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[Update] The Sims Spark'd Finale - Discussion with Spoilers!

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  • OrangeSodaSINOrangeSodaSIN Posts: 58 Member
    omg what happened? *popcorn*

    you were there...you know what happened?
  • OrangeSodaSINOrangeSodaSIN Posts: 58 Member
    Gordy wrote: »
    Gordy wrote: »
    WolfNate wrote: »
    I was not expecting Gnome to be axed

    Spoiler bout elimination btw
    🌺🌺🌺🌺. No sense in watching the rest of the season then. :/

    Did you watch the second episode? They were definitely the weaker team.
    Doesn't matter. I was here for Urbansims and Plumbella. I'm not interested in anyone else, aside from Steph0. If they're both leaving, then so does my interest for this show.

    plumbella was kicked off 2nd episode? that was like the only thing that may make me watch.
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,709 Member
    Gordy wrote: »
    Gordy wrote: »
    WolfNate wrote: »
    I was not expecting Gnome to be axed

    Spoiler bout elimination btw
    🌺🌺🌺🌺. No sense in watching the rest of the season then. :/

    Did you watch the second episode? They were definitely the weaker team.
    Doesn't matter. I was here for Urbansims and Plumbella. I'm not interested in anyone else, aside from Steph0. If they're both leaving, then so does my interest for this show.

    Understood. I too was rooting for one of the eliminated contestants but I've now switched my allegiance elsewhere. 😄
  • stilljustme2stilljustme2 Posts: 25,082 Member
    That can happen with a lot of reality shows -- a contestant (or team) can look really strong one week, then fall back the next. It was really tough competition between the final two teams.

    Episode spoiler behind the tag...
    I actually thought that Team Cowplant had the weaker story, but since they won the first challenge they may have gotten enough credit for that to pull out the win. Team Llama's story though was awesome. And nothing wrong with some good Woohoo amongst adults. B)
    Check out my Gallery! Origin ID: justme22
    Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
  • babajaynebabajayne Posts: 1,866 Member
    I liked episode 2 even more than episode 1. Lots of laughs! I think they should all be proud of what they were able to do and it’s sad that anyone had to be eliminated but I agreed with the choice... hard as it was.
  • Cassieb95Cassieb95 Posts: 347 Member
    Do you know why the episode is not available in buzzfeed multiplayer?
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,709 Member
    Cassieb95 wrote: »
    Do you know why the episode is not available in buzzfeed multiplayer?

    I believe it's available now. 8am.
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,907 Member
    Just watched on Buzzfeed. UK 2pm-ish

    A great improvement in this episode and some really great imagination going on. I loved the coalmine (we've got to get coloured ceilings back) and the elderly actress story. Well done all! Definitely the best team won.

    I wish there were prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd teams in the competition though. At least all expenses paid for appearing.
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,709 Member
    I'm sure they didn't have to pay for transportation, lodging, and food.
  • mustenimusteni Posts: 5,403 Member
    I really enjoyed the second episode. It was easier to follow (probably because we're getting used to the format), but also I think the stories got to shine more. I had the same favourites as @Simburian, coalmine and elderly actress story, which also the jugdes liked so can't complain.
  • Cassieb95Cassieb95 Posts: 347 Member
    This episode was so much fun. I really enjoyed the supernatural element of the challenges.
    I loved team llama's story! Great improvement. But I cannot understand why it was team gnome that was eliminated. Yes, it was a weak story, but team cowplant's storytelling did not make any sense at all, which I think is more important than a bad story that makes sense though.
  • SimGuruNinjaSimGuruNinja Posts: 992 SimGuru
    Obviously spoilers abound, but here's a deeper look into episode 2's elimination challenge judging. https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/sparkd/news/episode-2-elimination
  • ElliandreElliandre Posts: 2,468 Member
    Obviously spoilers abound, but here's a deeper look into episode 2's elimination challenge judging. https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/sparkd/news/episode-2-elimination

    I should have posted my comment here instead of the other thread, so I will add it here.

    Yeah, I thought they both struggled to meet the challenge, especially after Team Llama smoked everyone in the competition! I did not at all understand Team Cowplant's story, lol, what the heck happened? They needed more voice acting. But I appreciated that they made an effort to combine the university student life, island mermaids and beautiful rain from seasons, so it was visually entertaining, and the character from the previous challenge was better included.

    Team Gnome's story was funnier, but I didn't recognize anything from Strangerville. I think if they took the story to Strangerville and added a twist with the strange plants and the character from the previous challenge, then they could have won. Strangerville is one of my favourite packs so I was disappointed that they ignored it. I'm happy the judges did not just choose Team Gnome because of the popularity of English Simmer and Plumbella. I think it was a close call but they made the right choice.

    ...

    Also, what's the controversy everyone is talking about? I didn't notice any drama with Team Llama, just some usual group work bickering, but I don't follow any of their channels. They seemed to really pull together and all worked so hard together so it was an amazing result. I really enjoyed their story presentation with the story itself, builds, voice acting, and filming. Amazing work.

  • GordyGordy Posts: 3,015 Member
    Theory: Team Gnome was eliminated because they refused to play into the drama last episode. /jk
    TS1_dragons_hatching.jpg
    The Sims 4 hasn't introduced a new musical instrument since 2017
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,709 Member
    Gordy wrote: »
    Theory: Team Gnome was eliminated because they refused to play into the drama last episode. /jk

    Do you really believe that?
  • CemirrorCemirror Posts: 61 Member
    Okay, watched the second episode... Some thoughts...

    1. The players definitely had a much better bead on how to go about the competition. That said, I definitely do think it would have been better in episode 1 if that episode had just been a practice round. You can tell the GameChangers are a lot more confident in presenting.

    2. The stories remain the central focus of the show and the weakest part of the show. What actually constitutes as a story here? That is really, REALLY never made clear. Team Llama's story for instance - the actress becomes a vampire and then that's it? How is that resolution? What is a comparable art form? Traditionally, stories need climax and resolution. The teams are able to invent wants, but why should they need to? Why didn't the Sims itself include wants and fears?

    3. I would still say the judging looks pretty weak or, at best, gimmicky. The judges need to step it up with specific criticism and I think the lack of a clear endgame only harms this. Miotke gives the most specific criticism, but that's not saying a lot.

    4. What role does the designated storyteller actually play in this? I mean, Plumbella basically crafted her team's first story and xMiraMira led her team's second story. Are the storytellers really that necessary?

    5. This episode hit the right stride by showing off the builds and the stylists more. More of that! Also 6 hours felt better than five hours, and I think you can see hour just 1 hour was reflected in the quality of the stories.

    6. I really think the strength of this show is reflected in how the players treat each other. Keeping drama between players low and showing us artists who have rich, meaningful relationships with each other is really nourishing. See Steph0sims cry when Gnome was eliminated was really lovely. The creativity is a strength, too, and some of the story ideas had the spark of something really compelling should it have been fleshed out. The competition here is only satisfying when it takes a backseat to the creativity, and when it doesn't infringe upon the relationships between the simmers.

    7. While I didn't hate this episode as much as I hated the first one, I would still say this show illuminates the major problems with the Sims 4 - the Sims 4 does not lend itself to stories well, because it does not lend itself to conflict well, and it makes showing conflict extremely difficult. If the Sims wants to be seen as a story-telling device it MUST focus on character-development (better personalities, fully fleshed out life stages, attraction systems, death and mourning revamp) and conflict (wants, fears, and realistic gameplay limitations) before moving on to anything "never-done-before" or "niche". Getting Jungle Adventure before memories? Eco Lifestyle before you can even fear the consequences of pollution? I suppose the question I have for the developers is, what stories are YOU telling?
  • babajaynebabajayne Posts: 1,866 Member
    Cemirror wrote: »
    2. The stories remain the central focus of the show and the weakest part of the show. What actually constitutes as a story here? That is really, REALLY never made clear. Team Llama's story for instance - the actress becomes a vampire and then that's it? How is that resolution? What is a comparable art form? Traditionally, stories need climax and resolution. The teams are able to invent wants, but why should they need to? Why didn't the Sims itself include wants and fears?
    At the end of the video where the actress became a vampire, she was walking on a “new red carpet” and there were tombstones behind her. I thought it was pretty clever.
  • GordyGordy Posts: 3,015 Member
    Gordy wrote: »
    Theory: Team Gnome was eliminated because they refused to play into the drama last episode. /jk

    Do you really believe that?
    I'm crazy and paranoid, but not THAT crazy and paranoid.
    TS1_dragons_hatching.jpg
    The Sims 4 hasn't introduced a new musical instrument since 2017
  • CemirrorCemirror Posts: 61 Member
    @babajayne It might be clever, but it's not a climax or a resolution. The story breaks down to an aging actress wants to reclaim her youth, so she finds a witch who transforms her into a vampire. She nows kills people to keep her youth. Traditionally speaking, that isn't a complete story. With the judges emphasizing over and over the importance of story, it stands to reason they could explain what they mean by story. There's nothing inherently wrong with Team Llama's pitch, but it's more of a character sketch or a backstory. This happened, so this is why the character is the way she is. It's intriguing, sure! It would make a fun character bio in the Sims, even. I'm not suggesting these people need to make the Sims equivalent of Les Miserables, but shouldn't the stories feel more like a Pixar short? And if the judges are going to focus on the stories so much, shouldn't there be some clear standard to which the stories should aspire? To me personally it just gives off the impression that a bunch of people are judging a competition of which they are not professionals in the field. I want judges who can convince me that they will accurately assess the artistic potential of a piece - I don't want to watch what feels like a soccer referee overseeing a tennis match saying "I like how you hit the ball out of court, but next time could you hit it more to the left?".
  • CemirrorCemirror Posts: 61 Member
    @Gordy Or...are you?
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,709 Member
    edited July 2020
    babajayne wrote: »
    Cemirror wrote: »
    2. The stories remain the central focus of the show and the weakest part of the show. What actually constitutes as a story here? That is really, REALLY never made clear. Team Llama's story for instance - the actress becomes a vampire and then that's it? How is that resolution? What is a comparable art form? Traditionally, stories need climax and resolution. The teams are able to invent wants, but why should they need to? Why didn't the Sims itself include wants and fears?
    At the end of the video where the actress became a vampire, she was walking on a “new red carpet” and there were tombstones behind her. I thought it was pretty clever.

    It definitely felt like a resolution to me. She'll be eternally young and forever walk the red carpet. Especially if her victims are up and coming actresses. 😄
  • CemirrorCemirror Posts: 61 Member
    @simgirl1010 A resolution is only a resolution when it resolves the climax. A climax can't exist without obstruction. For instance, a story where a hungry man drives to a fast food joint to purchase a burger does not have a climax unless there is some obstruction to his getting to the fast food joint. Should the actress have needed to sacrifice something to be turned into a vampire or should she have need to collect ingredients to become a vampire or should there have been any actual obstacle then there would have been rising action that led to a climax (she becomes a vampire) which would have led to a resolution of her being happy murdering people and living forever. Traditionally speaking, a plot cannot be "I have a problem" -> "Problem solved."

    But I'm speaking about these terms as an English Writing major. Obviously, there's subjectivity in what people think constitutes a story or a song or art, etc. My point is not that Team Llama needed a traditional story, but that all contestants and audience members needed to know what the judges expected since they obviously seemed to be okay with something the greater writing world would not have considered a complete story. When your almost sole focus is the story and you don't even define what a story is, I find that to be incredibly unsatisfying judging.

    And I would still say this harkens back to the key failures of the Sims 4 when it comes to story-telling: you cannot create characters who are interesting on their own, and you cannot - with very, very few exceptions - create any sort of prolonged tension.
  • LiELFLiELF Posts: 6,439 Member
    NOOO!! Why?! Oh, why did you eliminate Simproved, you monsters?! *Flips table, flails, and collapses in a maelstrom of tears.*

    Fry is the best builder ever. I don't understand. <3:'( *Sob*

    *Abruptly stops. Draws a deep, calculated breath. Then declares dramatically in low voice:*

    The Lionfish cult shall rise again. We will erupt from the seas of retribution, and we will show those judges that we of the Blessed Fin are very, very cross, and shall elevate our great leader to absolution, and defy the judgement of the naughty... and then all shall know her eminence under His illustrious gills and exalted, slimy maw. All hail the mighty Lionfish!

    (Btw, if you have no idea why I've gone completely mental or of what nonsense I speak, I highly recommend checking out some of Simproved's build videos. Especially the creepy October ones! ;) )

    For example:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riKGAukSqr4
    #Team Occult
  • simgirl1010simgirl1010 Posts: 35,709 Member
    @Cemirror I do understand your concerns. I guess my analysis wasn't as critical as yours. I just found it entertaining.
  • babajaynebabajayne Posts: 1,866 Member
    Cemirror wrote: »
    @simgirl1010 A resolution is only a resolution when it resolves the climax. A climax can't exist without obstruction. For instance, a story where a hungry man drives to a fast food joint to purchase a burger does not have a climax unless there is some obstruction to his getting to the fast food joint. Should the actress have needed to sacrifice something to be turned into a vampire or should she have need to collect ingredients to become a vampire or should there have been any actual obstacle then there would have been rising action that led to a climax (she becomes a vampire) which would have led to a resolution of her being happy murdering people and living forever. Traditionally speaking, a plot cannot be "I have a problem" -> "Problem solved."

    But I'm speaking about these terms as an English Writing major. Obviously, there's subjectivity in what people think constitutes a story or a song or art, etc. My point is not that Team Llama needed a traditional story, but that all contestants and audience members needed to know what the judges expected since they obviously seemed to be okay with something the greater writing world would not have considered a complete story. When your almost sole focus is the story and you don't even define what a story is, I find that to be incredibly unsatisfying judging.

    And I would still say this harkens back to the key failures of the Sims 4 when it comes to story-telling: you cannot create characters who are interesting on their own, and you cannot - with very, very few exceptions - create any sort of prolonged tension.
    Sounds like you have a good start on a possible dissertation topic.

    I don’t disagree that we need deeper relationships, more consequences, more tension... but it’s been said that those things get in the way of the people who play this game for storytelling purposes. I think these people should just use cheats to maintain the control they want, rather than everyone having to work with a watered-down version of The Sims. Maybe the point of the show is to open our minds to imagine more possibilities playing out, and hey- it could backfire if new players think it’s being misrepresented on the show, for example, “I thought we could kill other sims.”

    But if you didn’t enjoy that story because it didn’t check all the boxes, it looks like you’re in the minority.
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