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Scenarios Feedback

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HarukotyanHarukotyan Posts: 513 Member
edited November 2021 in The Sims 4 Game Feedback
Saw this tweet by SimGuruDuck today:


and since I was checking out short term scenarios (I'm too bad with earning money in Sims to even try and grind 1Mil one) I'd like to share some thoughts on them. Hope others would join and add more insight to this thread. Especially since my English is very awkward for such long topics.

1) Pretty obvious and mostly agreed by the community I feel. Please, no Limited Time Events. This immediately brings thoughts of FOMO, scarcity complex and mobile gaming. We already have Sims Mobile & Freeplay for this. PC gaming is for keeping up at our own pace & on our terms. If one is into this type of play I think Freeplay would be much more interesting for them, since it has lots of options still missing from TS4 like cars, horses, active babies... So at least events there are meaningful. But PC version is not free to play game it is a paid product and mobile practices are not welcomed here.

2) This brings me to the second point - meaningfulness of rewards. Aspiration Points given for Scenarios is an uninteresting and unmotivating reward. Because there are absolutely not enough reward traits/objects these Aspiration Points can be spent for. AP reward system is lacking and very watered down. So variant one for solving this - completing Scenarios would give Sim a unique trait instead. Like completing Toddlers one would give Nurturing, Surviving Holidays - Anger Management, Breakup - Couple Counseling (yes, I'm plainly using TS2 ideas here) and so on. Variant two - list of AP rewards should be updated and become considerably broader like it was in times of TS3 so that earning of AP would be desired by players.

3) There absolutely must be a way to make Scenarios available for already existing families. Many simmers have already developed saves and zero interest in adding new families/saves. So this feature plainly can't be used by this part of community. And what if they have some families in mind they would like to involve in scenarios? They still can't do it.

4) Scenarios starting conditions are too limited and inflexible in terms of Sims selecting. For example Breakup Scenario is ideal for Eliza and Bob but they can't participate in it since they are a married couple yet scenario demands sims to be unrelated. Married couple can't have a messy Breakup? Same for Surviving Holidays - participating sims can't be related, why??? Sibling rivalry is not a thing anymore? Why Pleasant sisters (DU version) can't be involved in it for example? Toddlers Scenario - why should there be strictly 3 Toddlers? If 3 is not challenging enough for a simmer why can't they have more? Winning condition still can be developing skills for any 3 of them. So why specifically limit the starting number? My point these starting conditions should be much more flexible for simmers to have more options creating/selecting families and determine family relations between them.

5) As always main focus of scenarios is YA+. Showing how painfully little interesting can happen with children and teens in this game. I would like to see some sort of children school struggle & friendship scenarios but for this I guess children gameplay must be improved first.

The only way for scenarios in their current condition to be redeemed I think is to be already included as background for the existing families in Willow Creek and Oasis Springs. Since we know lore update is coming probably this already was considered? I can picture this scenarios used for different families there like already mentioned Eliza and Bob and have some sort of TS2 scripted starting events in them. But for new gameplay I feel they need lots and lots of improvement.
Post edited by Harukotyan on

Comments

  • RedShoe7RedShoe7 Posts: 705 Member
    I agree with your whole post but especially your first point. No Limited Time Events!!!!! I don't understand the point of them except that they plan on giving exclusive rewards for them once they have the SDX up and running. I would absolutely hate this and it would actually drive me from the game completely. Doing that would turn Sims 4 into a different type of (very annoying) game that I DO NOT want to play. I hope this won't be the case but I can't see another reason for limited time scenarios.

    Just give us the scenarios and leave us alone to play our games the way we want!!!
  • BoergeAarg61BoergeAarg61 Posts: 949 Member
    I can't find the scenario.
  • RedShoe7RedShoe7 Posts: 705 Member
    I can't find the scenario.

    Did you update your game?
  • CK213CK213 Posts: 20,525 Member
    The set ups and rewards are nice, and I like how you can play how you want, unlike Aspirations, but this needs to feel more like a mini-game.
    We already have these with things like Career chance cards, the rocket ship chance cards, and the same with Jungle adventures. So the systems are there.

    There should be a bunch of these embedded within the scenario that are triggered by certain things and conditions that happen when the player is playing. The outcome needs to be computed by the sim's traits, skill level, and emotional state that may relate to the card.

    This way scenarios would have replayability because the experience should be different each time and it will feel more dynamic.
    You may trigger some cards on one play-through or you might not. The outcomes will probably be different because the sim is different.
    The%20Goths.png?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds
  • BabykittyjadeBabykittyjade Posts: 4,975 Member
    👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I think this was very well expressed. I have nothing to add because I feel like you listed exactly all of my problems with scenarios. I kinda wanted to try one but just the fact that they have such strict conditions for starting turns me away. For a challenge I would definitely want more than 3 toddlers for example.
    And yes I agree, there is more focus on young adult.. 🤦‍♀️
    Zombies, oh please oh please give us zombies!! :'(
  • texxx78texxx78 Posts: 5,657 Member
    I agree with everything you pointed. I'ld only add full customization.
  • babajaynebabajayne Posts: 1,866 Member
    I totally agree with the OP with one caveat. There should never be a reward for completing a Scenario that we can’t get through regular gameplay. For example, if a custom trait was the reward, it shouldn’t be a new one that is Scenario-exclusive. I never want to feel like I’m going through the motions to get something and wasting my free time playing in a style I’m told to. The idea of this turns me off from playing at all.

    I am not interested in Scenarios whatsoever and I wish the team had put those development resources into existing systems instead (aspirations, traits, preferences, WHIMS, expanding holiday and club activities, improving gallery filters). Nobody would have missed this new feature if it had never been created, but plenty of us have been asking for other things that need improvement.
  • FanPhoriaFanPhoria Posts: 1,655 Member
    Yeah, I've trying to try out some of the scenarios but so far I'm finding them pretty uninspiring and (to put it bluntly) a waste of code. Your suggestions would definitely be some decent steps towards improvement, tho tbh, I kind of feel like I wish they'd never done scenarios and just put their resources towards other things, like fixing and updating the whim system or adding more aspirations to existing packs and base games.
  • SERVERFRASERVERFRA Posts: 7,108 Member
    The Scenarios would've been better if it was in the game back in 2014. Oh well :'(
  • mightyspritemightysprite Posts: 5,806 Member
    I agree with everything in the first post!

    I would like to add three things that would be nice to see as scenarios continue to be developed:

    1.) Some more challenging scenarios

    2.) Scenarios that involve weirder events-- occults, cowplants, etc. Perhaps these would not all be available for base game, given the fact that occults require certain packs.

    3.) The ability to customize scenarios (tweak existing ones or create our own).

    gen3-banner.png
  • Mariefoxprice83Mariefoxprice83 Posts: 8,106 Member
    I'd like to see scenarios featuring the following:
    -Caring for pets
    -Children as the focal character(s)
    -A spellcaster challenge
    -A vampire challenge
    -A farming challenge
    -An arts and crafts challenge
    -A university challenge
    Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.
  • GordyGordy Posts: 3,015 Member
    edited November 2021
    Honestly, there's no real need for scenarios. You can literally just do all of them on your own, and you'd actually have more wiggle room for personalization if you do. The only unique ones are the ones that create specific character dynamics (having two sims be exes or enemies), and even that can easily be replicated in-game. Scenarios seem inherently redundant, and so far, nothing has shown me otherwise.

    I'd like scenarios that actually have some unique impact. Like one where your sims must live entirely underground for a certain amount of days because... radiation on the surface, I guess? And the game won't let you leave your bunker, which you can expand and edit as you please. Or maybe you play as a thief and can get jobs stealing certain items from certain sims. Or something with a storyline and characters. Again, these could be done without scenarios already. But they'd be very unique circumstances and it would be cool to see the game enforce them.

    There is ONE idea, though: dragons. Think about it: you patch them into the basegame, and you can start a scenario where you're given a dragon egg and have to raise it. Again, nothing groundbreaking. But it'd serve as a good tutorial for the new gameplay.
    TS1_dragons_hatching.jpg
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  • JALJAL Posts: 999 Member
    In my current save, I've had a sim go from living in a trailer because she couldn't afford a proper home to having so much money she never needed to work again (not a million, but then I never strived for that). I have had her daughter cope with 5 kids, 3 of which were toddlers at the same time and all of them getting the #top notch toddler" reward. As her husband was cheating on her she had a very messy divorce but has now found love again and remarried her "soulmate".

    In other words, I have in one save done two out of three challenges and sort of the first as well, without running a single scenario. For me, the fact that I cannot run them on existing saves is a major flaw. Other than that - I agree wholeheartedly with the first post as well as with wishes for customization.
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  • texxx78texxx78 Posts: 5,657 Member
    I still believe that scenarios are here to keep engagement with less future content. Nothing wrong with that if they weren't so lackluster... Def much more could have been done. Although being a very expensive game Sims 4 is lacking strong mechanics.
  • temporalgodtemporalgod Posts: 800 Member
    I agree with everything in the first post!

    I would like to add three things that would be nice to see as scenarios continue to be developed:

    1.) Some more challenging scenarios

    2.) Scenarios that involve weirder events-- occults, cowplants, etc. Perhaps these would not all be available for base game, given the fact that occults require certain packs.

    3.) The ability to customize scenarios (tweak existing ones or create our own).
    Most definitely, I could seen a haunted scenario where your sim moves into a seemingly empty house and have to deal with the ghost of a previous resident who also happens to be an annoying roommate, plus it's realistic since haunted houses are a real thing, Imagine if we had to deal with IRL classifications of ghosts in the Sims like Orbs (usually mistaken for specks of dust or tiny insects), Apparitions (the ones we currently have the Sims series), Poltergeists (Invisable but can interact with physical objects, really likes YEETing stuff and slamming doors) or shadow people (living shadows that aren't attached to anything).
  • temporalgodtemporalgod Posts: 800 Member
    edited November 2021
    Murder Mystery, would be popular, everyone loves those, and I think a scenario akin to Squid Game, it's very popular and alot of people try to recreate it in various games with mixed results, the Death Game genre had been around long before squid game's conception, Squid Game just popularized the Genre.
  • Lulu29Lulu29 Posts: 171 Member
    I've completed one scenario and it challenged me to play in a way that I normally don't, so I guess that's been one good thing about it. To be honest; I wasn't impressed with the rewards, I'm not sure what I was expecting but it was something else other than just lifestyle points or whatever they're called.
    Not sure if I'll be trying others in a hurry, I don't like the fact that I have to create new saves to play them and they can't be used on an existing one.
  • momelimberhammomelimberham Posts: 75 Member
    Rather than limited time scenarios, they should have a few that are IN-GAME limited time scenarios - what I mean is, the player can access the scenario whenever, but it has to be completed by a certain amount of in-game time.
    I love the idea of having certain scenarios trigger when certain in-game conditions are met.
    Certain scenarios that involve two sims with opposite traits (like one lazy and one active, or one neat and one slob) would be interesting. I could only think of one specifically that involves the "hates children" trait but I realized after a second that particular idea would definitely come across as problematic to some people.
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  • temporalgodtemporalgod Posts: 800 Member
    Rather than limited time scenarios, they should have a few that are IN-GAME limited time scenarios - what I mean is, the player can access the scenario whenever, but it has to be completed by a certain amount of in-game time.
    I love the idea of having certain scenarios trigger when certain in-game conditions are met.
    Certain scenarios that involve two sims with opposite traits (like one lazy and one active, or one neat and one slob) would be interesting. I could only think of one specifically that involves the "hates children" trait but I realized after a second that particular idea would definitely come across as problematic to some people.

    A Rival Sim could work, and I'll add onto it by adding a lose condition, like for instance a murder mystery scenario if you successfully figure out the culprit the culprit goes to jail but if you fail either your Sim or some innocent Sim NPC gets framed instead.
  • Lulu29Lulu29 Posts: 171 Member
    Rather than limited time scenarios, they should have a few that are IN-GAME limited time scenarios - what I mean is, the player can access the scenario whenever, but it has to be completed by a certain amount of in-game time.
    I love the idea of having certain scenarios trigger when certain in-game conditions are met.
    Certain scenarios that involve two sims with opposite traits (like one lazy and one active, or one neat and one slob) would be interesting. I could only think of one specifically that involves the "hates children" trait but I realized after a second that particular idea would definitely come across as problematic to some people.

    This is actually a pretty good idea. Despite telling myself that I wasn't going to set up another challenge, I started one this morning. Trying the toddler challenge as I'm completely by myself this weekend so have plenty of time to kill. It'll be interesting to see if the rewards are different for the different challenges. One thing I did notice starting a new save is that they seemed to have listened to people asking to be able to do the challenges in a current save rather than having to start a new one.
  • Mr_MuffinTopMr_MuffinTop Posts: 131 Member
    edited November 2021
    I tried the making money scenario. Its nice that it drops my $ to 0.

    To improve it I would add another layer to it. When clicking making money, the game should ask us: "how would you like to play "making money?"

    Standard: start with 0 money, or Customized: where we can click things like 1) lower income from jobs and sold items, 2) make it harder to get a promotion, 3) up the prices of things like food, build buy items and college, and ask if you'd like to start the game in debt so you can be broke and trying to get out of debt if you wanted to.

    Right now scenarios just feel like aspirations or a hear are some story lines to play when you get bored. I just wish it added some depth honestly.
  • VeeDubVeeDub Posts: 1,862 Member
    Scenarios aren't among my interests, so I have no feedback or suggestions about them per se. But I would like to suggest that the game's main menu be rearranged so that the Load Game button would be on the bottom again. I've already lost count of the times I've almost clicked on the Scenario button just from muscle-memory/habit. :lol: Presumably nothing bad would happen if I do accidentally click it, but it's very annoying all the same. Also, it just seems like it would be more intuitive for people who do use the feature if the New Scenario button had been positioned between the other two.
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  • Renato10Renato10 Posts: 472 Member
    edited November 2021
    I think scenarios was a waste of time and limited time events doesn't interest me at all (that's a thing for mobile/facebook games imo)
  • Crimson_Angel_41Crimson_Angel_41 Posts: 24 Member
    make them more difficult, they are to easy!
  • temporalgodtemporalgod Posts: 800 Member
    I tried the love one, I ended up drowning EX half way through, Not sure If I was supposed to murder that cheater but it felt so satisfying, Anyways I completed it by hooking up with Caleb in the end.
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