I remember Grant responding to someone asking for an overhaul of systems like whims, traits and aspirations. He said something that sounded like they were considering it but were worried that people that like it how it is now would be unhappy. It's possible that they stepped away from them to see how people reacted. I hope they are re-vamping them, rather than stepping away altogether. I enjoyed them in TS2 and TS3 but they left a lot to be desired in TS4. They need to feel like meaningful short-term goals, that are actually tied to each individual sim.