Personality should be the main focus of this game.

#FixThePersonalities

I often feel like the traits (in sims 4) by themselves just makes a sim feel more childish, cartoony and shallow. Why didn´t they keep the temperament system from sims 1 & 2, and add the traits on this? I mean a sim should be able to have a temperament of being more or less (e.g.) Introvert / Extrovert but also have traits like: easily-impressed, snob, hot-headed.

The existing trait system could work as a “spice” to a temperament/basic personality and deepen it, but does not work by itself. I mean you just have 3 slots and your sim can end up like: Music lover, Dance machine & Vegetarian.
But that’s 2 hobbies and a diet, not a “personality”!

PERSONALITY
1. Add a section for diet (+1 slot: Omnivore / Vegetarian / Vegan)

2. Attraction system + Favorites/Dislikes + Talents/Inabilities (hobby system) would be great add ons to the game.

3. Add a system for a temperament / basic personality (point system) as an addition to the existing trait system. It could be a scale of 1-10 (sims 1 & 2) or just a scale of 1-6 (E.g: 1. Very Sensitive 2. Sensitive 3. A little sensitive => 4. A little Rational 5. Rational 6. Very rational).
EXAMPLE
1 points of SENSITIVE (very Sensitive) = most affected by the SENSITIVE trait => most SENSITIVE moodlets & personality benefits/disadvantages.
https://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111003074631/sims/images/7/7e/Personality_%26_Aspiration.png
1. SENSITIVE - RATIONAL
SENSITIVE (1-5)
*Faster increasing skills: Creativity skills, Pet skills, Life skill
*Increased performance in following careers: Therapist, Doctor, creative careers
*Decreased performance in following careers: Detective, Law, Military, Secret agent
*Easier to gain sentiments
*Collects higher negative life points from negative experiences LIFE STRUGGLES PACK
*Collects higher positive life points from positive experiences LIFE STRUGGLES PACK

RATIONAL (6-10)
*Faster increasing skills: Logic skills
*Increased performance in following careers: Detective, Law, Military, Secret agent
*Decreased performance in following careers: Therapist, creative careers
*Harder to gain sentiments
*Collects lower negative life points from negative experiences LIFE STRUGGLES PACK
*Collects lower positive life points from positive experiences LIFE STRUGGLES PACK

LIFE STRUGGLES PACK
*If having a very “negative childhood” +high point in SENSITIVE = risk of developing Sensitive maniac trait (van Gogh)
*If having a very “negative childhood” +high points in RATIONAL = risk of developing Rational maniac trait (mad scientist/John Nash)
2. INTROVERT – EXTROVERT
INTROVERT (1-5)
*Decreased performance in following careers: Entertainer, Comedian, Actor
*Faster decreasing energy bar around unknown/acquaint sims
*Slower decreasing social bar
*Can get the moodlet Overwhelmed introvert around (unknown) sims
*Can get the moodlet Shy around (unknown) sims
*Harder to socialize with new sims
*Higher risk of getting the Social anxious moodlet (when low points in Self-Esteem) LIFE STRUGGLES PACK
*More negative feelings/moodlets around new/unknown sims
*Tend to get less/no whims about parties/social events/getting to know new sims/attention
*Tend to get more fears (whims) about making a fool of themselves/social embaressment/to be in the centrum of attention

CAS Traits only available for INTROVERT: Loner
CAS Traits not available for INTROVERT: Outgoing

EXTROVERT
*Increased performance in following careers: Entertainer, Comedian, Actor
*Faster increasing skill: Charisma
*Slower decreasing energy bar around unknown/acquaint sims.
*Faster decreasing social bar
*Can get the moodlet Exited extrovert around other sims.
*Easier to socialize with new sims
*More positive feelings/moodlets around new/unknown sims
*Tend to get more whims about parties/social events/getting to know new sims

CAS Traits only available for EXTROVERT: Outgoing
CAS Traits not available for EXTROVERT: Loner

3. PLAYFUL - SERIOUS
PLAYFUL(1-5)
*Faster increasing skills: Creativity skills, Comedy skills
*Increased performance in following careers: Creative careers, Babysitter career (part time job)
*More often playful and inspired emotion/moodlets
*Faster Bored or Tensed when performing serious actions (e.g. studying)
*More whims with playful actions, less whims with serious actions

CAS Traits only available for PLAYFUL: Goofball

SERIOUS(6-10)
*Slower increasing skills: Creativity skills, Comedy skill
*Decreased performance in in following careers: Creative careers, Babysitter career (part time job)
*Increased performance in following careers: Astronaut, Business, Detective, Law, Salary person, Politician
*Easier to fail with jokes
*Easier to get other sims gain the moodlet “bored” from a conversation with your sim
*Easier for other sims to gain the sentiment “reliable” about your sim (=easier to convince someone)
*Slower Bored or Tensed when performing serious actions (e.g. studying)
*Increased fun bar from performing serious actions (e.g. studying)
*More whims with serious actions, less whims with playful actions

CAS Traits not available for SERIOUS: Goofball
4. IMPULSIVE – REFLECTIVE
IMPULSIVE(1-5)
*Tend to change their whims (positive & negative) more often
*More impulsive whims
*Can become tensed when sedentary for a longer period of time
*Tends to get more smaller whims with smaller rewards
*Faster Bored with repetitive conversations
*Faster Bored when performing repetitive actions / from repetative interaction
*Faster Bored with long-spun actions (e.g. short attention span, bored when doing a homework that take a long time to do).
*Will autonomously do more impulsive actions and jump through different actions (doing some homework ->now playing a game on the phone -> now start learning this new skill /etc)
*Harder to get and remain Focused from actions (e.g. playing chess)
*Can get the moodlet: Excited!
* Easier to get the moodlet Life feels meh (+1 Bored and Decreasing Meaningfulness points).
*Rapidly changing temperament: Tend to more easily become agitated/excited/scared/etc, and more mood swings

REFLECTIVE (6-10)
*Tend to change (refresh) their whims (positive & negative) less often (will stick with their whims for a longer period of time)
* Will be able to see one/several of the tasks from the Quest want before accepting the quest
*Less/no impulsive whims
*Tend to get more “bigger” whims with bigger rewards
*Easier to get Focused from actions (e.g. playing chess)
*Will autonomously stick with their routines (no new impulsive actions), will stick with their actions for longer periods of time
*Smooth/even temperament: less mood swings and "freak outs"
5. PERSISTENT – UNMOTIVATED
PERSISTENT(1-5)
*A persistent sim that failing with a Quest want or a whim that you have locked (=by removing it or by completing the opposite fear) will get a bigger decrease in Self Esteem points and Meaningsfulness points and tend to get the same whim instant afterwards
*Bigger increased Meaningsfulness points when completing a Quest want or a whim that you have locked
*Decreased Meaningsfulness points when failing with a new years resolution (SEASONS EP).

CAS Traits only available for PERSISTENT: Ambitious
CAS Traits not available for PERSISTENT: Lazy

UNMOTIVATED(6-10) (Example: Bob Panncake!)
*Smaller loss in Meaningsfulness points when failing with a Quest want or a whim that you have locked
*If you have a Quest want or a whim that you have locked for a longer period of time without completing it => the sim will get the negative moodlet LET ME GO! and tend to get whims with: UNLOCK THE WANT! / LET ME GO! (=> urging to the player, because of low motivation)

CAS Traits only available for UNMOTIVATED: Lazy
CAS Traits not available for UNMOTIVATED: Ambitious


4. LIFE STRUGGLES PACK
Collect Negative & Positive points from life experiences and develop Childhood traits & Life traits (e.g. Narcissistic, Naive, Spolied, Unlucky). Develop and remember Struggles and life experiences. Negative / Positive / Neutral childhood. Therapy +active Healer / Therapist career (return of the therapist from sims 2!). Self-Esteem system and Meaningfulness system (similiar to the aspiration system in sims 2).
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/986200/life-struggles-pack-updates-sims-4-memory-system-consequences-wants-fears-personality-overhaul


WANTS & FEARS
https://i.redd.it/8rwn35j5bv0z.png
You can have up to 3 different directions (aspirations) ongoing at the same time. The directions will give your sim negative & positive whims (want & fears), complete and gain / lose Satisfaction points + Meaningfullness points + Self-esteem points. You will also get an button for a Quest want. Click on this button to get assigned to a quest (the quest is based upon your chosen directions, is time limited and include several tasks). At the end of your sims lifetime, their tombstone will show what direction your sims found as most important (what directions their mostly picked) and what direction your sim was mostly successful in. You can change your sims directions at any time.

Pick 3 directions from following categories:
(They can all be from the same category or from different categories):
1. Family 2. Romantic 3. Pleasure 4. Career 5. Money 6. Popularity 7. Knowledge
8. Power 9. Hedonism 10. Goodness 11. Spiritual & Personal development
12. Health & Wellbeing 13. Vanity 14. Evilness 15. Criminality 16. Nature 17. Animals & Wildlife
18. Travels & Experiences 19. Interest & Hobbies 20. Close Relations 21. Creativity
22. Random (you will have the possibility to choose which directions to randomize from if you don´t want all of them)

A sim that goes for a longer period of time without completing any...
*Whims will get the moodlet Life feels meh (+1 Bored and Decreasing Meaningfulness points).
*Quest wants will get the moodlet No direction in life (+1 Tensed and Decreasing Meaningfulness points).


WHIMS UPDATE: https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/17819361#Comment_17819361

FROM THE LIFE STRUGGLES PACK (Self Esteem system & Meaningfulness system)
https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/986200/life-struggles-pack-updates-sims-4-memory-system-consequences-wants-fears-personality-overhaul


MEMORY SYSTEM
https://thumbs.modthesims2.com/img/8/0/7/1/7/6/9/MTS_DiLight-1487502-6YVMaeidbFI.jpg
Similar to sims 2 memory system with symbols (for slower computers), and the possibility to add photos and text to the memory (to create a scrapbook). Memories are highlighted with 1 of 5 different colours depending how the memory effected the sim at the given moment:
*Green X = Positive memory from: positive sentiments/events (positive life/childhood points).
*Red X = Negative memory from: negative sentiments/events (negative life/childhood points
*Yellow X = Redefined memory (earlier positive memory that has changed temporarily after gaining a negative sentiment)
*Orange with a “!”-symbol!X = a Struggle LIFE STRUGGLES PACK
*Golden with a “!”-symbol!X = a treated Struggle LIFE STRUGGLES PACK

*Sims are now going to remember their memories and will at random get a moodlet with the memory
(eg. ”Simsis was born”) that have the same moodlet as back then (e.g. “+1 happy”). This moodlet will give them the interaction to "share memory" with other sims that are included in the memory (e.g. parents can share a memory of a child birth). This will make the other sim remember = trigger their memory moodlet.
Higher % of positive / negative memories = higher chance / risk of remembering positive / negative memories.

All memories are visable in the Memory panel and show what moodlet the memory caused at that given moment and the names on the other sims that sharing the same memory.

LIFE STRUGGLES PACK
The memory show how many Negative / Positive Childhood points & Life point that were collected (if it collected any)

Memories with Treated Struggles (golden) will be remembered with the moodlets: ”I did it!” (+2 confident and increased “Self-esteem points”) OR/AND “Times have been rough” = (+2 sad and increased “Meaningfulness points”).
*No met mystery sim or visited the park/library/shop -kind of memories (looking at you sims 3 ;) )
*Focus on bigger events instead: had a baby (name of the baby), got married / divorced, become best friend with (sim_name), got scholarship (and which), got a job / retired (which career), had a negative / positive / neutral childhood LIFE STRUGGLES PACK, had a million simoleans, become boyfriend/girlfriend, etc...

Redefined memories
If a sim get a negative sentiment (angry/ hurt/etc) of another sim it will change all the earlier positive memories to this sim. The memories will now change colour to yellow and become Redefined memories.
When Redefined memories are remembered it will cause moodlets like: “I didn´t know what was coming back then…” / "Arggh!" and give a tense/angry/sad/anxious buff. It just the sim with the negative sentiment (e.g. “hurt”) that gets effected, the other sim (that caused the sentiment) can still have positive memories.

When the negative sentiment disappear the Redefined memories will go back to positive memories again. If the sentiment is lifelong it will make the memory to become Redefined until the negative sentiment is removed.

@carpe_diem that sounds AMAZING

I’ve been complaining about game play for years and nothing has improved. Honestly the gameplayin sims 4 needs serious overhaul. It is simply put the worst sims version. Build mode is probably best, but game play is atrocious. Simply put it’s not fun when things just spontaneously appear in inventory or your sim can do anything from a computer. It’s a game where is the game play? Lack of animation and interactions are a huge problem. Second issue is the robotic nature of the sims. They are emotionally trippy happy robots. I really hoped that sentiments and lifestyles would have added more depth, but once again they are superficial and limited to a blurb under a profile and do not diversify sim by much. Lifestyles also were created without any regard to previous expansions. So doctors, cops or any sim in active career or freelancer is constantly slapped with people person just because they do interactions that are required to complete the tasks. Sentiments disregard nap events like for example ‘roughhousing encouraged’ and animation that follows. The animation shows one thing and the sentiment has an opposite effect. Anything aspect missing is long term impact. Relationships are fleeting at best, family member nearly non existent. For anyone that likes to create stories it’s simply marginally possible and that is only if you imagine it. Generational play is literally limited to genetics. Sentiments are often assigned and I as a player do not know why. Maybe because animation is missing and so are notifications. So why does my sim have a grudge? No clue. Also, because game play is reduced to very basic animate repetitive actions when ever creators make an actual animation they overload it. So Murphy beds kill at an alarming rate, vending machines get stuck so often it seams more like a glitch then a feature and thinking about family member occurs almost as a daily task. There are no likes, dislikes, meaningful relationships (long lasting effects), attractions or impactful reputations. Whims are limited to just buy stuff. So a frugal sims want a hot tub? Once a family member, ex etc disappears from lot, it’s like they are no longer important. Unless you want to read some profiles. Emotions have one update in 6 years. So traits, as limited as they are, are also useless. You can change aspiration but there isn’t that much to choose from. I’d like for the creators to add some depth. That would be my priority.

Sorry for the long post. This game is just so lacking. It’s one sided, it disregards other expansions that should be utilized, it has no game play depth. Lacks animation and makes everything lacking in challenge. When they add a feature they overload the repetitiveness of the action you have to shut it off. Dusting kits made play impossible. All my sim was doing was vacuuming. Turned it off. Vending machines are always stuck. Naps were destroying game play. Turned that off. My sims still can’t finish college because they don’t go two exams. My sim cook even if there is food already. I can list so many issue and on top of all that there is the fact that game plain is put simply BORING. All sims are happy emotionally trippy clones. They removed half the animations and now things just spawn in inventory and your sim does everything from a computer. In ea view that’s exiting game play. I don’t want a new shade of lipstick I want this game to fix glitches (and since modders do it, it’s clearly fixable), tune the actions which are frustrating (push-ups at weddings, changing into workout clothes in winter to play basketball but never changing back to only freeze to death, having sims move constantly, up down sit, talk to everyone without allowing players to remove sims from conversations or telling them to move out of the way etc), and make this game more interesting. Emotions overshadow everything, reputations are shallow, simplistic and have no impact. There are no likes, dislikes, attractions, and traits don’t matter. My evil sim has almost the same reactions as my good sim. Relationships exist in a blurb in a profile. When one of the kids came home from college to visit and wanted to bake some cookies they were thrown out for misbehaving like any stranger. While strangers roam the house without invitation. This game is soooooo bad. I like you love build mode and graphics, but can’t play it because I’m either board or frustrated. Previous sim games were better. No story progression. Addition of groups hmm great except there isn’t much they can do together and when they gather they scatter like roaches. I tell my sim to eat because they are starving they immediately cancel and some stupid shit. Every time they add a feature, I pay for it just to turn it off because it’s designed badly without regard to the entire game. One emotion in 6 years that all we got but you can new Mac makeup. And when you ask people what they want they post a million pictures of clothes providing no depth or resolution to piling stack of issues. Well I guess what people want is a glitchy better dressed clone.

And I do want an attraction system. It provides a challenge and diversity on actions which is very lacking. You can still control your sim, if it’s designed properly. It just provides depth and you should be able to change the attractions with a cheat if you really want to. I want to have control, but want them to be individuals so it still allows you to pick the attractions of your sim. Therefore you are still in control. If they make it part of cas then you can always go in and tweak it to your desire like anything else. I want that level of challenge attraction system can provide. Right now they all just like everything and everyone. Boring. why wouldn’t you want something that would make game play more interesting. Not everyone likes everyone. If you add a challenge like that you got yourself a story and game play worth your time. You got yourself options and so much potential for making it fun. What relationships you have now? Oh right profile ones since no animations or interactions provide fun or a story.

I completely agree. I think there should be more traits, wants and fears, aspiration bars, interests (Sims 2 style), memories, grocery stores (Sims 2 style), bookstores, clothings stores that matter (Sims 2 style again where you had to pay to change your outfit), all the Sims 2 interactions with people (different types of hugs, different ways to kiss, talking about interests vs chatting), and so so much more. I really find Sims 4 unplayable. I think it’s fantastic if you are a builder but I am not, I always loved the lore and story telling. I want the ability to customize and create your own neighborhood back again too, even if it has to be that insanely complicated tool program the Sims 3 had. Sort of reaching for the stars with this one but I would loveee a way to customize a neighborhood to have like a “town secret” that the townies can gossip about but your sim has to like befriend a townie to understand or investigate. Idk how this would happen but I think that would be so much fun to play. Another thing I’d like back is when you are a writer in the Sims 2 and completed a book you got to write a summary of the book, pick those icons that I think was the unfolding of the plot, then you chose your book cover. It was such an amazing detail that I absolutely loved.
I really don’t vibe with how much emphasis there is on emotions in the Sims 4. I feel like the emotions don’t make sense half the time so it really makes them empty and meaningless. I think Sims 3 moodlets worked completely fine too. I don’t like the idea that emotions are the only things that drive actions.
I also think the aspirations and rewards should reflect the packs too. Why wouldn’t “Get to Work” come with new aspirations about being a world famous surgeon? Or the cats and dogs come with the aspiration to save a 100 animals lives by becoming a vet? It makes no sense to me why completing the botanist aspiration makes you repel fire...? Why not the ability to become a plantsim or something about becoming Mother Nature herself? I think Sims 3 did an amazing job at having the traits actually mean something (also we need more trait slots) and how they could affect the Sims aspirations (a bookworm would actually help them become a world famous author).
Back to the lore though, I hate that Sims 4 is set in an “alternate timeline” from the ongoing story. It honestly just feels lazy to me. The Sims 4 reminds me of when a book you love is made into a movie by a director that clearly never read the book. I think at this point they should just make Sims 5 honestly. I uninstalled Sims 4 cause it was just continually such a disappointment to me and I’m sick of spending money on things that don’t fix the game.

Yeah, effects of traits on behaviours, or lack thereof, was bad enough to make me stop playing before. I legit forget some of the traits my sims have sometimes, like i have this bookworm sim who only read like twice in all my time playing him lol. He was not doing other things related to his other traits instead either, he was just playing on the computer or watching tv. I dont expect him to read all day but at least enough to remind me of this trait. So far, i think this iteration might be the worst yet in this regard. I would like to note that some traits seem to work much better than some others though, so not all of them are lacking like that, and other simmers said that they seem to be tweaking things too but i cannot personally confirm that yet.

Yeh they need all the emotions and quirks back that were in TS2 it just needs it and it's what's missing, they aren't keeping us engaged without it and no doubt that's why the Sims were like that in TS2 in the first place to keep us engaged, so they gotta add it back asap i really want it back.

@carpe_diem I really like the personality concept you describe. :smiley: It's really well thought out and I think it gets fairly close to what I personally am looking for. I laughed at your comment that music lover, dance machine and vegetarian are two hobbies and a diet rather than a personality, because that is so true. I really like the flexibility of the temperaments concept you outline, especially that it's a gradient between the two extremes, not just a "one side or the other" toggle. And I also agree that hobbies, diet, attractions etc. should be additional layers of personality rather than the whole thing.

I never played sims 2, so I unfortunately don't have that experience to compare to, but I often feel that the sims 3 and sims 4 personality system based exclusively on "traits" makes it hard for me to craft sims who behave the way I want them to. The traits are designed as a set bundle of perks and/or behaviors that may not all fit what I have in mind. The developer's idea of what a particular trait means often doesn't match what I think that trait should mean. And likewise, other players' ideas of what a trait should mean don't always line up with what I would like it to mean either. I feel like the traits system itself is too clunky in this way.

What I have wanted all along is a method for customizing each individual sim's autonomy in a completely freestyle way using sliders or percentages of some kind. I think your temperament idea is sort of along the lines of what I was thinking, although I'd actually like even more customization than that. Specifically in terms of being able to set what types of actions each sim is more or less likely to autonomously do, since behavior matters more to me in the way I play than what advantages/disadvantages they have for things like skills and careers.

Lack of personalities and the insane smiling.
#SavetheStepfordSims