Tartosa is boring, and commentary about same-y worlds in general
Tartosa is getting quite a bit of praise as the only redeeming factor of Wedding Stories, but I think it's a boring-looking world. Nothing about Tartosa stands out to me, besides the potential that the buildings in the main neighbourhood had (but got wasted due to being flat rectangles, and feeling pasted on instead of properly incorporated into the surroundings).
The colouring of many, many worlds (including Tartosa) in TS4 are exactly the same. The shade of green for the grass, the foliage, the lighting, the water etc. all should have different tints (at the very least) to make it feel like they belong in their region and to their region, even if the actual meshes look almost exactly the same as other regions. I haven't travelled in real life much, but something that always sticks out to me is how the plants, rocks, ground etc. are different, and thus lend an entirely different feel to every region. Most TS4 worlds have a very particular shade of yellow-green grass and trees that isn't bad on itself, but gets sickening when you see it in too many worlds. Some places have crystal-clear water, some muddy, some yellow-ish due to the minerals in the water, some are greenish etc., and the ground/mud/pebbles/mulch on the bottom and surrounding water masses also have a massive effect in establishing character. TS4 water does have more variation between worlds, but this often falls flat due to the surroundings and colouring being same-y. Lighting can be influenced by numerous thing in real life, but due to the freedom that TS4 offers in terms of its art style, simply giving an entire world a certain tint of light for atmosphere would be completely justified. That usually doesn't happen, though, except in places like Forgotten Hollow where the atmosphere is near comically dialed up (which I like).
Windenburg, San Myshuno, Brindleton Bay, Selvadorada, Strangerville and Sulani are examples of worlds that feel completely different largely due to these factors, and the way that the architecture is well-incorporated into their environment. But most other worlds feel lacking to me, and at one stage I almost couldn't play TS4 anymore because the worlds that feel the same were grating on me so much (that's when I impulse-bought City Living).
It's interesting that TS3 worlds don't have this effect on me, but I think that's due to how large the worlds are and how customizable everything is. If TS4 is going to make its worlds tiny and static, it needs to ensure that every world feels completely unique, otherwise worlds can start feeling both claustrophobic and dull. If I move to a different, highly atmospheric world each time I go somewhere else, it actually makes me feel like I got a real change of scenery. Instead, I sometimes feel like I'm in some nightmare where there are 10 different doors with all slightly different but the same rooms that result in uncanny valley and frustration (dramatic but I think it makes the point clear).
I strongly feel that the world in a romance pack should have been Venice/Paris inspired, but that's a discussion I might make in a different thread. If they wanted to make a Mediterranean world, though, this is probably the most bland approach they could take, because if the lots (by the game changers, not them, might I add) were not there, I wouldn't even know this world is Mediterranean.
I always love new worlds with beaches, but the beaches in Tartosa are so bland and un-atmospheric. I like the house on the little island, but that's it.
Let's take a look at this official TS4 concept art (posted in first comment since I am not allowed to attach a picture to the OP for some reason):
The lively harbour leading up into a town square surrounded by buildings where you can buy flowers, dresses and cakes, as well as get married rabbit-hole style? That would work perfectly with this image. Around the corner of the building on the right hints a beach with beautiful cliffs and boulder arches - a romantic wedding on the beach? They could have literally kept the gameplay the same but situated in this world and the whole pack would have felt 10 times better. The stained glass windows would also make more sense in this world, since I can perfectly picture a beautiful cathedral in this town square.
The second neighbourhood could be the POV we are seeing from this picture, overlooking the harbour. There could be a romantic, lush wooded area where the cliff houses stop - a wooded area is advertised in the description, but I find that just as boring as the beaches. The waterfall bridge area often praised in videos is underwhelming to me, and looks recycled from Mount Komorebi. A bridge over a cliff waterfall/stream in this world could have fitted perfectly and looked unique.
Overall, I just think Tartosa is a lazy and bland world. Especially when considering how 1) simple and 2) broken the gameplay of the pack is, it just feels like this pack has next to no effort put into it, and perpetuates the problems with many TS4 worlds in general.
The colouring of many, many worlds (including Tartosa) in TS4 are exactly the same. The shade of green for the grass, the foliage, the lighting, the water etc. all should have different tints (at the very least) to make it feel like they belong in their region and to their region, even if the actual meshes look almost exactly the same as other regions. I haven't travelled in real life much, but something that always sticks out to me is how the plants, rocks, ground etc. are different, and thus lend an entirely different feel to every region. Most TS4 worlds have a very particular shade of yellow-green grass and trees that isn't bad on itself, but gets sickening when you see it in too many worlds. Some places have crystal-clear water, some muddy, some yellow-ish due to the minerals in the water, some are greenish etc., and the ground/mud/pebbles/mulch on the bottom and surrounding water masses also have a massive effect in establishing character. TS4 water does have more variation between worlds, but this often falls flat due to the surroundings and colouring being same-y. Lighting can be influenced by numerous thing in real life, but due to the freedom that TS4 offers in terms of its art style, simply giving an entire world a certain tint of light for atmosphere would be completely justified. That usually doesn't happen, though, except in places like Forgotten Hollow where the atmosphere is near comically dialed up (which I like).
Windenburg, San Myshuno, Brindleton Bay, Selvadorada, Strangerville and Sulani are examples of worlds that feel completely different largely due to these factors, and the way that the architecture is well-incorporated into their environment. But most other worlds feel lacking to me, and at one stage I almost couldn't play TS4 anymore because the worlds that feel the same were grating on me so much (that's when I impulse-bought City Living).
It's interesting that TS3 worlds don't have this effect on me, but I think that's due to how large the worlds are and how customizable everything is. If TS4 is going to make its worlds tiny and static, it needs to ensure that every world feels completely unique, otherwise worlds can start feeling both claustrophobic and dull. If I move to a different, highly atmospheric world each time I go somewhere else, it actually makes me feel like I got a real change of scenery. Instead, I sometimes feel like I'm in some nightmare where there are 10 different doors with all slightly different but the same rooms that result in uncanny valley and frustration (dramatic but I think it makes the point clear).
I strongly feel that the world in a romance pack should have been Venice/Paris inspired, but that's a discussion I might make in a different thread. If they wanted to make a Mediterranean world, though, this is probably the most bland approach they could take, because if the lots (by the game changers, not them, might I add) were not there, I wouldn't even know this world is Mediterranean.
I always love new worlds with beaches, but the beaches in Tartosa are so bland and un-atmospheric. I like the house on the little island, but that's it.
Let's take a look at this official TS4 concept art (posted in first comment since I am not allowed to attach a picture to the OP for some reason):
The lively harbour leading up into a town square surrounded by buildings where you can buy flowers, dresses and cakes, as well as get married rabbit-hole style? That would work perfectly with this image. Around the corner of the building on the right hints a beach with beautiful cliffs and boulder arches - a romantic wedding on the beach? They could have literally kept the gameplay the same but situated in this world and the whole pack would have felt 10 times better. The stained glass windows would also make more sense in this world, since I can perfectly picture a beautiful cathedral in this town square.
The second neighbourhood could be the POV we are seeing from this picture, overlooking the harbour. There could be a romantic, lush wooded area where the cliff houses stop - a wooded area is advertised in the description, but I find that just as boring as the beaches. The waterfall bridge area often praised in videos is underwhelming to me, and looks recycled from Mount Komorebi. A bridge over a cliff waterfall/stream in this world could have fitted perfectly and looked unique.
Overall, I just think Tartosa is a lazy and bland world. Especially when considering how 1) simple and 2) broken the gameplay of the pack is, it just feels like this pack has next to no effort put into it, and perpetuates the problems with many TS4 worlds in general.
