"CAPTAIN_NXR7;c-17611784" wrote:
I strongly disagree that there should be an all inclusive representation of 'race' in The Sims.
Instead, the game should focus on a more complex sims creator tool, adequate enough for the player to create a sim of any appearance.
TS4's CAS is good, but it can be much better. As you mentioned, it should have unique sliders for certain features that are currently missing. Really there should be height sliders.
Skin tones and skin details should be expanded by adding new swatches, or through a complete CAS overhaul. There should be a greater variety of hair styles, including textured hair and more natural colors.
I'm a hybrid of about 50 different 'races'. I can't find a preset of anything that looks like me, because my 'race' doesn't exist in game. I'm not even a 'race' anymore.
What I am is a human being with a blend of different physical features. And in the end that's what everybody's appearance is. A blend of physical features.
It's not Maxis' job to represent every single race in The Sims. It's Maxis' job to give us the right tools so we can create a sim that looks like ourselves, or another person with unique features, or something completely ridiculous that doesn't even exist in the world (Or so we think...).
That's why it's a game. If a tool like that exists, no one has to be disappointed.
Thank you, I think you touched on the real issue.
The Sims games in the past were in their own universe, and that universe had no "race", but it did have diversity to a small extent. In Sims 2, for example, there were
four skin tones, ranging from light to dark. Because the game was a satire of humanity, and the player was meant to be the "God". It was a simplified way to create whatever appearance or "culture" the player wanted their Sims to have. If you activated the Aliens by using the telescope at night, then you also got the green skin tone, but it was exclusive to Aliens.
While The Sims games have always contained that diversity, they have never claimed to represent any race or religion. In Sims 3, there was a skin tone slider, but I believe you could also access the color wheel to create unusual skin tones like pink and blue so it really expanded on creating what was in your imagination, which was the point of the game. But the tools were already there for diversity, and the company didn't have to proclaim it to the world. They did also have some cultural representation in
locations, both in Sims 2 and Sims 3 (I can't speak for Sims 1, I haven't played it) but that was where the line was drawn.
Enter Sims 4 and suddenly EA/Maxis wants to jump on the trend bandwagon to be "part of the crowd'. Suddenly, the game's long history of diversity speaking for itself isn't good enough to get attention, but they have to shout loud and proud to get that pat on the back (and, let's be realistic, money.) Suddenly they're preaching up and down about inclusion and culture and diversity, making huge presentations out of every addition that speaks to that agenda. And while it's good to include those things in game by default, and expand on them, the marketing of it always left a bad taste to me because it's using a serious issue to get sales, and eventually, the expectations will go above and beyond what they are capable of accommodating.
How can you declare inclusivity and cultural diversity by tossing in a selection of splotchy dark tones and call it a day? Sure, they say their work isn't done, but that's the caveat because
it will never be done. And I think they are beginning to understand the corner they've backed themselves into, even after they release these new tones. Because now, every time they release something to represent a cultural group or race, another culture is going to get offended that they haven't been represented, including the light/white-skinned cultures. Because Irish, Finnish, Italian, Icelandic, Czech, New Zealanders, etc. all exist too, and yes, Natives of various regions. As do many different Asian and Latino races. If you're going to claim to be inclusive of cultures and races but then pick and choose what cultures you want to represent just to appeal to a movement or trend, you are going to appear racist when you're not delivering on truly being diverse.
Honestly, I don't see how they can get out of it now. The game should have been left up to the interpretation of its players, while these new, diverse items got patched in on a neutral stance, or under the presentation of just expanding CAS. But they've raised a flag and declared their game representative of real people, so real people are going to expect representation.
