I still enjoy the sims 4, but sims 3 is much better for my supernatural play style! Hope you have fun with sims 3, and hopefully sims 4 gets content you like!
Me neither when it concerns city hall and school and careers. I can understand the frustration concerning restaurants and stores, even when I don't really mind about that personally (playing Sims 2 confirmed that just doesnt't interest me). I know some players get frustrated by them. What is comforting for me (at least I can see where my kids and adults go when they go to work or school) is frustrating for them (the fact they can see the actual building but can't follow). Comparable with what the fake backdrops in 4 do to me. When I can see across the bridge, I want to be able to go across that bridge. When I see a green house at the other side of the street, I want there to be a green house that I can visit (which is impossible because it doesn't exist).
I agree with teh fake backdrops. Those fake backdrops are pretty, but so obnoxious because you can't go to them. It doesn't help that the worlds are so small that I wished the backdrops were more of the world.
I remembered when I was reading video game magazines, and I remembered being excited by a PS2 game called Jak and Daxter (and later, Ratchet and Clank). One of the features that I thought was cool was that, in the game, whatever land area your eye can see, your character can reach there. You can see, say, a cliff far, far away, but it's not a fake backdrop: your character can actually get to that cliff if you traveled far enough, and if you can find some way to climb it.
That amazed me for some reason.
In much older games, the background either faded away, was invisible, or unreachable (or was blocked by some invisible wall of some sort). Something as simple as this really impressed me back then. This kind of feature of being able to see far away areas that your character can actually reach was a really cool feature in my eye. It provides more of that feeling of immersion, and allows me to get absorbed into the world--if that makes sense?
BTW, Jak and Daxter games are pretty much mostly open-world environments, so I can love open world, too.
So, yeah, I can totally understand and sympathize with the frustration of the fake backdrops, especially after the advancement of past games that can have huge, immersive worlds. And now with better and better tech, more games will have huge worlds (or even bigger worlds) over time.
I think with the sims games, it seems that often some features have to be sacrificed for others in every iteration, and while Sims 3 added a lot of cool new features, I felt I lost some good past features in return, so I get very frustrated sometimes when playing it. I want to "have my cake and eat it, too" as the phrasing goes, but I know that reality won't let me, lol.
At least I have mods that still exist and work... (Will never play vanilla ever again.)
It would matter a great deal to me when 'across the bridge' would be reachable and though I prefer seamless, a loading screen I could live with in that case. Which strangely enough is why Sims 2 feels more open to me. I was delighted when I visited Twikii Island, going to a ruin, I could see the hotel my sim was staying in the distance. And back at the hotel I could see the ruin. In a better than nothing kind of way obviously (because I love the open world, it's important to me), but it felt more open and less claustrofobic than the fake backdrop situation in 4. But I guess the rabbithole buildings do that to others. I don't care to follow my sims to work. I've played GTW and for me it's the same experience as Ambitions. Helping my sim through their working day. Apparently I'm not interested in where they do it. "At work" or somewhere else. What is important to me is that I can control (or at least give instructions to) every sim I play. TS2 and 3 give me that opportunity (personally I prefer the TS3 way because I'm not a fan of time not continuing, but at least I can decide what every single one of my sims is doing), TS4 does not.
Here is an example of what you can do with the Rabbit Hole Rugs.
In the following picture, the sim I'm controlling is Goodwin Goode from Twinbrook who is currently in Riverview. This lot is the Business As Usual Bistro lot from the EA Store. I removed all the Pro Ovens and everything else from the kitchen area, laid down the Bistro rug from here: http://simsl3gacies.com/downloads/
Then I placed a wall with double doors in that space.
He is bringing Goodwin his order; I clicked on the table or wall (can't remember which) and had him "order outside". Except outside is actually inside. LOL
Now sims do come into the building and walk straight into the "kitchen" because the game sees the rug as the RH. The kid is Skip Broke and he's heading straight for those double doors. Too young to be a dishwasher. Just have to ignore that part.
The RH rugs allow you to build your own RH and Zerbu has an open workplace mod for TS3 that allows sims to get work performance credit from using skill objects that you place in rooms outside of your RH rug room. I'm just barely getting started on using them along with the open workplaces mod, but I'm going to give it a try.
It definitely takes a lot of fiddling but (I do have my limits on what kinds of hoops I'm willing to jump through!) mostly I've always enjoyed the fiddling and tinkering with the game anyway and see that as part of the fun of The Sims games.
@HappySimmer3 This is what I love in this game: if it's not there by default you at least have the opportunity to try and get the same effect. No, still haven't built that apartment due to other duties not Sims related ( ), but looking forward to starting that is half of the fun. Second half of the fun will be building and third half (yes, I can count and I know using maths this isn't possible) will be making my sim live there and see the result of what I built myself. It challenges our creativity and adds something extra to the whole experience. In your example you need a mod to achieve it, but at least it's possible for those who want it and the fiddling is part of the fun. Great post!
The Katy Perry SP is on amazon for $20.00. They have the KP special edition Showtime too.
I finally broke down and bought this one, it was the only one I didn't have. I know I won't use any of the clothes or that but I like some of the objects and the trees are kind of neat for my fairy world.
My ideal Sims 5 (and what I had hoped Sims 4 was going to be), would be a blend of the best features of Sims 2 and Sims 3, along with some aspects from SimCity - like the option to be able to drive your sims cars, schedule natural events, etc. I would also like defined areas that actually are those areas, for example a real vibrant city. Dense with lots of buildings and homes and apartments, with open stores, little to no rabbitholes (though those aren't a deal braker, 'cause they have always been in the games). suburbs with their cookie cutter homes, cul de sac, indoor malls, etc. And rural areas with farms, open air markets, etc. Think of open world games like GTA with the aesthetics and functionality (not game play).
I could go on and on, but I'd be writing a book. lol But those are just some of the things that I would love to have in the Sims, to raise the bar on what it means to be a life simulator/sandbox.
I also had high hopes for The Sims 5. I adored TS2 and still miss all the fun things that a player could do in that game - I especially miss "Open For Business" - the 'Savvy Sellers' set that they made for the Store is a sad shadow of the depth and intricacy of that EP. And I wish that the TS3 EP s had worked together as well as the TS2 EPs did - you didn't have to have "Hot Date" to run "Open For Business", but if you did have both EPs you could sell cars. And if you added "Free Time" you could sell that stuff, too. Everything was very integrated and you could tell that the people who made the game also played and loved the game.
I think that EA's big mistake with TS4 was trying to make it an online game, then changing their minds half-way through and trying to retain as much of the coding that they had already finished as possible. Because it was supposed to be online, they had to cut out CASt (which makes TS3 the one Sims game for me) and limit world sizes so that everything would download super fast. Then they assumed that everyone would want to play a "Young Adult', so that was the only life-stage that really got fleshed out - all the other life-stages are just copies of the YA stage. Then there wasn't enough money left to give the same depth of options that existed in other Sims games. For example, an earlier poster noted that Traits don't have the same effect on relationships that they had in previous - that is because they thought that actual players would be controlling every Sim in the game, so the AI didn't need to be as beefy. And it is so much easier (and cheaper) to program fewer options and for the game to tell you how to 'win' instead of allowing lots of options and letting the player discover them all on their own.
I really do hope that TS5, if there ever is a TS5, will fulfill the promise of TS2 and TS3 - that it will have an Open World and CASt, like in TS3 but also actual restaurants and shops like TS2 did. That there will be mini-games and multiple-choice chance cards and maybe even cut-scenes. That Story Progression will actually work correctly and not leave the neighborhoods those who play without Twallen's Mods as literal ghost-towns. That we will have more modding tools directly from EA/ Maxis instead of having to wait for a third party to develop them. That neighborhoods will be lively and dynamic but still allow rotational play for those who want it. I'd love for TS2 story-making/ scrapbook system to return because it is such a pain to have to do it online in TS3.
But I am afraid that the Powers That Be at EA will take the wrong message from TS4 and decide that there isn't a market for the kind of sandbox play that Will Wright gave us in TS1 and make TS5 just as game-directed and limited as TS4 turned out to be. I know that if someone made a game with all the player options that TS2 had with TS3's Open World and CASt system I would throw money at them for it. But I can't buy what doesn't exist.
@Astro When did you last play TS4? I know that you have been loosing interest in for a while
If you mean playing it and "enjoying" (meaning I didn't have a pc good enough of playing TS3) it.... eh, maybe January. Although if I had always had a pc that could handle TS3 I probably never would've blinked an eye at TS4.
My ideal Sims 5 (and what I had hoped Sims 4 was going to be), would be a blend of the best features of Sims 2 and Sims 3, along with some aspects from SimCity - like the option to be able to drive your sims cars, schedule natural events, etc. I would also like defined areas that actually are those areas, for example a real vibrant city. Dense with lots of buildings and homes and apartments, with open stores, little to no rabbitholes (though those aren't a deal braker, 'cause they have always been in the games). suburbs with their cookie cutter homes, cul de sac, indoor malls, etc. And rural areas with farms, open air markets, etc. Think of open world games like GTA with the aesthetics and functionality (not game play).
I could go on and on, but I'd be writing a book. lol But those are just some of the things that I would love to have in the Sims, to raise the bar on what it means to be a life simulator/sandbox.
I also had high hopes for The Sims 5. I adored TS2 and still miss all the fun things that a player could do in that game - I especially miss "Open For Business" - the 'Savvy Sellers' set that they made for the Store is a sad shadow of the depth and intricacy of that EP. And I wish that the TS3 EP s had worked together as well as the TS2 EPs did - you didn't have to have "Hot Date" to run "Open For Business", but if you did have both EPs you could sell cars. And if you added "Free Time" you could sell that stuff, too. Everything was very integrated and you could tell that the people who made the game also played and loved the game.
I think that EA's big mistake with TS4 was trying to make it an online game, then changing their minds half-way through and trying to retain as much of the coding that they had already finished as possible. Because it was supposed to be online, they had to cut out CASt (which makes TS3 the one Sims game for me) and limit world sizes so that everything would download super fast. Then they assumed that everyone would want to play a "Young Adult', so that was the only life-stage that really got fleshed out - all the other life-stages are just copies of the YA stage. Then there wasn't enough money left to give the same depth of options that existed in other Sims games. For example, an earlier poster noted that Traits don't have the same effect on relationships that they had in previous - that is because they thought that actual players would be controlling every Sim in the game, so the AI didn't need to be as beefy. And it is so much easier (and cheaper) to program fewer options and for the game to tell you how to 'win' instead of allowing lots of options and letting the player discover them all on their own.
I really do hope that TS5, if there ever is a TS5, will fulfill the promise of TS2 and TS3 - that it will have an Open World and CASt, like in TS3 but also actual restaurants and shops like TS2 did. That there will be mini-games and multiple-choice chance cards and maybe even cut-scenes. That Story Progression will actually work correctly and not leave the neighborhoods those who play without Twallen's Mods as literal ghost-towns. That we will have more modding tools directly from EA/ Maxis instead of having to wait for a third party to develop them. That neighborhoods will be lively and dynamic but still allow rotational play for those who want it. I'd love for TS2 story-making/ scrapbook system to return because it is such a pain to have to do it online in TS3.
But I am afraid that the Powers That Be at EA will take the wrong message from TS4 and decide that there isn't a market for the kind of sandbox play that Will Wright gave us in TS1 and make TS5 just as game-directed and limited as TS4 turned out to be. I know that if someone made a game with all the player options that TS2 had with TS3's Open World and CASt system I would throw money at them for it. But I can't buy what doesn't exist.
Sims 3 does that too. My witch that came with Supernatural learned his spells faster when his cat from Pets was around. There are more examples where EP's work together. And the savvy seller (Store) may be a sad shadow of running a store in Sims 2 (an EP), but I can assure you visiting a ruin on Twikii Island felt like a very sad shadow of what ruins brought me in WA.
My ideal Sims 5 (and what I had hoped Sims 4 was going to be), would be a blend of the best features of Sims 2 and Sims 3, along with some aspects from SimCity - like the option to be able to drive your sims cars, schedule natural events, etc. I would also like defined areas that actually are those areas, for example a real vibrant city. Dense with lots of buildings and homes and apartments, with open stores, little to no rabbitholes (though those aren't a deal braker, 'cause they have always been in the games). suburbs with their cookie cutter homes, cul de sac, indoor malls, etc. And rural areas with farms, open air markets, etc. Think of open world games like GTA with the aesthetics and functionality (not game play).
I could go on and on, but I'd be writing a book. lol But those are just some of the things that I would love to have in the Sims, to raise the bar on what it means to be a life simulator/sandbox.
I also had high hopes for The Sims 5. I adored TS2 and still miss all the fun things that a player could do in that game - I especially miss "Open For Business" - the 'Savvy Sellers' set that they made for the Store is a sad shadow of the depth and intricacy of that EP. And I wish that the TS3 EP s had worked together as well as the TS2 EPs did - you didn't have to have "Hot Date" to run "Open For Business", but if you did have both EPs you could sell cars. And if you added "Free Time" you could sell that stuff, too. Everything was very integrated and you could tell that the people who made the game also played and loved the game.
I think that EA's big mistake with TS4 was trying to make it an online game, then changing their minds half-way through and trying to retain as much of the coding that they had already finished as possible. Because it was supposed to be online, they had to cut out CASt (which makes TS3 the one Sims game for me) and limit world sizes so that everything would download super fast. Then they assumed that everyone would want to play a "Young Adult', so that was the only life-stage that really got fleshed out - all the other life-stages are just copies of the YA stage. Then there wasn't enough money left to give the same depth of options that existed in other Sims games. For example, an earlier poster noted that Traits don't have the same effect on relationships that they had in previous - that is because they thought that actual players would be controlling every Sim in the game, so the AI didn't need to be as beefy. And it is so much easier (and cheaper) to program fewer options and for the game to tell you how to 'win' instead of allowing lots of options and letting the player discover them all on their own.
I really do hope that TS5, if there ever is a TS5, will fulfill the promise of TS2 and TS3 - that it will have an Open World and CASt, like in TS3 but also actual restaurants and shops like TS2 did. That there will be mini-games and multiple-choice chance cards and maybe even cut-scenes. That Story Progression will actually work correctly and not leave the neighborhoods those who play without Twallen's Mods as literal ghost-towns. That we will have more modding tools directly from EA/ Maxis instead of having to wait for a third party to develop them. That neighborhoods will be lively and dynamic but still allow rotational play for those who want it. I'd love for TS2 story-making/ scrapbook system to return because it is such a pain to have to do it online in TS3.
But I am afraid that the Powers That Be at EA will take the wrong message from TS4 and decide that there isn't a market for the kind of sandbox play that Will Wright gave us in TS1 and make TS5 just as game-directed and limited as TS4 turned out to be. I know that if someone made a game with all the player options that TS2 had with TS3's Open World and CASt system I would throw money at them for it. But I can't buy what doesn't exist.
Sadly, I agree with you. After Sims 4, I have lost all hope for this franchise to be salvaged. It would be a miracle if they actually listen, and return to what has worked for them and what has made this series such a hit for these past years. But this is EA we are talking about. They will sink the ship the whole while denying that they did it, and that it was the passengers fault.
My ideal Sims 5 (and what I had hoped Sims 4 was going to be), would be a blend of the best features of Sims 2 and Sims 3, along with some aspects from SimCity - like the option to be able to drive your sims cars, schedule natural events, etc. I would also like defined areas that actually are those areas, for example a real vibrant city. Dense with lots of buildings and homes and apartments, with open stores, little to no rabbitholes (though those aren't a deal braker, 'cause they have always been in the games). suburbs with their cookie cutter homes, cul de sac, indoor malls, etc. And rural areas with farms, open air markets, etc. Think of open world games like GTA with the aesthetics and functionality (not game play).
I could go on and on, but I'd be writing a book. lol But those are just some of the things that I would love to have in the Sims, to raise the bar on what it means to be a life simulator/sandbox.
I also had high hopes for The Sims 5. I adored TS2 and still miss all the fun things that a player could do in that game - I especially miss "Open For Business" - the 'Savvy Sellers' set that they made for the Store is a sad shadow of the depth and intricacy of that EP. And I wish that the TS3 EP s had worked together as well as the TS2 EPs did - you didn't have to have "Hot Date" to run "Open For Business", but if you did have both EPs you could sell cars. And if you added "Free Time" you could sell that stuff, too. Everything was very integrated and you could tell that the people who made the game also played and loved the game.
I think that EA's big mistake with TS4 was trying to make it an online game, then changing their minds half-way through and trying to retain as much of the coding that they had already finished as possible. Because it was supposed to be online, they had to cut out CASt (which makes TS3 the one Sims game for me) and limit world sizes so that everything would download super fast. Then they assumed that everyone would want to play a "Young Adult', so that was the only life-stage that really got fleshed out - all the other life-stages are just copies of the YA stage. Then there wasn't enough money left to give the same depth of options that existed in other Sims games. For example, an earlier poster noted that Traits don't have the same effect on relationships that they had in previous - that is because they thought that actual players would be controlling every Sim in the game, so the AI didn't need to be as beefy. And it is so much easier (and cheaper) to program fewer options and for the game to tell you how to 'win' instead of allowing lots of options and letting the player discover them all on their own.
I really do hope that TS5, if there ever is a TS5, will fulfill the promise of TS2 and TS3 - that it will have an Open World and CASt, like in TS3 but also actual restaurants and shops like TS2 did. That there will be mini-games and multiple-choice chance cards and maybe even cut-scenes. That Story Progression will actually work correctly and not leave the neighborhoods those who play without Twallen's Mods as literal ghost-towns. That we will have more modding tools directly from EA/ Maxis instead of having to wait for a third party to develop them. That neighborhoods will be lively and dynamic but still allow rotational play for those who want it. I'd love for TS2 story-making/ scrapbook system to return because it is such a pain to have to do it online in TS3.
But I am afraid that the Powers That Be at EA will take the wrong message from TS4 and decide that there isn't a market for the kind of sandbox play that Will Wright gave us in TS1 and make TS5 just as game-directed and limited as TS4 turned out to be. I know that if someone made a game with all the player options that TS2 had with TS3's Open World and CASt system I would throw money at them for it. But I can't buy what doesn't exist.
Sims 3 does that too. My witch that came with Supernatural learned his spells faster when his cat from Pets was around. There are more examples where EP's work together. And the savvy seller (Store) may be a sad shadow of running a store in Sims 2 (an EP), but I can assure you visiting a ruin on Twikii Island felt like a very sad shadow of what ruins brought me in WA.
Each area does different things better. I think Sims 4 is much better than 3 when it comes to cross comparability. Things like clubs, retail, critics eating at restaurants etc.
You mentioned your witch learning spells faster from having pets. Well that's a shadow of Sims 2. In Sims 2 if you had pets there was a unique cat that not only made your skills faster but also had unique traits. It never aged, had auras, never had to use the bathroom, had no gender, was immune to tempus interruptus, and could never die. It even would fight with enemy witch cats.
The tombs were amazing in Sims 3. It did get repetitive after a while but I loved building my own tombs with debug. It was very difficult though, I'd love to see a simpler version added.
If they ever make a full sequel to this game again, I don't want anything to get 'simpler'. I know that a lot of people dislike having to fiddle and tweak and work at getting good at something but those people should just go find another game to play, IMO. There are plenty of other games out there that would suit them better, including TS4.
The Sims to me is more of a hobby than a "game". It should be targeted to creative adults and it should be similar to a model train set that I build using the parts that I purchase for it, IMO. They have changed it so much that it's an entirely different game so that it's easy for youngsters with cheap laptops and doesn't require anyone to learn how to do anything more difficult than to follow the prompts on the screen. *YAWN*
The Sims
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
Well... My love for TS4 has slightly faded. I've been back with TS3 as well. I'm enjoying TS3 more at this point. Maybe TS4 will grab my attention again, but I have no reason to play it right now. I got some new things for my TS3 saves and I can't stop playing it.
If they ever make a full sequel to this game again, I don't want anything to get 'simpler'. I know that a lot of people dislike having to fiddle and tweak and work at getting good at something but those people should just go find another game to play, IMO. There are plenty of other games out there that would suit them better, including TS4.
The Sims to me is more of a hobby than a "game". It should be targeted to creative adults and it should be similar to a model train set that I build using the parts that I purchase for it, IMO. They have changed it so much that it's an entirely different game so that it's easy for youngsters with cheap laptops and doesn't require anyone to learn how to do anything more difficult than to follow the prompts on the screen. *YAWN*
And for those youngsters who have played the previous games, they are alienating them too. Because they know what a joke Sims 4 is, and that it's nothing like what came before it. My kids love Sims 2, and they really started playing Sims 3 about two years ago, and they are loving it as well. My 11 year old can't even stand Sims 4. She says it's just to easy and simple. The fun and challenge has been taken out of it.
I'll play TS4 if there are EPs like Supernatural, Pets, Seasons, etc. like in TS3
Sadly it seems that there is less focus on EPs than there used to be. At the moment it seems to be one per year so you might have to wait a while to see those things
I'll play TS4 if there are EPs like Supernatural, Pets, Seasons, etc. like in TS3
Sadly it seems that there is less focus on EPs than there used to be. At the moment it seems to be one per year so you might have to wait a while to see those things
Welcome to the forums though
I suppose the only thing better in TS4 would be the graphics... Of course I prefer being able to cast spells as witch, play pranks as fairy, etc...
thanks for welcoming me.. I can't post any picture yet
My ideal Sims 5 (and what I had hoped Sims 4 was going to be), would be a blend of the best features of Sims 2 and Sims 3, along with some aspects from SimCity - like the option to be able to drive your sims cars, schedule natural events, etc. I would also like defined areas that actually are those areas, for example a real vibrant city. Dense with lots of buildings and homes and apartments, with open stores, little to no rabbitholes (though those aren't a deal braker, 'cause they have always been in the games). suburbs with their cookie cutter homes, cul de sac, indoor malls, etc. And rural areas with farms, open air markets, etc. Think of open world games like GTA with the aesthetics and functionality (not game play).
I could go on and on, but I'd be writing a book. lol But those are just some of the things that I would love to have in the Sims, to raise the bar on what it means to be a life simulator/sandbox.
I also had high hopes for The Sims 5. I adored TS2 and still miss all the fun things that a player could do in that game - I especially miss "Open For Business" - the 'Savvy Sellers' set that they made for the Store is a sad shadow of the depth and intricacy of that EP. And I wish that the TS3 EP s had worked together as well as the TS2 EPs did - you didn't have to have "Hot Date" to run "Open For Business", but if you did have both EPs you could sell cars. And if you added "Free Time" you could sell that stuff, too. Everything was very integrated and you could tell that the people who made the game also played and loved the game.
I think that EA's big mistake with TS4 was trying to make it an online game, then changing their minds half-way through and trying to retain as much of the coding that they had already finished as possible. Because it was supposed to be online, they had to cut out CASt (which makes TS3 the one Sims game for me) and limit world sizes so that everything would download super fast. Then they assumed that everyone would want to play a "Young Adult', so that was the only life-stage that really got fleshed out - all the other life-stages are just copies of the YA stage. Then there wasn't enough money left to give the same depth of options that existed in other Sims games. For example, an earlier poster noted that Traits don't have the same effect on relationships that they had in previous - that is because they thought that actual players would be controlling every Sim in the game, so the AI didn't need to be as beefy. And it is so much easier (and cheaper) to program fewer options and for the game to tell you how to 'win' instead of allowing lots of options and letting the player discover them all on their own.
I really do hope that TS5, if there ever is a TS5, will fulfill the promise of TS2 and TS3 - that it will have an Open World and CASt, like in TS3 but also actual restaurants and shops like TS2 did. That there will be mini-games and multiple-choice chance cards and maybe even cut-scenes. That Story Progression will actually work correctly and not leave the neighborhoods those who play without Twallen's Mods as literal ghost-towns. That we will have more modding tools directly from EA/ Maxis instead of having to wait for a third party to develop them. That neighborhoods will be lively and dynamic but still allow rotational play for those who want it. I'd love for TS2 story-making/ scrapbook system to return because it is such a pain to have to do it online in TS3.
But I am afraid that the Powers That Be at EA will take the wrong message from TS4 and decide that there isn't a market for the kind of sandbox play that Will Wright gave us in TS1 and make TS5 just as game-directed and limited as TS4 turned out to be. I know that if someone made a game with all the player options that TS2 had with TS3's Open World and CASt system I would throw money at them for it. But I can't buy what doesn't exist.
Sims 3 does that too. My witch that came with Supernatural learned his spells faster when his cat from Pets was around. There are more examples where EP's work together. And the savvy seller (Store) may be a sad shadow of running a store in Sims 2 (an EP), but I can assure you visiting a ruin on Twikii Island felt like a very sad shadow of what ruins brought me in WA.
Each area does different things better. I think Sims 4 is much better than 3 when it comes to cross comparability. Things like clubs, retail, critics eating at restaurants etc.
You mentioned your witch learning spells faster from having pets. Well that's a shadow of Sims 2. In Sims 2 if you had pets there was a unique cat that not only made your skills faster but also had unique traits. It never aged, had auras, never had to use the bathroom, had no gender, was immune to tempus interruptus, and could never die. It even would fight with enemy witch cats.
The tombs were amazing in Sims 3. It did get repetitive after a while but I loved building my own tombs with debug. It was very difficult though, I'd love to see a simpler version added.
One thing that Sims 4 does amazing is the fact all neighborhoods are connected and you can live in quite a few of them. It means added features can be put in those different neighborhoods and it's easy to use them there. I must add the lack of that in Sims 3 only ever bothered me when IP was released (you have to move your sims there to fully experience the possibilities of the EP) and to some extent Showtime (it is possible to put the stages etc in every world, but I've always been under the impression only in Starlight Shores did your artist attract a crowd and I didn't like Starlight Shores so I didn't want my sim to move there). For me the size of those neighborhoods spoil things big time though, as well as the lack of customization possibilities.
As for the cat, I don't agree that the TS3 cat is a shadow of the cat in 2, it's just a different approach and that as such isn't better or worse. Stores and restaurants is a different matter (TS2 beats both TS3 and 4 in that respect) and so are the ruins (yes, TS3 still is absolutely boss there). I built my own tomb and though it wasn't easy that didn't bother me*. I loved the process of building one, finding ways to make it challenging even though it wasn't part of an adventure by adding riddles and hidden switches in unexpected places. Endlessly testing it till it was perfect was part of the fun.
If they ever make a full sequel to this game again, I don't want anything to get 'simpler'. I know that a lot of people dislike having to fiddle and tweak and work at getting good at something but those people should just go find another game to play, IMO. There are plenty of other games out there that would suit them better, including TS4.
The Sims to me is more of a hobby than a "game". It should be targeted to creative adults and it should be similar to a model train set that I build using the parts that I purchase for it, IMO. They have changed it so much that it's an entirely different game so that it's easy for youngsters with cheap laptops and doesn't require anyone to learn how to do anything more difficult than to follow the prompts on the screen. *YAWN*
My ideal Sims 5 (and what I had hoped Sims 4 was going to be), would be a blend of the best features of Sims 2 and Sims 3, along with some aspects from SimCity - like the option to be able to drive your sims cars, schedule natural events, etc. I would also like defined areas that actually are those areas, for example a real vibrant city. Dense with lots of buildings and homes and apartments, with open stores, little to no rabbitholes (though those aren't a deal braker, 'cause they have always been in the games). suburbs with their cookie cutter homes, cul de sac, indoor malls, etc. And rural areas with farms, open air markets, etc. Think of open world games like GTA with the aesthetics and functionality (not game play).
I could go on and on, but I'd be writing a book. lol But those are just some of the things that I would love to have in the Sims, to raise the bar on what it means to be a life simulator/sandbox.
I also had high hopes for The Sims 5. I adored TS2 and still miss all the fun things that a player could do in that game - I especially miss "Open For Business" - the 'Savvy Sellers' set that they made for the Store is a sad shadow of the depth and intricacy of that EP. And I wish that the TS3 EP s had worked together as well as the TS2 EPs did - you didn't have to have "Hot Date" to run "Open For Business", but if you did have both EPs you could sell cars. And if you added "Free Time" you could sell that stuff, too. Everything was very integrated and you could tell that the people who made the game also played and loved the game.
I think that EA's big mistake with TS4 was trying to make it an online game, then changing their minds half-way through and trying to retain as much of the coding that they had already finished as possible. Because it was supposed to be online, they had to cut out CASt (which makes TS3 the one Sims game for me) and limit world sizes so that everything would download super fast. Then they assumed that everyone would want to play a "Young Adult', so that was the only life-stage that really got fleshed out - all the other life-stages are just copies of the YA stage. Then there wasn't enough money left to give the same depth of options that existed in other Sims games. For example, an earlier poster noted that Traits don't have the same effect on relationships that they had in previous - that is because they thought that actual players would be controlling every Sim in the game, so the AI didn't need to be as beefy. And it is so much easier (and cheaper) to program fewer options and for the game to tell you how to 'win' instead of allowing lots of options and letting the player discover them all on their own.
I really do hope that TS5, if there ever is a TS5, will fulfill the promise of TS2 and TS3 - that it will have an Open World and CASt, like in TS3 but also actual restaurants and shops like TS2 did. That there will be mini-games and multiple-choice chance cards and maybe even cut-scenes. That Story Progression will actually work correctly and not leave the neighborhoods those who play without Twallen's Mods as literal ghost-towns. That we will have more modding tools directly from EA/ Maxis instead of having to wait for a third party to develop them. That neighborhoods will be lively and dynamic but still allow rotational play for those who want it. I'd love for TS2 story-making/ scrapbook system to return because it is such a pain to have to do it online in TS3.
But I am afraid that the Powers That Be at EA will take the wrong message from TS4 and decide that there isn't a market for the kind of sandbox play that Will Wright gave us in TS1 and make TS5 just as game-directed and limited as TS4 turned out to be. I know that if someone made a game with all the player options that TS2 had with TS3's Open World and CASt system I would throw money at them for it. But I can't buy what doesn't exist.
Sims 3 does that too. My witch that came with Supernatural learned his spells faster when his cat from Pets was around. There are more examples where EP's work together. And the savvy seller (Store) may be a sad shadow of running a store in Sims 2 (an EP), but I can assure you visiting a ruin on Twikii Island felt like a very sad shadow of what ruins brought me in WA.
Each area does different things better. I think Sims 4 is much better than 3 when it comes to cross comparability. Things like clubs, retail, critics eating at restaurants etc.
You mentioned your witch learning spells faster from having pets. Well that's a shadow of Sims 2. In Sims 2 if you had pets there was a unique cat that not only made your skills faster but also had unique traits. It never aged, had auras, never had to use the bathroom, had no gender, was immune to tempus interruptus, and could never die. It even would fight with enemy witch cats.
The tombs were amazing in Sims 3. It did get repetitive after a while but I loved building my own tombs with debug. It was very difficult though, I'd love to see a simpler version added.
I loved the witches' familiar (cat) in Sims 2. It would appear and disappear, as well. They did witches right in Sims 2.
One thing that Sims 4 does amazing is the fact all neighborhoods are connected and you can live in quite a few of them. It means added features can be put in those different neighborhoods and it's easy to use them there. I must add the lack of that in Sims 3 only ever bothered me when IP was released (you have to move your sims there to fully experience the possibilities of the EP) and to some extent Showtime (it is possible to put the stages etc in every world, but I've always been under the impression only in Starlight Shores did your artist attract a crowd and I didn't like Starlight Shores so I didn't want my sim to move there). For me the size of those neighborhoods spoil things big time though, as well as the lack of customization possibilities.
As for the cat, I don't agree that the TS3 cat is a shadow of the cat in 2, it's just a different approach and that as such isn't better or worse. Stores and restaurants is a different matter (TS2 beats both TS3 and 4 in that respect) and so are the ruins (yes, TS3 still is absolutely boss there). I built my own tomb and though it wasn't easy that didn't bother me*. I loved the process of building one, finding ways to make it challenging even though it wasn't part of an adventure by adding riddles and hidden switches in unexpected places. Endlessly testing it till it was perfect was part of the fun.
Get NRAAS' Traveler Mod and you can visit any world that you have just as if you were taking a "World Adventurers" style vacation.
Personally, I can't live with out the whole NRAAS suite of Mods - they fix everything that EAxis didn't bother with.
I must add the lack of that in Sims 3 only ever bothered me when IP was released (you have to move your sims there to fully experience the possibilities of the EP) and to some extent Showtime (it is possible to put the stages etc in every world, but I've always been under the impression only in Starlight Shores did your artist attract a crowd and I didn't like Starlight Shores so I didn't want my sim to move there). For me the size of those neighborhoods spoil things big time though, as well as the lack of customization possibilities.
I always use the stages etc in my other worlds (I don't like Starlight Shores either, only used it once briefly). I think the size of the crowd may depend on your computer, and also how good your sim is at performing. I have had plenty of sims come to watch my shows when my sims progressed up their career.
One thing that Sims 4 does amazing is the fact all neighborhoods are connected and you can live in quite a few of them. It means added features can be put in those different neighborhoods and it's easy to use them there. I must add the lack of that in Sims 3 only ever bothered me when IP was released (you have to move your sims there to fully experience the possibilities of the EP) and to some extent Showtime (it is possible to put the stages etc in every world, but I've always been under the impression only in Starlight Shores did your artist attract a crowd and I didn't like Starlight Shores so I didn't want my sim to move there). For me the size of those neighborhoods spoil things big time though, as well as the lack of customization possibilities.
As for the cat, I don't agree that the TS3 cat is a shadow of the cat in 2, it's just a different approach and that as such isn't better or worse. Stores and restaurants is a different matter (TS2 beats both TS3 and 4 in that respect) and so are the ruins (yes, TS3 still is absolutely boss there). I built my own tomb and though it wasn't easy that didn't bother me*. I loved the process of building one, finding ways to make it challenging even though it wasn't part of an adventure by adding riddles and hidden switches in unexpected places. Endlessly testing it till it was perfect was part of the fun.
Get NRAAS' Traveler Mod and you can visit any world that you have just as if you were taking a "World Adventurers" style vacation.
Personally, I can't live with out the whole NRAAS suite of Mods - they fix everything that plum didn't bother with.
I must add the lack of that in Sims 3 only ever bothered me when IP was released (you have to move your sims there to fully experience the possibilities of the EP) and to some extent Showtime (it is possible to put the stages etc in every world, but I've always been under the impression only in Starlight Shores did your artist attract a crowd and I didn't like Starlight Shores so I didn't want my sim to move there). For me the size of those neighborhoods spoil things big time though, as well as the lack of customization possibilities.
I always use the stages etc in my other worlds (I don't like Starlight Shores either, only used it once briefly). I think the size of the crowd may depend on your computer, and also how good your sim is at performing. I have had plenty of sims come to watch my shows when my sims progressed up their career.
I was in the middle of a story when Showtime was released and the EP didn't fit into that. I was curious though so I played a new sim for one evening in Starlight Shores, made him a magician and then went back to my family in Hidden Springs. Later I decided to turn my heir into a magician (in Hidden Springs) and that's where I noticed there hardly were any sims coming to his performances in comparison to my other magician in Starlight Shores (on the same computer). I never saw it confirmed though, it was just a hunch I had;)
Oh, the rabbit hole rug sounds interesting! So we can make our own rabbitholes while still using it as a rabbit hole (instead of premadeEA shells)? If so, that sounds like an awesome mod! Do you have a link for it, @elanorbreton ?
I don't know if people still use them, as they are quite old. I've never tried them myself as I actually like rabbitholes.
Those are the ones I use, and they work fine. I've used the doors in the past, also, and they were fine at the time (can't speak for now). I've been off-and-on working on a rustic built-from-the-ground-up kind of town and making my rabbithole lots. I've made a school, grocery store, bookstore, restaurant, spa, city hall, business center - science facility in another world - all with open areas with appropriate activities/features, plus the rabbithole rug to allow the usual rabbithole selections. It takes time, but it's fun if you pace yourself and enjoy creating things like that.
I was in the middle of a story when Showtime was released and the EP didn't fit into that. I was curious though so I played a new sim for one evening in Starlight Shores, made him a magician and then went back to my family in Hidden Springs. Later I decided to turn my heir into a magician (in Hidden Springs) and that's where I noticed there hardly were any sims coming to his performances in comparison to my other magician in Starlight Shores (on the same computer). I never saw it confirmed though, it was just a hunch I had;)
So are they supposed to get a big crowd? I guess I've never been bothered cos I get a fair number of sims and am happy with that.
@suzses that is something I would love to see! Have you posted pics anywhere? Sounds awesome.
I was in the middle of a story when Showtime was released and the EP didn't fit into that. I was curious though so I played a new sim for one evening in Starlight Shores, made him a magician and then went back to my family in Hidden Springs. Later I decided to turn my heir into a magician (in Hidden Springs) and that's where I noticed there hardly were any sims coming to his performances in comparison to my other magician in Starlight Shores (on the same computer). I never saw it confirmed though, it was just a hunch I had;)
So are they supposed to get a big crowd? I guess I've never been bothered cos I get a fair number of sims and am happy with that.
@suzses that is something I would love to see! Have you posted pics anywhere? Sounds awesome.
At least a fair number of sims, for my magician it was no more than four. I'd in fact always be delighted when he attracted four, most of the time it was just his girlfriend (I controlled) and the manager It's a long time ago though, on my previous computer. Maybe I'd try it again some time on my current one, I really like the career. No punishment to play it again.
Comments
In the following picture, the sim I'm controlling is Goodwin Goode from Twinbrook who is currently in Riverview. This lot is the Business As Usual Bistro lot from the EA Store. I removed all the Pro Ovens and everything else from the kitchen area, laid down the Bistro rug from here: http://simsl3gacies.com/downloads/
Then I placed a wall with double doors in that space.
The man walking with the plate of food in the pic is the waiter, generated with this mod: http://modthesims.info/d/524698.
He is bringing Goodwin his order; I clicked on the table or wall (can't remember which) and had him "order outside". Except outside is actually inside. LOL
Now sims do come into the building and walk straight into the "kitchen" because the game sees the rug as the RH. The kid is Skip Broke and he's heading straight for those double doors. Too young to be a dishwasher. Just have to ignore that part.
The RH rugs allow you to build your own RH and Zerbu has an open workplace mod for TS3 that allows sims to get work performance credit from using skill objects that you place in rooms outside of your RH rug room. I'm just barely getting started on using them along with the open workplaces mod, but I'm going to give it a try.
It definitely takes a lot of fiddling but (I do have my limits on what kinds of hoops I'm willing to jump through!) mostly I've always enjoyed the fiddling and tinkering with the game anyway and see that as part of the fun of The Sims games.
Info on the mod and links to the RH rugs are also available here: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Zerbu's+Ultimate+Careers+Mod
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
I finally broke down and bought this one, it was the only one I didn't have. I know I won't use any of the clothes or that but I like some of the objects and the trees are kind of neat for my fairy world.
I also had high hopes for The Sims 5. I adored TS2 and still miss all the fun things that a player could do in that game - I especially miss "Open For Business" - the 'Savvy Sellers' set that they made for the Store is a sad shadow of the depth and intricacy of that EP. And I wish that the TS3 EP s had worked together as well as the TS2 EPs did - you didn't have to have "Hot Date" to run "Open For Business", but if you did have both EPs you could sell cars. And if you added "Free Time" you could sell that stuff, too. Everything was very integrated and you could tell that the people who made the game also played and loved the game.
I think that EA's big mistake with TS4 was trying to make it an online game, then changing their minds half-way through and trying to retain as much of the coding that they had already finished as possible. Because it was supposed to be online, they had to cut out CASt (which makes TS3 the one Sims game for me) and limit world sizes so that everything would download super fast. Then they assumed that everyone would want to play a "Young Adult', so that was the only life-stage that really got fleshed out - all the other life-stages are just copies of the YA stage. Then there wasn't enough money left to give the same depth of options that existed in other Sims games. For example, an earlier poster noted that Traits don't have the same effect on relationships that they had in previous - that is because they thought that actual players would be controlling every Sim in the game, so the AI didn't need to be as beefy. And it is so much easier (and cheaper) to program fewer options and for the game to tell you how to 'win' instead of allowing lots of options and letting the player discover them all on their own.
I really do hope that TS5, if there ever is a TS5, will fulfill the promise of TS2 and TS3 - that it will have an Open World and CASt, like in TS3 but also actual restaurants and shops like TS2 did. That there will be mini-games and multiple-choice chance cards and maybe even cut-scenes. That Story Progression will actually work correctly and not leave the neighborhoods those who play without Twallen's Mods as literal ghost-towns. That we will have more modding tools directly from EA/ Maxis instead of having to wait for a third party to develop them. That neighborhoods will be lively and dynamic but still allow rotational play for those who want it. I'd love for TS2 story-making/ scrapbook system to return because it is such a pain to have to do it online in TS3.
But I am afraid that the Powers That Be at EA will take the wrong message from TS4 and decide that there isn't a market for the kind of sandbox play that Will Wright gave us in TS1 and make TS5 just as game-directed and limited as TS4 turned out to be. I know that if someone made a game with all the player options that TS2 had with TS3's Open World and CASt system I would throw money at them for it. But I can't buy what doesn't exist.
If you mean playing it and "enjoying" (meaning I didn't have a pc good enough of playing TS3) it.... eh, maybe January. Although if I had always had a pc that could handle TS3 I probably never would've blinked an eye at TS4.
Sadly, I agree with you. After Sims 4, I have lost all hope for this franchise to be salvaged. It would be a miracle if they actually listen, and return to what has worked for them and what has made this series such a hit for these past years. But this is EA we are talking about. They will sink the ship the whole while denying that they did it, and that it was the passengers fault.
Each area does different things better. I think Sims 4 is much better than 3 when it comes to cross comparability. Things like clubs, retail, critics eating at restaurants etc.
You mentioned your witch learning spells faster from having pets. Well that's a shadow of Sims 2. In Sims 2 if you had pets there was a unique cat that not only made your skills faster but also had unique traits. It never aged, had auras, never had to use the bathroom, had no gender, was immune to tempus interruptus, and could never die. It even would fight with enemy witch cats.
The tombs were amazing in Sims 3. It did get repetitive after a while but I loved building my own tombs with debug. It was very difficult though, I'd love to see a simpler version added.
The Sims to me is more of a hobby than a "game". It should be targeted to creative adults and it should be similar to a model train set that I build using the parts that I purchase for it, IMO. They have changed it so much that it's an entirely different game so that it's easy for youngsters with cheap laptops and doesn't require anyone to learn how to do anything more difficult than to follow the prompts on the screen. *YAWN*
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
And for those youngsters who have played the previous games, they are alienating them too. Because they know what a joke Sims 4 is, and that it's nothing like what came before it. My kids love Sims 2, and they really started playing Sims 3 about two years ago, and they are loving it as well. My 11 year old can't even stand Sims 4. She says it's just to easy and simple. The fun and challenge has been taken out of it.
Sadly it seems that there is less focus on EPs than there used to be. At the moment it seems to be one per year so you might have to wait a while to see those things
Welcome to the forums though
I suppose the only thing better in TS4 would be the graphics... Of course I prefer being able to cast spells as witch, play pranks as fairy, etc...
thanks for welcoming me.. I can't post any picture yet
As for the cat, I don't agree that the TS3 cat is a shadow of the cat in 2, it's just a different approach and that as such isn't better or worse. Stores and restaurants is a different matter (TS2 beats both TS3 and 4 in that respect) and so are the ruins (yes, TS3 still is absolutely boss there). I built my own tomb and though it wasn't easy that didn't bother me*. I loved the process of building one, finding ways to make it challenging even though it wasn't part of an adventure by adding riddles and hidden switches in unexpected places. Endlessly testing it till it was perfect was part of the fun.
* (ETA)
Exactly!
I loved the witches' familiar (cat) in Sims 2. It would appear and disappear, as well. They did witches right in Sims 2.
Get NRAAS' Traveler Mod and you can visit any world that you have just as if you were taking a "World Adventurers" style vacation.
Personally, I can't live with out the whole NRAAS suite of Mods - they fix everything that EAxis didn't bother with.
Those are the ones I use, and they work fine. I've used the doors in the past, also, and they were fine at the time (can't speak for now). I've been off-and-on working on a rustic built-from-the-ground-up kind of town and making my rabbithole lots. I've made a school, grocery store, bookstore, restaurant, spa, city hall, business center - science facility in another world - all with open areas with appropriate activities/features, plus the rabbithole rug to allow the usual rabbithole selections. It takes time, but it's fun if you pace yourself and enjoy creating things like that.
My Sims 3 Studio
My forum builds thread
@suzses that is something I would love to see! Have you posted pics anywhere? Sounds awesome.