I think it's extremely important to address what the Sims team's vision is for the game and what the players want because there is a clear divide between the two. It would be nice to confirm a couple of things like which features are not possible and will never come, to manage expectations and lower disappointment.
The sims 4 is clearly heading in a different direction than other games and most players don't like it but it was never addressed why sims 4 is more of a movie set rather than a life simulation game. This is not a negative thing, some people like the dollhouse aspect but for the players who want life simulation that the previous titles gave, it becomes confusing and disappointing. Nothing happens on its own, the players have to go out of their way for a non-ideal event to occur in their games. Most of the player base wants "fears", "wants" "chemistry system" "memories".
All of these are meaningful things that make our sims feel alive.
The sims 4 gives too much control for a lot of players to the point where the game becomes lifeless like a movie set, not a living world, and the sims feel more like actors than real people.
It would be really helpful if the team addressed why this is and if it's going to change or not. This is a HUGE reason for the negativity because players are waiting for these features that may never even come.
EA Staff (Retired)