My Sims 4 play style is changing

Nik24X7

I've been playing Sims 4 quite a bit since it came out and I've noticed that my play style is changing. I started off playing exactly like Sims 3. My Sims were all focused on skill building. I used cheats to pull up the relationship bars, so my Sims didn't need to interact often. They stayed focused on their skills. With Sims 4, that play style simply doesn't work.

I"ve played three households now in the game. First was my avatar Sim and his wife and kids. Second was Gladys and Vernon Morse from SimGuruZephyr's studio (they're from the pre-launch videos). Third has been the Caliente household. I send Don Lothario (a.k.a. the unemployed "gardener") over to the first household to see if he could harvest from their garden, which he could do. But then I noticed something. The Sims in the household (with whom I couldn't control) seemed to be interacting more and having more fun than when I did control their play. That really hit home to me, as a micro-manager. I wasn't letting my Sims have fun. So now I'm playing the Caliente household differently. If they manage to skill up, great. If they don't, I no longer mind. I've noticed that the kids all enjoy interacting with their parents. And yes, Don Lothario has children with Nina, Dina, and Katrina. So once the kids' homework is done, it's play time!

Has your play style evolved? I'm curious to know.

Best Regards,
Nik

Celiria

@Nik24X7 I've had a similar experience. With TS3, as you are aware since you were on the play and share thread as well, I tended to plan out everything but so far with Sims 4 the save I am having the most fun with is one where I pull back my control freak tendencies and let things go more with what the Sims want.

fullspiral

I've always played with high free will and have tended to sit back and watch and see what they do on their own. It's even more interesting in 4 now though. I do tend to micromanage if I want to see them progress, or they are close to a promotion or something.

Datkid

The sims in this game really do know how to take care of themselves. I sometimes just sit back and watch them do their own thing. They interact more, build their own skills, feed and play with the cowplant (sometimes they get eaten but it always spits them back out). They take care of their needs, will serve family sized meals instead of cooking for themselves. I used to be a big micromanager as well but I realize this time around I don't need to be.

Nik24X7

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one. Another thing, I used to always play with their Motives set to Static by clicking on the mailbox in Sims 3. With Sims 4, the cheats reset each time there is a load screen, so that's been a pain. I've learned to just let it go and allow their needs bars to deplete. I still use Make Happy now and then, but not all the time.

fullspiral

Huh. I am surprised so many people use cheats to fix motives, or tend to needs that way. I've never used it and work through them. Sometimes it's a pain, but the really nice thing that I love about 4 is it will show yellow in the UI as to which one is starting to get low, and that's usually when I open up the panel to check on their needs as a whole.

SpradaciSproj

I guess mine will be the negative comment. My play style has "evolved" right back to no desire to do anything but build houses. I have played the sims games as a way to relieve stress, not add to it - and unfortunately, this latest game has started to do just that.

I understand fully that the game is EA's sandbox, & I merely bought the ability to play in it. But their previous 3 sandboxes allowed me to play how I wanted & this one does not.

The emotions are a great idea, but poorly implemented imo. I've said that more than once in this forum. If my emotions flipped as much as my sims' do, my family would have me committed. I spend so much time trying to keep needs in check that I have no time to actually have FUN with them. Things like going to work in an ideal mood seem to have NO effect on when or whether they'll get promoted.

I've tried 3 different families, all made by me, & the end result has been the same. I dread leaving the immediate area around their home so much, they all end up being hermits. And for careers - the only ones that don't cause me even more stress aren't really careers at all, I just have them write books or paint or fish & sell everything.

The rewards points are given out in tiny increments, & the rewards themselves are WAY out of line expense-wise, again imo. And to have magic potions for sale when there are no NPCs that make them or way for my sims to make them is not "realistic."

No matter what career, the requirements for promotion are basically the same - do X this amount of times/for this long & get Y.

The thing that bothers me the most is I really do like the game. It was the first time in years that I actually wanted to PLAY again & not just build. But pigeon-holing everything down a set path to unlock rewards, or promotions, well to me that's not allowing me to play my way.

In the most basic terms, they're my dolls I should be able to play with them how I want. I don't think Barbies would have lasted all these decades if you had to play her a set way to get her the Barbie jetplane, or camper, etc.

What makes playing the sims fun for me is doing things my way - letting my whims & creativity decide how lifetime goals are completed. Letting me decide if I want to go to the gym or would rather control my weight by diet. Letting me decide when friends come to my house, not having them show up repeatedly uninvited.

I do have hope that with EPs things will get better. But I also fear that unless I actually sign up for the premium service I'll not have access to the things most likely to better the experience for me.

As it stand right now, I can play Sims 4 for an hour at a time tops, then I either switch to building or just exit the game. But that's just me. I'm not bashing anyone who has a different opinion, or trying to pick a fight. I'm just answering your question as honestly as I can from my own personal perspective. And I am very pleased to read that so many people are getting a lot of enjoyment from the game. I hold out hope that it will get better for me with time.

Nik24X7

^ ^

I actually did an experiment last night with my Sim kids. They all managed to get promoted to an "A" grade and their performance meters were in the exact middle. I sent one kid to school in an Energized state. The others were Focused and Happy. The kid with the Energized mood ended up with a higher Performance increase than the other two. So mood does matter, even if it's not obvious. But as to your other points, I agree that it can be stressful to focus solely on achieving the requirements for advancement. That's part of why I'm letting go of that obsession. It's gonna take some effort on my part, but I want this game to be fun for me and my Sims.

enkeli63

Yeah, my play style has evolved a little, but not as dramatically. I have been working on a story and when I do that, I generally do that with aging off (unless it's a Legacy, but this one isn't), and whenever I turn aging off I play to have fun, make my sims be social, etc. I don't like playing any short lifespan because you have to focus on skilling so much and I don't want my sims to be like people in my country (silent, antisocial, withdrawn, always using their phones).

I love how I can instruct a sim to socialize with another one, and then see how they get along. They will keep interacting if it goes well, and I sometimes just watch it unfold. I am writing a story, so there are many things I need to make them do for my screenshots, but they are far better performers than ever before! These sims and their emotions are perfect for storytelling!

I worried emotions would be difficult and get in the way, but they really do add to my experience with my sims!

DarkMirage

@SpradaciSproj - Well said. I felt the exact same way while playing the game.

It got really dull and tedious in about 30 minutes for me. I felt extremely limited in playing the game the way I wanted to. I am glad others are enjoying it though.

SpradaciSproj

@DarkMirage thank you. I was beginning to feel like the only one.