Servo
Robot running amok
Servo is a robot, first introduced in The Sims: Livin' Large, and later re-introduced in The Sims 2: Open for Business. Servo is purchased as an object in Livin' Large, but is built in Open for Business. In Open for Business, Servo is effectively treated as a member of the household; it is playable, has motives, and is counted against a family's maximum number of members.
Servo does not return in The Sims 3 base game. The Sims 3: Ambitions introduces the SimBot in its place; since the original worlds of The Sims 3 were placed before either The Sims or The Sims 2 (in the in-game timeline), the SimBot could be considered the predecessor to Servo. The Sims 3: Into the Future includes a customizable robot called a Plumbot. Since Oasis Landing is placed in the future relative to The Sims 2—and most worlds in The Sims 3, it is conceivable that the Plumbot could be considered the distant successor to Servo.
The name Servo possibly refers to "servus", which is Latin for slave or servant. When translated literally, it means "I look after". "Servo" is also Italian and Portuguese for "servant", and is pronounced in much the same way as "cerveau", which is French for "brain". The name "Servo" may also refer to the word "serve", since that is what a Servo is most used for. Servo may also be a reference to servomechanisms, as "servomechanism" is often shortened to "servo".
The Sims
| Servo | |
|---|---|
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| Shiny Things Inc. makes dreams come alive! Meet Servo, our new experimental home robot. Tired of cleaning? Cooking? Gardening? REPAIRING? Your lack of respect for the dignity of work gives Servo a reason to live! Servo is self-powered, self-guiding, self-cleaning and self-denying! Concentrate on living. Let Servo do the rest!!! | |
| Game | The Sims: Livin' Large |
| Buyability | Buy mode |
| Price in game | §15,000 |
| Object type(s) | Buy mode |
| Size | 1x1 floor |
Servos are bought from the Electronics->Other section of Buy mode, and cost a whopping §15,000, but will walk around the house cleaning up messes and repairing broken items, replacing the gardener, maid, and repairman services for a one-time cost. While Servos will clean messes and repair broken objects whenever they are activated, they only appear to do the gardening on the gardener's every-three-days schedule. Normally, Servos do not interact with Sims, but a Servo that has nothing else to do may attempt to converse with or entertain visitors. A Servo may also attempt to give backrubs to Sims in the active household when their comfort motive is low.
A Servo in its charging chamber.
A Servo will change hats depending on whether it's "cooking", cleaning, repairing, or gardening. When "cooking", a Servo will wear a chef's hat; when cleaning, it will wear a maid's hat; when repairing, it will wear a repairman's cap; and when gardening, it will wear a straw sun-hat. (This may be a play on the idea that someone who does many different jobs "wears many hats".)
As a rule, a Servo cannot be controlled, only turned on and off. The one exception to this is that a turned-on Servo can be told to make a group meal for Sims. Since Servo literally makes the food, without using a fridge or stove, these meals aren't very fulfilling, but they are free, and a child can tell Servo to make food.
Servo comes with its own charging chamber, and will return to it and turn itself off when it has nothing more to do. If its route is blocked for too long, Servo will teleport to its charging chamber. Servo's charging chamber also has the control panel that's used to turn it on, and can be used to turn it off or tell it to serve food. Although it is a very rare occurrence, Servo can break down and will automatically start repairing itself by typing on the keyboard on the charging chamber. It takes a few in-game hours for Servo to finish repairing itself.
The Sims 2
Servo from The Sims 2: Open for Business.
- Gardening? Check. Cooking? Check. Periodic bursts of wanton destruction? Indeed, check. This friendly humanoid robot is truly but one step from humanity. The Servo Model has a gender-assignable artificial intelligence unit that simulates all the desires of a real human: friendship, success... even love. Just make sure you keep the Servo Model in a good mood, else you'll be the one cleaning up all the ash piles while your new friend lies sparking in the corner.
When The Sims 2: Open for Business was released, Servo returned — as an artificially intelligent Sim. There are some differences: Servo isn't concerned with comfort or hygiene or temperature, and doesn't need to eat; but Servo in The Sims 2 is essentially a Sim in robotic form. As such, a Servo is fully controllable, and has relationships, wants, fears, aspirations, etc., just like normal Sims. A Servo can get a job, or be employed by a business, or even own a business. A Servo can even WooHoo.
Building & Activating
To build a Servo a Robot Crafting Station and a Gold talent badge in Robotics is needed. Building a Servo costs §3000, and takes about eight to twelve game hours, not counting breaks.
When a Servo is built, it is switched off and can only be activated by a Sim (teen or older) if there is room in the household for another member. The Servo can be activated as male or female, and can be given a name when activated. The Servo takes on the personality, aspiration, and last name of the Sim who activates it. If Lifetime Aspiration is present, the Servo will have five Aspiration benefit points when activated. If FreeTime is installed, the Servo will not take on the hobby enthusiasm of the Sim who activates it, and may or may not have the same predestined hobby.
A Servo can only be activated on a residential lot, not on a community lot.
Since an activated Servo is considered an adult, a Servo cannot be activated in a college sub-neighborhood. If a Sim tries to activate a Servo in a college sub-neighborhood, the player will be informed that only students and faculty are permitted to live on-campus.
- Buying and selling
An unactivated Servo can be marked for sale in a business. If the Average price is selected, the Servo will be priced at §6210.
An activated Servo cannot be sold.
- Spawn Servo Cheat
A Servo can be spawned by using testingcheatsenabled and Shift+Left Clicking on any Sim, then clicking "Spawn", and then "New Servo".
Features
Servo comes with 10 points in Cooking, Mechanical, and Cleaning, and will take on all other skill points of the Sim who activates it. Servo also comes with one or more random talent badges, and will often have a gold badge. Servo also takes on the aspiration, turn ons and turn offs, and personality of the Sim who activates it, though it may have a different Lifetime Want. Servo can use the ReNuYuSenso Orb and the ReNuYu Porta-Chug, but does not start out with the Porta-Chug.
By default, if free will is enabled, Servo will autonomously perform a "Do Chores" interaction every Sim hour, where it will check for any messes that need to be cleaned up, broken objects that need to be fixed, and whether it is time for breakfast/lunch/dinner. This often breaks the Servo out of the interaction they are currently performing, and will be initiated even when nothing needs tending to. Mods have been made which suppress this behavior on community lots, and which suppress it altogether. Even if such a mod is in place, a Servo may still autonomously clean and garden via free will.
If Seasons is installed, Servo is not affected by changes in temperature.[n 1]
Servo can alternate between everyday and formal attire, with the only formal wear option being a tuxedo jacket (male) or a hot pink dress (female).[n 2] Unlike ordinary Sims, Servo does not need to use a dresser to do this, although they may still use a dresser if the player chooses. Servo cannot access the Plan Outfit interaction on a dresser or the Change Appearance interaction on a mirror unless cheats, mods, or modified objects are used.
Servo's voice sounds mechanical, and consists of beeps, boops, and burbles. However, normal Sims have no problem communicating with Servos, and a Servo can teach a toddler to talk. Therefore, it can be assumed that Servo speaks Simlish, but has a definite "accent". There does not appear to be any difference between the voices of male and female Servos.
When a Servo is in Everyday mode, the only way to determine its gender is that the heads of female Servos have a few exaggerated cosmetic features. This is because Servos are so streamlined that there is no room for any physical differences between the bodies of male and female Servos.
Servos cannot use clothing racks on community lots, so one thing a Servo can't do that a normal adult Sim can is buy clothes for other household members.[n 3] However, a Servo may still roll a want to buy new clothes. If Bon Voyage or later is installed, a Servo cannot buy jewelry from the SparkleMaster Jewelry Rack.
Servos can get jobs, and can even have job-related Lifetime Wants, but since they never become elders (they only have an adult life stage), they cannot retire. Since they only have an adult life stage, they cannot attend college, so the University careers (Artist, Natural Science, Paranormal, and Show Business) are closed to them unless cheats or hacks are used.
Servos never age and thus can live with a family for generations. They can be powered down, and can be left powered down indefinitely, however they cannot be completely de-activated. Also, a Servo which has been powered down may still appear as an unselectable Sim on community lots, or as a walkby. Servos can learn to meditate if their Playful score is not too high. so this can be an alternative to powering down.
Like normal Sims, Servos can fall in love and get married to other Servos, and even to normal Sims. They cannot reproduce naturally, but can "reproduce" by crafting and activating new Servos. Servos can adopt. They can father children with the Tombstone of Life and Death. Servos have the invisible face genetic, like the Grim Reaper, so if the player cheats to make a Sim pregnant with a Servo, the baby's genetics will have the second default face, and might have some of the mother's genetics. However, if Servo is aged to elder with cheats, it will look like a normal Sim with the adult version of the second face template and light skin, but the robot voice will remain.[n 4]
Servos can be combined with the Vampire, Zombie, Werewolf, and Witch life states. Vampire Servos rapidly lose power in sunlight, and must recharge in coffins (or beds, if none are available). Vampire Servos also do some vampire animations while idling in place, as do the other "Monster" Servos. Werewolf Servos regain all of their Power motive at night. This effectively makes them active 24/7. Zombie Servos do not look much different, but have zombie features such as tilted heads and the zombie walk.
An odd feature is that, since a Servo can eat, but has no Hunger meter, anything it eats transfers directly to the fitness gauge. This will eventually make it "fat" by Sim standards, though a Servo's body shape will never change.[n 5]
If a Sim does WooHoo with a Servo, they get a unique memory. It is titled "Had First WooHoo with (Sim Name), the Robot" and reads "Wow-za! They say you never forget your First WooHoo with a Robot. They weren't lying!". Naturally, the Servo does not get this particular memory as it is a Robot. (However, if two Servos WooHoo with one another, each will get that memory.)
There is a special flirt option called "Tune Up", which can only be done to a Servo.
"Tuning Up" a Servo
Servos do not require tuning up in order to function correctly, although they do enjoy it.
Needs
A Servo's motives panel.
Servo has only 4 Needs: Power, Social, Fun and Environment. Power can be restored either through Recharging, in which Servo goes under the sun to recharge,[n 6] or by sleeping, in which case Power is replenished at the same rate that a normal Sim would replenish Energy.
A Servo recharging
Servos can replenish Power by napping on sofas or loveseats, but do not seem to be able to nap in recliners. Also, drinking the Elixir of Life while in gold or platinum aspiration will restore a Servo's Power, and Servos can use The Eclectic and Enigmatic Energizer. Servos can gain power from eating along with sleeping and recharging, though this appears to depend on which other expansion packs are installed.[n 7]
Servo appears to lose Power at a fairly constant rate, regardless of what it's doing. This, combined with its lack of Hunger, Comfort, Hygiene, and Bladder motives, gives Servo an advantage when using exercise equipment to build Body skill. Servo can also stand at an easel or crafting bench much longer than a Sim can, as the only motive it seriously needs to worry about when doing so is Social.
Servo's Social and Fun motives are affected by being in the room with a Snapdragon Bouquet. If the player has the FreeTime expansion, Servos can also select a Secondary aspiration and Aspiration benefits, and can take advantage of benefits which slow the decay of Social and Fun.
Powering down a Servo will freeze all of its motives, preventing them from decaying. If a Servo is recharging, its Power motive will not decay, even if there is no sunlight, although its Fun and Social motives will decrease at a constant rate.
The MaxMotives cheat will not restore the Power motive, but will restore the Social and Fun motives.
Dangers
In general, water to a Servo is much like fire to a Sim. Water can drain all of a Servo's needs extremely fast, especially Power. While this will not kill a Servo, it can cause one to break. However, not all contact with water is harmful to a Servo; for example, they can wash dishes in a sink, and can repair sinks.
While Servos do not have Hygiene or Comfort motives, a Servo can be told to use a shower or bathtub. Fortunately, they will not do so autonomously. A Servo may even have a want to use a hot tub. Since Sims have to get into shower stalls to clean them, cleaning or repairing a shower stall may be hazardous to a Servo. However, Servos have no problems cleaning bathtubs and shower/tubs. Also, they appear to be able to bathe toddlers and wash dogs, at least some of the time.
If Seasons is installed, a Servo may autonomously decide to splash in a puddle. It's probably a good idea to interrupt this before the Servo gets to the puddle. If it's raining while a Servo is outside, the rain will not affect the Servo, and Servos have no problem walking through snow.
When broken, Servo will run amok and cause havoc. Nearby Sims can be electrocuted by Servo at this time. Eventually it will power down, allowing someone to repair him/her. If the Servo is the only person on the lot, a signal will be sent from the Servo's antenna, and a repairman will come to fix the Servo.
A Servo who ran amok will receive the following memory:
| Image | Memory Name | Type | Cause | Game Dialog/Description | Notes | EP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Robot Ran Amok | Negative | A Servo is short-circuited | That robot Ran Amok and caused all sorts of problems. I should take better care of it so that it doesn't happen again... | Even though it was actually the robot itself who went through the amok, the robot appears to be talking about another one. |  |
Servos are effectively immortal, as they do not age, and very few things can kill one. Servos can be killed if they are hit by a satellite. If University is installed, they can be eaten by a Cowplant. Servos can die while using the Running with Scissors Playset, which could be downloaded from the official website for The Sims 2 before the site was taken down by EA.
If the FreeTime patch is installed, Servos cannot break down in vacation neighborhoods.
Player Tips
- Servo has few needs and they are easy to deal with, so it's better to start a business with them.
- Servos never age, so they can live forever. It is a good idea to create a Servo to watch over the family for generations if you plan on making a legacy family or a big family.
- Bigfoot and Servo can be great for a busy family. Bigfoot is an excellent worker and so are Servos. Combined, a business can prosper, babysitters aren't required if one stays unemployed, and the place is bound to be tidy because of a Servo's need to clean.
- While Servos do not need to eat, they may do so anyway if told to serve food. It may be better to use the "Make" option when instructing a Servo to prepare food and leave the serving to a normal Sim, or cancel the serve interaction once a place for all other Sims have been set.
- While Servos can become "fit" or "fat" by Sim standards, a Servo's body shape will never change. This will affect their chemistry with other Sims, however.
- Servos can be killed by a satellite. If University is installed, they can also be eaten by the Cowplant.
- "Reach Golden Anniversary" is a common Lifetime want for Family Sims. Since it can only be fulfilled once a Sim has become an elder, a Servo will never be able to fulfill this want.
- It's possible to make the Servo look like a Sim using the InSimenator mod or the Sim Modder, but the Servo still will not age, will sound like a Servo, and will have all the needs of a Servo. Also, while visiting community lots or other Sims' lots, such a Servo may randomly change back into the standard Servo appearance. This can be fixed instantly by having the Servo change to formal and back to normal, or by using a third party mod.
- Servo can build body skills easily since they won't be tired or stink at all.
- A family or roommates consisting of Servos and PlantSims would be the best since neither of them needs to eat or sleep, so they could live in a house or apartment without beds or a kitchen, assuming they don't think about visiting Sims' needs.
- Servos may work better than maids or butlers, as they have level 10 in all needed skills, and can always be available, since they live on the lot and are playable. Servo also makes a good live-in nanny, as they do not have to take time to maintain comfort or hygiene, and can teach toddler skills.
Trivia
- The giant robot that appears in one of the programs on KidzTube is a Servo from The Sims. The channel shows gameplay from SimCity 4, which did contain a number of disasters which could befall the city, one of which involved a servo attack.
- In The Sims 2 for DS the final villain that has to be faced, Optimum Alfred, greatly resembles a Servo.
- The FX used by a recharging Servo will depend on which other Packs are installed. One version is a greenish haze which seems to spiral down into the Servo's waist-ball. Another version of this is a bright white bar which, when the Servo is selected, appears to be focused through the PlumbBob.
- While Servos are playable, Servo is technically a type of NPC. This is probably because Servos are coded to do chores such as cooking and cleaning.
- Servo's everyday and formal appearances are actually adult outfits that are flagged to appear in all categories except Outerwear. These "outfits" will appear in dressers when adult Sims use the Plan Outfit action. The formal "outfit" will only appear for adults of the Servo's gender, but the everyday "outfit" is flagged as unisex, and will be available to all adults in the household.
- Servo's head is actually classified as hair, and is available in CAS if Debug Mode is activated, though it has an odd appearance.
- If Open for Business is installed, and a Sim attempts to influence another Sim to flirt with someone, the other Sim may attempt to perform the "Tune Up" interaction, even if the target Sim is not a Servo.[confirmation needed]
The Sims 3
Gold Servo statue in the Science lab.
Servo does not appear in The Sims 3, however there are several depictions of it in the game.
If the camera angle is right, a statue of a Servo can be seen inside the science lab rabbit holes in Sunset Valley, Riverview, and Twinbrook.
Open for Business Servos also make an appearance in a TV show (on the action channel) as an army being commanded by a mad scientist, and are defeated by a female protagonist. This was actually some edited clips of The Sims 2: FreeTime music video "Fa-Fa-Fa" by Datarock.
In The Sims 3: Ambitions, SimBots fill the niche that Servos do in The Sims 2: Open for Business, though there are significant differences between the two.
A Plumbot that resembles a Servo as seen in The Sims 3: Into the Future.
In The Sims 3: Into the Future, Plumbots are introduced. Plumbots are customizable, but it is apparently possible to create Plumbots which resemble Servos. During development, they were originally called ServoBots.[1]
Custom Content
There is content at Mod The Sims which allows players to have custom Sims which are more-or-less reasonable facsimiles of Servos, but they are still Sims, not true Servos.
Screenshots of custom Sims made to look like Servos by using this mod, taken from the thread at Mod The Sims.
You can also find a Servo Plumbot on the Exchange on Sims3.com which is more like the original.
Notes
- ↑ A Servo's temperature may enter the red if they are on a treadmill, but it will reset to normal momentarily.
- ↑ At times, a Servo wearing its formal outfit will have a Sim-face that overlaps the normal Servo head. The Servo's normal head will reappear when it switches back to its everyday appearance.
- ↑ A Servo may, or may not, be able to access the "Try On..." interaction on a clothing rack.
- ↑ If a male Servo is aged to an elder with cheats, they will use the adult variant of the second face template and not the elder version, but they will still have the elderly wrinkles, etc. If a female Servo is aged to an elder, they will use the adult variant of the second face template but with a slightly squarer jaw and slightly longer nose. This is also what happens when a Sim that uses one of the "broken" Maxis face templates ages into an elder.
- ↑ Servos may gain fitness much like any other Sim would. A Servo's fit/fat state will affect chemistry.
- ↑ This can only be done during the daytime while the Servo is outside; thus if a Servo needs to recharge at night, it may be better to have them sleep, or, if on a community lot, to power down until daytime.
- ↑ It appears to require an expansion pack later than Seasons, but it is unclear which expansion introduced it.
References
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Dates featured: July 2009.