Developers, You really did it this time.
Omgawd even though I've already defeated the Mother, I LOVED IT. I've been playing The Sims since the franchise began and haven't enjoyed a pack as much since Makin' Magic (my favorite). The Stranger...
Forum Discussion
"Naus;c-16979115" wrote:"OEII1001;c-16978775" wrote:
If story and sandbox are so mutually exclusive, why did Skyrim sell 72 bajillion units?
Skyrim's story is a side element to its sandbox components. The story, just like most side quests, can be easily ignored and do whatever you want within the boundaries the developers have set (mechanics, world, etc). A sandbox can have story and quests, but they shouldn't be the focus in a sandbox game. You'd seldom find a person who bought Skyrim for the main quest (Defeat Alduin).
The story is the focus of StrangerVille. You're either doing the story, or you're playing the same old The Sims 4 in a slightly different version of Oasis Springs. StrangerVille didn't add anything new to the sandbox core of the game. The mistake wasn't including a story, the mistake was making the story the focus of the pack and the main selling point.
TS3 World Adventure did a much better job introducing a story in Al SimHara (MorcuCorp trying to exploit the region) with branching paths but without being the sole focus of the pack. Like I said, it's 100% possible to have a story within a sandbox experience. But if the story is the focus of that experience, then the sandbox is relegated to a secondary role.
Skyrim requires that the player initiate the story before giving them the opportunity to engage with the sandbox elements. No matter what you do, who you are, and what your plans for that character are, you start bound and witness to a dragon attack. You're even required make a nominal decision in the Skyrim civil war.
Contrast this with StrangerVille, which gives the player the choice to ignore all of it outright. There is nothing you need to do in order to "unlock" sandbox play. In this context, StrangeVille is less Skyrim and more Sunless Sea or its sequel, Sunless Skies. The game gives you a ship and lets you do whatever you want. You don't even have to pick a character background.
