More Off-Grid / Living Off the Land...Please!

This might be better posted over in The Sims 4 Feedback section as this forum page is for Forum Ideas and Feedback itself and not the game... ;)
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/categories/TS4-feedback

Moved this for you :smile:

"Mahyazmama;d-962589" wrote:

- Compost Traveling Toilet
* Be able to put in inventory (for nomads/camping)
* Requires cleaning it every couple of days (contents can be dumped in compost pile/bin or buried)
* Could make a "fancy" or leveled up one to have a built in incinerator that works with solar.

Could have one that fuels a cooktop with it's gas.

no thank you would not went this in game i much prefer my sims to have a modern life as a player that his

I love off-the-grid, but I feel there is room for improvement.

* Laundry doesn't work. It seems weird that you can somehow have running water for a toilet and washing your hands and doing dishes, but you can't fill or empty the wash tub. That was very disappointing.
* Your laptop doesn't work, but your phone does. So I'm guessing you can somehow charge your phone on the lot, but not a laptop? Weidness.
*You have a log-burning stove that...doesn't burn logs? There are also stoves that are obviously designed to look like they're running on gas, but they can't be used, even though the oven that... doesn't look like it burns gas somehow does? And if you are going to make it work on gas, why limit the functionality? That makes no sense... I presume the fridge also runs on gas, and if it does, it also makes no sense to limit its functionality.
*There is somehow enough water to water plants, wash dishes, wash hands, use the loo and take a shower, but not enough to fill a bathtub once in a while? In a tropical island where water isn't exactly in short supply? There's a waterfall right outside...

Suggestions to fix these issues:
* Water: In order of "upgradability" 1) The ability to collect water from a stream. 2) Collecting rain water. 3) A working, placable well. 4) A placable handpump. 5) A capped borehole.
Any of those can be combined with a placable 1) JoJo tank or 2) underground cistern. As long as you keep your tank full, you can have cold, running water.
Upgrade the tank with a water filter to get rid of negative moodlets. Add Electricity, gas or fire to get clean, hot water, getting rid of other negative moodlets.
* Electricity: 1) Placable solar collectors that run only when the sun is out. With it, you can run a pc and charge your phone and maybe a few more items. 2) Upgrade the solar panels with a battery pack for cloudy day operation and limited use at night. This will also allow you to have solar-water heater for warm showers and the ability to have a bathtub. 3) A gas powered generator for "normal" electricity supply.
* Gas powered: 1) Replacable propane tanks that can run your fridge and stove for full functionality. Can also run a gas-powered generator.
*Fire-powered: Let the wood-burning stove actually burn wood. Use the animation for harvesting to "collect wood", which the Sim can then use to fire up that oven for cooking and baking and heating up water for washing themselves and their stuff. Also to use the fireplace.

Why don't toddler's get a hygiene boost from playing in the ocean? Also off-grid does not function on all lots such as Lagoon Lookout.

I agree with you, OP. I would absolutely love to see the off-grid trait get really beefed up. There are totally modern ways to live off-grid, too (solar panels, composting, renewable bio fuels, private wells). There are so many opportunities that I feel like they missed out on it, and there's not enough stuff in the game to really support the off-grid trait, in my opinion. I would love to see more and I think your ideas are an excellent starting point!

I 100% agree on this, I as well would absolutely love to see this lot trait get beefed up with more options to live with. Also, things being fixed as well. The inability to replenish the water in the wash basin for laundry or even trying to clean the appliances. I know, you can cheat that and just make everything self cleaning... but, alas! The kitchen counters unfortunately do not have that upgrade!

Another thing that I would absolutely love to see, to go along with this trait... I would love for them to reintroduce grocery shopping. Making it so we have to have the ingredients to prep the meals instead of instantly having to pay for them once we click on them. This way, we can only prep what we have the ingredients for and alas... making the meals we prep free of charge. That would really add to the whole "Off The Grid/Living Off The Land" combo. Gardening and Fishing for all our sims hunger needs, making meals using only fresh ingredients. Never have to pay for meals again. Minus "Thanksgiving and Christmas"... would purchase a turkey and ham for the feast. But, only needing to get groceries for those special meals. Living completely off the land for the regular everyday meals.

I haven't used Off the Grid yet. I want to but I'm hesitant because I've read on the forums that it's very restrictive in terms of which items we can use.

It’s great it came free, yay... but in my opinion this was a lazy route. Like they’ve given us the trait, but nothing else? No new gameplay features for something that should completely change your gameplay..? And considering they’ve teased off the grid forever now... ngl kinda gutted.

I wish they had done a GP for off the grid, maybe we would have had all these things implemented..? Like there are certain objects scattered through all the packs that have been half heartedly adjusted to work with the trait (laundry day), but then you have to have all the packs to have any kind of actual off the grid experience? I hope it gets an overhaul similar to gardening, and fishing at some point (and preferably soon), if they wanna go down the free route.