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A Letter From The Sims Team

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  • OnverserOnverser Posts: 3,364 Member
    It's nice to see them finally acknowledge things and talk about the issues players have been complaining about. I really hope they keep this up and update players more on developments in the future aswell so people feel listened to. Sometimes it's better to tell people what you're working on in advance rather than leaving it as a last minute surprise, like with skin tones. It's much nicer to know they're listening and working on them rather than it being a secret project that we won't hear about for months.

    Also wasn't expecting the EP thing, I wasn't expecting any more pack announcements for atleast another few months. Hopefully it'll be something more interesting but judging by what they've said it sadly won't be the generations pack a lot of players want.
  • Truecrime_addictTruecrime_addict Posts: 108 Member
    I remember before toddlers were patched in, there was no big announcement or notice, they just sorta went, surprise! <3 So i do know that the sims team can pull it off, if they truly want to be better. So silence, doesnt necessarily mean the things players want , arent being worked on at that very moment ;)
  • EA_LeelooEA_Leeloo Posts: 2,019 EA Staff (retired)
    Hey there,

    Just a quick note - a few comments were removed from this thread.

    I understand that opinions on this might be divided right now so I really do appreciate that you are discussing this topic in this constructive manner, please keep it that way. :)

    Thank you all!

    - Leeloo
  • Nekia33painterNekia33painter Posts: 336 Member
    I'm glad they're being more transparent. A lot of negativity could have been quelled if they had just made a statement from the get go. When people thought Eco Lifestyle was going to be farming. Why couldn't they just make a quick tweet telling people that's not what it was going to be? I feel like the surprise route is not doing them any favors.
  • QuasiattractorQuasiattractor Posts: 17 Member
    So, no farms, babies or cars ever? I wonder why if they are planning these things, they don't say so. This is the kind of information that we really want. I'm okay with knowing that farms aren't in the next expansion, but I would really feel good about knowing that they will be eventually.
  • bella_gothbella_goth Posts: 1,770 Member
    so after six years they finally communicate to tell us they are aware of the game problems but that they don't care enough, as what the devs themselves prefer to see on the game is first on the list. they are making the game they want without caring about their players but completely relying on them to keep this $scam going on. they are telling us to lower our expectations even more, they keep on saying how game development is very hard because with less expectations comes less pressure for them. and they ask us to please treat them kindly just so they don't feel guilty.
    the game is so bad coded that they can't be bothered on looking through it to fix important bugs or add popular requested content like cars. they act as if the whole game is only theirs when it's not, they are using the sims name as a way to sell, they are not competent enough to live up to the real expectations this franchise has set for the players, and all the team has to offer is more excuses. this letter would not be necessary if they were doing things right.
  • DeKayDeKay Posts: 81,472 Member
    edited September 2020
    Is adding skin tones really that difficult? She's saying it like it's gonna be a huge thing. Like we still have 3 months before end of year. XD
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  • KomuraKomura Posts: 229 Member
    Open letter just confirms what we have all been talking about. They aren’t working on what people have been asking for, for literally years. It takes time to make games and they’ve had plenty of time they’ve wasted on frivolous novelty gameplay.

    If people are so mad that the studio isn’t listening this letter shouldn’t change that because all it does is confirm that they aren’t. Weren’t for the last year, and aren’t really now. A letter talking about skin tones and what requests aren’t being fulfilled shouldn’t cheer you up or make you confident about their direction for the game. Just saying.

    From what I’ve seen, not many people are buying it. Words are nice but they are just words, for me personally this team has a lot of work to do to earn my trust and my money back.
  • KomuraKomura Posts: 229 Member
    Komura wrote: »
    Open letter just confirms what we have all been talking about. They aren’t working on what people have been asking for, for literally years. It takes time to make games and they’ve had plenty of time they’ve wasted on frivolous novelty gameplay.

    If people are so mad that the studio isn’t listening this letter shouldn’t change that because all it does is confirm that they aren’t. Weren’t for the last year, and aren’t really now. A letter talking about skin tones and what requests aren’t being fulfilled shouldn’t cheer you up or make you confident about their direction for the game. Just saying.

    From what I’ve seen, not many people are buying it. Words are nice but they are just words, for me personally this team has a lot of work to do to earn my trust and my money back.

    They shouldn’t lol. The press release came way too late into the backlash and it’s just prerelease damage control for the next expansion which they know already isn’t going to be well received. It’s validating all our complaints, and there’s zero mention of improvement on their end. Lindsay is still as tone deaf as ever with her open letter. Talks about how these requested items take time while completely disregarding the YEARS worth of time they’ve had to work on them. People have given them time and they wasted it.

    Save the damage control, make what people have been asking for **for 5+ years** and then maybe you can have a game that’s healthy enough to experiment. Until then they are doing their players a disservice making these bs statements that amount to “we’ve been hearing you, but we aren’t doing anything about it. Thanks!”

    Agreed. Using the pandemic as an excuse for their blatant disregard for years did make me chuckle though, as badly as the Sims team wants us to be we are not children. Can’t gaslight most people that easy.
  • CamkatCamkat Posts: 2,329 Member
    So, no farms, babies or cars ever? I wonder why if they are planning these things, they don't say so. This is the kind of information that we really want. I'm okay with knowing that farms aren't in the next expansion, but I would really feel good about knowing that they will be eventually.

    She didn't say that. Just that they aren't next. She also explained that they can't say what they're planning until it's closer to being ready.

    Personally I wouldn't discount anything until they announce that they're not going to make any more packs.
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  • KomuraKomura Posts: 229 Member
    edited September 2020
    Sindocat wrote: »
    Any of you ever consider reading it, and accepting it at face value as an honest attempt to explain matters and manage expectations? Because that's how it reads to me. You all want transparency, ignore it when we get it, and accuse the developers of lying when they try to engage. This is a more thoughtful, measured response than this community deserves.

    It’s not transparency this letter is supplying. We’ve heard this statement before and it’s astounding how we’re hearing it again, and people think it means something now?

    It’s great that at face value you fail to see what it says. They are aware of what the players have been wanting, for years, and have nothing to show for those requests. The “things take time” excuse is just an excuse. These things took time 5 years ago too, so why are we in 2020 and still have nothing to show beyond a press release informing us they’re not coming to the game anytime soon? Have they been working on any of these things? How long have they been working on them? When can they reasonably expect the work on this stuff to amount to something tangible for the people who’ve been consistently asking for *years*? What requests (if any) are impossible to accommodate in this game? THAT would be transparency.

    To say the people who pay for their work don’t deserve some transparency in what they will eventually be presumed to purchase is just degrading to players. Full stop on that. The studio can do better work without the constant flimsy excuses, and you as a player shouldn’t settle for that either.

    You said it perfectly. I don’t understand the mindset that EA is a small indie company who needs to be handled with kid gloves. They aren’t, at all. EA is a huge corporation who wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire. It’s been six years, clearly the kid gloves needed to come off and EA needs to be held to task. If they want me to believe this letter, they can prove it. Until then I’m not spending another dime with EA.
  • DerykDeryk Posts: 9 New Member
    As one of your most important business partners, I for one am glad to see a letter from the Sims 4 Dev Team; showing a commitment to be more transparent about future content and keeping us informed of your plans. That is a big step in the right direction! However, there are more...

    Let We, the community, start by saying, consider this a formal business proposal. It is a good thing that you are recognizing that the players and purchasers of your product are the MOST important part of your business. So, let us get down to business shall we?

    1. Please focus ALL of your resources on giving We, the community what we want. After all if you have a corporate entity putting pressure on your team to develop a specific content pack, you throw ALL of your resources into that and come out with it. The technical hurdles seem to magically disappear. This has been demonstrated time and again. Why not do the same for the people that actually buy the product from you, and who are your MOST important business partners? In the end will net you the most reward, profit! Not like some corporation that tosses you a few bucks in comparison. After all, do they buy millions of copies of the game?

    2. As part of that, a demand is for you to include in your next major expansion the following: cars, burglars, bunk beds, baby gameplay options, horses and farms in a country setting, plus some other major requests that members of the community are requesting, of which the most important should be included somehow. A personal request form this representative of the community, toss in tractors and combines as well into that farm-based pack. A nice Harvest Festival and Ho-Down would be nice as well. Then let us say, we are good on Americana content in the traditional context.

    *3. Next, it is beyond time to address the larger world beyond. There should always be more inclusiveness of cultures and peoples from around the world in your content and it should be a major priority! How is Asia being represented? There are the Japanese Islands, the Korean Peninsula, China, Southeast Asia and Central Asia including Pakistan and India? What about Africa? The Austral-Pacific areas; and not as just vacation places! Europe should be modern and yet have an Old World charm. What about the largest country on the planet, Russia? Eurasia and the Middle East? Central and South America? All of these places should be presented as real modern world places. Not just how America views these places. Sometimes your team gets blinders and forgets these are way more progressive places where people, live, work, and thrive, than people give credit with your western outlook.

    People of all walks of life should be equally represented. How has the Latin community been fairly represented in the US? How about Black America? Has their experience been addressed in a content pack? Is Native, First Nation, and Aboriginal culture fairly represented? How about Asian-Americans? How about we get a chance to see these cultures represented accurately and with input from people of these cultures? Why not a gay neighborhood, with our culture fairly represented without too many stereotypes; including a Pride Parade? There has been enough traditional cultural content represented, it is time for the Sims 4 Dev Team to think outside the box. Embrace other people's lives! This is how people understand one another. These should be represented for immediate implementation.

    4. I would like to add, the order of these requests, is not the end-all of said requests. They are simply what I felt at that moment that I typed them. I am sure you will make it all work somehow and that once were technological excuses will somehow magically disappear, once the will has been put in to the proper priority, which is from now on, listen to We, the community.

    Let me say that wow! That Star Wars content seemed to come out rather fast didn't it? Let We, the community assure you, that THIS business proposal is FAR more important that that one. I cannot as a representative, speak for the rest of my business colleagues, but I for one just might amuse myself by picking up this controversial content that is coming out on the 8th, while we eagerly await our requested content in this Business Proposal, to be released.

    Thank you so much for listening to our proposal. I assure you, that you will reap many benefits along the way; by satisfying your customer, along with the cash that you will receive as payment for your hard work, and with much gratitude and our undying brand loyalty; However, only ONCE you have given us; the players, the community, what we are asking for and what we expect.

    Signed,
    Your most important business partner(s).

    * People should always come first! So, here's to a good job including work on more skin tones. However, please don't leave ANYONE else behind in that work! How about representing people with Downs Syndrome. How about representing people in wheelchairs and people that have physical and mental challenges in life? How about the Blind, the Deaf, the Mute? There is much to consider and of course the work must be tastefully done! It is the ONLY expectation! Understandable if all of that cannot be included in your expected later this year release. But it can easily be added later on.

    PS: We are quite sure you've heard these same concerns from your employer and other corporate sponsors behind closed doors. Consider this your MOST important open door and up-front business proposal you'll ever receive.

    Thank you again.
  • adduapinaadduapina Posts: 556 Member
    I felt good after reading the letter.

    Then I checked the patch notes. SMH.
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  • fififoofoo2123fififoofoo2123 Posts: 149 Member
    SAEldarin wrote: »
    Scobre wrote: »
    Sharonia wrote: »
    I'm salty but at least there is one positive. What ever the next pack is it surely can't be worse than the Star Wars pack. :D

    Oh my sweet summer child. Things can always get worse.
    Yep.
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    My eyes! Was it that bad? :#

    I had to do a google search to remember what came with the pack. I'd make a horrible witness. I was remembering some decent bakery items (nope). Yea, I uh did buy it (no judgment, this is a "safe space" after all, right?), but the why escapes me.

    Thanks for the flashback! My eyes haven't registered those colors in years!

    LGR did a really great review of that pack when it came out lmao. i think he ended up setting the sweet treat house on fire
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  • charmed4life4charmed4life4 Posts: 178 Member
    You know what she "didn't" say was not coming?

    Generations!

    Would that be an expansion pack?

    I feel like generations should address babies though. I honestly wouldn't get my hopes up at this stage.
  • SharoniaSharonia Posts: 4,853 Member
    edited September 2020
    After the Star Wars pack reveal I have to admit that I'm really worried for what this next pack can be. I never thought the Sims 4 would ever have something so bad as the Star Wars pack released. My confidence in the teams ability to deliver something good is now forever lost.
  • DuvelinaDuvelina Posts: 2,619 Member
    Pleasant Sims gets seriously worked up in this video and honestly, I agree. She makes some great points.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ0RiU6YS_I
  • WaytoomanyUIDsWaytoomanyUIDs Posts: 844 Member
    Sharonia wrote: »
    I'm salty but at least there is one positive. What ever the next pack is it surely can't be worse than the Star Wars pack. :D

    Don't tempt fate
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  • charmed4life4charmed4life4 Posts: 178 Member
    Duvelina wrote: »
    Pleasant Sims gets seriously worked up in this video and honestly, I agree. She makes some great points.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ0RiU6YS_I

    She made an interesting point... That many of the things we wanted were never meant to be put in Sims 4. So EA/Maxis/Gurus always intended for this game to be a pretty shell of Sims 1 through 3. If it were not for the "complainers" we wouldn't be getting so many of the things the community wants. They have had 6 years, however I get the feeling they thought the "complainers" would stop or could be drowned out. The chances of them just starting to work on what we want in the last year or so is real and sad.
  • NationalPokedexNationalPokedex Posts: 829 Member
    Komura wrote: »
    I can’t help but wonder what the next expansion pack is. I’m trying to think of everything that’s trendy right now since they seem to follow trends with their packs this year, but I’m drawing a complete blank on anything that I would find fun, or that would appeal to the Sims teams version of fun. I am glad that they prepared people for this next pack that it won’t be something that includes what majority is asking for though, it will probably soften the blow of whatever this pack is.

    I'm also drawing a blank.

    And that SP placeholder is still on Origin so wonder where that fits in.

    It could still be the winter theme that seems to be hinted at.

    Serious question about a “winter” theme. Wouldn’t that essentially be an add on to seasons so like a MFPs situation?

    This is something that’s occurred to me too and I’m not super sure on how it would work. However, the desert worlds of Oasis Springs and Strangerville, and the tropical world of Sulani represent the opposite end of the spectrum and there’s no issue with that. The worlds exist in a climate vacuum without Seasons so it looks hot, and because we understand how climate works in the real world, it’s easy for us to pretend that the Sims are experiencing the appropriate weather if you don’t have Seasons installed. Aside from a winter world actually generating more snow, wouldn’t it work the same way?

  • charmed4life4charmed4life4 Posts: 178 Member
    Komura wrote: »
    I can’t help but wonder what the next expansion pack is. I’m trying to think of everything that’s trendy right now since they seem to follow trends with their packs this year, but I’m drawing a complete blank on anything that I would find fun, or that would appeal to the Sims teams version of fun. I am glad that they prepared people for this next pack that it won’t be something that includes what majority is asking for though, it will probably soften the blow of whatever this pack is.

    I'm also drawing a blank.

    And that SP placeholder is still on Origin so wonder where that fits in.

    It could still be the winter theme that seems to be hinted at.

    Serious question about a “winter” theme. Wouldn’t that essentially be an add on to seasons so like a MFPs situation?

    This is something that’s occurred to me too and I’m not super sure on how it would work. However, the desert worlds of Oasis Springs and Strangerville, and the tropical world of Sulani represent the opposite end of the spectrum and there’s no issue with that. The worlds exist in a climate vacuum without Seasons so it looks hot, and because we understand how climate works in the real world, it’s easy for us to pretend that the Sims are experiencing the appropriate weather if you don’t have Seasons installed. Aside from a winter world actually generating more snow, wouldn’t it work the same way?

    Thinking on it, it may have snowed once in Oasis Spring for my game and it was a sprinkle at best, but I went to Willow Creek and it was a blizzard. I think this has been something Sims 4 has handled well, although I hate living in Willow Creek during the winter lol.
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