Is the video trailer the reason for confusion over this new EP?; Idea for future contribution

davina1221

jackjack k listed an article containing actual info. about the new EP. It states that the EP is not about parties, but about clubs, like book clubs ect. If one watched the video that they gave us, then the opinion one would form is that this is another party EP. It mostly shows dancing/drinking ect. I think they should've done the video clip differently if this truly is about clubs and not parties. It is my opinion that the video clip is misleading as to what they intend on adding with this new content. It isn't a wonder that people have formed negative opinions.

I don't want another party pack, but I'm watching to see what they show. I was upset about party stuff, not that I didn't think some of it was cool, but not on top of what we already have. I'm now realizing that clubs are their intention and that it wasn't expressed in the video correctly. I plan just to see what they offer and what it adds to make a decision. I'm trying to work myself around again to having an open mind.

One thing that could help is more face time here and some type of sit down or something. People use to love the times that EA/sims team would get on and talk about new content. It was something to look forward to. All this silence doesn't excite anyone. I was more excited when they announced the years EPs ect. for the S3 at the end of the series. Hated to see it end, but excited about what was coming. It allowed simmers to dream and contribute, which isn't happening in the S4 forums. Get simmers involved. Put polls on this site right on the front page. Allow simmers to contribute to content. Sharing and allowing simmer contribution are things that are lacking in our relationship and that is important to any relationship. Whoever is running the show for S4 needs to know that announcing early what you are working on won't take the fun out of finding out what it is. Imagine, a poll on the front page: Next EP- Family Life, City Life, Seasons, and Farm Living. Simmers vote. The winner is Seasons. A new forum opens up for Seasons under EPs and has a sticky for what would you like to see. During the making of it, simmers submit ideas about interactions, content, ect. and in the meantime, you release the ones you are already working on and have on the agenda. It is win win. It allows us to contribute and get what we want and it allows you to give us what we want and add your own surprises that no one saw coming and that you don't tell us about. That is one thing I hated about S3. I watched everything and got the game and already knew everything and so no new surprises, but it is hard not to watch or to come on the forums and not see what it is about. Here's to hopefully more communication. It has been requested to death, so why not give it a try?

stilljustme2

I'm hoping for better marketing -- with the game still 3 months away it's likely the dancing and drinking stuff is what they had available (not sure if the "beer" will be available from the existing bars or if there'll be specific bars for that) plus it's the easiest to show in a video. Hopefully later on we'll see some blogs about the features in the game particularly more details on the clubs, maybe another video showing Sims gathering together doing various activities.

I think fans giving feedback is a good idea, but we also have to remember that the team is working with a game engine that's limited in a lot of ways: no open world, no CASt, etc. We don't know what's possible and what's not. The fact that a recent survey mentioned toddlers and pre-teens in a future EP (though I'd hope toddlers would be patched in for free) seems to indicate that adding age stages is possible with the game engine, along with some sort of car interactions (we had cars in Sims 2 and that certainly wasn't open world). Some of the things people would ask for though might not be doable with the current game engine and the players would have to understand and accept that. Also, putting the surveys on the forum would not be fair to the thousands of players who don't participate on the official forums -- if you look at Twitter you'll see a lot of people posting screenshots under #thesims4 hashtag who've never come over here, a lot of international players especially who might not be comfortable with their English skills.

davina1221

stilljustme2 wrote: »

that the team is working with a game engine that's limited in a lot of ways: no open world, no CASt, etc. We don't know what's possible and what's not.
Also, putting the surveys on the forum would not be fair to the thousands of players who don't participate on the official forums -- if you look at Twitter you'll see a lot of people posting screenshots under #thesims4 hashtag who've never come over here, a lot of international players especially who might not be comfortable with their English skills.

I hope they are better at expressing what is in games in the future as well, as it looks like a party pack with stuff thrown in and one could never tell it was about social clubs that people belong to by watching the official video. Perhaps words like sign up for clubs or showing sims doing it at the beginning would've cleared that up. My point is that I looked at it differently after they explained it more and really if the trailer had done it's job, then that wouldn't have happened. I can look at a generations trailer and season trailer and know instantly what they were going for. Even those who are for it wouldn't have been able to say they knew it was about clubs. I'm not for or against, although I would've rather had something that add more for the last Ep of the year.

As for this being a limited game; I don't speculate on that. They said the same about S3 and went on to put in boat docks, boating about in the water, going underwater, going into the future, and so much more. This is also a new game and therefore if it is limited, then they knew it would be when they put it out with 32bit. Unless one had extreme expertise and worked in the gaming industry, then it isn't worth speculating or mentioning if S4 is limited, because none of us would know. It should have a bunch of capabilities as they are already talking lifestates, adding cars and they did open the camping up more than what the base game offered. I would still like to see more openness.

As for not being fair to put surveys about the game on the official site? What is unfair about putting them on the official site? If they don't belong here, then they don't belong anywhere. This is the official site. If people choose not to come to a game's official site, then that is their fault and I see no reason for all people not to feel welcome here. It is more rediculous and I shouldn't be asked to go to twitter(which I don't participate in) or use Facebook(which I use for family/friends only) to find out about a game. If this site is the official site, then it should have info. on the game here first and that is just common sense. Many simmers have busy lives working, going to school, or have several kids and don't have time to play guess the site the info. is on. It should be here. Also tired of hearing about it looking American or the site being in English; the company is American. No other country apologizes for their games being in their country and we shouldn't have to either. I'm proud to be an American, most of the time.