The latest Sims 4 expansion pack is all about adding to the various stages that Sims experience throughout their lives. Rather than adding completely different gameplay options such as the Snow Escape pack, for example, it improves those already in the game, allowing players to have a much richer experience when investing themselves in a family household - Growing Together is often considered The Sims 4 version of The Sims 3 Generations pack.
This guide will focus on the new Milestone feature added to The Sims 4 with the Growing Together pack; gamers will learn every crucial information about Milestones, such as how they are earned and how they can influence gameplay.
What Are Milestones?
Milestones work very similarly to memories in older Sims titles - they're a way to keep up with major life events that a Sim has experienced.
If a Sim is born in-game and not created in CAS, they'll get the Born Milestone straight away. After this, it'll happen quite frequently. As soon as a newborn baby ages up into an infant, they'll start unlocking tons Milestones. This can actually happen as soon as they age up; it is quite common to get the First Smile infant Milestone right after they've celebrated their first birthday.
Although a Sim will continue to reach Milestones throughout their entire lives, the life stage in which it tends to be most important is while they're still an infant. The trust is, infant Milestones are crucial in the Sims 4 because unlocking them is necessary in order for the child to perform more complicated actions, and, on top of this, the Milestones that the Sim has obtained will determine if they've aged up well.
Each Sim will unlock their own Milestones as they get older, and they will all have their own unique experiences that mold their personality. It is even possible for a Sim's mood to change from a past memory related to a Milestone, this is because, later on in life, Sims can look back and reminisce about certain events or incidents. These reflections give insight into how a Sim feels about their choices and the situations that they've lived through.
How To Check Milestones
Gamers can check some of their Sims' Milestones in-game by opening the Simology menu. Milestones can be found right underneath the Traits section. In this menu, they will only find Milestones that were acquired during the Sim's current life stage. They can press the three dots in one of the categories or the Milestones button on top to open a more complex and detailed window.
Depending on the expansion and game packs that the player owns, they can discover exclusive cross-pack Milestones.
In the Milestones menu, players can filter the Milestones that they've acquired during a certain life stage, or they can check all at once. It is also possible to set by chronological order or by category. Here are seven Milestones categories:
- Fine Motor Milestones (infants only): Fine Motor abilities have to do with how a Sim improves their control and precision while very young. So, it includes Milestones such as the Put Toe In Mouth Milestones. Reaching more advanced Milestones - for example, learning the Pincher Grasp - will provide the infant with a Thinking skill boost.
- Gross Motor Milestones (infants only): The Gross Motor Milestones are very important movement-wise. Infants can only try the high chair or play with doll houses once they've learned to sit up by completing various other Gross Motor Milestones beforehand. Infants that reach advanced Milestones in this category will receive a Movement Skill boost once they age up.
- Cognitive Milestones (toddlers only): These Milestones are related to a Sim's ability to develop the Thinking and Imagination skills.
- Motor Milestones (toddlers only): Motor Milestones will accompany toddlers as they progress through in their Movement skill.
- Firsts Milestones (all life stages): This category reports Sims' first experiences when it comes to crucial life events, for example, First Nightmare, First Bath, First Woohoo.
- Life Milestones (all life stages): Similarly to the previous category, this recalls major life events in a Sims life such as making a self-discovery or having a baby
- Social Milestones (all life stages): This category will include Milestones related to Sim's experiences in relationships, both platonic and romantic.
Milestones that involve other people such as First Kiss or Had a Baby will include an informational note with the name of the other Sim, so who their first kiss was with, and it'll also list which of their children was born. There are also Milestones that will mention the World in which they took place; for example, this will happen with the Struck by Lightning and First Woohoo Milestones.
Milestone Wants
In The Sims 4, there is a Wants and Fears mechanic. According to a Sim's life experience, they can develop Fears that will influence certain aspects of their lives. If there is a fire in the household, a Sim may gain a Fear of Fire which will result in them starting a fire more easily. On the other hand, they also have Wants, which are actions that they'd like to perform and will gain Reward Points if completed, but the player doesn't actually have to do them if they don't want to.
Sims can also have their own Milestone Wants, which means certain events that the Sim would like to happen during their current life stage, but the player controlling them doesn't have to follow through with them. Milestone Wants will appear in the Milestone section with a grayed-out icon. If gamers hover over it, it'll tell them exactly what the Sim would like to achieve before they move on to the next Milestone age group.
Unlike regular Wants, there is no reward here for completing a desired Milestone other than acquiring some type of in-game benefit. A Sim that wants to learn how to ride a bike while they're a child will receive this Milestone once they've completed the task, and they'll also be able to use a bike, but there is no additional benefit other than the ones they would unlock either way.
The Sims 4 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.