So I've been thinking about the different scenarios of how the team will handle seasons, and I know from previous packs that they can only do so much to include activities for all 4 seasons. I had this idea for a full winter GP restricted in one destination world:
- A northern european-inspired world where it's always winter.
- Sims get a brand new outerwear section in CAS and in that Winter world, they're forced into those warm clothes.
- The world is covered in snow all the time.
- The world is split into two or three neighborhoods: one hood is dedicated completely to a SKI SLOPE.
Other neighborhoods could be the neighboring town which includes rental houses (could be residential lots with a vacation timer on them. You could make your own and put a lot trait on them. Work kind of like a real life Airbnb), small motels or lodges with multiple rooms to choose from and a common space, restaurants, coffee shops, ice skating rink or frozen lake.
- The ski neighborhood in that world could be accessed through a small lot at a low level and sims could go off lot with their skis in an animation that takes them to the top of a hill or mountain in a ski lift (they could limit the size of the hood as much as they want but include this).
- Sims then ski down or snowboard down in a good/bad animation depending on a 5 level skill.
This could be a mid-year GP with assets being used from a future Seasons EP (Clothes and snow interactions). What do you guys think? I honestly want this so bad, escaping to a full winter experience with skiing and staying in a hottub at a lodge with a group of sims or a family. I think we need this before Seasons because with a Seasons EP, one season can't hog all the content and resources.
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I like the idea of a winter vacation world. I wouldn't want it in a separate pack, however. But I really love the idea.
The only thing is that I wish the skills were on a ten-level framework instead of five. This game needs more nuanced and different animations. Sims progress so quickly that, after a while, they're all experts at those five-level skills. Heck, all they have to do is try something once and they're already at level one. That effectively means that those skills truly only have four levels.
I'm in agreement with this. I want a Winter Travel Destination as well.
The reason I simplified it is that if it were to be a GP, a world would mean them having to sacrifice on alot of things. Animations are complicated and if it were to be a really tight GP filled with content (World, skiing, new CAS outfits) +animations for skiing snowboarding and sledding down a hill they programmed, I don't think it's realistic for each of these to have more than two animations (failure/success). I honestly wish they could develop a pack like this besides a Seasons EP bringing weather to all worlds. And maybe another GP that adds a tropical summer destination. Skiing's never been done in the sims so it would be interesting.
I also think it would be nice to get some more cultural locations/settings/concepts into the game. A lot of the base sim stuff is fashioned on American society, which is absolutely fine, but not the default for all the players and so it would be nice to add in some more different aspects relating to other continents (preferably in a respectful and non-controversial way of course...). It would be nice for Sims to go visit the pyramids, for example, or spend some time celebrating hanami in a Japanese place (that isn't the dubious San Myshuno), as well as going skiing in the north of Sim World...
And of course, Simsylvania for the vampire holiday of a lifetime!
I understand your point. However, to me, having a winter world arrive in a GP means that it would be too limited. I would prefer that it was a part of a much larger and substantial Seasons EP which includes more than two or three activities. I'm really tired of always having those half-skills.
A world, even a small one the size of GF from OR, takes up a lot of data in an EP. That means giving up other features that I would much rather have than a world. A separate Alpine GP with a world in it, could be added before or after a Seasons EP. The EP would add the weather and the GP would add the location and activities, which if added to the Seasons EP, would eliminate other great seasons features.
Exactly. This can't be a part of Seasons because a Seasons EP already has alot of things as basic requirements that would quickly fill up the pack: weather effects in all worlds including snow covered ground and objects, reaction animations to the weather in addition to various weather-related animations (playing with snow, carrying an umbrella, raking leaves). Various CAS items and lastly seasonal activities. All of these things combined would mean that a new world is unlikely. I don't want a snowboarding station like the one in TS1, I actually want more things sims can do out in a world.
To me, that's just the EA party line. I'm sorry, I'm not swallowing that hook.
Previous games were able to provide three worlds all at one, each with many and varied things to do. What is TS4's problem, exactly?
TS2 had three vacation worlds, all chock full of distinctly different activities and customs. TS3 did likewise, introducing an entirely new concept of tomb raiding and exploring to boot.
I personally am not going to encourage and support all the excuses that the community are being fed this time around. I can't, not when there are multiple precedents that it is possible to have a robust EP, because we've had many of them over the years.
None of those included weather now did they. They were separate packs in each version. S3 did not come with any world at all. It added weather to the worlds we have, so I don't know what excuse you think you're NOT encouraging or supporting.
You're not really interested in discussing ideas. So, I won't bother to discuss ideas any further with you. It would be a waste of my time.
Therefore, as you so succinctly put in another thread: Whatever!
I completely agree with this. I do feel TS4 is very lackluster in terms of content/features at the heart of it. Difference is that I understand that this is how it is for TS4: they have smaller teams working on each type of pack separately (smaller than TS2 and TS3 teams), which is why we're getting this limited number of packs per year as opposed to TS3's new store collection every month. And I don't think expansion pack "size" (Gigabytes) is what concerns them. I guess they're bound by something legal where they can't add more than a specific *number* of objects/features/cas to a pack without changing the price because of extra time/resources EA spent on it. This is their new system for packs in TS4 and we have to accept it it's been 3 years.
@Cynna has a point saying we shouldn't give EA excuses to not add content. That's true, if it were an excuse. Currently they have a system in place for the release of packs and we just have to accept that. You can protest by not buying their packs, but it is what it is.
@Dannydanbo Also true, TS2 Seasons had a new world added with the EP but TS2 worlds were alot simpler and you couldn't do anything off-lot.
So I'd be content with just seasons and activities added to all worlds with a TS4 Seasons EP (I will say I'm kind of worried about what they will be compromising on). So it's not far fetched to imagine TS4 Seasons without a new world.
I don't think Seasons will be like any Seasons we've had before. I don't think it will be divided up into other packs, like adding Winter to a vacation pack. That would force people to buy a vacation pack just to get Winter.
I'm sure it will have all the features of past seasons, but sharper and more well designed. I think it will be an EP. It won't have a world. Seasons can be set per world. There will be Holidays and Festivals not to mention new clothes and new interactive objects for each season.
There is something that I would like, but I'm sure it can't/won't be done. I'd like a weather slider so you can adjust the frequency of weather patterns. For example, in S3, it rained almost constantly. If there were a slider, I could lessen the frequency of how often it rained/snowed/etc. and make it happen more of less. Maybe it rains almost everyday in Windenburg, but rarely in Oasis Springs and normally in Willow Creek.
I also hope we get that weather machine again. I have a weird scientist that wants to control the world, so why not start with the weather.
If it were an Alpine version of GF, it might already have snow and the leaves would have already fallen. Winter weather would add to the snowy world. I would mind an Alpine version of a vacation pack that stays snowy all year long.
Exactly. I'm not saying they should split winter into a world and put it in an alpine GP, and another GP for Summer. I'm saying we should get a GP where it's snowy all the time in a new world (Think Swiss Alps in the winter with a small cozy village) with winter activities that are new and developed that we wouldn't have otherwise in the FULL Seasons EP that adds controllable weather to all worlds.
I think the Seasons EP if done right will add the 4 seasons with festivities and other effects on sims for every season, new seasonal gameplay, but I don't see them developing a season over another one in the EP.
Think about it. If we can't have a simple off / on toggle or off and on choices in the Sims 4 - how on earth would we get ever changing Seasons anyway?
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
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In REALITY, I simply exist.....
Sometimes the best ideas aren't the most possible ones.
But in general, I do agree. Sometimes you need to pick through peoples ideas, highlight the improbabilities, and point out the good stuff. I frequently pick up on the improbable stuff that people want included. It doesn't mean their ideas are particularly bad, just not very likely to happen in TS4
You sound so cynical, yet that sounds like what would happen. Though, there have already been packs with summerish stuff. A winter themed stuff pack would be very likely.
Come to think of it, Romatic Garden stuff was very spring themed, and the spooky stuff was autumn. Perfect patio and backyard stuff are both summer themed.
Nah, they made it an EP instead of a GP so you get nothing.
Like... hi, I'm an actual northern european, and I can confirm that we do not have permanent winter. That's a stereotype!
And yes, maybe there's often snow up in the mountains all year, but even that might melt in the summer. It's not consistent, and we don't live in a permanent snowy paradise. Sorry to burst your bubble, dude.
they/he
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