- You’re going to ask a lot of your friends. While this may be a given to a veteran gamer of "The Book," the uninitiated will pale at the necessity to constantly bombard your Feed with requests in order for you to accomplish your quests (goals). A handy trick I've been using is to create a "list" of my friends who are playing Sims Social, so when you need to post to your feed, only those friends of yours foolish enough to join you in this venture must suffer. Also a good trick is to use a bookmarked link in your browser that only shows the requests open to you. Click here to see for yourself.
- Nothing works the first time out. It appears that Facebook games get a pass when it comes to released buggy code and The Sims Social is no exception. For their big Vampires versus Werewolves event, it took two weeks after it was announced to start for the items to appear in the shop and another two weeks after that for those items to actually work and not force you to reload your browser. Be patient and it will all work out…eventually.
- The forums are your friend. Building off of number two, the forums for Sims Social are full of good information, especially when you are having trouble. The moderators are quite helpful and the community is strong.
- You are going to spend quality time in the bathroom Remember how trips to the toilet were one of the big gripes from the original Sims game? Just like the original, you will be constantly using the bathroom to relieve yourself. This has actually gotten worse in the last few weeks as I think they've tweaked it to not last as long.
- Not all non-energy-using activities are created equal. There are only six meters you must fill to become inspired: Social, Fun, Food, Bladder, Hygiene and Sleep. In most cases, save Social, it does not cost you energy to fill these meters. Some of these activities will inconsistently drop extra items that you will need to complete quests, build new items or open new skills. Fury, for instance, may drop from guitars when you choose "Play for Fun." You can find Relaxation occasionally from choosing "Browse the Web" on your computer and Entertainment can appear by choosing "Play Games" on your computer or arcade cabinet. I mean, you have to fill up your Fun meter anyway, might as well make a little something extra on the side.
- Look for Inspiration. Inspiration is when all six meters are full and you've collected all the green smiley faces. The most obvious bonus is a 50% bonus to monetary rewards from working on skills. This really adds up and has freed me from having to constantly tend a garden. I also believe being inspired affects the drop rates on everything – at least it seems that way to me.
- Sending gifts is just as good as receiving. If you click on the little gift package in the upper right corner of your screen, you'll see a deluge of useless clutter your Sims Social friends do not need. Though, if you look closely, there are a few items that everyone can utilize like Fury, Paper, Cheese and Metronomes. Don't hesitate to send them to your friends because when your friend accepts the gift, the game immediately asks them if they want to return the gift and nine out of ten times, your friend will click "Send Back." POW, you've helped them and yourself in the process.
- Be Crafty. This is an odd one because it involves the item cap. Some items adhere to number of maximum items you can hold and some do not. Using my "+1 Energy" candy bars as an example; I roughly have 101 candy bars out of a maximum of 15. Yes, you read that correctly. You are not as lucky with other items, such as cloth, rubber gloves and dusters. What makes these three items so special is that using four of each item, you can create a Cleaning Collection. Redeeming a cleaning collection means +3 energy and 150 simoleons. These three items do tend to drop a lot, but you can only hold a maximum of 15 at a time and once you hit 15, they stop dropping. So, be crafty and leave space for more items to drop.
- Actions speak louder than words. This is true, especially when you're visiting one of your neighbors. Don't hesitate to get funky on the keyboards, play great music on the guitar, paint their portrait, serve tapas or dance together. It almost always gives your relationship a "++" and instead of the usual two social points per action, you'll get three. This gives you the opportunity to walk out with 25 social points – a nice haul for 5 actions.
- Lastly, the Shop button is your best friend. If there's one thing that Facebook games lack, it's a Save button. Remember this game is in your browser, but the information is stored on their servers. By clicking the Shop button, you are essentially saving the game because the server is taking a point in time save of your progress so that if you buy or move something, the game can reflect that in real time. So, I'll change the old adage to "Shop Early, Shop Often." You'll thank me later.
The Sims Social is obviously not for everyone, but as far as Facebook games go, it is actually a lot of fun. Just be forewarned, as with any Facebook game, this game will constantly be asking you for more time, more friends and more money. That said, you can thoroughly enjoy yourself without spending a dime or constantly annoying your friends. Good Luck!
