I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Could you please tell me what you had in TS4 for families? I still haven't figured that out when people say that.
I'll just give you some examples of things that I have in TS4 base game that I didn't have in TS2 :
- More freedom in how I want to play the children (whether they can stay alone at home, whether they can play outside alone, whether they are allowed to go to the park or to visit a friend without the parents, whether they spend the night at the grandparents' house)
- Visiting other family members
- Dating for my teens and going out at night
- Hobbies (playing the violin, the guitar, writing, programming, etc)
- School friends that do age along my own children/teen
None of that is 'family' play, sorry to say.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Could you please tell me what you had in TS4 for families? I still haven't figured that out when people say that.
I'll just give you some examples of things that I have in TS4 base game that I didn't have in TS2 :
- More freedom in how I want to play the children (whether they can stay alone at home, whether they can play outside alone, whether they are allowed to go to the park or to visit a friend without the parents, whether they spend the night at the grandparents' house)
- Visiting other family members
- Dating for my teens and going out at night
- Hobbies (playing the violin, the guitar, writing, programming, etc)
- School friends that do age along my own children/teen
None of that is 'family' play, sorry to say.
It is to me, far more than military school, a curfew or inviting a headmaster which are all things I don't relate to at all.
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Could you please tell me what you had in TS4 for families? I still haven't figured that out when people say that.
I'll just give you some examples of things that I have in TS4 base game that I didn't have in TS2 :
- More freedom in how I want to play the children (whether they can stay alone at home, whether they can play outside alone, whether they are allowed to go to the park or to visit a friend without the parents, whether they spend the night at the grandparents' house)
- Visiting other family members
- Dating for my teens and going out at night
- Hobbies (playing the violin, the guitar, writing, programming, etc)
- School friends that do age along my own children/teen
None of that is 'family' play, sorry to say.
It is to me, far more than military school, a curfew or inviting a headmaster which are all things I don't relate to at all.
I will give you some examples.
1. Encourage child to change (whether good or bad encouragement) and it actually work and those children try to change.
2. Lecturing child, actually meant something. They wouldn't do that anymore after a few lectures.
3. Lecturing for pooping in diaper...those small touches matter. It was an autonomous action.
3. Grounded like in real life. (Yes, TS3 made the mistake of including school...bad programming)
4. Sneak out (which I think most of us have at one time or another) risking being caught by police but if parents not awake no such risks. Free as bird.
5. Asked permission to go out...I don't know anyone who doesn't have to ask to leave the house and go somewhere where I come from. There was no limit on how long they stayed but still needed to ask. Which is family play. Those things matter. Didn't mean your teen couldn't leave but it was there for those of us who consider family play.
6. Bad example in TS4, what is the point of teaching a valuable lesson, what was it? how not to burn down the house? We will never know. Those type interactions should matter.
7. Consequences for neglect. A real Social Worker then a child placed in the adoption pool. Your Sim child is no more than a piece of furninture that can be deleted and forgotten. Where is the regret? the grieving? and calling up to see if you can get them back? forget it they were deleted culled.
8. Adopting the kids who were neglected or failed etc. Family play means you play another household and rescue those kids from the orphanage, this game doesn't even consider kids important enough to put them in an adoption pool. Name change but mother or dad may show up to visit autonomously. They didn't forget their kids just regret it.
9. Grandpa dies, where is the inheritance?
10. Play torture, I don't know of anyone in my family who didn't aggravate the younger kids..yes, we grew up rough, lol. Rights of passage.
11. Kid socialization reserved for kids and family. Like tell a secret. Yes, we have tell a secret in this game but what is it? In TS2 you know exactly what that secret is and reserved for family.
12. Where is the dance on parents toes? or where is the interaction to tuck into bed? give a little kiss?
13. Where is tag and hide and seek? has the world changed so much kids don't play these games with brothers and sisters anymore?
14. Where is the 'pass along' interactions to pass along to their kids their own learned traits and perks they have accomplished that were reserved for family members?
That is just a few, and then think of Generations in TS3, which added more or took away some, TS4 can't hold a candle to what family players know to be the truth.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Actually Sims 2 does have it by going on a group outing in Sims 2. I used that all the time in Sims 2 as i take my sims families from one lot after the other doing things as a family. It also is useful on the vacations in Sims 2 - but yes actually works pretty much like I see Sims 4 GT described - without having to add on limited specific and limited members. In Sims 2 I can add anyone I want to the grouping and the sims stayed grouped until I send them home.
Like a few days ago I was playing in Sims 2 with a family of 4 kids, their parents and one set of grandparents. I sent them downtown to a restaurant for lunch - then sent them to t6he bowling alley for some family bowling. Then sent them to the swimming park, where they also had a cook out and the parents pushed the kids on the swings. Finally the whole family went to a movie.
Nothing in the Sims 2 outing is limited or pre-destined by a list of things they can do or not do or by wearing weird clothing.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
@Cinebar
That's your view on family play, fine, I have my own, very different from yours apparently, and I don't think any of us "know the truth" as you put it.
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Actually Sims 2 does have it by going on a group outing in Sims 2. I used that all the time in Sims 2 as i take my sims families from one lot after the other doing things as a family. It also is useful on the vacations in Sims 2 - but yes actually works pretty much like I see Sims 4 GT described - without having to add on limited specific and limited members. In Sims 2 I can add anyone I want to the grouping and the sims stayed grouped until I send them home.
Like a few days ago I was playing in Sims 2 with a family of 4 kids, their parents and one set of grandparents. I sent them downtown to a restaurant for lunch - then sent them to t6he bowling alley for some family bowling. Then sent them to the swimming park, where they also had a cook out and the parents pushed the kids on the swings. Finally the whole family went to a movie.
Nothing in the Sims 2 outing is limited or pre-destined by a list of things they can do or not do or by wearing weird clothing.
Only for your current active family in TS2, in TS4, those families behave as groups even when you aren't playing them and will follow the "story" I have chosen for them (like this family like to hang out at the pub, playing foosball, this mum like to meet her sister at the park for some yoga) and I will meet them when playing my other families.
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Actually Sims 2 does have it by going on a group outing in Sims 2. I used that all the time in Sims 2 as i take my sims families from one lot after the other doing things as a family. It also is useful on the vacations in Sims 2 - but yes actually works pretty much like I see Sims 4 GT described - without having to add on limited specific and limited members. In Sims 2 I can add anyone I want to the grouping and the sims stayed grouped until I send them home.
Like a few days ago I was playing in Sims 2 with a family of 4 kids, their parents and one set of grandparents. I sent them downtown to a restaurant for lunch - then sent them to t6he bowling alley for some family bowling. Then sent them to the swimming park, where they also had a cook out and the parents pushed the kids on the swings. Finally the whole family went to a movie.
Nothing in the Sims 2 outing is limited or pre-destined by a list of things they can do or not do or by wearing weird clothing.
Only for your current active family in TS2, in TS4, those families behave as groups even when you aren't playing them and will follow the "story" I have chosen for them (like this family like to hang out at the pub, playing foosball, this mum like to meet her sister at the park for some yoga) and I will meet them when playing my other families.
No, I can add other people from other households to the group just as we can take other sims from other households on vacations with us in Sims 2, you can also invite sims from other households. I use that sometimes for birthday parties to take a bunch of kids with my kids bowling.
Maybe you have not played the group outings in a while - here - this might refresh your memory -
also keep in mind even more was added to the game that utilized that group outing as other ep came out to and made it even work better than this described by combining other affects - so you have a lot longer period to do these things and time did not run out.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Actually Sims 2 does have it by going on a group outing in Sims 2. I used that all the time in Sims 2 as i take my sims families from one lot after the other doing things as a family. It also is useful on the vacations in Sims 2 - but yes actually works pretty much like I see Sims 4 GT described - without having to add on limited specific and limited members. In Sims 2 I can add anyone I want to the grouping and the sims stayed grouped until I send them home.
Like a few days ago I was playing in Sims 2 with a family of 4 kids, their parents and one set of grandparents. I sent them downtown to a restaurant for lunch - then sent them to t6he bowling alley for some family bowling. Then sent them to the swimming park, where they also had a cook out and the parents pushed the kids on the swings. Finally the whole family went to a movie.
Nothing in the Sims 2 outing is limited or pre-destined by a list of things they can do or not do or by wearing weird clothing.
Only for your current active family in TS2, in TS4, those families behave as groups even when you aren't playing them and will follow the "story" I have chosen for them (like this family like to hang out at the pub, playing foosball, this mum like to meet her sister at the park for some yoga) and I will meet them when playing my other families.
No, I can add other people from other households to the group just as we can take other sims from other households on vacations with us in Sims 2, you can also invite sims from other households. I use that sometimes for birthday parties to take a bunch of kids with my kids bowling.
Yes, you can make a group with household A+B+C, but if you rotate and play household D, you won't see the A+B+C group doing things together any more.
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Actually Sims 2 does have it by going on a group outing in Sims 2. I used that all the time in Sims 2 as i take my sims families from one lot after the other doing things as a family. It also is useful on the vacations in Sims 2 - but yes actually works pretty much like I see Sims 4 GT described - without having to add on limited specific and limited members. In Sims 2 I can add anyone I want to the grouping and the sims stayed grouped until I send them home.
Like a few days ago I was playing in Sims 2 with a family of 4 kids, their parents and one set of grandparents. I sent them downtown to a restaurant for lunch - then sent them to t6he bowling alley for some family bowling. Then sent them to the swimming park, where they also had a cook out and the parents pushed the kids on the swings. Finally the whole family went to a movie.
Nothing in the Sims 2 outing is limited or pre-destined by a list of things they can do or not do or by wearing weird clothing.
Only for your current active family in TS2, in TS4, those families behave as groups even when you aren't playing them and will follow the "story" I have chosen for them (like this family like to hang out at the pub, playing foosball, this mum like to meet her sister at the park for some yoga) and I will meet them when playing my other families.
No, I can add other people from other households to the group just as we can take other sims from other households on vacations with us in Sims 2, you can also invite sims from other households. I use that sometimes for birthday parties to take a bunch of kids with my kids bowling.
Yes, you can make a group with household A+B+C, but if you rotate and play household D, you won't see the A+B+C group doing things together any more.
Actually I play each household for 2 sims weeks and then move to the next household in a rotation - so I would not really ever be in that situation where I would need to see them or expect to. But i do often see my other sims in my other households when my present household is out and about over in Blue Water shopping or when my sims go downtown to the restaurants and clubs and things. When I am not in the grouping I see plenty of other sims and engage them in activities with my present household. I even see some of my other families when I take sims off on a BV vacation. What's more if my other families buy things at the stores or win a prize in a contest or get things on BV vacation I actually see this stuff in their inventory when I get to their house - so I can choose to either use the stuff they have or sell it and get their money back. Things do not vanish like it does in Sims 3 and Sims 4 - they really buy this stuff. It is not just make believe for the minute to make it look like they are doing these things. In sims 2 they really do them. Even skills they get they keep. I just like the extra effort the Sims team showed in so many ways in Sims 2. The only down side with sims 2 is the fact it was made 11 plus years ago. If i had an up to date version of that game I would have been thrilled. Imagine Sims 4 with all those things the sims 2 has, does, etc. Then Sims 4 would blow my socks off.
But to each their own. You have every right to like Sims 4 just as it is - I just know they have the capability to make it so much better.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Actually Sims 2 does have it by going on a group outing in Sims 2. I used that all the time in Sims 2 as i take my sims families from one lot after the other doing things as a family. It also is useful on the vacations in Sims 2 - but yes actually works pretty much like I see Sims 4 GT described - without having to add on limited specific and limited members. In Sims 2 I can add anyone I want to the grouping and the sims stayed grouped until I send them home.
Like a few days ago I was playing in Sims 2 with a family of 4 kids, their parents and one set of grandparents. I sent them downtown to a restaurant for lunch - then sent them to t6he bowling alley for some family bowling. Then sent them to the swimming park, where they also had a cook out and the parents pushed the kids on the swings. Finally the whole family went to a movie.
Nothing in the Sims 2 outing is limited or pre-destined by a list of things they can do or not do or by wearing weird clothing.
Only for your current active family in TS2, in TS4, those families behave as groups even when you aren't playing them and will follow the "story" I have chosen for them (like this family like to hang out at the pub, playing foosball, this mum like to meet her sister at the park for some yoga) and I will meet them when playing my other families.
No, I can add other people from other households to the group just as we can take other sims from other households on vacations with us in Sims 2, you can also invite sims from other households. I use that sometimes for birthday parties to take a bunch of kids with my kids bowling.
Yes, you can make a group with household A+B+C, but if you rotate and play household D, you won't see the A+B+C group doing things together any more.
Actually I play each household for 2 sims weeks and then move to the next household in a rotation - so I would not really ever be in that situation where I would need to see them or expect to. But i do often see my other sims in my other households when my present household is out and about over in Blue Water shopping or when my sims go downtown to the restaurants and clubs and things. When I am not in the grouping I see plenty of other sims and engage them in activities with my present household. I even see some of my other families when I take sims off on a BV vacation. What's more if my other families buy things at the stores or win a prize in a contest or get things on BV vacation I actually see this stuff in their inventory when I get to their house - so I can choose to either use the stuff they have or sell it and get their money back. Things do not vanish like it does in Sims 3 and Sims 4 - they really buy this stuff. It is not just make believe for the minute to make it look like they are doing these things. In sims 2 they really do them. Even skills they get they keep. I just like the extra effort the Sims team showed in so many ways in Sims 2. The only down side with sims 2 is the fact it was made 11 plus years ago. If i had an up to date version of that game I would have been thrilled. Imagine Sims 4 with all those things the sims 2 has, does, etc. Then Sims 4 would blow my socks off.
But to each their own. You have every right to like Sims 4 just as it is - I just know they have the capability to make it so much better.
I think you are missing the key difference between TS2 Outings and TS4 Clubs. TS2 outings don't matter when you are not playing at least one of the members of the group, TS4 Clubs on the other hand are more permanent, and that's what makes them more interesting in my mind. No matter the household I'm currently playing, I may stumble upon my elders club doing yoga at the park, I may meet my detectives playing darts at the pub, I may see Grandpa swimming with his grandchildren at the swimming pool.
TS4 clubs is not just groups, it's setting rules for your town, creating habits for the Sims (played or not), choosing what the AI and the autonomy system will make of them when you're not playing them. That's what makes it different from what we ever had before for me.
They do keep the skills in TS4. And like I said a little bit earlier, I would not want TS4 to have all the things TS2 has, there was some things I didn't like in TS2 actually (like keeping the items they bought in inventory for example)
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Actually Sims 2 does have it by going on a group outing in Sims 2. I used that all the time in Sims 2 as i take my sims families from one lot after the other doing things as a family. It also is useful on the vacations in Sims 2 - but yes actually works pretty much like I see Sims 4 GT described - without having to add on limited specific and limited members. In Sims 2 I can add anyone I want to the grouping and the sims stayed grouped until I send them home.
Like a few days ago I was playing in Sims 2 with a family of 4 kids, their parents and one set of grandparents. I sent them downtown to a restaurant for lunch - then sent them to t6he bowling alley for some family bowling. Then sent them to the swimming park, where they also had a cook out and the parents pushed the kids on the swings. Finally the whole family went to a movie.
Nothing in the Sims 2 outing is limited or pre-destined by a list of things they can do or not do or by wearing weird clothing.
Only for your current active family in TS2, in TS4, those families behave as groups even when you aren't playing them and will follow the "story" I have chosen for them (like this family like to hang out at the pub, playing foosball, this mum like to meet her sister at the park for some yoga) and I will meet them when playing my other families.
No, I can add other people from other households to the group just as we can take other sims from other households on vacations with us in Sims 2, you can also invite sims from other households. I use that sometimes for birthday parties to take a bunch of kids with my kids bowling.
Yes, you can make a group with household A+B+C, but if you rotate and play household D, you won't see the A+B+C group doing things together any more.
Actually I play each household for 2 sims weeks and then move to the next household in a rotation - so I would not really ever be in that situation where I would need to see them or expect to. But i do often see my other sims in my other households when my present household is out and about over in Blue Water shopping or when my sims go downtown to the restaurants and clubs and things. When I am not in the grouping I see plenty of other sims and engage them in activities with my present household. I even see some of my other families when I take sims off on a BV vacation. What's more if my other families buy things at the stores or win a prize in a contest or get things on BV vacation I actually see this stuff in their inventory when I get to their house - so I can choose to either use the stuff they have or sell it and get their money back. Things do not vanish like it does in Sims 3 and Sims 4 - they really buy this stuff. It is not just make believe for the minute to make it look like they are doing these things. In sims 2 they really do them. Even skills they get they keep. I just like the extra effort the Sims team showed in so many ways in Sims 2. The only down side with sims 2 is the fact it was made 11 plus years ago. If i had an up to date version of that game I would have been thrilled. Imagine Sims 4 with all those things the sims 2 has, does, etc. Then Sims 4 would blow my socks off.
But to each their own. You have every right to like Sims 4 just as it is - I just know they have the capability to make it so much better.
I think you are missing the key difference between TS2 Outings and TS4 Clubs. TS2 outings don't matter when you are not playing at least one of the members of the group, TS4 Clubs on the other hand are more permanent, and that's what makes them more interesting in my mind. No matter the household I'm currently playing, I may stumble upon my elders club doing yoga at the park, I may meet my detectives playing darts at the pub, I may see Grandpa swimming with his grandchildren at the swimming pool.
TS4 clubs is not just groups, it's setting rules for your town, creating habits for the Sims (played or not), choosing what the AI and the autonomy system will make of them when you're not playing them. That's what makes it different from what we ever had before for me.
They do keep the skills in TS4. And like I said a little bit earlier, I would not want TS4 to have all the things TS2 has, there was some things I didn't like in TS2 actually (like keeping the items they bought in inventory for example)
The purpose of the items going to inventory is so you could either put them in the sims household to use or so you could sell them back at full price in case your sims household had limited money. The items only stayed in the inventory until you played the household again and did something with the stuff. I loved that idea as often my sims could not afford all the stuff they'd buy, so I could get their money back. If they could afford every thing they bought then I had no issues with putting the things in their houses as it always gave them a temporary happy buff for getting the things they chose to use in their homes. Why would you want your sims using all their money and you not being able to send it all back full price like we can do in Sims 2. They technically did not show the items until you played their household again and could place the stuff they bought into the household or reject it.
I had nutty sims that often bought things like cars and such they couldn't afford - so I could reject those things.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Actually Sims 2 does have it by going on a group outing in Sims 2. I used that all the time in Sims 2 as i take my sims families from one lot after the other doing things as a family. It also is useful on the vacations in Sims 2 - but yes actually works pretty much like I see Sims 4 GT described - without having to add on limited specific and limited members. In Sims 2 I can add anyone I want to the grouping and the sims stayed grouped until I send them home.
Like a few days ago I was playing in Sims 2 with a family of 4 kids, their parents and one set of grandparents. I sent them downtown to a restaurant for lunch - then sent them to t6he bowling alley for some family bowling. Then sent them to the swimming park, where they also had a cook out and the parents pushed the kids on the swings. Finally the whole family went to a movie.
Nothing in the Sims 2 outing is limited or pre-destined by a list of things they can do or not do or by wearing weird clothing.
Only for your current active family in TS2, in TS4, those families behave as groups even when you aren't playing them and will follow the "story" I have chosen for them (like this family like to hang out at the pub, playing foosball, this mum like to meet her sister at the park for some yoga) and I will meet them when playing my other families.
No, I can add other people from other households to the group just as we can take other sims from other households on vacations with us in Sims 2, you can also invite sims from other households. I use that sometimes for birthday parties to take a bunch of kids with my kids bowling.
Yes, you can make a group with household A+B+C, but if you rotate and play household D, you won't see the A+B+C group doing things together any more.
Actually I play each household for 2 sims weeks and then move to the next household in a rotation - so I would not really ever be in that situation where I would need to see them or expect to. But i do often see my other sims in my other households when my present household is out and about over in Blue Water shopping or when my sims go downtown to the restaurants and clubs and things. When I am not in the grouping I see plenty of other sims and engage them in activities with my present household. I even see some of my other families when I take sims off on a BV vacation. What's more if my other families buy things at the stores or win a prize in a contest or get things on BV vacation I actually see this stuff in their inventory when I get to their house - so I can choose to either use the stuff they have or sell it and get their money back. Things do not vanish like it does in Sims 3 and Sims 4 - they really buy this stuff. It is not just make believe for the minute to make it look like they are doing these things. In sims 2 they really do them. Even skills they get they keep. I just like the extra effort the Sims team showed in so many ways in Sims 2. The only down side with sims 2 is the fact it was made 11 plus years ago. If i had an up to date version of that game I would have been thrilled. Imagine Sims 4 with all those things the sims 2 has, does, etc. Then Sims 4 would blow my socks off.
But to each their own. You have every right to like Sims 4 just as it is - I just know they have the capability to make it so much better.
I think you are missing the key difference between TS2 Outings and TS4 Clubs. TS2 outings don't matter when you are not playing at least one of the members of the group, TS4 Clubs on the other hand are more permanent, and that's what makes them more interesting in my mind. No matter the household I'm currently playing, I may stumble upon my elders club doing yoga at the park, I may meet my detectives playing darts at the pub, I may see Grandpa swimming with his grandchildren at the swimming pool.
TS4 clubs is not just groups, it's setting rules for your town, creating habits for the Sims (played or not), choosing what the AI and the autonomy system will make of them when you're not playing them. That's what makes it different from what we ever had before for me.
They do keep the skills in TS4. And like I said a little bit earlier, I would not want TS4 to have all the things TS2 has, there was some things I didn't like in TS2 actually (like keeping the items they bought in inventory for example)
The purpose of the items going to inventory is so you could either put them in the sims household to use or so you could sell them back at full price in case your sims household had limited money. The items only stayed in the inventory until you played the household again and did something with the stuff. I loved that idea as often my sims could not afford all the stuff they'd buy, so I could get their money back. If they could afford every thing they bought then I had no issues with putting the things in their houses as it always gave them a temporary happy buff for getting the things they chose to use in their homes. Why would you want your sims using all their money and you not being able to send it all back full price like we can do in Sims 2. They technically did not show the items until you played their household again and could place the stuff they bought into the household or reject it.
Because any time I rotated, I had a popup for an adopted dog, and an inventory full of random things to sell, with the things I did care about hidden in all those items, which meant spending time sorting through all that, for not benefit because if I wanted something, I would usually go and buy it. In TS4, they don't use their money, it's basically auto-resell, same results as what I did in TS2, without all the trouble, so it's a win for me.
Well, that is the beauty I guess of having both games and enjoying playing both of them. LOL.
Which ever game makes you most happy that is the game I would play and why i tend to play Sims 2 or Sims 3 instead of Sims 4. I would love to play more sims 4 as there are things about it I do like - but my main issue is the missing life stages so nothing else really matters right now to me.
I just think though if you like it just the way it is, enjoy it. And if you want other things for it, rally for it.
LOrd knows you do not have to justify yourself to me. It is nice you can enjoy it. At least you feel you got your money's worth. LOL.
ETA - I also can see how that might bother some people - I find it useful and you don't. I think it is okay for us both to feel like we do, don't you? lol.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
I'll just give you some examples of things that I have in TS4 base game that I didn't have in TS2 :
- More freedom in how I want to play the children (whether they can stay alone at home, whether they can play outside alone, whether they are allowed to go to the park or to visit a friend without the parents, whether they spend the night at the grandparents' house)
- Visiting other family members
- Dating for my teens and going out at night
- Hobbies (playing the violin, the guitar, writing, programming, etc)
- School friends that do age along my own children/teen
To me, those are just a lack of restrictions. And probably just a happy happenstance from not having enough time to finish the base game. I don't mind them for the most part (although the lack of simulation they represent is not ideal IMO), but that's nice that you feel it adds to your gameplay. But what I'd like to see are things added, not things that were taken away (and I don't mean that literally, I mean in the sense that they used to be in the previous versions).
For example I want a lot more unique differences among all the age stages added, along with added interactions for members of families. As someone else mentioned, they have plenty of interactions for sims in romantic or friendly relationships, but very few interactions that are specific to families, and we need more interactions that are just for kids so that they act more like kids.
Edit: I want to emphasize that adding interactions does not mean interactions that come with burdensome restrictions. There have been a lot of restrictions in the previously version of the game that I wasn't fond of either, mostly because players were not allowed any freedom to change or control them.
The Sims
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Could you please tell me what you had in TS4 for families? I still haven't figured that out when people say that.
I'll just give you some examples of things that I have in TS4 base game that I didn't have in TS2 :
- More freedom in how I want to play the children (whether they can stay alone at home, whether they can play outside alone, whether they are allowed to go to the park or to visit a friend without the parents, whether they spend the night at the grandparents' house)
- Visiting other family members
- Dating for my teens and going out at night
- Hobbies (playing the violin, the guitar, writing, programming, etc)
- School friends that do age along my own children/teen
None of that is 'family' play, sorry to say.
It is to me, far more than military school, a curfew or inviting a headmaster which are all things I don't relate to at all.
I will give you some examples.
1. Encourage child to change (whether good or bad encouragement) and it actually work and those children try to change.
2. Lecturing child, actually meant something. They wouldn't do that anymore after a few lectures.
3. Lecturing for pooping in diaper...those small touches matter. It was an autonomous action.
3. Grounded like in real life. (Yes, TS3 made the mistake of including school...bad programming)
4. Sneak out (which I think most of us have at one time or another) risking being caught by police but if parents not awake no such risks. Free as bird.
5. Asked permission to go out...I don't know anyone who doesn't have to ask to leave the house and go somewhere where I come from. There was no limit on how long they stayed but still needed to ask. Which is family play. Those things matter. Didn't mean your teen couldn't leave but it was there for those of us who consider family play.
6. Bad example in TS4, what is the point of teaching a valuable lesson, what was it? how not to burn down the house? We will never know. Those type interactions should matter.
7. Consequences for neglect. A real Social Worker then a child placed in the adoption pool. Your Sim child is no more than a piece of furninture that can be deleted and forgotten. Where is the regret? the grieving? and calling up to see if you can get them back? forget it they were deleted culled.
8. Adopting the kids who were neglected or failed etc. Family play means you play another household and rescue those kids from the orphanage, this game doesn't even consider kids important enough to put them in an adoption pool. Name change but mother or dad may show up to visit autonomously. They didn't forget their kids just regret it.
9. Grandpa dies, where is the inheritance?
10. Play torture, I don't know of anyone in my family who didn't aggravate the younger kids..yes, we grew up rough, lol. Rights of passage.
11. Kid socialization reserved for kids and family. Like tell a secret. Yes, we have tell a secret in this game but what is it? In TS2 you know exactly what that secret is and reserved for family.
12. Where is the dance on parents toes? or where is the interaction to tuck into bed? give a little kiss?
13. Where is tag and hide and seek? has the world changed so much kids don't play these games with brothers and sisters anymore?
14. Where is the 'pass along' interactions to pass along to their kids their own learned traits and perks they have accomplished that were reserved for family members?
That is just a few, and then think of Generations in TS3, which added more or took away some, TS4 can't hold a candle to what family players know to be the truth.
This made me sad. TS2 is perfect but it's just so dated and i can't play it for very long.
TS4 is just cheap imitation. I forgot about the child dancing with the parents on their toes, there's NOTHING like that in 4.
3/4 of the time I have to pretend and use imagination when playing families in TS4, but then again that's what they said to do anyways.
/sigh
I think GT is awesome for family actually, with the clubs system. And a lot of the new gameplay items are available to children : diving rock, closet, arcade game, foosball, darts, etc. They really did pay attention to include the whole family.
I'm having so much fun with my families at the moment. I made a lot of family clubs, so they can hangout together. I may add some more drama later on if some of the siblings don't get on well with the others. The children can join some music lessons after school or some school support. When I go to the park, Grandpa is there with all his grandchildren.
I much more prefer all EPs to have family play like in GT rather than only one dedicated family EP.
But think about it, you had to add an EP to actually get what type of gameplay you were looking for with your families. No one should of had to add an EP to get some sort of system or objects for family to use, right? TS2's base game will always be the standard used when we speak of family play. That game will continue to be the bench mark of what player's expect and more.
I did have things for my families in the base game too, this EP expanded that and introduced some new tools that allow me to do even more things, just like it was in TS2. TS2 is the best Sims game for me (and TS4 an increasingly strong contender), but there were a lot of things missing from the base game too (and even things that were included that I didn't like !). This particular type of gameplay (family behaving as a group on community lots, with their own set of interactions I can choose for them) I never had in TS2 though, base game or EP.
Could you please tell me what you had in TS4 for families? I still haven't figured that out when people say that.
I'll just give you some examples of things that I have in TS4 base game that I didn't have in TS2 :
- More freedom in how I want to play the children (whether they can stay alone at home, whether they can play outside alone, whether they are allowed to go to the park or to visit a friend without the parents, whether they spend the night at the grandparents' house)
- Visiting other family members
- Dating for my teens and going out at night
- Hobbies (playing the violin, the guitar, writing, programming, etc)
- School friends that do age along my own children/teen
@HappySimmer3
The first point is a lack of restriction indeed, though we'll probably never know if it's a conscious design decision or a lack of time. The rest are features though : various skills and objects, dating system, multiple aging options and being able to go to other residential lot are all things that were added.
@Writin_Reg
We are both players sharing their feedback, not a council to design the next Sims game for all players to enjoy, so yes it's perfectly fine if we disagree
So... The past EPs have been : partying, clubs, dancing, did I mention partying?
EA has been ignoring the people who love the family aspect of the sims. {like myself} While the party lovers are having a field day with the sims 4, family lovers are stuck in the dust waiting for the sims 4 to get entertaining.
EA, even though you probably aren't listening: I'm just asking {begging} for you guys to stop ignoring the family lovers and give us an EP that we will enjoy
*cough* Generations *cough*
So work, camping and going to the spa is all about Clubs, Partying and Dancing to you?
Everyone is getting a fair share here. EA isn't "ignoring" families, they are just catering to different players and can only do so one pack at a time.
And Get Together, which is the party EP I guess you're referring to, also included other things, like Sims texting you to congratulate your Engagement, or getting a text from your grandparents to congratulate on your A grade at school. I had my Sims mom call to ask if they wanted to come over. So they didn't completely ignore it, it's just not the focus of any of the packs so far.
Generations was EP 4. We are up to EP 2. Free Time was the only EP that catered to more than just YA as a focus. And that was EP 7. It's cleary on EA's to do list, but it's not the biggest pack in the game, and EA want to cover the basics first.
So... The past EPs have been : partying, clubs, dancing, did I mention partying?
EA has been ignoring the people who love the family aspect of the sims. {like myself} While the party lovers are having a field day with the sims 4, family lovers are stuck in the dust waiting for the sims 4 to get entertaining.
EA, even though you probably aren't listening: I'm just asking {begging} for you guys to stop ignoring the family lovers and give us an EP that we will enjoy
*cough* Generations *cough*
So work, camping and going to the spa is all about Clubs, Partying and Dancing to you?
Everyone is getting a fair share here. EA isn't "ignoring" families, they are just catering to different players and can only do so one pack at a time.
And Get Together, which is the party EP I guess you're referring to, also included other things, like Sims texting you to congratulate your Engagement, or getting a text from your grandparents to congratulate on your A grade at school. I had my Sims mom call to ask if they wanted to come over. So they didn't completely ignore it, it's just not the focus of any of the packs so far.
Generations was EP 4. We are up to EP 2. Free Time was the only EP that catered to more than just YA as a focus. And that was EP 7. It's cleary on EA's to do list, but it's not the biggest pack in the game, and EA want to cover the basics first.
Camping and Spa day are not EPs, they are Game Packs, completely different things. In my opinion, I strongly believe that EA is ignoring people who like family play (Like myself)
Apparently you do not believe this, and that is fine. That is your opinion
There are some packs that, in my opinion, would work better if they were one pack. Let me just pull up a timeline of TS4 when everything so far was released...
TS4 Outdoor Retreat and Perfect Patio should be combined to 1 Stuff Pack.
Get to Work and Cool Kitchen stuff sound good if you want to make a food business as 1 EP 1 SP.
Get Together and Luxury Party should be 1 EP and 1 SP
Spa Day doesn't go with anything, and Spooky Stuff's just kinda there...like it was near Oct. and they just go "We need to release something. Here, make a Halloween pack that will only be relevant for a month and be just there the other 11 months of the year."
Also, on each GP/SP/EP, there is a section that says Themes. It's before World/system requirements, near the bottom. Outdoor Retreat says: Outdoors, Camping. Get to Work says: Careers, Business. Luxury Party says: Luxury, Party. Perfect Patio says: Outdoor Spa Day ....doesn't say anything I found. Cool Kitchen...doesn't say anything I found either.... Spooky Stuff says: Halloween, Party and Get Together says: Hobbies, Nightlife, Party, Social Life
That brings us to a total of: 2 Outdoors, 1 Business, 3 Party, and 0 Family!
There are some packs that, in my opinion, would work better if they were one pack. Let me just pull up a timeline of TS4 when everything so far was released...
TS4 Outdoor Retreat and Perfect Patio should be combined to 1 Stuff Pack.
Get to Work and Cool Kitchen stuff sound good if you want to make a food business as 1 EP 1 SP.
Get Together and Luxury Party should be 1 EP and 1 SP
Spa Day doesn't go with anything, and Spooky Stuff's just kinda there...like it was near Oct. and they just go "We need to release something. Here, make a Halloween pack that will only be relevant for a month and be just there the other 11 months of the year."
Also, on each GP/SP/EP, there is a section that says Themes. It's before World/system requirements, near the bottom. Outdoor Retreat says: Outdoors, Camping. Get to Work says: Careers, Business. Luxury Party says: Luxury, Party. Perfect Patio says: Outdoor Spa Day ....doesn't say anything I found. Cool Kitchen...doesn't say anything I found either.... Spooky Stuff says: Halloween, Party and Get Together says: Hobbies, Nightlife, Party, Social Life
That brings us to a total of: 2 Outdoors, 1 Business, 3 Party, and 0 Family!
While I have created families in the past I usually like to start small and work my way up so at most I start of with a single sim who later gets involved with someone and they move in and it goes from there. But lately I've been interested in doing more family play and you know where I go to do that when I'm ready to create a story about family. The Sims 3. The Sims 4 should not make me want to go back to an already established game but that's what I get especially in the family play department. I will always be apart of #TeamToddler and recommend they don't leave out the cute little bundle of joy any longer...
Comments
None of that is 'family' play, sorry to say.
It is to me, far more than military school, a curfew or inviting a headmaster which are all things I don't relate to at all.
I will give you some examples.
1. Encourage child to change (whether good or bad encouragement) and it actually work and those children try to change.
2. Lecturing child, actually meant something. They wouldn't do that anymore after a few lectures.
3. Lecturing for pooping in diaper...those small touches matter. It was an autonomous action.
3. Grounded like in real life. (Yes, TS3 made the mistake of including school...bad programming)
4. Sneak out (which I think most of us have at one time or another) risking being caught by police but if parents not awake no such risks. Free as bird.
5. Asked permission to go out...I don't know anyone who doesn't have to ask to leave the house and go somewhere where I come from. There was no limit on how long they stayed but still needed to ask. Which is family play. Those things matter. Didn't mean your teen couldn't leave but it was there for those of us who consider family play.
6. Bad example in TS4, what is the point of teaching a valuable lesson, what was it? how not to burn down the house? We will never know. Those type interactions should matter.
7. Consequences for neglect. A real Social Worker then a child placed in the adoption pool. Your Sim child is no more than a piece of furninture that can be deleted and forgotten. Where is the regret? the grieving? and calling up to see if you can get them back? forget it they were deleted culled.
8. Adopting the kids who were neglected or failed etc. Family play means you play another household and rescue those kids from the orphanage, this game doesn't even consider kids important enough to put them in an adoption pool. Name change but mother or dad may show up to visit autonomously. They didn't forget their kids just regret it.
9. Grandpa dies, where is the inheritance?
10. Play torture, I don't know of anyone in my family who didn't aggravate the younger kids..yes, we grew up rough, lol. Rights of passage.
11. Kid socialization reserved for kids and family. Like tell a secret. Yes, we have tell a secret in this game but what is it? In TS2 you know exactly what that secret is and reserved for family.
12. Where is the dance on parents toes? or where is the interaction to tuck into bed? give a little kiss?
13. Where is tag and hide and seek? has the world changed so much kids don't play these games with brothers and sisters anymore?
14. Where is the 'pass along' interactions to pass along to their kids their own learned traits and perks they have accomplished that were reserved for family members?
That is just a few, and then think of Generations in TS3, which added more or took away some, TS4 can't hold a candle to what family players know to be the truth.
Actually Sims 2 does have it by going on a group outing in Sims 2. I used that all the time in Sims 2 as i take my sims families from one lot after the other doing things as a family. It also is useful on the vacations in Sims 2 - but yes actually works pretty much like I see Sims 4 GT described - without having to add on limited specific and limited members. In Sims 2 I can add anyone I want to the grouping and the sims stayed grouped until I send them home.
Like a few days ago I was playing in Sims 2 with a family of 4 kids, their parents and one set of grandparents. I sent them downtown to a restaurant for lunch - then sent them to t6he bowling alley for some family bowling. Then sent them to the swimming park, where they also had a cook out and the parents pushed the kids on the swings. Finally the whole family went to a movie.
Nothing in the Sims 2 outing is limited or pre-destined by a list of things they can do or not do or by wearing weird clothing.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
That's your view on family play, fine, I have my own, very different from yours apparently, and I don't think any of us "know the truth" as you put it.
Only for your current active family in TS2, in TS4, those families behave as groups even when you aren't playing them and will follow the "story" I have chosen for them (like this family like to hang out at the pub, playing foosball, this mum like to meet her sister at the park for some yoga) and I will meet them when playing my other families.
No, I can add other people from other households to the group just as we can take other sims from other households on vacations with us in Sims 2, you can also invite sims from other households. I use that sometimes for birthday parties to take a bunch of kids with my kids bowling.
Maybe you have not played the group outings in a while - here - this might refresh your memory -
http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Outing
also keep in mind even more was added to the game that utilized that group outing as other ep came out to and made it even work better than this described by combining other affects - so you have a lot longer period to do these things and time did not run out.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
Yes, you can make a group with household A+B+C, but if you rotate and play household D, you won't see the A+B+C group doing things together any more.
Actually I play each household for 2 sims weeks and then move to the next household in a rotation - so I would not really ever be in that situation where I would need to see them or expect to. But i do often see my other sims in my other households when my present household is out and about over in Blue Water shopping or when my sims go downtown to the restaurants and clubs and things. When I am not in the grouping I see plenty of other sims and engage them in activities with my present household. I even see some of my other families when I take sims off on a BV vacation. What's more if my other families buy things at the stores or win a prize in a contest or get things on BV vacation I actually see this stuff in their inventory when I get to their house - so I can choose to either use the stuff they have or sell it and get their money back. Things do not vanish like it does in Sims 3 and Sims 4 - they really buy this stuff. It is not just make believe for the minute to make it look like they are doing these things. In sims 2 they really do them. Even skills they get they keep. I just like the extra effort the Sims team showed in so many ways in Sims 2. The only down side with sims 2 is the fact it was made 11 plus years ago. If i had an up to date version of that game I would have been thrilled. Imagine Sims 4 with all those things the sims 2 has, does, etc. Then Sims 4 would blow my socks off.
But to each their own. You have every right to like Sims 4 just as it is - I just know they have the capability to make it so much better.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
I think you are missing the key difference between TS2 Outings and TS4 Clubs. TS2 outings don't matter when you are not playing at least one of the members of the group, TS4 Clubs on the other hand are more permanent, and that's what makes them more interesting in my mind. No matter the household I'm currently playing, I may stumble upon my elders club doing yoga at the park, I may meet my detectives playing darts at the pub, I may see Grandpa swimming with his grandchildren at the swimming pool.
TS4 clubs is not just groups, it's setting rules for your town, creating habits for the Sims (played or not), choosing what the AI and the autonomy system will make of them when you're not playing them. That's what makes it different from what we ever had before for me.
They do keep the skills in TS4. And like I said a little bit earlier, I would not want TS4 to have all the things TS2 has, there was some things I didn't like in TS2 actually (like keeping the items they bought in inventory for example)
The purpose of the items going to inventory is so you could either put them in the sims household to use or so you could sell them back at full price in case your sims household had limited money. The items only stayed in the inventory until you played the household again and did something with the stuff. I loved that idea as often my sims could not afford all the stuff they'd buy, so I could get their money back. If they could afford every thing they bought then I had no issues with putting the things in their houses as it always gave them a temporary happy buff for getting the things they chose to use in their homes. Why would you want your sims using all their money and you not being able to send it all back full price like we can do in Sims 2. They technically did not show the items until you played their household again and could place the stuff they bought into the household or reject it.
I had nutty sims that often bought things like cars and such they couldn't afford - so I could reject those things.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
Because any time I rotated, I had a popup for an adopted dog, and an inventory full of random things to sell, with the things I did care about hidden in all those items, which meant spending time sorting through all that, for not benefit because if I wanted something, I would usually go and buy it. In TS4, they don't use their money, it's basically auto-resell, same results as what I did in TS2, without all the trouble, so it's a win for me.
Which ever game makes you most happy that is the game I would play and why i tend to play Sims 2 or Sims 3 instead of Sims 4. I would love to play more sims 4 as there are things about it I do like - but my main issue is the missing life stages so nothing else really matters right now to me.
I just think though if you like it just the way it is, enjoy it. And if you want other things for it, rally for it.
LOrd knows you do not have to justify yourself to me. It is nice you can enjoy it. At least you feel you got your money's worth. LOL.
ETA - I also can see how that might bother some people - I find it useful and you don't. I think it is okay for us both to feel like we do, don't you? lol.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
To me, those are just a lack of restrictions. And probably just a happy happenstance from not having enough time to finish the base game. I don't mind them for the most part (although the lack of simulation they represent is not ideal IMO), but that's nice that you feel it adds to your gameplay. But what I'd like to see are things added, not things that were taken away (and I don't mean that literally, I mean in the sense that they used to be in the previous versions).
For example I want a lot more unique differences among all the age stages added, along with added interactions for members of families. As someone else mentioned, they have plenty of interactions for sims in romantic or friendly relationships, but very few interactions that are specific to families, and we need more interactions that are just for kids so that they act more like kids.
Edit: I want to emphasize that adding interactions does not mean interactions that come with burdensome restrictions. There have been a lot of restrictions in the previously version of the game that I wasn't fond of either, mostly because players were not allowed any freedom to change or control them.
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
This made me sad. TS2 is perfect but it's just so dated and i can't play it for very long.
TS4 is just cheap imitation. I forgot about the child dancing with the parents on their toes, there's NOTHING like that in 4.
3/4 of the time I have to pretend and use imagination when playing families in TS4, but then again that's what they said to do anyways.
/sigh
How tolerant
The first point is a lack of restriction indeed, though we'll probably never know if it's a conscious design decision or a lack of time. The rest are features though : various skills and objects, dating system, multiple aging options and being able to go to other residential lot are all things that were added.
We are both players sharing their feedback, not a council to design the next Sims game for all players to enjoy, so yes it's perfectly fine if we disagree
So work, camping and going to the spa is all about Clubs, Partying and Dancing to you?
Everyone is getting a fair share here. EA isn't "ignoring" families, they are just catering to different players and can only do so one pack at a time.
And Get Together, which is the party EP I guess you're referring to, also included other things, like Sims texting you to congratulate your Engagement, or getting a text from your grandparents to congratulate on your A grade at school. I had my Sims mom call to ask if they wanted to come over. So they didn't completely ignore it, it's just not the focus of any of the packs so far.
Generations was EP 4. We are up to EP 2. Free Time was the only EP that catered to more than just YA as a focus. And that was EP 7. It's cleary on EA's to do list, but it's not the biggest pack in the game, and EA want to cover the basics first.
Insta: https://instagram.com/jkarajs?igshid=oef2ymrand3g
Camping and Spa day are not EPs, they are Game Packs, completely different things.
In my opinion, I strongly believe that EA is ignoring people who like family play (Like myself)
Apparently you do not believe this, and that is fine. That is your opinion
TS4 Outdoor Retreat and Perfect Patio should be combined to 1 Stuff Pack.
Get to Work and Cool Kitchen stuff sound good if you want to make a food business as 1 EP 1 SP.
Get Together and Luxury Party should be 1 EP and 1 SP
Spa Day doesn't go with anything, and Spooky Stuff's just kinda there...like it was near Oct. and they just go "We need to release something. Here, make a Halloween pack that will only be relevant for a month and be just there the other 11 months of the year."
Also, on each GP/SP/EP, there is a section that says Themes. It's before World/system requirements, near the bottom.
Outdoor Retreat says: Outdoors, Camping.
Get to Work says: Careers, Business.
Luxury Party says: Luxury, Party.
Perfect Patio says: Outdoor
Spa Day ....doesn't say anything I found.
Cool Kitchen...doesn't say anything I found either....
Spooky Stuff says: Halloween, Party
and Get Together says: Hobbies, Nightlife, Party, Social Life
That brings us to a total of:
2 Outdoors, 1 Business, 3 Party, and 0 Family!
Thank you for bringing this up
However, I would also need the existence of toddlers...
(She/her)