To members of mainstream society the entire Sims series is simply a game. However, to anyone who has had a taste of simming and didn't stop it's actually much more than that. The Sims is a lifestyle choice. If you ask simmers how long they've had the addiction they won't answer that it's been a few months and the game is pretty cool/kinda funny. Their replies will be in multiple years. If a broken computer or something else gets in the way of gameplay simmers go through withdrawal and have cravings to get back into it until they truly can. This is because no other game is like The Sims. People search for an equivalent all over the internet and can't find it in online communities like IMVU or Second Life. Those online games are fun but nowhere near the same being able to control the world in this way. Really, you can only understand the inside jokes and references of the simming world if you are an avid simmer yourself and here's a list of key characteristics:

1. You Know The History

Almost even better than you know the history of your own country --who am I kidding? This is what you've truly memorized--. Simmers truly addicted to simming have played through the repeating households in each version of the sims and know the entire histories and the mysteries that make up the Simverse. What really happened to Brandi Broke's husband? How did Don Lothario end up in Sunset Valley? And the question that's been on everyone's mind since Pleasantview: "Where's Bella?" You know the Landgraabs, the Goths, the Burbs, the Brokes, the Newbies, the Calientes, and more. Do those who have simply dabbled in the game by killing off a sim and getting bored after making a new family in CAS know that The Sims 3 is set 50 years before the Sims 2? This is not a known fact by those who have only removed a pool ladder and watched their creation drown a few times.

2. You Know The Lingo
There's nothing wrong with a little cheating every now and again. Cheats are readily available through the Sims team because they know that it can be necessary for gameplay and unlike other companies they just want to see what the simmers do with their sims. If you're a devoted simmer then the phrase "testingcheats" (whether it's enabled or true) is embedded into your mind and your fingers readily go for ctrl+c. The motherlode cheat is common knowledge but are all of the cheats past the menu? Novice simmers don't know how to automatically fill all their sims needs or edit anyone in CAS that they please. Sometimes cheats like resetsim are very necessary. Besides cheats there's mods like woohooer, mastercontroller, story progression and so many more. You may not have known much about computers but you learn a good bit as a savvy simmer. You could try bragging to someone who doesn't play sims about your tons of cc and nonlagging game, but they would just ask you what cc stands for and look pretty confused.

3. You Know The Best Way To Make Friends
The Sims community is a reliable one where you'll always find others with common interests who want to hear your stories and know how you are regardless of if it's sims related. If I had a nickel for every actual friend I've made because of Sims I'd have almost 50 cents. Simmers have soo much to relate to with fellow simmers so this only serves as a way to bring you closer to anyone who also plays. You share the good times, the bad times, and especially the funny times (glitches make really funny pictures if you hadn't guessed).

4. You Know The Community
Past simply having simming friends, being in Sims groups on Facebook, and tweeting at the Sims Gurus you know your Sims community very well. You know the names of who makes the games and they appreciate you and reach out for help with the games. Your favorite videos to watch on youtube are almost always Sims related and your favorite youtubers are Simmers like XUrbanSimsX, LifeSimmer, The English Simmer, and more. You know all the best sites to get simmer created cc and mods such as The Sims Resource and Mod The Sims. The Sims Community is a group as tight knit as they come. The simmers on youtube are friends and are supported by EA and come to with advice and the players are greatly valued. If you're part of the community of avid, longtime simmers you know how important the new additions of toddlers and vampires are to The Sims 4, for example.

5. You Know Your Priorities
You would much rather drop the necessary bucks on an amazing sims inspired Halloween costume than an expensive one from the store which could cost the same as an entire base game or expansion pack. $20-60 is much better spent on expansions, stuff packs, and game packs and $5-$10 feels like a lot more when you think of it in simpoints.

6. You Know That You're Never Going To Stop
You can't get rid of your urge to play Sims and that is completely okay. There are so many things to do and you'll probably expire before you can really experience everything that each game has to offer. Quick! You better eat some ambrosia and take a Young Again potion just to be safe.