Forum Discussion

5 years ago

Solved

[BY DESIGN] [ECO] Can't place objects on balcony in apartment

Product: The Sims 4 Platform:PC Which language are you playing the game in? Deutsch How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%) What is your current game version number? 1.63.134.1020 Wha...

gameplay issue

SimGuruFrost
5 years ago
Hi all, this is a design decision and I have more info from SimGuruPaul to share on why:

Thanks for playing Eco Lifestyle, Simmers. We want to address your feedback on the balcony of Pinecrest Apartment #404. Some of you might have seen some early videos in which Game Changers were building on balconies. They were playing on an Alpha build that had the issues described below. When we initially designed and built that apartment, we planned for the balcony to be buildable space to make up for the real-life limitation of not having a yard. We ran into some challenges along the way and we’d like to share with you what happened.
We learned during production that the tech for swapping the apartment exteriors with gameplay could not accommodate this due to complications with the apartment exterior dynamically changing with the neighborhood. The balcony also had a bug in which neighbors looking for the front door would walk through the apartment uninvited to get to the balcony and then knock on the sliding glass door. How rude! We tried a fix that enabled items to be placed on the balcony, but this resulted in more bugs:
When the town enacted the Modern Development Neighborhood Action Plan (NAP), the balcony wall did not update to match the wood paneling from the rest of the building. If you tried to fix the pattern manually, the wall did not respond predictably.
That NAP caused the window and the door to disappear erratically.
We explored and attempted multiple fixes, but when they didn’t pan out, we decided the best option was to return to a static balcony and adjust the logic for determining the front door. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused and we hope this at least gives some insight into what went into the decision.
SimGuruPaul

aquamarinekatty

5 years ago

@bttrflies25 i somewhat agree, but it’s been like 3 days and we haven’t heard from anyone regarding this. I’ve reported bugs here, on insta, on Facebook, tweeted to the gurus. And it’s all just falling on deaf ears. Maybe they’re attempting to fix it but like a little “hey guys we’re working on this issue, will give more info when we know something” ya know?

SimGuruFrost

EA Staff (Retired)

5 years ago

Hi all, this is a design decision and I have more info from SimGuruPaul to share on why:

Thanks for playing Eco Lifestyle, Simmers. We want to address your feedback on the balcony of Pinecrest Apartment #404. Some of you might have seen some early videos in which Game Changers were building on balconies. They were playing on an Alpha build that had the issues described below. When we initially designed and built that apartment, we planned for the balcony to be buildable space to make up for the real-life limitation of not having a yard. We ran into some challenges along the way and we’d like to share with you what happened.

We learned during production that the tech for swapping the apartment exteriors with gameplay could not accommodate this due to complications with the apartment exterior dynamically changing with the neighborhood. The balcony also had a bug in which neighbors looking for the front door would walk through the apartment uninvited to get to the balcony and then knock on the sliding glass door. How rude! We tried a fix that enabled items to be placed on the balcony, but this resulted in more bugs:

When the town enacted the Modern Development Neighborhood Action Plan (NAP), the balcony wall did not update to match the wood paneling from the rest of the building. If you tried to fix the pattern manually, the wall did not respond predictably.
That NAP caused the window and the door to disappear erratically.

We explored and attempted multiple fixes, but when they didn’t pan out, we decided the best option was to return to a static balcony and adjust the logic for determining the front door. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused and we hope this at least gives some insight into what went into the decision.

SimGuruPaul

LuluTheCuteSim
Seasoned Traveler
5 years ago
What about the bulldozing problem, and the fact that the apartment has no floor when looking from a low angle?
- SimGuruFrost
  EA Staff (Retired)
  5 years ago
  We are looking into a fix for that. 🙂
  - LuluTheCuteSim
    Seasoned Traveler
    5 years ago
    Thank you! ❤️
simmag31
5 years ago
Does it means we’ll never be able to build it ?
- LuluTheCuteSim
  Seasoned Traveler
  5 years ago
  It kinda sounds that way. But there is always the tool mod 😂
  - aquamarinekatty
    5 years ago
    Damn this really sucks 😢 I feel like I would prefer a balcony with glitchy wall paint and random guests than a completely unusable space. The apartments were a big selling point for me and a lot of other simmers here. It just doesn’t make sense to have access to something unusable. Kind of breaks my heart a little, but thanks @SimGuruFrost for giving us an explanation. 👍❤️
- Howellllll11
  5 years ago
  Yes
mimilu04
New Veteran
5 years ago
@SimGuruFrost If I understand well you are not trying to fix this issue anymore? That is really disappointing.
- gamesarelife123
  5 years ago
  he cant he already said that...it would cause more glitches and make more people complain
  
  no its not
  
  @Prisimly they tried everything they could if the apartment balcony is the only reason u got it then thats ur fault
  
  @Saolil again they tried everything just dont get the pack or use the tool mod they may fix it one day
  
  (merge post, you can edit your own post fyi) - Atic
pepperamac
5 years ago
With that being the case, you all should have let people know this in advance. You showed that balcony in your stream and game-changers built on it, so releasing the game with them non-buildable after the fact without disclosing this issue is false-advertisement. It shouldn't have been something you wrote as the 51st comment in a bug thread days after release.
InfiniteVerve
Seasoned Ace
5 years ago
@SimGuruFrost so you guys knew this before sales went out, and didn't tell customers until now? That would be false advertisement, knowingly false.
Longmire58
5 years ago
The Pinecrest Apartments should have had the balconies removed once it was discovered that the programmers lacked the expertise to make them fully functional after the Eco Living upgrade - in game. There should have been a press notice or EA announcement that these apartments would not have the balconies due to EA's failure to make them a viable part of the apartment building. We are way past the point where EA sends out a new EP with non-functional gameplay aspects.

Do the right thing, admit your flaws and weaknesses to the loyal customer base who have put up with these kind of incomplete game play additions for the last 20 years now. By releasing the Pinecrest Apartments with this restriction, EA has just pissed off and disappointed millions of Sims players. Be Best, Be Smart and Do The Right Thing for your customers in the future.
QAhmad82
5 years ago
WHAT ABOUT THE ROBOTIC ARM? WHEN WILL THAT BE FIXED?
SirenOfSims
5 years ago
This is probably the ONLY thing I was excited about in this pack. I just wasted money. You should have announced that this was being removed BEFORE launch.

Also, might I point out you said you tried different fixes...well can’t you just...idk...try more? The decision has made a lot of the Sims community upset and disappointed. Even the aspirations in this pack take about 1-3 hours to complete max.
- saolil
  5 years ago
  Once again EA drops the ball. This is ludicrous anymore. You guys have knowingly pushed out shoddy work for 2 decades now, across multiple games. Just more half finished products that you rush out in order to make a buck. Meanwhile, your loyal customer base are are STILL basically your free beta testers, which is part of your job, not ours. Enough already!
  The balcony is BAD enough, what made it worse is that you people KNEW this didn't work correctly before release, and you CHOSE to put it out anyway, WITHOUT mentioning this to the people who had already purchased this new bugfest of yours!
  Unacceptable.
  Just more of the tried and true, bait and switch tactics by good, old, EA.
  Not to mention the fact that the major feature of this release, the eco footprint isn't even working, pets are disappearing at random, everyone is playing with clay nonstop and leaving it everywhere, cooked meals are disappearing, Sims are getting stuck in animations or just randomly resetting themselves, the list of bugs this semi-complete release goes on and on.
  Being outright dishonest with your base is the very reason your company has a rubbish reputation.
  - gamesarelife123
    5 years ago
    @saolil just use the tool mod
- gamesarelife123
  5 years ago
  @SirenOfSims thats just sad if you were excited for just a balcony
  - SirenOfSims
    5 years ago
    Very sad indeed.
OceanYam
5 years ago
if we cant build there how can we make the houses green? they are the only not green lot in my neighborhood
PhantasmicBones
5 years ago
What’s the point in even having it if you can’t utilize the space?