Complaining about Sims 4.

Not really a right or wrong way to play the sims game. Bout as easy or as hard as you want it to be.

I have a few sims where I don't even look to get them a promotion and tend to keep them in the same position because I really don't want them to be successful or stupid rich. I do have a rich sim but there's still a bit of a struggle to keep paying bills with abig mansion wiht overly expensive things in it as bills are like 30K and it's only just them.

Sims don't even need any set of skills to get any sort of job across all four of them.

It's not like you go into options to change the difficulty of the sims. An casual, open sandbox experience.

Sims is a sandbox game, it's not meant to be difficult. It's pretty difficult as it is for new comers. It's not a game with an end game that you have to achieve. No matter how difficult they make it, someone will come along and claim it's too easy. Everyone has their own idea of what is and isn't easy.

Personally, I think it's just right. It I want it to be easy, it can be. If I want more of a challenge, it can be that, too.

There is no one way to play. So if you find your style of play is too easy, try a different approach.

I agree, it is very easy. So that's why I hope there will be pretty expensive private schools >:)

you can make it more challenging with mods. Mine is not easy at all.

"ChelleJo;c-17022521" wrote:
Sims is a sandbox game, it's not meant to be difficult. It's pretty difficult as it is for new comers. It's not a game with an end game that you have to achieve. No matter how difficult they make it, someone will come along and claim it's too easy. Everyone has their own idea of what is and isn't easy.

Personally, I think it's just right. It I want it to be easy, it can be. If I want more of a challenge, it can be that, too.

There is no one way to play. So if you find your style of play is too easy, try a different approach.

I agree, I feel like a lot of people don't realise how customizable their game play experience really is, at least with most expansion packs installed. I will admit, base game doesn't offer a lot of tools for varied game play across multiple saves, but tools from certain packs like the club tool, lot traits, reputation system, and so on, go a long way in making each of my saves/households feel unique and varied, especially with game play/difficulty of game play. Clubs go a long way in changing the social dynamics between my sim and other sims/other clubs, many lot traits add extra difficulty by messing up your sims living space more often than usual, and the reputation system does a very good job of keeping my sims and their public actions in check. A sim of mine with a pristine reputation got into a fight and made an enemy which resulted in her reputation dropping, but even afterwards she would receive text messages from other sims saying they heard she got into a fight, which brought her reputation down even more, went from pristine to good in just a couple days. These are just a few examples of how I use certain features to influence my game play experience and to keep it different/unique across multiple saves/households. Using these tools together however adds even more complexity and variation in my game play, I would recommend to anybody to occasionally experiment and play around with the various game play tools available, there's a lot one can do with these tools and I feel like many people don't realize it.

Have you tried to play with a larger household? Sometimes playing with several Sims at once can make things more challenging, like a group of roommates with different jobs, lifestyles, goals and personalities, or a large family with toddlers, children, teens and elders.

You can try playing a larger household where you control only one Sim in the household.

Also, there are quite a few challenges listed in the Challenges and Stories section. I recommend the Immortal Dynasty Challenge if you're looking for something with more difficulty, but there's also the Apocalypse Challenge and Pinstar's Legacy.

I do agree if you are looking for challenge game and always looking to beat it ... this game might not suit you without mods or self restraint or self restriction.

The thing is this game allows you to play out stories both of poverty or riches pretty easy. It's up to you as the simmer to drive that. So instead of doing all the achievement and fast money making things ... slow down.
Take your sims out with a group.. and pay for the meals. Buy good gifts for others and give them. Give your sims hobbies that they won't make money off of. Play an instrument, craft (and keep) some artwork. Get a crystal/metal or some other collection going. Send them out to do yoga or for a jog, send them out to have bar fights. Take the vacation days that are there for your sim to use. Stop hoarding the money or time like the one with the most wins. There is no winning in this type of game.
Try out giving some bad lot traits or character traits to your sims... heck bring the children up so they aren't perfect and not everyone will love them on first meeting. Avoid giving them traits that makes everything even easier. Go to festivals, try to learn to use chopsticks. Go swim at the pool (or build your own and have a party..). Use the central heat and air. Give to charity.... heck you can even burn your money.

When I first started playing the Sims 4.. I wanted to make money on my sims and make sure they succeeded. It was the only way I knew to play because of prior iterations and the habits I'd developed. I've lightened up a lot on that. I think I was more goal or challenge driven in prior games and the loosening up of driving needs and the ability to make money is there if I want it. I am at a point though where I don't chose the easy known path anymore. It was fun figuring out those paths though don't get me wrong.

Many of us don't want a pure challenge game. I want a game where my sims can live out their lives as I'd chose for them too do without work or money issues hanging over their head. If they do add more challenges in this game I hope they keep in mind us simmers that enjoy it as it's shaping up and don't force it on us.

"NorthDakotaGamer;c-17022531" wrote:

"ChelleJo;c-17022521" wrote:
Sims is a sandbox game, it's not meant to be difficult. It's pretty difficult as it is for new comers. It's not a game with an end game that you have to achieve. No matter how difficult they make it, someone will come along and claim it's too easy. Everyone has their own idea of what is and isn't easy.

Personally, I think it's just right. It I want it to be easy, it can be. If I want more of a challenge, it can be that, too.

There is no one way to play. So if you find your style of play is too easy, try a different approach.

What approach makes earning income a bit more difficult in the game? This is an honest question. I have played my sims only working different jobs, solely living off the land, or even solely doing hobbies. I get the same result no matter how I play where my sims can be millionaires half way through their young adult lifespan on normal. I could have a sim be a millionaire on the short lifespan too, but I am never that bored.

Well, considering with painting and woodworking, right off the top of my head... you can chose how often you do those things. You can go as slow or fast as you like. You can make a little or a lot. Only craft sculptures, instead of furniture. Instead of painting large abstract or realism paintings at later levels where you can rake in the dough, paint small pop arts, which bring in less cash, even at higher levels. Instead of a sim painting all day to earn millions, have them be more social, go do things, instead of sitting in the house earning income. Gardening.. well, instead of growing dragon fruit, grow mushrooms or black berries. You won't get rich off a crop of those. Don't grow money trees at all.

It's all in how you play the game. I have a sim family that has a home worth over 1 million dollars and they have over 8 million cash, and they are only on gen 4 being teens, not a single money tree. Then I have other families that only have enough for small upgrades over time and paying the bills. I can push it and make lots of cash. Or I can play other aspects and make very little. It depends on how you push your sims and what things you do.

"NorthDakotaGamer;c-17022712" wrote:

"ChelleJo;c-17022624" wrote:

"NorthDakotaGamer;c-17022531" wrote:

"ChelleJo;c-17022521" wrote:
Sims is a sandbox game, it's not meant to be difficult. It's pretty difficult as it is for new comers. It's not a game with an end game that you have to achieve. No matter how difficult they make it, someone will come along and claim it's too easy. Everyone has their own idea of what is and isn't easy.

Personally, I think it's just right. It I want it to be easy, it can be. If I want more of a challenge, it can be that, too.

There is no one way to play. So if you find your style of play is too easy, try a different approach.

What approach makes earning income a bit more difficult in the game? This is an honest question. I have played my sims only working different jobs, solely living off the land, or even solely doing hobbies. I get the same result no matter how I play where my sims can be millionaires half way through their young adult lifespan on normal. I could have a sim be a millionaire on the short lifespan too, but I am never that bored.

Well, considering with painting and woodworking, right off the top of my head... you can chose how often you do those things. You can go as slow or fast as you like. You can make a little or a lot. Only craft sculptures, instead of furniture. Instead of painting large abstract or realism paintings at later levels where you can rake in the dough, paint small pop arts, which bring in less cash, even at higher levels. Instead of a sim painting all day to earn millions, have them be more social, go do things, instead of sitting in the house earning income. Gardening.. well, instead of growing dragon fruit, grow mushrooms or black berries. You won't get rich off a crop of those. Don't grow money trees at all.

It's all in how you play the game. I have a sim family that has a home worth over 1 million dollars and they have over 8 million cash, and they are only on gen 4 being teens, not a single money tree. Then I have other families that only have enough for small upgrades over time and paying the bills. I can push it and make lots of cash. Or I can play other aspects and make very little. It depends on how you push your sims and what things you do.

When I do a garden, personally I do only one of each plant. Never bought the money tree. I also do not just plant the most expensive plants as I use the garden for cooking. I normally do not paint or wood working as that makes your sim rich in less than 7 sim days. You can just work a rabbit hole job and become rich fast. I HATE the party aspect of the game as I don't view that as fun, tried it and was bored. That is for people who like playing single sims with a focus on partying. I do play legacies, so I do more large family things. A restaurant bill in the sims is chump change. I also have my sims live as minimalists and not use lot traits. I do usually max out the wellness and writing skills on every sim. Guess I need mods to make the game more difficult.

I'm not sure how being social equates to partying lifestyle. Or going out and doing things. My sims are always family sims. They go to pools and parks (toddler parks and regular parks), they go to movies and bowling, they go out to eat and play at arcades. There is lots for sims to do other than partying. I said nothing about partying. I simply said go do things. Sorry you took that to mean go party. There are many other things to do then party. Matter of fact, it's very rare that my sims "party", and I turned all those special outings (knight night, bear night, etc) off with MCCC cause I just don't do that aspect and got tired of getting the calls.

Just having fruits and vegetables to grow and eat will give you no income, so not sure why you say that makes your sims rich (or rather, you eluded to that being an big money maker in the 'living off the land' you got rich fast). And maxing the writing skill might be why your sims make money fast. Writing and publishing books is one of the biggest money makers in this game and there is no control for it, which is why I didn't mention it in a way to regulate cash flow. Once you've got some skill under your belt and start writing, you earn royalties for 20 days on every book.

There are tons of ways to make big cash or ways to stem the flow. Not just what I listed. It IS all in how you play the game. If you are pushing the money making aspect of this game (maxing writing, selling harvestables, painting high dollar paintings, etc) yeah, you can make a ton of money. If you focus on other aspects of the game, and there is lots more to do then just party these days, you can make your sims struggle a bit more.