Technically, neither! My Sims tend to be fairly good in interpersonal relationships, but in extraordinary circumstances. Vampires, spellcasters, alien Sims/abductions/visits to Sixam, stuff like that. I guess the closest to soap opera would be the way I play Johnny Zest?
Mine live soap opera lives for the most part. I play at least a dozen different families, however their storylines cross over quite a bit. I have a feuding family legacy with the Goths vs Landgrabbs. I also have a lot that is the live-in head quarters of a Political group called the Nubian Freedom Movement, who are Black Panther equivalents.
I have a cult that is run my the Charismatic self help Guru Deshak-Upa. I have 2 twins whom were seperated at birth, after the local starving artist impregnated the teenage daughter of a local elite family (I use mods). They are now Toddlers being raised by same-sex couples in different towns.
I also made Cinderalla and Prince Charming - whose toddler has been kidnapped by the local wicked witch who is raising her as her own. I also have a genious alien who is having a long term relationship with a plant-sim. He lives in an underground water lair and she lives on the surface of the lot in a giant tree.
I think they are pretty normal and once in a while I have sims cheat on each other or live in a romantic dramatic movie. But with the lack of reactions and long term effects of such events, I do not find it amusing to play like this.
The game itself just does not add much drama. The neighbors do nothing and whatever your sims does, is forgotten to the next emotion.
To answer the question though, my sims are generally typical to any other, i try not to use the word normal because no one really knows what that means from one person to the next. occasionally some of my sims get into a form of soap opera, those with an explosive background.
Normal. Even relationship drama plays out in a very understated manner. My founders are still happily married, have never cheated and never wished to. They are close to all their children (two YAs and a Teen, now), friendly toward their sons' in-laws or romantic interests, etc.
One "normal" drama moment came when Gen 2 Spare, Bhakti, introduced his dad to the guy he was shacking up with - I don't think they were engaged yet, and the BF (feeling flirty) tried some sort of romantic interaction on Dad. Dad was all "whoah, whoah, whoah! Let's wind this back." Relationship did not go negative, but did reset to zero. The two have begun, gradually, to become acquainted, non-romantically.
Lots of drama, but very little of the relationship kind that comes up in soap operas. Last time a couple was about to break up the man even actively helped his soon-to-be ex find a suitable new guy (they were not married).
My drama is more about stuff like relatives going missing (or turning up unexpectantly), teens breaking with the family traditions and taking up the careers they really like instead, sims not able to pay for their inherited mansion... So far I was able to raise the money by selling the 5,000 simoleon reward item from toddler playdates, but my little "top earner" is about to grow up to child soon.
Some are normal and some aren't. I don't think of it as a soap opera though. I make the characters, I give them motivations and tendencies then see how they play out as they interact. What happens is a result of everything being plausible based on the way that I develop the sim/character.
Playing the happy and functional families is actually enjoyable but sometimes things go off the rails. Some couples generate more drama and challenges but it all depends. A few have gotten divorced.
There are evil sims who are just not nice and who exploit others for their own gain, however that plays out for them. There are also nice but flawed or complicated sims who are driven by different things. I'm the one who comes up with what those are.
Oh yeah, soap all the way. Suds everywhere. Right now I’m playing a beautiful Vamp that has no morals. Her mother was a promiscuous vamp and her dad was Don Lothario. She didn’t stand a chance. The town has not been the same since she aged up to YA. Lol. Wives hate her and men love her. She’s reeking havoc on marriages and doesn’t care. She has no qualms propositioning men she just met. She’s actually fun to play. Lol
So far my sims have led pretty 'normal' lives, i started off with one female who went on a few dates, fell in love with J Huntington and moved him in. J then cheated with Zoe Patel and got her pregnant, therefore breaking up with my sim and she kicked him out. She then met someone I moved into town from the gallery as I'd never used the gallery for that before, they're both really happy and have two daughters. However I said so far because I have evil plans on making the daughters very difficult work when they get to their teens!
I also have a gameplay with Don Lothario where he is being his typical self and stringing along all these different women!
J Huntington cheated on Zoe in my game too! Well, he married her and then cheated on her. When Zoe found out she kicked him out.
Then Zoe married Malcolm Landgraab. He kept her in a cage where she found solace from a scarecrow. When she escaped she was such a wreck that she returned to J.
Quote from Logisitcs Some advice for the family players whose sims lead normal lives and wanna spice it up, remember even if you break up a family or cause a couple strife, you can always bring them back together after some time has passed if you really like them. It feels absolutely satisfying because you're yearning for them to make it and when they do its wonderful. Though they return with baggage
I had played this family called Rizzotello in the Sims 2. It started off as just Maria and her mom Angela. Because the Sims 4 was so different and had emotions when I recreated their counterparts in the Sims 4 I added in a dad / husband named Frank in the criminal career branch . To get him out of the house I had them fight a lot. The backstory for them is that Angela didn't like that he was involved in crime and didn't want him influencing their daughter who wanted to go into politics as a charity organizer and it would look shady if her dad was a criminal. The future story is to get them back together.
So I completely agree with what you said here. The Sims 4 actually worked with me on this because he got the career chance card where he could disappear with a bunch of money but he would lose his job. He was high enough in it that it worked out really well. Now that he is out of that job he is just going to do odd jobs here and there - kind of working under the table to not alert anyone to who he is or used to be. He ultimately chose money AND a relationship with his daughter. Of course, now is daughter is going through the angry teenager phase so there is still much work to do.
I try to do the opera thing in Sims 4 but it just lackluster and sorry but the best version for me to do soap opera was Sims 2 and a little in Sims 3.
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Often normal lives. I do not care for tons of drama - so I play a quieter style as if my sims were real people and they mattered to me. Because of that I try to avoid bad things happening to my sims as much as possible and just help them live the best life they can muster. I do not use cheats though - they must earn their good life.
"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.....
I usually put a little bit of drama or adventures in my Sims lifes. Life is never as normal as we would like it to be, so some spoilt children, irresponsible behaviour, being kleptomaniac or cheating in relatonship - sure I add those stuff. Going to holiday and die from a curse? Why not Sometimes I add more, sometimes almost none, it really depends on a story I play.
I only wish it could be more dramatic and suspenseful. Like in TS2&3. I want some extreme things to happen on their own when I least expect it. I don't wanna have to be the one to make up stories and have to step in in order to create all the drama in my Sim's life, makes me feel bad
Just normal lives. I'm really not one for the usual drama and cliché of soap operas. Right now, I'm simply re-exploring and appreciating San Myshuno with a single guy who is a chef. Currently, a thunderstorm has been raging for three days straight above the city.
Origin ID: Nindigo79
A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear
Time enjoyed is never time wasted
Most live normal lives, but I play 50+ households and wouldn't bother doing so without some variety. So, I also play a handful divas and soap-ish families. Oh, and those featuring in my soap series should probably live a bit more like in a soap opera, but they are rather normal, too - okay, just a little bit soap there
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Family Tree
Playing Mod & CC Free
I have a cult that is run my the Charismatic self help Guru Deshak-Upa. I have 2 twins whom were seperated at birth, after the local starving artist impregnated the teenage daughter of a local elite family (I use mods). They are now Toddlers being raised by same-sex couples in different towns.
I also made Cinderalla and Prince Charming - whose toddler has been kidnapped by the local wicked witch who is raising her as her own. I also have a genious alien who is having a long term relationship with a plant-sim. He lives in an underground water lair and she lives on the surface of the lot in a giant tree.
Crazy plots is what Sims is all about me for me!
The game itself just does not add much drama. The neighbors do nothing and whatever your sims does, is forgotten to the next emotion.
To answer the question though, my sims are generally typical to any other, i try not to use the word normal because no one really knows what that means from one person to the next. occasionally some of my sims get into a form of soap opera, those with an explosive background.
One "normal" drama moment came when Gen 2 Spare, Bhakti, introduced his dad to the guy he was shacking up with - I don't think they were engaged yet, and the BF (feeling flirty) tried some sort of romantic interaction on Dad. Dad was all "whoah, whoah, whoah! Let's wind this back." Relationship did not go negative, but did reset to zero. The two have begun, gradually, to become acquainted, non-romantically.
My drama is more about stuff like relatives going missing (or turning up unexpectantly), teens breaking with the family traditions and taking up the careers they really like instead, sims not able to pay for their inherited mansion... So far I was able to raise the money by selling the 5,000 simoleon reward item from toddler playdates, but my little "top earner" is about to grow up to child soon.
Playing the happy and functional families is actually enjoyable but sometimes things go off the rails. Some couples generate more drama and challenges but it all depends. A few have gotten divorced.
There are evil sims who are just not nice and who exploit others for their own gain, however that plays out for them. There are also nice but flawed or complicated sims who are driven by different things. I'm the one who comes up with what those are.
J Huntington cheated on Zoe in my game too! Well, he married her and then cheated on her. When Zoe found out she kicked him out.
Then Zoe married Malcolm Landgraab. He kept her in a cage where she found solace from a scarecrow. When she escaped she was such a wreck that she returned to J.
Oh, and soap opera.
I had played this family called Rizzotello in the Sims 2. It started off as just Maria and her mom Angela. Because the Sims 4 was so different and had emotions when I recreated their counterparts in the Sims 4 I added in a dad / husband named Frank in the criminal career branch . To get him out of the house I had them fight a lot. The backstory for them is that Angela didn't like that he was involved in crime and didn't want him influencing their daughter who wanted to go into politics as a charity organizer and it would look shady if her dad was a criminal. The future story is to get them back together.
So I completely agree with what you said here. The Sims 4 actually worked with me on this because he got the career chance card where he could disappear with a bunch of money but he would lose his job. He was high enough in it that it worked out really well. Now that he is out of that job he is just going to do odd jobs here and there - kind of working under the table to not alert anyone to who he is or used to be. He ultimately chose money AND a relationship with his daughter. Of course, now is daughter is going through the angry teenager phase so there is still much work to do.
"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.....
A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear
Time enjoyed is never time wasted