#will they prove me wrong and move the howlters to sulani? lol

[geniusphilester]

rory’s guide to where the howlters might move

i was talking with @underthisweather about this because we both play sims 4 and/or watch simmers that aren’t dan and phil play. there are a lot of people more well-versed in the sims 4 game and the dapg series than i am, but as someone who deliberately bought sims packs to get all the playable worlds, i can at least give it a guess.

i briefly considered making this a tier-list video but i have WAY too much on my plate to wrangle making a template and editing video right now, so quick post it is. i use all the world names, so feel free to look around youtube and other places online if you want to actually see the worlds.

Guidelines

this is all residential worlds, so vacation worlds and secret worlds aren’t being ranked. sorry, batuu (/j).

obviously, willow creek has been their home for a million years, so that’s not in the running, but i’ll talk about it a little bit before we get into the other worlds.

even though i’m not making a tier list video, i am making tiers because it’s fun. they are:

-top contenders: my best guesses for where dil, tabitha, dalien, and nuki land -possible: not my guesses, but also i won’t be completely humiliated if they pick one of these -for the bit: not likely, but if they have a particular joke or personal attachment or storyline in mind, that could keep them in the running -nah: probably not happening

if you want to jump to the end and skip my blathering, that’s where the full tier list will be.

a quick primer as to what we’re talking about here:

-“worlds” are a group of neighborhoods sorted by a general theme or biome or both.

-“neighborhoods” are a group of buildings/spaces grouped into a loose theme. while sims 4 isn’t open world like sims 3, it has wandering spaces between lots that don’t require additional loading that form the connective tissue of the neighborhoods

-“lots” are where specific buildings/houses go. there are a variety of lots: residential, commercial, etc., and they can have specific traits to help or challenges to make things harder, much like you can give sims traits. residential is our main focus here

-each lot has a grid size. 64x64 is huge; 20x15 is a lot smaller.

here’s what they’ve told us about what’s going to happen, pulled directly from the transcript (timestamp):

Phil: We are gonna either build a house from scratch or buy a house, but we're moving. Dan: We're shaking things up. Phil: To a new neighborhood. Dan: The Howlters are getting out of here. Look, it's that time. They lived a whole life. They were ready to retire. They got this three-bedroom massive house. They don't need all of this stuff. Phil: They don't. Dan: They need to start a new life in a new neighborhood now that their gay kids are out of there and they've got an emo and a Shiba Inu to raise. Phil: Yeah. Think about it, though. We're gonna have new neighbors, new friendships, new experiences, new jobs.

generally what we know/can guess:

-prebuilt or custom-built residences are most likely, but they can also bulldoze and build on other kinds of lots without cheats. i summarize the amount of lots each neighborhood has to give you an idea of how many potential neighbors might be around.

-dan is implying they’re going to downsize, so a smaller lot seems likely

-it sounds like dil and tabitha will be getting new jobs? that probably won’t have a ton of impact on the world/lot because jobs are largely “go somewhere else to work and you either can watch or not” or “you work from home but the neighborhood doesn’t have much impact here”. still, good to know

-

Willow Creek

just wanna give a quick shoutout to willow creek, dil’s home world from the beginning. it’s a base game world, and it’s got a lot of goodies: excellent starter homes, three empty lots (the one they used is a 30x20, which is not as big as they get, but is also not the smallest), notable townies (pancakes family!), a nice park, and a little downtown area. the vibes are distinctly southern USA in biome and architecture

neighborhoods

sage estates: mansions! two residential lots (one occupied by default, one prebuilt empty).

pendula view: historic section, featuring the goths. four lots (three prebuilt, one empty 30x20).

courtyard lane: current home of the howlters and pancakes! in their game, all five lots have houses (shout out to the owl slide).

foundry cove: starter homes. five lots (four prebuilt, one empty 30x20).

crawdad quarter: park, museum, nightclub, gym, library

-

Oasis Springs

another base game world! VERY deserty, specifically with a slightly palm springs (southern CA, USA) vibe? they have a lot of vague deserts in the sims 4 without actually considering biome too deeply, which i can say because i’m a high-desert queer. anyway.

neighborhoods

acquisition butte: midcentury and kind of mission-style mansions. four residential lots (three prebuilt, one empty 40x30).

skyward palms: two residential lots with mansions.

bedrock strait: the description calls it “delightfully kitschy”. five residential lots (four prebuilt, one empty 30x20).

parched prospect: single-family homes similar to bedrock strait, maybe with less kitsch? five residential lots (four prebuilt, one empty 30x20)

mirage canyon: downtown area, with museum, lounge, park, gym, and bar.

upsides

i wouldn’t call dan and phil desert gays, but irl palm springs is pretty gay! there are a lot of options here to renovate that aren’t giant but aren’t tiny, either. the howlters could get invested in the landgraab drama, if they wanted. the weather is also a lot less rainy than most other words, which means fewer thunderstorms (a big plus for my gameplay, hard to say for them).

downsides

as previously stated, i don’t see dan and phil as desert gays. oasis springs isn’t their architectural style, and emo dalien would probably be miserable (this could be an upside for story reasons, but i’m leaning toward it not working specifically here). plus, oasis springs is an early sims world, and i feel like they’ll go newer for the fun of it.

tier ranking

i deliberated over this one for a second because it’s mostly a no, but i think it’s just possible enough to put in “Possible”. the very bottom, though.

-

Newcrest

honestly, i’m hesitant to call newcrest a world all its own because it’s basically willow creek without anything in it. there are no preset buildings here, just three neighborhoods with five empty lots.

neighborhoods

bridgeview: lots are 2 20x15, 2 30x20, 1 40x30

llama lagoon: lots are 1 30x20, 1 30x30, 2 40x30, 1 50x40

ridgeline drive: lots are 3 30x20, 1 40x20, 1 40x30

upsides

one word: versatility. i play here all the time because it’s easy to make a tiny home (my favorite way to build my sims’ skills) on the smallest lots and build a full town around them, complete with all the houses, neighbors, and lot types you want. for youtubers who are into storytelling, it’s very appealing.

downsides

i honestly don’t see dan and phil as youtubers who want to make their own towns. they could pull from the gallery entirely without taking up too much time, but that feels too stale for their playstyle and personal aesthetics, and i think they want to shake things up more. it wouldn’t even make a good “we said we were moving but we didn’t say it would be different” bit.

tier ranking

nah

-

Magnolia Promenade

technically possible, but i doubt it’s happening: it’s a similar style to willow creek with three retail lots and one empty 30x20 residential lot.

tier ranking

nah

-

Windenburg

the world that came with get together, which we know dan and phil have. quality-wise, it’s one of the best worlds in the whole game: a bunch of lots, beautiful architecture, variety in neighborhoods. it has a real northwestern european vibe.

neighborhoods

windslar: mix of large houses and smaller. six residential lots with one empty 40x30, and a chalet gardens lot, including hedge maze.

olde platz: old downtown of windenburg with a bunch of housing but no empty lots. four residential, bar, library, cafe, nightclub, and an ancient ruins lot.

lykke centre: new downtown of winderburg. park, cafe, gym, nightclub, and a giant pool.

the crumbling isle: rich people on an island! five residential lots with one empty 20x20.

upsides

versatility, but with structure. building a new house on that 20x20 island lot seems very possible to me, but they could take one of the empty prebuilts or evict someone easily. a lot of neighbors to mess with, and a lot of destinations to play in. i visit lykke center’s nightclub and pool in my games all the time.

downsides

not only would i say tudor is not dan and phil’s style (which is a lot of the non-mansion housing), i would say that, despite the slightly more germanic or nordic bent, it might be too familiar in some ways? but the bigger impediment i think is that it isn’t silly enough for their playstyle and doesn’t fit any of the characters. emo dalien probably won’t pub crawl, you know?

tier ranking

more “Possible” than oasis springs, but not the highest

-

San Myshuno

the world that came with city living, and dab and evan’s stomping grounds! big city and mostly apartment living.

neighborhoods

spice market: listed as a “family neighborhood”. six apartment units in two buildings, one 30x30 single-family house prebuilt, one karaoke bar.

arts quarter: the “bohemian” neighborhood where the humor and hijinks festival happens. six apartment units, including a penthouse, and an art museum.

fashion district: the “young and trendy” neighborhood where the romance festival and geekcon happen. six apartment units, including a penthouse, and a karaoke bar.

uptown: the “luxurious” neighborhood, with four apartment units, a gym, and a rooftop lounge. the city park’s next to this one.

upsides

we know this is VERY dan and phil because dab and evan already live here (and their place looks like the dnp manchester flat)! it would be very funny if dab’s parents showed up and we saw dnp playing dab like he was constantly annoyed they were cramping his style. i would also enjoy if they demolished the standalone house and built a city-style house like forever home. not that i’m trying to get a house tour by any means possible or anything.

downsides

this isn’t different enough, and that’s why i mostly think it won’t happen. i think it would only happen if dab and evan went elsewhere.

tier ranking

For the bit. i think they’ll go a different direction but they also can’t resist being self-referential, so i can’t rule it out entirely

-

Forgotten Hollow

the world that came with vampires. if you’ve watched this sims series in full, you’ve seen it before. i play in it constantly, but most people aren’t into occult sims like i am or build cemetery lots to keep all their dead sims. for some reason.

lots (because there aren’t distinct neighborhoods)

garliclauter place: empty prebuilt, 30x20, vampire nexus lot trait

vatore house: prebuilt, 30x30

vlad’s house: prebuilt, 40x30

fledermaus bend: empty lot, 30x30

widowshild townhome: prebuilt, 30x20, registered vampire lair lot trait

there’s also some non-lot space that’s fun to hang out in, like the central park (that isn’t a park lot) and wilderness behind most of the lots

tier ranking

just skipping to this because it’s an easy “nah”: they’ve been here before and purely did it as an alternate-universe spooky week episode.

-

Brindleton Bay

the world that came with dogs and cats (and the first canon gay sim townies)! we know they have it because nuki exists. rainy seaside vibes.

neighborhoods

sable square: listed as both the “cultural center” of the world, but as a “monument” to their pets. three residential lots with one empty 30x20, a park with the dog-friendly lot trait, and a vet clinic.

cavalier cove: seaside residential of varying sizes. five residential lots with two empty 30x20s.

whiskerman’s wharf: touristy downtown wharf. three residential lots with one empty 40x30, a bar, and a lounge.

deadgrass isle: island with a museum lot. also has a lighthouse i think you can run around in, but i haven’t tried it.

upsides

if they were doing nuki-focused story or were looking to fill a house entirely with cats and dogs, this would be the place to go. maybe the howlters could have gay friends and live next door to the heckings! dan and phil yelling about the feral/townie cats would be a delight.

downsides

honestly, i’m just not a huge fan of this world. it never runs well on my computer, it rains all the time (which i like in real life, but not the sims), and if i have pets, i’m always in the vet clinic getting that stuff to work. obviously this is a ymmv thing, but i think it’s too bland for dan and phil as well.

tier ranking

low in “Possible”. i think oasis springs makes more sense, honestly.

-

Del Sol Valley

the world from get famous, which is basically a giant los angeles clone.

neighborhoods

mirage park: three residential lots, including one empty 50x40

starlight boulevard: the downtown area. two lounges, one museum, one nightclub, one park.

the pinnacles: mansion area. three prebuilt residential lots.

tier ranking

i’m gonna put this in “nah” quickly because dab is pursuing the actor career and might come here if he wants fame, but it’s more of a world to visit than live in. i don’t hate it or anything, but there’s few sims to interact with, and it wasn’t well-built. (one of the mansions has no bathrooms!) i think the only potential spoiler here is if dan and phil (mostly dan) wanted an outlet to rant about the entertainment industry, but they can do that without moving to del sol valley.

-

Strangerville

came with the pack of the same name! this is different than every other world because there’s a built-in narrative about the government and weird behavior, but it also has the neighborhood structure.

neighborhoods

secret lab: this is part of the narrative and is a single lot, but it gets its own neighborhood mention because, if you look up the map, it takes up the entire upper left corner.

shady acres: rich part of strangerville. five residential lots with two empty 30x20s.

strangerville plaza: main part of strangerville. four prebuilt residential lots, one library, and one bar.

upsides

honestly, that i have any is going to probably set me apart from any sims player-dapg fan combo. i think the red desert look is nicely different from the willow creek look, the build items are sometime underrated, and dan’s area 51 reference in the latest video could have been a hint. dil has been super close to alien weirdness; might as well follow that to its logical conclusion!

downsides

i don’t actually think dan and phil will do strangerville’s story because they want something a little more different. the richer housing in this world isn’t super well-built, and i can’t imagine them building a trailer in a trailer park for fun (although they should; i enjoy those kinds of build videos a lot).

tier ranking

For the bit

-

Sulani

the world that came with island living, probably most directly inspired in style by hawaii. this is a fun one because one of the neighborhoods is built on a volcano, multiple lots include sections of water, and you can turn into a mermaid! or, you know, just have a drink on the beach.

neighborhoods

lani st. taz: four residential lots including one empty 50x50, and a beach lot

mua pel’am: the volcano neighborhood! three residential lots, including one empty 40x30, and a lot of fun exploratory territory.

ohan’ali town: main town area. four prebuilt residential lots, one beach lot, one bar

upsides

very different than willow creek, good if they want to pursue a “dil and tabitha are kind of retired and immortal, why not go to the beach” storyline, generally just a good world.

downsides

if “pale nerds move to the desert” is a bad idea, “pale nerds move to the beach” isn’t much better. the off-the-grid options seem VERY unlikely!

tier ranking

no offense to sulani, but “nah” seems most likely

-

Glimmerbrook

realm of magic’s residential world! (there’s a portal to another world in this one, but you can’t live there without mods/cheats.) another world where i like it in theory, but the construction could be better, and it’s mostly centered around an occult type.

lots

glimmerbrook watch: empty 30x20

charm family: residential 40x20

amicable acolytes: residential 30x20

brooks bridge borough: residential 30x20

elixirs and brews: bar

tier ranking

nah

-

Britechester

discover university’s world! most of the housing here is specifically for students, but not all of it.

neighborhoods

foxbury university: the newer school! four university housing lots

gibbs hill: the town part of the college town. three prebuilt housing lots, one bar, and one library.

university of britechester: the older school. four university housing lots

tier ranking

i’m putting this in “Top contenders” with an asterisk: i don’t think it’ll happen yet, and if/when it does happen, it’ll be because dalien graduated high school and moved to university, which was implied in the latest video to be a likely path for dalien. my understanding is that university plays work better if the students live out of the world, but imagine dan and phil passing up a chance to talk about their uni experiences. i bet dalien will live his conflicted alien life in the dorms, at least to start with.

-

Evergreen Harbor

eco lifestyle’s world! it doesn’t have a strict narrative like strangerville does, but it’s built specifically for residents to vote on community initiatives and with mechanics that change the look depending on how environmentally conscious everyone’s being.

neighborhoods

grims quarry: former quarry turned residential neighborhood. three prebuild single-family lots and one apartment lot.

port promise: former industrial port trying to be reclaimed by the community. three prebuilt residential lots, one bar, one community space.

conifer station: former train area turned residential. two prebuilt residential lots, one apartment space, one community space.

upsides

i honestly think this one has a lot of potential, both in regards to dan and phil’s tastes and storyline options. going from strict scientist toward environmentalist would be a great route for dil, and the household could live in an apartment without being in the city, if they felt like downsizing that much. dan specifically has a reformed nihilist vibe that would go really well here, and dumpster diving/woohooing is a LOT of fun.

downsides

maybe not glamorous enough? dalien would probably hate it, which is not a hard no for me lol. they might want a world with more neighbors to torment, too. i’m also not sure if dan and phil have eco lifestyle, are interested, or even really know about it.

tier ranking

Top contenders, even if dan and phil don’t know it

-

Mt. Komorebi

snowy escape’s world, which is definitely japanese in influence, but not tokyo: it’s specifically more rural mountain areas. it’s also unique in that it’s half residential world, half vacation world, and the mountain is snowy even if you don’t have the seasons pack.

neighborhoods

yukimatsu: mountain peak with ski slopes! two rental lots, one onsen bathhouse, and one empty residential 50x50.

senbamachi: old part of town. three prebuilt residential lots, one bar, one park.

wakaba: new part of town. three residential lots, including one empty 20x15, one lounge, one rental.

upsides

look, it’s japan. dan and phil like japan (to put it mildly) and this pack melds older style with modern luxury real well. the builds are really solid as well; this was around the time when the sims team got simmers involved in making buildings, and it makes a big difference. the one time i played with dan and phil sims, they lived in mt. komorebi.

downsides

the combination of sports and vacation makes this a bit less likely as a moving destination, i think.

tier ranking

For the bit. it’s borderline imo, but if they go here, it will largely be because dan and phil love japan.

-

Henford-on-Bagley

cottage living’s world, which is very deliberately rural england in style.

neighborhoods

the bramblewood: mostly woods, with some buildings. three prebuilt residential lots, one park.

old new henford: the real farming neighborhood. four residential lots, including one empty 50x40.

finchwick: the village. two residential lots and one bar.

tier ranking

nah. if i think windenburg might be too familiar, henford-on-bagley definitely is, and i doubt they’ll do farming gameplay.

-

Tartosa

the world for the still-broken wedding stories pack! mediterranean in inspiration, mostly italy, i think.

neighborhoods

terra amorosa: waterfall, bridge, and buildings. three residential lots, including one empty 30x30, and one wedding venue.

porto luminoso: seaside town. three residential lots, including one empty 40x20, one rental lot, and one lounge.

tier ranking

nah. if we go here, it’ll be for the devan wedding, but even then i don’t think it’s super their style. (tbf i haven’t played here a ton, but the lounge is fun to visit)

-

Moonwood Mill

the werewolf pack’s world! i think this is a bit more liveable for most people than the vampire world, if only because there’s some variety in building type, but it’s still an occult pack.

lots

volkov house: occupied residential, 40x30

new moon shack: empty prebuilt residential, 20x15

the moonwood mill library: library

grimtooth bar and bunker: bar

prowler’s patch: empty residential lot, 30x30

tier ranking

nah. can i will another alternate universe episode like the vampire one into being, though?

-

Copperdale

the high school years world! mountain western united states vibe with a lake dividing the town in two. the map is beautiful, honestly.

neighborhoods

rockridge heights: the high school gets its own two-part neighborhood, divided into a high school building for regular school gameplay and an auditorium for things like prom, graduation, and a job fair.

prescott square: downtowny area. three prebuilt residential lots, one library, one thrift and bubble tea store (random, but high school years comes with thrifting as a money-making opportunity for teens).

plumbite cove: waterside area. three residential lots, including one empty 20x20, one rental, and one park, but my favorite part is the rabbit hole amusement park (you don’t get to see anyone go on the rides, but it’s a common afterparty destination).

upsides

if you ask me, this is the most likely neighborhood for howlter relocation! they specifically referenced high school years as dalien’s next stop, there’s a small empty lot to build on, it’s one of the newer sims expansions, and it’s different enough from willow creek to make it interesting while not reinventing the wheel. the social opportunities for dalien will be big! even if they don’t move here, we’re definitely going to see it a lot.

downsides

i do think dan and phil’s tastes have gotten more upscale over the years, so they outgrew willow creek, and copperdale might be a little quaint/small for them, too. doesn’t change the fact that dil and tabitha still have a teen.

tier ranking

Top contenders

-

San Sequoia

the growing together world! seaside town grown up; probably san francisco bay area since lots have the quake zone trait, “sequoia” implies that biome, and the map has a big bridge on it.

neighborhoods

anchorpoint wharf: downtown area. two residential lots, including an empty 30x20, one library, and one rental.

gilbert gardens: family recreation spot. three residential lots, including an empty 40x20, and one recreation center.

hopewell hills: more suburban. four residential lots, including an empty 30x20.

upsides

family space with a lot of options to build and annoy/clone neighbors, while not sacrificing a more urban feeling. plus, it’s the second most recent pack, which means it still feels fresh to a lot of people.

downsides

i’ll be honest, i thought san sequoia was a slam dunk when i was conceptualizing this post. but now that i’ve gone through all the other worlds, i think it’s honestly too young for the howlters. dalien is not splash pad age, for sure. i think it’s still a solid contender, but i would be a bit surprised if it gets picked.

tier ranking

Possible

-

Chestnut Ridge

horse ranch’s shiny new western US desert world! i’d say the red rock and hills makes i more utahish versus the southern california (oasis springs) and maybe arizona (strangerville) deserts. can i get one brushy high-desert landscape, please? anyway.

neighborhoods

galloping gulch: hilly living. two residential lots and one rental.

new appaloosa: downtown in yeehaw style. two residential lots, one nightclub, one bar, and a notable rabbit-hole arena for horse training next to the park.

riders’ glen: ranch and vineyard spaces. five residential lots with one empty 64x64.

tier ranking

let’s just jump to it: unless dan and phil get a hankering for dil and tabitha to ride horses or crush grapes, i suspect chestnut ridge will only possibly be a destination for dab and evan as brokeback mountain jokes. “For the bit” with an asterisk, it is!

-

Top contenders

Copperdale, Evergreen Harbor, Britechester*

Possible

Windenburg, San Sequoia, Oasis Springs, Brindleton Bay

For the bit

Mt. Komorebi, San Myshuno, Strangerville, Chestnut Ridge*

nah

Del Sol Valley, Sulani, Tartosa, Henford-on-Bagley, Newcrest, Glimmerbrook, Moonwood Mill, Forgotten Hollow, Magnolia Promenade * = not right away

#finally got this 4k+ monster ready to go #thanks to dnp for not posting spooky week today and giving me a lull lol #this is all my opinions: i'd love to hear other sim players' thoughts! #will they prove me wrong and move the howlters to sulani? lol #i'm excited to find out #my ramblings #sims #dapg