At this point in TS4, I have given up. I do not believe we will see anymore significant build mode tools added to the game. As loud as us builders have been about the lack of tools in this game, I believe that if EA had any intention to add more, we would have seen them by now. When I was told by SimGuruHouts well over a year ago that builders were not forgotten, I had great hope that we would see some big improvements in build mode tools. And all we have gained in that time is a couple of new roof types.... big deal!
No, TS4 is a BIG fail for veteran builders. We have been truly abandoned, ignored, and forgotten.
agreed.
at this point it seems unlikely, I guess only time will tell.
I think Building tools and building content is very poor for this game.
about the best we have seen IN 12 Months or more is a few new roofs and the not so best, no apartment building.
I wish they would consider doing a SP just for builds. They could add a bunch of build items in a good variety of colors that are sorely missed. Also, instead of CAS items, wallpaper and flooring. I know it is not the answer, but I don't think it would hurt.
Some kind of Architecture SP even specifically just for building in general. They have never even touched that for Sims 4 and they should. However, SimGuruGraham stated that SP's don't handle build objects and we have to look for the separate build team that brings them in between GP's and EP's. If we're not getting an SP of it, maybe a GP instead? I can't trust the EP team to focus solely on something like that alone.
Too many build mode opportunities have been wasted in TS4. They gave us a city setting without the ability to actually make apartment buildings with elevators. I cannot see the devs back tracking to create terrain tools or anything game changing building wise.
It's a shame really. I miss making elaborate houses with long drive ways & garages, L shaped stairs and Victorian style spiral stair cases. I would love the ability to make a pond a sim could swim & fish in. I just do not see anything like that happening in TS4. They are focused too much on stuff packs (filled with ugh, stuff.. like chairs..) this time around.
Please Bring BackToddlers, Realistic Teenagers and Create a World.
Make the Sims (4) Great Again<3
I wish they would consider doing a SP just for builds. They could add a bunch of build items in a good variety of colors that are sorely missed. Also, instead of CAS items, wallpaper and flooring. I know it is not the answer, but I don't think it would hurt.
Some kind of Architecture SP even specifically just for building in general. They have never even touched that for Sims 4 and they should. However, SimGuruGraham stated that SP's don't handle build objects and we have to look for the separate build team that brings them in between GP's and EP's. If we're not getting an SP of it, maybe a GP instead? I can't trust the EP team to focus solely on something like that alone.
its a good idea, but,
there are quite a few different styles for build mode content. a stuff pack wouldn't be able to do that much. unless they did more than one.
if only they just added more build mode in expansion packs and game packs.
Architecture stuff with a career would be fun for me, like they did with ambitions. maybe others would like to see it again
tho I did like mansion&garden Stuff pack, it only had a few styles,
so yeah, if they did do it in a stuff pack its probably going to be limited in styles.
game pack or expansion might bring us more.
Too many build mode opportunities have been wasted in TS4. They gave us a city setting without the ability to actually make apartment buildings with elevators. I cannot see the devs back tracking to create terrain tools or anything game changing building wise.
It's a shame really. I miss making elaborate houses with long drive ways & garages, L shaped stairs and Victorian style spiral stair cases. I would love the ability to make a pond a sim could swim & fish in. I just do not see anything like that happening in TS4. They are focused too much on stuff packs (filled with ugh, stuff.. like chairs..) this time around.
agreed.
it seems like this is the case.
i wish they gave the stuff packs a rest and focused on game issues and EP.
Missing elevators, cars, matching furniture (couch, chairs and tables), matching fence gates (like op mentioned I think), matching wallpapers / floor tiles. Heck, just give us CASt... or never mind, the checklist event gameplay is too boring compared to Sims 3 anyway.
Make a Sims 5 and make it like a sandbox not another mobile crap game.
I very much agree with the majority of the OP & many of the comments here, I'm not going to be adding much that's new! Building is always my favourite part of The Sims games, but build mode in TS4 doesn't seem to have improved a great deal from release. Basements, half-walls & eaves-on-hipped-roofs really should have been included at launch, IMO; & many of the improvements I would have expected to see by this point are still noticeably absent.
There *are* some great new tools in TS4's build mode. I love the ability to move buildings around, & have used that a lot; I've lost count of the amount of times I've finished a build in 3 only to realise that it would look much better a square or two backwards, or to the side. Ditto with the ability to add or remove foundations at any point, & the different heights of foundation. I can make grand Willow Creek homes with a high foundation, & am not limited to modern Oasis Springs builds having no foundation at all. & I can change my mind about this as the build develops, which I like very much. I also really appreciate some of the little things; like fireplaces not being attached to an un-editable chimney, or the different types of kitchen cabinetry.
One part of the OP I do disagree with; I need to share my love for the (long-overdue) ability to adjust eaves on hipped roofs. That one patch recently gave me a good 2 months really enjoying build mode as I redid some of the (IMO) ugly base game builds that have no eaves. It even inspired me to buy some additional content. No-eaves is a pet hate of mine IRL, too, & I do appreciate that this is probably a tiny thing for most people. I'm also a fan of the architectural details, like spandrels & wall trims. (I have to mention the fact that there's been precious little addition to these since release, however, & the limitations of there being such a small amount of swatches, especially for spandrels.)
That's where the positives stop, for me, unfortunately. The room-copy tool, whilst useful for gym bathrooms or mock hotels, is nothing more than a time-saver & not game changing in the least. It's not necessary to scroll through countless menus to find the same objects again, that's what the eye dropper tool is for The scale-up/scale-down 'cheat' I see as more of a necessity than anything else, due to the ridiculous amount of over-sized objects in game & the utter mish-mash of proportions - many objects are pretty much unusable in their original state. The fact that objects also retain their original footprint also limits its use, particularly with rugs, as the space still needs to be big enough to fit the original size of the object. If I scale-down one of the side tables from Cats & Dogs (why are they so much bigger than base game side tables??), I can't add a lamp or plant on top because they float above the surface. *eye roll* I'm not sure if I'd want that changing, however; as it can be an definite advantage when scaling-*up*.
CASt is a tricky one, for me. I'm the first to admit that I totally overused CASt in TS3; if a surface could be altered, I altered it. I've played & enjoyed many Sims games, however, & only one of them had CASt; personally, it's not a deal-breaker. What *is* a deal-breaker is the afore-mentioned lack of any cohesion or consistency in the colour swatches provided. I've seen many thinly veiled 'matchy-matchy' insults towards CASt, but I find this much more of a problem in 4 due to the same flat colours being used for so many Buy Mode objects. I can't mix-&-match windows & doors to my hearts content anymore, I have to use the combinations that Maxis sees fit. The windows & doors that came with C&D are fab, but can't be used with anything from the base game because the colours don't even coordinate, let alone match. Look around you, IRL people tend to use the same finish on their exterior woodwork. I find interior decorating to be a nightmare, the colour swatches are almost universally not to my taste, &, again, so many objects come in the same range of overly-saturated block colours. I can do a white/bleached wood & pastels look, a dark wood & jewel colours look, & a modern metal & bright colours look... & that's about it. If I take 2 sofas from C&D as an example; the Agatha's Cosy Two Seater comes with 15 swatches - there's bright, pastel & neutral tones, in block colours & patterns. The Could Use More Pillows, on the other hand, comes in 9 swatches, most of which are washed out pastels. 'Could Use More', indeed. Many base game doors are still *only* available in white, whilst many spandrels & fences *don't* have plain white as an option. If more care was given to swatches, I wouldn't give two hoots about the lack of CASt. As it is, I've returned to TS3 (again!) as that game provides heaps more opportunity for me to use all the build/buy objects that I have paid for, in a wider variety of builds.
* Perhaps the outsourcing of object creation has something to do with this? I can't find the post now, but @SimGuruGraham had some very insightful things to say about the outsourcing of object creation. It seems to me that this could directly contribute to the lack of colour & proportional cohesion that plagues this game, especially if more than one company is used.
With regard to terrain tools, I honestly can't see them coming to TS4; I think that this is the trade off for being able to move buildings around & such. With build mode being modular however, I *can* see a system where that modularity is extended on the vertical, as well as the horizontal. This would allow for different foundations on the same lot, platforms & friezes, split-levels & the all-important L- & U-shaped staircases. I honestly expected at release that this would have happened by now, however...
I honestly can't decide if I appreciate this modular system, or not. Once I'd got to grips with manipulating it to achieve the look that I was after, TS4's build mode became a lot less frustrating that it was initially; but at times it still prevents me from doing what I want to do. The main example of this that I come across being creating galleried landings & attic rooms - any trims I've used on the exterior will appear on the interior walls, & similar problems arise with roofs encroaching into attic rooms.
One more thing that I'd really appreciate that I don't see mentioned that much is the wall counter. Generally, I know what sizes I want my rooms to be, & without the wall counter I spend entirely far too much time squinting at my screen to check room sizes.
Apologies, this turned into far more of an essay than I'd anticipated! TL;DR: @SimGuruHouts please address the presets in build/buy - particularly with regard to cohesive wood tones & varied upholstery. Also, please look into the possibility of some system that allows mixed foundations, L-shaped stairs etc. These changes would encourage me to spend more money on DLC, something that I am not prepared to do currently
I agree with what the OP said and some of the other posters as well. More tools are needed. I like to use real house plans for some of my house builds and something I have noticed is that most houses have L-shaped stairs. I always have to alter the house plans to make room for straight stairs. It sometimes throws things off in the build. Same thing with not having multi level heights in a house. It would be nice, since we have the different wall heights, if we could just assign the heights to a room and not the whole level of the house. Deleting the floor in a raised foundation room is ok for some things, but since you can't put a door in that area, it really isn't that great.
I haven't given up hope yet on getting a builders pack. I can at least dream about one for the moment.
I miss making ponds and swamp dens for my nature sims. Sure making forests is good but some sims in nature live in other areas like a swamp for example.
I would give anything to have independent foundations. That would increase the quality and variety of builds so much. Though that's my personal priority, I support the other suggested additions, too... simply because a simulation game like this does better when it has more player options, not less.
I would give anything to have independent foundations. That would increase the quality and variety of builds so much. Though that's my personal priority, I support the other suggested additions, too... simply because a simulation game like this does better when it has more player options, not less.
I would love to have that too. I tried to recreate a house that my Grandfather lived in and couldn't get it completely accurate because part of the house wasn't on a foundation. I had to make it all on a foundation and it doesn't look right. So yeah, independent foundations would be awesome!
I'm not brilliant at building but there are some niggles with the building system, so I pretty much agree with what has been said so far.
I will have to say is I find the room tool quite helpful and does simply building down. Even my younger siblings can build some pretty cool stuff without find it over complicated.
However there are plenty of things i'd like added.
- Terrain tool
- More options for making fountains and pools (like a freehand tool)
- MORE STAIRS. FOR GOD SAKE
- More matching furniture and decor options. Or atleast make the wood tones match because that starts to drive me insane.
- More wallpaper/ flooring which for my personal taste would be more on the modern side. I find that again alot of walls/floors clash.
- Round rooms.. I feel quite limited on just the rectangle/square we have atm
- More foundation options because there is alot of off white shades and that just annoys more than it probably should
I'm not brilliant at building but there are some niggles with the building system, so I pretty much agree with what has been said so far.
I will have to say is I find the room tool quite helpful and does simply building down. Even my younger siblings can build some pretty cool stuff without find it over complicated.
However there are plenty of things i'd like added.
- Terrain tool
- More options for making fountains and pools (like a freehand tool)
- MORE STAIRS. FOR GOD SAKE
- More matching furniture and decor options. Or atleast make the wood tones match because that starts to drive me insane.
- More wallpaper/ flooring which for my personal taste would be more on the modern side. I find that again alot of walls/floors clash.
- Round rooms.. I feel quite limited on just the rectangle/square we have atm
- More foundation options because there is alot of off white shades and that just annoys more than it probably should
I would give anything to have independent foundations. That would increase the quality and variety of builds so much. Though that's my personal priority, I support the other suggested additions, too... simply because a simulation game like this does better when it has more player options, not less.
agree.
independent foundations.
terrain tool
proper pond tool
color wheel
edit mode in public spaces and side walks.
just in general,
it seems some feel less is more with this game,
not to mention the amount of excuses some give on why we have less. and tell, us to be grateful for what we did get
Comments
agreed.
at this point it seems unlikely, I guess only time will tell.
I think Building tools and building content is very poor for this game.
about the best we have seen IN 12 Months or more is a few new roofs and the not so best, no apartment building.
Some kind of Architecture SP even specifically just for building in general. They have never even touched that for Sims 4 and they should. However, SimGuruGraham stated that SP's don't handle build objects and we have to look for the separate build team that brings them in between GP's and EP's. If we're not getting an SP of it, maybe a GP instead? I can't trust the EP team to focus solely on something like that alone.
It's a shame really. I miss making elaborate houses with long drive ways & garages, L shaped stairs and Victorian style spiral stair cases. I would love the ability to make a pond a sim could swim & fish in. I just do not see anything like that happening in TS4. They are focused too much on stuff packs (filled with ugh, stuff.. like chairs..) this time around.
Please Bring Back Toddlers, Realistic Teenagers and Create a World.
Make the Sims (4) Great Again<3
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its a good idea, but,
there are quite a few different styles for build mode content. a stuff pack wouldn't be able to do that much. unless they did more than one.
if only they just added more build mode in expansion packs and game packs.
Architecture stuff with a career would be fun for me, like they did with ambitions. maybe others would like to see it again
tho I did like mansion&garden Stuff pack, it only had a few styles,
so yeah, if they did do it in a stuff pack its probably going to be limited in styles.
game pack or expansion might bring us more.
agreed.
it seems like this is the case.
i wish they gave the stuff packs a rest and focused on game issues and EP.
Oh I know what you mean. Cool feature from TS2.
Tho being able to scale up and back down any item was brilliant from this game to
I love doing it with pictures and rugs especially.
Make a Sims 5 and make it like a sandbox not another mobile crap game.
There *are* some great new tools in TS4's build mode. I love the ability to move buildings around, & have used that a lot; I've lost count of the amount of times I've finished a build in 3 only to realise that it would look much better a square or two backwards, or to the side. Ditto with the ability to add or remove foundations at any point, & the different heights of foundation. I can make grand Willow Creek homes with a high foundation, & am not limited to modern Oasis Springs builds having no foundation at all. & I can change my mind about this as the build develops, which I like very much. I also really appreciate some of the little things; like fireplaces not being attached to an un-editable chimney, or the different types of kitchen cabinetry.
One part of the OP I do disagree with; I need to share my love for the (long-overdue) ability to adjust eaves on hipped roofs. That one patch recently gave me a good 2 months really enjoying build mode as I redid some of the (IMO) ugly base game builds that have no eaves. It even inspired me to buy some additional content. No-eaves is a pet hate of mine IRL, too, & I do appreciate that this is probably a tiny thing for most people. I'm also a fan of the architectural details, like spandrels & wall trims. (I have to mention the fact that there's been precious little addition to these since release, however, & the limitations of there being such a small amount of swatches, especially for spandrels.)
That's where the positives stop, for me, unfortunately. The room-copy tool, whilst useful for gym bathrooms or mock hotels, is nothing more than a time-saver & not game changing in the least. It's not necessary to scroll through countless menus to find the same objects again, that's what the eye dropper tool is for
CASt is a tricky one, for me. I'm the first to admit that I totally overused CASt in TS3; if a surface could be altered, I altered it. I've played & enjoyed many Sims games, however, & only one of them had CASt; personally, it's not a deal-breaker. What *is* a deal-breaker is the afore-mentioned lack of any cohesion or consistency in the colour swatches provided. I've seen many thinly veiled 'matchy-matchy' insults towards CASt, but I find this much more of a problem in 4 due to the same flat colours being used for so many Buy Mode objects. I can't mix-&-match windows & doors to my hearts content anymore, I have to use the combinations that Maxis sees fit. The windows & doors that came with C&D are fab, but can't be used with anything from the base game because the colours don't even coordinate, let alone match. Look around you, IRL people tend to use the same finish on their exterior woodwork. I find interior decorating to be a nightmare, the colour swatches are almost universally not to my taste, &, again, so many objects come in the same range of overly-saturated block colours. I can do a white/bleached wood & pastels look, a dark wood & jewel colours look, & a modern metal & bright colours look... & that's about it. If I take 2 sofas from C&D as an example; the Agatha's Cosy Two Seater comes with 15 swatches - there's bright, pastel & neutral tones, in block colours & patterns. The Could Use More Pillows, on the other hand, comes in 9 swatches, most of which are washed out pastels. 'Could Use More', indeed. Many base game doors are still *only* available in white, whilst many spandrels & fences *don't* have plain white as an option. If more care was given to swatches, I wouldn't give two hoots about the lack of CASt. As it is, I've returned to TS3 (again!) as that game provides heaps more opportunity for me to use all the build/buy objects that I have paid for, in a wider variety of builds.
* Perhaps the outsourcing of object creation has something to do with this? I can't find the post now, but @SimGuruGraham had some very insightful things to say about the outsourcing of object creation. It seems to me that this could directly contribute to the lack of colour & proportional cohesion that plagues this game, especially if more than one company is used.
With regard to terrain tools, I honestly can't see them coming to TS4; I think that this is the trade off for being able to move buildings around & such. With build mode being modular however, I *can* see a system where that modularity is extended on the vertical, as well as the horizontal. This would allow for different foundations on the same lot, platforms & friezes, split-levels & the all-important L- & U-shaped staircases. I honestly expected at release that this would have happened by now, however...
I honestly can't decide if I appreciate this modular system, or not. Once I'd got to grips with manipulating it to achieve the look that I was after, TS4's build mode became a lot less frustrating that it was initially; but at times it still prevents me from doing what I want to do. The main example of this that I come across being creating galleried landings & attic rooms - any trims I've used on the exterior will appear on the interior walls, & similar problems arise with roofs encroaching into attic rooms.
One more thing that I'd really appreciate that I don't see mentioned that much is the wall counter. Generally, I know what sizes I want my rooms to be, & without the wall counter I spend entirely far too much time squinting at my screen to check room sizes.
Apologies, this turned into far more of an essay than I'd anticipated! TL;DR: @SimGuruHouts please address the presets in build/buy - particularly with regard to cohesive wood tones & varied upholstery. Also, please look into the possibility of some system that allows mixed foundations, L-shaped stairs etc. These changes would encourage me to spend more money on DLC, something that I am not prepared to do currently
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EA really should work on a builder focused game pack.
Same thing with not having multi level heights in a house. It would be nice, since we have the different wall heights, if we could just assign the heights to a room and not the whole level of the house. Deleting the floor in a raised foundation room is ok for some things, but since you can't put a door in that area, it really isn't that great.
I haven't given up hope yet on getting a builders pack. I can at least dream about one for the moment.
Please Bring Back Toddlers, Realistic Teenagers and Create a World.
Make the Sims (4) Great Again<3
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I would love to have that too. I tried to recreate a house that my Grandfather lived in and couldn't get it completely accurate because part of the house wasn't on a foundation. I had to make it all on a foundation and it doesn't look right. So yeah, independent foundations would be awesome!
I will have to say is I find the room tool quite helpful and does simply building down. Even my younger siblings can build some pretty cool stuff without find it over complicated.
However there are plenty of things i'd like added.
- Terrain tool
- More options for making fountains and pools (like a freehand tool)
- MORE STAIRS. FOR GOD SAKE
- More matching furniture and decor options. Or atleast make the wood tones match because that starts to drive me insane.
- More wallpaper/ flooring which for my personal taste would be more on the modern side. I find that again alot of walls/floors clash.
- Round rooms.. I feel quite limited on just the rectangle/square we have atm
- More foundation options because there is alot of off white shades and that just annoys more than it probably should
I have been saying this this the start of the game.
in the past we got more than tools,features.
stuffs great but not when its the best thing the pack as to offer in a lot of these sims 4 packs.
agreed.
agree.
independent foundations.
terrain tool
proper pond tool
color wheel
edit mode in public spaces and side walks.
just in general,
it seems some feel less is more with this game,
not to mention the amount of excuses some give on why we have less. and tell, us to be grateful for what we did get