To be honest I had planned on waiting to buy TS4. Before release I really wasn't feeling it at all and figured I'd wait to see what happens when EPs started to get released. Then after the game launched everyone and their cousin was playing and I watched quite a few YouTube game plays and I decided I had to have it. I played practically nonstop for the first 2 days. Kept making new households and starting new games just to play around with different options. But I haven't touched it since day 2.
There's a lot of stuff I love but there's also stuff that I don't. I'm not going to sit here and go through 40+ pages of comments to see if I'm repeating anything but then again I guess that should be the point to see the number of people who do and don't like this or that.
What I like:
1. Emotions - For the most part that is. Sad, Tense and Angry cracked me up the first time I came across them. My child Sim came home from school very angry for having to miss recess to retake a test. I thought it was hilarious watching her stomp around. It was really hard to get her out of the mood though. Still pretty entertaining.
2. CAS - This is both a like and dislike. Coloring options could be improved. It kinda sucks being stuck with just a few options. I miss being able to use the sliders. Bring back the color wheel!! :)
3. I love being able to move rooms around in build mode.
4. Being able to adjust the position of windows and wall hangings. Loving this for the windows. It's so easy!
5. Being able to click on the bassinet and automatically age up an infant right after birth. No messing around with the cake! (I've not yet played past young adult phase so I have no idea how the rest of the ages work but just in case I do still want the option of buying a cake and having a party at other ages.)
6. Being able to "Change appearance" or "Plain outfit" first of all AT THE SAME TIME with ONE OPTION YAY! But not only that being able to do EVERYONE in the household at once. Love, love, love this.
7. I love that you have a lot more details about your Sim now. Like my pregnant Sim, it told me how long until the next trimester etc. Things like that.
8. Which reminds me of being able to click on the toilet and take a pregnancy test! How cool is that?! Love it!
9. It's pretty cool to have to accomplish actions in order to earn a promotion or raise instead of just shipping them off to work and calling it good. Definitely a bonus.
10. MULTITASKING!!! Need I say more?
11. Even though there are a lot I love how short the loading screens are right now.
What I DON'T like:
1. Group conversations - From what I can tell from the first page of comments I seem to be kind of alone in this. I'd love the option to turn this off. It's was highly annoying to have my Sims trying to talk to someone only to have 3 others randomly walk up and get in on the chitchat. I double checked, confused, thinking maybe I really didn't turn free will off...but alas it was.
2. Similar to above, if I do have the option turned off my Sims still seem to decide to do certain interactions on their own. If I don't VERY QUICKLY set up a line of actions myself they just jump in and immediately start doing something on their own. At least with TS3 they would just stand there and look around until you gave them something to do. I almost feel like asking why do we even have the option to turn autonomy on or off?
3. So. Many. Loading Screens! - I had my Sims walk ACROSS THE STREET to visit their neighbors and had to go through a loading screen. IT WAS ACROSS THE STREET!
4. I feel like I don't have enough time in the day to keep my Sims happy, fed, showered, etc. The amount of time it takes a Sim to shower and eat is just crazy. Then you throw in the fact that they come home from work and school and they're tense or sad or angry and it just gets ridiculous. Don't get me wrong from above I love the emotions that are now involved but it starts to suck the fun out of it and make it feel more like a chore. I'd almost rather try to have them sleep off the mood instead of jumping through hoops in the limited time before they need sleep to start the next day again.
5. Camera angles. I only normally used the birds eye view when building and I miss not having it. I realize I can go into options and switch it to TS3 camera mode but it's just a hassle going back and forth now that I'm used to this one.
6. Toddlers - I actually loved having toddlers doing the whole teach to walk, talk and potty train. Those were fun for me.
7. Mom not having time off after popping out a kid. One of my Sims literally went into labor when she was supposed to leave for work. Immediately after getting home with the twins BAM the kids are poofed to daycare and she's off to work. It was just weird I didn't even have a second to age them up. (I hate the infant stage) Weird not to like but it just bugged me.
8. Closed world - I hate this so much. I'm not sure how easy it'll be for me to get past this one. If at all.
9. How come when my Sim married a townie neither one had a name change? Just a weird observation.
Basically it's not enough to hold my interest at this point. I'm already bored with it and I was never like that with TS3 base game before all the EPs were out. Part of me wishes I would have waited like my gut told me to before release but the other part is happy that I've at least tried it. I did have fun ooing and ahhing those first couple days discovering everything but it was sadly short lived. I feel like I've probably forgotten quite a bit of my likes and dislikes and probably some big ones. But I'm sure someone in these 40ish pages has mentioned them at least once or twice. I haven't written the game off completely yet. Hopefully when things exapand with EPs and SPs and store stuff I'll find my Sims 4 groove. *Fingers crossed*
Truly it's a good start! Just not enough to keep my attention yet.
EA Staff (Retired)
