The Sims games have long been popular for how their mix of generated personalities responds to player interaction. But if you’re thinking of making your own Sims-like game, how do you program those personalities and arm yourself to anticipate their various responses? 

Way back in 2010, The Sims 3 programmer Richard Evans took the time to explain this process for one of the most popular entries in The Sims franchise. In a technical talk that should appeal to programmers and designers alike, Evans digs into everything from the programming tools to the creation of traits that would influence behaviors in the game. 

It’s a talk well worth watching, even seven years later. And you can also watch the whole thing for free on the GDC YouTube channel.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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