What about Open Neighbourhoods?

Duende

Due to the performance issues associated with Open Worlds in The Sims 3, The Sims 4 doesn't cater to them. This is understandable.
However, this introduces the potential Open Neighbourhoods. It would be nice to not encounter a loading screen just to pop over to my neighbour's apartment or just stop by to the house next door to give my neighbour freshly baked pastries. Imagine going to club in Winderburg and leaving the nightclub and running to the public pool across the bridge, without having a spinning plum to wait before entry.

I'd love to hear opinions, comments, questions or concerns about this.

DeKay

Probably not gonna happen since they already made smaller worlds due to performance issues. -.-

Writin_Reg

Grant already stated that open neighborhoods and open worlds are the same thing (and require the same thing) and they will not be doing them in Sims 4. He did say it was not an issue for Sims 4 like it was for Sims 3 but they have to do open worlds from the game engine up. So it is not feasible at this point in the game. Apparently that has to be done before the base game is started.

aaronrulz

I'm so used to non-open worlds/neighborhoods that I don't even care about the loading screens. I'm used to it. I rather the developers focus their attention elsewhere.

AfterMidnight

This would be nice for TS5 (should it happen). Can’t see it happening with TS4 sadly.

TropicanaCat

That was one of my favorite features in Sims 3, I understand that they didn't do open worlds for 4 because of performance concerns, and Sims 4 probably isn't even able to run a open world, it wasn't designed for that in mind. I would like to have some different sized worlds though.

Goldmoldar

EA/Maxis not going to do it as they do not want to mess with the performance, Imo it has nothing to do with some mid level to high end systems, it mainly the low end system they may be worrying about. (Glad some companies are forging ahead with higher level specs and if you have lower end specs you considered collateral damage).

Puppylikeswhale

I would love to play Open World, or Open Neighbors. However, as some people has already mentioned it, I am already get used to the current system... and my laptop is not that good...

PlayerSinger2010

I would LOVE open neighborhoods. I'm so sick of needing to go through a loading screen just to visit my neighbors!

musteni

I'm a little bit worried how it would affect rotational play. I think CL apartments where you see the neighbours hanging in the hallway is the most open we get in TS4.

Archieonic

Possible, yet extremely anti-productive at this point. It'd involve a complete rewrite of how the engine handles worlds, then another rewrite of the base game itself to handle the new world system, then rewrites of every component outside of the active lot from every pack that interacts with the common areas.

To do that, might as well just do TS5. Much easier.

elanorbreton

I really hope they do it for sims 5. It is very frustrating wanting to pop next door and having to go through a load screen.

SheriSim57

AfterMidnight wrote: »

This would be nice for TS5 (should it happen). Can’t see it happening with TS4 sadly.

I agree. By the time TS5 is produced maybe engines can handle an open neighborhood. I love the stability that sims 4 has though, and would not sacrifice that for an open neighborhood.