A Simmer's Guide to Batuu: Part 1?

When watching the trailer and reading the post about key features for The Sims 4 Star Wars: Journey to Batuu, I was struck by how beautifully The Sims 4 team captured the magic of Batuu. It was clear they worked very hard to give us an authentic Batuu experience with many glorious and very specific details. The reason I love Walt Disney World as much as I do is because of the attention to detail that is given to the lands you visit. My heart soared when I recognized The Sims honored that ideal with this pack.

However, when reading social media, it became clear to me that not everyone is able to appreciate this fact through no fault of their own. I worry it might be a fatal flaw for this pack. The number of people who play The Sims 4 *and* have had the opportunity and desire to go to Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland or Disney World isn’t a huge number. While I think the intent of this pack is to bring more new people to both Galaxy’s Edge and The Sims 4. I fear some of the attention to detail might be lost on those who haven’t already visited.

If you are someone who is interested in the pack but is unfamiliar with Galaxy’s Edge, or even Star Wars, I am here to help! I’m not trying to convince those who are uninterested in the pack or change anyone’s mind. I just noticed a lot of people had questions about Batuu and how to learn more, and I feel like I could be useful here. A Sims/Disney crossover seemed to fit very well on this blog.

So, I present to you my Simmer’s Guide to Batuu. I’d like to do additional posts exploring more of the similarities to Galaxy’s Edge in more detail so if you enjoyed this and/or you have a question I can help answer, please post in the comments or message me on Twitter! I LOVE talking Disney and The Sims!!

Throughout this post, I will sprinkle in some photos of my actual visit to Batuu.

Crazy Catnerd’s The Simmer’s Guide to Batuu!

What is Batuu?

Batuu is a frontier planet on the Outer Rim. Disney created this new world specifically for their theme parks. It is where you visit when you go to “Star Wars Land”, more officially known as Galaxy’s Edge, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios or in Disneyland. While it has been tied in nicely with the storyline of Star Wars and has its own backstory, you won’t find it in any of the media that came out before Galaxy’s Edge. However, it does have its own comic books and other media now.

Batuu is very immersive. The cast members (what Disney calls their staff) are in character. When you enter Galaxy’s Edge you are completely taken into the land. My opinion: I sort of think this immersion is what the Sims pack is going for...our Sims are visiting Batuu as we do. They are immersed in their own Star Wars story while they are there, and when they leave they go back to reality. That’s just my take, though. It is a subtle difference and the reason why I find this pack more realistic than Witches or Vampires. If that makes sense? Anyway...

What is Black Spire Outpost?

While I haven’t seen Black Spire Outpost mentioned specifically in the Sims 4 material so far, it is clear that it is where we are going in this pack. Black Spire Outpost is the part of Batuu that you visit when you are there. Here’s a quote from The Disney Park’s Blog:

The largest settlement on the planet Batuu, Black Spire Outpost is an infamous stop for traders, adventurers, and smugglers traveling around the Outer Rim and Wild Space. Off the beaten path, this outpost has become a haven for the galaxy’s most colorful — and notorious — characters. Widely known for the petrified remains of its once towering ancient trees, the spires now stand guard across the river valleys and plains and have long captured the imagination of travelers to this planet. To the first settlers, these petrified spires became more than just landmarks; they became the heart of the outpost itself.

The pack specifically mentions locations (Savi’s, Oga’s, etc…) that are located in Black Spire Outpost which is how I know we are going to the same part of Batuu.

Galaxy’s Edge.

Conflict at Black Spire Outpost

Outside the Black Spire Outpost is a secret underground base for The Resistance. At the same time, the First Order has become interested in this valuable trade spot and has increased the presence of Storm Troopers. When the two parties meet, conflict and combat can arise.

What is The First Order?

Simply put, they are the bad guys in the newest trilogy. They represent the dark side. It is basically a military dictatorship trying to expand their power using violent force.

What is The Resistance?

A military resistance movement working against The First Order, aka “the good guys”. 

One of the entrances to the marketplace at Galaxy’s Edge.

Characters in Black Spire Outpost

Here’s a list of character’s found in the parks version of Batuu. We’ve seen everyone mentioned in the media for the pack except for Chewie, I think. 

• Kylo Ren- He’s in charge of The First Order. Well, there are powers above him, but they are not important for our current purposes. He is the highest level bad guy you are going to encounter on Batuu (I think, anyway). He’s the guy in the dark robes with the mask and the red lightsaber.

• Storm Troopers- You probably recognize these guys. The guys in the white (though it can be black; but we can talk about that later) plastic-looking armor. They are the foot soldiers for the First Order.

• Rey- A powerful resistance fighter who is sensitive to the force (aka Jedi powers). She is the main protagonist and the counter to Kylo. While there are several other amazing protagonists in the series, most are not featured heavily in Galaxy’s Edge and we are unlikely to see them in the pack.

• Hondo Ohnaka- A space pirate. Hondo is a well-known smuggler and pirate. He’s charming and ruthless. He first appeared in the television series Clone Wars. He’s the guy with the odd-looking face tentacles who appears in the bar scene of the trailer.

• Vi Moradi- The badass in the orange jacket we saw in the trailer. On Batuu, she’s just as important as Rey- maybe more so. She’s a spy for The Resistance who is stationed on Batuu.

• Chewbacca- Most people are familiar with Chewie, the giant shaggy adorable thing you see in a lot of Star Wars stuff. Chewie has been around a long time. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen him in any of the released material about the pack. However, it would be odd for him to be missing since all of the other characters are present.

• Citizens of Batuu- In Galaxy’s Edge in the parks, there are other citizens (cast members) who roam the land with stories to share and things to do. It helps make things look alive.

• Tourists- You, me, us, humans. We are visiting Batuu dressed in our shorts, sandals and mickey ears. Well, I wear jeans, but most people wear shorts because Florida is hot. We come to buy droids and eat Ronto wraps...it is a trading post, after all. Sometimes we get caught up in the affairs of the Resistance and the First Order or earn galactic credits on a job for Hondo.

My lightsaber.

Places in Black Spire Outpost

Here’s a list of the major locations in Galaxy’s Edge. Several of these have been mentioned such as Oga’s Cantina, The Droid Depot and Savi’s Workshop, but many places have not been specifically mentioned.

• Oga’s Cantina- A fun cantina with interesting drinks and a droid DJ.

• Docking Bay 7- A counter-service restaurant.

• Ronto Roasters- A food stand that serves Ronto Wraps.

• Kat Saka’s Kettle- A (weird) popcorn stand.

• Savi’s Workshop- Where you can create a lightsaber.

• Droid Depot- Where you build a droid.

• Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities- A retail store.

• Marketplace- An area with several small stores such as a toymaker and a creature stall.

• First Order Cargo/Resistance Supply- Themed stores for side-specific gear.

• Black Spire Outfitters- A clothing retailer.

• Milk Stand-  A beverage stand.

• Millennium Falcon- A ship. It’s parked at Black Spire. This is where one of the two rides in Galaxy’s Edge takes place. You pilot the Falcon to complete a smuggling job for Hondo.

• Resistance Forest/Base- Hidden in the nearby forest is a secret Resistance base, this is where the second ride  “Rise of the Resistance” happens.

Black Spire Outpost on Batuu.

Future Posts

I’ve probably given you enough information for a single post! If there is interest, I would love to do more posts soon on this topic. I would love to answer your questions! I also came up with some ideas of additional things we can discuss, please let me know what you are most interested in:

• Details- We can take a look at some of the more detailed similarities such as the water fountain with the eyeball and the creature in the tank above the bar!

• Food- One of my favorite subjects! We can talk about what “ronto wraps” are and what “tip-yip” is. 

• Datapads- Galaxy’s Edge has an interactive component you play on your smartphone (aka datapad). We can discuss them and see if we can find connections to the pack.

• History- We can get into more of the story of Batuu.

• Park-focused stuff- How does Disney work? What are the food options? More about the rides that exist. Stuff that won’t matter to the pack, but you might be interested in anyway.

• The movies, tv shows, etc...and how they are related and what you should watch

• I can post more of my personal photos from Galaxy’s Edge.

Let me know what you think!

Update 9/5/2020: I created a part 2 of this series

Part 2: https://www.crazycatnerd.com/blog/part-2-of-a-simmers-guide-to-batuu