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The Sims 5 in Development - Exciting Clues!

ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
Hi Everyone!

I was just looking through EA's Career Opportunities and found this, dated February 26, 2020 for Maxis at the Redwood, California studio:


It is a post for Senior Character Artist "to help establish the look of our characters for a new, unannounced project". Furthermore, applicants seeking this position should be "a visionary character artist who is adept at stylization, artistic interpretation and a deep experience in character pipelines, bringing the latest trends in technology to bear against your craft, and mentoring others to develop excellent experiences for new and existing IP". So this new, unannounced project may well be The Sims 5! If this is about The Sims 5, then they are well into the production phase, not just pre-production.

*@NationalPokedex also found another post for Senior Technical Artist Generalist with similar description: "Maxis is looking for a Technical Artist Generalist. We are gearing up for our next productions and we need some passionate teammates to collaborate with to bring our new characters & worlds to life. If you are passionate about bringing the latest trends in technology to bear against your craft, and collaborating with others to develop best in class experiences for new IPs...."


Another thing that I took away from this post is that this new, unannounced project uses the Unreal Engine! I'm not sure which one though - there are 5 editions, with Unreal 3 and Unreal 4 still in heavy use. Unreal 5 has just been recently announced, so not sure if they're using that. More likely Unreal 4.


That means that this time, they are NOT building their own game engine, but using an already built engine with a ton of features already in place! It's a powerful engine, unlike that of TS4's, and much more optimized than TS3's, making open world smooth and lag free! It is a game engine that is scalable, meaning that it can be run on a wide variety of computers, even relatively potato ones like mine (2014 computer with 4gb RAM and integrated Intel graphics runs Borderlands 1, 2 and Prequel beautifully)! And because they are using a game engine that's already complete, it cuts down on time having to develop their own, so the game could very well be ready by next year!

I'm honestly excited about this because a lot of the games I love are made with the Unreal Engine: Batman: Arkham Series, Bioshock Infinite, Borderlands 1, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Prequel, Dishonored (all on Unreal 3), Borderlands 3 (Unreal 4).... Just too many I love so here's a list of some of the games using the Unreal Engine. You might find some of your own favorites here too!


Why I'm excited:
  • With the Unreal Engine, Maxis can implement flying as a new mode of transportation! (Oh Maxis PLEEEEEZE? I want this so much!) And this can handle active scuba diving and group boating and other water activities as well - features that I really want to see again in The Sims 5!
  • More possibilities with this engine - handles open world beautifully for example! Plus there are so many features to it. This will allow for deep gameplay to be implemented. I'm tearing up as I type this! It is on Maxis to take advantage of all the features that the Unreal Engine provides so, please Maxis devs, please use as much of it as you can!

There are still questions though:

1) Will there still be a Create-A-World? Is that possible in the Unreal Engine? I don't know because all the games I've played in the Unreal Engine are normally action first and third-person shooters, or adventure games that don't implement map making. TS5 MUST have a Create-A-World at basegame! I already know from previous Unreal games that I play that travel between worlds is pretty good!

2) Will it have the colorwheel and allow us to use and add patterns? Customization is really important - TS5 MUST have CASt at basegame!

3) How will modding be? It must be so that modding is easy for this game, to modify existing factors in the game and to add more gameplay to it so that it can even be turned into other genres, like survival, FP/TP shooter, hitman stealth, etc.

4) How will multiplayer be implemented? If Maxis is using the Unreal Engine for The Sims 5, then maybe it won't be so bad. I play the Borderlands games and others that have multiplayer and uses the Unreal Engine, mostly in single player mode myself. I don't find the multiplayer side really getting in the way of the single player side of those games. The single player side of those games feel "full" and not neglected. I think though, that again, it is on Maxis to make sure that the singleplayer side is "full" and not neglected. I have some great ideas for the multiplayer side if this is the case. I'll post about those some other day in a separate thread.

Please read through the Senior Character Artist employment post for yourselves! What other clues can you pick up? Post them right here!


Post edited by ClarionOfJoy on

Comments

  • KaeChan2089KaeChan2089 Posts: 4,944 Member
    edited July 2020
    ^^ While I enjoy your post how it was showing many more new things I have yet to see <3 And I applaud you for it.
    But don't be surprised if many people come in here saying that there is no way TS5 is coming anytime soon and that TS4 has many more years -rolls eyes.-

    OH and I would be on board with them using the new Unreal Engine 5 <3.
  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    ^^ While I enjoy your post how it was showing many more new things I have yet to see <3 And I applaud you for it.
    But don't be surprised if many people come in here saying that there is no way TS5 is coming anytime soon and that TS4 has many more years -rolls eyes.-

    But this blows TS4 out of the water by leaps and bounds. Maxis is not ever going to fix TS4's problems because it is clear to me that they are putting their all in this next project. I don't believe any of those people who say they are just going to stick with TS4, if TS5 is built with the Unreal Engine, a very powerful game engine, I must emphasize, that will bring a basegame with so many features.

  • KaeChan2089KaeChan2089 Posts: 4,944 Member
    ^^ While I enjoy your post how it was showing many more new things I have yet to see <3 And I applaud you for it.
    But don't be surprised if many people come in here saying that there is no way TS5 is coming anytime soon and that TS4 has many more years -rolls eyes.-

    But this blows TS4 out of the water by leaps and bounds. Maxis is not ever going to fix TS4's problems because it is clear to me that they are putting their all in this next project. I don't believe any of those people who say they are just going to stick with TS4, if TS5 is built with the Unreal Engine, a very powerful game engine, I must emphasize, that will bring a basegame with so many features.

    That would be amazing <3. I hope they take the feedback with TS4 and apply for one amazing entry in the series with TS5. OOooh I'm getting excited.
  • ChazzzyChazzzy Posts: 7,166 Member
    edited July 2020
    Who’s to say this job posting is for a Sims title at all? EA is a large company. Could be for a totally different game
  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    Chazzzy wrote: »
    Who’s to say this job posting is for a Sims title at all? EA is a large company. Could be for a totally different game


    It says it's for Maxis.


  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,439 Member
    Chazzzy wrote: »
    Who’s to say this job posting is for a Sims title at all? EA is a large company. Could be for a totally different game

    Fair point.

    But, if this is truly for Sims 5, then they are even further behind than I thought in production, because this would mean that the look of the Sims and the art style hasn't even been nailed down yet so the game itself most likely hasn't even been started.

    Sounds like they're only just getting out of pre-production. It's going to be a few years.
    #Team Occult
  • ChazzzyChazzzy Posts: 7,166 Member
    edited July 2020
    Chazzzy wrote: »
    Who’s to say this job posting is for a Sims title at all? EA is a large company. Could be for a totally different game


    It says it's for Maxis.


    It still may not be for a Sim’s title. Maybe they’re attempting to branch out and make a new simulation game entirely. You never know.
  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    LiELF wrote: »
    Chazzzy wrote: »
    Who’s to say this job posting is for a Sims title at all? EA is a large company. Could be for a totally different game

    Fair point.

    But, if this is truly for Sims 5, then they are even further behind than I thought in production, because this would mean that the look of the Sims and the art style hasn't even been nailed down yet so the game itself most likely hasn't even been started.

    Sounds like they're only just getting out of pre-production. It's going to be a few years.


    Not necessarily. Lots of times, they have a raw art design which is used to test out game mechanics. Remember the initial trailers for TS4? If they're looking for artists to work on the final design, which is what this looks like, then they have a good amount of the project's mechanics underway or complete. So I wouldn't think it would be 2, 3 or 4 years away like you're saying, but much sooner!


  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    Chazzzy wrote: »
    Chazzzy wrote: »
    Who’s to say this job posting is for a Sims title at all? EA is a large company. Could be for a totally different game


    It says it's for Maxis.


    It still may not be for a Sim’s title. Maybe they’re attempting to branch out and make a new simulation game entirely. You never know.


    *Shrug* Maybe. I remember that they had openings for an new IP in Texas. But this is for the Redwood studio.

  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,439 Member
    Read it again. The first line says "establish the look" and a couple of times after it states, "define and refine".

    I think it's pretty clear in the ad that the new hire will be working with the artists to create a design for the initial characters and art style.

    It definitely lines up with what the Gurus have been saying about Sims 4 lasting a few more years.

    But it's still exciting to think it might be on the Unreal engine or something like it. Hopefully the game will be worth the wait.
    #Team Occult
  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    LiELF wrote: »
    Read it again. The first line says "establish the look" and a couple of times after it states, "define and refine".

    I think it's pretty clear in the ad that the new hire will be working with the artists to create a design for the initial characters and art style.

    It definitely lines up with what the Gurus have been saying about Sims 4 lasting a few more years.

    But it's still exciting to think it might be on the Unreal engine or something like it. Hopefully the game will be worth the wait.


    How long does establishing the look take? To define and refine that look? Months, not years. Also, it is clear that they have a lot of the code work done to be able to start concentrating on the look of the characters.


  • simmerLellasimmerLella Posts: 612 Member
    Chazzzy wrote: »
    Who’s to say this job posting is for a Sims title at all? EA is a large company. Could be for a totally different game


    It says it's for Maxis.


    Ah, you should have put "Maxis" in your OP. I would have read it 99% differently. Now I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster, hehe. I need to chill and come back to this, haha.
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  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    Chazzzy wrote: »
    Who’s to say this job posting is for a Sims title at all? EA is a large company. Could be for a totally different game


    It says it's for Maxis.


    Ah, you should have put "Maxis" in your OP. I would have read it 99% differently. Now I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster, hehe. I need to chill and come back to this, haha.


    Oh okay, I'll update my OP with that!


  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    edited July 2020
    If The Sims 5 is being built on the Unreal Engine (probably 4th Edition), I just want to list some of its features that the devs can implement:

    Some of the features I'm really excited about:

    World Building: In my OP, I was wondering if we'll be able to build our own worlds, but the Unreal Engine comes with a world editor! It has really extensive tools to build any type of environment. I hope we will get a modified version just for the game so we can start building our own worlds at basegame!

    Animation: It also comes with character animation tools. I know TS2 simmers are all about great detail in animations, and have been longing for this for 11 years since the end of TS2's run. I didn't mind it so much that animations weren't as detailed in TS3, but if it's part of the game engine in Unreal and thus in TS5, then I'm all for it!

    Better Hair and Clothing Simulation: I didn't even know the engine can do this, but it can! There's a whole section there on "Simulation and Effects" that features realistic hair and textured clothing that sway with movement! This section also includes special effects physics too!

    Gameplay And Interactive Authoring: It already has advanced AI tools! That means sims will do what they're supposed to! WITHOUT MODS!

    The Unreal Engine has a lot of other features, but these to me are the most important for The Sims 5, if this is the unannounced project that is!


  • crocobauracrocobaura Posts: 7,342 Member
    That job posting was 4 months ago. Maybe they are having difficulty filling the position. Could be TS5 or some other sims game like Freeplay. I only play the sims nowadays and am not familiar with Unreal Engine, but it's fun reading all the speculations.
  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    crocobaura wrote: »
    That job posting was 4 months ago. Maybe they are having difficulty filling the position. Could be TS5 or some other sims game like Freeplay. I only play the sims nowadays and am not familiar with Unreal Engine, but it's fun reading all the speculations.

    They would have said it was for a mobile game.

    Yeah, you never know - this could be for The Sims 5. I really hope so now, because I really like the features I'm reading about!

    I've played other Unreal Engine games. The series that I love the most that's built with that game engine are the Borderlands Series. The open worlds are HUGE and there is NO LAG at all when I play them on my 2014 computer with 4gb RAM and integrated Intel graphics card. So if this TS5, then I'm seriously excited!


  • crocobauracrocobaura Posts: 7,342 Member
    crocobaura wrote: »
    That job posting was 4 months ago. Maybe they are having difficulty filling the position. Could be TS5 or some other sims game like Freeplay. I only play the sims nowadays and am not familiar with Unreal Engine, but it's fun reading all the speculations.

    They would have said it was for a mobile game.

    Yeah, you never know - this could be for The Sims 5. I really hope so now, because I really like the features I'm reading about!

    I've played other Unreal Engine games. The series that I love the most that's built with that game engine are the Borderlands Series. The open worlds are HUGE and there is NO LAG at all when I play them on my 2014 computer with 4gb RAM and integrated Intel graphics card. So if this TS5, then I'm seriously excited!


    I see, it still could be some other kind of spin off, like the Castaways were for TS2. Regarding open world, many are comparing it with games that have open world but very few playable characters, usually 1 or 2. TS4 has at least 80 characters in the world and about 20 characters in an active lot. Like I said, I don't know what can or cannot be done, but I am sure that if it's possible they will do it, unless there are other considerations for their design choices.
  • elelunicyelelunicy Posts: 2,004 Member
    Also, it is clear that they have a lot of the code work done to be able to start concentrating on the look of the characters.

    That's the exact opposite of how it works. Engineers will not start coding until designers have designed how the game is going to work & the higher-ups have approved the design plan.

    Game development is largely divided into two phases:

    Pre-Production: This stage is when a small team of producers, designers, and artists create the initial designs and looks of the game. This is a very lengthy process as they will explore many different options, such as different looks and different gameplay mechanics. There will be many debates over what direction the game will take. The plans will be constantly reworked and refined as the higher-ups approve/reject them. Games can spend years in pre-production. For example, EA's Anthem spent over 5 years in pre-production, and TS4 spent over 3 years in pre-production.

    Full production: This is when the game has been designed and approved. The whole team will start working following the design documents wrote by designers: engineers will start coding, animators will start animating, artists start creating art assets, etc. This stage of development is very expensive as the entire team is working on the game, so generally it will only last like 12-18 months.

    Why does it work this way? Because the full production is very expensive and they cannot change the direction of game in the middle of full production. You simply cannot have engineers coding for 6 months straight, and then ask them to scrap everything they wrote and start over. That'd be a huge waste of money. This is why they need to have everything planned out & approved during the pre-production so that by the time the game enters full production, they know for sure what kind of game they are going to make.
    How long does establishing the look take? Months, not years.

    It can take years. One of the Character Modelers at Maxis leaked in April 2010 on Twitter that he started working on TS4 Sims. TS4 did not enter full production until three years later in early 2013, and game itself was announced shortly after it entered full production.

    https://beyondsims.com/2010/04/sims-4-in-production-and-a-note-to-those-in-the-community/
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  • Lady_BalloraLady_Ballora Posts: 784 Member
    LiELF wrote: »
    Read it again. The first line says "establish the look" and a couple of times after it states, "define and refine".

    I think it's pretty clear in the ad that the new hire will be working with the artists to create a design for the initial characters and art style.

    It definitely lines up with what the Gurus have been saying about Sims 4 lasting a few more years.

    But it's still exciting to think it might be on the Unreal engine or something like it. Hopefully the game will be worth the wait.





    Sims 4 already lasted 6 whole years,and people are already going back to Sims 1-3. It looks like quite a few people are just sick and tired of Sims 4 and just want to move on already. Who wants a few more years of bugs,glitches and half-baked content when a bigger and better game can come out ? Sims 4 is a decent game,but it's time to move on.

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  • IvyeyedIvyeyed Posts: 358 Member
    edited July 2020
    LiELF wrote: »
    Read it again. The first line says "establish the look" and a couple of times after it states, "define and refine".

    I think it's pretty clear in the ad that the new hire will be working with the artists to create a design for the initial characters and art style.

    It definitely lines up with what the Gurus have been saying about Sims 4 lasting a few more years.

    But it's still exciting to think it might be on the Unreal engine or something like it. Hopefully the game will be worth the wait.





    Sims 4 already lasted 6 whole years,and people are already going back to Sims 1-3. It looks like quite a few people are just sick and tired of Sims 4 and just want to move on already. Who wants a few more years of bugs,glitches and half-baked content when a bigger and better game can come out ? Sims 4 is a decent game,but it's time to move on.

    If they rush the Sims 5 to release, it will be just as half-baked and bugged. If you want a good base game and, like you expect, they are already working on it, then you should want Sims 4 to last as long as possible because that gives the Sims 5 team the most time and resources to make a game that is actually playable on release. If they rush something out due to demand they “move on already”, we’ll be doing the same thing all over again with a brand new broken game.
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  • logionlogion Posts: 4,712 Member
    edited July 2020
    Well that means that they are working on something. Maybe they are in the pre-production phase of the sims5.

    Now I am not sure how the engine would work, if they would still keep the python client but run it in unreal, I seem to recall that the sims4 was originally planned to be in unreal, you can still find some old screenshots that shows what the game looked like.

    One thing that is good if they will choose to stick with unreal is that they can find a lot of talent, it is a well established engine. And maybe that could help them with keeping the engine stable.

    I do wonder how modding will be as you mentioned, I was in a conversation with TwistedMexi recently and he mentioned the following why the game needs to remove everything when you travel between or in neighborhoods.



    So it looks to me if they would make a new engine for the sims5 and they would not make any mod tools for it, then modding would not be supported for the sims5.

    I hope that unreal could help Maxis with making a game that both them and the fans want but I would like to be more sure that they are actually going to use it. While many games made with the unreal engine are great, they are also the results of many people working hard for a long time, maybe Maxis would have to make their own tools, like they did for the sims4, to be able to make the sims5. Hopefully those tools could be made into versions that we the players ourselves could use and that could make Create a world and Create a style possible.

    As for when they should go into full-production. I think they should do it by the end of the year to be honest.
  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    crocobaura wrote: »
    crocobaura wrote: »
    That job posting was 4 months ago. Maybe they are having difficulty filling the position. Could be TS5 or some other sims game like Freeplay. I only play the sims nowadays and am not familiar with Unreal Engine, but it's fun reading all the speculations.

    They would have said it was for a mobile game.

    Yeah, you never know - this could be for The Sims 5. I really hope so now, because I really like the features I'm reading about!

    I've played other Unreal Engine games. The series that I love the most that's built with that game engine are the Borderlands Series. The open worlds are HUGE and there is NO LAG at all when I play them on my 2014 computer with 4gb RAM and integrated Intel graphics card. So if this TS5, then I'm seriously excited!


    I see, it still could be some other kind of spin off, like the Castaways were for TS2. Regarding open world, many are comparing it with games that have open world but very few playable characters, usually 1 or 2. TS4 has at least 80 characters in the world and about 20 characters in an active lot. Like I said, I don't know what can or cannot be done, but I am sure that if it's possible they will do it, unless there are other considerations for their design choices.


    Spin-offs are based on the game engine its made from. For example, the Sims Stories - The Sims Life Stories, The Sims Pets Stories and The Sims Castaway Stories were all based on a modified engine of The Sims 2. The same thing with The Sims Medieval which was based on a modified engine of The Sims 3. This unannounced project is based on the Unreal Engine and makes no mention of some modified version of The Sims 4 (Can you imagine? It would fall apart very quickly!), so it's probably not a spin-off.


  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    Ivyeyed wrote: »
    LiELF wrote: »
    Read it again. The first line says "establish the look" and a couple of times after it states, "define and refine".

    I think it's pretty clear in the ad that the new hire will be working with the artists to create a design for the initial characters and art style.

    It definitely lines up with what the Gurus have been saying about Sims 4 lasting a few more years.

    But it's still exciting to think it might be on the Unreal engine or something like it. Hopefully the game will be worth the wait.





    Sims 4 already lasted 6 whole years,and people are already going back to Sims 1-3. It looks like quite a few people are just sick and tired of Sims 4 and just want to move on already. Who wants a few more years of bugs,glitches and half-baked content when a bigger and better game can come out ? Sims 4 is a decent game,but it's time to move on.

    If they rush the Sims 5 to release, it will be just as half-baked and bugged. If you want a good base game and, like you expect, they are already working on it, then you should want Sims 4 to last as long as possible because that gives the Sims 5 team the most time and resources to make a game that is actually playable on release. If they rush something out due to demand they “move on already”, we’ll be doing the same thing all over again with a brand new broken game.


    If they're building The Sims 5 on the Unreal Engine, which is a very powerful game engine - more powerful than anything they had ever made from scratch - then they don't need to build a game engine themselves like they did with all the previous iterations. This will vastly cut production time and we don't need to endure anymore of TS4. I've already posted the features of the Unreal Engine and it can do everything a lot better than what they've made so far.

  • ClarionOfJoyClarionOfJoy Posts: 1,945 Member
    logion wrote: »
    Well that means that they are working on something. Maybe they are in the pre-production phase of the sims5.

    Now I am not sure how the engine would work, if they would still keep the python client but run it in unreal, I seem to recall that the sims4 was originally planned to be in unreal, you can still find some old screenshots that shows what the game looked like.

    One thing that is good if they will choose to stick with unreal is that they can find a lot of talent, it is a well established engine. And maybe that could help them with keeping the engine stable.

    I do wonder how modding will be as you mentioned, I was in a conversation with TwistedMexi recently and he mentioned the following why the game needs to remove everything when you travel between or in neighborhoods.



    So it looks to me if they would make a new engine for the sims5 and they would not make any mod tools for it, then modding would not be supported for the sims5.

    I hope that unreal could help Maxis with making a game that both them and the fans want but I would like to be more sure that they are actually going to use it. While many games made with the unreal engine are great, they are also the results of many people working hard for a long time, maybe Maxis would have to make their own tools, like they did for the sims4, to be able to make the sims5. Hopefully those tools could be made into versions that we the players ourselves could use and that could make Create a world and Create a style possible.

    As for when they should go into full-production. I think they should do it by the end of the year to be honest.


    I don't see why it can't be modded. I've played a lot of Unreal games that have plenty of mods written for them. I really like the Unreal Engine. This is Epic's baby and I think they will help Maxis as much as they can with any help that's needed. I also think that Maxis would sign off on modding tools. You know why? Because they know that the modding community will take The Sims 5 that may be fantastic to begin with and making into it an even more amazing game!

    So I really hope we get the modding, CAW and CASt tools like you said at basegame! I used to do some coding when I was at university. I might want to do that again! I also hope the CAW tool will be easier to work with. I watched James Turner create Aluna which is amazing and of course he made it all look so easy, but I know that it probably isn't, lol!

    I think they're in full-production now and that a lot of things are near completion. Usually the artstyle is one of the things they focus on at this time after most of the mechanics have been worked out.


  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,439 Member
    LiELF wrote: »
    Read it again. The first line says "establish the look" and a couple of times after it states, "define and refine".

    I think it's pretty clear in the ad that the new hire will be working with the artists to create a design for the initial characters and art style.

    It definitely lines up with what the Gurus have been saying about Sims 4 lasting a few more years.

    But it's still exciting to think it might be on the Unreal engine or something like it. Hopefully the game will be worth the wait.





    Sims 4 already lasted 6 whole years,and people are already going back to Sims 1-3. It looks like quite a few people are just sick and tired of Sims 4 and just want to move on already. Who wants a few more years of bugs,glitches and half-baked content when a bigger and better game can come out ? Sims 4 is a decent game,but it's time to move on.

    Whether that's true or not is not going to make the new game be created any faster. It's not like they can magic Sims 5 into creation in a year, and if they try to get it out as fast as possible, it's not going to be the "bigger and better" game that everyone is hoping for.

    They usually have some kind of announcement when production is in full swing. Until that announcement comes with more information, it's logical to assume it will be a while.
    #Team Occult
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