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Eco living lacked a "theme"
Orchid13
Posts: 8,823 Member
From the start, eco living was never going to be eco living. People are clearly not buying SPs cause of the theme, we pay for the gameplay object. Otherwise they wouldn't really sell. Out of all the themes, if you read them carefully, the only one that hinted the gameplay object was eco living.
First of all, if you were gonna hint it, which is already the first mistake, why eco living? Why not starter home? Which actually makes sense, I bet that if @simgurugraham and company would have added laundry in that description, it would have won. Also I'm not going to get into detail here but the problem with your other themes were the following:
- Never hinted a gameplay object, unlike eco living
- You were offering stuff we already had. Arcade? We have that. What a waste for us who bought get together and city living.
- Starter home? You should patch in regular sized objects
- Wedding stuff was incredibly lacking, could have hinted a gameplay object there
- Dangerous stuff. I honestly don't even know how this would have worked. Maybe add funereal? But you wouldn't get more complex than this.
So really non were appealing. You hinted the gameplay object since vote number one, which didn't even fit the theme, at least let's vote for the theme again so we don't waste the eco theme. Then it was hinted in the pictures of the style for the game, in both pictures you could see laundry. Then the objects, especially clutter seemed to be leaning towards laundry.
So here we basically have an issue comprehending what eco living means. And then, and probably the most serious one, people voted for eco cause they voted for the gameplay object right away. I honestly don't totally blame them, cause they didn't come up with the description, but that's the whole problem with this project.
First of all, if you were gonna hint it, which is already the first mistake, why eco living? Why not starter home? Which actually makes sense, I bet that if @simgurugraham and company would have added laundry in that description, it would have won. Also I'm not going to get into detail here but the problem with your other themes were the following:
- Never hinted a gameplay object, unlike eco living
- You were offering stuff we already had. Arcade? We have that. What a waste for us who bought get together and city living.
- Starter home? You should patch in regular sized objects
- Wedding stuff was incredibly lacking, could have hinted a gameplay object there
- Dangerous stuff. I honestly don't even know how this would have worked. Maybe add funereal? But you wouldn't get more complex than this.
So really non were appealing. You hinted the gameplay object since vote number one, which didn't even fit the theme, at least let's vote for the theme again so we don't waste the eco theme. Then it was hinted in the pictures of the style for the game, in both pictures you could see laundry. Then the objects, especially clutter seemed to be leaning towards laundry.
So here we basically have an issue comprehending what eco living means. And then, and probably the most serious one, people voted for eco cause they voted for the gameplay object right away. I honestly don't totally blame them, cause they didn't come up with the description, but that's the whole problem with this project.
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Comments
I really don't get why laundry would have fit better in Starter Home though. Washing machines typically are trying to be as eco friendly as possible with special programs, weighing clothes, and using as little water as possible, etc. While starter homes typically don't have washing machines and people go to the laundromat. So it doesn't make much sense to me.
Ok really the main problem here is that the gameplay object was already hinted. As for washers and dryers "trying" to be "eco friendly" I don't care. It's a sp and it's not getting a seal of approvement for being eco friendly or having special features. It's a game and we are getting the usual washer and dryer.
Well, the usual washers and dryers in Europe are front-loaders and thus more eco-friendly, so I'm fine if we have that. It's getting my seal of approvement to be in my game
I don't understand what you mean by the gameplay not being hinted for the other options. They mentionned wedding customization, funeral experiences, arcade activities. Did you assume arcade activities wouldn't be gameplay ? I chose eco living because it's the theme that appealed the most to me, regardless of the gameplay included. The other themes had some gameplay possibilities that appealed to me too : funerals for example, but the overall dangerous theme didn't so I ranked it lower (I doubt the dangerous assets would have been to my taste). Weddings, arcade and starter home sounded better, but still less fun than eco living, even if it had some gameplay I would have liked, like more arcade games.
No it wasn't hinted in any of them. Arcade could be many things and I honestly don't think it would be arcade games since we got that in TS4 Get together and city living. For all you know it could have been a dancing mat. Funerals is not a gameplay object? Wedding customization? So basically objects and CAS. They never directly hinted the gameplay object. People voted for laundry.
Also... if it's "more eco friendly" it's because it's not eco friendly to start with. It's just a better option than other washers and dryers.
I don't know, I thought the other themes were just as clear (or as unclear) as the eco one. It was all generic descriptions, and laundry wasn't much different than the arcade activities. I mean, I didn't know back then what laundry would look like (I didn't really expect hand-washing back then for example), just like I didn't know the exact arcade activity. But that's not what drive my vote anyway. I just didn't see myself using a pack full of arcade assets as much as one with eco assets.
Since laundry was requested a long time ago to me it was obvious that they would go for your tradition laundry, despite the fact they could add other option of laundry. Arcade was my last choice we already have that. As for the other themes, I wasn't so gameplay object driven, but clearly people are especially cause of the several... several almost weird threads about an unhealthy attachment towards laundry right after eco was chosen. I have no issues with laundry as an object. My problem is that the theme is getting wasted, when it's the most original one up till now.
Also to me it's not a fair vote. The descriptions were odd. Wedding stuff (my first choice) for the sake of being practical had a very bland description, boring even. Even for me the description seemed lame, but I assumed like since it's a sp, it will add stuff we need and who cares about the gameplay object.
I think the other eco options (off the grid, canning, nectar making) can appear in other packs without too much problem, theme wise at least. They could fit into something about season, farming, kitchen, etc. So I don't think the theme is wasted. Quite the opposite, it lead to plenty of discussions about the eco theme and I think that's the kind of thing that may increase the likelihood of it appearing in some other pack. And potentially have it work with Seasons more. I think solar panels and wind turbines that don't take the weather into account would have been a bigger waste
What would you have put in the Wedding description to make it a bit more exciting ?
I don't know. I don't expect much from this team, plus EPs come one time per year.
Honestly, I would have kept all descriptions simple. All of them. Like:
Wedding: More options for the bride and groom. Adding options for guests as well.
Eco: Your sims can now take care of their environment.
I mean if you think about it. They are stuff packs so you can't expect much. I would have probably added more description to the gameplay object. Also I would have decided what to start with. Some SPs specially at the beginning were focused on the whole SP, the last ones have been more focused on gamplay objects. Think about it bowling stuff pack: pretty obvious. Fitness stuff: if it weren't for the climbing wall you would never guess it's a fitness sp.
So what they should have done is decide if they wanted to focus on a big aspect or the gameplay object. Cause if it's the gameplay object you go all the way to describe it and probably vote for that first
Go in any thread about picking the title for the game. Tell me if it's refering to the theme or the object
Nope. Doesn't fit in at all. To a point where its even ridiculous to even have a debate about it
So true. This whole process has been a mess. Honestly we should have voted for anything, but laundry. It was no mystery people wanted that, why not just make that sp in 2017? After all, everything they seem to give us are SPs anyway...
Is this on topic? I don't think so.
I just pointed out a fact. But it seems like you can't take the criticism.
I don't care if it sounds negative. Since I'm complaining I hope it sounds negative cause it is. But you are derailing the topic and that's against the forum rules. If you have a problem with me feel free to message me, instead of derailing the whole thing.
But from I've read on the forum, some people think of it more like a no technology, go back to earth thing, which is a bit different.
I hear "Eco Living" as ways to Live Efficiently at low costs, I imagine solar panels, Almost HE (High Efficiency), EnergyStar Products, Washers, Dryers, Boilers, Furnaces, Central Air, to appliances. if it linked to off the Grid, it could lead to the Watermill, And your sim could generate their on electricity, cutting Power costs. Although most of the stuff I think, could Link to Seasons too.
My Mood:
I'm pretty sure they will give us modern laundry, despite the laundry theme, or the people who voted laundry will complain.
It got weird. They gave us extremely opposite styles the rural one and the modern one. So the new modern technology for eco life won't be the focus, so they went with the rural one, which i think is because they have given us modern stuff over and over again. I'm sure they will give us a "eco friendly medieval way of washing" and normal laundry just thrown in there for the sake of the gameplay object which seems to be the theme.
I love you! I'm ok with people complaining about me. When they announced the new teaser, i decided to put pressure on these forums again. I think its almost insulting to pay for family play 2 times in a row after they gave us toddlers after two years. On top of that, only toddler stuff for 3 months, jeez. Not to mention we are still getting one EP per year, and then i have to read Graham's tweet saying not to follow patterns to predict whats coming next? Seriously?
Well if i actually had high expectations on this team, i would be trust them to put this stuff in a seasons EP, but I don't, sooo. Plus, we have to wait another year for seaons, and thats only if its the actual EP coming after pets.
I do find this back and forth a tad humorous. I'm not entirely certain we wouldn't be having a similar discussion no matter which SP theme had been chosen. All I can say, is at least we get a chance to vote on what's going in this one. But, it's like the old adage: "You can please some of the people, all of the time. You can please all of the people, some of the time. But you can't please all of the people, all of the time."
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
It's not about pleasing people. I wouldn't care if the theme actually made sense with the gameplay object. And since they told us the gameplay object in vote number 1, we never had a choice. It was obvious that most people were going to vote with the theme with the gameplay object. It was always eco-living
Washing machines may be trying to be eco friendly but they ARE NOT. They waste water, electricity and lets not begin on detergents. If this were truly an eco living themed pack then the only laundry items we would receive would be the Wash Tub and clothesline
Exactly! The USUAL. . . so boring