It says something about the quality of this game, doesn't it, when out of all the comments on this six-page thread, there's only a small handful of people who insist that the game isn't boring to them, and in one case, tried to blame burn out for the negativity.
Or it says that people are doing what they're always being told to do here and staying out of negative threads if they don't want to read them.
You can't have it both ways. Either people are going to come in and be all positive at you whether you like or not, or they're going to not be here. Them not being here doesn't mean they don't exist.
It's not being positive when the person feels the need to imply that fans are being illogical and overreacting for not liking The Sims 4, or when their only purpose for coming into a complaint thread like this one is to complain about the complainers and state that they're tired of reading the complaints.
Here's what the problem is in a nutshell, and I'm not blaming the players for this, I'm putting the blame squarely on EA's shoulders: It is that players who like the game feel that anyone who doesn't like the game and agree with them that it's the best game and better than all the other games is wrong and should stop complaining because it's going to get better, just wait and see (and be prepared and willing to spend money).
Meantime, players who don't like the game think that players who like and are happy with The Sims 4 are wrong for liking it, can see no reason why anyone would think this game is an improvement, and seriously aren't willing to throw any more money at this game (except for those who WANT to like this game and are hoping that the next game pack, expansion pack, or stuff pack will be the magic ingredient that will turn the tide for them).
And this is why we keep having the same kinds of discussions over and over and over again, and why people keep complaining about the complaining. And again, I don't blame the players. I blame EA for not providing the kind of game that would satisfy players enough that the discussion focused on what was new and interesting and useful strategies for completing a goal...you know, like we used to have over on the Sims 2 and Sims 3 forums, instead of what we have now....a lot of dissatisfied customers, who still come here in the hopes of letting Maxis know that while they still love the franchise, they're not happy with this iteration of it.
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!
@Jarsie9, you were only asked to stop using insulting phrases. That's all. It is possible to hold strong opinions and state them without insulting people.
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.
For me the boredom doesn't come from the lack of things to do with my sim. I swear I could still be playing base game and enjoy it. My boredom comes from the lack of random, surprising things in my sims' life. Burglars, pests, deaths I can't control, destiny being part of the game (only certain jobs available in the newspaper, my sim having an opinion on who they like), unpredictable things that change their stories radically. I can come up with characters and set them up, but after a while I'm not sure which way their story should develop - I want the game to give me hints! All I get now is everyone having random romances assigned by the game, everyone getting the same calls for the party at the bluffs etc. I play with the game's suggestions sometimes, but after a while the lack of variety makes it dull.
Also could the people talking about "defenders of the game" and "people with rose coloured classes" just cut it off? It really annoys me as there's no need to keep creating that kind of divide.
I suspect this goes hand in hand with the "You Rule" slogan for this iteration. Unfortunately, like story progression, open world, and a slew of other things in this sort of game, people feel differently about it. Some people want random stuff to happen; some people want complete control of everything; some people want random things to happen in one category and not in others. And while I'm a huge proponent of options, there's a point where they can't put options into every feature because of time and cost and yet that's really the only way to satisfy everyone.
I think that's a big reason mods are so important to this game, more than to a game that has a beginning and end to it. What one person calls a mistake or laziness in this game and gets upset that they have to use mods to "fix" it, another person thinks of as a feature and is incredibly thankful the game got handled that way. Not talking about actual issues, of course, like musical chairs was, the tweaking that needs to happen to emotions or the lagging amd crashing that occurred in 3 over the lack of optimization.
Origin ID: ebuchala I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
For me the boredom doesn't come from the lack of things to do with my sim. I swear I could still be playing base game and enjoy it. My boredom comes from the lack of random, surprising things in my sims' life. Burglars, pests, deaths I can't control, destiny being part of the game (only certain jobs available in the newspaper, my sim having an opinion on who they like), unpredictable things that change their stories radically. I can come up with characters and set them up, but after a while I'm not sure which way their story should develop - I want the game to give me hints! All I get now is everyone having random romances assigned by the game, everyone getting the same calls for the party at the bluffs etc. I play with the game's suggestions sometimes, but after a while the lack of variety makes it dull.
Also could the people talking about "defenders of the game" and "people with rose coloured classes" just cut it off? It really annoys me as there's no need to keep creating that kind of divide.
I suspect this goes hand in hand with the "You Rule" slogan for this iteration. Unfortunately, like story progression, open world, and a slew of other things in this sort of game, people feel differently about it. Some people want random stuff to happen; some people want complete control of everything; some people want random things to happen in one category and not in others. And while I'm a huge proponent of options, there's a point where they can't put options into every feature because of time and cost and yet that's really the only way to satisfy everyone.
I think that's a big reason mods are so important to this game, more than to a game that has a beginning and end to it. What one person calls a mistake or laziness in this game and gets upset that they have to use mods to "fix" it, another person thinks of as a feature and is incredibly thankful the game got handled that way. Not talking about actual issues, of course, like musical chairs was, the tweaking that needs to happen to emotions or the lagging amd crashing that occurred in 3 over the lack of optimization.
I think this is partly why that wishing well was so well received. You don't know what's going to happen.... Well if you give it 5k there will most likely be a good option... haven't had a bad one yet if you give it enough.
I am one of those players that usually likes to know what's happening and yes I do like to rule it.. but now and then I like to make a sim and just let him or her bumble through life .. it's pretty amusing.
I'm all for choice though.. I have a feeling as more things are introduced in game I'll need to start modifying what I don't like. I just wish they would build in a choice when they can.
I get bored with it easily too, now. I usually just make families in CAS and give them little backstories. When I DO play, I get bored quickly and make more families!!
For me the boredom doesn't come from the lack of things to do with my sim. I swear I could still be playing base game and enjoy it. My boredom comes from the lack of random, surprising things in my sims' life. Burglars, pests, deaths I can't control, destiny being part of the game (only certain jobs available in the newspaper, my sim having an opinion on who they like), unpredictable things that change their stories radically. I can come up with characters and set them up, but after a while I'm not sure which way their story should develop - I want the game to give me hints! All I get now is everyone having random romances assigned by the game, everyone getting the same calls for the party at the bluffs etc. I play with the game's suggestions sometimes, but after a while the lack of variety makes it dull.
Also could the people talking about "defenders of the game" and "people with rose coloured classes" just cut it off? It really annoys me as there's no need to keep creating that kind of divide.
I suspect this goes hand in hand with the "You Rule" slogan for this iteration. Unfortunately, like story progression, open world, and a slew of other things in this sort of game, people feel differently about it. Some people want random stuff to happen; some people want complete control of everything; some people want random things to happen in one category and not in others. And while I'm a huge proponent of options, there's a point where they can't put options into every feature because of time and cost and yet that's really the only way to satisfy everyone.
I think that's a big reason mods are so important to this game, more than to a game that has a beginning and end to it. What one person calls a mistake or laziness in this game and gets upset that they have to use mods to "fix" it, another person thinks of as a feature and is incredibly thankful the game got handled that way. Not talking about actual issues, of course, like musical chairs was, the tweaking that needs to happen to emotions or the lagging amd crashing that occurred in 3 over the lack of optimization.
I really agree with you here. As the Sims games have progressed they have only gotten easier and more of the random, unpredictable or messy events that used to happen in the game have steadily been phased out. And a lot of that has to do with the community, not just on this forum but on Twiiter, Reddit, Facebook and other fan sites. Some people have always loved the more dangerous and dirty aspects of Sim life while others have very vocally complained about those things as "taking away their choice and control". People want to have it both ways, it seems. They want to rule their game, they want nothing too challenging or unpredictable, yet they still complain about the lack of variety in the game.
Sims 2 (and also 3 for some of these things) had burglars, vermin, more random deaths, ghosts that could scare Sims to death, nuisance stray animals, unselectable lifetime wishes, chemistry between Sims so they might not always prefer the Sim you had in mind for them, actual penalties for children being neglected or failing school, so many other things I could list that represented the tougher side of life.
And there were mods to remove all of these things because some people just can't deal with not being in full control all the time. Apparently the devs thought this is how everyone plays and wants the game to be, since the game has been skipping toward Happy Land for the last few years. We lost most of the negative stuff and all of our Sims live perpetually happy, safe lives. For me, that's the biggest problem with Sims 4 and the reason I can't like it 100%. But, keep in mind that it's not always black and white, you don't have to love the game or hate the game. Some people, like me, like the game a little bit but feel like it could use some improvements and better content. I play the game, enjoy it at times, but it doesn't hold my attention the way Sims 3 did. And yet, I still have a positive outlook for Sims 4 and hope it can become great.
"It's like there's a pink elephant in the room and no one's allowed to talk about it."
I think this game is the epitome of shallow. Sure, it's nice to look at, and some of the functions work smoothly, but ultimately when it comes down to it, there really isn't much depth.. at all. Like everyone's saying, there's just nothing to do. Every story turns into the same outline. It is very repetitive and lacking substance, for sure. Fingers crossed developers can find a way to fix this mess.
I suspect this goes hand in hand with the "You Rule" slogan for this iteration. Unfortunately, like story progression, open world, and a slew of other things in this sort of game, people feel differently about it.
I really agree with you here. As the Sims games have progressed they have only gotten easier and more of the random, unpredictable or messy events that used to happen in the game have steadily been phased out. And a lot of that has to do with the community, not just on this forum but on Twiiter, Reddit, Facebook and other fan sites. Some people have always loved the more dangerous and dirty aspects of Sim life while others have very vocally complained about those things as "taking away their choice and control". People want to have it both ways, it seems. They want to rule their game, they want nothing too challenging or unpredictable, yet they still complain about the lack of variety in the game.
Sims 2 (and also 3 for some of these things) had burglars, vermin, more random deaths, ghosts that could scare Sims to death, nuisance stray animals, unselectable lifetime wishes, chemistry between Sims so they might not always prefer the Sim you had in mind for them, actual penalties for children being neglected or failing school, so many other things I could list that represented the tougher side of life.
And there were mods to remove all of these things because some people just can't deal with not being in full control all the time. Apparently the devs thought this is how everyone plays and wants the game to be, since the game has been skipping toward Happy Land for the last few years. We lost most of the negative stuff and all of our Sims live perpetually happy, safe lives. For me, that's the biggest problem with Sims 4 and the reason I can't like it 100%. But, keep in mind that it's not always black and white, you don't have to love the game or hate the game. Some people, like me, like the game a little bit but feel like it could use some improvements and better content. I play the game, enjoy it at times, but it doesn't hold my attention the way Sims 3 did. And yet, I still have a positive outlook for Sims 4 and hope it can become great.
I don't think those two perspectives are the same--I like deviant play but I like to be able to control it. Don't get me wrong, I do occasionally like oddball things to happen and throw a nice curveball into my game but if that never happened, as it doesn't usually happen in TS4, I can still happily play the game. I would, however, like more tools for deviant play--more negative emotions, more dirty, run-down build/buy items, etc.
To me, deviant play does not equal random interactions. I can come up with plenty of controlled deviant play in my stories and somewhat manage to do alright with TS4 in this, though, as mentioned, I could use some more tools for it. And certain interactions you mentioned above, I absolutely could do without. For instance, you mentioned penalties for children being neglected and someone mentioned in another thread wanting it set in the game so that child sims can't be at home alone. I don't want those types of limitations on my game--what if I want to set up a story with a neglectful parent? What if the main point of the story is the child? I try to set that up in TS2 or TS3 and that kid will be whisked away by social services in no time and my story has just been broken. I prefer TS4's version where I can have one set of parents who never let their child be alone in the house and one set where the kid spends most of their time alone fending for themselves.
Another thing I see differently is how "hard" or "easy" this game is. For me personally, I don't play the sims with a goal in mind, I play it purely for the creativity. There is no "hard" or "easy" for me in this game. There's just the story and the world it's set in. I'm not looking for ways to make something "difficult" in the game because I have no interest in trying to beat something here. I do understand that for some people they want a challenge to beat but, for me personally, TS4 is actually providing more of my style of creative play than the other versions ever did. I can set up a world or background for my story and as many characters as I want in it, push and nudge and lead them along whatever path I choose and, while I do enjoy the occasional curveball as I mentioned, I love that in this game I really can control things in a lot of ways than I've ever been able to in the past.
Origin ID: ebuchala I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
For me the boredom doesn't come from the lack of things to do with my sim. I swear I could still be playing base game and enjoy it. My boredom comes from the lack of random, surprising things in my sims' life. Burglars, pests, deaths I can't control, destiny being part of the game (only certain jobs available in the newspaper, my sim having an opinion on who they like), unpredictable things that change their stories radically. I can come up with characters and set them up, but after a while I'm not sure which way their story should develop - I want the game to give me hints! All I get now is everyone having random romances assigned by the game, everyone getting the same calls for the party at the bluffs etc. I play with the game's suggestions sometimes, but after a while the lack of variety makes it dull.
Also could the people talking about "defenders of the game" and "people with rose coloured classes" just cut it off? It really annoys me as there's no need to keep creating that kind of divide.
I suspect this goes hand in hand with the "You Rule" slogan for this iteration. Unfortunately, like story progression, open world, and a slew of other things in this sort of game, people feel differently about it. Some people want random stuff to happen; some people want complete control of everything; some people want random things to happen in one category and not in others. And while I'm a huge proponent of options, there's a point where they can't put options into every feature because of time and cost and yet that's really the only way to satisfy everyone.
I think that's a big reason mods are so important to this game, more than to a game that has a beginning and end to it. What one person calls a mistake or laziness in this game and gets upset that they have to use mods to "fix" it, another person thinks of as a feature and is incredibly thankful the game got handled that way. Not talking about actual issues, of course, like musical chairs was, the tweaking that needs to happen to emotions or the lagging amd crashing that occurred in 3 over the lack of optimization.
I think this is partly why that wishing well was so well received. You don't know what's going to happen.... Well if you give it 5k there will most likely be a good option... haven't had a bad one yet if you give it enough.
I am one of those players that usually likes to know what's happening and yes I do like to rule it.. but now and then I like to make a sim and just let him or her bumble through life .. it's pretty amusing.
I'm all for choice though.. I have a feeling as more things are introduced in game I'll need to start modifying what I don't like. I just wish they would build in a choice when they can.
I do like that they added the wishing well. Of course, you generally have control of even that since they don't ever have to use it if you don't want them to have to deal with the randomness, which still makes it a "You Rule" sort of scenario. I actually like that it's triggered by your in-game actions; no toggles in the background, radial buttons or sliders to slide. Just decide in the middle of your game if you want to partake of that randomness and do it. I think that's actually a good way to add in options without having to set up extra controls in the background and possibly create two different versions of the game to meet both options.
Origin ID: ebuchala I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
I suspect this goes hand in hand with the "You Rule" slogan for this iteration. Unfortunately, like story progression, open world, and a slew of other things in this sort of game, people feel differently about it.
I really agree with you here. As the Sims games have progressed they have only gotten easier and more of the random, unpredictable or messy events that used to happen in the game have steadily been phased out. And a lot of that has to do with the community, not just on this forum but on Twiiter, Reddit, Facebook and other fan sites. Some people have always loved the more dangerous and dirty aspects of Sim life while others have very vocally complained about those things as "taking away their choice and control". People want to have it both ways, it seems. They want to rule their game, they want nothing too challenging or unpredictable, yet they still complain about the lack of variety in the game.
Sims 2 (and also 3 for some of these things) had burglars, vermin, more random deaths, ghosts that could scare Sims to death, nuisance stray animals, unselectable lifetime wishes, chemistry between Sims so they might not always prefer the Sim you had in mind for them, actual penalties for children being neglected or failing school, so many other things I could list that represented the tougher side of life.
And there were mods to remove all of these things because some people just can't deal with not being in full control all the time. Apparently the devs thought this is how everyone plays and wants the game to be, since the game has been skipping toward Happy Land for the last few years. We lost most of the negative stuff and all of our Sims live perpetually happy, safe lives. For me, that's the biggest problem with Sims 4 and the reason I can't like it 100%. But, keep in mind that it's not always black and white, you don't have to love the game or hate the game. Some people, like me, like the game a little bit but feel like it could use some improvements and better content. I play the game, enjoy it at times, but it doesn't hold my attention the way Sims 3 did. And yet, I still have a positive outlook for Sims 4 and hope it can become great.
I don't think those two perspectives are the same--I like deviant play but I like to be able to control it. Don't get me wrong, I do occasionally like oddball things to happen and throw a nice curveball into my game but if that never happened, as it doesn't usually happen in TS4, I can still happily play the game. I would, however, like more tools for deviant play--more negative emotions, more dirty, run-down build/buy items, etc.
To me, deviant play does not equal random interactions. I can come up with plenty of controlled deviant play in my stories and somewhat manage to do alright with TS4 in this, though, as mentioned, I could use some more tools for it. And certain interactions you mentioned above, I absolutely could do without. For instance, you mentioned penalties for children being neglected and someone mentioned in another thread wanting it set in the game so that child sims can't be at home alone. I don't want those types of limitations on my game--what if I want to set up a story with a neglectful parent? What if the main point of the story is the child? I try to set that up in TS2 or TS3 and that kid will be whisked away by social services in no time and my story has just been broken. I prefer TS4's version where I can have one set of parents who never let their child be alone in the house and one set where the kid spends most of their time alone fending for themselves.
Another thing I see differently is how "hard" or "easy" this game is. For me personally, I don't play the sims with a goal in mind, I play it purely for the creativity. There is no "hard" or "easy" for me in this game. There's just the story and the world it's set in. I'm not looking for ways to make something "difficult" in the game because I have no interest in trying to beat something here. I do understand that for some people they want a challenge to beat but, for me personally, TS4 is actually providing more of my style of creative play than the other versions ever did. I can set up a world or background for my story and as many characters as I want in it, push and nudge and lead them along whatever path I choose and, while I do enjoy the occasional curveball as I mentioned, I love that in this game I really can control things in a lot of ways than I've ever been able to in the past.
I see your point, and it just goes to show that people have various different reasons for preferring one Sims game over another. For a storyteller who wants to be in absolute control or just wants to nudge their Sims down a predetermined path, Sims 4 does provide good gameplay tools for them (outside of maybe the limited options for editing the world). Conversely, a player who likes their gameplay to be directed by random events or "fate" may find Sims 4 lacking because nothing random ever really happens and there's not much of a challenge. It's just different playstyles. Some players turn off autonomy and direct their Sims in everything, some leave it on but still pause constantly to queue up tasks. And some players leave autonomy on and prefer to sit back and see how their Sims go about their lives with a little bit of direction here and there.
Personally, I don't usually play the game with a goal in mind either unless I am doing a challenge, nor do I feel like I need to be able to "beat the game"... The challenge I am looking for is more on an intellectual level, my creativity is better stimulated by unpredictability and things that happen that are out of my control. I've had stories in the past take some very interesting turns because of random events that I didn't see coming. That doesn't really happen in Sims 4 and so for me that is what the game is lacking most. So far, for me at least, Sims 3 was the best in terms of a balance between being unpredictable and also giving the player a lot of control. But Sims in that game still tend toward happiness more often than not, so much that I felt the need to use mods that made it require a lot more buffs to get Sims into the highest mood. I don't want my Sims miserable all the time or anything, but I like it when it at least requires some effort to keep them happy.
"It's like there's a pink elephant in the room and no one's allowed to talk about it."
Why is this?
Several reasons. Mainly because I am holding back on playing as I normally do.
The game just isn't complete enough for me to go forward. I am just prepping, prepping, prepping.
I am hoping for some kind or romance pack, so I can begin paring my sims up for marriages.
I am hoping for a Generations pack that will bring more family play, toddlers, and pre-teens.
I need more content because I have over 20 sandboxy sim scenarios for inventive simming. I would love to play them out, but the more content I have, the richer the experience will be.
So aging is off. My sims may try flirts here and there. It's hard to resist couples though. I have a few couples already despite avoiding it. My sims are only partying, working, socializing, and pursuing hobbies. After everyone is level 5 in their careers and I have satisfied all initial aspirations, it will be time to set them aside. I do believe we will have Generations (toddlers and pre-teens.) before I get to that.
["The Faith is strong in this one," Cynical simmers say.]
However, something fun may be coming up.
I think I will take all my wonderful sims, put them in an alternate universe, ("save-as" world) and have them play a very deadly reality TV show.
New content will inspire.
I also need University.
It was part of my simming generational cycle.
I have an young adult sim starting off in life with friends, career, and eventually girlfriend or boyfriend. They get married, have kids. The kids grow up, go to university, graduate, and move out. I start the cycle again.
I really like my group of sims, but this is pretty much life for them: go to work, party.
I should probably send them camping with Outdoor Retreat, but for some reason, I just don't feel like it.
I see your point, and it just goes to show that people have various different reasons for preferring one Sims game over another. For a storyteller who wants to be in absolute control or just wants to nudge their Sims down a predetermined path, Sims 4 does provide good gameplay tools for them (outside of maybe the limited options for editing the world). Conversely, a player who likes their gameplay to be directed by random events or "fate" may find Sims 4 lacking because nothing random ever really happens and there's not much of a challenge. It's just different playstyles. Some players turn off autonomy and direct their Sims in everything, some leave it on but still pause constantly to queue up tasks. And some players leave autonomy on and prefer to sit back and see how their Sims go about their lives with a little bit of direction here and there.
Personally, I don't usually play the game with a goal in mind either unless I am doing a challenge, nor do I feel like I need to be able to "beat the game"... The challenge I am looking for is more on an intellectual level, my creativity is better stimulated by unpredictability and things that happen that are out of my control. I've had stories in the past take some very interesting turns because of random events that I didn't see coming. That doesn't really happen in Sims 4 and so for me that is what the game is lacking most. So far, for me at least, Sims 3 was the best in terms of a balance between being unpredictable and also giving the player a lot of control. But Sims in that game still tend toward happiness more often than not, so much that I felt the need to use mods that made it require a lot more buffs to get Sims into the highest mood. I don't want my Sims miserable all the time or anything, but I like it when it at least requires some effort to keep them happy.
Oh yes, it would be nice if they added world editing, though I'm not holding my breath for the ability to create worlds. I do hold out hope that we can at least edit neighborhoods eventually. I agree that TS4 does lack the randomness of previous games, which I miss a bit. Like you, I enjoy the challenge it adds to altering the story and trying to see what can be made from the change in direction. Though, as for autonomy, I'm funny in that I don't like to turn it on--I guess that's one way I let the unpredictable happen. I have had some sims surprise me with their actions. And you mentioned chemistry previously, which I think while the game doesn't have it the same as TS2 did, there is some kind of coding in there that affects how sims are attracted to other sims because I've played saves before where I kept trying to get 2 sims together and it didn't matter what I did, they just would not develop romantic feelings for one another.
I do understand where you're coming from in light of the "challenge" you want out of the game and in light of the happy land quality of the more recent games. I completely agree that they have gone too overboard with that and desperately want more negatives introduced to balance this out. It's one of my biggest gripes with the game. They need to add in Fear as an emotion for starters and then make one of the negative emotions (uncomfortable or sad) a chameleon buff like "happy" is so they boost negative emotions a bit. And, of course, completely downplay how strong the emotional buffs are from environmental factors while adding some negative emotions from certain environments like dirty surroundings should have as much impact as pretty surroundings, but on the negative side for most sims (except slob sims, etc.).
Origin ID: ebuchala I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
@Jarsie9, you were only asked to stop using insulting phrases. That's all. It is possible to hold strong opinions and state them without insulting people.
I'm not going to censor myself just because people don't like the way I say things.
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!
@Jarsie9, you were only asked to stop using insulting phrases. That's all. It is possible to hold strong opinions and state them without insulting people.
I'm not going to censor myself just because people don't like the way I say things.
I have started to censor myself a lot because I'd prefer having a polite discussion. When I came to these forums the negativity felt really overwhelming and there really seemed to be a lot of people who hate the game, haters yeah. While chatting here I've found that people find this kind of phrases insulting, so even though that's sometimes the feeling/thought that comes across to me personally - I try not to use those words in discussion because I know they hurt people. I read you're also hoping people stopped talking that way, but you're setting an awful example yourself.
@Jarsie9, you were only asked to stop using insulting phrases. That's all. It is possible to hold strong opinions and state them without insulting people.
I'm not going to censor myself just because people don't like the way I say things.
I have started to censor myself a lot because I'd prefer having a polite discussion. When I came to these forums the negativity felt really overwhelming and there really seemed to be a lot of people who hate the game, haters yeah. While chatting here I've found that people find this kind of phrases insulting, so even though that's sometimes the feeling/thought that comes across to me personally - I try not to use those words in discussion because I know they hurt people. I read you're also hoping people stopped talking that way, but you're setting an awful example yourself.
I've tried to do this, too. Back on the old Sims 3 forum I sometimes had zero filter and offended/hurt some people because of it. Now, I've matured a bit and find that the best way to have a discussion is to be civil and polite. I'll never be 100% politically correct and honestly some people are offended by everything and I won't cater to those people, but there is no reason to not attempt to have a calm debate with another person who may not agree with you. There is also no reason to insult somebody just because they like or dislike something that you don't feel the same about.
Nobody has to like Sims 4, and the people who don't are still welcome to comment here, it's their right to do so. However, insinuating that somebody is wrong for liking a game that you don't like is just rude and unnecessary. People have different opinions, deal with it. If a person likes Sims 4 they have their reasons for it, it doesn't mean they are a blind fangirl/boy, or that they are in some way unintelligent, or that they just don't appreciate the awesomeness of Sims 2 or anything of that ilk. And on the other side of the coin, people who don't like the game have their reasons, and that doesn't make them "haters" and no, they shouldn't just "go away".
This forum could benefit a lot from people trying to be more respectful to one another.
"It's like there's a pink elephant in the room and no one's allowed to talk about it."
@Jarsie9, you were only asked to stop using insulting phrases. That's all. It is possible to hold strong opinions and state them without insulting people.
I'm not going to censor myself just because people don't like the way I say things.
I have started to censor myself a lot because I'd prefer having a polite discussion. When I came to these forums the negativity felt really overwhelming and there really seemed to be a lot of people who hate the game, haters yeah. While chatting here I've found that people find this kind of phrases insulting, so even though that's sometimes the feeling/thought that comes across to me personally - I try not to use those words in discussion because I know they hurt people. I read you're also hoping people stopped talking that way, but you're setting an awful example yourself.
I've tried to do this, too. Back on the old Sims 3 forum I sometimes had zero filter and offended/hurt some people because of it. Now, I've matured a bit and find that the best way to have a discussion is to be civil and polite. I'll never be 100% politically correct and honestly some people are offended by everything and I won't cater to those people, but there is no reason to not attempt to have a calm debate with another person who may not agree with you. There is also no reason to insult somebody just because they like or dislike something that you don't feel the same about.
Nobody has to like Sims 4, and the people who don't are still welcome to comment here, it's their right to do so. However, insinuating that somebody is wrong for liking a game that you don't like is just rude and unnecessary. People have different opinions, deal with it. If a person likes Sims 4 they have their reasons for it, it doesn't mean they are a blind fangirl/boy, or that they are in some way unintelligent, or that they just don't appreciate the awesomeness of Sims 2 or anything of that ilk. And on the other side of the coin, people who don't like the game have their reasons, and that doesn't make them "haters" and no, they shouldn't just "go away".
This forum could benefit a lot from people trying to be more respectful to one another.
Awesome post. There are some words I avoid simply because I know some are offended by them. Pudding face, S4 defenders, S4 haters, fangirl, fanboy, etc. I don't think of it as censoring, simply being respectful.
@Jarsie9, you were only asked to stop using insulting phrases. That's all. It is possible to hold strong opinions and state them without insulting people.
I'm not going to censor myself just because people don't like the way I say things.
And that's your issue, you constantly insult others but get offended when others do the same to you. You come off as extremely rude.
It says something about the quality of this game, doesn't it, when out of all the comments on this six-page thread, there's only a small handful of people who insist that the game isn't boring to them, and in one case, tried to blame burn out for the negativity.
I'm just getting to the point of "why bother?" when it comes to threads like these. Seems like there are plenty who avoid discussions like these because they always get heated, and I'm beginning to realize that I see no purpose in me also restating the same things over and over in every thread like this that pops up every day/every few days.
I played for four hours last night, and i'm already getting bored of the sims 4 again! It's so weird. I could play the sims 3 for hours weeks on end before I got bored. But the sims 4 is done...is anyone else having this problem? Is there anyway i could maybe mix it? xD
I completely understand.
When TS3 Base Game launched, I would pull accidental all-nighters playing but with TS4 it was always a struggle to enjoy it. Eventually I got tired of working so hard to find the fun in the game and set it aside. I haven't opened it in more than five months and even the recent patches and updates aren't tempting enough for me to bother.
I got so bored of playing The Sims that I stopped playing entirely for nearly 5 years and got rid of all my TS2 discs. Didn't even give them away or sell them - I just threw them away. Not for one moment during that 5-year period did I get the urge to play any Sims game at all. I didn't even get TS3 until 3 years ago.
I have no doubt in my mind that at some other point in the future, I will get bored of playing The Sims again and will go another 5 years without touching it or even thinking about it. I found it easier to play TS2/3 for hours on end, while TS4 is comparatively boring, but The Sims gets boring after a while - and the only way I can get excited about it again is if I stop playing for ages. There is honestly only so much I can do before I get annoyed with it. This applies to all Sims games - not just TS4.
That's just me though. I was the same with Grand Theft Auto - used to love it, got bored with it and haven't played it in ages. Maybe I just have a short attention span.
I played for four hours last night, and i'm already getting bored of the sims 4 again! It's so weird. I could play the sims 3 for hours weeks on end before I got bored. But the sims 4 is done...is anyone else having this problem? Is there anyway i could maybe mix it? xD
I completely understand.
When TS3 Base Game launched, I would pull accidental all-nighters playing but with TS4 it was always a struggle to enjoy it. Eventually I got tired of working so hard to find the fun in the game and set it aside. I haven't opened it in more than five months and even the recent patches and updates aren't tempting enough for me to bother.
I sometimes get bored too but I get bored of everything. It's natural. It's definitely not showing that the game is crap. Everyone's allowed to enjoy other games more or rather do things in real life.
It says something about the quality of this game, doesn't it, when out of all the comments on this six-page thread, there's only a small handful of people who insist that the game isn't boring to them, and in one case, tried to blame burn out for the negativity.
Yes, the forumful of happy simmers says something more about the game.
For me the boredom doesn't come from the lack of things to do with my sim. I swear I could still be playing base game and enjoy it. My boredom comes from the lack of random, surprising things in my sims' life. Burglars, pests, deaths I can't control, destiny being part of the game (only certain jobs available in the newspaper, my sim having an opinion on who they like), unpredictable things that change their stories radically. I can come up with characters and set them up, but after a while I'm not sure which way their story should develop - I want the game to give me hints! All I get now is everyone having random romances assigned by the game, everyone getting the same calls for the party at the bluffs etc. I play with the game's suggestions sometimes, but after a while the lack of variety makes it dull.
Also could the people talking about "defenders of the game" and "people with rose coloured classes" just cut it off? It really annoys me as there's no need to keep creating that kind of divide.
I suspect this goes hand in hand with the "You Rule" slogan for this iteration. Unfortunately, like story progression, open world, and a slew of other things in this sort of game, people feel differently about it. Some people want random stuff to happen; some people want complete control of everything; some people want random things to happen in one category and not in others. And while I'm a huge proponent of options, there's a point where they can't put options into every feature because of time and cost and yet that's really the only way to satisfy everyone.
I think that's a big reason mods are so important to this game, more than to a game that has a beginning and end to it. What one person calls a mistake or laziness in this game and gets upset that they have to use mods to "fix" it, another person thinks of as a feature and is incredibly thankful the game got handled that way. Not talking about actual issues, of course, like musical chairs was, the tweaking that needs to happen to emotions or the lagging amd crashing that occurred in 3 over the lack of optimization.
I once complained about this exact thing. I complained that there was no random events that happened like death by meteor for example. I really liked that you just never knew when a comet might strike in Sims 3--just an example.
And one of the devs commented that not everyone wants that risk. Some people spend hours and hours coming up with stories and carefully creating their Sims and they would be really upset if that same Sim was suddenly killed. Later, after I thought about it, and played a challenge where if my Sim died I would be very upset because all my progress would have been lost, I understood better what he was saying.
I wish there was a way to turn random events on and off. That would be ideal for all involved.
Anyway, so, I suggested they make objects that could potentially kill our Sims. That way people that wanted to take the risk could. Although it isn't really random if you know in advance is it? But the object could potentially be a risk like the Wishing Well for instance. You never know what you might get.
Just thought I would tell you this because I believe that is why there isn't random deaths happening or maybe even why there isn't a lot happening that is random. Just as some love story progression- others like complete control. I guess they have to draw the line somewhere. Which is why I have the mod MC Command Center. Helps make things more random. I also play a random legacy challenge that brings some of that into my game.
However, ultimately I agree with you and I wish we had more random events. I would enjoy the game more but probably others would not.
I got so bored of playing The Sims that I stopped playing entirely for nearly 5 years and got rid of all my TS2 discs. Didn't even give them away or sell them - I just threw them away. Not for one moment during that 5-year period did I get the urge to play any Sims game at all. I didn't even get TS3 until 3 years ago.
I have no doubt in my mind that at some other point in the future, I will get bored of playing The Sims again and will go another 5 years without touching it or even thinking about it. I found it easier to play TS2/3 for hours on end, while TS4 is comparatively boring, but The Sims gets boring after a while - and the only way I can get excited about it again is if I stop playing for ages. There is honestly only so much I can do before I get annoyed with it. This applies to all Sims games - not just TS4.
That's just me though. I was the same with Grand Theft Auto - used to love it, got bored with it and haven't played it in ages. Maybe I just have a short attention span.
I go through this all the time too. I put Sims 3 on hold when Skyrim came out. Played Skyrim for 3 years straight, loved it- still played Sims 3 but only here and there. Now, I can't play either one. I will play and play a game and then just one day, put it aside for something else. Not sure why. Just happens. Maybe there are just to many choices.
Comments
It's not being positive when the person feels the need to imply that fans are being illogical and overreacting for not liking The Sims 4, or when their only purpose for coming into a complaint thread like this one is to complain about the complainers and state that they're tired of reading the complaints.
Here's what the problem is in a nutshell, and I'm not blaming the players for this, I'm putting the blame squarely on EA's shoulders: It is that players who like the game feel that anyone who doesn't like the game and agree with them that it's the best game and better than all the other games is wrong and should stop complaining because it's going to get better, just wait and see (and be prepared and willing to spend money).
Meantime, players who don't like the game think that players who like and are happy with The Sims 4 are wrong for liking it, can see no reason why anyone would think this game is an improvement, and seriously aren't willing to throw any more money at this game (except for those who WANT to like this game and are hoping that the next game pack, expansion pack, or stuff pack will be the magic ingredient that will turn the tide for them).
And this is why we keep having the same kinds of discussions over and over and over again, and why people keep complaining about the complaining. And again, I don't blame the players. I blame EA for not providing the kind of game that would satisfy players enough that the discussion focused on what was new and interesting and useful strategies for completing a goal...you know, like we used to have over on the Sims 2 and Sims 3 forums, instead of what we have now....a lot of dissatisfied customers, who still come here in the hopes of letting Maxis know that while they still love the franchise, they're not happy with this iteration of it.
"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 suspect this goes hand in hand with the "You Rule" slogan for this iteration. Unfortunately, like story progression, open world, and a slew of other things in this sort of game, people feel differently about it. Some people want random stuff to happen; some people want complete control of everything; some people want random things to happen in one category and not in others. And while I'm a huge proponent of options, there's a point where they can't put options into every feature because of time and cost and yet that's really the only way to satisfy everyone.
I think that's a big reason mods are so important to this game, more than to a game that has a beginning and end to it. What one person calls a mistake or laziness in this game and gets upset that they have to use mods to "fix" it, another person thinks of as a feature and is incredibly thankful the game got handled that way. Not talking about actual issues, of course, like musical chairs was, the tweaking that needs to happen to emotions or the lagging amd crashing that occurred in 3 over the lack of optimization.
I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
I think this is partly why that wishing well was so well received. You don't know what's going to happen.... Well if you give it 5k there will most likely be a good option... haven't had a bad one yet if you give it enough.
I am one of those players that usually likes to know what's happening and yes I do like to rule it.. but now and then I like to make a sim and just let him or her bumble through life .. it's pretty amusing.
I'm all for choice though.. I have a feeling as more things are introduced in game I'll need to start modifying what I don't like. I just wish they would build in a choice when they can.
I really agree with you here. As the Sims games have progressed they have only gotten easier and more of the random, unpredictable or messy events that used to happen in the game have steadily been phased out. And a lot of that has to do with the community, not just on this forum but on Twiiter, Reddit, Facebook and other fan sites. Some people have always loved the more dangerous and dirty aspects of Sim life while others have very vocally complained about those things as "taking away their choice and control". People want to have it both ways, it seems. They want to rule their game, they want nothing too challenging or unpredictable, yet they still complain about the lack of variety in the game.
Sims 2 (and also 3 for some of these things) had burglars, vermin, more random deaths, ghosts that could scare Sims to death, nuisance stray animals, unselectable lifetime wishes, chemistry between Sims so they might not always prefer the Sim you had in mind for them, actual penalties for children being neglected or failing school, so many other things I could list that represented the tougher side of life.
And there were mods to remove all of these things because some people just can't deal with not being in full control all the time. Apparently the devs thought this is how everyone plays and wants the game to be, since the game has been skipping toward Happy Land for the last few years. We lost most of the negative stuff and all of our Sims live perpetually happy, safe lives. For me, that's the biggest problem with Sims 4 and the reason I can't like it 100%. But, keep in mind that it's not always black and white, you don't have to love the game or hate the game. Some people, like me, like the game a little bit but feel like it could use some improvements and better content. I play the game, enjoy it at times, but it doesn't hold my attention the way Sims 3 did. And yet, I still have a positive outlook for Sims 4 and hope it can become great.
I don't think those two perspectives are the same--I like deviant play but I like to be able to control it. Don't get me wrong, I do occasionally like oddball things to happen and throw a nice curveball into my game but if that never happened, as it doesn't usually happen in TS4, I can still happily play the game. I would, however, like more tools for deviant play--more negative emotions, more dirty, run-down build/buy items, etc.
To me, deviant play does not equal random interactions. I can come up with plenty of controlled deviant play in my stories and somewhat manage to do alright with TS4 in this, though, as mentioned, I could use some more tools for it. And certain interactions you mentioned above, I absolutely could do without. For instance, you mentioned penalties for children being neglected and someone mentioned in another thread wanting it set in the game so that child sims can't be at home alone. I don't want those types of limitations on my game--what if I want to set up a story with a neglectful parent? What if the main point of the story is the child? I try to set that up in TS2 or TS3 and that kid will be whisked away by social services in no time and my story has just been broken. I prefer TS4's version where I can have one set of parents who never let their child be alone in the house and one set where the kid spends most of their time alone fending for themselves.
Another thing I see differently is how "hard" or "easy" this game is. For me personally, I don't play the sims with a goal in mind, I play it purely for the creativity. There is no "hard" or "easy" for me in this game. There's just the story and the world it's set in. I'm not looking for ways to make something "difficult" in the game because I have no interest in trying to beat something here. I do understand that for some people they want a challenge to beat but, for me personally, TS4 is actually providing more of my style of creative play than the other versions ever did. I can set up a world or background for my story and as many characters as I want in it, push and nudge and lead them along whatever path I choose and, while I do enjoy the occasional curveball as I mentioned, I love that in this game I really can control things in a lot of ways than I've ever been able to in the past.
I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
I do like that they added the wishing well.
I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
I see your point, and it just goes to show that people have various different reasons for preferring one Sims game over another. For a storyteller who wants to be in absolute control or just wants to nudge their Sims down a predetermined path, Sims 4 does provide good gameplay tools for them (outside of maybe the limited options for editing the world). Conversely, a player who likes their gameplay to be directed by random events or "fate" may find Sims 4 lacking because nothing random ever really happens and there's not much of a challenge. It's just different playstyles. Some players turn off autonomy and direct their Sims in everything, some leave it on but still pause constantly to queue up tasks. And some players leave autonomy on and prefer to sit back and see how their Sims go about their lives with a little bit of direction here and there.
Personally, I don't usually play the game with a goal in mind either unless I am doing a challenge, nor do I feel like I need to be able to "beat the game"... The challenge I am looking for is more on an intellectual level, my creativity is better stimulated by unpredictability and things that happen that are out of my control. I've had stories in the past take some very interesting turns because of random events that I didn't see coming. That doesn't really happen in Sims 4 and so for me that is what the game is lacking most. So far, for me at least, Sims 3 was the best in terms of a balance between being unpredictable and also giving the player a lot of control. But Sims in that game still tend toward happiness more often than not, so much that I felt the need to use mods that made it require a lot more buffs to get Sims into the highest mood. I don't want my Sims miserable all the time or anything, but I like it when it at least requires some effort to keep them happy.
I also need University.
It was part of my simming generational cycle.
I have an young adult sim starting off in life with friends, career, and eventually girlfriend or boyfriend. They get married, have kids. The kids grow up, go to university, graduate, and move out. I start the cycle again.
I really like my group of sims, but this is pretty much life for them: go to work, party.
I should probably send them camping with Outdoor Retreat, but for some reason, I just don't feel like it.
Oh yes, it would be nice if they added world editing, though I'm not holding my breath for the ability to create worlds. I do hold out hope that we can at least edit neighborhoods eventually. I agree that TS4 does lack the randomness of previous games, which I miss a bit. Like you, I enjoy the challenge it adds to altering the story and trying to see what can be made from the change in direction. Though, as for autonomy, I'm funny in that I don't like to turn it on--I guess that's one way I let the unpredictable happen. I have had some sims surprise me with their actions. And you mentioned chemistry previously, which I think while the game doesn't have it the same as TS2 did, there is some kind of coding in there that affects how sims are attracted to other sims because I've played saves before where I kept trying to get 2 sims together and it didn't matter what I did, they just would not develop romantic feelings for one another.
I do understand where you're coming from in light of the "challenge" you want out of the game and in light of the happy land quality of the more recent games. I completely agree that they have gone too overboard with that and desperately want more negatives introduced to balance this out. It's one of my biggest gripes with the game. They need to add in Fear as an emotion for starters and then make one of the negative emotions (uncomfortable or sad) a chameleon buff like "happy" is so they boost negative emotions a bit. And, of course, completely downplay how strong the emotional buffs are from environmental factors while adding some negative emotions from certain environments like dirty surroundings should have as much impact as pretty surroundings, but on the negative side for most sims (except slob sims, etc.).
I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
I'm not going to censor myself just because people don't like the way I say things.
"We Don't Care If You LIKE The Game, Just As Long As You BUY The Game!"
I Disapprove (Naturally)
I Took The Pledge!
Updated with Werewolf Diaries (1)
I've tried to do this, too. Back on the old Sims 3 forum I sometimes had zero filter and offended/hurt some people because of it. Now, I've matured a bit and find that the best way to have a discussion is to be civil and polite. I'll never be 100% politically correct and honestly some people are offended by everything and I won't cater to those people, but there is no reason to not attempt to have a calm debate with another person who may not agree with you. There is also no reason to insult somebody just because they like or dislike something that you don't feel the same about.
Nobody has to like Sims 4, and the people who don't are still welcome to comment here, it's their right to do so. However, insinuating that somebody is wrong for liking a game that you don't like is just rude and unnecessary. People have different opinions, deal with it. If a person likes Sims 4 they have their reasons for it, it doesn't mean they are a blind fangirl/boy, or that they are in some way unintelligent, or that they just don't appreciate the awesomeness of Sims 2 or anything of that ilk. And on the other side of the coin, people who don't like the game have their reasons, and that doesn't make them "haters" and no, they shouldn't just "go away".
This forum could benefit a lot from people trying to be more respectful to one another.
Awesome post. There are some words I avoid simply because I know some are offended by them. Pudding face, S4 defenders, S4 haters, fangirl, fanboy, etc. I don't think of it as censoring, simply being respectful.
And that's your issue, you constantly insult others but get offended when others do the same to you. You come off as extremely rude.
I'm just getting to the point of "why bother?" when it comes to threads like these. Seems like there are plenty who avoid discussions like these because they always get heated, and I'm beginning to realize that I see no purpose in me also restating the same things over and over in every thread like this that pops up every day/every few days.
@Darkling will this change your mind?
< CLICK to J0in >
I have no doubt in my mind that at some other point in the future, I will get bored of playing The Sims again and will go another 5 years without touching it or even thinking about it. I found it easier to play TS2/3 for hours on end, while TS4 is comparatively boring, but The Sims gets boring after a while - and the only way I can get excited about it again is if I stop playing for ages. There is honestly only so much I can do before I get annoyed with it. This applies to all Sims games - not just TS4.
That's just me though. I was the same with Grand Theft Auto - used to love it, got bored with it and haven't played it in ages. Maybe I just have a short attention span.
@NiNjahawkz: if anything would tempt me to launch the game again, it'd be that sim! So gorgeous!
Yes, the forumful of happy simmers says something more about the game.
I once complained about this exact thing. I complained that there was no random events that happened like death by meteor for example. I really liked that you just never knew when a comet might strike in Sims 3--just an example.
And one of the devs commented that not everyone wants that risk. Some people spend hours and hours coming up with stories and carefully creating their Sims and they would be really upset if that same Sim was suddenly killed. Later, after I thought about it, and played a challenge where if my Sim died I would be very upset because all my progress would have been lost, I understood better what he was saying.
I wish there was a way to turn random events on and off. That would be ideal for all involved.
Anyway, so, I suggested they make objects that could potentially kill our Sims. That way people that wanted to take the risk could. Although it isn't really random if you know in advance is it? But the object could potentially be a risk like the Wishing Well for instance. You never know what you might get.
Just thought I would tell you this because I believe that is why there isn't random deaths happening or maybe even why there isn't a lot happening that is random. Just as some love story progression- others like complete control. I guess they have to draw the line somewhere. Which is why I have the mod MC Command Center. Helps make things more random. I also play a random legacy challenge that brings some of that into my game.
However, ultimately I agree with you and I wish we had more random events. I would enjoy the game more but probably others would not.
Rosebud Challenge
My Drifter Challenge II
Orgin ID: Glimmer50
I go through this all the time too. I put Sims 3 on hold when Skyrim came out. Played Skyrim for 3 years straight, loved it- still played Sims 3 but only here and there. Now, I can't play either one. I will play and play a game and then just one day, put it aside for something else. Not sure why. Just happens. Maybe there are just to many choices.
Rosebud Challenge
My Drifter Challenge II
Orgin ID: Glimmer50