Playfish高管谈《The Sims Social》社交亮点

作者：Libe Goad

模拟人生系列游戏是2000年最畅销的PC游戏之一，并获得了广大女性的青睐（当初《FarmVille》和《CityVille》能成为一种“现象”也有赖于这类自认为非玩家的女性的热捧）。

几个月以前，EA宣布《The Sims Social》（模拟人生社交版）将登陆Facebook，它在内部测试阶段就积累了惊人的人气。那么《The Sims Social》的“社交”亮点究竟在哪里？

Playfish伦敦工作室总经理John Earner在最近的媒体采访中透露了关于《The Sims Social》的相关细节点，其中包括玩家角色和自己的虚拟伴侣甚至可以发生性关系和死亡。以下是游戏邦编译的访谈内容：

sims-social-play-tricks(from games.com)

在《The Sims Social》中，玩家可以对朋友做的大好事和大坏事是什么？

一般来说，你只能对朋友示好，对敌人使坏。最恶劣的事大概就是偷食物和放假蜘蛛的恶作剧吧。好事的话，如帮朋友清洗浴室、修理物品和打理花园等。

可以拒绝朋友的“好意”吗？

不行，但是玩家也不能对你的地盘造成永久损害。所有消极活动都只是玩笑和点缀，彼此积极的互动人际关系才是《The Sims Social》的核心内容。纯敌对、亦敌亦友和其他消极关系也存在于朋友之间，但都是很有趣的互动关系。

sims-social-decoration(from games.com)

拜访朋友、为朋友“做事”的频率有什么样的限制？

只要你喜欢就行！完成某项活动要消耗玩家的精力，但每天你拜访各个朋友，可以给你增加额外的精力。

游戏中的浪漫行为是如何实现的？如果你不希望什么人随便闯进你家和你做太过亲密的事，有没有办法拒绝呢？

《The Sims Social》中存在三种关系：朋友、敌对和恋人。主要的关系节点如约会，这需要玩家通过两天的双向示好才能实现，比如，一起跳探戈舞。

sims-social-bathtub(from games.com)

游戏中的性行为是如何实现的（我猜这需要双方同意，是吧）？

双方必需处于恋爱关系：约会或更进一步。即使那样，你还是只能命令自己的虚拟角色发出关系“申请信号”，至于对方有没有这样的意向，看他们自己的。与传统的模拟人生游戏一样，玩家有自己的决定权。我们的平台约束要求玩家的心思更单纯，但仍然允许玩家把自己的角色塑造成圣人或浪子。

在《FrontierVille》和《FarmVille 》等其他游戏中，如果玩家的好友来访，玩家能看到该好友的活动，那么，这个功能在《The Sims Social》有什么不同吗？

好友互访是一种长期性的、主要的社交游戏功能。《The Sims Social》与其他社交游戏不同的地方在于，玩家的关系就像现实生活中的人际关系一样有意义、多样化。玩家有自己的邻居、男女朋友、普通朋友和密友等。每次探访的性质和探访中能做的事取决于玩家之间的关系，这与一般的社交游戏是不同的，当然也更加有意义。

当你和朋友变成“死对头”，这对游戏体验会产生什么具体的影响？一旦你被他人认定为敌人，你还可以为对方做朋友才能做的事吗？

你还是可以按自己的喜好做事，但你不能抹杀过去。曾经约会过的玩家就是前恋人（真尴尬！）。新的关系状态会产生其他关系中不存在的新互动选项。

sims-social-tom-rude(from games.com)

玩家的虚拟角色会在游戏中死亡吗？

世事难料啊。今后我们还将不断花时间探讨世代的设定。记着，我们的“人生”才刚开始呢。死亡也许可以让玩家在游戏中有重头开始的机会。另一方面，作为一款免费游戏，玩家应该不喜欢在用玩了就没了的虚拟物品上花真正的钱。这个问题能够实现，但并不容易。本作的剧情就像这样。《The Sims 1》： 活着。《The Sims 2》: 死了。《The Sims 3》：周游世界。《The Sims Social》：回到“活着”，但和真正的朋友一起生活。我们的平台和受众需要我们简化游戏的某些方面，但也允许我们扩充和丰富其他内容。另外，我们的游戏是一项服务。通过时常更新，我们可以沿着与PC和游戏机版的《The Sims Social》一样的道路发展。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Exclusive! Putting the ‘social’ into The Sims Social [video + interview]
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by Libe Goad

If there’s one blockbuster game from that’s practically begging for a Facebook release, it’s The Sims. The life simulation game series has been one of the best-selling PC games since its arrival in 2000 and it has particularly resonated with women, who wouldn’t otherwise consider themselves gamers. This is the same audience that turned games like FarmVille and CityVille into computer game phenomenons.

Several months ago, Electronic Arts announced that the best-selling game franchise would be making its way to the social network, and with launch just mere weeks away, Games.com News brings you an exclusive sneak peek at what exactly puts the ‘social’ into The Sims Social.

Get the scoop on the game’s social aspects in the brand new trailer above. I also talked to John Earner, general manager of Playfish’s London studio, to get more details on how exactly the game will work — including whether or not your beloved Sim will be able to do regular Sims things like make WooHoo and kick the bucket.

What is both the most helpful and most horrific thing you can do to a friend in The Sims Social?

Generally you can do nice and helpful things for friends, and horrible things only to enemies. There’s nothing worse than having your food stolen or fake spiders placed in precarious places, I find. As for being helpful to friends, players can clean your bathroom, repair broken items, and even do some gardening around your house.

Do you have the option to ‘Dismiss’ or reject what your friends have done to your Sims or their house?

No, but then nor can players do any permanent damage to your place. Any negative actions are fun and cosmetic. Relationships in The Sims are predominantly a game helping one another and positive interactions. Even rivalries, frenemies, and the other negative relationships in our game are in good fun and meant to be between friends.

How often can you visit friends’ Sims and do nice/naughty things for them?

As often as you like! Activities are accomplished using an energy system, but we provide bonus energy each day for each unique friend you visit to help you out.

How exactly does the whole romance thing work? What if you don’t’ want random people coming in and smooching on your Sim — is there a way to restrict that? (That could get creepy fast).
There are three relationship paths in The Sims: friends, enemies, and lovers. Major relationship milestones like dating require a two-way handshake between players. It takes two to tango, so to speak.

What about making WooHoo in the game? How does that work? (I assume that requires two consenting Sims, yes)?

WooHoo requires two Sims to be in a romantic relationship path: dating or further. Even then, you can only ask your Sim to, you know, WooHoo with their significant other. Whether they actually do it is up to them. Like traditional Sims games, Sims have a mind of their own. Our platform constraints require that mind be a bit smaller and less complex, but the general idea of a player assuming the role of god and sim playing role of fickle human subject still applies.

Other games — like FrontierVille, FarmVille — also let you see what your friends do when they visit your version of the game — how is this feature different in The Sims Social?

Friend visits are a longstanding social gaming feature staple. Where The Sims Social differs from its social gaming predecessors is that the game now creates meaningful and varied relationships between players’ Sims, just like in real life. You don’t just have neighbors – you have girlfriends and frenemies and BFFs. Depending on the nature of your relationship, the nature of each visit and what you can do during a visit, is different and certainly more meaningful.

When a friend becomes an ‘enemy” or you become an ‘enemy’ — how does that change the game experience at large? Once you’re deemed an enemy, can you work your way back toward being a friend in the game?

You can always work your way back, but you can’t erase the past. Two Sims who used to date are ex-lovers (awkward!). Relationship statuses create new interaction options not available in other relationships.

Like the regular Sims — can your Sim die in The Sims Social?

You never know. Generations is something we continue to spend a lot of time talking about for down the road. Remember, we’re just getting started at launch. It could add replayability to the game. The flip side is that with a free-to-play business model, players aren’t a fan of the virtual stuff they spend real money on going off and dying on them. It’s a manageable problem, but not an easy one. The story of the Sims franchise is something like this. The Sims 1: They live. The Sims 2: They die. The Sims 3: they can explore a world beyond their house. The Sims Social: Back to “they live,” but they live with your real friends. Our platform and our audience require us to simplify the game in some respects, but allow us to enrich it in others due to the social nature of the game. Also, our game is a service. We can travel along a similar journey as the PC and console gaming Sims franchise have done via frequent updates. We’re just getting started.（source:games）