First of all, that wasn't even a "2 Day Trail" downloading it took forever . Played for a while and went to bed, worked all day and it said I had 26 hours to play when I initially only played for 5 hours . I didn't need two days to see that I really just don't like it . What really bothered me was the Camera, I absolutely hated the Camera rotations, angles, everything about it even switching to Sims 3 camera did nothing . I get maybe the sales for the game aren't quite there, but if you guys I don't know maybe pushed back your release date and gave us a FINISHED game you probably wouldn't be struggling with a mountain of complaints and trying to get more players by doing a 2 day trial. Secondly, that's just astonishing how you thought it was okay to have the background/backdrop of the neighborhood look like an empty hole, the blue daytime hue looks like it's swallowing the neighborhood I didn't like the nothing-mess of the cutoff of the neighborhood. Only innovative thought I'll give this game is the Styled Room, I couldn't even creative my traditional house I've been making since Sims 2 . It was difficult for me building and creating a sim, the pull and drag wasn't working they way I needed. Lastly, the Sims are so out of touch with each other . I let them roam for 15 minutes didn't once my husband and wife talked to each other, if the baby cried and woke them up they didn't tend to the baby at all . I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't step in social services would've . I leave my sims alone in Sims 3 I don't have to worry about a fussy baby or a loveless relationship . They rather watch tv or be on their phones, I understand you want to make it close to life as possible but FYI not all families are like that . I found myself so bored, that I went back to playing the Sims 3. Which is the best Sims game, y'all ever made . I feel like going to work, throwing a party, and school is a task, I rather skill up than to make sure my sim is inspired or whatever emotion. I really don't want to talk negative cause I do want to see a Sims 5. But I really want to know, if you ALL thought releasing the game that it would be better than S1, S2, and S3. I'm sure you knew, taking out what made Sims 3 so good would rattle up a bunch of people . This is something, I can't see being Undone . You created something, that doesn't look fixable . Hopefully with the sake of an expansion pack, it might save this empty game .
I installed it last Friday, and only played for 9 hours, and my GameTime has expired so I wasn't even able to play for the 48 hours, since the clock runs from the very moment you start the game... I'm sorry if I didn't have time to play Sims 4 for 48 hours straight...
Well let's all give a round of applause for those new to Sims 4 despite its falws and are trying out the game trial for their bravery in trying to seek the truth and for constructing their own opinions and beliefs.
I was tempted to, but ultimately I didn't try it on the basis of principle. I disagree with the direction EA is heading with Sims 4, although I love the look of the new sims.
After spending the weekend trying to get my Sims trial to work (As I was experiencing 2 Game Time errors which I mentioned previously and how I fixed it) I was able to play the game! I played possibly 8 hours out of my 48 hour trial (Its hard to fit it in around work etc)
:) WHAT I LIKED :) - You can edit the sims to look similar to you and your friends, it's uncanny and at the same time very amusing! -The emotions are brilliant and add realism to the game e.g. It was funny when my sim beat another sim in a fight as the sim that lost was feeling 'Dazed' for 2 days after! -More details added to the game again add more realism and humour e.g. falling asleep in the bath, paintings giving emotional auras and being expressive when painting, dying of laughter and embarrassment, crying out your emotions in bed or hiding from embarrassment, channel surfing. -Conversations are now much more interesting in the sims as there are more options which keeps the experience fresh. It all flows very naturally as real conversation would, even the way they now sit on the side of the bed whilst taking. -I love the added "Bro" trait where it allowed you to do things such as give bro hugs! -The babies are more realistic in how they cry and interact, details like a pregnancy test is added. -There are plenty of sims in commercial lots so your sim never feels lonely e.g. Being at the bar was filled with sims drinking and talking to one another. -The Build/Buy Mode is brilliant! The search bar and way things are organized makes buying and item so much quicker and therefore more enjoyable. -Multi tasking is fantastic in this, it feels more realistic seeing the sim watch TV whilst eating breakfast and speaking to another sim. You even paint or workout whilst watching TV. Your sim can talk to another sim whilst they are cooking. Brilliant. This makes socializing so much easier.
:( WHAT I DISLIKED :( -I was told by staff that the EA studio was working on the Game Time errors however it would of been good if they had stated this in the forum so other people didn't have to contact Origin. They did eventually do this, but it took a few days to post this. -I was experiencing an error for most of the play where my sims couldn't cook anything although I would still be charged each time I selected an item. It would only let them make cereal, juice, yogurt, chips, milk. However the bug stopped towards the end. -There is no colour wheel to edit the sim's hair colour to make it more accurate. -Rotating the camera so it may turn around was awkward and slow (would be better if there was a keyboard short cut) and I miss having the option to tilt the camera so I can have more control over what I see. -I do miss the open world however I understand why things needed to be changed as we get benefits in other ways. Although the towns do feel a lot smaller and look more like a blue print. -I do miss features such as toddlers, fire/police/hospital services, memories, however I understand these may be added in future expansion packs.
OVERALL IMPRESSION =D I think it was very kind of EA to let us play the Sims 4 for free and we were given plenty of time to get a feel for what the game is like. I really enjoyed the experienced and it was filled with laughter. The Sims 4 gives us a unique game with added realism and does feel like a step forward. There are indeed many things missing from the previous sim games, however I understand to add new features you have to take away others. I am excited to find out what the new expansion pack will give us and the much awaited release of the Sims 4 on a Mac format.
I just want to add congratulations on the 15th Anniversary of the Sims games. I have been playing the Sims since the original games came out and its been great to watch it grow and experience this creative game. I hope it continues to succeed.
I tried the free trial via Game time..I am so happy that Origin provided this. I have been very unsure about trying TS4, because of the negative reviews by fellow simmers. I for one, was happy with the game. Just wish I had more time to play to explore more, but I did enjoy the sim animations/interactions..they were quirky, which reminded me of TS2, which I had missed in TS3. The main thing I didn't like about TS4, was the limited world. I couldn't believe the lack of lots, homes, community lots. I understand it was scaled down to make the game run better, which it ran splendidly, but the neighborhood was just bare bones, in my humble opinion. My sims actually made me chuckle a couple times, especially when my gourmet chef sim was cooking, she put the mixing bowl on the counter, and a sneeze came upon her..she sneezed into the bowl, gasped, looked around to see if anyone saw, and mixed the sneeze in!! Gross, but funny. Love the little surprises in the game..this is what has kept me a sim fan since the beginning of TS2.
So, is there anyone here who wasn't going to buy the game, but will now that they have tried it for free?
I won't, at least until it goes down in price. That and when there are game play features I want back into the game.
Yeah I wanted to buy it on Boxing Day since it was $50, but I'm glad I didn't. I think there are some really cool new features, and is a fun game to play, but the price isn't worth it to me. I will wait until it goes down to at least $30 or $20, like when the Sims 3 went down after a year or two.
I don't really have a lot of time to play it anyways, so I'll just wait, however for now, I'll just play Sims 3
So what am I supposed to do if I bought the game last year and the Game Time version shows up on my Origin Client.. Like it did yesterday? Explain that..
My sims actually made me chuckle a couple times, especially when my gourmet chef sim was cooking, she put the mixing bowl on the counter, and a sneeze came upon her..she sneezed into the bowl, gasped, looked around to see if anyone saw, and mixed the sneeze in!! Gross, but funny. Love the little surprises in the game..this is what has kept me a sim fan since the beginning of TS2.
OMG, I'd forgotten about that. I didn't have a gross sneezing sim, though, but the "serial ear picker." He kept digging his finger in his ear, checking out the earwax, then mixing the garden salad with his hands!! I spent the entire time going, "STOP THAT!! STOOOOP!!! NOOOO!!!!!" Then I watched/cringed in horror as the rest of the household ate the salad. Afterwards, everyone got the "poor tasting meal" moodlet (or whatever they're called now in TS4). Poor tasting meal? No kidding! I practically hurled watching them eat it.
Too expensive, bad camera controls, limited neighborhood, and Sims 3 so much better and fun and still a lot of challenge for me. What I do like are the walls are taller, the decor stunning, the whole look of the graphics are soft and appealing to the eye. The Sims are interesting and I love the animations and multi-tasking they can do now. But I won't spend my money on it until it gets much, much cheaper.
This might be quite long winded, it's my opinion of everything got to do with TS4. I've thought these things for a while but now having had a chance to play the game I think I can give fairer feedback on this game in total.
Let me start by telling you a bit about my experience with Sims games.
-I'm in my mid twenties and I've been playing Sims since 2007. I started with TS2 PS2 games and loved them all. From there I went on to TS3. Fell in love with it completely. I loved the freedom of the full PC game compared to the Playstation games.
-I've bought every single EP, most of which I bought when they were released ( Generations, Seasons and Uni are my faves) and nearly every SP ( didn't buy Katy Perry Sweet Treats, I'm not 7). I also have a ton of store content including all store worlds ( Lunar Lakes is my fave) and most store venues.
-Since starting with TS3 I have also bought TS2, Sims medieval and have been looking into buying TS1 out of curiosity and to have a complete collection. I am a very loyal customer and don't mind spending money on things I think will be fun. While some of the TS3 store stuff may have been underwhelming, others were lovely and added a lot to the game and I'm glad I have them.
-When TS4 was announced I wasn't super excited about it. I still have a lot of things to do in TS3 so I didn't feel I needed a new game just yet. In the back of my mind though I knew I'd probably buy it, especially if it had new features that would make TS3 look basic and old.
-Last summer as more and more information was released about the game I knew I wouldn't be buying it. It seemed every piece of information released about the game told us about more and more features that had been removed from the game. I heard very little information about things that had been added and are new.
-I heard a lot about emotions... these are not new. If you had seen my poor coward sim in TS3 the day she met Bonehilda you would know that emotions were alive and well in The Sims long before TS4.
-I was disappointed that I would be left out of the next chapter of The Sims. I loved being around when everyone was speculating about new TS3 content and getting excited coming up to releases. Once the last TS3 game was released I was sad because I knew I wouldn't be having that excitement for the next generation. I didn't want to dislike TS4, it could have been great. From the information though I knew it wouldn't be great at all.
-I tried the CAS demo ( I was clearly one of the super special royalty who got it early. That whole thing was handled terribly by the way, so divisive, so mean on those who were excited about the game but weren't 'special' enough to get it early.) I found the lack of CAST a major challenge and a huge step back from TS3. I never knew how much I used it until I couldn't anymore. I also found dragging and pulling facial features too difficult, especially on a laptop mouse. I played for about half an hour then uninstalled it ( while others were still crying out for it).
-I had my opinion of the game before playing it, I had no intention of buying it at all. I think a lot of things have been handled very badly by the dev team.
Announcements on Twitter and other social media ( you only have 140 characters on Twitter to make announcements when you have your own forum to make those announcements with as much detail as you want).
Divisive CAS demo release. Handled terribly and no need for it.
Closing down the TS3 forums 'temporarily' and forcing everybody to go to a new forum. I've lost contact with a lot of good friends from this because a lot of people left the forums when this happened. It really hurt what was a busy community and there was no need for it.
Removing very basic features of the game, including less content for a higher price. Not advancing the game at all in any way. Maybe open worlds were laggy and tough on some computers but that was 2009 when they were made. 5 years later devs should be able to figure out how to make open worlds work rather than just taking it out. Removal of features stank of laziness and money grabbing.
- Some things were handled well by the team though.
Adding important content in free patches is a start to make amends for all that was missing in the base game.
- I think this game has caused a lot of upset and dissatisfaction among some very loyal fans and I really hope that this thread is read, listened to and taken on board.
- I played the game tonight. A lot of what I knew I didn't like was confirmed, none of it was a surprise.
I knew I'd hate lack of CAST, loading screens, the animation of the game, the closed world, the weird blurry too bright backdrops, the useless emotions, everything that's been complained about from the start. These came as no surprise to me, I was prepared for them.
I didn't realise I'd hate build mode so much, the layout of the UI is all over the place, some stuff stuck up in the top corner, others shoved in the bottom corner. None of it flows and I found building anything normal looking to be very difficult.
I didn't know how intrusive instructions at the beginning of the game would be. In TS3 they were up in the top corner, you could opt out of them if you wanted. Here there was no option to get rid of them at all. Every time I took a screenshot I'd get a pop up. Between instructions, screenshot pop ups, skill pop ups and loading screens I had a very interrupted game play. Just as I was getting into a conversation with two sims, something would interrupt it.
I knew clipping was bad but I had no idea it was that bad!! WOW! I don't think I went longer than five minutes without sims clipping into each other, into fridges, anything really. I know in most computer games there will be an element of clipping but come on, this is ridiculous.
I didn't know how hard it was to get relationships up and going. You're chatting away to somebody and then one gets uncomfortable so no longer likes jokes. Or if I don't have loads of conversation queued up, as soon as they finish one interaction, the sims wander off and play with their phones. Even if it's somebody they're close to that they're talking to.
- It would be unfair of me to list only negatives so while I was playing I was also looking for things I like. This was quite difficult I'm not gona lie.
Kids are cute. They have cute voices and cute outfits. My little girl giggled in her sleep and this was adorable. Devs have clearly spent a lot of time thinking about cute interactions for kids. This makes it even stranger that toddlers and babies are who neglected in the game.. very odd.
- I'm glad I got a chance to play this game and to know once and for all that it is deffo not for me, at all. In fact I felt old playing this game. It was very silly, the animations and interactions were very silly and childish to be honest ( greeting your husband with a hip bump??? really? ). It's a shame devs chose to alienate loyal customers by making it so silly.
tldr
Long time simmer, loyal customer. Hate things taken out of game. Too much of a step back.
Played game, still hate things I knew I'd hate. Hate more stuff now though. Kids are nice though.
Game makes me feel old, left out.
For those people who have encountered the issue in Game Time where it says your time as prematurely expired, please contact an advisor at help.ea.com/contact-us. We collating as much information on the issue as possible so that we can work on the fix.
Thank you.
SimGuruBChick Infinite Diversity, Infinite Combinations
Thanks to 06bon06 for my lovely new signature pic
I live in Maine, so I was able to play the game all day yesterday while the blizzard dumped over 2' of snow on my house. Thank you EA for the opportunity to do so for free. :D
First, I want to say that I LOVE the Sims franchise and have been playing since a few weeks after TS1 came out.
I learned about TS1 by word of mouth. A lot of my friends were talking about it and urging me to try it (I wasn't a gamer). I was so amazed by it that at the age of 30, it was the 1st computer game I ever bought. I also bought every expansion.
The trailer for TS2 blew me away! Pregnancy! More life stages (that actually aged)! Genetics! I anticipated it like a child does for Santa at Christmas and bought it the same day it came out. It didn't disappoint me. I played Pleasantview first and when the camera zoomed in and spun around the sailboat and over the town my heart soared. I loved everything about it. I never got bored with it and felt it was complete without expansions. The expansions just added to what was already there. I was so happy with the game that I couldn't bear not to have everything that came out for it and bought it all. This is still my favorite iteration.
I also anticipated TS3 and counted the days till it came out! Open world! EVERYTHING customizable! On release, I not only bought it, but I took a week's vacation so I could play it day and night nonstop (yes, I had no life then). I wasn't disappointed by this game either. Although, I didn't like all the little things they took out of live mode that made the Sims so charming, I was enthralled by CAS and the open world. At first, I bought all the expansions, but as much as I hated to, I had to start picking and choosing because every new one made my game slower and brought new bugs that were NEVER fixed. This was when I became annoyed with EA and started to think that they mostly cared about money, not quality. Thank God for Twallen or I wouldn't have been able to enjoy my game. I think it's extremely SHAMEFUL that modders have to fix most things that Ea breaks. I rarely bought anything from the store and then only on sale because I think items were overpriced.
When I first heard that TS4 was coming out I was ecstatic, and searched constantly for any news about it, but almost none was forthcoming. Then when EA actually started talking about the game, it seemed like all they kept mentioning was taking out features that I loved. I began slowly to grow more and more disappointed by what was being said and less excited about the game. I thought about, for the first time, not buying a Sims game. I also grew angry when EA only sent the demo to a select few. I grew even more disappointed when I saw the live mode. The build mode, though, looked so amazing that I started to grow excited about the game again, until EA didn't let reviewers see it before release. I decided then to read player reviews before buying it , and was glad I did because most of my playing style seemed to be gone (family, legacy, storymaker, sandbox). I even told my husband not to buy it for Christmas which was heartbreaking for me.
Now that I have told you my thoughts on previous games and why I didn't buy TS4, I will write about my impressions on playing it myself.
I actually liked it more than I thought I would and had fun playing it, but didn't love it. With all the other Sims base games I would totally lose track of time. I would be starving before I realized 10 or 12 hours had gone by. Then after I ate I would play until I couldn't keep my eyes open. Even when I was doing something else, like work (hence, the vacation), I would think about the game and what I would do with my Sims when I got home.
With TS4 I didn't lose track of time, and even stopped for a while to play card games. While I was far from bored yesterday, I wasn't totally immersed either, and can see myself easily getting bored within a short period of time. I would give it a C+ grade. Now I'll go into more details about what I liked and disliked the most.
I really like the cartoony graphics and look of the Sims themselves. I also liked the new CAS once I got used to it. I HATED the lack of colors in clothing and the way things didn't match, such as finding a skirt and top I liked but not being able to wear them together. Also, shades of colors didn't match so I couldn't put a shirt and skirt on and pretend it was a dress. I don't understand why a palette of several colors couldn't have been included, with different colorways on clothing (and furniture) so we could at least have a little customization.
I also hate the way we have less traits and don't understand why they were taken away. I would much rather pick all traits in CAS instead of developing them in game. Makes me feel like I have to play a certain way to get that trait (takes away from sandbox play). I missed having favorites (music, color, etc.). They would have worked really well with emotions, such as being happy when their favorite meals are served.
Although, I liked the emotions, they need a lot of tweaking. Sometimes they are too much and sometimes not enough. I also hated that they changed so quickly. I felt like they were all bi-polar. I also want to mention that I hate the way relationships are formed, especially the romantic ones. For example, I worked very hard to create a loving couple in a monogamous relationship. Then I played another family and when I came back, they are romancing someone else. WTH! EVERYONE in town is having a romantic relationship with EVERYONE else! You can't even have gay and straight couples! This is GAMEBREAKING for me!
Since this post is way too long (sorry), and my husband is nagging me to come to bed (LOL) I'll start talking only about gamebreaking points
No family tree! This is GAMEBREAKING! A lot of family players say not having toddlers is the breaking point for them. While I was EXTREMELY upset by not having them, I could get by. What makes no family tree even worse is that we can't record Sims in any way (not even a portrait), so all ancestors are lost and forgotten.
The other GAMEBREAKER is that I found the game too linear. You're not only told what to do but how to do it. For example, to have a good date I was told how and when to kiss someone. In TS2 you can have a "dream date" doing what you want. You can spend the whole time being casual with a little flirting, or go hot and heavy and makeout the whole date. I can do what I want! I don't think dating came in the TS2 base game, but I wanted to use it for an example because the dating in TS4 bothered me. Also, in jobs inTS2 you're told you need a certain amount of creative skill. You can do it any way you want instead of being told how. These are just a few examples of linear play.
Even though my post is mostly negative, I do like the game, but it's average.
I will NOT buy the game unless my GAMEBREAKING points are patched in for free and the price goes down. Although, I doubt that the game can become less linear so I have little hope.
Again, I'm sorry that this post is too long and thank you again for letting me play! :D
I was starting to like how the Sims' were more lively until my Sim proposed to her boyfriend after she had a baby. They were not living together...he said no. It was funny when he slapped the ring out of her hand and she cried. But then she died from being mortified. I knew from the videos before launch that Sims' could die from laughter and stuff. But after playing, NO! I don't like it.
If that was removed or could be turned off, babies improved from just objects, and toddlers added then maybe I could consider it when it went on sale.
Was my previous comment sent or should I type it again? I have a problem when I try to start the game the screen goes entirely black and I just hear the music and the sound of some laughing sims. Trying to restart the game several times hasn't helped me at all and my gametime already started running. Is there anything I can do?
Was my previous comment sent or should I type it again? I have a problem when I try to start the game the screen goes entirely black and I just hear the music and the sound of some laughing sims. Trying to restart the game several times hasn't helped me at all and my gametime already started running. Is there anything I can do?
@AmberStalenhoef post on @SimGuruBChick wall-click her name for the link. Leave her a message and she will do her best to help you. Good luck
You go on a date with a sim and Sims always crowd around both of your sims and join in on your date. That's annoying, I'd like Sims to be friendly like that when i'm not on a "date".
Comments
Secondly, that's just astonishing how you thought it was okay to have the background/backdrop of the neighborhood look like an empty hole, the blue daytime hue looks like it's swallowing the neighborhood I didn't like the nothing-mess of the cutoff of the neighborhood. Only innovative thought I'll give this game is the Styled Room, I couldn't even creative my traditional house I've been making since Sims 2 . It was difficult for me building and creating a sim, the pull and drag wasn't working they way I needed.
Lastly, the Sims are so out of touch with each other . I let them roam for 15 minutes didn't once my husband and wife talked to each other, if the baby cried and woke them up they didn't tend to the baby at all . I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't step in social services would've . I leave my sims alone in Sims 3 I don't have to worry about a fussy baby or a loveless relationship . They rather watch tv or be on their phones, I understand you want to make it close to life as possible but FYI not all families are like that . I found myself so bored, that I went back to playing the Sims 3. Which is the best Sims game, y'all ever made . I feel like going to work, throwing a party, and school is a task, I rather skill up than to make sure my sim is inspired or whatever emotion. I really don't want to talk negative cause I do want to see a Sims 5. But I really want to know, if you ALL thought releasing the game that it would be better than S1, S2, and S3. I'm sure you knew, taking out what made Sims 3 so good would rattle up a bunch of people . This is something, I can't see being Undone . You created something, that doesn't look fixable . Hopefully with the sake of an expansion pack, it might save this empty game .
:) WHAT I LIKED :)
- You can edit the sims to look similar to you and your friends, it's uncanny and at the same time very amusing!
-The emotions are brilliant and add realism to the game e.g. It was funny when my sim beat another sim in a fight as the sim that lost was feeling 'Dazed' for 2 days after!
-More details added to the game again add more realism and humour e.g. falling asleep in the bath, paintings giving emotional auras and being expressive when painting, dying of laughter and embarrassment, crying out your emotions in bed or hiding from embarrassment, channel surfing.
-Conversations are now much more interesting in the sims as there are more options which keeps the experience fresh. It all flows very naturally as real conversation would, even the way they now sit on the side of the bed whilst taking.
-I love the added "Bro" trait where it allowed you to do things such as give bro hugs!
-The babies are more realistic in how they cry and interact, details like a pregnancy test is added.
-There are plenty of sims in commercial lots so your sim never feels lonely e.g. Being at the bar was filled with sims drinking and talking to one another.
-The Build/Buy Mode is brilliant! The search bar and way things are organized makes buying and item so much quicker and therefore more enjoyable.
-Multi tasking is fantastic in this, it feels more realistic seeing the sim watch TV whilst eating breakfast and speaking to another sim. You even paint or workout whilst watching TV. Your sim can talk to another sim whilst they are cooking. Brilliant. This makes socializing so much easier.
:( WHAT I DISLIKED :(
-I was told by staff that the EA studio was working on the Game Time errors however it would of been good if they had stated this in the forum so other people didn't have to contact Origin. They did eventually do this, but it took a few days to post this.
-I was experiencing an error for most of the play where my sims couldn't cook anything although I would still be charged each time I selected an item. It would only let them make cereal, juice, yogurt, chips, milk. However the bug stopped towards the end.
-There is no colour wheel to edit the sim's hair colour to make it more accurate.
-Rotating the camera so it may turn around was awkward and slow (would be better if there was a keyboard short cut) and I miss having the option to tilt the camera so I can have more control over what I see.
-I do miss the open world however I understand why things needed to be changed as we get benefits in other ways. Although the towns do feel a lot smaller and look more like a blue print.
-I do miss features such as toddlers, fire/police/hospital services, memories, however I understand these may be added in future expansion packs.
OVERALL IMPRESSION =D
I think it was very kind of EA to let us play the Sims 4 for free and we were given plenty of time to get a feel for what the game is like. I really enjoyed the experienced and it was filled with laughter. The Sims 4 gives us a unique game with added realism and does feel like a step forward. There are indeed many things missing from the previous sim games, however I understand to add new features you have to take away others. I am excited to find out what the new expansion pack will give us and the much awaited release of the Sims 4 on a Mac format.
I just want to add congratulations on the 15th Anniversary of the Sims games. I have been playing the Sims since the original games came out and its been great to watch it grow and experience this creative game. I hope it continues to succeed.
Yeah I wanted to buy it on Boxing Day since it was $50, but I'm glad I didn't. I think there are some really cool new features, and is a fun game to play, but the price isn't worth it to me. I will wait until it goes down to at least $30 or $20, like when the Sims 3 went down after a year or two.
I don't really have a lot of time to play it anyways, so I'll just wait, however for now, I'll just play Sims 3
OMG, I'd forgotten about that. I didn't have a gross sneezing sim, though, but the "serial ear picker." He kept digging his finger in his ear, checking out the earwax, then mixing the garden salad with his hands!! I spent the entire time going, "STOP THAT!! STOOOOP!!! NOOOO!!!!!" Then I watched/cringed in horror as the rest of the household ate the salad. Afterwards, everyone got the "poor tasting meal" moodlet (or whatever they're called now in TS4). Poor tasting meal? No kidding! I practically hurled watching them eat it.
Not sure if anyone has answered this, but yes, you can bulldoze lots. There is a guide here on how to do that.
Infinite Diversity, Infinite Combinations
Thanks to 06bon06 for my lovely new signature pic
Let me start by telling you a bit about my experience with Sims games.
-I'm in my mid twenties and I've been playing Sims since 2007. I started with TS2 PS2 games and loved them all. From there I went on to TS3. Fell in love with it completely. I loved the freedom of the full PC game compared to the Playstation games.
-I've bought every single EP, most of which I bought when they were released ( Generations, Seasons and Uni are my faves) and nearly every SP ( didn't buy Katy Perry Sweet Treats, I'm not 7). I also have a ton of store content including all store worlds ( Lunar Lakes is my fave) and most store venues.
-Since starting with TS3 I have also bought TS2, Sims medieval and have been looking into buying TS1 out of curiosity and to have a complete collection. I am a very loyal customer and don't mind spending money on things I think will be fun. While some of the TS3 store stuff may have been underwhelming, others were lovely and added a lot to the game and I'm glad I have them.
-When TS4 was announced I wasn't super excited about it. I still have a lot of things to do in TS3 so I didn't feel I needed a new game just yet. In the back of my mind though I knew I'd probably buy it, especially if it had new features that would make TS3 look basic and old.
-Last summer as more and more information was released about the game I knew I wouldn't be buying it. It seemed every piece of information released about the game told us about more and more features that had been removed from the game. I heard very little information about things that had been added and are new.
-I heard a lot about emotions... these are not new. If you had seen my poor coward sim in TS3 the day she met Bonehilda you would know that emotions were alive and well in The Sims long before TS4.
-I was disappointed that I would be left out of the next chapter of The Sims. I loved being around when everyone was speculating about new TS3 content and getting excited coming up to releases. Once the last TS3 game was released I was sad because I knew I wouldn't be having that excitement for the next generation. I didn't want to dislike TS4, it could have been great. From the information though I knew it wouldn't be great at all.
-I tried the CAS demo ( I was clearly one of the super special royalty who got it early. That whole thing was handled terribly by the way, so divisive, so mean on those who were excited about the game but weren't 'special' enough to get it early.) I found the lack of CAST a major challenge and a huge step back from TS3. I never knew how much I used it until I couldn't anymore. I also found dragging and pulling facial features too difficult, especially on a laptop mouse. I played for about half an hour then uninstalled it ( while others were still crying out for it).
-I had my opinion of the game before playing it, I had no intention of buying it at all. I think a lot of things have been handled very badly by the dev team.
Announcements on Twitter and other social media ( you only have 140 characters on Twitter to make announcements when you have your own forum to make those announcements with as much detail as you want).
Divisive CAS demo release. Handled terribly and no need for it.
Closing down the TS3 forums 'temporarily' and forcing everybody to go to a new forum. I've lost contact with a lot of good friends from this because a lot of people left the forums when this happened. It really hurt what was a busy community and there was no need for it.
Removing very basic features of the game, including less content for a higher price. Not advancing the game at all in any way. Maybe open worlds were laggy and tough on some computers but that was 2009 when they were made. 5 years later devs should be able to figure out how to make open worlds work rather than just taking it out. Removal of features stank of laziness and money grabbing.
- Some things were handled well by the team though.
Adding important content in free patches is a start to make amends for all that was missing in the base game.
- I think this game has caused a lot of upset and dissatisfaction among some very loyal fans and I really hope that this thread is read, listened to and taken on board.
- I played the game tonight. A lot of what I knew I didn't like was confirmed, none of it was a surprise.
I knew I'd hate lack of CAST, loading screens, the animation of the game, the closed world, the weird blurry too bright backdrops, the useless emotions, everything that's been complained about from the start. These came as no surprise to me, I was prepared for them.
I didn't realise I'd hate build mode so much, the layout of the UI is all over the place, some stuff stuck up in the top corner, others shoved in the bottom corner. None of it flows and I found building anything normal looking to be very difficult.
I didn't know how intrusive instructions at the beginning of the game would be. In TS3 they were up in the top corner, you could opt out of them if you wanted. Here there was no option to get rid of them at all. Every time I took a screenshot I'd get a pop up. Between instructions, screenshot pop ups, skill pop ups and loading screens I had a very interrupted game play. Just as I was getting into a conversation with two sims, something would interrupt it.
I knew clipping was bad but I had no idea it was that bad!! WOW! I don't think I went longer than five minutes without sims clipping into each other, into fridges, anything really. I know in most computer games there will be an element of clipping but come on, this is ridiculous.
I didn't know how hard it was to get relationships up and going. You're chatting away to somebody and then one gets uncomfortable so no longer likes jokes. Or if I don't have loads of conversation queued up, as soon as they finish one interaction, the sims wander off and play with their phones. Even if it's somebody they're close to that they're talking to.
- It would be unfair of me to list only negatives so while I was playing I was also looking for things I like. This was quite difficult I'm not gona lie.
Kids are cute. They have cute voices and cute outfits. My little girl giggled in her sleep and this was adorable. Devs have clearly spent a lot of time thinking about cute interactions for kids. This makes it even stranger that toddlers and babies are who neglected in the game.. very odd.
- I'm glad I got a chance to play this game and to know once and for all that it is deffo not for me, at all. In fact I felt old playing this game. It was very silly, the animations and interactions were very silly and childish to be honest ( greeting your husband with a hip bump??? really? ). It's a shame devs chose to alienate loyal customers by making it so silly.
tldr
Long time simmer, loyal customer. Hate things taken out of game. Too much of a step back.
Played game, still hate things I knew I'd hate. Hate more stuff now though. Kids are nice though.
Game makes me feel old, left out.
edited for spelling mistakes.
Thanks!
Thank you.
Infinite Diversity, Infinite Combinations
Thanks to 06bon06 for my lovely new signature pic
First, I want to say that I LOVE the Sims franchise and have been playing since a few weeks after TS1 came out.
I learned about TS1 by word of mouth. A lot of my friends were talking about it and urging me to try it (I wasn't a gamer). I was so amazed by it that at the age of 30, it was the 1st computer game I ever bought. I also bought every expansion.
The trailer for TS2 blew me away! Pregnancy! More life stages (that actually aged)! Genetics! I anticipated it like a child does for Santa at Christmas and bought it the same day it came out. It didn't disappoint me. I played Pleasantview first and when the camera zoomed in and spun around the sailboat and over the town my heart soared. I loved everything about it. I never got bored with it and felt it was complete without expansions. The expansions just added to what was already there. I was so happy with the game that I couldn't bear not to have everything that came out for it and bought it all. This is still my favorite iteration.
I also anticipated TS3 and counted the days till it came out! Open world! EVERYTHING customizable! On release, I not only bought it, but I took a week's vacation so I could play it day and night nonstop (yes, I had no life then). I wasn't disappointed by this game either. Although, I didn't like all the little things they took out of live mode that made the Sims so charming, I was enthralled by CAS and the open world. At first, I bought all the expansions, but as much as I hated to, I had to start picking and choosing because every new one made my game slower and brought new bugs that were NEVER fixed. This was when I became annoyed with EA and started to think that they mostly cared about money, not quality. Thank God for Twallen or I wouldn't have been able to enjoy my game. I think it's extremely SHAMEFUL that modders have to fix most things that Ea breaks. I rarely bought anything from the store and then only on sale because I think items were overpriced.
When I first heard that TS4 was coming out I was ecstatic, and searched constantly for any news about it, but almost none was forthcoming. Then when EA actually started talking about the game, it seemed like all they kept mentioning was taking out features that I loved. I began slowly to grow more and more disappointed by what was being said and less excited about the game. I thought about, for the first time, not buying a Sims game. I also grew angry when EA only sent the demo to a select few. I grew even more disappointed when I saw the live mode. The build mode, though, looked so amazing that I started to grow excited about the game again, until EA didn't let reviewers see it before release. I decided then to read player reviews before buying it , and was glad I did because most of my playing style seemed to be gone (family, legacy, storymaker, sandbox). I even told my husband not to buy it for Christmas which was heartbreaking for me.
Now that I have told you my thoughts on previous games and why I didn't buy TS4, I will write about my impressions on playing it myself.
I actually liked it more than I thought I would and had fun playing it, but didn't love it. With all the other Sims base games I would totally lose track of time. I would be starving before I realized 10 or 12 hours had gone by. Then after I ate I would play until I couldn't keep my eyes open. Even when I was doing something else, like work (hence, the vacation), I would think about the game and what I would do with my Sims when I got home.
With TS4 I didn't lose track of time, and even stopped for a while to play card games. While I was far from bored yesterday, I wasn't totally immersed either, and can see myself easily getting bored within a short period of time. I would give it a C+ grade. Now I'll go into more details about what I liked and disliked the most.
I really like the cartoony graphics and look of the Sims themselves. I also liked the new CAS once I got used to it. I HATED the lack of colors in clothing and the way things didn't match, such as finding a skirt and top I liked but not being able to wear them together. Also, shades of colors didn't match so I couldn't put a shirt and skirt on and pretend it was a dress. I don't understand why a palette of several colors couldn't have been included, with different colorways on clothing (and furniture) so we could at least have a little customization.
I also hate the way we have less traits and don't understand why they were taken away. I would much rather pick all traits in CAS instead of developing them in game. Makes me feel like I have to play a certain way to get that trait (takes away from sandbox play). I missed having favorites (music, color, etc.). They would have worked really well with emotions, such as being happy when their favorite meals are served.
Although, I liked the emotions, they need a lot of tweaking. Sometimes they are too much and sometimes not enough. I also hated that they changed so quickly. I felt like they were all bi-polar. I also want to mention that I hate the way relationships are formed, especially the romantic ones. For example, I worked very hard to create a loving couple in a monogamous relationship. Then I played another family and when I came back, they are romancing someone else. WTH! EVERYONE in town is having a romantic relationship with EVERYONE else! You can't even have gay and straight couples! This is GAMEBREAKING for me!
Since this post is way too long (sorry), and my husband is nagging me to come to bed (LOL) I'll start talking only about gamebreaking points
No family tree! This is GAMEBREAKING! A lot of family players say not having toddlers is the breaking point for them. While I was EXTREMELY upset by not having them, I could get by. What makes no family tree even worse is that we can't record Sims in any way (not even a portrait), so all ancestors are lost and forgotten.
The other GAMEBREAKER is that I found the game too linear. You're not only told what to do but how to do it. For example, to have a good date I was told how and when to kiss someone. In TS2 you can have a "dream date" doing what you want. You can spend the whole time being casual with a little flirting, or go hot and heavy and makeout the whole date. I can do what I want! I don't think dating came in the TS2 base game, but I wanted to use it for an example because the dating in TS4 bothered me. Also, in jobs inTS2 you're told you need a certain amount of creative skill. You can do it any way you want instead of being told how. These are just a few examples of linear play.
Even though my post is mostly negative, I do like the game, but it's average.
I will NOT buy the game unless my GAMEBREAKING points are patched in for free and the price goes down. Although, I doubt that the game can become less linear so I have little hope.
Again, I'm sorry that this post is too long and thank you again for letting me play! :D
If that was removed or could be turned off, babies improved from just objects, and toddlers added then maybe I could consider it when it went on sale.
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