Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.

What is Your Biggest Criticism About Sims 4?

SimsLovinLycanSimsLovinLycan Posts: 1,910 Member
edited July 2022 in The Sims 4 Game Feedback
Note: This thread is not for being mean or insulting. Please try to phrase your critiques as civilly and respectfully as possible, no matter how much the issue irks you. Thanks in advance!

For me, my biggest gripe about Sims 4 so far is how often the development team attempts to emphasize their characters and storylines in the game. It's one thing in a mission-based pack like "Strangerville", where the story is the pack, but when it's more of a feature-based pack like "Werewolves", it can get somewhat grating.

Now, I know there is a certain subset of the playerbase who came from TS1, 2, and 3 and played the premades very extensively, maybe even exclusively, and are very fond of expanding on already established characters and plotlines. However, there are also players like me, who came off of previous games and exclusively played our own sims, who never played any of the much-cherished premade hoods or sims in TS2 and went straight to making our own hoods for our own characters to inhabit and stories to be told in. For us, TS4 has been a battle for space for our sims to live, for opportunities for more freeform gameplay moments, and with "Werewolves", even just the ability to fully engage with the game's systems without having to enmesh the premade characters into our stories.

I said this in another thread, but it sometimes feels as if the current Sims Team is populated with people who actually want to make a narrative-driven game with a set cast and a clear-cut beginning, middle, and end to the story as opposed to an open-ended, player-driven gaming experience with no pre-determined storyline or cast. Almost like they really had their hearts set on working for a development studio that focuses on RPG's or platformers or adventure games, but ended up working on this game instead because it was the only industry job they could get and are trying to make the most of it and squeeze in the kind of game they're actually passionate about making wherever they can into this one.

But, The Sims is not about completing a story that has been pre-written for you. This franchise is about being able to tell your own stories using the game and its systems as your tools and canvas to do so. Yes, many people enjoy using the premade sims and their plots as a story prompt, but not everyone does. Sure, some people only ever played the premade worlds in earlier titles, but others of us have always preferred to build our own. Some people are quite happy with the pre-existing werewolf packs, others of us would rather have the ability to form our own. Giving players a choice of pre-existing content to engage with is one thing, but making all but two aspirations in a Game Pack impossible to complete without engaging with the pre-existing NPC factions is a whole different bucket of sweets.

I would have liked to be able to create my own pack of werewolves either with a pack creation system or using the club system without having to use mods to have werewolf activities count as club activities. I would have liked to have aspirations about forming your own pack, or ones about becoming a good werewolf or getting comfortable in your own fur that don't involve having to engage with the pre-existing werewolf factions. I would have liked for werewolves and vampires to start on neutral terms instead of having automatic enmity because of some far-off lore that has nothing to do with the story I want to tell. "Strangerville" had a pre-written chain of events, but at least you got to choose your crew (Do you go with premades or create your own party?) instead of being required to bring specific premade characters along.

I can play any RPG, any adventure game, any platformer to get a story someone else wrote for me. When I play The Sims, I'm looking for systems and a platform to mess around with them on to tell my own stories. The more narrative-heavy design philosophy of many of TS4's packs actually has me a little worried for what the high school pack will ultimately be. Will players go in hyped to play their own little group of Teens, only to have the devs' own Breakfast Club from the trailer foist upon them to complete any of the pack's aspirations? Will the amusement park be a scripted event hub with an event timer and a list of activities you have to do or else your sim gets a sad moodlet? I sure hope not, because The Sims is best as a collection of systems for freeform storytelling, not a watered-down RPG.
There is a song I hear, a melody from the past...
5MNZlGQ.gif
When I woke for the first time, when I slept for the last.

Comments

  • StrawberryYogurtStrawberryYogurt Posts: 2,799 Member
    edited July 2022
    The biggest thing has always been the personality system for me. Its too dumbed down in Sims 4. The traits are near meaningless, the whims near meaningless. There arent enough comprehensive systems in play that make the game dynamic. This meaning attraction systems, memories, wants, goals etc. Theyre all superficial and very easy to change. I also really miss an in-game image/caption editor, I like literally writing my own stories. Not to mention sim bios.

    The game isnt challenging enough. Its so easy to raise motives, earn money and get rich. I even looked for mods that pay your sims less or make buy mode more expensive.

    The worlds are miniature. We dont have cars. I miss buying groceries and clothes in person. That adds to realism for me.

    I want to create my own world and neighboorhoods with my own style.

    I dont like the political / social issue pushing that Sims 4 gets involved in. I dont want any real world social issues or political issues being in my game or being promoted in my game. There are aspects of my lifestyle that arent represented in the game and may never see the light of day, but there is a preachy message about being inclusive of everyone, yet some cultures and lifestyles are ignored. I dont like the hypocrisy and picking and choosing. I wish theyre either all in or all out.

    Overall i dont feel like Sims 4 expanded well on the Sims formula outside of visuals. I will say build/buy/CAS is AMAZING and the gallery was a magnificent idea.
    The Sims has currently lost its identity. Bring it back for TS5

    FixedCoarseFawn-max-1mb.gif

    Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
  • logionlogion Posts: 4,712 Member
    edited July 2022
    Going on a bit of a rant.

    Townies
    A lot in the game is set dressing so you end up creating worlds, sims, lots and you spend a lot of times doing it. You create everyone how you want, that's why it's so defeating to see the game just ruin all your hard work by barely putting in any effort in adding townies on it's own. They look like clowns and you feel nothing for them. What's the point of adding everything to the game if your world looks like a circus?

    Technical limitations

    20 sims per lot, sims are locked to activities on the lot so no one visits areas around the world. Worlds are deserted and we only see the occasional sim walking by. And all these rabbit holes are driving me crazy, they should be banned from being used and should only be allowed if the player can do something else. I don't want to read notifications and watch my sim fade away into a black hole.

    No travel system
    I get it, it's a game, but I find it really difficult to just ignore the fact that I can teleport anywhere I want at any time. Travel is pointless and all these worlds with roads and houses that are just randomly placed everywhere, it feels so fake. Who are driving the cars? The firemen doesn't even have a firetruck? like...what?

    The game seems to go on forever
    Okay, if you enjoy the sims, fine. But I find it so depressing that we are hearing nothing about a sequel and all this creativity that Maxis are showing in these packs just makes me think how good it would work if they had a game that could actually support what they want to make, what's the point with all this if we are never going to move forward?

    Phew, alright.
  • StrawberryYogurtStrawberryYogurt Posts: 2,799 Member
    edited July 2022
    Cinebar wrote: »
    See exclusive not inclusive. It's all headed in a direction I can live without.

    Because things may be a fact of life but so are other people. And they still get nothing. With all the facts that we don't rule
    it's more like you will play this game and you will like it, because we said so. No, older games actually allowed players to create and dream up just about anything and not be restricted to Maxis idea of fun and or inclusivity.



    Think of it this way about sexuality etc. We asked for sexual preference in CAS. Simple, right, No? But Sims will still cheat if the other Sim is a preference gender so again shallow nuance. Where is an attraction system that should have been with a sexual preference? And not inclusive until I see disabled and religious folks and many others in this game.

    Yeah, its really something to say "this is a fact of life" as if disabled people arent a fact of life, religious people arent a fact of life, other nationalities/cultures arent a fact of life etc. I made a topic too about their focus on inclusivity:

    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/995980/the-sims-4-focused-aim-execution-on-inclusivity-representation-helpful-or-harmful#latest

    The thing is you cant represent everyone because its simply not realistic. There is too many people, walks of life, cultures etc. You will never end up truly showing everyone, and not always in the way someone wants to see themselves. Also you cannot be wholly inclusive if you feel like some lifestyles / ideals are incompatible or in opposition with others.
    The Sims has currently lost its identity. Bring it back for TS5

    FixedCoarseFawn-max-1mb.gif

    Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
  • trogametrogame Posts: 37 Member
    Updates & upgrades to the game breaks features that I enjoy playing like rummaging trash and gardening, and they never get fixed.

    I cannot create a new topic. But, it would be great if you are having trouble with your sims rummaging in the trash and you do not have the EL EP to me too this post and add your save: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/NEEDS-SAVES-Unable-to-Rummage-in-World-amp-Community-Lot-trash/td-p/9223296
  • KimmerKimmer Posts: 2,370 Member
    Too much to do in the game and not enough time to play in real life. :/
  • BenjamilianBenjamilian Posts: 395 Member
    edited July 2022
    It's hard to tell dramatic stories. I'd like to sometimes have a breakup so bad it fractures the friend-group and family in a way which takes time to repair (or leads to a long grudge), but interpersonal conflict is quite limited.

    (I guess my real gripe is that everything is focussed on meeting goals and succeeding - which of course makes sense for a game, but it means there's not much variety in tone. Playing The Sims can make me happy or frustrated, but it never really makes me feel the other emotions that could come with a doll's house like this.
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,708 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    See exclusive not inclusive. It's all headed in a direction I can live without.

    Because things may be a fact of life but so are other people. And they still get nothing. With all the facts that we don't rule
    it's more like you will play this game and you will like it, because we said so. No, older games actually allowed players to create and dream up just about anything and not be restricted to Maxis idea of fun and or inclusivity.



    Think of it this way about sexuality etc. We asked for sexual preference in CAS. Simple, right, No? But Sims will still cheat if the other Sim is a preference gender so again shallow nuance. Where is an attraction system that should have been with a sexual preference? And not inclusive until I see disabled and religious folks and many others in this game.

    Yeah, its really something to say "this is a fact of life" as if disabled people arent a fact of life, religious people arent a fact of life, other nationalities/cultures arent a fact of life etc. I made a topic too about their focus on inclusivity:

    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/995980/the-sims-4-focused-aim-execution-on-inclusivity-representation-helpful-or-harmful#latest

    The thing is you cant represent everyone because its simply not realistic. There is too many people, walks of life, cultures etc. You will never end up truly showing everyone, and not always in the way someone wants to see themselves. Also you cannot be wholly inclusive if you feel like some lifestyles / ideals are incompatible or in opposition with others.

    But gender is the most basic form of identification. It makes sense to start with that. Disabilities, while a fact of life, do not, or should not, define a person. And you're right that not everyone can be represented. But everyone has a specific way of expressing their gender.
  • JALJAL Posts: 1,001 Member
    I couldn't agree more with what many of you have said here, and to me it comes down to three core features:

    * Customization - more toggles, more settings, more choices in how we play and what our worlds look like. Want no NPCs at all? Fine! Want lots? Fine. Let the game do what we tell it to do and give players the biggest freedom possible. With every feature the devs should be asking themselves "is there any way we can let the players to decide how to use or tweak this feature themselves?" If the answer is yes, then that should be added.
    * Personalities - sims need to be more unique and for that they need more personalities. I have in several threads written about how I would want personalities to work, with core features on a scale for everyone, with traits that adds flavour. Some traits should be randomly assigned when growing up, others work more like lifestyles (but better) and some should work like phases but for all walks of life. Personalities need to be different, they need to mean different things for autonomy and how people react to different situations, and there need to be more balanced, with pros and cons to each trait and choices. Attractions are a part of this.
    * Consequences - there need to be more consequences in game overall. If someone cheats - there should be repercussions of that depending on situation and personality. If the spouse doesn't know there might be a guilty conscience, or pride in pulling it off, or hesitation about the relationship, or a need to confess, all depending on the sim cheating and their personality. Similarly there should be arguments, kicking people out of the house, slamming of doors and sleeping on the sofa... if you are caught stealing, the police should come, you should be fined, not given an embarrassed moodlet. And as @MidnightAura wrote, you shouldn't get over being cheated on (or the death of a loved one) because you have nice decor in the kitchen and ate a nice meal.
    Moreover, I advise that the cart button must be destroyed!
  • MaggieMarleyMaggieMarley Posts: 5,299 Member
    No dragons :'(:D

    On a more serious note, I wish that we had a better personality system, with traits that actually affect behaviour more noticeably.
  • StrawberryYogurtStrawberryYogurt Posts: 2,799 Member
    edited July 2022
    Cinebar wrote: »
    See exclusive not inclusive. It's all headed in a direction I can live without.

    Because things may be a fact of life but so are other people. And they still get nothing. With all the facts that we don't rule
    it's more like you will play this game and you will like it, because we said so. No, older games actually allowed players to create and dream up just about anything and not be restricted to Maxis idea of fun and or inclusivity.



    Think of it this way about sexuality etc. We asked for sexual preference in CAS. Simple, right, No? But Sims will still cheat if the other Sim is a preference gender so again shallow nuance. Where is an attraction system that should have been with a sexual preference? And not inclusive until I see disabled and religious folks and many others in this game.

    Yeah, its really something to say "this is a fact of life" as if disabled people arent a fact of life, religious people arent a fact of life, other nationalities/cultures arent a fact of life etc. I made a topic too about their focus on inclusivity:

    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/995980/the-sims-4-focused-aim-execution-on-inclusivity-representation-helpful-or-harmful#latest

    The thing is you cant represent everyone because its simply not realistic. There is too many people, walks of life, cultures etc. You will never end up truly showing everyone, and not always in the way someone wants to see themselves. Also you cannot be wholly inclusive if you feel like some lifestyles / ideals are incompatible or in opposition with others.

    But gender is the most basic form of identification. It makes sense to start with that. Disabilities, while a fact of life, do not, or should not, define a person. And you're right that not everyone can be represented. But everyone has a specific way of expressing their gender.

    My gender doesnt define me, it describes me. So do other traits, lifestyles and other things not yet represented. CAS isnt soley for defining your sim, but multiple aspects make up who your sim is. Even then, there are apects of your sim not expressed until you leave the CAS screen.While others have specific ways of expressing their gender, some may want to experience / simulate other aspects in the game not yet present. Maybe it wont be for everyone wanting to see disablities or physical/emotional ailments in their game, but if some want to use it theres no reason why they shouldnt be able to. If its optional/toggable, it can be done.
    The Sims has currently lost its identity. Bring it back for TS5

    FixedCoarseFawn-max-1mb.gif

    Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
  • DKguruArtistDKguruArtist Posts: 292 Member
    edited July 2022
    Think my biggest criticism is that much the gameplay feel like a huge dollhouse, where you more or less have to control everything that happens. Like sims are really bad at autonomous behavior even with inclusion of neighborhood stories non it feels very organic and has to happen through your sim. I guess it's great for people who are extremely creative and want full control of telling their stories, just makes it feel very bland and empty at least for me at times. Like a flock of actors just standing around just doing meaningless stuff until I engage with them and put them into situations.

    Glad they added stuff like neighborhood stories for sure just feel like could have been more organic options for those who don't want every controlling aspect to fall on them in the gameplay.
  • BabykittyjadeBabykittyjade Posts: 4,975 Member
    I don't have a long list of criticism sorry 😅😅 this game is amazing to me. And even the flaws I make work,or weave them into part of the story or work around them without any annoyance.
    I only have one big criticism that spoils gameplay for me and that's the same complaint I always had about enemies, mean sims or mean interactions. Sims immidiately choosing friendly interactions right after mean ones or just in general. It literally ruins my whole scene. I start and argument I had to force and sims quickly followup with all but hugs and kisses 😆😆 or sims that don't like you will still clean your house for free lol
    Zombies, oh please oh please give us zombies!! :'(
  • EnkiSchmidtEnkiSchmidt Posts: 5,334 Member
    I can only sign what @SimsLovinLycan and @Chicklet453681 said, this is my major gripe, too. The Sims is turning into a generic game where a single protagonist explores an existing setting and helps npcs achieve their own goals. I find that sad, because what made The Sims unique is getting more and more lost this way.

    Since StrangerVille was mentioned, I never felt that it was a story pack in the sense of Pet Stories or Life Stories. There were a few key moments that you could hit and that would then trigger changes in the world, but it is very easy to slot the StrangerVille module into your own setting and ongoing story. To me StrangerVilleis a story pack done right, compareable to my favorite spinoff, Sims Castaway for PS2.
  • CK213CK213 Posts: 20,525 Member
    The worlds have too much set dressing and feel so dead.
    I don't have Werewolves, but I've read that its world is an improvement.

    If you travel about, there needs to be more things to explore, find, and do. Your sim finds a wallet on the ground, they could return it, or keep the cash. All these kids walking about, how about a rare chance that one is lost and you help them get home.
    There are all kinds of things that could happen when you are out for a walk. I feel all the sims you see walking about are just on parade to make the world seem alive. They have no reason or purpose for being where they are. They are just there.

    You should see them walk up to sim's homes that they know, knock on the door and teleport inside.
    If you go visit that home, you should find them inside socializing with the sims that live there.
    You should occasionally see a sim using any objects on their property.
    The%20Goths.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds
  • MVWdeZTMVWdeZT Posts: 3,267 Member
    I have 2 criticisms, and both involve conversation.

    The first is that each new pack adds a few more topics of conversation. Some of these are useful -- Boast about family, for example, gives a ++ boost to a relationship. And most are intended to be useful by increasing level in a skill or helping to determine another Sim's traits. But I usually find out traits with the "Get to Know" interaction, which has been pushed to page 3 of my Sim's options by all the other conversation topics. I think that all the topics are intended to give "personality" to each individual Sim, but having a Sim who can be a bore about 10 different subjects does not make me feel like that Sim has a personality.

    The second is that unplayed Sims don't talk to each other. I watched the HSY trailer, with teens snogging each other in the hallway and promposing right and left. We all know that's not going to happen in our game. The livestream was more accurate -- no Sims talking to each other in the cafeteria. When people say the worlds feel dead, I think a big reason is that there's so little interaction among the other Sims on community lots. They play chess with each other, but they don't talk.

    Soon after I got the reworked version of TS2, I created Bob and Eliza Pancakes for that game and set them up in a house. While I was concentrating on Bob, Eliza got into a conversation with Dirk Dreamer, and pretty soon was arguing with him. In short, she was behaving the way we expect Eliza to behave, but so often doesn't, unless the player makes her act that way.

    I would love to see full autonomy for non-controlled Sims, but doubt that will happen. First, I'm not sure this particular engine can handle that, even though the engine for TS1 and TS2 could. Second, quite a few players would complain.
  • GoodywoodGoodywood Posts: 4,612 Member
    edited July 2022
    • The emotion system: It takes over the Sim's personality.
    • The flirty emotion: I hate that the Sim "act" flirty towards everyone, and not just the Sim they are interested in, dating, or married to .
    • The babies being objects: No Sim at any age should be an object.
    • Teens being the same height as adults: I also don't like that a child ages up to a full grown adult height. There should be a height between child and adult.

    (Edit to add more detail)
    Post edited by Goodywood on
    PLEASE FIX TEENS IN TS4! I NEED YOUNGER TEENS NOT YA TEENS! (^_^)Please add Music Bands with lead singers! Please add vehicles and garages! Vehicles have always been part of The Sims.
  • ignominiusrexignominiusrex Posts: 2,680 Member
    Just that it is slanted too much toward looks and build/buy and CAS (making characters and houses) and not enough toward gameplay ( the thrill of cause and effect, seeing what they do when we give them different imputs etc).

    I think a dollhouse is fine bit I love best the old ant farm view of it where they do things and go about their business, we set obstacles in their way and watch what they do, we or we nudge them ong their way but they can still appear to have motives of their own, for us to discover and be surprised by.

    You can call me Iggy or Rex (he/him) 10 ways to Fight Hate
    ```
    wonderfullymade.jpg
  • CynnaCynna Posts: 2,369 Member
    edited July 2022
    Just that it is slanted too much toward looks and build/buy and CAS (making characters and houses) and not enough toward gameplay ( the thrill of cause and effect, seeing what they do when we give them different imputs etc).

    I think a dollhouse is fine bit I love best the old ant farm view of it where they do things and go about their business, we set obstacles in their way and watch what they do, we or we nudge them ong their way but they can still appear to have motives of their own, for us to discover and be surprised by.

    All of this. ^^^

    Don't get me wrong, I'm aware that the developers are trying to improve the Sims. However, at this point, they're attempting to patch features onto a foundation that was never meant to support them. As a result, every attempted fix is lacking. No matter what they do, the developers will not been able to recapture the spark of life that made the previous games great.

    TS4 Sims will never have believable personalities and motivations that can be tested and observed. The thrill of cause and effect no longer exist because the underpinnings of the game do not allow it. The best on offer are information panels to tell us the things that we should have been able to pick up, organically, through gameplay. Yet, if I have to open an information panel in order to know what my Sims are 'thinking', the game has lost me.

    The sad part is that enough consumers like the game, as is, that future Sims will probably be just as hollow and superficial as the ones in TS4. I'm concerned that the in-depth simulation of the past is gone for good.



    I3Ml5Om.jpg
  • MariaaLopez01MariaaLopez01 Posts: 17 Member
    > @Cinebar said:
    > I'm going to try to say this very carefully, it's not meant as an offense but just an observation that has become a big turn off for this series and Maxis.
    >
    > First, I agree with all the above posts. I know exactly what you are talking about. I spent the first three years of TS4 trying to love it and trying to play it beyond boredom and trying to make individual Sims with some real personalities. I had some fun, but not as much as with the older games.
    >
    > TS4 was never about 'you rule'. No, it's very much the devs game. If you read all the above posts, it's blatantly obvious it's their game and not ours to do with whatever we can imagine.
    >
    > However, none of this is my biggest criticism. In the past years Maxis seems to cater and push for only one group of people who get a lot of attention and pandering. I know some would disagree with this, but if you aren't part of that community for whatever reason, then you may notice most big, huge updates aren't about gameplay but identity and sexuality.
    >
    > They claim inclusion but actually in my opinion they seem to be becoming exclusive instead of inclusive. I wrote a thread some may have missed not long ago pointing out other groups who received nothing for the months that celebrate them. There was a group every month and I posted what groups for which particular months, (and still are other groups every month) but nothing was done to celebrate or add things for them in the game. And most of the time it was an afterthought for someone to post about any new update for any other group and days late long after the celebration of those people etc.
    >
    > Why does this matter, well I will try to bring it home so others can understand my view. When someone asked would there be toggles to opt out of the new update the answer was no, that this group of different peoples was a fact of life and there wouldn't be any way to opt out of this identity, sexuality tags, labels and gameplay.
    >
    > Don't get me wrong I asked for sexual preference for years. But I also understand it's not like someone is buying a pack about vamps then want them nerfed, but a base game update. Because the answer was no, because this is a fact of life.
    >
    > Well, ok, but so are disabled children and adults. So are religious people of all types of faith. So are other races other than islanders. So are other Latinos than the ones in this game. And no they don't all celebrate the same holidays but have their own traditions. Cuba is very different than Mexico.
    >
    > Now, Maxis is welcome to bring updates to the game, but it bothers me that basegame updates are forced on players. It always has bothered me about that. Especially when there is no opt out to a base/core game update. And or when they nerf a pack's feature (and we all know what things are changed and nerfed over the years even if we haven't been playing, we see the feedback and complaints.
    >
    > Another thing that bothered me deeply was the post about pronouns, when it was stated they knew the game wasn't quite yet, gender neutral but they were working hard to make the entire game gender neutral. I guess by the time it's finished. Well, what about those who want a he or she, and or don't want unisex clothing. Are they less important?
    >
    > See exclusive not inclusive. It's all headed in a direction I can live without.
    >
    > Because things may be a fact of life but so are other people. And they still get nothing. With all the facts that we don't rule
    > it's more like you will play this game and you will like it, because we said so. No, older games actually allowed players to create and dream up just about anything and not be restricted to Maxis idea of fun and or inclusivity.
    >
    > On a lighter note, who actually asked for werewolves to look like furriers? The devs game is lacking. Since there is not much room to make a dark, looming, evil werewolf. Cute is not inclusive.
    >
    > And HSY Depop outfits, I don't know anyone in the history of my life that ever dressed that way...unless they were eccentric and no way any one I know would buy some of those outfits I saw in the trailer.
    >
    > Think of it this way about sexuality etc. We asked for sexual preference in CAS. Simple, right, No? But Sims will still cheat if the other Sim is a preference gender so again shallow nuance. Where is an attraction system that should have been with a sexual preference? And not inclusive until I see disabled and religious folks and many others in this game.

    You've literally just hit the nail on the head because this, I'm latina and native and yet there's hardly any inclusivity there for the communities im from. It strongly feels as if they really are just catering to one community
  • ThriorThrior Posts: 612 Member
    edited July 2022
    I think it's rather telling how my priorities for fanmade content has completely flipped on its' head in TS4: whereas with TS2/TS3 I hardly downloaded any mods but lots of CC, I'm now downloading a buttload of gameplay mods while hardly any CC (except some masculine content).
    Vast majority of the mods I've downloaded have something to do with making sims have more personality, improving relationships or adding more challenge/drama. That basically sums up what my biggest issues with the game are right now.

    Personality system leaves a lot to desire for. In an unmodded game Sims just don't really show their personality and there's very little differences between traits whereas in TS3 I felt like traits actually did something. They had unique interactions, animations and other properties. TS4's overreliance on (mostly redundant) moodlets and the emotion system has a lot to do with this inferior experience. Emotions basically override everything and all sims tend to act in the same bipolar manner. Moodlets are basically there just to boost certain emotions instead of adding any meaningful "states". E.g. having a certain moodlet would then allow you to do certain interactions. I thought they were going to do something like this with sentiments but, while I like them, they also ended up being kind of a dud. For example: a sim of mine got an "awed by a life saving hero" sentiment. Why on earth couldn't she then actually thank her saviour? I know I freaking would. How about when (the same sim actually) saved his enemy? In that case neither of them got sentiments at all which I found such a missed opportunity. Imagine if the one who got saved got some sort of "grudging respect" sentiment and the two could then use a unique interaction to bond quickly. Cuz I know if an enemy of mine ended up saving my life, it'd very quickly endear them to me.

    Another pet peeve of mine is how bland and "safe" the unmodded game is. The game basically expects the player to micromanage everything and, when something unexpected is about to happen, it still holds your hand and gives you clear warnings (minus some exceptions) making it so that if your sim is e.g. about to die by a meteor, you basically need to knowingly LET that happen. Things that added some surprising "out there" experiences, have been heavily nerfed too (e.g. vampire invasions). I know some players like the game to be a dollhouse for they basically want to orchestrate everything their sims do "according to a script" but I'm not one of those players. I actually often just observe my sims and let their autonomy play out. I enjoy it when the game surprises me and when it gives me some unplanned roleplay "guidance" and hints via things like autonomy or whims. Though I needed to mod both in order to get the experience I want. I think this is one reason why I've been enjoying Werewolves as much as I do. I just like it how it added this nice touch of chaotic energy.
    @ignominiusrex had a good analogy about dollhouses and ant farms. I'm more like an ant farm player for I like to nudge my sims to certain directions but I don't like to dictate everything that happens. One part I always enjoyed about the Sims series was to see how characters I created behaved in this world. I got cheap laughs when I created a pseudo-simself in TS2 and just observed. She seemed like a complete fish out of water among all the weirdos and drama-queens. I feel like in an unmodded TS4 game nothing like that would happen. They'd all just be idle-chatting for hours.
    Post edited by Thrior on
  • SimmingalSimmingal Posts: 8,888 Member
    Launching grumpy gal mode in 3 2 1
    *Beeep*

    Randomized townies.

    Thats it. My criticism.
    99% of things i am annoyed about would be solved if i could stop the game from generating randomized townies for freaking everything.

    ts1 didn't need randomized townies neither did ts2 so why on earth would i need them in ts4 i do not.

    just where are them toggles really

    Also the way the game performance has really gotten bad during last 2 years its making me worry they will just overload the game with random stuff and let it crash and burn the same way they did ts3 in the end its giving me unpleasant flashbacks

    aaand as for new content the way they keep adding about everything on earth except gameplay

    like sure I am happy about the new additions especially the updates

    but its bit sad that I get excited about sims sitting at this point

    like goodness tell ts2 simmingal she is gonna be excited about sims sitting...
    ⭐️ AHQ Champion 🦇 Vlad Advocate 🐉 Team Dragons
    🏡 Gallery 📖 Stories 🌍 World Project 🥔 MOD/CC Free
  • Chicklet453681Chicklet453681 Posts: 2,431 Member
    Cynna wrote: »
    The sad part is that enough consumers like the game, as is, that future Sims will probably be just as hollow and superficial as the ones in TS4. I'm concerned that the in-depth simulation of the past is gone for good.

    That is my exact fear too! I've been telling myself for years that going forward, even with a new iteration of "The Sims" to just expect more of the same only with a shiny new look.

    I'm hoping that someday another developer (maybe Rod Humble's new game?) will come along and make a life simulator game that is actually focused on the game play aspects of it, where we can actually observe the actions and thoughts of our character through their behavior rather than just a pop-up text telling us what is supposedly going on but never actually "seeing what is going on".

Sign In or Register to comment.
Return to top