Please do something with The Sims
Hi, I’ve been playing The Sims for a long time since The Sims 2. I think it is the game I’ve played the longest time. I love, The Sims, but I’m sad watching the game getting into the direction it i...
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One thing I liked from back in the original Sims was how you lacked complete control over your sims. You picked the top-level option like "joke" or "kiss", and the exact option chosen depended on your mood and relationship. It made the sims feel just that little bit more random.
You can have sims interact on their own thanks to the large amount of public space in most neighborhoors, even if they aren't TS3's open worlds. (And something should be done to make neighboring lots seem more engaged and active, instead of being pretty looking blank spaces you need a loading screen to interact with.) But the big things I want are randomness and combinations. I don't want simple animations that I have to string together to get the outcome I want. I don't want moods and lot types to overwhelmingly dictate sim actions, because moods tend to be easy to inflict and lot types tend to create a lot of sameyness. I want traits to have a stronger influence on what actions a sim takes, and how they respond to others. I want states and interactions that play off of each other in unexpected ways. Whims are fine as a player engagement mechanic, but sometimes I want random chaos that I have to react to - or possibly, sit back and watch.
And most importantly from a game, I want to have things to react to sometimes. Sometimes it's worth speedrunning Super Mario Bros, where you can basically familiarize yourself with what will come at any given frame or pixel. But most games are at their best when the player has to react to uncertainty. Free will off is fine for people who want to direct everything. But with free will on, things feel too sure and certain.
You can have sims interact on their own thanks to the large amount of public space in most neighborhoors, even if they aren't TS3's open worlds. (And something should be done to make neighboring lots seem more engaged and active, instead of being pretty looking blank spaces you need a loading screen to interact with.) But the big things I want are randomness and combinations. I don't want simple animations that I have to string together to get the outcome I want. I don't want moods and lot types to overwhelmingly dictate sim actions, because moods tend to be easy to inflict and lot types tend to create a lot of sameyness. I want traits to have a stronger influence on what actions a sim takes, and how they respond to others. I want states and interactions that play off of each other in unexpected ways. Whims are fine as a player engagement mechanic, but sometimes I want random chaos that I have to react to - or possibly, sit back and watch.
And most importantly from a game, I want to have things to react to sometimes. Sometimes it's worth speedrunning Super Mario Bros, where you can basically familiarize yourself with what will come at any given frame or pixel. But most games are at their best when the player has to react to uncertainty. Free will off is fine for people who want to direct everything. But with free will on, things feel too sure and certain.
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