Pools are boring.

"Writin_Reg;c-16788065" wrote:

"Felicity;c-16787852" wrote:
Freeplay is your typical Skinner's box. It does have a lot of good features, including an open world and the ability to play all the Sims, but it's awful as well unless you really like the real time playing (with the ability to spend real world $$ to speed things up). But I don't like that mobile game model, and Freeplay doesn't even try to be subtle about the massive amount of money it's trying to make on basic gameplay. At least Fallout Shelter, which is pretty much the same thing, tries to be less obvious about it.

It wouldn't surprise me if Freeplay both cost less to maintain and makes more money than Sims 4. It's probably why they now have two mobile Sims games and are not worried about them competing against each other.

I think, though, what's most frustrating to me is so many of the small features were just base game in Sims 2 and Sims 3 yet we've been told for years that those features are too advanced for their game engine. If that's the case, they should have worked on a game engine that could handle those basic features.

Actually the engine this game has is too advanced. It is the same reason why Sims 1 played on any old pc but why it will not play on most Window 10 pcs because they are technically too advanced for that programming etc that was used for Sims 1. Yet go find yourself some 15 year old pc and get it up and running - and the game works like a charm.

I have many games that will not play on today most advanced systems without some kind of program to dumb down your system mainly because advanced technology does not communicate with old - outdated technology no matter how good you liked that play -

gosh, i get you love the sims 4 and will excuse it for anything, but I don't get many of your comments at all.

the engine is 'too advanced' but it cannot handle basic features? what?

it's a bad engine and that's that.

"Writin_Reg;c-16788065" wrote:

"Felicity;c-16787852" wrote:
Freeplay is your typical Skinner's box. It does have a lot of good features, including an open world and the ability to play all the Sims, but it's awful as well unless you really like the real time playing (with the ability to spend real world $$ to speed things up). But I don't like that mobile game model, and Freeplay doesn't even try to be subtle about the massive amount of money it's trying to make on basic gameplay. At least Fallout Shelter, which is pretty much the same thing, tries to be less obvious about it.

It wouldn't surprise me if Freeplay both cost less to maintain and makes more money than Sims 4. It's probably why they now have two mobile Sims games and are not worried about them competing against each other.

I think, though, what's most frustrating to me is so many of the small features were just base game in Sims 2 and Sims 3 yet we've been told for years that those features are too advanced for their game engine. If that's the case, they should have worked on a game engine that could handle those basic features.

Actually the engine this game has is too advanced. It is the same reason why Sims 1 played on any old pc but why it will not play on most Window 10 pcs because they are technically too advanced for that programming etc that was used for Sims 1. Yet go find yourself some 15 year old pc and get it up and running - and the game works like a charm.

I have many games that will not play on today most advanced systems without some kind of program to dumb down your system mainly because advanced technology does not communicate with old - outdated technology no matter how good you liked that play -

I think we're using "too advanced" in different ways. It looks like you're saying it's meant for modern hardware -- that's true (though I didn't say the game was dated). But what I'm saying is it's having issues that prior technology had no issue with and a game engine designed to work on today's hardware shouldn't have those issues either.

ETA: If the game engine truly cannot handle features like, well, spooning or facing each other while dancing, then that's a problem with the engine, not a problem with it being designed on modern hardware for modern hardware.

"Writin_Reg;c-16788317" wrote:

"Felicity;c-16788091" wrote:

"Writin_Reg;c-16788065" wrote:

"Felicity;c-16787852" wrote:
Freeplay is your typical Skinner's box. It does have a lot of good features, including an open world and the ability to play all the Sims, but it's awful as well unless you really like the real time playing (with the ability to spend real world $$ to speed things up). But I don't like that mobile game model, and Freeplay doesn't even try to be subtle about the massive amount of money it's trying to make on basic gameplay. At least Fallout Shelter, which is pretty much the same thing, tries to be less obvious about it.

It wouldn't surprise me if Freeplay both cost less to maintain and makes more money than Sims 4. It's probably why they now have two mobile Sims games and are not worried about them competing against each other.

I think, though, what's most frustrating to me is so many of the small features were just base game in Sims 2 and Sims 3 yet we've been told for years that those features are too advanced for their game engine. If that's the case, they should have worked on a game engine that could handle those basic features.

Actually the engine this game has is too advanced. It is the same reason why Sims 1 played on any old pc but why it will not play on most Window 10 pcs because they are technically too advanced for that programming etc that was used for Sims 1. Yet go find yourself some 15 year old pc and get it up and running - and the game works like a charm.

I have many games that will not play on today most advanced systems without some kind of program to dumb down your system mainly because advanced technology does not communicate with old - outdated technology no matter how good you liked that play -

I think we're using "too advanced" in different ways. It looks like you're saying it's meant for modern hardware -- that's true (though I didn't say the game was dated). But what I'm saying is it's having issues that prior technology had no issue with and a game engine designed to work on today's hardware shouldn't have those issues either.

ETA: If the game engine truly cannot handle features like, well, spooning or facing each other while dancing, then that's a problem with the engine, not a problem with it being designed on modern hardware for modern hardware.

The only reason this engine could not handle certain features yet was what was needed for those features had not been added to the engine yet. Since the gamecame out the engine has had 2 overhauls in place - who ever heard of a game engine that could handle that in the Sims. How about them going from 32 bit game to a 64 bit game with this same game engine without breaking the game with the game in play. Old engine do not allow these kind of things - what's more this game engine can take all sorts of changes and up grades while in use - unheard of in previous sims game engines. Many - MANY things this engine could not do were just not available to the engine at that point - believe me it can do lots more and from the looks of things they are far from growing it further.

It is just too bad the game was not just started now with the way the engine is now -

I look forward to seeing where it can go personally. I hope I am around.

And that is the problem. I'm hoping with the recoding more things will be possible, but things that were possible in prior games, just small details, were considered "too advanced" for the engine. I mean, you're not saying anything I disagree with, but this engine has real issues with doing things that prior engines could.

"Writin_Reg;c-16788231" wrote:

"DreamaDove;c-16788068" wrote:

"Writin_Reg;c-16788065" wrote:

"Felicity;c-16787852" wrote:
Freeplay is your typical Skinner's box. It does have a lot of good features, including an open world and the ability to play all the Sims, but it's awful as well unless you really like the real time playing (with the ability to spend real world $$ to speed things up). But I don't like that mobile game model, and Freeplay doesn't even try to be subtle about the massive amount of money it's trying to make on basic gameplay. At least Fallout Shelter, which is pretty much the same thing, tries to be less obvious about it.

It wouldn't surprise me if Freeplay both cost less to maintain and makes more money than Sims 4. It's probably why they now have two mobile Sims games and are not worried about them competing against each other.

I think, though, what's most frustrating to me is so many of the small features were just base game in Sims 2 and Sims 3 yet we've been told for years that those features are too advanced for their game engine. If that's the case, they should have worked on a game engine that could handle those basic features.

Actually the engine this game has is too advanced. It is the same reason why Sims 1 played on any old pc but why it will not play on most Window 10 pcs because they are technically too advanced for that programming etc that was used for Sims 1. Yet go find yourself some 15 year old pc and get it up and running - and the game works like a charm.

I have many games that will not play on today most advanced systems without some kind of program to dumb down your system mainly because advanced technology does not communicate with old - outdated technology no matter how good you liked that play -

gosh, i get you love the sims 4 and will excuse it for anything, but I don't get many of your comments at all.

the engine is 'too advanced' but it cannot handle basic features? what?

it's a bad engine and that's that.

Nope I just tell the truth - and you obviously reject it because you dislike the game so much.

I really like the sims 4. I play it everyday for worrying amounts of time, and it's because of that that I'm so critical about it. I want it to be better, SO BADLY, especially after playing ts2. It makes me so upset that so many features in past games have been ommited in this one. Maybe the engine is 'more advanced' but if this more advanced engine is not capable of executing the sims like previous engines, then why is it an improvement? That's what I don't understand.

Once more, I love the Sims. For example, my favorite character of all time is a OC of a friend's, and I've always wanted to see him in action. To see him move, instead of just static as in all my drawings. TS4 gave me that, and I'm SO thankful to see him come alive. And that is why I'm so upset that ts4 is so lacking, because I see what it *could* be.

And I'm not making anything up. I'm saying it's a bad engine because it cannot handle basic The Sims needs.

Yes, being unhappy with some aspects of TS4, and expressing that unhappiness, does not mean simmers have a "need to try and find ways to diss" TS4.

I fear our frustrations with understanding each other's viewpoints are leading towards making incorrect statements about each other's motivations, and we don't really want to go that route, eh?

ETA: Must be pretty wearying trying to explain the game engine to those of us who don't know much about it, I imagine! :)

well you can throw a ball for the dogs into the water too..

Frankly I can't remember what they could do with pools in Sims 2 enough to compare.
I like that they can sit at the edge of the pool and talk to each other with their feet dangling in here in this iteration. I like that they can talk to each other while treading water and of course splash. I love the pool death sink it's pretty scary looking actually.
I agree we need more pool stuff and some more water interactions though. I'd love them to add a freestyle swim stroke especially. I think more will come eventually. Can't say I'm bored with it all though. They can take their time getting to that in my opinion.

I love pools in the game you also need to take note that pools are a major part of the sims game sure in sims4 they where added in a patch but if you look at the sims1 sims2 and sims3 they are base game items and story wise if you start chosing the summer season in sims4 and is very hot and your story required your sims to purchase a pool for your story you would only have to enter build mode and build the family pool if you have the space

It's one of the only ways to get the chubby kiddos to exercise, though (send them to do laps), unless they have the active trait so you can make them do pushups/sit-ups. I assume these pools must be more fun than that, but I'm not sure the kids have any more interest in the pools than the sit-ups/pushups. Hmmm.... weird. I build one simply for that purpose when I have a family with a child - if they have room for it.

My Sims actually seem more interested in sitting and eating their food with their feet in the pool than actually swimming in it.

There should be more thing to do in pools by now.

"DreamaDove;c-16756077" wrote:

"astera00;c-16755854" wrote:
Pools definitely need some love. Having played Sims Freeplay before buying Sims 4, it was a real downgrade in terms of pool interactions, can you believe? In Freeplay, there are various water slides (curved and straight ones!), diving boards that comes with a diving hobby (the kind that looks like a plank), inflatable pool furniture, lifeguard chair, lounge chairs, more pools-specific interactions between sims including romantic ones and a vollyball net that you place in the pool where up to four sims can play vollyball! There are even towels that you lay on the side where you can sunbathe and relax.

The pool gets dirty if you don't clean it for a few days and sims refuse to swim in it if it isn't cleaned. Which makes for more immersive gameplay (haha, immersive :sweat: ) As this is a freemium game we're talking about, you can buy a pool-cleaning robot to do the task for you. Oh and I like how you can build an island in the middle of the pool that sims have to swim to.

So yes, remembering that I can get all this on Freeplay reminds me why some aspects of Sims 4 can feel a bit hollow at times and why I spend more time in CAS and build mode. I do prefer 4 a lot more overall, I mean the whole enjoyment in Sims comes from the creation aspect of it for me, but yeah I don't think a paid version of a game should have so much less than the free version sometimes.

wow. that sounds amazing and it makes me incredibly bitter.
Why is ts4 like this. It just makes me feel like EAxis is cheating us. I want to love ts4 but there's so much missing and I feel like such a fool for supporting it monetarily.

@DreamaDove Yeah, especially since it is 4 years into this game. They are adding things very slowly, and on top of that there is no communication on up coming content until 2 weeks before release, which stinks! So we are just left waiting and waiting... :s This is why TS4 is going to last 8 years.