2005 6:32:11 PM)
Where did the idea of University come from?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:32:11 PM)
We've always wanted to do a university expansion pack but it didn't make a lot of sense in Sims 1 because your Sims didn't age, so there wasn't an added benefit to earn a degree. It makes perfect sense in Sims 2 because Sims move through age groups.

Elan Elvin (Mar 3, 2005 6:32:21 PM)
is true that kissing isn't allowd in university?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:32:21 PM)
What? That's madness. No.

horselover (Mar 3, 2005 6:33:07 PM)
What is a good way to build relationship points with the sorority or frat members?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:33:07 PM)
A great social is the hacky sack game. It's a nice social builder.

Gecko (Mar 3, 2005 6:33:15 PM)
Hey, I heard that there is someone named Goopy who works at Maxis... Does he look like the Goopy on our game?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:33:15 PM)
Goopy is our animation director. Unlike the Goopy in the game, he is both handsome and charming.

Elan Elvin (Mar 3, 2005 6:33:17 PM)
when surgery goes wrong..can you do another surgery??

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:33:17 PM)
if you're willing to risk it again...

MaxisDrea (Mar 3, 2005 6:34:13 PM)
I plead the 5th

ariel (Mar 3, 2005 6:34:31 PM)
why do all the professors seem to be in love with my sims?!

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:34:31 PM)
I have heard that drama professors are notoriously amorous. I think it's just in their nature.

remania (Mar 3, 2005 6:34:38 PM)
Does anybody want a pepermint?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:34:38 PM)
No.

ariel (Mar 3, 2005 6:34:48 PM)
can the camera, plastic surgery machine, cowplant, etc. only be accessed after college when you are in that career?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:34:48 PM)
You can find those objects at the secret society if you manage to earn their trust and get invited in.

pavicky (Mar 3, 2005 6:35:14 PM)
Do you have any suggestions how to "make time" to do assignments, eat, bathe, do the term paper, make friends, fall in love, etc. There never seems to be enough time for everything.

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:35:14 PM)
If you have enough aspiration points and keep your aspiration up high enough, you can use the energizer. You never have to sleep and you get plenty of time for everything!

majazac (Mar 3, 2005 6:35:24 PM)
The elexir of life of the cow plant only is made if the cow eat somebody?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:35:24 PM)
Yep yep!

Absm121691 (Mar 3, 2005 6:35:42 PM)
Do you read our stories too?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:35:42 PM)
Of course. I surf the site a lot.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:35:54 PM)
how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood???

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:35:54 PM)
a woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

mrebecca101 (Mar 3, 2005 6:36:09 PM)
Tell Goopy I'm sorry for having killed him at least 20 times!

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:36:09 PM)
I'll pass it along. He's usually a pretty reasonable person.

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:36:09 PM)
...there really was a question beofre that...

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:36:28 PM)
I LUV U GUYS!

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:36:28 PM)
We love you too!

jpwatt8080 (Mar 3, 2005 6:36:40 PM)
Isn't hacky sack a little '90s?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:36:40 PM)
kicky bag is very 2005...

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:37:18 PM)
how many lifetime wants are there??

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:37:18 PM)
there are about 20.

majazac (Mar 3, 2005 6:37:19 PM)
Do you get more grade points if tou have an affair eith more than two teachers?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:37:19 PM)
If they're from your major, you get points.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:37:27 PM)
I have to go soon, can some one answer this question: Can your sim have family over to there houses in UNI?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:37:27 PM)
Yep. Sure can.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:38:01 PM)
Who came up with the streaking idea? I think mooning would also be great in the future..its a little more bizarre.

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:38:01 PM)
Streaking is such an iconic piece to college, we couldn't do without it.

zincboy (Mar 3, 2005 6:38:17 PM)
Goopy is so ugly and annoying... can we force him into the face remodeling machine?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:38:17 PM)
Why are you all so mean to goopy?! No, but you can make him over at the vanity table. Of course, you could marry him and then send him to the plastic surgery machine.

kim (Mar 3, 2005 6:38:18 PM)
How many career tracks are there?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:38:18 PM)
there are 4 new tracks in University.

kcjordan (Mar 3, 2005 6:38:43 PM)
in the sims 2, this one woman in leopard print (maxis created) randomly runs in and slaps one of my sims... she does it alll the time... any thoughts as to why?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:38:44 PM)
were you spying on her with the telescope? sims don't like that

ilovealan (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:12 PM)
If you date the teacher and cheat on him does your mark go down?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:12 PM)
Anything that hurts your relationship with your professor will hurt your grade. So yes. BAD IDEA. (only if you get caught.)

KrazyCoolKat (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:18 PM)
do you guys ever dance around during work? you should......

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:18 PM)
Yes… all the time. I'm dancing right now.

Gaston (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:32 PM)
Does not going to class penalize you?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:32 PM)
Let's just say it's not a very good idea. You can still study enough to make up for it, but going to class really make a difference

Savvy (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:44 PM)
I love you goopy!

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:44 PM)
You're a nice person.

doggwagg (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:59 PM)
How come on the back of teh box for university there is a picture of a hippie?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:39:59 PM)
Why not? It's some of our new clothing for the EP.

ClanMacCloud (Mar 3, 2005 6:40:14 PM)
how many influence points do you need to get someone to do your term-paper?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:40:14 PM)
2500, but it's SOOOO worth it.

The Sim Vlad (Mar 3, 2005 6:41:07 PM)
Can you watch your Sims attend class and listen to their lectures?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:41:07 PM)
No, we decided that would be pretty boring...especially since they speak in simlish. We wanted to focus on the other aspects of college.

horselover (Mar 3, 2005 6:41:32 PM)
How does the whole influence thing work?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:41:33 PM)
any wants you see in the panel with a blue frame around them will give you influence points. The more of these you do, the more points you get. Then you can use those points to click on other Sims and influence them to do things for you.

FlamingoKicker1 (Mar 3, 2005 6:42:10 PM)
Does a Sim's personality change if they are resurrected after being eaten by the CowPlant?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:42:10 PM)
Depends on how much you pay Mr. Grim Reaper. Cheapness has a price.

RastaShoe (Mar 3, 2005 6:42:25 PM)
MixisLittleL do you have a favorite major?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:42:26 PM)
I like the Art major.

mr_helm (Mar 3, 2005 6:42:52 PM)
maxis whats your favorite Cheat?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:42:52 PM)
move_objects!! yay!

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:43:25 PM)
What sort of actions net you Infulence points?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:43:26 PM)
Getting on the deans list, getting into a Greek House, making friends...

SimQueen77 (Mar 3, 2005 6:43:35 PM)
HELP ME!!!!!!!!!! My mom won't let me by University, I tried explaining that it's critical for the evolution of sims, but she thinks SIMS IS BRAINSUCKING AND EVIL!!!!! WHAT SHOULD I DO???

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:43:35 PM)
Tell her that buying university will prepare you for university in real life and that it will help you understand the balance between going to class, hitting the next greek party, and schmoozing with your professors.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:43:41 PM)
How come you always make NPCs ugly?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:43:41 PM)
beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sims have feelings too...

ILoveMaxisForever (Mar 3, 2005 6:44:04 PM)
how do u get permanent platinum mode????????

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:44:04 PM)
Complete your lifetime want. You can see it if you look at the aspiration bar popup.

xLadyVampyrx (Mar 3, 2005 6:44:22 PM)
When you create your own band, does it have to be rock music they play?... I love rock, I was just asking out of interest.

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:44:22 PM)
They can also play country and jazz.

doggwagg (Mar 3, 2005 6:44:40 PM)
are there any sims in university that are based on people in real life?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:44:40 PM)
actually there are, but I can't divulge their names and identities... they'd lock me away.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:44:49 PM)
How much WOULD a wook chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood??

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:44:49 PM)
A wood chuck could chuck wood if a wood chuck .. oh never mind.

xXalliexbabyXx (Mar 3, 2005 6:45:00 PM)
How do you get on the Deans list?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:45:00 PM)
A+ for a semester. I highly reccomend it. Good grades give you tons of aspiration points, and big boosts in career advancement!

SimSymptoms (Mar 3, 2005 6:45:17 PM)
Which is your favorite new hairstyle?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:45:17 PM)
I really like the spiky hair, it's just so spiky!

pavicky (Mar 3, 2005 6:45:25 PM)
Do you have a cure for my Sim addiction?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:45:25 PM)
We don't want to cure your Sim addiction.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:45:40 PM)
when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when do u get sent to collage?when

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:45:40 PM)
This is the most annoying question we have ever received. Thank you.

MaxisDano (Mar 3, 2005 6:46:04 PM)
HAHHA

kaitlynlm1012 (Mar 3, 2005 6:46:48 PM)
What is your favorite object in the game?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:46:48 PM)
I really like the mini-fridge. Put a microwave on top and your Sim can survive for days on nothing but Ramen...

Z one (Mar 3, 2005 6:47:10 PM)
Is there any way to change a life-long goal?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:47:10 PM)
If you change your aspiration, it gets changed. You can do that by getting through junior year.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:47:15 PM)
Thanks Maxis for making the Sims and the Sims 2!!

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:47:15 PM)
Thank you for playing it, enjoying it, and continuing to be involved in the community!

dessert567 (Mar 3, 2005 6:47:46 PM)
How do the MP3 players work? Do sims just put on some headphones or what?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:47:46 PM)
yep, they carry their MP3 player around and can just stop and listen anytime they want.

Q`alooaith (Mar 3, 2005 6:47:59 PM)
Your a real strange bunch, you know that right?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:47:59 PM)
Yeah. Sure. This coming from somebody named Q'ALOOAITH.

soloman (Mar 3, 2005 6:48:36 PM)
i love ramen noodles, in real life and on the game

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:48:36 PM)
That's good! It's really a very very cost efficient food. Good strategy.

kwissyiscool (Mar 3, 2005 6:48:42 PM)
What is the secret society

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:48:42 PM)
a secret club you can join in any of the colleges. if they let you in, you can visit the secret society house and play with the aspiration reward objects and career objects there.

Agcourtneythesim (Mar 3, 2005 6:49:04 PM)
Have any of you attempted to make an all zombie/alien college?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:49:04 PM)
I tried to make an all zombie college. It was really hard.

SimMasterFrannie (Mar 3, 2005 6:49:08 PM)
goopy is married in my game to one of Cassandra's daughters...i like him

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:49:08 PM)
Goopy rocks. I know he's been a nuance to the community but please don't feed him to the cow plant. That's just so sad…

Afroman (Mar 3, 2005 6:50:02 PM)
where do you get cellphones?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:50:02 PM)
you can buy them from one of the community shopping lot on your college campuses.

repichan88 (Mar 3, 2005 6:50:13 PM)
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

MaxisShorty (Mar 3, 2005 6:50:13 PM)
Sponge!Bob! Square!Pants!

pauvrelapin (Mar 3, 2005 6:50:14 PM)
how are you supposed to balance school/ social life? it seems like there isnt time for both

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:50:14 PM)
It's pretty tough. I reccomend focusing your social pursuits on wants that net you lots of influence, and then influencing people to do your schoolwork.

zincboy (Mar 3, 2005 6:50:31 PM)
why would we marry goopy... he's evil?!

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:50:31 PM)
He's only evil if you don't know and understand him. Look pass his rough exterior to find a gentle misunderstood man. GilsCabos ForEvAR

NOXQQ4KYKY (Mar 3, 2005 6:51:03 PM)
How do your Sims have pillow fights?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:51:03 PM)
It's a Play social. It unlocks around the middle level of relationship.

JohnEZ (Mar 3, 2005 6:51:31 PM)
Are there any negative side effects about getting someone to write a term paper for you? Like if it would effect job performance or something... ? Or, getting caught cheating?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:51:31 PM)
Nope, saves you time. It's great!

FlamingoKicker1 (Mar 3, 2005 6:51:44 PM)
Can you fire the cook in the dorm? My Sim can cook a 1000 times better than her.

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:51:44 PM)
you can work as the cook instead and make some money!

merave11 (Mar 3, 2005 6:51:57 PM)
can a zumbi became a real sim?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:51:57 PM)
Sorta like how Pinocchio wants to be a real boy? No.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:52:36 PM)
what is graduation like

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:52:37 PM)
It's like.. yes, I'm done. Freeeeedom!

simluvah (Mar 3, 2005 6:53:10 PM)
ummm... when will the transcript go up??

MaxisMojo (Mar 3, 2005 6:53:10 PM)
Transcripts will be posted shortly after the chat is finished. Return to TheSims2.com to see them!

Gecko (Mar 3, 2005 6:53:31 PM)
Any new simlish phrases?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:53:31 PM)
Vo Gerbits!

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:53:43 PM)
Yay! VO GERBITS!

lamissa789 (Mar 3, 2005 6:53:54 PM)
how long is one uni year?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:53:54 PM)
Four semesters at 72 hours per semester.

MaxisMojo (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:03 PM)
This chat will end in the next 10 minutes!

Oracle (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:25 PM)
Can teens and children have pillow fights?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:25 PM)
Sure can!

CrystalShelle (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:31 PM)
Hmm.. I think I'll go feed Goopy to a cowplant now. >

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:31 PM)
Nooooooo…..! =-(

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:54 PM)
so does the option to change aspiration come up after you get through you junior year, what do you have to do?!?!?!

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:54 PM)
Yes, any Sim in college who gets through Junior year has the option to change their aspiration. It just pops up.

nish929 (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:57 PM)
who's your favorite NPC?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:57 PM)
The Grim Reaper. I think he's funny.

pinkfluffystuff6 (Mar 3, 2005 6:54:57 PM)
an ode to maxis: an ode to maxis, o how we love you! you are as sweet as dafidoils and smell as sweet as shampoo! oh my. how lost i would be, if i didn't have you maxis, here to guide me!

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:55:20 PM)
We're as sweet as shampoo?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:55:27 PM)
What kind of shampoo?

Agcourtneythesim (Mar 3, 2005 6:55:31 PM)
Why are we all so obsessed with llamas?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:55:31 PM)
because they're cute and fuzzy. and how many other animals start with ll

asimmer (Mar 3, 2005 6:56:28 PM)
how do you obtain the home plastic surgery kit?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:56:28 PM)
Go down the show business career track to unlock this mean machine.

frnor (Mar 3, 2005 6:56:45 PM)
Which sims university activety do you like the most?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:56:45 PM)
I really like trying to join a sorority. It's funny when they all show up in togas running around...

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:57:15 PM)
can you get expelled?

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 6:57:15 PM)
Yes. If you have a failing grade while you're on academic probation, you are out. Never to return again.

thiskittyclawz (Mar 3, 2005 6:57:29 PM)
Can any of you tell me what life was like before the sims? I can't seem to remember...

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:57:29 PM)
It was dark and ugly. No need to go back there.

la2scblondie09 (Mar 3, 2005 6:58:02 PM)
can you tell us about the instruments in the game>

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 6:58:02 PM)
now your Sims can play music on the new bass, guitar and drum set. The piano can be part of the band too. Build up enough of their creativity skill and you cna have a really good band.

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:59:02 PM)
TELL ME: how cool is the new game and whats your favorite object or objects in the new game (i cant get the expansion for 1 month! becasue of the reason i m short on cash)

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:59:02 PM)
It is soooooooo cool. One of my favorite objects is the vanity table. You can make over OTHER sims in the neighborhood including townies. Yep, cool like a cucumber.

MaxisMojo (Mar 3, 2005 6:59:49 PM)
5 minutes remaining!

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 6:59:54 PM)
Why is there a girl that never moves in my dorm?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 6:59:54 PM)
Sometimes, life is unfair.

roxygirl307703 (Mar 3, 2005 7:00:08 PM)
What do you guys like to do on your time off?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 7:00:08 PM)
I like sleep actually, sleep is good. Sometimes on really busy days though, I actually have dreams about the Sims... LOL

Elan Elvin (Mar 3, 2005 7:00:33 PM)
how do you form a band??

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 7:00:33 PM)
music objects + creative Sims = awesome band!

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 7:01:23 PM)
are there any new aspirations

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 7:01:23 PM)
The aspirations have been expanded in different ways. You can now get additional wants slots and locks. We did not add a new aspiration, but we did add many wants and fears into the existing aspiration game.

Honda_Geek (Mar 3, 2005 7:01:26 PM)
What do you dream of when you dream of The Sims?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 7:01:26 PM)
I had a dream once that the community lot I kept trying to build just kept catching fire. It was weird...

CrystalShelle (Mar 3, 2005 7:02:09 PM)
You all rule! Thanks so much for doing these chats! (I want to work for Maxis sometime)

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 7:02:09 PM)
Thanks to you all! We love doing it!

Guest (Mar 3, 2005 7:02:21 PM)
MaxisHunter!, you seem a little irritable today. Did someone accidentally zombify you?

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 7:02:21 PM)
Shsss, secret.

doggwagg (Mar 3, 2005 7:03:01 PM)
MaxisLittleL, how long have you been working at Maxis?

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 7:03:01 PM)
Since the Sims Unleashed... I've forgotten how to measure in real time

NiamhWitch (Mar 3, 2005 7:03:12 PM)
Why does University mess up people's custom content??

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 7:03:12 PM)
Custom content like skins shouldn't be a problem. If you're using third party tools or hacks, we don't and can't support them - those people need to update their stuff to work with our new code.

Cam (Mar 3, 2005 7:03:18 PM)
Who's planning to make a zombie band? =D

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 7:03:18 PM)
I believe Cam is going to do that for us.

MaxisMojo (Mar 3, 2005 7:03:35 PM)
This wraps up our chat for today! Thanks all for coming everyone!

MaxisHunter! (Mar 3, 2005 7:03:56 PM)
Thanks all! We love ya.

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 7:03:58 PM)
Bye everybody! Enjoy University! Get good grades n stuff.

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 7:04:10 PM)
Bye all, thanks for coming to chat with us today!

MaxisMojo (Mar 3, 2005 7:04:22 PM)
Thanks all!

MaxisLittleL (Mar 3, 2005 7:04:54 PM)
*waves goodbye*

MaxisDoctorVu (Mar 3, 2005 7:05:01 PM)
BYEEEEEE!

"More than anything else, The Sims 2 University adds a lot of bang for your buck."

Read The Review

The Sims 2 University

Is staying in school really as cool as all those after school specials tell us?

I loved The Sims 2. It was a much improved successor that inspired me to hours of gameplay and design. It allowed the creation of complex environments and the chance to watch simulated personalities interact with both it and each other. And as we all guessed, the avalanche of expansion packs dedicated to continuing the game's lifespan began to bury us soon afterwards. The difference between the expansion packs for the original The Sims and The Sims 2, if they continue in this vein, looks to be size and content. The Sims 2 University adds a lot of gameplay, cool new items, challenges, and experiences for players to mess around with. There are some definite differences between the core game and this expansion that some will appreciate and others won't depending on their style of play, but overall, this expansion holds plenty of new fun for anybody that owns the original.

For most players that become attached to sims that they've seen born and then grow up through the years, it's hard to see them die so soon. Now, sims that haven't moved past their teenage years have a way to extend their lives without the help of the Elixir of Life or cheats. The university years can extend the life of a sim for quite a while, especially if school is... well, not the priority most of the time. A semester of college (two semesters per school year) lasts around three sim days or so. So you figure six sim days per year. So twenty four sim days to get through college. But that's only if the sim manages to pass all of the years. They could easily fail one of them and have to take the semester over again, adding another three days. It's an easy way to build skills up over a long period of time if you alternate good and bad semesters without having to worry about aging as sims don't age while at university.

When a sim first moves to a university (either from creating a young adult or moving a teenager from a neighborhood) they'll have a couple of choices of residence if they've got the money from scholarships (one of the new gameplay additions that gives players a reward for keeping a teenage sim's grades high) but chances are, your sims will be moving into the dorms. This is both a blessing and a curse and an interesting new bit of gameplay. Dorms are homes to your sims, but also are home to NPC sims that fill up the empty room in the dorms that aren't occupied by player created sims. This means you'll have to contend with others for the bathroom, showers, and food (though this will rarely be an issue) but will more importantly give your sims a quick way to get to know several sims and make some friends. Other NPCs will feel free to drop by and say hi, giving you a plethora of people to meet and greet, which is great, as you'll want a large number of friends to choose from.

The problem with the dorms is that it's pretty confining. I spent a lot of time in the dorms (mainly because I'm an idiot) and while there are a good amount of sims to hang out with, you can't make any adjustments to the dorms, aside from buying new furniture or items to decorate it. Build options are turned off here so if you do manage to make a little scratch, you'll be fairly limited in what you can do.

But that's where moving out comes in. There are even more options for moving out once you've had the fill of the dorms, which is nice. Using a computer will bring up the option that will allow a sim to move out on his or her own. Several types of houses will be available for sims to rent and adjust to their liking. On the other hand, sims can also choose to join either a fraternity or a sorority. Fortunately it doesn't matter whether you're a girl or a guy, so it'll be easy to move into whichever house has people that like you more. These houses are generally nicer and full of nicer things. But on top of that, these houses can be built and expanded upon, which, over time, can make them into some pretty nice houses in their own right. If there are seven or eight guys living in a fraternity house with constant turnover and grants for passing a semester rolling in, a lot of improvements can be made and soon your fraternity house will be a palace that every sim wants to be a part of.

The only catch is that you do have to be accepted. It doesn't seem very difficult, and from a logistics standpoint, it isn't. But if one of the brothers or sisters of the house has it out for whichever sim is trying to get in, things can be near impossible. In order to be accepted into the house, the pledge has to get the daily relationship number up to a certain number for each existing member of the house. Once the relationships have been raised enough, that sim will be initiated and can then move into that house.

This type of challenge is just one of the many that has been introduced into the university setting. They provide more of a direct goal than most players of The Sims will be used to and in most cases is much appreciated. It's a simple goal, but it's something noticeable to strive for. It's different than the parent title which had much looser goals. Completing or not completing university goals have a direct and near immediate impact on play.

For example, young adults will all have four years of school to move through. In order to pass through each year, sims will have to meet certain skill requirements and grow their education rating up past a certain point to pass. While sims don't actively seek to increase their skills in all areas, they will go to school on their own if they're in a good enough mood. You'll have to help out by telling them to train in cooking or mechanics, but other skills such as creativity are much easier to come by, especially with the new less expensive music equipment (more on that in a minute). Overall, I like the addition. Once you get past the need to have your sims get straight A's, you'll have more fun letting them interact and build themselves up while going to school for two hours a day. It gives you something to strive towards while focusing mostly on the relationships and interactions of the various sims.

The problem with these types of gameplay additions is that it can leave you feeling very flustered. It's certainly a step back into micromanaging your sims. The core game really allows you to relax and watch the food fly, but here, if you want your sims to do well, have a good time (and therefore help you have a good time), you'll need to take a very active role in moving them from here to there, making them interact with other sims, and so on. Because you're constantly under time limits, there's a lot of clicking that can suddenly feel a bit monotonous because you're concentrating on one sim instead of the whole picture, which is usually very interesting. I definitely recommend bringing multiple sims into the dorms to add a bit of life and fun, but even that can be a bit intimidating. It's certainly easier to bring sims that have had the chance to gain some skill points in life so that you don't have to constantly worry about failing as well as having a foundation of friendships and relationships already built. It's much more challenging to build a college student from scratch.

Building relationships mean a lot thanks to another new addition called influence. This is a lifesaver when it comes to surviving school. Influence is a bargaining chip that comes along with completing aspirations. How much influence you have is directly related to how many friends you have. So Jimmy Jr., by the end of his college life had a lot of influence because he had a lot of friends. And seeing that Jimmy was more into playing guitar and freestyling than he was studying, it was easy for him to use some of this influence to have another sim do his homework and write his term-papers. These are powerful tools that allow your sim to maximize his or her social life. There's a huge list of influence actions that sims will do and the best part is, they'll do it regardless of whether they want to or not (at least that I could tell). So if you want to see what would happen if Sally went up and kissed Bobby while his girlfriend Betty is in the room, go for it! It allows even more opportunity to see funny situations created while giving players even more incentive to reach to complete those aspiration goals.

One of the nice improvements concerning aspirations is the chance for sims to change their aspirations halfway through school. If things are turning a certain way and a sim's personality seems to fit a different aspiration a bit more, it can be changed once. But once it's changed, there's no going back. It's a nice representation of the massive changes that go on to a person in college (such as my turn towards video games....wait a minute) and the life altering choices that are made.

Aside from that, watching things happen is just plain fun. Those that played The Sims 2 will already know the quality of animation that goes into every action a sim takes in the game, and University just adds more and more. New objects are interacted with (such as the bubble blower, juice barrel (keg), and new instruments) and new actions can be taken such as kicky sack and various pranks. All of them are stuffed full of personality! These guys doing the animations are very talented dudes that need a pat on the back. They're human movements caricaturized.

When a sim finally makes his or her way all the way through school and manages to graduate, they'll be blessed in a few ways that will help them out in life in a large fashion. Firstly, they can take a bit of time to build relationships and skills before leaving for town (72 sim hours to be precise). Upon arriving back at town, they'll have the addition of a large group of friends that can be kept in touch with, a much larger set of skills than the average adult (especially larger if the student was raising skills from birth and not newly created at a university), and the chance to raise up in their job much faster than a regular sim. Four new job types will also be available to sims that graduate from school. Perhaps the best part of these new jobs are the terrific new career rewards that really have to be played with to appreciate. Man eating cow plants, plastic surgery kits, resurrectanomitrons to bring sims back from the dead, and a camera that can take posed pictures of your sims. Each has very cool effects to go with.

Closing Comments
This is definitely a good expansion pack. There are a lot of really great additions to the core game. What's especially nice is that many of these translate pretty directly into the regular game. New elements like influence, the many new items, new jobs, and actions settle on top of an already stacked deck.

The game isn't without its problems. I've encountered a couple of graphical glitches as well as a bug that somehow caused a character to get stuck and never move again (she's been sitting in the front lawn for days). While these aren't game breaking bugs, they're certainly strange and a little bit unnerving.

More than anything else, The Sims 2 University adds a lot of bang for your buck. It isn't exactly an accurate representation of college, which isn't surprising considering what goes on there and the ESRB of the game, but it is charming reminder of some of the idiocies of life at that age, even if it does leave out the gruesome details of vomit, arrests, and elephant chains.

The Sims 2 core game was better, but this is pretty darn good and should add plenty of things that any Sims 2 owner will love, even if they stay away from the complete university experience.

Members of the Sims development team reminisce about what they learned over the five years since the release of the original game.

Experience DeJa Vu

The Sims Through the Years

By Dave 'Fargo' Kosak

Members of the Sims development team reminisce about what they learned over the five years since the release of the original game.

It was five years ago this February -- when we all stepped out of our bunkers and realized the Y2K bug didn't destroy the planet at the end of 1999 -- that The Sims was released to near universal confusion and acclaim. Confusion because nobody knew how to categorize the game or how to talk about it. Acclaim because underneath the seemingly mundane gameplay lurked a brilliant toy, one that fired the imaginations of players and spawned a massive community. The Sims and its expansion packs went on to sell tens of millions of units worldwide, a streak of success that's continuing with the sequel.

We've already spoken with game designer Will Wright about the early days of the franchise and the battles he fought to bring it to life. Today we're taking a quick survey of the entire team, gathering up a cross-section of their experiences over the past five years (and earlier!) as they worked to build and expand on one of the best-selling game franchises of all time. Here's how it all went down in their own words:

Joe Maris

QA Engineer (Sims Online), Software Engineer (Sims Bustin' Out), Designer (Urbz and unannounced projects)

Working on the Sims has completely transformed my relationship with normal, everyday objects. You haven't lived until you've attended an hour long meeting on toilets. Previous to my employment, the common household toilet occupied a bare minimum percentage of my daily thoughts, but I now understand that the toilet is an object of great human potential, providing users with joy, horror, and an excuse to read Vogue magazine.

The biggest challenge is designing these common household objects in a believable way. If I am designing a Cybernautical Sleeping Chamber Number 9, I have some lee-way, because I don't think anyone knows exactly what this is, including me. But if I am designing a coffee maker, I need to be sure to include everything a person expects to see on a coffee maker or I have failed.

But by far the best thing about working on the Sims is working with the Maxis team. Lots of teams say, "our team is the best, blah blah blah," but our team really is the best, so bring it. My last comment aside, however, we don't tend to breed too many hardcore ego types here because I think there is something ultimately humble about making a game where people pee on the floor. How exactly would someone build an over-inflated sense of self-esteem based on an effective urine algorithm? Our people are just ... nice and fun ... except for Sean, who is bitter and fun.

Sinjin Bain

V.P. / Executive Producer of The Sims Franchise

When we shipped The Sims 5 years ago, no one had any idea the level of success we would have, and where we would take the franchise. An example of this is that when we shipped The Sims, we hadn't really even considered "expansion products," and of course those have been core to our success. The first pack, Livin' Large had a 50% tie ratio to the base product, and unheard of sales figure... so we thought, 'hey, this is a pretty interesting business strategy.' We also didn't really understand how vibrant our community would become, and how important our web development efforts are, with downloadable tools for customization and new content for downloading.

After 2 years of focusing on the PC we decided to try and see what it would take to move the franchise to consoles and handhelds, which was a tremendous challenge for several core reasons. We basically had to figure out how to redesign the game to match console and handheld game play sensibilities, and not lose the core sense of people simulation. It was really gratifying to ship these new products and have success, with the first console version of the Sims actually knocking Vice City out of #1 on the charts and eventually selling over 4M units. The GBA version of The Sims was the #1 EA GBA game the year it shipped, outpacing Lord of the Rings and other EA titles.

Currently we are working on things we NEVER imagined we would be doing 5 years ago, and it is VERY exciting and challenging. New handheld and console platforms are on the horizon for us to consider, and the first of our Sims 2 expansion products is in stores. WOW.

The bottom line is that The Sims was so successful in unexpected ways, we had to move quickly to take advantage of this success. Maxis grew from about 80 people when we shipped to over 400 people based on the success of The Sims Franchise... and our success is the direct result of the great people working at Maxis.

Jonathan Knight

Sr. Producer (Vacation, Unleashed, Superstar, Magic, Sims 2)

My biggest challenge was working with a team to bring Pets to life in The Sims Unleashed. It was like making an all new type of Sim, and we only had about 4 months to do it. But when we saw that little virtual tail wagging on screen, we knew we were doing the right thing!

Eric Chin

Character Artist (The Sims, Livin' Large, House Party, Hot Date, Sims 2, University)

Well, my whole career so far has been Sims related. I've been here Since '98 working on the original Sims, touched three expansion packs, numerous marketing downloads, turned actors into Sims for TV commercials, first artist on Sims 2, now one expansion pack down and another in the pipe. So you could say I've been around the Sims a long time.

All of it building characters.

I built them all myself on the original Sims with no other help and pretty much started the whole ball rolling for Sims 2.

I would have to say that the biggest challenge was maintaining the feel of Sims from one product to the next because of the huge differences between the two, not from a design perspective, but from a scope perspective.

For the original Sims I was brought in as the character specialist. We went through various character design and technology phases to end up with a pretty robust system. But the pressure was low. Our projected numbers for a successful product was in the hundreds of thousands -- until we hit that first E3. Then the rave reviews pushed our marketing budget through the roof and then we had a bona fide hit on our hands. Thankfully, all the extras we put into the game made it worthy of that success. The features I put into the design and flexibility of the original Sims characters was pretty large I thought, but I never expected it to get to the point where there were tens of thousands (or more?) of different Sims made by fans available.

Fast forward to Sims 2 and now we need to make an even more successful version. No pressure, heh heh. Character design kind of just flowed into a natural progression for me since there were fears all over about how to proceed. "Stay the same" or "go forward" but "not too far" were all various pressures floating around. The basics of the character design stayed mostly the same, though the influx of ideas, features and other artists made it more the work of a team than any one individual. While only time can tell how successful this next version will ultimately be, it seems to be doing well.

I think the part I like the best will have to be with the original Sims. It was a fairly small development team for most of its cycle, where individual ideas and their owners could make a big difference making the game. We hoped it would do well and the success of it just kept going and going. It was a beautiful thing to watch.

Eva Beck-Erismann

Animator (Bustin' Out, Urbz, and an unannounced product)

The best part about working on the Sims is that, as an animator, you get to really do character animation. We animate socials where the Sim characters really get to interact with one another either in positive ways or negative ways. It's super cool to work on the console side because we are allowed to go as wacky as we want and really push the envelope on the socials the characters do, everything from a horsey-ride animation to pretending the characters are barnyard animals to love scenes and wrestling! Generally on other games you only get to do character animation in cutscenes, but here you really get to do the fun animation in the game, stuff that everyone will see and play!

Also working on console we are encouraged to watch as much of MTV and other popular hit shows and really explore the city for what's hip hop and happening so we can inject that energy into the game. Sometimes we go into the city and just bring a camera with us and film stuff out of the car window, or go on campus and film ourselves acting out all the scenes we will be animating.

Also, having worked on lots of console titles, we get to have lots of responsibility when it comes to pre production. Everyone on the team has been grouped into cells, and that enables the whole team to develop the game from the ground up. Being in the social cell, we get to develop the visual look, the feel, and the way the socials will work in the next game: like how characters will interact, how the camera will work, how lighting will affect the mood and the scene around you etc... really cool stuff that you don't get to really develop in other studios.

Alex Hutchinson

Designer (The Urbz)

Reinventing the Sims for a city setting in The Urbz: Sims in the City was a huge challenge, but one issue that stood out unexpectedly was communicating our aim clearly. We wanted players to realize that the game was a parody of a city life in the same way that the Sims is a parody of suburban life -- we didn't want people to think we were creating 'Sims Street.' Getting this message out turned out to be a much larger problem than we'd anticipated.

The Sims was always a parody of consumerism: All you do is disappear to an invisible workplace to make money to spend on furniture to make yourself comfortable to go to work again before you die. The Urbz was envisioned as a parody of conformism: You move in with a youth subculture then try to 'fit in' with them by imitating them to gain reputation, before abandoning them and moving on to a more fashionable crowd.

Part of the problem is that The Sims and The Urbz are such unique games, and trying to describe them in a way that marketing or the press can distill into a sound bite is problematic. They're the weird unfashionable cousin of the rest of the games industry, and designing them is alternately the best experience a designer could have and a recipe for a pulmonary embolism.

More Stories from the team:

Johnson Lee, Maxis QA Lead: The biggest challenge for me was to coordinate and lead the efforts of testing The Sims franchise in 20 different languages. The Sims franchise kept growing with the latest Hungarian language added to The Sims 2 University. Because of the time zone differences, there were many all-nighters coordinating with the various offices in the territory. The favorite part was when the product is shipped; I know I have ensured the best quality game shipped throughout the world.

Jeff Lillard, Audio Asset Manager: The best part of my job is hearing the finished product come together and sound as good as it does. Also, sitting in on the voice talent recording sessions is really fun! The challenges are keeping track of the hundreds of individual sounds (from design spec through hooking up the sound in the game).

Michael McCormick, Game Designer: My favorite part? Designing the 7 kinds of kisses for Hot Date was one of my first job responsibilities at Maxis.