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Why isn't TS4 inclusive of family players?
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I agree.
seconded.
take these for instance.
I took it as "it makes the most sense at this point" since they've already released Parenthood, Toddler Stuff, Kids Room Stuff as separate packs. So in that regard, it's a pattern and allows people to pick and choose the packs that *they* want their gameplay to focus on (the same way they can pick and choose the packs focused on other aspects of the game like fame, occults, etc).
As for the overall conversation the OP started, I have to say I was confused when I first read the topic.
Most my saves (with the small exception of saves I have specifically for builds (where I playtest with either single Sims or couples), have families. In all of those, including the one Rags to Riches challenge, family play is one of the things that I spend the most time on. I don't find that any of my Sims are particularly obsessed with tech. In fact, in one save where I played through the Get Famous celebrity tree, my Sims have a game room and a video station/computer room and those two are the least used when I leave my Sims to their own devices. I can recall maybe a handful of times when any of the toddlers, kids, and teens in my games have autonomously gone for the tablets or computers. The most tech thing they've ever done was to go watch TV when their fun is super low.
On the other hand, I have way more trouble keeping parents from being called to play with the dollhouse because one of their kids prompts that interaction, or keeping Sims out of the garden, or away from the painting easels. I do have Parenthood and the kids and teens bring up Ask for Advice, they hug, they make messes, they start conversations with their siblings. Even without Parenthood (aka before I got the GP), they nearly always gathered around each other and always talked during meals.
The sticky hands bug was a frustrating one, sure, but now that that's fixed - at least it is in my game - toddlers are so much fun to have in games.
Do I wish there was more than we already have? Oh man, yeah. But then I have a list a mile long for things that I wish for in TS4 in general.
I'm sorry that for some people the family play feels like it's lacking and doesn't have specific interactions and activities you'd want to have in-game. But I don't think it's fair to say that the entirety of TS4 is unfriendly to family players.
Also, for what it's worth, I'm nowhere near being a millennial, I don't care for any of the clubs or socializing or fame sides of the game. Still, I have found hours of play that suits me. As did my 12yo kid who finds all the technology only marginally important and her focus in her games is the same as mine: families and legacies.
At the end of the day, it's a case of YMMW (aka Your Mileage May Wary) and ultimate statements like "TS4 is not inclusive of family players" is simply not true across the board.
I wonder why I'm under the delusion they found that balance in TS2? I don't recall anyone back then saying to player base, it's too hard and too expensive. It probably was with everything having to be associated and animated, but some how they found that balance and I never once thought to myself, gee, there is too much for a single Sim and not enough for a family. I played both in that game and was never thinking that.
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/958714/cinebar-custom-content-clothes-updating-links/p1
Same here. There are interactions from the other games that I want in TS4 though, but I adore that you can even praise a child for brushing their teeth in TS4 lol.
And that you can read toddler books to kids and show them the images, so on.
She is now writing a children's book that came with the freelancer career.
Awesome. So they'll probably continue improving the life stages. I really hope that elders get some love this time around (in addition to babies.) My fear is that statistics show that simmers don't play with elders, so they'll be ignored. But perhaps few of us play with them because they need more content. Same with babies.
By the way, if this tweet was linked to support the earlier statements, it still does not match the claim that family play doesn't appeal to simmers so Parenthood was made into a gamepack.
Well said!
I am 51 this year. My sister's kids are Millenials. Please don't make assumptions about people you don't know, or sweeping generalizations about what various demographic groups are like.
Volunteer As A Family is a rabbit-hole activity, but it does spawn chance cards for participants, builds Values for kids and teens, and is a group activity. My families do this to celebrate birthdays, weddings, and other significant milestones.
Help with school projects is integral family play. I find my kids and teens tend to get school projects on the same day. Usually, I have the parents either split up, and one help each child, have everyone help the youngest first, or have the teen start alone, let the parents help the younger first, then join him to finish up. They gain social interaction all through this, since even if they aren't on the same project, they are in the same space.
I routinely have a Sim "Call to Meal" everyone for a shared dinner. One kid - whoever needs the most work on Manners - will have set the table. My families seem to enjoy sitting down together, and converse without prompting.
My kids autonomously play with each other. Adults and teens will spontaneously join a child playing with the dollhouse. Even when adults are pursuing their own activities, their kids seek them out. Maybe a Convivial Lot Trait is driving a lot of this, I don't know. But even without me steering them, my Sims families seem genuinely close.
As I have said elsewhere, my main standard of comparison for family play is The Sims 3: Generations. I think Parenthood is at least as good at this, and in many respects actually better. Family play is the focus of my Simming, and I find it completely absorbing, heartwarming, and fun.
This to me is an oxymorom. Its not gay couples that can have bio kids . It sims that are trans that can have bio kids ,In sims into the future you can go to the hostspital.And can einginer a kid .In Sims 4 they have pregancy options .I think its weird to say si,s 4 has rich game play . Because they have an option to men preganant.
Just wanted to add that they could also get pregnant through Grim's Manor from the sims 3 store. Just go and ask Grimmy to "simulate genetic meger with" and your male sim could get pregnant with their male partners baby.
Two years since Parenthood, I haven't seen anyone say family play has improved more since the pack. I guess he meant much, much later down the road.
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/958714/cinebar-custom-content-clothes-updating-links/p1
families do interact went swimming. They Splash each other and stuff like that. And parents can teach toddlers how to dance but the animation of child Sim dancing on his parents feet was better in Sims 2.
Parents playing with kids in the pool
Working together on homework
Lucy hugs her recently moved out son Mexico who has made it home in time for Easter dinner
Cairo autonomously comforts his little sister Victoria
Alexandria encourages her son Jeremiah to blow out his candles, he was feeling a bit down that day
Sarah chats with her daughter Connor about life while they build a snowpal together
Everyone got up early to open their Christmas gifts in the Quinn household
I could post loads more, I take tons of screencaps and play mostly families haha!
All the sims still act purely like roommates. There is no meaningful family connections in anything you just posted.
Example: Toddlers can't do anything together except talk to each other, hug, and use a dollhouse (and even then, they're just playing by them self with another toddler just standing next to them). Wouldn't it be great if toddlers could actually able to grab some toys and play together, interact, look at each other, babble/talk to each other while playing? Show that they are acknowledging the other toddler's existence. Like in the kiddie pool, let the toddlers splash each other, and have the parents interact with the other toddler and their parent, not just the toddler they are holding. Currently it feels like the 2 groups don't even recognize that there is anyone else using the pool with them. The older life stages can splash each other in the water, so why can't toddlers in the kiddie pool? I get that some kids might act like they're in their own little world, but the option to splash their sibling or play together with pool toys would be nice.
I'd like to see similar stuff for the ball pit and big toddler jungle gym. Show that the toddlers are playing with others. Give more little interactions that show that these two+ people are aware of the other's existence. And we need more than just a dollhouse in terms of toys for two children (which again, is lacking in portraying two kids playing with each other anyway). Let the toddlers (and kids) play with toy cars or stuffed animals on the floor together or something. Something else that would be nice, would be letting more than 2 kids/toddlers do this. It's sad having triplets when the dollhouse can only be used by 2 sims max, so one will always be left out. It would be great to let many kids play with these toys.
Small things like that would add so much more to these interactions and make them actually feel closer.
Yes, all of the celebrity endorsements and game cameos, along with them removing adults and elders from their old cover art and only putting into teenage/YA girls in their new one honestly speaks volumes on their target audience priorities.
I'm honestly not surprised. He is the lead developer and he is the reason why TS4 is the way that it is now. Oh well.
Then read a bedtime story
And random pics ; )
she has that book since she was a toddler
Encouraging child to draw
Gave art to parent as a gift
Viewing the painting