Game needs some serious TLC

ravynwolvf

The Sims has improved much over the past couple of years. It feels more complete, and many things have been fixed. But at the same time, I find it incredibly frustrating to play right now. Maybe because I'm trying to play as a family, when I usually play as a single sim, which is much easier to control.
So many interactions don't work in one direction or the other. I tell my sim to knit something, and they wave their arms around. I have to click on a piece of furniture. Telling my sim to read to a toddler is like asking them to perform brain surgery. Unless the sim and toddler are already positioned on a sofa together, forget it. More arm waving. I've given up on reading toddlers to sleep altogether. Give an infant a toy when they're lying on the floor is evidently dependent on the infant being in an open field with nothing nearby, body pointing precisely along some ancient laylines. And why the sim's interactions I'm controlling towards a toddler/infant are always overruled by the other parent is beyond me; should be set the other way around. There are quite a few other interactions that bring on the most used animation in the game, arm waving, but I'm not going to list them right now.
Another truly annoying aspect is the lack of the ability to totally turn off autonomy. You still have to deal with what's happening and random I'm just going to go to do this thing for no good reasons. And it started a few months ago, where you tell a sim to go to a spot, and they get there, only to run all the way back to where they started because some random sim wants to tell them a joke or something. Why can't they come to me? And until I put in a mod to stop it, my sims kept randomly waking up part way thru the night to...well, I have no idea why. They just did. And stop making tea and bar drinks already, then not drinking them!
There seem to also be so many interactions that are impossible to cancel out of the queue. The sims right now are really good at cancelling the things that you want them to do, and not letting you cancel the things you don't want them to do.
Overall, it just feels like the amount of gameplay available has expanded much, but that the mechanics to play it have deteriorated. It's a shame, because imo it's a fun and annoying game to play at the same time right now. I'm either smiling at my screen or yelling at it.

lisamwitt

Knitting, I've gotten used to. They can't knit standing up for whatever reason, so I guess it makes sense.

I've given up on reading to toddlers too, it never works.

I haven't played with an infant yet, but I've noticed the "other Sim interference thing" with babies and toddlers. I agree that the Sim who is active should have precedence. Another Sim coming from way across the lot to change the baby's diaper when your active Sim is standing beside the bassinet is aggravating. Particularly when it's a guest or your butler, because you can't cancel it.

Canceling some things in the queue has always been a problem. I can technically cancel the interactions, but it takes my Sim so long to stop doing them that it interferes with whatever they needed to be doing next. The opposite problem also happens from time to time. I tell my Sim to do something and they stand there for a really long time before doing it, if I don't end up canceling it because they waited so long that they don't have time now. There is some tuning that needs to be done. If it's related to the core architecture being "old" then they might not be able to address them in a way that would be satisfying, but one can hope.

On the positive side, I'm really happy with how they tuned eating. Sims eat right away instead of spending hours doing it. I admit it is pretty weird to see my little cheerleader Sim snarfing down burritos and clearing whole plates in only two bites, but I prefer that to what it was.

Future

Your post tickled me because it's all true.

I very rarely add bookshelves to the homes I build these days because Sims only read for 0.5 seconds, then they decide they're done and put the book back. And they seem to want to put it in the bookshelf that is the furthest away from them, walking all through the house past numerous shelves.

Yea the new thing is when you tell one parent to tend to the infant, they do, then you put the infant into the crib and the other parent goes over autonomously to pick the infant back up out of the crib for whatever reason. The game doesn't understand that you already tended to the infant and they need to cancel the action. You have to manually cancel the other parent's action, which is annoying.

Sims seem to be attracted to the shiny, newest objects. Since building the treehouse, I have one Elder Sim in particular who wants to always nap or sleep in the enclosure. I had to disable those 2 options' autonomy to stop him from doing that. Leaving his warm, comfy bed to go climb into a treehouse at midnight? At his age? Absolutely not. Lol

Blairenstull

I wish there would be a patch that disables Sims just walking into my house to ask to be best friends. It happens all the time even though I have disallowed visitors. The only way to stop it is to lock the door to everyone but household members. Then I have to remember to unlock it if I invite a Sim over. It's incredibly annoying because then they just start making themselves at home, completely uninvited.

lisamwitt

I randomly had a Sim walk into my Sim's house last night for the first time. Just some rando that she hadn't even met. Walked right into the kitchen and stood there until my Sim sent her home. It was weird. I hope it's not going to be a regular occurrence.