I haven't played any other sims game other than ts4 but I gotta agree. It's like TS4 is for storytellers and if you don't have a specific story in mind the game has nothing to offer. There is the build mode but I build so much it gets hard not to repeat specific color schemes and /or styles.
You know, I think you hit on something there. It's definitely unleashing my inner storyteller that I didn't even know was there, not to this degree, and that is more of the appeal, than the actual gameplay alone.
What some of you have said about TS3 makes me want to take another look, though I still have a bad taste in my mouth from TS3 and/or TS2 (I really didn't play either one that much due to having far less gaming free time at the time, and finding whichever it was, cumbersome to learn and/or too steep a slog to build relationships quickly enough for quick gaming sessions that got anywhere. I remember thinking, if it's going to take as long to do everything as it does in real life, then nothing interesting is ever going to happen in my game. I gave up after having a Sim literally live and then die rather prematurely of old age after a very dull life of going to work and coming home, and living on jam sandwiches because seriously, every single detail of life took too much handling and doing, for it to feel like a game ever.
I am interested in where all this combined energy and interest toward storytelling life simulation gaming is going to go in the near future, if the Sims franchise were to implode (hoping it will evolve and stay pertinent, rather than just die). In particular I'm on the edge of my seat along with everyone else, to see where quantum computing might take us in the development of AI. We live in exciting times.
That for me was the problem with Sims 1 and the exact reason I never reopened it (it was that, not a matter of quiting so much, rather just that, never bothering anymore). Sims 2 I missed out on, Sims 3 for me actually was exactly where what you describe fell into place: finally being able to play a sim’s life focusing on fun things to do, instead of cleaning up the house and feeding them and making them sleep and seeing them drive off to some invisible job.
I don’t mind the fact Sims 4 is focused on storytelling. I mind the game doesn’t hand me anything in that respect, mainly because sims don’t react to each other and nothing surprising happens in the social field. It’s exactly that what hands me the stories in Sims 3. Something happens and my imagination picks it up. I don’t want the game to be some sort of dead stage where I can push around characters. I need it to interactive. And imposing ready to go stories (like the way apartments work in the game and this one pack, Stangerville), that’s not what I consider interactive.
It's not built on storytelling in my opinion. It's all about CAS. End of story. It's a mere avatar game where you pose Sims and take screen shots and make up storylines. That might be story to some, but not to me, that is just posing Sims. Story telling to me is when I send a Sim to the store and there arrives their arch enemy and pokes them in the chest and they get into a knock down, drag out fight, and I'm like what?! only to remember my Sim insulted that Sim a week earlier. That is story telling..
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
It's not built on storytelling in my opinion. It's all about CAS. End of story. It's a mere avatar game where you pose Sims and take screen shots and make up storylines. That might be story to some, but not to me, that is just posing Sims. Story telling to me is when I send a Sim to the store and there arrives their arch enemy and pokes them in the chest and they get into a knock down, drag out fight, and I'm like what?! only to remember my Sim insulted that Sim a week earlier. That is story telling..
Yes, that's the interaction I mean. The storytelling part indeed is what you describe, without the interaction. For me it doesn't work that my sim suddenly gets angry for no apparent reason at all. Sure I can use it when collecting screenshots, using them for a story, but that kind of storytelling will be completely unrelated to the game then. That's what I meant by a dead stage.
There isn't really any type of system in TS4 that makes Sims aware of their past, their present nor their futures. They are just there to be shoved around by players. However, linear play such as SV is not what people were hoping for, either. Something like this, in TS2 if a Sim has a nice date with another they may have a vase of flowers delivered to the front porch. Players can move this to a mantle or table or leave it setting on the porch or wherever. The player can command the Sim to read the attached note which is from the Sim they took out on date. But what is hidden gameplay is what happens if a player commands the spouse or partner to read the note.
To me that is story telling, the other Sim becomes aware their spouse has cheated. If they didn't know it before they know it now. They will have a strong reaction and relationship points will fall and lead to a very bad relationship if anything else happens, like seeing the other Sim cheat. It's all connected in so many ways and in so much depth it's hard to imagine I ever wanted to play a new game that doesn't even think about those things or the depth of actual gameplay to tell a story about, rather than make up one, with just screen shots.
It's like when you play a Sim in TS2 often they will be the Sim who shows up at any community lot the next time you play a different Sim. It's almost a story within itself. Like why is that Sim following the player to see which or what Sim they are playing now? lol
Those type things fit a story for a player, such as if I had played Sherlock then switched households to play someone he had met before, he would show up at a clothes store (or anywhere) and as he browsed the clothes on the rack (actually picking up the outfit on the hanger) and looking at it, but at the same time overtop the clothes on the hanger look over it at my current Sim. Spying. lol
That type of gameplay is so much better for the imagination rather than a bunch of faux screenshots.
And just to add to the mix the frequently played Sim might approach our current Sim and insult and or try to be friendly or whatever fits their mood and or personality. And the player get the feeling the Sim is trying to make themselves been seen by the player and might even give the player a thumbsup and or a wink or whatever. Or really mess up the player's plans somehow. TS4 has no such depth and to me it's a tool to take screen shots while I write script for a few lines. I would prefer the game actually make these Sims smarter or at least as smart as TS2 Sims, and the depth of that game, but I doubt it's possible now.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
There isn't really any type of system in TS4 that makes Sims aware of their past, their present nor their futures. They are just there to be shoved around by players. However, linear play such as SV is not what people were hoping for, either. Something like this, in TS2 if a Sim has a nice date with another they may have a vase of flowers delivered to the front porch. Players can move this to a mantle or table or leave it setting on the porch or wherever. The player can command the Sim to read the attached note which is from the Sim they took out on date. But what is hidden gameplay is what happens if a player commands the spouse or partner to read the note.
To me that is story telling, the other Sim becomes aware their spouse has cheated. If they didn't know it before they know it now. They will have a strong reaction and relationship points will fall and lead to a very bad relationship if anything else happens, like seeing the other Sim cheat. It's all connected in so many ways and in so much depth it's hard to imagine I ever wanted to play a new game that doesn't even think about those things or the depth of actual gameplay to tell a story about, rather than make up one, with just screen shots.
It's like when you play a Sim in TS2 often they will be the Sim who shows up at any community lot the next time you play a different Sim. It's almost a story within itself. Like why is that Sim following the player to see which or what Sim they are playing now? lol
Those type things fit a story for a player, such as if I had played Sherlock then switched households to play someone he had met before, he would show up at a clothes store (or anywhere) and as he browsed the clothes on the rack (actually picking up the outfit on the hanger) and looking at it, but at the same time overtop the clothes on the hanger look over it at my current Sim. Spying. lol
That type of gameplay is so much better for the imagination rather than a bunch of faux screenshots.
And just to add to the mix the frequently played Sim might approach our current Sim and insult and or try to be friendly or whatever fits their mood and or personality. And the player get the feeling the Sim is trying to make themselves been seen by the player and might even give the player a thumbsup and or a wink or whatever. Or really mess up the player's plans somehow. TS4 has no such depth and to me it's a tool to take screen shots while I write script for a few lines. I would prefer the game actually make these Sims smarter or at least as smart as TS2 Sims, and the depth of that game, but I doubt it's possible now.
This is all the stuff I miss. The awareness and the ability that they actually do their own thing (like send flowers). It really irks me that my sims don't do anything without me telling them to except get a glass of water or play on their phones. (I want to throw their phones into the lake, river, ocean...)
Thing is, there was machinima and stories people created for TS2 and TS3 so I don't see why everything had to be taken away for TS4 to "story tell" easier now? For some of us, I think a lot of us, that game play was also story telling.
That game play you're talking about is the essence. The sims themselves had depth and reality, in effect wrote their own stories. Quite frequently those things in a TS2 game will take my ideas in totally different directions, me planning X, but Z happens on their own and it looks interesting enough to further explore and develop. As in RL, TS2 is dynamic and unpredictable. Quite absent in 4, which is everyone's loss.
I doubt it, too. But TS3 might still be selling the packs another five or so years. I just don't see them retiring that one and ending support for it, (Origin and EA) like they did recently for TS2UC.
Worse ! They will even update The Sims 3 for Mac in 2020, they keep it alive instead of killing it once for all.
I doubt it, too. But TS3 might still be selling the packs another five or so years. I just don't see them retiring that one and ending support for it, (Origin and EA) like they did recently for TS2UC.
Worse ! They will even update The Sims 3 for Mac in 2020, they keep it alive instead of killing it once for all.
The TS4 is the first in the series where I no longer answer the next EP or pack etc. when asked what do I want for Christmas etc. It's too boring. Even with TS3, after by- passing WA and Ambitions (because I felt they didn't belong to the series) I still requested maybe a different pack around the holidays, though TS2 is my favorite game. I haven't asked for anything to do with TS4 since the beginning. Family used to be like, we know what you want, lol, now I have to make lists of five or six different things to hand to them so they can pick one off my list, lol. It used to be a joke with me, family knew I would get around to getting a new pack. This is the first in series where I haven't bought nor requested even half of what has been sold. I'm too old for MySims and I have decided I'm too old for anymore packs concerning TS4. Insulting my intelligence doesn't help, either. I'm not some newbie who doesn't know there is no need to reinvent the wheel, and if a modder can do something in a week there is nothing stopping Maxis from also doing something amazing other than themselves. I'm sorry Maxis, there is nothing amazing to an old hand like me, as like a reskinned stationary laptop with a few new bhavs added to it to include college tasks. A first time custom content creator could do that. And a first time world creator could build a world with just FX assets in it, and just full of backdrop. If TS5 can't dazzle the core fanbase, then good luck with keeping that loyality, (which you really may not need anymore) but for some of us, first time creators could do some of the stuff you are trying to sell to us as new and amazing. It's unfortunate we expect more from supposedly professionals with twenty years experience. This series no longer dazzles nor offer much in replay value.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
Same here. I even went from purchasing packs 50% off to not purchasing at all.
I’m just far too bored with it, and the myriad of problems ranging from bugs to design flaws are no added benefit.
On the plus side, I’ve taken my money elsewhere and I’ve been having way more fun. When they go back to developing the game as a life simulator, I’ll be back.
Other than those nasty things known as bills and other RL expenses, been investing in some cool books on late 19th century ship design. Makes modern floating boxes look utterly bleh.
You know, I'm really not that hard to please, really I'm not. Think about it, I preordered with excitement ShowTime, one of the least liked EPs of all time. Paid the full $50.00 for that EP, and actually like it, a lot. Even with the fake 'agents' audiences. Even though I was totally disappointed with how Sims sold their albums (lackluster) on the street. Or how repeative it was to practice the same two or three things to gain experience. It was very limited along those lines. But still, I can't be that hard to please if I found some enjoyment in Showtime when others were rolling their eyes over K.P. Or the fact they didn't even include K.P. in the EP but had to download a Maxis one, that in my opinion didn't even favor her at all. I even used the cartoony props for my store fronts....I can use my imagination, and strech it a very long way with things like that, however, TS4's core remains a problem and I can't suspend my disbelief with the core of the Sim so I remain bored with the Sim and then add a lack of gameplay on top of that (or depth) and it's no wonder I want to see a TS5, like today.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
It's not built on storytelling in my opinion. It's all about CAS. End of story. It's a mere avatar game where you pose Sims and take screen shots and make up storylines. That might be story to some, but not to me, that is just posing Sims. Story telling to me is when I send a Sim to the store and there arrives their arch enemy and pokes them in the chest and they get into a knock down, drag out fight, and I'm like what?! only to remember my Sim insulted that Sim a week earlier. That is story telling..
I walked into this thread thinking it belonged to the "Off-topic Chat Corner" where we talked about other stuff than The Sims and then I fell upon this comment and gosh. I like The Sims 4 but Cinebar reminded me of the gameplay of The Sims 2 and what it actually means to have unpredictability and weird outcomes. THANK YOU.
I am more disappointed than actually bored with Sims4. 2019 was a huge disappointment as far as new gameplay and depth being added in new packs. I was hoping DU would bring back some of what has been missing, but it's a mess with new bugs and challenges that have more to do wth finding ways to work around the bugs than enjoying new gameplay. RoM and DU might not ever make it into my library of purchased packs at this rate. Unless sometime in the future they're handed out for free. After having played through the entire series almost from the beginning, The Sims had more to offer than Sims4 in my opinion. Sims2 was the one iteration that was capable of holding my attention for more than a couple of hours. And it does to this day. I still play it and Sims3. We can't help but draw comparisons between what we had in the past and what we have now, because we have played for so many years, and the differences between each iteration are quite noticeable. Telling a story in Sims4 is almost a lost cause because the traits, and relationships between Sims, don't mean anything. The buffs and emotions play out not in how our Sims act, but on the UI with facial expressions and pretty colors that indicate what mood our Sim is having. The constant flipping between these emotions is hardly what I would call gameplay. Gameplay is meant to be experienced by seeing our Sims interacting with other Sims and how their moods affect the outcome of those interactions, not by watching our Sims flip emotions with all the facial expressions associated with the relevent emotions. I want to watch my Sims experiencing those emotions through body and facial reactions, rather than through an avatar and pop-up messages. I don't want to be told what my Sim is feeling, I want to see it happening. Lately, I have been playing without the UI and it has made a difference because I am not being distracted by those silly avatars. But my Sims still seem a bit lifeless. So I have resorted to using game play mods that add a bit more to the personalities of my Sims and adds more humor and consequences for certain behaviors.
How we play differs from player to player. I am a rotational player and a family player. I always had worlds filled with generations of one or two families in Sims2 and 3. I can't play that way in Sims4. I have had to downsize the number of families and pets in each save because of the problems concerning pets and toddlers, and how their needs are not taken care of while I am playing a different family or Sim. The garden plants do fine, but when I return, my pets' and toddlers' needs are in the red if I am away longer than four Sim days. It's quite a challenge to keep three households with pets and toddlers happy and healthy, and not cheat to make that possible. I like a good challenge, but this is a bit ridiculous. Sims4 has passed Sims3 in the number of mods I use to keep it alive and hold my interest. Without mods my game is overrun with bugs, irritating autonomous actions, and boredom. And if 2019 is any indication of what EA has planned for 2020, the game won't suddenly become better. The last four packs were the worst I have seen in all the years I have been playing. The themes were not at fault. It was the lack of anything new in the packs that was so disappointing. Some of those 'new' additions were things we saw years earlier in Sims2 and 3's lifetimes. And we were supposed to be impressed with a secret society when we had fraternities and sororities in past iterations? And bicycles? Not impressed since Sim kids can't use them. The heavy emphasis placed on the YAs is behind a lot of our boredom issues. Just as in RL, there comes a time one becomes bored with partying, and settles down to marry and raise a family, to have a career. And muddle through all the good and bad times. That is life. But Sims4's impersonation/simulation of life is, it's all a big party and nothing a Sim does has any lasting consequences, or makes much of a difference in a Sim's life at all. And to me, that is beyond boring. Yes, it is only a game. But it has lost a lot of it's entertainment value in the last year.
At this point I don't even see any reason to get a pack even dirt cheap on sale or a free giveawa. Look at facts. No one would want a broken wheelbarrow would they? Here you go, a free wheelbarrow. Well, what does it do? You put stuff in it and roll it to a different spot to unload it. OK, but the handles are missing, the front wheel is broken off, and the barrow has a giant, seeping hole in it. Uh, no thanks, keep your buggy packs. There isn't any point in buying packs even if on sale, to find out the major features are actually broken. Why bother?
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I pre ordered everything for the sims 1-3 blind. I didn’t even see trailers for a lot of the sims 3 stuff I just ordered. It was a safe bet I would enjoy it. Hell I bought island living and my pc at the time couldn’t run it but I was waiting on a new one.
Now I’m the person when it’s my birthday or Christmas and someone asks if I want a sims pack I tell them no. There are many franchises I would pre order blind - the sims 4 is no longer one of them. Now that all the themes I did like have been explored and ruined there is nothing else they could come out with that would pique my interest.
I think I have done my part as a loyal Simmer to give Maxis a chance with TS3 and TS4. TS2 being the best of the series to me. But I did run out and get TS3 on day one. I did preorder some of it's EPs. I did buy some others after the announce trailers, never did watch Let's Play gamer videos. But at some point I stopped buying later packs full of game breaking bugs in the main features. I gave TS4 a chance, got it after the first week when it was on sale for more than half off. I would try it for that price. Did buy some of the early EPs and some of the early GPs. But as time went on, the bugs over took even the packs I already purchased let alone new features of new packs not even working correctly according to other players who complain,so I started skipping any new packs once I saw those reports. The three big things I always want in this series are Seasons, an OFB type pack/including restaurants/Supernatural/Grungy/death pack, and willing to always try a University pack. Those have come and gone, no need to hang around anymore as Seasons was a fail to me, University is a no go for me, there isn't any Supernatural pack worth discussing other than the Vampire GP, and certaintly after 5+ years any death/consequences/grunge pack. Their version of OFB was barely bearable but DO made it a little more interesting but double the pay.
Going forward there was nothing else I was waiting to see. What I did see was severely disappointing (DU, RoM, C&D, Seasons, JA was a No, and on and on). By dragging out this game and not putting best efforts and all money in the packs I was waiting to see, they have lost me as a consumer. Maybe forever, boredom of this version started on day one, but I thought I would be a loyal fan for awhile and give it a chance. It hasn't gotten much better as long as the core remains boring and the limitations on the player remains. My gosh, who ever thought we would still be sitting here, waiting on slow dance, five years later? Are you kidding me EA/Maxis? Still waiting on graveyards? Still waiting on traits that matter? Still waiting on new, more robust aspirations and not just repeats? Still waiting on cars? Still waiting on kid's games like tag? omg, if I don't die of boredom with this game, then it will be from old age.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
It is hard to believe that we are now over 5 years in and we have this many packs and there's still so many things missing.
We are a whopping 31 packs in (TS2 and TS3 had 20 or around there, so about a full 10 packs more for this iteration) and missing so much content and the content we do have is often not up to par (kids and bikes for example, going through the trouble to make them for adults but not bothering for children is ridiculous IMO). It's pretty sad actually.
I still haven't played the game since Get Famous. I only re-logged into Origin the first time since then to vote on the new SP, and I was very happy to see arts and crafts and knitting won. Honestly, even I think it's funny that the prospect of a knitting SP is the first thing to give me a bit of excitement for the game in a year. I don't knit myself, but I think it's because I believe this pack has the potential to give some attention to the areas in the game that are lacking, with a new technology free, more family based hobby. And possibly giving more love to elders through clothing and toddlers with toys. None of the other packs this year have had that, hence my lack of interest in any of them. I'm hoping they can do it some justice. The only thing is that the knitting SP probably won't release until late 2020, and we'll probably get like 3 packs before that. I hope they'll be some good themes that can improve on the lacking areas of the game. If not, meh, I'll probably remain bored until the knitting pack comes out.
I was actually going to buy Discover University after turning my back on purchasing anything TS4 for the last couple of DLC packs, but even with a retailer offering it 50% off, it was hard to convince myself to and I ultimately purchased another game which I'm having a blast in.
I was hoping the roommate system of DU would add some fun depth, but then I just kind of asked myself... why bother? I have Apartment Life in TS2, with a better roommate system, and an even better apartment system. It's just as much fun to play around with as it was in 2008. 11 years ago. Crazy how that level of quality can't be at least matched nearly a decade later from this studio.
I was actually going to buy Discover University after turning my back on purchasing anything TS4 for the last couple of DLC packs, but even with a retailer offering it 50% off, it was hard to convince myself to and I ultimately purchased another game which I'm having a blast in.
I was hoping the roommate system of DU would add some fun depth, but then I just kind of asked myself... why bother? I have Apartment Life in TS2, with a better roommate system, and an even better apartment system. It's just as much fun to play around with as it was in 2008. 11 years ago. Crazy how that level of quality can't be at least matched nearly a decade later from this studio.
The roommate system is only enjoyable when you have a game with interesting sims and Sims 4 just is not that game. In Sims 3 it's just really funny to see how roommates are all behaving with all their different personalities, and I bet that's even better in Sims 2. One would expect they'd have focused on improving and refining personalities over the years, but they made other choices. Alas.
I was actually going to buy Discover University after turning my back on purchasing anything TS4 for the last couple of DLC packs, but even with a retailer offering it 50% off, it was hard to convince myself to and I ultimately purchased another game which I'm having a blast in.
I was hoping the roommate system of DU would add some fun depth, but then I just kind of asked myself... why bother? I have Apartment Life in TS2, with a better roommate system, and an even better apartment system. It's just as much fun to play around with as it was in 2008. 11 years ago. Crazy how that level of quality can't be at least matched nearly a decade later from this studio.
The roommate system is only enjoyable when you have a game with interesting sims and Sims 4 just is not that game. In Sims 3 it's just really funny to see how roommates are all behaving with all their different personalities, and I bet that's even better in Sims 2. One would expect they'd have focused on improving and refining personalities over the years, but they made other choices. Alas.
Agreed.
It’s unfortunate they didn’t quite reach their goal of smarter Sims with The Sims 4, and more so given that was one of, if not the biggest, selling points they were rolling with.
I am more disappointed than actually bored with Sims4. 2019 was a huge disappointment as far as new gameplay and depth being added in new packs. I was hoping DU would bring back some of what has been missing, but it's a mess with new bugs and challenges that have more to do wth finding ways to work around the bugs than enjoying new gameplay. RoM and DU might not ever make it into my library of purchased packs at this rate. Unless sometime in the future they're handed out for free. After having played through the entire series almost from the beginning, The Sims had more to offer than Sims4 in my opinion. Sims2 was the one iteration that was capable of holding my attention for more than a couple of hours. And it does to this day. I still play it and Sims3. We can't help but draw comparisons between what we had in the past and what we have now, because we have played for so many years, and the differences between each iteration are quite noticeable. Telling a story in Sims4 is almost a lost cause because the traits, and relationships between Sims, don't mean anything. The buffs and emotions play out not in how our Sims act, but on the UI with facial expressions and pretty colors that indicate what mood our Sim is having. The constant flipping between these emotions is hardly what I would call gameplay. Gameplay is meant to be experienced by seeing our Sims interacting with other Sims and how their moods affect the outcome of those interactions, not by watching our Sims flip emotions with all the facial expressions associated with the relevent emotions. I want to watch my Sims experiencing those emotions through body and facial reactions, rather than through an avatar and pop-up messages. I don't want to be told what my Sim is feeling, I want to see it happening. Lately, I have been playing without the UI and it has made a difference because I am not being distracted by those silly avatars. But my Sims still seem a bit lifeless. So I have resorted to using game play mods that add a bit more to the personalities of my Sims and adds more humor and consequences for certain behaviors.
How we play differs from player to player. I am a rotational player and a family player. I always had worlds filled with generations of one or two families in Sims2 and 3. I can't play that way in Sims4. I have had to downsize the number of families and pets in each save because of the problems concerning pets and toddlers, and how their needs are not taken care of while I am playing a different family or Sim. The garden plants do fine, but when I return, my pets' and toddlers' needs are in the red if I am away longer than four Sim days. It's quite a challenge to keep three households with pets and toddlers happy and healthy, and not cheat to make that possible. I like a good challenge, but this is a bit ridiculous. Sims4 has passed Sims3 in the number of mods I use to keep it alive and hold my interest. Without mods my game is overrun with bugs, irritating autonomous actions, and boredom. And if 2019 is any indication of what EA has planned for 2020, the game won't suddenly become better. The last four packs were the worst I have seen in all the years I have been playing. The themes were not at fault. It was the lack of anything new in the packs that was so disappointing. Some of those 'new' additions were things we saw years earlier in Sims2 and 3's lifetimes. And we were supposed to be impressed with a secret society when we had fraternities and sororities in past iterations? And bicycles? Not impressed since Sim kids can't use them. The heavy emphasis placed on the YAs is behind a lot of our boredom issues. Just as in RL, there comes a time one becomes bored with partying, and settles down to marry and raise a family, to have a career. And muddle through all the good and bad times. That is life. But Sims4's impersonation/simulation of life is, it's all a big party and nothing a Sim does has any lasting consequences, or makes much of a difference in a Sim's life at all. And to me, that is beyond boring. Yes, it is only a game. But it has lost a lot of it's entertainment value in the last year.
So super well said! I agree with everything .
It's a shame it's still 5 years and nothing has changed for the better..
So tired of this installment..can we move on?
@Sk8rblaze I agree. The Sims in this iteration are not smarter than the Sims we played in 2 and 3. They're quite clueless when it comes to things like a cheating partner and enemies. They're so busy updating their social status and taking selfies, they don't see anything, or react to it if they do see it. Every incident is given an emotional buff that goes away in a few Sim hours. Nothing lasts for very long. And they seem to become upset over losing fame points more than anything else that happens to them. Pets and toddlers are more complex characters than the YA/adults. I spend a lot of my time watching the pets and toddlers more than I watch what the adults are doing. I finally turned off autonomony in my game because I was tired of my Sims doing dumb stuff like constantly drinking water, leaving one task to do another, etc. None of what they were doing was funny, or added anything, so what exactly is the point of being able to multi-task when the tasks are meaningless and repetitive and add nothing except interruptions in the flow of my storyline? And adding tasks to a Sim's queue so I have a few minutes to work with another Sim, is nearly impossible when everything in the queue disappears, or is overriden by their insatiable need to do something else. With autonomy off, this should not be happening. This is what makes the game boring to me. I do not have much control over what happens in MY game because the game engine is actually controlling everything. Small wonder so many of us have resorted to using mods just to retain some control over our games.
The last update managed to actually fix some issues and I was able to get rid of about twenty mods. Finally. If I were to buy DU, which I probably won't, I'd need to add about ten or twelve mods just to fix the current bugs and irritations. I am now using eighty mods, just got rid of twenty because of the update, and I really don't see any advantage in buying another pack that requires me to add more mods on top of the eighty I am using. There isn't enough new gameplay in DU to make me want to do that. Even though there are certain things in DU I would like to add to my game, the idea of needing mods in order to play it in a way that makes sense to me is enough to make me say no to buying new packs for a while. Waiting for mods to be updated or for the devs to fix the game is boring. Playing the game without mods is irritating and boring. And to anyone who can play Sims4 without using mods, I say you're a better gamer than I am. I cannot play Sims4 without mods. I won't go back to the way the game was before I decided to use any help I could find that makes my game better and eases my boredom.
Playing YAs has become the main gameplay in Sims4. How many times can we throw parties or visit lounges and bars before it all becomes a blur? Move on past this lifestage and create some activities that include all the lifestages, please. The one thing I have always enjoyed about the Sims games is the fact we had things for every Sim regardless of age. EA has worked very hard to be 'inclusive' by including things for different lifestyles which is a great idea, and has added a new dimension to the game. But doing so meant there is less for players who are family players, or play in rotation, with generations of Sim families. Players who enjoy the YA lifestage have much more to do than the players who play families.
It's a sad, but true, fact more of us are looking to the modding community to make the game more interesting and fun these days. I have lost my excitement for new dlc because it seldom works as advertised, includes shallow gameplay, has bugs that take months, or in a couple cases years, to be fixed by the teams, and doesn't include anything new for kids, teens and elders, or for families. We get bored with new dlc when it was created for one group of players. Or created only for YA/adult Sims. A little diversity would be nice.
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I don’t mind the fact Sims 4 is focused on storytelling. I mind the game doesn’t hand me anything in that respect, mainly because sims don’t react to each other and nothing surprising happens in the social field. It’s exactly that what hands me the stories in Sims 3. Something happens and my imagination picks it up. I don’t want the game to be some sort of dead stage where I can push around characters. I need it to interactive. And imposing ready to go stories (like the way apartments work in the game and this one pack, Stangerville), that’s not what I consider interactive.
To me that is story telling, the other Sim becomes aware their spouse has cheated. If they didn't know it before they know it now. They will have a strong reaction and relationship points will fall and lead to a very bad relationship if anything else happens, like seeing the other Sim cheat. It's all connected in so many ways and in so much depth it's hard to imagine I ever wanted to play a new game that doesn't even think about those things or the depth of actual gameplay to tell a story about, rather than make up one, with just screen shots.
It's like when you play a Sim in TS2 often they will be the Sim who shows up at any community lot the next time you play a different Sim. It's almost a story within itself. Like why is that Sim following the player to see which or what Sim they are playing now? lol
Those type things fit a story for a player, such as if I had played Sherlock then switched households to play someone he had met before, he would show up at a clothes store (or anywhere) and as he browsed the clothes on the rack (actually picking up the outfit on the hanger) and looking at it, but at the same time overtop the clothes on the hanger look over it at my current Sim. Spying. lol
That type of gameplay is so much better for the imagination rather than a bunch of faux screenshots.
And just to add to the mix the frequently played Sim might approach our current Sim and insult and or try to be friendly or whatever fits their mood and or personality. And the player get the feeling the Sim is trying to make themselves been seen by the player and might even give the player a thumbsup and or a wink or whatever. Or really mess up the player's plans somehow. TS4 has no such depth and to me it's a tool to take screen shots while I write script for a few lines. I would prefer the game actually make these Sims smarter or at least as smart as TS2 Sims, and the depth of that game, but I doubt it's possible now.
This is all the stuff I miss. The awareness and the ability that they actually do their own thing (like send flowers). It really irks me that my sims don't do anything without me telling them to except get a glass of water or play on their phones. (I want to throw their phones into the lake, river, ocean...)
Thing is, there was machinima and stories people created for TS2 and TS3 so I don't see why everything had to be taken away for TS4 to "story tell" easier now? For some of us, I think a lot of us, that game play was also story telling.
Even Aspyr planned to update The Sims 2 Mac to 64-bit for Catalina
https://support.aspyr.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000214186-MacOS-Catalina-64-bit-32-bit-and-related-Questions
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The Sims 4 General DiscussionBut we can't get an update for PC? Smh.... Ridiculous.
Same here. I even went from purchasing packs 50% off to not purchasing at all.
I’m just far too bored with it, and the myriad of problems ranging from bugs to design flaws are no added benefit.
On the plus side, I’ve taken my money elsewhere and I’ve been having way more fun. When they go back to developing the game as a life simulator, I’ll be back.
I walked into this thread thinking it belonged to the "Off-topic Chat Corner" where we talked about other stuff than The Sims and then I fell upon this comment and gosh. I like The Sims 4 but Cinebar reminded me of the gameplay of The Sims 2 and what it actually means to have unpredictability and weird outcomes. THANK YOU.
How we play differs from player to player. I am a rotational player and a family player. I always had worlds filled with generations of one or two families in Sims2 and 3. I can't play that way in Sims4. I have had to downsize the number of families and pets in each save because of the problems concerning pets and toddlers, and how their needs are not taken care of while I am playing a different family or Sim. The garden plants do fine, but when I return, my pets' and toddlers' needs are in the red if I am away longer than four Sim days. It's quite a challenge to keep three households with pets and toddlers happy and healthy, and not cheat to make that possible. I like a good challenge, but this is a bit ridiculous. Sims4 has passed Sims3 in the number of mods I use to keep it alive and hold my interest. Without mods my game is overrun with bugs, irritating autonomous actions, and boredom. And if 2019 is any indication of what EA has planned for 2020, the game won't suddenly become better. The last four packs were the worst I have seen in all the years I have been playing. The themes were not at fault. It was the lack of anything new in the packs that was so disappointing. Some of those 'new' additions were things we saw years earlier in Sims2 and 3's lifetimes. And we were supposed to be impressed with a secret society when we had fraternities and sororities in past iterations? And bicycles? Not impressed since Sim kids can't use them. The heavy emphasis placed on the YAs is behind a lot of our boredom issues. Just as in RL, there comes a time one becomes bored with partying, and settles down to marry and raise a family, to have a career. And muddle through all the good and bad times. That is life. But Sims4's impersonation/simulation of life is, it's all a big party and nothing a Sim does has any lasting consequences, or makes much of a difference in a Sim's life at all. And to me, that is beyond boring. Yes, it is only a game. But it has lost a lot of it's entertainment value in the last year.
I pre ordered everything for the sims 1-3 blind. I didn’t even see trailers for a lot of the sims 3 stuff I just ordered. It was a safe bet I would enjoy it. Hell I bought island living and my pc at the time couldn’t run it but I was waiting on a new one.
Now I’m the person when it’s my birthday or Christmas and someone asks if I want a sims pack I tell them no. There are many franchises I would pre order blind - the sims 4 is no longer one of them. Now that all the themes I did like have been explored and ruined there is nothing else they could come out with that would pique my interest.
Going forward there was nothing else I was waiting to see. What I did see was severely disappointing (DU, RoM, C&D, Seasons, JA was a No, and on and on). By dragging out this game and not putting best efforts and all money in the packs I was waiting to see, they have lost me as a consumer. Maybe forever, boredom of this version started on day one, but I thought I would be a loyal fan for awhile and give it a chance. It hasn't gotten much better as long as the core remains boring and the limitations on the player remains. My gosh, who ever thought we would still be sitting here, waiting on slow dance, five years later? Are you kidding me EA/Maxis? Still waiting on graveyards? Still waiting on traits that matter? Still waiting on new, more robust aspirations and not just repeats? Still waiting on cars? Still waiting on kid's games like tag? omg, if I don't die of boredom with this game, then it will be from old age.
We are a whopping 31 packs in (TS2 and TS3 had 20 or around there, so about a full 10 packs more for this iteration) and missing so much content and the content we do have is often not up to par (kids and bikes for example, going through the trouble to make them for adults but not bothering for children is ridiculous IMO). It's pretty sad actually.
I was hoping the roommate system of DU would add some fun depth, but then I just kind of asked myself... why bother? I have Apartment Life in TS2, with a better roommate system, and an even better apartment system. It's just as much fun to play around with as it was in 2008. 11 years ago. Crazy how that level of quality can't be at least matched nearly a decade later from this studio.
Agreed.
It’s unfortunate they didn’t quite reach their goal of smarter Sims with The Sims 4, and more so given that was one of, if not the biggest, selling points they were rolling with.
So super well said! I agree with everything
It's a shame it's still 5 years and nothing has changed for the better..
So tired of this installment..can we move on?
The last update managed to actually fix some issues and I was able to get rid of about twenty mods. Finally. If I were to buy DU, which I probably won't, I'd need to add about ten or twelve mods just to fix the current bugs and irritations. I am now using eighty mods, just got rid of twenty because of the update, and I really don't see any advantage in buying another pack that requires me to add more mods on top of the eighty I am using. There isn't enough new gameplay in DU to make me want to do that. Even though there are certain things in DU I would like to add to my game, the idea of needing mods in order to play it in a way that makes sense to me is enough to make me say no to buying new packs for a while. Waiting for mods to be updated or for the devs to fix the game is boring. Playing the game without mods is irritating and boring. And to anyone who can play Sims4 without using mods, I say you're a better gamer than I am. I cannot play Sims4 without mods. I won't go back to the way the game was before I decided to use any help I could find that makes my game better and eases my boredom.
Playing YAs has become the main gameplay in Sims4. How many times can we throw parties or visit lounges and bars before it all becomes a blur? Move on past this lifestage and create some activities that include all the lifestages, please. The one thing I have always enjoyed about the Sims games is the fact we had things for every Sim regardless of age. EA has worked very hard to be 'inclusive' by including things for different lifestyles which is a great idea, and has added a new dimension to the game. But doing so meant there is less for players who are family players, or play in rotation, with generations of Sim families. Players who enjoy the YA lifestage have much more to do than the players who play families.
It's a sad, but true, fact more of us are looking to the modding community to make the game more interesting and fun these days. I have lost my excitement for new dlc because it seldom works as advertised, includes shallow gameplay, has bugs that take months, or in a couple cases years, to be fixed by the teams, and doesn't include anything new for kids, teens and elders, or for families. We get bored with new dlc when it was created for one group of players. Or created only for YA/adult Sims. A little diversity would be nice.