I fully respect your opinion. But for me, the problem is the theme. From what I've seen from the trailer, the game play does not interest me in any single way, unlike any other expansion's trailer. The second problem is that this is an EXPANSION PACK. It just does not have enough depth to be an expansion pack. It should've been a game pack, and if it was, I wouldn't have a problem, and most of the community wouldn't have a problem either. It's that they wasted an game pack concept on an expansion pack slot.
Personally, I believe this pack deserves the backlash it's getting. No matter how you look at the trailer, you cannot say that it's at least a little lackluster for being an expansion pack. Granted, it's only a trailer, but it doesn't stack up to any of the other expansion trailers. If we just buy whatever they throw at us, and never complain or criticize what they're doing even when it's genuninley not good, they will continue to give us half A'd packs. The community isn't hating for the sake of hating, or to offend the Sims team. We're complaining because we love the game, and we want it to the best possible game it can be. Right now, the game is far from being the best it can be.
The more I learn about the pack I more I like it. It is nice that it is a new eco system that affects existing worlds. This is certainly more like a EP than Island living. island living is really just a GP. Throw out mermaid and conservationist career (two badly implemented things) then it is a GP.
Island living is my least favorite pack the mermaids don't even get their own tombstone and I think they're pretty lackluster overall this new ecopack does look better but I don't think that was a very hard feat to accomplish but that's just my opinion
We are all entitled to our opinions and I can respect that, but really you just have to look at all of the negative Youtube comments to really get a feel for how the community feels about this pack and about the game in general.
The fact that a lot of you who disagree with them are referring to people as 'toxic,' 'overtly negative,' and brushing off their opinions as merely unjust vitriol paints you as being the toxic ones, and you're being quite unfair in that regard. Stop and think that the reason people are so angry is because many are sick of EA disappointing them time and time again with each new addition. I know I have just outright had it. This will be the first time I won't be spending money on an EP ever since the game first launched (which was a disastrous launch by the way that I will NEVER forget), and I don't even think I'll bother getting it when it goes on sale because at this point I'm pretty much done with the Sims 4. The game lacks the depth and intuitive content that all of the previous game titles had. Plenty of players have been providing them feedback on what they want, especially regarding the return of past features and content implemented in Sims 1, 2, and 3, but time and time again they blatantly ignore that in favor of a quick, lazy cash-grab.
And that's all that this is essentially. Another cash-grab. Literally this EP is ironically just cycled, shallow content from previous disappointing EPs. We have a recycling of the conservationist mechanics from Island Living, the recycling of nonsensical contraption-like inventions and machinery from Get to Work, recycling of trash and garbage environment from Strangerville and Island Living, the recycling of bare-bones 'meeting' interactions and 'activity boards/planning' interactions from Get to Work, Get Together, and Discover University, and we already have gardening in the game. Everything in this EP should have just been added to previous EPs and GPs like City Living, Island Living, Jungle Adventure, Tiny Living, Seasons, etc.
You're excited for ladders? Give me a break, the ladders should have been added to Tiny Living or even Island Living, and we learn that ladders won't even be a part of the EP but will jsut be part of a free update. And the majority did NOT vote for this kind of theme in the first place. The past survey votes were for stuff packs last time I checked, not a full $40 EP. The very last survey asked for general feedback, but I don't even see the point anymore considering they obviously don't listen to their loyal players. Again, just look at the flipping Youtube comments for crying out loud!
They have the audacity to come out with an EP that mainly features pollution...and the game doesn't even have practical content in place that causes pollution?? It doesn't even have basic things like cars! The ONLY city world we have doesn't have things like factories, and no street-crime with basic things like littering. But they're going to push this garbage and slap an EP-worthy price tag on it. Don't take my money this time.
People, including me, have asked for so many things. Burglars, firefighters, generations, more in-depth family content, in-depth vacation content (hotels, resorts, better ocean activities, diverse destinations), better pets, expansion of gardening, etc. And improvement on the game mechanics themselves: babies, whims and emotions actually having purpose and effect in the game, stories, more interactions, more consequences (good and bad), etc. Honestly the modding community really is the saving grace because without CCs or mods this game would be boring as hell. That was the thing with the previous titles. You could play ALL of them vanilla and still have a blast playing them for months before you even feel the need to download custom makeup and hair. This game though? From the disastrous launch I was dying for some fan-made content to fill the gaping void. Mind you what's messed up is that the majority of my mods aren't actually content-mods, but mods created for the sole-purpose of FIXING the plethora of bugs and issues the game has because EA can't be bothered to fix them or it takes them centuries to put in a fix.
I've said this before and I'll continue to say this. Been playing the sims for over a decade starting from Sims 1. The sims 4 is just a disgrace. The development team are just really bad I've never seen anything like this. I feel like the launch of this EP is the beginning of the end for me with this game. I will no longer continue to perpetuate EAs bad business practices by spending money on their half-baked, money-grabbing products. Its too bad they really can't take cues from even their past work at least. Sure the Sims 1 and Sims 2 was incredible, still is, but Sims 3 really was fantastic. And to see them come out with this stuff now as their best is just a joke and a shame.
The fact that a lot of you who disagree with them are referring to people as 'toxic,' 'overtly negative,' and brushing off their opinions as merely unjust vitriol paints you as being the toxic ones, and you're being quite unfair in that regard.
I never brushed off anybody's opinions, and I never meant to insult anybody. I was pointing out that we know almost nothing about the pack (which we didn't at the time, I don't think I can say the same right now) and that it's unfair to completely label it as garbage mere hours after the trailer drops. I can understand people being a little more upset now, because we have more details about the pack than just the trailer. However, at the time, it simply didn't make any sense to me.
It's crazy how much money simmers are willing to spend on such little content. Same goes for packs like Island living, City living, Outdoor retreat and so on. I love it how you always try to find the positive and that's great but sometimes companies will take advantage of that.
Also if there were any big features coming with this pack, they would be in the trailer. The main features are what you've seen, why would they hide them?
It's crazy how much money simmers are willing to spend on such little content. Same goes for packs like Island living, City living, Outdoor retreat and so on. I love it how you always try to find the positive and that's great but sometimes companies will take advantage of that.
Also if there were any big features coming with this pack, they would be in the trailer. The main features are what you've seen, why would they hide them?
I agree with this TS1 and TS2 gave you so much content and little details that 4 will probably never have (like they actually used cabinet drawers to get utensils, babies were not objects,etc). I try to get packs on sale. People are so mad at TS4 they're wanting 5 already, but is anything really going to change with 5 for the better or are things going to be done just to make money like multiplayer & better graphics and you'll have to wait 4 years for University, 2 years for Pets; so on and so forth. I honestly don't know if 5 will be in my future.
Sigh, once again a thread that was supposed to be positive about Eco Lifestyle has devolved into a series of general rants and attacks against Sims 4. I don't understand that as there are plenty of complaining and negative threads already where these sorts of criticisms could be posted to a receptive audience. The Sims is a game that has always attracted many different types of players, and I think it is perfectly fine for them to make a more niche pack that will appeal to those players who want more environmentally friendly gameplay options like recycling, composting, refurbishing trash, candle-making, and sims living off what they find and restore, etc., in their games. I know I do: I am really looking forward to this pack. Since not all packs will appeal to everyone, if a pack isn't for you then why not just give it a pass rather than criticizing every little thing before we have really seen what it looks like?
I think it's perfectly valid to level some criticisms at the game and have been known to do it a time or two myself. I personally wish they'd make all traits and the negative emotions more impactful (along the lines for what Carl from Carl's Sims Guides has suggested since he has some sensible ideas). But imo there's a difference between constructive criticism and outright rudeness to the developer team, calling them really bad and their work a disgrace. Individual members of the team don't all have the same amount of input into what gets made. They have to take orders and do their best to create whatever pack is in the pipeline. I think it would be good to stop blaming every little thing that's wrong with the game on the devs. They are just people, some of them longtime players themselves, who are trying to do their jobs.
I also think more allowance needs to be made for how long it takes to develop important features and complex objects. I personally think they have been working on ladders for a really long time, for instance. Last summer, it's likely that they had the animations partly done and thought it might be a good idea to give us ladders to go with docks, and even added a diving feature to it to customize it a bit more for water. Now ladders are finally completely done, and they are being added to the basegame, which means we don't have to pay for them again. Sure it would have been nice if they had been done a little sooner and could have been added in the free patch that came with Tiny Living. It's likely they just weren't ready yet. But at least those who waited to get that pack and anyone who buys it from now on, will be able to use ladders in their tiny builds.
Sims Community posted the developers' brainstorming list from the original theme vote back in April 2017 a few days ago, which I found very interesting. While we only got one element from that list in the first community-voted stuff pack, laundry, it's neat to look back and see how many elements from that original list we've gotten since, in packs like Seasons, Tiny Living, Island Living, and how many we are now getting in this pack. There's a few more from that list which we might still get in a farming pack down the road (like tapping sugar maple trees for sap, butter churns, chicken coops etc). These things just take time. Likewise, the recent gameplay surveys which included hints about improved relationships, better babies, etc will also take time.
Sigh, once again a thread that was supposed to be positive about Eco Lifestyle has devolved into a series of general rants and attacks against Sims 4. I don't understand that as there are plenty of complaining and negative threads already where these sorts of criticisms could be posted to a receptive audience. The Sims is a game that has always attracted many different types of players, and I think it is perfectly fine for them to make a more niche pack that will appeal to those players who want more environmentally friendly gameplay options like recycling, composting, refurbishing trash, candle-making, and sims living off what they find and restore, etc., in their games. I know I do: I am really looking forward to this pack. Since not all packs will appeal to everyone, if a pack isn't for you then why not just give it a pass rather than criticizing every little thing before we have really seen what it looks like?
I think it's perfectly valid to level some criticisms at the game and have been known to do it a time or two myself. I personally wish they'd make all traits and the negative emotions more impactful (along the lines for what Carl from Carl's Sims Guides has suggested since he has some sensible ideas). But imo there's a difference between constructive criticism and outright rudeness to the developer team, calling them really bad and their work a disgrace. Individual members of the team don't all have the same amount of input into what gets made. They have to take orders and do their best to create whatever pack is in the pipeline. I think it would be good to stop blaming every little thing that's wrong with the game on the devs. They are just people, some of them longtime players themselves, who are trying to do their jobs.
I also think more allowance needs to be made for how long it takes to develop important features and complex objects. I personally think they have been working on ladders for a really long time, for instance. Last summer, it's likely that they had the animations partly done and thought it might be a good idea to give us ladders to go with docks, and even added a diving feature to it to customize it a bit more for water. Now ladders are finally completely done, and they are being added to the basegame, which means we don't have to pay for them again. Sure it would have been nice if they had been done a little sooner and could have been added in the free patch that came with Tiny Living. It's likely they just weren't ready yet. But at least those who waited to get that pack and anyone who buys it from now on, will be able to use ladders in their tiny builds.
Sims Community posted the developers' brainstorming list from the original theme vote back in April 2017 a few days ago, which I found very interesting. While we only got one element from that list in the first community-voted stuff pack, laundry, it's neat to look back and see how many elements from that original list we've gotten since, in packs like Seasons, Tiny Living, Island Living, and how many we are now getting in this pack. There's a few more from that list which we might still get in a farming pack down the road (like tapping sugar maple trees for sap, butter churns, chicken coops etc). These things just take time. Likewise, the recent gameplay surveys which included hints about improved relationships, better babies, etc will also take time.
It's crazy how much money simmers are willing to spend on such little content. Same goes for packs like Island living, City living, Outdoor retreat and so on. I love it how you always try to find the positive and that's great but sometimes companies will take advantage of that.
Also if there were any big features coming with this pack, they would be in the trailer. The main features are what you've seen, why would they hide them?
I wouldn't be spending my money if I didn't think it was going to improve my game.
THe main feature of the pack is the pollution that can come to any world, and ironically that has not been in any trailer (. It has been in tweets and comments.
Post edited by Loanet on
Prepping a list of mods to add after Infants are placed into the game. Because real life isn't 'nice'.
I don't play 4 much and thought I would dislike Strangerville when it came out but I have ended up playing that world by keeping it in a sort of apocalyptic state which I have enjoyed very much and after watching the livestream (which I rarely do anymore) for Eco living I decided it would add further unique game-play so while I will always feel S4 is nowhere close to other series for depth and content (I still play 1&2&3 series) I appreciate something new and different to try out so i will probably try this pack for sure. Also I know that some players thought simguru George was a little pretentious during the livestream but for me it brought back fond memories of Guru excitement prior to S3 pack releases of the past so I thoroughly enjoyed the stream and am all aboard for more Guru participation concerning new packs/info as I think this has been one of the communities gripes throughout the development of S4..
Comments
Personally, I believe this pack deserves the backlash it's getting. No matter how you look at the trailer, you cannot say that it's at least a little lackluster for being an expansion pack. Granted, it's only a trailer, but it doesn't stack up to any of the other expansion trailers. If we just buy whatever they throw at us, and never complain or criticize what they're doing even when it's genuninley not good, they will continue to give us half A'd packs. The community isn't hating for the sake of hating, or to offend the Sims team. We're complaining because we love the game, and we want it to the best possible game it can be. Right now, the game is far from being the best it can be.
The fact that a lot of you who disagree with them are referring to people as 'toxic,' 'overtly negative,' and brushing off their opinions as merely unjust vitriol paints you as being the toxic ones, and you're being quite unfair in that regard. Stop and think that the reason people are so angry is because many are sick of EA disappointing them time and time again with each new addition. I know I have just outright had it. This will be the first time I won't be spending money on an EP ever since the game first launched (which was a disastrous launch by the way that I will NEVER forget), and I don't even think I'll bother getting it when it goes on sale because at this point I'm pretty much done with the Sims 4. The game lacks the depth and intuitive content that all of the previous game titles had. Plenty of players have been providing them feedback on what they want, especially regarding the return of past features and content implemented in Sims 1, 2, and 3, but time and time again they blatantly ignore that in favor of a quick, lazy cash-grab.
And that's all that this is essentially. Another cash-grab. Literally this EP is ironically just cycled, shallow content from previous disappointing EPs. We have a recycling of the conservationist mechanics from Island Living, the recycling of nonsensical contraption-like inventions and machinery from Get to Work, recycling of trash and garbage environment from Strangerville and Island Living, the recycling of bare-bones 'meeting' interactions and 'activity boards/planning' interactions from Get to Work, Get Together, and Discover University, and we already have gardening in the game. Everything in this EP should have just been added to previous EPs and GPs like City Living, Island Living, Jungle Adventure, Tiny Living, Seasons, etc.
You're excited for ladders? Give me a break, the ladders should have been added to Tiny Living or even Island Living, and we learn that ladders won't even be a part of the EP but will jsut be part of a free update. And the majority did NOT vote for this kind of theme in the first place. The past survey votes were for stuff packs last time I checked, not a full $40 EP. The very last survey asked for general feedback, but I don't even see the point anymore considering they obviously don't listen to their loyal players. Again, just look at the flipping Youtube comments for crying out loud!
They have the audacity to come out with an EP that mainly features pollution...and the game doesn't even have practical content in place that causes pollution?? It doesn't even have basic things like cars! The ONLY city world we have doesn't have things like factories, and no street-crime with basic things like littering. But they're going to push this garbage and slap an EP-worthy price tag on it. Don't take my money this time.
People, including me, have asked for so many things. Burglars, firefighters, generations, more in-depth family content, in-depth vacation content (hotels, resorts, better ocean activities, diverse destinations), better pets, expansion of gardening, etc. And improvement on the game mechanics themselves: babies, whims and emotions actually having purpose and effect in the game, stories, more interactions, more consequences (good and bad), etc. Honestly the modding community really is the saving grace because without CCs or mods this game would be boring as hell. That was the thing with the previous titles. You could play ALL of them vanilla and still have a blast playing them for months before you even feel the need to download custom makeup and hair. This game though? From the disastrous launch I was dying for some fan-made content to fill the gaping void. Mind you what's messed up is that the majority of my mods aren't actually content-mods, but mods created for the sole-purpose of FIXING the plethora of bugs and issues the game has because EA can't be bothered to fix them or it takes them centuries to put in a fix.
I've said this before and I'll continue to say this. Been playing the sims for over a decade starting from Sims 1. The sims 4 is just a disgrace. The development team are just really bad I've never seen anything like this. I feel like the launch of this EP is the beginning of the end for me with this game. I will no longer continue to perpetuate EAs bad business practices by spending money on their half-baked, money-grabbing products. Its too bad they really can't take cues from even their past work at least. Sure the Sims 1 and Sims 2 was incredible, still is, but Sims 3 really was fantastic. And to see them come out with this stuff now as their best is just a joke and a shame.
I never brushed off anybody's opinions, and I never meant to insult anybody. I was pointing out that we know almost nothing about the pack (which we didn't at the time, I don't think I can say the same right now) and that it's unfair to completely label it as garbage mere hours after the trailer drops. I can understand people being a little more upset now, because we have more details about the pack than just the trailer. However, at the time, it simply didn't make any sense to me.
Also if there were any big features coming with this pack, they would be in the trailer. The main features are what you've seen, why would they hide them?
I agree with this TS1 and TS2 gave you so much content and little details that 4 will probably never have (like they actually used cabinet drawers to get utensils, babies were not objects,etc). I try to get packs on sale. People are so mad at TS4 they're wanting 5 already, but is anything really going to change with 5 for the better or are things going to be done just to make money like multiplayer & better graphics and you'll have to wait 4 years for University, 2 years for Pets; so on and so forth. I honestly don't know if 5 will be in my future.
I think it's perfectly valid to level some criticisms at the game and have been known to do it a time or two myself. I personally wish they'd make all traits and the negative emotions more impactful (along the lines for what Carl from Carl's Sims Guides has suggested since he has some sensible ideas). But imo there's a difference between constructive criticism and outright rudeness to the developer team, calling them really bad and their work a disgrace. Individual members of the team don't all have the same amount of input into what gets made. They have to take orders and do their best to create whatever pack is in the pipeline. I think it would be good to stop blaming every little thing that's wrong with the game on the devs. They are just people, some of them longtime players themselves, who are trying to do their jobs.
I also think more allowance needs to be made for how long it takes to develop important features and complex objects. I personally think they have been working on ladders for a really long time, for instance. Last summer, it's likely that they had the animations partly done and thought it might be a good idea to give us ladders to go with docks, and even added a diving feature to it to customize it a bit more for water. Now ladders are finally completely done, and they are being added to the basegame, which means we don't have to pay for them again. Sure it would have been nice if they had been done a little sooner and could have been added in the free patch that came with Tiny Living. It's likely they just weren't ready yet. But at least those who waited to get that pack and anyone who buys it from now on, will be able to use ladders in their tiny builds.
Sims Community posted the developers' brainstorming list from the original theme vote back in April 2017 a few days ago, which I found very interesting. While we only got one element from that list in the first community-voted stuff pack, laundry, it's neat to look back and see how many elements from that original list we've gotten since, in packs like Seasons, Tiny Living, Island Living, and how many we are now getting in this pack. There's a few more from that list which we might still get in a farming pack down the road (like tapping sugar maple trees for sap, butter churns, chicken coops etc). These things just take time. Likewise, the recent gameplay surveys which included hints about improved relationships, better babies, etc will also take time.
God, all of this.
I wouldn't be spending my money if I didn't think it was going to improve my game.
THe main feature of the pack is the pollution that can come to any world, and ironically that has not been in any trailer (. It has been in tweets and comments.