It would be so cool if sims 4 had different difficulty levels

Can this be done with scenarios?

If not that, a combination of scenarios and some mods? I've seen several mods that impact how hard it is to play - though most of them are designed to make it easier (such as: beware of using build mode CC if you want a challenge, a lot of Modders stack those things with rank 10 buffs and not all of them alert you to it).

But I've seen at least a few mods designed to make things a lot harder. If you're open to mods I'd ask about that over in one of the mods subforums here. Otherwise, I had thought this was something we could do with scenarios - which I still need to try playing with.

I would love it and not just with money, but how hard it is to build relationships including romance, progress in a career, learn skills - or how severe the consequences of your actions are, like if you cheat on a test and get caught - do you fail the course and retake it, or flunk out of Uni with no way back?

"SheriSim57;c-18172591" wrote:
I’m not interested in difficulty levels. In most ways, I like the game sandboxy. They are already causing the game to loose it’s sandbox feel giving us fears and wants that are unchangeable without a price. Give me whims back…… what ever happened to the players being in control? I know you can turn off whims and wants, but I think they should also give us the option to just x them out if we don’t like the wants or fears that appear.l, that way we can still earn points….

I don’t mind them giving an option to start with the normal amount of funds or 0 funds, but, no I don’t want difficulty levels. I can decide how difficult my game is by how I play it.

I have to say that I can't say how your game would change just because there is the option to make it harder for those who want it. Default setting would be like today, so no changes, but for those who do want more difficulty it would be an option.

I'm a PC player who uses a lot of gameplay mods (heavily including ones making the game more challenging) and I think the type of answers like "create your own challenge" or "there's mods" are kind of a cop out. There are people who just can't use mods because of the platform. And sure, playing on console might be a choice and I agree in certain context (e.g. if you want more specific or "out there" content don't expect the devs to cater to you) BUT a thing like difficulty levels is kind of a staple in ANY game. In fact, from ones I play I can't even think of one without difficulty options besides the Sims (+ Dark Souls and online PvP, but even in PvP you often have competitive lobbies for the "try hard" crowd). And my game library includes all kinds of games from sandbox to survival to FPS to RPG to horror to whatever.

But considering the single play experience, unlike Dark Souls (which has from the start been defined by its' difficulty which is integral to its' whole design from gameplay to story), Sims is a sandbox game which has been through a kind of metamorphosis because earlier games were actually challenging but the series has been made easier and easier with each tittle. I personally grew more and more annoyed with the fact that nothing challenges me which is why I ended up downloading mods. I don't think it's weird to wish for an option to have a more challenging experience. In fact, this is one of the most re-occurring criticisms of this game I see. I think it'd be great to implement a mode in which, say, any numbers against the player be enhanced. They could make bills cost more, salaries less, death more probable, and countless of other ways. Wouldn't need much more expect for them to tweak the numbers. Or perhaps do stuff like disable warnings. Personally, I hate how the game holds your hand and gives you GLARING notifications whenever your sim is in danger. E.g. "your sim is about to die by a meteor strike, DO SOMETHING". I'd rather they don't do that and instead I had to actually pay attention to what's going on in the game (emote appears you know). Now it feels like in an unmodded game any death that happens (minus very few exceptions like emotional ones) is because I LET them to be happen. And that is boring and artificial as heck when it comes to storytelling.

I agree with you, @Thrior - it would be really great to be able to choose our difficulty level in-game, like other games do. I played Sims 2 and Sims 3 and enjoyed the challenges built in to those games, but on closer consideration I find that I like both options for Sims 4 - both a challenge-free sandbox game for days when I want to play a relaxing game and a more challenging game for days when I want that.

I've found that I don't exactly like the new Wants/Fears system because I'm now required to fulfill their Wants frequently or else they're plagued by Fears. I used to fulfill their Whims every once in a while, and liked the option to easily choose to do it or not, without prompting a fear or turning it off globally. I haven't even played Wants/Fears with Lifestyles yet - what a negative mess that would be without clear ways to proceed, since there's no real guidance on what influences Lifestyles anyway. Things like Woodworking count as "Outdoorsy" even when the woodworking table is indoors - so confusing.

I've cobbled together some difficulty elements - using a lot of lot challenges simultaneously, playing on Short lifespan sometimes, etc. - to try to make my game more challenging when I want it, but it's tiresome having to make it challenging ourselves. I haven't played any Scenarios yet, so am not sure if those help.

It would indeed be great to have a toggle to turn off/on danger notifications if we want to.

"RoseQuartz;c-18172924" wrote:
I agree with you, @Thrior - it would be really great to be able to choose our difficulty level in-game, like other games do. I played Sims 2 and Sims 3 and enjoyed the challenges built in to those games, but on closer consideration I find that I like both options for Sims 4 - both a challenge-free sandbox game for days when I want to play a relaxing game and a more challenging game for days when I want that.

I've found that I don't exactly like the new Wants/Fears system because I'm now required to fulfill their Wants frequently or else they're plagued by Fears. I used to fulfill their Whims every once in a while, and liked the option to easily choose to do it or not, without prompting a fear or turning it off globally. I haven't even played Wants/Fears with Lifestyles yet - what a negative mess that would be without clear ways to proceed, since there's no real guidance on what influences Lifestyles anyway. Things like Woodworking count as "Outdoorsy" even when the woodworking table is indoors - so confusing.

I've cobbled together some difficulty elements - using a lot of lot challenges simultaneously, playing on Short lifespan sometimes, etc. - to try to make my game more challenging when I want it, but it's tiresome having to make it challenging ourselves. I haven't played any Scenarios yet, so am not sure if those help.

It would indeed be great to have a toggle to turn off/on danger notifications if we want to.

I too used to do the whims when I felt like it. I enjoy a more liesurely game where I can set the goals if there are to be goals. I actually like the scenarios because they are goals, but ones I don’t have to rush through to complete. It’s rather like the goals in the “Get to Work careers, which I have always enjoyed, but can do it at the pace I want to. I don’t want to have to turn off fears and wants, because I do like getting points occasionally, but I don’t want to have to buy a potion to change the wants when they are most likely going to be the same wants because they haven’t included wants for all the packs I’ve bought ( which is all of them). At least let us X out the wants we don’t want and the same thing with fears……. I am already upset about how some of the lifestyles work. I have a farmer in my main rotational save. Currently he and his wife have a few chickens, and a good size green house. He works part time as a fisherman, and he also does woodwork to sell on plopsy….. he doesn’t use the computer like his wife with the genius trait does but once in awhile at night he will watch tv to relax after a hard days work, but somehow he got the technophobe lifestyle, and it makes it where he can’t even do handiness at his wood working table, now THAT makes no sense All, so t……

If by difficulty, you mean achieve Goal A to go on to Goal B, repeat 20 times to unlock a couch…no. I hate grinding for things. I don’t find it fun, at all. I also don’t like the game to aggressively push for an outcome. I like playing in the sandbox, just fine. I’m ok with the less restrictive task options we have with aspirations, skills and careers.

However, there’s no harm in providing a more goal oriented play option alongside the current game. I think that’s what they are going for with scenarios, though.

The game is too easy. Especially with social interactions. A sim will never say no. Ask to go somewhere, ask on a date, ask if they like my new lamp, err.. okay, so not everything. Then they'll have a mental breakdown and need therapy the rest of their lives :D

"Jyotai;c-18172369" wrote:
Can this be done with scenarios?

If not that, a combination of scenarios and some mods? I've seen several mods that impact how hard it is to play - though most of them are designed to make it easier (such as: beware of using build mode CC if you want a challenge, a lot of Modders stack those things with rank 10 buffs and not all of them alert you to it).

But I've seen at least a few mods designed to make things a lot harder. If you're open to mods I'd ask about that over in one of the mods subforums here. Otherwise, I had thought this was something we could do with scenarios - which I still need to try playing with.

Yeah you are right, I'm sure it could be done with scenarios. I don't use mods, but I will look into it, if they have some mods like this it would be cool.

I’m not interested in difficulty levels. In most ways, I like the game sandboxy. They are already causing the game to loose it’s sandbox feel giving us fears and wants that are unchangeable without a price. Give me whims back…… what ever happened to the players being in control? I know you can turn off whims and wants, but I think they should also give us the option to just x them out if we don’t like the wants or fears that appear.l, that way we can still earn points….

I don’t mind them giving an option to start with the normal amount of funds or 0 funds, but, no I don’t want difficulty levels. I can decide how difficult my game is by how I play it.

Nope, I despise challenges.....I want my gameplay to be as easy as possible. None of my Sims work, or have families and responsibilities. Honestly, if the game suddenly had built-in challenges, I would stop playing it--too much like work