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  • Atreya33Atreya33 Posts: 4,410 Member
    edited September 2020
    @pink_coco10 thanks for the link. It was interesting.
    babajayne wrote: »
    xamira99 wrote: »
    TBH, I don't mind, and I think I know about it ever since the announcement. It's part of their marketing strategy. It would be so nice to have new Simmers too. I'm pretty sure each one of us started somewhere too, right?

    Besides, they've done the community pack with the Knitting Stuff, so, why can't they expand their target market now?

    I personally like this pack and bought it yesterday. Yes, this pack is not for everyone, but, there's still a few Simmers are enjoying the pack.
    If they weren’t “Simmers” before, they’re not now. I don’t want a bunch of new players attracted to this game who are going to request or expect more packs like this one. It’s not within the life simulation genre. And it’s not even done well, from what I’ve seen!

    The Sims 3 was the first sims game I ever played and owned. In fact, I only began playing it when it was well in its 3rd year of development.
    Didn't the sims 3 receive a lot of backlash back in the days? Even so, I didn't know about it all those years ago. I bought many packs (on sale) because I really enjoyed it.

    But I wasn't a simmer before, so does this mean I wasn't a simmer then? Does it mean I'm not a simmer now? What does being a 'simmer' mean? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy sims 3, but not after? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy JtB, but not after?

    I did buy the pack (cause me really likes). Does this make me now less of a 'simmer' than someone who did not buy the pack?
    I'm actually interested what folks think about that.

    If it took a non-Sims brand crossover to get someone interested in The Sims then I wouldn’t classify them as Sims fan. I mean did you see TS3 diesel stuff and then buy the whole base game?

    Grand, here’s my ‘embarrassing’ reason for buying TS3. Should I share it? Sure why the hell not.
    I actually bought TS3 as a starter bundle which included Late Night. It caught my attention because the box art showed this girl in a bikini in a hot tub. It also depicted a seductive vampirella. I honestly thought this was a life simulator aimed at a more mature audience. Never for the life of me did I believe it was for teens...or that it was whatever it is. I wonder how many guys were attracted to this particular DLC...I mean it was called ‘Late Night’...🤔
    Anyone?
    Fine. No one.

    Anyway. I may just...go back into my...cave now. o:)

    *peeping out*

    Glad the game turned out much better than that! It had bands! My favorite thing! BANDS!

    *goes back in cave.*

    *peeps out once more*

    I may have gotten the TS3 starter bundle if a Star Wars DLC was included! Not Diesel. Nah. I don’t really wear that stuff.

    *back in cave.*

    The way I see it is we all started out at some point. None of us was a true simmer at the start. It is something you become through playing the sims. Thank you for sharing your story.

    Some star wars fans who try this might find out they actually like to play the sims and continue playing while others, probably most, will not. Writing new players off as not being true simmers is a bit premature. New players need to try out playing their sims at home before they can learn if they like the basic concept of a sandbox game like the sims. If they are not interested, they will head off back into other games soon enough. If they want to continue playing sims, they can become simmers.
    Post edited by Atreya33 on
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    babajayne wrote: »
    @CAPTAIN_NXR7
    I think you’re a “true Simmer” if you appreciate The Sims as a life simulation game. You happen to like other types of games, too, and you apparently enjoy JtB. Can you just acknowledge that they’re different game styles?

    JtB’s Gameplay mechanics are very similar to The Sims Medieval: Choose a Side, Go on Missions, Pick a path via Chance Cards. The only difference is that there are a heap of build items in JtB. Most of them are completely sci fi generic. The builds don’t have to be ‘Star Wars‘ if you don’t want them to be. On the other hand, Medieval is a stand alone pack that doesn’t give builders much to do. I can’t just go to my ‘ordinary life’ save and play through that story. I have to launch a completely different game.

    Indeed, the sims 3 and the sims medieval focus on different play styles, I certainly acknowledge that. However, is it such a bad thing to combine the two as an experiment? JtB doesn’t get in the way at all. Strangerville doesn’t either. Personally I’m very happy with experimental game packs, whether they’re occult themed or story/mission themed.

    I was looking at a 2011 thread regarding the sims medieval. People were wondering why it was not just a TS3 EP.
    Now people wished that JtB was a stand-alone pack like medieval. (Or did not exist at all... :D ).

    I truly hope Sims4 core mechanics get fixed, a better personality system is long overdue. Will we get it? We’ll see. At this point I don’t know. These sims aren’t the smartest of the series.
    But there’s a lot we can do with life simulators. It doesn’t always have to be a copy of the previous titles. No simmer is the same or more ‘true’ than another. We all play the game differently. We find our own way to make it work for us. And if it’s still not satisfactory after 6 long years, maybe it’s time to move on.

    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 But honestly Star Wars is nothing like Medieval except for the fact that the structure is similar. The gameplay in medieval is much more hands on and doesn't have nearly as many chance cards or rabbit holes. But they are similar in structure that's true.

    Also yes there is a lot we can do with life simulators as long as they are life simulators. The star wars pack has nothing to do with either the sims or sandbox mechanics. Once you can't tell your own story in a Sims game, it stops being a sims game. There are no creative elements in it. It is a point and click adventure game, not sandbox./
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • CAPTAIN_NXR7CAPTAIN_NXR7 Posts: 4,451 Member
    edited September 2020
    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 But honestly Star Wars is nothing like Medieval except for the fact that the structure is similar. The gameplay in medieval is much more hands on and doesn't have nearly as many chance cards or rabbit holes. But they are similar in structure that's true.

    Also yes there is a lot we can do with life simulators as long as they are life simulators. The star wars pack has nothing to do with either the sims or sandbox mechanics. Once you can't tell your own story in a Sims game, it stops being a sims game. There are no creative elements in it. It is a point and click adventure game, not sandbox./

    @SimmerGeorge , below is the Wiki link to the definition of a sandbox game.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_game

    Please see first paragraph below:

    A sandbox game is a video game with a gameplay element that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks towards a goal within the game, if such a goal exists. Some games exist as pure sandbox games with no objectives; these are also known as non-games or software toys. More commonly, sandbox games results from these creative elements being incorporated into other genres and allowing for emergent gameplay. Sandbox games are often associated with open world concepts which gives the player freedom of movement and progression in the game's world. The "sandbox" term derives from the nature of a sandbox that lets children create nearly anything they want within it.’

    I can freely walk around in Batuu. I’m not forced to go on a mission. If I want to complete a task as part of an objective, I can choose to do so. Or my sim can just have a couple of drinks in the Cantina, gamble, cheat, get merry and travel back to his home planet.

    The fact that JtB is a sims 4 DLC and not a stand alone game, means I’ve actually been given more freedom to tell my own story. The amount of build items in the game is incredible, and the best part is that most of them are not necessarily Star Wars specific, unlike what many believe.
    It’s Sci-Fi grunge. I can create an underground science lab for my scientist, build a steam punk mansion or make Sulani look like a different planet. I can create aliens and have them inhabit my sims home planet. It actually does work great in combination with GTW, Strangerville and the DU robotics skill.

    Despite some restrictions e.g. no alien kids or functional land speeders, my story can continue beyond Batuu. Batuu is just an outpost where my sim is able to rank up as, say, a scoundrel. He’ll be a scoundrel in the rest of the world too. It doesn’t have to be a Star Wars scoundrel. He has scoundrel perks. He may not get arrested and jailed outside of Batuu, but that’s no problem. That’s what makes Batuu unique.

    I understand why folks are unhappy with this particular DLC and I agree that some features could have been implemented better.
    However, JtB should be considered a sand box, because that’s what it is.

  • drake_mccartydrake_mccarty Posts: 6,114 Member
    Batuu is a story driven DLC, it’s not sandbox. There is a clear beginning and end to the story, and the quests seem straightforward enough to not have multiple ways to approach them (this is still Sims 4. All of it’s linear elements play the same). Pretending gameplay overflows outside of Batuu isn’t very convincing to me that it’s a sandbox DLC. The arbitrary restrictions for even playing in that world don’t scream sandbox gameplay to me either.
  • CAPTAIN_NXR7CAPTAIN_NXR7 Posts: 4,451 Member
    Although limited in areas, Batuu is a sandbox by definition. It’s up to the player’s creativity to get as much out of it as possible. I may need to follow different paths to get enough credits so I can buy a droid or a lightsaber, but I’m not forced to follow the rest of the stories. The tools are there to create my own. I can change the main lots -albeit through cheats- and make them whatever I want them to be.

    JtB ( and TS4) is just not the sandbox many folks wanted it to be, that’s a different story.
  • TentacrocaclesTentacrocacles Posts: 449 Member
    edited September 2020
    They've also given early access to other EA Game Changers that are not Sims players and play the Star Wars games instead.
    I see no issue in this. It's their strategy to gain more players, just like any other business.
    To be clear, the GP does appeal to me and I will buy it at some point.

    I do think that while yes gaining new players/growing your consumer base is a great idea. I feel they probably should polish up the rest of the game before they go expanding their base. Not because "oh but we were here first", but just from a business standpoint it doesn't seem like a good move to market your game to a new crowd when a lot of the content is filled with bugs on bugs. I wouldn't want someone to pay for a product at full price that's already broken.

    Now that's not necessarily saying that Baatu is full of bugs, although I have heard there's an issue with occults. But a lot of the other content from other packs is now broken and has been for a while.
    A link to my most recent build in the gallery

    tumblr_inline_okebxv2e9a1shjovd_1280.png
  • QueenSaraphineQueenSaraphine Posts: 308 Member
    😂😂😂 i love u captain
    babajayne wrote: »
    xamira99 wrote: »
    TBH, I don't mind, and I think I know about it ever since the announcement. It's part of their marketing strategy. It would be so nice to have new Simmers too. I'm pretty sure each one of us started somewhere too, right?

    Besides, they've done the community pack with the Knitting Stuff, so, why can't they expand their target market now?

    I personally like this pack and bought it yesterday. Yes, this pack is not for everyone, but, there's still a few Simmers are enjoying the pack.
    If they weren’t “Simmers” before, they’re not now. I don’t want a bunch of new players attracted to this game who are going to request or expect more packs like this one. It’s not within the life simulation genre. And it’s not even done well, from what I’ve seen!

    The Sims 3 was the first sims game I ever played and owned. In fact, I only began playing it when it was well in its 3rd year of development.
    Didn't the sims 3 receive a lot of backlash back in the days? Even so, I didn't know about it all those years ago. I bought many packs (on sale) because I really enjoyed it.

    But I wasn't a simmer before, so does this mean I wasn't a simmer then? Does it mean I'm not a simmer now? What does being a 'simmer' mean? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy sims 3, but not after? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy JtB, but not after?

    I did buy the pack (cause me really likes). Does this make me now less of a 'simmer' than someone who did not buy the pack?
    I'm actually interested what folks think about that.

    If it took a non-Sims brand crossover to get someone interested in The Sims then I wouldn’t classify them as Sims fan. I mean did you see TS3 diesel stuff and then buy the whole base game?

    Grand, here’s my ‘embarrassing’ reason for buying TS3. Should I share it? Sure why the hell not.
    I actually bought TS3 as a starter bundle which included Late Night. It caught my attention because the box art showed this girl in a bikini in a hot tub. It also depicted a seductive vampirella. I honestly thought this was a life simulator aimed at a more mature audience. Never for the life of me did I believe it was for teens...or that it was whatever it is. I wonder how many guys were attracted to this particular DLC...I mean it was called ‘Late Night’...🤔
    Anyone?
    Fine. No one.

    Anyway. I may just...go back into my...cave now. o:)

    *peeping out*

    Glad the game turned out much better than that! It had bands! My favorite thing! BANDS!

    *goes back in cave.*

    *peeps out once more*

    I may have gotten the TS3 starter bundle if a Star Wars DLC was included! Not Diesel. Nah. I don’t really wear that stuff.

    *back in cave.*

    SignatureSparkly.gif
  • pink_coco10pink_coco10 Posts: 54 Member
    They've also given early access to other EA Game Changers that are not Sims players and play the Star Wars games instead.
    I see no issue in this. It's their strategy to gain more players, just like any other business.
    To be clear, the GP does appeal to me and I will buy it at some point.

    I do think that while yes gaining new players/growing your consumer base is a great idea. I feel they probably should polish up the rest of the game before they go expanding their base. Not because "oh but we were here first", but just from a business standpoint it doesn't seem like a good move to market your game to a new crowd when a lot of the content is filled with bugs on bugs. I wouldn't want someone to pay for a product at full price that's already broken.

    Now that's not necessarily saying that Baatu is full of bugs, although I have heard there's an issue with occults. But a lot of the other content from other packs is now broken and has been for a while.

    And I agree with you. As I see it, Maxis should focus on three things: fixing existing bugs, expand the game with packs that the players want and bring new people in. Now the trick is balancing all these at the same time so everyone is happy. Holding off on new content to fix bugs can be a bad move since no money will be generated, at least not as much as when a new pack is released. And what will they do with the team members that are not working on fixing issues and bugs? I am sure not all employees do this or are qualified. They have to work on something, otherwise their job is not justified.
    Maybe they should revise their plan of action for the game in the future. The thing is, we don't have that much info into their plans to know how much effort they put into resolving bugs vs. creating new content. From a players perspective, time passes by way too slow and it does feel that it takes too long for them to do what the community asks for or they are not listening. From their perspective, stuff takes a lot of time to be made and our requests cannot be made reality immediately.


  • FelicityFelicity Posts: 4,979 Member
    A long, long time ago, on a forum run by EA, Bioware decided to redefine RPGs to mean anything with a story and stats. This definitely did not do the genre any favors, but fortunately, there were other companies which didn't decide that GTA was an RPG and stuck with the fantasy elements. Unfortunately, Sims does not have this type of competition so if the life simulation genre is turned into a fetch-quest based game, a lot of people will be out the door, and not so many will replace them. Quest driven games are common, and most are not just fetch quests.

    I'm curious to see whether this gains them players or costs them players.
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,907 Member
    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 But honestly Star Wars is nothing like Medieval except for the fact that the structure is similar. The gameplay in medieval is much more hands on and doesn't have nearly as many chance cards or rabbit holes. But they are similar in structure that's true.

    Also yes there is a lot we can do with life simulators as long as they are life simulators. The star wars pack has nothing to do with either the sims or sandbox mechanics. Once you can't tell your own story in a Sims game, it stops being a sims game. There are no creative elements in it. It is a point and click adventure game, not sandbox./

    @SimmerGeorge , below is the Wiki link to the definition of a sandbox game.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_game

    Please see first paragraph below:

    A sandbox game is a video game with a gameplay element that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks towards a goal within the game, if such a goal exists. Some games exist as pure sandbox games with no objectives; these are also known as non-games or software toys. More commonly, sandbox games results from these creative elements being incorporated into other genres and allowing for emergent gameplay. Sandbox games are often associated with open world concepts which gives the player freedom of movement and progression in the game's world. The "sandbox" term derives from the nature of a sandbox that lets children create nearly anything they want within it.’

    I can freely walk around in Batuu. I’m not forced to go on a mission. If I want to complete a task as part of an objective, I can choose to do so. Or my sim can just have a couple of drinks in the Cantina, gamble, cheat, get merry and travel back to his home planet.

    The fact that JtB is a sims 4 DLC and not a stand alone game, means I’ve actually been given more freedom to tell my own story. The amount of build items in the game is incredible, and the best part is that most of them are not necessarily Star Wars specific, unlike what many believe.
    It’s Sci-Fi grunge. I can create an underground science lab for my scientist, build a steam punk mansion or make Sulani look like a different planet. I can create aliens and have them inhabit my sims home planet. It actually does work great in combination with GTW, Strangerville and the DU robotics skill.

    Despite some restrictions e.g. no alien kids or functional land speeders, my story can continue beyond Batuu. Batuu is just an outpost where my sim is able to rank up as, say, a scoundrel. He’ll be a scoundrel in the rest of the world too. It doesn’t have to be a Star Wars scoundrel. He has scoundrel perks. He may not get arrested and jailed outside of Batuu, but that’s no problem. That’s what makes Batuu unique.

    I understand why folks are unhappy with this particular DLC and I agree that some features could have been implemented better.
    However, JtB should be considered a sand box, because that’s what it is.

    You said it better than I could. <3
  • simmerLellasimmerLella Posts: 612 Member
    babajayne wrote: »
    xamira99 wrote: »
    TBH, I don't mind, and I think I know about it ever since the announcement. It's part of their marketing strategy. It would be so nice to have new Simmers too. I'm pretty sure each one of us started somewhere too, right?

    Besides, they've done the community pack with the Knitting Stuff, so, why can't they expand their target market now?

    I personally like this pack and bought it yesterday. Yes, this pack is not for everyone, but, there's still a few Simmers are enjoying the pack.
    If they weren’t “Simmers” before, they’re not now. I don’t want a bunch of new players attracted to this game who are going to request or expect more packs like this one. It’s not within the life simulation genre. And it’s not even done well, from what I’ve seen!

    The Sims 3 was the first sims game I ever played and owned. In fact, I only began playing it when it was well in its 3rd year of development.
    Didn't the sims 3 receive a lot of backlash back in the days? Even so, I didn't know about it all those years ago. I bought many packs (on sale) because I really enjoyed it.

    But I wasn't a simmer before, so does this mean I wasn't a simmer then? Does it mean I'm not a simmer now? What does being a 'simmer' mean? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy sims 3, but not after? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy JtB, but not after?

    I did buy the pack (cause me really likes). Does this make me now less of a 'simmer' than someone who did not buy the pack?
    I'm actually interested what folks think about that.

    If it took a non-Sims brand crossover to get someone interested in The Sims then I wouldn’t classify them as Sims fan. I mean did you see TS3 diesel stuff and then buy the whole base game?

    Grand, here’s my ‘embarrassing’ reason for buying TS3. Should I share it? Sure why the hell not.
    I actually bought TS3 as a starter bundle which included Late Night. It caught my attention because the box art showed this girl in a bikini in a hot tub. It also depicted a seductive vampirella. I honestly thought this was a life simulator aimed at a more mature audience. Never for the life of me did I believe it was for teens...or that it was whatever it is. I wonder how many guys were attracted to this particular DLC...I mean it was called ‘Late Night’...🤔
    Anyone?
    Fine. No one.

    Anyway. I may just...go back into my...cave now. o:)

    *peeping out*

    Glad the game turned out much better than that! It had bands! My favorite thing! BANDS!

    *goes back in cave.*

    *peeps out once more*

    I may have gotten the TS3 starter bundle if a Star Wars DLC was included! Not Diesel. Nah. I don’t really wear that stuff.

    *back in cave.*

    Well, the first The Sims anything I got was the bundle for The Sims + Hot Date. It wasn't anything tame about it that pulled me in, haha.

    Does that make you feel better? B)o:)
    "Challenge everything"
    My Game Twitter
    tumblr_inline_pwgxs3dfiz1t4sbjh_500.jpg
    EA, fix the EA app & CAW EIG!
  • Pamtastic72Pamtastic72 Posts: 4,545 Member
    Like I keep saying this pack is the product of contractual obligation by EA and Disney. While the devs may have been excited about the initial concept, it’s Disney’s pack in the end and that’s why the lightweight defense of it on the part of the devs and the barely there promotion of it.
  • CAPTAIN_NXR7CAPTAIN_NXR7 Posts: 4,451 Member
    babajayne wrote: »
    xamira99 wrote: »
    TBH, I don't mind, and I think I know about it ever since the announcement. It's part of their marketing strategy. It would be so nice to have new Simmers too. I'm pretty sure each one of us started somewhere too, right?

    Besides, they've done the community pack with the Knitting Stuff, so, why can't they expand their target market now?

    I personally like this pack and bought it yesterday. Yes, this pack is not for everyone, but, there's still a few Simmers are enjoying the pack.
    If they weren’t “Simmers” before, they’re not now. I don’t want a bunch of new players attracted to this game who are going to request or expect more packs like this one. It’s not within the life simulation genre. And it’s not even done well, from what I’ve seen!

    The Sims 3 was the first sims game I ever played and owned. In fact, I only began playing it when it was well in its 3rd year of development.
    Didn't the sims 3 receive a lot of backlash back in the days? Even so, I didn't know about it all those years ago. I bought many packs (on sale) because I really enjoyed it.

    But I wasn't a simmer before, so does this mean I wasn't a simmer then? Does it mean I'm not a simmer now? What does being a 'simmer' mean? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy sims 3, but not after? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy JtB, but not after?

    I did buy the pack (cause me really likes). Does this make me now less of a 'simmer' than someone who did not buy the pack?
    I'm actually interested what folks think about that.

    If it took a non-Sims brand crossover to get someone interested in The Sims then I wouldn’t classify them as Sims fan. I mean did you see TS3 diesel stuff and then buy the whole base game?

    Grand, here’s my ‘embarrassing’ reason for buying TS3. Should I share it? Sure why the hell not.
    I actually bought TS3 as a starter bundle which included Late Night. It caught my attention because the box art showed this girl in a bikini in a hot tub. It also depicted a seductive vampirella. I honestly thought this was a life simulator aimed at a more mature audience. Never for the life of me did I believe it was for teens...or that it was whatever it is. I wonder how many guys were attracted to this particular DLC...I mean it was called ‘Late Night’...🤔
    Anyone?
    Fine. No one.

    Anyway. I may just...go back into my...cave now. o:)

    *peeping out*

    Glad the game turned out much better than that! It had bands! My favorite thing! BANDS!

    *goes back in cave.*

    *peeps out once more*

    I may have gotten the TS3 starter bundle if a Star Wars DLC was included! Not Diesel. Nah. I don’t really wear that stuff.

    *back in cave.*

    Well, the first The Sims anything I got was the bundle for The Sims + Hot Date. It wasn't anything tame about it that pulled me in, haha.

    Does that make you feel better? B)o:)

    Much! ;)
  • OmairaOmaira Posts: 666 Member
    edited September 2020
    babajayne wrote: »
    xamira99 wrote: »
    TBH, I don't mind, and I think I know about it ever since the announcement. It's part of their marketing strategy. It would be so nice to have new Simmers too. I'm pretty sure each one of us started somewhere too, right?

    Besides, they've done the community pack with the Knitting Stuff, so, why can't they expand their target market now?

    I personally like this pack and bought it yesterday. Yes, this pack is not for everyone, but, there's still a few Simmers are enjoying the pack.
    If they weren’t “Simmers” before, they’re not now. I don’t want a bunch of new players attracted to this game who are going to request or expect more packs like this one. It’s not within the life simulation genre. And it’s not even done well, from what I’ve seen!

    The Sims 3 was the first sims game I ever played and owned. In fact, I only began playing it when it was well in its 3rd year of development.
    Didn't the sims 3 receive a lot of backlash back in the days? Even so, I didn't know about it all those years ago. I bought many packs (on sale) because I really enjoyed it.

    But I wasn't a simmer before, so does this mean I wasn't a simmer then? Does it mean I'm not a simmer now? What does being a 'simmer' mean? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy sims 3, but not after? Can you be a 'simmer' before you buy JtB, but not after?

    I did buy the pack (cause me really likes). Does this make me now less of a 'simmer' than someone who did not buy the pack?
    I'm actually interested what folks think about that.

    What makes you a simmer, like me and everyone else that plays this game, is actually playing the game (and for that you have to buy it) so yes you are a simmer, and calling names to simmers who buy packs because they genuinely like them SHOULD NOT be done by ANYONE, trust me, we all know it's OUT OF ORDER.
    Now, the community is NOT TOXIC, is just angry, and so a few don't seem to be controlling that emotion very well.
    I myself am angry, but I realize that it goes further than any pack they release, it goes to their lack of interest in sorting issues like bugs, and babies and other things and in adding insult to injury by destroying the game I REALLY LOVE.
    New simmers? yes, but respect this game, as it was created, this was never about being a game for online play, mini transactions and picture pretty worlds, game play lacking etc. It was and we want it to continue to be: A LIFE SIMULATION GAME. EAXIS can create another game for that other market.
    I also started with the sims 3, and yes bugs were rampant, and I had my say on the forums from time to time, life for the sims 3 is hard too, some Worlds and things were never fixed, I play it with NRaas Mods, I am not so sure I would otherwise.
    The sims 3 emotions were worse than the Sims 2 and the sims 4 are worse than the sims 3, time to stop this farce. We want sims with emotions, reactions and consequences, bug free and ideally Mod free, unless required for specific game play.
    I am s Simmer and so are you. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. We should all be in this together.
    Post edited by Omaira on
  • GoldmoldarGoldmoldar Posts: 11,966 Member
    Batuu is a story driven DLC, it’s not sandbox. There is a clear beginning and end to the story, and the quests seem straightforward enough to not have multiple ways to approach them (this is still Sims 4. All of it’s linear elements play the same). Pretending gameplay overflows outside of Batuu isn’t very convincing to me that it’s a sandbox DLC. The arbitrary restrictions for even playing in that world don’t scream sandbox gameplay to me either.

    I agree for once everything is said and for me the pack is done too.
    Omen by HP Intel®️ Core™️ i9- 12900K W/ RGB Liquid Cooler 32GB Nvidia RTX 3080 10Gb ASUS Ultra-Wide 34" Curved Monitor. Omen By HP Intel® Core™ i7-12800HX 32 GB Nvidia 3070 Ti 8 GB 17.3 Screen
  • TentacrocaclesTentacrocacles Posts: 449 Member
    They've also given early access to other EA Game Changers that are not Sims players and play the Star Wars games instead.
    I see no issue in this. It's their strategy to gain more players, just like any other business.
    To be clear, the GP does appeal to me and I will buy it at some point.

    I do think that while yes gaining new players/growing your consumer base is a great idea. I feel they probably should polish up the rest of the game before they go expanding their base. Not because "oh but we were here first", but just from a business standpoint it doesn't seem like a good move to market your game to a new crowd when a lot of the content is filled with bugs on bugs. I wouldn't want someone to pay for a product at full price that's already broken.

    Now that's not necessarily saying that Baatu is full of bugs, although I have heard there's an issue with occults. But a lot of the other content from other packs is now broken and has been for a while.

    And I agree with you. As I see it, Maxis should focus on three things: fixing existing bugs, expand the game with packs that the players want and bring new people in. Now the trick is balancing all these at the same time so everyone is happy. Holding off on new content to fix bugs can be a bad move since no money will be generated, at least not as much as when a new pack is released. And what will they do with the team members that are not working on fixing issues and bugs? I am sure not all employees do this or are qualified. They have to work on something, otherwise their job is not justified.
    Maybe they should revise their plan of action for the game in the future. The thing is, we don't have that much info into their plans to know how much effort they put into resolving bugs vs. creating new content. From a players perspective, time passes by way too slow and it does feel that it takes too long for them to do what the community asks for or they are not listening. From their perspective, stuff takes a lot of time to be made and our requests cannot be made reality immediately.


    I see your point but I do think they should at least slow down on the new releases a little bit to allow those qualified to do the bug work to fix stuff without adding more work to their pile.

    The problem with the amount of releases right now is they've got an awful lot of catch up on their plates. Maybe if they brought it back to like one new thing for a year while they try to fix majority of the issues. I think the way to make this more palatable to the community is to just be transparent and say "hey we're only releasing one thing this year so we can fix bugs in the game" I'm sure that would buy them the patience of the customer base.
    A link to my most recent build in the gallery

    tumblr_inline_okebxv2e9a1shjovd_1280.png
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    edited September 2020
    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 But honestly Star Wars is nothing like Medieval except for the fact that the structure is similar. The gameplay in medieval is much more hands on and doesn't have nearly as many chance cards or rabbit holes. But they are similar in structure that's true.

    Also yes there is a lot we can do with life simulators as long as they are life simulators. The star wars pack has nothing to do with either the sims or sandbox mechanics. Once you can't tell your own story in a Sims game, it stops being a sims game. There are no creative elements in it. It is a point and click adventure game, not sandbox./

    @SimmerGeorge , below is the Wiki link to the definition of a sandbox game.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_game

    Please see first paragraph below:

    A sandbox game is a video game with a gameplay element that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks towards a goal within the game, if such a goal exists. Some games exist as pure sandbox games with no objectives; these are also known as non-games or software toys. More commonly, sandbox games results from these creative elements being incorporated into other genres and allowing for emergent gameplay. Sandbox games are often associated with open world concepts which gives the player freedom of movement and progression in the game's world. The "sandbox" term derives from the nature of a sandbox that lets children create nearly anything they want within it.’

    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 You know taking a word by definition in a discussion is to me a bit counter-productive because you assume that both of us use the word after having read every part of one of the different definitions there are online. The thing with words is that everyday use or a perception of something slightly alter the definition in each person's mind.
    Because of course when I said the game is missing sandbox elements, you knew what I meant and I knew what I meant, but going by a random online definition it really becomes difficult to communicate.
    Anyway the definition says "gameplay element that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks towards a goal within the game" which by definition is correct but Sims games or Minecraft is defined as "sandbox" yet there is no clear goal in the game.
    Furthermore the definition speaks of a great degree of creativity, which arguably doesn't exists in the Star Wars pack since the goals are pre-determined.
    Also if you argue that there are sandbox elements in the Star Wars pack then maybe you're right, however the sandbox elements from the actual The Sims game are missing. When you can't live in a world, or even go inside a homebase, when you can't use certain socials on certain sims, when you can't wear whatever you like, when your whole inventory is wiped out until you get back home, means that core-elements of the game are hidden behind restrictions. Maybe is still a great degree of creativity, idk. But what I know is that the creativity from the actual game is missing.
    This is why people say they feel the pack isn't "Sims enough".
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • muzickmagemuzickmage Posts: 986 Member
    The Star Wars GP is like a new neighbor that moves in next door that desperately wants to be part of neighborhood while double locking his doors to ensure the neighborhood can't be part of him.

    Here's a bunch of stuff he says to distribute around your neighborhood. Toss some stuff on your lawn, and maybe even remodel your house with a few of my ideas.

    As for you however... I won't be using your stuff. Your stuff isn't welcome on my property. Leave your inventory at home. Plus, let me be upfront with you about my lack of interest to communicate with anyone who isn't of my human state of mind and belief.... spellcaster people... don't bother ringing my doorbell. Just saying.

    Oh, and one more thing. I ask that you keep in mind that while visiting my property.... there will be a dress code, and a set list of preconditions for you to follow (lets call this list.... ummm missions of respect for my home).

    Please stay as long as you like.
  • CAPTAIN_NXR7CAPTAIN_NXR7 Posts: 4,451 Member
    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 But honestly Star Wars is nothing like Medieval except for the fact that the structure is similar. The gameplay in medieval is much more hands on and doesn't have nearly as many chance cards or rabbit holes. But they are similar in structure that's true.

    Also yes there is a lot we can do with life simulators as long as they are life simulators. The star wars pack has nothing to do with either the sims or sandbox mechanics. Once you can't tell your own story in a Sims game, it stops being a sims game. There are no creative elements in it. It is a point and click adventure game, not sandbox./

    @SimmerGeorge , below is the Wiki link to the definition of a sandbox game.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_game

    Please see first paragraph below:

    A sandbox game is a video game with a gameplay element that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks towards a goal within the game, if such a goal exists. Some games exist as pure sandbox games with no objectives; these are also known as non-games or software toys. More commonly, sandbox games results from these creative elements being incorporated into other genres and allowing for emergent gameplay. Sandbox games are often associated with open world concepts which gives the player freedom of movement and progression in the game's world. The "sandbox" term derives from the nature of a sandbox that lets children create nearly anything they want within it.’

    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 You know taking a word by definition in a discussion is to me a bit counter-productive because you assume that both of us use the word after having read every part of one of the different definitions there are online. The thing with words is that everyday use or a perception of something slightly alter the definition in each person's mind.
    Because of course when I said the game is missing sandbox elements, you knew what I meant and I knew what I meant, but going by a random online definition it really becomes difficult to communicate.

    I’m not sure what this means. Going by what you’re saying here is that I should disregard the definition of a word and refrain from using it in a counter argument because that’s not the correct way to communicate, since everybody interprets words differently anyway: Let’s not talk about definitions of words, let’s talk about what I personally think the word means.
    We might as well speak in Simlish.

    I’m well aware of the fact that folks believe this gamepack does not feel like The Sims. But when people talk sandbox let’s talk sandbox.

    GTA is a sandbox. Red Dead. Skyrim. They’re story driven RPGs and they’re nothing like the Sims.
    JtB introduced RPG elements to the gameplay mechanics by sacrificing some of the sandbox elements that makes The Sims ‘The Sims’. I get it. I agree that some of these elements should never have been sacrificed. It’s still a sandbox though. And I repeat again: it’s just not the sandbox the majority of folks want, because for them it doesn’t feel like The Sims. I get it. I really, really do.
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 But honestly Star Wars is nothing like Medieval except for the fact that the structure is similar. The gameplay in medieval is much more hands on and doesn't have nearly as many chance cards or rabbit holes. But they are similar in structure that's true.

    Also yes there is a lot we can do with life simulators as long as they are life simulators. The star wars pack has nothing to do with either the sims or sandbox mechanics. Once you can't tell your own story in a Sims game, it stops being a sims game. There are no creative elements in it. It is a point and click adventure game, not sandbox./

    @SimmerGeorge , below is the Wiki link to the definition of a sandbox game.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbox_game

    Please see first paragraph below:

    A sandbox game is a video game with a gameplay element that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks towards a goal within the game, if such a goal exists. Some games exist as pure sandbox games with no objectives; these are also known as non-games or software toys. More commonly, sandbox games results from these creative elements being incorporated into other genres and allowing for emergent gameplay. Sandbox games are often associated with open world concepts which gives the player freedom of movement and progression in the game's world. The "sandbox" term derives from the nature of a sandbox that lets children create nearly anything they want within it.’

    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 You know taking a word by definition in a discussion is to me a bit counter-productive because you assume that both of us use the word after having read every part of one of the different definitions there are online. The thing with words is that everyday use or a perception of something slightly alter the definition in each person's mind.
    Because of course when I said the game is missing sandbox elements, you knew what I meant and I knew what I meant, but going by a random online definition it really becomes difficult to communicate.

    I’m not sure what this means. Going by what you’re saying here is that I should disregard the definition of a word and refrain from using it in a counter argument because that’s not the correct way to communicate, since everybody interprets words differently anyway: Let’s not talk about definitions of words, let’s talk about what I personally think the word means.
    We might as well speak in Simlish.

    I’m well aware of the fact that folks believe this gamepack does not feel like The Sims. But when people talk sandbox let’s talk sandbox.

    GTA is a sandbox. Red Dead. Skyrim. They’re story driven RPGs and they’re nothing like the Sims.
    JtB introduced RPG elements to the gameplay mechanics by sacrificing some of the sandbox elements that makes The Sims ‘The Sims’. I get it. I agree that some of these elements should never have been sacrificed. It’s still a sandbox though. And I repeat again: it’s just not the sandbox the majority of folks want, because for them it doesn’t feel like The Sims. I get it. I really, really do.

    @CAPTAIN_NXR7 Yes. That's exactly what I mean. The game might still be sandbox in a way but when people say it's not sandbox enough of course they mean it's mssing sandbox elements that are typical "The Sims". It is the sandbox elements of "The Sims" that people want and not just any sandbox elements. This is why picking up a dictionary and looking up the word sandbox might help you raise the arguement that the other person isn't using a word correctly, but it won't necessarily help you communicate and understand what the other person means, which is the point in conversations like these.
    Also I'm going to agrue that the RPG elements in the Star Wars pack outweigh the sandbox elements. Also the main RPG element this pack has integrated to the Sims in the fetch missions, which are arguably the most weakest part of RPGs. A good example of a pack that mixes RPG with the Sims is the vampires pack, that includes the perks system, which is typical RPG but also blends well with the Sims and the creative aspect of it. As for sandbox elements, I don't see many new ones coming with this pack (which to me is what makes a pack great like Dine Out, Retail from GtW, Create a holiday from Seasons etc.) and even the sandbox elements from the base game are restricted.
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • SimmerGeorgeSimmerGeorge Posts: 2,724 Member
    muzickmage wrote: »
    The Star Wars GP is like a new neighbor that moves in next door that desperately wants to be part of neighborhood while double locking his doors to ensure the neighborhood can't be part of him.

    Here's a bunch of stuff he says to distribute around your neighborhood. Toss some stuff on your lawn, and maybe even remodel your house with a few of my ideas.

    As for you however... I won't be using your stuff. Your stuff isn't welcome on my property. Leave your inventory at home. Plus, let me be upfront with you about my lack of interest to communicate with anyone who isn't of my human state of mind and belief.... spellcaster people... don't bother ringing my doorbell. Just saying.

    Oh, and one more thing. I ask that you keep in mind that while visiting my property.... there will be a dress code, and a set list of preconditions for you to follow (lets call this list.... ummm missions of respect for my home).

    Please stay as long as you like.

    @muzickmage It's like visiting Disney's house, which is probably why the pack turned out this way.
    Where's my Sims 5 squad at?
  • muzickmagemuzickmage Posts: 986 Member
    muzickmage wrote: »
    The Star Wars GP is like a new neighbor that moves in next door that desperately wants to be part of neighborhood while double locking his doors to ensure the neighborhood can't be part of him.

    Here's a bunch of stuff he says to distribute around your neighborhood. Toss some stuff on your lawn, and maybe even remodel your house with a few of my ideas.

    As for you however... I won't be using your stuff. Your stuff isn't welcome on my property. Leave your inventory at home. Plus, let me be upfront with you about my lack of interest to communicate with anyone who isn't of my human state of mind and belief.... spellcaster people... don't bother ringing my doorbell. Just saying.

    Oh, and one more thing. I ask that you keep in mind that while visiting my property.... there will be a dress code, and a set list of preconditions for you to follow (lets call this list.... ummm missions of respect for my home).

    Please stay as long as you like.

    @muzickmage It's like visiting Disney's house, which is probably why the pack turned out this way.

    The whole concept is a one-sided expectation.

    EA/Maxis expects us to welcome the Star Wars GP into the sims game, while denying us the opportunity have the sims game be part of the Star Wars pack.

    Our sims are checked at the door to see what we are wearing, and to be sure we're not trying to smuggle anything across the border.

    But it's ok though for the Star Wars GP to toss us all their stuff across all the sims worlds. That part isn't a problem. Just don't try to bring anything onto their property.
  • GoldmoldarGoldmoldar Posts: 11,966 Member
    edited September 2020
    They've also given early access to other EA Game Changers that are not Sims players and play the Star Wars games instead.
    I see no issue in this. It's their strategy to gain more players, just like any other business.
    To be clear, the GP does appeal to me and I will buy it at some point.

    I do think that while yes gaining new players/growing your consumer base is a great idea. I feel they probably should polish up the rest of the game before they go expanding their base. Not because "oh but we were here first", but just from a business standpoint it doesn't seem like a good move to market your game to a new crowd when a lot of the content is filled with bugs on bugs. I wouldn't want someone to pay for a product at full price that's already broken.

    Now that's not necessarily saying that Baatu is full of bugs, although I have heard there's an issue with occults. But a lot of the other content from other packs is now broken and has been for a while.

    And I agree with you. As I see it, Maxis should focus on three things: fixing existing bugs, expand the game with packs that the players want and bring new people in. Now the trick is balancing all these at the same time so everyone is happy. Holding off on new content to fix bugs can be a bad move since no money will be generated, at least not as much as when a new pack is released. And what will they do with the team members that are not working on fixing issues and bugs? I am sure not all employees do this or are qualified. They have to work on something, otherwise their job is not justified.
    Maybe they should revise their plan of action for the game in the future. The thing is, we don't have that much info into their plans to know how much effort they put into resolving bugs vs. creating new content. From a players perspective, time passes by way too slow and it does feel that it takes too long for them to do what the community asks for or they are not listening. From their perspective, stuff takes a lot of time to be made and our requests cannot be made reality immediately.


    I see your point but I do think they should at least slow down on the new releases a little bit to allow those qualified to do the bug work to fix stuff without adding more work to their pile.

    The problem with the amount of releases right now is they've got an awful lot of catch up on their plates. Maybe if they brought it back to like one new thing for a year while they try to fix majority of the issues. I think the way to make this more palatable to the community is to just be transparent and say "hey we're only releasing one thing this year so we can fix bugs in the game" I'm sure that would buy them the patience of the customer base.

    I agree with you one the slowing down the new releases to take care of most of the bugs people are complaining about. However, in some sense I see an pattern here that they used in Sim City 2013, they were all gung ho about it but in the end they killed the game and shuttered the game and series. Is EA/Maxis trying to do the same with the Sims series making like they care about the series putting out some new packs just to get some cash before closing it as they may act like they care about the series but in real time tired of and want to move on. EA itself lost billions in the past and it was not just the Sims series. EA has many franchises and if they make more on them than just one series they might think to themselves "We can shutter this series and still make our money on the other franchises" one way of this not being true is the marketing of an new version. This is just an hunch I am feeling for EA tends to make mistakes. I believe in short time some will find out if EA/Maxis is purposely dooming the series.
    Omen by HP Intel®️ Core™️ i9- 12900K W/ RGB Liquid Cooler 32GB Nvidia RTX 3080 10Gb ASUS Ultra-Wide 34" Curved Monitor. Omen By HP Intel® Core™ i7-12800HX 32 GB Nvidia 3070 Ti 8 GB 17.3 Screen
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,907 Member
    edited September 2020
    If the game comes to an end it comes to an end. I have enough to keep me going for a long time, in fact too much to do. My witch has to combine her adventures in Batuu with getting enough herbal skills to increase her lifespan so that she can complete it. You can increase a lot of skills in Batuu I've found.

    Leaving all this argument behind and going back into the game.

    The next expansion might be for those who dislike the new pack, even though it won't be Farming I expect it will be something I can use. :)

    In Fact, going all Star Trekky... I'm looking at Journey to Batuu as something like entering the Holodeck as my Sims has gone back several times now, going back home from time to time to feed her cat and improve her magic skills.
    Post edited by Simburian on
  • EA_LeelooEA_Leeloo Posts: 2,019 EA Staff (retired)
    I removed some comments from this thread. Please stay on topic and keep the conversation fair even if there are strong opinions on this.
    Thanks!
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