I've replied to someone 3 separate times, so if those ever show up I'm going to look nuts.
I've replied to someone like 10 times, don't worry I'll be the one looking nuts xD my entire comment now disappeared
Live your life to the fullest, don't wait for a miracle to happen, be the miracle to make things happen.
Sometimes your creativity is limited where you use it most, but you can use those limitations to inspire new forms of creativity you may never have thought of beforehand.
there should be a nanny option if you don't want the kids to be left alone. If your adult sim leaves the house, a pop up should say do you want to call a sitter? Yes or no? Just another way to get more npcs in the game.
there should be a nanny option if you don't want the kids to be left alone. If your adult sim leaves the house, a pop up should say do you want to call a sitter? Yes or no? Just another way to get more npcs in the game.
Yeah and maybe even the option to call a Friend or Neighbor to Babysit for those who don't want completely random Sims taking care of their Children.
Live your life to the fullest, don't wait for a miracle to happen, be the miracle to make things happen.
Sometimes your creativity is limited where you use it most, but you can use those limitations to inspire new forms of creativity you may never have thought of beforehand.
Ok just in case a Page of Comments suddenly appear later that are from me, I apologize, those didn't show up since I got a notification that they will be approved :c But yeah, I'd like more free range of who can take care of Children whilst Parents are away.
Live your life to the fullest, don't wait for a miracle to happen, be the miracle to make things happen.
Sometimes your creativity is limited where you use it most, but you can use those limitations to inspire new forms of creativity you may never have thought of beforehand.
Definitely! I meant a service NPC as well, I'm not a fan of mandatory babysitters either. I'm all for options, and those are all great ideas that I think would add a lot of meaningful game play to TS4. Key word is certainly it being optional, though. LOL Those are perfect examples of what I wold consider meaning additions to immersive family play. A mutable curfew that is set per household would be awesome. I like the idea of being able to set a curfew or not utilizing one at all, depending on your needs/wants.
I like game features that put the power into the players hands. Do you want a babysitter? Here is a way to hire one. Do you want to have a latch key family? You can do that too. Let the player choose!
additional NPCs don't change how those sims treat each other - ALL of those sims no matter their traits
because what is a single father up to grilling in the park while leaving his son alone at home ?
what a strange story is this to hire an NPC just to enable the father to grill some burgers in the park ?
this game is in general not made on purpose to offer options to the player, what is seen here as freedom to make strange stories possible in most cases about neglect in the family is not freedom, it is simple as that - neglect in code, lacking options for sims to act according to their traits
those sims will ALL leave their underage children alone at home because they are not programmed to care for each other, not in their bahaviour beyond some hugging & kissing here & there & the obsessive need to talk everywhere to everybody
I don't want to sound cruel, but if we're going to talk about family play... where's the mother in this example?
In all seriousness, I love having "free range" kids in The Sims 4. I have the option of taking the child to a community lot and let them play on the pirate ship or jungle gym while my adult sim works out or hangs out at the lounge. Or I'll let the child leave home without the parents and go play with the other kids in the neighborhood. It's no big deal.
it is a big deal, because this game not really gives you options it just lets you down & sells it as freedom
you are forced to make up stories of parents who don't care for their children or you have to make those sims parents act as if they would care because frankly, they are not programmed to do so on their own - in general those parents don't care what their children are doing, or if they are unhappy, ill or bad in school
the only minimum care this game is programmed to do is
babies teleported invisibly away to an ominous babycare & children teleported away because they are bad in school
the sims themselves are lacking in care for each other
OP, this has nothing to with the lack of family play in Sims 4, because it is like this in Sims 3 as well. And to be quite honest I'm glad it is. The fact he celebrated his birthday all alone in the dark without his dad is your responsibility isn't it?
one should expect from a successor a better gameplay, right ?
i won't be participating in the forums & the gallery anymore - thanks EA
OP, this has nothing to with the lack of family play in Sims 4, because it is like this in Sims 3 as well. And to be quite honest I'm glad it is. The fact he celebrated his birthday all alone in the dark without his dad is your responsibility isn't it?
one should expect from a successor a better gameplay, right ?
I don't consider this a flaw in TS3 that needed improvement. I know you don't leave alone real six year olds all by themselves, but a ten year old? I can perfectly accept the game treats babies and toddlers differently in this respect than the kids (and in 4 babies and kids). If I don't want to leave my sim kids alone at night, that's my responsability as a player. My sim stayed over a few nights at the Hemlock residence in Bridgeport. Mom and dad have careers in crime - at night - and they left their kid daughter alone with my sim (a shabby looking guy, a wanderer). In my mind that told me something about them as parents and I liked it.
Besides, this was presented as 'see why TS4 family play is lacking', and although I agree with that premise in general, this example doesn't prove that point for me.
I find it amusing how quickly the usual group of TS4 Defenders are to circle the wagons, so to speak, and defend Their Precious against all dissenters by throwing out suggestions as to how the OP should manage his/her game, while completely missing the point he/she was trying to make.
OP, I agree with you. Maxis never meant to have any life stages in this game besides young adults, because this game was originally supposed to be The Sims Online Reboot, and when that idea was scrapped for single player, instead of taking the time to fully develop and flesh out each life stage, they simply tacked them on just so that they could shove the game out the door in the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way possible. And it shows.
In previous games, the ages were interconnected. They flowed from one age to the other, and there was a real feeling of family. One could have a baby, a toddler, a child and a teen all in one household, and there would be a real sense of connection between the family members...it was a holistic experience, so to speak.
But in this game? You have a baby poof to child, then turn to teen. You have a child that acts like a mini-adult, who can play on monkey bars and the pirate ship and with toys at home. (This shows that they're childish). But other than that, they do everything grown-ups do...including going to the bars in the middle of the night. Some people like this and see nothing wrong with it. But, in terms of realistic family play, like we had with the other two games? Well, this ability to have kids running around at all hours of the day only goes to illustrate how little thought Maxis put into any of the other life stages besides Young Adults.
This issue has nothing whatsoever to do with child care options or with blaming the player because he or she is objecting to the child left alone and therefore needs to be told how to play his/her game and is completely wrong about TS4's lack of family play. This has to do with the fact that the development team didn't bother to sit down and think about how families worked in the previous two games, how simplistic that they made the game as a consequence (complexity is our enemy) and even the fact that the game play lacks the depth of the previous two games ("We didn't have to rely on psychologists to tell us how to develop this game"). This also explains why there's no wants or fears. Bottom line: the other three ages were simply tacked on, and it's reflected in the disconnected mess that passes for family play in this game.
EA Marketing Department Motto:
"We Don't Care If You LIKE The Game, Just As Long As You BUY The Game!"
I Disapprove (Naturally) I Took The Pledge!
I hope everyone is taking note of the name calling that has come up. *sips tea*
That's nothing new. People are quick to say there aren't sides but then they're also quick to throw out labels that further indicate there are.
Indeed... *hands you a cup of tea*
@Ponder the Sim I should do that, but it goes for great entertainment when a thread showing satisfaction for the game gets dumped on, and the topic turns into x vs y about namecalling.
OP, this has nothing to with the lack of family play in Sims 4, because it is like this in Sims 3 as well. And to be quite honest I'm glad it is. The fact he celebrated his birthday all alone in the dark without his dad is your responsibility isn't it?
one should expect from a successor a better gameplay, right ?
I don't consider this a flaw in TS3 that needed improvement. I know you don't leave alone real six year olds all by themselves, but a ten year old? I can perfectly accept the game treats babies and toddlers differently in this respect than the kids (and in 4 babies and kids). If I don't want to leave my sim kids alone at night, that's my responsability as a player. My sim stayed over a few nights at the Hemlock residence in Bridgeport. Mom and dad have careers in crime - at night - and they left their kid daughter alone with my sim (a shabby looking guy, a wanderer). In my mind that told me something about them as parents and I liked it.
Besides, this was presented as 'see why TS4 family play is lacking', and although I agree with that premise in general, this example doesn't prove that point for me.
maybe you just settle for less with this solution
in TS3 ALL sims parents made a drama when their children didn't act well
in TS4 ALL sims parents don't care
this game jumped from one extreme to the other, but to omit code of interaction is just a cheap way out of a too simplistic interaction
i think a middle ground between those two extremes are traits which work, sims parents should act accordingly to their traits
if i want a bad family story then i choose the traits accordingly, if i want a loving & caring for each other family, then i choose traits accordingly
& the story you describe is again only one about neglect
in TS3 you had to use mods to get the game to omit the mandatory drama & be able to tell a story like that
in TS4 since there is no interaction of care for each other coded, so there cannot be even a mod to implement it,
if you want to tell stories of love, affection & care for each other you have to pretend, because there is so little of it in this game to illustrate it
i won't be participating in the forums & the gallery anymore - thanks EA
I hope everyone is taking note of the name calling that has come up. *sips tea*
That's nothing new. People are quick to say there aren't sides but then they're also quick to throw out labels that further indicate there are.
Indeed... *hands you a cup of tea*
@Ponder the Sim I should do that, but it goes for great entertainment when a thread showing satisfaction for the game gets dumped on, and the topic turns into x vs y about namecalling.
First off, this particular thread is not about showing satisfaction for the game. This particular thread is about the OP's opinion that the development team didn't do a very good job on fleshing out family play.
Second, TS4 Defenders is an accurate description of the majority of the players here who are completely ignoring the OP's contention that the development team has given other ages apart from the young adult stage short shrift, in favor of giving him/her unwanted and unneeded advice just so that they don't have to acknowledge that there might be just a tiny grain of truth in what the OP has pointed out.
And as for being put on the "ignore" list, feel free to do that. It's not like it makes one bit of difference to me, because *my* world doesn't revolve around what somebody on a forum thinks about me.
EA Marketing Department Motto:
"We Don't Care If You LIKE The Game, Just As Long As You BUY The Game!"
I Disapprove (Naturally) I Took The Pledge!
@OP all you accomplished was to waste your time and energy trying to convey an important & meaningful message to others, most of whom don't give a tinker's plum about simulated family, evidenced by the fact that your point flew over most of their heads while the same ones as always jumped in to defend what is essentially nothing more than a digital code for a PC and to heck with the thoughtful meaning behind your words. Who cares about meaningful family play? As long as they have what they want, they don't care what you or anyone else wants and they do not want to hear "complaints" either since negativity "interferes with their enjoyment".
fwiw I got your point immediately, only too well and I'd elaborate more but I am simply not in the mood tonight to get mocked and sneered at by the TS4IsDaBombNoMatterWhat11 crowd, so I'll leave it at that.
If you want a real in-depth discussion pertaining to TS4's butchering of family dynamics, you'll need to visit Feedback where there's threads addressing this issue and discussions are carried out in mature fashion while "legal" trolling is not tolerated - you're free to express opinions (usually) without fear of being mocked, dismissed, talked down to, patronized and flooded with condescension unlike here in GD where the environment reeks of superiority and smug self-satisfaction - because they got what they want so it su<ks to be you. Even those in the Sims 3 subforum would be more tolerant.
@jusMeh Thanks for the understanding and kind words. I don't let the naysayers get to me too much. I appreciate that people have different opinions and simmers have different play styles. I was surprised that the point was so completely missed by so many, so maybe that's my fault. Sims 4 has its flaws, and it has its good points, too. There's a lot I like about it, chiefly the fact that I can play again. I had to sit out the Sims 3 series because it just didn't work with my play style.
So, I'm back to simming. That doesn't mean I won't occasionally disagree with the developers and their approach. So, let those who delight in it mock me, dismiss me, talk down to me, patronize me, and flood the board with condescending attitudes. Their misunderstandings and attitudes don't change who I am or what I believe.
OP, this has nothing to with the lack of family play in Sims 4, because it is like this in Sims 3 as well. And to be quite honest I'm glad it is. The fact he celebrated his birthday all alone in the dark without his dad is your responsibility isn't it?
At no point did I say this child celebrated his birthday alone in the dark without his father. That's a misunderstanding started here by other players who made faulty assumptions. I age my children up manually. Yes, the father was there. Father even bought an activity table for his son's birthday.
The whole issue here has nothing to do with missed birthdays or nannies. It's my opinion that it's a flaw in the game design that upon loading a house I can find a child alone and his father on another lot across town. That's my point. I think it's wrong. Others may shrug it off, but I think it's a little disconcerting. I also think it's one more bit of evidence that the developers aren't keen on "family play". Again, my opinion.
I actually love that kids are so free in the sims 4. What actually is stopping you from making a live-in nanny for the child, or utilizing the group system to make him a babysitter or give him somewhere to be? The child is alone in a dark room because you put him there, lol. You can definitely take him out of that situation if you'd like to by bringing dad home and turning on some lights.
That said, I'd love to see OPTIONAL hireable nannies or babysitters. Right now I just use the group tool to run a daycare. I could just as easily use it to invite a teen over to watch the kids at their homes. What I do not want is the game dictating that my sims kids should be home by a certain hour and pulling them from whatever lot they are in because then it's messing with my options. Optional curfews, set by household would be fine.
Edited: Typos due to lack of coffee
Thanks for the reply. As for what's stopping me from creating a live-in nanny... well, the point is no matter what I do in the game, the game can still put sims on different lots WHEN I LOAD THE HOUSE. That's the problem. I could have siblings, nannies, grandparents, or whatever. The game could still leave a child home alone WHEN I LOAD THE HOUSE. That's my complaint. I think it's wrong, that's all. It's disconcerting to switch to a household and find a child alone.
I find it amusing how quickly the usual group of TS4 Defenders are to circle the wagons, so to speak, and defend Their Precious against all dissenters by throwing out suggestions as to how the OP should manage his/her game, while completely missing the point he/she was trying to make.
OP, I agree with you. Maxis never meant to have any life stages in this game besides young adults, because this game was originally supposed to be The Sims Online Reboot, and when that idea was scrapped for single player, instead of taking the time to fully develop and flesh out each life stage, they simply tacked them on just so that they could shove the game out the door in the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way possible. And it shows.
In previous games, the ages were interconnected. They flowed from one age to the other, and there was a real feeling of family. One could have a baby, a toddler, a child and a teen all in one household, and there would be a real sense of connection between the family members...it was a holistic experience, so to speak.
But in this game? You have a baby poof to child, then turn to teen. You have a child that acts like a mini-adult, who can play on monkey bars and the pirate ship and with toys at home. (This shows that they're childish). But other than that, they do everything grown-ups do...including going to the bars in the middle of the night. Some people like this and see nothing wrong with it. But, in terms of realistic family play, like we had with the other two games? Well, this ability to have kids running around at all hours of the day only goes to illustrate how little thought Maxis put into any of the other life stages besides Young Adults.
This issue has nothing whatsoever to do with child care options or with blaming the player because he or she is objecting to the child left alone and therefore needs to be told how to play his/her game and is completely wrong about TS4's lack of family play. This has to do with the fact that the development team didn't bother to sit down and think about how families worked in the previous two games, how simplistic that they made the game as a consequence (complexity is our enemy) and even the fact that the game play lacks the depth of the previous two games ("We didn't have to rely on psychologists to tell us how to develop this game"). This also explains why there's no wants or fears. Bottom line: the other three ages were simply tacked on, and it's reflected in the disconnected mess that passes for family play in this game.
Thanks so much for the comments. You've done a much better job of expressing my thoughts than I did, and you provided a bit of background information as well. In another post, I remarked that in Sims 5 we might have nothing but young adults. Guess that was the original plan for Sims 4, and it worries me to think of all we might lose in the future.
there should be a nanny option if you don't want the kids to be left alone. If your adult sim leaves the house, a pop up should say do you want to call a sitter? Yes or no? Just another way to get more npcs in the game.
Yeah and maybe even the option to call a Friend or Neighbor to Babysit for those who don't want completely random Sims taking care of their Children.
That's a really cool idea. My Teens, scattered all through the neighbourhoods, could end up being *actual* babysitters then!
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
I hope everyone is taking note of the name calling that has come up. *sips tea*
That's nothing new. People are quick to say there aren't sides but then they're also quick to throw out labels that further indicate there are.
Indeed... *hands you a cup of tea*
@Ponder the Sim I should do that, but it goes for great entertainment when a thread showing satisfaction for the game gets dumped on, and the topic turns into x vs y about namecalling.
Lol I feel the same way. I've had some on my ignore list but then my curiosity would get the better of me.
My family in TS4 feels close to me. The only things missing are toddlers and some play interactions from TS2. But somehow the way they talk to each other in Sims 4 and their animations make up for the lack of play interactions. At least for me. I really adore them.
I like that now kids can play with toys while sitting down on chairs too.
I've never played with free-will turned off. Do you know if the game makes your non-autonomous Sims run around like townies when you're playing a different household?
Good question! I'd like to know, too.
There have been times while I was playing another household that I saw both parents of a newborn on the street. If you pop over to their house, you'll find an unattended infant.
I play with free will off. For example if I have my Sim Sarah at the library and she strikes up a conversation with her neighbor John, then I go into manage world to switch to John's household... It will switch to John being in the library not at home. I kind of like it. But when you have numerous sims in one household with this method, there could be Sims anywhere.
Oh, now that I like. I actually wish they did that with free will on. I was rather disappointed the first time I tried to switch between two sims in different hh and they weren't where I left them together.
Origin ID: ebuchala I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
I've never played with free-will turned off. Do you know if the game makes your non-autonomous Sims run around like townies when you're playing a different household?
Good question! I'd like to know, too.
There have been times while I was playing another household that I saw both parents of a newborn on the street. If you pop over to their house, you'll find an unattended infant.
I play with free will off. For example if I have my Sim Sarah at the library and she strikes up a conversation with her neighbor John, then I go into manage world to switch to John's household... It will switch to John being in the library not at home. I kind of like it. But when you have numerous sims in one household with this method, there could be Sims anywhere.
Oh, now that I like. I actually wish they did that with free will on. I was rather disappointed the first time I tried to switch between two sims in different hh and they weren't where I left them together.
Huh. I play with free will on and it's worked for me every time!
EA CREATOR NETWORK MEMBER — Want to be notified of patches, new Broken Mods threads, and urgent Sims 4 news? Follow me at https://www.patreon.com/luthienrising.
I hope everyone is taking note of the name calling that has come up. *sips tea*
That's nothing new. People are quick to say there aren't sides but then they're also quick to throw out labels that further indicate there are.
Indeed... *hands you a cup of tea*
@Ponder the Sim I should do that, but it goes for great entertainment when a thread showing satisfaction for the game gets dumped on, and the topic turns into x vs y about namecalling.
First off, this particular thread is not about showing satisfaction for the game. This particular thread is about the OP's opinion that the development team didn't do a very good job on fleshing out family play.
Second, TS4 Defenders is an accurate description of the majority of the players here who are completely ignoring the OP's contention that the development team has given other ages apart from the young adult stage short shrift, in favor of giving him/her unwanted and unneeded advice just so that they don't have to acknowledge that there might be just a tiny grain of truth in what the OP has pointed out.
And as for being put on the "ignore" list, feel free to do that. It's not like it makes one bit of difference to me, because *my* world doesn't revolve around what somebody on a forum thinks about me.
Who said anything about this thread showing satisfaction for the game? You've misread what I said.
And 'TS4 Defenders' is not an accurate description for the "majority" of players in this thread who are ignoring do not understand the point the OP is trying to make with that particular scenario. And the lack of attention to the other life stages has been something ongoing since TS3, yes, we got Generations, but you look at every other pack outside of that (even the stuff packs) and there was minimal catering to the child and especially the teen stage. Young adults have been in the spotlight for quite some time now.
Alas, I'm not sure why you put ignore in quotation marks, as if you're trying to belittle the idea of being ignored, if it isn't something detrimental to your person, then why take offense by doing so and feel the need to declare that it makes no difference to you? (That was rhetorical, don't actually answer that, I'm being analytical). Anyway I must digress, and you may feel free to respond, but my interest on the subject of *you* is nonexistent, and I refuse to argue about a person's demeanor as I, and everyone else here, only go by what we read through posts. I'm also sure that the Ponder was not referring to you or anyone in particular but just simply giving me a heads up, but to each their own.
OP, this has nothing to with the lack of family play in Sims 4, because it is like this in Sims 3 as well. And to be quite honest I'm glad it is. The fact he celebrated his birthday all alone in the dark without his dad is your responsibility isn't it?
one should expect from a successor a better gameplay, right ?
I don't consider this a flaw in TS3 that needed improvement. I know you don't leave alone real six year olds all by themselves, but a ten year old? I can perfectly accept the game treats babies and toddlers differently in this respect than the kids (and in 4 babies and kids). If I don't want to leave my sim kids alone at night, that's my responsability as a player. My sim stayed over a few nights at the Hemlock residence in Bridgeport. Mom and dad have careers in crime - at night - and they left their kid daughter alone with my sim (a shabby looking guy, a wanderer). In my mind that told me something about them as parents and I liked it.
Besides, this was presented as 'see why TS4 family play is lacking', and although I agree with that premise in general, this example doesn't prove that point for me.
maybe you just settle for less with this solution
in TS3 ALL sims parents made a drama when their children didn't act well
in TS4 ALL sims parents don't care
this game jumped from one extreme to the other, but to omit code of interaction is just a cheap way out of a too simplistic interaction
i think a middle ground between those two extremes are traits which work, sims parents should act accordingly to their traits
if i want a bad family story then i choose the traits accordingly, if i want a loving & caring for each other family, then i choose traits accordingly
& the story you describe is again only one about neglect
in TS3 you had to use mods to get the game to omit the mandatory drama & be able to tell a story like that
in TS4 since there is no interaction of care for each other coded, so there cannot be even a mod to implement it,
if you want to tell stories of love, affection & care for each other you have to pretend, because there is so little of it in this game to illustrate it
I'm not sure I follow what you're saying. What solution do you mean? Kids being allowed to be home alone without surveillance? My example wasn't entirely accurate by the way, because in this case there was an adult in the house when the parents left (namely my sim) and because his charisma skill is quite developed they probably even were friends according to the game. Must be, otherwise I think he wouldn't even have been able to stay the night at all. So from the game's perspective it was totally fine they left her alone.
I agree with your points regarding comparing TS3 and 4, but that's not what I was talking about. I was referring to the example in the OP.
Comments
I've replied to someone like 10 times, don't worry I'll be the one looking nuts xD my entire comment now disappeared
Sometimes your creativity is limited where you use it most, but you can use those limitations to inspire new forms of creativity you may never have thought of beforehand.
Yeah and maybe even the option to call a Friend or Neighbor to Babysit for those who don't want completely random Sims taking care of their Children.
Sometimes your creativity is limited where you use it most, but you can use those limitations to inspire new forms of creativity you may never have thought of beforehand.
Sometimes your creativity is limited where you use it most, but you can use those limitations to inspire new forms of creativity you may never have thought of beforehand.
because what is a single father up to grilling in the park while leaving his son alone at home ?
what a strange story is this to hire an NPC just to enable the father to grill some burgers in the park ?
this game is in general not made on purpose to offer options to the player, what is seen here as freedom to make strange stories possible in most cases about neglect in the family is not freedom, it is simple as that - neglect in code, lacking options for sims to act according to their traits
those sims will ALL leave their underage children alone at home because they are not programmed to care for each other, not in their bahaviour beyond some hugging & kissing here & there & the obsessive need to talk everywhere to everybody
it is a big deal, because this game not really gives you options it just lets you down & sells it as freedom
you are forced to make up stories of parents who don't care for their children or you have to make those sims parents act as if they would care because frankly, they are not programmed to do so on their own - in general those parents don't care what their children are doing, or if they are unhappy, ill or bad in school
the only minimum care this game is programmed to do is
babies teleported invisibly away to an ominous babycare & children teleported away because they are bad in school
the sims themselves are lacking in care for each other
one should expect from a successor a better gameplay, right ?
We need babysitters!
All my creations are CC free.
Besides, this was presented as 'see why TS4 family play is lacking', and although I agree with that premise in general, this example doesn't prove that point for me.
OP, I agree with you. Maxis never meant to have any life stages in this game besides young adults, because this game was originally supposed to be The Sims Online Reboot, and when that idea was scrapped for single player, instead of taking the time to fully develop and flesh out each life stage, they simply tacked them on just so that they could shove the game out the door in the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way possible. And it shows.
In previous games, the ages were interconnected. They flowed from one age to the other, and there was a real feeling of family. One could have a baby, a toddler, a child and a teen all in one household, and there would be a real sense of connection between the family members...it was a holistic experience, so to speak.
But in this game? You have a baby poof to child, then turn to teen. You have a child that acts like a mini-adult, who can play on monkey bars and the pirate ship and with toys at home. (This shows that they're childish). But other than that, they do everything grown-ups do...including going to the bars in the middle of the night. Some people like this and see nothing wrong with it. But, in terms of realistic family play, like we had with the other two games? Well, this ability to have kids running around at all hours of the day only goes to illustrate how little thought Maxis put into any of the other life stages besides Young Adults.
This issue has nothing whatsoever to do with child care options or with blaming the player because he or she is objecting to the child left alone and therefore needs to be told how to play his/her game and is completely wrong about TS4's lack of family play. This has to do with the fact that the development team didn't bother to sit down and think about how families worked in the previous two games, how simplistic that they made the game as a consequence (complexity is our enemy) and even the fact that the game play lacks the depth of the previous two games ("We didn't have to rely on psychologists to tell us how to develop this game"). This also explains why there's no wants or fears. Bottom line: the other three ages were simply tacked on, and it's reflected in the disconnected mess that passes for family play in this game.
"We Don't Care If You LIKE The Game, Just As Long As You BUY The Game!"
I Disapprove (Naturally)
I Took The Pledge!
That's nothing new.
Anyone who resorts to name calling and labels gets put on my ignore. It's a much more pleasant forum experience.
Indeed... *hands you a cup of tea*
@Ponder the Sim I should do that, but it goes for great entertainment when a thread showing satisfaction for the game gets dumped on, and the topic turns into x vs y about namecalling.
in TS3 ALL sims parents made a drama when their children didn't act well
in TS4 ALL sims parents don't care
this game jumped from one extreme to the other, but to omit code of interaction is just a cheap way out of a too simplistic interaction
i think a middle ground between those two extremes are traits which work, sims parents should act accordingly to their traits
if i want a bad family story then i choose the traits accordingly, if i want a loving & caring for each other family, then i choose traits accordingly
& the story you describe is again only one about neglect
in TS3 you had to use mods to get the game to omit the mandatory drama & be able to tell a story like that
in TS4 since there is no interaction of care for each other coded, so there cannot be even a mod to implement it,
if you want to tell stories of love, affection & care for each other you have to pretend, because there is so little of it in this game to illustrate it
First off, this particular thread is not about showing satisfaction for the game. This particular thread is about the OP's opinion that the development team didn't do a very good job on fleshing out family play.
Second, TS4 Defenders is an accurate description of the majority of the players here who are completely ignoring the OP's contention that the development team has given other ages apart from the young adult stage short shrift, in favor of giving him/her unwanted and unneeded advice just so that they don't have to acknowledge that there might be just a tiny grain of truth in what the OP has pointed out.
And as for being put on the "ignore" list, feel free to do that. It's not like it makes one bit of difference to me, because *my* world doesn't revolve around what somebody on a forum thinks about me.
"We Don't Care If You LIKE The Game, Just As Long As You BUY The Game!"
I Disapprove (Naturally)
I Took The Pledge!
@jusMeh Thanks for the understanding and kind words. I don't let the naysayers get to me too much. I appreciate that people have different opinions and simmers have different play styles. I was surprised that the point was so completely missed by so many, so maybe that's my fault. Sims 4 has its flaws, and it has its good points, too. There's a lot I like about it, chiefly the fact that I can play again. I had to sit out the Sims 3 series because it just didn't work with my play style.
So, I'm back to simming. That doesn't mean I won't occasionally disagree with the developers and their approach. So, let those who delight in it mock me, dismiss me, talk down to me, patronize me, and flood the board with condescending attitudes. Their misunderstandings and attitudes don't change who I am or what I believe.
Thanks again!
At no point did I say this child celebrated his birthday alone in the dark without his father. That's a misunderstanding started here by other players who made faulty assumptions. I age my children up manually. Yes, the father was there. Father even bought an activity table for his son's birthday.
The whole issue here has nothing to do with missed birthdays or nannies. It's my opinion that it's a flaw in the game design that upon loading a house I can find a child alone and his father on another lot across town. That's my point. I think it's wrong. Others may shrug it off, but I think it's a little disconcerting. I also think it's one more bit of evidence that the developers aren't keen on "family play". Again, my opinion.
Thanks for the reply. As for what's stopping me from creating a live-in nanny... well, the point is no matter what I do in the game, the game can still put sims on different lots WHEN I LOAD THE HOUSE. That's the problem. I could have siblings, nannies, grandparents, or whatever. The game could still leave a child home alone WHEN I LOAD THE HOUSE. That's my complaint. I think it's wrong, that's all. It's disconcerting to switch to a household and find a child alone.
@Jarsie9
Thanks so much for the comments. You've done a much better job of expressing my thoughts than I did, and you provided a bit of background information as well. In another post, I remarked that in Sims 5 we might have nothing but young adults. Guess that was the original plan for Sims 4, and it worries me to think of all we might lose in the future.
That's a really cool idea. My Teens, scattered all through the neighbourhoods, could end up being *actual* babysitters then!
Lol I feel the same way. I've had some on my ignore list but then my curiosity would get the better of me.
I like that now kids can play with toys while sitting down on chairs too.
Also glad they can play violin and piano again.
https://twitter.com/MarianaF53
Oh, now that I like. I actually wish they did that with free will on. I was rather disappointed the first time I tried to switch between two sims in different hh and they weren't where I left them together.
I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
Huh. I play with free will on and it's worked for me every time!
Who said anything about this thread showing satisfaction for the game? You've misread what I said.
And 'TS4 Defenders' is not an accurate description for the "majority" of players in this thread who are ignoring do not understand the point the OP is trying to make with that particular scenario. And the lack of attention to the other life stages has been something ongoing since TS3, yes, we got Generations, but you look at every other pack outside of that (even the stuff packs) and there was minimal catering to the child and especially the teen stage. Young adults have been in the spotlight for quite some time now.
Alas, I'm not sure why you put ignore in quotation marks, as if you're trying to belittle the idea of being ignored, if it isn't something detrimental to your person, then why take offense by doing so and feel the need to declare that it makes no difference to you? (That was rhetorical, don't actually answer that, I'm being analytical). Anyway I must digress, and you may feel free to respond, but my interest on the subject of *you* is nonexistent, and I refuse to argue about a person's demeanor as I, and everyone else here, only go by what we read through posts. I'm also sure that the Ponder was not referring to you or anyone in particular but just simply giving me a heads up, but to each their own.
I agree with your points regarding comparing TS3 and 4, but that's not what I was talking about. I was referring to the example in the OP.