TS4 Needs
There was recently a survey about TS4 and I put in my 2 cents in the part about what needs to change for me to reccomend the game, however since that survey was mostly about management, I'll put my opinion here, too:
High Priority:
While these changes might not seem like much as they don't bring in drastic new game-play like fame or careers, they make the game more meaningful and genuine, which is why they're important.
lower priority:
High Priority:
- Sims feel the same, they need a personality. They should have separate likes, dislikes, hobbies, tendencies, autonomy, etc. Traits are too weak so emotions take over so all happy/sad/angry/etc sims feel the same regardless of the traits chosen.
- TS4 uses a lot of recycled animations and shortcuts. Sims should not have the exact same animation for multiple interactions: multiple socials look exactly the same
- Animations should be detailed: elevators, opening mail and packages, setting the table, restocking drink trays, etc. The magical 'arm wave' that automatically does things is overused.
- We need more natural interactions with every-day objects and other sims: making the bed, cuddling in bed at night, reading/watching videos on the bed, jumping on the bed, reclining on a couch, sitting in different ways (legs crossed, feet on couch etc), using sleeping bags, using bunk beds (with animated ladder), playing tag outside, marco-polo at the pool, different swimming types, picking fruit for kids, eating junk food not on a plate (chips bags, slushies with a straw, cookie packets), lounge chairs, sitting on the floor on command, etc.
While these changes might not seem like much as they don't bring in drastic new game-play like fame or careers, they make the game more meaningful and genuine, which is why they're important.
lower priority:
- there's too many loading screens so no matter how fun the game is you get tired of it and avoid traveling. Open Neighborhood would make the game more immersive as sims wouldn't just faze in and out of a lot and we could interact more naturally with neighborhood lots. For example, a mom could be making dinner while the kid is out playing with the neighbor's kids at the park, the teenager is at the local cafe trying to study, and the grandma is babysitting for a neighbor's toddler. Things like that. I want my household to be spread across the neighborhood so the game is more dynamic. If there's concerns about performance, we should be able to select how many lots to 'preload' from the world menu or turn this feature off entirely. Otherwise, we should be able to use single lots to their maximum potential with user built apartment and multi-venue lots.
- we should be able to use a color wheel to pick out hair, skin, and eye color for our sims as they ones provided are restrictive and do not match most people's colors. However, the color wheel is not necessary for clothes.
