@Orchid13 You could invite people over in The Sims 2 but you couldn't go over to their houses and play your Sim. I am talking about going over to another Sim's house and playing your Sim. That is something you can't do in The Sims 2 without mods. You refused to post a video and you won't remove your mods because you know what you stated isn't possible.
I thought families spending time together and doing activities together was a part of family play? Sisters are family right?
@SweetieTreats, if you don't play with mods or cheats, then I understand why you're saying this.
Gosh, when will people get that the toddler/teen height rage exists because TS4 was made in a PLUMMING LAZY WAY
They've just cut content and expect people to be a-okay. Unacceptable.
"But I don't care about the toddlers" - yeah, I'm not a toddler lover myself, but I want the biggest bang for my buck. I've paid MORE for TS4 base game and got LESS than what I'd got in TS2. TS2 had complete family play in the base game, actually it was its charms, because the great innovation was generational play.
Let's stop with the excuses, if it was doable 10 years ago, it is definetely doable now. The rage is very well justified.
As for family play, it really depends on what people consider family play. I mostly consider it exclusive actions and animations in between brothers/sisters/grandpas/grandmas/pappas/mammas. Also, toddler stage was really a bonding stage for many people. So in these regards, I think TS4 is kinda lacking, or at the very least adds zero to the table.
Yes. This.
And again, the OP has already stated that she prefers the game style of TS1, so of course for her TS4 is the cat's meow. For everyone else who wanted a proper sequel and an upgrade from TS2 and TS3, it's a waste of money.
Interesting thread. I like that you can see different ways of family play. However, because my game literally always revolved around family play I can only see what's missing. With TS4 I sort of do a lot more pretending. As in, I'll pretend my sim has to quit work to take care of her child. For me family play is challenging and I liked that.
I've always felt as though children in TS4 are more like roomates. You don't need to look after them, you could leave for a week on vacation without them if you please. I pretend that I can't leave them alone ever because for me I need it to be like that.
With babies you can just leave the house and you get a notification telling you that your baby as been sent to daycare. Remember when you had to have a babysitter over for your kids and it cost you quite a bit so you were stuck deciding whether or not to take the day off or keep the money you earned?
Or when you were constantly picking up toys after your toddlers and children? And the children were always pulling pranks and pretty much being extremely annoying?
I seriously miss that. Like a lot. I know a lot of people aren't missing toddlers but for me I enjoyed the difficulty because thats just how I like to play.
So basically, for me I see family play as needing to do things rather than choosing to do them. You NEED to take your baby with you where ever you go.. You NEED to urge your children to do their homework sometimes because they are infact children that would rather play games.
Like you know how in TS3 you would have a baby and it would change your sims entire life around because their world revolved around taking care of their childrens needs? That's my idea of family play
Interesting thread. I like that you can see different ways of family play. However, because my game literally always revolved around family play I can only see what's missing. With TS4 I sort of do a lot more pretending. As in, I'll pretend my sim has to quit work to take care of her child. For me family play is challenging and I liked that.
I've always felt as though children in TS4 are more like roomates. You don't need to look after them, you could leave for a week on vacation without them if you please. I pretend that I can't leave them alone ever because for me I need it to be like that.
With babies you can just leave the house and you get a notification telling you that your baby as been sent to daycare. Remember when you had to have a babysitter over for your kids and it cost you quite a bit so you were stuck deciding whether or not to take the day off or keep the money you earned?
Or when you were constantly picking up toys after your toddlers and children? And the children were always pulling pranks and pretty much being extremely annoying?
I seriously miss that. Like a lot. I know a lot of people aren't missing toddlers but for me I enjoyed the difficulty because thats just how I like to play.
So basically, for me I see family play as needing to do things rather than choosing to do them. You NEED to take your baby with you where ever you go.. You NEED to urge your children to do their homework sometimes because they are infact children that would rather play games.
Like you know how in TS3 you would have a baby and it would change your sims entire life around because their world revolved around taking care of their childrens needs? That's my idea of family play
Like I said and I'll repeat: TS4 IS PLUMMING LAZYYY
It works this way because they didn't make NPCs, so no nannies. It's just easier to have kids that play exactly like adults and just write a lazy balloon saying that your child had been sent to daycare.
Having kids and being poor in past games was challenging, ya know, like in real life, where having kids is a responsability. The parents needed to work, but they had to hire a nanny, or else one of them had to stay. Or they had to have a job that coincide with the kids schedule, so they wouldn't be home alone. Real life difficulties.
Interesting thread. I like that you can see different ways of family play. However, because my game literally always revolved around family play I can only see what's missing. With TS4 I sort of do a lot more pretending. As in, I'll pretend my sim has to quit work to take care of her child. For me family play is challenging and I liked that.
I've always felt as though children in TS4 are more like roomates. You don't need to look after them, you could leave for a week on vacation without them if you please. I pretend that I can't leave them alone ever because for me I need it to be like that.
With babies you can just leave the house and you get a notification telling you that your baby as been sent to daycare. Remember when you had to have a babysitter over for your kids and it cost you quite a bit so you were stuck deciding whether or not to take the day off or keep the money you earned?
Or when you were constantly picking up toys after your toddlers and children? And the children were always pulling pranks and pretty much being extremely annoying?
I seriously miss that. Like a lot. I know a lot of people aren't missing toddlers but for me I enjoyed the difficulty because thats just how I like to play.
So basically, for me I see family play as needing to do things rather than choosing to do them. You NEED to take your baby with you where ever you go.. You NEED to urge your children to do their homework sometimes because they are infact children that would rather play games.
Like you know how in TS3 you would have a baby and it would change your sims entire life around because their world revolved around taking care of their childrens needs? That's my idea of family play
EXACTLY this. Right now in this game having children does n ot change the household or sims at all. Who ever heard of such a thing? This game is no parody on real life at all. I liked the fact in previous games - just like real life what the sims do - like having children made changes have to happen in their life styles, behaviors, etc, etc. All I see with kids is this game is like adding a roommate - but no added responsibilties that would happen in real life if one choose to have children. If we behaved toward children the same way we were before we had children, we'd all be arrested for child abandonment, abuse, and more. The family aspect of Sims 4 has totally gone down the drain and the little sims are just pint size roommates that our sims could care less about unless we forced them to interact. In all previous sims games - all of them - interaction with my sims and their offspring occurred on many levels without me doing anything at all unless the sim had the hates children trait - and even with that trait the sims most of the time at least took care of their infants and toddlers needs. In this game you cannot even tell half the time if the infant has any needs and unless I sent a sim to take care of the infant - they acted like it is not even there.
I know in previous sims game when the social worker did come and take a baby - the parent were inconsolable - not just shrug it all off and just go about their business as usual. They are like heartless, cold robots with no emotional ties what so ever with the babies or children unless you make them attached. I have never had to make my sims attached to their own babies, toddlers, or kids. I just see no point in even having any babies or kids in this game - and rather dread the thought of them having pets as long as their programming is so "Me person" type programming.
"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.....
@manda9801 They devs said several times they are working on culling. There have been improvements. People just aren't patient. Also, some people don't have the machines that can run the game properly. When they put out fixes for these computers, no matter how many fixes they put out, it won't solve the issue because the issue is not the game but their machine. Some of these people, when asked to post their specs, leave the thread quiet and then open up a new thread making the same complaint. They never post their specs but always complain about issues with the game and give a general statement saying their computer can handle the game.
People can ask for what they want but the final decision rests with the devs. They have a limited amount of resources to do things. I would rather have three unique expansion packs, 4 gamepacks, and 10 stuff packs than a single age group that doesn't have that many interactions. Simply playing The Sims 2, 3, or Freeplay is the only option for those who want toddlers as it stands today.
@Cinebar There are several threads in Ideas Corner and Feedback where players express their ideas of what they want in the game. It isn't an excuse. The devs have to balance the wants of several different players as well as meeting productions goals so they can keep their jobs. They are expressing this in the article.
@simplysims25 It is not an opinion. It is a fact. There are no toddlers in The Sims 4 but yet their is family play. So, family play does not revolve around toddlers in The Sims 4 since they don't exist.
It doesn't matter what they say or why does it? It's what they said in the beginning that mattered. Then just a few weeks before release say no, and do some back hand apology of why then this latest statement which more or less dismisses family players and says (To me) look..other players are just as passionate. That was more or less sayinbg well wish in one hand and do something else in the other and see which one is full first. Some people are not the right person to make statements for companies solely due to how they speak and how they word things. And this is a good example.
But back to family play already in the game or not. No, when these Sims can worry over child and baby I might take notice but if so many are saying family play isn't in this game and their relationships are as hollow as some logs, then there must be something to those feelings and views and why Maxis should look deeper into why they are saying it.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
Interesting thread. I like that you can see different ways of family play. However, because my game literally always revolved around family play I can only see what's missing. With TS4 I sort of do a lot more pretending. As in, I'll pretend my sim has to quit work to take care of her child. For me family play is challenging and I liked that.
I've always felt as though children in TS4 are more like roomates. You don't need to look after them, you could leave for a week on vacation without them if you please. I pretend that I can't leave them alone ever because for me I need it to be like that.
With babies you can just leave the house and you get a notification telling you that your baby as been sent to daycare. Remember when you had to have a babysitter over for your kids and it cost you quite a bit so you were stuck deciding whether or not to take the day off or keep the money you earned?
Or when you were constantly picking up toys after your toddlers and children? And the children were always pulling pranks and pretty much being extremely annoying?
I seriously miss that. Like a lot. I know a lot of people aren't missing toddlers but for me I enjoyed the difficulty because thats just how I like to play.
So basically, for me I see family play as needing to do things rather than choosing to do them. You NEED to take your baby with you where ever you go.. You NEED to urge your children to do their homework sometimes because they are infact children that would rather play games.
Like you know how in TS3 you would have a baby and it would change your sims entire life around because their world revolved around taking care of their childrens needs? That's my idea of family play
Like I said and I'll repeat: TS4 IS PLUMMING LAZYYY
It works this way because they didn't make NPCs, so no nannies. It's just easier to have kids that play exactly like adults and just write a lazy balloon saying that your child had been sent to daycare.
Having kids and being poor in past games was challenging, ya know, like in real life, where having kids is a responsability. The parents needed to work, but they had to hire a nanny, or else one of them had to stay. Or they had to have a job that coincide with the kids schedule, so they wouldn't be home alone. Real life difficulties.
@Cinebar The players make the relationships "hollow as some logs". Players making the game that way does not remove the fact that there is family play in the game if the player chooses to have it. Players can make families have dysfunctional or meaningful relationships. Right now, I am playing a Sim who is a terrible mom. She has minimal interactions with her teen son but the son still loves her although he complains about her behavior all the time to others. They share loving moments and have other moments where he berates her for her reckless behavior. He acts more like the parent than her. He gets mad when she stays out late at the bar or when she doesn't come home at night. I don't want to be forced to have happy families all the time and I know other players feel the same way. Dysfunctional families are still part of family play. Here is a link to the thread where I describe the family: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/880048/my-sims-mom-is-a-mess/p1
Yes, imagination of why my Sherlock in TS2 followed me wherever I went with other Sims when I wasn't playing his household was my imagination. LOL However, I will point out some things for you others may have already mentioned.
1. When a Sim with a family trait wishes for nothing but buying toys when they don't even have kids doesn't make sense and is hollow. Even after having a baby or grown into children wishing for this is not related nor tied to the kids or baby. It's useless. Compare that to TS2 or even TS3. They want those things for their kids not themselves. That should have been a wish for a Childish Sim.
2. These Sims don't wish (just take family trait) their kids do well in school. They couldn't care less. What is the point of family trait other than to brag about family?
3. Brag about Family, How can a Sim brag about family when they are straight out of CAS and don't have any? Hollow/Shallow
4. Share a Secret...with any Sim in the game you hardly know. At least in TS2 and TS3 this is reserved to a higher level of relationships.
5. Tell an Inside Joke...to any stranger....how is that 'depth' when it's not reserved for brother or sister or parents? Or best friend?
6. When is the last time you saw your parent Sim 'worry' literally worry about their child passed out from or stressed out about homework or no electronics or low fun? Since TS2...depth. The parent was aware what the heck was going on and would go over and 'worry' over the passed out kid.
7. Do Parents in TS4 go into the room of the kid who is crying it out in the bed? No, if this feature had been in TS2 they would have tied it to something or particular Sim to comfort that child.
8. Hugging on bed..so what..this can be done by any Sim if relationship high enough. As a matter of fact hugging doesn't request to hug anyone most of the time but is a result of happy buff and they want to hug anybody. No depth.
9. What is 'fun' about a baby who never needs anything and parents just go on with their life? You could leave it in a basement and just feed it every 24 hours and not get it taken. Unlike TS2 or TS3 where they were obsessed with picking up baby to care for it.
10. SHALLOW>>>>>>is the lack of a real Social Worker to take neglected kids. WOW...just a FX animation. Poof ! gone...yeah, that's real deep isn't. How lazy can you get?
11. Biggest thing about shallowness in this game concerning family...(doesn't even concern toddlers) Delete Any Sim in the game who will care? Please tell me who will care?
12. One big fat shallow programming...No Kids are Available after FXed, for Adoption but deleted....how can anyone say this game has depth? I can't.
ETA: I hope they leave out kids, babies, teens, elders and Adults, if they can't do any better than this the next time. And I am serious. I am only passionate about this stuff because I know other teams did better than this.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
1. When a Sim with a family trait wishes for nothing but buying toys when they don't even have kids doesn't make sense and is hollow. Even after having a baby or grown into children wishing for this is not related nor tied to the kids or baby. It's useless. Compare that to TS2 or even TS3. They want those things for their kids not themselves. That should have been a wish for a Childish Sim.
You can report bugs you are having with whims here: http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-4-Bug-Reports/COLLECTION-THREAD-Whims-are-not-fulfilling-off/m-p/5211819#U5211819. I don't see that anyone else has reported this issue with their game.
2. These Sims don't wish (just take family trait) their kids do well in school. They couldn't care less. What is the point of family trait other than to brag about family?
3. Brag about Family, How can a Sim brag about family when they are straight out of CAS and don't have any? Hollow/Shallow
The trait also influences the emotions. Sims with this trait become happy around family members and become sad when they are not around them. You don't have to use the option to "brag about family" if you don't want to. Some players use the interaction because the Sim they created moved to a new town away from their parents and they do have family, just not in the town the Sim is living in. It gives players the option to tell the stories they want to tell. I don't think the option should be restricted or removed. If you think the trait or the options are hollow/shallow, you don't have to use them.
4. Share a Secret...with any Sim in the game you hardly know. At least in TS2 and TS3 this is reserved to a higher level of relationships.
There are two options for sharing a secret in the game. One option is reserved for Sims the Sim knows well. I don't think they should remove the former option because they are players who use that option. If you think the option is hollow/shallow, you don't have to use it.
5. Tell an Inside Joke...to any stranger....how is that 'depth' when it's not reserved for brother or sister or parents? Or best friend?
I don't get the option to tell an inside joke to a stranger. You are having a bug in your game and you need to report it. I don't see this posted about on the answers.ea.com website so you will have to open up a new thread.
6. When is the last time you saw your parent Sim 'worry' literally worry about their child passed out from or stressed out about homework or no electronics or low fun? Since TS2...depth. The parent was aware what the heck was going on and would go over and 'worry' over the passed out kid.
I agree, they could add an option for parents to worry about their children.
7. Do Parents in TS4 go into the room of the kid who is crying it out in the bed? No, if this feature had been in TS2 they would have tied it to something or particular Sim to comfort that child.
They do in my game. Maybe you have objects blocking the path of the parents in your game preventing them from entering into the room. Maybe you are experiencing a routing error. Maybe you have the doors locked. Parents in my game can go into the rooms of their children at any time. Whether they are sad or happy.
8. Hugging on bed..so what..this can be done by any Sim if relationship high enough. As a matter of fact hugging doesn't request to hug anyone most of the time but is a result of happy buff and they want to hug anybody. No depth.
My Sim does get whims to hug specific Sims. The reason for the whim is from being near a friendly relationship.
9. What is 'fun' about a baby who never needs anything and parents just go on with their life? You could leave it in a basement and just feed it every 24 hours and not get it taken. Unlike TS2 or TS3 where they were obsessed with picking up baby to care for it.
If players want to feed it once every 24 hours and have horrible Sims who leave their baby in the basement, they can in the game. If players want Sims who are attentive to the baby, they can have this in the game. I don't think options should be taken away from either group of players.
10. SHALLOW>>>>>>is the lack of a real Social Worker to take neglected kids. WOW...just a FX animation. Poof ! gone...yeah, that's real deep isn't. How lazy can you get?
I don't think it is laziness. It is how they designed the game. The designed something different. Could it have been better? Maybe. Not everyone wants the same things to return in every single reboot. The devs have to implement new ways of doing things.
11. Biggest thing about shallowness in this game concerning family...(doesn't even concern toddlers) Delete Any Sim in the game who will care? Please tell me who will care?
You could delete any Sim in all previous games in the series and the game would lose the memory of that Sim. Sometimes the game would become corrupted. At least in The Sims 4, they prevented corruption from deleting Sims. I don't think the option to delete Sims should be taken away from or restricted for players who want this option.
1. When a Sim with a family trait wishes for nothing but buying toys when they don't even have kids doesn't make sense and is hollow. Even after having a baby or grown into children wishing for this is not related nor tied to the kids or baby. It's useless. Compare that to TS2 or even TS3. They want those things for their kids not themselves. That should have been a wish for a Childish Sim.
You can report bugs you are having with whims here: http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-4-Bug-Reports/COLLECTION-THREAD-Whims-are-not-fulfilling-off/m-p/5211819#U5211819. I don't see that anyone else has reported this issue with their game.
2. These Sims don't wish (just take family trait) their kids do well in school. They couldn't care less. What is the point of family trait other than to brag about family?
3. Brag about Family, How can a Sim brag about family when they are straight out of CAS and don't have any? Hollow/Shallow
The trait also influences the emotions. Sims with this trait become happy around family members and become sad when they are not around them. You don't have to use the option to "brag about family" if you don't want to. Some players use the interaction because the Sim they created moved to a new town away from their parents and they do have family, just not in the town the Sim is living in. It gives players the option to tell the stories they want to tell. I don't think the option should be restricted or removed. If you think the trait or the options are hollow/shallow, you don't have to use them.
4. Share a Secret...with any Sim in the game you hardly know. At least in TS2 and TS3 this is reserved to a higher level of relationships.
There are two options for sharing a secret in the game. One option is reserved for Sims the Sim knows well. I don't think they should remove the former option because they are players who use that option. If you think the option is hollow/shallow, you don't have to use it.
5. Tell an Inside Joke...to any stranger....how is that 'depth' when it's not reserved for brother or sister or parents? Or best friend?
I don't get the option to tell an inside joke to a stranger. You are having a bug in your game and you need to report it. I don't see this posted about on the answers.ea.com website so you will have to open up a new thread.
6. When is the last time you saw your parent Sim 'worry' literally worry about their child passed out from or stressed out about homework or no electronics or low fun? Since TS2...depth. The parent was aware what the heck was going on and would go over and 'worry' over the passed out kid.
I agree, they could add an option for parents to worry about their children.
7. Do Parents in TS4 go into the room of the kid who is crying it out in the bed? No, if this feature had been in TS2 they would have tied it to something or particular Sim to comfort that child.
They do in my game. Maybe you have objects blocking the path of the parents in your game preventing them from entering into the room. Maybe you are experiencing a routing error. Maybe you have the doors locked. Parents in my game can go into the rooms of their children at any time. Whether they are sad or happy.
8. Hugging on bed..so what..this can be done by any Sim if relationship high enough. As a matter of fact hugging doesn't request to hug anyone most of the time but is a result of happy buff and they want to hug anybody. No depth.
My Sim does get whims to hug specific Sims. The reason for the whim is from being near a friendly relationship.
9. What is 'fun' about a baby who never needs anything and parents just go on with their life? You could leave it in a basement and just feed it every 24 hours and not get it taken. Unlike TS2 or TS3 where they were obsessed with picking up baby to care for it.
If players want to feed it once every 24 hours and have horrible Sims who leave their baby in the basement, they can in the game. If players want Sims who are attentive to the baby, they can have this in the game. I don't think options should be taken away from either group of players.
10. SHALLOW>>>>>>is the lack of a real Social Worker to take neglected kids. WOW...just a FX animation. Poof ! gone...yeah, that's real deep isn't. How lazy can you get?
I don't think it is laziness. It is how they designed the game. The designed something different. Could it have been better? Maybe. Not everyone wants the same things to return in every single reboot. The devs have to implement new ways of doing things.
11. Biggest thing about shallowness in this game concerning family...(doesn't even concern toddlers) Delete Any Sim in the game who will care? Please tell me who will care?
You could delete any Sim in all previous games in the series and the game would lose the memory of that Sim. Sometimes the game would become corrupted. At least in The Sims 4, they prevented corruption from deleting Sims. I don't think the option to delete Sims should be taken away from or restricted for players who want this option.
You may think what I said is bugs, but no they are not and they are shallowness. And when I can delete a parent or a kid in the family (which I knew better in TS2 or TS3) then that tells me it doesn't matter. They just gave you hulls of Sims and you pretend what they do and who they are. Which leads to another discussion about traits not mattering more than a skill whim or an emotional whim or the emotions being greater and making them all the same. That is shallow in my book.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
@Cinebar The players make the relationships "hollow as some logs". Players making the game that way does not remove the fact that there is family play in the game if the player chooses to have it. Players can make families have dysfunctional or meaningful relationships. Right now, I am playing a Sim who is a terrible mom. She has minimal interactions with her teen son but the son still loves her although he complains about her behavior all the time to others. They share loving moments and have other moments where he berates her for her reckless behavior. He acts more like the parent than her. He gets mad when she stays out late at the bar or when she doesn't come home at night. I don't want to be forced to have happy families all the time and I know other players feel the same way. Dysfunctional families are still part of family play. Here is a link to the thread where I describe the family: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/880048/my-sims-mom-is-a-mess/p1
Yes, imagination of why my Sherlock in TS2 followed me wherever I went with other Sims when I wasn't playing his household was my imagination. LOL However, I will point out some things for you others may have already mentioned.
1. When a Sim with a family trait wishes for nothing but buying toys when they don't even have kids doesn't make sense and is hollow. Even after having a baby or grown into children wishing for this is not related nor tied to the kids or baby. It's useless. Compare that to TS2 or even TS3. They want those things for their kids not themselves. That should have been a wish for a Childish Sim.
2. These Sims don't wish (just take family trait) their kids do well in school. They couldn't care less. What is the point of family trait other than to brag about family?
3. Brag about Family, How can a Sim brag about family when they are straight out of CAS and don't have any? Hollow/Shallow
4. Share a Secret...with any Sim in the game you hardly know. At least in TS2 and TS3 this is reserved to a higher level of relationships.
5. Tell an Inside Joke...to any stranger....how is that 'depth' when it's not reserved for brother or sister or parents? Or best friend?
6. When is the last time you saw your parent Sim 'worry' literally worry about their child passed out from or stressed out about homework or no electronics or low fun? Since TS2...depth. The parent was aware what the heck was going on and would go over and 'worry' over the passed out kid.
7. Do Parents in TS4 go into the room of the kid who is crying it out in the bed? No, if this feature had been in TS2 they would have tied it to something or particular Sim to comfort that child.
8. Hugging on bed..so what..this can be done by any Sim if relationship high enough. As a matter of fact hugging doesn't request to hug anyone most of the time but is a result of happy buff and they want to hug anybody. No depth.
9. What is 'fun' about a baby who never needs anything and parents just go on with their life? You could leave it in a basement and just feed it every 24 hours and not get it taken. Unlike TS2 or TS3 where they were obsessed with picking up baby to care for it.
10. SHALLOW>>>>>>is the lack of a real Social Worker to take neglected kids. WOW...just a FX animation. Poof ! gone...yeah, that's real deep isn't. How lazy can you get?
11. Biggest thing about shallowness in this game concerning family...(doesn't even concern toddlers) Delete Any Sim in the game who will care? Please tell me who will care?
Let me try go through your points from my point of view
1. Wishing to buy toys for nonexisting children suits the family trait perfectly. I do this in real life. As in wish that one day I could buy this and that and whatnot toys for my future children, other peoples children, and possibly grandchildren. And yes, sometimes I actually do buy toys, for myself at the time maybe, but not really. Why is hollow? Because it only says "buy a toy" on the wish?
2. and 3. Is family trait really only meant for sims that strive for success and ambitious children? To brag? Not for me. Family trait for me is for a sim who wants to have children and enjoys spending time with their family, regardless of their shortcomings.
4. Share a Secret. This you could take either way, I see it more like a lighthearted way to maybe break the ice, not an actual skeleton in the closet.
5. The inside joke is whatever you want it to be. I would reserve it for family and close friends too, but, you can become best friends with a sim quite easily, within a couple of sim hours probably, so where do you draw the line for this interaction to show. Should we wait a few sim days for it to show or what? I'd say no, it's better to have more interactions at hand than too few, so that the player can chose whether it's too early to tell an inside joke or not.
6. It would be great if sim parents had this worrying thing back. Could be a nice little emotion debuff if the parent saw the child doing something worrying. Perhaps it will be back with a generations EP?
7. You have the options and interactions as a player to play this scene out, without it being a forced event/reaction. And it's just as nice when you do.
8. I don't see what is so wrong with hugging interactions being available for you rather than not showing at all? If the relationship is not high enough you can still get rejected from trying.
9. Babies need food, social and hygiene to be fulfilled, just like previous games.
10. Just a missing NPC who if I'm completely honest, is not one of the most important ones. I've maybe had social worker visit three times over 15 years I've played. My family playing does not normally include social worker visiting on a regular basis, go figure! Still a nice touch having one, but I'd much rather have the Nanny back first.
11. Did deleting a sim ever affect any other sim? Why should it? I care if I delete a sim, but it really depends who I delete and for what purpose. It's an odd point to include.
@Simeggrolls I wasn't referring to a disability of any type. I was referring to the gameplay mechanics.
@Cinebar If you don't report the bugs then EA won't know about them and they have a greater possibility of never being fixed. If you just say it is shallowness, then you are not doing anything to help fix the issues with the game. You are just becoming a complainer.
@Slawfish 1. Wishing to buy toys for nonexisting children suits the family trait perfectly. I do this in real life. As in wish that one day I could buy this and that and whatnot toys for my future children, other peoples children, and possibly grandchildren. And yes, sometimes I actually do buy toys, for myself at the time maybe, but not really. Why is hollow? Because it only says "buy a toy" on the wish?
Maybe this option with the whim isn't a bug. I don't think this option should be taken away from players in the game.
2. and 3. Is family trait really only meant for sims that strive for success and ambitious children? To brag? Not for me. Family trait for me is for a sim who wants to have children and enjoys spending time with their family, regardless of their shortcomings.
I agree. Players can direct the play however they want.
4. Share a Secret. This you could take either way, I see it more like a lighthearted way to maybe break the ice, not an actual skeleton in the closet.
Agreed. That is why there are two options for secrets. To give players options.
5. The inside joke is whatever you want it to be. I would reserve it for family and close friends too, but, you can become best friends with a sim quite easily, within a couple of sim hours probably, so where do you draw the line for this interaction to show. Should we wait a few sim days for it to show or what? I'd say no, it's better to have more interactions at hand than too few, so that the player can chose whether it's too early to tell an inside joke or not.
The option doesn't even come up for strangers. I agree. More interactions and letting the players choose the interactions is better.
6. It would be great if sim parents had this worrying thing back. Could be a nice little emotion debuff if the parent saw the child doing something worrying. Perhaps it will be back with a generations EP?
The option back doesn't have to come in an EP. It could come in a free patch. They could add a new fear emotion to the game and it could be part of the fear emotion.
7. You have the options and interactions as a player to play this scene out, without it being a forced event/reaction. And it's just as nice when you do.
Agreed.
8. I don't see what is so wrong with hugging interactions being available for you rather than not showing at all? If the relationship is not high enough you can still get rejected from trying.
Agreed. Also, the option is not available to Sims who don't have a high enough relationship.
9. Babies need food, social and hygiene to be fulfilled, just like previous games.
Agreed.
10. Just a missing NPC who if I'm completely honest, is not one of the most important ones. I've maybe had social worker visit three times over 15 years I've played. My family playing does not normally include social worker visiting on a regular basis, go figure! Still a nice touch having one, but I'd much rather have the Nanny back first.
Agreed.
11. Did deleting a sim ever affect any other sim? Why should it? I care if I delete a sim, but it really depends who I delete and for what purpose. It's an odd point to include.
Agreed.
I think the OP is right. You can have excellent family play without superfluous life stages. In fact, I'll go so far to argue that we can do away elders (because seriously, most players end up sticking them in an old folk's home and not playing them so they don't die, or turning them into ghosts anyway) and without university, we don't need young adults (will never understand the point of this lifestage anyway... why not just increase the time for adults?!) and since YAs and teens look the same, let's go ahead and get rid of the teens so that--if we play a family friendly game--we don't have to be bothered hovering our mouse over a sim to see if they are a teen or YA before our adult sim opts to be 'flirty' with them. I know for a fact that you can have AMAZING family stories with the life stages which remain because I've been there and done that before.
Gosh, I do hope when you become an elder in RL that you don't just get shoved aside as no longer a viable part of society. Or end up in a stinking old folk's home. My goodness I'm NOT superfluous. Nor are YA's. I was married at 19 (a YA), so some of us take our Sims on similar journeys. And I do play my Elders. Most of the deaths in my game have been from old age. I don't blythly end a Sims' life just to have a ghost.
In case you were unaware, females in RL tend to look very adult. In fact many don't change at all for many, many years. I think Sims4 Sims are just reflecting this bit of reality. I don't wish to lose life stages, I'd much rather gain some (toddlers, being top of the list).
I do agree with you on one point, however. It IS possible to have amazing family stories with the life stages we have in this game. I have found a way to do so, myself. But, that doesn't mean I don't pine for toddlers. Adding them back to the game, would fill an ENORMOUS hole in the life of a Sim.
@GalacticGal - you are right. You are not superfluous. I don't even know who you are, but I am certain of that much. My post was never intended to imply that.
Too bad toddlers can't register for this site to call folks out for dismissing their significance
I do appreciate that. Forgive me if i came down rather hard on you. I just see an overwhelming attitude in the youth these days that are very ready to throw out their elders with the 'bath water', so to speak. We still have much to give.
@Simeggrolls I wasn't referring to a disability of any type. I was referring to the gameplay mechanics.
@Cinebar If you don't report the bugs then EA won't know about them and they have a greater possibility of never being fixed. If you just say it is shallowness, then you are not doing anything to help fix the issues with the game. You are just becoming a complainer.
You made it seem as if every normal teen stops growing by 15.im sorry but I've been the same height since the 6th grade I stopped growing way before 15.3 life stages being the same height is ridiculous and when I played ts4 my adult male sim almost flirted with a teen -_- I cannot tell the difference.
Teens are maybe as tall as young adults, but they don't have the same body mass, and are normally thinner in weight than their adult counterparts. Not as much muscle, not as much chest. I'm not sure it was as obvious at launch of game, and I do believe they have tweaked it over time, but I'm not entirely sure. I can really tell which ones are teens from a familiar bunch of sims, strangers aren't as easy... much like real life lol.
I've said before, I really think they wanted teens taller because of them planning to add preteens, it just doesn't make sense that teens are still growing in height, when that happens during early teens/preteen anyways. Of course it's not the same for everybody, and in all honesty, if they added more realism to the game, girls should start growing sooner than boys, maybe even be 3 inch taller than boys during teens or preteens stage. We don't really want that though, do we?
I will play teens when they are teens in this game. I really don't need another YA in the game. Mess around sounds good on paper but it is still woohoo, and the teens I knew and used to be one I know teens aren't adults. They go through many stages and these are just adults called teens. It really says something about a game when we can't tell by looks, height, or appearance nor in actions and reactions if a Sim is a teen or an adult without a tag.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
> @Slawfish said: > Simeggrolls wrote: » > > SweetieTreats wrote: » > > @Simeggrolls I wasn't referring to a disability of any type. I was referring to the gameplay mechanics. > > @Cinebar If you don't report the bugs then EA won't know about them and they have a greater possibility of never being fixed. If you just say it is shallowness, then you are not doing anything to help fix the issues with the game. You are just becoming a complainer. > > > > > You made it seem as if every normal teen stops growing by 15.im sorry but I've been the same height since the 6th grade I stopped growing way before 15.3 life stages being the same height is ridiculous and when I played ts4 my adult male sim almost flirted with a teen -_- I cannot tell the difference. > > > > > > Teens are maybe as tall as young adults, but they don't have the same body mass, and are normally thinner in weight than their adult counterparts. Not as much muscle, not as much chest. I'm not sure it was as obvious at launch of game, and I do believe they have tweaked it over time, but I'm not entirely sure. I can really tell which ones are teens from a familiar bunch of sims, strangers aren't as easy... much like real life lol. > > I've said before, I really think they wanted teens taller because of them planning to add preteens, it just doesn't make sense that teens are still growing in height, when that happens during early teens/preteen anyways. Of course it's not the same for everybody, and in all honesty, if they added more realism to the game, girls should start growing sooner than boys, maybe even be 3 inch taller than boys during teens or preteens stage. We don't really want that though, do we?
Though I'm pretty sure they made teens the same height as adults not because they wanted to add preteens but because they messed up on Sims Olympus.
> @Slawfish said:
> Simeggrolls wrote: »
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> SweetieTreats wrote: »
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> @Simeggrolls I wasn't referring to a disability of any type. I was referring to the gameplay mechanics.
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> @Cinebar If you don't report the bugs then EA won't know about them and they have a greater possibility of never being fixed. If you just say it is shallowness, then you are not doing anything to help fix the issues with the game. You are just becoming a complainer.
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> You made it seem as if every normal teen stops growing by 15.im sorry but I've been the same height since the 6th grade I stopped growing way before 15.3 life stages being the same height is ridiculous and when I played ts4 my adult male sim almost flirted with a teen -_- I cannot tell the difference.
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> Teens are maybe as tall as young adults, but they don't have the same body mass, and are normally thinner in weight than their adult counterparts. Not as much muscle, not as much chest. I'm not sure it was as obvious at launch of game, and I do believe they have tweaked it over time, but I'm not entirely sure. I can really tell which ones are teens from a familiar bunch of sims, strangers aren't as easy... much like real life lol.
>
> I've said before, I really think they wanted teens taller because of them planning to add preteens, it just doesn't make sense that teens are still growing in height, when that happens during early teens/preteen anyways. Of course it's not the same for everybody, and in all honesty, if they added more realism to the game, girls should start growing sooner than boys, maybe even be 3 inch taller than boys during teens or preteens stage. We don't really want that though, do we?
Though I'm pretty sure they made teens the same height as adults not because they wanted to add preteens but because they messed up on Sims Olympus.
Fair enough. But considering they managed to make children shorter just fine, I don't see any grounds for that statement.
I will play teens when they are teens in this game. I really don't need another YA in the game. Mess around sounds good on paper but it is still woohoo, and the teens I knew and used to be one I know teens aren't adults. They go through many stages and these are just adults called teens. It really says something about a game when we can't tell by looks, height, or appearance nor in actions and reactions if a Sim is a teen or an adult without a tag.
People have this problem in real life, so it doesn't say much about the game at all. They're just older teens this time around, making space for preteens.
I will play teens when they are teens in this game. I really don't need another YA in the game. Mess around sounds good on paper but it is still woohoo, and the teens I knew and used to be one I know teens aren't adults. They go through many stages and these are just adults called teens. It really says something about a game when we can't tell by looks, height, or appearance nor in actions and reactions if a Sim is a teen or an adult without a tag.
People have this problem in real life, so it doesn't say much about the game at all. They're just older teens this time around, making space for preteens.
The problem with that is the question was on a survey with toddlers. Considering what else was on the survey, too, at the same time is did it get a high vote or was there other stuff on the survey people wanted more? Considering those who love TS4 don't seem to care if toddlers and preteens are in this version, they may not have received a healthy vote and gurus decide it's not worth it and to give them something like Town Life, or that Mayor career, and or that Disaster EP.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
@Simeggrolls I wasn't referring to a disability of any type. I was referring to the gameplay mechanics.
@Cinebar If you don't report the bugs then EA won't know about them and they have a greater possibility of never being fixed. If you just say it is shallowness, then you are not doing anything to help fix the issues with the game. You are just becoming a complainer.
You made it seem as if every normal teen stops growing by 15.im sorry but I've been the same height since the 6th grade I stopped growing way before 15.3 life stages being the same height is ridiculous and when I played ts4 my adult male sim almost flirted with a teen -_- I cannot tell the difference.
Teens are maybe as tall as young adults, but they don't have the same body mass, and are normally thinner in weight than their adult counterparts. Not as much muscle, not as much chest. I'm not sure it was as obvious at launch of game, and I do believe they have tweaked it over time, but I'm not entirely sure. I can really tell which ones are teens from a familiar bunch of sims, strangers aren't as easy... much like real life lol.
I've said before, I really think they wanted teens taller because of them planning to add preteens, it just doesn't make sense that teens are still growing in height, when that happens during early teens/preteen anyways. Of course it's not the same for everybody, and in all honesty, if they added more realism to the game, girls should start growing sooner than boys, maybe even be 3 inch taller than boys during teens or preteens stage. We don't really want that though, do we?
They are the same height because that was probably the only life stage in olympus.If they really thought out the teen stage they should have at least made the teens less developed in some areas just to give a little difference.The pic with all life stages beside each other shows a child,3 adults and a short elder.Why not leave the elder height the same as adults and just give teens the shorter elder height.They must have some radioactive water in ts4 because those height sizes being the same is lame and lazy.
@Mstybl95 I was banned once back on The Sims 2 forums if you are thinking way back then. I don't even know what your screen name would be from back then. So, I don't remember you. Sorry.
@nanashi-sims I remember that mod from back in The Sims 2 days. I did use mods and CC back then but they became such a hassle so I stopped using them. I created my own CC/mods and only used the ones I created for a while. I didn't upload them anywhere though. I haven't used them with Sims 3 or 4.
@poisonedsodapop@xitneverendss The person did lie and I pointed it out. What is the problem with point out someone who is lying? I am just supposed to be lied to and not say anything? When did lying become okay? When did pointing out someone's lies become bullying? If anything, the person lying and trying to deceive others is the real bully.
@Simeggrolls They don't have birth defects in the game. That wasn't what I was talking about.
@Thenyoukissme You could treat children like roommates in The Sims 2 and 3. In The Sims 2 you could visit a community lot for however long you wanted without the children or you could go on vacation with Bon Voyage and leave the children. The same happens in The Sims 3. If the player wants to make a good parent, the player has the option to do so. If the player wants to make a bad parent they also have the option to do so. It has always been like this in the game. I don't think the option should be taken away.
I agree, they should make players pay for daycare. I doubt they would do it though because people are already complaining bills are too high in the game even though there is a reward to lower them.
Children in The Sims 4 do leave toys lying around. You do have to constantly pick up after children in The Sims 4 unless you tell the child to always pick up the toys after themselves. Children can play pranks when they level up their mischief skill. Hopefully in the future, they will add more pranks.
I am sure in both games they would do homework on their own sometimes. My Sims in The Sims 4 don't always do their homework on their own and I would have to direct them to do their homework.
@Writin_Reg They give more flexibility of how players want to control the families in their game. The player has the option to make parents who just want to party all night or parents who want to be attentive to their children. You could treat the child like a roommate in all the Sims games if you wanted to. It has always been like this.
@Cinebar The players make the relationships "hollow as some logs". Players making the game that way does not remove the fact that there is family play in the game if the player chooses to have it. Players can make families have dysfunctional or meaningful relationships. Right now, I am playing a Sim who is a terrible mom. She has minimal interactions with her teen son but the son still loves her although he complains about her behavior all the time to others. They share loving moments and have other moments where he berates her for her reckless behavior. He acts more like the parent than her. He gets mad when she stays out late at the bar or when she doesn't come home at night. I don't want to be forced to have happy families all the time and I know other players feel the same way. Dysfunctional families are still part of family play. Here is a link to the thread where I describe the family: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/880048/my-sims-mom-is-a-mess/p1
IN YOUR OPINION!!!! Speak for yourself. I know what I see and how all the Sims games are played and not in former games you could not just treat the sims offspring as roommates. If you tried that the social worker came and took all the sims kids away. The Sims 4 could care less and no one gets taken away unless the infant is starving. Maybe you play with mods or something - I don't. I play the game as it was intended to play.
Anyway who asked you to tell me what my opinion is or should be. I know what I see - I play the Sims games every single day. That is my opinion and you deciding it isn't does not change the fact one iota. At most you can disagree with my opinion.
It seems with proof or facts presented how the other games handle the other life stages, the OP only sees what she wants to see and tells everyone else how wrong they are. When I gave facts of why this game is shallow in areas that shows how shallow and hollow the other life stages are. I think this should have been feedback of praise rather than a discussion because no matter how much is pointed out that lacks detail and depth the OP is going to point out how wrong we are and blame the players. ETA: It's like when people complained in the Family Thread about the babies the guru answered we like them and think they are cute....instead of saying how they could improve it.
So how would you improve the faults you listed? The only way I could see to solve what you say is hollow is to restrict interactions more based on relationships, restrict them with time passed, rename an adult wish to add "...for a child" to the name and then add forced reaction/chain reaction to play out if a child is crying in bed etc.
These aren't things that are going to solve anything you listed; restrictions aren't a solution when it only takes things away and then have the game do things for you. And renaming a wish doesn't change anything at all in the first place. I get that you feel that the game is hollow and lacks depth, but I don't see why based on what you listed?
I will play teens when they are teens in this game. I really don't need another YA in the game. Mess around sounds good on paper but it is still woohoo, and the teens I knew and used to be one I know teens aren't adults. They go through many stages and these are just adults called teens. It really says something about a game when we can't tell by looks, height, or appearance nor in actions and reactions if a Sim is a teen or an adult without a tag.
People have this problem in real life, so it doesn't say much about the game at all. They're just older teens this time around, making space for preteens.
The problem with that is the question was on a survey with toddlers. Considering what else was on the survey, too, at the same time is did it get a high vote or was there other stuff on the survey people wanted more? Considering those who love TS4 don't seem to care if toddlers and preteens are in this version, they may not have received a healthy vote and gurus decide it's not worth it and to give them something like Town Life, or that Mayor career, and or that Disaster EP.
Please consider that not everyone is the same, even those of us who thoroughly enjoy this version. While I honestly don't care about playing with toddlers, I would prefer they were in the game to avoid the baby to age 10 jump and I most definitely want preteens. My preferred age range play is child through adult and having preteens in there would help span the 10 to 16/17 year old gap that we currently seem to have (these age estimates are based on how I play these life stages, not on anything that's been set in stone by anyone else).
Origin ID: ebuchala I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
@Simeggrolls I wasn't referring to a disability of any type. I was referring to the gameplay mechanics.
@Cinebar If you don't report the bugs then EA won't know about them and they have a greater possibility of never being fixed. If you just say it is shallowness, then you are not doing anything to help fix the issues with the game. You are just becoming a complainer.
You made it seem as if every normal teen stops growing by 15.im sorry but I've been the same height since the 6th grade I stopped growing way before 15.3 life stages being the same height is ridiculous and when I played ts4 my adult male sim almost flirted with a teen -_- I cannot tell the difference.
Teens are maybe as tall as young adults, but they don't have the same body mass, and are normally thinner in weight than their adult counterparts. Not as much muscle, not as much chest. I'm not sure it was as obvious at launch of game, and I do believe they have tweaked it over time, but I'm not entirely sure. I can really tell which ones are teens from a familiar bunch of sims, strangers aren't as easy... much like real life lol.
I've said before, I really think they wanted teens taller because of them planning to add preteens, it just doesn't make sense that teens are still growing in height, when that happens during early teens/preteen anyways. Of course it's not the same for everybody, and in all honesty, if they added more realism to the game, girls should start growing sooner than boys, maybe even be 3 inch taller than boys during teens or preteens stage. We don't really want that though, do we?
They are the same height because that was probably the only life stage in olympus.If they really thought out the teen stage they should have at least made the teens less developed in some areas just to give a little difference.The pic with all life stages beside each other shows a child,3 adults and a short elder.Why not leave the elder height the same as adults and just give teens the shorter elder height.They must have some radioactive water in ts4 because those height sizes being the same is lame and lazy.
Teens have thinner frames than their adult counterparts, smaller chests etc. So there is a little difference.
@Cinebar I can tell the difference between teens and young adults in my game without the tag. The tag is there to help players better.
@LordDamegette The Sims 4 is The Sims Olympus. Olympus was the code name for The Sims 4.
@Writin_Reg I still play the other games. In The Sims 2 & 3 my Sim child could have only negative or no interactions with their parents and they wouldn't be taken by the social worker. They were only taken by the social worker if their needs were low or they had bad grades. The Sims 2 even had a default household without parents. It has always been in the game like this and it is not my opinion but a fact. Facts speak for everyone. Opinions don't change facts. Children will get taken away in The Sims 4 if they have low grades. I don't play with mods.
@Cinebar What you want is more restrictions to gameplay not more family play. I am not for more restrictions and limits to the amount of family play we already have in the game. I don't want a scripted game. I like the sandbox style of play when it comes to family interactions. Also, a lot of what you said wasn't true regarding interactions. You also didn't present one screenshot or video as proof of your statements. If you aren't telling the truth, I am going to point it out.
@Mstybl95 I was banned once back on The Sims 2 forums if you are thinking way back then. I don't even know what your screen name would be from back then. So, I don't remember you. Sorry.
@nanashi-sims I remember that mod from back in The Sims 2 days. I did use mods and CC back then but they became such a hassle so I stopped using them. I created my own CC/mods and only used the ones I created for a while. I didn't upload them anywhere though. I haven't used them with Sims 3 or 4.
@poisonedsodapop@xitneverendss The person did lie and I pointed it out. What is the problem with point out someone who is lying? I am just supposed to be lied to and not say anything? When did lying become okay? When did pointing out someone's lies become bullying? If anything, the person lying and trying to deceive others is the real bully.
@Simeggrolls They don't have birth defects in the game. That wasn't what I was talking about.
@Thenyoukissme You could treat children like roommates in The Sims 2 and 3. In The Sims 2 you could visit a community lot for however long you wanted without the children or you could go on vacation with Bon Voyage and leave the children. The same happens in The Sims 3. If the player wants to make a good parent, the player has the option to do so. If the player wants to make a bad parent they also have the option to do so. It has always been like this in the game. I don't think the option should be taken away.
I agree, they should make players pay for daycare. I doubt they would do it though because people are already complaining bills are too high in the game even though there is a reward to lower them.
Children in The Sims 4 do leave toys lying around. You do have to constantly pick up after children in The Sims 4 unless you tell the child to always pick up the toys after themselves. Children can play pranks when they level up their mischief skill. Hopefully in the future, they will add more pranks.
I am sure in both games they would do homework on their own sometimes. My Sims in The Sims 4 don't always do their homework on their own and I would have to direct them to do their homework.
@Writin_Reg They give more flexibility of how players want to control the families in their game. The player has the option to make parents who just want to party all night or parents who want to be attentive to their children. You could treat the child like a roommate in all the Sims games if you wanted to. It has always been like this.
@Cinebar The players make the relationships "hollow as some logs". Players making the game that way does not remove the fact that there is family play in the game if the player chooses to have it. Players can make families have dysfunctional or meaningful relationships. Right now, I am playing a Sim who is a terrible mom. She has minimal interactions with her teen son but the son still loves her although he complains about her behavior all the time to others. They share loving moments and have other moments where he berates her for her reckless behavior. He acts more like the parent than her. He gets mad when she stays out late at the bar or when she doesn't come home at night. I don't want to be forced to have happy families all the time and I know other players feel the same way. Dysfunctional families are still part of family play. Here is a link to the thread where I describe the family: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/880048/my-sims-mom-is-a-mess/p1
IN YOUR OPINION!!!! Speak for yourself. I know what I see and how all the Sims games are played and not in former games you could not just treat the sims offspring as roommates. If you tried that the social worker came and took all the sims kids away. The Sims 4 could care less and no one gets taken away unless the infant is starving. Maybe you play with mods or something - I don't. I play the game as it was intended to play.
Anyway who asked you to tell me what my opinion is or should be. I know what I see - I play the Sims games every single day. That is my opinion and you deciding it isn't does not change the fact one iota. At most you can disagree with my opinion.
It seems with proof or facts presented how the other games handle the other life stages, the OP only sees what she wants to see and tells everyone else how wrong they are. When I gave facts of why this game is shallow in areas that shows how shallow and hollow the other life stages are. I think this should have been feedback of praise rather than a discussion because no matter how much is pointed out that lacks detail and depth the OP is going to point out how wrong we are and blame the players. ETA: It's like when people complained in the Family Thread about the babies the guru answered we like them and think they are cute....instead of saying how they could improve it.
So how would you improve the faults you listed? The only way I could see to solve what you say is hollow is to restrict interactions more based on relationships, restrict them with time passed, rename an adult wish to add "...for a child" to the name and then add forced reaction/chain reaction to play out if a child is crying in bed etc.
These aren't things that are going to solve anything you listed; restrictions aren't a solution when it only takes things away and then have the game do things for you. And renaming a wish doesn't change anything at all in the first place. I get that you feel that the game is hollow and lacks depth, but I don't see why based on what you listed?
O.K. let's say they stay tied (and we know they will).
1. I would make the other Sims living in the house to be more like TS2 Sims and be concerned for baby (moodlets in this game I guess) and go to pick it up more often and feed it more often and snuggle more often. That's just a start which this game doesn't do. But TS2 Sims were obsessed with their kids and babies. Though annoying at times if they were sleeping they had an instinct or just programmed to be obsessed. TS4 sure could use some obsession with acknowledging they have babies and kids.
2. I would program the game to allow babies to be placed in other objects. I may have to limit how far they could walk away with the baby (maybe same room?) to a bathing table/sink. And putting them in other objects (still tied to objects) but the distance they walk be limited if it has to be that way.
3. I would make the kids programed to go woo and coo at baby. They need to know there is someone else in the house not just hate new brother. lol Both would gain relationship points and this would be autonomous and clickable.
4. I would program relatives like Grandparents and other kin for a visit to ask the parents to see the baby. Or make the parent auto go get baby to show the other relatives. There are a lot of things they can program without limiting it to just crib and still be tied to crib.
I would broaden the baby interactions to burp...baby gets a bad moodlet (Yes, I would give them moodlets for players to see on avatar) and still not have to untie baby from crib.
Those are just a few to improve baby object.
I would give kids and parents mooldets like TSM gave them for playing with baby (and they were tied to crib, too) Isn't it odd they did the same thing to TSM babies which is a RPG...since Daniel worked on the RPG TSM.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
Comments
@SweetieTreats, if you don't play with mods or cheats, then I understand why you're saying this.
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Yes. This.
And again, the OP has already stated that she prefers the game style of TS1, so of course for her TS4 is the cat's meow. For everyone else who wanted a proper sequel and an upgrade from TS2 and TS3, it's a waste of money.
I've always felt as though children in TS4 are more like roomates. You don't need to look after them, you could leave for a week on vacation without them if you please. I pretend that I can't leave them alone ever because for me I need it to be like that.
With babies you can just leave the house and you get a notification telling you that your baby as been sent to daycare. Remember when you had to have a babysitter over for your kids and it cost you quite a bit so you were stuck deciding whether or not to take the day off or keep the money you earned?
Or when you were constantly picking up toys after your toddlers and children? And the children were always pulling pranks and pretty much being extremely annoying?
I seriously miss that. Like a lot. I know a lot of people aren't missing toddlers but for me I enjoyed the difficulty because thats just how I like to play.
So basically, for me I see family play as needing to do things rather than choosing to do them. You NEED to take your baby with you where ever you go.. You NEED to urge your children to do their homework sometimes because they are infact children that would rather play games.
Like you know how in TS3 you would have a baby and it would change your sims entire life around because their world revolved around taking care of their childrens needs? That's my idea of family play
Like I said and I'll repeat: TS4 IS PLUMMING LAZYYY
It works this way because they didn't make NPCs, so no nannies. It's just easier to have kids that play exactly like adults and just write a lazy balloon saying that your child had been sent to daycare.
Having kids and being poor in past games was challenging, ya know, like in real life, where having kids is a responsability. The parents needed to work, but they had to hire a nanny, or else one of them had to stay. Or they had to have a job that coincide with the kids schedule, so they wouldn't be home alone. Real life difficulties.
EXACTLY this. Right now in this game having children does n ot change the household or sims at all. Who ever heard of such a thing? This game is no parody on real life at all. I liked the fact in previous games - just like real life what the sims do - like having children made changes have to happen in their life styles, behaviors, etc, etc. All I see with kids is this game is like adding a roommate - but no added responsibilties that would happen in real life if one choose to have children. If we behaved toward children the same way we were before we had children, we'd all be arrested for child abandonment, abuse, and more. The family aspect of Sims 4 has totally gone down the drain and the little sims are just pint size roommates that our sims could care less about unless we forced them to interact. In all previous sims games - all of them - interaction with my sims and their offspring occurred on many levels without me doing anything at all unless the sim had the hates children trait - and even with that trait the sims most of the time at least took care of their infants and toddlers needs. In this game you cannot even tell half the time if the infant has any needs and unless I sent a sim to take care of the infant - they acted like it is not even there.
I know in previous sims game when the social worker did come and take a baby - the parent were inconsolable - not just shrug it all off and just go about their business as usual. They are like heartless, cold robots with no emotional ties what so ever with the babies or children unless you make them attached. I have never had to make my sims attached to their own babies, toddlers, or kids. I just see no point in even having any babies or kids in this game - and rather dread the thought of them having pets as long as their programming is so "Me person" type programming.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
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In REALITY, I simply exist.....
It doesn't matter what they say or why does it? It's what they said in the beginning that mattered. Then just a few weeks before release say no, and do some back hand apology of why then this latest statement which more or less dismisses family players and says (To me) look..other players are just as passionate. That was more or less sayinbg well wish in one hand and do something else in the other and see which one is full first. Some people are not the right person to make statements for companies solely due to how they speak and how they word things. And this is a good example.
But back to family play already in the game or not. No, when these Sims can worry over child and baby I might take notice but if so many are saying family play isn't in this game and their relationships are as hollow as some logs, then there must be something to those feelings and views and why Maxis should look deeper into why they are saying it.
Some call it "lazy", some call it "sandbox".
Yes, imagination of why my Sherlock in TS2 followed me wherever I went with other Sims when I wasn't playing his household was my imagination. LOL However, I will point out some things for you others may have already mentioned.
1. When a Sim with a family trait wishes for nothing but buying toys when they don't even have kids doesn't make sense and is hollow. Even after having a baby or grown into children wishing for this is not related nor tied to the kids or baby. It's useless. Compare that to TS2 or even TS3. They want those things for their kids not themselves. That should have been a wish for a Childish Sim.
2. These Sims don't wish (just take family trait) their kids do well in school. They couldn't care less. What is the point of family trait other than to brag about family?
3. Brag about Family, How can a Sim brag about family when they are straight out of CAS and don't have any? Hollow/Shallow
4. Share a Secret...with any Sim in the game you hardly know. At least in TS2 and TS3 this is reserved to a higher level of relationships.
5. Tell an Inside Joke...to any stranger....how is that 'depth' when it's not reserved for brother or sister or parents? Or best friend?
6. When is the last time you saw your parent Sim 'worry' literally worry about their child passed out from or stressed out about homework or no electronics or low fun? Since TS2...depth. The parent was aware what the heck was going on and would go over and 'worry' over the passed out kid.
7. Do Parents in TS4 go into the room of the kid who is crying it out in the bed? No, if this feature had been in TS2 they would have tied it to something or particular Sim to comfort that child.
8. Hugging on bed..so what..this can be done by any Sim if relationship high enough. As a matter of fact hugging doesn't request to hug anyone most of the time but is a result of happy buff and they want to hug anybody. No depth.
9. What is 'fun' about a baby who never needs anything and parents just go on with their life? You could leave it in a basement and just feed it every 24 hours and not get it taken. Unlike TS2 or TS3 where they were obsessed with picking up baby to care for it.
10. SHALLOW>>>>>>is the lack of a real Social Worker to take neglected kids. WOW...just a FX animation. Poof ! gone...yeah, that's real deep isn't. How lazy can you get?
11. Biggest thing about shallowness in this game concerning family...(doesn't even concern toddlers) Delete Any Sim in the game who will care? Please tell me who will care?
12. One big fat shallow programming...No Kids are Available after FXed, for Adoption but deleted....how can anyone say this game has depth? I can't.
ETA: I hope they leave out kids, babies, teens, elders and Adults, if they can't do any better than this the next time. And I am serious. I am only passionate about this stuff because I know other teams did better than this.
1. When a Sim with a family trait wishes for nothing but buying toys when they don't even have kids doesn't make sense and is hollow. Even after having a baby or grown into children wishing for this is not related nor tied to the kids or baby. It's useless. Compare that to TS2 or even TS3. They want those things for their kids not themselves. That should have been a wish for a Childish Sim.
You can report bugs you are having with whims here: http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-4-Bug-Reports/COLLECTION-THREAD-Whims-are-not-fulfilling-off/m-p/5211819#U5211819. I don't see that anyone else has reported this issue with their game.
2. These Sims don't wish (just take family trait) their kids do well in school. They couldn't care less. What is the point of family trait other than to brag about family?
3. Brag about Family, How can a Sim brag about family when they are straight out of CAS and don't have any? Hollow/Shallow
The trait also influences the emotions. Sims with this trait become happy around family members and become sad when they are not around them. You don't have to use the option to "brag about family" if you don't want to. Some players use the interaction because the Sim they created moved to a new town away from their parents and they do have family, just not in the town the Sim is living in. It gives players the option to tell the stories they want to tell. I don't think the option should be restricted or removed. If you think the trait or the options are hollow/shallow, you don't have to use them.
4. Share a Secret...with any Sim in the game you hardly know. At least in TS2 and TS3 this is reserved to a higher level of relationships.
There are two options for sharing a secret in the game. One option is reserved for Sims the Sim knows well. I don't think they should remove the former option because they are players who use that option. If you think the option is hollow/shallow, you don't have to use it.
5. Tell an Inside Joke...to any stranger....how is that 'depth' when it's not reserved for brother or sister or parents? Or best friend?
I don't get the option to tell an inside joke to a stranger. You are having a bug in your game and you need to report it. I don't see this posted about on the answers.ea.com website so you will have to open up a new thread.
6. When is the last time you saw your parent Sim 'worry' literally worry about their child passed out from or stressed out about homework or no electronics or low fun? Since TS2...depth. The parent was aware what the heck was going on and would go over and 'worry' over the passed out kid.
I agree, they could add an option for parents to worry about their children.
7. Do Parents in TS4 go into the room of the kid who is crying it out in the bed? No, if this feature had been in TS2 they would have tied it to something or particular Sim to comfort that child.
They do in my game. Maybe you have objects blocking the path of the parents in your game preventing them from entering into the room. Maybe you are experiencing a routing error. Maybe you have the doors locked. Parents in my game can go into the rooms of their children at any time. Whether they are sad or happy.
8. Hugging on bed..so what..this can be done by any Sim if relationship high enough. As a matter of fact hugging doesn't request to hug anyone most of the time but is a result of happy buff and they want to hug anybody. No depth.
My Sim does get whims to hug specific Sims. The reason for the whim is from being near a friendly relationship.
9. What is 'fun' about a baby who never needs anything and parents just go on with their life? You could leave it in a basement and just feed it every 24 hours and not get it taken. Unlike TS2 or TS3 where they were obsessed with picking up baby to care for it.
If players want to feed it once every 24 hours and have horrible Sims who leave their baby in the basement, they can in the game. If players want Sims who are attentive to the baby, they can have this in the game. I don't think options should be taken away from either group of players.
10. SHALLOW>>>>>>is the lack of a real Social Worker to take neglected kids. WOW...just a FX animation. Poof ! gone...yeah, that's real deep isn't. How lazy can you get?
I don't think it is laziness. It is how they designed the game. The designed something different. Could it have been better? Maybe. Not everyone wants the same things to return in every single reboot. The devs have to implement new ways of doing things.
11. Biggest thing about shallowness in this game concerning family...(doesn't even concern toddlers) Delete Any Sim in the game who will care? Please tell me who will care?
You could delete any Sim in all previous games in the series and the game would lose the memory of that Sim. Sometimes the game would become corrupted. At least in The Sims 4, they prevented corruption from deleting Sims. I don't think the option to delete Sims should be taken away from or restricted for players who want this option.
You may think what I said is bugs, but no they are not and they are shallowness. And when I can delete a parent or a kid in the family (which I knew better in TS2 or TS3) then that tells me it doesn't matter. They just gave you hulls of Sims and you pretend what they do and who they are. Which leads to another discussion about traits not mattering more than a skill whim or an emotional whim or the emotions being greater and making them all the same. That is shallow in my book.
Let me try go through your points from my point of view
1. Wishing to buy toys for nonexisting children suits the family trait perfectly. I do this in real life. As in wish that one day I could buy this and that and whatnot toys for my future children, other peoples children, and possibly grandchildren. And yes, sometimes I actually do buy toys, for myself at the time maybe, but not really. Why is hollow? Because it only says "buy a toy" on the wish?
2. and 3. Is family trait really only meant for sims that strive for success and ambitious children? To brag? Not for me. Family trait for me is for a sim who wants to have children and enjoys spending time with their family, regardless of their shortcomings.
4. Share a Secret. This you could take either way, I see it more like a lighthearted way to maybe break the ice, not an actual skeleton in the closet.
5. The inside joke is whatever you want it to be. I would reserve it for family and close friends too, but, you can become best friends with a sim quite easily, within a couple of sim hours probably, so where do you draw the line for this interaction to show. Should we wait a few sim days for it to show or what? I'd say no, it's better to have more interactions at hand than too few, so that the player can chose whether it's too early to tell an inside joke or not.
6. It would be great if sim parents had this worrying thing back. Could be a nice little emotion debuff if the parent saw the child doing something worrying. Perhaps it will be back with a generations EP?
7. You have the options and interactions as a player to play this scene out, without it being a forced event/reaction. And it's just as nice when you do.
8. I don't see what is so wrong with hugging interactions being available for you rather than not showing at all? If the relationship is not high enough you can still get rejected from trying.
9. Babies need food, social and hygiene to be fulfilled, just like previous games.
10. Just a missing NPC who if I'm completely honest, is not one of the most important ones. I've maybe had social worker visit three times over 15 years I've played. My family playing does not normally include social worker visiting on a regular basis, go figure! Still a nice touch having one, but I'd much rather have the Nanny back first.
11. Did deleting a sim ever affect any other sim? Why should it? I care if I delete a sim, but it really depends who I delete and for what purpose. It's an odd point to include.
@Cinebar If you don't report the bugs then EA won't know about them and they have a greater possibility of never being fixed. If you just say it is shallowness, then you are not doing anything to help fix the issues with the game. You are just becoming a complainer.
@Slawfish
1. Wishing to buy toys for nonexisting children suits the family trait perfectly. I do this in real life. As in wish that one day I could buy this and that and whatnot toys for my future children, other peoples children, and possibly grandchildren. And yes, sometimes I actually do buy toys, for myself at the time maybe, but not really. Why is hollow? Because it only says "buy a toy" on the wish?
Maybe this option with the whim isn't a bug. I don't think this option should be taken away from players in the game.
2. and 3. Is family trait really only meant for sims that strive for success and ambitious children? To brag? Not for me. Family trait for me is for a sim who wants to have children and enjoys spending time with their family, regardless of their shortcomings.
I agree. Players can direct the play however they want.
4. Share a Secret. This you could take either way, I see it more like a lighthearted way to maybe break the ice, not an actual skeleton in the closet.
Agreed. That is why there are two options for secrets. To give players options.
5. The inside joke is whatever you want it to be. I would reserve it for family and close friends too, but, you can become best friends with a sim quite easily, within a couple of sim hours probably, so where do you draw the line for this interaction to show. Should we wait a few sim days for it to show or what? I'd say no, it's better to have more interactions at hand than too few, so that the player can chose whether it's too early to tell an inside joke or not.
The option doesn't even come up for strangers. I agree. More interactions and letting the players choose the interactions is better.
6. It would be great if sim parents had this worrying thing back. Could be a nice little emotion debuff if the parent saw the child doing something worrying. Perhaps it will be back with a generations EP?
The option back doesn't have to come in an EP. It could come in a free patch. They could add a new fear emotion to the game and it could be part of the fear emotion.
7. You have the options and interactions as a player to play this scene out, without it being a forced event/reaction. And it's just as nice when you do.
Agreed.
8. I don't see what is so wrong with hugging interactions being available for you rather than not showing at all? If the relationship is not high enough you can still get rejected from trying.
Agreed. Also, the option is not available to Sims who don't have a high enough relationship.
9. Babies need food, social and hygiene to be fulfilled, just like previous games.
Agreed.
10. Just a missing NPC who if I'm completely honest, is not one of the most important ones. I've maybe had social worker visit three times over 15 years I've played. My family playing does not normally include social worker visiting on a regular basis, go figure! Still a nice touch having one, but I'd much rather have the Nanny back first.
Agreed.
11. Did deleting a sim ever affect any other sim? Why should it? I care if I delete a sim, but it really depends who I delete and for what purpose. It's an odd point to include.
Agreed.
I do appreciate that. Forgive me if i came down rather hard on you. I just see an overwhelming attitude in the youth these days that are very ready to throw out their elders with the 'bath water', so to speak. We still have much to give.
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
Teens are maybe as tall as young adults, but they don't have the same body mass, and are normally thinner in weight than their adult counterparts. Not as much muscle, not as much chest. I'm not sure it was as obvious at launch of game, and I do believe they have tweaked it over time, but I'm not entirely sure. I can really tell which ones are teens from a familiar bunch of sims, strangers aren't as easy... much like real life lol.
I've said before, I really think they wanted teens taller because of them planning to add preteens, it just doesn't make sense that teens are still growing in height, when that happens during early teens/preteen anyways. Of course it's not the same for everybody, and in all honesty, if they added more realism to the game, girls should start growing sooner than boys, maybe even be 3 inch taller than boys during teens or preteens stage. We don't really want that though, do we?
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> @Simeggrolls I wasn't referring to a disability of any type. I was referring to the gameplay mechanics.
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> @Cinebar If you don't report the bugs then EA won't know about them and they have a greater possibility of never being fixed. If you just say it is shallowness, then you are not doing anything to help fix the issues with the game. You are just becoming a complainer.
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> You made it seem as if every normal teen stops growing by 15.im sorry but I've been the same height since the 6th grade I stopped growing way before 15.3 life stages being the same height is ridiculous and when I played ts4 my adult male sim almost flirted with a teen -_- I cannot tell the difference.
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> Teens are maybe as tall as young adults, but they don't have the same body mass, and are normally thinner in weight than their adult counterparts. Not as much muscle, not as much chest. I'm not sure it was as obvious at launch of game, and I do believe they have tweaked it over time, but I'm not entirely sure. I can really tell which ones are teens from a familiar bunch of sims, strangers aren't as easy... much like real life lol.
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> I've said before, I really think they wanted teens taller because of them planning to add preteens, it just doesn't make sense that teens are still growing in height, when that happens during early teens/preteen anyways. Of course it's not the same for everybody, and in all honesty, if they added more realism to the game, girls should start growing sooner than boys, maybe even be 3 inch taller than boys during teens or preteens stage. We don't really want that though, do we?
Though I'm pretty sure they made teens the same height as adults not because they wanted to add preteens but because they messed up on Sims Olympus.
Fair enough. But considering they managed to make children shorter just fine, I don't see any grounds for that statement.
People have this problem in real life, so it doesn't say much about the game at all. They're just older teens this time around, making space for preteens.
The problem with that is the question was on a survey with toddlers. Considering what else was on the survey, too, at the same time is did it get a high vote or was there other stuff on the survey people wanted more? Considering those who love TS4 don't seem to care if toddlers and preteens are in this version, they may not have received a healthy vote and gurus decide it's not worth it and to give them something like Town Life, or that Mayor career, and or that Disaster EP.
They are the same height because that was probably the only life stage in olympus.If they really thought out the teen stage they should have at least made the teens less developed in some areas just to give a little difference.The pic with all life stages beside each other shows a child,3 adults and a short elder.Why not leave the elder height the same as adults and just give teens the shorter elder height.They must have some radioactive water in ts4 because those height sizes being the same is lame and lazy.
So how would you improve the faults you listed? The only way I could see to solve what you say is hollow is to restrict interactions more based on relationships, restrict them with time passed, rename an adult wish to add "...for a child" to the name and then add forced reaction/chain reaction to play out if a child is crying in bed etc.
These aren't things that are going to solve anything you listed; restrictions aren't a solution when it only takes things away and then have the game do things for you. And renaming a wish doesn't change anything at all in the first place. I get that you feel that the game is hollow and lacks depth, but I don't see why based on what you listed?
Please consider that not everyone is the same, even those of us who thoroughly enjoy this version. While I honestly don't care about playing with toddlers, I would prefer they were in the game to avoid the baby to age 10 jump and I most definitely want preteens. My preferred age range play is child through adult and having preteens in there would help span the 10 to 16/17 year old gap that we currently seem to have (these age estimates are based on how I play these life stages, not on anything that's been set in stone by anyone else).
I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
Teens have thinner frames than their adult counterparts, smaller chests etc. So there is a little difference.
@Cinebar I can tell the difference between teens and young adults in my game without the tag. The tag is there to help players better.
@LordDamegette The Sims 4 is The Sims Olympus. Olympus was the code name for The Sims 4.
@Writin_Reg I still play the other games. In The Sims 2 & 3 my Sim child could have only negative or no interactions with their parents and they wouldn't be taken by the social worker. They were only taken by the social worker if their needs were low or they had bad grades. The Sims 2 even had a default household without parents. It has always been in the game like this and it is not my opinion but a fact. Facts speak for everyone. Opinions don't change facts. Children will get taken away in The Sims 4 if they have low grades. I don't play with mods.
@Cinebar What you want is more restrictions to gameplay not more family play. I am not for more restrictions and limits to the amount of family play we already have in the game. I don't want a scripted game. I like the sandbox style of play when it comes to family interactions. Also, a lot of what you said wasn't true regarding interactions. You also didn't present one screenshot or video as proof of your statements. If you aren't telling the truth, I am going to point it out.
@Slawfish I agree.
O.K. let's say they stay tied (and we know they will).
1. I would make the other Sims living in the house to be more like TS2 Sims and be concerned for baby (moodlets in this game I guess) and go to pick it up more often and feed it more often and snuggle more often. That's just a start which this game doesn't do. But TS2 Sims were obsessed with their kids and babies. Though annoying at times if they were sleeping they had an instinct or just programmed to be obsessed. TS4 sure could use some obsession with acknowledging they have babies and kids.
2. I would program the game to allow babies to be placed in other objects. I may have to limit how far they could walk away with the baby (maybe same room?) to a bathing table/sink. And putting them in other objects (still tied to objects) but the distance they walk be limited if it has to be that way.
3. I would make the kids programed to go woo and coo at baby. They need to know there is someone else in the house not just hate new brother. lol Both would gain relationship points and this would be autonomous and clickable.
4. I would program relatives like Grandparents and other kin for a visit to ask the parents to see the baby. Or make the parent auto go get baby to show the other relatives. There are a lot of things they can program without limiting it to just crib and still be tied to crib.
I would broaden the baby interactions to burp...baby gets a bad moodlet (Yes, I would give them moodlets for players to see on avatar) and still not have to untie baby from crib.
Those are just a few to improve baby object.
I would give kids and parents mooldets like TSM gave them for playing with baby (and they were tied to crib, too) Isn't it odd they did the same thing to TSM babies which is a RPG...since Daniel worked on the RPG TSM.