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Slot-popping & Transitional Animations
esharpmajor
Posts: 1,055 Member
Hi guys, hope you're having an awesome day. 
I was just thinking about all the corner cutting that has gone into this franchise, not just S4 but 3 as well. It seems to me the go-to thing to cut is always 'transitional' animations (like getting into a car, reaching into cupboards to get kitchen utensils, having real baby bottles you had to get from the fridge etc) and also how sims receive new items. For me, those 'little' details were what made the sims feel real. I dislike slot-popping, and I dislike the automatic way sims order things (ie order parts on the computer, poof they appear in the inventory). I would have gone the complete opposite way, even if it meant getting less 'stuff', I would much prefer that the 'stuff' we have is fully interactive, and has real game play VALUE.
In my dream game, sims would not be able to simply buy food from their own fridge, for example. I liked the option to either visit a grocery store, or order groceries and have them DELIVERED by a DELIVERY PERSON. Then they had to put the basket away, by *gasp* opening the fridge and placing the basket inside! It seems S4 subscribes to the rpg style blanket 'interact' animation where your character vaguely swipes in front of them and the item is magically activated/collected what have you. They did this a bit in 3, but sims 4 has really embraced it and taken slot popping to a whole new level. My big issue with this is, where does it end? Will sims 5 have no mail man, just automated e-bills? What about turning on the tv? Will they do that with their cell phones (that they don't have to purchase?) ? It's as though the game is headed toward a situation where the only animation they will need to make is one of a sim using a phone. Want to order pizza? Stare at your phone for a second and the pizza will magically appear in your pocket! Life simulation!
Personally, I would have gone totally the other way with it. I would have made it a priority to give real weight and purpose to items in game. For example, I would prefer that when you buy a bookshelf, it comes empty except for the basic skill books. Then you would have to go to the library to borrow books, or sign up for a book club to receive books in the mail once a week, or purchase them from a book store. I suspect many might see that as an annoyance, but I'm one of those weirdos who loved having to go clothing shopping in S2. It gives my sims a reason to visit community lots, it makes collecting the books more interesting, and it adds to realism! For me, it has a huge amount of gameplay value. The current system is a big factor in my inability to suspend my disbelief.
This sort of short cut is really noticeable to me in the sims series, I'm curious if the rest of you guys feel the same. Does it bother you? Do you notice it? Do you think having to actually acquire items either from stores or from delivery people is a positive feature or just an annoyance? For my money I think cutting that was a huge hit to immersion, and it is really noticeable and makes the game feel cheap. I could have done with a lot less 'stuff'; (chat-like interactions, walk styles, multitasking, emotions, many other 'new' features that just don't add to my enjoyment...) if it meant that sims had to actually physically acquire and interact with items. It adds a lot to my enjoyment, and makes for better story telling/pics.
I was just thinking about all the corner cutting that has gone into this franchise, not just S4 but 3 as well. It seems to me the go-to thing to cut is always 'transitional' animations (like getting into a car, reaching into cupboards to get kitchen utensils, having real baby bottles you had to get from the fridge etc) and also how sims receive new items. For me, those 'little' details were what made the sims feel real. I dislike slot-popping, and I dislike the automatic way sims order things (ie order parts on the computer, poof they appear in the inventory). I would have gone the complete opposite way, even if it meant getting less 'stuff', I would much prefer that the 'stuff' we have is fully interactive, and has real game play VALUE.
In my dream game, sims would not be able to simply buy food from their own fridge, for example. I liked the option to either visit a grocery store, or order groceries and have them DELIVERED by a DELIVERY PERSON. Then they had to put the basket away, by *gasp* opening the fridge and placing the basket inside! It seems S4 subscribes to the rpg style blanket 'interact' animation where your character vaguely swipes in front of them and the item is magically activated/collected what have you. They did this a bit in 3, but sims 4 has really embraced it and taken slot popping to a whole new level. My big issue with this is, where does it end? Will sims 5 have no mail man, just automated e-bills? What about turning on the tv? Will they do that with their cell phones (that they don't have to purchase?) ? It's as though the game is headed toward a situation where the only animation they will need to make is one of a sim using a phone. Want to order pizza? Stare at your phone for a second and the pizza will magically appear in your pocket! Life simulation!
Personally, I would have gone totally the other way with it. I would have made it a priority to give real weight and purpose to items in game. For example, I would prefer that when you buy a bookshelf, it comes empty except for the basic skill books. Then you would have to go to the library to borrow books, or sign up for a book club to receive books in the mail once a week, or purchase them from a book store. I suspect many might see that as an annoyance, but I'm one of those weirdos who loved having to go clothing shopping in S2. It gives my sims a reason to visit community lots, it makes collecting the books more interesting, and it adds to realism! For me, it has a huge amount of gameplay value. The current system is a big factor in my inability to suspend my disbelief.
This sort of short cut is really noticeable to me in the sims series, I'm curious if the rest of you guys feel the same. Does it bother you? Do you notice it? Do you think having to actually acquire items either from stores or from delivery people is a positive feature or just an annoyance? For my money I think cutting that was a huge hit to immersion, and it is really noticeable and makes the game feel cheap. I could have done with a lot less 'stuff'; (chat-like interactions, walk styles, multitasking, emotions, many other 'new' features that just don't add to my enjoyment...) if it meant that sims had to actually physically acquire and interact with items. It adds a lot to my enjoyment, and makes for better story telling/pics.
7
Comments
The animations for cooking etc were far better in TS2, where they would get pans out of the units below the countertops, they would open the dishwasher to put things in it rather than having it magically open on its own, they would have messy beds to make etc.
I was always disappointed with the getting into the vehicle action, because it wasn't there in TS3. I guess it was nice for builders not to have to position the driveway somewhere specific, but I would much rather have kept that restriction if EA couldn't work around it. And now they've gone one step further and cut the vehicles themselves. A steady regression. Looking back, I can see that they had begun the cuts with TS3, but somehow it was less noticeable - probably because there were not so many, and the rest of the game was so full.
To me, TS4 feels as though it has had lots of cuts in lots of areas and, as a whole, it makes too much of a difference.
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So, I think fluidity of the game is a good trade off.
But I absolutely HATE TS4 system of buying everything on the computer. I REALLY hate it.
I feels so dumb. I don't even need to wait for things to come by mail, they just poof there. Yes, it's practical, but it is also absurd.
I liked having to buy the groceries in the local market, as I could meet other sims there and buy some other things (like magazines or video games). It was a good and realistic reason to get them out of the house (at least it was a different reason than partying). Also, sometimes my sims had very little money left, so buying food actually mattered, because I had to spend wisely.
Clothes could be kinda expensive in TS2, but I also liked sending my sims tho the store. When they had more money left for the week, I would make them go to the store and buy new clothes. After all, renewing the wardrobe is an investment. My rich sims would have lots of clothes.
Clothes coming from the void for free is not something I really like in terms of gameplay, but for some people, the customization is more important, so I understand that people like free clothes.
In TS4 I was excited that there was an actual hospital, only to find out that when my sims get sick they don't visit the hospital... like, WHY?? Pregnant sims go to the hospital to deliver, why can't my sims go there to be treated?
Instead, the buy magical 3D printed medicine in the computer. So getting sick is the shallowest gameplay feature ever, as it is just an annoyance that means nothing. SUPER LAZYYY.
“Instead of putting players in the role of Luke Skywalker, or Frodo Baggins, I'd rather put them in the role of George Lucas.”Will Wright.