The new Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff Pack will be released on 26 January 2021, with a pre-pack patch set to go live this week.
The deep-dive live stream of the pack is also scheduled for this week (22 January at 11 Pacific Time or 21:00 South African time).
At first glance, the pack looks really, really good. Sim Guru Connor, one of the developers behind Nifty Knitting, seems to have pulled off yet another spooktacular effort.
Another notable thing about the release of the Paranormal Stuff Pack is that there is a clear effort being made to keep the communication channels open, similar to how Nifty Knitting was handled. This is something that many players felt was sorely lacking last year, so this is an encouraging start.
Sim Gurus have been answering questions and teasing bits and pieces of what players can expect ahead of the release of The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff as well as the pre-pack patch.
Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff: Pack and patch details
There is some good and not-so-good news for this pack, we?ll start with the latter, but let’s first preface this by saying that ? without having played the pack, it looks like a lot of thought has gone into the little things like cross-pack integration. Right, now let’s start with what we know so far.
For the sake of brevity and to keep this article from just being a bunch of embedded Tweets, we’ll transcribe some questions to follow a more Q&A format and include short summary with key points about the features coming with the Paranormal Stuff Pack and the patch.
We’ll also take a deeper look at some of the key features like the return of Bonehilda and questions about who can WhooHoo with whom.
Questions answered by Sim Guru Conor will be pre-fixed with SGC and those answered by Sim Guru Ninja will be pre-fixed with SGN.
Ghost babies and graveyards in The Sims 4
So, first, the not so great news. Although, considering how expansive this pack seems to be (for a Stuff Pack!), we’re not going to quibble.
Improved babies is something players have wanted for a long time in The Sims 4. Whether or not they will come this year, we have no idea. However, there won’t be any “ghost babies” coming to the game.
However, Sim Guru Conor did say that players can ‘always make real babies with our new Stuff Pack Sims”.
And while many players had hoped for an official graveyard or cemetery type of lot – especially after the graveyard was added in The Sims 4: Snowy Escape expansion, that’s not going to part of this pack.
Below you’ll find a few more answers to popular questions the Gurus have been answering. The questions are paraphrased and the answers edited for style and brevity.
Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff Pack – Sim Guru FAQs
Note: We’ll be adding to these and updating them through the course of the week, until the new pack is released.
Will graveyards/cemeteries be included in The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff?
SGC: Sorry, no cemeteries in this pack, but I’d love to see them someday too.
Are there ghost babies coming with the new pack?
SGC: No ghost babies, but you can always make real babies with our new Stuff Pack Sims.
Is there a new Scary radio station coming with the pack?
SGC: No radio station this time, but I think there are new base game tracks added. I don’t think I’ve listened to them yet admittedly.
What about pack-crossovers?
SGC: Spellcasters might have a small advantage in this pack
Is the Scared moodlet and the Brave trait coming with the Stuff Pack or the Sims 4 base game update?
SGC: Its base game! I agree Tense didn’t feel right, so now Sims should be properly Scared of Thunderstorms, for example. The ?Brave Trait is also coming to the base game. This Satisfaction Reward Store Trait will rapidly reduce the incoming fear a Sim feels and help Sims regain their composure faster.
Do the lights flicker as part of the new Stuff Pack and do all the lights from other packs also flicker?
SGC: Lights flickering and Sims reacting to lights flickering are part of the pack. There will be a new Reward Trait for this pack that influences the Scared emotion. All lights should flicker.
Is the new Paranormal Investigator freelance career a rabbit hole?
SGN: You actively go to these gigs (not rabbit holes). In the trailer, for example, clearing out The Pancake House, The Goth House, etc. was part of the career.
What do the colours of the spectres (the little ghosties) mean?
SGC: The colour of the Specter depends on how haunted the current lot is (in most cases). Green Spectres are friendly, Blue Spectres are kind of indifferent, and Red Spectres are kinda what you imagine. I think there is one more Spectre type lurking somewhere though?
What advantage will Spellcasters get from the Paranormal Stuff Pack?
SGC: It’s a small advantage, Spellcasters gain Medium Skill faster due to their familiarity with mystic arts. The Medium Skill is very useful for living in a Haunted House, and the sooner Sim masters it, the easier for everyone. I’ll go into more detail on the Medium skill next week.
Do pets recognise any of the paranormal stuff as being paranormal?
SGC: Cats and Dogs will react these inanimate intruders (those creepy looking dolls) in game.
Are there any new aspirations with the pack?
SGC: No new aspirations with the pack.