@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 ☹️ (though the level of customization in TS3 cant' be beat! 🙌 ) 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. 😞 That said, one of my favorite things i love about TS4 is it's ability to multi-task! ❤️ 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! 😞 )
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!🤔
@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).
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 don’t 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 don’t fit the situation or sim. It is frustrating that the EA team hasn’t added anything in this area or improved on it in 6 years. This was their biggest selling point. Where is scared? I don’t 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 don’t 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 doesn’t want to read. Seriously, every time I tell him to, he does it for a few minutes and puts the book away. He’s a bookworm? The difference are so small they are imperceptible. In previous games if two sims that didn’t like each other ran into each other you’d know that they don’t 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. Shouldn’t 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 can’t do anything when I caught klepto steeling,( the klepto gets embarrassed but the other sim has no power in this encounter) I can’t skip on the bill etc. The get two allotted days of sadness when someone from family dies even if they hate the person. It’s like a here is your sad badge. After those days it doesn’t 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. Don’t 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 won’t 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 don’t even notice. And then there is the interaction options themselves. You can ‘praise vampire lifestyle’ 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 can’t have one sims introduce another or family member. I can’t 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 it’s just friendly). They should put some effort into developing the nuances.
- add a few more emotions because some just don’t fit. I can’t 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 don’t want my sim to like the same things. All sim games had preferences like color, drink (which supposedly they have I just can’t 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 doesn’t have to be complicated just exist to make certain sims stand out or be rejected. Sims 2 had a pretty decent system. And don’t want the sim to like someone because they are a snob especially if your sims doesn’t 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 it’s 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. I’m 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 doesn’t 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. It’s 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 it’s pretty. I love build ( but there aren’t enough lots to build on), but game play is oversimplified, moods overwrite everything, and It has no life. There is no nuances, it’s calculated, it’s not engaging, my sims are now clones. There is nothing that distinguishes them from each other, nothing that impacts long term play. It’s so this and done. There are modders that have already introduced some of these things so it can be done. I just don’t 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.
