Anybody start noticing how (most/some) developers admit to not playing the game? That would explain a lot as to why certain things deliver, are either not to their potential or questionable in design. As of recent streams (the stuff pack pole or discover university), it becomes appearant they don't play the game, which if they did - these mistakes wouldn't and possible never happen again. Now we're asked to vote for a theme of a stuff pack, with most concepts of listed content already existing, we'll be getting:Haunted House lot trait that already exists with slight string difference in CL.Self-care can feel like incomplete if you don't have fitness stuff pack.Science not bundled in GTW to accomadate Science career?A few of these are one of five bulletin points.... Looks mild mishap, but when you look at the volume, it's three concept choices for a pack. That pretty much leaves arts&crafts and fun-tech new takes for TS4, but even the latter will likely end up being a pack for video game consoles (which we already have). So every concept choice for pack already exist in one form or another from what we have now.Then there stuff that will be obsolete, in addition things from UL. With these leading to conclusion that the team are clueless in designing meaningful features, furthermore verifying its because they don't play the game:Vegan trait, just like vegetarian, is poor choice for a trait and are better off belonging in a dedicated diet system. Sims should developed it based how often they eat meat/diary-free products or build according to players commands. I recall reports of vegeterian being bugged/underdevelop where Sims with it willingly make and consume meat products despite feeling ill afterwards. If that's still the case and applied to both traits, that leaves them broken in terms of practicality. Now if it caused a Sim to boast about being vegan, and as a results dips relationship with everyone in AOF, that would make it worth while for comedic relief. How is creating toilet stalls the size of double beds is practical for building public bathrooms? For how I see it, I would never used them in builds when I can achieve it better with 1x1 toilets and surrounding them in 1x2 rooms.Floralorial/Scubero are pointless when it an affects single item, oppose to just normally tending/cleaning many items at once. Is there even point of using these powers when moral Sims can complete these task faster normally lol.Graduating university is essentially another way of earning money, than having a long term effect (past game takes at least offered a new want slot & slot, or additional traits on top of 5 max cap).Because of how it easy to become rich in the game, the repoman hardly penalize the player because of how you have to try it for happen because of lame circumstance that been put to trigger its visit.Many more examples I wait, since I'm tired of listen them today. I feel like of as a lately, as of the title, its the reason the game-play suffers as a whole. Anything regardless in what game industry you are, you should at least be well versed and do your homework, by playing the game you're at work to create for a living. Because if you're throwing random stuff in it, without actually reading into the product you're making, you end up doing a bad fan-service for being out-of-touch of what the community wants from you.

Wow, I had no idea there could be anything so inept going on, as devs who don't play the actual game. There's no industry in which that's a good idea: to develop a product you've never used. What the actual plum.

I get that it's their job and they might not want to play it outside of work, but it does seem sometimes like they don't even play it at work. That University livestream was a mess and it really showed that the woman in control of the keyboard and mouse, barely played, if at all. This does leave them very out of touch and when they play and play test (as they should) they should also test with other packs installed. People are reporting that Uni and Seasons don't work together? How was that missed? If it was intended then it should have been said previously. It was frustrating when ROM came out, the gurus said before the pack launched, that you could sell potions. Launch day: potions worth zero. How did that get missed when it was directly asked and responded to? Do they talk without knowing (which is just as bad) or do they really miss these things because they aren't playing? It also baffles me when you go to the bug reports and see them asking for saves because they can't replicate it. I literally know of no one who has the potions of immortality working in their games for example. No one. Every sim dies of old age when they shouldn't, yet they're asking for saves because they can't replicate it? The always drinking water bug that was "fixed" last patch was fixed for about a day in my game too, then it came right back. They really need to spend more time playing to see if things are working or fixed. They might spend some time, but it's not enough and it shows.

It is very strange how readily they admit that they don’t play the game. ??♀️ Say that you don’t ever use the product in any other job and your boss might look at you funny.

They don't have to admit it; it's obvious. When you look at a sim like Judith Ward who is nigh unplayable due to her celebity perks, you have the feeling that none of them have a player's perspective. Want to play 'the villain'? Everybody harasses you for an autograph or a picture. Want to go to a dance party? Everybody stops and watch her for like 2 hours straight. So go to a dance party in disguise? Everybody stops to gossip about her while she IS NOT supposed to be a celebrity at that moment.I'm ok if they would miss some niche bugs, but things like that, that you experience on your first sim day, and are still present one year in, I mean come on...

Seems quite obvious to me that these devs don't play the game at all. Not even old devs like Grant or Graham. If they actually DID play, I'm betting they would wait for sales for their DL content too. The only thing I see "pushed"/important in this iteration is the beauty of the worlds. The lighting. Etc. Aside from that, this game offers little. They made the claim that it would suit rotational play better. It does not. Far from it. Whoever they are, they let go of the good when they put Sims 2 to bed. 3 and 4 are awful to play and get entranced in.

Saneksemoo

5 years ago

Developers should play the game they're developing.

Anybody start noticing how (most/some) developers admit to not playing the game? That would explain a lot as to why certain things deliver, are either not to their potential or questionable in design. As of recent streams (the stuff pack pole or discover university), it becomes appearant they don't play the game, which if they did - these mistakes wouldn't and possible never happen again. Now we're asked to vote for a theme of a stuff pack, with most concepts of listed content already existing, we'll be getting:

Haunted House lot trait that already exists with slight string difference in CL.
Self-care can feel like incomplete if you don't have fitness stuff pack.
Science not bundled in GTW to accomadate Science career?

A few of these are one of five bulletin points.... Looks mild mishap, but when you look at the volume, it's three concept choices for a pack. That pretty much leaves arts&crafts and fun-tech new takes for TS4, but even the latter will likely end up being a pack for video game consoles (which we already have). So every concept choice for pack already exist in one form or another from what we have now.

Then there stuff that will be obsolete, in addition things from UL. With these leading to conclusion that the team are clueless in designing meaningful features, furthermore verifying its because they don't play the game:

Vegan trait, just like vegetarian, is poor choice for a trait and are better off belonging in a dedicated diet system. Sims should developed it based how often they eat meat/diary-free products or build according to players commands. I recall reports of vegeterian being bugged/underdevelop where Sims with it willingly make and consume meat products despite feeling ill afterwards. If that's still the case and applied to both traits, that leaves them broken in terms of practicality. Now if it caused a Sim to boast about being vegan, and as a results dips relationship with everyone in AOF, that would make it worth while for comedic relief.
How is creating toilet stalls the size of double beds is practical for building public bathrooms? For how I see it, I would never used them in builds when I can achieve it better with 1x1 toilets and surrounding them in 1x2 rooms.
Floralorial/Scubero are pointless when it an affects single item, oppose to just normally tending/cleaning many items at once. Is there even point of using these powers when moral Sims can complete these task faster normally lol.
Graduating university is essentially another way of earning money, than having a long term effect (past game takes at least offered a new want slot & slot, or additional traits on top of 5 max cap).
Because of how it easy to become rich in the game, the repoman hardly penalize the player because of how you have to try it for happen because of lame circumstance that been put to trigger its visit.

Many more examples I wait, since I'm tired of listen them today. I feel like of as a lately, as of the title, its the reason the game-play suffers as a whole. Anything regardless in what game industry you are, you should at least be well versed and do your homework, by playing the game you're at work to create for a living. Because if you're throwing random stuff in it, without actually reading into the product you're making, you end up doing a bad fan-service for being out-of-touch of what the community wants from you.

gamertherapy
5 years ago
Wow, I had no idea there could be anything so inept going on, as devs who don't play the actual game. There's no industry in which that's a good idea: to develop a product you've never used. What the actual plum.
Peapod79
New Spectator
5 years ago
I get that it's their job and they might not want to play it outside of work, but it does seem sometimes like they don't even play it at work. That University livestream was a mess and it really showed that the woman in control of the keyboard and mouse, barely played, if at all. This does leave them very out of touch and when they play and play test (as they should) they should also test with other packs installed. People are reporting that Uni and Seasons don't work together? How was that missed? If it was intended then it should have been said previously.

It was frustrating when ROM came out, the gurus said before the pack launched, that you could sell potions. Launch day: potions worth zero. How did that get missed when it was directly asked and responded to? Do they talk without knowing (which is just as bad) or do they really miss these things because they aren't playing?

It also baffles me when you go to the bug reports and see them asking for saves because they can't replicate it. I literally know of no one who has the potions of immortality working in their games for example. No one. Every sim dies of old age when they shouldn't, yet they're asking for saves because they can't replicate it?

The always drinking water bug that was "fixed" last patch was fixed for about a day in my game too, then it came right back. They really need to spend more time playing to see if things are working or fixed. They might spend some time, but it's not enough and it shows.
popstarissa
5 years ago
It is very strange how readily they admit that they don’t play the game. ??‍♀️ Say that you don’t ever use the product in any other job and your boss might look at you funny.
Cornwallfr
5 years ago
They don't have to admit it; it's obvious. When you look at a sim like Judith Ward who is nigh unplayable due to her celebity perks, you have the feeling that none of them have a player's perspective.
Want to play 'the villain'? Everybody harasses you for an autograph or a picture. Want to go to a dance party? Everybody stops and watch her for like 2 hours straight. So go to a dance party in disguise? Everybody stops to gossip about her while she IS NOT supposed to be a celebrity at that moment.
I'm ok if they would miss some niche bugs, but things like that, that you experience on your first sim day, and are still present one year in, I mean come on...
fullspiral
5 years ago
Seems quite obvious to me that these devs don't play the game at all. Not even old devs like Grant or Graham. If they actually DID play, I'm betting they would wait for sales for their DL content too.

The only thing I see "pushed"/important in this iteration is the beauty of the worlds. The lighting. Etc.

Aside from that, this game offers little. They made the claim that it would suit rotational play better. It does not. Far from it.

Whoever they are, they let go of the good when they put Sims 2 to bed. 3 and 4 are awful to play and get entranced in.
astridentanja
5 years ago
No. Sims 4 is the problem. Sims 3 is played and loved by plenty of simmers to this day. It may not be for you, but that doesn’t happen to an awful game they stopped developing five years ago.
fullspiral
5 years ago
"JoAnne65;c-17317673" wrote:
No. Sims 4 is the problem. Sims 3 is played and loved by plenty of simmers to this day. It may not be for you, but that doesn’t happen to an awful game they stopped developing five years ago.

Sims 4 is played and loved by plenty of simmers too. Neither 3 or 4 is good imo. Once they let go of the AI behind the scenes and went with "moodlets" it was trashed.

One thing 3 taught me was that nothing they add can make it good if it's not good at the base. Same for 3. Same for 4.
logionX
Seasoned Vanguard
5 years ago
I think it's because of a combination of a tight release schedule, limited budget, old coding from 2013 and too many packs to keep track of. They do not have the time to go through and play all the packs, once a feature have been greenlit, they are probably spending loads of time going through all the thousands of xml files to make sure that this new feature does not conflict with something else in the game.

I highly suspect the reason why they do not play the game, or go back and fix old bugs is because they are more focused on finishing it and are not getting rewarded for going back. They don't want to spend time playtesting the game, checking features, going back through thousands of xml files and fine tune them. They rather want to work on finishing their deadlines until the pack is finished.

There is a good story about the E3 presentation of Anthem, the devs was so rushed to put everything together that when they watched it at the E3 presentation, that was when they finally was able to see how it worked when all of it was put together.
astridentanja
5 years ago
"fullspiral;c-17317700" wrote:
"JoAnne65;c-17317673" wrote:
No. Sims 4 is the problem. Sims 3 is played and loved by plenty of simmers to this day. It may not be for you, but that doesn’t happen to an awful game they stopped developing five years ago.

Sims 4 is played and loved by plenty of simmers too. Neither 3 or 4 is good imo. Once they let go of the AI behind the scenes and went with "moodlets" it was trashed.

One thing 3 taught me was that nothing they add can make it good if it's not good at the base. Same for 3. Same for 4.

I genuinely doubt Sims 4 will be played five years after they will have stopped developing for it, but time will tell. Its main charm seems to be new and shiny stuff that wears off after a couple of weeks. It’s actually Sims 3’s basegame that saves some of the flaws in clearly rushed packs.
BayouGir1
5 years ago
In other professions, employees are required to be familiar with everything about the product they are making, selling, or supporting. Nobody would by a lawnmower or refrigerator from someone who had no idea how to use it, what the features did, or how it even worked. It's a basic job requirement for anything, yet nobody in this company (all the way to the top) seems to care the least.

In gaming companies that do, it shines out of the work they do, and shows in such a way that customers know it.
They don't ever need to be told.

The difference resonates loudly with The Sims, most especially Sims 4.