I haven't visited this forum in a few weeks, and just saw this thread today. So many people said exactly how I feel! I opened the game up for about an hour back when they had that last challenge, but never finished it because I just never had the desire to open the game up again. It's still installed on my laptop, but about a month ago I got a new desktop and have been busy installing TS3 and setting up games to play.
It started with TS2. Start a new empty town, place one lot and move a family in. Build them up a little, then place a new lot and add a new family. Build community lots appropriate to the families living there, then keep expanding the story.
It was great fun playing that way, since the story of each individual family altered the town accordingly.
Sadly, the blank slate playstyle was taken away, or at least made much harder with the TS3 style, then removed completely with the fake backdrop nonsense of TS4.
And right now I have started a game like this in TS3! Although I started off with about 3 households and about that many community lots - but I'm also using the RH rugs and Zerbu's open career mod. All of this is my first time attempting to play this way. It's actually a lot of fun, and there's a never-ending list of goals for the game. I made a list of different sorts of sims that I need to create who will work in certain careers or run shops. It's all a bit loosey-goosey because I'm not interested in having to keep spreadsheets or be extremely regimented about when to switch households or anything like that, but it's been a fun game and I'm just getting started! I have so many plans!
The Sims
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
I haven't visited this forum in a few weeks, and just saw this thread today. So many people said exactly how I feel! I opened the game up for about an hour back when they had that last challenge, but never finished it because I just never had the desire to open the game up again. It's still installed on my laptop, but about a month ago I got a new desktop and have been busy installing TS3 and setting up games to play.
It started with TS2. Start a new empty town, place one lot and move a family in. Build them up a little, then place a new lot and add a new family. Build community lots appropriate to the families living there, then keep expanding the story.
It was great fun playing that way, since the story of each individual family altered the town accordingly.
Sadly, the blank slate playstyle was taken away, or at least made much harder with the TS3 style, then removed completely with the fake backdrop nonsense of TS4.
And right now I have started a game like this in TS3! Although I started off with about 3 households and about that many community lots - but I'm also using the RH rugs and Zerbu's open career mod. All of this is my first time attempting to play this way. It's actually a lot of fun, and there's a never-ending list of goals for the game. I made a list of different sorts of sims that I need to create who will work in certain careers or run shops. It's all a bit loosey-goosey because I'm not interested in having to keep spreadsheets or be extremely regimented about when to switch households or anything like that, but it's been a fun game and I'm just getting started! I have so many plans!
I have been doing the exact same thing, but in TS2. I decided months ago that rather than beat the dead horse that is TS4, I was going to go and play a game that I'd always wanted to try. I've been immersed in creating my TS2 Medieval game ever since. Thanks to the freedom of that game and the brilliance of the Modding Community (who are STILL going strong), I can play EXACTLY the game that I want, in every minute detail. No Maxis developer can tell me what I should or should not want, or dictate what my World looks like, or decide that my Sim no longer needs to remember her best friends. My Families are full and rich and varied. Their relationships matter. Everything in my game is exactly what I want it to be. And it's flipping grand.
So why have I stopped playing The Sims 4? The better question is why the hell did I ever start?
@HappySimmer3 - what are the RH rugs; what do they do?
RH rugs are cloned from the small round rug in the game, except there is one for every RH building. So I can build a hospital or a police station or a grocery and plop a corresponding RH rug in there if I want (they aren't strictly necessary at all, but there are times when it's convenient and I guess I'm not ready to totally let go of their functionality) but have an open building for my sims to work in or visit.
Here is a pic I uploaded a few weeks back. I created a bookstore on the left; it's going to have a functional bookstore I hope in the front with the RH rug in the room at the back. And this building has an ITF food replicator on the second floor because it will generate a waiter/waitress; next is the police station, then an empty building that I haven't done anything with yet, and the hospital on the right.
Ignore what they look like because I wasn't trying to make them purty, I was trying to replicate the ugly old buildings in my little home town.
PS: If you make a row of buildings like this and use the ITF replicator, make sure there are no other tables in any of the rooms that sims can get to. Otherwise you might have sims like the one below deciding that they want to be served while in jail.
The Sims
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
@HappySimmer3 - those look amazing! I've always wanted to build a little row of shops. Yours look fabulous!
How did I not know about these rugs (I am working off the assumption that RH = Roaring Heights?) I learn so many new things about this game every single day!
@HappySimmer3 - those look amazing! I've always wanted to build a little row of shops. Yours look fabulous!
How did I not know about these rugs (I am working off the assumption that RH = Roaring Heights?) I learn so many new things about this game every single day!
No sorry, RH = Rabbit Hole. They are Rabbit Hole rugs. There's also some Rabbit Hole doors if those work better for your build.
I know we are really offtopic here but say a sim is visiting the rabbit hole bookstore. They will enter that room in the back on the left where you see that little rug (the hospital rug on the right in the back is actually easier to see) and walk toward it until they disappear. They are disappearing into the "rabbit hole" that is now a rug instead of a huge EA-made building.
@mortia you are correct! But if you want to play a historical game like the one you have going, TS2 is definitely the best bet! Not to mention that TS2 does have a lot of nice sim-to-sim interactions that I miss in TS3.
The Sims
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
No sorry, RH = Rabbit Hole. They are Rabbit Hole rugs. There's also some Rabbit Hole doors if those work better for your build.
I know we are really offtopic here but say a sim is visiting the rabbit hole bookstore. They will enter that room in the back on the left where you see that little rug (the hospital rug on the right in the back is actually easier to see) and walk toward it until they disappear. They are disappearing into the "rabbit hole" that is now a rug instead of a huge EA-made building.
@mortia you are correct! But if you want to play a historical game like the one you have going, TS2 is definitely the best bet! Not to mention that TS2 does have a lot of nice sim-to-sim interactions that I miss in TS3.
Haha - I was way off then, wasn't I? Did they do the RH rugs to replace having to put the actual buildings in basement?
Yes. As I showed with my screenshot, you can place them anywhere in the building. I'm still experimenting with what I think works best but so far it's been a lot of fun.
The Sims
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
@HappySimmer3 - what are the RH rugs; what do they do?
RH rugs are cloned from the small round rug in the game, except there is one for every RH building. So I can build a hospital or a police station or a grocery and plop a corresponding RH rug in there if I want (they aren't strictly necessary at all, but there are times when it's convenient and I guess I'm not ready to totally let go of their functionality) but have an open building for my sims to work in or visit.
Here is a pic I uploaded a few weeks back. I created a bookstore on the left; it's going to have a functional bookstore I hope in the front with the RH rug in the room at the back. And this building has an ITF food replicator on the second floor because it will generate a waiter/waitress; next is the police station, then an empty building that I haven't done anything with yet, and the hospital on the right.
Ignore what they look like because I wasn't trying to make them purty, I was trying to replicate the ugly old buildings in my little home town.
PS: If you make a row of buildings like this and use the ITF replicator, make sure there are no other tables in any of the rooms that sims can get to. Otherwise you might have sims like the one below deciding that they want to be served while in jail.
I'm not sure if I'm understanding. I think what you're saying is you can place these rugs down to make any custom build offer the same offereings as a rabbit hole? Jobs? cafe? watering hole, etc?
If that's so: would it be possible to combine rabbit holes into one building? If so, I'm interested.
If I'm wrong in my assumption, just ignore me.
Dissatisfied with Sims 4 and hoping for a better Sims 5
So many reasons...
So many that made me go back and hug TS3 and whisper into it's ear, "I'll never let you go."
I appreciate TS3 so much more now and all that it offered since playing TS4. I regretting purchasing it, all because I wanted Yoga... something that was in TS2 already. That one feature didn't cover all that I missed as a creator and a player.
So I'll just be over in TS3 creating my world I'm currently working on and still discovering things. You can have your fancy CAS push-pull system and no CAP and lack of color wheel. Take your emotions and multitasking. I will not be purchasing anymore of TS4 UNLESS! There's something ground breaking and "grabby hand" inducing like a toddler with ice cream held in front of it's face.
If you want to save The Sims, EA, you have to give them the money and time to produce an awesome future of content that takes steps forward, not backwards.
Also... The Sims Medieval felt like a better sims (it's essence of playful life) game... and it was an RPG/light sandbox play. I LOVE the interactions in TSM and the details. It was humorous and clever. The pit. The sword fights. The jobs (heroes). That would have been an epic sandbox game if they took out most of the rpg and made the world accessible and customization. I like the RPG aspect of the jobs. Doing simple tasks and leveling and completing quests when I feel like it. So if I want to goof off and just meet sims and explore places I can. If I want to increase my career, I can.
It's good to be back, I hope you're doing well @aricarai! I know... long time no post. I'm over in Create a World forums though with my new project. You're pretty much the first thread in a very very long time I've replied in, haha.
And yes, there's no creative stimulation in this simulation for me. xD
Oh well, it really is what it is... I wish I could say "I'm glad people are enjoying this" but inside I wish it flopped, because I know it could have been so amazing from the START with a ground breaking feature and a solid foundation to build upon.
And I have to say, these random stuff/game packs feel JUST like TS3 store... just on disk or downloaded from Origin. It's still extra content that should have been in a complete expansion. Like picking pieces of bread off a loaf and giving it to us bit by bit instead of a cohesive and fleshed out expansion.
@Oilbasedoleander - I'll have to stop by and check out your new project. I always like to see what my favorite creators are up to and it's nice to see familiar faces.
I'm usually in this section "moaning/whining/complaining" giving feedback about how I want a better game because I love this franchise and these games or in the TS3 section - it's pretty friendly there.
It does feel like the store a little but I prefer the store as it lends itself to contests. There were some great contests back in the day- ahhh, nostalgia!
It's good to be back, I hope you're doing well @aricarai! I know... long time no post. I'm over in Create a World forums though with my new project. You're pretty much the first thread in a very very long time I've replied in, haha.
And yes, there's no creative stimulation in this simulation for me. xD
Oh well, it really is what it is... I wish I could say "I'm glad people are enjoying this" but inside I wish it flopped, because I know it could have been so amazing from the START with a ground breaking feature and a solid foundation to build upon.
And I have to say, these random stuff/game packs feel JUST like TS3 store... just on disk or downloaded from Origin. It's still extra content that should have been in a complete expansion. Like picking pieces of bread off a loaf and giving it to us bit by bit instead of a cohesive and fleshed out expansion.
I don't mean this as insult, but I'm assuming English is your second language? I ask this because you explained my feelings in a nutshell in an entirely different perspective. The part I bolded was rather refreshing and efficiently descriptive.
EDIT: Sorry if I'm wrong, but this doesn't happen often from English speaking individuals.
Dissatisfied with Sims 4 and hoping for a better Sims 5
@aricarai The new project is looking awesome and I am soooooo looking forward to it. I've been following the pics on the CAW forums. Pssst....go back to work @Oilbasedoleander hehehe, just kidding, you can chat with her.
okie, back on topic. I love his explanation also. My creativity is stifled in Sims4.
@aricarai hey, they need the feedback. Positive and negative. I'm not saying they didn't do a good job with some aspects of the game, I do enjoy the multitasking... sort of. I don't like that they eat for over 4 sim hours cause well, they don't shut up. Haha. Just... well those pesky negatives dreadfully over-shadow what light they were trying to shine on TS4's "amazing" features, which were in the base game: multitasking, emotions and their CAS and (in my opinion) lack luster build mode. That was pretty much it.
Not that inspiring, as these were implemented in previous sims games long ago.
Also it's good to see others from TS3 days. And gifting! And the fun contests for sure. I definitely enjoyed it. Felt like a pretty solid community, I'm curious how the TS4 creation community is doing? I do see some creations and I am impressed with what they can come up with, with limitations. Pretty awesome.
@kremesch73 English is my first language. And my only actually, haha. But it's so very true... "Here! This collaboration of items will tide you over until we get a real concept and direction. Oh wait, you're buying all these? Well then, let's just keep this up instead. Cheaper to make. Faster to put out. Price increase. Profit!"
People seem to like it. It's working. Just wish more would question it.
@bekkasan thank you very much especially for supporting and following me on it. I'm actually getting close to the finishing line, promise
kremesch73 English is my first language. And my only actually, haha. But it's so very true... "Here! This collaboration of items will tide you over until we get a real concept and direction. Oh wait, you're buying all these? Well then, let's just keep this up instead. Cheaper to make. Faster to put out. Price increase. Profit!"
People seem to like it. It's working. Just wish more would question it.
Fair enough. Sorry if I insulted you, but I agree on all hands. I agree that I wish more would question it as well. Most times, I just fear I'm getting too old for this plum.
Dissatisfied with Sims 4 and hoping for a better Sims 5
@HappySimmer3 - what are the RH rugs; what do they do?
RH rugs are cloned from the small round rug in the game, except there is one for every RH building. So I can build a hospital or a police station or a grocery and plop a corresponding RH rug in there if I want (they aren't strictly necessary at all, but there are times when it's convenient and I guess I'm not ready to totally let go of their functionality) but have an open building for my sims to work in or visit.
Here is a pic I uploaded a few weeks back. I created a bookstore on the left; it's going to have a functional bookstore I hope in the front with the RH rug in the room at the back. And this building has an ITF food replicator on the second floor because it will generate a waiter/waitress; next is the police station, then an empty building that I haven't done anything with yet, and the hospital on the right.
Ignore what they look like because I wasn't trying to make them purty, I was trying to replicate the ugly old buildings in my little home town.
PS: If you make a row of buildings like this and use the ITF replicator, make sure there are no other tables in any of the rooms that sims can get to. Otherwise you might have sims like the one below deciding that they want to be served while in jail.
I'm not sure if I'm understanding. I think what you're saying is you can place these rugs down to make any custom build offer the same offereings as a rabbit hole? Jobs? cafe? watering hole, etc?
If that's so: would it be possible to combine rabbit holes into one building? If so, I'm interested.
If I'm wrong in my assumption, just ignore me.
Hello there, and sorry I had to run off and get some sleep last night.
To answer your question yes, you can just select or make one building and put all the rugs in there if you wanted to (it would have to be sufficiently large though because you do have to have some space around each rug). In the example above I have three of them; bookstore in the back on the left, law enforcement (in the basement, and it's still a rug and not the huge rabbit hole building), and hospital rug in the back on the right. But you could just put them all in one location and still have your open buildings to visit as you like.
I will say that the open careers mod is a bit flaky at times. I've been playing a household Friday and over an in-game weekend, and when Monday rolled around the sim went to the RH rug to work instead of the open building where I had him on Friday. But all I need to do is to click on his workplace (a bank) again and the next day he will be back working where he should. Although I'm getting ready to switch households so maybe I'll just leave him in the RH job 'til I get back to him.
I stopped playing, because there is nothing in the game that I haven't done like a 100 times and every new piece of content is basically just adding old concepts in shiny, new attire or it is so limited that it is frustrating (apartments with loading screens, restaurants where you can't cook yourself...). And the saddest part about it is that I like TS4's sims and therefor can't go back to TS3, because those sims frustrate me now more than before they introduced TS4. The Sims is ruined for me
I stopped to play because I am a gamer and need an interesting and challenging game and the Sims 4 is just about looks and stuff which doesn't interest me. IMO the Sims games should be about simulating the life of the sims and their families and other families in the neighborhood. This is what I always have loved in the Sims games and it could easily have been done in a much more interesting way than it is done in TS4 which IMO is the most trivial and therefore boring Sims game until now.
I think that the best way would be a mix of a sandbox game and a RPG game where the RPG quests aren't allowed to dominate the game too much. This could give a nice balance if it was done right in the next big Sims game.
I have recently gone back to playing the sims 2 and 3 in rotation. What I have noticed is that the sims in those games have way more layers to them and the story telling is interesting. Currently I am playing the sims 3 with the Wolf family from Ambitions, the one with Rich and his daughter Zo. While playing the game, I see how much the sims 4 is lacking in relationship dynamics, family aspects, wants and the fulfilment. The sims 4, even with all the EP, GP, and some SP, still can't come close to its predecessors. Even with the lag and minor glitches, the sims 2 and 3 are more interesting to play and I can immerse myself in game play, not something I can say about the sims 4. And the sad part is is that I don't like the sims 3 very much. I love the sims 2 because it focuses on the story telling and the little quirks of the sims. The sims 3 was more focused on the open world, BUT EA at least tried to keep the same nostalgia elements Maxis had on the sims 2. But here we are with the sims 4 and the game is just........dull. Reading through the forums reinforces this and I have decided not to buy any more of the sims 4 and just play with the sims 2 (complete collection that I brought separately) and the sims 3 ( which I have all the EPS and a few of the stuff packs) rather than spend my hard earned money on a game that is so watered down, my 7 year old cousins could play and their parents would approve of. I think that for a T-Rated game, the sims would at least be more mature. I love the sims and I aspire to work in gaming because of the franchised! The sims has a very special place in my heart, which is why the sims 4 is so disappointing. I have to look forward to the sims 5 with skepticism because of the sims 4/simsocail. I am happy for those who enjoy the game and will keep buying GPs, EPs, and SPs , but I will happly backtrack and play the sims 2 and 3 until something changes with the sims 4 originally the sims 5 is announced.
It culled some sims. One of my favorite sims too !!! So I decided enough is enough I'm tired of this game stressing me out I get anxiety over little things like that. Haven't played since before Thanksgiving and I got rid of the CC so I know it's a done deal. Until they can release quality games like they did in the past...Cough cough... I won't put up with it.
Comments
And right now I have started a game like this in TS3! Although I started off with about 3 households and about that many community lots - but I'm also using the RH rugs and Zerbu's open career mod. All of this is my first time attempting to play this way. It's actually a lot of fun, and there's a never-ending list of goals for the game. I made a list of different sorts of sims that I need to create who will work in certain careers or run shops. It's all a bit loosey-goosey because I'm not interested in having to keep spreadsheets or be extremely regimented about when to switch households or anything like that, but it's been a fun game and I'm just getting started! I have so many plans!
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
@HappySimmer3 - what are the RH rugs; what do they do?
I have been doing the exact same thing, but in TS2. I decided months ago that rather than beat the dead horse that is TS4, I was going to go and play a game that I'd always wanted to try. I've been immersed in creating my TS2 Medieval game ever since. Thanks to the freedom of that game and the brilliance of the Modding Community (who are STILL going strong), I can play EXACTLY the game that I want, in every minute detail. No Maxis developer can tell me what I should or should not want, or dictate what my World looks like, or decide that my Sim no longer needs to remember her best friends. My Families are full and rich and varied. Their relationships matter. Everything in my game is exactly what I want it to be. And it's flipping grand.
So why have I stopped playing The Sims 4? The better question is why the hell did I ever start?
RH rugs are cloned from the small round rug in the game, except there is one for every RH building. So I can build a hospital or a police station or a grocery and plop a corresponding RH rug in there if I want (they aren't strictly necessary at all, but there are times when it's convenient and I guess I'm not ready to totally let go of their functionality) but have an open building for my sims to work in or visit.
Here is a pic I uploaded a few weeks back. I created a bookstore on the left; it's going to have a functional bookstore I hope in the front with the RH rug in the room at the back. And this building has an ITF food replicator on the second floor because it will generate a waiter/waitress; next is the police station, then an empty building that I haven't done anything with yet, and the hospital on the right.
Ignore what they look like because I wasn't trying to make them purty, I was trying to replicate the ugly old buildings in my little home town.
PS: If you make a row of buildings like this and use the ITF replicator, make sure there are no other tables in any of the rooms that sims can get to. Otherwise you might have sims like the one below deciding that they want to be served while in jail.
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
How did I not know about these rugs (I am working off the assumption that RH = Roaring Heights?) I learn so many new things about this game every single day!
I think RH=Rabbit Hole...but I could be wrong!
I know we are really offtopic here but say a sim is visiting the rabbit hole bookstore. They will enter that room in the back on the left where you see that little rug (the hospital rug on the right in the back is actually easier to see) and walk toward it until they disappear. They are disappearing into the "rabbit hole" that is now a rug instead of a huge EA-made building.
@mortia you are correct! But if you want to play a historical game like the one you have going, TS2 is definitely the best bet! Not to mention that TS2 does have a lot of nice sim-to-sim interactions that I miss in TS3.
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
Haha - I was way off then, wasn't I? Did they do the RH rugs to replace having to put the actual buildings in basement?
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
I'm not sure if I'm understanding. I think what you're saying is you can place these rugs down to make any custom build offer the same offereings as a rabbit hole? Jobs? cafe? watering hole, etc?
If that's so: would it be possible to combine rabbit holes into one building? If so, I'm interested.
If I'm wrong in my assumption, just ignore me.
So many that made me go back and hug TS3 and whisper into it's ear, "I'll never let you go."
I appreciate TS3 so much more now and all that it offered since playing TS4. I regretting purchasing it, all because I wanted Yoga... something that was in TS2 already. That one feature didn't cover all that I missed as a creator and a player.
So I'll just be over in TS3 creating my world I'm currently working on and still discovering things. You can have your fancy CAS push-pull system and no CAP and lack of color wheel. Take your emotions and multitasking. I will not be purchasing anymore of TS4 UNLESS! There's something ground breaking and "grabby hand" inducing like a toddler with ice cream held in front of it's face.
If you want to save The Sims, EA, you have to give them the money and time to produce an awesome future of content that takes steps forward, not backwards.
Also... The Sims Medieval felt like a better sims (it's essence of playful life) game... and it was an RPG/light sandbox play. I LOVE the interactions in TSM and the details. It was humorous and clever. The pit. The sword fights. The jobs (heroes). That would have been an epic sandbox game if they took out most of the rpg and made the world accessible and customization. I like the RPG aspect of the jobs. Doing simple tasks and leveling and completing quests when I feel like it. So if I want to goof off and just meet sims and explore places I can. If I want to increase my career, I can.
Totally understand where you're coming from - I can't stand the lack of customisation. As a builder and creator, it completely kills my flow!
And yes, there's no creative stimulation in this simulation for me. xD
Oh well, it really is what it is... I wish I could say "I'm glad people are enjoying this" but inside I wish it flopped, because I know it could have been so amazing from the START with a ground breaking feature and a solid foundation to build upon.
And I have to say, these random stuff/game packs feel JUST like TS3 store... just on disk or downloaded from Origin. It's still extra content that should have been in a complete expansion. Like picking pieces of bread off a loaf and giving it to us bit by bit instead of a cohesive and fleshed out expansion.
I'm usually in this section "moaning/whining/complaining" giving feedback about how I want a better game because I love this franchise and these games or in the TS3 section - it's pretty friendly there.
It does feel like the store a little but I prefer the store as it lends itself to contests. There were some great contests back in the day- ahhh, nostalgia!
I don't mean this as insult, but I'm assuming English is your second language? I ask this because you explained my feelings in a nutshell in an entirely different perspective. The part I bolded was rather refreshing and efficiently descriptive.
EDIT: Sorry if I'm wrong, but this doesn't happen often from English speaking individuals.
@aricarai The new project is looking awesome and I am soooooo looking forward to it. I've been following the pics on the CAW forums. Pssst....go back to work @Oilbasedoleander hehehe, just kidding, you can chat with her.
okie, back on topic. I love his explanation also. My creativity is stifled in Sims4.
The Cowboy and the Mermaid
Not that inspiring, as these were implemented in previous sims games long ago.
Also it's good to see others from TS3 days. And gifting! And the fun contests for sure. I definitely enjoyed it. Felt like a pretty solid community, I'm curious how the TS4 creation community is doing? I do see some creations and I am impressed with what they can come up with, with limitations. Pretty awesome.
@kremesch73
People seem to like it. It's working. Just wish more would question it.
@bekkasan thank you very much especially for supporting and following me on it. I'm actually getting close to the finishing line, promise
Fair enough. Sorry if I insulted you, but I agree on all hands. I agree that I wish more would question it as well. Most times, I just fear I'm getting too old for this plum.
Hello there, and sorry I had to run off and get some sleep last night.
To answer your question yes, you can just select or make one building and put all the rugs in there if you wanted to (it would have to be sufficiently large though because you do have to have some space around each rug). In the example above I have three of them; bookstore in the back on the left, law enforcement (in the basement, and it's still a rug and not the huge rabbit hole building), and hospital rug in the back on the right. But you could just put them all in one location and still have your open buildings to visit as you like.
I will say that the open careers mod is a bit flaky at times. I've been playing a household Friday and over an in-game weekend, and when Monday rolled around the sim went to the RH rug to work instead of the open building where I had him on Friday. But all I need to do is to click on his workplace (a bank) again and the next day he will be back working where he should. Although I'm getting ready to switch households so maybe I'll just leave him in the RH job 'til I get back to him.
If you want to see how this was done in another simmer's game, check out this video:
At 5:50 in, she shows a lot where she has almost all the RH rugs placed.
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
The Essence
How To Lose Your Ugliness in Ten Generations
I think that the best way would be a mix of a sandbox game and a RPG game where the RPG quests aren't allowed to dominate the game too much. This could give a nice balance if it was done right in the next big Sims game.
Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.