The Sims 1 Mods

Core Issue Addressed:

In vanilla The Sims 1, every day at 4:00 PM all non-household relationships lose 2 Short Term Relationship (STR) points. This high decay rate creates tedious maintenance for Sims with many friends, often forcing them into a routine of social upkeep instead of pursuing personal goals. Additionally, STR decays even when Sims are sharing a lot, being converted to LTR at an unfavorable rate, effectively punishing your Sim for socializing in public spaces. Long Term Relationship (LTR) points rarely mitigated this, making friendships feel unrealistic.

Understanding the Systems:

The Sims 1 has two relationship adjustment systems:

1. Daily Global Decay: In vanilla, a daily -2 STR applies to ALL non-household relationships daily at 4PM
2. On-Lot Passive System: In vanilla, relationships between your Sims and the non-household Sims sharing your lot get adjusted every 2 hours, via 2 paths, A or B, depending on whether your STR or LTR is higher

Core Changes:

• Global Relationship Decay Reduction: Daily decay halved from -2 to -1 STR for non-household Sims, making friendship maintenance more natural and manageable.
• Passive Relationship Gain/Loss Rework: The mod reworks how Short Term (STR) and Long Term (LTR) relationships interact on shared lots, balancing STR→LTR and LTR→STR conversion and checking every 4 hours, so socializing is less punishing and long-term friendships are more rewarding.
• Version A: Balanced Model: Vanilla flavored version, it keeps STR/LTR exchanges fair, rewarding meaningful relationships over time with a bias, while still requiring occasional maintenance at a relaxed pace.
• Version B: Relaxed Model: Hands-off version with NO on-lot penalties, allowing gradual LTR growth; STR gain on Path-B is reduced to prevent inflation, but occasional maintenance is still needed.

Technical Implementation:

• Modified VisitGenerator.iff: 2 → 1 (global decay amount)
• Modified HDLTR.iff: Path A/B multiple reassignments
• Check Interval: Timer adjustment from 2 → 4 Sim hours

Mathematical Comparison vs Vanilla:

Choose Version A (Balanced) if:

• You want dynamic relationship mechanics with trade-offs that build gains on the long run
• You want a more dynamic point system. (Little benefits at start/Large benefits later)
• You prefer a relaxed relationship system that slowly gets easier over time
• You want a more flexible relationship maintenance

Choose Version B (Relaxed) if:

• You want consistent relationship mechanics that build up gains over time
• You want a more linear point system. (Regular benefits all the time)
• You prefer a more relaxed relationship system that builds gradually
• You want a more hands-off approach to relationship maintenance

Gameplay Implications that affect BOTH versions:

• Career Advancement: Much more manageable (friend decay reduced 50+%)
• Long-Term Play: Relationships evolve more naturally over time
• Community Lots: No longer penalized for shared occupancy, every lost point gets exchanged
• Social Requirements: Meeting large job friend requirements becomes realistically achievable without abandoning the system

Step-by-Step Installation:

1. Choose either Version A (Balanced) or Version B (Relaxed) based on your preferred playstyle
2. Download the zipped mod file by clicking on the picture of this mod, it includes both versions
3. Extract the mod files of your chosen version to your The Sims 1 installation folder, location may differ based on your game version (Complete Collection/Legacy Collection):
   • The Sims/Gamedata/Objects/VisitGenerator.iff
   • The Sims/ExpansionShared/HDLTR.iff
4. Launch The Sims 1 - changes are immediate, no configuration needed

Compatibility:

• Developed and tested on The Sims 1 Complete Collection
• Should work without issues on Legacy Collection (Let me know)
• To uninstall, simply delete the modified IFF files from your installation folder

Version 1.0 (2026):

• Reduced 4PM global relationship decay from -2 to -1 Daily points
• Reworked on-lot passive adjustment system with two distinct versions
• Version A (Balanced): Daily -1, Lifetime +1 when Daily > Lifetime; Daily +2, Lifetime -1 when Lifetime > Daily
• Version B (Relaxed): Daily 0, Lifetime +1 when Daily > Lifetime; Daily +1, Lifetime 0 when Lifetime > Daily
• Changed check interval from 2-hour to 4-hour frequency

Design Philosophy and Closing Notes:

This mod addresses The Sims 1's most punishing relationship systems while offering players meaningful choices. The original game's relationship decay was disproportionately severe, making career advancement through friendships excessively tedious. Version A maintains the strategic conversion between Daily and Lifetime relationships but with greatly reduced penalties. Version B eliminates on-lot penalties entirely for players who prefer minimal relationship maintenance.

As Will Wright stated about the design of The Sims:

“We wanted players to feel the consequences of social choices. Relationships weren’t just numbers—they reflected how Sims lived their lives and interacted with others, giving players a sense of connection and responsibility.” – Will Wright, The Sims Developer Interview, 2000

I believe both versions make the game's social requirements realistically achievable while preserving the core relationship mechanics that define The Sims experience.
Versions might be tweaked or added in the future; feel free to contact me through the Contact Form on this website if you’d like to see a different version of this mod, or if you have any feedback about it.