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Is the Sims 4 criticism justified?
AlexSimmerman
Posts: 80 Member
For me, it definitely is but I feel like we need to be constructive about our feedback and not be aggressive towards each other or the SimGuru’s.
Whether you like TS4 or not, we definitely get less value for our money than in previous iterations. It’s a fact. We get less content now in packs and the base game, than we ever have done.
The gameplay is deeply shallow in TS4, I feel like whatever pack they add, won’t make a difference cause the fundamental core/ engine of the Sims 4 design is flawed.
It’s visually a huge step up in the art style and the graphics but apart from that, the gameplay is sorely lacking for me. The build and buy mice is also the best it’s been but The Sims is supposed to be a LIFE SIMULATION game and as well as the chronic lack of depth, we’re also missing representation and key ‘family, everyday, realism gameplay’ to warrant it holding that title.
Whether you like TS4 or not, we definitely get less value for our money than in previous iterations. It’s a fact. We get less content now in packs and the base game, than we ever have done.
The gameplay is deeply shallow in TS4, I feel like whatever pack they add, won’t make a difference cause the fundamental core/ engine of the Sims 4 design is flawed.
It’s visually a huge step up in the art style and the graphics but apart from that, the gameplay is sorely lacking for me. The build and buy mice is also the best it’s been but The Sims is supposed to be a LIFE SIMULATION game and as well as the chronic lack of depth, we’re also missing representation and key ‘family, everyday, realism gameplay’ to warrant it holding that title.
Post edited by EA_Rtas on
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Comments
I will say I agree that it does need to be constructive and not aggressive which luckily it doesn’t seem to be often on the forums. I think the discussion here is usually civil.
However I also feel like we’ve never truly had the perfect sim game either and they all deserve some criticism. Sims 2 was the closest in my mind but even it had some issues and things I really didn’t like about it.
Criticism is only to make things better though. We all want sims and sims 4 to be the best it can be and a lot of times we know they can do better.
Now, I can play the game fine, as far as careers, friends, etc. but I only play with a single sim. The thing that is lacking is the soul. My sim will die lonely because for the life of me, the romance part....is lacking. No attraction system at all. They need life breathed into them.
That is where mods come in (thank you modders)!
I think as far as "warrant it holding that title" is in the "eye of the beholder"?
Due to sheer amount of bugs, I think it's justified.
I think it depends upon the criticism because this fanbase is so diverse that most people have different gripes for different things. Criticism for a pack release when it's not your personal preference does, I think, tend to verge towards the Over The Top - certainly not something I saw to this degree with previous generations, anyway. But perhaps the prominence of social media has contributed towards that.
Again as far as features go, it's in the eye of the beholder, as @FairyGodMother said. Many do cite cars, babies, bunkbeds and romance systems as 'key' elements to the game and that it's 'lacking' without them. I disagree on most of those (the romance one is the only one I really agree on) because they won't make a major difference to my game - I can take them or leave them.
I also don't tend to get the bugs and glitches many others get - more often than not, the patch notes fix bugs I've never seen in my game. 🤷 Perhaps it's to do with my PC or maybe I'm just fortunate.
I don't think it deserves the anger and fury but a little frustration if a feature you're keen on hasn't arrived yet - but every game in the world could be victim to that.
I'm an artist by trade. I create 3d models, shorts, ads copy. I also do claymation cel animation, sculpting and that too. Granted I'm not as good a painter as my husband who paints tabletop miniatures and builds terrain (this is what you would think of terrain but it also includes buildings statues staircases etc. for tabletop miniatures from scratch. I rarely make anything for him to have printed by any of the 3d printers in the area. For fantasy roofs, he cuts and sculpts and builds it through kitbashing and carving and sculpting it himself or uses moulds.
We always ask for input on what we are doing. We were raised to see constructive criticism as a way to improve and grow. Anything that is meant for you to grow and improve is not negativity, "triggering", "violating your safe space", or toxic. It's something positive. It's from manga, anime, animation, comic books and my mom I learned to draw people. My mom offered me tips and showed me a lot of techniques.
Yes, constructive criticism is truly needed in The Sims or any creative outlet or video game or other forms of entertainment.
With constructive criticism it allows devs to think outside the box to fix problems in the game.
A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear
Time enjoyed is never time wasted
Do I get my monies worth?
No. I buy all the packs play it for a couple hours, lose interest and close the game for however many months till the next pack comes out.
This is coming from someone who has (embarrassingly enough) spent entire days for weeks months on end playing the previous versions stopping long enough to quickly clean house and cook.
This game has no depth and honestly this video by carl sims really is about as constructive as you can get and he puts it all perfectly:
Saying "not to be rude", then blatently being rude does not excuse rude behavior.
sims 4 is a big downgrade regarding gameplay and AI and everything else that's not build/cas.
the fact that ts4 marketing relied on fake promises is something that disappointed a lot of people (like when they said these were the smartest sims ever due to their emotions...bruh), the fact that they also started using the whole "representation" thing as a way to sell cuz there's barely any good thing to say about ts4.
they keep selling this product as something amazing to cheer on, when even devs knew that the product was flawed from the start.
ts4 is a huge disappointment and a scam and they still want to make more content for it, milking it as much as possible. ts4 biggest problem is like you said, its main core is already bad and limited, there's nothing they can add in any pack, that will change this fact
Yes. I'm expected to drool over three trait slots. Just three. And also praise the fact they don't even matter in this game. The problem with TS4 is TS2, and TS3 exist. TS1 had a personality system that was even more robust in some regards than TS4's because their interactions and relationhships and or ability to make friends or get promotions or whatever in all walks of life were based on their interests, their astrological signs and other things. TS4's ability is based on a buff at any given time. Shallow.
Yes. Because though they claim to be a diverse generator there are many type Sims not in this game. Religion is a no, so many can't represent themselves if that is what they want to play. They have to imagine. It can't be diverse when billions are left out who feel that way no matter what they believe and or even if disabled Sims are not in the game. They have opened that can by saying they are diverse, then I would ask them to prove it. If they are going to keep saying it, they need to live up to it.
Yes. Because TS4 is not a life simulator though Ryan promised they had built a strong foundation that would make all our dreams come true. Well, what were we dreaming about? Life Simulator. The good and the bad and consequences with choices our Sims make. Where are they? Where is the bad in this game? Where does a Sim ever struggle with any thing? I don't mean the player, I mean the Sim.
Yes. Because after the rebranding a few years ago, they have now stated in several different articles and interviews TS4 is a trend simulator. What? I was told it was the fourth in the long line of serials of The Sims (a life simulator) and now it's not? Why should I continue to buy one more thing if it's a trend simulator? I didn't sign up for that.
Yes. Unlike the past games if I wanted to play something in my imagination, I'm too limited by fake backdrops. Cell phones in every pocket. Not only that but lots I can't edit, or things so tied to the cell phone (lack of choices) or the Sim pc my Sim has to have those things? What happened to giving the player choices not to need those things and still be able to play out a story in their head and even a career?
Yes. Because after six years instead of showing us a road system, they show us Star Wars.
Yes. Because of showing us actual new game play we see things reskinned and or reused such as someone on Youtube pointed out in the new SW trailer, don't we already have 'collecting unusal artifacts' or whatever in JA? Redundant gameplay.
Yes. Because in the same vein, isn't what most who are still buying just rebuying what they already have in the base and or other packs just reskinned and refurbished to be in a different world or different career.
This has been the biggest milk job I have ever witnessed in gaming.
All of this!
Also a lot of people don't seem to know the difference between constructive criticism and feedback ("here's what's wrong, here's how it can be improved") vs. just bashing/being negative ("This sucks and it's lacking, the devs are lazy and EVERYONE feels this way. This game is just terrible and EVERYONE who has played the other versions know it it's a fact this is a SCAM and if you can't see that you are stupid"). One is actually helpful, shows that you want the game to be better. The other is just rude, immature and yes, imo, shows that you don't have any real interest in this product - you just want to complain about it. That's when it becomes negativity.
Your opinion is not a fact. It's all opinion, and it doesn't become fact just because it's a popular opinion online.
I've been playing this game since The Sims waaay back in 2000. I love The Sims 4, am fine with it as it is. No game is perfect and I am pretty down with the constructive criticism of the game and appreciate those who actually put thought into their criticism and don't devolve into name-calling, rudeness and pretending that they speak for everyone who plays.
Though saying that "something is lacking" or calling EA out when they do certain inappropriate things is sometimes constructive and not bashing, just to be an 🐸🐸🐸🐸.
And also there is a lot of opinion in there but there are things that are not just opinions but actual proven issues with the game.
But saying "something is lacking" on its own is not enough. What's lacking? If someone says "depth," that can have many meanings. There have been some people like Carl who have expanded on that, and given good feedback on how to improve without being rude to those with other opinions.
I don't feel sorry for EA or any big company being called out but I guess that depends on what you consider inappropriate, and what you consider an actual proven issue in the game. Putting YouTubers' opinions above everyone else's when it comes to the game? Definitely inappropriate, call them out. Not giving us a color wheel? Not so much.