Have you ever watched children‘s movies? There is evil, scheming, betrayal, arguments, fights, scandals, bullying, gangs,…
The Sims 4 isn‘t too „chilidish“. It was just designed for people that play the game as an escape from real life. It’s an safe space basically. Potential triggers not allowed.
It’s rated 12 and i’ve had it since I was 8 (shhh🤫) and I have invested money into it. I have nearly all the packs and i’m 14. If they made it 15 rated i’d be technically to young. Also it needs some boundaries, it’s a 12 and your asking for this. If it was a 15 people would be asking for violence, if it was an 18 people would ask for much worse. Keeping it a 12 is very reasonable
I was technically too young for Mortal Kombat when it came out. I was about 8 then, and I was able to play the game without it rotting my young mind, because I had a mom who taught me how to handle and process media violence and a healthy dose of good sense. What your post does is illustrate two big problems with the game industry in particular and the media industry in general.
The first problem is that age recommendations as outlined by ratings systems are very generalized, and mostly err on the side of caution. I've played T rated games that are tame enough for a 7-year-old to play if the parents give them the cognitive and emotional tools necessary to understand and process the content properly. Then, there are people who are either very mature or immature for their age. So, you may have an 8-year-old who is mature enough to watch an R rated movie without acting out, repeating swear words, or having nightmares, and you may have a 17-year-old who sees an R rated movie and repeats every swear word they just heard, tries to copy all the dangerous stunts in the back yard with no protection, and can't stop having nightmares about the monster from the movie because their maturity level is far behind their chronological age. Parents need to teach their children how to handle questionable content in the media from a young age, assess their child's maturity level carefully and accurately when considering whether they should watch or play something, and talk with their children about what the media they consume to ensure that their kids are coming up right.
The second problem you've highlighted is the fact that there isn't a uniform, standardized, worldwide ratings system for media in general, and for games in particular. The U.S. has the ESRB ratings system, Europe has PEGI, and so-on. Each of these regions uses different criteria to decide what content is appropriate for what general age range and uses different ratings...and sometimes even different age ranges. For instance, the PEGI system uses the ratings 3, 7, 12, 16, and 18, directly referencing the minimum age that the game should generally be appropriate for. PEGI has stricter guidelines on gambling than the ESRB, which is why the Game Corner was removed from all new Pokémon games several years back, so that the series could remain at a PEGI 7 (I think that was the rating they were aiming for). PEGI also has a shorter and less nuanced list of content warnings than the ESRB system--9 to the ESRB's 30. This gives parents less detailed information about content and puts publishers at higher risk for getting a higher rating than intended because of how broad the PEGI content categories are.
The ESRB has the ratings E (all ages), E10+ (players 10 and up), T (players 13 and up), M (17 and up), and Ao (18 and up). The ESRB isn't as hard on gambling as PEGI is, and it has a longer and more nuanced list of specific content warnings to go along with its ratings system. So, while both systems have five general ratings, because the ESRB employs more detailed content descriptors, it gives parents more information about the product to make a more informed decision with and it gives publishers more wiggle room with their content to be able to stay within a desired rating without having to tone things down too heavily. When game companies release their games worldwide, these differences in how content ratings are handled can cause serious trouble, because the company may be trying to sell their game in all regions to players in roughly the same age range, but because the standards and rating systems are different all over the place, a game might end up either having to have multiple different international edits or just be toned down in general to try and stick roughly similar ratings in all regions. The latter sometimes works out alright, and sometimes ends up as a disaster as a company struggles to hold on to the rating they think the game should have in one region, while taking away features and content much beloved by players in other regions. Until the international community gets together and creates a single, standard game rating system, we'll keep having issues like this long into the future as companies place just as much importance on international markets as their own domestic markets.
I’m not even reading all that. Read the first line on each and it doesn’t sound have anything to do with what I said? I wasn’t talking about age ratings I’m talking about people’s stupid requests.
Let Your Smile Change Your World, But Don't Let The World Change Your Smile.
5K Mud Run For Cancer Research, 14 July 2018.
Sims 4, 25th December 2014
In other word, what I am saying is: the maturity/complexity of your sim depends on your creativity and involvement. This is the idea behind sandbox games. Sandbox games should not spoon-feed you stories, they should instead provide a blank canvas for YOUR stories.
Not sure that’s an argument I’d make but you did. Perhaps Sims isn’t as sandbox as people think, eh? One of the first things you do is define your Sim through one of the various personality builders each game has had. Once you’ve locked in your Sim, their “personality” “traits” “characteristics” - whatever - are you really left with a blank canvas? Sure, but at the same time no because you have a Sim with a personality that you established, who ideally should display that personality through gameplay right?
What are you left with when the personality builder is meaningless for live mode? Sims 4, which is the only game where you can go through all of that and still have a blank canvas when you start. Not because it’s a sandbox game, because it’s a poorly designed game where nothing means anything and you have to imagine mostly everything you want to happen. Some people like that, but it’s not a lack of creativity that gave Sims 4 it’s complaints; I t’s just literally a bad sequel that nearly flopped until EA mass marketed it at a reduced price.
There is more to the childishness than that, funny pee walk for instance. Sex is part of life, there is nothing wrong with that.
Im talking about people who equate maturity with raunchiness, not sex. Sex is a normal part of life. A funny pee walk isnt really funny to me but neither is llama jokes, which is all over Sims 2 and 3. The sims is always going to have a playfulness about it, thats the way the series has always been.
The Sims has currently lost its identity. Bring it back for TS5
With how many bars we have n TS4 I would have liked for the sims to at least get tipsy if they drink too many drinks. Or do some wild dancing, crying without reason, inappropriate flirting, drunk rage, sleep it off on a bench in a park. I like sober sims who drink responsibly, but it's unrealistic that all of them are like that. Personality is not just traits, all these different gameplay options and choices the player gets to make in game help to build sims with a more in depth personality that traits alone could ever do.
I'm over 50 and Sims 4 is my favorite game. I've never thought that it's targeted towards children.
Oh well, I guess I'm childish, then. I suddenly feel very young.
Well said! I'm 54 and love my Sims but more into S3. S4 is a hit or miss with me at times. There are times when I can really get into it, but when I get bored, I get bored. I think there are more simmers our age than anyone will care to admit.
In other word, what I am saying is: the maturity/complexity of your sim depends on your creativity and involvement. This is the idea behind sandbox games. Sandbox games should not spoon-feed you stories, they should instead provide a blank canvas for YOUR stories.
Not sure that’s an argument I’d make but you did. Perhaps Sims isn’t as sandbox as people think, eh? One of the first things you do is define your Sim through one of the various personality builders each game has had. Once you’ve locked in your Sim, their “personality” “traits” “characteristics” - whatever - are you really left with a blank canvas? Sure, but at the same time no because you have a Sim with a personality that you established, who ideally should display that personality through gameplay right?
What are you left with when the personality builder is meaningless for live mode? Sims 4, which is the only game where you can go through all of that and still have a blank canvas when you start. Not because it’s a sandbox game, because it’s a poorly designed game where nothing means anything and you have to imagine mostly everything you want to happen. Some people like that, but it’s not a lack of creativity that gave Sims 4 it’s complaints; I t’s just literally a bad sequel that nearly flopped until EA mass marketed it at a reduced price.
Very well said. I don't think that it was never intended to have the 4th installment of the series be less in depth in what concerns to sims personalities and everything that is built around it in game. I think it was a failure. That's why after this years we can read in the surveys some intention on changing how traits work or on bringing consequences to the game.
It took me a very long time to enjoy playing sims 4 because i was playing as it was supposed to be, a game. Sandbox yes, but a game. Recently i started playing it by inventing storylines in my head (ok nothing new...) but also inventing the turn arounds. That is what is new. Simmers have always played with their imagination, having to imagine my play AND the consequent outcome is what is new...
Yes. It is too childish. It went from being an interesting, creative game to a sort of online Barbie dollhouse.
A question to all you folks who piped up to say you like the childishness, the oh so pitty-pitty Sims, etc...
Would it really spoil things for you if those of us interested in more sophisticated storytelling had it as an option? Does the story really HAVE to be lobotomized for everyone in order for it to be fun for you?
Yes. It is too childish. It went from being an interesting, creative game to a sort of online Barbie dollhouse.
A question to all you folks who piped up to say you like the childishness, the oh so pitty-pitty Sims, etc...
Would it really spoil things for you if those of us interested in more sophisticated storytelling had it as an option? Does the story really HAVE to be lobotomized for everyone in order for it to be fun for you?
I like it how it is, but I don't "like the childishness" so not sure if I'm who you mean. I just don't think it's childish.
But it would spoil things very much for me if they made the sims the way they are in, say, Sims 2. I have that game too and I can't play it without getting bored very quickly. I just can't be creative enough with it. The sims fight against me left, right, and centre to do their own thing when I want them to do something else. They have their own personality which makes it so that I can't be creative with them and tell stories in my game play the way I like to, which is really frustrating. If I wanted them to do their own thing I may as well watch a movie because my game play style is to create a story, not to watch them make the story.
“But it would spoil things very much for me if they made the sims the way they are in, say, Sims 2. I have that game too and I can't play it without getting bored very quickly. I just can't be creative enough with it. The sims fight against me left, right, and centre to do their own thing when I want them to do something else. They have their own personality which makes it so that I can't be creative with them and tell stories in my game play the way I like to, which is really frustrating. If I wanted them to do their own thing I may as well watch a movie because my game play style is to create a story, not to watch them make the story.”
I found that element of free will in Sims 2 a spur to creativity. And you do know you could turn it off, right?
This is not about going back to Sims 2. (For the record, I prefer Sims 3.) This is about a newer version actually being an improvement rather than a regression that caters solely to people who want to build worlds of nothing but pretty people and fashionable clothes.
“But it would spoil things very much for me if they made the sims the way they are in, say, Sims 2. I have that game too and I can't play it without getting bored very quickly. I just can't be creative enough with it. The sims fight against me left, right, and centre to do their own thing when I want them to do something else. They have their own personality which makes it so that I can't be creative with them and tell stories in my game play the way I like to, which is really frustrating. If I wanted them to do their own thing I may as well watch a movie because my game play style is to create a story, not to watch them make the story.”
I found that element of free will in Sims 2 a spur to creativity. And you do know you could turn it off, right?
This is not about going back to Sims 2. (For the record, I prefer Sims 3.) This is about a newer version actually being an improvement rather than a regression that caters solely to people who want to build worlds of nothing but pretty people and fashionable clothes.
Some people are happy to just take pictures of their sims and post stories. They use pose player with lots of fake poses and interactions and, as long as they have their pretty pictures, they probably don't even notice that the actual gameplay is lacking.
“But it would spoil things very much for me if they made the sims the way they are in, say, Sims 2. I have that game too and I can't play it without getting bored very quickly. I just can't be creative enough with it. The sims fight against me left, right, and centre to do their own thing when I want them to do something else. They have their own personality which makes it so that I can't be creative with them and tell stories in my game play the way I like to, which is really frustrating. If I wanted them to do their own thing I may as well watch a movie because my game play style is to create a story, not to watch them make the story.”
I found that element of free will in Sims 2 a spur to creativity. And you do know you could turn it off, right?
This is not about going back to Sims 2. (For the record, I prefer Sims 3.) This is about a newer version actually being an improvement rather than a regression that caters solely to people who want to build worlds of nothing but pretty people and fashionable clothes.
Some people are happy to just take pictures of their sims and post stories. They use pose player with lots of fake poses and interactions and, as long as they have their pretty pictures, they probably don't even notice that the actual gameplay is lacking.
And here's what I don't understand about this, (because I'm sure this is true for a lot of people). How on earth did they get those stories and pictures from games past? I certainly saw them around during sims 2 and 3 times. Surely they didn't have to "fight" with their sims to set this up. Is it just simply a matter of free-will off? I know mods for sure to set up poses but I dunno... I also don't really remember people complaining that their sims were having lives? Maybe it's a case of didn't know what they were missing?
For me, I do think the game is too childish but that's because there's little to no consequences. If something bad happens, I have to force it and fight with my game. Ha! Exactly opposite of people that don't think it's childish. I do want bad things sometimes though. That's real. I'd like some of it to be surprises too, I'm not a fan of how I have to do that all myself. I'd like some twists and turns. I miss backstories. I can understand why people can appreciate it as a safe space though. I was pretty annoyed with this version at first, but I've learned to live with it and appreciate it for what it does offer but sometimes I do miss the challenge. (Without having to think and create my own). In past versions, I could do this easily but the option to turn everything off was also there, so I could play both ways. In this version I have just this one way. I have learned to live with it, and I like this version a lot more than I did, but I still do think it's childish. No challenge does equal childish IMO, but that's just my opinion too. However, that said, just because I think it's childish doesn't mean I can't play it either. You like what you like and childish doesn't have to equal bad.
“But it would spoil things very much for me if they made the sims the way they are in, say, Sims 2. I have that game too and I can't play it without getting bored very quickly. I just can't be creative enough with it. The sims fight against me left, right, and centre to do their own thing when I want them to do something else. They have their own personality which makes it so that I can't be creative with them and tell stories in my game play the way I like to, which is really frustrating. If I wanted them to do their own thing I may as well watch a movie because my game play style is to create a story, not to watch them make the story.”
I found that element of free will in Sims 2 a spur to creativity. And you do know you could turn it off, right?
This is not about going back to Sims 2. (For the record, I prefer Sims 3.) This is about a newer version actually being an improvement rather than a regression that caters solely to people who want to build worlds of nothing but pretty people and fashionable clothes.
Some people are happy to just take pictures of their sims and post stories. They use pose player with lots of fake poses and interactions and, as long as they have their pretty pictures, they probably don't even notice that the actual gameplay is lacking.
“But it would spoil things very much for me if they made the sims the way they are in, say, Sims 2. I have that game too and I can't play it without getting bored very quickly. I just can't be creative enough with it. The sims fight against me left, right, and centre to do their own thing when I want them to do something else. They have their own personality which makes it so that I can't be creative with them and tell stories in my game play the way I like to, which is really frustrating. If I wanted them to do their own thing I may as well watch a movie because my game play style is to create a story, not to watch them make the story.”
I found that element of free will in Sims 2 a spur to creativity. And you do know you could turn it off, right?
This is not about going back to Sims 2. (For the record, I prefer Sims 3.) This is about a newer version actually being an improvement rather than a regression that caters solely to people who want to build worlds of nothing but pretty people and fashionable clothes.
No, you couldn't turn off what I'm talking about. Sim's personalities. I hate how they are done in Sims 2. Animations are great, but the personality of the Sims themselves is so deep and I can't stand it. I want a completely blank state to tell my stories. (And I dislike Sims 3 too for other reasons. I have the gamebut again get bored very quickly). Sims4 IS a better version for my game play style. Which has nothing to do with building worlds of pretty people, but even if it did, and for those that it does, that game play style is not wrong or more childish than someone elses and there's no reason Sims teams shouldn't cater to them.
“But it would spoil things very much for me if they made the sims the way they are in, say, Sims 2. I have that game too and I can't play it without getting bored very quickly. I just can't be creative enough with it. The sims fight against me left, right, and centre to do their own thing when I want them to do something else. They have their own personality which makes it so that I can't be creative with them and tell stories in my game play the way I like to, which is really frustrating. If I wanted them to do their own thing I may as well watch a movie because my game play style is to create a story, not to watch them make the story.”
I found that element of free will in Sims 2 a spur to creativity. And you do know you could turn it off, right?
This is not about going back to Sims 2. (For the record, I prefer Sims 3.) This is about a newer version actually being an improvement rather than a regression that caters solely to people who want to build worlds of nothing but pretty people and fashionable clothes.
Some people are happy to just take pictures of their sims and post stories. They use pose player with lots of fake poses and interactions and, as long as they have their pretty pictures, they probably don't even notice that the actual gameplay is lacking.
For me, having played all games since Sims 1, this is the one version i do NOT find lacking. It's perfect for my game play style and storylines. I don't use pose player, have very few mods (and only use ANY mods 50%of the time, no CC ever) and only once in a blue moon take pictures/screencaps if some big event happened in my story. I just play and create stories about Sims kids/toddlers and big families.
That being said, people that do love taking pictures and posing Sims, it doesn't make them less mature or childish either.
"No, you couldn't turn off what I'm talking about. Sim's personalities. I hate how they are done in Sims 2. Animations are great, but the personality of the Sims themselves is so deep and I can't stand it. I want a completely blank state to tell my stories. (And I dislike Sims 3 too for other reasons. I have the gamebut again get bored very quickly). Sims4 IS a better version for my game play style. Which has nothing to do with building worlds of pretty people, but even if it did, and for those that it does, that game play style is not wrong or more childish than someone elses and there's no reason Sims teams shouldn't cater to them."
Why "cater to them" at the expense of others? What I saw happen with Sims 3 is the ability to play with different styles narrow.
Would it spoil your game-play to know other people could play it differently?
"No, you couldn't turn off what I'm talking about. Sim's personalities. I hate how they are done in Sims 2. Animations are great, but the personality of the Sims themselves is so deep and I can't stand it. I want a completely blank state to tell my stories. (And I dislike Sims 3 too for other reasons. I have the gamebut again get bored very quickly). Sims4 IS a better version for my game play style. Which has nothing to do with building worlds of pretty people, but even if it did, and for those that it does, that game play style is not wrong or more childish than someone elses and there's no reason Sims teams shouldn't cater to them."
Why "cater to them" at the expense of others? What I saw happen with Sims 3 is the ability to play with different styles narrow.
Would it spoil your game-play to know other people could play it differently?
Sims 2 and 3 already catered to them, Sims 4 can cater to a new audience. That's allowed. And nope, I think MOST people play differently than me I don't care less how they play. I'd also never say they are wrong or childish or immature to play that style as many people do about story tellers and people who thing Sims 4 is the best. I will never understand judging others in that way.
If it was optional of course that'd be fine, but so far it never has been and I don't think it'd be an option now.
I'm happy with Sims personalities as long as they are weak and don't include turn ons/turn offs.
If the Sims team could make it so that you could do something in settings to say that "Yes I want personalities but at a mild/moderate/strong" level. Same with emotions and turn offs/turn ons, then fine. But I don't see that happening. If the option is there (which I doubt it would be) it'd probably be an all or nothing method which would spoil my game play style andruin many of my stories, so no I don't want it.
"Sims 2 and 3 already catered to them, Sims 4 can cater to a new audience."
At the expense of those of us who've been playing for years?
And yes, there were more options for game-playing in the older versions, more scope for creating interesting looking Sims. There was the option of story progression, (which could be turned on or off,) etc. family trees, which you could use or not use, toddlers, lots of traits, etc. etc. After that, Sims 4 is a straightjacket. Nice that you find it comfortable, but many, many of us don't.
What happened with Sims 4 seems pretty obvious. EA decided to do to the Sims what they did to Sim City, changing it from a creative sandbox game to a competitive online version. Then came the Sim City rollout fiasco, and they realized they couldn't afford a repeat, so some frantic rejiggering took place, which they tried to pass off as new exciting features. "Good NEWS guys! Remember all those legacies you liked to create with family trees? No more of THAT! And forget toddlers. And forget large, complex, open worlds. Now they're tiny and nicely cartoonish! Oh, and you'll have to use Origin, which means sometimes you'll have to wait over an hour for your game to download. Isn't it GREAT???!!! "
Nope. It's not.
Look, I've given Sims 4 a chance. I bought it, downloaded it. Gave it a try. If there's a Sims 5, I'll check it out, but I suspect if we ever see it, it will be aimed at even younger players. Too bad.
"Sims 2 and 3 already catered to them, Sims 4 can cater to a new audience."
At the expense of those of us who've been playing for years?
And yes, there were more options for game-playing in the older versions, more scope for creating interesting looking Sims. There was the option of story progression, (which could be turned on or off,) etc. family trees, which you could use or not use, toddlers, lots of traits, etc. etc. After that, Sims 4 is a straightjacket. Nice that you find it comfortable, but many, many of us don't.
What happened with Sims 4 seems pretty obvious. EA decided to do to the Sims what they did to Sim City, changing it from a creative sandbox game to a competitive online version. Then came the Sim City rollout fiasco, and they realized they couldn't afford a repeat, so some frantic rejiggering took place, which they tried to pass off as new exciting features. "Good NEWS guys! Remember all those legacies you liked to create with family trees? No more of THAT! And forget toddlers. And forget large, complex, open worlds. Now they're tiny and nicely cartoonish! Oh, and you'll have to use Origin, which means sometimes you'll have to wait over an hour for your game to download. Isn't it GREAT???!!! "
Nope. It's not.
Look, I've given Sims 4 a chance. I bought it, downloaded it. Gave it a try. If there's a Sims 5, I'll check it out, but I suspect if we ever see it, it will be aimed at even younger players. Too bad.
Like I said, I've been playing for years too, since it first came out and Sim City before it. It wasn't at the expense of all long-term players. It was at the expense of some players who have one playstyle that Sims 2 and 3 catered towards, and catered towards other players who have a playstyle similar to me and a few other play styles as well. The players who enjoyed SIms 2 or 3 better are welcome to keep playing them. The players that prefer Sims 4 can play Sims 4. No one forces anyone to play a different version. The older versions are still there.
I personally still create legacies. Toddlers have been in the game for over 3 years now and they are better than previous versions so not really a valid complaint at this point. And not all of us like Open Worlds or colour wheels, but hate building so think the gallery is the best thing ever. It's a different game play style, not a childish one but a DIFFERENT one, and it's okay to play a different game. The art style again, is a matter of taste. I personally find Sims 3 and Sims 2 sims very ugly. Beautiful animations, but ugly art. But guess what? Art is subjective and people are free to enjoy different things. Origin isn't my favourite thing in the world but has absolutely nothing to do with my game play style and it's better than having a bunch of disks cluttering up my desk.
For myself, Sims 4 is the perfect game due to my play style. I'm happy with it. I hope for your sake Sims 5 is what you are looking for. Myself, I don't think I'll move on to Sims 5 because I have no intention of starting all over again buying new stuff when I already have a fantastic game that I love. If it was exactly like Sims 4 in every single way but threw in story progression and gradual aging maybe I'd be tempted? Even then though it'd be a hard sell because my families are in a Sims 4 save file that most likely could not be transferred and I've played many of the same families for years and don't want to stop so I probably wouldn't go for it, and I'm not expecting that anyways. I'm expecting Sims 5 would be a brand new game with some things from previous versions and some things new to it. But either way, doesn't matter to me in the slightest as I am not really interested in it.
I have a great idea for a new Sims game that will give players even more of an opportunity to use their imaginations!
3-D sims!
EA could mold them of plastic, put on fake hair, include clothes you can take on and take off.No more need for power! No need to turn a computer on. Just send off for your sim and EA will send it to you in a little box. AND you could include miniature 3-D houses for the Sims to play in. Want a Sims world? Buy more sims and more little houses, maybe even little stores.
Want your sims to go from infancy to adulthoodl? EA could just include an in-app purchase that involves sending out for a toddler 3-D sim, then a child 3-d sim, then a teenager... And once your sims become adults, EA can give its customers a break and include a small pen so you can draw on wrinkles. Can't say fairer than that, right?
Want to move your sims? Simply put your hand around the sim's torso and move them forward in little hops. Want them to talk? Use your own voice, making it squeaky for children, flutey for women, and deep for men. For gestures, merely raise and lower their flexible arms with one finger.
When, how, and if your sims die will be up to you. Drop your sim from the second floor and say it committed suicide! Add on fake bandages and say they survived! You can even say a MONSTER attacked them and let your dog chew on the sim while you squeal for your sim, "Oh NOOOOOOH the MONSTER is EATING me!" Borrow mom's blender and drop your sim in and say it was an industrial accident!
The limit is only your imagination in EAs revolutionary new approach to gameplay!
I have a great idea for a new Sims game that will give players even more of an ability to use their imaginations!
3-D sims!
EA could mold them of plastic, put on fake hair, include clothes you can take on and take off.No more need for power! No need to turn a computer on. Just send off for your sim and EA will send it to you in a little box. AND you could include miniature 3-D houses for the Sims to play in. Want a Sims world? Buy more sims and more little houses, maybe even little stores.
Want your sims to go from infancy to adulthoodl? EA could just include an in-app purchase that involves sending out for a toddler 3-D sim, then a child 3-d sim, then a teenager... And once your sims become adults, EA can give its customers a break and include a small pen so you can draw on wrinkles. Can't say fairer than that, right?
Want to move your sims? Simply put your hand around the sim's torso and move them forward in little hops. Want them to talk? Use your own voice, making it squeaky for children, flutey for women, and deep for men. For gestures, merely raise and lower their flexible arms with one finger.
When, how, and if your sims die will be up to you. Drop your sim from the second floor and say it committed suicide! Add on fake bandages and say they survived! You can even say a MONSTER attacked them and let your dog chew on the sim while you squeal for your sim, "Oh NOOOOOOH the MONSTER is EATING me!". Borrow mom's blender and drop your sim in and say it was an industrial accident!
The limit is only your imagination in EAs revolutionary new approach to gameplay!
Nah, never did enjoy playing dolls, even as a kid. But for someone complaining that the game is childish, your tone is coming across quite childish? Almost temper tantrum-ish. Believe it or not, Sims 4 players are allowed to enjoy the game the way it is. You are allowed to enjoy whatever game you want, and I hope you do.
Anyways, I've stated my opinion. I enjoy it the way it is. You aren't going to convince me that I don't, and my kid needs the computer for school now so I'm heading out. Have fun playing whatever it is you enjoy.
"Believe it or not, Sims 4 players are allowed to enjoy the game the way it is."
And you're welcome to play it. Too bad so many of us have watched an imaginative and exciting game franchise drained of intelligence and scope. Wish we'd been allowed to enjoy it as we liked it.
I just wish it were *even* really rated Teen but as far as it is now, it's actually conforming to E for Everybody. Sims walk around with Barney-the-Dinosaur smiles almost no matter what, unless it's time to crawl under the covers and cry because someone they didn't know died, again this week.
No fears, no consequences, no competitions (except chess, there aren't winners or losers at anything in actual gameplay for sports, though you can win or lose a harmless, consequence-free duel in Vampires or Realms of Magic), it's all Cooperative Parallel Play, like carefully supervised playdates for toddlers.
Which is why mods are so important to make the game worthwhile. But how messed up is that?
Racism is EVERYONE's fight #BLM #StopAsianHate
Let's make Liberty and Justice For All a reality.
Just wondering why you think that the game is to childish now? If you look at every game made that is T or up yes they all might sound childish because parents these days don't care what their kids play.Its a matter how you yourself view the game if you think its to childish then it might be to childish for you to play which is fine everyone can have their own opinions. My opinion is that there still isn't a lot to do for sims for me to even play because I lost interest when Discover University didn't wow me enough.
In other word, what I am saying is: the maturity/complexity of your sim depends on your creativity and involvement. This is the idea behind sandbox games. Sandbox games should not spoon-feed you stories, they should instead provide a blank canvas for YOUR stories.
Not sure that’s an argument I’d make but you did. Perhaps Sims isn’t as sandbox as people think, eh? One of the first things you do is define your Sim through one of the various personality builders each game has had. Once you’ve locked in your Sim, their “personality” “traits” “characteristics” - whatever - are you really left with a blank canvas? Sure, but at the same time no because you have a Sim with a personality that you established, who ideally should display that personality through gameplay right?
What are you left with when the personality builder is meaningless for live mode? Sims 4, which is the only game where you can go through all of that and still have a blank canvas when you start. Not because it’s a sandbox game, because it’s a poorly designed game where nothing means anything and you have to imagine mostly everything you want to happen. Some people like that, but it’s not a lack of creativity that gave Sims 4 it’s complaints; I t’s just literally a bad sequel that nearly flopped until EA mass marketed it at a reduced price.
Very well said. I don't think that it was never intended to have the 4th installment of the series be less in depth in what concerns to sims personalities and everything that is built around it in game. I think it was a failure. That's why after this years we can read in the surveys some intention on changing how traits work or on bringing consequences to the game.
It took me a very long time to enjoy playing sims 4 because i was playing as it was supposed to be, a game. Sandbox yes, but a game. Recently i started playing it by inventing storylines in my head (ok nothing new...) but also inventing the turn arounds. That is what is new. Simmers have always played with their imagination, having to imagine my play AND the consequent outcome is what is new...
The last paragraph is what I meant. Invention and imagination. Sims with trait in CAS is a starting point in a blank canvas which is his/her life.
One of my Sims completed a Strangerville challenge with a "loner" trait. Strangerville challenge requires your sims to socialize with other NPCs in order to complete it, which poses a difficulty to my Sim because after some social interactions, she would get an uncomfortable moodlet due to her loner trait. She also has a paranoid trait so she also receive something like "everyone is talking about me" moodlet. Her inner thoughts is my invention. I would imagine her emotional struggle as she has to drag herself out of her comfort zone and interact with strangers knowing that she sounds crazy (alien invasion? really?). But she loves her hometown and she wants to save it. In this case her traits do influence her storyline.
Now, the Sims 4 is not perfect. Can it be improved? Yes, definitely. I would be intrigued by new traits and how I can use them in my stories. Is it childish? That depends on your imagination. In my case, no it's not .
It’s rated 12 and i’ve had it since I was 8 (shhh🤫) and I have invested money into it. I have nearly all the packs and i’m 14. If they made it 15 rated i’d be technically to young. Also it needs some boundaries, it’s a 12 and your asking for this. If it was a 15 people would be asking for violence, if it was an 18 people would ask for much worse. Keeping it a 12 is very reasonable
I was technically too young for Mortal Kombat when it came out. I was about 8 then, and I was able to play the game without it rotting my young mind, because I had a mom who taught me how to handle and process media violence and a healthy dose of good sense. What your post does is illustrate two big problems with the game industry in particular and the media industry in general.
The first problem is that age recommendations as outlined by ratings systems are very generalized, and mostly err on the side of caution. I've played T rated games that are tame enough for a 7-year-old to play if the parents give them the cognitive and emotional tools necessary to understand and process the content properly. Then, there are people who are either very mature or immature for their age. So, you may have an 8-year-old who is mature enough to watch an R rated movie without acting out, repeating swear words, or having nightmares, and you may have a 17-year-old who sees an R rated movie and repeats every swear word they just heard, tries to copy all the dangerous stunts in the back yard with no protection, and can't stop having nightmares about the monster from the movie because their maturity level is far behind their chronological age. Parents need to teach their children how to handle questionable content in the media from a young age, assess their child's maturity level carefully and accurately when considering whether they should watch or play something, and talk with their children about what the media they consume to ensure that their kids are coming up right.
The second problem you've highlighted is the fact that there isn't a uniform, standardized, worldwide ratings system for media in general, and for games in particular. The U.S. has the ESRB ratings system, Europe has PEGI, and so-on. Each of these regions uses different criteria to decide what content is appropriate for what general age range and uses different ratings...and sometimes even different age ranges. For instance, the PEGI system uses the ratings 3, 7, 12, 16, and 18, directly referencing the minimum age that the game should generally be appropriate for. PEGI has stricter guidelines on gambling than the ESRB, which is why the Game Corner was removed from all new Pokémon games several years back, so that the series could remain at a PEGI 7 (I think that was the rating they were aiming for). PEGI also has a shorter and less nuanced list of content warnings than the ESRB system--9 to the ESRB's 30. This gives parents less detailed information about content and puts publishers at higher risk for getting a higher rating than intended because of how broad the PEGI content categories are.
The ESRB has the ratings E (all ages), E10+ (players 10 and up), T (players 13 and up), M (17 and up), and Ao (18 and up). The ESRB isn't as hard on gambling as PEGI is, and it has a longer and more nuanced list of specific content warnings to go along with its ratings system. So, while both systems have five general ratings, because the ESRB employs more detailed content descriptors, it gives parents more information about the product to make a more informed decision with and it gives publishers more wiggle room with their content to be able to stay within a desired rating without having to tone things down too heavily. When game companies release their games worldwide, these differences in how content ratings are handled can cause serious trouble, because the company may be trying to sell their game in all regions to players in roughly the same age range, but because the standards and rating systems are different all over the place, a game might end up either having to have multiple different international edits or just be toned down in general to try and stick roughly similar ratings in all regions. The latter sometimes works out alright, and sometimes ends up as a disaster as a company struggles to hold on to the rating they think the game should have in one region, while taking away features and content much beloved by players in other regions. Until the international community gets together and creates a single, standard game rating system, we'll keep having issues like this long into the future as companies place just as much importance on international markets as their own domestic markets.
I’m not even reading all that. Read the first line on each and it doesn’t sound have anything to do with what I said? I wasn’t talking about age ratings I’m talking about people’s stupid requests.
Well, if you had read the entire thing, you would know that it actually has quite a lot to do with your post. After all, you did bring up the game's rating in your region as a reason why you don't think those slightly more mature elements should make a return. So, just for you, the TL;DR version:
1. Ratings systems are just a guideline, the actual maturity of the kid is what really matters in whether or not they can or should play a game.
2. Because different regions have different ratings systems with different standards, chasing a "consistent" rating in all regions is a fool's errand which often leads to features that are enjoyed by players in one region (like the cake dancers, exotic dancers, and darkly humorous moments that appeared in previous Sims games, or the Game Corner in the Pokémon games) being removed across the board to adhere to tighter ratings standards in another region.
The "stupid requests" that you are talking about are just calls to restore features which were stripped from the games to appease more prudish ratings boards in other regions and get uptight church ladies to quit clutching their pearls. People want that stuff back because it was fun.
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So go watch play-throughs of Sims 1 and Sims 2
I’m not even reading all that. Read the first line on each and it doesn’t sound have anything to do with what I said? I wasn’t talking about age ratings I’m talking about people’s stupid requests.
5K Mud Run For Cancer Research, 14 July 2018.
Sims 4, 25th December 2014
Not sure that’s an argument I’d make but you did. Perhaps Sims isn’t as sandbox as people think, eh? One of the first things you do is define your Sim through one of the various personality builders each game has had. Once you’ve locked in your Sim, their “personality” “traits” “characteristics” - whatever - are you really left with a blank canvas? Sure, but at the same time no because you have a Sim with a personality that you established, who ideally should display that personality through gameplay right?
What are you left with when the personality builder is meaningless for live mode? Sims 4, which is the only game where you can go through all of that and still have a blank canvas when you start. Not because it’s a sandbox game, because it’s a poorly designed game where nothing means anything and you have to imagine mostly everything you want to happen. Some people like that, but it’s not a lack of creativity that gave Sims 4 it’s complaints; I t’s just literally a bad sequel that nearly flopped until EA mass marketed it at a reduced price.
Im talking about people who equate maturity with raunchiness, not sex. Sex is a normal part of life. A funny pee walk isnt really funny to me but neither is llama jokes, which is all over Sims 2 and 3. The sims is always going to have a playfulness about it, thats the way the series has always been.
Personality,depth,humor,consequences,lore,customization.
Well said! I'm 54 and love my Sims but more into S3. S4 is a hit or miss with me at times. There are times when I can really get into it, but when I get bored, I get bored. I think there are more simmers our age than anyone will care to admit.
Very well said. I don't think that it was never intended to have the 4th installment of the series be less in depth in what concerns to sims personalities and everything that is built around it in game. I think it was a failure. That's why after this years we can read in the surveys some intention on changing how traits work or on bringing consequences to the game.
It took me a very long time to enjoy playing sims 4 because i was playing as it was supposed to be, a game. Sandbox yes, but a game. Recently i started playing it by inventing storylines in my head (ok nothing new...) but also inventing the turn arounds. That is what is new. Simmers have always played with their imagination, having to imagine my play AND the consequent outcome is what is new...
A question to all you folks who piped up to say you like the childishness, the oh so pitty-pitty Sims, etc...
Would it really spoil things for you if those of us interested in more sophisticated storytelling had it as an option? Does the story really HAVE to be lobotomized for everyone in order for it to be fun for you?
I like it how it is, but I don't "like the childishness" so not sure if I'm who you mean. I just don't think it's childish.
But it would spoil things very much for me if they made the sims the way they are in, say, Sims 2. I have that game too and I can't play it without getting bored very quickly. I just can't be creative enough with it. The sims fight against me left, right, and centre to do their own thing when I want them to do something else. They have their own personality which makes it so that I can't be creative with them and tell stories in my game play the way I like to, which is really frustrating. If I wanted them to do their own thing I may as well watch a movie because my game play style is to create a story, not to watch them make the story.
I found that element of free will in Sims 2 a spur to creativity. And you do know you could turn it off, right?
This is not about going back to Sims 2. (For the record, I prefer Sims 3.) This is about a newer version actually being an improvement rather than a regression that caters solely to people who want to build worlds of nothing but pretty people and fashionable clothes.
Some people are happy to just take pictures of their sims and post stories. They use pose player with lots of fake poses and interactions and, as long as they have their pretty pictures, they probably don't even notice that the actual gameplay is lacking.
And here's what I don't understand about this, (because I'm sure this is true for a lot of people). How on earth did they get those stories and pictures from games past? I certainly saw them around during sims 2 and 3 times. Surely they didn't have to "fight" with their sims to set this up. Is it just simply a matter of free-will off? I know mods for sure to set up poses but I dunno... I also don't really remember people complaining that their sims were having lives? Maybe it's a case of didn't know what they were missing?
For me, I do think the game is too childish but that's because there's little to no consequences. If something bad happens, I have to force it and fight with my game. Ha! Exactly opposite of people that don't think it's childish.
No, you couldn't turn off what I'm talking about. Sim's personalities. I hate how they are done in Sims 2. Animations are great, but the personality of the Sims themselves is so deep and I can't stand it. I want a completely blank state to tell my stories. (And I dislike Sims 3 too for other reasons. I have the gamebut again get bored very quickly). Sims4 IS a better version for my game play style. Which has nothing to do with building worlds of pretty people, but even if it did, and for those that it does, that game play style is not wrong or more childish than someone elses and there's no reason Sims teams shouldn't cater to them.
For me, having played all games since Sims 1, this is the one version i do NOT find lacking. It's perfect for my game play style and storylines. I don't use pose player, have very few mods (and only use ANY mods 50%of the time, no CC ever) and only once in a blue moon take pictures/screencaps if some big event happened in my story. I just play and create stories about Sims kids/toddlers and big families.
That being said, people that do love taking pictures and posing Sims, it doesn't make them less mature or childish either.
Why "cater to them" at the expense of others? What I saw happen with Sims 3 is the ability to play with different styles narrow.
Would it spoil your game-play to know other people could play it differently?
Sims 2 and 3 already catered to them, Sims 4 can cater to a new audience. That's allowed. And nope, I think MOST people play differently than me I don't care less how they play. I'd also never say they are wrong or childish or immature to play that style as many people do about story tellers and people who thing Sims 4 is the best. I will never understand judging others in that way.
If it was optional of course that'd be fine, but so far it never has been and I don't think it'd be an option now.
I'm happy with Sims personalities as long as they are weak and don't include turn ons/turn offs.
If the Sims team could make it so that you could do something in settings to say that "Yes I want personalities but at a mild/moderate/strong" level. Same with emotions and turn offs/turn ons, then fine. But I don't see that happening. If the option is there (which I doubt it would be) it'd probably be an all or nothing method which would spoil my game play style andruin many of my stories, so no I don't want it.
At the expense of those of us who've been playing for years?
And yes, there were more options for game-playing in the older versions, more scope for creating interesting looking Sims. There was the option of story progression, (which could be turned on or off,) etc. family trees, which you could use or not use, toddlers, lots of traits, etc. etc. After that, Sims 4 is a straightjacket. Nice that you find it comfortable, but many, many of us don't.
What happened with Sims 4 seems pretty obvious. EA decided to do to the Sims what they did to Sim City, changing it from a creative sandbox game to a competitive online version. Then came the Sim City rollout fiasco, and they realized they couldn't afford a repeat, so some frantic rejiggering took place, which they tried to pass off as new exciting features. "Good NEWS guys! Remember all those legacies you liked to create with family trees? No more of THAT! And forget toddlers. And forget large, complex, open worlds. Now they're tiny and nicely cartoonish! Oh, and you'll have to use Origin, which means sometimes you'll have to wait over an hour for your game to download. Isn't it GREAT???!!! "
Nope. It's not.
Look, I've given Sims 4 a chance. I bought it, downloaded it. Gave it a try. If there's a Sims 5, I'll check it out, but I suspect if we ever see it, it will be aimed at even younger players. Too bad.
I personally still create legacies. Toddlers have been in the game for over 3 years now and they are better than previous versions so not really a valid complaint at this point. And not all of us like Open Worlds or colour wheels, but hate building so think the gallery is the best thing ever. It's a different game play style, not a childish one but a DIFFERENT one, and it's okay to play a different game. The art style again, is a matter of taste. I personally find Sims 3 and Sims 2 sims very ugly. Beautiful animations, but ugly art. But guess what? Art is subjective and people are free to enjoy different things. Origin isn't my favourite thing in the world but has absolutely nothing to do with my game play style and it's better than having a bunch of disks cluttering up my desk.
For myself, Sims 4 is the perfect game due to my play style. I'm happy with it. I hope for your sake Sims 5 is what you are looking for. Myself, I don't think I'll move on to Sims 5 because I have no intention of starting all over again buying new stuff when I already have a fantastic game that I love. If it was exactly like Sims 4 in every single way but threw in story progression and gradual aging maybe I'd be tempted? Even then though it'd be a hard sell because my families are in a Sims 4 save file that most likely could not be transferred and I've played many of the same families for years and don't want to stop so I probably wouldn't go for it, and I'm not expecting that anyways. I'm expecting Sims 5 would be a brand new game with some things from previous versions and some things new to it. But either way, doesn't matter to me in the slightest as I am not really interested in it.
3-D sims!
EA could mold them of plastic, put on fake hair, include clothes you can take on and take off.No more need for power! No need to turn a computer on. Just send off for your sim and EA will send it to you in a little box. AND you could include miniature 3-D houses for the Sims to play in. Want a Sims world? Buy more sims and more little houses, maybe even little stores.
Want your sims to go from infancy to adulthoodl? EA could just include an in-app purchase that involves sending out for a toddler 3-D sim, then a child 3-d sim, then a teenager... And once your sims become adults, EA can give its customers a break and include a small pen so you can draw on wrinkles. Can't say fairer than that, right?
Want to move your sims? Simply put your hand around the sim's torso and move them forward in little hops. Want them to talk? Use your own voice, making it squeaky for children, flutey for women, and deep for men. For gestures, merely raise and lower their flexible arms with one finger.
When, how, and if your sims die will be up to you. Drop your sim from the second floor and say it committed suicide! Add on fake bandages and say they survived! You can even say a MONSTER attacked them and let your dog chew on the sim while you squeal for your sim, "Oh NOOOOOOH the MONSTER is EATING me!" Borrow mom's blender and drop your sim in and say it was an industrial accident!
The limit is only your imagination in EAs revolutionary new approach to gameplay!
Nah, never did enjoy playing dolls, even as a kid. But for someone complaining that the game is childish, your tone is coming across quite childish? Almost temper tantrum-ish. Believe it or not, Sims 4 players are allowed to enjoy the game the way it is. You are allowed to enjoy whatever game you want, and I hope you do.
Anyways, I've stated my opinion. I enjoy it the way it is. You aren't going to convince me that I don't, and my kid needs the computer for school now so I'm heading out. Have fun playing whatever it is you enjoy.
And you're welcome to play it. Too bad so many of us have watched an imaginative and exciting game franchise drained of intelligence and scope. Wish we'd been allowed to enjoy it as we liked it.
No fears, no consequences, no competitions (except chess, there aren't winners or losers at anything in actual gameplay for sports, though you can win or lose a harmless, consequence-free duel in Vampires or Realms of Magic), it's all Cooperative Parallel Play, like carefully supervised playdates for toddlers.
Which is why mods are so important to make the game worthwhile. But how messed up is that?
Let's make Liberty and Justice For All a reality.
The last paragraph is what I meant. Invention and imagination. Sims with trait in CAS is a starting point in a blank canvas which is his/her life.
One of my Sims completed a Strangerville challenge with a "loner" trait. Strangerville challenge requires your sims to socialize with other NPCs in order to complete it, which poses a difficulty to my Sim because after some social interactions, she would get an uncomfortable moodlet due to her loner trait. She also has a paranoid trait so she also receive something like "everyone is talking about me" moodlet. Her inner thoughts is my invention. I would imagine her emotional struggle as she has to drag herself out of her comfort zone and interact with strangers knowing that she sounds crazy (alien invasion? really?). But she loves her hometown and she wants to save it. In this case her traits do influence her storyline.
Now, the Sims 4 is not perfect. Can it be improved? Yes, definitely. I would be intrigued by new traits and how I can use them in my stories. Is it childish? That depends on your imagination. In my case, no it's not .
Well, if you had read the entire thing, you would know that it actually has quite a lot to do with your post. After all, you did bring up the game's rating in your region as a reason why you don't think those slightly more mature elements should make a return. So, just for you, the TL;DR version:
1. Ratings systems are just a guideline, the actual maturity of the kid is what really matters in whether or not they can or should play a game.
2. Because different regions have different ratings systems with different standards, chasing a "consistent" rating in all regions is a fool's errand which often leads to features that are enjoyed by players in one region (like the cake dancers, exotic dancers, and darkly humorous moments that appeared in previous Sims games, or the Game Corner in the Pokémon games) being removed across the board to adhere to tighter ratings standards in another region.
The "stupid requests" that you are talking about are just calls to restore features which were stripped from the games to appease more prudish ratings boards in other regions and get uptight church ladies to quit clutching their pearls. People want that stuff back because it was fun.