Has TS4 development taken a noticeable downturn in 2019?

"logion;c-17168384" wrote:
I think so, they are making some nice features with each pack, like the sunburn mechanic with IL for example, I thought that was impressive.

But they are also making very simple features that feels very limited, like deep diving, the lifeguard career etc. Too many rabbit holes with just text.

It doesn't feel like they are any major development going on anymore for the sims4. If they can solve it by just making a rabbit hole, they will do it.

I have to agree with that. The suntanning is pretty cool and far more realistic than on any iteration, but it's a single thing in the midst of many other things that lack that level of depth. It's like when they want to (or are allowed to?) they can really deliver.

Like, why isn't there a bad/low quality version of each sand sculpture? (even toddlers can sand sculpt faces and stuff like they are complete idiot savants). Why can't there be some unique sand sculptures for certain traits, like evil sims make an evil grimm reaper sand sculpture?

Why is it that mermaids lack their own type of food, kelp? (that they could very much gather using the rabbit hole diving spot). Or why is it that they forgot to add the mermaid bassinet?

Why is it that the coconut cake has the same mesh as the BG white cake?

Why is it that you can't read books while lounging?

It just doesn't make sense, I'm sure they have thought about this, perhaps they did spend it all on the world.

I would say it's taken a noticeable downturn since the end of the Sims 2 and the introduction of DLC. :D I'm not trying to be at all negative about the Sims 4 here btw. I think it's probably my favorite iteration of the Sims games so far. It's just that I feel like if my memory is right that packs in the Sims 2 were a lot fuller and more polished. I didn't play the Sims 3 because I didn't like it so I don't comment on that version.

I feel like now we have DLC we get packs more frequent but with less in them and they aren't quite as polished as they were back in the Sims 2 days. Like right now I'm actually shocked that Island Living was released in such a bug ridden state. I just expect better from a company like Maxis/EA, well maybe not EA but Maxis on some level still exists and I do expect better from them at least.

"Sharonia;c-17168450" wrote:
I would say it's taken a noticeable downturn since the end of the Sims 2 and the introduction of DLC. :D I'm not trying to be at all negative about the Sims 4 here btw. I think it's probably my favorite iteration of the Sims games so far. It's just that I feel like if my memory is right that packs in the Sims 2 were a lot fuller and more polished. I didn't play the Sims 3 because I didn't like it so I don't comment on that version.

I feel like now we have DLC we get packs more frequent but with less in them and they aren't quite as polished as they were back in the Sims 2 days. Like right now I'm actually shocked that Island Living was released in such a bug ridden state. I just expect better from a company like Maxis/EA, well maybe not EA but Maxis on some level still exists and I do expect better from them at least.

In TS2 days there weren't patches like there are now so they put more resources into making sure things were all good and dandy. Patches were delivered through EP's and SP's. Now if there's a minor bug in the EP they'll release it and "patch later". Although I think EP launches have been more smooth than the ones on TS3. TS3 was a buggy mess....so is this game, but TS3 was more.

I can't say for sure since I don't know their development process, but I know for sure that the recent pack releases have been pretty lacking. I think it's because their goal is to sell to 12 year olds now that they're trying to get away with putting in the bare minimum for the largest price. SV was not worth $20 and IL was not worth $40. We'll see what the next pack releases will offer, because they need to hit it out of the park if they don't want to entirely loose the main demographic (then again, I think that deep down that is their goal).

"Simpkin;c-17168357" wrote:
Nope. People just get more entitled and selfish.

I dont know why players demanding good quality packs is called an entitlements, entitlements is when you prepurchase the games and expect to have all the upcoming dlc given free to you just because you invest money to the game earlier than the others.

I get that the ui revamp is unfortunate, and that Island Living is pretty empty, and the bugs are bad, but I think some of your points are kind of unfair:

1. How should the freelancer branches have been different? Also plenty of people wanted this kind of career.

2. We haven’t even seen the SP yet, it could be interesting.

3. Strangerville has a linear story, but it’s not like aspirations don’t also have linear progression too.

4. A lot of people wanted a trait randomizer. People have been asking for one since release.

No - after playing all the Sims series games over the last 20 years this game seems to create the same excitement and anticipation with each new ep all the previous ones did - just that folks now a days tire of things a lot quicker than they use to. I think its the fact todays players are much harder to please long term than past players were and if a game is not wowing them 24/7 they find fault with it to easy especially when something in a new pack is different than previous versions. People compare the games as if they are all part of just the same game - and are more inclined to see what they think is missing than what it contains.

Society in general today are not the same kind of people they were 15-20 years ago and seem much harder to please than in the past over almost anything. They are much more attuned to the world in general than they used to be thanks to world wide internet - and I'd say a lot smarter overall in wanting more bang for their buck in todays world. Years ago people took what they got and found it acceptable - todays world wants better and more as they are better aware and smarter than people 20 years ago were.

"Chazzzy;c-17168534" wrote:
Did they actually say Island Living was supposed to be a Game Pack?

Wonder what they added after that point to make it qualify (in their minds) as an Expansion Pack.

I think players said that - not Maxis seeing Maxis said we had one gme pack, one ep, and one sp coming tells me it was always designed to be a ep - as they had Moschino sp, Realm of Magic GP, and Island living being worked on slotted for each of those packs. It did not change what it was designed to be from what I can see - the world alone tells you that.

"Chazzzy;c-17168559" wrote:

"Writin_Reg;c-17168539" wrote:

"Chazzzy;c-17168534" wrote:
Did they actually say Island Living was supposed to be a Game Pack?

Wonder what they added after that point to make it qualify (in their minds) as an Expansion Pack.

I think players said that - not Maxis seeing Maxis said we had one gme pack, one ep, and one sp coming tells me it was always designed to be a ep - as they had Moschino sp, Realm of Magic GP, and Island living being worked on slotted for each of those packs. It did not change what it was designed to be from what I can see - the world alone tells you that.

Yea the first thing I noticed was that the new world has so many lots! That felt like an EP feature to me.

The size of the world and the amount of work that went into it, the land, and the water even is much more expansive and detailed than any gp has ever been.

The only thing that really bothers me right now with regards to development is the amount bugs they are releasing packs with. Shouldn't these things be thoroughly tested before being sold to people? If I'm paying £34.99 for a pack I don't expect my game to be so buggy that I feel I can't even play certain elements of it until they decide to release a fix patch two or three months later. Restaurants are a complete mess right now. They were one of my favourite places to have my sims visit but now I'm avoiding them. Mermaids can't do the conservation career properly.

To me this is unacceptable. Maybe start doing some testing of products before selling them.