Yes, it does. When I play the sim I tell my own stories and they are located all over the world and not in america. This is why I like different worlds and cultures. This amercian highschool theme is very boring for me and I am not interested in creating stories about american highschools.
Even as a teenager I was never interested in proms or graduation.
I believe Discover University was worse for being made more "generic" and "neutral" than its predecessors. Britechester was based on a British university town, but that is where the similarities end. The way the "majors" (not courses), "dorms" (not halls of residence) are set up, is actually American.
Nor would I have expected them to create the British University experience, they are not familiar with the culture at all, nor do we have a genre of media that displays it like Americans do. But it just makes it all the more jarring that they decided to make it a British town - it's just so superficial.
What they seem to have done is strip out everything from the Sims 2 and 3 versions of university which they thought was overtly American (Greek houses, toga parties, counter culture) and replaced it with nothing, so to compensate, they made the academic side more tedious, not by making it more in depth, but by making the stuff we had to do before (classes, study, homework, coursework) more frequent and take longer.
They stripped the identity, the fun out of the previous university packs and instead focused on the weakest element, all to make it more "universal".
That is what I feel a lot of the comments complaining about the Americanness of the High School Pack want: strip back everything that is overtly American, and turn it into a bland, generic, tedious mess focused purely on the classes, because that is the only part of the secondary education system that is universal.
Doesn't bother me at all. My family moved to Europe before I was old enough to go to school, so I guess it could be interesting for me. And I don't really care about the theme. I can't really see the gameplay being wildly different if they had chosen UK or French schools as a theme. It's teens going to school.
It does’t bother me, but that may be because I’m Canadian and we also have prom, football, cheer leading, track, and various other sports teams and clubs.
As an American, our tv high schools are nothing like my high school or that of many of my friends, so even here it varies, I would love to get to see how school functions elsewhere!
It doesn't really matter to me. I knew if they did a high school pack, it would be built around the T.V. American High School Experience. You can probably download CC and re-work buildings if you wanted to represent European or Asian or Latin American or African high school instead. Heck, someone's probably already prepping for that.
I guess a little. I know they cannot cover everything, but some elements feel much more movie or internet borne than reality. That can be annoying. Plus, I'd prefer it be a little more customizable for other cultures, though maybe it will be.
Prime example, school uniforms. Neat little detail in Mt. Komorebi. I hope I can choose to make uniforms required. However, school uniforms are illegal in America. (Genuinely, they were used to deny access to students that could not afford them and were thusly banned in at least public schools.) I hope in my fantasy high school, because it is still a game, I can decide things like this.
American theme is what I wanted so I'm happy they went that way. I really only play my Sims that live in the American style worlds, so it works out perfectly for me
Sims 4 went from "You Rule" to "One of the stories we want you to tell"
I think it's in the nature of The Sims to be moderately American. There's no universal school culture, but the highschool culture I know from US media is familiar and satisfying to see in the game. I'm sure it'll give modders a platform to develop broader school tales.
I'm impressed by the amount of stuff in it, so I'll gladly take it as it is.
No, not really. While it does feel more like something you see on T.V.; I am an American and used to this and figured Sims 4 would go that route this time as it would be too hard to create many different experiences as each country will have their differences. If I have a sim in Mt. Komorebi, I would probably not have a football club and have them wear the uniforms to try and make the school fit and edit the school a bit if we can, etc....I don't think it would be too hard and not that difficult to do as it seems we can at least change the school if not create our own.
Yes, a little. I think the school systems that are the most romanticized are American, Japanese and British (boarding) schools. It would have been very cool to have had the option between those - or, and I think the Sims-team chose for this, to have one option that is really fleshed out.
I think an American experience was a good choice for the sake it being a more fleshed out (disney :P) experience and people grow/grew up watching Nickelodeon and stuff.
The universal tang (possibly)? There's the funfair?
It does bother me, because I find it unrelatable (as someone who doesn't feel very drawn or interested in the American way of life, especially when it comes to American education) and because it's also irrelevant to the stories I play with my Sims (because I don't play stories set in an American scenario)... but I understand the reasons why the devs opted for the American theme, because it's very iconic and well-known worldwide, and they have to focus on ideas that sell.
I would have personally much preferred a pack with three different options, where you have to choose whether your teen goes to the typical American style high-school (with a focus on the typical shenanigans of teen movies), a posh, British-type boarding school (with a focus on excellence, discipline, tradition), and a third option which could be something similar to the Swiss vocational training system (i.e. you learn an actual job), with a focus on acquiring skills, making things, and beginning a career. It would have been super fun to have different options, but I guess It would have been too complex to implement.
I'll still buy this pack, though. I always welcome new way to add new elements to my gameplay.
No, it doesn’t bother me. I may feel less connected with it, but it won’t take away from my enjoyment. It’s an American game so it’s natural most things will be based on USA. Frankly I think Sims 4 did (is doing) a great job of bringing many worlds inspired by other places and I don’t have a feeling of too much US.
I’m mostly focusing on gameplay and if this pack adds a lot of new activities that are not only restricted to teenagers (pillow fights or shaving, fun fair) I will be happy.
I’m not bothered at all. I don’t see my sims living in the real world, anyway. They don’t live in America, or Japan, or Europe, or anywhere else that’s real. They live in their own little sim world that has some lands that are inspired by real places, but aren’t meant to be accurate representations of them. My real life experience is nothing like theirs. There’s no immersion breaking, because there’s no sim world conflict between Sulani and Windenburg. Those places don’t exist anywhere other than Sim Nation. It would be weird for Island kids in the real world to attend an American style school, but who’s to say it’s not standard practice in Sim World?
If I anywhay wanted this theme, then totally I want American stereotypical style, seen enough movies and series , plus high school here is super boring
My love, my love, my fearless love, I will not say goodbye..
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
No, but disclaimer I am an American so potential bias. But I think as long as there is some room for some customization/changing/omitting certain things it shouldn't be too bad. A lot of the pack is designed specifically to sell the "Hollywood American HS experience" so while it's unavoidable to some extent, I figure folks either can choose not to get it if they don't want that or mod it to their hearts desire.
While I can understand why they didn't include it, I do wish they had bands. Or at least some expanded content for music. And other non-athletic activities.
Hopefully for future packs we can get some more non-American worlds (at the very least). Ill have to see more to fully judge it but it does look very typical to the usual US-y kind of worlds we often get (and have enough of).
I believe Discover University was worse for being made more "generic" and "neutral" than its predecessors. Britechester was based on a British university town, but that is where the similarities end. The way the "majors" (not courses), "dorms" (not halls of residence) are set up, is actually American.
Nor would I have expected them to create the British University experience, they are not familiar with the culture at all, nor do we have a genre of media that displays it like Americans do. But it just makes it all the more jarring that they decided to make it a British town - it's just so superficial.
What they seem to have done is strip out everything from the Sims 2 and 3 versions of university which they thought was overtly American (Greek houses, toga parties, counter culture) and replaced it with nothing, so to compensate, they made the academic side more tedious, not by making it more in depth, but by making the stuff we had to do before (classes, study, homework, coursework) more frequent and take longer.
They stripped the identity, the fun out of the previous university packs and instead focused on the weakest element, all to make it more "universal".
That is what I feel a lot of the comments complaining about the Americanness of the High School Pack want: strip back everything that is overtly American, and turn it into a bland, generic, tedious mess focused purely on the classes, because that is the only part of the secondary education system that is universal.
Who's worrying about all that ?
Look at world, the fake carnival (lol) still pretty! The cool looking clothes, the pillow fighting, hope the kids can do it to.
The new drinks and new way to purchase clothes. Etc... I'm just happy we received 3 new worlds in a roll.
As someone posted earlier ( @cyncie , was it?) my Sims don't live in any real part, or parts, of the world. They live in Simworld, where neighborhoods that resemble many different regions of the world are close together. That's part of what I enjoy about The Sims. Even if the High School world resembles the stereotypical American experience--some of which I experienced as an American teenager, some of which I did not--I have a feeling I can transform it into something else. I've been able to do that with the other worlds I've added to my game. A new lot here, a new outfit there...it's done.
I'm not interested in the pack myself, but yes the overtly Americanised nature of it does still bother me a little. Sims players are a world wide community spanning many different countries, cultures, ages, etc, and having something that seems this obviously American, to me at least, just feels a little limiting to the many, many players for whom the American experience of Highschool is about as alien an experience as landing on Sixam. The Sims 4 has always felt very American leaning to me, even in packs where the world is supposed to be elsewhere it still feels like a bunch of American tourists just landed somewhere and built their idea of a different culture's world. The thing is I can still work around that myself, I can make a few changes here and there, bit of work in CAS, some redecorating, etc, but the Highschool pack is the first I've seen that feels like it should have a flashing neon sign and a giant loud speaker system hovering above it, blaring out how obviously American the pack is.
Occult Simmer (All Occult All The Time)
Female Simmer from Australia (she/her)
I had one of my Sims marry the Grim Reaper & now they have a lot of kids.
Not really. I actually wish our school system would take a few things from the american. I would have loved it if we had clubs, for example. When i was younger watching those american movies set in high school, i enjoyed watching the varied activities and classes. I think having similar stuff might enhance the school experience for kids here. however, i would still like to have the option of modifying some areas of this pack, like implementing a uniform, they are mandatory in schools here and i dont mind them.
Comments
Even as a teenager I was never interested in proms or graduation.
Nor would I have expected them to create the British University experience, they are not familiar with the culture at all, nor do we have a genre of media that displays it like Americans do. But it just makes it all the more jarring that they decided to make it a British town - it's just so superficial.
What they seem to have done is strip out everything from the Sims 2 and 3 versions of university which they thought was overtly American (Greek houses, toga parties, counter culture) and replaced it with nothing, so to compensate, they made the academic side more tedious, not by making it more in depth, but by making the stuff we had to do before (classes, study, homework, coursework) more frequent and take longer.
They stripped the identity, the fun out of the previous university packs and instead focused on the weakest element, all to make it more "universal".
That is what I feel a lot of the comments complaining about the Americanness of the High School Pack want: strip back everything that is overtly American, and turn it into a bland, generic, tedious mess focused purely on the classes, because that is the only part of the secondary education system that is universal.
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/956513/netz-a-porter-outfits-ready-to-wear-for-your-sims-no-cc-required
Twitter: NetzspannungTS
we all try ...
Prime example, school uniforms. Neat little detail in Mt. Komorebi. I hope I can choose to make uniforms required. However, school uniforms are illegal in America. (Genuinely, they were used to deny access to students that could not afford them and were thusly banned in at least public schools.) I hope in my fantasy high school, because it is still a game, I can decide things like this.
I'm impressed by the amount of stuff in it, so I'll gladly take it as it is.
Lets make this a reality!
I think an American experience was a good choice for the sake it being a more fleshed out (disney :P) experience and people grow/grew up watching Nickelodeon and stuff.
The universal tang (possibly)? There's the funfair?
I would have personally much preferred a pack with three different options, where you have to choose whether your teen goes to the typical American style high-school (with a focus on the typical shenanigans of teen movies), a posh, British-type boarding school (with a focus on excellence, discipline, tradition), and a third option which could be something similar to the Swiss vocational training system (i.e. you learn an actual job), with a focus on acquiring skills, making things, and beginning a career. It would have been super fun to have different options, but I guess It would have been too complex to implement.
I'll still buy this pack, though. I always welcome new way to add new elements to my gameplay.
I’m mostly focusing on gameplay and if this pack adds a lot of new activities that are not only restricted to teenagers (pillow fights or shaving, fun fair) I will be happy.
Tales From The Myst
The Blue Moon Jukebox
If I anywhay wanted this theme, then totally I want American stereotypical style, seen enough movies and series , plus high school here is super boring
Sea may rise, sky may fall, My love will never die..
My heart, my heart, My drowning heart, Oh all the tears I've cried
Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
While I can understand why they didn't include it, I do wish they had bands. Or at least some expanded content for music. And other non-athletic activities.
Hopefully for future packs we can get some more non-American worlds (at the very least). Ill have to see more to fully judge it but it does look very typical to the usual US-y kind of worlds we often get (and have enough of).
Oh gosh thank you for this it's so accurate👁👄👁
Look at world, the fake carnival (lol) still pretty! The cool looking clothes, the pillow fighting, hope the kids can do it to.
The new drinks and new way to purchase clothes. Etc... I'm just happy we received 3 new worlds in a roll.
Exie hay, cavero, mabza meeah vendarzo.
Yevsas mairzeemo!
Female Simmer from Australia (she/her)
I had one of my Sims marry the Grim Reaper & now they have a lot of kids.