Do We Really Need Another Three Years? TS4 at Four Years Old
This thread is not exactly a comparison of TS4 to the other games but where TS4 players say it's only been four years, TS2 had ended by this point and one last SP released in Nov. TS3 news was everyw...
"filipomel;c-16781468" wrote: At this point I feel the game is very complete, anything after now are just bonuses, I mean we now have pets, seasons, and a bunch of creative game play tools to further customize our own game and ways of playing. You mention in your post that by the end of The Sims 2's life it had all this content that Sims 4 still doesn't have, but what about all the content that Sims 4 has that the other games don't? Sims 4 is onto it's 6th expansion now (surprisingly might I add, as we've gotten 3 expansions within the past 1.5 years compared to the 1 a year we've been getting.) and that's not counting the game packs that also further flesh out parts of the game. When I look at The Sims 4 now with all of its packs, I see a pretty big game with tons to do and explore, and we've still got another (at least!) three more years. I hope they continue The Sims 4 until it has mostly everything that players want.
Let's talk about new aspirations and careers. Compared to the other games I'm going to bet most are still reusing the painter or writer career, and if you play rotationaly then you know there isn't really any new career or aspiratons comprared to TS2 or no way even a third of what TS3 had offered by year four. Then let's look at new emotions? I can't think of any new emotions they have added in the last four years. If they did add any then it only had to be one or two or I would remember that we got a bucket full of new emotions. TS3 offered tons of new aspirations and careers with each new EP, I think we can count on one hand or less how many have been added per EP. What does it offer the other games don't? I don't know, other than a broken group system, which my groups in TS2 work better than this game's buggy group system, and sure it has some active careers but they are linear, and what object does this game use most? The good ol' Sim computer. One of the most boring and over used objects of all time for careers, activities, or tasks. It seems it's use helps cut cost for simulation or animations and just use the same animations for every job or every aspiration requirement and make a cheap object have more uses and no need to add anything new out of the box as long as they can use the handy dandy, Sim computer to shoe horn in more tasks and more chores to do on the pc, for almost every career in this game, or every aspiration almost.
And four years later and kids are still mini mes, they still can't play tag, hopscotch, toss a ball, or anything else.
You seem to forget that aspirations and careers in the Sims 4 are a lot different than they were in Sims 3. Aspirations in Sims 4 are a process to complete, while Sims 3's aspirations (Lifetime Wishes I believe they were called) was just one goal that you tried to reach. I understand that some may prefer Sims 3's Lifetime Wishes over Sims 4's aspirations, as the wishes gave the player a long term goal to work towards to, and it was up to the player on how to achieve it, while Sims 4 guides the player through various stages of the aspiration in a typically linear way. Bottom line is, Sims 4's aspirations are a different mechanic than Sims 3's Lifetime Wishes. I will agree though, I really wish we had more Aspirations in Sims 4.
As for careers, all the careers in Sims 4 have two branches (except the active careers from Get to Work), while only some of the careers in Sims 3 had multiple branches, so in a way, each career in 4 is really two careers. I too also wish to have more careers, but it seems this time around with careers, they try and make them in a way where they are distinct from one another, specifically with the 'Work from Home' approach they are taking with the new careers they make, instead of just making each new career a rabbit hole career, the way most were in Sims 3.
New emotions haven't been introduced to the game as of now, but I don't see why not adding new emotions is a bad thing, don't get me wrong I would love new emotions, but I fail to see how the lack of new emotions since launch is a negative thing.
Sims 4 has a ton of things that the other games don't have, but to refrain from leading this thread off topic (as I've done so already, hopefully in a respectful manner) I'd rather not start on that topic.
I agree the computer gets a lot of use in Sims 4, but I don't see how that's typically a bad thing since the computer this time around is just another really in depth object, but also I find that there is variety for completing tasks and doing activities beyond just using the computer.
I actually find the kids in Sims 4 to be the best kids in the series, they have their own set of skills and aspirations and I like that, it's a unique feature for them that makes them a unique life stage, I wish they would do the same with teens though.
Four years later I find that the developers expanded the game in a very meaningful way to me. I really like the Sims 4's approach with new content. It's very clear that with every piece of content they release, the developers learn a lot on what and how to further improve future content. I think many will agree when I say this, with each new packs release, it proves to be better and better with its quality and content when comparing it to older content. The developers do listen, it's very obvious that they do, and that excites me for what the future holds. So I am very excited for the next three years (possibly more) of content.
Being pretty unfamiliar with many of Sims 4's careers I depend on Wiki there, so if I confuse things please correct me.
As for careers, all the careers in Sims 4 have two branches (except the active careers from Get to Work), while only some of the careers in Sims 3 had multiple branches, so in a way, each career in 4 is really two careers.
Sims 3 28 RH careers (9 with 2 branches, 10 with a single branch) 10 open careers 13 self-employed careers (which is completely open as well)
Sims 4 28 RH careers (14 with 2 branches) 4 open careers (bit confused here, counting the GTW careers but I don't see the vet career mentioned in the Wiki so I might miss more open careers?) No self-employment
So the claim "instead of just making each new career a rabbit hole career, the way most were in Sims 3" is a rather coloured observation I'd say. There indeed are a lot of RH careers (that often come with none RH gameplay by the way, like the politician who has to organize fundraising parties for instance), but so does TS4. And Sims 3 has a fairly substantial amount of open careers, plus the opportunity to be self-employed.
I'll leave it at that because I think it's best for now to stick to facts. "The best kids in the series" and "better and better with its quality" pulls it back to opinions. That's not what this topic is about. Some will prefer kids in 4, some in 3, some in 2. Not the subject. Some favour GTW, some GT, so if you feel with each new pack's release it proves to be better and better with its quality that's how you feel about that. Others apparently don't.
For open careers, I'd consider the businesses to fall under that category, so Detective, Doctor, Scientist, Retailer, Restaurant Manager, Vet, and now Actor, so that would make 7 open careers (that's saying if you count the businesses to be a career). There is no self employment in Sims 4, but the function of being self employed still exists, your sim can still make money doing a variety of activities in the game, that's all self employment was in 3, the only purpose self employment served in 3 was giving your self employed sim a job title. As for me mentioning the kids and the whole "getting better and better statement," did I not talk about those topics in a subjective/opinionated manner? "I actually find the kids in Sims 4 to be the best kids in the series", "I think many will agree when I say this, with each new packs release, it proves to be better and better with its quality and content when comparing it to older content", I wasn't trying to be factual with those statements, I was just giving my own personal input on the topic.
