So then TS4 took all the dated and not so great features and mashed it all together. Voila Goofy and Weird Sims. Uh...what? After all the talk about more realism, about hair animation, in-depth infants to dress with more interactions, etc. Well, I'm bored, no point supporting a game I have absolutely no interest in. I've been playing games since I was 4 or 5 years old so it's not like The Sims is the only game. Can't wait for Resident Evil 2 Remake, Detroit: Become Human, Gran Turismo Sport, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Please I hope they remake FFVIII), Hidden Agenda, Dead Island 2, The Last of Us Part II, The Inpatient, Death Stranding, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Shenmue 3, etc.
]
I'm sorry, I know this is off topic, but when you brought up that game my "ears" perked up and I had to go google it. That game sounds amazing! There aren't many non-sports games set in my home town, and seeing that they visited to research the setting and everything is really awesome. I am now looking forward to it as well, thank you! Although, now I need to get a PS4... haha.
Nothing like a really good game to get you to buy a brand new console. I've done it before too.
The Sims has always been about being a human life simulator, not a pet/animal one. Makes more sense for them to be uncontrollable.
With a mindset such as yours, no franchise or series would ever have anything new to appeal to even more players and old alike thus in a constant loop of the same old, same old. Some don't even realize how they complain about others wanting the same thing from a past game yet that is exactly what they themselves want as well regardless of which feature(s) from a Sims game. Believe me, The Sims and any other game series would be extremely boring repeating everything all over again just with better graphics or a new art style.
Instead, I prefer the same old with a twist. Such as bringing back pets, in TS3, yet controllable as a Sim rather than an object to have the most creative freedom to play the game the way you want. Plus, horses as pets are new and can be used to ride all over the open world. A bigger collection of small pets is also a nice addition.
See, TS (2000) started it all off.
-Adults, Children, and Infants (Objects)
-No aging except infants to children
-Loading screens
-Fixed camera angles, combination of 3D and 2D
TS2 (2004)
-Elders, Adults, Young Adults (UNI only), Teens, Children, Toddlers and Infants
-Aging and generations
-Loading screens
-360 camera, 3D Sims and world
TS3 (2009)
-Elders, Adults, Young Adults, Teens, Children, Toddlers and Infants
-Aging and generations
-Open World with no loading screens
-360 camera, 3D Sims and world
-Story Progression
-CASt
TS4 (2014)
-Elders, Adults, Young Adults, Teens, Children, Toddlers (Not initially), Infants (Objects)
-Aging and generations
-Loading screens from 2000 and 2009 are back
-360 camera, 3D Sims and world
-CAS presets from 2009 are back
The point is...it is good to keep the basic but growing foundation that has always worked but it needs to always be improved upon and advance so that the gaming experience is familiar but at the same time fresh. Because like I said, eventually the same old will get boring quick. Which is why TS4 never did hold my interest. There is nothing that is worthwhile that makes up for everything good they traded off. All they did was take something amazing replace it with the old and inferior plus package it as if awesome.
TS3 team took most of the best parts from TS/TS2 and added to it creating a game I wanted to play and I have fun as I still play it. Except they forgot about open shopping/dining because to me that is one of the best parts about TS/TS2 besides all the cool interations for kids like Miss Mary Mack, Jump Rope, Handstands, etc.
So then TS4 took all the dated and not so great features and mashed it all together. Voila Goofy and Weird Sims. Uh...what? After all the talk about more realism, about hair animation, in-depth infants to dress with more interactions, etc. Well, I'm bored, no point supporting a game I have absolutely no interest in. I've been playing games since I was 4 or 5 years old so it's not like The Sims is the only game. Can't wait for Resident Evil 2 Remake, Detroit: Become Human, Gran Turismo Sport, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Please I hope they remake FFVIII), Hidden Agenda, Dead Island 2, The Last of Us Part II, The Inpatient, Death Stranding, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Shenmue 3, etc.
Life simulation was nice while it lasted but if there's no more progression but retrogression...there's no point continuing to stick with the series. Besides, there's not much 'simulation' going on more so illusions everywhere. I'll be running away from The Sims so-called future and towards games I'm actually interested in.
Sims 4 added nothing new to the franchise? LOL. Way to try to make previous sims games look better. LOL.... You act as if this game added NOTHING new to the franchise.... xD
I didn't say TS4 didn't add anything new, you did. I just never bothered to mention it. But anyway.
What did TS4 add that is honestly new as one of the major features/selling points? Never been done before?
Emotions. TS/TS2/TS3 had those and it wasn't a constant parody plus it made sense whereas it doesn't in TS4.
Smarter Sims. Honestly, where?
Weirder Sims. Why?
Push and Pull CAS/Art Style. Body shapes are new and cool but that alone is not going to get me interested. Also, I'm not fond of the art style anyway.
Some build tools like window placement shifting up and down, moving the whole building around the lot is useful. But again, nothing that intrigues me enough.
Multi-tasking. Nothing new, maybe improved I don't know.
It's more realistic and better because in real life we don't control our pets. I personally found Sims 2 pets way better than Sims 3 pets and I'm happy that they won't be controllable but I don't think I would mind too much if they were.
I think it depends on your own idea of what is or isn't progress. I am glad the option to "be" a pet is gone. Now pets will be pets and more spontaneous and surprising. Other people have differing opinions and I see their disappointment. But this is how S4 Pets are going to be, nonplayable. Maybe, after release, I'll wish I could play them. Maybe you'll find so much pleasure in these pets that you won't miss not being your pet. Time will tell.
When it comes to progress, going backward isn't it and that is a fact. It's a completely different thing if one prefers old and limited vs new and expanded features.
There is nothing stopping pets in TS3 from being pets like TS2/TS. No one is forced to play as one but the option is there in case someone wants to. No different from checking the pets motives and then changing back to a human Sim to interact as needed. Pets liveliness has nothing to do with having an option to be the pet. Sure someone can have a good CPU and GPU but if they have a mediocre motherboard/RAM then everything else will get held back from its full potential because the other hardware cannot perform at that same level. So when people say they have a good computer yet the AI is slow makes me wonder. A gaming computer is not just one or two decent components. Everything must work together to get the best results.
I know TS4 Pets is going to be the way it is and there's no changing that. Just like TS4, in general, is not meant for hardcore players or anyone seriously into creative freedom or accustomed to playing their way not EA's or anyone else's. Once upon a time they provided the tools for a life simulation and the rest was up to each individual player to choose how they wanted to play. That is was made The Sims so popular among so many people. Because they had the opportunity to make the game their own. The more control and options put into the hand of the player, the more invested they are. Or so that's what I observe.
You know what happened if you didn't play the pets in sims3? They were bland, boring, uninteresting, and I lost interest in them. It's that simple, that's what happens when pets are intended to be playable, because they lack the autonomy to be truly interesting when you're not playing them.
We were guided by the idea that cats and dogs would be like Sims for your Sims.
Well, I already imagine the nightmare.
If the pets obey exactly like the sims disobey me all the time, I'm sorry but the pets will stay out of my game.
So if that is how you feel - why are you sorry then? Perplexing.
They did not say obey you like your sims do - they said obey you like real pets do in real life technically. Grant basically discusses his Corgi Peaches in the blog - you know his real life fur baby and that is what they strive to achieve in the Sims 4 Dogs and cats - not how your Sims respond to you.
Really - just out of the back of my mind - how do real life people "OBEY" you? Just curious -
ETA
Also - my real life kitty does not OBEY me. I can tell her - "Cilla, Come here!" and she will promptly sit and stare at me like I have lost my mind. But let my hubby come in and say "Aw look at daddies little girl. Come see the daddy." And she promptly sparks right up and prances right to my hubby - all sweet and adorable as can be. She is not OBEYING - technically - I do not control her - her motivation is all about love and responding to her own desire to be with 'daddy'.
That is the design it seems Grant is stating they used for the pets in the sims 4. After all many of us did think both Sims and pets were way too robotic in Sims 3. I do love that game - but I really like this idea better.
As for obeying you - well maybe what you need is a robot, and not the sims at all.
@Writin_Reg You're back. Well my sims are robots a lot of the time, I turn off free will. Keeps me from killing them.
I think it depends on your own idea of what is or isn't progress. I am glad the option to "be" a pet is gone. Now pets will be pets and more spontaneous and surprising. Other people have differing opinions and I see their disappointment. But this is how S4 Pets are going to be, nonplayable. Maybe, after release, I'll wish I could play them. Maybe you'll find so much pleasure in these pets that you won't miss not being your pet. Time will tell.
When it comes to progress, going backward isn't it and that is a fact. It's a completely different thing if one prefers old and limited vs new and expanded features.
There is nothing stopping pets in TS3 from being pets like TS2/TS. No one is forced to play as one but the option is there in case someone wants to. No different from checking the pets motives and then changing back to a human Sim to interact as needed. Pets liveliness has nothing to do with having an option to be the pet. Sure someone can have a good CPU and GPU but if they have a mediocre motherboard/RAM then everything else will get held back from its full potential because the other hardware cannot perform at that same level. So when people say they have a good computer yet the AI is slow makes me wonder. A gaming computer is not just one or two decent components. Everything must work together to get the best results.
I know TS4 Pets is going to be the way it is and there's no changing that. Just like TS4, in general, is not meant for hardcore players or anyone seriously into creative freedom or accustomed to playing their way not EA's or anyone else's. Once upon a time they provided the tools for a life simulation and the rest was up to each individual player to choose how they wanted to play. That is was made The Sims so popular among so many people. Because they had the opportunity to make the game their own. The more control and options put into the hand of the player, the more invested they are. Or so that's what I observe.
You know what happened if you didn't play the pets in sims3? They were bland, boring, uninteresting, and I lost interest in them. It's that simple, that's what happens when pets are intended to be playable, because they lack the autonomy to be truly interesting when you're not playing them.
I personally have always found all pets to be this way when unattended even ts2 ones. I'm really am not sold on the ai being as amazing as everyone claims yet. I'm over the hump of my disappointment though and curious about the pack now. I really want to see just what this amazing ai is that everyone is convinced about.
If I'm totally honest, I had more than a few pets taken away in Sims 3 for neglect (especially around the time the household was adding children.) Mostly, because they were playable and I was super busy.
I loved the ability to care and train the pet. I didn't like the idea of controlling their every move. Honestly, I spent a lot of time sending them on random adventures for collectors.
I didn't really enjoy the Jockey career track as it was super labor intensive in way that prevented me from exploring any other aspects of that household. (I'm pretty sure that marriage ended in a gruesome divorce. Like the Sim left and I wasn't able to do anything because my Sim was in a rabbit hole (competing.)) I know, it's kind of tragic when I think about it like that.
Also, I think the size of horses and the type of equipment they need wouldn't work in the Sims 4. The lots are too small. Imagine trying to ride a horse in the small sandboxes, you'd do a lap around your neighbors and end up at home.
In general, playable pets don't sound like a good idea to me. I think I would be too busy trying to manage the people Sims (which are a real challenge in Sims 4 w/ all the crazy AI.) That being said, I think that it should've been included option for those that do enjoy that aspect.
You know what I'm leery about? This pet AI. The Sims aren't quality files. They do crazy stuff all the time. Things that are totally disruptive to the game play (like washing dishes in the bathroom sink when there's a sink right next to them in the kitchen.)
Could you imagine having a bugged pet that destroys all your furniture all the time, destroys your gardens (like zombies did Supernatural), and generally makes mayhem?
What if these pets behave like children do with toys?! What if they simply ignore them? What if the pet toys equate to different things for your adult sims to put away (almost like they have a obsessive compulsive quirk?
Sounds like an absolute terror. Before I know that these pets won't be wrecking my neighborhood, I won't be buying the expansion.
Woody: You, Are, A, Toyyyyy! You're not the real thing. You're an action figure. You are a child's play thing! Buzz Lightyear: You are a sad, strange little man. Farewell.
If I'm totally honest, I had more than a few pets taken away in Sims 3 for neglect (especially around the time the household was adding children.) Mostly, because they were playable and I was super busy.
I loved the ability to care and train the pet. I didn't like the idea of controlling their every move. Honestly, I spent a lot of time sending them on random adventures for collectors.
I didn't really enjoy the Jockey career track as it was super labor intensive in way that prevented me from exploring any other aspects of that household. (I'm pretty sure that marriage ended in a gruesome divorce. Like the Sim left and I wasn't able to do anything because my Sim was in a rabbit hole (competing.)) I know, it's kind of tragic when I think about it like that.
Also, I think the size of horses and the type of equipment they need wouldn't work in the Sims 4. The lots are too small. Imagine trying to ride a horse in the small sandboxes, you'd do a lap around your neighbors and end up at home.
In general, playable pets don't sound like a good idea to me. I think I would be too busy trying to manage the people Sims (which are a real challenge in Sims 4 w/ all the crazy AI.) That being said, I think that it should've been included option for those that do enjoy that aspect.
You know what I'm leery about? This pet AI. The Sims aren't quality files. They do crazy stuff all the time. Things that are totally disruptive to the game play (like washing dishes in the bathroom sink when there's a sink right next to them in the kitchen.)
Could you imagine having a bugged pet that destroys all your furniture all the time, destroys your gardens (like zombies did Supernatural), and generally makes mayhem?
What if these pets behave like children do with toys?! What if they simply ignore them? What if the pet toys equate to different things for your adult sims to put away (almost like they have a obsessive compulsive quirk?
Sounds like an absolute terror. Before I know that these pets won't be wrecking my neighborhood, I won't be buying the expansion.
I think if you want them to stop destroying your house, you can train them. Once they are fully trained then they may not destroy your house anymore. I doubt they will simply ignore their toys. For children, I think they don't play with their toys unless their fun level reach yellow.
@TS1299 - I'm afraid their fun level has nothing to do w/ whether a child will interact with their toys or not in the current Sims 4. If you do a little more research on the forum, you'll notice that issue with the children ignoring their toys (and parents picking them up/or taking them off shelves when they're used as decor) has been a long reported issue. Actually, I have that issue all the time. I have to remove ALL electronics out of the house for my child sims to engage with their toys autonomously. It's kinda sad.
As far as the pets not destroying my house, we'll see about that. I'm sure that if they're operating properly, training them will have be a reassuring way of protecting my work. However, do you remember in Sim 3 Pets? How your pets couldn't interact with their toys once a sim put them away? I had maids all the time. They kept a clean house for me. That led bunch of trained pets to destroy my furniture while my sim was at work. For Sims 4, based on the trailer, I have not been impressed with anything but how the pets look. ;)
Also, that issue w/ Sim AI is still present after FOUR years and several patches. That tells me that the overall quality control of this game is actually incredibly poor. If you can't get a Sim to wash dishes properly, chances are you should leave the animals out of the equation.
Btw, those who still have this issue - there's a mod that fixes it. ;)
Also, please note that I'm not looking for an answer to a problem. I'm pretty savvy. I do thank you so much for all your well intention-ed help! :)
Woody: You, Are, A, Toyyyyy! You're not the real thing. You're an action figure. You are a child's play thing! Buzz Lightyear: You are a sad, strange little man. Farewell.
@SoullessDolls I am not aware of that toy issue, and I thought that its is something about their fun meter, I usually never by them toys(yes I am that cruel ), but sometimes I use the toy box where all toys are located and children usually go there and play. I am going to try to take a look at it when I next play with my friend.
Well its to early for us to judge by the way, I never really enjoyed sims 3 pets. I mostly enjoyed sims 2 where they are not uncontrollable, maybe the devs improve them? Well we can only hope that they did
But still for The Sims 4 I hope that they learned their lesson from the pets behavior in sims 3 and improve it. Only time will tell if these pets are worth the wait of 1 year of no expansion packs.
@TS1299 I wish you luck on your experiments! Let us know what you discover. :)
Personally, I think a lot of people are going to be super disappointed. I really hope the expansion pack works out. The morale in this forum really can't afford another limited expansion pack or another year without a robust addition to game play.
Woody: You, Are, A, Toyyyyy! You're not the real thing. You're an action figure. You are a child's play thing! Buzz Lightyear: You are a sad, strange little man. Farewell.
The only time I used the ability to control my pets in Sims 3 was to make them eat, sleep, pee, or socialize when they needed to. I only did this to keep their needs up and avoid them becoming unhappy and eventually being taken away. But it was necessary, because their AI was not good enough for them to be left to their own devices. Given what I have seen of the AI system in Sims 4, I am a little nervous about how it will work out in this game (no, the sims in Sims 4 are not more intelligent than before, whatever EA says to the contrary). So I really hope that my sims' interactions with their pets will not end up consisting of little more than "Fido, eat!", "Fido, sleep!"; "Fido, pee!", etc, because there is no time left for anything else.
I've been playing the sims 3 all weekend practically. I added in a few pets and I was impressed. My cat caused plenty of mayhem without me playing her. She wouldn't use the litter box, she would hang round whilst my sim was eating and get scraps, she would scratch the furniture and she would mark my sims which was pretty cute.
I love sims 2 pets, it doesn't bother me sims 4 pets are uncontrollable as I rarely play as my pet. The same ms 4 is three years old. I just hope the wait for pets is worth it.
@TS1299 - I'm afraid their fun level has nothing to do w/ whether a child will interact with their toys or not in the current Sims 4. If you do a little more research on the forum, you'll notice that issue with the children ignoring their toys (and parents picking them up/or taking them off shelves when they're used as decor) has been a long reported issue. Actually, I have that issue all the time. I have to remove ALL electronics out of the house for my child sims to engage with their toys autonomously. It's kinda sad.
As far as the pets not destroying my house, we'll see about that. I'm sure that if they're operating properly, training them will have be a reassuring way of protecting my work. However, do you remember in Sim 3 Pets? How your pets couldn't interact with their toys once a sim put them away? I had maids all the time. They kept a clean house for me. That led bunch of trained pets to destroy my furniture while my sim was at work. For Sims 4, based on the trailer, I have not been impressed with anything but how the pets look.
Also, that issue w/ Sim AI is still present after FOUR years and several patches. That tells me that the overall quality control of this game is actually incredibly poor. If you can't get a Sim to wash dishes properly, chances are you should leave the animals out of the equation.
Btw, those who still have this issue - there's a mod that fixes it.
Also, please note that I'm not looking for an answer to a problem. I'm pretty savvy. I do thank you so much for all your well intention-ed help!
I quite understand your fears surrounding these issues I have never used mods in a sims series until it ends usually because I don't want to be bothered with patch/mod updates however with 4 I have had to or I would not play the game at all due to the many annoyances I have experienced regularly.. and I hope and pray pets does not turn out to be the same way..
I am testing a few things in a new sims 2 hood at the moment but when that's finished I am going to play with pets for a while to refresh my knowledge, then I will move onto the 3 series and play those for a while (as I always played horses mainly) then I may have a better idea of the differences within each system
Re the mod to make sims wash dishes properly please give me a link to that because that's something else that drives me nuts all the time as regardless of how close sinks are placed in the right areas sims still insist on spending hours wandering anywhere they are supposed to dish washing wise
I hope they will add a cheatcode that allows players who wants to control pets can do it as in the sims 2 . End of the discussion. Everybody is winning and no plum dilemma . Does it better with or without control?
They have already stated that there will be no cheat code and I doubt that being built the way they are, mods will not be able to make them playable.
I am not surprised. Sims 4 gameplay seems to be the Gurus' gameplay , no more freedom of playing as we wish.
In November cry babies will cry TS4 is not a GOOD game. No please Gurus stop to make the sims 4 fanbase an other time deceived by the game we're tired of that.
I hope they will add a cheatcode that allows players who wants to control pets can do it as in the sims 2 . End of the discussion. Everybody is winning and no plum dilemma . Does it better with or without control?
They have already stated that there will be no cheat code and I doubt that being built the way they are, mods will not be able to make them playable.
I am not surprised. Sims 4 gameplay seems to be the Gurus' gameplay , no more freedom of playing as we wish.
In November cry babies will cry TS4 is not a GOOD game. No please Gurus stop to make the sims 4 fanbase an other time deceived by the game we're tired of that.
This whole theory of "play as we wish" is a myth anyway. You can only play within the games parameters. If you want your sims to be super heroes, they can't because they have no super powers. Even in S3 when we got a superhero pack, it was just clothes and objects to make sims "look" like a superhero, not real powers. At the moment, I can't play as a witch, but, for now, I make my sim an alien. This gives my sim some witchlike powers and a second look that's more scary and evil. Even when you could play as a pet in S3, you still had to play within the games parameters. The fun of playing as a pet, for me, wore off quickly and I was left with boring pets. The simple things like eating and sleeping and peeing that you would think the pet would do automatically, were the things I had to control, otherwise, they didn't eat, sleep or pee on their own. For me, unplayable will give pets a more realistic feel.
If I'm totally honest, I had more than a few pets taken away in Sims 3 for neglect (especially around the time the household was adding children.) Mostly, because they were playable and I was super busy.
I loved the ability to care and train the pet. I didn't like the idea of controlling their every move. Honestly, I spent a lot of time sending them on random adventures for collectors.
I didn't really enjoy the Jockey career track as it was super labor intensive in way that prevented me from exploring any other aspects of that household. (I'm pretty sure that marriage ended in a gruesome divorce. Like the Sim left and I wasn't able to do anything because my Sim was in a rabbit hole (competing.)) I know, it's kind of tragic when I think about it like that.
Also, I think the size of horses and the type of equipment they need wouldn't work in the Sims 4. The lots are too small. Imagine trying to ride a horse in the small sandboxes, you'd do a lap around your neighbors and end up at home.
In general, playable pets don't sound like a good idea to me. I think I would be too busy trying to manage the people Sims (which are a real challenge in Sims 4 w/ all the crazy AI.) That being said, I think that it should've been included option for those that do enjoy that aspect.
You know what I'm leery about? This pet AI. The Sims aren't quality files. They do crazy stuff all the time. Things that are totally disruptive to the game play (like washing dishes in the bathroom sink when there's a sink right next to them in the kitchen.)
Could you imagine having a bugged pet that destroys all your furniture all the time, destroys your gardens (like zombies did Supernatural), and generally makes mayhem?
What if these pets behave like children do with toys?! What if they simply ignore them? What if the pet toys equate to different things for your adult sims to put away (almost like they have a obsessive compulsive quirk?
Sounds like an absolute terror. Before I know that these pets won't be wrecking my neighborhood, I won't be buying the expansion.
Yep that is also what has me worried. I am very leery of the ai. My expectations are sadly low but since that seems to be the selling point of this pack I am curious as to what exactly they consider the best pets yet with realistic behaviors. Am I hopeful, no.
No, it hasn't. It's a human life simulator. Animals and life states are extra.
I've personally never seen this game labeled "Human life simulator." When I look it up, it's categorized simply as a Life simulator. So I believe it's open to play from the perspective of a variety of Life, animals being part of that.
And surely you realize that everything you want or insist is a much needed feature, will fit in the AI. Maybe having both might cause a lot of lag problems. Maybe having both could result in not having a vet career or the obstacle course or new roofs or it might mean a smaller world. IMO, not one of those things is worth making pets controllable if it means not having them.
At the core of it, this is just a game, not a program to recreate a special world just for you and what you want to do.
Except once upon a time, The Sims was exactly that. But somewhere down the line that got lost. Yes it is a game, but it also had programming that allowed players to create their own personalized worlds to play in Live mode. Customization has been restricted in comparison to their previous iterations, which is a literal step back from personalization that would offer options to a larger variety of players.
While I'm indifferent to pets being uncontrolled (not happy at all about them taking up playable slots if they're NPCs though), having options is always a plus in my book. This AI oversteps its players often. I humored to myself that as time goes on, playing the game will be so "last year" and EA will smack my hands away from the keyboard with a rolled up newspaper, and I'll have to sit and watch the game play itself.
No, it hasn't. It's a human life simulator. Animals and life states are extra.
I've personally never seen this game labeled "Human life simulator." When I look it up, it's categorized simply as a Life simulator. So I believe it's open to play from the perspective of a variety of Life, animals being part of that.
And surely you realize that everything you want or insist is a much needed feature, will fit in the AI. Maybe having both might cause a lot of lag problems. Maybe having both could result in not having a vet career or the obstacle course or new roofs or it might mean a smaller world. IMO, not one of those things is worth making pets controllable if it means not having them.
At the core of it, this is just a game, not a program to recreate a special world just for you and what you want to do.
Except once upon a time, The Sims was exactly that. But somewhere down the line that got lost. Yes it is a game, but it also had programming that allowed players to create their own personalized worlds to play in Live mode. Customization has been restricted in comparison to their previous iterations, which is a literal step back from personalization that would offer options to a larger variety of players.
While I'm indifferent to pets being uncontrolled (not happy at all about them taking up playable slots if they're NPCs though), having options is always a plus in my book. This AI oversteps its players often. I humored to myself that as time goes on, playing the game will be so "last year" and EA will smack my hands away from the keyboard with a rolled up newspaper, and I'll have to sit and watch the game play itself.
lol
I've thought the same thing a few times.
But remember there are some sim players out there who enjoy watching there game more than playing it so they may not see this as bad.
I'm disappointed by this news because as others have said, I don't trust the game's AI. What I hoped for was pets I could mostly leave to be autonomous, but that I could take over and control if needed. A lot of people seem to like uncontrollable pets, but if they'd been made controllable, those players could've just chosen not to control them, and then we'd all be able to play the way we like. Oh well
It is not a problem for me. I don't mind spending time training them and introducing them to new things. In real life, I can put a new food treat in the birdcage for them to try. I cannot control them to eat it. That is up to them.
As long as they give us the Cheat Commands so we can control them, like in TS2, then I'm fine with it. Sometimes I want to control, sometimes I don't.
If they don't someone will make a mod.
Mods are not the issue itself, it is the mentality that mods can fix or add something that should have been a part of the game. So because a mod can do it, if possible or available, then it's okay that EA acquires the free get out jail card?
“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
Comments
No, it hasn't. It's a human life simulator. Animals and life states are extra.
It's opinion and perspective and depends on the version you play.
ts4 is a human sim though obviously.
Fun for me.
You know what happened if you didn't play the pets in sims3? They were bland, boring, uninteresting, and I lost interest in them. It's that simple, that's what happens when pets are intended to be playable, because they lack the autonomy to be truly interesting when you're not playing them.
@Writin_Reg You're back. Well my sims are robots a lot of the time, I turn off free will. Keeps me from killing them.
As for me, not actually really back per sec - just dropping in periodically. Truthfully I wish I was a Sim - life would be so much simpler.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
I personally have always found all pets to be this way when unattended even ts2 ones. I'm really am not sold on the ai being as amazing as everyone claims yet. I'm over the hump of my disappointment though and curious about the pack now. I really want to see just what this amazing ai is that everyone is convinced about.
I loved the ability to care and train the pet. I didn't like the idea of controlling their every move. Honestly, I spent a lot of time sending them on random adventures for collectors.
I didn't really enjoy the Jockey career track as it was super labor intensive in way that prevented me from exploring any other aspects of that household. (I'm pretty sure that marriage ended in a gruesome divorce. Like the Sim left and I wasn't able to do anything because my Sim was in a rabbit hole (competing.)) I know, it's kind of tragic when I think about it like that.
Also, I think the size of horses and the type of equipment they need wouldn't work in the Sims 4. The lots are too small. Imagine trying to ride a horse in the small sandboxes, you'd do a lap around your neighbors and end up at home.
In general, playable pets don't sound like a good idea to me. I think I would be too busy trying to manage the people Sims (which are a real challenge in Sims 4 w/ all the crazy AI.) That being said, I think that it should've been included option for those that do enjoy that aspect.
You know what I'm leery about? This pet AI. The Sims aren't quality files. They do crazy stuff all the time. Things that are totally disruptive to the game play (like washing dishes in the bathroom sink when there's a sink right next to them in the kitchen.)
Could you imagine having a bugged pet that destroys all your furniture all the time, destroys your gardens (like zombies did Supernatural), and generally makes mayhem?
What if these pets behave like children do with toys?! What if they simply ignore them? What if the pet toys equate to different things for your adult sims to put away (almost like they have a obsessive compulsive quirk?
Sounds like an absolute terror. Before I know that these pets won't be wrecking my neighborhood, I won't be buying the expansion.
Buzz Lightyear: You are a sad, strange little man. Farewell.
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/924539/features-that-needs-depth-and-ways-to-improve
As far as the pets not destroying my house, we'll see about that. I'm sure that if they're operating properly, training them will have be a reassuring way of protecting my work. However, do you remember in Sim 3 Pets? How your pets couldn't interact with their toys once a sim put them away? I had maids all the time. They kept a clean house for me. That led bunch of trained pets to destroy my furniture while my sim was at work. For Sims 4, based on the trailer, I have not been impressed with anything but how the pets look. ;)
Also, that issue w/ Sim AI is still present after FOUR years and several patches. That tells me that the overall quality control of this game is actually incredibly poor. If you can't get a Sim to wash dishes properly, chances are you should leave the animals out of the equation.
Btw, those who still have this issue - there's a mod that fixes it. ;)
Also, please note that I'm not looking for an answer to a problem. I'm pretty savvy. I do thank you so much for all your well intention-ed help! :)
Buzz Lightyear: You are a sad, strange little man. Farewell.
Well its to early for us to judge by the way, I never really enjoyed sims 3 pets. I mostly enjoyed sims 2 where they are not uncontrollable, maybe the devs improve them? Well we can only hope that they did
But still for The Sims 4 I hope that they learned their lesson from the pets behavior in sims 3 and improve it. Only time will tell if these pets are worth the wait of 1 year of no expansion packs.
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/924539/features-that-needs-depth-and-ways-to-improve
Personally, I think a lot of people are going to be super disappointed. I really hope the expansion pack works out. The morale in this forum really can't afford another limited expansion pack or another year without a robust addition to game play.
Buzz Lightyear: You are a sad, strange little man. Farewell.
I love sims 2 pets, it doesn't bother me sims 4 pets are uncontrollable as I rarely play as my pet. The same ms 4 is three years old. I just hope the wait for pets is worth it.
I quite understand your fears surrounding these issues I have never used mods in a sims series until it ends usually because I don't want to be bothered with patch/mod updates however with 4 I have had to or I would not play the game at all due to the many annoyances I have experienced regularly.. and I hope and pray pets does not turn out to be the same way..
I am testing a few things in a new sims 2 hood at the moment but when that's finished I am going to play with pets for a while to refresh my knowledge, then I will move onto the 3 series and play those for a while (as I always played horses mainly) then I may have a better idea of the differences within each system
Re the mod to make sims wash dishes properly please give me a link to that because that's something else that drives me nuts all the time as regardless of how close sinks are placed in the right areas sims still insist on spending hours wandering anywhere they are supposed to dish washing wise
I am not surprised. Sims 4 gameplay seems to be the Gurus' gameplay , no more freedom of playing as we wish.
In November cry babies will cry TS4 is not a GOOD game. No please Gurus stop to make the sims 4 fanbase an other time deceived by the game we're tired of that.
on wordpress: thesimsophonique.wp.com / on dreamwidth: simsophonique.dreamwidth.org
Follow me on tumblr (sims only)
simsophonique.tumblr.com (please no triggers I am autistic asperger)
This whole theory of "play as we wish" is a myth anyway. You can only play within the games parameters. If you want your sims to be super heroes, they can't because they have no super powers. Even in S3 when we got a superhero pack, it was just clothes and objects to make sims "look" like a superhero, not real powers. At the moment, I can't play as a witch, but, for now, I make my sim an alien. This gives my sim some witchlike powers and a second look that's more scary and evil. Even when you could play as a pet in S3, you still had to play within the games parameters. The fun of playing as a pet, for me, wore off quickly and I was left with boring pets. The simple things like eating and sleeping and peeing that you would think the pet would do automatically, were the things I had to control, otherwise, they didn't eat, sleep or pee on their own. For me, unplayable will give pets a more realistic feel.
Yep that is also what has me worried. I am very leery of the ai. My expectations are sadly low but since that seems to be the selling point of this pack I am curious as to what exactly they consider the best pets yet with realistic behaviors. Am I hopeful, no.
I've personally never seen this game labeled "Human life simulator." When I look it up, it's categorized simply as a Life simulator. So I believe it's open to play from the perspective of a variety of Life, animals being part of that.
Except once upon a time, The Sims was exactly that. But somewhere down the line that got lost. Yes it is a game, but it also had programming that allowed players to create their own personalized worlds to play in Live mode. Customization has been restricted in comparison to their previous iterations, which is a literal step back from personalization that would offer options to a larger variety of players.
While I'm indifferent to pets being uncontrolled (not happy at all about them taking up playable slots if they're NPCs though), having options is always a plus in my book. This AI oversteps its players often. I humored to myself that as time goes on, playing the game will be so "last year" and EA will smack my hands away from the keyboard with a rolled up newspaper, and I'll have to sit and watch the game play itself.
lol
I've thought the same thing a few times.
But remember there are some sim players out there who enjoy watching there game more than playing it so they may not see this as bad.
my new simblr
Mods are not the issue itself, it is the mentality that mods can fix or add something that should have been a part of the game. So because a mod can do it, if possible or available, then it's okay that EA acquires the free get out jail card?
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”