Does this pack feels like PSa ?

I didn't think much about Strangerville, but I love the build items. Almost the same here. I may not get into getting the environment cleaned up but I want the stuff that is in this pack...I don't even believe in climate change, lol. Mother Earth is a powerful thing and I honestly believe she can take care of herself, but that's for another time and place. You have to remember that the team, bless their hearts, live in Cali, where the stuff like taking care of the planet is mandatory for humans to do. :D

No, not to me because I knew it was a game trailer. I am so excited! Public service announcements are nothing like this. There was no beeping or flashing warning or sad music playing. I heard a story not a PSA. I can't wait!

People jump to easily to say theyre being judged or something is being pushed on them. Cleaning up the world is the whole point/motive of the EP, so theyre going to market it that way ?
My only gripe is that "weird flex but ok" will haunt me forever

I'm pro Eco lifestyles, both in the game and IRL. I'm looking forward to this pack. I agree we need to focus on our environment. My daughter is a Marine Bio major with a focus in Conservation. I used to donate to Greenpeace.

And I think the Gameplay Trailer would not have been out of place as one of those old "The more you know" tags they added to Saturday morning/weekday afternoon cartoons in the 80's to pretend they were educational.

I'm not sure if it's a bad thing or a good thing, but I do think calling it a PSA is certainly a valid thing.

I mean, by its definition, yeah, to an extent it is "raising awareness about a social issue".

I don't see how it makes the contents any less fun than other packs though.

"filipomel;c-17507395" wrote:
If you think about it, being environmentally conscious is kind of an important thing in modern human life. Is it really that strange that a life simulator is diving into an extremely important area of modern human life?

I would argue caring about the environment is just as much a part of life as pets are, or the seasons, etc.

Yes, it's an important part of reality. Definitely.

But my problem here, is that the Sims 4 clings too much to reality in the wrong ways. Yes, the Sims games have always been life simulators. But not in the PSA way that Sims 4 has been. Not in the ultra socially conscious way it has been promoted. Past Sims games weren't preachy or Utopian. They were more tongue-in-cheek and laughably true to reality in satirical ways. The Sims 4, while childishly goofy with its poop jokes and humor, also takes itself way too seriously with its "message to the people of the world" and tries too hard to rack up those social points with young groups.

In a way, it's like being parented by my video game. Like the company doesn't trust its players to play "the right way" in their own games. So instead of taking a humorous, casual, neutral stance on content and gameplay, they push the DLC to weigh heavily on this "live the best life in your game for everyone, whether you like it or not", propaganda. Always sending a "feel good" message and tying it into the kind of realism that sometimes oppresses. Why even use the tag line, "play your way"? Clearly, they don't want us to anymore.

This pack, if it were made in the Sim 2 days (and yes, I'm going to go there, to memory lane), would have looked a lot different. Here's a few ideas on how I think it might have been done with the little bit of information we have:

It would come with a regular town, not dirty or shiny, that would start to get littered on (probably by lots). You could choose to clean up or let it get worse. Sims would react to their environment depending on their personalities. Some might autonomously clean, while messier Sims would ignore or add to it. The Environment needs would drop on most Sims who were surrounded by trash, but those who were slobs wouldn't be as bothered. They certainly wouldn't be celebrating and playing in the trash, "happy" that things are dirty. Neater Sims might complain. Sloppy Sims could rummage in the trash and find things. Flies and roaches would accumulate in areas where the garbage was left too long. Sims could call the Exterminator to clear the bugs out, just leaving the trash. Police might fine or arrest Sims for littering. Pollution would cause Sims to get ill faster. Illness could lead to death. Sims might also have a breakdown from the stress of it. Cleaning certain amounts of litter might have achievements. Allowing the area to decay into a trash zone would lead to chaos and miserable Sims. Mean Sims could set trash fires. Firemen could be called to put them out. Pollution could possibly be controlled in varying levels or with cheats.

New hobbies would come with new animations and not be gigantic machinery. Sims could sell all new products in their retail stores. Solar panels would affect bills. Children and teens could be advised/taught to be clean or messy and get personality points from it, which would affect how they grow up. Kids might play in dumpsters and have big hygiene drops and find broken toys. Toddlers might get into and play with trash and, if ignored, risk being taken away. Sims might trip and fall on garbage and get upset. The build/buy would include the ability to create "low income" housing.

The community voting could have a positive or negative effect. Not just on what "nice" thing to build there, but depending on the player's actions, the Sim's personality, and how they chose to communicate with other Sims. If a non-played Sim didn't like the outcome, they would come knock over some trash barrels or be a nuisance and have a relationship drop. They might sneak onto the lot and sabotage something. This would continue until the player's Sim worked to improve the relationship with that Sim. (Or player could choose to let it continue and make enemies, start fights.)

Anyway. My point is that the pack wouldn't be about sending a message. It would be about balanced gameplay that put the fate of the Sims' world in the player's hands. For good or ill. And the diverse personalities of the Sims 2 would dictate how each Sim would react (or not react.) It would still be an Eco pack without the PSA.

"Placebo7;c-17507255" wrote:
This is what I don't understand. I have seen on these boards people defend TS4 on the grounds that it somehow "allows them to be the storyteller," meaning, I suppose, that the game is so empty that they can imagine whatever they want onto it.

But this pack--and others before it--are clearly being marketed as a pre-scripted story. Yes, you CAN live in trash, but look at the gameplay video; the whole intent behind this is that you will create do-gooder Sims who have a nice story about cleaning up a neighborhood. There is ONE story here, and it's about young adults "changing the world," in a very naive way.

It is so forced, so pedantic, so NOT a sandbox. Its simplistic representation of "changing the world" and "activism" is, yes, very PSA-like, and honestly, it is an insult to the intelligence of adult simmers.

I personally do not care what story they're trying to tell. I will tell my own. It's still a sandbox if we're given tools to play how we want and not how you think you're being told to play. (Though I admit, I need way more tools.)

"LiELF;c-17507564" wrote:

"filipomel;c-17507395" wrote:
If you think about it, being environmentally conscious is kind of an important thing in modern human life. Is it really that strange that a life simulator is diving into an extremely important area of modern human life?

I would argue caring about the environment is just as much a part of life as pets are, or the seasons, etc.

Yes, it's an important part of reality. Definitely.

But my problem here, is that the Sims 4 clings too much to reality in the wrong ways. Yes, the Sims games have always been life simulators. But not in the PSA way that Sims 4 has been. Not in the ultra socially conscious way it has been promoted. Past Sims games weren't preachy or Utopian. They were more tongue-in-cheek and laughably true to reality in satirical ways. The Sims 4, while childishly goofy with its poop jokes and humor, also takes itself way too seriously with its "message to the people of the world" and tries too hard to rack up those social points with young groups.

In a way, it's like being parented by my video game. Like the company doesn't trust its players to play "the right way" in their own games. So instead of taking a humorous, casual, neutral stance on content and gameplay, they push the DLC to weigh heavily on this "live the best life in your game for everyone, whether you like it or not", propaganda. Always sending a "feel good" message and tying it into the kind of realism that sometimes oppresses. Why even use the tag line, "play your way"? Clearly, they don't want us to anymore.

This pack, if it were made in the Sim 2 days (and yes, I'm going to go there, to memory lane), would have looked a lot different. Here's a few ideas on how I think it might have been done with the little bit of information we have:

It would come with a regular town, not dirty or shiny, that would start to get littered on (probably by lots). You could choose to clean up or let it get worse. Sims would react to their environment depending on their personalities. Some might autonomously clean, while messier Sims would ignore or add to it. The Environment needs would drop on most Sims who were surrounded by trash, but those who were slobs wouldn't be as bothered. They certainly wouldn't be celebrating and playing in the trash, "happy" that things are dirty. Neater Sims might complain. Sloppy Sims could rummage in the trash and find things. Flies and roaches would accumulate in areas where the garbage was left too long. Sims could call the Exterminator to clear the bugs out, just leaving the trash. Police might fine or arrest Sims for littering. Pollution would cause Sims to get ill faster. Illness could lead to death. Sims might also have a breakdown from the stress of it. Cleaning certain amounts of litter might have achievements. Allowing the area to decay into a trash zone would lead to chaos and miserable Sims. Mean Sims could set trash fires. Firemen could be called to put them out. Pollution could possibly be controlled in varying levels or with cheats.

New hobbies would come with new animations and not be gigantic machinery. Sims could sell all new products in their retail stores. Solar panels would affect bills. Children and teens could be advised/taught to be clean or messy and get personality points from it, which would affect how they grow up. Kids might play in dumpsters and have big hygiene drops and find broken toys. Toddlers might get into and play with trash and, if ignored, risk being taken away. Sims might trip and fall on garbage and get upset. The build/buy would include the ability to create "low income" housing.

The community voting could have a positive or negative effect. Not just on what "nice" thing to build there, but depending on the player's actions, the Sim's personality, and how they chose to communicate with other Sims. If a non-played Sim didn't like the outcome, they would come knock over some trash barrels or be a nuisance and have a relationship drop. They might sneak onto the lot and sabotage something. This would continue until the player's Sim worked to improve the relationship with that Sim. (Or player could choose to let it continue and make enemies, start fights.)

Anyway. My point is that the pack wouldn't be about sending a message. It would be about balanced gameplay that put the fate of the Sims' world in the player's hands. For good or ill. And the diverse personalities of the Sims 2 would dictate how each Sim would react (or not react.) It would still be an Eco pack without the PSA.

Thank you! If the pack was like you describe.It would be awesome, and would be a game experience.But it's not ,it's like there trying to use a game to insight morals.

games were awesome back then when it wasn't political or being developed with the intention of bringing the message to the gamers.

"Beardedgeek;c-17507314" wrote:
If it feels like a PSA to you, you are probably feeling guilty about something.

Yeah no. I care about the environment a lot IRL. I recycle as much as I can in an area that got rid of their recycling services years ago, I walk to places on my large campus instead of driving to reduce my carbon footprint, heck I even joined my university’s green initiative! And yet I still see the way they marketed this pack as surface level PSA-like, guilt need not apply. I’m really at a loss as to what your comment is trying to imply.