This was my previous post. But now that I've played more in live mode I figured I'd add to it but didn't just want to edit my previous post so here's another.
> @electrical_panda said:
> I was so so excited to get the Sims 4 since I've been playing since the very first Sims came out. I grew up with the Mortimers, the soundtrack is a piece of my childhood. I got the Sims 4 early for my birthday and I watched every trailer and video available multiple times. I have to say all in all I'm a little disappointed. While some features are a great improvement, I feel overall the game has been very stripped down. While I'm still exploring so I may not have figured out everything and the game may have certain features that I just haven't found yet, but I will say the learning process has been more frustrating than fun. I will also add that the pointer device on my laptop isn't working correctly so I've had to poke around my keyboard for simple functions like zoom in and out so that may have something to do with it. With that being said here is a my feedback
> Things I've enjoyed:
> -Not having to switch between build and buy modes. It makes it simple to quickly throw in a dining room table to see if I need to adjust the size of the room or window placement.
> -The build tools. While there are some glitches (building out wall nooks, it doesn't register as the room when placing floor or paint) I have been waiting to move whole rooms for as long as I can remember. I'm looking to building my own house in "real life" and so it's been a fun tool to pick up rooms and move them around to find a good floor plan that I like.
> -Height options- Good and Bad- I love that I can select different sizes for my walls however I hate that it limits my door and window choices. I wish all door and windows were adjustable.
> -Emotions- While I have played the game for over 10 hours tonight and only the last half hour was played in live mode, I love the role playing aspect of the game which is why I play it. I create very in depth back stories to my characters and the emotions really help me bring them to life.
> -Create a Sim functions- One.word.Awesome However I feel like clothing is VERY limited. My only other complaint is that for necklaces and earrings, you have to switch from clothes to the head and then select accessories again. Also when certain clothing items are selected, it limits the accessory options like tights and what not. But the actual push and pull features are beyond words.
> MULTITASKING- Hallelujah
> Detail- The detail is amazing. Rugs actually have trim and things look very real. The decor is awesome. I actually want to live in my kitchen.
>
> Things that I've disliked-
> -No Camera control- You can't change the camera angle other than birds eye view or a very weird top angle. HATE IT!!! The most frustrating part.
> -Buy mode- I hate the drop down list for functions. I don't know why they would have rooms listed in grid form and then give a drop down list for features.
> -Limited features- I know I'm beating a dead horse here....but no pools. Which means no swimwear. I don't care much about toddlers, however I didn't know there would be no cars or forms of transportation of any kind? Not even bicycles? Granted I haven't left my house yet so I don't know how they travel but I built a garage and then searched aimlessly forever through drop down menus, to find a "model" car and get very excited then get very confused why it was so small. I feel like the game is extremely stripped down, no doubt to make expansions necessary and cost fans a lot of money. I don't feel like they are very loyal to their fans. Give us something without giving us a nose bleed. For real.
> -Very limited decor- There are like 4 counter options. I mean really?
> -Limited personality traits- I don't like only being able to select (3 or 4, can't remember) They added emotions but stripped down other crucial parts of the human make up.
> -Time- it seems to go EXTREMELY fast, or maybe the sims are faster? It makes having more than one family member pretty difficult. I had free will turned on but they kept ignoring my actions to do their own so I turned it off. However actions are completed so fast I can't keep up with three people and their emotions and wants. It leads to playing most of the game in pause lining up actions and then playing for a few seconds only to pause again and do it again.
> -Locked features- I can't get an upgraded pots and pans set unless I get my character to level 10 as a painter? Say what???
> -Small neighborhoods- Teeny tiny, miniature. You only have 3 lot options and a few houses. It's completely ridiculous. I haven't explored it in live mode but just having to select my house was a huge let down.
> -Buttons- While I love being able to play on a less crowded screen, I feel like I'm constantly trying to find everything in individual drop down menus. Took me forever to find out if my Sim was hungry or not.
> -No basements
> -Limited life time wishes- I wanted my Sim to be athletic but the only aspiration that went with it was being a body builder. Nothing about sports.
> -Can't adjust Sim height- With all the push and pull features I really thought you could make them short or tall.
> -Walk styles- While I like the idea of being able to select a walk, I feel that most of them are really strange looking. The goofy walk looks like a rabid warewolf.
>
>
> It's now 11am, and I haven't slept yet because I've been playing this game so obviously it isn't terrible. However I don't know how long it will keep me occupied without expansion packs. I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton more things I had thought about, but this is it for now. Sorry this won't be in list form like above, I'm running on very little sleep so there may not be much thought to type filtering. Arranging them is just too much work right now.
Live Mode feedback
Positives-
Ok, so I'll admit, I'm a bit more happy with the game since playing it in live mode. But let's not get a head of ourselves here. I love the emotions. In love. It really adds a whole new layer to role playing and the facial expressions and BODY LANGUAGE are pretty great. I found myself pausing the game in play to look at every one in detail. Sometimes you can get lost in translation with Simlish until someone slaps the other and you're the confused translator standing there dumbfounded. I really feel like I can get inside their heads and know what they're thinking now. My male sim was standing with a group of women having a discussion but every time I paused the game, he was always glancing in one direction. Sure enough, it was the one he was most attracted to. I just really found that fascinating. I'm ashamed to admit this but I've been playing since Sims 1 and I have yet to play a household to finish. I've never let my young adults age past adults. I've never had them grow old and die. Ever. I'm sure I'm not alone on this but I feel like I can easily get attached to my sims now and I feel like I'll stay interested in their story progression much longer.
I'm pretty sure I added this before but I also love the graphics and detail. Although I felt like extremely close up sims got a little streaky or almost painted looking? Not a problem unless you're a super creep like I am and want to study facial expressions and detail. Stalker much?
Multitasking. I know I added this before but my HALLELUJAH was premature. I hadn't even explored this feature yet but the mere thought warranted that. Now that I've actually seen it in action. PRAISE BABY JESUS! I may even be willing to trade you chocolate if you took this feature for ransom. This is serious folks. I can eat chips, have a drink, go from sitting to standing, and hold a group conversation while flirting with the cute bartender all at the same time? Say what? While it is harder to juggle multiple sims because actions are completed faster, it's so nice to not just be standing in a position trying to build a relationship while my sim curses me because they're stomach is eating itself. I can actually do things during the day rather than focus on one task at a time.
SO MANY NEIGHBORS! I felt like in Sims 3 I was always out searching for people. Now I literally just have to walk out my front door. It kind of, maybe, sort of, not really makes up for the fact that I have a load screen every time I want to go next door.
Faster gaming. It takes seconds to save a game now! And even larger load screens for CAS take only a minute. Pretty impressive. However I'm pretty sure to change much of what I'm about to complain about would make the load times much longer, so touche.
This thread and forums. So maybe I'm a little late to the party but I only recently discovered the "sims community" and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. While some of my bugs and my ranting that's about to happen is really frustrating I finally feel like I have direct access to a major gaming company and it gives me higher hopes for improvement. Also I felt like I got to know the people behind the game during the trailers and such and knowing they're gamers just like us and not just business people really gave me a piece of mind and a sense of unity. So congratulations marketing team, you have yet again given us a sense of loyalty which will ensue us buying your future products.
Multiple forms of actions. I love that I can chose what type of shower my sims take, or what kind of joke they tell. It really adds to their personalities and I can play with them now as opposed to their actions like puppets.
Negatives...womp womp womp
Bugs
Ok, so we all knew it was coming, and I'm actually surprised I haven't experienced more than I have but the one is a biggie. I'll admit though I find some of the glitches to be pretty hilarious and found it quite entertaining to read through some of them. And yes I've posted in the bug thread and I'm hoping for a fix. My tv's keep vanishing. No burglary, but like I never placed them. Every time I make my walls cut out to view my house, they're gone and I have to replace them. Same thing with my fireplace a few times and other wall art. But here's the big one. My last few hours of game play didn't save. Like I said, I'm an originl sim-er (yes, I just made that up. And if I didn't, just let me think I did) so I'm used to the crashing issues. It's resulted in a traumatized, paranoid saver instinct in me. I save probably every five minutes or so. Literally. That's why I was so happy about the fast saves. I even save multiple files and versions. So I went to load my game and they're all in the same spot, where they were several hours prior to my playing and all my saves are at that same spot even though my time stamps are different from one another and correct. I tried re starting it several times and it's still not working. Haven't re opened it yet, that's why I'm on here postponing my likely inevitable heartbreak.
The neighborhoods.
Worst I've ever seen. Maybe I need to watch flashbacks of Sims 1 or 2 to have a little more appreciation, but seriously? That's all we get? If we don't get add ons, and not just new neighborhoods with expansions this game will get boring FAST! There are only 3 lots to visit (sorry the park is pointless without a fair because otherwise you just stare at things or sit on the bench. Not to mention you can't just walk from one to the other but you have to "travel" somehow by magic I might add somewhere behind the stage because there are no means of transportation. And why, why, why is this already miniature neighborhood divided into these little sub pods? I really don't get it. Ok, I do, it's so the game only has to load so much at a time to make it smoother and faster, and had you given me what I wanted we'd be waiting around for glitches and load screens and saves. But can't there be a happy medium? Please? I'm waving the white flag here on this one. Have mercy. Love the sims but HATE the world they live in now. Ugh. Where did places like the salon, bookstore, grocery store, and restaurants go? Am I missing something? I have to buy ingredients in my fridge to make something but the only food I can buy anywhere is chips at the bar? Please tell me I'm an idiot and haven't figured it out yet. Please.
Options screens. I hate that I have to chose between having my notifications open or the camera controls. Maybe because my mouse isn't working right but this is becoming a huge problem. Also having to chose between seeing my sims needs and their relationship status or anything else. I was focusing so much on how my relationship was building and was so so confused as to why all of the sudden my sim was uncomfortable, only to find out minutes before she peed herself that she had to use the restroom. Not being able to select a sim while they are at work or on another lot to view their stats. Took me ages to figure out what time my sim would get home from work. There was also a bug where I tried to travel with two sims together (only next door I will add, again super annoying) but it glitched and only one went. So I had two sims away from home in two separate locations, and after I had one go home, I couldn't figure out how to make the other go home. I hate how sims are down the road and the game acts like they're away on vacation.
Styled Rooms. Maybe because I'm ultra creative, but I'm finding the styled rooms for the most part to be rather unextraordinary. Hire some new interior decorators EA. Sorry current fake digital designers. Shake it off.
Although I LOVE the new sims, their movement, expressions, and personalities, I feel like if I could some how drop them into the Sims 3 world along with multi tasking, CAS, and the build mode features, I'd be in heaven. I love the sims but I hate the world they live in and the options. I mean I had to make a note of how exciting getting to choose between taking a brisk shower or a thoughtful shower was. Means everything else is pretty dull.
Well I'm about to pass out. Off to dream in simlish.
EA Staff (Retired)
