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Some tweets from simguru graham about lounge chairs, packs releases etc

Comments

  • Shimrod101Shimrod101 Posts: 304 Member
    Both "relax" and "daydream" (on beds) were in the base game from the start, they simply aren't in use for some reason. This mod is proof: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=542807
    The mod is outdated so can't be used in the game at this moment, but the screenshot of a sim daydreaming (relax is the exact same anim) is posted right there, and under the spoiler are names of XML files written by the Sims4 team: bed_daydream and bed_relax.
  • alanmichael1alanmichael1 Posts: 5,384 Member
    Why didn't they bring brack lounge chairs in GT?? That EP has pool venues and otherwise almost no content. If lounge chairs are too hard even in that context we will never get them.
  • PolyrhythmPolyrhythm Posts: 2,789 Member
    Shimrod101 wrote: »
    Both "relax" and "daydream" (on beds) were in the base game from the start, they simply aren't in use for some reason. This mod is proof: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=542807
    The mod is outdated so can't be used in the game at this moment, but the screenshot of a sim daydreaming (relax is the exact same anim) is posted right there, and under the spoiler are names of XML files written by the Sims4 team: bed_daydream and bed_relax.
    In addition to relax in bed, there's also another unused bed interaction that seems to be romantic called pillow talk. Apparently the animation file is there, but it can't be triggered without mods.
    :*:,:*:*:*::*:,:*:*:*::
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  • luthienrisingluthienrising Posts: 37,617 Member
    Why didn't they bring brack lounge chairs in GT?? That EP has pool venues and otherwise almost no content. If lounge chairs are too hard even in that context we will never get them.

    Maybe they had to choose between diving and lounging for that venue to stay within the development budget? In which case, personally, I'm happy with diving, plus some pub games. Lounge chairs would be a better fit for a tropical vacation or cruise ship type thing than for a pool venue, in my opinion.
    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.
  • Paigeisin5Paigeisin5 Posts: 2,139 Member
    Instead of lounge chairs let them work on the more important stuff.


    I think this goes beyond adding a lounge chair. It says more about the problems they are having adding new content without sacrificing content already in the game.
  • TheMomminatorTheMomminator Posts: 4,215 Member
    Love SimGuruGraham. He might be my favorite just because I remember all the broadcasts from TS3. However TS4 is a game with a closed world and no toddlers but he's worried about World Adventures being divisive and love/hate? That ship has sailed. You might as well give us tombs and rpg play because we're already ripping each other's throats out on a daily basis. We couldn't get any more divided.
  • LustianiciaLustianicia Posts: 2,489 Member
    U can already have workin lounge chairs with mods tho..if a modder can do it, why cant they?

    "Weirder Stories" ;)
    Favorite Packs
    Sims 1: Hot Date
    Sims 2: Seasons
    Sims 2: Happy Holiday Stuff
    Sims 3: Seasons
    Sims 3: 70's, 80's, & 90's Stuff
    Sims 4: Seasons
    Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff
    Sims 4: Strangerville Game Pack

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  • LustianiciaLustianicia Posts: 2,489 Member
    It's pathetic how all previous Sims games were able to handle a lounge chair, but Sims 4 is suddenly "too hard"... except for the fact that modders have already done it!
    Favorite Packs
    Sims 1: Hot Date
    Sims 2: Seasons
    Sims 2: Happy Holiday Stuff
    Sims 3: Seasons
    Sims 3: 70's, 80's, & 90's Stuff
    Sims 4: Seasons
    Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff
    Sims 4: Strangerville Game Pack

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  • Orchid13Orchid13 Posts: 8,823 Member
    edited April 2016
    jackjack_k wrote: »
    @Orchid13 wrote: »
    And modders do it for free...

    I also hate that my sims cant relax on the bed
    Considering that a modder with a full time job can make a good lounge chair animation in a number of days..I don't understand how a TEAM of PROFESSIONALS can't do the same in a matter of a few months.


    Please read what is written. They never said they cannot do it. It's just the Stuff Pack team are not the ones to do it.
    Also, have you seen the animations the modders have done? I'm sorry but I don't want zombie Sims when they lay down.

    Remember, nearly ALL social interactions are able to be done sitting down now. So that would require hundreds of new animations, for sitting down/laying down. Previous games had like 5 or so.

    It's not that they cannot do it, it's going to take longer than previous, unless you want your Sims to just lay there, and at most talk or kiss.

    TS2 could be on the bed and do plenty ... Same with the sims 3 . All included on the base game

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    BOOM
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  • LustianiciaLustianicia Posts: 2,489 Member
    edited April 2016
    I thought I'd weigh in here with a few additional comments, since Twitter isn’t really the place for going into detail. Talking about game development and the how or why of what went into the game you end up playing is one of my favorite topics.

    U can already have workin lounge chairs with mods tho..if a modder can do it, why cant they?

    There's a big difference in the acceptable quality bar when downloading a free mod vs paying anywhere from $10 - $40 for official content from Maxis. The thought that "a modder can do it, why can't [Maxis]" is a false dichotomy, because of that built in expectation that official content is held to a certain standard. On top of actually building the content, there's additional overhead that any new content we make needs to go through before we get it into your hands that a modder simply isn’t burdened with. One of the core tenets of The Sims 4 is support for multitasking across the board, so it isn't acceptable to us to ship objects that you'd expect to work well with multitasking - such as a lounge chair - and limit them to a specific subset of animations or interactions.

    @purplereign mentioned the hospital bed, which is an excellent example of the type of object where we don’t feel the need to support a full suite of multitasking. Because that object serves a very specific purpose there's no expectation for it to multitask with everything, so we can author specific animations to support the gameplay for that object without having to port over the entire suite of social animations in the game.


    ASDF0716 wrote: »
    all I read though that whole thing was: "too hard, too expensive"

    The reality of development is that each feature represents a certain amount of work, and each pack that we release represents a bucket of development time to be filled. We keep filling that bucket with work until it's reached capacity. The features we fill that bucket with are selected to create a set of compelling and cohesive features that support the theme of the pack. When making those choices we have to ask ourselves if a feature’s existence is justified given the amount of work required to implement it – bearing in mind that we can instead choose to spend that time on something else that may be an even better addition.

    Let's look at lounge chairs as an example. If the question is... "Are lounge chairs a compelling enough feature to spend X% of time of a Stuff Pack's overall capacity to implement them?" then the answer we've reached is "No." In this case, the work required to implement lounge chairs would mean that they might be the only new functional object in that pack, if they even fit within scope at all. Numerous players have expressed that something along the lines of new sitting animations doesn't qualify as new gameplay in their minds, which reinforces our decision that a lounge chair probably isn't the right choice to focus a stuff pack around. In a Game Pack or Expansion Pack which has a larger overall bucket of time/development resources to fill, a lounge chair represents a much smaller percentage of that overall capacity, and the argument for their inclusion becomes more compelling.

    I see plenty of room for discussion here in the forums if the community feels that a set of features we create in a pack isn’t aligned with what players were hoping for. I think we’ve always been open to receiving constructive criticism, so please keep that dialog going.


    Luke wrote: »
    SP's are supposed to be for adding things like hot tubs; objects that don't require too much (or any) attention to the way the animations/interactions work. The stuff packs are there to expand on the items that we currently have instead of introducing new ones.

    Actually, animation is the discipline that we get the most allocated time from to use in a stuff pack's production schedule... about double the amount of time compared to the next closest discipline. Quality animations take a lot of time to create, and support for multi-tasking, emotions, and different ages can all add multipliers to the estimate for any feature. Because stuff packs are the smallest bundle of content we currently release, we need to be smart about the features we select, and be creative in the way we design features so that we can deliver great content without exceeding the resources allotted to us.

    Our philosophy for stuff packs is to add meaningful new content to the game that adds new game play that you can't get elsewhere. The new features that stuff packs introduce should feel comprehensive and self-contained. Sometimes we focus on niche themes that we don't think would fit in a larger pack, and sometimes we use it as a platform to bring frequently requested content to the game sooner than it might otherwise find a place to slot in.


    Aine wrote: »
    I don't like it when devs say that 'people didn't like [blank] pack' so we won't be making it. Not liking a certain feature doesn't mean that one doesn't like the concept. Just do it better next time.

    I'll say upfront that you're interpreting my comments in a way that I didn't intend. I love World Adventures; it's one of my personal favorite expansion packs. It was praised by reviewers, and its sales performed very well. When I talk about it being a divisive pack among the community, it's a recognition that it introduced and focused on an entirely different type of game play that in many ways existed outside of the core Sims experience. Some people loved it for being different, others it didn't click with because it was so different.

    When I say that I think it's unlikely that there will be a direct successor to World Adventures, it isn't in any way a condemnation of what we did in that pack. There's much to appreciate from it, and some great features that are likely to return in future Sims titles. Themes that incorporate traveling to foreign lands and exploring their cultures are exciting and certainly relevant to The Sims. I would be surprised if we made another expansion that focused on exploring tombs and solving puzzles to unlock hidden treasures. I don’t think that’s the type of feature you’d expect to return in each iteration of the Sims, unlike something with broad appeal such as Pets or Seasons.

    My comments definitely aren’t saying that I think a vacation or destination type pack is unlikely. That sounds to me like a fun and highly relatable theme that would fit right into the game that we’re making.



    If developers would include base game content in the actual base game (instead of making us pay extra $), then this wouldn't be a problem in the first place... Just a thought.

    Then again, that would destroy the entire point of EA's cash cow. We wouldn't that to happen...
    Favorite Packs
    Sims 1: Hot Date
    Sims 2: Seasons
    Sims 2: Happy Holiday Stuff
    Sims 3: Seasons
    Sims 3: 70's, 80's, & 90's Stuff
    Sims 4: Seasons
    Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff
    Sims 4: Strangerville Game Pack

    78MB6Gb.jpg
  • ScobreScobre Posts: 20,665 Member
    edited April 2016
    Aine wrote: »
    I don't like it when devs say that 'people didn't like [blank] pack' so we won't be making it. Not liking a certain feature doesn't mean that one doesn't like the concept. Just do it better next time. It's the same excuse devs have hinted on talking about other features that weren't 'played' as much as other features. Just because something wasn't used, doesn't mean people doesn't want it, it just means it was badly executed, and just needs to be done better. Especially a life simulator where everything is useable as long as it is well done. Just give us options what to use in our darn games, then you won't have a problem with people complaining about features. WA was not 'hated' because it wasn't a good concept, it just wasn't very well done to some people. It's all about a feature being adaptable and well done in the game. Nothing else.
    So BOO.
    Sorry I didn't see Graham's post before, but it might just because it was one of the more linear packs, that's why. Why the side games don't do as well too. Funny thing is they designed the Sims 4 completely linear like the WA pack. XD Ironic much? Also why GTW wasn't that well received too. Linear isn't as well received as sandbox. There has been 16 years of Sims games to show that.

    As much as I loved the Egypt and France worlds, I liked Bon Voyage and Vacations EPs more. I don't think the Sims does well making exact copies of real places. At least with Windenburg it was inspired by multiple places, because if a real life location is done wrong, believe me people will complain about it.

    I would personally like lounge chairs and better bed animations.
    “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
  • LukeLuke Posts: 642 Member
    @SimGuruGraham
    Actually, animation is the discipline that we get the most allocated time from to use in a stuff pack's production schedule... about double the amount of time compared to the next closest discipline. Quality animations take a lot of time to create, and support for multi-tasking, emotions, and different ages can all add multipliers to the estimate for any feature. Because stuff packs are the smallest bundle of content we currently release, we need to be smart about the features we select, and be creative in the way we design features so that we can deliver great content without exceeding the resources allotted to us.

    Our philosophy for stuff packs is to add meaningful new content to the game that adds new game play that you can't get elsewhere. The new features that stuff packs introduce should feel comprehensive and self-contained. Sometimes we focus on niche themes that we don't think would fit in a larger pack, and sometimes we use it as a platform to bring frequently requested content to the game sooner than it might otherwise find a place to slot in.

    Hm, okay ... I'm kind of hung up on the "traditional" definition of an SP, as I've only remembered SP's existing to add more styles of objects into the game and nothing more. I forgot that TS4 SP's add new interactive objects/mechanics, which has never been done for an SP as far as I know. I always think of SP's as boring DLC that I don't want, due to TS3 ... TS4's SP's are actually much better, because they average out to around the same items in a typical TS3 SP, but then you have the added gameplay elements and unique interactive objects for half the cost of a regular TS3 SP. But I don't think it's much of a point to say that animation is your most allocated time in an SP's production schedule, because unique interactive objects are inherently more complex than objects with preexisting animations that may just need a bit of tweaking. So any sort of item that adds new gameplay is going to need more dedicated time, especially when the new element is the main attraction.
    I'll say upfront that you're interpreting my comments in a way that I didn't intend. I love World Adventures; it's one of my personal favorite expansion packs. It was praised by reviewers, and its sales performed very well. When I talk about it being a divisive pack among the community, it's a recognition that it introduced and focused on an entirely different type of game play that in many ways existed outside of the core Sims experience. Some people loved it for being different, others it didn't click with because it was so different.

    I just need to say that I hated WA. If there were to be a hybrid of Bon Voyage and WA in a TS4 pack, I think it might be really good ... but definitely with more focus on the experience of having a vacation. However, I'm always going to be biased as a veteran simmer, in favour of TS1/2 ... but for what it's worth, I truly think that TS1 Vacations and TS2 Bon Voyage were really good destination packs.
    I would be surprised if we made another expansion that focused on exploring tombs and solving puzzles to unlock hidden treasures. I don’t think that’s the type of feature you’d expect to return in each iteration of the Sims, unlike something with broad appeal such as Pets or Seasons.

    I said this earlier in another post, but I kinda like the idea of having a more subtle and elusive puzzle-solving experience, rather than having puzzle solving as the main focus that players are purposely lead to engage in ... I like discovering those sorts of things for myself. Perhaps it's just personal preference...
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  • SimplyJenSimplyJen Posts: 14,823 Member
    Graham's still around? I love that guy. o:)
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  • LenaDieters11LenaDieters11 Posts: 1,346 Member
    Thank you for clarifying. I personally liked the exploring, but if the cultural aspect of a destination EP is well done, then there is enough to explore (new objects to collect, skills to learn etc.). I think that way all people can be happy, since you can choose if you just have a relaxing vacation or if you want to explore the different culture with you Sim!

    About the lounge chairs....I quite frankly haven't even noticed that they were not there. I did not use them in the previous games. I agree it is completely different from previous games...I mean as soon as a Sim wanted to do anything he had to get up, I love the multitasking now. Also, I feel like that it is only a minor thing. I mean, I for sure wouldn't go: 'YEAH, a lounge chair pack, let's get it.' That being said, he never said they won't come, but if they do they will be within a GP or EP, which I think is very reasonable...
  • DarkslayerDarkslayer Posts: 9,074 Member
    edited April 2016
    ASDF0716 wrote: »
    all I read though that whole thing was: "too hard, too expensive"

    If that's the case then you need to go back and read the Tweet properly.
  • azxcvbnm321azxcvbnm321 Posts: 532 Member
    I don't understand why Graham and the Sims team want to make it so complicated. All you need is two or three animations. A person lounging can talk, so there is the talking animation. This is the same animation that should be used if they are talking and watching TV, or talking and listening to the radio. The second animation is if they are drinking a beverage. They should not be able to eat while laying down lounging, but if they wanted to add that in, fine. Now that's three animations and that covers just about all the important ones you'd expect to be doing while lounging. I'll add a fourth and that's talking on the phone.

    You are not going to dance while lounging or paint, or so forth. Not all interactions have to be covered because some would be ridiculous, like brushing your teeth while lounging. I've never seen anyone do that, ever.
    all I read though that whole thing was: "too hard, too expensive"

    That's pretty much what he said in a nutshell. I can understand if he feels that lounging isn't worth the time and effort because it has to come at the expense of adding something else. But why do I feel that somehow, so much that was in previous games is now not worth the time or effort, yet the new content just does not add up? If the new multitasking system is taking up a huge amount of effort and resources, they should consider limiting it for the Sims 5, because multitasking by itself is simply not worth all that was lost to create it.
  • Sigzy05Sigzy05 Posts: 19,406 Member
    U can already have workin lounge chairs with mods tho..if a modder can do it, why cant they?

    Such lie....much wow...
    mHdgPlU.jpg?1
  • luthienrisingluthienrising Posts: 37,617 Member
    @SimGuruGraham - Needs more Awesomes + Insightfuls. Or the ability to tick off both. Thanks for all the detail!
    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.
  • alanmichael1alanmichael1 Posts: 5,384 Member
    Hmmm, as much as I like the multitasking in S4, it is not good if it means that every object needs four times more animations now and thus we will only get a quarter of the content of S3. This has already happened in GT.
  • missmani09missmani09 Posts: 692 Member
    I feel like lounge chairs should have been included in Spa Day. I mean look at all the NEW ANIMATION they created with Yoga, back massages, foot massages, steam room, etc. And Spa day was an GP. Like, come on.

    So it sounds like we'll be waiting another at least 2-3 expansion packs just to get toddlers.
    Toddlers are FINALLY HERE!!!
  • LenaDieters11LenaDieters11 Posts: 1,346 Member
    I love the multitasking. I hated that every time you told your Sim to do one thing they dropped everything else...and I mean everything. The amount of times I had to go look for random plates, babies, homework, any object because my Sim decided to just drop it really annoyed me. I mean it's lounge chairs, they'll be able to do it, just not yet in a SP....
  • alanmichael1alanmichael1 Posts: 5,384 Member
    If toddlers need multitasking and 6 different emotions for every action we will probably get them in 2029.
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