The community is no better or worse than other gaming communities. That is to say that it's pretty horrible. There are people who just cannot play nice with others, and who consider their hostility to be a virtue. That's the bad news.
The good news is that you don't just have to "deal with it". This particular forum has some excellent tools for self-moderating people who just cannot, or will not, play nice with others. I recommend making liberal use of the ignore feature to filter out bad actors, but also pairing it with limiting your discourse with any user to three rounds of exchange or less. Doing those things has kept my experience on the forums drama-free.
I also recommend turning notifications of replies or mentions off. You'll remember what you want to talk about, and that way you don't need to be notified every time someone goes into attack mode just because you like the "wrong" video game.
This community, like any gaming community, is generally what we make out of it. It just takes a little diligence on our own part to make sure that the experience here is the best possible.
As others said before, it's, unfortunately, neither new nor unusual nowadays.
It might be more obvious in the past few months because a lot of people are at home, already frustrated, stressed, angry at the world, and having more time on their hands than usual. It's also every time a pack comes out or is announced that the barrage of dissatisfaction rolls in.
The block, mute, ignore buttons (depending on the platform) are great at mitigating it from a personal perspective. As well as not walking into threads blindly and, away from the forum, not reading replies and comment sections in places like Twitter or YouTube. Sure, you might miss good people but sometimes it's better to stay away.
(and if you choose to look and read, do it when you can brace yourself for the inevitable anger and frustration)
I'm either immune to it, or I'm more selective with the topics I read. I find if a certain subject line piques my interest and it turns out to be little more than a slam-fest, I quietly leave that thread without a remark. We are all in danger of becoming too sensitized over matters. This whole notion of becoming offended if another person disagrees with your opinion is dangerous. We all like the Sims for various reasons and I'm certain my gameplay isn't like that of others altogether. I'm not into woohoo prior to the wedding arch and that sort of deal, whereas others find this perfectly acceptable. No skin off of my nose. Play the way it makes you happy. Keep the sniping to a minimum and remember we ALL have feelings. The person with the different opinion isn't hating on you, they are just seeing it from a different point-of-view. Neither is wrong. It's an opinion.
I found the community is only welcoming when you "tow the line." Voicing opinions is not toxic, but I see too many people using Sims 4 as a "safe space" crutch. So the actual toxic ones at least from first impression by myself are those that are not naysayers about the game and will accept anything given to them like it is gospel. It is the internet though, and I hardly pay those types any mind.
The whole yes men mentality just breeds toxicity onto gaming communities. It happened on Gaiaonline and is happening in the Sims community too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yes_Men
Why I never believe anyone who sides with any camp whether positive or negative because their opinions are often biased. It is much nicer in the wilderness with not having people turn every game suggestion into some political debate. I play the Sims to escape politics. Yes I want the Sims franchise to be inclusive but that is to represent Simmers as people and if they want to represent themselves as a supernatural, good for them.
Sims community stopped being a community when the yibSim movement happened. It has been going downhill since then.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
It's always worse when a new pack comes out and people get upset if it's not the pack they wanted. It does seem worse than it used to though.
Because we got fed up of having a poor game for 6 years. They had time to improve this game. In a 6 years old game we should be debating about having a Life In Space EP, not about having kids/elders activities, real babies/teens, complexe personalities, cars, bigger worlds etc.
The Sims community's toxicity is like a roller coaster. If there is a new pack or something big announced, there will be people who don't like or hate the pack and people who like or love the pack getting into arguments. Both opinions are valid, but some just don't like seeing opposing opinions.
At the other times, the community is mostly calm, sharing tips, experiences, stories ect. Though I'd do recommend avoiding The Sims' YouTube and Facebook comments as I can see mostly negativity...
Every community has toxic people, mainly due to anonymity of the Internet. I do admit that I have been toxic before, rarely intentionally and most of the time unintentionally.
I don't think the community is too toxic. I think that the fans do tend to have unrealistic expectations, and that this often leads to people being disappointed. But of the three Sims forums I've participated in (the official forum when Sims 3 was current, this one, and the Reddit sub) this one is the friendliest and the least likely to attack you for having a different opinion. Everyone seems to have a pretty laid back, "we may disagree but that's ok" attitude here. There are of course exceptions, but I appreciate the acceptance for different views here.
I will say, out of all of the gaming communities I hover around, The Sims is the one that feels like more people stick around long after they stop playing out of loathing. World of Warcraft would probably be a close second. “I haven’t played the game in 2 years because it’s so bad,” says active forum goer. “This version is the best and if you disagree, you’re a liar!!”
Can we not just spend time on what makes us happy?
I will say, out of all of the gaming communities I hover around, The Sims is the one that feels like more people stick around long after they stop playing out of loathing. World of Warcraft would probably be a close second. “I haven’t played the game in 2 years because it’s so bad,” says active forum goer. “This version is the best and if you disagree, you’re a liar!!”
Can we not just spend time on what makes us happy?
You know, with a lot of this stuff I do think often of the sort on the Blizzard forums who talks about how they haven't played in a decade while making 30 posts a day.
I will say, out of all of the gaming communities I hover around, The Sims is the one that feels like more people stick around long after they stop playing out of loathing. World of Warcraft would probably be a close second. “I haven’t played the game in 2 years because it’s so bad,” says active forum goer. “This version is the best and if you disagree, you’re a liar!!”
Can we not just spend time on what makes us happy?
I have my problems with the sims 4 but I don’t understand posting about a game you haven’t played or bought anything for for years.
I think it's sad that people feel they need to react the way they do sometimes. The anonymity of being online just makes their base behavior a lot worse. What kind of hatred must these people feel towards themselves to lash out so hard?
"Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!" -Auntie Mame
It's always worse when a new pack comes out and people get upset if it's not the pack they wanted. It does seem worse than it used to though.
I agree. I think it's worse though because those simmers have been waiting a long time for specific game changes and with each new pack release they become more disappointed and frustrated.
Expectation is undiscovered disappointment. One cannot hinge one's happiness on what isn't so, and may never be so - particularly if one is not in a position to make it so. And harassing the dev team, with whatever intention, will not make it so any sooner.
It's always worse when a new pack comes out and people get upset if it's not the pack they wanted. It does seem worse than it used to though.
I agree. I think it's worse though because those simmers have been waiting a long time for specific game changes and with each new pack release they become more disappointed and frustrated.
Yeah, I agree, too. At the same time, I don't think people are being unreasonable for expressing their disappointment, either...
I think new concepts are needed for the series, but I also feel as if it'd be wise if the developers started working on The Sims with the thought process of what the game could really benefit from more above all else. For instance, people have been criticizing Sims in TS4 for 6 whole years now. Why not work on a TS2: Freetime-inspired expansion pack which adds things like hobbies, interests, new skills, and more of the sort? I'd imagine the same pack could even repurpose whims and rewards as well as make improvements to emotions. I think that would have been well-received by fans.
For the record, I don't think Eco-Living is necessarily a bad idea, but I think for the slow rate they're pushing out packs, a pack with such a narrow scope isn't really desirable. I hope they continue to flesh out the idea of worlds evolving with our own Sim's involvements, but I think they really need to branch out from such specific themes in packs.
It's always worse when a new pack comes out and people get upset if it's not the pack they wanted. It does seem worse than it used to though.
Because we got fed up of having a poor game for 6 years. They had time to improve this game. In a 6 years old game we should be debating about having a Life In Space EP, not about having kids/elders activities, real babies/teens, complexe personalities, cars, bigger worlds etc.
I don't think anyone has a problem with people expressing disapointment, I know I don't! They only get frustrated with blanket statements. Saying "the game is terrible, no one wanted this" type thing when they both want it and think it's a great game. It's frustrating having someone else speak for you, ESPECIALLY when what they say isn't true of your opinion. If people said "I don't like the game... I think it's terrible... I didn't want this" then by all means, they are welcome to complain as much as they want and it wouldn't be nearly as toxic around here imo. (And this goes both ways. Saying "This is what EVERYONE wanted, thanks!" when a lot of people didn't want it, is just as bad. )
Because we got fed up of having a poor game for 6 years. They had time to improve this game.
Well, nobody has forced you to spend 6 yrs playing a poor game. That's a long time to spend on something if it is so poor, in your opinion. Why would you do that to yourself?
Yes, they did have all that time to make improvements to your liking. But the thing is, they don't make things just for you, or one particular group of players. Trying to satisfy everybody is moot in my personal opinion, and the consequence will inevitably be that some will feel left out and not listened to. If it's not group A who are dissatisfied, it'll be group B and soforth. A neverending circle and Mission Impossible. I don't see that there is anything we can do about it aside from voicing our opinions and wishes, and then hope that we are heard. But I really think it's more a question of asking oneself for how long you are willing to exist in this vacuum of misery. I wouldn't count on Maxis/EA to bring about your delivery from all this frustration. What can be might not always be. Ultimately, we don't get a say in what is done with Sims 4. Your best bet, in my opinion, is to figure out if it's time to move on and try to find satisfaction elsewhere. Or try to focus on what is good about the game and decide if it's worth your time.
Just trying to be of help here.
Origin ID: Nindigo79
A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear
Time enjoyed is never time wasted
Also, the game has been improved over 6 years. I know not everyone is concerned with gender fluidity options, but they are absolutely a godsend for me. Who doesn't love TS4 toddlers? They are amazingly well-realized. All the moaning over the anniversary reward, but it was new base game content, for free. Really, I think people are looking for reason to complain. I don't spend money on packs that don't interest me, and that is, frankly, most of them. I have a rich, deep, engaging tribe of little Sims just living their little hearts out. Little glitches, or "I wish there were more of X" doesn't spoil it for me. If it did, I'd have to seriously rethink my emotional investment in something merely meant to entertain.
Expectation is undiscovered disappointment. One cannot hinge one's happiness on what isn't so, and may never be so - particularly if one is not in a position to make it so. And harassing the dev team, with whatever intention, will not make it so any sooner.
While that's true, I don't think that's always what's happening here.
First, the developers have always welcomed and even encouraged criticism as long as it's constructive. I think there are some people (certainly not all!) who don't seem to know what constructive criticism is, or who don't want to take that much emotional responsibility for themselves so they come off as snarky and bitter most of the time. Some of these people are unfortunately some of the "loudest" and most consistent. And when you have other players who do have well-voiced criticism that is not rude or insulting, and are added to the noise, it can seem overwhelming. Still though, it isn't fair to lump together all those who have something "negative" to say, because some of them have some interesting insights as to what could improve the game in general.
Second, the Sims 4 is a game currently still in development. This means that there is always a chance, even a small one, that voicing your opinion can make a difference in future content for this game. Every player, even the ones who are less than satisfied, who spend money on this game and continue to play it, have every right to voice their feedback and say what they like or don't like about current content or features. This game is very expensive in the long run. No one should be silenced just to spare the hurt feelings of triple A game developers who they are purchasing a product from. Again, as long as that feedback is not abusive and insulting and remains constructive and informative, it absolutely deserves to be heard.
Third, it doesn't help at all that EA keeps a tight leash on information. Some people have been asking for certain things for almost six years now. If players could get a direct answer as to whether something is currently in development, on the list to revisit, or is definitely not coming, then they could take that honest information at face value and make decisions from there. But EA being a billion dollar company, I think realizes that it would possibly risk losing customers, so their profits are "safer" by stringing players along. Add to that that oftentimes the devs themselves don't even know if certain content is definitely possible or will ever be made and don't want to give a misleading answer, and you have a formula for player frustration.
Negative threads usually come and go in waves with new content. The bulk of them tend to be in the Feedback and Speculation sections, with spurts in the pack sections when something new comes out. Every forum user has the capability of navigating which threads they read. It is quite possible to stay away from most negative threads and enjoy your excitement for new content with others in the proper celebratory threads. Sure, you'll have the occasional critical or negative post here and there, but it will feel much less overbearing. However, if you choose to go into threads that are obviously negative and you already disagree, that is going to be at your own discretion, and you can't blame others for the comments therein upsetting you.
Despite the fact that I tend to leave my own share of criticism about the game, I do think the forums are a bit nicer when the negative posts are more merged and contained. And I think the best way to have that is to allow those people the right to have their complaining threads so they can freely discuss what's bothering them.
Well, did they announce or even hint at bunk-beds for University? No. Did we get them? No. Did people act as though they had rounded up war orphans to face a firing squad when we didn't get bunk beds? Yes.
The devs know there's a demand. Apparently, bunk beds are unusually tricky with this engine. We won't hear a peep about them from the Gurus until they have made them work, and found the pack to feature them (perhaps Discover Prison - that would be a surprise!).
Someone out there has this Platonic ideal of a kids' room they are simply aching to give their Sims, and it all hinges on the bunk beds, I know. But anticipation is fatal to happiness. Enjoy what is, now, here in the present.
I miss my werewolves. I'd love to see new and better ones in TS4. But I am content with the Sims I have, and prepared to be excited if my woofy bois make the cut someday. I won't be disappointed because we get Discover Prison first.
Comments
The good news is that you don't just have to "deal with it". This particular forum has some excellent tools for self-moderating people who just cannot, or will not, play nice with others. I recommend making liberal use of the ignore feature to filter out bad actors, but also pairing it with limiting your discourse with any user to three rounds of exchange or less. Doing those things has kept my experience on the forums drama-free.
I also recommend turning notifications of replies or mentions off. You'll remember what you want to talk about, and that way you don't need to be notified every time someone goes into attack mode just because you like the "wrong" video game.
This community, like any gaming community, is generally what we make out of it. It just takes a little diligence on our own part to make sure that the experience here is the best possible.
It might be more obvious in the past few months because a lot of people are at home, already frustrated, stressed, angry at the world, and having more time on their hands than usual. It's also every time a pack comes out or is announced that the barrage of dissatisfaction rolls in.
The block, mute, ignore buttons (depending on the platform) are great at mitigating it from a personal perspective. As well as not walking into threads blindly and, away from the forum, not reading replies and comment sections in places like Twitter or YouTube. Sure, you might miss good people but sometimes it's better to stay away.
(and if you choose to look and read, do it when you can brace yourself for the inevitable anger and frustration)
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
https://forums.thesims.com/en_us/discussion/696166/how-do-you-feel-about-the-yibsims
http://modthesims.info/t/510461
The whole yes men mentality just breeds toxicity onto gaming communities. It happened on Gaiaonline and is happening in the Sims community too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yes_Men
Why I never believe anyone who sides with any camp whether positive or negative because their opinions are often biased. It is much nicer in the wilderness with not having people turn every game suggestion into some political debate. I play the Sims to escape politics. Yes I want the Sims franchise to be inclusive but that is to represent Simmers as people and if they want to represent themselves as a supernatural, good for them.
Sims community stopped being a community when the yibSim movement happened. It has been going downhill since then.
Because we got fed up of having a poor game for 6 years. They had time to improve this game. In a 6 years old game we should be debating about having a Life In Space EP, not about having kids/elders activities, real babies/teens, complexe personalities, cars, bigger worlds etc.
At the other times, the community is mostly calm, sharing tips, experiences, stories ect. Though I'd do recommend avoiding The Sims' YouTube and Facebook comments as I can see mostly negativity...
Every community has toxic people, mainly due to anonymity of the Internet. I do admit that I have been toxic before, rarely intentionally and most of the time unintentionally.
Repose en paix mamie tu va me manquer :
1923-2016 mamie
Can we not just spend time on what makes us happy?
You know, with a lot of this stuff I do think often of the sort on the Blizzard forums who talks about how they haven't played in a decade while making 30 posts a day.
I have my problems with the sims 4 but I don’t understand posting about a game you haven’t played or bought anything for for years.
I agree. I think it's worse though because those simmers have been waiting a long time for specific game changes and with each new pack release they become more disappointed and frustrated.
Yeah, I agree, too. At the same time, I don't think people are being unreasonable for expressing their disappointment, either...
I think new concepts are needed for the series, but I also feel as if it'd be wise if the developers started working on The Sims with the thought process of what the game could really benefit from more above all else. For instance, people have been criticizing Sims in TS4 for 6 whole years now. Why not work on a TS2: Freetime-inspired expansion pack which adds things like hobbies, interests, new skills, and more of the sort? I'd imagine the same pack could even repurpose whims and rewards as well as make improvements to emotions. I think that would have been well-received by fans.
For the record, I don't think Eco-Living is necessarily a bad idea, but I think for the slow rate they're pushing out packs, a pack with such a narrow scope isn't really desirable. I hope they continue to flesh out the idea of worlds evolving with our own Sim's involvements, but I think they really need to branch out from such specific themes in packs.
I don't think anyone has a problem with people expressing disapointment, I know I don't! They only get frustrated with blanket statements. Saying "the game is terrible, no one wanted this" type thing when they both want it and think it's a great game. It's frustrating having someone else speak for you, ESPECIALLY when what they say isn't true of your opinion. If people said "I don't like the game... I think it's terrible... I didn't want this" then by all means, they are welcome to complain as much as they want and it wouldn't be nearly as toxic around here imo. (And this goes both ways. Saying "This is what EVERYONE wanted, thanks!" when a lot of people didn't want it, is just as bad. )
Yes, they did have all that time to make improvements to your liking. But the thing is, they don't make things just for you, or one particular group of players. Trying to satisfy everybody is moot in my personal opinion, and the consequence will inevitably be that some will feel left out and not listened to. If it's not group A who are dissatisfied, it'll be group B and soforth. A neverending circle and Mission Impossible. I don't see that there is anything we can do about it aside from voicing our opinions and wishes, and then hope that we are heard. But I really think it's more a question of asking oneself for how long you are willing to exist in this vacuum of misery. I wouldn't count on Maxis/EA to bring about your delivery from all this frustration. What can be might not always be. Ultimately, we don't get a say in what is done with Sims 4. Your best bet, in my opinion, is to figure out if it's time to move on and try to find satisfaction elsewhere. Or try to focus on what is good about the game and decide if it's worth your time.
Just trying to be of help here.
A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear
Time enjoyed is never time wasted
While that's true, I don't think that's always what's happening here.
First, the developers have always welcomed and even encouraged criticism as long as it's constructive. I think there are some people (certainly not all!) who don't seem to know what constructive criticism is, or who don't want to take that much emotional responsibility for themselves so they come off as snarky and bitter most of the time. Some of these people are unfortunately some of the "loudest" and most consistent. And when you have other players who do have well-voiced criticism that is not rude or insulting, and are added to the noise, it can seem overwhelming. Still though, it isn't fair to lump together all those who have something "negative" to say, because some of them have some interesting insights as to what could improve the game in general.
Second, the Sims 4 is a game currently still in development. This means that there is always a chance, even a small one, that voicing your opinion can make a difference in future content for this game. Every player, even the ones who are less than satisfied, who spend money on this game and continue to play it, have every right to voice their feedback and say what they like or don't like about current content or features. This game is very expensive in the long run. No one should be silenced just to spare the hurt feelings of triple A game developers who they are purchasing a product from. Again, as long as that feedback is not abusive and insulting and remains constructive and informative, it absolutely deserves to be heard.
Third, it doesn't help at all that EA keeps a tight leash on information. Some people have been asking for certain things for almost six years now. If players could get a direct answer as to whether something is currently in development, on the list to revisit, or is definitely not coming, then they could take that honest information at face value and make decisions from there. But EA being a billion dollar company, I think realizes that it would possibly risk losing customers, so their profits are "safer" by stringing players along. Add to that that oftentimes the devs themselves don't even know if certain content is definitely possible or will ever be made and don't want to give a misleading answer, and you have a formula for player frustration.
Negative threads usually come and go in waves with new content. The bulk of them tend to be in the Feedback and Speculation sections, with spurts in the pack sections when something new comes out. Every forum user has the capability of navigating which threads they read. It is quite possible to stay away from most negative threads and enjoy your excitement for new content with others in the proper celebratory threads. Sure, you'll have the occasional critical or negative post here and there, but it will feel much less overbearing. However, if you choose to go into threads that are obviously negative and you already disagree, that is going to be at your own discretion, and you can't blame others for the comments therein upsetting you.
Despite the fact that I tend to leave my own share of criticism about the game, I do think the forums are a bit nicer when the negative posts are more merged and contained. And I think the best way to have that is to allow those people the right to have their complaining threads so they can freely discuss what's bothering them.
The devs know there's a demand. Apparently, bunk beds are unusually tricky with this engine. We won't hear a peep about them from the Gurus until they have made them work, and found the pack to feature them (perhaps Discover Prison - that would be a surprise!).
Someone out there has this Platonic ideal of a kids' room they are simply aching to give their Sims, and it all hinges on the bunk beds, I know. But anticipation is fatal to happiness. Enjoy what is, now, here in the present.
I miss my werewolves. I'd love to see new and better ones in TS4. But I am content with the Sims I have, and prepared to be excited if my woofy bois make the cut someday. I won't be disappointed because we get Discover Prison first.