I think the key to many of the things that you're talking about is regarding CUSTOMIZATION. I'll explain myself.
- I think we don't need 200 chairs, we just need a bunch of them and the posibility to change patterns and colours.
- We don't need to have 20 differents worlds, but the option of creating our own worlds with a good tool. EA could release an expansion pack to create worlds, for example.
- We don't need to have 50 different jobs. Since most jobs work the same (10 levels, some objectives, etc.) a tool could be released so that you just write the texts and the objectives, the amount of money, days, etc.
- Don't give us apartments that cannot be customized.
- Don't give us lots that cannot be rotated or size-changed.
- ¿Open world or loading screems? Easy, you choose. If you have a top of the top PC, then you can choose to load the whole world, or maybe just a neighbourhood, or maybe just a lot. You choose, as you can choose graphical settings.
- ¿Humans or supernatural? We should have the option to choose.
- ¿Online or offline? We could have both as we want.
- ¿Story progression or not? Again, we should have the option to choose.
- Control your pets, ¿yes or no? Maybe both, having the option to choose.
I think a life simulator game should rely on options. We should have the option of choosing what is best for our game. In order to create stories we should have the ability to control the situations and circumstances that happen to our Sims. The game already has a lot of options like custom music, graphic options, etc. Why not expanding the options available? If you are a control-freak like me, this is a must. I agree that some people are not like that and they just want to play without thinking about all these options, ok, they should have the option of just playing the game with default values. Everybody wins, because everybody can choose... or not... you choose. :smiley:
Why TS4 is to rigid and cannot be customized? Because it is easier to release a game that cannot be changed at all. But the truth is that it isn't, because with all these restrictions the game is still buggy. All those restrictions for nothing. Every week I find something new that shouldn't happen and when I google it there are posts regarding that same bug.
And the thing that angers me the most is that some of the bugs are happens to many, many people, and they are very easy to find, what makes me think that EA is not testing the game as they should. Well, that's a fact having in mind TS3, for example. Many of the bugs are fixed by modders, so they are possible. It says a lot of a company that leaves the bugs to be fixed by others.
I'm not a dev guru, but when I see all those great games with better graphics than The Sims and with open worlds, much more stable and reliable, it makes me think that something is not right with this game.
EA has been in the industry with The Sims so many years that they should already know what people wants and what doesn't. It's all in the forums. They tried to release "something new" against the wishes of lots of people. I really don't know if they just don't care about this game anymore or it was just a risk they took. This game is not enjoyable anymore. It lacks of many, many things, and instead of focusing on more activities and interesting places to go, they just release stuff packs and more stuff packs. What are they thinking? Really, I really don't understand why they do these things. I know that The Sims series has a lot of players and fans that it is impossible to release something that is good for everybody. There will always be someone that doesn't like this or that, but The Sims 4 is the result of some kind of experiment that is not right. I can see it in the forums, people rants, people vents, people is trying to like the game, but many is leaving the game because there are too many things that are not right.
Personally I don't like this new iteration at all. I know it is too late for real improvement because of the way it was conceived and core-programmed. It could be a bit better with some more places to go and things to do: seasons, beaches, sports, farms, heavier traits and most of all, focus on fixing bugs.
