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Why I dislike the toddlers in The Sims 4

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Hey, so I wrote this article on why I don't like the toddlers in the Sims 4, but then again, I never really liked them in any of the previous games either! But I do hope you enjoy this article, and by all means please let me know if you like them or don't like them, why or why not? How could they have been better for you? I am interested in hearing your thoughts and I do hope you enjoy my article as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please keep in mind these are my thoughts, and my thoughts alone and not the thoughts of every community member! Thank you :)https://dvsgaming.org/why-i-dislike-toddlers-in-the-sims-4/

Comments

  • ladybreidladybreid Posts: 3,455 Member
    Glad you enjoyed writing it.

    I love toddlers it's ok that we don't agree on them :D
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    Saying "not to be rude", then blatently being rude does not excuse rude behavior.
  • Brody9962Brody9962 Posts: 272 Member
    I am quite surprised, many people think that we all need to like the same things. I think part of what makes us unique as sim players is the different things we like and dont like in the game :)
  • ladybreidladybreid Posts: 3,455 Member
    meh, if everyone liked the same stuff the game would stay limited. Since the player base is varied we get those crazy options of how or what we like to play.
    It's all good yeah?
    wz3Vdbh.jpg
    Saying "not to be rude", then blatently being rude does not excuse rude behavior.
  • Brody9962Brody9962 Posts: 272 Member
    Definitely
  • CupidCupid Posts: 3,623 Member
    I don't really care for toddlers. It's not that I thought they were done poorly, either, I just don't do the family thing so I never get to play them. However, what I do like about them (which you don't seem to care for) is the difficulty. I kind of wish every life stage was as difficult in their own sort of way
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    (◡‿◡✿)
  • JimG72JimG72 Posts: 1,161 Member
    edited June 2017
    Most of your issues seem to be maintenance-related. Based on what your article says, here are a few tips to make the maintenance part easier:

    "You still have to feed them (although now if you call everyone to a meal, they can go and get a plate on their own)."
    -- Actually, you don't even need to do call to meal....if you drag any food out of the fridge and place it on a table or counter, the toddler will grab it themselves if they are hungry....and you can direct them to grab a plate too if you want.

    "They never do what they are told—it’s like the “terrible twos” all of the time, which is pretty unrealistic."
    -- It sounds like you haven't played very far into toddlers....focus on leveling the Thinking skill....they become less defiant each time Thinking increases a level. I've actually found most of my toddlers are pretty easy going and do what is asked of them. The wild, fussy and independent ones don't like to do as told until you level up Thinking but the Angelic, Clingy, Charmer, Silly and Inquisitive generally aren't that hard to deal with. You may want to go with the Inquisitive trait as those toddlers level up Thinking quicker, which helps with reducing both defiance and nightmares.

    "The developers could have included toddlers riding coffee tables like horses, or they could have allowed Sims to change diapers on a changing table. Even a diaper rash developing if your Sim forgets to change a diaper would’ve added more realism to the toddlers in this game."
    -- There are no changing tables but sims can change their diapers. If a toddler uses their diaper instead of the potty, then the "change diaper" option becomes available...and there is, in fact, a diaper rash that develops if the toddler stays in a dirty diaper for too long and they get a negative moodlet that says they have a diaper rash.

    "Nightmare wake-ups are another thing; while they are realistic, it’s annoying when you have to calm the toddler and make their fear go away so they can sleep. One night, my Sim’s toddler kept waking her up. While I like how true-to-life this felt, if my Sim has to work early in the morning, I end up cheating with the needs cheats so she doesn’t suffer due to lack of sleep."
    -- Nightmares can be prevented in multiple ways. If a sim reads the toddler to sleep, they don't get nightmares. If you have the toddler listen to the lullaby station before they go to sleep, they don't get nightmares....they have to listen long enough to get the happy moodlet from listening to the radio, which doesn't take long. Also, leveling the Thinking skill decreases nightmares too.

    "I would love to be able to see what my kid is dreaming about, like we could in the Into the Future expansion pack for The Sims 3."
    -- Not sure this is a toddler-specific comment. Toddlers, just like all the other sims in the game, have their dream thought bubbles which show what they are dreaming about. I haven't played TS3, so don't now what those dreams entailed....but toddler dreams in TS4 are no more or less than the dreams for child, teen and adult sims.

  • Brody9962Brody9962 Posts: 272 Member
    I've never really cared for toddlers, but I will try your tips and see if that makes them easier to deal with for me! Thanks, in regards to into the future,you could control their dreams and what they were dreaming about!
  • Brody9962Brody9962 Posts: 272 Member
    I also was unaware of the diaper rash moodlet! Thats actually kinda neat :)
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,709 Member
    I'm not sure I understand your wish to be able to turn toddlers off. :) How would that work? Similar to before toddlers were introduced?
  • Brody9962Brody9962 Posts: 272 Member
    Basically, Yes. lol The ability to not have that life stage in the game would work the same way as before
  • SimaniteSimanite Posts: 4,833 Member
    edited June 2017
    So you don't like toddlers because they're hard work? Byeee.

    Do you know how long people like me had to play with a BROKEN game because toddlers were missing? I'll give you a clue - nearly three years!
  • Orchid13Orchid13 Posts: 8,823 Member
    I don't get it. If you have never really liked the toddler stage, you can avoid it. I feel the same way about elders, so I just use aging off unless I'm doing a legacy challange.
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  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,709 Member
    So have you been immediately aging up your toddlers?
  • FalyniosFalynios Posts: 298 Member
    > @Simanite said:
    > So you don't like toddlers because they're hard work? Byeee.
    >
    > Do you know how long people like me had to play with a BROKEN game because toddlers were missing? I'll give you a clue - nearly three years!

    none of you "had" to do anything...
    and it was just an opinion. you can relax.

    as for OP wanting an option to disable toddlers, I don't see why immediate age up can't suffice. That's what I do with babies.
  • Brody9962Brody9962 Posts: 272 Member
    edited June 2017
    I do age them up immediately :P I am just saying it would be nice to have that option. :) Yes, I age them up immediately, I also have their age set to 2 days so if I have to have them as toddlers, for an aspiration or for whatever reason (such as the trailer park challenge I am currently doing) :P So, even if I dont age them up immediately, they aren't toddlers for long! I deal when I need to, but it doesn't mean I have to like it either :) If people are allowed to complain about what they want, then I am allowed to complain about what I don't want in the game. This is purely my opinion, just as you have an opinion and we are allowed to our own individual opinons
  • FalyniosFalynios Posts: 298 Member
    I didn't say you weren't allowed an opinion. I just said I couldn't understand the necessity for a disable feature when the ability to play without them is already (easily) possible.
  • ModerateOspreyModerateOsprey Posts: 4,875 Member
    I don't really care for toddlers. It's not that I thought they were done poorly, either, I just don't do the family thing so I never get to play them. However, what I do like about them (which you don't seem to care for) is the difficulty. I kind of wish every life stage was as difficult in their own sort of way

    Good point. I am not much of a family player either, but in game terms I do like the level of difficulty. I am glad they are in the game as the make good background to my own YA/A/E play. I would love that complexity for elders which is another fragile life state
    Awake.
    Shake dreams from your hair
    My pretty child, my sweet one.
    Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
    The day's divinity....
    The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
  • ModerateOspreyModerateOsprey Posts: 4,875 Member
    JimG72 wrote: »
    Most of your issues seem to be maintenance-related. Based on what your article says, here are a few tips to make the maintenance part easier:

    "You still have to feed them (although now if you call everyone to a meal, they can go and get a plate on their own)."
    -- Actually, you don't even need to do call to meal....if you drag any food out of the fridge and place it on a table or counter, the toddler will grab it themselves if they are hungry....and you can direct them to grab a plate too if you want.

    "They never do what they are told—it’s like the “terrible twos” all of the time, which is pretty unrealistic."
    -- It sounds like you haven't played very far into toddlers....focus on leveling the Thinking skill....they become less defiant each time Thinking increases a level. I've actually found most of my toddlers are pretty easy going and do what is asked of them. The wild, fussy and independent ones don't like to do as told until you level up Thinking but the Angelic, Clingy, Charmer, Silly and Inquisitive generally aren't that hard to deal with. You may want to go with the Inquisitive trait as those toddlers level up Thinking quicker, which helps with reducing both defiance and nightmares.

    "The developers could have included toddlers riding coffee tables like horses, or they could have allowed Sims to change diapers on a changing table. Even a diaper rash developing if your Sim forgets to change a diaper would’ve added more realism to the toddlers in this game."
    -- There are no changing tables but sims can change their diapers. If a toddler uses their diaper instead of the potty, then the "change diaper" option becomes available...and there is, in fact, a diaper rash that develops if the toddler stays in a dirty diaper for too long and they get a negative moodlet that says they have a diaper rash.

    "Nightmare wake-ups are another thing; while they are realistic, it’s annoying when you have to calm the toddler and make their fear go away so they can sleep. One night, my Sim’s toddler kept waking her up. While I like how true-to-life this felt, if my Sim has to work early in the morning, I end up cheating with the needs cheats so she doesn’t suffer due to lack of sleep."
    -- Nightmares can be prevented in multiple ways. If a sim reads the toddler to sleep, they don't get nightmares. If you have the toddler listen to the lullaby station before they go to sleep, they don't get nightmares....they have to listen long enough to get the happy moodlet from listening to the radio, which doesn't take long. Also, leveling the Thinking skill decreases nightmares too.

    "I would love to be able to see what my kid is dreaming about, like we could in the Into the Future expansion pack for The Sims 3."
    -- Not sure this is a toddler-specific comment. Toddlers, just like all the other sims in the game, have their dream thought bubbles which show what they are dreaming about. I haven't played TS3, so don't now what those dreams entailed....but toddler dreams in TS4 are no more or less than the dreams for child, teen and adult sims.

    Thank you posting this. I am not a fan of playing families of small kids and so tend to skim over those families in my rotation. I have not really put much effort into really learning the systems around toddlers/kids and your post is an excellent crib sheet.

    I do like building dedicated residences so I am going to setup a little school for them to get that thinking skill up. Lullaby station! That completely went under my radar - they say no electronics in the bedroom, but, hey, tunes right?
    Awake.
    Shake dreams from your hair
    My pretty child, my sweet one.
    Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
    The day's divinity....
    The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
  • Rukola_SchaafRukola_Schaaf Posts: 3,065 Member
    i still didn't play todds in TS4, i am also not really a family player,
    but what was here described as difficulies by @Brody9962 & as solutions by @JimG72 sounds to me like interesting strategy gameplay

    i wish every part of TS4 would be at least that detailed



    i won't be participating in the forums & the gallery anymore - thanks EA
  • PiperbirdPiperbird Posts: 4,161 Member
    Guys. PLEASE stop saying if you don't like toddlers you can avoid them. YOU CANNOT AVOID THEM. Even if your Sim does not have kids, or even if they do and you just age them up past toddler, you still cannot avoid them. They are all over town. Even if you just stay in your house, they still wander by the house all the time. You cannot avoid them.

    You like them. I get that. Great. But is it really that hard for people to grasp that not everyone does? I LOVED not having them for three years. And I would love the option to turn them off. Just like I would love the option to turn off ghosts, aliens, phones, and all sorts of things so you can customize your game the way you want them, and not be forced to play the way the loudest people want it.

    I'm sick of being told 'just don't play', or being called names, because I don't want to play MY game the same way other people want to play their game.
    Visit me in the gallery! CC-free builds under origin name Piperbird!
    06-01-15_5-18nbspPM_zps8s8jcirw.png
  • SimpkinSimpkin Posts: 7,425 Member
    lol yet another thread from a person who claims "this is not a hate thread" :D
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  • MidnightAuraMidnightAura Posts: 5,809 Member
    @Piperbird toddlers go by your house? Do you have mods or anything? The only time I see toddlers on community lots is when I bring them there myself. I never see toddlers out and about.

    You definitely do not deserve names because you don't like toddlers. I guess when you play if you have kids you can just hit the birthday cake and age them straight up. I like them and they are my favourite life state (but only in the sims 4 but that's only because I feel the other age groups need an overhaul and they aren't as fleshed out. But I wasn't chomping at the bit to get them added in, it was a "nice to have" (No diresepect to those that wanted them in)

    I have more of an issue with aliens in my game because without mods I can't get rid of them. I play a realistic style. But I don't see toddlers unless they are my households whereas I remember the first time I played dine out and went to a restaurant, the waitress was an alien, so was the host and so was the chef. I remember thinking "it must be an alien restaurant!"
  • PiperbirdPiperbird Posts: 4,161 Member
    @Piperbird toddlers go by your house? Do you have mods or anything? The only time I see toddlers on community lots is when I bring them there myself. I never see toddlers out and about.

    You definitely do not deserve names because you don't like toddlers. I guess when you play if you have kids you can just hit the birthday cake and age them straight up. I like them and they are my favourite life state (but only in the sims 4 but that's only because I feel the other age groups need an overhaul and they aren't as fleshed out. But I wasn't chomping at the bit to get them added in, it was a "nice to have" (No diresepect to those that wanted them in)

    I have more of an issue with aliens in my game because without mods I can't get rid of them. I play a realistic style. But I don't see toddlers unless they are my households whereas I remember the first time I played dine out and went to a restaurant, the waitress was an alien, so was the host and so was the chef. I remember thinking "it must be an alien restaurant!"

    I have no mods. Never have. No mods, no CC, base game and the pack with the bugs and camping only. I don't even go to the parks any more, because even the toddlers there are unattended. They are usually playing on the rocket ship thing when I first get there, but then they will just wander around. Even as the day goes on and Sims start to go home, the toddlers stay, like they are there by themselves. And yes, they walk by the houses on the sidewalk like everyone one. Sometimes they are being carried, but most of the time they are just wandering around.

    I would very much like an option to turn off aliens, too. I never bought that back because of the aliens, and there was so much else in that pack I was interested in. But when I found out you were just stuck with them I didn't bother. Same with the vamp pack. There are a ton of really amazing build items in that pack, but I just don't want vamps in my game. It would be nice to be able to turn them off, so we can still play with everything else. Or even if there was the option to turn things on and off per game, so you can play with vamps in one save, and have a more realistic game in another save. I don't understand the complete lack of options in this game.
    Visit me in the gallery! CC-free builds under origin name Piperbird!
    06-01-15_5-18nbspPM_zps8s8jcirw.png
  • orkhid22orkhid22 Posts: 2,226 Member
    I've never seen toddlers just aimlessly roaming the neighbourhood. Interesting game you have
  • SimpkinSimpkin Posts: 7,425 Member
    orkhid22 wrote: »
    I've never seen toddlers just aimlessly roaming the neighbourhood. Interesting game you have
    Same. I've only ever seen my four toddlers.
    Seasons toggle button in build mode poll. Vote now please! :)
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