For people with 1000+ hours on TS4 -- What keeps you playing?

People I have known for years are always surprised when they find out I still play The Sims games after all this time. I still play Sims2 and 3 from time to time but that has changed since Seasons came around. Why do I continue to play... well, the fact there are things that pop up from time to time that I had no idea were even possible. Certain interactions come out of nowhere and take my breath away. My Sims are my way of telling stories, creating entire towns around a family, or a single Sim; each one with a backstory that is all their own. A year ago I was not as immersed in Sims4 as I have become in the past month. I am loving the way I can lose myself in the game for hours, without noticing how much time has passed. And I come away from each gaming session a happier person because playing this game makes me laugh and allows me to be as creative as I want to be. For a little while, I can forget about stress, what's for dinner, and all the other boring things that go along with being an adult. For a little while, I feel like a kid again, content to play with my pixel people and let the rest of the world drift into the background.


When my oldest granddaughter came to visit us for two weeks we spent entire days together playing our games on our laptops at the dining room table, showing each other what Sims we had created, the houses we'd built for them and shared the stories we had in mind for them. We laughed and talked for hours on end. I showed her how to use the club system in tandem with the holidays. She swooned over the pets and now I know what she wants for Christmas this year. I bought Seasons for her the day it was released and that was supposed to be an early Christmas present but she really needs pets in her game now, too. <3

This game. What can I say about it that comes close to explaining how much I enjoy it? It has been a lifeline, a companion, a creative outlet, a way to tell stories and it has given me thousands of hours of pure kid-like enjoyment. Simply put, it makes me a happier person and being happy is all good.

Mods. I would have stopped after Get together otherwise, since they introduced a lot of features like constant phone calling and the greeting that I can't absolutely stand.

I love playing the sims it’s so relaxing and a game you can really get lost in and all the things you can create just a massive sims fan and hope the sims never ends.

My storylines, my Sims and new stuff and the mods I use.

When I looked at the hours logged the other day it was 2018 hours :) Probably 2020-something now.

I never get tired because my families and story lines keep evolving and changing over time, each new generation of sims means new game play. Most of it is my own planning and decicions, but the sims live a life of their own sometimes and their actions in game quite often make me change my story for them. I can have their whole life planned out, but I end up doing something different because it feels right in the moment. And because I pay attention to all these little quirks that my sims exhibit, I never get bored :)

New packs. And stuff from "old" packs I still haven't explored. Mods, absolutely. And of course my sims, that I get attatched to. Not so much their stories, as I don't make actual stories. They just live their lives, and hopefully, some times do things I want them to do (useful stuff!). I love the fact I can give my little people everything they ( read: I ) want: a great house filled with stuff, fulfilling jobs and good friends and a loving family.

I've been hooked on The Sims for 18 years, more than half my life. Its a bit scary to think about, but I do hope it will last at least 18 more.

"MVWdeZT;d-944973" wrote:
I know what keeps me interested in the Sims, but I'd like to hear from other people who have put in a lot of time.

Not spilling anything before you do, OP ;)

I agree with all of these comments! I've been playing since I was super young its crazy. Most of my time is definitely spent in CAS and taking photos. I love creating new sims and capturing their lives!

:D :D It's simple. 1. I'm too broke in real life to have luxuries like this. The unlimited abilities to create with cheats makes the time go by and helps me consume all my selfish desires without really hurting myself or anyone in real life. (except when I get too obsessed with how long I am on the computer for the day.) 2. It's all about the fun of seeing what others have and wanting what they have or wanting to have something better than they do have. 3. In real life I can't do that and do volunteer to shelters and have tithed money to charity but it is a game. Why not indulge in fantasy and any humanistic cravings we as humans have. 4. I waited a while to make friends and now that I have I can only say I suck compared to their wonderful creations but I still am trying to compete on some level for the favor I crave. That is pure honesty and no one here I guarantee with be that honest about why they do play that much.

"Nindigo;c-16624843" wrote:

"MVWdeZT;d-944973" wrote:
I know what keeps me interested in the Sims, but I'd like to hear from other people who have put in a lot of time.

Not spilling anything before you do, OP ;)

One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post is that playing the Sims makes me part of a wonderful community -- two communities, actually, this and the group over on Carl's Guide and Forum. When I played TS and TS2, I didn't communicate with anyone, but from TS3 on, I've enjoyed getting to know other simmers.

Someone in real life asked me what I'd say to get someone interested in the Sims (I suppose that could be another question for discussion), but I don't know. From the moment I did the Newbie tutorial, I was hooked. Little people who would do what I told them? Except when they wouldn't? What keeps me coming back is the fact that I'm totally in control of their world and I never know what will happen next.