STBL & Localization

1. The big picture

The Sims 4 separates most player-facing text from gameplay tuning.

A trait, buff or interaction can contain a reference to a string key, while the actual localized text lives inside an STBL resource.

2. What is an STBL?

STBL means String Table. It stores localized text entries as key/value pairs.

Conceptually:

0x12345678 → "Certified Mechanic"
0x23456789 → "This Sim knows their way around an engine."
0x34567890 → "Repair Vehicle"

The visible text is not identified by its wording. It is identified by its key.

That allows one tuning resource to display different text depending on the player’s game language.

Trait tuning
  → display name key 0x12345678
  → EN: "Certified Mechanic"
  → DE: "Zertifizierter Mechaniker"
  → ES: "Mecánico certificado"
  → RU: "Сертифицированный механик"
  → JA: "認定メカニック"

3. Localization keys

A localization key or string key is the identifier used to find a text entry in an STBL.

Same key, different language

Key 0x12345678
EN → "Certified Mechanic"
DE → "Zertifizierter Mechaniker"
ES → "Mecánico certificado"
RU → "Сертифицированный механик"
JA → "認定メカニック"

Do not create a new key just because you are translating a string. New keys are for genuinely new strings.

4. String tokens and placeholders

Some STBL values are not complete static sentences. They contain tokens that the game replaces with runtime values such as a Sim name, number, amount of money or another string.

Hello, {0.SimFirstName}!

If token slot 0 contains Bella Goth, the displayed text can become:

Hello, Bella!

Common forms include:

What do 0, 1, 2… mean?

The number is the token argument index.

0 = first supplied token
1 = second supplied token
2 = third supplied token
3 = fourth supplied token
…

For example:

{0.SimFirstName} greeted {1.SimFirstName}.

If slot 0 contains Bella and slot 1 contains Mortimer, the result is:

Bella greeted Mortimer.

The same index is used by grammatical branches:

{M0.He}{F0.She} → gender of token slot 0
{M1.He}{F1.She} → gender of token slot 1
{M2.He}{F2.She} → gender of token slot 2

Changing the number changes the runtime value that controls the branch.

Gender branches: M and F

Gender branches allow one string to contain alternative text for a Sim token.

{M0.actor}{F0.actress}

The letter selects the branch; the number selects whose gender controls it.

M0 / F0 → token 0
M1 / F1 → token 1
M2 / F2 → token 2

Branch only the part that changes

A branch does not need to contain a whole word. If two forms share a stem, keep the common text outside the token and put only the changing ending inside it.

Use a whole word or phrase only when the forms differ enough that a shared stem is no longer practical.

Singular and plural branches

S and P are used for singular/plural logic, not for English custom pronouns.

Craft {0.Number} {S.candle}{P.candles}

Do not confuse P1 with “pronoun 1”. The P prefix belongs to pluralization syntax; English pronoun tokens use forms such as {1.SimPronounSubjective}.

English custom-pronoun tokens

English has special dynamic pronoun placeholders because Sims can use He/Him, She/Her, They/Them or custom pronouns.

The leading number still means the token index:

{0.SimPronounSubjective} → pronoun for token 0
{1.SimPronounSubjective} → pronoun for token 1

Other locales often use M/F branches or rewrite the sentence instead of reproducing the English custom-pronoun system directly.

5. How tuning connects to text

Many tuning classes expose localized string fields such as display names, descriptions, interaction names, tooltips, notification text, picker titles, career titles and buff/trait text.

The exact field name depends on the tuning class.

Missing strings

If the active locale does not contain the expected key/value, the player can see missing or blank text, a placeholder, raw-looking output or other fallback behavior depending on the UI path.

6. Supported languages and locale codes

The Sims 4 supports 18 game locales.

7. English fallback for untranslated locales

Every locale resource should contain a usable value for every string key your mod exposes to players.

If you do not yet have a translation for a language, copy the English text into that locale’s STBL instead of leaving the value empty.

For example:

Key 0x12345678
EN → "Certified Mechanic"
DE → "Zertifizierter Mechaniker"
ES → "Certified Mechanic"        ← English fallback
RU → "Certified Mechanic"        ← English fallback
JA → "認定メカニック"

The player may see English for an untranslated string, but they will not see a deliberately empty label.

STBL Studio vs Sims 4 Studio

Frankk’s Online STBL Studio handles this fallback workflow for you when creating localization projects: untranslated language entries can be populated from the English source instead of being left blank.

If you build or maintain STBL resources manually in Sims 4 Studio, you need to ensure this yourself. Create the locale STBL and copy the corresponding English values for every key that has not yet been translated.

8. Localizing and translating mods

There are two related but different jobs:

A translator normally should not need to edit gameplay tuning. The task is to preserve every key and token relationship while translating the text values.

9. Overrides, conflicts and custom strings

Custom string

A custom mod normally uses its own stable string keys. This avoids replacing EA text and keeps the mod self-contained.

String override

If a package provides a different value for an existing EA string key in the same locale, it can replace the displayed text wherever that key is used.

Key collisions

Two custom mods using the same custom string key for different text can conflict. Good tooling and consistent key-generation practices reduce this risk.

10. A practical localization workflow

Common beginner mistakes

Quick reference