I would gladly change more stuff packs for more game packs or expansions. But sense that’s not happening I’m okay with the rate of stuff packs. I like that stuff packs are niche and nothing in them feels necessary. Besides my first pet pack, I think the quality of SPs have been improving. Honestly it’s that I like having options and know that every theme is not going to fit into a GP or EP.
Under the current dlc model, it’s created a situation where the game is dependent on stuff packs. The premium item in a stuff pack is very often an item we have had previously in the base game (hot tub) or an item we previously got with an expansion (bowling, small pets, laundry and the butler to name a few from the top of my head)
I don’t have a problem mostly with the quality of the content. Although some of it i don’t think is done better at all. Bowling for example in the sims 4 is one long anti social drain on your sims resources. The fact that sims cannot interact in game and one game of bowling takes approx 8 sim hours + means it’s a rotten group activity or date activity.
There are some stuff packs that are better than others. But mostly when I look at stuff packs I just think they should have been part of something bigger. Bowling for example should never have had its own stuff pack. Stuff packs are fine if the other parts of the dlc machine are providing full, in depth, immersive content and stuff packs are indeed just a side dish. But stuff packs are becoming the main course. Look at how many we have had in comparison to Game packs and expansions. Game packs are great but tend to stick to one theme. Expansion packs are poor. That’s why I think stuff packs are becoming the main course. There is almost an expectation that an expansion will not be very in depth and will just skim the surface and a lot of of expansions have criticism for that reason. But alongside that people expect things in stuff packs, almost to pick up the slack. Look how many people want photo booths in a stuff pack, pool toys, wedding stuff, more kids activities. There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things but I personally do not want to see a whole pack dedicated to pool stuff. Because of the limitations of a stuff pack it would be one or two game play objects and the rest furniture and cas items.
I tried recently playing the game (with my niece) without stuff packs and only base game and a few expansions. It was not a pleasant experience. It was dull to be honest.
That’s why for me I don’t like this cycle it’s trapped people in, you may hate the idea of stuff packs but without it it’s leaving your game feeling even more empty than normal. I can see why EA are churning them out like no tomorrow but as a practice I hate the principle of it.
Dunno why anyone would say they wouldn't want more. More options is always good. I don't care how many gets made, just what content is in them. As long as they keep making stuff that I am interested in, I'm all for it.
Dunno why anyone would say they wouldn't want more. More options is always good. I don't care how many gets made, just what content is in them. As long as they keep making stuff that I am interested in, I'm all for it.
Cause of the dry months and I know we'll have some coming before year's end however now that their releasing stuff to the console version every month that makes it a little more bareable. I play on both pc and console.
So Cat are you getting Get To Work on console then?
Away with stuff packs. It’s an outdated model. The fact that they have to throw in a premium object, often a feature that was once bundled with a ton of other content in a full fledged expansion, really says much.
That would mean Graham would have to be moved to the Gamepack Team.
I'd kinda rather have both the EP team and the SP teams join the GP team and become a huge GP team cause they are my favorite packs. I'd rather them focus on a single theme in detail every single time than keep releasing packs with no depth...
I am not saying that they should stop making stuff packs but honestly they are just not that important. GamePacks and Expansions are very important, and those are still very few, honestly most stuff packs for thesims4 have very little content for the price they ask and the content is not aways good.
Well the ep team and gp team is still going to just put out what they put out - period so that means eps and gps numbers won't change.
That would make us have even less packs than we have now. The teams do not move around like they did in past games - they only work on the packs of the teams they have been assigned too.
We definitely don't need less packs as it is when the individual can just not buy an sp or two if they want less - but giving us less sps will not give us more eps or gps. They made that clear when Sims 4 started.
Which is why by March 2019 we will more then likely have 35 stuff packs that include "The Sims 4: Nail Clipper Stuff", "The Sims 4: Velveeta Stuff" , and "The Sims 4: Toilet Paper Stuff" where we will finally have functional toilet paper! Censorship has been included for the actual wipe feature!
The number of stuff packs doesn't bother me since I only buy the ones I'm interested in anyway. However, I would gladly have the Sims team release fewer stuff packs if it meant they released more game packs and expansion packs.
The number of stuff packs doesn't bother me since I only buy the ones I'm interested in anyway. However, I would gladly have the Sims team release fewer stuff packs if it meant they released more game packs and expansion packs.
They apparently can't - I understand they got guideline from EA because of the earlier rushed and unfinished packs (Especially the base game) people complained about so now they are stuck with a longer timeline on the packs. The CEO made a big to do over complaints and rushing packs, broken games etc - so no matter what I believe he wants more time - not less put into the eps anyway, and more depth into the gps. It wasn't just the Sims either - several of their big games got the guidelines - and why now a lot of games actually get delayed to make sure complained problems are not repeated.
So we all complain - well this CEO makes sure what ever it is creating the issues don't get repeated.
It's a good thing if you think about it - but like waiting longer here on out for eps - well that is what happens.
I just know the outrage over the sps will also result in some action. Hopefully for the better.... I just know we have a CEO at EA that really does want the players happy. So I guess we will see where this one goes as well.
"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.....
Well the ep team and gp team is still going to just put out what they put out - period so that means eps and gps numbers won't change.
That would make us have even less packs than we have now. The teams do not move around like they did in past games - they only work on the packs of the teams they have been assigned too.
We definitely don't need less packs as it is when the individual can just not buy an sp or two if they want less - but giving us less sps will not give us more eps or gps. They made that clear when Sims 4 started.
Which is why by March 2019 we will more then likely have 35 stuff packs that include "The Sims 4: Nail Clipper Stuff", "The Sims 4: Velveeta Stuff" , and "The Sims 4: Toilet Paper Stuff" where we will finally have functional toilet paper! Censorship has been included for the actual wipe feature!
@DegrassiGen , I can do without "Nail Clipper Stuff", but I wouldn't mind "Velveeta Stuff" and "Toilet Paper Stuff"! But this, of course would lead to a huge outrage since the purchase of "Velveeta Stuff" would necessitate our Sims needing us to purchase "Toilet Paper Stuff", which would lead many outraged Simmers to protest the forced sale of "Toilet Paper Stuff".
Wait a min now. If we get a Velvetta Stuff pack it would pair nicely with the hidden Grilled Cheese aspiration and no DLC would be required since it was patched in. Could get some Grilled Cheese costumes. Grilled Cheese shaped Tables. Grilled Cheese decals and maybe a Grilled Cheese Rocketship. Some rugs and more spacious clothing to boot.
Smiles...
Backs out slowly.....
NO, we just need good expansions even if it takes a while
As for me, I’d prefer a model for this game where they develop a strong basegame that’s immersive and enjoyable all by itself, with a solid, entertaining and challenging system for the sims (al life stages). And then I’d like one thorough EP per year with a focus on adding quality gameplay that has the player’s creativity as a starting point, not some script we have to play out and that’s it (it’s alright there’s some of that, but it needs more). And as for stuff, I’d love a Store system back for that. Nót overpriced mind you, but I’ve always loved the ability to pick items individually. They can offer things in sets (because it’s nice to have themes), but I’d always want to be able to pick this and not that. Oh, and worlds (or neighborhoods) we could add to our game through a store.
As for Sims 4 SP’s (and GP’s), I have a feeling those have more quality than the EP’s. That’s not a necessary given though, that’s just the case for Sims 4. For me Sims 4’s focus on adding ‘stuff’ (including stuff you can interact with, which becomes repetitive and boring pretty fast, I constantly find myself fast forwarding in the game after a while) is one of its problems. Stuff..., players can add that themselves and quite often just as good or better.
NO, we just need good expansions even if it takes a while
I would prefer if the emphasis were put back on EPs. EPs are expensive and time-consuming to make. Yet, for the consumer, they were the best value for the money.
EPs used to be full of game play and systems that couldn't be found anywhere else. I would like EA to focus on that again. Not on stuff, not on the next gimmick, but once again to focus on providing players with experiences that feel full, complete, and are not parceled out over a span of months and years.
In addition, the more parts there are to a whole, the more likely it is that something is going to go wrong. That's just common sense. TS4 is already a big, honking, unwieldy mess-- full of parts that kind of work together, but really don't. Because there's no cohesive vision, there's no thread that ties everything together. There are just pieces and more pieces. Here and there, there are glimpses of brilliance. Still, the majority is mostly meh. I'm going to co-opt the term shovel ware.
Not even the Sims themselves are strong enough to hold it all together. Because the Sims, too, are empty. The Sims don't take notice or react to much of all the stuff that's being thrown at us. Hamsters die. Do the Sims care? No. If there's a clandestine VIP bar set up in the back of the club, will the Sims use it? No. Because the Sims nor the game engine will recognize that it's possible to use more than one bar on a lot.
I just wish that this game had been mapped out better in a way that concentrated on building a believable world first and filling it with stuff later, once a solid foundation has already been laid.
We're getting so much stuff, so much filler and yet, I, personally, am still waiting on the basics, the things that Sims games have been built on for nearly two decades, all those things that made the game famous and beloved.
I can't even get a doorbell so that Sims know they have a guest, for goodness sake!
NO, we just need good expansions even if it takes a while
I'm not satisfied because there are way too many to be honest, and I'd rather they created full expansions that feel complete instead of a stuff pack every other month. I would rather get one nice expansion a year than all these GPs and SPs, because they really are ruining this franchise.
I really feel like both City Living and Cats & Dogs expansions were lacking in options and game play. The expansions in this series, on the whole, feel very shorted to me when you look at the depth of game play available in the game packs so far.
For city living, they said they spent a lot of time to make the street lights and the traffic co-ordinate. Who cares? It's FX! They didn't give us the ability to create apartments and flats and townhomes in other areas. The festivals have proven to be a buggy mess in terms of attire and in terms of how they drop and disappear. CL is a horrible mess.
Bowling should have been in that pack....not coordinated stop lights.
There's nothing more that needs to be said of the my first pet sp and C&D.
I don't know what game EA is playing with the Sims, but I'm not dum enough to fall for it.
I agree with everything you had said. When it comes to The Sims Franchise its mostly the gameplay that matters, not the Visual Effects(but hey how could they do those trailers without a nice looking city?) If they just used the development time for more features then it wouold be much better.
They also shouldn't combined the Living and Exploration theme in one expansion pack. This results for the Living part of the Expansion to be watered down. Also like you said the gameplay Objects. The gameplay Objects in this Expansion Pack are the hookah, basketball Court, Painting thingy, yard Sale Table, and Karaoke. If we compare this objects to the past entries we got so much more gameplay object. I can understand that they reused items in the festivals so that the players that play at apartment who are playing with a story can use those monstrous size objects in the game(I am looking at you GeekCon) But it would also be a perfect fit to introduce new features in the game by expanding it, even with or without a festival. Humour and Hijinks festival are the best example. They focuses on Mischief and Comedy Skill. They could just expanded those skills and then added new animations in which you can also used outside of the festivals. Even add new pranks and jokes to the game to coincide with City Living. But nope, only a few new interaction that is comedy/mischief related that has recycled animations. The Expansion Packs should add new content, not reuse content. IF they reuse content they should expand that content to make it bigger and better.
For me The Sims 4 would be just be better if the Stuff Packs can Vanish to The Sims as a whole. Its great with The Sims 3, but then back we had huge expansions in between 6 months(sometimes 3) and Stuff Packs are just there if you find those huge expansions to be aren't enough.
If they just replaced stuff packs with gamepacks, and make the Expansions bigger then I say do it.
As for SimGuruGraham, he was a great prducer. He created the thombs that we loved in The Sims 3, and even those aliens in The Sims 3 Seasons. He gave us back and put all of his effort as a producer for the retail in Get to Work. Granted it wasn't that loved by many but for me I can understand it as they are just probably still exploring the things that they can do with the game engine, same with Stuff Packs, the first one isn't that great but they are getting better. If the upper ups from Maxis or EA can hire more people and put them to Graham's team, then turn it to a new Expansion pack team then we may got faster EPs, granted it will take months before we see those.
Also I don't see why the heck EA would just push SP rather than EP and GP only. Three Stuff Packs, Two gamepacks, and one Expansion Pack can be the same as two expansion packs and Two gamepacks per year. Not to mention people will but EP and GP more than SP so they will even get much more money. So just why? They really have to change their business model imo when it comes to delivering packs.
10+10+10+20+20+40 = 120
40+20+20+40 = 120
Wait a min now. If we get a Velvetta Stuff pack it would pair nicely with the hidden Grilled Cheese aspiration and no DLC would be required since it was patched in. Could get some Grilled Cheese costumes. Grilled Cheese shaped Tables. Grilled Cheese decals and maybe a Grilled Cheese Rocketship. Some rugs and more spacious clothing to boot.
Smiles...
Backs out slowly.....
Wait a min now. If we get a Velvetta Stuff pack it would pair nicely with the hidden Grilled Cheese aspiration and no DLC would be required since it was patched in. Could get some Grilled Cheese costumes. Grilled Cheese shaped Tables. Grilled Cheese decals and maybe a Grilled Cheese Rocketship. Some rugs and more spacious clothing to boot.
Smiles...
Backs out slowly.....
Don't forget Mac & Cheese!
(This gives me the craving for Velvetta cheese for real, btw. Thanks. )
I'm on the fence about it. I'm a bit irritated with how many they're spitting out, but in all truth I find myself using the content from them a lot. I suppose they're a replacement for the Sims 3 Store and there is waaaay more stuff on the Store and it's generally more expensive than the stuff packs, but still... something about the frequency we get them rubs me the wrong way.
Comments
I don’t have a problem mostly with the quality of the content. Although some of it i don’t think is done better at all. Bowling for example in the sims 4 is one long anti social drain on your sims resources. The fact that sims cannot interact in game and one game of bowling takes approx 8 sim hours + means it’s a rotten group activity or date activity.
There are some stuff packs that are better than others. But mostly when I look at stuff packs I just think they should have been part of something bigger. Bowling for example should never have had its own stuff pack. Stuff packs are fine if the other parts of the dlc machine are providing full, in depth, immersive content and stuff packs are indeed just a side dish. But stuff packs are becoming the main course. Look at how many we have had in comparison to Game packs and expansions. Game packs are great but tend to stick to one theme. Expansion packs are poor. That’s why I think stuff packs are becoming the main course. There is almost an expectation that an expansion will not be very in depth and will just skim the surface and a lot of of expansions have criticism for that reason. But alongside that people expect things in stuff packs, almost to pick up the slack. Look how many people want photo booths in a stuff pack, pool toys, wedding stuff, more kids activities. There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things but I personally do not want to see a whole pack dedicated to pool stuff. Because of the limitations of a stuff pack it would be one or two game play objects and the rest furniture and cas items.
I tried recently playing the game (with my niece) without stuff packs and only base game and a few expansions. It was not a pleasant experience. It was dull to be honest.
That’s why for me I don’t like this cycle it’s trapped people in, you may hate the idea of stuff packs but without it it’s leaving your game feeling even more empty than normal. I can see why EA are churning them out like no tomorrow but as a practice I hate the principle of it.
Yes.
This has nothing to do with TS4.
That would mean Graham would have to be moved to the Gamepack Team.
I hope "Whoohoo In Pool" becomes a new feature in this stuff pack!
Which is why by March 2019 we will more then likely have 35 stuff packs that include "The Sims 4: Nail Clipper Stuff", "The Sims 4: Velveeta Stuff" , and "The Sims 4: Toilet Paper Stuff" where we will finally have functional toilet paper! Censorship has been included for the actual wipe feature!
They apparently can't - I understand they got guideline from EA because of the earlier rushed and unfinished packs (Especially the base game) people complained about so now they are stuck with a longer timeline on the packs. The CEO made a big to do over complaints and rushing packs, broken games etc - so no matter what I believe he wants more time - not less put into the eps anyway, and more depth into the gps. It wasn't just the Sims either - several of their big games got the guidelines - and why now a lot of games actually get delayed to make sure complained problems are not repeated.
So we all complain - well this CEO makes sure what ever it is creating the issues don't get repeated.
It's a good thing if you think about it - but like waiting longer here on out for eps - well that is what happens.
I just know the outrage over the sps will also result in some action. Hopefully for the better.... I just know we have a CEO at EA that really does want the players happy. So I guess we will see where this one goes as well.
"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.....
@DegrassiGen , I can do without "Nail Clipper Stuff", but I wouldn't mind "Velveeta Stuff" and "Toilet Paper Stuff"!
Smiles...
Backs out slowly.....
As for Sims 4 SP’s (and GP’s), I have a feeling those have more quality than the EP’s. That’s not a necessary given though, that’s just the case for Sims 4. For me Sims 4’s focus on adding ‘stuff’ (including stuff you can interact with, which becomes repetitive and boring pretty fast, I constantly find myself fast forwarding in the game after a while) is one of its problems. Stuff..., players can add that themselves and quite often just as good or better.
I would love to get more Game Packs tho!
EPs used to be full of game play and systems that couldn't be found anywhere else. I would like EA to focus on that again. Not on stuff, not on the next gimmick, but once again to focus on providing players with experiences that feel full, complete, and are not parceled out over a span of months and years.
In addition, the more parts there are to a whole, the more likely it is that something is going to go wrong. That's just common sense. TS4 is already a big, honking, unwieldy mess-- full of parts that kind of work together, but really don't. Because there's no cohesive vision, there's no thread that ties everything together. There are just pieces and more pieces. Here and there, there are glimpses of brilliance. Still, the majority is mostly meh. I'm going to co-opt the term shovel ware.
Not even the Sims themselves are strong enough to hold it all together. Because the Sims, too, are empty. The Sims don't take notice or react to much of all the stuff that's being thrown at us. Hamsters die. Do the Sims care? No. If there's a clandestine VIP bar set up in the back of the club, will the Sims use it? No. Because the Sims nor the game engine will recognize that it's possible to use more than one bar on a lot.
I just wish that this game had been mapped out better in a way that concentrated on building a believable world first and filling it with stuff later, once a solid foundation has already been laid.
We're getting so much stuff, so much filler and yet, I, personally, am still waiting on the basics, the things that Sims games have been built on for nearly two decades, all those things that made the game famous and beloved.
I can't even get a doorbell so that Sims know they have a guest, for goodness sake!
I agree with everything you had said. When it comes to The Sims Franchise its mostly the gameplay that matters, not the Visual Effects(but hey how could they do those trailers without a nice looking city?) If they just used the development time for more features then it wouold be much better.
They also shouldn't combined the Living and Exploration theme in one expansion pack. This results for the Living part of the Expansion to be watered down. Also like you said the gameplay Objects. The gameplay Objects in this Expansion Pack are the hookah, basketball Court, Painting thingy, yard Sale Table, and Karaoke. If we compare this objects to the past entries we got so much more gameplay object. I can understand that they reused items in the festivals so that the players that play at apartment who are playing with a story can use those monstrous size objects in the game(I am looking at you GeekCon) But it would also be a perfect fit to introduce new features in the game by expanding it, even with or without a festival. Humour and Hijinks festival are the best example. They focuses on Mischief and Comedy Skill. They could just expanded those skills and then added new animations in which you can also used outside of the festivals. Even add new pranks and jokes to the game to coincide with City Living. But nope, only a few new interaction that is comedy/mischief related that has recycled animations. The Expansion Packs should add new content, not reuse content. IF they reuse content they should expand that content to make it bigger and better.
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/924539/features-that-needs-depth-and-ways-to-improve
If they just replaced stuff packs with gamepacks, and make the Expansions bigger then I say do it.
As for SimGuruGraham, he was a great prducer. He created the thombs that we loved in The Sims 3, and even those aliens in The Sims 3 Seasons. He gave us back and put all of his effort as a producer for the retail in Get to Work. Granted it wasn't that loved by many but for me I can understand it as they are just probably still exploring the things that they can do with the game engine, same with Stuff Packs, the first one isn't that great but they are getting better. If the upper ups from Maxis or EA can hire more people and put them to Graham's team, then turn it to a new Expansion pack team then we may got faster EPs, granted it will take months before we see those.
Also I don't see why the heck EA would just push SP rather than EP and GP only. Three Stuff Packs, Two gamepacks, and one Expansion Pack can be the same as two expansion packs and Two gamepacks per year. Not to mention people will but EP and GP more than SP so they will even get much more money. So just why? They really have to change their business model imo when it comes to delivering packs.
10+10+10+20+20+40 = 120
40+20+20+40 = 120
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/924539/features-that-needs-depth-and-ways-to-improve
@Hermitgirl , I like how you think!
Don't forget Mac & Cheese!
(This gives me the craving for Velvetta cheese for real, btw. Thanks.