Recently, the developer has gone back through the base game and all packs to change certain moodlets from “Uncomfortable” to “Scared” to match the newest stuff pack, Paranormal. Doing this has improved gameplay and made it more realistic for Sims to get scared during a thunderstorm rather than just being uncomfortable. Due to the fact the developer went back through to recode those items, many players feel the same should be done for certain aspects of the game that are unnecessarily gendered.
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Custom Pronouns
Many fans and players of The Sims 4 have been asking for a way to customize pronouns for individual Sims. As it exists in-game now, automated messages will show up using “she” or “he” pronouns when referring to different members of each household. While this may seem fine on the surface, it can cause a bit of a dilemma for players. If someone is playing with a Sim who is transgender, the game will default to using the pronouns that match a Sim’s biological sex, which is a major issue.
Pronouns are a crucial part of people’s identities, so it’s unfortunate that The Sims 4 can indirectly misgender Sims because of the pronoun system in place. If there were a way for players to specify what pronouns their Sim uses and then have those pronouns appear in automated messages, it would ease a lot of the disappointment some players face. The Sims is a life simulation game, but it’s upsetting that those who are transgender and nonbinary aren’t able to accurately simulate their lives with the correct pronouns.
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Updated In-Game Messages
A custom pronoun system sounds fantastic in theory, but it may not be possible within the framework The Sims 4 has set up at the moment. It would be an excellent addition in The Sims 5, but that still leaves players wondering how their Sim’s gender identity will be respected in The Sims 4. Not every automated message that pops up uses gendered pronouns, but messages from older packs do. This could easily be remedied, though.
Later packs seem to have eliminated the use of gendered pronouns, instead using the gender-neutral “they” in place of “she” or “he.” Much like the developer went back through to change some “Uncomfortable” moodlets to “Scared,” the same process could occur for updating in-game messages. Doing so would respect the gender identity of every Sim in-game and get rid of any possibility of misgendering any Sim.
In real life, being misgendered can be a devastating experience. The Sims is meant to be a simulation game where everyone can represent themselves, but that can’t be done if pronouns aren’t respected or represented. It may not seem like a big deal to add custom pronouns or update the in-game automated messages to be gender-inclusive, but it would make a world of difference for all Sims 4 players — especially those who are trans, nonbinary, or fall anywhere else on the gender spectrum.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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