I have a dream, Sims 3 Edition
So, I came back to The Sims 3 from an extended break yesterday. Part of that break was due to the fact that towards the end of April I got myself an Oculus Quest VR headset. Then in early May I got a USB-C 3.0 cable that would let me use it for PCVR too. I've been playing many different types of VR games. From Escape Room/Puzzle Adventure games to Beat Saber, and a wide range in between. Shooters, oh gods are shooters great when it's actually you doing the aiming. Tetris, yeah Tetris Effect is just as amazing in VR as it is normally. Maybe more amazing. 3rd Person Platformers are so much more immersive. Strategy games? Again so immersive. Horror, farming, even just watching classic Doctor Who in VR is amazing... in part due to the fact you can watch it with other fans from around the world... without being at risk of infection. And playing 'pancake' games (as they are affectionately being called by VR enthusiasts) in VR by having it projected on a massive screen (I favor cinema screens) is great.
But my newfound love of VR has given me a Dream. It's unrealistic and I doubt it'll ever happen. But hear me out. Imagine, you start up The Sims 3, create your new sim, and select a town, and chose your initial home. Then instead of a 3rd party perspective as if you're some omnipotent being you are the sim. Instead of Simlish the sims speak English, or whatever your language of choice is. Instead of observing from the outside, you are experiencing your sim's life. You decide what to cook, and when. Sure the game has background mechanics that decide if you start a fire or burn your food, with such risks going down as your sim's skill at cooking increases. Or other sims are more likely to find you boorish and insulting when you stumble over words if your sim's Charisma skill is low. But it's you doing things, not an AI. You get to explore the world of The Sims 3, and not from a top down outside observer perspective. You get to chat up Bella Goth, not just watch your sim do so. Ever wonder what those funny stories or ghost stories sims tell actually are? Now you can hear them for yourself. If your sim becomes an international superspy, it's not just a rabbithole job title, you get to actually experience the thrilling adventures your sim is going through while on the clock because you are actually on the adventure. Of course, this would ideally be optional, so that if desired you could have things 'fade to black' and skip ahead to getting off work instead of going through the tedium of filing paperwork for eight hours.
I know this is unrealistic. I know it's never going to happen, at least not with The Sims 3. If a The Sims VR game like this did get made, you know I'd at least have to check it out. But still, I can dream. And I thought I'd share this dream with you, my fellow simmers.
But my newfound love of VR has given me a Dream. It's unrealistic and I doubt it'll ever happen. But hear me out. Imagine, you start up The Sims 3, create your new sim, and select a town, and chose your initial home. Then instead of a 3rd party perspective as if you're some omnipotent being you are the sim. Instead of Simlish the sims speak English, or whatever your language of choice is. Instead of observing from the outside, you are experiencing your sim's life. You decide what to cook, and when. Sure the game has background mechanics that decide if you start a fire or burn your food, with such risks going down as your sim's skill at cooking increases. Or other sims are more likely to find you boorish and insulting when you stumble over words if your sim's Charisma skill is low. But it's you doing things, not an AI. You get to explore the world of The Sims 3, and not from a top down outside observer perspective. You get to chat up Bella Goth, not just watch your sim do so. Ever wonder what those funny stories or ghost stories sims tell actually are? Now you can hear them for yourself. If your sim becomes an international superspy, it's not just a rabbithole job title, you get to actually experience the thrilling adventures your sim is going through while on the clock because you are actually on the adventure. Of course, this would ideally be optional, so that if desired you could have things 'fade to black' and skip ahead to getting off work instead of going through the tedium of filing paperwork for eight hours.
I know this is unrealistic. I know it's never going to happen, at least not with The Sims 3. If a The Sims VR game like this did get made, you know I'd at least have to check it out. But still, I can dream. And I thought I'd share this dream with you, my fellow simmers.
