Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.

Aside from CAS, where does TS4 excel?

When I tried it a while back, I couldn't get into TS4. I think I found myself trying to play the same way I did in TS3, but of course that didn't work and so I just became aware of the things from TS3 I'm used to that it lacked. I know I had to adjust my play style when I made the switch from TS2 to TS3 as well, so I started to wonder in hindsight if perhaps I simply need to play to TS4's strengths more in order to fully enjoy it.

What really sets TS4 apart to you? What kind of stories is TS4 best at?

Comments

  • SimpkinSimpkin Posts: 7,425 Member
    Everything.
    Seasons toggle button in build mode poll. Vote now please! :)
  • CupidCupid Posts: 3,623 Member
    I wouldn't personally be able to compare, but I've heard from a lot of people that the game does a particularly good job with vampires, toddlers, and celebrities. So maybe you'd like to make a story about a vampire toddler who becomes a celebrity.
    HdLHa3j.png
    (◡‿◡✿)
  • EnjoyfulSimmerEnjoyfulSimmer Posts: 1,242 Member
    edited May 2019
    Well, I guess I'll bite. For me pretty much everything about Sims 4 is better. The most important part being the actual sims characters.

    Sims in Ts4 are very expressive and emotive. I can see their moods and their personality. For the first time ever in the Sims,they have lifelike qualities. This is crucial. For me sims in previous sims games were very wooden, particularly with Sims 3.

    You should play whichever game speaks to you. Don't force it. Because I certainly don't . I only play Sims 4. And if Sims 5 impresses, ill play that too. But I will not be playing the 2nd or 3rd titles now or in the future because they dont speak to me. I feel like Sims 4 is almost the ideal sims game if im being perfectly honest! Is it missing a few features (create a style) I might have liked? Yeah but none that I cant do without (for now).

    The only issue i have playing the Sims 4??? , trying not to spend literally all day playing this game! Because its that fun <3

    "Let Our Hearts And Hands Be Streched Out In Compassion Toward Others."
  • zagbooruleszagboorules Posts: 474 Member
    I love building on TS4
  • TechbiltTechbilt Posts: 258 Member
    As some one who bought the game and has been dissappointed in most of the packs that have been released, I do have to say that sims 4 excels at Multi-tasking, roofs, and toddlers. imho.
  • DentalchickJuliaDentalchickJulia Posts: 12 New Member
    I think it feels more natural then the other Sims games. There may not be an open world but it feels like things are progressively moving especially if you have mods. I like 4 better then 2 and 2 was my absolute favorite.
  • EnjoyfulSimmerEnjoyfulSimmer Posts: 1,242 Member
    edited May 2019
    You're just like me then. Sims 2 had me hooked as a 14-15 year old, back in 2004-2005! Sims 3 was decent as far as the tools that it added, but it just didnt hook me in at all. And now with Sims 4 I am hooked again! @DentalchickJulia
    "Let Our Hearts And Hands Be Streched Out In Compassion Toward Others."
  • drake_mccartydrake_mccarty Posts: 6,114 Member
    Sims 4’s strongest parts are CAS and to a lesser degree build mode. Live mode is the worst part of the game, and it’s supposed to be the main part. It’s good for taking screenshots, if you’re into that sort of thing.
  • So_MoneySo_Money Posts: 2,536 Member
    I like the art style over previous games, build mode has a lot of nice Q.O.L. features, and multitasking is hard to live without when you go back.
  • Destin2016Destin2016 Posts: 568 Member
    Toddlers
    You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.
  • KirbySkywalkerKirbySkywalker Posts: 511 Member
    What the sims 4 lacks in depth, it makes up for in shallowness.
  • GrumpyGlowfishGrumpyGlowfish Posts: 2,207 Member
    I wouldn't necessarily agree that Build Mode is great, because for as many cool features as it has, like picking up entire rooms and placing them somewhere else, there are also lots of shortcomings and plain weird design choices that weren't as prominent in previous games, such as no longer being able to colour different parts of a single object separately, curtains having collision, nothing matching, the problem with removing individual floor tiles, and don't even get me started on the insanity-inducing chore that is trying to put a decent roof on top of your building.

    But I suppose that's not what you're asking anyway. You want to tell stories, so how about a household where every member has a different active career? One day you accompany your scientist to their lab in the middle of the desert, the next day you go chasing criminals as a cop, some other time you take care of sick animals with your vet. Granted, it will get repetitive at some point, but so does everything eventually.

    Other than that, a family full of different artists would be worth considering. TS2 used to lump painting, music, writing, and everything else that requires being creative together in one skill, whereas in TS4 they're all separate skills, even the individual musical instruments. I'd say skills in general are one thing that's great about TS4, there are more than 30 of them with more to come, ideal to give every member of the household a different role.

    My own latest story is that of two underage orphans (a teenager and a child) living together in a rundown San Myshuno apartment, which means that apart from somehow making a living with the older sister's part-time job being the only steady income, they also have to put up with unpredictable occurrences in their home, such as noisy neighbours, appliances breaking over night, and mice coming through a mouse hole, all while going to school and trying to keep their grades up. It definitely doesn't get boring with those two.
  • texxx78texxx78 Posts: 5,657 Member
    I'm the opposite, but can't explain why. A few years ago I went back to sims 3 but i uninstalled it in a bit. After playing 4 I just don't know why, but 3 looked like not enough. I know this feels strange, cause there's so much more content on 3,but it's not about the content I guess... Maybe the sims itselfs or the engine, i don't know...
  • TomasGrizzlyTomasGrizzly Posts: 736 Member
    Build mode for sure. Dragging walls is the best thing to happen for me. Performance is also better than in TS3 (2GB saves with world adventures and 5+ minute load/save times, ugh) though there are some issues in TS4 as well. Spa Day and Parenthood packs are strong points for me as well as they add a lot of improvement to general gameplay. The emotion system is also better than the simple +/- moods in TS3 where you could easily overpower the few sources of negative buffs (I think the best I've ever had in TS3 was like +1050 from all buffs combined) but, even then, there are some parts of the emotion system I think could've been done better (such as +2 sad and +2 happy negating each other to fine instead of the current system where something will always prevail in a way that's not always intuitive).
    I like fantasy and a bit of Sci-Fi. Want to know what I'm reading?
    I also like wandering the hills.
  • mysterionzmysterionz Posts: 3,608 Member
    telmarina wrote: »
    I'm the opposite, but can't explain why. A few years ago I went back to sims 3 but i uninstalled it in a bit. After playing 4 I just don't know why, but 3 looked like not enough. I know this feels strange, cause there's so much more content on 3,but it's not about the content I guess... Maybe the sims itselfs or the engine, i don't know...

    You have a point there Marina
    Oh hamburgers!
  • EnjoyfulSimmerEnjoyfulSimmer Posts: 1,242 Member
    edited May 2019
    telmarina wrote: »
    I'm the opposite, but can't explain why. A few years ago I went back to sims 3 but i uninstalled it in a bit. After playing 4 I just don't know why, but 3 looked like not enough. I know this feels strange, cause there's so much more content on 3,but it's not about the content I guess... Maybe the sims itselfs or the engine, i don't know...

    @telmarina Its the sims themselves . They are just better now imo. Also sims 3 is dated and the create a sim mechanism is very bad. All the sliders and categories. Bleh.

    Creating sims is very enjoyable for me, so liking create-a-sim is a must for me.
    "Let Our Hearts And Hands Be Streched Out In Compassion Toward Others."
  • jooxisjooxis Posts: 515 Member
    Sims 4 has the best build mode and the most beautiful art style, graphics and lighting compared to the earlier Sims.
  • Sigzy05Sigzy05 Posts: 19,406 Member
    edited May 2019
    I wouldn't necessarily agree that Build Mode is great, because for as many cool features as it has, like picking up entire rooms and placing them somewhere else, there are also lots of shortcomings and plain weird design choices that weren't as prominent in previous games, such as no longer being able to colour different parts of a single object separately, curtains having collision, nothing matching, the problem with removing individual floor tiles, and don't even get me started on the insanity-inducing chore that is trying to put a decent roof on top of your building.

    But I suppose that's not what you're asking anyway. You want to tell stories, so how about a household where every member has a different active career? One day you accompany your scientist to their lab in the middle of the desert, the next day you go chasing criminals as a cop, some other time you take care of sick animals with your vet. Granted, it will get repetitive at some point, but so does everything eventually.

    Other than that, a family full of different artists would be worth considering. TS2 used to lump painting, music, writing, and everything else that requires being creative together in one skill, whereas in TS4 they're all separate skills, even the individual musical instruments. I'd say skills in general are one thing that's great about TS4, there are more than 30 of them with more to come, ideal to give every member of the household a different role.

    My own latest story is that of two underage orphans (a teenager and a child) living together in a rundown San Myshuno apartment, which means that apart from somehow making a living with the older sister's part-time job being the only steady income, they also have to put up with unpredictable occurrences in their home, such as noisy neighbours, appliances breaking over night, and mice coming through a mouse hole, all while going to school and trying to keep their grades up. It definitely doesn't get boring with those two.

    And when will we finally be able to color ceilings?
    mHdgPlU.jpg?1
  • NetzspannungNetzspannung Posts: 2,456 Member
    This is an interesting thread, actually. I want to start by saying that I love TS3, even though I don't play it at the moment. Even after TS4 came out I kept playing TS3 for over a year before I even considered making the switch. I just felt that TS4 was lacking content. Anyway besides CAS there are other things I prefer in TS4. BB mode is great, the search function was such a simple but amazing addition and building is much easier and much more satisfying for players who do not call themselves builders. I understand that some advanced tools are missing or lacking, but it does not bother me while building. I am bothered by matching door and window colours occasionally, but that has nothing to do with the mechanism.
    I also love the fact that you can travel between worlds. The worlds are obviously much smaller individually, but I like that I can start a Sim out in Oasis Springs and he can end up in Brindleton Bay to settle down with his family, if that is the story I want to play.
    In my opinion both games are great and people should just go with their preference.
    If I just posted an outfit you like, I have good news - there is more where that came from!
    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/956513/netz-a-porter-outfits-ready-to-wear-for-your-sims-no-cc-required
    Twitter: NetzspannungTS

    we all try ...
  • LindsaySeddon1LindsaySeddon1 Posts: 284 Member
    I love building on TS4

    I really struggled getting into TS4 until I discovered what a pleasure it is to build, and that helped me see that i needed to stop thinking about how it was different from TS3 and enjoy it for what it is now.
  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,439 Member
    I just stated some of mine in another thread, so I'll add them here too and maybe a few more. :)

    1. Sims 4's CAS is amazing and diverse. There are a lot of hair styles, including thick, curly and wavy, there's a variety of skin tones, and a whole lot of clothing that, for the first time, is unisex. As far as appearance goes, we can make so many types and cultures of Sims, and we can even make good likenesses of characters, actors, and real life people. The personalities and relationships need more, but appearances are excellent. That also goes for creating pets. I just love to create Sims in this game.

    2. Having the ability to freely edit/delete townies and households from map view and select protected households is a convenience that I wouldn't want to be without in the future. I love changing townies or jumping into one of my households to update their wardrobes or add seasonal wear before playing. It's an excellent feature.

    3. Traveling to any and all worlds and the ability to move to any liveable map without any consequences is awesome for options. As the packs have come out, I've been able to easily relocate some of my households to new areas to explore and change their lifestyles. I love this feature immensely because it gives us access to every single place in the game, with differing environments that add to immersion. I love being able to have a complete change of scenery and climate, from deserts to cities to maritime coastal towns, etc. To me, having so many options and freedom is so much better than being stuck in one large world in one single environment.

    4. Being able to play multiple households in a single save is very important to me. I also love the ease of being able to switch around as I please. I always put a lot of my own Sims in the neighborhoods so they don't have to interact with townies. Then I can just jump in and play them at any time. Love the freedom of this feature. I just wish the game would not select my Sims for weird, random jobs.

    5. The Gallery is probably the best thing to happen to people who can't build. The greatest love affair of the century is me and that Gallery. I've been able to change my neighborhoods in ways I never could before because of the incredible creations I find. The talent is immense and I'm eternally grateful to all of the lovely builders who share their work. It's a truly wonderful addition.

    6. The art style is timeless and just beautiful. When I first sat down to play Sims 4, I was very impressed with the beauty of the scenery and got distracted with just looking around at the neighborhood and the colors and details. I remember trying to call over my partner, saying, "Look at this! Isn't this beautiful? Look at this scenery, it's amazing!" And he didn't really care, just nodded and smiled to appease me, lol.

    7. Vampires. Best. Ever. <3

    8. I'm also going to throw in some credit for creativity. I know that some people really want a repeat of exactly what came before, but I generally like the new twists to old content and random projects like StrangerVille and Jungle Adventures. Granted, I still want some of the classics, particularly more playable Occults and deeper personality aspects for the Sims, but refreshing the content keeps it new and surprising. And the new Game Pack model for DLC has become my favorite.

    Okay, this has carried on to a long post so I'll leave it at that. :)
    #Team Occult
  • MidnightAuraMidnightAura Posts: 5,809 Member
    It excels at checklists.
  • comicsforlifecomicsforlife Posts: 9,585 Member
    edited May 2019
    careers and aliens the abductions are fun and adds randomness
    grim in this one is fun to and Santa is easy to see and or woohoo with
    more for sim kids and more drama please
  • KayeStarKayeStar Posts: 6,715 Member
    For me, TS4 doesn't really excel at anything, but it does have some features I like the other games don't. Ability to travel between "worlds", pick up an entire building or room in build mode, merging of gender-specific clothes, and the ability to have a sterile/infertile sim.

    Besides that, I just like the game for what it is. Adjusting my play style wasn't necessary, though.
    752d5ef1ccf6be4ae3b2e539a6376fe9ea400d9ar1-320-207_00.gif
Sign In or Register to comment.
Return to top