Dear SimGurus, MERMAIDS have no transformation...

"nerdfashion;c-17106344" wrote:
I think this adds to the secrecy of mermaids. They are supposed to be a legend around the island, but everybody seems to know about vampires and plant sims and aliens. Mermaids are more of a legend to scare people from going to far out to sea and getting attacked by sharks (this IS a feature in the new pack!).

No I mean when a Sim eats the mermaid kelp and they turn from Sim into a mermaid for the FIRST TIME. It‘s great for story telling purposes since you worked hard to get the mermaid kelp to turn your Sim into a mermaid, but no transformation animation happens. They just stand there doing nothing

Also in Sims 3 we had a transformation when a normal Sim became a Mermaid after eating the kelp
https://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/screenshots/islandparadise/mermaidtransformation.jpg

"nerdfashion;c-17106381" wrote:

"FreezerBunnyCowplant;c-17106357" wrote:

"nerdfashion;c-17106344" wrote:
I think this adds to the secrecy of mermaids. They are supposed to be a legend around the island, but everybody seems to know about vampires and plant sims and aliens. Mermaids are more of a legend to scare people from going to far out to sea and getting attacked by sharks (this IS a feature in the new pack!).

No I mean when a Sim eats the mermaid kelp and they turn from Sim into a mermaid for the FIRST TIME. It‘s great for story telling purposes since you worked hard to get the mermaid kelp to turn your Sim into a mermaid, but no transformation animation happens. They just stand there doing nothing

Also in Sims 3 we had a transformation when a normal Sim became a Mermaid after eating the kelp
https://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/screenshots/islandparadise/mermaidtransformation.jpg

Yeah, it doesn't bother me that much.

But as Deligracy said, for story tellers it‘s important since that could be a major plot point, but your Sim just stands around without any animation

I mean, it isn't a deal breaker, but it isn't perfect. A moodlet works for me, but I feel like it needs more emotional weight, at least.

I think if they just added some subtle music or animation, it would please both parties. Like a little song that lasts 4 or 5 seconds (so it doesnt bug ppl and can be modded out) or the sims does a very simple animation (like they touch their throat to indicate they feel thirsty)

because It's not a Magical Transformation?

Yes Mermaids are Supernatural, creatures, however eating kelp is simply a biological transformation.
It's... like Gillyweed, and I hate that I'm using this reference... It' like when Harry Potter eats Gillyweed to win that one Tournament in the Goblet of Fire... Ugh Harry Potter lore...

It's a subtle transformation.
Now if they used a Spell to do it Like In the little Mermaid, Ursula's Cauldron effects, or Triton's Trident, Then it might be more extravagant transformation. But Then again eating kelp to become a mermaid, I know there's not logic or lore behind it, but then Shouldn't that be a temporary Status? Like eating a Forbidden fruit to be a plant sim, you have to keep eating forbidden fruit to remain a plant sim. Wouldn't you have to keep eating kelp to remain a mermaid?
But they Said if a Human eats one sea kelp, they turn. if a Mermaid eats two back to back, they turn into a human permanently... again no logic or lore behind it.

Other than what they did, or I guess they didn't do, Maybe if the sim ate kelp and fell sick due to a sudden lack of Water, as a side effect of eating the kelp, and was really thirsty, the moment they get in water they would turn and maybe it would be this grand reveal. That's how I would do it, it definitely wouldn't be the Sims 3 swirling vortex of bubbles.

I just hope this means they splurged all the money for animations on the Realm of Magic GP.

It bothers me somewhat. Becoming a mermaid is a pretty big deal, you think the sims wouldn't feel anything at all different? Only enough for a moodlet?
It's underwhelming and unrealistic that they have no reaction to something so huge. Moodlets are a big cop out.
They have two animations for mermaids in CAS, one with fish swimming and one that's a splash of water, both would suffice to be re-used for the transformation.
It also irks me that the animation from the trailer of the mermaid entering the water isn't actually how their tails appear in game. They just show up.

"NorthDakotaGamer;c-17109902" wrote:

"ClarionOfJoy;c-17109463" wrote:

"NorthDakotaGamer;c-17109351" wrote:
@ClarionOfJoy

I don't view "transformations" into another occult as meaningful gameplay. It is just a pretty visual. You can be upset with that if you choose. What I want is something they have yet to do, which is make the traits of a sim actually matter. Give the sims a memory system that does not involve a select time on a moodlet. Make it harder to just earn money from hobbies. Stuff like that has more meaning to me. The game thus far has been concentrated too much on being visually pretty and less on that I deem as gameplay footage.

That's not the topic of this thread though is it? What you're talking about is has already been covered in a multiple of other threads. (And I have no idea why the devs haven't addressed those complaints.) One of the reasons why TS4 feels "empty" is because there are so many shortcuts to animations or animations being reused for so many things. So having no mermaid transformation just adds to the "emptiness" of this game.

But I am a storyteller and do not see a transformation animation as important. I am more interested in what actual gameplay that can be done since I do not use many mods for my storytelling. Basically what is being described as missed is a "look pretty" animation, at least to me.

But we already have the animation, they just need to add it to mermaids as well.

Did you watch Deligracy‘s video? She also was thinking it was kind of weird. The Sim was just standing around doing nothing. That‘s not what happens when your Sim turns into another occult! There‘s always a transformation.

"MasonGamer;c-17109495" wrote:
because It's not a Magical Transformation?

Yes Mermaids are Supernatural, creatures, however eating kelp is simply a biological transformation.
It's... like Gillyweed, and I hate that I'm using this reference... It' like when Harry Potter eats Gillyweed to win that one Tournament in the Goblet of Fire... Ugh Harry Potter lore...

It's a subtle transformation.
Now if they used a Spell to do it Like In the little Mermaid, Ursula's Cauldron effects, or Triton's Trident, Then it might be more extravagant transformation. But Then again eating kelp to become a mermaid, I know there's not logic or lore behind it, but then Shouldn't that be a temporary Status? Like eating a Forbidden fruit to be a plant sim, you have to keep eating forbidden fruit to remain a plant sim. Wouldn't you have to keep eating kelp to remain a mermaid?
But they Said if a Human eats one sea kelp, they turn. if a Mermaid eats two back to back, they turn into a human permanently... again no logic or lore behind it.

Other than what they did, or I guess they didn't do, Maybe if the sim ate kelp and fell sick due to a sudden lack of Water, as a side effect of eating the kelp, and was really thirsty, the moment they get in water they would turn and maybe it would be this grand reveal. That's how I would do it, it definitely wouldn't be the Sims 3 swirling vortex of bubbles.

I just hope this means they splurged all the money for animations on the Realm of Magic GP.

In the movie "Splash" (Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah) the hero doesn't even become a full mermaid -- he's able to breathe underwater if he's with the mermaid.

Personally I'm more interested if there'll be a cheat to trigger volcano eruptions than how Sims turn to/from merSim state, but then again that's just how I roll. B) (And I've got a week to get my Sim to earn the Gardening aspiration reward of fireproof -- it'll come in handy for those hot rocks...)

I mean, turning into a vampire is a coded thing in pop culture, turning into a mermaid not so much ? The other way around, mermaid turning human, feels more common.

I see the kelp as mechanics to play catch-up with sims you already created but in hindsight should have been mermaids all along.
Unless I'm missing something and there really is a deep lore behind the magic kelp, and not just "oh yeah mermaids they've always been there on Sulani, that guy here is Jim he was born with the tail, you just never saw it before because he's shy."

Maybe in realm of magic you could get another scenario, buying a potion off a witch to transform, w/ animations et all.

PlantSims also have a transformation animation after a Sim eats a forbidden fruit. But there is no animation when a Sim eats a mermadic kelp to become a mermaid.

In Sims 3 mermaids had a transform animation when a Sim turned into a mermaid after eating the kelp.