7 years ago

Ideas to make vehicles more relevant in a closed world.

To me, cars are an integral part of life. They also have greater meaning and purpose than getting from point A to B. In TS2 and TS3, I have always used vehicles as a reflection of a Sim's personality and social status. So, I was thinking, couldn't this idea be taken out of the realm of imagination and transformed into concrete game play for TS4?

For example, if your Sim is interested in another Sim who has the Materialistic trait, will that Sim be caught dead getting into your Sim's old beat up hooptie? Or, will the hopeful suitor have to borrow someone else's car in order to make the best first impression?

If your Sim gets out of the car at the club or the store, depending on their traits and age group, other Sims could make fun of or admire the car that your Sim rolls up in. Your Sims reaction to that feedback could depend on their traits. A well-balanced, mature Sim would brush off negative remarks. Immature, materialistic, or hot-headed Sims might become angry or embarrassed. Then, a pressing whim would appear, encouraging them to buy a better car.

Along the lines of being embarrassed or proud of their car: Sims could go through actions to highlight their arrival such as "Make an entrance". Or, tone it down with, "Get there early and park a few blocks away". (The Sim leaves home and returns home in their car. However, they arrive and leave the venue on foot.)

Sims with a type of Born to be Wild trait will want to purchase a motorcycle or a hopped up muscle car. They could also get lots of speeding tickets in the mail. A collector would want to drive a lovingly renovated classic car that they only take out of the garage when the weather is fair. A family type Sim might favor a family van or a larger SUV. A frugal Sim could have a car plastered with ads. Teen Sims could ask to drive Mom or Dad's car. Or they can "borrow" the keys, knowing that they'll be grounded when they get home. (But the night out would have been worth it! LOL.) Kids can sit behind the wheel and pretend to drive while Mom/Dad washes the car (keys safely stashed in their pockets). Business owners could own a van or a pick up with the logo of their business. (Another use for all of those game stickers?)

An eco-friendly Sim might prefer a bike. Bonus points if the bike generates electricity that can be used to charge a phone, or power its own lights. Whenever a particularly large gas-guzzler passes by, those Sims will shake their heads in disapproval. High-fives and "Way to go, neighbor" would be for Sims who are also riding bikes, walking, or driving an electric car.

Famous Sims or Sims who've accomplished the filthy rich type aspirations would automatically get the option to purchase a fancy town car or limousine, along with a uniformed driver. (I would suggest increasing the requirements to meet those aspirations or every Sim might eventually end up riding around in a chaufer-driven car.)

A hot-headed car enthusiast could get really annoyed if he comes out of a venue and finds kids/teens touching his or her car. A more friendly type would open the doors and give the kids a good look around the interior. :smiley:

These are just a few ideas that suddenly occurred to me. If they aren't completely well thought out, I apologize. I'm about to leave the house and I wanted to get this down before I forgot about it. :)

Anyway, I just wanted to put it out there that an open world doesn't have to be a requirement to make vehicles interesting and consequential.

manakochi
7 years ago
I love the idea of other sims judging another sims car lol.
I would love the DIY car back (was TS2 or 3 we had that in?) but instead we have different types of car to pick from so we could have a super cheap car that is super slow or we could do up an expensive car and be the talk of the town (of course these will come in different colours too). OR we have to start with a cheap car to do up but as we level in repair skill we can unlock upgrades that allow us to update and change the cars look to the expensive car!
Would love to have something new for the repair skill, getting bored of using the wood bench.
irisrosal2
7 years ago
Car is one of the things I most hope for The Sims 4. More than beaches and universities!

I miss it so much... I do not understand why developers have not worked on it yet. Many great and possible ideas have already been posted here in the forum. I hope they do not disappoint us.
anthonydyer
Seasoned Traveler
7 years ago
This game could use some cars. I think driving cars and parking it is a lost cause, but there are some things that can be implemented.

We should get cars in buy mode. We should be able to place it anywhere on the lot.
We should be able to initiate travel by clicking on the car instead of the cell phone (I always found the travel by cell phone thing weird).
Sim will walk to car, get in, and then cut to load screen.
Sim will walk at destination lot, but have car in inventory.
At home, have additional interactions in car, such as nap, take for spin, etc.
Garages. Just one thing needs to be done. Garages can already be created by creating a room and removing the floor. The only thing we need now is a garage door that goes through the foundation.
indi-gecko
7 years ago
One thing I really thought was amusing in past games was being honked at by fellow carpoolers before work. It added realism.
Cynna1065
7 years ago
"ManakoHime;c-16608744" wrote:
I love the idea of other sims judging another sims car lol.
I would love the DIY car back (was TS2 or 3 we had that in?) but instead we have different types of car to pick from so we could have a super cheap car that is super slow or we could do up an expensive car and be the talk of the town (of course these will come in different colours too). OR we have to start with a cheap car to do up but as we level in repair skill we can unlock upgrades that allow us to update and change the cars look to the expensive car!
Would love to have something new for the repair skill, getting bored of using the wood bench.

Yes, I love the idea of different kinds of cars based on financial capability. It would also be cool if Sims could purchase cars based on need. For example, in previous games, cars functioned like circus vehicles -- any number of Sims could get in. It would be realistic if each car had an inherent number of seats. So, that husband/wife with six kids who goes out to purchase a family car and comes home with a two-seater roadster, that Sim would probably get a good talking to from their SO. :)

@Anthonydyer, I would love it if cars could be purchased in buy catalog or off a lot. TS2 and TS3 both had car sale platforms, IIRC.

The one thing that I don't want to see repeated is the car in the pocket phenomenon. I really, really disliked that in TS3. A nice solution would be parking spots that could be added to any lot. When a Sim teleports in, they teleport into the parking spot and they get out of the car from there.

My regret is that so many places in TS4 are nowhere near a road. So, although Sims are teleporting onto the lot anyway, no road would ruin the illusion that the Sims drove there. :/ Hopefully, if TS4 ever gets cars, there will be nearby parking spots in the non-lot areas (like what they have in BB). From there, the Sims can walk up to the house or venue. That's pretty much how people who live in cities manage. They park in a nearby lot and then walk to their destination.
anthonydyer
Seasoned Traveler
7 years ago
"Cynna;c-16610894" wrote:

@Anthonydyer, I would love it if cars could be purchased in buy catalog or off a lot. TS2 and TS3 both had car sale platforms, IIRC.

The one thing that I don't want to see repeated is the car in the pocket phenomenon. I really, really disliked that in TS3. A nice solution would be parking spots that could be added to any lot. When a Sim teleports in, they teleport into the parking spot and they get out of the car from there.

My regret is that so many places in TS4 are nowhere near a road. So, although Sims are teleporting onto the lot anyway, no road would ruin the illusion that the Sims drove there. :/ Hopefully, if TS4 ever gets cars, there will be nearby parking spots in the non-lot areas (like what they have in BB). From there, the Sims can walk up to the house or venue. That's pretty much how people who live in cities manage. They park in a nearby lot and then walk to their destination.

@Cynna I agree that cars should not be put in the inventory. I'm not sure if it is practical considering the way the game is set up. It would require an overhaul as they would need to modify all the cities to have real streets (instead of fake streets), and create parking spaces. I never liked how they created lots that are in the middle of nowhere. In sims 2 and 3, lot placement always made sense. They were near a road whether it was in the center of a city or in a desolate area. For this reason, Brindleton Bay and to a certain extent Windenburg are nightmares to me. I despise that rural area in BB because lots are in the middle of nowhere, have no access to roadways, and are covered in trees. The rural area in Windenburg is too desolate for my taste, although it has some kind of road in front of the lot. You don't have this problem in Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, Newcrest, and San Myshuno.
Cynna1065
7 years ago
"Anthonydyer;c-16611285" wrote:

@Cynna I agree that cars should not be put in the inventory. I'm not sure if it is practical considering the way the game is set up. It would require an overhaul as they would need to modify all the cities to have real streets (instead of fake streets), and create parking spaces. I never liked how they created lots that are in the middle of nowhere. In sims 2 and 3, lot placement always made sense. They were near a road whether it was in the center of a city or in a desolate area. For this reason, Brindleton Bay and to a certain extent Windenburg are nightmares to me. I despise that rural area in BB because lots are in the middle of nowhere, have no access to roadways, and are covered in trees. The rural area in Windenburg is too desolate for my taste, although it has some kind of road in front of the lot. You don't have this problem in Willow Creek, Oasis Springs, Newcrest, and San Myshuno.

I know what you mean.

The current lots are...interesting. However, I agree that they're a logistical nightmare. To me, those lots smack of more shortsightedness. At some point, whoever is in charge had to know that cars, motorcycles, and bikes would be highly requested features. Why did they not think of adding functional roads for every lot?

My hope (and its a long shot) is that the city designers in BB were preparing for the eventuality of vehicles. Perhaps those current parking spaces are placeholders for when the genuine articles arrive? I have no idea, but I certainly hope so.

Windenburg is a real issue. (San Myshuno also. Although, I had an idea of how to deal with that.) There seem to be no allowances for personal transportation there. I suppose it could be considered a car-free zone like a lot of cities have? If players want a family with vehicles, Windenburg would not be a good choice for them.

Come to think of it, each world having set pros and cons adds some intrigue to the decision of where to set down our Sim family roots. Hmmm....
Cynna1065
7 years ago
"ManakoHime;c-16608744" wrote:
I love the idea of other sims judging another sims car lol.
I would love the DIY car back (was TS2 or 3 we had that in?) but instead we have different types of car to pick from so we could have a super cheap car that is super slow or we could do up an expensive car and be the talk of the town (of course these will come in different colours too). OR we have to start with a cheap car to do up but as we level in repair skill we can unlock upgrades that allow us to update and change the cars look to the expensive car!
Would love to have something new for the repair skill, getting bored of using the wood bench.

I also love the idea of a DIY car. :)

I also like the idea that someone else suggested a while ago: cars break down occasionally, just like IRL. A handy Sim would be able to diagnose and fix the problem (with a chance of getting it wrong). If the Sim isn't handy or the handy Sim makes the situation worse, there could always be the option to take the car to a mechanic's garage (new career/business). The mechanic keeps the car for a few hours or so and the Sim would be able to pick the car up, good as new.

Another cool idea for artistic types would be car painting and detailing. That could be another branch of the mechanic career that requires painting skill (and hopefully a perfectionist trait to create vehicle masterpieces). If you're a car enthusiast, take the car to have it cleaned, detailed, or totally made over with a new paint job. In fact, cars could be the only objects in the game that (like pets) have a CASt option.

It's not possible to make all the furnishings CASt compatible. However, cars could have the option from the start -- accessible at the dealer/auto shop. Or, perhaps, it could be accessible through DIY jobs in someone's home garage, provided that they have the proper tools. Again, DIY detailing/paint jobs have a chance of going very wrong, depending on the Sim's skill.

Seriously, there's just so much that can be done with cars that doesn't have a thing to do with driving them down the road! ;) I hope that the devs are keeping an open mind.
karon_shiruba
7 years ago
They could also implement a Car Mechanic/Car Repairman profession. We would be able to buy a Car workshop, there we would be able not only to sell cars but to work on other sims cars. We would be able to paint their cars as they wish, repair broken parts, upgrade their cars or help them resell their cars. Depending on our mechanic skill we would do a worse or better job, the harder the job you have to do, more skilled you have to be, or your Car Workshop will receive negative stars.
LittlBowBub
7 years ago
Some lots have road access and some do not. When hovering over a lot it could state whether or not cars can be used on this lot. Or you might have to walk to the road before you can use the car. Such as apartment call a taxi then go into the street to the taxi.

Most things seem to be click then loading screen so I would rather them focus on activities to do with the car such as mechanics and maybe even a lot where teens can learn to drive where you can actually see them driving around a car park or something.