Clocks don't actually move in the Sims 4

"waterywatermelon;c-17805298" wrote:

"crocobaura;c-17805201" wrote:

Those alarms were good when getting sims ready for work as they would wake them up even if their sleep bar wasn't full. Wish they would add an alarm type interaction on the phones.

Sims in The Sims 2 actually don't need alarm clocks. Every time the carpool arrives, the time speed will go to Play instead of the super-fast speeds. Plus, Sims will autonomously go to work if they are in a good mood. However, if they are in a bad mood, then the Sim will not autonomously go to work. You can force your Sim to go to work, but a bad mood will just lower the performance meter. You may as well call in sick and hope that you don't get caught. I think, if you get rejected, then you automatically get fired?

"Sk8rblaze;c-17805213" wrote:

I’ve been playing The Sims 2 for almost 15 years before that video comparing TS2 and TS3 animations was made. I never needed a video to tell me TS2 has richer animations and more detail in certain areas, especially with the objects I’ve mentioned.

What objects?

Sk8rblaze wrote:
Like The Sims 2, it'd be very nice to see clocks actually sync with in-game time, and objects such as chess, pool (which The Sims 4 still doesn't have after 7 years lol), bowling, etc. to portray an actual game rather than have pieces/assets just poofing here and there.

- Clocks actually move in The Sims 1, which is carried over to The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, but not in The Sims 4.
- In The Sims 2, Sims actually move the chess pieces around the board, while in The Sims 3, the chess pieces are more or less static.
- But in the Sims 3, trees sway in the breeze, and you can see moving shadows on the ground, because there is a real sun in the world. In The Sims 2, the trees are static. Haha. Beat that!
- The Sims 3 also has pool tables, and on top of that, it has Ping-Pong tables. Score for The Sims 3!
- The Sims 3 also has bowling; it comes with University Life EP.

I would argue that The Sims 3 - with its own collection of expansion packs, each of which packed with content - has more "small details" than The Sims 2 and just as rich as The Sims 2.

I would definitely say TS3 immerses me in a different way, between things like the huge open world, the opportunities feature that makes it feel lively, the huge amount of gameplay skills offer (even after maxing them), etc. Of course, The Sims 4 lacks that as well.

- The open world feature is a big plus for TS3.
- There are loads of opportunities in TS3 - far more than in TS2. In The Sims 2, you just get career-related chance cards, hobby-related chance cards and maybe some job opportunities. But The Sims 3 goes above and beyond.
- The Sims 3 also has active careers for the first time. In TS2, all careers are text-based. However, The Sims 2 Open For Business allows your Sims to open up shop, and with this method, you can have a doctor owning the hospital or small clinic. The OFB expansion has the best method for running a business, in ways that The Sims 3 Ambitions or The Sims 4 Get To Work can't compare. You are given a pretty large neighborhood - Bluewater Village - with some pre-made families, and you can sell anything! The Sims 3 has the consignment shop, but you don't get to see who has purchased your item. The Sims 4 is pretty limiting in scope compared to The Sims 2 OFB.
- But, I still like The Sims 3 Ambitions for having the ability to become a venture capitalist - buying land capital, investing and upgrading the land and profiting off the land. I suppose there is this feature in TS2, but you may have to work your way up to Rank 10 Business, then sell off that business deed to a Townie (who most likely has unlimited funds) or a super-rich playable Sim.

bella_goth wrote:
exactly, both games are good & detailed and both offered new/different things too so i don't see it fair to compare them this way. i have barely played sims 3 but so far i loved all the gameplay. sims 2 as i said i play it more often and it's just evident the game is very good made. if people thinks about sims 2 rather than sims 3 that's just each person's preference. personally i've seen equal praise for both sims 2 & 3 while sims 1 has recently gotten a bit more praise and sims 4 gets as much praise as complaints lol

I was talking about the fact that some people only mention TS2 as "having small details", as if TS3 is lacking in this department. No, it's not. There are "small details" in TS3 that are not in TS2, and they are just as rich as TS2 ones.

Clocks in TS2 actually woke your sim up about 1 hour before they were due to leave for work. Just enough time to shower, use bathroom, or eat. In TS4 and TS3 we get that notice and by the time you read it and find out what's it about the one hour is already up and your sim is late for work.
We had pool tables and bowling in TS2 . Football, kicky ball, and basketball too. And lots of little games in the pool.

"crocobaura;c-17805303" wrote:
Clocks in TS2 actually woke your sim up about 1 hour before they were due to leave for work. Just enough time to shower, use bathroom, or eat. In TS4 and TS3 we get that notice and by the time you read it and find out what's it about the one hour is already up and your sim is late for work.
We had pool tables and bowling in TS2 . Football, kicky ball, and basketball too. And lots of little games in the pool.

In The Sims 3, it's actually 2 hours, and I find that 2 hours is more than enough time to get ready for work. The one hour in The Sims 2 is not enough. Furthermore, if there is a wall of text, I tend to ignore it or pause the game to read it. So, that beats Sims 2.

Pool tables and bowling return in The Sims 3.

The Sims 3 also has football, kicky ball and basketball (Store content). But, football is something you can buy from the catalog and put in the Sim's inventory. Same goes for the kickyball. You literally have to buy the kickybag and the football and the baseball to play kickybag, football and catch in The Sims 3. Kind of realistic, in a way. In The Sims 2, the balls just appear from nowhere. Basketball is part of The Sims 3 Store.

Sims 3 Sims can also snowboard. Bet you can't do that in the Sims 2! In The Sims 4, snowboarding comes with Snowy Escape, while The Sims 3 has snowboarding in Seasons EP.

The Sims 3 has festivals in the Sims 3 Seasons EP, and that one has lots of activities. Sunset Valley's Central Park is converted into a Festival Grounds with festival related objects. Sims can go to the festival and do an Easter egg hunt. It really makes collecting fun. The Sims 2, on the other hand, has the ability to go hiking and finding random stuff along the way, but you can't follow your Sim there. The Sim just disappears and re-appears on the residential lot. In The Sims 3, you can collect rare items from ALL OVER THE WORLD, and if you have World Adventures EP, you can go on adventures and take loot.

In summary, The Sims 3 feels like a goal-oriented game while The Sims 2 feels like a story-oriented game. Gameplay-wise, The Sims 2 can be quite boring for me, because there are not many goals. So, to make the game more fun and interesting, I create stories and backstories in the Sim Bios, Family Bios, Family Albums and Neighborhood Album. The stories add a lot of depth to the characters, IMO. But, if I were to just play The Sims 2 without any story going on, then it'll get dry real quick.

"waterywatermelon;c-17805340" wrote:

"crocobaura;c-17805303" wrote:
Clocks in TS2 actually woke your sim up about 1 hour before they were due to leave for work. Just enough time to shower, use bathroom, or eat. In TS4 and TS3 we get that notice and by the time you read it and find out what's it about the one hour is already up and your sim is late for work.
We had pool tables and bowling in TS2 . Football, kicky ball, and basketball too. And lots of little games in the pool.

In The Sims 3, it's actually 2 hours, and I find that 2 hours is more than enough time to get ready for work. The one hour in The Sims 2 is not enough. Furthermore, if there is a wall of text, I tend to ignore it or pause the game to read it. So, that beats Sims 2.

Pool tables and bowling return in The Sims 3.

The Sims 3 also has football, kicky ball and basketball (Store content). But, football is something you can buy from the catalog and put in the Sim's inventory. Same goes for the kickyball. You literally have to buy the kickybag and the football and the baseball to play kickybag, football and catch in The Sims 3. Kind of realistic, in a way. In The Sims 2, the balls just appear from nowhere. Basketball is part of The Sims 3 Store.

Sims 3 Sims can also snowboard. Bet you can't do that in the Sims 2! In The Sims 4, snowboarding comes with Snowy Escape, while The Sims 3 has snowboarding in Seasons EP.

The Sims 3 has festivals in the Sims 3 Seasons EP, and that one has lots of activities. Sunset Valley's Central Park is converted into a Festival Grounds with festival related objects. Sims can go to the festival and do an Easter egg hunt. It really makes collecting fun. The Sims 2, on the other hand, has the ability to go hiking and finding random stuff along the way, but you can't follow your Sim there. The Sim just disappears and re-appears on the residential lot. In The Sims 3, you can collect rare items from ALL OVER THE WORLD, and if you have World Adventures EP, you can go on adventures and take loot.

In summary, The Sims 3 feels like a goal-oriented game while The Sims 2 feels like a story-oriented game. Gameplay-wise, The Sims 2 can be quite boring for me, because there are not many goals. So, to make the game more fun and interesting, I create stories and backstories in the Sim Bios, Family Bios, Family Albums and Neighborhood Album. The stories add a lot of depth to the characters, IMO. But, if I were to just play The Sims 2 without any story going on, then it'll get dry real quick.

TS3 had most of the activities, hobby and skill objects stuck in the Sims 3 store so you had to buy them additionally. It was expensive and some of them were never released as standalone objects. You could buy the football net and the basketball hoop in TS2, not sure why it made it special that you could buy the ball itself in TS3. Personally I don't find collectibles so interesting, there is nothing much to do with them apart from display or sell them. TS3 had some good points, but for me at least was a very underwhelming experience.

"crocobaura;c-17805353" wrote:
TS3 had most of the activities, hobby and skill objects stuck in the Sims 3 store so you had to buy them additionally. It was expensive and some of them were never released as standalone objects. You could buy the football net and the basketball hoop in TS2, not sure why it made it special that you could buy the ball itself in TS3. Personally I don't find collectibles so interesting, there is nothing much to do with them apart from display or sell them. TS3 had some good points, but for me at least was a very underwhelming experience.

There is no football net in The Sims 2. There is a soccer goal. Though, it's football if you live outside the USA. Since the Sims Franchise is American, it is really called soccer, not (American) football.

The soccer goal is also available in The Sims 3 Seasons EP, and you can take your Sims to the Festival Grounds to play soccer. If you have University Life, then you can get an independent soccer ball and stick that into the Sim's inventory. The Sims 2, on the other hand, attaches the soccer ball to the soccer goal, while The Sims 3 has 2 different ways to play soccer - one with the goal and one without.

Yes, the basketball is in The Sims 3 Store, and if you buy that on sale on the Daily Deals, then the Basketball Hoop will just cost 130 SimPoints. Once you acquire that, the next deal is to get Level Up Collection for free, and after that, the Man Cave Compilation will come free as well.

Buy/Build Mode is one of the strong points of The Sims 3, compared with The Sims 2. Building is very similar to TS2, but there are tons of upgrades. The sledgehammer tool is available in an EP of TS2, but returns as part of the base game in TS3. TS2 patches revolve around fixes, but TS3 patches will include cool stuff like the basement/tomb tool from World Adventures. In TS2, if you want a recolor, then you have to go into Bodyshop or SimPE and make a CAS item recolor or object recolor, and it's a time-consuming task because you have to make the textures look good and seamless. But in TS3, you can just do everything with Create-A-Style. It's that easy. Also, with all EPs installed, there is a big overhaul to the arrangement of items in CAS. Personally, I think this new overhaul of CAS shortens up the list of items and makes the game load faster. BuyDebug cheat is introduced in TS3. In TS2, if you want a hidden object, then you have to extract it or download the extracted item.

Actually, if you have the Sims 3 Ambitions, you can collect scrap from the junkyard and sell the scrap at the consignment shop. Alternatively, you can purchase scrap or gather scrap from the junkyard and use the Inventing table to invent something using the scraps, but if you detonate public property, you may get fined! If you have The Sims 3 Supernatural, that comes with the gem cutter and the werewolf. The werewolf from Supernatural and pets from Sims 3 Pets can search for gems, bring them in, and the gems can be used in the gem cutter.

Personally, I find that The Sims 2 makes up for the lack of gameplay by having the whole story component. The Sims 3 makes up for the lack of story by having an expansive gameplay.

TS3 had most of the activities, hobby and skill objects stuck in the Sims 3 store

Um... most of the skills come from the EPs, and once you collect all of the EPs, there are lot of skill books that you can study from and classes that you can take.

Also, The Sims 3 comes with its own activities and hobbies stuff, and you don't have to use the Store at all.

"waterywatermelon;c-17805401" wrote:

"crocobaura;c-17805353" wrote:
TS3 had most of the activities, hobby and skill objects stuck in the Sims 3 store so you had to buy them additionally. It was expensive and some of them were never released as standalone objects. You could buy the football net and the basketball hoop in TS2, not sure why it made it special that you could buy the ball itself in TS3. Personally I don't find collectibles so interesting, there is nothing much to do with them apart from display or sell them. TS3 had some good points, but for me at least was a very underwhelming experience.

There is no football net in The Sims 2. There is a soccer goal. Though, it's football if you live outside the USA. Since the Sims Franchise is American, it is really called soccer, not (American) football.

The soccer goal is also available in The Sims 3 Seasons EP, and you can take your Sims to the Festival Grounds to play soccer. If you have University Life, then you can get an independent soccer ball and stick that into the Sim's inventory. The Sims 2, on the other hand, attaches the soccer ball to the soccer goal, while The Sims 3 has 2 different ways to play soccer - one with the goal and one without.

Yes, the basketball is in The Sims 3 Store, and if you buy that on sale on the Daily Deals, then the Basketball Hoop will just cost 130 SimPoints. Once you acquire that, the next deal is to get Level Up Collection for free, and after that, the Man Cave Compilation will come free as well.

Buy/Build Mode is one of the strong points of The Sims 3, compared with The Sims 2. Building is very similar to TS2, but there are tons of upgrades. The sledgehammer tool is available in an EP of TS2, but returns as part of the base game in TS3. TS2 patches revolve around fixes, but TS3 patches will include cool stuff like the basement/tomb tool from World Adventures. In TS2, if you want a recolor, then you have to go into Bodyshop or SimPE and make a CAS item recolor or object recolor, and it's a time-consuming task because you have to make the textures look good and seamless. But in TS3, you can just do everything with Create-A-Style. It's that easy. Also, with all EPs installed, there is a big overhaul to the arrangement of items in CAS. Personally, I think this new overhaul of CAS shortens up the list of items and makes the game load faster. BuyDebug cheat is introduced in TS3. In TS2, if you want a hidden object, then you have to extract it or download the extracted item.

Actually, if you have the Sims 3 Ambitions, you can collect scrap from the junkyard and sell the scrap at the consignment shop. Alternatively, you can purchase scrap or gather scrap from the junkyard and use the Inventing table to invent something using the scraps, but if you detonate public property, you may get fined! If you have The Sims 3 Supernatural, that comes with the gem cutter and the werewolf. The werewolf from Supernatural and pets from Sims 3 Pets can search for gems, bring them in, and the gems can be used in the gem cutter.

Personally, I find that The Sims 2 makes up for the lack of gameplay by having the whole story component. The Sims 3 makes up for the lack of story by having an expansive gameplay.

TS3 had most of the activities, hobby and skill objects stuck in the Sims 3 store

Um... most of the skills come from the EPs, and once you collect all of the EPs, there are lot of skill books that you can study from and classes that you can take.

Also, The Sims 3 comes with its own activities and hobbies stuff, and you don't have to use the Store at all.

Gameplay is linked to the object. I really have no use for a skill book if they cannot practice it. Sims can read the fiction books for all I care, from the gameplay point of view they just read. You cannot have gameplay when most activities are stuck in the store and all you can do in the worlds provided with the game is run from one empty venue to the next. World Adventure EP was so popular because you actually had something you could do on your own in the tombs. Shops were basically a vending machine, restaurants were another self service warm food vending machine type venue, and hotels were a rabbit hole. Bars were always empty. If you met a sim in the park and wanted to talk to them they had no time for you because the game sent them off the lot. I sent gems to a gem cutter, all I could do with them is display them because the jewelry bench was in the store. Running around the world to get stuff done was a nuisance because CASt was constantly loading textures and sims looked like plastic regardless of the texture you put on their clothes, and they never fixed the very bright sunlight in the game which made it strainful to look at. Like I said, TS3 was an underwhelming experience FOR ME. I am happy you had fun playing it.

You need The Sims 4 to have actual running clocks why?

I prefer they use resources in actual gameplay than in this kind of stuff...

"crocobaura;c-17805503" wrote:
Lol, you're actually listing the basic skills like that's enough for a pleasant gameplay experience when there are probably just as many if not more skill and activity objects in the store than in the game. And I don't care that there were sims in the bar in Bridgeport (which by the way there weren't any, unless you call 4 sims stuck in the elevator and the barman on his way out plenty of sims). It was not possible to switch neighbourhoods so it does not matter that Bridgeport bars were, in your opinion only, more populated with sims. Size of the worlds also doesn't matter because there was nothing to do wherever you went, most venues were either empty or rabbit holes. And no, you couldn't call sims to ask them out because first you had to be fast enough to ask their number before they left the lot and second whenever you called they were at work or sleeping so refused to show up. Running across the world to find collectibles got tiresome pretty fast no matter how pretty the scenery and how open the neighbourhood was. Even the store restaurant wasn't a full restaurant experience as it had no waiters and the hotel you are referring to was more like a homeless shelter than hotel. I don't see the expansive gameplay in TS3, in fact there was very little of it. Like I said, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

The Sims 2 Skills: https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Skill
Of course, the ones that show in the UCP are Cooking, Cleaning, Mechanical, Logic, Body, Creativity and Charisma. Other skill points are earned invisibly.

The Sims 3 Skills:
- Cooking now requires ingredients instead of Food Points. Of course, even without Ingredients, you can just purchase the recipe from the refrigerator. It is also possible to collect or grow herbs, then add the herbs to food to improve the food quality.
- Handiness now offers the ability to upgrade objects.
- Sims in the Sims 2 can only jog off-lot, but in the Sims 3, you can follow your Sims around as they jog, and while they are jogging, you can choose "Don't Break A Sweat" so they don't lose any Hygiene, and you can see how long they take to jog from Point A to Point B. From what I remember, if you achieve one of the achievements, you can actually lengthen the Sim's lifetime by doing exercise like jogging.
- The Sims 2 lumps all creativity skill objects as one, so Sims will just gain creativity skill points, but depending on the object they use, they may gain some kind of hidden skill. In the Sims 2, it is possible to gain 10 Creativity skill points through painting, then magically appear like you can play the piano like a champ, because the piano skill doesn't exist. However, a fantastic pianist can create a not-so-good painting, because there is the hidden Painting skill. In the Sims 3, the piano skill and painting skill are separate skills. Yea!
- Charisma in the Sims 2 is rather simplistic. A loner can apparently gain all Charisma skills just by talking to himself in the mirror or with the Politics career reward. In the Sims 3, the Charisma skillset is tied to making friends and forming relationships/bonds.

This is just to offer you a glimpse at how The Sims 3 expands on skilling, more so than The Sims 2.

Also, there was the time when I only had the base game of The Sims 3 and Store content purchased with bonus SimPoints that I earned from the ads. I later purchased the expansion packs, and now my Sims have so many skilling options. You get the most skills from the EPs than from the Store, though the Store does have the gambling skill, which is not included in EPs. So, you are incorrect about that one.

Fine. I've placed a bar/tavern in Sunset Valley, and it still has inactive Sims visiting that lot. It's not empty, like you say it is.

Actually, you can go fishing in a pond/ocean, look for seeds that you can plant, look for free food at the park, harvest wild produce or produce grown at a community garden (Riverview), go to the bar and order food/drinks, skip stones, go boating, build snowmen and snow angels if you live on a small residential lot, make a public protest, go to private homes and perform makeovers, etc.

And no, you couldn't call sims to ask them out because first you had to be fast enough to ask their number before they left the lot and second whenever you called they were at work or sleeping so refused to show up.

Well, there was the time when I tried to get Mortimer Goth to invite out Bella Bachelor, and she was constantly working. So, I clicked on Bella's portrait and noticed that she was working as the food merchant at the Festival Grounds. I switched households and gave Bella a job in the Science career. Then, I switched back to the Goth household and resumed play. Then, at that point, I could get Mortimer Goth to invite out Bella after work hours. So, if I were you, then I would just check up on your Sims and see what they are doing in the world. Sims in the Sims 3 actually do stuff in the world, unlike Sims 2 Sims, where their SimData will just be pulled and used for a current lot.

Also, if your Sim knows another Sim, then you can usually find that Sim's house in the Map View, and you can click on it and visit that lot. You can also visit houses at 1:00 AM in the morning and interact with Sims that way, but the host will probably shoo you out at 3:00 AM because it's getting late.

The Festival Grounds is also a lively dynamic area, compared to The Sims 2 Riverblossom Hills' community lots. The Sims 2 community lots are static, and can only change if you edit them.

Also, you can earn the Collection Helper LifeTime Reward. It's very expensive, but I usually make it my Sim's objective to buy one of these things because they really help with collections. You can find tons super fast! I usually don't collect stuff otherwise, because like you said, it's very tedious.

Well, World Adventures calls it 'base camp' - just a camp where you can camp out and re-energize to start on your missions.

I was so excited when The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection came out, and I got that. But when I got into The Sims 3, I loved that even more. In The Sims 2, it always feel like I have to make up a story, because there are no surprises. The Sims have very little autonomy, and they need the player's attention most of the time. The Sims 2 also requires a lot of micromanaging. For example, if a Sim fails to fix the toilet, then that Sim will just quit. I always have to queue up a long chain of fixing the toilet just to make sure that the toilet is fixed. In The Sims 3, I just have to queue up one interaction, and the Sim will do that task immediately. Very efficient. Anyway, I think The Sims 3 has a different focus from The Sims 2. In TS2, it's more about the story of the characters and how they live their lives. Earning aspiration rewards isn't important at all, but they can definitely help towards a Sim's LifeTime Want. But in the Sims 3, it's more about finding the most efficient means to get the LifeTime Wish and earn LifeTime Happiness Points.

"Sk8rblaze;c-17805630" wrote:

I didn’t come into the thread to engage in a TS2 vs. TS3 debate — I just wanted to support accurate animated clocks to return lol.

Me neither. As a matter of fact, I simply stated previously that The Sims 3 seems to be more expansive in terms of gameplay while The Sims 2 seems to be more story-oriented, and that's how I look at both games. I actually love both games for what they are, but for different reasons. For The Sims 2, I like the storytelling component, but for The Sims 3, I love the gameplay aspect. The Sims 3 feels like it has so much to do than The Sims 2! Apparently, the other person wanted to debate me and convince me that TS3 gameplay is bad while The Sims 2 gameplay is much superior. No, I don't see it like that. I like TS2, but only for the Storytelling component. The gameplay... meh. There are no opportunities in TS2, so Teens will just go home, do homework, study, make friends. They can drive from the get-go, no need for driving lessons. College is only for YA, while TS3 University Life is much more fun to play. The llama mascot provides school pride, unlike the super-annoying TS2 mascot that does nothing but be annoying or the Cow Mascot that will just make pranks on everyone.

As I said, I like both games for what they are, but appreciate the detailed animations of The Sims 2 greatly (such as the fact The Sims 2’s Sims actually move chess pieces around as opposed to TS3/TS4 poofing them around the board. That’s what I am referring to by small details and that’s the kind of detail in animations I’d like to see again.

Yeah... the moving chess pieces are pretty cool. I remember watching my Sims play chess in the Sims 2. LOL. Too bad I can't do that in TS3.
I can also win/loss chess games. In the Sims 3, the hopscotch can be won or lost, but not chess. Weird.
A little detail in TS3 is the moving trees and shadows.
But in the Sims 3, I can invite a Ranked Chess Opponent over, beat him or her and earn LifeTime Happiness Points. In the Sims 2, the equivalent will probably be inviting a Sim with high Logic skills from the chess game and beat that Sim in chess, then make my own gameplay rules. Again, a lot of personal imagination instead of gameplay.

I think pitting TS2 and TS3 against one another is pretty useless, especially since the general consensus wants both of them merged into one for the next iteration. The Sims 2 has excellent game design that stays true to classic life-simulation gameplay and The Sims 3 has wonderful creation features as well as more open-ended goal oriented gameplay (such as opportunities which I love) that keeps the game fun and fresh. If they were combined for the next title, The Sims 5 will be a great hit.

We don't even know if The Sims 5 will ever come out. There are only speculations and rumors, but no official report to date, I believe.
Yeah, it's my biggest hope that The Sims 5 - if there is ever going to be a Sims 5 - will have the best from all games from The Sims 1 to The Sims 4. The Sims 1 introduces Bonehilda, the maid. Bonehilda is missing in TS2, but returns in TS3 and TS4. Santa appears in The Sims 1, 2 and 4 but somehow absent in 3. Cars appear in 1, 2 and 3, but absent in 4. Only in 2 and 3 do cars become drivable.

The Sims 3 also has excellent game design that stays true to life simulation gameplay. You live. You die. And in the middle, you do stuff to work towards your LifeTime Wish. The changes you make in society are very visible, and that's what I like about simulation games. I want to see a visible effect of the player's doings. Like in real life, you live in an open world where you can just walk to your neighbor's house and greet them. And the neighbors all have lives of their own. In a way, the game simulates everyone for you instead of you controlling everyone, making it more like a simulation than just playing dollhouse. I see The Sims 2 as a big step-up from The Sims 1, and The Sims 3 as a big step-up from The Sims 2, in regards to simulating.

The Sims 2 also has wonderful creation tools, such as Bodyshop and Homecrafter Plus and the ContentManager. You can also download the fan-made SimPE to edit package files and create more content, as well as open-ended gameplay but falls short of goals. In fact, I always play the scored outings/dates, because scoring makes the game more fun. I once had an inactive Sim invite my active Sim on an outing, and the whole outing was so huge that there weren't any seats at the restaurant for the whole group. So, they did other stuff on the community lot instead. That outing was also unscored, which was a good thing, because I don't think I can handle a large outing. The Sims 3 has Create-A-World and Create-A-Pattern. But The Sims 4 provides nothing to the table in terms of content creation.

"waterywatermelon;c-17805652" wrote:

The Sims 3 also has excellent game design that stays true to life simulation gameplay. You live. You die. And in the middle, you do stuff to work towards your LifeTime Wish. The changes you make in society are very visible, and that's what I like about simulation games. I want to see a visible effect of the player's doings. Like in real life, you live in an open world where you can just walk to your neighbor's house and greet them. And the neighbors all have lives of their own. In a way, the game simulates everyone for you instead of you controlling everyone, making it more like a simulation than just playing dollhouse. I see The Sims 2 as a big step-up from The Sims 1, and The Sims 3 as a big step-up from The Sims 2, in regards to simulating.

You cannot play elements that you cannot control. The neighbours going about their lives are just that animated background. They are not gameplay. When you switched houses the game made random changes to your played families. You had no control over the simulation so there were no changes to society made by the player.