The Sims 3 Into the Future: Advanced Technology Skill
Dream Pods, Sprites and Holo Emitters, Jet Packs and Food Synthesizers
| Time Traveler | Utopia & Dystopia | Legacy Statues | Descendants | Advanced Tech | Bot Building |
| Laser Rhythm-a-con | Plumbots | Trait Chips | Astronomy Career | Bot Arena Career | Nanites |
The Advanced Technology Skill comes with The Sims 3 Into the Future and governs your Sim's ability to use the new gadgetry and technology that is available in the Future World. This Guide will focus on what raising the skill will unlock: Dream Pod Dreams, special abilties, the Jet Pack, Holo Discs/Sprites and Food Synthesizer recipes.
Entering the Future
Your Sim will have a moodlet constantly while in the future at first, which shows their fascination at all the future tech around them. Raising the Skill will improve their competency with these objects, providing more dreaming options and recipes on the Food Synthesizer. Eventually, your Sim will stop being so clumsy with these objects and master their use, while also being less fascinated by objects from the Future.
Learning the Advanced Technology Skill
First, this is a skill that is very wise to take a class in. You'll have to pay $500 at the Observatory in the Future World of Oasis Landing, but will get two special abilities when you click on your Sim. This is different from other classes that simply give a skill level. The Commemorate Moon Landing interaction you get will have them plant a flag, which is slightly fun to the Sim. Moon Bouncing, on the other hand, allows your Sim to use their Zero-Gravity experience to flip and twist in midair to raise fun quickly on the spot, no matter where you are. Given the skill also takes quite a long time to learn, this is the best option to get started.
This skill is learned faster while you are in Oasis Landing. Other than things listed below, using a few other Future Technologies and even seeing things happen around the Sim visiting the Future will raise the skill. You have a few options to raise it, all of which are objects that are the focus of the skill. Some are better than others. Here's a list of what I know to be effective:
- Fly Around with Jetpack - do NOT use this to level the skill. You can use Jetpacks in other ways but training the Advanced Technology Skill with one is asking for that Sim to die. The chance of death is far too high, even with a skill level that would make you feel safe. The game code reads 25% as the "max chance" but in testing I found that to be just about the death rate when I queued multiple flights to train.
- Dream Pod - When your Sim finishes a Dream Pod Dream, they'll gain some skill
- Windcarver - These are like hoverboards from Back to the Future 2. You'll use it like a skateboard and can click it in the inventory to tell your Sim to use it instead of walking. This will gain you a little skill as you go to and fro but isn't the best way to level.
- Food Synthesizer - Synthesizing a meal should net you a little skill experience, but more can be found from upgrading and programming recipes into the Synthesizers to make more different foods at higher quality.
- Sonic Showers - Using a Sonic Shower to get clean will give your Sim Skill Experience and the Squeaky Clean moodlet. At level 9, you can upgrade them to be even better.
- Holo Disc - Interacting with the Holo Disc is my recommended best choice for quickly leveling this skill. Queue up multiple commands to clean or talk to it and you will gain Skill Experience in chunks.
- The Observatory - After Classes, you can use the Experiment with Zero-G option on the Observatory to gain a little skill experience and let your Sim have some fun.
Level 10 Future Tech: Reset Time Continuum
With Level 10 in Future Technology, your Sim can use the Reset Time Continuum interaction on the Time Portal while in the Present to undo all changes you've made to the Future World and reset it to Normal (as opposed to Utopian/Dystopian). This helps with the Made the Most of My Time Lifetime Wish, but can also be used to get a fresh start if you so desire.
Advanced Technology and Lotto
With higher Advanced Technology Skill, your Sim will gain a multiplier when winning the Lottery. Get Lotto Records from the Future City Hall and head to the Past Supermarket to buy a ticket. Winning the lotto will give you 5% more Lottery winnings at Level 1, 25% at Level 4, 50% at Level 7, 100% at level 9 and 200% at Level 10 scaling in-between.
Advanced Technology - Primary Objects and Uses
Dream Pods of Into the Future
About the Dream Pod and Sim Dreaming
The Sweet Escape Dream Pod can be found in Buy Mode > Sort by Room > Beds and costs $1950. This object is probably the most significant aspect of Into the Future's Advanced Technology Skill so I'll detail its Dream options first.
Using the Dream option instead of regular sleep will restore the Energy Need as usual, but also give you an extra effect upon waking up. The list of possible Dreams you may pick is huge with all Expansions installed, so do realize that if you can't find a Dream you may not have the EP you need to use it.
There is a possibility of a bad, normal, and good dream when you use the Dream Pod to sleep. You don't have to sleep - you can go and try to get a good dream out of the Pod but it won't likely work well until you've completed the Digital Dreamer Challenge. You have the ability to click 'Influence Dream' while a Sim is dreaming, which may change a bad dream to neutral, or even make it a good dream. Higher Future Tech Skill seems to help here. I suggest you click this a couple hours before the Sim will wake, so that you may finish on Good, because that seems to determine the quality of Dreams, making the Skill Challenge all the more valuable.
In the huge list of Dreams below, I may have missed a couple but 90+% are here. All Dream effects last 12 hours. I am not going to bother to list the bad, neutral AND good reactions but you can expect to see the good/bad from most of them. If I only list good, assume a negative moodlet or the opposite reaction you would get. Thankfully, bad dreams seem rare.
One particular type of Dream is worth pointing out because it may confuse. Trait Dreams will give your Sim the effects of that trait for a 12h period. See our Trait Guide for more information on each Trait. Another type of Dream is the Skill boosting dream, which will Double skill gains for a variety of Vanilla Sims 3 skills. I am listing Dreams in the order they are unlocked, while the game does them alphabetically. In the Dream List, Lvl = Level of Advanced Technology Skill to unlock the Dream.
Additionally, there is a Hidden Dream - The Sims 4 Dream which requires your Sim to have found The Sims 4 Dream Chip from the Crash Site in the Wasteland. You can learn more about this in my Time Traveler Opportunities and Voltron Gnome Parts Page.
| Lvl | Dream About... | Dream Effects |
| 0 | A Workout | Wake with increased Athletic Skill Gain |
| 0 | Family | Wake with Friendly or Family-Oriented Trait Effects |
| 0 | Public Speaking | Wake with increased Charisma Skill Gain |
| 0 | Rushing Water | May make you wake with a full bladder, but could go the other way. |
| 0 | Social Situations | Wake with full or reduced Social need |
| 1 | Advanced Technology | May learn the Advanced Technology Skill faster |
| 1 | Career | Chance to gain some Career Performance |
| 1 | Co-Workers | May boost relations with Co-Workers, or even your Sim's Boss |
| 2 | Fun in the Water | Temporary Loves to Swim or Sailor Trait effects |
| 2 | Home Repairs | May learn the Handiness Skill faster |
| 2 | Romance | Become more/less capable at Romantic advances like Woohoo/Kissing |
| 2 | Strangers | Meet someone new and get a bit of relationship with them |
| 3 | Being a Celebrity | Gain a random amount of Celebrity Points. |
| 3 | Laughter | May wake up with the Good Sense of Humor Trait effect |
| 3 | Logic | Wake gaining the Logic Skill faster |
| 3 | Sleeping with the Fishes | Wake with up to 5 random Fish in your Inventory |
| 4 | Body Image | Chance to wake with a different body shape, growing more or less fit |
| 4 | Dumb Luck | May wake with the Lucky or Unlucky Trait effects for a day |
| 4 | Generations | May wake with temporary Nurturing Trait effects |
| 4 | Painting | Chance to wake gaining the Painting Skill faster. |
| 5 | Opposite Personality | Any traits that can be made opposite, you'll have the effect of for that 12h period |
| 5 | Animals | (Sims 3 Pets) May wake with a positive +15 Moodlet for being brushed |
| 5 | Cleaning Home | Wake with either the Perfectionist or Neat Trait effects |
| 5 | Personal Hygiene | Increases or Decreases Hygiene during sleep |
| 5 | Plumbot Construction | Chance to wake with increased Bot Building Skill Gain. |
| 6 | Vacation | (World Adventures) May give random Visa Points. |
| 6 | Heroism | Wake with Daredevil or Heroic Trait Effects |
| 6 | Playing Guitar | Wake with increased Guitar Skill gains |
| 6 | The Stage | May wake with the Natural Born Performer Trait |
| 7 | Different Personality | Wake with some random Trait Effects |
| 7 | The Supernatural | May wake with something from The Sims 3 Supernatural like Toad Form. |
| 7 | The Wilderness | May wake with either the Hates or Loves the Outdoors Trait Effects |
| 7 | Waking Up | Wake with less energy or filled up with a +15 moodlet for 12H |
| 8 | A Happy Life | Wake with +100-500 Lifetime Happiness Points |
| 8 | Fishing | Wake with increased Fishing Skill gain |
| 8 | Parties | Wake with Schmoozer or Party Animal Trait effects |
| 8 | The Weather | (The Sims 3 Seasons) Makes the weather colder/hotter and may lead to other Weather effects. |
| 9 | Academics | (The Sims 3 University Life) Can only be dreamt while enrolled in University. Wake with random amount of academic performance, positive or negative. |
| 9 | Cooking a Meal | Wake from the Dream and learn Cooking Skill faster |
| 9 | Food | Wake with a loss or gain to the Sim's Hunger Motive |
| 9 | Physical Feats | Gain either the Couch Potato or Athletic Trait effects for the duration |
| 9 | Riches | Upon waking, earn 250-500 Simoleons. |
| 10 | Writing | Learn the Writing Skill faster |
| 10 | The Future | Can only be dreamt in the Present, may change the Future World to Normal/Utopian/Dystopian |
The Jetpack
Found under Outdoor Activities, Jetpacks allow Sims to travel to Residential or Community Lots very quickly, almost as fast as Teleportation. They are also very dangerous and may cause the death of your Sim if you are unlucky. You can find them free in the Community Living Center in Oasis Landing and put them in your Sim's Inventory. Jetpacks can be worn and will enable some extra options as you gain Advanced Tech Skill Levels. At level 2, you can fly around with others with your Jetpack, and also get the Jetpack Kiss ability.
Level 4 allows Woohoo with Jetpacks and Level 6 the Jetpack Slow Dance.
Traveling to Residential/Community Lots is safe with Jetpacks, but if you are just flying around prepare for pain and possible death. This is not a good way to level up nor an activity I'd recommend you take up without a high level in the skill. Should you crash, there's a 25% chance of death.
Food Synthesizers
The Food Synthesizer is the standard means of eating in The Sims 3 Into the Future's Oasis Landing. You will get the same moodlet no matter what you eat, along with a chunk of Future Tech Skill each time your Sim buys a meal. I suggest you order Baked Angel Food Cake for Dessert for the Better Moodlet (warm fuzzies).
You are only able to Program Recipes and Upgrade Synthesizers that are on Lots you own or those in the Present. Any bought at the 'base camp' (Community Living Center) in the Future will not be upgradeable and come with all recipes automatically. So, if you like, you'll need to do this in the Present with your Synthesizer and any you find out in the world. At base level, a Food Synthesizer meal (single portion) gives a mere 3h +20 Moodlet (but beneficially halts hunger need decay for the duration), while using the Natural Born Cook's Kick it Up a Notch ability on a single/group portion (which may lower the food quality) made the food give the Had a Good/Great Meal etc moodlets, which seems bugged. Improving the Quality of a Food Synthesizer will make meals come out at higher level and improve this group portion moodlet to make it as though the food were cooked by a master Chef.
Programming the first Upgrade, I was able to get food at Nice Quality over Normal, Level 2 Upgrades provided Great food from the Food Synthesizer, and Level 3 gave me Outstanding Quality food from the Synthesizer. Completing the Synthesized Advanced Tech challenge made all products out of the Food Synthesizer Perfect Quality, so would deliver the best Had a Meal moodlet when it's working right.
Advanced Tech Food Synthesizer Unlocks:
- Level 1: Program Fruti Bobs Recipe
- Level 2: Program Food Quality to Level 1
- Level 3: Program Sphere of Destiny Recipe
- Level 4: Program Food Quality to Level 2
- Level 5: Program Chocolate Mini Chocolate Gnome Recipe
- Level 6: Program Nutrition Cube Recipe
- Level 7: Program Food Quality to Level 3
- Level 8: Program Statuesque Surprise Recipe
Holo Disc and Sprites
Holo Discs can be found lying around in the Future or found in Buy Mode > Sort by Function > Study > Indoor Activities for a few hundred Simoleons.
The Holo Disc confused me at first, when I received one as a reward from the Time Traveler and couldn't find it. This device emits a pet of sorts that has a mood, can be talked to, and its forms exchanged between Sims. The Sprite from the Holo Disc allows you to fill social need wherever you are while maintaining it (clean Sprite) and talking to it will give you Advanced Tech skill experience. There are 11 total Sprite forms to discover. You gain 3 by Leveling (start with Feronix, Futech at 3, Zigrid at 5, and Chromec at 7).
Talking to other Sims and getting friendly with them, you can exchange Sprite Forms and possibly gain a new design for your Sprite. As you'll see below, there is a Skill Challenge to collect all the Sprites to gain a bonus one for your Holo Disc emitter. Do let us know any special effects Sprites may have so that we can share them with other readers!
You can Summon the Sprite to follow you around, and Sprites can chat between each other. Sprites that are in a bad mood are usually red, while other colors indicate better moods.
Sonic Showers
Sonic Showers do not require Sims to remove their clothing and clean them really fast. You'll still get the squeaky clean moodlet, to make this even better. If all you need is hygiene, this beats the all-in-one bathroom by a mile. You'll also gain Advanced Technology Skill while using the Sonic Shower.
When you reach Level 9 in Advanced Technology, you'll be able to upgrade Sonic Showers to 'Power Cleanse', which when completed will make that Sonic Shower give an additional +10 5H moodlet for being extra clean that stops the Hygiene Motive from falling for the duration of the moodlet. It also seems to clean the Sim faster than the other option, so it's a total win.
Advanced Technology Skill Challenges
Digital Dreamer
Experience 50 distinct Dream Pod dreams and your Sim will become a Digital Dreamer who always starts their Dream Pod dreams in 'Good Dream' mode, which will help you to get the best boosts from the dreams themselves. Probably the best challenge here, given how flexible the Dream Pod is and the possibilities available to you for its use.
Synthesized
Program recipes into 20 unique Food Synthesizers to get the ability to Program Food Synthesizers to Improve Food Quality to Level 4 - You can actually program the 5 unique recipes you unlock into the 4 separate Food Synthesizers to do this, not 20 unique Synthesizers. It's getting 20 recipes in. Allowing you to upgrade to level 4 will make the Food Synthesizer put out Perfect Quality meals every time.
Catch 'em All
Ask for Sprite Form from other Sims to Collect all 10 Sprites on the Holo Disc and you'll get a special 11th Sprite. Talk to Sims and become just above Acquaintances and they will usually share Sprite forms with you. Some Sims, even in the Future World, just won't do it, and I wonder if they have no Sprites to share.
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11. Synthesized food make your hunger decay slower for a period of time (may be during the 3 hr buff but i cannot be sure)2. Power cleanse definitely lock your hygiene for a few hours (likely for the duration of the moodlet, but again, hard to say).3. Synthesized food is definitely bugged. My sim with Natural born cook trait was able to "kick it up a notch" the synthesized food, this made the food "nice" instead of "great" like it began with (L3 quality). But it then gives both the tasty food buff (+15 for 8 hrs) and the normal synthesized food buff.
When influencing a dream the top and right options are always positive, just click these a few times until the "Z, z, z..." become green and then wake the Sim up. They'll have a full energy bar after sleeping for only a few Sim minutes.
I have won random amounts so far but the biggest was 150000 so worth playing everyday for extra cash ;)
Edit: Going in today, got a shot and a paragraph ready for the page. Again, thank you for helping to improve the Guide as many others have this time. It helps first-time readers get the info without having to read all the comments.
- Roboid is from raising through the ranks of Bot Arena career.- Astrid is from raising though the ranks of Astronomy career. I had two bots I made work, while my Sims where on Ice to get these two sprites. 13 total.
https://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/seasons/aliens.php
Nothing hidden here.
