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Why there is so much resentment about Sims 4 compared to Sims 3
irishdragon7
Posts: 124 Member
When Sims 3 was in its prime, I rarely, if ever, went to the sims forum. I think I went there once or twice with technical issues, but otherwise, I was very happy with the game and how it was progressing.
I purchased Sims 4 on its release day and played it once and then not again until last year. While there have been major improvements in Sims 4, I was surprised to find myself much more frustrated with Sims 4 compared to Sims 3.
I have been playing Sims 3 again and I think I figured out the issue, at least for me. In the 5 years of Sims 3, we saw several new worlds, a plethora of career options, more pets beyond just cats and dogs, and a steady stream of expansions that seemed to meet the requests of a majority of the community. I mean, seriously, why do we still not have werewolves or body hair? I don't even play with werewolves in Sims 3, yet I understand that so many players out there really welcome that option, and I can totally respect that. What about cars, even as objects if not having actual game play options? There are so many more objects and options with building, and I do not even have all of the Sims 3 expansion, game, and stuff packs. Now compare that to Sims 4 that has been around for 7 years and there is a shocking lack of options and sheer number of objects. The game play is much more limited in Sims 4 along with more restrictions on customization without downloading mods (babies tied to bassinet, no more burglars/police, no ability to create bands (which would seem to me as a gimme with the development of clubs), and the lack of color wheels or other color customization with objects and hair color).
I think that if the Sims developers simply took all of the objects from Sims 3 and inserted them into Sims 4, that would go a long way in appeasing the frustration factor. Having similar game play options would also go a long way. Why can we not have the same number of careers or majors as in Sims 3? Why are the dogs and cats in Sims 4 not as physically accurate as in Sims 3 (please fix the dachshund and other long-bodied, short-legged dogs)?
I do realize that Sims 4 was a major switch with the online play, but frankly, I fail to find that switch a suitable excuse for the lack of development since then. If there is a Sims 5, I would hope it would be basically Sims 3 but with the better customization in the Sims 4 CAS (facial and body details) and the improved placement of wall objects on different portions of the walls.
I do appreciate the effort that Maxis is making in addressing our concerns that we post here on the forum and I know it does get frustrating to see so many naysayers every time there is an update, patch, or announcement. It is nice to see the developers being so enthusiastic and passionate about the improvements they have made, and they should be as I know that the programming is a lot of work, often frequently going several steps backwards with one step forward. But I think that as long as Sims 4 development continues to chug along at such a slow rate compared to the advances made for Sims 3 in less time, there will be more and more players abandoning Sims 4 in favor of playing Sims 3 or Sims 2.
I purchased Sims 4 on its release day and played it once and then not again until last year. While there have been major improvements in Sims 4, I was surprised to find myself much more frustrated with Sims 4 compared to Sims 3.
I have been playing Sims 3 again and I think I figured out the issue, at least for me. In the 5 years of Sims 3, we saw several new worlds, a plethora of career options, more pets beyond just cats and dogs, and a steady stream of expansions that seemed to meet the requests of a majority of the community. I mean, seriously, why do we still not have werewolves or body hair? I don't even play with werewolves in Sims 3, yet I understand that so many players out there really welcome that option, and I can totally respect that. What about cars, even as objects if not having actual game play options? There are so many more objects and options with building, and I do not even have all of the Sims 3 expansion, game, and stuff packs. Now compare that to Sims 4 that has been around for 7 years and there is a shocking lack of options and sheer number of objects. The game play is much more limited in Sims 4 along with more restrictions on customization without downloading mods (babies tied to bassinet, no more burglars/police, no ability to create bands (which would seem to me as a gimme with the development of clubs), and the lack of color wheels or other color customization with objects and hair color).
I think that if the Sims developers simply took all of the objects from Sims 3 and inserted them into Sims 4, that would go a long way in appeasing the frustration factor. Having similar game play options would also go a long way. Why can we not have the same number of careers or majors as in Sims 3? Why are the dogs and cats in Sims 4 not as physically accurate as in Sims 3 (please fix the dachshund and other long-bodied, short-legged dogs)?
I do realize that Sims 4 was a major switch with the online play, but frankly, I fail to find that switch a suitable excuse for the lack of development since then. If there is a Sims 5, I would hope it would be basically Sims 3 but with the better customization in the Sims 4 CAS (facial and body details) and the improved placement of wall objects on different portions of the walls.
I do appreciate the effort that Maxis is making in addressing our concerns that we post here on the forum and I know it does get frustrating to see so many naysayers every time there is an update, patch, or announcement. It is nice to see the developers being so enthusiastic and passionate about the improvements they have made, and they should be as I know that the programming is a lot of work, often frequently going several steps backwards with one step forward. But I think that as long as Sims 4 development continues to chug along at such a slow rate compared to the advances made for Sims 3 in less time, there will be more and more players abandoning Sims 4 in favor of playing Sims 3 or Sims 2.
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Comments
I love in Sims 4:
Wonderful improvements of the Aliens, Mermaids, Witches & Vampires.
Beautiful worlds of Windenburg, Sulani & Mt. K.
Fun Trait Codes, Aspirations, Skills & Careers.
Cool Build Modes to build anything.
I love in Sims 3:
Fun Fairies, Genies & Werewolves.
Beautiful worlds of Bridgeport & Moonlight Falls.
Fun Personalities.
Cool Time Travel Machines.
Since i restarted playing 3 i never felt the will to play 4 again. I think 4 can get all objects and stuff that 3 has and it will still feel empty. It's the sims themselves. In sims 3 if your sim is having relationship problems with other sim you'll feel it by the way he acts autonomously. If a wild horse, or a deer or a racoon passes by him he'll acknowledge that, he'll want to pet it or just watch it... my sim's sister has left the house for a long time now but when we throw family parties i can remember immediatelly how diva she is by her behaviour... and in the most part everything is deeper in 3: things really connect with each other... it's hard to explain.
I have played 4 for a long time, have almost all dlc, and i can't say i don't like it, but the more i play 3 the more i realize that 4 won't be better with more added features... there is something wrong, something fundamental lacking... the first days when i restarted playing i had a confuse mix of feelings, i was half super happy for redescovering 3 and half super sad and disapointed for realizing that 4 is actually miles away from 3...
One thing that showed how hard they worked and considered a Sim for once was the toddler stage. Those are the best of the series, (Or were before any bugs about them) we see what they 'could' do, but really let's all be honest have they brought their A game to every thing they have done in the last seven years if you use the toddler stage as a marker for excellence, not even using the older games as a comparison? No. That's TS4's problem. Most everything else about this game other than a few interactions and or animations, and I do many very few, are just meh.
The game is just slapped together in so many ways and so many things just thrown in as fillers and or an afterthought that it clearly shows. And it reeks of redundancy. Not the EP packs in each game we all expect but what they add as 'new' every time they release a new pack.
Don't need ten thousand ways to make a Sim happy, overkill. But it's not even ten thousand ways it's the same bhav just a different thing that has the same animation and or result and or buff....boring.
They are capable but time and time again they don't.
Amen!
So do agree as you can only do so much in Sims 4.
That's just the icing of the cake really. You could write an entire book on why people have a lot of issues with the Sims 4 compared to the Sims 3.
So true and EA/Maxis is not so much into tweaking what they have but they will give you the options of buying kits and most people do not care as long as EA/Maxis keep giving up the new shiny or items and pumping out those packs.
But the ambitious nature of the game was appreciated, and the open world was liberating. NRaas fixed the rest for us.
Yes I do remember that but for me I had not encountered many of the bugs that others was experiencing not saying they were not there as with some bugs you have through an certain routine to experience it and it was in some cases not straight forward.. However even if the game was riddled with games and I wonder why some people give EA/Maxis an pass when it was them that made the game so anything that is good with the game and also with the bad can be attributed to EA/Maxis and does that make them as good as some are protraying them to be and then comes Sims 4 and the same thing is happening here and this time you can't blame in most cases Sims 4 woes on some folks systems as EA/Maxis supposely removed any features that was stressing the systems and they cannot scale up or down so they tried to make it look like everyone is on an equal footing and the bugs are increasing and that EA/Maxis is not good at fixing what they create. I cannot give them praise or hold them to high heaven and not acknowledge almost all that is wrong is their fault. I am also no newbie and play different games from different game developers and they have bugs as well but the difference between them is how address their situation and some of them are quick to address them and sadly EA/Maxis is not the one for me to rely on to fix what is theirs and even if it takes them months to address something I will still not give them or even thank them as some do for doing what they should have fixed an long time ago and even make up excuses for them not doing their job, all said is my thoughts and I stand by what I post. Also I agree with you as the Sims and it was not the looks as it was for some players it was the quirkiness that I miss. But EA/Maxis did make up for that loss with the features it had put in.
The most common complaints I remember were:
-Sims look ugly/Horrible graphics
-Don't like the more realistic aesthetic despite TS3 being no where near close to realistic.
Apparently some are not gamers and do not know the difference from TS3 "realism" compared to graphics depicting realistic aesthetics.
-Basegame clothes/hair is ugly
-Cannot play the game because it is uses higher system requirements/Poor performance not related to TS3 but blaming TS3
-Sims all look the same and one needs custom content to make unique looking Sims
-The Store is too expensive, it's content held back from the game. (Even though Expansions Packs, Stuff Packs and The Store all were different teams if I remember correctly. My complaint that some of it is not as quality for the asking price and quite mediocre. However I found this was not the case for the majority of Premium items.)
-Glitches. Which with the nature of TS3 is obvious it would have the most chance for something going wrong with how complex it is. Regardless, I was not fond of how they dealt with it.
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Sims are not as complex as TS2 Sims? I vaguely remember complaints like that. But I know better than that as being a perceptive person it is quite easy to pick up on the complexity of TS3 A.I. Besides what little information I could find about the A.I. plus the extremely helpful information the A.I. designer gave me himself proves my observation that there is definitely more than meets the eye.
I keep hearing about corrupt saves but not sure if I have ever experienced one and I've been playing for 11+ years. Also, from my personal experience, I do not need NRass to play TS3. I have played for years without and during the development of TS3 for the most part. I think it wasn't until after UL I started trying out other kinds of mods than just cosmetic. I'll be changing my playstyle eventually so even less mods. I might go mostly back to just cosmetic other than no zombies at full moons and things like that for more control over how I want to play.
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TS4 is bare minimal compared to TS/TS2/TS3. TS4 was meant to be an online multiplayer game where one could invite their Origin friends. TS4, I believe never was in production...it never existed but was called that to save face believing the fanbase will believe anything. Of course, many saw the facade for what it was and never touched TS4. The evidence was clear when some of the developers were talking about a shift in direction and many getting fired, laid-off or moved within the company. Also the connection with Maxis and SimCity/TS4 was more than a coincidence.
And now that The Sims Studio, which some were from Maxis and put on that team specially for TS3, is disbanded as I guess those members rejoined Maxis and working on TS4. I think it was around UL when Maxis popped up and slapped the Maxis logo on TS3, both in-game and on the box cover. As far as I know, Maxis did not have anything to do with TS3...some members were a part of The Sims Studio which developed TS3, but not under the name Maxis.
It's funny how I read an article about as soon as TS2 base game released, they were already discussing TS3, if I remember that correctly. I didn't find anything about the same with the supposedly "TS4". Not like I care anyway but just something I noticed. Not to mention some of the developers working on the project The Sims Olympus telling the truth of the situation.
Truth that some have verified in "TS4" code. Hey...I wonder why infants and toddlers were not in base game? Or why teenagers are the same exact height as adults and pretty much look like adults? Did someone not also find code that kids were actually adults or something like that but in mini form? Not an actual life stage, nor toddlers and infants as objects from way back to 2000. That's a "sequel"? 2 steps back and sideways?
Well, I'm not the only one who saw through it all that "TS4" is not what they claim it is. To me, it is not a part of The Sims, and it is not a life simulator...not even a people simulator. It's a money grab that many did not fall for and moved on to other interests or continued on with TS/TS2/TS3. For me, I'll stay with TS/TS2/TS3. Plus I'm a gamer and there are still games that I find of interest. None from EA though unless they were older games like Need for Speed II/III for PlayStation One.
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter”
In the Sims 2 days, people complained that it wasn't Sims 1.
In the Sims 3 days, people complained that it wasn't Sims 2.
Some of the criticism is justified, the game SHOULD have features that the previous games had, we shouldn't be going 1 step forward, 2 steps back with every iteration.
But Simmers also love to complain. It's just who we are. We're critical because we care.