Life stage Shortcomings & How to improve it

Shortcomings in The Sims 4

1. Oversimplified Life Stages
 • The game lumps ages 30 to 70+ into just “Adult” and “Elder.”
 • Huge parts of adult development — midlife, menopause, pre-retirement — are skipped.

2. Visual & Emotional Flatness
 • Teens look like Young Adults, and Adults transition abruptly to look like Elders. This reduces immersion and age-specific storytelling.

3. Missing Identity Transitions
 • Key periods of self-discovery, crisis, legacy-building, and physical change aren’t reflected in existing life stages.

Detailed Alternatives & Justification:

Teen (Ages 13–18)

Defining Characteristics:

• Puberty and rapid physical development
• Exploration of identity and independence
• Emotional volatility, peer pressure, and rebellion
• First romantic relationships, school stress, social discovery
• Balancing family expectations and personal freedom

Gameplay Ideas:

Most gameplay systems for teens already exist and function well in The Sims 4, including:
• High school, part-time jobs, dating, curfews, mood swings, aspirations, and prom.
The core issue is not gameplay, but physical representation.

Visual and Physical Improvements (Main Fix):

• Shorten Teens slightly (5–8%) to clearly distinguish them from Young Adults
• Use less defined body presets — narrower shoulders, slimmer limbs, reduced muscle/tone
• Apply softer facial features — rounder cheeks, smaller jawlines, subtler bone structure
• Add minor animation differences — less confident posture, fidgeting, youthful mannerisms
• Introduce teen-specific fashion styling — awkward trends, oversized fits, or youth-targeted looks

Young Adult (Ages 19–29)

Defining Characteristics:
 • Exploration of self, identity, and relationships
 • Instability in career, housing, and income
 • Dating, friendships, and college
 • Trying and failing at different paths (“finding yourself”)

Gameplay Ideas:
 • More failure tolerance, flexible aspirations
 • Roommate systems, early career ladders, debt/loan mechanics
 • Aspirations like “Wants to Be Famous,” “Wants to See the World,” “Still Figuring It Out”

Adult (Ages 30–49)

Defining Characteristics:
 • Settling into long-term roles: marriage, parenthood, home ownership
 • Career peak or stagnation
 • Increased responsibilities, time constraints
 • First major health concerns or life regrets

Gameplay Ideas:
 • More rigid routines, burnout systems, parenting complexity
 • Midlife aspiration shifts (“Rekindle My Dreams,” “Start a Business”)
 • Couple dynamics (e.g. maintaining romance through stress)

Middle-Aged (Ages 50–69)

Defining Characteristics:
• Transition period between adult stability and elder slowdown
• Shifts in physical health: slower recovery, menopause, new aches
• Career winding down, mentoring others, or starting a second path
• Parenting adult children, becoming grandparents
• Heightened reflection on purpose, legacy, and mortality

Gameplay Ideas:
• Life reassessment events: “Late Career Crisis,” “Downsize and Travel,” “Reconnect with Old Flame”
• New aspirations: “Wants to Guide Others,” “Wants to Start a New Chapter”
• Health mechanics: menopause symptoms, joint pain, medication systems
• Relationship depth: long-term marriages, estranged children, widowing
• Identity systems for legacy-building: writing memoirs, recording family trees, funding scholarships or causes

Elder (Ages 70+)

Defining Characteristics:
• Post-retirement living: simplicity, reflection, health focus
• Decreased physical ability, increased reliance on others
• Potential for loneliness, but also wisdom and spiritual depth
• Deepened family ties: storytelling, mentoring, heirloom-passing
• Confronting mortality and shaping one’s remembered legacy

Gameplay Ideas:
• Memory and cognition events: storytelling boosts family memories, mild forgetfulness
• End-of-life planning gameplay: wills, funeral preferences, parting gifts
• Expanded social roles: honorary titles, elder councils, grandparenting mechanics
• Moodlets from life review: satisfaction, regret, nostalgia
• Aspiration: “Wants to Be Remembered,” unlocking interactions like giving blessings or final advice.