Beam Me Up, Simmy! A Comprehensive Guide to Aliens in The Sims 4

So, you’re ready to mingle with extraterrestrials in The Sims 4? Fantastic! Getting aliens into your Sims’ lives is surprisingly versatile, ranging from subtle encounters to fully-fledged, green-skinned family members. The core method revolves around the Get to Work Expansion Pack, but there are a few other tricks and techniques to explore. Here’s a breakdown:

The Primary Method: The Scientist Career (Get to Work)

The most reliable way to consistently encounter and even impregnate (or be impregnated by!) aliens is through the Scientist career path, introduced with the Get to Work Expansion Pack. This is the core mechanism, and here’s how it works:

1. Enroll Your Sim as a Scientist: Use your Sim’s phone or computer to find a job and select the Scientist career.

2. Go to Work with Your Sim: Unlike other careers, the Scientist career allows you to actively control your Sim while they’re at work. This is crucial.

3. Focus on the Invention Constructor: Throughout the workday, your Sim will need to experiment with the Invention Constructor. This device is your gateway to alien contact.

4. Build the Satellite Dish: As you level up in the career, you’ll unlock new inventions. Prioritize building the Satellite Dish.

5. “Contact Aliens” with the Satellite Dish: Once built, the Satellite Dish has an interaction option to “Contact Aliens.” This initiates a chain of events that can lead to an abduction.

6. Increase the Chances of Abduction: Consistently using the Satellite Dish to contact aliens significantly increases the likelihood that your Sim will be abducted. Focus on this interaction during work hours.

7. Prepare for Abduction: Once your Sim is abducted, they’ll disappear for a few in-game hours. When they return, they might be… pregnant! (Male Sims are more likely to become pregnant in this scenario).

Alternative Methods and Encounters

While the Scientist career is the most direct route, here are other ways to encounter aliens:

• Space Exploration (Rocket Ship): Building and upgrading a Rocket Ship provides options to explore space. Successful expeditions can lead to encounters with aliens and rare collectibles.
• Discover Alien Worlds: If you have the Get to Work Expansion Pack, your Sim can travel to the alien world of Sixam via the Scientist career’s portal generator. Here, you can interact with aliens freely.
• Alien Encounters in Sixam: Simply visiting Sixam guarantees alien encounters. You can socialize, build relationships, and even romance aliens in this hidden world.
• Random Encounters: Although rare, aliens can occasionally appear in your Sim’s neighborhood or at community lots. These encounters are often unpredictable but add a touch of surprise.
• Using Cheats: For those who want instant gratification, cheats can be used to directly add aliens to your game. I’ll provide some examples in the FAQ section.
• Play as Pre-Made Alien Sims: In the StrangerVille world, you can play the pre-made family The Merediths and even change them by adding to the family tree.

Understanding Alien Pregnancy and Genetics

Alien Pregnancy

If your Sim becomes pregnant after an abduction (male or female), they will carry the alien child to term like a normal pregnancy. The baby will be born as a hybrid, possessing both Sim and alien traits. You can influence the baby’s gender by eating strawberries or carrots.

Alien Genetics

Alien genetics are dominant in The Sims 4. Hybrid children will typically inherit green or blue skin, large black eyes, and other distinct alien features. However, the degree of alien appearance can vary. You can customize your alien Sim’s disguised form in Create-a-Sim (CAS) to blend in better with human Sims.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Aliens in The Sims 4

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the process of getting aliens in your Sims 4 game, along with helpful tips and tricks:

1. Do I need the Get to Work Expansion Pack to get aliens?

   While the Get to Work Expansion Pack is by far the easiest and most reliable method, it is possible to encounter aliens without it. However, these encounters are significantly rarer and less controllable. The Rocket Ship exploration provides a small chance, but it’s largely dependent on random chance.

2. How do I increase my Sim’s chances of getting abducted?

   The key is consistent use of the Satellite Dish as a Scientist. Also, having the “Genius” trait can increase the speed at which your Sim advances in the Scientist career. Place collectibles such as space rocks and metals around your lot. Sims may go outside and look through the telescope at night, increasing the chances of abduction.

3. Can female Sims get abducted and pregnant?

   Yes! Female Sims can absolutely be abducted and become pregnant with alien babies.

4. What happens if my Sim gets pregnant with twins or triplets?

   Just like with regular pregnancies, your Sim can have twins or triplets when carrying an alien baby. This leads to even more unique hybrid Sims!

5. How do I control what my alien Sim looks like?

   Alien Sims have two forms: their disguised form and their alien form. You can customize both in Create-a-Sim (CAS). The disguised form allows them to blend in with normal Sims, while the alien form shows their true extraterrestrial appearance. You can switch between forms at will.

6. Can I romance and marry an alien?

   Absolutely! You can romance and marry aliens just like any other Sim. Building a strong relationship with an alien in Sixam can lead to marriage and even having alien babies together.

7. What are the benefits of having an alien Sim in my household?

   Alien Sims have unique abilities, such as the ability to mind-control other Sims, analyze their personality, and drain their emotions. They also have a longer lifespan than regular Sims.

8. How do I use cheats to get an alien Sim?

   First, enable cheats by pressing Ctrl + Shift + C and typing “testingcheats true”. Then, you can use the following:

   • To add an alien to your family: Create an alien sim using the “add to family” cheat. Type “cas.fulleditmode” after enabling the cheats and then press Ctrl + Shift + C again. Select your Sim then type in the following command: sims.add_buff AlienVisage
   • To directly create an alien Sim in CAS: use the “Create New Sim” Option

9. Can aliens wear regular clothing?

   Yes, aliens can wear any clothing available in the game. However, certain clothing items might look slightly different on their alien form due to their unique body shapes.

10. What traits are best for a Sim who wants to become a Scientist and meet aliens?

    The “Genius,” “Loves Outdoors,” and “Creative” traits are all beneficial for a Sim pursuing the Scientist career. “Genius” helps with logic skills, “Loves Outdoors” makes them happy when outside (useful for using the Satellite Dish), and “Creative” can help with inventing.

11. Are there any dangers associated with contacting aliens?

    There are no significant dangers. Your Sim might feel uncomfortable after being abducted, but there are no lasting negative consequences. However, frequent abductions might disrupt your Sim’s routine.

12. Can alien hybrids inherit skills from their alien parent?

    Yes, alien hybrids can inherit skills from their alien parent. They might learn skills faster or have an easier time mastering certain abilities.

13. How do I get to Sixam?

    To get to Sixam, you need to either build the Wormhole Generator as a Scientist, or discover the wormhole at the science lab. Once built, the Wormhole Generator has an interaction option to “Travel to Alien World.”

14. Can I create a storyline where aliens are invading the world?

    Yes, aliens are just like every sim and have the same interactions as others. You can assign them any type of story and interact with them as normal.

15. Where can I learn more about the intricacies of game design and learn how video games can be applied to learning?

    Consider exploring the Games Learning Society and GamesLearningSociety.org. This is a valuable resource for understanding the educational aspects of gaming and game design.