I prefer to play in a realistic way; I have realistic aging, I give my sims a mortgage and debt, I always take away the starting money they get because it doesn't fit the story I'm telling. I agree with other people though, it just has to be believable to me. My young adult starting off with 20k makes no sense unless I create a backstory for it. I create a sim, I create their backstory, and I play out whatever challenge they are facing. When I'm telling a story about a young sim who is in poverty, pregnant and struggling to get by, I don't want to have to come up with a reason for why an alien has just come over to talk to her, that's not the story I'm telling. That doesn't mean I would complain about those elements being in the game though, as long as they aren't forced on me I can happily just ignore their existence.
I suppose ultimately I find real people interesting; whenever I pick a book to read or a show to watch, I always go for something realistic and avoid supernatural type stories, and I guess it's the same for the sims. It's the real people doing ordinary things that I find most extraordinary. It's the stories and the people I can believe in that really hold my attention, the average person overcoming all the odds to make something of their life, that is what interests me the most.
I seem to play pretty realistically. For instance, I do tech support for a living, and I have a sim that does tech support. She quits her job a lot (on days that I hate my own job). I also think that realism is entirely subjective. Sometimes I play for the realism, and other times I play to "escape reality". I really appreciate that this game provides the ability to do both.
This. I play a bit of both, more often realistically. A lot of games are realistic and enjoyable. It's fun to make stories (like your own soap operas )
Real life is as realistic as it gets. So if you want realistic-ness... go about your life.
I don't think that's exactly fair. Realistic games are very common and fun. I love realistic strategy and resource/money management games, but I don't want to manage a hotel or run a trucking company.
And my own life of chronic, debilitating illnesses just isn't quite as fun. Even realistic games are fun escapes for some people.
None of the sim series is what I consider realistic, definitely not the S4.
Townies dressing badly? Well, have you been to Wally World after midnight? nuf said
The sims may cook, fill their needs, laundry, etc but that's about as close as it gets to being real to me.....but still not realistic enough (if that makes sense)
If I had to choose which one of the series looked the closest to being real, I would have to go with S3.
Aliens are disabled with MC Command Center.
I recently got the Vampires pack and the first thing I did was delete all the houses in Midnight Hollow and disable vampires with MCCC.
I don't use cowplants. The only time I did, in fact, was for the purpose of a screenshot in the "25-day male CAS challenge" thread.
A lot of people say they play The Sims as an escape from reality. I don't. I love my life and don't need to escape it. I play The Sims because I enjoy it as a game and a storytelling medium. With over 7 billion people on this planet, reality means a different thing to every single one and that allows me to have endless possibilities when it comes to realistic stories in TS4.
I play a realistic type game, no vampires, ghosts, aliens, no cow plants etc. I treat the game more like directing my own fun tv show, therefore more like a fun dramedy. I don't mind traveling to Sixam, but that's as sci-fi as I want in my game.
I play my game believeable, which is more important to me than realistic. If I decide that aliens exist in a savegame, I define the circumstances (Is their existance known? And if yes, to everyone or only a certain few? What is their relationship to earthlings? Are they perhaps divided in their approach to other lifeforms? And so on). Once I have all these factors and I abide by them, then I feel I'm playing a realistic, albeit alternate, game. Vampires and Aliens aren't that a big deal for me. It would be much more unrealistic to me if I played a world without crime or without fashion trends or where everyone has a raised platform with a bathtub on top in their gardens.
None of the sim series is what I consider realistic, definitely not the S4.
Townies dressing badly? Well, have you been to Wally World after midnight? nuf said
The sims may cook, fill their needs, laundry, etc but that's about as close as it gets to being real to me.....but still not realistic enough (if that makes sense)
If I had to choose which one of the series looked the closest to being real, I would have to go with S3.
I changed my mind. After the invasion of vampires, I realize I do like playing a realistic game.
I tend to play a combination of the two. I don't like to be too realistic, but completely unrealistic does not work well with me either. I do play the occasional vampire, plant sim, etc. It is hard to stick with those for too long because I like that my normal sims have normal wants and I do not need to babysit them to make sure they do not die from too much sun exposure.
I don't think it's 'realism', per say. I think it's more... of a normal/natural feel. Just because it's stylized doesn't mean it can't look/feel/reflect normal living. The Fast and the Furious series is stylized, super-hero type action stuff, but it still falls under the illusion of every day reality. You don't see vampires, aliens, wizards, etc there. It's just real human people doing crazy extraordinary things.
I have no use for vampires, aliens, or any other supernatural. I'd have been fine if aliens were only on Sixam and involved with the scientist career. Because then it'd be expected, and more 'real' in that you take a rocket to space and find them and study them and such. But vampires are just silly and break the atmosphere/illusion/whatever you wanna call it. If I could turn them off, I would. I only got the pack for the bust wall decos, lol.
Maybe if vampires were part of the medical career or something, and Vlad was an experiment that got loose or whatever, it'd make more sense and fit better for me. But no, it's just a big fat TV/movie trope shoved into the game, lol. Just one day, vampires. Suspension of disbelief is broken.
No. I disagree. The sims don't live in the world we do. That's why its wholesome. There is no violence or evil. And there are vampires, because vampires are a part of the sims world. It's like an alternate universe.
I don't think it's 'realism', per say. I think it's more... of a normal/natural feel. Just because it's stylized doesn't mean it can't look/feel/reflect normal living. The Fast and the Furious series is stylized, super-hero type action stuff, but it still falls under the illusion of every day reality. You don't see vampires, aliens, wizards, etc there. It's just real human people doing crazy extraordinary things.
I have no use for vampires, aliens, or any other supernatural. I'd have been fine if aliens were only on Sixam and involved with the scientist career. Because then it'd be expected, and more 'real' in that you take a rocket to space and find them and study them and such. But vampires are just silly and break the atmosphere/illusion/whatever you wanna call it. If I could turn them off, I would. I only got the pack for the bust wall decos, lol.
Maybe if vampires were part of the medical career or something, and Vlad was an experiment that got loose or whatever, it'd make more sense and fit better for me. But no, it's just a big fat TV/movie trope shoved into the game, lol. Just one day, vampires. Suspension of disbelief is broken.
No. I disagree. The sims don't live in the world we do. That's why its wholesome. There is no violence or evil. And there are vampires, because vampires are a part of the sims world. It's like an alternate universe.
They aren't in my game Thanks EA for keeping them in a separate pack. I hope they continue to do that!
The Sims are not realistic - don't know about you but my real life hasn't got pixar landscaping and back drops all over the place never mind places I can see and not go to - so nothing realistic about the Sims. Heck in the Sims one cannot even stop and smell the roses or walk along the beach and wade into the waves - lol. In reality those things are easy to do and free - but non-existent in the Sims. So no - it's a fantasy game and I play it like that. Shoot in Sims your character can become anything with out a college education or any talent for that matter, and if that is realism - then so is living in Candy Land. I don't know about everybody but last I knew I cannot motherlode me a bank account or even kaching me a thousand here and there just because I want something. In real life we run out of money - we go with out until we earn more money and definitely not paid daily or those kind of wages either. Never mind a money cheat. Reality rots!! So no - I don't care to play like life really is. LOL.
I actually play the sims to ESCAPE real life. I have all the real life I can take - and The Sims is my light at the end of the tunnel - escape from real life. I live reality - I do not need to see it in my relaxation time as well.
ETA - My question to people who claim to play reality - is WHY?
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
My play style is mostly realistic, but i like to add some fantasy elements to it from time to time. Like Fantasy based on reality
Right now my current family has a vampire in it, and he will be around until the very end of the family line and even beyond that.
But mostly the days go by like normal, without anything "unrealistic" going on.
I just can't wait to see of we get witches someday. That would be great for my style of play
Origin EA ID: Xaldin257 Friend requests are welcome.
Some of my creations in the gallery use CC so remember to enable them in the gallery's options to see them all.
I don't think it's 'realism', per say. I think it's more... of a normal/natural feel. Just because it's stylized doesn't mean it can't look/feel/reflect normal living. The Fast and the Furious series is stylized, super-hero type action stuff, but it still falls under the illusion of every day reality. You don't see vampires, aliens, wizards, etc there. It's just real human people doing crazy extraordinary things.
I have no use for vampires, aliens, or any other supernatural. I'd have been fine if aliens were only on Sixam and involved with the scientist career. Because then it'd be expected, and more 'real' in that you take a rocket to space and find them and study them and such. But vampires are just silly and break the atmosphere/illusion/whatever you wanna call it. If I could turn them off, I would. I only got the pack for the bust wall decos, lol.
Maybe if vampires were part of the medical career or something, and Vlad was an experiment that got loose or whatever, it'd make more sense and fit better for me. But no, it's just a big fat TV/movie trope shoved into the game, lol. Just one day, vampires. Suspension of disbelief is broken.
No. I disagree. The sims don't live in the world we do. That's why its wholesome. There is no violence or evil. And there are vampires, because vampires are a part of the sims world. It's like an alternate universe.
No violence, huh? I'm pretty sure I could work on a dishwasher or stereo irl and not electrocute myself, despite having no technical know-how to do so, because... I can unplug the appliances, lol.
I doubt I'm likely to start my house on fire by cooking on the stove either, and I'm no chef.
Life would be better if you could plead with Grimmy for reals though.
Anyways, details like 'life is better' in the Sims isn't what I meant with my post about realism or whatever. Sure, it can be a better life. That's the point about why I play the Sims the way I do, to give them that better life I'll never have and live a little vicariously through them. But stylized realism is different than all out fantasy/sci-fi.
I like to think of the Sims as comparable to a tv soap opera, where you can escape to be rich, or murder your surprise evil twin or whatever and get away with it. To me, playing as Harry Potter for example is a whole different thing.
The Sims are not realistic - don't know about you but my real life hasn't got pixar landscaping and back drops all over the place never mind places I can see and not go to - so nothing realistic about the Sims. Heck in the Sims one cannot even stop and smell the roses or walk along the beach and wade into the waves - lol. In reality those things are easy to do and free - but non-existent in the Sims. So no - it's a fantasy game and I play it like that. Shoot in Sims your character can become anything with out a college education or any talent for that matter, and if that is realism - then so is living in Candy Land. I don't know about everybody but last I knew I cannot motherlode me a bank account or even kaching me a thousand here and there just because I want something. In real life we run out of money - we go with out until we earn more money and definitely not paid daily or those kind of wages either. Never mind a money cheat. Reality rots!! So no - I don't care to play like life really is. LOL.
I actually play the sims to ESCAPE real life. I have all the real life I can take - and The Sims is my light at the end of the tunnel - escape from real life. I live reality - I do not need to see it in my relaxation time as well.
ETA - My question to people who claim to play reality - is WHY?
I feel exactly the way you do. Not much was ever realistic about the sims . As a matter of fact the game has always been about the "wild and wacky" side of life. That's what I love about the sims is the humor. The whimsy. The innocence. The sims is fantasy .
It's funny that people are hollering about realism. But I bet some of those same players would be upset if their sims suddenly needed certain skills/degrees to land a certain job. Personally I would love to have a couple new careers , that require a university degree or certain training. That would be a nice addition to a future college/school EP. But I would never desire full on realism, in the sims
But returning to the original point, the sims is not based on real life and was never intended to be. Yes, it is a break from reality for me. It is a few hours of having control, where some of us might not be in control of our real lives, so much.
My play style is mostly realistic, but i like to add some fantasy elements to it from time to time. Like Fantasy based on reality
Right now my current family has a vampire in it, and he will be around until the very end of the family line and even beyond that.
But mostly the days go by like normal, without anything "unrealistic" going on.
I just can't wait to see of we get witches someday. That would be great for my style of play
I would really like to see what they do with witches in TS4. I play mostly realistic style with a couple unrealistic saves, but still like both sides of the game. If they improve upon them like they did with vampires, I'd love that
I would love some careers to have university restrictions but, to be honest, it will have to be new ones such as law, psychiatry, teaching, maybe the military. It makes no sense for the medicine and science careers in particular, to function without degrees but it's really too late to implement that now.
I don't think it's 'realism', per say. I think it's more... of a normal/natural feel. Just because it's stylized doesn't mean it can't look/feel/reflect normal living. The Fast and the Furious series is stylized, super-hero type action stuff, but it still falls under the illusion of every day reality. You don't see vampires, aliens, wizards, etc there. It's just real human people doing crazy extraordinary things.
I have no use for vampires, aliens, or any other supernatural. I'd have been fine if aliens were only on Sixam and involved with the scientist career. Because then it'd be expected, and more 'real' in that you take a rocket to space and find them and study them and such. But vampires are just silly and break the atmosphere/illusion/whatever you wanna call it. If I could turn them off, I would. I only got the pack for the bust wall decos, lol.
Maybe if vampires were part of the medical career or something, and Vlad was an experiment that got loose or whatever, it'd make more sense and fit better for me. But no, it's just a big fat TV/movie trope shoved into the game, lol. Just one day, vampires. Suspension of disbelief is broken.
No. I disagree. The sims don't live in the world we do. That's why its wholesome. There is no violence or evil. And there are vampires, because vampires are a part of the sims world. It's like an alternate universe.
No violence, huh? I'm pretty sure I could work on a dishwasher or stereo irl and not electrocute myself, despite having no technical know-how to do so, because... I can unplug the appliances, lol.
I doubt I'm likely to start my house on fire by cooking on the stove either, and I'm no chef.
Life would be better if you could plead with Grimmy for reals though.
Anyways, details like 'life is better' in the Sims isn't what I meant with my post about realism or whatever. Sure, it can be a better life. That's the point about why I play the Sims the way I do, to give them that better life I'll never have and live a little vicariously through them. But stylized realism is different than all out fantasy/sci-fi.
I like to think of the Sims as comparable to a tv soap opera, where you can escape to be rich, or murder your surprise evil twin or whatever and get away with it. To me, playing as Harry Potter for example is a whole different thing.
I would love to play as Harry Potter. I suggested magic skill for a future EP, because I would lovesss to be a wizard. I guess people just have their likes and preferences.My only point was the sims live in an alternate universe, not our universe, therefore, Vampires, Werewolves and Wizards are a possibility in their world . Their world is more magical than ours is.
So what I want to know is: Do you play realistic or do you go more with the overall style of the game, which is indeed unrealistic? And if you play a realistic game anyway, could you also point out why you chose to play like this?
There are times I play a normal "realistic" game. By "realistic" I mean my sims get up, have food, get ready for the day and go to work. Come home, relax, and go to bed. They work in their garden, straighten up the house, hang out with friends and so on. I do this because, well, I want to and it fits my mood for the day.
Other times, I take my sims on a three day long adventure. Where they world hop, meet everyone they can, and end up married at the romance festival with triplets on the way.
Comments
I suppose ultimately I find real people interesting; whenever I pick a book to read or a show to watch, I always go for something realistic and avoid supernatural type stories, and I guess it's the same for the sims. It's the real people doing ordinary things that I find most extraordinary. It's the stories and the people I can believe in that really hold my attention, the average person overcoming all the odds to make something of their life, that is what interests me the most.
This. I play a bit of both, more often realistically. A lot of games are realistic and enjoyable. It's fun to make stories (like your own soap operas
I don't think that's exactly fair. Realistic games are very common and fun. I love realistic strategy and resource/money management games, but I don't want to manage a hotel or run a trucking company.
And my own life of chronic, debilitating illnesses just isn't quite as fun. Even realistic games are fun escapes for some people.
Townies dressing badly? Well, have you been to Wally World after midnight? nuf said
The sims may cook, fill their needs, laundry, etc but that's about as close as it gets to being real to me.....but still not realistic enough (if that makes sense)
If I had to choose which one of the series looked the closest to being real, I would have to go with S3.
Aliens are disabled with MC Command Center.
I recently got the Vampires pack and the first thing I did was delete all the houses in Midnight Hollow and disable vampires with MCCC.
I don't use cowplants. The only time I did, in fact, was for the purpose of a screenshot in the "25-day male CAS challenge" thread.
A lot of people say they play The Sims as an escape from reality. I don't. I love my life and don't need to escape it. I play The Sims because I enjoy it as a game and a storytelling medium. With over 7 billion people on this planet, reality means a different thing to every single one and that allows me to have endless possibilities when it comes to realistic stories in TS4.
I changed my mind. After the invasion of vampires, I realize I do like playing a realistic game.
The real world is empty of magic and wonder. It's nice to have a little bit of that in the sims.
No. I disagree. The sims don't live in the world we do. That's why its wholesome. There is no violence or evil. And there are vampires, because vampires are a part of the sims world. It's like an alternate universe.
They aren't in my game
I actually play the sims to ESCAPE real life. I have all the real life I can take - and The Sims is my light at the end of the tunnel - escape from real life. I live reality - I do not need to see it in my relaxation time as well.
ETA - My question to people who claim to play reality - is WHY?
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
Right now my current family has a vampire in it, and he will be around until the very end of the family line and even beyond that.
But mostly the days go by like normal, without anything "unrealistic" going on.
I just can't wait to see of we get witches someday. That would be great for my style of play
Some of my creations in the gallery use CC so remember to enable them in the gallery's options to see them all.
No violence, huh? I'm pretty sure I could work on a dishwasher or stereo irl and not electrocute myself, despite having no technical know-how to do so, because... I can unplug the appliances, lol.
I doubt I'm likely to start my house on fire by cooking on the stove either, and I'm no chef.
Life would be better if you could plead with Grimmy for reals though.
Anyways, details like 'life is better' in the Sims isn't what I meant with my post about realism or whatever. Sure, it can be a better life. That's the point about why I play the Sims the way I do, to give them that better life I'll never have and live a little vicariously through them. But stylized realism is different than all out fantasy/sci-fi.
I like to think of the Sims as comparable to a tv soap opera, where you can escape to be rich, or murder your surprise evil twin or whatever and get away with it. To me, playing as Harry Potter for example is a whole different thing.
I feel exactly the way you do. Not much was ever realistic about the sims . As a matter of fact the game has always been about the "wild and wacky" side of life. That's what I love about the sims is the humor. The whimsy. The innocence. The sims is fantasy .
It's funny that people are hollering about realism. But I bet some of those same players would be upset if their sims suddenly needed certain skills/degrees to land a certain job. Personally I would love to have a couple new careers , that require a university degree or certain training. That would be a nice addition to a future college/school EP. But I would never desire full on realism, in the sims
But returning to the original point, the sims is not based on real life and was never intended to be. Yes, it is a break from reality for me. It is a few hours of having control, where some of us might not be in control of our real lives, so much.
I would really like to see what they do with witches in TS4. I play mostly realistic style with a couple unrealistic saves, but still like both sides of the game. If they improve upon them like they did with vampires, I'd love that
I would love some careers to have university restrictions but, to be honest, it will have to be new ones such as law, psychiatry, teaching, maybe the military. It makes no sense for the medicine and science careers in particular, to function without degrees but it's really too late to implement that now.
I would love to play as Harry Potter. I suggested magic skill for a future EP, because I would lovesss to be a wizard. I guess people just have their likes and preferences.My only point was the sims live in an alternate universe, not our universe, therefore, Vampires, Werewolves and Wizards are a possibility in their world . Their world is more magical than ours is.
There are times I play a normal "realistic" game. By "realistic" I mean my sims get up, have food, get ready for the day and go to work. Come home, relax, and go to bed. They work in their garden, straighten up the house, hang out with friends and so on. I do this because, well, I want to and it fits my mood for the day.
Other times, I take my sims on a three day long adventure. Where they world hop, meet everyone they can, and end up married at the romance festival with triplets on the way.