Sims 4 gets sensitive with new emotion and building tools

Good news for Sims addicts -- publisher EA has given eager fans a few details concerning the fourth full instalment of the popular people-manager.

EA called the game a "bold step forward" as it demonstrated a few new creative tools at a Gamescom press event in Germany. It's now "easier and faster" to build houses for example, with new features including a tool to place pre-decorated rooms, and arrows you can drag to resize individual sections of your Sim-house.

You'll get new design tools when it comes to creating your Sims, too. You can now sculpt Sim-features as if by hand, smoothing noses and cheekbones as if they're made from plasticine, instead of simply cycling through a handful of pre-set facial features. As if that's not enough to get your pulse racing, you can also give individual Sims specific walking styles.

EA also gave its new emotion system an airing. This revamped dynamic sees Sims' emotions manipulated by nearby characters' actions, while decor can also have an impact -- today's demo saw a suggestive painting of a lady straddling a rocket causing two Sims to get steamy.

The Sims 4 follows the disastrous launch of EA's SimCity, in which a mandatory Internet connection led to server woes for many players. EA has said that The Sims 4 won't have the same always-on requirement, thankfully.