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Dynamic Play: Time Progression
dg51829
Posts: 300 Member
I have been considering how town progression and gameplay in that regards could be improved. Town progression you can use just mods to deal with. But it still doesn’t feel like time is really passing in the game. I would like to see more dynamic passage of time. Here are my ideas on how it could possible happen.
1) Fashion: You could really get a feel that decades have pass in the game if certain fashion trends become really popular. This could be set by the player but also will happen naturally. For the player that really wants this feel to their game they could make other outfits that don’t match the current fashion trend blocked for townies and NPCs.
2) Major Events: Instead of having a static stable world I would to see more fluctuation. Like you wake up one morning and the economy has crashed and Sims lose jobs, bills increase in expense, pay decreases and it’s hard to get a new job. Oh hey there is political tension with some made up different sim country makes everyone tense wondering if they will go to war. Even going to war or an epidemic. Or for a funny change maybe flunky coloured houses or a major cultural change of some kind.
3) Trait changes: Depending on the major event this will change what sort of traits are available when your Sims age up. Say your sim grew up during an economic crash maybe they are neurotic and more frugal then the average sim. Or if they grew up during a war maybe they are hot-headed, good, evil, ect.
4) War: Young adult sims can either enlist by choice or be conscription. This doesn’t mean showing a battle field just they disappear for several weeks or you can control them in their barracks. It can make the average citizen tense, sad, angry, scared or for an evil sim happy. There should be a setting to set the game to this level and for someone who wants ‘dynamic play’ or something similar they can make it more advanced. Where you could have bomb raids, there is no work and school and people are advised to stay indoors preferably in a basement or bomb shelter. Maybe there is riot going on in San Myshuno about the war support of or against it.
5) ‘Dynamic Play” Not everyone is going to want this kind of play. You can either turn on these settings or turn off. By default they will be turned off. There is a prompt when you open your game if you want to turn it on or off and a setting to have always on or always off. That way if you don’t want it you don’t have to have it.
I know war in the Sims is a touchy subject. But this is something that has appeared in SimCity. Players could engage in nuclear war. So it has been done in the sim franchise. With a means of turning this kind of play on and off will still allow for people to play how they want to play.
1) Fashion: You could really get a feel that decades have pass in the game if certain fashion trends become really popular. This could be set by the player but also will happen naturally. For the player that really wants this feel to their game they could make other outfits that don’t match the current fashion trend blocked for townies and NPCs.
2) Major Events: Instead of having a static stable world I would to see more fluctuation. Like you wake up one morning and the economy has crashed and Sims lose jobs, bills increase in expense, pay decreases and it’s hard to get a new job. Oh hey there is political tension with some made up different sim country makes everyone tense wondering if they will go to war. Even going to war or an epidemic. Or for a funny change maybe flunky coloured houses or a major cultural change of some kind.
3) Trait changes: Depending on the major event this will change what sort of traits are available when your Sims age up. Say your sim grew up during an economic crash maybe they are neurotic and more frugal then the average sim. Or if they grew up during a war maybe they are hot-headed, good, evil, ect.
4) War: Young adult sims can either enlist by choice or be conscription. This doesn’t mean showing a battle field just they disappear for several weeks or you can control them in their barracks. It can make the average citizen tense, sad, angry, scared or for an evil sim happy. There should be a setting to set the game to this level and for someone who wants ‘dynamic play’ or something similar they can make it more advanced. Where you could have bomb raids, there is no work and school and people are advised to stay indoors preferably in a basement or bomb shelter. Maybe there is riot going on in San Myshuno about the war support of or against it.
5) ‘Dynamic Play” Not everyone is going to want this kind of play. You can either turn on these settings or turn off. By default they will be turned off. There is a prompt when you open your game if you want to turn it on or off and a setting to have always on or always off. That way if you don’t want it you don’t have to have it.
I know war in the Sims is a touchy subject. But this is something that has appeared in SimCity. Players could engage in nuclear war. So it has been done in the sim franchise. With a means of turning this kind of play on and off will still allow for people to play how they want to play.
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Comments
I have only heard SimEarth include that.
Sims City 4. -Note this could have been a mod at some point. My memory for game in 2004 may be jumbled.
If they ever add a natural disasters/seasons pack, certain events would obviously have an effect on Sim's mood, depending on their traits - 'brave', 'weather enthusiast'... or something (lol).
I'm also super on board with the idea of trait changes due to events that have happened to Sim's in their life! It would make gameplay seem much more dynamic and exciting, as though each individual Sim has their own storyline, which has shaped their personality.
> I like your idea of the economy changing. Don't know if EA would be on board with this idea, since they market their game as very friendly, but political parties being elected is also an idea to put out there. Not like politics suits the primary audience of this game but there is already a politics career, right?
> If they ever add a natural disasters/seasons pack, certain events would obviously have an effect on Sim's mood, depending on their traits - 'brave', 'weather enthusiast'... or something (lol).
> I'm also super on board with the idea of trait changes due to events that have happened to Sim's in their life! It would make gameplay seem much more dynamic and exciting, as though each individual Sim has their own storyline, which has shaped their personality.
typo. Sims*
That is exactly my thoughts on it. The game isn't that friendly. Have you seen when a sim drowns? Sims use to get drunk in Sims 2. Beer bong and jugs in Sims 3. People can always turn it off. I think it may appeal to a wider audience.
I think you can make simple economic events without having to say "and it's because of the efforts of REPUBLICAN President Tronald Dump". They can pretend that politics and the economy don't tie so closely together.
outrun / blog / tunglr
And different time periods could be added with expansions, like how new locations are added. A Fame/War expansion could come with new towns and a new 30s/40s time era, a Generations style expansion would be neat with an added 50s/60s era, and maybe a Careers/Night out themed expansion with 70s/80s era aspects and time period added alongside new gameplay and locations.