Whims... A thing of the past? «12...Next Go

Hejix

I turned my sims's whims off... To realize I did not miss them...

Maybe because they seem too opportunistic, random, or restrictive?

Rewards are just... Too meh to bother.

I always ignored fears.

But I tend to decide of my sims' action based on a scientific mathematic formula considering the need bars, traits, aspiration and free will.

Do you think whims are things of the past?

Sigzy05

No. I like them, they are just not well implemented in TS4 specifically. I love the concept since TS2.

whimreaper

I agree that many of the whims feel random and change too easily based on mood. I especially find it annoying when my sim (a retail owner) constantly has whims to go hang out with one of her customers. I think whims would be better if they operated more like in TS3, where they would appear, and you could decide on 4 to work towards. I especially think it was more satisfying when baby-themed whims appeared for pregnant sims and mid life crises made it so you either had to ignore all or pursue all related whims. However, I do think whims are an essential part of the game and the rewards, for me, are worth the frustration. There are some that are actually interesting for developing gameplay, but it would be nice if they didn't shift so often or seem really out of character for a sim.

P.S. My username has nothing with whims in TS4 (although it's a funny coincidence). I picked it a long time ago as my Steam username.

So_Money

Conceptually, I like whims. The problem is there aren't enough of them and they often don't make sense.

drake_mccarty

Yes. Whims have always been fairly generic and there’s no significant benefit to fulfilling them. Aside from reward perks they do not integrate into the game very much. Sims 3’s wishes aren’t much better in that regard.

N0NoTToN0N

Eh, they're not that important but I leave them up and use them to grab reward points when I get the chance. I use rewards all the time.

ripentogether

I'm still a fan of whims as an extra way to move my sims along. Obvs there are some issues, but I just ignore the whims I don't want to carry out. Really, if they all made perfect sense for each sim's traits and lives, it would take some of the fun out of it for me.

Francl27

It took me a good 30 minutes to realize that they were off when I played again! I just wish they were well implemented in the game...

Simpkin

Oh I never knew they came with the patch/new pack. I got so confused. I took out my mods and cc and tried to find a fault lol I definitely missed them. i don't always follow them but it gives a little challenge.
but I wish the rewards were something that fadedover time so you'd have to keep completing whims to earn the rewards again. i love a challenge and goal oriented gameplay.

DeKay

Whims are kinda meh for me especially for someone who has played with the same sims since release. It gets repetitive since some of the whims are based off the traits of the sims. And you only get satisfaction points from it.
I think if the whims were more like the fears and wishes in TS2, it will be more interesting cuz the fears can have an impact on your sim and maybe affect their mood, etc.

MadIris

I like that they're hidden now, never even used them.

DreamaDove

I've never used them because they never really made sense to me, nor seemed relevant.

I love wants and fears in ts2, though.

Cinebar

The problem with TS4 whims is the fact they may roll the same one over and over though you just filled it. It's as if the game doesn't know you already filled that one. And it never really goes with what is happening to your Sim or going on with your Sim. TS2's wants did make more sense, but they also rolled the same ones too often, too. But TS4's really Don't make sense. A loner shouldn't want to hug anyone.

ETA: One day I just sat and cancelled one, it came back over and over as soon as I cancelled it. I do mean like fifty times. There's nothing in that bag, nothing. It's no more than a handful.

SimplyJen

Wants|Wishes|Whims... Yes; I utilize them. I use Rewards a lot. Often ending up with more points then my sims can spend. I'll admit, they can be repetitive or senseless. I tend to click those off or ignore them.

edit: As I'm sure someone has mentioned... It also gives my sims something to do when there's not much to do.

Hermitgirl

I haven't turned them back on yet. I only did them if I wanted my sim to do something that turned up anyway. I usually have them doing parts of multiple aspirations at a time and getting reward points enough that way.

Karon

They were better implemented in Sims 2/3. In Sims 4 they are random, usually their randomness is attatched to the latest Pack you installed, kidna trying to force you tu use all the new features added. In previous games they used to be related to your Sims life time wishes/aspirations and their traits, in SIms 2 some of the premades even have a set of intended wishes and fears that if followed could help to trigger the scripted events like Cassandra marrying Don Lothario and things like that.
I don't liek that they took time to add an toggle off option for the whims, not cuz i dont like toggles, i actually think the game should have more of them, but is sounds like they just dont want to work in improving the whims in the future, which sucks.

simgirl1010

I mostly use whims to remind me of things I need to do in game. One of my sims currently has a whim to take the dog on a walk so I have that pinned so I won't forget. Her husband has a whim to cook pet food. that's also pinned for when I get around to it. I just wish I could pin all three.

CK213

This game needs a whims overhaul.
EA has had plenty of ideas and feedback from simmers wanting them reworked.

luxsylvan

I don't really use them in 4. I like to do them occasionally if it isn't out of my way or if it fits with the sim/story I have going, but sometimes they just don't make sense. Like roommates who have long term relationships elsewhere wanting to flirt with each other, and neither one is romantic or a serial romantic. Or clicking it away to get the same thing again. A lot of times I feel like mine are pretty trivial and I hardly get anything heavy, like promotions, marriages, etc. The ignorance of any possible bad events and the effects ir would have on a Sim's psyche also annoys me. We get emotions but then they take away wants/fears, which would have worked pretty well together. Sims 2 wants/fears were the bomb. I feel bad always comparing 4 to it because I genuinely enjoy 4...but 2 was just so... great.

Irdiwen

As a legacy player, I used whims to see who wanted to get married, get babies etc. It was quite disappointing they don’t work as well as in Sims 2 and 3, but I’ve learned to make do. However, I would love an overhaul!

Hejix

Francl27 wrote: »

It took me a good 30 minutes to realize that they were off when I played again! I just wish they were well implemented in the game...

That exactly what started my reflexion. I was like, am I missing something? Then I realized the whims were not there... And I couldn't care less.

I hate the emotion ones, like dance or send a happy text, they feel just slapped there so you only have 2-3 whims that matter and even there...

Cinebar wrote: »

The problem with TS4 whims is the fact they may roll the same one over and over though you just filled it. It's as if the game doesn't know you already filled that one. And it never really goes with what is happening to your Sim or going on with your Sim. TS2's wants did make more sense, but they also rolled the same ones too often, too. But TS4's really Don't make sense. A loner shouldn't want to hug anyone.

ETA: One day I just sat and cancelled one, it came back over and over as soon as I cancelled it. I do mean like fifty times. There's nothing in that bag, nothing. It's no more than a handful.

I know! Did the same, won't the game get the message already? Done it! Or won't happen... Ever!

CK213 wrote: »

This game needs a whims overhaul.
EA has had plenty of ideas and feedback from simmers wanting them reworked.

Yes, whims need a rework!

Karon wrote: »

I don't liek that they took time to add an toggle off option for the whims, not cuz i dont like toggles, i actually think the game should have more of them, but is sounds like they just dont want to work in improving the whims in the future, which plum.

Probably in Sims 5...

Holiday

I like whims but like most, I feel they need an overhaul as they are too random and the same 5 repeat over and over again. I like to get the reward traits so completing whims from an early age sets me up for their adult life.

My worry is that patching in the ability to turn them off is a cop out so they can avoid updating the whims as time goes on, especially as the default setting is to have them turned off, it's like they are trying to hide the feature so we forget about it.

calaprfy

I'm very whim-oriented. Every chance I get I knock them off for reward points to earn the extra traits and the money tree.

But they need to make more and have them make sense. Propose crazy scheme needs to go. And the whim to "get to know" one's spouse too.

sunblond

I never really paid much attention to them, with the Detective career I did use reward points to purchase the "observant" trait as it helps with finding the suspect. But honestly, most of my sims have a lot of reward points saved up that I don't use. I always felt the majority of reward items were cheaty, which is completely hypocritical of me as I use mods and cheats.

I played sims 4 first, never having experienced any other versions, so when I got 3 and 2 it took some getting used to to finally start paying attention to those.

invisiblgirl

I don't use them to determine what my Sim really wants (they really want what I want them to want), but I do use them when they're reasonable to get aspiration points. They're most useful when I need to get a Sim's social bar up - I'll use them to suggest social interactions and pick up a few points at the same time.

jeLlyBeAn1573

I use them but, like many, believe that whims need an overhaul and are not as useful as sims 2 & 3. Many times I like to play without any plan in mind for my sims and I use the wants/whim icons to create the story. I can't really do that in sims 4 as much as I did in 2 & 3. I just hope them hiding the whims in 4 isn't a sign that they will be completely ditched in Sims 5. They need reworked not abandoned.