What would you change/tweak in Sims 4?
There are a lot of posts about what objects or gameplay we'd add to the game if we could, but if you couldn't add anything new, what would you tweak to work differently using what is already in the game? I'm not thinking bug-fixes here, but additions or changes that would improve gameplay.
Tweaking life stages to be more age appropriate and unique:
In many ways the life stages are too similar in my view. Kids behave like miniature adults and there is virtually no difference between young adults, adults and elders other than a few interactions. Here I would add changes to how the life stages work to make them feel more different. A few examples:
- Toddlers wouldn't be as independent (unless they have the independent trait), so no autonomously going to bed, but napping or throwing tantrums when tired instead. No picking up toys after themselves, or putting laundry in the basket, or making their beds - at least not autonomously but only when being directed (by player or parent). I would also allow toddlers to play with the toys for dogs, as they are too young to know the difference.
- Children would be more prone to play with toys than hitting the computer, and less neat and orderly. No washing up dishes, making their bed or picking up their toys or putting their clothes in the hamper unless they have the reasonable traits for it (such as neat, or perfectionist) or are directed to it. No more autonomous homework unless they have the traits for it, but more fun gained from school project if certain traits are present. Also kids shouldn't "make a mess" unless they have the childish or goofball traits, as they are too old for that.
- Teens would have a much higher social need than others (baring certain traits), but also a higher metabolism (less gain fat, more hunger) and a faster change in hygine than adults. They'd learn physical skills faster (fitness, skiing) but cognitive skills slower (logic, rocket science). Again traits would affect this. They'd also be less neat, more rebellious, and more likely to refuse when parents tell them to do stuff.
- Young Adults would be a mix of teens and adults, not fully yet dreaming of kids, more on starting a career and going to uni. They'd be more prone to act autonomously on wants than adults (less impulse control) and have a bigger social need than adults (but less than teens). Their metabolism would still be higher than an adult (less than teens), but their cognitive skills would increase.
- Adults would have more long term wants (get a house, have kids, get married, reach the top of a career, renovate the kitchen...) and less impulsive wants (listen to a certain type of music). They would be less likely to act on wants autonomously. They would have a harder time learning physical skills, but easier than ever to learn cognitive skills. Midlife crises would occur later in their life stage, and be more fitting to their personality and experiences. Parenting styles would be dependant on their personality traits and they'd react less negatively to parenting that are anything other than supportive (they've chosen a parenting style for a reason and must believe in it, so negative outcomes, definitely, negative moodlets are just annoying).
- Elders would have another trait slot, would have some more unique interactions (such as changing "discuss expanding the family" to "ask for grand-children"). For elders learning physical skills would be much harder, but also cognitive skills would take slightly longer time. Their wants would be much more age appropriate, some unique ones that only apply to elders.
Tweak lifestyles to be more consistent with character and less annoying
I love the idea of lifestyles, but hate the way they mostly give your sims negative moodlets and how they sometimes make no sense. Someone with a romantic aspiration should not develop the single and loving it lifestyle just because they haven't been on a date for a few days for instance. Let personality traits and aspirations affect which lifestyles are possible, and make them give more benefits and affect wants but less negative effects. Add more lifestyles based on the new packs so that they are more varied.
Make personality matter more
Make sure personality trait affect more things, such as wants, abilities, skill building, lifestyles, aspirations and what you do and do not do autonomously. A mean sim will not always be nice to others and a hot-headed sim won't return an insult with "how was your day?"
Add more milestones
There are so many milestones that would make sense but isn't there: move out of your parents house, buy your first house, lose a parent, grandparent, sibling, close friend, pet, celebrated a holiday for the first time...
Tweak "make a mess" to make more sense
I love the make a mess interaction but there are several things wrong with it. Kids are too old for this (unless childish or goofballs) but it should otherwise be restricted to toddlers, and where it happens is often completely random. There are two ways to make a mess: with flour/cocoa or with paint. So limit the flour/cocoa one to happen close to counters, and the paint one to only happen close to easels, activity tables or other suitable furniture (everything from the artist pack for instance).
Socialising is fun! Parties are fun!
At least if you have the right traits. Sims should have more fun at parties, because they are at parties, because they're talking to people they like... just have socialising also fill up the fun meter without them having to crack jokes all the time. I hate that after a party my sims are all in desperate need of fun.
Make clubs better
Let toddlers and infants be part of clubs, let clubs include more people and add more activities from various packs. Let people join more clubs (5 perhaps?), add university categories to the filters and let us edit clubs from the world view.
Make careers semi-active
Go over all careers in game and make most of them (those that makes sense) semi-active with work from home activities. Add "do work related activities" as a club activity so we can build work places and go with our sims to work if we want.
Other small tweaks:
- Kids do run in real life, let them jog places too.
- Adults, even active adults, don't always run, sometimes walking is just fine
- Stop biking to indoor destinations
- A short walk with the dog does not take 3+ hours...
- Talking while resting, sunbathing or knitting works just fine...
- More subjects for arguments (argue about family, vacation destinations, friends, dating, cleaning, money...)
- Let sims abort what they're doing to react to the things that would affect them, such as a cheating partner, a toddler making a mess...
- Allow sims to be in bed sleeping when another sim in the family returns home late (instead of watching tv, being on the computer...)
- What is inappropriate behavior for your sim to do in other people's houses should go both ways, and if an NPC does those things you should be able to tell them to leave immediately (even if you haven't greeted them first)
And as I notice that I can go on forever, I'll leave it at that and repeat my question, what would you change/tweak?
