GamesSimulationThe Sims 4Meet the Sims 4 modder who went from styling hair to styling mermaids, vampires, and werewolves for a livingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesSimulationThe Sims 4Meet the Sims 4 modder who went from styling hair to styling mermaids, vampires, and werewolves for a livingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: EA; SpinningPlumbobs)
“For the first few years after I started learning to mod, I was actually a hairdresser.” You and I might know Trey Bennett now as SpinningPlumbobs, dedicated modder forThe Sims 4and passionate fan of all things supernatural, so perhaps it makes sense that this ex-day job had him flexing a different kind of creative muscle. “Turns out I was able to beat the ‘air-headed cosmetologist’ stereotype,” he jokes.
“A little joy” here refers to the 16-and-counting mods that he, under the creator name SpinningPlumbobs, has built for The Sims 4 so far, ranging from cosmetic additions like the Cottage Fae Dress to the significant gameplay changes made in the likes of Expanded Mermaids. “I believe my first mod, or at least the first one I remember being especially proud of, was a default replacement for some of the elixirs inThe Sims 3: Supernatural,” Bennett recalls. “It’s strange to think back on projects like this because, to me, they seem so simple compared to what I do now.”
It’s a kind of magic
(Image credit: EA; SpinningPlumbobs)
Ye Olde SimCity(Image credit: EA)I’m trying to recreate The Sims Medieval with The Sims 4 Castle Estate – or get sent to the stocks for trying
Ye Olde SimCity
(Image credit: EA)I’m trying to recreate The Sims Medieval with The Sims 4 Castle Estate – or get sent to the stocks for trying
(Image credit: EA)
I’m trying to recreate The Sims Medieval with The Sims 4 Castle Estate – or get sent to the stocks for trying
Looking through theSpinningPlumbobs Patreon page, it’s not hard to see why the comparisons feel so staggering. Bennett’s work amounts to some of thebest Sims 4 modsI’ve gotten my hands on over the years, especially as a self-confessed occult Simmer who hasn’t made a human Sim since 2004.
He’s no doubt referring in part to the fairly limited base game mechanics of The Sims 4’s mermaid occult type, or how long it took EA to add werewolves into the mix at all. “Now that I’m able to create content for The Sims 4, my imagination takes me in all different directions for each project I work on. It seems like the players appreciate that, which makes all the hours of effort entirely worth it.”
(Image credit: EA; SpinningPlumbobs)
“My mind went crazy with ideas centered around the mythology, pop culture, and literary influences of mermaids…“Trey Bennet
“My mind went crazy with ideas centered around the mythology, pop culture, and literary influences of mermaids…”
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“As someone who has been obsessed with the ocean and mermaids since before I can remember, I have to say that mermaids are my favorite occult, hands down,” says Bennett, recalling feeling “absolutely giddy when they were revealed to be coming to the [Sims 3] game, especially since they hadn’t been introduced in any previous version before. This interest obviously carried over to the first major mod I released for The Sims 4: the Expanded Mermaids mod. The official [Sims 4 mermaid] occult was very impressive to me in terms of the customization and animations, but my mind went crazy with ideas centered around the mythology, pop culture, and literary influences of mermaids, so starting that mod was a natural first step for my modding journey.”
Mod-ern family
(Image credit: EA; SpinningPlumbobs)
This desire to blend in with EA’s base content speaks to a different, more sobering side to the modding community. Innovative and well-intended as most mods and custom content (CC) are, the publisher does not directly support the use of them in-game. Mods have to be toggled on upon installing new ones, or after each official game update, since The Sims 4 disables them automatically despite how easy it has been to mod every iteration of The Sims since day-one. How does this feel to Bennett, whose job is to create content for a game that seems to actively mistrust him on a technical level?
(Image credit: EA; SpinningPlumbobs)
My imagination takes me in all different directions for each project I work on.Trey Bennett
My imagination takes me in all different directions for each project I work on.
Bennett himself is part of the EA Creator Network, an approved group of content and mod creators that work directly with the publisher. “I think this is a great path for EA to take, and my only hope is that they continue this relationship with the modding community into the next entry of The Sims games.”
For more interviews with Simmers,meet the Sims 4 player behind the 700-year challenge.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”