Welp, at least we only got 2-3 mistakes in Windenburg this time around. @celipoesias was there anything in Granite Falls, or was that finished up right?
Yes! I found some flaws in Granite Falls and even a routing error that allows me to go to the district limit using the normal game camera! I'll share!
Well, that was a pretty big oversight. I do wonder whether they have to manually add non-routable areas for the camera and Sims, or if they can still "spray" it onto the map like in TS3. Any SimGurus know about? @SimGuruNinja@SimGuruSarah@SimGuruGraham can you explain how world-building works, or if not, direct us to someone who's able to help us understand the process? I know a lot of people would at least want to understand how the process of actually creating the world goes, with explanations as to how you create the worlds.
Just some random Simmer you probably don't even follow on the gallery! Gallery name's the same as my username! Did I just rhyme there?
I never noticed these, but I get your point, and yes those are a lot of 'technicalities' as one might call them, but of course you are going to find mistakes is you examine everything under a microscope, I mean nothing is perfect and the sims has improved their animations since TS3, could they be more realistic looking sure, but still. Remember there is always room for improvement. Do you expect everything to be perfect? Tbh, this isn't really a problem for me because,
I never noticed them and
I'm not going to scrutinize everything that the programmers have designed for us to enjoy.
It's a great game and the programmers are working hard, you don't have to bash them with tiny mistakes that not a lot of people have noticed. (Although it could be good criticism to help them improve, which in your case is good. )
Words of advice: Relax, NOTHING IS PERFECT, let it be, all will be well in due time
Here is my two cents on this: People are being a bit harsh on the world designers. Some of those mistakes are quite silly and/or you might notice while playing the game. But most of these people wouldn't even notice unless they were purposely looking for them, which is exactly what people have done, purposely gone through the worlds to find even the slightest mistake that %99 of people probably wont notice so they can criticize EA/Maxis.
It also makes me chuckle whenever people claim that Maxis were lazy on S4 worlds and that S3 worlds are so much more detailed, but never tell people why (looking at you people in this thread). Apart form the roads, lots, and basic terrain shapes, S3 worlds are nothing but mindless placing of trees on bushes and the occasional billboard and rock. In S4, beyond lots you have parks, background homes and businesses that make the worlds feel much fuller, you have proper layed-out landscaping and parks along with streams and lakes with fishes jumping out the water, flies, dragonflies, and other insects flying around along with overgrown grass, bushes, and shrubs around water sources. You also have birds flying around, and the sculpted areas in the main city bits of Windenburg are just phenomenal. I could spend hours in Windeburg's modern district just staring at the sculpted walkways with waterfalls in between them with lights to light up the water. And the outdoor lighting TS4 has just bumps it up to an entirely new level. TS3 desperately lacks ambiance and attention to landscaping and the overall surroundings, which are key to detail.
EDIT: This thread made me appreciate the attention to detail in S4 worlds far more than I already did. Probably not what the OP intended for.
I'm not looking purposefully reasons to criticize the work that Maxis is doing. I just see all these failures while I'm playing normally. If I'm paying for something that is not cheap, the least I expect is that there's quality in all segments. The worlds of The Sims 3 are not as detailed as the worlds from The Sims 4, and this is unquestionable! But at least the worlds of The Sims 3 have no so ridiculous problems in their more distant areas of the map. Even the worlds of The Sims 3 have terrain away entirely in 3D, while The Sims 4 is basically several terrain flaps placed anyway. When I give zoom-out in the neighborhood, it is impossible not to notice how the scenery looks artificial and false, and that only happens in Willow Creek, Oasis Springs and Newcrest, yes, these are worlds that had a bad finishing. They are worlds that were hastily made. And the best proof of this is the improvement in the quality of Windenburg, which has a finishing million times better.
If people had not complained about the lack of pools, pools would come just two months after the release of the base game? I'm not here complaining in order to discriminate the work that developers put on the game. I am here pointing out these flaws because I want the game better for ALL, and not for some.
In Willow Creek, the lot of Landgraab Family is facing the opposite side of the map since the game was released, and the producers not fix it this until today. And no, it's not because you do not realize or do not see a certain thing that means that the job is well done, because as you can see, most people who commented on this post proved to be according to the observations I and other members have made.
It is the story that everyone already know: in the gameplay of some, it may not mean much. But the gameplay of others, it can mean a lot. Just as toddlers mean much to some, but others not.
Here is my two cents on this: People are being a bit harsh on the world designers. Some of those mistakes are quite silly and/or you might notice while playing the game. But most of these people wouldn't even notice unless they were purposely looking for them, which is exactly what people have done, purposely gone through the worlds to find even the slightest mistake that %99 of people probably wont notice so they can criticize EA/Maxis.
It also makes me chuckle whenever people claim that Maxis were lazy on S4 worlds and that S3 worlds are so much more detailed, but never tell people why (looking at you people in this thread). Apart form the roads, lots, and basic terrain shapes, S3 worlds are nothing but mindless placing of trees on bushes and the occasional billboard and rock. In S4, beyond lots you have parks, background homes and businesses that make the worlds feel much fuller, you have proper layed-out landscaping and parks along with streams and lakes with fishes jumping out the water, flies, dragonflies, and other insects flying around along with overgrown grass, bushes, and shrubs around water sources. You also have birds flying around, and the sculpted areas in the main city bits of Windenburg are just phenomenal. I could spend hours in Windeburg's modern district just staring at the sculpted walkways with waterfalls in between them with lights to light up the water. And the outdoor lighting TS4 has just bumps it up to an entirely new level. TS3 desperately lacks ambiance and attention to landscaping and the overall surroundings, which are key to detail.
EDIT: This thread made me appreciate the attention to detail in S4 worlds far more than I already did. Probably not what the OP intended for.
I think you're being a bit harsh on world designers yourself there. Funny thing is that it might very well be the very same game designers. Which in fact makes me chuckle. As for birds by the way, that's not something they invented for Sims 4, they did it before. In 2009 in fact.
Enjoy and appreciate your Sims 4 world, but there's really no need to be so harsh on the other work of the very same people (chuckles again). I'll admire their yesteryear work for you.
The Sims 4 could have been a great game, but the failure of Sim City 5 killed the better version of The Sims 4. Also Sims 3 being a Gaming computer only game ended up suffering as many of the Sims fans are entry level computer users to the advance, it is so hard to satisfy both groups and create a game everyone will love. The 32bit limation did not help the open world concept of the game either, added with memory leaks the game would stuff memory really fast. I really hope they launch a online version of the game, like a multiplay part of it, this would really give it a boast. They should have did Sim City 5 with private servers like they launched battlefield 4.
Sid1701d-"I love my life, live my life and live to play, laugh and have fun."
"Love will Fight, Love will Win and Love will Survive."
Well, the problem with Sims 4 is and its not just the Sims 4 its other games, many are trying to satify both markets entry level mainstream computers and gaming computers those that are meant to play the game on high, however the distant between Mainstream and Gaming computers is so wide, to get the game to run great on a entry level computer they have to sacrifice quality and realism and if they try to make the game work well on a Gaming computer they have to sacurfice performance on the Mainstream or entry level side of game play. The bad news about these two markets the requirements for one market is different than the other market and trying to satify both markets is doomed to be dentimatial to both markets. The Sims 4 with all expansion packs and game packs have now exceeded 3GB of memory which is at the limit of the Entry Level and Mainstream market, machines that have 3GB limit or 32bit OS will not be able to play the Sims 4 with all content without crashing now.
Edit maxis is a small production studio which I don't think the Gaming market is enough to sustain them so they need to subidice with the mainstream market.
Sid1701d-"I love my life, live my life and live to play, laugh and have fun."
"Love will Fight, Love will Win and Love will Survive."
If the sims is yet still being seen as an AAA title than many of these mistakes/issues shouldn't have happened. I could let one or two slip under the rug but certainly not as many as these. And even some of these that can't be seen are kind of ridic.
I mean...a floating mail box on a bridge? At least delete the mail box....like...who even put/left it there? It's dumb, it's just one more rendering object in the world that shouldn't be there and it has no need to be there.
A road that leads up to a rock? At least paint a tunnel in there like the old Looney Toon Cartoons would do.
Edit maxis is a small production studio which I don't think the Gaming market is enough to sustain them so they need to subidice with the mainstream market.
I wouldn't exactly call them small. Maxis is made up of hundreds of employees.
You've missed a few critical ones... If you look toward the little island which is visible from the Discotheque Pan Europa, you'll see a two-dimensional vertical wall which is about five or six stories tall. If you scroll back a few hundred feet you'll also notice that local shadows extend over the horizon and into the clouds. You've also missed the huge depressions and gaps in the terrain at various locations throughout Willow Creek and Oasis Springs where sidewalks, bridges, and lots meet the terrain.
All of this is really irrelevant since no one is looking at these areas in the first place:
This one has been annoying me to no end! I play with the camera zoomed in on my sims and there's always this huge square in the sky in that area (and it moves!)
Strangely, it completely goes away in TAB view mode.
You've missed a few critical ones... If you look toward the little island which is visible from the Discotheque Pan Europa, you'll see a two-dimensional vertical wall which is about five or six stories tall. If you scroll back a few hundred feet you'll also notice that local shadows extend over the horizon and into the clouds. You've also missed the huge depressions and gaps in the terrain at various locations throughout Willow Creek and Oasis Springs where sidewalks, bridges, and lots meet the terrain.
All of this is really irrelevant since no one is looking at these areas in the first place:
This one has been annoying me to no end! I play with the camera zoomed in on my sims and there's always this huge square in the sky in that area (and it moves!)
Strangely, it completely goes away in TAB view mode.
The bug has been there since GT was released, that was a long time ago now.
Here's another one that no one has mentioned. If you've looked closely at neighborhood decor, you'll notice that there's one tree with 'sun rays' attached to it and the orientation of the rays is relative to the tree rather than sunlight. In the sylvan glade, the rays appear to have been arranged in a circular pattern and none of them align with the perpetual sunlight:
"Video gaming began as an engineer's hobby and a means of creative expression for those of higher technical inclination. It is expected that those who are capable of higher engineering-related achievements will see value, in electronic entertainment products, where others see failure." -Sasquatch
Here is my two cents on this: People are being a bit harsh on the world designers. Some of those mistakes are quite silly and/or you might notice while playing the game. But most of these people wouldn't even notice unless they were purposely looking for them, which is exactly what people have done, purposely gone through the worlds to find even the slightest mistake that %99 of people probably wont notice so they can criticize EA/Maxis.
It also makes me chuckle whenever people claim that Maxis were lazy on S4 worlds and that S3 worlds are so much more detailed, but never tell people why (looking at you people in this thread). Apart form the roads, lots, and basic terrain shapes, S3 worlds are nothing but mindless placing of trees on bushes and the occasional billboard and rock. In S4, beyond lots you have parks, background homes and businesses that make the worlds feel much fuller, you have proper layed-out landscaping and parks along with streams and lakes with fishes jumping out the water, flies, dragonflies, and other insects flying around along with overgrown grass, bushes, and shrubs around water sources. You also have birds flying around, and the sculpted areas in the main city bits of Windenburg are just phenomenal. I could spend hours in Windeburg's modern district just staring at the sculpted walkways with waterfalls in between them with lights to light up the water. And the outdoor lighting TS4 has just bumps it up to an entirely new level. TS3 desperately lacks ambiance and attention to landscaping and the overall surroundings, which are key to detail.
EDIT: This thread made me appreciate the attention to detail in S4 worlds far more than I already did. Probably not what the OP intended for.
Hi Gabe I agree, people are being harsh on the world designers. But maybe a lot of it isn't just for the sheer joy of bashing something but instead a holding the team of developers accountable for their actions regardless of how major or minor. If little stuff like a mailbox floating in space, and the many other visual malfunctions, are apparent, then what do they skim over and let slide behind the scenes? Attention to detail is important. I believe the designers can create mind-blowing worlds, but in the base game - I don't think they did. For whatever reason, probably a time crunch, I don't know. It is disappointing to see when you expect more from a talented group of individuals. It kind of makes it look like this kind of stuff doesn't matter to them. I want it to matter. Every. Little.Detail. They're that good, but they didn't demonstrate that.
I am one of those who lives in the whole environment when I sim, I notice all the details, it is all part of the game for me. Part of the immersion, part of the whole package. I see past my sims and the immediate bubble of space around them and all of it matters to me.
Some of the worlds in 3 do feel a bit lacking, maybe to be able to run with as few issues as possible on more machines? That is a whole lot of area open at the same time. I don't know. Sure they all aren't lush and vibrant but if you didn't like their worlds....
You could make your own. And THAT is a beautiful thing.
" ...parks along with streams and lakes with fishes jumping out the water, flies, dragonflies, and other insects flying around along with overgrown grass, bushes, and shrubs around water sources. You also have birds flying around, ..."
To your words above I have to say, streams and lakes have fish jumping out of them in 3 as well. You can catch those, same as in 4. You can also swim, play in, dive in, windsurf, boat and so much more in the water. That stuff may come with 4, I sure hope it does.
TS3 also has flying insects, but you can catch those. Butterflies, moths, will-o-wisps, fireflies and so on. There are even mosquitoes which seriously annoy your sims, but there is insect repellent for that. Fireflies at night, beautiful. So in 4 they are for looking at only, in 3 you interact with them, catch them, collect them. On the ground, too - lots of bugs and critters there. Snakes, turtles, big and small birds... interactive environment.
Birds fly in 3 as well. I can hear and see the seagulls along the beach. Flocks of birds fly overhead. Along with airplanes and hot air balloons. In the water I see sailboats, waves... other sims... and for a few unfortunate sims boating in worlds with deep oceans, the Kraken. Sure, 4 has Emily, the sea monster. Just deco. Pretty, but just deco. But the cars that zoom by in my game? Not deco, actual sims going actual places with actual intent to do things. Sims running by because they are actually going somewhere, kids riding bikes home from school, witches flying by on brooms to hang out at the broom arena. Trucks with fishermen headed toward the marina to go boating. My houses in 3 have neighbors I can see in their yards playing catch or coming and going. In 4 my neighbor's houses appear abandoned. There is no life around them, I may as well not have neighbors. For me, immersion takes a hit with that.
It's easy to lay on the detail in the area the size of a postage stamp where little is unable to be interacted with. And they did do an absolutely beautiful job with creating environments, the sidewalks, the roads, the landscaping - it's gorgeous for the most part. And to be honest, a lot of it inspired me to build a world for myself in TS3 bringing in a lot of the same concepts and feel and I am very happy with that. Worlds in 3 can be lush and vibrant and lively. It is great to see that the flaws seem greatly reduced in Windenburg, maybe more time is what makes the difference? Maybe someone calling them out and saying 'hey, this stuff makes a difference - we notice it' makes a difference.
Here is my two cents on this: People are being a bit harsh on the world designers. Some of those mistakes are quite silly and/or you might notice while playing the game. But most of these people wouldn't even notice unless they were purposely looking for them, which is exactly what people have done, purposely gone through the worlds to find even the slightest mistake that %99 of people probably wont notice so they can criticize EA/Maxis.
It also makes me chuckle whenever people claim that Maxis were lazy on S4 worlds and that S3 worlds are so much more detailed, but never tell people why (looking at you people in this thread). Apart form the roads, lots, and basic terrain shapes, S3 worlds are nothing but mindless placing of trees on bushes and the occasional billboard and rock. In S4, beyond lots you have parks, background homes and businesses that make the worlds feel much fuller, you have proper layed-out landscaping and parks along with streams and lakes with fishes jumping out the water, flies, dragonflies, and other insects flying around along with overgrown grass, bushes, and shrubs around water sources. You also have birds flying around, and the sculpted areas in the main city bits of Windenburg are just phenomenal. I could spend hours in Windeburg's modern district just staring at the sculpted walkways with waterfalls in between them with lights to light up the water. And the outdoor lighting TS4 has just bumps it up to an entirely new level. TS3 desperately lacks ambiance and attention to landscaping and the overall surroundings, which are key to detail.
EDIT: This thread made me appreciate the attention to detail in S4 worlds far more than I already did. Probably not what the OP intended for.
Hi Gabe I agree, people are being harsh on the world designers. But maybe a lot of it isn't just for the sheer joy of bashing something but instead a holding the team of developers accountable for their actions regardless of how major or minor. If little stuff like a mailbox floating in space, and the many other visual malfunctions, are apparent, then what do they skim over and let slide behind the scenes? Attention to detail is important. I believe the designers can create mind-blowing worlds, but in the base game - I don't think they did. For whatever reason, probably a time crunch, I don't know. It is disappointing to see when you expect more from a talented group of individuals. It kind of makes it look like this kind of stuff doesn't matter to them. I want it to matter. Every. Little.Detail. They're that good, but they didn't demonstrate that.
I am one of those who lives in the whole environment when I sim, I notice all the details, it is all part of the game for me. Part of the immersion, part of the whole package. I see past my sims and the immediate bubble of space around them and all of it matters to me.
Some of the worlds in 3 do feel a bit lacking, maybe to be able to run with as few issues as possible on more machines? That is a whole lot of area open at the same time. I don't know. Sure they all aren't lush and vibrant but if you didn't like their worlds....
You could make your own. And THAT is a beautiful thing.
" ...parks along with streams and lakes with fishes jumping out the water, flies, dragonflies, and other insects flying around along with overgrown grass, bushes, and shrubs around water sources. You also have birds flying around, ..."
To your words above I have to say, streams and lakes have fish jumping out of them in 3 as well. You can catch those, same as in 4. You can also swim, play in, dive in, windsurf, boat and so much more in the water. That stuff may come with 4, I sure hope it does.
TS3 also has flying insects, but you can catch those. Butterflies, moths, will-o-wisps, fireflies and so on. There are even mosquitoes which seriously annoy your sims, but there is insect repellent for that. Fireflies at night, beautiful. So in 4 they are for looking at only, in 3 you interact with them, catch them, collect them. On the ground, too - lots of bugs and critters there. Snakes, turtles, big and small birds... interactive environment.
Birds fly in 3 as well. I can hear and see the seagulls along the beach. Flocks of birds fly overhead. Along with airplanes and hot air balloons. In the water I see sailboats, waves... other sims... and for a few unfortunate sims boating in worlds with deep oceans, the Kraken. Sure, 4 has Emily, the sea monster. Just deco. Pretty, but just deco. But the cars that zoom by in my game? Not deco, actual sims going actual places with actual intent to do things. Sims running by because they are actually going somewhere, kids riding bikes home from school, witches flying by on brooms to hang out at the broom arena. Trucks with fishermen headed toward the marina to go boating. My houses in 3 have neighbors I can see in their yards playing catch or coming and going. In 4 my neighbor's houses appear abandoned. There is no life around them, I may as well not have neighbors. For me, immersion takes a hit with that.
It's easy to lay on the detail in the area the size of a postage stamp where little is unable to be interacted with. And they did do an absolutely beautiful job with creating environments, the sidewalks, the roads, the landscaping - it's gorgeous for the most part. And to be honest, a lot of it inspired me to build a world for myself in TS3 bringing in a lot of the same concepts and feel and I am very happy with that. Worlds in 3 can be lush and vibrant and lively. It is great to see that the flaws seem greatly reduced in Windenburg, maybe more time is what makes the difference? Maybe someone calling them out and saying 'hey, this stuff makes a difference - we notice it' makes a difference.
Windenburg was pretty much a well made world a side from the major and actually quite obvious graphical glitch above. The base game ones are the ones that have many strange left out things and apparent sloppy work.
I mean, I already know that I'm playing The Truman Show Simulator, but at least make the illusion be efficient. If you are going to force me to play in imutable backgrounds that can never be edited, at least make it in a way I can't possibly see the fakeness. Yet the worlds look like they are made of cardboard. The artsatyle, albeit beautiful doesn't really help either.
We need actual worlds to play in. There needs to be certain coherence in ther worlds we are playing, but TS4 worlds are just collections of little neighbourhood with the same style that have nothing to do with one another.
Even TS2 had more coherent hoods, because everything in the neighbourhood was actually there. TS3 had large and beautiful worlds that could be a pain sometimes... But still, everything in it was real. And, people could make worlds.
What most strikes me is the fact that producers can edit at any time, any world of The Sims 4. Regardless of players have already played in these worlds or not. The lots in TS4 works independently of the worlds, so if producers remove a light pole, a trash can, a tree or a bush, when we enter the game, we can see the changes. So yes, they can edit all existing worlds to at least alleviate much of the flaws that I and other users pointed out. Maxis did a great job with Windenburg, but it is even necessary more care with the creation of worlds and everything that can be seen in the normal camera range.
And we can not close our eyes and let that previous worlds simply forgotten.
To really see this stuff you have to angle the camera in ways you typically wouldn't in normal gameplay, probably why so many comments here of "wow I never noticed that." You weren't suppose to. There's a technical reason why they do this; save on number of objects in the maps. The devs have done this to cut down on the processor load to make the game run smoother. Every game does stuff like this.
It doesn't really bother me. The world already felt lifeless and dead without looking for the polygon stitching in the background.
Comments
Yes! I found some flaws in Granite Falls and even a routing error that allows me to go to the district limit using the normal game camera! I'll share!
And this:
It's a great game and the programmers are working hard, you don't have to bash them with tiny mistakes that not a lot of people have noticed. (Although it could be good criticism to help them improve, which in your case is good.
Words of advice: Relax, NOTHING IS PERFECT, let it be, all will be well in due time
The heart can't beat with out a rhythm
Like "Hey guys just put random mail in me bc nobody lives here and I'm a old, rusty, red mailbox who's lonely and needs attention."
The heart can't beat with out a rhythm
It also makes me chuckle whenever people claim that Maxis were lazy on S4 worlds and that S3 worlds are so much more detailed, but never tell people why (looking at you people in this thread). Apart form the roads, lots, and basic terrain shapes, S3 worlds are nothing but mindless placing of trees on bushes and the occasional billboard and rock. In S4, beyond lots you have parks, background homes and businesses that make the worlds feel much fuller, you have proper layed-out landscaping and parks along with streams and lakes with fishes jumping out the water, flies, dragonflies, and other insects flying around along with overgrown grass, bushes, and shrubs around water sources. You also have birds flying around, and the sculpted areas in the main city bits of Windenburg are just phenomenal. I could spend hours in Windeburg's modern district just staring at the sculpted walkways with waterfalls in between them with lights to light up the water. And the outdoor lighting TS4 has just bumps it up to an entirely new level. TS3 desperately lacks ambiance and attention to landscaping and the overall surroundings, which are key to detail.
EDIT: This thread made me appreciate the attention to detail in S4 worlds far more than I already did. Probably not what the OP intended for.
If people had not complained about the lack of pools, pools would come just two months after the release of the base game? I'm not here complaining in order to discriminate the work that developers put on the game. I am here pointing out these flaws because I want the game better for ALL, and not for some.
In Willow Creek, the lot of Landgraab Family is facing the opposite side of the map since the game was released, and the producers not fix it this until today. And no, it's not because you do not realize or do not see a certain thing that means that the job is well done, because as you can see, most people who commented on this post proved to be according to the observations I and other members have made.
Yeah, I agree. It's not causing any problems so why even?
The heart can't beat with out a rhythm
Enjoy and appreciate your Sims 4 world, but there's really no need to be so harsh on the other work of the very same people (chuckles again). I'll admire their yesteryear work for you.
"Love will Fight, Love will Win and Love will Survive."
Edit maxis is a small production studio which I don't think the Gaming market is enough to sustain them so they need to subidice with the mainstream market.
"Love will Fight, Love will Win and Love will Survive."
I mean...a floating mail box on a bridge? At least delete the mail box....like...who even put/left it there? It's dumb, it's just one more rendering object in the world that shouldn't be there and it has no need to be there.
A road that leads up to a rock? At least paint a tunnel in there like the old Looney Toon Cartoons would do.
I wouldn't exactly call them small. Maxis is made up of hundreds of employees.
This one has been annoying me to no end! I play with the camera zoomed in on my sims and there's always this huge square in the sky in that area (and it moves!)
Strangely, it completely goes away in TAB view mode.
The bug has been there since GT was released, that was a long time ago now.
Hi Gabe
I am one of those who lives in the whole environment when I sim, I notice all the details, it is all part of the game for me. Part of the immersion, part of the whole package. I see past my sims and the immediate bubble of space around them and all of it matters to me.
Some of the worlds in 3 do feel a bit lacking, maybe to be able to run with as few issues as possible on more machines? That is a whole lot of area open at the same time. I don't know. Sure they all aren't lush and vibrant but if you didn't like their worlds....
You could make your own. And THAT is a beautiful thing.
" ...parks along with streams and lakes with fishes jumping out the water, flies, dragonflies, and other insects flying around along with overgrown grass, bushes, and shrubs around water sources. You also have birds flying around, ..."
To your words above I have to say, streams and lakes have fish jumping out of them in 3 as well. You can catch those, same as in 4. You can also swim, play in, dive in, windsurf, boat and so much more in the water. That stuff may come with 4, I sure hope it does.
TS3 also has flying insects, but you can catch those. Butterflies, moths, will-o-wisps, fireflies and so on. There are even mosquitoes which seriously annoy your sims, but there is insect repellent for that. Fireflies at night, beautiful. So in 4 they are for looking at only, in 3 you interact with them, catch them, collect them. On the ground, too - lots of bugs and critters there. Snakes, turtles, big and small birds... interactive environment.
Birds fly in 3 as well. I can hear and see the seagulls along the beach. Flocks of birds fly overhead. Along with airplanes and hot air balloons. In the water I see sailboats, waves... other sims... and for a few unfortunate sims boating in worlds with deep oceans, the Kraken. Sure, 4 has Emily, the sea monster. Just deco. Pretty, but just deco. But the cars that zoom by in my game? Not deco, actual sims going actual places with actual intent to do things. Sims running by because they are actually going somewhere, kids riding bikes home from school, witches flying by on brooms to hang out at the broom arena. Trucks with fishermen headed toward the marina to go boating. My houses in 3 have neighbors I can see in their yards playing catch or coming and going. In 4 my neighbor's houses appear abandoned. There is no life around them, I may as well not have neighbors. For me, immersion takes a hit with that.
It's easy to lay on the detail in the area the size of a postage stamp where little is unable to be interacted with. And they did do an absolutely beautiful job with creating environments, the sidewalks, the roads, the landscaping - it's gorgeous for the most part. And to be honest, a lot of it inspired me to build a world for myself in TS3 bringing in a lot of the same concepts and feel and I am very happy with that. Worlds in 3 can be lush and vibrant and lively. It is great to see that the flaws seem greatly reduced in Windenburg, maybe more time is what makes the difference? Maybe someone calling them out and saying 'hey, this stuff makes a difference - we notice it' makes a difference.
Windenburg was pretty much a well made world a side from the major and actually quite obvious graphical glitch above. The base game ones are the ones that have many strange left out things and apparent sloppy work.
I mean, I already know that I'm playing The Truman Show Simulator, but at least make the illusion be efficient. If you are going to force me to play in imutable backgrounds that can never be edited, at least make it in a way I can't possibly see the fakeness. Yet the worlds look like they are made of cardboard. The artsatyle, albeit beautiful doesn't really help either.
We need actual worlds to play in. There needs to be certain coherence in ther worlds we are playing, but TS4 worlds are just collections of little neighbourhood with the same style that have nothing to do with one another.
Even TS2 had more coherent hoods, because everything in the neighbourhood was actually there. TS3 had large and beautiful worlds that could be a pain sometimes... But still, everything in it was real. And, people could make worlds.
Yeah, I don't care either. It seems like a lot of time and energy spent nitpicking trivial things.
And we can not close our eyes and let that previous worlds simply forgotten.
It doesn't really bother me. The world already felt lifeless and dead without looking for the polygon stitching in the background.