"(like Mourning) would have a VERY high weight and more common emotions like Tense/Happy/Uncomfortable wouldn't be able to override such a powerful moodlet."
Yes, one of the mods I use does this. See the picture
" (same with Bored, it's so difficult to get it)."
@LiELF I agree. Changing the default emotion from Happy to a more neutral Fine would be a good first step towards improving personalities in 4. I would also revamp the +1/2/3/4/5 effects to go up to 10, that way certain moodlets (like Mourning) would have a VERY high weight and more common emotions like Tense/Happy/Uncomfortable wouldn't be able to override such a powerful moodlet.
And of course, like we mentioned, disable by default all "Decorated" moodlets. I'd an option to enable them manually like with other objects with Emotional Auras (with an option to enable one object/whole room/whole lot like with lights).
I believe that certain emotions are criminally underused, Dazed for example. I'd probably change some moodlets like Ravenous from the oversued Uncomfortable to Dazed (I think it makes sense), so people could experience these obscure emotions more often (same with Bored, it's so difficult to get it).
I think the Emotions system was poorly designed, but it's 100% fixable. I'm sure there are mods out there that have fixed a lot of the things we're talking about, but it'll be great if developers fixed it themselves (especially because I imagine a mod that alters the Emotion system probably requires frequent updating, which can be a pain).
Definitely. I'm actually not really a fan of the emotion system in general, but I'm pretty sure it's so deeply integrated into Sims 4 that it can't really be changed too drastically, because I'd love to see the focus go to the traits first and have emotions be secondary. But if they can at least do some tuning like you said, change those happy buffs and default state, and find a way to add Fear - because, honestly, it's bizarre that Fear does not exist at all - then I think it would start to feel a little smoother and more believable. Of course, they would still need to do something about the excessive hugging and pleasantries between enemies, but now I'm jumping ahead.
For the last couple of years the most important mod I've played with has been "Happy Buffs Changed to Fine". It removes the environmental moodlets. It makes a huge difference in gameplay. Out of all the excellent mods available I will cling to that one, because with that, the yoyo-ing of moods is lessened, and angry sims can actually stay angry for a while.
It's fine if occasionally negative buffs get buried - in real life I can be upset about something, yet be temporarily distracted by something else - but never by decoration in my own home. They really need to tune this.
Wow sounds interesting they are considering to make the fine emotion the base one. Like you @LiELF I think it's a step on the right way for better personalities.
@Sofmc9 Your 'proof' doesn't count, since you're using mods. I use mods too, to improve the emotional system, but it's still bonkers. I don't like how the emotions they show on their faces rarely show their true emotions, or what should be the strongest one, and how they change immediately. Using mods helps a little, but overall it's really disappointing compared to Sims 2 for instance. And Sims 4 has a lot less animations, and they're reused across the board. I notice that stuff. Maybe not everyone does, and that's fine and I think it's great that you enjoy the sims 4 emotions, but mostly for me they annoy me because they feel so fake and shallow. I just wish we got a little more personality to anchor the sims, so their emotions made sense- they don't for me. It doesn't matter how many picture of your modded game that you post - it's simply not my experience. ANY emotion with high weight will disappear if they get enough happy decor. It's crazy.
Allons-y!
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hmm I'm not trying to prove anything lol. Yes I like TS4 facial expressions and the devs created different facial overlays for every emotion, It's in the clip animations game files. I even recorded a vídeo showing the facial expression of an angry sim.
hmm I'm not trying to prove anything lol. Yes I like TS4 facial expressions and the devs created different facial overlays for every emotion, It's in the clip animations game files. I even recorded a vídeo showing the facial expression of an angry sim.
@Sofmc9 I get what you're saying, I just don't agree that it's well done.
Allons-y!
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I'd like the adults to have more subtle expressions/animations and the cartoony animations to be kids exclusive. A kid walking with head lowered when sad is cute lol, I remember wanting animations like this for TS2 children.
I'd like the adults to have more subtle expressions/animations and the cartoony animations to be kids exclusive. A kid walking with head lowered when sad is cute lol, I remember wanting animations like this for TS2 children.
The animations for toddlers are pretty well done in comparison, I wish we got an overhaul of the rest of the lifestates. As for your example, I don't really like it that much, I think it's exaggerated in a weird way - what I want is a more powerful system with more depth as opposed to the shallow animations of someone walking with their head down. Sims 2 had their exaggerations, but that was build on top of an already deep system that made sense and that didn't feel random.
Allons-y!
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Toddlers animations are spot on, I adore them, and I adore TS4 kids since day 1 too. This really is a matter of preference as I prefer the kids animations/expressions in 4 more than the previous games.
@SilentKitty That's very similar to how I play, too. Thankfully, the devs are aware of the issue and do seem to want to remedy it, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time.
Thanks everyone, this has been a really interesting discussion about how decorations interfere with the game!
Ohh... that tweet made me so happy, had not seen it before, thanks for posting it @Ceres_Meiriona
If they would tune the game so that fine would be the default that would be great. I am always a bit worried that something is going to happen to that mod and then my sims would have to go back to living in shoeboxes. It is fun to have a few decorations out.
@Naus I have also wished that the happy effects could be turned on or off like energized and the rest of them. Then the decorations could be a tool that I choose to use when I want to. An amazing museum with art in Windenburg or something like that. Then it would be fun. If the choice is between living in a box or seeing the world through a happy green fog then I will mod the plum out of the game.
@SilentKitty I always liked how Sims 2 handled decorations - it's a need instead of being tied to emotions. Maybe it could be a need that has an effect on emotions instead - that would be better imo.
Allons-y!
---> Afterlife Game Pack Idea - improved ghosts, cemeteries and funerals, psychics, new skills, new career and more! <---
@SilentKitty I always liked how Sims 2 handled decorations - it's a need instead of being tied to emotions. Maybe it could be a need that has an effect on emotions instead - that would be better imo.
I liked Sims 2 sims reactions to buying them stuff too. Like they noticed if you sold something or bought them something new. It used to make me laugh when I would replace a cheaper picture for a more expensive one because they frequently would toss up that they missed the old picture even if the new one was very expensive. I even had some cry about it being gone. That was one of the little reality touches that makes the Sims 2 Sims so much more refreshing than Sims 3 or 4.
Sims 2 sims really reacted to a burglar stealing a toilet too. They'd look at the spot it had been and get the thought bubble - "I really miss that object".
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
@SilentKitty I always liked how Sims 2 handled decorations - it's a need instead of being tied to emotions. Maybe it could be a need that has an effect on emotions instead - that would be better imo.
I think they should change the decoration "Happy" buffs to "Fine", as well as the default emotion. I might like a picture on the wall at home, but it certainly isn't going to negate my bad mood. But being at home in familiar surroundings might help to neutralize someone's mood, so I think "Fine" would make much more sense for that. This would help to balance the general emotional states of the Sims.
When you think about it, the game is really set up for the Sims to constantly be in a "winning" state. Default is "Happy", decorations are "Happy", and just having full needs is also "Happy". Then they eat a good meal and suddenly they are even more "Happy". It's out of control. All of these things should be "Fine", because I see being fine as the equivalent to being content, which is very different from happiness. I could see a Foodie getting a happy buff from an excellent meal, or a Materialistic Sim getting a happy buff from their high quality decorations, because these things make sense for their personality...and this leads into why traits don't even work properly.
The point of the Sims being an actual game is to challenge the player to find what things keep their Sims happy, to find the time to do those things, and to prevent them from falling into failure, or explore the means to get them out of those failures and overcome the obstacles. This was the initial basic concept of The Sims, but the game has been drifting further and further away from that after Sims 2, and I think this is why Sims 4 has become so controversial and debatable. The series has gone through so much metamorphosis that it has drifted away from its original concept. So what we really need is to bring that concept back. It might be too late for Sims 4, but if there is anything the developers can do to shift things back in that direction, I would highly recommend that they try to do it.
@Writin_Reg Yes, I loved that too, they were so cute reacting like that - Sims in Sims 2 even got emotionally attached to their old stuff, and you could have 'family heirlooms', which was so adorable.
Allons-y!
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@Aine Thank you for this thread. You bring up very important points that need to be heard. Hopefully someone at EA is listening.
It bothers me that we are years into this game and the sims themselves still feel so flat and repetitive. They are like emotional clones of each other no matter their traits.
@Writin_Reg I miss that so much. I did not get to play Sims 2 often but it was one of my favorite things about the game.
I would love to see the sims react more to their environment. When I do rags to riches and I move my sims out of a shack into a big beautiful house it would be nice to see some reaction. Look around a bit and check the new place out and maybe get excited or disappointed.
If I take them on vacation I would love to see the kids running around and checking out all the rooms. Maybe the adult sim is also excited or maybe disappointed because it is a dump.
Toddlers animations are spot on, I adore them, and I adore TS4 kids since day 1 too. This really is a matter of preference as I prefer the kids animations/expressions in 4 more than the previous games.
I agree. Toddlers in 2 and especially in 3 look a little bit robotic and doll-like. They did great job with toddlers in 4 and I adore them. If they had put the same effort they put for toddlers into other features, The Sims 4 would be hands down the best Sims game.
I'm sorry, but I can't be worried about something (a pack direction) that has given me so much fun to play out. It's given me tools to make the story work for me and the SimWorld I am building.
I don't care about the minimal rpg element to it. It adds so much to the game, for me. I hope to see more of this kind of fun in the series.
For the last couple of years the most important mod I've played with has been "Happy Buffs Changed to Fine". It removes the environmental moodlets. It makes a huge difference in gameplay. Out of all the excellent mods available I will cling to that one, because with that, the yoyo-ing of moods is lessened, and angry sims can actually stay angry for a while.
It's fine if occasionally negative buffs get buried - in real life I can be upset about something, yet be temporarily distracted by something else - but never by decoration in my own home. They really need to tune this.
You might want to look into a couple of roBurky's mods -- I used her True Happiness mod that has a similar effect, and treats the Happy default more like Fine. I'm currently trying out Meaningful Stories with my Strangerville Save (a copy of my template save where I'll change the world back to Normal, then I can decide which template to use for future saves) which incorporates True Happiness into a larger mod. Both go a teeny bit farther than Happy Buffs changed to Fine. Might be worth checking either of them out if you're interested.
Check out my Gallery! Origin ID: justme22
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
I'm sorry, but I can't be worried about something (a pack direction) that has given me so much fun to play out. It's given me tools to make the story work for me and the SimWorld I am building.
I don't care about the minimal rpg element to it. It adds so much to the game, for me. I hope to see more of this kind of fun in the series.
Zombies are certainly not my favorite creation but I'm enjoying the pack more than I thought I would. Use this sort of theme for something like a cruise ship murder mystery (if they can get rid of the random walkbys by folks not on the ship) and have a different result depending on how you play and it could be a great game. I still think it's just a one off with no need to get worried about the direction of the game. Perhaps just a small time filler before we get to big stuff like university and witches and beach vacations and the like.
Check out my Gallery! Origin ID: justme22
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
Toddlers animations are spot on, I adore them, and I adore TS4 kids since day 1 too. This really is a matter of preference as I prefer the kids animations/expressions in 4 more than the previous games.
I agree. Toddlers in 2 and especially in 3 look a little bit robotic and doll-like. They did great job with toddlers in 4 and I adore them. If they had put the same effort they put for toddlers into other features, The Sims 4 would be hands down the best Sims game.
Yeah, I even converted some of the toddlers animations to kids lol, like the dancing spin because it's so cute. I'd like to do more animations overrides mods.
Also if you export the baby clip animations and open it on Blender the crib isn't there, only the baby.. and I can copy paste their animations to toddlers. I guess this means the devs can really update babies if they want to.
Because we have been discussing emotions and how they sometimes don't suit the situation, also because I am sometimes a very very silly person. Really, this is how most of my sims end up on my outdoors adventures. More crispy, less flirty
Just so we are setting the mood right.
Location: Bridge out in the jungle
Status: Tired to the point of passing out, Singed to a crisp but a few hours earlier. And apparently flirty.
So here, without further delay, may I present tonights hotest lady Jane. Currently stumbling back to civilization.
I've been really tryin', baby
Tryin' to hold back this feeling for so long
And if you feel like I feel, baby
Then, c'mon, oh, c'mon
Let's get it on
Ah, baby, let's get it on
Let's love, baby
Let's get it on, sugar
Let's get it on
Comments
Yes, one of the mods I use does this. See the picture
" (same with Bored, it's so difficult to get it)."
I also use a mod that changes the low fun motive from Tense to Bored http://modthesims.info/d/610872/low-fun-is-boring-v-1-0.html
https://twitter.com/MarianaF53
Definitely. I'm actually not really a fan of the emotion system in general, but I'm pretty sure it's so deeply integrated into Sims 4 that it can't really be changed too drastically, because I'd love to see the focus go to the traits first and have emotions be secondary. But if they can at least do some tuning like you said, change those happy buffs and default state, and find a way to add Fear - because, honestly, it's bizarre that Fear does not exist at all - then I think it would start to feel a little smoother and more believable. Of course, they would still need to do something about the excessive hugging and pleasantries between enemies, but now I'm jumping ahead.
It's fine if occasionally negative buffs get buried - in real life I can be upset about something, yet be temporarily distracted by something else - but never by decoration in my own home. They really need to tune this.
Sim Stuff by Pegasys
https://twitter.com/MarianaF53
https://twitter.com/MarianaF53
https://twitter.com/MarianaF53
Thanks everyone, this has been a really interesting discussion about how decorations interfere with the game!
Ohh... that tweet made me so happy, had not seen it before, thanks for posting it @Ceres_Meiriona
If they would tune the game so that fine would be the default that would be great.
@Naus I have also wished that the happy effects could be turned on or off like energized and the rest of them. Then the decorations could be a tool that I choose to use when I want to. An amazing museum with art in Windenburg or something like that. Then it would be fun. If the choice is between living in a box or seeing the world through a happy green fog then I will mod the plum out of the game.
I liked Sims 2 sims reactions to buying them stuff too. Like they noticed if you sold something or bought them something new. It used to make me laugh when I would replace a cheaper picture for a more expensive one because they frequently would toss up that they missed the old picture even if the new one was very expensive. I even had some cry about it being gone. That was one of the little reality touches that makes the Sims 2 Sims so much more refreshing than Sims 3 or 4.
Sims 2 sims really reacted to a burglar stealing a toilet too. They'd look at the spot it had been and get the thought bubble - "I really miss that object".
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
I think they should change the decoration "Happy" buffs to "Fine", as well as the default emotion. I might like a picture on the wall at home, but it certainly isn't going to negate my bad mood. But being at home in familiar surroundings might help to neutralize someone's mood, so I think "Fine" would make much more sense for that. This would help to balance the general emotional states of the Sims.
When you think about it, the game is really set up for the Sims to constantly be in a "winning" state. Default is "Happy", decorations are "Happy", and just having full needs is also "Happy". Then they eat a good meal and suddenly they are even more "Happy". It's out of control. All of these things should be "Fine", because I see being fine as the equivalent to being content, which is very different from happiness. I could see a Foodie getting a happy buff from an excellent meal, or a Materialistic Sim getting a happy buff from their high quality decorations, because these things make sense for their personality...and this leads into why traits don't even work properly.
The point of the Sims being an actual game is to challenge the player to find what things keep their Sims happy, to find the time to do those things, and to prevent them from falling into failure, or explore the means to get them out of those failures and overcome the obstacles. This was the initial basic concept of The Sims, but the game has been drifting further and further away from that after Sims 2, and I think this is why Sims 4 has become so controversial and debatable. The series has gone through so much metamorphosis that it has drifted away from its original concept. So what we really need is to bring that concept back. It might be too late for Sims 4, but if there is anything the developers can do to shift things back in that direction, I would highly recommend that they try to do it.
It bothers me that we are years into this game and the sims themselves still feel so flat and repetitive. They are like emotional clones of each other no matter their traits.
@Writin_Reg I miss that so much. I did not get to play Sims 2 often but it was one of my favorite things about the game.
I would love to see the sims react more to their environment. When I do rags to riches and I move my sims out of a shack into a big beautiful house it would be nice to see some reaction. Look around a bit and check the new place out and maybe get excited or disappointed.
If I take them on vacation I would love to see the kids running around and checking out all the rooms. Maybe the adult sim is also excited or maybe disappointed because it is a dump.
I agree. Toddlers in 2 and especially in 3 look a little bit robotic and doll-like. They did great job with toddlers in 4 and I adore them. If they had put the same effort they put for toddlers into other features, The Sims 4 would be hands down the best Sims game.
I don't care about the minimal rpg element to it. It adds so much to the game, for me. I hope to see more of this kind of fun in the series.
You might want to look into a couple of roBurky's mods -- I used her True Happiness mod that has a similar effect, and treats the Happy default more like Fine. I'm currently trying out Meaningful Stories with my Strangerville Save (a copy of my template save where I'll change the world back to Normal, then I can decide which template to use for future saves) which incorporates True Happiness into a larger mod. Both go a teeny bit farther than Happy Buffs changed to Fine. Might be worth checking either of them out if you're interested.
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
Zombies are certainly not my favorite creation but I'm enjoying the pack more than I thought I would. Use this sort of theme for something like a cruise ship murder mystery (if they can get rid of the random walkbys by folks not on the ship) and have a different result depending on how you play and it could be a great game. I still think it's just a one off with no need to get worried about the direction of the game. Perhaps just a small time filler before we get to big stuff like university and witches and beach vacations and the like.
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
Yeah, I even converted some of the toddlers animations to kids lol, like the dancing spin because it's so cute. I'd like to do more animations overrides mods.
Also if you export the baby clip animations and open it on Blender the crib isn't there, only the baby.. and I can copy paste their animations to toddlers. I guess this means the devs can really update babies if they want to.
https://twitter.com/MarianaF53
Because we have been discussing emotions and how they sometimes don't suit the situation, also because I am sometimes a very very silly person. Really, this is how most of my sims end up on my outdoors adventures. More crispy, less flirty
Just so we are setting the mood right.
Location: Bridge out in the jungle
Status: Tired to the point of passing out, Singed to a crisp but a few hours earlier. And apparently flirty.
So here, without further delay, may I present tonights hotest lady Jane. Currently stumbling back to civilization.
I've been really tryin', baby
Tryin' to hold back this feeling for so long
And if you feel like I feel, baby
Then, c'mon, oh, c'mon
Let's get it on
Ah, baby, let's get it on
Let's love, baby
Let's get it on, sugar
Let's get it on
Sorry, I have been a "playful" the entire evening. Should probably not be allowed to be near a computer. Cheers.
Going to have to get the poor thing a new vacation to get over the first one, lol.