The Sims 4`s latest expansion, “Enchanted By Nature,” introduces a wealth of whimsical content, from magical Fairies to new ways of living off the land. Alongside these delightful additions arrives a peculiar challenge for your Sims: Ailments. These are not your typical, easily cured base-game illnesses; Ailments are a distinct category of affliction that require specific attention, and sometimes, offer surprisingly odd side effects.
While not severe enough to prove fatal, Ailments can significantly disrupt a Sim`s life through bizarre symptoms and moodlets. Understanding how Sims contract these maladies and, more importantly, how to cure them, is essential for navigating the new gameplay introduced in this expansion.
How Sims Catch Ailments
Ailments are contagious, spreading through contact with infected Sims or even interacting with objects they`ve touched. Think of it like catching a cold, but potentially resulting in uncontrollably charming garden gnomes appearing. Furthermore, Fairies, with their unique magical abilities, can intentionally inflict Sims with specific Ailments.
A significant factor in susceptibility is a Sim`s Emotional Balance, a new meter found in the Simology tab. Maintaining a balanced emotional state acts like a robust immune system, making Sims less likely to contract Ailments naturally or from exposure. Conversely, a Sim whose emotional balance is askew is highly vulnerable, potentially developing an Ailment spontaneously.
Living With (Or Curing) Ailments
The most straightforward approach to an Ailment is often a cure, but the game does present a rather unorthodox alternative: simply let it run its course. Some Ailments come with peculiar “benefits.” For instance, the `Luck Magnet` ailment makes the afflicted Sim lucky by siphoning luck from those nearby – a rather selfish form of fortune. `Gnome Lure` causes sentient garden gnomes to appear, which, while usually just a nuisance, now have new interactions with Fairy Sims.
However, for those who prefer not to endure perpetual quirkiness, there are several reliable ways to eliminate an Ailment:
- Visit a Naturopath: Via the phone menu, you can call a naturopath who will come and cure your Sim for a cost of 1,500 Simoleons. A quick, if slightly expensive, solution.
- Ask a Fairy: Any Fairy Sim has the magical ability to cure another Sim`s Ailment. Interestingly, Fairies cannot use this ability to cure themselves.
- Manifest at Moondrop Spring: Journeying to the Moondrop Spring in the Everdew neighborhood offers a mystical method to manifest a cure.
- Craft Your Own: The most self-sufficient method involves gaining the Apothecary skill and brewing specific remedies at an apothecary table.
Crafting Ailment Cures
The Apothecary skill is easy to acquire. Simply interact with any apothecary table and choose to `Study Apothecary Cures.` This action immediately grants Skill Level 1, allowing your Sim to craft basic Ailment cures. Most remaining cures are unlocked by reaching Skill Level 2, which requires just a few more moments interacting with the table.
The ingredients needed for these cures are readily accessible. They are common items found through foraging in almost any area by clicking on patches of grass, or they can be conveniently purchased directly via the apothecary table. This low-level requirement and ease of obtaining ingredients ensure that crafting cures is a viable option early in gameplay, particularly useful given the limitation on Fairies curing themselves magically.
Notable Ailments and Their Effects
Here is a summary of the peculiar conditions your Sims might catch:
- Burning Passion: Causes Sims to be intensely flirty and occasionally prone to accidentally starting fires nearby.
- Creation Impulse: Leaves Sims feeling Dazed but grants them improved ability when crafting items.
- Emotional Void: Dampens the emotions of the infected Sim and passively affects the emotions of nearby Sims, potentially creating a rather dull atmosphere.
- Gnome Lure: Leads to the spontaneous appearance of sentient garden gnomes near the Sim.
- Greenie Meanie: Makes the Sim exceptionally good at gardening, but unfortunately, also makes them very cranky.
- Luck Magnet: Causes the afflicted Sim to become lucky by drawing luck away from other Sims in their vicinity.
- Simoleon Fever: A bizarre condition that causes the Sim to literally cough up Simoleons periodically.
- Sonic Sinuses: The Sim`s sneezes are powerful enough to break nearby objects, but the Sim gains Handiness skill, making them better at fixing things they accidentally damage.
Ailments inject a unique blend of challenge and absurdity into The Sims 4: Enchanted By Nature. Whether you choose to embrace the chaos they bring or become a master of crafting remedies, understanding these peculiar maladies is key to navigating the whimsical world of the new expansion.
Ellis Thorne