I wish I knew this before so I could have played TS2 and TS3 a little to really clearly cover what we are missing, but let me try to explain without just saying: Take TS2 and TS3 with TS4 graphics.
<3 First of all let me start with the amazing job you all did for years for us and the only reason why we are critical is because you guys set the bar so high for yourself. <3
STORYTELLING:
The game is not as in dept as TS2 and TS3 was. I find it hard to explain why exactly that is but I think this might be a part of it: Storytelling. We want to create our own story, and be creative with that. In order for that story feel real our actions must have consequences deeper than just a whim that lasts 3 hours.
MEMORIES:
Memories would help with that. We need our Sims to remember that Sim X cheated on them and not interact the same way we do with the our new romance. We need to Sim to remember exes, best friends, lovers, cheaters, bosses etc.– Sentiments were definitely a great start and showed you really understand we missed that. It gives more dept to the game, but something like memories is still missing. Ideally those memories effect your Sims behavior in the rest of their life.
Closed world can be better:
Another thing what makes the game feel shallow is the closed world and all rabbit holes. I understand why the world is closed and I have my peace with that, but in TS2 it was done better. Little details make it feel more real. My Sim disappears into oblivion when going to work or travel. It would be great to have cars to make that illusion a bit more realistic. I don’t need open world but at least do it as in TS2 that you get picked up by a car and once you are promoted your cars get bigger until you get a helicopter. – Make sure that progress in the game unlocks these kind of fun little things that make you feel you are achieving something.
UNIVERSITY and TRAVEL:
This is a personal opinion, but I know many longtime fans share this with me: I like realistic play. One of my favorite packs were TS2 University and Bon Voyage and TS3 University life and World adventures. It made the game more realistic.
I really hoped that Discover University and the Island Living/Snowy Escape/Jungle Adventure/Outdoor retreat would do that for TS4 but I was a little disappointed. I do see a huge improvement in Snowy Escapes vs Jungle Adventures but to be honest it still feels a bit shallow. Like there is no real dept or effect to playing these packs where in TS2 and TS3 this really was a HUGE addition to the game and gameplay.
Let’s look at university packs in TS2 and TS3; this was done AMAZINGLY! There were different ways to get enough point to graduate, making home work, attending classes ACTIVLY next to the rabbit holes, write papers… It was not easy, but if you planned it right you could do it in two semesters and still have time to throw parties and work a job, join a sorority etc. In TS3 university is just A LOT of the same. All your classes are rabbit holes and you do nothing waiting for sims to come out. You write a paper and make a presentation. Doesn’t matter if you study biology or literature. You basically do the same thing. We can see through those hollow shells, it’s just lazy to be honest. Give is some interaction. Let me have some interaction with the skeleton during class, let me practice with it at home. Let me paint for creative studies and let me work with the lab if I do science… things like that would make a HUGE difference. It is too easy to achieve things (but very inactive) and it doesn’t really have an effect on your Sim when you achieve it.
TEENS:
The same laziness we see when you created teens. I mean come one…. Really? I understand that is it a lot of work to create a new life stage including animations and actions but this was really a new low for you guys. It really said: we don’t care at all. I don’t understand how you dared to give us those, it’s so painful that we are spending hundreds of dollars on this game only to look at the modding community to fix things that should have been basic.
BABIES:
Worse than teens. They are objects. I mean they don’t even feel like Sims. They are attached to their cradle. It’s embarrassing really.
Overall the game is just not in dept enough. It feels shallow, we can FEEL exactly where you didn't really try. Or where you guys were not allowed to spend more time on which was so needed. It really makes me feel EA cares more about the money and less about the quality of the game.
Yes we still buy everything you create, because we trust you and hope you will do better. But honestly we won't be idiots forever, spending hundreds of dollars for something that is NOT WORTH IT. You still have our support which is mainly based on the work MAXIS did, but please do better because we won't stay forever. Your credits will run out some day.
EA Staff (Retired)