Just not the same anymore

I rotate through Sims2,3 and 4. Whenever I get bored, or stuck in a storyline, I move on to one of the other iterations until I feel the need for something different then I load up a different Sims game. The smartest thing I have done with Sims4 was to install the Legacy Edition on another older PC, along with all the mods I have been dying to try for the past year. No worries about patches and updates that all too often break mods and add new glitches when you can't update the Legacy Edition. Sims2 and 3 are also modded, and I really enjoy the freedom I have to just play each one without the unexpected patch bombs that cripples your game faster than you can blink.

Going back and forth between those three doesn't change my thoughts on Sims4; it isn't an awful game. It is entertaining as long as you don't have high expectations for it's ability to be a great game. It's hard to play it with adult expectations because it was meant to be played by much younger players that aren't long-time fans of the franchise and probably didn't experience Sims2 and 3. They are the social media generation, and reality TV fans, so EA created Sims4 to attract these new players while hoping the older players wouldn't notice. But nearly everyone did notice the lack of depth and surprises that made the past iterations so entertaining. Including many of the younger players EA tried so hard to cater to.

I'm quite stubborn. Just ask my family. Once I become focused on a goal, I am relentless. And one of my goals in this new year is to tweak Sims4 even more until it becomes as entertaining as it's predecessors. It is getting better through the use of mods. And I'm afraid this is the only way Sims4 will ever come close to what we saw in Sims2 and 3. Or comes closer to what everyone wants it to be according to their expectations and desires. Eighteen years of playing has taught me to not expect the teams to deliver everything I want out of a Sims game. Sometimes we have to find our own solutions for the bugs and lack of gameplay. If you are having problems with various bugs or glitches, go to AQ and hit that 'Me Too' button. Then find a mod to fix it until the team notices the problem and tries to do something about it. If that bug gets a lot of 'Me Too' hits, it will get noticed more quickly. Create a new save then experiment with a couple of gameplay mods that have features you're interested in. Even with it's limitations, Sims4 can be manipulated. We've spent a lot of money on dlc for Sims4. I have no intention of walking away without getting my money's worth of entertainment in return. And I will use whatever tools are out there to make that happen.

"Hoverael;c-17360753" wrote:

"AntiPrincess88;c-17360438" wrote:
I'm the same way. I got my kids into playing the game. Watching them play/helping them got me back into the game after 7 months of not playing. I'm not back to the playing scale I was at, but maybe university and island living will change that...

Doubtful. very doubtful that will have the desired effect. if the rest of the game is as you remember it, having a few new little things like britechester and sulani won't do much to hide what is already there, what drove you away in the first place.

"Felicity1169;c-17360441" wrote:
Sometimes you lose interest in things, at the end of the day The Sims is a game, if you don't feel like playing it's not a big deal. You can always try to watch let's plays or play a different version of The Sims if you really want to get back into it.
The Sims 4 is the first game I was able to play regularly as in an hour or two every few days before that it was binge the Sims for 8-10 hours at once and then don't play for 6-12 months. Maybe that's your Sims 4 play style?

To try drum up interest through nostalgia? On the surface you might feel a strong desire to play again because of the romantic aspect of any fun times you had. However when you get back into it you'll realise how remarkably hollow that desire really was.

I not saying that at all! Sometimes I get the urge to play the Sims but it takes me a while to figure out which version I want to play. I cycle through all of the Sims 1-4 including Bustin' Out and the Urbz regularly. Each version offers something that the others don't and sometimes while playing one version you realize you actually wanted to play a different one more due to a feature. I don't know if you can really be nostalgic for a game you played recently. Let's Plays are another way to discover new things in the game, I don't personally watch them because I'd rather just play the game but there's time when players showcase something that I didn't know existed and I immediately want to try it myself. My point was don't force yourself to play a game you're bored with but there are other avenues to fulfill a Sims urge if you really are craving to play it.

I'm not bored but I'm also a rotational player who is playing a whole community. If I get bored of a household then I switch and I'm generally interested as I move around. I've noticed that there are some other players on here who also play like that but it seems like if you find a play style that interests you then that works well.

I do take breaks and I think those are healthy.

I'll be clear that I'd be open to adding some new complex gameplay as long as it is open-ended enough for me. I also change my play style, so for example, I slacked off on building until recently so I might get more into it again.

I'm actually starting to get to the opinion that the graphics in the game might need an upgrade which is one reason I'd consider moving on. I'd like it better if we can "port our sims" into the new version rather than starting all over.

There are other games that I like but the old games that I used to play mostly died out. I'll actually probably check out Paralives but it's not an either/or situation for me because I like the style of game.

I don't know, I set up my game in a way that really entertains me. I have other interests but it's fun. I was gifted a new upgraded headset for the holidays so clearly, there are no problems in my actual life. If anything, I have certain goals that I need to achieve so I need to keep gaming in a balance.

That's my experience but no one needs to play like I do or want the same things. I've heard some players describe other games they play that just don't interest me.

"ChampandGirlie;c-17361086" wrote:
If I get bored of a household then I switch and I'm generally interested as I move around.

That would be me. ;)