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What is The Sims 4?
thatpinkcoconut
Posts: 187 Member
I believe one of the problems of The Sims 4 (and probably the franchise, in general) now is that it's already 7 years old, but it still hasn't fully decided whether it's a life simulation game (with real consequences as that of a "real" game) or a sandbox game (which is more like a tool for storytelling and freeform gameplay). This is one of the root causes of the issues that we are having right now in the game and many of its central mechanics.
While I think that it's (a bit of) both, it will never be balanced and settled in a way that caters to both playstyles equally. Hence the constant war between so many things like:
So what do you think? And, along with your choice, do you believe that it is the way The Sims 4 should be?
While I think that it's (a bit of) both, it will never be balanced and settled in a way that caters to both playstyles equally. Hence the constant war between so many things like:
- the intensity of the emotions to the gameplay (whether to make them stronger to really drive the gameplay or subtle to allow for freedom in storytelling);
- the availability of gameplay options on almost everything (embracing gameplay mechanics versus having the freedom to turn them on/off);
- and the unnecessary removal or addition of certain things that should've been added/left out in the first place for gameplay purposes (like the abrupt removal of vampire invasions because it was "too intrusive").
So what do you think? And, along with your choice, do you believe that it is the way The Sims 4 should be?
Post edited by thatpinkcoconut on
What is The Sims 4? 153 votes
Currently, The Sims 4 is more of a life simulation game.
4%
7 votes
Currently, The Sims 4 is more of a sandbox game.
33%
52 votes
Currently, The Sims 4 is a good blend of a life simulation and a sandbox game.
41%
63 votes
Currently, I'm dead inside.
20%
31 votes
2
Comments
As a sandbox/freeform player I need several mods to make Sims 4 work for me. A true sandbox game would be sandboxy without the need to introduce third party hacks.
Oh, that's an interesting way to look at it.
Sims 4 fails hard at simulating life. Easy examples of this are the walk-bys who should be at work or school show up. Someone posted a picture on Reddit the other day of a toddler assigned as a doctor. Adults call children in the game and invite them to go out. The cat calls to tell you they're sorry for your loss. Infants call to congratulate your ability to make a friend. None of those things would have ever happened in previous games. Sims 4 was designed to be a virtual chatroom with sims and houses. The game mechanics were added later and in under a year. That's why this game fails so hard to do the one job it has.
My opinion is that the development priorities have so far been focused in the wrong places. Live mode is in desperate need of improvements but instead they just keep on adding more and more items to build mode, I hope this might change at some point in the future.
Foxes that could randomly come by to ravage your crops? Opt-in. Requiring us to have ingredients to cook dishes? Opt-in. In my opinion, these things and similar things to them should be opt-out, not opt-in. They should be on by default. And I think it matters because it’s a question of why would I go out of my way to make the game harder for myself? Perhaps someone could clarify for me because I haven’t really done too much research on it — is there any advantage for me manually making the game harder? Do I, the player, or my Sims get anything extra for those lot challenges?
Until they add those nuances into the game by default, I would say the game is more so set up like a drama simulator. But again, it’s been tough for The Sims 4 because the devs have given multiple different answers on what genre The Sims 4 is. I do know one claimed that it’s a time management game, which is kind of bland to me. It should always embrace being a life simulator above all else.
Obviously I've given them basic story lines with careers etc, but the game has sort of taken on a life of it's own if that makes any sense?
It's slowly getting better, but so, very slowly. I hope that they are looking into ways that they can add more gameplay when they are designing packs in the sims4 if they want this game to continue for many more years, otherwise the sims4 will just be a big dollhouse in the end and people are gonna feel no difference living in a house in britain or egypt because the gameplay is the same.
Life Sims and Sandboxes are my favorite genres so, while I understand which debates you are referring to, I cannot really shake the feeling that it is not really a genre problem. More a playstyle problem. I play a number of other sandbox games, but I cannot really think of many that have players focusing on snapshot after snapshot of perfectly aligned positions and expressions.
Does it have aspects of RL? Sure ...... you can get a job, get married, create a large legacy, split up, have babies, pets, and die. But except for aging and dying of old age, none of those things happen without the player directing it to happen. You don't see your neighbors living their life in this life simulation game ..... they're not outside mowing the lawn, raking leaves, shoveling snow, kids aren't setting up lemonade stands in front of their house, you don't kids riding their bikes, playing tag with each other or hopscotch on the sidewalk, you don't see your neighbors having a fight on the front lawn, nobody is getting arrested, you don't see people moving in and moving out, nobody is in their backyards BBQ'ing or having graduation parties or baby showers. There aren't even graveyards or funerals. None of these things happen unless you, the player, creates those scenarios.
But, TS4 is awesome for storytellers and builders tho, because they don't have to worry about the game intruding on the story line they have in their head and the team has given builders great tools to be creative with (within the limitations that they set, because we still are stuck in a world they decided which we can't edit or modify and we are still forced to live in only the apartments in the worlds they decided.)
Although I do love to build and redecorate, I also feel that the game lacks actual gameplay and unique activities that encourage you to explore the different locations and try out different activities, and possibly inspire you to create those new story lines you want to pursue. For example, why do we always get the exact same type of community lots? (Bar, Lounge, Library, Restaurant, Cafe, Nightclub). Why doesn't the team create new and different types of venues, like movie theaters, grocery stores, arcades, etc. that sims can go to? Yes, I know we can sort of make these things ourselves, but it would be nice to have them actually be an official functioning lot without having to make everything a bar or restaurant to encourage NPCs to show up and actually use the stuff.
Instead they fill the world with a lot of fluff, create these beautiful environments that are nothing but something pretty to look at. Like they were so proud of the fact that they made interactions for the new town square buildings, seriously? My sim can "window shop", as in peek into a window, not actually shop, just "pretend" they are interested in what is inside. The store, is nothing but a dresser, your sim can change their clothes if you click on, why would I have my sim change or try on clothes in the middle of town? Are these different clothes than what is available in the dresser or closet at home?
No, the game doesn't simulate much life for me.
And I do agree with the others about how this version leans heavily into buld/buy (mostly buy because we hardly ever get new walls, floors, foundations), which I'm perfectly ok with that because decorating is one of my favorite things to do. But, it's mostly because this iteration does not inspire or excite me to actually play in live mode.
Sims 2 manages to balance life sim/sandbox perfectly. All of the previous sims games achieve a better balance. But they knew what they were and weren’t quite so woke and focused on looking good for shareholders.
Sims 4 is not a sandbox because it has checklists. So many checklists. It’s also without any significant consequence so it’s a very poor life simulator. The Sims has always been a game that has recognised players will explore failure states. The Sims Creator Will Wright acknowledged this- but the sims 4 fights you if you try and do anything negative. Anything perceived as negative is immediately squashed. I had a sim who recently cheated on his wife with five different women in front of her. One of whom was her sister. On paper it said she was mad as she had a negative sentiment but she was rolling whims to have more babies with him and she was automatically flirting with him. Her “anger” was always overridden by happy or inspired moodlets.
I had to imagine she was angry at him and force her to fight with him. I don’t have to do that in the previous games. A life sim should be about all different parts of life, not just sunshine and rainbows and happiness all the time.
In the beginning I felt that the better I got at playing the game, the more freedom I had to tell the story I wanted. The gameplay and sandbox help each other in that way. The only disadvantage is that it didn't take long to get good at the game.
I feel the answer is just don't separate these they should add to both equally.
storytelling is nothing without realism and realism is nothing without storytelling
and what comes to occults yes they should be a thing cause its a game and we can have more fun than in real life.
like sure i would love more negative happenings in my sims lives and sure it adds realism and storytelling so eh???
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For now, I like the direction the game is heading. My problem is I will have 39 packs installed on my computer and while it is still performing nicely, knock on wood, I'm not sure how many more I can load on...not including the soon to be released farm living pack.
Currently it is a sandbox game pretending to be life simulation. Whereas in previous versions, you could have a story in mind, then have it take twists and turns, in Sims 4, you have to imagine there's a story at all.
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