A few weeks ago I got a new (to me) pc, and bit the bullet. I installed TS4
In some ways, it's not as bad as I was expecting, but in others, it's exactly what I expected.
The CAS thing is both good and bad. I like the grab push/pull thing for altering bodies and features, it's not bad. And I like how the clothes are sorted, but I really don't like the limited palette. I want to be able to choose what patterns and what colours. This limited thing is too much like TS2.
The build mode is ok, again, push/pull is handy. But again, it's too limited, I want to be able to change the wallpaper patterns, and use a colour-wheel for picking exactly what I want.
The worlds are more like the neighbourhoods that we had in TS2, but they'd be better if the little neighbouring bits were more like TS3, more open world, so that you can visit the house next door without a loading screen.
And when are supernaturals going to be added? Surely there's been enough packs out for vampires to have been added by now!
Over all, TS4 feels like a step foward from TS2, it's not an evolution from TS3. 3 and 4 are branches.
I feel let down by TS4, it should have been better than TS3. I guess I can hope that it's just an experiment, that there will be a TS5, that will blend elements of 3 and 4.
I know there are people who love 4, and I can sort of understand, especially if they are newer to the sims, but I'm a long time simmer, I've had the opportunity to play all the previous incarnations, with the percarious addition of all expansions for each of them (I had the worst chop with 1, it wasn't lag, it was my graphics card trying to handle the game, and nearly failing completely).
I don't have the urge to play it non-stop like I did with each of the others. And while I will probably continue to play it occasionally, I'm highly likely to install 3, and risk returning to addictive play.
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i'd cry for an open world building tool though.
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No, an evolution is when a magikarp turns into a gyaradus.
TS2 has toddlers, doesn't have goal parties, has actual teens, has babies that aren't stuck in bassinets, has actual aspirations with a primary big goal, it doesn't matter how you get there, has carpools with entering animations, has an actual world instead of many little floating ones that make the player seem that it's one world because of the 2d map, has editable worlds, has a built-in world maker, has hair animations, firemen police and robber NPC's, has psychologists from when you get negative aspiration points, has fears, has the possibility of changing different parts of objects based on presets rather than the whole object I could honestly be all day here.
TS4 has improved CAS, improved Build Mode (in certain areas), some nice gameplay additions and bigger multitasking and that's it. No toddlers, no carpools, floating cardboard worlds, cardboard sims with 0 personality...etc. Emotions are just annoyances to me, a person turning happy because of decor and some other random stuff, and forgetting someone dyed is not how the world works. They should be far more consistent and not change every 10 in game minutes.
I really don't adhere to the long term simmer argument as I was one before 3 and there are many others on this forum that didn't like 3 either. I do think if you loved 3 it must be jarring to say the least.. this new version. With Sims 4 .. for me they got back on track.
I don't think very many people adhere to the long-time simmer/new simmer argument that gets bandied about. I've played since TS2 and thoroughly enjoy TS4. And I enjoyed TS3 when it was out. I think the opinions are just that...everyone has different desires and wants for their game and they end up liking a version based on how closely those wants get filled.
I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
TS3 is not a very different game from TS2, I'd say it's even more close to it than TS4 is (forgetting the fact that some of TS2 stuff was even used in TS3). TS3 may lack the detail TS2 had, as well as some of it's most comedic aspects, however, TS3 had a good amount of fun gameplay to back that up. TS4 lacks in gameplay and in detail and tries too hard to appeal at a younger audience (simstagram, brofists, woohoo fistbumps, angry poops).
The only thing TS2 and TS4 have in common is that you can only have one lot loaded at a time, everything else is completely different (gameplay wise). So honestly, your argument is quite wrong imo.
In your opinion. I'm no going to argue points with you. I hope you get enjoyment from something.
I actually enjoy all the little "modern day" touches in Sims 4 -- long time Simmers aren't getting any younger so they do have to start trending to a younger audience that might be looking for something different than the standard first person shooter (or stabber or swordfighter) game.
The open world in Sims 3 was cool, but it was too limiting in its way -- witness the fact that when a new EP came out, you either had to spend hours editing your world to accommodate the new features (and in some cases, like Island Paradise, that wasn't even possible) or you had to abandon your existing save and start all over again with the new shiny object. I think I had about 6 or 7 saves going at once in Sims 3. And I can't remember bow many saves I ended up losing to game bloat before I discovered mods like Overwatch and Master Controller; I do use mods in Sims 4 as well but it's to add features I want, not just to keep the game from crashing on me with an Error Code 12. Plus there were the routing errors and building hassles -- I'd find a perfect lot for building only to find there were strange slopes hidden in the middle of the lot, and Flatten Lot left me with sheer cliffs at the back that looked really creepy even if I tried to use terrain paint to hide the angles. I might be the only player who doesn't want terrain tools added to Sims 4 because I don't want to download a house that I can't modify because of weird terrain stuff.
I'm not saying that Sims 4 is perfect, certainly not "out of the box" -- but as they add on features with EPs, GPs and SPs it's improving. Let's not forget that people complained about all the rabbit hole buildings in Sims 3 taking up space -- we have no rabbit hole buildings in Sims 4, not even the "secret lots". My main complaint is still the lack of family activities (the trend though with Dine Out and Kids Room Stuff plus the rumored Backyard Stuff gives me a bit of hope that this fiscal year could be The Year Of The Family), and the constant need to unlock content when you switch families (such as access to Sylvan Glade and the Hidden Grotto; at least we've got the ignore game locks cheat for Buy Mode items).
Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
There are no rabbit holes because you have to buy non-rabbithole lots and if you don't buy them, they're not even present in the game, rabbithole or not.I didn't like rabbitholes but at least I got to send my sim to eat or to the spa right out of the box. You can't compare a base game feature in TS3 to something you had to upgrade to get in TS4
BRAVO!!! Totally agree. Exactly how it is to me as well.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
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I agree! Whenever I play Sims3 on my laptop I always think my computer is going to explode, whereas with Sims4 it just fees a little warm sometimes. Also I feel that sims3 is overwhelming sometimes, and takes a while to get to the gameplay because I'm super picky as to how my sims and houses look. In Sims4 it's so much quicker to get to the gameplay, which I love except that it's definitely missing a few things that are important to me, such as toddlers.
Like...I'm not even sure what you are referring to, or why that is even relevant to my post.
No, actually that is something you don't have to do at all. Lots from other packs automatically fill the world in a new save which doesn't even happen in TS4. Never the less, in a current save, you have to do the exact same thing in TS4, not to mention filling Newcrest everytime, so I don't understand the argument. Isla Paradiso is it's own case as the town was badly built for whatever reason, though basing your whole opinion of TS3 solely in it is complete trash, I'm not saying you do, but if you did. And I'd bet you have MC commander for the lovely culling in TS4 so it's not like TS4 doesn't need mods either, it's just a different purpose.
EP's aren't going to make the party goal system go away, they aren't going to make babies detached, they aren't going to make emotions work better nor fix culling. Maybe patches but until then....I'll give my feedback and my take on the game. As for rabbit holes, store content and EP's added some things later thought they weren't of great quality, but store content could only do so much too.
Not trying to be nit-picky but you can opt out of the goal parties when you schedule social events in Sims4
And again, I'll tell you the same I tell to everyone one else who puts the same argument in front of me.
Opting the goal parties out will not rate the party good or bad. It'll just be a goaless event with people coming. In TS2 and TS3 and TS1 there are no goals, but you still have a set time to do the party, and it may increase depending on how good or bad the party is. In TS2 and TS1 if the party is a success a special NPC even comes to your party, like Drew Carey in TS1.
For a matter of fact parties in TS4 can't even be rated bad, you can just not gain any medal with the object unlock which isn't exactly going to make other sims mad or gain negative relationship towards you.
There are rabbit holes in 4. Try following your kid to school--rabbit hole. Try following your sim to a base-game job--rabbit hole. They're just off-screen (which I prefer to a little building that I look at, place my camera near and listen to what's going on but, frustratingly, can't go inside to enjoy with my sim).
At this point, I fail to see the purpose in arguing base game to base game. If the reason of most of us on the forums is to see a game developed that we enjoy, then it serves no purpose to limit what aspects of each game we discuss, regardless of when those features were added.
I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath. Reaper
I agree with you! The other day I was close up to my sim while she was eating and the expressions on her face reminded my of sims2 because they were cute and animated, but improved. Sims3 was kind of boring for me in a lot of those aspects. They seemed more empty to me and there's more life in Sims4 now.
I always wished that the TS3 sims were a little more animated and social, but for me they overdid it way too much in TS4. These sims practically do nothing but chat, chat, chat all day with every sim they see. Many of their animations are way too cartoony for my taste as well. I don't really like the way they look all that much, either. If TS3 sims are pudding then TS4 sims are doughy. Still rather goopy either way.
I also feel TS3 is a bit more mature and realistic than the other games. I also really appreciate the control I have over them. I decide who my sims talk to and when they talk, not to mention that the many, many things to do in that game (even the base game had more to do IMO), means that it wins hands down in terms of fun gameplay. I can play or build and get totally absorbed in the game for hours. When I play TS4 I just feel like an observer.
TS3 does take a bit of maintenance but overall it runs just fine for me so that's not a factor for me in determining which game I think is better. TS4 reminds me in some respects of TS2 (like the overactive sims and the voices) but in other areas it's more like the original Sims game to me. Except I think both 1 and 2 had more fun gameplay than 4 does. And that's just sad.
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
For me Sims 2 is much better than 4, you can redo and edit the worlds for one thing. I'd say 4 is an improvement over Sims 1!
Yes, but then those Sims don't realize they came to eat. A dinner party they sort of realize they are there to eat. If you don't keep the goal option then they may wander all over the house and play the pc, watch TV, dance to the stereo, then even with goals on, it is so out of sync with what just happened. Like all have eaten already, then the game tells you to make some eat together. It's like one of those days you duh, Maxis they just ate, why can't you just go ahead and tick that for me because it's already been done. It's not a smart system at all with goals on or off.