"sawdust;c-17041185" wrote:
It is at this point I disagree and why I don't like this game. You can't shape the game the way you want because of the many "EA overrides" that are out of the players hands. Things like set neighbourhood styles with no ability to edit. NPC spawnings whether you want them in your game or not. (don't go to the bar on alien or ghost night if you don't want them in your game). Vampires, you'd think it be enough to delete the pre-made ones but no, EA continue to insist on creating vampires in your hood. I spent over a year building every lot in 3 worlds, my friend created the Sims for me and I downloaded Sims I wanted from the Gallery as NPC's. I tweaked each and every one giving them the skills needed to do the NPC jobs like gardener, mixologist etc. Within 24 Sim hours, 50% of my NPC's had been eliminated and EA had created theirs and put them in game, the majority of which were single elders or adults. Within another 24 Sim hours, Sims I had in houses were seen serving at bars or spas and when asked, were unemployed. So you can imagine and mold as much as you like but EA will stomp on your sand castle the minute your back is turned. :(
The Sims themselves? They all behave the same. I can't even remember who's who half the time. They don't distinguish themselves. In Sims 2 and 3 there were always those Sims you loved or hated. It doesn't matter what traits you give them in Sims 4 as your "good" Sims are just as liable to give a "rude intro" or "troll teh forums" as your "evil" Sims. And when you ticked someone off in Sims 3, they stayed ticked off and you had to work to repair the relationship. Sims 4? Insult someone one minute and give them a friendly hug the next. Eazy peazy, lemon squeezy! Your actions mattered in Sims 2 and 3!
I don't play now except to test my builds or test certain bits of game play. My stomach ties in knots when I finish a build knowing I will have to deal with dumb and dumber Sims. I have had to turn off free will in order to maintain some form of sanity. (something I thought I would never, ever do!)
If I had a dollar for every time I said to my Sims... "why are you doing that?" ... "where are you going now?" ... "will you just sit at the plum table and eat your food!" ... "the kid's asleep, why are you sitting on their bed to eat your dinner?" ... "I told you to go there/do this, why are you just standing there?" (invariably that's because someone has just entered the neighbourhood and decided to speak to my Sim. Wish I could broadcast my intention that far. >:) ) ... "will you please "sit and chat" where I tell you and not get up fifty million times and change chairs." ... "stop looking at the salt and pepper shakers and eat your plum food" ... "I got ready for work in 20 minutes, why cant' you do it within 2 hours?" ... "are you still in the shower?" ... this list does not include all the "Doh!", "Ugh", "Nooooo" and general head slaps because of the stupid and/or childish things that happen in this game.
"You Rule!" ??? Complete joke. In any other company it would be considered false advertising.
I'm on my last hoorah with this game. Currently redoing Willow Creek in my favourite medieval/fantasy style of gameplay, have bulldozed every other lot in all the other worlds and I will mod this game to the hilt to stop all the EA overides as much as possible. I want to love this game, I really do but as it is, I find it frustrating, boring and shallow.
At this stage, if they do have a Sims 5? It will require some major gameplay overhaul and some genius marketing to get me to even look at it. I can't even believe I'm saying this as the Sims has always been my No.1 equal favourite franchise of all the games I have ever played in my 20 years of gaming. Sims 4 has literally reduced me to tears. If we were married? I'd be applying for a divorce and I don't even believe in divorce! So sad. :(
Quoted because it's so danged true. Your post says it all. In particular, I empathize with your description of EA stomping all over the best laid plans. That was such a fitting description of what it feels like, trying to play TS4
It's truly a shame because I love the series so much.
I keep coming to the forums in hope that there will be a patch that will address some of this game's problems, especially the identical personalities. However, it still hasn't happened, if ever. :/
