The Sims 4 Rocket Science
Mission Advice, Collectibles, and Ship Upgrades
Rocket Science lets your Sim Build and Upgrade a Space Ship
The Rocket Science skill allows your Sim to go on choose-your-own-adventure style missions in space, often returning home with rewards like collectible alien species and space rocks. Rare plants like the Cow Plant and Orchids can be acquired from pursuing this skill, as well as both the Space Rocks and Alien Collections. Rocket Science goes naturally with the Astronaut Career Track, helping with its later-career daily task of going on space missions. Given the cost to start these adventures in space, taking a Career that rewards you for using it is wise. You will also get one of two unique Spacecraft for reaching a high level in the Career. Going on Space Missions while an Astronaut seems to expand the possible mission types, and it is likely Space Rangers and Interstellar Smugglers might have some different missions.
A Sim Astronaut
Getting Started as a Rocket Scientist
Your first Spaceship can be acquired under Buy Mode > Objects by Room > Outdoors > Outdoor Activities > Steampunk Flyamajig for $5,000. Note it costs another $1,000 to build it, and you will gain some levels in the process of building the ship. You are also able to ask other Sims to help you with this process, by starting the work and selecting 'Ask X to help with Rocket'. Building is preferable to reading a Skill Book for efficiency, but you could work on your Rocket Science skill with books until you are able to afford this big investment. Other Rocket Ships are unlocked via the two different branches of the Astronaut Career. There is not a lot of money to be made here; it's mainly a chance at getting some rare collectibles.
Crashing becomes less likely with Upgrades and Skill Levels
Rocket Science Skill Level Unlocks
Unlisted levels help you build and upgrade Rocket Ships faster, which is helpful when your ship crashes and you're forced to rebuild ($1000). It would seem that your upgrades are kept when the ship crashes, which is really good as that is a time-consuming process that is also very costly.
- Level 1 - Upgrade Landing Stabilizers ($500) - reduces chance of a crash landing, which can destroy your ship, forcing you to rebuild it again.
- Level 3 - Expand Fuel Storage Tank ($700) - Allows you to travel further, expanding your ship's ability to explore the cosmos. This likely aids in the variety of missions you will receive.
- Level 5 - Improve Maneuvering Thrusters ($1000) - Traveling faster will improve your outcome in situations that require speed - outrunning other ships and even participating in races.
- Level 6 - Expand Cargo Bay ($1300) - helps you out on Missions, as certain ones rely on you having enough room for something. It may also help you to bring home more space rocks and alien life.
- Level 7 - Install Ion Cannon Defense System ($1750) - Helps with hostile encounters, allowing you the option to protect yourself on missions in space.
- Level 9 - Install Automated Landing Computer ($2500) - Greatly reduces the odds your Spaceship is obliterated upon landing after a failed mission. This is an investment that will pay off in time if you plan to use the Rocket Ship heavily. Without these installed, I found only one mission (backwards in time one) that caused my Ship to crash.
- Level 10 - Just says that you're now a Master Rocket Scientist. With Get to Work, you'll be able to upgrade the rocket to have a Wormhole Generator, which is one of the means of getting to Sixam.
Missions are simple, but often hilarious
Mission Success and Failure
You will get a chance to try missions again and do different things. When you know what sends you home with no reward, you can avoid that option by trying again. When you know there was a chance for success, you can try again - particularly once you've got your Ship upgraded. Reading each mission will improve your chances of success, as many of them are logical. The text for these missions can be hilarious, so they're worth a read anyway! Some give no reward but a Moodlet, while all Missions give your Sim Rocket Science experience the entire time they're in space.
Alien and Space Rock Collectibles
Space Rock and Alien Life Collections
Rocket Science will reward you with two things for completing Collections. Space Rocks will give you an Orchid for your garden, which is a plant that is very hard to get otherwise, and completing the Alien Life Collection will give you a plaque for the wall. You will sometimes get these collectibles without anything in particular happening on a mission. Many rewards are random, though completing both of these collections should not be particularly challenging.
| Space Rock Collection | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Rarity | Value |
| Common Space Rock | Common | $95 |
| Large Space Rock | Uncommon | $145 |
| Uncommon Space Rock | Uncommon | $200 |
| Unnaturally Large Space Rock | Rare | $275 |
All have an Environment rating of 3, aside from the Unnaturally Large Space Rock which scores a 5.
| Alien Collection | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Rarity | Value |
| Live Space Porcupine | Common | $165 |
| Dead Red Coral | Common | $150 |
| Dead Space Porcupine | Common | $150 |
| Dead Pink Whale | Common | $150 |
| Dead Blue Slug | Common | $150 |
| Live Red Coral | Uncommon | $165 |
| Dead Space Squid | Uncommon | $150 |
| Live Pink Whale | Uncommon | $165 |
| Live Space Squid | Rare | $165 |
| Live Blue Slug | Rare | $165 |
All Live Specimen have an Environment rating of 3, while dead have a Confident Decor rating of 3.
The Ship can be seen if you turn your camera toward the sky.
Learn More
- Cheats - Gameplay, testing, and building cheats
- Careers - All job levels, promotions and rewards
- Skills - All skills, ideal moods, and their benefits
- Expansions, Stuff, and Game Packs - All Sims DLC Features
- Babies - Caring for an infant in The Sims 4
- Children - School grades and child skills
- Tips - Gameplay tips and tricks
- Sims' Needs - Caring for your Sims
- Money - Ways of making money in The Sims 4
- Building Tutorials - Learn tricks to make your houses look great.
- Get to Work: Open for Business - running a business
- Emotions - Getting your Sims in the right mood
- Relationships and Weddings
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