I remember people complaining about a bunch of different things. Me personally I was really happy because there were things in TS3 that I was really hoping that they would eventually add. Before TS3 came out, I played mostly with one household, and not rotational. I remember I sent my sim off to college, and she graduated, got married, had children, and grandchildren, and eventually passed away, mean while all her college buddies were still in school and very young. I had mixed feeling about the whole rabbit hole, being it was pretty cool that I was not stuck at the house while my sim went to work, but I wasn't crazy about when my sim went into a restaurant, and I couldn't go with them. I loved how I could take my sim out, and I could watch them go where ever they went. One of my first sims, I had jogging all over town, and another, I had her searching for all the collectibles. And one of the biggest things I loved was how the whole aging process went for everyone. No more did my sim grow old with out her friends aging right along with her. Those were my thoughts back then, and still haven't changed much.
I just do not understand why some posters slam Sims 3 because of the rabbit holes. Yes there were rabbit holes for the careers and stuff but so what! What's the difference between going into a rabbit hole and going poof off the screen? At least my town has a building where my sim works that he drives to with the carpool and my town looks like a town not a street corner. In Sims 2 I remember one career where my sim was picked up in a helicopter. At least sims 2 had cars. But Sims 4, no cars just disappear to work. No proper town, just Truman Show fake backdrops.
I just do not understand why some posters slam Sims 3 because of the rabbit holes. Yes there were rabbit holes for the careers and stuff but so what! What's the difference between going into a rabbit hole and going poof off the screen? At least my town has a building where my sim works that he drives to with the carpool and my town looks like a town not a street corner. In Sims 2 I remember one career where my sim was picked up in a helicopter. At least sims 2 had cars. But Sims 4, no cars just disappear to work. No proper town, just Truman Show fake backdrops.
This really bothers me about TS4. The backdrops are so terrible. It looks so fake and Truman Show. I wish they atleast didn't allow us to see whats outside the backdrops. If you look at it youll see how cheap it really is. A flat 2D mesh.
I also agree with the rabbitshole. They were a good idea especially for works places. I agree with LaBlue about restaurants. Thats really the only thing that bothered me about rabbitholes. I suppose seeing the Sims go to the movies would be fun. Prehaps seeing them pay for tickets, getting popcorn/snacks, and drinks then disappear into the dark auditorium to watch the movie would be nice.
PLEASE FIX TEENS IN TS4! I NEED YOUNGER TEENS NOT YA TEENS! (^_^)Please add Music Bands with lead singers! Please add vehicles and garages! Vehicles have always been part of The Sims.
I just do not understand why some posters slam Sims 3 because of the rabbit holes. Yes there were rabbit holes for the careers and stuff but so what! What's the difference between going into a rabbit hole and going poof off the screen? At least my town has a building where my sim works that he drives to with the carpool and my town looks like a town not a street corner. In Sims 2 I remember one career where my sim was picked up in a helicopter. At least sims 2 had cars. But Sims 4, no cars just disappear to work. No proper town, just Truman Show fake backdrops.
@nickibitsward I agree with you about what's better. I think, though, that people who were complaining about rabbit holes weren't so much talking about those for careers but for other things like restaurants and grocery stores, etc. There was some rather rich out-about-town kind of content in Sims 2 by the time it was complete, and it was rather a shock to scale back to sims not having much to do when they went out other than grill, play chess and fish, as it were. The game didn't stay that way, of course, and even in the beginning, there were things to do if you learned to think of the game in a new way. I didn't have any problem adjusting. At least my sims had time and energy to go out in Sims 3. Whereas, in Sims 2 it was always a struggle and a lot of time not worth the effort (and loading screen) to leave the house.
Well I can attest to 31 of us in my family alone pre-ordered and bought the Sims 4 base game, as well as the OR GP - now only 1 of the 31 still plays the Sims 4 at least a couple times a week - and that 1 is not me. I am mostly back playing Sims 3 - in fact testing a Sims 3 world re-do for my friend Rflong this week even - but was already playing a Sims 3 legacy game regularly for months now. So just in my real life family 31 bought the base, the gp - then about half of us bought the first ep and a stuff pack or two - but by the time the second ep was announced there was only 2 of us bothering with Sims 4 at all - one was me and it was very scattered when I did play Sims 4. Also the 1 still playing weekly said just this week if they don't get toddlers in this next ep - she is also giving up Sims 4 - so that makes 31 in just my family sick of all this they call Sims 4 - who were part of that 5 million and no longer plan to be - but we still love the Sims so we play Sims 2 or Sims 3.
@Writin_Reg Wow, 31 simmers in one family is a LOT! You must have a fun family. It's really nice to hear you and RFlong are busy with a re-do.
I just do not understand why some posters slam Sims 3 because of the rabbit holes. Yes there were rabbit holes for the careers and stuff but so what! What's the difference between going into a rabbit hole and going poof off the screen? At least my town has a building where my sim works that he drives to with the carpool and my town looks like a town not a street corner. In Sims 2 I remember one career where my sim was picked up in a helicopter. At least sims 2 had cars. But Sims 4, no cars just disappear to work. No proper town, just Truman Show fake backdrops.
@nickibitsward I agree with you about what's better. I think, though, that people who were complaining about rabbit holes weren't so much talking about those for careers but for other things like restaurants and grocery stores, etc. There was some rather rich out-about-town kind of content in Sims 2 by the time it was complete, and it was rather a shock to scale back to sims not having much to do when they went out other than grill, play chess and fish, as it were. The game didn't stay that way, of course, and even in the beginning, there were things to do if you learned to think of the game in a new way. I didn't have any problem adjusting. At least my sims had time and energy to go out in Sims 3. Whereas, in Sims 2 it was always a struggle and a lot of time not worth the effort (and loading screen) to leave the house.
Well I can attest to 31 of us in my family alone pre-ordered and bought the Sims 4 base game, as well as the OR GP - now only 1 of the 31 still plays the Sims 4 at least a couple times a week - and that 1 is not me. I am mostly back playing Sims 3 - in fact testing a Sims 3 world re-do for my friend Rflong this week even - but was already playing a Sims 3 legacy game regularly for months now. So just in my real life family 31 bought the base, the gp - then about half of us bought the first ep and a stuff pack or two - but by the time the second ep was announced there was only 2 of us bothering with Sims 4 at all - one was me and it was very scattered when I did play Sims 4. Also the 1 still playing weekly said just this week if they don't get toddlers in this next ep - she is also giving up Sims 4 - so that makes 31 in just my family sick of all this they call Sims 4 - who were part of that 5 million and no longer plan to be - but we still love the Sims so we play Sims 2 or Sims 3.
@Writin_Reg Wow, 31 simmers in one family is a LOT! You must have a fun family. It's really nice to hear you and RFlong are busy with a re-do.
@suzses I forgot about gorcery stores in TS2. Yes I miss that. I know it is possible now to have some kind store in TS3 tho. I wish we couldve had shopping carts. TS4 don't even have shopping bags or a cash register.
PLEASE FIX TEENS IN TS4! I NEED YOUNGER TEENS NOT YA TEENS! (^_^)Please add Music Bands with lead singers! Please add vehicles and garages! Vehicles have always been part of The Sims.
I didn't really go on the forums much in the old days but I used the Exchange a lot. My biggest complaint, at the time, was when the new EP's were released, you couldn't just plug in the install code and go. I had to come to the forums where EA had listed the exact steps that had to be taken to get everything working. It got better after a while but those first few EP's borked up my game every time I tried to install one and there was a lot of jumping through hoops to get everything right.
I just do not understand why some posters slam Sims 3 because of the rabbit holes. Yes there were rabbit holes for the careers and stuff but so what! What's the difference between going into a rabbit hole and going poof off the screen? At least my town has a building where my sim works that he drives to with the carpool and my town looks like a town not a street corner. In Sims 2 I remember one career where my sim was picked up in a helicopter. At least sims 2 had cars. But Sims 4, no cars just disappear to work. No proper town, just Truman Show fake backdrops.
This really bothers me about TS4. The backdrops are so terrible. It looks so fake and Truman Show. I wish they atleast didn't allow us to see whats outside the backdrops. If you look at it youll see how cheap it really is. A flat 2D mesh.
I also agree with the rabbitshole. They were a good idea especially for works places. I agree with LaBlue about restaurants. Thats really the only thing that bothered me about rabbitholes. I suppose seeing the Sims go to the movies would be fun. Prehaps seeing them pay for tickets, getting popcorn/snacks, and drinks then disappear into the dark auditorium to watch the movie would be nice.
The Sims 3 store did release a movie theatre at one point, can't remember what it was called. Didn't Sims 4 did some kind of outside tv? Sims 2 I loved the restaurants and running a business, which you couldn't do in 3 and I don't think you can do properly in 4. I only have the base game for 4 whereas I have everything released for 1, 2 and 3.
Believe it or not, I have actually read where some people even disliked the career Rabbit Holes, and I am not joking. 'Such a waste of time'. 'So much better to just have the sims disappear off the lot'.
In any case I do agree that I think a lot of people complained about restaurants being RH's and the lack of shopping other than in RH's. That was a big loss. But I never had a problem with the career RH's and liked that they filled out the town. I always said that what I really wanted though was something like the lot markers from Buydebug that would allow you to place those silver balls in any custom building and designate it as a RH (sort of like how the RH rugs and doors function). That would have been amazing, all the customization possibilities that would bring (not to mention smaller lots than those huge EA RHs!).
The Sims
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
I was one that didn't like rabbit hole stores. I preferred my sim to go shop for clothes & food as they could afford it. Careers no biggie as i usually played a family so it was handy having one or two members "taken care of" for a few hours. Sims2 was better with running a business as a family in my opinion anyways. I agree not as "vocal" over the changes from two to three however there are a lot of missing threads from the old forum. They do not go right back to the beginning. Seems you have to be really really bad now to get your thread removed. LOL Anyways i like all the series. But 2 has my heart and 3 has my horses. :-) 4 i am on a hold from purchasing anything new as I just don't have enough time to play them all. And that includes the Original Sims which i still play.
"Every child matters. If we fail our children, we are bound to fail our present, our future, faith, cultures, and civilizations as well."
Since the original thread has been necro'd for two pages, I'll toss in my two cents based upon over thirty years of experience with the general question. For the record, I bought my first PC in 1978 and had to write my first game myself (ASCII graphics in BASIC), so it's been a long journey. I've never played TS or TS2, so TS3 is my first exposure to the franchise (a couple of unnamed Sims knock-offs, synonymous with "not in a long-term relationship," excluded).
Sequels are problematic. No matter what a developer does, they lose part of the intended audience. Long-time players of the original(s) will find something in the new iteration that is not to their liking and harp on it, ad nauseam (mea culpa - done that). And heaven forbid that someone says they like something in the new iteration; it's time to break out the torches and pitchforks. Players new to the franchise don't see what all of the whoopdedoo is all about and break out the torches and pitchforks when someone criticizes the new iteration. Pick your poison: Elder Scrolls, Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Splinter Cell, Fallout, Witcher, Deus Ex, Assassin's Creed, ... it's the same on every official forum and most of the unofficial ones, too. Insert the Rodney King "why can't we all just get along?" sound bite here.
That being said, I understand the ire generated by TS4. For those who like the game, more power to you, I'm glad you like it, and I hope your cost-per-hour-of-entertainment ratio drops to fractions of a cent (it won't, because EA). For those who don't like TS4, more power to you, I'm happy that you enjoy the predecessor, and I hope your cost-per-hour-of-entertainment ratio remains in the fractions of a cent. We shan't mention that this ratio is subject to change thanks to premium content or that I'm lusting after a few new premium worlds to complete my collection (EA set the hook, they're reeling me in, and I'm not putting up much of a fight about it), so the cost side of the ratio is about to increase significantly.
But what I would like to point out and commend is the absolutely marvelous community that has sprung up around TS3. Whether you were here at the beginning, were a late-comer to the franchise (I admit it - I picked it up on a Steam Summer Sale a few years ago, and @igazor is still patiently waiting on my "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" essay - it's written and you'll get it when I'm satisfied with it), or just got around to picking up the game this morning, you've got a fantastic bunch of folks here. Flaming is minimal, help and humor are maximal, and it just doesn't get much better than this. Enjoy what you've built and (necro'ing aside) I look forward to the future. Cheers!
But what I would like to point out and commend is the absolutely marvelous community that has sprung up around TS3. Whether you were here at the beginning, were a late-comer to the franchise (I admit it - I picked it up on a Steam Summer Sale a few years ago, and @igazor is still patiently waiting on my "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" essay - it's written and you'll get it when I'm satisfied with it), or just got around to picking up the game this morning, you've got a fantastic bunch of folks here.
This observation isn't entirely on-topic, but let me tell you all something about this fantastic bunch of folks here. I do agree wholeheartedly now, and one of the reasons I still hang around here is that it's downright fun to do so, but it wasn't always this way. We are the cream of a once rancid crop. We're the ones left (plus the boatloads of friendly newcomers of course) after the TS4-only crowd, the ones not really interested in discussing both games at the same time, got separated into their own set of message boards shortly before the TS4 base game release.
Before the forum split, and before anyone really had a chance to be properly impressed or disappointed by the new product release, this place was downright toxic. I was pretty much a newcomer here myself two years ago and quite frequently when I offered gameplay or technical advice, recommended some mods, or gently corrected some incorrect statements about NRaas, I was basically told that I didn't know what I was talking about. Quite a few players didn't even want to see mods discussed here as viable options, holdovers I believe from back when they weren't allowed to be discussed here at all years ago. Twice I was accused of being a spammer for recommending some item or other from MTS from players who didn't know the difference between a file download link and a rogue advertisement. I think my favorite responses were from those who insisted that I didn't know how Macs worked and assumed I was Mac-bashing for explaining TS3 for Mac's programmatic shortcomings, followed closely by those who kept saying (incorrectly) that NRaas had shut down or stopped providing mod updates upon Twallan's retirement earlier that year and that our own message boards either do not exist or aren't worth the trouble to use.
My colleagues got similar treatment or worse here prior to that and had mostly left in disgust by then, though a couple of them do still show up occasionally. To be fair, it did take me a few months before I realized that very few were associating us with NRaas at all and that a logo in the signature line might help. By that time, though, this new forum and its TS4 sections were already in place and much of the unpleasantness just seemed to wander over there where I still out of habit have little interest in showing up unless asked.
If there is a point to my long-winded (sorry!) dissertation here, it would be that my sense is the ones who participate on the TS3 boards and the other remaining online TS3 communities elsewhere are largely those of us who still see the potential in TS3 to be a fun and satisfying hobby. Many of those who use message boards to vent and bitterly complain about just about anything have found more receptive audiences in the often noisier boards such as those just down the hall from here. I suspect the same or similar may have happened even if TS4 had spoken to more of us as a viable path to whatever it is we are hoping to achieve as either frequent or merely occasional players.
I don't remember TS3 section being so Toxic 2 years ago. TS4 section was toxic when it first open and still is....
You might have run across a few new or diehard no CC/Mods people to have said such things but being called Toxic, not the GD TS3 section. Sometimes a little rowdy, sometimes a little OT, and Trollish but not so toxic- from what I remember. I was one who was called many names when TS3 forum opened- and they weren't nice. I saw many members banned and return and return and return but so ordinary this site was.
*Not saying names aren't called- I remember those posts and the transition to the new NRass team.
@Rflong7 - On and off trollish I understand, that's different. Maybe toxic was much too strong a word for me to have used, but welcoming with open arms didn't really come to mind either. Though the Tech Discussions sections were always much friendlier, most players don't hang out there chatting once their issues are resolved unless they want to talk about tech.
My observations are admittedly somewhat out of context because I wasn't here or even a TS3 player in the beginning, which is why I called my post kind of "off-topic." I don't have the same basis of comparison that other, more longtime forum denizens do.
@Rflong7 - On and off trollish I understand, that's different. Maybe toxic was much too strong a word for me to have used, but welcoming with open arms didn't really come to mind either. Though the Tech Discussions sections were always much friendlier, most players don't hang out there chatting once their issues are resolved unless they want to talk about tech.
My observations are admittedly somewhat out of context because I wasn't here or even a TS3 player in the beginning, which is why I called my post kind of "off-topic." I don't have the same basis of comparison that other, more longtime forum denizens do.
Sorry, I know it was hard for you all here with the transition of NRaas... there wasn't too much support here but there were many who were so happy you all took up the reins. I know I was.
@Rflong7 - On and off trollish I understand, that's different. Maybe toxic was much too strong a word for me to have used, but welcoming with open arms didn't really come to mind either. Though the Tech Discussions sections were always much friendlier, most players don't hang out there chatting once their issues are resolved unless they want to talk about tech.
My observations are admittedly somewhat out of context because I wasn't here or even a TS3 player in the beginning, which is why I called my post kind of "off-topic." I don't have the same basis of comparison that other, more longtime forum denizens do.
Igazor - I don't use mods myself or CC - but I have great respect for people like you and Twallan that make the mods - that's for sure. I have my own reasons not to use them seeing I try help with testing user made content - especially worlds and some mods are just so good they can hide issues creators need to know about so they can fix these things in their creations before posting them. So I found it easier just to not use the mods and even learned to fix or troubleshoot a lot of issue myself in my own game when I was just playing and not testing.
But not everyone who does not use mods and CC feels negative toward you modders - and sometimes we do have good reasons not to use your mods as i said they are often so good at what they do - we can miss issues while testing. Also I have tested packs for EA as well too - and EA does not want us using any CC or mods when testing.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
@Writin_Reg - Testing scenarios are very different; I call those my laboratories. But I can't imagine playing and enjoying a very long ongoing, multi-generational game, just for the sake of playing, not constantly testing new content, without certain mods as things just seem to implode too easily after a while. Understand that not everyone feels that way and I've always tried to offer with-mod and without-mod answers to in game issues whenever possible, as do many others here.
There's a huge difference between choosing not to use mods for whatever reason, using the forums as a path to find solutions to game issues with or without them...and being told to get lost. Or being pulled into a PM session where I thought I was going to be helpful to someone, only to be treated to a misguided lecture about how mods destroy computers or something like that. I know not everyone feels that way and these things never happened every single day, but they did happen.
I was with The Sims 3 at the beginning but the last EP I bought (originally) was Supernatural (and I had skipped both Pets and Showtime) but I had largely stopped playing some time after Generations; not because of game dissatisfaction but simply because other things came up in both gaming and Real Life(TM). I've only gotten back into the game in the last couple of months.
I played the TS1 heavily but never played TS2. The Sims 2 had the misfortune of coming out during the year that I started playing MMO's - the first being City of Heroes which I bought the day it came out (despite not having a computer that could that could play it) and played it religiously until it was shut down in 2012. TS2 was the unfortunate casualty of that interest.
The things that I remember annoying me early on were: Sims families moving out of town even when I was in a romantic relationship with one of them (which wasn't supposed to happen but it did), having to jump through a lot of hoops every time a new EP came out (I don't recall what the problem actually was with that but every new EP borked everything up and it was a major hassle to get everything working again), and I was always a bit disappointed (especially after WA) that towns often felt like ghost towns. I would send my Sim jogging and never once run into another Sim. I kept expecting to see tumbleweeds blow through the Forbidden City in China. They just didn't feel very "alive" to me.
@Writin_Reg - Testing scenarios are very different; I call those my laboratories. But I can't imagine playing and enjoying a very long ongoing, multi-generational game, just for the sake of playing, not constantly testing new content, without certain mods as things just seem to implode too easily after a while. Understand that not everyone feels that way and I've always tried to offer with-mod and without-mod answers to in game issues whenever possible, as do many others here.
There's a huge difference between choosing not to use mods for whatever reason, using the forums as a path to find solutions to game issues with or without them...and being told to get lost. Or being pulled into a PM session where I thought I was going to be helpful to someone, only to be treated to a misguided lecture about how mods destroy computers or something like that. I know not everyone feels that way and these things never happened every single day, but they did happen.
Believe me - I am sorry you went through all that - seeing I followed Twallan and did stay abreast of his mods and such - and saw the outright fear in some simmers thinking their games were good as gone once Twallan announced he was leaving - then you/ and the team showed up and more or less saved the day for many a simmer. I really think all the modders and creators do amazing work - and this series of the Sims would have fell a long time ago had it not been for all of you. Creators like Rflong also - do amazing work and make so many happy - and I will never understand anyone being anything but grateful for all of you talented people. I am sure more of us feel like that than sadly the ones you have encountered. Many people are grateful, so focus on those instead.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
Comments
As for rabbit holes:
I just do not understand why some posters slam Sims 3 because of the rabbit holes. Yes there were rabbit holes for the careers and stuff but so what! What's the difference between going into a rabbit hole and going poof off the screen? At least my town has a building where my sim works that he drives to with the carpool and my town looks like a town not a street corner. In Sims 2 I remember one career where my sim was picked up in a helicopter. At least sims 2 had cars. But Sims 4, no cars just disappear to work. No proper town, just Truman Show fake backdrops.
This really bothers me about TS4. The backdrops are so terrible.
I also agree with the rabbitshole. They were a good idea especially for works places. I agree with LaBlue about restaurants. Thats really the only thing that bothered me about rabbitholes. I suppose seeing the Sims go to the movies would be fun. Prehaps seeing them pay for tickets, getting popcorn/snacks, and drinks then disappear into the dark auditorium to watch the movie would be nice.
@nickibitsward I agree with you about what's better. I think, though, that people who were complaining about rabbit holes weren't so much talking about those for careers but for other things like restaurants and grocery stores, etc. There was some rather rich out-about-town kind of content in Sims 2 by the time it was complete, and it was rather a shock to scale back to sims not having much to do when they went out other than grill, play chess and fish, as it were. The game didn't stay that way, of course, and even in the beginning, there were things to do if you learned to think of the game in a new way. I didn't have any problem adjusting. At least my sims had time and energy to go out in Sims 3. Whereas, in Sims 2 it was always a struggle and a lot of time not worth the effort (and loading screen) to leave the house.
@Writin_Reg Wow, 31 simmers in one family is a LOT! You must have a fun family. It's really nice to hear you and RFlong are busy with a re-do.
My Sims 3 Studio
My forum builds thread
@suzses I forgot about gorcery stores in TS2.
The Sims 3 store did release a movie theatre at one point, can't remember what it was called. Didn't Sims 4 did some kind of outside tv? Sims 2 I loved the restaurants and running a business, which you couldn't do in 3 and I don't think you can do properly in 4. I only have the base game for 4 whereas I have everything released for 1, 2 and 3.
In any case I do agree that I think a lot of people complained about restaurants being RH's and the lack of shopping other than in RH's. That was a big loss. But I never had a problem with the career RH's and liked that they filled out the town. I always said that what I really wanted though was something like the lot markers from Buydebug that would allow you to place those silver balls in any custom building and designate it as a RH (sort of like how the RH rugs and doors function). That would have been amazing, all the customization possibilities that would bring (not to mention smaller lots than those huge EA RHs!).
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
Sequels are problematic. No matter what a developer does, they lose part of the intended audience. Long-time players of the original(s) will find something in the new iteration that is not to their liking and harp on it, ad nauseam (mea culpa - done that). And heaven forbid that someone says they like something in the new iteration; it's time to break out the torches and pitchforks. Players new to the franchise don't see what all of the whoopdedoo is all about and break out the torches and pitchforks when someone criticizes the new iteration. Pick your poison: Elder Scrolls, Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Splinter Cell, Fallout, Witcher, Deus Ex, Assassin's Creed, ... it's the same on every official forum and most of the unofficial ones, too. Insert the Rodney King "why can't we all just get along?" sound bite here.
That being said, I understand the ire generated by TS4. For those who like the game, more power to you, I'm glad you like it, and I hope your cost-per-hour-of-entertainment ratio drops to fractions of a cent (it won't, because EA). For those who don't like TS4, more power to you, I'm happy that you enjoy the predecessor, and I hope your cost-per-hour-of-entertainment ratio remains in the fractions of a cent. We shan't mention that this ratio is subject to change thanks to premium content or that I'm lusting after a few new premium worlds to complete my collection (EA set the hook, they're reeling me in, and I'm not putting up much of a fight about it), so the cost side of the ratio is about to increase significantly.
But what I would like to point out and commend is the absolutely marvelous community that has sprung up around TS3. Whether you were here at the beginning, were a late-comer to the franchise (I admit it - I picked it up on a Steam Summer Sale a few years ago, and @igazor is still patiently waiting on my "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" essay - it's written and you'll get it when I'm satisfied with it), or just got around to picking up the game this morning, you've got a fantastic bunch of folks here. Flaming is minimal, help and humor are maximal, and it just doesn't get much better than this. Enjoy what you've built and (necro'ing aside) I look forward to the future. Cheers!
This observation isn't entirely on-topic, but let me tell you all something about this fantastic bunch of folks here. I do agree wholeheartedly now, and one of the reasons I still hang around here is that it's downright fun to do so, but it wasn't always this way. We are the cream of a once rancid crop. We're the ones left (plus the boatloads of friendly newcomers of course) after the TS4-only crowd, the ones not really interested in discussing both games at the same time, got separated into their own set of message boards shortly before the TS4 base game release.
Before the forum split, and before anyone really had a chance to be properly impressed or disappointed by the new product release, this place was downright toxic. I was pretty much a newcomer here myself two years ago and quite frequently when I offered gameplay or technical advice, recommended some mods, or gently corrected some incorrect statements about NRaas, I was basically told that I didn't know what I was talking about. Quite a few players didn't even want to see mods discussed here as viable options, holdovers I believe from back when they weren't allowed to be discussed here at all years ago. Twice I was accused of being a spammer for recommending some item or other from MTS from players who didn't know the difference between a file download link and a rogue advertisement. I think my favorite responses were from those who insisted that I didn't know how Macs worked and assumed I was Mac-bashing for explaining TS3 for Mac's programmatic shortcomings, followed closely by those who kept saying (incorrectly) that NRaas had shut down or stopped providing mod updates upon Twallan's retirement earlier that year and that our own message boards either do not exist or aren't worth the trouble to use.
My colleagues got similar treatment or worse here prior to that and had mostly left in disgust by then, though a couple of them do still show up occasionally. To be fair, it did take me a few months before I realized that very few were associating us with NRaas at all and that a logo in the signature line might help. By that time, though, this new forum and its TS4 sections were already in place and much of the unpleasantness just seemed to wander over there where I still out of habit have little interest in showing up unless asked.
If there is a point to my long-winded (sorry!) dissertation here, it would be that my sense is the ones who participate on the TS3 boards and the other remaining online TS3 communities elsewhere are largely those of us who still see the potential in TS3 to be a fun and satisfying hobby. Many of those who use message boards to vent and bitterly complain about just about anything have found more receptive audiences in the often noisier boards such as those just down the hall from here. I suspect the same or similar may have happened even if TS4 had spoken to more of us as a viable path to whatever it is we are hoping to achieve as either frequent or merely occasional players.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
You might have run across a few new or diehard no CC/Mods people to have said such things but being called Toxic, not the GD TS3 section. Sometimes a little rowdy, sometimes a little OT, and Trollish but not so toxic- from what I remember. I was one who was called many names when TS3 forum opened- and they weren't nice. I saw many members banned and return and return and return but so ordinary this site was.
*Not saying names aren't called- I remember those posts and the transition to the new NRass team.
My observations are admittedly somewhat out of context because I wasn't here or even a TS3 player in the beginning, which is why I called my post kind of "off-topic." I don't have the same basis of comparison that other, more longtime forum denizens do.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
Sorry, I know it was hard for you all here with the transition of NRaas... there wasn't too much support here but there were many who were so happy you all took up the reins. I know I was.
Igazor - I don't use mods myself or CC - but I have great respect for people like you and Twallan that make the mods - that's for sure. I have my own reasons not to use them seeing I try help with testing user made content - especially worlds and some mods are just so good they can hide issues creators need to know about so they can fix these things in their creations before posting them. So I found it easier just to not use the mods and even learned to fix or troubleshoot a lot of issue myself in my own game when I was just playing and not testing.
But not everyone who does not use mods and CC feels negative toward you modders - and sometimes we do have good reasons not to use your mods as i said they are often so good at what they do - we can miss issues while testing. Also I have tested packs for EA as well too - and EA does not want us using any CC or mods when testing.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....
There's a huge difference between choosing not to use mods for whatever reason, using the forums as a path to find solutions to game issues with or without them...and being told to get lost. Or being pulled into a PM session where I thought I was going to be helpful to someone, only to be treated to a misguided lecture about how mods destroy computers or something like that. I know not everyone feels that way and these things never happened every single day, but they did happen.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
I played the TS1 heavily but never played TS2. The Sims 2 had the misfortune of coming out during the year that I started playing MMO's - the first being City of Heroes which I bought the day it came out (despite not having a computer that could that could play it) and played it religiously until it was shut down in 2012. TS2 was the unfortunate casualty of that interest.
The things that I remember annoying me early on were: Sims families moving out of town even when I was in a romantic relationship with one of them (which wasn't supposed to happen but it did), having to jump through a lot of hoops every time a new EP came out (I don't recall what the problem actually was with that but every new EP borked everything up and it was a major hassle to get everything working again), and I was always a bit disappointed (especially after WA) that towns often felt like ghost towns. I would send my Sim jogging and never once run into another Sim. I kept expecting to see tumbleweeds blow through the Forbidden City in China. They just didn't feel very "alive" to me.
Believe me - I am sorry you went through all that - seeing I followed Twallan and did stay abreast of his mods and such - and saw the outright fear in some simmers thinking their games were good as gone once Twallan announced he was leaving - then you/ and the team showed up and more or less saved the day for many a simmer. I really think all the modders and creators do amazing work - and this series of the Sims would have fell a long time ago had it not been for all of you. Creators like Rflong also - do amazing work and make so many happy - and I will never understand anyone being anything but grateful for all of you talented people. I am sure more of us feel like that than sadly the ones you have encountered. Many people are grateful, so focus on those instead.
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
In dreams - I LIVE!
In REALITY, I simply exist.....