I'm absolutely loving it. I've stopped at a near final time in the story and just enjoy Strangerville for the town I'm playing as it is. My sims are living there and I'm having a great time rotating and incorporating this play and additions into their lives. I'm sort of planning out how I want this story to end in my head loosely before it begins again.
I've also got about 3 other ideas for new stories to tell in new saves with different takes on the characters and how to approach it .. or leave the story alone and play the world as it starts.
I'm hoping for more packs like this. I prefer stuff like this with a strange sci-fi or horror bent but I can see and would appreciate them doing it with other themes also.
The "story element" is what makes me view this pack very negatively. It makes it appear as if the devs are purposely destroying the sandbox. This is just how I view it and no information about the pack has changed my mind yet. The information I have been seeing has just made me lose faith that the game is ever going to be what I purchased.
A story mode is the least useful thing they could have possibly added to this game. The producers make a lot of bad creative decisions for this game. A pack based around a short linear story is so far from what players have been asking for, but we’ve known for years that their priorities aren’t in the place of giving players want they want. At least not before ramming a whole bunch of novelty fluff down their throats before hand.
> @drake_mccarty said: > A story mode is the least useful thing they could have possibly added to this game. The producers make a lot of bad creative decisions for this game. A pack based around a short linear story is so far from what players have been asking for, but we’ve known for years that their priorities aren’t in the place of giving players want they want. At least not before ramming a whole bunch of novelty fluff down their throats before hand.
I think all these decision stem from the limitations of TS4 engine. It's pretty obvious they can only do a limited amount of things and that's why they're recycling the same stuff over and over. The retail system and has been reused and repurposed many times. The perk system has been reused as well in Get Famous. Goal-based gameplay is the bread and butter of The Sims 4 because they just don't have a strong enough foundation to expand on the CORE elements of the game.
The issue you have with gameplay was my biggest worry with the pack.
I am glad the developers are trying new things as well. The formula for The Sims has really been left unchanged since The Sims 2, which reinvented the wheel entirely for the franchise. EA’s omission of open world with TS4 called for big innovation elsewhere, and an overhauled moodlet system with emotions was not it, so I am very happy they are looking to try and create a bigger identity for TS4.
I think a story told by the developers could work, as long as it’s created as open-ended as possible, contains high replay value, and each Sim with each personality/interests may approach it differently. Taking the GTW approach, as they keep doing, with these linear tasks that call for you to go here, click that, go there, click another specific interaction, etc. is simply not fun at all, and it’s so unfortunate to hear that is what they chose to do with this.
So not only are we confined to a linear story, we are also confined to solving it exactly as EA wants us to.
It just doesn’t work in The Sims.
That's what it is! I could not put it into words myself but you nailed it.
I'm pretty sure all of us that were speaking out against this pack have been saying this exact thing for days. This RPG style is out of place in the sims, totally doesn't belong, I guess some people need to actually play it to understand that. I think a lot who play this are gonna feel similar. It's a junk pack that needs to never be done again.
IDK I wasn't too fond of it at first, but playing it, I do see the charm. I don't think it should become the norm, but I'm still glad I could add it to my game because I was having fun with it so far. Of course the sims is and always should be a sandbox game but I'd rather have something like this as part of the game than as a standalone spin-off because at least I get to mix it up with everything else we own. It was an experiment and no, not everyone will like it, but it isn't junk to me.
Well, of course, I'm not saying it's junk to those that like it. I am aware that it seems half love it and half hate it. I'm giving my opinion so dont confuse that with me speaking on behalf of all simmers. I would never do that.
Unfortunately, I saw the spoiler laced video they released today, and at one point, the guy kept mentioning Bella.
I am conflicted now if I should load my dusty old save with Bella in the family, or just continue with my current Vampire & Alien couple.
Without further spoiling the content, could you just confirm or deny if there's any particular reason to bring Bella along to the new town?
Bella doesn't even exist in my game and everything progressed normally. I don't even rememeber her name being mentioned along the way of solving the mystery.
when attempting to question infected townies, sometimes they will say "BeautyBeautyBeautyBeautyBellaBeautyBeautyBeautyBeautyBeauty" in that crazy font added to the game.
for that reason, I had my sim befriend Bella, just in case that gave an "up" in finding The Mother. But as you know, not having her in the game doesn't even impact the linear story.
Am I understanding correctly that for each new save, you'll have to play through the mystery if you want Strangerville to be just a regular world without infected sims walking around?
Am I understanding correctly that for each new save, you'll have to play through the mystery if you want Strangerville to be just a regular world without infected sims walking around?
Yes. Hopefully they release some sort of cheat.
Origin ID is: AlbaWaterhouse
All my creations are CC free.
@AlbaWaterhouse do you now if we don't go to Strangerville if townies will be walking around other towns all infected?
haven't seen that happen yet because strangertown townies never really show up, or in my games at least… my towns get overrun with those ugly random townies within a few sim days and they just dominate the game which annoys me greatly to be honest.. and it is the main reason why i avoid strangertown as well lately: when you go there the game will spawn even MORE Genjis and yumiko tanakas gaaaahhh to serve as the army, scientist and conspiracy folks… i really like TS 4 but the explosive spawning of those randoms really is starting to tick me off. they have zero impact in my stories because i want to interact with the premades who actually have a story yet the game floods me with those boring and usually hideous randoms which i want nothing to do with and never care about while the premades vanish to the background more and more >.<
i do know tho IF they show up they should be infected if not cured since any infected sim will have a special trait called "infected" which causes them to go all nuts from time to time, and it does work outside the new town too, tested that with my own sims.
@DanmanNefarius I actually have a mod for that. Reduces townie spawning DRASTICALLY (to the extent that when I popped back in MCCC, I realized it took over when new townies started flooding the market again!) which allows me to go in, edit those few townies to how I want them to look, then pop back out and have unique townies in the world according to my whims.
I can toss you a link if that sounds up your ally? So far has not conflicted with anything in my game.
@DanmanNefarius I actually have a mod for that. Reduces townie spawning DRASTICALLY (to the extent that when I popped back in MCCC, I realized it took over when new townies started flooding the market again!) which allows me to go in, edit those few townies to how I want them to look, then pop back out and have unique townies in the world according to my whims.
I can toss you a link if that sounds up your ally? So far has not conflicted with anything in my game.
YES PLEASE!!!
sorry for the caps but this is exactly what i am looking for. those random generated trash the game spews out are really getting on my nerves. i never minded unique sims, how else could i love the Bunch family from ts 3, they were actually one of my faves in the whole game (altho Arlo is not, because his face looks plain weird). sure, the Bunches weren't gorgeous like Kaylynn or Bella, but they were unique (especially Lisa Bunch, she was just spot on with her bio of being a queen bee, too full of herself and a hoodlum) and very fun to play with. The TS 4 random generated however aren't just plain ugly, but they just look weird, often even inhuman (the game seems to love pitch black ginger males with pearshaped bodies and a face only a mother could love...if she wore shades that is... rarely the game does spawn lovely females, but so far the males…. i never really care about dudes in the game..what can i say ^_^ i rather befriend the lovely ladies haha but those random generated males… they put Arlo Bunch to pure shame when it comes to repulsiveness..they just look repulsive and make my stomach turn even as a guy who never cares about dudes..
@DanmanNefarius I use Bienchen’s ‘townieoverhaul_lessfame’ and the ‘ lessrandombarflys’ mod. Which are godsends.
Now I actually continually have the same scientists, military and conspiracy theorists in my game and it doesn’t keep spawning new ones!
(If you are downloading the other mods, be aware that for some reason the rain outfits mod makes Sims In Black in the game in Strangerville show up in normal clothing, and the less accessories mod needs to have the glasses they use removed before you put it in the folder otherwise it will strip the sims in black of their glasses.)
Tbh there are so many quality of life mods that they make that when I stumbled on them I practically cackled in glee.
Then I just use testing cheats + full edit mode and because I don’t have to constantly redo it, I just edit the few townies the game does generate to what I want and I will be assured they are walking around forever. So far it’s been 2 sim weeks since the MCCC ‘forgot to remove the population module’ incident and have had no new scientists, military or conspiracy theorists randomly generate unless I go to the archive or bar and the game requests more on the lot to fulfill roles. And even then not NEARLY as much.
Hi! Sorry I'm a newbie to all this, so exuce me if I'm doing something wrong writing here.. I'm thinking about buying this expancion pack, but I'm afraid it will affect my other towns and games? Do you know how that works? Will it affect my other games, or is this compleatly seperated?
Hi!
Sorry I'm a newbie to all this, so exuce me if I'm doing something wrong writing here..
I'm thinking about buying this expancion pack, but I'm afraid it will affect my other towns and games?
Do you know how that works? Will it affect my other games, or is this compleatly seperated?
all the gameplay of this new pack is exclusive to the new area so in that extent it won't change your other towns unless you actively are causing it yourself.
Hi!
Sorry I'm a newbie to all this, so exuce me if I'm doing something wrong writing here..
I'm thinking about buying this expancion pack, but I'm afraid it will affect my other towns and games?
Do you know how that works? Will it affect my other games, or is this compleatly seperated?
It does not "spread". You can place the Mother in other worlds to get the effect, but I believe you would need to enter a cheat to gain access to her in buy mode.
It does not "spread". You can place the Mother in other worlds to get the effect, but I believe you would need to enter a cheat to gain access to her in buy mode.
actually, you can spread it yourself you can get sims to eat the new fruit and infect them. you can find this interaction under mischief when you have the fruit in your inventory
It does not "spread". You can place the Mother in other worlds to get the effect, but I believe you would need to enter a cheat to gain access to her in buy mode.
actually, you can spread it yourself you can get sims to eat the new fruit and infect them. you can find this interaction under mischief when you have the fruit in your inventory
How do you cure it (only by the "vaccine")? Or is it only temporary without the Mother to battle?
I've seen pics of placing the Mother in Sixam and it looks like an interesting storyline.
How do you cure it (only by the "vaccine")? Or is it only temporary without the Mother to battle?
I've seen pics of placing the Mother in Sixam and it looks like an interesting storyline.
yep, same curing procedure as the strangerville sims so you'll need to know it.
nope, it is the same as the Mother, the sim eating the fruit will gain a special trait called infected which can only be removed with the vaccin. i already tagged most of Willow creek with those Always knew those folks there had a screw loose.
sounds very interesting indeed it will fit perfect with my double agenda story where my sim actually created the Mother in secret.. so basically the folks sending the fanmail are worshipping the one who actually caused the problem in the first place but was able to keep that all a secret. Now i can have her "create" another Mother in Windenburg to restart her private research and agenda... which is a mystery even to the Intelligence agency where Bella Goth, the one trying to discover my sim's shady interests, works
Miss Belle (her alias, real name is unknown) is up to no good once again… She grew ANOTHER Motherplant, this time in her personal secret research facility underneath her massive posh mansion in Willow Creek. There are also reports of strange glowing buds appearing all over the town, and some people recall seeing a insane girl planting them. A witness swore he identified the girl being Maxena Summer, one of the pupils of the excentric celebrity musician and philanthropist Miss Dewi Belle, but ofcourse nobody believes him because everyone knows Maxena is a briljant and sane young girl with a great future ahead of her... But in the meanwhile Ms Belle finally achieved one of her goals! she has control of this Motherplant and it can now grant her eternal youth. excelsior! but the experiment doesn't end tho...will Willow Creek's citizens stay sane… or will the whole StrangerVille drama start there now?? time will tell.. guess i'll find out soon enough if it will happen @Anmirla
Miss Belle (her alias, real name is unknown) is up to no good once again… She grew ANOTHER Motherplant, this time in her personal secret research facility underneath her massive posh mansion in Willow Creek. There are also reports of strange glowing buds appearing all over the town, and some people recall seeing a insane girl planting them. A witness swore he identified the girl being Maxena Summer, one of the pupils of the excentric celebrity musician and philanthropist Miss Dewi Belle, but ofcourse nobody believes him because everyone knows Maxena is a briljant and sane young girl with a great future ahead of her... But in the meanwhile Ms Belle finally achieved one of her goals! she has control of this Motherplant and it can now grant her eternal youth. excelsior! but the experiment doesn't end tho...will Willow Creek's citizens stay sane… or will the whole StrangerVille drama start there now?? time will tell.. guess i'll find out soon enough if it will happen @Anmirla
I love that you can put the plant in other places. A whole set of new storylines waiting to happen .
Comments
I've also got about 3 other ideas for new stories to tell in new saves with different takes on the characters and how to approach it .. or leave the story alone and play the world as it starts.
I'm hoping for more packs like this. I prefer stuff like this with a strange sci-fi or horror bent but I can see and would appreciate them doing it with other themes also.
> A story mode is the least useful thing they could have possibly added to this game. The producers make a lot of bad creative decisions for this game. A pack based around a short linear story is so far from what players have been asking for, but we’ve known for years that their priorities aren’t in the place of giving players want they want. At least not before ramming a whole bunch of novelty fluff down their throats before hand.
I think all these decision stem from the limitations of TS4 engine. It's pretty obvious they can only do a limited amount of things and that's why they're recycling the same stuff over and over. The retail system and has been reused and repurposed many times. The perk system has been reused as well in Get Famous. Goal-based gameplay is the bread and butter of The Sims 4 because they just don't have a strong enough foundation to expand on the CORE elements of the game.
Well, of course, I'm not saying it's junk to those that like it. I am aware that it seems half love it and half hate it. I'm giving my opinion so dont confuse that with me speaking on behalf of all simmers. I would never do that.
for that reason, I had my sim befriend Bella, just in case that gave an "up" in finding The Mother. But as you know, not having her in the game doesn't even impact the linear story.
Yes. Hopefully they release some sort of cheat.
All my creations are CC free.
haven't seen that happen yet because strangertown townies never really show up, or in my games at least… my towns get overrun with those ugly random townies within a few sim days and they just dominate the game which annoys me greatly to be honest.. and it is the main reason why i avoid strangertown as well lately: when you go there the game will spawn even MORE Genjis and yumiko tanakas gaaaahhh to serve as the army, scientist and conspiracy folks… i really like TS 4 but the explosive spawning of those randoms really is starting to tick me off. they have zero impact in my stories because i want to interact with the premades who actually have a story yet the game floods me with those boring and usually hideous randoms which i want nothing to do with and never care about while the premades vanish to the background more and more >.<
i do know tho IF they show up they should be infected if not cured since any infected sim will have a special trait called "infected" which causes them to go all nuts from time to time, and it does work outside the new town too, tested that with my own sims.
I can toss you a link if that sounds up your ally? So far has not conflicted with anything in my game.
YES PLEASE!!!
sorry for the caps but this is exactly what i am looking for. those random generated trash the game spews out are really getting on my nerves. i never minded unique sims, how else could i love the Bunch family from ts 3, they were actually one of my faves in the whole game (altho Arlo is not, because his face looks plain weird). sure, the Bunches weren't gorgeous like Kaylynn or Bella, but they were unique (especially Lisa Bunch, she was just spot on with her bio of being a queen bee, too full of herself and a hoodlum) and very fun to play with. The TS 4 random generated however aren't just plain ugly, but they just look weird, often even inhuman (the game seems to love pitch black ginger males with pearshaped bodies and a face only a mother could love...if she wore shades that is... rarely the game does spawn lovely females, but so far the males…. i never really care about dudes in the game..what can i say ^_^ i rather befriend the lovely ladies haha but those random generated males… they put Arlo Bunch to pure shame when it comes to repulsiveness..they just look repulsive and make my stomach turn even as a guy who never cares about dudes..
Now I actually continually have the same scientists, military and conspiracy theorists in my game and it doesn’t keep spawning new ones!
(If you are downloading the other mods, be aware that for some reason the rain outfits mod makes Sims In Black in the game in Strangerville show up in normal clothing, and the less accessories mod needs to have the glasses they use removed before you put it in the folder otherwise it will strip the sims in black of their glasses.)
Tbh there are so many quality of life mods that they make that when I stumbled on them I practically cackled in glee.
Then I just use testing cheats + full edit mode and because I don’t have to constantly redo it, I just edit the few townies the game does generate to what I want and I will be assured they are walking around forever. So far it’s been 2 sim weeks since the MCCC ‘forgot to remove the population module’ incident and have had no new scientists, military or conspiracy theorists randomly generate unless I go to the archive or bar and the game requests more on the lot to fulfill roles. And even then not NEARLY as much.
Sorry I'm a newbie to all this, so exuce me if I'm doing something wrong writing here..
I'm thinking about buying this expancion pack, but I'm afraid it will affect my other towns and games?
Do you know how that works? Will it affect my other games, or is this compleatly seperated?
all the gameplay of this new pack is exclusive to the new area so in that extent it won't change your other towns unless you actively are causing it yourself.
It does not "spread". You can place the Mother in other worlds to get the effect, but I believe you would need to enter a cheat to gain access to her in buy mode.
actually, you can spread it yourself
How do you cure it (only by the "vaccine")? Or is it only temporary without the Mother to battle?
I've seen pics of placing the Mother in Sixam and it looks like an interesting storyline.
yep, same curing procedure as the strangerville sims so you'll need to know it.
nope, it is the same as the Mother, the sim eating the fruit will gain a special trait called infected which can only be removed with the vaccin. i already tagged most of Willow creek with those
sounds very interesting indeed
only one way to find out
Miss Belle (her alias, real name is unknown) is up to no good once again… She grew ANOTHER Motherplant, this time in her personal secret research facility underneath her massive posh mansion in Willow Creek. There are also reports of strange glowing buds appearing all over the town, and some people recall seeing a insane girl planting them. A witness swore he identified the girl being Maxena Summer, one of the pupils of the excentric celebrity musician and philanthropist Miss Dewi Belle, but ofcourse nobody believes him because everyone knows Maxena is a briljant and sane young girl with a great future ahead of her... But in the meanwhile Ms Belle finally achieved one of her goals! she has control of this Motherplant and it can now grant her eternal youth. excelsior! but the experiment doesn't end tho...will Willow Creek's citizens stay sane… or will the whole StrangerVille drama start there now?? time will tell.. guess i'll find out soon enough if it will happen @Anmirla
I love that you can put the plant in other places. A whole set of new storylines waiting to happen