Is your Sim gay? Lesbian? Straight? Fluid ? It will soon be possible to set it thanks to the next update of the Sims 4announce Maxis and Electronic Artsdeveloper and distributor of the game respectively. This will be made available on July 28, when the expansion pack will also be released. High school years. There will be no need to purchase the pack to access this feature.
Until now, you had the option to have sex (or “go bang,” to use the terminology of the game) and have a romantic relationship with a Sim of the same gender or the opposite gender. You just had to go flirt with him or her and if a connection was established, go a little far.
Attraction and exploration
After the update, things will be a little more framed. When creating your Sim, you will first have the option of determining whether your character is attracted to men or women. “If a Sim whose gender does not match your Sim’s attraction parameters attempts a romantic interaction with your Sim, they will be rejected. “says Maxis.
But this parameter is nuanced with a second, that of amorous exploration. If you answer “Yes” to the question “Does your Sim explore romantic relationships?” then your avatar may relate to either gender, depending on the characters it faces. If you answer no, the Sim’s sexual orientation will be set in stone.
Asexual or aromantic sim
Last parameter, the game asks if your Sim “wants to kiss” men and women. Maxis explains: “This setting determines who your Sim can bang-bang with. If you’re trying to tell an asexual Sim’s story, you can leave all options unchecked. Conversely, you can tell an aromantic Sim’s story by selecting who they want to bang-bang with, but leave all the boxes for romantic attraction unchecked. You can also tell even more specific stories, like that of a Sim who may be attracted to multiple genders but is only interested in one gender when it comes to physical intimacy. »
Authenticity
This (small) complexity is totally assumed by the lead-developer of the High school years. “Authenticity is a point that is often mentioned for characteristics like this, and it is completely legitimate, she explains (…) Many members of the team are part of the LGBTQIA + community , including me. That said, we only represent a small part of the community’s experience. That’s why we’ve worked extensively with GLAAD and the It Gets Better project to make sure we’re taking into account the widest possible range of perspectives on how to approach this characteristic in a way that respects and satisfy the community. »
The provision of this functionality is only a step, specify Maxis and Electronic Arts, which say they are working in particular on a better representation of non-binary people.
As of the May update, those using the English version of the game already have the ability to set custom pronouns for their Sims.