@SqueamishNerd , TS2 is by far my favorite version of the Sims, so while I've seen these 2 videos in the past, I didn't even need to be sold on how much better TS2's gameplay is. 𼳠After TS2, I felt that TS3 felt rather empty âšď¸ (though the level of customization in TS3 cant' be beat! đ ) I do agree that TS4's personality system is lacking, as 3 traits for adults just isn't enough to make them feel different, and don't even get me started on how children feel the same unless you have one that is evil or mean. đ That said, one of my favorite things i love about TS4 is it's ability to multi-task! â¤ď¸ I also love the graphics, CAS, and Build/Buy Mode, as well as the ability to live drag various small objects such as plates to the sink or trash. (One of my least favorite things about TS2 was that there were so many baby bottles everywhere that your Sim had to throw away one by one! đ )
However, I have had Playful Sims that play with toys and they love to play with the doll house even if the children aren't around.𼳠So, unless that is a more recent Bug, they should be playing with toys like the ones in the toy box and the dollhouse!đ¤
@CircuitD and @Player_jp5s5eav , I like the moodlet system in TS4, but I don't like that it is at the expense of personality. Most personality traits are tied to moods and whims and not behavior. I had once seen a video testing Sims on what drives Sims behavior, and it is mostly what you have already directed them to do. So a music loving Sim straight out of CAS probably has as much chance picking up that guitar as a bookworm Sim or an athletic Sim. But once you direct them to an instrument a couple of times and they have some skill in that area, they will be more likely to do that behavior (even behavior that isn't tied to their personality.) However, musical Sims will have whims more often tied to their love of music, and they can get special buffs from doing musical stuff. It is a slightly different way of playing, and it isn't bad, even if it isn't as realistic as personality being the driving force of behavior. That said I think most people prefer more realistic behavior (meaning behavior that is driven by personality and not just mood or what you've had them do before).
Yaaay that playful (and childish?) sims can play with toys! đ I thought I had tested it, but I donât have many playful or childish sims so I mustâve missed it. I must say that itâs annoying that those traits are compulsory for adult sims to be able to play with toys at all, I wish every sim could be directed to do it even though only playful and childish sims can do it autonomously.
I want to add something else. There are things that TS4 has done better than previous games, as you mentioned PugLove888, such as CAS and BB. Another thing that theyâve done better are the cats and dogs. I wonder if itâs because they made a Cats & Dogs expansion pack instead of a Pets expansion pack, so that the devs could give the cats and dogs more love. With the cats and dogs there are so many details. For example, did you know that cats can ride on the robot vacuums (âroombasâ)? Thatâs my favourite small detail all time, in all the The Sims iterations. The cats and dogs act like real cats and dogs, they change sleeping position from time to time, they hide under the sofa, they go into heat, they get quirks (for example they can get afraid of certain objects, like the dishwasher) and a lot of other small details.
Another thing which is better than TS2 (Iâm not sure about how this is in TS3 since Iâve played it so very little and not the supernatural pack) are the magicians and vampires! Though I wouldâve wanted Realm of Magic and Vampires to be expansions, rather than a game packs, theyâre still more complex than their TS2 counterparts. Note that I donât think TS2 witches and vampires are bad in any sense, theyâre just not as good as in TS4.
With this said, I do feel like TS4 needs more details, but I also want to point out that itâs not inherently bad. The reason I say this is because Twitter has been a sh*t-show for the past weeks, people say that they hate TS4, and I just want to point out that this thread is to give constructive criticism and feedback. I love TS4, but it needs an overhaul in the details and personality areas. Also, even though CAS is better than in previous games it needs an overhaul too, because clothing items are missing pack-tags, menus are in the way, sims canât stand still etc.
@SqueamishNerdAbout cats going into heat, is that why people are reporting their cats continuously yowling (like in a post I saw here that mentioned the cat doing that)? đŻ 'Cause I know cats in real-life do that when they're in heat because it's uncomfortable for them or something, so maybe the devs added that into the game too to make it more realistic (but people are probably mistaking it for something else). âşď¸
@AprilTheSimmer96 , yes the cats and dogs will yowl when they are in heat, and little hearts float above them! However I am not sure it this is what that post you read was referring to, as it could also be a glitch or bug if the pets are not in heat but are distressed about something else. But most likely it is because they are in heat! â¤ď¸
@SqueamishNerd , By playful Sims I take it to mean Goofball Sims (The description says these Sims are playful). I can't be sure if it was Goofball or Childish Sims that played with the toys, as it just might mean one of those. These traits are very similar in my mind so I could have gotten them mixed up, but at least one of them is able to play with toys from the toy box as well as the dollhouse. I'm thinking that it was probably at least the Childish Sims who played with the toys. Goofball Sims might be more inclined to joking. đ I'm sorry for any confusion. đ
Yes, I also love the Pets in TS4! Although I loved how in TS3 you could play as the cat, dog, or horse, I do love how in TS4 there are a lot of the realistic things that dogs and cats can do , such as the ones you mentioned! One thing they messed up on was that dogs in the game do not jump on the bed to lay or sleep , but cats can get on the bed! đ I would think it was just because dogs come in two sizes, but they can jump on and sleep couches, so I don't understand why they can't do so on beds! đ˘ But other than that I love how the dogs and cats in TS4 act! If you have the Nifty Knitting SP then cats will play with yarn balls on the floor as well! â¤ď¸ And the Roomba riding cats are one of my favorite features! đđĽł
And I do agree with you theory that the cats and dogs are so detailed in TS4 because they only had cats and dogs, and no other animals to worry about. I"m sure this left them more time to focus on these pets, just like how the Vampires from the Vampires GP and the Spellcasters from the Realm of Magic GP are more detailed and fleshed out! đ This can be seen by the Aliens from the Get to Work EP and the Merfolk from the Island Living EP! While I enjoy playing both of them, they seem shallow in comparison to the Vampires and Spellcasters who got a pack devoted to them, instead of just being one small part of a larger pack! I know EA/Maxis gets a lot of flak for having Vampires and Spellcaster be each their own individual pack instead of lumped together in a Supernatural pack like TS3 did, but I really think this was the best way to treat these special Sims! đ And I agree, while I love the Vampires and Magicians from TS2, they aren't as good as those from TS4! TS3's Magicians and Vampires weren't as good as TS4 are either, and I think it is for the same reason that the Merfolk and Aliens from TS4 aren't' as good as the Vampires and Spellcasters! In TS3 the Vampires came with a NitghtLife pack (or a pack with a similar name) and were just a small part of that pack. Most of the other superantural Sims were introduced in the Supernaturals EP. These had Werewolves, Zombies, Fairies, and I think this is where the Magicians entered the game as well. The pack was one of my favorites but after seeing how the Vampires and Spellcasters were handled in TS4, I have to say I much prefer the way TS4 did it! đ
And I forgot to mention that every version of the Sims has something missing from previous versions. In TS1 there was a flower in a vase that your Sims would sometimes take the flower out and give it to their loved one! I really missed that in TS2, and it has never returned in TS3 or TS4. There have been so many wonderful touches in all the versions over the years so we are bound to miss them in newer versions. If and when they make a TS5, there will be some things that people will miss from TS4, even if they end up liking TS5 better than TS4. Each game has its own fun and charm! đĽł
I agree TS2 was my favorite as well. I wished they just recreate it with improved graphics. I liked TS3 a lot but that is because I had a ton of mods on it, like Story Progression, cc and I loved the open neighborhoods. At first when I got tS4 I was disappointed that we have load screens again, but because they are fairly short and at least the surroundings in each world are quite open I donât mind so much. But here also. I like being able to catch bugs and gather stuff. These neighborhoods like sims are much prettier but lifeless. The moodlets would not be as bad in TS4 if they would better tie personality and if there were more of them. They are moody loonatics no matter what is their trait. Some of the moods donât fit the situation or sim. It is frustrating that the EA team hasnât added anything in this area or improved on it in 6 years. This was their biggest selling point. Where is scared? I donât need flirty and very flirty. That is just the same thing. And maybe the sims should have a different mood around a new flirt and around a lifelong partner or kids (different based on relationships and traits). I donât know: loved? Maybe if they struggle with something they could get frustrated? If they do yoga they could feel zen, not just inspired. Also, tense is not scared and the sim looks just angry. I have a bookworm sim that doesnât want to read. Seriously, every time I tell him to, he does it for a few minutes and puts the book away. Heâs a bookworm? The difference are so small they are imperceptible. In previous games if two sims that didnât like each other ran into each other youâd know that they donât like each other by their reaction. Now my sim enemies and having a drink and a chat just like any other sim. Where is the flaming poop after a break up? They just get maybe a bit angry and become friends. Sometimes go straight to friends. Shouldnât their personality traits have an impact here? How is my evil or mean sim ok with that? Where is the child crying because they caught the parent cheating. I had a child walk in on who hoo and there was no reaction. I was hoping they will tell the other parent or at least prompt a interaction that would let them do it. But nope. Just like I canât do anything when I caught klepto steeling,( the klepto gets embarrassed but the other sim has no power in this encounter) I canât skip on the bill etc. The get two allotted days of sadness when someone from family dies even if they hate the person. Itâs like a here is your sad badge. After those days it doesnât matter. There is no lifelong consequences. My sim killed 6 husbands no one is even raising an eyebrow. I thought maybe she gets a black widow trait. I got a useless achievement that does absolutely nothing. No gossip, not even a bad reputation. Limit the phone call for job change add add other more meaningful phone calls. Ask on date? Gossips? Reputation that is a bag of crap. Donât get me started on those. They are so shallow. They are either good or bad. How limited is that? And then there is no attraction or preference system so everyone just likes the same things. You can gift any sim money or book and they will react the same no matter the sim, their traits, their relationship etc. Happy happy happy... overwrites everything. New clothes? You can have them go in a bathing suit to a restaurant and they wonât even be embarrassed. That actually happened in sims 3 or 2. They dance the same, learn the same, react the same. Nothing has impact or it is so small you donât even notice. And then there is the interaction options themselves. You can âpraise vampire lifestyleâ 15 times in a row to any sim and it will always be the same. Flirt always works and pickup line never does. I can predict the outcome of every interaction. No surprises or guess work. No risk taking. The Interaction choices barely change. I canât have one sims introduce another or family member. I canât ask for hand and it will probably just be successful. And the interactions we are given have 90% predictable outcomes and once again no impact on traits. Here is what I would like to see:
- add more options of interactions based on relationships other then friends. There are family members, enemy, coworkers (you have only few and as always itâs just friendly). They should put some effort into developing the nuances.
- add a few more emotions because some just donât fit. I canât believe there is no scared.
- to make this even more interesting I would limit certain emotions to traits. Like a excitable sim should be the only sim to get an exited emotion or exhilarated. Evil should be the only to get something like manic happy. Family oriented should be the only sim to get content around family. Athletic pumped ( not just energized which everyone gets) etc etc. I get they do with the description, but it just reflexes as happy or tense. That is the basic point. The color just makes this limited. My athletic, hot headed sim with a maxed athletic skill should not be losing fights with his non-athletic neighbor. That actually happened. And it made me realize that skill has little impact as well. To a degree it does but like I said some situations just make no sense. EA should fix it.
- add an attraction and preference system. I donât want my sim to like the same things. All sim games had preferences like color, drink (which supposedly they have I just canât remember what it is so I have one interaction that just overwrites this) food etc. that should translate to friendships (like shared traits or opposite traits). Attraction system doesnât have to be complicated just exist to make certain sims stand out or be rejected. Sims 2 had a pretty decent system. And donât want the sim to like someone because they are a snob especially if your sims doesnât know it yet. Give me 3 likes and one dislike that would prompt different interactions and impact long term actions.
- updates to reputation. Give me more then good or bad. If a sim is prolific at something they do, like multiple spouses, career, interactions etc they should get a reputation that reflects that. With it they should get new interactions from not only the sim with the reputation but others as well (With TS4 itâs very one sided). Something similar exists for celebrities. They get quirks. I am not saying every sim should have a reputation quirk but those that are prolific (have repeated actions or prolonged actions) at something should and it should have a global impact. Even earning reputations should depend on what it is. Some should be easier noticeable others maybe have not only certain actions repeated but other criteria like skill. Turn those achievements into something that impacts gameplay. If my sim is a mob boss with a mean streak maybe other sim should recognize that in a small way. Iâm not talking about fainting like with celebrities but something. Also another evil sim should have a different outlook at these reputations. A sim that volunteers a lot should maybe get a reputation for being a simanitarian. There are so many things that can be done. Pillar of community, life saver, thief. If one sim keeps borrowing money and not returning it maybe they should get a reputation for being a mooch (since this is no longer a trait) and have sim ask him for their money back or get fined or even go to jail. The sim in turn might get new interactions on how to ask for money like pretend grandma is sick to trick other sim to keep giving them money. Now you can ask for loan and not returning it has no impact (as everything else in this game) so instead of quirks maybe they do it as a learned trait or habit. Do something to make sim stand out and I hate how everything in TS4 is sooooo easy. Make things more challenging.
- add traits and aspirations. Currently this is the only thing we have or can do so give players more options. I want schmoozer back. And if I live in a perfect world have my schmoozer make quick friends but struggle making long term friends. Have them move up their career easier when schmoozing and being friends with boss but struggle getting to the top (since there is no one to suck up to) maybe schmoozer only have the potential to get a brown-noser or manipulator reputation but only if they achieve the max of charisma while working in certain jobs and completing a challenge. This doesnât have to be present for all traits, some can share interactions or challenges but it should have a global impact.
I know this might seem like a lot. But, think about it this way. Itâs a lot because none of those things exist in TS4 and some were existent in previous versions . It goes to show how limited and shallow this game is. How little they done to improve it, update it or change it. Oh itâs pretty. I love build ( but there arenât enough lots to build on), but game play is oversimplified, moods overwrite everything, and It has no life. There is no nuances, itâs calculated, itâs not engaging, my sims are now clones. There is nothing that distinguishes them from each other, nothing that impacts long term play. Itâs so this and done. There are modders that have already introduced some of these things so it can be done. I just donât want mods because I have to update with each EA update. I played TS2 and 3 for hours. This gets me border after 30 min. Because my sim are lifeless clones.
ps: I want the havoc can wielding elders back and flaming poop.
I agree, but unfortunately Nap destroyed even the trait preferences since now a music nap will make all sim grab a violin and active nap will make even a couch potato exercise. Yes you can turn them off, which is a solution to all sim bad creations. And even if it will have a small impact itâs just barely noticeable (playing the guitar will make any sim happy no matter the trait) The game has introduced scared emotion which to me is a great addition and much needed. I donât need the detail of grabbing a knife from a draw if all those details will slow the game. But, they are crucial animation deficiencies in this game that simply make game play boring. In order to make creating stories and gameplay interesting you need the negative drama. Without that they are just happy clones. My issue is that the game adds negative sentiments and maybe negative lifestyle (donât get me started on how badly both were designed. I especially have a problem with people person, which is assigned anytime a sim interacts with more then 1-2 sims a day, which in large families and active careers just gets slapped on without legitimate reason). I get negative sentiments without having any animation that would suggest why it happened. Items are just spawning in inventory or get purchased on the computer. That is not game play. Having to watch your sim on a computer is not game play. When something negative happens you just get that sad emotion which is standard for every sim and then has no impact in long term and minimal short term. No matter the trait, circumstance, relationship status the response is alway the same. Reputations are good or bad which basically sums up game play. And at the culmination of it all is lack of animations. In previous sims versions when a sim had an enemy youâd know it. They would occasionally come over and kick a garbage can, youâd get nasty mail, flaming poop, they spontaneously argue if they ran into each other and it was not overwhelming. This game introduces any animation and it gets overloaded to a point itâs more frustrating then fun. Vending machines are always stuck, Murphy bed kill at an alarming rate, thinking of family member is constant. There is no subtlety in the existing animations and positivity overwhelms this game . And, drama is simply missing. Relationships, reputation as limited as they are exist in a panel blurb. That is it. My sim visited her parents and wanted to bake some cookies and got thrown out like a stranger. So what is the point of a family tree or relationships in general if they donât impact, change or create diversity in game play? When a sim gets caught cheating they get a color. Animation wise nothing really happens or very little. There is no slapping, running away, screaming, very little arguing and it really no different if they would be arguing with a stranger. Actually if the other cheater was a friend they might even remain one and there is no interaction where you can confront the friend. There is no reciprocity. You canât kick a sim out of the house, ask them to move out. Instead you have to go to narrator mode, breaking any story creation and have the sim removed from the household and moved into another like a piece of furniture in build mode. There are no likes (except drinks I guess), no dislikes, attractions. There is very little diversity in behavior, reputation are sadly nearly missing, traits have little impact, animations are lacking and no reciprocity is provided. You can have a kleptomaniac but canât catch one stealing. You can ask to represent as an attorney, but after finding our career canât ask to be represented and this lack of reciprocity is very common. A cop can arrest someone, but a sim canât be arrested. You canât introduce one sim to another (this was an interaction available in previous sims), you canât just hang out. Groups have little activity they will do together. They just scatter all the time. And in most times the animation is missing, but instead you get a color. Every relationship level or title, exists in a profile panel only.
