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Improvements to TS4's Core Game Engine??
Chicklet453681
Posts: 2,435 Member
Maxis has a new job posting listed for a Core Software Engineer which I thought was pretty interesting.
What type of things would you want to see improved?
What You Will Do
Reporting to a development Manager, as a Core Software Engineer on The Sims, you will work on core game features. The work will range from rapid prototyping to enhancing game systems and implementing new features. You will work on a variety of tasks from supporting and improving The Sims 4 engine to implementing game features for Create-a-Sim, Build/Buy, Sim animation and other major game components. Most of the work will be done in C++.
Job Responsibilities:
Extend existing The Sims 4 core features and create new ones in C++.
Work with designers, producers, content creators and other engineers to develop game features.
Write technical design documents detailing software requirements.
Write cross-platform code with performance and memory usage in mind.
Debug code to document and fix bugs.
Solve to support active live service.
https://ea.gr8people.com/jobs/165420/core-software-engineer-rendering-c-the-sims?locale=en
What type of things would you want to see improved?
Post edited by EA_Leeloo on
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Comments
Things that I would like to see improved:
Getting the engine to work better with more modern hardware and try overall to improve performance.
Optimization to minimize simulation lag.
Configuration so developers can add options so we can enable, disable or tune different features from different packs. We have started seeing that with some packs but I would like to see more.
Support so the game can handle "many, many more years" of packs.
Other things that I also would like to see are more animations and gameplay objects that involve more sims, worlds with more lots and more interactive things and better townie generation and generated outfits.
@SamDenny TwistedMexi explained it like this in an old article on simsvip: The Sims 4 is split into two main components. You have the modding-friendly Python code (script mods), and the typically closed-off C++. These two languages do not talk to each other, so instead they’re bridged by something called Protocol Buffers, or “Protobuf”.
That is exactly what I want too. I like when the sims themselves tell/show me what direction their story should go.
And I absolutely hope we see features like personalities and attraction. I hope they get interests and hobbies. Maybe some extra life stages.
Time for that body hair menu and those metal machines called cars! 🥰
And everything else folks already mentioned here. 👍🏼
Any ways base game needs major help. The balancing between negative and positive emotions gets overridden by environmental buffs. The memory system, family tree, and whims need a complete upgrade. Babies need to be redesigned to be a life stage so genetics bug don't keep happening. Aspirations need a failure component to them. Neighborhood editing needs to happen so Simmers can at least pick their own lot sizes again and needs a neighborhood redesign to allow for car driveways. Cars need to happen due to false advertising issue which means NPC cars need to happen too. Beds need redesigning so Sims can cuddle and dream. UI toggles need to happen for at least option to turn off some NPCs, supernatural, and story progression. Bug reporting needs to be coded into the game itself with option to send that save files and in game photos and video evidence. Opacity sliders that makeup uses could be a solution for lack of color wheel for all CAS and build/bug items. Height slider would be a nice want to have in the game but they really need to put in more unique interactions for teens and elders in the game. Disability representation is a must especially starting with cosmetic options for the game then later add gameplay options if they are going to market inclusiveness.
It does say multiple locations. 5 to be exact.
Multiple Locations: Redwood City, California, United States • Orlando, Florida, United States • Austin, Texas, United States • Seattle, Washington, United States • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Well you could very well be right, but I always have the mind set of "Some improvement is better than NO improvement". Only time will tell, plus they said TS4 has years and years to go still, so maybe it won't have massive improvements soon but hopefully it will have significant improvements before they end this iteration so at least those who decide not to move on to a newer version will have a better version of TS4.
Huh, are Maxis located at more studios in the US and Canada now? I only knew of Redwood City, California and Austin, Texas.
Some of these ideas are pack specific and some are not. The reason I included stuff for packs is because in a survey once they asked us about improving packs. So now here’s their chance.
Fixing the Sims personality by either fixing Whims so they are less generic, or adding Wants/Fears. Add more in-depth Aspirations.
Animation: Please fix the water balloon fight so it’s not so slow.
Animation: Cooking to add more using of cabinets and drawers.
Animation: No more just the slamming the refrigerator door closed.
Animation: Adding interactions for the current decor cash register so it can actually be used as cash register and not just the tablet.
Multifunctional lots!!!!!
Give the elemental collectibles more uses aside from just decor (like making them resources for crafting items).
A feature to toggle off the cellphone entirely.
A mechanic that allows you to accept or decline a promotion.
A way to completely turn off the random generating of townies.
Swimming in all worlds.
Adding more activities for the Club activity options, as well as Holiday traditions.
Make the lots on the coast of Del Sol Valley playable.
A new free world!
Some sort of option to “Throw Away” things from the Inventory with no monetary gain, not just trash and spoiled food but random things possibly found while fishing or something.
In B/B, creating individual swatches when an object has multiple surfaces to be colored (for example the bed - separate into bed frame and comforter so you can choose each of their colors individually).
Changing the way the object slotting works so that small decor items can actually fit on shelves and even on top of the refrigerator or more on a counter etc.
Pond tool.
I’ll come back if I think of more.
This careers page shows multiple locations.
https://www.ea.com/ea-studios/maxis/careers
Interesting, that could mean that Maxis have more people at other EA studios, or they are planning to have more people there.
Something is better than nothing, you’re absolutely right.
My Plumbob is GREEN today
I do so want additional options in CaS, like body-hair and some torn clothing for the hiking adventurer + bandage option for arms, legs, body and head.
Wouldn't mind some occult clothing, like fairy-dresses and clothes (yes, I know we don't have them... yet, so my mermaids will have to do) made out of leafs and flowers, and a plain hooded robe for the skulking spellcaster.
A "faithful" locking option for those Sims who only have eyes for each other, even with flirty Sims running all over, and if an attraction system gets implemented, we'll have the options of making our Sims faithful and reject all attention, even when the attraction system makes the other Sim the perfect dream-match for your Sim.
And placeable water would really be nice. With the option to swim in it. And while we're on that path, placeable fishing spots to go with it.
We want: Faeries, with a good ability tree, hopefully before summer 2024.
What do we want to get rid of: The holiday bug, the constant showering and the weed glitch.
This is what i would want too. I'ld love that sims would be able to acknowledge their environment and their relationships better.
Ohhh I thought he was hired to do the cinematic stuff and not as an actual CAS artist, that's pretty awesome if so.