Making Traits Matter: A Proposal for Cohesive Personality & Neighborhood Stories
Does anyone else feel like their Sims are just "skins" with the same basic AI underneath? While we have an incredible array of traits, aspirations, and likes/dislikes, they currently feel like separate islands that don't talk to each other. I’m proposing a core overhaul of how Personality, Aspirations, and Memory Systems function—across all lifespans—to make the game feel truly alive and autonomous.
[b]1. Personality-Driven Autonomy (All Lifespans)[/b]
Personality should be the "brain" of the Sim, starting from Infancy and evolving through Elderhood.
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[] [b]Trait-Driven Weighting:[/b] Traits should act as multipliers for autonomy. A Creative Sim should be 5x more likely to pick up an instrument than a Lazy Sim.
[] [b]Active Likes/Dislikes:[/b] If a Sim Dislikes Fitness, they should NEVER autonomously use a treadmill. Currently, the "Preferences" system feels like it only affects moodlets, not actual decision-making.
[*] [b]Aspirations as "Life Filters":[/b] An Aspiration shouldn't just be a checklist for the player; it should dictate the Sim's focus. A Sim with the Master Chef aspiration should autonomously seek out the stove or cookbooks during their free time.
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[b]2. Deepening Trait Logic: Specific Examples[/b]
To make Sims feel unique, their "Action Picker" needs specific logic based on their traits:
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[] [b]The Jealous Trait:[/b] Instead of just a "Tense" moodlet when a partner is away, Jealous Sims should autonomously "Check Social Media" or "Check In" via phone more often. They should have a lower threshold for "suspicious" autonomy.
[] [b]The Erratic Trait:[/b] This should be the "Wild Card" for Neighborhood Stories. The Erratic Sim should be the only one who randomly quits a high-level career or moves to a different world overnight.
[] [b]The Non-committal Trait:[/b] These Sims should autonomously favor "Exit" actions. If a relationship bar gets too high, they should feel "Tense" and seek out solo travel rather than accepting every romantic interaction.
[] [b]The Hates Children Trait:[/b] This should be a hard "No" in the code. They should never autonomously interact affectionately with infants, and Neighborhood Stories should never trigger an adoption event for them.
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[b]3. A Cohesive Memory & Relationship System[/b]
Individual and shared memories should act as the foundation for how Sims treat one another.
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[] [b]Shared History:[/b] If two Sims have a "Negative" memory together (like a public fight), their autonomous interactions should stay "Cold" or "Mean" for a significant period.
[] [b]Trauma & Growth:[/b] Major life events (fires, deaths) should leave a "Memory Buffer." A Sim who survived a fire might autonomously avoid the stove or "Panic" near fireplaces for several days.
[*] [b]Neighborhood Rumors:[/b] If a neighbor is involved in a scandal, other Sims should "remember" this and have unique autonomous reactions (like Gossiping or Avoiding) when they see them.
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[b]4. Fixing the "Chaos" of Neighborhood Stories[/b]
The current system functions like a random number generator. It needs actual logic:
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[] [b]The Baby Boom Fix:[/b] The system MUST check Household Funds, Bedroom Count, and Traits before triggering an expansion.
[] [b]Trait-Filtered Events:[/b] Events should match the Sim. Ambitious Sims focus on jobs; Romantic Sims focus on dating; Family-Oriented Sims focus on kids.
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[b]5. Technical Proposal: A Base Game "Personality Engine"[/b]
This must be a Base Game Update. If the foundational "brain" is improved in the Base Game, every DLC pack released afterward will feel more cohesive.
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[] [b]The "Action Picker" Logic:[/b] Add a logic check to every autonomous action: "If Trait/Aspiration/Memory = Conflict, THEN Probability = 0."
[] [b]Relational Broadcasters:[/b] Update the way Sims react to world events so the game "pings" their individual history and traits before assigning a choice.
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The Sims 4 has the potential to be the deepest life sim ever made, but the systems need to be woven together. We want to watch our Sims live their lives and be surprised by their choices because those choices actually match who they are.
[b]What do you all think? Which trait or memory do you feel is currently the most "broken"?[/b]
Sorry if there was any confusion while reading . I had to change some of my formatting so the forum doesn’t mistake my feedback as invalid code .
