I can pretty much ignore everyone on a community lot if I want to take screen shots of two Sims and set up a fake story denying what was really happening why my Sim passed out and make a story about it. I don't have to focus the camera on everything actually going on. Story telling is pretty much made up/fake screen shots and we all know that. Land of vampires take a screen shot of two normal Sims kissing...viola...no one will ever know there was a vampire standing next to them. Story telling is, was and always has been conjecture.
I wasn't talking about storytelling so literally like that, but I'll go there if you'd like.
I pretty much meant the story that people are expressing inside their heads as they play the game. I mean, I can't be the only one that has a story for their Sims, or wants to see a certain "plot" play out. I don't think people are consciously like, "I'm telling a story," every time they play the game. I think that a lot of people just "play" ... but they are creating a story whether they are aware of it or not.
Not only that, but the general setting of the world that you are in will set the tone. People want the environment to look a certain way sometimes because it sets the tone for their game. Why are there cars rolling down the streets of Willow Creek? Why are there crows, fog, and bats in FH? Why do vampires spawn more in FH than in Newcrest? Because it's to create a certain environment for your Sims in those locations, which helps to immerse you in the world/story that you are creating for your Sims.
It goes beyond just 'ignoring' certain aspects of the game when you're consciously creating a story with pictures/captions. Some people (me) want to be immersed in the world. I think a lot of people are like that as well ... it's what games strive for. Allowing people to tweak their game to be more immersed is a good thing IMO.
Well it is obviously not possible in Sims 4 - because 1- they did not add toggles for aliens -2. they shut them down to almost nothing. I never even got an abduction before the removal process and the first game I played with GTW was the science career and with just male Sims. All I can figure if people were getting tons of abductions perhaps they had CC or mods that somehow promoted that either due to a glitch or something - as one who does not use mods or CC - I did not see that happening in my male households and one house hold I had 6 male roommates with 2 in the science career. I cannot explain why Sage Rain Willow saw the complete opposite if she has no mods or CC - not sure if she does or not - but I do know I did not see a one then or since in the over 2 years this game has been out and I am still playing male households and one married couple legacy households. No aliens in any of them. I like the aliens and yet I can't get them via abductions. My Sims have made several alien friends in the game by going to alien night at the bars but that is about the extent of it.
As I said though GTW was about work - with aliens as a side thing - so I do not feel it is as strong a point as a pack made specifically for Vampires and all about Vampires. I did not get CL the only pack that has apts even though I love apts in my game because I did not love the fact I cannot have apts in other towns - so I simply did not get it as I knew that would annoy me to no end not to be able to build my own apts where ever I wanted them. It is just the way it is. The way Sims 4 is made where most worlds connect there is no way they can toggle out Vamps in just certain worlds as far as I can see and why they offered Vamps in their own pack.
Funnily enough, I actually had TWO alien abductions happen to a newly created Sim ... definitely love those rare moments ... kind of wish there was death by meteor/satellite still in the game!
The nerf with aliens is a learning experience ... I think they had to think about the big picture. I personally want my game to be filled with a good mix of whatever the game has to offer. I like the diversity and randomness, but I also understand that not everyone does.
Some people are satisfied with just not getting packs, but others want the packs without every aspect of it. If you didn't get CL because you knew you would get annoyed, then good for you. You handled it in that way. But not everyone does. And I don't think it necessarily relates fully. You choosing not to buy CL because of the way that apartments were developed is different than someone wanting to turn vampires off because they don't want them in their game ... I'd say wanting to turn off CL's festivals and invites is more relevant to people wanting to turn vampires off ... they are features that are both randomly generated and visually show up in your game play without controlling it. I mean, sure, you don't see the festivals of CL if you're not living in an apartment building where the festival happens, but you do still see the notifications, and it can get annoying just seeing those when you don't want to ... is it game ruining? Not really, but it would be nice to just be able to turn them off.
I see the logic of people who wonder why people would buy the vampire pack just to turn vampires off ... but people will naturally want that because there may be other things that look really cool, but the vampire stuff turns them off. So if they are prepared to buy a GP and treat it like a second rate SP, then why don't we let them? Because they aren't asking to take anything away from your game, just theirs.
All in all, I think being able to toggle features on/off or adjust the ratio of spawn rates and the like is a good thing. Apparently it's not possible according to Sim Guru Ninja. And that's fine, because they said the same thing about toddlers ... not saying that a toggle option is just like the overwhelming response for toddlers, but I am trying to underline the fact that if people push hard enough, they will find some sort of way.
The devs already are trying to find ways to make this game as customisable as it can be. Vampires are really customisable so that you can be anything from ugly and distorted to cute and sparkly. That being said, I don't think we should view a toggle option negatively. To some of you, it seems absurd to include that feature, but think about a year from now ... it seems weird because vampires just came out, but eventually you will stop thinking "I paid 20 bucks for this so I need to get every last drop out of it" and it will merge into your collection of DLC that you've accumulated. Will you always want vampires in your game, indefinitely? Even though I don't mind supernaturals, I understand the concept of not wanting certain things in your game because you simply don't feel like utilising them. Maybe you have experienced them enough and just want to play "normally" for a little while. Having that option to just turn them on/off without having to give up FH and any of the objects (and CaS items) would be a good thing. Vampires probably aren't going to be the only supernatural either.
This is a vampire game pack, so to ask for the vamps to be removed is sort of like asking them to remove the spas from spa day, lol.
Not really because people can avoid spas if they want. Spas don't turn up at your house uninvited and your worlds aren't plagued with spa venues without your consent (lol). It's different when you can avoid something.
I get that, but it's a pack centered around vampires much like spa day was centered around spas. It's the main feature in the pack.
A better example, is I didn't want clubs but I liked Windeburg enough to buy Get Together, I didn't ask them to allow us to toggle off clubs, I just ignore it if my sim gets asked to join one. Or sees the silly icons above everyone's head at the clubs. This is a good example because if you don't choose a vampire aspiration or research vamps and delete the three pre-made ones, you'll encounter the random vamp as often as you encounter clubs you don't actively seek. Maybe even less as they only generate in FH during certain hours. SimGuruNinja explained it another thread.
If they do add a toggle switch for life states down the line at some point, that's cool, I'd use it for aliens...but I'd hate for it to be rushed and cause the vamps to be toned down or to make it cause a major separation between life-states which would mean our werewolves wouldn't interact with our vampires in a certain way and so on. It would have to be well thought out and researched to ensure it doesn't affect the game pack's features.
All that being said, my idea is to have the option with ANY EP or GP to be able to buy the build/buy and CAS items only (no special features, worlds or life-states) for half price. That way you can still get the stuff from the pack you want without whatever game changing feature they may have added. They could add the worlds (if the pack contains one) in for a little more money.
That I don't think will happen.
Just scroll back a few posts to the one @To7m did. The possibilities of vampires were posted earlier by SG Ninja and they were reposted by To7m
Maybe not, but I'd think it'd be easier to offer the stuff without the feature then finding a way to toggle the feature on and off. The stuff is just stuff and it's already created. A toggle on/off switch would have to be implemented into the game without making the feature your switching on/off less intense within the game for those that want it. I can't imagine it's as simple as it sounds.
Do you read that there is barely a chance to encounter vampires if you just do a few things to avoid them?
I'd guess redoing a pack to just the stuff would be more involved than you think. There are items that are coded for the vamps to interact with. Also with making so easy to avoid them I doubt they would consider doing it.
I am not sure why they would buy the pack its not worth 20 dollars in my honest opinion if you don't like the vampires. I mean isn't that the point of the pack is vampires?
But they don't toggle this game. They nerf stuff instead. Never weary, aliens, autonomous woohoo all got nerfed. So if people keep complaining guess what will happen to the vampires.
It's not that it isn't possible. It's more that it wasn't at all a simple or trivial addition. We looked into this feature at depth. I know folks wanted this option. I did too. In the end, it was going to be quite lengthy to implement and very likely to inteoduce many (deep) bugs. The magnitude of additional testing required would have really stretched our QA folks thin. We knew some players would be upset by not including this option.
So we tried to design a set of rules to allow for players not necessarily interested in the vampire gameplay to still find this pack approachable and satisfying (while not watering down or otherwise compromising really cool Vampire gameplay for those that do want it).
It's not that it isn't possible. It's more that it wasn't at all a simple or trivial addition. We looked into this feature at depth. I know folks wanted this option. I did too. In the end, it was going to be quite lengthy to implement and very likely to inteoduce many (deep) bugs. The magnitude of additional testing required would have really stretched our QA folks thin. We knew some players would be upset by not including this option.
So we tried to design a set of rules to allow for players not necessarily interested in the vampire gameplay to still find this pack approachable and satisfying (while not watering down or otherwise compromising really cool Vampire gameplay for those that do want it).
And I love it just the way it is. I never tire of the Supernaturals - those and toddlers I play always in Sims 2, 3 , and 4 and will continue. I would appreciate the alien abduction un - nerfed too. Some of us do really love the supernaturals in fact outside of this forum I have seen just about every one with great things to say about this new gp. Many are already looking forward to more supernaturals done this way. Witches and Wizards are talked about a lot. But yeah even some former non-supernatural fans ended up trying the gp and actually have taken a liking to them. Some were very hard-core anti - supernatural to be honest and suddenly have found themselves enjoying the game. Of course having the toddlers added right prior to the gp I think is what made it all the more fun - oh and for the first time to have Vampire hunters - well that is totally putting the game over the top from different posts and even You tube I have been seeing all day.
So many do think this is one of the best packs in the game thus far.
You did good Guru's - real good for most of us!!!!
"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
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In REALITY, I simply exist.....
SimguruNinja this pack rocks! I have seen very few bugs and the gameplay is phenomenal. Plus you guys loaded it with player options. That is why I am getting so irritated at the ones who keep saying that there are too many vampires in a vampire pack. The name of the pack should be enough to explain what to expect.
It's not that it isn't possible. It's more that it wasn't at all a simple or trivial addition. We looked into this feature at depth. I know folks wanted this option. I did too. In the end, it was going to be quite lengthy to implement and very likely to inteoduce many (deep) bugs. The magnitude of additional testing required would have really stretched our QA folks thin. We knew some players would be upset by not including this option.
So we tried to design a set of rules to allow for players not necessarily interested in the vampire gameplay to still find this pack approachable and satisfying (while not watering down or otherwise compromising really cool Vampire gameplay for those that do want it).
All in all, I think you did a good job with that, and I've been quite happy with the way the Vampire pack is working in my game.
I would say that yes, if things are actually glitched and not working as SimGuruNinja described, then that should be fixed, but I think these are a very fair set of rules and I'd rather not see them changed to be more limiting.
And I do definitely understand that a toggle option would be the ideal, in an ideal world. It's not that I don't see how that would be a good thing. But I've read the things the Gurus have said about this and I think it's a bit unrealistic for any of us to take those things for granted. Yes, it's possible. But it sounds pretty darn unlikely.
Most importantly, I (and I'm pretty sure most others here who want supernaturals of one flavor or another) absolutely DO NOT WANT to see supernaturals made as 'tacked-on' content without the level of integration into the game that we have now with vampires, in order to make a toggle option possible. The real key thing here that I feel I and other 'supernatural-lovers' are fighting for is to not have our life-states nerfed or designed to be 'hobbled' so that they're easier to 'turn off.'
I don't understand all the arguing...how does having a disable vampires option toning down someone else's game? We were able to turn off all supernaturals except zombies in Sims 3 and even zombies could be disabled by disabling moon phases. This is a no brainer. Some days you may want Vampires, some days not...I would use the Build items constantly, but prefer to not always have vampires in every save.
No, you couldn't turn off any Supernaturals that were intergrated into the core gameplay (Ghosts, Mummies, Aliens etc).
Which is why the ones you COULD toggle, were shallow compared to the ones you couldn't.
A Vampire toggle in The Sims 4, would mean half the gameplay we have (Vlad, Break Ins at night etc) wouldn't occur.
I don't know what you mean by shallow. Witches and vampires had toggles and you can play them the same as any other sim. Mummies would never happen unless you went to Egypt and encounter one there. Now if the vampires could stay in their own town that would be great. I would like to have the town and build victorian and gothic homes and have mortal sims live there, but will vampires spawn or not?
It's not that it isn't possible. It's more that it wasn't at all a simple or trivial addition. We looked into this feature at depth. I know folks wanted this option. I did too. In the end, it was going to be quite lengthy to implement and very likely to inteoduce many (deep) bugs. The magnitude of additional testing required would have really stretched our QA folks thin. We knew some players would be upset by not including this option.
So we tried to design a set of rules to allow for players not necessarily interested in the vampire gameplay to still find this pack approachable and satisfying (while not watering down or otherwise compromising really cool Vampire gameplay for those that do want it).
@SimGuruNinja - First off, I want to say thank you for all of your communication to us and answering all of our questions. That is a huge help. And I would like to thank you for explaining this piece to us. Now we know why it's not in there, and we know that you guys weren't just waving it off. All of your answers have convinced me that it really isn't too hard to ignore the vampires and make them basically nothing in a save file if that's what you want to do. Maybe later on down the road you guys will have the time to implement toggles, but I can completely understand not wanting to spend a lot of time with that right now when you're looking to give us additional content. Thank you for all the work you do!
And honestly, who knows what the modders will do. They're pretty amazing in their own right.
(Not using that as a cop-out or anything. I fully understand that a lot of folks don't want to use mods, but would still want this functionality.)
Hopefully a toggle option will be available in the future for the people that want it. I don't think there's enough people who want it though, so they might be outta luck on this one. I think toggling or some sort of ingame mechanic (garlic/nexus lot trait) to control spawns is a good thing.
This is a vampire game pack, so to ask for the vamps to be removed is sort of like asking them to remove the spas from spa day, lol.
Not really because people can avoid spas if they want. Spas don't turn up at your house uninvited and your worlds aren't plagued with spa venues without your consent (lol). It's different when you can avoid something.
I get that, but it's a pack centered around vampires much like spa day was centered around spas. It's the main feature in the pack.
A better example, is I didn't want clubs but I liked Windeburg enough to buy Get Together, I didn't ask them to allow us to toggle off clubs, I just ignore it if my sim gets asked to join one. Or sees the silly icons above everyone's head at the clubs. This is a good example because if you don't choose a vampire aspiration or research vamps and delete the three pre-made ones, you'll encounter the random vamp as often as you encounter clubs you don't actively seek. Maybe even less as they only generate in FH during certain hours. SimGuruNinja explained it another thread.
If they do add a toggle switch for life states down the line at some point, that's cool, I'd use it for aliens...but I'd hate for it to be rushed and cause the vamps to be toned down or to make it cause a major separation between life-states which would mean our werewolves wouldn't interact with our vampires in a certain way and so on. It would have to be well thought out and researched to ensure it doesn't affect the game pack's features.
All that being said, my idea is to have the option with ANY EP or GP to be able to buy the build/buy and CAS items only (no special features, worlds or life-states) for half price. That way you can still get the stuff from the pack you want without whatever game changing feature they may have added. They could add the worlds (if the pack contains one) in for a little more money.
That I don't think will happen.
Just scroll back a few posts to the one @To7m did. The possibilities of vampires were posted earlier by SG Ninja and they were reposted by To7m
Maybe not, but I'd think it'd be easier to offer the stuff without the feature then finding a way to toggle the feature on and off. The stuff is just stuff and it's already created. A toggle on/off switch would have to be implemented into the game without making the feature your switching on/off less intense within the game for those that want it. I can't imagine it's as simple as it sounds.
Do you read that there is barely a chance to encounter vampires if you just do a few things to avoid them?
I'd guess redoing a pack to just the stuff would be more involved than you think. There are items that are coded for the vamps to interact with. Also with making so easy to avoid them I doubt they would consider doing it.
I know I said that in it earlier post, I was suggesting that instead of an off/on toggle which I fear would tame down the vamps. I want my vamps as they are.
If the vamps in my game keep it up I will never have to worry about them over running the place lol.
Vlad just killed himself by having and outdoor party during the day.
The other one keeps coming to my door and just standing there till he burns up.
at this rate the Vamp race will be extinct.
Well, I purchased the pack and it's cool. After SimGuruNinja confirmed that NPC vampires won't auto turn sims into vampires it mellowed things down for me. The new world looks awesome. What I'm doing to help keep things as realistic as possible is pretending the vampires are just a group of people pretending to be vampires, and they made their own people's vampire club, lol! It was the easiest way to take out the fantasy portion as much as possible. It's a pretty good pack though, love the new stuff and world. I'll probably play as a vampire on a new save, the features do look fun if you're gonna go for that type of gameplay.
It's not that it isn't possible. It's more that it wasn't at all a simple or trivial addition. We looked into this feature at depth. I know folks wanted this option. I did too. In the end, it was going to be quite lengthy to implement and very likely to inteoduce many (deep) bugs. The magnitude of additional testing required would have really stretched our QA folks thin. We knew some players would be upset by not including this option.
So we tried to design a set of rules to allow for players not necessarily interested in the vampire gameplay to still find this pack approachable and satisfying (while not watering down or otherwise compromising really cool Vampire gameplay for those that do want it).
Thanks for coming here to explain the reasons. I really appreciate it!
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All my creations are CC free.
Question on the garlic - I noticed one of the pre-built but uninhabited EA houses in FH had garlic ALL OVER...Braids hanging from every ceiling; two wreaths and two braids at the front door....wreaths on the stair walls....two garlands plus two braids in the dining room. Is all of that necessary?? And, do I have to "garlic" all of my lots in the other neighborhoods as well?? Geez....there goes another long night if that's true
(I really don't want to deal with vampires lol but I love building Victorian houses and the new catalog items for building are terrific.)
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The five-second rule does not apply when you have a two-second dog.
I paid 20 bucks for VAMPIRES. If they get toned down because people who don't want vampires bought a VAMPIRE pack and then whined about the vampires being in the pack I am gonna have a fit.
Ditto!
This is what happened to aliens. Paid for GTW and now you have to go out of your way to generate aliens. I agree Vampires should not been toned down by the sims team, because to them that means 0%. What would be great is the on/off button for aliens/vampires etc. So that you can have the option of having a save file with vampires, and a save file without them.
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Well, I purchased the pack and it's cool. After SimGuruNinja confirmed that NPC vampires won't auto turn sims into vampires it mellowed things down for me. The new world looks awesome. What I'm doing to help keep things as realistic as possible is pretending the vampires are just a group of people pretending to be vampires, and they made their own people's vampire club, lol! It was the easiest way to take out the fantasy portion as much as possible. It's a pretty good pack though, love the new stuff and world. I'll probably play as a vampire on a new save, the features do look fun if you're gonna go for that type of gameplay.
You mean like they are cosplaying?
Allons-y!
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Question on the garlic - I noticed one of the pre-built but uninhabited EA houses in FH had garlic ALL OVER...Braids hanging from every ceiling; two wreaths and two braids at the front door....wreaths on the stair walls....two garlands plus two braids in the dining room. Is all of that necessary?? And, do I have to "garlic" all of my lots in the other neighborhoods as well?? Geez....there goes another long night if that's true
(I really don't want to deal with vampires lol but I love building Victorian houses and the new catalog items for building are terrific.)
I don't think so. From what I've seen just one clove/braid/wreath of garlic in the vicinity of a vampire makes them very uncomfortable. Possibly even having garlic in a sim's inventory will have the same effect.
My vampire accidentally bought that house and had to remove all the garlic but had very uncomfortable moodlets for several hours and the inability to drink plasma as well until all the garlic was gone and the effect wore off.
It's not that it isn't possible. It's more that it wasn't at all a simple or trivial addition. We looked into this feature at depth. I know folks wanted this option. I did too. In the end, it was going to be quite lengthy to implement and very likely to inteoduce many (deep) bugs. The magnitude of additional testing required would have really stretched our QA folks thin. We knew some players would be upset by not including this option.
So we tried to design a set of rules to allow for players not necessarily interested in the vampire gameplay to still find this pack approachable and satisfying (while not watering down or otherwise compromising really cool Vampire gameplay for those that do want it).
@SimGuruNinja - First off, I want to say thank you for all of your communication to us and answering all of our questions. That is a huge help. And I would like to thank you for explaining this piece to us. Now we know why it's not in there, and we know that you guys weren't just waving it off. All of your answers have convinced me that it really isn't too hard to ignore the vampires and make them basically nothing in a save file if that's what you want to do. Maybe later on down the road you guys will have the time to implement toggles, but I can completely understand not wanting to spend a lot of time with that right now when you're looking to give us additional content. Thank you for all the work you do!
Seconded - @SimGuruNinja - this is how I remember the forums being back in the day. The communication you have offered over the past couple of weeks is another big reason why I'm hopeful for the future of TS4 and just the series in general.
You've been teasing us and yet still leaving things secret for us to experience ourselves and it's been an amazing ride I have throughly enjoyed myself, and will continue to do so with this GP. Keep up the good work guys, can't wait to see what the rest of this year brings in!
I might be missing something, but if you want to play a save without vampires, then simply don't set the Vampire DLC for download in Origin? If you want vamps, then d/l the DLC?
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The day's divinity.... The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
I might be missing something, but if you want to play a save without vampires, then simply don't set the Vampire DLC for download in Origin? If you want vamps, then d/l the DLC?
I don't think it's that simple. You would have to uninstall the vampire pack and then re install it again. It's not like the sims 3 where you can choose to not play a certain EP or SP.
Plus you might want say 2 saves with vampires, one save without but are still using the items from that pack.
I might be missing something, but if you want to play a save without vampires, then simply don't set the Vampire DLC for download in Origin? If you want vamps, then d/l the DLC?
I don't think it's that simple. You would have to uninstall the vampire pack and then re install it again. It's not like the sims 3 where you can choose to not play a certain EP or SP.
Aye, it is a faff, but it seems to work
Awake.
Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
The day's divinity.... The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
I might be missing something, but if you want to play a save without vampires, then simply don't set the Vampire DLC for download in Origin? If you want vamps, then d/l the DLC?
I don't think it's that simple. You would have to uninstall the vampire pack and then re install it again. It's not like the sims 3 where you can choose to not play a certain EP or SP.
Aye, it is a faff, but it seems to work
And if you wanted to use some of the items from the vampire GP it wouldn't work.
I might be missing something, but if you want to play a save without vampires, then simply don't set the Vampire DLC for download in Origin? If you want vamps, then d/l the DLC?
I don't think it's that simple. You would have to uninstall the vampire pack and then re install it again. It's not like the sims 3 where you can choose to not play a certain EP or SP.
Aye, it is a faff, but it seems to work
And if you wanted to use some of the items from the vampire GP it wouldn't work.
For sure, but it is a pack about vampires and the included stuff seems to be pretty much vampire orientated.
I am just being pragmatic. We have what we have and it is a solution.
Awake.
Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
The day's divinity.... The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
Comments
I wasn't talking about storytelling so literally like that, but I'll go there if you'd like.
I pretty much meant the story that people are expressing inside their heads as they play the game. I mean, I can't be the only one that has a story for their Sims, or wants to see a certain "plot" play out. I don't think people are consciously like, "I'm telling a story," every time they play the game. I think that a lot of people just "play" ... but they are creating a story whether they are aware of it or not.
Not only that, but the general setting of the world that you are in will set the tone. People want the environment to look a certain way sometimes because it sets the tone for their game. Why are there cars rolling down the streets of Willow Creek? Why are there crows, fog, and bats in FH? Why do vampires spawn more in FH than in Newcrest? Because it's to create a certain environment for your Sims in those locations, which helps to immerse you in the world/story that you are creating for your Sims.
It goes beyond just 'ignoring' certain aspects of the game when you're consciously creating a story with pictures/captions. Some people (me) want to be immersed in the world. I think a lot of people are like that as well ... it's what games strive for. Allowing people to tweak their game to be more immersed is a good thing IMO.
Funnily enough, I actually had TWO alien abductions happen to a newly created Sim ... definitely love those rare moments ... kind of wish there was death by meteor/satellite still in the game!
The nerf with aliens is a learning experience ... I think they had to think about the big picture. I personally want my game to be filled with a good mix of whatever the game has to offer. I like the diversity and randomness, but I also understand that not everyone does.
Some people are satisfied with just not getting packs, but others want the packs without every aspect of it. If you didn't get CL because you knew you would get annoyed, then good for you. You handled it in that way. But not everyone does. And I don't think it necessarily relates fully. You choosing not to buy CL because of the way that apartments were developed is different than someone wanting to turn vampires off because they don't want them in their game ... I'd say wanting to turn off CL's festivals and invites is more relevant to people wanting to turn vampires off ... they are features that are both randomly generated and visually show up in your game play without controlling it. I mean, sure, you don't see the festivals of CL if you're not living in an apartment building where the festival happens, but you do still see the notifications, and it can get annoying just seeing those when you don't want to ... is it game ruining? Not really, but it would be nice to just be able to turn them off.
I see the logic of people who wonder why people would buy the vampire pack just to turn vampires off ... but people will naturally want that because there may be other things that look really cool, but the vampire stuff turns them off. So if they are prepared to buy a GP and treat it like a second rate SP, then why don't we let them? Because they aren't asking to take anything away from your game, just theirs.
All in all, I think being able to toggle features on/off or adjust the ratio of spawn rates and the like is a good thing. Apparently it's not possible according to Sim Guru Ninja. And that's fine, because they said the same thing about toddlers ... not saying that a toggle option is just like the overwhelming response for toddlers, but I am trying to underline the fact that if people push hard enough, they will find some sort of way.
The devs already are trying to find ways to make this game as customisable as it can be. Vampires are really customisable so that you can be anything from ugly and distorted to cute and sparkly. That being said, I don't think we should view a toggle option negatively. To some of you, it seems absurd to include that feature, but think about a year from now ... it seems weird because vampires just came out, but eventually you will stop thinking "I paid 20 bucks for this so I need to get every last drop out of it" and it will merge into your collection of DLC that you've accumulated. Will you always want vampires in your game, indefinitely? Even though I don't mind supernaturals, I understand the concept of not wanting certain things in your game because you simply don't feel like utilising them. Maybe you have experienced them enough and just want to play "normally" for a little while. Having that option to just turn them on/off without having to give up FH and any of the objects (and CaS items) would be a good thing. Vampires probably aren't going to be the only supernatural either.
So we tried to design a set of rules to allow for players not necessarily interested in the vampire gameplay to still find this pack approachable and satisfying (while not watering down or otherwise compromising really cool Vampire gameplay for those that do want it).
And I love it just the way it is. I never tire of the Supernaturals - those and toddlers I play always in Sims 2, 3 , and 4 and will continue. I would appreciate the alien abduction un - nerfed too. Some of us do really love the supernaturals in fact outside of this forum I have seen just about every one with great things to say about this new gp. Many are already looking forward to more supernaturals done this way. Witches and Wizards are talked about a lot. But yeah even some former non-supernatural fans ended up trying the gp and actually have taken a liking to them. Some were very hard-core anti - supernatural to be honest and suddenly have found themselves enjoying the game. Of course having the toddlers added right prior to the gp I think is what made it all the more fun - oh and for the first time to have Vampire hunters - well that is totally putting the game over the top from different posts and even You tube I have been seeing all day.
So many do think this is one of the best packs in the game thus far.
You did good Guru's - real good for most of us!!!!
"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.....
All in all, I think you did a good job with that, and I've been quite happy with the way the Vampire pack is working in my game.
I would say that yes, if things are actually glitched and not working as SimGuruNinja described, then that should be fixed, but I think these are a very fair set of rules and I'd rather not see them changed to be more limiting.
And I do definitely understand that a toggle option would be the ideal, in an ideal world. It's not that I don't see how that would be a good thing. But I've read the things the Gurus have said about this and I think it's a bit unrealistic for any of us to take those things for granted. Yes, it's possible. But it sounds pretty darn unlikely.
Most importantly, I (and I'm pretty sure most others here who want supernaturals of one flavor or another) absolutely DO NOT WANT to see supernaturals made as 'tacked-on' content without the level of integration into the game that we have now with vampires, in order to make a toggle option possible. The real key thing here that I feel I and other 'supernatural-lovers' are fighting for is to not have our life-states nerfed or designed to be 'hobbled' so that they're easier to 'turn off.'
I don't know what you mean by shallow. Witches and vampires had toggles and you can play them the same as any other sim. Mummies would never happen unless you went to Egypt and encounter one there. Now if the vampires could stay in their own town that would be great. I would like to have the town and build victorian and gothic homes and have mortal sims live there, but will vampires spawn or not?
@SimGuruNinja - First off, I want to say thank you for all of your communication to us and answering all of our questions. That is a huge help. And I would like to thank you for explaining this piece to us. Now we know why it's not in there, and we know that you guys weren't just waving it off. All of your answers have convinced me that it really isn't too hard to ignore the vampires and make them basically nothing in a save file if that's what you want to do. Maybe later on down the road you guys will have the time to implement toggles, but I can completely understand not wanting to spend a lot of time with that right now when you're looking to give us additional content. Thank you for all the work you do!
And honestly, who knows what the modders will do. They're pretty amazing in their own right.
(Not using that as a cop-out or anything. I fully understand that a lot of folks don't want to use mods, but would still want this functionality.)
I know I said that in it earlier post, I was suggesting that instead of an off/on toggle which I fear would tame down the vamps. I want my vamps as they are.
This cracked me up.
Thanks for coming here to explain the reasons. I really appreciate it!
All my creations are CC free.
(I really don't want to deal with vampires lol but I love building Victorian houses and the new catalog items for building are terrific.)
The five-second rule does not apply when you have a two-second dog.
This is what happened to aliens. Paid for GTW and now you have to go out of your way to generate aliens. I agree Vampires should not been toned down by the sims team, because to them that means 0%. What would be great is the on/off button for aliens/vampires etc. So that you can have the option of having a save file with vampires, and a save file without them.
I don't think so. From what I've seen just one clove/braid/wreath of garlic in the vicinity of a vampire makes them very uncomfortable. Possibly even having garlic in a sim's inventory will have the same effect.
My vampire accidentally bought that house and had to remove all the garlic but had very uncomfortable moodlets for several hours and the inability to drink plasma as well until all the garlic was gone and the effect wore off.
Sim Stuff by Pegasys
Seconded - @SimGuruNinja - this is how I remember the forums being back in the day. The communication you have offered over the past couple of weeks is another big reason why I'm hopeful for the future of TS4 and just the series in general.
You've been teasing us and yet still leaving things secret for us to experience ourselves and it's been an amazing ride I have throughly enjoyed myself, and will continue to do so with this GP. Keep up the good work guys, can't wait to see what the rest of this year brings in!
--T
Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
The day's divinity....
The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
I don't think it's that simple. You would have to uninstall the vampire pack and then re install it again. It's not like the sims 3 where you can choose to not play a certain EP or SP.
Plus you might want say 2 saves with vampires, one save without but are still using the items from that pack.
Aye, it is a faff, but it seems to work
Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
The day's divinity....
The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison
And if you wanted to use some of the items from the vampire GP it wouldn't work.
For sure, but it is a pack about vampires and the included stuff seems to be pretty much vampire orientated.
I am just being pragmatic. We have what we have and it is a solution.
Shake dreams from your hair
My pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
The day's divinity....
The Ghost Song - Jim Morrison