please make the sims in sims 4 more alive

"SimChi;c-17196268" wrote:
Completely agree that this game is toxic, and definitely not for kids/teens- or some adults. This goes beyond no consequences for cheating (destroying/breaking the trust of a partner). The whole toxic idea that things like fires/killing sims is "funny" is reflective of some serious unhealthy mentality. I have had rl experience with someone who had 75% of their body burned in an accident and I watched that person lose his vitality, life, happiness, ability to work (or even care for himself), as well as watching him suffer for almost a full year in the burn ward- where he endured torturous pain (which sedation would barely help), as well as numerous (painful) skin grafts, risk of infection, and baths where the nurses literally scrubbed his burnt skin from him (to let the fluid leak). To him (the now deceased burn victim), and many others who have endured rl trauma, people (making the game, or playing it) finding 'burning sims to death' for "entertainment" is disgusting and insulting.

People should really think about things like that. The same goes for the "funny random assaults" in Windenburg (which was added intentionally- for "amusement").

I'm very sorry for Your friend. I think that many of us have traumatic, bad experiences. :(

But games are full of tragedies and brutality. I'm a private teacher of Polish language and literature and most of my students (every age) playing in brutal games and the parents do not know about that (each, most of them do know really, but they do not reacting)...

The Sims is a funny, cartoonish game - always was. Maybe the deaths of Sims were not very funny, but most of their "adventures" were more like "Tom&Jerry style violence, like hit him with this huge hammer from Your pocket". This is not the problem, I think.

Ech, I have problem with English language... I think, that the major reason for Ts4 "emptiness" is the situation, when the game starts be more "alive". There is no problem for parents to see their children watch brutal cartoon (it's only a cartoon, no problem), but when the kids starts to watch movies, for example soup operas with "adult dramas" like complicated romances, cheats, divorces et cetera, the parents think, that this is not good for the kids. Maybe this is a reason, why EA do not want to make "deeper" life simulation, cancel some older solutions and cut the relationships between Sims to minimum.
But for me this is a dead end for this game and only brings more damages. Because still we have life simulation, still we can cheats but without consequences of ours decisions the results are even worse - for younger ones and for us, adult players, who wants to play with life in our own way and do not die from boredom.
To feel happiness You must feel some pain too to see the real difference, BTW. ;)

sorry but i have to disagree with what is said in this post i prefer a drama free sims game and love that the sims4 is drama free i prefer also to see sims that are happy making friends also but thats how i am as a player

"Rouenpucelle;c-17191971" wrote:
I enjoy the game as it is, honestly. Real life has plenty of drama for me. But then again, I don't like soap operas or reality shows either.

I despise reality TV shows. I haven't watched a soap opera in twenty years because it is just same drama with the same people unless it is a telenovela then we are talking about something different...lol

Anyway, making the sims more alive doesn't always have to be about drama. Good Sims should never want to be around evil sims. An evil sim should not even be able to talk to them without getting a negative reaction and vice versa. An attraction system would be nice. I feel like I can marry any sims with any other sim even if they have conflicting traits. It should be much harder for those sims to get along not to mention fall in love.

In sims 2, Sims could be attracted to each other on the physical level such as like each other's hair color and skill level but when they speak they could have different interest level and talking would decrease the relationship. The sims in Sims 4 are very one note and everything happens based on 9 emotions that all the sims have no matter what the trait.

Exactly there is alot of set dressing and a lack in interaction towards the sims and their world. The sims feel hollow to me, alot of the objects in the packs have no interaction. For example in the laundry day stuff pack I would love to grab things off the walls like actually grab the detergent and use it or grab the ironing board and use it or at least even use the iron.

"keekee53;c-17196453" wrote:

"Rouenpucelle;c-17191971" wrote:
I enjoy the game as it is, honestly. Real life has plenty of drama for me. But then again, I don't like soap operas or reality shows either.

I despise reality TV shows. I haven't watched a soap opera in twenty years because it is just same drama with the same people unless it is a telenovela then we are talking about something different...lol

Anyway, making the sims more alive doesn't always have to be about drama. Good Sims should never want to be around evil sims. An evil sim should not even be able to talk to them without getting a negative reaction and vice versa. An attraction system would be nice. I feel like I can marry any sims with any other sim even if they have conflicting traits. It should be much harder for those sims to get along not to mention fall in love.

In sims 2, Sims could be attracted to each other on the physical level such as like each other's hair color and skill level but when they speak they could have different interest level and talking would decrease the relationship. The sims in Sims 4 are very one note and everything happens based on 9 emotions that all the sims have no matter what the trait.

I don’t agree. The game shouldn’t impose reactions purely based on traits the game knows are there but the sims are not (yet). That’s just like in real life. How about the wolf in sheep’s clothing? How about the naive sweet person who simply can’t imagine someone has bad intentions? There’s no way you can create your own story in the game when the game already decided for you what will happen.

I'm very sorry for Your friend. I think that many of us have traumatic, bad experiences. :(

But games are full of tragedies and brutality. I'm a private teacher of Polish language and literature and most of my students (every age) playing in brutal games and the parents do not know about that (each, most of them do know really, but they do not reacting)...

The Sims is a funny, cartoonish game - always was. Maybe the deaths of Sims were not very funny, but most of their "adventures" were more like "Tom&Jerry style violence, like hit him with this huge hammer from Your pocket". This is not the problem, I think.

Ech, I have problem with English language... I think, that the major reason for Ts4 "emptiness" is the situation, when the game starts be more "alive". There is no problem for parents to see their children watch brutal cartoon (it's only a cartoon, no problem), but when the kids starts to watch movies, for example soup operas with "adult dramas" like complicated romances, cheats, divorces et cetera, the parents think, that this is not good for the kids. Maybe this is a reason, why EA do not want to make "deeper" life simulation, cancel some older solutions and cut the relationships between Sims to minimum.
But for me this is a dead end for this game and only brings more damages. Because still we have life simulation, still we can cheats but without consequences of ours decisions the results are even worse - for younger ones and for us, adult players, who wants to play with life in our own way and do not die from boredom.
To feel happiness You must feel some pain too to see the real difference, BTW. ;)

@Aericia Your english is fine :)

Yes, it (the fire, and the following events) were a traumatic experience- and not something the sims creators (or players) should turn into a joke. "Tom & Jerry violence" is not something funny either- it 'normalizes' violence. If people can't have adventures without violence then that is really telling about mentality.

And, by your logic... Saying that having cheating (spouses/partners) in the game "what a lesson for younger players? This is a family picture?". The same goes for violence. You say "when the kids starts to watch movies, for example soap operas with "adult dramas" like complicated romances, cheats, divorces et cetera, the parents think, that this is not good for the kids." Think about that. What lesson is it for kids (or anyone), when you allow violence?

And, lastly, "To feel happiness You must feel some pain too to see the real difference, BTW"... Not true. I feel sorry for those who think this way. You feel happiness because of happiness- not because of pain. When you feel pain, that is pain. Happiness does not come from pain (that is an unhealthy mentality). And, more often than not, pain steals happiness- it does not give happiness, nor does it make someone recognize happiness... That saying comes from unhealthy-minded people who want that to be a thing. The two things are entirely separate. ;)

As for making the game more 'alive'.... That doesn't mean adding in mentally unhealthy things. A game can add liveliness without having violence, cheating on spouses, and other unhealthy things. The creators need actual creativity though. The game feels empty because it is repetitive, without any actual creative insight. Creative isn't doing what's been done before (ie: violence, cheating, etc.). Creativity is creating something (truly) new; showing people how to have fun with 'life' (not meaning 'realistic', but creative- like the magical wishing wells we have in game)... Give them something truly fascinating, and engaging. That type of creating shows creativity, and adds real interest. There are (sadly) thousands of other violent, vile 'games' out there- so EA/Maxis team are not standing out at all, nor is the game. I love the sims, because it has potential (in the right hands).

I don’t agree a game that enables you to play with violence and disaster is toxic. Whenever there’s real violence, people turn away from ‘entertaining’ misfortune because it comes too close (like after 9/11, and during the depression), it’s too confronting then. I once saw footage of a fire in a nightclub and it was absolutely horrible, there is no doubt about that (made me realize to never underestimate the speed of fire). On the other hand: fires do happen, people drown or get electrocuted. Playing that in a game does not equal promoting it or thinking too lightly of the real stuff. There is no simulating life when you avoid the misery. Misery and misfortune and cheating are as much a part of life as rainbows and roses are, as is death.

I would rather a game not feed me sugar. The Sims is pretty mild and always has been compared to other type games that have a lot of violence, some with a lot of blood, and or things done that I would hope I would never do in real life. But I think 'The Sims' should mimic life, and life isn't all sugar. Ever heard the old term, gag a maggot? It means when something taste awful, and or is too much, or over the top, etc.

I would at least like to see this series return to it's roots and mimic real life rather than utopia. And if we can't handle some cheating in the game, a face slap, someone laughing at another Sim, a few hysterical tears, a few fires, a few lightening strikes, a few accidents, a few arguments, then we might as well burn all the books, too.

"JoAnne65;c-17197468" wrote:
There is no simulating life when you avoid the misery. Misery and misfortune and cheating are as much a part of life as rainbows and roses are, as is death.

Have to disagree. Life is not misery, misfortune and cheating. Those things are the opposite of life (and by life I mean vitality, liveliness). And yes, again, when people are making fun of burning sims (or killing them) in horrific ways, they are mentally unhealthy, and they are making light of tragedy.

To address burning books (from the other simmers comment). Yes. I do think maybe books should be burned, because they really are vile. I never used to think that way (about burning books), and I really thought that people would never make such gross literature (or books for entertainment)... but after having been exposed to far too many vile things I have since changed my mind- and realized that I would not have some of the added trauma that I have today if I had not ever seen/read those things. The thought of having a life where I'd never been exposed to those things, and the thought of a world where they don't/can't even exist, makes me unbelievably happy.... Which is why I don't want them in a game either.

"SimChi;c-17197504" wrote:

"JoAnne65;c-17197468" wrote:
There is no simulating life when you avoid the misery. Misery and misfortune and cheating are as much a part of life as rainbows and roses are, as is death.

Have to disagree. Life is not misery, misfortune and cheating. Those things are the opposite of life (and by life I mean vitality, liveliness). And yes, again, when people are making fun of burning sims (or killing them) in horrific ways, they are mentally unhealthy, and they are making light of tragedy.

To address burning books (from the other simmers comment). Yes. I do think maybe books should be burned, because they really are vile. I never used to think that way (about burning books), and I really thought that people would never make such gross literature (or books for entertainment)... but after having been exposed to far too many vile things I have since changed my mind- and realized that I would not have some of the added trauma that I have today if I had not ever seen/read those things. The thought of having a life where I'd never been exposed to those things, and the thought of a world where they don't/can't even exist, makes me unbelievably happy.... Which is why I don't want them in a game either.

Mentally unhealthy? I'm mentally unhealthy because I like some deviant play? Sims aren't real for one thing. I am able to distinquish, Sim on fire, funny, real person on fire, No, not funny, save them. Sim slapping someone for cheating, funny, not real life, real person slapping someone for cheating, not funny, sad, and not good for either one of them. The brain is amazing it can distinuqish between fantasy and real life and has a moral compass of what is funny in pixels and what is not funny in real life. A healthy person can distinquish between the two without cringing.

Burn books? You know there is an age for what type books one should read? And or movies one should watch, and five years old, no, no R rated or maybe not even PG13 movies.

The difference between my moral compass and EA's? Hey kids tell us about how you made your friends and put them in the game and 'got even with them'. That's EA's new ad.

My moral compass, no, I have never made anyone I know in real life to put in game to get even with them. Even I have my principles. Now, who has the moral highground?