I have spent a fortune on Sims 4 and wouldnt be buying a Sims 5 anytime soon except if it looked so irresistibly amazing. I will not do subcription or MMOs. I can forgive things missing from the base game eg pets if the mechanics etc are a massive improvement on 4 that they make up for the lack.
As for Paralives, why wouldnt I want another simulation game? I play more than one of other types of game so I dont feel this is an either or choice.
So far I love the look of the building tools but dislike the graphic style. I am waiting to see how gameplay is as that is the most important factor to me. The team seem to be promising the game will be everything to everyone and that is a worry, trying to fit everything in msy mean some things compete or cancel out each others effectiveness.
I don't know, I love Maxis, but I don't want a TS5 MMO and might have to jump ship and go with Steam's game.
I have decided to change my own vote from maybe I might have to bail on Maxis and go with Paralives (that is what I voted in the beginning months ago) to a No. Probably not either one. After today's update, I feel I can no longer support the game and it's present state. After a year of waiting to see or hear they were beginning to work on live mode action etc. I feel like I have supported the game long enough to have gotten there (news), (at least started on that part of the game). If people are perfectionists it may take years. That's a good thing I suppose but it's the end of Sept almost (time line news) and though I can't speak about what news they did announce today, what I can say is it's not going to be any live mode action news any time soon................................................. I wish them good luck in their quest but I feel like others now, it may never happen at all at this pace. I will just forget about it until we actually see a game on Steam. Or Maxis game on Origin.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I have decided to change my own vote from maybe I might have to bail on Maxis and go with Paralives (that is what I voted in the beginning months ago) to a No. Probably not either one. After today's update, I feel I can no longer support the game and it's present state. After a year of waiting to see or hear they were beginning to work on live mode action etc. I feel like I have supported the game long enough to have gotten there (news), (at least started on that part of the game). If people are perfectionists it may take years. That's a good thing I suppose but it's the end of Sept almost (time line news) and though I can't speak about what news they did announce today, what I can say is it's not going to be any live mode action news any time soon................................................. I wish them good luck in their quest but I feel like others now, it may never happen at all at this pace. I will just forget about it until we actually see a game on Steam. Or Maxis game on Origin.
That's disappointing...
I'm not necessarily tired of The Sims, but I've definitely been holding out for this game and from the things I've been hearing lately it seems that I shouldn't get my hopes up for any kind of news soon.
I voted “other.” I really haven’t seen much from Paralives that makes me run in that direction. The artwork looks more like 2 D book illustrations than simulated people, and so far they haven’t demonstrated anything close to gameplay, that I’m aware of. But, if The Sims 5 becomes online multiplayer only, I’m not interested. I don’t play Sims to socialize; I play to relax in a world of my own creation. I really don’t want anyone else intruding on that. So, if that happens I’ll just stick with Sims 2-4.
Yes, I plan on getting Paralives as soon as it's released (possible 2021)
I am very pleased with the progress that Paralives is making. Paterons do get more news, so maybe more public announcements would help?!
I don’t see why they have to rush something out. Today’s world is so much about getting things so quickly. It’s great to see something take time to develop. Even if the launch date is 2022, that’s not far off.
I’m trying hard not to compare it to Sims. They both must be different games.
I am very pleased with the progress that Paralives is making. Paterons do get more news, so maybe more public announcements would help?!
I don’t see why they have to rush something out. Today’s world is so much about getting things so quickly. It’s great to see something take time to develop. Even if the launch date is 2022, that’s not far off.
I’m trying hard not to compare it to Sims. They both must be different games.
I think most of us in this thread want another life simulator from different companies rather than just one from Maxis. Nothing wrong with that. People could have several and play them all from different companies.
I don't think fans thought it would be another Sim game but Paralives are the people who made a very long, long list of things that would be in their game which is exactly like The Sims franchise if they include all those things.
They made those promises and said confirmed on their website. Patrons who support them have yet to actually see much at all of that list. It's no wonder people think their game will be like The Sims since they made those confirmations months and months ago.
Yes, I can see from the updates they send to patrons they are a different game, which is good but they said all those things on their list were confirmed. The recent update only gave a laundry list of things they had been working on recently and it has nothing to do with live mode nor anytime soon. It's great they are taking their time but if you only stay in one lane and don't start to focus on gameplay at some point people will wonder are they building a game and or are people just paying for news of what they do. That is what the site is about over there. People pay creators to give them some news about what they did. They can charge in advance, monthly and or for each Post. It makes some feel maybe they are just paying for a post every week rather than seeing actual progress. I can tell someone I did this and this and this these past few months but until I show them, they might not believe me. I really wanted this game when I watched the game changer talk about all the build mode possibilities and did support them. However, after understanding what we pay (it does not fund a game it funds posts) I might have to reconsider. If they have worked on any live mode gameplay they aren't telling patrons nor showing them (maybe top tier supporters get to see that?) and aren't working on it according to their own updates..so, I think I will just wait until I see a finished game now that I understand funding. I really want them to succeed and I want Maxis to build a super TS5 we can all love but I'm at the point I don't think either are going to happen. It's like when I sweep a floor, if I only stay on that part of cleaning my house, nothing else is going to get done. Focus matters. People working on different disciplines matter. If people only stay on one thing (with many sub things) then a game never gets formed.
But like in Maxis case if I was supposed to sweep a floor but decided I needed to do something that would get me praise but no floor swept, then that is just as bad. I don't think either are going to fill a slot for a new life simulator more in style with the old The Sims. (About the Sim) If people play all four games they know but may no longer care, The Sims was about the Sim and it's experience with life. Good or bad. The later games though many great things in all four are more about goals for the player rather than the Sim, and more in recent years about the player rather than the game. So, in a bad analogy it's like one game is sweeping a floor to death, until there is a hole in it, and the other is not sweeping at all and only working on the 'player' and how to manipulate for money by playing to emotions of the player and by doing that they (player) will miss the floor isn't swept or be so distracted they won't even see it, or so emotionally intune they won't even mind anymore.
Post edited by Cinebar on
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I don't know, I love Maxis, but I don't want a TS5 MMO and might have to jump ship and go with Steam's game.
Update, we wait to see if they actually get to live mode action/animations/and gameplay which is supposed to be what they will work on in their timeline if they don't continue to dawdle in the other areas. Tick tock. Good luck Paralives, I hope they release a beta for those who are interested so they can tell this little Indie company what is good and what is not. But I would guess a beta may never come out within the next few years.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I don't know, I love Maxis, but I don't want a TS5 MMO and might have to jump ship and go with Steam's game.
I am not complete sure yet. I don't like the graphic style of paralives, but I might give it a try when it's released. I just hope, that Sims 5 will feature an offline mod or rather players can choose individually between online and offline gameplay.
I don't know, I love Maxis, but I don't want a TS5 MMO and might have to jump ship and go with Steam's game.
I hope someone might explain that CAS animations are the least desired animations ever for any of these type games. They could skip those if they do them and go on to work on gameplay. Players often mod out CAS animations and or in this case Para animations.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I am very pleased with the progress that Paralives is making. Paterons do get more news, so maybe more public announcements would help?!
I don’t see why they have to rush something out. Today’s world is so much about getting things so quickly. It’s great to see something take time to develop. Even if the launch date is 2022, that’s not far off.
I’m trying hard not to compare it to Sims. They both must be different games.
I think most of us in this thread want another life simulator from different companies rather than just one from Maxis. Nothing wrong with that. People could have several and play them all from different companies.
I don't think fans thought it would be another Sim game but Paralives are the people who made a very long, long list of things that would be in their game which is exactly like The Sims franchise if they include all those things.
They made those promises and said confirmed on their website. Patrons who support them have yet to actually see much at all of that list. It's no wonder people think their game will be like The Sims since they made those confirmations months and months ago.
Yes, I can see from the updates they send to patrons they are a different game, which is good but they said all those things on their list were confirmed. The recent update only gave a laundry list of things they had been working on recently and it has nothing to do with live mode nor anytime soon. It's great they are taking their time but if you only stay in one lane and don't start to focus on gameplay at some point people will wonder are they building a game and or are people just paying for news of what they do. That is what the site is about over there. People pay creators to give them some news about what they did. They can charge in advance, monthly and or for each Post. It makes some feel maybe they are just paying for a post every week rather than seeing actual progress. I can tell someone I did this and this and this these past few months but until I show them, they might not believe me. I really wanted this game when I watched the game changer talk about all the build mode possibilities and did support them. However, after understanding what we pay (it does not fund a game it funds posts) I might have to reconsider. If they have worked on any live mode gameplay they aren't telling patrons nor showing them (maybe top tier supporters get to see that?) and aren't working on it according to their own updates..so, I think I will just wait until I see a finished game now that I understand funding. I really want them to succeed and I want Maxis to build a super TS5 we can all love but I'm at the point I don't think either are going to happen. It's like when I sweep a floor, if I only stay on that part of cleaning my house, nothing else is going to get done. Focus matters. People working on different disciplines matter. If people only stay on one thing (with many sub things) then a game never gets formed.
But like in Maxis case if I was supposed to sweep a floor but decided I needed to do something that would get me praise but no floor swept, then that is just as bad. I don't think either are going to fill a slot for a new life simulator more in style with the old The Sims. (About the Sim) If people play all four games they know but may no longer care, The Sims was about the Sim and it's experience with life. Good or bad. The later games though many great things in all four are more about goals for the player rather than the Sim, and more in recent years about the player rather than the game. So, in a bad analogy it's like one game is sweeping a floor to death, until there is a hole in it, and the other is not sweeping at all and only working on the 'player' and how to manipulate for money by playing to emotions of the player and by doing that they (player) will miss the floor isn't swept or be so distracted they won't even see it, or so emotionally intune they won't even mind anymore.
Yes I agree the main issue, and why it’ll be hard for either game to very different, is that these games have similar lists. Pets, seasons, customised items etc.
The animations is where I’d like the main differences to be.
I doubt TS5 will be something loved right at the start. 4 was lancuhed with big features missing. I think the ambition is there but it’s the execution.
Sorry I wasn’t sure what you meant by the Paralives development. Do you think Paralives are not keeping thier promises or making too many and so progress is slowed?
I used to follow Paralives news from Pixelade on YouTube. He had me excited for the game when he first began posting stuff about it. I haven't watched anything lately but, if the base game has stuff we had to purchase from the first 4 Sims games (Pets, Seasons, University, etc), I will definitely buy the base game.
I will have to wait and find out more about what is coming to Sims 5 in the base game before I make any decisions on that. I followed Make 2 on YouTube thinking that would give me ideas on gameplay. I enjoyed the game for a while after watching them play, but I still eventually lost interest in the game by the time Discover University came out. I thought that pack was going to draw me back into the game, but when it turned out to be nothing like Sims 2 University, I ditched Sims 4. Sims 5 will be a wait and see decision for me after I see some gameplay and what's in it.
I am very pleased with the progress that Paralives is making. Paterons do get more news, so maybe more public announcements would help?!
I don’t see why they have to rush something out. Today’s world is so much about getting things so quickly. It’s great to see something take time to develop. Even if the launch date is 2022, that’s not far off.
I’m trying hard not to compare it to Sims. They both must be different games.
I think most of us in this thread want another life simulator from different companies rather than just one from Maxis. Nothing wrong with that. People could have several and play them all from different companies.
I don't think fans thought it would be another Sim game but Paralives are the people who made a very long, long list of things that would be in their game which is exactly like The Sims franchise if they include all those things.
They made those promises and said confirmed on their website. Patrons who support them have yet to actually see much at all of that list. It's no wonder people think their game will be like The Sims since they made those confirmations months and months ago.
Yes, I can see from the updates they send to patrons they are a different game, which is good but they said all those things on their list were confirmed. The recent update only gave a laundry list of things they had been working on recently and it has nothing to do with live mode nor anytime soon. It's great they are taking their time but if you only stay in one lane and don't start to focus on gameplay at some point people will wonder are they building a game and or are people just paying for news of what they do. That is what the site is about over there. People pay creators to give them some news about what they did. They can charge in advance, monthly and or for each Post. It makes some feel maybe they are just paying for a post every week rather than seeing actual progress. I can tell someone I did this and this and this these past few months but until I show them, they might not believe me. I really wanted this game when I watched the game changer talk about all the build mode possibilities and did support them. However, after understanding what we pay (it does not fund a game it funds posts) I might have to reconsider. If they have worked on any live mode gameplay they aren't telling patrons nor showing them (maybe top tier supporters get to see that?) and aren't working on it according to their own updates..so, I think I will just wait until I see a finished game now that I understand funding. I really want them to succeed and I want Maxis to build a super TS5 we can all love but I'm at the point I don't think either are going to happen. It's like when I sweep a floor, if I only stay on that part of cleaning my house, nothing else is going to get done. Focus matters. People working on different disciplines matter. If people only stay on one thing (with many sub things) then a game never gets formed.
But like in Maxis case if I was supposed to sweep a floor but decided I needed to do something that would get me praise but no floor swept, then that is just as bad. I don't think either are going to fill a slot for a new life simulator more in style with the old The Sims. (About the Sim) If people play all four games they know but may no longer care, The Sims was about the Sim and it's experience with life. Good or bad. The later games though many great things in all four are more about goals for the player rather than the Sim, and more in recent years about the player rather than the game. So, in a bad analogy it's like one game is sweeping a floor to death, until there is a hole in it, and the other is not sweeping at all and only working on the 'player' and how to manipulate for money by playing to emotions of the player and by doing that they (player) will miss the floor isn't swept or be so distracted they won't even see it, or so emotionally intune they won't even mind anymore.
Yes I agree the main issue, and why it’ll be hard for either game to very different, is that these games have similar lists. Pets, seasons, customised items etc.
The animations is where I’d like the main differences to be.
I doubt TS5 will be something loved right at the start. 4 was lancuhed with big features missing. I think the ambition is there but it’s the execution.
Sorry I wasn’t sure what you meant by the Paralives development. Do you think Paralives are not keeping thier promises or making too many andso progress is slowed?
I think promises were made that may never get implemented. Brain storming is fun, however, there are no animations for interactions, gameplay, Parafolk or anything else......What has been worked on is the Parafolk maker, and building mode, noted in updates and in things that were also made public. Not leaking anything just stating facts the public also knows.
I don't know, I'm not a game developer but it seems to me before you work on a character you might want to get the animations of what that character can do under your belt before you start detailing a 3D model or making clothes, or working on details of furnishings and or walls and floors etc. I think all that might come later unless you are a huge company like EA/Maxis with many teams. But in this case it's sort of backwards. I mean shouldn't game people at least have a basic animation discipline of their stand in model so they can flush out all the animations? maybe??? Especially if you are a very tiny team...unless you aren't building a life simulator but something else....
Also, there are a lot of weird things going on lately. For instance if you just type in Paralives there is site where you can download 'something' I'm not sure what is in the WinZip file, I wouldn't open it. lol
It's probably a phishing site so beware but it looks absolutely legit. Like the real paralives' site with pictures and details. Also, they said on Twitter people are getting fake emails from someone who says they are on the team...well, how would anyone get patrons email addresses if they have not been leaked and or hacked or whatever over on the site where people fund their project? They say don't believe those emails but it leaves one to wonder how did anyone get Paralives email list in the first place? Was their patron list hacked? Just take everything these days with a grain of salt is my best advice. Not everything is always as it seems.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I don't know, I love Maxis, but I don't want a TS5 MMO and might have to jump ship and go with Steam's game.
Nothing to update. Fun with math, if there are 9000 patrons at $3 a month (Posted Publicly) (but some fund more even up to $20 a month) that is $27.000 a month and $324,000 a year. At the time the stats were updated there were only eight on the team. Posted Publicly. I know they were up to ten but one dropped out after about a month or just a few weeks, so we will just leave it at eight for this little bit of fun with math exercise. That equals ( if all were equal of pay) around $40,500 per yr (if it remained at that amount) and equals out to about $779 a week, if all pay was equal.
Now, where I live the median income is about $35,000 a year,much better than having to get up and go to work...yes, income has gone down since factories and other things are gone. Middle management don't make much more than that. Consider there was no overhead for the first few years such as a building or office and or anything like that and the engine is free to use for anyone who wants to use it...
I don't know how long would you go on with this adventure if you were paid to have fun with a free game engine? without ever producing a game of any consequence. Just musing since we also say Maxis doesn't ever get a big enough budget and Maxis has to pay many more employees, and overhead such as a building and taxes for those employees, and insurance, and either have to bear the cost of buying a game engine and or creating their own. 60,000 Discord members, too, free advertising, and a free game engine without any overhead just a group of people making money, it's not hard to understand why some want to create crowd funded projects and why it's not hard to understand why some remain skeptical and wonder is it real or ever going to come to fruition.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
Yes, I plan on getting Paralives as soon as it's released (possible 2021)
Yes I will be getting it. I don't mind waiting a while. If they rush just because people want it now then we may end up with a disappointing and unfinished project. Sometimes games take a long while to come out and I'm fine with waiting, we've all waited this long for any type of competitor at all. I'm optimistic. They're still a small team of indie devs so I am worried people are putting a lot of pressure and high expectations which I don't think is very fair.
Yes I will be getting it. I don't mind waiting a while. If they rush just because people want it now then we may end up with a disappointing and unfinished project. Sometimes games take a long while to come out and I'm fine with waiting, we've all waited this long for any type of competitor at all. I'm optimistic. They're still a small team of indie devs so I am worried people are putting a lot of pressure and high expectations which I don't think is very fair.
I'm thinking Alex put this pressure on himself. Let me explain, before hardly that many people knew about Paralives (many on this forum had never heard the story) they had already promised and Confirmed a long laundry list of things that would be in the base. It was already up and listed on their site. Things like Pets, cars, weather, all life stages, etc. I can't even remember the long list it has so much on it that I would have to go look it up again. Promised, Confirmed. But they stayed in build mode for a couple of years according to emails and updates. Even though they had confirmed all those things which require not only animators but FX animators, too, the team didn't even have an animator who was very knowledgeable or have the upmost skill in that area, none.
If there is any pressure now, it's sort of not the public's fault nor the people who have supported them for a few years, they confirmed a lot even before they had the team to do it. It's about like that time Grant said there would be toddlers and all other life stages in the game but then came back and said things change....Maxis also said confirmed about things in TS4's base game but it wasn't true. But Paralives confirmed things without even any animators on the team. lol
Just a reminder there has only been the one gameplay trailer (build mode) released in June. Nothing has been shown since June which is odd for them to not show something that many months apart. (Maggie trailer, Sebastian trailer, Buildmode trailer) but the Build trailer is the gameplay trailer considered to be gameplay. But they also say they need to polish, fix, redo, update, work on, tweak, add more etc. to build......at this rate I'm wondering is there any gameplay for the 'simulated character'? I haven't seen any. If I remember correctly (and I may not) way back at the first of the year it was said they would be working on animations/aka gameplay and programming back in April. That didn't happen now they say it's next on the list (Oct.) but I'm wondering have they? I'm changing my vote every day lol.
I want them to succeed, I would love the game they Confirmed, but I'm not sure they can do that without animators and programmers, who know their stuff and talented enough to make it happen especially they may need a producer who makes them stick to a time line and stop tweaking other things that can wait. Tweaking can become an obsession. I think Alex needs a producer to tell him to go to the next thing and stay focused on the bigger project.
Post edited by Cinebar on
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
I think they've got a long way to go. Possibly years.
From the website: Willing to immerse yourself in parallel lives and achieve your wildest dreams?
We’ve got your back. Paralives offers a rich open world filled with possibilities!
Focus on your career, love life, friends, family, children or the town’s
community and well-being!
Looking to explore a town filled with opportunities and venues?
Put on your best outfit, call some friends and use your bike or car to meet
them at the park, restaurant, beach, shop, mountain or anywhere, really!
Yes I will be getting it. I don't mind waiting a while. If they rush just because people want it now then we may end up with a disappointing and unfinished project. Sometimes games take a long while to come out and I'm fine with waiting, we've all waited this long for any type of competitor at all. I'm optimistic. They're still a small team of indie devs so I am worried people are putting a lot of pressure and high expectations which I don't think is very fair.
I'm thinking Alex put this pressure on himself. Let me explain, before hardly that many people knew about Paralives (many on this forum had never heard the story) they had already promised and Confirmed a long laundry list of things that would be in the base. It was already up and listed on their site. Things like Pets, cars, weather, all life stages, etc. I can't even remember the long list it has so much on it that I would have to go look it up again. Promised, Confirmed. But they stayed in build mode for a couple of years according to emails and updates. Even though they had confirmed all those things which require not only animators but FX animators, too, the team didn't even have an animator who was very knowledgeable or have the upmost skill in that area, none.
If there is any pressure now, it's sort of not the public's fault nor the people who have supported them for a few years, they confirmed a lot even before they had the team to do it. It's about like that time Grant said there would be toddlers and all other life stages in the game but then came back and said things change....Maxis also said confirmed about things in TS4's base game but it wasn't true. But Paralives confirmed things without even any animators on the team. lol
Just a reminder there has only been the one gameplay trailer (build mode) released in June. Nothing has been shown since June which is odd for them to not show something that many months apart. (Maggie trailer, Sebastian trailer, Buildmode trailer) but the Build trailer is the gameplay trailer considered to be gameplay. But they also say they need to polish, fix, redo, update, work on, tweak, add more etc. to build......at this rate I'm wondering is there any gameplay for the 'simulated character'? I haven't seen any. If I remember correctly (and I may not) way back at the first of the year it was said they would be working on animations/aka gameplay and programming back in April. That didn't happen now they say it's next on the list (Oct.) but I'm wondering have they? I'm changing my vote every day lol.
I want them to succeed, I would love the game they Confirmed, but I'm not sure they can do that without animators and programmers, who know their stuff and talented enough to make it happen especially they may need a producer who makes them stick to a time line and stop tweaking other things that can wait. Tweaking can become an obsession. I think Alex needs a producer to tell him to go to the next thing and stay focused on the bigger project.
Alex expressed that he was focusing on the para creation and build mode first before gameplay. The game has only been in development 2.5 years. That's not all that long especially since 1.5 years was just him by himself. I don't think there's any flags in there not being another gameplay trailer so soon. June wasn't that long ago. Maybe because I follow a lot of games that are in development for a very, very long time and hardly release anything but do actually end up releasing their game, it just takes a long time. Some big studios even take many years to release a game so I guess I just don't get the hurry when it comes to this indie team. People already losing faith and assuming the game isn't real already, I don't think that's fair. Even if Alex made that laundry list himself, it's no big deal if he does it in the time that he needs right? I think Paralives would have had a lot pressure no matter what, the moment people found out about it.
well with EA i have come to expect disappointment :P all their greedy executives care about is putting gambling ohh sorry surprise mechanics (so basically gambling!) into all their videogames hence why they probabely try to push for a online live service with TS 5... TS 4 already was a shameless cash cow considering how many lackluster packs they keep pumping out! and they are truly lackluster compared to what you got in a TS 3 exp pack!. sure, the Sims is not yet in the area of FIFA (basically the same game for years but sold as if it is a new product with all the Ultimate team Pack gambling reset so addicts and kidsa can empty their bank accounts again trying to gamble for Messi or Ronaldo...and end up empty handed!) but i do not like how they handled the TS 4 packs (way to overprized for what they have to offer!)
as for Paralives, i do cut indy studios some slack! it is not easy for them to compete vs big companies but they tend to deliver the best games due to them taking their time and focus on game quality instead of scummy monetization tactics like EA always does!
Yes I will be getting it. I don't mind waiting a while. If they rush just because people want it now then we may end up with a disappointing and unfinished project. Sometimes games take a long while to come out and I'm fine with waiting, we've all waited this long for any type of competitor at all. I'm optimistic. They're still a small team of indie devs so I am worried people are putting a lot of pressure and high expectations which I don't think is very fair.
I'm thinking Alex put this pressure on himself. Let me explain, before hardly that many people knew about Paralives (many on this forum had never heard the story) they had already promised and Confirmed a long laundry list of things that would be in the base. It was already up and listed on their site. Things like Pets, cars, weather, all life stages, etc. I can't even remember the long list it has so much on it that I would have to go look it up again. Promised, Confirmed. But they stayed in build mode for a couple of years according to emails and updates. Even though they had confirmed all those things which require not only animators but FX animators, too, the team didn't even have an animator who was very knowledgeable or have the upmost skill in that area, none.
If there is any pressure now, it's sort of not the public's fault nor the people who have supported them for a few years, they confirmed a lot even before they had the team to do it. It's about like that time Grant said there would be toddlers and all other life stages in the game but then came back and said things change....Maxis also said confirmed about things in TS4's base game but it wasn't true. But Paralives confirmed things without even any animators on the team. lol
Just a reminder there has only been the one gameplay trailer (build mode) released in June. Nothing has been shown since June which is odd for them to not show something that many months apart. (Maggie trailer, Sebastian trailer, Buildmode trailer) but the Build trailer is the gameplay trailer considered to be gameplay. But they also say they need to polish, fix, redo, update, work on, tweak, add more etc. to build......at this rate I'm wondering is there any gameplay for the 'simulated character'? I haven't seen any. If I remember correctly (and I may not) way back at the first of the year it was said they would be working on animations/aka gameplay and programming back in April. That didn't happen now they say it's next on the list (Oct.) but I'm wondering have they? I'm changing my vote every day lol.
I want them to succeed, I would love the game they Confirmed, but I'm not sure they can do that without animators and programmers, who know their stuff and talented enough to make it happen especially they may need a producer who makes them stick to a time line and stop tweaking other things that can wait. Tweaking can become an obsession. I think Alex needs a producer to tell him to go to the next thing and stay focused on the bigger project.
The game has only been in development 2.5 years. That's not all that long especially since 1.5 years was just him by himself.
This isn‘t true. They already had a small team when they made the Maggie reveal video and this was 1.5 years ago (May 2020). This is when they started making $30,000 a month through Patreon too.
Yes I will be getting it. I don't mind waiting a while. If they rush just because people want it now then we may end up with a disappointing and unfinished project. Sometimes games take a long while to come out and I'm fine with waiting, we've all waited this long for any type of competitor at all. I'm optimistic. They're still a small team of indie devs so I am worried people are putting a lot of pressure and high expectations which I don't think is very fair.
I'm thinking Alex put this pressure on himself. Let me explain, before hardly that many people knew about Paralives (many on this forum had never heard the story) they had already promised and Confirmed a long laundry list of things that would be in the base. It was already up and listed on their site. Things like Pets, cars, weather, all life stages, etc. I can't even remember the long list it has so much on it that I would have to go look it up again. Promised, Confirmed. But they stayed in build mode for a couple of years according to emails and updates. Even though they had confirmed all those things which require not only animators but FX animators, too, the team didn't even have an animator who was very knowledgeable or have the upmost skill in that area, none.
If there is any pressure now, it's sort of not the public's fault nor the people who have supported them for a few years, they confirmed a lot even before they had the team to do it. It's about like that time Grant said there would be toddlers and all other life stages in the game but then came back and said things change....Maxis also said confirmed about things in TS4's base game but it wasn't true. But Paralives confirmed things without even any animators on the team. lol
Just a reminder there has only been the one gameplay trailer (build mode) released in June. Nothing has been shown since June which is odd for them to not show something that many months apart. (Maggie trailer, Sebastian trailer, Buildmode trailer) but the Build trailer is the gameplay trailer considered to be gameplay. But they also say they need to polish, fix, redo, update, work on, tweak, add more etc. to build......at this rate I'm wondering is there any gameplay for the 'simulated character'? I haven't seen any. If I remember correctly (and I may not) way back at the first of the year it was said they would be working on animations/aka gameplay and programming back in April. That didn't happen now they say it's next on the list (Oct.) but I'm wondering have they? I'm changing my vote every day lol.
I want them to succeed, I would love the game they Confirmed, but I'm not sure they can do that without animators and programmers, who know their stuff and talented enough to make it happen especially they may need a producer who makes them stick to a time line and stop tweaking other things that can wait. Tweaking can become an obsession. I think Alex needs a producer to tell him to go to the next thing and stay focused on the bigger project.
The game has only been in development 2.5 years. That's not all that long especially since 1.5 years was just him by himself.
This isn‘t true. They already had a small team when they made the Maggie reveal video and this was 1.5 years ago (May 2020). This is when they started making $30,000 a month through Patreon too.
You are right, and if anyone doubts they have only created one gameplay trailer they can go take a look where they announce Our first Gameplay trailer! which was build mode building a full house in June 2021. I thought the Maggie trailer was gameplay but it wasn't. It's just a promo trailer of what is possible using that engine. It doesn't mean any of it will be in the game. I'm having my doubts we see a real game before TS5 is ever released or whatever it is Maxis is building.
I'm starting to think and apologize if I'm wrong that we watch people do stuff in an engine of what is possible with that engine and yet to see any substantial gameplay in over a year. I suppose people consider building gameplay but I would consider that basic stuff and not gameplay because in the end people could make a game where the player didn't build any thing but played inside a developer world where everything was already built so I understand people think build mode is gameplay but I don't consider building as gameplay but creative side of a game or project. It's been over a year and half there is no gameplay other than build. The animations for that have yet to be created until they get animators.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
Comments
As for Paralives, why wouldnt I want another simulation game? I play more than one of other types of game so I dont feel this is an either or choice.
So far I love the look of the building tools but dislike the graphic style. I am waiting to see how gameplay is as that is the most important factor to me. The team seem to be promising the game will be everything to everyone and that is a worry, trying to fit everything in msy mean some things compete or cancel out each others effectiveness.
Though frankly, I have to say, I'm not convinced that Paralives will ever really get onto the 'live' part.
I'm not necessarily tired of The Sims, but I've definitely been holding out for this game and from the things I've been hearing lately it seems that I shouldn't get my hopes up for any kind of news soon.
Tales From The Myst
The Blue Moon Jukebox
I don’t see why they have to rush something out. Today’s world is so much about getting things so quickly. It’s great to see something take time to develop. Even if the launch date is 2022, that’s not far off.
I’m trying hard not to compare it to Sims. They both must be different games.
I think most of us in this thread want another life simulator from different companies rather than just one from Maxis. Nothing wrong with that. People could have several and play them all from different companies.
I don't think fans thought it would be another Sim game but Paralives are the people who made a very long, long list of things that would be in their game which is exactly like The Sims franchise if they include all those things.
They made those promises and said confirmed on their website. Patrons who support them have yet to actually see much at all of that list. It's no wonder people think their game will be like The Sims since they made those confirmations months and months ago.
Yes, I can see from the updates they send to patrons they are a different game, which is good but they said all those things on their list were confirmed. The recent update only gave a laundry list of things they had been working on recently and it has nothing to do with live mode nor anytime soon. It's great they are taking their time but if you only stay in one lane and don't start to focus on gameplay at some point people will wonder are they building a game and or are people just paying for news of what they do. That is what the site is about over there. People pay creators to give them some news about what they did. They can charge in advance, monthly and or for each Post. It makes some feel maybe they are just paying for a post every week rather than seeing actual progress. I can tell someone I did this and this and this these past few months but until I show them, they might not believe me. I really wanted this game when I watched the game changer talk about all the build mode possibilities and did support them. However, after understanding what we pay (it does not fund a game it funds posts) I might have to reconsider. If they have worked on any live mode gameplay they aren't telling patrons nor showing them (maybe top tier supporters get to see that?) and aren't working on it according to their own updates..so, I think I will just wait until I see a finished game now that I understand funding. I really want them to succeed and I want Maxis to build a super TS5 we can all love but I'm at the point I don't think either are going to happen. It's like when I sweep a floor, if I only stay on that part of cleaning my house, nothing else is going to get done. Focus matters. People working on different disciplines matter. If people only stay on one thing (with many sub things) then a game never gets formed.
But like in Maxis case if I was supposed to sweep a floor but decided I needed to do something that would get me praise but no floor swept, then that is just as bad. I don't think either are going to fill a slot for a new life simulator more in style with the old The Sims. (About the Sim) If people play all four games they know but may no longer care, The Sims was about the Sim and it's experience with life. Good or bad. The later games though many great things in all four are more about goals for the player rather than the Sim, and more in recent years about the player rather than the game. So, in a bad analogy it's like one game is sweeping a floor to death, until there is a hole in it, and the other is not sweeping at all and only working on the 'player' and how to manipulate for money by playing to emotions of the player and by doing that they (player) will miss the floor isn't swept or be so distracted they won't even see it, or so emotionally intune they won't even mind anymore.
Yes I agree the main issue, and why it’ll be hard for either game to very different, is that these games have similar lists. Pets, seasons, customised items etc.
The animations is where I’d like the main differences to be.
I doubt TS5 will be something loved right at the start. 4 was lancuhed with big features missing. I think the ambition is there but it’s the execution.
Sorry I wasn’t sure what you meant by the Paralives development. Do you think Paralives are not keeping thier promises or making too many and so progress is slowed?
I will have to wait and find out more about what is coming to Sims 5 in the base game before I make any decisions on that. I followed Make 2 on YouTube thinking that would give me ideas on gameplay. I enjoyed the game for a while after watching them play, but I still eventually lost interest in the game by the time Discover University came out. I thought that pack was going to draw me back into the game, but when it turned out to be nothing like Sims 2 University, I ditched Sims 4. Sims 5 will be a wait and see decision for me after I see some gameplay and what's in it.
I think promises were made that may never get implemented. Brain storming is fun, however, there are no animations for interactions, gameplay, Parafolk or anything else......What has been worked on is the Parafolk maker, and building mode, noted in updates and in things that were also made public. Not leaking anything just stating facts the public also knows.
I don't know, I'm not a game developer but it seems to me before you work on a character you might want to get the animations of what that character can do under your belt before you start detailing a 3D model or making clothes, or working on details of furnishings and or walls and floors etc. I think all that might come later unless you are a huge company like EA/Maxis with many teams. But in this case it's sort of backwards. I mean shouldn't game people at least have a basic animation discipline of their stand in model so they can flush out all the animations? maybe??? Especially if you are a very tiny team...unless you aren't building a life simulator but something else....
Also, there are a lot of weird things going on lately. For instance if you just type in Paralives there is site where you can download 'something' I'm not sure what is in the WinZip file, I wouldn't open it. lol
It's probably a phishing site so beware but it looks absolutely legit. Like the real paralives' site with pictures and details. Also, they said on Twitter people are getting fake emails from someone who says they are on the team...well, how would anyone get patrons email addresses if they have not been leaked and or hacked or whatever over on the site where people fund their project? They say don't believe those emails but it leaves one to wonder how did anyone get Paralives email list in the first place? Was their patron list hacked? Just take everything these days with a grain of salt is my best advice. Not everything is always as it seems.
Now, where I live the median income is about $35,000 a year,much better than having to get up and go to work...yes, income has gone down since factories and other things are gone. Middle management don't make much more than that. Consider there was no overhead for the first few years such as a building or office and or anything like that and the engine is free to use for anyone who wants to use it...
I don't know how long would you go on with this adventure if you were paid to have fun with a free game engine? without ever producing a game of any consequence. Just musing since we also say Maxis doesn't ever get a big enough budget and Maxis has to pay many more employees, and overhead such as a building and taxes for those employees, and insurance, and either have to bear the cost of buying a game engine and or creating their own. 60,000 Discord members, too, free advertising, and a free game engine without any overhead just a group of people making money, it's not hard to understand why some want to create crowd funded projects and why it's not hard to understand why some remain skeptical and wonder is it real or ever going to come to fruition.
I am interested in it and I want the Sims to have a strong competitor. But, I am also hesitant towards both. I'm so used to disappointment.
I'm thinking Alex put this pressure on himself. Let me explain, before hardly that many people knew about Paralives (many on this forum had never heard the story) they had already promised and Confirmed a long laundry list of things that would be in the base. It was already up and listed on their site. Things like Pets, cars, weather, all life stages, etc. I can't even remember the long list it has so much on it that I would have to go look it up again. Promised, Confirmed. But they stayed in build mode for a couple of years according to emails and updates. Even though they had confirmed all those things which require not only animators but FX animators, too, the team didn't even have an animator who was very knowledgeable or have the upmost skill in that area, none.
If there is any pressure now, it's sort of not the public's fault nor the people who have supported them for a few years, they confirmed a lot even before they had the team to do it. It's about like that time Grant said there would be toddlers and all other life stages in the game but then came back and said things change....Maxis also said confirmed about things in TS4's base game but it wasn't true. But Paralives confirmed things without even any animators on the team. lol
Just a reminder there has only been the one gameplay trailer (build mode) released in June. Nothing has been shown since June which is odd for them to not show something that many months apart. (Maggie trailer, Sebastian trailer, Buildmode trailer) but the Build trailer is the gameplay trailer considered to be gameplay. But they also say they need to polish, fix, redo, update, work on, tweak, add more etc. to build......at this rate I'm wondering is there any gameplay for the 'simulated character'? I haven't seen any. If I remember correctly (and I may not) way back at the first of the year it was said they would be working on animations/aka gameplay and programming back in April. That didn't happen now they say it's next on the list (Oct.) but I'm wondering have they? I'm changing my vote every day lol.
I want them to succeed, I would love the game they Confirmed, but I'm not sure they can do that without animators and programmers, who know their stuff and talented enough to make it happen especially they may need a producer who makes them stick to a time line and stop tweaking other things that can wait. Tweaking can become an obsession. I think Alex needs a producer to tell him to go to the next thing and stay focused on the bigger project.
From the website:
Willing to immerse yourself in parallel lives and achieve your wildest dreams?
We’ve got your back. Paralives offers a rich open world filled with possibilities!
Focus on your career, love life, friends, family, children or the town’s
community and well-being!
Looking to explore a town filled with opportunities and venues?
Put on your best outfit, call some friends and use your bike or car to meet
them at the park, restaurant, beach, shop, mountain or anywhere, really!
Alex expressed that he was focusing on the para creation and build mode first before gameplay. The game has only been in development 2.5 years. That's not all that long especially since 1.5 years was just him by himself. I don't think there's any flags in there not being another gameplay trailer so soon. June wasn't that long ago. Maybe because I follow a lot of games that are in development for a very, very long time and hardly release anything but do actually end up releasing their game, it just takes a long time. Some big studios even take many years to release a game so I guess I just don't get the hurry when it comes to this indie team. People already losing faith and assuming the game isn't real already, I don't think that's fair. Even if Alex made that laundry list himself, it's no big deal if he does it in the time that he needs right? I think Paralives would have had a lot pressure no matter what, the moment people found out about it.
@Blackkatness
well with EA i have come to expect disappointment :P all their greedy executives care about is putting gambling ohh sorry surprise mechanics (so basically gambling!) into all their videogames hence why they probabely try to push for a online live service with TS 5... TS 4 already was a shameless cash cow considering how many lackluster packs they keep pumping out! and they are truly lackluster compared to what you got in a TS 3 exp pack!. sure, the Sims is not yet in the area of FIFA (basically the same game for years but sold as if it is a new product with all the Ultimate team Pack gambling reset so addicts and kidsa can empty their bank accounts again trying to gamble for Messi or Ronaldo...and end up empty handed!) but i do not like how they handled the TS 4 packs (way to overprized for what they have to offer!)
as for Paralives, i do cut indy studios some slack! it is not easy for them to compete vs big companies but they tend to deliver the best games due to them taking their time and focus on game quality instead of scummy monetization tactics like EA always does!
This isn‘t true. They already had a small team when they made the Maggie reveal video and this was 1.5 years ago (May 2020). This is when they started making $30,000 a month through Patreon too.
You are right, and if anyone doubts they have only created one gameplay trailer they can go take a look where they announce Our first Gameplay trailer! which was build mode building a full house in June 2021. I thought the Maggie trailer was gameplay but it wasn't. It's just a promo trailer of what is possible using that engine. It doesn't mean any of it will be in the game. I'm having my doubts we see a real game before TS5 is ever released or whatever it is Maxis is building.
I'm starting to think and apologize if I'm wrong that we watch people do stuff in an engine of what is possible with that engine and yet to see any substantial gameplay in over a year. I suppose people consider building gameplay but I would consider that basic stuff and not gameplay because in the end people could make a game where the player didn't build any thing but played inside a developer world where everything was already built so I understand people think build mode is gameplay but I don't consider building as gameplay but creative side of a game or project. It's been over a year and half there is no gameplay other than build. The animations for that have yet to be created until they get animators.