Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.

Sims 2 vs Sims 4

Comments

  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    edited September 2014
    Dan1el1996 wrote: »
    hmm ... I think it's a bit silly to compare The Sims 4 with The Sims 2, because TS2 is 10 years old and the technology was not quite like that is now!

    I know it's a bit stupid to compare TS4 with TS3, but it is the most natural to do!

    anyway I feel that TS2 is better than TS4, because to be 10 years old, I still play it!
    TS4 missing so much awesome features!
    Like pools, family tree, todlers, cars (work cars was awesome!!), and services! TS2 had charm, something TS4 is missing!

    I'm not saying TS4 was bad, but missing things to make it really fun!
    Of course comparing a sequel to the direct prequel is the obvious thing to do, but gameplay wise it isn't in this case.

    I know a lot of people were quite frustrated with Sims 3, because they didn't like the gameplay.
    Are those people completely happy with Sims 4 or do you think you will keep returning to Sims 2? And if so: why?
    'Charm' may be a bit vague. That feeling can so easily be caused by sheer nostalgia ;-)

    To me it just seems Sims 4 has all the features people liked about 2 (except for pools, toddlers and - indeed - cars), but with the advantages of a 2014 game.


    5JZ57S6.png
  • Stuart92Stuart92 Posts: 44 Member
    I know it's hard to leave Sims 3 out of this, but this topic is about the comparison 2 to 4.
    Why does Sims 2 win hands down in comparison to 4? (neighborhood screen isn't really about playing is it?; it's a tool)


    I think the neighbourhood screen is quite important, I want to place lots where ever I feel like it and customise the town.

    Other than that, simple things like cars taking them places, the terrains not being completely flat, being able call services like a repair man or gardener, burglars trying to steal your things, bringing home friends from home and school.

    The Sims 4 does have it's good points don't get me wrong, the multi-tasking is great in particular, but you can really feel how bare-bones they've made this game.

  • daltondougdaltondoug Posts: 618 Member
    Dan1el1996 wrote: »
    daltondoug wrote: »
    Dan1el1996 wrote: »
    hmm ... I think it's a bit silly to compare The Sims 4 with The Sims 2, because TS2 is 10 years old and the technology was not quite like that is now!

    I know it's a bit stupid to compare TS4 with TS3, but it is the most natural to do!

    anyway I feel that TS2 is better than TS4, because to be 10 years old, I still play it!
    TS4 missing so much awesome features!
    Like pools, family tree, todlers, cars (work cars was awesome!!), and services! TS2 had charm, something TS4 is missing!

    I'm not saying TS4 was bad, but missing things to make it really fun!

    I think the charm is there; it's just the features that are missing, lol

    No, let's just start with the pre-made families! TS2 had all named after their 'roots', but in TS4, they changed the name from Nighat Caliente (mother to Dina and Nina Caliente) to Katrina?

    I feel that the little things that gave TS2 charm is gone in TS4!

    those are things that can be changed or added.
    I could never change or add to sims 3.
  • AcidfairyyyAcidfairyyy Posts: 45 Member
    I absolutely get the TS2 feeling with TS4. I didn't really like TS3. I tried to like it, but the sims themselves felt lacking. There was plenty to do with EPs, but the sims themselves had no personality, which is what I play the game for. And there was too much realism.

    TS4 has gone back to its roots and I too believe that the 'charm' so many of us moaned about being missing from TS3 has returned. The sims are actually different and unique from each other now, and will respond to situations differently. The humour is back! And it runs lovely. My laptop that played Skyrim without a hiccup really did not like TS3, and the amount of mods I had to install and continually update just to stop the game from imploding upon itself was just too much work when all I really wanted to do was relax and play the game.

    In my opinion, Sims 3 was an anomaly in the series, and Sims 4 has returned the series to where, in my opinion, it should be.

    I'm 26, I've been playing the series since its inception in 2000; so many of my feelings and opinions are based on nostalgia. I have a feeling that newer players, those who began with TS3, may not take to this game as much. Which is fine! If everybody liked the same things then life would be boring.
  • daltondougdaltondoug Posts: 618 Member
    I absolutely get the TS2 feeling with TS4. I didn't really like TS3. I tried to like it, but the sims themselves felt lacking. There was plenty to do with EPs, but the sims themselves had no personality, which is what I play the game for. And there was too much realism.<br />
    <br />
    TS4 has gone back to its roots and I too believe that the 'charm' so many of us moaned about being missing from TS3 has returned. The sims are actually different and unique from each other now, and will respond to situations differently. The humour is back! And it runs lovely. My laptop that played Skyrim without a hiccup really did not like TS3, and the amount of mods I had to install and continually update just to stop the game from imploding upon itself was just too much work when all I really wanted to do was relax and play the game.<br />
    <br />
    In my opinion, Sims 3 was an anomaly in the series, and Sims 4 has returned the series to where, in my opinion, it should be.<br />
    <br />
    I'm 26, I've been playing the series since its inception in 2000; so many of my feelings and opinions are based on nostalgia. I have a feeling that newer players, those who began with TS3, may not take to this game as much. Which is fine! If everybody liked the same things then life would be boring.

    sims 3- focus on world
    sims 4 - focus on the sims
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited September 2014
    Being an avid player of TS2 for the last ten years, I'm going have to disagree. TS2 still rules. While comparing base to base, you must remember what amazed players from base to base.

    Coming from a 2D game into a 3D game of life simulated little people was amazing.
    Being able to create your own custom towns, as many as you wanted was amazing.
    TS2 offered real "For the First Time Ever" experiences. Not only in the animations, and multitasking but a much smoother AI than the toe tapping TS1 and it was obvious there were 'huge major improvements'...and ways to excite.

    Let's talk about community lots. No there was more to do in the base than three places. Someone forgot the amazing video store. Hadn't ever had anything like that in the TS1 though TS1's Vacation games were something to be missed, too.

    And the fact TS2 allowed the player to build as many community as they wanted with almost any type of object for their Sims to visit. This was 'new' in the TS2 when you compare it to the TS1. Something TS4 lacks btw.

    Simmers didn't have to 'designate' what type of lot it would be. No they could just build 'Anything' and they would come to the lot. In droves.

    At the time of the base, there was no restaurant so what did I do? I built a community lot with a fridge, and let my Sims serve others. Added to gameplay right there. No one was restricted by the game when it came to using their imagination. This was actually a 'new' way of playing the game. You could build 'almost' anything if the game allowed home objects to be placed on community lots.

    Comparing the TS2 to TS4 let's look at gameplay. Players were not given a set of rules to dictate how to do anything. No popups needed. TS4 goes beyond suggestive hints and tells the player do this five times, do that ten times etc. That's not sandbox.

    Emotions, TS2 is the most emotional Sim there is, because they don't depend on the moodlet system. Someone once said they have moodlets we just don't see them. Alright, then I would prefer not to know they are stacking or need to 'read' them etc.

    Sims career rewards in TS2 were mini marvels as I have said, they were objects you would want to unlock but you weren't made to do something over and over to unlock them. And they "helped" the Sim reach the top of the career faster if used properly (but fun to torture Sims with those) not after the fact.

    Skills made sense during a career if you made your Sim get a career. It makes sense someone in the medical field should have more cleaning points than say charisma. Right? Am I right?

    Sims in TS2 are still the most reactive Sims to any situation. You aren't going to cheat right in front of your spouse's face and not get your block knocked off. And yes, they also get depressed over it and cry. But maybe after the knock your head off, But they don't leave out the jealous outrage.

    The TS2 isn't linear, Nor does it make Sims for the fun of the player to use them as some sort of rpg collecting game. Those things are fine in the game like TSM, but does it really, really belong in The Sims for PC? I think those who love console games, know the answer. The Sims never had such things as collecting rocks and or flowers or whatever, those are side games for console games and we see in TS4 it's on overkill.

    They went down this road starting more with TS3, and finally landed on rpg planet with The Sims 4. Imho.

    The game to me isn't supposed to be 'me' finding ingredients, nor buying books from the bookshelf (?) what the heck is that about? Lazy man can't get out of the house? What is he a blob? Just buy the books from the book shelf. Hm...right....

    Got distracted, TS2 is the better 'Life Simulation' game compared to the TS4. The Sims 4 is a PC game brought to you courtesy of the Console.


    Corrected a word.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • LeGardePourpreLeGardePourpre Posts: 15,176 Member
    Please don't forget to compare TS2 basegame to TS4 basegame

    Even if TS4 is better, the base game of TS2 was less empty and limited.
  • daltondougdaltondoug Posts: 618 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    Being an avid player of TS2 for the last ten years, I'm going have to disagree. TS2 still rules. While comparing base to base, you must remember what amazed players from base to base.

    Coming from a 2D game into a 3D game of life simulated little people was amazing.
    Being able to create your own custom towns, as many as you wanted was amazing.
    TS2 offered real "For the First Time Ever" experiences. Not only in the animations, and multitasking but a much smoother AI than the toe tapping TS1 and it was obvious there were 'huge major improvements'...and ways to excite.

    Let's talk about community lots. No there was more to do in the base than three places. Someone forgot the amazing video store. Hadn't ever had anything like that in the TS1 though TS1's Vacation games were something to be missed, too.

    And the fact TS2 allowed the player to build as many community as they wanted with almost any type of object for their Sims to visit. This was 'new' in the TS2 when you compare it to the TS1. Something TS4 lacks btw.

    Simmers didn't have to 'designate' what type of lot it would be. No they could just build 'Anything' and they would come to the lot. In droves.

    At the time of the base, there was no restaurant so what did I do? I built a community lot with a fridge, and let my Sims serve others. Added to gameplay right there. No one was restricted by the game when it came to using their imagination. This was actually a 'new' way of playing the game. You could build 'almost' anything if the game allowed home objects to be placed on community lots.

    Comparing the TS2 to TS4 let's look at gameplay. Players were not given a set of rules to dictate how to do anything. No popups needed. TS4 goes beyond suggestive hints and tells the player do this five times, do that ten times etc. That's not sandbox.

    Emotions, TS2 is the most emotional Sim there is, because they don't depend on the moodlet system. Someone once said they have moodlets we just don't see them. Alright, then I would prefer not to know they are stacking or need to 'read' them etc.

    Sims career rewards in TS2 were mini marvels as I have said, they were objects you would want to unlock but you weren't made to do something over and over to unlock them. And they "helped" the Sim reach the top of the career faster if used properly (but fun to torture Sims with those) not after the fact.

    Skills made sense during a career if you made your Sim get a career. It makes sense someone in the medical field should have more cleaning points than say charisma. Right? Am I right?

    Sims in TS2 are still the most reactive Sims to any situation. You aren't going to cheat right in front of your spouse's face and not get your block knocked off. And yes, they also get depressed over it and cry. But maybe after the knock your head off, But they don't leave out the jealous outrage.

    The TS2 isn't linear, Nor does it make Sims for the fun of the player to use them as some sort of rpg collecting game. Those things are fine in the game like TSM, but does it really, really belong in The Sims for PC? I think those who love console games, know the answer. The Sims never had such things as collecting rocks and or flowers or whatever, those are side games for console games and we see in TS4 it's on overkill.

    They went down this road starting more with TS3, and finally landed on rpg planet with The Sims 4. Imho.

    The game to me isn't supposed to be 'me' finding ingredients, nor buying books from the bookshelf (?) what the heck is that about? Lazy man can't get out of the house? What is he a blob? Just buy the books from the book shelf. Hm...right....

    Got distracted, TS2 is the better 'Life Simulation' game compared to the TS4. The Sims 4 is a PC game brought to you courtesy of the Console.


    Corrected a word.

    While I agree with most of what you said, and I think I do for nostalgia's sake, still think sims 4 is going to the right direction. The rpgs elements are there because they took the wrong path with 3; I don't think most people even know how to begin to play without them. Also, I don't feel the game is linear at all. Not as you put it, tbh. In 3, I felt forced to go outside and visit the world. I don't feel that in 4.
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited September 2014
    I do mean linear but perhaps not the right word? when telling the Simmer 'make three Sims dislike you' Jump up and down ten times etc. Those type instructions. Never was in TS1 or TS2...wrong road...those things belong in the console game which I call busy work for the player of a console game since the console games were never the full version of the PC games.

    ETA: And if what you say is true, Daltondoug, 'most people don't know how to play without them' (rpg elements and instructions) then this game has really went off track with who 'did' buy their games. It wasn't the fanboys of console, it was the PC gamer. This is where I and EA part company, with this game right here. I was disappointed the TS3 had so much of that type of gameplay in it, but I 'could' ignore it...now we see it is in every step of any of the careers, the kid's homework, whatever, all the way down into the roots of these Sims' emotions. Not for PC imho.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • daltondougdaltondoug Posts: 618 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    I do mean linear but perhaps not the right word? when telling the Simmer 'make three Sims dislike you' Jump up and down ten times etc. Those type instructions. Never was in TS1 or TS2...wrong road...those things belong in the console game which I call busy work for the player of a console game since the console games were never the full version of the PC games.

    Yes, but the thing is that this has become something the casual player likes so much that I think it's justified. In my playstile, I would focus more on wants/whims, y'know? Making a sim want stuff seems much more real and like he has desires and all that. Still.. I try to be happy with what I have. 3 'wants' system was always weird. I could be without wants for hours. It was as if my sim was somehow empty
  • PancakeBobPancakeBob Posts: 75 Member
    you can't compare the sims 4 to that legendary game! B)
  • NoWayJose527NoWayJose527 Posts: 1,456 Member
    For me, Sims 3 was an absolute trainwreck. I tried to adapt. I really tried. But, the game play didn't fit my style. Now, Sims 2. There was a game. For my playing style, Sims 2 was about as perfect as it could get, and I would be playing it today instead of Sims 4 if it weren't for the improved CAS features. I loved everything about Sims 2. For me, even the base game was satifsying, although, of course, I loved the expansions and felt that each added important features to the game. Comparing base game 2 with base game 4 is difficult, really. Overall, I think my vote would go to Sims 2. Sims 4 is enjoyable, but as someone else mentioned, there are too many features missing. I'm not talking about things that came along later. I'm talking about features that should be part of the normal "life simulation" based around a life cycle spanning birth to death. I still find it incomprehensible that toddlers were omitted. That was my favorite stage. And, where are the cemeteries? I suppose we just simulate life until Grimmie shows up and then toss our dead sims into the garbage? I don't care for the career choices in Sims 4, and I'm still old-fashioned enough to want newspapers delivered to my door. I want clothing stores (I think Cold Issue was included in the Sims 2 base game, wasn't it?) I loved taking my Sims shopping, especially when they were shopping for a wedding. I'm all about realism in my simming. I feel Sims 2 had a far more realistic approach than Sims 4, so that's my main disappointment right now -- despite all the pre-release hype about it.
  • ProdigySimsProdigySims Posts: 2 New Member
    I love Sims 2 and I always will. It has a special place in my heart. Sims 4... not so much. I just don't like it. EA stopped trying. I even liked Sims 3, although not as much as Sims 2. Even if we're comparing base games, Sims 2 is still the best. You don't need custom content to make nice looking sims, I play on a Mac and it's hard to get cc for Sims 2 but I don't care. Sims 3 you do need cc to make good sims. Sims 4 does have nice graphics and you don't need CC either, but Sims 2 has much better gameplay, music and the graphics aren't that much worse than Sims 4's. Sims 2 ftw.
  • fullspiralfullspiral Posts: 14,717 Member
    I can't compare base to base as this is the only one of the series I have played base only. (I'm always late to the next series).

    But there's something very special about sims 2 sims that all the other series lack. Sims 4 is at least trying to get some of it back, even if they are missing the mark in many ways.
  • natashifiednatashified Posts: 3,314 Member
    Let's just say that I would sell the Sims 4 and every Sims 3 game I own for a new Sims 2 EP.

    Sims 2 for life.
  • CowPlantForHireCowPlantForHire Posts: 6,002 Member
    The Sims 2, of course! :)
    tumblr_msl1pmMPdd1sho68to1_400.gif
  • natashifiednatashified Posts: 3,314 Member
    If EA really wants to make money, then they would be working on reviving Sims 2 and not be making a Sims 5, or even continue working on Sims 4. Sims 2 holds a special place in a lot of peoples hearts.
  • JimilJimil Posts: 4,443 Member
    In Sims 2, we don't need that "Weirder Stories" to bring meaningful and fun gameplay or interactions.
  • xBob18xBob18 Posts: 7,893 Member
    TS2 FTW.
    oh3cjs.jpg
  • natashifiednatashified Posts: 3,314 Member
    edited January 2015
    In the Sims 2 I can make this

    cqDFyKN]cqDFyKN.png

    I cant do that in Sims 4
  • kingkong192kingkong192 Posts: 953 Member
    edited January 2015
    Sims 2 by a long shot, is this thread even neeeded?
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    You don't need custom content to make nice looking sims, I play on a Mac and it's hard to get cc for Sims 2 but I don't care. Sims 3 you do need cc to make good sims. Sims 4 does have nice graphics and you don't need CC either, but Sims 2 has much better gameplay, music and the graphics aren't that much worse than Sims 4's. Sims 2 ftw.
    I totally understand why people would prefer Sims 2 because that game focusses on interactions and sims, but their looks? I'm planning on playing the game, but first I'm going to check out if I can make them at least look like this:

    6222546_orig.png

    Not this:

    xoqq1x.jpg

    You definitely need cc in the game to make them look any good.
    And as for Sims 4: I'd love some real grass and I've seen some cc passing by that improves their looks tremendously.
    My Sims 3 game has always been vanilla and it probably always will. You may like the game or not but it certainly looks the best.
    5JZ57S6.png
  • ArchieonicArchieonic Posts: 1,040 Member
    TS2 is far, far superior. It set the bar as far as quality and balance and what a sequel should be. And yes, I'm comparing them base game to base game. I still remember how many hundreds of hours TS2 base game had me glued to my chair. It is quite telling for me that a game which did not particularly cater to my play style was able to do that, it means there's quality, something that seems long forgotten now.
  • ThetfordThetford Posts: 429 Member
    The Sims 4 has had me doing something that I haven't done for years, have that "just one more day" feeling, where I end up playing until about 5 or 6 in the morning, not noticing how time has passed.

    For me, 4 is more like 1 and 2, where you can essentiaĺly just drop in and play (as opposed to 3 where after getting a few EPs, you essentially have to reorganise the entire town and set up infrastructure before one can play without feeling something is missing, that is what killed 3 for me).
  • KrayzieStrykerKrayzieStryker Posts: 2,646 Member
    I never really stopped playing the Sims 2, i love the depth in Life Simulation and the details the Sims had, and thats why even though i really love the Open World from Sims 3 i still have the Sims 2 on my Pc. And so i hoped if Sims 4 is back with loading Screen maybe this would be as good, but sadly nope it isn't because they took so much content away for my playstyle. Not my Life Simulation anymore. I feel right now EA/ Maxis just thought they could make a easy money on this.... why do they think better emotions and more multitasking is enough to make the loss of so many content from Sims 2 to make up for it. The Gameplay from Sims 4 is just my we german says constructions site ^^ (meine Baustelle) meaning just not my game to enjoy.
Sign In or Register to comment.
Return to top