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Life by You vs. Sims 5 (Rene)? Rod Humble and Paradox's Life Simulation Game

simmeroriginsimmerorigin Posts: 1,370 Member
edited February 13 in Nominated Threads
Rod Humble, a former real-life Sims executive and Sims 2 NPC, is reportedly working on a life simulation game since 2018. For context, Paralives started development in the same year. The most publicly-available details of the project can be read in this excellent profile, though it is light on specifics.

A few days ago, Rod on Twitter [edit: his Twitter has been deactivated] announced he's going off social media for a few months to intensely work for an important time in the game. The tweet is here. The text is as follows:
Taking another break from social media & community my friends. Nothing bad, just clearing my mind to focus on an important time for the game.
I hope some of you will be future customers and my focus is on delivering a great game to serve you. Love you all, seeya in a few months.

I think he could be gearing up for a first announcement or teaser of the game. What do you guys think? I'm very excited.

Would you guys buy Sims 5, this new competitor, or both?

Edited to add:

Announcement Event
http://youtu.be/7zmUQfTodoE?t=7m23s

Announcement Trailer
https://youtu.be/U9c3WEYTJIU
He/him | Simmer since Sims 1 | Active Sims 2 wants-based rotational player, Sims 3 legacy player | My gameplay rules via PleasantSims | Bring back challenge and depth to the Sims: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17959464/#Comment_17959464
Post edited by EA_Solaire on

Comments

  • StrawberryYogurtStrawberryYogurt Posts: 2,799 Member
    Well if its anything like Sims 2 he definitely still has an audience
    The Sims has currently lost its identity. Bring it back for TS5

    FixedCoarseFawn-max-1mb.gif

    Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
  • simmeroriginsimmerorigin Posts: 1,370 Member
    Yep 100%. I really like that he has experience with both Sims 2 and Second Life. Great resume
    He/him | Simmer since Sims 1 | Active Sims 2 wants-based rotational player, Sims 3 legacy player | My gameplay rules via PleasantSims | Bring back challenge and depth to the Sims: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17959464/#Comment_17959464
  • Chicklet453681Chicklet453681 Posts: 2,431 Member
    I've been following him on twitter since I found out about the game, but I am also not obsessed with twitter and hardly ever log in, only when there's sims news, so I hadn't seen that tweet yet. I do know that sometime last year I think, he said in an interview that he would tell us more "soon", not years from now, but "soon" (or something to that effect).
  • StuffyMarxStuffyMarx Posts: 330 Member
    Now, if only he could get Will Wright to chuck a few ideas his way...
  • VeeDubVeeDub Posts: 1,862 Member
    Sounds like this project might be much more to my liking than any other new "life sim" type games I've heard about so far. Of course only time will tell, but I'll be keeping on eye on this one.
    FYI: Just because you can see my signature, don't assume that I can see yours.
    Because I can't; I keep all sigs turned off. ;)
  • logionlogion Posts: 4,712 Member
    edited January 2022
    Hopefully it's going well. I read that Paradox had to cancel a lot of projects because of budget cuts.
  • ChazzzyChazzzy Posts: 7,166 Member
    I need visuals to form my opinion.
  • ignominiusrexignominiusrex Posts: 2,680 Member
    You got my attention! I don't Twit, so glad to hear the news through this thread, thank you, and I hope you'll keep us updated.
    You can call me Iggy or Rex (he/him) 10 ways to Fight Hate
    ```
    wonderfullymade.jpg
  • Calico45Calico45 Posts: 2,038 Member
    And here I thought the Tectonic project was going to be one of causalities of the Paradox leadership change. They scraped so many unannounced titles and went back to basics, so I am kind of surprised it survived.

    Unless of course, it is close to fruition.
  • simmeroriginsimmerorigin Posts: 1,370 Member
    Yes I heard about some issues at Paradox! I'm glad this game is still saved. There are quite a few people working at the Tectonic studio from my quick search on LinkedIn. Fingers crossed we get a teaser within the next few months.
    Calico45 wrote: »
    And here I thought the Tectonic project was going to be one of causalities of the Paradox leadership change. They scraped so many unannounced titles and went back to basics, so I am kind of surprised it survived.

    Unless of course, it is close to fruition.

    He/him | Simmer since Sims 1 | Active Sims 2 wants-based rotational player, Sims 3 legacy player | My gameplay rules via PleasantSims | Bring back challenge and depth to the Sims: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17959464/#Comment_17959464
  • IvyeyedIvyeyed Posts: 358 Member
    Back in September, Paradox Tectonic had a job opening for a designer on an explicitly new IP that said:

    "Our ideal candidate brings with them a deep understanding of a diverse and predominately female PC gamer audience".

    Which to me makes it pretty clear that it is going to be some kind of competition for the Sims. Or at the very least that it's a game I'm gonna wanna keep an eye out for.

    Paradox has an event called PDXCon every year, usually in May.

    I expect an announcement before or during that. But that's just speculation.
    Sometimes I stream.

    This EA account is shared between two longtime roommates. The one most likely to be writing here is me, the taller of the roommates, whose opinions do not always represent the opinions of the shorter roommate.
  • simmeroriginsimmerorigin Posts: 1,370 Member
    edited January 2022
    Ivyeyed wrote: »
    Back in September, Paradox Tectonic had a job opening for a designer on an explicitly new IP that said:

    "Our ideal candidate brings with them a deep understanding of a diverse and predominately female PC gamer audience".

    Which to me makes it pretty clear that it is going to be some kind of competition for the Sims. Or at the very least that it's a game I'm gonna wanna keep an eye out for.

    Paradox has an event called PDXCon every year, usually in May.

    I expect an announcement before or during that. But that's just speculation.

    Thank you for contributing to this @Ivyeyed This is new information to me. The May convention links with Rod's tweet. I don't want to get my hopes up, but we could get a little teaser (or just a name reveal) during the event.
    He/him | Simmer since Sims 1 | Active Sims 2 wants-based rotational player, Sims 3 legacy player | My gameplay rules via PleasantSims | Bring back challenge and depth to the Sims: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17959464/#Comment_17959464
  • BenjamilianBenjamilian Posts: 395 Member
    From the titles, I'd guess 'Paralives' is about lives, while 'Tectonic Life Simulator' is about *life*. The former sounds simsy. The latter sounds like it could be the tale of evolution, plans, animals, people and beyond. A sort of Kerbal Humanity Program.
  • Chicklet453681Chicklet453681 Posts: 2,431 Member
    From the titles, I'd guess 'Paralives' is about lives, while 'Tectonic Life Simulator' is about *life*. The former sounds simsy. The latter sounds like it could be the tale of evolution, plans, animals, people and beyond. A sort of Kerbal Humanity Program.

    Paradox Tectonic is the game developer's studio name, not the name of the actual game. The game's name has not been revealed.
  • simmeroriginsimmerorigin Posts: 1,370 Member
    @EA_Cade Hello, can you please move this thread to The Sims Franchise Discussion? The title has been edited to correctly relate to being a potential Sims 5 competitor, thus being a discussion about the franchise itself. Equivalent threads about Paralives as it relates to the Sims also reside in that category. Thanks.
    He/him | Simmer since Sims 1 | Active Sims 2 wants-based rotational player, Sims 3 legacy player | My gameplay rules via PleasantSims | Bring back challenge and depth to the Sims: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17959464/#Comment_17959464
  • GemSixxGemSixx Posts: 144 Member

    I'm curious about this, but not as excited as I am about other life sim games. The reason why this one doesn't make me as excited as the others is simply because it's Paradox. I played Cities: Skylines for about 90-100 hours on Steam and another 100-200 hours on PS4. That was back when they only had 2-3 DLC. Since then they've added loads more DLC. I know some people love lots of DLC and have the money to buy it as soon as it comes out. I'm not one of those people. Every time they get ready to release yet another DLC, it will pop up in my discovery queue, and every time it does, I just hit ignore.

    In fact, C:S became the first game on Steam that I gave a negative review - mainly because of their excessive DLCs.

    I'm just going to copy/paste the last part of my C:S review. Mainly because I could say the same thing about EA and the Sims. In the first part of my review I said that they were no better than EA because they're trying to be just like EA.
    Why excessive dlcs are bad: It's like buying a frozen hamburger patty from a fast food place. Then having to pay more to have it cooked. Then pay more for the top bun and even more for the bottom bun. Then pay more for the ketchup, more for the mustard, and more for anything else you want. Not all together though, each thing you add costs you more. Then you have to pay for the wrapper unless you want it just thrown in the bag that you also paid extra for. Need a napkin? That'll cost you too.

    So, yeah, I have a feeling their life sim game would be the same way. I'd love to be proven wrong though.


    Completely done with EA

  • yoshi_dragur2012yoshi_dragur2012 Posts: 1,670 Member
    Rod Humble, a former real-life Sims executive and Sims 2 NPC, is reportedly working on a life simulation game since 2018. For context, Paralives started development in the same year. The most publicly-available details of the project can be read in this excellent profile, though it is light on specifics.

    A few days ago, Rod on Twitter - I encourage you to follow him and he follows simmers back! - announced he's going off social media for a few months to intensely work for an important time in the game. The tweet is here. The text is as follows:
    Taking another break from social media & community my friends. Nothing bad, just clearing my mind to focus on an important time for the game.
    I hope some of you will be future customers and my focus is on delivering a great game to serve you. Love you all, seeya in a few months.

    I think he could be gearing up for a first announcement or teaser of the game. What do you guys think? I'm very excited.

    Sigh. Had extremely high hopes for Paralives. Was aware of it, but hadn't been keeping tabs on the executive management specifics. Only cared for its potential to revolutionize the sim game space the way Cities Skylines replaced SimCity due to the fatal train wreck that was SC5.

    But now that I know who's responsible for this title, I'm very concerned. Humble was the major driving force behind Second Life aka The Sims Online on 'roid rage. And look at what befell both of these social media cesspools to date.

    Just based on all the aggressive marketing he'd approved of in SL, I can only shudder at what to expect from Paralives given the industry's new obsession with NFTs & cryptocurrencies. And at what point after release will Humble pull an Activision CoD lootbox scam? Claim Paralives was designed around supporting the single player experience on a single server. Then once the fan base/public pass the point where their playtime can't be refunded, flip a hidden multiplayer server switch. Which requires a persistent online connection that forces everyone to socialize with undesirable strangers. While having to endure the toxic oversaturation of loot box mechanics spiked with NFT/cryptocurrency micro transactions?
  • yoshi_dragur2012yoshi_dragur2012 Posts: 1,670 Member
    GemSixx wrote: »
    I'm curious about this, but not as excited as I am about other life sim games. The reason why this one doesn't make me as excited as the others is simply because it's Paradox. I played Cities: Skylines for about 90-100 hours on Steam and another 100-200 hours on PS4. That was back when they only had 2-3 DLC. Since then they've added loads more DLC. I know some people love lots of DLC and have the money to buy it as soon as it comes out. I'm not one of those people. Every time they get ready to release yet another DLC, it will pop up in my discovery queue, and every time it does, I just hit ignore.

    In fact, C:S became the first game on Steam that I gave a negative review - mainly because of their excessive DLCs.

    I'm just going to copy/paste the last part of my C:S review. Mainly because I could say the same thing about EA and the Sims. In the first part of my review I said that they were no better than EA because they're trying to be just like EA.
    Why excessive dlcs are bad: It's like buying a frozen hamburger patty from a fast food place. Then having to pay more to have it cooked. Then pay more for the top bun and even more for the bottom bun. Then pay more for the ketchup, more for the mustard, and more for anything else you want. Not all together though, each thing you add costs you more. Then you have to pay for the wrapper unless you want it just thrown in the bag that you also paid extra for. Need a napkin? That'll cost you too.

    So, yeah, I have a feeling their life sim game would be the same way. I'd love to be proven wrong though.

    Yeah I totally get your point. But my frustration from being screwed over with SC5 was the final straw. I vowed to NEVER return to world building any SC franchise ever again. Haven't looked back since. But was left very depressed with the void abandoning SC5 created. So C:S was an absolute lifesaver.

    Regarding the price: yes both number and cost of franchise DLC has exponentially exploded. But TBH, without these, the bare bones base game is a poor MVP product. Just like TS3 (and especially TS4) base games, you really need to get ALL the DLC packs.

    I basically waited until Steam's biggest sale markdown (which occurs at Christmas). That's when ALL the DLC expansion packs dropped by an affordable 50%. Ended up buying all of them then and haven't regretted it since. The hundreds of hours in invested in game time let me break even on that discounted cost a long time ago.
  • yoshi_dragur2012yoshi_dragur2012 Posts: 1,670 Member
    edited February 2022
    GemSixx wrote: »
    I'm curious about this, but not as excited as I am about other life sim games. The reason why this one doesn't make me as excited as the others is simply because it's Paradox. I played Cities: Skylines for about 90-100 hours on Steam and another 100-200 hours on PS4. That was back when they only had 2-3 DLC. Since then they've added loads more DLC. I know some people love lots of DLC and have the money to buy it as soon as it comes out. I'm not one of those people. Every time they get ready to release yet another DLC, it will pop up in my discovery queue, and every time it does, I just hit ignore.

    In fact, C:S became the first game on Steam that I gave a negative review - mainly because of their excessive DLCs.

    I'm just going to copy/paste the last part of my C:S review. Mainly because I could say the same thing about EA and the Sims. In the first part of my review I said that they were no better than EA because they're trying to be just like EA.
    Why excessive dlcs are bad: It's like buying a frozen hamburger patty from a fast food place. Then having to pay more to have it cooked. Then pay more for the top bun and even more for the bottom bun. Then pay more for the ketchup, more for the mustard, and more for anything else you want. Not all together though, each thing you add costs you more. Then you have to pay for the wrapper unless you want it just thrown in the bag that you also paid extra for. Need a napkin? That'll cost you too.

    So, yeah, I have a feeling their life sim game would be the same way. I'd love to be proven wrong though.

    Adding: Where I do draw a line on excessive DLCs is the perfect poster child known as TS4. IMO this has to be the one Sims franchise where your post is 100% true. This past holiday season, Steam actually extended the TS4 discounts well into the new year. It literally ends tomorrow in some 25 hours from now.

    https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222670/The_Sims_4/

    To put this in context: the entire TS4 collection is still currently heavily discounted by 50% on Steam. ALL the expansion packs and GPs are at 50% off. And over 90% of the stuff packs as well. Think only the Kits are still at regular price. But even after this insanely heavy discount (and former free to play base game promo that's since upgraded to $5 USD couple days ago) the ENTIRE cost of buying TS4 is still a WHOPPING $538.50.

    And that's before you add the $5.00 base game. Adding the discounted base game brings that up to $542 and change......

    Or the EA Play sub prices at $5.00 monthly or $30 for 12 months on EA Play<-- this 50% discount ends 12pm tomorrow btw

    IMO when a dev/producer thinks it's justified to release bitwise micro DLC the likes of Kits aka glorified SPs? (several of which couldn't hold a candle to a single GP). Then feel justified in charging inflated prices on 'roid rage for so little content. Especially when a dev/publisher thinks it's perfectly logical to release cutting room floor content from an Expansion (Cats & Dogs) as a STUFF PACK (My first pet stuff) for said expansion pack?? LOL.

    Yep. THAT's the purest definition of excessive DLC. :D
  • Chicklet453681Chicklet453681 Posts: 2,431 Member
    Sigh. Had extremely high hopes for Paralives. Was aware of it, but hadn't been keeping tabs on the executive management specifics. Only cared for its potential to revolutionize the sim game space the way Cities Skylines replaced SimCity due to the fatal train wreck that was SC5.

    But now that I know who's responsible for this title, I'm very concerned. Humble was the major driving force behind Second Life aka The Sims Online on 'roid rage. And look at what befell both of these social media cesspools to date.

    Rod Humble is not associated with Paralives in any way. The OP was making a statement about how both Rod Humble's upcoming game AND Paralives started development in 2018.

    Paralives is being made my a small Indie studio in Canada.
  • yoshi_dragur2012yoshi_dragur2012 Posts: 1,670 Member
    THANK YOU Chicklet453681! My earlier posts were the perfect example of what typical misinformation can do on the web.

    This is a HUGE relief on my end. Just hope this indie dev can do it justice the way Sims 1& 2 revolutionized and came to define the Sim space. TBH, The Sims is in dire need of a 2nd competitor in this space. It's about the only way the fanbase will see any innovation or desire to improve the franchise from EA's end.
  • GemSixxGemSixx Posts: 144 Member
    GemSixx wrote: »
    I'm curious about this, but not as excited as I am about other life sim games. The reason why this one doesn't make me as excited as the others is simply because it's Paradox. I played Cities: Skylines for about 90-100 hours on Steam and another 100-200 hours on PS4. That was back when they only had 2-3 DLC. Since then they've added loads more DLC. I know some people love lots of DLC and have the money to buy it as soon as it comes out. I'm not one of those people. Every time they get ready to release yet another DLC, it will pop up in my discovery queue, and every time it does, I just hit ignore.

    In fact, C:S became the first game on Steam that I gave a negative review - mainly because of their excessive DLCs.

    I'm just going to copy/paste the last part of my C:S review. Mainly because I could say the same thing about EA and the Sims. In the first part of my review I said that they were no better than EA because they're trying to be just like EA.
    Why excessive dlcs are bad: It's like buying a frozen hamburger patty from a fast food place. Then having to pay more to have it cooked. Then pay more for the top bun and even more for the bottom bun. Then pay more for the ketchup, more for the mustard, and more for anything else you want. Not all together though, each thing you add costs you more. Then you have to pay for the wrapper unless you want it just thrown in the bag that you also paid extra for. Need a napkin? That'll cost you too.

    So, yeah, I have a feeling their life sim game would be the same way. I'd love to be proven wrong though.

    Adding: Where I do draw a line on excessive DLCs is the perfect poster child known as TS4. IMO this has to be the one Sims franchise where your post is 100% true. This past holiday season, Steam actually extended the TS4 discounts well into the new year. It literally ends tomorrow in some 25 hours from now.

    https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222670/The_Sims_4/

    To put this in context: the entire TS4 collection is still currently heavily discounted by 50% on Steam. ALL the expansion packs and GPs are at 50% off. And over 90% of the stuff packs as well. Think only the Kits are still at regular price. But even after this insanely heavy discount (and former free to play base game promo that's since upgraded to $5 USD couple days ago) the ENTIRE cost of buying TS4 is still a WHOPPING $538.50.

    And that's before you add the $5.00 base game. Adding the discounted base game brings that up to $542 and change......

    Or the EA Play sub prices at $5.00 monthly or $30 for 12 months on EA Play<-- this 50% discount ends 12pm tomorrow btw

    IMO when a dev/producer thinks it's justified to release bitwise micro DLC the likes of Kits aka glorified SPs? (several of which couldn't hold a candle to a single GP). Then feel justified in charging inflated prices on 'roid rage for so little content. Especially when a dev/publisher thinks it's perfectly logical to release cutting room floor content from an Expansion (Cats & Dogs) as a STUFF PACK (My first pet stuff) for said expansion pack?? LOL.

    Yep. THAT's the purest definition of excessive DLC. :D

    Yeah, that my first pet stuff pack was pretty much the reason I stopped playing a few years ago. Just recently started playing again.

    I was also definitely thinking about EA when I wrote that review for C:S. Especially how they've broken so many packs into lots and lots of smaller packs. In Sims 3 they had a dlc with 3 vacation worlds. In 4 there's 3 vacation worlds in 3 different packs (if you count Batuu, which I don't really). In 3 they had a dlc with witches, werewolves, fairies, vampires, an occult career. If they do all that in 4, that will make 5 separate packs. I could go on, but you know what I mean. :)


    Completely done with EA

  • yoshi_dragur2012yoshi_dragur2012 Posts: 1,670 Member
    @Chicklet453681 could you also clarify for ppl who are Steam users (or non Origin/EA play users):

    1. Is Origin required to play once you've bought & installed game the first time? Or can Origin be disabled once you've verified your account the first time? (question stems from nightmare experience suffering PTSD from Securom and Launcher issues with TS3).

    2. Is a monthy/yearly sub mandatory for EA Play/Origin just to play the game? Steam only has these 2 options as subs. Is it required that TS4 players pay these subs just to access the content they PAID for??

    3. What about installing 3rd party mods from places like ATS3 & MTS? Won't Origin and a persistent online live access requirement interfere with ability for players to install mods? i.e. Can Origin be disabled once you launch the game/verify your account so game can be played offline in peace?

    Perhaps the most VIP:
    4. Do you really own all DLC content bought from Origin (or other places like Steam)? ie. If EA shut down Origin servers tomorrow, are Sims players facing a situation which befell Ubisoft Assassin Creed players? Or MS GFWL server. Where you lost 100% of all game progression AND installation access rights to the DLC you purchased

    Thanks for the feedback! :smiley:
  • LatinaBunnyLatinaBunny Posts: 4,666 Member
    Waiting for more actual gameplay to show up.
    ~*~Occult Family Player player~*~
    (She/her)
  • simmeroriginsimmerorigin Posts: 1,370 Member
    edited February 2022
    GemSixx wrote: »
    I'm curious about this, but not as excited as I am about other life sim games. The reason why this one doesn't make me as excited as the others is simply because it's Paradox. I played Cities: Skylines for about 90-100 hours on Steam and another 100-200 hours on PS4. That was back when they only had 2-3 DLC. Since then they've added loads more DLC. I know some people love lots of DLC and have the money to buy it as soon as it comes out. I'm not one of those people. Every time they get ready to release yet another DLC, it will pop up in my discovery queue, and every time it does, I just hit ignore.

    In fact, C:S became the first game on Steam that I gave a negative review - mainly because of their excessive DLCs.

    I'm just going to copy/paste the last part of my C:S review. Mainly because I could say the same thing about EA and the Sims. In the first part of my review I said that they were no better than EA because they're trying to be just like EA.
    Why excessive dlcs are bad: It's like buying a frozen hamburger patty from a fast food place. Then having to pay more to have it cooked. Then pay more for the top bun and even more for the bottom bun. Then pay more for the ketchup, more for the mustard, and more for anything else you want. Not all together though, each thing you add costs you more. Then you have to pay for the wrapper unless you want it just thrown in the bag that you also paid extra for. Need a napkin? That'll cost you too.

    So, yeah, I have a feeling their life sim game would be the same way. I'd love to be proven wrong though.

    @GemSixx
    I think that's fair. I don't love Skylines, so I'm cautious about this game.

    However, Crusader Kings is a game with elements that could translate really nicely to a Sims-style game. It's a grand strategy game with a lot of depth. Paradox really excels at that genre. Here is a gameplay overview if you are unfamiliar.
    He/him | Simmer since Sims 1 | Active Sims 2 wants-based rotational player, Sims 3 legacy player | My gameplay rules via PleasantSims | Bring back challenge and depth to the Sims: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17959464/#Comment_17959464

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