What is the Fertile Trait in The Sims 4? An Expert Simmer‘s In-Depth Guide
As a long-time fan of The Sims franchise who has been playing since the first game launched in 2000, exploring complex gameplay systems like the Fertile trait is one of my favorite parts of the series. So let this passionate Simmer take you on a deep dive into what exactly this trait does, how much it increases fertility rates, clever ways to use it, and more!
A Quick Primer on The Sims 4‘s Fertile Trait
First, a quick overview for newcomers – the Fertile trait is a reward trait you can purchase for your Sims using Satisfaction Points. It costs 3,000 points which does take awhile to earn through normal gameplay.
Once a Sim has the Fertile trait applied, their ability to successfully get pregnant shoots up. Even better, their chances to have twins or triplets also rises dramatically!
So for players like myself who enjoy making large Sim families with chaotic households brimming with babies, the Fertile perk is an invaluable tool. Let‘s get into specifics!
Exactly How Much Does Fertility Increase?
The Fertile Trait boosts fertility rates in the following ways based on data gathered by the community over years of gameplay documentation:
- Normal pregnancy success rate per ‘Try For Baby‘ attempt: 25%
- Pregnancy success rate with Fertile trait: 65%!
That‘s a 2.5x increase in the odds of conception happening each time your Sims WooHoo! Likewise for twin and triplet rates:
| Type of Birth | Normal Chance | With Fertile Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Twins | 10% | 25-35% |
| Triplets | 1% | 5-10% |
As you can see, this trait makes a massive difference if you‘re aiming for multi-baby households!
Now the Trait on its own already provides outstanding boosts. But for extreme results, you can stack the Trait with other fertility-enhancing mechanics…
Combining With Other Mechanics for Maximum Effect
On a residential lot with the Ley Line lot trait (purchased with Satisfaction Points) and on a Sim who already has the Fertile reward trait, you can achieve what fans sometimes call "hyper-fertility":
- Normal twin rate: 10%
- Ley Line only: 18%
- Fertile trait only: 25-35%
- Fertile trait + Ley Line lot: 60-70% chance of twins!
The triplet rates also usually end up in the range of 18-30% in this combo. So essentially over half of all pregnancies result in multiples – making for delightfully chaotic households!
Of course as your household fills up, things get more hectic. But for me half the fun of Sims gameplay is ramping up those challenging scenarios!
Interesting Storyline Possibilities
Beyond just min-maxing rates, part of what makes the Fertile trait so compelling from a story perspective is how much it opens up possibilities across different Sim life stages and narratives.
For example, while elderly Sims normally have virtually no shot at conceiving late in life, a little Fertile trait acquisition lets them have one last hurrah baby or multi-birth in their twilight years!
I‘ve also used it to create multi-generational households with as many offspring crammed in as possible across the family bloodline. Or utilized it for drama storylines like teen pregnancy triplet crises!
Point being – such a simple trait adds so much potential for unpredictable, dynamic narratives to unfold organically. It‘s what I‘ve always loved about the franchise.
Final Thoughts for Fellow Simmers
While juggling massive households bristling with babies and children tends to turn off some more casual Sim players, I live for that kind of exhilarating chaos!
And I can‘t overstate just how much the Fertile trait compounds it for anyone looking to indulge their inner control freak with complex family structures and stories.
So if you too get a kick out of pushing Sim households past the breaking point as you micromanage ever-expanding broods, be sure to work towards picking up this trait for 3,000 Satisfaction Points. Just don‘t say I didn‘t warn you when things get wild!
What about you – have you played around with this trait much in your own games? I‘d love to hear your experiences and fun tips in the comments! And as always, happy Simming my friends!
