It's probably a universal law that something must go wrong during a live broadcast, and for The Sims 3 broadcast yesterday that was technical issues that meant the team couldn't show the expected demo of upcoming expansion pack University Life. After apologising and promising the demo would be rescheduled, the two “Sim gurus” brought in to show the demo instead answered questions fans were posting on Twitter and other places, providing a few new details for the new expansion.
On the partying side of things, we learn that there will be such things as “keg stands”, and though I have no idea what one of those is, the fact that the two gurus said it was hilarious when one of their elder Sims carried one out suggests it's something funny. If “juice” (a.k.a. a way to get alcohol into a teen-rated game) isn't your thing, you can try some herbal tea instead. Various herbs – including “buzz berry” and more regular lavender, cinnamon, chamomile – can be added to food, drunk in tea, or thrown onto a bonfire, and have different effects. According to the gurus, one herb boosts studying, one helps Sims lose weight faster, one helps them stay awake for longer, and one (cinnamon) inspires “romantic crazy behaviour”. Too many will apparently lead to herb sickness.
If you think your Sim will be more interested in academia than parties, then you might be interested in the various ways Sims can study for their course. As well as “rabbit hole” (i.e. places into which you can't follow your Sims) classes, your Sims can go to lectures in which they can ask their professors questions or take notes (or sleep), or can make use of their academic objects. Each course has one unique object, like the sketch pad Fine Arts students can take to a study group in which they practise sketching other Sims.
In a demonstration in the strange way The Sims games have of melding the fantastical with the true-to-life, we also learn about Plant Sims (who leave flower trails wherever they go) and the various things your Sims can do with their smartphone (blogging, watching cat videos, etc.). To find out if there's anything I've missed, check out the video at Origin.com
