Introduction to Hobbies

There are a total of 5 Hobby Stories in the game, each of which are played out alongside your relationship and career stories. And though it is relatively easy to hop onto the different hobbies in the game, there are some minor pre-requisites in order to unlock them -- most of which dependent on your current level.

(cooking hobby) Now We’re Cooking - Level 8

(guitar hobby) Six-String Fling - Level 11

(writing hobby) Tales from the Script - Level 13

(yoga hobby) Yay for Vinyasas! - Level 17

(piano hobby) Play it Again, Sim - Piano Heirloom

If you just got started in the game, it is relatively easy to reach level 11 even on first 2 to 3 days of playing -- which would normally get two of your sims a hobby of their own. What this actually does (getting hobbies) is unlock more content for the game in the form of purchasable items for your house. In case you are wondering what that will bring you in return, aside from the fact that it updates your library of items at home, you generally "Sell" you parties to other people looking around for one, with the number of benefits they can earn from attending the one you throw.

Although this is nothing to worry about especially when you just begun playing the game, later on, you'll figure out that different types "hobby-related" equipment present some sort of "benefit" to certain party goers. Having the assortment of activities present in your house will, in effect, make lots of other players interested in your parties.

Beginner Notes: It is not possible to enlist on learning two hobbies at once. Since they are considered as stories in the game, you'll have to pause on one story in order to start another. Similar to how progress is kept on the career stories, you can go back and forth different hobbies and get back to them to the state where you left off. In essence, what you can do is put a hobby on "hold" whenever you try to pursue something that might have been unlocked recently (like when you unlock Guitar hobby when you still have ways to go in cooking hobby).

How to Actually get into Hobbies:

From the get go, you'll know that there are actually 5 different hobbies in the game. But to actually get into the hobbies themselves, nothing much is revealed or taught to you how to "actually" get started on one. Apparently, aside from the level pre-requisite of each hobby(which you wouldn't know until you actually get to be in that level), you’ll have to buy a particular item that will enable your sim to take on that particular hobby.

For instance, when you reach player level 8 in the game, you'll have access "Now We're Cooking" story, which is technically the cooking hobby. For you to actually force that hobby into practice, you'll have to purchase a stove where your sim can actually perform that hobby.

Essentially, different hobbies requires some type of "tools for the trade". There are several optional equipment or relative ornaments for every hobby that you can purchase as well. What these items do are similar to the items you purchase for your career -- they give variety to the things you do in order to complete an event. Depending on the item, (say for instance a fridge, sink, table or stove) the activities that will be present there would sometimes differ on their energy needs -- some of which will only require 1 energy (very useful on instances where you can finish an event with just 10 points).

As you master the trade (essentially unlocking its stages), you'll be given access to other items that are initially not available to you. Most of the time, these items are relevant to the field to which you are studying too, and will ultimately benefit you in that particular hobby as well (e.g. learning cooking will unlock mixer -- which can be purchased to give you a variety of actions while performing your hobby).

Important Reminder: Hobby Stories are very similar to how Career Stories are played out. When an event is active, you'll typically use energy in every action you perform. As hobby stories can be played alongside a career stories, they can easily drain one sim's energy gauge. Make sure to plan this out ahead. Although it is possible for one sim to play two stories at the same time (one hobby and one career), typically you may want to focus progress one story at a time to unlock stuff at a constant pace.

You'll probably notice this when you have your first two sim, and one has a cooking hobby while the other one doesn't have any. There will be a point where the other sim without a hobby will generally reach higher levels in his/her career compared to the other one with a hobby, as you would tend to diversify the energy in learning the hobby and earning progress in his/her career at the same time. When you get to a point where you are able to play 4 sims at a time, having two focused on career stories, and the other two focused on hobby/relationship stories will let you unlock in-game items at a constant pace.

Also, every actions within a "hobby-event" are designated as the stars on top of "points of interest" on the screen. You similarly have risky actions too where you tend to earn more progress when successfully accomplishing them. And lastly, when an event is concluded, you'll have that pink check mark too on top of your sim to signify that he/she is done with the event. While you earn career points in your work shift, working on your hobby will give you hobby points instead -- which technically fills up a relative gauge that tells you your current progress in that particular hobby story.