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Feedback on Island Living

Comments

  • Jordan061102Jordan061102 Posts: 3,918 Member
    edited July 2019
    This is not a great Expansion Pack... It's even hard to write it.
    Lu4ERme.gif
  • nerdfashionnerdfashion Posts: 5,947 Member
    edited July 2019
    If mermaids weren't in the pack I don't think they would have ever come. And- there are only 3 occults that can be made in CAS, two of them came with an EP. NONE of those two have a power tree. It's only vampires, and that's probably because they have a pack to themselves. Mermaids added w/ EP compared to Vampires which got their own game pack is not fair. If mermaids are compared to any other occult it should be aliens because they were added the same way.
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  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    edited July 2019
    Cynna wrote: »
    (Warning: this post is not going to be sweet or light. It is going to be brutally honest and offers constructive criticism. For those who are faint of heart, please, go no further.)

    Dear, EA.

    You created a game that shipped with hidden worlds. Your telemetry (?) shows that very few players use those worlds. To paraphrase one of your representatives: 'We created these beautiful, mystical places and no one uses them.'

    Well, EA, if you don't understand the reasons why, I'll try to simplify it for you: no one uses those worlds because they serve no purpose. Beauty is not gameplay. Once players earn passage and are finally able to enter, there's nothing to do in those worlds except collect some plum and go home. There's precisely zero reward for the effort. Plus, the player has no means of impacting those worlds because things cannot be built there.

    (::knock, knock:: Is this thing on?)

    EA, you had a chance to create a beautiful, fascinating and useful hidden lot for Island Living. It could have been linked to mermaids and used for actual scuba diving. But you didn't.

    Why not?

    Basically, I would like to know what on earth is wrong with you?! It's as if you have no clue. Please, please, please stop this nonsense. It's embarrassing and you're better than this.

    Some EA mouthpiece is going to step up and blame the lack of a hidden lot on the consumer, I just know it. However, it's not the customers' fault. It's yours! This is all on you.

    /end rant

    ”We created these beautiful, mystical places and no one uses them.'

    Is that an official statement :o ? Hold on EA, hold on right there, because that right there is the entire problem! And not only concerning the hidden worlds, I can’t help noticing they go wrong in exactly that direction a lot. It’s why JA was such a turn off for me as well, even when it had the temple with its predictable multiple choice traps.
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  • JayandMeekaJayandMeeka Posts: 2,377 Member
    edited July 2019
    Please don’t get this thread closed. The topic is offering ideas for future development by discussing how features could be improved upon. Thanks 💞
    Post edited by JayandMeeka on
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,907 Member
    Cynna wrote: »
    (Warning: this post is not going to be sweet or light. It is going to be brutally honest and offers constructive criticism. For those who are faint of heart, please, go no further.)

    Dear, EA.

    You created a game that shipped with hidden worlds. Your telemetry (?) shows that very few players use those worlds. To paraphrase one of your representatives: 'We created these beautiful, mystical places and no one uses them.'

    Well, EA, if you don't understand the reasons why, I'll try to simplify it for you: no one uses those worlds because they serve no purpose. Beauty is not gameplay. Once players earn passage and are finally able to enter, there's nothing to do in those worlds except collect some plum and go home. There's precisely zero reward for the effort. Plus, the player has no means of impacting those worlds because things cannot be built there.

    (::knock, knock:: Is this thing on?)

    EA, you had a chance to create a beautiful, fascinating and useful hidden lot for Island Living. It could have been linked to mermaids and used for actual scuba diving. But you didn't.

    Why not?

    Basically, I would like to know what on earth is wrong with you?! It's as if you have no clue. Please, please, please stop this nonsense. It's embarrassing and you're better than this.

    Some EA mouthpiece is going to step up and blame the lack of a hidden lot on the consumer, I just know it. However, it's not the customers' fault. It's yours! This is all on you.

    /end rant


    What's wrong. Just a lack of imagination perhaps.

    'We created these beautiful, mystical places and no one uses them.'

    I've got to those hidden mysterious worlds but apart from collecting and fishing what have Maxis put there to use? I'd have used them if I knew. The hermit's place in Outdoor Retreat I quite liked as I could pitch a tent there and chat up the hermit, garden a bit and fish but not much more.

    Here's an idea. How about using Realm of Magic to make those hidden worlds special in some way, more magic to do in them or even build in. We could even have Sims sent on Quests in them for those that want a little RPG. It's a pity Island World didn't have a mermaids' cave we could visit and eat kelp with them (if we wanted to). :) If there is one let me know!

  • babajaynebabajayne Posts: 1,866 Member
    Personally I think the whole “culture” aspect they keep doing with Sims 4 is very off putting. Maybe it’s just me, but I do not see any value in experiencing “culture” through a video game. Like it’s a game, and sometimes they choose very weird things that don’t add anything fun to it. If I wanted to go experience other cultures I would do that somewhere other than in front of a monitor.
    The part that bothers me most about this is that only the “other” worlds have culture. We can learn about their culture but not share ours? Either every world should have a unique culture, or none of them should.
  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    edited August 2019
    I have been playing this expansion a lot and really love it for my Sims. I love the fact it is not meant for Holidays and vacations and fully supports the idea it is just for locals for a change - something totally new to the Sims series for a REFRESHING change.

    "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.....

  • Sk8rblazeSk8rblaze Posts: 7,570 Member
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    I have been playing this expansion a lot and really love it for my Sims. I love the fact it is not meant for Holidays and vacations and fully supports the idea it is just for locals for a change - something totally new to the Sims series for a REFRESHING change.

    I don’t think limiting options is something to be celebrated and viewed as a refreshing change despite how customary it is for The Sims 4 to take away options and freedom.

    In The Sims 2, I could own a vacation home at any destination and only have to pay for travel and bills (far cheaper than hotel fees). It was also one vacation pack, with plenty of destinations, and the ability for me to add new ones, too, rather than $40 or $20 a piece.

    Also, I fully believe TS4 should have given us one vacation expansion, with 3 locations, and game packs should have added even more. Unfortunately, opposite to what many of us believed how it would be, these game packs do not supplement expansions at all.
  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    edited August 2019
    Sk8rblaze wrote: »
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    I have been playing this expansion a lot and really love it for my Sims. I love the fact it is not meant for Holidays and vacations and fully supports the idea it is just for locals for a change - something totally new to the Sims series for a REFRESHING change.

    I don’t think limiting options is something to be celebrated and viewed as a refreshing change despite how customary it is for The Sims 4 to take away options and freedom.

    In The Sims 2, I could own a vacation home at any destination and only have to pay for travel and bills (far cheaper than hotel fees). It was also one vacation pack, with plenty of destinations, and the ability for me to add new ones, too, rather than $40 or $20 a piece.

    Also, I fully believe TS4 should have given us one vacation expansion, with 3 locations, and game packs should have added even more. Unfortunately, opposite to what many of us believed how it would be, these game packs do not supplement expansions at all.

    That's your opinion - not my own. I am glad it is this way. do not care what previous series offered other wise i would be choosing to play them today instead of this. It is like having chains of controll removed and the freedom to do things my way without hassles like mods and cheats.

    "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.....

  • Sk8rblazeSk8rblaze Posts: 7,570 Member
    edited August 2019
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    Sk8rblaze wrote: »
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    I have been playing this expansion a lot and really love it for my Sims. I love the fact it is not meant for Holidays and vacations and fully supports the idea it is just for locals for a change - something totally new to the Sims series for a REFRESHING change.

    I don’t think limiting options is something to be celebrated and viewed as a refreshing change despite how customary it is for The Sims 4 to take away options and freedom.

    In The Sims 2, I could own a vacation home at any destination and only have to pay for travel and bills (far cheaper than hotel fees). It was also one vacation pack, with plenty of destinations, and the ability for me to add new ones, too, rather than $40 or $20 a piece.

    Also, I fully believe TS4 should have given us one vacation expansion, with 3 locations, and game packs should have added even more. Unfortunately, opposite to what many of us believed how it would be, these game packs do not supplement expansions at all.

    That's your opinion - not my own. I am glad it is this way. do not care what previous series offered other wise i would be choosing to play them today instead of this. It is like having chains of controll removed and the freedom to do things my way without hassles like mods and cheats.

    Right, but now I would have to find a mod that lets me play Sulani as I would like to play it as, a vacation destination.

    Now imagine if we had the option to stay there for vacation OR stay there indefinitely?

    And all of my posts are my own opinions..
  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    edited August 2019
    They purposely made this particular world different though - and people said they wanted something new and different. As it is well known since it came out Sims 4 never has been able to give us options well - or toggles - so considering there wasn't a way to have both - then i am glad they went in a whole different direction.

    Hey I do like vacation places as well - I just pictured this place as special and different and this design supports that. It gives an edge to the fact of the merfolk and not the kind of place one could find just anywhere. It just sort of fits

    Just because I like it for this world does not mean I could see other worlds like this and that different - I could easily see them making a Vacation tropical Paradise - just not this world.

    "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.....

  • Renato10Renato10 Posts: 472 Member
    edited August 2019
    This pack have so few highlights that got only two trailers unlike the other EPs. Just something to think about it... xD

    Do you know what have two trailers too? Game Packs!

    Island Living feels that is only an EP because of the number of Cas and build/buy items.
  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    Renato10 wrote: »
    This pack have so few highlights that got only two trailers unlike the other EPs. Just something to think about it... xD

    Do you know what have two trailers too? Game Packs!

    Island Living feels that is only an EP because of the number of Cas and build/buy items.

    What difference do trailers make - go play the game - you don't need trailers to play the game.

    "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.....

  • Renato10Renato10 Posts: 472 Member
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    Renato10 wrote: »
    This pack have so few highlights that got only two trailers unlike the other EPs. Just something to think about it... xD

    Do you know what have two trailers too? Game Packs!

    Island Living feels that is only an EP because of the number of Cas and build/buy items.

    What difference do trailers make - go play the game - you don't need trailers to play the game.

    Lol... Im making a comparison to prove that they don't have many features in this pack to show/promote!

    Why are you triggered? Relax ahahah
  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    Renato10 wrote: »
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    Renato10 wrote: »
    This pack have so few highlights that got only two trailers unlike the other EPs. Just something to think about it... xD

    Do you know what have two trailers too? Game Packs!

    Island Living feels that is only an EP because of the number of Cas and build/buy items.

    What difference do trailers make - go play the game - you don't need trailers to play the game.

    Lol... Im making a comparison to prove that they don't have many features in this pack to show/promote!

    Why are you triggered? Relax ahahah

    From experience - the trailers are often staged and what you see in the trailers are rarely what you see in the games. I want to know what's in the pack I go play it and try things myself. I have found out things existed they didn't show even staged - but most disappointing is to see something staged that does not happen at all. I generally watch the first trailer as usually I know that means a new pack and then as soon as I get the pack I start exploring it and trying different things.

    I am more inclined though to go watch live plays from other simmers than rely on any trailer after the first one. I really do not like staged trailers though.

    "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.....

  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    I have been playing this expansion a lot and really love it for my Sims. I love the fact it is not meant for Holidays and vacations and fully supports the idea it is just for locals for a change - something totally new to the Sims series for a REFRESHING change.
    Why is that a refreshing change? IP was a world for locals too and not a vacation world and it has the very same set up as IL, including mermaids. Maybe I’m missing the point?
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  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    edited August 2019
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    Renato10 wrote: »
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    Renato10 wrote: »
    This pack have so few highlights that got only two trailers unlike the other EPs. Just something to think about it... xD

    Do you know what have two trailers too? Game Packs!

    Island Living feels that is only an EP because of the number of Cas and build/buy items.

    What difference do trailers make - go play the game - you don't need trailers to play the game.

    Lol... Im making a comparison to prove that they don't have many features in this pack to show/promote!

    Why are you triggered? Relax ahahah

    From experience - the trailers are often staged and what you see in the trailers are rarely what you see in the games. I want to know what's in the pack I go play it and try things myself. I have found out things existed they didn't show even staged - but most disappointing is to see something staged that does not happen at all. I generally watch the first trailer as usually I know that means a new pack and then as soon as I get the pack I start exploring it and trying different things.

    I am more inclined though to go watch live plays from other simmers than rely on any trailer after the first one. I really do not like staged trailers though.
    Trailers become more an more like machinimas, suggesting instead of showing actual gameplay. This definitely hasn’t always been the case. Does it matter? I think it does when trailers are suggesting things that aren’t in there, like an underwater world to swim around in (especially since simmers had every reason to assume that would be in there). It’s fine of course that you just want to play the game to know what’s in the pack, but you’ll have to buy it first then. And that may not be a problem for you, it is for others when it becomes more and more unclear what you’re actually buying. Trailers shouldn’t lie. They may pimp it all up a little, sure, but they shouldn’t suggest gameplay that isn’t there, only for people to find out after they bought it instead of before. And I definitely don’t feel simmers should depend on Let’s Plays by other simmers. I’ve never liked Let’s Plays myself, because those actually spoiled my fun of exploring and discovering it all myself. I don’t need to know everything, but I also don’t want false information.
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  • Writin_RegWritin_Reg Posts: 28,907 Member
    edited August 2019
    I get the packs as soon as I can - it is far from being easy for me - I have a lot of expenses - I have cancer. I try to win them when I can.

    "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.....

  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    I get the packs as soon as I can - it is far from being easy for me - I have a lot of expenses - I have cancer. I try to win them when I can.
    I know you do and I’m awfully sorry about that, I also understand why that makes things different for you. But in general I think you can’t expect people having to buy and play first (or watch Let’s Plays) to be able to tell what a pack contains. Like I said, I think pimping it up a bit is very understandable and we actually like to see that in trailers, but giving false or misleading information is something else.

    When I say “that may not be a problem for you”, I’m not referring to what one can actually afford by the way. I rather mean it in a “you can only spend your money once and one will spend it on this, the other on that” way. I’m hardly rich myself (I’m a librarian, apparently they think we can survive on bread and water :p ), still I preordered all my Sims 3 packs because that was my hobby and it was worth it for me. I don’t spend my money on things other people pay for. We all make our own choices. Doesn’t mean the prices of those packs and stuff were acceptable though. It was worth it for me, but it still was insanely expensive objectively.
    5JZ57S6.png
  • MidnightAuraMidnightAura Posts: 5,809 Member
    Sk8rblaze wrote: »
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    I have been playing this expansion a lot and really love it for my Sims. I love the fact it is not meant for Holidays and vacations and fully supports the idea it is just for locals for a change - something totally new to the Sims series for a REFRESHING change.

    I don’t think limiting options is something to be celebrated and viewed as a refreshing change despite how customary it is for The Sims 4 to take away options and freedom.

    In The Sims 2, I could own a vacation home at any destination and only have to pay for travel and bills (far cheaper than hotel fees). It was also one vacation pack, with plenty of destinations, and the ability for me to add new ones, too, rather than $40 or $20 a piece.

    Also, I fully believe TS4 should have given us one vacation expansion, with 3 locations, and game packs should have added even more. Unfortunately, opposite to what many of us believed how it would be, these game packs do not supplement expansions at all.

    I totally agree. I don’t think this is a cause for celebration.
    I mean we have a nice looking world but that’s it. There is very little new game play.
  • GoldmoldarGoldmoldar Posts: 11,966 Member
    Sk8rblaze wrote: »
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    I have been playing this expansion a lot and really love it for my Sims. I love the fact it is not meant for Holidays and vacations and fully supports the idea it is just for locals for a change - something totally new to the Sims series for a REFRESHING change.

    I don’t think limiting options is something to be celebrated and viewed as a refreshing change despite how customary it is for The Sims 4 to take away options and freedom.

    In The Sims 2, I could own a vacation home at any destination and only have to pay for travel and bills (far cheaper than hotel fees). It was also one vacation pack, with plenty of destinations, and the ability for me to add new ones, too, rather than $40 or $20 a piece.

    Also, I fully believe TS4 should have given us one vacation expansion, with 3 locations, and game packs should have added even more. Unfortunately, opposite to what many of us believed how it would be, these game packs do not supplement expansions at all.

    I agree as well for what good is limiting features and getting an gimped game that should be taking advantage of the technology that is available today. Sims 4 is not even years ahead of it time as it took a step back with loading screens. I do not give kudos for the creation of Sims 4 as it was done to cut down on performance issues in which EA/Maxis for me show they are not willing to take the time to tweak the programs but yet keep pumping out packs and not squashing bugs and bugs are galore in Sims 4 as it was in Sims 3 supposely. Then on top of everything is the execution of it's products like IL which was originally an GP and now an EP and what EA/Maxis could have done in good faith is to charge the GP rate. Sims 4 has an lot of controversy surrounding its existence.
    Omen by HP Intel®️ Core™️ i9- 12900K W/ RGB Liquid Cooler 32GB Nvidia RTX 3080 10Gb ASUS Ultra-Wide 34" Curved Monitor. Omen By HP Intel® Core™ i7-12800HX 32 GB Nvidia 3070 Ti 8 GB 17.3 Screen
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,907 Member
    JoAnne65 wrote: »
    Writin_Reg wrote: »
    I get the packs as soon as I can - it is far from being easy for me - I have a lot of expenses - I have cancer. I try to win them when I can.
    I know you do and I’m awfully sorry about that, I also understand why that makes things different for you. But in general I think you can’t expect people having to buy and play first (or watch Let’s Plays) to be able to tell what a pack contains. Like I said, I think pimping it up a bit is very understandable and we actually like to see that in trailers, but giving false or misleading information is something else.

    When I say “that may not be a problem for you”, I’m not referring to what one can actually afford by the way. I rather mean it in a “you can only spend your money once and one will spend it on this, the other on that” way. I’m hardly rich myself (I’m a librarian, apparently they think we can survive on bread and water :p ), still I preordered all my Sims 3 packs because that was my hobby and it was worth it for me. I don’t spend my money on things other people pay for. We all make our own choices. Doesn’t mean the prices of those packs and stuff were acceptable though. It was worth it for me, but it still was insanely expensive objectively.

    I was a librarian too @Joanne. Pays not bad when you get to the higher echelons and definitely worth it for the safe Local Gvt. pension when retired. (in the UK anyway)! "Like gold dust" I was told, high credit rating. I did the same as you for Sims 3 but don't pre-order for Sims 4.

    I hang on to my money until the last moment these days, Origin take it too early. It's now my guilty pleasure hobby as really I'm too old for it but luckily I like Sims 4 and don't enjoy the others so much any more. It's just a personal choice, nothing to do with what is or isn't in the game.

    I can see new pieces (as in jigsaw) coming into the game as I buy Sims 4 packs. All I want is better co-ordination, intermeshing of what we already have, some more depth. A cemetary and firestation (with firemen) would help too.

    I just wish Simmers would not keep asking why one likes what and why all the time. It gets tiring. One just does. That is all.
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited August 2019
    I don't see IL going in a different direction. It is still just a continuance of the lack luster gameplay of previous packs in TS4. A world with hardly anything to do, a world with very limited lots, very little gameplay. Sounds like it's right up TS4's alley in my opinion. Limited lots, less than half the gameplay of previous older games, such as diving isn't diving, but an off world rabbit hole, mermaids are an after thought, can't even hire Sims from other worlds, off the grid feature is a joke, (just look at the complaints) a lounge chair that is nothing more than another chair with even less features than a normal chair, and the reused, over and over collecting feature to stack up a Sim's inventory and cause lag according to anyone who has ever been over on Answers.com. Lack of gameplay because the Sim doesn't care about their collecting it's something to keep players busy, and it's about as fleshed out as OR. But sold for $40. A pretty place to live with very few lots and or things to do, is the par course for TS4. It is about as exciting as that hidden world found in WC.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • Jordan061102Jordan061102 Posts: 3,918 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    I don't see IL going in a different direction. It is still just a continuance of the lack luster gameplay of previous packs in TS4. A world with hardly anything to do, a world with very limited lots, very little gameplay. Sounds like it's right up TS4's alley in my opinion. Limited lots, less than half the gameplay of previous older games, such as diving isn't diving, but an off world rabbit hole, mermaids are an after thought, can't even hire Sims from other worlds, off the grid feature is a joke, (just look at the complaints) a lounge chair that is nothing more than another chair with even less features than a normal chair, and the reused, over and over collecting feature to stack up a Sim's inventory and cause lag according to anyone who has ever been over on Answers.com. Lack of gameplay because the Sim doesn't care about their collecting it's something to keep players busy, and it's about as fleshed out as OR. But sold for $40. A pretty place to live with very few lots and or things to do, is the par course for TS4. It is about as exciting as that hidden world found in WC.

    Yeah you're totally right, but this time the bread doesn't even have a crust...
    Lu4ERme.gif
  • JayandMeekaJayandMeeka Posts: 2,377 Member
    Once again, this isn't a thread to bash the game or the franchise. The purpose of this thread is to focus on specific features of Island Living and discuss how they could be improved upon so that developers can get tips for future projects. I kindly ask that discussion offer constructive criticism rather than blanket statements that serve no purpose. Please. 💕
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