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Planning our game can be overwhelming
So, I want to share some stuff that I have been up to for a year now and how it has effect me and my game.
Since last summer, I decided to entirely re-build all my worlds. It was frustrating enough as it is due to the forced lot placement- size- environment scenery restrictions. It took me months of deciding, editing, then again changing my mind due to those restrictions, re-doing everything, cause it also became 'outdated' with the release of new packs etc. and then again changing my planning project system etc. I am still not there btw... *sigh*
Then I came to the conclusion that I do not want to continue my household stories, when I am in the middle of this great building project, so haven't really fully played for almost a year now. But i am eager to. Just can't, cause I feel my worlds are a mess.
I learned some great game play improvement methods here and there where the creation of clubs and the sims behavior within, could have a huge impact on how my game would run. It would be more realistic, more logic, more organized and specific lots would be visited by sims that actually make sense to gather around in such places.
Then I soon realized that I would delete the 'unwanted' sims and then also need a lot more new sims in my game that were actually made by real people instead of the randomizer we all have in our game. Sims just don't make sense when it's left up to a computer. I would need a bunch of sims that would fill up the 100 (I am exaggerating) clubs I had in mind to give my world a lively vibe where my households could actually really successfully find friends, soulmates, other celebrity friends or just use certain sims along their journey in their life. The circle needed to be bigger to not bump in the same sims all the time as well.
Meanwhile, I daily stroll on Instagram and see SO many good sims 4 builds that I want and need in my game (I tell myself). I save them and have to make another side plan to actually find ways to have them fit with my other plan and then again.. the many lot restrictions. Half of my builds in the world are my own and the other half are from other creators that i tried to fit in due to these restrictions. Even in this way, I still spend so much time editing. It's crazy.
What I am trying to say is, shouldn't this all just be a lot easier??!! I am close to a year to make my game nice and fun to play with, but it has been a serious pain to do so. Do you think it is important for the developers to make this a lot easier in the future? I believe so. And how?
Starting by editing the town from the world map, an open world with free lot placement of any size, choosing scenery, climate and other world behaviour and background drops/builds, choosing behavior of sims in each sub-hood like we got in the latest pack, but more focus on that for the future of The Sims. Also creating clubs from the world map just through the manage sims/household menu.
Every few days I start my game with some new motivation to start working on my projects again, but I soon enough feel overwhelmed by the restricted options and lack of ease when it comes to editing OUR world in the way we desire with simple tools like: editing, creating clubs and setting sub-hood behavior.
What's you opinion about this and have you gone through something similar like this where you wanted to re-do your entire worlds? Let's talk about it
Since last summer, I decided to entirely re-build all my worlds. It was frustrating enough as it is due to the forced lot placement- size- environment scenery restrictions. It took me months of deciding, editing, then again changing my mind due to those restrictions, re-doing everything, cause it also became 'outdated' with the release of new packs etc. and then again changing my planning project system etc. I am still not there btw... *sigh*
Then I came to the conclusion that I do not want to continue my household stories, when I am in the middle of this great building project, so haven't really fully played for almost a year now. But i am eager to. Just can't, cause I feel my worlds are a mess.
I learned some great game play improvement methods here and there where the creation of clubs and the sims behavior within, could have a huge impact on how my game would run. It would be more realistic, more logic, more organized and specific lots would be visited by sims that actually make sense to gather around in such places.
Then I soon realized that I would delete the 'unwanted' sims and then also need a lot more new sims in my game that were actually made by real people instead of the randomizer we all have in our game. Sims just don't make sense when it's left up to a computer. I would need a bunch of sims that would fill up the 100 (I am exaggerating) clubs I had in mind to give my world a lively vibe where my households could actually really successfully find friends, soulmates, other celebrity friends or just use certain sims along their journey in their life. The circle needed to be bigger to not bump in the same sims all the time as well.
Meanwhile, I daily stroll on Instagram and see SO many good sims 4 builds that I want and need in my game (I tell myself). I save them and have to make another side plan to actually find ways to have them fit with my other plan and then again.. the many lot restrictions. Half of my builds in the world are my own and the other half are from other creators that i tried to fit in due to these restrictions. Even in this way, I still spend so much time editing. It's crazy.
What I am trying to say is, shouldn't this all just be a lot easier??!! I am close to a year to make my game nice and fun to play with, but it has been a serious pain to do so. Do you think it is important for the developers to make this a lot easier in the future? I believe so. And how?
Starting by editing the town from the world map, an open world with free lot placement of any size, choosing scenery, climate and other world behaviour and background drops/builds, choosing behavior of sims in each sub-hood like we got in the latest pack, but more focus on that for the future of The Sims. Also creating clubs from the world map just through the manage sims/household menu.
Every few days I start my game with some new motivation to start working on my projects again, but I soon enough feel overwhelmed by the restricted options and lack of ease when it comes to editing OUR world in the way we desire with simple tools like: editing, creating clubs and setting sub-hood behavior.
What's you opinion about this and have you gone through something similar like this where you wanted to re-do your entire worlds? Let's talk about it
8
Comments
I don't get that same satisfaction from TS4, unfortunately. The worlds are always the same no matter what lots I put down and the NPCs don't change at all unless I have a direct hand in it or I use a mod. I stick to storytelling for one extended family -- free will off, the pose player mod, and hundreds of poses in full effect. All of the other Sims who aren't in the story are ignored. (Unless they photobomb a screenshot in a horrible outfit. In which case, they get insta-killed.)
I say all of that to say: if you don't enjoy the prep work, OP, don't do it. However, if you do enjoy it, carry on. It helps to add a greater sense of connection to the game.
I agree one hundred percent that players should be allowed more customization options and that customization should be possible from the main screen. Setting up clubs is unnecessarily cumbersome.
You know the funny part. I never was and I used to read others simmers story when they micro managed every single thing in town and I was like 'oh god.. headache. I don't even want to bother what all those other sims are doing.' And now, I am thinking that this is a whole new level of playing this game since townies basically ruin everything
I also tried making my own save file from scratch, multiple attempts through and I also encountered similair struggles. Until I finally nail down my own personal default save, I use a variety of other players custom save files and adjust a couple things here and there to my liking, but even then the way I play is so specific that even these custom save files don't have everything I am looking for. Even setting up a game using a custom save can be tedious when I'm thinking about an elaborate story amongst a variety of households.
But yes, some quality of life improvements to help make managing worlds, lots, households, clubs, etc. easier would be greatly appreciated.
quote="filipomel;c-17558360"] I really wish that whenever a new pack launches, maxis would update their default new game save to accomodate all the new features. Default sims in worlds besides Windenburg should all be in clubs, all lots outside of San Myshuno should have a default line up of lot traits, some households outside of Brindleton Bay should be updated with pets, sims living in worlds pre seasons launch need a default hot and cold weather outfit instead of the constantly randomised ones they get, all sims living outside of Del Sol Valley should be updated with appropriate reputation and fame levels, Sims should be updated to have degrees, young adult and older sims should be updated to have character value traits, etc. But yes, some quality of life improvements to help make managing worlds, lots, households, clubs, etc. easier would be greatly appreciated.[/quote]
Agreed on you two!!!!
Even though i have no passion in building and creating (bad it) i tend to be the ''urban planner'' who likes sims with backstories and fitting houses. It would give the sims a sence of story progression. I dont wanna go and update all of this things by myself. So grateful for people like lilsimsie who do save files and think about updating these sims accordingly. EA maybe did this with the pancakes... giving them a toodler. I think they should at least release more updated houses and sims to the gallery so the players who dont wanna bother can decide. Because it is such a hassle, espacially if you rely on the gallery.
My Game Twitter
EA, fix the EA app & CAW EIG!
I agree the only thing about CAW it had an steep learning curve where it frustrated me but hey at least it was offered and I just DL'ed everyone else's creation and I must say most was just beautiful and I forget some of the user's names whose creations just blew me away. I just wish I could make make own lots and Neighborhoods because the neighborhoods are just too small even though the option to connect Neighborhoods is an plus but sometimes it just don't work with my plans so my rule is not as big.
So now i just start with the default save file. As my stories develop i download builds and/or families that'll fit them from the gallery.
Other saves are much easier to start/plan out. My asylum challenge took almost no effort since you can ignore the rest of the world. I also have a base save file to start up games, instead of hitting "new game" it makes the planning of a new save very easy and I have been working on that base save for a year now.
Starting over with TS4 is dead boring. I haven't done that since about 2015/2016.
Once I finally had the game the way that I liked it, I saved it and set it aside. Through spontaneous use, I eventually added better builds and features to the file that I was actually using. So every so often, I'd set aside of copy of that and make it my new template for the future.
I've also found it useful to save my favorite Sims/families before I start a story -- just in case something goes wrong. As they evolve and grow, sometimes I update their saves. That way, when I feel the need to start a different story, I can pop them right in. In the new story, they can serve as NPCs that already have skills, jobs, relationships, and are dressed sanely.
As far as I'm concerned, the only reason to start a game completely fresh is if I enjoy doing that. In TS4, I really don't.
For me I don't want to have to rebuild a world/ the surroundings and backdrops and all of that stuff- it would be like pulling teeth to have to redesign that for any themed save idea I had. Maybe I'm not seeing how it could be easily done anyway and certainly not seeing it applied to the current game. Now I just pick the neighborhoods that I feel best represent my cast of characters and have them live in those. At this point I'm only missing a few settings I want to see in the game eventually actually because we have so many now.
If they can make all that easy for us non-builders in the next game ... I guess by having a bunch of premade "worlds" to select from that are very detailed I'd be happy to try it out... Sim 4 worlds/backgrounds have kind of spoiled me. I know I will want this detail in the future. I can't/wouldn't enjoy trying to create a world like that and I don't want to spend that much time trying too. I just want a great setting to play in from the get go.
I've just gone back to Britechester and found my two elderly Sims' urns in the doorway of their enlarged "crammer" house and my six students lodging there studying to get into university. They now have a butler to look after them. She's not a vampire as they aren't allowed in the property....... got them sorted a bit. They've celebrated New Year in the pub with a lot of friends (including Judith), studied as a pack in the Library there and gone home to eat and sleep. Now I'm going to the Mill House in Evergreen Harbor and work on those two young adults as they look quite interesting and I'm checking out the lots and inhabitants to get hints before keeping, improving or deleting.........
I'm now going in again......I might take some time.........
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/924539/features-that-needs-depth-and-ways-to-improve
Creating a save file just means you make one save file where you build and create townies. Then just load that saved game and create a new file via the "save as" option. I assumed that is part of the console options.
I wish we could edit more of the surrounding areas too, as well as Sims' relationships, careers, etc from manage worlds. As it is now, by the time everything is set up, it's no longer Sunday at 8:00am but Monday. As new packs come out, and you add to it, time progresses even more. I think in my populated save it's Monday afternoon because of fixing skills, relationships, ect.
Something I did to keep the time passage not as extreme is as after I make a household, I'll put them in another save (my building save file), fix the careers and skills. Then I'll save them to my Library and put them in the save. Then all I have to fix are the relationships.
It is infuriating to see ones own command set being flicked aside for some coders idea of game play.
Lower the priority of autonomy so the computer OWNER has right of way.