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Do you think the developers should poll the community on new features?

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ReksohReksoh Posts: 303 Member
With the announcement of the upcoming free camera feature, I'm seeing a lot of posts about how the developers are ignoring more popular demands in favor of niche features that few people asked for. This got me thinking a little bit, because while I don't necessarilly feel one way or the other about the first person camera, when I'm reading the types of features people would have rather had instead few of them appeal to me, either.

My question to you today is, how important do you think it is for the developers to be concerned with the popularity of community suggestions? Do you think it would be better if they constantly tried to appeal only to the masses? Or perhaps you might think this could be harmful and streamline the game into only appealing to one type of player? Maybe you think it is best for the developer to ignore these popular demands and try new things on their own? I would love to hear your opinions and have an intelligent discussion on this so please chime in below!

Post edited by Reksoh on

Comments

  • ReksohReksoh Posts: 303 Member
    Thanks for moving it to the right spot :)
  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    Technically they can't if it is iron clad coming content because of their policy about future content and being a public company. They can only do polls on things they might consider in the distant future. Besides those polls always seem to work people up thinking it's definitely coming hints and then when nothing gets done it creates issues with people who assumed it was definitely coming. It's like giving people false hope when they have it wrapped in so many layers of "Can"T tell"!

    "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.....

  • mustenimusteni Posts: 5,403 Member
    There have been surveys in the past and then we also got to vote on a stuff pack theme which led to laundry. It was a cool project in my opinion, but no matter what they do someone is going to be disappointed.

    I think they should just keep on doing their thing. I do believe they know what features are requested, but for one reason or another (commonly development time) they give us other things instead. I'm not sure about polling the community about features in general, but if there's another stuff pack project you can count me in.
  • BingBangBingBongBingBangBingBong Posts: 68 Member
    More often than not the community suggestions that have been heard and acted on by the devs have resulted in the game improving. Pools, toddlers, terrain tools, less ugly maps, an empty world, a cease and desist order for stuff packs (looking at you, My First Pet Stuff...), and many other improvements were all fueled by feedback from us, the paying customers.

    The only times I can think of where the community was divided over something that they had a direct say in are Laundry Day Stuff and the Gallery update. However, pretty much everyone loved being offered the option to choose their own theme, even if their theme wasn’t ultimately chosen. The devs even said afterward that the feedback they got for the polling events was extremely well received by participants.

    As for the Gallery, many simmers have been asking for better ease of access and sorting options for years (some don’t even work, like sort by pack), and that’s what we thought we’d be getting in the update since those were the most requested changes. Unfortunately that didn’t happen, and those requests are still unfulfilled. So this is more of a “devs didn’t listen” issue than a “devs listened to the fans and now the gallery is garbage” issue.

    The vast majority of popular suggestions coming from the community would make the game better, and they are things that simmers would absolutely want to play with and find fun. If it weren’t for the community speaking up about dumb design decisions and missing features, I highly doubt we’d have any of the ones I listed earlier. No pools, no toddlers, etc. Imagine if we still had none of these popular features that were missing and deemed “undoable” or low priority by the devs. Feedback from a large number of players fueled the return of those features, and has the ability to influence future content as well.

    Listening to the community, and I do mean really listening, would be the best thing that the studio could do for this game.
  • AquaGamer1212AquaGamer1212 Posts: 5,417 Member
    Absolutely. We voted on stuff packs why not the other two kinds?
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  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    Absolutely. We voted on stuff packs why not the other two kinds?

    That was 1 sp - with permission from EA to make with the Community - it was not even the typical sp - it is much bigger and allowed things regular sps do not get - never mind over a year to make. SPs generally take 3-4 month max. Besides the devs said it would not be allowed for eps and gps because those both have very different requirements than an sp and many more people are involved as well as time involved.

    "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.....

  • CupidCupid Posts: 3,623 Member
    edited November 2018
    No. If they only took the most popular opinions into consideration then all of the content for this game would be for family players and legacy players since they're the most dominant. You would end up leaving a lot of players behind just to target that one group.

    Legacy players do tend to be the loudest and the most aggressive so that's why whenever something gets revealed that isn't necessarily for them you see all the "this isn't what WE wanted" and "NOBODY asked for this!" Most recent example being when GF was announced rather than a University pack.

    also,
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    Post edited by Cupid on
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  • ChadSims2ChadSims2 Posts: 5,090 Member
    I think both ways on this the community should get a voice since for the most part we do have better ideas but the laundry stuff pack winning scares me a bit on this. To be fair no other idea got a shot since they put eco living with laundry on the first poll while they should of been separate options we had people actually believing they would get eco stuff over laundry no other theme had a shot.

    They gave the community control over a pack and we got laundry and ugly clothes to go with it all voted for by the majority of the voters the only decent thing that the community voted for was the table the unique lightbulb did not even get the votes from the community but the Gurus made the right choice and put it in.
    Cupid wrote: »
    No. If they only took the most popular opinions into consideration then all of the content for this game would be for family players and legacy players since they're the most dominant. You would end up leaving a lot of players behind just to target that one group.

    Family players do tend to be the loudest and the most aggressive so that's why whenever something gets revealed that isn't necessarily for them you see all the "this isn't what WE wanted" and "NOBODY asked for this!" Most recent example being when GF was announced rather than a University pack.

    also,
    jWLsUTu.jpg?1
    How is University a family player feature? University is all about the single Sim experience.
    Sims 4 went from "You Rule" to "One of the stories we want you to tell"
  • BlkBarbiegalBlkBarbiegal Posts: 7,924 Member
    @Cupid not sure why the spoiler made me laugh. lol Thanks for that.

    OP, there is a section in the forums where we get to say how can we make the game better and a place to ask what we want. See, I want supernaturals but half the community are like heck no. lol We all play differently so it's nice when everyone gets a little something something. Builders have terrain tools now. I think that's amazing for them. Anywho....I'm sure polls is nice every once in a while. Oh also I want packs never done before as well.
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  • QueenMercyQueenMercy Posts: 1,680 Member
    Cupid wrote: »
    No. If they only took the most popular opinions into consideration then all of the content for this game would be for family players and legacy players since they're the most dominant. You would end up leaving a lot of players behind just to target that one group.

    Family players do tend to be the loudest and the most aggressive so that's why whenever something gets revealed that isn't necessarily for them you see all the "this isn't what WE wanted" and "NOBODY asked for this!" Most recent example being when GF was announced rather than a University pack.

    also,
    jWLsUTu.jpg?1
    And some of the stuff they want sounds like it’d be a lot of work for minimal fun. Like what would preteens have to do that couldn’t be added to teens or children? Do we really need an entire new lifestate with new cas assets and animations? Or grocery shopping. I honestly can’t imagine getting much fun out of watching my sims pick a bag of apples or whatever.
  • TiarellaTiarella Posts: 661 Member
    While there are exceptions, most of the suggestions I've seen are requests to bring back things we had from games 1 through 3.

    Imo, those things should, eventually, be a given--no, not given for free (unless it really is base-game stuff), but, when possible, offered in some kind of pack.

    I don't want developers limited to what the community suggests, because I'd like to see them come up with things we've never had before, in addition to what we've had in every other iteration of the game.

    Clubs, for example, were brand-new, and while they don't appeal to everyone, I love 'em. Many feel the same way about Seasons' Holiday Calendar (heh, I like it too!).

    Sure, individuals in the community suggest novel game-play features, but they tend to get drowned out by requests for the return of things we've had before. :smile:
  • happyopihappyopi Posts: 1,355 Member
    No. The sims players do not have a single mind.
  • CupidCupid Posts: 3,623 Member
    ChadSims2 wrote: »
    How is University a family player feature? University is all about the single Sim experience.
    Correct. I meant to say Legacy players instead but that is fixed now~
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  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    edited November 2018
    I actually like it when some simmers come up with ideas we have never had though - sometimes those ideas are really good - so it is sort of sad if devs don't get time to see some of those as well.

    But also things most people experience in real life we've had before - are surely going to request many of those things as well. It is understandable in a game about life to want to see things players experience in their own life as well.

    I really can understand both sides but it is true if it is something all people expect and have in their lives - well yes they are going to expect it in the SIms. University is one of those things that as soon as we have a baby we start planning for that baby to go to University. Everyone I know started some kind of bank account for their newborn soon after the baby was born for their future education - so yes it is a family thing in that respect - at least it is here in the USA where a University education does not come cheap. Perhaps it is different in other countries - but I know how it is here and when many of us start planning or technically unless your little angel is one talented little thing - let's face it - you get no where worth getting with no chance to go to College. That should have been the first ep we got in all the Sims games or put it in the base - as it is necessary for most of the careers we have in the game for heaven's sake. It freaks me out my sim can be a doctor - yet she has never attended college? Where on this planet does that occur?

    "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.....

  • MovottiMovotti Posts: 7,774 Member
    Poll the community? No. They should just ask me personally. They need to hear my highly opinionated opinions on options.
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  • TiarellaTiarella Posts: 661 Member
    @Writin_Reg -- I hear ya! Regarding Uni-- I really wanted my original teen sims to go to Uni, but eventually ran out of things for them to do and aged them up. They're elders now. Since I play slowly, maybe today's toddlers will get to go to Uni. :cry:

    @Movotti -- :joy: ROFL :joy:
  • PatricePatrice Posts: 361 Member
    I would like to see in future games, playpens for babies so they can be around family members,would like to see a sim cut the yard with a lawnmower,and actually see where the grass has been cut, and see a sim sell homegrown veggies in a handmade stand they built in front of their home, I have other ideas and suggestions, but these are just a few.
  • DeKayDeKay Posts: 81,474 Member
    No, cuz it's just gonna end up as a mess like that laundry stuff pack thing. Yikes.
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  • ThisISMariaThisISMaria Posts: 104 Member
    No because then they would have to start making more good DLC's
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  • TS1299TS1299 Posts: 1,604 Member
    No because then they would have to start making more good DLC's

    They are listening for the community for a long time, I'ts quite shocking for me that some thinks a devs are not listening because they added a small feature that appeal to different types of players even if they are adding a huge requested feature along with that patch.

    For me No. I am a Supernatural Player, so If they do this, then how about us. Many will choose University, and some other releated feature that falls on realistic side of things.
  • HermitgirlHermitgirl Posts: 8,825 Member
    I think if they did it should be a drop down poll on origin, or something that states you will be getting an email to respond too. People that bought and play the game can have direct input that way. I'm not limiting to this to currently playing by the way.. just having it tied to an account so the polling system can't be gamed by going into incognito mode ect.
    Otherwise it's not really reflective of simmers to just poll in one area. The stuff pack was fun though and even if my feature didn't win I'd like to see it be done again.
    I think they have plenty of ways to see how people play and have a good idea of the most wanted features already. New ideas can't be polled so it's best to put them in the ideas section.
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  • ReksohReksoh Posts: 303 Member
    edited November 2018

    -snip-

    Thank you for clarifying : )
  • AquaGamer1212AquaGamer1212 Posts: 5,417 Member
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  • sammie1408sammie1408 Posts: 2 New Member
    I don't think they should poll presay. But it would be nice if they brought burglars back. I mean if they can make vampires break into your house then a burglar should be no problem.
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