This would be so awesome! Lots of great ideas. I agree that the elders in the game don't really have anything special going on, except that they survived culling and the whims of the player. What do Sims actually do when they get old except wait to die? Where is the retirement and the "Golden Years"? There is already that reward trait that boost skills of family members, maybe elders can get it automatically when they age up? That should be fairly easy to implement.
I'm an older Sim player , elderly - depends on your age range for that. My husband , who is 7 yrs. older also plays. A lot of the stuff mentioned here would be wonderful but is very stereotypical. Right now I have short funky hair, wearing a David Bowie tee shirt and jeans with flip flops , I like to be comfortable and love Bowie, my husband was in a rock band in his younger days. There is a LARGE generation of us around that are at the edge of, or just, elderly - different styles are needed for sure.
Even after having said all that - I would so buy this , like BAM!
You make a good point. But the thing I'm wondering is - if you wanted to create a Sim fitting your (awesome) description of yourself as an Elder in TS4, would you broadly already have a lot of the tools to do that? Listening to rock music, having cool hair, and wearing comfy clothes aren't really exclusive to any particular age group, whereas I guess a lot of the activities being described here, while stereotypical, do fit a lot of elderly people and just don't exist in the game.
@dg51829 You make good points too. I guess the Sims started off as a parody of midcentury American culture and, while the time period part has changed, it's always had a sort of (semi-imaginary) "mainstream US" as its focus. You say it would be difficult to make a pack catered just to elders because they're treated differently in different cultures, but you could say that about almost any pack in the Sims.
If game designers only made games that pleased everyone....we would not have any games at all. An elder oriented pack of some sort would add much to game play for many people. Is it top of my list? No, but I would be thrilled to add it to my game if one was made.
I would buy the pack just to save my sims from dying alone. I don't want my sims to do that
Getting notified when a played sim is about to die from old age would be great.
It is such a hassle trying to remember to logg out into household management just to make sure that all the oldies are still living when you play a rotational save with a dynasty. There are more sims than what fits into a household.
I want extra-stuff between grandparents and their children. And something special for elders in group. It is so nice watching little groups of old ladies sitting together having a laugh.
I would buy the pack just to save my sims from dying alone. I don't want my sims to do that
Getting notified when a played sim is about to die from old age would be great.
It is such a hassle trying to remember to logg out into household management just to make sure that all the oldies are still living when you play a rotational save with a dynasty. There are more sims than what fits into a household.
I want extra-stuff between grandparents and their children. And something special for elders in group. It is so nice watching little groups of old ladies sitting together having a laugh.
Edit: Quoting-fail
I'm a huge advocate for the game notifying you when Sims are going to die. Or at least, letting you know when they die - MCCC can do this, so I see no reason why the game can't. If you want to see more about that topic, you can check out the link to "The Problems with Death" thread in my signature.
I would buy the pack just to save my sims from dying alone. I don't want my sims to do that
Getting notified when a played sim is about to die from old age would be great.
It is such a hassle trying to remember to logg out into household management just to make sure that all the oldies are still living when you play a rotational save with a dynasty. There are more sims than what fits into a household.
I want extra-stuff between grandparents and their children. And something special for elders in group. It is so nice watching little groups of old ladies sitting together having a laugh.
Edit: Quoting-fail
I'm a huge advocate for the game notifying you when Sims are going to die. Or at least, letting you know when they die - MCCC can do this, so I see no reason why the game can't. If you want to see more about that topic, you can check out the link to "The Problems with Death" thread in my signature.
Wasn't it TS3 that would tell you that other sims were getting old, and might not be around for much longer, so you should catch up with them?
And I think both 2 and 3 notify you when a friend has died.
I would buy the pack just to save my sims from dying alone. I don't want my sims to do that
Getting notified when a played sim is about to die from old age would be great.
It is such a hassle trying to remember to logg out into household management just to make sure that all the oldies are still living when you play a rotational save with a dynasty. There are more sims than what fits into a household.
I want extra-stuff between grandparents and their children. And something special for elders in group. It is so nice watching little groups of old ladies sitting together having a laugh.
Edit: Quoting-fail
I'm a huge advocate for the game notifying you when Sims are going to die. Or at least, letting you know when they die - MCCC can do this, so I see no reason why the game can't. If you want to see more about that topic, you can check out the link to "The Problems with Death" thread in my signature.
Wasn't it TS3 that would tell you that other sims were getting old, and might not be around for much longer, so you should catch up with them?
And I think both 2 and 3 notify you when a friend has died.
Yeah, I really liked that in Sims 3. I don't remember with 2 because your played Sims never die while you're not controlling them since aging isn't universal. But I think what would happen is that if you were playing a Sim and they died, you'd go into a different household and play their friend and get an inheritance notification if they were rich and had a high relationship. I don't know if they got memories for all deaths - maybe only ones they witnessed?
The other thing I would have to get to buy a pack like this a funeral party. All things have to end. I would love to have several different 'mood' settings like 'happy' wake talking about good memories, a more traditional morse one, and special one that works for players not in America in a generalized party style.
Absolutely!
I had a thread about this a few years ago, before 4 got released. Of course now I can see that some of my suggestions can't be, like bouncing a toddler on their knee or racing hoverrounds...
But maybe there is still hope for 'take dentures out and scare the bejeebus outta the grandchildren'. I appreciated how elders were different in 2, how their bladders needed more frequent emptying, how their sleep patterns differed from those of the younger set. I still hope for those kinds of differentiation between the ages. If not this go-'round, then perhaps the next. Yes, I am aware that what I hope for is stereotyping but by the time 5 rolls around I'm pretty much gonna be stereotyping my own age group - or very close to it.
I do want to see special recipes that only grandparents can make. Grandmother's cookies should give you the warm fuzzies. Grandfathers should impart priceless fishing knowledge when taking a grandchild out to a local fishing hole, boost along the fishing skill faster and entertain with fishing stories and the one that got away.
I'd like to see a nostalgic buff when visiting the home of your elders. Meh, maybe even a 'smells like old people' one as well. Make it different. Make it funny. Make elders great again.
How about a retirement pack where elders can choose vacation destinations or retirement villages to visit. They would have activities ranging from putting on a play at a local theater to learning to ride a llama, or surfing with sharks.
Now this is idea is morbid, so if I'm completely off the wall just tell me. Maybe they can have more interaction opportunities with death. Like death walks by more frequently but they have more options on how to deal with him. They can throw shoes at him, scare him off, and be a general pain in the butt to death. They may also have more friendly interactions that actually build up and after a certain level death will let friends who have past on come to their lot to visit . Again I might be completely off the wall as we want to focus on life and not on death. However, considering we do have ghosts I feel like death isn't necessarily the end in sims.
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You make a good point. But the thing I'm wondering is - if you wanted to create a Sim fitting your (awesome) description of yourself as an Elder in TS4, would you broadly already have a lot of the tools to do that? Listening to rock music, having cool hair, and wearing comfy clothes aren't really exclusive to any particular age group, whereas I guess a lot of the activities being described here, while stereotypical, do fit a lot of elderly people and just don't exist in the game.
@dg51829 You make good points too. I guess the Sims started off as a parody of midcentury American culture and, while the time period part has changed, it's always had a sort of (semi-imaginary) "mainstream US" as its focus. You say it would be difficult to make a pack catered just to elders because they're treated differently in different cultures, but you could say that about almost any pack in the Sims.
Add Manage Neighbourhood Options - assign your own Sim to NPC jobs!
The Problems with Death in The Sims 4
Distinguish Elder gameplay with Elder-only reward traits
Filter Rugs by Room Size
I love these ideas in particular. Activities like croquet would be sooo much fun to watch and would add some action to elders' lives.
If a Generations type ep ever comes, I hope they consider fleshing out this live stage more.
I would buy the pack just to save my sims from dying alone. I don't want my sims to do that
Getting notified when a played sim is about to die from old age would be great.
It is such a hassle trying to remember to logg out into household management just to make sure that all the oldies are still living when you play a rotational save with a dynasty. There are more sims than what fits into a household.
I want extra-stuff between grandparents and their children. And something special for elders in group. It is so nice watching little groups of old ladies sitting together having a laugh.
Edit: Quoting-fail
I'm a huge advocate for the game notifying you when Sims are going to die. Or at least, letting you know when they die - MCCC can do this, so I see no reason why the game can't. If you want to see more about that topic, you can check out the link to "The Problems with Death" thread in my signature.
Add Manage Neighbourhood Options - assign your own Sim to NPC jobs!
The Problems with Death in The Sims 4
Distinguish Elder gameplay with Elder-only reward traits
Filter Rugs by Room Size
Wasn't it TS3 that would tell you that other sims were getting old, and might not be around for much longer, so you should catch up with them?
And I think both 2 and 3 notify you when a friend has died.
Yeah, I really liked that in Sims 3. I don't remember with 2 because your played Sims never die while you're not controlling them since aging isn't universal. But I think what would happen is that if you were playing a Sim and they died, you'd go into a different household and play their friend and get an inheritance notification if they were rich and had a high relationship. I don't know if they got memories for all deaths - maybe only ones they witnessed?
Add Manage Neighbourhood Options - assign your own Sim to NPC jobs!
The Problems with Death in The Sims 4
Distinguish Elder gameplay with Elder-only reward traits
Filter Rugs by Room Size
I had a thread about this a few years ago, before 4 got released. Of course now I can see that some of my suggestions can't be, like bouncing a toddler on their knee or racing hoverrounds...
But maybe there is still hope for 'take dentures out and scare the bejeebus outta the grandchildren'. I appreciated how elders were different in 2, how their bladders needed more frequent emptying, how their sleep patterns differed from those of the younger set. I still hope for those kinds of differentiation between the ages. If not this go-'round, then perhaps the next. Yes, I am aware that what I hope for is stereotyping but by the time 5 rolls around I'm pretty much gonna be stereotyping my own age group - or very close to it.
I do want to see special recipes that only grandparents can make. Grandmother's cookies should give you the warm fuzzies. Grandfathers should impart priceless fishing knowledge when taking a grandchild out to a local fishing hole, boost along the fishing skill faster and entertain with fishing stories and the one that got away.
I'd like to see a nostalgic buff when visiting the home of your elders. Meh, maybe even a 'smells like old people' one as well. Make it different. Make it funny. Make elders great again.
#pullmyfinger
It would be cool if they could take some medicine that gave them more vigor.
staircase chair lift
walking sticks
quilt making, clothing with wool
tea and cakes
that hobby to jar up food like, jams, pickle
bingo venue
Also I want them to knit while watching TV and have other hobbies like other crafts and birdwatching for example.
All my creations are CC free.
Trainspotting, too, perhaps. (the hobby, not the movie)
There was also this great thread some time ago with ideas for elderly ladies specifically.
All my creations are CC free.
Now this is idea is morbid, so if I'm completely off the wall just tell me. Maybe they can have more interaction opportunities with death. Like death walks by more frequently but they have more options on how to deal with him. They can throw shoes at him, scare him off, and be a general pain in the butt to death. They may also have more friendly interactions that actually build up and after a certain level death will let friends who have past on come to their lot to visit . Again I might be completely off the wall as we want to focus on life and not on death. However, considering we do have ghosts I feel like death isn't necessarily the end in sims.