The Sims never had a stylized art style to begin with for the PC version so naturally I don't like the look nor the vibe I get from TS4.
TS3 is a mature, creative and intellectual game that actually satisfies entertainment but also an in-depth look in a real life simulation with a lot of interesting gameplay to contemplate. How Sims interact with each other, their environment and how that all fits together so nicely within an open world to explore and immerse yourself in.
TS4 is just a casual game with bright colors and an eternal bloom effect that hurts my eyes. It's a very childish kind of game and it would not hold my attention for long if I had given it a try. Because I know what kind of player I am and what kind of games keep me invested, well, TS4 automatically loses my attention and this was even before the game was released that I figured that out. I don't know what others saw but I know what I saw was not, is not and never will be The Sims. The whole core foundation is gone. Everything that was made as progress...all gone. There is no depth to gameplay.
I love TS3's take on realism though it's far from being too realistic but I am fine with a balance as it always had been. Since I have played a variety of different games, I know what photo realism looks like and I know when graphics in general are actually more true to life. And TS3 is no where near...not even close except the open world but even then...not that much. When it rains does the ground glisten? Do Sims actually get wet, their clothes, their hair? Etc. One game I will mention that I liked is The Order: 1886. I like story games but TS I love because I get to tell my own story, not so much with TS4 where players are directed how to play all based around 'emotions'. Yeah, no thanks. TS, TS2 and TS3 has far more in-depth emotions that actually makes sense for a true life simulation.
Sims look even better with the right CC that suits my taste.
“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
TS4. TS3 is on the border of uncanny valley and the Sims start to look repetitive after a while (what everyone calls pudding face). Although I actually do like TS3 graphics overall, TS4 definitely improved on the graphics.
“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
TS4. TS3 is on the border of uncanny valley and the Sims start to look repetitive after a while (what everyone calls pudding face). Although I actually do like TS3 graphics overall, TS4 definitely improved on the graphics.
What everyone calls puddingface is all sliders in the middle. And sims in 4 look repetitive as well, to be honest that is a franchise thing, it happens in all versions for some reason (except TSM).
I've never played TSM so have no idea how it worked in that game, but I always thought that maybe the repetitive sims were intentional since the game has to create sims to populate the neighborhoods. In order for the game not to get too out of hand when creating new sims, I think it's possible they just made sure not to let the parameters of the body parts and facial features go too far out, if you know what I mean. Of course it would be possible to avoid that with more care and attention but we all know they tend to focus efforts on specific things and let the rest be 'good enough'.
BTW, I'm pretty sure I already replied to this topic but I prefer TS3 sims and art style. I do need to use custom skins and eyes to really like how they look most of the time, but with a good graphics card so I can have my settings on high or above the whole game looks better than the poor simmers who have to have it on medium or even low settings. For those people I can understand why they might like TS4 graphics better. Plus a lot of people love the Pixar Disney look and TS4 has that aplenty.
I really I don't care for TS4 sims because first of all they look out of focus to me, and I can't stand the plastic textures. It's like looking at little fuzzy Barbie dolls. And of course the lack of textures in general is just atrocious. Looking at those plastic rocks in the background is highly disturbing to me; it makes me feel like I'm in the middle of a Saturday morning cartoon instead of a Sims game.
The Sims
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
TSM sims are gorgeous. I was expecting a higher detailed version of them for TS4. Instead.. look what we got
Sims 3 sims can look repetitive, if you have a user who doesn't experiment with sliders, and the same goes for TS2 and 4. I don't like the looks of the push pull system myself.
Sometimes I wonder if the sheer amount of disproportional bodies I see on TS4 sims is because of that. Male Sims with massively broad shoulders and huge arms, with tiny tiny waists and legs. It makes their heads look really little too.
TS4. TS3 is on the border of uncanny valley and the Sims start to look repetitive after a while (what everyone calls pudding face). Although I actually do like TS3 graphics overall, TS4 definitely improved on the graphics.
Work with sliders, no more "pudding". Uncanny Valley...gotta look that one up.
I had an *ah-ha* moment about what TS4 Sims look like to me: Bill Pullman when he gets turned into a ghost in Casper .
I so hope they take art style in a different direction should there be a TS5 because I think they missed a real opportunity to progress on that with TS4.
I had an *ah-ha* moment about what TS4 Sims look like to me: Bill Pullman when he gets turned into a ghost in Casper .
I so hope they take art style in a different direction should there be a TS5 because I think they missed a real opportunity to progress on that with TS4.
TS3 is no where near 'uncanny valley' and no offense to anyone but I'm pretty sure they don't really play games to know the difference. When I look at EA's unmodified Sims I can tell right away it's a game. Even with the CC I chose it is still very evident that the characters are from a game. I suppose how realistic the graphics are in other games never bothered me because I know the difference between reality and fiction. Therefore, 'uncanny valley' does not exist to me. For me, it is an unusual made up term that may be an excuse to cut how expensive and that much more in-depth visuals could be. However, in the case of The Sims I do realize the need to come to a common ground so that most are able to play the game without having high system requirements. But if that means a game like TS4 instead of striving for an improvement over the TS3...then what's the point of The Sims future if it is not going to progress? Did TS3 not do well?
“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
@GITTE2001 The first picture is from a game named, The Order: 1886. Yes the developers have done a very beautiful job with the game and in my opinion is one of the best games graphically. There is so much talent. The gameplay is a lot of fun as well. I really do hope they continue the story with a sequel.
“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
@aricarai OMG laughed way too hard at "plastic clay toupees" ahahahaha so true.
I agree with what most everyone here has said, TS3 graphics are far superior. I find it interesting that the main argument people seem to have for not liking TS3 is pudding face. TS4 is about as pudding as it gets imo, when everyone pulls the same exact faces. Even hitting shuffle in CAS, you get the same few faces all the time. I also feel like male sims in 4 just look...dorky and not manly at all.
@JoAnne65 your male sim comparison is the perfect example. That face he's pulling...yuck! He looks way better in TS3.
I encountered a true puddingface in my game the other day and challenged myself into adjusting him by just using sliders (so no changing of the default eyes, nose and mouth, even the eyebrows I wasn't allowed to change). This was the result and I'm simply really very satisfied (and this was a five minutes job):
He went from plain and pudding to a guy with a character (I don't like by the way, don't trust him, I just might give him a part in my game). And like always he looks better in game.
edit: in doubt about the eyebrows now, I may have 'cheated' there, they look different..
@Deshong04 Yes, I agree with you. sims 3 vanilla is far from uncanny valley. This approaches it:
I encountered a true puddingface in my game the other day and challenged myself into adjusting him by just using sliders (so no changing of the default eyes, nose and mouth, even the eyebrows I wasn't allowed to change). This was the result and I'm simply really very satisfied (and this was a five minutes job):
He went from plain and pudding to a guy with a character (I don't like by the way, don't trust him, I just might give him a part in my game). And like always he looks better in game.
edit: in doubt about the eyebrows now, I may have 'cheated' there, they look different..
@Deshong04 Yes, I agree with you. sims 3 vanilla is far from uncanny valley. This approaches it:
i like the sims 3 for me the best i really like how it looks sunsets and sunrises are the most beautiful thing. the game is like 2x prettier with seasons the textures may not be the best but its the sims! but they still an amazing job for a 2009 game. and if you a lighting mod the game is just unbelievable! the worlds in the are just amazing too! and this comes to show why alot of people hated the sims 4 personally i though the sims wasnt (that) for my self but its wayyyyy boring than the sims 3 it self. all i can say is the sims 3 is a masterpiece!
That's opinion I guess. I prefer vanilla Sims 3 landscape over vanilla Sims 4 with or without CC any time. As for sims, neither. I really regret the plastic look myself - especially for males, for females it's more acceptable - and I regret the smirks in the game. I've played Sims 3 sims vanilla for years and they look better to me than in game sims in 4. I must add a lot of CC used on sims in 3 makes me cringe by the way.
I really I don't care for TS4 sims because first of all they look out of focus to me, and I can't stand the plastic textures. It's like looking at little fuzzy Barbie dolls. And of course the lack of textures in general is just atrocious. Looking at those plastic rocks in the background is highly disturbing to me; it makes me feel like I'm in the middle of a Saturday morning cartoon instead of a Sims game.
THIS sums it up 100% for me. I just think of a Pixar kids movie and it's not how I want my town to look. Everything is soft focus and pastel blue and pink. There seems to be a blue hue akin to the bloom when it's a full moon in Supernatural. Just can't deal with that.
I'm convinced they were trying to pull in a younger audience for this game, hence the cartoonish graphics and in a way that makes sense, as a company they need to bring in another generation, but it's far too plastic looking for my taste.
I´ve allways thought that the graphics in TS4 with all their flaws and low quality were not the main issue in that game, but now that I came back to it to play the Toddlers, it is more and more apparent and noticiable for me that the graphics are too much "pixar/plastic like" without textures and low quality, and the inside lighting of the game (that I thought had been fixed by now) is terrific, plus no matter how "pretty" in CAS is a TS4 sim, it goes to the dark side when you play it in game, on the other hand sims in TS3 are far better in game with the lighting and shadows and discret expresions of their faces... So for me TS3 graphics>>>TS4... also ...
I can play at last TS2 TS3 and TS4 So great that toddlers are here!!!
Comments
TS4 has these clouds that never change. I was impressed the 1st time I saw them, but now it's just old.
TS3 is a mature, creative and intellectual game that actually satisfies entertainment but also an in-depth look in a real life simulation with a lot of interesting gameplay to contemplate. How Sims interact with each other, their environment and how that all fits together so nicely within an open world to explore and immerse yourself in.
TS4 is just a casual game with bright colors and an eternal bloom effect that hurts my eyes. It's a very childish kind of game and it would not hold my attention for long if I had given it a try. Because I know what kind of player I am and what kind of games keep me invested, well, TS4 automatically loses my attention and this was even before the game was released that I figured that out. I don't know what others saw but I know what I saw was not, is not and never will be The Sims. The whole core foundation is gone. Everything that was made as progress...all gone. There is no depth to gameplay.
I love TS3's take on realism though it's far from being too realistic but I am fine with a balance as it always had been. Since I have played a variety of different games, I know what photo realism looks like and I know when graphics in general are actually more true to life. And TS3 is no where near...not even close except the open world but even then...not that much. When it rains does the ground glisten? Do Sims actually get wet, their clothes, their hair? Etc. One game I will mention that I liked is The Order: 1886. I like story games but TS I love because I get to tell my own story, not so much with TS4 where players are directed how to play all based around 'emotions'. Yeah, no thanks. TS, TS2 and TS3 has far more in-depth emotions that actually makes sense for a true life simulation.
Sims look even better with the right CC that suits my taste.
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
My Sims 4 Random Legacy- When a goddess of chaos decides to meddle with a family. Check it out!
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
BTW, I'm pretty sure I already replied to this topic but I prefer TS3 sims and art style. I do need to use custom skins and eyes to really like how they look most of the time, but with a good graphics card so I can have my settings on high or above the whole game looks better than the poor simmers who have to have it on medium or even low settings. For those people I can understand why they might like TS4 graphics better. Plus a lot of people love the Pixar Disney look and TS4 has that aplenty.
I really I don't care for TS4 sims because first of all they look out of focus to me, and I can't stand the plastic textures. It's like looking at little fuzzy Barbie dolls. And of course the lack of textures in general is just atrocious. Looking at those plastic rocks in the background is highly disturbing to me; it makes me feel like I'm in the middle of a Saturday morning cartoon instead of a Sims game.
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
Sims 3 sims can look repetitive, if you have a user who doesn't experiment with sliders, and the same goes for TS2 and 4. I don't like the looks of the push pull system myself.
Sometimes I wonder if the sheer amount of disproportional bodies I see on TS4 sims is because of that. Male Sims with massively broad shoulders and huge arms, with tiny tiny waists and legs. It makes their heads look really little too.
PoppySims Archive
InnaLisa Pose Archive
Devolution of Sims - a once customisable open world sandbox which has become a DLC Party catalog in a shoebox
I ♡ Pudding
*Fairy Jared and Vampire Connor*
Work with sliders, no more "pudding". Uncanny Valley...gotta look that one up.
*Fairy Jared and Vampire Connor*
I so hope they take art style in a different direction should there be a TS5 because I think they missed a real opportunity to progress on that with TS4.
They do!
In this sense, Uncanny Valley is a term used to describe the graphics being almost too realistic. For example:
If you have not played Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and you intend to play the game...DO NOT CLICK.
TS3 is no where near 'uncanny valley' and no offense to anyone but I'm pretty sure they don't really play games to know the difference. When I look at EA's unmodified Sims I can tell right away it's a game. Even with the CC I chose it is still very evident that the characters are from a game. I suppose how realistic the graphics are in other games never bothered me because I know the difference between reality and fiction. Therefore, 'uncanny valley' does not exist to me. For me, it is an unusual made up term that may be an excuse to cut how expensive and that much more in-depth visuals could be. However, in the case of The Sims I do realize the need to come to a common ground so that most are able to play the game without having high system requirements. But if that means a game like TS4 instead of striving for an improvement over the TS3...then what's the point of The Sims future if it is not going to progress? Did TS3 not do well?
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
Ultimate cc-list
My top 5
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
I agree with what most everyone here has said, TS3 graphics are far superior. I find it interesting that the main argument people seem to have for not liking TS3 is pudding face. TS4 is about as pudding as it gets imo, when everyone pulls the same exact faces. Even hitting shuffle in CAS, you get the same few faces all the time. I also feel like male sims in 4 just look...dorky and not manly at all.
@JoAnne65 your male sim comparison is the perfect example. That face he's pulling...yuck! He looks way better in TS3.
He went from plain and pudding to a guy with a character (I don't like by the way, don't trust him, I just might give him a part in my game). And like always he looks better in game.
edit: in doubt about the eyebrows now, I may have 'cheated' there, they look different..
@Deshong04 Yes, I agree with you. sims 3 vanilla is far from uncanny valley. This approaches it:
But that's CC heavy and probably photoshopped.
With cc: s3>s4
OMG that Lana Del Rey sim is gorgeous!!!
my top 5:https://store.thesims3.com/myWishlist.html?persona=adamzaid#
THIS sums it up 100% for me. I just think of a Pixar kids movie and it's not how I want my town to look. Everything is soft focus and pastel blue and pink. There seems to be a blue hue akin to the bloom when it's a full moon in Supernatural. Just can't deal with that.
I'm convinced they were trying to pull in a younger audience for this game, hence the cartoonish graphics and in a way that makes sense, as a company they need to bring in another generation, but it's far too plastic looking for my taste.
I´ve allways thought that the graphics in TS4 with all their flaws and low quality were not the main issue in that game, but now that I came back to it to play the Toddlers, it is more and more apparent and noticiable for me that the graphics are too much "pixar/plastic like" without textures and low quality, and the inside lighting of the game (that I thought had been fixed by now) is terrific, plus no matter how "pretty" in CAS is a TS4 sim, it goes to the dark side when you play it in game, on the other hand sims in TS3 are far better in game with the lighting and shadows and discret expresions of their faces... So for me TS3 graphics>>>TS4... also ...
I can play at last TS2 TS3 and TS4 So great that toddlers are here!!!