ABSTRACT
Sims should model—at some abstract level—the real world. This also means that players should make the same mistakes in the sim as they do or would in the productive world. In the Carpool sim, there had to be a constant time pressure around some MacGuffin activity for it to evoke a similar feeling. An imminent carpool arriving created that pressure, even in a turn-based static experience. In other Sims, there may be an explicit countdown timer of turns left to maximize the discomfort of doing something outside the norm. Sims can use strong characters, including manipulative personalities. This makes the experience more interesting, more likely to elicit a faulty behavior from the player, and more realistic. In one military-sponsored sim on responsible use of personal firearms, the soldiers had to experience what it felt like to fire a weapon either when drunk or when the weather conditions were inclement.
