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Things that will improve the Sims 4. What are your ideas?

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V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
I know there are other threads out there discussing similar things, but I really want to know what you think could improve the Sims 4. No mods, no cheats ... just good ideas to add to the game by the developers.

EDIT: I would also love for you guys to give a bit of detail on how your improvements function.

I would like to see BANKS.

- A new banking career.
- Weekly Financial Records.
- Incurring debt, specifically a mortgage loan.

I'm honestly surprised that there is no finance option for purchasing homes and you are required to pay cash. Considering how expensive decent homes tend to be, it could take a while to save up the funds for one if you play the game realistically. It's a grind. So introducing a finance feature would be a welcome addition.

How it could look like:
  • Take the cost of the home less a down payment.
  • Add a markup rate for purchasing via financing.
  • Provide 2 types of terms (Long and Short).

Interest
- Determined by the down payment.
- Low down payment means a higher markup rate.
- High down payment means a lower markup rate.

Short Term Loan: 15 Weeks
- Has higher weekly payments.

Long Term: 30 Weeks
- Has lower weekly payments.

They could make so that if you chose a longer term you would end up paying more over time than if you chose a shorter term loan.

Weekly Financial Statements.
A record of your household income and expenses for the week. This already exists as a daily financial report in Get to Work for your retail business so it shouldn't be that difficult to implement.

Loan qualification.
Newly created or playable households shouldn't immediately qualify for mortgage loans without meeting certain requirements.
- Have enough funds for a down payment. The game options could be between 10% lowest to 40% highest.
- Have reached a Career level that ensures you make more than the weekly mortgage payment and/or ..
- Submit your weekly financial report showing income exceeding the mortgage amount. Usually income from other professions (Painter, author etc.,) for those who don't join careers.

Separate Utility Bills.
Having a mortgage would allow for the household to have separate utility bills as an additional expenditure to throw your hard earned simoleons on. Why not?

This would be an incredible selling point for me and would really elevate this game into a whole new dimension. I would also like to see finance options for purchasing/building Retail stores and Restaurants as well as the addition of separate utility bills for those businesses. If you hardly make money in one business because you don't use it as often as another, the game will not excuse you from paying the bills. You would need to dig into personal funds to keep the business running.
Post edited by V_Ice on

Comments

  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    edited September 2018
    The next thing I would like to see is

    An improved rental system.

    Some properties (both houses and apartments) should have rental options. This would be necessary since you would lack the ability to get a loan at the start of the game. There should also be pros and cons for renting instead of owning.

    Benefits
    - Cost of repairs for broken appliances are waived. (Covered by landlord)
    - Renting a furnished lot should only require an additional down payment instead paying the full value of the furniture.
    - Some Reward Traits can only be available for renters. E.g.: Always Welcome, Free Services and a Complimentary Diner (made up).
    - Cheaper Utilities. (Could be a split with the landlord.)
    - Refundable down payment.

    Drawbacks
    - Rentals tend to be higher than a mortgage payment.
    - Default furniture is not owned by your sim, so cannot be taken or sold when they move out.
    - You have a renewable lease contract.
    - 28 or 56 day terms.
    - Renewing contract could result in increased rental rate.
    - May be required to finish the term of your contract before moving.
    - Nonrefundable down payment.
    - May face eviction if failing to pay.

    You probably noticed that I have both Refundable and Nonrefundable down payments. This has to do with the terms of the lease contract. Essentially, the down payments 'buy' you the option to be able to move whenever you want. With a nonrefundable down payment, you can quit your contract anytime .. while a refundable down payment will require you to finish your term before moving.
    Post edited by V_Ice on
  • kemiszkemisz Posts: 602 Member
    Yeah, maybe they could code all of that into the game. Or they could give me a fame pack. And if it came down to a decision between the two, I'd kind of prefer content.
    My EA ID is TranquilloSims - where I upload starter homes, family homes and some more ambitious creations.


  • KirbySkywalkerKirbySkywalker Posts: 511 Member
    I think we need all the stuff from the previous games that they haven’t made yet (Witches, University, Island/Beach vacation, etc...)

    They also need to fix a lot of bugs.

    If I had to pick one thing to make the game better I’d pick a trait overhaul and a likes/dislikes system. Anything to make the actual sims interesting.
  • TS1299TS1299 Posts: 1,604 Member
    a overhauled personality system where the main priority of sims decision autonoumusly are based first on the Traits rather than emotion, An Aspiration system where the goals are not specific, A proper memories system that affects a sims behavior, and an emotion system that dosen't overpower traits. I"ll also go to the fact that a sim has many interest in their life, such as skills, and while this might sound like sims 2, Wants and Fears. Its the deepest system they ever introduced in the franchise. It needs a big debut if they want depth for sims in The Sims 4
  • gothprincess4evergothprincess4ever Posts: 2,130 Member
    A more detailed and in-depth personality system would be great! Emotions as we've known them so well, but also some "thoughts", turn ons and offs, the ability to have multiple aspirations simultaneously, and MEMORIES! I've been dying to have an album full of the important things in my Sims life. I miss the memory system from The Sims 3...
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    kemisz wrote: »
    Yeah, maybe they could code all of that into the game. Or they could give me a fame pack. And if it came down to a decision between the two, I'd kind of prefer content.

    At this point I'll take a Game Pack. When the Retail feature in Get to Work introduced the idea of having separate Funds and Financial Statements, I thought it would finally be possible to be in the red ... but no, $0.00 is the lowest amount of money you can have. So purchasing a lot remains the same: if you can't afford it, you can't buy it.

    At one point, I had a sim who had reached the highest level in their career and was still living in the same old apartment he started in. Why? because he was 'saving' money to build himself his dream home. By the time he had enough, he was an elder nearing death's door.
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    edited September 2018
    I think we need all the stuff from the previous games that they haven’t made yet (Witches, University, Island/Beach vacation, etc...)

    They also need to fix a lot of bugs.

    If I had to pick one thing to make the game better I’d pick a trait overhaul and a likes/dislikes system. Anything to make the actual sims interesting.

    Love the University idea. Considering how the Sims 4 world is set up in sections, a University EP would slot in perfectly without the need to freeze time in the other worlds (towns). Maybe there could be an option to rent a room at the university dorms while still having your own personal lot to pay for. Add any other businesses your household may have and you would be facing a series of weekly debts lol.

    Now you would need to think if you can afford sending yourself or your kids to college even with scholarships. You may need a bank for another loan. :#
    Post edited by V_Ice on
  • FurSimsOfficialFurSimsOfficial Posts: 2,362 Member
    edited September 2018
    There are many things that the game actually needs or could use. There are also many bugs or annoying things that need too be fixed. But I will try to keep a short list of 5 little, but VERY important things for me to make the game great and A LOT better. Also things that I think the team is able to do.

    * Cars/bikes/motorcycles TS2 style! I think this will add a great new way of playing. Remember all the car options you had in TS2? You could hang in your car with your date, just go for a random ride to kill off some time or blow some steam off, woohoo in the car etc. And i just love the look of a car in the garage way on my my lot :) Completes the picture
    * More realistic jobs! How many times have we asked for this and how hard is this actually? I think this is one of the most simple features that can be added in the game, yet we are YEARS further and still have the same lame jobs. I have seen lawyer, teacher, model, interior/fashion designer SO many times on this forum. Give the people what they want.
    * More lot options. I have said this 3 times now and it drives me nuts. We are not able to use all those cool activities and items we get each pack without a proper lot type for it. Sims wont show up and interact with the wrong items on the lot. Or just give us a general lot where sims actually show up.
    * More activities and interactions for kids and elders. Do they even exist? Kids do not have any games to play together. Great! I invite a friend over and what now? Play a videogame, watch tv or a movie? Im glad the water balloons and snowball fights got added in seasons, but they are a bit dull. I need more action where kids run around and make noise. How about some simple nostalgic outside games like hopscotch, Rock Paper Scissors or tag? I need to keep my sims busy for hours while they build up social skills.
    For elders, there is not much to do for them either. How about special interactions or options like ask to 'babysit their child', do crossword puzzles, elderly homes that actually work, crocheting/knitting or taking a walk (just turn the jog action into slowly walking :p). Maybe teach sims a lesson from their experience so they build up skills by just listening and talking. You know something useful. The game makes them worthless and its pretty sad.
    * More options for romance. More places for woohoo, more variety in interactions like kissing, hugging etc. (its getting a bit too repetitive since romance is something that is played with a lot), bring back relaxing and making out on the bed, give more options to break or divorce! Not everyone needs a fight or to be mean for that. I hated it that my sims had to divorce is a mean way event hough they were both good friends and knew it wasnt working anymore. How about busting and then accusing a sim on cheating or the reputation thing from TS3. It spices up the game and it actually means something if you caught another sims that you know cheating. Maybe an option to confront them and then an option to tell someone their partner cheated with actual effect.
  • loubyloulouloubyloulou Posts: 4,466 Member
    A more logical, less repetitive whims system please!
  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,436 Member
    A Fear emotion or system, and character flaws. I feel like every Sim is a Mary-Sue character with no real flaws in their personalities. We have a ton of options for positive awards to add to our Sims, but what about weaknesses and negative traits? I'd love to see a new system that allows us to purchase some bad behaviors.

    And, as I've stated above, our Sims need to experience Fear. They just don't feel complete without it.
    #Team Occult
  • BlkBarbiegalBlkBarbiegal Posts: 7,924 Member
    TS1299 wrote: »
    a overhauled personality system where the main priority of sims decision autonoumusly are based first on the Traits rather than emotion, An Aspiration system where the goals are not specific, A proper memories system that affects a sims behavior, and an emotion system that dosen't overpower traits. I"ll also go to the fact that a sim has many interest in their life, such as skills, and while this might sound like sims 2, Wants and Fears. Its the deepest system they ever introduced in the franchise. It needs a big debut if they want depth for sims in The Sims 4

    Sounds good.
    Me on:
    Twitch jovi_jov
    Twitter BarbieSimmy
    Origin SimsBarbie
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    edited September 2018
    TS1299 wrote: »
    a overhauled personality system where the main priority of sims decision autonoumusly are based first on the Traits rather than emotion, An Aspiration system where the goals are not specific, A proper memories system that affects a sims behavior, and an emotion system that dosen't overpower traits. I"ll also go to the fact that a sim has many interest in their life, such as skills, and while this might sound like sims 2, Wants and Fears. Its the deepest system they ever introduced in the franchise. It needs a big debut if they want depth for sims in The Sims 4

    Thanks for sharing your thread buddy! You have some really great ideas. I'll also add @gothprincess4ever because I think you guys are on to something, so I'll throw in my 2 cents as well.

    I would completely do away with the current Trait system given how dominating the Emotion system is. So rather than having to choose traits (particularly Emotional Traits), they should actually be acquirable through interactions sims have within the world. In other words, a sim's surroundings will be the driving force of a sim getting certain traits. There should be slots for each sim to hold a trait but they need not be permanent. Based on what you do, the game should prompt if you want to add or exchange a trait.

    So how do I see this working?

    We are talking about building personalities for sims and traits should be open game similar to Skills. Furthermore, they should be called interests until added to a trait slot. But unlike skills, interests can deteriorate over time as a sim neglects to do things related to that particular interest or adopts new activities.

    e.g.: You have a teen who constantly goes out to party on school nights with Candy Behr or you have an adult sim that spends a good portion of their time out in public, they start building the Love Outdoors and Party Animal interests. When the meter is high enough, the game will ask if you want to place an interested in one of the Trait slots, giving your sim an added boost to their happiness if they continue to do things related to said interest. Club hopping, Partying, Going out to eat, Listening to music etc.,

    (Notice how one interest could domino to another? Your sims starts to build an interest in music and/or food)

    Now lets say your sims decide to settle down and have kids. Spending more time at work and at home interacting with household members ... your sims interests begin to shift and when you aren't as focused on being outside, those interests slowly fade. But now you have family oriented interests building up and the game will prompt if you want to add an interest to a Trait slot or replace one if all your slots are filled.

    Trait Slot, Thought bubbles and Emotional state
    Here a slot keeps an interest from deteriorating. Which means even if you build other interests, if you keep Party Animal because that's a key trait for your sims personality, then your thoughts will center around partying. If your sim is too focused somewhere else, they will start to feel bored more often, stressed or angry that they haven't been to a party in a while. Which means they could also start building negative interests: Gloomy, Anger, Mean, Evil, etc.. When left alone, a sim would act based on their emotional state with other sims, affecting their relationships.

    So keep mamma happy and let her go out with her friends every now and again or she will flip the house! :D
    Post edited by V_Ice on
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    edited September 2018
    There are many things that the game actually needs or could use. There are also many bugs or annoying things that need too be fixed. But I will try to keep a short list of 5 little, but VERY important things for me to make the game great and A LOT better. Also things that I think the team is able to do.

    * Cars/bikes/motorcycles TS2 style! I think this will add a great new way of playing. Remember all the car options you had in TS2? You could hang in your car with your date, just go for a random ride to kill off some time or blow some steam off, woohoo in the car etc. And i just love the look of a car in the garage way on my my lot :) Completes the picture
    * More realistic jobs! How many times have we asked for this and how hard is this actually? I think this is one of the most simple features that can be added in the game, yet we are YEARS further and still have the same lame jobs. I have seen lawyer, teacher, model, interior/fashion designer SO many times on this forum. Give the people what they want.
    * More lot options. I have said this 3 times now and it drives me nuts. We are not able to use all those cool activities and items we get each pack without a proper lot type for it. Sims wont show up and interact with the wrong items on the lot. Or just give us a general lot where sims actually show up.
    * More activities and interactions for kids and elders. Do they even exist? Kids do not have any games to play together. Great! I invite a friend over and what now? Play a videogame, watch tv or a movie? Im glad the water balloons and snowball fights got added in seasons, but they are a bit dull. I need more action where kids run around and make noise. How about some simple nostalgic outside games like hopscotch, Rock Paper Scissors or tag? I need to keep my sims busy for hours while they build up social skills.
    For elders, there is not much to do for them either. How about special interactions or options like ask to 'babysit their child', do crossword puzzles, elderly homes that actually work, crocheting/knitting or taking a walk (just turn the jog action into slowly walking :p). Maybe teach sims a lesson from their experience so they build up skills by just listening and talking. You know something useful. The game makes them worthless and its pretty sad.
    * More options for romance. More places for woohoo, more variety in interactions like kissing, hugging etc. (its getting a bit too repetitive since romance is something that is played with a lot), bring back relaxing and making out on the bed, give more options to break or divorce! Not everyone needs a fight or to be mean for that. I hated it that my sims had to divorce is a mean way event hough they were both good friends and knew it wasnt working anymore. How about busting and then accusing a sim on cheating or the reputation thing from TS3. It spices up the game and it actually means something if you caught another sims that you know cheating. Maybe an option to confront them and then an option to tell someone their partner cheated with actual effect.

    - YES! A world without vehicles just doesn't make much sense. I don't really mind that the world is in sections, the image of a car in the lot completes the picture. Just imagine being in Selvadorada with a Wrangler parked somewhere. Mint.
    - I think with jobs they are more focused on Career fields than actual job positions. I'm surprised they managed to get 10 levels for each field and made up another for Evil. I would actually like to see them make it difficult to earn promotions, allow for smaller raises regardless of position and add overtime for lower levels (some mandatory).
    - This is a no brainer. I love building. They could give us another town with empty lots. I would also like for them to return the City Hall. How can you have Politics without a Capital Hill ..?
    - There's seasons but kids can't go trick or treating. They can't go prank a neighbor's house, S3 style.
    - Agreed. Most of us want to see the Emotion system completely redone. There really should be options for mutual agreements. I don't understand why it doesn't exist.

    Awesome list!
    Post edited by V_Ice on
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    LiELF wrote: »
    A Fear emotion or system, and character flaws. I feel like every Sim is a Mary-Sue character with no real flaws in their personalities. We have a ton of options for positive awards to add to our Sims, but what about weaknesses and negative traits? I'd love to see a new system that allows us to purchase some bad behaviors.

    And, as I've stated above, our Sims need to experience Fear. They just don't feel complete without it.

    I just recently found out that the Fear emotion doesn't exist. That's shocking considering you can die from all other emotions and if there is an emotion I wouldn't question a sim dying from ... it's fear.
  • So_MoneySo_Money Posts: 2,536 Member
    Stats for each sim, like an RPG. And a more robust relationship system.
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    So_Money wrote: »
    Stats for each sim, like an RPG. And a more robust relationship system.

    That sounds interesting. I'm not very familiar with RPGs, what would the stats look like?
  • JestTruJestTru Posts: 1,761 Member
    Story progression
    WbUrFQm.png
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    leetamme wrote: »
    Story progression

    You mean for NPCs or a more in depth progression for a controlled household?
  • Jordan061102Jordan061102 Posts: 3,918 Member
    Personalities... We want personalities...
    Lu4ERme.gif
  • ParmaViolet87ParmaViolet87 Posts: 1,800 Member
    edited September 2018
    TS1299 wrote: »
    a overhauled personality system where the main priority of sims decision autonoumusly are based first on the Traits rather than emotion, An Aspiration system where the goals are not specific, A proper memories system that affects a sims behavior, and an emotion system that dosen't overpower traits. I"ll also go to the fact that a sim has many interest in their life, such as skills, and while this might sound like sims 2, Wants and Fears. Its the deepest system they ever introduced in the franchise. It needs a big debut if they want depth for sims in The Sims 4

    I absolutely love this. The memories sounds like a great idea. I want Sims to remember things. Perhaps they had a grudge in the past? Or a nasty encounter that will affect their mood when they see the culprit sim, say, a few days later? It would make them more...well, human in a way. Our Sims seem to forgive far too easily. Maybe they made a childhood enemy and but they eventually became friends, but they will always remember they were once enemies? It would be so great for story building.

    I confess this is what I thought the Sims 4 would be when it was first advertised. I was quite disappointed.
    giphy.gif
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    I absolutely love this. The memories sounds like a great idea. I want Sims to remember things. Perhaps they had a grudge in the past? Or a nasty encounter that will affect their mood when they see the culprit sim, say, a few days later? It would make them more...well, human in a way. Our Sims seem to forgive far too easily. Maybe they made a childhood enemy and but they eventually became friends, but they will always remember they were once enemies? It would be so great for story building.

    I confess this is what I thought the Sims 4 would be when it was first advertised. I was quite disappointed.

    A grudge that could transcend generations. Now that would be awesome lol.
  • ParmaViolet87ParmaViolet87 Posts: 1,800 Member
    V_Ice wrote: »
    I absolutely love this. The memories sounds like a great idea. I want Sims to remember things. Perhaps they had a grudge in the past? Or a nasty encounter that will affect their mood when they see the culprit sim, say, a few days later? It would make them more...well, human in a way. Our Sims seem to forgive far too easily. Maybe they made a childhood enemy and but they eventually became friends, but they will always remember they were once enemies? It would be so great for story building.

    I confess this is what I thought the Sims 4 would be when it was first advertised. I was quite disappointed.

    A grudge that could transcend generations. Now that would be awesome lol.

    Yes! Maybe a grudge that could create family feuds too. Makes me think a reputation system would be great as well. Bad Sims are known as the 'bad ones' - maybe other Sims stay away from them, or relationship gets a negative relationship bar to begin with xD
    giphy.gif
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member
    Personalities... We want personalities...

    What you said here, is really stunning:
    Memories:
    Why they don't remember anything? My sim can have an argument with another sim and the next day they'll talk to each other as they were friends. It breaks the immersion. When sims are enemies they should stay enemies. When they are in the same room/location they should talk to each other with mean interactions, the game has to do it automatically. And of course they should remember every important events like weddings, birthdays, deaths, family, fire etc, and sometimes think about it. (I love the fact that in Parenthood they think about their family). And a main problem in the game is that it's too easy to be in a relation with someone. A sim who is married shouldn't be so easy to seduce.

    Sims can already "think about family members", so why not push this further? Sims should be allowed to have memorabilia that they can view and be emotionally affected by them. There are urns to mourn the dead, get sad and cry for hours. However, there should equally be a baseball bat or a photo album that trigger more positive emotions, you know?

    Wouldn't it be awesome if sims could watch a slideshow of their family pictures on television? Weddings, first dates, parties, family events etc..
  • So_MoneySo_Money Posts: 2,536 Member
    edited September 2018
    V_Ice wrote: »
    So_Money wrote: »
    Stats for each sim, like an RPG. And a more robust relationship system.

    That sounds interesting. I'm not very familiar with RPGs, what would the stats look like?

    A lot of them would precipitate an overhaul of the traits and skills system - which is either too binary (traits) or not impactful enough (skills). For example, I'd prefer it if my sims had some level of ambition, rather than simply be ambitious or not because they don't have the trait.

    I'd combine some of the traits with skills, and we would be able to "roll" these stats in CAS, with less points available for younger sims. We'd have base stats like humor, intelligence, charisma, handiness, endurance, greed, confidence, ambition, cleanliness, flirtiness, etc. From there, we would select certain perks for our sim, based on stat thresholds.

    But the important thing would be that each of these impacts what our sim can do in the game to a significant degree and also control what perks they qualify for. So a sim with a humor stat of 8 would then be able to choose some cool humor-based perks at creation.

    I also think that the stats of adult sims should be very hard to raise through gameplay. Kind of like when you reach a high level in an RPG and levelling up can be painfully slow. Furthermore, elders should start losing points from their stats.
    Post edited by So_Money on
  • V_IceV_Ice Posts: 49 Member

    Yes! Maybe a grudge that could create family feuds too. Makes me think a reputation system would be great as well. Bad Sims are known as the 'bad ones' - maybe other Sims stay away from them, or relationship gets a negative relationship bar to begin with xD

    Exactly! Your Montagues and Capulets ... but we know how that ends. Don't. Use. Potions! :#

    It's bizarre that when your Sim starts raking wealth and buying out business after business (Remembering S3), you never catch the hateful eye of the Landgraab family ... I had hoped something like that would be introduced in the Sims 4. Alas, never came to fruition.
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