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Uncontrollable Pets - Good move or bad?

jackjack_kjackjack_k Posts: 8,601 Member
Now you've had a first impression, what is everyones thoughts?

The Guru's said not controlling Pets would allow them to have more distinct personalities, and that Pets would feel more unique.
I think we can all agree that is the case, especially from responses left in this forum so far.

However,
was it worth giving up control? Do you get less enjoyment out of it because you can't directly control the stories of your Pets?

I'm intrigued to find out!

:)
Post edited by EA_Solaire on

Comments

  • HalloMolliHalloMolli Posts: 2,720 Member
    edited November 2017
    Well, what can I say. It's the first game build around animals which I truly enjoy. Good Job, EA. This is exactly how it's done. Narrow Focus on few aspects of a theme with fleshed out mechanics! Please Keep it this way.

    Unfortunately I have not had enough time to completely experience the Content yet (of Course not), however, the vet Career ended up being amazing as well from what I can tell. Just as I expected: It's a huge improvement over the System they tried in Get To Work. Indeed, they listen after all.
    "[...] and everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end."


  • CheekybitsCheekybits Posts: 1,030 Member
    Cynna wrote: »
    I would love it if someone could explain to me: Why was it impossible to give cats and dogs the same personalities, while still making them controllable?

    Nothing would have needed to change, right? So why not give the option? Those who want the pets to be autonomous could just leave them alone. Those who want the pets to do a specific action, at a specific moment, in a specific place (storytellers) could have had the option to do so as well.

    Why is everything always either/or with this version of the game when BOTH would have been the ideal solution?

    It's because if you control them you'll be clicking around for task for them to do but you won't notice the small things they do. Most people cancel making mess and such. Even sims have small things they do that people don't notice cause there too busy looking for the next task to do.
  • CynnaCynna Posts: 2,369 Member
    Cheekybits wrote: »

    It's because if you control them you'll be clicking around for task for them to do but you won't notice the small things they do. Most people cancel making mess and such. Even sims have small things they do that people don't notice cause there too busy looking for the next task to do.

    I wouldn't notice the small things they do? Why not? If there are other Sims on the lot, the pets won't be under control all of the time, just like Sims aren't under control all of the time. So why wouldn't I experience these "small things" when I'm not controlling them?



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  • mirta000mirta000 Posts: 2,974 Member
    Cheekybits wrote: »
    It's because if you control them you'll be clicking around for task for them to do but you won't notice the small things they do. Most people cancel making mess and such. Even sims have small things they do that people don't notice cause there too busy looking for the next task to do.

    Did you not notice all the awesome sims animations and their AI just because you could control them? Did your children stop making messes in parenthood just because you could control them?
  • CynnaCynna Posts: 2,369 Member
    mirta000 wrote: »

    Did you not notice all the awesome sims animations and their AI just because you could control them? Did your children stop making messes in parenthood just because you could control them?

    Exactly.

    What really turns me off is not even being allowed to click on the pet so that you can find them. In the live stream, the kitten was sitting out on the curb while they were looking all over the house and couldn't find it. In every single game up to now, that could have been remedied by a simple click on the kitten's portrait.

    It's good that they've given a whistle command. However, suppose you don't want the animal to come to you because you just want to, you know, observe the small things that they do? You can't if it's so difficult to find them.

    In the other games, I'd right click on the animal portrait so that the camera would follow them around and I could see all the mischief that they got up to. I didn't have to control them, but I could observe. That's suppose to be the entire point of this EP -- observing the animals. Yet, we can't even find them, in situ, so to speak without scouring all over the neighborhood for them? Come on, EA!

    I was looking forward to this EP so much. I loved Pets and Seasons in every game and I'm so disheartened by the control scheme.

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  • Sim2SporeSim2Spore Posts: 284 Member
    I think that not being able to control the pet makes the experience more organic. And while it is inconvenient to not be able to see our pets' moods and learned behaviors/tricks, that does make it feel more realistic.

    Unlike a person, your average cat or dog does not carry a résumé, nor can you ask it "Do you know how to potty outside?" and get an affirmative "yes". It's also really up to guessing what your pet wants when it's whining. It could be hungry, it could be lonely, it could need to go out, which is why they gave us the "What's wrong?" interaction.

    If I don't know what behavior a pet has learned, well... if it learned not to do something, then it won't do that thing, right? If I catch it doing that thing, it obviously hasn't learned not to do so, so I must train it not to.
  • CheekybitsCheekybits Posts: 1,030 Member
    I think it was the best way every dog and cat I had adopted has had a different personality. My dog in my current is always around people and wakes my sim up every morning to start her day sometimes at 3am and my cat loves sleeping outside and playing with garbages around the house.
  • filipomelfilipomel Posts: 1,693 Member
    mirta000 wrote: »
    Cheekybits wrote: »
    It's because if you control them you'll be clicking around for task for them to do but you won't notice the small things they do. Most people cancel making mess and such. Even sims have small things they do that people don't notice cause there too busy looking for the next task to do.

    Did you not notice all the awesome sims animations and their AI just because you could control them? Did your children stop making messes in parenthood just because you could control them?

    Actually yes, and as much as I love parenthood, you can completely take away the experience just by controlling the children instead of parenting them. Same concept with Cats and Dogs I assume.
  • 06Bon0606Bon06 Posts: 11,614 Member
    filipomel wrote: »
    mirta000 wrote: »
    Cheekybits wrote: »
    It's because if you control them you'll be clicking around for task for them to do but you won't notice the small things they do. Most people cancel making mess and such. Even sims have small things they do that people don't notice cause there too busy looking for the next task to do.

    Did you not notice all the awesome sims animations and their AI just because you could control them? Did your children stop making messes in parenthood just because you could control them?

    Actually yes, and as much as I love parenthood, you can completely take away the experience just by controlling the children instead of parenting them. Same concept with Cats and Dogs I assume.

    Resisting the urge to just stop kids and toddlers from doing stuff takes the fun away imo.

    I usually let them do what they want and have the parents scold them later.

    I like not knowing about the pets since it is way more realistic just like with babies.
  • DragonAge_300905DragonAge_300905 Posts: 1,939 Member
    Maxis needs to improve the pets AI. My mom cat didn't eat for two days and my kitten hasn't slept for two days. The kitten hasn't slept at all, not even a cat nap.
  • olivia_buttcheeksolivia_buttcheeks Posts: 3 New Member
    Has anyone encountering issues with dog potty training or is it just me?
  • SoapSudsSoapSuds Posts: 1,359 Member
    Haven't been able to play it much, but so far, I'm liking it this way. There were times when I would have liked to control my pet just so I could see different interactions for the first time, but I definitely like how unpredictable the pets can be at times because of this. Really reminds me of my cat irl, lol.
  • CheekybitsCheekybits Posts: 1,030 Member
    Maxis needs to improve the pets AI. My mom cat didn't eat for two days and my kitten hasn't slept for two days. The kitten hasn't slept at all, not even a cat nap.

    I find some pets don't want to eat you just have to tell them after a bit they learn on there own.
  • filipomelfilipomel Posts: 1,693 Member
    mirta000 wrote: »
    filipomel wrote: »
    Actually yes, and as much as I love parenthood, you can completely take away the experience just by controlling the children instead of parenting them. Same concept with Cats and Dogs I assume.

    That is my choice though. If I want to NOT use the features of parenthood, I can overwrite their actions. I see nothing wrong with this, as this is a choice.

    Yes it is a choice, and I understand where you’re coming from, honestly I really do understand people’s complaints and opinions on this topic of control vs no control. I haven’t gotten to play around with the new pack yet, hope to as soon as I can get my hands on it, but from what I’ve read and seen these new pets really are as expressive as the developers made them out to be.
  • icmnfrshicmnfrsh Posts: 18,789 Member
    I don't mind honestly, because they're cute, but yeah, it's bad for storytellers. And we don't have access to other UI stuff like age or family trees.

    I feel like MCC will come to the rescue and let us view our pets' ages.
    Don't manhandle the urchin. He's not for sale. FIND YOUR OWN! - Xenon the Antiquarian, Dragon Age II

    Race Against the Clock: Can your elder sim turn back the clock before their time runs out?
  • olivia_buttcheeksolivia_buttcheeks Posts: 3 New Member
    I'm encountering some issues about my pets, especially the dog. Whenever I help them potty, one way or another, they would react/bark at first then immediately cancels their potty action. It this glitch just mine? I tried repairing my game thrice already. I also removed tons of my mods T__T
  • mirta000mirta000 Posts: 2,974 Member
    filipomel wrote: »
    Yes it is a choice, and I understand where you’re coming from, honestly I really do understand people’s complaints and opinions on this topic of control vs no control. I haven’t gotten to play around with the new pack yet, hope to as soon as I can get my hands on it, but from what I’ve read and seen these new pets really are as expressive as the developers made them out to be.

    From what I've heard animations break or hang, they do not have any needs (pets go without eating/ sleeping until you order them to) and UI is confusing :D
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