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The sims needs more drama.
Fleurra
Posts: 19 Member
TL;DR: The sims needs more dramatic events and more meaningful choices to create better stories.
I: The sims need more drama
The sims means many things for different people. Designing houses, décor, fashion. But for many of us, it's about making interesting stories.
Now think about your favorite story. Whether it's a book or a movie, chances are there it contains conflict and drama that pushes the protagonists to change in some way (Star wars, LoTR, etc). The ancient Greeks knew this and their plays were extremely dramatic.
The world of the sims is so easy and devoid of drama it really hurts how stories are made. Even the death of a loved one is reduced to a moodlet that goes away after a day while in reality the death of a loved one can be so traumatic that therapy would be required.
This is why the sims needs more random dramatic events or conflict that pushes individual sims to adapt or change.
II: The sims need more personality
Along with many others, I believe that our identities are shaped by our personal choices.
In the sims world, there is a severe lack of meaningful choices which makes it hard to create actually unique identities. All sims feel very similar at some point. And samey sims can't have conflict which makes boring stories (Imagine if everyone in GoT had the same personality of Jon Snow)
The lifestyles feature made a step in the right direction as they affect personalities by the choices that are made but the choices in the lifestyles feature (which should be expanded) aren't that meaningful.
I think more meaningful choices should be added and tracked in some sort of journal and sims have consequences based on the choices they made. Even something simple like the "memories" from TS2 would make a big difference.
I realize that many people would probably prefer the normal dollhouse experience rather than a realistic sims world which is why such a system could be optional.
I apologize for my poor english I'm not a native speaker.
I: The sims need more drama
The sims means many things for different people. Designing houses, décor, fashion. But for many of us, it's about making interesting stories.
Now think about your favorite story. Whether it's a book or a movie, chances are there it contains conflict and drama that pushes the protagonists to change in some way (Star wars, LoTR, etc). The ancient Greeks knew this and their plays were extremely dramatic.
The world of the sims is so easy and devoid of drama it really hurts how stories are made. Even the death of a loved one is reduced to a moodlet that goes away after a day while in reality the death of a loved one can be so traumatic that therapy would be required.
This is why the sims needs more random dramatic events or conflict that pushes individual sims to adapt or change.
II: The sims need more personality
Along with many others, I believe that our identities are shaped by our personal choices.
In the sims world, there is a severe lack of meaningful choices which makes it hard to create actually unique identities. All sims feel very similar at some point. And samey sims can't have conflict which makes boring stories (Imagine if everyone in GoT had the same personality of Jon Snow)
The lifestyles feature made a step in the right direction as they affect personalities by the choices that are made but the choices in the lifestyles feature (which should be expanded) aren't that meaningful.
I think more meaningful choices should be added and tracked in some sort of journal and sims have consequences based on the choices they made. Even something simple like the "memories" from TS2 would make a big difference.
I realize that many people would probably prefer the normal dollhouse experience rather than a realistic sims world which is why such a system could be optional.
I apologize for my poor english I'm not a native speaker.
26
Comments
Repose en paix mamie tu va me manquer :
1923-2016 mamie
Yes, I agree.
Honestly there are no real consequences for doing bad things besides getting a bad reputation and who cares about that. It really does not affect gameplay enough. You get into a fight and start talking to the sim in the next moment. I loved in Sims 2, you made a sim mad and they were coming to steal your newspaper, kicking your garbage can, etc. There was no communication when a sim was furious too unless it was to fight more.
When I say people don't want to fight with their Sim to get them to do something, this was all handled better in the older games because though they may have a personality or trait that would make them annoyed and or refuse to do something, the player usually won control and they may go do something begrudgingly but the player was made aware they didn't like it (because they are a separate being from the player). In today's game the Sim is just an extension of the player so they do whatever the player makes them do without any resistance. This is why so many of us don't like TS4 because it should be the Sim is the Sim and not us. Therefore, there is very little consequence in case it triggers someone if they are thinking that Sim is them and not a Sim in a game. Should a good Sim do mean interactions with no resistance against the player to do that? Why bother with the trait if it's worthless.
Drama=The Sims, The Sims 2, The Sims 3. It's not in TS4.
You can do drama though. I was experimenting when I discovered that they had added a first person camera since I last played and I happen to have a household with mum. dad and child. Dad had hate children trait. I was using the arrow keys to switch between the sims POV and realised it also gave the kids point of view so I let the game roll staying with the kid. I lasted about 20 minutes. Heavy stuff.
Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
The day's divinity....
The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
I think Lifestyles and Sentiments are something the game needed to spice up relationships with others, individuality, and such, even if some of the Sentiments are a bit off at times (Once my sim got a call from another asking if he thought a hotdog was a sandwich, he said no, and then the calling Sim had a Festering Grudge or something like that. A bit much : P ) The interactions are a bit more meaningful when there's some kind of (sort of)-lasting impression from certain interactions. Hopefully soon we may get more Likes/Dislikes and Sentiments I hope. I also agree with grieving being very watered-down. I'm hoping one day we'll get some kind of funeral event we can do in TS4, to add a little depth to loss. I think the moodlet should be extended a bit longer than just two days.
The Reputation feature that came with Get Famous comes to mind, but I still feel like there's not a massive consequence to negative reputation. My one Sim that had an Atrocious reputation just got negative reactions in public now and again, but could just bribe their way into friendships and such, so it's easy to still get what you want despite the apparent 'drawback'.
Back when I played TS2 especially, I feel like there was a lot more room for interesting conflicts, especially when it came to TS2 pre-mades and all the existing family dramas and inner conflicts within families. It felt fleshed-out and it was fun to play out the stories in different ways. And of course you had the chance cards for jobs and such that could get you fired, and so there was chance for a spanner to get thrown in the works. I know TS4 has some similar career chance cards, but for me it ruins it a bit that the outcome of your decision is written on the bottom of each choice; I like the surprise element personally. I got around it by flipping a coin and choosing accordingly what the outcome was.
TS3, I feel there was more consequence for screwing up your romantic relationships with other sims. First thing that comes to mind is the old Romantic Reputation feature. If you cheated and were unfaithful, it would negatively affect your reputation and would often make it harder to find a new partner later on down the line. but now there's none of that risk and cheating on your spouse or whatever doesn't seem to have as much of an impact on the rest of your Sim's life. This is actually a feature I want back since the romantic department in TS4 is lacking a lot IMO.
I like your idea of Random Events. Maybe there could be an on/off toggle in Options for it, but I think it'd be a good idea to have some variety of things that can really throw a curveball.
I fully agree. Even something as simple as reinstituting the TS2 system - in all aspects - would be a big improvement. I think a lot of the problem lies in the online roots of the game. I've played only a couple of online games, and that briefly, but enough to know that the sim/avatar is me and I am it. The sim is the vehicle for me entering directly into the game world. I see the same sort of thing in TS4, while I didn't in the prior versions. There, I am me, they are them. While there is some sim-player interaction (especially in TS2), it is as 2 separate individuals.
I agree with this post and it is so true, EA/Maxis had mucked the formula so much for me.
Agreed there. A vampire bites a Sim and all they get is a bad reputation? Hackers and other criminals don't run the risk of getting arrested? The Mother was is probably the best monster they have? Maybe Temperance, but she gets defeated if you have just one idol that you can reuse? Tech gurus and other businesses aren't trying to beat a competing company? Authors, artists, and programmers don't seem to have much struggles in their fields, either.
I'm one of those whose imagination makes the game so much more interesting than it is at the core. I see things as their equivalent, I emulate what isn't inherent, and whatever I cannot reasonably play, I imagine occurring and follow from there. For personalities, my mind strings together traits, skills, and context clues to create people, not dolls.
A good game system for The Sims must lend itself to those want to paint on a blank canvas, and those who want to read a "choose your own adventure" book. I had to turn off Lifestyles because they tried to tell me who my sims are. Sentiments are more akin to what I prefer, as they just tell me how they feel in the moment, which I can reasonably work with. As for random events--so long as they don't take my sim away from me (by pulling at their autonomy), and instead invite me to explore the possibility, or give me more to add to the story, then that's fine.
In TS4 there is not even a single way to loose aspiration points or skill points. There are no fears. While getting fired or demoted are still there in theory, your Sims will hardly ever experience them. Getting bad grades at school is hardly possible, getting an A is the regular outcome without effort.
The positive things loose their effect if there are no negative outcomes.
Or at least that used to be the case. Nowadays, we are getting perfect results without effort in TS4. Everything is rainbows and sunshine and the thing is, a lot of players seem to appreciate that. There are so many players who mention UI cheats as their most essential mod.
Sometimes I feel like some ancient creature from the Stone age, so I am happy to read there still are others who feel the same.
Repose en paix mamie tu va me manquer :
1923-2016 mamie
And the Titanic will arrive in Boston on 16 April under her own power. You have a long wait.
The element of surprise doesn't really exist because emotions are so controlled by the mechanics to favor positivity that everything just "rights" itself again to be in that dull, excessively pleasant, 'everything is always okay' state. The Sims are always autonomously seeking superficial activities, empty conversations with strangers and the same habits over and over. You can set up a house with no tech, an easel, a bubble blower and a bookcase, and all Sims are going to either constantly grab books and leave them all over the house or play games on their phones. They're all going to react to their decor over and over again. They're all going to drink water and do the same idol animations. Their Traits still don't drive their behaviors. Some of the new ones do, but the old ones don't even seem to matter.
I feel like at least having personal preferences regarding other Sims that can cause personality clashes or connections and express what they want in friendships and partners would help to create more visible depth to their behaviors. Almost everything they do seems more object based and it's long, long overdue for them to react believably to each other.
Tales From The Myst
The Blue Moon Jukebox
The following catfight and stomping of a child's dollhouse was the most entertainment I got.
Maybe that sort of Romantic Comedy could become part of a new pack?
Or maybe as a free addition of the Romantic Garden/Get Famous/Parenthood packs?
No longer taking build requests/questions, sorry.
For some reason unbeknownst to me, EA has shifted their focus on the targeted audience. Used to be Teens but now it's more on the K-6 grade audience. Heaven forbid the wee ones should ever get a glimpse of the harshness of reality. This leads to milk-toast. Mushy and tasteless; and it leaves them ill-equipped to navigate in life as they become adults — if they become adults at all. Some are a failure to launch. Living in their parents' basements completely unaware of what they're supposed to do, which is to grow up, get a job and take care of their OWN.
This game is and should remain a Life-Simulator game. Play with life they tell us, but then they hamper what that life is. If I wanted all hearts and flowers, I would find another game. At the same time, I'm not into blood & guts, either and avoid those types of stories/movies for the most part. (I actually tried a mod, but it was a disaster. I didn't like the fact that my Sims' brother was arbitrarily assassinated and not only that, but my Rock Star was murdered for turning down a nanny he didn't need.) There is a happy medium that can be struck to appeal to the adults who still desire to play this game. I miss the ghosts from Sims2. I miss how they could scare a Sim to death, and yes, I did lose my Sim and started that game over again because leaving two male Sims alone with Toddler twins and a newborn was unacceptable. This after grandma opted to starve herself to death (despite my directing her to eat numerous times) and the young mother having just given birth was scared to death by the resident ghost in the castle.
The fact that I had to work extra hard to keep my Sims' needs up, especially while pregnant was a challenge that I was willing to take on. When I find myself (in Sims3) trying to cause an 'accidental' death because no random deaths of my own Sims were even remotely happening was a shame. I don't normally plot to end the lives of my Sims. Just not me. But, to find out being hit by lightning doesn't kill, ever means we are living in fantasyland. What happened to the notion of a percentage that would allow for the death to occur. That makes it random and realistic. And keeps the player on edge. And coming back for another gaming session, I might add. Some survive in RL from such an event, and some do not. Or if their needs were too low when they got hit? I don't want fantasy IE no faeries, no witches no zombies no vampires, etc. (So very glad that was in a separate pack for those who do want them.) But I do want the random death or injury to occur from time to time. And there are also very few illnesses in the game. I recall my Sims in Uni (back in Sims2) had a bit of an epidemic in the dorm as just about every Sims had flu or a cold. Very seldom, unless I have the Private Practice mod installed do my Sims ever get sick.
I could go on, but I'm certain most of you would like me to stand away from the keyboard. I respect that.
Happy Simming.
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
My second generation main character, Remus, married Eliza Pancakes and planned to have babies with her. She died in a fire while I was gone for 5 minutes, so they continued to have a ghost- human marriage, and she helped him raise his twins from his previous marriage till they divorced and he married his teen sweetheart.
I’ve told this story before, but my 2nd gen had 3 kids (Remus, Robin, Delilah). Their parents were named Kersie and Hunter. Delilah had ate the kelp as a teen and turned to a mermaid, and as a young adult, met a man (who turned out to be an alien) named Henry. They married on Sulani beach. Not even 5 minutes after they had officially done the ceremony, Henry went trotting over to Delilah’s mom, Kersie and flirted with her. In front of Hunter. Because the cheating system is stupid, even though Kersie declined her brand new son-in-laws request, Hunter got mad at her. This continued, with my order, to spiral into many displays of cheating in Delilah’s and Henry’s marriage. He got multiple other women pregnant, some multiple times. Made it worse since Delilah and Henry lived with her parents till they died. The children they had where the first run in I had with hybrids. When their eldest, Gwendolyn, reached child, she started glitching. Hair color would change in CAS randomly, bunch of other glitches. She had signs of being alien and mermaid. Finally, her entire body in CAS completely disappeared, leaving only her head. I deleted her, made another fake Gwen, and fearing the same for their new baby, cheated and had her taken away so my game wouldn’t glitch. Delilah is my sim that had the most fertility issues, and prior to her, I didn’t even know pregnancy tests could be negative. She had around 3-4 negatives In her life, and only 3 kids (one was adopted).
The only other times I remember isn’t so much drama, just shock, when the women would give birth to more children then expected, and having to change the storyline around that (such is the case of the Remus’ twins I referred to earlier)
There was that time when my 4th gen heir, Swan, was having a meet and greet with her fans, and her brother (vampire) burned to a crisp when it was DUSK, and there was optional cover for him! That still makes me mad.
All very interesting queries. Can the freezing of Temperance be reversed?
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
Now, you want drama?
I made a challenge called Eco Terror. There's a house I made called The Eco Terror that shows the rules.