You're not the only one who feels that way, OP. There are so many of us who have been complaining and, up to now, the issue hasn't been addressed. Hopefully, it will in the future.
Until that time (if it ever comes), I find ways to bypass the issue. Specifically, I micromanage the heck out of the game.
This is the first time in the history of the series that I have felt compelled to do this. For the first time in fifteen years, I run the game with free will turned off. If I don't, something distasteful or disturbing happens. Rather than the game inspiring stories, I basically use the game as a movie set to play out stories of my own. The Sims are attractive and animated, so at least that part works out.
Still, it's unfathomable to me that a game that has historically been about people, connections, and family doesn't recognize much of any of those things at all.
