Let’s not forget about the teens. They are basically baby faced young adults in TS4.
What teens need:
- More shenanigans/pranks/mischief
- Influencing others or dares.
- Autonomously runs away if neglected. A temporary event - existed in TS2 https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Running_away
- Even more extracurricular activities (arts & crafts, sports, catering, science club, chess club, book club etc.)
- Enroll in private school (children too. I also expected this to come with discover university for an additional scholarship)
- Outside school events. Science fairs anyone?... Teen bake sale, school bazaars...
Just a few things on top of my head.
For those who don’t want to click the link and read about teen runaways:
A teen Sim can run away from the household in The Sims 2, when the particular teen has negative relationships with the other members of the household, and has few or no other friends. When a teen is preparing to leave, a message will pop up in the upper-right hand corner letting the player know. Then, the teen either walks or runs off of the lot. The memory associated with a teen running away is usually red but may also be green depending on the Sim and their relationship with the teen. While running away, a runaway icon will appear on their picture. Being gone does not affect things like school grades.
All life stages aside from Young Adult and Adult are neglected in my opinion. The difference is that teen and elders get to do and wear all the things designed for YA by default, but that doesn't mean they get anything for them specifically. Because of that, the neglect is far more evident on kids and toddlers (and babies).
Some things that come to mind straight away:
Kids don't have play interactions with other kids, only talking (and to be fair the partners in crime thing).
Kids can't play tag or anything in a group that doesn't require a massive object.
Kids can't ride bikes even though Teens+ can (I am really sore about this one)
Kids can't do magic nor have the mermaid form
Kids can't help with gardening
Kids don't have a kid's oven or any other toy for cooking
Kids have the same (and only!) 4 aspirations since launch
Toddlers can't be added to clubs
Toddlers don't have strollers
Toddlers don't have any protection against the rain
Toddlers don't have tricycles (should have been implemented with bikes, bikes should not have been a part of DU if they were not going to include the whole family)
Toddlers don't spawn with their caregivers anywhere in the world, like they don't exist outside the household you are playing unless you force it
Toddler's eating chair has been broken for ages
Toddlers can't swim with their parent and floaties in swimming pools
The interactions between toddlers and kids are very limited.
Edit to add something that just came to mind: Elders are neglected to the point that when they retire, it doesn't even appear on their career slide, it just appears blank as if they were unemployed.
Absolutely this. It especially irks me that we never see other toddlers out with their families at parks.
Let’s not forget about the teens. They are basically baby faced young adults in TS4.
What teens need:
- More shenanigans/pranks/mischief
- Influencing others or dares.
- Autonomously runs away if neglected.
- Even more extracurricular activities (arts & crafts, sports, catering, science club, chess club, book club etc.)
- Enroll in private school (children too. I also expected this to come with discover university for an additional scholarship)
- Outside school events. Science fairs anyone?... Teen bake sale, school bazaars...
Just a few things on top of my head.
The rest are fine, but I'd be seriously miffed if the game decided that the teen I'm playing (as part of the household) was going to run away for being "neglected" - based on the game's definition of neglected, rather than mine. I don't mind doing that specifically as part of a story, but if I can control the sim, whether or not they run away should be my choice, not the game's.
Let’s not forget about the teens. They are basically baby faced young adults in TS4.
What teens need:
- More shenanigans/pranks/mischief
- Influencing others or dares.
- Autonomously runs away if neglected.
- Even more extracurricular activities (arts & crafts, sports, catering, science club, chess club, book club etc.)
- Enroll in private school (children too. I also expected this to come with discover university for an additional scholarship)
- Outside school events. Science fairs anyone?... Teen bake sale, school bazaars...
Just a few things on top of my head.
The rest are fine, but I'd be seriously miffed if the game decided that the teen I'm playing (as part of the household) was going to run away for being "neglected" - based on the game's definition of neglected, rather than mine. I don't mind doing that specifically as part of a story, but if I can control the sim, whether or not they run away should be my choice, not the game's.
I should have mentioned that it’s a temporary thing. They eventually return. It was a feature in The Sims 2.
Let’s not forget about the teens. They are basically baby faced young adults in TS4.
What teens need:
- More shenanigans/pranks/mischief
- Influencing others or dares.
- Autonomously runs away if neglected.
- Even more extracurricular activities (arts & crafts, sports, catering, science club, chess club, book club etc.)
- Enroll in private school (children too. I also expected this to come with discover university for an additional scholarship)
- Outside school events. Science fairs anyone?... Teen bake sale, school bazaars...
Just a few things on top of my head.
The rest are fine, but I'd be seriously miffed if the game decided that the teen I'm playing (as part of the household) was going to run away for being "neglected" - based on the game's definition of neglected, rather than mine. I don't mind doing that specifically as part of a story, but if I can control the sim, whether or not they run away should be my choice, not the game's.
I should have mentioned that it’s a temporary thing. They eventually return. It was a feature in The Sims 2.
Doesn't matter. I never played sims 2, but I would have been miffed about it then if I had. It's not like the cats and dogs running away, when I can't really control them anyway, nor is it like social services taking a kid away for neglect. What if my storyline is that they're sticking around to keep a younger kid safe, and running away, even temporarily, is significantly out of character for how I envision them?
I'm okay with little quirks and changes being out of my control, but running away is a big enough thing that it should be in my hands, not the game's. Just because a previous game did it does not mean it should make a comeback.
I just want to clarify with everyone that the running away is not only temporary, but also if they have negative relationships and no other relationships at all with anyone else.
“ A teen Sim can run away from the household in The Sims 2, when the particular teen has negative relationships with the other members of the household, and has few or no other friends. When a teen is preparing to leave, a message will pop up in the upper-right hand corner letting the player know. Then, the teen either walks or runs off of the lot. The memory associated with a teen running away is usually red but may also be green depending on the Sim and their relationship with the teen. While running away, a runaway icon will appear on their picture. Being gone does not affect things like school grades.”
> I would consider this event to be next to impossible if said teen is responsible with taking care of a child/toddler since their relationship will most likely be positive.
I agree very much with this thread. Toddlers are never out anywhere with their families. I also hate that if you know a sim, you can't invite their whole family over. Especially if you are hosting a holiday party (unless you know the entire family.) Toddlers were tossed into the game, and they truly feel like an add-on instead of a life stage.
Besides, with all the heaps of CC out there, Devs prolly don't worry to much about toddlers as it is. For players who don't play with toddlers and kids, it's likely not a concern either. Everything is a matter of personal opinion.
Okay so let's not be insulting. Obviously this is a priority for a lot of people so they have a right to feel concerned. Especially if they have been playing with better versions of toddlers and babies in the Sims for decades... The current S4 babies are equivalent to S1 babies.
As it is, there is no CC for babies. Maybe the odd crib here or there but you need to add a mod as well. I've personally practically exhausted the entirety of the internet's CC for toddlers and it is basically just varied recolors of the small, small small amount of clothing available by Maxis. That's not to mention that most people don't use CC in their games. So it therefore is not unreasonable as a consumer spending hundreds of dollars on these games to expect said game to perform as a better version of itself than previous iterations.
I remember a simmer referring to The Sims 4 as a "millennial simulator" and that really stuck with me. I think that's a fantastic way to describe this generation of Sims games so I think that's why family gameplay, baby, toddler and kids CAS and build/buy get pushed aside.
I remember a simmer referring to The Sims 4 as a "millennial simulator" and that really stuck with me. I think that's a fantastic way to describe this generation of Sims games so I think that's why family gameplay, baby, toddler and kids CAS and build/buy get pushed aside.
I recently heard that term too. As much as I hate to admit it, it was an apt description. I miss the complexity of previous iterations. I know the Gurus are trying. The recent survey tells me they know what we want. But in the whole of the Sims franchise (and I've played since the beginning of TS1), I've never heard the Guru's complain more about cost or the expense of animation than they do now. I've wondered if technology has advanced beyond their ability to keep up. There is a definite skew towards teen+ because that only requires one animation... smaller bodies would require a new animation and that would be too expensive, apparently.
In many ways, TS4 still feels bare bones. Past iterations haven't felt like that once enough packs came out. And it's a sad thing. I've loved Sims for 18+ years, and I'm still here supporting it. Heck, I played TSO which was terrible... and even I rejoined when they took a second crack at it. It's frustrating as a dedicated player, but I'm still holding out hope that they turn this around.
All life stages aside from Young Adult and Adult are neglected in my opinion. The difference is that teen and elders get to do and wear all the things designed for YA by default, but that doesn't mean they get anything for them specifically. Because of that, the neglect is far more evident on kids and toddlers (and babies).
Some things that come to mind straight away:
Kids don't have play interactions with other kids, only talking (and to be fair the partners in crime thing).
Kids can't play tag or anything in a group that doesn't require a massive object.
Kids can't ride bikes even though Teens+ can (I am really sore about this one)
Kids can't do magic nor have the mermaid form
Kids can't help with gardening
Kids don't have a kid's oven or any other toy for cooking
Kids have the same (and only!) 4 aspirations since launch
Toddlers can't be added to clubs
Toddlers don't have strollers
Toddlers don't have any protection against the rain
Toddlers don't have tricycles (should have been implemented with bikes, bikes should not have been a part of DU if they were not going to include the whole family)
Toddlers don't spawn with their caregivers anywhere in the world, like they don't exist outside the household you are playing unless you force it
Toddler's eating chair has been broken for ages
Toddlers can't swim with their parent and floaties in swimming pools
The interactions between toddlers and kids are very limited.
Edit to add something that just came to mind: Elders are neglected to the point that when they retire, it doesn't even appear on their career slide, it just appears blank as if they were unemployed.
Absolutely this. It especially irks me that we never see other toddlers out with their families at parks.
I'm glad we don't see toddlers out. Treat them like occults and lock them up say I.
I remember a simmer referring to The Sims 4 as a "millennial simulator" and that really stuck with me. I think that's a fantastic way to describe this generation of Sims games so I think that's why family gameplay, baby, toddler and kids CAS and build/buy get pushed aside.
Most millenials have kids and families though? I'm a millenial at 37 years old and all my friends and most family have kids lol.
I remember a simmer referring to The Sims 4 as a "millennial simulator" and that really stuck with me. I think that's a fantastic way to describe this generation of Sims games so I think that's why family gameplay, baby, toddler and kids CAS and build/buy get pushed aside.
Most millenials have kids and families though? I'm a millenial at 37 years old and all my friends and most family have kids lol.
Yeah, at this point the older members of Gen Z are moving into Young Adulthood. Millenials are moving into general adulthood.
I agree I feel like there's not a whole lot for toddlers or children to do, sure you got the parenthood pack but it could added so much more that isn't there. elders in the game are an extreme afterthought and just simply ignored. Ya is used more cause there's a A LOT More to do with them, if they just do the same for all ages then people might just be interested in playing with children and the elderly and won't be so quick to age up toddlers.
I remember a simmer referring to The Sims 4 as a "millennial simulator" and that really stuck with me. I think that's a fantastic way to describe this generation of Sims games so I think that's why family gameplay, baby, toddler and kids CAS and build/buy get pushed aside.
Most millenials have kids and families though? I'm a millenial at 37 years old and all my friends and most family have kids lol.
Yes, we have this image that millennials are all in or just out of college, but that's the end cohort - I think it's generally 1980 to 2000?
I remember a simmer referring to The Sims 4 as a "millennial simulator" and that really stuck with me. I think that's a fantastic way to describe this generation of Sims games so I think that's why family gameplay, baby, toddler and kids CAS and build/buy get pushed aside.
I recently heard that term too. As much as I hate to admit it, it was an apt description. I miss the complexity of previous iterations. I know the Gurus are trying. The recent survey tells me they know what we want. But in the whole of the Sims franchise (and I've played since the beginning of TS1), I've never heard the Guru's complain more about cost or the expense of animation than they do now. I've wondered if technology has advanced beyond their ability to keep up. There is a definite skew towards teen+ because that only requires one animation... smaller bodies would require a new animation and that would be too expensive, apparently.
In many ways, TS4 still feels bare bones. Past iterations haven't felt like that once enough packs came out. And it's a sad thing. I've loved Sims for 18+ years, and I'm still here supporting it. Heck, I played TSO which was terrible... and even I rejoined when they took a second crack at it. It's frustrating as a dedicated player, but I'm still holding out hope that they turn this around.
Wow I'm so happy I'm not the only one who noticed this. They make it sound like creating an animation requires billions of dollars and the whole studio to work on.
If let's say you guys have to pay $5 more for each EP, GP or SP for them to put in more CAS stuff for toddlers and children, would you be okay with that? Just curious. Cuz I'm guessing they don't put more stuff for these life stages as it will take time and more resources to make them. Therefore, more money is needed. XD
Just for CAS I'd really have to like the clothing but I'm really not a fan of the style of clothing they have been adding but for new children and toddler game play I'd pay extra.
Sims 4 went from "You Rule" to "One of the stories we want you to tell"
I remember a simmer referring to The Sims 4 as a "millennial simulator" and that really stuck with me. I think that's a fantastic way to describe this generation of Sims games so I think that's why family gameplay, baby, toddler and kids CAS and build/buy get pushed aside.
Most millenials have kids and families though? I'm a millenial at 37 years old and all my friends and most family have kids lol.
Yes, we have this image that millennials are all in or just out of college, but that's the end cohort - I think it's generally 1980 to 2000?
2000 would be Gen Z. There's not really an official cut off, but for the most part it's recognized that the Gen Z generation started in no later than 1996. Basically anyone too young to remember the year 2000 new year. As for the start of it, it can start anywhere from 1977-1982 depending on the source, so yeah 1980 is right in the middle and approx right haha.
I don't understand why 6 years later there is still little to no content for them whatsoever. I installed TS3 a few days ago with Generations and some of the toddler items from the TS3 store. I cannot put into words how fun it is to play both of these lifestages. And not even to just play those lifestages directly but to play as a parent caring for their child was so immensely fun! Put them in the pram and walking them, playing with them, have the kids play on the treehouse and throw water at their parents from the top and also my fave item the costume chest. The water slide was also a proper size and not the size of a blue whale. The video recorder was also heaps of fun! Hopscotch! The new toys, the drawing tables for toddlers, there was just so much. Don't even get me started on the toddler walker and the playpen!!! Those 2 are my favourite items ever! The bunkbeds were finally added as well!
Sims 3 toddlers could go in a pram, walker, playpen, had a treehouse and played Hopscotch??? Oh my gosh, I had no idea.
I have a few of the games, but I can't run them on this computer Did all those items come in one particular pack? I hope we get an expansion pack like that for Sims 4 soon.
I don't understand why 6 years later there is still little to no content for them whatsoever. I installed TS3 a few days ago with Generations and some of the toddler items from the TS3 store. I cannot put into words how fun it is to play both of these lifestages. And not even to just play those lifestages directly but to play as a parent caring for their child was so immensely fun! Put them in the pram and walking them, playing with them, have the kids play on the treehouse and throw water at their parents from the top and also my fave item the costume chest. The water slide was also a proper size and not the size of a blue whale. The video recorder was also heaps of fun! Hopscotch! The new toys, the drawing tables for toddlers, there was just so much. Don't even get me started on the toddler walker and the playpen!!! Those 2 are my favourite items ever! The bunkbeds were finally added as well!
Sims 3 toddlers could go in a pram, walker, playpen, had a treehouse and played Hopscotch??? Oh my gosh, I had no idea.
I have a few of the games, but I can't run them on this computer Did all those items come in one particular pack? I hope we get an expansion pack like that for Sims 4 soon.
Yes! They make the game tonnes more fun!
The Pram, Hopscotch, and Treehouse were included in the Generations expansion pack. Have a look through this page to see why this is my favourite expansion for the sims ever! https://simsvip.com/sims-3-generations-guide/
I don't know, I was literally playing The Sims 2 and 3 just days ago, all packs for all games, yet I found that ALL games had a saddening amount of content for the younger life stages. I think Sims 4 is on a better track of making them more enjoyable and in-depth though.
I don't really consider myself a family player and rarely play generationally, but I love toddlers, they really did a great job with them, and Parenthood is either my second or 3rd favourite pack. But it's like after they spat out Toddler Stuff they went "Jobs done, lads! We don't have to listen to those annoying family players anymore!"
And I'm pretty sure Vampires had stuff for kids than Cats and Dogs did.
And while we are complaining, there needs to be more stuff for retired & elder sims to do & I think knitting is all we will see along those lines.
I don't know, I was literally playing The Sims 2 and 3 just days ago, all packs for all games, yet I found that ALL games had a saddening amount of content for the younger life stages. I think Sims 4 is on a better track of making them more enjoyable and in-depth though.
I think there is always room to improve however TS3 (not entirely sure about TS2) has a tonne more things to do for children and toddlers than TS4 does currently. Given the fact that TS3 lasted less than TS4 and has more children/toddler content is quite disappointing.
Comments
What teens need:
- More shenanigans/pranks/mischief
- Influencing others or dares.
- Autonomously runs away if neglected. A temporary event - existed in TS2 https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Running_away
- Even more extracurricular activities (arts & crafts, sports, catering, science club, chess club, book club etc.)
- Enroll in private school (children too. I also expected this to come with discover university for an additional scholarship)
- Outside school events. Science fairs anyone?... Teen bake sale, school bazaars...
Just a few things on top of my head.
For those who don’t want to click the link and read about teen runaways:
Absolutely this. It especially irks me that we never see other toddlers out with their families at parks.
The rest are fine, but I'd be seriously miffed if the game decided that the teen I'm playing (as part of the household) was going to run away for being "neglected" - based on the game's definition of neglected, rather than mine. I don't mind doing that specifically as part of a story, but if I can control the sim, whether or not they run away should be my choice, not the game's.
I should have mentioned that it’s a temporary thing. They eventually return. It was a feature in The Sims 2.
https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Running_away
Doesn't matter. I never played sims 2, but I would have been miffed about it then if I had. It's not like the cats and dogs running away, when I can't really control them anyway, nor is it like social services taking a kid away for neglect. What if my storyline is that they're sticking around to keep a younger kid safe, and running away, even temporarily, is significantly out of character for how I envision them?
I'm okay with little quirks and changes being out of my control, but running away is a big enough thing that it should be in my hands, not the game's. Just because a previous game did it does not mean it should make a comeback.
I just want to clarify with everyone that the running away is not only temporary, but also if they have negative relationships and no other relationships at all with anyone else.
“ A teen Sim can run away from the household in The Sims 2, when the particular teen has negative relationships with the other members of the household, and has few or no other friends. When a teen is preparing to leave, a message will pop up in the upper-right hand corner letting the player know. Then, the teen either walks or runs off of the lot. The memory associated with a teen running away is usually red but may also be green depending on the Sim and their relationship with the teen. While running away, a runaway icon will appear on their picture. Being gone does not affect things like school grades.”
> I would consider this event to be next to impossible if said teen is responsible with taking care of a child/toddler since their relationship will most likely be positive.
(I’ll add this to the original comment)
Okay so let's not be insulting. Obviously this is a priority for a lot of people so they have a right to feel concerned. Especially if they have been playing with better versions of toddlers and babies in the Sims for decades... The current S4 babies are equivalent to S1 babies.
As it is, there is no CC for babies. Maybe the odd crib here or there but you need to add a mod as well. I've personally practically exhausted the entirety of the internet's CC for toddlers and it is basically just varied recolors of the small, small small amount of clothing available by Maxis. That's not to mention that most people don't use CC in their games. So it therefore is not unreasonable as a consumer spending hundreds of dollars on these games to expect said game to perform as a better version of itself than previous iterations.
I recently heard that term too. As much as I hate to admit it, it was an apt description. I miss the complexity of previous iterations. I know the Gurus are trying. The recent survey tells me they know what we want. But in the whole of the Sims franchise (and I've played since the beginning of TS1), I've never heard the Guru's complain more about cost or the expense of animation than they do now. I've wondered if technology has advanced beyond their ability to keep up. There is a definite skew towards teen+ because that only requires one animation... smaller bodies would require a new animation and that would be too expensive, apparently.
In many ways, TS4 still feels bare bones. Past iterations haven't felt like that once enough packs came out. And it's a sad thing. I've loved Sims for 18+ years, and I'm still here supporting it. Heck, I played TSO which was terrible... and even I rejoined when they took a second crack at it. It's frustrating as a dedicated player, but I'm still holding out hope that they turn this around.
I'm glad we don't see toddlers out. Treat them like occults and lock them up say I.
Most millenials have kids and families though? I'm a millenial at 37 years old and all my friends and most family have kids lol.
Yeah, at this point the older members of Gen Z are moving into Young Adulthood. Millenials are moving into general adulthood.
Yes, we have this image that millennials are all in or just out of college, but that's the end cohort - I think it's generally 1980 to 2000?
Wow I'm so happy I'm not the only one who noticed this. They make it sound like creating an animation requires billions of dollars and the whole studio to work on.
2000 would be Gen Z. There's not really an official cut off, but for the most part it's recognized that the Gen Z generation started in no later than 1996. Basically anyone too young to remember the year 2000 new year. As for the start of it, it can start anywhere from 1977-1982 depending on the source, so yeah 1980 is right in the middle and approx right haha.
Sims 3 toddlers could go in a pram, walker, playpen, had a treehouse and played Hopscotch???
I have a few of the games, but I can't run them on this computer
Yes! They make the game tonnes more fun!
The Pram, Hopscotch, and Treehouse were included in the Generations expansion pack. Have a look through this page to see why this is my favourite expansion for the sims ever! https://simsvip.com/sims-3-generations-guide/
The playpen and walker were Sims 3 store items. https://store.thesims3.com/setsProductDetails.html?productId=OFB-SIM3:61770§ion=UpSell
And I'm pretty sure Vampires had stuff for kids than Cats and Dogs did.
And while we are complaining, there needs to be more stuff for retired & elder sims to do & I think knitting is all we will see along those lines.
I think there is always room to improve however TS3 (not entirely sure about TS2) has a tonne more things to do for children and toddlers than TS4 does currently. Given the fact that TS3 lasted less than TS4 and has more children/toddler content is quite disappointing.