Anyone know what Grant Rodiek did? I only know him as the anti dog houses and anti family play - guy. It doesn‘t really give me hope that TS5 will be any good…
Anyone know what Grant Rodiek did? I only know him as the anti dog houses and anti family play - guy. It doesn‘t really give me hope that TS5 will be any good…
He's a Senior Producer at Maxis now and according to his Linkdn profile pic. looks like he's a dad.
He was promoted from Sims 4 and gone absent from media so he's probably on a secret project or leave, so your guess is as good as mine.
Anyone know what Grant Rodiek did? I only know him as the anti dog houses and anti family play - guy. It doesn‘t really give me hope that TS5 will be any good…
Some of his last tweets was "Working on not the sims 4" so he could be doing anything at Maxis. It was pretty clear though from his last tweets that he wished to not be present on social media anymore so I think it's for the best to respect his wishes and let him live his life.
The MetaHuman Creator could very well be the endgame for CAS. I can see a future where it’s unparalleled fidelity and unlimited customisation are perfect for the newer generation of social players who take in-game selfies and close-up photography.
Lastly thanks to the Quixel Megascans library, Create-a-Style could make a definitive return.
Side note: HART will still remain viable where absolute accuracy is desired and the player has supporting hardware. For instance, HART is still necessary for physically accurate water and glass caustics, as well as transparency reflections that produce convincing glass. Sprinkles on the cupcake stuff 🧁.
I cannot see Sims 5 CAS looking like some live-action movie or TV show-that would most likely take up 99% of space on computer systems which could overload computers and make them explode(I literally saw someone's computer explode in a Youtube video;all that person did was install Ray Tracing for Minecraft).
I imagine sims 5 having the graphics of SFM(like the FNAF videos that use SFM models and backgrounds and stuff); Sims 5 could look like Team Fortress or Garry's Mod or maybe even the latest FPS game).
I cannot see Sims 5 CAS looking like some live-action movie or TV show-that would most likely take up 99% of space on computer systems which could overload computers and make them explode(I literally saw someone's computer explode in a Youtube video;all that person did was install Ray Tracing for Minecraft).
😅 Fortunately, there’s credible data to put people’s minds at ease about their beloved computers not blowing up from running visuals of this calibre.
To my (and a lot of people’s) utter surprise, the original UE5 2020 launch demo geometry data was about 6GB compressed.
Demo size information at 1:10:57. Numerous misconceptions were addressed during the presentation.
TLDW: “Big triangle counts could mean big data without good compression.”
The MetaHuman Creator could very well be the endgame for CAS. I can see a future where it’s unparalleled fidelity and unlimited customisation are perfect for the newer generation of social players who take in-game selfies and close-up photography.
Lastly thanks to the Quixel Megascans library, Create-a-Style could make a definitive return.
Side note: HART will still remain viable where absolute accuracy is desired and the player has supporting hardware. For instance, HART is still necessary for physically accurate water and glass caustics, as well as transparency reflections that produce convincing glass. Sprinkles on the cupcake stuff 🧁.
That looks awful, way too realistic. I'd never buy a sims game like that, and it'd never sell well. Uncanny valley is a real thing.
The MetaHuman Creator could very well be the endgame for CAS. I can see a future where it’s unparalleled fidelity and unlimited customisation are perfect for the newer generation of social players who take in-game selfies and close-up photography.
Lastly thanks to the Quixel Megascans library, Create-a-Style could make a definitive return.
Side note: HART will still remain viable where absolute accuracy is desired and the player has supporting hardware. For instance, HART is still necessary for physically accurate water and glass caustics, as well as transparency reflections that produce convincing glass. Sprinkles on the cupcake stuff 🧁.
I hope the sims will never look like this. How are you supposed to drown them in a pool when they look like actual humans? I just couldn‘t.
I also don't want this level of realism. I'm fine with things as they are or a slight upgrade to new graphics but this is a bit creepy. I don't want to play with a sim version of myself so I'm not interested in making something that realistic. I could possibly get used to it but I don't want Sims to be so close to being humans.
There's a theory that a lot of jobs are going to be replaced by robots. I am not in a hurry to see AI blur indistinguishably with human beings.
Never set out with the intention of triggering people, but this sure has been an interesting outcome of responses. Even more interesting when you contrast them with the resounding positivity in comments in the linked YouTube video. I post to create dialogue and this has successfully got the ball rolling.
I could possibly get used to it but I don't want Sims to be so close to being humans.
I’ve heard VFX/CGI artists and film makers lament non-stop over the last two weeks about the stories they’ll now be able to tell given what the engine is capable of. It’s easy to forget what The Sims is fundamentally: a platform for people to create & tell (or live through) their own stories. It’s impossible to overstate the import of an interface that doesn’t get in the way of your imagination.
I’ve been through that experience before; tried to create multiple “stories” during TS3 days (TS4, like TS3 uses DX9 for instance, so nothing significant changed there), lighting in that situation was crucial, but due to limitations of that time, I couldn’t complete what I started. 😥
Photorealism is a tool (a substantial one that thwarts lighting/visual fidelity related limitations) that contributes to unfettered story telling.
On this forum I’ve observed a decent amount of pushback regarding photorealism (whether it pertains to in-game architecture or CAS stuff). Do you think it’s a matter of getting used to it and once people get to see what they can do with the technology they become more receptive to it?
On this forum I’ve observed a decent amount of pushback regarding photorealism (whether it pertains to in-game architecture or CAS stuff). Do you think it’s a matter of getting used to it and once people get to see what they can do with the technology they become more receptive to it?
I think it's a matter of getting used to it. I personally like to lurk around in threads from 20 years ago. Many are still accessible online. What I found surprising was that when it was announced that the Sims 2 will be in 3D a lot, possibly even a majority, was absolutely against the idea of a 3D sequel. Fast forward to almost 2 decades later and a Sims game that isn't in 3D is almost unimaginable now.
I already play a lot of other games with photorealistic graphics. Right now, EA is promoting Battlefield 2042 so a bunch of my friends and I are playing Battlefield 4 to get ready for it (I'm terrible at it though, lol! I need practice!). That photorealistic artstyle is very appropriate for games like that, but not The Sims. The Sims has always been stylized and I think it is appropriate for the kind of gameplay and humor found in The Sims franchise.
I do agree that TS4 was too cartoony and animations were too over the top, but hopefully the devs will make TS5 less cartoony, with less silly animations, but still remain stylized.
Because think about it: If the sims were photorealistic and still doing the same kind of animations and actions in The Sims, it just makes them look like they're crazy and out of place. Of course, they can make the animations more realistic too, but then that would be too boring honestly.
I can’t help but imagine a situation where people were vehemently against the idea of an open world in TS3.
The diffusion curve explains this phenomenon exceptionally well. I guess, it all comes down to the vision. Where individuals (and their collection of subjective experiences) are on that curve at any given moment in time affects their perception of where/how things should proceed and what the future should be from their viewpoint. There was a time when people thought the horse would be the last word in personal transportation.
I think I’ll keep posting convergent content because we live in interesting times. If not for any other reason than to look back and giggle at how on/off-base I was.
I saw similar comments when I shared a video about metahuman creator in february.
I'm not too worried about the art style, a more detailed graphics engine does not have to mean that our sims will be photo realistic but I'm hoping that we will have no more clay hair and our sims can have real eyelashes and more skin details at least.
On this forum I’ve observed a decent amount of pushback regarding photorealism (whether it pertains to in-game architecture or CAS stuff). Do you think it’s a matter of getting used to it and once people get to see what they can do with the technology they become more receptive to it?
I would just say, to put it in perspective, there are people for whom The Sims is the only video game they play. And for some of them, they have followed it since The Sims 1. So the idea of drastically changing the art style probably borders on ending the series for some people. I mean, there are people who intensely waited for features from past iterations of the game to come, like Seasons or Toddlers, and were very vocal about their dissatisfaction in the waiting.
In contrast, using myself as an example, I have only played 4 and the sims is one of many video games I have played. I couldn't even imagine confining myself to one video game. So for me, I have no attachment to the art style or past features. (I also prefer realistic graphics generally, but I'm not sure that's strictly relevant to the point I'm trying to make here.)
But then there is the question of EA and its money priorities, and I'm not sure how interested they are in adhering to the most hardcore fans of the series forever. The reception of 4 and some of its controversial choices seem like they are (to some degree, there are quality issues too) most controversial to those who expected a more straightline advancement/continuation of the series and found something else. If there weren't so many quality issues, maybe people would just "get used to" larger changes to the series, I don't know. I can only speculate, but photo realistic graphics does seem like it could lead to a larger tonal shift in the series which might destroy its existing identity entirely. As someone pointed out, too real and maybe you second-guess drowning them in that pool. How goofy and absurd can you be if the people look real. Maybe you still can, but in a different way. I mean, most comedy movies are done with real people, it's not like goofiness and comedy can't be. But to make it work in the same way it has in the past, I'm not sure is possible.
Never set out with the intention of triggering people, but this sure has been an interesting outcome of responses. Even more interesting when you contrast them with the resounding positivity in comments in the linked YouTube video. I post to create dialogue and this has successfully got the ball rolling.
I could possibly get used to it but I don't want Sims to be so close to being humans.
I’ve heard VFX/CGI artists and film makers lament non-stop over the last two weeks about the stories they’ll now be able to tell given what the engine is capable of. It’s easy to forget what The Sims is fundamentally: a platform for people to create & tell (or live through) their own stories. It’s impossible to overstate the import of an interface that doesn’t get in the way of your imagination.
I’ve been through that experience before; tried to create multiple “stories” during TS3 days (TS4, like TS3 uses DX9 for instance, so nothing significant changed there), lighting in that situation was crucial, but due to limitations of that time, I couldn’t complete what I started. 😥
Photorealism is a tool (a substantial one that thwarts lighting/visual fidelity related limitations) that contributes to unfettered story telling.
On this forum I’ve observed a decent amount of pushback regarding photorealism (whether it pertains to in-game architecture or CAS stuff). Do you think it’s a matter of getting used to it and once people get to see what they can do with the technology they become more receptive to it?
Hi, you weren't triggering me. The idea that robots and machine learning are replacing a lot of jobs is widely discussed in some circles & it is happening in some places.
I read that when they previously conducted research, they found that people have an aversion to AI that looks indistinguishably human. There's a lot of sci-fi out there about that subject. I think a lot of people who play the Sims just aren't interested in that level of photorealism. I think it would really go into some weird directions.
There might be a difference between realistic lighting & scenery vs. Sims that are indistinguishable from human beings. This goes down a weird path in ethics about what is human and what we want from society or robots as servants.
On my own end, while I could be interested in an update, if it's that realistic, it'll be a shock and I don't think it would be for me. I would say, "Have we learned nothing from literature?" When the robot becomes a human, is the human relevant anymore? I'm on the side of saying that the human is. Not all societal criticisms from people reacting are wrong either but I won't drift off topic.
On this forum I’ve observed a decent amount of pushback regarding photorealism (whether it pertains to in-game architecture or CAS stuff). Do you think it’s a matter of getting used to it and once people get to see what they can do with the technology they become more receptive to it?
I would just say, to put it in perspective, there are people for whom The Sims is the only video game they play. And for some of them, they have followed it since The Sims 1. So the idea of drastically changing the art style probably borders on ending the series for some people. I mean, there are people who intensely waited for features from past iterations of the game to come, like Seasons or Toddlers, and were very vocal about their dissatisfaction in the waiting.
In contrast, using myself as an example, I have only played 4 and the sims is one of many video games I have played. I couldn't even imagine confining myself to one video game. So for me, I have no attachment to the art style or past features. (I also prefer realistic graphics generally, but I'm not sure that's strictly relevant to the point I'm trying to make here.)
But then there is the question of EA and its money priorities, and I'm not sure how interested they are in adhering to the most hardcore fans of the series forever. The reception of 4 and some of its controversial choices seem like they are (to some degree, there are quality issues too) most controversial to those who expected a more straightline advancement/continuation of the series and found something else. If there weren't so many quality issues, maybe people would just "get used to" larger changes to the series, I don't know. I can only speculate, but photo realistic graphics does seem like it could lead to a larger tonal shift in the series which might destroy its existing identity entirely. As someone pointed out, too real and maybe you second-guess drowning them in that pool. How goofy and absurd can you be if the people look real. Maybe you still can, but in a different way. I mean, most comedy movies are done with real people, it's not like goofiness and comedy can't be. But to make it work in the same way it has in the past, I'm not sure is possible.
@Triplis - Your comments and thoughts in this post really resonate with me and your words, in my opinion, are insightful, but I would like to add one thing. The Sims 4 and its prior game series are pretty unusual. I've never encountered any other game quite like it and I do play lots of different games from different genres. I think that at least part of the community's protectiveness is related to the game's uniqueness.
Your comments and thoughts in this post really resonate with me and your words, in my opinion, are insightful, but I would like to add one thing. The Sims 4 and its prior game series are pretty unusual. I've never encountered any other game quite like it and I do play lots of different games from different genres. I think that at least part of the community's protectiveness is related to the game's uniqueness.
That's a great point, and I will add, to be clear, I'm not trying to judge or disparage the protectiveness of how the game is, just commenting on what I've personally seen. I myself have mixed feelings about the idea of the series drastically changing in any way and I've only played one of the games.
Considering the UE5 demos thus far and their respective asset quality, I think we have reached the point of diminishing returns regarding graphics. Photorealism has been a long sought-after grail within the industry for major titles and based on what I saw during E3 this year, I think the grail has been achieved.
This pursuit has come with implications for marketing and consumer expectations. For these heavy hitters, it’s been a rolling positive feedback loop over the last two decades. It’s easier to market visual upgrades, which has kept consumers interested and demanding more over the years. Based on the precedent (photorealism) set by other major titles in 2021, heavy hitters like TS5 coming out in in the future have to either match or exceed this precedent or deliberately target an ulterior art direction.
Going of my personal arbitrary assumption of a next-gen Sims release in 2H23 after two years of major titles setting very high visual targets, what will TS5 be targeting? What do EA/Maxis think will help them cast the widest net to attract returning and new/younger players and their then expectations?
This is the point where I want to sit back and watch how things actually unfold. 🤔
I’ve seen various system configuration related posts around the forum pertaining TS5 having to support low spec hardware but I haven’t yet seen any concrete details or a configuration list.
The system requirements for Stalker 2 went up during this week (unfortunately no performance targets). Is the expectation for TS5 to go lower than these configurations?
It’s also worth saying that the transition away from relying on rendering graphics at native resolution is well underway across the industry, carried by the three major upscaling technologies. There is a concerted effort to help keep older GPUs functional (especially during a procurement predicament), whereas in past years a new stage of graphical fidelity would mean a lot of lower tier hardware would become unusable.
I’ve seen various system configuration related posts around the forum pertaining TS5 having to support low spec hardware but I haven’t yet seen any concrete details or a configuration list.
The system requirements for Stalker 2 went up during this week (unfortunately no performance targets). Is the expectation for TS5 to go lower than these configurations?
It’s also worth saying that the transition away from relying on rendering graphics at native resolution is well underway across the industry, carried by the three major upscaling technologies. There is a concerted effort to help keep older GPUs functional (especially during a procurement predicament), whereas in past years a new stage of graphical fidelity would mean a lot of lower tier hardware would become unusable.
I would be shocked if Sims 5 had system requirements that are that high if the game comes out within the next couple of years. Sims 4 when released would run comfortably on hardware that was 10 years old. This still landed them in trouble with a lot of users because you still needed your very old machine to be a mid-range (for the time) gaming computer. People on newer, non-gaming laptops could not play on it and that cost them sales.
I personally think those specs would be reasonable. My guess is it will be designed to run comfortably on the previous generation of consoles with modern consoles running it much better, and that it's quite possible that the PC version will be a port.
Comments
He's a Senior Producer at Maxis now and according to his Linkdn profile pic. looks like he's a dad.
He was promoted from Sims 4 and gone absent from media so he's probably on a secret project or leave, so your guess is as good as mine.
Some of his last tweets was "Working on not the sims 4" so he could be doing anything at Maxis. It was pretty clear though from his last tweets that he wished to not be present on social media anymore so I think it's for the best to respect his wishes and let him live his life.
Repose en paix mamie tu va me manquer :
1923-2016 mamie
Lastly thanks to the Quixel Megascans library, Create-a-Style could make a definitive return.
How TS5 CAS could look/work.
Side note: HART will still remain viable where absolute accuracy is desired and the player has supporting hardware. For instance, HART is still necessary for physically accurate water and glass caustics, as well as transparency reflections that produce convincing glass. Sprinkles on the cupcake stuff 🧁.
I imagine sims 5 having the graphics of SFM(like the FNAF videos that use SFM models and backgrounds and stuff); Sims 5 could look like Team Fortress or Garry's Mod or maybe even the latest FPS game).
😅 Fortunately, there’s credible data to put people’s minds at ease about their beloved computers not blowing up from running visuals of this calibre.
To my (and a lot of people’s) utter surprise, the original UE5 2020 launch demo geometry data was about 6GB compressed.
Demo size information at 1:10:57. Numerous misconceptions were addressed during the presentation.
TLDW: “Big triangle counts could mean big data without good compression.”
That looks awful, way too realistic. I'd never buy a sims game like that, and it'd never sell well. Uncanny valley is a real thing.
There's a theory that a lot of jobs are going to be replaced by robots. I am not in a hurry to see AI blur indistinguishably with human beings.
Yeah, about this…
I’ve heard VFX/CGI artists and film makers lament non-stop over the last two weeks about the stories they’ll now be able to tell given what the engine is capable of. It’s easy to forget what The Sims is fundamentally: a platform for people to create & tell (or live through) their own stories. It’s impossible to overstate the import of an interface that doesn’t get in the way of your imagination.
I’ve been through that experience before; tried to create multiple “stories” during TS3 days (TS4, like TS3 uses DX9 for instance, so nothing significant changed there), lighting in that situation was crucial, but due to limitations of that time, I couldn’t complete what I started. 😥
Photorealism is a tool (a substantial one that thwarts lighting/visual fidelity related limitations) that contributes to unfettered story telling.
On this forum I’ve observed a decent amount of pushback regarding photorealism (whether it pertains to in-game architecture or CAS stuff). Do you think it’s a matter of getting used to it and once people get to see what they can do with the technology they become more receptive to it?
I think it's a matter of getting used to it. I personally like to lurk around in threads from 20 years ago. Many are still accessible online. What I found surprising was that when it was announced that the Sims 2 will be in 3D a lot, possibly even a majority, was absolutely against the idea of a 3D sequel. Fast forward to almost 2 decades later and a Sims game that isn't in 3D is almost unimaginable now.
I do agree that TS4 was too cartoony and animations were too over the top, but hopefully the devs will make TS5 less cartoony, with less silly animations, but still remain stylized.
Because think about it: If the sims were photorealistic and still doing the same kind of animations and actions in The Sims, it just makes them look like they're crazy and out of place. Of course, they can make the animations more realistic too, but then that would be too boring honestly.
The diffusion curve explains this phenomenon exceptionally well. I guess, it all comes down to the vision. Where individuals (and their collection of subjective experiences) are on that curve at any given moment in time affects their perception of where/how things should proceed and what the future should be from their viewpoint. There was a time when people thought the horse would be the last word in personal transportation.
I think I’ll keep posting convergent content because we live in interesting times. If not for any other reason than to look back and giggle at how on/off-base I was.
I'm not too worried about the art style, a more detailed graphics engine does not have to mean that our sims will be photo realistic but I'm hoping that we will have no more clay hair and our sims can have real eyelashes and more skin details at least.
I would just say, to put it in perspective, there are people for whom The Sims is the only video game they play. And for some of them, they have followed it since The Sims 1. So the idea of drastically changing the art style probably borders on ending the series for some people. I mean, there are people who intensely waited for features from past iterations of the game to come, like Seasons or Toddlers, and were very vocal about their dissatisfaction in the waiting.
In contrast, using myself as an example, I have only played 4 and the sims is one of many video games I have played. I couldn't even imagine confining myself to one video game. So for me, I have no attachment to the art style or past features. (I also prefer realistic graphics generally, but I'm not sure that's strictly relevant to the point I'm trying to make here.)
But then there is the question of EA and its money priorities, and I'm not sure how interested they are in adhering to the most hardcore fans of the series forever. The reception of 4 and some of its controversial choices seem like they are (to some degree, there are quality issues too) most controversial to those who expected a more straightline advancement/continuation of the series and found something else. If there weren't so many quality issues, maybe people would just "get used to" larger changes to the series, I don't know. I can only speculate, but photo realistic graphics does seem like it could lead to a larger tonal shift in the series which might destroy its existing identity entirely. As someone pointed out, too real and maybe you second-guess drowning them in that pool. How goofy and absurd can you be if the people look real. Maybe you still can, but in a different way. I mean, most comedy movies are done with real people, it's not like goofiness and comedy can't be. But to make it work in the same way it has in the past, I'm not sure is possible.
Hi, you weren't triggering me. The idea that robots and machine learning are replacing a lot of jobs is widely discussed in some circles & it is happening in some places.
I read that when they previously conducted research, they found that people have an aversion to AI that looks indistinguishably human. There's a lot of sci-fi out there about that subject. I think a lot of people who play the Sims just aren't interested in that level of photorealism. I think it would really go into some weird directions.
There might be a difference between realistic lighting & scenery vs. Sims that are indistinguishable from human beings. This goes down a weird path in ethics about what is human and what we want from society or robots as servants.
On my own end, while I could be interested in an update, if it's that realistic, it'll be a shock and I don't think it would be for me. I would say, "Have we learned nothing from literature?" When the robot becomes a human, is the human relevant anymore? I'm on the side of saying that the human is. Not all societal criticisms from people reacting are wrong either but I won't drift off topic.
@Triplis - Your comments and thoughts in this post really resonate with me and your words, in my opinion, are insightful, but I would like to add one thing. The Sims 4 and its prior game series are pretty unusual. I've never encountered any other game quite like it and I do play lots of different games from different genres. I think that at least part of the community's protectiveness is related to the game's uniqueness.
Aka the sims 1.
This pursuit has come with implications for marketing and consumer expectations. For these heavy hitters, it’s been a rolling positive feedback loop over the last two decades. It’s easier to market visual upgrades, which has kept consumers interested and demanding more over the years. Based on the precedent (photorealism) set by other major titles in 2021, heavy hitters like TS5 coming out in in the future have to either match or exceed this precedent or deliberately target an ulterior art direction.
Going of my personal arbitrary assumption of a next-gen Sims release in 2H23 after two years of major titles setting very high visual targets, what will TS5 be targeting? What do EA/Maxis think will help them cast the widest net to attract returning and new/younger players and their then expectations?
This is the point where I want to sit back and watch how things actually unfold. 🤔
The system requirements for Stalker 2 went up during this week (unfortunately no performance targets). Is the expectation for TS5 to go lower than these configurations?
It’s also worth saying that the transition away from relying on rendering graphics at native resolution is well underway across the industry, carried by the three major upscaling technologies. There is a concerted effort to help keep older GPUs functional (especially during a procurement predicament), whereas in past years a new stage of graphical fidelity would mean a lot of lower tier hardware would become unusable.
I would be shocked if Sims 5 had system requirements that are that high if the game comes out within the next couple of years. Sims 4 when released would run comfortably on hardware that was 10 years old. This still landed them in trouble with a lot of users because you still needed your very old machine to be a mid-range (for the time) gaming computer. People on newer, non-gaming laptops could not play on it and that cost them sales.
I personally think those specs would be reasonable. My guess is it will be designed to run comfortably on the previous generation of consoles with modern consoles running it much better, and that it's quite possible that the PC version will be a port.