I will never forget the Sims4 released. It did fully change the way I played the Sims. For the first time, I learned that not every sim had to reach the top of the career and that not every sim child had to get an A in school. Many complained that the game was too grindy. I appreciated the grind. My first sim never got to level 10 in his career before he died of old age, I had to choose if he would focus on his career or his family. Those first two or three generations really changed how I play. But, the masses complained. Instead of getting the option to keep what I liked, everything got nerfed ... a one size fix all bandaid. It has carried on for almost everything else released for the Sims4 ... a one size fit all bandaid. You have GTW, you can't turn off aliens. You got the vamp pack, you can't turn off vamps. You don't want the transgender patch, too bad .... bandaid, one size fits all.
So for me, I would say options, or the lack of options ...
In my opinion, the biggest mistake was the lack of an open world. This was a massive step backwards from the Sims 3, especially when so many other games now have it (you'd think a life simulator would be the best example of an open world game...). One of the reasons why I enjoyed GTA 5 so much was the open world, which you can explore by foot, bicycle, car, submarine and airplane. It felt like a living city, and was heightened by the random events and character interactions. Frankly, if they took GTA 5 and filled it with Sims it would make one heck of a life simulator.
The constant loading screens in The Sims 4 really breaks the immersion - as a result, I try to stay in my home lot at all times, only travelling out when I absolutely have to. The neighborhoods do not feel connected in any way and there is little point to exploring. One of the things that I used to love doing in The Sims 3 is follow along behind my Sim and act as if I'm in the game with them. I'd waste a ridiculous amount of time tagging along on errands, looking at the buildings, people, cars and terrain. I also loved flying over the city, zooming in on other houses and seeing what other Sims were up to. It was a big part of my game and was very disappointed that TS4 took it away.
Other elements were also minimized or removed, such as toddlers (took them long enough to put it back!), cars, world customisations, and create-a-style, just to name a few. The similarities in life stages was also a surprising - I usually can't tell if someone is a teen or an adult (the only way to know for sure was by clicking on them and checking for romantic interactions). It seems that the game was overall a huge step backwards, almost as if they wanted to reboot the series and make everything from scratch instead of expanding on what was already there.
I've played TS3 for years and got every expansion pack, but I quickly got bored with TS4 and I hardly ever touch it now. I get sad whenever I think about it (especially since I preordered for the Deluxe) and I'm strongly considering reinstalling TS3. Or maybe I'll just play other games on Steam until TS5 is announced.
In my opinion, the biggest mistake was the lack of an open world. This was a massive step backwards from the Sims 3, especially when so many other games now have it (you'd think a life simulator would be the best example of an open world game...). One of the reasons why I enjoyed GTA 5 so much was the open world, which you can explore by foot, bicycle, car, submarine and airplane. It felt like a living city, and was heightened by the random events and character interactions. Frankly, if they took GTA 5 and filled it with Sims it would make one heck of a life simulator.
The constant loading screens in The Sims 4 really breaks the immersion - as a result, I try to stay in my home lot at all times, only travelling out when I absolutely have to. The neighborhoods do not feel connected in any way and there is little point to exploring. One of the things that I used to love doing in The Sims 3 is follow along behind my Sim and act as if I'm in the game with them. I'd waste a ridiculous amount of time tagging along on errands, looking at the buildings, people, cars and terrain. I also loved flying over the city, zooming in on other houses and seeing what other Sims were up to. It was a big part of my game and was very disappointed that TS4 took it away.
Other elements were also minimized or removed, such as toddlers (took them long enough to put it back!), cars, world customisations, and create-a-style, just to name a few. The similarities in life stages was also a surprising - I usually can't tell if someone is a teen or an adult (the only way to know for sure was by clicking on them and checking for romantic interactions). It seems that the game was overall a huge step backwards, almost as if they wanted to reboot the series and make everything from scratch instead of expanding on what was already there.
I've played TS3 for years and got every expansion pack, but I quickly got bored with TS4 and I hardly ever touch it now. I get sad whenever I think about it (especially since I preordered for the Deluxe) and I'm strongly considering reinstalling TS3. Or maybe I'll just play other games on Steam until TS5 is announced.
Anyways, my two cents.
That you can't build in at all, nor bulldoze everything you want gone on the fly. Seems like a Sims game I'd never play, anyway.
Allowing the game to launch without pools. Really, EA?
@JoAnne65 Some of us actually like online, you know. I play that fan remake of Sims Online, and I love sharing Sims and houses I made through the Gallery. I tried doing a story, but constant picture taking wasn't for me.
Origin ID:theAidster21
The Sims has always been an important part of my life, and may it continue to be so! Long live Sims!
[Due to some kind of glitch, I am unable to insert photos into my signature for some reason.]
I don't take screesnshots and play for the sake of story telling. I just play. The game either 'gets me' or it doesn't. Online has nothing to do with it other than being offline means I don't have to deal with a bunch of peeps I prefer to escape from when it comes to gaming. Not a people person and don't need my 15 minutes of fame. Don't care if people like me or agree with me. Guess I'm just too old or nonconformist or individual or sociopathic. Whatever brand works, I guess.
I edited out most of the post because I hate tags. It's another social aspect of online criteria I just don't fit the bill for. There are plenty of avatar social games you can play that probably simulate life more than 'The Sims' titles ever will.
Dissatisfied with Sims 4 and hoping for a better Sims 5
In my opinion, the biggest mistake was the lack of an open world. This was a massive step backwards from the Sims 3, especially when so many other games now have it (you'd think a life simulator would be the best example of an open world game...). One of the reasons why I enjoyed GTA 5 so much was the open world, which you can explore by foot, bicycle, car, submarine and airplane. It felt like a living city, and was heightened by the random events and character interactions. Frankly, if they took GTA 5 and filled it with Sims it would make one heck of a life simulator.
The constant loading screens in The Sims 4 really breaks the immersion - as a result, I try to stay in my home lot at all times, only travelling out when I absolutely have to. The neighborhoods do not feel connected in any way and there is little point to exploring. One of the things that I used to love doing in The Sims 3 is follow along behind my Sim and act as if I'm in the game with them. I'd waste a ridiculous amount of time tagging along on errands, looking at the buildings, people, cars and terrain. I also loved flying over the city, zooming in on other houses and seeing what other Sims were up to. It was a big part of my game and was very disappointed that TS4 took it away.
Other elements were also minimized or removed, such as toddlers (took them long enough to put it back!), cars, world customisations, and create-a-style, just to name a few. The similarities in life stages was also a surprising - I usually can't tell if someone is a teen or an adult (the only way to know for sure was by clicking on them and checking for romantic interactions). It seems that the game was overall a huge step backwards, almost as if they wanted to reboot the series and make everything from scratch instead of expanding on what was already there.
I've played TS3 for years and got every expansion pack, but I quickly got bored with TS4 and I hardly ever touch it now. I get sad whenever I think about it (especially since I preordered for the Deluxe) and I'm strongly considering reinstalling TS3. Or maybe I'll just play other games on Steam until TS5 is announced.
Anyways, my two cents.
That you can't build in at all, nor bulldoze everything you want gone on the fly. Seems like a Sims game I'd never play, anyway.
True, I'd never want that for a Sims game. I think people are referring to the whole atmosphere that game has and the open world, but I don't think that's possible in a Sims game.
Allowing the game to launch without pools. Really, EA?
@JoAnne65 Some of us actually like online, you know. I play that fan remake of Sims Online, and I love sharing Sims and houses I made through the Gallery. I tried doing a story, but constant picture taking wasn't for me.
Even if you do, the way they wanted to do it apparently wasn't workable. SimCity was a flop and Olympus, rumour has it, was dropped. The result is a game that is neither fish nor fowl in a way. I wonder by the way how many people want The Sims to be an online game. All I know is I don't
(the gallery is absolutely great, we can agree on that)
In my opinion, the biggest mistake was the lack of an open world. This was a massive step backwards from the Sims 3, especially when so many other games now have it (you'd think a life simulator would be the best example of an open world game...). One of the reasons why I enjoyed GTA 5 so much was the open world, which you can explore by foot, bicycle, car, submarine and airplane. It felt like a living city, and was heightened by the random events and character interactions. Frankly, if they took GTA 5 and filled it with Sims it would make one heck of a life simulator.
The constant loading screens in The Sims 4 really breaks the immersion - as a result, I try to stay in my home lot at all times, only travelling out when I absolutely have to. The neighborhoods do not feel connected in any way and there is little point to exploring. One of the things that I used to love doing in The Sims 3 is follow along behind my Sim and act as if I'm in the game with them. I'd waste a ridiculous amount of time tagging along on errands, looking at the buildings, people, cars and terrain. I also loved flying over the city, zooming in on other houses and seeing what other Sims were up to. It was a big part of my game and was very disappointed that TS4 took it away.
Other elements were also minimized or removed, such as toddlers (took them long enough to put it back!), cars, world customisations, and create-a-style, just to name a few. The similarities in life stages was also a surprising - I usually can't tell if someone is a teen or an adult (the only way to know for sure was by clicking on them and checking for romantic interactions). It seems that the game was overall a huge step backwards, almost as if they wanted to reboot the series and make everything from scratch instead of expanding on what was already there.
I've played TS3 for years and got every expansion pack, but I quickly got bored with TS4 and I hardly ever touch it now. I get sad whenever I think about it (especially since I preordered for the Deluxe) and I'm strongly considering reinstalling TS3. Or maybe I'll just play other games on Steam until TS5 is announced.
Anyways, my two cents.
That you can't build in at all, nor bulldoze everything you want gone on the fly. Seems like a Sims game I'd never play, anyway.
You can only build up or bulldoze 5 lots or fewer in most neighborhoods. Two neighborhoods in WB have more than 5 lots, and the city world's hoods all have less than 5 lots you can change freely. The rest of the world (any world) cannot be edited in any way. Your point here is moot because it's essentially exactly how The Sims 4 already operates.
The biggest mistake is
Not cars
Not open world
Not toddlers
Not palette of colors
And mostly make us believe the game was ''amazing''. If they're not do the ''olympus'' thing TS4 would have been a big game. 8M views on the Launch trailer, the game could be a big success... It's a pity for us and them.
I can see that English isn't your mother tongue, but oh god....
"not" implies that "cars, open world, toddlers and palette of colors aren't the mistakes". Pretty sure you meant to use 'no*'.
In my opinion, the biggest mistake was the lack of an open world. This was a massive step backwards from the Sims 3, especially when so many other games now have it (you'd think a life simulator would be the best example of an open world game...). One of the reasons why I enjoyed GTA 5 so much was the open world, which you can explore by foot, bicycle, car, submarine and airplane. It felt like a living city, and was heightened by the random events and character interactions. Frankly, if they took GTA 5 and filled it with Sims it would make one heck of a life simulator.
The constant loading screens in The Sims 4 really breaks the immersion - as a result, I try to stay in my home lot at all times, only travelling out when I absolutely have to. The neighborhoods do not feel connected in any way and there is little point to exploring. One of the things that I used to love doing in The Sims 3 is follow along behind my Sim and act as if I'm in the game with them. I'd waste a ridiculous amount of time tagging along on errands, looking at the buildings, people, cars and terrain. I also loved flying over the city, zooming in on other houses and seeing what other Sims were up to. It was a big part of my game and was very disappointed that TS4 took it away.
Other elements were also minimized or removed, such as toddlers (took them long enough to put it back!), cars, world customisations, and create-a-style, just to name a few. The similarities in life stages was also a surprising - I usually can't tell if someone is a teen or an adult (the only way to know for sure was by clicking on them and checking for romantic interactions). It seems that the game was overall a huge step backwards, almost as if they wanted to reboot the series and make everything from scratch instead of expanding on what was already there.
I've played TS3 for years and got every expansion pack, but I quickly got bored with TS4 and I hardly ever touch it now. I get sad whenever I think about it (especially since I preordered for the Deluxe) and I'm strongly considering reinstalling TS3. Or maybe I'll just play other games on Steam until TS5 is announced.
Anyways, my two cents.
That you can't build in at all, nor bulldoze everything you want gone on the fly. Seems like a Sims game I'd never play, anyway.
You can only build up or bulldoze 5 lots or fewer in most neighborhoods. Two neighborhoods in WB have more than 5 lots, and the city world's hoods all have less than 5 lots you can change freely. The rest of the world (any world) cannot be edited in any way. Your point here is moot because it's essentially exactly how The Sims 4 already operates.
You can build more on the smallest lot in the Sims 4 than you could do anywhere whatsoever in GTA 5. You could talk to any random Sim (and then ask them to move in, marry them, divorce them, etc) more than you can talk to any random cannon fodder 'NPC' in GTA 5. All that GTA 5 has in comparison are cars, guns and drugs. Two of those neither apply nor are needed in a Sims game.
Say what you want to about the 'huge' GTA 5 world, but if you think the Sims 4 worlds are mostly background filler, that's the entirety of the other game. And the reason it's so big is because it lacks everything but shooting and stealing cars. You know what the biggest activity to do in GTA 5 is? Pointless hot-wheels style tracked car racing. The 'city' becomes even more of a backdrop.
Allowing the game to launch without pools. Really, EA?
@JoAnne65 Some of us actually like online, you know. I play that fan remake of Sims Online, and I love sharing Sims and houses I made through the Gallery. I tried doing a story, but constant picture taking wasn't for me.
Even if you do, the way they wanted to do it apparently wasn't workable. SimCity was a flop and Olympus, rumour has it, was dropped. The result is a game that is neither fish nor fowl in a way. I wonder by the way how many people want The Sims to be an online game. All I know is I don't
(the gallery is absolutely great, we can agree on that)
Oh, let me rephrase that:
Some of us *like online.
SimCity definitely was a flop. And honestly, Olympus had no hope once or ever. And I never said I wanted all Sims to be FULLY online, just that I like the features that the series included. Trust me, always online = absolutely horrible.
Origin ID:theAidster21
The Sims has always been an important part of my life, and may it continue to be so! Long live Sims!
[Due to some kind of glitch, I am unable to insert photos into my signature for some reason.]
In my opinion, the biggest mistake was the lack of an open world. This was a massive step backwards from the Sims 3, especially when so many other games now have it (you'd think a life simulator would be the best example of an open world game...). One of the reasons why I enjoyed GTA 5 so much was the open world, which you can explore by foot, bicycle, car, submarine and airplane. It felt like a living city, and was heightened by the random events and character interactions. Frankly, if they took GTA 5 and filled it with Sims it would make one heck of a life simulator.
The constant loading screens in The Sims 4 really breaks the immersion - as a result, I try to stay in my home lot at all times, only travelling out when I absolutely have to. The neighborhoods do not feel connected in any way and there is little point to exploring. One of the things that I used to love doing in The Sims 3 is follow along behind my Sim and act as if I'm in the game with them. I'd waste a ridiculous amount of time tagging along on errands, looking at the buildings, people, cars and terrain. I also loved flying over the city, zooming in on other houses and seeing what other Sims were up to. It was a big part of my game and was very disappointed that TS4 took it away.
Other elements were also minimized or removed, such as toddlers (took them long enough to put it back!), cars, world customisations, and create-a-style, just to name a few. The similarities in life stages was also a surprising - I usually can't tell if someone is a teen or an adult (the only way to know for sure was by clicking on them and checking for romantic interactions). It seems that the game was overall a huge step backwards, almost as if they wanted to reboot the series and make everything from scratch instead of expanding on what was already there.
I've played TS3 for years and got every expansion pack, but I quickly got bored with TS4 and I hardly ever touch it now. I get sad whenever I think about it (especially since I preordered for the Deluxe) and I'm strongly considering reinstalling TS3. Or maybe I'll just play other games on Steam until TS5 is announced.
Anyways, my two cents.
That you can't build in at all, nor bulldoze everything you want gone on the fly. Seems like a Sims game I'd never play, anyway.
You can only build up or bulldoze 5 lots or fewer in most neighborhoods. Two neighborhoods in WB have more than 5 lots, and the city world's hoods all have less than 5 lots you can change freely. The rest of the world (any world) cannot be edited in any way. Your point here is moot because it's essentially exactly how The Sims 4 already operates.
You can build more on the smallest lot in the Sims 4 than you could do anywhere whatsoever in GTA 5. You could talk to any random Sim (and then ask them to move in, marry them, divorce them, etc) more than you can talk to any random cannon fodder 'NPC' in GTA 5. All that GTA 5 has in comparison are cars, guns and drugs. Two of those neither apply nor are needed in a Sims game.
Say what you want to about the 'huge' GTA 5 world, but if you think the Sims 4 worlds are mostly background filler, that's the entirety of the other game. And the reason it's so big is because it lacks everything but shooting and stealing cars. You know what the biggest activity to do in GTA 5 is? Pointless hot-wheels style tracked car racing. The 'city' becomes even more of a backdrop.
Nothing to stop one from bulldozing all the lots in a world like Willow Creek if one wanted. Just make sure there is at least one venue of each type spread across the other worlds.
GTA V is not backdrops (I have played it - it's fun) but it's an entirely different type of game. There is no building at all; the world and the avatars are not dynamic except for being able to change the clothes and props and a few other minor things of the main characters.
Nothing to stop one from bulldozing all the lots in a world like Willow Creek if one wanted. Just make sure there is at least one venue of each type spread across the other worlds.
All the playable lots you can - can't do anything with the fake backdrop houses/venues/boats etc they stay because Sims 4 won't let you design the world the way you want because they are going to tell you what world you want
In my opinion, the biggest mistake was the lack of an open world. This was a massive step backwards from the Sims 3, especially when so many other games now have it (you'd think a life simulator would be the best example of an open world game...). One of the reasons why I enjoyed GTA 5 so much was the open world, which you can explore by foot, bicycle, car, submarine and airplane. It felt like a living city, and was heightened by the random events and character interactions. Frankly, if they took GTA 5 and filled it with Sims it would make one heck of a life simulator.
The constant loading screens in The Sims 4 really breaks the immersion - as a result, I try to stay in my home lot at all times, only travelling out when I absolutely have to. The neighborhoods do not feel connected in any way and there is little point to exploring. One of the things that I used to love doing in The Sims 3 is follow along behind my Sim and act as if I'm in the game with them. I'd waste a ridiculous amount of time tagging along on errands, looking at the buildings, people, cars and terrain. I also loved flying over the city, zooming in on other houses and seeing what other Sims were up to. It was a big part of my game and was very disappointed that TS4 took it away.
Other elements were also minimized or removed, such as toddlers (took them long enough to put it back!), cars, world customisations, and create-a-style, just to name a few. The similarities in life stages was also a surprising - I usually can't tell if someone is a teen or an adult (the only way to know for sure was by clicking on them and checking for romantic interactions). It seems that the game was overall a huge step backwards, almost as if they wanted to reboot the series and make everything from scratch instead of expanding on what was already there.
I've played TS3 for years and got every expansion pack, but I quickly got bored with TS4 and I hardly ever touch it now. I get sad whenever I think about it (especially since I preordered for the Deluxe) and I'm strongly considering reinstalling TS3. Or maybe I'll just play other games on Steam until TS5 is announced.
Anyways, my two cents.
That you can't build in at all, nor bulldoze everything you want gone on the fly. Seems like a Sims game I'd never play, anyway.
You can only build up or bulldoze 5 lots or fewer in most neighborhoods. Two neighborhoods in WB have more than 5 lots, and the city world's hoods all have less than 5 lots you can change freely. The rest of the world (any world) cannot be edited in any way. Your point here is moot because it's essentially exactly how The Sims 4 already operates.
You can build more on the smallest lot in the Sims 4 than you could do anywhere whatsoever in GTA 5. You could talk to any random Sim (and then ask them to move in, marry them, divorce them, etc) more than you can talk to any random cannon fodder 'NPC' in GTA 5. All that GTA 5 has in comparison are cars, guns and drugs. Two of those neither apply nor are needed in a Sims game.
Say what you want to about the 'huge' GTA 5 world, but if you think the Sims 4 worlds are mostly background filler, that's the entirety of the other game. And the reason it's so big is because it lacks everything but shooting and stealing cars. You know what the biggest activity to do in GTA 5 is? Pointless hot-wheels style tracked car racing. The 'city' becomes even more of a backdrop.
You know what else GTA 5 has? A massive amount of content! No gimped, half-baked, patch-in-later nonsense like TS4 (e.g., no toddler stage). Aside from a huge main campaign there are dozens of side quests for each character and a large variety of achievements to unlock (e.g., finding notes around the city, seeking alien artifacts, parachute drop challenges, flying under bridge challenges, car stunts, flying stunts, bike races, cult mission, properties to buy, etc.). If you've ever played GTA 5 and aimed for the 100% completion achievement then you'd know just how much stuff there is to do.
I would love to do even a small fraction of the stuff that I can do in GTA 5 in TS4. Things like actively driving, flying a plane, swimming freely (not just commanding someone to swim), riding amusement parks, climbing a mountain, etc. It would also help if existing activities could be expanded and made more interactive (e.g., cooking a meal by interacting with it, instead of it just a preset animation). As I mentioned before, exploration and immersion are a big part of my gaming experience, and TS4 simply doesn't deliver that.
GTA 5 has also taught me that a large, complex, open world is possible with today's technology. I think the main reason they removed the open world is because of technical constraints - in the Sims 3 the gameplay would slow down noticeably after a while from all the background management that was going on. The game needed a better engine to handle the open world, but instead of doing this they dropped the open world altogether - as a professional programmer, I am appalled by this. It's like they decided to take the easiest and cheapest way out, instead of investing the time and/or money into a good game engine.
Aside from a better building mode and more flexible CAS, TS4 seems like a gimped versions of TS3. Perhaps TS4 would be more interesting to someone who is new to the series, but as a TS3 veteran I feel like I've already played it before. Plus they keep releasing the same expansion packs over and over again (pets, university, careers). If EA is making a Sims 5 I hope they do something really innovative with it. If not, then that's the end of the line for me, as far as this series goes.
I think relationship culling and relationship decay are the biggest mistakes. It drives me insane, because I can't understand why relationships can't just be frozen. How is it easier to decay at a certain rate, than to just freeze it? And if relationship culling is going to be introduced, why not let it be player controlled without a mod? Just a little "edit relationships" button. Personally, I wana lose the random townie relations that spawn, but a brother in law or something, even if it's a low relation, I'd like to keep it..... "You rule"? And I feel like adding something like that is really telling of what kind of game the sims 4 is. It's the biggest mistakes to me, which is why I've gone back to sims 2 (when I ever have time )
BIGGEST SIMS 4 MISTAKE SO FAR?
Being built off of an online game which really limited the sims 4 and coming out too soon.
^^ This. The biggest mistake was going down the wrong path in the first place and then back peddling into this. Things have gotten better but things are broken at the core.
I hope weather is done well and I already gave up on cars. But hey I gave up on toddlers and I am pretty happy with what we got. It might have been for the best that we got it later because had they added them in the base game, they would have never been this fleshed out.
For me it was the base game missing so much that had to be patched in. (Swimming pools, toddlers.) I enjoy the game, but it took me longer to buy it (I bought it after get to work released.) That it took 2 years for toodlers to come out makes me feel that the sims 4 was rushed. I'd rather wait for a delayed game that has all the features in than waiting for things to be drizzled in.
You know what else GTA 5 has? A massive amount of content! No gimped, half-baked, patch-in-later nonsense like TS4 (e.g., no toddler stage).
Part of the problem with The Sims is its niche, even if popular, position in the industry. I get the feeling a lot of the people that play The Sims don't really play other video games so they don't really have a good idea what to expect from a AAA video game. I can't really think of another series from any top tier developer that can release a game in a state that is most commonly described by game reviewers as "bare bones" and get away with it.
You can't release GTA 5 without cars, say absolutely nothing about their exclusion, then patch them in 2 1/2 years after release and still be praised for it. That kind of thing would be literally insane for any developer of another series to try because their fans would absolutely revolt and the franchise/developer would sink into oblivion.
But with The Sims it is treated as just one of those things. It is pretty mind boggling actually what sims players let Maxis get away with. Which of course is why we see the base game being released the way it is and the constant recycling of the same EP ideas. Because people keep buying it.
For me personally I doubt I'll buy anything else for TS4 and TS5 better be mind blowing or else I don't see any reason to try again. But I'm just one person, millions of others can continue being milked if they want, but I expect better from a AAA developer and a series that has been around this long.
Comments
If I had to pick something, it would be options.
I will never forget the Sims4 released. It did fully change the way I played the Sims. For the first time, I learned that not every sim had to reach the top of the career and that not every sim child had to get an A in school. Many complained that the game was too grindy. I appreciated the grind. My first sim never got to level 10 in his career before he died of old age, I had to choose if he would focus on his career or his family. Those first two or three generations really changed how I play. But, the masses complained. Instead of getting the option to keep what I liked, everything got nerfed ... a one size fix all bandaid. It has carried on for almost everything else released for the Sims4 ... a one size fit all bandaid. You have GTW, you can't turn off aliens. You got the vamp pack, you can't turn off vamps. You don't want the transgender patch, too bad .... bandaid, one size fits all.
So for me, I would say options, or the lack of options ...
The constant loading screens in The Sims 4 really breaks the immersion - as a result, I try to stay in my home lot at all times, only travelling out when I absolutely have to. The neighborhoods do not feel connected in any way and there is little point to exploring. One of the things that I used to love doing in The Sims 3 is follow along behind my Sim and act as if I'm in the game with them. I'd waste a ridiculous amount of time tagging along on errands, looking at the buildings, people, cars and terrain. I also loved flying over the city, zooming in on other houses and seeing what other Sims were up to. It was a big part of my game and was very disappointed that TS4 took it away.
Other elements were also minimized or removed, such as toddlers (took them long enough to put it back!), cars, world customisations, and create-a-style, just to name a few. The similarities in life stages was also a surprising - I usually can't tell if someone is a teen or an adult (the only way to know for sure was by clicking on them and checking for romantic interactions). It seems that the game was overall a huge step backwards, almost as if they wanted to reboot the series and make everything from scratch instead of expanding on what was already there.
I've played TS3 for years and got every expansion pack, but I quickly got bored with TS4 and I hardly ever touch it now. I get sad whenever I think about it (especially since I preordered for the Deluxe) and I'm strongly considering reinstalling TS3. Or maybe I'll just play other games on Steam until TS5 is announced.
Anyways, my two cents.
I know, right? It'd be more funny if it weren't rule breaking.
That you can't build in at all, nor bulldoze everything you want gone on the fly. Seems like a Sims game I'd never play, anyway.
@JoAnne65 Some of us actually like online, you know. I play that fan remake of Sims Online, and I love sharing Sims and houses I made through the Gallery. I tried doing a story, but constant picture taking wasn't for me.
The Sims has always been an important part of my life, and may it continue to be so! Long live Sims!
[Due to some kind of glitch, I am unable to insert photos into my signature for some reason.]
And some of us don't.
I don't take screesnshots and play for the sake of story telling. I just play. The game either 'gets me' or it doesn't. Online has nothing to do with it other than being offline means I don't have to deal with a bunch of peeps I prefer to escape from when it comes to gaming. Not a people person and don't need my 15 minutes of fame. Don't care if people like me or agree with me. Guess I'm just too old or nonconformist or individual or sociopathic. Whatever brand works, I guess.
I edited out most of the post because I hate tags. It's another social aspect of online criteria I just don't fit the bill for. There are plenty of avatar social games you can play that probably simulate life more than 'The Sims' titles ever will.
I don't see any reason you couldn't do that also. You can build whole towns in Fallout 4. https://imgur.com/a/ETPNs#K2SS0a2
ETA:
Oh, really?! I'm really curious what exactly would and would not be possible for this franchise...
If only I could do that in Sims 4 to get rid of the mysterious fake houses that conflict in style/design with my playable houses
(the gallery is absolutely great, we can agree on that)
You can only build up or bulldoze 5 lots or fewer in most neighborhoods. Two neighborhoods in WB have more than 5 lots, and the city world's hoods all have less than 5 lots you can change freely. The rest of the world (any world) cannot be edited in any way. Your point here is moot because it's essentially exactly how The Sims 4 already operates.
@DragonCat159 Haha yes i'm French.
You can build more on the smallest lot in the Sims 4 than you could do anywhere whatsoever in GTA 5. You could talk to any random Sim (and then ask them to move in, marry them, divorce them, etc) more than you can talk to any random cannon fodder 'NPC' in GTA 5. All that GTA 5 has in comparison are cars, guns and drugs. Two of those neither apply nor are needed in a Sims game.
Say what you want to about the 'huge' GTA 5 world, but if you think the Sims 4 worlds are mostly background filler, that's the entirety of the other game. And the reason it's so big is because it lacks everything but shooting and stealing cars. You know what the biggest activity to do in GTA 5 is? Pointless hot-wheels style tracked car racing. The 'city' becomes even more of a backdrop.
Oh, let me rephrase that:
Some of us *like online.
SimCity definitely was a flop. And honestly, Olympus had no hope once or ever. And I never said I wanted all Sims to be FULLY online, just that I like the features that the series included. Trust me, always online = absolutely horrible.
The Sims has always been an important part of my life, and may it continue to be so! Long live Sims!
[Due to some kind of glitch, I am unable to insert photos into my signature for some reason.]
??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmjpUfbTwiM
Sim Stuff by Pegasys
Sim Stuff by Pegasys
All the playable lots you can - can't do anything with the fake backdrop houses/venues/boats etc they stay because Sims 4 won't let you design the world the way you want because they are going to tell you what world you want
I would love to do even a small fraction of the stuff that I can do in GTA 5 in TS4. Things like actively driving, flying a plane, swimming freely (not just commanding someone to swim), riding amusement parks, climbing a mountain, etc. It would also help if existing activities could be expanded and made more interactive (e.g., cooking a meal by interacting with it, instead of it just a preset animation). As I mentioned before, exploration and immersion are a big part of my gaming experience, and TS4 simply doesn't deliver that.
GTA 5 has also taught me that a large, complex, open world is possible with today's technology. I think the main reason they removed the open world is because of technical constraints - in the Sims 3 the gameplay would slow down noticeably after a while from all the background management that was going on. The game needed a better engine to handle the open world, but instead of doing this they dropped the open world altogether - as a professional programmer, I am appalled by this. It's like they decided to take the easiest and cheapest way out, instead of investing the time and/or money into a good game engine.
Aside from a better building mode and more flexible CAS, TS4 seems like a gimped versions of TS3. Perhaps TS4 would be more interesting to someone who is new to the series, but as a TS3 veteran I feel like I've already played it before. Plus they keep releasing the same expansion packs over and over again (pets, university, careers). If EA is making a Sims 5 I hope they do something really innovative with it. If not, then that's the end of the line for me, as far as this series goes.
^^ This. The biggest mistake was going down the wrong path in the first place and then back peddling into this. Things have gotten better but things are broken at the core.
I hope weather is done well and I already gave up on cars. But hey I gave up on toddlers and I am pretty happy with what we got. It might have been for the best that we got it later because had they added them in the base game, they would have never been this fleshed out.
Part of the problem with The Sims is its niche, even if popular, position in the industry. I get the feeling a lot of the people that play The Sims don't really play other video games so they don't really have a good idea what to expect from a AAA video game. I can't really think of another series from any top tier developer that can release a game in a state that is most commonly described by game reviewers as "bare bones" and get away with it.
You can't release GTA 5 without cars, say absolutely nothing about their exclusion, then patch them in 2 1/2 years after release and still be praised for it. That kind of thing would be literally insane for any developer of another series to try because their fans would absolutely revolt and the franchise/developer would sink into oblivion.
But with The Sims it is treated as just one of those things. It is pretty mind boggling actually what sims players let Maxis get away with. Which of course is why we see the base game being released the way it is and the constant recycling of the same EP ideas. Because people keep buying it.
For me personally I doubt I'll buy anything else for TS4 and TS5 better be mind blowing or else I don't see any reason to try again. But I'm just one person, millions of others can continue being milked if they want, but I expect better from a AAA developer and a series that has been around this long.