Say what you’ll in regards to the properties of rose quartz and different supposedly supernatural gems in actual life, on the earth of The Sims 4 there isn’t any query: gemstone jewellery can actually enhance your temper, expertise, and defy demise itself in case you so select. The most recent Sims 4 DLC, Crystal Creations, comes with a set of recent moody decor selections and the power to craft magical gemstone jewellery with stat-boosting properties.
To check out the brand new stuff pack, I made a decision to name upon a pair of premade roommates who initially hailed from the Realm of Magic DLC, and who I had most lately shoved right into a Chicago townhouse-inspired condominium I constructed when the For Hire growth pack got here out. What’s yet one more DLC to those magical roomies, I determine?
Untrained mage Grace Anansi turns into my new novice gemologist. I ditch her desk and laptop computer for the brand new Gemology Desk at which she will both design a random piece of knickknack, minimize a gemstone, or craft a selected piece based mostly on my number of jewellery fashion, gem, and metallic. There is no use leaving issues as much as probability, so I resolve to begin with a set of orange topaz earrings, which can assist Grace stage artistic expertise quicker and be extra prone to create top quality work. It ought to be a very good first enhance to her new artistic endeavors.
After finishing her earrings, I have to cost them on a Mystical Moonlight Crystal Grid, a small ornate picket board on which I place Grace’s gem creations to cost exterior by moonlight. They take as much as 12 hours to cost between 7 pm and seven am with a pace decided by the part of the moon—a full moon granting a quick cost of three hours—after which she will put on each bit to get its advantages for 2 days earlier than it can have to be charged once more.
It is a good factor there’s that management valve on the facility of crystals as a result of this stuff stack quick. That first set of earrings takes a little bit of time to craft, as getting into into new Sim hobbies does, however issues pace up rapidly. Along with her elevated artistic talent acquire, Grace ranges up in Gemology quickly, unlocking new kinds of earrings, rings, necklaces, and bracelets to craft.
I put her to work on an amethyst ring which makes her regain power from sleep faster, an alabaster ring so that each one her damaging moods fade quicker, and a rose quartz bracelet that retains her social want from ever reducing. She positively wants that final one, as a result of she’s not getting a lot socialization time in between her day job and crafting crystals all evening. New aspect hustles hit onerous like that.
Instantly, Grace is stacking buffs extra aggressively than any MMO participant, carrying three rings, a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet every conferring its personal results. She’s in a continuing state of confidence or inspiration fueled by all these mood-boosting rocks. She must eat and bathe, however she’s in any other case unstoppable because the idea of disappointment turns into unfamiliar to her tunnel-vision for crafting.
If I hadn’t gifted Grace with limitless free money by way of Sims 4 cheats, I may try to be thriftier. There are small rocky nodes in public heaps like parks the place she will dig for gems, and I can promote each bit when it is full to earn cash too. For the sake of expediency, I simply pay the upfront price to purchase every gem after which have her put on all her personal creations. The rarest gems with essentially the most helpful results although, I should go discover within the wild as a result of they can not be purchased.
Remarkably, the crystal hematite, which provides the singular profit “sim can not die,” is just not one of many rarest choices and even the most costly. So I make a necklace with that, naturally—a “lunar goddess” fashion pendant crafted with “demise metallic” and hematite. As a result of I discover myself humorous, apparently.
That is once I channel my internal Reside Mode sicko to wreak a little bit of havoc. I resolve it will be enjoyable to befriend the Grim Reaper and try to present them a necklace of undeath. As we aren’t acquainted already, there’s just one surefire method to name upon demise, and I am in no temper to attend for an sad accident. I exploit Grace’s magical skills, which I might to date ignored, to set fireplace to the mattress of her roommate, who I might additionally to date ignored, in the course of the evening.
Let’s simply say the grim reaper confirmed up as deliberate. Earlier than that although, Grace managed to place out the hearth that had mysteriously began in her roommate’s room, the success of which gave her a temper enhance of confidence on prime of her already fairly heightened sense of inspiration from crafting. Lady’s received a gem-fueled god advanced. Whereas in that assured state she will get the particular interplay choice to not simply plead for her roommate’s life again however demand it, even.
So the grim reaper resurrects her roommate, who believes her a hero that saved his life, and she or he manages to make well mannered acquaintances with demise earlier than they go away on their spooky method. I did not handle to present them the necklace although, as a result of we did not fairly make it to the official “friendship” relationship stage. Bummer.
I solely realized afterwards {that a} extra fascinating check of the gem powers would have been to present my roommate the timeless necklace as a substitute earlier than setting his mattress on fireplace. So I assume I nonetheless have some objectives in thoughts.
What about precise construct mode?
There, I’ve completed my greatest impression of an individual who truly performs with their Sims, however the actuality is that I am only a construct mode chick via and thru. Along with the brand new Gemology talent and jewellery results, Crystal Creations comes with a set of recent furnishings, decor, and show instances—32 objects in all.
The fashion for this package is fairly moody with darkish academia vibes, largely darkish woods with brassy {hardware} accents. Personally I am enamored of the a number of little jewellery muddle objects: a hoop show tray, jewellery packing containers, and gem crafting instruments. There are a number of completely different show instances too, packing containers, cabinets, and an armoire with doorways. The smooth new bookshelf set has slots for objects as nicely. To my dismay, among the shade swatches between bookshelves and wall cabinets are ever so barely completely different. However that is a cross we lovers of wooden tones have lengthy borne.
I did have a couple of points with objects snapping to the brand new surfaces although. The jewellery packing containers solely appear to snap to the underside bookshelf slot however not the highest, and in no way into the wooden wall shelf or to the workspace of the gemology desk. The identical goes for once I place crafted jewellery on the earth, their cute little shows do not snap to a lot of the new surfaces I might need them to. I might wager which may be a bug that will get mounted, however do not rely on it.
I did not truly spend any time in Create-A-Sim this time round, however Crystal Creations does include 4 new hairstyles, a ton of recent jewellery kinds, and a few knitted and flowy clothes selections.
As somebody who usually spends 95% of my Sims time simply constructing, I do not know that I might take into account Crystal Creations essential pack, good because the fashion is—and far as I like getting new e book shelf selections. For the lovers of Reside Mode although, gem crafting appears like a genuinely enjoyable, if barely overpowered, new crafting profession for artistic Sims. It positively reinforces my feeling that the $10 stuff packs with gameplay and new objects are among the greatest total worth DLCs for the Sims 4.