The Sims 2: FreeTime/Walkthrough

There's so much to do in The Sims 2: FreeTime that it's best described on this information bar presented after the game is loaded.

Getting Started
First of all, you might want to check out the new neighbourhood Desiderata Valley, if you've got all the expansion packs, you may have to wait while it loads up the pets and the weather for the neighbourhood. Also, when you load up a new neighbourhood, it will initially take twice as long because the game needs to create hobbies for your sims. When you're in Desiderata Valley, check out the new houses and objects.

Hobbies
The main feature of this game is the new hobby system. There are ten different hobbies to get enthusiastic in. To know how enthusiastic your sim is, check out the new hobby panel in the simology panel. The ten hobbies are displayed like the skills panel with ten levels of enthusiasm. Gaining enthusiasm in a hobby unlocks special rewards from talking about the hobby to blogging about it to being in the zone. You might even unlock a secret lot. Also note that enthusiasm can decay so if you don't keep your sims occupied, you may find them getting bored again. Lets take a look at each hobby.

Arts & Crafts
Creative sims love their arts and crafts and there's plenty to do with it. First of all, painting on the easel will boost enthusiasm, you can now frame your paintings. There's also two new talents for this hobby; pottery and sewing. If you want to start young, check out the activity table for toddlers and children which lets them pratice their drawing skills. Finally if you have Open for Business, making toys and flower bouquets also improves your enthusiasm.

Cuisine
Cuisine sims love creating their own food. First of all, study to improve there cooking skill. As always new skill points unlocks new food. Eating food will also improve enthusiasm. But that's not all, drinking beverages at the bar will also make sims love food more. There's also restaurants from Nightlife and food stands from Bon Voyage. Cuisine lovers can also unlock new platters of food that no-one else can cook. Finally, when you really love your food, enter a cooking contest with your masterpiece.

Film & Literature
In previous games, when sims read books, they always read the same old novel. Now you can choose the book you want to read from a children's classic to a crime mystery. You can also watch a variety of films on the TV. Sims that love their books can also discuss them with other book fanatics. Finally, the novel writing system on the computer has been given a revamp. Choose the title, cover and 5 main plot elements of the book then sell it for cold hard cash.

Fitness
Some sims need to be fit to attract a mate. Using exercise machines is the way to go. There's also a new exercise bike that helps burn those carbs. If you want a variety, look at the ones from University. As well, go swimming and jogging to improve your fitness. You can also take other sims with you. Finally, fitness fanatics can make their own protein shake which gets them ready for the next workout session.

Games
Some sims just want to have fun. They can have all the fun they need with a new selection of games. Choose between Spore, MySims or other games. In fact, get them all if you want. If you're really careful, you might get another game, you can't buy in the shops. When you're ready, enter a game competition to make the other gamers respect your sim. If electronic games aren't your thing, you can always play darts, pool, or Don't Wake the Llama.

Music & Dance
There's such a beauty in music. If your sims really love music, start at toddler hood by teaching them a nursery rhyme. Then get them to practice some tunes on the piano. Then as the days go by, collect more instruments, there's eight instruments to collect if you have every expansion pack. When you're ready, perform your music on a community lot. This has been done before in University but sims have never been in the zone. There's also freestyling (University) and karaoke (Nightlife). Finally if your sims love dancing, get the ballet barre and practise, learn Hula and the Slap Dance (Bon Voyage) and enter a dance competition. There's prizes to be won.

Nature
Nature sims love the great outdoors. Start by birdwatching or bug hunting, then build up your collection. As well, you can go on hikes which have special rewards in store. Finally, a lot of the features included in Seasons are nature inclined. Building up gardening talent is a good measure of how much your sims know about nature. If you don't want to garden, try fishing, or catching butterflies and fireflies. Your nature sim will certainly want them. Finally, your sim might want to live outdoors. Get them a tent (The Sims 2: Bon Voyage) and start to camp.

Science
Scientific sims are best aligned with the knowledge aspiration as both want to know more about the universe. First buy their very own formicarium and watch them smile as they observe the ants. Just make sure the ants don't escape. Then get them out there with the telescope. The more they watch, the more they learn. In fact they might even discover a new planet. If you stargaze long enough, you could meet some people from another world.

Sports
Sims have loved sports ever since University. Seasons gave them roller and ice skating but they've never been able to copy the heroes they could watch on the sports channel. Not any more. Start with the no-cost football toss with there friends and family then, get the soccer goal post and have a friendly game as they improve their skill. Shooting a few hoops is also fun and new objects let you create your own basketball court.

Tinkering
Sims love to play around. Start with the activity table. Playing with blocks gets their imagination rolling. Then get remote control vehicles for their amusement. The first real challenge should probably be the train set. It's fun and customizable. Then when they're ready, purchase a broken down car and watch them attempt to repair it. The reward: a fully functional car for less than the full price for a working car. Tinkerers also love robots. Open for Business gave them the robot stand. Now watch their talent grow in the field of robotics. When they've created their first servo, they know everything there is to know about tinkering.

Lifetime Aspiration
Get some lifetime benefits for your sims. When your sims fulfill big steps in their lifetime, the new meter fills up with points. Big scorers include learning to talk, growing up, getting an A+, having your first job or kiss, getting married, having kids and teaching them everything you know. Why do you want the meter to fill up? Filling up the meter gives you points for special benefits. To name a few, there's super fertility for family sims, smooth talking for romance sims and summoning aliens for knowledge sims. All in all, there's sixteen benefits for your sims. One of which is choosing a secondary aspiration. Now there's more to do in your life.

Other Features

 * Five new careers. Choose from Architecture, Dancer, Entertainer, Intelligence, and Oceanographer.
 * Parents can now study parenting at the bookshelf to help them raise their baby best.
 * Sims now tell you what they thought of the previous week. If they were bored, this could be a wake up call.
 * When sims grow up, they can choose three NPCs to grow with them.
 * You can now go to any neighbourhood from the current lot you're playing with the new advanced neighbourhood options.
 * Sims that excel in their hobby may be rewarded with a lamp that has special wish-granting powers.
 * A new cheat can let you edit neighbourhood terrain.
 * You can now create custom radio stations.