Let's talk about the flawed emotion system

"foxx_fennec;15197466" wrote:
I don't agree that any emotions should be made permanent for a given amount of time. That isn't realistic, either. Even in real life, it's possible for people to be happy even in the worst of times. I do agree that TS4 could handle the emotional effects of such events better, though. I think the moodlets from any major bad event (death of a loved one, breaking up, being cheated on, etc.) should be stronger and have their effects fade gradually. Big negative moodlets like the +5 Sad moodlet that comes from the death of a loved one can be overcome without too much trouble; then they're gone and everything's fine again.

To make it more realistic, the response to a Sim losing someone close to them should be something more like this:
+10 Sad moodlet for 2 days. They're going to be pretty sad while they're mourning, and it's going to take a lot of positive moodlets to pull them out of that before some time has passed.
+5 Sad moodlet for 24h after the first moodlet. The pain of grief is still strong, but it is healing.
+2 Sad moodlet for 24h after the second moodlet. They're adjusting okay to life without the one they've lost, and their baseline emotional state is returning to normal.

Another touch of realism could be added by allowing a Sim to have a keepsake from someone they've lost, which would give them the option to reminisce and have a chance of giving either a +1 Happy moodlet (from fond memories) or a +1 Sad moodlet (from missing them) for a few hours.

I think other major events should have a larger initial impact and a "tapering-off" effect like this as well. I just chose having someone die as an example because that's probably the most devastating thing that can happen to a Sim.

"kimjo313;15201813" wrote:
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/815421/lets-discuss-the-emotions-reactions-and-wishes/p1
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/815421/lets-discuss-the-emotions-reactions-and-wishes/p6
A post from February of 2015. Nothings changed and nothing probably ever will. Its a one size fits all Sims world.

kim :/

"kimjo313;15201828" wrote:

Did you even read this topic? I guess not.

Yes/ Page 6 is very revealing.

Its wonderful you are pleased with the game and in YOUR opinion its great. That is your opinion. Not everyone agrees. Am I not allowed to voice my opinion with out snarky replies? This is the second topic tonight. Is your opinion the only one allowed. Why are your reposes always personal?

kim :/

"JoAnne65;15202344" wrote:

"HalloMolli;15202322" wrote:

"Pmike16;15201901" wrote:
Agreed. Emotions is one of the most celebrated "additions", and even that they can't implement well. But hey, at least CAS is tactile and intuitive.

It - the eomotion system - works well and therefore as intended. Don't see a problem here.

They implemented the vampires in Sims 3 as intended, meaning that they planned townies to turn into ones autonomously. I don't think many simmers thought they implemented them 'well' that way though, it got irritating quite fast. Implementing features as intended isn't automatically the same thing as implementing them well. I think they overlooked things when they came up with the 'emotions as gameplay' idea as far as many simmers are concerned. For many people sims should react to major events, events they can relate to (death, being cheated on, not taking a particular shower or being in a room with an item that happens to have an 'aura'). And simmers also want their sims to remember things, emotions shouldn't be very temporary buffs that mean nothing and aren't aimed at particular sims. When my sim in Sims 4 is tense, they will react tense and unfriendly towards everyone. When my sim in 2 or 3 is mad at someone, they will only be unfriendly to that person, not to anyone. I had a sim in 3 who was mad at my sim and she refused to dance with him (two days after he had suggested to just be friends). Instead she started dancing with someone else. That's how I want emotions to be handled.

"JoAnne65;15206703" wrote:
.

"Neia;15206245" wrote:

"Hermai;15205623" wrote:
I don't like this gameplay based on emotions. At first I thought it was fun, but later on a felt like I was always manipulating the emotions of my sims so they could do a certain thing. And I don't like that. For me, emotions should be just a consequence of what happens in sim's lives, not a gimmick to manipulate all the time. Maybe when they were more "hidden" they felt more fun.

I like that manipulating the emotions is entirely optional, I never use the emotional auras for example, and I always choose the interactions that give emotional moodlets for the interaction itself. I usually just go with the flow with whatever emotion my Sims are currently in, I think it makes the gameplay extremely fluid, and I think the more content, the better it will be.

I think the emotion system could be even better with a bit more granularity (more steps than Inspired/Very Inspired), and with the more common Happy buffs being less impactful. At the moment, some moodlets (like Well fed for example) have too big an impact on how our Sims feel, though removing the Decoration buffs goes a long way to make the emotion system better already.

It may be optional, but it's also the way the devs created the game, it's supposed to be the way you handle those emotions (like HalloMolli called it, and for this game I agree with that, the 'appropriate' way). And that simply shows. It's what the gameplay is based on, so if you don't like that, you sort of fall into no-man's-land.

"HalloMolli;c-15197359" wrote:
Well, first: If you are scared you feel uncomfortable. The word uncomfortable is just not as specific as you would expect it to be (you are right on that matter). Maybe they will add more emotions with new eps. We will see.

However, what you encounter in your game is a consequence of the emotion-system being very flexible and convenient in its outcome. Some simmers won't like it and I can totally understand that because if you don't use it appropriately it can be rather irritating and messed up sometimes. But I, personally have learned to work with 'emotions' and know about the potential for story telling the game provides with them.

For example, you plan a wedding and want everybody to become happy - no problem, after all the game gives you the tools to achieve it + you have several possibilities: Whether you decorate nicely, cook certain meals or trigger special interactions with certain sims it's all your choice.

Another example: you are at a get together with a group of sims and you want to make them fight/angry at each other. You can do the same. Always, at any time. You have control over the outcome of any conversation or action if you wish, even if your sims are not involved.

---

Just for the record. The Sims 3 had a similar problem where sims sometimes didn't behave accordingly to their actions they had performed prior:

https://youtu.be/IL1X26I_83s?t=471

"Trips is very angry with Grace." --> Yet he still decides to kiss her autonomously.

"HalloMolli;c-15197359" wrote:
Well, first: If you are scared you feel uncomfortable. The word uncomfortable is just not as specific as you would expect it to be (you are right on that matter). Maybe they will add more emotions with new eps. We will see.

However, what you encounter in your game is a consequence of the emotion-system being very flexible and convenient in its outcome. Some simmers won't like it and I can totally understand that because if you don't use it appropriately it can be rather irritating and messed up sometimes. But I, personally have learned to work with 'emotions' and know about the potential for story telling the game provides with them.

For example, you plan a wedding and want everybody to become happy - no problem, after all the game gives you the tools to achieve it + you have several possibilities: Whether you decorate nicely, cook certain meals or trigger special interactions with certain sims it's all your choice.

Another example: you are at a get together with a group of sims and you want to make them fight/angry at each other. You can do the same. Always, at any time. You have control over the outcome of any conversation or action if you wish, even if your sims are not involved.

---

Just for the record. The Sims 3 had a similar problem where sims sometimes didn't behave accordingly to their actions they had performed prior:

https://youtu.be/IL1X26I_83s?t=471

"Trips is very angry with Grace." --> Yet he still decides to kiss her autonomously.