Werewolves’ Inside Look At A Creator’s Builds

Our players make The Sims every day. They play to express their individualities, interests and aspirations. They inspire us to keep innovating and improving. They’re creators in every sense of the word.   

We are constantly collaborating with creators to help us bring new perspectives to The Sims. Most recently, The Sims™ 4 partnered with prominent builder and community creator James Turner to design four lots for The Sims 4 Werewolves Game Pack, including the Grimtooth Bar & Bunker, The Moonwood Mill Library, The Collective Cabin and New Moon Shack. 

Residing in Melbourne, Australia, James’s experience with The Sims goes all the way back to the age of six.  Having always loved the process of building, crafting and putting things together, The Sims provided him with the perfect creative outlet to fully express himself and discover his architectural knack. Soon after, he started producing music videos to popular songs, and although he humbly admits they weren’t very good, this opened him up to the world of video and content creation; which we’re absolutely thankful for. 

Now with well over one million YouTube subscribers, James still very much enjoys the problem solving that is required to efficiently navigate The Sims. Just as it did when he was a kid, The Sims continues to uncover hidden talents of his, one of them now being programming. 

We spoke with James to learn about the inspirations behind his Moonwood Mill lots, why he’s excited for this new world, and what kind of werewolf he aspires to be.

Where did you find the inspiration to create your lots in Moonwood Mill?

The world is inspired by a boreal forest environment, so I took that information and researched as much as I could on the types of small towns, logging industry and general aesthetic of the architecture found in these areas. I found some fantastic imagery of abandoned factories and small weatherboard homes that I used as an inspiration for my lots.

Can you describe the bar and library you built within Moonwood Mill?

For the library lot, a factory was always the plan. Moonwood Mill is a rundown, almost abandoned town, and the factory was repurposed by the remaining residents into a sort of community hub with everything from books and computers, to gym equipment and telescopes!

Knowing that the library was an old factory, I wanted to see how far I could push the narrative of it being abandoned. Holes in the walls, exposed steel framework, and nature taking over. I wanted it to feel like it was on its last legs. I absolutely love seeing the bright yellow steelwork being exposed by the fallen walls; the color it brings to the world really draws the eye!

The bar was so fun to build. It looks small and quite cramped for interior space, but those that have become a werewolf can seek out the hidden entrance to the sewer. This gives access to a secret hideout filled with everything you need to survive and thrive. Venturing below the ground, you’ll find a disused sewer network filled with amenities, games, beds and more. I was really inspired by the expansive storm sewers that exist under Tokyo. When you head underground, I wanted the space to open and offer much more than you’d expect when you look from above.

You might even notice that the sewer shares a design aesthetic with the exposed one in the library. I imagined that this network was all connected and since the factory closed down, it’s no longer used.

Aside from what you helped create, what are you most excited for within Moonwood Mill?

I absolutely love the overall vibe of this world. It offers an environment that we don’t have, and I think it’ll be great to see the new builds and stories come from the community.

Okay, now for the most important question: what kind of werewolf will you be in Moonwood Mill?

Well, as is my way, I’ll be starting with no money and working my way up. I want to be the strongest werewolf I can be. I’m going to make Moonwood Mill my town!

We hope Greg doesn’t have anything to say about it.