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== The Sims 3 ==
 
== The Sims 3 ==
In ''[[The Sims 3]]'' all Sims (except babies and toddlers) have a cellphone (smartphone in ''[[The Sims 3: University Life|University Life]]'') in their inventory from the beginning, meaning that Sims no longer needed to own a landline phone in order to be called, although landline phones are still available in buy mode. The cellphone can be used to talk to friends, invite them over, ask someone on a date, check real estate, make long distance calls, throw parties, call for services, move, take pictures, and plan for vacations. Unlike in previous games, calling a Sim that is at work will notify the caller when they should try calling back later. Sims who have a [[Teleportation Pad|teleportation pad]] at home can use the cellphone to teleport back to the pad. If ''[[Generations]]'' is installed, teens can make [[prank call]]s. For the first time in the series, the ringtone of the cellphone can be changed by the player.
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In ''[[The Sims 3]]'' all Sims (except babies and toddlers) have a cellphone (smartphone in ''[[The Sims 3: University Life|University Life]]'') in their inventory from the beginning, meaning that Sims no longer needed to own a landline phone in order to be called, although landline phones are still available in buy mode for [[residential lot]]s only. The cellphone can be used to talk to friends, invite them over, ask someone on a date, check real estate, make long distance calls, throw parties, call for services, move, take pictures, and plan for vacations. Unlike in previous games, calling a Sim that is at work will notify the caller when they should try calling back later. Sims who have a [[Teleportation Pad|teleportation pad]] at home can use the cellphone to teleport back to the pad. If ''[[Generations]]'' is installed, teens can make [[prank call]]s. For the first time in the series, the ringtone of the cellphone can be changed by the player.
   
 
Like previous games, a telephone curfew is enforced from 2am{{confirm}} to 6am, during which any calls are rejected. However, there does not appear to be any effect in relationship if such a call is made.
 
Like previous games, a telephone curfew is enforced from 2am{{confirm}} to 6am, during which any calls are rejected. However, there does not appear to be any effect in relationship if such a call is made.

Revision as of 23:33, 25 March 2019

Phone
The Sims 2 Phone surface The Sims 2 Phone wall
Game All
Buyability Buy mode, Community lot
Object type(s) Small Electronics
Size 1x1 (surface or wall)

Phones are essential tools of communication and socialization in The Sims series.

The Sims

Phones in The Sims are very simplistic compared to phones in later games or expansions. The original phone could make outgoing calls, but doing so would only result in the option to invite a Sim over - Sims could not have a conversation with another Sim over the phone. Phones could be used to hire service workers such as maids or gardeners, or to call the Police or Fire Department in case of an emergency. Friends would often call the house as a warning to the player that a friendship was about to end (the relationship score was dropping too low); these calls always took place at 4:00 pm. Random calls would often take place throughout the day (and night). They could sometimes result in cash rewards, but they could also be prank calls. Later expansions changed the phone menu multiple times, and added various features. Until Unleashed, a Sim's phonebook used the standard pie menu, and players would often have to press the Tab key to page through the menu in order to find the family they wanted the Sim to call. Starting with Unleashed, the phonebook became a dialog box which listed families on the left, and known members of the selected family on the right.

Hot Date gave Sims the ability to talk on the phone instead of simply inviting other Sims over, though players had no control over what the Sims would talk about. With the introduction of community areas and community lots in Hot Date, Sims became able to use the phone to call a cab and go somewhere else for a while. Additionally, some custom content creators made "phone plugins", which added features to the phone. Different models of phones were introduced over the course of the game, but cell phones were never introduced.

A telephone curfew time of 1-6 am is imposed. During this period, Sims will not be able to talk to Sims or invite them over, and will instead be shouted at and receive a negative message (although there is no effect on the relationship). Services can still be contacted, although many will not arrive until daytime, with the notable exception of police and firefighters, who will arrive at any hour of the day.

A family needed to have at least one telephone on the lot in order for other Sims to call them, and Sims would receive a message if they attempted to call someone that did not have a phone.

List of telephones

SCTC BR-8 Standard Telephone

SCTC BR-8 Standard Telephone
SCTC BR-8 Standard Telephone
A phone is a Sim's connection to the outside world. With an SCTC BR-8, invite people over, get some pizza, or hire some help. Durable plastic shell. Touch-tone dialing. Miracle infrared port allows use throughout house and automatic storage of phone numbers.
Game The Sims
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §50
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 surface

SCTC Cordless Wall Phone

SCTC Cordless Wall Phone
SCTC Cordless Wall Phone
Extended range. emergency numbers pre-stored. Virtually private conversations. Number memory for frequently called friends. Wall mountable. Integrated keypad.
Game The Sims
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §75
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 wall

Revulcanized Eurethane Desk Phone

Revulcanized Eurethane Desk Phone
Revulcanized Eurethane Desk Phone
Tired of poor audio signals and still without local cell phone coverage, many Sims are looking to the past for reliable and low cost telephone service. If you're too young to have used rotary dial phones, give ours a try. It's so cool! Crack-free, revulcanized, virgin eurethane housing. Metal finger wheel. White enamel dial face. Come feel- and hear- the difference.
Game The Sims: Unleashed
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §89
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 surface

Recycled Pay Phone

Recycled Pay Phone
Recycled Pay Phone
Who hasn't used a public pay phone and toyed with the idea of prying it loose and bringing it home? Now you can! These recycled pay phones have been modified for home use with easy wall-mount installation and coinless operation. Receiver is guaranteed germ, disease, grease and fluid free.
Game The Sims: Unleashed
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §111
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 wall

The Sims 2

In The Sims 2, phones are white-ish tan and can be either table phones or wall phones. Phones are now truly cordless, unlike The Sims, and Sims can and will walk around while talking on the phone. A Sim who wanders too far from the phone's base may put the handset down instead of hanging it up; if this happens, the player can click on the handset and select "Hang Up" to tell a Sim to hang it back up.

Sims can talk to other Sims on the phone, and other Sims may call to talk to a specific household member. This has been improved over what was possible in The Sims; players can now use the "Change Topic" interaction to affect what the Sims talk about, and phone conversations can have more than a minimal effect on the Sims' relationship with one another. The phone can be used to invite Sims over, and even to throw parties. Pets added an 'Invite household' option, which will not appear when calling a Townie or a Sim who lives alone. When using this option, the player will be presented with a dialog which shows all other members of the called Sim's household, except for babies and toddlers, even if the caller hasn't met them. Much like The Sims, a Sim needed to live in a household with at least one phone in order to be called, or had to have a cell phone in their inventory. Sims who live in apartments can be called even if they don't have a phone.[confirmation needed]

As expansion packs are added, the call menu remains largely the same as in the base game; categories are added as needed, but the layout of the menu is unaltered. In University, Sims can have cell phones, although playable Sims who live in households without a landline phone still cannot be contacted by phone. Pets and FreeTime each add a new style of phone. In FreeTime, 3-way calling is introduced as an aspiration benefit for Sims who have Popularity as a primary or secondary aspiration. When a Sim with this benefit is on the phone, the player can click on the phone (or on the Sim, if he or she is using a cell phone) and select "Make 3-way call". The Sim's phone book will open, and the player can then decide which Sim in the book will receive the second call. Players should note that, if this is done on a table or wall phone, the "Hang Up" option will be unavailable until the second call has ended. Even without FreeTime, more than two Sims can be involved in a phone conversation if a house has at least two table or wall phones. If a Sim is told to use a table or wall phone while another Sim is talking on one, the player will be asked whether to let that Sim join the conversation, or to have them hang up. Apartment Life introduced two "Silent Mode" options which allowed players to regulate incoming calls; players could "Screen Calls", which prevented the phone from ringing and instead directed incoming calls to a text notification on the top-right of the screen, or turn off the phone completely. These "Silent Mode" interactions are not available for cell phones.

Sims can call a taxi. A Sim can invite another Sim to meet him or her on a community lot, and, with Nightlife, can arrange outings and even dates. Sims can hire services, and order food deliveries. If the appropriate expansion packs are present, a Sim can apply for scholarships, start a home business, buy real estate, book a vacation, etc.

The cell phones (NOYIN 2680) can be bought for §149 from a Sellafone Gadget Kiosk. Once bought, the phone stays in a Sim's inventory and can be used by left-clicking the Sim. The phone can also be put anywhere in the Sim's home; it will function, but is very small and may be hard to find with the mouse. There is no "Hang Up" function on a cell phone, but the player can end a call by canceling the action. Sims who are teenagers and older can buy and use a cell phone.[n 1] A Sim who has a cell phone can call other Sims and taxi from a community lot, and can invite them to the lot. In University, a Sim with a cell phone could not always use it when another Sim in the house was on the phone. However, in later expansion packs, Sims with cell phones can make or receive calls even if other Sims in the house are using their phones.

A bug in Apartment Life may cause a cell phone to disappear from inventory after it has been used for a while, at least for Sims who are living in apartments.[1] This was fixed in the Apartment Life patch, though it is not mentioned in the list of fixes.

An unusual feature of phones in The Sims 2 is that the Sim on the other end of the call is, to some extent, considered to be on the lot. This occasionally results in that Sim being "teleported" to the lot after the call is ended. If that Sim is a child, this can result in one of his or her parents appearing on the lot to bring the kid home, even after the call has ended. The player will need to watch for this, as the parent will not need to be greeted, and will not leave unless the Ask to Leave/Say Goodbye interaction is used.[n 2] However, the "voice on the other end" that is heard during a phone call does not appear to be the voice of the Sim on the other end of the call.

Much like The Sims, there is a telephone curfew that is enforced between 2am and 7am. During this time, any calls made to Sims will be rejected with a cranky message and a drop in relationship score. Crank calls can still be made and victims may still show up, but will usually leave immediately afterwards due to the time. Vampires are exempt from the nighttime curfew, but have a daytime curfew of their own between 7am and 6pm. Services can still be called, although service Sims will generally not arrive until daytime, with the exception of police and firefighters.

Crank call

A crank call is an interaction in The Sims 2 that a Sim with one or no niceness points can do with a telephone. When a grouchy Sim is directed to make a crank call, the phone book will pop up, as with other phone calls. After the player selects which Sim to call, the Sim using the phone will place the call and yell into the receiver. A few minutes later, the victim of the crank call may come to the caller's lot. The victim's reaction will vary, possibly depending on the relationship between the two Sims; he or she may shove, poke or slap the Sim who made the call, then yell about college (even if University isn't installed); or may simply greet the grouchy Sim. This interaction can be used to effectively "invite" an acquaintance over, allowing a grouchy Sim to build a relationship more quickly, but it runs the risk of damaging a relationship and causing both Sims to be furious with each other for a long time.

List of telephones

SimLine Table Phone

SimLine Table Phone
SimLine Table Phone
Talk to your friends. Invite them over for a party. Call for a maid, a gardener, or even a pizza! The SimLine makes it all happen at only the push of a few buttons. You get its cordless design and stylish ergonomic base all for a price that confirms for once and for all that talk really IS cheap.
Game The Sims 2
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §50
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 surface

SimLine Wall Phone

SimLine Wall Phone
SimLine Wall Phone
The SimLine Wall Phone comes complete with all the same features of the SimLine Table Phone, including cordless design and stylish ergonomic base. Like the Table Phone, it also features a "no-see" phone number storage chip, but the Wall Phone preserves that valuable bit of counter or table space by mounting conveniently to any wall surface.
Game The Sims 2
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §75
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 wall

NOYIN 2680 Cellular Phone

NOYIN 2680 Cellular Phone
NOYIN 2680 Cellular Phone
In the theatre, in class or in an elevator? You'll be contactable everywhere with the NOYIN 2680 and its unmistakable ringtone. Forget custom downloadable ringtones, with NOYIN 2680 you only need one! Carry it proudly; everyone in the vicinity will know you own one of these fine phones. Does not include coverage against battery.
Game The Sims 2: University
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §149
Object type(s) Community lot
Size 1x1

The NOYIN 2680 Cellular Phone must be purchased from a Sellafone Gadget Kiosk. If Nightlife or later is installed, cell phones will appear in the Sim's inventory, and can be moved outside of the inventory by the player. Sims who are teens and older who have a cell phone in their inventory will have additional self-interaction options to use the phone. Children can have the phone placed in their inventories, but they will not be able to use the phone.

Talkatron 9000C by AEC Techtronics

Talkatron 9000C by AEC Techtronics
Talkatron 9000C by AEC Techtronics
Streamline your conversations with this sleek visitor from yesteryear. Reviving the forward-looking excitement form [sic] the Atomic Age, the Talkatron 9000C boosts signal through the use of an actual family-friendly nuclear pile installed in the base unit. Happy, high-energy neutrons propel your words cleanly along the wires to their destination. May cause genetic damage and hair loss.
Game The Sims 2: Pets
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §125
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 surface

Talkatron 9000W by AEC Techtronics

Talkatron 9000W by AEC Techtronics
Talkatron 9000W by AEC Techtronics
Nothing says "hooray for fission!" like the Talkatron 9000W wall-mounted phone. Using the clean, safe power of neutron radiation, this energetic reproduction from the past will provide the most powerful phone signal imaginable, up to a range of 800,000 miles. Speak and listen with ease, knowing those cheerful little beta particles are carrying the load of your conversation. May cause fatigue, nausea or abnormal tissue growth.
Game The Sims 2: Pets
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §175
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 wall

TalkTime Phonality

TalkTime Phonality
TalkTime Phonality
Having a phone in your own room is no fun if it's a boring phone. With the "TalkTime Phonality", phone time becomes fun time with its bright colors, comfortable touchpad digits, ergonomic wireless handset, and caller ID. Never be a victim to lame phones again!
Game The Sims 2: FreeTime
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §60
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 surface

The phone comes in four recolors: white, black, blue, and pink.

TalkTime Phonality with Mounting Bracket

TalkTime Phonality with Mounting Bracket
TalkTime Phonality with Mounting Bracket
Having a phone in your own room is no fun if it's a boring phone. With the "TalkTime Phonality", phone time becomes fun time with its bright colors, comfortable touchpad digits, ergonomic wireless handset, and caller ID. Never be a victim to lame phones again!
Game The Sims 2: FreeTime
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §60
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 wall

The phone comes in four recolors: white, black, blue, and pink.

The Sims 2 for console

The console versions of The Sims 2 have very similar phones; however, they are black instead of the white-ish tan color. Given the limitations of a console, not as many options are available:

  • Call: (Anyone in the Sim's social web): 'Invite over' or 'just talk'
  • Services: SimCity Cleaning Service, SimCity Fire Department, SimCity Police Department, Repairman, Gardener and Therapist.
  • Prank phone call: Fake names, Fake sweepstakes or Fart on phone.
  • Throw a party: Invite everyone the Sim knows over to their house for a party (only requires one call.)

As in The Sims, Sims can receive prank calls and calls that give cash rewards.

The Sims Castaway Stories

Telephones in The Sims Castaway Stories are replaced with Shell Phones. They are basically the same as the phones from The Sims 2, only in the shape of a large shell. They are only available as a story reward object. They are more similar to mobile phones than telephones, since they're usually carried in the Sim's inventory and can be used by clicking on the Sim and selecting the option "Call...". Unlike the phones from The Sims 2, they can only be placed vertically.

The Sims 3

In The Sims 3 all Sims (except babies and toddlers) have a cellphone (smartphone in University Life) in their inventory from the beginning, meaning that Sims no longer needed to own a landline phone in order to be called, although landline phones are still available in buy mode for residential lots only. The cellphone can be used to talk to friends, invite them over, ask someone on a date, check real estate, make long distance calls, throw parties, call for services, move, take pictures, and plan for vacations. Unlike in previous games, calling a Sim that is at work will notify the caller when they should try calling back later. Sims who have a teleportation pad at home can use the cellphone to teleport back to the pad. If Generations is installed, teens can make prank calls. For the first time in the series, the ringtone of the cellphone can be changed by the player.

Like previous games, a telephone curfew is enforced from 2am[confirmation needed] to 6am, during which any calls are rejected. However, there does not appear to be any effect in relationship if such a call is made.

Sims who purchase the Future Sim[TS3:ITF] lifetime reward get a HoloPhone, which only differs in appearance to regular cellphones.

Services can be called at any time of the day; however, the caller must be on their home lot or the option will be greyed out. Unlike previous games, children cannot call for any services, including emergency services.[n 3]

Notes

  • When the player instructs a Sim to answer the phone, the current interaction will get cancelled and the interaction to answer the phone will queue up immediately after it, rather than appearing at the end of the queue.
  • As of Into the Future, the opportunity phone call doesn't work properly as Sims would answer the phone but no dialog would appear.[2] A mod at Mod The Sims can be used to fix this bug. The game doesn't properly check the required world of an opportunity a Sim is currently in, which causes the opportunity dialog not to appear. This occurs if Sims have Laser Rhythm-a-con or Advanced Technology skills. However, because the opportunities of both skills have unreasonably high weighted chance, these opportunities are more likely to be received than any other skill opportunities.
  • Sims who get the University Life smartphone and then travel to Oasis Landing get a smartphone with a cracked screen.[confirmation needed]

List of telephones

998 Table TopTopia Phone

998 Table TopTopia Phone
998 Table TopTopia Phone
The crystal-clear phone signal, classic ringer tone and limited in-home mobility combine to thumb their phone-shaped noses at cell phone technology in the 998 Table TopTopia Phone System. Now with Receiver Retriever technology, so you'll never lose the headset again!
Game The Sims 3
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §35
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 surface

Immobile Phone

Immobile Phone
Immobile Phone
Many futurists deride landline telephony as so 20th century. They forget that physical phone lines are still being installed all over the world. In fact, there are currently 1.3 billion worldwide, and when you buy an Immobile Phone, that number will spike to 1.3 billion and one.
Game The Sims 3
Buyability Buy mode
Price in game §50
Object type(s) Small electronics
Size 1x1 wall

The Sims 4

There are no home telephones in The Sims 4. All Sims who are children or older automatically receive a smartphone, similar to The Sims 3. The phones are at the bottom of the screen on the desktop interface instead of in a Sim's inventory. In addition to most functions included in The Sims 3, Sims can use the phone to find jobs, pay bills, listen to music, and play games. The player can also change their Sims phone case from multiple options. A Sim's mood will also allow a Sim to send a text message associated with that mood to another Sim (e.g. a flirty Sim will be able to send a flirty text), which in some cases may result in the latter inviting the former to another lot.

Sims cannot chat with other Sims over the phone between 11pm and 7am. A Sim who attempts to call another Sim during this time will suffer a slight drop in their relationship with the targeted Sim. Attempts to use the Invite to hangout... function will also be unsuccessful (i.e. message will say [Sim name] is sleeping), but the Sim who initiated it will not incur penalties. Sims can call to arrange social events at any time, and those who are invited will show up. Sims are able to text other Sims regardless of the time of day with no relationship point penalty. Most other services will be available between 11pm and 7am, but Sims who contact repair services at this time may pay a higher rate.[confirmation needed]

The Sims Medieval

There are no telephones in The Sims Medieval, as the game is set in medieval times, but pigeons serve as the equivalent item; they are used to talk and invite friends.

Notes

  1. If Nightlife or later is installed, a cell phone can be placed in a child's inventory; however, while the "cell phone buzz" will appear, children must use a wall or table phone to answer the call.
  2. J. M. Pescado's Phone Hack mod corrects this issue; with the mod installed, calling child Sims at night no longer results in their parents coming over.
  3. Children can hire any service if the "call services" module of the 'No Stretch' Children can series mod is installed.

References

  1. [1] [dead link]
  2. A video of the bug can be seen here